condemne but with reuerence we do referre iudgemēt to him who is the vniuersall creator whose goodnes and wisdom is such that he can do nothing but wisely and whose iustice is so perfect that his workes are exēpted frō the iudgement of all creatures But the second part affirmyng that if God condemne mo then he shall saue that then his wraith is greater then his mercie is so irreuerēt so bold and blasphemous y t scarsly coulde I haue thoght y t y e deuill him self could haue imagined a more manifest blasphemie Who hath giuen the balance into thy hādes I speak to the most blasphemous writer to pōder ād wey gods mercie and wraith after thy corrupt iudgement if thow claimest the helpe of these former scriptures they proue no more that which thow pretendest then if thow shouldest affirm that God shall saue the deuill because his mercie is aboue all his creatures We do not deny but y t y e most wicked men are participant of gods mercie in temporall felicitie yea and y t farre aboue his chosen childrē that he maketh his son to shyne vpō the good ād bad that with long suffering he calleth them to repentance and delaieth their most iust cōdemnation But what wilt thow hereof cōclude that God hath ordeined mo to saluatiō thē to perdition orels is his wraith greater thē his mercie Blasphemous mouth who hath taught the to appoint a law to God The day shall come if spedelie thow repent not y t thow shalt fele what punishmēt is due to such as go aboute to bring the eternal God and his incōprehensible iudgemēts vnder y e thraldō of their corrupt reason But leauing thee I return to those whō gladly I wold īstruct ād to thē I say that the wordes of Dauid and of Isaiah do speake of that rich and inestimable mercie which God laieth vp in store for his chosen children to whom althogh God somtymes shew him self seuere and angry yet indureth that but for a short space but his mercie is euerlastīg ād his goodnes infinit by the which he marieth his chosen children to him self for euer and whether that these wordes be onely spoken to the elect orels that they be generally spoken to all let the holie Gost decyde the controuersie After that Dauid hath affirmed that God is liberall mercifull patiēt and of great gentilnes and also that he is good to all and that his mercie is ouer all his workes that the eies of all creatures look vpon him and that he is iust in all his workes by which sentences he praiseth the goodnes the mercie and the prouidence of God in the regiment gouernement of his vniuersall creation which goodnes ād mercie do so abounde that the innumerable iniquities of mākind and his detestable ingratitude cā not vtterly hinder the same from the creatures After these cōmon mercies I say whereof the reprobate are oftē partakers he openeth the treasure of his riche mercies which are kept in Christ Iesus for his elect Saing the Lord is nigh to all that vpon him to all that call vpon him in veritie he doeth the will of those that fear him and he heareth their crie and saueth thē The Lord kepeth all those that loue hī but he destroieth all the wicked such as willingly delite not in blīdnes may clerely se that the holie Gost maketh a plaine differēce betwext the graces and mercies which be cōmō to all and that soueraign mercie which is immutably reserued to the chosen children and further that the Lord himself shall destroy the wicked albeit his mercie be ouer all his workes And so that mercie by the which God pronoūceth to gather his Church is euerlastīg ād is not cōdmō to y e reprobate but is onely proper to y e flocke of Christ Iesus The wordes of God spoken vnto Moises do no more serue your purpose then do the other For God in his law expressedly doeth witnes to whom it is that he will shew mercie to thousandes to witt to those that loue him and kepe his commandements and vpon whom will he prosecute the iniquitie vnto the third and fourth generatiō vpō those saieth he y t hate me If here of ye cōclude y t his mercie towardes all is greater then his wraith ye conclude amis For ye confound those whom God hath separated and deuided he promiseth mercie to the thousand generation of those that loue him and threatneth to punishe the iniquitie of the fathers to the third and fourthe generation vpon those that hate him Hereof iustly ye can no further cōclude but that the mercie of God is greater towardes those that loue him thē his wraith against those that hate him And so far will we confes with you but if you abide in your error concluding as you plainely do in this your booke that the wrathe of God must be greater then his mercie except that he saue mo then shall be cōdemned as som of your sectes hath lately affirmed we fear not to affirme that your blasphemie is intollerable Or if you think as some alledge vpon Origene that becaus gods mercie is infinit and extendeth vnto all his workes that therefor the reprobate can not but once obtein mercie The plain scripture cōuicteth you For it affirmeth that the wraith of God abydeth vpō the vnfaithfull that their fyre shall not be quenched and that their worme shall not die If ye shall vnderstand that the elect hath nothing which they receaue not of mercie and that the punishment of the reprobate is most iustly deserued you shall not mesure gods mercie and his wraith by the multitude nor by the nombre but ye oght to consider that where none is worthie of gods mercies by their own merits yet hath it continued from the beginning and shal cōtinue vnto the end euer extending the self to gods children being in miserie and so this mercie must far surmount all wraith and iudgement for where the wraith of God once kindled against sinne oght to haue consumed and deuoured all mercie preualeth and delyuereth those that iustly might haue bene condemned And in this sense say we that gods mercie far surmounteth his iudgementes which interpretation if you admit not we will send you to reason with God and to impugne the same if you be able by manifest scriptures Now to the rest THE ADVERSARIE Of all sortes and Sectes of men I haue iudged them to be most abhorred which are called Athei that is to say such as denie that there is any God But now me think these carelesse men are much more to be abhorred my reason is because they be more iniurious to God then the Athey for he is les iniurious to a man that beleueth that he is not then they he which calleth him a cruel mā a tyrant and an vniust person so are they les iniurious to God which beleue that he is not then they which say he is vnmercifull cruell and an oppressor
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all
God whom we do reuerence in whom we trust and most stedfastly beleue whose Sonne Christ Iesus we preach to be the onely sauiour of his Church and whose eternall veritie we mainteine not onely against Iewe Turke and Papist but also against you enraged anabaptistes who can admitte in God no iustice which is not subiect to the reach of your reason Darest thou and thy conspiracie stand vp and accuse God of crueltie because that in these his workes thou canst not deny but that mo were punished then were preserued mo were left in darknes then were called to the true light Shall not his mercie excede all his workes except that he saue the Deuill aÌ„d those that iustely be reprobated as he is Stoupe Sathan vnder the empire of our Soueraigne God whose will is so free that nothing is able to constreigne or binde it For that is onely libertie that is not subiect to mutabilitie to the inconstancie or appetites of others as most blasphemously you wold imagin God to be in his election and most iust reprobation by the which in despite of SathaÌ„ of thee his slaue and sonne and of all thy sect he will declare his glorie as well in punishing with tormentes for euer such blasphemers as you be as in shewing the riches of his glorie to the members of his deare Sonne who onely depend vpon Christe Iesus and vpon his iustice To purge my God from that iniustice or from those absurdities which thou woldest impute vpon his eternall maiestie I will â—ot labor lest that ether I should seme to doubte of our owne cause ether yet to be sollicite for the defense of our eternall God And therfor seing that ye declare your selues not men ignorant willing to Iearne but deuilles enraged against God against his eternall and infinite iustice as I began so do I finish The Lord confound thee Sathan The Lord confound you enraged dogges which so impudently dare barcke against the most iust iudgementes of God And thus leauing you to the handes of him who sodanely shall reuenge his iustice from your blasphemies For the cause of the Simple I say First that most maliciously ye accuse vs as that we should affirme God to be slow to mercy and readie to wrath which blasphemy we protest before God before his holy Angelles in heauen and before his Church here in earth did neuer enter into our heart For the contrarie thereof we daily see and perceaue not onely in our selues to whom most mercifully he remitteth the multitude of our sinnes but also in the most cruell ennemies of his Church We do not define what nombre God hath elected to life nether yet what nombre presently God hath reprobated Onely we stand content with that which the holy Gost hath reueled openly to witte that their be both elect and reprobate That the elect can not finally perish nether yet that the reprobate can euer be saued we constantly affirme But we adde the causes to wit that because the one sort is giuen to Christ Iesus by y e free gift of God his father before all times therfor in time they come vnto hiÌ„ by power of whose spirit they are regenerate their darkenes is expelled and from vertue they procede to vertue till finally they attein to the glory promised As y e other sorte is left in their own corruption so can they do nothiâ—g but obey their father y e deuil in whose boÌ„dage they iustely are left And so where ye burden vs that we say let the reprobate do what they can yet they must be daÌ„ned ye do most shamefully belie vs. For we saye and teach that who so euer declineth from euill and constantly to the end doth good shall most certenly be saued But our doctrine is thiâ— that because the reprobate haue not the spirite of regeneration therfor they can not do those workes that be acceptable before God How God is almightie and omnipoteÌ„t we haue before confessed to witt that as he in his eternall wisedom foreseeth and appointeth all thinges so doth his power put all thinges in execution how and when it best pleaseth him Neither can his wisedom will nor counsels be subiect to any mutabilitie vnstablenes or chaÌ„ge For if it so were then his godly wil and counsels did not depend vpon him self but vpon his creatures which is more then absurd Nether to Pharao neither to Semei neither yet to any other reprobate did or doth God giue either wicked commandement or euill thoght But those wicked thoghtes and euill motions which be in them of their euill nature and are stirred vp by the instigation of the deuill as he doeth not purge them so doth his wisedom vse them well to his owne glorie to the exercise of his children and to the comfort of his Church In so much that the verie tyranny of Pharao the cursing of Semei and the incest of Absalom in so farre as they were gods workes they were iust and holy because they were iust punishmentes of their sinnes an exercise for his children and some part also of his fatherly correction for their offenses To the rest of your vanitie I will not answere not because I feare your sophisticall subtilitie but because I will not except that yet I be further prouoked nether by tongue nether yet by penne once name or expresse your horrible blasphe mies Which manifestly do witnes and declare that you as dogges enraged without all reuerence do barke against God because his workes do surmount your capacitie The Lord speadely call you to repeÌ„tance or els so bridle your venemous tongues that they be not able further to infect Now to the rest THE ADVERSARIE The properties of the true God God his mercie exceadeth all his workes he hath made man like to hâ—â— own image in Christe Iesus in whom is no damâ—ation he is slâ—we vnto wrathe and readie to foregiue he wil be intreated of all so that â—e biddeth all men euerie where to repâ—nt and â—ffereth faith to all men he is omnipotent and may do and leaue vndone what so euer shal be his good pleasure â—ether is it his pleasure wil tâ—at eiher Pharaâ— Semei or any other do sinne and come to destruction for he willeth the deathe of no creature but willeth all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth he hath but one will which is euer onely good reueled in his word to them that feare him and kepe his commandementes nether hath he any secret will contray to this but will performe what so euer goeth outâ— of his mouthâ— he tempteâ—th no man to sinne he is the fuâ—her of ligâ—t and cometh to destroye the workes of the careles libertynes God for be abhorreth all wickednes aÌ„d al wicked dâ—â—â—s ANSWERE In this description of your God whom you do terme the true God I do woÌ„der of three thinges First that in this your description ye dissent from your greate angel Castalio Secondely how
grounded vpon that foundation which neuer can be moued it is not perfect And that ground is this That when we vnderstand that presently we beleue in Christe Iesus because we were ordeined before the beginning of all tymes to beleue in him as in him we were elected to the societie of eternall life then is oure faith assuredly grounded and that because the giftes and vocatioÌ„ of God are without repentance and he is faith ful that hath called vs. his infinite goodnes which moued him to loue vs in an other theÌ„ in our selues that is in Christe Iesus according to his free beneuoleÌ„ce whiche he had purposed in him is to vs a towre of refuge w t satan is neuer able to ouerthrowe nor y e gates of hell shall neuer preuail against it For how so euer we be changeable yet is God in his counsel stable and immutable yea how weak how feble how dull that euer we be yet is there nothing in vs euen when we be in our owne iudgement most destitute of the Spirit of God which he did not se to be in vs before we were formed in the wombe yea and before the beginning of all tymes because all is present with him Which imperfections infirmities and dulnes as they did not stoppe his mercie to elect vs in Christe Iesus so can they not compel him now to refuse vs. And frome this fouÌ„taine doth flow this our ioye that with the Apostle we are bolde to crye who is able to seperate vs from y e loue of God which is in Christe Iesus for seing that the father who hath giuen vs for a peculiar inheritance to his onelie Sonne is so mightie that owte of his hand is none able to take vs away what danger can be so great what sinne is so greuous or what desperation so depe that is able to deuoure vs for seing it is God him self who will absolue vs from all iniquitie and seing that Christe Iesus his SoÌ„ne wil aduowe vs to appertein to his bodie what is he that dare ryse against vs to condemne vs The comfort hereof doeth none fele except the choseÌ„ childreÌ„ of God and that in the daye when mans iustice faileth and the battâ—lle of their conscience is most greuous and fearefull Therefore as faith springeth frome election so is it established by the true knowledge of that doctrine onely which this day is moste furiously oppugned by those who do not vnderstand the same And frome that same doctrine floweth the verie mater of trew humilitie For while we beholde the condition of those whom nature hath made equall to be so farre diuers the one from the other it is vnpossible but that the children of God in their own heartes vnfeinedly shal be humbled For whither so euer they shall directe their eyes they shall behold fearefull examples of blyndnes and of such iniquitie as all men iustly oght to abhorre but when they coÌ„sider them selues to haue receaued light in the midst of such dareknes and them selues to be sanctified in the midst of so wicked a generation from what fountaine can they say that this procedeth who hath illuminated their eyes while that others abyde in blyndnes who doth brydle their affections while that others do follow the same to perdition yf they say nature their own conscience shall conuict them for nature hath made vs all equall by nature are we the childreÌ„ of wrathe as wel as other Ephes. 2. If they say education reason or their own studie common experience shall diclare their vanitie For how many haue bene no rished in vertue and yet become moste filthie in life And by the coÌ„trarie how many haue loÌ„g remained without all vertuous education and yet in the end haue atteined to gods fauor And therfore we say that such as attribute any thing to them selues in the grace of their election haue not learned to giue to God the honor which to him apperteineth because they do not frely coÌ„fesse what maketh theÌ„ to differre froÌ„ others It is vniuersally receaued for a senteÌ„ce moste true that as humilitie is the mother of all vertue so it is also the roote of all godlynes But how is it possible that that man shal be humbled that can not abyde to heare the former miserie in the which he was borne neither yet the means by the which frome the same he was delyuered If a begger being promoted to greate honours by the liberalitie of a king should be remeÌ„bred of his former condition and for declaration of his gratitude he should be commanded to reuereÌ„ce the embassador or herauld that thus should say vnto him RemeÌ„ber and call to mynde how wretched poore aÌ„d miserable somtymes thow wast and praise the goodnes of the king by whose mercie and gentlenes thow liuest now in this honorable estate If this begger I say should stomake that his pouertie should be so often obiected vnto him who wold saye that either he were humble either yet thankfull to the king No more can it be said that such as can not abyde the meÌ„tion of gods eternall electioÌ„ by the which onely the elect be extolled to dignitie in Christe Iesus be either humble in gods preseÌ„ce either yet thankfull for that infinite benefite which excedeth all measure To wit that we be elected in Christe Iesus to life euerlasting and that God according to the good pleasure of his eternall counsel hath made separation betwext those who did fall into equall perdition as touching the offence and sinne committed Such as desire this article to be buried in silence and wold that men should teach and beleue that the grace of gods election is common vnto all but that one receaueth it and an other receaueth it not procedeth either from the obedience or disobedience of man such disceaue them selues and are vnthaÌ„kfull and iniurious vnto God For so long as they se not that true faith and saluatioÌ„ as in the discourse shal be more plainely declared springe from election and are the gifte of God and come not of our selues so long are they disceaued and remayn in error And what can be more iniurious vnto gods free grace then to affirme that he giueth no more to one theÌ„ to an other seing that the hole scriptures do playnely teach that we haue nothing which we haue not receaued of fre grace mere mercie aÌ„d not of our workes nor of anythiÌ„g in vs lest any maÌ„ shoulde boast himself Ephes. 2 28. And therefore let wicked men rage as they list we will not be ashamed to confesse always that onelie grace maketh difference betwext vs and the rest of the world And further we feare not to affirm that suche as fele not that coÌ„fort inwardly in their coÌ„science can neuer be thaÌ„kfull to God neither yet willing to be subiect to his eternall counsel Which is the onelie cause that these wicked men moste vnreuerently do storme rage against that doctrine which
and an other I will pray to God to open his Eies that he if gods good pleasure be may se the light that so brightly shyneth Other places for this present I omitte For of these precedents I suppose it be euident that in the eternall counsel of God there was a difference of mankynd euen before the creation which by his own voice is most plainely declared to vs in tyme. Now to that obiection which Pighius that pestilent and peruers Papist and you all after him doth make To witt that God did predestinate according to the workes and faith which he foresawe to be in man I might obiecte to the contrary that if Predestination procedeth from gods purpose and will as the Apoâ—â—le affirmeth it doth that theÌ„ the purpose and will of God being eternall can not be moued by our workes or faith which be temporall And that if the purpose of God be stable and sure that then can not our workes being vnsure be the cause thereof But to auoid prolixitie and tediousnes I will by plaine scriptures proue that of fre grace did God electe that of mere mercie doeth he call and of his onelie goodnes without all respect had to our dignitie as to be any cause first mouing him doeth he perfourme the worke of our saluatioÌ„ And for the proofe of the same let vs take Abraham and his posteritie for example Plaine it is that he and his sede were preferred to all the nations of the earth the benediction was established to spring frome them the promes of the land of Canaan was made vnto them and so were they extolled to the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods peculiar people But let vs consider what either faith or obedience God found in them which might haue moued him thus to preferre them to other naâ—ions Let vs heare Moises The Lord they God saieth he hath chosen the that thow shoul dest be a peculiare people to him aboue all the peoples which are vpon the face of the earth God hath not so vehemently loued you and chosen you because you are mo in nombre then other nations seing ye are fewar then all other people but because he hath loued you and wold kepe the othe which he made to your fathers And after it foloweth Say not in thy heart my power my streÌ„gth aÌ„d my hand haue prepared this aboundance to me and think not in thy heart it is for my iustice that the Lord hath broght me into this land Of these places it is plaine that Moises leaueth no cause neither of gods election neither yet of perfourmance of his promes in maÌ„ but establisheth it altogether vpon gods fre loue and good pleasure The same did Iosua in that his last and most vehement exhortation to his people a litle before his death in which plainely he affirmeth that Abraham and his father were idolaters before they were called by God w c place Ezechiel the Prophete most euidently declareth rebuking the vnthaÌ„kfull defection of the Iewes from God who of mercy had giueÌ„ theÌ„ life honour and dignitie they of all others being the most vnworthy For the saieth Thus saieth the Lord God to IerusaleÌ„ Thy habitatioÌ„ aÌ„d they kiÌ„red is of CanaaÌ„ thy father was an amorrhean and thy mother an Hittite and in thy natiuitie wheÌ„ thow wast born thy nauill was not cutt thow was noâ— washed wiâ—h water to soften the thow was not salted with salt neither yet was thow swadled in clowtes By the which the Prophete signifieth that all was imperfect all was filthie all was corrupt and stinking as touching their nature he procedeth none â—ie pitied the to do any of these vnto the for to haue compassioÌ„ vpon the but thou wast cast oute in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thow wast borne And when I passed by the I saw the polluted in thine own blood aÌ„d I said vnto y e wheÌ„ thou wast in thy blood y t is in thy filthie sinnes y u shalt liue And this he repeteth to the eÌ„d y t he may beat it more deply in their myndes I saieth the Lord said vnto the beiÌ„g in thy bloode thou shalt liue and so he procedeth declaring how that God did multiply them did giue vnto them beautie streÌ„gth honour and dignitie These thre places do plainely witnes what perfection God did find in this people whom thus he did preferre to all others And what obedience did they render vnto him after the vocation of Abraham the hole Histories do witnes for perfection and obedience was not found in Abraham him self yea neither in Moises nor in Aaron but contrarie wise the inobedience of all we find noted to the same end y t Moises hath before spokeÌ„ to witt that none shall boast that either iustice proceding or folowing was the cause why God did choose and elect that people For how shall God choose for that which the holie Gost plainely denieth to be in any man discending of the corrupt sede of Adam For Isaiah plainely doeth affirme that all our iustice is as a clothe most polluted and spotted If our iustice be polluted as the Prophete affirmeth it to be and God did predestinate vs for our iustice what foloweth but that God did predestinate vs for that which was filthy and imperfecte But God forbid y t such cogitations shoulde take place in our heartes God did choose vs in his eternall purpose for his owne glorie to be manifested in vs aÌ„d that he did in Christ Iesus in whoÌ„ onely is oure full perfection as before we haue said But let vs yet heare som testimonies of the new testament sainct Paul to his disciple Timothie saieth Be not ashamed of the testimonie of our Lord neither be thow ashamed of me who am his prisoner but be thow partaker of the afflictions of the EuaÌ„gile according to the power of God who hath made vs safe and hath called vs with an holie vocation not according to our workes but according to his purpose and fre grace which was giuen to vs by Christe Iesus before all tymes but now is made patent by the appering of our Sauiour Iesus Christe Here plaine it is that neither are we called neither yet saued by workes much les can we be predestinate for them or in respect of them Trew it is that God hath prepared good workes thaâ— we should walk in them but like trew it is that first must the tree be good before it bring furth good fruite and good can neuer the tree be except that the hand of the gardiner haue planted it To vse herein the plaine wordes of saint Paule he witnesseth that we are elected in Christ to the end that we should be holie aÌ„d without blemishe Now seing that good workes spring furth of election how can any man be so foolish as to affirme that they are the cause of the same Can the streame of water flowing from the fountaine be the cause of the
e same aÌ„d vpoÌ„ y e other yo r ignoraÌ„ce orels malice in corruptiÌ„g y e scriptures THE ADERARIE To proue this similitude good and to shew how much his loue towardes his children excedeth the loue of all creatures towardes their birtâ—es he saieth Can a woman forget the childe of her wombe aÌ„d not pitie the same whom she hath borne And thogh she do forget it yet I will not forget the. Here he speaketh not onely to the elect as some say but also to them which did for sake and dispyse him as there Alas for these disobedient children saieth the Lord that they will take counsell without me Here he calleth the wicked which heape sinne vpon sinne â–ª and were disobedient his chiidren Christ saieth If ye when ye are euill caÌ„ giue your children good giftes how mmch more your heauenlie father After the same manner may I reason with you carelesse by necessitie if none of you thogh y e be euill wold beget a child to miserie how much les wold God which is all good beget and creat man his own image to perpetual paynes Here we may se how much this noghtie opinion is coÌ„trarie to nature and to reason and that it is coÌ„trarie to the worde God willing I will proue If God hath ordeyned the most part of the world to be damned then were his wrath greater theÌ„ his mercie But the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his workes and that God is slow vnto wrath and redie vnto mercie so that his wrath is extended onely to the third and fourth generation but his mercie to the thousand generatioÌ„ wherefor thus saieth he A litle whil I haue forsaken thee but with greate mercifulnes shall I take thee vp vnto me Whâ—n I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle ceason but throughe euerlasting mercie haue I pardoned thee And Dauid saieth his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is in life heuines may well endure for a night But ioy cometh in the morning And so Moises called him a mercifull and gracious God long suffring and keping mercie in store for thousandes By these scriptures and many mo it is euident that gods mercie is greater then his wrath contrarie to their sainges ANSWER How blasphemous be your similitudes your selue may consider if malice haue not vtterly blinded you for I haue all redie proued that God is not bound to the lawes and boundes of nature and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye alledge fewe wordes shall declare Ye deny that God doeth speake here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophete but to all meÌ„ in generall and euen to those that had forsaken him as ye wold seme to proue by the wordes of the same Prophete spoken â—efore in his thirtie chapiter First I say that those two places do no more agree then do those wordes of Christ spoken after his resurrection Go to my brethren and tell them I passe vp to my father and vnto your father and vnto my God and vnto your God and those which he spake before his death against Capernaum Bethsaida and Corosaim or vnto Ierusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction becaus they did not know the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ For in the former place God speaketh to Syon which long had bene waist and to his people which long had bene oppressed And to the end that the reader may better vnderstand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steall the wordes which explain the hole mater I will bring furth the wordes of the Prophete Reioise saieth he â— heauens and reioce thow earth â— you mountanes brest you furth in gladnes for the eternall hath conforted his people and shall haue mercie vpon his poore ones Syon hath said the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me May a woman forgett her child that she shall not haue compassion vpon the sonne of hir bosome but let it be that they forget neuertheles I shall not forget the for lo in these my two handes haue I engrafted the and thy walles are for euer before me If these coÌ„fortable wordes were spoken in generall to all men as ye affirme let indifferent men iudge If all men were Sion that long had lyen desolate if all were his people that loÌ„g had bene oppressed in the captiuitie of Babylon If all did so complaine that they thoght God to haue forgotten his league and promes which of mercie he made with them And finally if all haue this promise that their deliueraÌ„ce is ioined with gods infinite power theÌ„ is your application to be approued but if God did make a plaine difference betwext Israel and all nations in the earth if he had chosen his habitation in Syon and if he will kepe promes with the afflicted for his own names sake be they neuer so vnworthie then are ye to bolde to giue the honor and prerogatiue of the children and heires to straÌ„gers aÌ„d bastardes The wordes which ye alledge of the thirtie chapter make nothiÌ„g for your purpose for albeit he speaketh to those that were inobedieÌ„t yea that were treasonable traitours yet had they the name the title yea the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods people and among them were som of gods chosen children for whose comfort after long affliction susteined in Babylon were those other wordes spoken And so except that ye be able to proue that the people of Israel and the citie of Ierusalem had no greater prerogatiue euen in the time of their greatest blindnes and vnthankfulnes before the comming of Christ Iesus in the fleshe then had other nations ye conclude nothing But yet wonder it is that ye can make no difference betwext the tymes in which the one wordes and the other were spoken The wo was pronouÌ„ced you say alas which the text hath not against them what tyme they had declined from God when they toke counsel of them selues when they could not abide the admonitions of the Prophetes but the comfortable promes of delyueraÌ„ce was made after that vengeance was powred furth vpon the proude contemners and after that the hole bodie was sore tormeÌ„ted by great oppression and long impresonement Do ye not thinke that their might be great alteratioÌ„ in that people within the space of an hundreth yeres for so long was it betwext the daies of the Prophete and the daies of their last captiuitie vnder Nabucadnezer after which tyme also did this former promes of gods remembrance of theÌ„ onely take place Might not the one â—e spoken of those which should be punished yea let it be that they were the reprobate and the other to the people of God to whom by his own holines he had promised deliuerance Do ye thinke that because the same Prophet speaketh bothâ— the sentences that therefor they do appertein to one estate aÌ„d condition of people I haue proued the contrary by Christes plain wordes
that deny that to be any parte of his mynd but say he reproueth mannes malicious blasphemy and manifest impietie The argument which ye gather of the nynthe chapter of the same book and wold seme to confirm by the wordes of Christe spoken in the seuenth of Mathew hath no greater force then the former for the writer defineth not what God had determined in his secrete and eternall counsell but what he hath expressedly coÌ„mitted to mannes charge by his law and by his holie Spirit speaking in his Prophetes and that him self doeth plainly witnesse For after that he hath asked wisdom righteously to iudge the people committed to his charge he thus speaketh what man is he that knoweth the counsell of God or that can comprehend in his mynd what God wold The cogitations of mortall men are fearefull and our opinions deceauable c. scarsly by coÌ„iecture can we attein to the thiÌ„gs that be in earth and w t trauale fynd we those things w t be amoÌ„gest our haÌ„des But who shal searche oute those thiÌ„gs y t be in the heaueÌ„s and who knoweth they couÌ„sell except that thow shall giue wisdom and from the hiest places shall send thy holie Spirit for so the wayes of those that dwell vpon earth haue bene directed and they haue learned those things that haue pleased the. Cry now as pleaseth you that because man was made lord ouer creatures in earth for that is the veritie of the text to reule the world in holynes That therefor there was no man reprobated and he writer will answer for him self and will affirme that he searcheth not what God hath determined in his eternall counsell and what shall become of euerie man for that confesseth he to be incomprehensible but he declareth what God commandeth in his law and what he hath expressed by his holie Prophetes To the which if man be found inobedient resteth no excusation seing that gods will is manifestly declared as Moises saieth in these wordes The secretes appertein to the Eternall our God but those things that be reueled appertein to vs and to our children for euer that we may do all the wordes of this law Your argumentes which ye think most strong gathered of these wordes in the 7. aÌ„d 12. of Mathew are most weak and vaine For as we do not denie that man was created iust so do we coÌ„stantly affirme that in iustice he stood not but became altogether vniust and therefor God did not condemne man before he was giltie as you falsly gather of our doctrine Wonder it is that ye se not degrees and iust causes which com betwext the purpose of reprobation and the iust condemnation of man This is your argument God purposed to reiect man before he was created Ergò he did damne him before he was criminall or glitie Your consequent is fals far no part of gods iudgements was put in execution before man did sinne for grace was offered to AdaÌ„ after his fall Cayn was admonished aÌ„d rebuked of his crueltie his posterities aÌ„d sede had raged in their furie and finally all flesh had corrupted their waies befor that gods vengeance and most iust iudgement were poured furth and put in execution against the rebellious and vnthankfull world If you be able to proue that the sentence of death was executed vpon Adam before he offended or that Cayn was accursed by gods mouth before he had murthered then hath your argumeÌ„t som apperance but if the iust causes of condemnation be found in man and so founde in man that God in vowies can thereof be accused then oght you to be ashamed to burden vs with that which ye your selues most folishly collecte And further ye shall vnderstand that as the Apostle putteth certen degrees and causes which are sensible vnto vs betwext the eternall election of gods childreÌ„ aÌ„d their glorification euen so put we the contrarie degrees and causes betwext the reprobation and the iust condemnation of the wicked for as those whom God hath chosen before all tymes in time he calleth aÌ„d that of purpose to Christe Iesus his soÌ„ne aÌ„d whoÌ„ thus he calleth he iustifieth and that more and more vntill that flesh and the corrupt affectioÌ„s thereof being mortified they attein to their glorie So by the contrarie be the reprobate either left all together in blindnes neuer called to the light and knowledge of gods fre mercie or if they be called they either do condeÌ„ne it orels sodanly fall from the same and so abiding in their corruption do still heap sinne vpon sinne till at the last their measure being full God executeth this most iust iudgements against their continuall rebellion Inferre now as many absurdities as please you vpon our doctrine you procede THE ADVERSARIE You say that God reprobated and ordeined man to damnation the most parte of the world afore the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid and yet in the creation God made all meÌ„ after his own image good and righteous as the scripture witnesseth for as we were all created in one man that is Adam So were we all created in one estate that is after the image of God to lief then if your opinion be true the ordinaÌ„ce of God in his election afore the world is not coÌ„forme to his ordinance in the creation And the hâ—lie Gost saieth If I buyld vp agane that which I haue cast doune before I declare my self to be a transgressor if God created man to his own image vnto lief whom before the creatioÌ„ he had reprobat aÌ„d cast away declareth he not thereby him self to be inconstant and a traÌ„sgressour Ye can not escaip here with your bare solutioÌ„ where ye say afore the world God hath not ordeined all but som vnto damnation for in our creation all were ordeined vnto lief for so much as we were all created after the image of God of the ordinance of God in our electioÌ„ afore the world The Apostle writeth thus we be blessed saieth he with al maner of spirituall blessinges in heauenlie thinges by Christe according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid that we should walk in theÌ„ Here do we learn that gods ordinance in his electioÌ„ afore the world and also his ordinance in the creation is alwaies one For as we are chosen in Christe Iesu so we are created in Christe Iesu and as we are chosen to be holie and without blame so are we created vnto good workes Wherefor gods ordinaÌ„ce in his holie electioÌ„ and his mightie creatioÌ„ is one aÌ„d of like streÌ„gth and surenes further seing we be as the Apostle saieth bothe elect and created in Christe Iesu. and forasmuche as there is no damnation to them that are in Christe Iesu then is there no damnation either in the election or creation ANSWERE Because that aswell your forged lies as the vanitie of your reasons haue ben declared I will not trooble the reader with repetition of the
The first argument of them which abuse gods holie predestination is easely soluted their argument is this where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same sorte But God elected som men afore the foundations of the world Ergo he reprobated som other men afore the world The first part of this argument is false That wher so euer there is election there is also reprobatioÌ„ of the same sorte for gods election afore the world hath no respect vnto his coÌ„trarie reprobation afore the world Yea there is no such word nor phrase in the hole scripture but gods election afore the world is generall to all men as his calling is generall without respect of persons This is all redie sufficiently proued yet som of you do grant gods calling to be generall but not his election And in this ye accuse God of hypocrisie you wold make him a dissembler lyke vnto your selues which often times with your mouth do offer and promes that which ye mind neuer to perfourme But God is faithfull which is willing to perfourme all that he promiseth euen to them that refuseth him And thogh they attein not the promes because of their vnbeleue yet all the tyme of their calling be they in the generall election as those whom the king called to the mariage Notwitstanding they came not yet were they chosen to be partakers of the mariage and the seruant to whom the master forgaue all his debtes was chosen notwithstanding he atteined not that wherunto he was chosen but became a reprobate abusing the goodnes of his master God is no hypocrite which calleth men owtwardly and forgeueth debtes onely with the mowth but eueÌ„ from the hearte willing to giue salâ—ation to all them to whom he offereth it And the cause why such do perish is their obstinatnes to gods grace and as the Lord saieth their stifneck which hath an yron vaine and their browes of brasse which dispyse the goodnes of God they became cast awayes Becaus as saint Iohn saieth they loue darknes better then light And as Esdras saieth thei kept not that which was soweÌ„ in them whereof we may gather that they becom reprobates because they rather refuse the grace offered and grafted in them then that they are refâ—sed NotwithstaÌ„ding both may be conueniently spoken for because they haue forsaken me I will also forsake them saieth the Lord. And agane saieth the holie Gost. Cometh not this vnto the because thow hast forsaken the Lord thy God further that this is vntrew where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same kynd it may be easelie proued by the inconuenieÌ„ce which cometh therof Christ is the elect and chosen of God As then Behold this may seruant vpon whoÌ„ I lean my elect in whom my soule is pacified And in an other place Thow art my witnes saieth the lord and my seruant whom I haue chosen and wile you say therefor that there be mo Christes which be reprobate for ether this saying where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same kynd is false orels there must be mo Christes That were much lyke to the saing of a Iew which when he had talked with a faithfull man verie much concerning the temporall and worldlie dominion and honour of Messias the christian proued by the prophecie of Daniel aÌ„d also by the prophecie of Isaiah that Messias should be euill entreated euen of the Iewes and put to death as an offender Here the Iew being driuen to a narrow shift rather then he wold applie and confesse the trueth he rather confessed that there should com two Messias of whom the one should be dispysed and the other magnified And if ye be so mynded that rather then ye will departe from your error ye had leuer confesse mo Christes of which som be chosen and the others reprobate Surelie then I think it is no faithful mans duetie to reason with you ANSWERE Easie it is in dede to solute those argumeÌ„tes w c in our names ye falsly forge either by adding such patches as in our writings caÌ„ neuer be fouÌ„d orels by so peruerting our mindes yea and the minde of the holie Gost that if possible it were ye wold obscure the brightnes of the son aÌ„d take frome creatures the benefitt of the same to the end that in your darknes ye might still remaine And therefor â— can not but complain of your deuilish malice which causeth you to peruerte aÌ„d writhe wordes well spokeÌ„ and reasons godly and substancially made Shew if ye can in any of our writings that we affirm that where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same sorte Shew that clause I say of the same sorte and I will confesse that ye haue red more then I haue done of that mater which neuertheles I hardly can beleue But to the end that the simple reader may vnderstaÌ„d how we do reason of election and reprobation by the contrarie effectes I will adduce not our reasons lately inuented but twentie yeres ago committed vnto writing by that notable instrument of God Iohn Caluin who thus speaketh wonder it is saieth he that Chrisostom did not call to mynd that it is the election of God w c maketh difference betwext men We feare not to grante that which S. Paule in greate coÌ„stancie doeth affirm To witt that all together are wicked and giuen to malice but with him we adde That by the mercie of God it cometh to passe thaâ— we abyde not in wickednes Therefor seiÌ„g that naturally we all labor w t a like sicknes These onely receiue health and amend to whom it hath pleased the Lord to put to his curing hand others whom by his iust iudgement he passeth by do languishe in their corruptioÌ„ till they be consumed Neither yet from any where els doeth it com that som continue to the end and others fall in to the curse which was begonne for because that persuerance it self is the gift of God which is not commonly giuen to al but he frely giueth it to whom it pleaseth him If the cause of the difference be soght why som constantly continue and why others fall away by instabilitie none other cause may be assigned but that the eternall God susteineth and streÌ„gthneth the one sort by his own power that they perishe not and vnto the others he giueth not the strength that they may be documeÌ„tes and witnes of maÌ„s incoÌ„staÌ„cie c. Thus vse we to reason by y e diuersitie w c we sein meÌ„ y t one sort are elect and others are reprobate and not as ye ymagin vs to do We say that nature hath made vs equall as concerning corruption and yet we se great diuersitie amoÌ„gest men We ask what is y e cause of this If ye answere education w c som Philosophers do that will be prouen fals as before I haue declared if ye say mans fre will
we procede demanding who giueth the good will if ye alledge man him self the scripture proueth you liers saing it is God that worketh the will and the perfourmance if God be granted as he can not be denied to be the onely author of all goodnes then ask we why giueth he the good will to the one and not to the other If ye answer becaus the one receaueth grace and the other doeth refuse it ye haue said nothing to the purpose for we still demaÌ„d if God may not if so it pleased his eternall wisdom frame and forme the will of the one to as great obedience as the will of the other fret and fume as ye list this ye caÌ„ not denie except that ye will be blasphemous deniers of his omnipotent power Now of this manifest diuersitie which we se in mankinde we conclude that God hath aswell his elect whom of mercie he calleth by faith iustifieth and by his holie Spirit sanctifieth and in knowledge of him self and of his Sonne Iesus preserueth to the end and so in the end shall he glorifie them as also that he hath his reprobate whom for iust causes he leaueth to them selues to laÌ„gwish in their corruption to passe from iniquitie to iniquitie till that they com to perdition as they that are prepared vessels of wraith If this ye be not able to conuince I send you to fight with your own shadow for our reasons do stand as I haue shortly rehearsed which you be neuer able to moue Trew it is that Iohn Caluin thus writeth Inter electos reprobos mutua est relatio That is betwext the elect and the reprobrate saieth he there is a mutuall relation that is the one hath a contrarie respect to the other so that the election of the which the Apostle speaketh caÌ„ not staÌ„d except we should grante that God hath set apart one sort of men whom it pleased him from an other sorte You heare no meÌ„tion in these wordes of your patch Ther is reprobation of the same sorte which I know either ye orels your Master Castalio forged Becaus ye wold not forgett your merie tale of your Iew ye boldly denie that gods election hath respect to his contrarie reprobation But when ye should come to the plaine demoÌ„stration thereof ye are compelled to flie to this shift There is no such word or phrase in the scripture if such a reason should be made before a reasonable man I think it iustly might be reiected for if this be a good reason Election hath no respect to his contrarie reprobation because the wordes nor phrase are not in the scripture then is this reason good also Lot sinned not committing incest with his daughters for in the hole scriptures there is neither such worde nor phrase that in plaine wordes affirmeth that Lot sinned commiting incest with his daughters Consider the vanitie of your reasons and be ashamed Ye can not denie but this word Election is redde in the scriptures And so oft I say can ye not denie except that willingly ye will corrupt the mind of the holie Gost but that it hath respect to his contrarie reprobation as by the phrases which ye impudently denie to be in the scripâ—ures is most euident As when Paul saieth hath God then reiected or refused his people God forbyd God hath not refused his people whom he knew before And so alledgeing the like to haue bene in the daies of Helias he saieth euen so in this tyme there were a residue or a few nomber left according to the electioÌ„ of grace that is according to the fre election and not accordiÌ„g vnto workes And after he saieth that which Israel seketh it hath not atteined vnto but the election hath atteined vnto it but the rest were blinded whether that this phrase doeth not plainely proue that election in this place hath respect to his contrary reprobation let the indifferent reader iudge The election saieth saint Paule hath atteined vnderstanding the illumination which God did promise but the rest were bliÌ„ded If ye will not suffer that this blinded rest whom God iustly had reiected shall be called reprobat studie ye for a more geÌ„tle worde for we must vse such as the holie Gost hath taught vs. But yet one phrase or two mo I shall haue mercie saieth God to Moses vpon whom I will haue mercie And Paul feareth not to adde his contrarie saing and whom he will he maketh hard hearted And agane what if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen hath suffered with long patience the vessels of wrath made redie to damnation and that he might declare the riches of his glorie on the vessels of mercie which he had prepared vnto glorie If mercy lief the vessels of mercie and glorie haue contrarie respect to seueritie to destruction to the vessels of wraith and of dishonor then can it not be denied but that election from the which all these former graces flow to the elect hath contrarie respect to reprobation I omitte the rest of the phrases which be common in scripture and make plaine difference betwext the elect and reprobat because before I haue noted diuerse and after must be compelled to repete the same How sufficieÌ„tly ye haue proued your generall speciall and most speciall election let the readers iudge by that which is answered to your eight vnreasonable reason aÌ„d to your 13. vanitie That impudent blasphemie which maliciously ye lay to our charge shall God without spedie repentance sodenly reuenge vpon your own heades blasphemous mouth I write to thee whose corrupt maners frâ—indly aÌ„d secretly I haue rebuked but whose malice I now know Canst thow not be vnthankfull vnto man except that also thow powre furth thy vennom against gods Maiestie Impudent lier which of vs hath promised vnto the or vnto any of thy pestilent sect that which he hath not perfourmed Examin thy conscience and denie if thow canst but more hath bene perfourmed vnto the then euer was promised yea euen when thow diddest deserue to haue bene abhorred of all honest men and yet without fear or shame doest thow accuse vs that we should accuse God of hypocrisie and that we wold make him a dissembler like vnto our selues The Lord for his great Names saik either purge thy heart or sodenlie represse that vennome in the and in that pestileÌ„â— sect to his own glorie and to the coÌ„fort of his Church Repent repent I say orels shortly shal thow fele what it is to contristate and make â—orowfull the Spirit of God be the instruments in whom he worketh neuer so weak If of euerie Parable aÌ„d similitude ye will coÌ„clude as largely as ye do here to wit y t because in a Parable it is said that a kinge called many to the mariage Ergò God elected all by his generall election Then it shall folow that all lords and masters shall alow and praise their stewardes and seruants that deceaue
this to do with the eternall election of God by the which he hath elected som to lief euerlastiÌ„g whom our Apostle calleth vessels of mercie and hath left others in their own corruption and perpetuall condemnation And so I say because that Ieremie intreateth one thing that is a temporall punishment and the mutatioÌ„ which shortly should folowe in Ierusalem aâ—d the Apostle intreath an other as before is said the one can be no exposition to the other but rather the Apostle hath respect or at least alludeth to the saing of Isaiah which thus speaketh Wo to be to him that striueth with his maker the vessel of clay with the Potter of clay Shall the clay say to his potter what makest thow In which wordes as before we haue more largely spoken the Prophete and the Apostle folowing his phrase represseth the pryde of man who compared to God is much more inferior to his maiestie theÌ„ clay compared to the Potter For God hath created and made man when he was not which thing the Potter did not to the clay of which he maketh the diuersitie of pottes and therefor of right hath God more power ouer man then hath the potter ouer clay This I doubt not to be the mynd of the holie Gost in bothe the places In which similitude is further to be considered that as the Potter doeth no iniurie to the clay what forme soeuer he giueth it for the matter and substance of it he doeth not change so doeth not God wrong to the verey reprobate whom he prepareth to be vessels of wrath for that are they of nature Where that ye say that it is not the meaning of this place that God without all iust causes doeth make anie man to destruction none of vs doeth hold the contrarie for we affirme that the causes of reprobation are most iust but yet we say that they are incomprehensible to man That ye giue to God no greater power nor none other will then to your good artificer consider with your self how vndiscretely ye matche his eternal God heade whose power is infinite and whose determined will no creature can resist with creatures that be but impotent vnwise aâ—d ofteÌ„ dissapointed of their purpose and will Trew it is that no artificer willingly wold lose his clay aÌ„d labore but is compelled to break those that be faultie But this procedeth partly frome his ignoraÌ„ce who did not before know and se the fault which was in the mater and partly of his impotencie who can not at his will otherwies remedie the faultie vessell but onely by breaking the same But dare ye or will ye impute vpon God those imperfections so ve seme to do for this ye write So God created no man to lose him but onely loseth them that wold not be good whom he created to be good as the lord saieth I planted the a noble vyne The cheif end of mannes creation we haue before declared to be the glorie of God which if you can not se shâ—ne in the iust condemnation of the reprobate accuse your bliÌ„dnes That God created the reprobate to the day of destruction Salomon affirmeth as often before is said But that he was created to be good that will not the wordes of the Prophete w c ye adduce proue for in y t place there is no meâ—tioâ— made of creatioâ— but of plaÌ„tatioÌ„ w c is a thâ—g far differeÌ„t frome creatioÌ„ The substance w c was before is plaÌ„ted y t by manuring aÌ„d trauale of the plaÌ„ter it may be better but creatioÌ„ importeth the being of the substaÌ„ce w c before was not And so the Prophete in this place w c ye alledge to proue that God created all men to be good meaneth no such thiÌ„g but onely rebuketh the Israelites who loÌ„g after their creatioÌ„ were plaâ—ted by the haÌ„d of God aâ—d were coÌ„tinualy watered by his Prophetes aÌ„d yet did they briâ—g furth no better frute How that God wold all meÌ„ were good aÌ„d also that al me should be saued we shal God williÌ„g after speak How that God remaining good for euer ma his creature fel frome his original goodnes I haue before spokeÌ„ aâ—d therefor will not now trooble the reader w t the repetitioâ— of the same In the differece w c ye make betwext the vessels w c y e potter makâ—th some to serue y e table and some y e kitchiâ—g or priuie of w c he breaketh none but such as be faultie ye vtterly dissagre froÌ„ the miÌ„d aÌ„d plaine wordes of the holie Gost. for S. Paul calleth not the vesselles of honor priÌ„ces or prophetes and Apostles and the vessels of dishonour the laborers aÌ„d inferior sort of meÌ„ but the one he calleth y e vessels of mercie aÌ„d the other he calleth y e vessels of wrath The one he feareth not to affirme to be prepared aÌ„d ordeined to destructioÌ„ y t the seuere iudgemeÌ„t of God agaiÌ„st sinne may appere in theÌ„ the other to be prepared to glorie y t the riches of his mercie may be praised for euer This plaine simplicitie will not the Apostle recaÌ„t neither yet thereof God assisting vs wil we be ashamed how so euer ye raige aÌ„d blaspheme the veritie And this I say that your differeÌ„ce betwext honest aÌ„d vnhonest vessels aÌ„d betwext those that shal be brokeÌ„ aÌ„d not be broken is altogether besides the purpose of the Apostle And so of Conyas son of loaciÌ„ ye caÌ„ proue no more but y t God wold depriue hiÌ„ frome his kingdome aÌ„d frome y t seat of Dauid in w c vnworthelie he did reigne If he was the reprobate theÌ„ althogh he was kiÌ„g yet was he the vessell of dishonor for these wordes althogh he were y e signet in my right haÌ„d are not spokeÌ„ to declare y t in verey dede he was the signet in the haÌ„d of God but are spokeÌ„ agaiÌ„st the foolish presuÌ„ptioÌ„ of hiâ— aâ—d of the Iewes w c liuig most wickedly did yet neuertheles brag aÌ„d boast that God could not leaue the seat of Dauid voide but y t one of his sede must for euer sit on it And this is euideÌ„t if the text be wel marked for where he saieth althogh he were the signet he sufficietly declareth y t so he was not aÌ„d so I say y t those wordes proue nothiÌ„g of yo r purpose for first must ye proue y t because he was a king therefor he was a vessell of honor in such seÌ„se as S. Paul speaketh And secoÌ„darely ye must proue y t he was elected to the lief euerlasting because it is said that albeit he were a signet in y e right haÌ„d of God yet should he be plucked of wâ—e by plaine scriptures to do will be more then hard for you how so euer that ye brag that ye will proue all your purpose by scriptures Where ye seÌ„d vs to ask of y e potter of y e husbaÌ„d maÌ„ aÌ„d of y e Magistrate if any of theÌ„ wold williÌ„gly break
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
those that did trouble her By which and many mo promises and threatninges God doeth not meane that any thing was done in Ierusalem which he had not appointed But by the one he did somwhat comfort the troubled heartes of his afflicted people and by the other he did shew the cause why he wold punish those cruell murtherers whose seruice before he did vse in punishing his people And this doeth God most plainely witnes in these wordes I was wrath saith y e Lord with my people I haue polluted myn inheritance and giuen them into thy hand he speaketh vnto Babylon thou didest shewe theÌ„ no mercie but didest lay thy very heauie yoke vpon the ancieÌ„t and thou saidest I shal be a Ladie for euer so y t thou didest not set thy mynd to these thinges neither didest thou remeÌ„bre the latter end thereof Therfor now heare thou that art giueÌ„ to pleasures and dwellest careles She saith in her heart â–ª I am aÌ„d none els I shall not sitt as a widdow neither shall know the losse of children Here of I say it is plaine y t the punishmeÌ„t of gods people as before I haue proued is his owne appointement and will But because the punishers loke to another end therfor are they criminall before gods iustice In adducing both these exaÌ„ples that is of Israel punishing Iuda and of the Babylonians destroying IerusaleÌ„ I finde you in another most grosse error besides this w c I haue confuted For you seme to affirme that if y â— Israelites and BabyloniaÌ„s had kept a measure aÌ„d had not exceded the boundes w c God had appointed and coÌ„manded they had not sinned For say you he willed the one but permitted the other TheÌ„ in so farre as they did his will they sinned not but in so far as they exceded his wil and did more w c he wold not but onely did suffre it they sinned This is your profound diuinitie aÌ„d godlie meditatioÌ„s of God of his iustice iudgemeÌ„tes aÌ„d workes incomprehensible to maÌ„s reason Are you able to proue that Nabuchadnezer came to IerusaleÌ„ or that therin he spilt or his captaines and cruell souldioures one droppe of blood which God in his eternall couÌ„sell had not appointed and willed The testimonies of all Prophetes rebuke your vanitie Ezechiel saith Thus saith the Lorde Beholde I come against thee and will draw my swerd oute of his sheath and cut of frome thee both the righteous and the wicked Seing then y t I will cut of frome y â— bothe y e righteous and wicked therfor shall my swerd go oute of his sheath against all fleshe from the South meaning throw all the laÌ„d to y e north that al slesh may know that I the Lorde haue draweÌ„ my swerd oute of his sheath and it shall not return any more Mark and consider how God attributeth all to him self as after yet the Prophet more plainely speaketh sayiÌ„g And he hath giuen it to be fourbished that he may handle it this swerde is sharp aÌ„d is fourbished y t he may giue it into y e haÌ„d of the slayer c. And I wil powre oute myne indignatioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the in the fyre of my wrath and deliuer y e into the hand of beastly meÌ„ and skilful to destroy Thou shalt be in y e fyre to be deuoured thy blood shal be in y e middes of the laÌ„d aÌ„d thou shalt be no more remeÌ„bred for I the Lorde haue spokeÌ„ it If these be the wordes of him y t onely suffereth and willeth not thinges to be done let y e indifferent reader iudge Why they did sinne notwithstaÌ„ding y t God in his couÌ„sell had willed and appointed this seuere punishment against his people I haue before declared To witte because y t neither knew they gods will couÌ„sell nor coÌ„mandement neither yet had they any respect to obey God or to fulfill his will That Nabuchadnezar was ignoraÌ„t of gods will aÌ„d couÌ„sell is euideÌ„t by y t w c is writteÌ„ in y e same Prophet in y e place aboue expressed For after he was come forth of his couÌ„trie aÌ„d was w t his armye farre proceded in his iourney he was vncerten whether he should go against Rabbath y â— stroÌ„g Citie of y e sonnes of Ammon or against IerusaleÌ„ and so coÌ„mitting the mater to his sorcerers aÌ„d diuines y e lottes being cast he taketh his iourneye agaiÌ„st Iuda aÌ„d IerusaleÌ„ Wherof it is plaine y t he neither knew nor vnderstode by y e motioÌ„ of gods holy spirite his holy wil neither yet coÌ„mandemeÌ„t And in destroieng the Citie and punishing the people who will say y t he or his seruaÌ„tes hated sinne Pride Crueltie Idololatrie and abommations w t y e w c he and his hole realmes were replenished And y e same do I say of y e Israelites who did not onely sinne because they exceded measure in punishing Iuda but because y t against gods law expresse coÌ„mandement they made vniust warre against their brethern They nether loked neither yet oght they to haue loked to gods secrete couÌ„sell but to his plaine law w c coÌ„manded theÌ„ to loue their brethern not to murther not to spoile not to couet c. Against the w c because they did offend eueÌ„ in y e first motioÌ„ purpose of their warrâ— in gods presence they were murtherers theues oppressours couetous persons before y t euer they set their foote forth of their houses And so euen y t w c he in his eternall counsel willed theÌ„ to do did no les displease hiÌ„ as touchiÌ„g their wicked mindes theÌ„ did y t w c you affirme he suffered For euery transgression of his law is before his iustice odious and sinfull If this can not correct your iudgement yet I am assured y t it shall declare your vanitie who dare coÌ„clude y t if the Israelites BabyloniaÌ„s had kept measure in punishiÌ„g Iudah y t theÌ„ they had not sinned But the contrarie I affirmâ— and say y t the first thoght and purpose mouiÌ„g theÌ„ to make warre was sinne before God Touching y e permission of the father towardes his prodigal sonne touchiÌ„g y e â— sonne w c promised to go aÌ„d to labor in his fathers vineyarde weÌ„t not I haue before answered y t similitudes oght not further to be stretched theÌ„ y e minde of the holie Gost is to teach in the same And in these places it is euideÌ„t y t Christe teacheth not how God is coÌ„pelled to suffer many thinges w c he wil not nether yet was it his miÌ„de in those similitudes to teach vs what differeÌ„ce there is betwene gods wil his permissioÌ„ but in y â— one he teacheth y t in God there is mercie towardes the sinner yea towardes such a sinner as vnthaÌ„ckfully and inobedieÌ„tly hath departed from God and y t there be some proude childreÌ„ who by reasoÌ„ of their coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce in their fathers house become disdanâ—ful y t others shoulde de be