¶ A moste necessary treatise of free wil not onlye against the Papistes but also against the Anabaptistes which in these our daies go about to renue the detestable heresies of Pelagius and of the Luciferians whiche say and affirm that we be able by our own natural strength to fulfil the law and commaundementes of God ¶ Made dialoge wyse by Ihon Veron in a manner word by woorde as he did set it forth in his lectures at Paules ¶ To the righte honorable Lorde my Lorde Robert Dudly master of the horses and knight of the most honorable order of the Garter Ihon Veron wisheth grace peace of conscience with encrease of honor from God the father through his son Iesus christ our Lord. FOr as much as I haue all ready set fourthe the doctrine of predestination and of the deuine prouidence of God wherein I haue strongly proued by manifest textes of the scriptures and sufficient authorities of the aunciente wryters of the primitiue church that God hath from the beginninge ordayned and appoynted some for to be felow heyres with his sonne Iesus Christ of his heauenly kingdome and some again to be euerlastinglye dampned in hell fire and that whome he hath ordeined before to enioy and possesse euerlasting life them he hathe chosen in hys sonne Iesu Christ afore the foundacions of the worlde were laide whiche thynge he dyd of hys free mercye and goodnesse and withoute anye respecte at all of their owne deseruinges or merits for to setforthe the glory of his grace to declare hys mercy throughe oute al the whole world but whome he hath apoynted to be the vessels of hys wrathe them he hathe accordinge to hys ryghteous and vnserchable iudgemente styrred vp for to be the examples of hys iustice and for to be glorifyed by their dampnatyon wherin he dothe them no manner of wrong sithe that he rewardeth them accordinge to theyr naturall corruption whiche they haue of their parent Adam wherbi we are all in generall subiecte to euerlasting damnation so that if he shoulde damne vs all he shoulde do vs but right and no iuste occasyon at all could we haue to complain of him or of his most righteous iudgemēt I haue thought it good and expedient for to adde vnto it the mooste necessarye doctrine of free wyll Whiche as it dothe altogether depend of the other and is most surelye grounded in it so it can not be substantially vnderstanded wythout some sight and knowledge of the same as it doth euidentlye appeare by those which plainely affyrme that onlesse we haue free wyl vertue shall not be rewarded nor the workes of the saints crowned which if they would consyder from what beginning the doctrin of Predestination dothe fetche the glorye of the saintes they shoulde sone espy out theyr owne erroure Whome sayeth the Apostle God hathe chosen them did he cal whō he hathe called them did he iustifye and whome he hathe iustified them did he glorify Wherfore thē by the sayinge of the Apostle are the faythfull crowned wyth eternal and euerlasting glory Why the faithfull are crowned with euerlasting glorye because forsothe that by the fre mercye of God and not by theyr owne industry they be both chosē called and iustified Heare doe we learne in these fewe words that all the hole glory of our saluation ought only to be geuen and attributed vnto the free election of God whereof doth proceade come and sprynge bothe the will and power that we haue to do any thing that is good and acceptable before the maiestye of our heauenly father Yea before we be renewed by the holy ghost and made newe creatures in oure sauioure Iesu Christe we are the seruauntes of synne What fredome then canne we iustlye boaste or bragge of Vbi spiritus domini sayeth saynte Paule ii Co. iii ibi libertas where the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertye and fredome Ioh. viii Againe Si vos filius liberauerit vere liberi eritis that is to say If the sonne doth delyuer you ye shall be free in deede What we are as long as we be voide of the spirit of God These sayinges do sufficiently declare that as long as we are voide of the spirit of God and are not yet set at liberty by the sonne we are nought els but the bond slaues of Sathan the dyuell of syn of deathe Many other places of the scriptures might I heare aleadge which do teache that of oure selues we be not able to think a good thought But lest I should be tedious vnto your honorable Lordship I wyll omytte them and shew brieflye what the Concil of Myluente did most godlye and catholikely decree and determyne touching this matter Sinodus mileuentana If any man saye the holye fathers gathered in that Concyll dothe affyrme Note ye wel those things ye free wyll men that we canne by the vertue and strength of oure owne nature thinke or chuse as it is expedyente anye good thynge that pertayneth to oure saluation or agree and consent to the wholesome preachinge of the gospell without the illuminating and inspiration of the holye ghost who geueth vs a pleasure or swetnesse in consentinge and the truthe in beleuinge he is deceaued with an heretical spirit not vnderstanding the voyce of God sayinge in the gospell without me ye can do nothinge Iohn xv nor the sayinge of the Apostell ii Co. iii. where he sayeth Not that we be able to thinke any thinge of oure selues as of our selues But our suffiencye or ablenesse is of God Again If any man doth contentiouslye maintaine that God doth tarye for oure wyll that we maye be purged from synne and doth not confesse that by the infusion and working of the holy ghost it is wrought in vs that we be willing to be purged he doth resiste withstand the holy ghost him self sayinge by Salomon The wil is prepared of the lord And also the Apostle Philip. ii which preacheth wholesomelye that it is God August ad Simplici that worketh in vs both the wyll and the worke according to his good wil. Wher the Apostell doth sufficientlye shewe that the wil it selfe is made good in vs by the workinge of God For if we shuld aske whether the good wil is a gift of god or not I maruail if any man dirst say nay Here we do learne that we can not pray vnto god withoute the especiall grace of God Esa lxv Rom. x. Moreouer say the fathers afore reherced If any man dothe saye that the grace of God can be geuen by humaine inuocation or mans calling vpon god not that the grace it selfe dothe worke or bringe to passe that God is called vppon of vs he dothe gaynesaye Esaye the prophet or the Apostell speaking the same I am founde of them that soughte me not and dyd appeare playnely vnto them that dyd not aske of me What canne be spoken more playnelye of the vnablenesse of
PHILALETHES The place that they aleadged out of Ecclesiasticus maketh nothinge for them for how the place of Ecclesiasticus ought to be vnderstaÌ„ded it oughte to be vnderstanded of man being in the fyrst estate of his creation and beynge in his originall innocency and righteousnesse And because that it shall not bee thoughte that I bringe any thing of mine owne heade ye shall heare what Saynte Augustine sayethe whose wordes are these free wyll before the fall was an vprighte free wyll De caÌ„ticonouo ca. viii before whiche fyer and water was layed of God and the fyrste manne dyd reatche hys hande to whyche he woulde hee dyd choyse fier and forsoke water See the ryghteous iudge the same whiche manne beinge free dyd choyse he dyd receaue he woulde haue euyll and the same did folowe him Contra fortu Disputa xi And in an other place these be also hys woordes I saye that fre wyl was in that man which was created fyrst For he was so made that nothinge coulde withstande hys wyll if he would haue kepte Goddes commaundementes but after that hee hadde synned throughe free wyll hee dyd cast vs all that come of hys stocke into necessitye And therfore he writeth in an other place In encherid ad lauren Ca. xxx De verbis aposer ii that manne vsinge not well free wyll did bothe lose it him self Againe It is true sayeth he that manne when he was made did receaue greate strength of free wyll but he did lose it through synne These autorityes of Sainte Augustine doo sufficientely declare how the place that they aleaged oute of Ecclesiasticus oughte to be vnderstanded For there doubtelesse the wise manne dothe speake of man as he was first created in the estate of innocency and righteousnes and not as he was wyth his posteritye after hys fall De eccledogm ca. xxxii whereby as Saynte Augustine saithe all menne haue loste theyr naturall possibilitye or ablenesse and theyr naturall or originall innocencye And so ought the doctoures that they dyd bryng in for them selues to be vnderstanded for they do all speake of manne as he was afore his fall Whyche thynge appeareth to be moste true by the saying of Saint Hierome Iero in xxiii cap. Iere. who wrytinge vppon Ieremy saithe plainly these wordes And therefore the heretykes be wonte to promyse felicity and to open vnto sinners the kingdom of heauen saying Thou maist folowe the maiestye of God and be without synne syth that thou hast receyued the power or strength of free wyll and the vnderstandyng of the lawe whereby thou arte able to obtayne what so euer thou wylte And so the saide Heretykes do deceyue the poore symple and ignoraunt personnes and specially women whyche beynge loden with sinnes are ledde to and froe with euerye winde of doctrine deceiuynge by theyr flattery al them that geue eares vnto them Heare ye see that saint Ierome dothe call them all Heretikes that saye that menne be able by theyr free wyll to do bothe good and euyll Wheruppon we maye well conclude that in his Epistle ad Ctesiphonâ—em Existo ad ctesiphon tem he dothe speake of the fyrste estate of manne that he was in afore hys transgressyon and fall And as for Chrisostome although he dothe exceade in extollynge the naturall strengthe of manne hom i. in aduen yet dothe he confesse plainelye that euerye manne is not onely of hys owne nature a synner but also that he is synne altogether Whereby he doth ouerthrow what so euer he dothe wryte or saye in anye other place in the commendacyon of free wyll and of oure natural strengthe EVTRAPELVS That must be mooste true For if accordynge to his owne sayinge we be not only sinners of our owne nature but also synne all together where is oure gaye payncted free wyll become Ioh. viii Dothe not the truthe hym selfe saye that euery man that sinneth is a seruaunte of synne Againe is it not wrytten that of whome so euer a manne is ouercome ii Pet. ii vnto the same he is in boundage It appeareth then by thys that we are verye farre from that liberty and fredome that they doe so muche boaste of DYDIMVS Wherefore did then these ancient fathers and wryters of the Catholike churche extoll so muche the free will and naturall strengthe of manne Home lii For Chrisostome hath alwaies in his mouth Let vs bring that whiche is oure own God wyl supply the residue Where vnto Ierome doth agree saying Nostrum est incipere Dia. iii. con Pelagianes dei autem perficere Nostrum est offerre quod possumus illius implere quod non possumus That is to saye It is our part for to begin and it is Gods parte for to performe It is our parte to offer that whiche we can and it is his part to supply or fulfyll that that we can not PHILALETHES It is moste playne Why the aunciant fathers spake so of fre wil that they dyd seme to alowe it that they did it to thys end that they might driue awaye all slouggishnesse from menne Which thing they that came after did not perceiue And therefore they did attribute so muche to the free will and naturall strength of man that the fre mercy and grace of God was in a manner vtterlye forgotten DyDIMVS Howe can it be proued that they did tt onlye for that purpose PHILALETHES It is easy to be proued For if they shoulde meane as they write they shoulde directly be against the plain scriptures and worde of God and also against them selues Fyrst and foremost the LORD him selfe saieth I wyll hencefourth curse the earth no more for mans sake Gen. viii For the ymagination of mannes heart is euyll euen from the very youth of him And Moses for to declare Deu. xxix how vnable we be of oure selues to vnderstande heauenlye thinges doth saye plainlye these wordes Ye haue seene all that the Lorde did before youre eyes in the lande of Egipte vnto Pharao and vnto and all his seruaunts Thine eies haue sene these great tokens and wonders And yet vnto this day hath not the Lorde geuen you a harte that vnderstandeth eies that see eares that heare What could he saye more excepte he shuld call vs blocks and stones And in Ezechiel the Lorde sayeth A new heart Eze. xxvi wyl I geue you and a newe spirit wyl I put in to you As for that stony hearte I wyll take it oute of youre bodye and geue you a fleshy hart I will geue you my spirit amonge you and cause you to walke in my commaundements to kepe my lawes and to fulfyll them This place onely doth sufficientely teache vs that excepte oure stony heartes be taken away from vs and flesshy that is to saye obediente hartes geuen vs in stede of them yea and a newe spirit put in to vs whiche shoulde worke in vs an obedience towards the Lordes commaundementes we are
of Gods promises both in the godly and in the vngodly they haue their effect and working in them bothe For as God dothe by his commaundementes pricke the consciences of the vngodly lest putting away altogether the remēbraunce of his iudgementes they shoulde haue to much pleasure in synne so by his promises he doth testify and declare vnto them how vnworthy they are of his liberality goodnesse For who woulde saye that it is not mete and conueniente Marke this diligentely that the Lorde shoulde do good vnto them that do worship him And that againe he shoulde accordinge to his seueritye and iustyce take vengaunce of theym that are despisers of his maiesty Therfore it cā not be said but that God doth iustlye when in his promises he dothe prescribe and geue suche a law and condition vnto the vngodlye whiche be wrapped in sinne that they shall receiue and enioye hys benefites if they doe forsake their wickednesse althoughe hee shoulde do it onlye for thys cause that they maye vnderstande that they are iustlye and deseruinglye put from those thinges that are due vnto the true worshippers of God Again sith that God dothe by all meanes prouoke the faithful to cal for his grace why shuld not he as wel attempte the same by his promisses as by his law and cēmaundements being taught the wyl of God by his commaundements we are warned of our owne miserye because that of oure own nature we do all together dissent and disagre from it and also we are moued to cal vppon the spirit of god for to bring vs into the right way But because that oure sluggyshnesse is such Why promises are made vnto vs. that it can not be put awaye nor shaken of by the lawe and commaundements of god promisses are added that so by some swetenesse we might be prouoked and allured to the loue of heauenly things Now the more desirous that we are of the true ryghteousnes the more feruent are we to cal for the grace of God These thinges beynge well considered who would say that suche promises be vnprofitable though we be not able to fulfil the conditiōs that are annered vnto them EVTRAPELVS No manne I trowe What the reprobate do learne by the promises of god that hathe anye cromme of godlye vnderstandinge in hys bellye For by them the reprobate vngodlye do learne how vnworthy they are of the bounteous liberality and goodnesse of almighty God the godlye What the godly do learne by the condition annexed vnto the promyses when they see in the conditions that be annexed vnto them their owne misery weakenesse infirmitye and vnablenesse are stirred and moued by the same to cal more earnestly for the grace of God and for the assistaunce and help of his holy spirit ALBION Obiectiō The Lord doth laye to the Israelites charge that it was only longe of them that they did not receiue all kinde of liberality and goodnesse at hys hande As when the Prophet sayth Amaleck and the Cananites are before you numbers xiiii Iere. vii with whose swordes ye shall be destroyed because ye wolde not obey the Lord. Because I haue called you and ye haue not aunswered nor obeyed therfore will I do vnto this house as I haue don vn to Silo. Again This people hath not harkened vnto the voyce of the Lord theyr God nor receaued hys doctrine Therfore the Lord hath caste them of Item Because that ye haue hardened your heartes Ier. xxxii woulde not be obedient vnto the Lorde All these plages haue happened vnto you Howe coulde the Israelites be cast in the tethe with such thinges except it had lyen in them to shonne and auoyde those thinges that be there laied to their charge For they might haue aunswered by and by We had a mind to prosperity How the vngodlye do alwaies go aboute to excuse them selues and did fear trouble and aduersity but that we did not obey the Lorde nor harcken vnto his voyce that we might obtayne the one and eschue the other it was because that we are vnder the bondage of synne and can not doe frely the thinges that we would Those thinges then are not iustly laid to oure charge whiche it lyeth not in our power for to shonne or auoid PHILALETHES As for the pretence of necessity Aunswer wherby sinners go about to excuse thē selues it hath ben al ready declared what pore healpe can be had in it sythe that the cause Originall and of spring of it is in our owne selues by oure naturall corruption that we haue of our first parent Adam Therfore I do aske whether they can proue them selues to be wythout faut or not For if there be any faut in them it is not wythout a cause that God did caste them in the teethe that it was throughe their owne wickednesse that they did not feele the frute of his goodnesse and mercy Can they say nay but that theyr wicked and corrupted will is the cause of their rebellyous contumacye and stubburnenesse If they fynde that the fountayne and well sprynge of theyr owne euyl and miserye is wythin them selues what do they trauail to finde out outwarde causes and all because that they wil not seme to be the authoures of theyr owne destruction If it be true then that synners throughe theyr own faut are both depriued of the benefites of God and also punished and plaged there is a good cause whye they shoulde heare suche vpbraydynges and reproches at the mouthe of the Lorde That if they doe obstinately perseuer and continue in synne they may learne in theyr miseries and calamities to accuse and detest theyr owne wickednes rather than to lay any vniuste and cruell seueritye vnto God or if they be not vtterlye geuen ouer they may beinge wearye of theyr synnes wherefore they see theym selues thus extreamelye plaged come into the way again acknowledginge the same wyth earnest confession that the Lord doth laye to their charge Note this This effecte haue the chidinges and rebukinges of the prophets amonge the godly as it doth appere by the solemne prayer of Daniell Dani. vi which is wrytten in the ninthe chapiter of hys prophecye But how such sharpe rebukinges of the prophets of God take place amonge the obstinate sinners we haue an example of it in the Iewes vnto whome Ieremye was commaūded to shew the cause of their miseries and calamities Iere. vii although it shoulde be none otherwyse than God had appoynted told before Thou shalt saith the Lord speke vnto thē al these wordes and they shal not hear thou shalt cal them and they shal not answer DYDIMVS Obiectiō For what purpose were those thynges spoken vnto them that would not hear PHILALETHES Aunswer That wold they nild they they should be fain to vnderstande that the same was true that was told vnto them and that it was a plain sacriledge and robbing of the glory of God to adscribe vnto
him the cause of theyr calamities and miseries whyche was in them selues With theese few solutions answers any man may easely rid him selfe from manye authorities whiche the ennemyes of the grace of God are wōt to heape together for to erect and sette vppe the Idoll of theyr free wyll ALBION This is moste sure that the Lorde dothe speake these woordes by his prophet Oseas Obiectiō I wyll go and retourn to my place Osee v. tyll they waxe faint and seke me It were a folish thing said my gentle men vnto me if the LORD should tary til Israel shuld tourne and seeke hym except it dyd lie in theyr power to tourn which waye they listed PHILA Aunswer The enemies can wynne nothinge vpon vs by the threatenings of god As thoughe the Lorde doth not commōly in the prophets make as though he should forsake and caste of hys people tyll they amend and tourne vnto hym but what are oure ennemyes able to gather of suche threatnynges If they go about to gather by them that men beinge forsaken of God are of their owne selues able to turne againe then haue they all the scriptures against them If they saye that they haue neede of the garce of God that they maye turne again what neede they to contende or striue with vs DIDYMVS They do not denye but that the grace of God is necessarye if ye wyll graunte that there is also in manne a certayne strength PHILALETHES Howe shall they be able to prone that Truely they can not proue it by this place nor by suche like For it is an other thynge to go away from man and to looke what beyng permitted and lefte vnto hym selfe he is able to do and an other thynge to healpe hys small strength as hys imbecilitye and weakenesse dothe requyre DYDIMVS Question What doth the lord meane then by suche manner of speakyng PHILALETHES It is euen as if he shoulde say Aunswer Syth that this rebellious people wyll take no heede to my warnings and exhortations nor yet to my sharpe rebukinges I wyll for a tyme wythdrawe my self from him and suffer him to be afflycted and troubled I wyll see whether this styfnecked people wyll at length after theyr greate calamityes miseries and troubles remember me and seke my face Nowe What it is meant when the scripture sayeth that God doth withdrawe him selfe from this people when the scripture sayeth that God dothe wythdraw hym self the meaning of it is that God doth take away hys prophecye and worde wher in he declareth a certain presēce of hys And to looke what men wyll do it signifyeth that God wyll holde him selfe styll and as he were a sleape suffer them to be manye and sondrye wayes plaged And bothe these thynges is he wont to doo for to make vs to humble oure selues For we should rather by aduersitye be dryuen vnto desperatyon than vnto anye amendemente of lyfe except he should by his spirite make vs meete to receiue hys chastisement Wherfore to go about by suche places for to proue that there is anye such strengthe in vs or that we haue free wyll to doe what we list it is a plain madnes For such thinges be spoken in the scriptures for none other purpose but for to make vs to know oure own infirmity and weakenesse ALBION I dyd aske them whether they could bryng anye authorities of the scripture The obiection of the papistes whereby they myght proue expreslye that a man hath suche free wyll as they went about to maintaine and vphold They dyd then aunswer me that Moses was so sure of it that he did not doubt to say these wordes vnto the children of Israell Deut. xxx I take heauen and earth this day to record ouer you that I haue layde before you life and deathe blessing and cursing Chuse life therefore that thou mayest lyue thou and thy feede and that ye maye loue the Lorde your God and harken vnto his voyce and cleaue vnto him Iosu xxiiii Iosua also did saye vnto the people Chuse ye this daye whome ye wyll serue The God whome youre fathers serued beyonde the water or the Goddes of the Amorites in whose lande ye dwell Thinke ye that these true seruaunts of God Moses and Iosua would haue spoken thus vnto the people except it had lyen in their power to chuse which they would It is playne then that they had free wyll elles suche things hadde bene spoken vnto them in vaine PHILALETHES Aunswer Suche sentences and autoryties of the scripture do not proue that man hath free wyl to do what he lyst or that he can at his owne pleasure chuse both good and euil For although Moses doth saye vnto the people I do laye before you both life and death yet it foloweth not that they were able of theyr owne selues to chuse lyfe without the spirit and grace of God Deu. xxix Whiche thinge he doth sufficientely declare in an other place when he sayeth Thyne eies haue sene these greate tokens and wonders Yet the Lorde hath not geuen thee a harte to vnderstande nor eares to heare nor eies to see As then it did profytte the people nothinge to haue seene the greate tokens and wonders that the Lord did worke in Egipt euen in theyr owne sight excepte he did geue them a harte to vnderstande eares to heare and eies to see that is to saye except the Lorde did by his holy spirit lyghten their harts vnstop their eares and cleare the eyes of theyr myndes euen so althoughe Moses Iosua and all the prophetes of God doe saye a thousande time Behold we laye before you lyfe and death chuse whiche ye wyll yet all this wyll profytte vs nothinge except God dothe worke inwardely wyth his holy spirit Whiche thinge Saint Paule dothe neyther dyssemble nor hydde when he wryteth on thys manner i. Cor. i. I haue planted and Apollo hathe watred But it is the Lord that geueth the encreace But that ye maye the better perceaue the whole matter ye shall vnderstande that God doth by the preachinge of his prophetes and Apostles Mat. ix as when oure sauioure Iesu Christe dyd saye vnto the manne that was sycke of the palsye aryse take vp thy bedde and go home It dyd not folowe that he hadde strengthe to aryse excepte oure sauyoure Iesus Christe hadde geuen it hym But when Chryste dyd saye vnto hym aryse He did streyght wyth it geue him strength to aryse Euen so when God doth by his preachers speake vnto them whom he hath chosen already and doth commaund them to aryse oute of the bdde of synne streyght wyth hee geueth them strength to do it DIDYMVS Obiectiō I maruayle that ye wyll haue no manner of strength to bee lefte vnto vs in thinges that perteyne to our saluation and lyfe euerlastinge syth that oure sauioure Iesus Crhist him self doth testifye that the manne that went from Ierusalem to Iericho luc x. by whom he