labyrinthe that he is neuer able to winde him selfe out to sit downe and rest him in a quiet conscience and persuade him self that he is alredy iustified For how can he thus quiet himselfe seeking iustification by woorkes when hee heareth Chryste saye When yee haue doone all that yee can do ye are vnprofitable seruantes and he feelethe styll in hym selfe manye doubtes and mutche imperfection And therefore hee maketh a generall resolution that wee can neuer attayne to any certaintie whether wee bee iustified or no and so ought continually to hang in a doubt therof and that it suffyseth vs in the meane space to recomforte oure selues wyth a generall beleefe that some shall bee saued but whether wee shall be saued or no that we still stande in doubt of say the Papistes Thus blyndely myserablye and infinitely they runne from one errour to an other for Ex quolibet se quitur quodlibet Grannte one falshoode and a number will followe and all commeth of this that boasting of faith theyknow not what faith meanes And so contending with vs about faith they bewray them selues that they haue no faith but in stede of faith mayntein plain infidelitie That whiche Christe flatly reproueth O ye of litle faith in respect that they douted that do they allowe for good necessarie That which made Peter to sinke and crie for helpe they crake they swimme safely and holde vp themselues by the chinne therin This argueth sayeth Saincte Iames whom they allege for their diuels faith that they them selues haue no true faith in God nor shall obteine any thing at his hands For sayeth he Postulet in fide nihil haesitans qui enim haesitat similis est fluctui maris non enim existimet homo ille Quam accipiat aliquid à domino Let him aske of the lorde in faithe doubting nothing at all for he that doubteth is tossed of the winde and caried away like a waue of the sea Neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the lorde For a wauering minded maÌ„ is vnstable in al his ways By this popish doctrine then we shall obteyn nothing at the handes of God least of all saluation which aboue all ther things we ought to pray for if we doubte of Gods promises therin wee shall neuer be partakers of it But the Papists defend we must continually doubt thereof let not those Papistes therefore thynke that they shall receyue any goodnes no not faith or any grace of god or wisdom wher of S. Iames did speake left of all that euer they shal be saued but euer be faithlesse gracelesse godlesse frutelesse hopelesse and all euen bicause they euer doubt in God and call in question the veritie of his promises whiche is playne to deface them and to make him a lier like them selues as saithe S. Iohn Qui non credit deo mendacem facit eum He that beleeueth not GOD maketh him a lier and so muche the greater lier do they make him as God hath bound him selfe by an othe and therfore saithe S. Paule VVhen God made promise to Abraham bicause he had no greter to svvere by he sware by him selfe c. So God vvilling more abundantly to shevv vnto the heyres of promise the stablensse of his councell bownd him self by an othe by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that God shold lye that we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold faste the hope that is set before vs which vve haue as an anker of the soule bothe sure and stedfast Ideo ex fide saithe S. Paule Therfore it is of faithe that it mighte come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only vvhich is of the lawe but also to that seede whiche is of the faithe of Abraham vvho is the father of all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations before God whome hee beleued who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things whiche be not as though they were whiche Abraham aboue hope beleeued in hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spokeÌ„ euen so shal thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he fainted not in faith nor yet considered his owne body which was nowe dead being almoste an hundred yeares olde neyther yet that Sara was past chylde bearyng he staggered not at the promise of God thorough vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being full assured that he whyche had promysed was able to do it and therfore it was imputed to him for righteousnes neuerthelesse it is not written for him onely that it was reckned to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse so that wee beleeue on him that raysed vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification Thus S. Paule most pithyly expresseth the nature of true faith most contrary to the Papistes wauering doubt and their generall houeryng in the aire of an opinion knowing acknowledging suche a thing to be but true faith is a stedfast and confident application therof to our selues wherby we may be able to say vnto Christ with Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus My Lorde and my my God To say with Dauid Dominus salus mea quem timebo The Lorde is my saluation whome shall I bee afrayde of In te Domine speraui non confundar in aeternum In thee Lord haue I trusted I shall neuer bee confounded The Papistes call this a bolde presumption but God graunt vs to presume on this fashion as sayth S. Bernard Ego fidenter quòd ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini quoniaÌ„ misericordia affluunt nec desunt foramina ê‘ quae effluaÌ„t That that I haue not of my selfe I will boldly vsurpe of the bowels of the Lord for bycause they flow in mercie neyther want they holes whereout they flow This boldnesse vsurpation is a good presumption It is a firme faith that shal stand like mount Sion and nor be moued It is buylt on the rock that no tempest 〈◊〉 ouerturâ—…e and not on the sands of mens workes that euery doubtefull waue shall tosse and shatter it no the gates of hell shall not preuayle against this faith Si ambulauero in medio vmbrae mortis If I walke in the middle of the shadowe of death I will not feare for thou art with mee sayth Dauid And therfore sayth S. Paule Iustificati ex fide pacem habeamus erga Deum Being iustified by faith let vs haue peace not doubt to Godwarde lette vs assure our selues of the loue and fauour of god Qui credit in filium habet testimoniuÌ„ in seipso He that beleueth in the sonne hath the witnesse in himselfe For when you beleued sayth
all things therein conteyned Mundus peripsum factus est The world was made by him Of this signification he speketh not here For as God by his eternal purpose wold that the reprobate Angels shoulde euerlastingly peryshe and not haue Eternall Lyfe so the moste of other Creatures eyther dyuerse of them haue no lyfe at all or of those that haue lyfe theyr lyues returne to nothynge Secondely the worlde beetokenethe all Mankynde for whose sake all creatures were made euen for Iesus Christes sake all was made Angelles and all was made for Manne And therfore Manne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lyttell Worlde whose heade is euen as it were a little Globe of the Worlde and conceauethe all worldely thynges And herevnto sayeth CHRISTE Euntes in Vniuersum mundum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae c. Goyng your wayes into all the worlde preache the Gospell to euery creature meanynge Mankynde onely and not as Saincte Frauncis fondely imagyned to stones to Geese and Sparrowes but vnto menne And althoughe that all menne are conteyned in thys name Worlde yet by a a thyrde signification in the moste places especiallye of the Newe Testamente the Worlde sygnifyeth onely the wycked worldelings partely bycause throughoute the worlde they are the greatest and the most flourishyng parte of Mankynde and partely for that they are altogether worldely mynded reckenyng chiefly vppon thys Worlde seekyng for worldely rychesse glorye power and pleasures the whyche to obteyne they do serue and woorshyppe the Dyuell euen as theyr Prynce and God of thys Worlde and therefore are they called by the name of the world it selfe Of these wyeked ones sayeth Christe Non pro mundo oro I praye not for the worlde Mundus gaudebit c. The worlde shall reioice but you shal mourne The world hateth me The worlde loueth his owne c. Therefore sayeth Saincte Iohn Nolite diligere mundum Loue not you the world nor the things that are in the world c. But shall then the wicked worldelyngs that for these causes are called the world or all the world in generall and euery man not peryshe but haue eternall lyfe Howe then dothe Christe saye Lata porta spatiosa via est c. Broade is the gate and wyde is the waye that leadethe to perdition and many they are that enter thereby Narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leadeth to lyfe and fewe there bee that fynde it Yea none fyndeth it but whome the Father draweth to Christe in whome they were electe euen beefore the constitution of the worlde Wherof Sainct Paule hathe taughte the wholle degrees and order Quos elegit hos vocauit c. Whome hee hathe electe those hee called whome hee called those hee iustifyed whome hee iustified those hee glorified That is hee ordeyned them to haue eternall lyfe But howe then sayth our Sauioure Christe Hee soloued the Worlde Quos dilexit in finem dilexit eos Those whome hee loued euen vnto the ende hee loued them Heere nowe therefore the Worlde is to bee vnderstoode by a fourthe Signification euen for the elect of god To whom though this worde the Worlde seeme contrary yet for diuers considerations euen the Godly are called by it chiefly for three fyrst to put them in continual remembrance from whence they came Vos non estis sayth Christe to his chosen ex hoc mundo You are not of the worlde but withall he telleth that they were of the worlde sed ego elegi vos ex hoc mundo but I haue chosen yee oute of the worlde Haec fuistis sayth S. Paule sed abluti estis c. Suche ones ye were but ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified And notable is thys vpbrayding the name of the world to the childrē of God not onely to sturre them vp to a thankfull recordation to consider from whence they are deliuered but also if they forget thēselues and waxe proude to put them in remembrance what they were the which greatly abateth the pride of man And therfore Agathocles that of a Potter was made a Prince hong vp the potters whele in euery place and vsed no other than vessels of clay to put him in remembrance from whence he came So Kyng Philip of Macedone Alexanders father leaste hee should waxe proude of his victories gotten was euery mornyng saluted with this Uerse for his breakefast Remember Philip thou art but a mā And so God himself putteth thee in remembrance Quod puluis es in puluerē reuerteris That thou art but dust into dust thou shalt returne So God vpbraidyng to his people their proude forgetfulnesse sayth vnto them by his Prophete Ezechiel Son of man cause Hierusalem to know her abhomination and say thus sayth the Lorde vnto Hierusalem Thine habitation and thy kinrede is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Ammorite and thy mother was an Hethite And if wee lykewyse the people of Englande whom God hath more plentifully lightned with his truthe beautified with his graces and by diuers his bountifull giftes hath made vs nobler than many nations woulde consyder what an vnnoble what a rude sauage barbarous and brutishe people naked like Irishe men paynted like diuels fierce like Scythians vnknowne to the worlde like the newe Indians neyther knowynge ▪ God lyke Gentiles neyther knowing our selues like beastes wee were in tymes past as Chronicles write of vs and what ciuilitie plentie peace kuowledge and policie we bee now growne vnto it mighte make vs ashamed so to abuse these benefites and pul downe our pride in thinking what we be nowe to remember what before we were And euen so the elect of God are called the worlde to remēber what of them selues they were the children of wrath a lumpe of sinne a masse of damnation and at one word the world neyther were they the worlde onely so that now they are cleane deliuered out of the worlde nay rather they bee not onely in the worlde but in parte they beare the worlde aboute with them euen as they beare with them the flesh the first Adam the olde man the bodie of dethe the law of rebellion the vnperfections spots and wrinckles that our corupte nature is subiecte still vnto For although the worlde bee crucified to them and they to the worlde yet they haue not kylled the worlde Although they nede not feare the worlde for Christ hath sayd I haue ouercome the worlde Although the worlde haue hys Iudgement and be caste out alreadye yet so long as the fleshe resysteth the Spirite so long as the Churche is militante so long as the worlde lasteth euen so long wil Sathan tempte vs by the worlde and the worlde will hate vs and allure vs bycause wee bee still in the worlde Those Monks that said they died to the world and they were out of the worlde bicause they had caste off theyr former coates and tooke a coule bycause they
forsooke towne houses and dwelte by themselues besyde the townes dyd but mock bothe with God and the worlde and so were buryed to the worlde that they lyued in the chiefest pleasures of the worlde they were gone so cleane out of the worlde that they hadde gotten the best landes and wealthe of the worlde in their possessions But as those worldelyngs deluded the worlde so is there none no not the Electe of GOD that come in this worlde to suche perfection but that they may be called euen the worlde bycause they were of the world and yet are in the worlde Neyther sayth Christ they be deliuered yet from the world Nō rogo vt tollas ex hoc mundo sed vt serues eos à malo I praye not that thou wouldest take them out of the worlde but that thou woldest kepe them from euyll And for thys fyrste cause to humble the electe by remembring them what yet they were and in part what they be and in what place and state they stande euen the electe of God are called the world The second reason whie the electe of God may be called the world is bicause they be dispersed through out the world and are of al sorts and kynds of the world For as the worlde is not this or that place nor one or two Realmes but all places in euery climate of the worlde so the Churche of Christe is not tyed to Sainct Peters chaire at Rome nor to the Latin church as the Papists would bound it nor to the Affricanes as the Donatistes contended Sed in omnem terram exiuitsonus eorum Ite in vni uersum mundum but is dispersed throughout all the face of the earth God hath his electe euen thoroughe all the Worlde and that of euerye kynde and sorte for as the world is not one state all are not princes all are not subiects all are not men al are not women c. But the worlde is all Nations kynredes conditions states orders personages sexes ages and all degrees of persones soo the Electe are of all sortes ryche and poore hyghe and lowe weake and stronge wyse and symple olde and young what so euer God accepteth none for hys person more than other There is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle manne nor Woman nor anye respecte of difference in Gods election and therefore the electe may well bee called the Worlde The thyrde reason is for the dignitie of the Electe not onely for the analogie of the name which in Greke and Latin signifieth cleane and pure so well as the worlde where as in deede the worlde is corrupt and subiect to vanitie for mannes fault and onely the elect are pure and cleane whose filthe is clensed with the bloud of the vnspotted Lambe of God and so by good proportion may be called the worlde but also for that the worlde was euen made for them although they be the least part of the worlde yet they be the best part of the world euē the choyce of god whom though the world dispise be vnworthy of them yet are they before God in dede the very heires and lordes of the world So saith S. Paul of Abrahā the father of the faithful Quod sit futurus haeres mundi that he shold be the heire of the world and so sayth he also of al Gods people Omnia vestra sunt All thyngs are youres whether it be Paul Apollo or Cephas or the worlde or lyfe or death or things present or things to come al are youres and you are Christes and Christe is Gods. For as Christe is the heire of all the worlde so are the Elect coinheritours with him In consideration of whiche dignitie Saint Paule rebuked the Corinthians for going to lawe before Heathen Iudges abasyng them selues vnder the worlde beyng the Iudges of the worlde Knowe yee not sayth he that the Sainctes shall iudge the worlde If the worlde then shall bee iudged by you are yee vnworthye to iudge the smallest matters Knowe yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels how much more than matters worldely The spirituall manne iudgeth all thyngs and is iudged of none For in dede he only hath the true iudgement of al things and knoweth howe to rule and order them howe to take them howe to forsake them howe to loue them how to hate them how to esteme them how to despise them howe to vse them howe to refuse them He vseth that that should be but vsed and enioyeth that shold be enioyed For this difference Vti Frui Sainct Augustine sayeth is euen the ground of all our lyfe and doctrine This doo not the wicked they vse that they should enioye they enioy that they shold but vse therfore whatsoeuer the wicked vse enioy or haue they ar but theeues and robbers it is none of theirs but proprely and duely belongeth to the sonnes of god And therfore for this cause also may the elect be called the world Then soloweth it that there is no contrarietie in these propositions God by his eternal wil and purpose would that the world should not perishe but haue Eternall lyfe and yet that neither al creatures nor al mē nor the wicked worldlings shoulde escape perishing nor haue eternall lyfe sith the elect of God may for these iust causes be called the world that only shall not perish but haue eternall lyfe This restraint of this word the world for the elect of God out of this worlde not considered diuers haue staggred at this and suche other sentences and fallen into greuous errours Origen stombling at this blocke fell fowly in the myre affirming that all men shoulde be saued at the lengthe yea the dyuels in Hell and all but that was too grosse an errour The scripture as I haue noted already against the Papists is manyfest to the contrarye After him came Pelagius wyth a fyner inuention who hearyng here that the world shoulde be saued and considering withall how farre this terme the World doth firetch euen to the wycked destitute of all grace and to euery man in general imagineth that God without all election or choyce of one more than an other wold simply haue al men alyke to be saued that al men haue alike free will election and iudgement to choose whether they will be saued or no. This doctrine being a very plausible doctrine to the itchyng eares of manne tickled wyth the pride and loue of his owne freedome and abilitie was by and by so snatched vp for a iewel that almost there was no part of Christendome that had it not yea that was not so infected with sutche a spice of it as neuer could be puld out since Nor almost any doctoure except Saincte Augustine but hadde some smacke thereof hauing bin the moste of them in theyr youth Philosophers and of Platos and Aristotles principles sucked oute theyr errour Yea Saincte Augustine was a whyle him selfe blemished therwith tyll afterward he came to more sounde knowledge
is 〈◊〉 causantiuÌ„ causarum the cause of al causings and of all causes when we here it is Gods purpose so to be shal we not think eâ—…en this purpose of god the causer to be cause sufficient but we will seke for other causes in the causes inferior things that themselues are caused What absurditie were this in man and what presumption ahainst god sith we heare it is gods purpose and we are not content therwith Well say the Papists be it the cause be only in God and not in man nor any creature that he purposed to bestowe this benefite on the world yet she we me a cause in god himselfe that moued him hereunto Why is not this a sufficient cause of it selfe that we haue sayd al this while it was Gods purpose If this will not suffise thee what will suffise thee Shall I say it is Gods determination that is al one with purpose Shal I say it is Gods appoyntmente this is all one also Shall I say it is his good wil and pleasure what is this but in effecte the same also what shall I saye then that shall contente them Surely neyther I nor all the world shal be able to say any thing that can satisfie a warbling Papist in this matter For how should we satisfie him that is not satisfied with the purpose determination appointment wil and pleasure of God but he will needes know why God purposed determined and appointed why it was his will and pleasure But see euen here if this will content the Papist wee haue a further cause expressed in the firste begynnyng of this sentence Sic dilexit So God loued the Worlde Lo loue is the cause therof Yea but what made him loue the worlde saith the Papist nothing yes euen bycause hee would vouch safe so to doo Why sayeth he this commeth to the former cause hee loued it bicause he would But wherfore woulde he loue it Here the Papist setteth mee I confesse neyther will I search nor can I find any further cause than this neyther am I ashamed to be so sette of a Papist that I can go no further wheÌ„ I come to the loue good wil of God of which if it were so easy a matter to shew a further cause why was not S. Paul ashamed when he came to the alleaging of Gods will to crye oute that the Iudgementes of God were vnsearchable and durste goe no further after he had alleaged it to be Gods wil bycause beyond this cause he coulde fynde no cause hygher his fadome coulde reache no further Heere was abyssus abyssum inuocat Here was sette the Cherubin and the flamyng sworde to stoppe the entrie into this vnsearcheable Paradyse Here were the boundes of Gods Mountayne Sina limited that the people nor the Priestes nor any else durste or coulde enter into but onely our heauenly Prophete lyke to Moyses Iesus Christe not only man but GOD himself also And wil a beast a Papist a brutishe fleshly man presume to come neare thys mountayn yea to go beyond the boundes appoynted Shall not a dart be cast through him that dare presume thus beastely What is man that he should not be content when he heareth platte and playne it is Gods wyll but he wil demaund a reason of the same Iob neuer durste presume thus farre as the Papists doo yet when in the anguishe of his mynde hee wente beyonde hys reache The Lorde out of the whyrle wynde sayde Whoe is thys that darkeneth the counsell by woordes without knowledge Gyrde vp now thy loynes lyke a manne I wyll demaunde of thee and declare thou vntoo mee Where waste thow when I layde the foundations of the earthe Declare yf thou haste vnderstandynge c. Wylte thou disanull my Iudgemente or wylte thou condemne mee that thou mayste bee iustified or haste thou an arme lyke GOD or doest thou thunder wyth a Voyce lyke hym Decke thy selfe nowe wyth Maiestie and excellencye and arraye thy selfe wyth Beautie and glorye Caste abroade the indignation of thy wrathe and beholde euery one that is prowde and abase hym looke on euery one that is arrogante and bryng hym lowe and destroye the wycked in theyr place hyde them in the duste together and bynde theyr faces in a secrete place then wyll I confesse vnto thee also that thy ryghte hande can saue thee Thys presumption then not to bee content wyth the expressed good wyll of GOD but to searche further causes of his wyll then hee hath expressed that is his loue is euen to make our owne right hande our Sauiour as the Papistes doo Let vs therefore be content with this cause of Gods purpose that it is his good wil and procedeth of his mere loue And that his loue is the very and onely cause hereof as oure Sauioure Chryste hathe sayde Sic Deus dilexit mundum GOD so loued the worlde The loue of God is the cause of the Worldes saluation than the whyche what can bee a more notable cause and more comfortable herein than the loue and good wyll of god But the Papist whose mouth is not yet stopped nor hys ambitious mynde contented groynethe hereat that all shoulde proceede from the good wyll and loue of GOD Did not wee saithe he loue him before and then he loued vs No Papist we loued him not wee hated him as is already she wed In hoc est charitas non ê™ nos dilexerimus Deum sed quod ipse dilexit nos Loue consisteth herein sayeth S. Iohn not that we loued him but that he loued vs Prior dilexit nos he loued vs before and not we him before for then were all this in vayne then were the cause in vs not in God then were it no godamercie to God that we are saued but gramercie myne owne selfe for God requited me but loue for loue What a pawne checkemate were this to the loue of God But herein commendat charitatem suam Deus in nobis quoniam cum adhuc peccatores esâ—…emus God not onely loueth vs but herein he maruellously setteth out the glory and praise of his infinite loue vnto vs that euen when we were sinners when we were enemies he loued vs The only and whole cause then of Gods purpose to our saluation is the fauour loue of god Wherfore was Iacob preferred before hys brother Esau Iacob dilexi I loued Iacob Wherefore chose he the seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob to be hys people for any merite of these their fathers which were holy patriarkes No Quia dilexit patres tuos forbicause hee loued their fathers Wherfore saith God vnto the Israelites The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto hym selfe aboue all people that are vpon the earthe The Lorde did not set his loue vpon you nor chose you bicause ye were mo in number than any people for ye were the fewest of al people but bicause the Lord loued you Wherfore is the