this that chyldren beyng baptised in their infancye are coūted to departe this lyfe for their merites sake that are to cōe and that therfore other dye in the same age without baptisme because also their euell merites to come are forknowen but that neither their good lyfe is rewarded of God nor yet their euell lyfe condemned But that I maye speake myldly hath thapostle set no bounde beyonde the whiche it is not lawful for the rashe suspicion of man to passe Rm. 14. 2. Cor. 5. For he sayeth we shall all stande before the iudgement seate of Christ to receyue euery one accordyng to the thynges that he hath done by the body whether it be good or euel He sayeth that he hathe done he added not or shall do But what shoulde put this in suche mens heades to thinke that the merites to come of infantes that shall neuer be in dede should either be punished or rewarded I can not tel But why is it sayd that a mā shal be iuged accordyng to the thynges that he hath done by the body whē as many thynges are done by the onely mynde not by the bodye nor by any parte of the body and that many tymes so euel that suche thoughtes deserue most iuste paine as is this that I maye omitte other when the folyshe man sayd in hys herte ther is no God Psal 53. What meaneth thys then accordynge to tho thynges that he hathe done in the bodye but accordyng to tho thynges that he dyd whē he was in the bodye So that we may vnderstād by the body the tyme of the bodye After the dissolucion of the bodye no man shal be in the body vntyll the laste resurreccion Do you thynke that s Au. thought here vpō the Popes purgatory and not then to get any merites but either to receyue rewardes for good merites or els to be punyshed for euel merites But in this meane space betwene the puttynge of and the resurreccion of the bodye the soules are either tormēted or els do rest according to suche thinges as they dyd in the tyme of the body Vnto the which tyme of the bodye do also original synne belonge whiche the Pelagians do denye but Christes churche doth acknowledge the which when infantes dye beynge either thorow goddes grace pardoned or els thorowe goddes iudgement vnpardoned they do by the merite of the newe birth either passe from euell to good or els by the meryte of theyr first byrthe passe from euel to euel Baptisme of infātes This thing the catholyke fayth knoweth vnto this also many heretikes do agre wythout against sayeng But I maruel exceadingly vppon what grounde these men should thynke whose wittes as appereth by your letters are not to be despysed that euery mā should be iudged not only accordyng to those merites whiche he had as longe as he was in the bodye but also accordynge to those merites that he shoulde haue had yf he had taried longer in the body neither durst I haue beleued this but that I durst not mistrust you But I trust that God wyll so worke that they beyng admonished maye shortly vnderstāde that suche synnes as are counted yet to come yf they maye be iustly punished by goddes iugement in them that are not baptised that thei may al so thorowe goddes grace be pardoned in them that are baptised For who soeuer saye that the synnes to come maye onely be punyshed by goddes iudgemēt but may not be forgeuē by his mercy ought to consyder howe great iniurye he dothe to God and his grace as the the synne to come myght be knowen aforehande but could not be for geuen But yf thys be an inconuenience then oughte the infantes whiche should be synners yf they lyued longer to be holpen in theyr tēder age by baptisme wherby synnes are washed awaye The .xiii. Chapter BVt yf they paraduenture saye that synnes are forgeuē to them that repēt and therfore that these dieng in their infancy are not baptised because God knewe aforehande that they would not repent yf they had lyued but as touchyng them that are baptised and departe out of their bodies in their chyldhode God knewe aforehand that they would haue repented yf they had lyued But let thē marke and consyder wel yf thys be so thē chyldrē that dye without baptisme are not punyshed for original syn but for their owne synne which euery one should haue done yf he had lyued In lyke maner they that are baptised are not washed from original synne but frō theyr owne synnes whyche they shoulde commyt yf they had lyued bycause they coulde not synne before they came to age and discrecion but sōe are forsene to repent some that they should not repent and therfore some departe thys lyfe beynge baptised and some wythout baptisme Yf the Pelagians herde thys they would not nowe trauel in the denial of original synne and seke for infantes I can not tel what place of their ioye wythout the kyngdome of God namelye seyng they are conuinced that they can not haue eternal lyfe Ioh. 6. whyche haue not eaten the fleshe nor dronke the blood of Christe and forasmuche also as that is a false baptysme whych is geuē in the remission of synnes to them that haue no synne at al. For they woulde afferme that ther were vtterlye no originall synne but that the infātes whyche are losed from thys bodye are eyther baptised or not baptised accordynge to their merites that they should do yf they dyd lyue and that for their merites to come they dyd either receyue or not receyue the bodye and blood of Christe wythout the whych certeynly the can haue no lyfe In the dayes of S. Aug. yonge infantes receiued the cōmuniō and that they were verelye baptysed in the remission of synnes althoo they drewe no synne from Adam For their synnes to come are pardoned them where of God knewe aforehande that they woulde repente By thys meanes they myghte easelye preuaile and obtayne theyr purpose in denyeng originall synne and in contendynge that the grace of God is not geuen but accordynge to oure merites But seynge that mannes merites to come that shal neuer come are doutles none at all whyche a man maye moste easely perceyued therfore the Pelagians could not saye this muche lesse myghte these men afferme this It can not be declared howe muche I am greued that these which together wyth vs do by catholyke authoritie condemne the error of these heretikes dyd not se thys which the Pelagians dyd perceyue to be moste false folyshe The .xiiii. Chapter CIpriane wrote a boke of mortalitie commendably knowen vnto manye and almoste to all them that loue Ecclesiastical wrytynges in the whych he dothe afferme that therfore death is not only not vnprofitable vnto the faythful Why death is profytable but also is profytable forbecause it conueieth a mā away from the daunger of synnyng setteth hym in a saffetye from synnyng any more But what profyteth
ther be any suche lyke But he whome thapostle reprehended dyd not swelle agaynst brute beastes nor agaynst any other mā for any natural gyft whiche maye be also in the moste wicked but he dyd swell for some good gyft that apperteyned to a godlye lyfe ascribyng it to hym selfe and not to God when he deserued to heare who doth preferre the what haste thou that thou hast not receyued For althoo it be in the possibilite of nature to haue faythe do it therfore folowe that she also hathe fayth in dede For aldo it be in possibilite for all men to beleue Rom. 10. 2. Thes 3. yet al men do not beleue in dede For thapostle sayeth not what canst thou haue which thou hast not receiued that thou myghtest be in possibilite to haue but he sayeth what haste thou that thou hast not receyued Therefore to be in a possibilite both to haue fayth charitie is cōmō to the nature of mā The peculiar grace of gods electe but to haue faith and charitie in dede is peculiar to the grace of the faythful That nature therfore wherin is geuen vs a possibilite to haue fayth doth not preferre one man before an other but the selfe fayth is it that prefer reth the faythful from and aboue the vnfaythful And therfore wher it is sayde who doth preferre the what hast thou that thou haste not receyued Who so euer dare saye I haue fayth of my selfe I haue not therfore receyued it doth certeynlye resist this moste manifest truthe not as tho to beleue or not beleue were not in the choise of mans wil but the wil in the electe is prepared of the Lorde And therfore it doeth also appertaine to the selfe faith which is in the wil. For who hath preferred the What hast thou that thou haste not receyued The .vi. Chapter MAny do hear the word of truthe but some do beleue it and some do resyst it These therfore wyl beleue but the other wyl not beleue Who is ignoraunt of thys who do deny this The wyl of some is prepared the will of other is not prepared of the Lorde to beleue Rom. 11. But for asmoche as the wyl of some is prepared of the Lorde to beleue of other some it is not we muste certeinly put a difference betwene that that commeth of his mercy that that commeth of his iugemēt That sayeth thapostle which Israel sought he hath not obtained but yet the election hath obtained The remnaūt are blynded as it is written God hath geuen them the spirite of vnquietnes Esa 6 eyes that they should not se and eares that they should not heare euen vnto thys daye And Dauid sayeth let theyr table be made a snare to take them withal and an occasion to fal Psal 68 and a rewarde vnto them let their eyes be blynded that they se not bowe downe their backes alwayes Beholde here mercy and iudgement mercy in the eleccion which hath obtayned goddes mercy but iudgement in the reste which are blynded and yet the one beleued because they wold the other beleued not because they would not Mercye therfore and iudgement were wrought in the selfe wylles For thys eleccion cōmeth of grace and not of merites For he sayd afore euen so at thys tyme Rom. 11. ther is a remnaunt ** saued thorowe the election of grace Yf it be of grace then is it not of workes For then grace should not be grace That thē that the election haue obtained they haue obtained it frely For ther went no thyng of theirs before whyche they fyrst gaue god hath saued vs for no thynge Psal 55. that they myght be recompensed For he hath saued them for nothyng But the reste which were blynded were recompensed as that is also there declared Al the wayes of the Lorde are mercy and truthe His wayes are vnsercheable Therfore both hys mercy wherby he dothe frely delyuer and also his truthe wherby he doth iustely iuge are vnsercheable The .vii. Chapter BVt peraduēture they say The Apostle do put a difference betwene fayth and workes he sayeth in dede that grace cōmeth not of workes but he sayeth not that it commeth not yf fayth Yt is euen so Notwitstandyng Iesus sayth that euen faythe also is the worke of God cōmaundeth vs to worke the same Ioh. 6. For the Iewes sayd vnto hym what shal we do to worke the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vnto them This is the worke of God that ye beleue in hym whome he sent So then thapostle doth distincte fayth and workes as in the two kyngdomes of the Hebrues Iudas was distincte from Israel when as yet the selfe Iudas was Israel Therfore of fayth sayeth he that a man is iustified and not of workes because the selfe fayth is fyrste geuen wherby the reste are obtayned whiche are properlye called workes wherin men do lyue vprightly For he him selfe also sayeth you are saued by grace thorowe fayth Ephe. 2. and that not of your selues but it is the gyfte of God that is that I sayd by faith not of your selues but it is the gift of God And now fayth sayeth he cōmeth not of workes lest paraduenture any man myght be extolled For it is a common sayeng Therfore he deserued to haue faith bycause he was a good man also before he had fayth Acto 10. Rom. 10. S. Aug. meaneth that before Cornelius had the knowlege and faith that Christ was incarnate that he had dyed rysen agayne c. For Corne lius had the same fayth in Christ to cum that Abraham and the fathers were saued by For it is impossible forny to be saued without any maner of fayth in thonly mediator Christ For no man commeth to the father but by hī Ioh. 14. in Christ also is eternal life without whom is nothing but eternal death Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Esa 54. Which maye be sayd of Cornelius whose almes dedes were accepted and his prayers herde before he beleued in Christe and yet he gaue not almes neither prayed without al maner of fayth For how dyd he cal on him in whō he dyd not beleue But yf he coulde haue ben saued wythout the fayth of Christ thē should not thapostle Peter the chief buylder haue ben sent vnto him to haue buylded hym not withstandyng except the Lord shal buylde the house the buylders labour in vayne that buylde it And yet you saye we haue fayth of oure selues other thinges that apperteyne to the workes of ryghteousnes we haue of the Lorde As thoo fayth appertayned not to the buyldyng as tho the foūdacion I say belonged not to the buyldynge But yf it do chieflye and princypally belong to the buyldynge the buylder in preachyng do labour in vayne except the Lorde by his mercye do buylde the same within What soeuer therfore good worke Cornelius wrought both before he beleued in Christ and when he beleued and also after he dyd beleue ought to be
ascribed al vnto God lest paraduenture any mā myght glory or be extolled Wherfore the only maister and Lorde when he had said the wordes which I afore rehersed thys is the worke of God to beleue in hym whome he sente in the same his sermon he sayeth a lytle after I haue sayd vnto you that you haue sene me and not beleued al that the father geueth me shall come vnto me The .viii. Chapter VVhat meaneth thys that he sayeth he shall come vnto me but only that he shall beleue in me but that thys may be brought to passe it is the gyfte of the father In lykemaner a lytle after he sayeth murmure not amonge youre selues no man can come to me except the father which sent me drawe hym I shal rayse hym vp in the last daye It is written in the prophetes and they shal be all taught of God Euery one that hath herde of the father learned cōmeth vnto me What me aneth this euery one that hath herd of the father and learned commeth vnto me but only the ther is none which do heare learne of the father but that he cōmeth vnto me For yf euery one that haue herde of the father and learned cōmeth out of doubt euery one then which cōmeth not haue not herde of the father nor learned for yf he hadde herde and learned he should haue come For ther is not one that haue herde and learned that cōmeth not but euery one as the truthe sayeth which haue herde of the father and learned The subril worldly wyse dome wil not be a scolar in this scole cōmeth This scole wherin the father is herde and do teache to come to the sonne is farre aboue the vnderstandyng of the fleshe In this scole is the sonne hymselfe for he is the very worde of hym by whom the father do thus teache neither dothe he worke this in the ear of the fleshe but in the ear of the herte Ther is also together the spirite of the father the sonne for he dothe also teache together with the father and the sonne For we haue learned that the workes of the Trinitie are inseperable And thys is verely the holye Goost of whome thapostle speaketh but we hauyng sayeth he the same spirit of fayth 2. Corin. 4. But therfore chieflye is this attribute vnto the father because that the only begotten is begotten of hym and of him doth procede the holye Ghoste of whome to dispute more exquisytly woulde be very lōgerand further I do suppose that our labour of the Trinite which is God that is cōprehended in xv bokes is come into your hādes This scole I saye wherin god is herde and doth teache is farre aboue the reache of the wysedome of the fleshe We perceyue that many come to the sonne because we perceyue that many beleue in Christ but where howe they haue herde this of the father and learned The grace of thelccre is secret wherof hard hertes at not partalers ▪ we perceyue not For thys grace is verye secrete but that it is grace who douteth This grace therfore that is thorowe Goddes gyfte powred priuely into mens hertes is not receyued of any harde herte For to that ende is it geuen that the hardnes of herte myght fyrst be taken awaye Therfore when the father is herd within and teacheth to cōe to the sonne he taketh away the stony herte Ezech. 11. and. 36. and geueth a fleshy herte accordynge as he promysed by the preachyng of the Prophet For after thys maner dothe he make the sonnes of promyse and the vessels of mercy whych he hath prepared vnto glory Wherfore the doth not he teache al that they maye come to Christ Al are not taught to cōe to Christ but because that of mercye he teacheth all whom he teacheth but whome he teacheth not of iudgemēt he teacheth not For he hath mercy vpon whome he wyl whō he wyll he doth harden but he hath merci geuing that is good he doth harden recompensyng that is deserued Or els paradueture accordyng as some men thynke the distinction to be made these may also be the wordes of hym vnto who thapostle sayeth Rom. 9. Thou sayst then vnto me So that we maye vnderstande that the aduersary had said therfore he hath mercy on whome he wyl and whome he wyl he doth harden and so forth that is why dothe he yet blame vs For who tan resyst his wyl Dyd thapostell answere this aduersarye thus O man it is false that thou hast said no forsoth But he answered O man what arte thou that disputest with God shall the worke saye to the workeman why haste thou made me on this fashion hath not the potter power ouer the claye to make euen of the same lompe and so forth as ye knowe very wel And yet notwithstādyng after a certein maner the father do teache all to rōe to his sonne For it is not written in vayne in the prophetes and they shall al be taught of God the which testimony as sone as Christ had first recyted he added by and by euery one that haue herd of the father and learned commeth vnto me As we therfore speake trulye when we speake of any one scolemaister which is only in the cytie this scolemaister teacheth all in this cytie not because al do learne but because none that learne there any letters lerne of any other but onlye of him euen so we say truly God do teache al to come to Christ not bycause al do come but because no man do come any other waye But why he doth not teache al the Apostle hathe opened so muche as he thought mete to be opened because sayeth he God willynge to shewe his wrath and to make hys power knowen Rom. 9. suffred with longe pacience the vessels of wrath ordeyned to damnacion that he myght declare the ryches of his glorye on the vessels of mercy whiche he had prepared vnto glory Hereof it commeth that the worde of the crosse is folyshnes to them that peryshe 1. Corin. 1. but to them that are saued it is the power of God All these do God teach to come to Christ Whyche al are those that god wyll haue saued 1. 11. 2 al these wyl God haue saued and come to the knowlege of the truthe For and yf he would teache them to come vnto Christ which esteme the worde of the Crosse as folyshnes without al doubt they also should come For he neither deceyueth nor is deceyued that fayth euery one that hath herde of the father and learned Ioh. 6. cōmeth vnto me God forbid therfore that any mā should not come whiche hath herde and learned of the father Wherfore saye they dothe not he teache al yf we shal saye be cause they whome he teache not wyll not learne we shal be answered what meaneth that then Psal 84. The lord maketh of vnwillīg willyng Math. 5. that is sayd vnto hym
lyght of the catholyke fayth thys doctour dothe manyfestly testefye that the daungers and tentaciōs of sinning are to be feared vntyl the puttyng of of thys body after the whych no man shal suffer any suche thynges But and yf he dyd not thys wytnesse whē would any christiā doubt of thys matter How then to a man that is fallen and in the same falle myserably endynge thys lyfe and goynge vnto paynes dewe to suche how I say should it not haue ben exceding profytable for hym yf he had ben takē out of the place of tentaciō by death before he had fallen And thus yf we set asyde rashe contencion thys question touchyng hym that was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng is fully aunswered Neither ought therfore the boke of wysedome to haue suffered thys iniury whyche haue so many yeres ben redde in the churche of Christe wherin this sentence is also redde because it is agaynst them whych are deceyued in thextollyng of mans merites Who be the ennemys of grace ennemyes agaynst the moste manyfest grace of God whych do appeare chiefly in yonge infantes amonge whome for as muche as some departe thys lyfe beyng baptised and other without baptisme is euidently declared mercy iudgement but mercy that is frely gouen and iudgement that is dewe For yf men should not be iudged accordynge to the workes of theyr lyfe whych they had before deathe but accordynge to suche as they should haue had yf they had lyued longer he had receiued no benefyt whych was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng it should nothynge haue profyted them whych dye in theyr synne yf they had dyed before whiche no christian shall dare afferme The catholike faith is contrary to the pelagians errors Wherfore oure brethren whyche wyth vs in the defence of the catholyke fayth do impugne the pernicious error of the Pelagians ought not so muche to fauour this opinion of the Pelagians wherby they thynke the grace of God to be geuen accordyng to our merites insomuche that they go aboute to destroye thys true auncient and christian sentence he was takē away that malice should not chaunge his vnderstandynge because they can not abyde the hearyng of it and to afferme that opinion whyche we thought no man would haue beleued no nor yet haue dreamed that is that euery dead mā should be iuged accordyng to suche workes as he should haue done if he had liued longer in the bodye Thus it appeareth that that whyche we afferme that the grace of God is not geuen accordyng to our merites is inuincible insomuche that wytty men ropugning against thys veritie wer compelled to afferme that the Pelagians errors ought to be banyshed from the eares and thoughtes of all men The .xv. Chapter Christ ys a cleare light af predestination THe saueour himselfe the mediatour betwene god and men the mā Christ Iesus is also a moste cleare lyght of predestinacion grace and that he myght so be by what merites of his goyng before eyther of workes or of fayth dyd the nature of man that was in hym purchase thys Let it be declared I praye you whereby that man deserued to be assumpte of the worde coeternal to the father in the vnitie of persone the he might be the only begottē sonne of God Dyd there any maner of goodnes of hys go before What dyd he aforhande what beleued he what axed he that he myght attayne to this vnspeakable dignitie begā not the selfe mā whych was made and assumpte of the worde to be the only sonne of God euen from the tyme that he began to be man Dyd not that woman full of grace conceiue the only sonne of God Was not the only sonne of God borne of the holy goost and the virgine Mary not by the luste of the fleshe but by the singular gyft of God was it to be feared lest that man should syn thorough fre choise whē he should come to the yeres of discrecion Or had he not therfore frewyll that somuche the more that he could not serue synne For all these most wōderful gyftes and other yf ther be any more that maye be counted moste iustely and peculiarly hys mans nature that is our nature receyued in hym after a syngular maner wythout any merytes of hys goynge before Let man here dispute with God yf he dare say why haue not I also the lyke and yf he shal thus be answered O mā what arte thou that disputest with God and wyll not so be satisfyed but wyl augment his impudency and saye why do I heare O man what art thou Rom. 9. Seyng I am that I heare that is to saye a man and so is he also of whome I speake but why am not I also that that he is For thorough grace cam he to this excelient dignitie why is grace dyuerse where as nature is one Surely ther is no acceptiō of persons wyth God Acto 10. What I say not a christian but what madde man would speake these wordes In our heade then maye appeare vnto vs the selfe fountaine of grace from whence it doth spreade it selfe into all hys membres accordynge to the measure of euery one Ephe. 4. By the same grace is euery mā from the begynnyng of hys fayth made a christiā by the whych that man from hys begynning was made Christ of the same spirite is man also borne agayne wherof thys man was fyrst borne thorowe the same spirite there is wrought in vs remissiō of synnes by the whyche it was wrought in hym that he should haue no sinne God knewe aforehande that he would do these thynges wythout al doubt The selfe same is therfore the predestinacion of sayntes whiche dyd moste euidently appeare in the moste holy whych who can denye that do ryghtlye vnderstande the wordes of truthe For we haue learned that the Lord of glory him selfe inasmuche as mā was made the sonne of God was predestinate The doctor of the Centyls do crye in the begynnyng of hys Epistles Rom. 1. Paule the seruaunt of Iesu Christ called an Apostle put a part for the Gospel of Godwhych he promysed by his prophetes in his holy Scriptures of his sonne which was made vnto hym of the sede of Dauid after the fleshe whych was predestinate the sonne of God in power by the spirite of sanctification of the resurrection of the dead Iesus was therfore predestinate that he whych after the fleshe should be the sonne of Dauid myght be neuertheles in power the sonne of God by the spirite of sanctification because he was borne of the holy goost and of the virgine Mary The selfe same is that syngular takynge of mās nature vnspekeably wrought of God the worde that the sonne of God and the sōne of mā together and the sonne of mā for mās sake that is taken and the sonne of god for the only begottē sake that dothe take should truly and properly be called
I saye vnto you that it shal be easyer in the daye of iudgement vnto Tyrus and Sidon then it shal be vnto you They then shall be punyshed more sharpely these shal be punyshed more easely neuertheles punyshed shall they be Furthermore yf the deade are iudged also accordynge to those workes whyche they should haue done yf they had liued out of doubt because these should haue ben faythfull yf the gospell had ben preached vnto them wyth so great miracles they ought not verelye to be punyshed but they shal be punyshed The .x. Chapter IT is therfore false that that dead shal be also iudged accordynge to suche workes whyche they should haue done yf the gospel had cōme vnto the when they were alyue And yf thys be false ther is no cause why any ma shold say of infantes that peryshe dyeng without baptisme that this do therfore worthely happen vnto them because God knewe aforehande that yf they should lyue that the gospel should be preached vnto thē that they would vnfaythfully hear it It remaineth therfore that they are holden faste tyed in the bandes of original synne only that they go into damnacion onely for thys synne because we do perceiue that vnto other hauyng the same cause the newe byrthe is not geuen but only thorowe goddes grace The secrete and iuste iudgement of God And that by his secrete iudgement and neuertheles iuste because there is no iniquitie wyth God some shall peryshe by lyuyng wyckedly also after baptisme whych notwithstādynge are kept in this lyfe vntyll they maye peryshe whyche shoulde not peryshe yf they had ben holpen by the death of the body preuētinge their fall because no deade man is iudged either for the good or euell whych he should haue done yf he had not dyed Otherwyse the men of Tyrus and Sidon should not be punished accordyng to those dedes whych they haue done but rather accordyng to suche as they shoulde haue done they shoulde thoroughe great repentaunce and faythe in Christ haue optayned saluacion yf those myracles of the gospel had ben wrought amonge them A certeine catholyke disputer not of smal estimacion dyd expounde this place of the gospel after suche a maner that he said that the Lorde knewe aforehande that they of Tyrus and Sidon would departe from the fayth after thei had beleued the miracles that should haue ben done among them and that rather of mercy he wrought thē not amonge thē because they should haue bē more greuously punished yf they had forsakē the faith Luce. 11. 2. Pet. 2. Hebr. 10. which thei had receiued then yf they had neuer receiued it What nede I at this present to declare what maye be desyred yet in the iudgement of thys learned very wytty mā seyng that his selfe iudgement do mayntaine our cause For yf the Lorde of his mercye dyd no myracles amonge these wherby they myght haue bē made faythfull lest they should be the more greuously punyshed when afterwardes they should become vnfaithful because he knewe aforehande that they would returne to their infidelite againe It is then sufficiently and manyfestly declared that neuer a one of the deade shal be iudged of those synnes whiche God knewe aforehād he should haue done yf he be holpen by any meanes that he may not do them As yf thys iudgement be true it maye be sayd that Christ dyd helpe them of Tyrus and Sidon whome he wold should rather not come to the fayth then by departyng from the fayth cōmytte a more greuous offence the whyche he sawe aforehande that they would do yf they had come to the fayth Neuerthelesse yf it should be demaūded why it was not rather wrought that they myght beleue and that this might be graunted them that they might departe out of this lyfe before they should forsake the fayth I can not tell what maye be aunswered For he that sayeth that it was a good turne for them that should forsake the fayth that they myght not begynne to haue that whyche they should with greater wickednes for sake doth sufficiētly shewe that no mā shal be iudged of that euel whiche was knowen aforehande that he should do yf by any meanes it be prouided for him that he maye not do it It was therfore wel prouided also for hym whych was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge his vnderstandyng But why it was not thus prouided for the men of Tyrus and Sidon that they myght beleue and be taken awaye that malice should not chāge their vnderstandyng he could paraduēture make aunswere to thys whych thought it good to dissolue thys question after thys maner But I perceiue that it is sufficient for the trial of the matter whych I haue in hande that by the iudgement also of thys man it maye be declared that men shall not be iudged of those synnes which they haue not done althoo they were forsene that they would do them Neuertheles as I sayd I am also ashamed to confute thys opinion wherby it is supposed that those synnes shal be punyshed in them that are dyeng or deade whyche were forsene that they would do yf they had lyued lest it myght appere that we also dyd esteme this opinion of any valure whych we myght seame to kepe downe wyth disputacions rather then to let passe wyth silence The .xi. Chapter THerfore as thapostle saieth it lyeth neyther in the wyllar Roma 9. nor in the rūnar but in the mercy of God whych dothe helpe amonge the children also so many as he wyl altho they neyther rūne nor wyl whome he chase in Christ before the makyng of the worlde vnto whome he wyl also gyue grace frely that is to saye What is frely for no merites sake of theirs goyng before either of fayth or workes And he dothe not helpe those that are also of age and discrecion which he wil not helpe whome he afore sawe would beleue his myracles yf they had ben wrought amonge them Whome in hys predestinacion secretly but yet iustly he hath ordeyned to an other end All are not ordeyned to one ende Rom. 11. Psal 24. For ther is no iniquite wyth God but hys iudgementes are vnsercheable and hys wayes paste fyndynge out but all the wayes of the Lorde are mercye and truthe His mercye therfore is vnsercheable wherby he hath mercye vpon whome he wyll without any merites of his goyng before And his truthe is also past fynding out wherby he doth hardē whome he wyl for his merites verely goynge before but yet suche as are cōmon oftymes to hym vpon whom he hath mercy As of two twynnes wherof th one is takē the other for saken the ende is dyuerse but the merites are cōmon Amonge whō neuertheles as the one is delyuered by the great mercy of God so thother is damned by no iniquite vpon goddes behalfe For is there any iniquitie wyth God God forbydde But hys wayes are past fyndyng out Let vs therfore beleue moste certeinly
earthe vnto whome should we gyue thankes for thys so great a benefyte but vnto the Lord our God that worketh the same whiche by the lyke benefyte delyueryng vs hath chosen vs out of the bottome of thys worlde and predestinated vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde The .xiiii. Chapter The doctrine of predestinacion ys no hinderaunce to preaching BUt they saye that the definition and determinaciō of predestinacion is contrary to profytable preaching as tho it had hyndered the preachyng Apostle Dyd not that teacher of the Gentyls in fayth and truthe many tymes cōmende predestination and neuertheles ceased not to preache the worde of god Because he said it is God that worketh in us bothe to wyll and worke euen of good wyl dyd he not therfore exhorte vs both to will and also to worke those thinges that please God Phi. 2. Or because he sayd he that hathe begonne in you the good worke Phi. 1. wyll verforme it euen vntyl the daye of Christ Iesu dyd not he councel men buthe that they should begynne and also continue vnto th ende For the Lorde himselfe cōmaunded men that they should beleue and sayeth beleue ye in God and beleue in me Joan. 14. and yet neither was hys sayeng false nor hys determinacion vaine where he sayeth No mā cōmeth vnto me that is no man beleueth in me excepte it were geuen hym of my father Joan. 6. Nor yet because this determinacion is true therfore is that commaundement vaine Why then do we thynke that the determinacion of predestinacion is vnprofytable seyng the selfe same scripture of God dothe commende it that do teache vs to frequente and vse all these namely preachyng cōmaundyng exhortyng rebukyng Dare any man say that God knewe not aforehande vnto whome he would gyue faith that they might beleue or that he knewe not aforhande whome he would gyue vnto hys sonne Jo. 6.7 that he should not lose one of them all whych yf he knewe aforehande he knewe aforehande vndoubtedly those hys benefites wherby he dothe vouchesaue to delyuer vs. Thys precestinacion of saintes is nothyng els what is predestinacion but for the foreknowlege and preparacion of the benefytes of God wherby they are moste certeinly delyuered as many as ar delyuered But as touchyng the rest where are they lefte but in the lumpe of perdiciō by the iusse iudgement of God wherin wer lest they of Tyrus Sidō whiche might also haue beleued if thei had sene those wonderfull sygnes of Christ But because it was not geuen them that they should beleue therfore that was also denyed them wherby they myght beleue Wherby it appeareth that some haue in the selfe nature a gyft of god naturally to vnderstande wherby they maye be moued to beleue yf they shal either heare wordes or sesygnes agreyng and conformable to their myndes and neuertheles yf they be not in the depe iugemēt of God seuered and parted frō the lompe of perdicion thorow the predestinacion of grace the selfe wordes and miracles of God are not applyed vnto them wherby they should beleue yf they either herde them or sawe them In the same lompe of perdicion were the Iues also lefte whyche could not beleue the great and manifest miracles that were wrought before their owne eyes But why they coulde not beleue the Gospell hathe declared sayeng Job 12. but when he had done so many myracles before them yet beleued not they on hym that the sayeng of Esaias that prophet myght be fulfylled that he spake Esa 53. Lorde who beleued oure sayeng and to whome is the arme of the Lorde opened Therfore could they not beleue because that Esaias sayeth agayne He hath blynded their eyes and hardened their herte that they shoulde not se wyth their eyes and vnderstande with their hertes and should be conuerted and I shoulde heale them The eyes therfore of them of Tyrus and Sidō were not so blynded nor their herte so hardened For they had beleued yf they had sene suche miracles as these sawe but it dyd neither profyte thē that they myght haue beleued for they were not predestinate of hym whose iudgementes are vnsercheable and hys wayes past finding out Rom. 11. neither should it haue hindered these that they could not beleue yf they had bē so predestinate that God would haue lyghtned thē beyng blynde and would haue taken from them their stony herte heyng hardened Neuertheles that whych the Lorde spake of the Tirians and Sidonians maye be vnderitande parhappes some other waye yet he doth vndoubtedly confesse that no man commeth vnto Christ except it shal be geuen hym and that thys is geuen vnto them whych were chosen in hym before the makyng of the worlde whyche dothe heare the worde of God not wyth the eares of the fleshe but with the eares of the harte And that not wythstandyng thys predestinaciō whych is also declared by the wordes of the gospel very manifestly did not let the Lord to say the words whiche I recited a lytle before both to moue vs to begynne beleue ye in God and beleue in me and also to continue sayeng Joh. 14. that we muste alwayes praye and not be wery Luce. 18. For they vnto whome it is geuen do bothe heare and do but they vnto whom it is not geuen do not whether they heare or they heare not For vnto you sayeth he it is geuen Math. 13. to knowe the mystery of the kyngdome of heauen but to them it is not geuen wherof one of these belonge to the mercy Psal 100 the other to the iudgement of hym vnto whome our soule doth saye O Lorde I wyl synge vnto thee mercy and iudgement Neither thē should the faith that continueth and goeth forwardes be hyndered by the preachyng of predestinacion that they maye heare that whyche behoueth them to heare and that they maye obey vnto whome it is geuen For how shal they hear wythout a preacher Nor yet by the preachyng of fayth that goeth forwardes and continueth vnto th ende shoulde the preaching of predestinacion be hyndered that he whych lyueth faythfully and obediētly should not for the same obedience be extolled as tho he had not receyued it but had it of hymselfe but that he whyche dothe glory might glory in the Lorde Nothing is our owne Cipriane For we oughte to glorye in nothynge for nothinge is our owne Thys thynge Cipriane moste faith fully perceyued and moste boldlye determined wherby he dyd vndoutedly pronounce that predestinacion was moste certeine For yf we ought to glory in nothynge forasmuche as no thynge is our owne certeinly we ought not to glory of obedience tho it had continued neuer so longe Neither ought it so to be coūted oures as tho it were not geuen vs from aboue And therfore the selfe perseueraunce is the gyfte of God whych euery christiā oughte to acknowlege that God knewe aforehande that he would gyue to hys called beyng called with