vs not onely of the Iewes but also of the gentiles as the Prophet Osee saieth aÌ„d so to the eÌ„d of y e chapter he establisheth the faith of the gentiles and coÌ„forteth them affirming that their vocation and election was fore spoken by Moises and the Prophetes and therefore that it was not a thing that came by chaÌ„ce but was appoiÌ„ted in the eternall couÌ„sel of God and therefor in his coÌ„clusion he assureth them that such as beleue in Christ Iesus shall neuer be confounded This simply but truelie I doute not haue I explaned the mynde of the Apostie in the former place which is That gods election dependeth not vpon man vpon his will purpose pleasure or â—â—gnitie but as it is fre proceding from grace so is it stable in godâ— immutable counsel and is reueled to gods elect at such tyme as he knoweth most expedient But because that of this we must after speak more now we recurne to our former purpose From the beginning we heare that God maketh a differeÌ„ce first by that generall diuision seperating and setting aparte the sede of the woman from the serpents sede After calling Abraham neglecting as it were the rest of the whole world in Abrahames sede he maketh plaine difference secluding Ismael that he should not be heir with Isaak But most especially in the wombe of Rebecca making the difference betwext the two children and their posteriâ—ie Which difference did continue euen to the dayes of Christe Iesus in such â—irmitie and stablenes that neither could the sinnes of the Paâ—riarches the subtill cruelâ—ie of Pharao the inobedieÌ„ce and grudgeing of the people their apostasie and defection from God by manifest idolatrie nor finally their long bondage and captiuitie alter or change this immutable counsell of God that the elder should serue the yonger that the Messiah should coÌ„ of the tribe of Iuda that of the loynes of Dauid should spring furth one to fit vpon his seat for euer And this difference which God by his own voice did stablish before the coÌ„ming of his dear SoÌ„ne Christ Iesus did the same Christ Iesus oure master appering in flesh ratifie and confirme For he plainely affirmeth that he was not sent but to the lost snepe of Israel and that it was not good to take the bread of the children and giue it to dogges By which two sentences he maketh an expresse difference betâ—ext the shepe and â—he goates and betwext the children and the dogges He feareth not to say to the faces of those that boasted them selues to be the sonnes of Abraham ye are not of God for if ye were of God ye should loue me but ye are of your father the deuill aÌ„d his desires ye will obey As this senteÌ„ce is fearfull so may it appere verey bold For they might haue obcted as they did are we not his creatures created to his own image are we not the sede of Abraham Do we not beare the figure of circoncision are we not collected in Hierusalem and do we not frequeÌ„t the temple yes verely but none of all these thinges made them to be of God in such sorte as Christ denied them to be of him For all these thinges may the reprobat haue commoÌ„ with the electe But Christ denied them to be of God that is to be the sonnes and wessels of his mercie elected in his eternall counsel borne of him by the spirit of regeneration by the which their stubborn blindnes being remoued aÌ„d they made obedient durst be bolde to call him Father In this sense Christ denieth them to be of God If any think that their wickednes and willfull refusall of grace offered was the cause that they were not of God as I neither excuse their manifest rebellion neither yet deny it to be a most iust cause of their condemnation so vtterly deny I that their perseâ— sinnes were the onely or the chefe caus of their reprobation For Christ him self feareth not to assigne an other cause Saing Therefor ye do not heare because ye are not of God If they had heard that is receaued aÌ„d beleued Christ Iesus aÌ„d his doctrine their sinnes had ben purged and their blindnes remoued But him could they not receaue And why because they are not of God But to the obiectioÌ„ that the fore knowledge of good workes or of rebellion to come should be the cause why God doth electe or reiecte we shalâ— God willing afâ—er ansâ—ere Now onely I mynde to folow that which I haue purposed which is that Christ Iesus him self maketh a plaine and manifest difference betwext one sorte of men and an other How often doth he affirme that his shepe do heare his voice that he knoweth â—hem and that they know him y t it hath pleased the Father to giue the kingdome to the litle flock That many are called aÌ„d few chosen That som there be whom Christ Iesus neuer knew no not enen when they wroght greatest miracles In all these and many places mo it is euideÌ„t that Christ maketh difference betwext one and an other but one place most notable all others I will shortly touche and put end to this mater Christ Iesus in that his most solemne and most coÌ„fortable praier after other things saâ—eth I haue manifested they name to the men whom thow hast geuen to me of the world They were thyne and thou hast giueÌ„ them vnto me and they haue kept thy worde And shortly after I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them whom thoâ— hast giuen vnto me Because they are thyne If in the hole scriptures there were no mo places to proue that in the Eternall counsel of God there is a difference of one sorte of meÌ„ from an other this onely one were sufficient For first he maketh mention of men giuen vnto him by the Father who were as he before affirmed chosen owt of the world and why were they giueÌ„ vnto Christe he answereth because they were the fathers And how they apperteined to God more then others is before said He further declareth what he had done vuto them what they also had done And what he did and wold do to the end for them he had opened vnto them the name that is the mercie goodnes constant trueth and perfect iustice of his heauenlie father which doctrine they had receaued and kept as they that were the grounde appointed to bring furrh fruiâ— in aboundance He did pray for theÌ„ that they should be sanctified and confirmed in the veritie The vertue of w c praier is perpetuall and at al tymes obteineth mercie in the presence of his fathers throne for his electe And lest that any doubte shoulde remaine as that these graces were common to all the worlde in plain and expresse wordes he affirmeth that he prayed not for the world but for those saieth he whom thow hast geuen vnto me If any deny a plane difference here to be made betwext one sorte of meÌ„
e same aÌ„d vpoÌ„ y e other yo r ignoraÌ„ce orels malice in corruptiÌ„g y e scriptures THE ADERARIE To proue this similitude good and to shew how much his loue towardes his children excedeth the loue of all creatures towardes their birtâ—es he saieth Can a woman forget the childe of her wombe aÌ„d not pitie the same whom she hath borne And thogh she do forget it yet I will not forget the. Here he speaketh not onely to the elect as some say but also to them which did for sake and dispyse him as there Alas for these disobedient children saieth the Lord that they will take counsell without me Here he calleth the wicked which heape sinne vpon sinne â–ª and were disobedient his chiidren Christ saieth If ye when ye are euill caÌ„ giue your children good giftes how mmch more your heauenlie father After the same manner may I reason with you carelesse by necessitie if none of you thogh y e be euill wold beget a child to miserie how much les wold God which is all good beget and creat man his own image to perpetual paynes Here we may se how much this noghtie opinion is coÌ„trarie to nature and to reason and that it is coÌ„trarie to the worde God willing I will proue If God hath ordeyned the most part of the world to be damned then were his wrath greater theÌ„ his mercie But the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his workes and that God is slow vnto wrath and redie vnto mercie so that his wrath is extended onely to the third and fourth generation but his mercie to the thousand generatioÌ„ wherefor thus saieth he A litle whil I haue forsaken thee but with greate mercifulnes shall I take thee vp vnto me Whâ—n I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle ceason but throughe euerlasting mercie haue I pardoned thee And Dauid saieth his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is in life heuines may well endure for a night But ioy cometh in the morning And so Moises called him a mercifull and gracious God long suffring and keping mercie in store for thousandes By these scriptures and many mo it is euident that gods mercie is greater then his wrath contrarie to their sainges ANSWER How blasphemous be your similitudes your selue may consider if malice haue not vtterly blinded you for I haue all redie proued that God is not bound to the lawes and boundes of nature and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye alledge fewe wordes shall declare Ye deny that God doeth speake here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophete but to all meÌ„ in generall and euen to those that had forsaken him as ye wold seme to proue by the wordes of the same Prophete spoken â—efore in his thirtie chapiter First I say that those two places do no more agree then do those wordes of Christ spoken after his resurrection Go to my brethren and tell them I passe vp to my father and vnto your father and vnto my God and vnto your God and those which he spake before his death against Capernaum Bethsaida and Corosaim or vnto Ierusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction becaus they did not know the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ For in the former place God speaketh to Syon which long had bene waist and to his people which long had bene oppressed And to the end that the reader may better vnderstand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steall the wordes which explain the hole mater I will bring furth the wordes of the Prophete Reioise saieth he â— heauens and reioce thow earth â— you mountanes brest you furth in gladnes for the eternall hath conforted his people and shall haue mercie vpon his poore ones Syon hath said the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me May a woman forgett her child that she shall not haue compassion vpon the sonne of hir bosome but let it be that they forget neuertheles I shall not forget the for lo in these my two handes haue I engrafted the and thy walles are for euer before me If these coÌ„fortable wordes were spoken in generall to all men as ye affirme let indifferent men iudge If all men were Sion that long had lyen desolate if all were his people that loÌ„g had bene oppressed in the captiuitie of Babylon If all did so complaine that they thoght God to haue forgotten his league and promes which of mercie he made with them And finally if all haue this promise that their deliueraÌ„ce is ioined with gods infinite power theÌ„ is your application to be approued but if God did make a plaine difference betwext Israel and all nations in the earth if he had chosen his habitation in Syon and if he will kepe promes with the afflicted for his own names sake be they neuer so vnworthie then are ye to bolde to giue the honor and prerogatiue of the children and heires to straÌ„gers aÌ„d bastardes The wordes which ye alledge of the thirtie chapter make nothiÌ„g for your purpose for albeit he speaketh to those that were inobedieÌ„t yea that were treasonable traitours yet had they the name the title yea the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods people and among them were som of gods chosen children for whose comfort after long affliction susteined in Babylon were those other wordes spoken And so except that ye be able to proue that the people of Israel and the citie of Ierusalem had no greater prerogatiue euen in the time of their greatest blindnes and vnthankfulnes before the comming of Christ Iesus in the fleshe then had other nations ye conclude nothing But yet wonder it is that ye can make no difference betwext the tymes in which the one wordes and the other were spoken The wo was pronouÌ„ced you say alas which the text hath not against them what tyme they had declined from God when they toke counsel of them selues when they could not abide the admonitions of the Prophetes but the comfortable promes of delyueraÌ„ce was made after that vengeance was powred furth vpon the proude contemners and after that the hole bodie was sore tormeÌ„ted by great oppression and long impresonement Do ye not thinke that their might be great alteratioÌ„ in that people within the space of an hundreth yeres for so long was it betwext the daies of the Prophete and the daies of their last captiuitie vnder Nabucadnezer after which tyme also did this former promes of gods remembrance of theÌ„ onely take place Might not the one â—e spoken of those which should be punished yea let it be that they were the reprobate and the other to the people of God to whom by his own holines he had promised deliuerance Do ye thinke that because the same Prophet speaketh bothâ— the sentences that therefor they do appertein to one estate aÌ„d condition of people I haue proued the contrary by Christes plain wordes
your selues I say how much ye haue increased in Christ by his doctrine what perfection it hath wroght in you how much Christ is facioned in you by it If you wil forsake this error embrase the trueth where by ye are taughâ— that God will all men to be saued ye shall God willing perceaue more increase in godlynes that shortly then euer ye could or durst loke for continuing in your error ANSWER Whether y t you or we peruert the meaning of y e holie Gost speaking in hisholie scriptures we chiefly remitte iudgement to him who shall iudge the worlde with equitie not refusing also in the mean season the iudgement of indifferent readers To your vniust accusatioÌ„s cauillations and malitious reportes I will answer no thing till the ende of this worke And then I purpose to lay before your eyes suche thinges as ye can not denie to the end that the simple may iudge which of vs do worship the Idoll of our own fantasies and haue forsaken y e mynd of the trueth Albeit that ye and your capteyn Castalio beginne now to dispyse learning yet be ye neuer able to proue that we haue dispised godlines in the most simple of our brethren howbeit we can not conceale the trueth affirming that he who hath faithfully traualed in the tongues and in the writings of godlie men is more able to auoid error and also more apt to teach the trueth and to confute the aduersarie then he which is altogither ignorant except in his naturall tongue for we know that miracles and the visible giftes of the holie Gost giuen in the dayes of the Apostles are now ceassed Therefor I say we are not so proude that we dispyse learning nether yet so malicious that we contemne the meanest gift that God hath giuen to any of our brethren If any be that boast or bragge of their knowledge in the tongues or of y e multitude of y e bookes w c they write I will coÌ„fesse them worthie of most sharpe rebuke But as for suche as be principal instrumeÌ„tes of Christ Iesus how much they haue profited the Church of God and how litle praise or coÌ„mendation they haue soght or do seke of man the day when the secretes of all heartes shal be reueled will declare and men who be most familiarly acquainted with them partly can witnes As we do not enuie y e perfect knowledge in tongues of such as you praise so do we vnfeinedly desire God so to gouerne their heartes if his good pleasure be that rather they studie to edifie Christes afflicted Churche theÌ„ to accuse sclander and traduce suche as in the vineyard of the Lord haue labored and daily do labor much more then they do That ye will vs to turn from that w e ye call our error promising vs if so we will do more perfection shortly then euer we durst haue loked for we must be first taught that our doctryne is erroneous and after for the assurance of our hope we must haue more then the promes of men Thus ye procede THE ADVERSARIE To proue that they whiche be once elect can neuer fall they alledge this saying of Christ There shall arrise fals Christes fals prophetes and shall shew great miracles woÌ„ders in so much that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceaued â–ª of this they gather that it is not possible that the elect should be deceaued this coÌ„ditionall if it were possible c. affirmeth nothing But admitting iâ— be so we must vnderstand that the thing which is verie hard difficile to be done is called vnpâ—ssible in the scripture as in that place it is easier for acamele to go throughe the eye of an â—edâ—e then for the riche to enter in to the kingdoÌ„ of God This is called impossible â–ª because it is verie hard difficile to be dâ—ne yet be there rich meÌ„ which inherite the kingdom of heauen how can you beleue saieth Christ which receaue honor one of an other â–ª this semeth vnpossible by Christes wordes yet many such were conuerted to Christ. And the same spirit of vaine glorie was amongâ—st the elect Apostles of Christ after they had continued a long time with him â–ª for they contended who should be superior among them selues can a woman forget the childe of her wombe and not pitiâ— the same whom she hath born whiche thogh it seme vnpossible for as much as it is contrarie to nature yet do women destroy and deuore their own birthes â–ª May a maÌ„ of Inde change his skinne and the cate of the mouÌ„tane her spottes no more may ye that be exercised in euill do good suche we be of our selues notwithstanding by the power of God we be regenerat we leaue of from our euill exercises and do that which is good Thus we se it is called impossâ—ble in the scriptures which is contrarie to nature which excedeth our strenght therefor is difficile and hard to be done â—ueÌ„ so it is impossible That it is a very hard thing that the elect which follow the laÌ„â—â— whether so euer he gâ—eth should be deceaued yet not withstaÌ„ding it may come to passe as Eua was the elect of God and not withstanding the Apostle wâ—â—â—esseth that she was begyled and deceaued by the Serpent Therefor warneâ— Christ the elect Apostles saing take hede that no man deceaue you If Christ had bene of your opinion that the elect could not be deceaued to what purpose should he bid his chosen take hede lest any man should deceaue them Let no man deceaue you saieth Paule to the Thessaloniens to whom he bare witnes that they were worthy of the kingdom of heauen yet was he carefull left they should be deceaued and mouâ—d from their good mynd ether by spirit or by wordes or by letter which should some to come from him And to the Ephesians Let no man deceaue you with vain wordes for because of suche thinges commeth the wrath of God vpon the châ—ldren of desobedience And likewise â–ª warneth he the Romanes to marke and auoide such as with sweâ—e and flattering wordes decaued the heartes of the innocent As the old prophete which dwelled in Bethel deceaued the man of God whiche came from Iuda and propehâ—â—ed against the alter which Ieroboam buylded I am a prophete said he also as well as thow and an angell spake vnto me in the name of the Lord saing bring him againe with the into thyne own house that he may eate breade and drink water and he lied and deceaued the man of God Such lying prophetes be now a daies wihch say they be sent from God and call the people to their congregations without which they say there is no saluation for they condemne all others which be not of their sect And when they haue allured the people with fals errâ—neous doctryne they prouoke them to a careles libertyne lief apt
God so is Baptisme also when the wicked man sweareth he abuseth the true name of God and if the name of God be not true to him then he offendeth not he that killeth robbeth or spoileth he trasgresseth the commandement of God but if the commaÌ„dement of God be not true vnto him he sinneth not Euen so if the first baptisme be nothing then the receauers of it haue not offended Wherefor then do they so much detest the first baptisme as a wicked thing where as notwithstanding they affirme it to be nothing Also if the mariages in times past oght to be takeÌ„ as whoredom and adulterie as they say because they were contracted of them that wanted faith I pray you do they not coÌ„fesse them selues to be the children of harlottes Now if they be bastardes and vnlawfully begotten how cometh it to passe that they inioye their Citie and the possession of their fore fathers It were mete therefore â–ª seiÌ„g they be such that they should haue no enteres into y â— heritages of their ancesters but that in this new kiÌ„de of mariage that they are entred into they should gett vnto them selues new goods and richesse which might beare a more honest title for it is vncomelie for these holie and religious men that they should liue with the goods of harlottes and miscreantes or that they should winne them to them selues frome others by violence and robberie And as touching their kingdome w c is to be laughed at there is so much wickednes in it and so manifest that we shall not nede to make many wordes of it And truely for those things whereof we haue spoken as we haue treated more then inough so also more then nede considering that it hathe bene so plentifully and largely set furth by others Now when they in the Citie were come into this case that diuerse of theÌ„ daily died for hunger and that many also departed from thence and came out so weake and feble that the ennemies had pitie vpon them the captaine sent worde to y e townes meÌ„ that if they wolde deliuer to them the king certen others they them selues should be perdoned The citezins althogh they had good will so to do yet durst they not go about it the crueltie of the king was so great and the watch was kept so streitly for the king was so obstinate that as long as there remained any thing for him to eate and a few others he was fully bent not to yelde for which cause the captaines sent word againe and commaÌ„ded them that from theÌ„ce furth they should not send any furthe of their citie not so much as children or women This was in the caleÌ„des of Iune the day folowing they made vniuste compleining that their cause might not lawfully be heard and that they were wroÌ„gfully afflicted aboue measure also profering them selues to submission if any could shew them wherein they offended fuâ—ther more they expounded a certen place of Daniel as of the fourth beast much more cruel then the others the conclusion of their leters was this That God aiding them they wold stand to the trueth which they had confessed but all this was written at the kings commaÌ„dement Now when all things were come to the extremitie in y e Citie there were two that fled from thence of which one was taken of the soldiours the other came to the Bishope vnder safe conducte both these shewed how the Citie might be taken The Bishope the general captain hearing the words of these two fugitiues and weying the mater the xxii of Iune they talked with them of the Citie aduertising them to yelde them selues into their hands and to saue the multitude which perished with hunger Answer was made in the presence of the king by Roteman that in no wise they wold giue ouer frome that w c they had begonne Two daies after about theâ— xi houre in the night the armie came nere to the Citie without making any noise by the aduice of the two fugitiues certen chosen soldiours passed the diâ—ch and came to the trench killing the watchemeÌ„ other folowed after these which founde a litle gate open through which they entred into the Citie to the noÌ„bre of fiue hundreth with certein capteines and standerds TheÌ„ they of the Citie came ruÌ„ning vnto that place and with great paine kept they y e residue of the armie out which wolde haue entered and shutting the gate they fel vpoÌ„ them that were come in w t a great rage and killed many of theÌ„ And when the coÌ„flict betwene them had indured two houres verie sharp and furious the soldiours that were inclosed did burâ—t open the next gate which was not kept with any great strength â–ª and so made they an entres in for their felowes which streight way entered in by a great coÌ„pany The citizens resisted them a litle at the first brunt but they gathered theÌ„ selues together in y e market place being in dispaire of any victorie many of them being slayn at y e first bursting in they desired and intreated for mercie w c was graÌ„ted vnto theÌ„ The king and knipperdolin were taken the same tyme Roteman disparing of his life ranne amoÌ„g y e heape of y e ennemies was so thrust through rather theÌ„ he wolde fall a liue into their haÌ„des WheÌ„ y e Citie was takeÌ„ y e Bishope tooke to hiÌ„ self half y e spoile y e ordinaÌ„ce afterward he discharged y e armies reseruing onely to hiÌ„ self two ensignes for defeÌ„ce TheÌ„ was there an other coÌ„ueÌ„tion of the Empire at Wormes y â— fiftenth of Iulie wherein king FerdinaÌ„dus by his embassador proposed demaÌ„ded whether any thiÌ„g els were to be done concerning y â— rooting out of y â— Anabaptistes seing y e towne was alreadie takeÌ„ he also aduertised them that the Princes oght to aske couÌ„sel of the Bishope of Rome wherunto they answered that it was alredie prouided by certen edictes what was best to be done to the Anabaptistes and that the Emperour had asked couÌ„sell of the Bishop ofter then once nether could he do any more in the mater In the same conuention the Bishop of Monstere desired his charges losses to be recompeÌ„sed compleining that the money promised was not payd but when no thing els could be determined few of the nobles being present an other conuention was called in the same place the first of Nouembre wherein the things concerning the warre and the charges thereof might be knowen wherein also it might be decreed what forme of common welth were after to be established at Monstere When the day was come the Embassadour of king FerdinaÌ„dus briefly repeted the causes of that present conuention to witt that amoÌ„g other things it might also be deliberated how y e Citie newly conquered might from thence forthe continue in the olde religion After these things the Bishoppes legate sheweth what great charges he was at al the warre tyme how greatly he was indebted how it