¶ A BRIEFE Treatice of Election and Reprobation with certen Ansvvers to the Obiections of the Aduersaries of thys doctrine Written by Anthonie Gylbie Rom. 9. I vvill shevve mercy vpon vvhom I vvill shevv mercy and I vvill haue compassion vpon vvhom I vvill haue compassion ⸪ ¶ A briefe Treatise with certayne Ansvvers to the Obiections of the Aduersaries of this doctrine vvritten by Anthonie Gylbie VVHereas three yeeres ago dearely beloued I did write of this matter of Election Reprobation which is called Predestination in a certayn Commentarie vpon the Prophet Malachie by the occasion of this texte I haue loued Iacob and I haue hated Esau The which Treatise by the rage of persecution partly perished and parte dyd come of late to my hands accompting this doctrine so necessarie that vpon all occasions it ought with reuerence to be vttred to the glory of God which so wonderfully appeareth in this his riche mercie towards vs whom he chooseth from the filthe of sinne to serue him in righteousnesse and to the beating down of our corrupt nature which without this eyther moūteth by pride vnto presumptiō or falleth by infidelitie to desperation Bicause that without some taste of this diuine prouidence in Predestination there can be no fayth but eyther a doubtfull wauering leading to dispayre which we haue felte in the Papistrie whyles we looked to our owne weaknesse and infirmitie not able to endure one houre in the way of righteousnesse or else a vayne presumption of fayned holynesse whyles we beholde our owne beléefe and good works or the perfection that we doo imagine in our owne selues as doo the Anabaptistes Therefore I thought it good according to my simple Talent to testifie this truthe agayne vnto the worlde at the Printing of this worthy Table of the great lerned man Master Beza which is set foorth in French Latin and Italian and now into Englishe translated by our brother VV. VVhittingham wherein is most euidētly set foorth before our eyes the chiefe ground of this doctrine and the principall poyntes thereof are so déepely opened that there séemed to wante nothing that was possible in so few lines to be vttered yet for the shortnesse therein all things can not be conteyned but that some brief lessons for the vnlearned who hath not their sences fully exercised with suche déepe sentences may well be adioyned as euery man hereafter shall héerevnto be moued by the spirit of God working in their hearts that many bearing witnesse to the truthe of this most profitable doctrine nowe reuealed the mercies of God in choosing his chyldren may more and more day by day be disclosed and by the witnesse of diuers consenting togither in one God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ may be glorified For héerein chiefly standeth his prayse honor and glory that these his wonderfull mercies towarde his Electe may be praysed Nowe there is no meane more apte nor doctrine more conuenient to establish the fayth of the Saincts than to certifie by the Scriptures that God hathe chosen them before the beginning of the worlde to be holy to him selfe and so written their names in the booke of lyfe in the heauens that all their saluation resteth wholly vpon his hands and holy counsell that can by no meanes be altred or chaūged so that neyther death diuell nor hell dare nowe accuse them that are by adoption grafted in Christ who are called of the eternall purpose bicause it is God that iustifieth and who dare condemne them It is Christ that is giuen for them and howe shall not all things be giuen also to them For them that he knewe before them he ordeyned before that they should be like fashioned to the image of his sonne and whome he appoynted before those also he called and whome he called those also he iustified and whom he iustified those also he glorified that this eternall purpose and counsell of God béeing once reuealed to his Saincts by the effectuall vocation and calling whiche is the iustification of fayth wrought in their heartes by the holy spirite they can no longer doubt neyther of Election Predestination saluation or glorification Neither can any thing more beate downe mans nature and the pride of his vayne heart than to behold the maiestie of God making them by grace so farre vnlyke one to the other who were both one altogither by nature the children of wrath of vengeance damnation as the wonderfull example of Iacob and Esau of whom the Lorde pronounceth that he loueth the one and hateth the other before they were borne and the terrible sentēce agaynst Pharao whome the Scripture affyrmeth that God raysed vp to shewe vpon him his power and hardened hys hart to make his name knowne suche like which euerywhere are set before our eyes to cause man fall downe before God and to feare his iudgements doth declare But our Aduersaries obiect agaynst vs that this doctrine is an offence to many and that some abuse it to carnall libertie I doo answere that Christe is a stumbling stone to many and all the doctrine of the Gospell is likewise slaundered by the euill conuersation of others yet may we not prohibite the swéete floures from the Bées bicause Spiders sucke thence their poyson no more than wée maye stoppe the sunne to shyne bycause it hurteth sore eyes But that it may be the glad tydings of saluation to the assurance of the faith of the one and a cleare testimonie of cōdemnation of the other to the beating downe of the pride of man thys glorious coūsel of the mightie God ought vnto all in this cleare reuelation of the Gospel to be offered opened and published Wherefore by the good wyll of God we entende to speake of this greate matter none other wayes neyther in any other sorte then the open Scriptures shall approue our sayings Therfore we say with the holy Apostle Sayncte Paule Blessed be God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessings in heauenly things vnto Christe lyke as he hath elected and chosen vs in hym before the foundations of the worlde were layde that we should be holy and blamelesse before him by loue who hath predestinate vs that hée mighte fréely choose vs to bée hys chyldren by Iesus Christe Ephe. j. And thoughe there come some wicked men whiche were long before appoynted to this iudgement whiche doo turne the grace of oure God to lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse as holy Iude saythe yet knowe we that we are chosen by Iesus Christe that the glory of his grace hys fauoure and mercy towardes vs mighte be praysed For wée are the electe and chosen kynred and hys people by purchase that wée shoulde shewe the vertue of hym whyche hathe called vs foorth of darknesse into this maruellous lighte This people ordeyned to saluation onely beléeueth Act. 13. For thys Electe people onely was Chryste sent into this worlde To them onely is the worde of saluation sente as
God his maiestie must néedes be secluded and excused who is the lawe maker the creator no creature hauing no euill motion nor ledde with any affection which might make his worke euill Like as the creature is for the most part blame worthy bicause euen when it doth the best of all It is subiect to some affection eyther selfeloue or hatred of some other yea the Lorde God may vse any of his creatures in any worke without the blame of any euill as well as the Smith may make his coles to flame or to quenche them eyther the same péece of yron sometimes his hammer sometime his tongs or stithy Wherefore though very much might be sayde in this parte that as the potter may make of one péece of clay what him liketh the Smith may make of his yron diuers instrumentes yet following the godly wisdome of S. Paule I thinke it more méete to beate downe mans subtilties with the contemplation of the Maiestie of the mightie God pronouncing boldly that suche as say if my lyes and sinne set foorth his glory why am I then iudged as a sinner let vs doo euill that good may come and so in their wycked words dare make God the author of euil hath their worthy damnation alreadie as Paule sayth Rom. 3. For of necessitie whiche their eyes can not sée suche diuersitie of sinne and grace of righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse of the contrarietie and change of things must be in this wōderfull creation of heauen and earth by the high maiestie of God appoynted and ordeyned For what néeded the goodly creature of lighte If there had bin no darknesse or howe shoulde this benefite haue bin felte or perceyued what matter or cause of vttering iustice mighte haue bin founde without sinne and vnrighteousnesse howe shoulde grace haue bin shewed if no wrath had bin deserued No the mightie God thereby most euidently vttereth his maiestie in that he sheweth how the heauens fal into darknesse without him the earth into dust the Angels into diuels the men into sinne and so finally without him all things to come to nought that he might be magnified creating all things his sonne our sauiour renowmed who hath redéemed vs all hys holy spirite exalted who hath renewed all vs that be his elect and chosen Nowe to what creature is the maiestie of God bounde and founde debter of his spirite If he withholde it from any his dreadfull maiestie may rightly withhold it for who hath giuen him first to aske any thing agayne of debt or dutie If his maiestie do giue his spirite it is of his frée mercy and grace If the earth fal into dust if man fal into sinne that all things may be knowne to be nothing without God what blame deserueth God or who dare accuse him No let all flesh fall downe before his maiestie and confesse All things doth onely rest vpon thée O Lorde thou hast created all things of nothing so that without thée they all do fall to their originall to shewe themselues vayne and nothing worthe weake wretched miserable wherfore if we haue any good thing it commeth of thy mercy if we haue any weaknesse sinne or infirmitie it cōmeth of our owne concupiscence lusts vanitie our perditiō is of our selues our sinne is of our selues only of thee is our saluatiō thou made vs clay potts vessels to thine vse Do thou with vs as thou shalt think good in thine eyes and the shame shall fall vpon our own faces The seconde cause which concerneth man wherby many mistake this doctrine is that God exhorteth man always in his Scriptures to good and forbiddeth euill with many terrible threatnings whiche things seemeth not to be néedful say they seeing the Elect shall be saued the Reprobate condēned by decree sentence giuen vpon them before they be borne To this we do answer that these exhortatiōs and cōmunications are very necessarie to both twaine bicause God leadeth vs men alwayes like reasonable creatures not like insensible stocks or stones And to the Elect they are most necessarie pricks and spurres to stirre the dull flesh toward his dutie as all good men feeleth can beare witnesse To the Reprobate they are testimonies of the good will of the almighty God to them opened and vttered but openly resisted refused and reiected according to the saying of oure Sauioure Christ If I had not come and spoken to them they had had no sinne but nowe they haue no pretence or excuse for their sinne Peraduenture you will answere me They can not obey vnto it What is the cause thereof I pray you bicause they lacke the spirite of Christe to leade them you will say I dare easily graunt you but will they graunt this will they thinke you submit them selues vnder poore Christe and the foolishnesse of the crosse and not rather boast and brag their wisedome their knowledge and their vpright dealing and righteousnesse Are not these the men that dare thus boast We knowe as well as the Preacher can tell vs Is the spirite of God departed from vs to speake with him As was sayde to Micha 2. of the Kings 22. chapter Or as the Pharisies did answere vnto Christe are we blinde To whome our Sauiour sayth agayne If you were blinde you had no sinne but nowe you say you sée therefore your sinne remayneth Iohn 9. Thus doubtlesse they are so farre from the submission subiection to poore Christ that contrariwise they doo willingly and naturally followe their father Lucifer who did lift him selfe arrogantly aboue Christ the sonne of righteousnesse and euermore fighteth agaynst Christ though the mightie power and high wisdome of God turneth his euill will and all theyrs to his glory and good purposes None other wayes than bodily and naturall darknesse which by the wonderfull wisdome of God clearly setteth foorth the bright sunneshine and yet laboureth by continuall course to shadow the sunne and to couer the whole earth Wherfore the Lorde God to dryue away this naturall darknesse from man exhorteth to iustice and equitie which is hys nature and the Image whiche man ought to counterfeit And alwayes commaundeth thyngs therevnto agreable And forbiddeth that he is not that is to say iniquitie and dehorteth therefrom by his Prophets and Preachers publyshing his wyll and pleasure which is the light and lawe most perfect to man his noble creature whom he hath made for his honour and glory whom he hath appoynted to beare hys Image vppon earth of iustice righteousnesse and innocency But bicause thys Image could by no creature perfectlie bée expressed vnlesse the same were fully replenished with the self same Godhead bicause that all things besidesfoorth had some imperfection bewraying their originall the darknesse as Iohn calleth it the Tohu and Bohu as Moyses dothe it name The vayne vanitie and wilde deformitie whence they were by creation altered recouered and broughte into lighte and life as appeared in Adam falling from truthe to lyes streight at the beginning nowe
and dayly lament calling for the grace of their heauenly father which lamentations sighings and sorowyngs for theyr sinnes bée the sensible féelings and lyuely sygnes and tokens of Gods infallible and sure Election Wherefore whosoeuer shal féele these secret sighes and mournings thereby hating sinne desiring therfrō to be deliuered considering theyr owne weaknes and wishing alwaies to be of more perfection let them with all thankes géeuing vnto God reioyce knowing that this procedeth not from flesh nor bloud but frō the spirite of our head Iesus Christ who maketh intercession for his afflicted members who are hys Saincts with vnspeakeable gronings Whom though for a time he doo permit to be afflicted both in spirite and bodie as sometimes he did Iob Ionas Ieremie and other yet at the ende hée giueth vnto them most triumphant victorie according to the euerlasting purpose of his diuine prouidence who is to be feared reuerenced renowmed and praysed for euer So be it Heretofore haue we answered generally to them that woulde make God the autour of euill and to them which do say that thys doctriue taketh away exhortations and threatnings and the preaching of the worde Now by the grace of God we will more briefly answere to some arguments whiche they bryng foorth of the scriptures settyng aparte all such cauyllations as mans reason whiche in Gods mysteries can neuer be satisfied by the craft of the deuil doth excogitate inuent But fyrst we will speake something of good workes the true vnderstanding of those scriptures which commende thē vnto vs least we should seeme to dissuade mē from the same or extenuate the meaning of the holy ghost in such sentences as our aduersaries do wickedly peruert for the maintenāce of mans power against this doctrine of grace frée Electiō which dare affirme that by works they purchase part of their saluation the whiche as we haue said is fréely gyuen by this Election in Christe Iesu before the foundation of the worlde was layde The good works which are so in déed that is to say which procéede of the spirite of adoption the feeling of Gods mercies in electing calling iustifying first of al haue this vse the they declare the power of God to be in vs and the spirite of Christ which doth conforme vs to his Image and this is the ende whereunto we are Elected and predestinate to be conformed to the image of hys sonne Rom. 8. Elected before the foundation of the worlde to be holy and blamelesse Ephe. 〈◊〉 created vnto good workes which God hath prepared for vs too walke therein Epes 2. These haue the reward as Paule saith not only of this life but of the world to come Therfore sayth our sauiour Christe Math. 25. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the worlde I was hungry and yée gaue me meate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. Of thys excellent commendation and rewarde of good workes we do learne the dignitie of the same not of the worthinesse of thēselues which are neuer able to stand in Gods iugdementes for our very righteousnesses are as Esay sayth as clothes filthily pulluted but of the dignitie of the grace of the promise of God who worketh them in vs For it is God saith Paul that worketh in vs both the will and also the worke euen of his purpose Phil. 2. Therfore all is of grace not of works least any should glory Ephes 2. For if there were any power in our selues or dignity in the works then had we some thing to glory but now that all is confessed to be of Gods free mercies and nothing of our selues we conclude that God crowneth and rewardeth his owne works in vs that who so glorieth should glory in the Lorde ◠Cor. ◠And where some allege this place ▪ Mat. 26. so to commende workes that they should be the cause of the Election and the fauour of God they do not consider the fyrste wordes Come you blessed of my father inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world ▪ Wherin we may note that they béeing the blessed and beloued of the father are called to the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome not wonne by works but prepared by the heauenly father for hys children before they did any works at all Like as the wicked haue their place of eternall torment there named for them before prepared and appoynted And in both twayne the workes doth only declare what the trees are wherout they spring testifie what the fountaine is whence they flow according as our Sauiour Christ sayth the trée is knowē by that fruite a good man foorth of the good treasure of his heart dothe bring foorth good workes and the euill man euill workes This dothe Iames byd vs to shewe our faith of our workes and saith that Abraham did thus vtter his faith by his works and Rahab by her works and were iustified Where we are compelled with all the Godly learned to expound the worde iustified declared to bée Iuste or else we do make Iames contrary to himself contrary to Moyses whose sentence he in the same place alledgeth contrary to Paule and the whole course of Scriptures And thus muste all the generall sentence of workes bee vnderstoode that by these workes wherein God wyll haue vs to walke we are knowen to haue his spirit to bée good trées so iudged by our fruits as is the good apple trée by the apples not that the apples make hym good but testifie that hee is good and that it hath within it selfe a kindly power of good iuice and norishment So we feeling the power of the spirite woorkyng in oure hartes Godly motions and so bringyng foorth good fruites of faith and good workes doo confirme our Election vocation as Peter speaketh to our selues and others The seconde vse of workes is that God in vs by them may be glorified Whereof our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heauen And this is the chéefe vse of good workes the laude and glorie of God whereunto we were fyrst created in the earthy Adam now are anew restored by the heauenly Adam Christ Iesu to walke in good works and to be holy blamelesse without faulte And to thys ende that God in them might be glorified doth scripture cōmend vnto vs good works and setteth foorth the crowne of glory to them that therein are exercised So runne that ye may obtayne saith the Apostle labor for the crown incorruptible 1. Cor. 9. Now bicause these latter dayes are the tymes wherein our Sauiour Christe dyd say that faith should fayle and charitie should waxe coulde we that haue so cleare reuelation of Gods great mercyes in Iesus Christe may gyue no occasion to the slouthfull fleshe eyther in our selues or others but after the example of the Scriptures we must alwayes exhorte to good workes and so tame our bodies and bring them into subiection as Paul saith least whiles we preach to others we our selues bée founde Reprobates 1. Corin. 9. the which sentence is euill alledged of the aduersaries of Election as though Paule might haue become a reprobate or as if that he had not béen certaine of his saluation but that it shoulde hang of his well doings For he sayth first in the same sentēce I do so runne not as at an vncertain thing and so fight not as one that beateth the ayre but as he saith to the Romanes chap. 8. I am sure that neyther death nor life neither Angels nor rule neither power neither things present nether things to come neither high neither low neither any other creature shall be able to depart vs from the loue of God in Christe Iesu oure Lorde Likewise they alledge foorth of the seconde chapter to the Philippians that Paule willeth vs to worke oure owne saluation but they do not consider that he streight wayes addeth that it is God which worketh bothe the wyll and the worke And in the chapter before he saith that it is God which hath begon the good worke and will finish it So that such Scriptures may neuer bée alledged for workes agaynst grace for to set vp our saluation of our selues which onely commeth of mercy in the frée Election wherby we were chosen in Christe Iesu and created a newe in him by his onely spirite to bring foorth good workes Therefore doo we conclude with Paul. Romanes 11. that we are saued and iustified fréelie by Grace not by woorkes for so grace were no grace and that all are shutte vp vnder synne that mercie may be vppon all vppon whome it pleaseth hym too shewe mercie And for the consideration of these greate mysteries of Election and Reprobation we crye with Paule O the depth of the ryches of the wisdome of god How vnsearcheable are his iudgements how incōprehensible his wayes For who hath giuen him first and he shall be recompensed For of hym and through him and for hym are al things To him therefore be glorie for euer and euer So be it ¶ IMPRINTED at London by Dauid Moptid and Iohn Mather Dwelling in Redcrosse streete nexte adioyning to S. Gylses Church without Criplegate ⸪