I am Apollos are not ye men What I praye you â—s Paule What is Apollâ— They are ministers by whoÌ„ ye haue beleued And to euery man as god hath geuen grace I haue planted Apollo hath watered but god hath geuen the enâ—rease So nether he whiche doth plant is anâ— thinge nor he whiche dothe water but god which geueth the increase Do not you se that the Apostle entendeth nothing els but that man shulde be brought low and made meke and god onely exalted sythe that in them which are plaÌ„ted and in them which are watered he doth saye that neyther the planter nor yet the waterer to be anye thinge but god which geueth y â— encrease â–ª Yea and also the selfe same thing that the one doth plant thother water the Apostell doth attribute and geue vnto God and not vnto man sayinge as god hath geuen to euery man I haue planted and Apollo hath watered So the Apostell procedynge in the selfe same matter came to that he sayde lette no man therefore be proude nor haue his reioysyng in man for he sayde before he whiche reioyseth is proude let hym reioyse and be proude in the lorde After he had spoken these wordes and diuerse other continuyng styll in that same purpose mater he sayde These thinges brethren I haue described in myne owne person and in the person of Apollo for your sake that ye might learne by vs that no man aboue more than that which is written shulde swell one against another for any mans cause For who preferreth the What haste thou that thou haste not receuyd Yf thou hast receuyd it why reioysest thou as thoughe thou haddest not receuyd it To suppose and thinke y â— by these words which the Apostel doth speake against the pryde of man y t no man sholde reioyse in man but in god the natural gyftes which god hathe gyuen to man are to be ment and vnderstanded whither it be y â— selfe same nature whiche god dyd gyue at the fyrst pure and clean 〈◊〉 ells y e remnant of that natur nowe corruptyd I take it to be to farre from al reason Do you think that these gyftes of nature whiche ar common to al men â–ª do prefer on man before an other For at the fyrst he sayd who doth prefer â–ª the whâ—rto he adedd these wordes what hast thou that thou hast not receuyd For otherwyse on man swelling against an other myghte saye mi fayth my iustyce and right wysnesâ— and if he hath any thinge els to speke ofâ— doth prefâ—r me before the and syche lyke other wordes But against all syche maner of cogitatioÌ„s and thoughts this godly doctor making a bar and leing as it were a stop sayd what 〈◊〉 thou that thou hast not receuyd Off whome haste thou any thinge but of hym whiche doth prefer y â— before that maÌ„ to whom he doth not gyue those gyftes whiche he hathe gyuen vnto the But yf thou haste receyued sayth he why art thou proude ar though thou hast not receiued it Doth he saye any other thynge I praye you but that he which doth reioyce shulde reioyce in the loâ—de But there is nothing so repugnant and contrary to this â—â—ns and mynde of the Apostell as if a man shulde reioyce in his merits as though he dyd worke them his owne self not the grace of god but that grace or gyfte which seperatethe y â— good people from the euell not y t grace whiche is common both to y â— good and bad as wel indifferent to the one as to the other Let nature haue hâ—r grace by the whiche we ar creaturs endued wyth reason reasonable beiÌ„g by that grace seperatyd and deuyded from brent beaâ—tes Let nature also haue an other grace or gyft whiche dothe make a certaine dyfference bytwene maÌ„ and maÌ„ as bewti or fauor of bodi and wysdom which makethe a difference bytwene the well fauored and the wyse man from the yll fauored folyshe persons so forth in suche lyke But that man whom the Apostall counselyd not to be proud did not swel vp or bost him selfe against any brâ—â—t or vnreasonable beaste nor yet against any other man about any gyfte of nature whiche gyft the worst noughtyest person that lyueth may naturally haue in hym as wel as the best but bycause he swellyd vp was proud of som good thing perteynyng to a good lyfe ascrybyng it vnto hym selfe not vnto god wherin he deseruyd to be sayde to of Paule who dothe preferre the For what thing hast thou whiche thou hast not receauyd And although I shold graunte that it were a thing natural that a man maye haue fayth in hym doth it therfore folowe y t he hathe faith in hym For euery man hath not fayth although it were possyble for euery man to haue faythe But the Apostell dothe not saye what thing maist thou haue which thou hast not receaued that thou mayst receaue it but he sayth what haste thou which thou hast not receued Therfore that a man maye haue fayth as well as a man may haue charitie it is natural to al men but for to haue faith in dede as to haue charitie pertaineth to the grace of the faithfull That â—ame nature then wherin the possibilite to haue fayth is geuen to vs doth not preferre one man before another but faith truelye is the thinge whyche preferreth the faithfull before the vnfaithful So by these sayinges what man doth prefer y â— what hast y u that thou hast not receiued who soeuer doth say I haue faith of mi selfe then haue I not receiued it doth speak verely agenst the most open plaine manifest verite not because ether to beleue or not to beleue is not in the wyl of man but in those which ar elected the wilts prepared of the lorde It foloweth that these wordes who doo prefer the what haste thou that y u haste not receiued doth pertain vnto the same faith which is in the wylle The syxth Chapter THere are many which do heare the worde of the veritie of whome some do beleue some do not beleue but contrary wise do clean speake against it It doth folowe by that reason that those men wyll beleue the other wyll not beleue What man doth not already know this what man woulde denye it But forsomuch as god prepareth the wyl of some men and to some agayne he doth not we must make a differeÌ„ce what commeth of the merci of god what of his iudgement ryghtwysenes The Apostel sayth Israel obteyned not that whiche it sought after but election dyd obteyne it as for the rest are blynded â–ª as it is written â–ª God hath geuen to theÌ„ the spirit of vnquietnes eyes that they shuld not se eares that they shulde not heaâ—e euen vnto this daye And Dauyd saythe let theyr tables be made to them a snare to take them withal and an occasion to fal
therto whiche wyll he hathe pourposed in hym that is to saye in hys welbelouyd sonne that it sholde be prechyd when the tyme was full come y t al thinges shold be gatheriâ— togither by Christ which ate in heueÌ„ whiche ate in yerthe by him by whom we haue obteined then heritaunce we which wer predestined before according to the pourpose of hym which doth work al thinges acording to the counsel of his own wil that we myght be to the laâ—de and prayse of his glory It were to longe to stond and dispute vpon euery word herof For I know wel ye do perceue w t how playn open wordes the Apostel doth defende this grace against the whiche grace the merittes and workes of men are extolled as though it were in mans power to gyue to god som thing first as a present wherby he myght deserue to be rewarded of him again God hath chosen vs therfore in Christ befor the beginning of the worlde predestening vs to be his chyldren by adoption not bicause we wold be holi pure of our selfe but bycause he hath chosen predestenid vs that we shuld be such And this did he worke after y â— pleasure of his owne wyll that no man shold haue ani cause to reioyse of his own wil but of y â— wil of god toward him This did he work after the riches of his grace accordiÌ„g to his owne good wyl which wil he pourposed in his welbeloued son bi whoÌ„ we haue our enherytaunce which ar predestiÌ„ed after the pourpose not of our self but of hiÌ„ which doth work al thiÌ„ges not so much as the wyl of maÌ„ exceptid but it is wróght by hym in vs. He doth worke it after the counsell of hys wyll that we maye be made to the prayse of hys glory And therfore do we crye out that no man shulde reioyse in man so not in hym self but he whiche doth reioyse let hym reioyce in the lorde that we maye laude prayse his glorye For he doth work after the porpose of his own wil y â— we shuld be holy pure to the laud praise of his glorye for the whiche thinge he hath called vs predestenyng vs before the begynnyng of the world Of this pourpose of god is this vocation which is proper to the elects to whom al things are wrought to ther commodite and profet bycause after the pourpose of god thei are called holy For the gyftes and vocation of god are without repentaunce The xix Chapter BVt these our brythren for whose sakes we do take this payne do sai per aduentur that the pelagyans are easy to be convynced and brought from their error by the testimonye of the Apostell wher he doth saye that we are electyd in Christe and predestined before the foundacion of the world that we myght be holi and pure in hys light in charite For the pelagians do thinke that after we receiued the commaundementes we aâ—e made puere clean in his syghte by oure owne ste wil whiche thing bycause god knewe before saye they therfore he hathe electyd vs and predestenyd vs before the beginnyng of the world in Christe Whiche is not according to the wordes of the apostel whiche sayeth not bycause he had in his foreknowledge that we wolde be such but y t we might be such by the election of his grace with the whiche he hath accepted vs thorowe his welbeloued sonne Forsomuche then as he hath predestened vs he knewe before his owne worke whiche doth make vs holy and immaculate And therfore by this testimonye the Pelagians errour is conuinced For we do say sayth Pelagian that oure God dydde no more but know before that same saith wherby we do begynne so beleue and then dyd he chose vs and predestinate vs that we myghte be holy pure by his grace and helpe But let them marke a lytell better the selfe same testimonye of the Apostell where he sayeth we haue obteyned the enheritance we I say whiche are predestyned after the purpose of his wyll whiche worketh al thing Then doth he work in vs the self same that we do beleue whiche dothe worke al thinges For this vocation wherof it is wrytten the gyftes and calling of god are without repentaunce Wherof it is wrytten also not of workes but of the caller when he myght haue sayde but of the beleuer And this also election which y â— lord dyd meane when he sayd ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you this vocation I saye no not fayth dooth precede or goâ— before but faith is preuented of it For he dyd not chose vs because we do beleue but bicause we might beleue that it should not be sayde that we dyd fyrste elect and chose hym And so we shold make Christ a lyar which sayd ye haue not cholen me but I haue choseÌ„ you Godforbyd we sholde thinke ani suche thinge And we at called not bycause we beleued before but we are called that we myghte beleue And the selfe same vocation whiche is withoute repentaunce dothe performe and worke thorowly in vs that we do beleue What nede me reply any more in this matter We haue sayde ynoughe therof Fynalli y â— apostel after these wordes gaue thankes to god for them whiche beleued not bycause the ghospel was declared vnto them but bycause thei beleuid For he speketh after this wyse on whoÌ„ ye also beleued after that ye hard the worde of the truth namly the gospel of youre saluacion wherin ye beleued ye wer sealyd with the holy spirit of promyse whiche is the pledge and earnest of our inheritaunce to our redemption that we myght be his owne to the praise of his glory For this I also sayeth he after I harde of your faith in Christe Iesu and of your loue to all the saynctes do not cease geuynge thankes for you The faith of them was yet but yonge and tender when they harde the euangell preached vnto them of the which their faith wheÌ„ the apostell had hearde he gaue thankes to God for them If one man shuld giue thanks to another for a thinge whiche he thought or knew well that he coulde not perfourme or do it myght be named a mocke or a scorne better than a thankes geuynge Lette vs not brethren in no wyse be deceaued for God wyll not be mocked nor skorned of vs. For faith ye y â— begynnynge thereof is the gyfte of god or elles the apostle shuld haue gyuen thankes and prayse to him â–ª where he deserued none What say you to this Was not the fayth of the Thessalonians perceiued what tyme they begann to beleue for the whiche the Apostell gaue thanks vnto God saying Therfore doo we geue thankes to god without ceasynge because when ye hearde the worde of god preached and taughte of vs ye receyued it not as the worde of man but as it is in deede as the worde of god which worde doth worke in
you which haue beleued What is it that the Apostel giueth thankes for Truely it were a folyshe and an ydell thynge that he shoulde gyue thankes to hym for that thynge which he dyd not But because his thankes are not in vayne and ydell treulye god to whom he gaue thankes dyd worke that deede that after they had harde and perceyued the worde of god by the preachyng of the Apostel they shoulde also receiue it as the worde of god accordinge as it dooth deserue not as the word of men Then it is god whiche worketh in the hartes of men with that vocacyon whiche is after his purpose whereof we haue spoken so myche that the worde of god shulde not be hearde in vayne but after they had heard it they shuld be conuerted and beleue receyuynge it not as the worde of man but accordynge to right as the very worde of god The .xx. Chapter THis also doth certifye vs that the beginniÌ„g of faith is the gift of god â–ª when the Apostel in the begynning of his epistle to the ColossiaÌ„s meanyng the very beginning of faith spake these words saying be stedfast in prayer watchynge therein with thankes geuynge and praying also for vs that god would open the dore of the worde that we maye speake the mistery of Christ for the whiche I am also nowe in bondes that I may I say manifeste and declare that same misterye as I ought for to speake it Howe is the dore of the worde opened But when the sence or vnderstondyng of the hearer is made open that he might beleue and so the beginning of faith being made by god he maye also receiue those thinges whiche are preched disputed to the settynge vp and furtheraunce of holsome doctryn â–ª least his hart being shyt vp thorow infidelyte want of beleif he shulde disproue and caste from him those thinges whiche are taught For that cause he doth saye in the epistle to y e Corinthians I wil abide at Ephesus til the penthecost For I haue a great wide dore made open vnto me and there are manye aduersaries What other thinge may be ment and vnderstanded bi these wordes but that after he began to preache the gospell in that place many dyd beleue and many also ther were which were aduersarys to that faith acording to the wordes of the lorde No maÌ„ doth comme to me except it be geuen to him of mi father And also the lord Iesu Christ saythe to you it is geuen to knowe the mysterys of the kyngdome of heauen but to them it is not gyuen The doar then is made open in them to whome it is gyuen and ther wer many aduersarys among theÌ„ to whom it was not gyuen Also the same Apostell in the seconde epistel to the Corinthyans wheÌ„ I was com sayth he to Troaoa to preche the ghospell and a doar was opened vnto me in the lorde I was not quyet in my spirit bycause I dyd not fynde my brother Titus but taking my leue of them I departed thens to Macedonia Of whom dydde he he take his leaue but of them which dyd beleue in whose hartes the doar was made open to him preching the ghospell But what he sayd more I wolde ye shold mark Thankes be to the lorde sayth he whiche makethe vs tryumphe and to haue the victory in Christe and openythe the sauor of his knowledge by vs in al places For we ar to god the good sauor of christe in those whiche are saued yea and also among them which peryshe To these we are the sauore of deathe vnto deathe but to the other we ar the sauor of lyfe vnto lyfe Behold for what cause this fearce warriar myghty defender of grace being in vincyble dothe gyue thankes Bycause sayth he the Apostels ar the swette sauor of Iesus Christe vnto god bothe in theym whiche are saued by his grace in them whiche do perishe by his iudgmeÌ„t and most rightwise iustice But that they whiche do not vnderstond these thinges shulde not be offendyd he doothe warne them therof when he sayeth who is meete therto Yet let vs return to the opening of the doar wherby the apostel did sygnifie the begynnyng of y â— faith of the hearers For what dooth he mean when he sayeth prayeng also for vs that god may open to vs the doer of the woorde but a playn and an open demonstration that y â— very begynnynge of faith is the gyft of god For it shoulde not be desyred of hym by prayer and petition except they beleued that it were the gyfte of him This gyfte of the heauenly grace descended downe into the womaÌ„ whych sold purple to whome as the scripture doth saye in the actes of the apostels God had opened her sence vnderstandynge so she dyd herken dilygently to the preachynge of the Apostell For so was she called that she myght beleue God verely doth worke what hym pleseth in the hartes of men eyther by his mercyfull helpe or by his rightewyse iudgemente that by them all shuld be fulfylled which his hand counsell hath predestinated for to be done Therfore they speake vnwysely where as they do say that that thing doth not serue for this matter whiche we haue sufficientlye proued by the scriptures taken out of the boke of the kynges of the cronicles that when god wyll haue a thynge to be done whiche muste be done by the wyll of men ther hartes are fyrst inclyned and made for to wyll that same thyng god being the inclinar the motioner styrrar therto whiche after a maruaylous vnspeakeable maner doth also worke yea that same whiche we do wyll in vs But what they do meane by that they do speake nothinge therof and yet are ageynst it I cannot tell except they haue declared vnto you some reasoÌ„ wherfore they shuld so think whose sayenge you had rather let passe then to open it by writinge Or peraduentur bicause we sayd that god dyd worke in the hartes of men bringing the wylls of theÌ„ whome hym pleasyd to this that Saule or Dauyd shold be made kynge Dyd they therfore thinke that this seruyd not for the pourpose which we do treate of bycaus this temporall kyngdome here in this world is on thing and for to â—eynge with god for euer is an other Or do they thynke that god doth inclyne moue or styrte the wylles of them whome hym pleasethe to the creatynge and settynge vp of earthly princes and not to the obteynynge of the heauenly kyngedom But I do thinke that these sayings of the scripture where it is wrytten Inclyne myne hart to thy testymonyes and that saying the steppes and goings of men are gouerned of god and he shall wyl his wey also The wyl is prepared of the lorde And this also Let the lord be with vs as he was with oure fathers let hym not relinquyshe and forsake vs nor yet torn vs awaye from hym
which said I wyll geue my feare into theyr harts that they may not depart froÌ„ me For y â— which cause he wil haue that men shal be seuters vnto him pray that we be not led into temtation For if we be not broughte into temptacion we can by no meanes depart from hym This thynge he mighte haue gyuen to vs without our prayer but he wolde monysh and warne vs bi oure owne prayar that we sholde knoledge of whom we do receue these benefits Of whome do we receue those benifytes but of hym of whome we are commaunded to cal and aske for them As toching this matter lette the churche in no wyse loke for greate resonyngs long dysputation but let it behold and consider oure dayle praiars The churche doth ask and praie of god that the vnfaythful maye beleue and be faythful Then it is god which doth conuert them to y â— fayth The church doth pray that thei which do beleue may continew and be stedfast in ther belefe TheÌ„ it is god whiche doth â–ª gyue perseueraunce and stedfastnes to y â— end God knewe before that it shoulde â—e so Thys is the predestination of saynctes whom he hath choseÌ„ in Christ before the foundacyon of y e world that they might be holy and pure in his syghte in charite predestening them vnto the adoption of his chyldren by Iesu Chryst in to him self according to y â— pleasure of his wyl to the laude praysing of his grace in the which grace he hathe accepted vs in his welbeloued son â–ª in whome they haue redemption thorow his bloud and forgyuenes of ther sinnes acordinge to the abouÌ„daÌ„t riches of his grace whiche doth abound and is plentiful vpon them in al wysdom that he maye shewe vnto them the mistery or secret of his wyl â–ª acording to his owne good wyll whiche he hath pourposed in him self that it shoulde be prechyd when the time was ful com that al thinges shold be gathered together by Christe both the thinges whiche are in heauen and the thinges whiche are vpon the erth euen by him by whoÌ„ we are com to the enheritaunce we which were therto predestened before according to the pourpose of him whiche worketh all thinges after the counsel of his own wyll Agenst so open manifeste a testimony of the veritie what man beyng of a sober an honest watchiÌ„g feith can abyde to heare the folysh bablyng voyces words of menâ— The .viii. Chapter BVt for what cauâ— saith he is the grace of god not gyuen according to our merites I do answer saye bycause that god is merciful The he to me againe Wherefore is he not so that is mercifull toward al men Wherto I aunswer saying Bycause god is a iust iudge And by that reason the grace which he doth giue is geuen frely without any deseruinge And to the other to whome grace is not geuen it is by his iuste and rightwise iudgement made manyfest open howe greate a benefytte they do receaue to whome grace is geuen Therefore lette vs not be vnthankefull bycause accordinge to the pleasure of his wyll to the laude and praise of the glory of his grace the great mercye of god doth delyuer so manye from damnation whiche damnation of right is dew vnto them also which are deliuered iÌ„ so much y â— if he shuld deliuer none therfroÌ„ yet in so diÌ„og he shuld do no wroÌ„g For all men from one man are iustly iuged y â— childreÌ„ of wrath to coÌ„nation and that not wrongfullye nor agenst iustice Therefore lette that man which is deliuered from condemnation make muche of the grace of god he which is not beliuered from the iust iudgemente of god let hym think beleue that he hath receuid no wronge but y â— thinge which he hath most rightwisly deseruyd Yf by the forgyuenes of the dette the goodnis of god is declared made manifest by the streyghte exactyng demanding of his righte his equyte iustyce knoweÌ„ then can ther be none vnrightwisnes found in god But then for what cause sayth he to me is the iudgment of god in yonge children so different in y â— two twynse as Iacob and Esau sythe the on had no more cause thaÌ„ the other but wer in al one cause and had nether of them deseruyd better thaÌ„ the other nor worse thaÌ„ the other Ys it not a lyke question if I wold demand of the again for what pourpose was the lyke and al one iudgement and senteÌ„ce wher the matter cause was not lyke but difference Let vs therefore cal to oure remembrans those workmem which wrought in the vyenyarde all the wholl daye and those which wrought but one hower Here you do se that there labour is not al one and yet the iudgement in the paiemeÌ„t which thei receuid was al on as much to the one as to the other What answer was made to the workmen whiche were offendyd bycause the other had as greate a rewarde as theye â–ª Dyd they heare any other answer of ther mayster but this It is my wyl and pleasure so to do Syche was his liberalitie to the one sort that to the other he did no wrong And yet both of theÌ„ were counted in the number of the godly But as touching these twaine iustice and grace as concerninge hym which is saued it maye well be saide I wyll haue it soo and to hym whiche is condemned it may well be saide take that thou haste deserued and go thy waies For to this man wyll I gyue that whiche is not his deuty to haue but of my liberalite May not I do what me pleaseth Haste thou a wycked eye because I am good Nowe if he woulde saye to hym againe and aske hym wherfore god is not as good to him as to another It mai well be aunswered to him O thou man what art thou which makest this aunsuere to god whom thou perceiuest towarde the other to be tall and in the to be a straight demaunder of his ryghte And yet thou canst not saye that he is vniuste when he shoulde do nothyng but iustlye yf he did punysh both the one as well as the other He whiche is delyuered from condemnation hath the greater cause to gyue thankes and he whyche is condemned can fynde no faulte in God that he doth condemne hym But if it be so saith he y â— god wuld not saue all but condemne soome that in them whiche are condempned he myght shewe what all men haue deserued and so he shoulde w t more thankes pour out his grace into the vessels of his mercye for what cause syth the one hathe deserued no bettar than the other but are in lyke case as touchinge theyr deseruynge doothe he rather ponysshe me thanne hym or delyuer hym than me If thou dost aske of me wherfore he dothe so I doo confesse that I can not fynde what
world euerye man doubtles wyll confes which with their flesshely eares do heare the worde of god what he dooth saye therein yf the eares of their harts be not stopped and made deaffe And yet this predestination whiche is set forth opēly by the wordes of the gospel did not hynder let the lorde to counsel and exhorte men to begyn to do well when he saide yf ye do beleue in god beleue in me Nor yet when he exhorted theym to the perseueraunce in that faith in commaundynge them alwaye to praye and neuer to fayle Those persons to whom it is giuē to both heare the wordes work therafter But they to whome it is not gyuen whyther they do heare or here not do worke not a whytt the more For to you it is gyuen sayth he to know the mysteries secretes of the kyngdom of god but to them it is not gyuen The fyrst parte of this same sayinge of the lorde perteyneth to mercy and compassion the latter part therof perteyneth to the iudgment and rightwys iustyce of hym to whom our soule doth saye I wyl syng prayse before the o lord thy mercy aud iudgment So nether the preching of fayth ether to begynn or to contynew therin that they to whom it is gyuen maye both hear thos things whiche they ought to here and also obeye them in dede working therafter sholde not be hynderyd by the preachinge and teachinge of predestination For how shold they here w tout a precher nor yet by the preachinge of faith which teacheth how we shuld begynne to beleue continue ther in the teaching of the article of predestination shulde be minished or hyndered that by the teachinge of the saied predestination he whiche lyueth faithfully and obedientlye shoulde not be proud of his obedyence as though it were of him self and not the gift of god but that he which reioyseth may reioyse in the lorde For we must be proud of nothinge forsomuch as nothinge is our owne to be proude of This thinge the holye father Cyprian dyd perceiue verye well and was boulde to affirme that same by the which he taught and opened most certaine predestination For if we must be proud of nothing because nothing is our own truly no man can be proud of his obedience and good lyfe be it neuer so perfect and stedfaste Nor yet muste we call it ours as though it were not giuen to vs of god from aboue For it is the gift of god whiche he knew before that he wuld giue to thē whiche are called with this vocation wherof the scripture speaketh sayinge The gyftes and vocation of god are without repentāce which thinge is to be confessed of euerye man This then is the predestination which we do faithfulli with all humblenes preache and teache And yet for al that this man was both a preacher and a teacher and also a worker whiche beleued in Christ and lyued stedfastly in holy obedience euen tyl the tyme that he suffered his passion for Chryste sake not therefore ceassynge to preache the ghospell exhortynge men to fayth and perseueraunce to the end bycaus he said we shold be proud of nothīg sith y ◠nothing is our own And in that saying he openyd to vs the very ryght and trewe grace of god that is to say which is not gyuen after our meryts which grace god knew before that he wold gyue to vs. In thes words of Cypryā predestination verely is taught and preached vnto vs whiche predestination if it dyd not let and hynder Cypryā from y ◠preaching of obedience why shold it be any let vnto vs but that we may do y e same For although we do say that obedyence is the gyfte of god yet do we exhort men to the keping of it But vnto them whiche do obediently here the exhortation of the veryte the gyft of god is gyuen that is to saye to here it and to obeye vnto it And to them which do not heare it after that fashion y ◠they do not obey it it is not giuē For Chryst whose words ar to be beleued doth say ▪ No man commeth vnto me but to whome it is gyuen of the father And to you it is gyuen to knowe the mystery of the kingdom of heuen but to thē it is not gyuē And also as toching the vertue of continency and chastyte euerye mā sayth he doth not receaue and take this worde but they to whome it is gyuen And also when the Apostel exhorted men to a chaste lyuing in matrymony I wolde wyshe sayth he that all men were as I am but eueri man hath his proper gyft of god some on way some another In y e which place he teacheth that not only the chast lyfe without wedlok is the gifte of god but also that the chaste and honest conuersation of lyfe betwen man and wife in wedlok is the veri gift of god Which thing syth it is trewe that as well the on as the other is the gyfte of god we for all that it is the gyfte of god do exhort people thet vnto as much as is gyuen to vs to exhort For to exhort is the gyft also of god in whose handes bothe our wordes and our bodyes are Whervpon the Apostel spak thes wordes saying After the grace which is giuen to me like to a prudent and a wyse master carpenter I haue leyd the foundacion And in an other place Vnto euery mā saythe he as god hath gyuen I haue planted and Apollo hathe watered but god hath gyuen the encrease So nether he whiche planteth nor he which watereth is any thing but he whiche gyuethe the encrease which is god Euen so lykewyse as no man precheth exhorteth wel but he whiche hath receuid the gift of god so that man dothe obediently heare hym whiche precheth and exhorteth to whō the gyft of obedience is gyuen This is the cause why the lorde when he spake to them which had there fleshly ears open hearing his words said He that hath ears to heare let hym heare Which ears such as he spake of he knewe wel ynough al men had not ▪ And of whome theye sholde obteyn those ears whosoeuer hath them the lord him selfe shewethe where he saythe I wyll gyue to them an harte to knowe me eares to heare w t. Then to haue ears to here with is the gift of obedience that thei whiche haue that same gift may com to hym to whō no man commeth but to whom it is gyuē of his father We therfore do preache exhort they which haue y e eares to heare do heare vs obediētli But thei which haue not that same eares it commeth to pas in them as it is written that hearinge with their eares thei doo not hear that is to saye hearinge with the ears of the flesshe not with the agrement and consent of the hart But whye the one hath eares to heare and
is ther is vnstedfastnes and all euyll workes Lykwise then as we may by the authoritie of the holy scriptures as our own dedes do make mention in the same doing I saye theyr dedes as wel as ours rebuke those persons whiche are vnquiete and troublous although we do preach that the wisedome which the Apostell nameth is the gyfte of God which wisedome doth amend and correct those that are contentiouse and brawlynge persons euen soo those persons whiche are vnfaithfull and those which do not contynue in the faith whiche they haue receiued although we do preache and tech the grace of god wherby both fayth it self and perseuerance therein ar declared to be the gyfts of god maye also be rebuked and toulde of their vnfaithfulnes and vnstedfastnes For although that y t godly wisdoÌ„ is obteyned thorow faith according to the saying of y â— apostel â–ª Yf any man lack wisdom let him ask it of god which geueth to al men aboundantly vpbreadeth no man and it shall be giuen to him and saith forthermore let him aske it boldly in faith hauing no mistrust yet we muste not saye because we obteyne that wysedom thorow faith therefore faith is of our selfe not the gift of god For faith is gyuen to him which hathe receiued it before it is asked or prayed for For the apostel Paul speaketh playnly and openly sayinge Peace be to the brethren and charite with fayth from god oure father and our lorde Iesu Christe From whom we haue peace a charitie from hym haue we fayth For the whiche cause we doo desyre and praye that in them them which haue alredy receuyd the fayth he wold encrese it and to them whiche haue it not that he wolde vouchsafe to gyue it And also thei them self which do cause vs to make al these wordes which do crye out that the prechinge of predestinatioÌ„ and of grace is a let and stop that men can not exhorte frutfully as they might if predestination were not spoken of theye I saye them selfe do not only exhort men vnto those vertuse whiche they do hold to be of them selfe as the begynnyng of fayth and the continuance therin to thend which thing they are bound to do that by ther exhortations thei which are vnfaithful may beleue and the other to continew styll therin but they do exhorte them to the other vertuse alsoo whiche are the gifts of god as thei say only and not the other But as toching those thinges which they do confesse against the pelagians error to be the gyfts of god as chastyte continency pacience and other vertuse perteyning to a godly lyfe which ar obteyned by fayth they shold shewe teche the peple to cal and to pray to god for these vertues for them self and for other that he woulde gyue those vertus vnto them and not that they sholde exhorte and byd them only to haue them to kepe them For somych then as thei do exhort people to these vertuse also whiche they do confesse to be the gifts of god as wel as to fayth and perseuerance which they denye to be of god but of ther owne working and in that they do exhort men vnto them declaring themselfe to be men they do sufficiently manifest make open vnto vs that the prechynge of predestination of the grace of god is no hynderance to that that men shulde exhorte other vnto faith and perseueraunce to the end forsomuch as we do prech that these also that is to say fayth and perseueraunce are the gyftes of god and that no man hath these gyftes of hym self but ar gyuen to hym of god But yet no man can deny but that it is his own fault blame what soeuer he be whiche doth forsake this faith in geuing place to tentacion whereby he is broughte froÌ„ y t faith which he hath receyued And again although it be his own fault that he doth go from the faithe we may not therfor deny that the vertue of perseuerance to the end is y â— gift of god For for this same peruerance iv faith to thenv that man doth make his daily petition which saith Lede vs not into temptation And yf his prayer be hard he dothe receyue hys petytyon And so by that reason prayenge dayly that he myght perseuer coÌ„tinu he doth not set the hope of his perseuerance stedfastnes in hym selfe but in god I wyl not amplyfye exaggerate the matter with many more wordes but rather I wyl leue it to them to think consider w t theÌ„ self what maner a thiÌ„g they haue takeÌ„ in haÌ„d to perswade which is that by the preching opening of predestinatioÌ„ the herers therof shuld receiue more cause of desperation than frute of godly exhortacioÌ„ Which is as much to say as men ar taught to despair of saluation when they do learne to put their confidence not in theÌ„ self but in god And yet the prophet doth cry out with a loud voyce saying Cursed are all they which do put ther hope in man Thes gyfts truly of god which are gyuen to the elect which elect are called after y â— purpose of god amoÌ„g y â— which giftes is the begynning of fayth and the contynuance also therin to the end as we haue prouyd by manye authorytes of the scriptur and by strong and substancyal reasons iâ— ther be no predestination which we defend and hold strongly fore to be then are they not in hys forknowledge But these giftes ar in the forknolege of god then is there predestination whiche we ernestly do defend and maintaine The xviii Chapter ANd therfore in some places of y e scripture a man shal fynd this predestination to be signified vnto vs in the vocable of prescience or forknoledge as the Apostel speketh saying God hath not caste of his people whom he hath forknowen â–ª This word which he saith foreknowen can non otherwise be wel vnderstonded but it be taken for predestenid as the circumstance of the place and matter doth tech vs. For he speketh in that place of the rest of the Iewes which ar saued the other peryshing For before he cam to this place where the prophet speking to Israell sayde All the daye long I haue openyd my handes to an vnbeleuinge and a resysting people and agayn asâ— though this questyon wher ar the promisses which wer made to Israel had byn demaunded of hym he aunsweryd incontynetly these wordes saying do I say therfore that God hathe forsaken and cast of hys people God forbyd For I am an Israelyt of the â—ed of Abraham of the trybe of Beniamyn as thoughe he wolde saye I my selfe am also of that people Then dyd he speke these wordes wherof we now do common saying god hath not caste oâ— hys people whiche he hath foreknowen And for to shew that the remnant was reserued by the grace of god not bi the merets of there own works he sayd thus mych more do ye
suffer for him are gyuen frely vnto vs. He doth not sai a more perfect a greter faith to beleue in hiÌ„ but he saith y t you shuld beleue in him is geueÌ„ vnto you The same Apostle doth not say y t he hath obteined mercy y t he shulde be made more faithfull â—ut that he shuld beleue be faithâ—ul because he knew rightwel that y â— begynnyng of fayth was not of hym selfe whiche he beinge man might gyue fyrst vnto god and so be rewarded agayn of god wyth y â— encrease therof but that he was made faythful of him of whom he was made apostle How by what means he began to beleue it is writen red opeÌ„ly in y e church y t al meÌ„ do know it For wheÌ„ he did hate abhorre y e faith which he persecuted being a great ennemy thereto sodenly he was conuerted vnto y â— same faith by a grace whiche was more mighty of more power thaÌ„ he was the being y â— conuerter of hiÌ„ to whom it was said by y e prophet y t he shold so do with these words Thou conuerting vs shalt quicken vs giue lyfe vnto vs y t he shuld be made I say not only one y t wold be desirous to beleue of one whiche woulde not but also of a persecutoure a man readye to suffer persecution in the defence of of the same fayth For it was giueÌ„ to hym of Christ that he shuld not onely beleue in hym but also that he shuld suffer for hym And therfore geuinge commendacion and prayse vnto this grace of god whiche is not geuen after any meryts or deseruynge of vs but whyche both worke al good merits of him self he said these wordes folowiÌ„g Not that we are able of oure selfe so think any good thing as of our selfe but all our sufficiencye and ablenes is of god Let those men here marke wel consyder these wordes whiche do folyshly think that the begynning of our faith is of our selfes that the augmentyng and increase therof is of god What man doth not se and perceiue that the thoughte of the thing beleued doth precede and go before the beleife â–ª For no man doth beleue any thing which he hath not mynded and thoughte on before how it is worthye to be beleued Althoughe that certayne cogitations and thoughtes in the mynde be they neuer so quick and sodeine doo as it were flye before the wyll to beleue the whiche thoughtes the wyll dothe accompany and folowe so nighe that it can be no nigher and as it were at the very heles yet it is necessary that al thinges whiche are beleued be beleued by a certaine cogitation or myndynge of the thinge beleued goynge before although beleif is nothinge elles but the agremente in the thoughte vnto that thynge whiche is thought on For euerye man which doth think on a thing doth not streight way beleue that thing wheron he thinketh for many men do thinke on some thinges whiche they wolde not beleue but he whiche doth beleue doth fyrste thinke and in thinkinge beleueth and beleuinge thinketh Wherefore as touchynge that poynte of our religion whereof the Apostell speaketh yf we be not sufficient to thinke anye thinge as of oure owne selues but that oure sufficiencye is of GOD truelye we are not able to beleue anye thinge of our selfe as of our selfe whiche thing can not be without the thought but our sufficiency by the whiche we begyn to beleue is of God â–ª Wherfore as no man is sufficient and able of him selfe eyther to begynne or to ende any good worke as these our brethren do acknowledge to be true as their own writynges do declare whereby in euery good worke both in the begynnynge and ending our ablenes is of God euen so no man is able of hym selfe ether to begyn to beleue or to continue therin but all that which we do is of god For faith if it be not fyrst thoughte on and hadde in mynde it is nothynge and we are not able to thinke anye thynge of oure selues as of oure selues but that whyche we doo are able for to doo is of god Wel beloued brethren we must beware and take good heede that no man doth extol him selfe againste god which is when he dothe saye that he him selfe doth that thinge whiche god promysed for to do Was not the faith of the gentyls promised vnto Abraham and he geuing the glory prayse therof vnto god beleued strongly because he knew that he which promised was able to do performe y t thing which he promysed Thâ—n it is he whiche doth worke and maketh the fayth of the gentyls beynge able to doo that thyng whiche he promysed If god therfore doth worke oure fayth workynge after a straunge and marueylouse fashyon in oure hartes that we should beleue is it to be feared least he is not able to do the whole worke therfore maÌ„ shuld vyndicate and chalenge vnto him selfe the firste parte or the begynnynge of faythe that therby he might deserue to receiue of him againe for that begynnynge sake so muche as remayneth behynde vnperformed â–ª I pray you se whyther they do meane any other thiÌ„g in thus sayenge and doynge than that the grace of god one waye or other shoulde be gyuen to vs for that we haue deserued it and sothe grace of god shoulde not be grace For after this maner it is gyuen to vs as a thinge of dewty whiche is dew vnto vs and not as a fre gyft for by that reasoÌ„ the beleuer shold deserue of god that he shold encrease hys fayth so that the encreasse of his faythe sholde be nothing ells but the rewarde of hys fayth which was fyrste begâ—ne in hym of hym selfe They do not mark that when they say speake these wordes that they do take it to be a rewarde gyuen of dewty to them which do beleue for ther deseruinge not of grace But wherfore theye do not attrybute and gyue al the whol vnto man for somuche as he coulde begynne to do the thing of hym selfe whiche he had not before that he myght also go thorow with al and make an end therof lykwyse of hym self as he dyd begyâ—ne I can not tel the reason whye they shuld not except bycause the scriptures of god at so manifest and open that they caÌ„not be resysted by the whiche scriptures fayth which is the begynning of all godlynes is declared to be y â— gyft of god as y â— sayiÌ„g of y â— apostle teacheth vs whiche saith he hath reparted and geuen to euery man fayth after a measure And that saying also peace be to the brethreÌ„ and charitie with faith from god the father from oure lorde Iesu Christe And suche other Bycause these testimonies of the scripture ar so manifest man wil not go cleane ageinst them that he wyll take al to him selfe but yet he wyl y e begynninge
of his faith to be of him self as though he wold be at a coÌ„position with god that he him self shulde haue the one part of faythe and y e other part shuld be for god and in that thinge which he wolde haue deuyded betwene them both he setteth him self before god behynde ascribing the beginninge fyrst part to hym selfe and the rest which foloweth vnto god The thirde Chapter THe godly lowly doctor I do meane blessed Cypryane was not of such iudgemeÌ„t mind as they are of whose sayeng was that we shuld not boast our self of any thing forsomuch as nothyng is out own And for the profe therof he toke y e apostle to wytnes sai-yng on this wyse what haste thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receyued it wherfore art thou proud as thoughe thou haste not receyued it By the whyche testimony I was lykewise ouercome when I was in lyke erour thinkinge y e faith by the whych we do begyn to beleue in god was not the gift of god but of our self with in vs y t by y t same faith of our self we do obteyn gifts rewards of god by the which gyftes we do lyue honestlye ryghtwisely vertuously in this worlde I dyd not then thinke that the grace of God dyd preuent go before our feith but I thought that we coulde not beleue without the knowledge of the veritie had declared before â–ª But to gyue consent and beleif vnto the gospell after it hath bene preached and declared vnto vs y e thinge I thought was oure owne proper and of oure selues in oure selues Whych myne error dyuers of my workes do declare beynge wrytten beâ—ore I was byshop in the which you shall fynde that also whiche you speake of in youre letters where I toke on me to expounde certayne propositions taken forth of the epistell to the Romaynes To be short when I went about to retracte all my workes putting the same reâ—ractatioÌ„ into writing I had made an ende of two bokes therof before your letters beynge somewhat prolyx and longe didde come to my handes And when I came to this boke whiche I promysed to retracte in my fyrste volume I spake after this maner â–ª saiinge Also as I was dysputyng reasonynge what god had elected and chosen in hym whiche was not yet borne to whome he sayde the elder shulde do seruyce and what thynge likewise he dyd reproue in the elder before he was borne of whom it was rehersyd thoughe it were longe after or the prophet dyd speake the wordes saing I haue louyd Iacob but Esau I haue hated I brought my reason to this that I sayd then god hath not electid the works of any maÌ„ in his prescyence and foreknowledg but the fayth of a man that whom he knewe by his foreknowledge y â— wolde beleue hym he hath chosen to whom he wold giue y â— holi ghost that by wel and good working he myght com to euerlasting lyfe I had not yet well sought nor fouÌ„de out what election of grace that is wherof the Apostel doth speak saying The remnaunt is sauyd thorough the election of grace whiche is no grace if any merytts do precede or go before lest y t thiÌ„g which is geueÌ„ not of grace but of deseruinge sholde be giueÌ„ as a rewarde for oure merits not frely Therfore as I haue alwaye sayde for so saythe the same Apostel ther is but on god which worketh al iÌ„ al. Whervpon by the which words I dyd conclude say y t our faith beleffe is our own proper of our selfe but to worke that thing whiche is good is his of hym which doth gyue the holy ghost to them which do beleue yet I wold not haue so sayd if I had not knowen perfectly that the same fayth also is found to be among the gyftes of god which is gyuen in the same spirit It foloweth then that bothe to beleue to worke wel ar our owne as toching our wyl yet bothe are gyuen to vs by the spirit of feythe charite For charyte is not giueÌ„ alone but as it is wrytten charite w t fayth froÌ„ god y e father our lord Iesu christ And as toâ—â—iÌ„g y e â—â—yd a lyghtel after speaking these words for to beleue and to wyl is our own but god doth gyue vnto them which do beleue and ar wyllinge the pour to doo well by the holi spirit by the which spirit loue is poured in our hartes my words ar trew but as I sayde that the pour to do well is of god euen so do I saye by the selfe same rule that both the one as wel as y e other is his bycause he doth prepare the wyl And so lykwyse bothe ar our own bycause they are not done agenst our wyl but with our wyll And by this reason which I dyd speke afterward saing bycause we can not wyl except we be called also wheÌ„ we do shew our self willing after we are called nether our wyl nor yet our endeuor in ronniÌ„g do suffyse or preuayll except god doth giue strenght vnto theÌ„ which do ron and bring them also whyther he doth cal them I concluded after this wyse saying It is manyfest that it is nether the wyl of hiÌ„ which willeth nor the ronnyng of y e ronnar that we do worke good things but it is the mercy of god which maketh vs to do well This saing is trew But as touching y e vocatioÌ„ which is after the porpose and plesure of god I haue not much dysputed For that vocatioÌ„ perteyneth not to al men which are called but to theÌ„ only which are electid So y t which I dyd say following lykewyse as faythe is the begynnyng of meryt and deseruyng in those which are electid and not workes that it mai be the gyfte of god that they doo worke euen so infydelyte and impyete agenst god is the beginning of that we do merytt and deserue pain y t by y e same payn we sholde worke euel is right truly and wel spokeÌ„ of me And in an other place I sayde Of whom he taketh mercy he maketh hym to worke wel whome he doth obdurat and harden hym he doth relinquish leue that he can worke nothinge but y â— which is euyl Yet that mercy is attributed ascribed to the meryt of fayth preceding this obduration or hardenyng vnto infidelite impitie which precedyd Whiche thiÌ„g is trew it can not be denied But yet this question ought to be demauÌ„ded whither y â— merit of faith doth preuent go before the mercy of god that is to saie whyther god is merceful to man for that onli bicause he is faithful or els whither he shewed his mercy to maÌ„ for y t he shold be faythful For we do rede the saing of the Apostel which is I haue obteyned got mercy
that shuld be faythful â—he dothe not say bycause I was faythful It is gyuen therfore to the faythful man â–ª But how Truly bycause he shold be faythful Wherfore in an other place of y â— same boke I spake these wordes very wel as followeth for if we be called to fayth beleffe by the mercy of god not by works the same mercy is giuen to them whiche do beleue that they sholde worke wel no man ought to be greuyd offendyd bycause the geÌ„tils haue y e same merci And yet I dyd not so dylygently handell that vocacion whiche is of the porpose mynd of god as I ought shold haue done The fourth Chapter NOwe verely you do se what mynd I was of then coÌ„cerninge fayth works although my cheife studye and labour shulde haue ben to set forth the grace of god in the which opinion these our brethren I perceaue are nowe because they haue ben more diligent and desyrous to rede my workes then to take anye fruyte or profit by them as I did â–ª For if they hadde they shuld haue founde this question opened and made playne to them in the fyrste boke of those twayne which I did wryte when I was fyrst made bysshop vnto the blessed father Simplician byshoppe of the church of Milan which succeded in the said office to holy father Ambrose except paraduenture they haue not sene those woorkes â–ª If they haue not se that you cause them to loke on them Of this fyrste boke of the twaine which I dyd wryt to Symplician in my seconde booke of retractations I saide these words folowing Of al the workes whiche I did wryte after I was byshoppe the fyrste twayn were made and dedicated vnto Symplician the heade father and minister of the churche of MillaÌ„ which was byshop there next to Ambrose about diuerse questions taken forth of the epistel of Paule vnto the romaynes About two of the sayde questions I spent all the fyrst booke Of the whiche the fyrst question was vpon thys place of Paule where it is writen What shall we then saye is the law synn god forbyd continuing to that place where the Apostle doth saye who shal delyuer me froÌ„ the body of this death The grace of god thorowe Iesu Christ oure lorde Vpon the whiche wordes of the Apostell the lawe is spiritual but I am carnall and suche other words where the flesh is declared to fight against the spirit I made myne exposition as thoughe man was there described to be yet vnder the lawe and not vnder grace But a good whyle after I perceaued founde that it perteyned yea also to the spyrytuall man whyche is the more probable and true opinion â–ª The seconde question of that fyrste booke beganne from that place where Paule doth saye not onely that but also Rebecca was gotte with chyld by one who was our father Isak contynuynge to that saying where he doeth saye except the lord of Sabaoth had left vnto vs sede we had beÌ„ as SodoÌ„ lyke vnto Gomor In the solution of this question I toke on me to proue fre wyl to be in man but the grace of god went beyond me and ouercam me I was broughte to this poynt and farther I could not go that the words of the Apostel shoulde be founde verye trew where he sayde who doth dyscerne or preferâ—e the what haste thou that thou haste not receaued yf thou haue receaued it why doeste thou boaste thy selfe as thoughe thou haste not receaued it The holy martyr Cypryane wyllynge to shewe him selfe to be of thys mynde dydde prefyxe and set thys tytule folowynge before a certayne booke which he made conteynynge this whole matter that is we ought to boste vs of nothiÌ„g because we haue nothinge of oure owne Beholde for what cause I sayd that I was ouercome by the testimonye of the Apostle when I was of a contrarye minde in the boke whiche I wrote to Symplycian otherwise thaÌ„ god hath now made open vnto me This testimonye of the Apostle when he spake those wordes to plucke in y e proud harte and great boasting of man wyll not suffer that any faythfull man shulde saye I haue fayth of my selfe whiche I receiued not This proud aunswer is put aside by the wordes of the Apostell Yea and that also is wiped away clene by the selfe same wordes that they cannot saye although I haue not a perfecte faith of my self yet haue I the beginninge therof by the whiche I do beleue fyrst in Chryste â–ª for therto answere is made where the Apostel saythe what hast thou that thou hast not receuid if thou haste receuyd it wherof doest thou bost the as though thou haste not receuyd it â–ª The v Chapter BVt whereas they do say that these words what hast thou whiche thou hast not receuyd doo not pertayne nor are to be vnderstaÌ„ded spokeÌ„ of this fayth bycause it doth abyed and remayn styll in y â— same nature now being corruptâ—d whiche nature was at the fyrst gyuen to vs whole and perfect these ther wordes do make no thing for their pourpose that they wolde haue them make for if they do consyder and marke well for what intent purpose the apostel dyd speke theÌ„ For his mynd and pourpose was that no man sholde be proude or bost him selfe of ani man For ther were rysen dyssentions and varyances among y â— Corinthians whiche were christians newe come to y â— faith so that one sayd I hold on paule an other sayd I am Apolos dyscyple â–ª an other I take part w t Cepha For this cause said he god hath chosen the folysh of the world to confound the wyse men therof and the weake to confound y â— stroÌ„g myghty the abiects moste vyle pâ—rsons and that which is nothiÌ„g for to euacuate make voyd nought worth those things which dâ—â—pere to be of great pryce valew y â— no flesh shold bost it selfe of any thing in this present lyfe Here euery maÌ„ may se the mynd of the apostel y t he ment nothing ells but to pluck in to destroye the pryde of man y t no man shold be proud 〈◊〉 any maÌ„ and so by that nether iÌ„ him self Furthermore when he sayde that no flesh shold be proud before god that he might shewe to vs also in whom man ought to reioyse and be proud he added these wordes Of hym saythe he are ye in Christ Iesu which is made vnto vs the wysedome it selfe by god whiche is made our rightwysnes our sanctificatioÌ„ our redempâ—â—oÌ„ y t as it is wrytten who so reioiseth let him reioise be proud in y â— lordâ— HervpoÌ„ had he occasion to rebuke them saying for yet ar you carnal For somuche as there is emulatioÌ„ stryfe contention among you are not ye fleshly and carnal and walk ye not after the maners of men men For when any of you do say I am Paules disciple or
whiche was worthy of it who that had it not was not worthy therof And from the fyrst tyme that man was mad ther hath byn alway preching to some to their iudgment coÌ„demnacion to som again to ther saluacion And to whom the word of god was not prechyd god knew from the begynnyng y â— they wold not beleue where it was prechid and not beleuyd it was shewyd to them to ther great iudgment And wher it was taught and beleuyd they are preparyd to the feloweshyppe and companye of angells and of his sayncts in the kingedome of heauen Do you not now perceaue that I was in mind yea and dyd speak these wordes of the pâ—escience and foreknowledge of Christ nothing preiudicatynge the secreate and hydde counsell of God nor hynderynge any cause or reason that may be shewed and spoken therwhiche me thought to be sufficient to conuince the pagans of their in froâ—litie whiche dydde obiect this question vnto me Therfore wher as â— sayde that Christ wold then shew hym selfe amonge men and haue his doctrine preached vnto them where when he knew wold be suche as woulde beleue in hym it might be sayde also that Christ woulde then appeare vnto men haue his doctryne preached vnto them when he knâ—we and wher he knewe to be suche as were elected in hym from the fyrst foundacion of the worlde But yf I shuld haue saide so muche then I shulde haue gyuen occasion to the reader to haue required and demaunded of me those thinges whiche nowe are necessary geuynge them warnynge of the Pelagians error to be dysputed more substancyally with greater diligence I thought it therfore for that tyme sufficient to speak breifly therof not dyscussynge the profounde depenes of the wysedome and knowledge of god nor yet medelynge wiâ—h other causes therto belongynge which not theÌ„ but at other tymes I thought more mete and conuenient to be reasoned and dysputed of The tenth Chapter ALso where as I said that the saluacioÌ„ of this religioÌ„ fayled neuer anyâ— maÌ„ which was worthy thaâ— he was not worthy whiche hadde it not yf it shoulde be demaunded howe and whiche waye a man is worthy there are whiche wyll say that the wil of man maketh the maÌ„ to be worthy But we do saye that man is made worthy by the grace and predestination of god Nowe what dyfference is betwene grace and predestination I wyl tel you Predestination is a preparation of grace Grace is the free gyfte it selfe That sayinge therfore of the Apostell which is not of workes that no man shulde reioyse for we are his worke created in Christ Iesu into good workes is the grace wherof we do speke And y t saying of y e same Apostell which foloweth afterward which god hath prepared y t we shuld walke in theÌ„ is predestination which cannot be w tout prescience or forknowleg but y e forknoledg or prescience of god â–ª maye be w t out predestination whereof it is sayde he hathe made wroughte those thinges whiche shall be He hath also y â— prescience or foreknowledge of those thynges whiche he worketh not as of al sinnes which haue ben are shal be coÌ„mytted For although there is certayn syn which of it self is the payn ponishment of syn wherof it is writteÌ„ God hath deliuered theÌ„ ouer into a reprobat miÌ„d for to do those thiÌ„gs which are not mete to be done â—her it is not the faulte of God but the iudgement of god Wherefore the predestination of god which is in goodnes is as I sayde the preparation of grace and grace is theffect of y â— same predestinatioÌ„ Therfore wheÌ„ god dyd promyse to Abraham in his seede the fayth of the gentyls sayeng I haue ordeyned and set the to be a father of manye nations vpon the which wordes the apostle speakynge sayd For y t cause by faith saith he y t y e promis might be firme sure to all sedes he dyd not make this promyse too the power and strength of our wil but vpon his owne predestinatioÌ„ For he promysed that he hym self woulde do it not that men shulde do it For although that men doo manye good thynges whiche pertayne to the worshyppe of god yet it is god which maketh them to do these thinges which he hath commaunded to be doone Their workes and dedes do not cause hym that he shuld performe that which he hath promysed For if it shuld be so then were it in mans power and not in the power of God that the promyse of god shulde be perfourmed that also whiche god dyd promyse they shoulde be the cause that it is perfourmed vnto Abraham Abraham beleued not after that fashion He beleued and gaue glorye vnto god because he knewe that he was able to performe those thynges which he dyd promyse He doth not saye he is able to tell theÌ„ therof before nether doth he say God is able to haue the foreknoledge of these thinges for he cann bothe shewe before and also know before those thinges which he doth not but he sayth god is able to do them as wel as to promyse them and so they are his own workes dedes and not other mens dedes which cause him to perform that which he promised Or wylt thou saye that god dyd promyse to Abraham nothing but the good workes of the gentyls which he would worke in his sede that he might promyse to him that thiÌ„g which he doth work and perform him selfe and that god dyd not promyse ther fayth to hym by bycause it is not his worke as thei saye but thers And wilt thou say that y â— forknoledge which god had of thier fayth which was that they wold beleue of them selfe did cause and make hym to promyse y t thinge to Abraham which he doth worke The Apostell speaketh no syche wordes â–ª He sayth that god promysed to AbrahaÌ„ childern which sholde folow the steppes of his fayth which thing he speketh plaiÌ„ly openly But yf so be god promysed the workes of y â— gentyls not the faythe of them truly bycause good workes can not be except they be of faythe for the rightwyse lyuethe by fayth and al that whiche is not of faythe is sin and without faythe it is vnposseble to please god it must nedes folow by that there reason according to the apostels saying that it is in mans power that god shal perform that thiÌ„g which he hath promysed â–ª For by ther saing except man doth perform that thing which perteineth vnto them to do of them self without the gyft of god which is there fayth as they lay God doth not perform that thing which he hath promysed that y â— workes of rightwysnis shold be giuen vnto them And so after ther mynde that god may perform his promyse it stondeth not in the poure 〈◊〉 of god but in thâ— power and wyl of man Which thinge
forsomuch as the veryte doth deny and forbyddeth that we shold beleue it â—o be as they say let vs with Abraham beleue as he dyd bycause god is able to perform those thinges which he hath promysed For he promysed chyldren vnto Abraham which thinge thei can not be if thei haue no faith It dothe then follow that he dothe gyue also the fayth wherby we do beleue The .xi. chapter I Do meruayll truly forsomyche as the Apostel doth say therfore by fayth that according to grace the promyse maye be fyrme and certayneâ— that men had rather commyt them selfe to them self trusting to their owne infyrmite and weaknys than to y â— certayne most sure promyse of god But he wyl saye vnto me I am vncertayne of the wil of god what thing shal becom of me And arte thou sure vpon thyn owne wyl what shal becom of the that thou fearyst nothing Let hym whiche semeth to hym selfe to stand take hede that he doth not fall Forsomuch therfore as bothe are vncertayne for what cause doth not man commyt hys faythe his hope and charite vnto the stronger â–ª rather than to the weaker But when they do heat these wordes spoken vnto them which were the wordes of the lorde yf thou be leuest thou shalte be sauid they do answere and say that one part of this saying is requyred to be had at our hand y t second part therof is gyuen vnto vs. That parte which is requyred of vs is in our owne pour say they and that part whiche is gyuen vnto vs is in the poure of god Wherfore is not both as wel that whiche he commaundeth as that which he giueth in the power of god For we do desyre hym in oure prayers that he woulde gyue to vs that thynge whiche he commanndeth vs for to doo The faithfull do make theyr petition desiringe that he woulde increase their fayth They do pray also for them which do not beleue that faith myghte be gyuen vnto them that as well the begynnyng as y e encrease of faith myght as it is iÌ„ dede be y e gyft of god For it is all one maner of speakyng to say yf thou beleuest thou shalte be saued and to saye yf ye doo mortify the dedes of the fleshe ye shal liue For in this text there are two thinges on commaunded and another gyuen vnto vs. If ye do mortyfye the dedes of the fleshe c. Then to mortifye the dedes of the fleshe by the spirite is required of vs and that ye shall lyue is gyuen vnto vs. Woulde ye therefore by this reason saye that the mortyfyenge of the dedes of the fleshe is not the gyft of god and that we shuld not confesse it to be his gyft bycause it is demauÌ„ded of vs with a reward promysed for the perfourmynge therof God forbydde that those whiche are partakers of grace and defendars therof shulde be of that mynde For this is the damnable error of the PelagiaÌ„s whose mouthes streightway the apostel doth stoppe with these wordes sayinge As many as are ledde by the spirit of god they are the sonnes children of god bicause we shulde not thinke that the mortifienge of the flesshe is doone by oure owne spirite and not by the spyryte of God ☞ Of this spirit of god thapostel did speake when he saydeâ— al these thinges none other but that selfe same spirite doth work deuyding dystrybutinge his owne proper gyftes to euery man as it pleaseth hym Among all the which thiÌ„ges as ye know he named fayth Likwyse then as the mortefieng of the fleshe althoughâ— it be the gyfte of god is required of vs and a reward also promysed of lyfe so is feyth also y â— gyft of god although it be requyret of vs. with a promysse of saluation when it is sayd if thou dost beleue thou shalte be sauid For this cause therfore both we ar commauÌ„ded to do these thinges and are taught also that theye at the gyftes of god y t we mighte vnderstand both that we do them and also that god doth make that we may do them as by the mouthe of the prophet Ezechyel he speketh very playnly â–ª for what can be sayd more playnly than when he dothe saye I wyll make that ye maye do them Marke the same place of the scriptur wel good brethren and ye shal se that he doth promysse that he wyl worke that ye may do that which he commaundeth to be don In that sam place also he speaketh of ther own meryttes calling them euyl and noughty to whom he declarethe that he doth render good thinges for euyl in that same doiÌ„g when he doth mak them to haue good workes afterwarde when he worketh â–ª that theye maye worke kepe the coÌ„mmauÌ„dementes of god The xii Chapter ALthough this reasoÌ„ by y â— which we do defeÌ„d y â— grace of god thorowe Iesu Christ our lord to be grace in dede that is to laye not to be giueÌ„ to vs accordynge to our merits is euidently inough prouid and confirmed by the stronge testimonies of the worde of god yet amonge them which would fayn haue some thinge for to come and to be of them selfe whiche they myght first gyue vnto god for to be rewarded of hym againe excepte they haue this thing graunted vnto theym that they do some thynge of them self they do thiÌ„k that they ar clean pluckt away from doiÌ„g of all vertuouse workes and godlynes Well as â—â—chynge those whiche by reason of theyr age haue the vse of their wyll we wil graunte say that they do worke sometyme But when we do talke of yonge chyldreÌ„ of the mediator betwene god and man the maÌ„ Christ Iesu then al assertion defence of humayne merits precedynge y â— grace of god dooth quayle For neyther yonge chyldren are by anye good workes precedinge the grace of god preferred before other that therby they shulde pertayne to the redemer of mankynd nor yet christ Iesu beyng also made man was made the sauyour and redemer of mankynd by any humayn merits preceding the grace of god For what man coulde abyde to here y â— yonge chyldren bycause of y â— good deds which they wold haue done if they had lyued longâ—r tyme are baptysed before they do departe foorthe of thys lyfe and agayne that oother younge chyldren bycause bycause of euyll dedes which they woulde haue commytted yf they hadde lyued to the yeres of dyscretion are taken oute of this lyfe before that ar baptised and that god dothe nether rewarde the lyfe whiche they do lyue before they dy as good nor yet condemne it as bad and noughty but onelye hauynge respect to the workes whiche they would haue done in tyme to come if they hadde contynued in thys worlde doth ether rewarde or condemne them But mans folysh brayn ought not to go beyond the mark whiche the Apostell hath leyd befor vs whose wordes are
benefites whyche do come by death when he sayethe they are taken from the peryles of synne whiche do make an ende of this lyfe wherein they maye ye do commyt synne so longe as they are in it In the same boke S. Ciprian among other thinges dothe say wherfore syth that thou shalt be with Christ and art suer of the promise of the lord doest not thou receiue welcom and enbrace thaÌ„kfully that thou art called to come is Christ Why art thou not glad that thou doest go from the deuyl and so to be out of his daunger And in another place he sayethe â–ª Yonge chyldren do escape the peryl of the slyppery and brykle age And in another place also he saith Wherfore do we not haste vs and to me that we myght se our countreye and salute oure parentes There do a great number of oure frendes loke for oure commynge of our parentes of our brethren of our chyldren Manye there are â–ª whiche do desyre to haue vs with them beynge on their owne behalf certaine and sewer that they are out of all daunger and peryll beynge carefull for vs also With these and such lyke wordes â–ª that same doctoure openlye in the myddes of the churche doth testifye that the daunger and peryll of synne is to be feared vntyll â—hende of this lyfe leauynge of this body and after that not to be feared that we shall suffer any such thiÌ„g Whiche thinge althoughe thys doctor had not testified what christian man would euer doubt therof Howe shoulde it not haue bene merueylous profitable to hym whiche had fallen so ended hys lyfe myserably Departynge hens to the paynes whiche he hath deserued yf god had taken hym out of this lyfe from these temtations before he had fallen traÌ„sgressed And so this shall be sufficiente to ende this question about the texte of the boke of wysedome â—he is taken awaye lest malyce shuld alter his mynde yf any reasonable aunswer can serue them and wil not be to contentiouse And besyde that matter the same boke of wysedom which hath ben so longe receyued contynued in the churche so manye yeares ought not the lesse to be regarded and set by because it speakethe against them whome humayne meryts do deceaue and beguyle whicauseth them to go against the manyfest grace of god which most of all doth appear in chyldren which some of them dienge after they are baptised and some before they come to baptyme do declare sufficiently both the mercy and iudgement of god that his mercy is giuen frely and his iudgemente is mooste dewe right vnto vs. For yf so be that men shuld be iudged after the merits and dedes which they haue not done by reason thet are preuented by death which merits and dedes they shoulde haue had and doone if they had lengar lyued it should haue ben no profyt to hym whiche is taken out of this lyfe that malyce shoulde not change and alter his mynde and also it shoulde haue ben nothynge at all profytable to the wycked whiche do depart in their wickednes yea thoughe they had ben taken away oute of this lyfe before they fell and were wycked whiche thinge no christen man woulde euer affirme or houlde Therefore these our brethren whiche do laboure take payne with vs in the defence of the catholike faithe impognynge the errour of the Pelagians as we do shoulde not beare so muche with them in this error wherein they do thynke that the grace of god is geuen after our merits that they shoulde appeare to miâ—ish take awaye or improue the authorite of this sentence whiche is both true ryght christian that is he is takeÌ„ away c. whiche thynge the Pelagians them selfe dare not do and so affyrme that whiche we thinke no man wyl not onely beleue yea not so muche as once dreame that any man after his deathe shoulde be iudged accordynge to the dedes whiche he woulde haue doone yf he hadde lyued annye longer tyme. And so it is inuincible which we do saye and defende that the grace of god is not gyuen after our meryts wherefore I meruayle suche wyse men woulde be broughte to speke such thinges as ar not to be harde nor yet so muche as thought on The .xv. Chapter WHat goodlyer laÌ„terne or lyghte of predestination of grace can we haue than our sauyour hym selfe whiche is the mediatour betwene god man the man Christ Iesus By what merites precedinge the grace of god eyther of workes or of fayth dyd the humayne nature whiche is in hym obteine gette that he was made the man Christ Iesus and mediatoure betwene god and man I wolde fayn know with what merits that man Christ deserued that he by y e word which word is with the father coeternal beinge assumpted into the vnite of person was made the onelye sonne of god Shewe me one good thiÌ„g what so euer it be whiche went before this grace What thinge dyd he worke before what dyd he beleue before what dyd he pray and aske of his father before this that he myght thereby be so hygh exalted as he is so hyghe as no man is able to speak Was it not by the worde whiche dyd make and receyue hym y t y t man from y e which tyme of his manhode he begane to be the sonne of god was his onlye begotten sonne Dyd not that woman after she was replenysshed fylled with grace coÌ„ceiue thys onlye begotten sonne of god Was not this onely begotten son borne of the holy ghoste and of y â— vyrgin Marye not thorough any fleshly desyre but by the onli gyft of god Was ther any thing to be doubled and fearid of lest that that maÌ„ Chryst when he shold com to yers of dyscrecyon wold of his own fre wyl synne Or do you thinke therfore that he had not fre wyl in him or rather that it was â—o muche the more in hym howe much the more he could not be subiect seruaunte to â—ynne Truly al these hyghe and meruaylos exelent gyftes whiche do passe al mans reason al other which ar proper to hym only whiche no man hath but he the humaiÌ„ y t is to â—ay our nature dyd receue iÌ„ hym after a syngular fashion without any of his merytts precedinge Here lett man reason with god if he dare and say vnto hym wherfore do not receue these gyftes as wel as he If so be this saying of the apostel O man what art thou wâ—ich dost reason with god wil not pluck the in and stey the but rather make the to be more folyshe that thou wylte saye how do I here these wordes what art thou o man Forsomuch as I am that thinge which I do here that is to say a man as Christ is wherfore theÌ„ am not I as he is I do saye to the that grace made hym such a maÌ„ as he is so greate as he is But for what cause
but lette hym inclyene and bende oure hartes to hym that we mayâ— walke in all his wayes Yet there is another sayinge of the scriptur I wyll geue to theym an harte to knowe me eares to heare with Agayne I wyl geue to them another harte a newe spirite I wyll gyue to them Let them heare this also I wyl giue my spirit in you I wyl make that ye shall walke in my iustification rightwisnes to obserue kepe my iudgementes decrees And this saying god doth gouerne rule the steppes of man how can a mortal man know his owne wayes Again Euerye man doth thinke hym selfe iust ryghtwyse but god doth gouerne the hartes Let them here this saying Thei beleued as mani as wer ordeyned to lyfe euerlastyng These sayinges I do thinke were spoken concerning the kyngdome of heauen and not the erthly kyndom of this worlde Therfore lette them gyue eare vnto these sainges of the scriptures and to al other which I haue not rehersed by the which we ar taught that god doth prepare and conuert the wylls â—of men vnto the kingdom of heauen and to eternal life as wel as to the kingdom of this worlde I praye you marke consyder wyth youre selfe what maner a thinge that is whiche they do saye that we shold beleue that god dothe worke the wyls of men about the establishiÌ„g of worldly kingdomes but as toching the way to come to the kyngdome of heauen that men therin do worke ther owne wylls We haue spoken many wordes fewar had bin peraduentur sufficient to haue perswaded this matter but we do speke vnto good wittes as thoughe they were dull to whome yea that whiche in deede is more than ynoughe is not ynough The .xxi. Chapter BVt we desyre theÌ„ for this tyme to holde vs excused For a newe moued question dyd dryue vs thereto because that we in our formarbokes sufficieÌ„tly prouyng that faith is the gift of god ther was a new matter against that inuented for the proofe whereof those menne brought the selfe same testimonies agenst vs for them whiche we hadde for our profe whereby they wold shew y t the encrease of faith is the gyft of god but the begynnynge therof which is when we do fyrste beleue in Christe is of man him selfe and not the gyft of god saying that god would haue vs to take all other good thinges folowing this begynning of faith to be the gyft of god gyuen to vs for oure deseruynge bycause we dyd fyrste beleue and that we receyued no good thinge as a free gyfte of god And yet for all theyr sayinge in those same gyftes the grace of god is onely taught and preached whiche is no grace except it be frely gyuen The whiche thinge how greate absurditie it doth conteyne in it ye do openly se and perceiue For the whiche cause we haue ben as diligent as we might be to shew that the begynnynge of fayth as well as thencrease therof is the gyft of god And although we haue bene longe in doinge thereof more prolyxe and lengar than they wold for whose sake we toke the payne yet ar we content to be rebuked and il spoken by of them therfore so that at the last they for our greater laboure than thanke beiÌ„ge made werye w t reding therof whiche do vnderstand perceue the matter wel ynough do confesse graunte that we haue performed that thinge which we pourposed that is to say that we haue taught the beginning of faythe as wel as al other vertues as chastite iustice pacience and godly louâ— in the whiche they do agre with vs to be the gyfte of god Therfore let vs make an end of this worke lest the prolixite and bygnes therof shold offend be tediose to the redare ☞ Here endeth the fyrst boke of saint Augustine of the predestination of sayntes ¶ The seconde booke of S. Augustine entituled of y e godlye continuaunce in goodnes to the ende wherein he proueth that all euerye parte of the lyfe whiche is good is the gyft of god as wel as the begynninge thereof The fyrst Chapter NOw with some what more diligence muste we handell dispute this matter of perseueraunce For in the fyrst boke wherin we disputed of the begynnyng of faith we touched this thinge somewhat Therfore our assertion is now that the vertu called perseueraunce wherby we do continue in Chryste tyll the end is the gift of god I doo meane that same ende whiche is when this lyfe ceaseth in vs in the whiche ende is all the greate dauÌ„ger and peryll lest then we shulde fall And so as longe as man is in this lyfe tyl that tyme whether he hath receyued this gyfte of contynuynge to the ende yea or nay no man what so euer he be can tell For if he falleth before he leaueth this lyfe we do saye that he hathe not perseuered and continued to the ende in goodnes And that is very true For by what reason can we saye that he eyther receyued or had the gyft of perseuerauÌ„ce whiche hathe not perseuered For yf so â—e a maÌ„ hath now y â— vertu of coÌ„tinencye or chastitie in hym afterwarde falleth from it becommynge incontinent and vnchast lykwise if he had ons these vertues as iustice equitie pacience in hym yea and fayth it self also and then falleth again from those vertuouse he maye be well sayde that he hadde those vertuouse before he fel from them but not now For he was chaste iust pacient faithfull so longe as he had those vertues But after he ceased to be that he was he is not that same he was before But he which hath not perseuered and ben stedfaste how can you saye that he dyd perseuer and was stedfast forsomuch as by his perseueraunce and stedfastnes euery man is declared to be stedfast which thing is not declaryd nor spoken of hym whiche dothe not stand styl and abyde in that vertue which he once had But to auoyde this obiection that may be layde against vs as if they woulde aske this question saye yf a man from the tyme that he began fyrste to be faithfull dyd lyue as for exampleâ— the space of .x yeares and in the myddes of those ten yeares did fall from the faith shall we not saye that he dyd perseuer and was stedfast for y e space of fiue yeres wherin he was faithfull I wyll not contende about y e worde whither that same ought to be called perseueraunce durynge y e tyme when he dyd continue faythfull or naye But as touchynge y e same perseueraunce wherof we do speake and treate wherein we doo continue beleuynge in Christe ye tyll the ende that man in no wyse can be sayde that he euer hadde it whiche doth not perseuer and continue to th ende But that man rather should be called stedfast whiche hath lyued but one year faithfull yea and as much lesse
sanctifiar But bycause he said be ye holy for I am holy we do aske and praye for that thinge that we being sanctified in baptyme maye perseuer continewe styll in that whiche we haue begon And a lyghtell after dysputing that same matter and teaching vs to cal vpo god for stedfastnes whiche we shold do nether wel nor iustly if it wer not his gift we do saith he pray that this same sanctification and holynes maye abied in vs â–ª And bycause our lord â–ª and iudge dothe commaunde vs yea lykwise thretenid him whom he healed and restored to lyfe â–ª that he shuld offend no more lest some worse thing shuld happen to him â–ª therfore do we make this petition in our continuall prayers we do dayly nightly aske for this that that same sanctification and holynes of lyfe whiche is receiued of y â— grace of god maye be preserued kept in vs by his protection and defence This doctor ye maye se doth vnderstand in this petition that we do praye for perseuerance and stedfastnes in our sanctification that is to saye that we may perseuer and continue in the sanctificatioÌ„ holines which we haue receiued when we being sanctified do saye let thi name be sanctified For what other thiÌ„g do we mean when we do aske that thing which we haue receiued but y t he wolde graunt to vs that we do not lese y â— thing which we haue receauedâ— Euen so as he which is holy doth in his petition pray that he maye so continue so lykewise the chaste the iust the vertuouse and godlye person and suche other which vâ—rtues we do defende agenst the Pelagians to be the gyftes of god when they do praye they doo aske these thinges without doubt that they may continue still in that same goodnes whiche they do knowelege that thei haue receaued And if they do receaue those gyftes for so â—he they do also receue the gyfte of perseueraâ—nce which is y â— great gyâ—t af god by the which all other gifts are preserued kepte Also wheÌ„ we do say Let thy kyngdome coÌ„e do we aske desire any other thinge than that y t kyngdom may com vnto vs which we do knowe certainlye shall come to all those whyche are sanctyfied Those persons then whiche are already sanctyfied what do they ells desire in ther petition but that they maye continew in that holynes which is gyueÌ„ to them Otherwyse the kingdome of god shall not com vnto them For we are certayne that it shal com to non but to them whiche do contynew to the ende The iii Chapter THe third petition is let thy wyl be done in heauen and in yearth or as it is redde in certayne bokes commonly vsed of them which do praye as it is in heauen so also in erth Which petition dyuerse do vnderstond after this fashionâ— as the angells do worke thi wil so let vs worke thy wyl But this godly doctor and martyr Cyprian wyll haue that by these wordes heaueÌ„ and earth shold be ment and vnderstonded the spirit and the flesh And that oure prayer is that both our spirit and our fleshe may agre and go togyther in workinge the wyl of god And besyde this sens and vnderstonding he perceuid an other meaning righte agreable consonant to our fayth wherof we spake before that by these wordes the faythful men do praye for the vnfeythful whiche are but earthe bearing about them no thing ells but the yearthly man of ther fyrste natiuite and berth which faythfu men are worthely forsomuche as they are endued and cled with the heueÌ„ly maÌ„ named called bi this word heauen In y e which his wordes he doth shew euydently plaiÌ„ly that y â— beginning of faith is the gyft of god syth that the holi churche doth praye not onelye for the faithfull that their faith maye be encreased he made firme stedfaste in theym but also for the vnfaithfull that they maye begyn to haue the same faithe whiche they haue not yea which do beare most enuyouse hatefull hartes ageÌ„ste it But nowe we do not dispute of the begynning of faith wherof we haue largely spoken in the fyrste boke but of that perseueraunce stedfastnes whiche we must haue continuing to th eÌ„d for the which the sanctified persons those I say which do the wyl of god do make their petition and say in theyr prayer Thy wyll be done For sythe the wyl of god is done in them already wherfore do they praye for it but that they should perseuer continue to be as they haue begoâ—â— and so to abyde in that godly purpose to the end And yet it may here be saide y t the saintes do not pray y t the wil of god shold be fullfylled in heauen ouâ— that it may be done in earth as it is in heauen that is to saye in earth that the earth may folow heauen whiche is as muche to saye as that man may followe the aungels or that the vnfaithfull may folow the faithfull And so by this reasoÌ„ the saintes do in this place praye that that thyng may be which is not yet done not that the thing which is done may continue For although men at neuer so holy yet are they not equall with the angels of god therfore the wyl of god is not done in theÌ„ as it is in heueÌ„ If it be so theÌ„ truly wher as we do pray that the vnfaithful may be made faithful we do not in y â— petition pray for perseuerance but for that which is the begynning therof But wheÌ„ we do desire and praye that men mighte be made equal and lyke to angels in doinge the will of god then do we desire pray for perseuerance and stedfastnes For no man doth come to that high blesse whiche is in heauen except he continueth to th ende in that holynes whiche he receaued in yearth The .iiii. Chapter THe fourth petition is Gyue vs this day our dayly bread In this petition the blessed man Cyprian doth shewe that perseuerance and stedfastnes is vnderstonded to be asked and praied for to be had of god For among other words the holy man Cyprian speaketh these folowyng We do pray sayeth he that this breade maye be geuen euery day vnto vs â—lest that we whiche are in Christe and do receaue daylye the sacrament of thankes geuynge for our helthfull foode thorow som greuous offence whiche we shulde commit betwene the times of the receiuinge thereof shold worthely iustly for the said offeÌ„ce deserue to be seprated put froÌ„ the body of Christ These wordes of this holye man do declare that the saynctes of god do praye to god for perseueraunce stedfastnes wheÌ„ they do pray saying gyue to vs this day our dayly bread y t they shuld not be separated from the body of Christ but y â— they may continue stil in such holines as
sholde not haue perished if the death of the bodye had preuented their fal For no dead man is iudged after the good or bad workes whiche he woulde haue done yf he had lyued longer tyme. For if that were true â–ª then the people of Tyrus and Sydon shuld not be punished â–ª for that they haue doone but rather shoulde haue obteyned saluation for that which they would haue doone beleuyng in CHRISTE yf the myracles and and vertues had ben done in theÌ„ whiche were done in the other cities The .x. Chapter A Certain catholike doctor a man of no smal name dooth expounde this place of the scripture after this wyse saying that God knew before that the Tirians and Sydonites wold depart agayn from the faith after they shoulde haue once receiued it thorowe the workynge of myracles and preaching of the gospell And for that cause sayde he god hauynge pitie coÌ„passion ouer them wuld not work his myracles and shewe his doctrine among theÌ„ becaus they shuld deserue greater punysshmente if they had forsaken that faith whiche thei had once râ—ceiued than yf thei had neuer beleued What nedeth me to tel what things may be noted gathered oute of this subtyl wyse mans saying sith that his owne saying as he dooth speake the words doth make for our purpose For if god moued with compassion and pittie dyd not worke his wonders among them whereby thei mightbe made faithful lest they wuld offend more greuously wheÌ„ they shold afterward forsake it again because he knew before they wold forsake their saith after thei had receiued it by that reason is it openly declared that no man is iudged for those dâ—edes whiche god knewe before he woulde haue wrought afterward if he be taken away before he doth them or some otherwais is holpen thaâ— he dothe not commyt any such offences as Christ dyd help the Tyryans y â— Sydonits if y t expositioÌ„ be treue whoÌ„ he had rather shold not com to the fayth thaÌ„ they afterward w t a greater offence shoulde forsake it which thing he knew before thei wold do if they had once com to it But yf you wyl saye againe vnto me for what cause dyd he not so worke that they might beleue and that they myght also be taken out of thys lyfe before they shold falle from the fayth which they had receuyd I knowe not what answer to make therto For he which doth say y t thei which wold forsake ther faith had this benefit graunted giuen vnto theÌ„ that thei shold not haue y â— thing which they wold w t greater impietie â–ª wickednes to their iudgement cast away from theÌ„ so lease it again y â— same man which so doth say coÌ„fesseth declareth plaiÌ„ly y â— a maÌ„ is not iuged for any thing which according to y e forknolege of god he wold haue don if he had on way or other bin preuented y â— it is not don Yt foloweth then y t that maÌ„ was prouided for holpen of whoÌ„ the scripture speaketh saying He was taken awaye c. But peraduenture y esame exposytor wyl say agayn to me Wherfore then wer not y e meÌ„ of Tyrus SidoÌ„ prouided for after that same maner that thei mighte beleue so be taken out of this life lest malice shold alter their miÌ„d Truli as toching this matter I think it suffycieÌ„t y t after his own wordes saing I haue prouyd y t meÌ„ â–ª ar not iudged for ani thinge which theâ—e haue not don although y â— forknoledg of god knew that thei wold do it if theye had lengar lyued For as I sayd before although it is shame to spend any longe tymme in wryghtinge against this opynion that men at iudged for those dedes which thei ar knowen before that they wolde do if they myght haue space of life to do theÌ„ yet because we sholde in no wyse apere and seme to beare with it or any thinge alow it we thought it more convenyent and bettre with thys dysputation to pluke it in and to stey it from goyng and growing farther abrod than to let it palse vnspoken of The .xi. Chapter ANd therfor as the Apostell doth saye it is not in him whiche willeth nor in hym whiche roneth but in god whiche taketh mercy whiche doth prouyd for yonge chyldren acording to his own wyl and pleasure for whome he wyl which yoÌ„g chyldren do nether wyll nor roon whom he hath chosen in Chryst before the foundacion of the world gyuing also hys grace to theÌ„ frely without any of ther deseruinge or merites preceding his grace ether of ther fayth or of workes And as toching those which are of age although he doth knowe that thei wolde beleue yf myracles were wrought among them yet whom he wyl not them he doth not helpe of whom in his predestinatioÌ„ whiche is vnknowen hid vnto vs he hath otherwyse determined and iudged that iustly For there is none vnryghtwysnes with god Hys iudgements ar inscrutable hys wayes vnable to be serchyd found out For al the waies of the lorde are mercy veryte Then is his mercy inuestigable by y â— which he hath mercy on whom him pleaseth w tout any of ther merytts or deseruiÌ„ges for the which he shold rewarde them agayn And this veryte is inuestigable by y â— which he dothe obdurat and harden whom hym pleaseth and that thorow the meryts and deseruing of theÌ„ whiche are so obdurated whiche are the merits and deseruing also of them of whom he taketh mercy as wel as of them whome he hath hardenyd As by example we do find in Iacob and Esau the on being takeng to mercy the other not and yet as ther merytts deseruinges were all one â–ª so was not there end Of the whiche twayn he one of them was delyuered by the goodnis of god that other was coÌ„demnyd by the iustyce rightwysnes of god Shal we say y â— god is not iuste God forbid But his ways ar inuestigable And therfor iÌ„ thos which are sauyd let vs beleue the mercy of god and in those whiche are condemned let vs beleue the ryghtwysnes of god w tout anye doubtinge Nether let vs reasone after those thinges which are not able to be answered nor serch after that whiche can not be found out For out of the mouth of infantes and yong lukkinge chyldren doth he set forth his prayse that that thing which we do se in these beiÌ„g saued which had no meryts wher with thy might deserue saluation and in those which are condemnid by the merits of origynal synne preceding there condemnation we shold not doubt but it is also the very lyke in those which ar of age That is to say that we shold not think that ani man doth first ani works wherby he obteineth salua nor yet that any man is damnyd without his own meryts whither ther causes ar al one or diuers as I haue sayde before that he
habelnes is of god For our harts and our thoughts are not in our own powr And therfore saynt Ambros doth saye what man is so blessed whiche dothe continualy assend ryse alwaye in his harte But how can this thing be don without the help of god By nomeans forsoth Forthermore the sayd godly man speking and treating vpoÌ„ the said scripture alledged these words of the psalmyst which ar That man is blessed whose helpe is from the O lorde and whose assendynge and rysynge vppe in harte is of theâ— The cause wherfore he sayde so he dyd not only fynde in the holy scripture but he felte it in his own hart Therfore those wordes whiche are spoken by the minister at the time of the ministration of y â— sacrament commaunding vs that we should lift vp our hartes vnto god that very same thing which is to lyfte vp our hartes to god is the gift of god for the which gifte â–ª they are admonished of the preiste to geue thaÌ„kes vnto god to whose wordes â–ª they do make aunswere say it is worthy and righte that it be so Forsomuch therfore as our hartes are not in our owne poure but are lyfte vp by the help of god that they maye assend ryse vp so vnderstond be wise in heauenly thinges where Christ is sitting on the right hand of the father not in yearthly and worldlye thynges who doth deserue to haue thaÌ„kes for that same but he only whiche doth the thinge our lorde god whiche by so great his benefits delyueryng vs hath chosen vs from the bottom of this worlde predestened vs before the foundacion of the worlde was layde The .xiiii Chapter BVt they do saye y t the declaration openinge of the matter of predâ—stination is a thing whiche hyndereth is much against the right order of preachiâ—ge As though the preching and teaching of the Apostel was let hyndered therby Dyd not the doctor maister of the gentyls faythfully and truely manye tymes commend praise predestination and yet ceassed not to prech and teach the word of god I pray you because he saide that god is y â— worker in vs both of the wyl and of the worke also according to hys owne good wyll dyd he therefore not exhort them to whom he spake those wordes that they shuld both wyll and desyre yea and to worke those thinges which ar acceptable pleasaunt vnto god Or els bycause he said that he whiche began that good worke in you wyll alsoo perfourme it bringe it to an end in you euen tyll the daye of oure lorde Iesu Christ did he not for al that exhorte and counsel men both to the begynnynge and to the continuance therein to the ende The lorde also hym selfe commaunded men to beleue saying If ye do beleue in god then beleue in me Yet that same sentence was not false nor the definition therof vnprofytable whiche the same lorde spake also sayinge No man commeth to me that is to saye no man beleueth in me but to whom it is geuen of my father And againe it doth not folowe because this diffinition is true that therfore the commaunde mente that they should beleue is voyde or vnprofitable For what cause then should we thinke that the openinge of predestination shulde be the cause that men myghte not preache and teach and in preachinge commaund exhorte reproue yea and correcte whiche thinges are muche vsed in the scripture wherin predestinatioÌ„ is commeÌ„ded set forth vnto vs As there any man so bolde whiche wyl saye that god did not knowe before to whome he woulde gyue the gyft to beleue Or ells that he knewe not before what they were whom he would giue to his sonne of whoÌ„ he shuld lease none Which thinges if god knewe before he knew also before those his benefites by the which benefites he doth vouchsafe to delyuer them This predestination of saintes is nothinge elles but a foreknowlege and a preparation of the benefits of god by the whiche benefites al men are saued which haue shall obteine saluacion Al other besyde these in what case are theyâ— wher are they left but in the dow of perdition and that by the moste iuste right iugement of god In that same state condition were y â— people of Tyrus and Sidon left whiche might also haue beleued if they had seene those greate sygnes miracles of Christe whiche he wrought But bycause it was not gyuen to theim that they shoulde beleue the sygnes tokens wherby they myght haue ben broughte to beleif were withdrawen kepte awaye from them denied them By this a man may perceaue that many men naturally haue such an heuenly gyft of vnderstandinge y t they maye thereby be moued to the faith â–ª if eyther they be taughte by wordes or elles do sâ— sygnes tokens accordinge to the disposition of their minds And yet for al that yf they be not by the profounde depe iugemente of god thoroughe the predestination of grace separated from the dow of perdition they are suffered nether to hear the wordes nor to se the meruellouse workes wherby thei myght be broght to faythe yea nor yet they cannot beleue although thei did both here and se them In that state of perdition were the Iewes lefte whiche coulde not beleue the great works and wonderous vertues whiche thei saw wrought before ther eyes The cause wherfore thei could not beleue the euangill doth not hyde from vs sayinge when he hadde wrought so great wonders sygnes among them they beleuyd not in hym that the saying of Esay the prophet myght be fulfylled which he spake sayinge who hath gyueÌ„ credyt and beleif to that which we haue harde Or to whome is the arme of the lorde knowen And therfore they coulde not beleue for Esay sayd more â—He hathe shyt vp their eyes hardened their hartes that they shoulde not se with their eyes nor vnderstande with theyr hartes conuert be healed The eyen hartes of the people of Tyrus Sydon were not shyt vp and hardened after such a fashion for they woulde haue beleued if they had seene the sygnes wonders whiche these men dyd se But it profyted them nothyng that they coulde haue beleued bicause they weare not predestened of hym whose iugementes are inscrutable whose waies are not to be serched out And again it shulde not haue hyndered thother y t they coulde not beleue if they had ben so predestened that god would lyghten their eyes which were blinded molefy y e stony hartes of theÌ„ which were hardened But as touching that which the lord spake of y e Tirians the Sidonites it mai peraduenture some otherwayes be taken vnderstanded But y t now no man dothe come to Christe but to whome it is geuen that it is gyuen to them which ar elected in him before the foundacion of the
not know what the scripture speketh in Hâ—ly how he called on y â— lord against Israel â–ª and so forthe But what answere made the lorde vnto him saythe the Apostel I haue lefte vnto me sayth the lorde seuen thousande men which haue not oâ—s bent ther kne before Baal He sayd not ther are left vnto me or ells they haue lefte them selfâ— vnto me But he sayde I haue left vnto me And so then sayth the apostel in thys time the remnaunt is sauyd by the election of grace But if it be of grace theÌ„ doth it not com of works For then grace were no grace And so ioyning and knitting thes things vp togyther as I haue rehersed what theÌ„ sayd he And to that he sayde That whych Israel sought after it dyd not obteyne election dyd obteyne it the rest were blynded It foloweth that in thys loue of god and in the remnant which is saued thorowe the election of grace the Apostell wyll haue the people to be ment and vnderstonded whiche people for that cause god dyd not cast of because he dyd forknow them This is that same eleccion wherby god did chose theÌ„ whom hym pleased in Christe that they shuld be holy and pure in his syght in charite predestening them into the adoption of chyldren No man therfore whiche doth vnderstande this matter can ether denye or doubt but these wordes which thapostle doth speke He hath not cast of y e people which he hath forknowen do signifi non other thing than predestination For in his for knowlege he knew before the remnaunte which he wolde make after the election of grace that is to say which are predestened And without doubt if he did predestinat theÌ„ he knew it before that he would so do But to predestinate is as much as to know before what he wold do afterward What thing then shuld let vs when we do rede in holy writers these wordes the prescience of god specially when thei do treate of y â— vocation of the elects but that we may vnderstond and cal it predestination For peraduenture thei do vse this word vocable prescience the more because it is more easy to be vnderstonded besyde that it is not against ye it is ryght agreable to the vetitie whiche is taught as touchinge y â— predestination of grace This I am sure of that no man except he woulde erre wyllingly can dispute agenst this predestination of grace whiche we do defend by the authorities of the holy scripture The .xix. Chapter ANd me thinketh to those men whiche at desyros to know the mynds and iudgements of those which ar wrytars concerninge this matter these two holy and vertuose men Ciprian and Ambrose being men hyghly commended bothe for ther purenes of fayth great knowledg in al godly doctryn whose testimonis we haue rehersid shold be sufficient both that they sholde throughly beleue and so preche tech that the grace of god is a fre gifte as it oughte to be beleued taughte also that they shold not think the preching of y â— said grace to be ani hinderance or let to y â— preching wherin we do exhort those which are slothful to go from ther slothfulnis rebuke those whiche are noughtye and euyll from their leudnes forsomuch as these godly meÌ„ did so highly extol set forth the grace of god insomuch that thâ—ne of theÌ„ said we must be proud of nothing becaus nothiÌ„g is our own thother said That nether our harts nor our thoughtes ar in our own power And yet they in their prechyng dyd both exhort rebuke as they saw cause y e the coÌ„maundements of the lord might be wrought don They fered not lest any wold say to theÌ„ wherefore doest y u exhort vs wherfore dost y u rebuke vs if we haue no good thinge of our self if our harts and thoughts ar not in our own pour Thei wer afraid of no such words being of so godlâ— a iudgmeÌ„t y â— they knew wel ther wer very few or noÌ„ which had receuid suche a gift at y â— mouth of god or els by som angel that they shuld haue the knowlege of the heuenly doctrin without the helpe of any man preaching vnto them But coÌ„trarywise they knew many to whom it was geuen that by the preaching teaching of meÌ„ they shuld come to faith beleife in god How be it which waye soeuer the word is spoken and declared to a maÌ„ he that doth giue such eare vnto it that he doth follow obey it that same is y â— gift of god So these foresayd holye wrytars being most godly expositors of the worde of god dyd both preach the grace of god as it ought to be preched that is to say which grace no humayne merits do precede and also dyd most instantly and earnestly exhort men to the keping of the commaundementes of the lorde that they which haue the gyft of obedience maye here and perceaue wherin they shold be obedient For if any of our meryts do precede the grace of god it must be y â— meryt ether of soÌ„ dede or word or thought of ours in the whiche the wyll of man is vnderstonded to be good But that man dyd in fewe words comprehend al kind of merits which sayd We must be proud of nothing forsomych as nothinge is ours to be proud of That man also which sayde that our harts and our thoughts are not in our powr he left nether words nor deds vnment For there is no ded or word which any man doth work or spek but it commith out of the thought of y â— hart What thing could this holi matter and godly doctor Cyptyan do more concerninge this matter than where he taught vs speking vpon the lords prayer y â— we must praye for the enemies of Christs faith in the which lesson we are taught that the begynning of our faith is the gift of god after his mynde and iudgment He taught vs also y â— the church of Christ doth dayly praye for perseuerance that it may perseuer and continue to the end For god doth gyue that to non â–ª but to them which haue perseuered to the end Blessed Ambros also where he treateth vpon these words of the Euangelist Luk whiche words ar It semed to me wel and good it might well be sayde Ambrose that the thinge did lyke please hym wherof he spake For thinges said he doo not only lyke vs wel in our own conceyts wils but euen so as it plesed him which doth speke in vs which is Christe which doth work in vs y â— that thiÌ„g which is good in dede may so sem appere vnto vs. For on whom he taketh mercy compassion him he calleth And therfor that man which doth folow Christ beyng demaÌ„ded y â— question For what cause he wolde be a christian man may well make aunswer and say it lyked me well and it thought
made byshop In the which disputatioÌ„ I both knolegid yea defendid that the beginning of faith is the gyft of god Which of al mi bokes doth make oftener mention of thys matter than those bokes which I vrot intitulid of my confessioÌ„s which I wrot befor pelagians heresy was spoken of In those bokes did often times make mi petition to our lord god sayiÌ„g Gyue to me that which thou doest command and coÌ„mand what thou wilt Which my words PelagiaÌ„ being at Rome vpon a certain tym hearing a byshop which was ther rehersing in his presence cold not beare nor abyed to here them and chaffyd so against them that almost he had fallen out with the byshop that spake them What thing doth god fyrst and cheffly command vs to do but y â— we shold beleue in him Then if y t be wel spokeÌ„ of me gyue that thou commandest it doth folow that he doth gyue that we shold beleue And in those same boks also as to thing that which I spake of my conuersion the lorde being the coÌ„uertor of me vnto the fayth which fayth with out ragios madnes and made babeling I dyd before al y t I myght impong do ye not remeÌ„ber that I dyd openly knowledge testifi that by the faythful and dayle tears of my mother I was converted to the fayth There also I dyd saye that god by his grace dyd convert and torn the wyls of men vnto the same grace which meÌ„ had not onlye not receuid yt whiche were oute of the fayth but the harts also of those men which are enemies vnto it he doth torne And as tochinge perseuerance which is to continew styl in that faith til the end how I haue made my petition to the lord for to haue it grauÌ„ted and gyuen to me if ye be disposed ye can both tel rehers the words also Al the gyfts therfore of god which ether I desyred and praid for to haue or whiche I I comendyd and praysed in the same boke what man is so bould I wyl not saye to denie but ones to doubt that god knew not befor â–ª that he wolde gyue them yea and that he could not be ignorante to whom he wold gyue them This is the playn and manifest predestination of saynts whiche predestination necessite constrayned vs at the last with greater diligence and more earnest labor to dâ—â—â—nd when we dysputed against the Pelagians For we do sai that euery heriâ—e doth bringe with it his own proper questions newly inuentid Against y â— whiche the holy scripture requireth more diligent and ernest defence aud greatar labor than if no sych necessyte had constreined vs thervnto For what thing caused the places of y â— scripture whiche do commend set forth predestinatioÌ„ to be so diligently serchyd out by these oure labors defendid but bycause the Pelagians do hold defend that the grace of god is gyueÌ„ after our merytts Which what other thing is it but a plain denial of grace Chap .xxi. TO confounde therfore that opinion which is vn â—â—inâ— and vnthankful to god yea and also an enemie to the fre and liberal benefits of god wherby we are sauyd we do defend acording to the scripturs that both the begynnyng of fayth and perseuerance therin to y â— ende wherof we haue spoken soâ— many wordes at the gifts of god For if we do saye that the beginnyng of faythe is of oure self that by and for the same begynning we may deserue to receue againg other rewards and gifts of god then do the pelagians conclud without ani more words that the grace of god is gyueÌ„ after our meryts This opinion the catholique fayth hath so abhorred that pelagiaÌ„ being in fear lest he shold be condemnyd therfore dyd fyrste condeme yt his own selfe And againe if we wold say that perseuerance to the end is of our selfe and not of god then do theye answer that the begynning is as wel of our selfe as the end therof making this reason saying Yf we haue the pour in oure selfe that we maye continewe to the ende miche more haue we the beginninge in our owne power for to beleue forsomich as it is a more greate and busiar matter to make an end thaÌ„ to begin And so after this fashion they do conclude that the grace of god is gyuen after our deseruing But if both to gither as wel to begin as to make an end ar the gifts of god and also if he knowethe before that he wil giue those gyfts whiche of no man cann be denied theÌ„ must predestination be prechid that the right and trew grace of god that is to say which is not gyuen after any humain meritts maye with al power and strength be defendid And as tochinge my selfe in the boke which I wrotte entituled of correction of grace which worke coulde not satisfie please all my frendes I thinke that I didde so set forthe perseuerance which is to th ende for to be the gyft of god that if I do remember my selfe wel I neuer befor dyd wright therof nether more weightly nor more playnlye And yet in that place I did not speake of it after that fashion as thoughe I had bin the first which had spoken therof and that non had medled therwith before me For the holy father Cyprian as I haue told you before hath so expounded our petitions conteined in the lordes prayer that he saith we do pray for perseueraunce in the first petition affirminge that we then do desyre that same of god when we do saye Let thy name be halowed which is that for somuch as we ar sanctefied in baptyme we desire that we may continue in that same stil whiche we haue begon But I wold y â— all these to whom for the loue they do bear vnto me I shuld not agaiÌ„ be vnkind which men as you doo writ do embrase commend al my writinges this only excepted whiche we haue nowe in question I wold Isey that they shuld loke se whither in y â— latter part of y â— first boke of those twain which I wrot to Simplician the byshop of Mylan before Pelagians heresye dyd spring vp any thing doth remâ—â—n doubtful wherin I shulde semâ— to doubt that y â— grace of god is not gyueÌ„ after our merits And also I wolde they shuld se whether I haue not don sufficiently concerning the begynning of faith declaringe that it is the gyft of god And also whither it maye not appeare of the words whiche I dyd speake ther although I spake theÌ„ not so openly that the perseuerance to the end as wel as the begynning of faythe is noone otherwise ours than by the gyft of hym whiche hath predestened vs to his kyngdome and heauenly glory Forthermore as toching that epistel which I wrote against y â— PelagiaÌ„s vnto the holy father Paulinus bishop of Nolan against the which epistel now of late thei haue begon to contend
should in nowys be spoken that a man shold say those whiche are of you that do abyde and continew stil in the pleasure of synne do not forsake your noughti lusts pleasurs bycause the help of the mercifull grace of god hathe not lift you vp c. Wher as it had bin better spoken and as it oughte to haue bin if y e words had buâ— thus set as If ther be any of you which do continew in the delight pleasure of syn which bryngeth damnation receue moste holsom doctrin And when ye do as ye ar taught be not puffed vp then w t pride as though youre workes were youre owne of your self and had not receuid them For god is he whiche worketh in vs both y â— wil y e work after his good wyl And let youre stepps and goings be made right streight of the lord that ye may wyl to walke in his way Let your walking be so vpright and good that as you do se your selfe walke you maye lern that ye do pertein to the predestination of the grace of god Also thos words which do folowe but if any of you are not yet called whoÌ„ the grace of god hath predestenid to be electid ye doutles shal receue that same grace bothe that ye maye haue the wyl to desire it and also to be electid in ded thes words I saye ar not so wel spoken as they might haue bin if we wold thinke and perswad our selfe that we do speke to thos which ar of the church of Chryst not to theÌ„ whiche are not of it Why sholde we not rather say if ther be any which are not yet called let vs praye for them that they maye be called For peraduenture they are so predestenid that it sholde be grauntid to our prayars that they shal receue that same grace by the which they maye haue the wyll to desyre it of god be also electid in dede For god which hath fulfylled performyd al thinges that he hath predestenid wil haue vs y â— we sholde praye for them whiche are enemis vnto the fayth y t therby we maye perceue and vnderstond that he doth gyue and graunt yea to the vnfaythful that they may beleue yea and make also those whiche not willing for to be willing and desyrers therof But thos wordes whiche do hereafter follow as ye do wryght I merual if any man among the christian people which is yet but weake feable can be able to here them patiently as if a man wolde say and if ther be any among you whiche ar now obedient which is predestenid to be reiectyd and forsaken the powr whiche ye haue now to do wel shal be taken from you that ye shal be no more obedient To speke after this maner what other thing els doth it seme and apere for to be but to cursâ—e and to speke euyl or ells to prophâ—cy before of euill to com to theÌ„ But if ye wold spek ani thing of them which do not perseuer and continew iÌ„ y e faith or if ther be som sich matter y â— constreineth you to speke som thinge therof whi shold ye not rather spek your words so that they shold not apere to be spoken to the hearers as perteyninge vnto them but as though thei wer spoken of some other not there present vnto them that is that it shold not be sayde to the hearers yf any of you be now obedient which are predestinated to be forsaken and such other wordes let them I saye be spokeÌ„ in y e therd persoÌ„ of y â— verb not in the second For it is to odios and hatful a word to be spoken as though it wer into ther face to the rebuke and shamful reprofe of the hearers when a man doth sai vnto them If ther be any of you which nowe do obeye and are predestined to be forsaken the power of obedience shal be taken awaye from you that ye shal obey no more Shold ther be any lesse thing in effect spoken and sayd I pray you if a maÌ„ wold speke after this fashion and saye If they do obey and be nowe good â–ª which are not predestenid to his kingedom and glory thei are but tymlyngs and do continewe but for a whyel they shal not abid to the ende in that same obedience Is not this now spokeÌ„ both better and more fetly than if we shold in our wordes apere to wysh and desire so great an euyl vnto theÌ„ which ar our hearers but rather nowe do apere to tel and shew them that thing of other men whiche thinge the hearars do hate and abhore that they shold not take thos wordes spoken to them self as of theÌ„ selfe but be in hope and prayar of that thiÌ„g which is better After y t maner to the self same effect in sentence as it is spoken of predestination it maye be spoken and sayd of the prescience of god which prescience they canne not deny but is trew as syf ye do obey whiche are foreknowen of god to be refused ye shal cease and obeye no more There is no doubt but this is as trew as may be spoken But yet it is most wykedly most vncomly out of order spoken not that it is not truly spoken but bycause it is not spokeÌ„ as it ought to be to the helth and comfort of mans infyrmite and weaknes We do thinke also that to speke vnto the people as I haue sayd wylled theÌ„ here to fore to do is suffycieÌ„t except they wil add thes wordes more vnto that which I haue said and say Ye therfor must be in good hope trust aske in youre daly prayers of the father of lights that ye may perseuer and contynew to th ende in obedience from whom al good gyfts and al perfect gyfts do com doun â–ª and when ye do so being in that godly obedience then to beleue stedfastly that ye are of those which ar predestenyd to be his people bycause he dothe graunt and gyue vnto you that ye may praye and desire it of hym God forbyd y â— ye shold despeir in your self bycause ye ar commaunded to put your hope in hym and not in youre selfe For corsyd are al they which do put ther trust in man Also it is better to trust in god than to trust in man For accordinge to the scripture whyche is the moost true and lyuelye worde of god all those men are blessed whyche do put their truste in hym And when ye haue this hope serue the lorde in feare and reioyse towarde hym with trembeling For of the lyfe eteinal which lyfe god hath promised to the chyldern of promission before the beginnyng no man can be certayn sure but when this lyfe shal be endid whiche lyfe is tentation vpon the yerthe But he shal make you perseuer and contynew in him to y â— ende of that same lyfe to whom ye make youre petition sayinge lede vs
both Christ and vs bycause he knewe before in Chryst those workes â–ª which he wold work him selfe not that he knew ani meryts of his which shold precede y e heuenly grace and that bycause Chryste shold be our hed and we hys members Those whych do red thes thinges if they do vnderstond them let theÌ„ rendar thankes vnto god therfor but they â–ª whiche doo not vnderstonde them let them praye that God maye be theyr inwarde and spyritual teacher from whose face commeth al knowledge and vnder stonding But if there be anye which do thinke that I doo erre and that I am oute of the ryghte waye lette hym looke my sayinges twyse ouer and weye them well leaste peraduenture they be deceyuyd them selfe And as for my selfe when I doo fynde that I am the better instructyd by other mennes readyng of my workes I saye bothe in lerninge and in lyuinge I doo thanke god hartelye for it and so doo knowledge that he is good and mercifull â–ª vnto me which thinge I doo not doubte but I shall be by the good iudgemente of the doctoures of the churche if my woorke doeth come into theyr handes and they lykewyse do vouchsafe to reade thys thinge whyche I haue wrytten FINIS ⧠Imprinted at London in Aldersgate strete by the wydowe of Ihon Herforde for Gwalter Lynne and are to be soulde at the sygne of the spred Eagle in Poules church yarde by the schole Cum priuilegio regali ad impridum solum Philip. 3. Galathi â— the grace of god he temmendeâ— them for ther good desyr towarde the amendment of them whiche wer in error he meaneth of the fre grace of god Iieremy â— Philip. 3 Aâ—l men are borne gyltye of synne 〈…〉 ther Aâ—am The graciâ— of god preueÌ„â—teth our will begynnynge and endyng oure 〈◊〉 workes Prayer 〈◊〉 weapen ageâ—inst errour â— blyndnes fayth is the gyft of god Agenst thot which saye that faythe is of oure selfe but y â— encreas theâ— of 〈◊〉 god Pelagians errour condemned in the counsell at Palestyne Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 No man caÌ„ 〈◊〉 â—xcept it 〈◊〉 giueÌ„ to hym that he shold beleue psal â–ª 84â— â— Corin â— 4. By the antecedeÌ„t he proueth â—he conâ—â—uene The thouâ—â—ht is the begynnynge of beleife but the thought is the 〈◊〉 of god 〈◊〉 the beginniÌ„g of beleue is the gyfte of god what is 〈◊〉 beleue The conclusion of hys argument A preparation to an other argument prouiÌ„g by â—ge promyse of god that faythe is y â— worke of god Roman 4 â–ª â—â—ma 1 〈…〉 S Ciprian Augusti coÌ„fesseth 〈◊〉 This was the iudgmeÌ„t of 〈◊〉 augustin iÌ„ his erâ—or befor◠〈…〉 it S Augusti 〈…〉 the wordes wherin he erred in 〈◊〉 kyng faithe to be the work of 〈◊〉 â—alach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11 â— Corinth 12 In those wordes of y â— apâ—â—tâ—l â–ª 〈◊〉 worketh he 〈…〉 ephes 〈◊〉 Bothe the wyl and the power of y â— wil are the gyftes of god two kynds of vocatioÌ„ vocation â— election â—â— not on thiâ— Fayth Infidâ—lâ—te A question He doth not cal him mâ—lord of mylaâ— as we saye my lorde of â—ondon my lord of wynchester 〈…〉 on at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For god dyd â–ª gyue that grace â—â—to them that they wold plant and water 〈…〉 The dyfferâ—nce of graâ—â—â— man 1. Thessa â–ª 〈◊〉 He preuenteth the obiection with wolde prâ—â— feyth to be of man and disproâ—â—th it 〈…〉 psal â–ª lâ—viii Testimonies of the scriptures conteyning the doctrine of the merci and iudgement of god He reherseth another of ther obâ—â—tione reâ—reâ—yth it Ihon 〈◊〉 The reason whye we ar iustefyd by fayth So faythe 〈◊〉 gardene â—who by thâ—â— eâ—ample pâ—oueth that a man before fayth maye be 〈◊〉 and â—od 〈◊〉 by his goodnes to be rewarded of god To com to the son is to beleue in the son Ihon. vi 〈…〉 There commeth none to the son but whome the father teachyth â–ª the cause then why they do not come is because god both not teache them The father the sonne the spirit of them bothe dâ—o â—eaâ—h aâ— in our scole Wherefore is it called the dede of the father â–ª when we 〈◊〉 whom the father teacheth syth that y â— sonne and y â— holy ghost as also present in thaâ— dede of teachyng he referreth the reader 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 whiche he 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 what thing doth grace work in the hart of man an obâ—ection wâ—th the answere Aunswere By this 〈…〉 teacheth the vnderstanding of these wâ—rdes â–ª all mâ—n are taughte of Another 〈◊〉 lection Aunswerâ— psalme â—4 math 6. * thâ— vnderstandinge of the seconde petition of the lordes prayer A other obieâ—â—on Answerâ— Ihon. vi The vnderstonding of these woâ—ds to be drawen of the father â—e concludeth that 〈◊〉 also 〈◊〉 to the gyft of god If all men â—oulde 〈◊〉 it were 〈◊〉 of ryeâ—â— are if 〈…〉 not of 〈◊〉 but of me â—ye Hieremy â— mans ignoâ—rance cann not after nâ— to the depâ— wisdom of god â–ª Whereby is men worthy to receue 〈◊〉 whiche is by the faith of christe of his own◠〈◊〉 or otherwyse â–ª The differeÌ„ce betwen predestinatination and grace The prescyence of god may be without predestination bâ—â— predestination cannot 〈◊〉 without the prescience * the 〈◊〉 of syn Grace i◠〈◊〉 of predestination * god maketh men to worke well an obiectioÌ„ * thei sayde that faith 〈◊〉 â—he worke of man â–ª and all 〈…〉 workes are of god The answer to the obiection This is a soule and 〈◊〉 noble 〈◊〉 that god shoulde be bounde to oure workes â—â—dedes â— corinth 〈◊〉 Obiectiâ—â— aunswerâ— Rom. 8. To mortifye the dedes of the 〈◊〉 is the gifte of god 1. cor 1â— Wherfore be we commauÌ„ded to doo this or that of we cannot do it 〈◊〉 god giuethe â—t to vs. Hezethiâ— 11 Al humayne meryts are condemned by the worde of god and 〈…〉 them as 〈◊〉 So fayeth in other sort yf we be saâ—uid by faith 〈…〉 shulde we worke what meryts do men finde in youge chyldren by the whiche they are sau◠〈◊〉 â—omano 14 He makethe an obiection againste the wordes of the apostell whereto hee aunswerethe shewyng the vnderstondynge of the apostles sayyng Of this saâ—yeng there caÌ„ be no purgatory proued Answeâ—â— This 's the reasoÌ„ of the whiche say that 〈◊〉 are saued â–ª or codmened for that whiche god knw they woulde doo yf they had lyued He vseth y â— testâ—mony of Cypâ—ane to proue that no man is ponished for any thynge that he hath not 〈…〉 though 〈…〉 haue done it if he had lyued By these questioÌ„â— be proueth the sentâ—nce of the boke of wysedome to be true that death is profitable to the good 〈◊〉 persoÌ„â— that so departiÌ„g they shulde oâ—â—end no more the prescyence of god is of thiÌ„ges thaâ— shal be anâ—â—ot of that which shal not be Thus do they 〈…〉 dyd to Augustyn wyllynge all thyng to be tryed by the doctors Roma 19. Sap◠〈◊〉 Cypriane would haue vs reioyse when we 〈…〉 sithe that we shall depart from mysâ—â—y and synne no