his name among all nations Luk. 24. Ioh. 3. that whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne should not perish but haue euerlasting life By this precept there is no difference made of any nations De vocat gent. lib 2. cap. 1. or any men Vnto all men is the Gospell of the crosse of Christ sent who hath excepted no man hath separated no man because of his stocke or condition saying Preach the Gospell to euery creature he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned Hereupon the Lord in the Gospell cryeth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie Matth. 11. and I wil refresh you In which words one thing is commanded and another thing is promised Let vs doe what hee commandeth let vs goe all to the Lord and follow him so we shall haue what he hath promised For he casteth not foorth but receiueth and refresheth such as come vnto him In the meane while who shal come and who shall not come he doth know of whom the Sonne witnesseth Ioh. 6.44 No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Whosoeuer therfore hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth vnto me For men as Augustine discusseth that place preach outwardly and beate into the eares the sound of words and so men doe heare of men But that they vnderstand it is giuen inwardly it shineth inwardly it is reuealed inwardly by him who giueth increase Aug. tract 26. in Ioh. pluribus tract 3. in 1. Ioh. And Prosper lib. 2. cap. 9. de vocat gent. saith They who come are directed by the helpe of God they who come not resist through their owne obstinacie Lastly learned interpreters do admonish All taken for all sorts or kinds and the examples of phrases in the Scriptures confirme that the particle All often times ought to bee expounded not for a thing simplie vniuersall but indefinite so that All doth note whatsoeuer and rather All kinds or sorts then all particulars of euerie kinde So Augustine tract 53. in Ioh expounding that saying I will draw all vnto me when I am exalted By all saith he all the predestinate vnto saluation may be rightly vnderstood of all whom nothing shall perish Or certainly saith he all that is all kinds of men whether in all tongues or in all ages or in all degrees of men and whatsoeuer other thing can be spoken according to the innumerable differences whereby excepting onely sinnes men doe differ among themselues from the highest vnto the lowest from the king vnto the beggar I will draw all vnto me This maner of speech he at large teacheth Enchir. ad Laurent cap. 103. and de Correp gratia cap. 14. In both places hee bringeth this Luk. 11.42 Ye tithe mint and rew and all herbes For saith he the Pharisees did not tithe all strange herbes of all strangers through all lands but by all herbes wee must vnderstand all kind of herbes And many places agreeable to this kinde of speech doe meete vs in the Scriptures Matth. 4.23 and 10.1 as that Christ and his Apostles healed all sicknes and disease in the people and all that were possessed with the deuill Act. 10.38 And that all foure footed beasts and creeping things were shewed to Peter in the sheete that was let downe from heauen Act. 10.12 Act. 20.27 and 21.2 Ephes 3.9 And that Paul shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of God That he taught all the Iewes euery where not to circumcise their sonnes and which is more that he hath made cleere to all men c. and that wee are commanded to shew all gentlenes to all men that is to whomsoeuer Tit. 3.2 Infinite such like places there be which euery where meet them that search the holie Scriptures What is more harsh and inconuenient then for a man to vrge precisely the vniuersall particle in such places And that no man should marueile at this our speech let a man weigh these kind of speeches also All Iudea went out to Iohn Baptist Mark 5. Matth. 10. Ioh. 16. 2. Tim. 1. and all were baptized in Iordan Ye shall be hated of all men for my name All that shall kill you shall thinke they serue God All in Asia are turned from Paul Here the meaning is not that all the Iewes none excepted came to Iohn and were baptized of him but many euerie where out of all Iewrie And vnles the same figures Synecdoche be applied to other sayings monstrous and strange interpretations will arise Those we shall auoide by obseruing the maner of the Scripture whereof August epist 59. saith It is the maner of the Scripture to speake so of a part as of the whole which custome of diuine Scripture spersed vsuallie throughout all the bodie of the doctrine of it whosoeuer shall diligently marke shall plainly vnderstand many things which seeme to be contrarie one to another What should be then the cause that a man should not according to the vsuall custome of the Scriptures here also expound the vniuersall note All after the like maner to wit that Christ died for all that is speaking of the efficacie of redemption for whomsoeuer that rightly and without any hainous offence it bee referred not so well to euery one as vnto all sorts of men of whom without doubt the vniuersalitie of the elect doth consist But of the whole matter by setting downe a new principle it seemeth we must more diligently intreate THE SECOND BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION CONSISTING IN CONFVTATION CHAP. I. A transition vnto the examination of the arguments of the Aduersarie and the distribution of them into certaine rankes or orders THose things being briefelie laied open which we thought good first to handle touching the summe of the controuersie let vs now goe to examine the arguments particularly whereupon the Aduersarie resteth for the defence of his opinion afterward also we will confirme our opinion by fit testimonies and reasons of the sacred Scriptures Therefore that Christ dyed for all Adams posteritie not one at all excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde and so truely that he hath satisfied for the sinnes of all efficiently as they say and not sufficiently onely and that all whether they doe beleeue or not beleeue or neuer will beleeue are equallie by the death of Christ from sinne and damnation redeemed restored into the bosome of grace iustified quickened and lastly saued they indeuour to proue and conuince by a threefold order or ranke of reasons The first order containeth those reasons wherein vniuersalitie is expresselie set downe The second produceth such arguments as speake expresselie of reprobates and testifieth if we beleeue them that Christ died no lesse effectuallie for them then for Peter Paul and euery Saint The third ranke hath wonderfull as they say absurdities which they would make to follow of the contrarie opinion The
which is commonly called the kingdome of power Psal 145. wherein the vngodly euery one with the deuils are comprehended But the faithfull be that kingdome of grace which is here vnto the end of the world albeit not from hence because we are strangers in the world and it hath the tares mingled with it vnto the haruest saith Augustine tract 115. in Ioh. As touching the parable of the strong armed man Luk. 11. albeit I denie not that he may be said to be cast euē out of the world as farre forth as after the passion of Christ people through the whole world beleeued as before Augustine declared yet he is not described as altogether cast out of the house that is the world but as bound rather therein Neither be al his armour all men but it is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete harnesse in Greeke out of the which Satan is so stripped by that strong man that came vpon him that without his becke he cannot so much as moue himselfe And whereas the vncleane spirit is said to returne into him from whom he went out that commeth to passe because many renounce the deuill more in tongue then in heart and in a true faith and vnder the cloke of religion they are secretly euill whom it is no maruell that we see to fall againe and that their last end is worse then their beginning See Augustine in Psal 48. There is another place Esay 53. Esay 53. We all as sheepe haue gone astray and euery one hath turned aside into his owne way and the Lord hath laid the iniquities of vs all vpon him Therefore the sinnes of all men whether they beleeue or not beleeue are satisfied purged in very deed by the sacrifice of Christ Vnto the antecedent is answered that the words of the text may bee taken as the voice of the faithfull the Prophet in his owne and in the person of such as are like him speaking of vs all as in Paul also Abraham is called the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and Ierusalem the mother of vs all Certainly Augustine de peccasorum merit remiss lib. 1. The true meaning of vs all in the words of Esay 53. cap. 27. writeth thus It is the voice of all the members of Christ wee all as sheepe haue gone astray and he was giuen for our sinnes Likewise S. Peter applieth this place of the Prophet vnto the faithfull saying 1. Epist 2. Ye were as sheepe going astray but ye are returned vnto the pastor and bishop of your soules And certainly that confession We all haue gone astray like sheepe is not the propertie of men that perseuere and abide in sinnes to say nothing that it is spoken in the time past we haue gone astray as of men conuerted alreadie vnto the shepheard of their soules And it is a very childish cauill that the aduersarie would haue the words not to be spoken of the vniuersalitie onely of the faithfull because the hearers of Esay were not all faithfull For this was no let but the Prophet in those words might expresse the benefit of grace which belongeth vnto the vniuersalitie of the faithfull What shall wee say of Paul had he onely the faithfull about him or is he heard or read at this day of the elect onely And yet nothing fearing such captious wresting he writeth as of the faithfull and elect the father of vs all the mother of vs all Secondly though we graunt that the iniquities of all men were laid vpon Christ we denie the consequence that therfore by the sacrifice of Christ the sinnes of all be in very deed clensed and that all are iustified and receiued into grace For to the entent that the sacrifice and merit of Christ may profit vs to righteousnes and grace before God we neede application by faith Rom ◠Heb. 11. For being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God and without faith it is impossible to please God Herevpon it is added in Esay My righteous seruant by the knowledge of him shall iustifie many and he shall beare their iniquities Albeit therefore he hath borne the sinnes of all by sufficiencie yet properly they bee accounted his redeemed ones in whom the true knowledge or faith of Christ shineth But of this place more in the next booke following There is obiected besides that which the Lorde saith Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquities of this earth or land in one day But it may bee vnderstoode of Iudea that being at one with his people he will at length deliuer them from the vexations and molestations of their enemies which hitherto they haue indured while God was angrie with their sinnes Which exposition that restraint which is added confirmeth of this earth Further if we like better to expound it of the whole earth there will be the same sense which was before in the sayings of the redemption and attonement of the world Apoc. 13. Certainely Apoc. 13. It is read that the whole earth followed the beast Yet it cannot bee thence inferred that all and euery man in the whole world haue fallen from God and that Christ hath not had his Church remayning among mankind Further Huber th 179. Gen. 12. 23. there is brought forth the promise made to Abraham Gen 12. and 23. In thy seede all the Nations of the earth shall bee blessed Where the aduersarie will haue that blessed seede to be meant of all men without exception This that he may wrest out he expoundeth all Nations euery one of all Nations But whether should we beleeue Huber or Paul the Apostle of Iesu Christ Therefore of faith is the inheritance saith Paul Rom. 4. that it may be sure to the whole seede not to that only which is of the Law All Nations taken for the faithfull in all Countries but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations And Rom. 9. Not they that are the sonnes of the flesh are the sonnes of God but the children of promise are counted for the seede And the same sense he at large repeateth Gal. 3. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Nations through faith preached the Gospell before to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Therefore they which are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham What either ignorance then or malice is it to gainesay so plainely the exposition of the Apostle and shamefullie to reuile them as enemies of that blessed seede who by seede doe vnderstand with Paul the faithfull euery where of all Nations and countries Paul then is an enemie of that seede Fie vpon that Augustine is an enemie tract 1. in primam Ioh. Ambrose in Luc. lib. 3. and the whole companie of the fathers But by all nations euery one of all nations doe follow vniuersally This glosse doth not alwaies
things are not done vnlesse God doe permit them Whereupon saith he after this sorte it is not inconuenient that God hath predestinated euill things while he correcteth not euill men and their euill workes but he is said more specially to foreknowe and predestinate good things because he maketh them both to be and to be good but in euill things he causeth onely that they essentially be and not that they be euill Fulgent lib. 1. ad Mon. Contrariwise Fulgentius in his first booke to Monimus where plentifully and of purpose hee handleth this question defineth Sinnes are foreknowne but not predestinate to be done yet punishment for â—â—â—e is predestinate of God that the good and righteous God foreknew surely the sinnes of men because nothing that was to come could be hid from him yet that he predestinated no man to sinne This opinion he confirmeth by the definition of predestination which in his iudgement is nothing else than the preparation of the workes of God or the mercifull and iust disposition of a diuine worke that should come to passe Seeing therefore that iniquitie pertaineth not to the worke of God which he knoweth how to punish and not to commit it will follow of the definition already brought that a man is not predestinated of God to commit sinnes Hee bringeth also his reason That sinners should be vniustly punished of God if by his will they should sinne as being predestinated of him to sinne Aug. de pred sanâ—â— cap. 10. How predâ—stination and foreknowledge differ Further he citeth Augustine and Prosper to be of the same minde For Augustine in that notable worke that hee wrote of the predestination of Saints chap. 10. distinguishing betweene Gods foreknowledge and Predestination saith Predestination cannot be without foreknowledge but foreknowledge may bee without predestination How predestination foreknowledge differ For by predestination God foreknew the things that he would do but he was able to foreknow euen the things that he doth not as all sinnes For albeit some things are so sinnes that they be also punishments of sinnes yet here sinne belongeth not to God but iudgement The same man vnto the Articles falsely laid to his charge Art 7.8 9. quibusdam seq when the Pelagians spitefully traduced the doctrine of predestination as though hee would make God the author of sinnes refuting that detestable and abominable blasphemy at large thus writeth The Lords predestination is neuer without goodnes neuer without iustice for all the waies of the Lord are mercie and trueth And the holy deitie liked not to prepare the adulteries of matrones and the deflouring of maidens but to condemne them nor to appoint them but to punish them And in the same place Gods predestination hath not stirred vp moued or caused the falls of them that perish nor the malice of wicked men nor the iniquities of sinners but he hath altogether predestinated his iudgement whereby he will render to euery one as he hath done be it good or euill which iudgement should not be if men should sinne by the will of God Also There is no predestination of God for the transgression of the law and the committing of any kinde of sinne It is sufficient to know that the standing of things bee of him and that the ruines of things bee not of him neither doth it follow as they that obiect such things suppose that God hath taken away repentance from them to whom he hath not giuen it and that he hath throwne them downe whom he hath not lifted vp seeing it is one thing to make guiltie an innocent person which is farre from God another thing not to haue pardoned a wicked man which belongeth to the desart of a sinner Againe Aug. Hypognost 6. The rule of this matter in question must surely bee maintained which is cleere by diuine testimonies that sinners in their owne euils are foreknowne onely Ad 14. obiect Gallorum Why infidelity commeth not of predestination but punishment is predestinated for them Hereunto Prosper a learned and godly man consenteth The infidelitie of such as beleeue not the Gospell is not bred of Gods predestination For God is the author of good things and not of euill And in his answere to the 15. obiection God only foreknew and did not also predestinate those things which should not haue from him the cause of their working To the same purpose did the Councell of Araus determine in their last canon And as for Anselme he disagreeth not so much in sense as in words from the things which these fathers write iudge seeing hee vsed the word predestination in a more generall signification for preordination making it all one to predestinate and to decree that a thing should be And now there is nothing at all done Marke this that the Lord is vnwilling with all yet so that we know that good things are done by his assistance and working euill things are permitted he giuing them ouer and ordaining and directing them to such good ends as it pleaseth him And this is it that Fulgentius also writeth that God surely is not the author of euill thoughts Lib. 1. ad Mon. yet that he is the ordainer of euill wils and that he doth not cease to worke some good of the euill worke of euery euill man Obiection Some man may say that the elect are predestinate not onely to glorie but also to righteousnesse to wit to faith and good workes Therefore also that the reprobates may seeme to be predestinate both to sinne and to punishment Answere Answ Election and reprobation doe agree in this that as election is the preparation of glory so reprobation is the preparation of punishment Thom. in 9. ad Rom. lect 1. but they differ that election importeth the preparation of faith and good workes whereby a man commeth to glorie How election and reprobation agree and differ but reprobation doth not import a preparation of sinnes whereby a man commeth to punishment Wherefore this onely followeth seeing the elect are predestinated to faith and repentance that they may be holie and blameles before God that the reprobates are not predestinated to the same grace Obiection But the hardening of reprobates is predestinated of God And that is sinne Therefore some sinne is predestinated of God Answere The answere to this obiection is manifest by those things that haue been spoken For the hardening of reprobates is so sinne that withall it is also the punishment of sinne and it so faire forth pertaineth to Gods predestination because it is not farre from the working of it For those things that bee so sinnes that withall they be also punishments of sins in them not sinne but Gods iudgement pertaineth to Gods predestination as I haue shewed out of Augustine CHAP. XIX That predestination is stedfast and vnmoueable THe fourth part of this whole treatise The necessitie of predestination is vnmoueable according to the diuision set downe in
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
taught to the common people in sermons may easily bee confuted For it becommeth vs not to bee wiser than Christ himselfe his holy Apostles and Prophets who all haue freely witnessed to learned and vnlearned the true doctrine of predestination how hard soeuer it may seeme to the flesh As for example Christ said Many are called and few chosen And again Al that the father giueth me coÌ„meth vnto me My sheep heare my voyce but you beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe Paul certainly not in a corner but publikely and before the whole world saith It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that sheweth mercie c. And againe God willing to make knowne his goodnes c. All these things forsooth are such if wee beleeue these moderators as nothing can be spoken more vnprofitably Marke this speech if the â—â—â—tiâ—oâ— well But say I If God will haue such things spoken and published abroad and that it is not to bee respected what may follow or what carnall wisedome shall inferre thereupon who art thou O man that doest forbid them As who say thy creator shall learne of thee his creature what is profitable what is vnprofitable to be preached Or what shall seeme tolerable in the iudgement of men vnskilfull surely I will not say commonly most vngodly that onely shall be profitable and what is contrariwise that shall straight be reputed vnprofitable and pernicious What is more foolish than to make Gods word so subiect to the pleasure of men Let rather the whole earth bee silent before the Lord and let all the inhabitants of the earth reuerence the words of his mouth CHAP. XXVII That the doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessary with the answers to such obiections as haue been made against it Obiection WHat profit then or what necessity moueth men to publish such things seeing so many euils and offences seeme to arise from thence to the troubling of the hearts of such as be simple and vnlearned Answere I answere It were sufficient to say because so it pleased God in whose will we must simply rest ascribing the glorie to him that seeing he is most wise and most iust he doth no man wrong â— Cor. 1. and cannot doe any thing foolishly and rashly whatsoeuer the flesh supposeth For the foolishnes of God is wiser than men and likewise the vnrighteousnes of God is more righteous than men With this answere the godly are content Yet for the greater confusion of this error alreadie ouerthrowne Predestination is profitable and necessarie to be taught The 1. reason and that we may be the more instructed in the trueth I will briefly shew it not onely to bee profitable but also necessary that the doctrine of predestination be taught and preserued among Christian people And first it is profitable and necessarie for this cause that the true God may be rightly knowne as he reuealeth himself in his word that is to say how that he hath mercie on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will and of the same lumpe maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that is he hath decreed to bestow vndeserued grace vpon vessels of mercie prepared of himselfe by whom being seuered from the corrupt and damnable lumpe of mankinde they might be saued while the rest in the same masse of perdition are forsaken and shall bee condemned for sinne whereof the one belongs to his mercie the other to his iustice whose iudgement mercie the Church often singeth Psalm 101. Dan. 4.32 Rom 9. Matth. 20. De ser arbit cap. 143. And who is he that may say vnto him why dost thou so Shall the pot say to the potter why doest thou make me thus Hath not the pottter power ouer the clay Is thine eye euill because the Lord is good Such a God doth the sacred Scripture declare vnto vs. But God being spoyled as Luther auoucheth of power and wisedome to chuse what shall he be but an Idoll of fortune by whose power all things should come to passe at all aduentures And at length it will come to this that men are saued and damned God not knowing it as one that hath not appointed by a sure election such as shall be saued and shall be damned but offering to all his generall goodnes and mercie hath left it at mens pleasures whether they will bee saued or damned while he in the meane space perchance goeth to the Ethiopians banket as Homer speaketh of his Iupiter The doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessarie to be preached to know the grace of God against the â—elagians The 2. reason and Semipelagians and so to humble vs that he that glorieth may glorie in the Lord. Augustine saw this when he sayd Either predestination must so be preached as the sacred Scripture euidently speaketh of it De bono perseu cap. 16. that the gifts and calling of God in them that bee predestinate may be without repentance or els it must bee confessed that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which sauoureth of Pelagianisme And in the next chapter Exhortations are not hindred if faith and perseuerance and good workes themselues be said to be Gods gifts and that foreknowne that is predestinated to be freely giuen but rather that dangerous error is hindered and subuerted by the preaching of predestination when the grace of God is sayd to be giuen according to our merits that he that glorieth may glorie not in the Lord but in himselfe Hereupon the same father chapter 20. of the same booke testifieth that he was vrged of necessitie to write largely of predestination because of the Pelagians who sayd that the grace of God was giuen according to our merits which thing saith he is nothing els than a flat deniall of grace The opinion of the Pelagians The Pelagians imagined that grace was offered indifferently to all men and that in respect of God eternall life was prepared for all but that it was in the power of men to refuse or receiue grace and saluation offered And that some are saued because they imbrace grace as of themselues and through their owne free will And that others be damned because when they may yet they will not receiue grace when it is offered What other thing is this than to make warre both against grace and predestination The doctrine of the Semipelagians Now such among them as would seeme more moderate and did not so much make a shew of Pelagianisme as secretly and a farre off onely follow it as those reliques of the Pelagians of whom Prosper and Hilarie write did confesse surely that no man is sufficiently able of himselfe euen to begin any good worke much lesse to performe it the nature of man is so ouerthrowne but they would haue yet some endeuour and will which onely may seeke after the Phisition and is not able of it selfe to doe any thing to remaine in
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
that the Caluinists both dissemblingly and plainly denie that Christ suffered and died for all men But in the very entrance as it is said they run on ground fastning vpon vs a false opinion against which afterwards they perpetually fight For we willingly acknowledge these maner of speeches 1. Iohn 2. 1. Tim. 2. That Christ is made the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world and hath giuen himselfe the price of redemption for all men For who can denie that which the Scripture would haue to bee expressed in so many words But the question is of the meaning of the words For as hee shall not escape the note of impudencie who shall denie what the Scripture expresseth so wee are to take heede least not vnderstanding what is written we should thinke there is some repugnance in the Scripture For the same Canonicall Scripture which saith that Christ died for all and so maketh redemption after a sort common to all doth restraine in other places the proprietie of redemption vnto the Church The words of Paul are Ephes 5. Christ loued his Church and gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it and present it glorious vnto himselfe And in the same place Christ is the head of the Church and the Sauiour of the bodie And 1. Tim. 4. He is called the Sauiour of all men but specially of the faithfull Also Heb. 9. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Of which called also that is rightly taken which is read in the end of the same chapter Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many What doth not Christ in his solemne intercession pray for his owne expressely and not for the world I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. saith he but for them whom thou hast giuen me Now the intercession and sacrifice of Christ for vs be inseparable parts of his priesthood Other testimonies of this sort I conceale which shall be produced in their place Therefore seeing the holy Scripture here as elsewhere requireth not contentious disputers but vnderstanding readers the ancient fathers for the explication of these Of the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie Aquinas haue vsed the distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie Thomas Aquinas the best schooleman who florished 300. yeares agoe vpon the 5. chapter of the Apocalyps writeth of this matter thus Of the passion of the Lord saith he we speake after two sorts either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all For it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all Of the meaning of the sufficiencie of Christs death although there had been many worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. cur Deus homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so all are not redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not vnto the redeemer and therefore all haue not the efficacie of redemption The same man part 3. summae quaest 1. artic 3. when he had said that Christ came to blot out all sinnes expounding himselfe he addeth these words Not that the sinnes of all men are blotted out which is through the fault of men who cleaue not to Christ but because he exhibited that which was sufficient to haue abolished all sins Whereunto also may be referred the things which he writeth quaest 49. art 1.3.5 Christ hath deliuered vs saith he as his members from sinnes and his passion hath his effect in them who are incorporated into him as the members into the bodie and so are partakers of his passion But such as are not ioyned vnto the passion of Christ can not receiue the effect thereof But let vs heare others also more ancient then Thomas Innocentius 3. Innocentius 3. Pope of Rome Anno Dom. 1200. repeating the same distinction lib. 2. de officio Missae cap. 41. saith The blood of Christ was shed for those only that are predestinated as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie For the shedding of that righteous blood was so rich in price that if the vniuersalitie of captiues would beleeue in their redeemer the tyrannicall bands of sinne and Satan could withhold none because as the Apostle saith where sinne abounded there grace did superabound This later whole sentence is Pope Leos Epist 83. and 97. which seeing Innocentius alleadgeth Leo. he sheweth apparantly that Leo was of the same minde Vnto these that is not much vnlike which Basil writeth in Psal 48. Basill Man cannot giue a propitiation for himselfe to God yet one worthie price was found out for all men euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs all And that he speaketh of the sufficiencie and dignitie of the price it appeareth by the words themselues and by that which he faith elsewhere very oftē respecting the effect that the blood of Christ was shed not for all men without exception but for many Chrysost Theoph. that is for the beleeuers Chrysostome also and Theophilact who abridged him acknowledge the same distinction as we shall see Augustine Moreouer Augustine the chiefest of the ancient sound writers doth not onely acknowledge that distiction but also doth expound it largely Tom. 7. answering vnto Articles that were falsely fathered vpon him whereof the first was that he was reported to maintaine that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men But he distinguisheth after this maner As touching the greatnes and might of the price saith he and as touching the onely cause of mankind the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are well said to bee redeemed Yet because all are not pulled out of captiuitie and many are not redeemed the proprietie of redemption without doubt belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and now are not the members of the deuill but of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that euen they should appertaine vnto the redemption of it who should not bee regenerated but so that what was done by one example for all should be magnified in euery one by one sacrament giuen vnto them This is as much as if he had sayd As touching the sufficiencie of the price the redemption belongeth to all but as touching the effect it belongeth not to all but to the members only of Christ And anone he setteth out the matter by a similitude saying Augustines similitude The cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine power hath power in it selfe to profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good The new writers also allow this distinction as vsuall very ancient and profitable in this poynt diligently to be retained Stapulensis vpō the 5. to the Romanes Stapulensis similitude declaring the matter by a similitude saith As light is able to driue away infinit darknes
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
all things wherein there is found such consent ought to be blotted out of Christian Religion as erronious false foolish Turkish and heathenish As for example the Turkish religion acknowledgeth one God Almightie creator of heauen and earth also it teacheth that Christ the sonne of Marie was sent of God whose precepts euery seruant of the Gospell in iudging ought to follow and such like Therefore let Huber denie that there is one God let him denie him to be Almightie let him denie him to be the Creator of all let him denie Christ to be the sonne of Marie let him denie him to be sent of God let him denie his precepts to be kept of Christians and such like things least hee seeme to haue some thing in common with the Turkes Lastly let him goe on his head because the Turkes goe a foote And if this be ridiculous it is more than Turkish furie and madnes to condemne this proposition as Turkish A true godly proposition though the Turkes teach the same in effect That God is able surely to saue all men but he will not because he hath otherwise from euerlasting decreed What the Alcoron teacheth of this or not teacheth we nothing passe who haue not learned to draw the truth out of the stinking puddles of men but out of the cleere fountaines of Israel and we doe stand onely vnto the iudgement of the diuine Scriptures And they teach vs that God hath mercy vpon whom hee will Exod. 33. and hardeneth whom he will and that he hath raised vp Pharao Rom. 9. and by his example generally vessels of wrath conioyned vnto destruction and doth daily raise vp that in them he may shew his power and wrath as contrariwise he hath prepared vessels of mercie vnto glory that he might make knowne the riches of his glorie What that the Iudge at the last day shall say vnto them that shall be at his left hand Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. prepared for the diuell and his Angels Doe these things obscurely testifie if we would rather follow the iudgement of the spirit than of the flesh that albeit God is able to saue all yet he will saue some surely of the damnable masse of mankind and damne others according to the eternall counsell of his will A Dilemma prouing that some are saued and others damned and that by the will of God Further seeing it is without all doubt that some shall be saued and some damned it must needes be done either with or against the will of God Not against his will for so he should not be omnipotent therefore with his will and because he willeth it therefore from euerlasting he willeth it vnles we would thinke that God doth any thing by chance or rashly or else that some new thing falleth into his prescience and will Aug. Enchâ—r ad Laur. cap. 103. Augustine confirmeth this reason We are by no meanes to beleeue saith he that the Almightie God would haue any thing done which is not done because without any alteration or change he hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and earth Psalm 115.4 as the truth declareth and therefore certainely he would not doe whatsoeuer he hath not done The same man saith De cor grat cap. 14. No free will resisteth God when he is willing to saue for so to will and to be vnwilling is in the power of the willer or niller A notable saying that it hindreth not the diuine will nor doth ouercome his power For concerning those men who doe the things that God willeth not he himselfe doth what he will Luther Luther also in praefat ad Rom. plainely writeth That all things depend of predestination who shall beleeue who not who shall be saued who damned And addeth that which I leaue to be diligently obserued of the aduersaries that the sentence is stable and the necessitie immoueable of predestination that it cannot be changed nor ouerthrowne of any creature But chiefely in his booke de seruo Arbitrio he confesseth it at large that the saluation of some and the damnation of others doe wholy arise from hence that God will haue some saued and others damned according to that saying of Paul He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth And as touching the reprobates he expressely writeth chap. 161. That God of his owne meere will forsaketh hardeneth and damneth men And addeth manifestly that this is it that greatly offendeth common sense and reason as though God were delighted with the paines and torments of miserable persons Also chap. 168. he saith that the loue of God is eternall and immutable and also the hatred of God toward meÌ„ euerlasting before the world was made And many such sayings doth that booke containe as that by his secret and fearefull will God ordaineth whom and what manner of men he will haue to be partakers of mercy that is preached and offered that the will of his maiestie reiecteth and leaueth some of purpose that they may perish that such as be forsaken or hardened by that secret will of his maiestie doe not receiue God willing speaking dooing and offering himselfe againe that willinglie he hardeneth by that vnsearcheable will c. And that admonition of his is very godly In such things it is not our parts to search out the cause of Gods will but to reuerence loue and adore it restraining the rashnes of reason seeing Christ also Matth. 11. bringeth no other cause why the Gospell is hid from the wise and reuealed vnto little ones than the good pleasure of the father This doctrine of Luther O Huber sauoreth more certainely of the spirite of God than those prophesies which thou hast drawne out of him and doest wish to be fastened vnto all the dores of the Temple and to be written in all mens hearts Why then doe ye not admit it into all your Churches and without contention engraue it in your owne and other mens mindes If yee shall doe it it is well but if yee continue to finde faulte with it in vs and after your wonted boldnes by your wicked stile and tongue banish it as Turkish or else opening the dore to Turcisme and other vnspeakeable mischiefe I aduise you consider in time whether you will cast downe the authoritie of Luther in the aduauncing whereof euen vnto heauen you haue hitherto so greatly laboured CHAP. XII Vnto the third accusation FVrthermore it is an impudent speech that the Catholike and true Church is condemned of vs which hath beleeued and alwaies with one mouth confessed that Christ died for all men The Catholike Church hath euer beleeued that Christ died for all men that beleeue in him and not otherwise Iohn 3. Acts 10. Heb. 11. We also confesse that Christ died for all men For who can denie that without distinction which diuers times is expressely set downe in the sacred Scriptures But hereof is the question
in vnbeleefe vnto whom notwithstanding the doctrine is common doe acknowledge so much the more the mercie of God towards themselues whereby they turne and are saued To this end the Lord said Ioh. 6. No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall bee all taught of God Whosoeuer therefore hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto me Also Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but not vnto them but in them is the prophecie fulfilled that they hearing heare not to wit hearing with the sense of the body heare not with the assent of the heart as Augustine expoundeth But why some haue eares to heare and others not that is why it is giuen to some of the father to come vnto the sonne and to others it is not giuen who knoweth the minde of the Lord who hath been of his counsell or who art thou O man that reasonest with God saith Augustine de bono perseuerantiae lib. 2. cap. 14. 4. The vngodlie are made vnexcusable in hearing the word of God that they cannot pretend ignorance seeing they performe not so much as outward things which they bee able to doe as it is said in Ezechiel Eze. 2. Whether they will heare or leaue off speake thou vnto them and they shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them And Christ saith Ioh. 15 2â— If I had not come and spoken they should haue no sinne but now they haue no excuse And elsewhere he saith Matth. 24. that the Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached in all the earth for a witnes vnto all nations As also he foretold his Apostles Matth. 10. that they should bee brought before rulers and kings for a witnes to them and to the Gentiles that is to their reproofe and condemnation who beleeue not as Theophylact interpreteth both places I will adde hereunto because of the aduersarie who findeth great fault with this vse of the word the testimonies both of Augustine and also of Luther Augustine tract 81. in Ioh. saith They that contemne or els deride and impugne the commandements of God vnto them the words of Christ shall not be a benefit but a testimonie against them And de praedest sanct cap. 9. he writeth that the saluation of religion from the beginning of the increase of mankind vnto the end is preached to some for a reward to some for iudgment Also de Correp grat cap. 13. Correction is to bee vsed towards all as a medicine albeit the health of the sicke person be vncertaine that if hee who is corrected pertaine to the number of the predestinate the correction may bee vnto him a holesome medicine but if he pertaine not it may be a penall torment Luther Tom. 3. in 3. cap. Ioâ—lis The Gospell is preached saith he to all men and though all doe not greatly beleeue the word yet it is preached as wel to the vngodly as to the godly to these it is the power of God to saluation to the other to iudgement See also lib. 1. sentent dist 47. about the end of the distinction Hub thes 300. The first cauill of the aduersarie But let vs heare Huber First it is a lie that is fained vpon our side that the reprobates are called to no other end but to be hardened and made without excuse for many ends are alreadie rendred He citeth Beza Responsione altera ad Colloq Mompel fol. 149. 95. Item 96. but the exclusiue is ill fained vpon our men and often repeated of Huber but it is not found in Beza Thes 477. Then as he is practised in cauilling he excepteth that to preach faith and repentance to such as shall not beleeue as being by the iust iudgement of God not predestinated vnto faith is as absurd as if a man should preach repentance to the very deuils But there is very great vnlikenes betweene men reprobate and those reprobate spirits albeit in this they agree that eternall fire remaineth for both For the elect and reprobates of men are in this life mingled together neither can we know who shall beleeue who not beside the other things we spake of speciallie the commandement of God whereby the Gospell is ordained for euery humane creature Further he cauilleth If the hearing of the word turne to the reprobates vnto their greater iudgement Thes 478. that they are in worse case then the deuils who from the Gospell preached bring no such iudgement vpon themselues Answere This is a false argument taken from that which is spoken in part To speake simply the deuils are more vnhappie because they be worse and wickedder Ephes 6. whereupon by Paul they are called spiritual wickednes In the meane while it nothing hindereth reprobate men to be in worse condition in part that is to be guiltie of iudgement for some cause wherein the deuils are not guiltie as for example for the contempt of the word preached vnto them and for the vnworthy receiuing of the Lords Supper because vnworthie receiuers eate and drinke their owne damnation But this hath no place in deuils albeit neuertheles as enemies of all righteousnes and order appointed of God and so also as contemners of the word and Sacraments after their maner they shal not escape the iudgement of God Thirdly he cauilleth impudently If the matter so stand Thes â—04 it shall bee better neuer to goe to the word for if they must wholly perish and burne the lesse they doe heare that they may despise the lesse they shall be beaten Be silent cruell tongue and lippes that speake iniquitie What resteth O Huber but by the like reason thou maist conclude seeing many in the Supper of the Lord eate and drinke iudgement to themselues that it shall be also better for vs to abstaine from it But that all men may vnderstand such like sophistrie on both sides this onely followeth to wit that it is better not to come to the Supper of the Lord then to come vnworthily also not to heare the word of God then not to receiue it being heard or els to reiect and tread it vnder our feete after wee haue receiued it but such as bee blessed haue kept the meane For because both they that knowing his will and yet doe not the same and also they that are ignorant of it shall be beaten specially if it bee affected ignorance disdaining to heare the word of God being offered it is our parts both to heare and to keepe the word of God and so to prepare our selues Luk. 11. that wee may worthily receiue the Sacraments So surely we shall best prouide for our selues and not if we iudge our selues vnworthily of the kingdome of God by refusing his word and Sacraments Fourthly that the aduersarie may here also proue to the reader the scoffing wherein hee excelleth if yet it may or ought to bee approued of
by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
onely who should beleeue in him and repent For that cause he saith And he shall beare the sinnes of many Luther also vpon that saying Luther in Is 53. My righteous seruant by the knowledge of himselfe c. defineth Christian righteousnes to be nothing els than to know Christ and this onely to be the way of our deliuerance from death and sinnes and that this knowledge doth free vs and that there is no other comfort Therefore it is an error to claime for al men simply freedome from sinne and death The same thing plainly appeareth by the forme of the new couenant Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. Behold the daies shal come The 3. place Ierem. 31. saith the Lord when I will make a new couenaÌ„t with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt but this is the couenant which I will strike with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people Neither shall euery one teach his neighbour saying know the Lord for al shal know me from the least to the greatest among them and I will be merciful to their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Hence wee see that remission of sinnes which is wrought by the death of the Mediatour is the benefit of the new couenant Whereupon it followeth The benefits of the couenant belong to the sonnes of the couenant that it appertaineth to the sonnes onely of the couenant But how that all are not the sonnes of the couenant first from hence it is plaine that these promises I will put my lawes in their mindes I will bee their God and they shall be my people they shall all know me agree not simply vnto all men Then because it is flatly sayd that this couenant is made with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda which thing must be vnderstood of the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles that true Iuda and Israel whereof the Apostle also speaketh Gal. 3. Ye are all one in Christ Iesu and because ye are Christs ye are Abrahams seede and heires by promise Ier. 23. 33. The 4. place The like promise we haue Iere. 23. and 33. Behold the daies shall come saith the Lord that I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall raigne in whose daies Israel shal be saued and Iuda shall dwell boldly We see here also the redemption of the Messiah peculiarly attributed to his people because Luk. 1. as the Angell Gabriel testifieth he raigneth ouer the house of Iacob that is the Church and of his raigne and his peace there shall be no end Euery where also in the Prophets when they foretell of the comming of the Redeemer and of saluation to be wrought by him the word of promise is peculiarly directed vnto the Church vnder the name of Sion Zach. 2. The 5. place as Zachar. 2. Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord and many nations shall be gathered together in that day and they shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and the Lord shall possesse Iuda his portion in the holy land and shall choose as yet Ierusalem That this must bee vnderstoode of the Church collected from euery place the things that we reade 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. and Apoc. 21. vers 2. will not suffer vs to doubt at all Zach. 6. The 6. place And in the 9. chapter of the same Prophet it is said Reioyce greatly O daughter Sion shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem Behold thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee who is iust a Sauiour poore â—iding vpon an asse and he shall speake peace to the Gentiles and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the flood to the ends of the earth Ephes 2. For the Catholike Church of Christ is dispersed through the whole world which Christ as Paul witnesseth is our peace and hath made both Iewes and Gentiles one abolishing enmitie through his flesh that he might make one man of two in himselfe and hath reconciled both in one bodie vnto God by his crosse slaying enmitie by it and comming hath preached peace both to them that were farre off and to them that were neere Agreeable to this is the word of promise Esay 62. Esay 62. Behold the Lord proclaimeth vnto the vtmost parts of the earth Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy saluation shall come behold his reward is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken What was this citie but the high Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all for it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not Gal 4. breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate woman hath more children than she that hath an husband After which sort also the citie of God the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem with her sonnes dispersed among all nations is gloriously described in the 87. Psalme And these bee they of whom speaketh this propheticall word here They shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Wherefore seeing the prerogatiue of so great dignitie is proper to the sons of the Church and the household of God it is iniuriously extended to those that are without But that we may not go farre it is certaine Acts 10. as Peter sheweth that all the Prophets doe witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name And as Paul affirmeth the righteousnesse of God is approued by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. the righteousnesse of God I say in all and vpon all that beleeue Col. 1. Now the righteousnesse of God and remission of sinnes is redemption it selfe Colos 1. Wherefore by the one consent of all the Prophets redemption is proper to the beleeuers and nothing at all belongeth to the vnbeleeuers CHAP. VI. The same thing is proued by some types of the old Testament I Will onely annexe certaine typicall or shadowed things of the old Testament wherein now long agoe the very same thing hath been declared The redemption of Israel out of Egypt and Babel And first it is manifest enough that the redemption of the people of Israel out of Egypt and after out of the captiuitie of Babel were as certaine shadowes and figures of this true redemption and grace gotten by Christ as here and there wee may see in the Prophets Tuitiens hath this similitude vpon Ioh. 17. Therefore looke how much difference there is betweene the Egyptians perishing with
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
Apostle cryeth Tit. 3. Not through the works of righteousnes which wee haue done but according to his mercie he hath saued vs. Wherefore away with such preparations whereby men are supposed to dispose themselues for grace that they may be ingrafted into Christ De praede sanct cap. 6. Augustine plainely reciteth this error reprouing the common talke of men saying This or that man therefore deserued to beleeue because hee was good before he beleeued As for the example of Cornelius he there answereth that hee was not wholly void of faith The faith of Cornelius For how should he call vpon him in whom he did not beleeue How were his praiers and almes without faith acceptable before God yet afterward by Peters ministery he beleeued in Christ that now hee might knowe the sonne of God incarnate and might receiue the sacrament of regeneration The last error about vocation whereof wee speake The 4. error making effectuall calling to be in mans power and will is the error of certaine men that extenuate the effecacie of it as though the effect thereof were in the power of a man that if he will not God should call in vaine Yea if a man will not and goeth on to resist grace that is offered him it is most certaine that he is not as yet partaker of this calling Ioh. 6. For Christ witnesseth that this calling is most effectual Euery one that hath heard learned of the father commeth vnto me De praedest sanct cap. 8. They that heare and learne of God do come but they that come not wheÌ„ they are called haue neither heard nor learned of God Which wordes Augustine considering saith If euery one that hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth truely euery one that doeth not come hath neither heard nor learned For if he had heard and learned he would come For not any one hath heard and learned that commeth not but euery one as saith the trueth who hath heard and learned commeth This grace therefore which of the diuine bountifulnes is secretly giueÌ„ to the hearts of men is refused of no hard heart For therefore it is giuen that the hardnes of the heart might first of all be taken away according to the saying I will take from you a stonie heart and giue you a fleshly Looke vpon the same Augustine ad Simpl. li. 1. quaest 2. The effect of Gods mercie saith he cannot be in mans power that he should in vaine shew mercy if man will not Mans will cannot resist Gods call nor make his mercie in vaine because if he please to haue mercie on theÌ„ that resist him he is able so to call them as they may most fitly be mooued and may vnderstand and so followe him For albeit he calleth many yet he hath mercy on them whom he so calleth as it is fittest for theÌ„ to be called that they may follow neither hath hee mercie on any in vaine Therefore they are elected who are so called that they refuse not him that calleth them the rest are not elected because they doe not followe although they be called The same doctrine of the efficacie of this calling Luther notably confirmeth lib. de serm arbit cap. 45. Question Therefore when the question is often asked why when many heare the same word all of them are not so called that they obey their calling Answere it is not fitly answered of some because they will not For if the faithfull therefore beleeue because they are willing God hath not giuen them faith but by their willingnes they haue giuen it to themselues Some obey their calling because God maketh them willing Aug cant duaâ— epist Pelag. cap. 19. No man surely can beleeue but hee is willing thereto for howe should a man beleeue against his will But hee maketh him willing of an vnwiller who when hee draâ—eth vs wee come to Christ Therefore the elect are sundri wayes drawen to bee willing by him who knoweth inwardly to worke in the very hearts of men not that men should beleeue against their will which cannot be but that of vnwilling persons they might be made willing Question 2 Aug. de praedest saâ—nct cap. 8. 9. But why doeth he not so draw all Answere Because he hath mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will by his most iust iudgemeÌ„t doubtles because there is no vniustice in God For who so beleueth that by one man all are iustly condemned he vnderstandeth that God shal not be iustly blamed albeit he deliuer not one from thence and therefore that it is his great grace that many are deliuered and let them acknowledge in them that are not redeemed what was due to themselues that they that reioice may reioice not in their owne merites which they see equall to them that are damned but in the Lord. Question 3 And why he draweth this man doth not draw that his iudgements are vnsearchable and his wayes past finding out Therefore be vnwilling to iudge of this thing if thou wilt not erre saith Augustine in a place vpon Saint Iohn CHAP. XV. Other effects of election i. Iustification and glofication where also is intreated of the perseuerance of the Elect. The 3. effect of election Iustification BVt of vocation inough I come to the third principall effect of election to wit Iustification For by the testimonie of Paul Whom hee calleth them hee also iustifieth And how necessary this benefite is to the elect for the obtaining of their appointed ende of life and heauenly glory it is manifest to euery one For seeing we are all vnder sinne and for sinne are guiltie of wrath and eternall damnation we cannot see the kingdome of heauen vnles we be absolued from sins What it is to be iustified and accounted iust before God by the free forgiuenesse of them And this is nothing els than to bee iustified as the word is here taken So Paul Rom. 4. defineth iustification by the imputation of righteonsnesse And this he teacheth to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging hereunto the testimonie of Dauid Psalme 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Iustification diuersly taken in Scripture Otherwise diuersly the word Iustification is taken in the scriptures For one while it signifieth the acknowledging and declaring of one to be good and righteous that is such a one in deed as that God is said to bee iustified in his sayings Psal 58. Luke 6. vers 29. 39. And Luke sheweth that the people when they heard Christ iustified God And Christ saith that wisedome is iustified of her children Another while it signifieth to be endued with inherent righteousnes by the infusion of new qualities and by good workes As Apoc. 22. it is written He that hurteth let him hurt as yet and he that is iust let him bee iustified as yet Thirdly
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
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