¶ 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
veray and only spouse of Christ Iesu our Lord Thou shalte therfore in these bokes gentle reader perceyue as I haue sayd the true catholyke doctrine of our saluacion and of all matters that depēde and are annexed to the same as what is the veray original cause of our saluaciō after what maner and sorte we are fyrst called vnto saluacion by what and whose meanes and deseruynges we so continue that we attayne the fruicion of the same in th end why al are not so called that they may folowe and obey the caller howe weake and vnable mans wyll is either to come to God or to continue in hym vnto th ende whether we be saued that is predestinate called iustifyed glorifyed frely thorowe the onely grace and fauoure of God by faythe in Christe Iesu or by the preceptes of good lyfe For thus S. August speaketh De spiritu littera Cap. 13. we conclude sayeth he that a man is not iustifyed by the preceptes of good lyfe but by the fayth of Iesu Christe That is not by the lawe of workes but by the lawe of fayth not by the letter but by the spirite not by the merites of dedes but by grace frely geuen I praye you whiche of vs all whych are iudged and proclamed by our aduersaries to be new fangled and lyeng preachers dyd euer preache more largely or otherwyse of the doctrine of saluacion and iustificacion then S. Aug. haue here wrytten I beseche the cōsyder and marke S. Aug. wordes well and then I doubt not but that thou shalt perceiue manyfestly that our aduersaries declare themselues moste shameles reprobates whyche are not afrayed in theyr frantyke furious mode to call that doctrine whych is onely auncient true and heauenly new fangled and abominable 2. Tim. 3 Neuertheles as the madnes of Iannes and Iambres that resysted Moses was euidēt vnto al mē euen so I doubt not but that thou mayest perceyue that S. Aug. dothe discouer here the madnes of these sorcerers whyche can none otherwyse beyng destitute of the trueth mayntayne their madnes but by violence and tyranny as theyr cruell enterpryses and procedinges do manyfestly declare to all the worlde thys daye That thou be not therfore deceyued and bewytched thorow their incantacions Gala. 3. reade diligētly I say these bokes of S. Aug. whervnto I haue in th ende annexed the determinaciō of two auncient councels that conferme the truthe of S. Aug. doctrine And yf any thynge peraduenture shall seame vnto the harde to be vnderstāde I wolde haue the to consyder that S. Aug. do in some places here intreat of goddes secret councelles and iugementes which can not be perceyued either by external senses 1. Cor. 2. Mat. 11. or naturall reason but by fayth only that beleueth and resteth in the true vnderstandynge of Goddes worde The beleuyng man therfore that calleth vpon God shal as easely vnderstande thys true catholyke doctrine of saluacion Ioh. 10. as the shepe knoweth the voyce of hys owne shepherd altho the wyse of the world that do peryshe whose vnbeleuynge myndes Satan hath blynded 2. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 1. wyl esteme thys not onlye new fangled but also folyshe and abhominable Further yf any thynge that S. Au. here teacheth of the state of infantes that dye wythout baptime shal peraduenture offende the I muste desyre the diligently to wey and consyder bothe the horrible deformite of that originall synne wherin we were all borne Rom. 5. Psal 51. and also the moste iuste and secrete iugement of God vpon the chyldren of wrathe for the same whych S. Aug. in the .xii. chapter of thys seconde boke do set forthe moste playnly Ephe. 2. And thē I doubt not but that thou shall either be persuaded to credite also s Aug. in this mater or els thou wylt with quietnes modeste discent frō him For s Aug. intēded neuer either in these bokes or in any other tyrānically to cōpelle any mā as our aduersaries do to folow his iugement in religion but desyreth onely to be credited so far forth as a mā may perceyne that he dyd not erre That he was of thys mynde you maye in many places of hys other workes and namely in the. 21. chapter of thys seconde boke manyfestly se Neither haue I translated these bokes to call the from the certeine and infallible truthe and authoritie of Goddes worde to hange nowe vpon S. Aug. but that bothe thou and all other that wyll maye perceyue by the testimonye also of S. Aug. what was and is The cause of trāslatynge these bokes thold aūcient and true catholyke doctrine of the churche touchynge our saluacion whych cōsysteth vpon our eternall eleccion or predestinacion vocacion iustificacion and glorificacion as S. Paule testifieth to the Romanes wherby thou mayest the more truly iuge betwene vs oure aduersaries which cease not to crye out affermyng moste vntruly that we haue preached new fangled and abhominable doctrine But thys ought not to be passed ouer wyth silence that S. Aug. both in these bokes and in diuerse other places of hys workes do teache and afferme that infantes can not be saued wythout the receyuynge of the Sacramentes of Christes body and blood Of thys iudgement was also S. Cipriane wherby it is manyfest that in theyr dayes the Churche of Christe dyd vse to mynistre Theucariste to infantes The euchariste gyuen to infantes Thys was an olde and auncient tradiciō of the church And notwythstandyng that our aduersaries haue omitted the same as they do diuerse other suche lyke yet are not we so captiouse or so vncharitable eyther to condempne them for thys omission or to enforce that they shulde receiue the same tradicions againe Wherfore by right and equitie they ought to graūt that the churche of Englande accordyng to the lyberties of the same in the dayes of the moste noble and excellet princes Henry the .viii. and Edward the vi by cōmon consent of al the states of the realme and their supremest authorite in earthe vnder Christe myght omitte or chaunge tradiciōs in religion as it dyd altho the same were auncient and mencioned in olde wryters as longe as it dyd cōstitute or ordeyne nothyng against goddes wrytten worde Wherupon I may also iustly conclude that those our aduersaries whiche do nowe condemne the hole churche of Englande that was in the dayes of thafornamed kynges for omittyng or alteryng of tradiciōs that they wet false dissemblyng and pariured traitores against theyr moste naturall kynges and countreye malicious ypocrites against the true catholyke churche of Englād For what thing as touchyng the cōmen order for religion haue God cōmaunded by hys wrytten worde to be done that was then omitted except thonly vse of Christes true discipline whyche in dede was then resisted by some that haue ben and are by the iuste iugement of God compelled to submitte their neckes vnto the heuie burden and greuous yoke of Antechristes vicare a wretched
what we ought to beleue that his mercye is shewed in them that are delyuered and hys truthe in them that are punyshed neither let vs go aboute to serche out suche thynges as are vnsercheable nor to fynde out suche thynges as are paste fynding out For out of the mouthe of infantes and suckelynges he hath made perfyte hys prayse Psal 8. that that which we perceyue in them whose delyueraunce no good merites of theirs wente before and in them whose damnacion only original synne cōmon to them bothe wente before the same we should not doubt to be done to them also that be of age discrecion that is to saye that we should not thynke Grace is not geuē to ani mā for hys merites either that grace is geuen to any man for his merites or that any man is punyshed but for his merites whether that they whych are delyuered and punyshed haue theyr euel causes lyke or vnlyke that he that semeth to stande should take hede that he fall not and that he that doth glorye 1. Cor. 10. Iere. 9. should not glorye in hymselfe but in the Lord. But why can not these men abyde as ye wryte that the cause of infātes should be brought forth for an ensample of suche The Pelagians and Maniches deny original syn as are of age and discrecion whyche doubte not to confesse agaynst the Pelagians original sinne that thoroughe one man entered into the worlde and that by one man damnacion is come vpon all men The which also the Manicheis do not allowe which haue in no reuerence not only the scriptures of thold testament but also they do receiue the scriptures that belonge to the newe testament after suche a maner that by a certaine priuilege of their owne yea rather sacrilege they allowe what they wyl what they wyll not allowe they reiecte Agaynste whome I wrote in my boke of fre choise out of the whych these brethren thynke to prescribe against vs. Prescripcion Therfore would I not clearly dissolue the moste besy and harde questions that ther happened lest my worke should haue bē to longe wheras the authorite of Goddes worde dyd not helpe me agaynst these that are so peruerse and wycked And I could haue concluded as I dyd wyth an vndoubted reason whyche soeuer of these should be true whyche I dyd not then determinatlye auonche that God ought to be praysed in al thinges The wicked heresie of the Maniches wythout any necessitie to beleue that there should be two coeternall substances of good euell myngled together Furthermore in the fyrst boke of retractacions whych worke of myne you haue not yet redde whē I was come to the retracting of the same bokes of free choise thus I spake In these bokes I saye many thynges are disputed after suche a maner that certein questions happenyng whiche I was not either able to dissolne or els required at that present a longe declaraciō myght be to that ende deferred that vpon both partes or vpon euery of the partes of the same questions it dyd not appeare what was moste consonant vnto the trueth oure disputacion myght be yet concluded vpon thys point that whyche soeuer parte should be true men myght beleue and also perceiue that God oughte to be praysed The fountaine of euell That disputacion was takē in hande for theyr sakes whych denye that euel do originally sprynge of the free choise of wyl and do contende that God yf thys be so the creator of all natures oughte to be blamed willynge by thys meane accordyng to their vngodlye error for they are Manitheis to bring in a certeine nature of euel vnchaungeable and coeternal to God In lyke maner a lytle after in an other place After these it was declared sayde I oute of what mysery moste iustly throwē vpon synners the grace of God dyd delyuer because mā was able willyngly that is by free choise to fall but not in lyke maner to ryse agayne vnto whych mysery of iust damnacion ignorance and difficultie do apperteine Difficulte troble painfulnes daūger trauel whych euery mā do suffer from the beginnynge of his natiuite neither is any man delyuered from thys euell but by the grace of God The whych myserye the Pelagians would not haue to sprynge of iuste damnacion denyeng originall synne Altho ignoraunce and difficultie dyd apperteine vnto man in their natural beginninges yet ought not God to be blamed but praysed as in the same thyrde boke we haue disputed The whiche disputacion ought to be had agaynst the Manicheis whych do not allowe the holy scriptures of the olde testament wherin original synne is declared And what soeuer is redde in thapostles wrytynges that is taken out of tholde testament they contende with detestable vnshamefastnes that it was thruste in of them that corrupted the scriptures as tho it had not be spoken of thapostles But agaynst the Pelagians that ought to be defended that both the newe testament and tholde do approue whyche they professe that they do allowe These wordes dyd I speake in the fyrst boke of my retractacions when I retracted my bokes of fre choyse Neither are these thynges only there spoken of me cōcerning these bokes but many other also whych I thought to longe and not necessarye to be put into thys worke written to you whych I thinke you wyl also iuge after ye haue redde altogether All tho we dyd then so dispute of infantes in the thirde boke of fre choise that notwithstandynge that were true whych the Pelagians do afferme that ignoraunce and difficultie without whych no man is borne be the begynnynges not the punishmentes of nature yet shoulde the Manicheis be ouercome whiche wyl haue two natures of good and euell to be coeternall shoulde therfore the faythe be called into doubt or els forsaken whyche the catholyke church do defēde against the selfe Pelagians which do confesse original synne the gylt wherof is drawen by the fyrst byrth and losed by the seconde byrth But yf they also together wyth vs do acknowlege thys that we may bothe together in thys matter destroye the Pelagians error Why thynke they that it should be doubted that God doth also delyuer from the power of darkenes Collo i. and dothe transtate into the kyngdōe of the bryghtenes of hys sonne those infantes vnto whome thorow the sacramēt of baptisme he hath geuen his grace Grace is not geuē to all In that then that he geueth this grace to some but to some he dothe not gyue it why wil they not syng vnto the Lorde mercye and iudgement But why thys grace is rather gyuen to some then to other who hathe knowen the Lorde hys mynde Roma 11 Who is able to serche out suche thynges as ar vnsercheable Who is able to finde out suche thinges as are paste fyndyng out The .xii. Chapter YT is therfore broughte to passe that the grace of Gōd is gyuen not accordynge to the
that calling wherof it is sayd Callyng the gyftes and callynge of God ar suche Rom. 11. that it can not repente hym of them This is therfore the predestinacion whych we do faythfullye and humbly preache And this notwythstande the same teacher and doer which both beleued in Christ S. Aug. preached predestinacion and also dyd continually lyue in holye obedience euen vnto the suffering of death for Christes sake dyd not therfore cease from preachyng the Gospel exhorting to fayth and godlye workes and from the selfe perseueraunce vnto th ende because he had sayd that we ought to glory in nothynge forasmuche as nothyng was oures wherin he dyd moste clearly set out the true grace of God that is whych is not geuē for our merites whych God knew aforehande that he would gyue By these wordes of Cipriane predestinacion is vndoubtedly cōmended whych yf it dyd not hynder Cipriane from preachyng obedience certeinly neither ought it to hynder vs. Wherfore altho we preach that obedience is the gyfte of God yet do we exhorte men vnto the same But to them that do obediently heare the exhortacion of the truth the selfe gyft of God is gyuen that is to heare obediētly but they that do not heare after that maner vnto them it is not gyuen For it is not euery man but it is Christ that sayeth no man cōmeth vnto me Ioh. 6. except it were geuen hym of my father Math. 13 And vnto you it is gyuen to knowe the mystery of then kyngdome of heauen but to them it is not gyuen And of continencye he sayeth all men can not away with that sayeng Math. 19 saue they to whōe it is gyuen And when thapostle dyd exhorte the maried folkes vnto the chastitie of wedlocke 1. Corin. 7 I would all men were sayeth he as I am my selfe but euery man hathe his proper gift of God one after this sort an other after thatr where as he dothe sufficiently declare that not onlye continēcy is the gyft of god but the chastite also of the maried Seyng therfore these thynges are true Chastitie in mariage we do exhorte vnto thys asmuche as we can and as muche as God gyueth to euery one of vs. For thys is also hys gyft in whose hande are bothe we and our wordes Wherupon thapostle sayeth Accordyng to the grace of God geuen to me 1. Corin. 3. as a wyse buylder I haue layde the foundacion and in an other place he sayeth euen as the Lorde hath geuen to euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God gaue thencreace So then neither is he that planteth any thynge neither he that watereth but God that geueth thencrease And thus as he dothe exhorte and preache truely whyche haue receyued the gyft so to do euen so vndoutedly he dothe obediently heare the exhorter and preacher whych had receyued thys gyfte Here of commeth it that when the Lorde dyd speake vnto them whych had their carnall eares open he sayd neuertheles he that hath eares to heare Luce. 8. let hym heare whyche he knewe moste certeinly that all had not But of whome they haue these eares of hearyng who so euer haue them the Lord him self doth shewe where he sayeth I wyl gyue them an hart to knowe me and hearing eares Then the eares of hearyng It is the peculiar gyft of thelect to heare the gospel obediētly is the selfe gyfte of obeyng the whiche who that had myghte come to hym vnto whome no man commeth except it were gyuen hym of his father We therfore do exhorte and preache and they that haue eares of hearyng do heare vs obediently but they that haue them not it happeneth vnto them that which is written that they hearyng may not heare that is hearing with the eares of the body maye not heare wyth the consent of the herte But why these haue eares of hearinge and the other haue not that is whi it is gyue to them of the father that they maye come to the sonne but to thother it is not geuē who hath knowen te mynde of the Lorde or who was hys counseller Or what art thou O mā that disputest wyth God Ro. 11.9 Should it therfore be denied that is manyfest because that can not be comprehended whych is secrete Should we therfore saye I saye that it is not true whyche we manifestly perceyue to be true because we can not fynde out why it is true The .xv. Chapter Predestinacion is no hinderaunce to rebuking or correcting BVt they say as you wryt that no man can be styrred vp wyth the profyt of rebukyng Yf it should be preached in thassemble of the churche in the hearynge of a multitude The determinate sentence of the wyll of God touchyng predestinacion is thus That some of you dyd come from infydelitie to fayth when ye receyued the wyll to obey or maye continue in fayth after ye haue receyued perseuerance but as for the reste of you that do remayne in the delectacion of synne you haue therfore not yet rysen because the helpe of the merciful grace haue not yet raised you Neuertheles yf any of you be not yet called whome God hath predestinate by hys grace to be chosen ye shall receyue the same grace wherby you maye wyl and be chosen But yf any of you do nowe obey The wordes of an aduersary and be predestinate to be reiecte the power to obey shal be takē from you that you maye leaue obedience But these theyr wordes ought not to discourage vs from confessynge the grace of God that is whych is not geuen accordynge to our merites and from cōfessing the same grace to be geuē accordyng to thys predestinacion of saintes Lykewyse as we ar not discoraged from cōfessyng the aforeknowlege of God yf any man should preache of it vnto the people after thys maner that he would say whether ye now liue godly or vngodly ye shal be suche hereafter as God knewe aforehand that ye should be eyther good yf he knew ye should be good or euel yf he knewe ye should be euell For yf after the hearynge of thys doctrine many be turned vnto slothefulnes and negligēce and beyng ready from labour to luste do folowe theyr owne concupiscences Should it be therfore thought that that were false which was spoken of the foreknowlege of God Shall not they be good howe vngodly nowe so euer they lyue whiche God knewe aforhande should be good but yf he knewe thē aforehande to be euell shall they not be euel how Godlye so euer they seame nowe to be There was one in our monastery whyche beyng rebuked of the brethren because he dyd certeine thynges that oughte not to be done and omitted cectein thinges which he should haue don made aunswere and sayd what so euer I am nowe I shal be suche a one as God knewe aforehāde that I should be Whych vndoubtedlye sayd the truthe yet by thys true speakyng dyd not
dyd not receyue him the selfe same Euangelist declareth sayeng because hys face was Luce. 9. as thoughe he would go to Ierusalem the disciples verely desyred to be receyued into Samaria But God dothe call whome it pleaseth hym and maketh whom he wyl deuoute or religious what is more plaine what do we seke more euident of the interpretor of thys worde of God yf we delite to heare that also of them whych is manifest in the scriptures But to these two whyche ought to suffice let vs adde also a thyrde I meane holy Gregory whych do wytnesse bothe that to be leue in God Gregory nazianze ne not Gregory the. b. of Rome and also to cōfesse that whych we beleue is the gyft of God sayeng we beseche you that ye wil confesse the Trinitie of one Godhead But yf ye wyl otherwyse say ye that they be of one nature and God shal be beseched to gyue you a voice from hys holy spirite that is god shal be prayed vnto that he wil permitte suche a voice to be gyuen you wherby you may cōfesse that whych you beleue For I am certeine that he that hathe geuen the fyrst wyl gyue the seconde also he that hath geuen you beleue wyl gyue you also confession These excellent and noble doctors affermyng that ther is nothynge wherof we maye glory as of our owne which God hathe not gyuen vs and that not so muche as our owne herte thoughtes ar in our owne power but ascribyng all vnto God confessynge that we do receyue all of him that we may be conuerted vn to hym cōtinue vnto th ende that that whych is good maye also seame good vnto vs and that we may wil the same that we may honour God and receiue Christ that of vn dououte we maye be made deuoute and religious that we may beleue in the selfe Trinite confesse with mouth also that whych we beleue These certeinlye do they ascribe to goddes grace these do thei acknowlege to be Goddes gyftes They do wytnesse that we haue not these of our selues but of hym But wyl any man saye that these doctors did so confesse this grace of God that they durst deny his foreknowlege the whyche not onely the learned but also the vnlearned do confesse Furthermore yf they knewe that God dyd gyue these gyftes after suche a sorte that they were not ignoraūt that he knewe aforehande that he would gyue them and that he could not be ignoraūt to whome he would gyue them out of al dout they knewe predestinacion Thapostles preached predestinacion the whiche beyng preached by thapostles we defend agaynst newe heretikes wyth great payne and diligence yet neuertheles it could not be iustlye obiected agaynst thē preaching obedience and ernestly accordyng to their power exhortinge men to the same yf you wyll that obediēce whervnto ye exhorte vs shall not waxe colde in our herte preache no more this grace of God vnto vs whych we confesse that God doth gyue whervnto ye also exhorte vs that we maye do it The xx Chapter VVherfore yf both thapostles and also the doctors of the churche that succeded them and folowed their ensample dyd obserue bothe these thynges that is They dyd bothe truely preache the grace of God whych is not gyuen accordyng to oure merites and dyd also teache godly obediēce wyth holsome preceptes what is the cause that these our brethren beyng shutte vp wyth thinuineible power of the truthe do thynke that they themselues yet speake trulye sayeng altho that whych is spoken of the predestinacion of gods benefytes be true whether predestinacion ought to be preached yet ought it not to be preached vnto the people It ought to be preched in any wyse that they which haue eares to hear mai hear But who is that that hath eates of hearynge yf he haue not receyued them of hym whych sayeth I wyll gyue them an herte to knowe me and hearyng eares Truly let hym that taketh not refuse retect whiles yet he that taketh maye take drynke may drynke and lyue For lykewyse as godlynes ought to be preached that God may be trulye worshipped of hym that hath cares to heare Chastite ought to be preached that no vnlawfull thynge be commytted wyth the priuey members of hym the hath eares to heare Charitie ought to be preached that God and the neyghbour may be loued of him that hath eares to hear euen so also thys predestinacion of goddes benefites ought to be preached that he that hath eares to heare maye not glory in hymselfe but in the Lorde But where as they saye that ther was no nede to trouble so many hertes of suche as do not wel vnderstande wyth thys vncer teintie of suche disputacion because the catholike fayth hath bē no lesse profitably defended wythout thys determinacion of predestinacion so many yeres both agaynst other he retikes specially against the Pelagians as well wyth oure owne formare bokes as also wyth the bokes of many catholyke writters and others I maruel muche that they wyll thus speake and do not consyder the selfe bokes of oures that I maye at thys present passe ouer other mens with silence both written and publyshed before also the Pelagiās beganne to appeare wherin they may perceyue in how many places we not knowyng the Pelagians heresye to come dyd beleue in preachyng grace wherby God dothe delyuer vs from our euel errors and maners workynge thys not for our good merites goyng before but for hys owne free mercye The whyche thynge I beganne more fully to vnderstande S. Aug. was more sincere in doctrine after he was byshop then he was before God graunt that oure b. maye be so in that disputacion whych I wrote vnto Simplicianus of blessed remē braunce byshop of the churche of Millane in the beginninge of my byshopryche whē as I both knewe and also defended that the begynnynge of faythe was the gyfte of God For whyche of my workes could be better knowen and more gladly redde then the bokes of my confessions seyng I had also published them before the Pelagians he resye sprange vp In these bokes I sayd verely vnto our God and I sayd often gyue that thou commaundest and commaunde what thou wylt The whych my wordes Pelagius could not abyde when they wer rehersed of a certeine brother a felowbyshop of myne in his audiēce at Rome and he speakyng agaynst them somwhat angerly dyd almoste falle oute wyth hym that had recyted them But what els dothe God fyrst and chiefly cōmaunde vs but that we should beleue in hym and thys then doth he gyue yf it be well sayd vnto hym gyue that thou commaundest And in the same bokes also that I myght shewe my conuersion when God conuerted me vnto the fayth whiche I had wasted wyth moste myserable furious bablyng do you not remember that I declared the same after suche a sorte that I myght shewe that I was conuerted by the faythfull