teach vs. Cal. li. 3. Iust cap. 24. sect 3. and dangerous questions of the secret counsels of God we enquire not but by the expresse word of God of his gracious will and loue towards vs whereby hee hath chosen vs in Christ before the world And that thou mayest not doubt Christian reader behold the testimonies of two notable writers of this point I meane Caluin and Luther who haue most diligently taught the doctrine of predestination Thus then Caluin saith That we may bee made sure of our saluation wee must begin at the word of God therewith we must be content for our assurance that we may call God father For some men preposterously that they may be certaine of the counsell of God which is neere vs in our mouth and in our hearts desire to flee aboue the cloudes That rashnes must be bridled by the sobrietie of faith that God who is the witnesse of his secret grace may content vs in his externall word And in the next Sectiō We shall obserue the best order if in seeking out the certainty of our election we rest our selues in those latter signes which are the certaine witnesses thereof and doe not inquire after our election without the way By inquiring without the way I meane when wretched man goeth about to pearce into the hidden secrets of Gods wisedome to vnderstand It is very dangerous to seeke for our election without the word what is determined of him before Gods iudgement seate But as they plunge themselues into a deadly gulfe that search into the eternall counsell of God without his word to bee certified of their election so they that seeke for it rightly and orderly as it is shewed in the worde receiue from thence great fruite of consolation In Gen. 16. And Luther intreating of this matter writeth after this sort Such thoughts as search out any high misterie aboue and without the reuelation of God are altogether deuillish whereby no other good commeth than our headlong destruction because they lay before vs an vnsearcheable obiect that is God vnreuealed And at large in that place he reproueth that horrible disease as they cal it whereby men go on to search out God speculatiuely and rush at length into desperation contempt Contrariwise Luther teacheth Try thy faith and the fruites of it if thou wilt know thy election that this examination Whether thou bee predestinated or no dependeth on faith in Christ and the fruites of a true faith saying If thou heare the sonne and be baptized in his name and loue his word then surely thou art predestinated and certaine of thy saluation Also If thou beleeuest in God reuealed and receiuest his worde thou shalt by little and little know God also who is secret yea euen now thou knowest him And interlasing a few words he saith Thou ought certainely and without doubting to make account of God that he is mercifull vnto thee for Christs sake that thou art redeemed and sanctified through the precious blood of the sonne of God and so thou shalt be sure of thy predestination without all curious and dangerous questions of the secret counsels of God Behold thou hast the sonne he that beleeueth and is baptized is written in the booke of life c. Our election must be found a posteriore And this way of finding out our election a posteriore that is by that which cōmeth after he elegātly compareth with the vision of Moses to whom when he desired to see Gods face the Lord answered I will shew thee my backe partes but thou canst not see my face Exod 33. as though God should say to euery one of vs by Luthers exposition I will shew thee plainely my foreknowledge and predestination but not by way of natural searching and carnall wisedome being God vnreuealed I will bee reuealed and yet I will abide the same God still I will send my sonne heare thou him behold him what he doeth and what hee saith if thou heare him thou art certainly predestinated Concerning this vision of the Lord wee may vse that saying of Bernard O place of true rest this vision doth not terrifie but comfort it doth not stirre vp restles curiositie but doth alay it neither doth it weary a man but giue him ease here is true quietnes a peaceable God calmeth all things and to behold him peaceable is to be at rest and quiet Further this caueat also must not bee omitted that A needefull admonition if any man finde not as yet in himselfe these later signes whereof we haue spoken he ought not therefore despaire of the predestination of himselfe to life For there bee twelue houres of the day and he that is not called in the morning or about the third houre may bee called of God at the sixt or ninth peraduenture euen at the eleuenth houre Albeit wee ought not in the meane while to deferre repentance as it is written Put not off from day to day to turne to the Lord Eccles 5. neither make any delay for his wrath will come suddenly and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee And in the Psalme Psalm 95. To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts CHAP. XXV What is meete for vs to iudge of the election of other men FVrthermore by the grounds that hitherto haue been laid open concerning the certaintie of our election it is no hard thing to iudge what we are to thinke being Christians of the election of others in Christ according to the rule of Christ that is Charitie to wit we ought not onely to be sure of the predestination of our selues in Christ but also to iudge the same thing of our brethren in Christ and not to despaire of others before their death We here make a difference betweene brethren that professe with vs the same faith and those that are without who are vnbeleeuers as yet and strangers from the societie of a holy brotherhood As touching our brethren albeit a faithfull man cannot iudge so certainly of others as of himselfe ye the ought to account and acknowledge them for elect In whom we see faith and repentance we must count them for elect so long as the contrary doth not appeare The reason is because faith and conuersion be signes of election Therefore whom we iudge to be partakers of faith conuersion those also must we needs comprehend in election And of this iudgement we haue the Apostles of the Lord for authors 1. Pet. 1. Eph. 1. 1. Thes 1. where Paul saith Wee know brethren beloued that ye are chosen of God because our Gospell was among you not in word only but in power in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And 2. Thes 2. We thanke God brethren beloued of the Lord because God hath chosen you vnto saluation from the beginning through the sanctification of the spirit and faith in the trueth Obiection But many such often happen to fall
Gentiles 184 Luk. 11. Of the strong man armed 103 Luk. 24. The Gospell must be preached c. 95 Ioh. 1. He lighteneth euery man that commeth 42 Of his fulnes we all receiue Behold the Lambe of God that taketh c. 76 Ioh. 3. So God loued the world 74 The wrath of God abideth c. 184 Ioh. 3. 12. I came to saue the world 79 Ioh. 6. I will giue my flesh for the life 77 My father giueth you a heauenly bread 78 Ioh. 10. I lay downe my life for my sheepe 185 Ioh. 11. That he might gather the sonnes of God 186 Ioh. 12. When I am lifted vp I will draw 187 Ioh. 15. That a man should lay downe his life for his friends 187 If I had not come they had had no sinne 175 Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world 188 For them I sanctifie my selfe 190 Thou hast giuen me power ouer all flesh 70 None of them is lost but the lost childe 71 Act. 5. To giue remission of sinnes to Israel 199 Act. 10. To him giue all the prophets witnesse 199 Act. 20. God hath redeemed his Church with his owne blood 9 Rom. 2. Whosoeuer sinned without the Law 175 Rom. 3. The righteousnes of God vpon all that beleeue 191 Rom. 5. He died for his enemies 188 Vers 19. Through the obedience of one c. 8 Vers 18. The benefit redounded to all men to the iustification of life 63 Rom. 8. He gaue him for vs all 58 192 Rom. 9. The place of predestination is discussed 286 The elder shall serue the younger 291 Iacob I haue loued Esau I haue hated 293 O man who art thou c. 313 Rom. 11. He hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew 297 Of the Iewes cut off through vnbeleefe 125 That he might haue mercy vpon all 69 Rom. 14. Destroy not him with meate for whom Christ died 116 Rom. 14. According to the things he hath done in the body 282 Rom. 16. The Gospell declared to all nations 96 1. Cor. 3. If any destroy the temple of God 116 1. Cor. 8. Thy brother shall perish for whom Christ died 117 1. Cor. 12. He worketh all in all 42 1. Cor. 15. All shall be quickened 66 2. Cor. 5. Reconciling the world 79 One died for all 56 Galath 3. When ye began in the spirit 122 Galath 5. Stand in the libertie 124 Ye are fallen from grace 122 Ephe. 1. As he chose vs in him 297 All things are restored in Christ 66 Ephe. 5. He gaue himselfe for his Church 194 Col. 1. I fulfill the afflictions of Christ 12 He hath reconciled all things in heauen 66. 67 He hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes 195 Ye that were sometime strangers 195 If ye continue stable in the hope 69 1. Tim. 1. 4. Of such as fall from faith 109 1. Tim. 2. He will haue all men to be saued 51. 53. 54 He gaue himselfe for all 56 1. Tim. 4. He is the Sauiour of all specially of the faithfull 196 2. Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe 306 Tit. 3. The grace of God hath appeared to all men 96 Heb. 2. All things subiect to Christ 59 He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified 60 He tasted death for all 61 Heb. 5. He is made the author of saluation to all that obey him 196 Heb. 6. It is impossible for them that were once inlightened to be renued by repentance 113 Heb. 9. Of Redemption of sins vnder the former Testament 2 If the blood of goates c. 197 That the Called might receiue c. 197 He tooke away the sinnes of many 198 Heb. 10. Seeing therefore brethren we receiue libertie 115 1. Pet. 1. Elect according to foreknowledge 308 Reuealed for the beleeuers 199 1. Pet. 2. Whereunto they were appointed 122 2. Pet. 1. He is blinde and hath forgotten 119 2. Pet. 1. Make your election sure 307 2. Pet. 2. They deny the Lord that bought them 117 Of such as returne to filthines 117 2. Pet. 3. He will haue none to perish 261 1. Ioh. 1. The blood of Christ clenseth vs. 199 1. Ioh. 2. We haue Christ our aduocate 80 For the sinnes of the whole world 80 They were not of vs. 111. 333 1. Ioh. 3. That he might destroy the workes of the deuill 212 1. Ioh. 5. They that beleeue not make God a lyar 127 Apoc. 1. He hath washed vs from our sinnes 200 Apoc. 5. He hath redeemed vs to God 200 OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND BY CHRIST The first Booke CHAP. I. Wherein is shewed the summe and diuision of this doctrine THE mysterie of the Redemption of mankinde by the onely begotten Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ the Apostles faithfullie and most sincerelie haue testified at large The summe of the Catholike saith and confession of the redemption of man first by liuely voyce and then by writings both to the Iewes and Gentiles to wit that the eternall word Rom. 15.8.9 which is the eternall Sonne of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles should glorifie God for his mercie in the last daies when the fulnes of time was come Galath 4.4 took vpon him the true nature of man of the Virgin Mary his mother by the operation of the holy Ghost and in the forme of a seruant Phil. 2 7. was obedient to his father vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse that by his precious blood 1. Pet. 1.19 as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purifie vs a peculiar people vnto himself Tit. 2.14 zealous of good workes The same Apostles haue also witnessed that to the end we may be partakers of this redemption a true faith in Christ is required of vs whereby as it were by a hand we may apprehend him and apply him with all his merits and benefits vnto our selues This is the Catholike faith and confession which the Apostles taught the Martyrs confirmed and the faithfull as yet do keepe For so the holie Apostle Paul describing this whole mysterie in few but cleere words saith Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace thorow the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenes of the sinnes past that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesu And the Author to the Hebrewes writeth on this maner Heb. 9.11 to 16 But Christ comming a high priest of good things to come by his owne blood entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption For if the blood of buls and goates sanctifieth the vncleane to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without
Champion of this conflict trusting to this triple ranke dealeth no more modestlie nor lesse boasteth himselfe and singeth the triumph before the victorie then euen that fierce Goliath 1. Sam 17. 2. Paral. â—2 1. â—eg 20. arrogant and stout by reason of his sworde speare and shield or that proud Sanherib or glorious Benhadad trusting in their horses and chariots to the reproach of Israel For he boasteth boldly that all attempt is in vaine of ouerthrowing those rankes Comp. thes 14. vnles first they that assaie it doe accuse and conuince the scripture of falsehoode But oh sirtha of good fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sing not your triumph before the victorie and as it is set downe in the sacred Scriptures Let not him that putteth on his armor boast as he that putteth it off as we learne that Ahab long agoe wisely answered Benhadad 1. Reg. 20.21 The Scripture with vs is of vndoubted credit and constant authoritie But the question is not of the trueth of the Scriptures which who so beleeueth not is a Pagan and no Christian but of the trueth of mans opinion which too boldly truely thou doest defend vnder pretence of Gods word as we shall see Wherefore we nothing regarde as well thine armies as thy triumphs CHAP. II. VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE FIRST ORDER A generall answer to testimonies of the death of Christ for all THe first order or ranke as farre as I obserue consisteth in a fourefold kinde of testimonies as a foureparted rescuing armie of souldiers for the places of Scripture of the olde and new Testament are brought wherein either Christ is said to die for all or the fruite of his death seemeth to be extended to all without exception or mention of the world is made in the matter of saluation or lastlie the gospell is said to appertaine vnto all Of all these we will speake in order First of all as touching the testimonies of the death of Christ for all we graunt also after a sort that Christ suffered and died for all men as many as haue been are and shall be What then Shall it thereof follow that all and euery one whether they beleeue or not beleeue are in very deede reconciled iustified quickened renewed saued and that all iudgement and wrath of God is truely and properlie taken away in all men and that all together are set free from all sinne and condemnation vndoubtedly and receiued as sonnes into the fauour and bosome of God This thing this stout defender maintaineth in these very words in his Theses but we denie and vtterly denie these consequences For that they may be admitted this of necessitie must be the Maior of the Syllogisme For whomsoeuer Christ suffered and dyed The opinion of the aduersarie drawne into a syllogisme they vndoubtedly are freed from all sinne and condemnation and are in deede made partakers of saluation reconciliation iustification regeneration and other benefits purchased by Christs death without any respect of faith and vnbeliefe The assumption followeth Christ is dead for all Therefore c. Answere But the Maior taken so absolutely is most false and full of reproach euery way against all the trueth of Christian religion and the very passion and death of the sonne of God But it is true conditionally that they for whom he died be partakers of the rehearsed benefits if they beleeue in Christ and obey him For it is impossible that a man should please God Heb. 11. who is without faith And Christ plainely maketh such a difference As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes Ioh. 3. so must the sonne of man be lift vp that euery one that beleeueth should haue euerlasting life And straight waies So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternal life Againe in the same place For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saued He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie And about the end of the chapter Iohn Baptist saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life but he that beleeueth not in the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Neither doth Paul acknowledge any to be iustified by the redemption of Christ Rom. 3. but such as beleeue All saith he haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whoÌ„ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This answere vseth Theophilact vpon Heb. 2. Theoph. whom Anselmus there seemeth to follow His words are these He tasted death not for the faithfull only but for the whole world For albeit all are not saued in very deed yet he a Peregit quod suâ intererat wrought that which was his part to do See how it doth not follow that if Christ died for all all are straightway saued which is the diuinitie of Huberus thes 270. Vpon the 9. chapter to the Hebr. the same interpreter hath left it thus written He hath taken away the sinnes of many Why said he of many and not of all Because all mortall men haue not beleeued The death of Christ surely was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of value sufficient that all should not perish and it was paied for the saluation of all and * Quantum in eo fuit as much as lay in him he died for all yet he tooke not away the sinnes of all because they that resist him make the death of Christ altogether vnprofitable vnto themselues These things he Stapulensis The foresaid answere Stapulensis an interpreter among the late writers not to bee despised confirmeth vpon the 2. chapter to the Hebr. in these words Christ truly suffered for all men and his death is of value for the redemption of all but then his death hath freed vs from the feare of death and from the feare of bondage hath restored vs into the libertie of life when wee follow him willingly And vpon the 10. chapter he writeth that by the oblation of Christ there is a most full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world which haue been are and shall be but their sins are remitted who comming vnto Christ doe aske grace which he vouchsafed to obtaine of the father for them but their sins are not pardoned who refuse his grace and contemne the vniuersal fountaine of the washing away of sinnes not knowing or being vnwilling to purge themselues in him And Brentius doth so declare it Brentius Catechis artic de remiss peccat We are iustified saith he by the meere mercie of God only for the redemption wherwith Christ hath redeemed mankind from sinnes and for that reconciliation which he hath obtained and not for any merit of man But
creature through Christ seeing the Apostle writeth so expresselie If any man be in Christ that is hath admitted the faith of Christ and beleeueth in him as Hierome Theophylacte and other ancient writers obserue he is a new creature And Augustine saith Contr. faust lib. 11. cap. 8. Therefore euery new creature that is the renewed people by faith in Christ hath now cause to hope in him Therefore such as are and remaine without Christ neither are nor euer were new creatures and whereas Paul saith We know no man hence forth after the flesh the meaning is not that euery one is renewed by the benefit of Christ as the aduersarie wresteth the saying but this he meaneth that all not regenerate be to him as though they were not yet borne that he respecteth or praiseth no carnall thing in any man but approueth him who is made a new creature by the faith of Christ that he may liue henceforth to him and not to the world Augustine and Theophylacte restraine that word no man to the beleeuers in sense somewhat diuerse from that we now spake of Hereof it is manifest that the opinion of the vniuersall redemption and renewing of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers is cleane contrary to the words of the Apostle Goe to then thou wilt say How saith hee that Christ died for all I answer because the benefit of Christ is sufficient of it selfe to saue all although it haue effect in those onely who cleaue vnto Christ as members vnto the head by the holy Ghost August Theophylact. Augustine in the place before cited and Theophylact in his comment respecting efficiencie restraine the generall terme according to the custome of the scripture vnto the faithfull for euen they alone are dead to sinne and liue to Christ who died and rose for them And Augustine bringeth the place Ephes 2. Confirming this opinion where the Apostle saith When we were dead because of sinnes he hath quickened vs together with Christ by whose grace ye are saued and hath raised vs and placed vs together in heauen that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace towards vs for ye are saued by grace thorow faith and ye are the worke of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes The 3. place Rom. 8.31 32. Thirdly the place Rom. 8. is obiected If God be for vs who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all c. But here nothing is proued concerning the generalitie of men simplie but of the vniuersality of the faithfull and elect seeing the generall terme All is restrained vnto such as when the same Apostle writeth of Abraham that he is the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and of that high Ierusalem that it is the mother of vs all verilie he would not haue it vnderstoode of all men but of all the faithfull The same restraint is here for vs all and many things concurre if we consider what goeth before and what followeth which most plainely confirme this opinion Certainely these are the words of beleeuers and such as insult ouer the world which they ouercome by faith If God be for vs who can be against vs How shall hee not bestow vpon vs all things who hath not spared his owne sonne for vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ In all things we are more then conquerors thorow him that loued vs. Againe Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect August It is God who iustifieth Hereupon Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. writeth that this is a saying concerning the kingdome of the elect If God be with vs who can be against vs and the rest that follow But it is obiected that Paul speaketh to all to whom he wrote his epistle among whom there were some not elected but to be cut off with the vnbeleeuers That is likely to be true but it is meete and right according to the nature of charitie that Paul should iudge of all the sonnes of the Church at Rome and elsewhere so long as the contrarie did not appeare as of the beloued and elect of God as he witnesseth of himselfe Phil. 1.7 and 1. Thess 1.4 The sayings euen now cited are examples thereof Gal. 4.26 Rom. 4.16 and 8.18 Fourthly it is said Hebr. 2.8 The 4. place of aduersary Hebr. 2.8 to 17. 9 c. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he put all things vnder him he omitted nothing that is not subiect vnto him But now as yet we see not all things subiect vnto him but we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour who was made for a little while inferior to the Angels for the suffering of death that by the benefit of God he might taste of death for all For it was meete that he for whom are all these things and by whom are all things should by bringing many sonnes vnto glorie consecrate the prince of their saluation thorough afflictions For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one For which cause he was not ashamed to call them bretheren saying I will declare thy name vnto my bretheren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee And againe I will trust in him And againe Beholde I and the children whom God hath giuen me Because therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also was made partaker of the same that by death he might abolish him who had the power of death that is the deuill and might deliuer as many as thorough feare of death were all their life subiect vnto bondage For verely he tooke not vpon him the Angels but the seede of Abraham Thes 168. Out of these words Huberus frameth certaine arguments which let the reader iudge and weigh with me First thus he inferreth All things are subiect vnto Christ without exception therefore also the reprobates and by consequence they ought also to belong to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace I answer that all things are subiect vnto Christ 1. Cor. 15. â— 26. 55. but not vnto the communion of Saluation otherwise the diuell also with his Angels sinne death and hell it selfe should be receiued vnto the fellowship of saluation and grace according to the minde of this disputer But all things are subiect vnto him because he hath rule ouer all is Lord of all whether they be beleeuers or vnbeleeuers of these to death of the other to life as Faber Stapulensis hath well written vpon this place To that that he writeth that the reprobates are subiect vnto Christ as their Sauiour that is that they might bee saued wee will then consent when he hath taught that al things are subiect vnto Christ for saluation euen sheepe and oxen and the very deuils Truly all things are subiect vnto Christ the Sauiour Matth. 28. but not as to
text neither be ye moued away from the hope of the Gospell which ye haue heard Therefore it is a marueilous attention of the man who bids vs marke here that which is not found at all in the text neither if it were found could make any thing for the matter Heb. 2.2 Luk. 11.28 Hieron in comment For the hope of the Gospell pertaineth not to the hearers but to the beleeuers and as Hierome saith they that liue contrary to the Gospell cannot expect the hope of the Gospell That thing rather ought here to bee marked that Paul sheweth that the Colossians are reconciled to God no otherwise but as men alreadie conuerted and beleeuing You which in times past saith he were strangers hath he now reconciled For in these words there is a manifest contrarietie of their double state to wit of faith and infidelitie Before being strangers and enemies now they were reconciled in that bodie of the flesh of Christ Where then is that generall reconciliation euen of those that beleeue not nor euer will beleeue In the Conference at Mompelgart is also cited the place to the Rom. chap. 11. God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe The 5. place of the aduersarie Rom. 11.32 that he might haue mercie vpon all But the speech there is of two people Iewes and Gentiles whom striuing together it pleaseth God by course to bring vnto faith to wit that as the stubbornnes of the Iewes gaue occasion of the conuersion of the Gentiles so the Iewes afterward prouoked with emulation of the mercie bestowed vpon the Gentiles will themselues also beleeue in Christ and so all shall be partakers of Gods mercie that is both the people of the Iewes and Gentiles Wee cannot referre this to particular persons in both people seeing it is without all doubt that faith and repentance which Paul noteth out here vnder the word mercie belongeth not to all and euery one The 6. place Ioh. 17.2 One place of this order remaineth Ioh. 17. Thou hast saith Christ giuen me power ouer all flesh that whatsoeuer thou hast giuen me Thes 161. I may giue vnto them eternall life Hence Huberus inferreth that there is nothing more certaine then that God is reconciled to al. Nay nothing more vncertaine Let a syllogisme bee made and the false conclusion will straightway appeare For the maior is false taken vniuersallie as it ought to bee taken that ouer whomsoeuer Christ hath power giuen him they are reconciled to God For he hath power giuen him ouer oxen asses and all creatures in heauen and earth euen ouer the deuils also But what if we stay only in mankinde after this sort What men soeuer are giuen of the father to Christ they be therefore giuen that he might giue them eternall life Now all men are giuen of the father to Christ because he hath giuen him power ouer all flesh to wit humane Therefore al men are therefore giuen vnto him that hee might giue them eternall life I deny the minor in that sense as here and elsewhere often that maner of speech is taken to bee giuen to Christ For proofe I answere it is another thing that power is said to bee giuen ouer al flesh to Christ than that al men are giuen to him Which things because they bee confounded of this disputer let vs heare Augustine in Ioh. tract 111. Augustine Who are they whom hee saith are giuen him of his father are they not they of whom elsewhere it is said No man commeth vnto me vnlesse the father who sent me draw him They are then those whom he hath receiued of the father whō he also chose out of the world that now they may not be of the world and yet they are also the world beleeuing and knowing that Christ was sent of God the father For so be saith Thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that is all men that all that thou hast giuen him he might giue vnto them eternall life Where he sheweth that he hath receiued power ouer all men to deliuer whom he will and condemne whom he will but that those are giuen vnto him to all whom he may giue eternall life For so he saith that all that thou hast giuen him he may giue vnto them eternall life Therfore they are not giuen vnto him to whom he will not giue eternall life although he hath power ouer them also who hath power giuen him ouer all flesh These things saith he being the best approued of the old writers And surely the words of the text are so plaine that it is a manifest error and more then an error that all are indifferently giuen to Christ For the truth saith I haue made knowne thy name vnto the men that thou gauest me out of the world I pray for them I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. but for them whome thou hast giuen mee Holy father saue them whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as we are Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen me may bee with me where I am Whatsoeuer the father giueth me shall come vnto me and this is the will of him that sent me that whatsoeuer he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day Who but one that is willingly blinde doth not see here that the Lord by that speech would distinguish his owne from such as bee not his and those that shall be saued from such as shall be damned Neither is that any hinderance to this which is obiected of the sonne of perdition Whom thou hast giuen me I haue kept and none of them is lost but that lost sonne that the Scripture may be fulfilled For that is rightly taken of the election vnto the Apostleship and so also Augustine sheweth tract 106. Therefore here the phrase is taken in another sense as there is also a third sense found and that most generall All things are giuen to the sonne of the father Ioh. 3. Matth. 11. CHAP. V. An examination of places wherein there is mention made of the World in this matter I Proceede to testimonies wherein mention is made of the World in the Scriptures in the matter of saluation which likewise by the aduersaries are drawne for the confirmation of the error of the vniuersalitie of grace in regard of particular persons in mankinde Ioh. 3. 1. 6. 3. 12. 2. Cor. 5.19 Such as these bee So God loued the world Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world I came not to condemne the world but that I might saue it Ioh. 4.42 and 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Ioh. 2.2 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself He is also called the Sauiour of the world and the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world In these and such like places wheresoeuer the
is proper to his members Iesus Christ is promised who should destroy the workes of the diuell and hee being conquered should set his Christians at liberty from his power to raigne for euer with himselfe in the inheritance of the Saints Hereupon saith Paul Rom. 16. v. 20. The God of peace shall treade Satan vnder your feete shortly Where he restraineth without question the victorie against Satan vnto the faithful of whom also Colos 1. Col. 1. he saith He hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne to wit through faith without which saith Ambrose there is no going out of hell Ambrose in epist ad Col. or out the power of darkenes wherein we were held captiue of the diuell Moreouer that reparation and victorie against Satan as it is promised respecteth not onely the merite but also the efficacie of Christ whereby he maintaineth and preserueth in the conflicts of this life the saluation which he purchased for vs and strengtheneth vs against the diuell the world and our owne flesh with the vertue of his spirit vntill at length we obtaine full victorie De pass cruce Domini For it is the worke of our Sauiour saith Athanasius not onely to deliuer vs from bondage but to destroy the author thereof least he growing strong doe supplant vs and make voide the conquest of the deliuerer And now experience and Scripture teach it to be farre off from al the sonnes of Adam 1. Thes 3.3 and 5.23 to be after this sorte victors ouer Satan but that victorie God bestoweth vpon his Saints And also by those words in Moses I will put enemitie betweene thee and the woman The reprobate◠are excluded from the promise betweene thy seede and her seede the reprobates are manifestly excluded from the promise for they are ioyned to the diuell who is the head and father of reprobates and against this kingdome of Satan that is against the diuell and his members victory is promised to the Church through Christ for in the seede of the woman altogether as in the seede of Abraham the sonnes of the promise are accounted Rom. 9.8 and 4.16 But let vs see the pretie reasons of the Aduersarie First The adueraries reasons to proue reprobates to be deliuered from Satan by Christ he will haue this place to be vnderstoode of the whole repayring of whole mankinde because not onely a part of the bodie of the diuell but his head should be broken A fine reason as though the head also were not a part of the bodie Secondly because the head of the diuell was to bee broken through Christ we must needes vnderstand that so the diuell is troden down that he doth not exercise the power of death any longer against them for whom he is destroyed But this hath place onely in them who are the members of Christ He bringeth also for declaration those sayings Ioh. 12. 1. Ioh. 3. Heb. 2. Colos 2. Luk. 11. Matth. 12. that the prince of this world is cast forth that the sonne of God came to destroy the workes of the diuell that by death he hath destroyed the diuell that the diuell and all his power was triumphed ouer Also that he comming vpon the pallace of the strong armed man ouercame him and tooke away all his armour and diuided his spoyles From these he laboureth to inferre that not any one is excepted who hath been brought vnder the power of the diuell whom Christ hath not deliuered from him or else to whom the head of the diuell is not broken These words be talke but not weighty reasons For so Augustine discoursing of those things very exactly saith Tract 53. The deuill is ouercome and destroyed for the faithfull onely and in them in Ioh. The deuill possessed mankind and held them guiltie of punishments by the handwriting of sinnes he bare rule in the hearts of vnbeleeuers But by the faith of Christ through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are set free from the power of the deuill This thing he called iudgment separation and expulsion of the deuill from his redeemed ones The same man a little after God foresaw what he knew that after his passion and glorifying many people through out the world should beleeue in whose hearts the deuill was whom when they renounce through faith he is cast forth to wit out of the harts of the faithfull The Master of sentences following Augustine in like maner expoundeth those places lib. 3. dist 19. Therefore they are the beleeuers out of whom he is cast out In these he is abolished ouercome and conquered and his workes are destroyed Ephe 2. but in the vnbeleeuers in whom the prince of this world as yet is effectuall he ceaseth not to exercise a lamentable triumph 1. Ioh. 5. 2. Tim. 2. vntill they also through faith which is our victorie get out of the snare of the deuill of whō they are held captiues And this the words of Iohn do plainly confirme 1. Ioh. 3. For if he who committeth sinne be of the deuill and hee who is borne of God sinneth not surely the workes of the deuill are in very deede destroyed in none but in the regenerate Obiections 1. Cor 1◠But if Satan be abolished and conquered he is once and for all men together destroyed Answere Not so For euen the last enemie death shall be destroyed and there shall be that most famous triumph of the last day ouer Satan yet how great shall their number bee ouer whom death and he that hath the power of death the deuill shall for euer raigne Neuerthelesse all things then shall truly bee subiect vnto Christ witnesse the Apostle as euen now all things are subiect vnto him after a sort All things are subdued vnder Christ and ye◠Satan 〈◊〉 in the reprobates Contrarily how vnskilfully doth Huberus except that al things cannot be said to be subiect vnto Christ if the greatest part of Satans kingdom be not ouerthrowne by him Yea the whole kingdome of Satan shall be destroyed by him specially at the last day but for that cause there is no neede that Christ should adopt all none excepted into his kingdome of grace and glorie Reprobates and Satan are vnder his power to be damned In the meane while all reprobates with the deuill and his angels are and shall be for euer put vnder the Lords feete and hee shall take vengeance on them in vnquenchable fire as vpon subiects that are rebellious against his kingdome of power For they know The kingdom of God is takē many waies who haue read the Scriptures and ancient interpreters of them that the kingdome of God is one thing which is called the kingdome of grace and the kingdome of glorie is another thing and there is also that
Neither that onely 2 Thes 3. Tit. 1. but euen true beleeuers seeing all men haue not a liuely faith in Christ but the elect are kept by the power of God vnto saluation through faith 1. Pet. 1. Ier. 32.39 40. as Peter testifieth And this is the meaning of the promises I wil giue vnto them one heart and one way and I will make an euerlasting couenant with them I will put my feare in their harts that they may not depart from me Also I will plant them in their land Amos 9.15 neither shall they bee any more rooted out of their land saith the Lord. Who are these but the faithfull planted in the courts of the Lord and ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And by the testimonie of Iohn He that is borne of God sinneth not because the seede of God abideth in him 1. Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 1. neither can he sinne because he is borne of God For wee are not borne againe of mortall but of immortall seede by the word of the liuing God who abideth for euer Hubâ—â— thes 29. 1. Tim. 1 4. Objection Which thing seeing it is so that word being once by regenerating faith apprehended and receiued into the hart abideth for euer and can no more fall away as Luther hath well obserued vpon that place Answere As for that which is obiected Faith for the doctrine of faith Aduers Anthrop morph cap. 9. that some fall away from the faith and make shipwracke of it wee must vnderstand that faith is often taken for the doctrine of faith And so many doe fall from faith going backe from the doctrine which they did professe also cleauing vnto doctrines of deuils while they would seeme to follow Christ as Chrysostome and Theophylact expound those places and Cyrill of Alexandria also hath it that Hymeneus and Alexander made shipwrack concerning faith because they said that the resurrection was past alreadie To this end serueth the answere that an historicall faith is one thing Diuerse significations of faith Credere Deo credere Deum credere in DeuÌ„ Aug de Tempore Serm. 181. and a iustifying and sauing faith is an other thing or that it is one thing credere Deo and another thing credere Deum and another thing credere in Deum that is to beleeue God to beleeue that he is God and to beleeue in God To beleeue God is to beleeue that the things bee true which he speaketh which many euill men can doe And to beleeue that he is God euen the deuils may But to beleeue in God they onely know who loue him and who are Christians not onely in name but also in deedes and life For faith without loue is the deuils faith vaine but with loue it is the faith of a Christian And this faith of a Christian setled in the foundation suffereth no man to perish as Augustine writeth which thing a certaine glosse also of Luthers vpon the 7. De fide operibus cap. 18. of Matth. confirmeth in these words That faith which is effectuall by workes purifieth the heart and such vertue standeth vnmoueable against all the force of windes and the power of hell because it is grounded vpon the rocke Christ. Otherwise is the state of those that haue an historicall deuillish and dead faith onely and therefore counterfeite and not true because it is not liuely notwithstanding it may bee called true as touching true notions or knowledge and agreeable to diuine reuelations These things as touching the perseuerance of the elect and truly beleeuers Heerbrandus Disputatione Tubingensi de electione plainly confirmeth which I here produce that these new disputers who now out of the same schoole sow contrarie opinions may be lesse angrie with vs. For thus it hath determined that those who are predestinated to life do not fall away finally and that such are they who vnderstand themselues to be ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And whereas many doe fall away who are in writing recorded to haue had faith that they had onely a temporarie faith without true regeneration of the heart These things saith he in the foresaid disputation thes 40.45 47. Of the fall of reprobates that were in the Church Now as touching the other part concerning reprobates who for a time haue a place in the Church among the sonnes of God that rule is well to bee marked in the second chapter of the first of Iohn verse 19. They went out from vs Tract 3. in epist. Io. but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they had surely continued with vs. He speaketh of them as Augustine doth notably set foorth this place who by chance going out returne not againe who also when they are within are not of vs How reprobates are called beleeuers and partakers of redemption Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. Phil. 1.7 nor as members are within the bodie of Christ but as euill humours sith that his bodie is as yet in curing and the health of it shall not be perfect till the resurrection of the dead In the meane time because such persons are not manifest vnto men they are plainly called beleeuers conuerted iustified sanctified redeemed disciples and members of Christ temples and the sonnes of God yea the elect of God plainly I say they haue these termes whom we see to professe with vs the same faith and Christian conuersation albeit in the meane while they be not oftentimes that in very deede which they are called before him who discerneth the intents and thoughts of the heart Hebr. 4. Ambrose and vnto whose eyes all things are knowne and manifest Ambrose lib. 1. Com. in Luc. cap. 1. saith very well Not euery one who is iust before men is iust before God Men see one way God seeth another men in the face God in the heart euen he is the iudge of the minde and the fact Therefore it is perfect praise to be iust before God And this very thing doth Augustine largely teach Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. 9. and citeth hither the saying of Christ If ye shall abide in my word ye shall be truly my disciples For al that giue their names to Christ are vsually called his disciples and Christians of Christ by reason of their profession but they be in deed that which they be called who abide in his word As the Apostle also saith We are the house of Christ Hebr. 2. if we hold that confidence and hope wherof we reioyce sure vnto the end And anon We are made partakers of Christ if wee hold sure vnto the end that beginning whereby we are sustained If not we are called before men partakers of Christ of his household sonnes and heires of God citizens of the Saints redeemed and beleeuers but wee are not the same truly before the Lord who will say in time to come I neuer knew you Matth.
let vs also consider the words that follow for Peter addeth 2. Pet. 2.20 21 22. If they who haue escaped the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ be afterwards againe intangled therein and bee ouercome their last condition is worse then the former and it were better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe as the dogge to his vomite Out of these words the aduersarie indeuoureth to collect that many indued with true faith and conuersion and therefore by his death and blood washed and iustified doe perish for euer I answer as afore that here properly the question is not whether some indued with true faith and conuersion doe so fall backe that they perish but this the aduersarie was to proue that the reprobates vniuersally no lesse then the elect and all vnbeleeuers no lesse then the faithful are made partakers of redemption in Christ Which thing cannot bee concluded out of the Apostles words seeing he speaketh not but of them who through the knowledge of Christ had escaped the pollutions of the world which Huber himselfe will haue to bee referred to their faith and conuersion Secondly as touching those who falling rise not againe I denie that such were truly washed in the death and blood of Christ and iustified or were indued with a true and liuely faith in Christ For the contrary hath been aboue shewed out of the doctrine of Peter and other seruants of Christ Neither saith Peter here Peters words expounded It had bin better for them neuer to haue had true faith or els to haue obtained righteousnes then afterward to fall backe from true faith and righteousnes but hee onely saith It had been better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe from the holy doctrine taught them Marke this touching back-sliders And we denie not that many who had cast away corrupt opinions of God and of matters belonging to religion and had imbraced the trueth doe afterward fall away from true doctrine to old or els new errors and by this meanes slide backe from faith that is from the doctrine of faith De fide operib ca. 25. See also in Psal 48 We confesse also that many who as Augustine weigheth this place either by fained promises or externall reformation of maners had forsaken the filthines of the world to wit adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatrie witchcraft drunkennes bankettings and the like doe inthrall themselues againe vnto the same liue in all filthines and so runne into a more grieuous iudgement then if they had neuer knowne the way of righteousnes But they who doe after some sort or other auoide the filthines of the world are not straightwaies to bee accounted washed in the blood of Christ and iustified before God For so as many as among the Heathens haue liued honestly or forsaking the filthines of their former life haue begun to be sober shuld be also accounted for men washed and iustified in the blood of Christ Neither be the things which Huber inferreth of any force they had escaped filthines through the knowledge of Christ and are said to haue knowne the way of righteousnes and the holie commandement that is the holy doctrine of the Gospell is said to haue been deliuered vnto them Therefore they had true faith in Christ giuen them As though the faith of Christians were nothing els than the bare knowledge of Christ or of the way of righteousnes and of the holy commandement Obiection Surely the very deuils haue a knowledge of Christ and that greater then men But they are insnared againe therefore they were once set feee and at libertie Answere I graunt in part they were escaped from their former errors and their outward wicked conuersation wherein while they are againe intangled they be polluted a fresh and like dogges eate againe their vomite which they had alreadie cast vp after that sort doubtles as hath been spoken to wit either by fained promise or els truly as Peter saith while laying aside their wonted errors and maners they bee honest for a time 2. Pet. 2.18 not walking any longer in wantonnes lusts drunkennes surfettings bankettings and abominable idolatries or running any longer with prodigall persons vnto the same excesse of riot as Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. But not all in whom there is seene some reformation of maners haue purified mindes through the spirit and faith vnfained with loue voide of dissimulation from a good conscience and a pure heart There be cited also the words of Peter The 6. place 2. Pet. 1. 2. Pet. 1. where he speaketh of him who professeth faith but hath not workes that he is blinde and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes Therefore false christians and hypocrites who perish at the length were sometime clensed and iustified from their sinnes no lesse then they whose faith by good workes is effectuall and abideth The answere hereunto is the same that was before It must bee vnderstood according to the vsage of the Scriptures The â— expositâ—ons of Peters words 〈…〉 is said to haue been clensed from his olde sinnes Acts 2â— â—6 Augustine which call them Saints iustified and clensed from sinnes as many as are baptized into Christ and ingrafted into his Church Because the Church ought to take them for such according to the iudgement of charitie albeit before God oftentimes they bee not such Further the sense may bee this that such haue forgotten their baptisme which is a certaine visible sanctification and purgation from sins according to that saying be baptized and wash away thy sins But as Augustine very well maketh difference betweene visible and inuisible sanctification Visible and invisible sanctifications Man by visible Sacraments through his ministerie doth sanctifie but the Lord by inuisible grace through the holy Ghost wherein lieth the whole fruite of the visible Sacraments and some men haue inuisible sanctification and it doth them good without visible Sacraments but visible sanctification which happeneth by visible Sacraments a man may haue without the inuisible but it can doe him no good For visible baptisme without inuisible sanctification did nothing profit Simon Magus These things Augustine super Leuit. lib. 3. quaest 84. whereunto Luther also consenteth vpon the second Psalme But it is too absurd and foolish that the aduersarie laboureth to wrest to his purpose also that notable description of the grace of God towards the faithfull in the beginning of the chapter in Peter Peter saith hee testifieth that they may be damned who haue alreadie obtained faith and saluation and all things belonging to godlines But what if this be denied him how will he proue it Because saith he he obiecteth vnto them blindnes The true method and sense of Peters words 2. Pet. â— 3 to verse 12. But good sir it is
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
The promise requireth faith And often elsewhere after this sort is the promise of saluation and eternall life made vnto the beleeuers repeated For the promise requireth faith and in respect of the beleeuers it is vniuersall as Ambrose also well expoundeth it lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10. Ambrose He that hath faith hath eternall life he is not excluded from pardon whosoeuer beleeueth shall not perish When he saith whosoeuer no man is excluded no man excepted All saith he that is of what state soeuer of what fall soeuer if he beleeueth let him not be afraide of perishing Now out of this vniuersall ground this is the argument wherewith we ouercome the world the diuell sinne death and hell A Syllogisme shewing how a man ought to applie to himselfe the generall promise Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ shall be saued by his grace and not be ashamed for euer The faithfull person assumeth I beleeue Lord. The conclusion followeth Therefore I shall be saued by the grace of God and not be ashamed for euer The maior of the Syllogisme is plaine by the promises produced before He that beleeueth hath in himselfe the proofe of the minor The beleeuer knoweth himselfe to haue faith and how for he certainely knoweth himselfe to beleeue his owne minde so telling him and his ready and vnfayned studie of new obedience witnessing the same whereupon faith is knowne as the tree by the fruites For as Iohn saith 1. Epist. 2. By this we are sure we know him if we keepe his commaundements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Hereupon also Augustine hath left it in writing that euery one most certainely seeth his faith if he haue the same Which saying of his Luther in Galat. 4. cap. Luther also alloweth as right and godly Yea the Apostle himselfe prescribeth this rule 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you be in faith examine your selues Wherein he sufficiently declareth that such as be ingraffed into Christ by a true faith may haue the knowledge therof in themselues Marke this But if Satan as if he is a lyar and murtherer from the beginning dare denie vnto thee that thou beleeuest yeelde not vnto him whosoeuer thou art O man who throughly perceiuest the tokens of faith in thy selfe but contrariwise goe most boldlie and say vnto him Goe behinde me Satan Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 1. for thou sauourest not the things which are of God I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded 1. Thess 5. that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day He is faithfull who hath called me who also will effect it A weake faith ought not to cast a man downe Neither is there any cause why thou shouldst bee troubled and cast downe in minde for the imperfection of faith and for those contrary motions feare doubtings heauines and manifolde temptations wherewith we daily fight as long as we carrie about this bodie of death For we know him who hath said Beholde my seruant whom I haue chosen my beloued Esay 24. Matth 12. he shall not breake a brused reede and smoking flaxe hee shall not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie Matth. 14.31 16 8. How often hath the Lord testified by notable examples in the Gospell towards his disciples and others greatly weake in faith how he doth not cast off but with great loue and lenitie receiue and cherish such as are weake in faith and daily maketh them more stronger Faith therefore although it be faint Rom. 14.3 so long as it is true and sincere shall not fayle of his effect Onely let him who feeleth himselfe to doubte exercise his faith If thou doubt doe this and wrestle against doubting let him say with the father of the child that had the dumbe spirit I beleeue Lord Mark 9. Luk. 17. helpe mine vnbelefe and let him pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Is this to driue men to desperation Is this to reason from pure particulars And what other consolation I pray you may be brought whereby a man may be made certaine of his saluation to wit that he is iust before God and heire of eternall life Certainely if we haue no other ground of comfort than that such as shall bee saued and damned the elect and reprobates are all alike redeemed by Christ we shall fall headlong into desperation Therefore madde and foolish he must needes be that thus concludeth They that are saued and damned The weake and wofull comfort that ariseth from the redemption of all and euery one without exception are all alike redeemed by Christ Ergo it will come to passe that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore it appeareth that that vniuersalitie of men redeemed no one at all excepted which the aduersarie so greatly talketh of is not the proper ground of Christian consolation but we must come to faith which putteth difference betweene those that shall be saued and damned For by faith we receiue the merite of Christ and applie it to our selues and therefore he that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne Iob. 3. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hitherto at the length is the aduersarie brought will he nill he to the intent he may assigne some thing certaine of the certaintie of saluation We saith he The aduersarie himselfe confesseth the truth Thes 534. Doe knowe that saluation is certaine vndoubted and constant and we say that it pertaineth vnto them who by faith abide in Christ and we say that they shall abide in faith who suffer not the word of vniuersall grace vpon all The faithfull shall continue Luke 22. Ioh. 17. to be taken frō themselues We also say the same thing and further say that they shall perseuer in the word and assurance of grace who are once ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuelie faith he praying for them and giuing them this freely that their faith shall not fayle For this foundation being once remoued of the perseuerance of true beleeuers what certainty can any man haue of the grace of God in time to come and therefore of his saluation What that the vniuersalitie of the promise which they so greatly vrge must then needes fall Flat contraries For these are flat contrarie that all beleeuers are saued and that some beleeuers doe fall away and perish But if saluation pertaine to them as it doth which by faith abide in Christ what shall we say of vnbeleeuers they are excluded Therefore let him looke to it Huber Thes 266. sequent who auoucheth that they are alike saued by Christ as well as any other and that the promises of grace and life belong to them also Obiection But grace is vniuersall Answere I answer
if the minister of the word inuite all men to faith exhort and stirre vp all to repentance But the promises of grace But the promises of grace belong to the beleeuers onely 2. Thess 3. Acts 13. wherein is offered mercie peace saluation honour glorie life and immortalitie these speaking of men growne are receiued no otherwise than by faith and faith all men haue not but whom God of his singular mercie vouchsafeth that diuine gift Further the aduersarie himselfe whether he will or not must confesse as before also we mentioned that saluation pertaineth vnto them Thes 534. who by faith abide in Christ Therefore it doth not belong to the vnbeleeuers and so to all no truly vnles a man would call againe the fable of Origene Origens fable that all men at length shall be saued Wherfore here the Antecedent is denied that the minister of the Gospell promiseth to all and preacheth the couenant of reconciliation to all as though all were comprehended alike in the couenant Zach 1.3 Ezech. 18.21 Esay 1.17 Acts 2.38 8.22 For to speake simply he promiseth to the beleeuers onely and to such as repent But to the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites he denounceth wrath because the wicked hath no peace saith the Lord neither is any thing promised vnto them but conditionally to wit if they turne and beleeue with all their heart The promise is made vnto the wicked conditionally And this condition God alone performeth in whom it pleaseth him seeing both faith and repentance bee his meere gift And in this sense it is rightly said that the promises ought to be preached and propounded vnto all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers as farre as the ministers office stretcheth that they should disperse the word of faith and saluation indifferently and publikely into the eares of all and setting forth the mercie of God in Christ who is the sacrifice for the sinnes of the world they should call whomsoeuer to imbrace the gift of grace and should inuite whomsoeuer they finde as it were to the mariage of the king Matth. 22. And it is an vngodly speech that all ought not to beleeue because the promise and saluation pertaineth not to all Nay because saluation is proper to the faithfull onely and death and condemnation to the vnfaithfull therefore ought all to repent and beleeue the Gospell that they perish not with the world but may haue eternall life Neither doth it any thing hinder this generall inuitation that it is certaine that many euer haue been and shall be contemners of grace offered seeing as the Apostle saith faith belongeth not to all 2. Thes 3. Matth. 22. Marke this and as Christ witnesseth many are called and few are chosen For the cōmandement of the king is enough and largely enough for the seruants that are the inuiters Go ye Luk. 14. Mark 16. and say ye to them that are bidden Come for all things are readie Call ye vnto the mariage whomsoeuer ye finde Againe Preach ye vnto euery creature Vnto this commandement must the faithfull preacher of righteousnes yeeld obedience whether he be receiued or reiected or els for the same endure any temporall aduersitie As also they who bee called must without delay obey their calling howsoeuer many obey not because they haue also a commandement greater then any shifting or refusall that they can make Come ye beleeue repent Psal 95. Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the desert Let Augustine be read touching this point against Cresconius Gram. lib. 1. cap. 5. 6. where by diuerse testimonies of Scripture he expressely sheweth The trueth must be preached to men though they will not heare it Matth. 10. that the trueth ought to be preached euen to them that will not heare The Lord saith in the Gospell When ye enter in say Peace be to this house if they bee worthie that bee therein your peace shall rest vpon them if not it shall returne to you againe Did he certifie them that they to whom they should preach that peace would receiue it Yet he gaue them to vnderstand that peace must be preached without delay euen to such as would not admit the same The Apostle also charged his Timothie 1. Tim. 4. that he should not bee slothfull in preaching for mens sakes to whom the preaching of the trueth is vnpleasant I charge thee before God and Christ Iesu Preach the word be instant in season and out of season rebuke exhort improue Therefore a faithfull workman will preach to such as are willing in season and to such as refuse out of season Christ also how many things spake he in the face of the Iewes Pharisees Saduces such as not onely would not beleeue but also greatly speake against him and persecute him And he knew surely saith Augustine because hee knew all things that these things would nothing profit them to their saluation but by his example peraduenture strengthened vs Eze. 2. 3. who cannot know before the future faith or vnfaithfulnes of men Beside we reade that the Prophets were sent to men so disobedient that God himselfe foretold the Prophets whom he sent that they to whom he sent them would not obey their words So Ezechiel was sent with the word of God to striue with the Iewes that would disobey dissent and speake against In lik maner Ieremy Iere. 1.19 7.27 to whom it was said Thou shalt speake all these words vnto them yet they will not heare thee and thou shalt call them but they will not answer thee Obiection If any man aske for what cause for what good with what fruite or effect are deafe men spoken vnto albeit the commandement of God bee sufficient against which it is a hainous offence to dispute yet other things also may be alleadged for an answer Answere Foure reasons why the word is preached to reprobates beside Gods cōmandement to doe it before set down 1. As long as men liue in this world reprobates and elect are ioyned together and cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man and therefore it is meete that the trueth bee preached indifferently to all least because of reprobates the elect be defrauded who will take profit by the preaching of the word Hereupon also Augustine de Correp grat 15. 16. Seeing wee know not who belongeth to the number of them that be predestinate and who belongeth not we ought to be so touched with the affection of charitie that we should be willing that all may be saued 2. By this meanes is cleerely shewed the miserable blindnes and great corruption of lost man and in very deede that appeareth true which Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man perceiueth not the things that be of the spirit of God that they be foolishnes vnto him and that he is not able truly to know them 3. The godly while they behold others left
any man of sound iudgement he malapertly saith Thes 489. that the Caluinian ministers are the hangmen of the reprobates who draw them vnto exquisite torments that were from euerlasting condemned and doe hew them in peeces if that bee true that they heare the word of God vnto condemnation What then In what reckoning will he haue the Prophet Esay to bee to whom it was said when he saw the glorie of God Esay 6. Goe make fat the heart of this people and shut their eies Which place surely of the Prophet is repeated not rashly in the New Testament sixe times of the blinding of the Iewes Shall we therefore with a Huberian scoffe call either the Prophet or Christ Iesus whose glorie then Esay saw hangmen Farre be this malapertnes from a Christian heart 2. Cor. 2. But rather by the witnes of the Apostle we are the sweet sauour of Christ to God both in them that perish and in those that are saued to the one the sauour of death to death but to the other the fauour of life to life yet alwaies to God the sweete sauour of Christ in both respects Lastly it must be noted that it maketh no matter here whether it so come to passe either by the foreappointment or by the foreknowledge onely of God that the preaching of the Gospell vnto the reprobates turneth vnto their iudgement For both the foreknowledge and also the foreappointment of God is vnfallible Wherefore seeing the aduersarie cannot denie at the least foreknowledge in God for their more grieuous condemnation who will not obey the word the cauils already alleadged must of necessitie fall vpon his owne head And of these enough CHAP. XV. To the sixt absurditie I Proceed to that which was obiected of the Sacraments to wit Thes 37. The 6. absurditie that Baptisme is taken away That the Sacraments are taken away vnlesse with hand and foote as they say we bee of Hubers opinion touching the vniuersalitie of redemption Of Baptisme he giueth this reason that no certaine grace and saluation is promised to the baptized His argument will be thus By whose opinion no certaine grace and saluation is set forth vnto such as are baptized by their opinion Baptisme is taken away But by their opinion who think that by the death of Christ all men are sufficiently but not effectually redeemed so as al and euery one haue remission of sinnes and are receiued into the grace of God iustified and saued whether they beleeue or not by the opinion of these I say no certaine grace and saluation is propounded to such as are baptized Ergo by their opinion Baptisme is taken away Vnles the argument bee thus framed I see not how any thing can bee concluded to the purpose But the minor is denied Huber surely thes 1019. sendeth vs vnto the things which hee hath from his 386. thes vnto the 431. but if those be looked into and examined it will appeare that nothing is there contained sauing an extrauagant and idle heape of certaine questions ilfauouredly tumbled together concerning Baptisme But without such long circumstances O Huber this thou shouldest proue that vpon the setting downe of the contradictorie of thine opinion of the generalitie of redemption there would follow the ouerthrow of Baptisme and that therefore because no certaine grace and saluation can then bee promised to them that bee baptized This this shew if thou canst omitting thy manifold digressions whereby thou vsest miserably to intangle thy reader and turne him away from the point Surely as for vs The principall vse of Baptisme wee haue learned out of the diuine Scriptures and do constantly teach that the vse of sacred Baptisme tendeth to this end and that principally that it may seale and confirme vnto vs the promise of grace and eternall life For take away the promise of grace from baptisme and thou shalt take away the nature of a Sacrament because according to the vsuall definition of Augustine Augustine dâ—fition of it A Sacrament is a visible forme of inuisible grace Hereupon are those promises He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Mar. 16. And in the words of Peter Act. 2. Repent ye and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesu Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Also 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs. And Tit. 3. Of his mercie he saued vs through the lauer of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost and such like which are read in the Scriptures of the vertue of Baptisme Which things Basill in his exhortation to Baptisme wittily seemeth to comprehend Baptisme saith he is the releasing of captiues and debt the death of sinne the renuing of the mind the shining garment the way of heauen the getting of the kingdome of heauen and the grace of adoption For holy Baptisme is the seale of so many things to the faithfull Rom. 4. as the Apostle speaketh of Circumcision that it was giuen to Abraham for a seale of the righteousnes of faith teaching that Circumcision was not giuen for righteousnes but for a seale of righteousnes which is by faith And I say to the faithfull because neither the word nor Baptisme promiseth any thing to or profiteth the vngodly and vnbeleeuers For it is a word of promise He that beleeueth and is baptized Vnbeleeuers are not partakers of the grace of Baptisme although they be Baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned whether he be baptized or not And Ephes 5. wee reade that the Church is sanctified of Christ the bridegrome and washed in the fountaine of water in the word Why in the word Because euen in the water the word cleanseth and not the water it selfe as Augustine Tract 80. vpon Iohn expoundeth And the same man addeth Whence commeth so great force of water that it toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart but by the word which doth it and that not because it is spoken but because it is beleeued The same man vpon the 77. Psalme writeth thus of the Iewes Whereas the Sacraments were common to all grace was not common which is the vertue of the Sacraments So now also the lauer of regeneration is common to all that are baptized but grace it selfe whereby the members of Christ with their head are regenerated is not common to all Againe lib. 5. cont Donatist cap. 24. he saith that Baptisme may be without the spirit and that some of those that are baptized doe put on Christ while they are receiuing of the Sacrament others by continuing in holines of life That is common to good and euill and this is proper to the good and godly And truely it is in the schooles receiued and allowed Many testimonies prouing that Baptisme doth profit the beleeuer onely that such as come without faith and fainedly receiue the Sacrament and not the thing by the example of Simon Magus of whom Augustine
vpon Leuiticus quaest 84. witnesseth that visible Baptisme did him no good because he had not the inuisible Hitherto let Luthers sayings be referred Luth. in Gen. 17 that baptisme is erected for a signe of righteousnes to all that beleeue in Christ. That the vertue of Baptisme consisteth in the vse or faith of him that receiueth it Also De Cap. Basil in 3. Ioel. that holie Baptisme is the fountaine of saluation whereof they that drinke that is In Gen. 48. beleeue the promise added doe neuer thirst And that he generally elsewhere pronounceth that the Sacrament worketh not grace without faith and hee taxeth the dreame of the papists that Baptisme profiteth thee and iustifieth thee whether thou beleeuest or not Neither saith Brentius otherwise Brentius explicat Catechis de Baptis where among other things he writeth that Baptisme is a seale whereby Christ publikely confirmeth that he deliuereth and giueth those speciall heauenly good things that are promised in the Gospell to him that beleeueth Againe that Baptisme is a royall vnction the Sacrament confirming and publishing that thing which a man before had receiued by faith for man is not then first receiued into the Lords tuition seeing before he was receiued by faith but then his admission is first confirmed by an externall signe And handling that promise He that beleeueth c. plainely saith thus Baptisme as it profiteth much if in faith it be redeemed so it doth no good if it be without faith and he maketh mention of an example out of the tripartite History lib. 11. cap. 14. of a certaine Iewe a craftie fellow who would often receiue Baptisme not for that he beleeued in Christ but that by this meanes hee might get money of Christians who albeit hee was Baptized yet was not truely made a Christian by his Baptisme The same Brentius vpon Iohn fol. 119. expressely writeth that not euery one that is Baptized is regenerated for faith must be required not to the perfection of the Sacrament but to the profite of the receiuer Chytraeus Likewise Dauid Chytreus Tract de bapt printed at Wittenberge 1580. saith That ministers doe Baptize with water pronounce the word and giue water but Christ Baptiseth with the holy Ghost and regenerateth the beleeuers Againe many being washed in water and not bringing to Baptisme true faith are Baptized not with the inspiration of the holy Ghost but with water onely as Simon Magus Ia. Andr. Col. Momp pa. 486. thes 6◠30. These things largely set downe doe shew to whom belongeth the promise of grace in Baptisme against the error and more than a dreame of certaine men to wit that regeneration is giuen to all in Baptisme beleeuers and vnbeleeuers and that if an vnbeleeuing hypocrite be Baptized he is not onely outwardly Baptized in water but inwardly also by the holy spirit yea euen Simon Magus no lesse then others receiued grace in Baptisme This doubtles is to administer Baptisme not for a Sacrament of Christ but for Christ himselfe as the Apologie of the Confession of Wittenberge casteth in the papists teeth who say the same thing that these men doe to wit that remission of sinnes is wrought by Baptisme by the very vertue of the Sacrament and Gods promise and not onely by faith Let the papists then haue the victorie and the confession of the Duke of Wittenberge will lie in the dust being ouerthrowne by the very men that ought to defend it Obiection of infants faith But what shall we say of infants Baptized Cannot Baptisme saue them without faith I answer Although we haue some men in our time who thinke that euen infants beleeue and would haue all men so to thinke yet the contrarie opinion of Augustine and other olde writers is more sincere and safe Augustine For thus Augustine vpon Iohn tract 80. Infants cannot beleeue saith This word of faith onely is of force in the Church that euen neuer so little clenseth the infant by the Church beleeuing offering blessing and touching it though the infant cannot beleeue with the hart to righteousnes and with the mouth confesse to saluation Likewise in his fourth booke of Baptisme chapter 24. hee saith Infants through want of age can neither beleeue with the heart to righteousnes nor with the mouth confesse to saluation See also his 23. epistle to Bonifacius and Iustine Martyr question 56. Barnard also alloweth the same opinion Epist 77. Infants because their age hindred them cannot haue faith The reason is plaine And why they cannot for faith presupposeth knowledge of those things that are to be beleeued And that little children do know diuine things who as yet vnderstand not humaine if wee would by words declare saith Saint Augustine also Epist 57. we must be afraide least we be thought to doe iniurie to our very senses seeing that by speaking we endeuour to perswade a thing where the euidence of the trueth is greater than all the strength and force of speech Moreouer they that maintaine the faith of little children The contrary opinions of Brentius and Andr touching the faith of infants doe not a little disagree in opinions some thinking that faith is giuen them in Baptisme and others before Baptisme Of the later opinion is Brentius Explicat Catechis where hee maketh this argument God acknowledgeth none truely in the number of his people vnles he doe beleeue and maketh his assumption of infants The infants of Gods people in olde time were part of Gods people euen before they were circumcised and therefore our infants now also pertaine to the people of God euen before they be Baptized according to the promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. I will be thy God and God of thy seede after thee Contrariwise Iacob Andree Brentius his successor defendeth the former opinion Colloq Mompel fol. 458. Before infants saith he be Baptized I cannot affirme that they doe beleeue because faith is giuen vnto them in Baptisme And streight after Infants Baptized haue the grace of adoption freely giuen them with faith and the holy Ghost Likewise Luther in 17. Gen. albeit in his booke of praying he seeme to thinke otherwise hath left it written that the children of the Israelites had this blessing that on the eight daye faith was giuen them and they were made the people of God which thing he would haue in like manner vnderstoode of the Children of Christians in their Baptisme And this opinion surely is driuen to a great straight because of infants in olde time that dyed before the eyght day when they should be circumcised and depart this life daily as yet without Baptisme being depriued of it not of any contempt but of necessitie whom yet they both doe rather reckon in the number of such as be saued seeing the couenant of God is not transgressed or made frustrate Luth. in 17. Gē Col. Momp pag. 496. But after their opinion no man be he a childe or a man
the Minor of the argument is false for he that hath knowledge knoweth himselfe to beleeue as before hath been shewed And whosoeuer beleeueth A man may know himselfe to haue faith and so to haue Christ Luk. 22. Matth. 26. is partaker of the merits of the death and humiliation of our Lord Iesus Christ as he saith this is my body which is giuen for you and this is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for you as Luke hath or as Matthew saith which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Why saith he for many Because albeit the blood of Christ be shed for all as touching sufficiencie yet it was shed for the regenerate onely as touching efficiencie as I shewed before out of Innocentius Whereupon Basil saith All of vs as many as do beleeue Exhortat Baptis are redeemed from sinnes by the grace of God which is through his onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who said This is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes which exposition he twise repeateth in his Sermon following of Baptisme for many that is for all beleeuers the blood of Christ was shed CHAP. XVI An answere to the residue of the Absurdities HVber goeth on and that he may maintaine any way his opinion he obiecteth also other absurdities so horrible that a godly minde cannot but tremble in thinking of them as Hubers blasphemies that God is accused of fraud and lying Of fraud in that he saith one thing and thinketh another Of lying in that by word he offereth and commandeth to receiue things which in the meane while by his irreuocable iudgement he forbiddeth to receiue Also that Christ by his passion hath mocked God and men and that the mightie and holy Lord of hosts is worthily accused of crueltie iniustice reioycing at mens harmes and of other great euils agreeing rather to a most cruell tyrant then to God For such and so many words doth his rude and shameles mouth vtter often or rather roreth out But these be the sleights of the aduersarie issuing out of the same forge that his other lyes and slanders doe too too presumptuous truly But because those obiections and mocks excepting only the last saue one respect not so fitly the doctrine of Redemption as of Predestination which treatises Huber here and there without order confoundeth and are long agoe largely confuted by Doctor Luther in his booke of seruile freewill I will not suffer my selfe in refuting them to be carried beside the matter I haue in hand One or two places onely of Luther I will alleadge for their sakes who depend vpon that mans authoritie that they may vnderstand that the doctrine of Luther is wounded through our sides He therefore in his answere to the place of Ezech. 18. Luther de seruo arbit cap. 107. seq J will not the death of a sinner confirmeth the receiued distinction of a double will in God which truly was wont to bee so distinguished for our capacitie And one will he one while calleth secret fearefull and vnsearchable other while the most reuerend secret of Gods maiestie sometime the hidden God but the other will A double will in God he calleth one while the reuealed will other while the word preached sometime God preached and worshipped How God willeth and willeth not the death of a sinner Eze. ca. 18. and proceedeth after this sort God doth many things which he hath not shewed vs in his word and he willeth many things which in his word he doth not shew that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner in his word that is in his will reuealed in his word but he willeth it by his vnsearchable will Therefore it is well said If God will not the death of a sinner wee must impute it to our will that we perish well I say if it bee vnderstood of God preached For he willeth that all men be saued while he commeth vnto all by the word of saluation and it is the fault of the will which doth not admit God as Matth. 25. it is said How often would I gather thy chickens and thou wouldest not But why Gods maiestie taketh not away this fault of our wil or changeth it in all or why he doth impute it vnto man seeing he cannot want it we may not inquire and if thou wouldest inquire yet thou shalt neuer finde it as Paul Rom. 9. saith Who art thou then that reasonest with God Againe it is sufficient saith Luther to know that God so willeth and this will it is meete we should reuerence loue and adore restraining the rashnes of our reason Here Luther sufficiently sheweth that it pertaineth to his reuealed will that God willeth the conuersion and saluation of all and to his hidden will that he neither giueth nor purposeth to giue conuersion and saluation to all but to whom he will according to his meere good pleasure Neither are these cōtrarie one to another The hid and reuealed will are not contradictorie therefore no suspition of fraude or lying in God as though God spake one thing and thought another when we say that he willeth that is commandeth that all repent and beleeue the Gospell to saluation and yet that he will not worke in all men faith and repentance Euen children may perceiue that here is no contradiction because of the diuers signification of the word will The same man cap. 160. God is not vniust or one that reioyceth at mans miserie This surely offendeth common sense and naturall reason that God of his meere will forsaketh hardeneth and damneth men as though he who is said to be of so great mercie and goodnes delighted in the great and eternall paines and torments of miserable persons This seemeth wicked cruell and intolerable to imagine of God But here the most mercifull God ought to be honoured and reuerenced and wee must referre freely some thing vnto his diuine wisedome that he may bee beleeued to be iust A notable saying where he seemeth to vs to bee vniust For if such were his iustice as might be iudged by mans capacitie to bee iust it should not be altogether diuine and should differ nothing from humane iustice But seeing God is true and one wholly incomprehensible and inaccessible by mans reason it is meete yea necessarie that his iustice also be incomprehensible c. Therefore what peruersenes is this that wee should destroy the iustice and iudgement of God These and many other such things hath Luther against such as contend with their maker Esay 45. Brentius in 1. Sam. 2. v. 25. Brentius also vpon those words touching Elies sonnes They heard not the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them subscribeth vnto this doctrine and concludeth this whole question in these words Therefore that they may be punished according to the worthines of their deserts the Lord
by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
a thing if a man would denie the consequent in an Enthymeme as if one being about to answere a Syllogisme should denie the conclusion By which kinde of solutions any thing might most easily be answered by any one but that Logicke is against it But omitting these things let vs produce a few testimonies of many out of the Scripture to declare our purpose The state of the question that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper vnto the Church and not common to all whether they beleeue or not as the new opinion would haue it This is the state of the question properly which must be diligently marked For we also grant that Christ died for all but wee denie that therefore all are made partakers of the benefits of Christs death without respect of faith or vnbeleefe or els which is all one wee denie that Christ died for all effectually How Christs death may be effectuall to any the cause of the want of that efficacie being considered not in Christ but in men themselues For to make the death of Christ effectuall vnto vs for redemption his merit is not only needfull but also the application and receiuing of the same which is done by an vnfained faith Matth. 1. The 1. testimonie prouing redemption to be proper to the Church The first testimonie therefore we haue in Matthew in the words of the Angell to Ioseph Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Here we see redemption peculiarly attributed to the people of Christ And the people of Christ be his Church of all places and ages Therefore redemption is peculiar to the Church and yet vniuersall after that sort as we confesse the Church to bee vniuersall Thes 1059. All men be not the people of God proued by three reasons Huber crieth out and such is his Diuinitie saith that by the people of Christ is meant the whole ofspring of Adam and saith that al are truly called to the kingdome of God that they may be his people But the contrary is easily proued First by the name of the people of God the Scripture vseth not to comprehend al men but a certaine companie onely among whom God is acknowledged and called vpon and whom hee likewise acknowledgeth for his owne and to whom belong the couenants and promises Leuit. 26. as the Lord saith I wil walke among you and I will be your God Iere. 31. 2. Cor. 6. Ose 1. 2. and you shall be my people And I will be your God and you shal be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie As also he saith in Oseah I will call a people my people which was not mine and her beloued who was not beloued and it shall come to passe in the place where it was said vnto them Ye are not my people there they shall be called the sonnes of the liuing God All which places Paul to the Romanes expoundeth of the calling of the Gentiles Rom. 9. who whereas they had bin in times past alients from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and being without God in the world afterward obtained the adoption of grace in the kingdome of Christ Tit. 3. So vnto Titus wee reade that Christ purged a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes whom Peter also calleth a people whom God claimeth as his own 1. Pet. 2. a holy nation a royall priesthood What insolencie then is it to imagine that all men be the people of God This is nothing els than to ioyne faithful with vnfaithfull righteousnes with vnrighteousnes light with darkenes Christ with Belial the temple of God with images and to mingle sacred things with prophane Secondly if all should bee the people of Christ it should not onely follow that all must be also called Christians but also as Origene fained all should be saued and haue eternall life seeing saluation which Christ bestoweth vpon his people includeth eternall life as the chiefe fulfilling thereof Thirdly Theophylact vpon the same place thus writeth He saith he shall saue his people not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles who shall beleeue and not doubt to bee made his people Luther also in Gen. 31. Luther at large testifieth that all men are not the people of God but such as hee liketh of and accepteth and cannot be taken out of his hands But let Huber giue care vnto his Brentius especially Brentius who writeth thus in the exposition of his Catechisme Tell vs saith he to whom Iesus is Iesus that is a sauiour from their sinnes The Euangelist saith He shall saue his people He saueth not Aliants but his people They be Aliants whosoeuer beleeue not in him whether they be Iewes or Gentiles And they be his whether they be Iewes or Gentiles as many as doe acknowledge and imbrace him by faith Wherefore of what nation soeuer thou be if thou beleeue the Gospel of Christ thou art made by faith a member of his people and Iesus is in very deede made Iesus vnto thee These things he another of whose sayings also shall be cited hereafter in the seuenth Chapter Nowe let the Tubingers see whether they will condemne Brentius heere or Huber rather of an error A second testimonie we haue in the same Euangelist cha 26. When hee had taken the cup hee gaue it to them saying The 2. testimony Matt. 26. Drink ye all of this For this is the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for remission of sinnes I surely knowe that some of the auncient writers respecting sufficiencie doe expound for many that is that his blood was shed for al seeing euen all are many But the sense rather agreeth by keeping the vsuall signification of Many Many distinguisheth betweene beleeuers and vnbeleeuers vnto the difference betweene the beleeuers and vnbleeuers of whom they receiuing forgiuenes of sinnes are redeemed by the grace of Christ and these are as yet voyd of redemptiō as we before shewed Basils often exposition And the Commentaries vpon Marke which are ascribed vnto Hierome haue expressely that the blood of the new Testament is said to be shed for many because it doth not make cleane all or els that there bee in the very Church some whome no sacrifice doth make cleane much more then out of the Church What that among the newe writers Brentius in his Catechisme doth no otherwise expound it Christ saith he when he said of his blood which is shed for you he addeth this also for Many to signifie that it was shed not onely for the Iewes but also for the Gentiles of whom his Church was to bee gathered And by that place and exposition he taketh here in hand to proue our very matter in hand to wit that Christ by his death hath made satisfaction for the sinnes of his that they may haue remission of
their prince and the children of Israel marking their doore posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe and so escaping so much differeth the world of the vnbeleeuers from the world or people of the faithfull that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may sooner be drowned in the bottome of hell than that the redemption by Christ that true Lambe of God should do them any good at all Esay 43.3 Also as the redeemer of Israel tooke his seruant Iacob and the seede of Abraham and brought them out of Babel into the land of the forefathers giuing the Egyptians the Ethiopians and other wicked people as it were the price for the redemption of the people of God Ier. 30. v. 11.23 so the Lord is with his Church to saue it while the storme abideth still vpon the head of the vngodly The brasen serpent Num 21. Againe in the desert the brasen Serpent lifted vp by Moses at the commandement of God was the onely remedie against the fierie serpents that whosoeuer should looke vpon it should not die but liue and that not for the thing seene but for God the sauiour of all whose word did heale as the Wiseman saith Sap. 16.7 As therefore they that were stung of Serpents then did not liue vnles they looked vpon the signe of health so the crosse of Christ is redemption and life to such as beleeue in him but not to vnbeleeuers And this is it that Christ auoucheth of himselfe Ioh. 3. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Moreouer Exod â—1 The 〈…〉 in the yeare of Iubilie among the Iewes there was a general freedome of all seruants in the yeare of Iubilee as farre forth as the law of libertie gaue leaue to all Hebrewes But as then they that willingly continued in bondage felt not the force of offred libertie so they feele not the efficacie of Christs redemptioÌ„ who abide addicted vnto the world Lib. 1. Ep. 1. Ambrose rehearsing this figure saith excellently He that is a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods all that he hath is libertie hee hath nothing of his who refuseth libertie saying I loue my master his wife and children I will not be free Hitherto tendeth the scape goate The scape goate Leuit. 16. vpon whose head the high Priest euery yeare vsed to lay the curse of all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their sinnes and trespasses and so sent him out into the wildernes and he bore all the sinnes of the people of Israel If this was a figure of Christ to come and of the attonement that he should make as truly it was we must needes confesse that Christ properly maketh satisfaction for the sins of his people as the goate was properly appointed for the people of God the children of Israel to make an attonement for all their iniquities For this cause also Heb. 2. Heb. 2. he is called mercifull and a faithfull high priest to appease Gods wrath for the sins of the people And in the 13. chapter Cap. 13. the Apostle respecting the whole legall sacrifice saith And Iesus suffered without the gate to sanctifie the people by his blood so that we that are his people may boldly say he hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and with his stripes wee are healed 1. Pet. 2. Concluding therefore the first ranke of our arguments The summe of all that hath been said and it is worthie to be obserued we affirme beleeue and confesse that the Sauiour promised to the world the Christ of God preached alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy Prophets and Apostles is appointed by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it bee proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein wee beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to bee vniuersall CHAP. VII Of the second order of proofes The first reason drawne from the definition of redemption IN this ranke we will vse reasons drawne from the analogie of faith and first I reason from the definition Iustification belongeth to the beleeuers and not to vnbeleeues But Redemption is the same that Iustification is Therefore Redemption belongeth to beleeuers and not to vnbeleeuers The Assumption is proued out of Paul Ephesians 1. Col. 1. where he defineth redemption to be remission of sinnes In another place to wit Rom. 4. he will haue the iustification of a man before God to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging that of the Psalme Psal 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered The Maior or first proposition is the doctrine of the Apostle largely handled and proued Rom. 3 4 and 5. chapters and Gal. 2. and 3. chapters to wit that man is iustified by faith in Christ Iesus To which doctrine nothing is more contrary than to imagine iustification to be so generall and largely spreading as condemnation is generall in all and vpon all men simply Thouching the words Ro. 5. we haue answered before least any should thinke that they may be obiected to maintaine so generall a iustification Ambroses exposition of all men Rom. 5. which also Ambrose vpon that place openly reiecteth and expoundeth that grace aboundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life as touching the beleeuers of whom there is a certaine proper vniuersalitie subiect to Christ and partaker of his grace no lesse than the vniuersality of mankind draweth from Adam sinne and death The second argument The 2. reason There is no remission of sinnes out of the Church Therefore neither redemption which Paul as I said defineth to be remission of sinnes The Antecedent Augustine proueth saying In 1. Epist Io. tract vlt. Where there is remission of sinnes there is the Church And from thence in the same place hee gathereth against the Donatists who shut vp the Church in a part of Africa that the Church of Christ is scattered through the whole world because remission of sinnes in the new Testament is despersed through all nations beginning at Hierusalem What is the Catholike Church For this is the Catholike Church that is the people of God throughout all nations accounting and reckening all the saints withal that were before the birth of Christ who yet were knit to the same body whereof he is the head while they beleeued in him who was preached of before Cap. 3. de cate Ruâ—iâ—bus as the same Augustine writeth in another place Here the same illation is of force If redemption be so vniuersall that as our aduersaries suppose all are truely and vndoubtedly
whom he would call them he would iustifie glorifie Can he possibly forsake them whom he hath pursued with his so many and great benefits But there is feare least the Iudge be too seuere Consider what iudge thou hast to wit Christ Can he condemne thee whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he hath offered himselfe whose life he knoweth is the reward of his death Will he not say Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 16. What profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I my selfe haue saued See also if ye please Augustine confirming this very argument Hereupon it riseth that some vnder pretence of vniuersall redemption haue thought that all at length shall be saued Of which mad error Caluin vpon 1. Ioh 2. Bucer in the Acts of the Conference had at Argentine with Melchior Hofman A booke published in the dutch tongue at Argent 1553. doe make mention and also Wolfgange Musculus in the place concerning the redemption of mankinde warning vs to take heede least vnderstanding amisse the vniuersalitie of redemption we say with frantike men that no man is damned and perisheth for euer These our men with whom we deale deny that thing truly but what auaileth it to denie it seeing neuerthelesse they stifly maintaine that principle from whence that error springeth They except that the redeemed doe not perish vnles they cast away and tread vnder foote redemption once receiued But contrariwise the testimonies of Scripture euen now alleaged doe teach that such as are effectually redeemed and alreadie iustified by the gift of God shall certainly haue life and heauenly glorie and cannot possibly by any meanes be pluckt away from the loue of God towards them in Christ Iesu And as for some examples and places to the contrary they haue been sufficiently answered in the second booke before If all sinner be blotted out and satiâ—fied then vnbeâ—iefe is blotted and it shall not condemne vs. Furthermore how agree these things together that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied for and in very deede blotted out and yet that the greater part of men are damned for vnbeliefe For if all sinnes are forgiuen all men then vnbeliefe also is forgiuen How then shall it damne any man Thus it euer abideth vnmoueable that all at length shall be saued if all men together bee effectually made partakers of redemption The 10. reason The tenth argument is drawne from the causes of redemption two whereof are the principall efficient causes one farther off The causes of redemption to wit the grace of God giuing his sonne vnto vs the other most neere vs the sonne himselfe finishing the worke of redemption in the nature of man which hee tooke vpon him The materiall cause is the passion and death of the righteous for the vnrighteous The instrumentall efficient cause is likewise two-fold to wit 1. The word of grace that offereth Christ vnto vs with his benefits and serueth to stirre vp faith in vs for faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God 2. And faith it selfe wherewith as it were a hand wee receiue grace offered and are made partakers thereof Herevpon the Apostle Rom. 3. saith We haue all sinned but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Iesu Christ whom God hath set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes Where we see among other causes of redemption faith required as the instrument wherewith wee may applie vnto vs redemption gotten for vs by his blood and may become partakers thereof to the blotting out of our sinnes Therefore the vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with redemption and propitiation And that the necessitie of faith may the more appeare in euery matter of saluation Faith how necessarie to saluation the Apostle Heb. 11. expressely testifieth that it is impossible without faith to please God producing for this point most notable examples of antiquitie who are shewed to please God through faith and to haue obtained righteousnes which is according to faith Notably saith Augustine in Euang. Ioh. serm 60. The medicine for all wounds The great necessitie and profit of faith and the onely attonement for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ Neither can any man at all bee clensed either from originall sinne or the sinnes which he hath done vnles by faith he be vnited and ioyned to his bodie For they that beleeue in him are the sonnes of God because they are borne of God by the grace of adoption which is in the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ for in beleeuing we are made the sons of God as it is written He hath giuen them prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God while they beleeue in him And serm 181. de temp Faith is the ground of all good things Aug. de temp ser 181. and the beginning of mans saluation without this none can bee of the number of Gods sonnes and without it in this world neither doth man attaine the grace of iustification nor hereafter shall possesse eternall life and whoso walketh not by faith shall not come to see God In these testimonies of the Scriptures and our Elders according to the Scriptures if wee meane to stand and wee ought to rest therein away with the deuise of the righteousnes of all men and the operation of saluation in all Hub. thes 49. 65. and the receiuing of all men into grace and their purging from sins whether they beleeue or not The aduersaries doe except that they thinke not that the merit of Christ is applied without faith or that any man without it can be made partaker of the fatherly will of God Thes 72. 1112 I answere therefore they bee manifestly contrary to themselues that say such things The aduersaries contrarie to themselues Thes 65.270.168 and yet stifly maintaine that all men none excepted faithfull and vnfaithfull before and after Christs birth are set free by the blood of Christ truly and vndoubtedly from all sinne and condemnation and are receiued into the grace and fauour of God that all alike are saued iustified and quickened that all pertaine to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace and such like For if no man can be partaker of the grace of God righteousnes life and saluation in Christ vnles he applie those good things to himselfe and the application cannot be but by faith how belong those things to all vnfaithfull as well as faithfull The 11. reason The Maior The 11. Argument from another consequent Redemption is such a benefit whereby of seruants of sinne wee are made the sonnes of God of children of wrath the children of grace of strangers and vnknowne we are made a royall and priestly stock as it is written Apoc. 1. and 5. He hath loued vs and redeemed vs to God by his blood and hath made vs to our God kings and priests and wee
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
power of the deuill yet through Christ alone none but they all are set free that be regenerated by spirituall grace In the same booke chapter 18. he saith The Christian kinde That he that ouercame the first Adam and held mankinde captiue was ouercome of the second Adam and lost the Christian kinde which was out of Mankinde set free from the sinne of man through him who had no sinne though he was of our kinde The same in his 53. treatise vpon Saint Iohn saith The deuill therefore possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the hand writing of sinnes But by the faith of Christ which was ratified by his death and resurrection through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are deliuered from the deuill An argument and are coupled to the body of Christ In all these places there is this or the like argument What kinde of freedome redemption is Redemption is a freedome from the power of the deuill and such a freedome as whereby it commeth to passe that the deuill cannot draw any of these with him to the destruction of eternall death through the snares of sinnes whom Christ hath redemed with his blood But all men haue not freedome from the power of the deuill Therefore almen are not redeemed but as freedome so redemption is proper to the beleeuers and predestinate according to Augustine and the trueth of this point The world that is precestinate to life Christ came to saue but not the world predestinate to damnation Hitherto belongeth that which in the fore mentioned treatise as also in the 110. and 111. Treatises the same writer constantly expoundeth the world that Christ came to saue and reconcile to God of the good and such as bee predestinate to eternall life being dispersed throughout the whole world that this world of an enemie is made a friend but that the worlde that is predestinate to damnation abideth an enimie neither of this world must it be vnderstood that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe So in the 48. Treatise vpon the saying ye beleeue not for ye are not of my sheepe he saith This he spake because he saw them predestinate to eternall destruction and not prepared by the price of his blood to eternall life And a litle after he is assured of the number of his sheepe because hee knoweth what hee gaue for them And elsewhere Whom God redeemed by the blood of the Mediator he maketh for euer after good De corrept gra cap. 11. But these bee testimonies inough out of Augustine For who can rehearse euery thing hee writeth of this matter Hieromie Furthermore the Commentaries vpon Marke ascribed to Hieromie expresly say that the blood of the newe Testament is sayd to be shed for Many because it doth not cleanse all that there is euen in the Church some whom no sacrifice clenseth As Remigius also as Thomas citeth him Cate. aurea vpon this very place warneth vs to obserue that hee saith not for few or for all but for Many my blood shal be shed because he came not to redeeme our nation onely but Many of all Nations Hilarius in Matthew cap. 7. Hilarie The saluation of the Gentiles saith he is wholly of faith and in the Lordes commandements is the life of all men He saith not the reprobates and vnbeleeuers are as well saued by Christ as any other as these newe sectaries thinke good to speake Chrysostome homil 39. vpon 1. Chrisost Cor. expounding the words of the Apostle touching the quickening of all men by Christ denieth that it is to be vnderstood of the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer are made sinners in Adam are made righteous in Christ Hub. thes 49. 53. which yet our aduersaries would haue The same maner homil 17. vpon the Hebrewes confirmeth the distinction that Christ died for all as touching Sufficiencie and not for all as touching Efficiencie His words are these Why is hee said to be offered to take away the sinnes of Many and not of all because all beleeue not He died for all as much as in him lay that his death is of that waight as is the perdition of all and it is of force enough that no man might perish His arbidger Theophylact vseth the same distinction in 2. and 9. ad Heb. and vpon the saying Iohn 6. Theophylact the bread which I giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world where he writeth albeit all haue not receiued sanctification and a spirituall life yet Christ may bee vnderstood to die for the satisfaction of all as touching the vertue of his death Of the same opinion is Basil as Theophylact sheweth in 9. ad Heb. for thus hee writeth All of vs that beleeue Basil Exhort ad baptis how many soeuer we be are redeemed by the grace of God from sins through his onely sonne who said this is my blood euen the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes The exposition is also twise repeated in the next sermon of Baptisme for Many that is the beleeuers was the blood of Christ shed Notwithstāding in respect of the sufficiencie of his merite it is true that elswhere he saith in Psalme 48. For all men wholly was there one onely worthie price found euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs al. Cyrill Cyrill in Io. li. 11. ca. 19. reconciling that shew of repugnancie that is between the words of Christ I pray not for the world and the wordes of Iohn He is the propitiation of the whole world consenteth to our opinion after this sort Saint Iohn saith he because he was a Iewe least the Lord should seeme to be with his father an aduocate for the Iewes onely cessarily hath added that hee is the propitiation of the whole world that is saith he for all who are called and through faith attaine to righteousnes and sanctification But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from such as be none of his for them saith he onely doe I pray who keepe my words and receiue my yoke For whose mediator and high Priest he is to them onely not without cause doth he attribute the benefite of meditation 2. Cor. 5. In the same place he doth alleage for that matter the saying of Paul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe that is saith he Christ as the Mediator receauing all that come to God by faith and offering himselfe to the father reconcileth the world to God But let vs returne to the Latine writers among whom Prosper of Aquitaine answering the Articles of the French men Prosper chap. 9. plainely approueth this phrase or maner of speaking that Christ died onely for them that shall be saued which our aduersaries slander as blasphemous and Saracenicall His wordes are these Therefore although our
himselfe into all men by his spirit and the fulnes of his Godhead For wee all haue receiued of his fulnes that we might know his most excellent loue Which all Not all Christians And elsewhere de his qui initiantur cap. 4. In the poole of Ierusalem one was cured euery yeare now all are healed or certainly one Christian people alone Infinite such sayings are in the writings of the fathers and in the common speech of men CHAP. IX Testimonies of the Schoolemen and other new Diuines BVt that wee may throughly bring to an end the report of our witnesses let vs proceed to the Schoolmē as they cal them who also haue spread abroad the doctrine which in this point they receiued from their forefathers Pet. Lomb lib. 3 distinct 18. Peter Lombard called the Master of Sentences speaketh of his own others opinion that Christ merited for his members redemption from the deuill and sinne and the opening of the kingdom of heauen that his fierie sword being taken away they may boldly enter thereinto In the same distinction about the end He deserued for vs by the suffering of death and passion the entrance into Paradise and redemption from sinne and the deuill For he by dying was made the sacrifice of our deliuerie But restraining this whole benefit of redemption vnto those that be Christs a little after he addeth If Adams pride was the ruine of all much more was the humilitie of Christ wherby he tasted of death able to open the gate of the kingdome of heauen for all his owne after he had fulfilled the decree of God The same man in his next distinction We are said to be iustified by the death of Christ because we are iustified by faith in his death and as in old time such as looked vpon the brasen Serpent lifted vp vpon the pole were healed of the bitings of Serpents so if we looke vpon him by a true faith who did hang vpon the crosse for vs we are loosed from the bands of the deuil that is from sinnes And in other words at large in the same place he teacheth that deliuerance from the deuill belongs to them that beleeue in Christ Innocent 3 lib. 2. de offic missae cap. 41. Innocentius 3. maketh this distinction◠that the blood of Christ was shed for the predestinate onely as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie and he bringeth the words of Leo before by vs recited And there is nothing more common among the Schoolmen then this distinction Hereupon Thomas in 1. Tim. 2. saith Thomas Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes for some effectually but for all sufficiently because the price of his blood is sufficient to saue all but it hath not effect but in the elect because of an impediment And more cleerely vpon 5. Apoc. he saith We speake of the Lords passion two maner of waies Either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all for it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all although there were more worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. Cur Deus c. homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so not all are redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not to the redeemer and therefore not all haue the efficacie of redemption The same man saith Idem summ de veritate materia 26. quaest 7. The merit of Christ as touching sufficiencie is alike to all but not as touching efficiencie which happeneth partly through freewill partly through Gods election by the which the effect of Christs merits is bestowed vpon some of mercie but it is withdrawne from others by the iust iudgement of God Against the Gentiles lib. 4. cap. 55. he alleageth this cause of the foresaid distinction betweene sufficiencie and efficiencie The death of Christ saith he is as a certaine vniuersall cause of saluation as the sinne of the first man was as it were the vniuersall cause of damnation But the vniuersall cause must be applied to euery one particularly that he may receiue the effect of the vniuersal cause The effect of the sin of our first parents commeth to euery one by our fleshly birth But the effect of the death of Christ commeth to euery one by spiritual regeneration whereby man is after a sort ioyned vnto Christ and incorporated vnto him Other testimonies of this author we haue before alleaged Petrus Galatinus a most learned man Pet. Galatin de arcam Cath. verit lib. 8. cap. 14. following the same distinction writeth after this sort Albeit the passion of Christ ought to be sufficient to blot out the sinnes of all men yet it will not blot out the sinnes of all but theirs onely who shall beleeue in him and repent Therefore saith the Prophet he bare the sinnes of many Also Stapulensis Stapul in 5. Ro. Christ hath truly in himselfe the redemption of all sufficient not onely for vs but to redeeme innumerable worlds beside but not al are partakers therof because of their owne peruersnes as the light of it selfe is able to driue away the darkenes of all men albeit not all mens eies be inlightened Among our Diuines Martyr Caluin Zanchie and others admit and follow the same distinction as wee haue largely noted in the 1. booke chap. 11. Likewise in the 2. booke cha 12. we haue prooued I thinke sufficiently that the most famous and best learned Diuines of Heluetia Zuinglius Musculus Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Simlerus Lauaterus and others are in very deede of the same opinion that we defend touching the vniuersality of grace Luther tom 3. in Isa 53. To these also let vs adioyne Luther So great saith he is the righteousnesse of Christ that it is able to iustifie infinite worlds and Christ offereth his righteousnesse to all men but all that beleeue in him doe obtaine it according to that He that beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued Others abide vnder sinne and wrath And in the same place Christian righteousnes saith he is not receiued vnles Christ be knowen before Againe Christian righteousnesse touching the substance is nothing els then the knowledge of Christ that is faith wherewith Christ is apprehended in the hart that he hath giuen himselfe a ransome for vs and for our sinnes as Paul saith 1 Tim. 2. The word surely offereth and preacheth Christ to all as the sacrifice for our sinnes but vnlesse the holy Ghost inlighten the hearts no man can giue assent vnto this word And we assent when we apprehend the promise that in Christ is the blessing of Nations and this is the glorie of a Christian to know that it is his righteousnes to beleeue in Christ The same man as we haue seene aboue expoundeth those sayings farre otherwise then our aduersaries doe to wit God will haue all men to be saued I wil not the death of a sinner whereupon being naughtily vnderstood leaneth the opinion of our aduersaries hee vnderstandeth them of God will reuealed in his word which he
doctrine or to slāder it either opēly or in corners much lesse to withdraw others from it as the little book testifieth which is intituled Ordinatio ceremonia pro ministris Ecclesiae Argentinensis c. A. ij pag. ij Which things seeing they stand thus with what forehead with what shame dare the aduersarie openly write that our opinion of Redemption was neuer heard of among the people of God vntill the time of the Conference at Mompelgard O whorish audacitie of falsely accusing and witnesse of extreame ignorance if not of malice CHAP. X. Wherein the originall and predecessors of our aduersaries opinion are laid open BVt truly he that speaketh what he will shall heare what he would not as the old prouerbe is Seeing therefore hitherto it hath been shewed that the opinion which we maintaine is plentifully taught in the word of God and hath been receiued in the Church in all times and faithfully euen vnto our daies continued I neither can nor ought I to ouerpasse and leaue out here on the contrary part the discouerie of the originall of our aduersaries opinion The Pelagian heresie is the father of the aduersaries doctrine Tom. 7. apud August I auouch therefore and professe that it hath not the spirit of God or the worthie sayings thereof vnderstood in their naturall sense but the spirit of Pelagian impietie to be the father of the birth and beginning of it Which thing that I seeme not to vtter without mine author Prosper of Aquitane in his Epistle to Augustine of the reliques of the Pelagian heresie among other errors of that naughtines The doctrine of the Pelagians concerning grace freewill and predestination assigneth this also namely that they would affirme that our Lord Christ died for whole mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his blood although he should leade his whole life in all impietie that is although he continue in infidelitie be damned because the sacramēt of Gods mercie belongeth to all men that is the promise of grace as now men speak Therfore in respect of God that life eternall is prepared for all but in respect of freewill that it is laid hold on by them that shall willingly and of their owne accord beleeue in God And he addeth That they are fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would auoide to confesse that God according to the purpose and counsell of his owne will in his secret iudgement but in his manifest work maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour neither would giue their assent that the predestinate number of the elect can neither be increased nor diminished These things hee euidently surely and in liuely colours not so much setting out the reliques of Pelagian heresie in that age as painting Pelagianisme in our aduersaries in this our time Hofman Now that wretch Hofman in the memorie of our fathers of whom lately I spake what was hee but a monster of Pelagian filthie dregges and of other heresies And him doth Huber so resemble in respect of our matter in hand as one egge is not more like to another For he auouched that all be elected all redeemed by Christ without exception of any one Both which Huber thes 1001. pleaseth to set downe thus That all men after Adams fall were in Christ elected and receiued into grace because of the blessed seede in whom the sinnes of all men were to be satisfied And not so onely but also that he may follow him throughly hee commeth foorth furnished with the same places of Scripture and testimonies naughtily wrested as Hofman did cloke his error withall as we haue before briefly shewed Moreouer Pacuuius in this our age one Parcuuius manifestly professing Pelagian impietie not onely maintaineth that Christ is alike as the creator so the redeemer of all and euery one and that all are borne in the state of saluation and grace and therefore happie so that they doe not bring vnto themselues destruction through vnbeleefe that election also and grace is generall c. but also he plainly professeth and boasteth that the Diuines of Wittenberge the successors of Luther but greatly reuolting from Luthers doctrine in this point doe consent with him in the substance of the matter But let them take to themselues all Pacuuians and Hofmans and Pelagians old and new wee haue the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord for our authors and the one agreeing consent of the best approued writers whosoeuer in all ages This is Christian reader the true simple and sound and modest exposition without bitternes and railing of the doctrine of the redemption of mankinde by Christ who is set forth vnto vs of the father to bee a propitiator and aduocate through faith for the pardon of our sinnes in his blood which the Prophets haue so deliuered the Apostles haue preached and the holy men of God haue confirmed Let vs therefore hold it also and abide therein constantly omitting oppositions of knowledge falsely so called and strife of wordes whereupon ariseth enuie strife euill speaking naughtie surmisings wicked practises of men of corrupt mindes and voide of trueth who count gaine to be godlines And specially seeing without faith it is impossible to please God let vs labour to goe to the throne of grace with a true heart and perswasion of faith that wee may obtaine mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede and also by the light of a true faith in Christ Iesu let vs so frame our whole life alwaies euery one of vs doing and meditating this that we may bee found acceptable to our common redeemer to whose glorie we ought wholly to bee consecrated with holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life To him bee honour and glorie and blessing for euer and euer Amen A BOOKE OF GODS PREDESTINATION CHAP. I. The preface and diuision of the doctrine in hand THE disputation of Predestination is of it selfe weightie and difficult and by reason of the curiositie and boldnes of mans wit it is besides not a little intricate and very dangerous while mans reason thrusting it selfe into the secrets of Gods iudgements and wisedome either seeketh into things forbidden or contemneth and scorneth those things he vnderstandeth not yea cannot surely perceiue because they be foolishnes vnto him and are as the Apostle saith spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 1. For who hath known the minde of the Lord that he might instruct him But we haue the minde of Christ who being in the bosome of his eternall father hath gratiously reuealed vnto vs in his worde all the counsell of God as much as concerneth vs to know in this point as in other things to our saluation Therefore following this rule of trueth and righteousnes and nothing fearing the ill report of detractors through the helpe of God Wisd 7.16 in whose hand both wee and also our words are we will consider of Predestination 1. What is predestination 2.
for sinne That this definition may be more easilie vnderstoode Aug. al Simplice lib. 1. â— 2 De conâ—eâ—â— gr ca 7 â—pist item 105. Conâ—â—d as epist Pelag. lib 2 cap. 7. passim alibi we must consider that all of vs are wrapped in one and the same masse of damnation and offence and all belong to one mixture of sinners and vngodly if the grace of God be set a side From that masse of perdition whom God separateth by his grace and predestination they be elect and such as shall be saued according to the purpose of God But whom he leaueth by his iust iudgement in that damnable masse they be they whom we call reprobates and to be damned And vnto the damned is rendred their deserued punishment but vpon such as are set at liberty is bestowed an vndeserued grace that neither these should complaine that they are vnworthie nor these should boast themselues to be worthie but that he that is set free should learne of him that is not freed that he should also be punished but that grace hath relieued him CHAP. III. A confirmation of the former things to wit that some are elected some reprobated of God from euerlasting against the error of certaine men that say that all men are elected in Christ. IT cannot be denied The 1. argument that God doth all things with a determined and certaine counsell and that from euerlasting because there is nothing temporall in God otherwise hee should be mutable as the author of the calling of the Gentiles lib. 2. cap 10. hath truely written In God there is no accident motion or new will or temporall counsell neither is his minde altered with the inequalitie of mutable things but he comprehendeth all times and temporall things together with an euerlasting and stedfast regarde Therefore because God and that willingly saueth some men and damneth others for nothing can be done if hee bee simplie vnwilling and against it we must of necessitie confesse that both are done according to Gods eternall purpose And this is nothing els than that God hath chosen some and reiected others from euerlasting The 2. argument Augustines argument drawne from grace to predestination is not vnlike To whom God giueth his giftes freely I meane faith good workes perseuerance in faith and loue and such like he foreknew also that he would giue them freely and in his foreknowledge he hath disposed them from all eternitie But those gifts freely giuen are bestowed by him vpon some and are not bestowed vpon others Therefore hee foreknew from eternitie and in his prescience disposed also to bestowe them vpon some and not to bestowe them vpon others And this is the very poynt that we defend namely that God hath predestinated some vnto grace before others De bono perseuer cap. 19. These be Augustines words They saith he that so knowe that God giueth faith confession obedience perseuerance Cap. 17. c. that they are not ignorant that he foreknew that he would giue and could not be ignorant to whom he would giue doubtles they knowe predestination for to dispose his future workes in his foreknowledge which cannot be deceiued and changed is no other thing at all but predestination And anon speaking of the grace of faith and perseuerance vnto the end against certaine Semipelagians of those times saith Doe they say that happely neither those things are predestinated Therefore they are not giuen of God or else he knew not that he would giue them But if they be giuen and he foreknew that he would giue them doubtles hee did predestinate them In the same place chap. 2. The Church praieth that the vnbeleeuers may beleeue and beleeuing may perseuer God then conuerteth to faith and he giueth perseuerance vnto the end This God foreknew should come to passe This is the predestination of Saints whom he elected in Christ before the creation of the world that they should bee holie and without spot c. The 3. argument Thirdly there is a strong argument from the word Election either that there is no election or else if there be any election to eternall life it belongeth to some onely and not to all For if eternall life were prepared or destinated for all in respect of God it should surely be termed his purpose predestination and loue but not election according to the difference of these words before set downe Furthermore consider I pray thee christian reader The 4. argument Thes 1127. to what end the contrarie opinion tendeth Huber saith that all are elected and alike beloued of the father in Christ and appoynted to eternall life Yet seeing it is certaine that not all are saued Thes 735. he annexeth another speciall election to this generall which is speciall not in respect of God as though hee tooke peculiar counsell for some men but in respect of men themselues who should applie vniuersal grace to themselues Thes 7â—6 for that God did elect with the condition of faith that they that beleeue in Christ should be saued and such as beleeued not should bee damned Marke here to what ende this opinion tendeth What other thing must wee hence collect than that God determined nothing at all with himselfe to giue faith to some and not to giue it to others neither that he giueth it to some peculiarly but that he hath left it in mens power to beleeue the Gospell or not to beleeue For if he giue faith to some surely he tooke peculiar counsell concerning them and let the rest passe But if he giue not faith peculiarly to some the grace of God whereby we are saued is ouerthrowne and let the Pelagians carrie away the victory Further they that imagine so of election as hath been saide confessing in word Gods election doe in very deede take away all election for if it were so God should not choose vs but wee him by receiuing his offered grace and we should be as it were the potters and formers of Gods election Also we shuld be so elected because we beleeue Marke this well Epist 105. Testimonies of the new Testament prouing election and reprobation wheras on the contrarie we are elected that we might beleeue For electioÌ„ surely doth not finde but make men faithfull as Augustine testifieth But least we should seeme to leane onely vpon reasons we haue many and those very notable testimonies in the sacred Scriptures to proue both the election and reprobation of some men as God from euerlasting would either haue mercy or not haue mercie vpon them Christ Matthew 11. I thanke thee O father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to babes Euen so father because it so pleased thee Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen but the prophesie of Esay is fulfilled in them ye shall heare with your eares and not
reason of the election of the one so of the reiection of the other but because it so pleaseth God for the manifestation of his mercie or iudgement Hereunto may be added the case of innumerable children without the Church who are preuented with death The 5. reason before they haue the iudgement of reason and cannot bee iustly reproued for the neglect of helping grace If such as dissent from vs be asked concerning these whether they thinke that none of them doe perish they dare not I suppose denie If they perish they are reckoned among those whom God hath reiected yet he could foresee in them no contempt of grace seeing they should not haue it yea he foreknew rather that they should not contemne grace Neither doth that deuice any thing helpe them that God saw what they would doe if they had recouered For God in punishing and pardoning respecteth not what any man would doe but what good or euill he hath done in his body Thus it is manifest that the reprobation of the vngodly no lesse than the election of the Saints dependeth vpon the only will of God and not vpon the foreseene good or euill wils of men Neither is it materiall that some persons defame this doctrine by this or that name and endeuour to make it odious It is the doctrine of the Scriptures and defended by Augustine constantly as we see Augustine and many other writers auouch and maintaine this doctrine of reprobatioÌ„ according to the Scriptures As also by Hilarie Prosper Primasius and others who long agoe well perceiued the naughtines of the Pelagian spirit Prospers words out of his epistle to Augustine of the remnants of Pelagian heresie are That according to Gods purpose before the world there was made a difference betweene them that were to bee elected and reiected and that some were created vessels of honor and others vessels of dishonor according to the good pleasure of the creator And againe he saith that God according to the purpose and counsell of his owne will in his secret iudgement but yet in a manifest worke made one vessell to honour another to dishonour whereas no man is iustified but by grace and no man is borne but in sinne And this saith he they of necessitie graunt that confesse that all good merits are preuented by grace and by it haue this free gift that they might be Lib. 1. dist 4â— Thom. part 1. q. 23. in 9. ad Rom. Neither is the doctrine any other of the Master of Sentences as they call him for he saith He chose whom it pleased him of his free mercie not because they would be faithfull but that they might be faithfull So also he reprobated whom he would not for future merits which he foresaw yet in most vpright trueth and beyond our vnderstanding The same opinion Thomas Aquinas and other Schoolemen of no obscure account doe follow and doe confirme it with strong reasons Looke also Luthers iudgement in his booke of seruile will where vpon the place of Malachie hee boldlie writeth these wordes Eternall and vnchangeable is the loue of God Luther de seruo arbis eternall is the hatred of God towards men before the world was made not onely before the merite and worke of frewill And he manifestly reiecteth it as a fained thing that God should bee said to hate them while they were yet vnborne because hee foreknewe that they would commit things worthy of hatred Rom. 11. Neither is this anie hindrance saith he because we reade that the Iews for the merits of their vnbeliefe were cut off from the oliue tree and that the Gentiles were graffed in by faith We knowe that men by faith are ingraffed and by infidelity cut off and that they are to be exhorted to beleene leaest they be cut off The very poynt of the controuersie of predestination But we dispute not what followeth beleeuers or vnbeleeuers but by what merite by what helpe doe men attaine to faith whereby they are ingraffed or to vnbelief whereby they are cut off This merite Paul describing vnto vs teacheth that by no worke of ours but by the onely loue hatred of God it commeth to passe All these words are Luthers The same man afterward vpon the similitude of the potter and claie answering the cauill that this potter as Erasmus in his Diatribe did interperet maketh a vessell to dishonour through precedent merits as he reiected the Iewes for vnbeliefe and receiued the Gentils for their faith If God saith he do thus why murmure they and find themselues grieued why saie they wherefore doth he complaine who shall resist his will Marke this wel what neede had Paul to represse them further where is the power that the potter hath to do what he will if being subiect to merites and lawes he is not suffered to doe what he will for the respect of merites fighteth with the power and libertie to doe what he will c. Therefore what vnreasonable dealing is it and what enuie against the truth to cast in our teeth Caluinisme because we auouch that neither the righteousnes nor maliciousnes of men but the secret will of God is the cause why grace plucketh some out of the common destruction whereunto we are all subiect by nature and doth not plucke others If this be Caluinisme what shall be done to Luther to saie nothing of the auncient writers Yet it is to be obserued that we doe not maintaine as our aduersaries spitefully doe imagine of vs The slaunders of Hub. thes 350. Zanch de nat Deâ—fol 669. Visi admon Neost pag. 113. Bez. resp 2. ad Col. Momp fol. 223. That no man is condemned for sinnes or vnbeliefe as the foregoing cause We teach the contrary and our men with one consent haue alwaies taught that God taketh punishment of none and no man shal be damned of him but for sin For punishment hath no place but in respect of sin Moreouer this is also true That as God damneth not anie but sinners and such as deserue damnation for sins so also he hath not decreed to damne anie but for sin For whatsoeuer God doth in his time also he determined froÌ„ euerlasting to do after the very same way as it is done Therefore because he damneth the reprobates and wil damne them for sins doubtles he also decreed from euerlasting to damne them for sins And from hence againe the deprauing of our doctrine by the aduersaries appeareth when they faine that wee teach that God without respect of sin Note God decreed to condemne none but for sinne of his sole and absolute will hath appointed some men to damnation Yea Gods decree is of the condemnation of sinners onely and that for sins But seeing wee bee all sinners and worthy of damnation why God hath predestinated these men to bestowe vpon them freely glory and hath predestinated others to bee punished in his iust iudgement for sins hereof wee haue
left in their owne obstinacie while they either bee depriued of the meanes to heare the word or else if they doe heare it are not so called as that they are become fit to follow it Wee speake now of totall blinding as I may so call it which hath ioyned with it finall impenitencie and not of euery particular one which happeneth to the predestinate also whom God now and then before and after their conuersion suffereth to fall into sins yet so as all things worke vnto their saluation The vse of these things is that wee may vnderstand what great thankes are to bee giuen to God for his mercie Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. 2. The vse of all who sheweth in the punishment of some what he freely bestoweth vpon others CHAP. XVII How God is said to harden and blinde IT remaineth now that we consider how blinding and hardening of the vngodly is attributed vnto God For vnlesse this be rightly vnderstood God shall seeme to bee accused of iniustice and contrariwise sinners excused according to the saying Why is hee yet angrie for who shall resist his will Some to auoide these rockes doe expound Diuerse opinions of Gods hardening a man that God hardeneth by permitting onely and all seeme not to take this permission after one sort some referre it to the long suffering and lenitie of God so that he is said to harden when he doth not forthwith chasten sinners and to haue mercie when by and by he inuiteth them to repentance by afflictions Others say that permission here is the priuation of grace so that to harden is all one with not to soften by grace The former exposition is referred of Erasmus to Origene and Hierome Collat. de lib. arbit De ser arbit ca. 139. seq But it is confuted by Luther by most strong reasons For that ouermuch libertie of interpreting tendeth to confound all things by a new and vnheard of Grammer as when God saith I will harde the heart of Pharao The first opinion confuted as false changeing the persons a man should take it Pharao hardeneth him selfe by my lenitie God hardeneth our heart that is wee harden our selues while God deferreth punishment So that God sheweth mercie doth not signifie to giue grace to forgiue sinnes to iustifie or to deliuer from euils but contrarily it signifieth to punish and to chastise This is nothing else than of mercie to make wrath of wrath mercie by an altogether crosse kinde of speech And if then God bee said to harden when hee doth good and forbeareth and to haue mercie when he afflicteth and chastiseth then God shall not bee said to haue hardened Pharao but contrariwise to haue had mercie on him For what omitted hee in afflicting chastening and calling Pharao to repentance These and many other things saith Luther in that place Augustine also reproueth Iulian the Pelagian of an error for this Lib. 5. cap. 3. that he thought that hardening pertained onely vnto Gods patience and not to his power as God did not harden but by shewing his patient goodnesse when euils bee done What is it saith he that we daily say Leade vs not into tempration but that we bee not deliuered ouer vnto our lusts Doe we happely aske this of God that his goodnes be not patient towards vs What man in his right wits so meaneth Because so wee should not call for his mercie but rather prouoke his anger The second opinion better but vnperfect Their iudgement is somwhat fuller who albeit they also make mention of permission in this matter yet they take hardening for the withdrawing and depriuing of grace And this is it that is read in Augustine De prâ—â—l graâ—ca 4. Epist 1â—5 Lib. 1. cap 2. God is saide to harden to blinde to turne away him whome hee will not soften inlighten and call Neither doth God harden by bestowing malice but in not bestowing mercy Also to Simplician Gods hardening is that he is vnwitting to shew mercie so that he giueth not any thing to a man to make him worse but onely giueth him nothing to make him better And by and by he bestoweth not vpon some sinners his mercie to iustifie them and therefore he is said to harden some sinners because he hath not mercie on them and not because he compelleth them to sinne In this sense Lombard also and Aquinas speake of induration oâ— hardening Lom lib. 1. dist 4. c. 4. q. â— 2. q. 29. God moueth mens hearts to good and euil but diuerslie yet alwaies iustly Albeit this exposition be tollerable yet the same Aquinas in his exposition vpon the 9. to the Rom. vpon the saying he hardeneth whom hee well freely confesseth that something more must bee vnderstood herein and he addeth that men are moued of God to good or euill by a certaine inward motion but diuersely For a man is stirred vp to good of God directly and of him selfe as of the author of goodnes but vnto euill by occasion Here with may those things be compared that Luther hath in his booke of seruile free will cap. 150. and 154. and Brentius vpon 1. Sa. 2. of Elies sonnes writeth thus Brentius To the intent they might be punished worthily according to their deserts the Lord by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish to wit inwardly working what outwardly hee forbiddeth by his word And this is not to be the author or cause of maliciousnes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same These things he De gra lib. arâ— cap. 1. But especially Augustine at large proueth and declareth that God worketh as pleaseth him euen in the hearts of wicked men by rendring vnto them according to their deserts So God saith he wrought in the heart of Amasia 2. King 14. with whome doubtles God was iustly angrie for his Idolatrie that he should not heare good counsell but contemning it should goe to warre where with his whole army he might be destroyed And in the Psalmes it is said of the Egiptians what God did vnto them Psalm 105. He turned their hearts that they hated his people and dealt deceitefully with his seruants Of these and such like places of the holy Scripture he afterward concludeth God worketh in mâ—ns hearts to bow their wills to good or euill that God worketh in the hearts of men to bowe their willes whither soeuer it pleaseth him either to good of his mercy or to euill according to their deserts in his iudgement doubtles sometime manifest sometime hidden but alwaies iust In like maner against Iulian Lib. 5 cap. 3. Many things saith he we could rehearse wherby it might plainely appeare that by the secret iudgement of God the hart is made peruerse God punisheth sinne with sinne that a man heareth not the truth and therupon sinneth for a punishment of some former sin And
Rom. 8 Whom he foreknew them he predestinated to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them he glorified Rom. 11. The election hath obtained it the rest were hardened Ephes 1. Hee chose vs in him before the world that wee might be holy and blameles before him through loue and hath predestinated vs to adopt vs for sonnes through Christ Iesu c. In the same Epistle chap. 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu to good workes which God hath prepared that we should be exercised in them To which end tendeth also 2. Thes 3. Tit. 1. that faith as the Apostle saith belongs not to all but to the elect of God But vnderstand a true faith and effectuall by loue the faith not of the deuil but of a Christian man which beeing placed on the foundation suffereth no man to perish as Augustine saith De fide oper cap. 18. Ioh. 6. Whatsoeuer the father giueth me commeth vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not forth No man commeth to me vnles my father drawe him who sent me and I will raise him vp in the last day It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God that is saith Augustine Tract 26. All the men of that kingdome Whosoeuer therefore hath heard of the father learned coÌ„meth vnto me Ioh. 10. you beleeue not for you are not of my sheepe as I said vnto you my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue them eternall life and they shall not perish By these places we are taught that a true faith and coÌ„uersion be gifts peculiar to the elect and doe flowe from the eternall decree of God touching his elect so that for iust cause we turne our eyes hither when we seeke for the certainety of our election Whereupon Saint Peter also aduiseth vs to make our calling and election sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1. by adding to saith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance long suffering godlines loue to the brethren c. So it shall come to passe that an entrance shall abundantly bee ministred vs into the eternall kingdome of our Lord Iesu Christ In the same sense Paul to Timoth. when he had testified of the surenes of election in it selfe that the foundation of God standeth sure Two seales of the â—urâ—es of our election one God the other outs hauing this seale God knoweth who are his forthwith addeth another seale in respect of vs Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lorde depart from iniquitie And he addeth If a man therefore purge himselfe from these things he shall be a vessell for honour By all which wordes he meaneth that the studie of holines is the best way to know our election Further the same Paul iudging of the election of the Thesialonians and other faithfull considered it no other way Phil 1. 1. Thess 1. than by the faith loue hope and other fruites of their calling to Christ and fellowship in the Gospell Obiection But the end doubtles deceiued or ouercame this hope and iudgement of Paul in some men therefore faith hope and charity c. are not sure signes of election to eternall life Answere To this I answere that charity iudging by these signes of the election of our neighbor is sometime deceiued Marke this but this is not the cause of the error that faith and charity be not sure markes of election in them selues but because we cannot be sure of the vnfained faith of our neighbor and of his charity out of a pure heart as well as wee are of our owne Of which difference we will more fully speake hereafter when we haue finished this point The second way therefore The second way whereby a man may know himselfe to be elected whereby a man may bee certaine of the predestination of himselfe to life is the word of promise For albeit by a singular or seuerall promise God saith not to thee or me Thou art elected and shalt be kept to eternall life yet there is a generall promise in the word and that faithfull and worthy by all meanes to be imbraced of vs that whosoeuer shall beleeue in the sonne of God Marke this very well and remember it hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation but shall be raised vp to the glorie of the kingdome of heauen and therefore was elected vnto that kingdome because this kingdome of the father shall not be giuen but to whom it was prepared before the foundation of the world Vnder this vniuersall promise whosoeuer is partaker of the gift of God let him assume to himselfe in his heart I am faithfull and moreouer let him conclude therefore I shall be saued and by consequence I am elected For the confirmation of this argument we must knowe that the Maior speaketh onely of a sauing or iustifying faith and such a one as worketh by loue for this faith suffreth no man to perish but not of an historicall or temporary faith as is the faith of many men who receiue the word with ioy for they are glad of some tast and vnderstanding of the truth against errors wherein they had been drowned but when oppression and persecution arise for the words sake straight waies they fal away because they haue no root in themselues but endure for a time And if it may helpe a weake minde Matth. 13. whether hee that beleueth may be sure that he is endued with a true faith in Christ let the Apostle be considered â—â—w I may be sure I haue a true faith 2 Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you bee in faith examine your selues Knowe ye not your selues that Iesus Christ is in you And surely one of the twayne is necessarie that either the beleeuer knoweth himselfe to beleeue or else if he know it not he is vncertaine also of his iustification seeing iustification is by faith Wee say therefore with Augustine Epist. 112. de Trin. lib. 13. cap. 2. that euery man seeth and knoweth his owne faith in himselfe specially seeing it is not the naturall disposition of faith to lye hid as it were buried but more and more daiely to declare it selfe by newenes of life and the fruites of good works Obiection But thou wilt say I find in my selfe great weakenes of faith many grieuous doubtings wherewith my faith his shaken Answere Well But the Lord is of such clemencie Rom. 14. he doth not cast away but receiue to himselfe a man that is weake in the faith neither doth he quench smoking flaxe Matth. 12. 2. Cor. 12. or breake the bruised reede And as he answered Paul His power is perfected through weakenes Onely bewayle thy infirmity and craue daily the grace of the holy Ghost Obiection Matth. 10. Heb. â—0 But I am in
meere false accusations and haue been fully before confuted in their places Obiection But say they albeit these conclusions of mans reason are ill drawen from the determined sentence of Gods will Whither this doctrine must be concealed because it offendeth some touching those that shall be saued and damned which we terme Predestination yet for their sakes who are offended this doctrine albeit true ought to be concealed rather than taught and propounded The reason is this The truth ought often to be concealed for their sakes that cannot comprehend it by the example of Christ I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them away now and of the Apostle I could not speake vnto you as spirituall but as vnto carnall euen as to babes in Christ I haue giuen you milke and not strong meate for ye were not yet able for it neither as yet ye be A Syllogisme But it is confessed that many cannot comprehend the doctrine of predestination Therefore for their sakes it ought to be concealed namely least we should make them worse who do not vnderstand it while we would make them better learned that do vnderstand it Answere De bono perseu cap. 16. Vnto this argument long agoe often vsed of the Semipelagians doth our Augustine answere And hee answereth to the Maior which is onely particular and then is of force when a man runneth into daunger by speaking onely the truth and not also by concealing it I will set it downe in Augustines words When the trueth may be concealed It were tedious to seeke out or alleage all the causes of concealing the truth yet this is one least we make them worse that vnderstand it not while wee desire to make them better learned that doe vnderstand it who though wee should conceale such a thing are neither the better learned nor worse But when a truth standeth thus that he that cannot vnderstand it is made worse by our speaking of it and he that can is made worse by our concealing of it When the trueth must be taught and not concealed ought not the truth rather to be spoken that he that is able to vnderstand it may vnderstand it than to be concealed that not onely both may not comprehend it but also that he that is of a better vnderstanding may become worse who if he should vnderstand it more men by him might learne Let the truth therefore be spoken specially where some doubt forceth vs to speake it and let them vnderstand it that are able least peraduenture when it is concealed for their sakes that cannot vnderstand it such as are able are not onely defrauded of the truth but also intangled in falsehood Luthers answere albeit in other wordes is all one with this de seruo arbit cap. 40. And this differēce is most easily confirmed Are not many at this day offēded The Apostles taught the trueth though many were offended at it Rom. 3. 6. long ago were offended at the doctrine of grace iustificatiō by only faith in Christ Iesu that they spoke euil of the very Apostles falsly reported thē to say Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof let vs sin that grace may abound And yet for that cause ought not the true doctrine of grace the iustification of a man be suppressed with one silence neither must we be an occasion of any mans perishing that is deluded with a false perswasion of his workes and merites So 1. Cor. 1. as Paul testifieth Christ crucified was a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Grecians Did Paul therefore slacke any whit of his wonted diligence in preaching the worde of the crosse yea because by foolish preaching it pleased God to saue such as beleeue he determined to know nothing but Christ Iesu crucified Farwell then that preprosterous warynes of those men that suppose that the doctrine of predestination ought to be buried in silence because it agreeth not with the iudgement of the flesh We on the contrary stand to the iudgement of the spirit and say that reason must be commaunded both euery where else in causes of faith and also especially in this So it shall come to passe that the mysteries of heauenly doctrine may be layd open and made sweete vnto vs. Obiection And whereas it was alleaged besides that the more ancient fathers before Augustine had defended the Catholike faith for so many yeeres euen without this defining of predestination hereunto it is answered Answere to the obiection concerning the fathers before Augustine that the ancient fathers were not altogether silent in this matter For euen they preached the true grace of God as it ought to be preached that is before which do goe no merites of man De bono perseu cap. 19. Which thing Augustine sheweth plainely by the testimonies of Cyprian Ambrose and others That is an excellent saying of Cyprian We must glorie in nothing seeing nothing is ours But Ambrose sayd Our heart and thoughts are not in our owne power Also Amb. in Luc. in expos proamij the will of men is prepared of God and whatsoeuer is honourable in the saints the same is of his grace The same writer vpon Luke intreating of the Samaritans that would not receiue Christ withall learne saith he that he would not receiue hollow hearted conuerts for if he would he would haue made them deuout that had no deuotion in them For whom he vouchsafeth he calleth Greg. Naz. whom he will he maketh religious Gregorie Nazianzene also is cited of Augustine who witnesseth that both giftes come from God both to beleeue in God and also to confesse what wee beleeue Besides it is the consent of the whole Church which neuer wanted this thing in her prayers For when did not the Church pray for vnbeleeuers for her enemies that they might beleeue and for the faithfull that they might grow from faith to faith and continue therein to the ende Neither doe the faithfull aske any other thing in the Lordes prayer specially when they say leade vs not into temptation but that they may through the gift of God continue in a holy obedience As therefore the Church was borne hath growen and nowe increaseth in these prayers so also in this faith to beleeue that the grace of God is giuen not according to the merites of them that receiue it seeing the Church would not pray that faith might be giuen to vnbeleeuers and perseuerance in faith to the faithfull vnlesse she had alwayes beleeued of a certainety that they be the giftes of God And who wil say that those fathers and the vniuersal Church did so confesse the grace of God that they durst deny his foreknowledge which not only the learned but also the vnlearned confesse Futher if they so knew that God gaue these things as that they were not ignorant of his foreknowledge that he would giue to whom he would giue out
of doubt they knew the predestination of the Saints For this is nothing else than the prescience and preparation of Gods benefites whereby they are most certainely deliuered as many as bee deliuered the rest being left by the iust iudgement of God in the lumpe of pedition All this is Augustines answer cap. 14.19.24 pâ—ssi de bonpers yet here we must know that before the Pelagian heresie sprung vp which happened when Augustine was now Bishop the Fathers briefly only in some places of their writings shew their iudgement of the grace of God standing in the meane while vpon other things which they handled against other enemies of the Church and vpon exhortations to all vertues wherein men must serue God But the state of time was otherwise after that Pelagius had vomited forth his poison then very necessitie compelled the sound Fathers more full and more exactly to defend the places of the Scripture wherein predestination and grace that is giuen thereupon is set forth De bon perseu cap. 23. For as Augustine witnesseth each seuerall heresie brought in their peculiar questions and of necessitie caused men to search into and to defend the diuine Scriptures more diligently than they would haue done if no such necessitie had vrged them CHAP. XXVIII Or last That Predestination must soberly and discreetly be preached THerfore it is made manifest that the doctrine of predestination is profitably retained in the Church also to good purpose preached vnto the people when occasion requireth But how and with what speach it may be preached Predestination must be preached soberly is a matter of great edifycation For wee haue hereunto neede of christian sobriety and discretion For if euer elsewhere surely here that which the Apostle saith ought to bee obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wee must bee wise to sobrietie Rom. 12. doubtlesse we must iudge and speake of predestination according to those things onely that are taught in the scriptures For in them is contained what is sufficient and what is sure and sound which if they doe not satisfie any man let him not hope to finde the knowledge of the trueth elsewhere Therefore let vngodly and male part reason be bridled which while it dare withstand the word of God breedeth all difficultie in this matter and entereth into a Labyrinth from whence afterward it findeth no passage out Let also curiositie in general be restrained that it go no further to search out the things that God will haue to be hidden in himselfe than it may safely and than our infirmitie doeth permit Ecclesiasticus 3.21 22 24 Because the power of God is great saith the wiseman and it getteth glorie of the humble Seeke not out the things that are too high for thee and aboue thy reach but religiously meditate on those things which God hath commaunded thee For it is not needefull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secert seeing already more things are reuealed than mans capacity can comprehend Whereupon it is well said of Augustine that there is a certaine learned ignorance and that is to be preferred before rash knowledge But as it it a poynte of odious curiositie to search out secret things so it is a signe of intollerable vnthankefulnes to neglect the things that God will haue reuealed Aug lib. 5. de Gen. ad lit But the meane is Christian sobrietie to follow the Scripture which we may safely doe which as with a motherly pace goeth faire and softly least it should forsake our infirmitie It must also be taught discreetely â—o the hearers But discretion also must be ioyned to sobriety which will be carefull to propound this doctrine to the capacitie of the hearers and to their edification by shewing the true vse of it and auoyding offence of words For it is the propertie of a deceitfull Augustines comparison or vnskilfull phisition so to bring forth euen a holesome medicine that it helpeth not but hurteth And touching the capacitie of the hearers the same admonition serueth well in this place which is elsewhere mentioned to make difference betweene such as haue neede of milke as children in Christ and such as neede stronger meate as men of perfect age Of which thing Luther writeth passing well Babes in Christ saith he must needes first growe Praesa ad Rom. before they drinke this pure wine For here there is euen a certaine childehoode that needeth milke vntill it be accustomed to eate strong meate Therefore hee shortly reproueth curious heads that search out the bottome of predestination before they haue learned Christ and the power of his crosse whereas according to the order of the Apostle to the Romanes the knowledge of Christ must first be learned and the mortification of the olde man and from hence wee must proceede vnto the crosse and tribulations And then saith he this necessitie of predestination will waxe sweete and we shall perceiue how full it is of consolation Further touching the vse of predestination The hearers must be admonished of the vse of iâ— and that they abuse it not the hearers must also be admonished when any thing is spoken of it that they abuse it not to the libertie of the flesh or vnto desperation hatred and blaspheming of God but that they vse it rather to the glorie of God and to stirre vp in them loue and care of good workes and to vpholde their faith with all long suffering and consolation in all afflictions by making certaine account that there is nothing that can separate vs from the loue of God towards vs in Christ Iesu our Lord. Lastly as touching the maner and forme of teaching it The maner of teaching it must be in apt and fit words we must take heede that the things which are spoken truely be also aptly spoken to auoide as much as we may the offence of the hearers For it is greatly materiall how and after what maner of teaching anything is propounded As for example if any man speaking of predestination vnto the Church should say whether ye runne or sleepe ye shall be that that hee who cannot bee deceiued hath predestinated you vnto predestination it selfe seemeth to bee after a sort disproued by that preaching of it among the vnskilfull as also the foreknowledge of God which surely no man can deny seemeth to be blamed if it should be saide to men whether ye runne or sleepe ye shall be that for which he who cannot be deceiued hath foreknowne you More fitly to this purpose it is said So runne ye that ye may obtaine and by your course know your selues to bee foreknowne and to belong to the predestination of Gods grace So it is too hard a saying if a man should speake to the Christian people after this sorte That some of you beleeue others beleeue not it therefore commeth to passe because some of you haue receiued the helpe of grace pitying your miserie others haue
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati
grace must be preached to euery creature Mark 16. but the enioying of it abideth with the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers wherein there is no difference of Iewe or Gentile Rom. 3. maister or seruant male or female but the righteousnes of God is in all and vpon all that beleeue But they that beleeue not shall not see life Iob. 3. but the wrath of God abideth on them And this is enough that thou maiest safely and oughtest to beleeue that Christ dyed for thee and thy saluation because we are commaunded all to repent and beleeue the Gospell hauing this promise added that he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned The aduersarie cauilleth Huber thes 83. that it is not sufficient for vs to say that we must beleeue that Christ profiteth all men who beleeue in him for straightwaies is asked what shall I beleeue What is promised vnto me before I beleeue What Thou hast the rule of faith the Apostles Creede and doest thou not know what thou oughtest to beleeue And as touching the promise it is true that vnles a promise goe before faith cannot follow seeing faith commeth by hearing the promise I say therefore that the grace of God saluation and eternall life in Christ are promised to a man not as yet beleeuing but conditionally if he shall beleeue Luther Here Luther in Gen. 48. If thou beleeuest thou hast if thou wilt not beleeue thou shalt haue nothing For so much thou hast as thou doest beleeue If thou beleeuest now thou canst doe and possessest all things but if thou doest not beleeue thou hast nothing CHAP. XIIII A discussing of the fift absurditie FVrthermore the first absurditie raised vp by this contentious quareller is this that by the deniall of vniuersall redemption as he vnderstandeth it that is by the not graunting of the vniuersalitie of grace and saluation by Christ in all and vpon all without any difference of faith or vnbeleefe elect or reprobates there followeth the abrogation of the whole ministerie of the Gospell because no man can know if we credite him what must be preached to any man Is it euen so But we see Christ and his Apostles from whom we must draw the patterne of sound doctrine What must be preached to whom and how Ioh. 9 41. Luk 14 47. Act. 2.38 10.43 to follow this way of teaching that they reproue all of sinne they exhorte all to repentance and faith they lift vp consciences afflicted with the feeling of sinne and terrified with the feare of iudgement by the promises of the Gospell contrariewise they affray with the Lawe secure persons and briefly they open to the beleeuers Rom. 1.2.3 and shut to the vnbeleeuers the kingdome of God These authors if wee will imitate and wee must bee thereto willing we shall know What is to diuide the word aright what to whome and how we must preach and making choyce betweene careles persons and them that are pricked in their hearts we shall preach grace and remission of sinnes vnto them who acknowledge themselues to haue sinnes and doe desire to be deliuered from them but vnto them who securely goe on in sinnes we shall propound the Lawe that by the curse they may be terrified and brought by this meanes vnto the feare of God This is to diuide the worde of God rightly that God may bee acknowledged both mercifull vnto them that confesse their sinnes and beleeue in his sonne and also angrie with careles persons and so euery one may learne to feare God and to leane vpon his mercie which he hath declared in the sending of his sonne This difference not obserued it commeth to passe that they who were to bee comforted by the Gospell are crucified by the Lawe and they who were to bee terrified by the Lawe Tom. 2. fol. 123. tom 4. fol. 104. are hardened by the Gospell as Luther doth very well aduise vs of all these things in Gen. 18. and vpon that saying of Matthew chap. 9. Be of good comfort sonne thy sins are forgiuen thee Where also among other things he noteth that Christ offered the Gospell to the man afflicted with the palsey but reproued the Pharisees for blasphemers and wicked men Why saith he thinke ye euill He doth not say to the man sicke of the palsey why doest thou thinke euill Nor to the Pharisees Be of good comfort c. most rightly cutting the word of God Not our opinion but our aduersaries disturbeth the order of preaching aright Here now let it bee considered whether doctrine disturbeth this order Ours whereby out of the commaundement of God all are commanded to repent and beleeue and to all and euery beleeuer is preached forgiuenes of their sins from God for the merits of Christ as often as by a true faith they imbrace the promise of the Gospell but contrariwise to all vnbeleeuers and hypocrites is denounced that the wrath of God and eternall condemnation doe so long abide vpon them as they continue to be such men Or els the doctrine of Huber rather Thes 60. who being caried away in the chariot of contention through vaine paradoxes preacheth to all men as well to secure as to the afflicted as well to vnbeleeuers as to beleeuers that all iudgement and wrath of God is in verie deede truly and properly taken away and remoued who vndoubtedly auoucheth that all men together are freed from all sinne Thes 65. and that whole mankinde in very deede without exception of any one is receiued into the grace and bosome of the father by the death of his sonne Who also affirmeth that righteousnes and the worke of saluation by Christ pertaineth to all them that were lost in Adam Thes 46. and defendeth with as great contention and impudencie as his wit and stile will yeeld him Thes 270. that al reprobates as well as any other whomsoeuer are saued by him Wherefore let him rather acknowledge his owne fault then so boldly blame other men He obiecteth If the grace of God pertaine not to all Obiection Thes 475. sequent with what mouth with what forehead dare the minister and preacher of reconciliation in publishing the Gospell call all and euery one to the grace of God Jf he inuite all promise to all exhort all to repentance he shal lie because grace belongeth not to all by this supposition and vnto whom the promise grace doe not belong they also neither ought nor can possiblie beleeue Answere I answere that in this argument diuers things are mingled together the commandement of repentance that is the inuitation to conuersion and faith and the promise of grace Therefore a distinction is needfull The commandemēt of faith and repentance bindeth all Mar. 1. As touching the precept of conuersion and faith that bindeth all men simplie according to the saying Repent ye and beleeue Wherefore no lye shall here bee committed
eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are