by sinne But here the Papistes doe shamefully erre and are grossely deceyved in that they measure the ability of man by the commandements of God For when God teacheth that which is right hee doth not regard what man can doe of himselfe but he sheweth and commandeth man that which hee is indebted and bound to doe So that man is not loosed and freed from this obligation because hee is not able to satisfie and pay it Therefore when as hee cannot performe that which the law of God exacteth of him he is convinced as guilty of his iniquity that hee may be constrayned to acknowledge his sinne lest he should lay the cause of his condemnation vpon some thing els So that as often as the law of God doth will and command man this or that it standeth not to skan how farre mans power is able to stretch but exacteth that simply of him which by right it may And when man cannot performe it hee is fast in bonds on every side so that he can neyther excuse his fault nor lay it elsewhere And so all cavilling and complayning are at an ende And although man bee not able to performe those things that are prescribed and commanded by the law yet notwithstanding hee cannot bee excused or defended as guiltlesse seeing this infirmitie and defect of strength came not nor proceeded from the Creation but from the fall and fault of our first Parents Therefore from this our frailty and weakenesse there is no excusing of our selfe to bee taken or pleaded but rather an accusation For the lawe in the commandements requireth that which was given vs in our first creation Therefore the Elect and godly do vnderstand by the commandement that they are not able to doe that which is prescribed in the lawe and therefore they flie vnto the mercy of God and helpe of the holy spirit pray that iust revenge be not inflicted vpon them but all excuse and defence is cut off from the reprobate Therefore that vnsavory inference and conclusion of the Papists ought to be hissed out by which they conclude thus God hath commanded it therefore man may performe it whenas God by that meanes sheweth man his iniquity frailty that acknowledging it he may fly vnto his grace for it is hee that worketh in man both to will and to doe Phil. â— 13 as Saint Paul teacheth the Philippians Let every man therefore sincerely and from his heart acknowledge that he is the servant of sinne that hee may be delivered and freed by the benefite of Christ no other freedome may bee found which mny prevayle with God As often therefore as wee finde the commandements of God in the Scripture which inioyne vs that which we cannot doe so often let vs remember that notable saying of S. Augustine Epistol 24. which sayth Give me O Lorde that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt otherwise if thou enioynest vs but the least thing we shall not be able to beare it Here the Papistes discover theyr grosse ignorance of the Scripture because they fayne any concurring of free-will with grace as if man in things spirituall pertayning vnto Salvation could of himselfe perfourme any thingâ— by which doctrine they labour to proove that man is not beholding to the grace of God for that good which he hath and is able to performe But the true Church of Christ doth most rightly beleeve and most soundly confesse that God causeth and worketh all that good in man which he hath and doth performe For the Scripture doth every where and manifestly attribute that wholy vnto God as when God sayth by the Prophet EZechiel I will give vnto you a new heart Chap. 36 26 11.19 and will put my spirite in the middest of you and will take away the stony heart out of your bodies and will give you an heart of flesh Here God ascribeth regeneration vnto himselfe because hee alone doth mollifie and change an hardened and stubburne heart Therefore this cannot bee translated vnto the abilitie in man but that something shall be detracted from the grace of God Therefore this ground and principle must firmely be holden and kept that there can no good thing come into our mindes which proceedeth not from God This whosoever doth from his heart beleeve and freely confesse holdeth the foundation of pietie vnshaken Li. 1. ca. 20. as Augustine saith in his booke of Free-will Therefore this whole division which they make betweene the grace of God and the abilitie of man ought to bee reiected as wicked and blasphemous for it hath no proofe out of the holy Scriptures Furthermore the Papists whenas they preferre theyr owne ability before the grace of God and make his promises of no effect by their preceptes do indeede sufficiently declare that they have more confidence in themselves then in God that promiseth Out of doubt being glutted with their owne righteousnesse they doe not hunger much after the righteousnesse of God But let the godly which love the righteousnesse of God and their owne Salvation know this that all the power of free-will such as the Papists dreame of is a vayne fantasie of mans brayne and a fayned and cursed fable which these idle bellies have invented for filthy lucre sake and doe force it vpon the ignorant common people and labour to perswade them thereof vnder the shew of holinesse But the word of God expressely and manifestly teacheth vs that the will of man of his owne power is not able to begin any inward obedience without the holy spirite much lesse to performe it For God is hee alone which worketh in man both to wil and to do Phil. 1.6 Iohn 15.5 The holy spirit is the onely teacher of all heavenly wisedom and hee is the onely author and finisher of all spirituall goodnesse and vertue hee onely worketh in vs all the knowledge and worship of God he worketh in vs faith and the feare of God hee sanctifieth vs and quickneth vs hee comforteth vs and saveth vs to him onely bee praise and glory for ever Certainely the wickednesse and corruption of mans nature is horrible in that it is so much voyd and empty of all goodnesse and so deprived and bereft of all power to will well or to doe good that not the least thought can proceed or be drawne out of it which may bee acceptable and well pleasing vnto God So that man in his owne nature is wholy turned away from God and from all goodnesse and by his owne power is not able to change or subdue this his rebellion whereby it commeth to passe that he sinneth of necessity and erreth continually vntill he bee renewed and amended by spirituall power from above From hence therefore it may most truely bee concluded that the saving knowledge of God and true fayth in Christ is a farre more high and heavenly wisedom then the vnderstanding of man by his owne ability can attayne vnto Moreover this Vocation which we speake of
be created of him vnto destruction By this most fit example we are taught that it is in the free choyse of God onely to make a difference betweene men and by his wisedome to ordeyne and appoynt what shall be done with every one So that God doth love and choose most freely whomesoever he loveth and chooseth as also he doth refuse and condemne most freely whomesoever he refuseth and condemneth For this is the force and liberty of predestination namely that God hath freewill to save and choose that man whom of his meere grace he chooseth and saveth so also that he hath free liberty to reiect and condemne whomesoever in his iust iudgement he will have refused and condemned So that this is the eternall and vnchangeable will of God of his vndeserved favour to choose and save some and in his iust iudgement to cast others off from all mercy and to condemne them This will of God in both these decrees is most absolute and simple which hath no other cause so that he saveth some because it is his pleasure and wil and he condemneth others because it is his pleasure likewise Therefore it is at Gods free choyce to shew or deny mercy to whomesoever he will It is in his power to have mercy on whom he will Rom. 9.18 and whom he will to harden And he taketh mercy of his owne great goodnes only and hardneth with no iniustice that he that is saved should not boast of his owne merits and he that is condemned should complayne of nothing but of his owne deserts In Euchiriad Laurentium ca. 99. as Augustine sayth So there is no cause above Gods will but that is in the highest degree that vnto vs it might be in steed of all causes So the will of God is the first and chiefest determiner of our election and of all other things Therefore the onely absolute will of God ought to suffice every one as the most weighty cause and the chiefest reason of every thing So that it is an execrable wickednes to aske the causes of the will of God seeing that is the first and the onely sufficient of all other causes which hath no other cause above it Lib. de pradestina sanc 1.9 wherefore Saint Augustine sayd most truly and most rightly Call not into question why God chooseth this man or reprobateth that man except thou wilt fall into errour for this will of God is sure and constant because hee hath created mankinde Rom. 9.22 partly to shew his free mercy and partly to declare his iustice for he were vnmercifull if he should condemne all and on the other side hee might seeme vnmindfull of his iustice if hee should save all Therefore God created men such that they might fall that by their fall he might shew what the benefit of his mercy and the iudgement of his iustice were able to do of which reade Augustine in his booke De correp grat And this ought not to trouble the godly because that all are not appoynted to salvation and but a few onely shall be saved for they know and beleeve having learned it by the word of God that all have fallen into most iust condemnation and why all men are not delivered from thence is not in mans power to determine and iudge but must be left wholely to the iudgement and wisedome of God Further it doth hence appeare that all are not elected because that the scripture affirmeth in many places that some onely are elected and the rest reiected Agayne the scripture sayth manifestly that he hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9. â—8 and whom he will he hardeneth Agayne if all were elected the Gospell of the sonne of God should be preached every where throughout the whole earth and faith should be given at randam to all and every one Cap. 1.1 For Paule to Titus teacheth that faith is proper to the elect But the Gospell is not preached through all parts of the earth 2. Thes 3.2 and faith is not given to all men therefore all men are not appoynted vnto salvation And that faith is not given vnto all men it is evident Mat. 25.46 because many shall be condemned and go away into everlasting paine Agayne it may hence appeare that all are not elected and shall be saved because that election or choosing is of some and not of all for if all were received there were no election so that there are some elect and some reprobates But they which have a true and a lively faith in Iesus Christ our onely Saviour and do put their whole trust and confidence of salvation in him alone they are the very elect for to this end are they elected of God that by the power of the spirit they should beleeve in Christ and in him obteyne salvation And let such embrace with thankefull hearts the incomparable goodnes of God towards them and freely with their mouth make the same knowne vnto others praysing God And although God hath not ordeyned every one vnto salvation but hath appoynted some vnto eternall destruction yet there is no accepting of persons with him as if God did elect and save this or that man for any outward good things such as are riches honours noblenes of birth cuntry comely proportion beauty excellent knowledge and learning and other things of the like sort these things albeit among men they are in great estimation yet with God they are of no account For God respecteth and esteemeth the sincerity of the heart and the innocency of life although that as concerning the decree of election he respecteth not these neither but these outward good things howsoever they be most pretious and to be esteemed as the good gifts of God and his name ought to be praysed for them yet in the matter of election he setteth nothing by them for they are not of such worth as that any for them should be elected vnto eternall life If they were the cause of election it would manifestly follow that everlasting salvation might be attayned by the goods of nature or by the study and merits of man Wherefore they which heere make a question of the accepting of persons do neyther know themselves nor the iustice of God rightly as they ought to do and do grievously offend herein because that in this matter they stick not to liken and compare God with lying and deceiveable men who often times are blinded with the outward hew of things and are withdrawne from the right way so that they give their verdit and sentence in the behalfe of vniust causes Moreover they fall into a fallacy full of ignorance or else of wickednes for they foyst in fayned and imaginary causes in stead of true and necessary causes as if they should set mouse-doong to sale in stead of pepper For if those outward good things were the cause why these or these should be chosen then surely oftentimes the worst should be elected and the
learning and vnderstanding sake but least any man should be deceived by the ambiguity of the word the significations thereof must be vnfolded and distinguished for vocation in the holy scripture doth signify oftentimes the very action of calling otherwhiles it signifieth that happines to which men are called namely everlasting life and heavenly glory Then in respect of the two-fold kinde of men there is likewise a two-fold kinde of vocation the one is vnto some office and not vnto salvation So Saule was called to a kingdome so Iudas was called to the Apostleship when notwithstanding neyther of them were ordeyned vnto salvation In these and such like the goodnes of God is so great that he vouchsafeth oftentimes an honest calling even to the most wicked men The other kind of vocation is vnto some office and vnto salvation also So Paule and the rest of the Apostles were called vnto the office of preaching the Gospell through the whole world and vnto salvation likewise So also many other godly men are called both vnto some certayne office and kinde of life and also vnto salvation and everlasting life That these things may the better and the more familiarly be conceived and vnderstood we must know that one vocation is outward and not effectuall vnto salvation and another is inward and effectuall vnto salvation The outward calling is that which consisteth only in the outward preaching of the Gospel this concerneth onely the superficies or outside of the vnderstanding This indeed beateth the eares with the outward sound but entreth not into the heart and hath no firme and stedfast roote in it and therefore this vocation is not durable but continueth only for a time and is like vnto the corne that fell vpon the stony ground Math. 13.6 which because it hath not sufficient moysture vnder it it can not fasten and take deepe roote but when the Sunne riseth and parcheth it it is dryed vp and withereth away From this vocation the reprobate themselves are not excluded but many of them also are called by it as well as the elect And although that some of the reprobate do come vnto some knowledge of the truth and consent therevnto and are enlightened therewith yet notwithstanding they never come vnto the true acknowledgement of the Gospell nor to the playne confession of a true faith but as Saint Paule sayth vnto Timothy 2. Epist 3.7 they are alwayes learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth Their study seeing that it is accursed fom above is a preposterous study to which knowledge never accordeth for they are alwayes vnconstant and tossed vp and downe in theyr restlesse minde like a reede so that they can apprehend no certaynety and whatsoever they doe attayne vnto doth exasperate the iudgement of God against them and turneth to their greater condemnation and maketh them the more without excuse By this it playnely appeareth that all to whom the doctrine of the Gospell is revealed are not effectually taught thereby and inwardly called The vengeance of God is wont to punish the wickednes of the reprobate two manner of wayes Amos. 8.11 for eyther he taketh from them the vse of the word or leaving them the word he taketh away their vnderstanding Esay 6.9 and darkeneth their capacitie that in seeing they should not perceive and in hearing they should not vnderstand So that the whole doctrine of the scripture is vnto them as a booke shut vp and sealed Esay 29.11 wherefore although God doe shine vnto them with the most cleere light of his word yet Sathan hath so blinded them that they altogether grope for their way in the great brightnes of light and vnderstand nothing at all and so see not the Sunne shining at mid-day Hence it may playnely be gathered that the word of God is not preached vnto men to one end but for divers ends and by Gods wonderfull iudgement is in such sort tempered and disposed on both sides that it is no lesse the savour of death vnto death vnto the reprobate then the savour of life vnto life vnto the elect So by one and the selfesame word of God the reprobate are as well distressed vnto condemnation as the elect refreshed vnto salvation This is by all meanes a fearefull and a very great iudgement of God in that many of the damned are called by the outward ministery of the word as the children of light and are adorned and endued with some knowledge of the truth which notwithstanding afterward are separated and reiected from the Church as the children of darkenes and the bondslaves of Sathan But the sound and true knowledge of the truth of the Gospell is proper to the elect onely This Christ himselfe doth expresse and declare in Mathew saying Mat. 13.11 Mark 4.11 To you it is given to know the misteries of the kingdom of heaven vnto others it is not So also in Iohn he sayth Iohn 17.6 I have declared thy name vnto the men which thou gavest me So likewise the Prophet David sayth Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is revealed vnto them that feare him and he will make knowne his covenant vnto them By these three testimonies of scripture it is proved that the elect only are enlightened into the true and saving knowledge of the scripture and therefore they are sayd to be of the truth to heare the voice of Christ Of such doth the Church of God consist which is called the piller and foundation of truth These love the pure doctrine and truth of the Gospell and keepe it safe and vnpolluted from all errors and corruptions 2. Cor. 4.3 but vnto the rest the Gospell is covered and hidden and therefore they remayne and perish in the blindnes of their heart and ignorance of God That vocation which is inward and effectuall vnto salvation is the powerfull motion and working of the holy ghost in man whereby the mind is enlightened to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of God and the will renewed to like well of Gods good will and pleasure In this vocation five things ought to be considered and marked First how God revealeth his eternall election vnto vs. Secondly by what and how many meanes this calling to Christ is wrought Thirdly that it is set farre out of our power and onely in the hand of GOD. Fourthly how it may be certaynely acknowledged and knowne of vs. Fiftly that the times of this calling are sundry and divers For the first wee must knowe that the eternall election of God is revealed and made knowne vnto vs two manner of wayes to wit by the word of the Prophets and Apostles delivered vnto the Church and by the Holy Ghost by which the elect are illuminated vnto the true knowledge of God and vnto everlasting life For although that all things which God would have knowne in this life concerning him and which are necessary for vs to the attayning of salvation be absolutely and perfectly