shal be illuminated and you shall se first that becaus the creator is infinitly good that therefor it behoueth the creatures in their original creation to be good And so I doute not was the deuil created good but in the veritie he stood not And secoÌ„darely that because the iust iudgemeÌ„ts of God were no les to shyne in the damnation of the reprobat then his infinite mercie was to be praised in the vessels of honor it behoued the one and the other to be innocent and good in their creation For if the original had bene euill God iustly could not haue after daÌ„ned that which he had made no better but so we must confesse that it was good that yet willingly corrupting the self maÌ„ made away to the most iust executioÌ„ of gods eternal couÌ„sell And last that the eternall purpose of God might in tyme be notified vnto maÌ„ w c was that God wold bestow greater liberalitie shew greater loue aÌ„d mercie in the redeÌ„ption of maÌ„ iustly damned then that he did in his creation Of nothing he did creat him for his corporall substaÌ„ce was made of the dust which somtymes was not to his own image and similitude to him he gaue the dominion of all creatures these were documents of a true loue But if they be compared with that loue which in Christ Iesus we receiue and that of fre grace they are no thing For what is the dominion of earthlie creatures in respect that we shall reigne with Christ Iesus for euer what were the pleasures and fruites of Paradise in comparison of those heaueÌ„lie ioyes which sainct Paul affirmeth can not enter in to the heart of man If man had stand perpetually in Adam neither had the loue of God so wonderously bene notified vnto vs neither yet had place ben graÌ„ted to his fre grace aÌ„d mercie w c we receiue in Christ Iesus For mercy properly hath respect to miserie But y e cheif comfort of gods children is that as they fell in Adam so are they new transferred in an other that is in Christ Iesus to whom they are giuen and who as before we haue proued hath so receaued them from the hand of his Father that he shall giue lief euerlasting to so many as the Father hath giuen him If ye I say can not admitt these reasons why it behoued maÌ„ to be created good and yet after to fall in to sin and merserie accuse your selues storm not against God for he will not be subiect to your reason iudgements your horrible blasphemies against God and your dispitefull raling against vs at this tyme I will omitt and how impudently ye leap from the purpose of gods reprobation to the execution of his iudgement shal be spoken in weying this your reason which thus foloweth THE ADVERSARIE The scripture witnesseth that we did fall in Adam for damnation came of one sinne vnto condemnation then did we all stand afore in Adam for none falleth but he that standeth If we did all stand then were we all predestinate to lief for as our fall here is to damnation and death so is our standing vnto saluation and lief And to confirme this we haue many testimonies in the word which proue vs to be elected chosen and predestinat to lief afore the fall but none that proue any man to be abiected cast away damned and reprobate afore sinne by which death entred into the world Paul to the Ephesians saieth God did choose vs in Christe before the foundations of the world were laid and ordeined vs before through him to be heires vnto him self and were tâ—erunto predestinat I pray you shew me any testimonie of the scripture which so manifestly proueth that God hath reprobate any before the foundations of the world God hath no respect of persons For he calleth the world from the rising vp of the son vnto the going downe of the same he made bothe small and great and careth for bothe a like for they be all the work of his handes And Esdras saieth it was not gods will that man should com to nought but he prepared lief for them The holie Gost saieth that God hath not made death neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the liuing for he created all things that they might haue their being yea all the people of the earth hath he made that they should haue helthe and their should be no destruction in them and that the kingdom of hell should not be vpon earth what can be more plainely and more directly spoken against this error In an other place saieth the holie Gost God created man to be vndestroyed and agane God ordeined man that he should order the world according to equitie and righteousnes and execute iudgement with a true hearte doeth God ordein man to rule the world according to righteousnes whom he reprobated Do men gather grapes as Christ saieth of thornes and figges of thistles euen so euerie good tree bringeth furthe good fruites But a corrupt tree bringeth furth euill fruite a good tree can not bring furth badd fruit neither can a badd tre bring furth good fruite Matth. 7. Either make the tre good and the fruite good orels the tre euill and his fruite euill Either grant man at his creation to be righteous and good and then I think ye will abhorre to say that God afore the foundations of the world did reprobate his good and righteous creature orels grant him at his creation to be an euill and vnrighteous creature Could then righteous iudgement com of such an vnrighteous tree further if man at his creation was an euill things then was he not the creature of God For God sawe al that he had made and they were verie good if man at his creation or afore was reprobate and ordeined vnto death then was man giltie afore the transgressioÌ„ for God damned none but such as be gyltie If he was giltie afore his transgression then was he a sinner being yet innocent and iust afore he euer consenteth or committed sinne And so consequently of this error I may inferre many no such absurdities as should offend any faithfull mannes eares ANSWER As no man of hole iudgement did euer denie that in Adam we did fall so I think you aÌ„d your sect set a part there hath ben none that euer did affirme that in Adam we were predestinat to lief euerlasting True it is y t we stood in Adam created in his loynes but I suppose that ye will not hold that the children had greater priuiledge then had the father Adam did not so stand but that he was subiect to the law the transgression where of made him dettour to death To speake the mater more plainely Adam did so stand that he might and did fall as the euent declared aÌ„d were his children so elect in him that they could not fall so ye appere to conclude For thus ye reason if we did all stand then were we
affirme that gods election in Christ Iesus is so certen ād his eternall purpose to saue his churche is so cōstant that against the faith of gods elect shall not the Portes and gates of hell preuale in the end that neither can lief nor death thinges present nor to com seperat and disseuer vs from the loue of God which is in Christe Iesus That this foundation is stable the Lord knoweth his own and therefor shall euerie one that incalleth the name of the Lord depart from iniquirie for we are not called to vncleannes but vnto sanctification and holynes by the power of that Spirit who raysed from death Iesus the great Pastor of our soules which holie spirit frely by faith which also is the gift of God doeth so reule and reign in our heartes that albeit the flesh lusteth against the spirit yet are we assured of victorie by the onely power of him who hath ouercom the world This is our doctrine faith and professiō But you affirme as after plainely ye write that none is so elected in Christ to lief euerlasting but that he may fall becom a reprobate and finally be condemned and cōtrary waies y t none is so reprobate in gods eternall purpose but that he may becom elect ād so be saued That in God there is neither election nor reprobation but according to mannes disposition so that when men haue good motiōs and be godly disposed God doeth elect thē and write their names in the book of lief but when they chāge and turne to iniquitie he doeth reprobate them and blotteth out their names out of the book of lief Let now all creatures iudge betwext vs and you whether of the two play fast and loose and surmounte iuglers in cūning Frome the third kind of election which ye call most especiall how you be able to proue that the seuentie disciples did so depart from Christe that there was no difference betwext them and the trudging of Iudas as ye terme his horrible treason be iudges your self In the sixt of Iohn we read that many of his disciples left him and fallīg frō him did go with him no more But whether these were the hole seuentie whom he sent to preach or others who for a time did folow him it is not expressed neither yet doeth the text say that all his disciples fell from him but many departed further it appereth to me verie rashe iudgemēt to pronoūce that none that departed from Christe at any tyme in his lief before his death vpon the crosse did at any tyme after return vnto hī but that all such did remain in damnation with Iudas For I fynd that all his Apostles did flie and leaue him and yet we know they were called againe And so also do we fynd were two of the disciples to whom Christ appering betwext Ierusalem and Emaus did first instruct them and after reueled him self vnto thē This I note to giue you occasion to be more circunspect in so weghtie maters Towardes the end of this parte thus ye write of those whome you say haue subiected them selues altogither to the gouernement of their Lord and capteyn they daily obtein such victorie of their ennemies that their war fare is now becom easie and in the hope they haue to subdue by the aid and counsell of their Lord all their ennemies there ioy and comfort is so greate that they esteme all earthlie pleasure which should draw thē back but vaine These wordes augment in me that suspition which before I noted to witt that ye haue a further fetch in this mater then your rude scholers vnderstand at the first to witt that euerie one of you shall becom Christes so perfect ād cleā that in you euen in this lief shall rest no ennemie to be ouercome except death onely and that this is the opiniō of your greatest Angelles I am able to proue by sufficient testimonie I mean by their own hand writinges But how far S. Paul was from that perfection yea euen when he was redie to be offerred in sacrifice for the testimonie of Christe Iesus he eshamed not to confesse thus writing to the Philippians after that he had affirmed that all iustice which before he looked for in the law was becom to him as domage and doung to the end that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his own iustice which was of the law but that which was by the faith of Christ Iesus he addeth Not as thogh I had already atteined to the mark vnderstanding to that iustice which he hoped for either that I am alredy perfect but I folowe if I may comprehend that for whoe 's sake I am comprehended of Christe Iesus Brethren I think not with my self to haue atteined to the mark but one thing I do forgetting that that is behind I endeuore my self to that which is before here the Apostle who had foghten somwhat lōger thē some who now can bragge of an easie battell confessed he was not yet perfect neither yet that he had atteined to that estate that is to the resurrectiō of the dead to the which he daily did contend The other poyson which in these your former wordes I espie and therefor of conscience must admonish my brethren is That ye be proud contemners of the fre graces of God offered to man in Christe Iesus for with the Pelagians and Papistes ye are become teachers of fre will and defenders of your own iustice for how coldly ye speak of Christ Iesus and his power these your wordes may witnes They are in hope say you to subdue their ennemies by the aid counsell of their Lord are you becom so strong and your warfare so easie that the coūsell of your captein is sufficient for you to conquire your ennemies you sodenly did repent that ye had confessed that the aid of your Lord was necessarie for you and therefor to mitigate and extenuate that immediatly ye adde by the coūsell of their Lord. Is this I pray you vnfeanedly to cōfesse that without Christ ye may do nothing that of your selues ye be not able to think one good thoght That it is he that beginneth and to the end performeth the work of our saluation God of his greate mercie and for Christe Iesus his sonnes saik preserue his Church from your pestilent vēnom What ye mean by the historie of Gedeō in the which say you well and duelly vnderstanded be your thre kindes of Election plainelie set furth because ye your self do not expresse I will not deuyne The copie which came to my handes was in that place imperfecte for after the former wordes it had onely written Confyr to the world And because I will not take vpon me to alter any thing in your wordes I leaue them to be corrected by your selues ād your mynd further to be explaned in that point if so it shall seme good vnto you Ye procede saying THE ADVERSARIE
yet are spokeÌ„ of God vnto Rebecca none of vs denieth but that which ye thereof inferre to witt that therefor they are not to be referred to that sentence which Paul alledgeth before the childreÌ„ were borne and yer they did either good or badd procedeth either of your blind ignoraÌ„ce orels of your malicious despite which agaiâ—st the fre grace of God ye haue conceaued for establishing of your own iustice Trew it is these wordes were spoken by Malachie the Prophete after the reduction of the people frome the captiuitie of Babylon But when we haue a litle considered the scope and purpose of the Prophete then shall we first consider whether he did vnsterstand the loue of God and his hatered to appertein to the two peoples onely and not also to the two original heades And after we shall see whether the mynd and plaine wordes of Paul will suffer and bear your interpretation or not Shortly after that the people of Israel I mean the tribes of Iuda Beniamin and I â—eui were by the miraculous work of God after the bondage of 70. yeres set at libertie and broght againe to Ierusalem in which they did reedifie the temple repaire the walles aÌ„d beginne to multiplie and so to grow to som streÌ„gth within the citie and land they fall to their old nature I mean to be vngrate and vnthankfull vnto God the people were slothfull and the priestes who should haue prouoked the people to the remembrance of those great benefites were become euen like to the rest The Lord therefor did raise vp his Prophete Malachie who was the last before Christ sharply to rebuke and plainely to coÌ„uict this horrible ingratitude of that vnthankfull nation who so shamefully had forgotten those so great benefits recently bestowed vpon them And thus beginneth he his prophecie I haue loued you saieth the Lord in which wordes he speaketh not of a common loue which in preseruing and feding all creatures is commoâ— to the reprobate but of that loue by the which he had sanctified and seperated them from the rest of nations to haue his glorie manifested But becaus they as all vngrate persons do did not consider wherin this his loue towardes them more then towardes others did stand he bringeth them to the fountein demanding this question was not Esau brother to Iacob saieth the Lord and neuertheles Iacob haue I loued and Esau I haue hated and this he proueth not onely by the diuersitie of the two couÌ„treis which were giueâ— to their posterities but also by that that God coÌ„tinually shewed hiÌ„ self louiâ—g to Iacob and to his posteritie reducing them againe after long captiuitie declaring him self as it were ennemy to Edom whose desolation he wold neuer restore but wold distroy that which they shoulde go about to build Let now the godlie reader iudge whether that the mynd of the Prophete was to seclude Iacob in his person from the loue of God and Esau from his hatered or that it was not rather to rebuke the vnthankfulnes of the people who did not consider that vndeserued loue which God did shew to their first father whiles he was yet in his mothers bosome for where he saieth was not Esau brother to Iacob he wold put them in mynd that Iacob had no prerogatiue aboue Esau yea that the was inferior to him as coâ—cerning the law of nature and therefor that he oght to haue bene subiect vnto him but God of fre grace did preferre the yonger to the elder which loue and preferment he constantly did kepe to his sede after him This I am assured can no godlie man denie to be the verey meaning of the Prophete Trew it is that he doeth include both the peoples the one loued and the other hated But what reason is it that the heades shall be secluded seing that the begiÌ„ning of the diuersitie did first appere in them and the Prophete plainely saieth Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Now to the mind of the Apostle you say that these wordes afore the children were born are not to be referred to the sentence which followeth Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and the cause ye add as we before haue declared I answer that the most iust iudgementes of God are fearefull and your blindnes oght to admonishe all men to examin them selues with what conscieÌ„ce they go to intreate gods secrete mysteries If that sentence before the children were born oght not to be referred to these wordes Iacob haue I loâ—ued and Esau haue I hated I pray you to what wordes oght they to be referred Did the Apostle speak theÌ„ at all aduenture without respect to any thing folowing I trust ye will grant asmuch as God spak to witt that before the children wer born God said The elder shal serue the yonger and then I pray you answer whether ye think that the preferment of Iacob to Esau proceded frome loue or frome hatred or if the subiectioÌ„ of Esau to his brother was not a declaration of gods hatred If you denie yet will the Prophete condemne you as before we haue proued ye can not escaip with the solution which a writer defending fre will giueth which is this That there mention is made onely of temporall and carnal benedictioÌ„ ment vnder the name of loue and of pouertie with barrennes of grounde vnderstand by the name of hatred which solution is so colde that it perisheth in the self for I think no man to be so blynd but that he seeth the mynd of the Apostle to be beÌ„t vpon the spirituall benediction as in his hole disputation is euident But let it be that the corporall benediction which we vtterly exclude not be there vnderstaÌ„d and meÌ„t yet that neither helpeth him nor you for where so euer gods establyshed loue is there is lief where so euer his established hatred is there is death but vpon Iacob and vpon his sede spiritual I mean was established the loue of God as the Prophete affirmeth and our Apostle most pro foundely alledgeth and vpon Esau and vpon his posteritie was established and confirmed the hatred Ergoâ— vpon him and them remained death CoÌ„sider now how that the Apostle after these wordes The elder shall serue the yonger ioyneth this senteÌ„ce as it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau I haue hated In which wordes the holie Gost agreeth together the wordes of the Prophete and the wordes of God spoken to Rebecca and maketh the one to interprete the other for where God saieth the elder shall serue that expoÌ„deth the Prophete God hated Esau and where he pronounceth dominion to the yonger that the Prophete explaneth saiÌ„g Iacob haue I loued And when did God thus loue the one and hate the other pronouncing the one to be Lord and the other to be seruant While they were yet saieth he in their mothers wombe and before they had either done good or bad Denie now if ye can that the former wordes oght not to be
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
hereof let vs compare the deniall of Peter and y e defection of all the Apostles with the sinne of Dauid Albeit Peter was not called to be a wordlie priÌ„ce as Dauid was yet I thiÌ„k ye wil not denie but to be called to the office of an Apostle to be Christes scoller the space of thre yeres to be so familiare with Christ y t he alone with other two did se Christ their master traÌ„sfigured did heare y â— ioyfull voice frome heauen â–ª did se Moises and Helias speak with him my trust is I say y t ye will not denie but that those were graces no thing inferior to Dauids kingdom temporall and yet how horribly y t Petet did denie Christ Iesus ye are not ignorante Yea but say ye Peter wept and soght grace with repeÌ„tance But I ask when the holie Gost doth answere y â— it was after the cocke had crowen and that Christ Iesus had looked vnto him Proceded y t looke I besech you from loue or hatered It should seme in dede by the effect that it came from loue for then it is said that Peter remembered the wordes of his master and so weÌ„t furth and wept bitterly By all liklihode then were his masters vordes before qwyte blotted oute of his memorie But God be praised we nede not to depend vpon vncerten coniectures The fall and deniall of Peter as in an other place we haue declared came not by chance as a thiÌ„g whereof Christ Iesus was ignoraÌ„t He did forese it and before speaketh it And what coÌ„fort gaue Christ Iesus vnto him â–ª before he pronounced that sharp sentence before y e cock crowe thow shalt denie me thries This comfort I say which oght of all faithfull most to be exâ—olled Simon SimoÌ„ beholde SataÌ„ hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat but I haue prayed for the that thy faith faile not and thow being conuerted confirme thy bretheren Did Christ pray for Peter knowing that he should denie him so he affirmeth Doth the praier of Christ Iesus and the effect thereof vanish in a moment God for bid that such impietie take place iÌ„n our heartes The Apostle doth witnes that as his sacrifice is euer recent before God so is his praier effectuall euer for his elect Doth God vtterly hate detest and abhorre such as for whom Christ Iesus praieth yea commendeth to his mercie before they fall iâ—n to danger my hope is that the godlie will not so iudge The same I might proue by the stowte denial of Thomas besides the defection of all the rest who after that the glad tydings of Christes resurrection was confirmed by the testimonie of many did obstinatly say except that I put my fingers in the holes c. I wil not beleue Here ye se was no repentance of his former infidelitie but rather an augmentation and increase of the same And did it procede frome loue or from hatered that Christ cometh vnto him and doth offer to satisfie his curiositie in all thinges willing him to be faithfull and not to remaine an infidele Consider now how simply and plainely we haue opened our myndes vnto you God graÌ„t you his holie Spirit rightly to vnderstand and charitably to interprete the thinges that be spoken c. Now will I briefly go throughe these scriptures which ye abuse and violently wrest against vs not making so long discourse to amend your iudgemeÌ„t as I haue done to fore For if things alredie spoken shall not profit I must confesse my self destitute of counsell for this tyme. The wordes of the prophete where necgligently ye name Zacharie for Malachie nether serue your purpose nether yet are verefied in vs. for we be not as the priestes who in those daies permitted plaine iniquitie and contempt of God and of his statutes vniuersaly to be done by the people and yet they did not oppone them selues to the same Read the Prophete and conâ—ict vs of those thinges if ye can We are sorie that ye haue no better opinion of vs then that our hole studie should be to entyse the people to sinne Not that we do muche feare that by your wordes ye can persuade any except your own faction â–ª and hardly those to credit you in that behalf for all praise be to God our liues doctryn and correctioÌ„ of vice do witnesse the contrarie but our greatest sorow is for your condemnation which doubtles must ensue suche wicked iudgement if hastely ye repent not As the Sunne is not to be blamed albeit the carion by the heate thereof be more and more corrupted so is not our doctrine althogh that carnall men thereof take carnal libertie for that ye knowe did ensue the doctrine of S. Paule We do no les affirme both in worde and writing theÌ„ here you do affirme to wit That he who committeh sinne is of the deuil but herein I suppose standeth the difference that you and we vnderstand not that phrase alike we vnderstand that the man coÌ„mitteh sinne whose hole studie mynd and purpose frome tyme to tyme is bent vpon iniquitie and suche do we affirme to be of the deuil who sinneth from the beginning If you vnderstand that euerie action committed against the law of God maketh a man the sonne of the deuil we must liberally speak that so we do not vnderstand the mynd of the Apostle for plaine it is that he meaneth not of actioÌ„s particulare be they neuer so grieuous whereof a man after repenteth aÌ„d from the same desisteth but of a continual exercise delite and studie whiche man hath in sinne And this is plaine I say by the wordes which immediatly procede and go before he that exerciseth iustice saieth he is iust eueÌ„ as he is iust he y t coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuil for frome the beginning the deuil sinneth Here is the exercise of iustice put in contrarietie to the committing of sinne An exercise we know requireh a continual studie and practyse I think ye will not say that one iust worke maketh a man iust and so consequently the son of God except he procede frome iustice to iustice The same say we must be vnderstand of the committing of sinne for nether Adame nor Dauid did any longer committ their former sinnes then by grace they began to repent And so did they not remaine vnclean persons nor in bondage of the deuil Neither yet can it be proued that euer they were membres of the deuil nor of his kingdom albeit willingly they made them selues slaues to him whom Christ Iesus notwithstanding did vendicate to him self and delyuer from that thraldome Because of the fre gift of God his father they did appertein to his kingdome nether euer be you able to proue by any of these sentences that euer they were out of the election as before is declared The place of the prophete Oseas is of you euill vnderstaÌ„d â–ª the lacke of the hebrew tongue may be the cause of your
steadfastly to cleaue and stick to the trueth whose force effect they se alwaies to haue bene one frome the begīning The giuers of these offēses shall no doubt sustein the wo pronounced against them by Christe Iesus But yet must the childrē of God vnderstand that of necessitie it is that such offēses come that the elect may first be tryed and after be partakers of that blessing pronoūced by our master in those wor des Blessed is he that is not offended in me The cause of these my former wordes is that as Satā euer frome the beginnīg hath declared him self ennemie to the fre grace and vndeserued loue of God so hath he now in these last and moste corrupted daies most furiously raged agaīst that doctrine which attributeth all praise and glorie of oure redemption to the eternall loue and vndeserued grace of God alone By what meanes sathā first drew mākynd frome the obediēce of God the scripture doeth witnesse To wit by powring into their hartes that poison that God did not loue thē and by affirming that by transgressiō of gods cōmandemēt they might attein to felicitie and ioy so that he caused them to seke life where God had prounced death to be This same practise hath sathan euer frome the beginning vsed to infect the Church with al kynd of heresie as the writings of Moises of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the godlie in the primatiue Church do playnelie witnes But alas to such blasphemie did neuer the deuil draw mākynd as now of late daies in the which no small nōbre are become so bolde so impudent and so irreuerent that opēly they feare not to affirme God to be vniust if that he in his eternal coūsel hath elected more one sort of mē thē an other to life euerlasting in Christe Iesus our Lord which thing of late daies is more planely come to oure knowledge thē before we could haue suspected and that by the sight of a book moste detestable blasphemous cōteinyng as it is intiteled The cōfutation of the errors of the careles by necessitie with that odious name do they burden all those that either do teach ether yet beleue the doctrine of gods eternall predestination ▪ which booke writtē in the english tōgue doeth cōtein as well the lies and the blasphemies imagined by Sebastian Castalio and laid to the charge of that moste faithfull seruāt of God Iohn Caluine as also the vane reasōs of Pighius Sadoletus Georgius Siculus pestilēt Papistes expressed ennemies of gods free mercies The dispitefull railīg of w t booke the manifest blasphemies in the same cōteined togither with the earnest req̄sts of som godlie brethren moued me to prepare an answere to the same others I dowbt not might haue done it with greater dexteritie but with reuerēce feare do I lay the talēt cōmitted to my charge vpō y e table of the Lord to brīg to his church such aduātage as his godli wisdō hath appointed But lest that some shoulde thīk that my labors might better haue bene bestowed in some other exercise I thoght expediēt to admonish all brethrē charitably to requyre of thē not to esteme the mater to be of small weight importāce ▪ for seing that gods fre grace is opēly impugned disdainfully refused I iudge it the duetie of euerie man that loketh for life euerlasting to giue his confession to Christe Iesus whose glorie is by these blasphemers to y e vttermoste of their power suppressed Some do thinke that because the reason of man can not atteine to the vnderstanding how God shall be iust making in his counsel this diuersitie of mankīd that therefore better it were to kepe silēce in al such mysteries then to trouble the braynes and myndes of men with curious disputatiōs I willingly confesse that al curiositie oght to be auoided and that with great sobrietie we oght to contemplate beholde that incomprehensible mysterie of our redēption But yet I say that the doctrine of gods eternal predestinatiō is so necessarie to the Church of God that without the same can faith neither be truely taught nether surely established mā cā neuer be broght to true humilitie knowledge of him self nether yet cā he be rauished in admiration of gods eternal goodnes and so moued to praise him as apperteineth And therefor we feare not to affirme that so necessarie as it is that true faith be established in o r har tes y t we be broght to vnfined humilitie y t we be moued to praise hī for his fre graces receaued so necessary also is y e doctrin of gods eternall predestination For first there is no way more proper to buyld and establish faith thē whē we heare and vndoubtedly do beleue that our election which the Spirit of God doth seale in our hartes cōsisteth not in our selues but in the eternal and immutable good pleasure of God And that in such firmitie that it cā not be ouerthrowen nether by the raging stormes of the world nor by the assaultes of sathan nether yet by the wauering and weaknes of our own fleshe Then onely is our saluation in assurance whē we fynd the cause of the same in the bosom and counsell of God For so do we by faith apprehend life and peace manifested in Christe Iesus that by the directiō and guyding of the same faith we looke farther to wit out of what fountaine life doth procede In Christe Iesus now presētly do we fynd libertie ād life he is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes and sanctification and redēption and in the promes of his Gospel is foūded the stabilitie of our saluation But yet we haue a ioy which far surmounteth this For albeit that we should heare that the mercies the graces of God were offered vnto all men and albeit also that we should fele that our heartes were somwhat moued to beleue yet onles the very cause of our faith be knowen oure ioye and comfort cā not be full For if we shall think that we beleue ād haue embrased Christe Iesus preached because our wittes be better then the wittes of others and because that we haue a better inclination and are of nature more tractable then be the cōmon sorte of men sathan I say can easely ouer throw all comfort buylded vpon so weak a ground for as the heart of man is vain and inscrutable so may it be that those that this day be tractable and obedient hauing also som zeale toward godlines yea and also bothe sense and feling of gods mercie such I say may shortly here after become stubborn in some cases disobedient in maters of greate importance tempted with lustes and finally they may be left so barren that rather they shal tremble at the sight of gods iudgemētes thē that they can reioyse in the free adoptiō of his children And therefor I say that except our comfort be
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
former election when Israel was yong I loued him and called my sonne owt of the land of Egypt forasmuch as Israel was the sonne of God and that also beloued insomuch that the lordled them with cordes of friendship and bondes of loue they must nedes be â—he elect of God yea because they prouoked the lord through their abominations they are cast away â–ª and the lord rewardeâ—h them according to their desertes ANSWER If I should labor to the end of this your most confused worke to reduce euerie scripture by you wrested and abused to the true meaning and vnderstanding of the holie Gost as hitherto I haue done in the most parte of them which ye haue alledged my trauale should be great aÌ„d the work should excede a iust measure Therefor seing that sufficiently by the plaine scriptures of God I haue confirmed the doctrin which we teach beleue and maintein aÌ„d by the same trueth of gods worde I haue confuted your error from hencefurth I inteÌ„d onely to toâ—che the proposition which ye maintein and by confuting the same briefly ether by scripture orels by exemple to shew in what sorte ye wrongfully apply the scâ—iptures to maintein your error offring yet to satisfie to my power such as charitably shall ask of me by word or writing further explanation of any scripture by you alledged by me at this tyme not fully resolued The chief propositioÌ„ which ye maiÌ„tein to y e end of this your book is that the elect may fall froÌ„ their election To the which I answer that if ye vnderstand that those whom God the father hath elected in his eternall counsel to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus may so fall from their election that finally they perish if this I say be your vnderstanding then I feare not to affirme that proposition to be vtterlie fals erroneous and daÌ„nable as it that doeth expressedly repugne to gods plaine scriptures for Christ Iesus doeth affirme that so many as his father hath giuen to him shal come vnto him And to such as do come he promiseth life euerlasting which he hath in him self for the saluatioÌ„ of his flock whereof none shal perish for furth of his hands can none be pulled away But because this before is largely intreated I come shortly to the scriptures which ye abuse First ye proue that those which be elected be sanctified by the spirit and through beleuing of the trueth which we confesse to be most true Thereafter ye alledge that such as be sanctified may after dishonor the spirit of grace tredde doune the blood of the testament so drawe to damnation I answer the cause of your error is that ye make no difference betwext the sanctification and liuely faith which is proper onelie to the sonnes of God which once begonne is perpetuall and that sanctification and faith which is common to the reprobate and therefore it is but temporall If this distinctioÌ„ displeaseth you quarel with y e holie Gost and not with vs for of his plaine workes wordes euideÌ„t haue we receaued it for all Israel were sanctified to be y e kinglie priesthode all were circuÌ„cised yea did drink of y t spirituall drink and yet were they not all inwardly saÌ„ctified vnto saluatioÌ„ life euerlasting The hole tribe of Leuie were saÌ„ctified to y â— seruice of y e Lord in his tabernacle but how many of theÌ„ did stil remaine prophane persoÌ„s y â— scripture coÌ„cealeth not EueÌ„ so all y t great multitude whoÌ„ Christ fed in y e wildernes yea all those y t adhered for a time to his doctrine were after som maner sanctified that is seperated deuided froÌ„ y e rest of y e world But that sanctification was but temporall like as also was their faith we do not denie but that the reprobate haue som maner of faith aÌ„d som sort of sanctification for a time that is that they are compelled eueÌ„ by the impire of the Spirit of God to confesse and acknowledge that all thinges spokeÌ„ in gods sciptures are true And y t therefor their conscience in afeare and terror do seke som meanes to please God for the auoiding of his veÌ„geaÌ„ce For as this is nother the true faith iustifying neither yet the perfect sanctification of the Spirit of God which reneweth y e elect in the inwarde man so doth nether of both long coÌ„â—inue for they returning to their natural prophanation and darknes do leaue the waye of light and life and drawe them selues to death and damnation But hereof without the contumelie of the SoÌ„ne of God and without abnegation of his plaine veritie ye can not conclude that the elect membres of his bodie can be rest out of his hands that those for whom soleÌ„nely he hath prayed that they shoulde be sanctified in the veritie and that they should be one with him as he is one with his father may come to finall prophanation and so to perditioÌ„ we feare not to affirm that to be a thing no les impossible then that it is that Christ Iesus shall cease to be head of his Churche and the sauiour of his bodie In the wordes of the Apostle writeÌ„ in the second chapter to the Ephesians ye seme not to vnderstand his meaning where he saieth ye were soÌ„times without Christ â—for saye you we are sure that without Christ there is no election In which wordes thow that writest plaiest with the simple ignorant reader the vile sophister confounding by the inglishe word without that whiche in latine is moste euidently distincted Doth Paule say Eratis aliquando extra ChristuÌ„ or saieth he not Eratis sine Christo To make the mater sensible to you my deare brethren be you neuer so simple where he saieth without Christ there is no election that proposition is â—rue if it be vnderstand that man was neuer elected to lief euerlasting but in Christ Iesus onlie But if he will affirme that none are elected in Christ Iesus without Christ that is to say before that they come to the true and perfect knowledge of gods mercies in Christ that proposition is most fals and doth repugne as plainely ye may se to the mynde and wordes of the Apostle for he affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Iesus before the fundation of y e world was laid yea wheÌ„ we were dead by sinne ignorant of him strangers from the testament of his promes which S. Paule calleth to be without Christ without God in this world without the league of the testament And by these wordes doth the Apostle magnifie the superaboundaÌ„t mercies of God shewed to the world in Christ Iesus By the which he receaued not onely the Iewes who long had continued in league with God but also the Gentiles to the participation of his glorie albeit that from the daies of AbrahaÌ„ they had liued as dispised reiected of God Let the reader now iudge how strongly ye conclude To the place of the Aâ—postle touching the
will not refuse them nether yet will I dispyse them so that I will vtterly destroy them or make my couenante with them to be of none effect for I am the lord their God for then I shall remembre myne old couenant which I made with theÌ„ when I led them furth of the land of Egypt in the presence of the Gentiles that I might be their God I the eternall And in the same prophete in many places mo the same is most euident for thus he writeth foreseing their captiuitie Yet now heare ô Iacob my seruaÌ„t and Israel whoÌ„ I haue chosen thus saieth the Lord that made the and formed the from the wombe he will help thee feare not ô Iacob my seruant aduerte that yet he doth acknowledge Iacob to be his seruant euen in his greatest miserie and thow righteous whom I haue chosen for I shall powre owt waters vpon the thirstie floodes vpon the drie grounde I shall powre furth my spirit vpon thy sede and my blessing vpon thy buddes And in the same Chapter after that he hath reproued the vanitie of idolaters he saieth Remembre these ô Iacob and Israel for thou art my seruant I haue formed thee to this purpose that thou shouldest be my seruant ô Israel forget me not c. For my names saike will I differ my wrath and for my praise will I refrein it frome the that I cut the not of c. Lift vp your eyes to the heauens and beholde the earth beneth for the heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax olde like a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like maner but my saluation shal be for euer he meaneth the deliuerance which he had promised to that people and my righteousnes shal not be abolished c. For a litle whyle haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion shal I gather thee c. And the sonnes of strangers shall buyld vp thy walles and their kinges shall serue thee for in my wrath I smote thee but in my mercie I had compassion on thee c. For Zions sake I wil not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I wil not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake furth as the light and the saluacion thereof as a burning lamp c. And their sede shal be knowen amongest the Gentiles and their buddes among the people All that se them shall know them that they are the sede which the Lord hath blessed These and many places mo do manifestly witnesse that God did neuer before the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh vtterly reiect and refuse that people as that they did not appertein vnto him but that he did auowe them to be his chosen his peculiar people and his inheritance euen wheÌ„ they were in greatest miserie Yea further God had continually of the sede of Abraham during the tyme of the Law and the prophetes som nombre openly to glorifie his name in the eyes of the world And therefore consider with your self how iustly ye gather vpon these wordes of the prophet God shal yet againe choose Israel that therefore God had vtterly reiected all Israel yea euen from the life euerlasting for except that so ye conclude ye haue proued nothing of your purpose for the controuersie standeth not betwext vs and you whether that God doth somtymes choose and promote a man or a people to honor and dignitie in this life thereafter iustly depriue him or them from the same for this did we neuer denie But the hole controuersie consisteth in this point whether that such as God in his eternall counsel hath elected in Christ Iesus to life euerlasting can after be reprobated and so finally perish and that shal ye neuer be able to proue That the simple reader may the better vnderstand the meaning of y â— prophete this I adde The people in the captiuitie of Babylon were so oppressed and so destitute of all hope euer to be restored to any dignitie or libertie againe That to them it appered a like possible to raise the dead carkases of such as were buried in their graues as to deliuer them from the handes of the proud and puâ—sant Babylonians And therefore doth not onlie Isaiah who long afore saw their bondage the redemption from the same but also Ieremiah Ezechiel who did se it with their eyes with great boldnes coÌ„staÌ„cie affirme that they shoulde be deliuered from that boÌ„dage y t they shoulde be maried w t God so shoulde be chosen againe as o r Prophet here speaketh w c is not to be referred to y â— part of God but to the apprehension of the people who thoght them selues vtterly forsaken and reiected of God Against this temtatioÌ„ y e prophet saith God shall choose Israel againe that is shal restore them to y e former dignitie yea to a greater And y t shoulde he do in such sort y t they should know y t he was God merciful coÌ„stant and immutable of his promes And so the renouatioÌ„ of the league in such sort that the worlde might se that God fauored Israel is called the new election new mariage not that God had euer in him self decreed and purposed that the Messias and blessed sede shoulde descend of any other nation but of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ and house of Dauid but that the people in the tyme of their affliction had receaued such a wounde by reason of their grieuous plagues and former offences that they thoght y t God had vtterly reiected them let y e prophetes be redde with indifferent iudgement And this I dowbte not shall appere most true Now to the rest of your scriptures ADVERSARIE Christ commandeth Iohn to preache vnâ—o the seuen Congregations Among whome were bothe elect reprobaâ—e to whom he vsâ—th no such maner of doctrine as ye teach â—haâ— the elect coulde not fall from their election but warneth them to take hede that they lose nâ—t that which they had gâ—ten but labore to increase threatning them with destruction if â—hey forsake â—he grace whereof they were made parâ—akers nether discouraged be the most wicked of them as ye do saying that by the preordinance of God they of necessitie must perish but willeth them to repent and amend and they shoulde liue yes knew he bothe who were elect and who were reprobate â–ª To the congregation of Ephesus he saith that she was fallen from her first loue and without she remembred fromâ— whence she was fallen repented and did her first workes the Lord wold shortly come and remoue her candilstick out of her place The congregation of Smirna he commandeth so be faithfull vnto the death and so shoulde she receaue the crowne of life If Christ had bene of your opinion he had not vsed such maner of doctrine In vaine shoulde he exhorte the reprobate to be faithfull whom he had cast away and superfluous were it to exhort the elect