of our Lorde Iesus Chryst And afterwarde the god of hope fyll you with all ioye and peace in beleuinge that ye may bee ryche in hope through the power of the holy ghost By the whiche testimony not onely fayth but also ioy and peace and aboundance of hope are taught not to bee had but by the power and vertue of the holy ghost And the Apostle writing to the Ephesians of the richesse of grace the which grace geueth good thynges for euyll of fayth which is not hadde of our selfe but of the gyft of god speaketh these wordes But god which is riche in mercye for hys great loues sake wherewith he loued vs when we were dead by synne hath quickened vs together in Chryste by whose grace we are saued and hath raysed vs vp and hath made vs sit together in heauenly thynges through Chryste Iesus for by grace are ye made safe through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gyft of God commeth not of workes least any man should boaste himselfe For we are hys handy worke created in Chryst Iesu vnto good workes vnto the whiche God hath ordeyned vs before that we should walke in them Therefore the newe creature hath thys propertie through grace that they that are of Gods fasshioning which are made in Christ bi a heauēly natiuitie be not ydle sluggardes nor geuen to sloth but encrease from vertue to vertue goe from strength to strength walking in y e way of good workes For this is to bee made in fashion Thys is to bee made a newe creature of an olde This is to be reformed frō the image of the earthy man into y e image of the heauenly man All the which things he beginneth he augmenteth or encreaseth he perfourmeth finisheth eyther openly by the cooperatours or ioynt workers of grace or elles priuily by y e secrete ministring of the spirit whose husbandry whose buyldynge and whose workemanship we are Hovve that all the giftes of vertue are geuen and ordered of the lord god and that al things are in his hand and that God is the aucthour of all goodnes ¶ The .ix. Chapiter BY these testimonies as farre as I can perceaue it is sufficiently declared although other Documentes myght be gathered that fayth wherby the vngodly man is iustified is not had but by the gift of god and that the same is geuen for no merites goynge before but is geuen to thend that it might bee the beginninge of merites and where as it is geuen vnasked it is geuen that other good thinges myght bee obtayned by her askinges Concerning the which thing I wil gather certaine testimonies out of many which shewe forth the aboundaunce of grace by the diuersitie of the giftes thereof That it is of god therfore that a man choseth the way of god and riseth vppe when he is fallen the psalme of Dauid singeth saying The Lorde ordereth a mans goynges that he may will his way when he falleth he shall take no hurt for the Lorde putteth vnder hys hande Also the same Dauid teacheth that men come to god by the leadinge of god saying Sende forth thy lyght and thy trueth they haue led me and brought me vnto thy holy hyll and vnto thy Tabernacle or place of thy dwelling Also that the strength of man is in the lorde and that the wil of God doth preuent the deliueraunce of man My strength will I ascribe vnto thee sayth he for god euen my god is my deliuerer hys will shal preuent me In the prouerbes also we reade of wysedome and vnderstandinge for the Lorde geueth wysedome and from hys face commeth knowledge and vnderstandinge Also in the same boke speakinge of the distribucion of the wisedome of GOD without the which nothing is wel done It is thus said counsell is mine defence is myne I am wisdome it selfe and power is myne owne By me kynges raygne and tyrauntes by me obtaine the earth Also in another place that no man can go the right way but by the ordering of god The steppes of man are ordered of the Lorde For how doth a mortal man vnderstande his owne waies Also in another place Euery mā thinketh himselfe to be iust but the lorde ordereth the heartes And afterward the will is prepared of the lord Agayne in the same booke he speaketh of thought and deuise on this wise Many thoughtes are in the heart of man but the deuise of the lorde preuayleth It is sayde also in Ecclesi that both to haue thinges necessarye and to vse them wel is the gift of God There is nothyng good to man but that that he eateth drinketh and sheweth hys soule good of hys labour and truely I haue sene these things For it is in y e hand of God for who hath eaten or shall eate without him Also it is red in the same bohe that the hartes and workes of the righteous men are in the hande of God and that thei so much profyte and goe forwarde in theyr studies and desyres as he shall geue What paine soeuer a man take to gette hym he shall not fynde hym and whatsoeuer a wise man shal say to him to enstruct hym that he myght haue knowledge he shall not finde it out For I haue laid vp al these thinges in my hart my harte hath sene al this that both the iust men the wyse men also their workes are in the handes of god And it is spokē in y e boke of wisedome of the same worke of grace on this wise For he is both the captayne of wisdome and the amender of the wise In his hande are both we and our wordes the knowledge of all wisdom and works discipline Of Continencie also that it is had of Gods gift the same scripture speaketh on this wise After that I knewe that I coulde none otherwyse be chast except God gaue it me and this was also a poynte of wysedome to knowe whose gyft it is Vnto the which sentēce the doctrine of the Apostle Saint Paule agreeth wrytyng on this wyse in the first Epistle to the Corinthians I would all men were as I am my self but euery one hath his proper gyfte of God one after this sorte another after that Also the Lorde in the Gospell of Mathewe declareth the very same of chastitie For when his Disciples sayde If the cause of man and wyfe bee such it is not expedient to mary Iesus saith vnto them All men are not able to attayne vnto that ye speake of but they to whō it is geuen of my father It is read in Ecclesiasticus on the same wyse of the feare of God and of wisdom The feare of the Lorde is the crowne of wysdom and both are the gift of God Also in the same The feare of the Lorde hath sette it selfe aboue all thynges blessed is the man to whō it is graūted to haue the feare
of the Lorde Esay the prophet speaketh likewyse of the spirituall rychesse whereof God is the aucthour Our saluacion commeth with treasures as for wisdome and godlynesse and nourture they come from the Lorde these are the treasures of ryghteousnes Also he speaketh these wordes of the depth of the riches of the wisdome knowledge of God whose goodnesse is preuented with the merite of no manne whiche hath measured the water with his hande the heauen with his spanne and the whole earth with thre fingers which hath wayed the mountaines in the skaoles and the rockes in the balaunce who hath knowen the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene hys counseller who canne instruct hym or of whom hath he asked counsayl and he hath taught hym Or who hath shewed hym iudgement or who hath shewed hym the waye of wisedome or who hath fyrst geuen to him that he may recompence him whereof also in the booke of Iob the words of the lord are red in the same sence sayinge who hath geuen to me fyrst that I should recompence him All thynges that are vnder heauē are mine Ieremias also sayeth on thys wise that a mā hath right wisdome from god O lord I know that it is not in mans power to order his owne way neyther is it in man to rule his own iourney Also the Lorde protesteth by the same Prophete that the conuersion of the hart to God is of God and he sayeth I will restore them vnto thys lande and I will newe buylde them and will not destroye them I wyll plant them and not pulle them vp I wyll geue them an heart that thei may knowe me for I am the Lorde and they shalbe my people and I wyl be theyr God for they shalbe conuerted vnto me with theyr hole heart Also the same Prophete she wynge that it cōmeth of god that we knowe god sayth And they shal knowe that I am the Lorde theyr God and I wyll geue them an hearte to knowe me and eares to heare me The Apostle in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians teacheth that euery good word and euery holy worke is the secrete working if the holy spirit without whō nothing is well done saying Therfore I do you to vnderstād that no man speakynge in the sprite of god defieth Iesus And no man can saye that Iesus is the Lord but in the holy ghost For ther be diuersities of giftes or graces and yet but one spirite and there be differences of administracions and yet but one Lorde and there be diuers maner of operacions and yet but one God which worketh al in all The gyftes of the spirite are geuen to euery man to edifie withall For to one is geuen the vtteraunce of wysdome by the spirite To another is geuen the vtteraūce of knowlege by the same spirite to another is geuen faith by the same spirite to another the gyft of healynge by the same spirite to another prophesie to another iudgement to discerne spirites to another diuers tongues to another the interpretacion of tongues and al these worketh one and the same spirite deuidyng vnto euery man euen as he wyll The same Apostle vnto the Ephesians saith that euery man hath so much grace as the Lord hath geuē him One body one spirite saith he as ye are called in one hope of your callynge One Lorde one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue al men and ouer all thynges and in vs all For to euery one of vs is geuen grace according to the measure of the gifte of Christe For the which cause he saith He ascended vp on hyghe and hath led captiuitie captiue and geuen gyftes to men Also the same Apostle in the second Corinthes saith that we are not able to thynke that that is spirituall but by the grace of God Such truste haue we towardes God throughe Chryste not that we are sufficiente of our selues to thynke anye thynge as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God whiche hath made vs meete ministers of the new Testament not in the letter but in the spirite for the letter killeth but the spirite geueth lyfe Agayne in the same Epistle teachynge that the desyre and the sufficiencie or ablenesse vnto good woorkes are ministred of God he saith God is able to make all grace to abounde in you that ye all hauyng sufficient of all thynges maye be ryche in euerye good woorke as it is wrytten He hath dispearsed abrode and geuen to the poore his ryghteousnes abydeth for euer For he that ministreth seede to the sower shall geue you foode to eate and shall encrease the fruites of your ryghteousnes that ye beynge made ryche to the vttermoste may haue plentie vnto all singlenesse And the Apostle wryting to the Ephesians teacheth that all good thynges where with God is pleased are the gyftes of GOD and that it behoueth them to be asked of God that he may geue thē to those which haue them not For this cause saith he do I bowe my knees vnto the father of our Lord Iesus Christe of whom is named all fatherhod both in heauen and in earth that he woulde geue you power accordynge to the richesse of his glory that ye might be strengthed by his spirite in the inner manne that Chryste myght dwell in your hartes by faith that ye beyng rooted and grounded in loue myght be able to comprehende with all Saintes what is that breadth and length depth and heyghte and to knowe what the loue of Christe is whiche loue passeth knowledge that ye might be fylled with all maner of fulnesse that cōmeth of God And vnto hym that is able to do to worke all thinges more aboundauntlye in vs then we can either aske or thinke accordyng to that power wherwith he now worketh in vs. To him he prayse and glory in the congregation by Iesus Chryste throughout al worldes Amen And Iames the Apostle telleth in lyke maner that God is the aucthour of euery good thyng whose giftes are neither vncertaine nor mutable but proceadyng of the eternall wyll saying Do not ye erre my deare brethren Euery good gyft and euery perfecte gyfte discendeth from aboue from the father of lyght with whom there is no variablenesse neyther is he chaunged vnto darkenesse Of his owne good wyll begate he vs with the woorde of trueth that we myght bee the firste fruites of his creatures Vnto whom the Prophete zacharias agreeth saying In that daye the Lorde shall saue his people as sheepe for holye stones shall be rolled vppon his lande For yf any thyng be good it is his yf anye thynge be precious it commeth of hym And in the Gospell of Saint Mathe we it is tolde lykewyse that knowledge and vnderstandynge are the gyftes of God whiche he geueth to whom he wyll Then his Disciples came vnto hym and sayde Why doeste thou speake vnto them in parables But he aunswered and
Tvvoo bookes of Saint Ambrose Bysshoppe of Mylleyne entytuled Of the vocation and callyng of all Nations Newly translated out of Latin into Englyshe for the edifiyng and comfort of the single mynded and Godly vnlearned in Christes Church agaynst the late sprong secte of the Pelagians the maynteyners of the free wyll of man and denyers of the grace of God By Henry Becher Minister in the Church of God Allowed according to the order set foorth in the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Anno Christi 1561. VVe knovve that all thinges vvorke for the best vnto them that loue GOD vvhiche are also called of purpose For those vvhom he foreknevve them also he ordeyned before that they shoulde be lyke fasshioned vnto the shape of his sonne c. Moreouer those vvhom he foreappoynted those he also called and those vvhom he called he also iustified and those vvhom he iustified he also glorified ¶ A prologue to the reader HERE hast thou moste deare gentle Reader the two Bookes of that famous Clercke and auncient father S. Ambrose sometime Byshop of Milleyn entituled Of the vocation and callyng of all Nacions A worke surely of no lesse diuine wysedome and learnyng then of antiquitie and therefore a Iewell greatly to be esteemed and had in price of al those that be Godlye in Christes Churche who earnestly desire a right spirite and iudgement purely to discerne betwene trueth and errour in these peryllous dayes Wherin as our Sauiour Iesus Christ affirmeth that yf it were possible the very electe myght be disceyued But chiefly it is to be had in price of all those who not hauyng the Latin tongue are not able to reade the work to theyr edifying in the tongue wherin it was firste wrytten and compyled To whom the sayde auncient Father and famous Clercke in this presente treatise speaketh nowe more familiarly then before The worke it selfe is such as needeth not my praise But seyng I can not sufficiently expresse the woorthynesse thereof I thynke it better to omitt it with scilence confessing my barreynesse then for lacke of conuenient speache to diminishe the glory therof These and suche lyke workes haue not aforetyme ben so freely offered to the vnderstanding of the simple nor so easely come by as God be blessed for it they are in these our dayes Receiue them therefore louyngly and thanckfullye good Christen Reader and vse them godly aud reuerently for they are the good instruments tooles wherby the eternall God buyldeth the spirituall Ierusalem his Churche and by whom the lyuyng stones therof his elect children are dayly wrought shapen full fashioned vnto euerlastyng lyfe Learne also to render vnto God moste heartye thanckes therfore who shewyng more mercye vnto thee then vnto manye generations paste As he hath caused thee to be borne in these peryllous dayes so hath he prepared armure and weapon for thee wherewith thou maist defend thy self against all those enemies that shall aryse vp agaynst thee The occasion that moued Saint Ambrose to wryte this woorke was this There arose in Britayne in those dayes a Monke named Pelagius Byshop of Bangor that became the aucthour of a new sect before that time not heard of This man with the helpe of Celestine Iulian his fautors drew many into his errour He attributed so much vnto the free will of man that he affirmed that a man mought atteine lyfe euerlastyng by merites only without the grace of Christ Wherof he beyng blamed gaue place to thadmonition in suche sorte that he dyd not afterwarde altogether exclude grace but sayd that yf grace were geuen it was the easyer to attayne to saluacion how beit without it it mought be obteyned though with more difficultie He condempned praying in the congregatiō aswell for the faythfull as for the vnfaythfull as a thing vayne and vnprofitable because as he said that which they should aske was already in their power which with their diligence euery one of them myght do perfourme But when he feared least he should be condempned for it by the councell of Antioche he recanted althoughe he ceassed not afterwardes to teach the same in his wrytinges He added furthermore that the sinne of Adam hurted no man but him that committed it Also that all Infantes were borne as innocent cleane from sinne as Adam was when God first created hym Neuerthelesse he permitted them to bee baptized not to the puttyng awaye of sinne whereof he affirmed them to be voyde but that they might be honored with the Sacrament of their adoption And when he was publysshed and proclaymed to be an hereticke he wrote in the defence of his errour He was condempned by Zosimus and twoo C.xl. Byshoppes moe in the councell of Carthage and before that he was condempned bi Innocentius whose errour whē the Affricans with others especially this aucthour S. Ambrose S. Augustine and S. Iherome vtterly detested they tooke in hand by their seuerall wrytynges to put to scilence the remnaunte of that secte Sithens the which time it hath ben reputed and taken of all the godly learned in Chrystes Churche for a cursed prophane Phylosophycall errour I haue shewed thee gentle Reader the cause or reason of the first makyng and compylyng of this worke Nowe it standeth me in steede to shewe thee the cause of this my trauell in reducing it into the Englyshe tongue There arose in Kent in these late dayes namely sithens the preachyng of the Gospel a priuate man altogether vnlearned named Henry Hart that reuiued this errour of Pelagius and added thereto certeyne other errours This man with the helpe of his adherentes newe furbed this olde cancred heresye and put it to sale a fresshe in stede of an infallible veritie who also vnder the pretence of a sober lyfe and conuersation vsyng long heare long bearde long garmētes often reading of psalmes drewe manye into his errour both in Eastkent in Essex Sussex Surrey in the Citie of London This man after that his errour was espyed by the late Tharchbishoppe of Caunterburye Thomas Cranmer was by hym committed to prison with certeyne of his secte of whom some remayne alyue holdynge that errour some thanked be God are become newe men and other some are departed this lyfe and there they remayned vntyll they reuoked theyr errour and colourably subscrybed to the Artycles agreed vpon in the Synode holden at London in the reigne of the late kyng Edwarde the sixte Notwithstanding in hucker mucker he euer taught the same vnto those only which he knewe to be trustye and vnto those that were brought in by them who held the said Harte in such reputacion as yf he had ben an holy Prophete But after the death of kyng Edwarde when Quene Mary began her dominion the Christian Clergie was scattered abrode this Hart and his companions began to shewe them selues in theyr old lykenes of errour agayne with much more errour whiche they in the meane tyme had practised forged and gathered with
of them that doeth good no not one Of these and suche documentes which may aboūdantly be brought forth and aleaged yf a man wyll seeke for them it is most playnely declared that somtime for a part of the earth all the earth for a parte of the worlde all the worlde and for a part of men al men are named The diuision wherof notwithstandyng the Scripture doeth many times open incontinent that the vnderstandynge of the reader may be transferred from the namyng of the vniuersalitie to that part which is therby vnderstanden As is this saying of the Apostle We preache Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling stone to the Iewes and vnto the Gentiles foolyshnesse But vnto those Iewes and Greekes y t are called we preach Christ the power of god and the wysedome of God Is Chryste power to them to whom he is a stumblynge blocke Or is he wysedome to them to whom he is foolyshnesse No but because some of them shalbe iustified by faith and some obdurate and hardened through theyr owne vngodlynesse he hath deuided one kynd of beleuers and vnbeleuers vnder the name of them that are called that those whō he signified to be without faith he might shew to be none of the numbre of them that are called though they had heard the Gospell By this rule the word of God doeth promise by Esai saying I wyll leade foorth the blind men into a way that they knowe not they shall walke the pathes that they wote not I wyll make darkenesse to bee lyght vnto them and crooked wayes streyght These wordes wyll I doe and I wyll not forsake them But that which foloweth And they are tourned backwarde must be referred to a certeyne part of them not vnto them to whō it is said I wyl not forsake them The Lorde saieth agayne to Iacob Be not afrayde for I am with thee From the East wyl I bring thy seede and gather thee from the Weste I wyll say to the North bryng hyther to the South forbydde thou not Brynge my sonnes frō a farre coūtrie and my doughters frō the worldes end All those in whō my name is called I haue prepared them vnto my glory I haue fascioned made them But that y e foloweth I haue brought forth a blynde people theyr eyes are blynde they haue deafe eares can not by any reason agree to them whom he sayeth he hath prepared vnto his glory In all these wordes which are spoken of one kynde of men the former wordes do agree to some the latter wordes to other some And as the saying of y e Apostle is that thyng that is done in parte of the people is declared vnder the name of all people in the remnaunt is the fulnesse counted For when he disputed of the obsecation blinding of the Iewes shewed that some of them were saued by grace I say therfore saith he hath God repelled his people God forbid For I also am an Israelite of y e seede of Abraham of the tribe of Beniamin GOD hath not cast a waye his people whom he knew before Therfore the people that was foreknowen the people y t is not repelled are thei whiche are iustified in Christe And y t which semeth to be spokē of al Israell is shewed in them only whom the electiō of grace hath made a remnaunt to hym selfe Lyke as the consequens of the Apostles wordes do declare for he doeth adde and say Do ye not know what the scripture saith of Helyas howe he prayeth vnto God agaynste Israell O Lord they haue slaine thy Prophetes they haue dygged downe thine Altares and I am left alone and they seeke my lyfe But what saith the aunswer of God to him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed the knee to Baall So therfore saith he in this tyme also is there a remnaunt saued by the election of grace And yf it be of grace thē is it not now of workes for then were grace no grace Therfore all Israell is not reprobate neyther is all elected But wyllyng blindnes hath tourned away a part and free illuminaciō hath reserued a parte vnto him selfe And yet are the wordes spoken of them on such sorte that no difference seemeth to be made of all mankynde neyther of them that peryshe nor of them that are saued For when it is read as touching the Gospell they are enemies for your sake but as touchyng theyr election they are beloued for the fathers sake the wordes so sounde as though he called them beloued whom he called enemies But the Apostle hym selfe wypeth awaye this darkenesse saying For blyndnesse is happened vnto parte of Israell that we myght vnderstande one generacion to be deuided into two kyndes and all men all fulnesse all Israell not alway to be referred to the vniuersalitie but many tymes to a part Among these maner of speaches we ought also to note this saying in the Scriptures wherin that which perteyneth to men of diuers times is promised on suche wyse as though it were spoken of one generation of the same tyme. Lyke as is that which the Apostle Peter wrytyng to them of his tyme of the tyme to come sayeth But ye are an elect generacion a kingly priesthod an holye nacion a purchased people that ye myght shewe the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueylous lyght which somtyme were not a people but now are y e people of god which hadde not obteyned mercy but nowe haue obteyned mercye When these thinges were preached whether did those men yet remaine whō God in time past suffred to walke in theyr owne waies And those same mē that were deliuered vp to their own willes were they now called into that marueilous light were not they now dead They were not now in this world neither did their retourne from errour to veritie helpe thē at al which were dead before And yet the custome of speach hath declared that after long time grace was in the posteritie of the wicked that they may appeere nowe to be elected which afore were for sakē These sayinges do not belong to y e same men but to men of the same nacion And the vocation or calling that hath shyned nyghe vnto the ende of the world hath not recourse to the tyme paste So nowe by a certeyne maner it are both they and not they of whom and to whom these thynges are spoken whyle when they are not deuided in any specialitie from a generalitie yet are they deuided in some thinges frō a Communitie A solucion of the contentious obiectior some which say this aucthor by his former wordes gaynsayeth the Apostle who diffineth that GOD wylleth all men to be saued and to come to the knowlege of the truth Also that the depth of Gods misteries and iudgementes are not to be searched of vs. ¶ The fourth Chapter BVt whē they that loue contencious quarrellyng
the commaundement and faith should take no place whiche beleueth that all sinnes are forgeuen throughe baptisme yf it were taught that grace were not geuen vnto the euyll wicked men but vnto good and righteous men Therfore the beginning of true lyfe and ryghteousnes consisteth in the Sacrament of regeneration that where a man is renued there also the veritie of these vertues shoulde springe and they beginne to profyte by fayth vnto perpetuall glorye who coulde scarse come to the temporall rewarde of vayne prayse For whether he be a Iewe that swelleth throughe the knowledge of the lawe or a Greeke puffed vp throughe the studie of naturall wisdome before he be iustified by the faith of Christ he is shutte vp vnder sinne And yf he continue in his infidelitie y e wrath of God abideth vppon him euen that same which he had drawē vnto himselfe in the transgression of Adam wherof the Apostle speaketh saying And ye when ye were dead in your trespasses synnes wherein ye walked in times past according to y e tyme or course of this worlde after y e prince of the power of this ayre the spirite which worketh now in the chyldren of vnbeliefe among whō we also had our conuersation in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe fulfylled the wyll of the fleshe and of the mind and were by nature the chyldren of wrath like as other were And agayne ye were at that tyme without Chryst aliens from the common wealth of Israell and strangers from the Testamentes hauynge no hope of the promesse and were without God in this worlde And agayne ye were somtime darkenesse but nowe are lyght in the Lorde And againe geuing thankes to y e father whiche hath made vs worthy to be partakers of the inheritaunce of saintes in light which hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes hath trāslated vs in to y e kingdom of his welbeloued sonne And againe for we also wer somtime folish vnfaithful goyng astraye seruing diuers lustes plesures liuing in malice enuie hateful hating one another But whē y e benignitie gentlenes of our Sauiour apeered not for y e workes of righteousnes which we haue done but acording to his mercy hath he saued vs through the lauer of regeneraciō of the holy ghost whom he hath powred foorth aboundantly vpon vs through Iesus Christ our sauiour that we being iustified by his grace shulde be heires of eternall lyfe by hope VVhat the nature of man is vvithout grace ¶ The .vi. Chapter AND that it maye briefly apeere what the nature of man is without grace lette Iude the Apostle tel what eyther the ignoraunce of the vnlearned or the doctrine of the wyse can doe But they saith he what thinges soeuer they knowe not that do they blaspheme and what soeuer thinges they knowe naturally as brute beastes do therin corrupt they them selues Let also the Euangelist Luke vnder the wordes of zacharie tel in what a nyght mankynde doth wander before the illuminacion of grace and out of what a darknesse of ignoraunce the people of God is deliuered And thou childe saith he shalt be called the prophete of the hyghest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To geue knowledge of saluacion to his people for the remission of theyr sinnes Through the tender mercye of our God whereby the daye spryng from an hyghe hath visited vs. To geue light to them that sitte in darkenesse in the shadowe of death to guide our feete into the way of peace And this tender mercy hath the lord shewed not to the redemption of one people onely but vnto the saluacion of all Nacions as the Euangeliste saith For Iesus must dye for the people and not for the people onely but also that he myght gather together the children of god which were dispersed And that thing doth the voyce of the Lorde whiche throughe the trumpe of godlynes soundynge throughout all the worlde doth both call and gather together al mē For whē he had said I thank thee oh father lord of heauen and earth because thou haste hydde these thinges frō the wise prudent haste reueled thē vnto babes Euen so O father for so was it thy good pleasure he added All thinges are geuen to me of my father no man hath knowen the sonne but y e father neyther hath any man knowen the father but the sonne he to whō the sonne wyll reuele him And thē he added Come vnto me all ye y e labour are laden and I wyl refresh you Take my yoke vpon you learne of me for I am meke and humble of harte and ye shal finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is sweete my burden is light Iohn Baptist also in the Gospel of Iohn protesteth in y e spirit of prophesie saying He y t came frō heauē is aboue al mē he doth testify that y e he hath sene hard and no man receiueth his witnesse howbeit he y t receiueth his witnes hath set his seale that God is true Therfore in somuch as perteineth to y e blindnes of mākind gotten with y e long night of ignorance pride the creator of y e world came into this world the world knew him not the lyght shyned in the darknesse but the darkenesse comprehended it not He that is aboue all testified that that he had seene and hard and no man receaued his testimonie But because the sonne of God came not in vain into the worlde but gaue hym selfe for all men he dyed not onely for the people but also that he myght gather into one the children of God which were dispersed And he said vnto all men Come vnto me all ye that labour and are laden I shall refreshe you And he maketh him selfe and his father knowen to whom he wyll reuele it reseruing vnto him selfe the libertie of the election vnable to be knowen All the chyldren of lyght the chyldren of promesse the sonnes of Abraham the sonnes of God the electe generation the kyngly priesthood the true Israelites foreknowen and fore ordeyned to the kingdome of god who hath called them not onely out of the Iewes but also out of the gentiles do receyue the testimonie of hym that came downe from heauen and sette theyr seales that God is true that is to say they declare in that thei are saued that GOD is true that he kepeth touch and perfourmeth that that he promysed vnto Abraham the father of all nations Who when God promysed him that he should be the heyre of the worlde doubted not by mistrust But beinge comforted in faith gaue glory vnto God knowing moste certainely that he was able to perfourme the thynge that he had promysed And who is so enstraūged from the fayth of Abraham who is so farre growen out of kynde from the father of all nations that he will say eyther that the promyse
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
sayde vnto them because that vnto you it is geuen to knowe the misteries of the kyngedome of heauen but to thē it is not geuen Iohn the Euangelist doth also shewe that no man hath any goodnesse except he receiue it from aboue saying A man can receiue nothing except it be geuen hym from heauen The veritie hym selfe also teacheth in the same Gospel that no mā commeth to the sonne vnlesse he be drawen of the father For god maketh him that shal come both to vnderstande and to be obedient No man saith he cā come to me excepte the father which sent me do drawe hym and I wyll reyse hym vp in the laste daye For it is wrytten in the Prophetes And they shalbe all apt to be taught of GOD. Euery one that hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto me And afterwarde For this cause sayde I vnto you that no manne can come vnto me excepte it be geuen hym of my father The aucthoritie of the holye Scriptures doth confirme that to go forwarde and to continue vnto the ende in faith and good workes commeth of the gyfte and helpe of GOD. For the Apostle Paule wrytynge to the Philippians saith I surely beleue this that he y t hath begon a good worke in you wyll also accomplysshe and perfourme the same in you euen vnto the daye of Ihesus Christe A certayne man wyllyng to conuerte the vertue of this texte to his owne wronge vnderstandyng woulde haue it to be vnderstande as yf it hadde ben sayde whiche hath begon of you that both the beginning and ending of the worke should be referred vnto man and not vnto God which wylled both to begin and to ende But the most excellent preacher of grace hath confuted this most madde pryde in the same Epistle saying Feare not ye your aduersaries for any thyng for that same that is to them the cause of dampnation is to you the cause of saluacion and that of God For vnto you it is geuen for Christes sake that ye should not only beleue in him but also that ye should suffer for him And agayne worke out your saluacion with feare and tremblyng saith he For it is God that worketh in you the wyll the perfourmaūce and that of his good wyll Also in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians he teacheth that the begynnyng the goyng forwarde and the finishyng of vertues do come of God saying God hym selfe our father our Lorde Iesus directe our iourney towardes you and the Lorde multiplie you and make your loue aboūdant one towardes another towardes all men lyke as we do abounde in loue towardes you to confirme your heartes without faulte in holynesse of lyfe before God our father at the cōming of our Lorde Iesus Christe with all his Saintes Also wrytyng to the Corinthians and cōmending the fruitefull perseueraūce of all vertues to be the gyft of God he saith I thanke my God alwaye for you for the grace of God that is geuen you in Iesus Chryst for ye are made ryche in all thynges in hym in all doctrine and wisdome lyke as the testimonie of Iesus Christe is confirmed in you so that ye are not behynde in any gifte waytynge for the appeeryng of our Lorde Iesus Christe the which shall also strengthen you vnto the ende without faulte vnto the daye of the comming of our Lorde Iesus Chryste Also vnto the Romaines he speaketh of the loue of Christ whereby he maketh them whō he loueth inseperable that is to say he maketh them to perseuer and continue vnto the ende For what other thynge is it to perseuer then not to be ouercome with temptacion Who saith he shall seperate vs from the loue of Chryste shall tribulation or persecution or anguysshe or hunger or nakednesse or peryll or swearde As it is wrytten For thy sake we are kylled all the day longe and are counted as shepe appointed to be slaine But in all these thynges we ouercome and haue the victorye through hym that hath loued vs. Also to the Corinthians speakynge of the victorye that Christ worketh he saith The stynge of death is sinne The strength of sinne is the lawe but thanked be GOD whiche hath geuen vs the victorye thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde Also to the Thessalonians of the perseueraunce or continuaunce which God geueth he saith And the GOD of peace sanctifie you through out that your whole sprite soule and body maye be kepte fautlesse vnto the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Faithfull is he that hath called you which also wil do it Also vnto the same Thessalonians that all our goodnesse eyther in workyng or in speaking and also the continuaunce in the same are the giftes of God he sheweth vs on this wyse saying Our Lorde Iesus Christe hym selfe and God our father whiche hath loued vs and geuen vs euerlastynge consolatiō and good hope thorowe grace comfort your heartes and stablyshe you in al doctrine and good doing Furthermore my brethren pray for vs that the word of god may haue free passage and be glorified as it is with you that we maye be delyuered from vnreasonable and euyll men For all men haue not faith but the Lorde is faithfull which shall stablish you and kepe you from euyll Let vs also heare the Apostle Peter frō whence he teacheth the vertue of perseueraunce to come The GOD of all grace saith he whiche hath called vs vnto his eternall glorye by Christe Iesus shall his owne selfe after ye haue suffred a litle affliction make you perfect cōfirme strength stablysh you to whom be power and dominion for euermore Iohn the Apostle also telleth on this wyse that the victorie of the Sainctes is the worke of God which dwelleth in the Saints Ye are of God lyttle babes and ye haue ouercome the worlde for he that is in you is greater then he that is in the worlde Also the same saith All that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde and this is the victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth It is declared also in the Gospell of Luke that it is Goddes gyfte that menne perseuer in fayth And Iesus sayde vnto Peter Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desyred to syfte you lyke meale but I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith should not fayle And after thou art conuerted strength thy brethren And pray that ye fall not into temptacion We reade also in the Gospell of Iohn that the veritie speaketh these woordes of the sheepe of Christ which no man can take out of his hand But ye beleue not because ye are not of my shepe My shepe heare my voyce and I know them and they folow me and I geue vnto them eternall lyfe they shall neuer peryshe neyther shall any man plucke them out of my hande Also in the same Gospell are these thynges sayde by the mouth of the
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