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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19076	Tvvoo bookes of Saint Ambrose Bysshoppe of Mylleyne, entytuled: Of the vocation and callying of all nations. Newly translated out of Latin into Englyshe, for the edifiying and comfort of the single mynded and godly vnlearned in Christes Church, against the late sprong secte of the Pelagians ... By Henry Becher minister in the Church of God ...; De vocatione ominum gentium. English.	Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, d. 397.; Prosper, of Aquitaine, Saint, ca. 390-ca. 463.; Leo I, Pope, d. 461.; Becher, Henry, fl. 1561.	1561 (1561)	STC 549; ESTC S100123	79,647	298

and howe thys fayth is geuen by measure accordynge to the wyll of the geuer ¶ The .viii. Chapter THerfore sayth whiche is the mother of good wyll and iuste workynge of what fountaine she springeth the Apostle declareth whiche geueth thankes to god for the fayth of the Romaines saying Fyrst I thanke my God through Iesus christ for you al because your fayth is spoken of throughout al the worlde And writinge to the Ephesians he sayth For this cause after that I heard of your fayth which is in Christ Iesus and your loue towardes all the sainctes I cease not to geue thankes for you making mention of you in my prayers that the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the God of glorye myght geue vnto you the spirite of wysedome and open vnto you the knowledge of himself lightening the eyes of your heartes that ye myghte knowe what the hope is whervnto he hath called you what the rychesse of hys gloryous inheritaunce is vpon the saintes Lykewyse also he geueth thankes to God for the fayth of the Collossians We geue thankes to God sayeth he and vnto the father of our lord Iesus Christ alwayes praying for you since we hearde of youre fayth in Chryst Iesus the loue which ye haue towards al the saintes for the hopes sake that is layde vp in store for you in heauen And she wyng what he prayeth for thē that is that they might receyue other good thynges of the same aucthour he sayeth For this cause we also since the first day we haue heard of you cease not to make prayers and supplications for you that ye maye be fylled with the knowledge of his wyll in all wysedome and spirituall vnderstandinge that ye may walke worthely of the lorde in all thinges that please him beynge fruitefull in all good workes and encreasinge in the knowledge of GOD strengthened in vertue through hys gloryous power in all pacience and longe sufferynge with ioyfulnesse Also to the Thessalonians whiche serued in the spirite of fayth and loue he saith I thanke god alwayes for you all makynge mention of you in my prayers without ceassing remembryng the worke of your fayth youre laboure in loue and your perseueraunce in the hope of oure Lord Iesus Chryst in the sight of God oure father And afterward for this cause we thanke god without ceasinge because that when ye receaued of vs the worde where with GOD was preached ye receiued it not as the worde of man but euen as it is in deede the worde of GOD who worketh in you that beleue Could it more fully or more euidently haue bene shewed that the fayth of them that beleue is the gift of God then that thankes should therfore be geuen to GOD for thei to whom the worde of god was preached by men doubted not therof as of y e word of men but beleued it as god speaking by men who wrought in them that they might beleue In hys seconde Epistle also to the same Thessalonians the Apostle speaketh of the fayth of them that profite and come forwarde in Christ on thys maner We ought to thanke GOD alwayes for you my brethren as it is mete because that your fayth increaseth and your charitie is aboundant euerye one to another of you So that we oure selues reioyse of you in the Congregations of GOD ouer your pacience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations whiche ye suffer whiche is a token of the iuste iudgement of God that ye bee counted worthye of the kyngdome of God for the whiche ye also suffer The Apostle Peter also shewynge that fayth commeth of God wryteth on thys wyse Knowyng that ye are redemed not with corruptible golde and siluer for your vaine conuersation whiche ye haue receyued by the traditions of your fathers but by the precyous bloud of Chryste as of a lambe vndefyled and without spot whiche was ordeyned before the worlde was made but was declared in the laste tymes for your sakes whiche by hys meanes haue beleued in God whiche raysed hym vppe from death and glorified hym that your fayth and hope might bee in the Lorde Also the same Peter in his seconde Epistle speaketh on thys wyse of the receyuing of faith Simon peter the seruaunt and Apostle of oure Lorde Iesus Chryste to them which haue obtained like faith with vs by the ryghteousnesse that commeth of our lord Sauiour Iesus Chryst But Iohn y e Apostle teacheth most playnely from whence we haue the spirite of fayth saying Euery spirite that coufesseth that Iesus is come in the fleshe is of God and euery spirite that denyeth Iesus is not of God and the same is Antichrist He sayth also that he in whom the spirite of veritie is receyueth the Gospell we are of God sayeth he he that knoweth God heareth vs hereby we know the spirite of veritie and the spirite of errour Also Peter in the Actes of the apostles declareth that faith commeth through the lorde Iesus This man saith he which ye see and know hath the name of him made whole and fayth whiche is by hym hath geuen this perfect health in the sight of you all In lyke maner also it is shewed in the same History of the faith of Lidia whose hart the Lorde opened amonge other women whiche heard the gospell And on the Sabboth day we went out of the Citie sat down by a ryuer side where thei were wont to pray and we spake vnto the women whiche were come thyther and a certaine woman whose name was Lidia a seller of purple of the Citie of Thiatira a worshipper of god heard vs whose hart the lord so opened that she attēded vnto y e things that Paul spake And it is confirmed by y e words of the veritie it selfe that fayth commeth not by mans wisdom but by the inspiratiō of god for the lord saith to hys Disciples But whom saye ye that I am Simō Peter answered saying Thou art Christ y e sonne of the liuing god Iesus aunswered said vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for fleshe and bloud hath not reueled this vnto the but my father whiche is in heauen Paule the Apostle also telleth y t this faith is geuen by measure at y e pleasure of him y t geueth it on thys wise I sai vnto you al through the grace y t is geuen to me y t no man esteme of himself more thē becommeth hym to esteme but that he discretely iugde of himselfe as god hath dealt to euery man the measure of fayth Also the same Paule declaryng y t the vnitie and agreemente of the right faith and the consenting to the honour of god doth procede and come of god saith The god of pacience and consolation graunte you to be like minded one towardes another of you after thensample of Iesus Chryste that ye agreynge together maye with one mouth prayse GOD the father

thys Citie agaynste thy holye childe Iesus to do whatsoeuer thy hand and counsell haue determined to be done Therefore to the settynge forth of Goddes grace which was disposed and bent of gods eternal vnchaūgeable counsell vnto the saluation of al nations the former tymes were not eschewed as not able to apprehende them But these tymes were elected the whiche haue brought forth such a people whose fearce and cruel wickednesse should go forwarde in doynge those thinges that the hande of God and hys counsell haue determyned to be done not of the desyre to profyte any mā but to thintent to deale cruelli that the grace and power of God myght be y e more wonderfull whiche of so harde hartes so darke mindes and so enuious stomackes hath made a people to himselfe both faithfull obedient and holy whiche came not to the knowledge of the wisdome of god by the wisdome of this worlde but by the gift of hym of whom thapostle S. Iohn witnesseth saying We knowe that the sonne of God is come hath geuen vs a minde to knowe the true GOD and might be in his true sonne Vnto the whiche testimonie the Apostle Paule agreeth sayinge We thanke GOD which hath made vs worthye to bee partakers of the inheritaunce of the Sainctes in lyght which hath delyuered vs from synne and from the power of darknes and hath trāslated vs into the kingdome of his derely beloued son And agayne he sayeth For we were somtime sayth he folishe vnfaithfull wandering astray seruing diuers desyres lustes liuinge in malice and enuy hatinge one another But when the benignitie and gentlenesse of oure Sauiour appeared not of the workes of ryghteousnes whiche we wrought but according to his merci hath he saued vs through the lauer of regene ration of the holy ghost which he hath poured foorth on vs aboundauntlye through Iesus Chryste our Sauiour that we beynge iustified by hys grace might be heyres of euerlastyng lyfe through hope Coulde it be more fully more euidentlye or more truely declared what merites Christ founde in men and what maners he subdued vnto himselfe what heartes he conuerted vnto him when he came not to heale those that were hole but the sicke and to call not the iuste but the sinners to repentaunce For the people of the gentiles which sat in darknes sawe great lyght and vnto them that sat in the region and shadow of death light is begon to shyne The heathen raged the people of the Iewes were angry kinges waxed fearce the high powers countersayde al the supersticions and errours of the whole world impugned But of the veri resisters of y e ragers of them that persecuted Chryst augmented hys people through enprisonmentes punishments and death the faith of the Sainctes was strengthned the trueth got the victory and the come of the Lordes fielde did aboundantly encrease all the worlde ouer for there was suche constancye of fayth geuen from aboue suche confidence of hope and such strength of pacience that the same fyre of loue whiche the holy ghoste hadde kyndled in the heartes of faythfull men coulde not bee quenched of the oppressours by anye maner of meanes when euen they whiche were tormented were the more feruenter thei which persecuted them did mani times fele as great heate as those did whom thei persecuted Wherwith thapostle s Paul beynge inflamed sayde boldely and feruently Seyng therfore that we are iustified by fayth we are at a peace with GOD through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue free accesse or comminge through faith vnto thys grace wherin we stand and reioyce in hope of the glory of the sonnes of God Not only that but we reioyce in tribulation knowinge that tribulation worketh pacience and pacience woorketh proofe or experience proofe woorketh hope hope is not ashamed neyther departeth emptie For the loue of God is shed abroade in oure heartes through the holy ghost which is geuen vs. And againe he sayth Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguyshe eyther persecution or hunger or nakednes or perill or sworde As it is wrytten Beholde we are kylled continuallye that is to wete we are counted as sheepe apoynted to the slaughter But yet in al these thinges we haue the victorye through hym that loued vs. For I am sure that neyther death nor lyfe neither Aungel nor principate nor power neither present thynges nor thynges to come neyther heyght nor loweth nor anye other creature shalbe able to seperate vs from the loue of god whiche is in Christe Iesus our Lorde This loue being spread abrode by the holy ghost hath brought to passe that the worlde of the faythfull shoulde ouercome the world of the wicked This loue hath confunded the crueltie of Nero the fury of Domicianus and of many Rulers after them by the glorious ende of innumerable martyrs Chryst geuyng vnto them y t folowe hym thorow the persecution of Kinges the crownes of euerlasting reward ¶ The .vi. Chapiter THerefore there is no cause to doubt but that Iesus Chryste oure Lorde dyed for wicked men and sinners whose number are found in the boke And died not Christ for all men then yes no doubt for all men dyed Chryste For afore the reconciliation and attonement that was made by Chryst there was not one man that was not eyther a sinner or elles vngodlye as the Apostle sayeth For yf when as yet we were weake accordynge to the time Chryst dyed for vs whiche were vngodly for scarce wyll a man dye for a ryghteous man yet peraduenture for a good mā durst a man dye But God setteth forth his loue towards vs seeynge that when we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more now seing we are reconciled shal we be safe through hys life And y e same Apostle in the seconde to the Corin. saith For the loue of god compelleth vs to thinke thus yf one bee dead for al that thē al are dead he died for al y t they which liue should not henceforth lyue vnto them selues but to him that dyed for them and arose agayne But lette vs heare what he pronounceth of hym selfe saying This is a true saying and of al mē worthy to be receiued that Ihesus Christe came into this world to saue sinners of whom I am the chiefe but therefore dyd I obteyne mercye that Iesus Christ shoulde first shew on me all long pacience vnto the example of them which should beleue in hym vnto eternall life Therefore whether they were circumcised or vncircumcised they were concluded all vnder sinne and one guylte or trespasse hath tyed or bound al men and ther was none whether theyr guylte were more or lesse whiche without the redemption of Christ could be saued whiche redemption came freely into all the worlde appeered to all men indifferently Forasmuche as on the fiftieth daye from that Easter wherein the true lambe offred hym selfe a

sayinges and ouercome when he is iudged Neyther may the complaynt of him that is damned be iust nor yet the arrogancie of hym that is iustified bee true If eyther the one saye he hath not deserued to be punished or y e other say that he hath deserued grace And lyke as those sayinges the whiche I haue declared out of the holye scryptures for the settynge forth of grace cannot be confuted nor stayned by any reason or craft of disputacion so that so great a nomber of sentences playnely agreynge together in them selues myghte bee drawen or wrested into any vncertaintie of a false exposicion Euen so also that that is founde in the same body of the scriptures touchynge the saluation of all menne cannot be reproued by any contrarye argumentation So that the harder the same is to be vnderstanden and apprehended with so muche the more laudabler fayth it ought to bee beleued Great is the force of consent to whom thaucthoritie is sufficient to folow the truth yea although the reason of it be vnknowen Therefore let vs diligently consider what the Lorde commaundeth the preachers of the Gospell For in Saint Mathewes Gospell he sayeth thus All power is geuen to me both in heauen and in earth Go your wayes therefore and teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost teachyng them to obserue all thynges that I haue commaunded you And beholde I am with you alwayes vnto the ende of the worlde And in Saint Marke it is sayde to the same Apostles on this wyse Go ye into all the worlde preache ye the Gospell to euery creature and whosoeuer shall beleue and bee baptized the same shall be saued but whoso wyll not beleue shalbe dampned Is there anye difference made here of anye nation or of anye menne in thys commaundement He hath excepted no man for merite he hath seperated no man for hys stocke or linage he hath made no difference of the state of men The Gospell of the Crosse of Chryste was sent euen to all men And leste the ministerie of the preachers shoulde seeme to bee done by the onely woorke of manne beholde sayeth he I am with you alwayes euen vnto the worldes ende That is to saye when ye shall enter in as shepe amonge wolues be not afraide of youre owne infyrmitie but put youre truste in my power whiche vnto the ende of the worlde wyll not forsake you in all this worke or businesse Not to the ende that ye shoulde suffer nothynge but that that muche more is I wyll brynge it so to passe that ye shall not be ouercome with the ragyng crueltie of any tyrauntes For in my power shall ye preache and by me it shal come to passe that euen amonges the denyers and those that speake agaynst you yea euen amonges those y e rage against you Abrahams childrē shalbe raised vp of stones I wil put into theyr mindes whatsoeuer I haue taught and I wyl perfourme that whiche I haue promised They shal betray you in theyr counsayles and shall scourge you in their sinagoges and for my names sake shall ye stande before Kynges and Rulers in a witnesse to them and to the gentiles But when they shall delyuer you vppe take no thought howe or what ye shall speake for it is not ye that shall speake but the spirite of your father that speaketh in you For the brother shall betray the brother vnto death and the father the sonne and the Chyldren shall arise against their fathers and mothers and shall put them to death and ye shall be hated of al men for my name sake But whosoeuer shall endure vnto the ende he shall bee saued The grace of GOD oure Sauyoure hath therefore appeared sayeth the Apostle vnto all menne and yet were the gyftes of grace hated of all men And whyle there were some that hated other some that were oppressed with the hatred of them that persecuted yet was there neyther of the parties depriued of the name of all men the portion of the rebelles hauynge the losse of theyr saluacion but the dignitie of the faithfull obteynyng the nombre of al fulnesse For the Apostle Saincte Iohn saith But yf any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christe the righteous and he is the propiciation for our sinnes and no● for our sinnes only but also frr the sinnes of the whole world And it is a misterie of a great vnspekable Sacramēt that vnto those preachers to whom it was said Go ye into al y e world preach the Gospell to al creatures vnto the same was it sayde afore ye shall not go into the waye of the Gentyles and into the Cities of the Samaritanes shall ye not enter but rather go ye to the loste sheepe of the house of Israel For though the Gospell shoulde be directed vnto the vocation and callyng of all men and the Lord would al men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth yet notwithstanding he hadde not taken away from himselfe the power and aucthoritie of his dispensation so that the order of his councell shoulde run otherwyse then he had appointed in his secrete and iust iudgement wherefore the murmuringes of obstinate mens complaintes take no place For it is sure that whatsoeuer GOD would haue done ought not to be done otherwise the he wold And in tyme paste what tyme the Lord Iesus sate in the glorye of God the father and the preachers of the worde dyd labour in the businesse that they had taken vpon them the Apostles wyllynge to preache the worde in Asia were forbidden of the holye ghoste And when they purposed to goe into Bithynia they were forbydden of the spirite of Iesus Doubtlesse not that the grace of God was denyed to that people but as it shoulde appeere it was protracted delayed for a time For afterwardes the Christian fayth was of power among thē also But what the cause was of the deferring of their calling it is not knowen And yet are we taught by the example of the thyng that done it was because that amonge generalles whether they bee promises or workes or els preceptes God knoweth by a secrete reason how to ordeyne and dispose certayne thynges beyng excepted from the common causes I beleue for that intent that those thyngs which shine more dymlye hauing shadowes ouer them myght apeere the more marueylous to vs when we see them least our sight should become the more dull and negligent through the facilitie and easynes of the sight therof and shoulde after a certayne maner slumber in accustomed thinges yf it were not styrred vp by vnaccustomed thynges And we haue knowen these incognoscible delayes of illuminations to haue happened in manye houses and families amonge whō doubtlesse many peryshe in vnbeliefe not onelye amonge the wicked whiche are farre from the trueth but also euen in the Cities of the

declared the holy Scripture doth tell plainly Forasmuch as by that ark which was of so wonderfull wydenesse y t it receiued al kindes of beastes so much as belōged to the store of encrease the Church was figured which was to bee gathered together out of all nacions of men vnto it selfe when by a tree and by water the redemption on the Crosse and the wasshyng of regeneration is opened when in them that were saued frō that destruction of the worlde the fulnesse of all the Gentilles is blessed when the blessynge of the encrease of mankynde is renewed and libertie encreased to eate what men list strangled and bloud only forbodden And the securitie and sauftie of our saluacion was consecrated in the testimonie of the bowe of manye colours that is in the sygnes of manyfolde grace The whiche Sacramentes and misteryes verely dyd not onely enstruct those fewe men of one housholde that were then but also in them all theyr pasterities and ofspring to the entent that the thyng that was geuen to the reformation of the parentes might profite towardes the instruction of the Children And nowe when in processe of tyme the posterities and generatiōs of men were increased the great number of mortal mē were waxē proude of theyr multipliynges and according to the height of theyr pryde went about to builde them a tower of an vnmeasurable buyldynge that it shuld reach vp vnto heauen How meruailous was the censure of gods iustice in repressing of that theyr arrogant presumption which did confound that one onely speache of those people that was so consonante and agreeable with significations that were knowen to euery man amonge themselues in to the diuersitie of .lx. and .xii. tougnes that the agreement of the workmen perishing in disagreable voyces the purpose of theyr mad enterpryse myght be brokē and that he myght cause them to inhabite vppon all the whole face of the earth thorow the necessarye scatterynge abrode of an euill gathering together And the myracles of the Christian grace were foreordayned in that woorke of Goddes prouydence whiche should afterward call together all them that were so dyspersed into the couplement of that buyldyng wherein euery knee boweth to GOD and euery tongue confesseth that Iesus Christ is in the glory of the father This same largenesse of grace dyd the promyse of Godde that was made to Abraham declare to be opened nowe in the fulnesse of the times appointed by more euident tokens what tyme as his double succession that is to wete the children of the flesshe and the chyldren of promesse was compared to the multitude of grauell stones of starres And the olde man beyng farre from the hope of hauyng anye issue throughe the aged barreynnesse of his wyfe beleued in a cōmendable faith through the issue of one sonne that he should be y e father of the whole worlde foreseeyng or rather beholding him in his sede that sayde Abraham sawe my day and reioysed By the which fayth whē Abraham was iustified he had not yet receyued the commaundement of circumcision but his faith was counted to hym for righteousnes when he was yet in his naturall prepution or vncircumcision And that same fayth receyued the seale of circumcisiō in that same member wherby the seede of procreation might come vnto that fleshe wherein without all carnall seede God the sonne of GOD the worde might become fleshe and bee borne of Abrahams daughter euen the Virgin Mary takinge all men into the felowshippe of this his natiuitie and byrth which beynge borne agayne in Christ by the holie ghost shoulde beleue the thynge that Abraham beleued ¶ The .v. Chapiter ANd this faith was holdē within one stocke of people before that seede came of whom it was said to Abraham In thy seede shal all nations of the earth bee blessed the hope of our redemption beyng alyue amonge the true Israelites For although there were some of the straunge nations whom it vouchsafed the veritie to lyghten in the tyme of the lawe yet were they so feawe that it coulde scarce be knowen whether there were any or no. Neyther for all thys were the nations to bee holden excused which beyng enstraunged from the conuersation of Israell hauynge no hope and beynge without GOD in this world peryshed in the darkenesse of ignoraunce For thys aboundaunce of grace that now wattereth all the worlde dyd not flowe aforetime with like plenteousnesse for there was euermore a certayne measure of the heauenly doctryne geuen vnto all men whiche notwithstandynge it was of a more scarce and secrete grace yet was it sufficient as the Lorde iudged it vnto some menne for a remedye and vnto all menne for a testimonie that it myghte appeare not doubtfullye but euydently that except where sinne was aboundaunte there grace had beene more aboundaunt the lyke wickednesse hadde also blynded all mankynde nowe in these daies Whether peraduenture are there better wyttes in these oure dayes as some men bable then were of olde time haue the latter tymes brought forth myndes y t were more apt to receyue Goddes gyftes The whiche thinge if it were so yet ought it to bee ascribed to the goodnes of the authour which made suche myndes as were not afore that the people might be called vnto eternall life But there is nothinge innouated or new chaunged in the carnal generation neither is y e ofspringe of the successours growen more genteller then theyr auncestours But rather in the men of that tyme wherein the redemer of the worlde came Looke howe muche more duller that progeny and ofspringe was become so much the stronger was iniquitie founde in them The vngodly fury of the Iewes proued thys right well And howe apte that generation was to the Gospell of Chryst not onely the hartes of the common people but also the heartes of the Scribes Princes and Priestes haue declared To whō it was but a trifle to waxe woode in crueltie and tirannye agaynst the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde by sedicion contumelies and reproches spittinges buffettes and blowes stoninges scourginges and at the last by crucifiyng him on the Crosse contrary to the testimonie of the law contrarye to the oracles of the Prophetes contrary to y e practising of godly vertues But also thei persecuted the witnesses of hys resurrectiō with the like fury madnes The whiche the Apostles when thei were scourged of y e high Priestes shewing the same out of Dauids psalm sayde Lorde thou art he that haste made heauen earth the sea al that are in them which in the holy ghost by the mouth of thy seruaunt Dauid our father hast sayd Why do the heathen rage the people imagine vayne thynges The kynges of the earth doe stande vp and the rulers haue assembled together agaynst the Lorde and hys annoynted for of a suretie both Herode and Ponce Pilate with the gentiles and people of Israell haue assembled together in

of god is not fulfilled or els that it is fulfilled of any other then of hym that made that promise Truely that man shall be a lyer but god shall be true And euery one that receyueth his testimony sealeth this thinge sheweth thys thynge That he is made to see by that light which geueth lyght he is made obedient he is made to vnderstande as the Euangelist Iohn wytnesseth sayinge We knowe that al the worlde is set on wickednes and we knowe that the sonne of God is come and hath geuen vs an vnderstanding that we myght know the true God and shoulde be in hys true sonne VVhy he that is the Sauioure of al men hath not geuen to all men this vnderstanding that they might know the true god Also why some yonge Chyldren beynge regenerate are saued and other some not beynge regenerate do perishe and are lost ¶ The seuenth Chapiter BVt yf they aske why the Sauioure of all men gaue not thys vnderstanding to all men that thei might knowe the true God and that they might bee that is to say myght abyde and continue in his sonne although we beleue that the helpe of grace was not wholly taken awaye from any man Of the whiche thinge we wyll dispute more largely hereafter Although peraduenture this thinge be vnknowen also lyke as the other lyeth hydde why in tymes past all the gentiles beinge sette a syde and let passe he toke vnto hymself one people whom he would instruct in the waye of trueth Of the whiche iudgement of GOD yf we may not complayne muche lesse then maye we murmure of this that is done in the election of al nations for the things that God would haue to bee secrete and vnknowen maye not be searched for but those thynges which he hath made manifest are not to be denyed lest we be founde vnlawefully curious in the one and dampnably vnthankeful in the other Truely we are not ignoraunte that there bee some of so vndiscrete and vnaduysed presumption and of so proude an arrogancie that the thing which the noble teacher of the gentiles beynge taught not of men nor bi men but by god confessed to be laide vp farre and excedynge hygh aboue the measure of his know ledge thei dare rashely discusse in a doctryne falsely so called and wyll there haue nothynge hyd or secrete nothynge to bee vnknowen where the Apostle hath not opened what oughte to be vnderstande and knowen but what ought not to be searched for For as I haue sayde afore it is geuen to no studyes to no wittes to try out bi what iudgement or what counsayle god which is immutably good immutably iust alway forknowinge alwaye almightie hath therefore shutte vp all thynges in vnbeleife that he myghte haue mercy on all And yet in the time wherein he instructed Israell onely he deferred to illumine innumerable nations of vngodlye people and nowe suffreth the same Israell to be blynded tyll all nations and the fulnesse of the gentyles bee come in that peryshe by so many thousandes of those that are borne and dye againe and yet shall the sayde Israell be saued in them whom the ende of the worlde shall finde here The whiche misterie beinge opened and set abrode in all the whole body of the scriptures he hath shewed vs what he hath done what he doth or maye doe and what is yet to bee done But why it was his pleasure that it should so be done that is taken away frō mans vnderstanding But these men that are asshamed to bee ignoraunt of anye thinge and by occasion of the darknes of y e matter lay snares of disceyte do referre to the merites of mans will all the difference wherebi god choseth some and choseth not other some for many are called and fewe are chosen so teaching that no mā is saued freely but of retribution because it is naturalli graffed in all men that if they will they may bee partakers of y e veritie and that they haue grace inough that doe aske it The whiche diffinicion although it speake not of y e veritie of grace yet semeth it to shewe some reason of those men that haue free wil. But as touching infantes in whom y e cause is commen al one with other mortal mē in the original wound are with out anye merite or deserte of a good will There can no exposicion be made whereby it may bee taught why some of them are saued beinge borne againe and why other some do perishe not beynge borne agayne and that vnder hys prouidence and omnipotencie in whose hande is the soule and lyfe of euery liuinge thinge and the spirite of all the fleshe of man and vnto whom it is sayde The dayes of man are short thou haste nombred hys tyme. But I suppose these defenders of free will wil not vse the symplenesse of men so shamelesly that they will eyther say that these thynges do happen by chaunce or els wyll saye that they whiche are not borne agayne doe not peryshe for then should they bee manyfestly conuinsed either to agree with the Paganes in destenye or elles with the Pelagians to denye that sinne is transfused and powred forth vpon the posteritie of Adam And the Pelagians coulde not saye that infantes were vnbaptised by destenye but because the said Pelagians durst professe that such infantes were free from synne they deserued to bee condempned But forasmuch as the question of the seperation of al mē is already dysputed and tryed and forasmuch as infantes can not be seperated from the nomber of al men also forasmuch as the veritie spake of euerye age when he sayd the sonne of man is come to seke and to saue that which was lost In vayne go such men about to open the depenesse of the vnsearcheable grace by free wyll whiche appoint the cause of election in the merites of them that are elected And when they haue brought foorth manye thynges both foolyshe and false of the will and iudgment of the elder persons yet in the difference of infantes they can say nothing nor once bragge that thei haue yelded or rendred any reason of that question that is had in disputacion concernynge all men and yet is not perfourmed on all men But the multiformitte or diuersitie and also the great nesse of gods grace proueth that suche men doe affyrme agaynst the veritie that that thei speake of the elder persons willes and also that the testimonies of the holy scriptures are repugnant to theyr perswasion All the whiche thinges yf we shoulde speake of in thys present there shoulde be no ende of the disputacion The which thinges not withstandinge yf they come to memory they may not be omitted that it maye be declared as muche as is sufficient that all the good merites of men from the beginninge of fayth vnto the ende of perseueraunce are the gyft and working of god Of vvhat fountaine fayth springeth and whence the spirite of fayth is had