peraduenture hee will more increase the griefe because hee seeth a sharpe purgation to be more necessary Fourthly Ambrose weighing Peters words to Simon against the Nouatians that commonly abused them Lib. de poenicent cap. 5. teacheth by many examples that that is the custome of the Scripture euen boldly to vse through a certaine simplicitie of vtterance such kinds of speaking wherein there is some shew of doubting Obiection 4 Furthermore whereas the aduersaries alleage that the certaintie of grace if men could be sure of it would be an occasion and cause of great licentiousnes and Epicurish securitie it is a meere ignorance and slander For it cannot be but the feeling of the loue of God towards vs whereby the multitude of our sinnes is gratiously couered should beget more and more in our hearts towards him againe the loue of new obedience as it is written Psal 13. 18. With thee is mercie that thou maist be feared Also I will loue thee O Lord my strength my tower and the horne of my saluation What if the aduersaries themselues confesse that a speciall reuelation is graunted to some of the certaintie of their saluation It will follow then by their own opinion that God doth cast such men into the danger of prophanenes and Epicurish securitie Neither doth it any whit hinder the certaintie of saluation Prou. 18. that we are commanded to be fearfull in auoiding falles not to be puffed vp nor to bee ouer wise but to feare Rom. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Marke this that he that seemeth to stand fall not For by these and such like the securitie of the flesh and not faith is condemned and the vse of the meanes subordinate to saluation is required So Paul albeit he was certified by an Angell of his owne safetie and of theirs that failed with him and beleeuing God that so it should come to passe as he had told him yet he suffered not the mariners to flie out of the ship but said vnles these men abide in the ship ye cannot be saued Acts 27. Thus the confidence of saluation and a godly care to vse the meanes and not to tempt the Lord doe very well agree together They vse also to charge our doctrine with presumption Obiection 5 Beucer de Concor aâ—t grat but in vaine For we beleeue God that promiseth Wherfore our confidence and certaintie resteth not vpon our own presumption but vpon his promise as Augustine well distinguisheth tract 22. in Ioh. Finally they wrest for their purpose what our writers plainly Obiection 6 confesse themselues that no man can exclude in this world all doubting alwaies of his owne saluation and of the care that God hath of him Whosoeuer say they doubteth of his saluation is not sure of it but all men doubt therefore no man is sure of it But this snare we easily auoide by this caution or distinction He that doubteth is not sure to wit for that time that he doubteth and in speaking of some * Idea patterne of certaintie But now doubting oftentimes ariseth but not alwaies in the minds of the godly because of the infirmitie and battell of the flesh against the spirit and they get with much adoe the vpper hand againe by this vertue and power to whom they crie with teares I beleeue Lord Mark 9. helpe my vnbeliefe And albeit this be a sufficient impediment that we can not attribute vnto the godly the * Ideam maner or forme of the certaintie of faith whereby all doubting and trembling is excluded yet there is not sufficient cause to depriue them of all certaintie of grace and saluation vnles a man would by the like reason auouch Ierem. 12. Abac. 1. Psalm 73. that euen the holy men of God Ieremie Abacuc Asaph and others were vncertaine of the prouidence of God and his righteous gouernment of all things because of some doubtings that were in them concerning that matter Therefore let it stand as a certaine thing that while wee liue in this mortalitie and banishment as it were of this world we be not without the way and meane whereby to our comfort wee may bee made sure of our saluation And while this standeth fast it necessarily followeth that wee may know and be assured of the election also of vs to eternall life For seeing saluation belongeth to the elect onely doubtles the certaintie of it cannot stand without the certaintie of Gods election which is the fountaine beginning and ground of saluation CHAP. XXIIII How and by what meanes we are made certaine of the election of vs in Christ Reuelation is needefull MOreouer the meane whereby a man may be made sure of the election of himselfe vnto eternall life dependeth vpon the reuelation not of flesh and blood but of God himselfe the chuser Rom. 11. 1. Cor. â— For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who is of his counsell Or what man knoweth the things that belong to a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God And we saith the Apostle haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we may know what things God hath bestowed vpon vs. Seeing therfore the counsels of God cannot bee knowne without diuine manifestation what marueile is it if so great a secret I meane the predestination of vs to adoption and to eternall life cannot otherwise bee seene into of vs And if we assay speculatiuely or as they speake à priore to search into the eternall counsell of God concerning our saluation the great depth of it will swallow vs vp and hee that searcheth out Gods maiestie Prou. 25.27 shall be ouerwhelmed with the glorie of it But there is for the most parâ— a threefold reuelation of election first by the most certaine effects of election it selfe Reuelation is threefolde secondly by the word of promise and thirdly by the seale of the holy Ghost The first way therefore as I said is by the effects of election such as these are a true and liuely saith in Christ The first way wherby a man may know himselfe to be elected The effects of election ingrafting into Christ by faith iustification and the regeneration of the spirit shewing it selfe more and more by newnes of life and the studie of righteousnesse and good workes By these à posteriore wee iudge of election as the proper cause of them For strong reasons are drawne as from the cause to the effect so againe from the effect to the cause as it is knowne by the rules of Logike The Minor of this argument to wit that faith iustification conuersion c. proceede from election as the proper cause wee haue confirmed before at large when wee intreated of the effects of predestination here onely let certaine sayings of Scripture be viewed Act. 13. As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued
For he that had his debt forgiuen him was for his crueltie towards his fellow seruant deliuered to the tormenters till he should pay the whole debt I answere that so great an agreement is not graunted to a similitude in disputing that it may be applied in euery respect vnto the thing whereto it is to bee vsed Otherwise a similitude were not a similitude but the thing it selfe The minde and scope of Christ is to bee considered who meant not to teach whether sinnes once remitted were retained or not but he sheweth it is required that wee forgiue our brethren their offences if wee would obtaine the pardon of our offences at Gods hands Whereupon Christ also concludeth that parable thus So also my heauenly father shall doe vnto you vnles ye forgiue euery one his brother from the heart their offences that is as Christ himselfe Matth. 6. largely teacheth If we shall forgiue men their offences our heauenly father will also forgiue vs but if we forgiue not neither will the father forgiue vs. But whether sinnes forgiuen bee retained wee may reade the opinion of the Schoolemen 4. sent dist 22. part 3. Thom. quaest 88. As there we may see Whether sins once pardoned be againe retayned Rom. 8. they dispute the matter very doubtfully and confusedly but there be farre more plainer testimonies of the sacred Scriptures Whom he hath predestinated them he hath called whom he called them he hath also iustified whom he hath iustified them he hath also glorified I will remember their sinnes no more saith the Lord. Iere. 31. Esay 44. 38. Mica 7. That he also blotteth out as a clowde their sinnes to whom he is mercifull and casteth them behinde his backe yea into the bottome of the sea These speeches doe sufficiently shew What sinnes God once forgiueth he euer forgiueth that when God pardoneth sinnes he so pardoneth that he for euer forgetteth them and bringeth them as it were into smoke and to nothing and therefore what sinnes he forgiueth he doth foreuer forgiue But Huber is twise foolish that I say not after his maner Thes 270. mad who out of the said parable would faine haue it to bee meant that the sinnes of all alike are pardoned and that the reprobates are as well saued by Christ as any other whomsoeuer Doth he not see the contrary in that seruant that remission of sinnes belongeth not to all but to them who confesse their sins and in humble maner craue pardon for them being readie also from their hearts to pardon their fellow seruants One only place remaineth 1. Ioh. 5. The 13. place 2. Iohn 5.10 That they who beleeue not God make him a lier Out of which saying this champion collecteth that the promises of grace and life in Christ doe appertaine to the vnbeleeuers and reprobates also Contrariâ—â—se Iohn expressely restraineth the promise of life vnto the beleeuers Ephes 2. when he saith He that hath the sonne hath life But the vnbeleeuers haue neither the father nor the sonne but do liue without Christ and God in the world being strangers from the couenants of promise and haue no hope as Paul witnesseth Is this it whereby the reprobates and vnbeleeuers receiue life in the sonne of God as this trifler saith And the man very confident in so grosse ignorance pleaseth himself and like proud Goliah challengeth all men to shew how the vnbeleeuers as it is in Iohn in whose place he setteth the reprobates doe make God a lier if they receiue not life in his sonne As though here I know not what sharpnes of wit were requisite They that beleeue not God make him a lier But such as beleeue not the Gospell beleeue not God Ergo they make him a lier The maior is euident The minor is proued by the text because the Gospell is the testimonie of God concerning his sonne that beleeuers in him may haue eternall life They therefore who either are touched with no care of saluation or else seeke the same without Christ How a man maketh God a lyar or some other way are incredulous vnto the Gospell beleeue not God himselfe and therefore as much as in them lieth they make him a lier as contrariwise such as receiue his testimonie do as it were subscribe with their hands and seales that God is true Iohn 3. Obiection But saist thou to whom the benefits of the Gospel redemption righteousnes and life eternall do not belong they are not bound to beleeue the Gospell Thes 266. 484. nay they make God true in not beleeuing in kicking against it and in blaspheming it for so this vile spirit speaketh But vnto the reprobates the benefits of the Gospell belong not by our supposition Therfore they are not bound to beleeue Answere Yea Mary this is an argument vnanswerable The benefits of the Gospell belong not to reprobates as they doe enâ—â—y them but as they are inuited to them â—y the Gospell preached But I distinguish the minor Albeit the benefits of the Gospell belong not by fruition to the reprobates and vnbeleeuers whomsoeuer as farre forth as they are such and that through their owne fault yet they belong vnto them by inuitation so farre forth as all alike without difference of elect and rebrobates are commanded to repent and beleeue the Gospell with an vniuersal promise Whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue euerlasting life And this is enough for this present purpose Very well saith Luther whom alone these fellowes admire in other things but here doe extreamely contemne in in his preface to the Romanes Luther Vpon the onely sentence of predestination depend all things who shall receiue the word and who not who shall beleeue and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who blinded who shall be damned and who iustified Notwithstanding he aduiseth that curious persons be bridled who before they learne Christ and the vertue of his crosse doe search into the depth of predestination But thou saith he learne the knowledge of Christ wrestle daily with thy flesh by faith and then thou shalt perceiue how full predestination is of consolation And euery where he teacheth In Gen. cap. 26. 43. Item desâ—â—arbit in Psal 5 that wee must iudge of God and of his wil and good pleasure towards vs not by that which goeth before but by that which commeth after and is the later as we speake we must execute what God commandeth we must behold the sonne incarnate and simplie rest in his reuealed word according to that in the third of Ecclesiasticus Vers 21. Seeke not thou the things that bee too high for thee nor search into them that be aboue thy reach but such things as be commanded thee of God meditate religiously vpon them for the eye of the bodie are not needfull for the vnderstanding of secret mysteries VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE THIRD RANKE CHAP. X. LEt vs come now to the third Classe which containeth absurdities so
saith very cleerely The band of death drawne together by the sinne of one was loosed by the death of one who alone owed nothing vnto death His personall dignity in that he was both God and man III. The third cause which is greatest of all the death of Christ was not a meere mans death although innocent and iust but it was his death who is both true God and man in one and the same person And this exceeding great dignitie of this person is the cause that this price of his blood death although it was temporall if the continuance of it be respected yet it is of infinit force to saue them for euer who come vnto God by it Which the Author to the Hebrewes chap. 9. teacheth saying If the blood of buls and goates and the ashes of a yong heifer sprinkling the vncleane do sanctifie to the puritie of the flesh how much more doth the blood of Christ who offered himselfe by the eternall spirit without blame to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God And Acts chap. 20. Paul is witnesse that God by his owne blood redeemed his Church Not that the deitie hath flesh or blood for God is a spirit but that person which suffered death for vs is both God and man and so this blood is and is truly called the blood of God whose excellencie therfore and dignitie is exceeding great To these this is annexed that beside his power diuine His Lordship ouer vs and his neerenes in blood vnto vs. and abundantly sufficient to deliuer our commō Redeemer had also the full and perfect right of redemption both because he is Lord of all also because he is neere vnto vs in blood For by the right of Lordship it is meete that the seruant bee redeemed of the master and the subiect of his prince and by the right of kindred the father doth well redeeme the sonne one brother another and one kinsman another And hither may be referred that which we reade Leuit. 25.25 to be specially ordained touching the right of neerenes of kindred Thirdly also this hath been a question 3. question Why must we be redeemed by his death rather than by some other meanes as touching the meanes of redemption whether the deliuerance of vs could not possibly haue been by some other meanes then by the death of the Sonne of God Wee answere with Augustine lib. 13. de trinit that another way was possible to God vnto whose power all things are subiect but this was the meetest way and most fit with God to heale our miserie Or as Thomas part 3. quaest 46. decideth this doubt we do distinguish betweene possible or impossible simply and that which is after a sort To speake simply and absolutely it was possible to God to deliuer man by another meanes then by the death of Christ because nothing is impossible with God Luk. 1.37 But after a sort Because no other was possible or by supposition of Gods foreknowledge and fore appointment it was impossible as the Lords words do plainly shew Matth. 26. Father if this cup cannot passe away vnles I drinke of it thy will be done Whereupon Hilary saith Therefore the cup cannot passe vnles he drinke it because we cannot be restored but by his passion because of the decree of Gods will Moreouer it is plaine that that way is most fit with God and meetest to cure our miserie Because this way was most iust with God which God vsed through the passion of his Sonne For it was a iust thing that for the sinnes of mankinde the iudgement of God should be satisfied thorow punishmēt and that the same nature which had sinned should also giue a recompence for sin Further it was agreeable to the trueth and goodnes of God Most agreeable to his truth Gen. 2.17 to the trueth because a threatning had gone before What day so euer thou shalt eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death and it was promised and euer by continuall testimonies shewed and by diuers ceremonies shadowed that the sonne of God borne of a woman should dye for vs and so should confirme the new couenant by his blood To his goodnes and mercy And to the goodnes of God it agreeth because seeing man of himselfe could not satisfie for sinnes God of his exceeding great mercie gaue vnto him a satisfier euen his only begotten sonne Whereupon it was said of Christ himself Iohn 3. Rom. 5. Ioh. 3. So God loued the world that he gaue his sonne c. And Paul God doth set out his loue towards vs that when we were as yet sinners Christ died for vs. And truly this was a token of a farre more abounding mercie that he did not spare his owne sonne for vs then if he had remitted our sins without satisfaction Ephes 2. so that wee may worthily now say with the same Apostle God who is rich in mercie because of his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead thorow our offences hath quickned vs together through Christ by whose grace we are saued This was most expedient to money to loue God again Besides that way of deliuerance was most expedient for our saluation For so we know by the greatest experiment of all how much God loueth vs and we are prouoked to loue God againe Then an example is giuen vnto vs of obedience loue humilitie sufferings and glorie which when all miseries are ouercome we doe expect as Peter saith 1. Epist 2. Christ suffered for vs and left vs an example that wee should follow his steps Likewise Paul Phil. 2.5 and 2. Cor. 8.9 and elsewhere To suffer afflictions for his sake propounding the example of Christ exhorteth vs to the duties of loue and other vertues Further because we are redeemed by the death of the Sonne of God To keepe our selues from sinne 1. Cor. 6. A notable saying and washed from our sinnes in his blood a greater necessitie lieth vpon vs To keep our selue from sinne 1. Cor. 6. A notable saying that we should keepe our selues to God vndefiled in bodie and soule as the Apostle saith Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodie and spirit which are Gods And thus much of the meanes of redemption a mysterie altogether wonderfull and vnspeakeable which the Author of Meditations in Augustine chapter 7. excellently setteth out in these words O state of wonderfull reformation A notable saying and disposition of vnspeakeable mysterie the vniust sinneth and the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth and the innocent is beaten the vngodly offendeth and the godly is condemned what the euill deserued the good doth endure what the seruant hath done the master doth pay what man doth commit God doth suffer and abide This is a heauenly medicine O good Iesu this is the preseruatiue of thy loue CHAP. VI. The
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
punish Absalom Likewise nothing of the word of the Lord against Ahabs house fell to the ground 2. King 10. but the Lord accomplished as hee had spoken by his seruant Elias Gen. 37.39.41.50 On the other side how wonderfully was Ioseph when his brethren went about to kill him sent into Egypt and aduanced to the gouernment of the kingdome that the counsel of the Lord might be fulfilled What was of lesse hope in the eyes of men than Dauids raigne Yet he rose to the dignitie of the kingdome out of all his persecutions and gouerned the people by the knowledge of his hands that the Lords counsell might stand when all the deuises and counsels of the people were scattered These things are plaine and cleere Acts 2. 4. But that is more notable that wee reade of Christ himselfe Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together against him to doe whatsoeuer the hand and counsell of the Lord had before determined to bee done Chap. 13. And when by the determinate counsell and prouidence of God they had taken him being yeelded vnto them with wicked hands they crucified and slue him and fulfilled all things that the Prophets had written of him albeit all the while they went about another thing What shall we say of the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles 1. Tim. 1. who first was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor how mightily and miraculously was he called to the Gospell Gal. 1. when it pleased God who had separated him from his mothers wombe Râ—â— 9 10. Esa â—â— And to vse not so much examples of persons as of nations the Gentiles who sought not after righteousnesse attained vnto it and the Lord was found of them who sought him not and made manifest to them that did not enquire after him But Israel did gainsay Rom. 11 and seeking his owne righteousnes was not subiect to the righteousnesse of God For the elect obtained it the rest were hardened as it is written He gaue them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Fourthly The 4. reason the same doctrine of the vnchangeablenes of Gods predestination is in sundrie places mentioned of Augustine as cap. 7. de correp grat If any of the elect perisheth God is deceiued and is ouercome by mans sinne but none of them perisheth because God is not deceiued nor ouercome by any thing But he speaketh of such as be elected to raigne with Christ and not in that sense as Iudas was elected to the worke whereto he serued And in his answere to the Articles falsely laid to his charge The predestination of God albeit it be vncertaine with vs yet with him who made the things that shall come to passe it abideth vnchangeable neither doth he darken the things that he inlighteneth nor destroyeth what he doth build nor plucketh vp what he hath planted For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and the foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his And most notably in Soliloq cap. 28. All of vs are as a menstruous cloth comming out of a corrupt and filthie lumpe but thou that only art cleane doest purifie them in whom it pleaseth thee to dwell whom without their merits thou hast predestinated before the world and chosen for thy selfe to be a holy temple whose names and number thou knowest and who cannot perish to whom all things worke for the best The Lord knoweth from euerlasting the names and number of elect and reprobates yea euen their very sinnes For when they fall they shall not fall downe because thou puttest vnder thine hand keeping all their bones that none of them bee broken But yet the death of sinners is most miserable those I meane whom before thou madest heauen and earth according to the great depth of thy iudgements being secret yet alwaies iust thou didst foreknow for eternall death whose names and merites are numbred with thee who hast numbred the sand of the sea and fadomed the bottome of the depth All things worke for the worst to reprobates yea euen their prayers whom thou hast left in their vncleannes to whom all things worke for euill yea their very praier is turned into sin that if they should ascend into heauen and make their neast among the starres they might as dunge perish and not in the end Likewise the Author of the calling of the Gentils lib. 2. cap. 10. saith All the sonnes of adoption not onely are elect at the time of their calling here in this life but also before the world was made in which election what man soeuer was not in Christ foreknowne shall by no meanes be made partaker of him And by and by The foreknowledge of God looseth nothing of the fulnes of the members of Christs bodie and the whole summe forknowne and in Christ before the world forechosen cannot bee by any hurt diminished No man can doubt that this is Luthers verie doctrine Cap. 148. that readeth his booke of seruile will where he often mentioneth that the elect are builded vp by the word Cap. 40. and made better and that the reprobates are offended and become worse that they amend their life by the holie Ghost and that the other perish without amendment Cap. 59. and if the elect bee in an error yet that before their death they do come into the right way Cap. 152. that this is necessary and that they cannot finally bee offended And praefat ad Rom. he writeth that the decree is stable and the necessitie vnmoueable of Gods predestination and he saith that this necessitie is verie necessarie for our saluation and consolation because we be so weake in our selues that if saluation stoode in vs verie few or none should be saued for the deuill would conquer all But now seeing this sure and most certaine decree of God cannot bee chaunged nor abolished by any creature wee haue hope that at length we shall ouercome sin To say that the elect may be increased or diminished is Pelagiâ—nisme Epist his ad â—â—â—st albeit now it rage in our flesh These things in that place saith Luther But as it is a point of sound doctrine to hold that the predestinate number of the chosen can neither be increased nor diminished so not to rest therein is Pelagianisme as Prosper testifieth Which Hilarie also confirmeth reporting that the remnants of the Pelagians tooke it hardly that such as were of sound faith preached that men were so predestinated both to the one and the other state that none could go from one to the other By these things then it is manifest The elect cannot perish that such as be predestinate to eternall life doe not perish yea cannot possibly and that because of the counsell of Gods will that cannot be infringed or hindred by any creature
doubt of my continuance to the end For he that beleeueth to wit continually to the end he shall be saued But if any man withdrawe himselfe my heart doth not approue him saith the Lorde Answere Vnto this exception concerning finall perseuerance ought to be opposed the cleare and vndoubted promises of God not onely of his grace for the present but also of finall perseuerance therein of all true beleeuers such as these be Him that commeth vnto me and the beleeuers come I will not cast forth Ioh. 6. Gods promises of present grace the finall perseuerance Also This is the will of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life And I will raise him vp at the last day Againe Ioh. 10. I know my sheepe and they shall not perish for euer neither shall any take them out of my hand And Christs sheepe bee such as heare his voice that is doe truly beleeue Againe Ioh. 14. I will praie to the father and he will giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Luke 22. And I haue praied for thee Simon Peter that thy faith faile not And he praied for all both for such as then beleeued and also for those that should beleeue afterward Rom. 8. And Paul saith To them that loue God all things worke for the best In all things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10. who doth not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but will graunt with the temptation an issue that ye may be able to beare it I am perswaded Phil. 2. that he that hath begun in you this good worke will performe it euen to the day of Iesu Christ What place is here to speake as Cyprian doth of anguish and carefull thought who is fearefull and full of griefe considering these sayings but hee that lacketh faith and hope If thou be righteous and liue by faith if thou truely beleeuest in God why doest thou not securely imbrace the promise of the Lord God hath promised thee perseuerance and doest thou doubt and wauer Whereas certaine places of Scripture and examples of backsliders that are mentioned to haue had faith are wont to be alleaged to the contrary we haue answered elsewhere vnto them least we should do one thing twise The third way remaineth Three waies whereby a man may know his election The seale of the spirite in our hearts whereby God reuealeth vnto his Saints his election of them to wit by the seale of the holie Ghost in our hearts according vnto the saying Ephesians 1. After ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill we bee restored to libertie c. And chapter 4. Grieue not the spirite whereby ye are sealed vnto the daie of redemption 2. Cor. 1. It is God who hath sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of the spirit in our heartes Behold the spirit of God who is giuen to all the faithfull of Christ for who so hath not the spirit of Christ Rom. 8. the same man is not his in steed of Gods seale and certaine earnest penny and who maketh vs sure of our inheritance in heauen and consequently that our names also are written in heauen in the booke of life To this ende those most sweet sentences belong whereby these metaphores are elsewhere expounded 1. Ioh. 4. Hereby we knowe that we dwell in God and he in vs that he hath giuen vs of his spirit 1. Cor. 2. We haue receiued from God the spirit that we may knowe what things are freely giuen vs of God Romans 8. If his spirit that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit dwelling in you And there followeth in that Chapter a right golden place and very diligently to be weighed in this whole matter If ye mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit ye shall liue saith hee For as many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For he haue not receaued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption by whom we cry Abba father which spirit beareth witnesse together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then heires also euen the heires of God and coheires with Christ The Apostles demonstration is in this sort Whosoeuer are the sonnes of God shall obtaine the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen For if we be sonnes we be heires also But whosoeuer are guided by the holy spirite are the sonnes of God Therefore whosoeuer are guided by the holy spirite shall obtaine the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen The Assumption is proued three maner of wayes in the text 1. Because it is the part of the spirit of adoption to seale adoption in the regenerate for of these he speaketh Otherwise it is manifest that there be many gifts of the holy Ghost common to the godly and vngodly to the elect and reprobates 2. When he saith by whom we cry Abba Father hee proueth the same thing by the confession of the godly who call vpon God as their father as also wee are taught of the Lord in the beginning of that Christian prayer Our Father which art in heauen This the godly say and cry not so much in sound of voyce as in the intention of the heart which ariseth of that confidence that agreeth with the sonnes of God 3. Lest a man peraduenture might suspect that wee are deceiued in our confession he confirmeth the same thing by the witnesse of the holy Ghost For the spirite it selfe witnesseth that we are the sons of God that not in the eares of men as the father did wittnes of his sonne Matt. 3. but in the hart of man because elsewhereas the Apostle writeth the loue of God is spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. Za. 12. The witnes of the spirit is most sure and why 1. Cor. 2. Ioh. 16. Ephe. 2. who is giuen vnto vs. Whereupon he was called of the Prophet the spirite of grace because he beareth witnesse of the grace and mercy of God in our mindes And there is nothing surer than this testimonie of the spirite For the spirite of God is not deceiued Who searcheth all things euen the deepe secrets of God neither doth he deceiue because hee is true and leadeth into all trueth These things concerning the reuealing of election are gathered out of the worde of God and are euident Hub. thes 11â—6 Therefore we are falsly accused of some as though we coueted to approach vnto election without the word of God Against this slaunder we openly professe that laying aside all curiositie By Gods word onely we must seeke to finde cut our election and so Caluin and Luther