all mans nature both as touching the offence and also the guiltines of the offence he paying a price for vs but also from the proper sinnes of euery one of vs who communicate with his passion through faith charitie and the sacrament of faith part 3. q. 52. art 5. Reasons against the old fathers being in Limbo or Hell But the holy fathers as the same Thomas confesseth in old time while they liued were freed from the guiltines of the punishment of actuall sinnes through faith in Christ Therefore by the same faith they were also freed from the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne of necessitie or els if they were detained in hell being excluded from glorie and suffered the punishment of losse as they speake for originall sin it must be alike confessed also that they were punished with the paine of sense for their actuall sinnes Further Who reueiled vnto them that originall sinne in hell is punished only with the paine of losse and not of sense that is to say with the exclusion onely from the life of glorie without feeling of any sorrow Beside this we reade Luk. 16. that poore Lazarus was caried by Angels into Abrahās bosome where he had ioy and that the rich man in hell lifting vp his eyes saw Lazarus a farre off and also that Abraham said Betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe firmely set It is absurd as Augustine noteth ad Euod Epist 99. that only two Abraham and Lazarus were then in that memorable bosome of rest If saith he there were more then two there who dare say that the Patriarches and Prophets were not there From hence thus I reason The Patriarches and Prophets and the rest that were righteous in old time were receiued into Abrahams bosome therfore not into hell The consequence is proued because hell in the Scripture is no where taken in good part But that bosome of Abraham is vsed in good part as the habitation of a memorable and certaine secret rest Therefore we must not beleeue that that bosome was some part of hell This reason is wholly Augustines vnto Euodius And the same he proueth by the words of our highest teacher saying that Abraham said Between vs and you there is set a great gulfe wherof sufficiently appeareth saith Augustine that the bosome of so great felicitie is not any part or member as it were of hell He addeth also this proofe If the Scripture saith he had said that Christ being dead came into that bosome of Abraham not naming hell and the sorowes thereof no man durst haue affirmed that therefore he descended into hell Now let the reader consider The Schoolemens fained deuises of foure hels whether these reasons drawne by Augustine out of the Scripture deserue more credite then the trifling words of the Schoolmen who haue deuised foure hels that is the hell of the damned Purgatorie and the two Limboes one for Infants the other where the holie fathers were before Christ which last they make a part of hell contrary to the reasons brought out of Augustine Hereunto may bee added that a man may see the deuisers of Limbus patrum to be much troubled in assigning the deliuerance of the godly soules out of that prison For sometime they attribute it to the passion of Christ whereby he loosed the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne wherein the fathers as they thinke were detained in hell and opened the gate of the kingdome of heauen Sometime they teach that it was needful for the soule of Christ to descend into the hell of the fathers that it might absolue there all the Saints who were bound with originall sinne where they almost make Christs descension penall vnto him as Aquinas part 3. quaest 52. art 1. teacheth that it was meete for Christ to descend into hell because he came to beare our punishment and that was saith he not onely the death of the bodie Bonau dist 22. quaest 6. lib. 3. Gabr. ead q. artic 3. Thom. part 3. q. 52. 57. but also descension in hell Sometime againe they decree masterlike that albeit those soules were made blessed in Christs descension and so heauen was straightway set open vnto thē as touching the reward of blisse yet it was not open as touching the place till Christ ascending into heauen took them together with him But why dissent they from the old writers whose opinion they would seeme to follow for Hierome as wee cited would haue heauen onely shut vp A doubt propounded to the schoolmen to be resolued till Christ with the theefe vnlocked the gates of paradise Further if they would seeme very skilfull in heauenly secrets let them shew vs where then did the soules of the Saints abide all that space of 40. daies betweene the resurrection and ascension of the Lord For being loosed from the band of original sinne wherewith they were tied in hell they could not bee detained there any longer but with their iniurie and the iniurie of Christs blood through whom libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie was obtained and yet as they wil haue it they were not in heauen Where then wandred they The same may bee obiected of the soules of the godly as many as slept in the said space of 40. dayes CHAP. IX Of the impulsiue cause of mans redemption BVt to speake of other things this also commeth to be considered for what cause the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ tooke vpon him the redemption of man But the question now is not of the finall cause whereof wee will speake something in the next chapter but of the impulsiue cause as they call it that is to say what moued him that he being the workman and Lord would for his works sake Two causes moued Christ to redeeme vs 1. His loue to vs. 2. His obediēce to his father taking vpon him the nature of it humble himselfe vnto the most base and shamefull death of the crosse for vs and our saluation The answere is readie and plaine that it was done of our Sauiour to shew his loue towards vs and his willing obedience towards his father Of the loue of the Sonne towards vs in the whole worke of his humiliation Paul speaketh both elsewhere Of the first and also to the Phil. 2. where he exhorteth to the loue of our neighbour that no man should seeke his owne but the things of others and confirmeth his exhortation by the example of Christ commanding that the same affection be in vs which was in Christ Iesu who when hee was in the forme of God abased himselfe for our sake of his meere loue towards vs as the Apostle there exhorteth vs to follow him Of the second And of his obedience towards his father Christ himselfe witnesseth Ioh. 5. I seeke not my will but his that sent me euen the fathers And more cleerely chap. 6. I came downe from heauen to doe not my will but the fathers will who
world is spoken of whereupon God hath bestowed his grace they maintaine that the word cannot otherwise bee taken then indifferently for all men beleeuers and vnbeleeuers For of many significations of the World they acknowledge onely three chiefe wherein they say the rest may easily be included as that the word World is taken for the frame and vniuersall compasse of heauen and earth then for the common multitude of all men good and bad lastly for that part of men which comprehendeth the reprobates and vnbeleeuers Of these significations the first and the third agree not with those places It remaineth then that all those places bee taken in the second signification I answere that the reckoning was insufficient in the maior For as the world in the holie Scriptures is taken for the reprobates and vnbeleeuers only so also it is often vsed for the elect and faithfull dispersed throughout the whole world There be many plaine testimonies to proue this Ioh. 14.31 he ioyneth both those significations together in those words of Christ The prince of this world commeth and hath nothing in me but that the world may know that I loue the father and that I doe as the father hath commanded rise let vs goe hence Of this world also is that Ioh. 17.21 that the world may know that thou hast sent me Which is that world which shal know Christ and beleeue in him but that which is discerned from the world of reprobates For of these about the end of the same chapter he speaketh Righteous father Vers 25. the world doth not know thee but I know thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me and I haue manifested thy name vnto them and will manifest it to wit vnto them of whom hee had spoken that the world may beleeue that I am sent of thee So Rom. 4. the promise is said to bee made to Abraham that he should be the heire of the world that is the father of all beleeuers circumcised and vncircumcised as Paul himself declareth And chap. 11. he saith that the fall of the Iewes is the riches of the world and the casting away of them the reconciliation of the world that is of the Gentiles to whom he saith saluation happened by the ruine of the Iewes that they might bee prouoked to follow them Where wee see the word world also restrained for them that appertain vnto that fulnes of the Gentiles which is appointed to come into the roome of the Iewes Therefore it is idle and impudent wrangling to say Huber thes 143 where be we able to finde and plainly shew in the whole Scripture that the world is taken onely for a certaine kinde of men whom God hath chosen to be saued But goe to let vs annexe to these the testimonies of Augustine the very chiefe of the old Diuines Augustine and most practised in such questions against the Pelagians He tract in Ioh. 110. vpon that saying that the world may beleeue The word world attributed sometime to the reprobates onely sometime to the elect and faithfull onely writeth after this sort Behold he that said I pray not for the world doth pray for the world that it may beleeue because there is a world whereof is written that wee may not bee condemned with the world For this world he praieth not for he knoweth whereto it is predestinated And there is a world whereof it is written The sonne of man came not to condemne the world but that the world by him may be saued Whereupon the Apostle also saith God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe for this world he prayeth saying That the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me The same man in the next tract saith Who are those whom he saith are giuen him of his father They be those whom he receiued of the father and whom he himself chose out of the world that they might not be of the world and yet they themselues are the beleeuing and knowing world that Christ was sent of God the father that so the world may be deliuered from the world and that the world which is reconciled to God may not bee damned with the world that is enemie to God And about the end of the same Tract vpon that saying The world doth not know thee he saith The world surely which is predestinated to damnation by desert doth not know but the world which he reconcileth to himselfe through Christ doth know not of desert but of grace Againe tract 53. Euill men are called the world because they bee scattered through the whole earth and good men also are called the world because they likewise bee dispersed through the whole earth Wherevpon the Apostle saith God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe And in this sense in the same place hee expoundeth the saying Now is the iudgement of this world to wit the iudgement not of damnation but of separation whereby it shall come to passe that farre and wide sins shall bee pardoned and thousand thousands shall be deliuered through faith from the power and rule of the deuill and reconciled vnto God Ambrose Likewise Ambrose saith in Psal 118. serm 12. The whole world is truly in the Church wherein there is not the Iew only nor Grecian Barbarian Scythian bond or free but we are all one in Christ Iesu By these sayings it appeareth that it is a very rotten foundation that the word world wheresoeuer it is expressed in the Scripture in the matter of grace doth note out an vniuersalitie of all mankinde none at all excepted The first place Ioh. 3. World taken for mankinde indefinitly Now let vs consider the places by themselues seuerally As touching the words Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world we say that by the name of world mankinde indefinitly is meant as Christ saith Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world that is for the reprobates but onely for them whom the father gaue vnto him and should beleeue in him Rom 8. Paul also to the Romanes declareth that the loue of God in Christ is so great that the beloued of God are made vnconquerable against things present and to come and against all the temptations of the world which thing certainly cannot be spoken of all men Therefore that loue belongs not to all albeit generally God hateth nothing of those things hee hath made as wee haue seene before But goe to let vs answere the contrary reasons whereby they endeuour to proue that the word world which is verie doubtfull in the Scripture is here necessarily taken for the whole masse of mankinde altogether say they as it is taken Rom. 5. By one man sinne came into the world and death by sinne D. Iacob Andreas Colloq Mompel appealeth vnto the iudgement and one consent of all writers and interpreters old and new Great rashnes certainly which to suppresse I will produce one of many euen Rupertus Tuitiensis who florished about 400. yeres
vpon Leuiticus quaest 84. witnesseth that visible Baptisme did him no good because he had not the inuisible Hitherto let Luthers sayings be referred Luth. in Gen. 17 that baptisme is erected for a signe of righteousnes to all that beleeue in Christ. That the vertue of Baptisme consisteth in the vse or faith of him that receiueth it Also De Cap. Basil in 3. Ioel. that holie Baptisme is the fountaine of saluation whereof they that drinke that is In Gen. 48. beleeue the promise added doe neuer thirst And that he generally elsewhere pronounceth that the Sacrament worketh not grace without faith and hee taxeth the dreame of the papists that Baptisme profiteth thee and iustifieth thee whether thou beleeuest or not Neither saith Brentius otherwise Brentius explicat Catechis de Baptis where among other things he writeth that Baptisme is a seale whereby Christ publikely confirmeth that he deliuereth and giueth those speciall heauenly good things that are promised in the Gospell to him that beleeueth Againe that Baptisme is a royall vnction the Sacrament confirming and publishing that thing which a man before had receiued by faith for man is not then first receiued into the Lords tuition seeing before he was receiued by faith but then his admission is first confirmed by an externall signe And handling that promise He that beleeueth c. plainely saith thus Baptisme as it profiteth much if in faith it be redeemed so it doth no good if it be without faith and he maketh mention of an example out of the tripartite History lib. 11. cap. 14. of a certaine Iewe a craftie fellow who would often receiue Baptisme not for that he beleeued in Christ but that by this meanes hee might get money of Christians who albeit hee was Baptized yet was not truely made a Christian by his Baptisme The same Brentius vpon Iohn fol. 119. expressely writeth that not euery one that is Baptized is regenerated for faith must be required not to the perfection of the Sacrament but to the profite of the receiuer Chytraeus Likewise Dauid Chytreus Tract de bapt printed at Wittenberge 1580. saith That ministers doe Baptize with water pronounce the word and giue water but Christ Baptiseth with the holy Ghost and regenerateth the beleeuers Againe many being washed in water and not bringing to Baptisme true faith are Baptized not with the inspiration of the holy Ghost but with water onely as Simon Magus Ia. Andr. Col. Momp pa. 486. thes 6◠30. These things largely set downe doe shew to whom belongeth the promise of grace in Baptisme against the error and more than a dreame of certaine men to wit that regeneration is giuen to all in Baptisme beleeuers and vnbeleeuers and that if an vnbeleeuing hypocrite be Baptized he is not onely outwardly Baptized in water but inwardly also by the holy spirit yea euen Simon Magus no lesse then others receiued grace in Baptisme This doubtles is to administer Baptisme not for a Sacrament of Christ but for Christ himselfe as the Apologie of the Confession of Wittenberge casteth in the papists teeth who say the same thing that these men doe to wit that remission of sinnes is wrought by Baptisme by the very vertue of the Sacrament and Gods promise and not onely by faith Let the papists then haue the victorie and the confession of the Duke of Wittenberge will lie in the dust being ouerthrowne by the very men that ought to defend it Obiection of infants faith But what shall we say of infants Baptized Cannot Baptisme saue them without faith I answer Although we haue some men in our time who thinke that euen infants beleeue and would haue all men so to thinke yet the contrarie opinion of Augustine and other olde writers is more sincere and safe Augustine For thus Augustine vpon Iohn tract 80. Infants cannot beleeue saith This word of faith onely is of force in the Church that euen neuer so little clenseth the infant by the Church beleeuing offering blessing and touching it though the infant cannot beleeue with the hart to righteousnes and with the mouth confesse to saluation Likewise in his fourth booke of Baptisme chapter 24. hee saith Infants through want of age can neither beleeue with the heart to righteousnes nor with the mouth confesse to saluation See also his 23. epistle to Bonifacius and Iustine Martyr question 56. Barnard also alloweth the same opinion Epist 77. Infants because their age hindred them cannot haue faith The reason is plaine And why they cannot for faith presupposeth knowledge of those things that are to be beleeued And that little children do know diuine things who as yet vnderstand not humaine if wee would by words declare saith Saint Augustine also Epist 57. we must be afraide least we be thought to doe iniurie to our very senses seeing that by speaking we endeuour to perswade a thing where the euidence of the trueth is greater than all the strength and force of speech Moreouer they that maintaine the faith of little children The contrary opinions of Brentius and Andr touching the faith of infants doe not a little disagree in opinions some thinking that faith is giuen them in Baptisme and others before Baptisme Of the later opinion is Brentius Explicat Catechis where hee maketh this argument God acknowledgeth none truely in the number of his people vnles he doe beleeue and maketh his assumption of infants The infants of Gods people in olde time were part of Gods people euen before they were circumcised and therefore our infants now also pertaine to the people of God euen before they be Baptized according to the promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. I will be thy God and God of thy seede after thee Contrariwise Iacob Andree Brentius his successor defendeth the former opinion Colloq Mompel fol. 458. Before infants saith he be Baptized I cannot affirme that they doe beleeue because faith is giuen vnto them in Baptisme And streight after Infants Baptized haue the grace of adoption freely giuen them with faith and the holy Ghost Likewise Luther in 17. Gen. albeit in his booke of praying he seeme to thinke otherwise hath left it written that the children of the Israelites had this blessing that on the eight daye faith was giuen them and they were made the people of God which thing he would haue in like manner vnderstoode of the Children of Christians in their Baptisme And this opinion surely is driuen to a great straight because of infants in olde time that dyed before the eyght day when they should be circumcised and depart this life daily as yet without Baptisme being depriued of it not of any contempt but of necessitie whom yet they both doe rather reckon in the number of such as be saued seeing the couenant of God is not transgressed or made frustrate Luth. in 17. Gē Col. Momp pag. 496. But after their opinion no man be he a childe or a man
Beside this argument which is the principall out of this place there be others also Let the second argument then be from thence that the Apostle testifieth that we are elected in Christ They that are chosen in Christ are chosen doubtles not of their works or for any respect of their worthines properly For so they should be said to be elected in themselues and not in Christ Thirdly we are elected being not as yet borne yea before the creation of the world wheÌ„ we had done neither any good nor euill Neither can that shift haue any place touching the foreseeing of some good in vs because as I also aboue mentioned and the precedent words of the Apostle did confirme no good could be foreseene in vs but what was prepared of God by the grace of predestination Fourthly the last end of our election is the acknowledging and setting forth of the glorious grace of God by which he doth freely make vs acceptable vnto himselfe in that his beloued But this end God could not obtaine vnlesse election were euery way free For wittily and truly saith Augustine It is not grace any way A fine saying if it bee not freely bestowed euerie way Fiftly Paul expressely assigneth the cause of our predestination when he saith He hath predestinated vs according to his good pleasure he doth not say according to the purpose of our will as though God did respect our future good works or the consent of our will vnto his offered grace or else the good vse of our freewill or such like thing in ourselues The Greeke words are very significant Why God chuseth this man and not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore to such as aske the question why hath God chosen these men and not those the answere is most true and good because it so pleased him As Christ alleadgeth no other cause of the Gospell hid from the wise and reuealed to babes but the good pleasure of the father And surely if we diligently consider in the Scriptures what things are taught of the cause of predestination we shall see them come for the most part to these heads namely To the good pleasure and will of God which two words are ioyned together Eph. 1. To his purpose that is according to election Ro. 9. To his power also as the Apostle saith Hath not the potter power Lastly vnto the mercie and loue of God when he saith It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God shewing mercie And Iacob I haue loued but Esau I haue hated But concerning workes done or to bee done the Scripture speaketh not a word in this matter but alwaies to exclude them as from vocation and iustification so also from election Furthermore hitherto tendeth that which the Lord saith The 3. place Ioh. 15. Ioh. 15. Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And we had chosen him if according to our faith or good will election had bin If we should be chosen of God saith Augustine De praedest sanct cap. â—3 because he foresaw that we would beleeue and not that he himselfe would make vs faithfull doubtles we our selues should first chuse him by beleeuing in him that wee might deserue to bee chosen of him He taketh away this altogether who saith Ye haue not chosen me but I you CHAP. XI Of the cause of reprobation IT sufficiently then appeareth by so many proofes alleaged that God elected his Saints in Christ vnto eternall life not for any workes or through foreseeing of their faith but according to the purpose of his own will of meere grace which doth not finde Aug. hom in Io. 38 epist 106 but make them to be elected as the ancient saying is And albeit wee seeme with the same labour not obscurely to haue touched what must bee held concerning the cause of reprobation yet to make the matter more cleere wee thinke good seuerally to declare The cause of reprobation is the will and good pleasure of God and not foreseene vnbeleefe or sinnes that the cause of reprobation consisteth not in the future vnbeleefe of the reprobates or other sinnes which God foresaw but in the will of God himselfe chusing whom he pleaseth and reprobating whom hee pleaseth by his will which is surely remote from our senses yet most right and to bee adored rather than curiously searched into The 1. reason Rom. 8. Ephes 2. For if sinnes were the cause of reprobation wee had all been reprobates seeing all of vs are vnder sinne the children of wrath and eternall death that such election should adopt as abdication doth refuse And albeit the grace of the Mediatour bee offered vs in the Gospell yet it is Gods gift that we begin to haue faith and doe hold it vnto the end For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4. Why then is this mercie withdrawne from the reprobates Marke this Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. that faith is not inspired into them Is it because they will not No. For so on the contrary the elect should therefore beleeue because they are willing and so God should not giue them faith but they by being willing should bestow it on themselues and should haue some thing that they had not receiued The 2. reason Further if wee should consider reprobation to slow from vnbeleefe or from malice foreseene it wil necessarily follow that election dependeth on faith or workes foreseene This reason is Augustines but that he speaketh particularly of Iacob and Esau If saith he we graunt Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. that Esau was not hated but for the desert of vnrighteousnes it followeth that Iacob was loued for the merit of righteousnes Againe If because God foresaw the future euill workes of Esau therefore he predestinated him to serue his yonger brother euen God predestinated Iacob therefore that his elder brother should serue him because he foresaw his future good workes Paul doth alike speake of both The 3. reason While the children were yet vnborne when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand sure according to election not of workes but of the caller it was said The elder shall serue the yonger These words Augustine weighing expressely writeth in the foresaid place that Esau was reiected for no desert because both he was vnborne and also had done nothing no not in the foreknowledge of his future euill will because so Iacob also had been approued by the foreknowledge of his future good will and in vaine it should bee said Not of workes The same things he writeth ad Laur. cap. 98. The obiection that the Apostle moueth The 4. reason Rom. 9. Is there therefore vnrighteousnes with God and the answere to that obiection and also the parable of the potter of his owne power and will making vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour fully confirme our opinion that as wee can assigne no other
Philip. 2. All seeke their owne Ioh. 3. No man receiueth his testimonie If no man to what purpose came he from heauen Therefore none of a certaine sort because there is a certain people prepared for the wrath of God to be damned with the deuils none of this sort receiueth the testimonie of Christ saith August Tract 14. Many other examples the author of the calling of the Gentiles bringeth By all which is plainly shewed that All men are very often in the Scriptures named for a part of men the discerning of whom notwithstanding the Scripture soone openeth that the vnderstanding of the reader may be caried from the generall terme vnto that part which is to be vnderstood Herevpon Logicians giue a rule of restrayning an vniuersall note or signe vnto the subiect matter according to the rule A rule in Logike Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur esse à suis subiectis that is Such are the things that are vttered as they are permitted to be by their subiect matter Which precept hath not onelie place in this case of elect and reprobates beleeuers and vnbeleeuers but also elsewhere very often as when it is sayd All things are pure to the pure All things are lawfull for me c. CHAP. XIII Some other waies of the vniuersalitie of redemption All that are redeemed are redeemed by Christ MOreouer we affirme that by the vse of the Scripture and godly antiquitie it is rightly sayd that Christ died for all and that all are redeemed and saued by his death by a fit distribution as they say that is so farre forth as all who are redeemed and saued haue redemption and saluation in none other but in Christ by his blood Cyr. de lap hominis For all redemption as Cyrill speaketh is in Christ and through him commeth euery good gift 1. Cor. 15. Rom. 5. Epist 28. In this sense those sayings of the Apostle All are quickened and iustified in Christ Augustine euery where expoundeth as we shall see at large hereafter Because saith he as all men who die die not but in Adā so all men who are quickened shall be quickened in none other but in Christ And in this very kinde of speech the same man de pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 25. expoundeth that saying in Iohn chap. 1. He inlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world Therefore saith he is this spoken because no man is inlightened but by that light of the truth I know that Theophilact and some other referre that saying to the light of reason as of the inward eye of which exposition also Augustine maketh mention But this is enough for vs seeing the other way also the words of the Euangelist may be well taken to haue shewed the vse of this maner of speaking We haue a more manifest example 1. Cor. 12. He worketh all in all Where we haue neede of a double restraint All that is he worketh all powers gifts whatsoeuer in whomsoeuer For hee giueth all to no man much lesse all to all men but whatsoeuer grace or spirituall power is in any whomsoeuer is from him Philip. in paruis logical bringeth an example out of the 1. of Iohn Of his fulnes all we haue receiued and he warneth that it bee taken exclusiuely for the vniuersall signe is drawne to a certaine kinde and there is signified the shutting out of others As many of vs as haue receiued grace all of vs haue receiued it from Christ alone As if we should say of a Augustines similitudes de nat grat cap. 41. one schoolemaster in a citie This man teacheth all here letters or of some one b De pec mer. lib. 1. 28. midwife in a citie She receiueth all or as wee may say c Contr. Iuli. lib. 6. cap. 12. Christ iustifieth all in what sense Ad Bonif. lib. 1. cap. 7. alibi All enter into the house by one gate There all and such like are well spoken yet we may not vnderstand all men but such as learne letters and such as bee borne in that citie or els enter into the same house In like maner Christ iustifieth all men as farre forth as none is iustified but by him And this Augustine diligently vrgeth against the Pelagians who thought that not all but many are deliuered by Christ for they would haue some to be saued also without Christ by nature and freewill and the law whether naturall or giuen by Moses although in the meane while they would confesse that the way of saluation by Christ is more readie and commodious According to this sense Hilarie also writeth Comment in Matth. Canon 7. All the saluation of the Gentiles is of faith Hilarie and the life of al is in the precepts of the Lord. Ambrose But Ambrose somewhat more cleerely lib. 9. Epist 71. saith The Lord Iesus comming hath pardoned all men their sinne which no man could auoide and hath taken away the sinne of the whole world as Iohn testifieth Therefore let no man reioyce in workes because none shall be iustified by his deedes but he that is iust hath a free gift because after washing he is iustified Therefore it is faith saith he which deliuereth through the blood of Christ Iesus He saith expressely that Christ hath pardoned all their sinne but expounding himselfe he meaneth not that al and euery one in very deed are deliuered by Christs blood without respect of faith or infidelitie for he doth manifestly restraine the proprietie of redemption vnto the beleeuers but this he meaneth that they who are deliuered from sinne are deliuered by the free gift of Christ and not by their workes Of the later new writers Wolfgangus Musculus in his common places expoundeth it in this very sense Musculus that the redemption of Iesu Christ is well called vniuersall because no man is nor can be redeemed without it because there is saluation in none other Act. 4. nor any other name vnder heauen giuen to men whereby wee may be saued The same man alleadgeth this reason also of vniuersall redemption to wit because it is prepared for all and all are called vnto it that is as he himselfe titulo de remiss peccatorum quaest 2. expoundeth because albeit the grace of redemption doth not happen to all yet it is preached to all and set forth and all are indifferently inuited vnto it as in the Gospell the royall mariage was prepared for all Matth. 22. and all were bidden although not all alike were made partakers of the mariage because the mariage was in deede made readie for all but they which were called were not worthie for many are called but few chosen As touching therefore externall vocation Christ with all his benefits is set forth vnto all with this annexed thereto that all beleeue in him Mark 16. and as the Lord commanded the Gospell is preached to euery creature and repentance and remission of sinnes is preached in
his name among all nations Luk. 24. Ioh. 3. that whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne should not perish but haue euerlasting life By this precept there is no difference made of any nations De vocat gent. lib 2. cap. 1. or any men Vnto all men is the Gospell of the crosse of Christ sent who hath excepted no man hath separated no man because of his stocke or condition saying Preach the Gospell to euery creature he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned Hereupon the Lord in the Gospell cryeth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie Matth. 11. and I wil refresh you In which words one thing is commanded and another thing is promised Let vs doe what hee commandeth let vs goe all to the Lord and follow him so we shall haue what he hath promised For he casteth not foorth but receiueth and refresheth such as come vnto him In the meane while who shal come and who shall not come he doth know of whom the Sonne witnesseth Ioh. 6.44 No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Whosoeuer therfore hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth vnto me For men as Augustine discusseth that place preach outwardly and beate into the eares the sound of words and so men doe heare of men But that they vnderstand it is giuen inwardly it shineth inwardly it is reuealed inwardly by him who giueth increase Aug. tract 26. in Ioh. pluribus tract 3. in 1. Ioh. And Prosper lib. 2. cap. 9. de vocat gent. saith They who come are directed by the helpe of God they who come not resist through their owne obstinacie Lastly learned interpreters do admonish All taken for all sorts or kinds and the examples of phrases in the Scriptures confirme that the particle All often times ought to bee expounded not for a thing simplie vniuersall but indefinite so that All doth note whatsoeuer and rather All kinds or sorts then all particulars of euerie kinde So Augustine tract 53. in Ioh expounding that saying I will draw all vnto me when I am exalted By all saith he all the predestinate vnto saluation may be rightly vnderstood of all whom nothing shall perish Or certainly saith he all that is all kinds of men whether in all tongues or in all ages or in all degrees of men and whatsoeuer other thing can be spoken according to the innumerable differences whereby excepting onely sinnes men doe differ among themselues from the highest vnto the lowest from the king vnto the beggar I will draw all vnto me This maner of speech he at large teacheth Enchir. ad Laurent cap. 103. and de Correp gratia cap. 14. In both places hee bringeth this Luk. 11.42 Ye tithe mint and rew and all herbes For saith he the Pharisees did not tithe all strange herbes of all strangers through all lands but by all herbes wee must vnderstand all kind of herbes And many places agreeable to this kinde of speech doe meete vs in the Scriptures Matth. 4.23 and 10.1 as that Christ and his Apostles healed all sicknes and disease in the people and all that were possessed with the deuill Act. 10.38 And that all foure footed beasts and creeping things were shewed to Peter in the sheete that was let downe from heauen Act. 10.12 Act. 20.27 and 21.2 Ephes 3.9 And that Paul shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of God That he taught all the Iewes euery where not to circumcise their sonnes and which is more that he hath made cleere to all men c. and that wee are commanded to shew all gentlenes to all men that is to whomsoeuer Tit. 3.2 Infinite such like places there be which euery where meet them that search the holie Scriptures What is more harsh and inconuenient then for a man to vrge precisely the vniuersall particle in such places And that no man should marueile at this our speech let a man weigh these kind of speeches also All Iudea went out to Iohn Baptist Mark 5. Matth. 10. Ioh. 16. 2. Tim. 1. and all were baptized in Iordan Ye shall be hated of all men for my name All that shall kill you shall thinke they serue God All in Asia are turned from Paul Here the meaning is not that all the Iewes none excepted came to Iohn and were baptized of him but many euerie where out of all Iewrie And vnles the same figures Synecdoche be applied to other sayings monstrous and strange interpretations will arise Those we shall auoide by obseruing the maner of the Scripture whereof August epist 59. saith It is the maner of the Scripture to speake so of a part as of the whole which custome of diuine Scripture spersed vsuallie throughout all the bodie of the doctrine of it whosoeuer shall diligently marke shall plainly vnderstand many things which seeme to be contrarie one to another What should be then the cause that a man should not according to the vsuall custome of the Scriptures here also expound the vniuersall note All after the like maner to wit that Christ died for all that is speaking of the efficacie of redemption for whomsoeuer that rightly and without any hainous offence it bee referred not so well to euery one as vnto all sorts of men of whom without doubt the vniuersalitie of the elect doth consist But of the whole matter by setting downe a new principle it seemeth we must more diligently intreate THE SECOND BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION CONSISTING IN CONFVTATION CHAP. I. A transition vnto the examination of the arguments of the Aduersarie and the distribution of them into certaine rankes or orders THose things being briefelie laied open which we thought good first to handle touching the summe of the controuersie let vs now goe to examine the arguments particularly whereupon the Aduersarie resteth for the defence of his opinion afterward also we will confirme our opinion by fit testimonies and reasons of the sacred Scriptures Therefore that Christ dyed for all Adams posteritie not one at all excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde and so truely that he hath satisfied for the sinnes of all efficiently as they say and not sufficiently onely and that all whether they doe beleeue or not beleeue or neuer will beleeue are equallie by the death of Christ from sinne and damnation redeemed restored into the bosome of grace iustified quickened and lastly saued they indeuour to proue and conuince by a threefold order or ranke of reasons The first order containeth those reasons wherein vniuersalitie is expresselie set downe The second produceth such arguments as speake expresselie of reprobates and testifieth if we beleeue them that Christ died no lesse effectuallie for them then for Peter Paul and euery Saint The third ranke hath wonderfull as they say absurdities which they would make to follow of the contrarie opinion The
a Sauiour to saue them but as to him who hath receiued all power in heauen and earth Secondly he vrgeth the words that he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are said to be all of one that is partakers of one and the same nature whereof he inferreth that Christ suffered vnderstand alwaies effectually for the whole nature of mankinde and as many as are partakers of the same But here there is no consequence at all And he boldly writeth that this is so cleere as nothing can bee more cleere Trifles For the Apostle saith not that Christ sanctifieth all who are partakers with him of the same humane nature neither can this bee gathered of his words vnles a man altogether vnskilfull of Logicke should think that that affirmatiue he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one may simply bee conuerted More rightly the writer of the calling of the Gentiles in the last booke first chapter saith Nature being euill and miserable in all men before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and among such as should perish there is a difference made in some part thereof by him who came to seeke and saue that which was lost Thirdly he thus reasoneth Christ hath abolished him who had the power of death the deuill Ergo by dying he hath pulled all and euery one out of his power I answere that the deuill is destroyed by the death of Christ vnto the faithfull Coloss 1.13 vnto whom all the assault of Satan is in vaine and of none effect vntill the God of peace doe at length vtterly tread him vnder their feete Rom. 16. Ioh. 3. But the wrath of God abideth vpon the vnbeleeuers and consequently the power of Satan who is as a certaine executioner of Gods wrath to punish In the meane while we confesse with Leo that the death of Christ is so rich in value that if the vniuersalitie of captiues should beleeue in Christ no bands of Satan could hold them Obiection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thus the deuill shall not bee abolished while his power remaineth ouer very many I answer that it is a fallacie à dicto secundū quid that is from a saying spoken in part For as we rightly say that Christ doth abolish and take away sinnes that is the workes of the deuill by iustifying and gouerning his owne albeit in the meane while sinne ceaseth not to raigne in very many so the deuill is worthily said to bee abolished by the death of Christ Ephes 2.2 2. Tim. 2.26 although his power continueth towards the children of disobedience Let other places be compared wherein the Greeke word is extant as 1. Corint 1.28 Romanes 6.6 and 2. Tim. 1.10 Fourthly they be the expresse words of the Apostle That Christ tasted death for all that he might set them at libertie as many as were all their life subiect vnto bondage To this we answere if this saying be meant of the efficacie of Christs death the vniuersall particle doth not comprehend all men and euery one but all who are sanctified as here and somewhat after the Apostle himselfe declareth For when he had made mention of death which he tasted for all straightwaies he annexeth a declaration of the sonnes of God as it were painting out a certaine companie or armie of them before whom being to be brought from the kingdome of that hellish Pharao into the true land of promise and the glorie of the heauenly kingdome goeth cheerfully that first begotten sonne of God the prince and author of their saluation who died for them all and rose againe and being crowned with glorie and honour carieth before them his crosse as it were for a standard and prepareth and fortifieth the way for thē And a little after They that are sanctified saith he and hee that sanctifieth are all of one Where by those that are sanctified he noteth such as are appointed to the saluation of their soules and must be brought vnto glory as he had said before In these surely the efficacie of Christs death is extant and not in those who are not sanctified as after also in the 10. chapter he saith that Christ by one offering hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified And these bee they of whom Christ himselfe speaketh Ioh. 17. Father I sanctifie that is offer my self for thē that they may be also sanctified through the truth to wit they who are giuen to the sonne by the father and are his people as the Apostle also saith vers 17. of this chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was in all things made like to his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in the things of GOD to satisfie for the sinnes of the people And as for that which is mentioned of deliuerance from bondage and the horror of death by the death of Christ wee may finde this effect also in the godly who being armed against corporall and spirituall death Ioh. 5.24 with the death of Christ as with a remedie against all euill haue passed from death to life And so Brentius himselfe in Expli Catech. expresseth this saying page 164. Christ saith he hath abolished death by his death not that we should not die bodily but that the bodily death should not bee the destruction of him who beleeueth in Christ for he is preserued in death to eternall life Albeit as touching this later member wee are to know that the text may be indefinitly read as the old translation hath it and after that Luther in the Dutch that he might deliuer them who through feare of death were all their life subiect to bondage For the Grecians as Stephanus in his Thesaurus warneth doe take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as many as for who And thus much of this kinde of testimonies which say that Christ our Lord died for all with the answers also added to the reasons gathered out of the circumstances of those testimonies Such places follow wherein the fruite of Christs death and passion seemeth to be extended to all without exception CHAP. IIII. HEre first the words of the Apostle are obiected comparing the fall of Adam and the redemption by Christ together Rom. 5.18 where among other things hee writeth Huber thes 48. The first place of the aduersarie out of Rom. 5.18 alleadged to proue that the fruite of Christs death belongs to all that as by one offence guiltines came vpon all men to condemnation so by one iustification the benefit of Christ redoundeth vnto all men to the iustification of life Both there is all men and here also all therefore as many as perished in Adam are iustified by Christ Neither is it any matter say they that it followeth straightway that many are made righteous by the obedience of one for by many is not vnderstood some onely but all because in like maner it is sayd that in Adam many are made sinners
ago He in Comment in Ioh. wherein he diligently vseth to follow Augustine thus writeth vpon this present place We take the world surely which God loued World for the elect and faithfull before and since Christ for mankinde that is quicke and dead dead truly who expected through faith Christ to come aliue who either of Iewes or Gentiles should beleeue in him For so he saith without difference of Iew or Gentile vniuersally that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In the iudgement of Augustine this exposition is confirmed by the sentence immediatly added of Christ when he saith for God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world may be saued It is the same world doubtlesse which the father loued and which Christ came to saue And that world for whose saluation Christ came Tract 110. as Augustine witnesseth as wee cited before be the elect and beleeuers Hearken Huber and cease to be angrie if this interpretation please vs also or els if thou canst disproue it remember that thou must contend with reasons and not with railings to finde out the trueth But haue ye any reason D. Iacobus bringeth for a reason that Christ addeth in the same place This is the iudgement Coll. Momp that light is come into the world and the world loued darknes more then it Here the word world saith he cannot be vnderstood of the elect onely but specially of those who are reiected and damned But he negligently alleadged the text for it hath men loued darknes There is no mention of world Thes 119. Huberus proofe is nothing sounder Christ saith he diuideth the world into two sorts into such as receiue and such as withstand the light or of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Therfore to both sorts of men did God send his sonne I answere the Antecedent is denied Among men truly some beleeue others doe not some loue the light others hate it but that Christ diuideth that world whereof he had said So God loued the world into two kindes it cannot be proued out of the text Thus it appeareth that there is no argument here out of the word world Further albeit it shuld bee graunted that by world there is meant al men it would not yet follow that Christ and his benefits doe therefore belong to all whether they beleeue or not seeing they are expressely restrained vnto the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers while it is added that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life What can be more cleere The 2. place Ioh. 1. As touching the place Ioh. 1.29 Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world we willingly graunt that the sacrificing of this Lambe is sufficient for all the sins of all men but as touching the effect Christ taketh away sinnes from such as confesse them and beleeue as Iohn himselfe witnesseth 1. Epist 1. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all iniquitie Againe If wee walke in light as he is the light wee haue fellowship with him and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne He calleth it sinne in the singular number for any kinde of iniquitie And where he saith of the world he draweth the efficacie of this sacrifice indifferently vnto the redemption of Gentiles and Iewes least the Iewes should thinke that the redeemer was sent to them alone Hereupon the Saints in that song of the Lambe doe sing Apoc. 5 9. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hast made vs to our God kings and priests and wee shall raigne vpon the earth As touching the words of Christ Ioh. 6.51 The 3 place Ioh. 6. The bread which I will gâ—ue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world out of that whole Sermon it is cleerer than the noone day that not euery one is made partaker in very deede of this spirituall eternall life and also of that true heauenly bread but such as by faith come vnto him and eating his flesh and drinking his blood are incorporated into him as they bee whom the father hath giuen to the sonne For the truth saith Verely I say vnto you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood ye shall haue no life in you He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life For my flesh is meate in deede As the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father so also hee that eateth mee doth liue by me Than which words what can bee spoken more cleere for the confirmation of our opinion to wit that the effect of this sacrifice whereby Christ offered himselfe to the father as a sweet smelling fauour for the life of the world belongeth not vnto all without respect of faith or vnbeleefe but vnto them who are incorporated into Christ to be partakers of the spirit Tract 26. For participation saith Augustine whereby we eate him is the cause that we liue through Christ Neither can a man liue by the spirit of Christ vnlesse he be of his bodie as my bodie liueth by my spirit and thy bodie by thine How is then Christ the life of the world 2. Obiections for he witnesseth that he giueth life vnto the world and that he will giue himselfe for the life of the world Further Christ sayd vnto all to whom he preached My father doth giue you true bread from heauen and yet many of them afterward went away from him Therefore that bread of life belongeth to al alike Hub. thes 125. to backsliders and continuers to the saued and the damned Answere to the first To the first obiection I say Rom. 4. as the Apostle writeth of Abraham that by promise he was made the heare of the world that is the father of all the faithfull so that much more Christ is rightly termed the life of the world as farre forth as he bestoweth eternall life vpon the sonnes of Abraham dispersed through the world Secondly he is also the life of the world taking now the world for all men who are haue been and shall be as farre forth as no one man of all mortall men can haue life but by him albeit notwithstanding not all in verie deede are quickened For there is not in any other saluation or life Acts 4. neither is there any other name vnder heauen which is giuen among men whereby we must be saued Thirdly he did that which lay in him offering such a sacrifice which was sufficient to haue taken away the destruction of all and to haue restored life to all but that the vnbeleeuers receiue not life they are in fault by refusing Christ as Theophilact vpon this very place and vpon the 9. to the Hebrewes teacheth The same man noteth that the life
Neither that onely 2 Thes 3. Tit. 1. but euen true beleeuers seeing all men haue not a liuely faith in Christ but the elect are kept by the power of God vnto saluation through faith 1. Pet. 1. Ier. 32.39 40. as Peter testifieth And this is the meaning of the promises I wil giue vnto them one heart and one way and I will make an euerlasting couenant with them I will put my feare in their harts that they may not depart from me Also I will plant them in their land Amos 9.15 neither shall they bee any more rooted out of their land saith the Lord. Who are these but the faithfull planted in the courts of the Lord and ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And by the testimonie of Iohn He that is borne of God sinneth not because the seede of God abideth in him 1. Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 1. neither can he sinne because he is borne of God For wee are not borne againe of mortall but of immortall seede by the word of the liuing God who abideth for euer Hubâ—â— thes 29. 1. Tim. 1 4. Objection Which thing seeing it is so that word being once by regenerating faith apprehended and receiued into the hart abideth for euer and can no more fall away as Luther hath well obserued vpon that place Answere As for that which is obiected Faith for the doctrine of faith Aduers Anthrop morph cap. 9. that some fall away from the faith and make shipwracke of it wee must vnderstand that faith is often taken for the doctrine of faith And so many doe fall from faith going backe from the doctrine which they did professe also cleauing vnto doctrines of deuils while they would seeme to follow Christ as Chrysostome and Theophylact expound those places and Cyrill of Alexandria also hath it that Hymeneus and Alexander made shipwrack concerning faith because they said that the resurrection was past alreadie To this end serueth the answere that an historicall faith is one thing Diuerse significations of faith Credere Deo credere Deum credere in DeuÌ„ Aug de Tempore Serm. 181. and a iustifying and sauing faith is an other thing or that it is one thing credere Deo and another thing credere Deum and another thing credere in Deum that is to beleeue God to beleeue that he is God and to beleeue in God To beleeue God is to beleeue that the things bee true which he speaketh which many euill men can doe And to beleeue that he is God euen the deuils may But to beleeue in God they onely know who loue him and who are Christians not onely in name but also in deedes and life For faith without loue is the deuils faith vaine but with loue it is the faith of a Christian And this faith of a Christian setled in the foundation suffereth no man to perish as Augustine writeth which thing a certaine glosse also of Luthers vpon the 7. De fide operibus cap. 18. of Matth. confirmeth in these words That faith which is effectuall by workes purifieth the heart and such vertue standeth vnmoueable against all the force of windes and the power of hell because it is grounded vpon the rocke Christ. Otherwise is the state of those that haue an historicall deuillish and dead faith onely and therefore counterfeite and not true because it is not liuely notwithstanding it may bee called true as touching true notions or knowledge and agreeable to diuine reuelations These things as touching the perseuerance of the elect and truly beleeuers Heerbrandus Disputatione Tubingensi de electione plainly confirmeth which I here produce that these new disputers who now out of the same schoole sow contrarie opinions may be lesse angrie with vs. For thus it hath determined that those who are predestinated to life do not fall away finally and that such are they who vnderstand themselues to be ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And whereas many doe fall away who are in writing recorded to haue had faith that they had onely a temporarie faith without true regeneration of the heart These things saith he in the foresaid disputation thes 40.45 47. Of the fall of reprobates that were in the Church Now as touching the other part concerning reprobates who for a time haue a place in the Church among the sonnes of God that rule is well to bee marked in the second chapter of the first of Iohn verse 19. They went out from vs Tract 3. in epist. Io. but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they had surely continued with vs. He speaketh of them as Augustine doth notably set foorth this place who by chance going out returne not againe who also when they are within are not of vs How reprobates are called beleeuers and partakers of redemption Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. Phil. 1.7 nor as members are within the bodie of Christ but as euill humours sith that his bodie is as yet in curing and the health of it shall not be perfect till the resurrection of the dead In the meane time because such persons are not manifest vnto men they are plainly called beleeuers conuerted iustified sanctified redeemed disciples and members of Christ temples and the sonnes of God yea the elect of God plainly I say they haue these termes whom we see to professe with vs the same faith and Christian conuersation albeit in the meane while they be not oftentimes that in very deede which they are called before him who discerneth the intents and thoughts of the heart Hebr. 4. Ambrose and vnto whose eyes all things are knowne and manifest Ambrose lib. 1. Com. in Luc. cap. 1. saith very well Not euery one who is iust before men is iust before God Men see one way God seeth another men in the face God in the heart euen he is the iudge of the minde and the fact Therefore it is perfect praise to be iust before God And this very thing doth Augustine largely teach Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. 9. and citeth hither the saying of Christ If ye shall abide in my word ye shall be truly my disciples For al that giue their names to Christ are vsually called his disciples and Christians of Christ by reason of their profession but they be in deed that which they be called who abide in his word As the Apostle also saith We are the house of Christ Hebr. 2. if we hold that confidence and hope wherof we reioyce sure vnto the end And anon We are made partakers of Christ if wee hold sure vnto the end that beginning whereby we are sustained If not we are called before men partakers of Christ of his household sonnes and heires of God citizens of the Saints redeemed and beleeuers but wee are not the same truly before the Lord who will say in time to come I neuer knew you Matth.
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
The promise requireth faith And often elsewhere after this sort is the promise of saluation and eternall life made vnto the beleeuers repeated For the promise requireth faith and in respect of the beleeuers it is vniuersall as Ambrose also well expoundeth it lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10. Ambrose He that hath faith hath eternall life he is not excluded from pardon whosoeuer beleeueth shall not perish When he saith whosoeuer no man is excluded no man excepted All saith he that is of what state soeuer of what fall soeuer if he beleeueth let him not be afraide of perishing Now out of this vniuersall ground this is the argument wherewith we ouercome the world the diuell sinne death and hell A Syllogisme shewing how a man ought to applie to himselfe the generall promise Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ shall be saued by his grace and not be ashamed for euer The faithfull person assumeth I beleeue Lord. The conclusion followeth Therefore I shall be saued by the grace of God and not be ashamed for euer The maior of the Syllogisme is plaine by the promises produced before He that beleeueth hath in himselfe the proofe of the minor The beleeuer knoweth himselfe to haue faith and how for he certainely knoweth himselfe to beleeue his owne minde so telling him and his ready and vnfayned studie of new obedience witnessing the same whereupon faith is knowne as the tree by the fruites For as Iohn saith 1. Epist. 2. By this we are sure we know him if we keepe his commaundements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Hereupon also Augustine hath left it in writing that euery one most certainely seeth his faith if he haue the same Which saying of his Luther in Galat. 4. cap. Luther also alloweth as right and godly Yea the Apostle himselfe prescribeth this rule 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you be in faith examine your selues Wherein he sufficiently declareth that such as be ingraffed into Christ by a true faith may haue the knowledge therof in themselues Marke this But if Satan as if he is a lyar and murtherer from the beginning dare denie vnto thee that thou beleeuest yeelde not vnto him whosoeuer thou art O man who throughly perceiuest the tokens of faith in thy selfe but contrariwise goe most boldlie and say vnto him Goe behinde me Satan Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 1. for thou sauourest not the things which are of God I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded 1. Thess 5. that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day He is faithfull who hath called me who also will effect it A weake faith ought not to cast a man downe Neither is there any cause why thou shouldst bee troubled and cast downe in minde for the imperfection of faith and for those contrary motions feare doubtings heauines and manifolde temptations wherewith we daily fight as long as we carrie about this bodie of death For we know him who hath said Beholde my seruant whom I haue chosen my beloued Esay 24. Matth 12. he shall not breake a brused reede and smoking flaxe hee shall not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie Matth. 14.31 16 8. How often hath the Lord testified by notable examples in the Gospell towards his disciples and others greatly weake in faith how he doth not cast off but with great loue and lenitie receiue and cherish such as are weake in faith and daily maketh them more stronger Faith therefore although it be faint Rom. 14.3 so long as it is true and sincere shall not fayle of his effect Onely let him who feeleth himselfe to doubte exercise his faith If thou doubt doe this and wrestle against doubting let him say with the father of the child that had the dumbe spirit I beleeue Lord Mark 9. Luk. 17. helpe mine vnbelefe and let him pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Is this to driue men to desperation Is this to reason from pure particulars And what other consolation I pray you may be brought whereby a man may be made certaine of his saluation to wit that he is iust before God and heire of eternall life Certainely if we haue no other ground of comfort than that such as shall bee saued and damned the elect and reprobates are all alike redeemed by Christ we shall fall headlong into desperation Therefore madde and foolish he must needes be that thus concludeth They that are saued and damned The weake and wofull comfort that ariseth from the redemption of all and euery one without exception are all alike redeemed by Christ Ergo it will come to passe that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore it appeareth that that vniuersalitie of men redeemed no one at all excepted which the aduersarie so greatly talketh of is not the proper ground of Christian consolation but we must come to faith which putteth difference betweene those that shall be saued and damned For by faith we receiue the merite of Christ and applie it to our selues and therefore he that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne Iob. 3. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hitherto at the length is the aduersarie brought will he nill he to the intent he may assigne some thing certaine of the certaintie of saluation We saith he The aduersarie himselfe confesseth the truth Thes 534. Doe knowe that saluation is certaine vndoubted and constant and we say that it pertaineth vnto them who by faith abide in Christ and we say that they shall abide in faith who suffer not the word of vniuersall grace vpon all The faithfull shall continue Luke 22. Ioh. 17. to be taken frō themselues We also say the same thing and further say that they shall perseuer in the word and assurance of grace who are once ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuelie faith he praying for them and giuing them this freely that their faith shall not fayle For this foundation being once remoued of the perseuerance of true beleeuers what certainty can any man haue of the grace of God in time to come and therefore of his saluation What that the vniuersalitie of the promise which they so greatly vrge must then needes fall Flat contraries For these are flat contrarie that all beleeuers are saued and that some beleeuers doe fall away and perish But if saluation pertaine to them as it doth which by faith abide in Christ what shall we say of vnbeleeuers they are excluded Therefore let him looke to it Huber Thes 266. sequent who auoucheth that they are alike saued by Christ as well as any other and that the promises of grace and life belong to them also Obiection But grace is vniuersall Answere I answer
if the minister of the word inuite all men to faith exhort and stirre vp all to repentance But the promises of grace But the promises of grace belong to the beleeuers onely 2. Thess 3. Acts 13. wherein is offered mercie peace saluation honour glorie life and immortalitie these speaking of men growne are receiued no otherwise than by faith and faith all men haue not but whom God of his singular mercie vouchsafeth that diuine gift Further the aduersarie himselfe whether he will or not must confesse as before also we mentioned that saluation pertaineth vnto them Thes 534. who by faith abide in Christ Therefore it doth not belong to the vnbeleeuers and so to all no truly vnles a man would call againe the fable of Origene Origens fable that all men at length shall be saued Wherfore here the Antecedent is denied that the minister of the Gospell promiseth to all and preacheth the couenant of reconciliation to all as though all were comprehended alike in the couenant Zach 1.3 Ezech. 18.21 Esay 1.17 Acts 2.38 8.22 For to speake simply he promiseth to the beleeuers onely and to such as repent But to the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites he denounceth wrath because the wicked hath no peace saith the Lord neither is any thing promised vnto them but conditionally to wit if they turne and beleeue with all their heart The promise is made vnto the wicked conditionally And this condition God alone performeth in whom it pleaseth him seeing both faith and repentance bee his meere gift And in this sense it is rightly said that the promises ought to be preached and propounded vnto all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers as farre as the ministers office stretcheth that they should disperse the word of faith and saluation indifferently and publikely into the eares of all and setting forth the mercie of God in Christ who is the sacrifice for the sinnes of the world they should call whomsoeuer to imbrace the gift of grace and should inuite whomsoeuer they finde as it were to the mariage of the king Matth. 22. And it is an vngodly speech that all ought not to beleeue because the promise and saluation pertaineth not to all Nay because saluation is proper to the faithfull onely and death and condemnation to the vnfaithfull therefore ought all to repent and beleeue the Gospell that they perish not with the world but may haue eternall life Neither doth it any thing hinder this generall inuitation that it is certaine that many euer haue been and shall be contemners of grace offered seeing as the Apostle saith faith belongeth not to all 2. Thes 3. Matth. 22. Marke this and as Christ witnesseth many are called and few are chosen For the cōmandement of the king is enough and largely enough for the seruants that are the inuiters Go ye Luk. 14. Mark 16. and say ye to them that are bidden Come for all things are readie Call ye vnto the mariage whomsoeuer ye finde Againe Preach ye vnto euery creature Vnto this commandement must the faithfull preacher of righteousnes yeeld obedience whether he be receiued or reiected or els for the same endure any temporall aduersitie As also they who bee called must without delay obey their calling howsoeuer many obey not because they haue also a commandement greater then any shifting or refusall that they can make Come ye beleeue repent Psal 95. Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the desert Let Augustine be read touching this point against Cresconius Gram. lib. 1. cap. 5. 6. where by diuerse testimonies of Scripture he expressely sheweth The trueth must be preached to men though they will not heare it Matth. 10. that the trueth ought to be preached euen to them that will not heare The Lord saith in the Gospell When ye enter in say Peace be to this house if they bee worthie that bee therein your peace shall rest vpon them if not it shall returne to you againe Did he certifie them that they to whom they should preach that peace would receiue it Yet he gaue them to vnderstand that peace must be preached without delay euen to such as would not admit the same The Apostle also charged his Timothie 1. Tim. 4. that he should not bee slothfull in preaching for mens sakes to whom the preaching of the trueth is vnpleasant I charge thee before God and Christ Iesu Preach the word be instant in season and out of season rebuke exhort improue Therefore a faithfull workman will preach to such as are willing in season and to such as refuse out of season Christ also how many things spake he in the face of the Iewes Pharisees Saduces such as not onely would not beleeue but also greatly speake against him and persecute him And he knew surely saith Augustine because hee knew all things that these things would nothing profit them to their saluation but by his example peraduenture strengthened vs Eze. 2. 3. who cannot know before the future faith or vnfaithfulnes of men Beside we reade that the Prophets were sent to men so disobedient that God himselfe foretold the Prophets whom he sent that they to whom he sent them would not obey their words So Ezechiel was sent with the word of God to striue with the Iewes that would disobey dissent and speake against In lik maner Ieremy Iere. 1.19 7.27 to whom it was said Thou shalt speake all these words vnto them yet they will not heare thee and thou shalt call them but they will not answer thee Obiection If any man aske for what cause for what good with what fruite or effect are deafe men spoken vnto albeit the commandement of God bee sufficient against which it is a hainous offence to dispute yet other things also may be alleadged for an answer Answere Foure reasons why the word is preached to reprobates beside Gods cōmandement to doe it before set down 1. As long as men liue in this world reprobates and elect are ioyned together and cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man and therefore it is meete that the trueth bee preached indifferently to all least because of reprobates the elect be defrauded who will take profit by the preaching of the word Hereupon also Augustine de Correp grat 15. 16. Seeing wee know not who belongeth to the number of them that be predestinate and who belongeth not we ought to be so touched with the affection of charitie that we should be willing that all may be saued 2. By this meanes is cleerely shewed the miserable blindnes and great corruption of lost man and in very deede that appeareth true which Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man perceiueth not the things that be of the spirit of God that they be foolishnes vnto him and that he is not able truly to know them 3. The godly while they behold others left
by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
their prince and the children of Israel marking their doore posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe and so escaping so much differeth the world of the vnbeleeuers from the world or people of the faithfull that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may sooner be drowned in the bottome of hell than that the redemption by Christ that true Lambe of God should do them any good at all Esay 43.3 Also as the redeemer of Israel tooke his seruant Iacob and the seede of Abraham and brought them out of Babel into the land of the forefathers giuing the Egyptians the Ethiopians and other wicked people as it were the price for the redemption of the people of God Ier. 30. v. 11.23 so the Lord is with his Church to saue it while the storme abideth still vpon the head of the vngodly The brasen serpent Num 21. Againe in the desert the brasen Serpent lifted vp by Moses at the commandement of God was the onely remedie against the fierie serpents that whosoeuer should looke vpon it should not die but liue and that not for the thing seene but for God the sauiour of all whose word did heale as the Wiseman saith Sap. 16.7 As therefore they that were stung of Serpents then did not liue vnles they looked vpon the signe of health so the crosse of Christ is redemption and life to such as beleeue in him but not to vnbeleeuers And this is it that Christ auoucheth of himselfe Ioh. 3. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Moreouer Exod â—1 The 〈…〉 in the yeare of Iubilie among the Iewes there was a general freedome of all seruants in the yeare of Iubilee as farre forth as the law of libertie gaue leaue to all Hebrewes But as then they that willingly continued in bondage felt not the force of offred libertie so they feele not the efficacie of Christs redemptioÌ„ who abide addicted vnto the world Lib. 1. Ep. 1. Ambrose rehearsing this figure saith excellently He that is a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods all that he hath is libertie hee hath nothing of his who refuseth libertie saying I loue my master his wife and children I will not be free Hitherto tendeth the scape goate The scape goate Leuit. 16. vpon whose head the high Priest euery yeare vsed to lay the curse of all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their sinnes and trespasses and so sent him out into the wildernes and he bore all the sinnes of the people of Israel If this was a figure of Christ to come and of the attonement that he should make as truly it was we must needes confesse that Christ properly maketh satisfaction for the sins of his people as the goate was properly appointed for the people of God the children of Israel to make an attonement for all their iniquities For this cause also Heb. 2. Heb. 2. he is called mercifull and a faithfull high priest to appease Gods wrath for the sins of the people And in the 13. chapter Cap. 13. the Apostle respecting the whole legall sacrifice saith And Iesus suffered without the gate to sanctifie the people by his blood so that we that are his people may boldly say he hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and with his stripes wee are healed 1. Pet. 2. Concluding therefore the first ranke of our arguments The summe of all that hath been said and it is worthie to be obserued we affirme beleeue and confesse that the Sauiour promised to the world the Christ of God preached alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy Prophets and Apostles is appointed by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it bee proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein wee beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to bee vniuersall CHAP. VII Of the second order of proofes The first reason drawne from the definition of redemption IN this ranke we will vse reasons drawne from the analogie of faith and first I reason from the definition Iustification belongeth to the beleeuers and not to vnbeleeues But Redemption is the same that Iustification is Therefore Redemption belongeth to beleeuers and not to vnbeleeuers The Assumption is proued out of Paul Ephesians 1. Col. 1. where he defineth redemption to be remission of sinnes In another place to wit Rom. 4. he will haue the iustification of a man before God to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging that of the Psalme Psal 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered The Maior or first proposition is the doctrine of the Apostle largely handled and proued Rom. 3 4 and 5. chapters and Gal. 2. and 3. chapters to wit that man is iustified by faith in Christ Iesus To which doctrine nothing is more contrary than to imagine iustification to be so generall and largely spreading as condemnation is generall in all and vpon all men simply Thouching the words Ro. 5. we haue answered before least any should thinke that they may be obiected to maintaine so generall a iustification Ambroses exposition of all men Rom. 5. which also Ambrose vpon that place openly reiecteth and expoundeth that grace aboundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life as touching the beleeuers of whom there is a certaine proper vniuersalitie subiect to Christ and partaker of his grace no lesse than the vniuersality of mankind draweth from Adam sinne and death The second argument The 2. reason There is no remission of sinnes out of the Church Therefore neither redemption which Paul as I said defineth to be remission of sinnes The Antecedent Augustine proueth saying In 1. Epist Io. tract vlt. Where there is remission of sinnes there is the Church And from thence in the same place hee gathereth against the Donatists who shut vp the Church in a part of Africa that the Church of Christ is scattered through the whole world because remission of sinnes in the new Testament is despersed through all nations beginning at Hierusalem What is the Catholike Church For this is the Catholike Church that is the people of God throughout all nations accounting and reckening all the saints withal that were before the birth of Christ who yet were knit to the same body whereof he is the head while they beleeued in him who was preached of before Cap. 3. de cate Ruâ—iâ—bus as the same Augustine writeth in another place Here the same illation is of force If redemption be so vniuersall that as our aduersaries suppose all are truely and vndoubtedly
no succession But where faith is there is libertie adoption and inheritance The 7. reason The Maior The seuenth argument from another consequent that is from sanctification and conuersion Whosoeuer are redeemed are also sanctified conuerted and regenerated according to the promise A deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away iniquities from Iacob and this is my couenant with them Sanctification and conuersion necessarily follow redemption when I shall take away their sinnes saith the Lord. Which place out of the 59. of Isaie Paul Rom. 11. applieth to the conuersion of Israel and from thence sheweth that conuersion is ioyned with deliuerance or redemption Whereto also pertaineth the saying of Iohn 1. Epistle 3. Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill but for this cause was the sonne of God reuealed that he might destroy the workes of the deuill Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not He speaketh of practising righteousnes as whereby the sonnes of God were discerned from the sons of the deuill such as sinne are of the deuill such as do righteousnesse are of God thorow Christ who destroyeh in vs the workes of the deuill not onely by forgiuing sinnes but also by renewing our corrupt nature to doe the workes of righteousnes The circumstance of the words and the scope do teach this exposition and Augustine confirmeth it in Hypognosticâ— lib. 3. where withal he alleageth that which is written Heb. 9. that the blood of Christ who by his eternall spirit offered himselfe to God doth purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God See also in Zacharies song Luk. 1. vers 74. Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31.74 Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31. in Peters words and in his 1. Epistle 2. ver 24. but most plentifully of all Rom. 6. and 7. chapters All which places without gainsaying doe witnesse that the sanctification or renouation of a man to practise righteousnes and good workes are necessarily ioyned with the gift of redemption Here now let vs set downe the assumption The Minor which the holy Scripture and experience doe plainly and sufficiently conuince that not all men bee endued with the spirit of sanctification for their conuersion and renewing of their life It is proued Because this sanctification is not without the free giuing of the holy spirit but the world cannot receiue that spirit Ioh. 14. Further this gift consisteth herein 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 8. 7. Luk. 1. that being dead to sinnes wee should liue to righteousnesse and should serue God in his sight with holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life And is this giuen to all men nay it properly belongeth to the sonnes of promise and of the new couenant as the Lord saith I will put my lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them and all shall know me Iere. 31. Heb. 8. and I will be mercifull to their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more Also I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit within you and I will take away your stonie heart Eze. 36. will giue you a fleshy heart and I will make you to walke in my precepts and to keepe my iudgements and ye shall bee my people and I will be your God Which things seeing they be thus we conclude also The conclusioÌ„ that redemption belongeth not to all men but to the children of the promise onely Now the aduersary two maner of waies runneth a ground about this argument Hub. thes 1089 first in that be laboureth to wrest sanctification indifferently vnto the whole progenie of men and yet alleageth no fit testimonie of Scripture to proue it which as we haue seene plainly declareth the contrarie Thes 1096. Secondly in that he either craftily depraueth the force of the argumeÌ„t or els doth not vnderstand it to wit as though froÌ„ the coherence of the double benefit of redeÌ„ption and sanctification we reasoned thus God requireth sanctification of his redeemed ones therefore the greatest part is not redeemed because it doth not practise godlines But our reasoning is not drawne from our dutie but from Gods benefit promising that he will giue to the redeemed a new heart and a new spirit and so will cause them to walke in his waies by putting and writing them in their mindes not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stony tables but in the tables of the heart The 8. reason The 8. Argument neerely agreeth with the seuenth In the redeemed ones the will also is redeemed by Iesu Christ The will is redeemed and set free in all those that be redeemed otherwise the best thing in man was not redeemed Therefore by graunting the redemption of all faithfull and Infidels it should follow that the will also in all is redeemed and healed and so free will should bee established in all whomsoeuer whereas yet they that are ignorant of Christ and beleeue not in him doe serue sinne and are not able to will or goe about any thing that is good as Luther hath notably proued in his booke de seruo arbitrio The 9. reason The 9. Argument from another consequent which is blessednes and eternall life Eternall life Eâ—â—â—â—â—lessedâ—â—s to low â—â—ose that be redeemed effectually Whosoeuer are effectually redeemed shall not perish but shall haue eternall life But the vnbeleeuers doe perish for hee that beleeueth not shall be damned Therefore the vnbeleeuers are not effectually redeemed The Maior is fully proued by these sayings Being iustified by his blood we shall now much more bee saued from wrath by him For if when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more now shal we be saued by his life Rom. 5. And chap. 8. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth Againe If God be for vs who is against vs euen he that hath not spared his own sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead yea rather who is also risen againe and maketh intercession for vs. Paul is manifestly of this iudgement that they shall neuer be damned for whom Christ dyed rose againe and maketh intercession Notably saith Ambrose Ambr. de Iacob vita beata lib. 1. cap 6. He that hath giuen vs the author of all excepteth nothing There is nothing then that we may feare can possibly be denied vs there is nothing wherein we ought to bee doubtfull of the continuance of Gods bountifulnes whose plentie hath been of so long continuance An excellent saying and of great comfort to a penitent heart if it be oft remembred and alwaies ready so that first he would predestinate then he would call and
shall raigne vpon the earth The Minor But vnto the Church properly belongeth this dignitie to be a chosen stocke a royall priesthood a holy nation witnes Peter 1. Epist 2. which also the words out of the Reuelation chap. 5 now cited doe confirme where the voice and confession of the Church is Thou hast made vs to our God kings and priests The conclusion Therefore it followeth that the proprietie of redemption is in the possession of the Church The 12. reason From the vse of the Sacraments The 12. argument from the vse of the Sacraments Vnto whom nothing is sealed in he vse of the Sacraments vnto them the promise of grace in the word belongeth not For the nature of the promise is all one both in the audible and visible word But in the Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes Supper nothing is sealed to such as be aliants from Gods couenant and vnbeleeuers Therefore neither doeth the promise of grace in the word belong vnto them For the proofe of the assumption let the things be considered that we haue of that matter spoken before in the Confutation The 13. reason The 13. and last argument If all men wholy bee receiued into the grace and fauour of God by the death and grace of the Sauiour Hub. Thes 157. 536. so that no man shall euer perish now after his redemption vnles he despise the grace of God Hub. thes 157. 136. Marke this reason agaynst the aduersarie and through vnbeliefe shake off and forsake his redemption It will follow that all the children of al Thalmudists Mahumetists Turks Tartarians and such as feed on mens flesh called Anthropophagi and such like as long as they want the vse of reason and therefore actuall sinne and be not yet subiect to the contempt of grace are in the state of saluation and dying in that age of what nation soeuer they be in the Church or out of it are eternally saued which thing is manifestly and Anabaptisticall dotage of those men I say that follow the pauilions of Mennon Mennon Theod Phil. Hofman and Theodorike Philip vp and downe the Low Countries which they haue drawen vnto them from the sinke as it seemeth of Melchior Hofman For Theodore Phillippi is of this opinion and plainely writeth Lib. de baptismo Because Christ the Lambe of God hath taken away the sinnes of the world by his death and blood that no man can be damned for the sinne of Adam and therefore that the kingdome of heauen belongeth to all children indifferently that al are innocents and reputed without sinne before God seeing no sinne beside Adams can be imputed vnto them and that the same is satisfied and taken away vniuersally by the death of Christ so that infantes for Adams transgression cannot be iudged or condemned And the Pelagians also as Augustine witnesseth laboured to bring some such thing in to wit August lib. 2. de nuptijs concup cap. 33. that litle children are innocent and without all guiltines after that Christ had died for them But the Scripture teacheth vs to put here a difference betweene the infants of Gods people Infants of the faithfull differ from others and the infants of vngodly nations and reiected of God And the infantes truely of Gods people Gen. 17. 1. cor 7. Math. 19. albeit as the rest by their carnall natiuitie they bee borne vnder sinne and wrath haue a promise that they belong to the number of Gods people and of the Saints and so to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen More arguments I will not here alledge A doubt wheÌ„ redemption beginnes in vs. for by those which haue beene brought our purpose I trust is more than sufficiently declared Onely one doubt remaineth If the beleeuers onely are to be accounted for the redeemed of Christ doeth therefore their redemption begin when they begin to beleeue Answere I answere The redemption of the Church by Christ may diuersly be considered Tit. 1. 1. Tim. 1. First in respect of Gods purpose and predestination according to which grace is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Secondly in respect of the merite and satisfaction perfourmed of Christ Foure waies redemption is to be considered Comment in Apoc. 1. when vpon the altar of the crosse hee tooke away enmities and reconciled the whole Church of Iewes and Gentiles to God in one body through the crosse as Paul testifieth Ephesians 2. Then surely as Rupertus writeth he redeemed and washed in his blood from their sinnes not onely these men that now are beleeuers or had beleeued but also those that should beleeue in time to come as farre foorth as hee gaue them power to be washed For he washed them not then actually but in power For they could not in very deed be washed who were not yet borne or els as yet had not beleeued Thirdly redemption is considered as farre foorth as we are made partakers of it by faith whose force and necessitie is so great for reconciliation before and after the worke of redemption performed in the flesh of Christ that as it hindred not the olde fathers which beleeued from their deliuerance in that Christ had not as yet suffered so now it nothing profiteth the vnbeleeuers for their deliuerance that Christ long agoe the iust for the vniust was deliuered to death Lastly redemption is considered as farre forth as we enioy full and perfect redemption for euer all our enemies being vtterly destroyed and euen death it selfe which is of the Apostle called the last enemie of which redemption Christ witnesseth Luke 21.28 and Paul Ro. 8.23 But of this enough THE THIRD RANKE OF PROOFES CONTAINING THE TESTIMOnies of Antiquitie CHAP. VIII TO these things hitherto alleadged out of the Scripture whereunto as to the anchor and prop of our faith wee must flye in all things Atâ—â—â—s in Synopsi that we may be in safetie the testimonies of antiquitie seeme now needfull to bee brought in to this end that the trueth may more and more cleerly appeare by that consent and the mouthes of the aduersaries may bee stopped who reasoning and debating I know not what vngodly nouelties endeuour to reproue vs as though wee spake some new thing Tom. 10. de verb. apost ser 14. as Augustine of old complained of his and the Churches aduersaries For a man may see them grow to such craking if not ignorance that they boldly complaine that our opinion of this controuersie was neuer heard in any time among that people Hub. thes 18. where the name of Christ hath been preached that what they auouch leaneth vpon the consent of all Christianitie forsooth Thes 19. for that the Catholike and true Church hath alwaies beleeued and with one mouth euer confessed that Christ died for all men vnderstand effectually Compend thes 27. whereof the question is betweene vs and our aduersaries As touching this new opinion Thes
counted faithfull And 1. Cor. 1. saith the Apostle Paul Ye see your calling bretheren that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish and base things in the world Where we see that they that be called to the societie of the Church and the chosen or elect are taken for one and the same For as Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. 9. saith Who will denie them to bee elect that beleeue and are baptized They are plainely called elect but of them that know not what they shall be and not of God who knoweth them For there be sonnes of God who are not yet such to vs and are already to God and againe there be some that are called of vs the sonnes of God for some temporall grace receiued and yet are not to God such of whom Iohn speaketh they went out from vs but they were not of vs. For if they had been of vs verely they had continued with vs. The same thing Ambrose also confirmeth vpon the 8. chapter to the Romans and the Apostle himselfe while in the 11. chapter of that epistle hee maketh difference betweene the people of God so in generall called in respect of vocation and profession and betweene the remnant in the common assemblie and as it were bodie of that people which remnant is saued according to the election of grace and the rest doe perish And of that election of such as shall bee saued and haue beene predestinate vnto eternall life from all eternitie do we nowe intreate And it is in very deed all one with the predestination of Saints as I haue said but that in some respect it differeth How predestination and election differ For Predestination noteth an eternall firme purpose in God of bestowing grace glory vpon whom he wil but Election addeth something namely as farre forth as hee willeth eternall life to some before others seeing he reprobateth some Thom. 1. quest 23. art 4. as Thomas very well and after him other schoole men haue obserued It is also called Loue according to that Romans 9. Iacob I haue loued but Esau haue I hated God surely loueth all men For he loueth all things that bee Election is called Loue. and abhorreth nothing that he hath made and hath mercie vpon all and spareth all as it is in the 11. of Wisedome Degrees of loue But there be degrees of loue For he loueth some as his creatures others as members of his sonne as Augustine at large sheweth Tra. 110. in Ioh. And very fitly Thomas in the foresaid place Art 3. God loueth all men yea all creatures as farre foorth as he willeth any good to all Yet hee willeth not euery good thing to all How he is 〈◊〉 to haue Therefore in as much as to some men hee willeth not this good thing which is eternall life hee is sayd to hate and reprobate them How Gods election and loue diâ—â—â—er And Art 4. he assigneth a difference betweene the election the loue of God which differ only in reason and in God are really one and the same The predestination of some to eternall saluation saith he presupposeth that God willeth their saluation and thereunto appertaineth election and loue Loue truely in respect that he willeth vnto them this benefite of eternall saluation For to loue is to will some good to one But election in respect that be willeth this good to same aboue others seeing he reprobateth some These things saith he in that place and repeateth the same distinction vpon the 9. to the Rom. vpon the saying Iacob haue I loued Therefore if hee would saue all it should be called Purpose and Predestination and Loue but not Election But this also we must marke with Augustine De bono per. sâ—uer cap. 18. that election or predestination which is in good is sometime signified also by the name of prescience or foreknowledge as saith the Apostle Rom 8. Whom he foreknewe Prescience the same he hath predestinated that they should be made conformable to the image of his sonne and chap. 11. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknewe that is whom he predestinated which thing the circumstance of the text sheweth for he speaketh of the remnants of the Iewes which were saued according to the election of grace the rest perishing Of whom also in the same place he addeth that Israel obtained not the thing he sought for but the elect haue obtained it and the rest were hardened After the same sorte the old fathers also seeme to haue taken prescience for predestination as Augustine there witnesseth Whereof hee bringeth this reason because this word may both be more easilie vnderstoode and also it is not repugnant yea it is consonant vnto the trueth that is taught of the predestination of grace Yet as much as concerneth the proprietie of these words to foreknowe is more generall than to predestinate How foreknowledge and predestination differ for predestination cannot bee without foreknowledge but foreknowledge may bee without predestination for by predestination God foreknew the things that he would doe but he may foreknow the things that he doeth not as all sinnes whatsoeuer For albeit there be some things that are so sins as that they be also punishments of sinnes whereupon it is said he gaue them vp into a reprobate sense Rom. 1.28 to doe those things that are not conuenient yet there it is not sinne in God but his iudgement as Augustine largely teacheth these things in his booke of the predestination of Saints the tenth chapter Origene expounding that saying of Paul whom he foreknew them he also predestinated to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne saith not amisse that prescience cannot be taken for naked and simple knowledge seeing God comprehendeth the vngodly also in his prescience whom yet he doth not predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his sonne He saith therefore that that knowledge signifieth affection and loue wherewith God embraceth some 2. Tim. 2. as Paul saith to Timothie The Lord knoweth who be his Foreknowne And whereas in schoole diuinitie by the foreknowne the reprobates commonly are meant it is an abuse of the worde against the vse of the Scriptures which is wont to call the elect as it hath been said predestinate and foreknowne and not reprobates that are neere the curse like the ground that bringeth forth thornes and thistles Reprobation And reprobation as the schoolemen define it is the foreknowledge of the iniquitie of some and the preparation of their damnation Lib. 1. dist 4. that is reprobation is an eternall will in God in his iust iudgement not to haue mercy vpon some of mankinde after that with others they should fall into sinne and damnation but to reiect them from the communion of saluation in Christ and to cast them into the punishments that are due
for sinne That this definition may be more easilie vnderstoode Aug. al Simplice lib. 1. â— 2 De conâ—eâ—â— gr ca 7 â—pist item 105. Conâ—â—d as epist Pelag. lib 2 cap. 7. passim alibi we must consider that all of vs are wrapped in one and the same masse of damnation and offence and all belong to one mixture of sinners and vngodly if the grace of God be set a side From that masse of perdition whom God separateth by his grace and predestination they be elect and such as shall be saued according to the purpose of God But whom he leaueth by his iust iudgement in that damnable masse they be they whom we call reprobates and to be damned And vnto the damned is rendred their deserued punishment but vpon such as are set at liberty is bestowed an vndeserued grace that neither these should complaine that they are vnworthie nor these should boast themselues to be worthie but that he that is set free should learne of him that is not freed that he should also be punished but that grace hath relieued him CHAP. III. A confirmation of the former things to wit that some are elected some reprobated of God from euerlasting against the error of certaine men that say that all men are elected in Christ. IT cannot be denied The 1. argument that God doth all things with a determined and certaine counsell and that from euerlasting because there is nothing temporall in God otherwise hee should be mutable as the author of the calling of the Gentiles lib. 2. cap 10. hath truely written In God there is no accident motion or new will or temporall counsell neither is his minde altered with the inequalitie of mutable things but he comprehendeth all times and temporall things together with an euerlasting and stedfast regarde Therefore because God and that willingly saueth some men and damneth others for nothing can be done if hee bee simplie vnwilling and against it we must of necessitie confesse that both are done according to Gods eternall purpose And this is nothing els than that God hath chosen some and reiected others from euerlasting The 2. argument Augustines argument drawne from grace to predestination is not vnlike To whom God giueth his giftes freely I meane faith good workes perseuerance in faith and loue and such like he foreknew also that he would giue them freely and in his foreknowledge he hath disposed them from all eternitie But those gifts freely giuen are bestowed by him vpon some and are not bestowed vpon others Therefore hee foreknew from eternitie and in his prescience disposed also to bestowe them vpon some and not to bestowe them vpon others And this is the very poynt that we defend namely that God hath predestinated some vnto grace before others De bono perseuer cap. 19. These be Augustines words They saith he that so knowe that God giueth faith confession obedience perseuerance Cap. 17. c. that they are not ignorant that he foreknew that he would giue and could not be ignorant to whom he would giue doubtles they knowe predestination for to dispose his future workes in his foreknowledge which cannot be deceiued and changed is no other thing at all but predestination And anon speaking of the grace of faith and perseuerance vnto the end against certaine Semipelagians of those times saith Doe they say that happely neither those things are predestinated Therefore they are not giuen of God or else he knew not that he would giue them But if they be giuen and he foreknew that he would giue them doubtles hee did predestinate them In the same place chap. 2. The Church praieth that the vnbeleeuers may beleeue and beleeuing may perseuer God then conuerteth to faith and he giueth perseuerance vnto the end This God foreknew should come to passe This is the predestination of Saints whom he elected in Christ before the creation of the world that they should bee holie and without spot c. The 3. argument Thirdly there is a strong argument from the word Election either that there is no election or else if there be any election to eternall life it belongeth to some onely and not to all For if eternall life were prepared or destinated for all in respect of God it should surely be termed his purpose predestination and loue but not election according to the difference of these words before set downe Furthermore consider I pray thee christian reader The 4. argument Thes 1127. to what end the contrarie opinion tendeth Huber saith that all are elected and alike beloued of the father in Christ and appoynted to eternall life Yet seeing it is certaine that not all are saued Thes 735. he annexeth another speciall election to this generall which is speciall not in respect of God as though hee tooke peculiar counsell for some men but in respect of men themselues who should applie vniuersal grace to themselues Thes 7â—6 for that God did elect with the condition of faith that they that beleeue in Christ should be saued and such as beleeued not should bee damned Marke here to what ende this opinion tendeth What other thing must wee hence collect than that God determined nothing at all with himselfe to giue faith to some and not to giue it to others neither that he giueth it to some peculiarly but that he hath left it in mens power to beleeue the Gospell or not to beleeue For if he giue faith to some surely he tooke peculiar counsell concerning them and let the rest passe But if he giue not faith peculiarly to some the grace of God whereby we are saued is ouerthrowne and let the Pelagians carrie away the victory Further they that imagine so of election as hath been saide confessing in word Gods election doe in very deede take away all election for if it were so God should not choose vs but wee him by receiuing his offered grace and we should be as it were the potters and formers of Gods election Also we shuld be so elected because we beleeue Marke this well Epist 105. Testimonies of the new Testament prouing election and reprobation wheras on the contrarie we are elected that we might beleeue For electioÌ„ surely doth not finde but make men faithfull as Augustine testifieth But least we should seeme to leane onely vpon reasons we haue many and those very notable testimonies in the sacred Scriptures to proue both the election and reprobation of some men as God from euerlasting would either haue mercy or not haue mercie vpon them Christ Matthew 11. I thanke thee O father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to babes Euen so father because it so pleased thee Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen but the prophesie of Esay is fulfilled in them ye shall heare with your eares and not
Paul to the Philip. To you saith he it is giuen not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake How Augustine recanted his former error By these and the like testimonies of diuine Scripture Augustine being conuicted freely acknowledged his error in this point and retracted it de praedest sanct cap. 3 passimeo libro Ad Simplicianum Sancti Ambrosij successorem apud Mediol lib. 1. quaest 2. contra 2. Epist Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 8. Retract lib. 1. Aug. de bono perseu cap. 12. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 1. For it is incident to man to fall and to erre but wittingly and willingly to continue in error is deuillish neither ought any man to bee so vniust or enuious that either he will not profit himselfe or els hinder others that are desirous to profit Fourthly The fourth opinion that the foreseene abuse of free will to infidelitie and other euill works is the cause of reprobation confuted by Augustine other confesse that the cause of election to eternall life is in God alone namely his grace and good pleasure but they suppose no lesse than the former writers that the cause of reprobation is in men themselues to wit the foreseene abuse of freewill to infidelitie and other euil works For they be afraid least any iniquitie should bee with God if some bee said to bee reiected of him without all respect of workes Therefore that they may maintaine his iustice forsooth they write that as many as bee reprobated are reprobated for finall sinne foreseene Among the Schoolemen Scotus and his disciples follow this opinion Scotus Hereupon some of that same leauen haue defined reprobation to be the eternall foreknowledge of the euill vse of freewill Thomas Argentinus his definition of reprobation Lib. 1. q. 2. by reason whereof God hath decreed to depriue some man of his grace in this present life and to punish him in the life to come with euerlasting paine But as Augustine ad Simpl. rightly iudgeth If we should graunt that reprobation dependeth of euill workes foreseene it should altogether follow on the contrarie that election also ariseth of good workes foreseene Which if it be true it is false that it is not of workes Fiftly therefore and that is the true opinion The fift opinion soundest and best as foreseene workes or faith of such as shall be saued are not the cause of their election so neither is the vnbeleefe or other sinnes foreseene of them that shall bee damned the cause of their reprobation but that they are in Christ of meere mercie elected and these are iustly from the same mercie reiected according to the purpose of Gods will which as it is most free so most iust and the very rule of all equitie and iustice CHAP. VII A demonstration of election freely arising oft h◠meere good pleasure of God FOr the defence of this trueth and the larger confutation of the contrarie opinions there be sundry arguments and testimonies of the Scriptures and those most cleere and euident from whence we will onely produce some The 1. reason 1. The cause is not later than the effect But workes and faith in vs and the very will and desire to beleeue and what good vse soeuer of freewill in vs bee later than election For all these things are temporall whereas election is eternall according to the sayings He elected vs before the creation of the world Ephe. 1. Matth. 25. 2. Tim. 1. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid He hath called vs with an holy calling according to his purpose and grace which is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Obiection If they except that our workes not as done but as to be done and foreseene of God are alike eternall Answere we answere that God foresaw no good worke or will in vs which he decreed not to effect in vs and which in predestinating he prepared not for vs as it is said to the Ephes 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And chap. 1. of the same Epistle He hath chosen vs before the foundations of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him From whence we vnderstand seeing in that we are predestinate of God to life it commeth to passe that wee doe good workes and beleeue so euen the foreknowledge of future faith in vs and of those good things which we shall doe is later then election at the least in order reason The 2. 2. To the same end it commeth if we should argue thus Good workes likewise faith and what vse soeuer of freewill to worke or to beleeue or els to thinke of any goodnes flow from the meere grace of God as the effects of Gods electiō as at large after shall be shewed Therefore neither as done neither as to be done and foreseene of God can these things be considered as the causes of election For nothing can bee both the cause and effect in respect of the same thing Ad Simpl. lib. 1. Workes saith Augustine do not beget grace but are begotten of grace Two fine similitudes The fire warmeth not that it may be hot but because it is hot Neither doth the wheele therefore runne well that it may bee round but because it is round So no man therefore worketh well that he may receiue grace but because he hath receiued it 3. The 3. reason If our foreseene good workes were the cause of predestination to eternall saluation they should bee the cause also of our calling and iustification The later is false Therefore also the first The Maior is proued by the rule That which is the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused as they speake that is of the effect But predestination is the cause of vocation and iustification as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified The Minor also is most easily proued 2. Tim. 1. seeing the holie Ghost expressely testifieth that we are saued of God and called with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Likewise Paul in his Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians most largely discourseth of iustification euery way freely bestowed He requireth faith surely as the meane whereby we applie righteousnes and saluation offered to vs in the Gospell but not as of our selues for it is the gift of God And therfore if euen the foreknowledge of faith Ephes 2.8 as from vs be set downe to be the cause of election it will follow that neither iustification is euery way free Otherwise it standeth firme that we are iustified by faith as by a meane yet faith is not
reason of the election of the one so of the reiection of the other but because it so pleaseth God for the manifestation of his mercie or iudgement Hereunto may be added the case of innumerable children without the Church who are preuented with death The 5. reason before they haue the iudgement of reason and cannot bee iustly reproued for the neglect of helping grace If such as dissent from vs be asked concerning these whether they thinke that none of them doe perish they dare not I suppose denie If they perish they are reckoned among those whom God hath reiected yet he could foresee in them no contempt of grace seeing they should not haue it yea he foreknew rather that they should not contemne grace Neither doth that deuice any thing helpe them that God saw what they would doe if they had recouered For God in punishing and pardoning respecteth not what any man would doe but what good or euill he hath done in his body Thus it is manifest that the reprobation of the vngodly no lesse than the election of the Saints dependeth vpon the only will of God and not vpon the foreseene good or euill wils of men Neither is it materiall that some persons defame this doctrine by this or that name and endeuour to make it odious It is the doctrine of the Scriptures and defended by Augustine constantly as we see Augustine and many other writers auouch and maintaine this doctrine of reprobatioÌ„ according to the Scriptures As also by Hilarie Prosper Primasius and others who long agoe well perceiued the naughtines of the Pelagian spirit Prospers words out of his epistle to Augustine of the remnants of Pelagian heresie are That according to Gods purpose before the world there was made a difference betweene them that were to bee elected and reiected and that some were created vessels of honor and others vessels of dishonor according to the good pleasure of the creator And againe he saith that God according to the purpose and counsell of his owne will in his secret iudgement but yet in a manifest worke made one vessell to honour another to dishonour whereas no man is iustified but by grace and no man is borne but in sinne And this saith he they of necessitie graunt that confesse that all good merits are preuented by grace and by it haue this free gift that they might be Lib. 1. dist 4â— Thom. part 1. q. 23. in 9. ad Rom. Neither is the doctrine any other of the Master of Sentences as they call him for he saith He chose whom it pleased him of his free mercie not because they would be faithfull but that they might be faithfull So also he reprobated whom he would not for future merits which he foresaw yet in most vpright trueth and beyond our vnderstanding The same opinion Thomas Aquinas and other Schoolemen of no obscure account doe follow and doe confirme it with strong reasons Looke also Luthers iudgement in his booke of seruile will where vpon the place of Malachie hee boldlie writeth these wordes Eternall and vnchangeable is the loue of God Luther de seruo arbis eternall is the hatred of God towards men before the world was made not onely before the merite and worke of frewill And he manifestly reiecteth it as a fained thing that God should bee said to hate them while they were yet vnborne because hee foreknewe that they would commit things worthy of hatred Rom. 11. Neither is this anie hindrance saith he because we reade that the Iews for the merits of their vnbeliefe were cut off from the oliue tree and that the Gentiles were graffed in by faith We knowe that men by faith are ingraffed and by infidelity cut off and that they are to be exhorted to beleene leaest they be cut off The very poynt of the controuersie of predestination But we dispute not what followeth beleeuers or vnbeleeuers but by what merite by what helpe doe men attaine to faith whereby they are ingraffed or to vnbelief whereby they are cut off This merite Paul describing vnto vs teacheth that by no worke of ours but by the onely loue hatred of God it commeth to passe All these words are Luthers The same man afterward vpon the similitude of the potter and claie answering the cauill that this potter as Erasmus in his Diatribe did interperet maketh a vessell to dishonour through precedent merits as he reiected the Iewes for vnbeliefe and receiued the Gentils for their faith If God saith he do thus why murmure they and find themselues grieued why saie they wherefore doth he complaine who shall resist his will Marke this wel what neede had Paul to represse them further where is the power that the potter hath to do what he will if being subiect to merites and lawes he is not suffered to doe what he will for the respect of merites fighteth with the power and libertie to doe what he will c. Therefore what vnreasonable dealing is it and what enuie against the truth to cast in our teeth Caluinisme because we auouch that neither the righteousnes nor maliciousnes of men but the secret will of God is the cause why grace plucketh some out of the common destruction whereunto we are all subiect by nature and doth not plucke others If this be Caluinisme what shall be done to Luther to saie nothing of the auncient writers Yet it is to be obserued that we doe not maintaine as our aduersaries spitefully doe imagine of vs The slaunders of Hub. thes 350. Zanch de nat Deâ—fol 669. Visi admon Neost pag. 113. Bez. resp 2. ad Col. Momp fol. 223. That no man is condemned for sinnes or vnbeliefe as the foregoing cause We teach the contrary and our men with one consent haue alwaies taught that God taketh punishment of none and no man shal be damned of him but for sin For punishment hath no place but in respect of sin Moreouer this is also true That as God damneth not anie but sinners and such as deserue damnation for sins so also he hath not decreed to damne anie but for sin For whatsoeuer God doth in his time also he determined froÌ„ euerlasting to do after the very same way as it is done Therefore because he damneth the reprobates and wil damne them for sins doubtles he also decreed from euerlasting to damne them for sins And from hence againe the deprauing of our doctrine by the aduersaries appeareth when they faine that wee teach that God without respect of sin Note God decreed to condemne none but for sinne of his sole and absolute will hath appointed some men to damnation Yea Gods decree is of the condemnation of sinners onely and that for sins But seeing wee bee all sinners and worthy of damnation why God hath predestinated these men to bestowe vpon them freely glory and hath predestinated others to bee punished in his iust iudgement for sins hereof wee haue
thou a reason I will bee abashed at the depth Reason thou I will marueile Dispute thou I will beleeue I see the depth I cannot reach to the bottome Paul rested because he found a thing to marueile at He calleth them iudgements vnsearchable and art thou come to seeke them out Againe Serm. 254. de Temp. I confesse the counsell of God as a man I cannot declare it For with the Apostle Paul I know how to be astonied O the depth of his wisedome and knowledge To vs belong consideration admiration trembling exclamation because we cannot pearce into them but vnto him what glory for euer and euer whether it be concerning the vessels for honour or vessels for dishonour And in this place wee must bee admonished that in the things that haue been spoken Ad â—anâ— ca. 99. there is great reason rendered against certaine foolish men whom the forenamed author often nippeth who thinke that the Apostle failed in his answere and through want of rendering a reason repressed the boldnes of the gainsaier For we are called backe to the consideration of our capacitie in briefe words surely but such as bring great weight by aggrauating of names when he saith O man who art thou that reasonest with God man is opposed to God and the clay to the potter Likewise in that with trembling he crieth out O the depth how vnsearchable are the iudgements of God hee sufficiently declareth that these workes of God may be secret but cannot be vniust because they bee his iudgements who is iust and iudgeth the world and whose wil is so the chiefest rule of iustice Gods iustice vnlike to mans that what thing soeuer he willeth and doth must therefore bee counted iust because he doth it For it is not lawfull to dispute of the diuine iustice according to mans iustice or rather mans pride that hath the name of iustice De seruo arbit circa finem For as Luther notably proueth If Gods iustice were such as could bee iudged to bee iust by mans capacitie it were not diuine and it should nothing differ from mans iustice Further seeing God is wholly incomprehensible and inaccessable by mans reason for what is man compared to God what is our power knowledge substance and all that we haue to God it is meete yea necessarie that his iustice also be incomprehensible De praedest gra cap. 2. Wherefore Augustine not without cause saith Who is so mad or rather who is such a blasphemer to say that wee must dispute of the iustice of God by the rule of mans iustice which doubtles is an enemie to Gods iustice Wee must iudge soberly and reuerently of the workes of God and is vniust It is manifest that euery thing that is howsoeuer iust floweth from him who is most iust Who then shall he bee that hangeth the wisedome of God that abideth vnchangeable createth gouerneth and preserueth all things that bee vpon the pleasure of mans wisedome We must not therefore reason as vaine man thinketh best of that maiestie of the diuine wisedome God must be adored Lib. 2. contra Marc. and not iudged saith Tertullian sharply reprouing the controllers of the Deitie saying Thus God ought not to be vsed and so rather he ought to be But the foolish things of God are wiser than men And then especially is he great when to man he is small and most iust when to man he is vniust saith he But say they all these things are true and sufficient to defend the iustice of Gods election and reprobation The aduersaries defend Gods iustice in election and reprobation by presupposing of mans fall if we consider how God dealeth with vs by presupposing the fall of mankinde For whereas wee were all inthralled to eternall damnation he can bee charged with no vniustice for deliuering some from thence mercifully and punishing others iustly as pleaseth him because he may haue mercie on whom he will and at his pleasure punish whom he will How the flesh concludeth thereof to excuse it selfe But without the wil of God we had not fallen into that corruption wherinto Adam caried all his posteritie headlong with himselfe Why then is hee yet angrie why doth he lay to mens fault and punish in them those things that he hath necessarily imposed vpon them by his owne ordinance For who may resist his will Thus flesh concludeth to excuse itselfe and to lay the fault in God And it is no marueile for when Adam was corrupted after whose image wee are borne he did the same thing in Paradise But faith and the spirit iudge farre otherwise 1. We may here retort againe that of the Apostle O man The iudgement of faith and the spirite who art thou that reasonest with God Doth the pot say to the potter why hast thou made me thus 2. All Christians confesse that for the fall of our first parents in Paradise sinne and death not onely temporal but also much more eternall haue iustly runne ouer all men And against the prophanenes of the wicked the Lord himselfe will maintaine sufficiently his owne iustice by making them to condemne themselues Rom. 9. Why contend we then of his vniustice seeing his iustice is confessed 3. Man doubtles fell through his own fault and not Gods The distinction of will and permission Which thing some going about to expound flie vnto the distinction of will and permission as though mankinde fell in Adam God barely onely permitting it and not after any sort also willing it without whose will yet not so much as a sparrow falleth vpon the ground The very word of permission I doe not reiect which the Scripture also vseth Matth. 10. but I find fault with the expounding of it because God permitteth not vnwilling but willing whatsoeuer he permitteth After another maner therefore and that true and sound doth Augustine shew De Correp gra cap. 11. how man fell through his owne fault and not Gods to wit God who made all things very good had giuen man a good will How Adam fell through his owne fault and not Gods wherein he had made him righteous and after his owne image hee had giuen him also a helpe whereby hee might continue in that image if hee would And that hee might bee willing or vnwilling hereto he left it in his owne power Therefore the cause was in man himselfe and in the deuill that he was made worse In the deuill because he perswaded in man because he with a free will consented and so through freewill forsaking God hee found the iust iudgement of God that with his whole posteritie which as yet being in his loynes wholly had sinned he should bee damned Why God suffered Adam to fall Enchir. cap. 37. De Correp gra cap. 18. And whereas it was not giuen vnto him to continue in that vpright and faultles state doubtles therefore it was not giuen because God would not
of doubt they knew the predestination of the Saints For this is nothing else than the prescience and preparation of Gods benefites whereby they are most certainely deliuered as many as bee deliuered the rest being left by the iust iudgement of God in the lumpe of pedition All this is Augustines answer cap. 14.19.24 pâ—ssi de bonpers yet here we must know that before the Pelagian heresie sprung vp which happened when Augustine was now Bishop the Fathers briefly only in some places of their writings shew their iudgement of the grace of God standing in the meane while vpon other things which they handled against other enemies of the Church and vpon exhortations to all vertues wherein men must serue God But the state of time was otherwise after that Pelagius had vomited forth his poison then very necessitie compelled the sound Fathers more full and more exactly to defend the places of the Scripture wherein predestination and grace that is giuen thereupon is set forth De bon perseu cap. 23. For as Augustine witnesseth each seuerall heresie brought in their peculiar questions and of necessitie caused men to search into and to defend the diuine Scriptures more diligently than they would haue done if no such necessitie had vrged them CHAP. XXVIII Or last That Predestination must soberly and discreetly be preached THerfore it is made manifest that the doctrine of predestination is profitably retained in the Church also to good purpose preached vnto the people when occasion requireth But how and with what speach it may be preached Predestination must be preached soberly is a matter of great edifycation For wee haue hereunto neede of christian sobriety and discretion For if euer elsewhere surely here that which the Apostle saith ought to bee obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wee must bee wise to sobrietie Rom. 12. doubtlesse we must iudge and speake of predestination according to those things onely that are taught in the scriptures For in them is contained what is sufficient and what is sure and sound which if they doe not satisfie any man let him not hope to finde the knowledge of the trueth elsewhere Therefore let vngodly and male part reason be bridled which while it dare withstand the word of God breedeth all difficultie in this matter and entereth into a Labyrinth from whence afterward it findeth no passage out Let also curiositie in general be restrained that it go no further to search out the things that God will haue to be hidden in himselfe than it may safely and than our infirmitie doeth permit Ecclesiasticus 3.21 22 24 Because the power of God is great saith the wiseman and it getteth glorie of the humble Seeke not out the things that are too high for thee and aboue thy reach but religiously meditate on those things which God hath commaunded thee For it is not needefull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secert seeing already more things are reuealed than mans capacity can comprehend Whereupon it is well said of Augustine that there is a certaine learned ignorance and that is to be preferred before rash knowledge But as it it a poynte of odious curiositie to search out secret things so it is a signe of intollerable vnthankefulnes to neglect the things that God will haue reuealed Aug lib. 5. de Gen. ad lit But the meane is Christian sobrietie to follow the Scripture which we may safely doe which as with a motherly pace goeth faire and softly least it should forsake our infirmitie It must also be taught discreetely â—o the hearers But discretion also must be ioyned to sobriety which will be carefull to propound this doctrine to the capacitie of the hearers and to their edification by shewing the true vse of it and auoyding offence of words For it is the propertie of a deceitfull Augustines comparison or vnskilfull phisition so to bring forth euen a holesome medicine that it helpeth not but hurteth And touching the capacitie of the hearers the same admonition serueth well in this place which is elsewhere mentioned to make difference betweene such as haue neede of milke as children in Christ and such as neede stronger meate as men of perfect age Of which thing Luther writeth passing well Babes in Christ saith he must needes first growe Praesa ad Rom. before they drinke this pure wine For here there is euen a certaine childehoode that needeth milke vntill it be accustomed to eate strong meate Therefore hee shortly reproueth curious heads that search out the bottome of predestination before they haue learned Christ and the power of his crosse whereas according to the order of the Apostle to the Romanes the knowledge of Christ must first be learned and the mortification of the olde man and from hence wee must proceede vnto the crosse and tribulations And then saith he this necessitie of predestination will waxe sweete and we shall perceiue how full it is of consolation Further touching the vse of predestination The hearers must be admonished of the vse of iâ— and that they abuse it not the hearers must also be admonished when any thing is spoken of it that they abuse it not to the libertie of the flesh or vnto desperation hatred and blaspheming of God but that they vse it rather to the glorie of God and to stirre vp in them loue and care of good workes and to vpholde their faith with all long suffering and consolation in all afflictions by making certaine account that there is nothing that can separate vs from the loue of God towards vs in Christ Iesu our Lord. Lastly as touching the maner and forme of teaching it The maner of teaching it must be in apt and fit words we must take heede that the things which are spoken truely be also aptly spoken to auoide as much as we may the offence of the hearers For it is greatly materiall how and after what maner of teaching anything is propounded As for example if any man speaking of predestination vnto the Church should say whether ye runne or sleepe ye shall be that that hee who cannot bee deceiued hath predestinated you vnto predestination it selfe seemeth to bee after a sort disproued by that preaching of it among the vnskilfull as also the foreknowledge of God which surely no man can deny seemeth to be blamed if it should be saide to men whether ye runne or sleepe ye shall be that for which he who cannot be deceiued hath foreknowne you More fitly to this purpose it is said So runne ye that ye may obtaine and by your course know your selues to bee foreknowne and to belong to the predestination of Gods grace So it is too hard a saying if a man should speake to the Christian people after this sorte That some of you beleeue others beleeue not it therefore commeth to passe because some of you haue receiued the helpe of grace pitying your miserie others haue
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati
him CHAP. XIII A wicked eye without cause suspecteth God of vniustice Obiection THat obiection now followeth which arising from the rashnes that I may not say the impietie of humaine reason greatly troubleth the mindes of the simple And that is that the wicked eye of mans wit suspecteth God of iniquitie if without any merites of good or euill men he chuse one The reasons of the obiection and refuse another of his meere will for it seemeth vniust in distributions if wee distribute vnequally to them that be equall But men if we set aside the difference of merits are equall Therefore if without difference of merites God doth vnequally distribute chusing one and refusing another it seemeth that there is vnrighteousnes with him Further how shall we defende the righteousnes of God if of his meere will he hath predestinated so many thousands of men not moued with any merite or worke of theirs vnto eternall torments This seemeth vniust cruell and intollerable to iudge of God and herewith so many and great men in so many ages haue been offended and who would not be offended saith Luther De ser arbit Answere to the first reason of the obiection when he had largely answered this very obiection Concerning inequalitie already before I haue answered that it appertaineth to iustice in those things that be distributed of duty that vnequall things be not distributed to them that be equall but not in those things which a man of his owne accord and of fauour distributeth without any iniurie of another As that householder reproued them that murmured Friend I doe thee no wrong take that thine is and goe thy way I will giue to this last as vnto thee May I not doe what I will with mine owne Is thine eye euill because I am good Let them therefore learne to restraine that wicked eye who murmur against God as vniust and an acceptor of persons Obiection But say they it is an vniust thing that in one and the same euill cause one man is deliuered and another punished because it is a iust thing that both be punished Answere Yea both are iust whether the creditor require his debte or forgiue his debter so it be without defrauding any man but it is vniust onely to require that which is not due August epist. 105. Therefore Let vs as Augustine godly aduiseth vs giue thankes to our Sauiour seeing that we see not that rendred vnto vs that we knowe in the damnation of thē that are like vs to haue bin also due vnto vs. Neither let vs be vnthankefull De bono perseuer cap. 8. that our mercifull God according to his good pleasure to the praise of his glorious grace hath freed so many from so deserued destruction that if hee should deliuer none from thence yet he should not be vniust Answer to the second reason Further as for the multitude of such as perish I answere that neither in respect of them is there any vnrighteousnes in God For on whom there is no mercie shewed Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 99. them God iudgeth he dealeth not vniustly with them And as vndeserued grace is giuen to such as are freed so no other but due punishment is rendred to them that are damned that neither they can boast themselues to bee worthie nor these complaine that they are vnworthie Epist 105. For because the whole lumpe is worthily condemned iustice rendereth due dishonour and grace bestoweth due honour not through the prerogatiue of desert nor by necessitie of destinie nor by rash fortune but through the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God De bono perseu cap. 8. epist 106. If therefore Gods goodnes bee vnderstood in forgiuing debt and his equitie in requiring it there is no way iniquitie found in God He commendeth mercie that is set free and he that is punished blameth not iudgement Do praedest grat cap. vlt. I will say somewhat more with Augustine If mankinde that at the first was created of nothing should be borne without the due originall of death and sinne yet the omnipotent creator would for euer condemne some of them to destruction who could say to the Almightie Creator why hast thou done thus For he that freely gaue them their being when they were not had power to appoint to what end they should be Neither could the rest say why should Gods will vary all mens merits being alike because the potter hath power of the clay But now seeing iust punishment is rendered to such as shall be damned and vndeserued grace is bestowed vpon such as bee saued what man forgetting mans condition may discusse the secrets of Gods minde Obiection But some man will say Why will he in the same matter punish me rather then him or free him rather than me Answere I answere that it is in Gods will and not in ours as it is not in their will that bee debters but in his to whom a debt is due that he either requireth Ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. 2. or forgiueth the debt Hereupon Augustine In Adam we all die and we are one lumpe of sin owing punishment to the diuine and high iustice which whether it bee exacted or pardoned there is no vnrighteousnesse And it is an arrogant part in debters to iudge of whom it is to be required and to whom it is to bee remitted It belongeth to God to require it of whom it pleaseth him and to forgiue it to whom it pleaseth him who doth not require that which is not due neither forgiueth that which is none of his The same writer elsewhere Epist 105. Why God doth thus to one man and otherwise to another his waies are vnsearchable and his iudgements past finding out the great depth whereof we ought rather to reuerence than curiously to search out that wee may escape a dangerous downfall Therefore repressing the impudencie of this question let vs say with the Apostle Rom. 11. O the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements How the mouthes of wicked men must be stopped about this doctrine and his waies past finding out Also O man who art thou that reasonest with God Doth the pot say to the potter why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power ouer the clay Neither let it grieue vs thus to stop the mouthes of exclaimers For if they be not ashamed to gainsay not vs but Paul why should it irke vs to tell them this againe and againe that the Apostle hath said De verbis Apost serm 20. Augustine notably following the Apostle saith Thou man expectest from me an answere and I am a man Therefore let vs both heare him that saith O man who art thou Better is faithfull ignorance than vndiscreet knowledge Seeke for deserts thou shalt finde nothing but punishment O height Peter denieth the theefe beleeueth Marke this notable saying O the depth Seekest