that hath sent me that I shall lose nothing of all those which the Father hath giuen to me but that I might rayse them vp in the last day for this is the will of him that hath sent me that all that seeth the Sonne and beleueth in him may haue life euerlasting Of those wordes of our master it is euident first that the Father hath geuen some to thâ— Sonne Christe Iesus yea and also that some be that are not giuen But of that after And secâ—ndarely that it behoueth the same to come vnto him for so he affirmeth sayiÌ„g All that my father gaue vnto me shall come vnto me He leaueth it not in doubt but planely affirmeth they shall come Thirdly the end aÌ„d fruicte of the commiÌ„g is expressed to witt y â— they obteine life euerlasting Which to them that of the father are giuen and of the Sonne receaued is so sure that Christe Iesus him self pronouÌ„ceth y t oute of his handes is none able to plucke them awaye Plaine it is that the counsell of God is stable and his loue immutable towardes his elect becaus al other conditions set aparte Christe affirmeth that the life euerlasting perteineth to theÌ„ that are giuen by God and receaued by him in protection and sauegarde But more planely doth he speake in that his solemne praier for after that by diuers meanes he had coÌ„forted the sorowfull heartes of his disciples he giueth comfort to the whole churche Affirming that he did not pray onely for those that there were present with him but also for all those that should after beleue by their preaching in him These wordes he added for our singuler comforte I haue giueÌ„ vnto them the glorie which thow hast geuen to me that they may be one as we are one I in them aÌ„d thow in me that they may be made perfecte in one aÌ„d that the world may know y t thow hast sent me aÌ„d y t thou hast loued theÌ„ as thow hast loued me O that oure heartes coulde witâ—â—out contradictioÌ„ embrase these wordes for theÌ„ w t humilitie shoulde we prostrate oure selues before oure God aÌ„d with vnfeined teares giue thanks for his mercie Three things in these wordes are to be obserued first that the same glorie which God the Father hath giueÌ„ to his Sonne the same hath he giuen to such as beleue in him not that either Christ Iesus had then the full glorie as he was man for as yet he had not ouercome the death neither y â— his elect at any tyme in this life can atteine to the fruition of the same but that the one was as assured in gods immutable counsell as was the other For as the head shoulde ouercome the bitter death and so triumphe ouer sathan the authour thereof so should his membres in the tyme appoiÌ„ted as he doth further expresse sayinge I wil Father that where that I am there also be those which thou hast giuen vnto me that they may se my glorie The second is that so streâ—t and â—ere is the coniunction and vnion betweixt Christ Iesus and his membres that they must be one and neuer can be seperated For so did Christe pray Saing That they all may be one as we are one I in them aÌ„d thow in me that they may be made perfecte in one Let the coniunction be diligently marked for much it serueth to our comâ—ort As the Godhead is inseparably ioined with the humanitie in Christ Iesus our Lord so the one that is the God head neither could nor can leaue the humanitie at any tyme. how bitter that euer the stormes appeared so caÌ„ not Christ Iesus leaue his dear spouse the Church neither yet any trew membre of the same For that he includeth vnder the generall word all for any accideÌ„t how horrible that euer it be that came to passe in their life And albeit that this appere straÌ„ge and also a doctrine that may seme to giue libertie to sinne yet may not the children of God be defrauded of their fode becaus that dogges will abuse the same But of this we shall God willing after speak The third thing to be noted is that the loue of God towardes his elect giuen to Christe is immutable For Christ putteth it in equall ballance with the loue by the which his Father loued him Not that I wold any man should so vnderstand me as that I placed any man in equall dignitie and glorie with Christe Iesus touchiÌ„g his office No that must be reserued wholly and onely to him self that he is the â—lie beloued in whom all the rest are beloued that he is the head that onely geueth life to the bodie and that he is the souerane prince before whom all knee shall bowe But I meane that as the loue of God the Father was euer constant towardes his deare Sonne so is it also towardes the membres of his bodie yea euen when they are ignorant and enemies vnto him as the apostle witnesseth SaiÌ„g God specially commendeth his loue towardes vs that when we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more being iustified now by his blood we shall be saued by him from wrath For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more we being reconciled shall be saued by his life To some these wordes maye appere coÌ„trary to oure purpose for they make meÌ„tion of a reconciliation which is not made but where there is enemitie and dissention But if they be righteously considered they shall most euideÌ„tly proue that which we affirme which is that God loued the membres of Christes bodie euen when they are ignorant when they by them selues are vnworthie and ennemies For this is his first proposition that we being iustified by faith haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ. Where he maketh mention of peace he putteth vs in mynde of the dissension and warre which was betwext gods iustice and oure sinnes This enemitie saieth he is taken away and we haue obteined peace And leâ—t that this comforte shouldâ— sodenly euanish or els that men shoulde not depely wey it he bringeth vs to the eternall loue of God affirming that God loued vs when we were weake Where we must obserue that the apostle speaketh not vniuersally of all men but of such as were and shoulde be iustified by faith â–ª and had the loue of God poured in to their heartes by the holie Gost which was giuen vnto them To such saieth he if God did loue vs when we were weake and his ennemies muche more must he loue vs when we are reconciled and begin in faith to call him father The Apostle affirmeth that oure reconciliation proceded from gods loue which thing sainct Iohan more planely doeth witnes in these wordes In this appereth the loue of God towardes vs that God hath sent furth his onely Sonne into the world that we should liue by him In this I say is loue not that we loued God but that
grounded vpon that foundation which neuer can be moued it is not perfect And that ground is this That when we vnderstand that presently we beleue in Christe Iesus because we were ordeined before the beginning of all tymes to beleue in him as in him we were elected to the societie of eternall life then is oure faith assuredly grounded and that because the giftes and vocatioÌ„ of God are without repentance and he is faith ful that hath called vs. his infinite goodnes which moued him to loue vs in an other theÌ„ in our selues that is in Christe Iesus according to his free beneuoleÌ„ce whiche he had purposed in him is to vs a towre of refuge w t satan is neuer able to ouerthrowe nor y e gates of hell shall neuer preuail against it For how so euer we be changeable yet is God in his counsel stable and immutable yea how weak how feble how dull that euer we be yet is there nothing in vs euen when we be in our owne iudgement most destitute of the Spirit of God which he did not se to be in vs before we were formed in the wombe yea and before the beginning of all tymes because all is present with him Which imperfections infirmities and dulnes as they did not stoppe his mercie to elect vs in Christe Iesus so can they not compel him now to refuse vs. And frome this fouÌ„taine doth flow this our ioye that with the Apostle we are bolde to crye who is able to seperate vs from y e loue of God which is in Christe Iesus for seing that the father who hath giuen vs for a peculiar inheritance to his onelie Sonne is so mightie that owte of his hand is none able to take vs away what danger can be so great what sinne is so greuous or what desperation so depe that is able to deuoure vs for seing it is God him self who will absolue vs from all iniquitie and seing that Christe Iesus his SoÌ„ne wil aduowe vs to appertein to his bodie what is he that dare ryse against vs to condemne vs The comfort hereof doeth none fele except the choseÌ„ childreÌ„ of God and that in the daye when mans iustice faileth and the battâ—lle of their conscience is most greuous and fearefull Therefore as faith springeth frome election so is it established by the true knowledge of that doctrine onely which this day is moste furiously oppugned by those who do not vnderstand the same And frome that same doctrine floweth the verie mater of trew humilitie For while we beholde the condition of those whom nature hath made equall to be so farre diuers the one from the other it is vnpossible but that the children of God in their own heartes vnfeinedly shal be humbled For whither so euer they shall directe their eyes they shall behold fearefull examples of blyndnes and of such iniquitie as all men iustly oght to abhorre but when they coÌ„sider them selues to haue receaued light in the midst of such dareknes and them selues to be sanctified in the midst of so wicked a generation from what fountaine can they say that this procedeth who hath illuminated their eyes while that others abyde in blyndnes who doth brydle their affections while that others do follow the same to perdition yf they say nature their own conscience shall conuict them for nature hath made vs all equall by nature are we the childreÌ„ of wrathe as wel as other Ephes. 2. If they say education reason or their own studie common experience shall diclare their vanitie For how many haue bene no rished in vertue and yet become moste filthie in life And by the coÌ„trarie how many haue loÌ„g remained without all vertuous education and yet in the end haue atteined to gods fauor And therfore we say that such as attribute any thing to them selues in the grace of their election haue not learned to giue to God the honor which to him apperteineth because they do not frely coÌ„fesse what maketh theÌ„ to differre froÌ„ others It is vniuersally receaued for a senteÌ„ce moste true that as humilitie is the mother of all vertue so it is also the roote of all godlynes But how is it possible that that man shal be humbled that can not abyde to heare the former miserie in the which he was borne neither yet the means by the which frome the same he was delyuered If a begger being promoted to greate honours by the liberalitie of a king should be remeÌ„bred of his former condition and for declaration of his gratitude he should be commanded to reuereÌ„ce the embassador or herauld that thus should say vnto him RemeÌ„ber and call to mynde how wretched poore aÌ„d miserable somtymes thow wast and praise the goodnes of the king by whose mercie and gentlenes thow liuest now in this honorable estate If this begger I say should stomake that his pouertie should be so often obiected vnto him who wold saye that either he were humble either yet thankfull to the king No more can it be said that such as can not abyde the meÌ„tion of gods eternall electioÌ„ by the which onely the elect be extolled to dignitie in Christe Iesus be either humble in gods preseÌ„ce either yet thankfull for that infinite benefite which excedeth all measure To wit that we be elected in Christe Iesus to life euerlasting and that God according to the good pleasure of his eternall counsel hath made separation betwext those who did fall into equall perdition as touching the offence and sinne committed Such as desire this article to be buried in silence and wold that men should teach and beleue that the grace of gods election is common vnto all but that one receaueth it and an other receaueth it not procedeth either from the obedience or disobedience of man such disceaue them selues and are vnthaÌ„kfull and iniurious vnto God For so long as they se not that true faith and saluatioÌ„ as in the discourse shal be more plainely declared springe from election and are the gifte of God and come not of our selues so long are they disceaued and remayn in error And what can be more iniurious vnto gods free grace then to affirme that he giueth no more to one theÌ„ to an other seing that the hole scriptures do playnely teach that we haue nothing which we haue not receaued of fre grace mere mercie aÌ„d not of our workes nor of anythiÌ„g in vs lest any maÌ„ shoulde boast himself Ephes. 2 28. And therefore let wicked men rage as they list we will not be ashamed to confesse always that onelie grace maketh difference betwext vs and the rest of the world And further we feare not to affirm that suche as fele not that coÌ„fort inwardly in their coÌ„science can neuer be thaÌ„kfull to God neither yet willing to be subiect to his eternall counsel Which is the onelie cause that these wicked men moste vnreuerently do storme rage against that doctrine which
â–ª this notwihstanding I say we vse not boldly to pronounce whether of the nobres shal be the greater but w t all sobrietie we exhorte the people coÌ„mitted to our charge not to folowe y â— multitude to iniquitie For if they do there is no multitude that can preuale against God And so to vs in this behalf ye are greatly iniurious But yet in y e secoÌ„d parte your malice is more manifest for ye burdeÌ„ vs that we should affirme that the end of the creation of the reprobate was none other but their eternall perditioÌ„ From which calumnie master Caluin clearly purgeth vs in these wordes All oght to know saieth he that which Salomon saieth y t God hath created all for him self aÌ„d the wicked also to the euill day CoÌ„sider aÌ„d mark that we instructed by the holie Gost do first affirme that the cause and end why the reprobate were created neither was nor is not their onlie perdition as ye burden vs but that the glorie of God must nedes appere and shyne in all his workes And secondarely we teach that their perdition doeth so depend vpon gods predestinatioÌ„ that the iust cause and mater of their perditioÌ„ is found within them selues and that albeit the decre and couÌ„sel of God be incomprehensible to mens vnderstaÌ„ding yet neuertheles it is most iust and most holie And thus haue I so plainely and in so few wordes as conueniently I could expound in what pointes ye are malicious liers what ye haue added of hatred to our wordes and what ye suppresse that the equitie of our cause should not appere to men God grant you if his good pleasure be with greater modestie to write and with more humilitie to reason in those hieghe mysteries which far surmount the reatch of mannes capacitie But now I procede to the preface of your confutation which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The confutation of the first error To proue this true they can bring furth no plane testimonie of the worde For there is no such saieÌ„g in the holie scripture that God hath reprobate man afore the world But the senteÌ„ces which they alledge be far set and forged coÌ„trarie to the meaning of the holie Gost as God willing it shal planely appere And where scripture will not serue they patch their tale with vnreasonable reasons for theire hole intention is contrarie to true reason ANSWER In verie dede if all were true w c ye haue heaped vp in your vniust accusation I for my parte wold not ashame to confesse that more were affirmed then plane scriptures do teach but your additioÌ„s which before we haue touched being remoued and that added which of malice ye haue omitted I hope that our propositioÌ„ shal be so plane and simple that the reasonable man if he be godlie shall neither lacke good reason nor plane scriptures to confirm the same Albeit that ye are bold to affirme that we haue neither scripture nor good reason and that our whole inteÌ„tion is contrarie to true reason But now let vs forme our own propositioÌ„s God in his eternall and immutable counsels hath once appointed and decreed whom he wold take to saluatioÌ„ aÌ„d whoÌ„ also he wold leaue in ruyne aÌ„d perditioÌ„ Those whome he elected to saluation he receaueth of fre mercie without all respect had to their own merites or dignitie but of vndeserued loue gaue theÌ„ to his onelie son to be his inheritaÌ„ce aÌ„d theÌ„ in tyme he calleth of purpose who as his shepe obey his voice aÌ„d so do they attein to y â— ioy of that kingdom which was prepared for them before the foundations of the world wer laide But to those whom he hath decreed to leaue in perdition is so shut vp the entrie of life that either they are left continually corrupted in their blindnes orels if grace be offered by them it is oppugned and obstinatly refused or if it seme to be receaued that abideth but for a tyme onely aÌ„d so they returne to their blindnes aÌ„d croked nature aÌ„d infidelitie agane in which finally they iustly perishe Becaus the hole coÌ„trouersie standeth in this whether God hath chose any to lief euerlastiÌ„g before the begiÌ„niÌ„g of al tymes leuiÌ„g others in their iust perditioÌ„ or not my purpose is first by plane scriptures to proue the affirmatiue and after in weying the same aÌ„d other scriptures that by Gods grace shal be adduced so planely as I caÌ„ to shew vnto you what horrible absurditie ineuitably foloweth vpon your error in which ye affirme that God hath chosen no man more one then an other â–ª that either your blindnes remoued ye may turne with all humilitie to the eternall soÌ„ne of the eternall God against whom you arm your selues orels that your damnation may be the more so dayne and iust for your refusall of the plaine light offered That God hath chosen before the foundation of the world witnesseth the Apostle saing Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christe who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenlie things by Christe as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holie and without blame before him by loue Here the Apostle in expresse wordes affirmeth that God hath chosen a certeiÌ„ nombre for he speaketh not to the hole world as you either ignorantly orels maliciously do after alledge but to his beloued congregation of Ephesus who with all obedience had receaued the word of lief offered and with great pacience had continewed in the same euen after the departure of their Apostle from them yea after his boÌ„des and impresonnement Such I say doeth the Apostle affirme that God hath chosen and that before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid So that we haue Gods election before all beginning planely proued Here might I bring furth many places but I hauing respect to breuitie stand content with this one place That this he hath done once in his eternall and immutable couÌ„sell without respect to be had to our merites or workes which you alledge to be causes of Gods election witnesseth the same Apostle proceding as foloweth who haeth prâ—destinat vs that he should adoptat vs in children by Iesus Christe according to the good pleasure of his will that the glorie of his grace by the which he hath made vs deare by that beloued may be praised In whom we haue redemption and by his blood remission of sinne according to his aboundant grace of the which he hath plentifully poured vpon vs all wisdom and prudence opening to vs the secrete of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him self to the dispeÌ„sation of the fulnes of tymes summarely to restore all things by Christe bothe those that be in the heauens and those that be in the earth by whom we are chosen in a portion or lott predestinate according to the purpose of him by whose power are all thinges made according to the
that of nature we were all the sonnes of wraeth If ye alledge that the apostle speaketh in that place of man as he is corrupted in Adame and so iustly depriued from gods fauor then I demand of you if man doth yet staÌ„d in Adame which if ye confesse the holie spirit shall conuict you of alie For by the mouth of the Apostle he affirmed that by one maÌ„ sinne entred in to the world aÌ„d by the meanes of sinne death came vpon all men so that in the first man Adame who fell frome his puritie haue we neither loue iustice nor life but y e coÌ„traries to wit hatred sinne aÌ„d deaâ—h But God as he had chosen his elect before all beginning in Christe Iesus his Sonne so hath he placed these giftes in the second Adam alone â–ª that of his fulnes we may all receaue euen grace for grace And thus ye may easely perceaue how vane be your arguments which you iudged most strong Your first drawen from nature and naturall inclination proueth nothing becaus that God who is alwaies fre can not be subiect to the lawes of nature Albeit that for our weaknes he some tymes vseth similitudes taken from nature Your second is like vaine seing that neither Adam him self did stand in his perfection neither is any of his corrupted sede as he is the soÌ„ of Adam borne in that coÌ„dition aÌ„d dignitie But coÌ„trarie wise we must refuse fleshe and blood nature and our first AdaÌ„ if euer we shall be partakers of life This onely were sufficient to confute bothe your vnreasonable reasons But that here after ye shall haue no accasion to complain of obscurite neither yet that we relent in any parte I will first simply propose what we teach and beleue and there after by gods grace euidently proue the same You make the loue of God common to all men and that do we constantly deny and say that before all beginning God hath loued his elect in Christ Iesus his Sonne and that frome the same eternitie he hath reprobate others whom for most iust causes in the tyme appointed to his iudgement he shall adiuge to tormentes and fier inextinguible Here you stomak and storme here ye crie blasphemie and here you say that we affirme that which can not be proued by gods scriptures How sure is the probation of the former part let the indifferent reader iudge by that which is all ready spoken Let vs now come to the second And that ye shall not think that I shall more depend vpon argumentes and reason then vpon scripture I will begin with scripture and let argumentes and reason serue onely in stede of hande maides which shall not command but obey scripture pronounced by the voyce of God After that by rebellion man was spoiled of all graces and that the contrarie vices had taken place and possession in the heartes of bothe these miserable creatures of Adam I mean and of the woman God pronouÌ„ced this senteÌ„ce agaiÌ„st the serpeÌ„t Because thow hast done this cursed art thow amoÌ„gst all the beastes of the earth I shall establish enemitie betwext the aÌ„d that womaÌ„ betwext thy sede and her sede That sede shall break downe thy head and thow shalt break doune his hele As I suppose no man wil be so impudent as to deny that this is the voice of God pronouncing and promising that he will stablish and put a battel where none was appering to be for sathan before had obteined such victorie and so had vanquished bothe the woman and Adam that they could neuer haue resisted that seruitude by them selues And therefor doth he disclose the bowelles of his mercie and doth communicat with them that counsell which was secrete with him selfe before all begining And if ye demande How can it be proued that this was his eternall counsell I answer because that he in whom there is no changeing nor variablenes hath now pronounced it and whether this reason be sufficient or not in answering to your obiection we shall after consider Now resteth it onely to be obserued whether it was the will of God or not to make a difference betwext man and man Plaine it is that before his face as touching the first birth there standeth but one lompe or masse as saint Paul termeth it and yet from the same are two sedes appointed to spring which are the two churches The elect conteined vnder the sede of the woman and the reprobate or malignant church comprehended vnder the name of the serpentes sede To the one is promised victorie to the other is denounced by the irreuocable sentence of God the â–ª broosing of the head which is destruction and confusion I think ye will not say that he was constreined ther to by any force exterior as we speake seing he is the eternall which changeth not euer abiding Lord ouer all creatures who may and doth performe what so euer he will in heauen and in earth Then of necessitie it must folowe that this battell is appointed by his will And that do the wordes plainely beare For he saieth not I know that there shall be a battell or I will suffer and permitt as you vse to interprete such places a battel to be but he plainely saieth I will put and stablish the battel and enemitie declaring thereby that as he was the force strengthe and the conductor to the sede of the woman so wolde he most assuredly giue victorie to the same Which thing S. Augustine diligently did note and godly admonished Affirming that our condition in Christe Iesus is now better and more sure then before was the condition of Adam in his own fre will For that that he had non other strength but that which might be and was ouercome But we haue the strength that is inuincible because it is the power of the eternall This one place I say doeth most euidently proue that God willingly maketh a difference betwext man and man appointing to the one sorte victorie and lief to the other subiection and death But yet ye reply this can not be proued to be the eternall couÌ„sell of God for it is pronouÌ„ced in respect of the faith workes and obedience of the one and in respect of the infidelitie vicious liuing and inobedience of the other Your obiection which here I now intreat that after I be the les troubled hath two membres the former will I now touche abiding better oportunitie for the other Where ye alledge that this can not be proued to haue bene the eternall counsell of God becaus it was pronounced in tyme your reason appereth and is more then foolish For what is he that agaiÌ„st he plain scripture of God will affirme this reason The kingdome of heauen sâ—albe giuen in the end of the world to the elect of God therefor it was not prepared to them before the beginning Doth not I say the plaine voice of Christ condemne this vaine reason Or if I should
be Christes brethren lyke fashioned vntâ— him The first parte of my argument is Paules saing The seconde ye can not deny and the conclusion is formallie inferred of bothe the partes Labor either to solute my argument without any ambiguitie whereby ye may satisfie others orels forsaik the error which it improueth ANSWER Because ye desire your argumeÌ„t to be soluted at your own request I will take som paine God grant it may profit Your argument conteineth in it self the fallax which is called of Equiuocation for this word knowledge or this sentence whom God did for knowe in the wordes of Paul which be in your Maior or first propositiÌ„on do not signifie the self same thing that these wordes but God knew all men before which you put in your minor or second proposition And so because that there be foure termes which in the schooles be called scopae dissolutae the argument is deceatfull and fals althogh the forme appere good Thus I trust in your own coÌ„science you think your argument fully and rightly soluted but yet that neither ve shall haue occasion to bark againe neither yet that the simple reader shall take paine to reade these vaine argumentes withouâ— all frute I will adde somwhat more and will plainely proue my solution to be good In the first proposition I say where saint Paul saieth whom God forâ— knew the same he before ordeined that the holie Gost meaneth of that fore knowledge of God which is ioy â—ed with his eternall loue which before all tymes he did â—ear to his elect as of the wordes of Christ Iesus and of the wordes of the same Apostle in diuers places before is declared And with this fore knowledge which is ioyned with his loue by the which his elect were appointed to be made like fashioned to their head Christ Iesus did neuer God fore know nor foresee Cain Iudas nor none other reprobate to appertein to him I do not denie but that as all thinges euer were present before the eies of his Maiestie so did he both foreknow foresee and before ordein the eÌ„d of all creatures but other wies I say doeth God fore know his elect of whoÌ„ S. Paul onely speaketh If it doeth offend you that I affirme that God did neuer fore know y c reprobate as he did his elect I haue my assuraÌ„ce of Christ Iesus of his own plaine wordes sayng to the fals prophetes I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Note wel that Christ affirmeth that he neuer knew the fals prophetes no not euen when they did prophecie cast out deuilles and did many wonderous thinges in the name of Christ If he had said I know you not ye might haue shifted with this your accustomed cauillation that was by reasoÌ„ of their sinnes which after they committed but he leauing no doubt saieth I neuer knew you aÌ„d therefor I fear not to affirme that God did neuer foreknow Iudas as that he knew Peter CoÌ„sider and be sober Ye go forward to our argument and say THE ADVERSARIE There argument concerninge gods preascience is this God knoweth al things before they be donâ— gods prescieÌ„ce or forknowledge is infallible Ergo of necessitie all things must com to passe as they do which being granted they which perish of necessitie they do perishe If of necessitie then is it by gods ordinance because so he willeth and so he hath ordeined This argument semeth probable at the first blushe But I pray the reader to mark first how these men put no difference betwext the foreknowledge of God and his will for they suppose that what so euer God foreseeth he also willeth but there supposition is vntrue for god foreseeth the death of the sinner and yet he will not the death of the sinner buâ— rather that he repent and liue Christ did foresee the destruction of Ierusalem and yet did he not will it for he wept and be waled it God did foresee the fall and finall destruction of the Israelites and yet wold he not it As he witnesseth him self saing wherefor willye die O ye howse of Israel seing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dieth ANSWER What we do teach of gods prescience of his prouidence and predestination and how that his omnipotent will which we feare not to affirme to be the necessitie of all thinges doeth differ from stoicall necessitie with the which ye burden vs we haue before declared and therefor remitting the reader to the same place I say to you that if ye imagine in God a prescience and foreknowledge which is ydle and seperated from his will that then ye fall into the blasphemie of Epicurus and if that you say as plainely ye do that he foreseeth things to com which he will not that then ye denie the omnipotenciâ— of his power Choose which you will the veritie will conuince you To proue that he foreseeth and knoweth many things to com which he will not ye adduce the place of Ezechiel where God affirmeth that God will not the death of a sinner The weping of Christ vpon Ierusalem and the compleint of God against the house of Israel To which I shortly answer at this tyme becaus that after we must haue to do with the same mater that simply that is hauing no further respect but to punishmeÌ„t onely God will neither the death of the sinner neither yet the destruction of Ierusalem nor of the house of Israell but in respect of his glorie to be shewed in their iust punishement and of his veritie and sentence to be approued alwaies stable and constant why that God shall not will both the death and destruction to com vpon the stubborne inobedient I se nother absurditie to folow neither scripture repugning but after in answering to your distinction which ye make the betwext gods will and his permission I purpose to entreat this mater more largely You procede sayeng THE ADVERSARIE Secondly these men think that gods foreknowledge causeth all things to com to passe of necessitie which is also vntrue for knowledge of things past of things present and of things to com dependeth of the thing that is knowen and not the thing of knowledge As I know that Paule before he was called he was a persecuter of Christes Churche but Paule was not a persecuter because I knew it but I knew it because he was a persecuter I know that in the moneth of Iuly shall be haruest yet shall not haruest be because I know so but I know it because it shall be Likwese God did know that I should write this day but yet did he not compell me to write for I had libertie either to write or not to write not becaus he knew that I should write therefor did I write but becaus I was to write therefor knew he that I should write Thus ye may se how they do erre which affirme that gods foreknowledge causeth all things to com
yet are spokeÌ„ of God vnto Rebecca none of vs denieth but that which ye thereof inferre to witt that therefor they are not to be referred to that sentence which Paul alledgeth before the childreÌ„ were borne and yer they did either good or badd procedeth either of your blind ignoraÌ„ce orels of your malicious despite which agaiâ—st the fre grace of God ye haue conceaued for establishing of your own iustice Trew it is these wordes were spoken by Malachie the Prophete after the reduction of the people frome the captiuitie of Babylon But when we haue a litle considered the scope and purpose of the Prophete then shall we first consider whether he did vnsterstand the loue of God and his hatered to appertein to the two peoples onely and not also to the two original heades And after we shall see whether the mynd and plaine wordes of Paul will suffer and bear your interpretation or not Shortly after that the people of Israel I mean the tribes of Iuda Beniamin and I â—eui were by the miraculous work of God after the bondage of 70. yeres set at libertie and broght againe to Ierusalem in which they did reedifie the temple repaire the walles aÌ„d beginne to multiplie and so to grow to som streÌ„gth within the citie and land they fall to their old nature I mean to be vngrate and vnthankfull vnto God the people were slothfull and the priestes who should haue prouoked the people to the remembrance of those great benefites were become euen like to the rest The Lord therefor did raise vp his Prophete Malachie who was the last before Christ sharply to rebuke and plainely to coÌ„uict this horrible ingratitude of that vnthankfull nation who so shamefully had forgotten those so great benefits recently bestowed vpon them And thus beginneth he his prophecie I haue loued you saieth the Lord in which wordes he speaketh not of a common loue which in preseruing and feding all creatures is commoâ— to the reprobate but of that loue by the which he had sanctified and seperated them from the rest of nations to haue his glorie manifested But becaus they as all vngrate persons do did not consider wherin this his loue towardes them more then towardes others did stand he bringeth them to the fountein demanding this question was not Esau brother to Iacob saieth the Lord and neuertheles Iacob haue I loued and Esau I haue hated and this he proueth not onely by the diuersitie of the two couÌ„treis which were giueâ— to their posterities but also by that that God coÌ„tinually shewed hiÌ„ self louiâ—g to Iacob and to his posteritie reducing them againe after long captiuitie declaring him self as it were ennemy to Edom whose desolation he wold neuer restore but wold distroy that which they shoulde go about to build Let now the godlie reader iudge whether that the mynd of the Prophete was to seclude Iacob in his person from the loue of God and Esau from his hatered or that it was not rather to rebuke the vnthankfulnes of the people who did not consider that vndeserued loue which God did shew to their first father whiles he was yet in his mothers bosome for where he saieth was not Esau brother to Iacob he wold put them in mynd that Iacob had no prerogatiue aboue Esau yea that the was inferior to him as coâ—cerning the law of nature and therefor that he oght to haue bene subiect vnto him but God of fre grace did preferre the yonger to the elder which loue and preferment he constantly did kepe to his sede after him This I am assured can no godlie man denie to be the verey meaning of the Prophete Trew it is that he doeth include both the peoples the one loued and the other hated But what reason is it that the heades shall be secluded seing that the begiÌ„ning of the diuersitie did first appere in them and the Prophete plainely saieth Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Now to the mind of the Apostle you say that these wordes afore the children were born are not to be referred to the sentence which followeth Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and the cause ye add as we before haue declared I answer that the most iust iudgementes of God are fearefull and your blindnes oght to admonishe all men to examin them selues with what conscieÌ„ce they go to intreate gods secrete mysteries If that sentence before the children were born oght not to be referred to these wordes Iacob haue I loâ—ued and Esau haue I hated I pray you to what wordes oght they to be referred Did the Apostle speak theÌ„ at all aduenture without respect to any thing folowing I trust ye will grant asmuch as God spak to witt that before the children wer born God said The elder shal serue the yonger and then I pray you answer whether ye think that the preferment of Iacob to Esau proceded frome loue or frome hatred or if the subiectioÌ„ of Esau to his brother was not a declaration of gods hatred If you denie yet will the Prophete condemne you as before we haue proued ye can not escaip with the solution which a writer defending fre will giueth which is this That there mention is made onely of temporall and carnal benedictioÌ„ ment vnder the name of loue and of pouertie with barrennes of grounde vnderstand by the name of hatred which solution is so colde that it perisheth in the self for I think no man to be so blynd but that he seeth the mynd of the Apostle to be beÌ„t vpon the spirituall benediction as in his hole disputation is euident But let it be that the corporall benediction which we vtterly exclude not be there vnderstaÌ„d and meÌ„t yet that neither helpeth him nor you for where so euer gods establyshed loue is there is lief where so euer his established hatred is there is death but vpon Iacob and vpon his sede spiritual I mean was established the loue of God as the Prophete affirmeth and our Apostle most pro foundely alledgeth and vpon Esau and vpon his posteritie was established and confirmed the hatred Ergoâ— vpon him and them remained death CoÌ„sider now how that the Apostle after these wordes The elder shall serue the yonger ioyneth this senteÌ„ce as it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau I haue hated In which wordes the holie Gost agreeth together the wordes of the Prophete and the wordes of God spoken to Rebecca and maketh the one to interprete the other for where God saieth the elder shall serue that expoÌ„deth the Prophete God hated Esau and where he pronounceth dominion to the yonger that the Prophete explaneth saiÌ„g Iacob haue I loued And when did God thus loue the one and hate the other pronouncing the one to be Lord and the other to be seruant While they were yet saieth he in their mothers wombe and before they had either done good or bad Denie now if ye can that the former wordes oght not to be
a liuelie faith do good workes spring in w c the elect continuing and going forward not onely make they their own election sure as S. Peter doeth teache but also giue a testimonie of it to others before whom their good workes do shyne And so by y e cōtrarie signes and effectes we affirme that the reprobate do manifest and vtter them selues And so I saie that wonder it is that ye burthen vs as that we shoulde affirme that no man can be knowen ether to be in the election or out of the election during this life But more wōder it is that ye affirme vs to adduce these wordes of S. Paul The deuil doeth transforme him selfe in to an angel of light for probatiō of our purpose for I for my owne part do protest before y e Lord Iesus that I neuer did so vnderstand that place of y e Apostle nether yet thinke I that any of you be able to shewe in any of our writings those wordes adduced for probation of that purpose Trewe it is that I haue long vnderstand and to this houre do vnderstand that by those wordes wolde the Apostle admonish the Corinthiās and all others that sodēly they should not receaue and beleue euerie person doctrine that offereth it selfe vnder y e cloke of iustice and of trueth but that diligently we shoulde trie the spirites from whence they are whether they come frō God or not for if the deuil the great angel of darkenes enemie to mankind and father to all fals prophetes can yet so transforme him self that for a time his purpose and intent are not sene but that vnder the cloke of amitie and loue he seketh o r destruction as in tempting the woman doeth plainly appere how much more can his seruāts and soldiors being deceitful workers transforme them in to y e Apostles of Christ pretending at the first entre nothing but loue and iustice nothing but gods glorie nothing but mortification of the flesh and such like most beautiful pretences although that yet these thīgs be most farre frome their heartes Thus I say do I and with me I am assured who so euer depely do wey the purpose of the Apostle in that place vnderstand that sentēce and do not as ye falsly write alledge it to proue that no man can be knowen to be ether in the election or out of the election during this life It may be that we haue saied and writen as the trueth is that no man coulde haue knowē by the good workes of that happie thief hanged with Christ that he had bene gods elect before that in that anguissie so instātly he began to defend Christes innocencie so sharpely to rebuke y e other being a blasphemer and humbly to submit himself and praie that Christ wolde remembre him when that he came in to his kingdome And contrarie wise that none coulde haue defined by the euil workes of Iudas before his tresonable defection from Christ Iesus which was but fewe daies before his death that he had bene y e reprobate And what serueth this for your purpose howe can ye hereby proue that we are the sonnes of darkenes that we take the most shameful men by the hand flattering them so that they can not returne from their wickednes and so by our doctrine giue occasion of sinne to y e people declaring our selues thereby not to besent of God c. Are ye able to proue that we teache the people not to conuert from their sinnes and wicked imaginations to to y e last houre of their departure do we promise to all theues and murtherers the same grace and fauor y t Dauid Peter and this thief founde I trust thy own cōscience knoweth the contrarie Permit or suffer we be they neuer so hie manifest offenders to liue amōgest vs after their owne appetites And yet ashamest thou not impudently thus to writ But such lippes such letouse such disciples such masters for your chief Appollos be persecuters on whom the blood of Seruetus crieth a vengeance So doeth the blood of others mo whome I could name But for asmuch as God hath partely alredie reuenged their blood and serued some of their persecuters with the same measure where with they measured to others I wil make no mēcion of them at this time Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who so reueleth the things that lie in secret that hypocrites at length how soeuer they dissemble for a time are compelled to notifie bewray them selues Before to some it might haue appeared that the zeale of gods glorie the loue of vertue the hatered of vice and the saluation of the people whom by vs ye iudged to be blinded and deceiued had caried you hedlonges into such vehemēcie as ye be mē zelous feruent y t no kynd of accusation was thoght by you sufficēit to make vs odious vnto y e people lies against vs imagined were not onely tolerable but also laudable holie scriptures ▪ by you willingly and wittingly corrupted did serue to defend gods iustice and his glorie w t we by our doctrine oppugne improue But these your last wordes do bewrey the mater that in what soeuer faces you lift trāsforme your selues your grief wil appere to procede from another fountaine then from any of these which ye pretende and I before haue rehearsed O the death of Seruetus your deare brother for whose deliuerāce your chāpion Castalio solēnely did praie with whom if once ye coulde haue spoken that kingdome which ye hope for had begonne to be enlarged his blood I saie with the blood of others I thinke ye meane of your prophetesse Ione of kent do crie a vengeance in your eares heartes that none other cause do you se of y e shedding of y e blood of those most cōstāt martyres of Christ Iesus Thomas Crammer Nicholas Redley Hugh latimer Iohn Hooper Iohn Rogers Iohn Bradfurth and of others mo But that God hathe partly reuenged their blood y t is of your great prophet and prophetesse vpon their persecuters and hath serued thē with the same measure with the which they serued others I appeale to the iudgement of all those that fear God what is thy iudgement and the iudgement of thy faction of that glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus which of late hath bene suppressed in Englod what is thy iudgement of those most valiāt soldiars and most happie martyres of Christ Iesus vpon whom ô blasphemous mouth thou saiest God hathe taken vengeance which is an horrible blasphemie in the eares of all the godlie I wil not now somuch labor to confute by thy pen as that my ful purpose is to lay the same to thy charge if I shal apprehend the in any comon welth where iustice against blesphemers may be ministred as gods word requireth And hereof I giue the warning lest that after thou shalt complein that vnder the cloke of friendship I haue deceiued the. Thy manifest defection
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
former election when Israel was yong I loued him and called my sonne owt of the land of Egypt forasmuch as Israel was the sonne of God and that also beloued insomuch that the lordled them with cordes of friendship and bondes of loue they must nedes be â—he elect of God yea because they prouoked the lord through their abominations they are cast away â–ª and the lord rewardeâ—h them according to their desertes ANSWER If I should labor to the end of this your most confused worke to reduce euerie scripture by you wrested and abused to the true meaning and vnderstanding of the holie Gost as hitherto I haue done in the most parte of them which ye haue alledged my trauale should be great aÌ„d the work should excede a iust measure Therefor seing that sufficiently by the plaine scriptures of God I haue confirmed the doctrin which we teach beleue and maintein aÌ„d by the same trueth of gods worde I haue confuted your error from hencefurth I inteÌ„d onely to toâ—che the proposition which ye maintein and by confuting the same briefly ether by scripture orels by exemple to shew in what sorte ye wrongfully apply the scâ—iptures to maintein your error offring yet to satisfie to my power such as charitably shall ask of me by word or writing further explanation of any scripture by you alledged by me at this tyme not fully resolued The chief propositioÌ„ which ye maiÌ„tein to y e end of this your book is that the elect may fall froÌ„ their election To the which I answer that if ye vnderstand that those whom God the father hath elected in his eternall counsel to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus may so fall from their election that finally they perish if this I say be your vnderstanding then I feare not to affirme that proposition to be vtterlie fals erroneous and daÌ„nable as it that doeth expressedly repugne to gods plaine scriptures for Christ Iesus doeth affirme that so many as his father hath giuen to him shal come vnto him And to such as do come he promiseth life euerlasting which he hath in him self for the saluatioÌ„ of his flock whereof none shal perish for furth of his hands can none be pulled away But because this before is largely intreated I come shortly to the scriptures which ye abuse First ye proue that those which be elected be sanctified by the spirit and through beleuing of the trueth which we confesse to be most true Thereafter ye alledge that such as be sanctified may after dishonor the spirit of grace tredde doune the blood of the testament so drawe to damnation I answer the cause of your error is that ye make no difference betwext the sanctification and liuely faith which is proper onelie to the sonnes of God which once begonne is perpetuall and that sanctification and faith which is common to the reprobate and therefore it is but temporall If this distinctioÌ„ displeaseth you quarel with y e holie Gost and not with vs for of his plaine workes wordes euideÌ„t haue we receaued it for all Israel were sanctified to be y e kinglie priesthode all were circuÌ„cised yea did drink of y t spirituall drink and yet were they not all inwardly saÌ„ctified vnto saluatioÌ„ life euerlasting The hole tribe of Leuie were saÌ„ctified to y â— seruice of y e Lord in his tabernacle but how many of theÌ„ did stil remaine prophane persoÌ„s y â— scripture coÌ„cealeth not EueÌ„ so all y t great multitude whoÌ„ Christ fed in y e wildernes yea all those y t adhered for a time to his doctrine were after som maner sanctified that is seperated deuided froÌ„ y e rest of y e world But that sanctification was but temporall like as also was their faith we do not denie but that the reprobate haue som maner of faith aÌ„d som sort of sanctification for a time that is that they are compelled eueÌ„ by the impire of the Spirit of God to confesse and acknowledge that all thinges spokeÌ„ in gods sciptures are true And y t therefor their conscience in afeare and terror do seke som meanes to please God for the auoiding of his veÌ„geaÌ„ce For as this is nother the true faith iustifying neither yet the perfect sanctification of the Spirit of God which reneweth y e elect in the inwarde man so doth nether of both long coÌ„â—inue for they returning to their natural prophanation and darknes do leaue the waye of light and life and drawe them selues to death and damnation But hereof without the contumelie of the SoÌ„ne of God and without abnegation of his plaine veritie ye can not conclude that the elect membres of his bodie can be rest out of his hands that those for whom soleÌ„nely he hath prayed that they shoulde be sanctified in the veritie and that they should be one with him as he is one with his father may come to finall prophanation and so to perditioÌ„ we feare not to affirm that to be a thing no les impossible then that it is that Christ Iesus shall cease to be head of his Churche and the sauiour of his bodie In the wordes of the Apostle writeÌ„ in the second chapter to the Ephesians ye seme not to vnderstand his meaning where he saieth ye were soÌ„times without Christ â—for saye you we are sure that without Christ there is no election In which wordes thow that writest plaiest with the simple ignorant reader the vile sophister confounding by the inglishe word without that whiche in latine is moste euidently distincted Doth Paule say Eratis aliquando extra ChristuÌ„ or saieth he not Eratis sine Christo To make the mater sensible to you my deare brethren be you neuer so simple where he saieth without Christ there is no election that proposition is â—rue if it be vnderstand that man was neuer elected to lief euerlasting but in Christ Iesus onlie But if he will affirme that none are elected in Christ Iesus without Christ that is to say before that they come to the true and perfect knowledge of gods mercies in Christ that proposition is most fals and doth repugne as plainely ye may se to the mynde and wordes of the Apostle for he affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Iesus before the fundation of y e world was laid yea wheÌ„ we were dead by sinne ignorant of him strangers from the testament of his promes which S. Paule calleth to be without Christ without God in this world without the league of the testament And by these wordes doth the Apostle magnifie the superaboundaÌ„t mercies of God shewed to the world in Christ Iesus By the which he receaued not onely the Iewes who long had continued in league with God but also the Gentiles to the participation of his glorie albeit that from the daies of AbrahaÌ„ they had liued as dispised reiected of God Let the reader now iudge how strongly ye conclude To the place of the Aâ—postle touching the
will not refuse them nether yet will I dispyse them so that I will vtterly destroy them or make my couenante with them to be of none effect for I am the lord their God for then I shall remembre myne old couenant which I made with theÌ„ when I led them furth of the land of Egypt in the presence of the Gentiles that I might be their God I the eternall And in the same prophete in many places mo the same is most euident for thus he writeth foreseing their captiuitie Yet now heare ô Iacob my seruaÌ„t and Israel whoÌ„ I haue chosen thus saieth the Lord that made the and formed the from the wombe he will help thee feare not ô Iacob my seruant aduerte that yet he doth acknowledge Iacob to be his seruant euen in his greatest miserie and thow righteous whom I haue chosen for I shall powre owt waters vpon the thirstie floodes vpon the drie grounde I shall powre furth my spirit vpon thy sede and my blessing vpon thy buddes And in the same Chapter after that he hath reproued the vanitie of idolaters he saieth Remembre these ô Iacob and Israel for thou art my seruant I haue formed thee to this purpose that thou shouldest be my seruant ô Israel forget me not c. For my names saike will I differ my wrath and for my praise will I refrein it frome the that I cut the not of c. Lift vp your eyes to the heauens and beholde the earth beneth for the heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax olde like a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like maner but my saluation shal be for euer he meaneth the deliuerance which he had promised to that people and my righteousnes shal not be abolished c. For a litle whyle haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion shal I gather thee c. And the sonnes of strangers shall buyld vp thy walles and their kinges shall serue thee for in my wrath I smote thee but in my mercie I had compassion on thee c. For Zions sake I wil not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I wil not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake furth as the light and the saluacion thereof as a burning lamp c. And their sede shal be knowen amongest the Gentiles and their buddes among the people All that se them shall know them that they are the sede which the Lord hath blessed These and many places mo do manifestly witnesse that God did neuer before the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh vtterly reiect and refuse that people as that they did not appertein vnto him but that he did auowe them to be his chosen his peculiar people and his inheritance euen wheÌ„ they were in greatest miserie Yea further God had continually of the sede of Abraham during the tyme of the Law and the prophetes som nombre openly to glorifie his name in the eyes of the world And therefore consider with your self how iustly ye gather vpon these wordes of the prophet God shal yet againe choose Israel that therefore God had vtterly reiected all Israel yea euen from the life euerlasting for except that so ye conclude ye haue proued nothing of your purpose for the controuersie standeth not betwext vs and you whether that God doth somtymes choose and promote a man or a people to honor and dignitie in this life thereafter iustly depriue him or them from the same for this did we neuer denie But the hole controuersie consisteth in this point whether that such as God in his eternall counsel hath elected in Christ Iesus to life euerlasting can after be reprobated and so finally perish and that shal ye neuer be able to proue That the simple reader may the better vnderstand the meaning of y â— prophete this I adde The people in the captiuitie of Babylon were so oppressed and so destitute of all hope euer to be restored to any dignitie or libertie againe That to them it appered a like possible to raise the dead carkases of such as were buried in their graues as to deliuer them from the handes of the proud and puâ—sant Babylonians And therefore doth not onlie Isaiah who long afore saw their bondage the redemption from the same but also Ieremiah Ezechiel who did se it with their eyes with great boldnes coÌ„staÌ„cie affirme that they shoulde be deliuered from that boÌ„dage y t they shoulde be maried w t God so shoulde be chosen againe as o r Prophet here speaketh w c is not to be referred to y â— part of God but to the apprehension of the people who thoght them selues vtterly forsaken and reiected of God Against this temtatioÌ„ y e prophet saith God shall choose Israel againe that is shal restore them to y e former dignitie yea to a greater And y t shoulde he do in such sort y t they should know y t he was God merciful coÌ„stant and immutable of his promes And so the renouatioÌ„ of the league in such sort that the worlde might se that God fauored Israel is called the new election new mariage not that God had euer in him self decreed and purposed that the Messias and blessed sede shoulde descend of any other nation but of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ and house of Dauid but that the people in the tyme of their affliction had receaued such a wounde by reason of their grieuous plagues and former offences that they thoght y t God had vtterly reiected them let y e prophetes be redde with indifferent iudgement And this I dowbte not shall appere most true Now to the rest of your scriptures ADVERSARIE Christ commandeth Iohn to preache vnâ—o the seuen Congregations Among whome were bothe elect reprobaâ—e to whom he vsâ—th no such maner of doctrine as ye teach â—haâ— the elect coulde not fall from their election but warneth them to take hede that they lose nâ—t that which they had gâ—ten but labore to increase threatning them with destruction if â—hey forsake â—he grace whereof they were made parâ—akers nether discouraged be the most wicked of them as ye do saying that by the preordinance of God they of necessitie must perish but willeth them to repent and amend and they shoulde liue yes knew he bothe who were elect and who were reprobate â–ª To the congregation of Ephesus he saith that she was fallen from her first loue and without she remembred fromâ— whence she was fallen repented and did her first workes the Lord wold shortly come and remoue her candilstick out of her place The congregation of Smirna he commandeth so be faithfull vnto the death and so shoulde she receaue the crowne of life If Christ had bene of your opinion he had not vsed such maner of doctrine In vaine shoulde he exhorte the reprobate to be faithfull whom he had cast away and superfluous were it to exhort the elect
God did onely suffer Elimas to be blynded then shall the holie Gost speaking in sainct Paule conuict you for he saieth behold the hand of the Lord is vpon the and thou shalt be blynd and shall not see the Sunne for a tyme. And thus shall you haue God man and the deuill to rebuke your vanitie Be ashamed repent and giue glory vnto God who feareth not to confesse that all instrumentes in heauen earth or in hell be his roddes his sword and his hand by the which he correcteth he punisheth he triethe deliuereth and saueth according to his eternal counsell and purpose To proue absurdities and inconueniences as ye terme them to folow our doctrine thus you reason If I should grant that it was gods will that he should refuse to let the people goo then did he submit him self to the will of the Lord. then should God and he haue bene both of one mynd and the will of God is alwayes good and iust then Pharao refusing to let the people go did well and iustly forasmuch as it was gods will that he should so do wherfore Pharao oght not to haue bene punished for this good and iust dede And thus in conclusion ye affirme that these inconueniences we can not eskape I haue before sufficiently declared howe that no wicked man committing iniquitie hath any respecte or mynd to obey gods holie will ether secrete ether yet reueled but folowing their owne rage and inordinate lustes doth make as it were plaine resisâ—ance to God and therefore how so euer they be compelled to to serue gods eternall purpose yet do they neuer obey him in their owne heartes but obstinatly they do rebell against his blessed will reueled And therefor as there is no conformitie nor aggremeÌ„t betwext the holy will of God their peruers malicious will so are they subiect to iust damnatioÌ„ for their rebellion and disobedieÌ„ce And thus taking from you the ground foundation wher vpon you think your selues moste assuredly to stand I might suffer your vain building to fall into confusion But partly for the instruction of the simple reader and partly to woÌ„ne some of you if so please God froÌ„ these horrible blasphemies I purpose in this place to declare the difference betwext the holie will of God and the wicked will of men and why it is that the worke of God is moste iust and the worke of the instrumentes vniust and euill reseruing the rest to better opportunitie The will of God must not be restreined to those thinges which externally we see donne or hear to haue bene doÌ„ne But gods will must be extended to to those endes for the which God worketh and causeth to be wroght all thinges from the beginning to witt for the manifestacion of his owne glory for the profit and saluation of his electe children and for the execution of his iust iudgemeÌ„tes ether for a tyme to correct his chosen orels for euer to punishe the stubborne and disobedieÌ„t of the reprohate sorte Becaus y t I suspect no man so foolish as that he will deny the will of God working to these endes to be most iust most holy and most perfecte in it self I wil labor for no probation of that parte But because the instrumentes by whome God worketh be diuers we must first inquire and knowe what instrumentes they be that obey gods will and therefor by him are reputed iust workers and what they are that obey not his will and so what so euer they do are reputed inobediente Onely those instrumentes do obey gods will who hauing his will clearly reueled vnto them do studie and indeuer them selues to obey accomplish and fulfill the same and that of very loue fre mynd and zeale to obey his godlie Maiestie the frutes and workes of these instrumentes howe soeuer man doth iudge of them doth God approue yea euen albeit they appere to repugne to mercy or to his lawe written for the Israelites were deliuered frome theft by gods will reueled albeit they spoyled and robbed vnder the cloke of borowing the Egyptiens of their substance The maryners and the shipmasters being with Ionas in that soden storme and tempest raised by God were fre from murther and sheding of innocent bloode by gods will plainely reueled by y e mouth of the Prophet Iehu was not onely iustified from all the suspition of treason which men might haue gathered of his facte but also from crueltie in killing those idolaters who manifestly declared them selues friendes to Baal by that that God did first reuele his will vnto him sending his Prophet to anoynte him and after approued his zeale which he rewarded w t temporall promise of the kingdom to continue in his posteritie to the fourth of his sede Thus I say doth God iustifie the workes of these instrumentes which obey his will reueled And so I say y t they onely obey God that knowing his will do studie to obey the same But contrary wyes who soeuer doth any thing ignorant of gods will not knowing the will of God reueled repugneth or doth coÌ„trary to the same howsoeuer he serueth gods eternall purpose doth nether obey God nether caÌ„ he be excusable before gods iustice And that because in his work fact he looketh nothing to gods will nether yet to the end and purpose which God respecteth And hereof springeth and artiseth the differeÌ„ce betwext the workes of God the workes of maÌ„ yea betwext the workes of the godlie and the workes of the vngodlie God worketh all his workes to manifest his glorie his wisedome his power his mercie goodnes iustice The godlie moued by the holie Spirit worke their workes to giue obedieÌ„ce vnto God to support their brethereÌ„ in their necessities at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t and to punish vice according to his lawe But the vngodly caried hedlonges by their own lustes and by the fury of sathan to whose power they are committed work all their workes to reuenge them selues to destroye such as they hate and to promote their own entreprises without any respect had to God to his will ordinance or counsell One or two examples shall make this mater more sensible The will purpose and couÌ„sell of God in punishing Iob was to trye his patience and of the same to leaue an example to all them that truely feare God to the end And who dare deny this to be most reasonable and most iust that God examining sharply one of his childreÌ„ shall make him a scolmaster to all the rest But what was y e will and purpose of sathan and of the CaldeaÌ„s by whome Iob was punished The will and purpose of sathan is plainely reueled to haue bene that by those afflictions he fully purposed to withdrawe Iob from gods feare and to cause him curse God to his face The will of the Chaldeans is euident ynough by the manifest malice of all such oppressers who look to nothiÌ„g but to satisfie their own couetous myndes by the possessioÌ„s of
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all