no succession But where faith is there is libertie adoption and inheritance The 7. reason The Maior The seuenth argument from another consequent that is from sanctification and conuersion Whosoeuer are redeemed are also sanctified conuerted and regenerated according to the promise A deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away iniquities from Iacob and this is my couenant with them Sanctification and conuersion necessarily follow redemption when I shall take away their sinnes saith the Lord. Which place out of the 59. of Isaie Paul Rom. 11. applieth to the conuersion of Israel and from thence sheweth that conuersion is ioyned with deliuerance or redemption Whereto also pertaineth the saying of Iohn 1. Epistle 3. Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill but for this cause was the sonne of God reuealed that he might destroy the workes of the deuill Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not He speaketh of practising righteousnes as whereby the sonnes of God were discerned from the sons of the deuill such as sinne are of the deuill such as do righteousnesse are of God thorow Christ who destroyeh in vs the workes of the deuill not onely by forgiuing sinnes but also by renewing our corrupt nature to doe the workes of righteousnes The circumstance of the words and the scope do teach this exposition and Augustine confirmeth it in Hypognosticâ— lib. 3. where withal he alleageth that which is written Heb. 9. that the blood of Christ who by his eternall spirit offered himselfe to God doth purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God See also in Zacharies song Luk. 1. vers 74. Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31.74 Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31. in Peters words and in his 1. Epistle 2. ver 24. but most plentifully of all Rom. 6. and 7. chapters All which places without gainsaying doe witnesse that the sanctification or renouation of a man to practise righteousnes and good workes are necessarily ioyned with the gift of redemption Here now let vs set downe the assumption The Minor which the holy Scripture and experience doe plainly and sufficiently conuince that not all men bee endued with the spirit of sanctification for their conuersion and renewing of their life It is proued Because this sanctification is not without the free giuing of the holy spirit but the world cannot receiue that spirit Ioh. 14. Further this gift consisteth herein 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 8. 7. Luk. 1. that being dead to sinnes wee should liue to righteousnesse and should serue God in his sight with holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life And is this giuen to all men nay it properly belongeth to the sonnes of promise and of the new couenant as the Lord saith I will put my lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them and all shall know me Iere. 31. Heb. 8. and I will be mercifull to their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more Also I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit within you and I will take away your stonie heart Eze. 36. will giue you a fleshy heart and I will make you to walke in my precepts and to keepe my iudgements and ye shall bee my people and I will be your God Which things seeing they be thus we conclude also The conclusioÌ„ that redemption belongeth not to all men but to the children of the promise onely Now the aduersary two maner of waies runneth a ground about this argument Hub. thes 1089 first in that be laboureth to wrest sanctification indifferently vnto the whole progenie of men and yet alleageth no fit testimonie of Scripture to proue it which as we haue seene plainly declareth the contrarie Thes 1096. Secondly in that he either craftily depraueth the force of the argumeÌ„t or els doth not vnderstand it to wit as though froÌ„ the coherence of the double benefit of redeÌ„ption and sanctification we reasoned thus God requireth sanctification of his redeemed ones therefore the greatest part is not redeemed because it doth not practise godlines But our reasoning is not drawne from our dutie but from Gods benefit promising that he will giue to the redeemed a new heart and a new spirit and so will cause them to walke in his waies by putting and writing them in their mindes not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stony tables but in the tables of the heart The 8. reason The 8. Argument neerely agreeth with the seuenth In the redeemed ones the will also is redeemed by Iesu Christ The will is redeemed and set free in all those that be redeemed otherwise the best thing in man was not redeemed Therefore by graunting the redemption of all faithfull and Infidels it should follow that the will also in all is redeemed and healed and so free will should bee established in all whomsoeuer whereas yet they that are ignorant of Christ and beleeue not in him doe serue sinne and are not able to will or goe about any thing that is good as Luther hath notably proued in his booke de seruo arbitrio The 9. reason The 9. Argument from another consequent which is blessednes and eternall life Eternall life Eâ—â—â—â—â—lessedâ—â—s to low â—â—ose that be redeemed effectually Whosoeuer are effectually redeemed shall not perish but shall haue eternall life But the vnbeleeuers doe perish for hee that beleeueth not shall be damned Therefore the vnbeleeuers are not effectually redeemed The Maior is fully proued by these sayings Being iustified by his blood we shall now much more bee saued from wrath by him For if when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more now shal we be saued by his life Rom. 5. And chap. 8. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth Againe If God be for vs who is against vs euen he that hath not spared his own sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead yea rather who is also risen againe and maketh intercession for vs. Paul is manifestly of this iudgement that they shall neuer be damned for whom Christ dyed rose againe and maketh intercession Notably saith Ambrose Ambr. de Iacob vita beata lib. 1. cap 6. He that hath giuen vs the author of all excepteth nothing There is nothing then that we may feare can possibly be denied vs there is nothing wherein we ought to bee doubtfull of the continuance of Gods bountifulnes whose plentie hath been of so long continuance An excellent saying and of great comfort to a penitent heart if it be oft remembred and alwaies ready so that first he would predestinate then he would call and
things he ought to do hope for So according to their opinion that should only be the calling of God which is outwardly made by the word As though hee did discerne such as heare the Gospell from such as beare not and not rather the beleeuers froÌ„ such as beleeue not who said No man commeth vnto me vnlesse it bee giuen him of the father And in many places the Scripture teacheth that faith and conuersion what good worke soeuer we haue flowe from God Lament 5. Turne vs vnto thee O Lord and we shall be turned saith Ieremie Ierem. 31. Eze. 36. And it is promised in the Prophetes that the time shall come when God will write his law in their heartes and giue them a newe hart a fleshy hart and take away their stony that he will put a new spirit and the feare of him in their hartes and make vs to walke in his precepts In the Gospell also the Lord speaking of the fruit of righteousnes testifieth that we be able to do nothing without him Ioh. 15. Again ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and I haue appointed you to bring forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine 1. Cor. 4. And Paul saith what hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued why doest thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued And expressely the same man affirmeth that repentance is the gift of God 2. Tim. 2. Gal. 5. Ephes 5. As he also reckoneth faith and all good workes to be the fruits of the spirit He testifieth also that we are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we should be exercised in them Ephes 1. And to take away all doubt he plainely writeth that we are elected before the foundations of the world were laid that we should be holy and blameles Therefore also the Church praieth both for Infidels and such as resist the doctrine of the Gospell that they may be conuerted vnto God also for the faithfull that they may grow in saith and perseuer therein For the things that he hath commanded to be done would not be requested of God except it were his free gifte that they were done The 2. error of the Semipelagians Other men albeit they confesse that good works and faith also according to the growth of it bee of God yet they will haue the beginning of faith to come of vs as if faith were not giuen vs of God but onely increased of him in vs by the merit of our beliefe or of our good wil and so the good will of a man should bee the cause of Gods grace and not grace the cause of our will This opinion Prosper and Hilarie attribute to the Semipelagians Epist. ad Aug. Tom. 7. or the reliques as they cal them of the Pelagian heresie And Augustine himselfe was sometime in this error as when he saith I hat we beleeue it is ours but that we do good Expos ad Rom. it is his who giues to the faithfull the holie Ghost And a little after To beleeue and to be willing is ours but to giue to the beleeuers and willers power to worke well by the holy Ghost that is Gods But he acknowledged afterward this error Lib. 1. cap. 23. passim lib. de praedest sanct and amended it in his retractions and elsewhere where he sheweth at large that not onely faith increased but also begunne in vs is Gods gift the grace of the caller preuenting our wil that we may be willing according to the sayings who first gaue to him he shal recompence him because of him Rom. 1â— Paul 1. and through him and in him are all things To you it is giuen not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake He saith simplie to beleeue not more perfectly to beleeue Rom. 12. Like as that is to the Ro. God hath distributed to euery one a measure of faith Also to the Ephe. Yee are saued by grace through faith Ephes 2. and this is not of your selues it is the gift of God that is eueÌ„ that which I said through faith is not of our selues but is the gift of God The same Apostle saith we are not fit to thinke any thing 2. Cor. 3. as of our selues then not so much as to beleeue because to beleeue is nothing els than to thinke with assente To beleeue what it is Also chap. 4. of the 1. Epistle What hâ—st thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why doest thou brag Phil. 2. as though thou hadst not receiued Expressely also it is said of the will that God worketh in vs both to will and to performe of his good will his doubtles and not ours Therefore it remaineth firme that the will is preuented of God and that from him it is in â—â—â—led into vs that we doe beleeue Obiection But thou wilt say Gods giftes are giuen to such as pray and prayer presupposeth faith Therefore man of himselfe bringeth faith at the least the beginning of it that he may be capable of grace and the giftes of God Answere But the Maior is particular seeing God giueth some things euen to them that pray not as the beginning of faith other things no otherwise than by prayer And thus Augustine answereth this doubt chap. 16. de bono perseu alijs locis The 2. error of the Papists works of preparation Thirdly there be inuented of certaine men works I know not what morally good whereby a man before faith and repentance prepareth himselfe to grace yea deserueth grace de congruo of conueniencie as they speake And that would they prooue by the example of Cornelius who was endued with the knowledge of Christ while the Lorde respected his prayers and almes By these mens opinion that wicked sentence is maintained Aug. de praedest sanct cap 2. con 2. ep Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 19. which Pelagius himselfe in his episcopall iudgement in Palestine condemned albeit with an hypocriticall heart to wit that the grace of God is giuen according to our deserts Beside when the Apostle saith who hath seuered thee What hast thou that thou hast not receiued by these mens opinion I may say my worke doeth seuer me my endeuour Ephe 2. Heb. 11. and merite What that the scripture teacheth that we are all dead in offences sinnes before faith that without this it is impossible that we or our workes should please God Tell me I pray what good will had Paul and not rather a great wicked wil that breathing forth slaughter went forward destroying Christians in the horrible blindenesse of his minde By what merites of his will by what preparation of works did God conuert him from these euils to faith In like maner how many enemies of Christ dayly are drawen of a suddaine by the secert grace of God to Christ Lastly the
Neither that onely 2 Thes 3. Tit. 1. but euen true beleeuers seeing all men haue not a liuely faith in Christ but the elect are kept by the power of God vnto saluation through faith 1. Pet. 1. Ier. 32.39 40. as Peter testifieth And this is the meaning of the promises I wil giue vnto them one heart and one way and I will make an euerlasting couenant with them I will put my feare in their harts that they may not depart from me Also I will plant them in their land Amos 9.15 neither shall they bee any more rooted out of their land saith the Lord. Who are these but the faithfull planted in the courts of the Lord and ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And by the testimonie of Iohn He that is borne of God sinneth not because the seede of God abideth in him 1. Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 1. neither can he sinne because he is borne of God For wee are not borne againe of mortall but of immortall seede by the word of the liuing God who abideth for euer Hubâ—â— thes 29. 1. Tim. 1 4. Objection Which thing seeing it is so that word being once by regenerating faith apprehended and receiued into the hart abideth for euer and can no more fall away as Luther hath well obserued vpon that place Answere As for that which is obiected Faith for the doctrine of faith Aduers Anthrop morph cap. 9. that some fall away from the faith and make shipwracke of it wee must vnderstand that faith is often taken for the doctrine of faith And so many doe fall from faith going backe from the doctrine which they did professe also cleauing vnto doctrines of deuils while they would seeme to follow Christ as Chrysostome and Theophylact expound those places and Cyrill of Alexandria also hath it that Hymeneus and Alexander made shipwrack concerning faith because they said that the resurrection was past alreadie To this end serueth the answere that an historicall faith is one thing Diuerse significations of faith Credere Deo credere Deum credere in DeuÌ„ Aug de Tempore Serm. 181. and a iustifying and sauing faith is an other thing or that it is one thing credere Deo and another thing credere Deum and another thing credere in Deum that is to beleeue God to beleeue that he is God and to beleeue in God To beleeue God is to beleeue that the things bee true which he speaketh which many euill men can doe And to beleeue that he is God euen the deuils may But to beleeue in God they onely know who loue him and who are Christians not onely in name but also in deedes and life For faith without loue is the deuils faith vaine but with loue it is the faith of a Christian And this faith of a Christian setled in the foundation suffereth no man to perish as Augustine writeth which thing a certaine glosse also of Luthers vpon the 7. De fide operibus cap. 18. of Matth. confirmeth in these words That faith which is effectuall by workes purifieth the heart and such vertue standeth vnmoueable against all the force of windes and the power of hell because it is grounded vpon the rocke Christ. Otherwise is the state of those that haue an historicall deuillish and dead faith onely and therefore counterfeite and not true because it is not liuely notwithstanding it may bee called true as touching true notions or knowledge and agreeable to diuine reuelations These things as touching the perseuerance of the elect and truly beleeuers Heerbrandus Disputatione Tubingensi de electione plainly confirmeth which I here produce that these new disputers who now out of the same schoole sow contrarie opinions may be lesse angrie with vs. For thus it hath determined that those who are predestinated to life do not fall away finally and that such are they who vnderstand themselues to be ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And whereas many doe fall away who are in writing recorded to haue had faith that they had onely a temporarie faith without true regeneration of the heart These things saith he in the foresaid disputation thes 40.45 47. Of the fall of reprobates that were in the Church Now as touching the other part concerning reprobates who for a time haue a place in the Church among the sonnes of God that rule is well to bee marked in the second chapter of the first of Iohn verse 19. They went out from vs Tract 3. in epist. Io. but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they had surely continued with vs. He speaketh of them as Augustine doth notably set foorth this place who by chance going out returne not againe who also when they are within are not of vs How reprobates are called beleeuers and partakers of redemption Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. Phil. 1.7 nor as members are within the bodie of Christ but as euill humours sith that his bodie is as yet in curing and the health of it shall not be perfect till the resurrection of the dead In the meane time because such persons are not manifest vnto men they are plainly called beleeuers conuerted iustified sanctified redeemed disciples and members of Christ temples and the sonnes of God yea the elect of God plainly I say they haue these termes whom we see to professe with vs the same faith and Christian conuersation albeit in the meane while they be not oftentimes that in very deede which they are called before him who discerneth the intents and thoughts of the heart Hebr. 4. Ambrose and vnto whose eyes all things are knowne and manifest Ambrose lib. 1. Com. in Luc. cap. 1. saith very well Not euery one who is iust before men is iust before God Men see one way God seeth another men in the face God in the heart euen he is the iudge of the minde and the fact Therefore it is perfect praise to be iust before God And this very thing doth Augustine largely teach Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. 9. and citeth hither the saying of Christ If ye shall abide in my word ye shall be truly my disciples For al that giue their names to Christ are vsually called his disciples and Christians of Christ by reason of their profession but they be in deed that which they be called who abide in his word As the Apostle also saith We are the house of Christ Hebr. 2. if we hold that confidence and hope wherof we reioyce sure vnto the end And anon We are made partakers of Christ if wee hold sure vnto the end that beginning whereby we are sustained If not we are called before men partakers of Christ of his household sonnes and heires of God citizens of the Saints redeemed and beleeuers but wee are not the same truly before the Lord who will say in time to come I neuer knew you Matth.
onely who should beleeue in him and repent For that cause he saith And he shall beare the sinnes of many Luther also vpon that saying Luther in Is 53. My righteous seruant by the knowledge of himselfe c. defineth Christian righteousnes to be nothing els than to know Christ and this onely to be the way of our deliuerance from death and sinnes and that this knowledge doth free vs and that there is no other comfort Therefore it is an error to claime for al men simply freedome from sinne and death The same thing plainly appeareth by the forme of the new couenant Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. Behold the daies shal come The 3. place Ierem. 31. saith the Lord when I will make a new couenaÌ„t with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt but this is the couenant which I will strike with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people Neither shall euery one teach his neighbour saying know the Lord for al shal know me from the least to the greatest among them and I will be merciful to their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Hence wee see that remission of sinnes which is wrought by the death of the Mediatour is the benefit of the new couenant Whereupon it followeth The benefits of the couenant belong to the sonnes of the couenant that it appertaineth to the sonnes onely of the couenant But how that all are not the sonnes of the couenant first from hence it is plaine that these promises I will put my lawes in their mindes I will bee their God and they shall be my people they shall all know me agree not simply vnto all men Then because it is flatly sayd that this couenant is made with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda which thing must be vnderstood of the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles that true Iuda and Israel whereof the Apostle also speaketh Gal. 3. Ye are all one in Christ Iesu and because ye are Christs ye are Abrahams seede and heires by promise Ier. 23. 33. The 4. place The like promise we haue Iere. 23. and 33. Behold the daies shall come saith the Lord that I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall raigne in whose daies Israel shal be saued and Iuda shall dwell boldly We see here also the redemption of the Messiah peculiarly attributed to his people because Luk. 1. as the Angell Gabriel testifieth he raigneth ouer the house of Iacob that is the Church and of his raigne and his peace there shall be no end Euery where also in the Prophets when they foretell of the comming of the Redeemer and of saluation to be wrought by him the word of promise is peculiarly directed vnto the Church vnder the name of Sion Zach. 2. The 5. place as Zachar. 2. Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord and many nations shall be gathered together in that day and they shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and the Lord shall possesse Iuda his portion in the holy land and shall choose as yet Ierusalem That this must bee vnderstoode of the Church collected from euery place the things that we reade 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. and Apoc. 21. vers 2. will not suffer vs to doubt at all Zach. 6. The 6. place And in the 9. chapter of the same Prophet it is said Reioyce greatly O daughter Sion shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem Behold thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee who is iust a Sauiour poore â—iding vpon an asse and he shall speake peace to the Gentiles and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the flood to the ends of the earth Ephes 2. For the Catholike Church of Christ is dispersed through the whole world which Christ as Paul witnesseth is our peace and hath made both Iewes and Gentiles one abolishing enmitie through his flesh that he might make one man of two in himselfe and hath reconciled both in one bodie vnto God by his crosse slaying enmitie by it and comming hath preached peace both to them that were farre off and to them that were neere Agreeable to this is the word of promise Esay 62. Esay 62. Behold the Lord proclaimeth vnto the vtmost parts of the earth Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy saluation shall come behold his reward is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken What was this citie but the high Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all for it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not Gal 4. breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate woman hath more children than she that hath an husband After which sort also the citie of God the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem with her sonnes dispersed among all nations is gloriously described in the 87. Psalme And these bee they of whom speaketh this propheticall word here They shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Wherefore seeing the prerogatiue of so great dignitie is proper to the sons of the Church and the household of God it is iniuriously extended to those that are without But that we may not go farre it is certaine Acts 10. as Peter sheweth that all the Prophets doe witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name And as Paul affirmeth the righteousnesse of God is approued by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. the righteousnesse of God I say in all and vpon all that beleeue Col. 1. Now the righteousnesse of God and remission of sinnes is redemption it selfe Colos 1. Wherefore by the one consent of all the Prophets redemption is proper to the beleeuers and nothing at all belongeth to the vnbeleeuers CHAP. VI. The same thing is proued by some types of the old Testament I Will onely annexe certaine typicall or shadowed things of the old Testament wherein now long agoe the very same thing hath been declared The redemption of Israel out of Egypt and Babel And first it is manifest enough that the redemption of the people of Israel out of Egypt and after out of the captiuitie of Babel were as certaine shadowes and figures of this true redemption and grace gotten by Christ as here and there wee may see in the Prophets Tuitiens hath this similitude vpon Ioh. 17. Therefore looke how much difference there is betweene the Egyptians perishing with
Apostle cryeth Tit. 3. Not through the works of righteousnes which wee haue done but according to his mercie he hath saued vs. Wherefore away with such preparations whereby men are supposed to dispose themselues for grace that they may be ingrafted into Christ De praede sanct cap. 6. Augustine plainely reciteth this error reprouing the common talke of men saying This or that man therefore deserued to beleeue because hee was good before he beleeued As for the example of Cornelius he there answereth that hee was not wholly void of faith The faith of Cornelius For how should he call vpon him in whom he did not beleeue How were his praiers and almes without faith acceptable before God yet afterward by Peters ministery he beleeued in Christ that now hee might knowe the sonne of God incarnate and might receiue the sacrament of regeneration The last error about vocation whereof wee speake The 4. error making effectuall calling to be in mans power and will is the error of certaine men that extenuate the effecacie of it as though the effect thereof were in the power of a man that if he will not God should call in vaine Yea if a man will not and goeth on to resist grace that is offered him it is most certaine that he is not as yet partaker of this calling Ioh. 6. For Christ witnesseth that this calling is most effectual Euery one that hath heard learned of the father commeth vnto me De praedest sanct cap. 8. They that heare and learne of God do come but they that come not wheÌ„ they are called haue neither heard nor learned of God Which wordes Augustine considering saith If euery one that hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth truely euery one that doeth not come hath neither heard nor learned For if he had heard and learned he would come For not any one hath heard and learned that commeth not but euery one as saith the trueth who hath heard and learned commeth This grace therefore which of the diuine bountifulnes is secretly giueÌ„ to the hearts of men is refused of no hard heart For therefore it is giuen that the hardnes of the heart might first of all be taken away according to the saying I will take from you a stonie heart and giue you a fleshly Looke vpon the same Augustine ad Simpl. li. 1. quaest 2. The effect of Gods mercie saith he cannot be in mans power that he should in vaine shew mercy if man will not Mans will cannot resist Gods call nor make his mercie in vaine because if he please to haue mercie on theÌ„ that resist him he is able so to call them as they may most fitly be mooued and may vnderstand and so followe him For albeit he calleth many yet he hath mercy on them whom he so calleth as it is fittest for theÌ„ to be called that they may follow neither hath hee mercie on any in vaine Therefore they are elected who are so called that they refuse not him that calleth them the rest are not elected because they doe not followe although they be called The same doctrine of the efficacie of this calling Luther notably confirmeth lib. de serm arbit cap. 45. Question Therefore when the question is often asked why when many heare the same word all of them are not so called that they obey their calling Answere it is not fitly answered of some because they will not For if the faithfull therefore beleeue because they are willing God hath not giuen them faith but by their willingnes they haue giuen it to themselues Some obey their calling because God maketh them willing Aug cant duaâ— epist Pelag. cap. 19. No man surely can beleeue but hee is willing thereto for howe should a man beleeue against his will But hee maketh him willing of an vnwiller who when hee draâ—eth vs wee come to Christ Therefore the elect are sundri wayes drawen to bee willing by him who knoweth inwardly to worke in the very hearts of men not that men should beleeue against their will which cannot be but that of vnwilling persons they might be made willing Question 2 Aug. de praedest saâ—nct cap. 8. 9. But why doeth he not so draw all Answere Because he hath mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will by his most iust iudgemeÌ„t doubtles because there is no vniustice in God For who so beleueth that by one man all are iustly condemned he vnderstandeth that God shal not be iustly blamed albeit he deliuer not one from thence and therefore that it is his great grace that many are deliuered and let them acknowledge in them that are not redeemed what was due to themselues that they that reioice may reioice not in their owne merites which they see equall to them that are damned but in the Lord. Question 3 And why he draweth this man doth not draw that his iudgements are vnsearchable and his wayes past finding out Therefore be vnwilling to iudge of this thing if thou wilt not erre saith Augustine in a place vpon Saint Iohn CHAP. XV. Other effects of election i. Iustification and glofication where also is intreated of the perseuerance of the Elect. The 3. effect of election Iustification BVt of vocation inough I come to the third principall effect of election to wit Iustification For by the testimonie of Paul Whom hee calleth them hee also iustifieth And how necessary this benefite is to the elect for the obtaining of their appointed ende of life and heauenly glory it is manifest to euery one For seeing we are all vnder sinne and for sinne are guiltie of wrath and eternall damnation we cannot see the kingdome of heauen vnles we be absolued from sins What it is to be iustified and accounted iust before God by the free forgiuenesse of them And this is nothing els than to bee iustified as the word is here taken So Paul Rom. 4. defineth iustification by the imputation of righteonsnesse And this he teacheth to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging hereunto the testimonie of Dauid Psalme 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Iustification diuersly taken in Scripture Otherwise diuersly the word Iustification is taken in the scriptures For one while it signifieth the acknowledging and declaring of one to be good and righteous that is such a one in deed as that God is said to bee iustified in his sayings Psal 58. Luke 6. vers 29. 39. And Luke sheweth that the people when they heard Christ iustified God And Christ saith that wisedome is iustified of her children Another while it signifieth to be endued with inherent righteousnes by the infusion of new qualities and by good workes As Apoc. 22. it is written He that hurteth let him hurt as yet and he that is iust let him bee iustified as yet Thirdly
by the proprietie of the Hebrewe tongue the iudiciall signification as I may say of the word is most vsuall in the sacred Scriptures namely that to be iustified is to be absolued from guiltines the word being taken relatiuely not noting any qualitie So it is vsed Prouerb 17. vers 15. Isa 5.23 And this signification agreeth with our businesse in hand seeing the question is of the iustification of a sinfull man before God Certainely therefore are we iustified of him when wee that are in our selues guilty of hell before the iudgement seate of God are neuerthelesse by his grace discharged from all guiltines so that the aduersarie cannot any more condemne seeing he reputeth vs freely iust through redemption in Christ Iesu by faith in his blood and not of workes To him that is iustified the holy Ghost is giuen to renue his heart and to stirre him vp to good works And albeit in the iustification of a wicked man the holie Ghost is withall freely giuen to renew the heart and to infuse new qualities wherby we are stirred vp to the studie of good workes yet by this newnes the guiltines of former sinnes is not blotted out neither are we accepted then for our workes but it is needfull that first we be accepted that our works being vnperfect and defiled may be able to please him But to handle these things more specially it is not now materiall Furthermore this must bee obserued that the Apostle teacheth Iustification proper to the elect that this gift of free iustification ariseth of predestination and he maketh it proper to the elect after they haue bin partakers of a diuine vocation For he saith Whom he hath predestinate he hath called and whom he hath called them he hath also iustified He saith not as the spirit of error imagineth that all reprobates as well as elect called and not called how many soeuer are of Adam borne sinners are iustified also in Christ and receiued into grace being freed from all sin and the iudgement of God And that no doubt may remaine explaining himselfe Paul addeth What shall we say then to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne to wit Gods elect It is Christ who is dead yea who is also risen againe We heare of the elect that iustification is theirs that Christ for all them was deliuered to death Their opinion also is withall reâ—elled that say that some euen of the number of the reprobates are iustified but that reconciliation is in them made frustrate Augustine better agreeth with the meaning of the Apostles saying Contra Iulian. lib. 5. cap. 3. Those that are not in the number of the predestinate God brings none of them to sauing and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled to God in Christ The like words are in the same author in Soliloquijs cap. 28. The fourth effect of election glorification The fourth effect of predestination of the elect followeth to wit glorification For whom he calleth and iustifieth them he also glorifieth saith the Apostle For he vseth verbes of the preter tense for the present tense according to the Hebrewes maner of speaking And glorification signifieth the kingdome of the Saints in the heauenly life and withall comprehendeth or presupposeth the gift of perseuerance vnto the end whereof it is said He that continueth to the end shall be saued Matth. 10. Like hereto are the promises Ioh. 6. Whatsoeuer the father giueth me commeth vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I will not cast forth And straightway This is the will of him that sent me that whatsoeuer he hath giuen me thereof I should lose nothing but that I should raise it vp in the last day Againe No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him And I will raise him vp at the last day The demonstration is plaine Whosoeuer by the drawing of the father commeth vnto Christ he shall be raised vp by him vnto the resurrection of life But all come who are giuen to Christ that is are predestinate in him Therefore all they shall be raised vp by him vnto the resurrection of life that is they shall be glorified And this perseuerance which I mentioned is Perseuerance of the Saints what it is Rom. 8.35 not to be ouercome with teÌ„ptations and as Paul describeth it at large neither by oppression nor anguish nor any other creature to bee separated from the loue of God but in all things to bee more than a conqueror through him that hath loued vs. And this is to be noted in this place concerning that great benefit of perseuerance both that all the elect haue it and also that they haue it not of themselues but from another to wit from the bountifulnes of Gods grace As for the former the testimonies are plaine Matth. 24.24 Rom. 8.35 Also 2. Tim. 2. The elect haue it Matth. 10. The foundation of God standeth sure Furthermore when the holy Ghost testifieth that saluation is laid vp for such as perseuere and the crowne of life for them that ouercome Apoc. 2. 2. Tim. 4 8.1â— Ioh. 17. Luk. 22. Aug. de Cor. gra cap. 8. they necessarily perseuere that are elected to raigne with Christ Thirdly Christ vniuersally praied for his elect and was heard no lesse than it is read that hee praied for Peter that his faith should not faile Wherein what did he els pray for but that he might haue in faith a most free strong vnconquerable and perseuering will Seeing therefore Christ praieth for the elect that their faith faile not it shall continue doubtles vnto the end neither shall the end of this life finde it otherwise than abiding Aug. de Cor. gr cap. 11. 12 It is Gods gift proued by three reasons as by Peters example Augustine gathereth And now that perseuerance is Gods gift both the feeling of our owne infirmitie and the multitude of temptations wherewith daily wee haue to fight in this present wicked age against the deuill the world and our owne flesh compell vs to confesse Who can bee safe among so many wiles and swords of the deuill vnlesse he bee sustained by the hand of God Aug. de bono pers cap. 2. Secondly the testimonies hereof are most euident in the writings of the Prophets and Euangelists Ierem. 32. saith the Lord I will put my feare in their hearts that they may not depart from me Which thing what is it else than such and so great the feare of me shall bee that I will put in their hearts that they shall cleaue vnto me continually Hos 2. I will marrie thee vnto my selfe for euer in righteousnesse and faith c. And hee hath married all the true beleeuers vnto himselfe Ioh. 10. I giue to my sheepe eternall life neither shall they perish