haue I learned by the wholsome doctrine of the diuine prouydence of God oure heauenlye father A shorte collection or gatheringe together of the whole doctryne of the dyuine prouidence of God that the whole gouernemente of all thynges both in heauen and in the earth dothe perâ—ayne vnto hym onely and that he â—othe rule and gouerne all maner â—f creatures as it pleaseth hym and as he thynketh moste expedyente for hys owne glorye and for â—he profytte of hys true electe and â—hosen brynginge all thynges to theyr due ende whyche he hym which he him self hathe appoynted from the beginninge whereby we are assured that nothing can chaÌ„ce or happen vnto vs without his wil and appoyntment thoughe the deuil and all his angels wythall the princes and rulers of darckenesse be neuer so desirous to do vs harm Wherof exceading great patience â–ª wyth an vnspeakeable comforte tranquillity and quietnes of mind ioyned wyth continual thanckfulnesse must neades be engendred in al faithful beleuers which though they do depende and hange all together of the deuyne prouidence of God yet do they in no wyse tempte hym but do thanckfully vse al maner of meanes and orders that he hath appoynted for the preseruation and sauegarde of oure owne selues In all these things ye hauâ— well satisfyed me I thancke God for it Therefore I wyl desyre yoâ— to go take a litle repaste wyth me and then afterwardes we wil reason of other thinges as we shall thyncke mete and conuenient PHILALETHES Sith that ye wil haue it so we do agre to it EVTRAPELVS Prayse and laude be vnto the Lorde for thys most wholsome and comfortable talcke DYDIMVS Amen ¶ Certaine arguments againste them that go aboute to shake the certainty of our election which we haue in Iesu Christ afore the foundacions of the worlde were laide Ier. xxxii This promise in theÌ„ that be chosen in Christ Iesus afore the foundacions of the worlde wer laied must be performed THey that do not finally fal from the fear of God cannot perish The electe and chosen of God can not finally fall from the feare of God For these are the wordes of the Lord I wil make an euerlasting couenant with them that I wil neuer turne awaye from them nor cease to do them good but put my fear in their hartes so that they shal not depart from me The elect therefore can not pearish They that are alwaies the shepe of Christ can in no wyse pearyshe The electe and chosen of God Iohn x. They of whom Christ dothe speake here wer not yet called Let these thinges be well noted are alwaies the shepe of Christ Ih. x. Other sheepe I haue also whiche are not of this fold them also must I bringe and they shall heare my voyce and there shal be one sheapefold and one shepheard Again my shepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they followe me and I geue vnto them eternall lyfe and they shal neuer pearysh nether shal any plucke them out of my hande It followeth then that the electe caÌ„ in no wise pearysh As many as canne not finallye sinne can not finally pearish i. Ioh. iii. Here the holye Apostell dothe speake of the syn vnto deathe Otherwise called the sinne against the holye ghost Ioh. xvii Ioh. vi But the elect and chosen of God can not fynally sinne For thus it is wryten whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his sede remayneth in him neyther can he synne because he is borne of God therefore we may conclude that the elect can not finally pearysh They whom the father geueth â—nto the sonne shall neuer pearish But the father geueth his efect vnâ—o the sonne for thus saith Christe him self Thine they wer and thou gauest theÌ„ me Again This is the fathers wil that hath sent me that of al which he hath geueÌ„ me I shuld lose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day Therefore the elect shall not pearyshe for euer They from whom God doth not take away his faythfull promise goodnesse or mercy can in no wise pearysh But God doth neuer take awaye his goodnesse or mercy and faithful promise from his elect and chosen Therefore the electe and chosen can in no wise pearish The minoure or seconde parte of the argument may be proued by the. xlix Psal Wher we haue these worde if they breake my statutes Psal xlix and kepâ— not my coÌ„maundements theÌ„ wil I visit their transgression with the roâ— their iniquitye with strokes Ye my louing kindnes wil I not take from him neither wyl I falsify mâ— truthe My couenaunte wyll I nâ— breake nor alter the thing that â—gon out my lips Again in an otheâ— place The mountains shal remoue and the hyls shal fall down Esai liiii but my mercy shal not departe froÌ„ the neither shal the couenaunt of my peace fall away saieth the lord that hath compassion on the. As for this last autority that I haue aleaged no man can denye but that it must be vnderstanded of the true churche of Christ which is the congregation of his true elect chosen And as for the other as it is to be vnderstaÌ„ded of Christ the head of the true elect chosen of god so by the wordes the go before it is euident plain that it doth pertain also to his liuely meÌ„bers which being chosen in him before the foundacions of the worlde were laied are graffed in hym by faith And so we coÌ„clude that the choseÌ„ elect of god caÌ„ in no wiseperish They froÌ„ whom god doth not fynally take away his holy spirit caÌ„ not perish But god doth not finalli take away his holy spirit froÌ„ his elect whosoeuer saith our sauior Iesus Christ drinketh of the water that I shall geue hym shall neuer be more a thirst Iohn iiii This water is the holy spirit of God Ioh. xiiii Ephe. iiii but the water that I shall geue hym shall be in him a wel of water springyng vp into euerlasting lyfe Again I wyll pray my father and he shall geue you an other comforter that he may dwell wyth you for euer And in an other place by whome ye are sealed vp against the day of redemption Therfore the electe of God can not pearyshe They whom the father doth loue as he dyd loue Christ can not pearish but the father loueth his elect as he loued Christ Ioh. xvii Thou haste loued them sayth Christ as thou hast loued me It is most euydent then that the elect can not pearysh They that are loued of Christ vnto the end can not be damned but the electe are loued of Christe vnto the ende Ioh. xiii As he loueth hys owne whiche were in the worlde saithe Ihon so vnto the end he loued theÌ„ Agayne Rom. viii None other creature can separate vs from the loue of God wherby it is must folow that the elect can not be damned They that can not finally
those that haue no fellowship with him but are straungers from hys couenaunt and gospel The faythfull haue fellowship with Christe and the vnfaithfull are straungers from him For as it hath bene said alreadye Ephe. i. God hathe chosen vs in Christ Iesu afore that the foundacions of the world were layde that we shoulde be holye and wythoute blame before him throughe loue And hath ordained vs before throughe Iesu Christe to be heyres vnto him self according to the pleasure of his wil to the praise of the glory of his grace wherewith he hathe made vs accepted in the beloued Behold God hath chosen vs afore the foundacions of the world were laied for to be holy and blamelesse that is to say heires of lyfe euerlasting Again he hathe chosen vs in Christ But making yet the matter more plaine he saithe that GOD hath ordained vs before throughe Christe Iesu for to be heyres vnto him self and that frely that all the glory and praise may be geuen vnto his deuyne grace As many therfore as be in Christ are chosen vnto life euerlastinge For Ihon the Apostle saith He that hath the son hathe life but he that hathe not the sonne of God hathe not lyfe And wyth it dothe the Gospell agree For there our sauior Iesus Christ saithe Thys is the wyll of the father that hath sent me Iohn vi that who so euer doth se the sonne and beleueth in him hath life euerlasting and I shal raise him vp in the laste daye Behold this is the eternall wyll and euerlastynge decree of GOD that we shuld be saued in his sonne through faith On the contrari the Lord speaking of them that be predestinated vnto death euerlastyng and vnto condemnation he saythe he that beleueth not is already condempned Ihon. iii. because that he dyd not beleue in the name of the onlye begotten sonne of God And this is the condemnation that the lyghte did come into the worlde and men did loue darcknesse more than the light Therfore if any man should aske me nowe whether he be chosen to life or ordained vnto death that is to saye whether he be of the nomber of the chosen or of the nomber of the reprobate I would answer him plainlye out of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall scripture that if he hathe fellowshyppe with Christe he is ordained vnto life and is of the noumber of the elect and chosen if not that he is ordained vnto death and condemnation For surely all they that haue no felowship with Christe but are straungers from him and his couenaunt shall vtterly be damned and cast away ALBION But our election is hidden in God Obiectiō how shall we then know whether we be chosen in Christ or not Aunswer PHILALETHES God is wonte to declare at length this election of oures wher by he hathe chosen vs vnto the partaking of eternal life when he dothe call vs by the preachings of his word and inward working of hys holy spirit And this calling of god How god doth declare vnto vs our election which doth consist in the preaching of the gospell and in the inwarde workynge of the holye ghoste is of some men called a signe token or testimonye of oure eleciyon For whome God hath ordained before to be fashioned like vnto the shape of hys sonne them dyd he also call Ro. viii and whome he hath called theym dothe he also iustify for to glorify them afterwardes For though the liuing Lord hathe ordained vs before to be his children by adoption heirs of his heauenli glory yet do we not enter into the possessyon of these heauenly goodes and richesse til we be called In deede when we be called Ephe. i. then do we begin to haue a certain fruition of our chusing election For this cause saint Paul dothe call the spirite that we do receiue the spirite of adoptyon the seale and earnest penye of oure enheritaunce Because that he dothe with his testimonye stablyshe and seale vp in the heartes of the faythful the certainty of their adoption God therfore doth ordaine them to be his children and apoynteth him self to be a father vnto them whōe he hathe chosen and by callinge of them he dothe receiue theym into hys family and houshold offrynge and declaring him selfe vnto them Now sith that the scripture dothe after this sort ioygne the callynge of God vnto his election it dothe sufficiently declare therby that we oughte to require or seeke in it for none other thinge but for the free mercy of God only For if ye shuld aske whom god is wont to cal the scripture doth answer you by by that he doth cal them whōe he hath chosen before Nothing els can we fynde in oure election but the mercy of God But if we come once to the election there can we fynde nothing els but the mere mercye of God So that here the sayinge of Paul is most truely verified wher he saith It lieth not in anye mans wil or renning but in the mercy of god ALBION And my gentlemen did tel me that by this place of the Apostle we do plainly learne that ther is a certain wyll and endeuor in man which excepte they be helped by the especial grace of almighty God can do nothing in dede but if they be once aided helped frō aboue they do farther veri much our saluatiō wherby as I could vnderstand they did meane that there is of nature a certain desire endeuor in mā to be saued which being helped by the the mercy of God do healpe wonderfully towardes the obtaining of euerlastinge life and so they do adscribe parte of oure saluation vnto the grace and mercy of God part of it vnto the same will and renuing or endeuoure of man PHILALETHES Thys doubtlesse is a mere cauillation Enchery ad Laurentium Ca. xxxi Howbe it I haue lieuer to confute it with the words of S. Augustine than with myne owne If saith he the Apostle dyd meane none other thinge but that it doth not only lie in the wyll and renuing of man except the mercyful Lord doth healpe we may also saye on the contrarye that it lyeth not only in the mercy of God without the wil and renuing of manne But sith that it wer a plain vngodlinesse to saye so let vs not doubte but that the apostle did attribute al thinges vnto the mercy of God and that he did leaue no maner of thing vnto our owne will and endeuors And in an other place these be hys woordes Quapropter vt in deum credamus pie vmamus Ad vita Epi. cvii. non volentis neque currentis sed miserentis dei est non quia velle currete non debemus sed quia ipse in nobis velle operatur currere That is saye therefore that we should beleue in God and liue godly it lieth not in the wil or renewing of manne but in the mercy of God not that
were hys shepe and of hys flocke they coulde not peryshe Whyche thynge may be proued by hys own wordes and sayinges whych haue bene rehearced alredy before and now for to make the matter more playne maye be rehearced again My shepe saieth he heare my voice and I know them Iohn x. and they folow me and I geue them life euerlastinge and they shal neuer perysh and no man shal plucke them oute of my hand My father which gaue me them is greater then al and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hande Here we haue The properties of the true shepe of Christ as it were set out before our eyes the propertyes of the true shepe of Christ Fyrst and foremost they heare his voice and folowe hym But they that forsake the knowen truth and turne to their olde vomyt agayne doo neyther heare hys voyce nor yet folowe hym Again as Christ geueth lyfe euerlastinge vnto hys true shepe so doth he promise that thei shal neuer perishe and that no man shal plucke them oute of his hande But they whiche after that they haue beene once lighted do fall awaye againe from the good word of God Heb. vi wherof they had tasted haue not lyfe euerlasting for as the Apostle saith it is impossible that they should be renewed vnto repentaunce they do pearyshe and are pluckt out of the shepheardes hand Therefore they are none of the true sheape And the cause whye the true sheape can not pearyshe nor be pluckte oute of the shephardes hande is onlye this because that the father which gaue them is greater than all and no manne is able to plucke them out of hys hande If Sathan than were able to bryng the true sheepe of Christe into perdition we shuld be fain to cōfesse that he is greater than the heauenly father and that he is of more power than the onlye begotten sonne of God I wold woulde wishe that they whiche do so boldlye affyrme that the electe and chosen of God and true shepe of oure sauioure Iesu Christ canne pearysh would but read this place of the Gospel where it is said that there shal arise many false Christes and false Prophettes Math. iiii whyche shall doe greate tokens and wonders in so muche that if it were possyble the verye chosen shoulde be broughte into error also Wher we do learne that though the elect be manye tymes tempted wyth erroures and wyth false and lyinge sygnes yet they can not be pluckte awaye from the truthe of oure sauioure Iesu Christ For they that are geuen hym of hys father can neuer pearyshe nor yet be pluckte out of hys hand ALBION Why dothe Saynte Paule say then Obiectiō i. Cor. x. Rom. xi Let hym that thincketh hym selfe to stand take hede least he fall And againe Art thou grafted in the people of God Be not thou hye mynded therfore but feare For God is able to cutte the of agayne and to grafte other in Feare I say seynge God hathe not spared the natural braunches least he also spare not thee Moreouer oure sauioure Iesus Christe saieth Math. xii that when the vncleane spiryte is gone oute of a manne if he chaunce to come in again the ende of that man shal be worse than the beginning Wherby we do learne that though a man be sanctified in our sauiour Iesu Christ and delyuered from the spirit of infidelitye and vnbeliefe yet he may fall into it againe Yea if the elect of God can neuer pearish what nead they to be exhorted at any tyme or to be admonished and rebuked What neade haue they that Gods worde should be preached vnto theym or that they shoulde make anye prayers vnto God PHILALETHES Aunswer As for the fyrste place that ye haue aledged oute of the tenthe chapyter of the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians it shall easelye be vnderstanded if we wyll but marke the circumstances of it We muste consider that there Sainte Paule doth wryte agaynst certayne of the churche of Corinthus whyche did liue in a carnall securitye and that beynge puft vp with a vaine confidence did forget theyr owne infirmity and weakenesse and so did fall into horrible sinnes Such vaine confidence and carnall securitye did the Prophets rebuke in the people of Israel But because that Sathan the Deuel is wont to wraste thys place for to put menne in dout of theyr saluatyon whereby it commeth to passe that manye mennes consciences are horriblye tormented we shall note and marke that there is a certain security confidence whiche is most holy godly and which cannot be separated from the true faythe By it we do wholelye reast vppon the promises of God beinge fullye perswaded in our consciences that God as a mooste mercifull and louinge father will alwaies healpe aid and assiste vs. Therefore putting a side al vaine dread and fear we do reioyce and triumph against sathan the deuell againste sinne Notwithstandinge remembrynge stil our owne infirmity and weakenesse we do withal lowlinesse and humilitye of mynde commyt oure selues vnto the mercifull kepynge and protection of almighty GOD oure heauenlye father and abyde through faith vnder the shadowe of his winges Rom viii Of this sure confidēce and trust doth the Apostle speake in many places but most specially in the viii chapiter of the Epistle to the Romains wher he saith Who will seperate vs from the loue of God trouble or anguishe persecution or hunger nakednesse or pearill of the swearde I am sure that nether death nor life neither aungell nor rule neyther power neyther thinges presente nor thynges to come nor yet any creatures either aboue or beneath shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde There is an other securitye or confidence Vngodly securitye and confidence which dothe rise and come of a luskishnesse when men beyng pufte vp with the giftes that they haue receiued do behaue them selues as though they were wythout all gonne shot and were in no pearil at all wherby it cometh to passe that the enemy hath them alwaies at his auauntage Therefore the blessed Apostle S. Paule doth diligently warne the Corinthians to take hede and beware of such vaine confidence and carnal security because that he did perceiue that some of them were geuen to it did please them selues in their own conceites and folishe opinions but he dothe not bid them to doubte of the good wil of god towardes them or to be in feare Against whome Paule doth speake in the .x. cha of .i. Cor. i. as vncertain of their own saluation which they haue throughe Christe in whome we are chosen afore the foundacyons of the world wer laid To be short Saint Paule dothe here speake agaynste those that were hie myneded and puft vp with a vaine confidēce and trust which was grounded vppon men and not vpon god But when he speaketh of the true securitye or quietnesse of