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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17722	Thirteene sermons of Maister Iohn Caluine, entreating of the free election of God in Iacob, and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherin euery Christian may see the excellent benefites of God towardes his children, and his maruelous iudgements towards the reprobate, firste published in the French toung, & now translated into English, by Iohn Fielde, for the comfort of all Christians.; Treze sermons de l'election gratuite de Dieu en Jacob et de la rejection en Esau. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Fielde, John, d. 1588.	1579 (1579)	STC 4457; ESTC S107264	201,134	366

somuch troubled the Church in time past neither would they them selues in their own fantasies with such impudencie condemne the deere seruants of God for procuring and calling vpon the magistrate for his lawful execution against Heretiques and empoysoners of the Church They would not make a mash hotchpotch of the ciuill and ecclesiasticall state and so iumble them togither They would not deny the power of the magistrates sword committed to his ministers not in vaine but to be vsed in cutting off the rotton members therof for the preseruation of the whole body They would not bark so like Dogges against the euerlasting predestination and election of God the most cōfortable doctrine that can be being the foundation of all the rest where it is wisely taught according to the worde and learned within that sober cōpasse that it is prescrybed ioyning and iumping so neere with Anabaptists the sprituall illuminate Pelagians and other merite mongers who howsoeuer they differ in some particular markes yet are birdes of one and the same fether This shall alwayes be found true that they followe the corruptest men of our age in all these matters But whatsoeuer they say Gods trueth is of sufficient power to ouercome all their hereticall blasphemies Moyses rod shall deuour their Sorcerers serpentes Dagon shall breake his neck where his trueth is receiued And this sunne arysing shall scatter all their darkenesse These excellent instrumentes shall liue when they shal be forgotten vnlesse it bee in immortall shame opprobry Let vs not therfore be discouraged but holde fast the trueth of our good God with feare and reuerence let vs seeke after those things he hath reuealed vnto vs There can be no daunger if we keepe our selues within the cōmpasse of the holy Scriptures For this doctrine of Gods eternall election and Predestination is moste comfortable O but say they with the olde Heretiques if I be elected and predestinated what neede I too auoyde euill woorkes they shall neither further nor hinder mee God is sure and what neede I torment and vexe my selfe to doe well to leade a straight and a godly life wee like not these pepered consciences Such heretiques there were long agoe that so wrote and taught that occasioned Saint Augustine too write that excellent worke of the Predestination of Gods Saintes confuting such caytifes as these Saint Augustine therefore annsweareth them that this doctrine is a moste comfortable doctrine necessary to be knowen too bee published and preached to the people in his due time and place For it is that same euerlasting and vnchangeable decree of GOD whereby hee hath vndoubtedly determined in the time that hee him selfe best knoweth to cal his elect to the knowledge of his trueth that his mercie and glory might bee declared in them And this hath the Scripture confirmed Rom. 8. verse 30. Whome he hath predestinate those hee hath called and whom he hath called those he hath iustified And againe in the first Chapter to the Ephesians wee are elected before the foundations of the worlde and in the 9. to the Romains speaking of Esau and Iacob of whome these Sermons especially intreate he saith that one was electted and the other reiected before they had doone either good or euil The foūdation heereof is only the purpose of his wil not forseeing as the Papists say any worthynes or vnworthines of man but for iust causes known to himself in himself not in vs in which without further inquirie we ought to rest acknowledging him to be only good wise ▪ most righteous who is shal be blessed and iustified for euer Now for them that are either reiected or elected we wade no farther to iudge of thē then may appeare by the effectes neither doe we iudge absolutely of them but with condition vnlesse vppon those peculiar loste ones of whō God himself in his word hath pronoūced Read Ephe. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Now if any Potshard wil reason with the potter which not resting in his will would wade further to know the secrete causes of this we say vnto him with the Apostle O wretched man who art thou that disputest with god Shal the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus For further satisfaction in this question I referre al Christians to the Bookes that are written heereof namely to these excellent Sermons M. Knox hath learnedly answeared the obiections of the aduersaries in a Booke printed at Geneua Wee haue also home writers that haue delt fully and plainly therein as Veron of Predestination and M. Crowley in his booke againste Cerberus rightly so called for his barking blasphemyes againste this most comfortable and excellent doctrine others that are learned may further satisfie thēselues with those learned answeres of M. Beza against that impure Apostata Castalio And nowe to returne to your Honours I most humbly beseech you to acccept my poore labours which I offer vnder your Honours names to the whole Church of god And I beseech your honours as God hath called you to the knowledge of his glorious Gospel which is a token of your election so goe forwarde more and more in the grouth therof that the Gospel being truely rooted in your hearts it may bring forth sanctification the true seale of your adoptiō that you may feele his goodnes in the assurance of that euerlasting and blessed inheritance God hath called you to high honor not so much by your places calling amongst men which yet is somwhat because it is a great benefite of God but in that he hath made you his adopted children it is that you should shewe obedience in that hee hath made you heyres with his sonne and Citizens with his Saintes it is that you should looke vp to Heauen and haue your ioy there despysing this worlde and liuing to righteousnes and true holynesse And this will the Lorde in mercie bestowe vpon you thereby sealing your election if you seperate your selues from the corruption of the world I say not that you should go out of the worlde but that you should departe from euill and be followers of God as deare children walking in loue euen as he hath loued you Beware of these twoo Cankers that corrupte the whole worlde and is moste likely to assayle Nobilitie I meane Pride and Couetousnesse Let them not once bee named amongest you as becommeth Saintes A day wyll come when the Lorde will fulfill your hope in better thinges then all this worlde can geue you Stand fast in his trueth in these slipperie daies and aboue all thinges let his glory and the aduauncement of his woorde bee deare and precious vnto you In Gods matters let his will bee the rule thereof and not your owne wisedome and affections Examine your selues often by it and neglect not holy exercises Let other Gallantes of this worlde followe theyr foolish and fadyng pleasures delight you in his lawe and be good examples to others Care not for the

that the Iewes are too to blinde vaunting them selues in their fathers as though the dignitie which they sometimes had came from the holynesse and vertues of men For it is certaine that Isaack asmuch as in him lay ouerthrew the election of God not that he had a will so to doe For if a man should haue asked him how now Wilt thou resist God wilt thou let that hee shall not put in execution that which he hath pronounced wilte thou alter that which hee hath pronounced by his mouth Hee would haue said No and his intent was not such But howsoeuer it be he is driuen and drawen that way So then wee may not say that Isaack wente about to helpe the election of God nor set it forward but contrariwise he hindred it Now by this we see that all mouthes must be shut and that men pretend not too haue had any thinge in their persons to say that God should confirme vnto them the blissings which hee had already giuen them To be short we see heereby that lyke as the election of God is free vndeserued in his firste beginning foundation and in full force so also it behoueth that God shew vnto the ende that there is nothing but his only mercy and that all that is said on mans behalfe doe cease be abolished that this is not either of the willer or of the runner as S. Paule saith Rom. 9. Marke then what wee haue to learne Now in the meane time we see also the stedfastnes which is in this counsell of God whereby hee choseth those whome he thinketh good So we haue to resolue our selues although the whole world should labour to ouerthrow our saluation that yet it wil remaine sure so that wee haue our refuge alwayes to that which hath byn shewed vs before that is to say That our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken into his keeping all that the father hath giuen him as beeing his owne that nothing therof shall perishe forasmuch as God is stronger then men for it is thither that hee doth leade vs The father who hath giuen you vnto me is stronger then all So thē let vs learne to stay our selues wholly vppon the inuincible power of God when there is any question of being assured that in calling vpon him we shal be heard that we dout not but that as he hath brought vs into a good way so he wil giue vs perseuerance and although that wee bee weake and frayle yet hee will not suffer vs to fall but wee shall alwayes bee ledde in such sorte that hee will more and more encrease his power in vs Wee muste therefore come euen thus farre namely that Iacob had not onely those his enemyes whiche hadde no feare of GOD and were irreligious but euen his owne father Isaack yea who was then as chiefe in the Church God had put him in trust as it were with his couenaunt to the end that he should be the treasorer thereof and despense it and yet neuerthelesse hee as it should seeme was an enemie to the election of Iacob Wherefore if we see many contrarieties and that it seemeth our saluation must bee ouerthrowne by many meanes and that wee see no issue let vs then knowe that God wil be victorious in the ende and whatsoeuer weakenesse bee founde in vs neuerthelesse he wil not cease to proceede and although there be resistance and contradiction heere beneath yet neuerthelesse hee will ouercome all and bring it wel aboute But by the way we are heere admonished by the example of Isaack to holde our selues vnder the bridle For if this happened vnto such a man as Isaack was so excellent and of an Angelicall holynesse that hee resisted God what shall become of vs in comparison It is certaine that we shall euery day be ouertaken an hundred times with some vaine fantasie that we shall rush against God although wee haue no such purpose Wee haue great neede therefore to distrust our owne iudgement and to call vpon God to the end that he will gouerne vs by his holy spirit otherwise as I haue said we are as wretched strayes and we shall goe hither and thither at all aduentures And when we weene to be very wise there will be nothing but folly in vs yea rebellion although it bee not with our willes and knowledge Marke this then for one lesson But we must marke heere the cause which is heere noted by Moyses when hee sayth that Isaack loued Esau And wherfore did he loue him Because that Venison was his meate Therfore let vs take heede that we be not led by our carnall and earthly appetites if we will keepe our array towards god It is true that to eate and drinke are not condemned For God hath placed vs in this world vnder that condition that we should enioy his creatures and seeing he hath ordained vs to eate and to drinke it is certaine that we offend him not when we desire to haue for our necessities search out also the vse of those benefites which he hath prepared for vs For it is not said without cause that we must do al things in his name yea both in eating drinking but in that we be corrupted it cannot bee but there wil be alwaies excesse in our appetites this excesse maketh vs to forget our duties towards God so as we are are altogither drawen away on euery side when we thinke to doe our duties we are far therefrō But Isaack ought alwaies to haue had this before his eyes yea he ought to haue had it engrauen in his heart this voice should haue sounded in his eares to wit that the greater shuld serue the lesse he ought without ende and without ceasing thus to haue thought wel forasmuch as God wil haue his election to remaine in Iacob it behoueth that I agree vnto it But in the meane time his meate turneth him draweth him quit contrary Let vs therfore bee wel aduised as I haue already sayde on our partes to represse our desires yea though they be naturall of them selues not vnlawfull But to the end that there be no excesse nor intemperance Let vs be aduised I say to check and to tame thē in such sorte that they neuer turne vs away or hinder vs from ordering our selues according to the will of god Marke therefore briefely what we haue to learne heere But heere also wee see that Rebecca had an affection better guyded then her husband It is very true that alwayes men shall see or for the moste parte that if the Father loue one of his Children the moother will sette her loue quite contrary A man may see these contentions in moste houses Also it may bee that Rebecca had conceiued some kinde of ielousie forasmuch as she sawe Esau preferred therefore she loued Iacob the better forasmuch as hee was not so acceptable to his father nor had no such fauour but forasmuch as we shal see hereafter that

we can either will or runne but it behooueth that God finde vs as lost and that hee recouer vs from that bottomlesse pitte and that hee separate vs from them with whome wee were lost and to whome wee were alike For as I haue sayde the condition of mankinde is all one It is true that the one sorte are the Children of wrath and the other God blesseth But from whence commeth this separation and this diuorse From mercie And wee must not goe to enquire any farther but wee must content our selues with this worde alone in stead of all reason Marke then for what cause namely the first-borne was caste out from his place and in the meane season Iacob who was the inferiour was set in his place yea to remaine the onely heyre When Malachie the Prophet speaketh of this he reprocheth vnto the Iewes their ingratitude It is true that this was for an outwarde signe that GOD had chosen Iacob rather then Esau for asmuche as hee had giuen the lande of Canaan to be his inheritance and that Esau was sent farre off amiddest the Mountaynes but this is not the sentence wherevppon the Prophete resteth hee looketh vnto a thing much higher Saint Paule also when hee vseth this testimonie of his seeing that GOD had taken vnto him selfe the stocke of Iacob hee attributeth all this to his meere mercie But the Prophet sayeth And Esau was hee not the brother of Iacob As if hee shoulde say You are ful of pryde and obstinacie yea you burst your selues therein and it costes you nothing to say ô we are of the holy sacred stocke of Abraham wee are the Church we are the people whome God hath blessed and sanctified yea from whence haue you this saith he For was not Esau Iacobs brother You see the Idumeans your brethren are they the people of God you say that they are straungers from the Church although they haue circumcision yet notwithstanding God hath cut thē off And whence commeth this saith hee Who is it that hath so separated them If you will goe from age to age very well you shall finde howe you are the Children of Iacob And Esau whose childe was he I pray you Did not he discend frō Abraham and Isaack aswel as you But heere hee speaketh not onely of the land of Canaan but hee goeth farther and sayth That hee loued Iacob hated Esau And this loue which he bare vnto Iacob frō whence proceeded it It is certaine that Iacob could not be accepted of him as we haue said being cōsidered in himself For behold him the child of wrath bringing nothing from the wombe of his mother but this horrible cursse which was cast vpon all mankind notwithstanding God did loue him Now God loueth not iniquitie he hateth sinne as we know How thē loued he Iacob This was for that he drew him from that perdition wherin he was And why did he hate Esau Nowe it is very true that there is iuste cause why God should hate all mankinde For as wee haue said there is nothing in vs but vice and iniquitie but yet when wee will goe farther and that wee will demaunde why God before hee created the worlde and before the fall of Adam why this shoulde be that hee would hate or loue heere we must holde our selues mute and still Heere wee must not lifte vp our hornes For what shall wee gaine when we will enter into debate and question with God It is certaine that wee shall cast stones vppon our owne heades and they will fall neither heere nor there they cannot reach vnto the maiestie of God but they shall returne vppon our owne pates and it must be that we be crusshed and brused therewith Beholde then what wee shall gaine when wee open our throte to caste foorth blasphemyes against God For we shall but cast out our dartes stones into the ayre but they shall not reach vnto him it shal be rather that we be pearced and wounded by them and that we remaine confounded in that our rashnesse and ouerweening Thus let vs content our selues with that which God hath pronounced that is to say that hee hath hated Esau and loued Iacob Now by this the Children of Iacob were aswell conuinced that they had nothing whereof they might glory in them selues and that there rested nothing but that they made an acknowledgement vnto God of such a liberall and bountiful goodnesse which hee had vsed towardes them and whereof none coulde finde any reason vnlesse in this that it so pleased him But notwithstāding they were ful of impietie against God and woulde holde this priuiledge but God sheweth them that it doth not belong vnto them and that if they accoūted him for their father they must be his children But heereby we are admonished that although our saluation proceede from the only grace of God and that therin it consisteth to the ende Notwithstanding it followeth not that vnder the shadowe heereof wee can let loose our selues to euill and giue ouer our selues therto But there are villaines dogges that barke against God there are also Hogges which ouerthrow this doctrine of election by their loose and lewde life For there are two sortes of people that are enemyes to this doctrine The one are as dogges the other as Hogges The one which are they they which will and come to shewe their teeth and who despite God by their wicked questions as wee see at this day in those villaines who make no scruple to rend in peeces all the holy Scripture to corrupt peruert falsifie adulterate all so that they may darken the election of God to witte to make nothing of all And marke whervnto this tēdeth to make this doctrine odious For they wil say that they that thus speake they put no more any difference betwixt good and euil that God by this meane shoulde become vnrighteouse if he should put any difference betweene one and an other that there should bee acceptaunce of persones in him Beholde then the dogges that barke and whet their teeth against this doctrine Nowe there are also Hogs which will not despite in such sorte against it but wil say very wel If I be elected I may do as much euil as I wil For God knowes wel how to keepe me and I can neuer perish and contrarywise if I be reprobate why shoulde I torment my selfe so much to doe well seeing that I can neuer be saued These then as I haue already sayd come not to spue vp their contradictions to ouerthrowe the trueth of God but they wallowe there and remayne in their sinnes as brute beastes But wee must take heede bothe of the one and the other And for this cause as I haue saide the Prophet Malachie shewing to the people that all that he had done vnto them came of the meere free bountie of God exhorteth them to holynesse of life And therefore as it is said vnto vs that God

to estraunge them somuch the more from God and to prouoke his wrath yea sometimes they are enemyes to all trueth as wee may see in the example of S. Paule who was as an outragious beaste shedding innocent bloode and striuing for nothing more as a rauening Wolfe then to scatter all the Churches Againe see the Corinthians who were whore maisters giuen to all kinde of villanies as Saint Paule declareth And asmuch is saide of the Romaines Yee were saith hee in times past both whoremongers and proude persons giuen to all oppression deceit yeelding al your members to euill to the seruice of sinne And a little after he sayth to the Ephesians Yee were in times past without God without any hope of life ye were altogither darkenes ye were in euerlasting death Now when our Lorde to the ende to humble vs shall suffer vs for a time to bee so scattered and then shall suddainly call vs to himselfe let vs acknowledge and say alas wee ought not onely to magnifie GOD for that hee hath chosen vs as wee see the fruite thereof but also because he hath drawen vs from this gulfe wherin we were And so much the more must we striue and redeeme the time past as S ▪ Paule speaketh thereof in that we haue alleadged Yee were sometimes darkenesse but nowe you are light in the Lorde saith hee and therefore walke as Children of light And let vs often remember that which our Lord Iesus Christ saith There are many sheepe that are not of this folde For he spake of the Gentiles who were shut out from all hope of saluation He calleth them sheepe not in respect of them selues For they were sauage beastes but in respect of Gods election although they were a scattered people yet he sayth that he would gather them togither Therefore when it pleaseth God to withdrawe vs from dissipation wherin we haue beene let vs learne to giue eare to the voice of this great Pastor not onely by giuing some outwarde signe that we doe allow it but that it be to followe him and obay him in all thinges Marke then what it is that wee haue to learne out of this place And farther let vs not bee ashamed when the Lord shall not giue vnto his faithfull and to his whole Church such a goodly shewe amongst men to the ende to bee had in reputation Let vs not bee ashamed of our basenesse so that he be gloryfied As nowe it seemeth that the Church muste bee troden vnder feete and wee see also howe prophane people and the Children of this worlde make no reckoning of those whome God hath gathered to him selfe Now let vs beare this patiently after the example of our father Iacob let it not trouble vs if the worlde in a manner doe spyt in our face so that we be approued of god Marke then howe euery one of vs haue to practise this doctrine in him selfe and also in the whole body of the Church And againe although wee bee not estemed of the worlde and that fewe doe allowe vs and clap their handes at vs yet God woorketh in suche sorte that that which is most contemptible in the worlde and in the outwarde shewe thereof is more esteemed before God then that which hath great shew setting out before men And heerein is that accōplyshed which is spoken in S. Luke That that which is high and excellent heere beneath is not therefore esteemed of God but much rather is sometime an abhomination vnto him as it is certaine that the vertues of Esau shall alwayes be praysed if men were Iudges but yet Iacobs simplicitie before God and his Angels is in greater estimation Let vs therefore march on as our Lorde Iesus hath commaunded vs and let it not greeue vs though there appeare not in vs at the first dashe these giftes which God hath put in vs As for example There are many who are nothing worth in respect of God yet they haue a goodly shew also there be occasion therof Men shall find great personages of great estate and qualitie who shall haue greate valure and be in great authoritie shall be in honor and dignitie and farther there shal be no extreme couetousnes in them to be short there shall appeare such an honestie in them that you would thinke them Angels and all men will extoll them euery where and in the meane time there shall bee poore handycraftes men husbandmen poore idiotes who haue no opportunitie to shew themselues For they shal be busied in their shop smal housholde they must trauel to nurish their poore children A man shall heare no great fame of them they are not eloquēt to shew forth any great wisedome and when a man shall heare them speake hee shall see nothing but folly according to the common opinion and yet GOD hath elected and chosen them Hee alloweth that which seemeth to bee of no value For albeit it seeme that these are base thinges that a man sew or doe some other thing and take paine yet this is a seruice that GOD more esteemeth off than we can imagine So then when we knowe that we are nothing in outwarde shewe let vs not think our state and condition to be the woorse for it and as I haue sayde already let vs not bee ashamed of our infirmitie and in the meane time let vs lift vp our eyes on high though we lye in the asshes let vs knowe that asmuch happened to our father Iacob before who was a figure of all the electe of God and of his children Now it followeth That Iacob was loued of his mother and Esau of his father And this serueth well to shewe that there was no suche perfection in Isaack as there ought to haue beene For hee was not ignoraunt of that which had beene spoken That the greater should serue the lesser He knewe ful well that so was the will of God that Esau the elder shoulde yeelde bothe the place and degree of honour vnto his brother and yet he loued Esau it seemeth heerein that he would resist the counsell of god And what meanes hee heerein When hee will cast his whole loue towardes Esau Yet God will reigne in the ende and his election muste stande fast yea though all the worlde shoulde striue against it Loe Isaack who is very blockishe yet there is more for it seemeth that hee is led by a brutish affection For why did hee loue Esau Because that hee brought him Venison Hee loued him therefore for his toothes sake Beholde an ancient man and who by reason of his age ought to haue beene stayed and setled hee shoulde no more haue beene led of his foolish and inconstant affections that for his tothes sake licorishnes he should haue forgotten that which God had pronounced yea by an vnchaungeable decree that Iacob must gouerne and that hee should be heyre of the promise and yet that Isaack maketh no reckoning of it But heere wee see