and dayly lament calling for the grace of their heauenly father which lamentations sighings and sorowyngs for theyr sinnes bée the sensible féelings and lyuely sygnes and tokens of Gods infallible and sure Election Wherefore whosoeuer shal féele these secret sighes and mournings thereby hating sinne desiring therfrō to be deliuered considering theyr owne weaknes and wishing alwaies to be of more perfection let them with all thankes géeuing vnto God reioyce knowing that this procedeth not from flesh nor bloud but frō the spirite of our head Iesus Christ who maketh intercession for his afflicted members who are hys Saincts with vnspeakeable gronings Whom though for a time he doo permit to be afflicted both in spirite and bodie as sometimes he did Iob Ionas Ieremie and other yet at the ende hée giueth vnto them most triumphant victorie according to the euerlasting purpose of his diuine prouidence who is to be feared reuerenced renowmed and praysed for euer So be it Heretofore haue we answered generally to them that woulde make God the autour of euill and to them which do say that thys doctriue taketh away exhortations and threatnings and the preaching of the worde Now by the grace of God we will more briefly answere to some arguments whiche they bryng foorth of the scriptures settyng aparte all such cauyllations as mans reason whiche in Gods mysteries can neuer be satisfied by the craft of the deuil doth excogitate inuent But fyrst we will speake something of good workes the true vnderstanding of those scriptures which commende thē vnto vs least we should seeme to dissuade mē from the same or extenuate the meaning of the holy ghost in such sentences as our aduersaries do wickedly peruert for the maintenāce of mans power against this doctrine of grace frée Electiō which dare affirme that by works they purchase part of their saluation the whiche as we haue said is fréely gyuen by this Election in Christe Iesu before the foundation of the worlde was layde The good works which are so in déed that is to say which procéede of the spirite of adoption the feeling of Gods mercies in electing calling iustifying first of al haue this vse the they declare the power of God to be in vs and the spirite of Christ which doth conforme vs to his Image and this is the ende whereunto we are Elected and predestinate to be conformed to the image of hys sonne Rom. 8. Elected before the foundation of the worlde to be holy and blamelesse Ephe. 〈◊〉 created vnto good workes which God hath prepared for vs too walke therein Epes 2. These haue the reward as Paule saith not only of this life but of the world to come Therfore sayth our sauiour Christe Math. 25. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the worlde I was hungry and yée gaue me meate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. Of thys excellent commendation and rewarde of good workes we do learne the dignitie of the same not of the worthinesse of thēselues which are neuer able to stand in Gods iugdementes for our very righteousnesses are as Esay sayth as clothes filthily pulluted but of the dignitie of the grace of the promise of God who worketh them in vs For it is God saith Paul that worketh in vs both the will and also the worke euen of his purpose Phil. 2. Therfore all is of grace not of works least any should glory Ephes 2. For if there were any power in our selues or dignity in the works then had we some thing to glory but now that all is confessed to be of Gods free mercies and nothing of our selues we conclude that God crowneth and rewardeth his owne works in vs that who so glorieth should glory in the Lorde ◠Cor. ◠And where some allege this place ▪ Mat. 26. so to commende workes that they should be the cause of the Election and the fauour of God they do not consider the fyrste wordes Come you blessed of my father inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world ▪ Wherin we may note that they béeing the blessed and beloued of the father are called to the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome not wonne by works but prepared by the heauenly father for hys children before they did any works at all Like as the wicked haue their place of eternall torment there named for them before prepared and appoynted And in both twayne the workes doth only declare what the trees are wherout they spring testifie what the fountaine is whence they flow according as our Sauiour Christ sayth the trée is knowē by that fruite a good man foorth of the good treasure of his heart dothe bring foorth good workes and the euill man euill workes This dothe Iames byd vs to shewe our faith of our workes and saith that Abraham did thus vtter his faith by his works and Rahab by her works and were iustified Where we are compelled with all the Godly learned to expound the worde iustified declared to bée Iuste or else we do make Iames contrary to himself contrary to Moyses whose sentence he in the same place alledgeth contrary to Paule and the whole course of Scriptures And thus muste all the generall sentence of workes bee vnderstoode that by these workes wherein God wyll haue vs to walke we are knowen to haue his spirit to bée good trées so iudged by our fruits as is the good apple trée by the apples not that the apples make hym good but testifie that hee is good and that it hath within it selfe a kindly power of good iuice and norishment So we feeling the power of the spirite woorkyng in oure hartes Godly motions and so bringyng foorth good fruites of faith and good workes doo confirme our Election vocation as Peter speaketh to our selues and others The seconde vse of workes is that God in vs by them may be glorified Whereof our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heauen And this is the chéefe vse of good workes the laude and glorie of God whereunto we were fyrst created in the earthy Adam now are anew restored by the heauenly Adam Christ Iesu to walke in good works and to be holy blamelesse without faulte And to thys ende that God in them might be glorified doth scripture cōmend vnto vs good works and setteth foorth the crowne of glory to them that therein are exercised So runne that ye may obtayne saith the Apostle labor for the crown incorruptible 1. Cor. 9. Now bicause these latter dayes are the tymes wherein our Sauiour Christe dyd say that faith should fayle and charitie should waxe coulde we that haue so cleare reuelation of Gods great mercyes in Iesus Christe may gyue no occasion to the slouthfull fleshe eyther in our selues or others but after the example of the Scriptures we must alwayes exhorte to good workes and so tame our bodies and bring them into subiection as Paul saith least whiles we preach to others we our selues bée founde Reprobates 1. Corin. 9. the which sentence is euill alledged of the aduersaries of Election as though Paule might haue become a reprobate or as if that he had not béen certaine of his saluation but that it shoulde hang of his well doings For he sayth first in the same sentēce I do so runne not as at an vncertain thing and so fight not as one that beateth the ayre but as he saith to the Romanes chap. 8. I am sure that neyther death nor life neither Angels nor rule neither power neither things present nether things to come neither high neither low neither any other creature shall be able to depart vs from the loue of God in Christe Iesu oure Lorde Likewise they alledge foorth of the seconde chapter to the Philippians that Paule willeth vs to worke oure owne saluation but they do not consider that he streight wayes addeth that it is God which worketh bothe the wyll and the worke And in the chapter before he saith that it is God which hath begon the good worke and will finish it So that such Scriptures may neuer bée alledged for workes agaynst grace for to set vp our saluation of our selues which onely commeth of mercy in the frée Election wherby we were chosen in Christe Iesu and created a newe in him by his onely spirite to bring foorth good workes Therefore doo we conclude with Paul. Romanes 11. that we are saued and iustified fréelie by Grace not by woorkes for so grace were no grace and that all are shutte vp vnder synne that mercie may be vppon all vppon whome it pleaseth hym too shewe mercie And for the consideration of these greate mysteries of Election and Reprobation we crye with Paule O the depth of the ryches of the wisdome of god How vnsearcheable are his iudgements how incōprehensible his wayes For who hath giuen him first and he shall be recompensed For of hym and through him and for hym are al things To him therefore be glorie for euer and euer So be it ¶ IMPRINTED at London by Dauid Moptid and Iohn Mather Dwelling in Redcrosse streete nexte adioyning to S. Gylses Church without Criplegate ⸪
Peter sayth To the Elect by the foreknowledge of God the father 1. Pet. 1. Then to know what this Election of God is and what in the Scriptures it dothe signifye Wée describe and defyne Election to bée the frée choyce of the good wyll of the Almyghtie GOD appoynting and prescrybyng in the Booke of lyfe before the beginning of the world whom he will haue to be saued and compted amongest the iust Whom he will haue holy and without faulte before hym to bée his children by adoption to set foorth his glory This choyse this choosing this aforeappoynted purpose and ordinaunce of God is aboundauntlye set foorthe in the firste chapter to the Ephesians That this commeth of the frée wyll of God and hys onely grace freely without our deseruing contrary to the vayne opinion of the Papists and Anabaptists the same chapter and the nexte chapter folowing dothe plainely testifie Epe 1. 2. And most euidently the Lord in his maiestie speaking to his seruant Moyses Exod. 33. declared all this to stande of his mercy saying I will haue mercie vpon whom it liketh me and I will shew mercie where it shall be my pleasure for so is the meaning of those wordes I will haue mercy vpon whom I will haue mercy Paul also declaring in this place the woorke of God béetwixte these two children Iacob and Esau Romaynes 9. saythe thus of this frée Election wheÌ„ Rebecca was with child with one and the same father Isaac before the children were borne when they had neyther done good nor bad that the purpose of God whiche is by Election mighte stande it was sayde to her not for the cause of workes but by the grace of the caller the elder shall serue the younger As it is written saythe hée Iacob I loued but Esau I hated Of the booke of life Moyses speaketh Exod. 32. And Christ himselfe Luk. 10. Saying to his Apostles Ioy you and be glad for your names are written in the boke of life in the heauens And in the 69. Psalme it is spoken against the wicked Let them not be written amongst the Iust and put them foorth of the booke of life And agaynst the false Prophet Ezechiel 13. He shall not be in the counsaile of my people nor written in the booke of the house of Israell There be two finall causes also of this eternal purpose of the election the which Paule rehearseth in the first chapter to the Ephesians the one toucheth God the other perteineth to man He hath Elected vs béefore the foundations of the worlde sayth the Apostle that wée mighte be holy and without blame And thys answereth the wicked which would abuse the mercies of God to their lust Againe it followeth He hath Predestinate vs that he might choose vs to be hys chyldren that hys name may bée praysed And this stoppeth the mouthes of al our Aduersaries that say that thys doctrine is not to the prayse of God so that they must cease to slaunder this doctrine vnlesse they wil hinder the glory of God and denie the open Scriptures Nowe it is to be noted and marked dyligently that thys woorde Election is taken after two sortes in the Scripture some tymes as it signifieth absolutely the frée choyse will and appointment of God without the respecte of the reuelation of the woorde and message of saluatyon And thus speaketh the holy Apostle Saincte Paule of Election saying of the carnal Iacob They were enimies concernyng the Gospel for your cause but concernyng the Election they are beloued for their parents For the gyftes of God and hys callyng are suche that hée can not repente Euen as you once were mysbeléeuers from God but nowe haue attayned mercie by theyr mysbeléefe that they should attayne mercie also Thys Election expresseth absolutely the secret purpose of God without the respect oâ—â—â—uelation of the woorde or any of our workes followyng Vnder thys first kynde of Election were those hundreth and twenty thousande whiche God dyd choose and kéepe vnto hymselfe in Niniue amongst the Idolaters and the seuen thousande which God dyd leaue for hymselfe in Israel in the thirde booke of kings the. 19. chap. Yea those that yet are not are thus elect chosen and amongst al nations both Iewes in thys long blindnes banishment from their countrey amongst the Turkes in theyr Idolatrous wickednesse yea amongst the Edomites the Sabees the Indians and Ethiopians And in the late blyndnesse of the Popishe church wherein we togither wyth our fathers were altogether Idolatrous all Hypocrites and counterfaite Christians thys absolute Election whereby the mercyfull Lorde God did reserue and kéepe hys chosen vnto him in all places all ages all countreys without respect of persons dyd most euidently appeare Howbeit this secresie of election muste onely bée lefte to the Maiestie of God where when how and whom he thereby saueth and sheweth his mercy For to the blynde iudgemente of man all these people rehearsed and suche like séemeth reiect reprobate and caste away as appeareth by Ionas condemning the Niniuites by Elias coÌ„demning the Israelites and a long while vntil God had by miracle from Heauen deliuered hym from that errour vnto the chiefe Apostle Peter iudgeing all the Gentiles to bée a polluted people farre from the fauour of God. The seconde kynde of Election is set forth and knowen euident and open by the spirit of God working in the harts of the elect and chosen by fayth and trust in God his promises through Christ teaching vs that we are the children of God chosen to him selfe by Iesus Christe from the beginning and therfore preparing vs to an holy and blamelesse lyfe to the laude prayse of the grace of god The which Election besides the dayly experience of our consciences may bée approued by the testimonies of these Scriptures compared togither Esay 59. Rom. 8. Ephe. 1. Coloss 3. and a very briefe and perfecte description of thys Election 2. thess. 2. in these wordes We ought to thanke God that he hath chosen you from the beginning by the sanctifying of the spirite and the beléefe of the truth to the which he hath called you by our Gospell to attayne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christe By this gratious election was Iacob dearely beloued in his mothers wombe and Ieremy knowne vnto God before he was fashioned in his mothers wombe Ieremie 1. And to be short all other the eleect of God are thus chosen sanctified and beloued from the beginning from before the foundations of the world froÌ„ euerlasting to euerlasting For there is no change of tyme with God séeyng that all thinges are present in his sighte For vnto him a thousande yeares are but one day but the course change of times are in vs our déedes our knowledge in mans chaungeable wisedome This Election must of necesitie driue downe the pryde we haue of our owne strength our owne power our owne nature our owne frée wil our owne merits our owne iustification of our owne workes and bryng vs
repente and liue And vnto wycked Ierusalem sayth our sauiour Christ O Ierusalem Ierusalem which slayest the Phrophets and stonest them that are sente vnto thée Howe oft would I haue gathered togither thy children as the Hen gathereth hir chickens vnder hir winges and thou wouldest not Lo thy house therefore is left desolate Math. 23. Lo héere appeareth the goodnesse of the liuing Lord so diligently calling the wicked to hym by his woord by his Prophets by his messengers and at the length by his owne sonne that hée cannot in any case be accompted the aucthor of their euill nor cause of their fall But contrariwise their owne wilfull and wicked stobbernesse is the cause of their euill and the onely occasion of theire fall as it is written Thy perdicion and destruction is of thine owne selfe but onely of me is thy saluation And infinite scriptures to the same purpose appertayning That wée may say wyth Daniel vnto thée O Lorde belongeth ryghteousnesse and to vs the shame and coueryng of our faces Daniel 9. Secondly The testimony of the consciences of the wycked whiche shall accuse or excuse them at the greate day which is alwayes of the force and valure of a thousande witnesses which is the worme that shal neuer dye but gnawe the wycked for euer Esa. 46. This conscience I say of theyrs shall condemne the wicked and what shall God then doo Or wherin is his dreadfull maiestie to bée charged Cayne by hys owne conscience is compelled to confesse greater is my wickednes then can be remitted Thou castsest me from the face of the earth sayth he and I must hyde me from thy face Loo the iuste iudgmente of God and his worthy condemnation openly confessed Who dare then blame God Cayn dare in no wise do it Neither yet proud Pharao who condemned in hys owne harte and conscience accuseth him self and his people and iustifieth God deliuering all men from this wicked blasphemy saying openly I haue synned nowe the Lord is iuste and I and my people are wycked Exodus 9. What doth Iudas Dothe he not cry likewise I haue synned betraying thys innocent bloude Mathew 27. And to vtter in déede that thing he felts within hys breste hée is compelled to take aduengance and execute a iudgement moste terrible agaynst hym selfe vttering to all the world hym selfe moste wicked and that the iustice of God punishyng such wycked traytours and murtherers oughte moste worthily to be feared magnified and reuerenced throughout the whole world Lyke as all the other wycked and desparate persons whiche for anguishe of heart and terrour of conscience do murther them selues doth euidently and continually wytnesse vnto the worldes ende that there is a iust Lord the God of iudgemente whom they doe feare and before whose face they dare not appeare to accuse hym of any synne but rather takyng the crime blame shame and punishmente vnto them selues who worthyly by their owne conscience haue deserued it dothe thus tormente them selues and with violente handes aduenge the synne they haue â—…ommytted in theyr owne synnefull soules and bodyes Thus muste God alwayes be found iust and ouercome when he is iudged by the testimonie of our own conscience whiche shall accuse or excuse vs at the great day Roma 2. Wherefore let no man be so foolyshe to say that God is the author of euill vnlesse he will be accompted worse than Cayn more proude than Pharao more wicked than Iudas or any other the Reprobate from the beginning Thirdly the nature of sinne being defyned by the authoritie of scriptures to be a thought worde or déed contrary to the wil of god For such things onely defyle the man as Christ our master sayth Mathew 15. and therfore are onely to be accompted sinne No such thought can be attrybuted or ascrybed vnto God as can be against his will therfore no sinne can be hys woorke Neyther canne he bée the aucthor of euill whiche therefore is called God bycause hée is the aucthor and gyuer of al good and so farre from euill that hée turneth all oure euill too some good oure synne to the vttering of his grace our lyes to the declaration of his truthe No this is the perfect worke master whiche worketh all things without faulte or trespasse all other doo fayle faulte and trespasse and sinne in all their works that he may be iustified in al his dooings and al creatures fall downe before his face and presence Who though he do worke al in al things yet doth he worke the same to suche godly ende and purpose knowen onely to hys maiestie that though we be compelled to say God is the author of the fact yet must we answere but not of the crime Bicause he is the master of the house and Lorde ouer the familie and therefore may do any thing without the blame of his seruants And like as that whiche is no fault in the master of the house is a great faulte many times in any of his seruantes bicause it is the breaking of their masters commaundement Euen so doubtlesse the selfe same worke is sinne in God his seruants and creatures which to God is no sinne but an ordinary worke appoynted for some speciall purpose eyther for the manifestation of his power as was the hardening of Pharao or for the declaration of his mercy as was the fall of Dauid of Peter of Marie Magdalen and all other repeÌ„tant sinners And wherfore I pray you may not this Lord thus vse his owne seruauntes without any blame of sinne séeing that he hath created and made them all onely to serue hys glorie hys iustice and hys mercie Or howe can he be vniuste or the author of anye synne by whome all the worlde muste be iudged and broughte to the balance of iustice and equitie When the first worlde shall be condemned for their sinne and iniquitie and we nowe liuing shall be iudged for oure sinnes specially all those whiche not onely doe euyll themselues but are authors and faultors to wycked doers Romanes 1. Fourthly The maiestie of God can be subiect to no sinne bicause it can be vnder no lawe And that onely is worthely called sinne which is done agaynst a Lawe therefore no worke that God dothe oughte to be accompted euill eyther that he is the occasion of any euyll whiche onely is the minde sence spirite and power of the Lawe wythout whom no lawe of it selfe is good For euerie good lawe is the minde will and commaundement of God and what so euer lawe is not the mynde wyll and commaundement of God as was the lawes of the Scribes and Phariseys and of the cursed Papists the same be wicked who of necessitie were set vp the body of Antichrist to vtter their vnrighteousnesse that Christe the sonne of righteousnesse the head of his body in his manyfolde mercies more playnely might appeare and shine with more glory Agayne to define sinne to be the affection motion or operation of any reasonable creature agaynst the law of