growne can bee saued without faith It followeth therefore seeing such also are saued that faith is giuen to many infants euery where euen before their Baptisme which thing Iacob Andree denied that he could auouch The same thing may be obiected of young girles among the Iewes who because they were the seede of Abraham were not excluded from the righteousnes of Abraham but obtained it by faith according to Luther in the forecited place euen in their infancie Wherefore the opinion of the faith of infants is more easily affirmed than defended D. Heerbrand Defens cont Gottard Canonicum Hereupon Doctor Heerbrand doth thus mitigate Luthers opinion that hee when hee saith that infants haue faith or doe beleeue hath not this meaning that they doe vnderstand or feele the motions of faith but that so their error is reiected who imagine infants Baptized to please God and to be saued without any action of the holy Ghost If this onely they meane who thinke that infants beleeue I fully agree with them But because it is to be feared how many of them will acknowledge that interpretation I doubt not in the meane while to iudge and speake with ancient writers that infants doe not beleeue Which simplicity of olde writers hath been also allowed of new writers Musculus Martyr and other most learned and painefull diuines as their writings testifie Obiection Aug. quaest Euang li. 1. ca. 24. Neither doe the words of Matth. chap. 18. hinder the same Who so offendeth one of these little ones that beleeue in me for that Augustine Theophilact Hilarius and others rather vnderstand of the humble and children in malice and not in age Why we must account in faults among the people of God We confesse neuertheles that our infants are rightly accounted in the bodie of the faithfull that is among the people of God both for the promise of the couenant and also after their baptisme for the sacrament of entrance into true religion and of faith as Augustine thinketh in his 23. Epistle Obiection But if infants haue no faith how are they made partakers of the grace of Baptisme and saluation For who so beleeueth not shall be condemned With the heart man beleeueth to righteousnes and without faith it is impossible to please God Mar. 16. Rom. 10. Heb. 11. Answere I answere that there is one consideration of infants another of men growne Such sayings as are in the sacred Scriptures vttered of the necessitie of faith confession hope loue mortification of the flesh such like vnto saluatiō appertain not to infants but to men growne that by reason of age are capable of such things By the neglect of this distinction many errors will necessarily ensue as Augustine lib. de haeresib proueth by the Hierachites and Barnard ad Hugonem Epist 77. and also Hom. 66. vpon the Canticles by another sect of that time dispersed throughout France As touching the infants of Christians it is sufficient that they be comprehended in the promise of the couenant For albeit adoption to bee the sonnes of God proceedeth not from the carnall birth according to which the children of the faithfull are no lesse the sonnes of wrath than the children of the vnfaithfull conceiued and borne in sinne as others be yet such is the bountie of Gods grace that infants borne of Christian parents are reckoned in the number of Gods people euen as in old time the infants were of Abrahams posteritie according to the promise I will be thy God and of thy seede after thee And Matth. 19. the Lord saith Suffer little children and forbid them not to come vnto me Why we baptise the infants of Christians and not of Turkes for to such belongeth the kingdome of heauen And for this cause in signe of Gods couenant we baptize the children of Christians and doe not baptize the children of Turkes vnles they bee alreadie able to giue an answere of their faith And if our infants being preuented by death cannot be baptized we follow the rule of Barnard ad Hugonem Epist 77. Barnards saying of infants dying before Baptisme Not a depriuing or want of baptisme but the contempt of it doth condemne one Here Augustine is ouer rigorous but beside that the schoolemen haue commonly somewhat misliked his rigor placing such children in a Limbo by themselues voide of all torment other also of great name in the middest of papistrie Gerson Cardinal Caietane Biel and other haue approued of a more fauourable opinion touching the saluation of such But of these I will speake no more The cauill of the Lords Supper answered The cauill concerning the Supper of the Lord is yet vntouched which the aduersarie in his alike foolish babling also complaineth that it shall be taken away if the vniuersalitie of redemption bee denied such as hee maintaineth But how O Huber Truly I finde from thy Thes 437. whither thou sendest backe thy reader many things after thy maner that is to say impudently and bitterly fained and little appertaining to the proofe of this false accusation set downe sauing that at length thou seemest to haue a purpose to reason after this sort for thou art so intangled in thy absurdities that here and elsewhere often it cannot easily bee perceiued what thy meaning is Thes 450. sequent Onely they for whom Christ effectually died ought to come to the Supper by our opinion as thou saist But whether Christ died for vs effectually it is vnknowne to euery one Therefore none at all shall know who ought to bee the Lords guest and so the Supper of the Lord shall be at once taken away from all men O trifler For first to bring it to an absurditie one of the propositions must be the Hypothesis or the very opinion of the aduersarie which is oppugned which here is not done For the question is about this Whether Christ died effectually for all men He saith it We denie it Secondly vnto the Maior In our Churches while the Supper is to be administred it is not the maner if thou know it not to say that they ought to come for whom Christ died Thes 450. and the rest to keep away as thou triflest but this is said that wee may celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our good and comfort before all things it is required that first wee proue ourselues Wee must proue ourselues before we come to the Lords Supper and how euery one considering with himselfe his sinnes and accursednes and trying his heart whether he beleeue the promise of grace and remission of sins for the merit of Christ alone and whether by new obedience he purpose from his heart to shew himselfe thankfull vnto God For such guests doth the table of the Lord require as for hypocrites and such as goe on still in wickednes they must abstaine from this meate which Christ hath ordained prepared for his faithfull least they make their condemnation so much the more grieuous Thirdly
shall raigne vpon the earth The Minor But vnto the Church properly belongeth this dignitie to be a chosen stocke a royall priesthood a holy nation witnes Peter 1. Epist 2. which also the words out of the Reuelation chap. 5 now cited doe confirme where the voice and confession of the Church is Thou hast made vs to our God kings and priests The conclusion Therefore it followeth that the proprietie of redemption is in the possession of the Church The 12. reason From the vse of the Sacraments The 12. argument from the vse of the Sacraments Vnto whom nothing is sealed in he vse of the Sacraments vnto them the promise of grace in the word belongeth not For the nature of the promise is all one both in the audible and visible word But in the Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes Supper nothing is sealed to such as be aliants from Gods couenant and vnbeleeuers Therefore neither doeth the promise of grace in the word belong vnto them For the proofe of the assumption let the things be considered that we haue of that matter spoken before in the Confutation The 13. reason The 13. and last argument If all men wholy bee receiued into the grace and fauour of God by the death and grace of the Sauiour Hub. Thes 157. 536. so that no man shall euer perish now after his redemption vnles he despise the grace of God Hub. thes 157. 136. Marke this reason agaynst the aduersarie and through vnbeliefe shake off and forsake his redemption It will follow that all the children of al Thalmudists Mahumetists Turks Tartarians and such as feed on mens flesh called Anthropophagi and such like as long as they want the vse of reason and therefore actuall sinne and be not yet subiect to the contempt of grace are in the state of saluation and dying in that age of what nation soeuer they be in the Church or out of it are eternally saued which thing is manifestly and Anabaptisticall dotage of those men I say that follow the pauilions of Mennon Mennon Theod Phil. Hofman and Theodorike Philip vp and downe the Low Countries which they haue drawen vnto them from the sinke as it seemeth of Melchior Hofman For Theodore Phillippi is of this opinion and plainely writeth Lib. de baptismo Because Christ the Lambe of God hath taken away the sinnes of the world by his death and blood that no man can be damned for the sinne of Adam and therefore that the kingdome of heauen belongeth to all children indifferently that al are innocents and reputed without sinne before God seeing no sinne beside Adams can be imputed vnto them and that the same is satisfied and taken away vniuersally by the death of Christ so that infantes for Adams transgression cannot be iudged or condemned And the Pelagians also as Augustine witnesseth laboured to bring some such thing in to wit August lib. 2. de nuptijs concup cap. 33. that litle children are innocent and without all guiltines after that Christ had died for them But the Scripture teacheth vs to put here a difference betweene the infants of Gods people Infants of the faithfull differ from others and the infants of vngodly nations and reiected of God And the infantes truely of Gods people Gen. 17. 1. cor 7. Math. 19. albeit as the rest by their carnall natiuitie they bee borne vnder sinne and wrath haue a promise that they belong to the number of Gods people and of the Saints and so to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen More arguments I will not here alledge A doubt wheÌ„ redemption beginnes in vs. for by those which haue beene brought our purpose I trust is more than sufficiently declared Onely one doubt remaineth If the beleeuers onely are to be accounted for the redeemed of Christ doeth therefore their redemption begin when they begin to beleeue Answere I answere The redemption of the Church by Christ may diuersly be considered Tit. 1. 1. Tim. 1. First in respect of Gods purpose and predestination according to which grace is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Secondly in respect of the merite and satisfaction perfourmed of Christ Foure waies redemption is to be considered Comment in Apoc. 1. when vpon the altar of the crosse hee tooke away enmities and reconciled the whole Church of Iewes and Gentiles to God in one body through the crosse as Paul testifieth Ephesians 2. Then surely as Rupertus writeth he redeemed and washed in his blood from their sinnes not onely these men that now are beleeuers or had beleeued but also those that should beleeue in time to come as farre foorth as hee gaue them power to be washed For he washed them not then actually but in power For they could not in very deed be washed who were not yet borne or els as yet had not beleeued Thirdly redemption is considered as farre foorth as we are made partakers of it by faith whose force and necessitie is so great for reconciliation before and after the worke of redemption performed in the flesh of Christ that as it hindred not the olde fathers which beleeued from their deliuerance in that Christ had not as yet suffered so now it nothing profiteth the vnbeleeuers for their deliuerance that Christ long agoe the iust for the vniust was deliuered to death Lastly redemption is considered as farre forth as we enioy full and perfect redemption for euer all our enemies being vtterly destroyed and euen death it selfe which is of the Apostle called the last enemie of which redemption Christ witnesseth Luke 21.28 and Paul Ro. 8.23 But of this enough THE THIRD RANKE OF PROOFES CONTAINING THE TESTIMOnies of Antiquitie CHAP. VIII TO these things hitherto alleadged out of the Scripture whereunto as to the anchor and prop of our faith wee must flye in all things Atâ—â—â—s in Synopsi that we may be in safetie the testimonies of antiquitie seeme now needfull to bee brought in to this end that the trueth may more and more cleerly appeare by that consent and the mouthes of the aduersaries may bee stopped who reasoning and debating I know not what vngodly nouelties endeuour to reproue vs as though wee spake some new thing Tom. 10. de verb. apost ser 14. as Augustine of old complained of his and the Churches aduersaries For a man may see them grow to such craking if not ignorance that they boldly complaine that our opinion of this controuersie was neuer heard in any time among that people Hub. thes 18. where the name of Christ hath been preached that what they auouch leaneth vpon the consent of all Christianitie forsooth Thes 19. for that the Catholike and true Church hath alwaies beleeued and with one mouth euer confessed that Christ died for all men vnderstand effectually Compend thes 27. whereof the question is betweene vs and our aduersaries As touching this new opinion Thes
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
albeit the eyes of all are not inlightened so Christ hath in himselfe the redemption of all The new writers allow the distinction of sufficiency and efficiency not sufficient for vs only but to redeeme innumerable worlds also albeit all through their owne peruersenes are not made partakers thereof Neither otherwise doth Caluin Beza Grineus and other Diuines of our confession who are hatefully spoken of by our aduersaries as though simply without al distinction they should auouch that Christ died not for all Which to be falsely layd to their charge he shall confesse whosoeuer shall weigh the places of the authors of whom now we haue spoken Caluin in 1. Ioh. 2. Beza in 2. Cor. 5.15 and often in the second part of his answer to the Acts of the Conference at Mompelgart fol. 217. 221. Gryneus in Thesauro the fium class 1 thes 13. Tossan thes 31. in disput de loco Pauli 1. Cor. 15.22 Zanch. lib. 2. Miscel pa. 312. Pet. Mart. loco de praedest ad Rom. 9. In these places the forenamed writers as many other writers of our side in their bookes doe retaine with one accord the common distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie not to be refused doubtles in this disputation Onely let the termes sufficiently and efficiently bee rightly and truly vnderstood Sufficiently Sufficiently that is by Augustines interpretation as touching the greatnes of the price or as Thomas sheweth as farre forth as hee exhibited that which was sufficient to take away all sinnes Effectually Efficiently or as others speake effectually let it bee vnderstood in respect of the effect which is found in the onely members of Christ all the rest being without redemption who liue without faith and regeneration as Augustine also hath learnedly left in writing The opinion of our aduersaries But this is the opinion of our aduersaries that Christ without any difference died for the sinnes of all men and that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied and clensed by sacrifice not onely sufficiently but also effectually Which thus they doe declare that our heauenly father hath instituted and ordained in very deede a reconciliation with all and euery man without any respect of faith or vnbeleefe But in them it abideth effectuall who by faith receiue that reconciliation with God ratified by Christ his sacrifice and in those who refuse it by vnbeleefe The aduersaries simile it is abolished and taken away no otherwise then if a common bath were erected for many sick persons wherin all in very deed are restored to health and some of thē by intemperance do lose againe their former health which continueth in others which liue soberly Which similitude truly much differeth in sense from those which Augustine and Stapulensis vsed before Furthermore they professe and write plainly that Christ suffered was crucified dead and hath satisfied no lesse for the sinnes of all which alreadie are damned and hereafter to bee damned then for the sinnes of Peter Paul and of all the Saints that is to say that Christ not onely gaue that which was sufficient to haue taken away the sinnes of all men but also that in very deede the sinnes no lesse of the damned Marke this strange doctrine and such as shal be damned then of those that are saued and shal bee saued are washed away in his blood And they auouch that it commeth to passe that neuerthelesse the former sort are condemned not for their sinnes for they are indeed clensed by Christ but for vnbeleefe alone whereby they destroy againe and make vneffectuall that reconciliation which was made and done for them This was the opinion of Iacob Andreas in the Conference at Mompelgart which Huberus thes 19. setteth downe in this maner to wit That Christ suffered and died not for some men only but for al the posteritie of Adam none and to speake it most plainly none at all excepted out of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde whether he receiue to himselfe saluation by faith and continue in saluation obtained or els through vnbeleefe refuse saluation wrought for him and therefore perish againe for euer We see that he boldly auoucheth that indifferently all and euery one beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue obtained in very deede saluation in Christ but that some in beleeuing continue in saluation receiued others are depriued againe of the same by not beleeuing The same man in compendio thes 10. saith Wee boldly affirme that Christ by his death hath mercie vpon all men in very deed and in truth and gaue himself a sacrifice for sins no lesse for euery infidell then for euery faithfull man to wit that he may deliuer from death the deuill and hell all men whosoeuer they be he meaneth in very deede and in truth as wee vse to speake and not sufficiently onely And that nothing may be obscure he maintaineth that the worke of saluation by Christ belongeth to all sinners and that such as by Adā haue sinned thes 49. haue righteousnes by Christ imputed vnto them and that all iudgement thes 60. and wrath of God is taken away and abolished from all men in very deede and properlie thes 65. and that all are truly and vndoubtedly together deliuered by the death of Christ from all sinne and condemnation and whole mankinde receiued in deede into the fauour and bosome of the father thes 168. and that all doe belong to the communion of saluation and kingdome of grace lastly thes 270. that all reprobates and elect are alike saued by Christ whether they beleeue or not and other like things altogether raw new and strange doe meete vs here and there dispersedly in reading him Vnto this opinion as new and vnheard of and many waies erronious as it shall appeare we cannot subscribe but following the old distinction wee affirme that Christ surely exhibited that which was sufficient to haue taken away all sins and so they are taken away Our opinion of the death of Christ for all men and that all are redeemed as touching the sufficiencie or greatnes and power of the price as Augustine expoundeth But as touching efficiencie we say that by the death of Christ the sinnes onely of the elect are blotted out who beleeue in him and sticke vnto him as the members to the head Christ effectually died for the elect and faithfull onely proued but such as are not incorporated into Christ cannot receiue the effect of his passion For as the Lord saith God so loued the world that he gaue his sonne that euery one that beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Ioh. 3. Which in that place Iohn Baptist confirming testifieth He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And in this sense and not absolutely and without
creature through Christ seeing the Apostle writeth so expresselie If any man be in Christ that is hath admitted the faith of Christ and beleeueth in him as Hierome Theophylacte and other ancient writers obserue he is a new creature And Augustine saith Contr. faust lib. 11. cap. 8. Therefore euery new creature that is the renewed people by faith in Christ hath now cause to hope in him Therefore such as are and remaine without Christ neither are nor euer were new creatures and whereas Paul saith We know no man hence forth after the flesh the meaning is not that euery one is renewed by the benefit of Christ as the aduersarie wresteth the saying but this he meaneth that all not regenerate be to him as though they were not yet borne that he respecteth or praiseth no carnall thing in any man but approueth him who is made a new creature by the faith of Christ that he may liue henceforth to him and not to the world Augustine and Theophylacte restraine that word no man to the beleeuers in sense somewhat diuerse from that we now spake of Hereof it is manifest that the opinion of the vniuersall redemption and renewing of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers is cleane contrary to the words of the Apostle Goe to then thou wilt say How saith hee that Christ died for all I answer because the benefit of Christ is sufficient of it selfe to saue all although it haue effect in those onely who cleaue vnto Christ as members vnto the head by the holy Ghost August Theophylact. Augustine in the place before cited and Theophylact in his comment respecting efficiencie restraine the generall terme according to the custome of the scripture vnto the faithfull for euen they alone are dead to sinne and liue to Christ who died and rose for them And Augustine bringeth the place Ephes 2. Confirming this opinion where the Apostle saith When we were dead because of sinnes he hath quickened vs together with Christ by whose grace ye are saued and hath raised vs and placed vs together in heauen that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace towards vs for ye are saued by grace thorow faith and ye are the worke of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes The 3. place Rom. 8.31 32. Thirdly the place Rom. 8. is obiected If God be for vs who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all c. But here nothing is proued concerning the generalitie of men simplie but of the vniuersality of the faithfull and elect seeing the generall terme All is restrained vnto such as when the same Apostle writeth of Abraham that he is the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and of that high Ierusalem that it is the mother of vs all verilie he would not haue it vnderstoode of all men but of all the faithfull The same restraint is here for vs all and many things concurre if we consider what goeth before and what followeth which most plainely confirme this opinion Certainely these are the words of beleeuers and such as insult ouer the world which they ouercome by faith If God be for vs who can be against vs How shall hee not bestow vpon vs all things who hath not spared his owne sonne for vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ In all things we are more then conquerors thorow him that loued vs. Againe Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect August It is God who iustifieth Hereupon Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. writeth that this is a saying concerning the kingdome of the elect If God be with vs who can be against vs and the rest that follow But it is obiected that Paul speaketh to all to whom he wrote his epistle among whom there were some not elected but to be cut off with the vnbeleeuers That is likely to be true but it is meete and right according to the nature of charitie that Paul should iudge of all the sonnes of the Church at Rome and elsewhere so long as the contrarie did not appeare as of the beloued and elect of God as he witnesseth of himselfe Phil. 1.7 and 1. Thess 1.4 The sayings euen now cited are examples thereof Gal. 4.26 Rom. 4.16 and 8.18 Fourthly it is said Hebr. 2.8 The 4. place of aduersary Hebr. 2.8 to 17. 9 c. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he put all things vnder him he omitted nothing that is not subiect vnto him But now as yet we see not all things subiect vnto him but we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour who was made for a little while inferior to the Angels for the suffering of death that by the benefit of God he might taste of death for all For it was meete that he for whom are all these things and by whom are all things should by bringing many sonnes vnto glorie consecrate the prince of their saluation thorough afflictions For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one For which cause he was not ashamed to call them bretheren saying I will declare thy name vnto my bretheren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee And againe I will trust in him And againe Beholde I and the children whom God hath giuen me Because therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also was made partaker of the same that by death he might abolish him who had the power of death that is the deuill and might deliuer as many as thorough feare of death were all their life subiect vnto bondage For verely he tooke not vpon him the Angels but the seede of Abraham Thes 168. Out of these words Huberus frameth certaine arguments which let the reader iudge and weigh with me First thus he inferreth All things are subiect vnto Christ without exception therefore also the reprobates and by consequence they ought also to belong to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace I answer that all things are subiect vnto Christ 1. Cor. 15. â— 26. 55. but not vnto the communion of Saluation otherwise the diuell also with his Angels sinne death and hell it selfe should be receiued vnto the fellowship of saluation and grace according to the minde of this disputer But all things are subiect vnto him because he hath rule ouer all is Lord of all whether they be beleeuers or vnbeleeuers of these to death of the other to life as Faber Stapulensis hath well written vpon this place To that that he writeth that the reprobates are subiect vnto Christ as their Sauiour that is that they might bee saued wee will then consent when he hath taught that al things are subiect vnto Christ for saluation euen sheepe and oxen and the very deuils Truly all things are subiect vnto Christ the Sauiour Matth. 28. but not as to
here come together for the proofe of our opinion First Christ is called the head of the Church and that not according to creation and preheminence onely as he is the head of euery creature but after a peculiar maner as the Church is his bodie and the fulnes of him who filleth all in all As therefore such as be members of the bodie and not such as are without the bodie are quickened of the head so wee who are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones draw peculiarly from Christ spirit and life Secondly the same is the Sauiour of his bodie For no man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as Christ also doth his Church This is rehearsed as a document of his singular loue to his Church which thing should not so well accord if as touching the grace of redemption there were no difference betweene the Church and the world betweene the spouse of Christ and the spouse of the deuill but all alike should bee saued by Christ as these new disputers hold Amb. thes 270. Thirdly it is expressely added that Christ loued the Church and exposed himselfe for it to sanctifie it to make it glorious vnto himselfe without wrinkle or spot holy and blameles The Apostle giueth to the Church the prerogatiue of so great grace I meane redemption sanctification glorification neither doe redemption and sanctification more agree to the common vile company of men without the Church than glorification doeth To the Collossians also there is a very excellent place The 4. place Cap. 1. cha 1. We giue thankes to the Father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption that is the remission of sinnes Foure things proper to the faithfull Foure things here be published as properly belonging to the faithfull 1. The inheritance of the Saints in light 2. Deliuerance from the power of darkenesse 3. Translation into the kingdome of Gods sonne and 4. Redemption If these be proper to the faithfull as they be for this description of grace is wholly applied to the faithfull the vnbeleeuers haue no part in them Ambrose And thus Ambrose expoundeth them whose words are these vpon the Epistle to the Collossians Being deliuered from the state of darkenes that is plucked out of hel wherein we were held by the deuill as well through our owne sinne as through the sinne of another we are translated through faith into the heauenly kingdome of Gods sonne For without the faith of Christ Hub. Thes 4â— and 41. there is no going out of hell Therefore these new Sectaries are deceiued and doe deceiue contending that there is not one excepted who is vnder the power of the deuill whom Christ hath not deliuered from the power of the deuill and hath not receiued into his kingdome Moreouer hitherto tendeth that which is written in the same chapter to the Collossians in these wordes Col. 1. The 5. place Therefore you who were in time past strangers and enemies hauing your minds set in euill workes hath hee now reconciled in that body of his flesh through death that hee might make you holy and blameles before him if ye continue grounded and firme in faith Here is an exposition of a double state of vnbeliefe and faith and the state of vnbeliefe by the doctrine of the Apostle hath estranging of the minde from God and enemitie with him but the state of faith hath reconciliation and sanctification For significantly he saith Nowe surely he hath reconciled to wit since ye beleeued in Christ The 6 place 1. Tim. 4. In the 1. to Timothie chap. 4. the Apostle writeth that God is the Sauiour of all men yet especially of the faithfull Which saying being very short and of great force wipeth away this whole controuersie whereof wee intreate if it bee considered with a calme regard For in saying who is the sauiour of all men he confirmeth the generall goodnes of God vpon all For hee suffereth his sunne to arise vpon the bad and good Matt. 5. Act. 17. and in him we are we liue and are moued This surely is a certaine common saluation to all men yea and to beasts as it is said in the psalme 36. Thou O Lord wilt saue men and beastes August tract 34 in Io. For by whome men is preserued by him also is the beastes Neither must we be ashamed to thinke this of God yea wee must so conceiue and trust so and take heede that we thinke not otherwise He that saueth vs hee saueth our horse our sheep yea to come to the least things our henne But by adding specialitie of the faithfull hee sheweth that there is a part of mankind which through faith inspired from God is aduanced by speciall benefits to high and eternal felicitie Hereupon also in the former Psalme it is read The sons of men doe trust in the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy delights For with thee is the well of life and in thy light we shall see light Bring forth thy mercie for them that knowe thee and thy righteousnes for such as bee vpright in heart Therefore they receiue this speciall saluation who trust in him they doe not receiue it who doe despaire The iust receiue it the vniust and such as know not God receiue it not The 7. place Heb. 5. In the Epistle to the Hebrewes which also of many olde writers is attributed to Paul wee haue these testimonies among other Chapter 5. Albeit he was the sonne yet by those things that he suffered he learned obedience and being consecrate to wit by afflictions as it is sayd ca. 2. he is made the authour of eternall saluation to all that obey him Therefore this saluation was not brought to such as be obstinate Saluation by Christ is Eternall not temporall and short as the aduersarie seemeth to make it and refuse the grace of Christ through vnbeliefe And seeing that saluation purchased by Christ is not temporary and short as that which was wont to be brought to men being in great danger in warre but Eternall how shall it be sayd to belong to such as shall be damned whose portion shall be in the lake of vnquenchable fire So in the 9. The 8. place cap. 9. Chapter there is mention made of eternall redemption By his owne blood saith the Apostle he once entred into the holy place and hath obtained eternall redemption Eternall redemption And redemption is called eternall both because it shal be effectuall foreuer and also for that the cause of eternall good things is theirs who be partakers of the same The contrary of both might bee found in the greater part of