this knoweledge of my celestial father am I fermly persuaded Christ Iesu his onelye sonne both god and mā to be sente for my sake into this worlde to be the annoynted Messyas kynge and preiste to be my gouerner delyuerer auenger defender my heade redemer by hys passyon medyatoure my clensinge sacrifyce once for me and for all faythfull for euer offred vp on the crosse my onelye intercessoure nowe into heuen ascended my holynes myne expiacion my rightwisenes helth way lyfe and satysfaccyon satisfyinge my fathers iustice for my sinnes neuer to be imputed to me for my onelye faythes sake daylye iustifienge and absoluinge me contynuallye reuyuynge me wyth his holy spyryte anoyntyng me wyth the grace of the holye gooste so that nowe I by hys mercye and grace being in christe his electe might walke dayly in good workes pleasynge my celestiall father vnto this knowledge and beleef he calleth all his chosen for whome he hath forseene predestined and chosen them hath he called by his worde and creacyon of this world vnto this faith and knoweledge and whome he thus called the same hathe he iustyfyed and whome he hath iustyfyed them hath he glorified Vvinton̄ IN the processe of your iustification fyrst ye say saint Paule sayth we be chosen of God in Chryste before the foundacyon of the worlde was layde whyche be the wordes of the appostle And here ye make a true entrye Then ye saye that in the fyrst chapter of saynt Iohn̄s gospell and the fyrst epystle the fyfte chapter of saynte Iohn̄ it is conteyned that when we be borne anewe of the spyryte we are called to receyue faith If you can iustifie this to be true I wyll not further impugne youre iustification But your allegation of this scripture is lyke the spellynge of a yonge strypelynge I ones went about to teach to reade He wolde neades spell backewarde A.b. he spelled it Ba. and B.A. Ab. The scripture ye allege saith He that beleueth is borne of god ye say we be borne of god to receiue beleefe Scripture placeth fayth in ordre before the byrthe not in prioritye of tyme but in natural order And ye place it after as it were also in the distaunce of tyme. The wordes of the scrypture in the gospell of saynte Iohn̄ be that so manye as receyue Chryste haue power gyuen them to be the sonnes of god suche as beleue in his name who be not borne of the bloodes nor the wyll of man but be borne of god By this texte to be the sonne of god faith muste neades go before The wordes of the epystle be these Euerye man that beleuethe that Iesus is Christe is borne of god Is not faith placed here in the order of the text before the birth as a declaration whereby to know what is signified by this to be borne of god that is to saye to beleue that Iesus is christ Not to beleue in tongue as saynt Iohn̄ sayth but to beleue in workinge that is beleued Christe teachinge Nichodemus oure regeneration seconde natiuitie of god sayeth Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnum dei Whiche natiuitie is ministred in the sacrament of baptisme And in thactes of thappostles when the Enuche desired to be partaker of this regeneration to be borne of god and sayde Here is water what letteth me to be baptised Phillyppe sayde to the Enuche If thou beleuest with all thy hart thou maiest And thenuche aunswered I beleue Iesus Christe to be the sonne of god And so was thenuche baptised whiche forme of baptisme the church obserueth styl in the christeninge of Infants offred to christ in the fayth catholique of their parentes And accordinge to this declaration the wordes of saynt Iohn̄s epistle be that eche man who beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of god not excludinge the sacrament of baptisme but declaringe that the foundacion of our regeneracion is this fayth where saynt Iohn̄ in a fewe wordes reuerentlye foldeth vp the hole misterye of oure fayth By your interpretacion ye wold haue men firste borne the chyldren o◠god then to receiue faith But Philyp expoundeth it that we receiue fayth to be borne the childrē of god therfore requireth it before the regeneracion semblable in other matters scripture preacheth penaunce to obteine remissiō of sinne and ye teache remission of sinne wherby to come to penaunce Scripture saith we do not forgiue our neighbour god will not forgiue vs. You teach that god must fyrste forgiue vs then we to forgiue our neighbour Christ calleth vs to him to be vnburdened of our synne And ye teach that we be vnburdened of our synne or we come at him And so throughly ye teach christ backward Scripture neuer taught him after that sort yet ye call vpon other for scripture and then ye wyll haue scripture playne as it is written to be vnderstāded streight of al men at the fyrst readynge whiche bearyng in hande of playnnes with a desyre that mans curiouse nature hathe to knowledge or for wante therof to be seen to haue knowlege the nūber that readeth after you saythe they vnderstand as ye do And yf suche one can say onely fayth iustifieth and a prieste is a knaue the masse is not in scripture and an Image is an idole ye prayse so much the lorde in hym and reioyse so muche as in a proselite that ye make hym runne through the scripture in thicke and thinne euen tyll he commeth to predestination and further to gods prouidence that some be so blynded at the last as they call al in doubte Ye be your selfe blynde in malice and take vpon you to be leaders of the blynd and so tumble al together in the pyt of errour with the miserable destruction of soule and body Let vs returne agayn to the scripture ye haue brought in which ye say signifieth that whē we be borne a new of the spirit we be called to receyue faith The wordes of the scripture be Eche man that beleueth that Iesus is christ is borne of god If ye wolde herein resort to grāmer and say This part is onlye to Ioye tha◠did before or pose me in my gramme◠bycause natus est is written in the preterperfitence and credit is writen in the presentence and thervpon fansy that natus est must be before credit I must aunswer you agayn by grāmer that the preterperfitens in laten signifieth the presentens as wel as the pretertēs for philophers affirme by reason of the cōtinuall mouing that tyme euer passeth nothing is properly presēt but only god And for declaraciō that the pretertence signifieth the presēt euery verbe passiue and deponēte boroweth in his preterperfittens of the verbe substantiue to ioyne with his participle both est and fuit so as natus est is properly the present perfittens and natus fuit the preterperfittens Now if the translation had been natus fuit then
kepte the lawe of Moyses agaynst whom Paule with so great labour farre otherwyse instituted his churches preachyng wrytyng constantly our synnes to be knowen shewed vs by the lawe and not therby to be taken awaye onely the grace of fayth through Christe to iustify all nations Happy it was that these heretiques spronge vp in his dayes whose epystels we haue yet so myghtlye and clearely confutyng and pressyng downe these heresyes nowe crepte vp agayne by Winchester The chiefe articles of the christen religion vpon the whiche all other are stayed and grounded is that in Christ Iesu is al sufficieÌ„cie and perfection of forgyuenesse of synnes saluacyon of whose fulnes we receyue grace for grace as sayth IhonÌ„ Wherfore as many as be iustified are iustified by thonely fayth in hym and by nothyng els as by any subsidiary atteynement as Winchester wold haue his helpyng wylworkes vnto his full iustification in Christe the perfection of the lawe This is the suÌ„me of the hole Gospell This is the station of the cause the argument â–ª and material of all Paules pistels euen the tredsâ—le or ground-sole whervpon as the dore is turned returned so are all his argumentes and proces thervpon treated and retreated And specyally in his pystels to the Romaynes Galath Hebrues And now syth this Bysshop sterith vp afresshe these olde heresies we can haue no better armoure argumentes then Paule made agaynst hym fyrste warnynge vs of such sedicious secte sowers sayeng There are many runners abrode of whome I warned you often but nowe with wepynge teares I warne you agayne euen of the enemyes of Christes crosse whose ende is dampnatioÌ„ whose belly is theyr god and theyr glory shall ende with shame whose care and study is set vpon earthly thynges I can not maruayle ynough at this Bysshoppe fyghtyng so earnestly for good workes to iustify that he doth none hym self but persecuteth Christes church so cruelly pryson pitiously and destroye the poore innocent lambes of God christes owne blode I passe ouer his luciferine pryde ambytion arrogancye viciouse lyuynge c. aboue Nero Iulian Traiane Herod or any softe Sardanapale By lyke he beleueth not his owne articles for yf he dyd he wolde do better workes for his owne iustification The frutes of Paules fayth beynge ones a Pharisaie of Winch. opinion were the persecution of Christes churche aboue measure as hym selfe testifieth And as all lyke pharisees haue euer done and do yet styll vnto this day God coÌ„uerte them ones as he dyd Paule So be it We therfore with Paule and Christe affirme our onely one alone sauioure Christe for his owne merites and oure fayth into hym through the fauour of his father appeased in hym to iustifye that is to absolue vs from our synnes and to gyue vs lyfe eternall This our onely sauyour we preache write to be the only rightwysnes wisedome holy maker redemptioÌ„ and satisfactioÌ„ sufficient for all that beleue in hym And yf there be any that thynke Christes rightwysenes his satisfaction his merites redemptioÌ„ made for vs of his father not a sufficieÌ„t iustificacioÌ„ forgyuenes of theyr synnes but that they must set theyr own workes checkmate with his passyon redemption to helpe furth vnto the atteynement of this effecte of Christes passyon well lette them couple and wrappe in theyr owne workes to for theyr iustification and then in so doynge shall they procure theyr owne dampnatioÌ„ For al our good workes or ryghtwysenes sayth I say are ryght fylthy and nought so much the worse then nought for that they be set in so hygh a place eâ—all with Christes bloud whiche is a playne blasphemye These vnryght rightwyse makers wolde serue two contrarye maysters at ones the pope and god to the gospell the popes lawes but whyles they thus haulte on bothe sydes with Baals preestes they serue truely the deuyl which hath no concorde with Christe neyther shall there any papyst nor chrystian beleue them for in conclusion ye shall se them to be iustified neyther by workes nor fayth but dampned for theyr vnbelefe no man beleuyng nor louyng them by theyr wicked workes procurynge them selfe the hatred of all men VvintonÌ„ WIthout I wolde encountre with you in rayling I haue nothynge to saye hereunto but that ye spende a great meany of wordes in vayne whiche shall more playnly appeare by then ye come to th ende of mine aunswere and that youre propre termes of subsidiarye atteynement wyllworkes â—euisers of â—we termes â—e noted by â—ynt Paule â—â— men of â—issension â— religion and workes checkemate with such deuises of newe wordes whiche saynt Paule noteth as a marke to tel what ye be be all to no purpose And besides the issue of the matter in hand ye disproue troublers of the churche with euil opinions as though ye were none of them that troubled it ye crye stowe the thefe to hyde your selfe with the noyse and thereby escape thattachement of the folowers I for my selfe boost not my workes to the worlde but do the offyce of an hande at a crosse to saye this is the ryght waye and whether I stere or no to enter the waye my selfe I haue god to my iudge to whome I stande or fall and ye take vpon you to iudge an other mans seruaunte I styrre vp no heresies but as ye prouoke me say my conscience to the disproue of such blasphemouse heresyes as ye styrre vp Wherein your asseueracions and myne sette aparte lette the matter shewe it selfe The scryptures ye haue broughte in agaynste me reade them ones agayne and marke them for your owne parte to whome moost properlye appertayneth to be called the runners aboute to me that speake to no man of the matter but as I am prouoked or you that in your writinges wander abrode and be in euery mans eares and where ye dare appeare shewe youre selfe and specyallye at Antwerpe to corrupte the youth frome whense one came of late to serche proufes agaynste youre personne to dysproue the false wytnesse as he saied ye had borne with your tongue whether he belyed you or no I will not affirme for albeit ye gyue me cause to doubte of youre truth throughlye yet I wyl not comdemne you in that I knowe not as ye do me But lette vs se what foloweth in your booke Ye entre into myne articles thus Nowe to his articles Vvynch Fyrst article Theffecte of Christes passyon hath a condicion The fulfyllynge of the condicion dyminisheth nothynge theffecte of Christes passyon Ioye God is thelyghte and wyll not be taught with darke and coÌ„fuse termes Isay prophecyed of Christe that when he should come he should not be darke and dyfficyle or harde in his doctryne Nowe speakest thou playnely said his disciples And Paule reioyced greatly that he hadde so syncerelye and frelye preached the gospell Christ toulde his that they shoulde be the lyghte of the worlde purely and clearely to teache especially the chief principilles of the christen relygion
a subiect so â—penlye to â—lude his pâ— souerayâ— lorde besâ—â— the iniury the truth and playnlye and directlye preacheth the contrarye of that he had recanted so euideÌ„tly as the Mayer of him self asked whether he shuld from the pulpete sende him to warde to be fourth commyng to aunswere for his contemptuouse behauiour to preache in the same place to the same people the contrary to his recantacioÌ„ But Barnes was not stayed ne spoken to whiles Iherome and Iherarde had bothe preached and folowed the same trade â—his neâ—lyâ—nâ—e was â—tablâ— in â—e late lorde â—mwelâ—â—ho not â—arkynge noughlye â—hat was â—ritten in â—em caused â—m self those â—ers to be â—dde to oâ—er and so â—lled Barâ—es and his â—owes â—naues The kinges maiestie had appoynted certayne to make reporte of the sermons before whiche report one that fauored them had written to his frend at the court howe gayly they had all handled the matter both to satisfie the recantacion and also in the same sermons to vtter out the trueth that it myght sprede without lette of the worlde and this letter by negligence came to light whervpon and report of the sermons they were al apprehended and by the secrete counsayle to whiche companye I hadde then none accesse ne hadde not almost a yeare before ne hadde not after so longe as Crumwels tyme lasted sent to the towre when Baâ—nes was sâ— to the towâ— I was 〈◊〉 of the priuâ— counsayle and therevpon ensued further proces by the hole realme whervnto I was priuie but amonge the reste And otherwise then I haue rehersed I haue not persecuted Barnes and as I haue toulde the storye so it was doone And thynke me not good reader so moche a beaste that all suche beynge yet alyue in whose presence and knoweledge these matters haue passed betwene Barnes and me I wolde vaynly faine in such a tale wherein I accompte not myne estimation to haue ouercome Barnes for he was not learned and shulde muche hyndre mine estimation if any man coulde in the I haue tolde reproue me of a lye For so moch the tale may be profitable to the reader to coÌ„sidre how thinges be blowed and blustered abrode with lyes how Barnes death is laide to my charge â—he numbre thre signiâ—th infinit â—â—d so often 〈◊〉 I forgiue 〈◊〉 and â—â—erefore am 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 and â—as as Daâ—â—d dyd perâ—â—â—ute Saul that haue onely suffred at Barnes hand and neuer dyd any thynge to him but euer forgaue him and he euer vsed forgeuenes neuer to amende but to delude tryfle And if any wolde note my blindnes in vayneglorye that because Barnes yelded to be my scoler of policie as Dauid fayned hym selfe madde before Achis I coulde not espie it Thus the 〈◊〉 exaÌ„ples 〈◊〉 scripture 〈◊〉 applied to â—uer lewde â—ens fautes â—hen they ly 〈◊〉 examinaciâ—n that is as â—braham deâ—â—d Sara 〈◊〉 they counâ—â—fâ—t that is 〈◊〉 Dauyd 〈…〉 fore this Exemâ—lum placet but take it in earnest I wolde to suche say that if Barnes counterfaited in that submission he deceaued moo aswel as me and in dede a man in his owne prayse maye soone be made a foole And one of that coÌ„pany tolde me whom I take for my frend that he had not thought to heare so muche diuinitie of me ne se so moche charitie in a Bysshoppe Howe this matter shal be taken I remitte to the indifferencye of the reader I mente good fayth with Barnes and symplye and further medled not with hym then I haue rehersed wherein appeareth on my behalfe no malyce and there appeareth also vppon what occasioÌ„ I haue vttered such articles as Ioye wyl now confute for false whiche howe substauncially he doth by comparynge his and myne together I shall entreate hereafter He begynneth his booke thus Ioy. I Chaunsed vpon certayne articles entituled to the Byshop of Winchester called Steuen Gardener In this rekâ—nynge Ioy hath ouershot him selâ— which were written agaynst doctour Barnes his two felowes brent M.D.xxxix for preachyng onely fayth to iustifie VvintonÌ„ YOur entry to the matter is fyt for your processe For neither dyd I euer write suche articles ne Barnes was burnt for preaching onely faith iustifieth I was by Barnes choyce as is aforesaide his scolemayster at which time we entreated tharticle of onely faith iustifieth as shal hereafter appere Ioye By these his articles Winchester wold proue that workes must iustifie that is to say with our workes we must merite the remissioÌ„ of our synnes which doctrine as it is contrary to gods worde so is it infuriouse to Christes bloude whose godly name is one alone for all sufficieÌ„t euen that same precyous hyd treasour in the gospel in whome sayth Paule are all the treasours of wysdome and knowledge hidden for in hym dwelleth the moost perfitte fulnesse of god verely and in hym are we complete euen perfitly iustified without any inweyuinge of Winchesters workes This thyng do I tell you sayth Paule least any man as nowe wolde Winchester deceyue you with his apparaunt popysshe persuasyons This full iustification by onely fayth Paule expresseth clerely in these wordes also This our euerlastyng lyuynge priest and intercessour Christe abydeth for euer vnto this ende euen absolutly fully and perfytly without any lacke or breth to saue all them that through hym by fayth come to god the father Here are we taught Christe to haue an euerlastynge preesthode to saue perfytlye and sufficientlye through our faith onely and that he euer lyueth vnto the same ende wherfore for the defence of our so plentuouse and perfyt redemption and for the ryche fauoure mercy of our heuenly father and free forgyuenes in Christes passion through our fayth onely and that the glorye of his grace whereby he hath made vs his dearely beloued chosen chyldreÌ„ throughe his beloued sonne shoulde be praysed by whome we haue redemption through his blood euen the remyssyon of synnes accordynge to the ryches of his so plentuouse grace vnable to be mynisshed To defende this my lorde gods glorye I saye and to warne the symple vnlerned that they be not deceyued by such blasphemouse Byshoppes articles I shal by gods helpe iustlye by his worde clerely confute them although he yet teache preache them into his owne dampnation and deceyuyng of as many as beleue hym VvintonÌ„ IT is of lyke truth that ye affirme of me that I wolde by these articles proue that workes must iustifie I neuer wente about to proue that Howe so euer it liketh you to report of me I neuer wrote so I neuer preached so I neuer affyrmed so ne enterprised to teach Barnes so at the time he was my scooler As for youre that is to say with oure workes we muste merite the remission of our synnes I wold not be a ferde to vse that speache yf you and other had not to the worlde diffamed and sclaundered the worde meryte but nowe seinge ye haue beaten it into the eares of youre hearers and readers
Christ which all are inuisible thynges hoped for But Winchester dreaming vs forth his new fained faith coupleth her to an externe knowledge of what maner a visible fulfylling I caÌ„ not tel you nor yet of what a fond confuse condicion nor yet of hym selfe expressed Ioyne thou thy faith to an outward visible bodely thinge and so it is neither faith nor hope Blessed are they that beleue se not Nowe muste Wyn. proue his condition with the fulfylling and knowledge thereof to be thinges inuisible hoped for as eternall life c. or elles his faith shal not be that fayth whiche Paule diffineth christe so often mencioneth in his gospell VvintonÌ„ IT may appeare in you euidently howe malyce maketh you blynd wheÌ„ rehersyng my wordes yet ye aske me whether fayth goeth before workes For when I saye as you reherse that the fulfyllynge of the condicion requireth fyrst knowledge what the condicion is and then that this knowledge is attayned by fayth do not I geue faith the fyrst place as the meane of knowledge what is the condicion which must nedes go before the fulfyllynge the fulfyllyng before thatteyning of the effecte In this place who is first saye you by myne owne wordes fayth or workes And yet ye saye by my proces workes go before when my wordes rehersed hitherto declare the contrary But ye were so pleasaunt in scoffinge that ye forgate the matter And these be the frutes of the spirite that vexeth you This is the milde meke sobrenes of your profession of christiane charitie I wyll aske you a question wakynge Is not all oure certeine knoweledge of gods wyl and pleasure by faith Some parte of your wordes semeth to saye yes when ye call it the certeinte of thinges inuisible And yet wheÌ„ ye say that I dreame an exâ—erne knoweledge of visible thinges with addicioÌ„ of these two wordes that is to say externe visible Ye say ye can not tel vs more of it And it is a world to se howe fondely ye talke for fayth in no sence can signify an externe knowledge which is only by the senses And where dydde I talke in my dreame of visible thinges speakynge of god and his wyll which be all inuisible and in gods wyll is coÌ„teyned the condicioÌ„ I speake of whiche after knowledge thereof as I saide muste be fulfylled and without knoweledge before can not be fulfilled As for your mangled argument to conferme the proufe ye promysse shall be more commodiously entreated afterwarde In this parte I shewe only howe ye wrangle with me take vpon you to improue that ye vnderstand not as by the rehersal of my next article shal appeare more plainly Ye reherse it thus Vvinch thyrde artycle This faith commeth of God this faith is a good gift It is good and profitable to me It is profitable to me to do well and to exercise this faith Ioye This faith so farre of flytted frome the inuisible iustyfycatyon whether it be the gyfte of God and profytable to Wynchester I doubte it but this I am sure of by Christes owne wordes that when Wynchester hathe done all that God commaunded hym whyche I dare saye he shall neuer do and so neuer fulfyll his condicion yet is he but a seruauÌ„t if he be not a lord vnprofitable I wolde aske Wynchester when he loketh and considereth fyrste theffecte of christes passion whether he beleued it or no If he did not beleue so was he then an infidell If he beleued it seinge it is the promysed forgyuenes of synnes in Christes bloud whether beleued he it to be effectuouse to hym selfe or only to other men If to other and not to hym selfe so is his faythe and the deuylles faythe all one If he beleued his owne synnes to be forgyuen thereby so was he iustified by faith onelye ere any other condicion was knowen or spoken of or elles he muste make christ a lyer which sayeth As thou beleuest so come it to the. WheÌ„ Iairus desyred Christ to come helpe his doughter and in Christes commynge Iairus his seruaunt mette him saienge Desease not Christe out mayster no further for your doughter is deade What sayde Christ Sayde he not to hym feare not Beleue only and she shall be safe These same wordes onely beleue stande bothe in Marke and Luke What condicion elles then fayth onely in Christes promysse can Wynchester fynde to enioye the effecte of Christes passion Christ all condicions elles set a syde only faith mencioned saide Thy fayth hath saued the. What condicion elles then faith dydde Chryste requyre of the chyldes father prayenge hym to caste the euyll spyryte oute of his sonne Added he any thynge elles then faithe sayenge If thou canste beleue all thynges are possible to the beleuer Awaye Wynchester with your confuse comberouse condycyon fonde fulfyllynges and your craftie knowledge and abuse not the preciouse gyfte of fayth to serue your synful affectes to proue your blasphemouse coÌ„clusion But yet perchauÌ„ce Wynchester wyll aunswere to my former questyon that when he beholdeth the forgyuenes of his synnes in Christes passyon he seeth also therwith his condicion well be it so Then aske I hym whether the forgyuenesse of his synnes there beholden and hym selfe hearynge Chryste callynge and cryeng Comme vnto me Wynchester laden with synnes and I shall ease the whether I saye it is moore profitable for hym by fayth to sette holde â–ª of the forgyuenes of his synnes nowe offered hym by christ that can not lye or to tarye and sende him worde that he wyll fyrste knowe and fulfyll his condicion A wyse man wolde thynke it moost profitable to sette holde firste by faith vpon his iustificacion frely now offered hym and to take the thynge certeyne and present rather then so precyous a gyfte neglected to labour in an vncertayne condycyon For yf his condicion be the workes of the lawe as he wyll not denye it whiche it is impossible for any flessh to fulfyll as Paule affirmeth and al our best workes are infected with Adams byrth poison stayned lyke the sycke womans clothes as Isai saith And if Wynchester I say tary tyl he hathe fulfylled his condicion he shall come to short of his iustification in Christ For ere he beginneth to ful fyll the condicion he is disobedient to christes callinge and refuseth the forgiuenes of his sinnes of which vnfaith fâ—ll disobedience what so euer dede foloweth it is synne yea and that a greuouse synne as Samuel exaggerateth it vnto kinge Saule albeit he dyd it as they say of a good intent Vvynto HItherto I haue touched your blynde malyce to improue my wordes onely because they were myne For they haue no thinge in them but that myght be spoken of one that wold mainteine your owne opinion Neyther Barnes ne his scoolefelowe dyd euer varye with me in them For they be principilles so true and euident as they can haue no contradiction of hym that is not vnshamefast And when I say this fayth commeth
that he hath begotten his sonne the seconde person in trinitie if we shall in that verbe genuit hath begotten coÌ„sider tyme as we do in an other scrypture Abraham genuit Isaac AbrahaÌ„ hath begotton Isaac we shoulde saye whiche were folysshe that god the father was before God the sonne as Abraham was before Isaac but in one place the verbe signifieth the acte without tyme when we speake of god and in the other the acte with tyme. So as when the scripture telleth vs God hath chosen god hath predestinate god hath forseen al god hath knowen all before the begynnynge of the worlde here these verbes hath chosen hathe predestinate hath sene hath knowen do declare these actes in god to be most perfyt but not any such time to passe as man dreameth of for these actes in god be without tyme and aboue tyme and so is sygnified vnto vs by those wordes before the begynnynge of the worlde when was no tyme which wordes neuerthelesse mans curiouse wyt vsed to an other significatioÌ„ to gather of them that those actes be past in god as done before the begynnynge of the world where as in deede albeit those actes of prouydence election and predestinacion were in god most perfytte then before the begynnynge of the world yet they were not in God past then for past signifieth an effluxioÌ„ of tyme whiche is not in god who is eternall The vnlerned arrogant reader wyl here waxe angry that I shuld go about An obiection by sophistry as he wold call it to entangle plaine wordes and to make hym beleue that before the begynnynge of the world is not yet past then he wyll go lustly forth to proue me a foole yf the begynnynge of the worlde be not yet past then the worlde is yet to begyn And then you maister Ioye wil percase extende the matter further and say If I be let alone I wyll proue by sophistrye and iuggelynge that nothinge is past and in dede if the begynning of the worlde be not past nothing to vs is past for in the worlde we be comprehended But I say and affirme the begynnynge of the world is past Then wyll you reason thus That whiche is before that is past that is much more paste As yf noon be past much more the mornynge of that daye is paste But I graunt that the beginning of the worlde is past ergo all that was before it is much more past And then further ye wyl reason thus The electioÌ„ of god was before the beginninge of the world as faynt Paule sayth ergo the election of god is more then past as done before the beginning of the world which is past An aunswer To this I aunswer that wheÌ„ ye go about to measure gods workes with our wordes ye come shorte for oure speache can not expresse ne oure thought coÌ„prehend the ciruÌ„stance of gods worke nether in tyme nor place And Gregory Nazianzene wysely noteth and also deuoutly that if god coulde be throughlye comprehended of man either in his thought or vnderstandyng god were not superior to man For what so euer is comprehended is lesse then that comprehendeth it therefore we must confesse truly that god comprehendeth all and is in no wyse holly comprehended So much as scripture telleth vs of god and his workes wroughte in tyme or aboue all time so much we knowe illuminate by faythe but when we wyll by our consideration after the measure of oure owne vnderstandynge by thinges within the compasse of oure creacion whiche in dede passe in tyme esteme goddes doynges before tyme and call them past also because they be before the beginning of the worlde we deceyue our selfe as muche as if in consyderatyon of place we shoulde speake of god as we speake of men that because God is here he is not there whyche no man is so madde to saye because God is euery where And as man by participation of goddes gyft may in his thoughte and memorye represente thinges paste with them that be presente withoute distaunce of tyme. And a man with his eye withoute dystaunce of place or tyme in the action of seynge conioyne together at ones thynges whyche in them selfe be one farre frome an other as I maye see houses standynge one .v. or .x. myle beyond an other and shyppes saylynge one before and one behynde an other a great dystaunce and yet they be all together at ones in the action of my syghte So god who hath giuen man these giftes beinge of hym selfe in his knowledge and actions most excellent doth with his eye se that is in the worlde before and after wythoute anye before or after in his knowledge and lykewyse worketh wythoute tyme that is to saye choseth and predestinateth without anye before or after paste or to come whiche be onely distinctions of tyme. And yet we maye not gather hereof in goddes workes a confusion â—oddes worâ—s be moost â—derlye but â—e can not â—nceyue the â—der as they all done â—ost iustely â—t we caÌ„not â—scusse hys â—stice but beleue that all his workes haue such ordre in them as we can not atteine And lerne this lesson of humilitie that gods secrete workes excede our capacitie and may not therefore be measured by our language For as the gentile philosopher saied of whome Gregorye Nazianzene speaketh in his worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is hard he said to knowe god throughly but impossible to expresse god in language Wherein he noteth the colorable speache of the philosopher to hyde his owne ignoraunce as though he knewe more of god then he could expresse where in god and his workes the tongue and harte be bothe imperfyt and neyther sufficient in that behalfe and specyally the tongue and therefore we maye in no wyse vnderstande the speach in the explycacyon of goddes actes as of men and thynke because it is wrytten God hath chosen and hath predestinate that therefore his choyse and predestination be paste wherevpon to ground our argumentes of before and after past and to come wherewith to deceiue our self Mary when so euer in scripture god knytteth tyme to his workynge that worke muste nedes passe with the time as wheÌ„ we rede howe god hath create the worlde hath destroyed Sodome and Gomor hath ouerwhelmed the worlde with water hath made promysse to Abraham hath cast Adam out of paradyse and suche infinite actes dome in tyme those actes be called past by successe of tyme. But when god putteth no tyme to his workynge but declareth his workynges to be withoute the compasse of tyme it is the faulte of oure curyosytye to compasse suche an acte of God with the termes of past or to come before or after whiche be dystinctions of tyme wherein we should only confesse that god vndoubtedlye doth the acte whiche scrypture affyrmeth god to do and to professe oure ignoraunce of the circumstaunces howe it is done and to be content with the sence of scripture without reasonynge of the wordes The election
receyuinge and reteynynge of that is promised Note that I say not eche manshal but â—ay and also eche man may And therfore the admonitions and exhortacions in scripture to eschewe fallyng and to arise agayne be fruitfullye made to the electe not so as thoughe Thomas electe myght be dampned for that is impossible but so as Thomas speakynge of the same Thomas may be dampned Onely god worketh election and predestinacion and onely god can ioyne theÌ„ truely with Thomas or IohnÌ„ mary Thomas and IohnÌ„ may presume and that waye play the foole to ioyne them selues by suche newe belefe as the deuyll by his postelles frameth now a daies to election and predestinacioÌ„ and saye as one hath sayde to me I know my self predestinate I meruayle where he had learned that lesson beyng yet quycke and quethynge and suche one as myghte fall S. Austen although he knew the lesson very harde and wolde we shulde not searche whome god draweth and whome he draweth not yet in his worke de predestinatione he semeth to giue a forme to lerne predestinacion sayenge Disce excursu predestÃnacÃonem c. So as they that flye vyce and chose vertue and runne in vertue gladlye and ascend frome vertue to vertue they may well be assured that the profyt in vertue is by goddes helpe and grace and when they are in payment of the generall tribute for synne which is corporall death The lessoÌ„ oâ— predestinacion in eche maÌ„ tyll he hath made an end of his course in cunninge at whiche paiement they may say Cursum consummaui they may theÌ„ lyke good scoolers reioyce in the knowledge of the lesson of predestination and acknowledge the election of god in them with a certayne hope and expectation of that is prepared for goddes electe but whiles men be wauerynge in the see of this worlde before they be arryued in the hauen of passage from this lyfe suche talkers and reasoners of goddes election and predestinacion to persuade necessite do it not for any godly fruite but for a worldely lewde pollicie to exclude from sinne both shame and blame to the worlde which twoo amonges manye let and hyndre many carnall pleasures and where necessitie is persuaded can not in dede haue place For who is to be blamed for that he can not eschue â–ª or who shulde be a shamed of that he can not auoyde Wherefore shulde saynt Paule excommunicate the Corrinthian and blame hym for his fornicacion or saynt Peter against Ananie and Saphira his wyfe gyue a sentence of such efficacie as wherevpon shuld folowe corporall death for lyenge wherein they myght haue pleded if necessitie had ben by the lerning of these two chiefe apostelles approued that they did as they were ordered and walked as personnes not chosen but indurate whether necessitie ledde them by god appoynted But the true teachynge of christes churche abhorreth necessitie and yet worshyppeth for moost certayne truthes goddes prouidence election and predestinacion whereby we be taughte that god is auctor of al our helth welth and saluacion the cyrcumstaunce of which workyng in god in his election and predestinacioÌ„ althoughe it be as impossible for mans wit to frame with our choyse and free wyll as to deuise howe a camell shulde passe through the eye of an nedle withoute makyng the nedles eye bygger or the camell lesse yet that is impossible for man is not impossible for god And in that belefe we ought to acquite our selfe and not be ashamed to lerne and confesse ignoraunce in these high misteries wherein an arrogante proude curiouse wit should clerely be put to silence yet neuerthelesse a sobre humble spirite by a deuout searche and consideracion may lerne somewhat wherewith to represse and subdue the temptacioÌ„s of carnall reason euer murmuringe to the contrarie For which purpose all the holy fathers of the greke church and besides saynt Austen other of the latten also haue reuerentlye spoken somewhat of lyght in the matter of election and predestinacion by distincting goddes knowledge from his election as the cause from the effect and thus coÌ„sidered of god That god in his hye counsayle determining to create man he sawe and knew mans fall whiche knoweledge coulde be no cause of thalteration of his decree to create man for then we shulde graunte in god mutabilitie of his decree by his knowledge but there with god decreed to repare and restore that falle in man and by the aboundaunce of his goodnes and by the renouacion of man in his redemption to encrease mans felicitie In which renouacion of man god choseth as he seeth in his diuine prouidence those that shall receyue and vse his gyftes accordynge to his wyl and reproueth them that he seeth before wyl refuse them and worke theyr owne confusion and so predestinateth such as he hath choseÌ„ by whiche ordre gods knowledge is the cause of his election goddes election the cause of his predestination predestinacion the cause of callynge c. After which declaration mans reason coulde not gather that gods knowledge of that is to come shulde more be the cause of that he knoweth before to come after then mannes knowledge to be the cause of that is past whiche by gods gyft man knoweth with god Herein god is not compared with man but aunswer is made to the carnall reason whiche men make amysse of god Gods knowledge they saye is infallible in all thinges that shal be and that is moost true but the infallibilitie is no kynde of cause of the thynge thereby so to be caused to be but onelye an assuraunce that the thynge as it is knowen of God â–ª shall so be God is the cause of all causes and in the creacion of all natures and recreacion of mans nature by grace hathe ordered thinges to moue and worke by theyr immediate speciall causes not all necessarilye but some with interruption and some casuallye and principallye aboue all man by fre choyse of that is offred him by whiche excellent gift man differeth from other creatures Now as god hath ordred the worlde so he most perfytely knoweth it that is to saye that is necessary euen so necessary that is casual casual that is of mannes free choyse as wroughte by mannes free choise And euery thing as it is wrought God knoweth it wroughte knowynge them as doone by the inferioure causes not orderynge them so to be done by his prouydence or infallible knowledge Here reason spoorneth and sayth god myght haue chauÌ„ged it when he sawe it shoulde so be and not haue made man inclineable to fal when he sawe he wolde fall before he made hym Here is a homelye talke of god And hitherto men come when they forget their reuerence and dutye to God to be so perte with god as to controll his workes Nowe men be suffred to loke on gods secrecies they wyll begyn to tell hym howe he myght haue done better But yet he that thus replieth must fyrst confesse that the knowledge of god although it
be infallible yet it is not the cause of all that is knowen for in knowledge god onely seeth moost perfitly the workes of al natures as they be and mannes reason that wolde fynde faulte can not considre goddes knowledge to be in prioritie to goddes decre to create man wherby that knowledge as it folowed and was no cause of it so it coulde be no cause whye to alter it and then carnall reason muste be aunswered as in the lyke a carnall man wold iudge A carpenter that determineth to make a house and therein a doore yf he hadde therewith the gyfte of prophecie to knowe thynges to come and so to se that theues shoulde after go in at that dore and robbe the house wolde ye call in mans reason the carpenter the cause of the robbery because he made the house with a dore at whiche dore he sawe the theues shulde entre If the carpenter were charged in reason therewith and with his knowledge before he wolde for him self say I made a house whiche of conuenience to be a house required a doore and therefore I made the doore not for the theues thabuse it which I sawe wold folowe but for the owner to well vse it and then if the carpenter did therewith before bydde the owner take hede of the daunger lyke to folowe what canne be sayde further to the carpenter who myghte reasonablye alledge yf he shoulde haue made no dore at al he shulde not haue made a coÌ„uenient house for withoute a doore it hadde not ben perfitelye a house Can anye man further replye to this carpenter onlesse a man wolde saye that the carpenter was also after the thefe hym selfe as men wyll not feare to saye of god blasphemouslye that he is the auctoure of euyll Nowe if carnall reason muste nedes admytte this in the carpenter whye shoulde the same reason spurne agaynste God to make hym the cause because when he sawe howe man wolde abuse free wyll which he gaue hym that yet god gaue it hym where the deuyll entred as at the doore and robbed him God gaue man that excellente gyfte of free wyll for an ornamente and a conuenient vse and admonysshed man to beware of the misusynge of it to disobedience gyuynge a lawe to be obserued as matter wherin to exercyse his free wyll If God hadde made man withoute free wyl and immutable he hadde not ben then properly man hauynge mutabilitie to good and euyll as a difference from god a body corporall to differre from aungels and free wyll and free choyce to differre from other beastes vnreasonable And is not he a ioylye workeman that wolde deuyse to haue God doone otherwyse then he hathe or elles because malyce haue wrought in maÌ„ malyce wold take god for immediate cause of all the is done which were abhominable blasphemouse abhominatioÌ„ withoute all reason and agaynste all lerninge God is the superior cause without which nothinge worketh â—ynne is of â—an and the â—uyl and caÌ„â—t be of god â—ho is all â—odnes as lerned men haue discussed it in actu substracto but mans free choyce and the deuyll adde the myschief to euerye acte where any is and be the immediate causes thereof who although they haue god author of their beynge yet he is not author of their noughtines whiche is caused by their corruption engendred in them by their fall from god And thus thou seest good reader that yf reason shulde contende with reason in discussion of goddes workes necessite shuld be excluded and not implyed in goddes prouydence election or predestinacion For god Quos presciuit predestinauit of whiche worde presciuit the holly fathers learned men and deuoutlye learned as afore haue noted goddes election to be accordynge to his knowledge of them who shuld receyue and reteyne with perseueraunce gods giftes Saynte Aâ—gustine in â—sideration â— goddes eleâ—on agreeâ— not througâ—ly with othâ— Mary sainte Austen troubled with the pelagians who for confirmation of their error searched out places of scripture and writhed them violently as heretiques alwaies do to their purpose so extollinge mans endeuor as they dyd iniury to the speciall grace and gyftes of god for auoydynge thencombre of these subtyll heretiques thoughte not necessarie to folow the rest in that poynte whereby to note the cause of goddes election to be any wyse referred to thendeuor of man but only to be in gods wyll whych is most iust and wherein is no acception of persons And yet s Austen doth not so dissent from the other fathers for auoyding the pelagians as he doth any thinge fauour thopinion of them â—aynte Auâ—yne abhorâ—th necessite who nowe a daies by vnderstandynge of those actes of election and predestinacion in god wolde establysh mere necessitie And as for my selfe myndynge to speake of this matter Forasmuche as I haue sene saynt Austen in this poynt dissent from other not with contencion but rather thereby to exclude the matter of argument that myghte serue the Pelagians I haue not made foundacioÌ„ to discusse thelection predestinacion of god after those deuout mens consideration but by declaringe what blyndnes men haue in goddes workyng to put men in remembraunce to worshyp that truth and confesse oure ignoraunce â—ccasion taâ—en of a disaâ—ement in â—mine part â— contemne â—l But somewhat wyll here be gathered by the waye that men dissente from men doctours from doctours fathers froÌ„ fathers and why shulde we then saith your sect regarde men doctours or fathers but all resort to the very fountayne of gods word and thence fetche pure syncere clene vndefiled water and not to resorte to mens puddelles that bâ— myerie troubled and not clene If saynt Austen dare disagre froÌ„ the rest whye may not I disagre from him ê™ you and from the rest also and cleaue onely to goddes worde Gods worde is the lyfe whether shulde we go but thither and there is playnes God sayth he is omnipotent and he sayeth truely He saith he knoweth all and he sayth trulye He sayeth he worketh all in all and he sayeth trulye He sayth I haue made the wycked to the euyl day he sayth truly He sayth there is none euyll in the citie but he hath made and he sayth trulye God sayth he hath indurate the harte of pharao And he sayth trulye And alwaye god sayeth truelye And all men be lyers as Dauyd sayth Filij hominuÌ„ vsquequo diligitis uanitatem queritis mendacium Ye chyldren of men ye loue continually vanitie and searche out lyes Hereunto I wyll say somwhat â—n aunswer that of God here be rehersed manye truthes as they be spoken trulye And yf they were also truely vnderstanded then al were well and playne And they say men be lyers therein they saye also trulye â—en â—e all â—ned to lie â—ut do not in â—ll thynges â—e saynt Peâ—er lyed not â—onfessynge 〈…〉 But yf the scripture affirming men to be lyers shulde be also perpetually verefied in them whom god endueth
inconuenience men haue deuised to say now I beleue not Luther nor Melancton nor Bewcer nor Suinglius nor Ioye nor Turnor And call them for the tyme knaues for Maledictus qui confidâ—t in homine but I beleue ê™ he goddes holy wordes which can not lye as men do And shall I not beleue the wordes of the byble I knowe what edifiethe me thankes be to the lorde of his gyfte my conscyence telleth me what is good and no man shall bringe me from that god teacheth me by his holye spirite Nowe yâ— wyll aske me And is not this well saide Verelye if man were neuer deceyued in the true sence of gods worde and were assured that god in dede taught him by his holye spirite the aunswere were graue but when so many errours are arrisen in the sence of goddes holy worde and the deuyll maye and hath transformed him selfe into the aungell of lyght suche speach in communycacyon is besydes the purpose For men doute not whether goddes holye worde is to be beleued but what is the sence of goddes holye worde And the maner of speache aforesaide beinge so precise serueth rather as ashes to couer fier to kepe an error close then with sobre communication eche man mistrustinge his owne learninge to trye out what other men whose spirite is commeÌ„ded vnto vs haue by one consent lefte written and testified what they vnderstande in the matter Mary you maister Ioye I praye you pardonne me for yf god hath so made you of his secrete counsel that ye can tel what christ thought as ye haue before arrogantly affyrmed ye may speake for so much with more aucthorytie then anye other But let vs considre ones agayne your And I say the contrary for albeit ye saye so in summe yet when ye declare your selfe afterwarde some wolde conster ye sayde otherwyse and that whether ye wyll or no ye agree with me For when ye call penaunce a turnynge to God youre sayenge implyeth that before suche a man as turneth by penaunce dydde by goddes callynge turne that man was out of gods fauour not iustified but turned from God and after that by grace turneth whyche ye call penaunce So as if ye maye be so vnderstanded ye saye that a man beynge a synner maye haue grace to turne The differeÌ„ce yf we vnderstande you thus betwene you and me is that you expresse the worke of penaunce whyche ye call turnynge And I speake of the worke of penaunce in general and yet I haue not contended with you what be the workes of penauÌ„ce And for ought I here of you in the workes of penaunce I shall not contende with you muche but agre with you for all this bablynge that turninge to god is the worke of penaunce so it be a hole turne whereof scripture speaketh with a mannes hole harte in fastinge wepynge and waylynge and as the church hath declared our turnynge shuld be and not halfe a turne as some of your scole teache and amonges all your turnyng Turnor whom god turne into the right waye But afterwarde ye handle your turninge otherwyse wyll so vnderstande your turninge as a synner shulde be iustified before he doth turne wherein you turne the matter so aboute as it is inexplicable for by you a sinner turneth not as your speache purporteth but a man that was a synner now beleuing and iustified hauing his synnes forgeueÌ„ turneth and so he that is turned all ready in iustificacion yet remaynyng thaÌ„ turneth agayn in penaunce and then the seconde turninge shulde be from god yf the turninge in iustificacion were to god as it muste neads be for in remyssyon of synne and iustificacion god turneth man to him And so the playne man whom ye take vpon you to teache playnly wolde vnderstand it For when ye say that a sinner before his turnyng by penaunce beleueth and is iustified that is one turne where he was before from god now to be towardes hym And then if there be yet after a turnynge againe in penaunce that turnynge must nedes be from god For a seconde turne muste nedes be contrarye to the fyrste as a simple man aunswered when one told him the world was turned Then ê™ he all is well for I harde my graundfather saye in his tyme the worlde was turned And then the worlde was nought And therfore by the seconde turne he concludeth it shulde be good For in two turnes one succedinge a nother yf the first be one waye the seconde is a nother And yet you wolde haue a synner fyrst iustified by fayth wherein he is turned to god and then turne by penaunce If ye wolde call me nowe Pelagian bycause I shuld speake as thoughe man myghte turne of him selfe withoute belefe then I wolde saye ye spake as besemethe the person ye mainteyne I haue learned and therafter speake that a sinner can not turne without the grace of god which god dystributeth by degrees as the soÌ„ne sheweth her selfe in the morninge in whom there is encrease by successe tyl the sonne come to the highest at noon Men fall sodenly downe the hyll from god but they be drawen vp the hyll to hym by degrees And the degrees of helth be signified in the miracle of christ of the blynde man to whome christ restored not his perfit syghte at ones but by degrees We preache to meÌ„ to rise in the mornÃng orto iam sole for Vanum est ante lucem surgere and ye bydde men lye styll whyle it be noon that the sonne be at the highest this causeth your fonde stoicall scoole of extremities whiche admytteth no meane I haue bene somewhat mery with you for my owne relefe beinge vexed and weried with your fond talke whiche is suche as maketh onely a coÌ„fusion of that ye speake of without frute or edifienge And yet I can not pretermytte to note somewhat in your iustification which ye declare thus Ioye Now let vs se the order of our iustification before god accordynge to the scriptures Firste sayth Paule we are chosen of god in Chryst before the foundacion of the worlde was layde And when we be borne anewe of the spirite we are called to receyue fayth Ioan. i. and .i. Ioan. v. which gyfte of faith certifyeth vs of our election geuynge vs the knowlege of god the father in and by Christe Whiche knowledge as nothynge can be sayd breiflyer so is there nothynge more excellent sweter more full and perfit holsomer more comfortable and ioyouse For when I knowe god the father in Christe by the holy gost I knowe these .iii. persons to be the onely one God the most hygh goodnes hauynge his beinge of him self and all other creatures to haue their being lyfe and mouynge of hym euen that one alone my very lyuynge God for me and for all sufficient mercyful benygne louyng almyghty to me my delyuerer defender and keper longe suffring iust true my presente sauyoure and forgeuer of my synnes gyuynge me frelye for Christes sake eternall lyfe and beatitude In
to the knowledge of the truth And christ bad preach the gospell to all creatures And god speaketh by Ezechiell that if a synner to whome god had sayde he shulde dye lefte his wickednes and turned to him he shal be saued And when soeuer a synner wayleth his synnes he shall lyue Now these defendours of mere necessitie whyche they do mysvnderstandynge predestinacion they handell all these general places of scrypture as though the speache of God were lyke the common prouerbe when the skye fall we shall haue larkes Vnderstandynge all suche condycyons as impossyble So as when he that is necessitate to be dampned turneth to God he shal be saued But suche one shall neuer turne as the skye shall not fall And so the textes I haue broughte in suche as speake generallye be in theyr iudgementes to no purpose And in deade they them selfes be ouerturned in their owne iudgement For and their opinion were true there neded no preachynge The inconuenience of mere necessitie prayer ministracion of sacramentes or any memory or remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of christ but as the Turkes do ones in a weke tell the people out of the stepyll ye that are predestinate shal be of necessitie saued ye that are not predestinate shal be of necessitie dampned And so an ende of al other serche in that matter whiche hath no alteracion after theyr fansy that dreame of necessitie Here agayne I am lyke to here somwhat that I speake thus lyghtely of predestination I am sorye I haue cause to note mens lyghtnes in such an high mistery â–ª I haue harde one saye vnto me that he knewe him selfe predestinate A maruelouse matter howe they talke of predestinacion beynge a worke of god without vs of vs to be honoured in silence as a great misterie the circumstance wherof our capacities can not comprehende And yet men haue reuerently traueled in the consideracion of it Saynt Augustine hath written a treatice de predestinatione sanctorum And howe so euer men wold wrest him to conferme their opinion of necessitie Necessitie â—xtincteth alâ—owe he him selfe is plaine in the condempnation of necessitie for it doth clearly extinct all vertue and vice and lykewyse heauen and hel when it is throughly thought on with the true opinion of God also and finallye the ordre of the world if it be wel considered You mayster Ioye percace waxe wery of my bablynge as ye wyll terme it wyll aske me what I meane and interrogate me homely what I wold say of predestination and I coulde speake Surely to this tendeth that I haue spokeÌ„ that I wolde predestinacion were honored as it shulde be lesse talked of Predestinacion to be honoured and better vnderstanded so much therof as it hath pleased god to reuele to his churche And for my selfe I note that saynt Augustine expoundyng the sayenge of christ Nemo uenit ad me nisi pater meus traxerit eum in thexposicion thereof saieth Si non traheris ora ut traharis Quem trahat et quem non trahat noli querere si non uis errare No man commeth to me sayeth Christe onles my father draweth hym In the exposition whereof saynt Augustine saith If thou beest not drawen praye that thou mayest be drawen but whome god draweth and whome he draweth not aske not yf thou wylte not erre An argumeÌ„t of mans reason in predestinacion Nowe thus wyll mans reason tumble in this matter If god hath decreed alreadye whom he wyll drawe and whome he wyl not drawe then it is to late to praye to be drawen or not nedefull for god wil drawe as he hath determined and none otherwyse And this reason extendeth to all maner of exhortacions eyther to be not effectuall as to late after predestination or not nedefull as I haue already said Out of this combre I rydde my self easely with suche discussion as I haue redde and learned of men exercised in scriptures whiche is that when we speake of God with distinction of tyme of anye worke done by god out of time we speake improperlye Of that god worketh in time we maye conuenientlye distinct the time we may saye God hath sent his sonne into the world to redeme man for it was in tyme as scripture saieth when the fulnes of tyme was But when we saye god hath predestinate and chosen vs before the begynnynge of the worlde the speache is not hable to expresse the matter and semeth to signifie a tyme paste where in deede there is none past For there is no tyme paste where was no tyme so as we muste acknowledge thimperfitnes of our speache wherin the hollye goost speaketh to imperfitte men And therefore the pretertens rather declareth a perfection in thacte then the passing ouer of the time in the acte Like as in hath glorified and hath iustified in them that be not yet borne we vnderstand not iustificacion glorificacion as an acte past because it is written in the pretertense for then both in iustifieng and glorifieng we must say all is done before the begynnynge of the worlde for the verbes expressynge the actes of iustificacion and gloryfycatyon be put in the pretertense that predestinacioÌ„ is written in And so it we shoulde deduce oure argumentes from the tyme we muste saye that god hath iustified and glorified them at ones with predestinacion whiche were a playne absurdite And yet our imperfitte speache so soundeth as thoughe glorificacion were done with predestinacion And albeit the pretertence signifieth in scripture the tyme to comme as appereth in many places yet in this place quos iustificauit glorificauit the futurtence can not fully expresse that is signified for it is done vs to vnderstande that God whose workes be hydden in secrete and who worketh continually hath from the begynnynge fauoured man and accordyng to his knowledge hath before all tyme elected and predestinate that is to say before the begynnynge of the world and in tyme hath called doth cal and shall call hath iustified doth iustifie and shal iustify hath glorified doth glorify and shall glorifie his electe and predestinate in suche measure as his pleasure hath appoynted I do not here go about good reader blasphemouslye to depraue the scripture The phrase of scripture conceyued by the holy gost and to fynde fault at that whiche can not be better spoken beinge the penne as we truely and certenlye beleue directed by the holy goost but to note vnto the howe the holye goost hath expressed the workynge of god in our saluacion in suche a part of speache as mighte signifie in the same speache a thing moost assured whiche is the pretertence for to our vnderstaÌ„ding that is moost assured to be that is past and yet with god that shal be is in like assurednes as that is alredy done And therefore when we go aboute to descant in scripture tyme whych was not by that scripture sygnyfyed vnto vs we then fall streighte in errour As when we rede wrytten of god the father