Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	beget_v	father_n	son_n	11,645	5	6.8465	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22686	A worke of the predestination of saints wrytten by the famous doctor S. Augustine byshop of Carthage, and translated out of Latin into Englysshe, by Nycolas Lesse, Londoner. Item, another worke of the sayde Augustyne, entytuled, Of the vertue of perseueraunce to thend, translated by the sayd. N.L.; De praedestinatione sanctorum. English.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Lesse, Nicholas.	1550 (1550)	STC 920; ESTC S108434	120,901	394

and a rewarde vnto them Lette theyr eyes be blynded that they se not and bende thou downe their backe alwaye Here may you se both mercye and iudgemente mercy in election which election hath obteyned mercye iudgemēt vpon those whych are blynded yet they whiche wolde dyd beleue the other because they woulde not dyd not beleue I do conclude here by that mercy and iudgement are wroughte in the wylles For thys electiō is of grace not of our deseruynge For the Apostle sayde a lyttell before so then is it in thys tyme the remnaunt are saued thorowe the eleccion of grace But if it be of grace then is it not of our workes For if it shold be of our worke then grace wer no grace Frely therfore without deseruing of our workes hathe election obteyned that thing which it hath ▪ There was nothinge which dyd precede or go before that election of there owne whiche thei mighte gyue first and afterward be rewarded again for that which thei dyd giue For he hath sauid them without any reward frely The other ▪ whiche are blinded to them it was gyuen as it is wrytten for a rewarde All the ways of the lord ar mercye and veritie His wayes are inuestigable and vnable to be serched out It doth folowe then that hys mercy by the whiche ●e dothe giue saluation frely and his veritie whereby he iudgeth rightwiselye are vnsearcheable The seuenth Chapter BVt paraduentur they wyl say that the apostle dothe seuer and deuyde faith from workes The Apostle saye they dothe saye that grace commeth not of oure workes he saythe not saye they nor denyethe that grace commeth of fayth It is so in deede but Iesus hym selfe doth saye that the same faith also is the worke of god And this worke doth he commaunde vs forto worke For the iewes sayde vnto hym what shall we doo that we may worke the workes of god Iesus aunswered to theym and sayde This is the worke of god that ye do beleue in hym whom he hath sent After that same fashyon dooth the Apostle separate fayth from workes makyng thē as two seuerall thynges after that sorte as in the two kyngedomes of the Hebreus ye do rede that Iudas was separated frō Israel althoughe that Iudas him selfe was Israel But the Apostel doth say that man is iustified by fayth not by workes bicause that fayth is first giuen to vs wherby al other thinges are obteined and got which ar properlye called good workes in the which workes we do lyue iustly and godly For he doth say by grace are ye made safe thorowe fayth and that not of oure selues but it is the gyfte of god that is to saye that whiche I sayde thorough faith is not of oure selues but it is the gyft of god And now fayth is not of woorkes sayth he● lest some mā paraduenture wold be proude therof For it hath bene a common sayenge amonge men he hath deserued to beleue and to be faithful because he was a good man ye before he beleued Which thyng myght be sayd and spoken of Cornelius whose almes dedes were acceptyd and hys prayers herd before he beleuyd in Chryst But yet he did not giue his almes and praye wyth out al faythe For howe dyd he make inuocation in whom he had not beleued But if he myght haue byn sauyd without the fayth of Christ the great work master and Apostel peter shold not haue bene sente vnto him that he myght be edefied and buylded vp by hym For except that god doth buylde the house the buylders do spende their labour in vayne And you saye faith is of oure selfe but al other thinges part●yning to the workes of rightwisnes are of god as thoughe faith dyd not parteyn to this buyldynge as thoughe I saye the foundacion parteyne the not nor were parte of the house But yf it doeth partaine vnto the buyldynge then doth he labour in vayne in buyldynge vp fayth by his preachynge excepte the lorde shewynge his mercy and compassion doth inwardly buyld it Therfore what soeuer Cornelyues dyd worke before he bleuyd in Christ 〈◊〉 and afterward also al to gyther is to be ascrybed vnto god lest any man peraduentur wold reioyce be proud in hym selfe Ther fore y ● same onli master and lord when he seyd th●s words whiche I rehersyd before This is the worke of God that ye shulde beleue in hym whome ●e hathe sente at the selfe same tyme sayde also I haue sayde vnto you bycause you haue sene me and haue not beleued me all that my father doth gyue vnto me shall come to me The .viii. Chapter WHat is meante by these words shall come to me but this shall beleue in me But to beleue in the sonne is the gyft of the father And afterwarde he saide Murmor ye not amonge your selues no man canne come to me except my father whiche sent me doth drawe hym and I wyll rayse him vp againe in the lattre day It is writtē in the prophetes and all shall be taughte of god Al whiche haue harde and be taught of the father and haue also learned that whyche they haue bene taught doo come ▪ vnto me What is that to saye euerye man whiche hathe harde of the father is learned of hym but this that there is no man which doth heare and is learned of the father but dothe come vnto me For yf that euery man which hath herd of the father and is also learned of hym doth come then he which doth not come hath neither harde nor is learned of the father For if he had hard and had lerned he shold haue com For there is no man which euer harde was lerned of the father that is not come But eueri man as wytnessethe the veryte yt selfe whiche hath hard is lernid of my father doth com This scholl is very straunge and far from the sensis of the flesh in y e which schol the father is hard wherin he teacheth how a man mai com vnto his son In y t same scholl is the son also for he is the worde of hym selfe by whom the father doth so teach that thing he doth not with the eares of the flesh but with the eares of the hart In that schol is also the spirit of the father and of the son for the spirit is not ydel but teachīg also and that not seuerally from the other but iointli wyth them For as we haue sayd the workes of the trynite ar inseperable And that same spirit is the holy ghost of whom the Apostell speaketh these wordes hauing the selfe same spirit of faith But therfore this dede of teaching is namly and princypally ascrybed to the father bycause the son was begotton of hym his only begotten son from whom also procedyd the holy ghost wherof it were to long to dispute euery thing at large for as much as I haue wryttē fyften bokes of

not into tentatiō When we do speke these wordes and such lyke whyther it be to a few in nomber or to a multitude of the churche wherfore dowe feare to preche predestination and the trew grace of god according as the holy scripture doth preche it vnto vs that is to saye whiche is not gyuen after our merytts Or shold we fear leste then a man shold fall in despeyre when he is taught to putte his hope in god and that he shold not despeire if he shold proudly wrechedly trust in him selfe And I wold to god that they which ar slow in hart and weake persons yet haue not the vnderstonding of the scripturs that theye sholde so here these our dysputations or els not here them that they wold giue more hede and loke better vpon those prayars whiche the church hath vsed from the begynning of the world and wyl styl euen to the ende The .xxiii. Chapter OF this matter of predestination whiche we are now fayne not only to speke of but also strongly to menteyn and defend against a sorte of new heretiques the churche of god maketh often mention in ther prayars and in ther sermons ye though ther were non aduersary which wolde gyue occasion to treat therof Was there euer any tyme when the churche hathe not prayed for the infidels those which are enemies to the fayth of Christ that they might be made faythful and beleue Ys ther any faythful man whiche hauing a frend or neyghboure being an in fidel or hys wyfe out of the trewe fayth but hath prayed to the lorde for to gyue an obedient mynde vnto them that they might be tornid and beleue What man hath not praied to god for him selfe that he myght be permanent and stedfast in the lord Or what man was euer so boulde y t wold ether by word or thought speke euel of a minister when he maketh his prayer ouer the faythful vnto the lorde saying Eyue to them lorde thy grace to perseuer and to abied styl in the to the end but rather at that his blessing wold make answer with a beleuyng hart confessing that same withe his mouth say So be it forsomyche as those whiche at the faythful and beleuing sort of men do desyre and praye for non other thing in that thei do say bring vs not into temptation but that they may continew and perseuer in holy obedience Lykewyse then as y e churche did fyrst begin w t thes petitions prayers so was it fyrst in thys faythe doth grow and hath growen from the begynning by the which faith we do beleue y t the grace of god is not gyuen after the merits of them which do receue it For y e church wold not prai to god y t faith might be giuen to y e vnfaithful except it beleued y ● god doth conuert and turn to hym the wylles of men which are not only out of the fayth but of those also whiche are aduersaris enemies to the faythe Nor yet wolde the church praye that it selfe might perseuer and continew stronge in the faith of Christ that it might not be deceuyd and ouer com with the tentations of the world except it beleued that god had our harts so in his power that the goodnes whiche we haue with our wyl we could nether haue nor kepe it except he wroughte that same wyll also in vs. For if the churche doth aske these things of him and yet doth thinke that god is not the gyuer therof but that it hath it of it selfe without his gyft then truly hath it no perfect and true prayars but sych as are lyke vnto the wynd which thing god kepe vs from For what man can sygh ▪ and sorow with his hart deliring to receue that thing which he asketh of god if he doth thinke that he may haue it of hī selfe and not of god And that specially sith we know not what to aske as we ought but the spirite doth make intercession for vs w t vnspekable gronings For he that sercheth the hart knoweth what the mynd of the spirit is For he doth pray for the seincts acording to the pleasure of god What is ment by these words the spirit doth praye but that the spirit doth make hym praye with vnspekable gronyngs w t such I say as ar trew vnfeyned For the spirit is veryte That same spirit is it wherof y e Apostel speketh in an other place saying God sēt y e spirit of his sonne into our harts crieng Abba dere father What is ment bi this word crieng but that the spirit dyd make him crye in whom he is after that maner of speking as when we do saye a glad daye bycause the daye maketh men glade This manner of speking the Apostel maketh plain and open where he saith ▪ For ye haue not receuid the spirit of bondage in feate but ye haue receued the spirit of adoption of chyldren in whom we do crye Abba dear ●ather In the text before he sayde He sent the spirit crieng here in this part he saith In y ● which spirit we do cry expoūdyng thys worde crieng which he spake befor w t this interpretacion making vs to crye By that we do vnderstond that our crieng to him is the gyft of god that we maye with a trewe hart and spiritually crye vnto the lorde Let thē now marke wel how foule they are deceuid whiche do thinke that it is of our selfe and not giuē to vs of god that we sholde aske that we shold seke and knok And thus they do speke bycause theye wold haue the grace of god preched and taughte to be gyuen after our merytts that the same grace sholde be then thoughte to be giuē when we do receue that thing whiche we do aske and desire and not before when we do find that thing whiche we do seeke and not before and when the doare is made open after we haue knokte not before Nether wyl they vnderstond and beleue that that is the gyfte of god that we sholde praye whiche is as much to saye as that we mighte ask of god seke and also knock For we haue receuyd the spirit of the adoption of chyldern in whom we doo crye Abba dere father This thing the holy father Ambrose perceuyd wel For he sayde these wordes and to praye vnto god is a spiritual grace For as it is wryttē no mā doth say lord Iesus but in the holy ghost These thinges therfore which the church doth praye for and desire of god and alwaye hath done euen from the begynning that it was fyrst a church god knew before that he wolde gyue to them which are called of him euen so as he dyd giue them at the fyrst in his predestination as the apostel did openly manifest declare wryting to Timothy saying labor with vs in the ghospel according to the poure of god which saueth vs and callethe vs with his holy

both Christ and vs bycause he knewe before in Chryst those workes ▪ which he wold work him selfe not that he knew ani meryts of his which shold precede y e heuenly grace and that bycause Chryste shold be our hed and we hys members Those whych do red thes thinges if they do vnderstond them let thē rendar thankes vnto god therfor but they ▪ whiche doo not vnderstonde them let them praye that God maye be theyr inwarde and spyritual teacher from whose face commeth al knowledge and vnder stonding But if there be anye which do thinke that I doo erre and that I am oute of the ryghte waye lette hym looke my sayinges twyse ouer and weye them well leaste peraduenture they be deceyuyd them selfe And as for my selfe when I doo fynde that I am the better instructyd by other mennes readyng of my workes I saye bothe in lerninge and in lyuinge I doo thanke god hartelye for it and so doo knowledge that he is good and mercifull ▪ vnto me which thinge I doo not doubte but I shall be by the good iudgemente of the doctoures of the churche if my woorke doeth come into theyr handes and they lykewyse do vouchsafe to reade thys thinge whyche I haue wrytten FINIS ❧ Imprinted at London in Aldersgate strete by the wydowe of Ihon Herforde for Gwalter Lynne and are to be soulde at the sygne of the spred Eagle in Poules church yarde by the schole Cum priuilegio regali ad impridum solum Philip. 3. Galathi ● the grace of god he temmende● them for ther good desyr towarde the amendment of them whiche wer in error he meaneth of the fre grace of god Iieremy ● Philip. 3 A●l men are borne gyltye of synne 〈…〉 ther A●am The graci● of god preuē●teth our will begynnynge and endyng oure 〈◊〉 workes Prayer 〈◊〉 weapen age●inst errour ● blyndnes fayth is the gyft of god Agenst thot which saye that faythe is of oure selfe but y ● encreas the● of 〈◊〉 god Pelagians errour condemned in the counsell at Palestyne Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 No man cā 〈◊〉 ●xcept it 〈◊〉 giuē to hym that he shold beleue psal ▪ 84● ● Corin ● 4. By the antecedēt he proueth ●he con●●uene The thou●●ht is the begynnynge of beleife but the thought is the 〈◊〉 of god 〈◊〉 the beginnīg of beleue is the gyfte of god what is 〈◊〉 beleue The conclusion of hys argument A preparation to an other argument prouīg by ●ge promyse of god that faythe is y ● worke of god Roman 4 ▪ ●●ma 1 〈…〉 S Ciprian Augusti cōfesseth 〈◊〉 This was the iudgmēt of 〈◊〉 augustin ī his er●or befor● 〈…〉 it S Augusti 〈…〉 the wordes wherin he erred in 〈◊〉 kyng faithe to be the work of 〈◊〉 ●alach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11 ● Corinth 12 In those wordes of y ● ap●●t●l ▪ 〈◊〉 worketh he 〈…〉 ephes 〈◊〉 Bothe the wyl and the power of y ● wil are the gyftes of god two kynds of vocatiō vocation ● election ●● not on thi● Fayth Infid●l●te A question He doth not cal him m●lord of myla● as we saye my lorde of ●ondon my lord of wynchester 〈…〉 on at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For god dyd ▪ gyue that grace ●●to them that they wold plant and water 〈…〉 The dyffer●nce of gra●●● man 1. Thessa ▪ 〈◊〉 He preuenteth the obiection with wolde pr●● feyth to be of man and dispro●●th it 〈…〉 psal ▪ l●viii Testimonies of the scriptures conteyning the doctrine of the merci and iudgement of god He reherseth another of ther ob●●tione re●re●yth it Ihon 〈◊〉 The reason whye we ar iustefyd by fayth So faythe 〈◊〉 gardene ●who by th●● e●ample p●oueth that a man before fayth maye be 〈◊〉 and ●od 〈◊〉 by his goodnes to be rewarded of god To com to the son is to beleue in the son Ihon. vi 〈…〉 There commeth none to the son but whome the father teachyth ▪ the cause then why they do not come is because god both not teache them The father the sonne the spirit of them bothe d●o ●ea●h a● in our scole Wherefore is it called the dede of the father ▪ when we 〈◊〉 whom the father teacheth syth that y ● sonne and y ● holy ghost as also present in tha● dede of teachyng he referreth the reader 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 whiche he 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 what thing doth grace work in the hart of man an ob●ection w●th the answere Aunswere By this 〈…〉 teacheth the vnderstanding of these w●rdes ▪ all m●n are taughte of Another 〈◊〉 lection Aunswer● psalme ●4 math 6. * th● vnderstandinge of the seconde petition of the lordes prayer A other obie●●on Answer● Ihon. vi The vnderstonding of these wo●ds to be drawen of the father ●e concludeth that 〈◊〉 also 〈◊〉 to the gyft of god If all men ●oulde 〈◊〉 it were 〈◊〉 of rye●● are if 〈…〉 not of 〈◊〉 but of me ●ye Hieremy ● mans igno●rance cann not after n● to the dep● wisdom of god ▪ Whereby is men worthy to receue 〈◊〉 whiche is by the faith of christe of his own● 〈◊〉 or otherwyse ▪ The differēce betwen predestinatination and grace The prescyence of god may be without predestination b●● predestination cannot 〈◊〉 without the prescience * the 〈◊〉 of syn Grace i● 〈◊〉 of predestination * god maketh men to worke well an obiectiō * thei sayde that faith 〈◊〉 ●he worke of man ▪ and all 〈…〉 workes are of god The answer to the obiection This is a soule and 〈◊〉 noble 〈◊〉 that god shoulde be bounde to oure workes ●●dedes ● corinth 〈◊〉 Obiecti●● aunswer● Rom. 8. To mortifye the dedes of the 〈◊〉 is the gifte of god 1. cor 1● Wherfore be we commaūded to doo this or that of we cannot do it 〈◊〉 god giuethe ●t to vs. Hezethi● 11 Al humayne meryts are condemned by the worde of god and 〈…〉 them as 〈◊〉 So fayeth in other sort yf we be sa●uid by faith 〈…〉 shulde we worke what meryts do men finde in youge chyldren by the whiche they are sau● 〈◊〉 ●omano 14 He makethe an obiection againste the wordes of the apostell whereto hee aunswerethe shewyng the vnderstondynge of the apostles sayyng Of this sa●yeng there cā be no purgatory proued Answe●● This 's the reasō of the whiche say that 〈◊〉 are saued ▪ or codmened for that whiche god knw they woulde doo yf they had lyued He vseth y ● test●mony of Cyp●ane to proue that no man is ponished for any thynge that he hath not 〈…〉 though 〈…〉 haue done it if he had lyued By these questiō● be proueth the sent●nce of the boke of wysedome to be true that death is profitable to the good 〈◊〉 persō● that so departīg they shulde o●●end no more the prescyence of god is of thīges tha● shal be an●●ot of that which shal not be Thus do they 〈…〉 dyd to Augustyn wyllynge all thyng to be tryed by the doctors Roma 19. Sap● 〈◊〉 Cypriane would haue vs reioyse when we 〈…〉 sithe that we shall depart from mys●●y and synne no

forsomuch as the veryte doth deny and forbyddeth that we shold beleue it ●o be as they say let vs with Abraham beleue as he dyd bycause god is able to perform those thinges which he hath promysed For he promysed chyldren vnto Abraham which thinge thei can not be if thei haue no faith It dothe then follow that he dothe gyue also the fayth wherby we do beleue The .xi. chapter I Do meruayll truly forsomyche as the Apostel doth say therfore by fayth that according to grace the promyse maye be fyrme and certayne● that men had rather commyt them selfe to them self trusting to their owne infyrmite and weaknys than to y ● certayne most sure promyse of god But he wyl saye vnto me I am vncertayne of the wil of god what thing shal becom of me And arte thou sure vpon thyn owne wyl what shal becom of the that thou fearyst nothing Let hym whiche semeth to hym selfe to stand take hede that he doth not fall Forsomuch therfore as bothe are vncertayne for what cause doth not man commyt hys faythe his hope and charite vnto the stronger ▪ rather than to the weaker But when they do heat these wordes spoken vnto them which were the wordes of the lorde yf thou be leuest thou shalte be sauid they do answere and say that one part of this saying is requyred to be had at our hand y t second part therof is gyuen vnto vs. That parte which is requyred of vs is in our owne pour say they and that part whiche is gyuen vnto vs is in the poure of god Wherfore is not both as wel that whiche he commaundeth as that which he giueth in the power of god For we do desyre hym in oure prayers that he woulde gyue to vs that thynge whiche he commanndeth vs for to doo The faithfull do make theyr petition desiringe that he woulde increase their fayth They do pray also for them which do not beleue that faith myghte be gyuen vnto them that as well the begynnyng as y e encrease of faith myght as it is ī dede be y e gyft of god For it is all one maner of speakyng to say yf thou beleuest thou shalte be saued and to saye yf ye doo mortify the dedes of the fleshe ye shal liue For in this text there are two thinges on commaunded and another gyuen vnto vs. If ye do mortyfye the dedes of the fleshe c. Then to mortifye the dedes of the fleshe by the spirite is required of vs and that ye shall lyue is gyuen vnto vs. Woulde ye therefore by this reason saye that the mortyfyenge of the dedes of the fleshe is not the gyft of god and that we shuld not confesse it to be his gyft bycause it is demaūded of vs with a reward promysed for the perfourmynge therof God forbydde that those whiche are partakers of grace and defendars therof shulde be of that mynde For this is the damnable error of the Pelagiās whose mouthes streightway the apostel doth stoppe with these wordes sayinge As many as are ledde by the spirit of god they are the sonnes children of god bicause we shulde not thinke that the mortifienge of the flesshe is doone by oure owne spirite and not by the spyryte of God ☞ Of this spirit of god thapostel did speake when he sayde● al these thinges none other but that selfe same spirite doth work deuyding dystrybutinge his owne proper gyftes to euery man as it pleaseth hym Among all the which thīges as ye know he named fayth Likwyse then as the mortefieng of the fleshe although● it be the gyfte of god is required of vs and a reward also promysed of lyfe so is feyth also y ● gyft of god although it be requyret of vs. with a promysse of saluation when it is sayd if thou dost beleue thou shalte be sauid For this cause therfore both we ar commaūded to do these thinges and are taught also that theye at the gyftes of god y t we mighte vnderstand both that we do them and also that god doth make that we may do them as by the mouthe of the prophet Ezechyel he speketh very playnly ▪ for what can be sayd more playnly than when he dothe saye I wyll make that ye maye do them Marke the same place of the scriptur wel good brethren and ye shal se that he doth promysse that he wyl worke that ye may do that which he commaundeth to be don In that sam place also he speaketh of ther own meryttes calling them euyl and noughty to whom he declarethe that he doth render good thinges for euyl in that same doīg when he doth mak them to haue good workes afterwarde when he worketh ▪ that theye maye worke kepe the cōmmaūdementes of god The xii Chapter ALthough this reasō by y ● which we do defēd y ● grace of god thorowe Iesu Christ our lord to be grace in dede that is to laye not to be giuē to vs accordynge to our merits is euidently inough prouid and confirmed by the stronge testimonies of the worde of god yet amonge them which would fayn haue some thinge for to come and to be of them selfe whiche they myght first gyue vnto god for to be rewarded of hym againe excepte they haue this thing graunted vnto theym that they do some thynge of them self they do thīk that they ar clean pluckt away from doīg of all vertuouse workes and godlynes Well as ●●chynge those whiche by reason of theyr age haue the vse of their wyll we wil graunte say that they do worke sometyme But when we do talke of yonge chyldrē of the mediator betwene god and man the mā Christ Iesu then al assertion defence of humayne merits precedynge y ● grace of god dooth quayle For neyther yonge chyldren are by anye good workes precedinge the grace of god preferred before other that therby they shulde pertayne to the redemer of mankynd nor yet christ Iesu beyng also made man was made the sauyour and redemer of mankynd by any humayn merits preceding the grace of god For what man coulde abyde to here y ● yonge chyldren bycause of y ● good deds which they wold haue done if they had lyued long●r tyme are baptysed before they do departe foorthe of thys lyfe and agayne that oother younge chyldren bycause bycause of euyll dedes which they woulde haue commytted yf they hadde lyued to the yeres of dyscretion are taken oute of this lyfe before that ar baptised and that god dothe nether rewarde the lyfe whiche they do lyue before they dy as good nor yet condemne it as bad and noughty but onelye hauynge respect to the workes whiche they would haue done in tyme to come if they hadde contynued in thys worlde doth ether rewarde or condemne them But mans folysh brayn ought not to go beyond the mark whiche the Apostell hath leyd befor vs whose wordes are

thou wylt saye vnto me is grace so dyfferēt more greater in hym than in me wheras is all one nature Truly God thou wylte say is no acceptor of persons What christian man yea what madde man woulde speake these wordes yea thinke any such thing Let vs therfore beholde the fountayn of grace in our head whēs he dothe power oute the same grace vpon all his members to euerye man accordyng to measure By the same grace euery mā whatsoeuer he be ye from the begynninge of his faith is made a christiā mā whiche grace dyd make that man from his begynnyng to be Christ Of the same spirite that he was borne of whosoeuer is a christian is also regenerated borne a new By the selfe same spirit we do obteyn remission of our synne which made hym to be without synne God verelye knew before that he woulde do all these thinges That same therfore is y ● predestinatiō of sayntes which doth shyne so cleare aboue all brightnes in hym which is the holy one of all holye whiche predestination no man can denye hauynge the right knowlege and vnderstandyng of the scryptures For we do se that he hym selfe which is the lord of glory in that he was made the sonne of god was predestinated The doctor of the gentiles S. Paul in the beginning of his epistels speaketh these wordes openlye sayinge Paul the seruaunt of Iesu Christe called to the rome of Apostelship put apart to preache the gospell of god whiche he promysed before by his prophetes in the holye scriptures of his sonne whiche sonne he made to hym self forthe of the seede of Dauyd after the flesshe beinge predestinated to be the sonn of god with power after the spirit which sāctifieth sinse the tyme that he dyd ryse agayne from the deade Christe then was predestinated that he which shold be the sonne of Dauid after the ●leshe shoulde be that notwithstāstanding the son of god with power after the spyrit of sanctyfication which is borne of the holi ghost and of the virgin Mary This mā Christ was after a meruaylous straung manner begotten of god by the worde that he shold be the son of god the son of man bothe togyther the son of man bycause of the manhod whiche he toke on hym the son of god bycause god receuyd hym and made hym to be his only begottē son that the nomber shoulde not excede the nomber of thre which is the trynyte to be beleued on of all men That this humayne nature was exalted so hyghe to be the only begotten son of god nothing being in y ● worlde that can be greater as ther was nothinge more basse and lowe wherto the godhede myghte submytte it selfe than to take vpon hym the nature of man susteininge and beating the infyrmite of man yea to the deathe of the crosse all this was by the predestination of god Wherfore lykwys as he only was predestinated of god to be our hed so we are many predestinated that we shold be his members Therfore in this matter let al humayne merytts be put asyde lett them not be spoken of For when Adam fell the merittes also of man decaied with hym were lost Lett the grace of god beare reule and raygne as it doth thorowe oure lorde Iesu Christe whiche is the only begotton sonne of god oure lorde Who so euer can fynde any merites in CHRYST our head whiche dydde precede this heauenlye and singular generation then lette him seeke also in hys members the merits of the regeneration of so many as are regenerated and borne a new in Christ For that byrth and generatiō was not geuen nor rewarded to Christ for any of his merits but frelye it was geuen to hym that he shulde be pure and cleane from all maner of contagion and bondage of syn and be borne of the holy ghost and of the vyrgyn Euen so it was not geuen to vs for anye of our deseruinges that we sholde be regenerated and newe borne oute of the water and the spirite but frely by the grace of god And therfore if faith dyd bring vs to the fountayne of our regeneration yet we may not thinke that there was any thinge of oure selfe fyrste whiche was the cause thereof For he dyd make vs to beleue in Christ whiche made Christ for vs in whom we shulde beleue Yt is he which worketh in men both the begynnynge and endinge of our faith in Iesu which did make man to be the head and fore of our faithe Christ Iesu So is he called by name as ye knowe in the epistell which is to the Hebrewse The .xvi. chapter FOr god doth call many whiche are his chyldren predestinated that he might make them to be the mēbers of his onely begotten sonne which was predestinated not with that maner of callynge as they were called which woulde not come to the mariage For with that vocation were y ● Iewes called to whome Christ crucyfyed is an effundicle and a cause of sclander also the gentyles to whom Christ crucified is taken for folyshnes But he doth cal thē which ar predestinated with that vocatiō which y ● Apostel speketh of seuerally from the other making a dyfference betwen them saynge that he doth preche Christ to be the poure and the wysdome of god to those Iewse and greks which ar called For thus he speaketh that he myght shew to them whiche are called those whiche are not called knowing y t ther is a certayn vocation of them whiche are called after y ● purpose of god whō he knew before predestinated to be lyke to the ymage of his son This vocation dyd he meane when he sayde Not of workes but of hym which doth cal it was said hym that the elder shoulde serue to the yonger Dyd he say I pray you Not of workes but of hym whiche beleueth-Nay he toke this thinge cleane from man that he myght geue altogether vnto god And therefore sayde he but of y ● caller and not that after euery maner of vocation but with that vocation whereby he is made faythfull This vocation dyd he consyder when he sayde The gyftes and callyng of god are without repentaunce For I woulde haue you marke and loke wel vpon it what thynge the Apostle wente then about when he spake these words For when he sayde I wold not haue you be ignoraunt brethrē in this secrete least ye should stande in youre owne conceyttes that that partely blyndenes is happened vnto Israell so longe tyll the fulnes of the gentyls be come in and so all Israel shall be saued as it is written ▪ Ther shal come forth of syon he whiche doth delyuer whiche wyll tourne awaye vngodlines from Iacob And this is my couenaunt with them when I shal take awaye their sinnes ▪ And after these wordes the Apostell sayde As concernynge the gospell they are enmyes for your sakes but after election they are