originall spring I think no man will so holde nor affirme euen so it is in this mater for faith and a godlie life that ensueth our vocation are the fruites proceding from oure election but are not to the causes of the same And therefor the Apostle to beat downe all pryde asketh what hast thow ◠mā which thow hast not receaued And if thou hast receiued it why gloriest thow as thogh thow hadst not receaued it The Apostle in that place speaketh not of one or two graces but what so euer is necessarie to saluation that he affirmeth to be receaued and that of fre grace as he yet more plainely doeth witnes sayeng Of grace are ye saued by faith and that not of your selues it is y e gift of God ād not of works lest any should glorie Now if man hath nothing but that which he receaueth of grace of fre gift of fauour and mercie what odious pryde and horrible vnthankfulnes is this that man shall imagine that for his faith and for his workes God did electe and predestinate him to that dignitie euen as if two or thre beggers chosen from the nomber of many were of the liberall mercie of a Prince promoted to honour should after brag and boast that their good seruice was the cause that the Prīce did choose them Shuld not euerie wise man mocke their vanitie yea might not the Prince iustly depriue them for their arrogant vnthankfulnes Might not the Prince haue left them in their wretched estate And what then shoulde haue become of their seruice Is it not euē so with mā lost in Adam whose fall in gods prescience and purpose was before his creation of which masse or lompe God of his owne fre grace did choose ād predestinate vessels of his mercie prepared vnto glorie that they should be holie as before is said shall these thē that finde mercie to worke good wordes boast as thogh workes were the cause thereof God forbyd For if the posteritie of Abraham did not obteine the inheritāce of the land of Canaan for any iustice that was in them yea if God did not choose them neither to the temporall nor eternal felicitie but of loue and fre grace onely as Moises doth witnes how shall we thinke that the Eternall inheritāce or gods election to the ioy and life euerlasting dependeth vpon any qualite within vs. Wonder it is that the Apostle sainct Paul intreating this mater of gods fre election was ignorant of this cause if it be sufficient For by that meanes in few wordes he might haue put silence to many dogges which then as men do now barked against this doctrine For if he had said God hath chosen afore all tymes to the participatiō of life a certein nomber because he foresaw that they should be faithfull obedient to his commandemēts and holie in cōuersation and vpon the other parte he hath reiected and reprobate others because he foresaw that they should be vnfaithfull disobediēt and vnclean of life this I say if those causes had been sufficient had ben a sensible maner of doctrine But the Apostle alledgeth no such reason but first beateth doune the pryde of man as before we haue touched and there after brusteth furth in this exclamation O the hieght of the riches of the wisdō and knowledge of God how incōprehensible are his iudgements and how vnsear cheable are his wayes This exclamatiō I say had bene vaine if either workes or faith foresene had bene the cause of gods electiō S. Augustin doeth mock the sharpe sight of mē that in his daies begā to se more depely then did y e holie Gost speaking in y e Apostle And we fear not to affirme that the men w c this day do attribute electiō or predestination to any vertue or qualitie within man do holde defend to their greate dāger that which none inducd with the Spirite of God hath left to vs written within the holie scriptures either yet that any of the chosē shal cōfes in their greatest gloric Let the hole Scriptures be red and diligently marcked and no sentence rightly vnderstand shal be founde that affirmeth God to haue chosen vs in respect of our workes or because he fore sawe that we should be faithfull holie and just But to the contrarie many places shall we finde yea euē so many as intreat of that mater that plainely affirme that we that we are frely chosen accordīg to the purpose of his good will ād that in Christ Iesus And what shall be the confession of the hole bodie assembled when they shall receaue the promissed glorie is expressed in these wordes of the 24 elders who casting their crownes before him that sitteth vpon the throne do say Worthy art thow o Lord ād our God to take honour and glorie and power For thow hast created all things and by thy will they are and were created And after they fall before the lambe ād sing a new song saying Worthie art thow to take the book and to open the seales thereof for thow wast killed and hast redemed vs to God by thy bloode and hast made vs to our God kings ād priestes ād we shall reigne vpon the earth No mention is here made of any worthines of man the creation is geuē to God and that all thinges are in that perfecte state which thē the chosen shall possesse is attributed to his will The death of the lambe is assigned to be the cause of the redemption yea of that great dignitie to which they are promoted I am fully persuaded that if any cause of gods electiō and of the fruite proceding of the same were or could be in mā that the holie Gost who is authour of all iustice wold not haue defrauded man of any thing which of right did appertein vnto him But seing that in no place the holie Gost doeth attribute any parte of mannes saluation to his owne merites or worthines I fear not to affirme that this pestilēt opinion is the instigation of sathan laboring by all meanes to obscure the glorie of Christ Iesus and to retein man in bōdage whom he infected with that first venom which he made hī to drink Saing ye shal be as gods Thus far with such plain simplicite as it pleased God to minister vnto me for the tyme haue proued y t gods electiō is Eternal y t it is stable y t he hath made a difference betwext one sort of mē and an other w c differēce althogh it came to know ledge of mā in time yet was it in gods purpose ād counsel before all tyme no les thē his creatiō was And last y t gods electiō depēdeth neither vpō o r workes nor vpō our faith but procedeth frō his Eternal wisdō mercie ād goodnes ād therefor is it īmutable ād cōstāt Now shortly will I go throughe if God permi me y e reasons of yo r booke Nothing vpō y e one parte y e imperfectiōs of y
at length subiect to malediction so must men destitute of gods grace with Saul Achab others procede from euil to wors till finalie they come to coÌ„fusion But were it not y t it is your coÌ„mone custome to belie y â— holy Gost I wold woÌ„der how y t you coulde be so impudent as to affirme that y e lorde doth punishe his vineyarde not waisting it him self but taketh the hedge and rayne from it and suffereth it to be wasted and troden of others And that Iob was plagued of God onely in suffering him to be plagued Assuredly this your affirmation declareth in you ether a most brutall ignorance orels an impudencie more then manifest Ye will not deny that Israel Iuda were y e pleasant vineyard somtymes planted by gods own hand So doth he him self affirme and doth God no more in their destructioÌ„ but onely looke vpon theÌ„ as an ydle and vnwilling sufferer vpon the tragedie and myserable calamitie he him self doth witnes y e contrary for he saith I will plainely declare vnto you what I will do to my vineyard I shall take away y e hedge of it I shall break downe the wall that it may be troden vpon I shall make it waste and shall also so forbid the clowdes y t they shall nether send doune rayn nor moistur vpon it Note and mark well I besech you god here speaketh nothing of permission but all together of working to witt of taking away and of breaking downe And how I pray you came y t fearfull destruction to passe the lord God of hostes saieth the Prophet Isaiah will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudath the stay and the strength euen all the stay of bread and all the stay of water the strong man and the man of warre the iudge and the Prophete the prudent and the aged the captaine of fiftie and the honorable and the counseller and the conning artificer and the eloquent man and I will appoint children note well what God speaketh to be their pinces and babes shall rule ouer them c. And after the Lord shall bring vpon the vpon thy people and vpoÌ„ thy fathers howse the dayes that haue not com from the day that Ephraim departed from Iuda euen the king of Asshur c. In that day shall the Lord shaue the with a rafer that is hyred c. The Lord him self doth further coÌ„feâ—â—e that the king of Asshur is the rodd of his fury and the axe in his haÌ„d he sayeth to an hypocriticall nation will he send him and I giue him commandemente against that people which hath deserued my indignation I will giue him charge to take away to riue and to part the spoile And further in the same place God doth acknowleged the greuous punishment and myserable destruction of Ierusalem to be his owne work for thus speaketh the Prophet But when the Lord hath accomplished all his work vpon mount Zion and Ierusalem I will visit the frute of the proude heart of the king of Asshur and his glorious and proude lookes c. If these wordes may be attributed to him who onely suffereth and doth not him self effectualy work let indifferent mâ—n iudge And yet speaking more plainely he saieth I am the lord and there is none other I forme the light and creat darknes I make peace and creat euill that is punishement and plagues for sinne I the eternall do all these thinges â–ª to whom the Prophet Amos dothe aggre vsing these same wordes or shall there be euill in a citie sayeth he and the lord hath not donne it The lord speaking by his Prophetes Ieremie and Ezechiel saieth I shall send and take all the nations of the north and Nabuchadnezer my seruant the king of Babylon and I shall bring them vpon this land I shall kindle the fire augment and multiplie the flame and I shall prophane that is I shall make commone my Sanctuary If he that gathereth his warryers that leadeth and conducteth them yea that giueth them strength agilitie and good succes that putteth the sweard of his vengeance into their hand that commandeth them to strike and to spare none doth nothing elles but suffre I must confesse my self nether to know nor to vnderstand what it is to do or what it is to work Your bold impudencie affirming that Iob was plagued of God onely by suffering him to be plagued is intollerable Doth not God prouoke as it were sathan to trye his seruant Iob saying hast thow not considered my seruant Iob how none is lyke vnto him in the earth an vpright and iust man one that feareth God and escheweth euill And after that sathan vpon that occasion had defaced the integritie and iusticie of Iob affirming â–ª that easye it was to feare and serue God seing that all thinges were prosperous and fortunate in his house and familie God first by expresse wordes giueth to him power ouer all y t perteined vnto him and thereafter he giueth ouer the body of Iob to the tyrannye of sathan his life onely beiÌ„g reserued Was this I pray you onely to plague Iob by suffering him to be plagued Doth the father which commaÌ„deth his childe to be beaten in his presence and commaÌ„deth how many stripes he shall receaue nothing elles but suffer his childe to be beaten or is he not rather the chief cause as that he is the chief commander why his child is punished O say you but God did not take his goods but onely suffered the deuill to take them and so God did not punishe his people for he touched them not but hid his face from them to see their end Albeit your vanitie trouble me a littell yet must it nedes returne vpon your owne heades to your shame This is a good reasonly God by him self tooke not Iobs goods from him therefor he did nothing but suffer them to be taken and gods owne hand did not touch Israell nor Iuda therefor was he but onely a sufferer and no worker of their punishment I will make the like reason and argument God by him self gaue no goodes to Iob therfore did he nothing but suffer Iob to be enriched An other no visible hand was sene to touch Elimas the sorcerer therefor did God onely suffer him to be blinded If ye will affirme the former to witt that God did nothing but suffer Iob to be enriched not onely shall Iob him self testifie against you but euen sathan althogh he be a lier and the father of lies yet in that case shall he conuince you of a most impudent lie for he sayeth Hast thow not made an hedge aboute him and aboute his house and a boute all that he hath on euery syde thou hast blessed the work of his handes and his substance is encreased in the land But stretche oute now thy hand and touche all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme the to thy face And if ye will say that
whether ye will be worde or writiÌ„g y â— I haue hieghly offended in calliÌ„g you detestable liers But if ye be neuer able to shew any such wordes vsed by vs as plane it is ye be not theÌ„ yo r master Castalio aÌ„d you bothe are far from y t perfectioÌ„ to speake no more bitterly w t ye preteÌ„d For ye are manifest liers aÌ„d whose soÌ„nes they are called you can not be ignoraÌ„t accusing meÌ„ of that they neuer meÌ„t For thus formeth Castalio his first fals accusacion against Master Caluin God hath created to perdition the most part of the world by the naked bare and pure pleasure of his own wil. And this same ye affirme in mo wordes more impudently patched â–ª so bothe you and he do adde to our wordes of your own malicious mynd These sentences God hath created the most parte of the world which is an innumerable multitude to perdicion onely becaus it so pleased him you steall from our wordes and suppresse that which euer we ioyne wheÌ„ we make mention of gods predestination to witt that he hath created all thiÌ„ges for his own glorie That albeit the cause of gods will be incoÌ„prehensible secret and hid froÌ„ vs wheÌ„ of y â— same masse he ordeyned som vesselles to honor aÌ„d soÌ„ to destructioÌ„ yet it is moste iust most holie aÌ„d most to be reuerenced Now to y â— further declaratioÌ„ aswel of o r mynd as of your shameles malice I shall recite som sÌ„eteÌ„ces of master CaluiÌ„ as doth that godlie and learned maÌ„ Theodorus Beze against the craftie surmyse of your master Castalio I say faieth Iohn Caluin with Augustin that of God they were created whom without doute he fore knew to go to perdition and that was so done becaus so he wold Why he wold it apperteineth not to vs to inquire who caÌ„ not comprehend it neither yet is it conuenient that the will of God shall discend and come downe to be decided by vs. Of the which so oft as mention is made vnder the name of it is the supreme and most hie rule of iustice nominated And further we affirme that which the scripture clearly sheweth to wit that God did once by his eternall and immutable counsel appoint whom somty me he should take to saluation and also whom he should condemne to destruction We affirm those whom he iudgeth worthie of participation of saluation to be adoptate and chosen of his free mercie for no respect of their own dignitie but whom he giueth to condemnation to the same he shuteth vp the entres to life by his incomprehensible iudgement But yet by that iudgemeÌ„t that neither can not may be reproued And in another worke If we be not ashamed saieth he of the Gospell it behoueth vs to confes that which therin is manifestly taught that is that God of his aeternall good pleasure whose cause dependeth vpon none other hath destinate to saluation whom it pleased him the rest being reiected And whom he hath honored with his free adoption those he illuminateth by his Spirit that they may receaue the life offered in Christ Others by their own will so remaning vnfaithfull that being destitute of the light of faith they continue in darknes Also that which sainct Augustine writeth So is the will of God the hieghest rule of iustice that what so euer he will in so far as he willeth it it is to be holden iust Therefor when the questioÌ„ is why did God so It is to be answered Because so he wold But if thow procede asking why he wold thow sekest a thiÌ„g greater and more hie then Gods wil which can not be founde And after saieth he We must euer returne to the pleasure of his will the cause whereof is hidde within him self But to make this mater more euident I will adduce one or two places mo and so put end to this your forged accusacion for this tyme. In his book which he wriâ—â—th of the eternal predestination of God thus he saieth Albeit that God before the derection of Adam had determined for causes hid to vs what he was to do yet in scriptures we read nothing to be condemned or him except sinne And so it resteth that he had iust causes but hid from vs in reiecting a part of men for he hateth nor damneth nothing in man but that which is contrarie to his iustice Also writing vpon Isaie the 23. chap. vpon these wordes The Lord of hoostes hath decreed to prophane the pryde of all the noble ones c â–ª he saieth let vs learn of this place that the prouidence of God is to be considered of vs that to him we may giue the glorie and praise of his omnipotecie for the wisdom and the iustice of God are to be ioyned with his power Therefore as the scriptures teach vs that God by his wisdom doth this or that so do they teach vs a certen end why he doth this or that for the imagination of the absolute power of God which the scholemen haue inuented is an execrable blasphemie for it is as much as they should say that God were a tyrant that appointed things to be done not according to equitie but according to his inordinat appetite With such blasphemies be the scholes replenished neither yet differ they from the Ethnicks who did affirme that God iested or did sporte in the maters of men But we are taught in the schole of Christe that the iustice of God shyneth in his workes what so euer they be y t the mouthes of all men may be stopped and glorie may be geuen to him alone And therefor the Prophet rehearseth iust causes of this destruction meaning of the destruction of Tyrus that we shall not thinke that God doth any thing without reason Those of Tyre were ambitious proude auaricious lecherous dissolute What is he so simple which may not now consider and vnderstand what was your malice and deuiâ—ish intenion â–ª in patching vp this your first accusation not the zeale of gods glorie as you falsly pretend but the hatred which ye haue conceaued against them who haue soght your saluation For if ye had ment any thing simply ye should not haue added that which ye be neuer able to shew in our writinges neither yet can ye laufully proue that we haue spoken the same in reasoning with any of you We so taught by the scriptures with reuereÌ„ce do affirme that God for iust causes albeit vnknoweÌ„ aÌ„d hid to vs hath reiected a parte of men But you making no mention of any cause affirme that we holde that he hath created the most part of the world which is innumerable to no other end but to perdiction in which shameles lie your malice paâ—â—eth measure For neither do we rashly define the nomber of the one nor of the other howbeit the scripture in dyuers places affirmeth Christes â—â—ocke to be the little flocke the nomber to be few that findeth the way that leadeth to life
e same aÌ„d vpoÌ„ y e other yo r ignoraÌ„ce orels malice in corruptiÌ„g y e scriptures THE ADERARIE To proue this similitude good and to shew how much his loue towardes his children excedeth the loue of all creatures towardes their birtâ—es he saieth Can a woman forget the childe of her wombe aÌ„d not pitie the same whom she hath borne And thogh she do forget it yet I will not forget the. Here he speaketh not onely to the elect as some say but also to them which did for sake and dispyse him as there Alas for these disobedient children saieth the Lord that they will take counsell without me Here he calleth the wicked which heape sinne vpon sinne â–ª and were disobedient his chiidren Christ saieth If ye when ye are euill caÌ„ giue your children good giftes how mmch more your heauenlie father After the same manner may I reason with you carelesse by necessitie if none of you thogh y e be euill wold beget a child to miserie how much les wold God which is all good beget and creat man his own image to perpetual paynes Here we may se how much this noghtie opinion is coÌ„trarie to nature and to reason and that it is coÌ„trarie to the worde God willing I will proue If God hath ordeyned the most part of the world to be damned then were his wrath greater theÌ„ his mercie But the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his workes and that God is slow vnto wrath and redie vnto mercie so that his wrath is extended onely to the third and fourth generation but his mercie to the thousand generatioÌ„ wherefor thus saieth he A litle whil I haue forsaken thee but with greate mercifulnes shall I take thee vp vnto me Whâ—n I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle ceason but throughe euerlasting mercie haue I pardoned thee And Dauid saieth his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is in life heuines may well endure for a night But ioy cometh in the morning And so Moises called him a mercifull and gracious God long suffring and keping mercie in store for thousandes By these scriptures and many mo it is euident that gods mercie is greater then his wrath contrarie to their sainges ANSWER How blasphemous be your similitudes your selue may consider if malice haue not vtterly blinded you for I haue all redie proued that God is not bound to the lawes and boundes of nature and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye alledge fewe wordes shall declare Ye deny that God doeth speake here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophete but to all meÌ„ in generall and euen to those that had forsaken him as ye wold seme to proue by the wordes of the same Prophete spoken â—efore in his thirtie chapiter First I say that those two places do no more agree then do those wordes of Christ spoken after his resurrection Go to my brethren and tell them I passe vp to my father and vnto your father and vnto my God and vnto your God and those which he spake before his death against Capernaum Bethsaida and Corosaim or vnto Ierusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction becaus they did not know the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ For in the former place God speaketh to Syon which long had bene waist and to his people which long had bene oppressed And to the end that the reader may better vnderstand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steall the wordes which explain the hole mater I will bring furth the wordes of the Prophete Reioise saieth he â— heauens and reioce thow earth â— you mountanes brest you furth in gladnes for the eternall hath conforted his people and shall haue mercie vpon his poore ones Syon hath said the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me May a woman forgett her child that she shall not haue compassion vpon the sonne of hir bosome but let it be that they forget neuertheles I shall not forget the for lo in these my two handes haue I engrafted the and thy walles are for euer before me If these coÌ„fortable wordes were spoken in generall to all men as ye affirme let indifferent men iudge If all men were Sion that long had lyen desolate if all were his people that loÌ„g had bene oppressed in the captiuitie of Babylon If all did so complaine that they thoght God to haue forgotten his league and promes which of mercie he made with them And finally if all haue this promise that their deliueraÌ„ce is ioined with gods infinite power theÌ„ is your application to be approued but if God did make a plaine difference betwext Israel and all nations in the earth if he had chosen his habitation in Syon and if he will kepe promes with the afflicted for his own names sake be they neuer so vnworthie then are ye to bolde to giue the honor and prerogatiue of the children and heires to straÌ„gers aÌ„d bastardes The wordes which ye alledge of the thirtie chapter make nothiÌ„g for your purpose for albeit he speaketh to those that were inobedieÌ„t yea that were treasonable traitours yet had they the name the title yea the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods people and among them were som of gods chosen children for whose comfort after long affliction susteined in Babylon were those other wordes spoken And so except that ye be able to proue that the people of Israel and the citie of Ierusalem had no greater prerogatiue euen in the time of their greatest blindnes and vnthankfulnes before the comming of Christ Iesus in the fleshe then had other nations ye conclude nothing But yet wonder it is that ye can make no difference betwext the tymes in which the one wordes and the other were spoken The wo was pronouÌ„ced you say alas which the text hath not against them what tyme they had declined from God when they toke counsel of them selues when they could not abide the admonitions of the Prophetes but the comfortable promes of delyueraÌ„ce was made after that vengeance was powred furth vpon the proude contemners and after that the hole bodie was sore tormeÌ„ted by great oppression and long impresonement Do ye not thinke that their might be great alteratioÌ„ in that people within the space of an hundreth yeres for so long was it betwext the daies of the Prophete and the daies of their last captiuitie vnder Nabucadnezer after which tyme also did this former promes of gods remembrance of theÌ„ onely take place Might not the one â—e spoken of those which should be punished yea let it be that they were the reprobate and the other to the people of God to whom by his own holines he had promised deliuerance Do ye thinke that because the same Prophet speaketh bothâ— the sentences that therefor they do appertein to one estate aÌ„d condition of people I haue proued the contrary by Christes plain wordes
the deuill which did manifestly ganesay gods reueled will And therefor do we affirme that neither was the purpose nor counsell of God any cause of sinne but we say with the Apostle that by one man did sinne enter into the world The cause whereof was the malice of the deuill and that fre consent of man to rebelliō whose will was neither inforced neither yet by any violence of gods purpose compelled to consent but he of fre will and redie mynd left God ād ioyned with the deuil Conuict vs now if ye can that we make gods absolute ordinance which maner of speaking I say we abhorre to be the principall cause of sinne Albeit that ye wold be sene subtill in adding your ▪ Logicall termes Causa causae ād Causa causata yet doeth your similitude which ye bring furth for demonstration of your purpose declare that either ye haue not learned orels that ye haue forgottē the chief and principall point of right reasoning which all reasonable men confesse to be rightly to diuide For if ye can not diuide betwext the will of God working all thinges for his own glorie ād the operation of creatures be they Son Moone sterres rayn or dew who can work nothing but as God hath appointed I will not folow you as a God We say not that gods ordinance is the cause of reprobation but we affirme that the iust causes of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowen to his godlie wisdō alone but the causes of sinne of death and damnation are euident and manifestly declared to vs in the scriptures to witt mānes fre will consenting to the deceiuable persuasiō of the deuill wilfull sinne and volūtarie rebellion by which entred death into this world the cōtempt of graces and gods mercies offered with the heaping vp of sinne vpon sinne till damnation iustly came These causes I say of sinne death and damnation are plainely noted vnto vs in gods holie scriptures But why it pleased God to shew merice to som and deny the same to others becaus the iudgementes of God are a deuoring depthe we enter not in reasoning with him but with all humilitie render thankes to his Maiestie for the grace and mercie which we doubt not but of his fre grace we haue receaued in Christ Iesus our onely head When you shall further charge vs that we make God autor of euill we haue good hope plainely to conuict your vennemous tongues of a most malicious lie Now to your wordes THE ADVERSARIE The Lord reasoneth with the inobedient Israelites which did forsake him saing O my people what haue I done vnto the or wherein haue I hurt the giue me answer If the Israelites had ben so well learned as you they might haue answered Lord thow hast preordinate us by thy immutable decre to fall away frome the so that of necessitie we must perish in this hast thow hurt vs with an vncurable wounde ANSWER How so euer we be learned if ye betimes repent not your vnreuerēt skoffing ād iesting at gods eternal predestination ye shall learn in experience that the immutable decre of God is most iust by the which y e fyre which neuer shall be quenched is prepared for the deuill and his angels and for all such as with trembling do not fear his godlie Maiestie and with sobrietie do not contemplat his iudgementes incomprehensible And thus I leaue your blasphemous boldnes to be repressed by the power of him whose iudgementes you mocke THE ADVERSARIE Now I intend with the helpe of God to answer to the arguments which they that be intangled with this error vse to alledge for the proof thereof leauing such as be ▪ but vaine and ingender rather contention then edefying answering to such as some most weghtie collected of certen places of the scriptures wherby it may be thoght that they may be deceaued beseching the gentill reader to wey the mater with an indifferent balance and first heare before thow refuse and God willing thow shalt not repent the of thy labor but forasmuch as the autor ād maīteners of this error do often make mention of election whereby they wold cloke their absurditeis I will first declare how election is taken in the scriptures thre maner of waies that is generally specially and most specially of all first we be all chosen and created in Christe Iesu as Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians in the first and second chapter and conforme to this election he lightned all them that cam into the world and calleth all men to repentance bothe greate and small riche and poore Iew and gētil male and female of all estates without respect of any person And all that be thirstie he calleth to come to the water of lief Secondly he commandeth them which com at the first calling to renounce father ād mother wief and childe with all other earthlie thinges yea and them selues also This is the secounde election where there departed an innumerable multitude which will not forsaik such thinges but for their own lustes Here departed Cayn with the monstrouse Giātes cruell tyrants and bloodie hypocrites and all persecuters which shed innocent bloode here departed Epicurus with all his bellie gods among which was the riche glotton which dispised Lazarus there departed Sardanapalus accompanied with venus and all that be drowned in the lustes of the fleshe Among which was Herodias There departed Cresus with many rich welthie persons among which was the rich yong man of whom we read in the Gospell that with a sorie countenance he departed frō Christe There departed Tarquinius the proude with such as be puft vp with the Pompe glorie of this world Among which was Herode◠of whom we read in the Actes of the Apostles that for his pryde he was striken of God and eaten of lyse There departed Demetrius the siluer smithe with such as will not forsak◠their filthie lucre Amongest which were the maister and mastres of the damsell possessed with a spirit that prophecied There departed a hole band of Stoikes with their destinie plaing fastor loose and that of necessitie which passeth all iuglers coming Among them are all such as defend that of mere necessitie a few nōber must be saued and of mere necessitie all the rest of the world must be condemned Who so abideth this seconde election and calling Christ commandeth them to take vp their crosse and folow him And thus to continue to the end this is the third and last election of which saieth the Lord I haue chosen the in the fire of tribulation here the seuentie disciples departed for they can not abyde this hard saing here doeth Iudas trudge they which remayn suffer greate assaultes in so much that som tyme they turn there backes to their enemies as the Apostles did when Christ was taken and there do worthie soldiours stagger stumble and fall as Peter when he denied his master and swore he knew him not And Thomas
affirme that gods election in Christ Iesus is so certen ād his eternall purpose to saue his churche is so cōstant that against the faith of gods elect shall not the Portes and gates of hell preuale in the end that neither can lief nor death thinges present nor to com seperat and disseuer vs from the loue of God which is in Christe Iesus That this foundation is stable the Lord knoweth his own and therefor shall euerie one that incalleth the name of the Lord depart from iniquirie for we are not called to vncleannes but vnto sanctification and holynes by the power of that Spirit who raysed from death Iesus the great Pastor of our soules which holie spirit frely by faith which also is the gift of God doeth so reule and reign in our heartes that albeit the flesh lusteth against the spirit yet are we assured of victorie by the onely power of him who hath ouercom the world This is our doctrine faith and professiō But you affirme as after plainely ye write that none is so elected in Christ to lief euerlasting but that he may fall becom a reprobate and finally be condemned and cōtrary waies y t none is so reprobate in gods eternall purpose but that he may becom elect ād so be saued That in God there is neither election nor reprobation but according to mannes disposition so that when men haue good motiōs and be godly disposed God doeth elect thē and write their names in the book of lief but when they chāge and turne to iniquitie he doeth reprobate them and blotteth out their names out of the book of lief Let now all creatures iudge betwext vs and you whether of the two play fast and loose and surmounte iuglers in cūning Frome the third kind of election which ye call most especiall how you be able to proue that the seuentie disciples did so depart from Christe that there was no difference betwext them and the trudging of Iudas as ye terme his horrible treason be iudges your self In the sixt of Iohn we read that many of his disciples left him and fallīg frō him did go with him no more But whether these were the hole seuentie whom he sent to preach or others who for a time did folow him it is not expressed neither yet doeth the text say that all his disciples fell from him but many departed further it appereth to me verie rashe iudgemēt to pronoūce that none that departed from Christe at any tyme in his lief before his death vpon the crosse did at any tyme after return vnto hī but that all such did remain in damnation with Iudas For I fynd that all his Apostles did flie and leaue him and yet we know they were called againe And so also do we fynd were two of the disciples to whom Christ appering betwext Ierusalem and Emaus did first instruct them and after reueled him self vnto thē This I note to giue you occasion to be more circunspect in so weghtie maters Towardes the end of this parte thus ye write of those whome you say haue subiected them selues altogither to the gouernement of their Lord and capteyn they daily obtein such victorie of their ennemies that their war fare is now becom easie and in the hope they haue to subdue by the aid and counsell of their Lord all their ennemies there ioy and comfort is so greate that they esteme all earthlie pleasure which should draw thē back but vaine These wordes augment in me that suspition which before I noted to witt that ye haue a further fetch in this mater then your rude scholers vnderstand at the first to witt that euerie one of you shall becom Christes so perfect ād cleā that in you euen in this lief shall rest no ennemie to be ouercome except death onely and that this is the opiniō of your greatest Angelles I am able to proue by sufficient testimonie I mean by their own hand writinges But how far S. Paul was from that perfection yea euen when he was redie to be offerred in sacrifice for the testimonie of Christe Iesus he eshamed not to confesse thus writing to the Philippians after that he had affirmed that all iustice which before he looked for in the law was becom to him as domage and doung to the end that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his own iustice which was of the law but that which was by the faith of Christ Iesus he addeth Not as thogh I had already atteined to the mark vnderstanding to that iustice which he hoped for either that I am alredy perfect but I folowe if I may comprehend that for whoe 's sake I am comprehended of Christe Iesus Brethren I think not with my self to haue atteined to the mark but one thing I do forgetting that that is behind I endeuore my self to that which is before here the Apostle who had foghten somwhat lōger thē some who now can bragge of an easie battell confessed he was not yet perfect neither yet that he had atteined to that estate that is to the resurrectiō of the dead to the which he daily did contend The other poyson which in these your former wordes I espie and therefor of conscience must admonish my brethren is That ye be proud contemners of the fre graces of God offered to man in Christe Iesus for with the Pelagians and Papistes ye are become teachers of fre will and defenders of your own iustice for how coldly ye speak of Christ Iesus and his power these your wordes may witnes They are in hope say you to subdue their ennemies by the aid counsell of their Lord are you becom so strong and your warfare so easie that the coūsell of your captein is sufficient for you to conquire your ennemies you sodenly did repent that ye had confessed that the aid of your Lord was necessarie for you and therefor to mitigate and extenuate that immediatly ye adde by the coūsell of their Lord. Is this I pray you vnfeanedly to cōfesse that without Christ ye may do nothing that of your selues ye be not able to think one good thoght That it is he that beginneth and to the end performeth the work of our saluation God of his greate mercie and for Christe Iesus his sonnes saik preserue his Church from your pestilent vēnom What ye mean by the historie of Gedeō in the which say you well and duelly vnderstanded be your thre kindes of Election plainelie set furth because ye your self do not expresse I will not deuyne The copie which came to my handes was in that place imperfecte for after the former wordes it had onely written Confyr to the world And because I will not take vpon me to alter any thing in your wordes I leaue them to be corrected by your selues ād your mynd further to be explaned in that point if so it shall seme good vnto you Ye procede saying THE ADVERSARIE
of necessitie was compelled to suffer that ignominie and shame which neuertheles she most abhorred Do we say that God did or doeth any such violence to his creatures Did he compell sathan to tempt the woman when his will was contrarie thereto Did the will of Adame resist the temptation of the woman and did he so hate and abhorre to eate of that fruite that it behoued God to compell his will repugniâ—g thereto to eat of it and so to break his commandements or did he not rather willingly hear and obey the voice of his wyfe CoÌ„sider I besech you how plainely we put difference betwext violence which you call mere necessitie and gods secrete couÌ„sell and eternall purpose But yet ye crie wherein theÌ„ did maÌ„ offend who can resist the will of God why doeth he complein seing that his counsell and purpose by such meanes is broght to passe Do ye not vnderstand that these were the furious cries of those to whom saint Paul imposeth silence with this sentence O man what art thow that darest reason agaiÌ„st God c. But lest that ye complein as your commoÌ„ custom is of our obscurâ—tie and dark speaking I will eueÌ„ in one or two wordes declare why the creatures offend euen when they serue most effectually to gods purpose To witt becaus that they neither haue the glorie of God in their actions before their eies neither yet mynd they to serue nor obey gods purpose and wil. Sathan in tempting man studied nothing to promote gods glorie Man in obeyiÌ„g the teÌ„ptatioÌ„ looked not to y e couÌ„sell of God Iudas Ananias Pilate the soldiours and the rest had nothing les in mind then mannes redemption to be perfourmed by their couÌ„sells and wicked workes And therefor of gods iustice were they euerie one reputed sinners yea and som of them reprobated for euer if these reasons do not satisfie you yet shall they be a testâ—monie what is our doctrin and as I trust shall also be a reasonable contentation to the godlie and simple reader More wold I haue spokeâ— in the same mater and so to haue put end vnto it at once but becaus that after by the reason of your most vniust accusations I wil be compelled to haue to do with you againe I abyde opportunitie Now to your reasons Mannes will I say in the self remained fre notwithstanding that God in his eternall counsell had decreed his fall and that becaus no violeÌ„ce as before is declared was done vnto it The will of our master and Sauiour Christ Iesus notwithstanding the immutable decre of his death appointed to be at a certein time was so fre that albeit the power of nature might haue giuen vnto him mo yeares of lief and also that the humaine nature did abhorre the cruell and ignominious death yet did he subiect bothe his will and the power of nature vnto the will of his heauenlie Father as he doeth witnes saing Not that I will father but let that be done which thow willest Wonder it is that ye can not se how gods will can remaine in libertie except that he abyde in suspence or dowte and so daily and hourely change his purpose and counsell as occasion is offered vnto him by men and by their actions If this be to make God bounde and to take frome him libertie to affirme that as he is infinit in wisdom infinit in goodnes infinit in iustice and infinit in power so doeth he most constantly most frely most iustlie and most wisly bring that to passe which in his eternall couÌ„sell he hath determined If this I say be to take from God fredom wisdome and libertie as ye do rayle I must confes my self a transgressor But if your cogitatioÌ„s and foolishe conclusions of his eternal God head be as alas to manifestly ye declare your selues so prophane so carnal and so wicked that long you abiding in the same can not escaip gods iust vengeance Repent before that in his anger he arrest aÌ„d declare that your iustice â—wher of so much ye bragge is manifest blasphemie against his dear Sonne Christ Iesus God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ preserue his small flock from your pestileÌ„t vennom aÌ„d most dangerous heresies and stoppe your blasphemous mowthes that thus dare ieaste vpon God as if he were one of your companioÌ„s sayeng Then is he a goodly wyse God Then is God bounde him self c. THE ADVERSARIE The thirde argument gather they vpon that which is written to the Romanes the ninthe chapter afore the children were borne that the purpose of God by election nught 〈◊〉 it was said the elder shall serue the yongerâ— as it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated for the true vnderstanding of this scripture we must know first that these wordes The elder shall sâ—rue the yonger are not spoken of Iacob and Esau for as concerning the flesh Esau did neuer serue Iacob but they are spoken of two nations which were to com of them as the Lord said to Râ—becca Not two men but two nations are in thy bellie and these words afore the children were born are not to be referred to the sentence which foloweth Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I â—ated for there was no such thing spoken afore their birthe as thow may plainely se in Genesis but that was spoken many yeres after by the Prophete Malachie Not of Iacob and Esau but of two nations of the Israelites aÌ„d Edomites as the Prophete Malachie expouâ—deth which we may well vnderstand of the true Church and of the malignaâ—t churche if that had bene spoken afore their birthe then had the Lord not said Iacob I haue loued and Esau I haue hated in the preterit tence but Iacob shall I loue and Esau shall I hate in the future tence As in the other sentence he saieth the elder shall serue the yonger and not the elder hath serued the yonger Now the Lord loued Iacob of his own bountefull goodnes and fregrace Esau he hated because of his wickednes for the Lord abhorred al wicked doers As Moses saieth it is not for thy righteousnes sake or for thy right heart that thow goest to possesse their land but for the wickednes of these nations the Lord thy God doetâ— cast them owt before the euen to perfourm the word which the Lord thy God swore vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaak and Iacob Here we se how that the Israâ—lites receaue the laâ—d of pâ—omes not for their own righteousnes saik but onely by the bountesull goodnes of God Againe the Cananites are cast owt of the same laÌ„d not becaus it was gods pleasure or that he delyted in their fall but for their abominatioÌ„s which they coâ—mitted agaiÌ„st God so that y t Iacob is beloâ—ed it cometh of the fre grace and goodnes of Goâ— and that Esau is hated it cometh of his own euill deseruing conforme to the saing of the Lord Thy destruction O Israell is of
thy self and thy health cometh of me ANSWER Your colde and vnsauerie exposition whichâ— ye folowing the prophane subtilitie of Castalio make vpon the wordes of the Apostle written in the nynth chapter to the Rom. is neither able to iustifie your error neither yet to improue the doctrine which vpoâ— the same we collect and gather which is this That as God by his fre benediction seperated the people of Israel from all nations of the earth so did his fre election make difference betwext the men of the same people of whom he did frely choose som to saluation and did appoint others to eternal condemnation Secondarely that of this his fre Election there is none other cause nor foundation but his mere goodnes as also his mercie which after the fall of Adame doeth without all respect had to their workes receaue and embrasse whom it pleaseth him Thirdly that God in this his fre election is bound to no necessitie to offer the same to all indifferently but contrarie wies he passed by such as it pleaseth him and whoÌ„ it pleaseth him he receaueth These propositions I say are so euident in Paules wordes that they neuer can be moued by your malicious and ignorant wresting of the text for in euerie one of Paules sentences he striueth directly against your error for where he saieth Rebecca conceaued of one that is of our father Isaak he secludeth al cause that might haue bene by accidentes which come in tyme either in the father or in the mother and in these wordes when the chidlren were not yet born and had neither done good nor euill he secludeth al respects that caÌ„ be alledged to haue bene in the children But where he saieth that the purpose of God might abide according to election not of workes but of the caller c is plainely denied merites dignitie or workes to com to be any caus of gods fre election For if he wold haue persuaded men to haue beleued that God had elected som in respect of their good workes to com and had reiected others for their euill workes onely which he foresaw that they should do Paul had not so veheâ—eÌ„tly vrged these termes and sentences That the purpose of God might abyde according to election not of workes c. but he should simply haue said God hath chosen som in respect of their good workes which he foresaw they should do which therefor he wold reward first with his election and after with his kingdome But the plaine contrarie way to this we se the Apostle vseth pulling man altogither from contemplation of him self to God to his fre mercie to his fre grace and eternall purpose and also to his most depe and profounde iudgements Imagin what shift so euer ye can ye shall neuer be able to auoid this plaine simplicitie of the Apostle With what face can ye denie that these wordes the elder shall serue the yonger are not spoken of Iacob and Esau seing that the Apostle in plaine wordes doeth affirm that they were spoken and ment of the two children before they were born He saieth not before the two natioÌ„s were born but before the childreÌ„ were born Your reason is becaus as concerning the fleshe Esau did neuer serue Iacob I answer neither yet did God say the elder shall serue the yonget in the fleshe but simply did pronounce The elder shall serue the yonger But well do ye declare what is your vnderstaÌ„ding of dominion and seruitude be it in fleshe or be it in spirit Was it no kinde of seruitude I pray you yea euen in the flâ—she that Esau was compelled to begge poâ—age at Iacob and for the same to sell all title of his birthright was it no thraldome that with crying owling aÌ„d furious rores he was compelled to begge the benediction which Iacob had gotten and yet could not obtein it Did not his heart fele subiection when he seeth his father so constant in preferring Iacob to him that by no meanes he wold retreat or call back one worde We do not denie but the diuersitie was also established betwext the two nations but that the heades should be secluded that are ye neuer able to proue But rather the battell which did beginne in the mothers wombe was established and confirmed by the oracle of God to continue betwext the posterities of those two heades Did Rebecca and Isaak after he did se gods prouidence and will to be contrarie to that which he had purposed which was to giue the benediction to Esau did they I say vnderstand that Iacob had no parte in that promes touching his own person The wordes of Isaak do witnes the contrarie for he saieth I haue established him lord ouer the c. By the same reason which ye make I may proue that these wordes were not spoken of their posterities for during longer time then either did Iacob or Esau liue the Edomites did not serue the Israelites in the fleshe which did onely beginne in the latter dayes of Dauid and did continue to the daies of Ioram son of losaphat when they departed from that obedience neither yet were they euer after that broght into subiection againe but be thereforeâ— the oracles and promises of God vaine Yea had they not their effect bothe in the one people aÌ„d in the other euen when the one was in moste miserable bondage first in Egypt and after in Babylon and wheÌ„ the other was in greatest felicitie to mannes apperance yet before God was that sentence true The elder shall serue the yonger For he had further respect then the present estate as the Apostle doeth declare that all the faithfull Patriarkes had Iacob wold not haue interchanged the comfort which he receaued in his first iourney fâ—oÌ„ his fathers house for all the worldlie ioy Y â— Esau possessed for in seâ—g that scale or ladder God fitting vpon the head of it the foote of it touching the earthe vpon the which did Angelles asceÌ„d and come downe aÌ„d in hearing that most ioy full and comfortable voice I am the God of Abraham thy father of Isaak the laÌ„d whereupoÌ„ thow slepest I will giue to the and to thy sede c. and lo I am with the and will kepe the whether so ener thow goest aÌ„d will bring the againe into this land In seing and hearing these thinges I say did Iacob vnderstand that the benediction of God extended further then to temporall thinges yea that rather it did extend to that vnion coniunction which was betwext God and man in that blessed sede promised then to the possession of the land of Canaan for the one did neither Abraham Isaak nor Iacob possesse in their liues neither yet their posteritie many yeares after but the ioy of the other did all the elect fele and see and did reioyce as Christ Iesus doeth witnes of our father Abraham That these wordes Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated are not written in Genesis neither
referred to the subsequentes your malicious myndes compell me often to repete one thing Your reasoning of the preterit and future tence is so foolishe that it nedeth no confutation For we confesse that God spake not those wordes to Rebecca but that the Prophete as is declared spake them after by the which he sendeth them to the ancient loue of God which begaÌ„ before that euer their father could know or serue God In which is to be noted that he maketh neither meÌ„tioÌ„ of Aâ—raham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob in his mothers wombe to pull doune this pryde which ye with the Pelagians and Papistes haue conceaued of your workes going before and foresene by God to folow in you But the Prophete of God did so dauÌ„ton the stowt heartes of that his people were they in other thinges neuer so wicked that they did not alledge that any cause was either in their father or in them why that they or he should be preferred to other nations and specially to the Edomites who discended from Esau in all thinges like to Iacob gods onely grace excepted I praise God that so far ye will confes of gods eternall trueth that it was not for their righteousnes that Israel receaued the inheritance but onely becaus God frely loued their fathers But why so sodanly ye slyde frome the principall purpose leauing Esau and his posteritie aâ—d do enter to speak why y e Cananites were cast furth â— se no iust cause for neither doeth Moses in the first oracle of God neither the Prophete Malachie in explaning the same neither yet our Apostle in applying boeth those places to the spirituall benediction lay the sede of Iacob against the Cananires but Iacob is set against Esau and the people discending frome the one against the people that discended from the other The question there might iustly haue bene demanded what prerogatiue hath Iacob aboue Esau Moises the Prophete and the Apostle do answer assuredly none except onely grace which made difrence betwext them whom nature in all thinges had made equall for bothe were come of Abraham bothe of one father both of one mother both conceaued at once both fostered vnder one climate region influence of sterres and yet it was said The elder shall serue the yonger We know that the Cananites came of a cursed father whom if Paule should haue compared with the Israelites they should haue complained of iniurie done vnto themâ— And his reasons had bene easely dissolued for if he had said y e electioÌ„ of God is fre aÌ„d hath respect to no workes and had broght in the sede of Abraham elected and the sede of Cham reiected and accursed for probation of the same they sodanly should and iustly might haue replied C ham mocked his father and therefor was he and his posteritie accursed and so had God respect to workes But the Apostle loketh more circumspectly to so graue a mater and therefor did choose such an example as wherin the witt nor reason of man can find no cause of inequalitie Of this I thoght good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagin that as greate cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born as Moses laieth to the charge of the Cananites And so I perceaue in a part ye do for in the end and after ye haue affirmed that the cananites were cast owt of the land by reason of their wickednes ye return to Esau repenting your selues I trust that so imprudentlie ye had slipped froÌ„ one linage to an other And these wordes ye affirme That Esau is hated it commeth of his own euill deseruing conforme to the saying of the Lord Thy destruction â— Israell is of thy self and thy health cometh of me In which affirmation and pretensed probation of the same I fynd no les negligence in you then before I haue sheweÌ„ aÌ„d proueÌ„ for as most impudeÌ„tly before ye coÌ„founded y e sede of Abraham who by gods own mowth was blessed with the sede of Cham who in expressed wordes was accursed so here ye confound Israel elected of God to be his people in Iacob with Edom reiected from that honor in their father Esau before that either the one did good or the other did euill The wordes of the Prophete which ye bring to proue that Esau was hated for his euill deseruing were neither spoken to him nor to his posteritie but they were spoken to that people whom God had preferred to all nations of the earthe to whom he had shewen his manifold graces and to whom he had bene saluation and help euen in their most desperate calamitie But then fore their defection from him and for their Idolatrie committed were become most afflicted and miserable dailie teÌ„ding to further destructioÌ„ To these I say aÌ„d not to Esau nor yet to his posteritie did God say ô Israell thow hast destroied thy self or ô Israell it hath destroyed the for so is the hebrew text for in me is thy health In w c wordes he repressed the grudgeing aÌ„d y e murmuriÌ„g of the people who in their miserie did rather accuse God of crueltie theÌ„ repeÌ„t or acknowledge their sinnes and Idolatrie to be the cause of their ruyne as in Ezechiel well may be sene to such God saieth Israel thow art in moste extreme miserie thy honor is decayed and the glorie of thy former aige is now turned to ignominie and shame What is the cause it lieth not in me for as I am eternall and immutable so is not my hand shortned this day neither yet my power diminished more then when I did deliuer the frome the bondage of Egipt In me is thy health now as it was then yf that thy sinnes did not make seperation betwext the and me Plaine it is first that here no mention is made of Esau nor Edom but of Israel onely and secondarely that God speaketh nothiâ—g in this place why he did first elect Iacob and reiect Esau but why it was that Israel which some tymes was honorable aÌ„d feared of all nations was then becom most miserable and afflicted on all sides Except that you be able to proue that Esau committed as manifest Idolatrie before he was borne and before that Iacob was preferred vnto him as Israel did before they came to destruction yâ— haue proued nothiÌ„g of your affirmation further I say that if Esau was hated for his euill deseruing then must it nedes follow that Iacob was loued for his well deseruing by the argument folowing of the nature of the contraries But that directly repugneth to the wordes of Moises to the interpretation of all the Prophetes and to the mind and strong reasons of the Apostle who plainely denie workes by past or to cum to be any cause of gods fre election Trew it is we be elected in Christ Iesus to be holie and to walk in good workes which God hath prepared But euerie reasonable man knoweth
no difference betwext those two dictions or wordes The Lord of his mercie preserue his Churche frō so bolde so deceatfull teachers If altogither thou haddest bene ignorant with sorow of heart I could haue lamēted thy foolishenes but pererauing y e of set purpose and malice willingly to corrupt gods plaine scriptures that thow may blynd the more easely the eies of the simple with grief ād dolor I say that better it had bene for the neuer to haue bene born thē thus obstinatly to fight agaīst gods plaine trueth And that in such furie that where from the scriptures thou canst haue none assurance for thy error yet so thow darest wrest them y t they may seme to serue thy purpose Where so euer thou cāst wrest any place that it may be translated by this englishe To there thow ashamest not to affirm y t it is the self same phrase with this of S. Paule vesselles of wrathe prepared or ordeined to destruction This is sufficient to shew to the learned yea euen to such as do but vnderstand the firstprinciples of their grammer thy infidelitie ād craftie deceat in this mater But because such as vnderstand nothing in the latin tongue can not hastely espie thy craft I will trauale to make it so sensible as I can If I should say I am appointed to death to fele the punyshement of sinne and so to make sinne to cease will thow therefor say that this particle To in the former place where I say I am appointed to death and in the second place where I say to sele the punishement of sinne and to make sinne to cease are all one phrase and oght a like to be resolued I suppose thow wilt not for in the first place it cā be none other wies resolued but thus I am appointed to death that is I must nedes die but in the secōd place two causes of death be assigned for where I say to fele the punishemen◠of sinne I vnderstand that one cause of death is that I and all mē may fele how horrible is sinne before God and in this last I vnderstād that death so putteth an ēd to sinne that after it may not trooble the elect of God The phrase of S. Paule is much more different from all that thow adducest then be these phrases before alledged one differen◠frome an other for where he saieth vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction he signifieth the final end of the vessels of wrath to be ordeined and before determined in gods eternall counsell And in all these places to prouoke the Lord to anger to defyle my Sanctuarie to kyndle gods wrath against Israel to make Israel sinne and such like are their actions signified to be the causes of gods anger gods wrath and why he reputed his Sanctuarie polluted Thus thy frowardnes causeth me to trooble the simple reader The place of leremie tho v maliciously doest peruerte for it cā be in nowies so trāslated But what tōgue so euer thow doest follow thow must say wo be to me O my mother that thus hast born me a man that am a brawler and a man of contention in the hole land The place of Paule 1. Cor. 11. serueth nothing for thy purpose for albeit there be a preposition ad which truely may be translated To yet that speach is far differente from the former speach of the Apostle for where he saieth Eat at home that ye come not togither to condemnation he doth admonish them of the danger which they know not w c was that such inordinat and riatouse banqueting ioyned with the cōtēpt of the poore without repentance must bring condemnation if thow list replie alledge that thow stickest not somuch to the termes as to the mater ▪ for in all these former speaches man pretēded one thing but an other thing ensued What cāst thow thereof conclude but that gods purpose sentence and mynd is not subiect to mannes purpose and intention True it is that nether Pharao did resist Moises of purpose to be plagued nether did Ieroboam erect the calues that Israel should be destroied but yet becaus God had so before pronounced ineuitably plagues and destruction did follow their inobedience If hereof ye will conclude as ye seme to do that those whose end is condemnatiō receaue not that by y e will of God because ye cōclude that which neither ye haue proued neither yet go about in this place to proue I will not trouble my self with answering for this present But whē ye shal go about to proue that God will all men to be saued as ye affirme I hope by gods grace to answer sufficiently For as we doubt not but gods iudgemētes are holie and most iust so we know that the conscience of the wicked shall fele in them selues and no where elles the causes of their condemnation Neither yet did any of vs euer hold beleue or affirme that any reprobate shall haue that libertie in the hell to quarell with God of the secrete causes of his condemnatiō for the bookes shall be opened and the secretes of all heartes shall be reueled To the suffering pacience and sorowing of God I haue before answered in the beginning of this your last confused gradation and so I will not trouble the reader with the repetition of the same The wordes of Ieremie which ye alledge can haue no such sentence as ye do gather for he doeth not speak of any passion that was in God as touching his eternall Godhead but onely doeth appeall to the conscience of the people how oft God had not onely rebuked but also from time to time corrected them euer calling them to repētance and suspēding their last punishment how beit that they continually from euil fell backward vnto worse And so at length was God werie oftener to repent that is to say at once he wold powre furth his iust vēgeāce which before so oft he had threatned Let the first chapter of Isaiah be commentarie to this place and I trust the sentence shall be plaine For there he affirmeth that in that people there was no hole part that is all order and policie was almost confounded Ierusalem was in a maner left desolate by the manifest plagues which had apprehended it but yet there was no trew conuersion vnto God And here he saieth thow hast left me saieth the Lord and I haue therefor lifted vp myn hād vpon the and haue scattered the. I am werie in repenting that is that I haue spared the so long I shall scatter them with the fan euen vnto the gates of the earth that is to the vttermost parte I haue made my people desolate and I haue destroyed them neuertheles they haue not turned frō their waies I trust y t euerie reasonable man will cōsider y t those wordes be rather spoken to admonish the people how God by all meanes had prouoked them to repentance then to declare vnto vs what nature or
passions God hath in him self as ye do For so appereth in this your question Wil ye say that God werieth him self suffering and sorowing for them whom he had reprobated before the world Surlie I think that thogh ye hitherto haue vnaduisedly said so ye will from hence furth say so no more And so ye end this portion with a prayer To the which we answere in few wordes that albeit we will not take vpon vs to define what after this shal your cogitations be yet will we not cease to pray to God that your heartes beiÌ„g humbled with greater reuerence ye may not onely think but also speak of gods hie Maiestie of his iudgements most holie most iust and vtterlie in this life in comprehensible to our dull senses But now we go forward to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Now must we declare the saing of S. Luke so many as were ordeined vnto life did beleue where we must vnderstand that as they that will not obey the trueth are called in the scriptures ordeined to damnation as is sufficiently proued before so they which willingly receaue the trueth and coople the word with faith working by charitie are called ordeined to life Where ye do replie so predestination is without any condition I grant predestination to lief is the verie fre gift of God without any condition Notwithstanding we can not com to life but by the way which leadeth vnto life As he which receaued the one talent of his master receaued it of a fre gifte without his deseruing but because he did not walk in the way appointed by his master his talent was taken from him againe And as afore by the fre benefitt of his master he was chosen vnto life so now because he did not walk in the way which leadeth vnto life he is ordeined to â—damnation The prodigall sonne is receaued of his father not for â—his deseruing but of the fre goodnes and beneuolence of his father â—et is it required of him that he walk hereafter as an obedient sonne which if he did not the latter fall should be worse then the first Predestination therefor is the mere gifte of God afore the foundation of the world at the which time nothing could be commanded vnto vs yea afore we either haue faith orâ—ls by hearing of the worde we may haue faith no spiritual comandemeÌ„t is giueÌ„ vs but wheÌ„ by hearing we may receiue faith theÌ„ is the way of saluatioÌ„ opened vnto vs in w c we must walk if we wil be saued And yet foloweth it not we must walk in the way which leadeth vnto saluation Ergo for walking the way of saluation we are chosen and accepted for S. Paul saieth I am giltie to my selfe in nothing but therefor I am not iustified If a learned Phisician seing one in danger of death whom he can and may helpe offereth Phisick to the pacient able to restore him to his healthe and therwith prescribed the pacient a diet now that the phisicion giueth phisick to the pacient it cometh onely of his owne goodnes But if the pacient do not order him self according to the prescript of the Phisition the phisick shall not help him And thoghe he obserue good diet yet oght he not to repute the receauing of his healthe to him self but to the Phisicion for thogh it lieth in the pacientes power to hinder his healthe yet it is not in his power to giue him selfe healthe So Christ our Phisition offereth healthfull phisick to vs all and there with prescribeth our diet which if we do not obserue the Phisick shall not auale vs. And thoghe we obserue it yet oght we not to attribute our healthe to our selues but to the liberalitie of our Phisition Christ which of his mere mercie hath made vs hole wherefor to return to our argument they are ordeined vnto life so many as will gladly walk in the way which leadeth vnto life that is true obedience and they do beleue as S. Luke saieth ANSWER The place of saint Luke which ye studie to corrupt is written in the 13. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles The light whereof is so clere that you be neuer able to obscure the same And therefor I will not spend much tyme in coÌ„futation of your vanitie for the simple trueth of the historie shall disclose the same Paule comming to Antioche in Pisidia did vpoÌ„ the Sabboth eÌ„ter in to the Sinagoge of the Iewes aÌ„d therein preached a sermoÌ„ most profound â–ª most effectuall and most comfortable In the which by plaine scriptures he proued that the same Iesus which was crucified at Ierusalem was the Messias promised and the onely Sauior of the world At which doctrine many of the Iewes being offended and yet som embrasing the same Paule the next Sabboth preached to the hole multitude of the Iewes and Gentiles assembled together But when plaine contradiction was made by the Iewes who did blaspheme Christ Iesus Paule and Barnabas taking boldnes said to the Iewes first it behoued to speake to you the word of God but becaus ye reiect it and iudge your selues vnworthie of the life euerlastiÌ„g behold we are turned vnto the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded vs. At which wordes the Gentiles reioysed and glorified the word of the Lord and did beleue saieth the text so many as were ordeined to the life euerlastiÌ„g Who is be so blynd that doeth not se that in these wordes the holie Gost assigneth the plaine cause why some do beleue and others do blaspheme and remaine vnfaithfull The cause why som beleue is becaus they are ordeined to the life euerlasting as they that are the shepe of Christ Iesus therefor they heare and beleue his voice the others as they are left in the power of the deuiÌ„ll as they that are neuer giuen to Christ to the eÌ„d that they may receaue life remaine in blyndnes and so by contradiction and blasphemies declare them selues whose chilren and generation they are None of vs do nor yet euer did deny but that the elect of God do willingly receaue and obey the trueth and that the spirit of God so worketh in their heartes that not onely they beleue but that also they are made frutefull yea and that frome iustice they procede to iustice But as the hole praise of this we giue to God arrogatiÌ„g no part of it to our selues so we constantly affirme that nether faith neither workes neither yet any qualitie that is or that God forsaw to be in vs is the caus of our predestination or electioÌ„ to life euerlasting as before we haue sufficiently proued Ye are so inconstaÌ„t now granting predestination to be the fre and mere gift of God without any condition of our workes and immediatly after ascribing it to our obedience and walking in the way that leadeth to life In this your inconstancie say I can not tell how to handle you One thing I se to my great comfort that the glorie of
a liuelie faith do good workes spring in w c the elect continuing and going forward not onely make they their own election sure as S. Peter doeth teache but also giue a testimonie of it to others before whom their good workes do shyne And so by y e cōtrarie signes and effectes we affirme that the reprobate do manifest and vtter them selues And so I saie that wonder it is that ye burthen vs as that we shoulde affirme that no man can be knowen ether to be in the election or out of the election during this life But more wōder it is that ye affirme vs to adduce these wordes of S. Paul The deuil doeth transforme him selfe in to an angel of light for probatiō of our purpose for I for my owne part do protest before y e Lord Iesus that I neuer did so vnderstand that place of y e Apostle nether yet thinke I that any of you be able to shewe in any of our writings those wordes adduced for probation of that purpose Trewe it is that I haue long vnderstand and to this houre do vnderstand that by those wordes wolde the Apostle admonish the Corinthiās and all others that sodēly they should not receaue and beleue euerie person doctrine that offereth it selfe vnder y e cloke of iustice and of trueth but that diligently we shoulde trie the spirites from whence they are whether they come frō God or not for if the deuil the great angel of darkenes enemie to mankind and father to all fals prophetes can yet so transforme him self that for a time his purpose and intent are not sene but that vnder the cloke of amitie and loue he seketh o r destruction as in tempting the woman doeth plainly appere how much more can his seruāts and soldiors being deceitful workers transforme them in to y e Apostles of Christ pretending at the first entre nothing but loue and iustice nothing but gods glorie nothing but mortification of the flesh and such like most beautiful pretences although that yet these thīgs be most farre frome their heartes Thus I say do I and with me I am assured who so euer depely do wey the purpose of the Apostle in that place vnderstand that sentēce and do not as ye falsly write alledge it to proue that no man can be knowen to be ether in the election or out of the election during this life It may be that we haue saied and writen as the trueth is that no man coulde haue knowē by the good workes of that happie thief hanged with Christ that he had bene gods elect before that in that anguissie so instātly he began to defend Christes innocencie so sharpely to rebuke y e other being a blasphemer and humbly to submit himself and praie that Christ wolde remembre him when that he came in to his kingdome And contrarie wise that none coulde haue defined by the euil workes of Iudas before his tresonable defection from Christ Iesus which was but fewe daies before his death that he had bene y e reprobate And what serueth this for your purpose howe can ye hereby proue that we are the sonnes of darkenes that we take the most shameful men by the hand flattering them so that they can not returne from their wickednes and so by our doctrine giue occasion of sinne to y e people declaring our selues thereby not to besent of God c. Are ye able to proue that we teache the people not to conuert from their sinnes and wicked imaginations to to y e last houre of their departure do we promise to all theues and murtherers the same grace and fauor y t Dauid Peter and this thief founde I trust thy own cōscience knoweth the contrarie Permit or suffer we be they neuer so hie manifest offenders to liue amōgest vs after their owne appetites And yet ashamest thou not impudently thus to writ But such lippes such letouse such disciples such masters for your chief Appollos be persecuters on whom the blood of Seruetus crieth a vengeance So doeth the blood of others mo whome I could name But for asmuch as God hath partely alredie reuenged their blood and serued some of their persecuters with the same measure where with they measured to others I wil make no mēcion of them at this time Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who so reueleth the things that lie in secret that hypocrites at length how soeuer they dissemble for a time are compelled to notifie bewray them selues Before to some it might haue appeared that the zeale of gods glorie the loue of vertue the hatered of vice and the saluation of the people whom by vs ye iudged to be blinded and deceiued had caried you hedlonges into such vehemēcie as ye be mē zelous feruent y t no kynd of accusation was thoght by you sufficēit to make vs odious vnto y e people lies against vs imagined were not onely tolerable but also laudable holie scriptures ▪ by you willingly and wittingly corrupted did serue to defend gods iustice and his glorie w t we by our doctrine oppugne improue But these your last wordes do bewrey the mater that in what soeuer faces you lift trāsforme your selues your grief wil appere to procede from another fountaine then from any of these which ye pretende and I before haue rehearsed O the death of Seruetus your deare brother for whose deliuerāce your chāpion Castalio solēnely did praie with whom if once ye coulde haue spoken that kingdome which ye hope for had begonne to be enlarged his blood I saie with the blood of others I thinke ye meane of your prophetesse Ione of kent do crie a vengeance in your eares heartes that none other cause do you se of y e shedding of y e blood of those most cōstāt martyres of Christ Iesus Thomas Crammer Nicholas Redley Hugh latimer Iohn Hooper Iohn Rogers Iohn Bradfurth and of others mo But that God hathe partly reuenged their blood y t is of your great prophet and prophetesse vpon their persecuters and hath serued thē with the same measure with the which they serued others I appeale to the iudgement of all those that fear God what is thy iudgement and the iudgement of thy faction of that glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus which of late hath bene suppressed in Englod what is thy iudgement of those most valiāt soldiars and most happie martyres of Christ Iesus vpon whom ô blasphemous mouth thou saiest God hathe taken vengeance which is an horrible blasphemie in the eares of all the godlie I wil not now somuch labor to confute by thy pen as that my ful purpose is to lay the same to thy charge if I shal apprehend the in any comon welth where iustice against blesphemers may be ministred as gods word requireth And hereof I giue the warning lest that after thou shalt complein that vnder the cloke of friendship I haue deceiued the. Thy manifest defection
question was the brother commanded to kill the brother yea the father not to spare the sonne I think verely that if iudgement shoulde be referred vnto you y t that then shoulde Moises and the tribe of Leui be iudged wolues sent to dâ—uore innocent shepe But because we knowe what God hath allowed we y e les feare y e iudgemeÌ„t of man If ye claime any priuiledge bâ— the coÌ„ming of the Lord Iesus him self wil answer that he is not come to break nor destroy the Law of his heaueÌ„lie father Where further ye ask if Abel did kill Cayn or Dauid Saul or he which is born of the spirit did kill him which is borne of the flesh I answer if your question be of Abel Dauid and Isaak in their proper persons that none of them did kill any of these fore named But if thereof ye inferre no more is it lawâ—ul for any of gods elect to kill any man for his conscience sake I answer that if vnder the name of conscience ye include what soeuer semeth good in your owne eyes that then ye affirme a great absurditie manifestly repugning aswel to gods lawe as to the examples of those whom God hath hieghly praised in his holie Scriptures But because coÌ„tinually ye claime to your conscience to remoue from you that vaine couerture I ask if the murtherer adulterer or any other malefactor shoulde be exempted from punishmeÌ„t of y e law althogh he alledge that he did all thiÌ„g of coÌ„scieÌ„ce I trust ye wil coÌ„fesse that he oght to be mocked y t wil claime the patrocinie of coÌ„science when that he doth plainely offend against gods wil reueled And why will ye not grant asmuch in this mater which now standeth in contrauersie because say you externall crimes haue no affinitie with maters of religion for y e conscience of euerie man is not a like persuaded in y e seruice and honoring of God nether yet in such coÌ„trouersies as gods worde hath not plainely decided but I ask if that be a iust excuse why pernicious errors shall be obstinatly defended ether yet that gods established religion shall be contempteously dispised To make y e mater more plaine Israel and Iudah were not bothe of one minde in the honoring of God after y t the tenne Tribes departed froÌ„ the housholde of Dauid yea Iuda in the self was often corrupted with pestilent idolatrie in somuch that the fathers did offer their children to Moloch which I am assured they did not without some zeale w c they thoght tobe good coÌ„science But not withstanding those controuersies diuers opinioÌ„s and forged consciences at their own appetites Helias did kill the priestes of Baal wasâ— he borne I pray you of y e flesh or was he not rather regenerated by gods holie spirit Ioâ—ias did kill all y e priestes of the hie places did burne meÌ„s bones vpoÌ„ their altars and was he I besech you brother to Cayn or rather fellow heire of the Kingdom promised with Abel But that he was gods most faithful King after Dauid I trust ye wil not denie except that ye wil say as before boldly ye haue affirmed of other that God reuenged blood with blood in that he suffered him to fal in battel But y e Spirit of God speaking in the prophet Ieremie is more mylde of iudgement for he absolueth him and doeth affirme that he was taken away forâ— the sinnes of the people CoÌ„sider these things and conuict vs if ye can by scriptures We say the man is not persecuted for his conscience that declining from God blaspheming his Maiestie and coÌ„temning his religion obstinatly defendeth erroneous fals doctrine This maÌ„ I say lawfully â—onuicted if he suffer the death pronounced by a lawful Magistrate is not persecuted as in y â— name of Seruetus ye furiously complein but he suâ—â—ereth punishement according to gods coÌ„mandement pronounced in Deutronomie the XIII chapiter To put end to these your calumnies for this time two things I wolde require of you First that thus foolishly ye abuse not the name of conscience which you say constreineth you to write to the ende that ye might awake vs out of our dreames Conscience for assurance of the self in weldoing must haue a testimonie of gods plaine wil reueled which ye shal not fynd to be your assurance that so odiously ye may accuse vs of those crimes whereof ye be neuer able to conuict vs. The second is that by plaine scriptures and sollid reasons ye studie to confute our doctrine and not by raging wordes spoken as it were by men in a frennesie you shal neuer be able to proue ether that our doctrine is poysoned ether yet that we drawe the people to a secure ydle and careles lief Blessed be God y e father of our Lord Iesus Christ who of his mere mercie hath caused our doctrine somwhat to fructifie our good hope is that with vs and his afflicted Church he wil continue his father lie fauor in such sorte that from tyme to tyme he wil leaue documentes to y â— aeges following y t his heaueÌ„ly doctrine is not sent in vaine To him be glorie foreuer Now to y t that followeth in your booke THE ADVERSARIE â–ª Now to that which ye say that Adam and Dauid euen in committing of Idolatrie homicide all kind of wickednes they be stâ—l in gods fauor mark â–ª I pray you how the saying of the prophet Zacharie is verified in you In this saith he ye griâ—â—e the Lord that ye say They thaâ— dâ— euil are good in the sight of God and such please him can there be any thing more manifesâ—ly spâ—ken against your error â–ª and truelye it semeth to me that ye wold intyce the people by this doâ—trine to sinne for if the elect lose not the faâ—or of God by sinne nether the repobate forasmuch aâ— yâ— say neuer were nor can be in hâ— faâ—or â–ª so that they can not lose that which they haue not â–ª who nedeth to feare then to lose the fauor of God by sinne It is no matter then what we do â–ª but conâ—rarie to your doctrine we be taught by the holâ—e Gost in the worde that God hateth all workes of iniquitie and he that committeth sinne is oâ— the deuil And doeth God fauor them that be membres of the deuil Paul saeth no unclean person hathe any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and God theÌ„ was AdaÌ„ wheÌ„ he transgressed not of the Kingdome of god for he was an unclean person defiled with sinne If he was nâ—t of the kingdomâ— of God theÌ„ was he of the kingdoÌ„ of the deuil so was he out of the election euen as Adam did sayth the Lord so haue they broken my couenant and set me at naught If Adam in breking the Lordes couenant setting God at naught was stil beloued of God then may we say with the wicked as it is written It is but lost labor to
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
illumination of such as after vtterly fall back I haue before answered ye vniustly accuse vs y t we seke shiftes and narrow bores to the end y t we shall not be subiect to the trueth For this is our plaine confession which we simply and boldly do affirme that this is a stable and immutable foundation the Lord knoweth his own that no creature is able to seperat his elect frome his loue which in Christ Iesus he beareth to them Where boldly ye affirme vs to be of a peruers and reprobat mynd if we deny them to be elect who haue receaued from God such graces as man in this life can receaue no greater It may seme that because ye delyte to speak what ye please ye take libertie to lay to our charge what soeuer semeth good to you I trust ye be neuer able to proue that any of vs hath affirmed that he who had receaued of the fre gift of God a true vnfeined and liuelie faith is not the elect of God and that faith we knowe do gods children which cum to aige and discretion receaue in this life as Peter did against the which did Christ pronounce that the gates and portes of hell should not preuaile But it appereth to me that your doubt is ether to witt whether God bestoweth his great and riche talentes vpon the reprobate for if so he should do ye asffirme y t he bestoweth them in vaine meaning to receaue no frute of them That God bestoweth great talentes vpon the verie reprobate the scriptures manifestly do witnes to speake nothing of lief reason corporall health richesse and honors which the reprobate in greatest abundance do possesse doth not Christ witnes that many shall cry Lord in thy name we haue prophecied we haue cast owt deuils and in thy name haue we done many wonderous workes And yet shall Christ answer I neuer knew you Doth not Paule affirme that albeit he knew all mysteries had all prophecie and knowledge and all faith suche he meaneth as by the which miracles are wroght yet without he had charitie he were nothing But yet I pray you do prophecie knowledge the gift of toÌ„gues and of miracles cease to be the good and riche taleÌ„tes of God ye crie yet are they bestowed without hope of frute to be receaued in vaine if they be bestowed vpon the reprobate That of you is boldly and most blasphemously affirmed for God knoweth the frute which his Churche shall receaue not onely of those spiritual talentes how wicked that euer they be to whose dispensation they are committed but also of the corporall and temporall benefit yea of very tyranny doth his wisedom and goodnes cause a frute and commoditie com and spring out to his Churche By the tyranny of Nabuchadnezer he punished the proude contemners and tried and partly purged his children who before were slothfull and negligent by that great conquest and victorie whiche he gaue to Cyrus he procured the dedeliueraÌ„ce of his people from bondage By the great abundaÌ„ce of victuales giuen in the daies of Pharao were Iacob and his children susteined And think you that with out frute and all togither in vaine were these and the like benefites bestowed althogh that the most part of these were idolatrers cruel murtherers and reprobate to whose custodie these taleÌ„tes were coÌ„mitted ye are to bolde thus to controle God for his wisdome will not in all thinges be subiect to your foolishnes The diuersitie of creatures here beneth in earth may teach you more sobrietie How many cratures I pray you appere to our iudgement to be supernuouse and vainely created not onelie because they profitt not man but becaus they are vnprofitable to them selues but shall we therfore accuse gods wisdom by whom they are creâ—ted God forbidde for besides the omnipotencie of his power and wisdom manifested in their creation he alone knoweth their vse profitt and commoditie which euery creature receaue of an other how dull so euer our senses be And the same oght you to considre in all talentes and giftes committed to mâ—Ì„ how wicked so euer they be to whom they are committed for not onely therin is gods goodnes to be praised w c exteÌ„deth y e self in some cases eueÌ„ to his enemies but also som profitt doth euer arise to his Church by his graces how so euer they be abused by the reprobat The pregnaÌ„t witt and subtill ingin of Iulian the apostatate serued the Churche in stede of aspurre in his tyme and caused the godlie learned more diligently to searche the scriptures of God then before they had done And the same doth your peruerse iniquite this day towarde vs Where ye say that it is fals thâ—â— God did intend to bestâ—w his taleÌ„â—es in vâ—ine â–ª for asmuch as the holie Gâ—st willeth and exhortâ—th vs not tâ— receaue the grace of God in vaine yet not withstaÌ„ding God willeth not vs to recâ—aue his grace in vaine we may abusing his grace â–ª receaue it in vaine other wies in vaine did Paule exhâ—rte vs nâ—t tâ— receaue his graece in vaine These be yo r wordes this is your reason w c I leaue to be iudged vpoÌ„ by y â— godlie reader for we do not say that God bestoweh his giftes in vaine albeit the reprobate be participant thereof but it is you y t affirm that in vaine and without frute they are bestowed except that all be elect to life euerlasting y t receaue them â–ª which doctrine is so strange to vs that we doubt not to affirme with the hasard of our liues that by gods scriptures it can not be mainteined The wordes of the Apostle in the place by you alledged nether affirmeth what man may do nether yet what he may not do but he declareth how diligently carefully not onely by preaching but also by exhortation and praier he trauailed that his labors myght be frutefull amongest them and so that they should not receaue y e grace of God in vain But admitting that he had said I commande you not to receaue the grace of God in vaine could ye thereof conclude any more then ye may do of these wordes be you holie for I am holie saieth the lord There is a precept geuen but in whom standeth power to perfourme the same If it stand not in man say you in vain is the precept giuen how you be able to proue that I remitt to your better aduisemeÌ„t To me is nothing vaine that God speaketh or commandeth for I am assured y t ether by gods will reueled are the elect instructed how they oght to walke or els are the reprobate in their consciences coÌ„uict that knowing gods holie will obstinatly they rebell against the same and so are they witnesses to their own iust damnation The place of Peter doth manifestly fight against you for how soeuer the dogge hath vomited the corruption of his stinking stomocke and how so euer the sow hath appered to haue bene
exhorted of God saying go not thow with them nether curse the people for they are blessed where that it is to be noted tâ—at this people was blessed and not withstanding by idolatrie and carnall lustes they fell frome the fauor of God And in stede of blessing gods curse fell on them as it appereth in Numeri Likewise Balaam through couetousnes louiug filthie rewarde and continuyng in sinne he fell from righteousnes and forsook the trueth and perished with the cursed vngodlie Saul and his house was elect and chosen of God to be king and rewlers ouer Israel and that for euer as Samuel witnessâ—th saying at this tyme wold the lord haue established thy kingdom vpon Israel but â—â—ow thy kingdom shall not continue Here you se how Saul the elect anointed of God doth fall from that wherunto God had chosen and ordeined him And therafter in the fifetenth chapter because thow hast cast away the word of the lord therefor hath the lord cast away the also from being king wherof we learn that Sauleâ— fall was not by the fore ordinance of God seing he ordeyned the contrarie but through his inobedience to gods word whervnto he might haue obeyed if he wold Salomon receaued grace and wisedome of God aboue all other which was a lyuelie figure of Christ of whom God saieth so Salomon I haue chosen to be my sonne and I will be his father I will establish his kingdome for euer yet did he fall from this grace and wroght wickednes in the sight of the Lord lusting after strange fleshe and committing idolatrie and where as God choose him to be his sonne he turned his heart from God and followed Ascaoth the god of the Sidons and Melcom the abomination of the Amonites he buylded an hie place for Chamos the abomination of Moab and vnto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon and lykewies for all his â—owtlandish wyues which were a greate nombre that brent â—ncense and â—ffered vnto their goddes Here haue we a notable example of Salomon the elect sonne of God whose kâ—ndom God had promised to establish for euer Yet the became he childe of the deuil turnyng his heart from God And giuing him self ouer to the lustes of the flesh and most vile abominable idolatrie Ieroboam was chosen of God and anointed by the prophete Ahia king ouer the 10 tribes of Israell to whoÌ„ God made a couenant that he wold be with him and buyld him a sure house that should continue euen as he had promised afore to his seruant Dauid a man after gods own heart Yet did Ieroboam not withstanding the election and fore ordinance of God fall from the fauor of God set vp two golden calues one in Bethel and the other in Dan and made Israle sinne against God to his own and their vtter subuersion Iudas was elect of God to be the salt of the earth not vnsauerie for that serueth for no thing but he became vnsauerie salt throgh his own wickednes Christ chose him to be the the light of the world whâ—oh should so shyne before all men that they might glorifie by him God the father but he cause he loued darknes better then light his candelstik was remoued and his light quenched Christ chose him to be one of the twelue whiche shuld sit on the twelue seâ—tes iudgeing the twelue tribes of Israel but because he made not his election and calling sure by good workes as Peter speaketh his name was wiped out of the book of lief Christ loseth none of them whom the father gaue him except Iudas whiche by transgressâ—on as Peter saieth did fall was found vnworthie of his election Here might the terrible and greuous fall of Ioas with diuers others be alledged which for prolixitie I passe ouer All these aboue reheresed and many mâ— receaued the grace of God in vaine And therefor did God cast them away whom afore he had chosen euen as he did Ierusalem of whom it is so written I will cast of this 〈◊〉 Ierusalem which I haue chosen and the house of whiche I said my Name shall be there for thogh God of has mere mercie hath chosen vs in Christ Iesu to be heires of eternall lief yet if we refuse him he will refuse vs if we denie him he wil denie vs And so as the Prophets saieth our own wickednes shall reprouevs and our turning away shall condemne vs and therefor saieth the lord by his prophete Ezechiel if the righteous turn away from his righteousnes and do iniquitie all the righteousnes that he hath done shall not be thoght vpon but in the faut that he hath offended withall and in he sinne that he hath done he shall die ANSWER The same proposition whiche before I haue proued most fals and deceauable ye yet labor by multiplying of examples nothing apperteining to that purpose to defend and mainteine Your proposition is that albeit the election is sure and made without all condition in Christ Iesus yet is there none so elected in him to lief euerlasting but that he may fall to perdition and becom a reprobate And for the probation hereof before ye enter to your exemples yet vse two reasones The former without Christe say you there is nether electioÌ„ nor saluation and this we confesse and most stedfastly do beleue adding that election and saluation are so sure in him that so many as be elected in him to lief euerlasting shal by grace attein to y â— same Ye procede in yo r raison further man is made sure in the election by the promes of God in Christ Iesu of which promes wheÌ„ he is made parâ—aker he entreth in couenaÌ„t with God â–ª but wheÌ„ he breaketh the couenant he forsaketh the promes and when he forsaketh the promes be refuseth Christ in refusing Christ he falleth out of the election notwithstanding the Election abydeth sure in Christ. This is your first reason To the w c I shortly plainely answere y t because ye suppose an impossibilitie to be possible therefor ye conclude a greate absurditie for ye suppose that the membres of Christes bodie elected in him to life euerlasting may so forsake y e promes so refuse Christ their head and so breake the couenant that to y e end of their liues they contemne and despyse it which is a thing impossible as before I haue proued and therefor your conclusion auaileth nothing when ye shal proue y t Christes shepe committed to his charge by his heauenly father can becom wolues or dogges to bark against their pastor and that so they continue to the ende I wil study to answer you other wise but vnto such time as you learne to proue your purpos more substaÌ„cially I must say that because there is no membre of your reason which hath a sure ground that therefor I will not greatly study to confute the same for man is not made sure in the election by any promes of God but y e electioÌ„ which
certen securitie And therefor the wordes of our master spoken to his disciples and the admonition of Paul to the Churches in his daies doth much profit comfort and confirme vs for by the same we are so armed against offences and sclanders which daily do chance that albeit we se that froÌ„ amongest our selues arise such as bring in damnable sectes which lead many to perdition yet we do not therefor detest nor ahbore Christs simple veritie but being prouoked by that fall deiection of others with great solicitude and care we call for the assistance of gods holie spirit en those most miserable and most wicked daies That ye affirme vs to be lieng prophetes not seÌ„t of God but such as runne of our selues calling to our coÌ„gregation the people whom after we prouoke to a careles libertine life we answer not to you but to our God Iudge vs ô Lord in this cause according to our innocencie according to the puretie which thy spirit hath formed in our heartes destroy all lyeng lippes and confound thou those that of malice trouble thy afflicted flock Let your frieÌ„des enemies to gods eternall trueth proude boasters of their own iustice and suppressers to their power of Christes glorie giue eare if they list to your admonition absenting them selues from all well reformed congregations We will not cease to exhort all the faithfull to frequent and hant the places wher Christes Euangil is truely and openly preached his holie sacrementes rightely ministered according to his own ordinance and institution And also where disciplyne is put in practise according to that ordre which he him self hath commanded Nether yet will we cease to affirme that your priuie assemblies and all those that in dispyte of Christes blessed ordinance do frequent y e same are accursed of God We do not deny but that Iudas Achitophell BalaaÌ„ and many mo willingly and of determined purpose did wickedly most vnthankfully offend but what is this to your mater It resteth alwaies to be proued that they were elected in Christ Iesus by the eternal counsel of God Your foolish question demanding if Adam or any other maÌ„ can be saued by Christ. which doth forsaik him I haue before answered plainely prouing that the elect children can not finally forsaik and conteÌ„ne the ordinance of their father Nether yet can the membres refuse the lief whiche they receaue froÌ„ their head And that because the Spirit of God drawing them to Christ maketh them to fele their necessitie which they haue of him And therefor with al thank fulnes and ioy do they receaue him who is made to vs from God wisedom iustice satisfaction redeÌ„ption and lief To me it appereth a very foolish questiâ— if any should demand if a man perfect in witt memorie and reason feling him elf so pressed which honger or thirst that of necessitie he must perish except nature were supported to ask I say if such a man willingly and obstinatly wold refuse holsom meat and drink appereth foolish and vaine And such is your question for the elect children do fele their own miserie honger thirst and pouertie yea they labor vnder the burden of their sinnes which they hate of the which they wold be releued And therefor they can not refuse the iustice lief and assured redemption which is offered to theÌ„ in Christ Iesus To whom be all praise glorie and honor for euer The place of the Apostle I haue before answered and therfor I shortlie com to that wich ye call THE ADVERSARIE The third error of the careles by necessitie God hath two maner of willes one reueled will and a secret will which is onely knowen â—o him self â–ª by gâ—ds reâ—â—led will men should not com to nought but they which porâ—sh 〈◊〉 perishe by his secrete will in respect of gods commandement It was nâ—t gods will that Adam should sinnâ— but in respect of gods secrete will God wold Adam to fall ANSWER How maliciously ye peruerte our wordes and how impudently ye forge vpon vs a form of doctryne which did neuer enter into our thogthes shall appere God willing bv answering to that which ye call the confutacion of our third error which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The authors of this wicked opinion when they could not sufficiently confirme their errors by the auctoiite of gods word they inuented a new shift to approue it by gods secrete will for say they Thogh God by his reueled will will all men to be saued yet by hiâ— secrete will he willeth many to be damned by his reueled will he will no wickâ—dnes but by his secrete will he will Pharao to be hard hearted Sâ—mâ—â— to curs Dauid the patriarkes to sell their brother Ioseph c. by his reueled will he wold 〈◊〉 that Adam should full but by his sâ—cret will be willeth Adam to ful I maruel much where ye haue founde out this maner of doctrine for nâ—ther Moses and the prophetes nether Christ and his Apostles vse any such maner of doctrine further what profit do yeto the peâ—ple wiâ—h this dâ—â—trine Sure I am that 〈◊〉 cause many to conceaue an euill opinioÌ„ of God hereby But now for asmuch as the secrete will of God â—â—kâ—oweâ— to none but â—o him self alone who hath râ—â—eled it to you how can ye sâ—y this is godâ— secrete will â—f it was gods secâ—eâ—â— will â—hat Adâ— should fall and you 〈◊〉 it then it is both secrete and 〈◊〉 both reueled and unreueled both knowen unknowen what greate absurditie is this can a maÌ„ call that which he knoweth vnknowen or that which is secret reueled so may a maÌ„ say hearing is not hearing light â—s no light By this straÌ„ge doctrine you wolde be counted wyse but you are so much from the right way that you are become foolish you can not content your self with such thinges as it hath pleased God to reuele in his word for our comfort but will nedes knowe gods secret will Search not saith Sirach out the ground of things as are to mightie for the but looke what God hath commanded the and looke vpon that alwaies and be not curious in many of his workes for it is not nedefull for the to se with thine eyes thinges that are secret the medling with such thinges hath beguyled many a man and tangled their wits in vanitie And in the Prouâ—rbeâ— Eyke as it is not good to eate to much honie euen so he that will searche out hiegh thinges it shal be to heauie for him wo be vnto them saith the Lord that are wyse in their own sight and think them selues to haue vnderstanding for he that presumeth to know the secret will of God and thereby will confirme his error he can not be reformed by gods reueled will which is the worde Be not wise saieth Paul in your own opinions And the holie Gost be not wise in your own conceat but fâ—are the Lord and depart from euill
so shall thy nauel be hole and thy bones strong â–ª And Iâ— but is not we that can fynde out the almightie for in power equitie and righteousnes he is hiegher then can be expressed Let men therefor feare him for there shall no man se him that is wise in his own conceat we must not â—eke out the sâ—cretes of God for we shall not preuaile but bring our selues to consufion If we go about to establishe our opinions by gods secret will we must nedes fâ—ll in horrible darcknes and errors for who can know what the will of God is we must submitt our selues with all humilitie to the word and there with great reuerence search out such things as are written for our comfort and edification which we can not duelie vnderstand without the spirit of God to teache vs as it is written oh Lord who can haue knowledge of thy vnderstanding and meaning except thâ—w giue him wisdom and send thy holy Gost from aboue But if we prepare our selues with râ—uerence to read the word of God to the intent to vnderstand it to our consolation and with humilitie submâ—t our selues to do it God will open to vs so much as is ether necessarie or profitable for vs. ANSWER What confirmation our doctrine hath by the inuincible and most euident testimonies of gods holie scriptures I will not now dispute onely I must coÌ„pleine that maliciously and most impudently ye wrest our wordes and peruert our myndes And for the probatioÌ„ thereof I say that ye are neuer able to shew in any of our writings the wordes and sentences which in this place ye affirme vs to say ye be neuer able I say to proue that we haue written or taught that God by his reueled will will all men to be saued and yet by his secrete will he willeth many to be damned That by his reuâ—led will he willeth no wickednes but by his secret will he will Pharao to be hard hearted Semei to curse Dauid the Patriarkes to sell their brother Ioseph that by his reueled will he wolde not that Adam shoulde fâ—ll but by his secret will he willeth Adam to fall These propositions I say you be neuer able to shew in our writinges nether yet to proue that our doctrine did or doth tend to that end for we constantly affirme that God reueled vnto vs his most holie and most iust wil in his plaine and holie scriptures which do assure vs that a separation shal be made betwext the goates and the lambes that the one shal receaue the kingdom propared vnto them before all beginning and that the other shal be adiudged to the fyre which neuer shal be quenched That God stirred and raised vp Pharao that his power might be declared in him that these wordes God plainely spoke to Moises I know that Pharao shal not permitte the people to depart therefore haue I hardened his heart that I may multiplie my woÌ„ders vpon him that Dauid did represse the furie of Abisai and of his seruantes who wolde haue killed Semei saying suffre him to curse for the Lord hath commanded him the Lord perchance shal behold my affliction and shal reward me with good for his cursing this day That Ioseph said to his bretheren be you not moued with sorow y â— ye haue solde me for the Lord hath sent me for conseruation of a great multitude it is not therefore you that haue sent me hither but God who hath made me father to Pharao and Lord ouer his hole house None of all these I say do we cast vpon gods secrete will as ye falsly accuse vs but we do constantly affirme that his will is so plainely reueled in these maters that such as shall denie any of them to haue bene gods wil can not escape abnegation of his eternall veritie And further we say that the fall of man is plainely reueled vnto vs not onely by experience but euen by that same law which was imposed to him shortly after his creation the transgression whereof made Adam and all his posteritie criminall and giltie to gods iustice that nether against gods wil reueled nether yet against his secrete wil. for by his will reueled can no man further conclude but this that in what day soeuer AdaÌ„ should eate of the frute forbiddeÌ„ that he should die the death But Adam against gods command ement did eat and therefor did he iustly vnderly the sentence of death And thus do we referre to gods will manifestly reueled what soeuer ye imagin that we ascribe to his secret will Nether yet nede you to maruell if ye list to take such paines as to read our writiÌ„ges where that we finde the doctryne that we teach your surmised lie we cast vpon your selues seing that Moises the prophetes Christ Iesus and his Apostles in all writings do affirme the same But yet lest that ye should think that we attribute nothing to gods secret wil I will in few wordes confesse what we teach maintein and beleue in that case And that the rather because you gather agreate absurditie not of our doctryne but of that which ye falsely imput vpon vs in this maner for asmuch you say as the secrete will of God is knowen to none but to him self alone Who hath reueled it to you how can you say this is gods secret will if it was gods secret will that Adam should fall and you knew it â–ª then it is both secret and vnsecret both reueled and vnreueled both knowen and vnknowen What greate absurditie is this To the which I answere according to your impudeÌ„t foolishnes that because you fight with your owne shadowe these yo r dartes do hurt vs nothing for we do not affirme that we do knowe the fall of man by gods secret will but by his will manifestly reueled vnto vs by his holie scriptures Or more plainly to answer yo r reasons which you think inuincible we say that that wil which was secret in God before all time was reueled to man in time by his owne word and that from time to to time the same became more manifest as sainct Paul witnesseth in these wordes To me the least of all saintes is giuen this fauor or grace that I should preach amoÌ„gest the GeÌ„tiles the vnsearchable riches of Christe That I should bring forth to light before all meÌ„ what is y e coÌ„munion of the mysterie w c was hid from all ages in God who hath made all things by Christ Iesus that the manifest wisdome of God may nowe be notified to principates and powers in heauenlie things by the Church according to the fore appointment of the ages which he hath made in Christ Iesus our lorde so that we are now bold to say that albeit no creature did knowe before all time what ordre God should kepe in the creation and disposition of all thinges in time yet may we nowe I say be bolde to affirme that the secrete was hidde in the
our frayle bodies do we hold the secrete will of God for a ruele of all equitie perfection and sufficiencie teaching and affirming that if any man of vaine curiositie or of deuelish pride presume to define or determine vpon these or others his inscrutable secretes the causes whereof other then his secret but most iust will is not neither shal be reueled till the full glory of the sonnes of God be manyfested when the wisdome goodnes iustice and mercie of God shall so euidently appere to the full contentation of his electe to the most iust conuicting of the conscieÌ„ces of the very reprobate to whome shall be left no place of excuse but in their owne consciences they shall receaue the iust sentence of their most iust condemnation and so shall they in tormentes glorifie the most iust most seuere iudgement of God and his vnspeakable hatered against sinne conceaued We teach and affirme I say that if any man in this life trauale to searche out other causes of these foresaid works of God then his secrete will that the same man hedlongs casteth him selfe in to horrible coÌ„fusion which he can not eskape without spedie repentance And against such men are al the scriptures by you alledged spoken and written and not against vs who as we affirme nothing which gods worde doeth not plainely teache vs so do we cease curiously to inquire any cause of his workes other theÌ„ it hath pleased his godlie wisedome and mercie to reuele vnto vs by his holie spirit plainely speaking in his holie scriptures And therefor to you it shal be most profitable to trye and examine this mater with greater indiffereÌ„cie then hitherto you haue done and to ponder and wey whether it be ye or we that be wise in our owne conceate sight or opinion or that go about to finde out the almightie that is to subiecte his Maiestie and wisdome to the iudgemeÌ„t of our corrupt reason You I say who vpon his words plainely spoken by the holie Gost and vpoÌ„ his works which he neither fearerh nor eshameth to attribute and clame to him selfe dare make these blasphemous conclusioÌ„s Then is he more cruel then a wolf then is he a dissembler then beareth he hoÌ„ny in his mouthe gaule in his breast then is he author of sinne him self theÌ„ is he vniust coÌ„trarious to him self or we y t coÌ„miÌ„g but onely to the sight of gods incoÌ„prehensible iudgements with all treÌ„bliÌ„g reuereÌ„ce fall done before his Maiestie w t the Apostle do crye Oh y e depnes of y e riches wisdome and knowledge of God howe inscrutable are his iudgementes and vnsearcheable are his waies who hath knowen y e minde of the Lord or who hath bene of his counsell or who hath giuen vnto him first that he should recompence him for of him and by him and in him are all things to him be glorie for euer Amen Be you your selues iudges I say whether you or we do search out thinges that be aboue the reache of our capacities and by that meanes studie to bring God as it were in boÌ„dage to our reasons but now that which foloweth in these wordes ADVERSARIE Thy worde sayeth Dauid is a lanterne to my fete and a light vnto my steppes when thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen Vnto babes all the wordes of the Lord are pure and cleane it is a shilde to them that put their trust in it And the Prophet Esaya if any maÌ„ lacke light â—et him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie we must not leaue the word and seke to establish our phantasies ether by reason or gods secret will for we are commanded that we turne not from the word nether to the right hand nor to the left that thou maiest sayeâ—h thâ— holye Gost haue vnderstanding in all that thou takest in hand This is sufficient for vs and this we oght for to do But we knowe say you euen by the worde that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him verie well and can you proue thereby that God hath two willes God hath reueled so much of his will as is profitable for vs to vs to knowe the rest which is nether necessarie nor mete for vs to know he hath not reueled Is it therefore an other will or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shal there be contrarietiâ— in God which is fals if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam shoulde fall but in respect of his secret will he wold Adam should fall then did God will two contraries which is impossible was there euer any such monsterous doctrine taught God abhorreth a double heart which speaketh one thing and thinketh and other and yet abhorre you not to charge God with that which he cannot abide in his creatures that is that he should speak one thing as that Adam should not haue fallen and think and will the contrarâ—e that Adam should haue fallen ANSWER The wil of God plainely reueled in his holie scriptures we do not onely followe as a bright lanterne shining before vs for the directing of our pathes walking in the darknes of this mortalitie but also we affirme it to be of such sufficiencie that if an Angell froÌ„ the heauen with wonders signes and miracles wolde declare to vs a will repugning to that which is alredie reueled persuading vs vpon that to ground our faith or by that to rule the actions of our liues we wold hold him accursed and in no wise to be heard and therefore yet once againe I caÌ„ not cease to exhort you if by late reuelations ye I mean some of your faction hath receaued any newe knowledge of gods will by the which you persuade others that man in this life shal be pure and clean with out sinne that God shall expell it not onely in the resurrection but euen while we walk compassed with this corruptible flesh euen as the bright sunne chaseth away the darck cloudes that the children of God shal so beare dominion ouer the wicked in this earth that all the proud tyrannes and oppressors shall be come slaues to the godlie and that shal be their hell and punishment as the earthlie reigning of the others shal be their heauen and ioye promised Examin I say your selues if that any of you be infected with these and others mo grosse and foolish fantasies which by gods reueled will you be neuer able to proue But as for vs we haue proued and offer to proue at all times by the reueled will of God what so euer we teach affirme or beleue of gods eternal electioÌ„ or of his most iust reprobatioÌ„ for we coÌ„fesse euen the self same thing which you alledge vs to say which is that by the word of God we knowe that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him in heauen and in
Lord hath taken which is not to be vndersâ—aÌ„d that the Lord did take his goods but oâ—ely suffereâ— the deuil to take them So the Lord punished his people not that he touched them but I will hide my face from them will see what their end shal be saieth the Lord. After the same maner oght that place God hardened the heart of Pharao 〈◊〉 be vnderstand that it God suffered the heart of Pharaâ— to be hardened or left him in the hardnes of his heart which appereth to be so of that whâ—ch is wriâ—ten Exoâ—â—â—e 10. chapter how long refusest thou to submit thy self vnto me to let my people goe by this we see that the will of God was that Pharao should let the people gâ—o Secondly that Pharao â—id not subrnit himself to God that his â—ind was not conforme to gods mynd Thirdly â–ª in that he refused to let the people go it was his owne dede and actâ— not gods for if I should graâ—t that it was gods will that he should râ—fuse to let the people goo then did hâ— subrâ—yt him selfe to â—he will of the Lord which is coÌ„trarie to the word theÌ„ should God aÌ„d he haue bene both of one mynd And the will of God is all wayes good and iust â–ª whâ—ch you can not deny then Pharaâ— refusing to let the people go did well â—ustly forasmuch â–ª as it was gods will he should so doâ— wherfor Pharao oght not tâ— be punished for this good iust dede These such like 〈…〉 â—skape affirming Pharaos heart to haue been actually indured of God ANSWER How meane that euer our reasons be yet great cause we haue to giue thanks vnto God that ye in laboring w t all your wittes to oppugne obscure them are yet compelled by the inuincible grace of gods mercie to iustifie and illustrate the same which shall plainely appere by this your first answere which you make concerning the omnipotencie of God forasmuch say you as God is goodnes it self his wil is alawayes good yet maÌ„ is apte to do and may do euill contrary to gods will notwithstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering man to do euill whome he might destroy afore he did euill if so pleased him and so ye bring forth y e example of Pharao I will not take in all points that aduaÌ„tage of you w c I think you wold take of vs most gladly if you had vs in such a streit as you haue here coÌ„cluded your selues for if maÌ„ may do euil contrary to gods will so that God for no respect for no end nor purpose wold that such wickednes should be donne for thus you must applie your words orels ye say nothiÌ„g against vs and yet that it pleaseth God not to destroy the wicked doer but to suffer him to do euill whome he might haue destroied before the iniquitie coÌ„mitted What shall I pray you ensue but that either there shal be in God two contrary willes one that willeth no wickednes in no wyes to be donne and an other that suffereth wickednes yea and that is pleased to suffre not to destroye the wicked maÌ„â— orels that there is a power aboue gods wil which compelleth him to suffer that which he wold not one of these two can you not auoyd But I wil dealle more fauorably with you Ye grant that God suffereth the euill and that he might destroy the wicked maÌ„ before iniquitie be committed if so pleased his godlie maiestie and wisdome Do ye not coÌ„sider that in this your confession is no les â—onteined then any of vs hath either written or spoken in this mater for if gods omnipotencie remaineth as no doubt it doth so perfecte and hole that he may not impede onely wicked men of their interprises but also y t he may destroy eueÌ„ SathaÌ„ him self if so pleased his eternal wisedoÌ„ what can be coÌ„cluded but y t God willingly for causes knoweÌ„ to his wisedome alone permitteth suffereth things to be doÌ„ne w c aâ—ter he will most iustly punish And thus I say doth you own answer confessioÌ„ iustifie o r doctrine for we do not teach y t wickednes pleaseth God in so farre as it is wickednes neither yet that God will sinfull actes to be donne in so farre as they are sinfull without any other further respecte But we say that as the actioÌ„s cogitatioÌ„s of the godly please God in Christ Iesus because they are wroght aÌ„d inspired by y e power of his holie spirit so y t the good workes as patieÌ„ce iustice chastitie suche lik God will to be doÌ„ne eueÌ„ because the works be good agreable to his owne nature so say we that God will yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be donne for y â— purposes causes coÌ„cluded in his eternal couÌ„sel Which thing if we be able to proue by the euideÌ„t scriptures of God theÌ„ oght you not to be offended althogh we preferre God to maÌ„ and his plaine trueth to your sophisticall euasioÌ„s colde interpretations of such places for the auoiding the prolixitie of many I will choose but two at y â— most plaine and most euident Is it not a great horrible sinne that a fals prophete shall come and deceause the people Yea is it not likwyes sin to deceaue y e Prophet and yet God feareth not to attribâ—t to him self bothe the one and the other for no fals prophete dothe arrise whoÌ„ God for one of two purposes doth not stirre vp to witt ether to trie and examin the coÌ„stancie fidelitie of his seruaÌ„tes orels to execute aÌ„d blind those who delite not in the veritie For Moises witnesseth in these words if in the middest of the there arrise a Prophet and he shal giue vnto the a signe and yet should say let vs go and serue straÌ„ge goddes heare him not for y e Lord your God tempteth you whether that ye wil loue your Lord your God with all your heart in all your fowle if it be the propre office of God to trye tempt and examin y e heartes of his people of his chosen children as the holie Gost affirmeth it to be Then must you confes that the fals prophetes be gods instrumentes appointed for that purpose And that God deceaueth the fals Prophet Ezechiel in plaine wordes doeth witnes saying aÌ„d if the Prophet deceaued speak the word I the Lord haue deceaued that Prophet and I will extend my hand against him and I will roote him out from the midest of my people Israel And the same doeth yet God hiÌ„ self more plainly vendicate to him self in that solemned proclamatioÌ„ made in the eares of the prophet Micheas aÌ„d boldly by him pronounced in audience of two kings Achas Iosaphat as foloweth who shall deceaue Achas to vs or who shall persuade him that he may passe vp and fall in Ramath galaad and there passed out a certen spirit standing before y e lorde he said I
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all
And in an other place the beastes of the field shall preach my glorye the dragons and the birdes of eastriches and Achan also was coÌ„maÌ„ded to giue glory vnto God The earth shal be compelled saieth Habacuc to knowledge the glory of God Zacharie also the Prophet saieth for his glory hath he sent vnto the nations which haue spoyled you finally shall not sathan and the reprobate in their iust condemnation giue glory vnto God and do ye think that all these creatures iudge God to be worthie of glory in such sort as they acknowledge his power his wisedome his iustice froÌ„ their hole heart submitte them selues to his holy will I trust you do not for we knowe that sathan is a spirit confirmed in malice and rebellious against God yet is he coÌ„pelled euen in tormentes to giue glory vnto God in so farre as in his iust daÌ„nation he declareth gods power and iust iudgementes And therefor I say that you restreine the glory of God with in to streit narrowe limites when y t you will that it shall extend no forther then to suche as from their heart iudge God worthie of glory y e w c perteineth to his chosen children onely and can neuer be giueÌ„ by the reprobate for such glory must procede froÌ„ faith w c is not coÌ„mone vnto all but is the speciall gift giueÌ„ to gods elect yet neuertheles by other meanes God declareth his glory euen in the vesselles of his wrath as is before declared Of the example of Nabuchadnezer ye can make but a particular coÌ„clusion in this for me Nabuchadnezer after he had felt the iust punishement of his pride and arrogaÌ„cie gaue glory vnto God Ergo some man after punishmeÌ„t giueth glory vnto God If you make your coÌ„clusion extend any further it is fals for if you say that all men after punishment giue glory vnto God w t the same confession that he gaue many examples may be showen to the coÌ„tary if you saye that none other giueth glory vnto God except such as so be punished that will be proued likewies fals And if you say y t gods glory doth shine in none except in those that acknowledge confesse God to be mercifull and iust that is most vaine of all and thus I say your conclusion must be but particulare The reasons the coÌ„clusion which you make vpon these wordes of Dauid Praise God all you natioÌ„s are so foolish on the one parre and so filthie and execrablevpon the other that amongest all nations ye oght not onely to he mocked but also to be had in horror and detestation first you say If God must be praised amongest all nations then must gods workes be such as all nations may knowe them and praisâ— them I answer euen so they are and such amongest all natioÌ„s as haue y e eyes of their myndes illuminated by gods holie spiriâ— do see iust caus why y t they oght to praise gods wisedome euen in all his workes But you procede saying there is no nation which at any tyme shall acknowledge God to be iust for that be punisheâ—â— maâ— for that whervnto he him self did prouoke him and so after the example of the priestes of the Philistines ye ask this questioÌ„ If God should punishe man because he hath a beard should any glory redound 〈◊〉 God there of seing he hath giuen vs beardes his self And so you skoffe iest at vs saying y t we be very religiouse because we say that none oght to speak so vnreuerently of gods workes God is witnes that I write notwithouâ— some grief of heart nether yet y t I affirme this which I am to speak for priuie hatered w c I bear against the persone of any man But in gods presence I say that rather then such horrible blasphemies should haue bene fostered in my heart deuised in my braine written by my pen and pronounced by my mouth and tongue that rather I wold my carcasse should haue suffered most cruell and vile death yea and further I say that better it had bene for you neuer to haue bene borne then thus blasphemously to expose gods great Maiestie to opprobrie aÌ„d mockage for I appele to the iudgement of the heauen and the earth and of all creatures in the same conteined if euer that Iulian the appostate spake more disdainfully of God then here you write But for the instruction of the simple reader to answere you more reasonably theÌ„ your vnreuerent skoffing deserueth I say first that the mynde of Dauid was not to teach vs what euerie nation and euery particulare man amongest the Gentiles shall do but what was the duetie of euerie nation euery people and euerie man to do when gods mercies should be offered vnto them And therfor if you conclude all natioÌ„s do praise God in such sorte as Dauid meaneth because that the holie Gost by his mouth commaÌ„deth all nations to praife God you make no better an argument then if ye should affirme that euery man loueth God with all his heart with all his mynd with all his strength because that God so commandeth This is one portion of your ignorance The second foloweth gods workes say you must be such as all nations may knowe them and praise them I answer if you vnderstand that al that praise God vnfeinedly from their heartes must haue some knowledge of his mercies goodnes iust iudgemeÌ„tes and woÌ„derous workes we distent not from you But if you say as by your proces is euident that you do that except all nations perceaue and vnderstand the very grounde of gods iustice that God amongest them shall haue no glory then as we lament your foolishnes so we detest your error â–ª for albeit that the â—aturall man can neuer atteine to the knowledge of those things which God purposeth yet shal not God be defrauded of his golry no not in the most carnal and wretched man Christe Iesus was sent into the world and came to that people which was called his own and his glory did so shine to the eyes of some that they did acknowledge it to be the glory of the onely SoÌ„ne of God â–ª But did the princes of the priestes and the hole nation of the Iewes see the same glory and so confesse him as did the electe SaiÌ„t Paul witnesseth the coÌ„trarie saying if they had knowen they had not crucified the king of glory Paul was appointed a preacher to the Gentiles amongest whome he most faithfully and moste boldely did open the treasures of gods great mercies and of the glory of his Sonne Christ Iesus but did euery citie realme nation or man to whome these treasures were opened so receaue vnderstand and imbrace them that for the same they glorified God the contrarie is euident But was God therfore defrauded of his glory euen in y e midest of a wicked generatioÌ„ God forbid for as the eyes of some were lightned and so did glorifie the word of the Lord so
strāge worke that he may do his owne worke that is he trieth ād purgeth by fyre our faith frō all drosse and corruption of earthlie affections But in none of all these is there any contrarietie neither in God neither in his will neither in his counsell for all thinges be disposed in such ordre such consent and so conueniently that his glorie and the perpetual cōfort of his electe doth finally and assuredly folowe And euē so it is in the apperant contrarietie betwene you and vs God no doubt will the one of vs to affirme lies to raile to blaspheme ād most vniustly to accuse y e other he will y e other to susteine y e cause of the trueth paciētly to beare opprobrious wordes and sclāderous reportes referrīg iudgement vnto him who righteously and in equitie shall iudge Is there therefor any cōtrarietie in gods wil none at al. For the diuers respectes and endes being considered the same consent shall now be found in this apperant contrarietie which hath remained frō the encrease of gods Church For in all ages hath God willed his true Prophetes with all boldnes and cōstancie to susteine the cause of his simple veritie how odious that euer it was vnto the world And in their cōtrarie he hath raised fals prophetes to whom he hath giuen the efficacie of errors for contrarie purposes I grant to witt that his people may be tried his faithfull seruantes exercised and humbled and finally that such as delyte not in veritie may be giuen ouer to beleue lies Go to now and proue contrarieties In the wordes of Zacharie you shew your ignorāce in collecting the minde of Oded you plainely declare your accustomed falshode in farther stretching the minde of the Prophete thē his wordes will beare Which thing I will first shew by reciting the plaine wordes and so returne to the Prophete Zacharie There was in Samaria a Prophet of the Lordes saith the historie whose name was Oded and he went oute before the hoste that came to Samaria and said vnto them Behold becaus the Lorde God of your fathers is wroth with Iuda he hath deliuered them into your hādes and ye haue slaine thē in a rage that reacheth vp to heauen And now ye purpose to kepe vnder the children of Iudah and Ierusalem as seruants and had maides vnto you But are not you such that sinnes are w t you before y e Lord your God These be his wordes in that mater by the which if you be able to proue that the Israelites did more then God in his eternall counsell had appointed y t they should do against Iuda and Ierusalam we will patiently heare your probatiō and reasons If you say the Prophete reproued them of their crueltie therfor they did more then God wold y ◠doth not folow for the iust will of God must not be measured by the crueltie of their facte but by his owne word which doeth affirme that God gaue ouer Iudah into the handes of the king of Syria into the handes of the king of Israell who did strike them with a great slaughter and that for the sinnes and abominable idolatrie which they Achas their king had committed We heare and see affirmed by the holy Gost that God gaue them ouer into the handes of their ennemies which thing he did willingly and not by permission as you writte Now to the place of Zachariah in which I say you shew grosse and wicked ignorance For if your interpretation shoulde be receaued thē of necessitie it should folow y t in God their lacked power to impede ād staye the furie of those cruell mē who in their victorie did so insolētly rage For if God wold onely haue had y e Iewes gently corrected not to haue bene so seuerely and rigorously destroyed and yet y t against al maner sorte of his wil they were so cruelly entreated it can not be denied but y t the crueltie and rage of the Babyloniās was greater then God coulde impede or staye how blasphemous and fals this is the godlie doeth vnderstād O say you but so do the wordes of the text soūd for they say I am greatly angrie against the careles heathē For I was but a litle angrie against Sion but they haue helped forwarde the afflictiō I answer y t if ye were not more malicious then ignorant ye might easily perceaue y t those wordes were spokē not to proue y t any thing was dōne against Israel and Iudah w c God had not appoīted ād commanded but to instruct the Prophete y t the will and cousell of God in punishing of his people was farre other then was the wil connsell of those y t did destroy them and y t their lōg bondage should haue an other end then either they thē selues or their ennemies did vnderstād That nothīg was dōne against y t people w c the Lord had not appointed yea and commanded the same Prophete doeth affirme saying my wordes my statutes he meaneth the threatnings punishmentes w c I haue cōmanded my seruātes the Prophetes haue they not apprehended y o r fathers in so much that they haue cōuerted and said Euen as the Lord of Hostes hath determined appointed to do vnto vs accordīg to o r wayes and accordig to o r imaginatiōs so hath he donne to vs. Except y t you will belie the holy Gost you must cōfesse y t God had cōmāded God had appointed determined so to punish his people Yea Amos the Prophete feareth not to say Shall there be euill in a citie that is any punishment or plague ād the Lord hath not dōne it Why is he thē offended say you against the proud and carelesse heathē I answer Because they neither had respect to gods will counsell nor cōmandement but to their own priuat cōmoditie ād to the satisfying of their cruel appetites For they did not destroye Ierusalē willing or minding to punish the offēses of the people cōmitted agaīst God Neither yet did they carie thē to Babylon of purpose y t God might be glorified in their deliuerāce No they had determined the plaine contrary To wit y t Ierusalē should remaine desolate for euer That Iudah should be y ◠inheritance of strange nations ād so should gods promise be fals ād vaine And in very dede the Iewes them selues in the extremitie of their trouble yea and when the tēple begā to be reedified were not free from these tēptatios and therfore doeth God assure his Prophetes y t his loue was great towares Siō That he wold destroy that natiō w c intended their destruction that he wold deliuer his people that the warfare of Ierusalē was at an end y t her iniquitie was remitted that she had receiued double punishment for all her sinnes from the hand of the Lord and y t therfore he wold take the dolourous cuppe of anguish ād sorow out of her hād and wold giue it into the handes of
those that did trouble her By which and many mo promises and threatninges God doeth not meane that any thing was done in Ierusalem which he had not appointed But by the one he did somwhat comfort the troubled heartes of his afflicted people and by the other he did shew the cause why he wold punish those cruell murtherers whose seruice before he did vse in punishing his people And this doeth God most plainely witnes in these wordes I was wrath saith y e Lord with my people I haue polluted myn inheritance and giuen them into thy hand he speaketh vnto Babylon thou didest shewe theÌ„ no mercie but didest lay thy very heauie yoke vpon the ancieÌ„t and thou saidest I shal be a Ladie for euer so y t thou didest not set thy mynd to these thinges neither didest thou remeÌ„bre the latter end thereof Therfor now heare thou that art giueÌ„ to pleasures and dwellest careles She saith in her heart â–ª I am aÌ„d none els I shall not sitt as a widdow neither shall know the losse of children Here of I say it is plaine y t the punishmeÌ„t of gods people as before I haue proued is his owne appointement and will But because the punishers loke to another end therfor are they criminall before gods iustice In adducing both these exaÌ„ples that is of Israel punishing Iuda and of the Babylonians destroying IerusaleÌ„ I finde you in another most grosse error besides this w c I haue confuted For you seme to affirme that if y â— Israelites and BabyloniaÌ„s had kept a measure aÌ„d had not exceded the boundes w c God had appointed and coÌ„manded they had not sinned For say you he willed the one but permitted the other TheÌ„ in so farre as they did his will they sinned not but in so far as they exceded his wil and did more w c he wold not but onely did suffre it they sinned This is your profound diuinitie aÌ„d godlie meditatioÌ„s of God of his iustice iudgemeÌ„tes aÌ„d workes incomprehensible to maÌ„s reason Are you able to proue that Nabuchadnezer came to IerusaleÌ„ or that therin he spilt or his captaines and cruell souldioures one droppe of blood which God in his eternall couÌ„sell had not appointed and willed The testimonies of all Prophetes rebuke your vanitie Ezechiel saith Thus saith the Lorde Beholde I come against thee and will draw my swerd oute of his sheath and cut of frome thee both the righteous and the wicked Seing then y t I will cut of frome y â— bothe y e righteous and wicked therfor shall my swerd go oute of his sheath against all fleshe from the South meaning throw all the laÌ„d to y e north that al slesh may know that I the Lorde haue draweÌ„ my swerd oute of his sheath and it shall not return any more Mark and consider how God attributeth all to him self as after yet the Prophet more plainely speaketh sayiÌ„g And he hath giuen it to be fourbished that he may handle it this swerde is sharp aÌ„d is fourbished y t he may giue it into y e haÌ„d of the slayer c. And I wil powre oute myne indignatioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the in the fyre of my wrath and deliuer y e into the hand of beastly meÌ„ and skilful to destroy Thou shalt be in y e fyre to be deuoured thy blood shal be in y e middes of the laÌ„d aÌ„d thou shalt be no more remeÌ„bred for I the Lorde haue spokeÌ„ it If these be the wordes of him y t onely suffereth and willeth not thinges to be done let y e indifferent reader iudge Why they did sinne notwithstaÌ„ding y t God in his couÌ„sell had willed and appointed this seuere punishment against his people I haue before declared To witte because y t neither knew they gods will couÌ„sell nor coÌ„mandement neither yet had they any respect to obey God or to fulfill his will That Nabuchadnezar was ignoraÌ„t of gods will aÌ„d couÌ„sell is euideÌ„t by y t w c is writteÌ„ in y e same Prophet in y e place aboue expressed For after he was come forth of his couÌ„trie aÌ„d was w t his armye farre proceded in his iourney he was vncerten whether he should go against Rabbath y â— stroÌ„g Citie of y e sonnes of Ammon or against IerusaleÌ„ and so coÌ„mitting the mater to his sorcerers aÌ„d diuines y e lottes being cast he taketh his iourneye agaiÌ„st Iuda aÌ„d IerusaleÌ„ Wherof it is plaine y t he neither knew nor vnderstode by y e motioÌ„ of gods holy spirite his holy wil neither yet coÌ„mandemeÌ„t And in destroieng the Citie and punishing the people who will say y t he or his seruaÌ„tes hated sinne Pride Crueltie Idololatrie and abommations w t y e w c he and his hole realmes were replenished And y e same do I say of y e Israelites who did not onely sinne because they exceded measure in punishing Iuda but because y t against gods law expresse coÌ„mandement they made vniust warre against their brethern They nether loked neither yet oght they to haue loked to gods secrete couÌ„sell but to his plaine law w c coÌ„manded theÌ„ to loue their brethern not to murther not to spoile not to couet c. Against the w c because they did offend eueÌ„ in y e first motioÌ„ purpose of their warrâ— in gods presence they were murtherers theues oppressours couetous persons before y t euer they set their foote forth of their houses And so euen y t w c he in his eternall counsel willed theÌ„ to do did no les displease hiÌ„ as touchiÌ„g their wicked mindes theÌ„ did y t w c you affirme he suffered For euery transgression of his law is before his iustice odious and sinfull If this can not correct your iudgement yet I am assured y t it shall declare your vanitie who dare coÌ„clude y t if the Israelites BabyloniaÌ„s had kept measure in punishiÌ„g Iudah y t theÌ„ they had not sinned But the contrarie I affirmâ— and say y t the first thoght and purpose mouiÌ„g theÌ„ to make warre was sinne before God Touching y e permission of the father towardes his prodigal sonne touchiÌ„g y e â— sonne w c promised to go aÌ„d to labor in his fathers vineyarde weÌ„t not I haue before answered y t similitudes oght not further to be stretched theÌ„ y e minde of the holie Gost is to teach in the same And in these places it is euideÌ„t y t Christe teacheth not how God is coÌ„pelled to suffer many thinges w c he wil not nether yet was it his miÌ„de in those similitudes to teach vs what differeÌ„ce there is betwene gods wil his permissioÌ„ but in y â— one he teacheth y t in God there is mercie towardes the sinner yea towardes such a sinner as vnthaÌ„ckfully and inobedieÌ„tly hath departed from God and y t there be some proude childreÌ„ who by reasoÌ„ of their coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce in their fathers house become disdanâ—ful y t others shoulde de be
preferred or coÌ„pared vnto them And therfor they grudge they murmurre aÌ„d they enuie the liberalitie of their father his mercy shewed to the sonne y t before appered lâ—st To whom this might be applied besides the Iewes and the Gentiles ye are not ignorant The other similitude doth teach vs that many in mouth say Lord Lord I go I go whose heart did neuer fele what is the reuerence and true obedience due to gods Maiestie We coÌ„fesse no les then Ieremie doth write for we say that God nether coÌ„manded such abhominations as his people coÌ„mitted nether yet y t euer they did enter in to his heart that is they did neuer delyte nor please him nether yet did he euer will them for the actions them selues But when you shal be able to proue that it did not apperteine to his iust iudgementes to punishe those idolaters with such blindnes that they became more cruel then brute beastes then shall ye be more able to proue that in no wise did God will that crueltie God willed not those abhominations for the murther committed and blood that was shedde for that he hated did punish But he willed y t a testimonie should be left to the world in what blindnes man falleth when he declineth from God and from his true honor of which fearfull example you and your sect oght to take hede The Israelites in killing their childreÌ„ no doubte did euen agre with gods will and were of one mynde with his iust iudgementes as you declare your selues to be in spewing forth these horrible blasphemies agaiÌ„st his supreme Maiestie For as they leauing the plaine will of God declared in his law concerning their oblations and making of sacrifice in a blinde zeale to honor God as they pretended with sacrifices more precious and acceptable because their children to them were more deare theÌ„ oxen or bullockes as they I say in so doing leaue to vs a fearefull example of gods iudgementes So do you by these your horrible blasphemies w c in furie iesting skoffing ye vomit furth against God his eternall trueth against the true professors of the same and thus farre I coÌ„fesse was gods most iust will fulfilled in theÌ„ as also it is here after shal be fulfilled in you That because they in y e vanitie of their imaginatioÌ„s dâ—clined froÌ„ gods will reueled God of his iustice wolde make theÌ„ spectacles to all ages folowing what were hisâ—iudgementes as I haue said against idolaters EueÌ„ so ye neither content y t God shal vse his creatures as best serueth for his glory nether yet that any iustice be in his eternall God head to the which your reason can not atteine are giuen ouer by gods will into reprobate myndes thus horribly to blaspheme his Maiestie to admonish the generation present and to come that with greater sobrietie more feare and reuereÌ„ce they speake aÌ„d thinke of those mysteries that be incoÌ„prehensible vnto maÌ„ I haue before declared that no man leauing the will of God reueled in his worde doth ether obey him ether yet please him and so can he neuer be of one mynd w t God that committeth thinges forbiden by his word But why that God forbiddeth iniquitie to all which also in all men he hateth and yet that betwext his vessels of mercie and the vessels of wrath he maketh such difference that to the one he giueth medicine and purgation against the natural venom so effectually that it worketh their saluation in the ende and to the other he denieth that grace he will not make you nor any of your faction further of counsell then he hath expressed in these wordes He hath mercie on whom he will haue mecie and whom he will him he maketh hard hearted That sathan hath so enraged you that vpon that doctrine which the holy Gost most euidently doth teach ye dare gather this abhominable absurditie that God and whicked idolaters are both of one mynde that they both inwardly and owtwardly do obey him ye haue iust cause not onely to be ashamed but also to quake tremble and feare for that horrible blindnes wherinto you are fallen and for those iust veÌ„geances which your pride doth craue of gods iustice Iust art thou o â— Lord in all thy workes To your question asking by what meanes should the Lord stirre vp the mynde of the king of the Medes to destroy Babylon who had before a desyre ready bent to do the same but by suffering and permitting him To this question I say doth â—sai the Propheâ— answer saying Thus saith the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him therefor will I weaken the loynes of kings and open the doores before him the gates shall not be shut I will go before thee and make the crooked streight I will breake the brasen doores and burst y e yâ—one barres And I will giue y e treasures of darknes and the thinges hidde in secrete places c. If there be in you ether modestie or aptnes to learn this is sufficient to instruct you how God raysed vp his spirite which before was redy bent to destroy Babylon to witte in giuing vnto him so prosperous succes that no impedimeÌ„t was able to resist or withstaÌ„d him which thing God did not by and ydle permission or sufferance as ye imagine but by his power which did effectually worke in all that his iourney as the Prophet here in many other places doth witnes Which thing doth Cyrus him selfe also confesse in these wordes The Lord God of heauen hath giueÌ„ me all the kingdomes of the earth he hath commanded me to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah And the holy Gost affirmeth that y e Lord did stirre vp y e spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to cause this proclamation to be made Dare you say that to giue all the kindomes of y e earth to one man is nothing els but to suffre him to ryue and posses them at his appetites Daniel affirmeth the coÌ„trary saying The name of God be praised for euer and â—uer for wisedome and strength are his And he changeth the tymes and seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vp kinges he giueth wisedome to the wise and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand c. And Dauid also saith he that raiseth the nedie oute of the dust and lifteth vp y e poore out of the dung that he may sette him with the princes euen with the princes of his people And therefore because the holy Gost giueth to gods prudence and working power that which you most wickedly attribute to his permission or ydle sufferance I feare not to say that as God stirred vp Cyrus spirite effectualy mouing it to giue libertie and commandement to his people to returne to Ierusalem and to restore the temple so did he also stirre vp his spirit in enterprising his first iourney against Babylon in taking froÌ„
him all feare indewing him with an heroicall and bold spirite as God him selfe saith I girded the thogh thou hast not knowen me and giuing to him so fortunate succes that all was subiecte to his empire And therefor albeit tenne thousand times ye will aske What nedeth God to mouâ— the wicked to do wickedly which being giuen ouer of God imagineth nothing but wickednes his master the deuill slâ—peth neuer Yet will I answere that as to destroye Babylon in so farre as it was gods worke it was no wicked dede but his most iust iudgement So albeit Cyrus had neuer bene so much enraged against Chaldea ether by his owne pride ether yet by sathan that nether of both could haue broght any thing to passe except that the Lord had decreed to perfourme his worke in Babylon as he him selfe did threaten saying Behold I come vnto the o â— thou destroying mountaine saith the Lord which destroyest all the earth I will stretche oute myn hand vpon thee and rolle the downe from the rockes and will make the a burnt mountaine They shall not take of the a stone for a corner nor a stone for fundations but thou shalt be destroyed for euer saith the Lord c. If you see nothing in these and other such threateninges of God but a permission onely I can not cease to say that you are more then blinde But now to that which folo weth in these wordes THE ADVERSARIE To that which ye alledge of the Prophet Isai harden the heartes of this people c. for the better vnderstanding of thaâ— place we must note that which is written in the chapter going afore howe the Lord had chosen this people and planted them as a vineyarde and called all Israel to be iudge betwext him and his vâ—neyard what more could haue bene donne for it then he had donne and yet when he looked for frute of equitie and rightâ—ousnes to there was wrong and mysâ—rie where vpon followed their induraâ—sâ— for they were hardened of the lord that is as afoâ— is sade God gaue them ouer to their own heartes lustâ—s Further where he saieth to the Prophet hardâ— their heartes we must alwaies consider that their heartes were alredye hardened which their wickednes did plainely declare yet hath he coÌ„manded the Prophet to do his office not to make their heartes hard for that belongeth â—nelie to Godâ— who giuing them â—uer to their heartes lustes hath alredy haâ—dnede them but the office of a Propheâ—e was toâ— shew them the hardnes of their harâ—es so when he saiethe harden their heartes it iâ— as muche as shew and declare vnto them the hardnes of their heartes The like phrase of speaâ—che haue we in Leâ—it 13. If the priest see that the scab is growne abrâ—de in the skiâ—me the priest shall make him vncleane how should the priest make him vncleane who is alredye vncleane and whose fleshe he durst not touche but by declaring him to be vncleane So how should the Prophet harden their heartes whose heartes were hardened alredy and whose heartes he could not touche but by declaring â—hem to be hard hearâ—ed So saieth the Lord to Ieremie driue this people away that they may go oute of my sight sâ—m to death som to the swerd some to hunger some to captiuâ—tâ—e this was not the office of the Prophet which the Caldes executed but the Prophet was here commanded to shew that for their wickednes they should be driuen away some to death some to the swerd some to hunger and some to captiuitie So Ieremie tooke the cuppe out of the lordes hand and made all people drinke thereof â—nto whom the Lord sent him where there be mâ— nations recâ—ned then euer Ieremiâ— did see with his corpâ—rall eyes this place therefore must be vnderstand as the others conforme to the office of the Propheâ— which was to shewe them that for their wickednes they should drink of the cuppâ— of the â—ordes wrathe which appereth more plainely by that which followeth where he sayeth if they will not receaus the cuppe of thy hand and drâ—nck it that is if they will not take warning by the c. This interpretation is conforme to the phrase of the scripture nether is it contrary to any part of the word but if any man hath a better vnderstanding lett him vse is tâ— the glory of God Of these thinges alredy spoken â—t is sufficiently proued that God hath reprobat and cast away no man before the foundation of the world but as he hath creaâ—ed man like vnto his own image so he will the deathe of none but that all should be saued nether is he â—he author or mouer to any euill which with long pacience suffereth wickednes to drawe men to repentance nether willeth he any thing contrary to that which is expressed in his word for at God is constant and immutable of this his holy will he haâ—he vttered and declared vnto man to knowe the rest reserued he vnto him seâ—f for as much as no man is able to câ—preheÌ„d the prâ—funditie and depth thereof therefor oght no man to go about to proue or improue any thing by that which is vnknowen to him wherefor they which affirme and teache that â—od haâ—h ordeâ—ned men a fore the fundation of the world to be damned so that by no meanes they can be saued for suche is his secrâ—te will not with standing be declareth the coÌ„trary in hâ—s word they must nedes haue an euill opinion of God and therefore oght all men of duetie to abhoâ—re their deuilishe doctrine And because I haue said that they haue an euill opinion of God I haue added here a discription of â—hose careles libertines â—â—d conforme to their doctrine in all pointes and a discription of the true God wherby it may appere euen vnto the simple howe abhominable their doctrine and opinion in this mater is ANSWER What soeuer shal be redde in the hole scriptures you shall neuer be able to proue that in these wordes of Isaie Go and harden the heartes of this people is nothing els meant but that the Prophete was onely commanded to declare vnto them their blindnes and hardnes of heart for wher soeuer mention is made of the difference betwext the elect and the reprobate this vertue is attributed to the word that it doth illuminate the eyes and mollifie the heartes of the one by the power of the holy Gost and by the contrarie that it doth excecate and more harden the other by reason of their corrupt nature to the which they are iustly left The Euangelist saint Iohn making mention that the Iewes did not beleue in Christ Iesus albeit that they had sene his wonderous workes addeth this cause therefore saithâ— he they could not beleue because Isaiah had said He hath blinded their eyes hardened their heartes that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand in their heartes and be conuerted that I may heale them Here
all height which is raysed vp against the knowledge of God by the which also they lead into bondage all cogitatioÌ„s to obey Christe we know further that they haue veÌ„geaÌ„ce in readynes against all inobedience That fire passeth forth of their mouthes which deuoureth their enemies that they haue power to shutte the heauen that rayne descend not in the daies of their prophecie That gods power both in the one sort and in the other is coÌ„teined with his word euen preached pronounced and fore spoken by his messingers do all exaÌ„ples in gods scriptures witnes At the praier and prophecie of Elias was the heeauen both shut and opened fire descended froÌ„ heauen coÌ„sumed those vngodly souldiours w t their captaines At the curse of Eliseus did beares deuoure 〈◊〉 childreÌ„ that mocked him The wordes of Isai Ieremy and Ezechiel albeit for the time that they spake they were contemned yet had they such force and effect y t no streÌ„gth was able to gainestaÌ„d that which they had pronounced At Peters word Ananias and Saphira did sodainlye dye Paule by his senteÌ„ce made Elimas the sorcerer blinde and so forth the exaÌ„ples be almost without noÌ„bre that declare y t gods power is ioyned w t his worde not onely in sauing w c I thinck you will admitte but also in punishing destroying If you thinke it fearefull y t gods holy word shall haue this power and effect to kill to blind and to harden Remembre first the seuere iudgemeÌ„tes of God against sinne and often call to minde that the fault nor chiefe cause is not in the word but in the subiect and person in whom it falleth The word falling in to y e heart of the elect doth mollifie illuminate as before is said but falling in to the heart of the reprobate it doth harden more excecate the same by reason of the qualitie and incurable corruption of the persone And thus in your second reason we do vtterly dissent from youâ— feare not to affirme y t gods true Prophetes messingets do not onely declare what meÌ„ beâ— but y t by the word which is coÌ„mitted to their charge effectually they worke ether lyght or darknes life or death yea saluation or damnation The text of Leuiticus serueth you nothing and y e text of Ieremie is expressely against you For the hiegh Priest is not commaded to go to a maÌ„ in whom no leprosie appered and to pronounce what after shall become of him but the man in whom there is apperant signes of leproâ—ie is coÌ„manded to be ledde to the Priestes who are commaÌ„ded to pronounce according to the signes w c they see CoÌ„sidre I besech you the difference betwene the office of the one the office of y â— otherâ— the sentence of the one and the senteÌ„ce of the other the one y t is the Priestes go not nether are they sent to seke those y t haue apperance or suspicion of leprosie But the Prophet is sent by God to theÌ„ that then was called the people of God in whoÌ„ no man could haue suspected such blindnes such hardnes of heart such rebellion as the Prophet is coÌ„maÌ„ded to threateÌ„ The Priestes did not nor might not pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce against a maÌ„ in whom manifest signes of leprosie appered not yea triall must be taken whether it be leprosie or not But the Prophet is coÌ„manded to go to that people who held them selues cleane and before all triall to pronounce that sharp sentence you shall heare w t your eares and shall not vnderstand you shall plainely see and yet shall not perceaue the heart of this people is hardened Was there anysuch coÌ„mandemeÌ„t or charge giuen to y e priestes Might any of them haue said to any man y t appered to be cleane c whole thou shalt be leprous I pronounce the sentence which thou shalt not escape I trust not Then for the diuersitie as well of their offices as of the senteÌ„ces which they pronounced the phrases must be diuers Where ye affirme that y e Prophet could not touch their heartes but by declaring theÌ„ to be hard hearted ye seme not to vnderstand what is the vertue and power of gods word pronounced eueÌ„ by the mouth of man w c as before we haue declared pearceth to y e depest secret that lieth within the heart Yea and worketh that thing w c the Pro phete pronounceth and speaketh how vnapperaÌ„t that euer it be to mans reason or how stowtly and stubburnly that euer the wicked resist Did not the wordes of Elias spoken vnto Achab aftre y e murtheriÌ„g of Naboth touch his heart yes the very hypocrite him selfe had some sense and feling of gods iust wrath And both he and his posteritie for all his princely pompe did after fele the veritie of them To witte dogges did licke his blood the flesh of Iesabell was eaten by dogges his children and hole posteritie were rooted out of Israell And thus did the wordes of the Prophete touch his heart in the time when they were spokeÌ„ with a certeine feare stupiditie and trembling which wordes were after of such power strength and veritie that no male children were left aliue to Achab in Israel And the same is true of Ieremies wordesâ— sentence spoken against diuers natioÌ„s whose faces albeit he neuer saw yet did he so potently touch their heartes that how soeuer they despised his threateninges yet was no word vainely spoken but in effect was euery thing complete as he pronounced And wonder it is that ye are ignorant in this vertue of gods word seing that ye confesse that Ieremie toke the cuppe from the Lordes hand which he was commanded to giue to all nations y t they might drinke the cuppe of the Lordes wrath saing vnto them Drincke be drucken and spew and fall and rise no more becaus of the swerd w c I will send among you Was this I praye you a simple declarationâ— or was it not rather a sentence decree so effectuall that albeit nether Babylon nether any other proud and whicked nation wold for that time beleue it yet came it most effectually to passe And I say y t these wordes of Ieremie do manifestly repugne to your interpretation do sufficieÌ„tly proue y t those wordes spoken to Isai are otherwise to be vnderstaÌ„d then y t he was commanded onely to declare what the people were For as the wordes of Ieremie had this effect y t according as he spake so came y e destruction vpon those proud natioÌ„s so lykewise had the wordes of God spoken to Isai the same effect which he pronounced To the one he said thou shalt giue vnto them the cuppe of my wrath that they may drinke it The Prophet without feare did obey his commandement and God did faithfully performe what so euer his messinger had pronounced Euen so did God command Isai to blind and harden that stubborn and rebellious generation of the Iewes by the
saith not I will the death of no creature but saith â–ª I will not the death of a sinner Ye are not ignorantâ— suppose what difference there is betwext an vniuer saâ—â— negatiue an indefinite or particulare Where ye saye God willeth the death of no creature ye speake generally and vniuersally excepting none But so doth not the Prophet for he saith not I will the death of no creature nether yet I will the death of no sinner but simply saith I will not the death of a sinner I wonder that ye consider not that as there is difference betwext creatures and creature so that also there is difference betweâ—â— sinners and sinner Some creatures are appointed 〈◊〉 death for the vse and sustentation of maÌ„ And dare yoâ— say that this is done against gods will we be taught the contrarie by his owne mouth If you correcting your generalitie shall say that you meane onely that God will the death of no man And I feare not yet to ioyne with you and against you to affirme that God hath willed doth will and shall will the death of some men The holy Gost speaking of the sonnes of Heli the high Priest saith But they did not heare the voice of their Father because the Lord wold kil them And Moises saith Sihon king of Hesbon wold not suffer vs to passe through his cuntrie for the Lord thy God did harden his minde and strengthen his heart y t he shoule giue him into thy handes How often doth Moses Iosua declare vnto the people that God wolde kill roote oute and destroye those wicked nations from besore the face of his people And were all those kinges whom Iosua did kill killed against gods will The holy Gost affirmeth the contrarie For it is written the Lord did trouble them before Israel and he did strike them with a great slaughter And while that they did flee before the Israelites and were in the descense of Bethoron the Lord cast downe vpon them from heauen greate stones and many more perished by the haile stones theÌ„ were slaine with the swerd of the children of Israel If the destruction slaughter death of these wicked men and of the greate host of Senacherib was not the will of God I can not tell how man shal be assured of his will For the plaine word did before promise that the Lord should destroye them and the fact doth witnes the constaÌ„cie and perfourmance of his will and the same thing doth God this day shall do to the ende of the world when he shall adiudge the reprobate as before is said to the death perpetuall and that not against his will but willingly for the manifestation of his iust iudgementes and declaration of his owne glorie And therefore I say that your prosition saying God willeth the death of no creature is manifestly fals as it that repugneth to gods iustice and to his euideÌ„t scriptures The minde of the Prophetes was to stirre such as had declined from God to returne vnto him by true repentance And because their iniquities were so many offenses so greate that iustly they might haue despaired of remission mercie and grace therefor doth the Prophet for the better assurance of those that should repent affirme that God deliteth not nether willeth the death of the wicked But of which wicked of him no doubâ—e that truely shoulde repent in his death did not nor neuer shal God delyte But he deliteth to be knoweÌ„ a God that sheweth mercye grace and fauor to such as vnfeinedly call for the same how greuous so euer their former offenses haue bene But such as continue obstinate in their impietie haue no portion of these promises For them will God kill them will he destroye and them will he thrust by y e power of his word in to the firewhich neuer shal be quenched The Apostle in these wordes God willeth all meÌ„ to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth speaketh not of euery man and of euery particulare persone But of all men in generall that is to say of men of all estates all conditions all realmes and all ages For as in Christe Iesus there is nether Iew nor Gentile nether man nor woman free manâ— nor seruant but all are one in him so can no estate no condition of man no realme nor no age be proued so wicked and so corrupt but out of the like hath God called some to the participation of his light and to saluation and life by Christe Iesus and that this is the very naturall meaning of the holy Gost the texâ—e it selfe doth witnes For the Apostle immediatly before willeth praiers and supplications to be made for all men for Kinges and for all that were placed in authoritie And because that the Church was chiefely oppressed by such this doubte might haue risen Are we then bound to pray for those that are expresse and coniured ennemies against God You are saith the Apostle for that is good and acceptable before God our Sauior who will all men to be saued That is God willeth you to pray for your persecuters that their eyes may be opened and they conuerted to the liuing God who no doubt will saue some of all estates of all conditioÌ„s and vocatioÌ„s of men For the natioÌ„s are giuen to Christe Iesus by inheritance Kinges shal be the feders of the Church Quenes shal be nurses And in his holy temple shall all sing praise If this interpretation which we doubt not to be the verie meaning of the holy Gost caÌ„ not satisfie you Then will I aske of you If God will men otherwise to be saued then by Christe Iesus or as the Apostle speaketh by comming to the knowledge of the veritie Plaine it is that by the wordes of the Apostle ye caÌ„ conclude none otherwise For as he saith God will all men to be saued so doth he adde and willeth all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie Which word willeth albeit it be not expressedly repeted in the second meÌ„bre yet of necessitie it must be vnderstand as those that be but meanly sene in the greke or latine tongue do euidently see Then if I shall sufficiently proue that God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie in such sort as the Apostle meaneth shall it not infallablye folow that God will not all men to be saued in such sense as you vnderstand That God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of that veritie by the which man is verely made free from the boÌ„dage of sathan is euideÌ„t not onely by those whom we do see walke in darknes and ignorance but also by the manifest srriptures of God who called Abraham making to him and to his sede the promes of saluation saying I will be thy God and the God of thy sede after thee which promes he kept secrete many ages from the rest of the world WheÌ„ he did notifie his law vnto Israel
iudgementes against the inobedient and do consider how prone and redie they them selues be of nature to rebellioÌ„ against God except they were coÌ„ducted by his spirit they com to a more liuelie feling of gods fre mercie grace by the which onely they are exempte frome the rank and societie of the reprobate Albeit that these endes causes of gods long suffering of the vesselles of wrath do not satisfie you yet I doubt not but gods afflicted childreÌ„ wil and do take comfort of the same you thus procede in your sophisticall Sorites If he be sorie say you then hath he no pleasure in their destruction And that where in he hath no pleasure he willeth it not and that which he willeth not he doth not ordein it wherefor seing God suffereth them to fall with greate pacience he hath not ordeined them to fall Your foundation being fals your hole building falleth by y e own weight Before ye procede any further ye must proue y t God did suffer in the vesselles of wrath that which he nether could nor might remedie and therefor that he fell in greif and sorow that his power was no greater and his wisdom no perfiter Wo be to your blasphemies for they coÌ„pell me to write that which I gladly wold not I haue before said that God nether hath pleasure in destructioÌ„ nether yet that he will the death of the sinner absolutely y t is hauing none other respect but to their torment and pain onely But albeit pryde and malice will not suffer you to grante that God hath created all thinges for his own glorie yet will not he be suppliante vnto you that ye shall suffer him to vse his creatures at his own good pleasure Where vpon these wordes of the Apostle doest thow dispyse the riches of gods goodnes not knowing that the kyndnes of God leadeth the to repentance ye inferre that the cause why God suffereth with long pacience is that we should repent and amend If you vnderstand that God suffered his elect euen in the tyme of their blyndnes yea and after their horrible falles and offenses with great lenitie and gentlenes to the end that afterward they may repent I do aggre with you for so he did with Dauid Manasses Paule and many others who after their conuersion did not dispyse gods lenitie but did magnifie and praise the same as in all their confessions may be red But if you vnderstand Paules wordes so that God hath none other end in that his long suffering but that the reprobate shal repent and amend their wickednes because the holie Gost assigneth other causes as before we haue declared I must preferre his iudgement and sentence to yours To your vnreuerent bolde and furious question in which ye aâ—k to what purpose did God suffer them with loÌ„g pacience whom before he knew shoulde neuer repent nor amend I can answer none other wies then I haue done before except that this I adde that if ye be not conteÌ„t that gods iust wrath and greate power shall aswell be manifested both in this world and in the life to com vpon the vesselles of wrath as that his mercie the riches of his glorie shall be praised and extolled in the vesselles of mercie that experience which the common prouerbe calleth maistres to fooles shall teach you that it nothing profited the Gyantes of whom the poetes do speak to heap vp mountane vpon mouÌ„tane of purpose to besiege Iupiter in the heauens To vse the wordes of scripture if be tymes ye cease not so vnreuerently to questioÌ„ with God you shall fele for euer what torment is prepared for such as with humilitie can not be subiect to his iudgementes incoÌ„preheÌ„sible for if ye shall constrein his Maiestie to giue you a reason which ye may vnderstand and apprehend what do you elles theÌ„ go aboute to spoile him of his Godhead We stick none other wies to the literall sense of these former wordes of the Apostle then the rest of scriptures permitt and do teach vs. But how proper be your phrase and common maner of speaking by the which ye labor to obscure the plaine wordes of y e Apostle we briefly shall examin Ordeined to damnation say you after the common maner of speach doth signifie no more but whose end is damnation To grant you som what I wold know of you who hath ordeined damnation to be the eÌ„d of the reprobat I perceaue by your exemple that ye dare not say God for thus ye say we vse to say of a man that is cast to be hanged this maÌ„ was born to be hanged notwithstanding that was not his mothers mynd to bear him to be hanged Besides the foolishe rudenes of this exemple I wonder at your madnes that you can neuer make difference betwext God and earthly creatures Dare you say that God hath no greater power nor foreknowledge in directing and appointing his creatures to their endes then the mother hath to direct forse and appoint the end of her child after that she hath born him she knoweth not what shal be his naturall inclination althogh she instruct and correct him yet can she not bow aÌ„d expell his crooked nature when he is absent from her presence she seeth not his conuersation If he be deprehended in theft or murther and so cast to be hanged she can not althogh she wold delyuer him from the handes of the iudge But is there any of these imperfections in God Consider yet and let reason at length put silence vnto your foolishenes Where of the wordes of Moises of Hoseas Ieremie and Paul aÌ„d of the fact of Ieroboam ye go about to proue that phrase in that sense w c ye adduce to be common in scriptures I am in dowt whether that first I shall lameÌ„t yo r blynd ignoraÌ„ce or abhorre detest yo t abhominable lies horrible prophanatioÌ„ of gods most holie worde It is impossible â— t ignoraÌ„ce hath so blynded you all y t none of you caÌ„ se y e diuersitie betwext tho semaner of speaches God hath suffered y e vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction these Pharao shall not heare you y t many woÌ„ders may be wroght c. Giue not of thy sede to be offered to Moloch c. I will set my face agaiÌ„st such aÌ„ maÌ„ I will rout him out from the midest of his people because that he hath giuen of his sede to Moloch that he might defyle my Sanctuarie prophain my holie Name And so furth of all the rest for onelie the place of the Apostle after the english phrase and speach may be rightly translated to condemnation I appeall to thy conscience thow manifest corruptor of gods scriptures if in all the places by the alledged there be not this particle Vt which is a causal and not the preposition In which is in the wordes of S. Paul And hath malice so bereft the of knowledge that thow canst make
clensed yet nether of both chaÌ„ge theire owne nature But y e dogge remaineth the dogge and therfor can do none other thing but to returne to his vomite and the sow remaining the sow must nedes returne to wallowe in the myre But say you Peter affirmeth that they were verely escaped I answer as touching the trueth and nature of the doctryne which they professed so they were â–ª for it was the verye true knowledge of God which was offered vnto them and whiche apperantly they had receaued In w c if they had coÌ„tinued they should verely haue bene fre frome all bondage according to Christes promes But becaus they were none of his chosen shepe nor peculiar flocke they did decline froÌ„ y e holie coÌ„mandemeÌ„t and so were their last wors then their first because y t the seruant knowing the will of the master and not doing the same is worthie many stripes All this I know doth please you except y t I affirme that they were neuer of Christes chosen noÌ„bre no not eueÌ„ wheÌ„ they professed most boldly wheÌ„ they liued most streitly and when most they appered to haue bene purged I will not bynd you to beleue myn affirmation except that I bring y e witnessing of the holie Gost S. Iohn saieth they haue passed out froÌ„ vs he speaketh of antichristes but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs of a trueth they should haue remained w t vs c. These wordes nede no coÌ„meÌ„tarie for saieth he they haue passed out frome vs. And why because they were not of vs no not eueÌ„ wheÌ„ they professed most earnestly c Shut vp your own eyes as ye liâ—t this light shall ye neuer be able to obscure much lesse to extinguish The place of S. Iames and of y e Apostle Paule to Timothe 2. Timoth. 2. do teach not onely the ministers of y e word but also euerie faithfull man how carefully one should procure the saluation of an other And to make all meÌ„ more diligent in doing their duetie he declareth in what extreme danger stand such as do erre froÌ„ the trueth or that remaine in bondage of SataÌ„ as also what acceptable seruice vnto God do such as by whom God calleth others from the way of damnation That this is the simple meaning of both the Apostles I trust euerie godlie man y t diligently will read the text shall confesse with me your foolish questions demanding whether they were elect or reprobate ofwhom the Apostle speaketh and your academical reasons grounded vpoÌ„ your own fantasies I omitt as vnworthie to be answered for y e Apostle speaketh to no one particulare sort but proposeth a coÌ„moÌ„ and general doctrine for the endes which I haue rehearsed before And albeit ye feare not now to affirme that the preaching of repentance is in vaine if our opinion be true the day shall com when ye shall know that nether was the sharp preaching of Iohn nether yet the glad tydinges and amiable voice of Christ Iesus blowen to the worlde in vaine albeit that the Scribes and Pharesies remained still the generation of vipers and that they could nether feare nor beleue the promes of saluation because they were not of God but of the deuil whose children they were The places of Isaiah and Ieremie I haue before declared therefor in few wordes I will touche y e purpose of the holie Gost which was not to instruct that people whom when or how many God had elected to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus his Sonne or whom for iust causes he had reprobated but to conuict them of their manifest and most vnthankfull defection and to take from them all excuses both the prophetes do declare how gently God had entreated them yea how beneficial he had bene to their fathers whom he called from ignorance whom he norished in â—is own knowledge and at length planted and hedged them about with all munition and necessarie defence So that now the children declining to Idolatrie could haue no excuse for their fathers Abraham Isaak Iacob and Dauid whom he calleth the faithfull sede gaue vnto them no such example But how saieth he art thow now changed to be vnto me a degenerate vineyard what maketh this I praye you for your purpose or for to proue that these that be elected in Christ Iesus to lief euerlasting may becom reprobates If I should answere that the stocke which was planted faithfull remained faithfull but that it produced many rotten and vnfrutefull branches which therefor must nedes be cut of none of your sect were able to confute me for I should haue the Apostle for my warrant But I delyte in nothing somuche as in the simple and natiue meaning of the scriptures as they be alledged in their own places by the holie Gost. The places of the prophetes Isaiah and Hoseas haue not both one end for Isaiah in the 14 chapter doth promes in the person of God that he wold shew mercie to Iacob and that he wold choose Israel againe yea that he wold destroy Babylon for their saik and so wold choose his people to him self againe whom for a tyme he appered to haue reiected so that other lordes then he did beare rule ouer them But Hoseas in the contrarie sense affirmeth that because they had abused the long pacience of God and had not righteously considered howtenderly he had intreated them that therefor should the sword râ—shâ— in into the citie that it should destroy and deuore so that none should be found to releue them This I dout not is the meaning of both the prophetes O but you crie here is mention made that God will choose his people againe therefor he had once reiected whom before he had chosen I trust ye â—â—ll not that gods Maiestie shal be subiect to periurie for the establishement of your error he had before solemnely sworn not onely to Abraham but also to Dauid that he wold for euer be the God of that people and that of the frute of his loynes should one fitt vpon his seate and that for euer â–ª If he had so reiected his people that no election had remained nether yet that he had made any differeÌ„ce betwext them and the prophane natioÌ„s before the coÌ„ming of Christ Iesus where was the stabilitie of this former promes we know y t the giftes and vocation of God are without repentaÌ„ce in him self y t he casteth not away such as he be foreknew to be his own but that in y e greatest extremitie his promes abideth stable as in this people he most euidently declared for he did not so disperse them so reiect them and as it were in his anger cast them of and giue them ouer to the appetites of theire ennemies but that still he did knowe and auowe them to be his people yea euen in their greatest calamitie As in these wordes he doth witnes saying when they shal be in the land of theire ennemies I
will not refuse them nether yet will I dispyse them so that I will vtterly destroy them or make my couenante with them to be of none effect for I am the lord their God for then I shall remembre myne old couenant which I made with theÌ„ when I led them furth of the land of Egypt in the presence of the Gentiles that I might be their God I the eternall And in the same prophete in many places mo the same is most euident for thus he writeth foreseing their captiuitie Yet now heare ô Iacob my seruaÌ„t and Israel whoÌ„ I haue chosen thus saieth the Lord that made the and formed the from the wombe he will help thee feare not ô Iacob my seruant aduerte that yet he doth acknowledge Iacob to be his seruant euen in his greatest miserie and thow righteous whom I haue chosen for I shall powre owt waters vpon the thirstie floodes vpon the drie grounde I shall powre furth my spirit vpon thy sede and my blessing vpon thy buddes And in the same Chapter after that he hath reproued the vanitie of idolaters he saieth Remembre these ô Iacob and Israel for thou art my seruant I haue formed thee to this purpose that thou shouldest be my seruant ô Israel forget me not c. For my names saike will I differ my wrath and for my praise will I refrein it frome the that I cut the not of c. Lift vp your eyes to the heauens and beholde the earth beneth for the heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax olde like a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like maner but my saluation shal be for euer he meaneth the deliuerance which he had promised to that people and my righteousnes shal not be abolished c. For a litle whyle haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion shal I gather thee c. And the sonnes of strangers shall buyld vp thy walles and their kinges shall serue thee for in my wrath I smote thee but in my mercie I had compassion on thee c. For Zions sake I wil not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I wil not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake furth as the light and the saluacion thereof as a burning lamp c. And their sede shal be knowen amongest the Gentiles and their buddes among the people All that se them shall know them that they are the sede which the Lord hath blessed These and many places mo do manifestly witnesse that God did neuer before the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh vtterly reiect and refuse that people as that they did not appertein vnto him but that he did auowe them to be his chosen his peculiar people and his inheritance euen wheÌ„ they were in greatest miserie Yea further God had continually of the sede of Abraham during the tyme of the Law and the prophetes som nombre openly to glorifie his name in the eyes of the world And therefore consider with your self how iustly ye gather vpon these wordes of the prophet God shal yet againe choose Israel that therefore God had vtterly reiected all Israel yea euen from the life euerlasting for except that so ye conclude ye haue proued nothing of your purpose for the controuersie standeth not betwext vs and you whether that God doth somtymes choose and promote a man or a people to honor and dignitie in this life thereafter iustly depriue him or them from the same for this did we neuer denie But the hole controuersie consisteth in this point whether that such as God in his eternall counsel hath elected in Christ Iesus to life euerlasting can after be reprobated and so finally perish and that shal ye neuer be able to proue That the simple reader may the better vnderstand the meaning of y â— prophete this I adde The people in the captiuitie of Babylon were so oppressed and so destitute of all hope euer to be restored to any dignitie or libertie againe That to them it appered a like possible to raise the dead carkases of such as were buried in their graues as to deliuer them from the handes of the proud and puâ—sant Babylonians And therefore doth not onlie Isaiah who long afore saw their bondage the redemption from the same but also Ieremiah Ezechiel who did se it with their eyes with great boldnes coÌ„staÌ„cie affirme that they shoulde be deliuered from that boÌ„dage y t they shoulde be maried w t God so shoulde be chosen againe as o r Prophet here speaketh w c is not to be referred to y â— part of God but to the apprehension of the people who thoght them selues vtterly forsaken and reiected of God Against this temtatioÌ„ y e prophet saith God shall choose Israel againe that is shal restore them to y e former dignitie yea to a greater And y t shoulde he do in such sort y t they should know y t he was God merciful coÌ„stant and immutable of his promes And so the renouatioÌ„ of the league in such sort that the worlde might se that God fauored Israel is called the new election new mariage not that God had euer in him self decreed and purposed that the Messias and blessed sede shoulde descend of any other nation but of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ and house of Dauid but that the people in the tyme of their affliction had receaued such a wounde by reason of their grieuous plagues and former offences that they thoght y t God had vtterly reiected them let y e prophetes be redde with indifferent iudgement And this I dowbte not shall appere most true Now to the rest of your scriptures ADVERSARIE Christ commandeth Iohn to preache vnâ—o the seuen Congregations Among whome were bothe elect reprobaâ—e to whom he vsâ—th no such maner of doctrine as ye teach â—haâ— the elect coulde not fall from their election but warneth them to take hede that they lose nâ—t that which they had gâ—ten but labore to increase threatning them with destruction if â—hey forsake â—he grace whereof they were made parâ—akers nether discouraged be the most wicked of them as ye do saying that by the preordinance of God they of necessitie must perish but willeth them to repent and amend and they shoulde liue yes knew he bothe who were elect and who were reprobate â–ª To the congregation of Ephesus he saith that she was fallen from her first loue and without she remembred fromâ— whence she was fallen repented and did her first workes the Lord wold shortly come and remoue her candilstick out of her place The congregation of Smirna he commandeth so be faithfull vnto the death and so shoulde she receaue the crowne of life If Christ had bene of your opinion he had not vsed such maner of doctrine In vaine shoulde he exhorte the reprobate to be faithfull whom he had cast away and superfluous were it to exhort the elect