let vs also consider the words that follow for Peter addeth 2. Pet. 2.20 21 22. If they who haue escaped the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ be afterwards againe intangled therein and bee ouercome their last condition is worse then the former and it were better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe as the dogge to his vomite Out of these words the aduersarie indeuoureth to collect that many indued with true faith and conuersion and therefore by his death and blood washed and iustified doe perish for euer I answer as afore that here properly the question is not whether some indued with true faith and conuersion doe so fall backe that they perish but this the aduersarie was to proue that the reprobates vniuersally no lesse then the elect and all vnbeleeuers no lesse then the faithful are made partakers of redemption in Christ Which thing cannot bee concluded out of the Apostles words seeing he speaketh not but of them who through the knowledge of Christ had escaped the pollutions of the world which Huber himselfe will haue to bee referred to their faith and conuersion Secondly as touching those who falling rise not againe I denie that such were truly washed in the death and blood of Christ and iustified or were indued with a true and liuely faith in Christ For the contrary hath been aboue shewed out of the doctrine of Peter and other seruants of Christ Neither saith Peter here Peters words expounded It had bin better for them neuer to haue had true faith or els to haue obtained righteousnes then afterward to fall backe from true faith and righteousnes but hee onely saith It had been better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe from the holy doctrine taught them Marke this touching back-sliders And we denie not that many who had cast away corrupt opinions of God and of matters belonging to religion and had imbraced the trueth doe afterward fall away from true doctrine to old or els new errors and by this meanes slide backe from faith that is from the doctrine of faith De fide operib ca. 25. See also in Psal 48 We confesse also that many who as Augustine weigheth this place either by fained promises or externall reformation of maners had forsaken the filthines of the world to wit adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatrie witchcraft drunkennes bankettings and the like doe inthrall themselues againe vnto the same liue in all filthines and so runne into a more grieuous iudgement then if they had neuer knowne the way of righteousnes But they who doe after some sort or other auoide the filthines of the world are not straightwaies to bee accounted washed in the blood of Christ and iustified before God For so as many as among the Heathens haue liued honestly or forsaking the filthines of their former life haue begun to be sober shuld be also accounted for men washed and iustified in the blood of Christ Neither be the things which Huber inferreth of any force they had escaped filthines through the knowledge of Christ and are said to haue knowne the way of righteousnes and the holie commandement that is the holy doctrine of the Gospell is said to haue been deliuered vnto them Therefore they had true faith in Christ giuen them As though the faith of Christians were nothing els than the bare knowledge of Christ or of the way of righteousnes and of the holy commandement Obiection Surely the very deuils haue a knowledge of Christ and that greater then men But they are insnared againe therefore they were once set feee and at libertie Answere I graunt in part they were escaped from their former errors and their outward wicked conuersation wherein while they are againe intangled they be polluted a fresh and like dogges eate againe their vomite which they had alreadie cast vp after that sort doubtles as hath been spoken to wit either by fained promise or els truly as Peter saith while laying aside their wonted errors and maners they bee honest for a time 2. Pet. 2.18 not walking any longer in wantonnes lusts drunkennes surfettings bankettings and abominable idolatries or running any longer with prodigall persons vnto the same excesse of riot as Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. But not all in whom there is seene some reformation of maners haue purified mindes through the spirit and faith vnfained with loue voide of dissimulation from a good conscience and a pure heart There be cited also the words of Peter The 6. place 2. Pet. 1. 2. Pet. 1. where he speaketh of him who professeth faith but hath not workes that he is blinde and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes Therefore false christians and hypocrites who perish at the length were sometime clensed and iustified from their sinnes no lesse then they whose faith by good workes is effectuall and abideth The answere hereunto is the same that was before It must bee vnderstood according to the vsage of the Scriptures The â— expositâ—ons of Peters words 〈…〉 is said to haue been clensed from his olde sinnes Acts 2â— â—6 Augustine which call them Saints iustified and clensed from sinnes as many as are baptized into Christ and ingrafted into his Church Because the Church ought to take them for such according to the iudgement of charitie albeit before God oftentimes they bee not such Further the sense may bee this that such haue forgotten their baptisme which is a certaine visible sanctification and purgation from sins according to that saying be baptized and wash away thy sins But as Augustine very well maketh difference betweene visible and inuisible sanctification Visible and invisible sanctifications Man by visible Sacraments through his ministerie doth sanctifie but the Lord by inuisible grace through the holy Ghost wherein lieth the whole fruite of the visible Sacraments and some men haue inuisible sanctification and it doth them good without visible Sacraments but visible sanctification which happeneth by visible Sacraments a man may haue without the inuisible but it can doe him no good For visible baptisme without inuisible sanctification did nothing profit Simon Magus These things Augustine super Leuit. lib. 3. quaest 84. whereunto Luther also consenteth vpon the second Psalme But it is too absurd and foolish that the aduersarie laboureth to wrest to his purpose also that notable description of the grace of God towards the faithfull in the beginning of the chapter in Peter Peter saith hee testifieth that they may be damned who haue alreadie obtained faith and saluation and all things belonging to godlines But what if this be denied him how will he proue it Because saith he he obiecteth vnto them blindnes The true method and sense of Peters words 2. Pet. â— 3 to verse 12. But good sir it is
OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND THREE BOOKES Wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of Redemption and grace by Christ and of his death for all men is largely handled HEREVNTO IS ANNEXED A TREAtise of Gods Predestination in one booke Written in Latin by IACOB KIMEDONCIVS D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge and translated into English by HVGH INCE Preacher of the word of God BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for HVMFREY LOVVNES 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the Great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell HAuing finished the translation of this volume Right Honorable I was in doubt whether I might safely send it forth as a matter that would as it ought to be imbraced fauored of eueryone into whose hands it should come or to offer it to the view of some honorable person and to commend it to his fauourable protection and in his name to publish it If I had resolued vpon the first way as I doubt not but it should haue found many friends euen all the louers of the trueth that would gladly haue accepted it so I know it should haue had many aduersaries among vs in this land as it hath had in other countries alreadie and commeth now abroad in our owne tongue from thence greatly reproched and withstood with a spitefull enemie albeit to his shamefull foyle and disgrace in the end And therefore I thought it best to follow mine author as he offereth the knowledge and custodie of the trueth which he here maintaineth vnto a high and mightie Prince so I am bold to offer my translation of so worthie a worke vnto your honorable protection and defence against euill tongues and erronious spirits The cause that is handled here is Gods the ground that it hath is the trueth of his holy word the witnesse and testimonie thereof is the vniforme consent of the Church of Christ beleeuing and confessing the same the matter hereof is the redemption of our soules the comfort of our consciences the stay of our faith and the anchor of our hope If the certaintie of these things right Honourable be called in question and taken from vs that are mortall men what ioy can we haue in any thing that here for a time wee enioy What hope can wee haue of a better life when this fraile one shall be taken from vs and wee all shall be called to giue our account But as Satan the enemie of our saluation hath alwaies heretofore sowed tares among the wheate and corrupted the sinceritie of the trueth with errors and lyes and that vnder a faire pretence so at this day when he could not effect his purpose so farre as he desired by the late and lamentable strife that he hath raised among vs though thereby he hath quenched the zeale of many and made them fall from their first loue hath euen now in our Church as he hath done in others raised a doubt and broâ—hed a controuersie in the maine grounds of our Religion and faith to wit in the doctrine of mans Redemption by the death of Christ and of Gods eternall predestination Wherein as he doth not greatly preuaile because the gouernours of our Church and the consent of all that bee godly and learned for the most part therein are against him so that hee may proceede no further in time to come and that the mindes of men may bee setled in the trueth of their saluation I haue thought it my dutie to the Church of God to testifie my loue of the trueth and my vnfained care of the knowledge of the fame among vs and continuance thereof in our posteritie by taking paines to translate into our vulgar tongue these bookes Herein you shall plainly see that albeit the death of Christ the sonne of God as touching the greatnes of the price be sufficient for the redemption of whole mankinde in the world yea if there were many worlds of them as Anselme saith yet the proprietie of redemption belongeth to those that are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ by faith and the grace of regeneration the rest who liue without faith and regeneration not belonging to this redemption from sinne and death Or which is all one you shall see it proued by infallible testimonies of Scripture by generall consent of antiquitie and of new writers and by substantiall arguments that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper to the Church and not common to all and euery one elect and reprobate beleeuer and vnbeleeuer to the saued and damned You shall plainly see I say that the Sauiour promised to the world and preached of alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy prophets and Apostles is appoynted by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue onely and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it be proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein we beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to be vniuersall Against this trueth the aduersarie fighteth eagerly and impudently with bitter reproches and lyes grieuous blasphemies flat contrarieties grosse absurdities peruerting the naturall sense of the sacred Scripture and abusing the ancient writers But all these his weapons wins him not the victory for either they be blunt and cannot hurt our cause or else the edge of them is turned against himselfe and his owne masters in whom he glorieth Luther Brentius and the rest whose disciple and follower he would faine be leaue him in his bad cause nay are brought in plainely reprouing and condemning his opinion as erronious and speaking for the trueth on our side Nay further it is here flatly auouched that the olde Pelagian heresie and impietie which Augustine long agoe confuted and the Church of God then condemned is the father of the birth and beginning of our aduersaries opinion As for the treatise of Predestination annexed hereto it serueth specially for the fuller euidence and greater certaintie of those things that are handled in the former bookes concerning the vniuersalitie of grace and redemption For the remnants of the Pelagians of old and at this day affirming none at all to bee excepted from the redemption of Christs blood and in respect of God maintaining eternall life to bee prepared for all are therefore fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would in no case confesse that God according to the purpose couÌ„sel of his own will in his secret iudgement but manifest worke maketh one vessell to honor and another to dishonour nor will assent hereto that the number of the predestinate can neither be increased nor diminished Both which points are fully handled and plainly proued against them in this booke Praefat. ad Rom. Luther saith notably
vse of the former doctrine for the confutation of certaine errors BY the doctrine alreadie expounded Heretikes denying Christ to be true man are confuted by the former doctrine Leo epist 85 97. those men are confuted which haue denied the trueth of mans substance in Christ as Eutyches Apollianaris Manichaeus Marcion and other old Heretikes and at this day certaine Anabaptists who haue wallowed in the vngodly errors of old Heretikes Pope Leo vrging these men saith Let them speake with what sacrifice they are reconciled let them speake with what blood they are redeemed who is he that hath giuen himselfe an oblation to God So are the popish merits of Saints these paâ—ker of pardons the upon brought in wherby Christs merits are prophaned and a sacrifice of a sweete sauour Furthermore by this same doctrine the Papists are refelled who ioyne the sufferings of the Saints to the passions of Christ and thereof haue confusedly made their fained treasure of pardons Neither are they ashamed to boast of the superfluitie of merits and humane satisfactions that the Saints haue suffered more then they ought for their sinnes and heaping one error vpon another haue fained that this their superabundance pertaineth not only to the quick but also to the dead in purgatorie This is a meere mockerie of Satan and a prophanation of the blood of Christ as Pope Leo notably sheweth in the forenamed Epistles against the Papists of these times whose words are these A notable saying of Pope Leo against the meritorious suffrings of Saints Albeit saith he the death of many Saints hath been precious in the sight of God yet the slaying of no guiltles person hath been the propitiation of the world The righteous haue receiued they haue not giuen crownes and from the fortitude of the faithfull examples of patience haue sprong and not gifts of righteousnes For there were peculiar deaths in euery one neither hath any man by his end paied the debt of another seeing among the sonnes of men there hath been one alone our Lord Iesus Christ in whom all are crucified all are dead all are buried and all are also raised vp againe And before Leo Pope Gaius of the countrie of Dalmatia being in that Sea about the yeare of our Lord 284. wrote the same thing elegantly vnto Bishop Felix the doctrine of which ancient Bishops I would to God the Romane Church had kept inuiolablie A saying of Augustine to the same end Vpon the same point Augustine writeth in his 84. treatise vpon Iohn Albeit we brethren die one for another yet the blood of no martyr is shed for the remission of sinnes which Christ did for vs and bestowed it not vpon vs that wee should imitate it but that we should be thankefull for it The trifling Pardoners or more truly sacrilegious deceiuers obiect the words of the Apostle to the Colossians Colos 1.24 Scripture abused by popish pardoners I reioyce in those things which I suffer for you and I fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the Church But the true sense of that place they might haue learned euen of Aquinas who part 3. of his Summae quaest 48. artic penult disputing that only Christ is our redemption obiecteth this place and thus expoundeth it The sufferings of the Saints profit the Church not by way of redemption but by way of example and exhortation according to that 2. Cor. 1. Whether we be afflicted it is for your exhortation and saluation Which is very well sauing that for exhortation a man may better translate the Greeke word Consolation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in that the afflictions of the Saints are called the rest of the afflictioÌ„s of Christ he doth not meane that the passion of Christ was vnperfect farre off be such blasphemie but therefore that is spoken because Christ suffereth daily as yet in his members but to a farre diuerse end and after another maner But those men are not ashamed such is their wickednesse to bragge of the superabundance as I said of humane merits and satisfactions Our sufferings are not meritorious Rom. 8.18 which redoundeth to the quicke and dead What doth not the Scripture plainly testifie that the things which wee suffer in this present life are not equall to the glorie that shall bee shewed in the sonnes of God What that none can redeeme his brother nor giue the price of his raunsome to God For the redemption of the soule is precious Psalm 49.8.9 as the Psalmist singeth Vpon which place Basil in his gloses noteth Basils sayings thereof worthie remembrance that the whole world is not the price of a soule And tom 1. vpon the same Psalme saith Man hath no abilitie at all to offer a reconciliation to God for a sinner because he himselfe is guiltie of sinne For all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu Therefore no man can giue his owne appeasement and the price of his soule to God neither ought to seeke his brother to redeeme him but one who surpasseth our nature that is not man only but the man God Iesus Christ who alone is able to giue himselfe to be a reconciliation to God for vs all These things he Therefore all men must hope in him alone We must then rest vpoÌ„ Christ alone for redemption propitiation and saluation who onely is the Mediatour of God and man the redemption propitiation and saluation of all men Let our heart say vnto him I will loue thee O Lord my strength my rocke my tower my deliuerer my shield and the horne of my saluation I will trust in thee and I shall neuer be ashamed Hauing an high priest saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes which is mercifull Chap. 2. 4. and faithfull in things concerning God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs goe with confidence to the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercie Let vs goe in a true heart and certaine perswasion of faith Chap. 10.19.20.22 hauing libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie by the blood of Iesu by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh There is no cause there is no cause I say why we should doubt to goe by him vnto God If wee haue committed grieuous things we haue found a worthie Phisition wee receiue the soueraigne medicine of his grace And not that onely but also we trust that he which hath not spared his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 but giuen him for vs all will also with him bestow vpon vs all things CHAP. VII Of the time of the Redemption purchased IT followeth that we consider diligently of the time also of this redemption purchased for vs by Christ And it is manifest by the historie of the Gospell
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
draweth thee to repentance But this is the question whether faith and repentance bee not the gifts of God which he giueth to some and not to others and that according to the vnsearchable counsell of his owne will This certainly is more cleere than that it can be denied of any one that is not a Pelagian How God willeth all to repent Therefore it is well said That God willeth all men to repent that is he calleth and inuiteth all to repentance but he effecteth it not in all neither doth he will it surely because he hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Luth. de ser arb Cap. 109. A distinction of Gods will After this sort Luther also distinguisheth He will not the death of a sinner to wit in his word for in the word of saluation he commeth to all but he willeth it in his vnsearchable will And at large there sheweth the difference between the secret and published will of God not that properly there is a diuerse will in God but the speech of his will is diuerse because this name is diuersly taken The published or reuealed will of God is whatsoeuer from the beginning of the world either by God himselfe immediatly or by his ministers hath been offered to men by precepts exhortations menacings and benefits But his hidden will is that secret will in God concerning the euent of things that is whom and what men endued with faith by speciall grace he will haue to be partakers of mercie when it is preached and offered Brentius Brentius also followed this same distinction in 1. Sam. 2. discussing the place of the sonnes of Eli and expli Catechis vpon the petition Thy will be done This let the indifferent reader obserue against the outcries of some who though they would be heard as the right issue of Luther and Brentius yet by cauils and sophistications they labour to make odious this distinction receiued and grounded in the word of God For as it is written 2. Tim. 2. 2. Pet. 3. 1. Thess 5. Matth. 23. that he wil that all men be saued and that he is patient toward vs being vnwilling that any should perish but to come to repentance and that our sanctification is the will of God Also how often would I gather thy children and thou wouldest not Esay 46.10 Psalm 115.3 Rom 9.18 19. So wee haue heard and read in the diuine Scriptures My counsell shall stand saith the Lord and I will fulfill my will Whatsoeuer the Lord would that he did He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Also Who shall resist his will In which places and the like there will be great contrarietie vnlesse a distinction be vsed according to which Marke this distinction we may vnderstand that something is done against the will of God that is against his commandement and prohibition which yet is not done beside and contrary to that will which is he himselfe For great are the workes of the Lord and his will is perfect towards all so that it is not done beside his will that yet is done contrary to his will because it could not be done if he would not suffer it and truly he doth not suffer it against his will but willingly neither being good himselfe would he suffer euill to be done vnles being almightie he were able out of euill to make that which is good as August saith ad Laur. ca. 100. See also lib. 1. Sentent dist 45. and in the other that follow Voluntas beneplaciti signi where the Master largely speaketh of the double will of God his good pleasure and reuealed will as the Schoolemen call them If any thinke good let him also peruse Chrysostome Hom. 18. ad Heb. Secondly it is obiected The 2. Obiection that the promise of grace is vniuersall and therefore that none is reiected from grace or reprobated in respect of God Answere I answere The first way how the promises of grace be vniuersall the promise of grace is vniuersall in respect of the beleeuers as farre forth doubtles as no man of what nation or condition soeuer is excluded from saluation so that he beleeue truly in Christ Contrariwise vnbeleeuers of what nation or condition soeuer are expressely shut out from the fruite of the promises according to the sayings Mark 16. He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued c. Euery one that beleeueth in the sonne Ioh. 3. Ioh 6. Acts 13. Rom. 3. shall not perish This is the will of the father that whosoeuer beleeueth in the sonne should haue eternall life In him whosoeuer beleeueth is iustified The righteousnes of God in all and vpon all that beleeue for there is no difference And oftentimes after this sort is repeated the promise of life and saluation made to euery beleeuer the vnbeleeuers on the contrary being excluded For the promise requireth faith which because it belongeth not to all but to the elect as Paul witnesseth therfore the efficacie of the promises remaineth doubtles with the elect as the Apostle also teacheth to the Romanes Rom. 9. That the promises of God pertaine to the true Israelites to the spirituall seede that is elected of God not of workes but through the grace of the caller Yet here we are to bee admonished Note this well that albeit the promise bee proper to the beleeuers and the elect as touching efficacie yet it must be preached indifferently in the eares of all faithfull and Infidels elect and reprobates The 2. way And in this sense also we grant that the promises are vniuersall to wit in respect of externall preaching because the minister of the word cannot or ought not to discerne the elect from reprobates Rom. 11. In the meane while not all attaine vnto the grace that is preached and offered to all but the elect obtaine it and the rest doe not and so to vse Luthers words all things depend vpon predestination c. The third obiection The third obiection Whosoeuer appertain to the Church are called elect But to the Church pertaine as well the bad as the good Hub. thes 751. 752. Ergo the bad as well as the good are elected none at all omitted Answere But this obiection is faultie in two points First it is the vse of the Scriptures to call them elect whosoeuer belong to the account of the Church but not all therefore are elected of God to eternal life according to his purpose For many are elect to vs in the iudgement of charitie and are not to God and contrariwise according to the diuerse signification of the word set downe before Secondly there is more in the conclusion than in the premisses For the consequence is of no force within the compasse of the Church and of the elect there be as well euill as good in the sense aforesaid Therefore all men are elected This is all one as if