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 ⸪
¶ A BRIEFE Treatice of Election and Reprobation with certen Ansvvers to the Obiections of the Aduersaries of thys doctrine Written by Anthonie Gylbie Rom. 9. I vvill shevve mercy vpon vvhom I vvill shevv mercy and I vvill haue compassion vpon vvhom I vvill haue compassion ⸪ ¶ A briefe Treatise with certayne Ansvvers to the Obiections of the Aduersaries of this doctrine vvritten by Anthonie Gylbie VVHereas three yeeres ago dearely beloued I did write of this matter of Election Reprobation which is called Predestination in a certayn Commentarie vpon the Prophet Malachie by the occasion of this texte I haue loued Iacob and I haue hated Esau The which Treatise by the rage of persecution partly perished and parte dyd come of late to my hands accompting this doctrine so necessarie that vpon all occasions it ought with reuerence to be vttred to the glory of God which so wonderfully appeareth in this his riche mercie towards vs whom he chooseth from the filthe of sinne to serue him in righteousnesse and to the beating down of our corrupt nature which without this eyther moūteth by pride vnto presumptiō or falleth by infidelitie to desperation Bicause that without some taste of this diuine prouidence in Predestination there can be no fayth but eyther a doubtfull wauering leading to dispayre which we haue felte in the Papistrie whyles we looked to our owne weaknesse and infirmitie not able to endure one houre in the way of righteousnesse or else a vayne presumption of fayned holynesse whyles we beholde our owne beléefe and good works or the perfection that we doo imagine in our owne selues as doo the Anabaptistes Therefore I thought it good according to my simple Talent to testifie this truthe agayne vnto the worlde at the Printing of this worthy Table of the great lerned man Master Beza which is set foorth in French Latin and Italian and now into Englishe translated by our brother VV. VVhittingham wherein is most euidētly set foorth before our eyes the chiefe ground of this doctrine and the principall poyntes thereof are so déepely opened that there séemed to wante nothing that was possible in so few lines to be vttered yet for the shortnesse therein all things can not be conteyned but that some brief lessons for the vnlearned who hath not their sences fully exercised with suche déepe sentences may well be adioyned as euery man hereafter shall héerevnto be moued by the spirit of God working in their hearts that many bearing witnesse to the truthe of this most profitable doctrine nowe reuealed the mercies of God in choosing his chyldren may more and more day by day be disclosed and by the witnesse of diuers consenting togither in one God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ may be glorified For héerein chiefly standeth his prayse honor and glory that these his wonderfull mercies towarde his Electe may be praysed Nowe there is no meane more apte nor doctrine more conuenient to establish the fayth of the Saincts than to certifie by the Scriptures that God hathe chosen them before the beginning of the worlde to be holy to him selfe and so written their names in the booke of lyfe in the heauens that all their saluation resteth wholly vpon his hands and holy counsell that can by no meanes be altred or chaūged so that neyther death diuell nor hell dare nowe accuse them that are by adoption grafted in Christ who are called of the eternall purpose bicause it is God that iustifieth and who dare condemne them It is Christ that is giuen for them and howe shall not all things be giuen also to them For them that he knewe before them he ordeyned before that they should be like fashioned to the image of his sonne and whome he appoynted before those also he called and whome he called those also he iustified and whom he iustified those also he glorified that this eternall purpose and counsell of God béeing once reuealed to his Saincts by the effectuall vocation and calling whiche is the iustification of fayth wrought in their heartes by the holy spirite they can no longer doubt neyther of Election Predestination saluation or glorification Neither can any thing more beate downe mans nature and the pride of his vayne heart than to behold the maiestie of God making them by grace so farre vnlyke one to the other who were both one altogither by nature the children of wrath of vengeance damnation as the wonderfull example of Iacob and Esau of whom the Lorde pronounceth that he loueth the one and hateth the other before they were borne and the terrible sentēce agaynst Pharao whome the Scripture affyrmeth that God raysed vp to shewe vpon him his power and hardened hys hart to make his name knowne suche like which euerywhere are set before our eyes to cause man fall downe before God and to feare his iudgements doth declare But our Aduersaries obiect agaynst vs that this doctrine is an offence to many and that some abuse it to carnall libertie I doo answere that Christe is a stumbling stone to many and all the doctrine of the Gospell is likewise slaundered by the euill conuersation of others yet may we not prohibite the swéete floures from the Bées bicause Spiders sucke thence their poyson no more than wée maye stoppe the sunne to shyne bycause it hurteth sore eyes But that it may be the glad tydings of saluation to the assurance of the faith of the one and a cleare testimonie of cōdemnation of the other to the beating downe of the pride of man thys glorious coūsel of the mightie God ought vnto all in this cleare reuelation of the Gospel to be offered opened and published Wherefore by the good wyll of God we entende to speake of this greate matter none other wayes neyther in any other sorte then the open Scriptures shall approue our sayings Therfore we say with the holy Apostle Sayncte Paule Blessed be God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessings in heauenly things vnto Christe lyke as he hath elected and chosen vs in hym before the foundations of the worlde were layde that we should be holy and blamelesse before him by loue who hath predestinate vs that hée mighte fréely choose vs to bée hys chyldren by Iesus Christe Ephe. j. And thoughe there come some wicked men whiche were long before appoynted to this iudgement whiche doo turne the grace of oure God to lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse as holy Iude saythe yet knowe we that we are chosen by Iesus Christe that the glory of his grace hys fauoure and mercy towardes vs mighte be praysed For wée are the electe and chosen kynred and hys people by purchase that wée shoulde shewe the vertue of hym whyche hathe called vs foorth of darknesse into this maruellous lighte This people ordeyned to saluation onely beléeueth Act. 13. For thys Electe people onely was Chryste sent into this worlde To them onely is the worde of saluation sente as
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
Sonne Moreouer whome he hath predestinate those hath he called whom he called them he also hath iustified whooÌ„ he hath iustifyed those also hath he glorifyed So that thys appeareth to be no new learning or vaine doctrine of Gods prouidence and Election But the only ground of faith and certaynty of concience in all conflictes agaynst the worlde the fleshe and the deuil agaynst Sinne Death and Hell as the Apostle vseth it in the latter ende of the same chapter and all the Fathers from the beginning hath felt it For how coulde Adam by any other worke or creature eyther by comfort of any other doctrine stay hys conscience But in thaâ— the Lorde God promised to prouyde for hym and to saue him from his enemie who once had ouercome hym by the blessed séed which not by mrrites but by mercie and grace and therefore of his frée purpose before appoynted shoulde be sente vnto hym to breake the head of the Serpent Why Should Abraham haue left hys countrey and hys owne fathers house if he had not felt this diuine prouidence fatherly care frée choyse and Election of him and his seede By the whiche liuely feeling of God his careful prouideÌ„ce and frée choyse sending him séede when he was past hope of seede coÌ„cerning hys dead bodie and al the works of nature and by the stedfastnes of faith in the temptations about the same seede to be made a slayne sacrifice other gréeuous temptations and aduersities from time to time layde vpon hym this chosen vessell Abraham is called the father of all faythul As by his hystorie appereth a fatherly care of our God for all his people both for bodies soules for wife and childe and all togither And Isaac his sonne that chosen séede in whom all the Nations of the earth were promised to be blessed long before the childe was borne hath this promise of enheritaunce gyuen hym by fauour that the promise might be sure to all the séede as Paule saith Rom. 14. vnto whom and his saythful seede this frée promise fatherly Election and Predestination or what else you will call it was againe reuealed and opened Genes 26. in these wordes thâ—row thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed And the liuely sence and feeling of this Election and fatherly care of God for hym did then especially shine in his hart when the Lord sayd vnto him Go not into Egipte tarie here I will be with thee and wil blesse thee and thorow thy séed shal al the natioÌ„s of the earth be blessed Gen. 26. And after that greuous temptation vndoubtedly wherein he was compelled for feare of the Philistines to denie his wife and cal hir syster after the manifolde contentions with the Philistines wherin his God dyd preserue him and at the end in the woÌ„derful miracle of his children whose birthright was altered by the vnsearcheable prouidence of God the manyfest notes and tokens of the free Election and choyse of God dyd appeare And Iacob chosen and beloued in his mothers wombe felte thys free worke of God his great fauour who had chosen hym before hee was borne and taking occasion of the necessitie of his brother séeketh the birthright ' the which God had vnto him before appoynted and promised renouncing the course of nature then doth he leaue and forsake his fathers house and paciently taketh all troubles offred vnto him In the which oftentimes vndoubtedly he féeleth the heauy and gréeuous temptations that his fathers Abraham and Isaac had before for no creature more often suffereth trouble than the very Elect of God for the experiment of his fayth whereby the liuely sence and vndoubted tokens of his fauourable election after many battels victories might be made certen and sure thorough present comfort alwayes ministred vnto him eyther by secret inspiration or manifest reuelation witnessing the singuler care of his heauenly father ouer hym his dearely beloued and chosen childe as his wonderfull vision of the ladder and the Angels descending from heauen dothe declare and the other vnsion wherin the Angell did shewe him the party coloured shéepe for his portion to multiplie and encrease his substance as also when God biddeth him go into his owne countrey from this deceytfull Laban and defendeth his Iacob from him And finally the glorious victorie giuen vnto him ouer the Angell comforting him agaynst the feare of his brother Esau dooth bring foorth vnto his heart and conscience the assured signe and token of the fauour of his heauenly father first electing and choosing and after euermore gouerning guyding and preserning by the frée mercy of his diuine Prouidence Ieremie also chosen in his mothers wombe as appeareth in the first chapter of his Prophecie where it is sayd from the mouth of God before I fashioned thée in thy mothers wombe I did know thée and or euer thou wast borne I did sanctifie thée and ordeyned thée to be a Prophet vnto this people then felte the moste liuely signes and tokens of his Election when his fleshe repined grudged and feared to take in hande the execution of this great and daungerous embassage the power of God his spirite dothe touche his heart and openeth his mouthe to the planting and rooting vp of all people and kingdoms to breake destroy and make waste and raysed hym as a fensed towne a brasen wall an yron pyller agaynste the kyngs priestes and people of the lande Nowe though sometymes hys flesh doth grudge for the burthen of hys office and anguish of hart as though he had been an abiecte or Reprobate yet alwayes after the brunt of temptations vttering his weaknesse he findeth the mercifull prouidence of his heauenly father to take a contiunall care for hym and not onely comforte and assist hym but also most euidently to punish his enimies And to be short all the electe of God are thus chosen and called guyded and gouerned from their mothers wombe according to the saying of the pryncely Prophete Thou arte hée that takest me from my mothers wombe thou wast my hope yet when I hanged vppon my mothers brestes I haue bene left vnto thee euer since I was borne thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe And then doe they feele most sensibly liuely thys theyr Election when temptations and aduersities doth assaile and assault them in the which conflcts of the flesh and the spirite of synne and grace of lighte and darknes they are compelled to crye and cal to sigh and sobbe before theyr heauenly father for the deliueraunce of this mortall and sinful body subdued to vanitie and though they do most euidently perceyue how they are called from darknesse to lighte from loue of iniquitie to the hatred of the same from obedience somtime giuen to Sathan and to the lustes of the flesh to the obedience of the spirit which sighteth agaynst the flesh and though I say they perceyuing this be not able to quench these raging lustes yet do they mourne