Christ Iesus is so manifest and the power of his trueth so inuincible that he will reigne in the midest of his ennemies The deuilles them selues must acknowledge and openly confesse that he is Lord and the onely Son of the liuing father and the aduersaries of his trueth euen when they fight most outrageously against the same are coÌ„pelled to giue testimonie to it as you do here in diuers places as wheÌ„ ye say it foloweth not y t because we must walke in y e way that leadeth to life that therefor for walking in the way of saluation we are chosen and as you write accepted But because I say that your inconstancie doeth streight carie you to denial of this I caÌ„ the les credit that this be a trew confession proceding from an vnfeined heart but rather that it is the mightie power of the veritie which will ye nill ye compelleth your mowthes to giue witnessing vpon her part against your selues God grant I may be deceaued in this my iudgement for him I take to record that I am no otherwies ennemie to any of you then in so far as ye declare your selues manifest ennemies to y e fre grace of God aÌ„d to the glorie of y e eternal SoÌ„ne of y e eternal father of Christ Iesus our Lord aÌ„d onely Sauiour Becaus there is nothing in this your last part w c I haue not before at large declared in diuerse places I wil onely note those thiÌ„ges in the w c we do not aggre with you First we vse not to call predestinatioÌ„ the fre gift of God but we call it the eternall and immutable couÌ„sell of God in which he hath purposed to choose to lief euerlasting such as pleased his wisdom in Christ Iesus his Son Secondly we say that ye are neuer able to proue by the parable of the talentes that any reprobate was chosen in Christ to life euerlasting Thirdly that we fynd neither contract neither condition betwext the louing Father and the prodigall son in his admission to his former dignitie neither do we so vnderstand the parable as that the said son newly receaued to mercie wold after of stubbornes vnthaÌ„kfully depart from his father But rather we think that as he had felt what miserie he susteined by folowing his own counselles he wold in tymes comming with all diligence attend the counselles of his father Your mynd is dark to vs and your writing obscure where that ye say before we haue faith or by hearing of the worde can haue faith no spirituall commandement is giuen vnto vs. and also the wordes of saint Paule appere not to be well applied for there he entreateth no thing of election but onely affirmeth that in the dispensation of that ministerie committed to his charge he knew him self giltie in nothing c. but because these be of small importance I onely put you in remembrance of them Last your similitude betwext your PhisitioÌ„ offering medicin and prescribing diet to the patient who may receaue and kepe it at his pleasure and so recouer healthe and preserue his life orels reiect and break it and so procure his own destruction and betwext Christ Iesus who say you being our Phisition offereth healthfull phisike vnto vs all and therewith prescribeth our diett which if we do not obserue the phisike shall not auale vs c. This similitude in one respect doeth altogither mislyke vs. For it taketh from our soueraign Lord his chief glorie and honor for in no wies can we abyde that his mightie power and operation by his holie spirit shal be compared to the power of any creature We say not we teach not nor beleue not that Christ Iesus doeth onely offer medicin and prescribe a diet as a common Phisition leauing the vsing and obseruation of it to our will and power But we affirme that in the heartes of his elect he worketh faith he openeth their eies he cureth their leprosie he remoueth and ouercometh their inobedience yea by violence he pulleth theÌ„ furth of the bondage of Sathan and so sanctifieth them by the power of his holie Spirit that they abyde in his veritie according as he hath praied for them and so continue they vessels of his glorie for euer And herein we disseÌ„t froÌ„ you as afterward more plainely shal appere in discussing of this which you thus terme THE ADVERSARIE The second error of the careles by necessitie The elect thogh they sinne greuously â–ª yet are they neuer owt of the fauâ—r and electioÌ„ of God neither caÌ„ they by any meanes finally perishe So that Adam when he transgressed and Dauid committing adulterie and homicide were fauored euen then and beloued of God aÌ„d neuer owt of election nether could they be Againe the reprobate as Saul and Iudas were neuer in the fauor and election of God neither could they nor none other reprobate attein vnto saluation ANSWER The trueth of this proposition doeth nothing excuse your malice and hatered for albeit there be no senteÌ„ce in it conteined w e beiÌ„g rightly vnderstaÌ„d is not aggreable to gods worde yet of what purpose and mynd ye haue gathered these sentences leauing those that should explaine the same it easely may appere by that vennom which ye spew furth against vs to make vs odious to all the world as here foloweth THE ADVERSARIE The confutation of the second error Here you se how they deuide all men into two sortes one elected or chosen which by no meanes can perishe and the other reiected or reprobate before the world so that by no meanes can they be saued What can the deuill wishe his membres to teach more for the aduancement of his Kingdom then this What can be inuented to prouoke men to liue a careles and libertyne life more then if they be persuaded that neither well doing auaileth or pleaseth God nor euill doing doeth hinder vnto saluatioÌ„ this is asmuch as if one should counsell the pacient to refuse all healthfull Phisick and good diet and so wilfully to be the occasion of his own death for if they be say they of the elect sorte thogh they do commit theft fornicatioÌ„ adulterie murther or any other sinne yet be they still so beloued and fauored of God that they can not finally perish And if they be of the reprobate sorte say they neither repetance amendement of life absteining frome euill neither fasting praier Almes nor other good dede can auale for they be so hated of God before the world that by no meanes they can obtein his fauor but of mere necessitie do what they can they must perish seing it is so saieth the naturall maÌ„ let vs set the cock on hoope aÌ„d let the world slyde let vs eate and drinke for to morow shall we die so the people sit downe to eat and drink and then ryse vp to play why masters haue ye no conscience thus to cause the people of God to sinne se ye not how ye be led with the same
passions God hath in him self as ye do For so appereth in this your question Wil ye say that God werieth him self suffering and sorowing for them whom he had reprobated before the world Surlie I think that thogh ye hitherto haue vnaduisedly said so ye will from hence furth say so no more And so ye end this portion with a prayer To the which we answere in few wordes that albeit we will not take vpon vs to define what after this shal your cogitations be yet will we not cease to pray to God that your heartes beiÌ„g humbled with greater reuerence ye may not onely think but also speak of gods hie Maiestie of his iudgements most holie most iust and vtterlie in this life in comprehensible to our dull senses But now we go forward to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Now must we declare the saing of S. Luke so many as were ordeined vnto life did beleue where we must vnderstand that as they that will not obey the trueth are called in the scriptures ordeined to damnation as is sufficiently proued before so they which willingly receaue the trueth and coople the word with faith working by charitie are called ordeined to life Where ye do replie so predestination is without any condition I grant predestination to lief is the verie fre gift of God without any condition Notwithstanding we can not com to life but by the way which leadeth vnto life As he which receaued the one talent of his master receaued it of a fre gifte without his deseruing but because he did not walk in the way appointed by his master his talent was taken from him againe And as afore by the fre benefitt of his master he was chosen vnto life so now because he did not walk in the way which leadeth vnto life he is ordeined to â—damnation The prodigall sonne is receaued of his father not for â—his deseruing but of the fre goodnes and beneuolence of his father â—et is it required of him that he walk hereafter as an obedient sonne which if he did not the latter fall should be worse then the first Predestination therefor is the mere gifte of God afore the foundation of the world at the which time nothing could be commanded vnto vs yea afore we either haue faith orâ—ls by hearing of the worde we may haue faith no spiritual comandemeÌ„t is giueÌ„ vs but wheÌ„ by hearing we may receiue faith theÌ„ is the way of saluatioÌ„ opened vnto vs in w c we must walk if we wil be saued And yet foloweth it not we must walk in the way which leadeth vnto saluation Ergo for walking the way of saluation we are chosen and accepted for S. Paul saieth I am giltie to my selfe in nothing but therefor I am not iustified If a learned Phisician seing one in danger of death whom he can and may helpe offereth Phisick to the pacient able to restore him to his healthe and therwith prescribed the pacient a diet now that the phisicion giueth phisick to the pacient it cometh onely of his owne goodnes But if the pacient do not order him self according to the prescript of the Phisition the phisick shall not help him And thoghe he obserue good diet yet oght he not to repute the receauing of his healthe to him self but to the Phisicion for thogh it lieth in the pacientes power to hinder his healthe yet it is not in his power to giue him selfe healthe So Christ our Phisition offereth healthfull phisick to vs all and there with prescribeth our diet which if we do not obserue the Phisick shall not auale vs. And thoghe we obserue it yet oght we not to attribute our healthe to our selues but to the liberalitie of our Phisition Christ which of his mere mercie hath made vs hole wherefor to return to our argument they are ordeined vnto life so many as will gladly walk in the way which leadeth vnto life that is true obedience and they do beleue as S. Luke saieth ANSWER The place of saint Luke which ye studie to corrupt is written in the 13. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles The light whereof is so clere that you be neuer able to obscure the same And therefor I will not spend much tyme in coÌ„futation of your vanitie for the simple trueth of the historie shall disclose the same Paule comming to Antioche in Pisidia did vpoÌ„ the Sabboth eÌ„ter in to the Sinagoge of the Iewes aÌ„d therein preached a sermoÌ„ most profound â–ª most effectuall and most comfortable In the which by plaine scriptures he proued that the same Iesus which was crucified at Ierusalem was the Messias promised and the onely Sauior of the world At which doctrine many of the Iewes being offended and yet som embrasing the same Paule the next Sabboth preached to the hole multitude of the Iewes and Gentiles assembled together But when plaine contradiction was made by the Iewes who did blaspheme Christ Iesus Paule and Barnabas taking boldnes said to the Iewes first it behoued to speake to you the word of God but becaus ye reiect it and iudge your selues vnworthie of the life euerlastiÌ„g behold we are turned vnto the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded vs. At which wordes the Gentiles reioysed and glorified the word of the Lord and did beleue saieth the text so many as were ordeined to the life euerlastiÌ„g Who is be so blynd that doeth not se that in these wordes the holie Gost assigneth the plaine cause why some do beleue and others do blaspheme and remaine vnfaithfull The cause why som beleue is becaus they are ordeined to the life euerlasting as they that are the shepe of Christ Iesus therefor they heare and beleue his voice the others as they are left in the power of the deuiÌ„ll as they that are neuer giuen to Christ to the eÌ„d that they may receaue life remaine in blyndnes and so by contradiction and blasphemies declare them selues whose chilren and generation they are None of vs do nor yet euer did deny but that the elect of God do willingly receaue and obey the trueth and that the spirit of God so worketh in their heartes that not onely they beleue but that also they are made frutefull yea and that frome iustice they procede to iustice But as the hole praise of this we giue to God arrogatiÌ„g no part of it to our selues so we constantly affirme that nether faith neither workes neither yet any qualitie that is or that God forsaw to be in vs is the caus of our predestination or electioÌ„ to life euerlasting as before we haue sufficiently proued Ye are so inconstaÌ„t now granting predestination to be the fre and mere gift of God without any condition of our workes and immediatly after ascribing it to our obedience and walking in the way that leadeth to life In this your inconstancie say I can not tell how to handle you One thing I se to my great comfort that the glorie of
referred to the subsequentes your malicious myndes compell me often to repete one thing Your reasoning of the preterit and future tence is so foolishe that it nedeth no confutation For we confesse that God spake not those wordes to Rebecca but that the Prophete as is declared spake them after by the which he sendeth them to the ancient loue of God which begaÌ„ before that euer their father could know or serue God In which is to be noted that he maketh neither meÌ„tioÌ„ of Aâ—raham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob in his mothers wombe to pull doune this pryde which ye with the Pelagians and Papistes haue conceaued of your workes going before and foresene by God to folow in you But the Prophete of God did so dauÌ„ton the stowt heartes of that his people were they in other thinges neuer so wicked that they did not alledge that any cause was either in their father or in them why that they or he should be preferred to other nations and specially to the Edomites who discended from Esau in all thinges like to Iacob gods onely grace excepted I praise God that so far ye will confes of gods eternall trueth that it was not for their righteousnes that Israel receaued the inheritance but onely becaus God frely loued their fathers But why so sodanly ye slyde frome the principall purpose leauing Esau and his posteritie aâ—d do enter to speak why y e Cananites were cast furth â— se no iust cause for neither doeth Moses in the first oracle of God neither the Prophete Malachie in explaning the same neither yet our Apostle in applying boeth those places to the spirituall benediction lay the sede of Iacob against the Cananires but Iacob is set against Esau and the people discending frome the one against the people that discended from the other The question there might iustly haue bene demanded what prerogatiue hath Iacob aboue Esau Moises the Prophete and the Apostle do answer assuredly none except onely grace which made difrence betwext them whom nature in all thinges had made equall for bothe were come of Abraham bothe of one father both of one mother both conceaued at once both fostered vnder one climate region influence of sterres and yet it was said The elder shall serue the yonger We know that the Cananites came of a cursed father whom if Paule should haue compared with the Israelites they should haue complained of iniurie done vnto themâ— And his reasons had bene easely dissolued for if he had said y e electioÌ„ of God is fre aÌ„d hath respect to no workes and had broght in the sede of Abraham elected and the sede of Cham reiected and accursed for probation of the same they sodanly should and iustly might haue replied C ham mocked his father and therefor was he and his posteritie accursed and so had God respect to workes But the Apostle loketh more circumspectly to so graue a mater and therefor did choose such an example as wherin the witt nor reason of man can find no cause of inequalitie Of this I thoght good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagin that as greate cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born as Moses laieth to the charge of the Cananites And so I perceaue in a part ye do for in the end and after ye haue affirmed that the cananites were cast owt of the land by reason of their wickednes ye return to Esau repenting your selues I trust that so imprudentlie ye had slipped froÌ„ one linage to an other And these wordes ye affirme That Esau is hated it commeth of his own euill deseruing conforme to the saying of the Lord Thy destruction â— Israell is of thy self and thy health cometh of me In which affirmation and pretensed probation of the same I fynd no les negligence in you then before I haue sheweÌ„ aÌ„d proueÌ„ for as most impudeÌ„tly before ye coÌ„founded y e sede of Abraham who by gods own mowth was blessed with the sede of Cham who in expressed wordes was accursed so here ye confound Israel elected of God to be his people in Iacob with Edom reiected from that honor in their father Esau before that either the one did good or the other did euill The wordes of the Prophete which ye bring to proue that Esau was hated for his euill deseruing were neither spoken to him nor to his posteritie but they were spoken to that people whom God had preferred to all nations of the earthe to whom he had shewen his manifold graces and to whom he had bene saluation and help euen in their most desperate calamitie But then fore their defection from him and for their Idolatrie committed were become most afflicted and miserable dailie teÌ„ding to further destructioÌ„ To these I say aÌ„d not to Esau nor yet to his posteritie did God say ô Israell thow hast destroied thy self or ô Israell it hath destroyed the for so is the hebrew text for in me is thy health In w c wordes he repressed the grudgeing aÌ„d y e murmuriÌ„g of the people who in their miserie did rather accuse God of crueltie theÌ„ repeÌ„t or acknowledge their sinnes and Idolatrie to be the cause of their ruyne as in Ezechiel well may be sene to such God saieth Israel thow art in moste extreme miserie thy honor is decayed and the glorie of thy former aige is now turned to ignominie and shame What is the cause it lieth not in me for as I am eternall and immutable so is not my hand shortned this day neither yet my power diminished more then when I did deliuer the frome the bondage of Egipt In me is thy health now as it was then yf that thy sinnes did not make seperation betwext the and me Plaine it is first that here no mention is made of Esau nor Edom but of Israel onely and secondarely that God speaketh nothiâ—g in this place why he did first elect Iacob and reiect Esau but why it was that Israel which some tymes was honorable aÌ„d feared of all nations was then becom most miserable and afflicted on all sides Except that you be able to proue that Esau committed as manifest Idolatrie before he was borne and before that Iacob was preferred vnto him as Israel did before they came to destruction yâ— haue proued nothiÌ„g of your affirmation further I say that if Esau was hated for his euill deseruing then must it nedes follow that Iacob was loued for his well deseruing by the argument folowing of the nature of the contraries But that directly repugneth to the wordes of Moises to the interpretation of all the Prophetes and to the mind and strong reasons of the Apostle who plainely denie workes by past or to cum to be any cause of gods fre election Trew it is we be elected in Christ Iesus to be holie and to walk in good workes which God hath prepared But euerie reasonable man knoweth
and through beleuing the trueth here we do learn that they which be chosen to saluatioÌ„ they be sanctified by the spirit and beleue the trueth and that such may fall it appereth by thaâ— which is writen in the Epistle to the Hebrues how much more suppose you shall he be punished which treadeth vnder fete the Sonne of God and counteth the blood of the testament wherewith he was sanctified as an vnholie thâ—ng and doth dishonor the spiritâ—of grace also he exhorteth them â–ª not tâ— cast away their confidence and not to withdraw them selues vnto damnation hâ— which withdraweth him self vnto damnation was a fore in the state of saluation as he that withdraweth him self vnto saluation was afore in the state of damnation of this change speaketh Paule to the Ephesians remember that ye being in tymes past without Christ being aliens and strangers from the testament of promes hauing no hoâ—e and being without God in this world but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu yâ— which som tyme were far of are made nie by the bloode of Christ. And againe now therefor ye are no strangers and foroners but Citezens with the Sainctes of the houshold of God Here doth Paule write to the elect whom he affirmeth in tymes past to haue bene without Christ and we are sure that without Christ there is no election he saieth also that they were without the testament of promes and all they which be elect pertein to the promes but now saieth he ye be citezens with the saintes and of the houshold of God This is a change frome death vnto lief frome the bondage of the deuil to libertie in Christ Iesu frome the wrath of God to the fauor and exceding loue of God frome the infernall preson to the the hauenlie IerusaleÌ„ of the coÌ„trarie exchange and mâ—tation it is writen to the Hebr. where it is declared how they which were once lightened and had tasted of the heaueÌ„lie giâ—te and were becâ—Ì„ partakers of the holie Gost and had tasted of the good will of God and of the power of the world to com that they may fall away and crucifie the sonne of God a frâ—she and make a mock of him I can not tell what caÌ„ be more plainely spoken coÌ„trarie to you which affirme that they which be once elect can neuer fall out of the same election vntâ— condemnation for if these wordes were not wrâ—tten in the scriptures if I or any other should speak theÌ„ ye wold say they were fals and we liers And yet I am sure rather theÌ„ ye will submit your self to the trueth ye had rather seke an narrow bore to crepe out at what will ye say if ye deniâ— such one as receaued all these cheif benefites that any man can receaue iâ— this world yea no maÌ„ can be participaÌ„t of no greater giftes during this lief if ye denie such one I say to be elect surely ye are of a peruerse reproâ—ate mynd for asmuch as ye plainely resist the holie Gost think you that God giueth these his chief taleÌ„tes which he such as no creature can receaue any greater in this world think you I say that God did bestow theÌ„ meaâ—ing to receaue no frute of them but to bestow theÌ„ in vaine if God did bestow them vpon hym whom he reprobated afore the fundation of the world whom he knew that of necessâ—tie he should perishe then did he intend bestowe them in vain which is fals for asmuche as the holie Gost willeth and exhorteth vs not to receaue the grace of God in vaine we may abusing his grace receaue it in vain otherwise in vain did Paule exhort us not to receaue the grace of God in vaine of suche doth also Peter speak â–ª that after they were cleane escaped frome the filthyâ—eâ— of the worlde throughe the knoledge of our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therin and ouercome whose latter endâ— is wors then the beginning And suche one is compared to a dogge which returneth to his own vomite againe And to a sow which waâ— washed and now returneth and walloweth in the mire I praye you whether were these elected or reproâ—ate of whom Peter speaketh If you say reprobate y t were they clean escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the trueth and had vomited their poyson were washed clean If you say they were elect then marke how they be taÌ„gled againe returned to their vomite to the filthie myre but you will say they caÌ„ not yet finally perishe â–ª Peter knew what he wolde say and therfore maketh you answere afore hand saing their latter end is worse theÌ„ the beginning Brethren saith S. Iames if any of you do erre frome the trueth a nother coÌ„uerte him let the same know that he which conuerteth the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue asoule froÌ„ death what be they whoÌ„ Iames saieth they do erre froÌ„ the trueth If ye say reprobate consider how they be conuerted to the trueth and saued from death If you say they be elect you se how that they being in error were ordâ—inied to death Otherwise how can they be saued from death which nether be dead nor yet caÌ„die Paul willeth Timothie to informe with all meaknes them which resist the trueth if God at any tyme will giue them repentace for to know the trueth and that they may com to them selues againe out of the snare which are holden captiue of him at his will If thou say that these be elect to whom Paule writeth se you not how they by sâ—ared of the deuil yea â—nd are holden captiue of the deuil at his will If you say they be reprobates theÌ„ marke well how they by repeÌ„tance may escaip the snare of the deâ—il but what should I speak of repentaÌ„ce â–ª if your opinion be true theÌ„ the preaching of repentance is vaine for asmuche as the elect can not finally perish nether fall owt of the electioÌ„ fauor of God what nede haue they then of repentaâ—ce And the reprobate caÌ„ by no meanes attein vnto saluation for what purpose should they repent Then this is no sounde doctrine which ye tâ—ach The lord planted his vâ—â—yard hedged it and walled it and planted it with goodlie grapes If they were goodlie grapes and of a good roote as we read in Ieremie then were they no reprâ—baâ—es for there the lord witnesseth that there could no more be done for his vineyarde then he had done then had he not preordinaâ—e them to destruction But as he saieth I made the oâ— Israel that thow might serue me yeâ— became they reprobates and perished by this we se that the elect and châ—sen become reprobates through their noughtines and wikednes The lord will be merâ—ifull vnto Iacob â–ª and will yet châ—se Israel againe and set them in their own land Seing the lord doth chose them againe then were they fallâ—n out of their
clensed yet nether of both chaÌ„ge theire owne nature But y e dogge remaineth the dogge and therfor can do none other thing but to returne to his vomite and the sow remaining the sow must nedes returne to wallowe in the myre But say you Peter affirmeth that they were verely escaped I answer as touching the trueth and nature of the doctryne which they professed so they were â–ª for it was the verye true knowledge of God which was offered vnto them and whiche apperantly they had receaued In w c if they had coÌ„tinued they should verely haue bene fre frome all bondage according to Christes promes But becaus they were none of his chosen shepe nor peculiar flocke they did decline froÌ„ y e holie coÌ„mandemeÌ„t and so were their last wors then their first because y t the seruant knowing the will of the master and not doing the same is worthie many stripes All this I know doth please you except y t I affirme that they were neuer of Christes chosen noÌ„bre no not eueÌ„ wheÌ„ they professed most boldly wheÌ„ they liued most streitly and when most they appered to haue bene purged I will not bynd you to beleue myn affirmation except that I bring y e witnessing of the holie Gost S. Iohn saieth they haue passed out froÌ„ vs he speaketh of antichristes but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs of a trueth they should haue remained w t vs c. These wordes nede no coÌ„meÌ„tarie for saieth he they haue passed out frome vs. And why because they were not of vs no not eueÌ„ wheÌ„ they professed most earnestly c Shut vp your own eyes as ye liâ—t this light shall ye neuer be able to obscure much lesse to extinguish The place of S. Iames and of y e Apostle Paule to Timothe 2. Timoth. 2. do teach not onely the ministers of y e word but also euerie faithfull man how carefully one should procure the saluation of an other And to make all meÌ„ more diligent in doing their duetie he declareth in what extreme danger stand such as do erre froÌ„ the trueth or that remaine in bondage of SataÌ„ as also what acceptable seruice vnto God do such as by whom God calleth others from the way of damnation That this is the simple meaning of both the Apostles I trust euerie godlie man y t diligently will read the text shall confesse with me your foolish questions demanding whether they were elect or reprobate ofwhom the Apostle speaketh and your academical reasons grounded vpoÌ„ your own fantasies I omitt as vnworthie to be answered for y e Apostle speaketh to no one particulare sort but proposeth a coÌ„moÌ„ and general doctrine for the endes which I haue rehearsed before And albeit ye feare not now to affirme that the preaching of repentance is in vaine if our opinion be true the day shall com when ye shall know that nether was the sharp preaching of Iohn nether yet the glad tydinges and amiable voice of Christ Iesus blowen to the worlde in vaine albeit that the Scribes and Pharesies remained still the generation of vipers and that they could nether feare nor beleue the promes of saluation because they were not of God but of the deuil whose children they were The places of Isaiah and Ieremie I haue before declared therefor in few wordes I will touche y e purpose of the holie Gost which was not to instruct that people whom when or how many God had elected to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus his Sonne or whom for iust causes he had reprobated but to conuict them of their manifest and most vnthankfull defection and to take from them all excuses both the prophetes do declare how gently God had entreated them yea how beneficial he had bene to their fathers whom he called from ignorance whom he norished in â—is own knowledge and at length planted and hedged them about with all munition and necessarie defence So that now the children declining to Idolatrie could haue no excuse for their fathers Abraham Isaak Iacob and Dauid whom he calleth the faithfull sede gaue vnto them no such example But how saieth he art thow now changed to be vnto me a degenerate vineyard what maketh this I praye you for your purpose or for to proue that these that be elected in Christ Iesus to lief euerlasting may becom reprobates If I should answere that the stocke which was planted faithfull remained faithfull but that it produced many rotten and vnfrutefull branches which therefor must nedes be cut of none of your sect were able to confute me for I should haue the Apostle for my warrant But I delyte in nothing somuche as in the simple and natiue meaning of the scriptures as they be alledged in their own places by the holie Gost. The places of the prophetes Isaiah and Hoseas haue not both one end for Isaiah in the 14 chapter doth promes in the person of God that he wold shew mercie to Iacob and that he wold choose Israel againe yea that he wold destroy Babylon for their saik and so wold choose his people to him self againe whom for a tyme he appered to haue reiected so that other lordes then he did beare rule ouer them But Hoseas in the contrarie sense affirmeth that because they had abused the long pacience of God and had not righteously considered howtenderly he had intreated them that therefor should the sword râ—shâ— in into the citie that it should destroy and deuore so that none should be found to releue them This I dout not is the meaning of both the prophetes O but you crie here is mention made that God will choose his people againe therefor he had once reiected whom before he had chosen I trust ye â—â—ll not that gods Maiestie shal be subiect to periurie for the establishement of your error he had before solemnely sworn not onely to Abraham but also to Dauid that he wold for euer be the God of that people and that of the frute of his loynes should one fitt vpon his seate and that for euer â–ª If he had so reiected his people that no election had remained nether yet that he had made any differeÌ„ce betwext them and the prophane natioÌ„s before the coÌ„ming of Christ Iesus where was the stabilitie of this former promes we know y t the giftes and vocation of God are without repentaÌ„ce in him self y t he casteth not away such as he be foreknew to be his own but that in y e greatest extremitie his promes abideth stable as in this people he most euidently declared for he did not so disperse them so reiect them and as it were in his anger cast them of and giue them ouer to the appetites of theire ennemies but that still he did knowe and auowe them to be his people yea euen in their greatest calamitie As in these wordes he doth witnes saying when they shal be in the land of theire ennemies I
most feareful end and I suppose that none wil be so peruerse of iudgement as to denie that none other was appointed to be the salt of y e earth and the light of the worlde except those twelue I verilie beleue that Paule is nothing inferior to any of the chiefest Apostles in that case And so yet I affirme that nether were those wordes spokeÌ„ of all the twelue nether yet of theÌ„ onely If this can not satisfie your curiositie labor you to proue that Iudas was elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus before the fundacions of the world were laid I haue before proued that the elect can not finally refuse nor deny Christ Iesus their head and therefor I will not trouble the reader with the repetition The place of Ezechiell serueth nothing your purpose for there doth he onely intreat of such righteous men as in the beginning of the same chapter vsed this prouerbe The fathers haue eaten soure grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge signifying thereby as before we haue declared that they were iust and innoceÌ„t and that yet they did suffer punishement for the offenses of their fathers Against whom y e Prophet speaketh most sharpely affirming that the soule which did sinne shoulde die in this praising gods iustice that he wolde suffer sinne vnpunished in none of his creatures supposing that some for a time had a shew of righteousnes The prophet doeth further accuse and conuict their consciences for they knew them selues criminall in all crimes which the prophet there recited And therefore to prouoke them to repentaÌ„ce w t this exhortacion Cast away from you saieth he all your transgressioÌ„s whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why wil you die ô house of Israel for I desire not the death of him y t dieth saith the Lord God Cause therefore one another to returne and liue ye Of this coâ—clusioÌ„ I say it easely may appere of what sort of righteous men y e Prophet speaketh not of such as being ingrafted in Christes bodie by the true sanctification of his spirit do daylie studie to mortifie their affections but of such as hauing an outward appearance or shew of holines did notwithstaÌ„ding lowse y e bridle to all impietie In very dede God can not remeÌ„bre y e iustice of any such w c is not but their sinnes must craue iust vengeance y t the rather because by theÌ„ y e name of God is blasphemed Now to y e rest of y t w c foloweth in yo r book THE ADVERSARIE This say you with many other manifest testimonies of the Scriptures ye â—osse and turne vpside dounâ— seking shiftes to maintein your errors where by you declare your self to be of the nombre of them of whom it is written in the same place which do say tush the way of the Lord is not indifferent ye will not that the Lord iudge according to this way set furth in his word but of necessitie by an immutable 〈◊〉 saue a certeÌ„ of necessâ—tie to coÌ„deÌ„ne all the rest ye must not so read gods word studying rather to teache the holy Gost then to learne your duetie of him seking meanes rather to coÌ„firme your preconceaued error then to auoid it what trueâ—â— can he learne at the word of God which worshippeth the idoll of his own phantasie and hath alredie forsaken the mynd of the trueth RemeÌ„bre that the first lessâ—Ì„ of wisdom is to be willing to learne wisdom â–ª Cast away therefor the â—doles of your heartes which made you stâ—mble in your wayes submit your selues to the word as humble and meke laÌ„bes for the lambe onelie was found worthie to open the seales of the book Trust not your error to be the-better because it hath many fauorers specially of theÌ„ which haue the name of learning for such haue bene alwaies in all ages ennemies to the trueth inuenters of sectes errors such like as Iannes and â—ambres resisted Moises so do they the trueth as the learned scribes Phariseâ—s blasphemâ—d the word of God and persecuted Christ the trueth it selfe so do they yet in hu membres And euen as the pharesies said do any of the reulers or of the phareseis beleue in him this comoÌ„ people which know not the law is cursed so say they nowdo any of our learned doctors teach so these vnlearned felowes are cursed for they caÌ„ not vnderstaÌ„d gods word they vnderstaÌ„d onely the english toÌ„gue yet wil they medle with 〈◊〉 as thogh the gifte 〈◊〉 the giftes of prophecying were so bouÌ„d together that God coulde not minister the one without the other but this is no newâ— thing for this was laid to Christ his Apostles charge â–ª that they were vnlearned â–ª But the holie Gost willeâ— vs not to iudge so marke saith Paul your calling how that not many wyse meÌ„ after the fleshe not many migthie not many of hieght degre are called but God haâ—h chosen the weake things of the worlde the vile things of the worlde thinges which are despised of 〈◊〉 reputacioÌ„ to confound the mightie to bring to naught things of reputacioÌ„ how caÌ„ such great meÌ„ beleue seing they seke tobe praised one of an other and to be preferred for their knowledge in the tongues for the multitude of their bookes which they writ such learned meÌ„ are more mete to be in Herodes hall theÌ„ in Christes stable the dore is to lowe â—hey 〈◊〉 stout they may not stowpe so lowe for the disgracing of their grauiâ—ie onely poore shepherds which are accustomed to stables are fouÌ„d mete to haue Christ reueled to them not that I dispâ—se learning or learned men for I knowe that learning is the good gift of God yeâ— as S Paul saith knowledge maketh a man to swel and many in our tyme as in all ages paste do abuse this good gift of God yet not all God forbid for som I know I prayse God to whom it hath pleased God to reuele the trueth of this mater which in perfect knowledge of the soÌ„gâ—es are to be compared with any of your Rabbes Be not deceaued therefore with vaine 〈◊〉 of learning or of worldlie wisdome ifye seke Christ seke him where he is in the poore stable and not in Annas and Caiphas pallasses wiâ—hout ye will se and heare Christ accused to such a banket peraduenture Christ may be called of the learned If you wil haue Christ ye must not go to seke him in â—he vniuersities where you may be praised for your sharp wittes and eloquent tongues but you must go forth vnto him out of the tentes and suffer rebuke with him â–ª knowe ye not that the learned phareseis and lawers coueted to talke somtime with Christ not to learne but to dispute and trap him in his sayinges and so did the learned Philosophers of Grecia with Paul Awake therefore in time be no longer deceaued with heâ—r auctoritie examyn your selues examyn
it shall please God to assist my weakenes I will not spare labors to communicate with my brethern what pestilence lurketh in your enuenomed doctrine to the end that all the faithful may auoyde the same You fearing to forget any thing of your master Castalios â—currilitie do thus conclude THE ADVERSARIE And as for you Careles mâ—n you oght to take it in good worth what so euer I haue said â–ª first because it is trueth Secondly because ye holde that all things â—e doâ—e of mere necessiâ—ie then haue I written this of necessitie ANSWER To the which I answere that if the deuill were not a lier and the father not of lyes onely but also of all deceatful lyers it were not possible that you who in so manie thinges haue declared your selues horrible lyers should vainly bragge that ye haue writteÌ„ the trueth For besides those odious crimes which most impudently and most falsely you lay to our charge amongest al the scriptures by you alledged their are not three which ye do not abuse yea and in some ye do so openly belye the holy Gost that you conclude contrarie to his expressed wordes But when I coÌ„sider that your Master father Satan him self eshamed not in the presence of Christe Iesus to boast and to bragge that all the power and glorie of the earth was giuen vnto him and that he gaue it to such as best pleased him wheÌ„ yet in very dede he had no power to giue to his felow angelles and companions of darkenes licence to enter into the bellies of swine till that he aÌ„d they were faine to begge that pleasant palace of him to whom all power is giuen in heauen and in earth When this I saye I do considre I do more lament your miserable blindnes then that I can stomake against your vanitie except in so farre as to the ende I must saye that such as obstinatelye denie the plaine trewth of God are lyers and the sonnes of that lier who first deceaued man and powred into his hart the same venome and error which this day ye teach and mainteine For he was bold to affirme that wisdom and lyfe was to be found by other meanes then God had determined yea where God had pronounced death and damnation he promised saluatioÌ„ and life and so do you For God hath apointed life to none of his elect but in Christe Iesus onely aÌ„d that by such meanes as in his holy word expressed which are trew faith continuall repentance abnegation of our selues of owr owne iustice and wisdom aÌ„d finally by receauing of free grace in Christe Iesus whatsoeuer we haue lost in Adam But ye ashame not to affirme that the iustice of Christe sufficeth vs not except that we haue a personall iustice of our owne How coldely ye speake or write of his death of his resurrection of his mediation and perpetuall intercession is euident Your bragging and prowd boasting of your owne iustice and of your greate perfectioÌ„ are euident tokens how you do agree with Christe Iesus the trueth and veritie it self who commandeth vs to saye not for the fashioÌ„ but from vnfeined heartes we are vnprofitable seruantes But some of you in your iesting eshame not to saye â–ª that ye are not two thousand passes distant from the fulnes of perfection But this your vanitie your blasphemies excepted doth not greately offend vs. For a small pricke of of a pinne or of a nelde shal be sufficieÌ„t to declare that bladders be they neuer so streitly blowen conteine in them selues nothing but wind That by necessitie you haue written your railing blasphemies and most impudent lies we easily confesse For seing that ye are the sede of the serpent I meane such as in your error shall continue to the end what thing can you els do but of necessitie spew forthe veÌ„nom wheÌ„ the weight of gods eternall veritie beginneth a litle to presse downe your head for so doeth the serpent whensoeuer she is touched But why do ye not considre seing ye be reasonable serpentes that like as prowdly ye lift your selues against the glorie of the eternall Sonne of God and as ye cease not maliciousely to slander suche instrumeÌ„tes as in his Church be most profitable and most wort hie of prayse in the eyes of all godly that likewise of necessitie it is that ye come to ruine that your pride be repressed and your blasphemous tongues be coÌ„founded for euer seing that God who hatch all iniquitie must nedes resist the proude destroy the lying lippes and remoue from his societie suche as declare them selues enemies to his eternall veritie the knowledge wherof we confesse with Iob commeth onely by inspiration of the holy Gost and doth not procede from flesh or blood from studie care or wordly wisdome but is the free gift of God reueled to the lytle ones and comonly hid from the wisest of the world Which sentence wold God that depely ye could wey for then I doubt not but y â— ye should clearely se that to come to Christe Iesus is nether of the runner â–ª nether yet of the 〈◊〉 but of God who sheweth mercie to such as pleasâ—â—â— him whose counselles eternal and iudgementes mâ—st profound can no creature apprehend and compasse and therâ—fore oght all the true seruantes of God with reuerence and with trembling saye O how incomprehensible are thy iudgementes ô Lord and how vnsearchable are thy wayes for of thee by thee and for thee are all things To thee be glorie for euer and euer So be it Isaiah 54. EVERIE TONGVE THAT SHAL CONTEND WITH THEE IN IVDGEMENT THE SAME SHALT THOV MOST RIGHTLY CONDEMNE Fautes escaped in the printing In the 24. page the 19. line not for nor In the 33. page the 4. line Curthe for Church In the 95. page the 17. line displease for displeasure In the 117. page in the margent gode for gods In the 153. page the 21. line through for thoght In the 193. page the 32. line maciously for maliciously In the 165. page the 6. line yea for yet In y e 204. page the 3. line thy penne for my penne In the 263. page line 3. A scaoth for Asteroth In the same page the 16. line yet the became for yet he became In the 199. page the 24. line and affirming for and we affirming In the 312. page the 34. line 24. for 23. In the 321 page the last line defacedâ— for defaced to his vttermost In the 322. page the 18. line good reasonly for goodly reason In the 435. page the 18 line cheir for their Ephes. 1. 3 2. Cor. 2. 1â— Esaie 8. 14 2. Cor. 2. 16 1. Cor. 1. 28 Iohn 1. 5 Matt. 27. 38. Act. 2. 23 Companions of the trueth Matt 1. 7 1. Cor. 11 19 Luke 7. 13 Sathan hath euerraged against the fre mercies of God Ephes. 2. 8 How Satan drew maÌ„first from God The cause of the writing of this worke The necessitie of the doctrine of gods eternall predestination The