the verie receauing and vsage of them doth after a sort soile them so that there can be no claime of worthinesse by them at all Now as for seruāts to be profitable to thēselues is a strange shift and I wil not spend labor to confute that which common experiēce doth detest For who will count him a profitable seruaunte that is profitable to him selfe and not to his master It were better for man to enter low into him selfe and to common with his own soule in these and to common with his own soule in these cases especially that so nearly concerne the soule Iud. 16.5 and as Dalila relied in Samsons bosome to knowe where his strength lay euen so neuer to leaue of till he hath traced foūd out his own weaknes in good things his strength in sinne and then shall he the better be able to sit in iudgement and giue sentence vpon him selfe no dout against the merites of man with the mercie of God in whose sight otherwise no flesh euer shal be iustified or profitable vnto him selfe in that respect The Papistes do but daly and play with Gods iudgements The Prophet is plaine and speaketh from a conscience well enformed that in the sight of God none shal be iustified None that is to say none before grace saith a chiefe Papist But Hosius and out of him Stapleton and others like not that For Dauid a man according to Gods own harte and therfore in state of grace yet sayd he of himselfe and that none in the Lords sight shal be iustified For that which is right in the sight of man because his eyesight may be deceaued yet therein Gods sight can not be deceaued He seeth the inwards searcheth and soundeth the bottome of secreat 1. Ioh. 1.8 and vnknowen sinnes Wherein if flesh will flatter it selfe and lie and say it hath no sinne yet God hath an eye that perceth farther and a stretched out arme and he will reach his hand into the cocatrice nest and plucke thence and display abroade the serpent that lurketh and lodgeth in the den of a dead and rotten conscience that hath no feeling nor sence of stinging sins For in his sight hidden faultes shall not so scape and therefore it is good praying euer Clense vs O Lorde euē vs they people from our secrete offences we know confesse that no flesh can be iustified in thy sight But I know not what M. Sapleton and Hosius meane to labour to proue that this saying of Dauid Stapl. lib. 6. cap. 1. Hos lib. conf ca. 73. is spoken by waie of comparison and that in his sight is in cōparison of God him self For doth God in iudgemēt meane to compare vs to himselfe and so to condemne vs Yet what gaine they by this we confesse this is true whether it be the natural meaning of this text or no. For in comparison of the sunne in his strength what is a candle or a starre or all the starres of the skie in cōparison of the almighty what is man at his presence the mountaines melt the earth doth shake the verie Angels are not clean in his sight how much lesse flesh blood that dwelleth in houses of clay and whose foundation is but morter All this is true But one truth is not contrarie to an other None shal be iustified before grace It is true None shal be iustified in comparison of God it is true to And it is most true also that Dauid sayeth Ierome expoundeth that not onely in comparison Hierom. in Ier. 13. cap. VVhere he termeth this their exposition the expositiō of heretiques and of the patrons of heretiques but also in the knowledge of God in his sight no flesh shal be iustified And all these truthes proue this one truth that none shal be iustified by their merites neither before nor after grace but altogether by grace which worketh not onely at the first all and afterward somewhat but beginneth all continueth in all and endeth all in all if they wil be iustified in deede This is S. Pauls doctrine throughout all his Epistles who sheweth that God worketh in vs both to will and to worke to the ende that we may will effectually Phil. 2.13 and all for his owne good will he worketh in vs to will I aske then where is free will he worketh in vs to worke thē I aske where are merits he worketh in vs to will and to worke and all and thē I aske where is any thing in man It is not in the willer nor in the runner but of God that taketh mercie Rom. 9. It is not in the willer and then I aske once againe where is free will it is not in the runner and then where are workes and worthines of workes If it be replyed that therefore the Apostle saith it is not in the runner nor in the willer but in the mercie of God Rhem. not Rom. cap. 9.16 vers because it is not onely in either of both these but in them and withall in the mercie of God to then see if it be so the sentence will be true if we turne it backward thus by the same reason It is not in the mercie of God but in the runner and in the willer because as the Papist saith al is not in mercie but part in mercie and part in fee will part in workes part in merits and therefore they may aswell say it is not in mercie but in merits in workes will and well deseruing The aduersaries would seeme to fauour much catholicke wordes and catholicke manner of speaking Was there euer Catholicke or Christian vnder heauen that spake thus as they in effect doe that our saluation is not of God that taketh mercy but in deserts The name of merit in Canoni scripture is not only not cōmonly vsed as they now can say but no where found Rhem. not 1. Cor. 3.8 the nature of meriting is flat against all scriptures And must yet merits be set vp in euē place with mercy or rather displace mercy quit For S Paul teacheth Rom. 11. that works mercy cā not stand togeather in respect of glory trulie no more then could Dagon and the Arke in the temple of the Philistines Establish mercie and let fall I say not the vse but the glorie of workes set vp works what neede mercie set them vp I meane in the throne of meriting Austine mentioneth the name of merits Aug. epist 105. Barnard saith he is not without his merits but both in an other meaning thē the Papist meaneth For a merit with Augustine is no other matter thē good works meerly proceding from the spirit of God done in faith and onely accepted by mercie then rewarded and so crowned and neither as issuing out of free will nor as equall mate conioyned with grace neither in working perfite not in value deseruing Bernard saith that he hath merites Bar. in Ps Qui habitat de 14.
Moses and the Law of nature But they conclude all together include the workes of the one and the other within faith Call ye me this excluding then to go on with the rest you say when some of the Fathers by onely faith exclude pride infidelitie heresie and curiositie you may as well say verum est without faith yet notwithstanding conioyne them altogether faith and infidelitie faith and pride faith and heresie faith and curiositie making vp as it were a Daniels image of cōtrarie mettals Dan. 2.33 that can not possibly cleaue or hang together But if excluding be including you may say and conclude what you will and distinguish at pleasure and defend with ease and all is well speciallie if you get but fauourable readers that can and will thinke what soeuer cometh from beyond seas must needes go for good Not withstanding that the simple may see the childish fondnesse and the extreame falsitie of this so absurd dealing I will shew it then in the like reason I would haue a garment made onely of cloath meaning by onely cloath to exclude stitching lacing facing with silk shall the Taylor come stitch lace and face my garment face me out that when I willed it to be made of cloth alone that without cloth forsooth I wold not haue it stitcht laced faced but with cloth I would Verily it had need be a very brode cloth that cā couer ouer al this follie it is so brode and a verie cunning not a Taylor but a Rhetorician or rather a Magician that must perswade me so and so bewitch a man against all sense reason in the world As for the theef that was saued by faith alone without externall workes alleadged by the Fathers that doth verie well proue that faith alone in sauing doeth the deede Ambros in Rom. 3 and not workes For the way to heauen is but single and one the same to all The thiefe was saued and entered Paradise by faith onely therefore also must all so do if they will enter For God will not saue some by him selfe in mercie and saue others by them selues partlie in mercie and partlie by their owne workes If the thiefe had liued longer time he should would haue liued well but his beleeuing was the wing that caried him vp and the key that opened the doore of heauen When time wanteth not onely faith excludeth not either workes or the goodnesse of woorkes in earth but the meritoriouse deseruing by workes with God in heauen and hereby both in heauen and in earth the free mercie and grace of God is beleeued embraced and gloriouslie set foorth by this most excellent confession of onely faith whereby we agnize the gift the free gift of God according to his purpose promis fauour grace and mere mercie In the storie of the Gospell in particular by examples thus much is prooued and where onely faith is named exacted and cōmended euen in bodily cares much more in ghostly causes of the soule where our Sauiour doth not so much respect the teares of some or in others their feare and trembling nor their crying calling after him but their faith and the greatnesse of their faith Mat. 9.22 Luc. 7.50 Mat. 15.28 Luc. 8.50 Thy faith hath made the whole Thy faith hath saued thee O woman great is thy faith I haue not found so great faith in Israell And in the eight of Luke and fifte of Mark. Beleeue onlie Onely marke that And withall marke if you will the Papists doubling answer herunto Rhem. not Mar. 5.36 Onelie beleeue that is either especially or only in cases of bodily diseases What I pray you why say you or and or If onely be not only but especially and principally then say so Or if onely be onely then say so and houer not vp and down like the birde that was sent out of the ark Gen. 8.9 and could not find where to set her foote But in deed neither is onely especially neither is onely onely in bodily sicknesse alone as shall plainelie appear And therfore herein ye haue made vs not onely one lye alone but two lowde lyes and those together without taking breath one vpon an anothers head For as for the first was Christ like your Phisitian that biddeth his pacient be of good cheere and onely haue a good heart yet withall a good diet must be kept and potions receiued as thinges more requisite O M. Allen and M. Martin and who euer else had finger in that your late gewgawe translation was there I say not were there other things but was there any one thing not onely more requisite but in equall degree as necessarie as faith Luc. 8.44 For woulde Christ require the lesse and omit the more necessarie or if many things were to be required woulde he say onely beleeue No. when all other helpes fayled then they came to our Sauiour And therefore other helpes being preternecessarie he wel required thē wholy to put their trust in him not that he could not cure yea reuiue without their beleeuing that he could but that dutie would he haue at their hands and only that in such respects Wherefore when this former shift serued not the turne you added though onely fayth be requisite and nothing else yet that concerned the healing of the body not the sauing of the soule Of healing the bodie I graunt but withall of sauing the soule that these words are not spoken is not so easilie proued For Christ Iesus the Sauiour both of bodie soule most principally saueth the most principall part therefore to shew what how alone he worketh specially in recuring their soules diseased with sinne view those miraculous cures done so euidently vpon their bodies Wherfore by conuenient reason it followeth if faith alone be required in thē much rather in the other wherein consisteth the greater cure in vs and whence ariseth the greater glorie to him selfe that cureth Contrarie to this in the example of Mary Magdalen somewhat is brought foorth as who therfore had her sinnes forgiuen Rhem. not Luc. 7.50 because she loued much So that loue also was required not faith alone Consider we the story a litle for our better vnderstāding wherin it is said to her Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace a litle before both of to her Many sinnes are forgiuē because she loued much Our of which I obserue 4. notes remission of sinns peace of cōscience faith embracing saluation due loue ensuing therupō Peace of mind cometh after ward in place to be spoken of The sole mean of receiuing remissiō is faith the only cause of remitting is mercy For otherwise remission were no remissiō And were not faith the only meane but her loue also as the Rhemish note is Christ whē he said Thy faith hath saued the he shold haue said nay thy loue thy faith or thy faith thy loue haue saued thee especially
of sinne with vaine reasoning and fond but gay distinctions as they think of conueniency congruity c. What is to be done touch these faire apples of Gomorrha with the finger of the holy Ghost Aug. de Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 5 they wil fal straight all to dust Or be it that the wine that the harlot offreth be strong the spice of distinctiōs sweet the harlot subtil her alluremēts many fine forcible yet the truth is stronger and wholsomer 1. Esd 4.4 will and must preuaile In flesh dwelleth no good so saith the spirit of God Rom. 7.18 Wherupon without contradictiō it followeth if no good no degree of good at al ether spark of knowledg or inclinatiō of will or ability to reach out hand towards the receiuing of any good For euē the good willingnesse which is graunted by grace is hindred by nature as much as in her lieth Therefore the old man must be quite put of the old leuen cleane purged out our lusts not proined but digged vp by the rootes throwne away our flesh crucified of our selues altogeather denied O Israel howe long wilt thou tarie in a strange lande woo woorth the man that delighteth in his naturall corruption O sinfull flesh happie is he that taketh thy yong children I meane the very beginnings euen the concupiscences and first motions to sinne and dasheth them against the stones or smothereth them in their cradle or killeth them in their mothers wombe For of flesh can come no good happie is he that maketh away a rebellious euill Concupiscens is verie sinne in whom soeuer ANd euen these by name are full of euill naught and wicked and very sinnes although they come not to age and thou cōsent not vnto them euen in the regenerate mā it is so much more so in the naturall So speaketh S. Augustine in plaine tearmes in handling one of the Psalmes Non illis consentis c. Aug. in Psalm 75. whom I the rather here mention because he is much alleaged to the contrary very vnskilfully and chiefly for that our late Cēsurer sticketh not to vaunt and bragge of S. Augustine and that Maister Charke hath neither shew nor syllable in this case out of him If thou be a scholler I referre thee to the place coted in the margent Defen of the cens pag. 133. if thou art but onely exercised in the worde of God the scripture alone may content thine humble minde M. Traue in his aunswer to the epist suppl p. 252. Rom. 5. and instructe thy conscience most aboundantly It is forbidden in the Law we being new borne in Christ are bidden to pray against it S. Paul doth sigh in respect of it calleth it sinne I trow properlie enough when he saith it is the body of sinne and bonde of death although men that followe their lust Conc. Trid. Sess 5. dec 1. write neuer so hotly in defence of luste saying that S. Paul spake not properly and cursing all them that say the contrarie S. Paul saw many things in heauen 2. Cor. 12.4 that he might not vtter on earth but the sinne he spake against was an inhabitour in the tabernacle of his body and within his bosome he felt the sting thereof sharpe and could not but complaine how truely how properly and with how conuenient words they that haue S. Paules spirit sence and feeling can say with teares and vtter with griefe S. Iames when he would cleare God of sinne he saith God tempteth no man Iam. 1.13 as who would say if he did then were the case altered C oncupiscence a mother sinne But euery man it is generally in particuler true euerie man is tempted of his owne lusts This is the spring the roote the cause of sinne which issueth out into diuerse streames is deduced into sundrie branches by consent then it is called cōmonly and named sinne amongst men who otherwise iudge not but by the externall acte And then also which in deede is S. Augustines meaning God is more prouoked to wrath Tom. 7. c. without repentance foreprised counteth man quoad reatum crimen regnum peccati more guiltie and blameable and thrauld to sinne then when by cōsenting to the sway of his sinnefull lusts he is caried away wilfully with the streame of them But S. Paul considering the waight of sin as before Gods exact iudgemēt in the merit thereof sheweth that whereas we ought to serue and loue him with all our powers the least defect in the least part whether habitually or actually in the nature of sin is perfit sinne Rhem. notes Rom. 7. vers 7. expressely against the commaundement of the Lawe But we will goe on a litle and reason with them Concupiscence tempteth haleth backe from good and helpeth forward to euill This is without question Nowe whether thou consent or dissent that is somwhat to the will it is nothing to the luste except to make it more manifest if thou consent and if thou dissent Rhem. not in Iam. cap. 1. vers 15. yet in the nature of sinne it is neuerthelesse sinnefull though it be stayed in the first degree But if I be not deceiued concupiscence of nature corrupted whereof I principally speake or in whom soeuer ioyntly and indiuisibly importeth always a cōsent withall immediatly ensuing To lust to desire to will for doctrine and exhortions sake well they may be distinguished I can not see how they may be seperated or staied if we had rather hew at some bowe of them then strike at the roote The children of darkenesse are wise in their generation Matt. 16.2 in naturall causes or signes to foresee a tempest in pollicie to forecast the woorst to stop the beginnings to giue no place no not a litle to the raging sea Why do we not the like why are not spirituall harmes discerned and preuented M. Harding in some sort vseth a vaine defence of an vnchast toleratiō of the steewes at Rome Confut. of the Apol. pag. 16 2. Deiect lib. 5. cap. 4. Censur of M. Ch. artic 3. and Defence p. 113. Dist 34. Fraternitatis by reason of the hotnes of the coūtrie as if Italie were hotter then Iurie which is not so or if it were what then and for concupiscence he and his breathern haue since written much But doth the Lawe of God melt away with the heat of either nations or nature of places or men Me thinketh after so great light spread into the worlde after so long debating though of sundrie other sorie quaestions for the Church against the scriptures for works merits against faith and mercie for ignorance against knowledge Stapel lib. 3. Epist to the LL. of the Conc. yet men shoulde not come to this point to be so badly affected and to excuse them when they are oppugned Verily if they had either conscience or remorse their learning should not be thus abused
likewise with ioy of heart embrace the Lordes vnspeakeable mercy reuealed giuen in the onely and sole Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ the righteouse Amen Dauid was better 1. Sa. 17.47 2. Sam. 11.2 when he kept his fathers sheepe then when he got the Kingdom If the sinne of Adam were lesse and namely if the powers of mā were more his will of greater abilitie more orderly then I haue proued it to be yet I gesse it were good that an horse should not know his strength What need we flatter a wanton a way ward thing which is thē best when it is most kept short and naturally it is neuer good but alwayes naught When God intended to take iust reuēgment of vnthākful men Rom. 1.24 that became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were full of darknesse what did he He gaue them ouer to their own lusts that is to say to their own will and wilfulnesse This grieuous punishment had not bin great August 6 Tract in Epish Ioh. if the flexiblenesse towardnesse of their wills had bin so good or but so indifferently il or els inclinable ready or free to receiue either good or euill or able to consent when grace is offred which is the verie hinge in deede Stap. l. 4. c. 1. wheron the question of free will most dependeth Nowe but to consent to good is a good thing hast thou this cōsent what hast thou that thou hast not receaued 1. Cor. 4.7 if thou hast receaued of an other then is it not in thy selfe Againe no goodnesse groweth out of the earth but descendeth from aboue And againe flesh bloud Mat. 16.17 doth neither reueale nor receaue any good but is enimity to all good therfore cannot cōsent which is a point of frindship therunto Nay in the regenerat Cic. de amic the flesh still lusteth against the spirit which we haue receaued and therefore doubtlesse in the vnregenerat it much more doubtlesse in the vnregenerat it much more dissenteth before grace be receaued lesse embraceth it when it is offred When his graces are generallie offred man is recusant by natur shutteth his eyes claspeth his hands is altogether auerse in heart but yet whom God taketh choseth effectually he turneth their hearts as he did the Purple sellers heart in the Acts Act. 16.14 Act. 9.18 haleth and smiteth Paule downe from his horse doth away the scales from his eyes worketh mightely the conuersiō of thē that shal be saued and this he maketh men willing to receaue that which before they wilfully refused herupō to imagin this willingnes to be of man because at length by Gods gift it is in man is a vain imaginatiō to giue that to man which is Gods gift as M. Stapletō doth saying Stap. l. 4. c. 4 that capacity of good things is of natur and actiuity of Grace No. bothe the beginning the end both capablenes agilitie to will to work is of him Fulgentius was troubled with the like fancifull men Fulg. de incar Christ cap. 24 that thought that because we were enabled by God to good therfor we ar also able of our selues The cōsequēt is naught For as the flesh of mā hath no feling and sense of it selfe but the soule doth giue it life sense so it may haue both so man may God so working in him be wel willing but the life soule of this willingnes is the mere sole mercy of God The wisdom of the Lord Prouer. 9.1 in the book of prouerbs whō he possessed from all beginninges hath built here an house hewed out her pillers c. This bilding house is his Church chosen Now euē as an hous can not rere vp it self so is it with man nether the first stone nor any part of it selfe cā it selfe lay or set in the frame And as the carpēter choseth his timber the mason his stone the potter his clay and not contrariwise the clay his potter the stone his mason the timber his workman the house her bilder so God choseth the Church not the Church him That is a true word I haue chosen you not you me Ioh. 15.16 in any kind of choice A wrāgler may stretch a similitude farther then may stand with christian humilitie As the carpenter in deed chooseth out 〈…〉 tree out of the wood worketh it alone yet he chooseth the fayrest the fittest and the straightest because these qualities ar in the timber So God chooseth of men the best qualified by nature because of naturalles that were in them first No not so He knoweth who foreknoweth al things no doubt what persons will best serue his building who ar fittest who vnfit But ther for ar sōe fit because he maketh thē fit For otherwise by natur we are vtterly vnfit all And to demonstrate that all standeth vpon mere choise he chooseth the weak to cōfound the strong the simple to confute the wise 1 Cor. 1.23 Iohos 6.20 as it were the blast of hornes to ouerthrow the mighty walled city Iericho He chooseth the least likely the most vnwilling to shew that neither in mans will or any part of his corrupt natur else is ought to this purpose But of this his exceding mercy fauor free grace more in speciall in the processe following Hetherto in the plenarie view of man both within without in body soule in whole and in part appeareth nothing since his fal but misery bondage pollutiō vncleannes darknes confusiō frowardnes obstinacy rebellion and in a worde perfit sinne corruption God looketh down frō heauen vpon all the children of men in earth findeth not any one cōsidered as he is in his own nature Psalm 14.2 with whome it fareth better then hath bene declared OF THE FREE GRACE OF GOD. LIBER II. OF mans corruption hath bin declared tuching almighty God in the Scripturs amongst other proprieties vttered after the maner of men for the better vnderstanding are chiefly set foorth his righteouse iudgements gracious mercy His iudgements pronounced by the Lawe and executed in his wrath against the children of vnbeliefe disobediēce his mercie prepared for the elect in his son published by the gospel This Gospel message of the ioyfullest tidings that euer were Luc. 2.10 was imparted first to Adam in paradise as a present remedie immediatly after his fall applied to the weaker part affected by name to Eue. Thy seed shall bruse the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Afterward declared to Abraham In thy seede shall all nations be blessed Gen. 12.3 Then renued againe in Isaak so foreshewed in the sacrifices olde ceremonies likewise inforced by the Law and foretold by the Prophetes in the fulnes of time presented in the person of our Sauiour lastly by his Apostles still by the worke of the ministery the partitiō wal
matter and adoreth the Lords both certaine and secrete mercies and iustice herein and canst thou distinguish with ease Touching our vocation both inwardly by the finger of his spirite Vocation and externally by the outward deliuerie of his word effectually to certaine and not so to some certaine is no lesse plaine by our Sauiours prayer in S. Matthew Matth. 11.25 I giue thankes O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these thinges from the wise and men of vnderstanding hast opened them to children It is so O father because thy good will is such Wherein I obserue three points first thanks to the father then for what things and thirdly why the father him selfe was induced or rather vouchsaued to bestowe his benefits vpon some why not in like sorte vpon all 1. I thanke thee O father or I confesse 1. Thankefulnes Serm. de diuersis 3. all is one For as Augustine sayeth they are very meanely learned that know not that there is a confession of prayse and thankesgiuing aswell as of sinnes Christ thanketh his father of whom Christians may learne to be thankeful for themselues for shall he pray for vs and not we for our selues or shall he be thankefull in our behalfe and shall not we also be thankefull in our owne cause If one grape waxe ripe and red Vuáque coÌ„specta liuorem ducit abvua they say that the grape ouer that doth ripen the faster and take colour the sooner It behoueth vs that are greene and sowre considering the example of Christ and his sweetenes to grow in grace like thankfulnes to our God confessing alwayes froÌ„ what spring are deriued our waters or rather from what sea they issue or rather from what heauen or rather how from the father of heauen and earth they descend vpon vs Gen. 18.27 which are but dust and ashes He giueth vs all that we haue onely he reserueth the prayse of all vnto him selfe Esa 42.8 He is the freest Landlorde that may be father of heauen and earth and Lord of all and we his seruauntes and the workemaÌ„ship of his handes Yet he suffreth vs to haue and enioy freely the frute and vse of all yeelding him and paying nothing but this that we acknowledge and confesse that we holde of him and that we are his tenantes 2. In speciall for what is our Sauiour thus thankefull vnto his father 2. For VVhat Because he had hid the secreats and treasures of the Gospell from the wise and learnedmen and had reuealed them vnto babes Consider your vocation saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 1.26 not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called I adde were chosen For whom he calleth in time those he forechoose before all times and whom he calleth not at al no maner of way those he neuer chose What then is all learning wisedom vtterly condemned hereby or are the baser and weaker sort onely called are women and weauers and beggers and yonge students to be admitted to the search and vnderstanding of holy writ We knowe professe that these haue soules to saue are bought with as deare a price as the best doctors and rich men are There is no kinde of good learning but we commend it in the highest degree of due commendation and yet withall we say Godlines is great learning Act. 18. â—4 Apollos was eloquent but his might was in the scriptures We dispise not the inferiour we preferre the greater gifts Notwithstanding both eloquence and all other whatsoeuer excellent qualities of either natures wisedome or good arts c. except the person qualified with them be also endued with faith from aboue they rather be occasions of euill in him then otherwise greatly encreasing his greater condemnation If Agar can be content to obey Sara 1. Sam. 3.1 Reuel 4.10 if our wisedome can submit it selfe to the Lordes wisedome if our learning will serue as Samuel did in the temple if the potent and mightie man subiect his scepter and crowne if he can stoope and fall before the throne of God these former qualities are sanctified and God accepteth them in the persons whom he accepteth in faith Not many wise welthy or mighty the scripture saith not Not anie are called Because it is commonly seene that Agar will contend with her mistresse the Graecian presumeth of Learning the subtle head of his policies not meanely menaged therefore of the vsuall practise and not howe it goeth better in some specialities the scripture sheweth For God woulde haue all of all sortes saued 1. Tim. 2.4 and yet I say not all in generall without anie restraint For who then coulde resist his will if he will so haue it Or why are any daÌ„ned if he will haue all to be saued without exception The Lords mercie is aboue all his workes and the sinnefull workes of man can not be greater to his owne condemnation then the mercie of God to saluation if God would so haue it in all Notwithstanding the commaundementes are giuen forth in generall Likewise the exhortations are vttered to all grace openly offered and publickly proclaimed Many are called and yet few are choosen i. inwardly touched Matth. 20.16 and well accepted of the Lorde According to this generall offer there is somewhat that may be sayde for the iust and deserued commendation of many because al obey not their calling all receiue not their saluation profered And yet the conditionall will of God to haue all saued if all would is but a fancie For many seeke with endeuour which is more then a wil to enter the straight gate Luc. 13.24 shal not be able Truely none shal be saued but whom God will whom he will indurate his hart is hardned as Pharaoes was But most miserable were the condition of mans saluation if it hung vpon his owne mutable fraile and froward will Origen thinketh August de ciuit Dei lib. 21. cap. 17. perchaunce vpon occasion of this saying God will haue all saued that it will followe that all and euerie one whosoeuer euen the verie diuels finally and one day shall be saued in the ende Concerning Origen it is well sayed that where he wrote well no man wrote better and where euill and therefore not euer well and in this verie badlye no man writeth worse so manifestly against the Scriptures and so fondly beside the vniuersall catholike and Christian faith Epist ad Alexandr touching the euerlasting damnation of the damned either spirites or men in so much that him selfe else where was faine to excuse him selfe therein and likewise vtterly to detest the errour What sence then beareth that sentence God will haue all men saued The Apostles meaning is not hard God will haue all saued that is to say of all sortes some as I sayed before and therefore expressely by name he willeth that prayers be made for magistrates and for men in authoritie
but where a peny worth is to be had for a penie and a peny is a peny worth so properly there is no desert but where there is an aunswerable rate in deseruing which because it can not possibly be betweene vs men God betweene God mans saluation farewell merites as they are properly taken Improperly howe the word may be taken in sundry of the fathers is not directly to the point of the question concerning the prise desert woorth and valour of workes and the nature of merites Rhem. not 1. Cor. 3.8 as the Papistes take the name of merites Wherfore with much a do M. Stapleton against the haire and perforce can not chuse but graūt that in deede there is no equality in the former respects as we be mē but yet as we be Christiā mē he saith there is an equalitie and his reasons be these because the adopted sonns heritage be it neuer so great Stap. lib. 10 cap. 2 as he thinketh exceedeth not the worthinesse of the person adopted and againe he imagineth that the Sonne is no farther bound then the Father will require being once sonnes by grace thē De nostro meremur we merit of our selues There is neuer a true worde in all this proud folly for what should I call it else First the adopted sonne as before his adoption he deserued not the inheritāce be it neuer so litle so being adopted into a large inheritance his No-desert is thereby the more manifested and ought a great deale the more openly of the adopted son to be proclaimed Moreouer if the father would not require ought but could contēt him selfe with slender thanks what then because the father is thus content is the son the lesse bound not rather the bond doubled the sonne the deeper indetted his dutie increased in the highest degree of al thankfulnesse The naturall sonne can yeild no equall recompence to his naturall parents how much more then is the adopted child beholding As for that vile and presumptuouse saying that men ar sonnes by grace then de nostro saued by works be it farre frō Christian hūble minds For shal a man begin with Christ end in him self or begin with the Gospell end with Moses Arist The end of euery thing is the perfectiō therof but are our works so perfit perfiter then grace doth God but the first least part and are our selues authors causers finishers of the chiefest the latest the greatest partes who would think that the cloth of righteousnesse were thus patched vp of some small peece of purple died in the bloud of Christ and all the rest to be made of mans own ragges Cost it so litle to redeeme sinners why did the holy man feare his workes as nothing more was he like the simple bird that ducketh at the barn door where the door is high enough and no feare of hurting her head No. Iob was well aduised in his saying For might or did he merit why did he feare But therfore he feared because he knewe that he could not merit demerit he could a iust cōdemnation if he should relie vpō the worthinesse of his owne workes And therfore he feared the lightnesse and insufficiencie therof and leaned onely to a better stay to the mercy of God and to the merites of Christ his Redeemer which should buie out and pay for the vnworthinesse that otherwise was in his workes I neuer find the aduersary without som shift Rhem. not 1. Cor. 3.8 But of all trickes that is most fond an impudent folly Quicquuid in rei veritate habeāt tamen c. whereby they say that Iob and Iobs like did merite yet would they not glorie in their merites professing euer in wordes the contrarie as who wold say in plaine speech man might glorie Sta. l. 5. c. 17. hauing sufficient matter of merites to glorie in yet of curtesie would not but was content to yeild the glory to God to whome forsooth otherwise in full right in whole it did not so directly duly appertain so that if good men were not beneficiall and fauorable in this behalfe the glory of God were and might be much diminished and greatly impayred if euery one would but chalenge his owne and take his due Our Sauiour Christ schooleth his disciples after an other fashion Luc. 17.7 telling thē that when they had done all if yet they could that was commaunded them yet should they say that they were improfitable seruants Sta. l. 5. c. 17 What say so and not think so that were hypocrisie Say so it were not true that were a ly therfore sinne Say so for modesties sake There is no modestie no humilitie against and without the trueth yet say so Why Psal 16 doth God stand in neede of mans glozing No. he needeth not our best workes But why do not the Papistes then say so much Why say they not flat without stāmering that they ar vnprofitable seruants Nay why say they that they ar deseruers what they are they wil not redily say what they are not they bragge or at the least pretend that they are As things especially spirituall are in their owne nature so must we conceaue of them or else we conceaue amisse Esay 5.20 And as we conceaue so must we confesse of thē and speake by them Wherfore doubtlesse of our selues what euer boasters patter in pride to the contrarie we must both conceaue humbly and confesse truly plainly that we are in respect of meriting but vnprofitable seruants It is graunted of all partes that God hath ordayned that man should be profitable to man and one commodiouse to an other ech man lending his help helping hand to his neighbour wherin yet because fraile flesh somtimes in the duties many times in the degrees of charity offēdeth we ar to craue pardon euen in this respect also But when we speake of meriting with God Rhem. not Luc. 17.10 we must shew that we are profitable to him or else of him we merit not profitably to our selues as our new notes would haue it but that is impossible For what profit taketh the spring by him that tasteth of the waters that issue from the spring Aug. de ciu Dei l. 10. c. 5 or the Sunne by the eye that seeth by the Sunnes light Or God by our works which proceede from him selfe and therefore if yet they be profitable to him yet are they not properly ours and so not profitable to him as from vs deseruing of him but as his owne to him selfe Rhem. notes 2. Tim. 4.8 and therefore not woorth thankes at our handes much lesse vailable to merit truly properly as they speake and truly in that they but passe thorough vs they take some kinde of our imperfection along with them in so much that albeit God the giuer be perfit and his giftes clean notwithstanding mans vncleane and leprouse hand in
differēce betwixt that which is in Christ being perfit in nature precedēt in order made ours but by imputation and betweene our sanctification which is imperfit in it selfe issuing from his goodnes and really inherent in our selues The one is receaued by faith the other cōsisteth in good works as of piety toward God of vp right dealing with mē of tēperate vsage of our own persons of faith in Gods promises of hope in his mercies of louing his goodnes of zeale in religion of praysing his name of cōtinuance in prayers of confession of sinnes of seuerity against vice of encrease in vertues of paciēce in troubles of goodnes towards al men of meditation of death of spirituall ioy intentiue expectation of the ioyes to come I am not to debate particulars with intēt to dilate any thing For that is not my purpose and the rather because looke what hath bene spoken of many the former matters may with ease or else without great labour be applied to this present argument Philosophers make a differēce of bodies it is euident in sense howe some bodies are grosse darke as wood stone some cleare and lightsome perspicuous that a mā may see through them of which sort are the aire fire christall common glasse oyld paper and the like Whereunto I may resemble the outward actions of man either his words or deeds For through these a mā doth as it wer through a glas window look into a mans minde frō whence as frō a spring both words deeds do issue I beleeue therefore I spake saith Dauid Will you know a iustified man look whether he be sanctified holy according to so holy a calling will you know the goodnes of the tree trie whether he bring furth according to his kinde as it is in Moses In the second of Kings Genes 1.2 Reg. 1. king Ahaziah fel through a lettasse window from his vpper chamber therby fel into an extream sicknes He calleth for his seruāts sendeth certaine of them to go enquire of Beelzebub the idole of the Ekron concerning the recouery and euent of his disease Vpō this the Angel of the Lord appeareth vnto the Prophet Elias and willeth him to goe and to meete Ahazias seruaunts to say vnto thē Is it not because there is no God in Israell that he seeketh to belzebub c. Wherefore of Ahaziah the Lord saith He shall not come down from the bed that he went vp into but shall die the death Elias doth the message to the seruauntes the seruauntes returne to their king he museth at their suddaine returne declaration is made what befell The king demaundeth what maner of man it was that met them they shew him that he was an hearie man girded with lether Then saide he straight It is Helias the Thesbite Out of this story sundry instructiōs may be gathered First that as the oxe doth eat vppe the thistle so may the axe ouerthrow the oke i. as the poore sinfull people shall surely be punished so the vnsanctified mightie man shall not euer escape Againe in destresses sinnefull men seeke for simple helps and not vnto God the God of help al to no purpose but to their greater hurt Where as the holy man knoweth that our very heares our teares our names ar in accoūpt with our almighty Iehouah our heares are in his register our teares in his bottle our names in his kooke But the purpose why I record the story principally is to shew howe readily Ahaziah did gesse by the Prophets attire that it was Elias therby by this exāple to declare not that the hearines of our apparell because happily therwas some singuler thing in Elias attire as likwise in Iohn Bapt. apparel which was an other Elias but that our attire apparell in most modest maner generally be seemely that all our behauiour be such either in gate words or deeds that whē report is made therof a man may straight auouch verily there is a Christian There is no doubt but dissimulation is spun now adayes of so fine a thread that it is hard to discerne who is who Gardiner could make a booke of true obedience Bōner made the preface therto now we lack not if time serued as God forbid we should haue experience that we want nether subtle Gardiners nor cruel Bonars But because some can semble to be that they are not dissemble to seeme to be what they are therefore yet may not the godly cease both to be in deede and professe to be also true professors Coloures can not long cōtinue A grape may ketch or hang vpon a brier it groweth onely naturally vpon the vine Dissimulation is like Hermogines learning Volater lib. 15. very towardly to shew a while but after a while it becam flush and flue away wheras the sincere holy man groweth still from faith to faith frō strength to strength from vertue to vertue till he become a perfit man in Christ Iesus knowing that this is the will of God euen his sanctification 2. Thes 4.3 And were there nothing else but the wil of God his cōmandemēt in this behalf yet were this alone cause sufficient that we offer vp the sacrifice of our obedience to our God we should be holy because he is holy who hath commanded vs so to be Ier. 35.14 euen as the children of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab obeyed their father and abstained from wine because their father so commaunded them but infinite are the reasons that should moue vs to a godly life as not only his commandements therunto but the inhibitiō of the cōtrary denūtiatiō of penalty if we liue ill or promise of reward if we liue well the hindrāce of Gods glory the hurt to common weals by the one the edification of many by the other Exāples of good mē to be followed who were honorable mē in their generatiōs wel reported in their times as Enoch Noe Abraham and many moe or the effect of sinne vpon sinners that threw Adam out of paradise turned Nebuchadnezzer into a beast and Iudas into a Diuel slue kings ouerthrew thousandes swallowed vp rebels drowned Pharao all his host burnt vp whole cities and wasted nations But what shall I stand to reckon vp reasons to proue that day hath light that the night is darke that vertue is good and vice is naught or that the one ought to be embraced and the other auoided For he is farre gone and past cōmon sense that wil not confesse all this Howbeit in the practise of doing it falleth out cleane contrarie And the reason thereof I take to be in them that haue any knowledge for to speake of the wilfull ignorant it is bootlesse because their knowledge occupieth onely some small roome in their braines but hath no firme possession of the harte My sonne giue me thy hart saith God by the pen of Solomon Keepe it not
of our sinnefull demerits and in his rewards proposed we record wherunto we were created and agnize from whence we fell And because we finde an impossibilitie in the Law Rom. 8.3 Iob. 14 4 and no remedie in nature we do not as men redie to be drowned catch at euery straw that cannot help but appeale to the throne of grace and lay handfast only vppon his endlesse fauour and euerlasting mercie that exceedeth all his works I dwell vpon their chiefe places and reasons of theirs longer then the intent of a briefe treatise may seeme to permit The rather because one of our late writers dareth auouche Alen. apol of Eâ—ngl Semi c. 5. p. 59 with what face let the world iudge that in our shew of aunswer we further their cause rather then our own we only looke backward a little and barke and fly from the light and bay at them As if this were all that might be done in a mater of truth And such are their crakes of victorie in disputing c. But I gesse few of theÌ„ can speake better then the most best of them haue written Neither is it likely they canne do more in the valleyes then in the mountaines I mean they can not do more with their tongs disputes now theÌ„ their betters haue hertofore done with their pen writing By the bysh of SaruÌ„ M. Nowell D. Calfild others Wherin they haue receaued ful iust answer VVherfore no cause of fe are for all their in finit and intolerable vauntes For mine owne part I speake the truth ly not eueÌ„ before Christ that witnessed a good witnesse vnder Pontius Pilate as in few I haue declared mans vndoubted imperfection out of the word of God Hosius contra Brent prolo Mart Eisen de Eccl. vind Pigg Hierarch Sand Monar vis Stapl. de doct pr. c. so in reading the aduersaries bookes namely touching this matter of mans corruption I finde that as all their labour elswhere teÌ„deth only to the aduancing of human poÌ„p vnder the name of the church so vnder the title of nature they contend chiefly for the setting vp of man flesh in extenuating original sinne in excusing concupisceÌ„ce in praising the works of infidels in vpholding the wisedom and will of corruption To speake of all that hath bene latelie written Stapl. de vniuers Iusti ficationis doctr 1582 were to generall The las that I haue seene and the largest is Maister Stapleton whom I quote often in the margeÌ„t The man I remember to haue bene of the Colledge wherof my selfe am now In respect whereof and in Christian charitie I wish him the best And if Samuell may awake Elie 1. Sam. 2.23 if the younger may warne the elder to that end I haue thus called vppon him and pulled him by the sleeue that he go not away in a sleepe He knoweth Elie suffred his children to breake his owne necke Verily the fancies and affections that are bred in of man if he cocker them vp they will bring him to a worse end then Elies was or if he correct beat them lightly but with a fether this will not amend the children of Belial or the sonnes of Adam Elie demaunded of his sonnes why did they such such things Do no more my sonnes it is no good report that I heare of you which is that you make the Lordes people to trespasse yet more theÌ„ speaking roughly he did not but let them haue their ful fourth in sinne as if he had chidde them with his toung and stroked them fayrely on the head with his hand Wherfore God denounceth that he loued his children aboue him and therefore he woulde do a thing in Israell wherof whosoeuer should heare his two eares should tingle at it So the Papist can not but confesse say The issue ofspring of nature corrupt can not be but corrupt As the mother sinne is so are the daughters of sinne Of a thistle a prick of a bramble commeth a bryer And namely as concupiscence in the vnregenerat man for some causes must needes be sinne Stapl. lib. 3 cap. 3 so in the regenerate no good report there goeth of it neither yet of mans wisedome nor of his will The Papist can chide a little on this fashion but yet the naturall man will honor his children and make of him selfe more theÌ„ of his maker For he telleth euery man to speake a word of that Suprae pa. 9. which in order was touched before albeit concupiscence be euill and sinne yet is it not so properly and in precise maner of speaking but only because she leadeth the way to sinne as it were causeth the Lordes people to transgresse Stap. l. 4. c. 5 Likewise mans wisedome is darknesse for sooth in the Gentils and his will stonie and obstinate that is say they onely depraued Fie vpon such fondnesse fie maister Stapleton If our willes were onely depraued and but some way prone to euill and not perfitly imperfit and past all good had the holy Ghost no softer wordes to shewe the imbecillity therof but by stone and brasse and yron c. And S. Paul when he telleth the Ephesians that they were once darknesse in deed they were Gentils what theÌ„ what doth that distinction help The vnregenerat mans father is an Amorite Ezech. 16.3 and his mother an Hittit all men are Gentils or in as bad case as any man may be if they be respected in them selues not lightned by his spirit instructed by grace And as for concupisceÌ„ce is it sin only because she teÌ„pteth not in proper termes of speaking A foolish woman a sinneful is described in Solomon to be troublefom Prou. 9.13 She is ignorant and knoweth nothing sitteth at the dore of her house entiseth them that passe by out of the right way These properties proue the sinnefulnes of the womaÌ„ sufficiently properly All which appeare to be in the concupisceÌ„ce of man The one is as ignoraÌ„t as busie as the other Only the one prouoketh openly sitteth at her dore allureth to her the other lurketh in thy bosom and therfore is the more dangerouse and neuer the lesse sinnefull but to all purposes to be taken as a natural sinner But hereof before more at large These figg leaues then fetcht out of the orchard of mans braine will not couer betweene God vs. Lib. 1. cap. 4 Your selfe M. Stapleton and others begin to mislike both certaine schoolmen and certaine late writers for falsly maintayning naturs ability in preparing her selfe meritoriously toward God ingeniously you confesse the hissing out of the opinion of merits de congruo of deserts of conueniency God grauÌ„t that as he hath begunne that good work so he vouchsafe to make it perfit in you more more in great measure that you may see and detest the length breadth infinit deepenesse of mans naturall transgressions and
being takē down spread abrode and shed into the eares of all the worlde Herein if we make search diligent enquirie for the first cause and end of this so glad a message wherefore and to what ende it was made to vs so sinfull men we shall finde nothing else to be the cause but his loue and the ende to be mans saluation and his owne glorie whereof he is a iealouse God The singuler loue of God In the cause which is his onely grace and fauour if we consider it aright as it is we shall agnize it worthely to be the singuler loue of God Whereby he so loued the world Iohn 3.16 that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euer lasting thus and so he loued as neuer loue was like so stedfast without change so sufficient without want so free without all desert which is the point I now ame at altogeather To loue where a man is loued no great thankes Luc. 6.32 the gentiles and sinners doe so The storke will leaue one of hir yong ones to the owner of the house where she is permitted to make her nest and breede vppe the rest But to loue where pure hatred is rendred for perfite loue that is excessiue loue 1. Ioh. 4.19 He loued vs first and euen then whē we were his enemies And because he knoweth the frowardnes of mans peruerse hart how lightly we esteeme of his mercies and how quickly we presume of supposed merites as if because he loued vs therfore he must needes loue vs for some cause in vs first euery where prouiding for the honour of his owne glorie he maketh continuall mention of his innumerable benefits of the roote wheron they grew which is his loue to the end that the mindfulnes of his graces thankfulnes for the same so often required may bridle presumption represse a naturall pride incident to all flesh Is the father beholding to the sonne or the sonne especially the adopted to the father Rom. 8.16 we are all the sonnes of God not by nature for by nature were we not all the children of wrath Likewise doth the infante tender the nourse or the nourse tende the infante God is he that nurseth vs vp that carieth vs as the eagle her yong ones in his armes from our youth vntill our gray heares as it is in the Prophet Againe is not the prisoner bound to his deliuerer Deut. 32.11 Esai 46.4 and not backwarde the deliuerer to the captiue Who hath deliuered vs from the bodie of sinne but the grace of God through Iesus Christ In all the strong and golden chaine of mans saluation there is not any one linke made or framed by man himselfe Rom. 7.24 Rom. 8.2 whether we consider the Lordes free choise before all worldes our vocation by the preaching of the word iustification in his sonne sanctification by the spirite or our glorification in his kingdom to come Against curiositie in the search of vnsearchable misteries The translatours of the English Testament at Rhemes tell vs that the consideration of the place in S. Paul Curiositie in Gods matters wherein are set furth plainely Gods eternall predestination purpose loue c. both hath bene alwayes in this age is a gulfe wherin many proud persons haue worthely perished Proude persons what then we graunt For pride will haue a fall in the playnest ground and further when they say these misteries of Christian faith ought to be reuerenced of all men with all humilitie not to be sought out or disputed vpō with presumptuouse boldnes verely presumption rashnes and all boldnes we detest as much as they but they in thus saying insinuate an other matter faine would they haue Christian men to tremble and starte backe for feare or else with a light foote to trip ouer that altogeather which the spirite of God doth stande so much vpon Secret things belong vnto the Lord but things reuealed to vs our children for euer in which sentēce of scripture we may see that there are secreats of two sorts either still secret like the round ring 2. Esd 5.42 whose beginning and ending are in it selfe and knowen onely to the maker or there are secretes reuealed to the children of men the meditation and studie whereof appertaineth to vs. According to this the Apostle speaketh the will of the Lord who hath knowen 1. Cor. 2.16 that he might instruct him We haue the minde of Christ the former of these sayinges must be left to God the latter of these do belong to vs. Augustine findeth faulte with curiouse heades and bold mindes In Psal 8. whom he resembleth to fishe that plunge themselues in ouer deepe questions and that walke in the pathes of the bottomlesse seas in matters to excellent for their knowledge And truely who that modest is and hath learned to be wise with sobrietie doth not vtterly mislike and condemne the fact of the Bethshemites prying into the Arke or the like pressing into hidden misteries 1. Sam. 6.19 Is not he an vnwise man that when he may safely vpon the pauement go in and out in the Lordes courtes yet hath a fancie to trie whether he can get vp and trace it vpon the high pinacles of the temple and yet because the pinacles are as ornamentes to set furth the maiestie and the glorie of the building and builder who dare hudwinck mens eyes that they may not veiw the thinges that are therfore set in sight that they may be seene These fiue chiefe pointes which I intende some of them to touch some of thē to treat of more largely and of them all reuerently to speake are they aboue mēcioned our Election Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Glorification These misteries verely are as holy as the mountaine Exo. 19.23 Exod. 3.5 wherein God himselfe appeared and as the ground whereon Moses stood Wherefore aboue all thinges first put we of our showes I meane all prophane cogitations terrene and earthlie thoughtes while we stād vpon these matters while we consider these his graces secreats in his worde reuealed in this behalfe Of Election Vocation and Reprobation THat God electeth some vnto saluation before the beginning of the worlde Election some and therefore not all before the beginning of the worlde and therefore not for the desert of them who then were not which also the verie name of Election doth import is so manifest that the Apostle demaundeth in vehement maner who art thou Rom. 9.20 that wilt dispute hereof and reason to the contrarie and gather absurdities therupō as if the case were not so Wherin also it may be demaūded who art thou that coynest distinctiōs to shift of the freenes of the Lords choise and darest thou auouch that albeit he chooseth before all worlds yet he chooseth not freely but for workes foreseene and likewise refuseth S. Paule is amased at the