and dayly lament calling for the grace of their heauenly father which lamentations sighings and sorowyngs for theyr sinnes bée the sensible féelings and lyuely sygnes and tokens of Gods infallible and sure Election Wherefore whosoeuer shal féele these secret sighes and mournings thereby hating sinne desiring therfrō to be deliuered considering theyr owne weaknes and wishing alwaies to be of more perfection let them with all thankes géeuing vnto God reioyce knowing that this procedeth not from flesh nor bloud but frō the spirite of our head Iesus Christ who maketh intercession for his afflicted members who are hys Saincts with vnspeakeable gronings Whom though for a time he doo permit to be afflicted both in spirite and bodie as sometimes he did Iob Ionas Ieremie and other yet at the ende hée giueth vnto them most triumphant victorie according to the euerlasting purpose of his diuine prouidence who is to be feared reuerenced renowmed and praysed for euer So be it Heretofore haue we answered generally to them that woulde make God the autour of euill and to them which do say that thys doctriue taketh away exhortations and threatnings and the preaching of the worde Now by the grace of God we will more briefly answere to some arguments whiche they bryng foorth of the scriptures settyng aparte all such cauyllations as mans reason whiche in Gods mysteries can neuer be satisfied by the craft of the deuil doth excogitate inuent But fyrst we will speake something of good workes the true vnderstanding of those scriptures which commende thē vnto vs least we should seeme to dissuade mē from the same or extenuate the meaning of the holy ghost in such sentences as our aduersaries do wickedly peruert for the maintenāce of mans power against this doctrine of grace frée Electiō which dare affirme that by works they purchase part of their saluation the whiche as we haue said is fréely gyuen by this Election in Christe Iesu before the foundation of the worlde was layde The good works which are so in déed that is to say which procéede of the spirite of adoption the feeling of Gods mercies in electing calling iustifying first of al haue this vse the they declare the power of God to be in vs and the spirite of Christ which doth conforme vs to his Image and this is the ende whereunto we are Elected and predestinate to be conformed to the image of hys sonne Rom. 8. Elected before the foundation of the worlde to be holy and blamelesse Ephe. 〈◊〉 created vnto good workes which God hath prepared for vs too walke therein Epes 2. These haue the reward as Paule saith not only of this life but of the world to come Therfore sayth our sauiour Christe Math. 25. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the worlde I was hungry and yée gaue me meate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. Of thys excellent commendation and rewarde of good workes we do learne the dignitie of the same not of the worthinesse of thēselues which are neuer able to stand in Gods iugdementes for our very righteousnesses are as Esay sayth as clothes filthily pulluted but of the dignitie of the grace of the promise of God who worketh them in vs For it is God saith Paul that worketh in vs both the will and also the worke euen of his purpose Phil. 2. Therfore all is of grace not of works least any should glory Ephes 2. For if there were any power in our selues or dignity in the works then had we some thing to glory but now that all is confessed to be of Gods free mercies and nothing of our selues we conclude that God crowneth and rewardeth his owne works in vs that who so glorieth should glory in the Lorde ◠Cor. ◠And where some allege this place ▪ Mat. 26. so to commende workes that they should be the cause of the Election and the fauour of God they do not consider the fyrste wordes Come you blessed of my father inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world ▪ Wherin we may note that they béeing the blessed and beloued of the father are called to the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome not wonne by works but prepared by the heauenly father for hys children before they did any works at all Like as the wicked haue their place of eternall torment there named for them before prepared and appoynted And in both twayne the workes doth only declare what the trees are wherout they spring testifie what the fountaine is whence they flow according as our Sauiour Christ sayth the trée is knowē by that fruite a good man foorth of the good treasure of his heart dothe bring foorth good workes and the euill man euill workes This dothe Iames byd vs to shewe our faith of our workes and saith that Abraham did thus vtter his faith by his works and Rahab by her works and were iustified Where we are compelled with all the Godly learned to expound the worde iustified declared to bée Iuste or else we do make Iames contrary to himself contrary to Moyses whose sentence he in the same place alledgeth contrary to Paule and the whole course of Scriptures And thus muste all the generall sentence of workes bee vnderstoode that by these workes wherein God wyll haue vs to walke we are knowen to haue his spirit to bée good trées so iudged by our fruits as is the good apple trée by the apples not that the apples make hym good but testifie that hee is good and that it hath within it selfe a kindly power of good iuice and norishment So we feeling the power of the spirite woorkyng in oure hartes Godly motions and so bringyng foorth good fruites of faith and good workes doo confirme our Election vocation as Peter speaketh to our selues and others The seconde vse of workes is that God in vs by them may be glorified Whereof our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heauen And this is the chéefe vse of good workes the laude and glorie of God whereunto we were fyrst created in the earthy Adam now are anew restored by the heauenly Adam Christ Iesu to walke in good works and to be holy blamelesse without faulte And to thys ende that God in them might be glorified doth scripture cōmend vnto vs good works and setteth foorth the crowne of glory to them that therein are exercised So runne that ye may obtayne saith the Apostle labor for the crown incorruptible 1. Cor. 9. Now bicause these latter dayes are the tymes wherein our Sauiour Christe dyd say that faith should fayle and charitie should waxe coulde we that haue so cleare reuelation of Gods great mercyes in Iesus Christe may gyue no occasion to the slouthfull fleshe eyther in our selues or others but after the example of the Scriptures we must alwayes exhorte to good workes and so tame our bodies and bring them into subiection as Paul saith least whiles we preach to others we our selues bée founde Reprobates 1. Corin. 9. the which sentence is euill alledged of the aduersaries of Election as though Paule might haue become a reprobate or as if that he had not béen certaine of his saluation but that it shoulde hang of his well doings For he sayth first in the same sentēce I do so runne not as at an vncertain thing and so fight not as one that beateth the ayre but as he saith to the Romanes chap. 8. I am sure that neyther death nor life neither Angels nor rule neither power neither things present nether things to come neither high neither low neither any other creature shall be able to depart vs from the loue of God in Christe Iesu oure Lorde Likewise they alledge foorth of the seconde chapter to the Philippians that Paule willeth vs to worke oure owne saluation but they do not consider that he streight wayes addeth that it is God which worketh bothe the wyll and the worke And in the chapter before he saith that it is God which hath begon the good worke and will finish it So that such Scriptures may neuer bée alledged for workes agaynst grace for to set vp our saluation of our selues which onely commeth of mercy in the frée Election wherby we were chosen in Christe Iesu and created a newe in him by his onely spirite to bring foorth good workes Therefore doo we conclude with Paul. Romanes 11. that we are saued and iustified fréelie by Grace not by woorkes for so grace were no grace and that all are shutte vp vnder synne that mercie may be vppon all vppon whome it pleaseth hym too shewe mercie And for the consideration of these greate mysteries of Election and Reprobation we crye with Paule O the depth of the ryches of the wisdome of god How vnsearcheable are his iudgements how incōprehensible his wayes For who hath giuen him first and he shall be recompensed For of hym and through him and for hym are al things To him therefore be glorie for euer and euer So be it ¶ IMPRINTED at London by Dauid Moptid and Iohn Mather Dwelling in Redcrosse streete nexte adioyning to S. Gylses Church without Criplegate ⸪
their owne heades their owne damnation treasuring and storing vp al their life long workes deseruing the wrath of God againste the day of hys wrathe and vengeaunce as the Apostle sayth to the Romaines This Reprobation then is the declaration of God his seuere iustice and iust iudgement against the Serpent and hys séede whome by the worde of hys eternall wisedome hée hathe accursed from the béegynnyng and appointed too euerlastyng torment The whiche woorke necessarie for the procéedyng of God hys holie pronydence Eternall and neuer ceassing Regymente and gouernaunce bicause it is the worke of the will of the mightie God whiche is the verie lawe equitie and iustice it selfe frée from all affections farre from all fault crime or sinne It ought to be knowen vnto vs all that all flesh may tremble and consider before whome it standeth euen before that great Lorde and mighty God who hath power both ouer the body and soule to cast into hell fire To whom no man may say what doest thou Being like the clay in the potters hande or the staffe or axe in the hande of the smiter Who offendeth against no law bicause his godly will is the lawe it selfe and to knowe his pleasure is to know the lawe to follow his will is to doo the lawe so that of necessitie this great Lorde is so farre and frée from all sinne that nothing is good but that which is wrought by hym nothing can be euil that he worketh in his creatures No the fall of Lucifer the father of the reprobate dothe vtter his maiestie dothe shew his iustice which olde Sathan and Father diuell was worthily cast downe into the bottome of hell and eternally condemned to euerlasting payne and torment bicause he did so ambitiously and proudly climbe vp aboue his appoynted place i◠the heauens And where the malice of this olde Serpent caused Adam the first man to mount aboue his estate ▪ to desire to knowe good and euill like a God the maruellous mercy of God inostimable loue towards mankind caused compelled this wicked worke of the Serpent to serue his glory and to turne to our great commoditie and profite in that he rayseth of the séede of man another Adam most innocent and holy agaynst whom no Diuell neyther any helly power may preuayle by whom we are not onely reconciled vnto God and doo obteyne pardon for this offence but we are borne a newe and as it were agayne created into greater glory by farre than we were at the first for the first man had onely a promise to liue in the earthly garden so long as he did not eate of the forbidden frute we haue the promise of the heauenly Paradice and euerlasting pleasures He had earthly meate and frute we haue the heauenly Manna which féedeth into life euerlasting He was created to worke in the Garden workes naturall we are renewed vnto workes supernaturall aboue nature heauenly and celestiall He was ouercome by the Serpent we doo ouer come and triumphe ouer the Serpent Sinne Diuell Death and Hell. He had the gifte of reason and vnderstanding we haue the rich wisdome of God his holy spirite whereby we discerne our own infirmitie and weaknesse and his almightie power mercy and goodnesse To be shorte where he dyd runne from God hidde him and sowed Figge leaues to couer his shame following hys fonde fantasie We doo boldly beholde the course of Gods working in our nakednesse sinne and infirmitie and magnifie renowne and prayse oure Lorde God whiche showeth his grace by oure sinne whiche vttereth his power by our weaknesse his wisedome by our foolishnesse which setteth soorth his elect vessels his chosen Abels by Caynites the vessels of his wrath In whiche Cayn the first murtherer and therefore manifestly of the serpents séede appeareth euidently the iust iudgement of the Almightie God accursing and condemning in Satan and Cayn all sinnes and wickednesse To vtter that he abhoreth sinne and hateth it béeing so farre contrarie from his nature which is iustice it selfe contrarie from his will which is equitie and his law which is iudgement In Pharao a childe of the same father reprobate indurate and accursed whome God stirred vp for the declaration of his great power and mightie arme as well in the manyfolde myracles wrought for his people whiche nothing had néeded neither had bin occasioned if there had not bin such a tyrāt so indurate and so obstinate to withstande God his seruants as also by the subuersion drouning of him his people in the red Sea a signe token first of the eternall and ineuitable destruction damnation whervnto the wicked are appoynted than of the saluation assigned sealed vp for the elect chosen we do lerne héerby also the power of God whiche the very Sorcerers the enimies of God were compelled to confesse before Pharao Exod. 8. Wée doo lerne moreouer the iustice of God which iustice Pharao him selfe was compelled agaynst him selfe to denounce and affirme Exod. 9. And finally we may see expressed moste manifestly the fatherly mercy of the God of Iacob whiche dyd giue the king and the whole people of Egypt a pryce for his chosen Iacob Lo the loue towards Iacob and the hatred towards Esau What shall we speake of Iudas and other manifestly reprobate whiche are compelled by the testimonie of their owne consciences to pronounce them selues wicked and therfore to feare god his seuere iustice and iust iudgement and to flye therefrom by the terrour of their euill consciences which is more sore than a thousand witnesses agaynst suche as God doth leaue to their owne selues The which terrible examples the Elect of God hauing before their eyes hathe greate cause to prayse their heauenly father through his sonne Christe who hath sent them his holy spirite of comfort which will neuer suffer them to be tempted aboue that they are able to suffer and to beare But where we haue two kind of men that be aduersaries to this doctrine of Reprobation The one sorte vttering them selues most manifestly Reprobate obstinate and wilfully wicked crying and blaspheming we will followe our lusts what neede we to care howe we lyue or ▪ what we doo If we be elected with Iacob we shall be saued if we be reiecte and cursed with Cham we shall be damned These Lucifers not submitting themselues to the gouernance of God carelesse what becommeth of them must be bette downe with the consideration of the maiestie and mightie power of God whiche suffereth not one sparrowe to fall vpon the earth without his will prouidence neither one heare to fall from the head of his elect and chosen howe fiercely so euer they shall rage agaynst them Wherefore O you Serpents séede howe soeuer you shall be offended with this that I shall speake knowe this that as the mightie God hathe made the scattered sandes able inoughe to stay the raging Seas so shall your proude waues of your boyling stomacks and ouer busie heades be
broken and brought full lowe where and when it shall like the Lorde of all fleshe by these his weake vessels And lisence must you aske as did your father the diuel executing his tyrannie vpon the good mā Iob as we reade in the first chapter of that Hystorie before you can lay hands eyther of body or goods of his chosen and therein shall you be limitted and appoynted as there appeareth how farre you shall be able to extend your violence For God holdeth your hearts in his hand be you neuer so great tyrants can soone cause you to faynt and fayle from your furie turning your hearts rounde about as him liketh best And bicause you thus blaspheme God bothe in words déedes following your father Lucifer abusing Gods creatures and despising his benefytes his tollerance and his long sufferance whiche might moue you to repentance as holy Paule warneth you treasure vp for your selues euen wrath and vengeance agaynst the day of vengeance I doo feare nothing at all to offende you with my writing neither doo you passe any thing at all what is written or spoken though you vse to sweare stampe stare for a little space in a furious rage when you heare and féele things contrarie to your poyson But the scriptures of God all good writings all truthe vnto suche dogs and hogs are vttered to this purpose that they may be a testimonie of condemnation of the light of Gods truth reiected and despised Therfore for the elect of God that they may vnderstande the course of Gods working in al his creatures reuerence his maiestie and magnisie and renoume his holy name is this written Yet doubtlesse doo I know amongst the chiefe vessels chosen children of God there be many whiche haue not attayned to this poynt of doctrine of Electiō Reprobatiō whom I am very loth to offend and therfore I desire thē for the loue of God to suffer me quietly without their grief to vtter vnto other the comforte of my conscience which I haus hereby vndoubtedly receyued like as I haue many times harkened vnto them in the cōtrarie First praying thus bothe of vs togither vnto our heauenly father knowledging our owne infirmitie and weaknesse O father in the heauens whatsoeuer we are whatsoeuer we haue whatsoeuer we knowe it is onely by thy free grace for we were by nature the children of wrath and we are not borne a newe of fleshe and bloud eyther of the séede of man or of the wyll of man fleshe and bloud can not reueale the mysteries of thy heauenly kingdome vnto vs But by thy blessed will are we that we are and by the same knowe we that we knowe therefore O father doo we commit into thy hands onely our saluation If our knowledge be small yet we doubt nothing but that we are the children of thy euerlasting kingdome and therefore by thy mightie power we shall growe when it shall be thy pleasure to a more full riper knowledge of a more perfite age wherein our fayth shall be fully able to comprehend perceyue the bredth depth height largenesse of thy great mercyes and gratious promyses But séeing this power of full knowledge and perfect reuelation passeth all power naturall and remayneth onely in thy power and the light of thy spirite O Lord Doo thou what shall please thée to opē to vs thy seruaunts children depending of thy hands so muche of the lyght of thy countenance and at such tymes as shall séeme good to thy wisdome and fatherly mercie In the meane tyme thus restyng wholy vpon thée neither can we dispaire neither will we be too muche careful although we can not attayn to the knowledge of many of thy works neither to the vnderstandyng of many places of the scriptures but we wil confesse vnto thee the weaknesse of our faith wayting alwayes for further reuelatiō of thy glorious light to be vttered vnto vs when thou shalt thinke of thy Fatherly beneuolence and goodnesse méete and conuenient knowing moste surely that thou wilt pitie our childishe infansy and cause the same to serue for thy glory and oure great commoditie séeing that we do erre and are childish as sonnes before suche a Father whiche can not put off hys Fatherly pitie but rather as thou haste broughte vs vnto thee to be the heyres of thy kingdome by the bloode of thy naturall sonne so we be moste sure that thou wilte lighten vs in the ende with the full fruition of the brighte lighte of thy contenaunce that we may see thée and knowe thée as thys thy sonne oure Redéemer knoweth thee yea see thee oure Father face to face and knowe as we be knowen Thus reste we onely of thy hande to encreace oure knowledge at thy good pleasure O mighty Lorde and moste mercifull father So be it If you can thus submitte your selues good brethren too the wisedome of God working in vs weakelinges what him lyketh All the stomblyng stockes whiche myghte offende you may easelie be remoued There bée two thynges especially whyche doo séeme too stande agaynste thys doctrine of Election and Reprobation or of God hys gouernaunce and prouidence for all is one in effect the one toucheth God the other man The fyrste and principall is leaste that the wicked do make God the aucthor of synne in the Reprobate the which doubt we may remone foure maner of wayes First by the authoritie of scriptures Secondly by the testimonie of their owne consciēces which be the Reprobate Thirdly by the nature of sinne Fourthly by the maiestie of God whiche is bounde to none of his creatures to make hym this or that vessell For the firste Sainct Iames saith Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God as he can not be tempted with euill so neither dothe hée tempte anie man But euerie manne is tempted drawen awaye and entysed of his owne luste and concupiscence Then the luste when it hath conceyued bryngeth foorth synne Iames. 1. And euen thus it appeared in the fyrste fall of mankinde First though the Lorde oure God had warned and commaunded the contrarie oure olde enimie styrreth the concupiscēce and lust of the woman with the goodnes pleasantnesse and beautie of the apple thē hir lust cōceiuing this bringeth foorth sinne entising also hir husbande to the breaking of God hys commaundementes Gene. 3. But contrariwise sayth Iames in the same place Ia. 1. least you should erre and conceiue any euill opinion of God euery good gyfte and euerie persite gyfte is from aboue discending from the Father of light with whom is no vareablenesse nether change into darkensse that hée shoulde gyue nowe good things nowe euill nowe light nowe darkenesse No saithe the Apostle Paule let God be true and al men lyars Can God be vniuste How shall he then iudge the worlde Rom. 3. Agayne God saith by hys prophet Ezechiell I will not the death of a sinner but I wil rather that the sinner conuert
Peter sayth To the Elect by the foreknowledge of God the father 1. Pet. 1. Then to know what this Election of God is and what in the Scriptures it dothe signifye Wée describe and defyne Election to bée the frée choyce of the good wyll of the Almyghtie GOD appoynting and prescrybyng in the Booke of lyfe before the beginning of the world whom he will haue to be saued and compted amongest the iust Whom he will haue holy and without faulte before hym to bée his children by adoption to set foorth his glory This choyse this choosing this aforeappoynted purpose and ordinaunce of God is aboundauntlye set foorthe in the firste chapter to the Ephesians That this commeth of the frée wyll of God and hys onely grace freely without our deseruing contrary to the vayne opinion of the Papists and Anabaptists the same chapter and the nexte chapter folowing dothe plainely testifie Epe 1. 2. And most euidently the Lord in his maiestie speaking to his seruant Moyses Exod. 33. declared all this to stande of his mercy saying I will haue mercie vpon whom it liketh me and I will shew mercie where it shall be my pleasure for so is the meaning of those wordes I will haue mercy vpon whom I will haue mercy Paul also declaring in this place the woorke of God béetwixte these two children Iacob and Esau Romaynes 9. saythe thus of this frée Election wheÌ„ Rebecca was with child with one and the same father Isaac before the children were borne when they had neyther done good nor bad that the purpose of God whiche is by Election mighte stande it was sayde to her not for the cause of workes but by the grace of the caller the elder shall serue the younger As it is written saythe hée Iacob I loued but Esau I hated Of the booke of life Moyses speaketh Exod. 32. And Christ himselfe Luk. 10. Saying to his Apostles Ioy you and be glad for your names are written in the boke of life in the heauens And in the 69. Psalme it is spoken against the wicked Let them not be written amongst the Iust and put them foorth of the booke of life And agaynst the false Prophet Ezechiel 13. He shall not be in the counsaile of my people nor written in the booke of the house of Israell There be two finall causes also of this eternal purpose of the election the which Paule rehearseth in the first chapter to the Ephesians the one toucheth God the other perteineth to man He hath Elected vs béefore the foundations of the worlde sayth the Apostle that wée mighte be holy and without blame And thys answereth the wicked which would abuse the mercies of God to their lust Againe it followeth He hath Predestinate vs that he might choose vs to be hys chyldren that hys name may bée praysed And this stoppeth the mouthes of al our Aduersaries that say that thys doctrine is not to the prayse of God so that they must cease to slaunder this doctrine vnlesse they wil hinder the glory of God and denie the open Scriptures Nowe it is to be noted and marked dyligently that thys woorde Election is taken after two sortes in the Scripture some tymes as it signifieth absolutely the frée choyse will and appointment of God without the respecte of the reuelation of the woorde and message of saluatyon And thus speaketh the holy Apostle Saincte Paule of Election saying of the carnal Iacob They were enimies concernyng the Gospel for your cause but concernyng the Election they are beloued for their parents For the gyftes of God and hys callyng are suche that hée can not repente Euen as you once were mysbeléeuers from God but nowe haue attayned mercie by theyr mysbeléefe that they should attayne mercie also Thys Election expresseth absolutely the secret purpose of God without the respect oâ—â—â—uelation of the woorde or any of our workes followyng Vnder thys first kynde of Election were those hundreth and twenty thousande whiche God dyd choose and kéepe vnto hymselfe in Niniue amongst the Idolaters and the seuen thousande which God dyd leaue for hymselfe in Israel in the thirde booke of kings the. 19. chap. Yea those that yet are not are thus elect chosen and amongst al nations both Iewes in thys long blindnes banishment from their countrey amongst the Turkes in theyr Idolatrous wickednesse yea amongst the Edomites the Sabees the Indians and Ethiopians And in the late blyndnesse of the Popishe church wherein we togither wyth our fathers were altogether Idolatrous all Hypocrites and counterfaite Christians thys absolute Election whereby the mercyfull Lorde God did reserue and kéepe hys chosen vnto him in all places all ages all countreys without respect of persons dyd most euidently appeare Howbeit this secresie of election muste onely bée lefte to the Maiestie of God where when how and whom he thereby saueth and sheweth his mercy For to the blynde iudgemente of man all these people rehearsed and suche like séemeth reiect reprobate and caste away as appeareth by Ionas condemning the Niniuites by Elias coÌ„demning the Israelites and a long while vntil God had by miracle from Heauen deliuered hym from that errour vnto the chiefe Apostle Peter iudgeing all the Gentiles to bée a polluted people farre from the fauour of God. The seconde kynde of Election is set forth and knowen euident and open by the spirit of God working in the harts of the elect and chosen by fayth and trust in God his promises through Christ teaching vs that we are the children of God chosen to him selfe by Iesus Christe from the beginning and therfore preparing vs to an holy and blamelesse lyfe to the laude prayse of the grace of god The which Election besides the dayly experience of our consciences may bée approued by the testimonies of these Scriptures compared togither Esay 59. Rom. 8. Ephe. 1. Coloss 3. and a very briefe and perfecte description of thys Election 2. thess. 2. in these wordes We ought to thanke God that he hath chosen you from the beginning by the sanctifying of the spirite and the beléefe of the truth to the which he hath called you by our Gospell to attayne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christe By this gratious election was Iacob dearely beloued in his mothers wombe and Ieremy knowne vnto God before he was fashioned in his mothers wombe Ieremie 1. And to be short all other the eleect of God are thus chosen sanctified and beloued from the beginning from before the foundations of the world froÌ„ euerlasting to euerlasting For there is no change of tyme with God séeyng that all thinges are present in his sighte For vnto him a thousande yeares are but one day but the course change of times are in vs our déedes our knowledge in mans chaungeable wisedome This Election must of necesitie driue downe the pryde we haue of our owne strength our owne power our owne nature our owne frée wil our owne merits our owne iustification of our owne workes and bryng vs
to the féelyng of the mighty power of God whiche worketh all in all things to the restoring of all things in our Christ both in Heauen and Earth by whome we are called into this state long before appoynted accordyng to his purposed pleasure by whose power all things are wrought that we may boldly say with the Apostle who dare lay any thing to the charge of the Elect of God It is God that instifieth who is he that can condemne Who can seperate vs which are thys chosen Iacob from the loue of God. Can affliction Can anguish Can persecution Can hunger Can nakednes Can peryll Can the sword For I am perswaded sayth he that neyther death nor life nor Angell nor power nor thyngs present nether things to come nether height nor depth neyther any creature can separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesu our lord Lo this is the loue wher with the Lorde loueth his Iacob wherby we say O heauenly father Lord of heauen and earth it hath pleased thée that thou mighte shew thy greate goodnesse moste liberally fréely towards vs before that we were and therefore before we had done eyther good or euil without any our merites or deseruings onely thorough thy frée mercy to elect and choose ordayne and appoynte vs Heyres of euerlasting life and thereby to make all thinges perteining to our saluation so fyrme and sure that they can not stagger wauer nor fayle Where contrarywise if they dydde hang of our worthinesse we should euer be doubtefull bicause euery man is a lyer and all our righteousnesse is like a spotted clothe and nothing but counterfeyte hypocrisie weyed in the balance of thy seuere iustice But the grace of this thy frée Election maketh vs most certaine and sure séeing no creature is able to take oute of thy hande O god Wherefore we doo laude magnifie thy name worlde withoute ende So be it Nowe after thys doctrine of Election and loue of God towarde Iacob the hating and Reprobation of Esau must lykewise be declared though the aduersaries of thys doctrine do séeme to denye that there is anye suche Reprobation of the wicked yet the wordes are so playne in Malachie and Romaines 9. that nothyng can be more euidente For what can be more playnely spoken for thys purpose then that God shoulde say before the children were borne that he hated Esau What was this hatred but the Reprobation Reiection and condemnation by God hys owne mouth of thys wicked Esau like as in the laste verse of the first Psalme wher it is said that the Lord knoweth the wayes of the iuste that is he hath them written in hys booke in the Heauens he loueth them as is sayde of Iacob hée hath suche care ouer them that they can not fall but vnto the glory of God and their owne commoditie and by the course of the contraries compared together in that Psalm it shoulde be added the Lorde knoweth not the wicked like as Christe sayth it shall bée answered vnto them I knowe you not the latter parte of the verse is that the way of the wicked shall perishe so that it appeareth to be all one not to be elected accepted and knowen of God and to perish and to be as a Reprobate condemned And Felinus foorthe of Kymhy doth note that that parte of the laste verse of the. 2. Psalme God beeing angry you shall perishe foorth of the way dothe expounde this of the fyrste Psalme soâ— that the Election knowledge loue aâ—â—… I fauour of God eternall saluation â—â—â—… not be separate Like as his anger and hatred reprobation and condemnation consequently do follow in Cain Esau Pharao Iudas the Pharisies and like obdurate persons so manifestly vttering them selues to bée of that sort whome God alwayes hated The children not of Abraham but as Christ answereth vnto them of their father the diuel who was a murtherer froÌ„ the beginning like as his children haue bene also euer sithe the beginning of the world and therefore muste of necessitie be hated of the moste mercifull Lorde who is compelled by the order of his workes to vse these wicked roddes and cruel scourges for the chastisement of his children dooing many times the worke straunge from his nature that he maye do his worke of mercy peculiar vnto his nature And than vtterly breake hate reiect and cast away into euerlasting fire and vtter destruction this rodde and scurge like a moste mercifull father faâ—oring his children and hating the rodde thâ—â—e as he sayth by his Prophet Wootionâ— Assur the rodde of my fury and the staffe of my indignation and after promyseth to breake the staffe and cast awaye the rodde Psalm 10. Suffering in the meane season yet these instrumentes of his wrathe prepared vnto destruction with greate pacience for this ende that he may vtter the riches of his glory towards the vessels of glory which he hath prepared vnto glory Thus was Pharao the manifest scurge and rodde of God to correct to chastice to exercise the Israelites and to spread the power of God through all the world Therefore was Moyses sente vnto him with the rodde of God hys mightie mercy to breake in sunder thys rodde of chasticement And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses I haue appoynted thée to bée the God of Pharao and Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet thou shalte speake vnto him all that I commaunde thée And he shall speake vnto Pharao to let go the children of Israell foorth of his lande But I will harden hys hearte saythe the Lorde and I wyll multiplie my signes and wonders in Egypte and he shall not heare you And I will bring myne armie and people foorth of the lande of Egypte by most greate iudgementes and the Egyptians shal knowe that I am the lord Exod. 12. Agayne the Lorde sayth Nowe shall I stretche my hande to stryke thée and thy people with a plague and thou shalt perishe from the earth for therefore haue I caused thée to stande for so is the Hebrue woorde that I may shewe in thée my strength and that my name may be renowmed through al the earth Exod. 9. Then the Lorde sendeth a great hayle so that feelyng the hande of God the tenth tyme Pharao was compelled to crie The Lorde is iuste and I and my people are sinners as followeth in the same chapter Yet for all this the Lorde hardeneth his heart that hée pursueth the children of Israell to hys owne destruction Exod. 14. So that resisting the power of God he perisheth in thys worlde and in the worlde to come hée is appoynted to the euerlasting fyre prepared for the diuell and hys Aungels by the iuste iudgemente of the almightie Lorde who béeyng refused and so openly resisted iustely dothe giue ouer the wycked to their owne Reprobate myndes wyth gredinesse to fulfyll theyr fleshely desiers and obstinate purpose to prosecute that which the Deuyll and the woorlde willeth them to doo and so causeth them to heape vpon
God his maiestie must néedes be secluded and excused who is the lawe maker the creator no creature hauing no euill motion nor ledde with any affection which might make his worke euill Like as the creature is for the most part blame worthy bicause euen when it doth the best of all It is subiect to some affection eyther selfeloue or hatred of some other yea the Lorde God may vse any of his creatures in any worke without the blame of any euill as well as the Smith may make his coles to flame or to quenche them eyther the same péece of yron sometimes his hammer sometime his tongs or stithy Wherefore though very much might be sayde in this parte that as the potter may make of one péece of clay what him liketh the Smith may make of his yron diuers instrumentes yet following the godly wisdome of S. Paule I thinke it more méete to beate downe mans subtilties with the contemplation of the Maiestie of the mightie God pronouncing boldly that suche as say if my lyes and sinne set foorth his glory why am I then iudged as a sinner let vs doo euill that good may come and so in their wycked words dare make God the author of euil hath their worthy damnation alreadie as Paule sayth Rom. 3. For of necessitie whiche their eyes can not sée suche diuersitie of sinne and grace of righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse of the contrarietie and change of things must be in this wōderfull creation of heauen and earth by the high maiestie of God appoynted and ordeyned For what néeded the goodly creature of lighte If there had bin no darknesse or howe shoulde this benefite haue bin felte or perceyued what matter or cause of vttering iustice mighte haue bin founde without sinne and vnrighteousnesse howe shoulde grace haue bin shewed if no wrath had bin deserued No the mightie God thereby most euidently vttereth his maiestie in that he sheweth how the heauens fal into darknesse without him the earth into dust the Angels into diuels the men into sinne and so finally without him all things to come to nought that he might be magnified creating all things his sonne our sauiour renowmed who hath redéemed vs all hys holy spirite exalted who hath renewed all vs that be his elect and chosen Nowe to what creature is the maiestie of God bounde and founde debter of his spirite If he withholde it from any his dreadfull maiestie may rightly withhold it for who hath giuen him first to aske any thing agayne of debt or dutie If his maiestie do giue his spirite it is of his frée mercy and grace If the earth fal into dust if man fal into sinne that all things may be knowne to be nothing without God what blame deserueth God or who dare accuse him No let all flesh fall downe before his maiestie and confesse All things doth onely rest vpon thée O Lorde thou hast created all things of nothing so that without thée they all do fall to their originall to shewe themselues vayne and nothing worthe weake wretched miserable wherfore if we haue any good thing it commeth of thy mercy if we haue any weaknesse sinne or infirmitie it cōmeth of our owne concupiscence lusts vanitie our perditiō is of our selues our sinne is of our selues only of thee is our saluatiō thou made vs clay potts vessels to thine vse Do thou with vs as thou shalt think good in thine eyes and the shame shall fall vpon our own faces The seconde cause which concerneth man wherby many mistake this doctrine is that God exhorteth man always in his Scriptures to good and forbiddeth euill with many terrible threatnings whiche things seemeth not to be néedful say they seeing the Elect shall be saued the Reprobate condēned by decree sentence giuen vpon them before they be borne To this we do answer that these exhortatiōs and cōmunications are very necessarie to both twaine bicause God leadeth vs men alwayes like reasonable creatures not like insensible stocks or stones And to the Elect they are most necessarie pricks and spurres to stirre the dull flesh toward his dutie as all good men feeleth can beare witnesse To the Reprobate they are testimonies of the good will of the almighty God to them opened and vttered but openly resisted refused and reiected according to the saying of oure Sauioure Christ If I had not come and spoken to them they had had no sinne but nowe they haue no pretence or excuse for their sinne Peraduenture you will answere me They can not obey vnto it What is the cause thereof I pray you bicause they lacke the spirite of Christe to leade them you will say I dare easily graunt you but will they graunt this will they thinke you submit them selues vnder poore Christe and the foolishnesse of the crosse and not rather boast and brag their wisedome their knowledge and their vpright dealing and righteousnesse Are not these the men that dare thus boast We knowe as well as the Preacher can tell vs Is the spirite of God departed from vs to speake with him As was sayde to Micha 2. of the Kings 22. chapter Or as the Pharisies did answere vnto Christe are we blinde To whome our Sauiour sayth agayne If you were blinde you had no sinne but nowe you say you sée therefore your sinne remayneth Iohn 9. Thus doubtlesse they are so farre from the submission subiection to poore Christ that contrariwise they doo willingly and naturally followe their father Lucifer who did lift him selfe arrogantly aboue Christ the sonne of righteousnesse and euermore fighteth agaynst Christ though the mightie power and high wisdome of God turneth his euill will and all theyrs to his glory and good purposes None other wayes than bodily and naturall darknesse which by the wonderfull wisdome of God clearly setteth foorth the bright sunneshine and yet laboureth by continuall course to shadow the sunne and to couer the whole earth Wherfore the Lorde God to dryue away this naturall darknesse from man exhorteth to iustice and equitie which is hys nature and the Image whiche man ought to counterfeit And alwayes commaundeth thyngs therevnto agreable And forbiddeth that he is not that is to say iniquitie and dehorteth therefrom by his Prophets and Preachers publyshing his wyll and pleasure which is the light and lawe most perfect to man his noble creature whom he hath made for his honour and glory whom he hath appoynted to beare hys Image vppon earth of iustice righteousnesse and innocency But bicause thys Image could by no creature perfectlie bée expressed vnlesse the same were fully replenished with the self same Godhead bicause that all things besidesfoorth had some imperfection bewraying their originall the darknesse as Iohn calleth it the Tohu and Bohu as Moyses dothe it name The vayne vanitie and wilde deformitie whence they were by creation altered recouered and broughte into lighte and life as appeared in Adam falling from truthe to lyes streight at the beginning nowe