on the contrary Gods knowing or foreknowledge of his is to elect them This is the foundation of God which stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his I could be more copious to illustrate this but this may suffice to satisfie those that be not quarrellous Babylonius But Sir howsoeuer you may conclude that Gods Election is absolute without any respectiue foreknowledge of any good or grace in vs in accepting grace offered yet the same cannot so well be sayd of reprebation that God should reprobate any but with a respect and foreknowledge of their disobedience and infidelitie For else God should bee vniust to cast away and condemne any without iust cause in themselues Orthodoxus Sir there is the same reason of reprobation that is of Election for both were out of the corrupt mafle wherein all men were equally condemned whereof some God called and chose out to life the rest hee left as hee found them guiltie of eternall death and vpon whom the sentence of death had now passed seazed Gen. 2. 17 So that for God to leaue some whom he would wallowing in their blood it is an act of his justice as to free others an act of his mercie Which Saint Augustine very pregnantly exemplifieth by a Creditor in whose power it is to acquit some of his Debtors and to exact of the rest to the vttermost as we noted afore This is setforth also in the types of the elect and reprobate Iacob and Esau who being yet in the wombe before they had done good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said to her the elder shall serue the yonger As it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Yet both Iacob and Esau were equally culpable in the wombe of originall sinne and so were children of death as all were in the wombe of our first Parents but the election comes and that makes a separation and puts a difference mercifully louing one and justly hating another and that before they had actually done good or euill that the purpose of God might stand according to election not of workes but of him that calleth So that the disproportion alledged by the Appealer was not betweene the elect and reprobate before the act of election but the election caused the disproportion not through any foreknowledge or foresight of any good or euill actually to bee done of either as the Appealer would inferre but Gods meere mercie on the one side and his justice on the other caused the disproportion And euen that place quoted by the Appealer out of Ezechiell makes altogether against himselfe though otherwise rightly alledged for if wee were in our blood if cast out if loathed if dead and yet if in this contemptible condition God saide vnto vs liue yea when wee were in our blood it is twice repeated ver 6. he faide vnto vs liue where is then that praescience of any good in vs moouing God to pull vs out of this miserable estate I am sure no mention of it is in Ezechiel no not in the whole Booke of God but the contrary as we haue proved no nor yet doth his pretended Goddesse indeede his nothing in the world the Church of England any where teach the same so nakedly yet shamlesly peremptory is this assertion of the Appealer hauing none to father his opinion vpon but Pelagius and his Disciples So weake and windy are his aspersions which he casteth vpon Caluin or vpon those whom hee calls Puritans for maintaining nothing but what the Scriptures plainely teach against his groundlesse and gracelesse opinion so that he fighteth against God and his truth against Gods glory and his grace against his Church yea the Church of England also Babylonius But Sir if the act of Election and Reprobation be without any respectiue foreknowledge in God of any actuall good or euill in man then what place is left for freewill or how can God bee just in punnishing the rebellious seeing he hath reiected them and denied them grace Orthodoxus Of freewill I suppose occasion will be giuen anon to speake of it by it selfe For the rebellious reprobate as he is justly reiected for his sinne in Adam so he is neuer but justly condemned and punished for all his actuall sinnes springing from that cursed roote Nor doth his reiection necessitate him to rebell the more against Cod his rebellion is from his owne peruerse will Nor is God bound to giue him grace But against all contentious quarrellers at the Doctrine of God wee cannot shape nor are we bound to giue a better answer melius enim non invenimus saith St. August many times against such cauellers for we finde not a better then that of the Apostle vpon the very same occasion Thou wile say then why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will Nay but o man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and another to dishonour c. The comparison is very pregnant God is the Potter wee the lumpe of filthy and foule clay cast out as the clay in the streetes yet if the Potter will may hee not take some of the clay and make of it vessels of honour and make of the rest foule and filthy as he finds it to dishonour seeing it was in his power to put the whole lumpe and that justly to baser vses But as the Apostle saith God makes some vessels of his mercy to make knowne the riches of his glory leauing the rest to be vessels of wrath sitted for destruction to make knowne his iustice and power In a word if Gods election be an act of meere mercy then it excludes all respect to any good that hee could foresee to be in vs for as the Apostle saith There is at this present a remuant according to the election of grace And if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded I will conclude with Saint Aug. Non solùm c. Therefore by the preaching of Pradestination the Elect is not onely not hindered from this worke to wit of sanctification but also is furthered thereunto that when he glorieth he may glory in the Lord. The Pelagians could say Siâ—â—â— c. If yee will not haue the obedience to which you incite and inflame vs to freeze in our hearts doe not preach vnto vs that grace of God which we confesse God is the giuer of and which you exhort vs vnto But Saint Aug. meetes with
them Ego autem nolo c. I will not exaggerate the matter with my words but I rather leaue it to them to consider that they may see what that is which they haue perswaded themselues that by the preaching of praedestination the hearers are possessed rather with desperation then with exhortation for this is all one as to say that then a man despaireth of his saluation when he hath learned to put his hope not in himselfe but in God Whereas the Prophet proclameth Cursed is euery one that putteth his hope in man Miror saith he homines infirmitatis suae se malle committere quà m firmitati promissionis Dei I wonder that men had rather commit themselues to their owne infirmity then to the stability of Gods promise Therefore we must not measure the wisdome of God in his word by the last or model of our owne braine Indeede mans reason when it stands alone seemeth very selfe-wise But if it bee compared and set by Gods wisdome then the folly of it is by and by discouered The Pontificians haue a plausible reason for their iustification by workes because say they it is a meanes to stirre vp men to good workes The Vniuersalists haue their plausible reason also for their vniuersality of grace as indifferenly offered to all men alike if they will but receiue it because say they all men may hereby bee won to imbrace the grace offered and so be saued But we know that neither the externall ordinary meanes are equally offered to all For many thousands haue not the meanes at all much lesse in an equall measure Againe the ordinary meanes doe of themselues worke no more but ordinary grace as illumination and temporary faith c. But the effectual sauing grace though it be not wrought simply by the ordinary meanes but by the especiall efworke of Gods Spirit in and by the meanes yet we know that the ordinary meanes are to bee diligently and reuerently attended of all men wheresoeuer God affordeth them Howsoeuer in all this generalitie Gods purpose and grace remaines firme to all the seede onely this is Gods wisdome Therefore if Gods worde satisfie not our carnall reason but crosse it rather shall wee presume by straining and wresting to fit it to our owne fancy and not rather submit all our humaine wisdome vnto it Euen Heathen Cato following Pompeis part against Caesar because he tooke it to be the juster and seeing Pompeis side declining and Pompey himselfe at last beaten out of the fielde hee looked vp to heauen and cryed In rebus diuinis magnam esse Caliginem that in diuine things there was a great deale of darknesse which mans wit could not discouer As St. Augustine in his answere to the Pelagians cauill in quarrelling the Scriptures about the imputation of sinne saith Quid si ego essem hebetior nec statim possem has rationes diluere an propterea minus deberem diuinae Scripturae credere Imò mullo magis conuenit vt ego ruditatem meam agnoscam quà m vt falsitatem sacris literis impingam What if my dulnesse were such as I could not by and by disproue these reasons must I therefore not beleeue the diuine Scripture Nay so much the rather ought I to acknowledge mine owne ignorance then to impute falshood to Gods holy word A rare humility and candid ingenuitie of this holy man captiuating all his carnall reason to Gods profound wisdome in the holy Scriptures Babylonius But Sir giue me leaue a little to apologise in the Appealers behalfe You say his opinion is impious as impugning the glory and mercy of God But doth he not say in expresse words that God did out of his mercy in his loue motu mero they be his owne wordes and not otherwise stretch out to mankinde lying in their blood in Adams corrupt loynes deliuerance in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy c so that you see the Authour doth ascribe our deliuerance to the mercy and meere motion of Gods loue to mankinde Therefore this his opinion is not so impious as you would make it as if guilty of high sacriledge against Gods glory and grace Orthodoxus Indeede Sir you say something for him as he doth for himselfe but that is said is so far from acquiting as it doth deepely accuse the Authour of high treason against the Maiestie of God and the throne of his grace True it is indeede that it was Gods incomprehensible loue to mankinde to ordaine for him such a Redeemer as was his owne and onely Sonne to assume our base nature and therein to liue and dye contemtibly An exceding great fauour of God towards man to shape make and fit his Sonne Iesus Christ as a most glorious robe to couer our nakednesse as some of this Pelagian race teachers of vniuersall grace make the comparison All this is well thus farre But is this all If Gods mercy and grace stinte here and goe no further farewell deliuerance we may wallow in our blood still we may weare our filthy nakednesse as our best garment still In vaine Gods mercy in vaine Christs death while it is left to vs to receiue and accept this grace In vaine doth a man tell a blinde man of a glorious sunne in the firmament which he wanteth eyes to see or a maimed man without hands of a goodly garment made vp for him vpon condition that none but himselfe must put it on such is our condition by nature we perceiue not we receiue not the things of the Spirit of God concerning Christ. Tell vs of the glorious sunne of righteousnesse risen who hath healing vnder his wings we are blinde we apprehend it not we are not affected with it as not sensible of our spirituall diseases Tell vs of the Robe of Christs righteousnesse dipped and dyed in his blood wee want the hand of faith to put it on yea we cannot duely prize it we disesteeme it we count it no better then that poore coare of his which the Souldiers cast lots for yea wee hide our faces from him hee was despised and wee esteemed him not saith Esay Yea we are by nature like those Lâ—odiceans we say wee are rich and increased in goods and haue neede of nothing and know not that we are wretched miserable and poore and blind and naked Reu 3. 17. But as God is the good Physician who of his meere grace and fauour prepares and prouides a remedie for our dead-sicke soules so he alone out of his free mercy must apply this remedy else wee can reape no more benefit by it then a sicke Patient of a soueraigne Cordiall while it is close kept in the Apothecaries box whereof he seeth the inscription and title onely We haue a pregnant example hereof in that man that fell among theeues who stript wounded and left him halfe dead vnable to helpe himselfe whom the Priest and Leuite passe by on each
they would seeme to giue most to God Therefore if this bee that which the Appealer sticks not to approue in the Councell of Trent I will bee bold to say as Saint Ierome did to the Pelagians * It is the Churches victory that you vtter your mindes plainely Sententias vestras prodidisse superasse est to discouer your opinions is to discomfit them And for him to say that God prouided a Mediator for all such whom he foresaw would receiue him to wit by the freedome of their will were a meere absurdity if man haue not an absolute freedome to grace And by the Appealers approbation of the Councell of Trent in the point of freewill he must confesse that man in his Naturalls hath at least some free-will to grace Which will agree well with that he said before touching Gods foresight of those would lay hold on grace otherwise it implies a flat contradiction For if there be no freewill in a naturall man towards grace then what willingnesse did God foresee in men to receiue his Son vnlesse that which himselfe did purpose wholly to worke in them Although not Gods owne worke which hee purposed to worke in man by giuing him faith grace was that which foreseene moued him to elect and praedestinate to saluation for then the meanes should in Gods first intention to saue mankinde haue taken place of the end it selfe which in the priority of order is the first in intention though last in execution yea haue taken place also of Gods eternall free loue the prime motion and sole absolute cause that moued him to make his election of those whom he would not who would him But the Councell of Trent and who so take part with it deales coldly and comes farre short in giuing Gods grace the due praise in the worke of mans saluation So that while they aduance mans will too high and too much depresse Gods grace they so part the stakes that they giue the right hand rather to freewill then to grace For what saith the Councell Si quis dixerit c. If any man shall say that mans freewill moued and stirred vp of God doth cooperate nothing by assenting to God stirring vp and calling wherby it may dispose and prepare it selfe to obtaine the grace of iustification c. Let him be accursed In this very Cannon is inuolued a great part of the mysterie of iniquity For note here Romes Legierdemam in iuggling with Gods grace She ascribes to God two things 1. a worke of mouing and stirring vp the will 2. Touching the obiect or end of this worke that the will may by the cooperation of a free selfe assenting dispose prepare it selfe to obtayne the grace of iustification Examine we the words a little Note what a slight and slender worke they here attribute to God it is with them but a moving and stirring vp iust like the confederate Arminians lenis suasio some gentle motion as if the will were but a little dull and lazy and must be spurred or sleepie and drowsie and must be awakened as Elias bad Baals Prophets to cry alowd to awake their sleepie God Yet this moving and shirring vp their Schoole-men and in particular Andrew Vega and Dominick Soto two grand sticklers in that Councel who being the two standard bearers of two strong different factions in that Councel the one of the Dominicians the other of the Franciscans bore a great swinge and sway in it and haue written large Commentaries vpon that sixt the mayne and masterpiece Session of that Councel as also Catharinus of that Councell too and so Bellarmine others of that crew they expresse this Motion I say stirring vp of the will to be vnderstood as an act of the first grace a grace which the subtile Schoolemen haue deuised distinct from their second grace Which Schoole-diuinity and subtile Sophistry is the yery ground worke of all the maine Decrees of the Councel especially of those contained and most cunningly contriued in that sixth session concerning Iustification Well But what may this first grace be Truely no other by their owne Doctrine but such as a man may haue and yet never attaine to iustification and so to salvation yet such a grace they say it is as by moving and stirring vp the will cooperates to giue assent and to dispose and prepare it selfe to receiue iustification to wit an infusion of inherent grace which they call the Second grace and so the will by giving free assent by disposing and preparing it selfe doth merit of Congruity the second grace although the Councel confesseth that the first grace is given freely without any precedent merit in man By which one devise of a poore I wot not what first grace whereby a man is not at all by their owne confession iustified and so will scarce proue worth God haue mercy they would elude and evacuate the Scriptures which so much advance and magnifie the worke of Gods free and effectuall grace in our first conversion and iustification as Rom. 3. 24. Being iustified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus For they turne the cat in the pan and because they cannot deny the expresse Scripture so pregnant and plentifull in setting out the free and vndeserved grace of God in mans salvation but are forced at least in words to confesse it therefore they haue no other shift but to restraine this free gift of Gods effectuall sauing grace to that onely which they call their first grace though no iustifiying grace at all Whereas the Apostle expresly in the forementioned place speaketh of the free gift of saving grace whereby wee are indeed actually iustified But the Trent Councell saith no where that that grace whereby a man is iustified which they call their second grace is freely given No they haue a freewill whose cooperating assent with their first grace produceth a merit of Congruitie to procure that their iustification may not be freely given but merited of Congruity For whereas they say chap. 8. that a man is said therefore to be iustified freely because none of those things which goe before iustification whither faith or workes doe merit the grace it selfe of Iustification for if it be of grace it is no more workes otherwise as the Apostle saith grace is now no more grace as the Councell hypocritically alleadgeth yet wee must vnderstand that the Councell meaneth no other here but to exclude merit of condignity from going before her iustification but not the merit of congruity And thus by her cunning equivocation she both keepeth good quarter with her Schoolmen and satisfieth the contrary opinions of Vega and Soto about the merit of Congruity in justification as ye may see in the History of the Trent Councell yea and thus also the Church of Rome quits scores with the Scriptures which exclude all merit of man from iustification and all by her futile distinction of a first and
this cloud is ouer it sends forth new rayes of grace It is the soule of the soule which euen in the middest of extream fainting of the soule yet remaines intire without diminution by the aqua caelestis of Gods neuer failing mercy actuates euery faculty of the soule afresh to the atchieuing of greater workes It is the ship of good hope which when couered with waues sets prayers to awaken Christ asleepe in it who by and by stilleth the storme or sends his Angel as to Paul to assure him that none in this little barke of ours shall perish but safely arriue vpon the hony hauen of Melita euen that true hony-flowing land of Canaan It is a fire which while raked vp vnder the dead ashes of deepe contrition though it seeme dead yeelding neither light nor warmth to our weake senses yet it is but fostered for a new fire that though heauinesse for sinne may indure for a night yet ioy of faith commeth in the morning feeding it selfe with the fewell of new works of obedience flaming forth in a holy conuersation The faithfull man as Dauid as Peter may be ouertaken with a dead sleepe of faith but awakened by grace his soule is inlightned that hee sleepes not in death but as the Sunne arising reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course with greater alacritie and vigor Thus wee see the fruite of sauing faith may be for a time suppressed yet the roote not supplanted the act of it may be suspended yet the habit not lost it may be ecclipsed to our sense yet his light not lessened or his course stayed it may bee in a dead sleepe yet liue faint yet not faile sicke yet not to death weather beaton yet not wracked languish yet not perish Babylonins But the famous Schollar Doctor Ouerall alledged by the Authour late Deane of Pauls and Bishop of Norwich held that a man might fall from grace into the very state of damnation and so remaine vnder Gods wrath till hee did recouer Yea that he auouched this to his late Maiestie and what concertations hee had with other Doctors in the Vniuersitie about it Orthodoxus If we take vp all the Appealer faith vpon trust without further examination wee shall recken before our host for hee playes the shuffler egregiously Nor will he I perceiue to saue his owne stake sticke to pawne the best credit of the most famous of our Church for the security of his most shamelesse slaunders of the truth And if we had not all the better euidence to conuince him he would carry it away hand smooth with downe right daring Pardon my zeale hearein I cannot but be moued when not only Godscause and glory then which nothing ought to be more precious vnto vs but also the credit of our learned and reuerend Fathers is so traduced But the summe of the Conference before the Kings Maiestie at Hampton Court now newly published in print will tell vs the plaine truth of the matter And that we may not with the Appealer falsifie the truth in dealing by halfes I will giue you the intire words of that worthy Deane and reuerend Bishop as they are set downe in the 42 page of that booke Namely that whosoeuer although before iustified did commit any greeuous sin as adultery murther treason or the like did become ipso facto subiect to Gods wrath and guiltie of damnation or were in state of damnation quoad praesentem statum vntill they repented adding hereunto that those which were called iustified according to the purpose of Gods election howsoeuer they might and did sometime fall into greiuous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the parts and sccde thereof nor finally from iustification but were in time renued by Gods Spirit vnto a liuely faith and repentance and so iustified from those sinnes and the wrath curse and guilt annexed thereunto whereinto they are fallen and wherein they lay so long as they were without true repentance for the same Doe we not see plainely here how hee distinguisheth betweene a common iustification in regard of the externall and ordinary meanes of the Word and Sacraments and the true and reall iustification according to Gods purpose yet in the first he maketh no mention of a totall falling away Or if the Appealer will contend that so much is implyed we will not contend for that for such as are not truely and really iustified according to Gods purpose but onely according to the externall vocation no maruaile if they both totally and finally fall away But for those that are iustified according to Gods purpose to wit the elect and praedestenate vnto life he saith expresly that though they may and doe fall into greiuous sinnes yet they neuer fall either totally or much lesse finally from the grace of God but are in time renewed by Gods Sririt vnto a liuely faith and repentance A golden speech which all the Apealers chimicall counterfeit Philosophers stone cannot so easily transmute into his base copper alcumy coyne how brauely and boldly soeuer he braze it on according to his rule Caluâ—niare audacter aliquid barâ—bit To conolude this point of perseuerance in true grace it stands firmely built vpon sure grounds and euident reasons set downe in the Scriptures such as no wit of man or deuill can ouerthrow For the purpose one reason of the elects perseuerance in grace vnto glory is taken from the nature of that holy feare which God puts in the hearts of all his faithfull ones as Ier. 32. 39 40. where the Lord saith I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer c. And I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So here is a double reason of the Saints perseuerance first on Gods part He will not turne away from them to doe them good and that by an eternall couenant And secondly they shall not depart from him Vpon which words Saint Augustine saith Quod quid est aliud quam talis actantus erit timor meus quem dabo in cor coruÌ„ vt mihi perseueranter adhareant which what is it else but that my feare which I will put in their hearts shall bee such and so great that they shall perseueringly cleaue vnto me A second reason is alledged Ioh. 13. 1. drawne from the immutabilitie and eternity of Christs loue to his elect saying Hauing loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the end * And as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance A third reason of the Saints perseuerance is taken from the power of Christ and of the Father Ioh. 10. 28. where Christ saith I giue vnto
praedestinating without any respect or preuision of their workes as a grand error which hee chargeth Caluin with neither would I willingly or wittingly conceiue or coniecture of the Appealers extended sense otherwise than by himselfe is not onely intended but clearly enough expressed as may be seene in his 7. chapter 1. part in sundry places But for Master Caluin wee haue sufficiently cleared him from the Appealers calumny notwithstanding hee spend a great part of his said 7. chap. in heaping vp testimonies of Fathers and all vpon a false surmised ground and so all to no purpose except to vent I would to cure the ouerflowing of that humour of the Gall which hath caused his Appeale to bee all ouerspread with the yellow yea with the blacke Iawndise For Master Caluin holds with Saint Augustine Gods election to bee out of the corrupt masse and reprobation of the rest already condemned by that sentence of death In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death But for the Appealers owne opinion concerning Gods decree of election and praedestination it may not be passed by in silence First hee saith There must needes first bee a disproportion before there can bee conceiued Election or Derelection What he meaneth by disproportion hee tells a little after namely betweene those who now condemned in Adams laynes God did forsee would accept of deliuerance offered them in and by Christ and the rest whom he foresaw would reiect this deliuerance His very words are God out of his mercy c. stretched out to them that is to all now condemned in Adams loynes deliuerance in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him So that by the Appealers saying here no pradestination without a disproportion conceiued to goe before and this disproportion betweene the parties to be elect and reprobate is discouered by Gods preuision of both their workes hee foreseeing that the one would receiue and accept grace offered and the other refuse it vpon which preuision the Appealer would build Gods decree of prâ—destination and election an opinion no lesse gracelesse then groundlesse and if I should call it in plaine termes most impious and blasphemous against Gods pure glory and preciourgrace although I should doe the Appealer no wrong in it yet I should raise a Waspes nest about mine eares But wee must not feare to speake the truth and to oppose such blasphemy because of mens mischieuous and no lesse boundlesse then groundlesse malice especially in such a case wherein Gods glory is so deepely ingaged This opinion of the Appealer is very plausible to flesh and blood for mans pride would still be arrogating something to it selfe and be a fingering of one of Gods speciall peculiars his glory This was that poison which the Serpent infused and breathed into our first Parents Eritis sicut Dii c. Yee shall bee as Gods selfe-wise and selfe-sufficient And this poyson wee haue all sucked in with our Nurses milke wee will be at least fellow-sharers with God in the worke of our saluation O this pleaseth vs well Saint Augustine himselfe confesseth that hee was once of this opinion that God elected men out of his preuision and foresight of their faith c. But this he imputeth to his ignorance in his yonger yeares and therfore in his riper iudgment and further insight into the mystery of God hee retracteth his opinion in his first booke of Retractations cap. 23. yet our age wanteth not gray heads and white heires who with their grâ—â—nâ— wits will rather approue of the opinion of young then the iudgment of old Saint Augustine and to retract his Retraction Now for this opinion of Gods Election ruled by his praescience or premission of workes if we seeke some eminent authoritie and venerable antiquity for it S. Augustine can best resolue vs. For the Antiquitie of it wee haue Saint Augustines time for authoritie the Pelagian heresie Praesciebat ergo c. He foreknew then saith the Pelagian who would be holy and immaculate by their free-will and therefore in that his praescience whereby he fore-knew they would be such he Elected them before the foundation of the world Which opinion of Pelagius now reviued by our Appealer and his S. Augustine answereth most divinely from the Scriptures Intueamur ergo c. Let vs therefore peruse the words of the Apostle and let vs see whether God did therefore chuse vs before the foundation of the world because we would become holy and immaculate or that we might be so Blessed be God saith he and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Non ergo quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus He chose vs not therefore because we would be such but that we might be such Nempe certum est c. For it is certaine for it is manifest that therfore we would become such because he chose vs predestinating vs that we should become such by his grace And marke saith he what the Apostle addeth Secundum plâ—citum c. According to the good pleasure of his will lest in so great a benefit of the grace of God we should glory in the pleasure of our owne will And much more doth this holy man sweetly apply to the same purpose out of that heavenly Chapter the first to the Ephesians whereof he saith Nimis longum est de singulis disputare It were too long to traverse every circumstance And he concludes Cerâ—itis autem proculdubio c. You see then doubtlesse you see with what evidence of Apostolick eloquence this grace of God is defended against which humanie merits are advanced as if man gaue something first that he should bee recompensed Elegit ergo c. God therefore chose vs in Christ before the foundation of the world praedestinating vs vnto the Adoption of sonnes not because we would of our selues become holy and blamelesse but bee elected and praedestinated vs that wee might be such And this he did according to the good pleasure of his will that no man should glory of his owne but of Gods good will towards him Out of this purpose of God is that calling which is proper to the Elect to whom all things cooperate for good because according to his purpose not their owne they are called to be Saints c. And to cleare this point yet more he induceth an obiection of some who though aduersaries in part to the Pelagians yet they would impute Praedestination to Gods praescience in regard of faith The Pelagians say they are of opinion that receiuing once the commandement of God wee become holy and immaculate of our selues by our free will which God foreseeing did