on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
walke in their owne waies Surely God left not himselfe without witnesse among the Gentiles Acts. 14.16 by doing them good and giuing them from heauen raine and fruitfull seasons filling mens hearts with foode and gladnesse which all continually preached the clemencie of the free giuer Notwithstanding the Apostle affirmeth that the mysterie Colos 1. Rom. 16. whereof wee speake was kept secret in the ages and generations that are past And of old the mercie of the Lord which is not wanting in any generation was set out vnto all nations by the testimonies of nature but the doctrine of the Law and Prophets directed none but the house of Iacob and some few other who laboured to haue part in the calling of the Gentiles which should come at the length The third thing that seemeth worthie of consideration here is this The 3. admonition The word is preached alike but all profit not thereby and they that doe haue not the like measure of grace Ioh. 5. that albeit by the ministers of the word and of the grace of God the one truth and the same grace is preached to all and the same exhortation is vsed yet the like fruit followeth not in all For some profit by the hearing of the Gospell others doe not nay they be hardened and all that profit attaine not to the same measure of increase Whence commeth so great vnlikenes but from the vnequall grace of the caller No man commeth vnto me saith the Lord vnles the father draw him Euery one that hath heard and learned of the father commeth to mee And if all that haue heard and learned of the father The Lord must be our teacher or els we cannot learne come we gather with Augustine de praedest sanct cap. 8. that euery one truly who doth not come hath neither heard nor learned of the father For this schoole as the same man notably saith is farre off from the senses of the flesh wherein the father is heard and teacheth that men may come to the sonne There is also the sonne himselfe because he is his word through which he so teacheth neither dealeth he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart 1. Cor. 3. He onely must giue encrease or else all is in vaine But we heare also the Apostle saying Wee are Gods husbandrie and Gods building And Paul planteth Apollo watereth but neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God who giueth the increase From him is the beginning the progresse and the accomplishment of euery good worke Phil. 1. 2. He must begin to build vs and he must finish the worke as the Apostle saith He that hath begun in you this good worke will make it perfect vnto the day of Christ Iesu And againe It is God who worketh in you to will and to do And least peraduenture a man should aske why are these speciall benefits of grace giuen to some and denied to others he addeth in the same place Gods good pleasure is the cause that some haue grace giuen them others haue not that he doth so of his good pleasure To which sentence the words also Colos 1. doe manifestly giue testimonie where Paul saith that the mysterie kept secret from all ages is now reuealed vnto his Saints to whom it pleased God to make it knowne As if he should say that no not at this present is this mysterie made manifest to all and euery one but vnto the Saints of God that is to the Apostles and to such who by their meanes haue beleeued And least thou should aske why it hath been and is reueiled daily to his Saints and not to the rest he addeth straightwaies to whom he pleased as Theodorite and Theophilact haue well considered in the exposition of this place By all these things it is very plaine that the workes and gifts of the diuine grace are neuer bestowed alike vpon all A threefold calling but differ very greatly For wee see a three-fold calling One generall of all by the voyce of nature which neuer ceaseth an other speciall by the voyce of the Gospell which also alreadie is made common to all since the Gospell is preached in the New Testament to euery nation and thirdly whereby the elect are called whereof it is said Rom. â— Whom he hath predestinated them also he called not verely with that calling saith Augustine De perseu sanct lib. 1. cap. 16. whereof it is said Many are called few are chosen but with that whereunto whosoeuer belong they are taught of God Neither can any one say I haue beleeued that so I may be called because the mercie of God preuenting him he is so called that he might beleeue and none of these perisheth For whatsoeuer the father hath giuen me saith the sonne commeth vnto me and I will lose none of them Of this varietie of the grace and gifts of God soundly and plenteously intreateth the author of the bookes of the calling of the Gentiles whose words among other are these lib. 2. cap. 3. The height of the rich wisedome and knowledge of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out hath alwaies so tempered mercie and iudgement that by the most secret will of his eternall counsell he will not haue the same and like measure of his gifts to bee in all throughout all generations and among all men For he hath after one maner benefited those whom he thought meete to know him by the testimonies of heauen and earth and another way those for whom he would prouide not only by the seruice of the elements but also by the doctrine of the Law the oracles of the Prophets the signes of miracles and the workes of the Angels But what should be the cause or the reasons of these differences vnder the same grace while the Scripture is silent who shall speake saith he Let men with patience and quiet mindes be ignorant of a secret so farre from the thought of man wherein the knowledge of Paul the Apostle passeth from disputing to wondring Let a fuller handling of this argument concerning calling which whether it worke in euery man or people and among men generally is appointed from aboue and greatly to bee considered be fetched from the same author who was a man as the verie matter sheweth and Erasmus in his preface iudgeth diligently exercised in the sacred Scriptures and of a sound and sharpe wit CHAP. VII Testimonies of the old Testament are examined LEt vs proceede to the places of the olde Testament First the promise is cited Gen. 3. Gen. 3. The seede of the woman shall breake the serpents head This promise is to be taken saith this disputer of whole mankind and of the whole repayring of the whole kind Thes 33. But this disputer is farre wide extending the blessing which is proper to the Church vnto strangers for the sonne of the virgin The breaking of the Serpents head by Christ
plaine to euery one by the text that that vpbraiding pertaineth not to true beleeuers whose faith is effectuall by loue but vnto false Christians who hereby that they shew not their faith by works doe sufficiently declare that they are not indued with true faith but are blind and see nothing Certainly it is plaine deceit willingly to confound together those two most diuers sorts of men which Peter purposely seuereth and not to regard what agreeth fitly to either First vnto those that are truly conuerted and indued with a liuely faith in Christ belongeth that setting out of grace that the diuine power hath giuen vnto them all things belonging to life and godlines that they are called to glorie and vertue that they haue obtained great and precious promises and are made partakers of the diuine nature being escaped out of corruption in the world These things are spoken of them who had obtained like precious faith with Peter and his like which surely cannot be spoken of them who haue only an historicall and dead faith that is the faith of deuils and not of Christians Secondly by way of exhortation he carefully seuereth a liuely and a dead faith that they who haue a liuely faith doe shew it by workes and by adding to faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance long suffering godlines loue are not found idle and vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Iesu Christ Contrarily he pronounceth them blinde and such as see nothing but haue forgotten their purging from their old sinnes who haue not good workes Where now by Antithesis he directeth his stile against hypocrites and false Christians Iames 1. and 2. who as Iames painteth them out are hearers onely of the word and not doers deceiuing themselues and seducing their owne hearts And albeit they seeme religious yet their religion is meere vanitie and their faith dead But what is this to the true beleeuers are they therefore in danger of damnation because hypocrites perish in their vanitie Nay it is so farre off that the Apostle should teach that the true beleeuers are damned that contrariwise hee witnesseth that such as bee fruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord doe more and more confirme their vocation and election and that it shall come to passe that they shall neuer fall but haue a plentifull entrance into the kingdome of heauen That whcih is beside obiected out of 1. Pet. 2. that the reprobates also were laid vpon the corner stone Christ The 7. place 1. Pet. 2. we simply deny as being farre from Peters words who writeth of the disobedient Iewes who were offended at Christ that they were * Ad hoc positos esse non dicit impositos Christo The 8. place Gal. 3. 5. ordayned to this he doth not say that they were laid vpon Christ Out of the Epistle to the Galathians two places also are cited as that chap. 3. Paul warneth the Galathians Are ye so mad that when ye haue begun in the spirite ye would now end in the flesh Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine Also chap. 5. Therefore stand in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe in the yoke of bondage Behold I Paul say vnto you if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing ye are made voide of Christ as many as are iustified by the law are fallen from grace Of these words it seemeth to follow that they may be reprobated who haue been redeemed and set at libertie by Christ and who were truely iustified and regenerated and ingraffed into Christ as liuely members Expos epist. ad Gal. First I answere that it is not manifest that the Galathians fell away finally nay in the iudgement of Augustine they had not yet fallen or yeelded to the seducers but were wauering and did not fall away But yet not to contend about that whereabout I see interpreters disagree this is certaine that if they were already caried away with the error of the false Apostles Cap. 5.10 yet they erred not finally according to the saying of the Apostle J am perswaded of you in the Lord that ye will not be otherwise minded Whereupon also hee saith not flatly ye haue suffered so many things in vaine but by way of correction addeth which thing Huber of purpose concealeth if yet in vaine signifying that he is perswaded of better things and such as accompanie the saluation of the Galathians although he speake very sharpely to reproue them Question Why then doth he so intreate them as men that be in the extreame danger of saluation Answere Because those horrible euils which those seducers labour to insnare them in were greater than could be vttered and that sharpenes was good for the Galathians to keepe them in the doctrine of faith by the consideration of destruction Secondly the consequence of the propounded argument is denied which Huber would faine seeme to proue three waies First because some beginning in the spirite doe ende in the flesh The Syllogisme will be thus They that begin in the spirite are iustified and redeemed But some beginning in the spirite are reprobated because after they haue begun in the spirite they end in the flesh Therfore some of the number of reprobates were iustified and redeemed Here the Maior taken vniuersally is denied therefore the conclusion is of pure particulars The Maior is true onely of such as haue the spirit of iustification and regeneration But God doth not suffer those who haue so begun in the spirit to end in the flesh Phil. 1. but he maketh perfect in them his own good worke vnto the day of Christ Iesu Notwithstanding many begin in the spirit How many begin in the spirit as far forth as they professe the doctrine of the spirit or of the Gospell touching free iustification by Christ or else haue receiued also some spirituall gifts who whiles they returne not from their errors repugnant to the Gospell whereinto they fell or otherwise by their vnthankefulnes are depriued of those gifts of the spirit are said to bee perfected in the flesh whereas they began in the spirite His second proofe leaneth on the saying Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine But the Maior is false vniuersallie taken namely this That whosoeuer suffer for the Gospell in vaine they are reprobates hauing once receiued the grace of iustification 1. Cor. 13. For it may be as the Apostle witnesseth that they who haue not charitie and therefore neither true faith and iustification may yet suffer aduersitie but all in vaine Thirdly thus he proueth it As many as be of the works of the Law or would be iustified by works are subiect to the curse But some redeemed from the curse of the Law do fal againe into the Pharisaicall error of the righteousnes of workes Therefore some once redeemed are againe insnared in the curse Here the answere vnto the minor is manifest that they who are truely made
any man of sound iudgement he malapertly saith Thes 489. that the Caluinian ministers are the hangmen of the reprobates who draw them vnto exquisite torments that were from euerlasting condemned and doe hew them in peeces if that bee true that they heare the word of God vnto condemnation What then In what reckoning will he haue the Prophet Esay to bee to whom it was said when he saw the glorie of God Esay 6. Goe make fat the heart of this people and shut their eies Which place surely of the Prophet is repeated not rashly in the New Testament sixe times of the blinding of the Iewes Shall we therefore with a Huberian scoffe call either the Prophet or Christ Iesus whose glorie then Esay saw hangmen Farre be this malapertnes from a Christian heart 2. Cor. 2. But rather by the witnes of the Apostle we are the sweet sauour of Christ to God both in them that perish and in those that are saued to the one the sauour of death to death but to the other the fauour of life to life yet alwaies to God the sweete sauour of Christ in both respects Lastly it must be noted that it maketh no matter here whether it so come to passe either by the foreappointment or by the foreknowledge onely of God that the preaching of the Gospell vnto the reprobates turneth vnto their iudgement For both the foreknowledge and also the foreappointment of God is vnfallible Wherefore seeing the aduersarie cannot denie at the least foreknowledge in God for their more grieuous condemnation who will not obey the word the cauils already alleadged must of necessitie fall vpon his owne head And of these enough CHAP. XV. To the sixt absurditie I Proceed to that which was obiected of the Sacraments to wit Thes 37. The 6. absurditie that Baptisme is taken away That the Sacraments are taken away vnlesse with hand and foote as they say we bee of Hubers opinion touching the vniuersalitie of redemption Of Baptisme he giueth this reason that no certaine grace and saluation is promised to the baptized His argument will be thus By whose opinion no certaine grace and saluation is set forth vnto such as are baptized by their opinion Baptisme is taken away But by their opinion who think that by the death of Christ all men are sufficiently but not effectually redeemed so as al and euery one haue remission of sinnes and are receiued into the grace of God iustified and saued whether they beleeue or not by the opinion of these I say no certaine grace and saluation is propounded to such as are baptized Ergo by their opinion Baptisme is taken away Vnles the argument bee thus framed I see not how any thing can bee concluded to the purpose But the minor is denied Huber surely thes 1019. sendeth vs vnto the things which hee hath from his 386. thes vnto the 431. but if those be looked into and examined it will appeare that nothing is there contained sauing an extrauagant and idle heape of certaine questions ilfauouredly tumbled together concerning Baptisme But without such long circumstances O Huber this thou shouldest proue that vpon the setting downe of the contradictorie of thine opinion of the generalitie of redemption there would follow the ouerthrow of Baptisme and that therefore because no certaine grace and saluation can then bee promised to them that bee baptized This this shew if thou canst omitting thy manifold digressions whereby thou vsest miserably to intangle thy reader and turne him away from the point Surely as for vs The principall vse of Baptisme wee haue learned out of the diuine Scriptures and do constantly teach that the vse of sacred Baptisme tendeth to this end and that principally that it may seale and confirme vnto vs the promise of grace and eternall life For take away the promise of grace from baptisme and thou shalt take away the nature of a Sacrament because according to the vsuall definition of Augustine Augustine dâ—fition of it A Sacrament is a visible forme of inuisible grace Hereupon are those promises He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Mar. 16. And in the words of Peter Act. 2. Repent ye and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesu Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Also 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs. And Tit. 3. Of his mercie he saued vs through the lauer of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost and such like which are read in the Scriptures of the vertue of Baptisme Which things Basill in his exhortation to Baptisme wittily seemeth to comprehend Baptisme saith he is the releasing of captiues and debt the death of sinne the renuing of the mind the shining garment the way of heauen the getting of the kingdome of heauen and the grace of adoption For holy Baptisme is the seale of so many things to the faithfull Rom. 4. as the Apostle speaketh of Circumcision that it was giuen to Abraham for a seale of the righteousnes of faith teaching that Circumcision was not giuen for righteousnes but for a seale of righteousnes which is by faith And I say to the faithfull because neither the word nor Baptisme promiseth any thing to or profiteth the vngodly and vnbeleeuers For it is a word of promise He that beleeueth and is baptized Vnbeleeuers are not partakers of the grace of Baptisme although they be Baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned whether he be baptized or not And Ephes 5. wee reade that the Church is sanctified of Christ the bridegrome and washed in the fountaine of water in the word Why in the word Because euen in the water the word cleanseth and not the water it selfe as Augustine Tract 80. vpon Iohn expoundeth And the same man addeth Whence commeth so great force of water that it toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart but by the word which doth it and that not because it is spoken but because it is beleeued The same man vpon the 77. Psalme writeth thus of the Iewes Whereas the Sacraments were common to all grace was not common which is the vertue of the Sacraments So now also the lauer of regeneration is common to all that are baptized but grace it selfe whereby the members of Christ with their head are regenerated is not common to all Againe lib. 5. cont Donatist cap. 24. he saith that Baptisme may be without the spirit and that some of those that are baptized doe put on Christ while they are receiuing of the Sacrament others by continuing in holines of life That is common to good and euill and this is proper to the good and godly And truely it is in the schooles receiued and allowed Many testimonies prouing that Baptisme doth profit the beleeuer onely that such as come without faith and fainedly receiue the Sacrament and not the thing by the example of Simon Magus of whom Augustine
and his mercie followeth vs. It preuenteth vs being vnwilling that we may be willing it followeth vs being willing that we may not will in vaine 9. The Apostle concluding vpon both that is vpon mercie and iudgement saith Aug. ad Laur. cap. 99. Therefore he hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth He hath mercy doubtles of his great goodnes and he hardeneth through no vniustice because on whom there is no mercie shewed to him there is no vniustice but iudgement done But why both mercy and iudgement I meane doth deliuer or not deliuer this man rather than another it is attributed to Gods will which alone separateth such as shall be deliuered from them that shall not be deliuered seeing the common cause doth wrap all men in the lumpe of perdition 10. It maketh for our cause what the Apostle bringeth of the potter and the diuersitie of vessels The Potter for the potter not considering the deserte of the clay at his owne pleasure onely of the same clay formeth vessels of all sorts to honor and dishonor Therefore much more God is to be said to follow not the merits of men but his owne will onely in choosing and reprobating and yet with the safetie of his iustice whereof hereafter Notably saith the Wiseman Ecclesiastic 33. As clay is in the hand of the potter which he handleth at his pleasure so men be in the hand of God their creator to euery one of whom he rendereth according to his owne iudgement or will In like maner the Apostle Hath not the potter power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honor and another to dishonor And he annexeth concerning both vessels of wrath and mercie that those are made for destruction these are prepared of God for glorie But if God when he electeth or reiecteth should respect workes that power were nothing and any potter could doe more then God Vessels of wrath And although in the contrarietie of the vessels of two sorts it be not in expresse words set downe by whom the vessels of wrath are said to be made vnto destruction yet the similitude of the Apostle easily taketh away that doubt For the potter of the same clay maketh at his pleasure vessels to honour and dishonour Wherefore either this similitude of the potter will not aptly serue or else we shall frankly confesse that both vessels are prepared of God and appointed to their vses Lib. 2. de nupt concup ad Vuler cap 16. according to his purpose Hereupon Augustine plainely saith Are not the vessels of wrath vnder the deuill but because they are vnder the deuill doth any other make them than he that maketh the vessels of mercie or els doeth he make them of some other The vessels of wrath are vnder the deuill yet God made them for himselfe and he doeth vse them to good purpose and not of the same lumpe Neither yet doth God make vessels for the deuill but for himselfe as he that knoweth to vse them to his righteous and good workes euen as hee himselfe vseth the deuil The same man Ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. 2. Of the number of the vngodly whome God doeth not iustifie hee maketh vessels to dishonour neither doeth God hate in them that he himselfe made in his creation or ordinance to wit as they are men and as they are vessels but yet in that he maketh them vessels of perdition he maketh them to some vse that the vessels which are made to honour may profite by their ordained punishments What it is to be a vessel of wrath Epistle 105. And in the same place addeth that it is the work of the diuine ordinance that of the conspersion of the vngodly are made vessels of perdition for to be a vessel of wrath as elsewhere he expoundeth is for a man to be for his sinnes appointed to punishment who was created for the God of nature Therfore who may doubt that it pertaineth to Gods ordination Ad Moâ—â—num Marke this whereunto â—eâ—seâ—s of wrath are made So Fulgentius sayth Whereunto God predestinated the vessels of wrath thereunto he made them that is saith he to destruction and not to sinnes Let those whom this speech offendeth marke these things concerning the vessels of wrath prepared of God for destruction But therefore it offendeth them because they vnderstand it amisse as though it were concerning sin it selfe and not as touching the punishment for sin In which sense we also confesse that God doth not make vessels of wrath but find them rather CHAP. IX Answeres to certaine exceptions THese things might suffice for this place for the defence of Gods free election whereby out of mankinde freely and according to his owne power he chooseth some to eternall life and passeth by others without any respect either of worthines or vnworthines of workes in the men themselues But because a deceitfull minde that flieth the trueth and yet cannot auoid it seeketh many craftie shiftes and wayes to escape we must answere to certaine exceptions before wee proceed to other proofes out of other places of the Scriptures Erasmus in his booke that hee made of freewill The exceptions of Erasmus against the former doctrine by peruerting the places of Gen. 25. Mal. touching Iacob and Esau against which Luther sharpely opposed himselfe seeing the disputation of the Apostle concerning Iacob and Esau to stand against him excepted that the Oracle of God Gensis 25. The elder shal seure the yonger pertaineth not vnto the saluatioÌ„ of a man but vnto a temporarie thing and that God is able of his own free will to appoint that a man should become a seruant and poore will he nill he and yet be not reiected from eternall saluation And with the same purpose hee wresteth that place of Malachie that Paul alleaged Iacob I haue loued and Esau I haue hated that the Prophet doeth not seeme to speake of that hatred whereby a man is damned for euer but of a temporary affliction only of Esau his posterity that their countrey should be wasted without hope of repairing But hereto tende these exceptions as though Paul vnfaithfully which God forbid cited the scriptures or els produced those things for testimonies that could make little to his purpose As Erasmus was not ashamed to referre to this place that Aâ—â—ll speech of Hierome which Hieronyme elsewhere too proudly surely and vnchristianly yea prophanely writeth that in Paul those things disagree which are not repugnant in their places Which thing if it be true the Apostle abused the simplicity of the vnskilfull as wicked Prophyrie reprocheth him Answere But to the point First it is answered by granting that albeit propheticall testimonies should speake onely of corporall things which is not true The elder shall sâ—rue the younger yet that could nothing at all hurt Pauls purpose or ours For the weight of the argument lyeth herein that Iacob through the