Gentiles 184 Luk. 11. Of the strong man armed 103 Luk. 24. The Gospell must be preached c. 95 Ioh. 1. He lighteneth euery man that commeth 42 Of his fulnes we all receiue Behold the Lambe of God that taketh c. 76 Ioh. 3. So God loued the world 74 The wrath of God abideth c. 184 Ioh. 3. 12. I came to saue the world 79 Ioh. 6. I will giue my flesh for the life 77 My father giueth you a heauenly bread 78 Ioh. 10. I lay downe my life for my sheepe 185 Ioh. 11. That he might gather the sonnes of God 186 Ioh. 12. When I am lifted vp I will draw 187 Ioh. 15. That a man should lay downe his life for his friends 187 If I had not come they had had no sinne 175 Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world 188 For them I sanctifie my selfe 190 Thou hast giuen me power ouer all flesh 70 None of them is lost but the lost childe 71 Act. 5. To giue remission of sinnes to Israel 199 Act. 10. To him giue all the prophets witnesse 199 Act. 20. God hath redeemed his Church with his owne blood 9 Rom. 2. Whosoeuer sinned without the Law 175 Rom. 3. The righteousnes of God vpon all that beleeue 191 Rom. 5. He died for his enemies 188 Vers 19. Through the obedience of one c. 8 Vers 18. The benefit redounded to all men to the iustification of life 63 Rom. 8. He gaue him for vs all 58 192 Rom. 9. The place of predestination is discussed 286 The elder shall serue the younger 291 Iacob I haue loued Esau I haue hated 293 O man who art thou c. 313 Rom. 11. He hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew 297 Of the Iewes cut off through vnbeleefe 125 That he might haue mercy vpon all 69 Rom. 14. Destroy not him with meate for whom Christ died 116 Rom. 14. According to the things he hath done in the body 282 Rom. 16. The Gospell declared to all nations 96 1. Cor. 3. If any destroy the temple of God 116 1. Cor. 8. Thy brother shall perish for whom Christ died 117 1. Cor. 12. He worketh all in all 42 1. Cor. 15. All shall be quickened 66 2. Cor. 5. Reconciling the world 79 One died for all 56 Galath 3. When ye began in the spirit 122 Galath 5. Stand in the libertie 124 Ye are fallen from grace 122 Ephe. 1. As he chose vs in him 297 All things are restored in Christ 66 Ephe. 5. He gaue himselfe for his Church 194 Col. 1. I fulfill the afflictions of Christ 12 He hath reconciled all things in heauen 66. 67 He hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes 195 Ye that were sometime strangers 195 If ye continue stable in the hope 69 1. Tim. 1. 4. Of such as fall from faith 109 1. Tim. 2. He will haue all men to be saued 51. 53. 54 He gaue himselfe for all 56 1. Tim. 4. He is the Sauiour of all specially of the faithfull 196 2. Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe 306 Tit. 3. The grace of God hath appeared to all men 96 Heb. 2. All things subiect to Christ 59 He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified 60 He tasted death for all 61 Heb. 5. He is made the author of saluation to all that obey him 196 Heb. 6. It is impossible for them that were once inlightened to be renued by repentance 113 Heb. 9. Of Redemption of sins vnder the former Testament 2 If the blood of goates c. 197 That the Called might receiue c. 197 He tooke away the sinnes of many 198 Heb. 10. Seeing therefore brethren we receiue libertie 115 1. Pet. 1. Elect according to foreknowledge 308 Reuealed for the beleeuers 199 1. Pet. 2. Whereunto they were appointed 122 2. Pet. 1. He is blinde and hath forgotten 119 2. Pet. 1. Make your election sure 307 2. Pet. 2. They deny the Lord that bought them 117 Of such as returne to filthines 117 2. Pet. 3. He will haue none to perish 261 1. Ioh. 1. The blood of Christ clenseth vs. 199 1. Ioh. 2. We haue Christ our aduocate 80 For the sinnes of the whole world 80 They were not of vs. 111. 333 1. Ioh. 3. That he might destroy the workes of the deuill 212 1. Ioh. 5. They that beleeue not make God a lyar 127 Apoc. 1. He hath washed vs from our sinnes 200 Apoc. 5. He hath redeemed vs to God 200 OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND BY CHRIST The first Booke CHAP. I. Wherein is shewed the summe and diuision of this doctrine THE mysterie of the Redemption of mankinde by the onely begotten Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ the Apostles faithfullie and most sincerelie haue testified at large The summe of the Catholike saith and confession of the redemption of man first by liuely voyce and then by writings both to the Iewes and Gentiles to wit that the eternall word Rom. 15.8.9 which is the eternall Sonne of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles should glorifie God for his mercie in the last daies when the fulnes of time was come Galath 4.4 took vpon him the true nature of man of the Virgin Mary his mother by the operation of the holy Ghost and in the forme of a seruant Phil. 2 7. was obedient to his father vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse that by his precious blood 1. Pet. 1.19 as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purifie vs a peculiar people vnto himself Tit. 2.14 zealous of good workes The same Apostles haue also witnessed that to the end we may be partakers of this redemption a true faith in Christ is required of vs whereby as it were by a hand we may apprehend him and apply him with all his merits and benefits vnto our selues This is the Catholike faith and confession which the Apostles taught the Martyrs confirmed and the faithfull as yet do keepe For so the holie Apostle Paul describing this whole mysterie in few but cleere words saith Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace thorow the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenes of the sinnes past that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesu And the Author to the Hebrewes writeth on this maner Heb. 9.11 to 16 But Christ comming a high priest of good things to come by his owne blood entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption For if the blood of buls and goates sanctifieth the vncleane to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without
but most often deceiue Beside the examples aboue alleadged let these also here be considered Psal 22. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the families of the nations shall bow themselues before thee And Psal 72. All kings shall bow to thee all nations shall serue thee And Psal 86. All nations shall come and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name August Basil com in Psal These prophesies as Augustine and Basill interprete them are fulfilled in the conuersion of the Gentiles while of all Gentiles some doe receiue the brightnes of diuine knowledge Esay 2. So in Esay it is foretold that in the last daies all nations shall come to the mountaine of the Lord and that the people shall walke in his law Where againe Basill reiecting this their filthie glosse admonisheth which thing the very matter also proclaimeth that it is not to bee taken of the whole number in the land of the liuing or of all men whom euery nation euery where comprehendeth Hence now there appeareth plainly an answer also to the saying Thes 181. Psal 2. Aske of me and I will giue thee the nations for thy inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Therefore saith Huber the adoption of all nations to bee Christs inheritance is promised I graunt but not of al men whom euery nation containeth For the doctrine of the Apostle Lib. 1. de sermone Domini in monte saith Augustine termeth that to be adoption whereby we are called into an eternall inheritance that wee may bee coheires with Christ and with God being as sonnes may enioy eternall life being reformed through the acknowledging of him vnto the image of God What adoption is Aug. in Psal 2. But this belongeth not to all Whereupon as the same father expoundeth the meaning is Aske of me to wit that the nations may be coupled to the name of Christians and so redeemed from death and may be possessed of God and I will giue thee the nations to bee thine inheritance whom thou maist possesse vnto their saluation that they may bring forth spiritual fruites vnto thee Neither doth the holy Ghost himselfe otherwise expound it by the mouth of Dauid Psal 22. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to the Lord and al the families of the nations shall bow themselues before thee For by faith and repentance all nations vnto the ends of the earth are made the inheritance and peculiar people of God Psalm 7◠Esay 19. which was the peculiar dignitie of Israel in old time In respect of which grace it was also promised to Abraham that he should be the heire of the world Notwithstanding it is true as touching dominion that all are subiect vnto Christ not onely all men but also all things els in heauen and earth That which is lastly alleadged of the scape goate Leu. 16. Leuit. 16. that as all the sinnes of the children of Israel were put vpon that goate to bee caried into the wildernesse so also Christ bore all the sinnes of the people and tooke them away confirmeth our opinion and not the aduersaries For not the sins of all men but of Israel onely were laid vpon the goate so Christ hath taken away the sinnes of Christian people who as the Apostle witnesseth is the Israel of God Gal. 6. prefigured by that carnall Israel And these things of the first ranke of arguments Where now the indifferent reader may iudge whether the reproches sticke vpon vs or vpon the aduersarie wherewith he would defame vs as though forsooth wee must needes correct Thes 188. amend polish cut away and abuse the speech of the holie Ghost throughout the Gospell Trifles VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE SECOND RANKE CHAP. VIII Wherein generall solutions or answers are contained HItherto answere hath been made vnto generall speeches The second classe or ranke followeth wherein the aduersarie purposeth to proue peculiarly that the reprobates or as he speaketh in his Compend thes the vnbeleeuers are equally redeemed of Christ Thes 23. as they are who through faith are made partakers of saluation in Christ Three generall obseruations But before we seuerally weigh the places of Scripture which in this rank are produced generally it is to be noted that all those places are particular of some reprobates onely and such as for a time haue been mingled with the good in the Church and counted in the number of beleeuers so long as the contrarie appeared not in them Of particulars an vniuersall conclusion doth not followe And of Particulars when either both or one of the propositions is such it is euident that an vniuersall conclusion doth not follow as this is of the aduersarie that all reprobates and vnbeleeuers no lesse then the elect and truly faithfull haue redemption and remission of sins in Christ To proue this he had need of other arguments through this whole classe Further seeing all those places intreate of them who are numbred with the beleeuers and sanctified in Christ and afterward vnmindfull of their calling slide into grieuous falles or els also fall away altogether from the truth hee taketh a preposterous course who thence seeketh to maintaine that redemption doth vniuersally belong as well to infidels as to true beleeuers For the proofes which are brought describe the benefit of Christ in respect of faith and applie it to them who were numbred with the Church of God Rom. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. And in the beginning of other Epistles of the Apostle the faithful and Saints in Christ beloued and elect of God because of their externall profession of faith and repentance and the washing of sacred Baptisme which they had receiued For of such the Church iudgeth charitably leauing in the meane while secret things vnto God the searcher of the harts who knoweth his owne and can discerne betweene them that are froward and vpright in heart Thirdly it is to be marked that they that so fall are either elect or reprobate Of the fals and perseuerance of the elect For the very elect and true beleeuers doe often fall into sins against their cōscience and greatly swarue from the right way as Dauid and Peter yet they erre not finally but are recouered and brought backe into the way before they die and hauing their iniquitie pardoned them which was committed perseuerance vnto the end is imputed vnto them as Augustine largely teacheth Aug de cor grat cap. 7. 2. Tim 2. de correptione gratia cap. 7. For the foundation of God is sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his And as the Lord himselfe saith in the Gospell Matth. 23. It cannot be that the elect should be deceiued to wit finally For if any of these perish God is deceiued and ouercome of mans sinne But he is neuer deceiued or ouercome of any thing Therefore of his elect none perisheth
this benefit of God we receiue not but through faith by the preaching of the Gospell For albeit Christ hath redeemed mankinde from sinnes and reconciled with God yet this benefit had nothing profited mankinde if it were not preached vnto them by the Gospell And the Gospell requireth faith and is to be receiued by faith He that beleeueth not shall be condemned and he that beleeueth shall be saued Wherefore remission of sins purchased by Christ and preached in the Gospell is receiued of vs and applied vnto vs no otherwise then by faith Huber thes 19. Hereunto the assertion is contrarie that all haue receiued reconciliation and saluation whether they beleeue or not beleeue CHAP. III. Peculiar answers vnto those sayings of the Scripture which affirme that Christ died for all THe former generall answere is plaine and sound and may suffice alone yet we think good particularly to examine the sayings of the holie Scriptures touching the death of Christ for all The first place then let this be in this order 1. Tim. 2.4 5 6. The first place 1. Tim. 2. God will that all should be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who hath giuen himselfe a raunsome for all Here they first vrge the words that God will that all be saued whereof they will haue gathered that therefore once all men none excepted are in deede saued by the redēption of Christ without any respect of faith or vnbeliefe although many afterward lose againe through vnbeleefe saluation that was obtained But the Apostle entreateth of that saluation which is by faith as Theophilact well expoundeth and the matter it selfe sheweth and not of a certaine vniuersall saluation of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Further the Apostle knitteth saluation and the knowledge of the truth together as things most neerely ioyned between themselues He will saith he that all men be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth After the like maner therfore let them inferre that all men also none excepted come to the knowledge of the truth that is to faith and by consequence to eternall life which consisteth in the knowledge of God and Christ Thus the argument is fully answered Yet as touching the minde of Paul the place needeth interpretation as Ambrose also admonisheth For if God who verily is Almightie and doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen and earth will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth why is not his will fulfilled Neither say as the Pelagians vsed to except as Augustine witnesseth that therefore this will of God is not fulfilled because men will not For no free will doth withstand God being willing to saue as he teacheth de correp grat cap. 14. for so to will or not to will is in the power of the willer or niller that it hindereth not Gods will nor ouercommeth his power For he himselfe doth the things that he willeth concerning those men who doe not his will seeing euen of the very willes of men he doth what he will Therefore many waies surely that Apostolicall and diuine sentence may rightly be vnderstood that the very beginning of our faith shake not wherein wee professe that wee beleeue in God the father almightie Of which waies we will recite one or two First albeit none but the elect come to saluation and that effectually called by the holy Ghost The first exposition of 1. Tim. 2.4 by that vocation which is according to the purpose of God yet God by his word calleth al to beleeue and to conuert that they may be saued and not iudge themselues vnworthie of the kingdome of God For this is that good acceptable and perfect will of God that all heare the Sonne repent and beleeue the Gospel vnto saluation As also Ezechiel testifieth chap. 18. EZec. 18. 37 Why will ye die O house of Israel Turne from all your iniquities because I will not the death of a sinner Turne and ye shall liue And chap. 33. As I liue saith the Lord I will not the death of the wicked but that he turne from his way and liue For God reioyceth not in the destruction of such as perish Wised 1. Act. 17. neither approueth an vnfaithfull and vnrepentant heart but as Paul testifieth warneth all men to repent But why this gift of grace to wit conuersion without which none can be saued is not bestowed vpon all by him who would haue all to bee saued it must be referred to the hidden iudgements of Gods iustice For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who first gaue to him that he should recompence him This exposition Luther alloweth de seruo arbit handling the place of Ezech. chap. 18. Luther In that saying saith he I will not the death of a sinner we see no other thing handled then that the grace of God is preached and offered in the world which they only receiue in whom the law hath already wrought his dutie that is the knowledge of sinne The rest contemne mercie promised in that saying But why some are touched by the law and others are not touched so that they receiue these refuse grace offered it is another question and is not handled here by Ezechiel who speaketh of the preached and offered mercie of God and not of that hidden and reuerend will of God ordaining in his counsell whom and what maner of men he will haue to bee capable and partakers of the mercie preached and offered Which will is not to be sought after but with reuerence to be honoured as the secret of Gods maiestie reserued to himselfe alone and forbidden vs. And anone after God doth many things which he doth not shew vnto vs by his word and he willeth many things also which in his word he sheweth not that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner to wit in his word but he willeth it by that his vnsearchable will But we must respect his word and leaue his vnsearchable will Againe comparing this present place of the Apostle with the place of the Prophet hee addeth If thou speake of God preached vnto vs he will that all men should be saued while he commeth to all in the word of saluation and it is the fault of our will which doth not admit him as it is said Matth 23 How oft would I gather thy children and thou wouldest not But why the diuine maiestie doth not take away this fault of our will or change it in all seeing it is not in the power of man or why he imputeth that vnto him seeing man cannot want it it is not lawfull to enquire and though thou shouldest seeke after it yet thou shalt neuer finde it These things so largely I am not ashamed to produce out of Luther because of our aduersaries The second exposition of 1. Tim 2.4 Augustine Secondly this may be the
doctrine or to slāder it either opēly or in corners much lesse to withdraw others from it as the little book testifieth which is intituled Ordinatio ceremonia pro ministris Ecclesiae Argentinensis c. A. ij pag. ij Which things seeing they stand thus with what forehead with what shame dare the aduersarie openly write that our opinion of Redemption was neuer heard of among the people of God vntill the time of the Conference at Mompelgard O whorish audacitie of falsely accusing and witnesse of extreame ignorance if not of malice CHAP. X. Wherein the originall and predecessors of our aduersaries opinion are laid open BVt truly he that speaketh what he will shall heare what he would not as the old prouerbe is Seeing therefore hitherto it hath been shewed that the opinion which we maintaine is plentifully taught in the word of God and hath been receiued in the Church in all times and faithfully euen vnto our daies continued I neither can nor ought I to ouerpasse and leaue out here on the contrary part the discouerie of the originall of our aduersaries opinion The Pelagian heresie is the father of the aduersaries doctrine Tom. 7. apud August I auouch therefore and professe that it hath not the spirit of God or the worthie sayings thereof vnderstood in their naturall sense but the spirit of Pelagian impietie to be the father of the birth and beginning of it Which thing that I seeme not to vtter without mine author Prosper of Aquitane in his Epistle to Augustine of the reliques of the Pelagian heresie among other errors of that naughtines The doctrine of the Pelagians concerning grace freewill and predestination assigneth this also namely that they would affirme that our Lord Christ died for whole mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his blood although he should leade his whole life in all impietie that is although he continue in infidelitie be damned because the sacramēt of Gods mercie belongeth to all men that is the promise of grace as now men speak Therfore in respect of God that life eternall is prepared for all but in respect of freewill that it is laid hold on by them that shall willingly and of their owne accord beleeue in God And he addeth That they are fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would auoide to confesse that God according to the purpose and counsell of his owne will in his secret iudgement but in his manifest work maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour neither would giue their assent that the predestinate number of the elect can neither be increased nor diminished These things hee euidently surely and in liuely colours not so much setting out the reliques of Pelagian heresie in that age as painting Pelagianisme in our aduersaries in this our time Hofman Now that wretch Hofman in the memorie of our fathers of whom lately I spake what was hee but a monster of Pelagian filthie dregges and of other heresies And him doth Huber so resemble in respect of our matter in hand as one egge is not more like to another For he auouched that all be elected all redeemed by Christ without exception of any one Both which Huber thes 1001. pleaseth to set downe thus That all men after Adams fall were in Christ elected and receiued into grace because of the blessed seede in whom the sinnes of all men were to be satisfied And not so onely but also that he may follow him throughly hee commeth foorth furnished with the same places of Scripture and testimonies naughtily wrested as Hofman did cloke his error withall as we haue before briefly shewed Moreouer Pacuuius in this our age one Parcuuius manifestly professing Pelagian impietie not onely maintaineth that Christ is alike as the creator so the redeemer of all and euery one and that all are borne in the state of saluation and grace and therefore happie so that they doe not bring vnto themselues destruction through vnbeleefe that election also and grace is generall c. but also he plainly professeth and boasteth that the Diuines of Wittenberge the successors of Luther but greatly reuolting from Luthers doctrine in this point doe consent with him in the substance of the matter But let them take to themselues all Pacuuians and Hofmans and Pelagians old and new wee haue the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord for our authors and the one agreeing consent of the best approued writers whosoeuer in all ages This is Christian reader the true simple and sound and modest exposition without bitternes and railing of the doctrine of the redemption of mankinde by Christ who is set forth vnto vs of the father to bee a propitiator and aduocate through faith for the pardon of our sinnes in his blood which the Prophets haue so deliuered the Apostles haue preached and the holy men of God haue confirmed Let vs therefore hold it also and abide therein constantly omitting oppositions of knowledge falsely so called and strife of wordes whereupon ariseth enuie strife euill speaking naughtie surmisings wicked practises of men of corrupt mindes and voide of trueth who count gaine to be godlines And specially seeing without faith it is impossible to please God let vs labour to goe to the throne of grace with a true heart and perswasion of faith that wee may obtaine mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede and also by the light of a true faith in Christ Iesu let vs so frame our whole life alwaies euery one of vs doing and meditating this that we may bee found acceptable to our common redeemer to whose glorie we ought wholly to bee consecrated with holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life To him bee honour and glorie and blessing for euer and euer Amen A BOOKE OF GODS PREDESTINATION CHAP. I. The preface and diuision of the doctrine in hand THE disputation of Predestination is of it selfe weightie and difficult and by reason of the curiositie and boldnes of mans wit it is besides not a little intricate and very dangerous while mans reason thrusting it selfe into the secrets of Gods iudgements and wisedome either seeketh into things forbidden or contemneth and scorneth those things he vnderstandeth not yea cannot surely perceiue because they be foolishnes vnto him and are as the Apostle saith spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 1. For who hath known the minde of the Lord that he might instruct him But we haue the minde of Christ who being in the bosome of his eternall father hath gratiously reuealed vnto vs in his worde all the counsell of God as much as concerneth vs to know in this point as in other things to our saluation Therefore following this rule of trueth and righteousnes and nothing fearing the ill report of detractors through the helpe of God Wisd 7.16 in whose hand both wee and also our words are we will consider of Predestination 1. What is predestination 2.
Paul to the Philip. To you saith he it is giuen not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake How Augustine recanted his former error By these and the like testimonies of diuine Scripture Augustine being conuicted freely acknowledged his error in this point and retracted it de praedest sanct cap. 3 passimeo libro Ad Simplicianum Sancti Ambrosij successorem apud Mediol lib. 1. quaest 2. contra 2. Epist Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 8. Retract lib. 1. Aug. de bono perseu cap. 12. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 1. For it is incident to man to fall and to erre but wittingly and willingly to continue in error is deuillish neither ought any man to bee so vniust or enuious that either he will not profit himselfe or els hinder others that are desirous to profit Fourthly The fourth opinion that the foreseene abuse of free will to infidelitie and other euill works is the cause of reprobation confuted by Augustine other confesse that the cause of election to eternall life is in God alone namely his grace and good pleasure but they suppose no lesse than the former writers that the cause of reprobation is in men themselues to wit the foreseene abuse of freewill to infidelitie and other euil works For they be afraid least any iniquitie should bee with God if some bee said to bee reiected of him without all respect of workes Therefore that they may maintaine his iustice forsooth they write that as many as bee reprobated are reprobated for finall sinne foreseene Among the Schoolemen Scotus and his disciples follow this opinion Scotus Hereupon some of that same leauen haue defined reprobation to be the eternall foreknowledge of the euill vse of freewill Thomas Argentinus his definition of reprobation Lib. 1. q. 2. by reason whereof God hath decreed to depriue some man of his grace in this present life and to punish him in the life to come with euerlasting paine But as Augustine ad Simpl. rightly iudgeth If we should graunt that reprobation dependeth of euill workes foreseene it should altogether follow on the contrarie that election also ariseth of good workes foreseene Which if it be true it is false that it is not of workes Fiftly therefore and that is the true opinion The fift opinion soundest and best as foreseene workes or faith of such as shall be saued are not the cause of their election so neither is the vnbeleefe or other sinnes foreseene of them that shall bee damned the cause of their reprobation but that they are in Christ of meere mercie elected and these are iustly from the same mercie reiected according to the purpose of Gods will which as it is most free so most iust and the very rule of all equitie and iustice CHAP. VII A demonstration of election freely arising oft h◠meere good pleasure of God FOr the defence of this trueth and the larger confutation of the contrarie opinions there be sundry arguments and testimonies of the Scriptures and those most cleere and euident from whence we will onely produce some The 1. reason 1. The cause is not later than the effect But workes and faith in vs and the very will and desire to beleeue and what good vse soeuer of freewill in vs bee later than election For all these things are temporall whereas election is eternall according to the sayings He elected vs before the creation of the world Ephe. 1. Matth. 25. 2. Tim. 1. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid He hath called vs with an holy calling according to his purpose and grace which is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Obiection If they except that our workes not as done but as to be done and foreseene of God are alike eternall Answere we answere that God foresaw no good worke or will in vs which he decreed not to effect in vs and which in predestinating he prepared not for vs as it is said to the Ephes 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And chap. 1. of the same Epistle He hath chosen vs before the foundations of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him From whence we vnderstand seeing in that we are predestinate of God to life it commeth to passe that wee doe good workes and beleeue so euen the foreknowledge of future faith in vs and of those good things which we shall doe is later then election at the least in order reason The 2. 2. To the same end it commeth if we should argue thus Good workes likewise faith and what vse soeuer of freewill to worke or to beleeue or els to thinke of any goodnes flow from the meere grace of God as the effects of Gods electiō as at large after shall be shewed Therefore neither as done neither as to be done and foreseene of God can these things be considered as the causes of election For nothing can bee both the cause and effect in respect of the same thing Ad Simpl. lib. 1. Workes saith Augustine do not beget grace but are begotten of grace Two fine similitudes The fire warmeth not that it may be hot but because it is hot Neither doth the wheele therefore runne well that it may bee round but because it is round So no man therefore worketh well that he may receiue grace but because he hath receiued it 3. The 3. reason If our foreseene good workes were the cause of predestination to eternall saluation they should bee the cause also of our calling and iustification The later is false Therefore also the first The Maior is proued by the rule That which is the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused as they speake that is of the effect But predestination is the cause of vocation and iustification as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified The Minor also is most easily proued 2. Tim. 1. seeing the holie Ghost expressely testifieth that we are saued of God and called with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Likewise Paul in his Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians most largely discourseth of iustification euery way freely bestowed He requireth faith surely as the meane whereby we applie righteousnes and saluation offered to vs in the Gospell but not as of our selues for it is the gift of God And therfore if euen the foreknowledge of faith Ephes 2.8 as from vs be set downe to be the cause of election it will follow that neither iustification is euery way free Otherwise it standeth firme that we are iustified by faith as by a meane yet faith is not
profitable to all for many are the children of perdition yet it is sufficient for vs that we doe deliuer our owne soules while they perish not through our fault As the Lord saith to Ezechiel Cap. 3. When I shall say to the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou hast not warned him nor spoken to him to returne from his wicked way that he might liue that wicked man shall die but I will require his blood at thy hand But if thou hast warned him and he hath not repented of his wickednes he shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thine owne soule And Paul witnesseth 2. Cor. 2. that we are the sweete sauour of Christ to God in them that are saued and in them that perish The vngodly also are made without excuse in hearing what they ought to do least they should say If I had knowne it I would haue done it therefore I did it not because I knew it not Obiection 5 The same account is to be made of praiers which the vnchangeablenes of Gods predestination and purpose maketh not any whit the more idle Whither praying be in vain if Gods purpose be vnchangeable as some naughtily suppose For albeit by prayers Gods predestination is neuer changed yet by them wee are holpen as by certaine meanes hereunto ordained of God both to attaine vnto many effects and also to the very ende of predestination according to the promise Euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord shall bee saued Luke 11. And in the Gospell Aske and it shall be giuen you For whosoeuer asketh receiueth And anone how much more will your heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that aske of of him But here it must be marked that what things the Saints obtaine by praying they were so predestinated that by prayers they should bee obtained as Gregorie well said To which purpose Augustine also saith Dial lib. 1. Ang. de Ciuit. Dei l. 5. c. 10. that prayers much auaile to obtaine those things which God foreknew that he would grant to them that pray Thus a double error is excluded One is of certaine superstitious men A double error confuted as though the decree of God made concerning some man put the case of condemning him might be altered by sacrifices and prayers The tale of Traiane as the tale is of Traiane the Emperour that when he was in hell the place of reprobates he was from thence deliuered by the prayers of Gregorie The other error on the contrary faulteth as though a thing so holesome and so necessarie namely prayer the onely entercourse betweene man and God as Boethius saith should seeme to haue no force because God hath coÌ„stantly appointed whom he will saue and whom he will damne the one pertaining to his mercie the other to his iudgement And wee must not heare nor tolerate wicked men being Obiection 6 both ignorant and also hurtfull and bold Snners are not excused who when they do amisse and securely delight in sinnes flie to the necessitie of predestination as to a certaine sanctuarie and what things they wickedly commit they say must be attributed to predestination Whereby they would seeme to bee blameles and put all the fault in God as the author of sinnes as Rom. 9. such men say Why is he yet angry For who shall resist his will But Iames rightly reproueth those men that goe about to excuse themselues from God Let no man when he is tempted Iam. 1.13 say that he is tempted of God but euery one is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence Then lust after it hath conceaued bringeth forth sinne And the booke of Ecclesiasticus confuteth a double impietie with one and the same answere chapter 15. Say not thou the Lord hath caused me to sinne for thou oughtest not to doe the things that he hateth Say not thou he hath lead me into error for hee hath no neede of the wicked man The Lord hateth all abomination and they that feare him loue it not He made man from the beginning and left him in the will of his owne counsell If thou wilt thou shalt obserue the commandements Doubtles these are the fountaines of sinnes properly belonging to sinners lust and their freewill for man is not coÌ„pelled to commit euils but he doth them of his own accord and greatly liketh and alloweth them as these sayings of Scriptures testifie He would not vnderstand to doe well And they would not receiue instruction and many more like in the bookes of Scriptures But Gods predestination ought not to be accounted the fountaine of sinnes For by the helpe thereof as Augustine notably hath left in writing wee know that many are held backe from falling Ad â—rtiâ— fals impos but none caused to fall and hereby predestination is the cause that many stand and that no man falleth Therefore saith he it is a detestable opinion that supposeth God to bee the author of any euill will or euill action And when men sinne they serue their owne lusts and desires but when they auoide euill and doe good the waies of men are guided by the Lord to delight in his way And elsewhere Hypognost 6. They that are without the grace of predestination that is strangers from the purpose of God and abide in euill workes we doe not say as you thinke that they are so ordained of God the creator of all that they should perish as though hee made them to liue wickedly and cast them headlong into euery deadly worke Farre bee that from the purpose of God Neither say we as you imagine albeit they be willing to beleeue and to giue themselues to good workes yet that God will not bestow these vpon them seeing such willingnes is the gift of God c. These things that father opposed to that blasphemous spirit that railed on the truth by the Pelagians Huber thes 292 But the same spirit abideth euen at this day in the aduersaries who imagine otherwise than wee iudge as though God forced the reprobates to sinne casteth them downe carrieth them away and violently trampleth vpon them their cause vnheard O blasphemie An instance of 〈◊〉 aduerâ—â—tie But they except against vs that sinners seeme blameles that they obey not the trueth because obedience it selfe in his gift This say they we receiue not why then are wee reproued aâ— though we could giue it to ourselues and by our will will not giue it The argument is such as this is They that receiue not faith and conuersion of God seeme excusable because wee cannot haue faith and conuersion vnles God giue it vs. But such are all those that repent not Ergo. Here the Maior is false albeit it seeme goodly to humane reason because God made man vpright from the beginning and created him after his owne image but man through his owne malice and the deuill the prouoker falling from his vprightnes wherein hee
doubt of my continuance to the end For he that beleeueth to wit continually to the end he shall be saued But if any man withdrawe himselfe my heart doth not approue him saith the Lorde Answere Vnto this exception concerning finall perseuerance ought to be opposed the cleare and vndoubted promises of God not onely of his grace for the present but also of finall perseuerance therein of all true beleeuers such as these be Him that commeth vnto me and the beleeuers come I will not cast forth Ioh. 6. Gods promises of present grace the finall perseuerance Also This is the will of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life And I will raise him vp at the last day Againe Ioh. 10. I know my sheepe and they shall not perish for euer neither shall any take them out of my hand And Christs sheepe bee such as heare his voice that is doe truly beleeue Againe Ioh. 14. I will praie to the father and he will giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Luke 22. And I haue praied for thee Simon Peter that thy faith faile not And he praied for all both for such as then beleeued and also for those that should beleeue afterward Rom. 8. And Paul saith To them that loue God all things worke for the best In all things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10. who doth not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but will graunt with the temptation an issue that ye may be able to beare it I am perswaded Phil. 2. that he that hath begun in you this good worke will performe it euen to the day of Iesu Christ What place is here to speake as Cyprian doth of anguish and carefull thought who is fearefull and full of griefe considering these sayings but hee that lacketh faith and hope If thou be righteous and liue by faith if thou truely beleeuest in God why doest thou not securely imbrace the promise of the Lord God hath promised thee perseuerance and doest thou doubt and wauer Whereas certaine places of Scripture and examples of backsliders that are mentioned to haue had faith are wont to be alleaged to the contrary we haue answered elsewhere vnto them least we should do one thing twise The third way remaineth Three waies whereby a man may know his election The seale of the spirite in our hearts whereby God reuealeth vnto his Saints his election of them to wit by the seale of the holie Ghost in our hearts according vnto the saying Ephesians 1. After ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill we bee restored to libertie c. And chapter 4. Grieue not the spirite whereby ye are sealed vnto the daie of redemption 2. Cor. 1. It is God who hath sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of the spirit in our heartes Behold the spirit of God who is giuen to all the faithfull of Christ for who so hath not the spirit of Christ Rom. 8. the same man is not his in steed of Gods seale and certaine earnest penny and who maketh vs sure of our inheritance in heauen and consequently that our names also are written in heauen in the booke of life To this ende those most sweet sentences belong whereby these metaphores are elsewhere expounded 1. Ioh. 4. Hereby we knowe that we dwell in God and he in vs that he hath giuen vs of his spirit 1. Cor. 2. We haue receiued from God the spirit that we may knowe what things are freely giuen vs of God Romans 8. If his spirit that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit dwelling in you And there followeth in that Chapter a right golden place and very diligently to be weighed in this whole matter If ye mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit ye shall liue saith hee For as many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For he haue not receaued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption by whom we cry Abba father which spirit beareth witnesse together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then heires also euen the heires of God and coheires with Christ The Apostles demonstration is in this sort Whosoeuer are the sonnes of God shall obtaine the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen For if we be sonnes we be heires also But whosoeuer are guided by the holy spirite are the sonnes of God Therefore whosoeuer are guided by the holy spirite shall obtaine the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen The Assumption is proued three maner of wayes in the text 1. Because it is the part of the spirit of adoption to seale adoption in the regenerate for of these he speaketh Otherwise it is manifest that there be many gifts of the holy Ghost common to the godly and vngodly to the elect and reprobates 2. When he saith by whom we cry Abba Father hee proueth the same thing by the confession of the godly who call vpon God as their father as also wee are taught of the Lord in the beginning of that Christian prayer Our Father which art in heauen This the godly say and cry not so much in sound of voyce as in the intention of the heart which ariseth of that confidence that agreeth with the sonnes of God 3. Lest a man peraduenture might suspect that wee are deceiued in our confession he confirmeth the same thing by the witnesse of the holy Ghost For the spirite it selfe witnesseth that we are the sons of God that not in the eares of men as the father did wittnes of his sonne Matt. 3. but in the hart of man because elsewhereas the Apostle writeth the loue of God is spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. Za. 12. The witnes of the spirit is most sure and why 1. Cor. 2. Ioh. 16. Ephe. 2. who is giuen vnto vs. Whereupon he was called of the Prophet the spirite of grace because he beareth witnesse of the grace and mercy of God in our mindes And there is nothing surer than this testimonie of the spirite For the spirite of God is not deceiued Who searcheth all things euen the deepe secrets of God neither doth he deceiue because hee is true and leadeth into all trueth These things concerning the reuealing of election are gathered out of the worde of God and are euident Hub. thes 11â—6 Therefore we are falsly accused of some as though we coueted to approach vnto election without the word of God Against this slaunder we openly professe that laying aside all curiositie By Gods word onely we must seeke to finde cut our election and so Caluin and Luther
spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Therefore he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were vnder the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Where by the way is to be considered that by sins past in the saying of the Apostle to the Romanes are properly vnderstood the sinnes committed vnder the old Testament which could not be purged with the blood of goates and calues but the righteous did expect a better oblation Heb. 10.14 which should consecrate for euer those that are sanctified Acts 15.11 Whereupon Peter also said By the grace of our Lord Iesu Christ wee beleeue to be saued as well as our fathers But this whole place of redemption is large and worthie of great cōsideration to wit 1. Whence 2. By whom 3. How 4. When 5. For what cause 6. Whereto and 7. Who are redeemed All these truly haue a profitable and necessarie consideration and bee euery where taught in the Scriptures Of these propounded questions the sixe former wee will brieflie touch but the seuenth and last for which cause chieflie wee vndertake this labour wee will more fully and largely expound as the Lord shall permit CHAP. II. Whence we are redeemed THerefore as touching this question Whence we are redeemed the holy Scriptures sufficiently teach vs Our redemptiō is not corporal but spirituall and eternall from Satan sin and death that the redemption whereof we speake is not temporall from some corporall bondage or tyrannie such as the redemption was of Israel from Egypt from the house of bondage and the hand of Pharao by Moses and after from the hand of the Canaanits and Midianits and other their enemies by Gedeon and other Iudges and specially from the most grieuous 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus the king and Monarch of Persia but this redemption is spirituall and eternal shadowed of old by those corporall deliuerances to wit from the power of darknes and the slauerie of sinne death Coloss 1.13 Heb. 2.14 and of him who had the power of death that is the deuill And these be the enemies and haters whereof Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist maketh mention in his song greatly extolling this redemption Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Luk. 1.68 to 76. for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp a horne of saluation for vs in the house of Dauid his seruant as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that hee would saue vs from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate vs that being deliuered from the hand of our enemies wee might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And albeit this benefit of spirituall and eternall redemption is vsually contemned of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh and to whom the slauerie of sinne and the world is so sweet as Satan the God of this world hath blinded their minds yet such is the greatnes and so inestimable is the dignitie thereof that they who haue rightly tasted the redemptiō of Christ whereby libertie to captiues saluation to them that perished and life to the dead is repaired do easily vnderstand that euen the riches kingdomes and pleasures of the whole world are to bee esteemed as nothing in comparison of it For what doth it profit a man Matth. 16. if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule CHAP. III. By whom this redemption came Our redeemer is Christ true God and man holy and righteous 1. Tim. 2.5.6 BVt now the Redeemer who hath deliuered vs from the slauerie of sinne death and the power of Satan is none other then the Mediatour of God and men our Lord Iesus Christ true God and true man like vnto vs in all things except sinne For there is one God and one Mediatour also of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a price of redemption for all as the Apostle saith And to the Romanes chap. 3. Rom. 3.24 he teacheth that wee are iustified through the redemption wrought in Christ Iesu And elsewhere the same Apostle affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.30 that Christ is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption that as it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Iohn who from the breast of the Lord had receiued hidden mysteries 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 likewise testifieth If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But euery where such testimonies meete vs in the diuine Scriptures Eph. 2.20 1. Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 For Iesus Christ is the foundation of the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles neither is there saluation in any other nor any other name giuen vnder heauen among men whereby wee must be saued Whereupon their error is worthily to bee detested who not contented with the onely and perfect redeemer Christ seek part of their redemption and saluation elsewhere in themselues or in the Saints where as yet the holiest men vnlesse the grace of Christ had saued and redeemed them could neuer haue been able to satisfie no not for themselues Therfore also Iohn as Augustine well considered said not Augustine If any sinne ye haue an aduocate nor said ye haue me ye haue not Christ but both named Christ and not himselfe and also said we haue and not ye haue He would rather put himselfe in the number of sinners that he might haue Christ his aduocate then put himselfe aduocate in Christs stead and be found among the proud that be condemned Brethren saith he we haue Iesus Christ the righteous an aduocate with the father and he is the attonement of our sinnes Hitherto Augustine tractatu primo in 1. Epist Ioh. CHAP. IIII. Of the maner of the redemption finished NOw the maner of our redemption by Christ The maner is his abasing of himselfe to the death of the crosse and to the shedding of his blood Phil. 2.7 being a mysterie altogether and wonderfull but wholly agreeing to the iustice and trueth of God the Scripture setteth downe on this wise to wit that the eternall Sonne of God for vs and our saluation a based himselfe taking the forme of a seruant being made like vnto men and found in shape as a man and submitting himselfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse that by his passion and death and shedding of his most sacred blood as by the onely propitiatorie sacrifice he might redeeme our body and soule from eternall damnation and purchase for vs the grace of God righteousnes and eternall life For this cause
all mans nature both as touching the offence and also the guiltines of the offence he paying a price for vs but also from the proper sinnes of euery one of vs who communicate with his passion through faith charitie and the sacrament of faith part 3. q. 52. art 5. Reasons against the old fathers being in Limbo or Hell But the holy fathers as the same Thomas confesseth in old time while they liued were freed from the guiltines of the punishment of actuall sinnes through faith in Christ Therefore by the same faith they were also freed from the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne of necessitie or els if they were detained in hell being excluded from glorie and suffered the punishment of losse as they speake for originall sin it must be alike confessed also that they were punished with the paine of sense for their actuall sinnes Further Who reueiled vnto them that originall sinne in hell is punished only with the paine of losse and not of sense that is to say with the exclusion onely from the life of glorie without feeling of any sorrow Beside this we reade Luk. 16. that poore Lazarus was caried by Angels into Abrahās bosome where he had ioy and that the rich man in hell lifting vp his eyes saw Lazarus a farre off and also that Abraham said Betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe firmely set It is absurd as Augustine noteth ad Euod Epist 99. that only two Abraham and Lazarus were then in that memorable bosome of rest If saith he there were more then two there who dare say that the Patriarches and Prophets were not there From hence thus I reason The Patriarches and Prophets and the rest that were righteous in old time were receiued into Abrahams bosome therfore not into hell The consequence is proued because hell in the Scripture is no where taken in good part But that bosome of Abraham is vsed in good part as the habitation of a memorable and certaine secret rest Therefore we must not beleeue that that bosome was some part of hell This reason is wholly Augustines vnto Euodius And the same he proueth by the words of our highest teacher saying that Abraham said Between vs and you there is set a great gulfe wherof sufficiently appeareth saith Augustine that the bosome of so great felicitie is not any part or member as it were of hell He addeth also this proofe If the Scripture saith he had said that Christ being dead came into that bosome of Abraham not naming hell and the sorowes thereof no man durst haue affirmed that therefore he descended into hell Now let the reader consider The Schoolemens fained deuises of foure hels whether these reasons drawne by Augustine out of the Scripture deserue more credite then the trifling words of the Schoolmen who haue deuised foure hels that is the hell of the damned Purgatorie and the two Limboes one for Infants the other where the holie fathers were before Christ which last they make a part of hell contrary to the reasons brought out of Augustine Hereunto may bee added that a man may see the deuisers of Limbus patrum to be much troubled in assigning the deliuerance of the godly soules out of that prison For sometime they attribute it to the passion of Christ whereby he loosed the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne wherein the fathers as they thinke were detained in hell and opened the gate of the kingdome of heauen Sometime they teach that it was needful for the soule of Christ to descend into the hell of the fathers that it might absolue there all the Saints who were bound with originall sinne where they almost make Christs descension penall vnto him as Aquinas part 3. quaest 52. art 1. teacheth that it was meete for Christ to descend into hell because he came to beare our punishment and that was saith he not onely the death of the bodie Bonau dist 22. quaest 6. lib. 3. Gabr. ead q. artic 3. Thom. part 3. q. 52. 57. but also descension in hell Sometime againe they decree masterlike that albeit those soules were made blessed in Christs descension and so heauen was straightway set open vnto thē as touching the reward of blisse yet it was not open as touching the place till Christ ascending into heauen took them together with him But why dissent they from the old writers whose opinion they would seeme to follow for Hierome as wee cited would haue heauen onely shut vp A doubt propounded to the schoolmen to be resolued till Christ with the theefe vnlocked the gates of paradise Further if they would seeme very skilfull in heauenly secrets let them shew vs where then did the soules of the Saints abide all that space of 40. daies betweene the resurrection and ascension of the Lord For being loosed from the band of original sinne wherewith they were tied in hell they could not bee detained there any longer but with their iniurie and the iniurie of Christs blood through whom libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie was obtained and yet as they wil haue it they were not in heauen Where then wandred they The same may bee obiected of the soules of the godly as many as slept in the said space of 40. dayes CHAP. IX Of the impulsiue cause of mans redemption BVt to speake of other things this also commeth to be considered for what cause the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ tooke vpon him the redemption of man But the question now is not of the finall cause whereof wee will speake something in the next chapter but of the impulsiue cause as they call it that is to say what moued him that he being the workman and Lord would for his works sake Two causes moued Christ to redeeme vs 1. His loue to vs. 2. His obediēce to his father taking vpon him the nature of it humble himselfe vnto the most base and shamefull death of the crosse for vs and our saluation The answere is readie and plaine that it was done of our Sauiour to shew his loue towards vs and his willing obedience towards his father Of the loue of the Sonne towards vs in the whole worke of his humiliation Paul speaketh both elsewhere Of the first and also to the Phil. 2. where he exhorteth to the loue of our neighbour that no man should seeke his owne but the things of others and confirmeth his exhortation by the example of Christ commanding that the same affection be in vs which was in Christ Iesu who when hee was in the forme of God abased himselfe for our sake of his meere loue towards vs as the Apostle there exhorteth vs to follow him Of the second And of his obedience towards his father Christ himselfe witnesseth Ioh. 5. I seeke not my will but his that sent me euen the fathers And more cleerely chap. 6. I came downe from heauen to doe not my will but the fathers will who
text neither be ye moued away from the hope of the Gospell which ye haue heard Therefore it is a marueilous attention of the man who bids vs marke here that which is not found at all in the text neither if it were found could make any thing for the matter Heb. 2.2 Luk. 11.28 Hieron in comment For the hope of the Gospell pertaineth not to the hearers but to the beleeuers and as Hierome saith they that liue contrary to the Gospell cannot expect the hope of the Gospell That thing rather ought here to bee marked that Paul sheweth that the Colossians are reconciled to God no otherwise but as men alreadie conuerted and beleeuing You which in times past saith he were strangers hath he now reconciled For in these words there is a manifest contrarietie of their double state to wit of faith and infidelitie Before being strangers and enemies now they were reconciled in that bodie of the flesh of Christ Where then is that generall reconciliation euen of those that beleeue not nor euer will beleeue In the Conference at Mompelgart is also cited the place to the Rom. chap. 11. God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe The 5. place of the aduersarie Rom. 11.32 that he might haue mercie vpon all But the speech there is of two people Iewes and Gentiles whom striuing together it pleaseth God by course to bring vnto faith to wit that as the stubbornnes of the Iewes gaue occasion of the conuersion of the Gentiles so the Iewes afterward prouoked with emulation of the mercie bestowed vpon the Gentiles will themselues also beleeue in Christ and so all shall be partakers of Gods mercie that is both the people of the Iewes and Gentiles Wee cannot referre this to particular persons in both people seeing it is without all doubt that faith and repentance which Paul noteth out here vnder the word mercie belongeth not to all and euery one The 6. place Ioh. 17.2 One place of this order remaineth Ioh. 17. Thou hast saith Christ giuen me power ouer all flesh that whatsoeuer thou hast giuen me Thes 161. I may giue vnto them eternall life Hence Huberus inferreth that there is nothing more certaine then that God is reconciled to al. Nay nothing more vncertaine Let a syllogisme bee made and the false conclusion will straightway appeare For the maior is false taken vniuersallie as it ought to bee taken that ouer whomsoeuer Christ hath power giuen him they are reconciled to God For he hath power giuen him ouer oxen asses and all creatures in heauen and earth euen ouer the deuils also But what if we stay only in mankinde after this sort What men soeuer are giuen of the father to Christ they be therefore giuen that he might giue them eternall life Now all men are giuen of the father to Christ because he hath giuen him power ouer all flesh to wit humane Therefore al men are therefore giuen vnto him that hee might giue them eternall life I deny the minor in that sense as here and elsewhere often that maner of speech is taken to bee giuen to Christ For proofe I answere it is another thing that power is said to bee giuen ouer al flesh to Christ than that al men are giuen to him Which things because they bee confounded of this disputer let vs heare Augustine in Ioh. tract 111. Augustine Who are they whom hee saith are giuen him of his father are they not they of whom elsewhere it is said No man commeth vnto me vnlesse the father who sent me draw him They are then those whom he hath receiued of the father whō he also chose out of the world that now they may not be of the world and yet they are also the world beleeuing and knowing that Christ was sent of God the father For so be saith Thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that is all men that all that thou hast giuen him he might giue vnto them eternall life Where he sheweth that he hath receiued power ouer all men to deliuer whom he will and condemne whom he will but that those are giuen vnto him to all whom he may giue eternall life For so he saith that all that thou hast giuen him he may giue vnto them eternall life Therfore they are not giuen vnto him to whom he will not giue eternall life although he hath power ouer them also who hath power giuen him ouer all flesh These things saith he being the best approued of the old writers And surely the words of the text are so plaine that it is a manifest error and more then an error that all are indifferently giuen to Christ For the truth saith I haue made knowne thy name vnto the men that thou gauest me out of the world I pray for them I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. but for them whome thou hast giuen mee Holy father saue them whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as we are Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen me may bee with me where I am Whatsoeuer the father giueth me shall come vnto me and this is the will of him that sent me that whatsoeuer he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day Who but one that is willingly blinde doth not see here that the Lord by that speech would distinguish his owne from such as bee not his and those that shall be saued from such as shall be damned Neither is that any hinderance to this which is obiected of the sonne of perdition Whom thou hast giuen me I haue kept and none of them is lost but that lost sonne that the Scripture may be fulfilled For that is rightly taken of the election vnto the Apostleship and so also Augustine sheweth tract 106. Therefore here the phrase is taken in another sense as there is also a third sense found and that most generall All things are giuen to the sonne of the father Ioh. 3. Matth. 11. CHAP. V. An examination of places wherein there is mention made of the World in this matter I Proceede to testimonies wherein mention is made of the World in the Scriptures in the matter of saluation which likewise by the aduersaries are drawne for the confirmation of the error of the vniuersalitie of grace in regard of particular persons in mankinde Ioh. 3. 1. 6. 3. 12. 2. Cor. 5.19 Such as these bee So God loued the world Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world I came not to condemne the world but that I might saue it Ioh. 4.42 and 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Ioh. 2.2 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself He is also called the Sauiour of the world and the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world In these and such like places wheresoeuer the
ago He in Comment in Ioh. wherein he diligently vseth to follow Augustine thus writeth vpon this present place We take the world surely which God loued World for the elect and faithfull before and since Christ for mankinde that is quicke and dead dead truly who expected through faith Christ to come aliue who either of Iewes or Gentiles should beleeue in him For so he saith without difference of Iew or Gentile vniuersally that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In the iudgement of Augustine this exposition is confirmed by the sentence immediatly added of Christ when he saith for God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world may be saued It is the same world doubtlesse which the father loued and which Christ came to saue And that world for whose saluation Christ came Tract 110. as Augustine witnesseth as wee cited before be the elect and beleeuers Hearken Huber and cease to be angrie if this interpretation please vs also or els if thou canst disproue it remember that thou must contend with reasons and not with railings to finde out the trueth But haue ye any reason D. Iacobus bringeth for a reason that Christ addeth in the same place This is the iudgement Coll. Momp that light is come into the world and the world loued darknes more then it Here the word world saith he cannot be vnderstood of the elect onely but specially of those who are reiected and damned But he negligently alleadged the text for it hath men loued darknes There is no mention of world Thes 119. Huberus proofe is nothing sounder Christ saith he diuideth the world into two sorts into such as receiue and such as withstand the light or of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Therfore to both sorts of men did God send his sonne I answere the Antecedent is denied Among men truly some beleeue others doe not some loue the light others hate it but that Christ diuideth that world whereof he had said So God loued the world into two kindes it cannot be proued out of the text Thus it appeareth that there is no argument here out of the word world Further albeit it shuld bee graunted that by world there is meant al men it would not yet follow that Christ and his benefits doe therefore belong to all whether they beleeue or not seeing they are expressely restrained vnto the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers while it is added that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life What can be more cleere The 2. place Ioh. 1. As touching the place Ioh. 1.29 Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world we willingly graunt that the sacrificing of this Lambe is sufficient for all the sins of all men but as touching the effect Christ taketh away sinnes from such as confesse them and beleeue as Iohn himselfe witnesseth 1. Epist 1. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all iniquitie Againe If wee walke in light as he is the light wee haue fellowship with him and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne He calleth it sinne in the singular number for any kinde of iniquitie And where he saith of the world he draweth the efficacie of this sacrifice indifferently vnto the redemption of Gentiles and Iewes least the Iewes should thinke that the redeemer was sent to them alone Hereupon the Saints in that song of the Lambe doe sing Apoc. 5 9. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hast made vs to our God kings and priests and wee shall raigne vpon the earth As touching the words of Christ Ioh. 6.51 The 3 place Ioh. 6. The bread which I will gâ—ue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world out of that whole Sermon it is cleerer than the noone day that not euery one is made partaker in very deede of this spirituall eternall life and also of that true heauenly bread but such as by faith come vnto him and eating his flesh and drinking his blood are incorporated into him as they bee whom the father hath giuen to the sonne For the truth saith Verely I say vnto you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood ye shall haue no life in you He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life For my flesh is meate in deede As the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father so also hee that eateth mee doth liue by me Than which words what can bee spoken more cleere for the confirmation of our opinion to wit that the effect of this sacrifice whereby Christ offered himselfe to the father as a sweet smelling fauour for the life of the world belongeth not vnto all without respect of faith or vnbeleefe but vnto them who are incorporated into Christ to be partakers of the spirit Tract 26. For participation saith Augustine whereby we eate him is the cause that we liue through Christ Neither can a man liue by the spirit of Christ vnlesse he be of his bodie as my bodie liueth by my spirit and thy bodie by thine How is then Christ the life of the world 2. Obiections for he witnesseth that he giueth life vnto the world and that he will giue himselfe for the life of the world Further Christ sayd vnto all to whom he preached My father doth giue you true bread from heauen and yet many of them afterward went away from him Therefore that bread of life belongeth to al alike Hub. thes 125. to backsliders and continuers to the saued and the damned Answere to the first To the first obiection I say Rom. 4. as the Apostle writeth of Abraham that by promise he was made the heare of the world that is the father of all the faithfull so that much more Christ is rightly termed the life of the world as farre forth as he bestoweth eternall life vpon the sonnes of Abraham dispersed through the world Secondly he is also the life of the world taking now the world for all men who are haue been and shall be as farre forth as no one man of all mortall men can haue life but by him albeit notwithstanding not all in verie deede are quickened For there is not in any other saluation or life Acts 4. neither is there any other name vnder heauen which is giuen among men whereby we must be saued Thirdly he did that which lay in him offering such a sacrifice which was sufficient to haue taken away the destruction of all and to haue restored life to all but that the vnbeleeuers receiue not life they are in fault by refusing Christ as Theophilact vpon this very place and vpon the 9. to the Hebrewes teacheth The same man noteth that the life
reprobates the contrarietie of the elect doth shew whom the father gaue to Christ neither could D. Iacobus Andree denie this Pag. 545. Col. Mompel But for whom Christ would not so much as pray how shall we say that he died for them according to his owne purpose or how should the death of Christ profit them for redemption and sanctificatiō Surely the sacrifice of the Mediatour doth profit none Thes 9.28 but whom his intercession doth also profit Huber excepteth that Christ refuseth not to pray for the world generally but specially which thing Luthers glosse declareth and confirmeth I pray not for the world that is I pray not that thou wouldest approue the attempts and workes of the world and vnbeleeuers I answere readily from the contrarietie in the very text As farre forth as the Lord prayeth for his so farre forth and in the same respect he prayeth not for that world of reprobates but for his hee prayeth that they may be saued Tract 107. in Ioh. Therefore so farre forth he prayeth not for the reprobates Let vs heare what Augustine saith I pray not for the world but for them that thou gauest me By the world he would haue meant such as liue according to the lusts of the world and are not in that state of grace A double world that they bee chosen by it out of the world The same man tract 110. There is a world of such as are to bee damned whereof it is written Least we should be damned with the world For this world he doth not pray for he knoweth well whereto it is predestinate And there is a world of such as shall be saued as it is written That the world may be saued by him whereof the Apostle also speaketh God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe For this world he prayeth that it may beleeue and by faith be reconciled vnto God Thus farre Augustine Wherefore there is no cause that Huber should write Thes 927. that our side faineth a false interpretation of this place He faineth that obiecteth such things euen as this also is a meere deuise that all men indifferently are giuen of the father to the sonne that he may giue them life Thes 1077. 163. All power surely not onely of humane flesh but also of all creatures in heauen and earth is giuen to the sonne but it is another thing that wee are giuen him that hee may saue vs. For if all had been giuen to Christ he had prayed for all for he prayed for all that his father had giuen him But now for certaine men whom hee calleth the world he prayed not Further he giueth eternal life to all that were giuen him For so he saith that to as many as thou gauest him he might giue eternall life Tract 111. Therefore with Augustine we inferre by contraposition that they were not giuen him to whom he will not giue eternall life albeit hee who hath power giuen him ouer all flesh hath power giuen him ouer thē also In the same place Who are they saith he whom he saith are giuen him of his father Be they not they of whom he saith in another place No man commeth vnto me except the father who sent me draw him They bee they whom he receiued of the father whom he chose out of the world that now they may not be of the world as he is not of the world and yet they be euen the beleeuing world and that which knoweth that Christ was sent of God the father Againe Tract 107. The world for which he prayeth not he would haue to be taken for those that are not in that state of grace that they may bee chosen out of the world but for these whom his father gaue him he saith he prayeth for hereby that the father had giuen them alreadie vnto him it commeth to passe that they pertaine not vnto that world for which he doth not pray Hereupon Cyrill also saith Lib. 11. cap. 19. in Ioh. Saint Iohn because he was a Iew least the Lord should seeme to be an aduocate with the father for the Iewes onely and not for other nations also who being called did obey said of necessitie that he was a propitiation for the whole world But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from them that are not his saith I pray for them onely that keepe my words and haue receiued my yoke For whose Mediatour and high Priest he is to them onely he worthily attributeth the benefit of mediation So this testimonie standeth firme against what cauils soeuer Com. vpon this place whereof Rupertus speaketh notably Woe to the reioycing world while Christ the onely begotten sonne of God praieth for his owne that is dyeth and vpon the altar of the crosse offereth himselfe a sacrifice because J pray for them sayth he whom thou gauest me and not for the world For the world is here taken for the louers of the world so contrary to them for whom Christ crucified praieth as the Aegyptians were before God from the children of Israel who marked their posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe Woe therefore to such a world because what Christ the true Lambe of God praied profiteth them nothing that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may quickly sinke into hell while they only whom the father gaue to the sonne doe by his crosse and blood escape The 12. testimonie Verse 19. of the 17. chap. of Iohn Twelfthly wee adde what the Lord in his prayer to his father there expresseth for them I sanctifie my selfe that they may be sanctified in the trueth They onely for whom Christ sanctified that is offered himselfe a sacrifice are by his offering sanctified in the truth but he sanctified himselfe onely for the elect of whom significantly he speaketh to discerne them from the world For them I sanctifie my self doubtles meaning his that were giuen him of his father and for whom he prayed the father Therefore the elect onely are in the trueth sanctified by Christs oblation Whereupon Paul calles all beleeuers Saints euery where whom charitie commands to account for elect because they be sanctified in the blood of Christ CHAP. III. Testimonies out of Pauls Epistles FVrthermore Paul the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles and a worthy preacher of the grace of Christ for the publishing among the Gentiles of the vnsearchable riches of Christ and reuealing vnto all men what is the communion of the mysterie that was hid from all ages doth also euery where teach that the grace of redemption pertaineth not to the vnbeleeuers but to the faithfull who now are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Iesu Christ That of many testimonies wee may onely alleadge a few The 1. place Rom. 3. he thus writeth to the Romanes chap. 3. But now the righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law hauing witnes of the law and the Prophets to
very entrance we reade that redemption is declared and consecrated with these golden words Iesus Christ that faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes through his blood and hath made vs kings and priests to God and his father They that be redeemed are kings priests to God and such onely the faithfull be To whom redemption belongs they are kings and priest to God the father but it belongs to the beleeuers and not to the vnbeleeuers witnesse Peter 1. Pet. 2. Ye are a chosen stocke a royall Priesthood a holy nation a people whom God hath purchased to himselfe as his owne that ye might shew forth his vertues who hath called you out of darknes into his marueilous light Therefore the vnbeleeuers are voide of redemption Lib. 1. coment in Apoc. Rupertus Tuitiensis saith very well Therefore he hath washed vs that is all his Church from our sinnes For he hath not only washed them who now were beleeuers or had bin but also who should beleeue and these surely hee washed not them actually but in power because they could not be washed who were not yet borne or else had not yet beleeued but he gaue them power to be washed The 6. place Apoc. 5. The like place meeteth vs Apoc. 5. where the 24. Elders and the foure beasts sing a new song vnto the Lambe saying Thou art worthie to receiue the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast slaine hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood The Catholike Church ment by the 24. Elders and foure beasts in the Apoc. out of euery tribe language people and nation and hast made vs kings and priests to our God and we shall raigne vpon the earth Here by the 24. Elders and 4. beasts is meant the vniuersall Church of men called Catholike as partly wee may see by the words out of euery tribe language people and nation and partly by the scope of the whole chapter For a threefold companie or armie is in that chapter brought in to blesse and praise the Lambe The first company is the whole Church of men represented as I said by the Elders and beasts The second is the blessed Angels The third is the creatures besides in heauen vpon the earth and vnder the earth Marke this reason Herevpon thus I reason This new song Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs is proper to the Church which is gathered out of all mankinde for in the two testimonies which follow of the multitude of Angels and of euery creature that forme is of purpose not obserued therefore the only Church of men is redeemed by the blood of Christ This is Ruperts argument vpon this very place Other things also concurre with this as that the redeemed by the blood of Christ are made to their God kings priests whereof we spake a little before Also that they shall raigne vpon the earth that is the land of the liuing as of olde when the Canaanites and Amorites were cast out for their sinnes the Israelites raigned in the land of promise But this raigne in the true land of promise wee know all shall not haue but the elect onely to whom the sonne of man will say when he commeth in his glorie Come ye blessed Matth. 25. possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world CHAP. V. Testimonies out of the Law and Prophets NOw also the bookes of the old Testament are full of testimonies concerning the grace of our Sauiour proper to the beleeuers and so farre foorth vniuersall as he hath his owne who feare him and worke righteousnes in euery nation and Tribe Hitherto first of all tendeth the promise made to Abraham and his seede The 1. place Gen 12. 22 Gen. 12. and 22. In thy seede all nations of the earth shall be blessed A Syllogisme It is certaine that they be counted strangers from the blessing of Abraham who are not the seed of Abraham But many among mankind and namely the vnbeleeuers are not the seede of Abraham Therfore they are strangers from the blessing of Abraham The Minor Paul very often proueth For manifestly Ro. 9. he teacheth that al the posteritie of Abraham are not accounted in this seede much lesse all the whole ofspring of Adam but onely the sonnes of promise Rom. 4. And in the fourth chapter of the same Epistle he referreth this whole seede to the beleeuers of the Iewes and Gentiles His words are Therefore is the inheritance by faith that it may be sure to the whole seede that is not onely to that which is of the law but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all to wit the father of all the beleeuers being vncircumcised and the father of Circumcision that is to them who are not onely circumcised but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham Gal. 3. which he had being vncircumcised Likewise Gal. 3. he declareth that they who are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham because the Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith preached before hand the Gospell to Abraham saying In thee shall all nations be blessed Whereupon also in that place he saith to the faithfull All ye are one in Christ Iesu and if ye be be Christs Vers 14. then are ye Abrahams seede and heires according to promise See also the 14. verse of the same chapter Esay 53. The 2. place Among the Prophets Esay chap. 53. wherein he so euidently setteth out not onely the vse of the Lords passion but the historie also that he seemeth rather to be an Euangelist than a Prophet confirmeth the same thing saying Vs all in the Prophet taken for the faithful onely proued by the text We all like sheepe haue erred euery one hath declined after his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all It is spoken with limitation as concerning the vniuersalitie of the faithfull after that kinde of phrase wherein Abraham is called the father of vs all and Ierusalem which is aboue the mother of vs all that is of the beleeuers And that we may nothing doubt at all the Prophet addeth he was smitten for the transgression of my people Againe My righteous seruant shall by the knowledge of himselfe iustifie many and he shall beare their sinnes And aboue he hath borne the sinnes of many He expressely testifieth that the fruit of the Lords passion to wit righteousnes and redemption belongeth not to all indifferently but to many that is to the beleeuers Pet. Gal. de arcan Caâ—â—â—l â—erit lib. 8. ca. â—4 Euen as also Petrus Galatinus hath very well written vpon those words of Esay Albeit saith he the passion of Christ ought to be sufficient to blot out the sinnes of all yet it will not blot out all mens sinnes but theirs
vnderstand and in seeing ye shall see and not perceiue Matth. 20. To sit on my right hand and on my left shall be giuen to them for whom it is prepared of my father And chap. 22. Many are called but few are chosen Therefore all are not elect to whom the Gospell is preached much lesse to whome it is not preached of whom there is at this day an infinite number Acts 14. and hath been especially in olde time When all the Gentiles were suffered to walke in their owne waies Matth. 24. Except those daies should be shortened all flesh should perish but for the elect sake they shall be shortered In the same place False Christs and false prophets shall rise and shall doe signes and miracles so that they should deceiue if it were possible euen the elect If all men therefore were elected no man could be seduced or perish against which thing in the same place it is said of two in the field that the one should be receiued the other forsaken Matth. 25. The sonne of man shall place his sheepe on his right hand but the goates on the left and shall say to them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laide But to them that shall bee on the left hand hee shall say Depart ye cursed into the fire that is prepared for the diuell and his angels Iohn 10. The Lord said vnto the Iewes continuing in their obstinacie Ye beleeue not for yee are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall take them out of my hand Iohn 17. The Lord separating his own from such 〈◊〉 be not his saith I pray not for the world O father but for them whom thou hast giuen me and these he saith are louâ—d of his father and that he doth manifest his name vnto them and that they are sanctified and kept vnto eternall life None of which things belongeth to that world for which he doth not pray Therefore there is a plaine difference set downe betweene the elect and reprobates Hereupon Augustine tract 107. He would haue the world for which hee praieth not to be taken for them that be not in that â—â—â—â—e of grace that they may he chosen out of the world But he praieth for them whom his father gaue him For hereby in that his father gaue them vnto him it came to passe that they pertained not to that world for which he praieth not to wit the world of such as shall be damned as the same man testifieth tract 110. For which he saith he praieth not because he is not ignorant whereunto it is predestinate In the same 17. chapter of Iohn Iudas is said to perish as the sonne of perdition the rest continued with Christ in his temptations and perished not as being elect and giuen him of the father that he might giue them eternall life In what sense Iudas is said â—o bâ— giueÌ„ Christ of his father And whereas Iudas also is reckoned among them whom the father had giuen to the sonne either it is spoken according to the opinion of men as some thinke or else it is to be taken in respect onely of the Apostleship as Augustine expoundeth it Tract 106. Further whereas Luke writeth Acts 13. That as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued hee leaueth no place for doubting but some men are others are not foreordained or predestinated vnto life But what doth Paul a chosen instrument Pauls epistle that was wrapt vp into paradise and heard words that could not be vttered How often doth hee inculcate the truth of predestination Rom. 8. he saith whom he foreknew them he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them hee also called and whom he called them hee iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified Further what conteine the 9 10 11. chapters following but a moste cleare exposition of this present doctrine of the election of some and the reprobation of others according to the eternal purpose of God That we may take a few things onely out of the Apostles disputation chapter 9. concerning the twins Iacob and Esay coÌ„ceiued both at one time he saith while the children were yet vnborne wheÌ„ they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand which is according to his election not of workes but of the caller it was said to Rebecca the elder shall serue the yonger And he citeth the place of Malachie Iacob haue I loued Esay haue I hated And by and by alleaging a testimony and the example of Pharao out of Moses hee concludeth in these wordes Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Again Hath not the potter power ouer the claâ—e to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour another to dishonour And straight way addeth concerning vessels of wrath prepared vnto destruction and concerning vessels â—f mercie which he saith are prepared of God vnto glorie In the 11 chapter he testifieth that God hath alwayes in the multitude of them that perish some remnants of such as shal be saued according to election of grace of whome also hee saith The elect haue obtayned the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eies that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Notable also is the place Eph. 1. Blessed be God who hath blessed vs with euery spirituall blessing in heauen in Christ Iesus as he elected vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid that we shuld be holy blameles before him thorow loue predestinating vs to be his adopted sonnes through Christ Iesus in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glorious grace c. To the Philippians 2. It is God that worketh in vs to will and to performe according to his good pleasure his verely and not thine as wee saw euen now in the words to the Ephes In the latter to the Thess 2. To them that perish and are punished with the efficacie of deceite that they might beleeue lyes the Apostle opposeth the beloued and electe of God who of his grace for which hee giueth there thanks to God are called by the Gospell to obtaine the glorie of our Lord Iesu Christ Of this same vocation and election he speaketh 2. to Tim. 1. God hath called vs with a holy calling not for our workes but of his purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesu before all worlds and is made manifest now through the appearing of Iesu Christ And chap. 2. of the same epistle he saith The foundatioÌ„ of God is sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his But in a great house
whole carnall Israel being separated from other people Generall was consecrated to bee the peculiar people of God of which election we reade Deut. 7. and elsewhere often For he vouchsafed all the Israelites alike the same testimonies of his grace to wit his word and Sacraments The other a speciall and secret election included in the generall Speciall when God of his meere grace according to the hidden counsell of his will chuseth for himselfe and reserueth to saluation whom pleaseth him out of the number of the children of Israel that was as the sand of the sea These things are plaine by the order of Pauls discourse and by the distinction set downe in the beginning to wit of the children of the flesh and of the promise For all saith he that be of our father Israel are not Israelites neither are all therefore sonnes because they are the seede of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seede be called that is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but they that are the sonnes of promise are counted for the seede He calleth them the children of the flesh The sonnes of the flesh that come of Abraham according to the succession of the flesh who had already an excellent prerogatiue aboue other people tribes for the grace of the couenant among that people Children of promise But hee calleth them the children of promise who were freely giuen to Abraham by promise and faith in whom a farre more excellent dignitie and grace of God did raigne and florish And such truly are of the Iewes and Gentiles but now we speake peculiarly of the Iewes Obiection But this spirituall election seemeth cannot bee proued by testimonies touching the generall election of Israel and the generall reiection of the Ismaelites Idumeans and other nations Answere 1 Answere It may truly albeit not the same way so that we may without any difference take the one for the other But thus proceedeth the Apostles reason Seeing by a free promise Isaac was preferred before Ismael and Iacob before Esau that from them a chosen issue of Abraham might flow and Gods Church in the earth and that Ismael Esau might seuerally haue their nation also but a stranger frō the Church It is no marueile if God out of Israel chuse vnto himselfe at his pleasure such as he thought good to saue Answere 2 Againe some answere albeit the propheticall testimonies be properly to bee vnderstood of the posteritie of Iacob and Esau after the foresaid maner yet it is not amisse if in the very persons also of Iacob and Esau as in the heads of this double posteritie wee say that an example of particular both election and also reprobation was set forth Certainly Augustine a writer of an exquisite iudgement and greatly busied in this matter thinketh that Esau was reiected from the grace of saluation whereunto Iacob was elected His words are Esau had not the mercie Ad Simpl. lib. 1. through which Iacob was made good that he also by it might be good And by and by This mercie was withdrawne from Esau saith he that he should not so bee called that he should bee inspired with faith in his calling and beleeuing might worke well What doth not the author to the Hebrewes very confidently seeme to censure Esau But it is nothing materiall scrupulously to search out whether hee were saued or perished seeing the trueth of predestination euen without this may be defended CHAP. X. Other proofes of free election THese things being thus set downe to auoide the subtile arguing of the aduersaries let vs proceede to other testimonies of the Scriptures wherein is proued the free election of such as shall be saued according to the most free wil of the chuser Rom. 11. there is a most manifest place The Apostle saith The 1. place Rom. 11. That God did not cast away his people whom he foreknew that is predestinated for difference sake from the carnall Israel which also was the people of God by outward calling For that absurditie seemed to follow if the Iewes should bee cast away for vnbeleefe that God seemed to renounce his owne people Here Paul distinguisheth betweene the people of God called A foreknowne people and elected or as he himselfe calleth them foreknowne meaning the knowledge which is ioyned with approbation according to which they are called foreknowne whom God receiueth whom he hath separated as his own to be saued from other multitudes of men Otherwise if the phrase should bee meant of bare knowledge that restraint were in vaine seeing euen such as shall be damned cannot auoide the knowledge of God And that hee might shew whom he calleth foreknowne he added by the example of the times of Elias that among the vnbeleeuing and obstinate people there was a reseruation made according to election And by and by hee saith Israel obtained not that which hee sought for but the election obtained it and the rest were hardened Therefore in this election and in that reseruation which is made by the election of grace hee would haue a people to be meant whom therfore God had not cast away because he foreknew them De bono perseuer cap. 18. as Augustine at large expoundeth But what saith he further of that election what cause thereof doth he assigne beside the meere grace of the chuser For he saith So at this time also there is a reseruation made according to the electiō of grace that is free election after the Hebrew phrase And if it be of grace it is not now of workes els grace is no grace if of works it is not now of grace els worke were no worke Nothing could bee spoken more roundly to exclude all respect of workes in men There followeth now a notable place to the Ephe. 1. Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesu Christ The 2. place Ephes 1. who hath blessed vs with euery blessing in the heauens in Christ as he chose vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid that wee should be holy and without fault before him through loue Who hath predestinated vs to be adopted for sonnes through Christ Iesu in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glorious grace whereby he hath freely accepted vs in that his beloued First of all it is manifest that nothing can be set downe as the cause of predestination that is the effect of predestination no not surely as it is in the foreknowledge of God But Paul witnesseth that whatsoeuer will or good worke is in man is the effect of predestination For hee chose vs not because either we were or would in time to come be holie but that we should be holy and without spot before him Therefore no good thing in man although it should bee meant as it is in the foreknowledge of God can be the cause of predestination or election to life eternall
is apparant vnto the first proposition of the argument by a distinction By what thing election is made sure to wit in respect of God that thing is the cause of election But by our good workes election is made sure not in respect of God but of vs as by the effect and the signe as it is sayd So faith so iustificatiō so the inheritance of eternal life are made sure vnto vs by the ready and vnfained study of good works Neither yet are good workes therefore the cause of faith and iustification but the effects of them and a signe of eternal life freely to be giuen by and for Christ And generally whatsoeuer confirmeth another thing ought not foorthwith to bee counted the cause of it obie ∣ on The 4. We are expresly said to bee elected according to the foreknowledge of God the father 1. Peter 1. Answere Well but not according to the foreknowledge of our faith or of workes or of any thing inherent in vs. But God who knoweth all things from euerlasting Acts 15. when as yet wee were not chose vs according to his foreknowledge whereby hee knoweth all his future workes and hath disposed them from eternitie ob ∣ iection The fift We are elected in Christ saith the Apostle Eph. 1. Therfore we are not elected by any absolute decree or mercie of God but limited and described in Christ Answere I answere there is deceite in the worde absolute The decree of election how farre absolute or not The decree and mercie of God according to which hee chuseth some out of mankind that shal certainely be deliuered may be called absolute as touching the cause as farre foorth as nothing inherent in the elect themselues can be the cause of either the decree or mercie against which the opinion of the Pelagians and Semipelagians did set the foreseeing of workes or of faith also or vnbeliefe but in the respect of the meanes whereby he appointed to saue the elect in mercie that mercie is wholly limited in Christ the Mediator by whom God decreed to saue whosoeuer are saued To be chosen in Christ what it is Therefore the meaning is He hath chosen vs in Christ not as being in him or would be afterward as of ourselues but that we might be in him and by him might be saued And so Paul himselfe expoundeth He hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for sonnes thorow Christ Iesu and that according to the good pleasure of his will And this very thing is also in force concerning reprobation that God neither destroyeth nor hath purposed to destroy the reprobates by absolute iustice to wit without their desart but whom he destroyeth he destroyeth and hath purposed from euerlasting to destroy for sinnes The sixt obiection That which is the cause of iustification the same is of Election and that which is the cause of damnation is of reprobation But the cause of iustification is faith concurring with the mercie of God and apprehending it and the cause of damnation is vnbeliefe despising the grace of God offered in Christ and other sinnes Therefore c. Answere I answere there is a fault in the Maior They that be iustified be elected surely so that wee may in iudging by that which is later determine that doubtlesse they are elected who by faith lay hold vpon the mercie promised for Christes sake and doe not cast away that confidence vnto the end But it neither ought nor can be granted that the next cause of iustification and election is one and the same such as faith is in the matter of iustification For iustification is the effect of election as euen saith it selfe whereby wee are iustified according to the saying Whom he hath predestinated them hee hath called Rom. 8. Acts 13. whom hee hath called them also hee iustified Againe As many as were foreordained to eternall life beleeued And now it is manifest that the cause of the cause that is election is also the cause of the effect or the thing caused as they doe say to wit of iustification but not contrariwise because one the same thing should be the cause of it selfe Wherefore the very effects of election may be so ordered that one is the cause of another as faith of iustification iustification of glorification but no effect of election can be considered as the cause thereof and by consequent faith seeing it is the effect of election cannot be thought to be the cause of it as well as of iustification The effect of Reprobation is Gods forsaking after which follow vnbeliefe and other sinnes The 7. obiection The same wee may iudge of vnbeliefe and other sinnes which albeit properly they are not to be called the effects of reprobation yet the effect thereof is Gods forsaking after which vnbeliefe and other sinnes doe follow This whole answere is confirmed by those things which before in the 11. chapter are recited out of Luther concerning the Iewes that were through vnbeliefe cut from the Oliue tree and the Gentiles grafted in the same by faith The seuenth obiection is like vnto this We must iudge of Predestinatiō neither by reason nor by the law but by the Gospel But the Gospel witnesseth that the beleeuers are receiued in to grace saued and thereby are elect on the contrary that vnbeleeuers and such as continue in sinnes are damned and thereby reprobates Election therefore and reprobation depend on faith or vnbeliefe of men Answere But there is more in the conclusion For the Minor affirmeth nothing of the cause of predestination but sheweth only this that by the marke of faith or finall vnbeliefe the elect or reprobates are discerned Whereupon this only followeth that we must iudge also according to this testimonie of the Gospel who bee elected who reiected In the meane while the Gospel doeth not denie but manifestly affirmeth that faith obedience perseuerance are the free giftes of God and are giuen or not giuen of him to whom it pleaseth God according to his good pleasure Mat. 11. vers 25 and 13.11 Iohn 6. vers 44.45 and 65. and 10 vers 26. Ephe. 1.8.15 and the rest 2. Tim. 1.9 Heb. 8.10 Ier. 31. c. Hence in iudging according to the Gospel A Syllogisme prouing by the Gospel that God hath decreed to saue some and forsake others onely of his good pleasure and will we shall gather as the Gospell teacheth a man to bee saued or not saued so God hath appointed from euerlasting to saue or not to saue him But the Gospel not onely teacheth that a man is saued by faith and doeth perish through vnbeliefe but also teacheth that euen faith and other benefites by which as by meanes man commeth to saluation are giuen to some and not giuen to others of God euen as pleaseth him Therefore euen faith and such kinde of benefites vnto saluation God hath decreed from euerlasting to giue to some men and not to giue to others euen as it pleased
iudging it to be a better thing to doe good out of euill than to permit no euill to be as Augustine saith Which thing in another place notably expounding he writeth Wee profitably confesse what we rightly beleeue that God and the Lord of all things who created all things exceeding good and foreknew that euill would arise out of good and knew that it more appertained to his almightie goodnes euen out of euill to doe good than not to suffer euill to bee had so ordained the life of Angels and men that therein he would shew first what their freewill was able to do and then what the benefit of his grace and the iudgement of his iustice could bring to passe Of this thing see also Tertullian lib. 2. contra Marcio 2. Sent. distinct 23. why God suffered man to be tempted knowing that he would fall And lib. 1. dist 45. it is learnedly declared how and how farre forth Gods permission must be referred to his will according to that of Augustine Enchir. cap. 95. Mâ—â—ke how God willeth good and euill things Nothing is done vnles the Almightie would haue it to be done either by suffering it to bee done or by doing it himselfe Where hee includeth all good and euill things that are done but with this difference that he bee vnderstood to will euill by suffering it to bee done and to will good by doing it himselfe For he suffereth doubtles not vnwilling but willing as the same Augustine saith And de praedest gra cap. 15. Enchir. ad 〈◊〉 cap. 100. he saith that all things are either done the Lord assisting or els permitted the Lord forsaking them that yet we may know Nothing is done against the Lords will and why that nothing at all is done against the Lords will Certainly if any thing be done that God simply and euery way will not haue done or els if that be not done that he willeth to be done the very beginning of our faith is in hazard wherein we confesse that we beleeue in God almightie and some God is brought in out of Epicurus his schoole Psalm 105 For our God doth in heauen and earth whatsoeuer pleaseth him Luther of this whole matter speaketh thus Lib. de ser arbit cap. 152. To them that inquire why he permitted Adam to fall when he was able to saue him it is said It is God of whose will there is no cause nor reason See how hee includeth permission vnder his will Whereupon also chap. 197. he writeth Whether God suffer or els incline a man that suffering or inclining commeth not to passe but by Gods will because the will of man cannot auoide the worke of almightie God CHAP. XIIII Of the effects of Election HEreafter now we must intreate of the effects both of election and also of reprobation And because the predestination of Saints which we call election Election what it is is a preparation of grace that is of glorie hereafter and of benefits in this world whereby as by meanes the elect are lead to the glorie appointed for them both the end and the meanes The effects of it be the ende and meanes The ende double Rom 9.23 Ephes 1.7 The meanes be al benefits and they be of two sorts be effects of election By the end we meane saluation and the glorie of the elect For in respect of them that is the end of election albeit in respect of God there is another and higher to wit the demonstration of his rich grace in the vessels of mercie to his glorie As for the meanes that bee subordinate to this end they be all benefits whatsoeuer whereby whosoeuer are deliuered are most certainly set at libertie as Augustine saith de bono perseu cap. 14. And these be of two sorts altogether some are necessary to the common saluation of all Some necessary to the common saluation of all men and infants Some peculiar to men onely men growen and infants as for example the merit of Christ iustification and regeneration by the holy Ghost Some do follow men growen onely through the want of discretion of good and euill in children as is the knowledge of Christ a true confidence in him the studie of good workes perseuerance in temptations and such like Foure principall effects of election And although there bee many and sundry effects of election yet such as bee more speciall whereunto other commonly are reduced be foure to wit Christ as the Mediatour and high Priest with the whole worke of his humiliation and glorie then vocation effectuall vnto Christ iustification also and glorification Hereof commeth that truly golden chaine of the Apostle Rom. 8. that whom God hath predestinated them he calleth and whom he calleth vnderstand that calling that is according to Gods purpose them also he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth them he also glorifieth And of Christ without whom no man can be saued he straightway addeth What then shall we say to these things If God bee for vs who can be against vs who hath not spared his owne sonne but giuen him for vs all Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Who is he that can condemne It is Christ who is dead yea who is risen againe who is at the right hand of God who maketh also requests for vs. The 1. effect of election Christ That we may therefore speake something of these beginning at the Mediatour and head of the elect our Lord Iesu Christ he surely is the onely foundation of our coniunction with God and therefore of all our blessednes for wee had not been capable of so great glorie whereunto wee are elected vnles our heauenly father turning his eyes from our vnworthines vpon Christ had made vs acceptable vnto himselfe in that his beloued Therefore Paul witnesseth that wee were elected in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1. that is as himselfe interpreteth that wee were predestinate to bee adopted for sonnes and to obtaine other heauenly good things by and for Christ In which sense also he writeth to Timothie 2. Tim. 1. that grace was giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the worlds â—s if he should say that God from eternitie decreed to giue vs grace whereby wee are saued but in Christ the fountaine of grace Thus then let vs determine and iudge of a certaintie that God when hee minded to haue mercie vpon some that he might make knowne the riches of his glorie towards the vessels of mercie and had neede also of a fit Mediatour hereunto who might by his death and satisfaction pacifie the wrath of God and procure for them righteousnesse and life that was lost and might defend and maintaine saluation obtained ordained by his eternall and very fatherly counsell that his sonne of like substance and eternitie with the father in the fulnes of time assuming truely mans nature should dye for our sinnes and rising againe from the
for euer and no man shall take them out of my hand My father who gaue them me is greater than all Phil. 1. He that hath begun in you a good worke will accomplish it vnto the end Thirdly all the Saints aske perseuerance of God in praier and in the whole Lords praier almost when the Saints vse it no other thing welneere is vnderstood to be requested than perseuerance specially when we say Leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill And perseuerance should be in vaine desired of God if hee gaue it not For it is a meere mockerie to aske that of God that thou thinkest he doth not giue but that it is without his gift in the power of man This is Augustines reason de bono perseu cap. 2. It is obiected against perseuerance that by the witnesse of the sacred Scriptures and experience Against perseuerance the first obiection 2. Tim. 1. 4. many fall away from the faith and make shipwrack thereof Thus they reason All beleeuers are elect because as Paul saith faith is proper to the elect But some beleeuers doe fall away Therefore some elect doe fall away Answere I answere What beleeuers fall away the first proposition is onely true of a iustifying and sauing faith And that being setled on the foundation suffereth no man to perish But many fall away from an historicall and temporary faith as we call it while that after they haue imbraced the Gospell they fall away againe and cleane to the doctrines of deuils vnder the pretence of Christian profession Thus Chrysostome and Theophylact doe expound the testimonies of Paul A replie But the Scripture calleth such Apostataes the elect of God before their fall Ephes 1.4 1. Pet. 1.1 and 2.9 This instance is answered by obseruing the doubtfull signification of the word whereof I gaue warning at the first to wit Elect taken two waies that by elect sometime strictly are meant such as bee foreordained to eternall life sometime generally whosoeuer belong by outward calling to the people of God For who can denie them to be elect whom we see professe with vs the same faith and christian conuersion They bee plainly called and counted elect in the iudgement of charitie De Cor. gr cap 7. of those that know not what they shall be saith Augustine and not of him that knoweth them to be without perseuerance which leadeth the elect to a blessed life Hereupon Iohn one of the number of the predestinate who had sucked this secret out of the Lords breast pronounceth of such 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they had surely continued What is this I pray you they were not of vs were not both created of God both borne of Adam were not both called and become members of the Church by receiuing of the Sacraments These things are true and in respect of all these they were of vs. De bono pers cap. 3. Why some fall away Yet in respect of another difference they were not of vs because they were not called according to the purpose of God they were not in Christ elected before the creation of the world they had not obtained an inheritance in him Why backsliders are among the godly they were not predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things For if they had bin in this state they had bin of them and without doubt had continued with them But therefore God mixeth in the number of his Saints some that be not true Saints nor shall continue â— Cor. 10. least we should be secure For securitie is not expedient in the temptation of this life for the elect but he that seemeth to stand let him beware lest he fall Further vnto the assumption of the reason we answer that euen the true beleeuers and godly The faithfull and elect fall sometime grieuously but they â—â—â—e again and consequently the elect grieuously sometime fall from their profession and Christian life But partly their faith in their change iâ— rather in a deepe sleepe than quenched wholly by such falles partly it is repaired before they die and the sin which they had committed being forgiuen perseuerance vnto the end is imputed vnto them as the examples of Dauid and Peter declare And this is it that the Psalmist singeth Psalm 37. The righteous if he fall shall not bee beaten downe because the Lord vpholdeth his hand Obiection 2 For her familiar exhortations out of the holy Scriptures are obiected which carrie with them a kinde of threatning such as these Apoc. 3. 1. Cor. 10. Holde that thou hast least another take thy crowne He that seemeth to stand let him take heede least he fall Rom. 11. Art thou ingrafted into the people of God feare for if thou continue not thou shalt also be cut off These and such like seeme to leaue doubtfully the perseuerance of them to whoÌ„ they bee spoken And they be spoken to all euen to the elect and godly Answere Two causes why the church is to take heede least it fall I answere that such exhortations are vsuall in the sacred Scriptures both because in the assemblie of them that be called there be many that shall not perseuere and also because it pleaseth God to stirre vp and strengthen his elect to perseuerance by such helpes against the securitie of the flesh But here I will stand no longer because afterwards we shall entreate more hereof in the immutabilitie of election CHAP. XVI Of the effects of Reprobation BVt as the effect of election is not only that grace whereby wee are here iustified and furthered to liue well and continue in goodnes but also whereby we shall be hereafter glorified So also the effect of Gods reprobation whereby from euerlasting he by not electing hath reprobated some Two effects of reprobation forsaking or hardening to this life and damnation in the â—â—â—e to come Lib. 1. ad Moniâ—â—um cirâ—a fâ—â—â—m is considered in two respects the first what cleaueth vnto the reprobates in this life the other what shall follow and ouertake them in the world to come And these are eternall damnation and forsaking which is also called hardening and blinding where with the iust God reuengeth the vniust Hereupon saith Pulgentius Destruction is well rendered of God vnto euill men who now are iustly forsaken and hereafter shall be iustly tormented For in such men God beginneth his iudgement by desertion or forsaking them and perfectly endeth it by tormenting them But let vs heare what the Scriptures witnesse of them Matth. 25. is manifestly shewed Matth. 25 that God hath not only prepared a kingdome where the good shall reioyce but also eternall fire where the euill shall be tormented For he will say to the good Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from euerlasting and to the wicked Goe ye cursed into
the beginning is of the vnchangeablenes of predestination Where wee must consider that election and reprobation namely the decree of God concerning the either sauing of men in mercie or the punishing of them in iustice cannot be changed so that of the number of the elect any one perisheth or contrarily any of the reprobates be saued but as well the one be vnfallibly saued as the other be vnfallibly damned This opinion may be confirmed by many testimonies of the sacred Scriptures Ioh. 6. the Lord saith The elect cannot perish not the reprobates be sauâ—d because Gods decree is vnchangeable towards both proued by many places euery one that the father giueth me shall come vnto me and all that commeth vnto me I will not cast forth And chap. 10. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall plucke them out of my hand My father who gaue them me is greater then all neither can any man pull them out of my fathers hand 1. Ioh. 2. They went of from vs but they were not of vs. For if they had been they had surely continued with vs. 2. Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale God knoweth who are his As also Apoc. 7. there is mention made of the seale of the liuing God and of the certaine number of them that are sealed in their foreheads to wit of the seruants of God whom his grace preserueth harmeles and vntouched among the midst of the stormes of calamities vpon sea and land So afterward in the same booke chapter 13. and 17. power is giuen to the Dragon and beast to seduce the whole earth yet the elect are excepted whose names are written in the booke of life from the foundation of the world Therefore the elect cannot be deceiued at the least finally As also Mat. 24. False Christs and Prophets shall arise and shall worke great signes and miracles to seduce if it might bee the very elect What meaneth that saying of Paul Rom. 8. Wee know that all things worke for good to them that loue God that is that are called of purpose In Soliloq c. 28. All things he saith euen euill things yea sinnes themselues as Augustine witnesseth And most plainly the Apostle confirming the same addeth For whom hee foreknew them hee predestinated also to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne Whom he predestinated them he hath iustified and glorified also What shall we say then to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs euen he who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shal he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall accuse the elect of God who shall condemne who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Neither death nor life c. And in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle It cannot bee that the word of God should faile On whom he will he hath mercie and whom he will hee hardeneth Who shall resist his will And chap. 11. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew which thing he there sheweth by the example of Elias times and of the Iewes of his time among whom albeit farre degenerate and enemies to the Gospell yet God reserued to himselfe a remnant according to the election of grace And he annexeth a saying worthie to bee remembred Israel obtained not that he sought for but the elect attained it and the rest were hardened And a little after Therefore as touching the Gospell they are enemies for your sakes but in respect of election they are loued for their fathers sakes For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance that is surely fixed without changing as Augustine expoundeth who also warneth vs to vnderstand this saying not of that calling whereof it is sayd Many are called c. but of that whereby the elect are called Secondly Predestination is vnchangeable The 1. reason the propounded sentence leaneth on most effectuall reasons For what things God from eternitie foreknoweth they must needes certainly and vnfallibly come to passe as they be foreknowne of him For foreknowledge is the knowledge of a thing that shall be And that which shal come to passe must needes bee done And it is confessed already that God foreknoweth who shall be saued and who shall be damned Ergo c. Further the decrees of God are vnchangeable The 2. reason But election and reprobation as it is said be the decrees of God of sauing whom he will in mercie and condemning whom hee will in iustice Therefore it cannot be but both election and also reprobation is firme and immutable so that neither the elect can perish nor the reprobates be saued For of the immutabilitie of Gods secrets it is said 1. Sam. 15 2â— Numb 23.23 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent For he is not a man that he should repent Also God is not as a man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should be changed He hath said and shall he not doe he hath spoken and shall he not accomplish And in Esay The Lord of hosts hath decreed and who can breake it Esay 14. â—4 27. The hand of the Lord is stretched out and who shal turne it away And My counsell shall stand and I will doe all my will Cap. 46.10 But in that God now and then denounceth and threatneth some things which yet afterwards he doth not A doubte by the example of the Niniuites and of Ezechias wee must vnderstand that therein the Scripture speaketh according to the nature of second causes or els with the condition secretly vnderstood of repentance and prayer as Iere. 18. such like sayings are expounded and not in respect of Gods simple and absolute decree In which sense it is well said of Gregorie The Lord knoweth how to change his saying but neuer knoweth how to change his counsell And of Augustine God knoweth how to change his saying if we would change our life Thirdly The 3. reason examples manifestly proue the infalliblenes of predestination Pharao Sehon and the kings of the Canaanites with their subiects were appointed to destruction What was done their hearts were hardened that they might fight against Israel and perish for their sinnes And it is expressely written Exod. 4. Deut 2. â—s 11. 1. Sam. 2. 2. King 12. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts to fight with Israel that he might destroy them So Elies sonnes hearkened not to the voyce of their father because the Lord had appointed to destroy them Roboam heard not the people because it pleased the Lord by that meanes to rent the kingdome 2. Sam. 7. and to pull it away from Salomons race Absalom and euery man of Israel despised the good counsell of Achitophel and heard Husai because the Lord minded to destroy Achitophels counsell to
Rom. 8 Whom he foreknew them he predestinated to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them he glorified Rom. 11. The election hath obtained it the rest were hardened Ephes 1. Hee chose vs in him before the world that wee might be holy and blameles before him through loue and hath predestinated vs to adopt vs for sonnes through Christ Iesu c. In the same Epistle chap. 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu to good workes which God hath prepared that we should be exercised in them To which end tendeth also 2. Thes 3. Tit. 1. that faith as the Apostle saith belongs not to all but to the elect of God But vnderstand a true faith and effectuall by loue the faith not of the deuil but of a Christian man which beeing placed on the foundation suffereth no man to perish as Augustine saith De fide oper cap. 18. Ioh. 6. Whatsoeuer the father giueth me commeth vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not forth No man commeth to me vnles my father drawe him who sent me and I will raise him vp in the last day It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God that is saith Augustine Tract 26. All the men of that kingdome Whosoeuer therefore hath heard of the father learned coÌ„meth vnto me Ioh. 10. you beleeue not for you are not of my sheepe as I said vnto you my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue them eternall life and they shall not perish By these places we are taught that a true faith and coÌ„uersion be gifts peculiar to the elect and doe flowe from the eternall decree of God touching his elect so that for iust cause we turne our eyes hither when we seeke for the certainety of our election Whereupon Saint Peter also aduiseth vs to make our calling and election sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1. by adding to saith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance long suffering godlines loue to the brethren c. So it shall come to passe that an entrance shall abundantly bee ministred vs into the eternall kingdome of our Lord Iesu Christ In the same sense Paul to Timoth. when he had testified of the surenes of election in it selfe that the foundation of God standeth sure Two seales of the â—urâ—es of our election one God the other outs hauing this seale God knoweth who are his forthwith addeth another seale in respect of vs Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lorde depart from iniquitie And he addeth If a man therefore purge himselfe from these things he shall be a vessell for honour By all which wordes he meaneth that the studie of holines is the best way to know our election Further the same Paul iudging of the election of the Thesialonians and other faithfull considered it no other way Phil 1. 1. Thess 1. than by the faith loue hope and other fruites of their calling to Christ and fellowship in the Gospell Obiection But the end doubtles deceiued or ouercame this hope and iudgement of Paul in some men therefore faith hope and charity c. are not sure signes of election to eternall life Answere To this I answere that charity iudging by these signes of the election of our neighbor is sometime deceiued Marke this but this is not the cause of the error that faith and charity be not sure markes of election in them selues but because we cannot be sure of the vnfained faith of our neighbor and of his charity out of a pure heart as well as wee are of our owne Of which difference we will more fully speake hereafter when we haue finished this point The second way therefore The second way whereby a man may know himselfe to be elected whereby a man may bee certaine of the predestination of himselfe to life is the word of promise For albeit by a singular or seuerall promise God saith not to thee or me Thou art elected and shalt be kept to eternall life yet there is a generall promise in the word and that faithfull and worthy by all meanes to be imbraced of vs that whosoeuer shall beleeue in the sonne of God Marke this very well and remember it hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation but shall be raised vp to the glorie of the kingdome of heauen and therefore was elected vnto that kingdome because this kingdome of the father shall not be giuen but to whom it was prepared before the foundation of the world Vnder this vniuersall promise whosoeuer is partaker of the gift of God let him assume to himselfe in his heart I am faithfull and moreouer let him conclude therefore I shall be saued and by consequence I am elected For the confirmation of this argument we must knowe that the Maior speaketh onely of a sauing or iustifying faith and such a one as worketh by loue for this faith suffreth no man to perish but not of an historicall or temporary faith as is the faith of many men who receiue the word with ioy for they are glad of some tast and vnderstanding of the truth against errors wherein they had been drowned but when oppression and persecution arise for the words sake straight waies they fal away because they haue no root in themselues but endure for a time And if it may helpe a weake minde Matth. 13. whether hee that beleueth may be sure that he is endued with a true faith in Christ let the Apostle be considered â—â—w I may be sure I haue a true faith 2 Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you bee in faith examine your selues Knowe ye not your selues that Iesus Christ is in you And surely one of the twayne is necessarie that either the beleeuer knoweth himselfe to beleeue or else if he know it not he is vncertaine also of his iustification seeing iustification is by faith Wee say therefore with Augustine Epist. 112. de Trin. lib. 13. cap. 2. that euery man seeth and knoweth his owne faith in himselfe specially seeing it is not the naturall disposition of faith to lye hid as it were buried but more and more daiely to declare it selfe by newenes of life and the fruites of good works Obiection But thou wilt say I find in my selfe great weakenes of faith many grieuous doubtings wherewith my faith his shaken Answere Well But the Lord is of such clemencie Rom. 14. he doth not cast away but receiue to himselfe a man that is weake in the faith neither doth he quench smoking flaxe Matth. 12. 2. Cor. 12. or breake the bruised reede And as he answered Paul His power is perfected through weakenes Onely bewayle thy infirmity and craue daily the grace of the holy Ghost Obiection Matth. 10. Heb. â—0 But I am in
by the proprietie of the Hebrewe tongue the iudiciall signification as I may say of the word is most vsuall in the sacred Scriptures namely that to be iustified is to be absolued from guiltines the word being taken relatiuely not noting any qualitie So it is vsed Prouerb 17. vers 15. Isa 5.23 And this signification agreeth with our businesse in hand seeing the question is of the iustification of a sinfull man before God Certainely therefore are we iustified of him when wee that are in our selues guilty of hell before the iudgement seate of God are neuerthelesse by his grace discharged from all guiltines so that the aduersarie cannot any more condemne seeing he reputeth vs freely iust through redemption in Christ Iesu by faith in his blood and not of workes To him that is iustified the holy Ghost is giuen to renue his heart and to stirre him vp to good works And albeit in the iustification of a wicked man the holie Ghost is withall freely giuen to renew the heart and to infuse new qualities wherby we are stirred vp to the studie of good workes yet by this newnes the guiltines of former sinnes is not blotted out neither are we accepted then for our workes but it is needfull that first we be accepted that our works being vnperfect and defiled may be able to please him But to handle these things more specially it is not now materiall Furthermore this must bee obserued that the Apostle teacheth Iustification proper to the elect that this gift of free iustification ariseth of predestination and he maketh it proper to the elect after they haue bin partakers of a diuine vocation For he saith Whom he hath predestinate he hath called and whom he hath called them he hath also iustified He saith not as the spirit of error imagineth that all reprobates as well as elect called and not called how many soeuer are of Adam borne sinners are iustified also in Christ and receiued into grace being freed from all sin and the iudgement of God And that no doubt may remaine explaining himselfe Paul addeth What shall we say then to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne to wit Gods elect It is Christ who is dead yea who is also risen againe We heare of the elect that iustification is theirs that Christ for all them was deliuered to death Their opinion also is withall reâ—elled that say that some euen of the number of the reprobates are iustified but that reconciliation is in them made frustrate Augustine better agreeth with the meaning of the Apostles saying Contra Iulian. lib. 5. cap. 3. Those that are not in the number of the predestinate God brings none of them to sauing and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled to God in Christ The like words are in the same author in Soliloquijs cap. 28. The fourth effect of election glorification The fourth effect of predestination of the elect followeth to wit glorification For whom he calleth and iustifieth them he also glorifieth saith the Apostle For he vseth verbes of the preter tense for the present tense according to the Hebrewes maner of speaking And glorification signifieth the kingdome of the Saints in the heauenly life and withall comprehendeth or presupposeth the gift of perseuerance vnto the end whereof it is said He that continueth to the end shall be saued Matth. 10. Like hereto are the promises Ioh. 6. Whatsoeuer the father giueth me commeth vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I will not cast forth And straightway This is the will of him that sent me that whatsoeuer he hath giuen me thereof I should lose nothing but that I should raise it vp in the last day Againe No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him And I will raise him vp at the last day The demonstration is plaine Whosoeuer by the drawing of the father commeth vnto Christ he shall be raised vp by him vnto the resurrection of life But all come who are giuen to Christ that is are predestinate in him Therefore all they shall be raised vp by him vnto the resurrection of life that is they shall be glorified And this perseuerance which I mentioned is Perseuerance of the Saints what it is Rom. 8.35 not to be ouercome with teÌ„ptations and as Paul describeth it at large neither by oppression nor anguish nor any other creature to bee separated from the loue of God but in all things to bee more than a conqueror through him that hath loued vs. And this is to be noted in this place concerning that great benefit of perseuerance both that all the elect haue it and also that they haue it not of themselues but from another to wit from the bountifulnes of Gods grace As for the former the testimonies are plaine Matth. 24.24 Rom. 8.35 Also 2. Tim. 2. The elect haue it Matth. 10. The foundation of God standeth sure Furthermore when the holy Ghost testifieth that saluation is laid vp for such as perseuere and the crowne of life for them that ouercome Apoc. 2. 2. Tim. 4 8.1â— Ioh. 17. Luk. 22. Aug. de Cor. gra cap. 8. they necessarily perseuere that are elected to raigne with Christ Thirdly Christ vniuersally praied for his elect and was heard no lesse than it is read that hee praied for Peter that his faith should not faile Wherein what did he els pray for but that he might haue in faith a most free strong vnconquerable and perseuering will Seeing therefore Christ praieth for the elect that their faith faile not it shall continue doubtles vnto the end neither shall the end of this life finde it otherwise than abiding Aug. de Cor. gr cap. 11. 12 It is Gods gift proued by three reasons as by Peters example Augustine gathereth And now that perseuerance is Gods gift both the feeling of our owne infirmitie and the multitude of temptations wherewith daily wee haue to fight in this present wicked age against the deuill the world and our owne flesh compell vs to confesse Who can bee safe among so many wiles and swords of the deuill vnlesse he bee sustained by the hand of God Aug. de bono pers cap. 2. Secondly the testimonies hereof are most euident in the writings of the Prophets and Euangelists Ierem. 32. saith the Lord I will put my feare in their hearts that they may not depart from me Which thing what is it else than such and so great the feare of me shall bee that I will put in their hearts that they shall cleaue vnto me continually Hos 2. I will marrie thee vnto my selfe for euer in righteousnesse and faith c. And hee hath married all the true beleeuers vnto himselfe Ioh. 10. I giue to my sheepe eternall life neither shall they perish