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
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
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
them for so is affirmed in a parable that one lord did to his steward If we shall rather beleue Christ Iesus then you then we shall thus conclude Many are called but few chosen wonder it is that ye can not se the difference betwext these wordes The king called many and God chose all I am ashamed of your ignorance Of gods coÌ„stant fidelitie of his promises of the causes why y e reprobate are more aÌ„d more blynded we haue before somwhat spoken and after will haue occasion to repete the same When ye wold be sene most craftie and subtill then appereth most your ignoraÌ„ce and vanitie To proue an absurditie in our doctrine thus ye reason If where so euer election be there is also reprobation of the same kynd this last patch I say is your malicious addition but let it stand for a testimonie of your vntrueth if then say you Christ be the elect and chosen of God as the scriptures affirme him to be then must it nedes folowe that there be mo Christes of whome â—ome must be reprobate and thereupon ye bring in your foolishe tale of your Iew. First I answer you according to your merie disposition which I perceaue did titill you in writing this part That if ye can make no difference betwext election and elect then I wold ye were commited agane to som quick and sharpe Pedagoge who with sharp roddes wold let you fele what difference there is betwext Agentem Patientem Assuredly your vnreuereÌ„t iesting in these secrete mysteries of our redemption and these scoffing tantes in malice casten out against the eternall Sonne of God and his vndoubted veritie deserue none other answer but yet partly to let your ignorance appere and partly for the instructioÌ„ of the simple I will prepare my self to answer with greater modestie then your malice deserueth I haue said before that this patch vpon the which ye gather your absurditie is none of our doctrine for we haue neither written nor yet taught that where so euer is election there must also reprobation be of the same kynd but simply we say that election hath respect to his contrarie reprobation But to grant you somwhat and not to hold you so streit let it be that so we had written what should rightly thereof folowe that there must be mo Christes of whoÌ„ som must be reprobate say you becaus that Christ is called the elect of God I answer in this your argument ye vse two fallaces that is fals and deceatfull apperances of a trueth which are but manifest lies The former you change the termes putting elect and reprobate in the minor and in the conclusion where we put election and reprobation in the Maior which is not lawfull in a good argument for where we say as ye affirme where so euer is Election there must also reprobation be ye infer Christ is the elect of God Ergo there must be mo Christes of whom som must be reprobate Who seeth not here the changing of the termes Let your argument procede in order and coâ—clude what ye list Where so euer is electioÌ„ there must also be reprobation And add if ye list of the same kynd but Christ is election thus must you procede if that ye kepe the forme of a good argument Proue your Minor and conclude what ye please Thus doeth your vaine and foolishe sophistrie compell me to trouble the simple with the termes of the artes which most vnwillingly I do The seconde fallaâ— and deceat lieth in the ambiguitie and doubtfull vnderstanding of this patch which ye craftelie forge of the same kynd for if we had so spoken or written yet is our vnderstanding far other then you imagine That is we applie not these wordes of the same kynd to the particularitie of persons and of euerie especiall man that is elect but to the hole masse as by saint Paule we are taught To make the mater more sensible I will lay my self for exeÌ„pell for I will not nor dare not so â—rreuereÌ„tly iest w t the maiestie of my God and of his dear son Christ Iesus as ye do You reason against vs as that we did vnderstand your addition of the same kynd of euerie particulare person a part as thus I Iohn knoxe do constantly beleue that as of mercie and fre grace it hath pleased the goodnes of my God in tyme to call me to his knowledge aÌ„d so to remoue my blyndnes and vnbeliefe that in a part I se his fatherlie loue towardes me in Christ Iesus his Sonne so do I most certenlie beleue that in the same Christ Iesus of fre grace he did elect and choose me to lief euerlasting before the fouÌ„dation of the world was laid Ergo by your vnderstanding I must also beleue that there is another Iohn knoxe of the same kynd hauing the same substance with the same qualiteis proprieties and conditions that I haue that was reprobated and so must be damned Who seeth not here your vanitie yea your most malicious cauilation who labor to impute vpon vs that which did neuer enter into our heartes We with all reuereÌ„ce and feare beleue and teach that God of one masse that is of Adam hath prepared som vessels of mercie honour and glorie and som he hath prepared to wrathe and destruction To the vessels of his mercie in his eternall counsell before all tymes he did appoint a head to reule and giue lief to his elect that is Christ Iesus our Lord whom he wold in tyme to be made like vnto his brethren in all thinges sinne except Who in respect of his humaine nature is called his seruante the iust sede of Dauid and the elect in whom his soule is well compleased Because as I haue said he is appointed onely head to giue lief to the bodie without whom there is neither electioÌ„ saluatioÌ„ nor lief to man nor to Angell And so in respect of his humanitie froÌ„ the w c he in no wies can be seperated he is called y e elect CoÌ„clude now if you caÌ„ there must be mo Christes of whoÌ„ soÌ„ must be reprobate I will make a more sure and more trew conclusion then you do which is this God of one masse hath elected some men to lief in Christ Iesus Ergò there was left of the saâ—me masse an other sort vnder an other head the deuil who is the father of lies and of all such as continue in blasphemie against God Gather now what absurdities ye caâ— THE ADVERSARIE An other argument gather they furth of gods prescience but I will first borow an argument of them concerning the prescience of God And then God willing I shall answere to theirs Paul saieth Those which God knew before he also ordeined them before that they should be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of his Sonne that he might be the first begotten Sonne among many bretheren but God knew all men before Ergo be ordeined all men before that they should
serue the Lord what profit haue we for keping his commandements â–ª Therefore may weâ— say that the proude are happie aâ—d that they which deale with vngodlines are set vp Such a spâ—rit haue ye carâ—les libertins as your doctrine wel declareth did not God threaten Adam that in what daye so euer he shoulde eat of the frute he shoulde dye the death not onely corporall but also eternall They which forsake the commandements of God forsake God him self as the Prophetes saye th they are not the Lords for they haue vnfaithfully forsaken him Wherefore Adam when he forsoke God was not the Lords but the seruant of death and sinne to whom soeuer ye commit your selues as seruants to obeye saieth Paul his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes And againe if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and nâ—ther AdaÌ„ nor Dauid were led by the spirit of Christ when they sinned for the spirit of Christ dwelleth not insuch as forsake him obey the deuil except Christ saith the Apostel dwel in you ye are cast away then AdaÌ„ Dauid were cast à waies that is reprobates wheÌ„ they sinned for nether were they in Christ nor Christ in theÌ„ in whoÌ„ the electioÌ„ of God was is but to what purpose shoulde I thus conteÌ„d with you that AdaÌ„ did fâ—lle out of the electioÌ„ seing in this ye agre not your selues for your coÌ„gregatioÌ„ which is aâ— Genâ—ua in the confession of their faith say that of the lost sonnes of AdaÌ„ God elected som to life and the rest he refused Eâ—her improue their beâ—efe or els confâ—sse with them that all the children of Adam were lost by traÌ„sgression If they were lost â–ª then were they out of the eleâ—tion with their father â–ª Adam from thâ— transgression vnto the promâ—s was made Therefore saieth Paul damnatioâ— came of one sinne vnto condemnatioÌ„ in an other place like as by Adam all dye euen so by Christ â–ª shal all be made aliue Here doeth the Apostles witnes plaâ—nely â–ª that we all by Adam do dye S. Iohn saieth hâ— that beleueth not is alredie condemnedand the wrath of God abideth on him Then were Adam and Dauid and all such workers of iâ—â—quitie for that tym that they siâ—â—ed alredie condemned being void of faith And coulde they be in the â—â—ate of condâ—mnation election both together â–ª Harken what followeth and â–ª the wrath of God abideth on 〈◊〉 as Adam from the traâ—sgression vâ—to thâ— promes felt the force of the wrath of God Thus we 〈◊〉 thaâ— Adam and Dauid and all other 〈◊〉 they sinned â—hey be out of the louâ— and fauâ—r and election of God vnto they repenâ— and be bâ—rnâ— a nâ—w for otherwisâ— can they neuer enter intâ— the kingdome of heauen Again S Iohn saith ye knowe that no manslâ—yâ— are hath etâ—rnâ—l lieâ— abiding in him Dauid was a man killâ—r wherefore he had not eterâ—al lief abiding in him Buâ— during the timâ— of his wickedâ—es he was the childe of death as the Prophet Nathan shewâ—d him Dauid gâ—uing iudgement against him self â–ª without faith it can not bâ— that any man shouldâ— please God Adam and Dauid when they sinned they were without faith then pleasâ—d they not God If they pleased him not they displeased him so that they were fallen from the loue and fâ—uor of God ANSWER Albeit that I perceaue y t ether ignoraÌ„ce doeth so impede you orels that malice doeth so blynd you y t nether ye wil nor can vnderstand y t which in y e self is most sensible plaine I wil neuer theles yet once againe repete that w c before I haue said to the eÌ„d that we may giue testimonie aswâ—ll to those y t now liue as vnto y e posteritie to com what doctrine it is w c ye so furiously impugne If ignorance be the cause why thus ye rage against vs ye may be taught if ye list to bestowe your eares to heare your eyes to read heartes to vnderstand for o â— doctrine is not as som of you do complein darke nor obscure except y t it be to those to whom y e Apostle affirmed y t his EuaÌ„gill was hid But if that malice w c ye haue coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st the eternal trueth of God doth so blynd you that ye wil not se y e bright son in y e midday there resteth no more to vs but to desire of God ether to remoue this your deuelish malice I write as knoweth God euen froÌ„ y e grief of heart orels so to stay brydle it y â— it trooble not his afflicted Church Ye accuse vs as y t we made no differeÌ„ce betwext vice vertue sinne and iustice nether yet betwext AdaÌ„ and Dauid as they were elected in Christ Iesus before y e fouÌ„dacions of the worlde were laid and betwext Adam transgressing and Dauid committing adulterie and murtheâ— Ye further seme to charge vs as we should affirme that God hated not sinne nether yet that he respected vice If our short plaine and vnfeined coÌ„fessioÌ„ be able to satisfie you in these thre dowtes I haue good hope y t after this ye shall haue no occasion to suspect vs in such causes first before God before his holie Angelles in heaueÌ„ before his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in earthe we protest acknowledge y t sinne vice and all kind of iniquitiâ— is and euer hath bene so odious in y e presence of God y t he neuer suffered y e same vnpunished in any of his elect childreÌ„ That for y e same not onelie death but also coÌ„moÌ„ calamities hath appreheÌ„ded all man kynd eueÌ„ sitheÌ„ce the first trasgression That vertue iustice and ciuil honestie besydes the iustice of the regenerat children hath so pleased God â–ª that for loue of the same he hath mainteined and to this day doth maintein coÌ„mon welthes albeit that many grieuous crymes be commited in the same As God we say and affirme loueth equitie iustice chastitie trueth mercie and teÌ„peraÌ„ce so doth he in som sort hieghly reward the same and hateth vnrighteousnes filthie life deceat excesse crueltie and riaâ—ous liuing which often he punisheth euen in manneâ— eyes And this difference we say God maketh euen amongest those that be not regenerate nether were euer called to y e true knowledge of saluation And this much briefly for the first secoÌ„d and 3. This difference we make betwext Adam and Dauid elected in Christ Iesus and Adam and Dauid transgressing gods holie commaÌ„demeÌ„t and wil reueled â–ª Adam and Dauâ—d elected in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid were so loued in the same Lord Iesus their head that when they had most horribly fallen and offended yet did God seke Adam call vpon him gently reason with him and at length conuicting his conscience of his offence did make vnto him that most ioyfull promes of recoÌ„ciliation of the same loue we say
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
And in what estate did I leaue you Trie and examin your selues in what estate ye do yet stand you can not be vnsensible you can not be so ignorant but ye must know whether that Christ dwelleth in you or no. If you will acknowledge and coÌ„â—es that Christ dwelleth in you then must ye nedes confes that I am an Apostle For by my labors and preaching did you receaue Christ Iesus And if to deface my labors and to defraud me of that honor which God of his mercie hath giueÌ„ vnto me ye list deny that ether ye receaued Christ Iesus ether yet that he remaineth in you then do ye confes your selues reprobates Paule doth not absolutely define that they were reprobates but putteth in to their choise whether they wold confes that Christ Iesus did remaine in them by faith which they had receaued by the preaching of Paule and so wold admitt him to be an Apostle or to grante that they had nothing to do with Christ and so to confes them selues reprobates Now let the indifferent reader iudge whether that ether faithfully ye cyte the text ether that righteously ye conclude vpon the same The Apostle saieth not except that Christ dwell in you yow are reprobates but saieth as before I haue alledged do ye not know your selues that Christ Iesus is in you except that in som what ye be reprobates And albeit that the wordes were such as ye recite how can you therof conclude Dauid and Adam were reprobates when they sinned seing that Paule in that place maketh mencion of no other sinne except of the denial of Christ to remain in them of their ingratitude towardes him whom God had appointed preacher vnto them and of giuing eare credite to fals Apostles sclaÌ„derers of Christes true messingers â–ª how iustly I might turn Paules wordes vpoÌ„ your heades you easely may espie but all such reasoning I do from my heart abhorre If ye can be able to proue that Adam refused the grace offered or that Dauid did storme against Nathan ether affirming or suspecting him to be a fals prophete then had your argument som probabilitie for onely of such and to suche speaketh the Apostle in that place Thus doth â—ther your ignorance or malice wresting the scriptures against their natiue sense compell me to trouble the reader muche more then I wold if any sinceritie were found in you We do constantly affirme that by the sinne of one man did death enter in to the world for Adam did not onely lose him self but also did with him self wrap all his posteritie in sin death and damnation so that Adam and all his sonnes were in him lost But thereof it doth not follow as ye affirme that therefor they were out of the election from the transgression vnto the promes for as before we haue plainely proued they were elected in Christ Iesus before the foundacioÌ„s of y â— world were laied in whom they did stand elected and beloued euen wheÌ„ they fell in AdaÌ„ at which time y e electioÌ„ which from all eternitie was kept in the counsell of God began to be notified and manifested to mannes knowledge The fall and sinne of man was the way and meanes by the which gods election did appere but was not the cause why that it was destroied And so if with reuereÌ„ce ye coulde consider the mysterie of our redemption in Christ Iesus ye shoulde plainely se that it behoued all to die in Adam that the elect might receaue life in Christ Iesus alone The wordes of Christ Iesus our master rehearsed by the Euangelist S. Iohn ye do shamefully abuse for in that place he intreateth not whether a sinner duriÌ„g the time of his blindnes and sinne is appointed to damnation or not nether yet whether such as before haue had knowledge as Adam and Dauid had be altogether void of faith by reason of sinne after committed None of these two poiâ—tes I say doth our Master in that place intreat But vnto Nichodemus he plainely declareth that the cause of life is faith and the cause of condemnation is incredulitie and vnbe leif Not that Christ Iesus affirmeth that euerie man that is vnfaithfull at any tyme is or shal be condemned for God hath wrapped all vnder vnbelief y t he may haue mercie vpoÌ„ all as S. Paul confesseth him self to haue bene a persecuter and vnfaithfull But the true meaning of Christ is y t such as dispyse y e light offered remaine invnbelief to y e eÌ„d haue their condemnation alredie appointed as contrary wise who so euer with full obedience do steadfastly beleue the same shall haue the life euerlasting not withstanding the manifest tran sgressions of the law The rest of this part is be fore answered and thereforâ— I will not with repeticion trouble the reader for ye be neuer able to proue that Adame and Dauid were so out of the loue of God that he did not loue them in Christ his Sonne in whom they were elected Dauid was no suche mankiller as was Cayn of whom Saint Iohn speaketh who delited in blood to the end Nether did NathaÌ„ shew nor Dauid pronounce any suche iudgemeÌ„t against him self as ye imagin but being conuicted in in his own conscience how horribly he had offended he did heare not withstanding that ioyfull sentence The Lord hath taken a way thy sinne thow shalt not die c. Which sentence no doubt proceded frome that immutable loue w c was reserued to him in Christ Iesus euen when he was fardest declined from God It will be hard for you to proue by euident scriptures that Dauid was altogither void of faith but granting that he as concerning his own sense and feling was vtterly dead yet doth it not thereof follow that so he displeased God that he fell from the loue and fauor of God as touching his electioÌ„ for the Apostle vpon whose wordes ye seme to grounde your reason meaneth not that the lack of faith in all persons at all tymes and in all respectes doth so displease God that he hateth them and reiecteth them to death euerlasting For childreÌ„ for a tyme lacke faith and yet Crist pronounceth that their Angelles do se the face of his father and that the kingdoÌ„ of heauen apperteineth to such Thomas was vnfaithfull euen after Christes resurrectioÌ„ And yet did he not so displease his maister as before we heaue touched but that he did sekeâ— him and did remoue his incredulitie And Christ Iesus did rebuke the vnbelief of his disciples and the hardnes of their heartes but yet did he not vtterly dispyse them But now to the rest ADVERSARIE But if the scripures will not satisâ—ie you then must you be beaten with your own râ—d for if I grante you that all men did not fall out of gods holie election unto coÌ„dennation by Adams traÌ„sgressâ—on it followeth therupon that the coÌ„ming of Christ his procious death and passioâ— is superfluous vaine and of none effecte So by your
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
decree of his will that we should be to the praise of his glorie Here the holie Goste as it were of set purpose forseing mannes vnthankfulnes vseth wordes not only moste propre but also most vehement and often repeteth the same to beat doune all pryde and arrogancie of man presuming to arrogate any thing to him self in the mater of his saluation He first saieth God hath prâ—destinate And lest y t som might haue thoght as you folowiÌ„g the Papistes do now blasphemously affirme that so he did in respecte of our worthines of workes or faith in one sentence he secludeth all which is without Christe Iesus and without him self sayeng he hath predestinate vs to adoptate vs in children by Christe Iesus in him self according to the good pleasure of his will If Christ Iesus yea if God the Father his aeternall couÌ„sel his decree and purpose be other then our worthines our faith our qualitie or our good workes then neither for theÌ„ nor in respect of any of them were we chosen to lyfe For plainly he affirmeth that by Christe in him self according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in him self were we adoptate to be children yea and that according to the purpose and decre of his will Here haue you the same and mo wordes then we vsed For here are those wordes the purpose of his good will that he hath purposed in him self to predestinace and adoptate vs in childreÌ„ â–ª which wordes do most liuely expresse that which we affirme But yet perchance ye lacke the proofe of this parte that God in his immutable couÌ„sell hath once chosen For after I perceaue y t this doeth much offend you I trust ye will not reiect the testimonie of S. Iames for ye seme vpoÌ„ his wordes much to leaÌ„ And he saieth that euery good and perfect gift is frome aboue discending from the Father of light with whom there is no variablenes neither shaddowing by turning he hath saieth he of his owne will begotten vs by the worde of veritie If with God as he affirmeth there be no variablenes then must his counsell be immutable If in him there be not now dareknes and now light but that as he dwelleth in the light which is inaccessible so are and euer haue ben all thinges present in his sight Then in his eternall counsell there falleth neither ignorance nor repentance and so what he once decreed that he faithfully will perfourme to the praise of his own glorie But if ye will not admit my reasons then must I bring vnto you plain scriptures That God hath chosen before the foundations of the world that he hath predestinate purposed and decreed to adoptate vs in childreÌ„ is befor proued The Prophet I saiah from the fortie chapter of his prophecie to the eÌ„d of the same intreateth chefely these two argumeÌ„tes vpon the one part to coÌ„fort the afflicted and dispised church which then was sore oppressed and after was to be led captiue to Babylon Vpon the other part to threaten iust vengeance aswell vpon the contemners of grace offered as also vpon the cruel ennemy The estate of the churche was such that all hope of libertie redemption and comfort was taken from them They were as dead carions buried in disperation against the which the Prophet continually fighteth calling them frome the contemplation of the present miseries and frome the sight of such impediments as to them appered to stop their libertie to the infallible promes of God and to his counsell which he affirmeth to be constant and to his loue which is immutable And therefor so often doeth he repete It is I the eternall who hath created the heauens and hath laid the foundations of the earth It is I It is I that will do it for my own names sake â–ª I will establish the word of my seruaÌ„t he meaneth of Isaiah and of his other Prophetes who in his name promised delyuerance to the people and I will perfourm the counsell of my messingers I say to Ierusalem be thow inhabited and to the walles of Zion be you builded By these and many other places the Prophete traualed to lift vp the people from the pitt of desperation in which they were to fall by reason of their greuous calamitie and long captiuitie and that he might with more efficacie persuade the same he bringeth them to the league made with Abraham to the remembrance of their wonderful deliuerance out of Egipt and to the lenitie of God which their Fathers had found at all tymes But in vane had all his labour ben if gods counsell decre and purpose had ben changeable For easily they might haue obiected to what vse serueth vs the promes made to Abraham or the kyndnes of God which our fore fathers tasted We haue refused God and therefor hath he refused and reiected vs he hath broken his league and couenant with vs. But against all these desperate voices and against your blasphemous error who affirme that gods counsell and purpose changeth as man doeth â—ighteth and preuailleth the Prophete Saing My cogitations are not your cogitations neither are your waies my wayes saieth the eternall But like as the heauens are hyer then the earth so do my wayes excell your waies and my thoghtes your thoghtes And the word y t pasâ—eth furth of my mouth shall not returne voyd to me But it shall do what so euer I will note and giue glorie to God and it shall prosper in those thinges to the which I haue sent it I doubt not but that the godlie reader doeth clearly se the mynd of the Prophete to be to rebuke the vanitie of the Iewes beleuing that gods counselles couenant and loue were subiect to such mutabilitie as they them selues were in there counselles loue and promises But the Prophet maketh so much difference betwixt the one and the other as is betwixt the heauen and the earthe and doth further affirme that as the dewe and rayne do not fall and come downe in vane so shall not the word which God sâ—eaketh which is of more excelleÌ„cie then all creatures lack his effect but it shall worke the will of God and shall prosper as he hath appointed it and that becaus it is God who hath spoken that which was purposed in his eternall and immutable counsell before all tymes Vpon this ground and foundation that is vpon Gods immutable loue and counsell buildâ—â—h the Prophet the saluation and delâ—nerance of the churche as more planely he speaketh in these wordes For this shal be to me as the waters of Noah for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more ouergo the earth so haue I sworne that I shal not be angrie at the neither yet rebuke thee Rather shall the mountanes leaue their place and the hilles shake then that my goodnes shall leaue thee or that the couenant of my peace shâ—ll wauer saiâ—â—h the eternall who haâ—h compassion vpon â—hee Which only one place is
he loued vs and hath sent his Sonne the propitiation for our sinnes so that bothe those apostles in plaine wordes do speake that which before I haue affirmed to witte that God loued the membres of Christ Iesus euen when they were enemies aswell touching their knowledge and apprehension as also touching the corruption of their nature which was not regenerate And so I conclude as before that the loue of God to vardes his electe is stable and immutable as it which beginneth not in tyme neither dependeth vpon our worthines or dignitie which trueth is contrarie to that which I perceaue ye holde and affirme Thus far I trust we haue sufficiently proued and that by plain scriptures and by no patched vnreasonable reasons as the author of your booke accuseth vs. That God hath his electe whom in Christ Iesus he hath chosen and that of decreed purpose to giue them life Which purpose counsell and loue of God is sure stable and immutable Now resteth to proue that God hath reiected some and also to note the absurdities which folow vpon your doctrine and so shall I not be compelled after in the discourse to spende tyme and trauell to confute your error That God â—ath reprobated any appereth to you horrible Yea and ye affirme God to be more cruell then any wild beast if so he did For thus ye writte in your booke as foloweth THE ADVERSARIE God hath geueÌ„ to all his sensible creatures a naturall inclination to loue their birthes then doth God also loue his birthe as he saith shall I cause other to beare and shall not I also beare Lykewise shall God make other to loue their birthes aÌ„d he not loue his own birthe Man is the birthe and child of God created to his own image aÌ„d similitude as the Prophet saith haue we not alone father Hath not one God made vs And Paul saith we are the generation of God Wherfore God loueth his own birthe that is man Then did he not reprobate and cast away man afore he was For that were a profe that he hated and abhorred his own birthe aboue all other Now there is no wild beast much les any man which wold bring furthe their birth to destruction How much les then becometh it the goodnes of God to make aÌ„d bring furth like to his own image and similitude vnto perpetualâ— confusion ANSWER How bolde how shameles and how blasphemous thou declarest thy self I speak to thee aÌ„d they coÌ„pagnions that collected these blasphemies It shall shortly appere after that I haue by gods grace with simple perspicuitie declared the trueth Trew it is that to the naturall man nothing appereth more absurde nor more repugnaÌ„t to good reason as men term it then that all shall depend vpon gods will and appointment for so think they that God can not auoid the suspition of iniustice yea say they he can not be purged nor made fre from malice and crueltie But such as entryng within them self do but in a parte consider what is their own condition what is there ignorance and how far they are inferiour to y â— angels in iustice aÌ„d knowledge to his holie angels I say that be most obedient and continually stand before his face and yet neuertheles do couer their faces and of very reuerence neither darre nor will rashly behold the brightnes of his glorie If further we shall coÌ„sider y t as in God his wisdom his power his goodnes and mercie are infinite so are his iudgemeÌ„ts and iustice in the self most righteous incomprehensible to the dulnes of our wittes For as his wisdom and power far surmounte all that we can imagin so are his iudgements and iustice a great depe as Dauid affirmeth and in the booke of Iob is planely described able to swallowe vp and vtterly to cofounde all our senses Alas shall I whose corporall eie is so feble and weak that directly it can not behold the son which is a visible creature but that it shall be bliÌ„ded aÌ„d dasylled shall I I say direct the eie of my mynde corrupted by sinne to measure and coÌ„preheÌ„de the brightnes of his iustice who dwelleth in the light inaccessible If man coulde impose or prescribe to God a law aÌ„d measure of wisdoÌ„ power mercie aÌ„d goodnes so y t none of theÌ„ should otherwise be in his eternall God heade the maÌ„ could vnderstaÌ„d approue the some apperance might they haue to bring his iustice which is no les infinite and incomprehensible then the others vnder the censure and examination of their iudgement and reason But what bolde and foolish presumption is this that man who knoweth not fully what lieâ—h within his own heart shall without all reuerence enter to iudge the secrete mysteries the full knowledge whereof doeth onely abyde in the eternall God head That impudently he shall pronounce this can not be iust becaus we do neither se nor vnderstand the cause of the iustice God graunt vs greater humilitie more reuerence and fear which righteously is called the beginning of wisdom then that so rashly and proudly we shall presume to damne that which we vnderstand not Lest that doing the contrarie that malediction pronouÌ„ced by â— saiah fall vpoÌ„ vs where he saieth Wo be to him that reasoneth with his maker the vessel of claie with the potter Doth the clay say to the potter what makest thow and thy work hath no handes wo be to him that saieth to his father what shalt thow beget This I thoght expedient briefly to admonishe the godlie reader before I did enter in to plane battell with the aduersarie Beseching further such as do not erre in this article of set purpose and malice but rather of ignorance and simplicitie not to be offended as thogh I did stomack against them if at any tyme I shall handle the impudent writer or collector of this booke whose nature is better knowen vnto me then vnto many of them according to his malicious frowardnes But now shortly to the mater The proposition and conclusion of this writer are bothe one to witte God hath not reiected nor reprobaâ—ed anie man His reasons and argumentes as the reader may perceaue are for that were against the nature of God w e he thus proueth God causeth others to beare aÌ„d therefor he beareth And so bringing his argumeÌ„t froÌ„ this similitude God maketâ— beastes loue their birthes therefor â—eloueth his birthes but al men are the birthes oâ— God For God is the father of Adame of whoÌ„ are al meÌ„ borne Therefor he loueth all meÌ„ If he loueth theÌ„ did he roprobate none for that shoulde declare that he hated and abhorred and were more cruell then a wilde beast These be thy argumeÌ„ts blasphemous mouth In answeriÌ„g whereto if I shall seme to excede modestie let the godlie coÌ„sider that thy horrible blasphemies are intolerable And first I call the heauen and earthe the insensible creatures and the iudgement of reasonable men to witnes with me how beastly