the first born is For who wold beleue the whosoeuer is promoted to the dignity of the first born he is also ordaivnto lyfe euerlasting PHILA Answer In dede there be some whiche in thys thynge do neuer a whytte spare Paule as thoughe he dothe wrast the scriptures into a wronge sence in aledging those authorities But I answer that the blessed Apostle S. Paule did nether mistake nor yet misuse the same authorities of the holy scripture For he did see whiche thynge they wil neyther marke nor consider that God wold declare and bring to light with an earthly token the spiritual election of Iacob which elsse was hidden in the secreates of his iudgemeÌ„ts For except we do refer that right of the first born which was grauÌ„ted him vnto the worlde to come that is to say excepte the ryght of the fyrste born which Iacob did bie of his brother Esau Gen. xxv did pertaine to a better life al the blessing wherof here in this world he did receiue nothynge elsse but affliction trouble and aduersity must nedes be vain and folishe Seinge then that the Lorde had by thys outward blessing testified and declared what manner of blessynge he hadde prepared for his seruaunt Iacob in his kingdome he dyd not sticke to grounde his argument vpon it whereby he wente aboute to proue the spirituall election of the holy Patriarche Iacob then is chosen and Esau is refused and all by the mere predestination of god when they had yet done nether good nor euill And if ye will knowe the causes whye The cause of oure election reprobation Rom. ix Ex. xxxiii Saint Paule doth aunswer that it was done because that it had bene said vnto Moses I wil shew mercy to whome I shew mercy and wyll haue Compassyon on whome I haue compassion Wher the Lorde doth plainlye declare that he fynedeth no manner of thynge in vs wherefore he shoulde do vs good but that he taketh occasion to do vs good of his mercye onlye And that therfore our saluation is hys owne woorke and not oures Sithe then that God doth appoynt thy saluation none other where but in hym self only why shouldest thou come down to thy self Syth that he doth assigne vnto thee his mercy onlye why shouldest thou runne to thine owne merites Contente thy selfe with his mercy and set al thy workes a side ObiectioÌ„ ALBION Yet for all this both Ambrose Origene and Hierome were of opinion that God dyd dispose and deuide his grace amoÌ„g men as he did for se that they shuld vse it PHILALETHES I doe not denye it Answer Li. retract i. Cap. i. Episto ad sextum cix yea I say furthermore that S. Augustine was of the same opinion also But after that he had profited better in the knowledge of the scriptures and word of God he did not only reuoke it but also dyd moste mightelye confute it as false and erroneus Yea after his retraction rebukinge the Pelagians because that they continue still in the same errour he saith plainlye these wordes Against the PelagiaÌ„s who woulde not meruaile that the Apostle shoulde haue wanted this witty vnderstanding For when he hadde set forthe a matter which was to be wondred and meruailed at touching them that were not yet borne Rom. ix and had made an obiection to him selfe sayinge What then is there any vnrighteousnesse with God he had occasioÌ„ to answer that god had forsene the merites of them both yet he did not so but did flie to his iudgementes and mercy And in an other place when he had taken awaye all the merites before our election Home in Ioa. 8. he saith Here truelye the vaine reasoning of them canne take no place whiche do defend the foreknowledge of God against his grace and therfore do say that we wer chosen afore that the foundacions of the world wer made because that God did forsee that we would be good and not that he hym selfe should make vs good He sayth not so that saythe Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For if he had therefore chosen vs because that he had forsene that we would be good he shuld also haue knowne before that we woulde haue chosen him Let this serue for them They doe alwaies a peale vnto the fathers and yet they will follow none of theyr holesome doctrine that do so gladly reast vpon the authority of the fathers But go to let it be as thoughe he had sayde nothynge at all and so let vs come to the very matter it selfe There was a very harde question moued whether God dyd iustlye or not in thys that he dyd geue hys grace to certayne men Here Paule myght haue ryd hym self wyth one word if he wold haue had any respect vnto the workes and merites For he myghte haue answered straighte that God dyd so because that he dyd foresee their merites and woorkes But why doth he not so but rather coÌ„tynueth styll in a Communicatyon whyche is of lyke difficultye and hardnesse Shall we saye that the holy gost which spake by his mouthe was obliuious or forgetful we se that he goth not about the bush but answereth plainly that God dothe show fauour vnto his elect because that it is his will so to do and that he sheweth mercy because that hys pleasure is so For when the Lord saith I will shew mercy to whome I shew mercye and will haue compassion on whome I haue compassion Ex. xxxiii it is as much as if he shuld say that nothing doth moue him to mercye but onlye because that he wyll shew mercy that is to say that the only thinge that moueth hym to be merciful or to shew mercy and compassion is only his blessed wil and pleasure Therfore the sayinge of Saint Augustine shal remain most true Home in Ioa. 38. Episto cvi where he saith that the grace of God doth not finde vs worthy to be chosen but maketh vs worthy I do here let passe the vaine subtelties of the schole men which canne take no place among them that contente them selues with the wholesome doctrine and heauenly wisedome of Gods worde For that is very true which an olde Ecclesiasticall wryter did wryte sayinge that they which do assigne Am. de vo ca. gentium Li. 1. Ca. 1. attribute and adscribe the election of God vnto the merites of men are wyser than it behoueth ALBION But what wyll ye saye of the reprobate and damned For Question nowe I do perceyue that God doth chuse vs of his free mercy and goodnesse withoute any respecte of our owne works and deseruyngs PHILALETHES We nede to go no farther than to the example Aunswer touching reprobation that we brought fourth last For there Iacob hauinge yet deserued nothinge with his good workes is receaued â—n to fauoure and Esau reiected â—nd cast of though he had done yet 〈◊〉 maner of euil If we should flye â—nto the workes that is to saye if
he doth deliuer some ObiectioÌ„ froÌ„ euerlasting death condemnation making them felow heirs with his sonne Iesu Christ of his heauenly kingdoÌ„e and that be suffreth other to pearishe in their owne naturall corruption then is he as our brother Albion said before a partiall God and an acceptour of persons which thing the scriptures do deny vtterly Therfore I may conclude that either the worde of God dothe disagre wyth it selfe or that in the election of God there is some respect of merits deseruings PHI. First foremoste when the scripture doth testifi that ther is no respecte of persones with God Answer this worde persone is not taken in that signification that ye wene Howe thys worde person ought to be vnderstanded For it signifieth not the manne hym self but is taken for those thinges that being sene with the eies do eyther get vnto a man fauour grace and dignity or elsse purchase vnto him contempt shame and hatred suche as be commonly richesse myghte noblenesse of byrth great offices in the common weale and other like Such as do bring contempt shame and hatred are pouertye bashnesse of byrthe beggerlinesse and other like thinges which the world doth commonlye abhorre When Peter then and Paule also affirme that there is no respect of persons wyth God their meaning is Act. x. Rom. ii Gala. i. that God in chusing of men hath no respecte to the richesse and birth or to the nation and countrye or to anye other thing that the world hath in admiration but that he chuseth as well the pore as the rich and as wel the gentil as the Iew. Where vnto the blessed Apostle S. Iames dothe agre when he saithe Iames. i. that in iudgement God hath no respect vnto richesse Likewise Saint Paule doth wryte Ephe. vi that what good so euer a man doth he shall receiue it again of the Lord whether he be bounde or free Therefore there shall be no repugnaunce nor yet contrarietye in the scriptures though we saye that God doth of his mere goodnes and mercye and accordinge to hys good wyl and pleasure chuse some vnto life euerlasting refusing and reiecting the other Howe be it the matter mighte be answeared more plainly thus They be wont to ask how it cometh to passe that of two that haue deserued in like or rather that haue deserued nothinge yet God in his election doth passe ouer the one chuse the other vnto him self This ought dilygentely to be noted I do ask them again whether they think that ther is ani thing in him which is chosen that dyd moue God to chuse him or not If they coÌ„fesse that ther was or is nothing in him worthy the election of god which thing thei must nedes grauÌ„t and confesse then it shal folow that God had no respect vnto the man but that he did take occasion in hys own merci for to do good vnto him That therfore God doth chuse one man and refuseth or reproueth an other it cometh not of any respect that he hath vnto the person or vnto the man but of his mere goodnesse and mercy which truely it is lawful for him for to shew and declare where and whensoeuer it pleaseth his deuine maiesty Therfore some do falsly and wyckedlye accuse god of vnrighteous dealing and of iniquity because that in hys Predestination he doth not behaue hym self a lyke towardes all men DYDIMVS Wherfore I beseche you If he doth fynde al men gilty ObiectioÌ„ let hym punysh them all in like if he finedeth them vngilty let hym with hold the rigour of hys iustice from them al. Aunswer PHILALETHES What meaneth this neighboure Dydimus Ye deale wyth God as though ye would that he shuld put away mercy all together or if hee sheweth any that he should cleane put awaye iudgemente equitye and iustice from hym selfe What is it I pray you that ye do require If all men be giltye saye ye lefte theym all suffer lyke punishment We confesse that we bee all gyltye We be al of oure owne nature the chyldren of damnation and do of oure owne nature deserue euerlastynge Deathe and dampnation but we saye that the mercye of GOD dothe succoure and delyuer some euen whome it pleaseth hym DYDIMVS Whye then Let his mercye succoure and deliuer all ObiectioÌ„ PHILALETHES But we answer again that it is mete and conuenient Answer and right also that in punishyng some he dothe declare him selfe to bee a righteous iudge If ye can not abide this what other thinge do ye but go aboute to spoyle God of hys mercy or if ye graunt that he may be merciful to graunt him that he shal do it on that condition that he shall forsake vtterly his iustice and equity Therfore the sayinges of s Augustine are moste worthye to be marked Sith saithe he that in the fyrste manne all the hole lompe of mankinde Epi. cvi did fall into condemnation the vessels that are made of it vnto honoure are not the vessels of theyr owne ryghteousnesse but of the mercy of god And that some are made vessels vnto dishonour it ought not to be imputed vnto anye vnrighteousnesse or iniquitye but vnto iudgement Again that God doth recompence due punishmente vnto them De predo gratia whome he doth reproue and geueth vndeserued grace vnto them whome he dothe chuse he is deliuered from all blame by the similitude of a creditoure similitude in whose power it lyeth to forgeue some the hole debt and to make the other to paye to the vttermooste farthinge Therfore God may geue his grace to whome he wyll because that he is merciful De bone perseue Cae. xii and not geue it vnto al men because that he is a righteous iudge In geuinge that vnto some whych they do not deserue he doth shew his fre mercye and grace and not geuing it vnto all men he doth declare what we all do deserue ALBION I praye you brother Philalethes declare a lyttle more plainly vnto vs the similitude of the creaditour and of hys debtoures PHILALETHES If a man hath many debtours that do al owe vnâ—o him the lyke summe of monye doth it not lie in his power to forgeue some of them the hole debte to cal vpon the other for that whiche they owe vnto him euen for the vttermost farthing Who can laye any thing to his charge if he wil do so ALBION No man I trowe shall be able to blame hym for it PHI. Then mark this brother Albion we are al debtours vnto god For we haue all deserued euerlasting condemnation That then he doth of his fre mercy and goodnesse forgeue some and some againe he doth deale extremely withal according to his righteous iudgement who shall be so bolde to blame him for it ALBION This similitude maketh the matter verye plaine and deliuereth the deuine predestination of almightye GOD from all manner of blame that menne can laye vnto it
and trouble call vpon him Psal l. and so honoure him although we be neuer so sure of our saluation throughe faithe in oure sauioure Iesu Christe yet oughte we stil when so euer we be in anye necessity or trouble to cal vpon him in truthe But yet my gentle menne did aledge Gregory vnto me which sayeth Obiectiō that thoughe we know that we be called yet we are vncertaine of oure election and so exhorteth all menne to feare and dreade hauynge this sayinge styll in his mouthe Home xxxviii Etiam si quales hodie simus sciamus quales tamen simus futuri nescimus That is to say Althoughe we know what we are at this day yet do we not knowe what we shal be This seemeth vnto me to bee cleane contrary vnto your doctrin PHILALETHES Aunswer to Gregorye Gregory did speake as thoughe the electyon of GOD were grounded vppon the woorkes and mearites of menne Whiche thing we haue proued before to be contrarye to all scryptures And therefore sithe that he hadde onlye a respect to the workes and deseruynges of menne as thoughe the election of God dyd holelye depend and hange of them it was easye for hym for to putte menne in doubte of theyr saluation and to make them to be vncertayne whether they were of the nomber of the chosen or not Whiche doctrine dothe not onlye brynge a contynuall tormente of conscience but also at lengthe dryueth menne to vtter desperatyon as it is dailye seene by experience where suche learnynge dothe take place But we haue proued al readye by many sufficient textes of the scriptures that GOD oure heauenly father wythoute anye respecte of oure owne workes or merits hath chosen vs in his son Iesu Christe afore the foundacions of the world were laid Whereby we do learne that oure election is onlye grounded vppon the mercye of God declared vs in his sonne Iesu Christ for whose sake onlye he hath chosen and ordeined vs before to bee heyres of hys heauenly kingdom as the Apostle doothe testify sayinge ii Tim. i. He hathe saued and called vs wyth an holye callinge not accordinge to oure deedes but accordynge to hys owne purpose and grace whiche was geuen vs in CHRISTE IESV before the worlde was made but is nowe declared openlye by the appearinge of oure Sauyoure Iesu Christe Hee hathe therefore of hys mere goodnesse and mercy and not for oure owne workes or merites but for hys sonne Iesu Christes sake chosen vs frely We nead not then to be in doubte of our saluation sithe that it hangeth not of the dignity or worthinesse of men but of the fre mercy of God And what greater comforte can there be vnto the afflicted consciences than to be certifyed by the infallible worde of God that theyr saluation doth lye and reast only in the gratuite and free mercy of God taken hold vpon by faithe in his sonne Iesu Christe our Lord and sauiour ALBION All thinges beinge wel considered I do perceiue now and vnderstand A shorte collection of the dysputation that goeth before that this youre doctrine is mooste true and also most comfortable and that they that wil ground our election whereby we are chosen vnto life euerlastinge vppon oure owne workes and merites as they be ennemies vnto the fre mercy of God so they do as much as in them doth lie plucke awaye from vs the certainty of our Christian faithe and also the assurance of our saluation that we haue in the merites of the death passion and bloudsheddynge of our sauior Iesu Christ And in the same error be they also that hold opinion that the true elect and chosē of god can perish which I perceiue by the aunswer that ye haue made to theyr obiections that they bee wont to make for to ouerthrow the certainty of our election to be most false and vntrue altogether But as oure election in Christe Iesu is most certain so is it impossible for vs to be certified of it by any other meane than by the calling of god which doth consist in the outwarde preaching of his word in the inward workinge of the holy ghoste wherbi he doth illuminate our hartes and testifieth vnto our spirit that we are his children felow heyres with his sonne Iesu Christ of hys heauenlye kyngdome PHI. It is euen so as ye say For all the elect chosen of god All the electe and chosen of god afore theyr callinge do go astray with the other afore their calling which is not al don at one time for som be called at one time som at an other some in their youth and som in their old age do go astray wāder in the common desert with the other do differ in nothing from the rebrobate sauing only that by the exceding great mercy goodnes of al mighty god they are preserued and kept frō vttermost perdition If ye loke vpon thē ye shal se in them the naturall corruption that we all haue drawne of our first parent Adam that the pit of vngodlines doth not shut vp his mouth vpon them it is only because the god hath alwais an eie vnto them vnto their saluatiō and holdeth his merciful hand ouer them DyDI. I haue hearde some great doctors say that they haue a certain sede of their election naturally I meane euen from theyr byrthe grafted in them whereby they are alwais stirred vp and moued vnto godlines and vnto the feare of god PH. They that say so can bring no scripture for them selues but only the imagination of their own heds again the daily experiēce teacheth vs the contrary DyDI. And what say ye of Paul Obiectiō Did he not beynge yet a Pharisey and not called to Christ liue without blame Again did not Cornelius please god wyth his praiers and almes dedes PHI. As touchinge Paule Aunswer we will not greatly striue with them for hym but touchinge Cornelius they are greatly beguiled For Act. x. it is mooste plain that he was already illumynated borne of newe and that he did only want a plainer declaratiō of the gospel But what shall they proue by these few examples that al the elect and chosen of God are alwaies ledde with the spyrite of godlinesse No more shal they be able by those fewe examples too proue the same then shewynge and declarynge the Innocencye and integrity or vertuous conuersation of Aristides Socrates Xonophon Scipio Curius Camillus and of such like they shal be able to proue thereby that all they that be lefte in the blynd ydolatrye are louers of vertue and godlyenesse What neede we many wordes We haue the scriptures that teach vs playnlye the contrarye For the estate of the Ephesians afore theyr regenetion or newe byrth whiche Paul doth describe and set fourthe in the epistell that he hath written vnto them doth declare manyfestely that there was no such sede of election in them Ye were sayth he dead through trespasses sinnes in
of his heauenly kingdom of what estate condition or degre soeuer they be whether thei be kinges or subiects poore or ryche Iewes or gentiles Dy. But thys troubleth me sore that the Apostle saith that god hath closed vp al vnder vnbeliefe that he mighte haue mercy on al. Who wold not gather by these words that God wil haue al men to be saued PHI. The holy Apostle doth sufficiently expounde him self in another place Gala. iii. when he saith that the scripture did shut vp al vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesu Christ shuld be geuen vnto them that beleue Here do we learn plainly what they be vnto whō this promise doth perteine EV. It appeareth that it perteineth vnto al them that take holde vpon it by faith vnto none other But only thei that be ordeined vnto life euerlasting can take a sure hold by faithe vppon the promises of God as it hath bene already sufficiently proued by manye and sondrye places of the scriptures Therfore this promise dothe pertaine vnto them onlye And on all them that be ordained vnto lyfe euerlastynge and so take holde by faythe vppon the swete promyses that be offered vnto vs in the scryptures God wyll be merciful wythout dout PHILALETHES More ouer we must consider that ther in that place the blessed Apostle S. Paule dothe speake of the Iewes and of the gentiles declaringe and prouinge vnto them that they had no cause to boaste one agaynste an other For by the scriptures and word of God they wer conuinced found to be vnder synne and vnbeliefe But leaste they shoulde dispaire he dothe adde by and by that God wyll haue mercye on theym all not that he did speake of the hole body eyther of the Iewes or of the gentiles but of al them that shuld beleue of them both I meane from among the Iewes and the gentils DIDY Obiectiō It cannot be denied but that the fyrst part of the sentence or saiyng of Paule doth pertayne to the hole bodye bothe of the Iewes and of the gentiles For it is mooste playne and euydent that they were al synners and shut vp al vnder vnbelief Why shuld not the last part pertayne to the hole bodye of them both also PHILALETHES Because Aunswer that the promises of gods mercy do pertain only vnto those that take hold vpon them by faith But none do flye vnto the mercy of god and take hold vpon it by faith sauyng only those that god doothe lyghten and illumynate wyth hys holy spyryt But none dothe he illumynate and lyghten but those only whome he hathe ordained vnto lyfe euerlastyng As for the place An Aunswer to the place which is aleaged oute of Eze. iii xxxiii that he haue aleaged oute of the prophet Ezechiel it doth only declare that God is readye to pardon and forgeue any synner and to delyuer hym from the death that he hath deserued through hys synne trespace if he wyll repente and turne But what synners canne repente and turne vnfaynedlye excepte it be geuen them of God Ye knowe what Sainte Iames sayeth Iames. i. how that euery good gyfte cometh from aboue desendinge from the father of lyghts but to repent and turne agayne vnfaynedly vnto God and to take sure holde vpon hys mercy throughe faythe is a speciall good gyfte therefore it comethe of God and dothe descende from the father of lyghtes But thys specyall good gyfte dothe the Lord geue onely vnto hys electe and chosen I meane vnto them whome he hathe ordayned and appoynted vnto saluation from the begynninge euen afore the foundacions of the worlde were layed EVTRAPELVS we haue a notable example of the same in the two theues that hong with Christ They both receaued the lyke doctrine dyd see the like signes and tokens wherby they myghte haue knowen Luc. xxiii that Christ was the true Messias the only begottē sōne of god Yet one of thē only did repent and turne the other blaspheminge styl with thē that did put our sauiour Iesu Christ to death What other cause can we bringe of this but only that the one was chosen and the other was not ALBION I doo perceaue by youre sayinges that the promyses of God do then take effecte when they be receaued taken hold vpon by faith but where no faythe is there they be of no valewe Obiectiō Rom. iii. Why then doth Saynt Paul saye that the vnbelief of men can not make the promyses of god to be of nō effect Aunswer PHI. What say ye brother Albion cā the blindnes of any man make that the lyght of the sun shal be no light AL. the light of the sun shal be lighte thoughe all men were blinde PHI. Yet ye wil not saye that a blynde man can receiue any profit by the lighte of the sunne AL. There is a good cause why sith that he lacketh hys eies sighte PHI. And yet notwythstanding they that haue their eies sight do receiue profit of it I mene they haue the fruition of the lyghte of the sun and enioy the commodities of it AL. That is moste true PHI. So iudge ye of the promises of God they that haue faith take hold vpon them by it they receyue an vnspeakable profit of them and by them but they that haue no faith but contemne despise them can haue no profit by them that is to saye the promises of god are vnto thē of no effect whiche commeth not of the nature properti of gods promises but of mens vnfaithfulnes and vnbelief ALBION Nowe do I perceyue that they onely do enioye the benefit of Goddes promises that take holde vpon them by faith but this true faith is onely geuen vnto thē that are chosen ordained vnto life euerlasting wherby we may well conclude that the promises of God do only pertain vnto thē This thē shal be the sum of al A shorte sum of whiche hath ben sayed before that hath ben saied before how that god hath frō the begynninge ordayned and appointe some for to be felow heyers with his son Iesu christ of his heauenly kingdome and some againe for to be euerlastingly dampned in hell fyre and that whome he hathe ordayned before to enioy and possesse euerlastyng life them he hath chosen in hys sonne Iesu Christe afore the foundacions of the world were layde and that of hys free mercy and goodnesse and without any respect at al of theyr owne deseruinges or merites for to sette forth the glory of hys grace and to declare his mercye through out all the hole world But whom he hath appoynted to be the vessels of hys wrath them he hath accordynge to his righteous and vnsearcheable iudgements stirred vp for to be the examples of his iustice and for to be glorifyed by their dampnation wherin he dothe them no manner of wronge sithe that he rewardeth them accordinge to their naturall corruption whiche they haue of their first