can not be expressed wyth tonge For he that searcheth the hartes knoweth what is the meanyng of the spirite for he maketh intercession for the saintes accordyng to the pleasure of God What meaneth thys the spirite maketh intercession but onely that he maketh vs to make intercessiō with vnspeakable gronynges but yet which suche as are true because the spirite is the truthe For the self same is he of whome he speaketh in an other place God sent the spirite of his sonne into our hertes cryeng Abba father And what meaneth this cryeng Gala. 4. but makyng vs to crye by the same fygure of speache that we vse whē we call that a merye daye that maketh mē meri The which ī an other place he declareth where he sayeth For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but ye haue receyued the spirite of adoptiō wherby we crye Abba father Rom. 8. There he sayd that the spirite dothe crye but here he sayeth by whome we cryer declaryng certeinly what he mente when he sayd cryeng True spiritual prayer is goddes gyfte that is as I haue nowe expowned makyng vs to crye Wherby we do vnderstand that it is also the selfe gyfte of God to praye vnto God with a true herte and spiritually Let them therfore consyder howe farre they are deceyued whych thynke that to aske to seke and to knocke come of our selues are not gyue vnto vs. And thys they say vnto thys end that grace might be preached to folowe oure merite when we in askyng do receyue and in sekyng do fynde and when it is opened vnto vs knockyng Neither wyl they vnderstande that to praye that is that we maye aske seke and knocke is also the gyfte of God For we receyue the spirite of the sonnes of adoption by whome we crye Abba father The which the blessed Ambrose perceyued to be true for he sayeth to pray vnto God appertaineth to spirituall grace as it is written 1. Cor. 12. no mā sayeth that Iesus is the Lorde but in the holy Gost These thynges therfore whyche the churche askethof the Lorde and whych she hath alwayes asked syns her begynnyng The same God knewe aforehande that he wolde gyue to suche as are hys called according as he had now already geuen in the self predestinacion whych thapostle declared with out all maner of doubte For he wrytynge to Timothe sayeth 2. Tim. 1. suffer thou aduersitie wyth the Gospel thorow the power of God whych saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not accordyng to oure dedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose grace whych grace was geuen vs thorowe Christ Iesu before theternall tymes but is nowe declared openly by the cōmyng of our sauiour Iesu Christe Let hym therfore saye that sometyme the churche beleued not the truthe of thys predestination grace which is nowe more diligently defended agaynst these new heretikes let him I saye thus saye whiche dare afferme that some time she prayed not at all or els that she praied not truely both that the vnfaythfull myght beleue and also that the faythful myght continue The whiche good thynges yf she alwayes prayed for she dyd vndoubtedly alwayes beleue that they were the giftes of God It was neuer lawfull for the churche to denye the truthe nether was it at any tyme lawful for her to deny that the same were euermore knowen of hym And thus it appeareth that the churche of Christ haue alwayes beleued thys predestinacion whych against newe heretikes is now wyth a new trauell defended The .xxiiii. Chapter BVt what shal I say more I suppose that I haue sufficiently taught or rather more thē nedeth that both to begyn to beleue in the Lorde and also to continue in hym vnto th ende The true worshippīg of God are the gyftes of God But as for other vertues that belōg to a godly lyfe wherby God is truly worshipped they also for whome we wryte these do graunt that they are the gyftes of God Furthermore they can not denye bothe that God knewe aforehande all hys owne gyftes and also that he knewe afore to whome he wolde gyue them As other gyftes therfore ought to be preched that he whych preacheth them may be obediently heard euen so also predestinacion ought to be preached that he whych obediently hear these thynges shulde not glorye in man and therfore shulde not glorye in hym selfe but in the Lorde because also thys is Goddes cōmaundement that we shulde obedientlye heare that is that he whyche glorieth myght glory in the Lorde is the gyft of God in lyke maner as other gyftes be To glory in the Lorde is goddes gyfte The whych gyfte whosoeuer wanteth I am not afrayde to saye that what so euer gyftes he hath besydes he hath them in vaine Thys gyft we wyshe vnto the Pelagians that they maye haue but vnto these our brethren we wyshe that they may haue it more fully Let vs not be therfore readye to dispute stoo to praye Let vs pray moste derely beloued let vs praye the God maye also gyue grace to our enemies and namely to our brethrē and louers that they maye vnderstande and cōfesse that no man after that great and vnspekeable ruyne wherby all we fel in one man can be delyuered but by the grace of God and that the same grace is not recompensed as dewe True grace for the merites of them that receyue it but is frely gyuē as true grace for no merites sake goyng before it For there is no clerer ensample of predestinacion then Iesus hym selfe wherof I haue nowe disputed both in my fyrst boke and the same I haue also chosen to cōmend in th ende of thys for there is no ensample I saye of Predestinacion more cleare then the selfe mediator What so euer faythfull man is desyrous truely to vnderstande predestinacion let hym beholde hym and in hym he may also fynd hymselfe Let the faythfull I saye do thys whyche do beleue and confesse that the true nature of man that is oure nature is in hym notwythstādyng that it be syngulerlye exalted to be the onelye sonne of God by that that God the worde dyd take it so that bothe he that dothe take and it that was taken myght be one persone in Trinitie For by the takyng of man there was not a quaternite made but the Trinite continued when the truthe of one persone in God and man was vnspeakeablye wrought by the takynge of mans nature For we saye not that Christe is God onely as the hereticall Manicheis saye neither that he is Man onely as the hereticalle Photinianes saye neither do we saye that he is man after suche sorte that he shoulde haue anye thynge lesse then other haue as touchyng that whyche is certaine to belonge to mannes nature whether it be the soule or in the selfe soule the reasonable mynde or the fleshe not taken of the woman but made of the worde beynge
¶ Two bokes of the noble doctor and B. S. Augustine th one entiteled of the Predestinacion of saintes thother of perseueraunce vnto th ende whervnto are annexed the determinacions of two auncient generall Councelles confermyng the doctrine taught in these bokes by s Aug. all faythfully translated out of Laten into Englyshe by Iohn Scory the late B. of Chichester very necessary for al tymes but namely for oures wherin the Papistes Inabaptistes haue reuiued agayne the wycked opinions of the Pelagiās that extolled mās wyll merites agaynst the fre grace of Christe Yf ryghteousnes commeth by the lawe then Christ dyed in vayne Gala. 2. ¶ Reade fyrst and then iuge who haue preached the true catholyke doctrine of the Churche of Christ we or our aduersaries ¶ Vnto the Christean reader Iohn Scory the late B. of Chichester wysheth grace and peace frō God oure Father thorowe Iesu Christe our alone and onely mediator and Aduocate HE wrote not amysse whiche notynge thignorancie ingratitude and vanite of mās nature said that men cōmend prayse and wonder at thynges past and auncient they despyse and set nought by the thynges present whych they haue before their eyes and in their hādes they earnestly desyre and gredely couet thynges to come In the first we maye beholde mans ignorance because nothynge namely in religion and doctrine be it neuer so auncient is worthye any commendacion excepte the same be also grounded vpon truthe In the seconde we may consyder thingratitude of mā whych contemnynge goddes goodnes presently callyng all men to lyght lyfe and lybertie had rather abyde in darkenes death and bondage In the thyrde mans vanitie is bewrayed whych gapyng alwayes for newes is neuer cōtented nor satisfyed wyth the manyfest truthe obteyned and had The tyme of Christes cōuersacion in thys world wāted not these kyndes of men whych despysynge the present lyght of the worlde the foūtayne of lyfe truth Ioh. 8. whom they beheld wyth theyr eyes and handeled wyth theyr handes they commended and praysed the mooste auncient Moses with whome they knewe they sayd that God hadde talked wyth Ioh. 9. they made none ende of garnyshyng the monumentes and graues of the olde prophetes Mat. 23 and iuste men they bosted them selues to be the sonnes sede of olde father Abraham Ioh. 8. not for any loue or zeale they had to tholde fathers prophetes and their true worshippyng of God but onely for the hatered they bare to Christ and hys heauenly doctrine Wherfore God dyd after moste iustely accordyng to Christes threatnyng take away his kyngdome from them Mat. 21. and. 23. makynge theyr habitacion waste and desolate And bycause they loued not the truthe presently offered vnto them 2. Thes 3 be sene them streng delusion that they myght beleue lyes I came sayeth the sōne of God in my fathers name Ioh. 5. and ye receyued me not yf an other shall come in hys owne name hym wyll ye receyue Thus were the blynde vnthankfull and vayne Iues most iustely punyshed Whether our age be not ful of suche godles men I reporte me to thyne owne conscience gentle reader That God hathe in thys our age Ioel. 2. powred out aboūdant lye the manyfolde gyftes of hys holye spirite vpon the the chyldren of men to open our eyes that we myght be conuerted from darkenes to lyght and from the power of Satā vnto God Act. 20. that we myghte receyue the remission of sinnes and a felowshyp amonge them whych are sanctified thorowe fayth is more manyfest then the noone daye Neuerthelesse suche is the wylful ygnoraūce and vnthankfull vanite of mē that these present manyfolde and wonderfull gyftes of Goddes spirite beynge contemned and set at nought whyche we dayly se wyth our eyes hear wyth our eares and as it were grope wyth our handes they neuer cease cryenge fathers fathers the churche the churche to the intents onely to deface the cleare and open truthe reueled vnto their owne age They wolde make the worlde beleue that tholde auncient Ecclesiasticall wryters whose onely errores they adore and worship but the truthe whyche both they taught and we defende they either hyd and dissemble or els depraue and corrupt as they do the holy scriptures taught an other religion and an other waye of saluacion then was of late taught and by common consent and authoritie receyued in Englande in the dayes of the moste excellent and famous Henry the father and moste vertuouse and Godlye Edwarde the sonne the ryght myghtye and noble kynges lately of Englande whose moste worthy fames and memories tho some moste vngodly vnnaturally do continually endeuoure themselues by all maner of meanes to deface shall euermore cōtinue and be celebrate cōmended set out of all such as were their true and louyng subiectes They wolde I saye beare men in hande that in the dayes of these moste worthy kinges abhominable and new fangled doctrine was openly taught and a lyke religion receyued and vsed So vnthankfull they are vnto God for hys present benefites Neuertheles thou mayst euidētly perceyue deare brother by readyng of these bokes of S. Aug. whych I haue faythfully translated out of laten into Englysh wherunto I entend yf god wyl to adde an other entiteled of the spirit and letter what was thold doctrine of the catholyke churche touchynge our saluacion For teachynge and defendyng wherof chiefly accordyng to the truthe of the holy scriptures and the same auncient doctrine of the true catholyke church our aduersaries are not ashamed to saye that we the preachers that truely preached goddes holy worde in the dayes of thaffornamed moste noble kynges preached nothynge but newfangels and abhominable doctrine And therfore they thynke Ioh. 16. that they do God hye seruice to molest trouble vs in euery place to robbe and spoile vs of al maner of worldly lyuynges liberties and goodes to reuyle and slaunder vs to rayle and lye vpon vs openly euen in the pulpettes from the whych goddes holy worde ought onely to soude and be heard and not maliciouse slaūders and manyfest lyes These notwythstandynge they desyre to be coūted catholykes not onely vnlustly vsurpyng that name to them selues only but also vncharitably excludyng from the same al suche as be true catholykes in dede They haue many yeares iugled wyth the worlde vnder the tytle of the catholike church and notwythstandyng that by sondry meanes theyr leigerdemayne haue ben openly discouered wherby the moste parte of men perceyue well enowe theyr ypocrisie yet haue they nowe agayne put vpō theyr vnshamefast and horyshe face the vysar of the catholyke churche whiche S. Au. in these bokes do so pluck of that all men maye perceyue that in deprauyng the true catholyke dotrine of saluacion whyche we haue moste truely preached they shewe themselues to be the great hore that sytteth vpon many waters Apo. 17 the mother of horedome and abhominacions of the earth rather thē that catholike churche which is the
therfore in his forknowledge chosen any mans workes which he should gyue hym but he hath in hys for knowlege chosen fayth so that he hath chosen hym whom he knewe aforhāde would beleue in hym to whō he myght geue the holy Goost that by workynge of good workes he myght also attaine to eternal lyfe I had not yet diligētly sought The cause why s Aug. continued solonge in this error Rom. 11. nor yet foūde out what maner a thing the election of grace was wherof the same Apostle sayeth The remnaunt are saued by the election of grace whych verely is no grace yf any merites at al go before it leste that whych is now geuen shoulde not be geuen accordyng to grace but rather as dewtye recompensed to merites Wherfore thys that I sayd immediatly For the same Apostle sayeth it is the selfe same God that worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. but in no place it is sayde that God beleueth all in all and then after I added For in that we beleue it is our owne but in that we worke wel it is his that geueth the holy goost to them that beleue suerly I would not haue sayd thus yf I had then knowē that the self fayth had ben also founde amonge goddes gyftes whych are gyuen of the same spirite Both then are oures for the choise of wyl yet that notwythstandyng both are geuen thorowe the spirite of fayth and charitie For not charitie only but as it is wrytten Charitie with fayth frō God the Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ And where as a lytle after I sayd thus Ephe. 6. for to beleue and wyll is oures but to gyue to them that beleue and wyl power to worke well thorowe the holy goost by whome the loue of God is spred abrode in our hartes is his This is true but by the same rule both these are also his forbecause he doth prepare the wyl both are oures because they are not done excepte we be wyllyng And by this whiche I sayd also after For neither can we wyll except we be called and whē after callyng we shall wyl our wil and runnyng are not sufficient except God geueth strength to vs rūnyng and brynge vs thether whether he do cal vs And then after I concluded thus It is therfore manifest that it lyeth neither in the rūner nor in the wyller that we worke well but in God that hath mercye thys is a moste true sayeng Rom. 9. There is one peculier callīg that belōgeth only to gods chosen wherof is men on made Ro. 8. this is accordyng to the purpose of God But I dyd speake but lytle of that callyng whyche is wrought accordyng to the purpose of God For thys maner of callynge belongeth not to al that are called but onlye to the electe Therfore this that I sayd a lytle after For lykewyse as in them whome God hath chosen not workes but fayth begynneth the merite that they maye worke thorowe the gyft of God Euen so in them whome he condemne infidelitie and vngodlynes begynneth the merite of paine that by the self paine they may also worke wyckedly this I said moste truely but yet I sayd not that the merite of fayth was also the selfe gyft of God neither dyd I thynke it a thynge worthy to be enquyred for And in an other place For vpon whom sayd I he hath mercy he maketh hym to worke wel and whome he dothe harden he leaueth hym to worke euel But bothe that mercy is geuē to the merite of fayth goynge before and also thys harding to the precedynge wyckednes The whyche verely is true but yet we ought to haue serched further whether that also the merite of fayth do preuent gods mercy that is whether thys mercy is therfore only wrought in man because he was faythfull or whether it was also wrought that he myght be made faythfull 1. Timo. 1. For we reade as thapostle sayeth I haue opteined mercy that I myghte be made faythful he sayeth not because he was faythful It is then geuen vnto the faythful but it was also geuen that he myght be made faythfull Wherfore in an other place of the same boke I sayd most truly For yf not of workes but thorowe goddes mercy we be both called that we mai beleue and also when we beleue it is geuē vs that we maye worke well the Gentyls are not to be enuyed for this mercy neuerthelesse I dyd not there so diligently entreate of that callynge which is accordyng to goddes purpose as I ought to haue done The fourth Chapter YOu se verely what was then my iudgement of fayth workes althoo I traueled in the cōmendacion of god his grace in the which iugement I perceaue that these oure brethren are at thys present because they haue not so muche endeuoured thēselues to profyt and to go forwardes wyth me in readyng my bokes as they they haue in the onlye readyng of them The common fault of al papistes in redyng the doctores whyche gnawe only vpō their errors and depraue al that they haue writtē well as they do the scriptures For yf they had thus endeuored them selues they should haue founde this matter dissolued accordyng to the truth of the holy scriptures in the first boke of the two which I wrote in the begynninge of my Byshopryke vnto Simplitianus of blessed remembraunce by shop af the Churche of Millane successour vnto S. Ambrose except peraduenture they neuer sawe them Which yf it be so I pray you cause that they mai haue the sight of thē I dyd fyrste speake of the fyrst of these two bokes in the second boke of my retractacions where as my wordes by these Amōge the bokes sayd I which I made beyng Byshoppe I wrote the first two vnto Simplicianus byshop of the churche of Millane the successour of the moste blessed Ambrose of diuers questions wherof I bestowed two in my first boke that touche matters that are entreated to the Romanes The first of these questiōs is of that which is wrytten what shal we thē say is the lawe synne God forbyd Rom. 7. vnto that place where he sayeth who shal delyuer me frō this body of death The grace of God thorow Iesu Christ our Lord. These wordes of the Apostle the lawe is spiritual but I am carnal and the reste which declare the battayle betwene the spirite and the fleshe I dyd so expounde as thoo thapostle had described a man beyng yet vnder the lawe and not vnder grace For longe after I came to the knowlege that those wordes and that more truely myght be also vnderstand of the spiritual mā The latter question in this boke reacheth from that place where he sayeth neither was it so wyth her only Rom. 9. but also when Rebecca was with chylde by one I meane by our Father Isaac vntyl these wordes where he sayeth except the Lorde of hoostes hadde left vs seede we should haue ben made
Lorde thou ronuertinge vs shalte quicken vs or els yf the Lorde do not make of the vnwillyng willynge why do the churche accordyng to the commaūdement of the Lorde praye for her persecutours For so also S. Cipziane would haue this that we saye thy wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen to be vnderstande that is Math. 6. as in them which do nowe beleue and are as it were heuen euen so also in them which do not beleue and are therfore yet earth What then do we for them that wyll not beleue but only that God shoulde worke in them also a wil to beleue As touchyng the Iewes the Apostle verely sayeth Rom. 01. The good wyll of my herte praier to God for them is that they myght be saued He prayeth for them that beleue not what els but that they may beleue For otherwyse they do not attaine saluation Yf thē the fayth of them that do praye do preuent goddes grace do therfore the fayth of them that are prayed for that they maye beleue preuent the grace of God For this prayer is made for them that fayth may be geuē vnto them that beleue not that is to saye that haue no fayth Why somebeleue the preachyng of the gospel sōe not Math. 13 Acto 13. Ioh. 6. When the Gospell is then preached some beleue and some beleue not but they that beleue whē the preacher maketh out wardly a soūde do inwardly heare are taught of the father but they that beleue not they hear outwardly but inwardly they neither hear nor learne that is vnto the one sorte it is geuen that they may beleue but vnto the other it is not geuen because no man sayeth Christ commeth vnto me excepte the father which sent me drawe hym the whiche after is more euydetly spoken For a lytle after when he had spoken of the eatyng of his fleshe and drinckyng of his blodde and certaine also of his disciples had said thys is an harde sayeng who can heare hym Iesus knowyng wyth himself that his disciples dyd murmure for this he sayd vnto them do this offende vnto you and a lytle after Ioh. 6. The wordes sayth he that I haue spoken vnto you are spirite and life but ther be certeine of you that beleue not And by and hy theuangelist sayd Iesus knewe from the begynnyng who should beleue and who shoulde betraye him and sayd Therfore I sayd vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it were geueu hym of my father Therfore to be drawen of the father to Christ and so to hear and learne of the father that we maye come to Christ is nothyng els but to receyue a gyft of the father What is to be drawen of the father Iob. 6. wherby we maye beleue in Christ For he that sayd no man commeth vnto me except it were geuen hym of my father dyd not preferre them that heare the Gospel from them that heareth it not but dyd preferre the beleuers from them that bebeleue not The .ix. Chapter FAyth therfore is the gyfte of God aswell when it is begonne as whē it is perfecte And that this gyft is geuē to some and to other some is not geuen no man may in any wyse doubt which wil not striue against the moste manifest holy scriptures Striuers against the moste manyfest scriptures But why this faythe is not geuen to all ought not to trouble any faythful man which beleueth that al thorough one man at brought vnder condēpnacion and that moste iustly without al doubt so that God should not be reprehēded iustly altho he delyuered none from the same By the whych it is manyf est that great is the grace that many are delyuered and in them that are not delyuered they do acknowlege what should haue ben dewe to themselues Iere. 9. Our owne merites are dānable that they which glorye should not glorye in their owne merites whiche they perceyue to be lyke vnto the merites of them that are damned but should glory in the Lorde But why he dothe rather delyuer one thē another his iudgementes are vnsercheable his wayes past findinge out Rom. 11. For in this point also it were better for vs eyther to heare of other or to saye our selues O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God Rom. 9. then to take vpon vs as thoo we knewe the matter to discusse that which he would haue secrete which neuerthelesse coulde not wil any thynge that is vnryghtfull But as touchyng that which ye cal to remembraunce that I sayd in a certaine worke of myne againste Porphirius hauyng this tytle of the tyme of the Christian fayth I dyd so speake that I omitted thys more diligent and exacte disputacion of grace not without significatiō that I would not in that place declare it ani further which might be done eyther at some other tyme or els by some other bodye For amonge other wordes I sayd thus answeryng to the question purposed why Christe dyd come after so many ages Therfore sayd I seyng they dyd not obiecte againste Christ that al folowed not his doctrine for they themselues do also perceyue that that can not be iustlye obiected either agaynst the wysedome of the philosophers or against the worshipping of their goddes what other thyng wyl they answere but that the depenes of goddes wysedome and knowledge are vnsercheable where as paraduenture some other councel of God lyeth very priuely hyd and yet to answere thus is wythout any preiudice peraduenture of other causes also that maye be searched out by wysemen But let vs in discussyng of thys question because of shortnes make them only this answer that Christ would then appeare vnto men and haue his doctrine to be preached amonge them Why Christ came no soner when he knewe and where he knewe wer suche as would beleue in him For at those tymes and in those places where hys Gospell is not yet preached he knew aforehāde that they would al be so affected in the preachyng therof as althoo not all yet verye many were in his corporall presence whych would not beleue in him Ioh. 11. and. 12. no not when he had raysed the deade agayne to lyfe As we also perceyue at this daye that many wyll not yet beleue notwithstandyng that the prophecies of the prophetes of hym are fulfylled so manyfestly Resisters of truth but they had rather thorowe mans subtiltye resyste then to geue place to so cleare to so manyfest and to so great authoritie of God so excellentlye publyshed and spred abrode As longe as mās vnderstandynge is base and weke it can not assent to goddes truthe Bere is an answere vnto them that aste why the gospel before our dayes was so longe hydde What wonder is it then seynge Christ knewe the world in the former ages to be so full of infideles that he would neither appeare nor preache vnto them whom he knew aforehande would
manyfest demōstracion that the very begynning of fayth is the gyft of God For it should not be asked of hym by prayer except men beleued that it were his gyfte This gyfte of the heauenly grace came downe into that purple sellar Act. 16. whose vnderstanding as the scripture dothe wytnesse in the actes of thapostles God had opened and she gaue hede vnto those thynges that were spokē by Paul For she was called after suche maner that she might beleue For god doth worke in mēs hertes what he wyll God worketh in mēs hartes what he will Act. 4. either helpyng or iudging insomuche that euen that maye be fulfylled thorough them whyche hys hande and councel haue predestinated to be done It is therfore vaine that they haue said that that also whych we haue proued by the testimony of the scriptures out of the bokes of Kynges Cronicles apperteine nothyng to the matter wherof we dispute that is when God wyll haue any thynge to be done whych can not be don except men be wyllynge that then their hertes are inclined to wille that thing that he would haue don he inclynyng them whych by a wōderfull and vnspekeable maner do worke also in vs to wyll For what other thynge is it to saye nothyng and neuertheles to agayne saye excepte paraduenture they haue made you some reason why they so thought whych you thought not mete to declare in your letters But what reason thys maye be I knowe not Is it thys thynke you because we declared that God dyd worke this in the hertes of me 1. Reg. 10 2. Reg. 5. dyd persuade the willes of as many as he would that Saul or Dauid myght be made kynge Therfore they thynke that these ensamples make not for this purpose because it is not all one thynge to raigne temporallye in this worlde and eternally with God and thinke they therfore that God do bowe the wylles of whom it pleaseth hym to set vp earth thy kyngdomes but to optaine the heauenly kyngdome he do not bowe the wylles of whome it pleaseth hym But I suppose that this was spoken for the kyngdome of heauē sake and not for any earthy kyngdome Inclyne myne herte vnto thy testimonies or thys Psal 118. Psal 36. Pro 16.20 3. Reg. 8. the goynges of a man are gouerned of the Lorde and he hath pleasure in hys waye or this The wyl is prepared of the Lorde Or let oure Lorde be wyth vs as he was wyth oure fathers let hym not forsake vs nor turne vs from hymself but let him bowe oure hertes vnto hymselfe that we may walke in al his waies Or thys I wyl gyue them an hert to knowe me eares of hearinge or thys I wyl gyue them an other hecte Ezec. 36. and a newe spirite wyl I gyue vnto them Let them also heare thys I wyll gyue my spirite vnto you and I wyll make you to walk in my ryghtfulnes and that you obserue and kepe my iudgemētes Let them heare this a mans goynges are gouerned of the Lorde but howe shall the mortall vnderstand his owne wayes Pro. 20. Let them heare euery man seameth iuste in his owne eyes but it is the Lorde that maketh the hertes streight Act. 3. But owr aduersaries will neither heare these nor none other Let them heare they beleued as manye as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe Let them heare these and all other places of the holy scriptures whiche I haue not rehersed by the whiche it is declared that God do also prepare and conuerte the willes of men vnto the kingdome of heauen and eternal lyfe Iudge youre selues what maner of doctrine it is that we ought to beleue that God do worke the willes for the setting vp and establyshyng of the earthy kyngdomes of men but that men do worke their owne wylles to attaine the kyngdome of heauen We haue spoken many wordes we myght paraduēture longe sins haue persuaded that we go about and yet we are fayne to speake after suche maner to them that haue sharpe quicke vnderstandinges as we should do to them that were dulle whych are not satisfyed with that that is to muche The .xxi. Chapter BVt let them pardone vs for thys newe question hath compelled vs thus to do For where as in our formare workes we haue proued by sufficiet witnesses that also fayth is the gyft of God Therbe some that haue inuented somwhat to against saye thys and that those wytnesses dyd serue to none other purpose but onlye to shewe that thencrease of fayth was the gyft of God But the begynnyng of fayth wherby men fyrst beleue in Christ is of mansselfe is not the gyft of God but that god required thys fayth that when that wer gone before other that are goddes gyftes myghte folowe after as it were for the merite of faythe and that none of them are geuen frely when God his grace is cōmended in them which is no grace excepte it be fre Howe absurde and folyshe this opinion is you do perceiue Wherfore we haue endeuoured oure selues as muche as we are able that we myght shewe that also the begynnyng of fayth is the gyft of God Wherin altho we haue lōger traueled then paraduenture they would that we should haue done for whome we haue take these paines wherfore we are contented to be reprehended of them So that they wyll confesse that we haue brought that to passe that we haue done in dede altho it be done with more wordes then thei would and altho that it be done with werines and hyrkesomnes of suche as haue vnderstandynge that is that we haue proued that also the begynnyng of fayth is the gyfte of God lykewyse as is continencye pacience ryghtfulnes godlynes other wherof ther is no contenciō betwene vs and them Let vs therfore make here an end of this fryst volume leste any myght be offended wyth to great a length of one boke The ende of the fyrst boke ¶ The seconde boke of S. Aurelius Aug. byshop of Hippone / of the goodnes of perseueraunce or continuynge to th ende / translated by Iohn Scory the late byshop of Chichester The fyrst Chapter NOw muste we dispute more diligently of perseueraunce For in the former boke when we intreted of the beginning of faith we did speake somwhat also of this matter We do therfore afferme that perseueraunce wherby men do continue in Christ vntyl thend is the gyft of God to th ende I say whē as this lyfe is fynished in the which only men be in daunger to falle Therfore it is vncertein whether any mā as longe as he lyueth in thys worlde haue receiued thys gyft For yf he falle before deathe verely men saye that he dyd not cōtinue to the ende and this is moste truely spoken For howe can he be counted to haue receyued or had perseueraunce which dyd not continue to th ende For yf any man haue continente and fall from the
that do now obey be predestinate to be reiected but yf any do obey and so forth to be spoken by a verbe of the thyrde person and not by the seconde person For an abhominable and no pleasaūt matter is spoken and by thys speakynge the foreheades of the auditorye are as it were moste rygourously and moste hatefullye knocked one agaynst another whē any mā do saye to them vnto whōe he speaketh and yf any of you whiche do nowe obeye be predestinate to be reiecte the power to obeyshal be taken from you that you maye falle frō obedience What parte of the sentence is left out yf it should be spoken thus But yf ther be any that do nowe obey which neuer the les are not predestinate vnto hys kyngdome and glory they are but for a tyme neither shall they continue in the same obediēce vnto th ēde Is not nowe the same thynge spokē both more truely and also more comely that we maye not seame as it wee to wyshe vnto them so great an euell but to tell of other that which they hate that they may not thynke it to belōge vnto them whiche do hope and praye for better thynges That same phrase of speche whych they thynke ought to be vsed in predestinacion may be spokē in a maner by the same wordes also of goddes foreknowlege whyche vndoubtedly they cānot denye so that it maye be sayd And yf any of you that do nowe obey be foreknowen to be reiecte ye shal fal frō obedience For as thys is moste true euen so verely it is moste impudent moste vntymely moste vn comly not because it is false doctrine but because it is not holsomlye ministred vnto the disease of mās infirmitie I thinke also that that maner of speakynge whych we haue sayd ought to be vsed in the preachyng of predestinacion should not suffice hym that speaketh to the people except he should adde thys or some suche lyke thynge that he would saye You ought therfore to truste to obteyne also the selfe perseueraunce in obedience of the father of lyght from whome cōmeth downe euery good gyfte and euery parfyte gyft Iaco. 1. and to aske the same by dayly prayers in thys doynge to beleue that you are not straungers from the predestinaciō of his people because he doth graunt vnto you that you maye also thys do God forbyd that you should therfore despayre of your selues because you are cōmaunded to put your-trust in hym and not in youre selues For euery man is cursed that putteth hys trust in man Ieri 17. Psal 117 Psal 2. Tit. 1. again it is better to truste in the Lorde then to truste in man For they are all blessed that truste in hym And you holdyng faste thys hope serue the Lorde in feare and reioyse before hym wyth tremblyng For no man can be certeine of eternal life whych God that cānot lye hath promysed before theternall tymes vnto the sonnes of promyse before thys lyfe whyche is a tentacion vpon th earth shal be fynyshed but he vnto whome we do dayly saye leade vs not into tentacion shall make vs to perseuer in hymselfe vntyll th ende of thys lyfe Seynge that these and suche lyke are spokē whether it be to a fewe or to the hole multitude of the churche why are we afrayed to preache the predestinacion of saintes the true grace of God that is whych is not geuē after our merites accordyng as the holy scripture doth teach the same Is it to be feared that a mā should thē fall into desperacion whē he is taught to put his truste in God that he shoulde not dispaire yf he shoulde moste proudlye and moste vnhappely put hys truste in hymselfe and I would to god that such as haue dulle vnderstandynges are weake whyche either can not or at the leste wyse yet can not vnderstande the scriptures or their exposicions would either heare or not heare our disputacions in thys matter after suche a maner that they would rather diligently consyder theyr owne prayers whych the churche hath alwayes vsed frō her begynnyng and shall vse vnto the worldes ende The .xxiii. Chapter He proveth predestinacion and grace by the praiers of the church EOr the churche haue alwayes made mencion of this matter in her prayers whyche we are nowe compelled agaynst these newe heretikes not only to make rehersall of but also to defēde and maintaine manifestly yea and somtime she hath thought it good that it should be declared in sermons when she was not vexed with any aduersari For when did not the churche pray for infidels and for her ennemyes that they myght beleue Whē was ther euer any faythfull man that had an infidele to hys frend neighbour or wyfe and haue not desyred for them of the Lord suche a mynd as myght obey the christian fayth Who is it that do not alwaies pray vnto the Lorde that he maye continue in hym Or who at any tyme hearyng the priest callyng thus vpon the Lorde for the faythfull O Lorde graunt vnto them that they maye continue in thee vnto th end durste either by worde yea or by thought once reprehende hym for this prayer Howe could he say Amē except he vnderstode hys blissynge 1. Cor. 14. haue not rather with a beleuyng herte and confessynge mouthe made aunswere vnto this his blessyng sayng Amen Seyng that the faythfull in the selfe praier of the Lorde pray for nothyng els namelye when they saye thys Leade vs not into tentacion but that they maye continue in holy obedience As therfore in these prayers euen so also in thys fayth the churche dyd sprynge vp and dothe bothe growe and haue growen by the whyche fayth it is beleued that the grace of God is not geuen for the merites of thē that receiue it For neither would the churche praye that faythe myght be geuen to infideles except she beleued that God would turne mens willes vnto hymselfe bothe of suche as are turned from hym and also of such as are ennemyes vnto hym nor yet would she praye that she beyng not deceiued nor ouercome wyth the tentacions of the world myght continue in the fayth of Christ excepte that she beleued that the Lorde had our herte so in hys owne power that notwythstandyng we do not kepe godlynes but by our owne wyll yet neuertheles that we cānot kepe the same except he should worke in vs also the wyll For yf the churche askyng these thynges of hym should thynke that they were geuen her of her selfe the prayers that she vseth are not true prayers but made for a facion whych God forbyd that any of vs shulde saye For who can truly morne desyring to receyue of the Lorde that whyche he prayeth for yf he shulde thynke that he hath thys of hym selfe and not of hym namelye because we knowe not what to desyre as we ought Rom. 8. but the spirite hymself sayth thapostle maketh intercessiō for vs wyth gronynges whych