therefore before the foundation of the World elect and praedestinate vs in Christ whereas the Apostle saith Not because he foreknew we would be such but that we might be such by the election of his grace whereby hee hath made vs accepted in his beloued Son When therefore hee praedestinated vs hee knew his owne worke who maketh vs holy and immaculate So that the Pelagians error is rightly confuted by this testimonie But we say say these halfe Pelagians to mince the matter that our God foreknew not saue onely our faith whereby we begin to beleeue and therefore elected vs to be holy c. To whom Saint Augustine answereth Sed audians ipsi c. But let these also heare in this testimony where he saith In whom that is in Christ wee haue obtained an inheritance being praedestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Whence the holy man concludes that seeing the Father worketh all things therefore also faith the first seede whereof the Apostle ascribes to the praise of Gods glory And againe Not of workes but of him that calleth when he might haue said saith Augustine But of him that beleeueth Non enim c. For not because we beleeued but that wee might beleeue he chose vs lest we should be said to haue chosen him first and so that should be false which God forbid you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And that faith is the gift of God the Apostle saith Ephess 2. 8. and Phil. 1. 29. also Heb. 12. 2. Iesus Christ the Authour and finisher of our faith besides sundry other places cited by Saint Augustine so that this good man leaues no corner vnhunted for this Pelagian Heresie to lurke in prouing and concluding euidently and inuincibly from Scripture that Gods election and praedestination is most free not depending vpon any his foresight of faith or grace to be in vs but meerely according to his owne purpose and grace whereupon our whole sanctification and saluation dependeth According to that of the Apostle As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued beliefe being a confequent fruite of praedestination to eternall life And that of Christ yee beleeue not because yee are not of my sheepe that is of the number of Gods elect Audiant hac c. saith Saint Aug. Let them heare those things and other more omitted by vs whereby is shewed that God doth prepare and conuert mens wills to the kingdome of heauen and to eternall life As the same Father saith elsewhere Iâ—â—i cum Christo regâ—abunt c. They shall raighe with Christ whom God by his free goodnesse hath praedestinate to the kingdome for because by praedestinating such he hath prepared them that they should be meet for the kingdome he hath prepared them also to be called according to his purpose that they may obey he hath prepared them to be iustified that receiuing grace they may rightly beleeue and liue well he hath prepared them also to be glorified that being made co-heires with Christ they may possesse the kingdome of heauen without end And so hee concludes his former booke Mâ—lta diximus c. we haue said many things and yet we speake to such good wits to whom as if dull of vnderstanding even that which is too much is not enough Babylonius But doth not the Apostle say plainely that those whom God foreknâ—w he predestinated Therefore did not God praedestinate men according as he foresaw they would receiue or reiect grace offered Orthodoxus Indeede this and such like places of Scripture doe the Arminians our new Pelagians pittifully peruert But neither this place nor the analogie it hath with other Scriptures will admit of any such sense It is plaine that this foreknowledge in God of those whom he would praedestinate to life is no other but his very act of electing of them as the same Apostle expresseth it fully Eph. 1. 4. 15. According as hee hath chosen vs in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue hauing praedestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will c. For Gods foreknowledge of those whom he would saue is his eternall act of loue in electing them or his gracious pleasure and purpose or decreeâ—n sauing them Wee know that Scitum which comes of Scio to know is vsed for a Decree as Plebiscitum the peoples decree so Gods foreknowledge here is his foredecree So also whom God is saide to know in Christ is alwaies taken for his approuing or liking or accepting them in Christ. This is his knowledge of approbation whereby he knowes only his elect So Psa. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the vngodly shall perish The Lord knoweth that is approueth and alloweth the way of the righteous But doth not the Lord know the way of the wicked alsoâ—yes by his knowledge of apprehension but not of approbation For he saith in Math. 27. 23. to the wicked I neuer know you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Gods knowing of his therefore is his louing of them Christ saith to Nathâ—â—iel Before that Philip called thee when thou wast vnder the fâ—gge 〈◊〉 I saw that Vnder the figge tree what is that that is saith August in Adams â—oines cloathed with his fig-leaues in the state of sinne then and there Christ saw Nathaniel that is his true Israelites his chosen he saw him that is he tooke pitty on him saith he As the Lord saith in Ezechiel 16. 6. I saw thee when thou wast polluted in thy blood and said vnto thee liue Which place euen the Appealer himselfe vnderstands of Gods Election out of the corrupt masse Againe the Apostle in Rom. 8. 28. and 29. ver by you cited saith expresly that Gods foreknowledge is his purpose for hauing saide v. 28 We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God being the called according to his purpose hee addeth For whom he foreknew those he also praedestinated c. Note againe hee saith not those whose wills he foreknew but whom he foreknew he speakes of their persons not of their qualities And the Apostles next words doe ouerthrow this Pelagian opinion that God foreknowing mans freewill did accordingly praedestinate For saith the Apostle whom he did foreknow hee did also praedestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son So that to be made conformable to the image of Christ is not of mans will foreseene but of Gods Praedestination foreknowing or foreelecting in his Son those whom he pleased Therefore as Nescire Dei reprobare est as Gregory saith as Gods not knowing is to reprobate alledging Luk 13. 27. Depart from me I know you not so
vnderstanding onely or to any one faculty of the soule though hee place it principally in the will in regard of those natiue and inseporable qualities of true sauing saith namely confidence and affiance in Gods promises So that I wonder how this Doctrine of that good Cardinall hath escaped the flames of their Purgatory Index But his owne life paid for it when he with his fellow Cardinall Fregosus being suspected too much to fauour the Doctrine of Luther were both quickly taken out of the way non sine veneni suspicione not without suspicion of poyson But those Diuines that liued in more ancient ages contented themselues with the most simple but most eâ—phaticall tearmes of the Scripture not troubling their heads with quirks and questions of this nature whether faith were in the vnderstanding or in the will c but with the Scripture they include altogether in the heart the seate and confluence of all the powers of the soule Bernard saith that first the sâ—â—ncere roote of holy faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great tree hauing in it sundry sorts of apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed St. August takes no more care but to place faith in the soule Vnder whence comes death in the soule because faith is not there whence in the body because the soule is not there therefore the soule of the soule is faith Againe Fides quae credit in Deum vita anima existit per hanc iustus viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by it the iust man liueth And speaking of the vnderstanding hee saith Intellectus merces est sides c. The vnderstanding is the reward of faith doe not then seeke to vnderstand that thou maist beleeue but beleeue that thou maist vnderstand And againe Intellectui fides viam aperit infidelitas claudit faith opens the way to the vnderstanding but infidelity shuts it And speaking of the will he saith Fides excitat ad exercitium voluntatem Faith stirreth vp the will to excercise And in a word Fides sic est in anima vt radix bona quae pluuiam in fructum ducit Faith is so in the 〈◊〉 as a good roote which peoduceth the raine into fruit I might adde many others but this may suffice Babylonius But Sir whereas you seeme to oppugne the Councell of Trent doth it not also acknowledge faith to be the roote of all other graces Doe the Church of Rome right I 〈◊〉 you Orthodoxus God forbid else The prouerbe is Giue the Diuel his due Indeede the Trent Councell confesseth that faith is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and roote of all iustification But vnder this painted Sepulcher she buries the bones of true sauing faith which she hath slaine there to ly rotting as the Iewes did with Gods Prophets whom their Fathers had slaine and vpon the foundation they erect the Monument and Trophe of their Pageantfaith For vndertaking to glâ—sse vpon the Apostles wordes A man is iustified by faith and gratis freely she saith These wordes are to be vnderstood in that sense which the perpetuall consent of the Catholicke Church hath holden and expressed to wit that we are said therefore to be iustified by faith because it is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and root of all iustification So that they attribute iustification to faith not simply for it selfe but relatiuely as it hath reference to the fruits whereof they say faith is the roote namely their inherent righteousnesse But the truth is this restrained yea constrained sense of theirs is most absurd and senslesse as hauing neither foundation nor roote of reason to support and maintaine it All is but wordes They neither meane nor will nor can maintaine it For how is faith a beginning of grace if grace be no necessary consequent of their faith For they confesse they may haue faith and want grace which is the Diuels case Or how is faith the roote of grace and iustification sith it is impossible for this roote to produce any fruite at all For how can a dead roote bring forth any liue-fruite And they confesse their faith to be a dead and dry roote of it selfe vntill the sap of charity be powred into it to actuate and quicken this otherwise dead roote So that by Babylons Doctrine the fruite must giue life to the roote not the roote to the fruite And yet forsooth faith must be the roote of iustification the foundation of mans saluation Surely the Prouerbe may here well be verified Dignum patella operculum like roote like iustification both dead like foundation like building both sandy yea meere aery and imaginary Babylonius But is not faith dead and vnformed vntill it be inliued and formed by charity Doth not St. Iames say that as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Therefore the good workes of charity giue life vnto faith as the soule to the body Orthodoxus Doth charity giue life to faith How is then faith the roote your owne reason may teach you the contrary as wee haue showed But to that place of Saint Iames it is too commonly abused For marke first hee saith not As the body without the soule is dead but as the body without the spirit is dead The spirit is the breath by which the body is knowne to liue So that the body receiueth life from the soule but sheweth it by the spirit which it breatheth The spirit then is an effect and signe not a cause of the life of the body So charity and the workes therof are a fruite and effect breathing from sauing faith testifying that it is a liuing faith not causing it so to be for that were to turne the tree vpside downe as if the roote which is faith should receiue life sap and groweth from the branches And it is plaine by the whole analogy and tenure of the chapter that the Apostle speakes of good workes as they are demonstratiue signes and fruits of a liuing faith not as causes of it Againe he putteth a distinct difference betweene the true sauing faith which alwaies shewes it selfe to liue by the fruits of it for it is that faith euer working by loue and betweene a false counterfeit faith such as is dead and knowne to bee so by the not breathing out of good workes So that the true sauing iustifying faith is that which worketh by loue So the Apostle saith But how by loue as by the efficient mouing cause of the working of it or rather as the instrumentall cause moued by the hand of faith Loue is faiths instrument whereby it worketh Yea it is an inseparable quality of sauing faith whereby faith workes as the heat is the inseperable quality of the fire whereby the fire worketh This is the Doctrine also of the ancient Fathers They so make faith the roote as
them Ego autem nolo c. I will not exaggerate the matter with my words but I rather leaue it to them to consider that they may see what that is which they haue perswaded themselues that by the preaching of praedestination the hearers are possessed rather with desperation then with exhortation for this is all one as to say that then a man despaireth of his saluation when he hath learned to put his hope not in himselfe but in God Whereas the Prophet proclameth Cursed is euery one that putteth his hope in man Miror saith he homines infirmitatis suae se malle committere quà m firmitati promissionis Dei I wonder that men had rather commit themselues to their owne infirmity then to the stability of Gods promise Therefore we must not measure the wisdome of God in his word by the last or model of our owne braine Indeede mans reason when it stands alone seemeth very selfe-wise But if it bee compared and set by Gods wisdome then the folly of it is by and by discouered The Pontificians haue a plausible reason for their iustification by workes because say they it is a meanes to stirre vp men to good workes The Vniuersalists haue their plausible reason also for their vniuersality of grace as indifferenly offered to all men alike if they will but receiue it because say they all men may hereby bee won to imbrace the grace offered and so be saued But we know that neither the externall ordinary meanes are equally offered to all For many thousands haue not the meanes at all much lesse in an equall measure Againe the ordinary meanes doe of themselues worke no more but ordinary grace as illumination and temporary faith c. But the effectual sauing grace though it be not wrought simply by the ordinary meanes but by the especiall efworke of Gods Spirit in and by the meanes yet we know that the ordinary meanes are to bee diligently and reuerently attended of all men wheresoeuer God affordeth them Howsoeuer in all this generalitie Gods purpose and grace remaines firme to all the seede onely this is Gods wisdome Therefore if Gods worde satisfie not our carnall reason but crosse it rather shall wee presume by straining and wresting to fit it to our owne fancy and not rather submit all our humaine wisdome vnto it Euen Heathen Cato following Pompeis part against Caesar because he tooke it to be the juster and seeing Pompeis side declining and Pompey himselfe at last beaten out of the fielde hee looked vp to heauen and cryed In rebus diuinis magnam esse Caliginem that in diuine things there was a great deale of darknesse which mans wit could not discouer As St. Augustine in his answere to the Pelagians cauill in quarrelling the Scriptures about the imputation of sinne saith Quid si ego essem hebetior nec statim possem has rationes diluere an propterea minus deberem diuinae Scripturae credere Imò mullo magis conuenit vt ego ruditatem meam agnoscam quà m vt falsitatem sacris literis impingam What if my dulnesse were such as I could not by and by disproue these reasons must I therefore not beleeue the diuine Scripture Nay so much the rather ought I to acknowledge mine owne ignorance then to impute falshood to Gods holy word A rare humility and candid ingenuitie of this holy man captiuating all his carnall reason to Gods profound wisdome in the holy Scriptures Babylonius But Sir giue me leaue a little to apologise in the Appealers behalfe You say his opinion is impious as impugning the glory and mercy of God But doth he not say in expresse words that God did out of his mercy in his loue motu mero they be his owne wordes and not otherwise stretch out to mankinde lying in their blood in Adams corrupt loynes deliuerance in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy c so that you see the Authour doth ascribe our deliuerance to the mercy and meere motion of Gods loue to mankinde Therefore this his opinion is not so impious as you would make it as if guilty of high sacriledge against Gods glory and grace Orthodoxus Indeede Sir you say something for him as he doth for himselfe but that is said is so far from acquiting as it doth deepely accuse the Authour of high treason against the Maiestie of God and the throne of his grace True it is indeede that it was Gods incomprehensible loue to mankinde to ordaine for him such a Redeemer as was his owne and onely Sonne to assume our base nature and therein to liue and dye contemtibly An exceding great fauour of God towards man to shape make and fit his Sonne Iesus Christ as a most glorious robe to couer our nakednesse as some of this Pelagian race teachers of vniuersall grace make the comparison All this is well thus farre But is this all If Gods mercy and grace stinte here and goe no further farewell deliuerance we may wallow in our blood still we may weare our filthy nakednesse as our best garment still In vaine Gods mercy in vaine Christs death while it is left to vs to receiue and accept this grace In vaine doth a man tell a blinde man of a glorious sunne in the firmament which he wanteth eyes to see or a maimed man without hands of a goodly garment made vp for him vpon condition that none but himselfe must put it on such is our condition by nature we perceiue not we receiue not the things of the Spirit of God concerning Christ. Tell vs of the glorious sunne of righteousnesse risen who hath healing vnder his wings we are blinde we apprehend it not we are not affected with it as not sensible of our spirituall diseases Tell vs of the Robe of Christs righteousnesse dipped and dyed in his blood wee want the hand of faith to put it on yea we cannot duely prize it we disesteeme it we count it no better then that poore coare of his which the Souldiers cast lots for yea wee hide our faces from him hee was despised and wee esteemed him not saith Esay Yea we are by nature like those Lâ—odiceans we say wee are rich and increased in goods and haue neede of nothing and know not that we are wretched miserable and poore and blind and naked Reu 3. 17. But as God is the good Physician who of his meere grace and fauour prepares and prouides a remedie for our dead-sicke soules so he alone out of his free mercy must apply this remedy else wee can reape no more benefit by it then a sicke Patient of a soueraigne Cordiall while it is close kept in the Apothecaries box whereof he seeth the inscription and title onely We haue a pregnant example hereof in that man that fell among theeues who stript wounded and left him halfe dead vnable to helpe himselfe whom the Priest and Leuite passe by on each