absurdly heaped together as nothing is more absurd For if the originall of these absurdities be considered they spring not from our doctrine but froÌ„ the braine of a malitious person impudently assailing the trueth and of a wicked desire to brabble and slander babbleth foolishlie what he pleaseth according to the rule Accuse thou falsely with boldnes alwaies something taketh fast hold And the very handling is a meere Chaos and a confused heape breathing out nothing but babling and impudencie It euery where floweth with so many digressions repetitions and cuckow songs and as though he had no propounded marke he catcheth at one thing after another so that to him that readeth these things that thing will befall which happened long agoe to a king of the Lacedemonians who when hee had heard an Embassador making an oration on a time very long but confusedly answered briefly and pithily J haue forgotten the first things Huber in Comp. Thes I vnderstand not the last But it is well done that this slanderer who in his booke is carried with a desire to contend I know not whither doth in order rehearse that it maybe certaine what he meaneth those strange absurdities which he saith doe necessarily follow of the doctrine of Caluin as hee calleth it touching the redemption of mankinde for hereof is the question And these they be 1. That all Christian religion and faith is called into question 2. That the face of the Scripture is such that it is made more like to the most lying Alcaron then to the truth of the eternall God 3. That the Catholike and true Church is condemned which hath beleeued and alwaies with one mouth confessed that Christ died for all men 4. That men are driuen to desperation when no man can haue any certaintie of his saluation for that our consolation and Diuinitie consisteth of pure particulars 5. That the whole preaching of the Gospell is abrogated 6. That the Sacraments are taken away 7. That God is accused of deceit and lying 8. That Christ is accused as a deliuerer of God and men 9. That this also followeth specially if the doctrine of Predestination also as our men iudge of it bee considered that God is worthily accused which God forbid of crueltie of reioycing at other mens euils of iniustice and in a word of the vilest sinnes Oh villanies most worthie to be detested of al men Who is not astonied and greatly abashed at such hainous false accusations But let vs heare how he proueth these his absurdities and relying vpon the truth 3. Esra 4. then which nothing is more strong let vs defend our selues against the bitings of this Sycophant CHAP. XI An Apologie or answere to the first and second accusation FIrst therefore he laieth to our charge and accuseth our opinion of vniuersall redemption that thereby doubtles all Christian religion and faith is called into question Why so we require of thee Huber the proofe of so great a crime seeing that no man shall be innocent if it bee sufficient to accuse onely If any Article saiest thou bee approued in Scripture Thes 4â—8 and in the rest following and bee throughout euery side of the leafe taught and plainly declared it is this truly that Christ died for the whole world no man excepted Therefore to denie this Article is nothing else then to charge the whole Scripture with falsehood For if no credit bee giuen to these things indited so soundly and largely by the holy Ghost and containing the summe of the whole Gospell what shall be attributed to the whole Scripture I answere The antecedent is denied to wit The confutation of the first accusation that the doctrine of vniuersall redemption as Huber interpreteth it is the doctrine of the holy Ghost as though all sinnes were alike by the death of Christ forgiuen to all men beleeuers and vnbeleeuers receiuers and contemners For as we haue seene aboue this cannot be plainely shewed by the heape of testimonies which are brought but this is the testimonie of all the prophets and Apostles with one consent and the summe of the Gospell Acts 10.43 that whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus of Nazareth shall receiue remission of sinnes through his name And hereafter also when we shall come to the proofe of our true opinion we will at large make it plaine what the Scriptures teach vs of this present controuersie Wherefore it is the Gospell of men and not of Christ that euery one whether he doe beleeue or not doth receiue remission of sins through his name Therefore let those men lay aside this boasting of Scripture who so plainely contradict the foundation of the Scripture and let them take heede least their owne foote be snared in the gin they haue layed For if they are to be said to stirre vp warre against the Scripture and to ouerturne religion and Christian faith who gainesay the summe of the whole Gospell what reckoning shall the Christian world make of these men The confutation of the second The second accusation ringeth of nothing but Mahumetisme Paganisme Iudaisme by the same lying spirit whereby the Iewes raging against Christ cast in his teeth Samaritanisme and that I may so speake Satanisme Whereupon also seeing the seruant is not aboue his Lord nor the Disciple aboue his Maister we nothing regarde this reproach as other innumerable And that the vanitie of it may appeare all the colour of blame lieth in this In the Alcoran God thus speaketh to the Turkes Disciples of Mahomet If we would we could giue a good and sure way of saluation to euery nation â—â—es 2.76 but now our word is established that Hell may be filled with the society of Diuels and men Therefore it is the doctrine of Mahomet that surely God is able to saue all people nations and men but he will not and that for this cause because he hath from eternitie and vnchangeablie decreed to declare his iustice in the damnation of diuels and reprobate men But albeit this slander doth not much pertaine to this present purpose and therefore may bee omitted for the controuersie now is of Redemption not of Predestination which the aduersarie euery where mingleth by that dexteritie of method whereby he thrusteth this accusation into the second classe whereas it should belong to the third yet that all men may know this shameles person I say that it is a meere cauill and babling For as in the writings of Heathens Whatsoeuer the Turkes and heathens teach hold is not therefore to be condemned as â—â—lonious and wicked for they teach many things agreeing with the trueth of Christian religion so also in the religions of the Gentiles Turkes and others as also of heretikes a man may finde many things agreeing with the trueth of Christian Religion Which things are so farre off from making Christian faith to be in any part suspected or disabled in any poynt that on the contrarie they establish and strengthen the same Otherwise
the Minor of the argument is false for he that hath knowledge knoweth himselfe to beleeue as before hath been shewed And whosoeuer beleeueth A man may know himselfe to haue faith and so to haue Christ Luk. 22. Matth. 26. is partaker of the merits of the death and humiliation of our Lord Iesus Christ as he saith this is my body which is giuen for you and this is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for you as Luke hath or as Matthew saith which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Why saith he for many Because albeit the blood of Christ be shed for all as touching sufficiencie yet it was shed for the regenerate onely as touching efficiencie as I shewed before out of Innocentius Whereupon Basil saith All of vs as many as do beleeue Exhortat Baptis are redeemed from sinnes by the grace of God which is through his onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who said This is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes which exposition he twise repeateth in his Sermon following of Baptisme for many that is for all beleeuers the blood of Christ was shed CHAP. XVI An answere to the residue of the Absurdities HVber goeth on and that he may maintaine any way his opinion he obiecteth also other absurdities so horrible that a godly minde cannot but tremble in thinking of them as Hubers blasphemies that God is accused of fraud and lying Of fraud in that he saith one thing and thinketh another Of lying in that by word he offereth and commandeth to receiue things which in the meane while by his irreuocable iudgement he forbiddeth to receiue Also that Christ by his passion hath mocked God and men and that the mightie and holy Lord of hosts is worthily accused of crueltie iniustice reioycing at mens harmes and of other great euils agreeing rather to a most cruell tyrant then to God For such and so many words doth his rude and shameles mouth vtter often or rather roreth out But these be the sleights of the aduersarie issuing out of the same forge that his other lyes and slanders doe too too presumptuous truly But because those obiections and mocks excepting only the last saue one respect not so fitly the doctrine of Redemption as of Predestination which treatises Huber here and there without order confoundeth and are long agoe largely confuted by Doctor Luther in his booke of seruile freewill I will not suffer my selfe in refuting them to be carried beside the matter I haue in hand One or two places onely of Luther I will alleadge for their sakes who depend vpon that mans authoritie that they may vnderstand that the doctrine of Luther is wounded through our sides He therefore in his answere to the place of Ezech. 18. Luther de seruo arbit cap. 107. seq J will not the death of a sinner confirmeth the receiued distinction of a double will in God which truly was wont to bee so distinguished for our capacitie And one will he one while calleth secret fearefull and vnsearchable other while the most reuerend secret of Gods maiestie sometime the hidden God but the other will A double will in God he calleth one while the reuealed will other while the word preached sometime God preached and worshipped How God willeth and willeth not the death of a sinner Eze. ca. 18. and proceedeth after this sort God doth many things which he hath not shewed vs in his word and he willeth many things which in his word he doth not shew that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner in his word that is in his will reuealed in his word but he willeth it by his vnsearchable will Therefore it is well said If God will not the death of a sinner wee must impute it to our will that we perish well I say if it bee vnderstood of God preached For he willeth that all men be saued while he commeth vnto all by the word of saluation and it is the fault of the will which doth not admit God as Matth. 25. it is said How often would I gather thy chickens and thou wouldest not But why Gods maiestie taketh not away this fault of our wil or changeth it in all or why he doth impute it vnto man seeing he cannot want it we may not inquire and if thou wouldest inquire yet thou shalt neuer finde it as Paul Rom. 9. saith Who art thou then that reasonest with God Againe it is sufficient saith Luther to know that God so willeth and this will it is meete we should reuerence loue and adore restraining the rashnes of our reason Here Luther sufficiently sheweth that it pertaineth to his reuealed will that God willeth the conuersion and saluation of all and to his hidden will that he neither giueth nor purposeth to giue conuersion and saluation to all but to whom he will according to his meere good pleasure Neither are these cōtrarie one to another The hid and reuealed will are not contradictorie therefore no suspition of fraude or lying in God as though God spake one thing and thought another when we say that he willeth that is commandeth that all repent and beleeue the Gospell to saluation and yet that he will not worke in all men faith and repentance Euen children may perceiue that here is no contradiction because of the diuers signification of the word will The same man cap. 160. God is not vniust or one that reioyceth at mans miserie This surely offendeth common sense and naturall reason that God of his meere will forsaketh hardeneth and damneth men as though he who is said to be of so great mercie and goodnes delighted in the great and eternall paines and torments of miserable persons This seemeth wicked cruell and intolerable to imagine of God But here the most mercifull God ought to be honoured and reuerenced and wee must referre freely some thing vnto his diuine wisedome that he may bee beleeued to be iust A notable saying where he seemeth to vs to bee vniust For if such were his iustice as might be iudged by mans capacitie to bee iust it should not be altogether diuine and should differ nothing from humane iustice But seeing God is true and one wholly incomprehensible and inaccessible by mans reason it is meete yea necessarie that his iustice also be incomprehensible c. Therefore what peruersenes is this that wee should destroy the iustice and iudgement of God These and many other such things hath Luther against such as contend with their maker Esay 45. Brentius in 1. Sam. 2. v. 25. Brentius also vpon those words touching Elies sonnes They heard not the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them subscribeth vnto this doctrine and concludeth this whole question in these words Therefore that they may be punished according to the worthines of their deserts the Lord
discerneth from that hidden will whereat man must trembl whervpon alone he saith all things doe depend namely who shall receiue the word and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who shall be blinded who shall be damned and who shal be iustified Neither doeth Brentius teach otherwise of the vniuersality of Christian redemption Brentius exp Catech. Arâ—â— de rem pecc quaest quà m laté paceat namely that all sinnes are pardoned all men for Christes sake whosoeuer they be Iewes or Gentiles kings or priuate men free men or bond so that they come to the Church of Christ and beleeue in him For whosoeuer saith hee beleeueth in Christ and is baptized in his name receiueth remission of sinnes and the right into the heauenly inheritance And by name hee often saith that this benefite is not receiued but by faith c. Briefly by this mans iudgement forgiuenes of sinnes receiuing into fauour into the number of the saints adoption also the right of the heauenly inheritance in al which points we vnderstand that redemptioÌ„ consisteth are the proper gifts of the Church of the saints and of true beleeuers stretcheth far wide as the Church of Christ doth and they are neuertheles rightly said to belong to all as far forth as no man of what degree or condition soeuer is hindred froÌ„ them so that he doe beleeue Whereunto belongeth also that exposition whereof wee before made mention in Matth. 1. To whom is Iesus a Iesus that is a Sauiour from their sinnes the Euanglist saith he shall saue his people He doth not saue strangers but his owne people They be strangers as many as beleeue not in him and they are his owne as many as acknowledge and imbrace him by faith be they Iewes or Gentiles c. Let the disputers of Tubinge if they can make these things agree with the deuise of their braine that all wholly whether they come to Christ by faith or no are freed from all sinne and condemnation receiued into grace iustified quickened Huber thes 1059. and accounted in the number of Saints and that all no one excepted are that people of Christ whereof it is said he shall saue his people from their sinnes But let them heare another of their friendes also openly pronouncing that Christ died for all men Ilirie in Io. 12. ver 52. in ver 31. because by him not onely the Iewes but also the elect of God whersoeuer ought to be saued who from the East and West are gathered to Abraham their father Againe the merite of Christ saith he is found to surmount exceedingly in the iudgement of God the sinnes of the whole world and so Christ and all his members not the members and vessels of Satan are pronounced righteous And he addeth that therefore chiefly Christs victorie against Satan was referred to the time of his death because then by the merite of his death was that treasure of victories obtained which otherwise is distributed to the beleeuers in all times And by and by here is the difference betweene the power and the act or the purchase and the application or the right and the possession In the Merite and purchase of the right or in power Satan was at that time of his passion cast out of all men and so out of the whole world but in application or acte onely of the beleeuers is he cast out at all times Let that distinction of power and act or of sufficiency and efficiencie bee well obserued as this authour doeth fully explaine himselfe when vpon the wordes of Iohn 1. Epistle 2. hee writeth the chiefe point of the cause of the aduersaries in these wordes when hee saith for our sinnes hee meaneth the beleeuers whom the passion of Christ doth in very deed profite In that he addeth of the whole world he vnderstandeth it of the power because the benefites and merite of Christ lye open for all and all may be saued fully by his satisfaction so excellent sufficient and precious is his merite if they vouchsafe to lay hold vpon it by faith It would be very long to reckon vp euery thing yet it may not be let passe The Synode held at Argertine against 〈◊〉 Hofman an Anabaptist and Pelagian Heritike that I meane to say now concerning the Synode held at Argentine Anno D. 1533. There a disputation being appointed with one Melchior Hofman an Anabaptisticall and Palagian deceauer among other his errors this also was condemned that he maintained that all be elected and all redeemed by Christ altogether as Huber will haue not onely redemption and the merite of Christ but also election in him to bee indifferently common to all men after the fall But contrariwise that Synode out of the word of God pronounced that God after he had foreknowen from euerlasting that mankinde by the fall of our first parents would he subiect to eternall death of meere mercie before the world was made chose foreknew and predestinated vnto himselfe to eternall life some out of mankind letting passe the rest that the death of Christ was for the sins of these men a propitiation Therfore that neither election nor redemption of Christ is common to al men as Hofman dreamed to entangle wretched consciences and to corrupt sound doctrine But that therefore the merit of Christ is said and preached to be common to the whole world because after Christs glorification not onely the Iewes but all other nations must bee made partakers thereof to wit as many of them as be elected And in this sense the sayd Synod doth expound the testimonies of Scripture obiected by Hofman Gen. 12. 1. cor 15. Io. 12. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Io. 2. Io. 1. In thy seede all nations shall be blessed As in Adam all dye so in Christ all are quickened When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all vnto me God wil haue al men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth Also Iesus Christ is the attonement for the sinnes of the whole world The Lambe taking away the sinnes of the world and such like For wee must not thinke that where these words be all men all the world the whole world that there straightwaies all men no one excepted must bee vnderstood for such phrases haue not euery where one and the same signification He that desireth to know these things more throughly let him reade Hieronymus Zanchius of godly memorie my reuerend teacher whom for honour and reuerence sake which I owe him I name lib. 3. miscell pag 79. and specially the Acts of the disputation of Hofman by Martin Bucer which hee published in his owne and his associates name printed at Argentine by Matthias Appiarius Anno 1533. And this whole doctrine which M. Bucer defendeth in disputation against Hofman the whole Senate of Argentine approued as sound and would haue it faithfully taught and preached in that citie suffering no man to speake any thing against that
vndertake the charge of them The first taught them the worship of the gods and kingly instructions The second aduised theÌ„ to affect fauour the trueth in their whole life The third that they would not be ouercome with any desire but accustome themselues to liue like freemen in very deed kings ruling themselues aboue al things not seruing any desires The fourth made theÌ„ stoute least through feare they should commit any thing not beseeming their dignitie and become seruants This instructioÌ„ of one that should be a Prince florished amoÌ„g the Persians And surely they rightly iudged that he ought to be trained vp in the precepts of wisedome that is of religion and of the kingdome but that being ignorant of Gods trueth they imbraced a false religion through the magical instruction of Zoroaster An instruction not vnlike albeit euery way farre better as being taken out of the cleerest fountaines of heauenly wisedome hath happened vnto your Highnesse most gracious Prince Neither haue the praiers of Salomon been wanting both of your Highnesse which from your childhood hauing taken delight in the knowledge of profitable and good things hath beene earnest in dayly prayers with God and is vncessantly instant desiring to be indued by him with an vnderstanding heart and also of all good men who publikely and priuately haue most regarded that thing and not without cause And how much hath been effected thereby manifest experiments doe testifie and such as shall be with thankefull hearts made knowne to posteritie to the honour of God First because that noble Prince and Lord the Lord Iohn Casimire Tutor and a second parent as it were to your Highnes being lately taken out of this life your flourishing age and already ripe to gouernment and your iudgement riper than your age most excellent Frederike haue afforded vs a refuge and solace in so hard a case Then because after you had taken vpon you the gouernment of most large Dominions wee â—oyfully haue seene such trials of your great vertue and such foundations haue beene layd of good gouernment although in a lamentable and wicked time that it hath lifted vp the mindes of all men vnto a singular good expectation Goe on forwarde therefore in this minde and vertue most noble prince Elector be strong in the Lord and in his mightie power remember the Lordes exhortation in old time to Ioshua I will bee with thee as I was with Moses I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be of good comfort that thou mayest doe according to the Law Let not the booke of the Lawe depart from thy mouth Then thou shalt deale wisely and prosperously in all things In like maner also the holy man Dauid as we read diligently exhorted his sonne Salomon 1. Kings 2. when being as yet a child hee was now consecrated to raigne The Lorde God who taketh away Dan. 2. and appointeth Princes and from whom commeth wisedome and fortitude endue your highnes more and more with vertue from aboue But most noble prince Elector and gracious Lorde seeing these foure bookes of the Redemption of mankinde and Gods Predestination being written by me a yeere agoe should nowe come abroad vnder the authoritie of your gouernment I thought that this my duety should be acceptable to your Highnes if I should intitle and offer them most humbly vnto you and that in respect of that thankefulnesse whereunto I am many wayes bound to your Highnes I know well inough that I am not able this way to make a full recompence yet freely to professe the same is the propertie of a thankefull person Further because in these and the like Ecclesiasticall controuersies that arise from restles wits it is meete that Princes especially should haue the knowledge and custodie of the trueth to the intent that malicious detractors and deprauers may doe the lesse hurt to Christian religion At this day we are slandered of malicious men with a new crime that is fained against vs as though wee should deny that Christ died for al men An impudent reproach For according to the Scriptures we also confesse the same but we denie that thereupon it followeth that all mankinde without exceptioÌ„ of any one are by the death of Christ indeed iustified saued and restored into the bosome of grace hauing receiued the pardon of their sinnes whether they beleeue or no. This is a deuise of man and therefore to be refused if wee will retaine the consent of the Prophets and Apostles Acts 10. Ioh. 3. to wit that euery one that beleeueth in Christ Iesu receiueth remission of sinnes through his name the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Now the doctrine of Predestination according to which God saueth in mercie some of the damnable lumpe of mankind and in iustice punisheth others for their sinnes being in the same lumpe vtterly forsaken is of it selfe plaine if we desire rather to follow the direction of Gods spirit than the consequences of foolish reason But reason being troubled with the depth of Gods grace and his iudgement leaueth here nothing vnassayd as we may see by the example of the Pelagians old and newe the first Augustine of old time soundly confuted and Luther the latter De ser arb alibi Therefore let those men that would be counted Lutherans looke to it how they doe agree in iudgement both against Luther the truth it selfe also with the Pelagians But I make an end praying God that vnder your Highnes the studies of peace learning and pietie may alwayes florish Amen At Heidelberge the 12. of March 1592. Your Highnesse most humbly bounden IACOBVS KIMEDONCIVS D. A table of certaine places of Scripture expounded in these Bookes GEn. 3. The seede of the woman c. 100 I will put enmitie c. 101 Gen. 12. 22. In thy seede shall all nations c. 105.201 Leuit. 16. Of the Scape Goate 107 Deut. 7. God hath chosen thee to be a people 283 Esay 53. He hath laid the iniquities of vs all c. 103. 202 Esay 62. Tell the daughter of Sion 205 Ierem. 23. In his dayes Israel shall be saued 204 Ierem. 31. I will make a couenant with the house of Israel c. 203 Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 335 Osea 13. Thy destruction is of thy selfe 334 Zach. 2. Reioyce O daughter Sion 204 Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquitie of that land 105 Zach. 9. Thy king commeth vnto thee 204 Psalm 2. I will giue thee the heathen for c. 106 Wisd 1. God made not death 334 Ecclesiasticus 33. As one day excelleth another 285 Matth. 1. He shall saue his people 180 Matth. 7. I neuer knew you 210 Matth. 18. Of these little ones that beleeue in me 166 The parable of the debter 126 Matth. 26. Which is shed for many 181 Luk. 1. He hath redeemed his people 182 Luk. 2. I tell you of great ioy 183 A light to lighten the
Gentiles 184 Luk. 11. Of the strong man armed 103 Luk. 24. The Gospell must be preached c. 95 Ioh. 1. He lighteneth euery man that commeth 42 Of his fulnes we all receiue Behold the Lambe of God that taketh c. 76 Ioh. 3. So God loued the world 74 The wrath of God abideth c. 184 Ioh. 3. 12. I came to saue the world 79 Ioh. 6. I will giue my flesh for the life 77 My father giueth you a heauenly bread 78 Ioh. 10. I lay downe my life for my sheepe 185 Ioh. 11. That he might gather the sonnes of God 186 Ioh. 12. When I am lifted vp I will draw 187 Ioh. 15. That a man should lay downe his life for his friends 187 If I had not come they had had no sinne 175 Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world 188 For them I sanctifie my selfe 190 Thou hast giuen me power ouer all flesh 70 None of them is lost but the lost childe 71 Act. 5. To giue remission of sinnes to Israel 199 Act. 10. To him giue all the prophets witnesse 199 Act. 20. God hath redeemed his Church with his owne blood 9 Rom. 2. Whosoeuer sinned without the Law 175 Rom. 3. The righteousnes of God vpon all that beleeue 191 Rom. 5. He died for his enemies 188 Vers 19. Through the obedience of one c. 8 Vers 18. The benefit redounded to all men to the iustification of life 63 Rom. 8. He gaue him for vs all 58 192 Rom. 9. The place of predestination is discussed 286 The elder shall serue the younger 291 Iacob I haue loued Esau I haue hated 293 O man who art thou c. 313 Rom. 11. He hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew 297 Of the Iewes cut off through vnbeleefe 125 That he might haue mercy vpon all 69 Rom. 14. Destroy not him with meate for whom Christ died 116 Rom. 14. According to the things he hath done in the body 282 Rom. 16. The Gospell declared to all nations 96 1. Cor. 3. If any destroy the temple of God 116 1. Cor. 8. Thy brother shall perish for whom Christ died 117 1. Cor. 12. He worketh all in all 42 1. Cor. 15. All shall be quickened 66 2. Cor. 5. Reconciling the world 79 One died for all 56 Galath 3. When ye began in the spirit 122 Galath 5. Stand in the libertie 124 Ye are fallen from grace 122 Ephe. 1. As he chose vs in him 297 All things are restored in Christ 66 Ephe. 5. He gaue himselfe for his Church 194 Col. 1. I fulfill the afflictions of Christ 12 He hath reconciled all things in heauen 66. 67 He hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes 195 Ye that were sometime strangers 195 If ye continue stable in the hope 69 1. Tim. 1. 4. Of such as fall from faith 109 1. Tim. 2. He will haue all men to be saued 51. 53. 54 He gaue himselfe for all 56 1. Tim. 4. He is the Sauiour of all specially of the faithfull 196 2. Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe 306 Tit. 3. The grace of God hath appeared to all men 96 Heb. 2. All things subiect to Christ 59 He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified 60 He tasted death for all 61 Heb. 5. He is made the author of saluation to all that obey him 196 Heb. 6. It is impossible for them that were once inlightened to be renued by repentance 113 Heb. 9. Of Redemption of sins vnder the former Testament 2 If the blood of goates c. 197 That the Called might receiue c. 197 He tooke away the sinnes of many 198 Heb. 10. Seeing therefore brethren we receiue libertie 115 1. Pet. 1. Elect according to foreknowledge 308 Reuealed for the beleeuers 199 1. Pet. 2. Whereunto they were appointed 122 2. Pet. 1. He is blinde and hath forgotten 119 2. Pet. 1. Make your election sure 307 2. Pet. 2. They deny the Lord that bought them 117 Of such as returne to filthines 117 2. Pet. 3. He will haue none to perish 261 1. Ioh. 1. The blood of Christ clenseth vs. 199 1. Ioh. 2. We haue Christ our aduocate 80 For the sinnes of the whole world 80 They were not of vs. 111. 333 1. Ioh. 3. That he might destroy the workes of the deuill 212 1. Ioh. 5. They that beleeue not make God a lyar 127 Apoc. 1. He hath washed vs from our sinnes 200 Apoc. 5. He hath redeemed vs to God 200 OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND BY CHRIST The first Booke CHAP. I. Wherein is shewed the summe and diuision of this doctrine THE mysterie of the Redemption of mankinde by the onely begotten Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ the Apostles faithfullie and most sincerelie haue testified at large The summe of the Catholike saith and confession of the redemption of man first by liuely voyce and then by writings both to the Iewes and Gentiles to wit that the eternall word Rom. 15.8.9 which is the eternall Sonne of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles should glorifie God for his mercie in the last daies when the fulnes of time was come Galath 4.4 took vpon him the true nature of man of the Virgin Mary his mother by the operation of the holy Ghost and in the forme of a seruant Phil. 2 7. was obedient to his father vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse that by his precious blood 1. Pet. 1.19 as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purifie vs a peculiar people vnto himself Tit. 2.14 zealous of good workes The same Apostles haue also witnessed that to the end we may be partakers of this redemption a true faith in Christ is required of vs whereby as it were by a hand we may apprehend him and apply him with all his merits and benefits vnto our selues This is the Catholike faith and confession which the Apostles taught the Martyrs confirmed and the faithfull as yet do keepe For so the holie Apostle Paul describing this whole mysterie in few but cleere words saith Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace thorow the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenes of the sinnes past that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesu And the Author to the Hebrewes writeth on this maner Heb. 9.11 to 16 But Christ comming a high priest of good things to come by his owne blood entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption For if the blood of buls and goates sanctifieth the vncleane to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without
saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. Ye are not your owne 1. Cor. 6.20 ye are bought with a price be net the seruants of men But with what price S. Peter answereth not with siluer and gold 1. Pet. 1.18.19 or other transitorie things which nothing at all profit vs to the eternall redemption of our soules but with the precious blood of Christ as a lambe without spot who did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and who bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree 1. Pet. 3.18 and suffered the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs vnto God being dead in the flesh but quickned in the spirit Which opinion these sayings also confirme Ephes 6.2 Ephes 1.7 He gaue himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of a sweete sauour to God In him we haue redemption through his blood Tit. 2.14 euen the remission of sinnes of his rich grace He gaue himselfe for vs to redeeme vs from all sinne and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good works Heb. 9.14 Also By the eternall spirit he offered himselfe to God without fault that wee being purged from dead workes should serue the liuing God And in the same chapter Once in the end of the world hath he been made manifest by the sacrifice of himselfe to put away sinne Vers 26. And many other things pertaining to this point doth the Apostle in that place exactly debate as that he gathereth from the proprietie and nature of a Testament that Christ must needes dye because the death of the Testator is required that the Testament may be ratified And confirming the same from the rite of the old Testament he addeth that that was not dedicated without blood and that all things almost according to the Law were purified with blood and that the paternes of heauenly things were purged with the blood of sacrifices but the heauenly things themselues required a better sacrifice and a better blood namely the same whereof Christ himselfe purposing forthwith to fulfill the New Testament witnessed This is my blood of the New Testament Matth. 26. which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Likewise his beloued disciple saith The blood of the Sonne of GOD clenseth vs from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1.7 But now wee speake of the meanes of redemption accomplished in the first comming of Christ For there is another to be performed in his second comming whereof is spoken Luk. 21. Lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nigh And Paul speaketh of the same Rom. 8.23 and 1. Cor. 1.30 This shall be as the fulfilling and consummation of the former for now wee are saued in hope but not as yet in deede as the Apostle writeth Rom. 8.24 CHAP. V. The answering or taking away of certaine Questions about the maner or meanes of redemption BVt there is a question in this place 1. question Why he must needs redeeme vs by a price not take vs out of Satans power by force who did vniustly hold vs captiues what neede was there of the paiment of a price by the Sonne of God that wee might be redeemed who were the slaues of Satan for it seemeth more conuenient that he who is violently and vniustly detained of another bee taken away from him by a superiour power euen without any price And the deuill had vniustly inuaded vs. I answere this price was not paied to the deuill but to God who had power ouer vs to condemne vs and had made vs subiect to the power of the deuill by his iust iudgement For as touching the deuill he vniustly possessed man but man in the meane while was iustly made subiect as a slaue to Satan through his owne sinne and the righteous iudgement of God Therefore Christ satisfied God and reconciled vs offering himselfe vnto him by his eternall spirit Heb. 9. and so now the kingdome of Satan is necessarily destroyed concerning vs that be reconciled to God whom by our sins we had offended Notwithstanding Ambrose lib. 9. epist 77. writeth that the price of our deliuerance by the blood of our Lord Iesu was paied vnto him to whom we were sold by our sinnes that is to the deuill But that is a very hard saying For whereas it was not lawfull to offer sacrifice but vnto God alone how much more ought this peculiar sacrifice to be offered to none but to God alone which the eternall high priest offered vpon the Altar of the crosse by the sacrifice of his flesh and effusion of his blood and which onely is the propitiation for the sinnes of the world Further it is a question 2. question Why his death is a price sufficient for redemption from whence that dignitie of the passion and death of Christ ariseth that it is a price sufficient for the redemption of mankind There be many causes concurring to that effect I. Cause 1. His willing obedience The willing obedience of the Sonne to the death of the crosse Phil. 2.8 for the passion of Christ had not been satisfactorie vnlesse it had been voluntarie Hereof the Apostle Rom. 5. saith As by the disobedience of one many are made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous And he speaketh as Theophilact well expoundeth of the obedience of Christs death by which obedience death being destroyed wee are deliuered from the damnation of death And for this cause the Euangelists with one consent describing the historie of Christs passion haue diligently noted many circumstances which declare that he suffered willingly For hee was offered Esay 53.10 because hee was willing as Esay saith chap. 53. II. The death and whole humiliation of Christ was not onely voluntarie His innocency 1. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 5.21 but also he suffered death when he was altogether innocent as a man who had committed no sinne and in whose mouth there was found no guile For such an high priest became vs Heb. 7.26 as was godly innocent vndefiled separated from sinners who had no neede to offer first for his owne sinnes and then for the sinnes of the people Therefore because the iust suffered for the vniust 1. Pet. 3. his blood as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot is worthily counted precious to worke our redemption as it is in Peter 1. Epist 1. Augustine largely vrgeth this cause in his 13. booke of the Trinitie chap. 14. He died saith he who alone was free from the debt of death Therefore it was iust that debters should be let goe free beleeuing in him who died without any debt The same man chap. 15. The blood of Christ because it was his who had no sinne at all was shed for the remission of our sinnes And in the chapter following The deuill held our sinnes and for them worthily bound vs in death he who had none of his owne discharged them and was by him vnworthily drawne vnto death Also Pope Leo
this benefit of God we receiue not but through faith by the preaching of the Gospell For albeit Christ hath redeemed mankinde from sinnes and reconciled with God yet this benefit had nothing profited mankinde if it were not preached vnto them by the Gospell And the Gospell requireth faith and is to be receiued by faith He that beleeueth not shall be condemned and he that beleeueth shall be saued Wherefore remission of sins purchased by Christ and preached in the Gospell is receiued of vs and applied vnto vs no otherwise then by faith Huber thes 19. Hereunto the assertion is contrarie that all haue receiued reconciliation and saluation whether they beleeue or not beleeue CHAP. III. Peculiar answers vnto those sayings of the Scripture which affirme that Christ died for all THe former generall answere is plaine and sound and may suffice alone yet we think good particularly to examine the sayings of the holie Scriptures touching the death of Christ for all The first place then let this be in this order 1. Tim. 2.4 5 6. The first place 1. Tim. 2. God will that all should be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who hath giuen himselfe a raunsome for all Here they first vrge the words that God will that all be saued whereof they will haue gathered that therefore once all men none excepted are in deede saued by the redēption of Christ without any respect of faith or vnbeliefe although many afterward lose againe through vnbeleefe saluation that was obtained But the Apostle entreateth of that saluation which is by faith as Theophilact well expoundeth and the matter it selfe sheweth and not of a certaine vniuersall saluation of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Further the Apostle knitteth saluation and the knowledge of the truth together as things most neerely ioyned between themselues He will saith he that all men be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth After the like maner therfore let them inferre that all men also none excepted come to the knowledge of the truth that is to faith and by consequence to eternall life which consisteth in the knowledge of God and Christ Thus the argument is fully answered Yet as touching the minde of Paul the place needeth interpretation as Ambrose also admonisheth For if God who verily is Almightie and doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen and earth will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth why is not his will fulfilled Neither say as the Pelagians vsed to except as Augustine witnesseth that therefore this will of God is not fulfilled because men will not For no free will doth withstand God being willing to saue as he teacheth de correp grat cap. 14. for so to will or not to will is in the power of the willer or niller that it hindereth not Gods will nor ouercommeth his power For he himselfe doth the things that he willeth concerning those men who doe not his will seeing euen of the very willes of men he doth what he will Therefore many waies surely that Apostolicall and diuine sentence may rightly be vnderstood that the very beginning of our faith shake not wherein wee professe that wee beleeue in God the father almightie Of which waies we will recite one or two First albeit none but the elect come to saluation and that effectually called by the holy Ghost The first exposition of 1. Tim. 2.4 by that vocation which is according to the purpose of God yet God by his word calleth al to beleeue and to conuert that they may be saued and not iudge themselues vnworthie of the kingdome of God For this is that good acceptable and perfect will of God that all heare the Sonne repent and beleeue the Gospel vnto saluation As also Ezechiel testifieth chap. 18. EZec. 18. 37 Why will ye die O house of Israel Turne from all your iniquities because I will not the death of a sinner Turne and ye shall liue And chap. 33. As I liue saith the Lord I will not the death of the wicked but that he turne from his way and liue For God reioyceth not in the destruction of such as perish Wised 1. Act. 17. neither approueth an vnfaithfull and vnrepentant heart but as Paul testifieth warneth all men to repent But why this gift of grace to wit conuersion without which none can be saued is not bestowed vpon all by him who would haue all to bee saued it must be referred to the hidden iudgements of Gods iustice For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who first gaue to him that he should recompence him This exposition Luther alloweth de seruo arbit handling the place of Ezech. chap. 18. Luther In that saying saith he I will not the death of a sinner we see no other thing handled then that the grace of God is preached and offered in the world which they only receiue in whom the law hath already wrought his dutie that is the knowledge of sinne The rest contemne mercie promised in that saying But why some are touched by the law and others are not touched so that they receiue these refuse grace offered it is another question and is not handled here by Ezechiel who speaketh of the preached and offered mercie of God and not of that hidden and reuerend will of God ordaining in his counsell whom and what maner of men he will haue to bee capable and partakers of the mercie preached and offered Which will is not to be sought after but with reuerence to be honoured as the secret of Gods maiestie reserued to himselfe alone and forbidden vs. And anone after God doth many things which he doth not shew vnto vs by his word and he willeth many things also which in his word he sheweth not that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner to wit in his word but he willeth it by that his vnsearchable will But we must respect his word and leaue his vnsearchable will Againe comparing this present place of the Apostle with the place of the Prophet hee addeth If thou speake of God preached vnto vs he will that all men should be saued while he commeth to all in the word of saluation and it is the fault of our will which doth not admit him as it is said Matth 23 How oft would I gather thy children and thou wouldest not But why the diuine maiestie doth not take away this fault of our will or change it in all seeing it is not in the power of man or why he imputeth that vnto him seeing man cannot want it it is not lawfull to enquire and though thou shouldest seeke after it yet thou shalt neuer finde it These things so largely I am not ashamed to produce out of Luther because of our aduersaries The second exposition of 1. Tim 2.4 Augustine Secondly this may be the
of the world may be also vnderstood for the generall resurrection that hee gaue himselfe for the life of the world as faire foorth as his death hath procured a generall resurrection to all mankinde But this seemeth to be too much forced Answer to the second obie ∣ ction Vnto the later obiection The father giueth you heauenly bread I answere that it may be expounded two waies He giueth you that is he offereth you for Christ was in the midst of them it remaineth that you would receiue it or rather that the word you bee taken concerning the bodie of the people indefinitly and not of euery person among the people after such a like phrase altogether and opposition in the matter it selfe Matth 3. Luk. 3. as is in the saying of Iohn Baptist I truly baptise you with water but there commeth one who is stronger then I he shall baptise with the holie Ghost and fire Which thing Iohn as Luke saith spake vnto all euen to the Pharisees and Saduces as it is in the other Euangelist Yet who here but one that is too too ignorant and impudent will maintaine by the word you that all were baptised of Christ with the spirit and fire as many as had heard that word from Iohn But he that wil simply vnderstand it the sense is plaine to wit that Iohn as a minister of the outward work did baptise with water but Christ as the Lord did giue the spirit For the force of Baptisme is of God alone and not of the minister saith Ambrose Epist 217. So the sense of this place is that it belongeth not to Moses but to God to giue that true bread from heauen that Moses as a seruant in the house of God gaue them Manna corporall foode and the figure of that spiritual which God giueth and not man Whereupon it is also called by Christ the bread of God Augustine also giueth this sense and the words require it and it is confirmed with that which in the same chapter Christ saith Labour for the meate which abideth vnto eternall life which the sonne of man will giue vnto you to wit if you shall beleeue in me For seeing this meate abideth vnto eternall life it appertaines not vnto the damned who shall hunger and thirst for euer Touching the sayings I came not to iudge the world The 4. and 5. places out of Ioh. 3. and 12. 2. Cor. 5.19 but to saue it Also God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himself it appeareth plainly by the testimonies of Augustine before alleadged that they be rightly meant of the beleeuers through the whole world For that sinnes may not be imputed vnto vs but that we may bee made the righteousnesse of God in Christ as this reconciliation of the world is described of Paul a true faith in Christ is required Rom. 3. 4. Ioh. 3. but vpon the vnbeleeuers the wrath of God abideth So of that wee say Christ is the Sauiour of the world it doth not follow that all and euery one in mankind whether they beleeue or not are therefore redeemed from all sinne and condemnation and made partakers of saluation in Christ Matth. 1. but the Lord Iesus saueth his people from their sinnes that is all who hope in him And because they bee dispersed through the world In what sense Christ is the life light and sauiour of the world for this and other causes before declared he is worthily tearmed as the life of the world so also the Sauiour of the world As also he is called the light of the world yet all without difference are not pulled out of darknes by him In the meane while because all beleeuers in him haue the light of eternall life and no man can attaine to any light of grace but by him this praise rightly belongeth vnto him A comparison of the Sunne euen as the visible Sunne is the light of the world and of right is said to lighten the world euery day albeit in the meane while so many things in the world are still without light either because they be not capable of it or because abiding in darknes they come not to the light that they may enioy it The 6. place 1. Ioh. 2. The words out of Iohn 1. Epist chap. 2.2 as yet remaine Little children if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely Thes 1â—1 but also of the whole world Here Huberus is beyond measure puffed vp that this place is notable and vnanswerable It is so altogether but not in that sense for which hee so stoutly striueth And he saith that if wee can bring one place out of the Scriptures that Christ is a propitiation for some men onely that is for the beleeuers then he will assent vnto vs. But the answer is two-fold If men like to vnderstand the place of Sufficiencie wee willingly graunt that the blood of Christ is sufficient to appease God for the sinnes of all men so that there was no neede of another expiation or sacrifice for the cleansing and saluation of all so that all could and would applie to themselues by faith that satisfaction And so of the new writers Illyricus also whom our aduersaries vse greatly to aduance declareth in his glosse What if thou maist see Iacob Andree himselfe Coll. Mompel pag. 514 546. to come to that point at the length yet beside the matter altogether for he was to proue that Christ not only sufficiently but also effectually hath satisfied for the sinnes of al none at all excepted This when hee had taken in hand to proue by this present testimonie was at a set in the myre as the prouerbe is hee fled vnto the vulgar saying of the Schoolemen that Christ died for the sinnes of all men sufficiently although not efficiently Singular dexteritie of a profound disputer doubtles This then being graunted of the sufficiencie and power of this propitiation I say according to the propounded distinction that in very deed notwithstanding the blood of Christ doth profit the faithfull vnto the appeasing of Gods wrath and not the vnfaithful as it is plainly written Rom. 3.24.25 We are iustified freely by the redemption made in Christ Iesu whom God set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood And Iohn himselfe 1. Ioh. 1. If we walke in light saith he we haue fellowship with God and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne Apoc. 5.9 After which sort also the Church out of euery tribe and tongue is described of him as vnto which the proprietie of redemption by the blood of the Lambe slaine doth appertaine Doest thou not see Huber that Christ effectiuely whereof the question is betweene vs is the propitiation of the beleeuers and not of vnbeleeuers And the words of Iohn doe well agree vnto this vniuersalitie of the beleeuers He is the propitiation for our sinnes and
For he that had his debt forgiuen him was for his crueltie towards his fellow seruant deliuered to the tormenters till he should pay the whole debt I answere that so great an agreement is not graunted to a similitude in disputing that it may be applied in euery respect vnto the thing whereto it is to bee vsed Otherwise a similitude were not a similitude but the thing it selfe The minde and scope of Christ is to bee considered who meant not to teach whether sinnes once remitted were retained or not but he sheweth it is required that wee forgiue our brethren their offences if wee would obtaine the pardon of our offences at Gods hands Whereupon Christ also concludeth that parable thus So also my heauenly father shall doe vnto you vnles ye forgiue euery one his brother from the heart their offences that is as Christ himselfe Matth. 6. largely teacheth If we shall forgiue men their offences our heauenly father will also forgiue vs but if we forgiue not neither will the father forgiue vs. But whether sinnes forgiuen bee retained wee may reade the opinion of the Schoolemen 4. sent dist 22. part 3. Thom. quaest 88. As there we may see Whether sins once pardoned be againe retayned Rom. 8. they dispute the matter very doubtfully and confusedly but there be farre more plainer testimonies of the sacred Scriptures Whom he hath predestinated them he hath called whom he called them he hath also iustified whom he hath iustified them he hath also glorified I will remember their sinnes no more saith the Lord. Iere. 31. Esay 44. 38. Mica 7. That he also blotteth out as a clowde their sinnes to whom he is mercifull and casteth them behinde his backe yea into the bottome of the sea These speeches doe sufficiently shew What sinnes God once forgiueth he euer forgiueth that when God pardoneth sinnes he so pardoneth that he for euer forgetteth them and bringeth them as it were into smoke and to nothing and therefore what sinnes he forgiueth he doth foreuer forgiue But Huber is twise foolish that I say not after his maner Thes 270. mad who out of the said parable would faine haue it to bee meant that the sinnes of all alike are pardoned and that the reprobates are as well saued by Christ as any other whomsoeuer Doth he not see the contrary in that seruant that remission of sinnes belongeth not to all but to them who confesse their sins and in humble maner craue pardon for them being readie also from their hearts to pardon their fellow seruants One only place remaineth 1. Ioh. 5. The 13. place 2. Iohn 5.10 That they who beleeue not God make him a lier Out of which saying this champion collecteth that the promises of grace and life in Christ doe appertaine to the vnbeleeuers and reprobates also Contrariâ—â—se Iohn expressely restraineth the promise of life vnto the beleeuers Ephes 2. when he saith He that hath the sonne hath life But the vnbeleeuers haue neither the father nor the sonne but do liue without Christ and God in the world being strangers from the couenants of promise and haue no hope as Paul witnesseth Is this it whereby the reprobates and vnbeleeuers receiue life in the sonne of God as this trifler saith And the man very confident in so grosse ignorance pleaseth himself and like proud Goliah challengeth all men to shew how the vnbeleeuers as it is in Iohn in whose place he setteth the reprobates doe make God a lier if they receiue not life in his sonne As though here I know not what sharpnes of wit were requisite They that beleeue not God make him a lier But such as beleeue not the Gospell beleeue not God Ergo they make him a lier The maior is euident The minor is proued by the text because the Gospell is the testimonie of God concerning his sonne that beleeuers in him may haue eternall life They therefore who either are touched with no care of saluation or else seeke the same without Christ How a man maketh God a lyar or some other way are incredulous vnto the Gospell beleeue not God himselfe and therefore as much as in them lieth they make him a lier as contrariwise such as receiue his testimonie do as it were subscribe with their hands and seales that God is true Iohn 3. Obiection But saist thou to whom the benefits of the Gospel redemption righteousnes and life eternall do not belong they are not bound to beleeue the Gospell Thes 266. 484. nay they make God true in not beleeuing in kicking against it and in blaspheming it for so this vile spirit speaketh But vnto the reprobates the benefits of the Gospell belong not by our supposition Therfore they are not bound to beleeue Answere Yea Mary this is an argument vnanswerable The benefits of the Gospell belong not to reprobates as they doe enâ—â—y them but as they are inuited to them â—y the Gospell preached But I distinguish the minor Albeit the benefits of the Gospell belong not by fruition to the reprobates and vnbeleeuers whomsoeuer as farre forth as they are such and that through their owne fault yet they belong vnto them by inuitation so farre forth as all alike without difference of elect and rebrobates are commanded to repent and beleeue the Gospell with an vniuersal promise Whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue euerlasting life And this is enough for this present purpose Very well saith Luther whom alone these fellowes admire in other things but here doe extreamely contemne in in his preface to the Romanes Luther Vpon the onely sentence of predestination depend all things who shall receiue the word and who not who shall beleeue and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who blinded who shall be damned and who iustified Notwithstanding he aduiseth that curious persons be bridled who before they learne Christ and the vertue of his crosse doe search into the depth of predestination But thou saith he learne the knowledge of Christ wrestle daily with thy flesh by faith and then thou shalt perceiue how full predestination is of consolation And euery where he teacheth In Gen. cap. 26. 43. Item desâ—â—arbit in Psal 5 that wee must iudge of God and of his wil and good pleasure towards vs not by that which goeth before but by that which commeth after and is the later as we speake we must execute what God commandeth we must behold the sonne incarnate and simplie rest in his reuealed word according to that in the third of Ecclesiasticus Vers 21. Seeke not thou the things that bee too high for thee nor search into them that be aboue thy reach but such things as be commanded thee of God meditate religiously vpon them for the eye of the bodie are not needfull for the vnderstanding of secret mysteries VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE THIRD RANKE CHAP. X. LEt vs come now to the third Classe which containeth absurdities so
growne can bee saued without faith It followeth therefore seeing such also are saued that faith is giuen to many infants euery where euen before their Baptisme which thing Iacob Andree denied that he could auouch The same thing may be obiected of young girles among the Iewes who because they were the seede of Abraham were not excluded from the righteousnes of Abraham but obtained it by faith according to Luther in the forecited place euen in their infancie Wherefore the opinion of the faith of infants is more easily affirmed than defended D. Heerbrand Defens cont Gottard Canonicum Hereupon Doctor Heerbrand doth thus mitigate Luthers opinion that hee when hee saith that infants haue faith or doe beleeue hath not this meaning that they doe vnderstand or feele the motions of faith but that so their error is reiected who imagine infants Baptized to please God and to be saued without any action of the holy Ghost If this onely they meane who thinke that infants beleeue I fully agree with them But because it is to be feared how many of them will acknowledge that interpretation I doubt not in the meane while to iudge and speake with ancient writers that infants doe not beleeue Which simplicity of olde writers hath been also allowed of new writers Musculus Martyr and other most learned and painefull diuines as their writings testifie Obiection Aug. quaest Euang li. 1. ca. 24. Neither doe the words of Matth. chap. 18. hinder the same Who so offendeth one of these little ones that beleeue in me for that Augustine Theophilact Hilarius and others rather vnderstand of the humble and children in malice and not in age Why we must account in faults among the people of God We confesse neuertheles that our infants are rightly accounted in the bodie of the faithfull that is among the people of God both for the promise of the couenant and also after their baptisme for the sacrament of entrance into true religion and of faith as Augustine thinketh in his 23. Epistle Obiection But if infants haue no faith how are they made partakers of the grace of Baptisme and saluation For who so beleeueth not shall be condemned With the heart man beleeueth to righteousnes and without faith it is impossible to please God Mar. 16. Rom. 10. Heb. 11. Answere I answere that there is one consideration of infants another of men growne Such sayings as are in the sacred Scriptures vttered of the necessitie of faith confession hope loue mortification of the flesh such like vnto saluatiō appertain not to infants but to men growne that by reason of age are capable of such things By the neglect of this distinction many errors will necessarily ensue as Augustine lib. de haeresib proueth by the Hierachites and Barnard ad Hugonem Epist 77. and also Hom. 66. vpon the Canticles by another sect of that time dispersed throughout France As touching the infants of Christians it is sufficient that they be comprehended in the promise of the couenant For albeit adoption to bee the sonnes of God proceedeth not from the carnall birth according to which the children of the faithfull are no lesse the sonnes of wrath than the children of the vnfaithfull conceiued and borne in sinne as others be yet such is the bountie of Gods grace that infants borne of Christian parents are reckoned in the number of Gods people euen as in old time the infants were of Abrahams posteritie according to the promise I will be thy God and of thy seede after thee And Matth. 19. the Lord saith Suffer little children and forbid them not to come vnto me Why we baptise the infants of Christians and not of Turkes for to such belongeth the kingdome of heauen And for this cause in signe of Gods couenant we baptize the children of Christians and doe not baptize the children of Turkes vnles they bee alreadie able to giue an answere of their faith And if our infants being preuented by death cannot be baptized we follow the rule of Barnard ad Hugonem Epist 77. Barnards saying of infants dying before Baptisme Not a depriuing or want of baptisme but the contempt of it doth condemne one Here Augustine is ouer rigorous but beside that the schoolemen haue commonly somewhat misliked his rigor placing such children in a Limbo by themselues voide of all torment other also of great name in the middest of papistrie Gerson Cardinal Caietane Biel and other haue approued of a more fauourable opinion touching the saluation of such But of these I will speake no more The cauill of the Lords Supper answered The cauill concerning the Supper of the Lord is yet vntouched which the aduersarie in his alike foolish babling also complaineth that it shall be taken away if the vniuersalitie of redemption bee denied such as hee maintaineth But how O Huber Truly I finde from thy Thes 437. whither thou sendest backe thy reader many things after thy maner that is to say impudently and bitterly fained and little appertaining to the proofe of this false accusation set downe sauing that at length thou seemest to haue a purpose to reason after this sort for thou art so intangled in thy absurdities that here and elsewhere often it cannot easily bee perceiued what thy meaning is Thes 450. sequent Onely they for whom Christ effectually died ought to come to the Supper by our opinion as thou saist But whether Christ died for vs effectually it is vnknowne to euery one Therefore none at all shall know who ought to bee the Lords guest and so the Supper of the Lord shall be at once taken away from all men O trifler For first to bring it to an absurditie one of the propositions must be the Hypothesis or the very opinion of the aduersarie which is oppugned which here is not done For the question is about this Whether Christ died effectually for all men He saith it We denie it Secondly vnto the Maior In our Churches while the Supper is to be administred it is not the maner if thou know it not to say that they ought to come for whom Christ died Thes 450. and the rest to keep away as thou triflest but this is said that wee may celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our good and comfort before all things it is required that first wee proue ourselues Wee must proue ourselues before we come to the Lords Supper and how euery one considering with himselfe his sinnes and accursednes and trying his heart whether he beleeue the promise of grace and remission of sins for the merit of Christ alone and whether by new obedience he purpose from his heart to shew himselfe thankfull vnto God For such guests doth the table of the Lord require as for hypocrites and such as goe on still in wickednes they must abstaine from this meate which Christ hath ordained prepared for his faithfull least they make their condemnation so much the more grieuous Thirdly
men if redemption were common to beleeuers and vnbeleeuers to such as shall be saued and damned Hitherto also let the wordes be referred The 9. place which follow in the same place If the blood of Bulles and Goats and the ashes of a yong Heifer sprinckling the vncleane doe sanctifie and purge the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Redemption is described by this Redemption described that it purgeth our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God But that purging of consciences and seruing of God is proper to the faithfull For by faith the hearts are purified Acts 15. Rom. 6. and being freed from sinne are made seruantes of righteousnesse through the same faith And a litle after The 10. place Therfore for that cause is he the Mediator of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the Called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance Who are those Called The Called who they be Prosper li. cap. 3. to whoÌ„ belong the couenant redemption and inheritance He that wrote the booke of the calling of the Gentiles answereth for me Because saith hee some are iustified by faith others are hardened in their impiety the beleeuers are discerned from vnbeleeuers by the name of the Called and such as be voyd of faith they are shewed to bee without this calling albeit they heare the Gospell And he citeth the place 1. Cor. 1. we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes an offence and to the Gentiles foolishines but to the Called as well Iewes as Gentiles we preach him the power and wisedome of God Of these Called not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles The 11. place see more Ro. 9.23 and cap. 8.28 and in the rest Neither must we here omit that which we read writteÌ„ about the end of the 9. chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many Many Christo Theophy By these Many he now meaneth those Called whereof he spake before And so Chrysostome and Theophylact expound Why said he of Mary and not of All Sai valuit vt omnes seruaventur because all doe not beleeue The death of Christ was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of sufficient fâ—râ—e and price to haue saued all and yet it doth not take away the sinnes of all because such as resist him make his death altogether vnprofitable vnto them selues Theophylact also maketh mention of Basil to be of the same mind some of whose sayings I haue before alledged vpon the place of Matth. 26. But Aquinas of al men most clearely vpon this place writeth Aquinas He saith to take away the sinnes of many and not of all because the death of Christ albeit it bee sufficient for all yet it is not effectuall but in the respect of such as shall bee saued For all are not subiect vnto him through faith and good workes Lastly what can be spoken more briefly and forceably for the deciding of this whole controuersie The 12. place Heb. 11. than that of the Apostle Hebrewes 11. Hub. Thes 6â— and 1001. without faith it is impossible to prayse God Either this is not true or els it is false that they say often that all alke beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are freed from all sinne and condemnation and receiued into the fauour and grace of our heauenly father which thing what is it els than that al please God without respect of faith and infidelitie CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of other Scriptures of the New Testament The 1. place FOr the greater confirmation of this point we will adde also certaine other sayings of other bookes of the New Testament In the Actes chapter 5. Peter Acts 5. and the whole Colledge of the Apostles with one accord testifie these wordes The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus and being exalted by his right hand made him a prince and sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes Repentance and remission of sinnes be iust parables and therefore they that haue the one haue the other and they be Israel Repentance and remission of sinnes are ioyned together by an in separable knot Wherefore it is as foolish a thing to affirme that remission of sinnes is giuen by Christ to all men indifferently as if a man should auouch that he giueth repentance to all What meaneth that that the prerogatiue of both those benefites is bestowed vpon Israel Vpon what Israel They that bee called of the Iewes and Gentiles according to promise they bee the true Israel saith Augustime Aug. cap. 59. Gal. 6. whereof also the Apostle speaketh And vpon the Israel of God Secondly it is the voice of Peter The 2. place Acts 10. and the testimonie of all Prophets agreeing together that euery one that beleeueth in Iesu Christ receiueth remission of sinnes through his name Vnto this Propheticall and Apostolicall consent which conteineth the summe of the Gospel of Christ is the false vangelicall commentarie of the aduersaries cleane contrary that all simply without respect of faith or vnbeliefe receiue remission of sinnes through the name of Christ Further the same Apostle 1. Epistle 1. The 3. place 1. Pet. 1. when hee speaketh of redemption by the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot hee saith that hee was foreordained before the foundations of the world were laid Christ was foreordained and exhibited to the world for the beleeuers sake and was made manifest for the beleeuers sake Expressely he declareth that Christ was exhibited to the world a Sauiour for the beleeuers Therefore for the same persons in like maner he properly died and rose againe not because they beleeued already but that they might beleeue Iohn 20. and beleeuing might haue eternall life through his name Iohn also 1. Epistle 1. consenteth hereto The 4. place 1. Ioh. 1. Three things to be obserued in Saint Iohns words If wee walke in light as God is light we haue communion with him and the blood of Iesu Christ purgeth vs from all sinne If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. If we confesse our sinnes he is iust and faithfull to forgiue vs our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie 1. Communion with God belongs not to all Therefore neither the grace of God for where the grace of God is there is also the communion of him 2. The clensing of sinnes by the blood of Christ is theirs who walke in light 3. Remission of sinnes which is propitiation it selfe as Iohn witnesseth presupposeth confession of sinnes which seeing it is not in al propitiation doth not belong to all The 5. place Apoc. 1. I come to the Reuelation of Iohn in whose
onely who should beleeue in him and repent For that cause he saith And he shall beare the sinnes of many Luther also vpon that saying Luther in Is 53. My righteous seruant by the knowledge of himselfe c. defineth Christian righteousnes to be nothing els than to know Christ and this onely to be the way of our deliuerance from death and sinnes and that this knowledge doth free vs and that there is no other comfort Therefore it is an error to claime for al men simply freedome from sinne and death The same thing plainly appeareth by the forme of the new couenant Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. Behold the daies shal come The 3. place Ierem. 31. saith the Lord when I will make a new couenaÌ„t with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt but this is the couenant which I will strike with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people Neither shall euery one teach his neighbour saying know the Lord for al shal know me from the least to the greatest among them and I will be merciful to their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Hence wee see that remission of sinnes which is wrought by the death of the Mediatour is the benefit of the new couenant Whereupon it followeth The benefits of the couenant belong to the sonnes of the couenant that it appertaineth to the sonnes onely of the couenant But how that all are not the sonnes of the couenant first from hence it is plaine that these promises I will put my lawes in their mindes I will bee their God and they shall be my people they shall all know me agree not simply vnto all men Then because it is flatly sayd that this couenant is made with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda which thing must be vnderstood of the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles that true Iuda and Israel whereof the Apostle also speaketh Gal. 3. Ye are all one in Christ Iesu and because ye are Christs ye are Abrahams seede and heires by promise Ier. 23. 33. The 4. place The like promise we haue Iere. 23. and 33. Behold the daies shall come saith the Lord that I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall raigne in whose daies Israel shal be saued and Iuda shall dwell boldly We see here also the redemption of the Messiah peculiarly attributed to his people because Luk. 1. as the Angell Gabriel testifieth he raigneth ouer the house of Iacob that is the Church and of his raigne and his peace there shall be no end Euery where also in the Prophets when they foretell of the comming of the Redeemer and of saluation to be wrought by him the word of promise is peculiarly directed vnto the Church vnder the name of Sion Zach. 2. The 5. place as Zachar. 2. Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord and many nations shall be gathered together in that day and they shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and the Lord shall possesse Iuda his portion in the holy land and shall choose as yet Ierusalem That this must bee vnderstoode of the Church collected from euery place the things that we reade 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. and Apoc. 21. vers 2. will not suffer vs to doubt at all Zach. 6. The 6. place And in the 9. chapter of the same Prophet it is said Reioyce greatly O daughter Sion shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem Behold thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee who is iust a Sauiour poore â—iding vpon an asse and he shall speake peace to the Gentiles and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the flood to the ends of the earth Ephes 2. For the Catholike Church of Christ is dispersed through the whole world which Christ as Paul witnesseth is our peace and hath made both Iewes and Gentiles one abolishing enmitie through his flesh that he might make one man of two in himselfe and hath reconciled both in one bodie vnto God by his crosse slaying enmitie by it and comming hath preached peace both to them that were farre off and to them that were neere Agreeable to this is the word of promise Esay 62. Esay 62. Behold the Lord proclaimeth vnto the vtmost parts of the earth Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy saluation shall come behold his reward is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken What was this citie but the high Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all for it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not Gal 4. breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate woman hath more children than she that hath an husband After which sort also the citie of God the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem with her sonnes dispersed among all nations is gloriously described in the 87. Psalme And these bee they of whom speaketh this propheticall word here They shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Wherefore seeing the prerogatiue of so great dignitie is proper to the sons of the Church and the household of God it is iniuriously extended to those that are without But that we may not go farre it is certaine Acts 10. as Peter sheweth that all the Prophets doe witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name And as Paul affirmeth the righteousnesse of God is approued by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. the righteousnesse of God I say in all and vpon all that beleeue Col. 1. Now the righteousnesse of God and remission of sinnes is redemption it selfe Colos 1. Wherefore by the one consent of all the Prophets redemption is proper to the beleeuers and nothing at all belongeth to the vnbeleeuers CHAP. VI. The same thing is proued by some types of the old Testament I Will onely annexe certaine typicall or shadowed things of the old Testament wherein now long agoe the very same thing hath been declared The redemption of Israel out of Egypt and Babel And first it is manifest enough that the redemption of the people of Israel out of Egypt and after out of the captiuitie of Babel were as certaine shadowes and figures of this true redemption and grace gotten by Christ as here and there wee may see in the Prophets Tuitiens hath this similitude vpon Ioh. 17. Therefore looke how much difference there is betweene the Egyptians perishing with
power of the deuill yet through Christ alone none but they all are set free that be regenerated by spirituall grace In the same booke chapter 18. he saith The Christian kinde That he that ouercame the first Adam and held mankinde captiue was ouercome of the second Adam and lost the Christian kinde which was out of Mankinde set free from the sinne of man through him who had no sinne though he was of our kinde The same in his 53. treatise vpon Saint Iohn saith The deuill therefore possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the hand writing of sinnes But by the faith of Christ which was ratified by his death and resurrection through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are deliuered from the deuill An argument and are coupled to the body of Christ In all these places there is this or the like argument What kinde of freedome redemption is Redemption is a freedome from the power of the deuill and such a freedome as whereby it commeth to passe that the deuill cannot draw any of these with him to the destruction of eternall death through the snares of sinnes whom Christ hath redemed with his blood But all men haue not freedome from the power of the deuill Therefore almen are not redeemed but as freedome so redemption is proper to the beleeuers and predestinate according to Augustine and the trueth of this point The world that is precestinate to life Christ came to saue but not the world predestinate to damnation Hitherto belongeth that which in the fore mentioned treatise as also in the 110. and 111. Treatises the same writer constantly expoundeth the world that Christ came to saue and reconcile to God of the good and such as bee predestinate to eternall life being dispersed throughout the whole world that this world of an enemie is made a friend but that the worlde that is predestinate to damnation abideth an enimie neither of this world must it be vnderstood that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe So in the 48. Treatise vpon the saying ye beleeue not for ye are not of my sheepe he saith This he spake because he saw them predestinate to eternall destruction and not prepared by the price of his blood to eternall life And a litle after he is assured of the number of his sheepe because hee knoweth what hee gaue for them And elsewhere Whom God redeemed by the blood of the Mediator he maketh for euer after good De corrept gra cap. 11. But these bee testimonies inough out of Augustine For who can rehearse euery thing hee writeth of this matter Hieromie Furthermore the Commentaries vpon Marke ascribed to Hieromie expresly say that the blood of the newe Testament is sayd to be shed for Many because it doth not cleanse all that there is euen in the Church some whom no sacrifice clenseth As Remigius also as Thomas citeth him Cate. aurea vpon this very place warneth vs to obserue that hee saith not for few or for all but for Many my blood shal be shed because he came not to redeeme our nation onely but Many of all Nations Hilarius in Matthew cap. 7. Hilarie The saluation of the Gentiles saith he is wholly of faith and in the Lordes commandements is the life of all men He saith not the reprobates and vnbeleeuers are as well saued by Christ as any other as these newe sectaries thinke good to speake Chrysostome homil 39. vpon 1. Chrisost Cor. expounding the words of the Apostle touching the quickening of all men by Christ denieth that it is to be vnderstood of the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer are made sinners in Adam are made righteous in Christ Hub. thes 49. 53. which yet our aduersaries would haue The same maner homil 17. vpon the Hebrewes confirmeth the distinction that Christ died for all as touching Sufficiencie and not for all as touching Efficiencie His words are these Why is hee said to be offered to take away the sinnes of Many and not of all because all beleeue not He died for all as much as in him lay that his death is of that waight as is the perdition of all and it is of force enough that no man might perish His arbidger Theophylact vseth the same distinction in 2. and 9. ad Heb. and vpon the saying Iohn 6. Theophylact the bread which I giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world where he writeth albeit all haue not receiued sanctification and a spirituall life yet Christ may bee vnderstood to die for the satisfaction of all as touching the vertue of his death Of the same opinion is Basil as Theophylact sheweth in 9. ad Heb. for thus hee writeth All of vs that beleeue Basil Exhort ad baptis how many soeuer we be are redeemed by the grace of God from sins through his onely sonne who said this is my blood euen the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes The exposition is also twise repeated in the next sermon of Baptisme for Many that is the beleeuers was the blood of Christ shed Notwithstāding in respect of the sufficiencie of his merite it is true that elswhere he saith in Psalme 48. For all men wholly was there one onely worthie price found euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs al. Cyrill Cyrill in Io. li. 11. ca. 19. reconciling that shew of repugnancie that is between the words of Christ I pray not for the world and the wordes of Iohn He is the propitiation of the whole world consenteth to our opinion after this sort Saint Iohn saith he because he was a Iewe least the Lord should seeme to be with his father an aduocate for the Iewes onely cessarily hath added that hee is the propitiation of the whole world that is saith he for all who are called and through faith attaine to righteousnes and sanctification But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from such as be none of his for them saith he onely doe I pray who keepe my words and receiue my yoke For whose mediator and high Priest he is to them onely not without cause doth he attribute the benefite of meditation 2. Cor. 5. In the same place he doth alleage for that matter the saying of Paul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe that is saith he Christ as the Mediator receauing all that come to God by faith and offering himselfe to the father reconcileth the world to God But let vs returne to the Latine writers among whom Prosper of Aquitaine answering the Articles of the French men Prosper chap. 9. plainely approueth this phrase or maner of speaking that Christ died onely for them that shall be saued which our aduersaries slander as blasphemous and Saracenicall His wordes are these Therefore although our
albeit they maintaine as well as we the firmenes and certaintie of Gods election in it selfe yet they would haue it to bee vncertaine to vs as long as we liue in this mortal life whether we be in the nūber of the elect those that shall be saued yea whether in this life we bee in fauour with God neither suppose they that it cā possibly be known without especial reuelatiō such as they attribute to Paul and some few other Concil Trid. sesse 6. cap. 12. Hereupon the Councell of Trent held vnder Pope Paul the third decreed in this sort No man in this life ought so to presume of the secret misterie of Gods predestination that hee should certainely make account that he himselfe is in the number of them that be predestinated as though it were true that he that is iustified either could not sinne any more or if he hath sinned ought to promise himselfe certaine repentance For without speciall reuelation it cannot be knowne whom God hath chosen to himselfe Can. 15. And in the same Session among the Canons wherein the Trent fathers establish doubting of the forgiuenes of our sins and of the grace of God Hee is pronounced accursed whosoeuer shall say that a man regenerate and iustified is bound by faith to beleeue that he is certainely of the number of the predestinate This is the doctrine of poperie and no maruell seeing they are not subiect to the righteousnes of God but goe about to set vp their owne righteousnes of worthinesse and humaine merites For seeing they rest not in the mercie of God by and for Christes sake forgiuing sinnes to euery one that beleeueth but respect also their owne disposition worthinesse satisfactions merites to iustifie thē they doe lesse yet than becommeth thē that they so much doubt of their receiuing into grace or of their iustification For Paul without al doubting plainly pronoūceth that he knoweth nothing by himself yet hereby he is not iustified 1. Cor. 4. Gal. 5. Gal. 3. And to the Gal. Behold I Paul say vnto you ye are made voide of Christ as many as are iustified by the Law and ye are fallen from grace For as many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse And truely this doctrine of doubting of the grace of God in this life or the life to come Reasons against doubting of Gods grace greatly swarueth frō the scope of the diuine Scriptures For the Apostle saith What things are written are written for our instruction that by patience consolation we might haue hope Lib. 3. Sent. dist 26. What hope is But hope excludeth doubting because hope euen by the confession definition of the papistes themselues is a vertue whereby spiritual and eternal things are confidently expected or which is all one Hope is a certaine expectation of future blessednes proceeding from the grace and trueth of God They adde and from precedent merites because to hope for any thing without merites is not to bee called hope put presumption As though it were not presumption rather to aduance merites against grace For if of workes then not of grace saith the Apostle Rom. 11. but if of grace then not of workes Secondly a most strong argument against popish doubting is taken from this that in the scriptures we are commanded to beleeue the remission of sinnes and eternall life and that not onely historically and generally but also with the application of the promise of grace vnto vs as also euery where the holy Scriptures require vs to beleeue in Christ who died for our sinnes that he might restore vnto vs Gods grace that was lost righteousnesse and eternall life To beleeue and to doubt are contrary Now to beleeue and to doubt are manifestly contrary one to the other as we may see in Iames cha 1. If any of you want wisedom let him aske of God but with cōfidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing doubting or wauering hither and thither like the waues of the sea that are caried of the winde And the words vsed in the sacred Scriptures to expresse the force and nature of faith confirme the same thing as that to faith is attributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sure perswasiō substance demonstration confidence boldnes which surely signifie not a doubting of the mind but a sure certaine assurance Whereto then tendeth the doctrine and shop of doubting with the papists but to ouerthrowe faith altogether and to turne vpside downe the vse of the Scripture vnto vs which was therefore deliuered of the holy men of God that we should beleeue that Iesus Christ and that in beleeuing we might haue life through his name Hitherto serue the expresse sayings of Scripture Matth. 8. Be of good cheere my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Luk. 7. Woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace The papists flee here to some speciall reuelation but as we doe not denie the same so we say that those special reuelations depend vpon the generall foundation that is the promise of grace made to beleeuers in the Gospell Mark 16. He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned 2. Tim. 1. This also is manfest by the testimonies of Paul I knowe whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe my pledge against that day Chap. 4. Againe I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith hereafter there is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue me in that day and not to me onely but to all that loue his comming Also I am perswaded that neither death nor life Rom. 5. nor Angels nor principalities nor any other creature is able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu towards vs. In vaine doe they here except that Paul in those places speaketh onely of his owne assurance that he had by a singular reuelation For he speaketh in the plurall number of himselfe and others that are ingrafted into Christ by a true faith and loue his comming So elsewhere the Apostle generally testifieth Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God and wee reioyce in the hope of the glorie of God through our Lorde Iesu Christ For being now iustified through his blood we shall much more be saued from wrath by him And to the Ephesians After ye beleeued Ephes 1. ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance against the day of redemption Iohn also hereto agreeth 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We know that we are translated from death to life And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in vs that he hath giuen vs of his spirit These and such like testimonies plainly proue that a faithfull man may and ought to make certaine account that he hath
Ex praedestinationis sententia sola pendere omnia qui accepturi sint verbum qui non qui credituri quinon qui liberandi à peccato qui occaecandi quidamnandi qui iustificandi That is Vpon the onely sentence of predestination all things depend who shall receiue the word who not who shall beleeue who not who shall be freed from sinne who blinded therein who shall be damned who saued Therefore seeing God saueth some men and condemneth others and that willingly for nothing can bee done if he be simply vnwilling and against it we must of necessitie confesse that both are done according to Gods purpose and that eternall For there is nothing temporall in God otherwise he should be mutable And this is nothing els than that God hath chosen some and reiected others from euerlasting Touching the certaine number of the predestinate Augustine saith truly De Cor. gra cap. 13 7. Praedestinatorum in regnum Dei ita certus est munerus c. that is The number of them that are predestinate vnto the kingdome of God is so certaine that nothing can be added to them nor any thing of them diminished And againe Electorum si quisquam perit fallitur Deus vitio humano vincitur c. that is If any of the elect perisheth God is deceiued and ouercome of mans sinne but none of them perisheth because God is not deceiued nor ouercome of any thing This treatise also teacheth that a man may be certaine of his election saluation by what meanes he may know it what we are to iudge of the election of others how necessarie and profitable this doctrine is to know Gods mercie and iustice and his free grace against all Pelagians and Semipelagians and to teach vs humilitie patience in aduersitie loue towards God and an earnest studie of all good works This is briefly the summe of these bookes which I haue translated for the benefit and helpe of the common sort that vnderstand them not in the Latin tongue that by reading and vnderstanding hereof they that erre may returne againe to the trueth and imbrace it hereafter the better they that doubt may be fully resolued hereby and they that haue held this doctrine as the trueth of God in time past may be confirmed therein and incouraged to professe it to their liues end Now these my labours I present to the view of your Honour crauing pardon for my boldnes and the protection and defence of these mysteries of the Gospel of Christ I commend vnto your Honor assuring my selfe that as the great and mightie Christian Princes of the world account it an honour vnto them to be and to be called defenders of the true faith of Christ by whom they raigne so your Honour will gladly and willingly receiue the protection of this his trueth who hath not onely aduanced you to so high a place of dignitie in this Common-wealth but hath also giuen you an heart to feare him to minister true iudgement and to promote the Gospel by furnishing this Church with learned and able Ministers and that freely in this corrupt age when all things are set to sale The great good report that generally is giuen of your Honor in euery place for these things of all persons but especially of Ministers and Schollers as it draweth the hearts and affections of men vnto you in all dutie causeth many a hearty praier to be made to God for your life continuance in weldoing so among other it hath moued mee though the meanest of all oftentimes to blesse God for you to reioyce in your behalfe that so much the rather because it hath pleased God out of Chesshire my natiue soile to aduance one to so high a place and authority and to make him so famous for weldoing as he hath done your Honour Goe on still good my Lord in that good course that you haue begun honour the Lord with your authoritie and he will yet more honour you keepe a good conscience in all things and the remembrance thereof shall be your ioy Bona conscientia saith Bernard afficit gaudio viuentem consolatur morientem eternumque durat that is A good conscience gladdeth a man in his life comforteth him in his death and indureth for euer And after your Honour hath serued your time according to the counsell of God and shall be ready to bee called before that great Master of the Rolles and records of all the world you shall with the Apostle say to your endles comfort Certamen praeclarum decertaui cursum consummaui sidem seruaui quid superest reposita est mihi iustitiae corona I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes Thus ceasing any further to interrupt your Honour from your weighty affaires which I know be many I humbly with all dutifulnes take my leaue praying God long to preserue your Honour in health to make you zealous of his glorie constant in all weldoing to the furtherance of his Gospell faithfull to her Maiestie carefull of Iustice profitable to the whole Realme prosperous in all your waies and comfortable to your owne soule that at length you may sleepe in peace and make a ioyfull account Amen Grensteed in Essex Octob. 31. 1598. Your Honors most humble at commandement in the Lord HVGH INCE TO THE MOST EXCELLENT AND RENOWMED PRINCE AND LORD THE LORD Frederike the fourth Count Palatine on the Rhene Duke of Bauarie of the sacred Romane Empire chiefe Sewer and Elector his most gracious Lorde and Prince MOST noble Prince Elector and gracious Lorde many things are required in a good Prince beeing Gods Vicar among men among other wisedome which containeth the knowledge of diuine and humane things is a singular beautifying of him and a passing good defence Hereupon Platoes iudgement was that Common weales should then be happy when either Princes studied philosophy or els Philosophers ruled Common weales And to vse a grauer witnesse Wisd 6. the multitude of wise men is the safetie of the worlde and a prudent king is the stay of the people saith the wise man For which cause also Salomon Dauids sonne the wisest king of mortal men when in his tender yeres he had receiued the gouernment of the kingdome hauing choise offered him of God to aske what he would craued onely wisedome In Alcibiades Plato also reporteth what was the custome of the Persians in bringing vp the eldest sonnes of their kings that were to succeede in the kingdome and how they aquainted them frō their tender yeres with the study of wisedome and vertue to the intent they might gouerne the kingdome at length with honour After this sort it was At their age of foureteene yeeres the kings schoolemasters as they were called being foure chosen out of all the Persians the wisest man the iustest the most temporate the valiantest mā did
that the Caluinists both dissemblingly and plainly denie that Christ suffered and died for all men But in the very entrance as it is said they run on ground fastning vpon vs a false opinion against which afterwards they perpetually fight For we willingly acknowledge these maner of speeches 1. Iohn 2. 1. Tim. 2. That Christ is made the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world and hath giuen himselfe the price of redemption for all men For who can denie that which the Scripture would haue to bee expressed in so many words But the question is of the meaning of the words For as hee shall not escape the note of impudencie who shall denie what the Scripture expresseth so wee are to take heede least not vnderstanding what is written we should thinke there is some repugnance in the Scripture For the same Canonicall Scripture which saith that Christ died for all and so maketh redemption after a sort common to all doth restraine in other places the proprietie of redemption vnto the Church The words of Paul are Ephes 5. Christ loued his Church and gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it and present it glorious vnto himselfe And in the same place Christ is the head of the Church and the Sauiour of the bodie And 1. Tim. 4. He is called the Sauiour of all men but specially of the faithfull Also Heb. 9. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Of which called also that is rightly taken which is read in the end of the same chapter Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many What doth not Christ in his solemne intercession pray for his owne expressely and not for the world I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. saith he but for them whom thou hast giuen me Now the intercession and sacrifice of Christ for vs be inseparable parts of his priesthood Other testimonies of this sort I conceale which shall be produced in their place Therefore seeing the holy Scripture here as elsewhere requireth not contentious disputers but vnderstanding readers the ancient fathers for the explication of these Of the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie Aquinas haue vsed the distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie Thomas Aquinas the best schooleman who florished 300. yeares agoe vpon the 5. chapter of the Apocalyps writeth of this matter thus Of the passion of the Lord saith he we speake after two sorts either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all For it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all Of the meaning of the sufficiencie of Christs death although there had been many worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. cur Deus homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so all are not redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not vnto the redeemer and therefore all haue not the efficacie of redemption The same man part 3. summae quaest 1. artic 3. when he had said that Christ came to blot out all sinnes expounding himselfe he addeth these words Not that the sinnes of all men are blotted out which is through the fault of men who cleaue not to Christ but because he exhibited that which was sufficient to haue abolished all sins Whereunto also may be referred the things which he writeth quaest 49. art 1.3.5 Christ hath deliuered vs saith he as his members from sinnes and his passion hath his effect in them who are incorporated into him as the members into the bodie and so are partakers of his passion But such as are not ioyned vnto the passion of Christ can not receiue the effect thereof But let vs heare others also more ancient then Thomas Innocentius 3. Innocentius 3. Pope of Rome Anno Dom. 1200. repeating the same distinction lib. 2. de officio Missae cap. 41. saith The blood of Christ was shed for those only that are predestinated as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie For the shedding of that righteous blood was so rich in price that if the vniuersalitie of captiues would beleeue in their redeemer the tyrannicall bands of sinne and Satan could withhold none because as the Apostle saith where sinne abounded there grace did superabound This later whole sentence is Pope Leos Epist 83. and 97. which seeing Innocentius alleadgeth Leo. he sheweth apparantly that Leo was of the same minde Vnto these that is not much vnlike which Basil writeth in Psal 48. Basill Man cannot giue a propitiation for himselfe to God yet one worthie price was found out for all men euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs all And that he speaketh of the sufficiencie and dignitie of the price it appeareth by the words themselues and by that which he faith elsewhere very oftē respecting the effect that the blood of Christ was shed not for all men without exception but for many Chrysost Theoph. that is for the beleeuers Chrysostome also and Theophilact who abridged him acknowledge the same distinction as we shall see Augustine Moreouer Augustine the chiefest of the ancient sound writers doth not onely acknowledge that distiction but also doth expound it largely Tom. 7. answering vnto Articles that were falsely fathered vpon him whereof the first was that he was reported to maintaine that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men But he distinguisheth after this maner As touching the greatnes and might of the price saith he and as touching the onely cause of mankind the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are well said to bee redeemed Yet because all are not pulled out of captiuitie and many are not redeemed the proprietie of redemption without doubt belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and now are not the members of the deuill but of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that euen they should appertaine vnto the redemption of it who should not bee regenerated but so that what was done by one example for all should be magnified in euery one by one sacrament giuen vnto them This is as much as if he had sayd As touching the sufficiencie of the price the redemption belongeth to all but as touching the effect it belongeth not to all but to the members only of Christ And anone he setteth out the matter by a similitude saying Augustines similitude The cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine power hath power in it selfe to profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good The new writers also allow this distinction as vsuall very ancient and profitable in this poynt diligently to be retained Stapulensis vpō the 5. to the Romanes Stapulensis similitude declaring the matter by a similitude saith As light is able to driue away infinit darknes
albeit the eyes of all are not inlightened so Christ hath in himselfe the redemption of all The new writers allow the distinction of sufficiency and efficiency not sufficient for vs only but to redeeme innumerable worlds also albeit all through their owne peruersenes are not made partakers thereof Neither otherwise doth Caluin Beza Grineus and other Diuines of our confession who are hatefully spoken of by our aduersaries as though simply without al distinction they should auouch that Christ died not for all Which to be falsely layd to their charge he shall confesse whosoeuer shall weigh the places of the authors of whom now we haue spoken Caluin in 1. Ioh. 2. Beza in 2. Cor. 5.15 and often in the second part of his answer to the Acts of the Conference at Mompelgart fol. 217. 221. Gryneus in Thesauro the fium class 1 thes 13. Tossan thes 31. in disput de loco Pauli 1. Cor. 15.22 Zanch. lib. 2. Miscel pa. 312. Pet. Mart. loco de praedest ad Rom. 9. In these places the forenamed writers as many other writers of our side in their bookes doe retaine with one accord the common distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie not to be refused doubtles in this disputation Onely let the termes sufficiently and efficiently bee rightly and truly vnderstood Sufficiently Sufficiently that is by Augustines interpretation as touching the greatnes of the price or as Thomas sheweth as farre forth as hee exhibited that which was sufficient to take away all sinnes Effectually Efficiently or as others speake effectually let it bee vnderstood in respect of the effect which is found in the onely members of Christ all the rest being without redemption who liue without faith and regeneration as Augustine also hath learnedly left in writing The opinion of our aduersaries But this is the opinion of our aduersaries that Christ without any difference died for the sinnes of all men and that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied and clensed by sacrifice not onely sufficiently but also effectually Which thus they doe declare that our heauenly father hath instituted and ordained in very deede a reconciliation with all and euery man without any respect of faith or vnbeleefe But in them it abideth effectuall who by faith receiue that reconciliation with God ratified by Christ his sacrifice and in those who refuse it by vnbeleefe The aduersaries simile it is abolished and taken away no otherwise then if a common bath were erected for many sick persons wherin all in very deed are restored to health and some of thē by intemperance do lose againe their former health which continueth in others which liue soberly Which similitude truly much differeth in sense from those which Augustine and Stapulensis vsed before Furthermore they professe and write plainly that Christ suffered was crucified dead and hath satisfied no lesse for the sinnes of all which alreadie are damned and hereafter to bee damned then for the sinnes of Peter Paul and of all the Saints that is to say that Christ not onely gaue that which was sufficient to haue taken away the sinnes of all men but also that in very deede the sinnes no lesse of the damned Marke this strange doctrine and such as shal be damned then of those that are saued and shal bee saued are washed away in his blood And they auouch that it commeth to passe that neuerthelesse the former sort are condemned not for their sinnes for they are indeed clensed by Christ but for vnbeleefe alone whereby they destroy againe and make vneffectuall that reconciliation which was made and done for them This was the opinion of Iacob Andreas in the Conference at Mompelgart which Huberus thes 19. setteth downe in this maner to wit That Christ suffered and died not for some men only but for al the posteritie of Adam none and to speake it most plainly none at all excepted out of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde whether he receiue to himselfe saluation by faith and continue in saluation obtained or els through vnbeleefe refuse saluation wrought for him and therefore perish againe for euer We see that he boldly auoucheth that indifferently all and euery one beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue obtained in very deede saluation in Christ but that some in beleeuing continue in saluation receiued others are depriued againe of the same by not beleeuing The same man in compendio thes 10. saith Wee boldly affirme that Christ by his death hath mercie vpon all men in very deed and in truth and gaue himself a sacrifice for sins no lesse for euery infidell then for euery faithfull man to wit that he may deliuer from death the deuill and hell all men whosoeuer they be he meaneth in very deede and in truth as wee vse to speake and not sufficiently onely And that nothing may be obscure he maintaineth that the worke of saluation by Christ belongeth to all sinners and that such as by Adā haue sinned thes 49. haue righteousnes by Christ imputed vnto them and that all iudgement thes 60. and wrath of God is taken away and abolished from all men in very deede and properlie thes 65. and that all are truly and vndoubtedly together deliuered by the death of Christ from all sinne and condemnation and whole mankinde receiued in deede into the fauour and bosome of the father thes 168. and that all doe belong to the communion of saluation and kingdome of grace lastly thes 270. that all reprobates and elect are alike saued by Christ whether they beleeue or not and other like things altogether raw new and strange doe meete vs here and there dispersedly in reading him Vnto this opinion as new and vnheard of and many waies erronious as it shall appeare we cannot subscribe but following the old distinction wee affirme that Christ surely exhibited that which was sufficient to haue taken away all sins and so they are taken away Our opinion of the death of Christ for all men and that all are redeemed as touching the sufficiencie or greatnes and power of the price as Augustine expoundeth But as touching efficiencie we say that by the death of Christ the sinnes onely of the elect are blotted out who beleeue in him and sticke vnto him as the members to the head Christ effectually died for the elect and faithfull onely proued but such as are not incorporated into Christ cannot receiue the effect of his passion For as the Lord saith God so loued the world that he gaue his sonne that euery one that beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Ioh. 3. Which in that place Iohn Baptist confirming testifieth He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And in this sense and not absolutely and without
Philip. 2. All seeke their owne Ioh. 3. No man receiueth his testimonie If no man to what purpose came he from heauen Therefore none of a certaine sort because there is a certain people prepared for the wrath of God to be damned with the deuils none of this sort receiueth the testimonie of Christ saith August Tract 14. Many other examples the author of the calling of the Gentiles bringeth By all which is plainly shewed that All men are very often in the Scriptures named for a part of men the discerning of whom notwithstanding the Scripture soone openeth that the vnderstanding of the reader may be caried from the generall terme vnto that part which is to be vnderstood Herevpon Logicians giue a rule of restrayning an vniuersall note or signe vnto the subiect matter according to the rule A rule in Logike Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur esse à suis subiectis that is Such are the things that are vttered as they are permitted to be by their subiect matter Which precept hath not onelie place in this case of elect and reprobates beleeuers and vnbeleeuers but also elsewhere very often as when it is sayd All things are pure to the pure All things are lawfull for me c. CHAP. XIII Some other waies of the vniuersalitie of redemption All that are redeemed are redeemed by Christ MOreouer we affirme that by the vse of the Scripture and godly antiquitie it is rightly sayd that Christ died for all and that all are redeemed and saued by his death by a fit distribution as they say that is so farre forth as all who are redeemed and saued haue redemption and saluation in none other but in Christ by his blood Cyr. de lap hominis For all redemption as Cyrill speaketh is in Christ and through him commeth euery good gift 1. Cor. 15. Rom. 5. Epist 28. In this sense those sayings of the Apostle All are quickened and iustified in Christ Augustine euery where expoundeth as we shall see at large hereafter Because saith he as all men who die die not but in Adā so all men who are quickened shall be quickened in none other but in Christ And in this very kinde of speech the same man de pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 25. expoundeth that saying in Iohn chap. 1. He inlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world Therefore saith he is this spoken because no man is inlightened but by that light of the truth I know that Theophilact and some other referre that saying to the light of reason as of the inward eye of which exposition also Augustine maketh mention But this is enough for vs seeing the other way also the words of the Euangelist may be well taken to haue shewed the vse of this maner of speaking We haue a more manifest example 1. Cor. 12. He worketh all in all Where we haue neede of a double restraint All that is he worketh all powers gifts whatsoeuer in whomsoeuer For hee giueth all to no man much lesse all to all men but whatsoeuer grace or spirituall power is in any whomsoeuer is from him Philip. in paruis logical bringeth an example out of the 1. of Iohn Of his fulnes all we haue receiued and he warneth that it bee taken exclusiuely for the vniuersall signe is drawne to a certaine kinde and there is signified the shutting out of others As many of vs as haue receiued grace all of vs haue receiued it from Christ alone As if we should say of a Augustines similitudes de nat grat cap. 41. one schoolemaster in a citie This man teacheth all here letters or of some one b De pec mer. lib. 1. 28. midwife in a citie She receiueth all or as wee may say c Contr. Iuli. lib. 6. cap. 12. Christ iustifieth all in what sense Ad Bonif. lib. 1. cap. 7. alibi All enter into the house by one gate There all and such like are well spoken yet we may not vnderstand all men but such as learne letters and such as bee borne in that citie or els enter into the same house In like maner Christ iustifieth all men as farre forth as none is iustified but by him And this Augustine diligently vrgeth against the Pelagians who thought that not all but many are deliuered by Christ for they would haue some to be saued also without Christ by nature and freewill and the law whether naturall or giuen by Moses although in the meane while they would confesse that the way of saluation by Christ is more readie and commodious According to this sense Hilarie also writeth Comment in Matth. Canon 7. All the saluation of the Gentiles is of faith Hilarie and the life of al is in the precepts of the Lord. Ambrose But Ambrose somewhat more cleerely lib. 9. Epist 71. saith The Lord Iesus comming hath pardoned all men their sinne which no man could auoide and hath taken away the sinne of the whole world as Iohn testifieth Therefore let no man reioyce in workes because none shall be iustified by his deedes but he that is iust hath a free gift because after washing he is iustified Therefore it is faith saith he which deliuereth through the blood of Christ Iesus He saith expressely that Christ hath pardoned all their sinne but expounding himselfe he meaneth not that al and euery one in very deed are deliuered by Christs blood without respect of faith or infidelitie for he doth manifestly restraine the proprietie of redemption vnto the beleeuers but this he meaneth that they who are deliuered from sinne are deliuered by the free gift of Christ and not by their workes Of the later new writers Wolfgangus Musculus in his common places expoundeth it in this very sense Musculus that the redemption of Iesu Christ is well called vniuersall because no man is nor can be redeemed without it because there is saluation in none other Act. 4. nor any other name vnder heauen giuen to men whereby wee may be saued The same man alleadgeth this reason also of vniuersall redemption to wit because it is prepared for all and all are called vnto it that is as he himselfe titulo de remiss peccatorum quaest 2. expoundeth because albeit the grace of redemption doth not happen to all yet it is preached to all and set forth and all are indifferently inuited vnto it as in the Gospell the royall mariage was prepared for all Matth. 22. and all were bidden although not all alike were made partakers of the mariage because the mariage was in deede made readie for all but they which were called were not worthie for many are called but few chosen As touching therefore externall vocation Christ with all his benefits is set forth vnto all with this annexed thereto that all beleeue in him Mark 16. and as the Lord commanded the Gospell is preached to euery creature and repentance and remission of sinnes is preached in
his name among all nations Luk. 24. Ioh. 3. that whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne should not perish but haue euerlasting life By this precept there is no difference made of any nations De vocat gent. lib 2. cap. 1. or any men Vnto all men is the Gospell of the crosse of Christ sent who hath excepted no man hath separated no man because of his stocke or condition saying Preach the Gospell to euery creature he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned Hereupon the Lord in the Gospell cryeth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie Matth. 11. and I wil refresh you In which words one thing is commanded and another thing is promised Let vs doe what hee commandeth let vs goe all to the Lord and follow him so we shall haue what he hath promised For he casteth not foorth but receiueth and refresheth such as come vnto him In the meane while who shal come and who shall not come he doth know of whom the Sonne witnesseth Ioh. 6.44 No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Whosoeuer therfore hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth vnto me For men as Augustine discusseth that place preach outwardly and beate into the eares the sound of words and so men doe heare of men But that they vnderstand it is giuen inwardly it shineth inwardly it is reuealed inwardly by him who giueth increase Aug. tract 26. in Ioh. pluribus tract 3. in 1. Ioh. And Prosper lib. 2. cap. 9. de vocat gent. saith They who come are directed by the helpe of God they who come not resist through their owne obstinacie Lastly learned interpreters do admonish All taken for all sorts or kinds and the examples of phrases in the Scriptures confirme that the particle All often times ought to bee expounded not for a thing simplie vniuersall but indefinite so that All doth note whatsoeuer and rather All kinds or sorts then all particulars of euerie kinde So Augustine tract 53. in Ioh expounding that saying I will draw all vnto me when I am exalted By all saith he all the predestinate vnto saluation may be rightly vnderstood of all whom nothing shall perish Or certainly saith he all that is all kinds of men whether in all tongues or in all ages or in all degrees of men and whatsoeuer other thing can be spoken according to the innumerable differences whereby excepting onely sinnes men doe differ among themselues from the highest vnto the lowest from the king vnto the beggar I will draw all vnto me This maner of speech he at large teacheth Enchir. ad Laurent cap. 103. and de Correp gratia cap. 14. In both places hee bringeth this Luk. 11.42 Ye tithe mint and rew and all herbes For saith he the Pharisees did not tithe all strange herbes of all strangers through all lands but by all herbes wee must vnderstand all kind of herbes And many places agreeable to this kinde of speech doe meete vs in the Scriptures Matth. 4.23 and 10.1 as that Christ and his Apostles healed all sicknes and disease in the people and all that were possessed with the deuill Act. 10.38 And that all foure footed beasts and creeping things were shewed to Peter in the sheete that was let downe from heauen Act. 10.12 Act. 20.27 and 21.2 Ephes 3.9 And that Paul shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of God That he taught all the Iewes euery where not to circumcise their sonnes and which is more that he hath made cleere to all men c. and that wee are commanded to shew all gentlenes to all men that is to whomsoeuer Tit. 3.2 Infinite such like places there be which euery where meet them that search the holie Scriptures What is more harsh and inconuenient then for a man to vrge precisely the vniuersall particle in such places And that no man should marueile at this our speech let a man weigh these kind of speeches also All Iudea went out to Iohn Baptist Mark 5. Matth. 10. Ioh. 16. 2. Tim. 1. and all were baptized in Iordan Ye shall be hated of all men for my name All that shall kill you shall thinke they serue God All in Asia are turned from Paul Here the meaning is not that all the Iewes none excepted came to Iohn and were baptized of him but many euerie where out of all Iewrie And vnles the same figures Synecdoche be applied to other sayings monstrous and strange interpretations will arise Those we shall auoide by obseruing the maner of the Scripture whereof August epist 59. saith It is the maner of the Scripture to speake so of a part as of the whole which custome of diuine Scripture spersed vsuallie throughout all the bodie of the doctrine of it whosoeuer shall diligently marke shall plainly vnderstand many things which seeme to be contrarie one to another What should be then the cause that a man should not according to the vsuall custome of the Scriptures here also expound the vniuersall note All after the like maner to wit that Christ died for all that is speaking of the efficacie of redemption for whomsoeuer that rightly and without any hainous offence it bee referred not so well to euery one as vnto all sorts of men of whom without doubt the vniuersalitie of the elect doth consist But of the whole matter by setting downe a new principle it seemeth we must more diligently intreate THE SECOND BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION CONSISTING IN CONFVTATION CHAP. I. A transition vnto the examination of the arguments of the Aduersarie and the distribution of them into certaine rankes or orders THose things being briefelie laied open which we thought good first to handle touching the summe of the controuersie let vs now goe to examine the arguments particularly whereupon the Aduersarie resteth for the defence of his opinion afterward also we will confirme our opinion by fit testimonies and reasons of the sacred Scriptures Therefore that Christ dyed for all Adams posteritie not one at all excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde and so truely that he hath satisfied for the sinnes of all efficiently as they say and not sufficiently onely and that all whether they doe beleeue or not beleeue or neuer will beleeue are equallie by the death of Christ from sinne and damnation redeemed restored into the bosome of grace iustified quickened and lastly saued they indeuour to proue and conuince by a threefold order or ranke of reasons The first order containeth those reasons wherein vniuersalitie is expresselie set downe The second produceth such arguments as speake expresselie of reprobates and testifieth if we beleeue them that Christ died no lesse effectuallie for them then for Peter Paul and euery Saint The third ranke hath wonderfull as they say absurdities which they would make to follow of the contrarie opinion The
Champion of this conflict trusting to this triple ranke dealeth no more modestlie nor lesse boasteth himselfe and singeth the triumph before the victorie then euen that fierce Goliath 1. Sam 17. 2. Paral. â—2 1. â—eg 20. arrogant and stout by reason of his sworde speare and shield or that proud Sanherib or glorious Benhadad trusting in their horses and chariots to the reproach of Israel For he boasteth boldly that all attempt is in vaine of ouerthrowing those rankes Comp. thes 14. vnles first they that assaie it doe accuse and conuince the scripture of falsehoode But oh sirtha of good fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sing not your triumph before the victorie and as it is set downe in the sacred Scriptures Let not him that putteth on his armor boast as he that putteth it off as we learne that Ahab long agoe wisely answered Benhadad 1. Reg. 20.21 The Scripture with vs is of vndoubted credit and constant authoritie But the question is not of the trueth of the Scriptures which who so beleeueth not is a Pagan and no Christian but of the trueth of mans opinion which too boldly truely thou doest defend vnder pretence of Gods word as we shall see Wherefore we nothing regarde as well thine armies as thy triumphs CHAP. II. VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE FIRST ORDER A generall answer to testimonies of the death of Christ for all THe first order or ranke as farre as I obserue consisteth in a fourefold kinde of testimonies as a foureparted rescuing armie of souldiers for the places of Scripture of the olde and new Testament are brought wherein either Christ is said to die for all or the fruite of his death seemeth to be extended to all without exception or mention of the world is made in the matter of saluation or lastlie the gospell is said to appertaine vnto all Of all these we will speake in order First of all as touching the testimonies of the death of Christ for all we graunt also after a sort that Christ suffered and died for all men as many as haue been are and shall be What then Shall it thereof follow that all and euery one whether they beleeue or not beleeue are in very deede reconciled iustified quickened renewed saued and that all iudgement and wrath of God is truely and properlie taken away in all men and that all together are set free from all sinne and condemnation vndoubtedly and receiued as sonnes into the fauour and bosome of God This thing this stout defender maintaineth in these very words in his Theses but we denie and vtterly denie these consequences For that they may be admitted this of necessitie must be the Maior of the Syllogisme For whomsoeuer Christ suffered and dyed The opinion of the aduersarie drawne into a syllogisme they vndoubtedly are freed from all sinne and condemnation and are in deede made partakers of saluation reconciliation iustification regeneration and other benefits purchased by Christs death without any respect of faith and vnbeliefe The assumption followeth Christ is dead for all Therefore c. Answere But the Maior taken so absolutely is most false and full of reproach euery way against all the trueth of Christian religion and the very passion and death of the sonne of God But it is true conditionally that they for whom he died be partakers of the rehearsed benefits if they beleeue in Christ and obey him For it is impossible that a man should please God Heb. 11. who is without faith And Christ plainely maketh such a difference As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes Ioh. 3. so must the sonne of man be lift vp that euery one that beleeueth should haue euerlasting life And straight waies So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternal life Againe in the same place For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saued He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie And about the end of the chapter Iohn Baptist saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life but he that beleeueth not in the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Neither doth Paul acknowledge any to be iustified by the redemption of Christ Rom. 3. but such as beleeue All saith he haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whoÌ„ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This answere vseth Theophilact vpon Heb. 2. Theoph. whom Anselmus there seemeth to follow His words are these He tasted death not for the faithfull only but for the whole world For albeit all are not saued in very deed yet he a Peregit quod suâ intererat wrought that which was his part to do See how it doth not follow that if Christ died for all all are straightway saued which is the diuinitie of Huberus thes 270. Vpon the 9. chapter to the Hebr. the same interpreter hath left it thus written He hath taken away the sinnes of many Why said he of many and not of all Because all mortall men haue not beleeued The death of Christ surely was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of value sufficient that all should not perish and it was paied for the saluation of all and * Quantum in eo fuit as much as lay in him he died for all yet he tooke not away the sinnes of all because they that resist him make the death of Christ altogether vnprofitable vnto themselues These things he Stapulensis The foresaid answere Stapulensis an interpreter among the late writers not to bee despised confirmeth vpon the 2. chapter to the Hebr. in these words Christ truly suffered for all men and his death is of value for the redemption of all but then his death hath freed vs from the feare of death and from the feare of bondage hath restored vs into the libertie of life when wee follow him willingly And vpon the 10. chapter he writeth that by the oblation of Christ there is a most full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world which haue been are and shall be but their sins are remitted who comming vnto Christ doe aske grace which he vouchsafed to obtaine of the father for them but their sins are not pardoned who refuse his grace and contemne the vniuersal fountaine of the washing away of sinnes not knowing or being vnwilling to purge themselues in him And Brentius doth so declare it Brentius Catechis artic de remiss peccat We are iustified saith he by the meere mercie of God only for the redemption wherwith Christ hath redeemed mankind from sinnes and for that reconciliation which he hath obtained and not for any merit of man But
I answere The answer twofold They do not plainly proue by this testimonie the thing that they would though this were granted as we with Augustine doe willingly graunt it that those many ought to be taken for all For the answere is twofold First Augustine very often entreating of these words constantly expoundeth that all are iustified in Christ not that all are meant to bee iustified by Christ who are borne sinners of Adam but because all who are iustified cannot otherwise bee iustified than by him euen as all who die doe die in Adam August de nat grat cap. 40. Augustine contra Iulianum lib. 6. cap. 12. De peccatorum meritis lib. 1. cap. 28. Epist 57. In Enchir. cap. 51. Further in that hee saith all and all it appertaineth vnto the multitude of both parts and so there is a iustification of all through Christ to wit of all those who belong vnto Christs posteritie by spirituall regeneration This exposition Hierome approueth in Comment and among the Schoolemen Thomas Aquinas Exposit ad Romanos Hierome Thomas Aq. Whom if the disputers at Tubinge little regard let them beware least they reproue their friend and Colledge Heerbrand of a false exposition For so he Disput de iustific thes 148. expounding the antithesis of the first and second Adam saith Both haue merited something for their owne All taken not generally but for the multitude of both sides that is of Adam and Christ Adam sinne and death for such as are borne of him Christ righteousnes and life for those that beleeue in him And the grace of Christ hath abounded aboue sinne because Christ hath obtained for vs the forgiuenes not of one sin onely but of all together as the words of the Apostle testifie These things he godly and soundly But it is most false and farre from the minde of Paul that to whomsoeuer sinne is ascribed to them also righteousnesse should be imputed by the Apostle For the Apostle speaketh expressely not of any righteousnesse which afterward againe may be made ineffectuall and that such as haue obtained it may neuerthelesse after bee damned foreuer but he entreateth of that righteousnes which whosoeuer haue shal raigne for euer For he saith If by one offence death raigned through one much more they that receiue that exceeding grace and gift of righteousnes shall raigne in life through one Wherevpon also he calleth it the iustification of life But not all as many as died in Adam shall raigne in an heauenly life Ergo neither all simply do receiue the gift of righteousnes through Christ This Hierome weighed saying When he saith all are iustified he speaketh not generally but meaneth the multitude of each side Otherwise if all men be found iustified in Christ as in Adam they are condemned there shall be none beside to be punished Obiection But thou wilt say if more perished in Adam than are saued in Christ his grace shall be weaker than Adams sinne which is against the Apostle in that comparison Answere I denie the consequence because the greatnes and the power of grace aboue sinne ought not to bee esteemed according to the multitude of those that are cōdemned in Adam and of those that are iustified and glorified in Christ for so grace should be equall onely and nothing at all stronger then sinne yea euen if they should be made righteous in Christ as many as are borne sinners in Adam But now the grace of the Sauiour is infinitly mightier then the sin of the first man and can doe so much more as God can doe more then man But in these things consisteth that largenes of grace aboue sinne Sinne brought forth death Grace righteousnes and life for it is easier to destroy and condemne innumerable How grace aboundeth aboue sinne then to quicken and saue one seeing no not all men gathered in one could effect this but the other the offence of Adam onely could bring to passe In Adam all of vs are wrapped vnto condemnation by one only offence but Christ doth deliuer his not only from that one originall sinne but also from all actuall sinnes Neither is there any righteousnes beside Christ as there bee some sinnes beside the sinne of Adam Augustine saith August de peccat merit lib. 1. cap. 15. And how mightie is this gift which innumerable sinnes cannot withstand And this the Apostle specially respecteth commending the abundance of grace aboue sinne For he saith Not as the offence so is also the free gift of God for guiltines entered in vpon one offence vnto condemnation but the gift that God bestoweth is giuen vpon many offences to iustification And after another maner declaring the abundance of grace he straightway addeth For if by one offence death raigned through one much more they who receiue that exceeding grace gift of righteousnes shal raigne in life by one Iesus Christ As if he should say if sinne be so effectuall to death how much more grace to life nay to a kingdome in an heauenly life Which comparison truly is weakned and grace is now ouercome of sinne if it bee a certaine thing that they also haue receiued that exceeding grace and gift of righteousnes who shall be with the deuils for euer tormented In these things therefore the largenes of the grace of Christ and his dominion is properly seene and not in the comparison according to number of those who perish and who are saued To these it may bee added that it falleth out not through the penurie of redemption or some insufficiencie of grace and obediēce of Christ that many are not saued but through their owne vnbeleefe For the effusion of that righteous blood as before we related out of Leo is so rich in price that if the whole number of captiues would beleeue in Christ no chaines of Sathan could hold them The 2. place of the aduersarie out of 1. Cor. 15 21 22. A like place is brought out of 1. Corin. 15.21.22 By man came death and by man came the resurrection of the dead because as in Adam all die so in Christ all shall bee made aliue Therefore all none excepted are redeemed and once saued by the death of Christ I answere that this argument is easily dissolued and hath not so much as a shew of truth because Paul doth not speak of that quickening which is alreadie made in the crosse of Christ but of that which shall be at the last day And that quickening is meant according to sound interpreters either of the common resurrection of some to life and of others to condemnation or els which is better liked of of the blessednes and glorie of the godly If the first sense be allowed no argument can thence bee drawne for the vniuersall redemption and saluation of all men If the later it is certaine that that quickening shall not bee of all men simply but of all the elect onely August ep 28. Augustine vnderstandeth quickening in that
ago He in Comment in Ioh. wherein he diligently vseth to follow Augustine thus writeth vpon this present place We take the world surely which God loued World for the elect and faithfull before and since Christ for mankinde that is quicke and dead dead truly who expected through faith Christ to come aliue who either of Iewes or Gentiles should beleeue in him For so he saith without difference of Iew or Gentile vniuersally that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In the iudgement of Augustine this exposition is confirmed by the sentence immediatly added of Christ when he saith for God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world may be saued It is the same world doubtlesse which the father loued and which Christ came to saue And that world for whose saluation Christ came Tract 110. as Augustine witnesseth as wee cited before be the elect and beleeuers Hearken Huber and cease to be angrie if this interpretation please vs also or els if thou canst disproue it remember that thou must contend with reasons and not with railings to finde out the trueth But haue ye any reason D. Iacobus bringeth for a reason that Christ addeth in the same place This is the iudgement Coll. Momp that light is come into the world and the world loued darknes more then it Here the word world saith he cannot be vnderstood of the elect onely but specially of those who are reiected and damned But he negligently alleadged the text for it hath men loued darknes There is no mention of world Thes 119. Huberus proofe is nothing sounder Christ saith he diuideth the world into two sorts into such as receiue and such as withstand the light or of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Therfore to both sorts of men did God send his sonne I answere the Antecedent is denied Among men truly some beleeue others doe not some loue the light others hate it but that Christ diuideth that world whereof he had said So God loued the world into two kindes it cannot be proued out of the text Thus it appeareth that there is no argument here out of the word world Further albeit it shuld bee graunted that by world there is meant al men it would not yet follow that Christ and his benefits doe therefore belong to all whether they beleeue or not seeing they are expressely restrained vnto the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers while it is added that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life What can be more cleere The 2. place Ioh. 1. As touching the place Ioh. 1.29 Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world we willingly graunt that the sacrificing of this Lambe is sufficient for all the sins of all men but as touching the effect Christ taketh away sinnes from such as confesse them and beleeue as Iohn himselfe witnesseth 1. Epist 1. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all iniquitie Againe If wee walke in light as he is the light wee haue fellowship with him and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne He calleth it sinne in the singular number for any kinde of iniquitie And where he saith of the world he draweth the efficacie of this sacrifice indifferently vnto the redemption of Gentiles and Iewes least the Iewes should thinke that the redeemer was sent to them alone Hereupon the Saints in that song of the Lambe doe sing Apoc. 5 9. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hast made vs to our God kings and priests and wee shall raigne vpon the earth As touching the words of Christ Ioh. 6.51 The 3 place Ioh. 6. The bread which I will gâ—ue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world out of that whole Sermon it is cleerer than the noone day that not euery one is made partaker in very deede of this spirituall eternall life and also of that true heauenly bread but such as by faith come vnto him and eating his flesh and drinking his blood are incorporated into him as they bee whom the father hath giuen to the sonne For the truth saith Verely I say vnto you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood ye shall haue no life in you He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life For my flesh is meate in deede As the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father so also hee that eateth mee doth liue by me Than which words what can bee spoken more cleere for the confirmation of our opinion to wit that the effect of this sacrifice whereby Christ offered himselfe to the father as a sweet smelling fauour for the life of the world belongeth not vnto all without respect of faith or vnbeleefe but vnto them who are incorporated into Christ to be partakers of the spirit Tract 26. For participation saith Augustine whereby we eate him is the cause that we liue through Christ Neither can a man liue by the spirit of Christ vnlesse he be of his bodie as my bodie liueth by my spirit and thy bodie by thine How is then Christ the life of the world 2. Obiections for he witnesseth that he giueth life vnto the world and that he will giue himselfe for the life of the world Further Christ sayd vnto all to whom he preached My father doth giue you true bread from heauen and yet many of them afterward went away from him Therefore that bread of life belongeth to al alike Hub. thes 125. to backsliders and continuers to the saued and the damned Answere to the first To the first obiection I say Rom. 4. as the Apostle writeth of Abraham that by promise he was made the heare of the world that is the father of all the faithfull so that much more Christ is rightly termed the life of the world as farre forth as he bestoweth eternall life vpon the sonnes of Abraham dispersed through the world Secondly he is also the life of the world taking now the world for all men who are haue been and shall be as farre forth as no one man of all mortall men can haue life but by him albeit notwithstanding not all in verie deede are quickened For there is not in any other saluation or life Acts 4. neither is there any other name vnder heauen which is giuen among men whereby we must be saued Thirdly he did that which lay in him offering such a sacrifice which was sufficient to haue taken away the destruction of all and to haue restored life to all but that the vnbeleeuers receiue not life they are in fault by refusing Christ as Theophilact vpon this very place and vpon the 9. to the Hebrewes teacheth The same man noteth that the life
not for ours onely to wit who now beleeue but also for the sinnes of the whole world that is of the beleeuers now and of such as shall beleeue hereafter in his name vnto the end of the world As also Christ the high priest of our profession whose words Iohn seemeth to haue followed of purpose in his last most feruent prayer Ioh. 17. prayed his father not onely for the beleeuers then but also for them who afterward should beleeue Tract 110. whom also as wee obserued before out of Augustine he in the same place calleth the world when he saith that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me And of this very world of beleeuers out of all nations and of all times that is The world of beleeuers is the Church throughout the world of the Church throughout the whole world Augustine expoundeth this very place of Iohn Tract 1. Epist 48. in these words The whole world is set in euill because of the tares which are through the whole world And Christ is the propitiation of our sinnes and not onely of ours but of the whole world because of the wheate which is through the whole world And more fully Tract 87. in Ioh. The vniuersall Church saith he is most commonly called by the name of the world euen as that is God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe And that The sonne of man came not to iudge the world but to saue the world And Iohn in his Epistle saith We haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation of our sinnes and not of ours onely but of the whole world The whole world therefore is the Church and the world of perdition doth hate the world of redemption These things Augustine Cyrill also vpon Iohn lib. 11. cap. 19. reconciling the words of Christ I pray not for the world with the saying of Iohn writeth after this sort Iohn seemeth to differ from our Sauiour For our Sauiour refuseth here to pray for the world but Iohn affirmeth that he is a propitiation and aduocate not for our sinnes only but for the whole world But S. Iohn because he was a Iew least the Lord should seeme to be an aduocate with his father for the Iewes onely and not also for other Gentiles which being called doe obey necessarily added for the whole world But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from such as are not his saith for them onely who keepe my words and receiue my yoke doe I pray For whose Mediatour and high priest he is to them onely he attributeth worthily the benefit of mediation These things Cyrill In like maner the author of the calling of the Gentiles lib. 2. cap. 1. expoundeth the saying of Iohn no otherwise but of the fulnes of the faithfull whereof there is accounted a certaine speciall vniuersalitie that out of the whole world the whole world seemeth to be deliuered and out of al men all men seeme to be taken and that according to the vse of the Scriptures naming for a part of the earth all the earth and for a part of the world all the whole world and for a part of men all men as plentifully the same man sheweth lib. 1. cap. 3. Further the Church of Smyrna in the Epistle of the life of Polycarpus which Eusebius reciteth speaking of Christ saith Euseb hist. eccl lib. 4. c. 15. that he suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that are to bee saued Coll. Momp pag. 546. Hereupon againe the great rashnes of Iacob Andreas appeareth who boldly affirmeth that this is most certaine and vndoubted of among all truly godly sincere teachers that the words of Iohn ought to be vnderstood of all men none excepted By these men which I haue produced being without controuersie godlie and sincere teachers of the Church it appeareth that it is most false But Iohn set downe the vniuersall particle of the whole world As though that world of good men had not his vniuersalitie Certainly the same Apostle feared not to say the whole world lieth in euill that is 1. Ioh. 5.19 because of the tares which are through the whole world And in the Gospell after Iohn the Pharisees say Ye see that wee profit nothing Iohn 12.19 behold the world goeth after him Where so old an interpreter as Nonnus the Greeke Paraphrast and Luthers Dutch translation reade with the vniuersall particle the whole world followeth him Shall we say as these men doe that all men none excepted followed Christ What were more foolish So Matth. 8.34 The whole citie went out to meete Christ And Luk. 7.29 The whole people and publicans iustified God The Kings of the whole world were gathered by vncleane spirits to fight Apoc. 16.14 and 13. there The whole earth followed the beast This vsuall kinde of speaking in the Scriptures interpreters commonly doe imitate So Augustine Tract 4. in Ioh. writeth that the whole world is Christian Marke this and the whole world is wicked because through the whole world there be vngodly and through the whole world there be godly The same man in Psal 22. vpon those words In the great Church will I confesse vnto thee the great Church is the whole world and for this whole world that is for the Church dispersed euery where he saith that the blood of Christ was shed and it was wholy redeemed and not onely Aphrica as the Donatists did shut vp the Church in a part of Aphrica I omit others and returne to the examples of the Scripture adding this vnto the former that in Luke 2. it is read that there went out an edict from Augustus Caesar that the whole world should be taxed Seeing here diuers nations being associated through the author tie of the onely Romane Empire haue the name of the whole world what maruell is it that the fulnes of the Gentiles being called vnto the vnitie of the faith and the body of Christ doth obtaine the account of the whole world De vocat gent. lib. 2. cap. 6. For Christian grace is not contented to haue those limits that Rome had but it hath alreadie subdued many people vnto the scepter of the crosse of Christ whom Rome by his weapons brought not vnder subiection Wherfore the vniuersall terme nothing hurteth the exposition before alleadged as neither doth that preiudice it which Huber writeth Thes 135. of an argument from the generall to the speciall or from the speciall to indiuiduaes or singulars Certainly from the generalitie of the faithfull Marke this the argument proceedeth to thee to me that if any man sinneth and beleeueth in Christ there is an attonement purchased for him through faith in the blood of Christ And these things thus farre of the testimonies wherein mention is made of the world in the matter of grace CHAP. VI. Answers vnto the sayings of the Scripture touching the vniuersalitie of the preaching of the
is proper to his members Iesus Christ is promised who should destroy the workes of the diuell and hee being conquered should set his Christians at liberty from his power to raigne for euer with himselfe in the inheritance of the Saints Hereupon saith Paul Rom. 16. v. 20. The God of peace shall treade Satan vnder your feete shortly Where he restraineth without question the victorie against Satan vnto the faithful of whom also Colos 1. Col. 1. he saith He hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne to wit through faith without which saith Ambrose there is no going out of hell Ambrose in epist ad Col. or out the power of darkenes wherein we were held captiue of the diuell Moreouer that reparation and victorie against Satan as it is promised respecteth not onely the merite but also the efficacie of Christ whereby he maintaineth and preserueth in the conflicts of this life the saluation which he purchased for vs and strengtheneth vs against the diuell the world and our owne flesh with the vertue of his spirit vntill at length we obtaine full victorie De pass cruce Domini For it is the worke of our Sauiour saith Athanasius not onely to deliuer vs from bondage but to destroy the author thereof least he growing strong doe supplant vs and make voide the conquest of the deliuerer And now experience and Scripture teach it to be farre off from al the sonnes of Adam 1. Thes 3.3 and 5.23 to be after this sorte victors ouer Satan but that victorie God bestoweth vpon his Saints And also by those words in Moses I will put enemitie betweene thee and the woman The reprobate◠are excluded from the promise betweene thy seede and her seede the reprobates are manifestly excluded from the promise for they are ioyned to the diuell who is the head and father of reprobates and against this kingdome of Satan that is against the diuell and his members victory is promised to the Church through Christ for in the seede of the woman altogether as in the seede of Abraham the sonnes of the promise are accounted Rom. 9.8 and 4.16 But let vs see the pretie reasons of the Aduersarie First The adueraries reasons to proue reprobates to be deliuered from Satan by Christ he will haue this place to be vnderstoode of the whole repayring of whole mankinde because not onely a part of the bodie of the diuell but his head should be broken A fine reason as though the head also were not a part of the bodie Secondly because the head of the diuell was to bee broken through Christ we must needes vnderstand that so the diuell is troden down that he doth not exercise the power of death any longer against them for whom he is destroyed But this hath place onely in them who are the members of Christ He bringeth also for declaration those sayings Ioh. 12. 1. Ioh. 3. Heb. 2. Colos 2. Luk. 11. Matth. 12. that the prince of this world is cast forth that the sonne of God came to destroy the workes of the diuell that by death he hath destroyed the diuell that the diuell and all his power was triumphed ouer Also that he comming vpon the pallace of the strong armed man ouercame him and tooke away all his armour and diuided his spoyles From these he laboureth to inferre that not any one is excepted who hath been brought vnder the power of the diuell whom Christ hath not deliuered from him or else to whom the head of the diuell is not broken These words be talke but not weighty reasons For so Augustine discoursing of those things very exactly saith Tract 53. The deuill is ouercome and destroyed for the faithfull onely and in them in Ioh. The deuill possessed mankind and held them guiltie of punishments by the handwriting of sinnes he bare rule in the hearts of vnbeleeuers But by the faith of Christ through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are set free from the power of the deuill This thing he called iudgment separation and expulsion of the deuill from his redeemed ones The same man a little after God foresaw what he knew that after his passion and glorifying many people through out the world should beleeue in whose hearts the deuill was whom when they renounce through faith he is cast forth to wit out of the harts of the faithfull The Master of sentences following Augustine in like maner expoundeth those places lib. 3. dist 19. Therefore they are the beleeuers out of whom he is cast out In these he is abolished ouercome and conquered and his workes are destroyed Ephe 2. but in the vnbeleeuers in whom the prince of this world as yet is effectuall he ceaseth not to exercise a lamentable triumph 1. Ioh. 5. 2. Tim. 2. vntill they also through faith which is our victorie get out of the snare of the deuill of whō they are held captiues And this the words of Iohn do plainly confirme 1. Ioh. 3. For if he who committeth sinne be of the deuill and hee who is borne of God sinneth not surely the workes of the deuill are in very deede destroyed in none but in the regenerate Obiections 1. Cor 1◠But if Satan be abolished and conquered he is once and for all men together destroyed Answere Not so For euen the last enemie death shall be destroyed and there shall be that most famous triumph of the last day ouer Satan yet how great shall their number bee ouer whom death and he that hath the power of death the deuill shall for euer raigne Neuerthelesse all things then shall truly bee subiect vnto Christ witnesse the Apostle as euen now all things are subiect vnto him after a sort All things are subdued vnder Christ and ye◠Satan 〈◊〉 in the reprobates Contrarily how vnskilfully doth Huberus except that al things cannot be said to be subiect vnto Christ if the greatest part of Satans kingdom be not ouerthrowne by him Yea the whole kingdome of Satan shall be destroyed by him specially at the last day but for that cause there is no neede that Christ should adopt all none excepted into his kingdome of grace and glorie Reprobates and Satan are vnder his power to be damned In the meane while all reprobates with the deuill and his angels are and shall be for euer put vnder the Lords feete and hee shall take vengeance on them in vnquenchable fire as vpon subiects that are rebellious against his kingdome of power For they know The kingdom of God is takē many waies who haue read the Scriptures and ancient interpreters of them that the kingdome of God is one thing which is called the kingdome of grace and the kingdome of glorie is another thing and there is also that
partakers of redemption by faith doe not erre that way finally But such as abide in that error of the righteousnes of workes whether they haue knowne at any time the trueth of the Gospell or no it cannot be proued that they were euer truly redeemed from the curse For this redemption belongeth to them onely who by true faith in Christ are the seede of Abraham and are heires according to the promise as is largely taught Gal. 3. The 9. place Gal. 5. As touching the place Gal. 5. Stand ye in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs the aduersarie collecteth that men once deliuered by the blood and death of Christ may againe lose that libertie while they abide not in it but are intangled againe with the yoke of bondage and so make Christ vnprofitable vnto them and fall from grace I answer the text hath not stand ye in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you as Huber depraueth it but wherewith he hath freed vs. And the opposition of the sonnes of the bondwoman and of the free of the beleeuers and workers namely who standing to set vp their own righteousnes are not made partakers of the righteousnes of Christ doth manifestly shew that this deliuerance by Christ belongeth not to all without exception beleeuers and vnbeleeuers but he that beleeueth in Christ hath that libertie and doth not lose it finally because it is eternall For Christian libertie as Luther also vpon this place warneth is such a gift Luther of Christian libertie whereby in stead of sinne and death we haue righteousnes and eternall life and haue God for euer mercifull and fauourable through Christ Many fal from Christian libertie but diuersly We confesse neuertheles that many stand not in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs. First because euen the elect and true beleeuers are often tempted and intangled in errors repugnant to the foundation but as it hath been often said not finally Secondly because many professing faith and Christian libertie and so farre forth hauing place for a while among Christs freemen are againe to the losse of their saluation intangled with the bondage of the Law and mans traditions yea of the world and the deuill And both of these make Christ of none effect vnto themselues and fall from grace and consolation these absolutely and perpetually the other so long onely as vntill they repent The same answere serueth to other two places namely concerning the Iewes being as certaine branches broken off from the Oliue tree The 10. and 11 places Rom. 11. Iohn 15. and concerning the Gentiles who should be cut off vnles they continue in the bountifulnes of God And my father taketh away euery branch that beareth not fruite in me and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruite Except a man shall abide in me he is cast forth and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire Iere. 11. Esay 25. Matth. 21. The simple meaning of these words is that not all who by outward vocation are among the people of God that greene and fat oliue tree and elect vine and so are accounted among the branches of Christ shall be saued many such haue been long ago cut off and shall be cut off hereafter for vnthankfulnes Hipocrites for a time flourish as greene branches but at length are cut off For there are many hypocrites partakers euen after a sort of grace albeit not vnto iustification who because in shew for a time they florish and are greene but in rendring fruite deceiue the hope of the husbandman and haue faith in their lips more then in heart at length are cast away But that it happeneth to some of the elect and truly godlie to bee so cut off The Elect are neuer cut off nor cast away proued by three reasons it is not onely not proued by these testimonies but also the contrarie is therein plainly set downe First who were the Iewes whom God reiected vnbeleeuers not obeying the Gospell being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse and to whom was giuen of God the spirit of slumber in his iust iudgement and eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Rom. 10. 11.8 as the Apostle describeth those reprobates But discerning the elect and godly from them he saith God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Againe Verse 2 7. Israel attained not that which he sought for but the elect haue attained it the rest haue been hardened But they were reiected for vnbeleefe who denieth it But by the iust iudgement of God they came not vnto faith because they were not of his elect For who will say euen the veriest foole of all saith Augustine that the malitious Iewes who haue perished in their hatred and who being of that nation enemies to Christ as yet doe perish that they are elect and beloued Secondly Paul doth not so much speake vnto euery one of the elect of the Gentiles as in common vnto the whole body of such as were coÌ„uerted among whom many were in name onely faithfull and members of Christ when he threatneth them with the example of the vnbeleeuing Iewes Albeit though it were graunted that the Apostle directeth his aduise to euery elect and faithfull one yet nothing is thereupon effected because he speaketh by supposition that they shall bee cut off â— Iohn 2. â—9 vnlesse they shall continue in the goodnes of God But the elect doe continue and that they may continue and may more and more answer vnto their calling and not receiue the grace of God in vaine to that very end serue those spurres of exhortations and threatnings profitable vnto them to put away the securitie of the flesh wherewith we daily wrestle Thirdly Christ Ioh. 15 plainly setteth down the difference of the two kinde of branches fruitfull and vnfruitfull of the truly godly and of hypocrites hauing a shew onely of godlines who neuertheles are for their externall profession iudged to be in the vine And of these the Lord saith that euery branch not bearing fruit in him shall be taken away and burned Who are those but such as haue faith without workes that is A Syllogisme a dead faith But of the branches that beare fruite hee saith that the father will purge euery branch that beareth fruite that it may bring more fruite Vnder this proposition now let vs set downe the assumption But all true beleeuers in whom faith is effectuall by loue and florisheth by purging the hearts and purifying the soules are fruitfull branches Ergo the father will daily more and more purge them so farre off is it that they shall be cut off The 12. place Matth 13. The parable of the debter expounded The parable also of the debter Matth. 18. seemeth to confirme that redemption that is remission of sinnes is made voide in some persons
whether all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers together be from all sinne and condemnation by the death of Christ set free iustified and receiued into grace of the father as sonnes and heires It is most false that the Catholike Church hath beleeued that with one consent yea rather it hath alwaies beleeued this and alwaies confessed it with one mouth that faith is required without which it is impossible to please God to the intent we may obtaine remission of sinnes by the merite of Christ But what antiquitie hath thought of this present controuersie it is apparant by those things which before we haue here and there alleaged out of the writings of the ancient fathers Testimonies of the aduersarie answered and it shall be shewed most plentifullie when we shall come to the confirmation of our opinion Now this shall suffice if we shall answere briefely vnto the testimonies produced by the aduersarie In the beginning is produced the saying of Cyrill That the vnbeleeuer is already iudged Hubâ—th 539 Cyril in Io. lib. 2. cap. â—3 because he by contemning the giuer of freedome from damnation doth giue sentence of damnation against himselfe What is this to the matter Or else who denieth that vnbeleeuers refuse the author of saluation while they beleeue not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God and therefore that condemnation and the wrath of God doe abide vpon them The words of Athanasius are somewhat more fit to the matter Athanasius in Euang. de pass cru Chri. The misteries saith he of the Hebrewes say that the place of Caluerie is the sepulcher of Adam If the matter be so I wonder at the nature and propertie of that place For it was meet that the Lord should suffer in that place wheÌ„ he minded to restore the first Adam that his sinne being put away he might abolish it from his whole kinde And a little before those words he saith The Lord was sacrificed that by the blood of his offering hee might set all at libertie Which saying I maruell the aduersarie omitted if he himselfe read Athanasius But he vnderstood this either of sufficiencie as we shall by and by heare that other fathers would haue such sayings of theirs to be taken Synecdoche is when part is vnderstoode by the whole or the whole by part Prosper or els he spake by the figure Synecdoche of the vniuersalitie of the faithfull who are out of al mankind conuerted For according to the declaration of Prosper lib. 2. cap. 1. de vocat gent. neither part I meane of good men and euill of such as shall bee saued and damned is without the name of all men The part of such as rebell hauing the losse of saluatioÌ„ but the dignitie of the faithfull obtaining the account of fulnes And to that end citeth he the saying 1. Ioh. 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world And lib. 1. cap. 3. The whole is set downe for a part in the Scripture in the phrases All men the whole world c. the same writer from sundrie sayings of the Scripture concludeth on this wise Therefore the people of God haue their fulnes and albeit a great part of men doe either refuse or neglect the grace of the Sauiour yet in the elect and foreknowne and in such as are seuered from the generalitie of all there is a certain special vniuersalitie so that out of the whole world the whole world is deliuered and out of all men all men seeme to be taken as also when the speech is of the vngodly the diuine stile doth so order his maner of speaking that the things which are spoken of some part may seeme to appertaine to all men Rom. 10.18 1. Iohn 5.19 Mar. 1.5 Iohn 3.32 and 8.2 And this very thing he sheweth plainly in that place by sundrie testimonies that euen all the earth is named for a part of the earth and the whole world for a part of the world and all men for a part of meÌ„ And so Ambrose vpon 3. to the Romanes expoundeth that saying All haue gone astray For quoth he because he saith all he meaneth not the whole people altogether but that part of the people wherein all euill men are contained And he bringeth that which is in Ieremie Iere. 26. All rose vp against the Prophet of the Lord to kill him And it followeth that all the people would not permit them Of which example saith Ambrose thus Therefore by those all hee meaneth such as were euill and by these all the good For alwaies there be two people in one multitude But that we may not doubt of the minde of Athanasius in the very same oration he describeth the grace of redemption thus That Christ was made man and died that wee mortall men might bee quickened and may no longer endure the kingdome of death that therefore he was crucified that he might take vpon him the curse and that we might possesse the blessing If this be vnderstood of al men without exception there shal be none any more ouerwhom death and hell shall haue dominion Furthermore Athanasius in the same place often repeateth the said Synecdoche as that he saith that the deuill being cast out of hell all his captiues are deliuered by the power of Christ which thing he straightwaies expoundeth of the vniuersalitie of the Saints who are with Adam set free Likewise he saith that the deuill hath lost al his spoyles and is made poorer then Irus but hee speaketh of such as are conuerted who in euery place are translated from the power of Satan into the kingdome of Christ After the same maner certainly he saith that the knowledge of God came to all men and into all places that all men tread the deuill vnder their feete that all doe vnder the conduct of Christ laugh him to scorne that all his subtile shifts are marred and all the wisedome of the Grecians is become foolish because the death of the Sauiour hath brought the world into libertie and hath giuen cause that the Gentiles should glorifie God while the Iewes continue blinded in the knowledge of Christ These things manifestly shew how Athanasius iudged that Christ died to put away sinne from all mankind according to that Ioh. 12. which he also citeth When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all things vnto me The 3. â—estimonie of the aduersarie Chrysost in 1. ad Tim. hom 7. Besides there is cited Chrysostome where he saith that Christ also hung vpon the crosse for the Gentiles and vnbeleeuers I answere He saith not this onely but more also that Christ died for all for beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Hom. 17. in Epist ad Heb. vpon that of the Apostle he was offered that he might take away the sinnes of many But he declareth himselfe that such sayings are to bee taken as touching the sufficiencie or greatnes of the price and not as touching
the effect for so he teacheth that the sinnes of many onely and not of all to wit of the beleeuers and not of vnbeleeuers are taken away by the oblation of Christ His words are these Why is he said to be offered to take away the sinnes of many and not of all Because all beleeue not He died surely as much as lay in him for all that is his death is of such moment as is the perdition of all Theophylact the abridger of Chrysostome expressed the same distinction ad Heb. 2. 9. and mentioneth that Basil also did so distinguish Whereupon also Chrysostome Hom. 39. in 1. ad Cor. vpon that saying of the Apostle that all shall be quickened in Christ plainly denieth that that can bee meant of the the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer were made sinners in Adam haue the free gift of righteousnes in Christ Of these things it is cleere to what opinion Chrysostome Theophylact Basill and other fathers doe leane In alleadging Augustine The 4. testimonie Augustine I know not whether I may blame craftines or grossenes in the aduersarie Augustine intituleth a booke Of articles falsely laid to his charge whereof the first article was that he was falsely charged as wee are also falsely by such as enuie vs at this day as if he should teach that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men Therefore saist thou by Augustines iudgement it is a false and prophane opinion that Christ suffered not for the redemption of all But Huber by a sophisticall or deceitfull cunning passeth by those things which Augustine there largely writeth for the declaration of this article For he also vsing the distinctioÌ„ before alleadged out of Chrysostome saith Quod ad magnitudinem potentiam pretij c. that is As touching the greatnes and power of the price and as much as concerneth the onely cause of mankinde the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are rightly said to bee redeemed but whereas they are voide of redemption who passe through this world without the faith of Christ and without the Sacrament of regeneration doubtles the proprietie of redemption belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and are now not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that they also who were not to be regenerated should belong vnto his redemption For the cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine vertue hath surely in it selfe that it can profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good These things he The 5. testimonie Maximus As for the saying of Maximus in Augustine serm 128. de tempore We reade in the Scriptures that the saluation of whole mankinde is redeemed by the blood of the Sauiour and the safetie of the whole world is euerlasting Those words may bee expounded as touching the greatnes and power of the price being so rich that if all would beleeue in Christ the chaines of Satan should hold none but all should enioy eternall safetie But the right meaning is that the author there speaketh of the generality of the beleeuers through the whole world which thing he shal coÌ„fesse whosoeuer shall consider his drift scope See also Ambrose in Lu. 23. de cassa prodit poenit For this he meaneth that the world is like a potters field bought with the price of the Lords blood for strangers that is saith he for Christians who are exiles in the whole world that they that haue not possession in the world may possesse a whole Sauiour Therfore that redemption belongeth nothing to the vnbeleeuers being the sonnes and possessors of the world And this is the constant doctrine of the fathers as at large shall bee shewed in the booke following The 6. testimonie Cypr. de ablut peâ—um Aug. serâ— in monâ—e lib 1. Chrysost hom â— 20. But concerning them who after faith receiued returne vnto their vomite againe it is little auailable how we vnderstand certaine sayings of the fathers wherein they are read to attribute to such persons the grace of pardon and clensing from sinnes adoption and such like For this is not the state of the controuersie whether they that haue once obtained by faith remission of sinnes doe chance to fall from that grace or no but whether all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue once receiued the grace of that pardon and clensing from sinnes or no Those very sayings of the fathers approue the negatiue part which we defend because they speake of such as are conuerted and baptized and to these onely they giue it that they are set free from sinnes and made the sonnes of God But how some afterward lose this grace and returne to their vomit wee haue aboue fully declared to wit that so farre as they are numbred with the Church they bee accounted and ought to bee accounted in the iudgement of charitie for reconciled and the sonnes of God although with God oftentimes they bee not such Serm. domin in monte lib. 1. as Augustine very well hath witnessed Whereupon also he ioyneth these together to bee made partaker of the spirit of grace whereby wee are reconciled to God and to hold the societie of the holy brotherhood Aug. in Leuit. whereas in the meane while many hypocrites euery where creepe into that societie hauing with Simon Magus visible sanctification onely and wanting the inuisible Furthermore touching the new writers The 7. testimonie who because of certaine phrases are drawne to the defence of this error wee are not greatly troubled because we follow not the preiudicate opinion of this or that Doctor but the trueth it selfe Answers to the sayings of the new writers cited by the aduersarie Yet for their sakes that are desirous of the trueth we think it good to giue some aduise Bullinger Gualter Musculus and others are cited and the confessions of one or two Churches in Heluetia out of whoÌ„ these and the like kinde of sayings are diligently drawne to wit that Christ as a Bulling ser 2. de Natiuit Chri. much as is in him is a Sauiour to all and came to saue all b The same vpon 1. Iohn 1. that he pleased God by sacrifice for all the sinnes of all times c Cat. ch minore Eccl. Tigur that his passion ought to satisfie for the sin of all men and that the whole world is quickened by the same d Musâ— in locis de remiss p. q. 2. that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men and such like Vnto these I answere that howsoeuer and in what sense soeuer those writers vttered these and the like kind of speeches it is certaine that they were not of the aduersaries opinion that effectually and in very deed all without exception of any one and without any difference of
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
for euer retained Let the same man also be weighed loco de Redemp where he saith Wee know that all men are not made partakers of this redemption Againe saith he Men reprobate and desperatly wicked receiue not redemption The contrary hereof Huber with full mouth auoucheth that all by Christ are made partakers of redemption that all receiue it but that the reprobates hauing once receiued it doe lose it againe Neuerthelesse Three reasons of Musculus why redemption is vniuersall according to the reasons assigned of Musculus this redemption is rightly termed vniuersall 1. Because it commeth not to passe by the defect of grace that many doe perish but by the defect of faith seeing grace is prepared for all to wit that do not refuse it Matth. 22. as all things were readie for the marriage 2. Because all are called vnto it 3. Because so it is appointed for all that no man without it is of can be redeemed Where now he doth vnderstand this appointing otherwise than before yet rightly because albeit many are not redeemed nor iustified yet all by Christ are redeemed and iustified because no man is redeemed but by him Of all which things it plainly appeareth that Musculus as well as others is against the aduersarie and nothing at all on his side That which he citeth out of Hemingius his Syntagma The 9. testimonie Hemingius or Treatise hath some colour to wit that Christ came not for to redeeme onely certaine selected out of mankinde but that that grace is vniuersall as touching the fatherly will of God But albeit Hemingius hath thus written because he otherwise vnderstandeth the doctrine of Predestination yet he greatly dissenteth from the deuise of the aduersaries that all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers without doubt properly and in verie deede by receiuing remission of sinnes are receiued into the bosome of grace iustified and saued by the death of Christ Contrariwise Hemingius Thes 28. testifieth which These Huber craftily hid when he alleadged the 27. that as touching the euent the grace of redemption belongeth to a few onely because few beleeue and bring forth the fruites of repentance For hee acknowledgeth and often times repeateth that albeit the Gospell offer the benefits of Christ to all men of what nation and condition soeuer they be De promiss reparat yet they are receiued by faith alone and so iustification and saluation are freely giuen to him that beleeueth De Euangelio And cleerely he saith That the condition of faith is required that the benefit may be applied that is remission of sinnes and the condition of perseuerance that it may be retayned being receiued For which thing these men say that all haue once receiued the benefit that the beleeuers abide in the same being receiued and the vnbeleeuers doe lose it againe The 10. testimonie Catackis palatin I come vnto that which is obiected out of the Catechisme of our Churches quest 37. where the words of the Catechisme haue that Christ sustained in bodie and soule the wrath of God against the sinnes of all mankinde But the exposition is all one with the place of Athanasius before where was the like speech Certainely the effect of the death of Christ is not in all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers indifferently but as our Catechisme out of the word of God teacheth quest 30. They that imbrace by a true faith Iesus to be a perfect sauiour doe possesse all things which are requisite to saluation Againe quest 20. to the demaunde Whether then saluation be giuen by Christ to all men who perished in Adam It is plainely answered Not to all men but to them onely who are ingrafted into him by a true faith and imbrace his benefits If thou canst Huber reconcile this with thy opinion which is full of error to wit that all who perished in Adam are receiued into grace by Christ iustified quickened and restored to saluation See also in the Catechisme quest 53.55.60.66 c. in all which places no other participation of Christ and his benefits is set downe than by a true faith hypocrites and vnbeleeuers being excluded But of these things enough Let the aduersarie now goe and maintaine his error by the testimonies of olde and new writers whereby he is most manifestly confuted CHAP. XIII Vnto the fourth accusation Huber pa. 20 â—7 312. THe fourth absurditie obiected vnto vs followeth That men are driuen to desperation and that no man can haue any certaintie of his saluation This malitious and false crime he tosseth too and fro The summe and effect tendeth to this that all the assurance and comfort of saluation according to our opinion leaneth vpon meere particulars whereof nothing followeth after this sorte Some men are in fauour with God and shall be saued I am a man Therefore I am in fauour with God and shall be saued As though we were so foolish and vnwise that we haue not learned better out of the word of God to comfort our selues and others For as there is of those which shall be damned so there is of such as shall be for euer saued a certaine vniuersalitie in the Scriptures neither can any man that is in his right wits denie that some shall be receiued others refused some shall be saued others shall perish in the last day Math. 24.25 the former reioycing for euer in the fathers kingdome prepared for them before the foundations of the world and these contrariwise suffering eternall torments in vnquencheable fire prepared for the diuell and his angels And albeit God knoweth them that be ordained by him to eternall life or else not ordained and all things that I may vse the words of Luther are set down in Predestination Prefat ad Rom. who shall be saued who damned yet we must not goe vnto election without the word and speculatiuely In Gen. 26. as he speaketh least we fall headlong into desperation or contempt but we must iudge of election a posteritie that is by that which followeth it as they say that is by faith The vniuersalitie of the promise of grace and by other fruites of election arising vnto the very cause it selfe Hence come those most sweete promises made vnto the beleeuers vniuersall surely Come vnto me all ye that labour I will refresh you Matth. 11. Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Whosoeuer beleeueth in the sonne shall not perish This is the will of the father that all that beleeue in the sonne should haue eternall life Hereunto beare all the prophets witnesse that all that beleeue in him receiue remission of sinnes through his name Acts 10. 13 19. By him whosoeuer beleeueth is iustified The righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesu Christ in all and vpon all that beleeue Rom. 3. 9. Whosoeuer beleeeueth in him shall not be confounded For there is one Lord of all rich towards all that call vpon him for whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued
The promise requireth faith And often elsewhere after this sort is the promise of saluation and eternall life made vnto the beleeuers repeated For the promise requireth faith and in respect of the beleeuers it is vniuersall as Ambrose also well expoundeth it lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10. Ambrose He that hath faith hath eternall life he is not excluded from pardon whosoeuer beleeueth shall not perish When he saith whosoeuer no man is excluded no man excepted All saith he that is of what state soeuer of what fall soeuer if he beleeueth let him not be afraide of perishing Now out of this vniuersall ground this is the argument wherewith we ouercome the world the diuell sinne death and hell A Syllogisme shewing how a man ought to applie to himselfe the generall promise Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ shall be saued by his grace and not be ashamed for euer The faithfull person assumeth I beleeue Lord. The conclusion followeth Therefore I shall be saued by the grace of God and not be ashamed for euer The maior of the Syllogisme is plaine by the promises produced before He that beleeueth hath in himselfe the proofe of the minor The beleeuer knoweth himselfe to haue faith and how for he certainely knoweth himselfe to beleeue his owne minde so telling him and his ready and vnfayned studie of new obedience witnessing the same whereupon faith is knowne as the tree by the fruites For as Iohn saith 1. Epist. 2. By this we are sure we know him if we keepe his commaundements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Hereupon also Augustine hath left it in writing that euery one most certainely seeth his faith if he haue the same Which saying of his Luther in Galat. 4. cap. Luther also alloweth as right and godly Yea the Apostle himselfe prescribeth this rule 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you be in faith examine your selues Wherein he sufficiently declareth that such as be ingraffed into Christ by a true faith may haue the knowledge therof in themselues Marke this But if Satan as if he is a lyar and murtherer from the beginning dare denie vnto thee that thou beleeuest yeelde not vnto him whosoeuer thou art O man who throughly perceiuest the tokens of faith in thy selfe but contrariwise goe most boldlie and say vnto him Goe behinde me Satan Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 1. for thou sauourest not the things which are of God I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded 1. Thess 5. that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day He is faithfull who hath called me who also will effect it A weake faith ought not to cast a man downe Neither is there any cause why thou shouldst bee troubled and cast downe in minde for the imperfection of faith and for those contrary motions feare doubtings heauines and manifolde temptations wherewith we daily fight as long as we carrie about this bodie of death For we know him who hath said Beholde my seruant whom I haue chosen my beloued Esay 24. Matth 12. he shall not breake a brused reede and smoking flaxe hee shall not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie Matth. 14.31 16 8. How often hath the Lord testified by notable examples in the Gospell towards his disciples and others greatly weake in faith how he doth not cast off but with great loue and lenitie receiue and cherish such as are weake in faith and daily maketh them more stronger Faith therefore although it be faint Rom. 14.3 so long as it is true and sincere shall not fayle of his effect Onely let him who feeleth himselfe to doubte exercise his faith If thou doubt doe this and wrestle against doubting let him say with the father of the child that had the dumbe spirit I beleeue Lord Mark 9. Luk. 17. helpe mine vnbelefe and let him pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Is this to driue men to desperation Is this to reason from pure particulars And what other consolation I pray you may be brought whereby a man may be made certaine of his saluation to wit that he is iust before God and heire of eternall life Certainely if we haue no other ground of comfort than that such as shall bee saued and damned the elect and reprobates are all alike redeemed by Christ we shall fall headlong into desperation Therefore madde and foolish he must needes be that thus concludeth They that are saued and damned The weake and wofull comfort that ariseth from the redemption of all and euery one without exception are all alike redeemed by Christ Ergo it will come to passe that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore it appeareth that that vniuersalitie of men redeemed no one at all excepted which the aduersarie so greatly talketh of is not the proper ground of Christian consolation but we must come to faith which putteth difference betweene those that shall be saued and damned For by faith we receiue the merite of Christ and applie it to our selues and therefore he that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne Iob. 3. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hitherto at the length is the aduersarie brought will he nill he to the intent he may assigne some thing certaine of the certaintie of saluation We saith he The aduersarie himselfe confesseth the truth Thes 534. Doe knowe that saluation is certaine vndoubted and constant and we say that it pertaineth vnto them who by faith abide in Christ and we say that they shall abide in faith who suffer not the word of vniuersall grace vpon all The faithfull shall continue Luke 22. Ioh. 17. to be taken frō themselues We also say the same thing and further say that they shall perseuer in the word and assurance of grace who are once ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuelie faith he praying for them and giuing them this freely that their faith shall not fayle For this foundation being once remoued of the perseuerance of true beleeuers what certainty can any man haue of the grace of God in time to come and therefore of his saluation What that the vniuersalitie of the promise which they so greatly vrge must then needes fall Flat contraries For these are flat contrarie that all beleeuers are saued and that some beleeuers doe fall away and perish But if saluation pertaine to them as it doth which by faith abide in Christ what shall we say of vnbeleeuers they are excluded Therefore let him looke to it Huber Thes 266. sequent who auoucheth that they are alike saued by Christ as well as any other and that the promises of grace and life belong to them also Obiection But grace is vniuersall Answere I answer
grace must be preached to euery creature Mark 16. but the enioying of it abideth with the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers wherein there is no difference of Iewe or Gentile Rom. 3. maister or seruant male or female but the righteousnes of God is in all and vpon all that beleeue But they that beleeue not shall not see life Iob. 3. but the wrath of God abideth on them And this is enough that thou maiest safely and oughtest to beleeue that Christ dyed for thee and thy saluation because we are commaunded all to repent and beleeue the Gospell hauing this promise added that he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned The aduersarie cauilleth Huber thes 83. that it is not sufficient for vs to say that we must beleeue that Christ profiteth all men who beleeue in him for straightwaies is asked what shall I beleeue What is promised vnto me before I beleeue What Thou hast the rule of faith the Apostles Creede and doest thou not know what thou oughtest to beleeue And as touching the promise it is true that vnles a promise goe before faith cannot follow seeing faith commeth by hearing the promise I say therefore that the grace of God saluation and eternall life in Christ are promised to a man not as yet beleeuing but conditionally if he shall beleeue Luther Here Luther in Gen. 48. If thou beleeuest thou hast if thou wilt not beleeue thou shalt haue nothing For so much thou hast as thou doest beleeue If thou beleeuest now thou canst doe and possessest all things but if thou doest not beleeue thou hast nothing CHAP. XIIII A discussing of the fift absurditie FVrthermore the first absurditie raised vp by this contentious quareller is this that by the deniall of vniuersall redemption as he vnderstandeth it that is by the not graunting of the vniuersalitie of grace and saluation by Christ in all and vpon all without any difference of faith or vnbeleefe elect or reprobates there followeth the abrogation of the whole ministerie of the Gospell because no man can know if we credite him what must be preached to any man Is it euen so But we see Christ and his Apostles from whom we must draw the patterne of sound doctrine What must be preached to whom and how Ioh. 9 41. Luk 14 47. Act. 2.38 10.43 to follow this way of teaching that they reproue all of sinne they exhorte all to repentance and faith they lift vp consciences afflicted with the feeling of sinne and terrified with the feare of iudgement by the promises of the Gospell contrariewise they affray with the Lawe secure persons and briefly they open to the beleeuers Rom. 1.2.3 and shut to the vnbeleeuers the kingdome of God These authors if wee will imitate and wee must bee thereto willing we shall know What is to diuide the word aright what to whome and how we must preach and making choyce betweene careles persons and them that are pricked in their hearts we shall preach grace and remission of sinnes vnto them who acknowledge themselues to haue sinnes and doe desire to be deliuered from them but vnto them who securely goe on in sinnes we shall propound the Lawe that by the curse they may be terrified and brought by this meanes vnto the feare of God This is to diuide the worde of God rightly that God may bee acknowledged both mercifull vnto them that confesse their sinnes and beleeue in his sonne and also angrie with careles persons and so euery one may learne to feare God and to leane vpon his mercie which he hath declared in the sending of his sonne This difference not obserued it commeth to passe that they who were to bee comforted by the Gospell are crucified by the Lawe and they who were to bee terrified by the Lawe Tom. 2. fol. 123. tom 4. fol. 104. are hardened by the Gospell as Luther doth very well aduise vs of all these things in Gen. 18. and vpon that saying of Matthew chap. 9. Be of good comfort sonne thy sins are forgiuen thee Where also among other things he noteth that Christ offered the Gospell to the man afflicted with the palsey but reproued the Pharisees for blasphemers and wicked men Why saith he thinke ye euill He doth not say to the man sicke of the palsey why doest thou thinke euill Nor to the Pharisees Be of good comfort c. most rightly cutting the word of God Not our opinion but our aduersaries disturbeth the order of preaching aright Here now let it bee considered whether doctrine disturbeth this order Ours whereby out of the commaundement of God all are commanded to repent and beleeue and to all and euery beleeuer is preached forgiuenes of their sins from God for the merits of Christ as often as by a true faith they imbrace the promise of the Gospell but contrariwise to all vnbeleeuers and hypocrites is denounced that the wrath of God and eternall condemnation doe so long abide vpon them as they continue to be such men Or els the doctrine of Huber rather Thes 60. who being caried away in the chariot of contention through vaine paradoxes preacheth to all men as well to secure as to the afflicted as well to vnbeleeuers as to beleeuers that all iudgement and wrath of God is in verie deede truly and properly taken away and remoued who vndoubtedly auoucheth that all men together are freed from all sinne Thes 65. and that whole mankinde in very deede without exception of any one is receiued into the grace and bosome of the father by the death of his sonne Who also affirmeth that righteousnes and the worke of saluation by Christ pertaineth to all them that were lost in Adam Thes 46. and defendeth with as great contention and impudencie as his wit and stile will yeeld him Thes 270. that al reprobates as well as any other whomsoeuer are saued by him Wherefore let him rather acknowledge his owne fault then so boldly blame other men He obiecteth If the grace of God pertaine not to all Obiection Thes 475. sequent with what mouth with what forehead dare the minister and preacher of reconciliation in publishing the Gospell call all and euery one to the grace of God Jf he inuite all promise to all exhort all to repentance he shal lie because grace belongeth not to all by this supposition and vnto whom the promise grace doe not belong they also neither ought nor can possiblie beleeue Answere I answere that in this argument diuers things are mingled together the commandement of repentance that is the inuitation to conuersion and faith and the promise of grace Therefore a distinction is needfull The commandemēt of faith and repentance bindeth all Mar. 1. As touching the precept of conuersion and faith that bindeth all men simplie according to the saying Repent ye and beleeue Wherefore no lye shall here bee committed
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
by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
a thing if a man would denie the consequent in an Enthymeme as if one being about to answere a Syllogisme should denie the conclusion By which kinde of solutions any thing might most easily be answered by any one but that Logicke is against it But omitting these things let vs produce a few testimonies of many out of the Scripture to declare our purpose The state of the question that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper vnto the Church and not common to all whether they beleeue or not as the new opinion would haue it This is the state of the question properly which must be diligently marked For we also grant that Christ died for all but wee denie that therefore all are made partakers of the benefits of Christs death without respect of faith or vnbeleefe or els which is all one wee denie that Christ died for all effectually How Christs death may be effectuall to any the cause of the want of that efficacie being considered not in Christ but in men themselues For to make the death of Christ effectuall vnto vs for redemption his merit is not only needfull but also the application and receiuing of the same which is done by an vnfained faith Matth. 1. The 1. testimonie prouing redemption to be proper to the Church The first testimonie therefore we haue in Matthew in the words of the Angell to Ioseph Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Here we see redemption peculiarly attributed to the people of Christ And the people of Christ be his Church of all places and ages Therefore redemption is peculiar to the Church and yet vniuersall after that sort as we confesse the Church to bee vniuersall Thes 1059. All men be not the people of God proued by three reasons Huber crieth out and such is his Diuinitie saith that by the people of Christ is meant the whole ofspring of Adam and saith that al are truly called to the kingdome of God that they may be his people But the contrary is easily proued First by the name of the people of God the Scripture vseth not to comprehend al men but a certaine companie onely among whom God is acknowledged and called vpon and whom hee likewise acknowledgeth for his owne and to whom belong the couenants and promises Leuit. 26. as the Lord saith I wil walke among you and I will be your God Iere. 31. 2. Cor. 6. Ose 1. 2. and you shall be my people And I will be your God and you shal be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie As also he saith in Oseah I will call a people my people which was not mine and her beloued who was not beloued and it shall come to passe in the place where it was said vnto them Ye are not my people there they shall be called the sonnes of the liuing God All which places Paul to the Romanes expoundeth of the calling of the Gentiles Rom. 9. who whereas they had bin in times past alients from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and being without God in the world afterward obtained the adoption of grace in the kingdome of Christ Tit. 3. So vnto Titus wee reade that Christ purged a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes whom Peter also calleth a people whom God claimeth as his own 1. Pet. 2. a holy nation a royall priesthood What insolencie then is it to imagine that all men be the people of God This is nothing els than to ioyne faithful with vnfaithfull righteousnes with vnrighteousnes light with darkenes Christ with Belial the temple of God with images and to mingle sacred things with prophane Secondly if all should bee the people of Christ it should not onely follow that all must be also called Christians but also as Origene fained all should be saued and haue eternall life seeing saluation which Christ bestoweth vpon his people includeth eternall life as the chiefe fulfilling thereof Thirdly Theophylact vpon the same place thus writeth He saith he shall saue his people not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles who shall beleeue and not doubt to bee made his people Luther also in Gen. 31. Luther at large testifieth that all men are not the people of God but such as hee liketh of and accepteth and cannot be taken out of his hands But let Huber giue care vnto his Brentius especially Brentius who writeth thus in the exposition of his Catechisme Tell vs saith he to whom Iesus is Iesus that is a sauiour from their sinnes The Euangelist saith He shall saue his people He saueth not Aliants but his people They be Aliants whosoeuer beleeue not in him whether they be Iewes or Gentiles And they be his whether they be Iewes or Gentiles as many as doe acknowledge and imbrace him by faith Wherefore of what nation soeuer thou be if thou beleeue the Gospel of Christ thou art made by faith a member of his people and Iesus is in very deede made Iesus vnto thee These things he another of whose sayings also shall be cited hereafter in the seuenth Chapter Nowe let the Tubingers see whether they will condemne Brentius heere or Huber rather of an error A second testimonie we haue in the same Euangelist cha 26. When hee had taken the cup hee gaue it to them saying The 2. testimony Matt. 26. Drink ye all of this For this is the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for remission of sinnes I surely knowe that some of the auncient writers respecting sufficiencie doe expound for many that is that his blood was shed for al seeing euen all are many But the sense rather agreeth by keeping the vsuall signification of Many Many distinguisheth betweene beleeuers and vnbeleeuers vnto the difference betweene the beleeuers and vnbleeuers of whom they receiuing forgiuenes of sinnes are redeemed by the grace of Christ and these are as yet voyd of redemptiō as we before shewed Basils often exposition And the Commentaries vpon Marke which are ascribed vnto Hierome haue expressely that the blood of the new Testament is said to be shed for many because it doth not make cleane all or els that there bee in the very Church some whome no sacrifice doth make cleane much more then out of the Church What that among the newe writers Brentius in his Catechisme doth no otherwise expound it Christ saith he when he said of his blood which is shed for you he addeth this also for Many to signifie that it was shed not onely for the Iewes but also for the Gentiles of whom his Church was to bee gathered And by that place and exposition he taketh here in hand to proue our very matter in hand to wit that Christ by his death hath made satisfaction for the sinnes of his that they may haue remission of
their prince and the children of Israel marking their doore posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe and so escaping so much differeth the world of the vnbeleeuers from the world or people of the faithfull that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may sooner be drowned in the bottome of hell than that the redemption by Christ that true Lambe of God should do them any good at all Esay 43.3 Also as the redeemer of Israel tooke his seruant Iacob and the seede of Abraham and brought them out of Babel into the land of the forefathers giuing the Egyptians the Ethiopians and other wicked people as it were the price for the redemption of the people of God Ier. 30. v. 11.23 so the Lord is with his Church to saue it while the storme abideth still vpon the head of the vngodly The brasen serpent Num 21. Againe in the desert the brasen Serpent lifted vp by Moses at the commandement of God was the onely remedie against the fierie serpents that whosoeuer should looke vpon it should not die but liue and that not for the thing seene but for God the sauiour of all whose word did heale as the Wiseman saith Sap. 16.7 As therefore they that were stung of Serpents then did not liue vnles they looked vpon the signe of health so the crosse of Christ is redemption and life to such as beleeue in him but not to vnbeleeuers And this is it that Christ auoucheth of himselfe Ioh. 3. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Moreouer Exod â—1 The 〈…〉 in the yeare of Iubilie among the Iewes there was a general freedome of all seruants in the yeare of Iubilee as farre forth as the law of libertie gaue leaue to all Hebrewes But as then they that willingly continued in bondage felt not the force of offred libertie so they feele not the efficacie of Christs redemptioÌ„ who abide addicted vnto the world Lib. 1. Ep. 1. Ambrose rehearsing this figure saith excellently He that is a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods all that he hath is libertie hee hath nothing of his who refuseth libertie saying I loue my master his wife and children I will not be free Hitherto tendeth the scape goate The scape goate Leuit. 16. vpon whose head the high Priest euery yeare vsed to lay the curse of all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their sinnes and trespasses and so sent him out into the wildernes and he bore all the sinnes of the people of Israel If this was a figure of Christ to come and of the attonement that he should make as truly it was we must needes confesse that Christ properly maketh satisfaction for the sins of his people as the goate was properly appointed for the people of God the children of Israel to make an attonement for all their iniquities For this cause also Heb. 2. Heb. 2. he is called mercifull and a faithfull high priest to appease Gods wrath for the sins of the people And in the 13. chapter Cap. 13. the Apostle respecting the whole legall sacrifice saith And Iesus suffered without the gate to sanctifie the people by his blood so that we that are his people may boldly say he hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and with his stripes wee are healed 1. Pet. 2. Concluding therefore the first ranke of our arguments The summe of all that hath been said and it is worthie to be obserued we affirme beleeue and confesse that the Sauiour promised to the world the Christ of God preached alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy Prophets and Apostles is appointed by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it bee proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein wee beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to bee vniuersall CHAP. VII Of the second order of proofes The first reason drawne from the definition of redemption IN this ranke we will vse reasons drawne from the analogie of faith and first I reason from the definition Iustification belongeth to the beleeuers and not to vnbeleeues But Redemption is the same that Iustification is Therefore Redemption belongeth to beleeuers and not to vnbeleeuers The Assumption is proued out of Paul Ephesians 1. Col. 1. where he defineth redemption to be remission of sinnes In another place to wit Rom. 4. he will haue the iustification of a man before God to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging that of the Psalme Psal 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered The Maior or first proposition is the doctrine of the Apostle largely handled and proued Rom. 3 4 and 5. chapters and Gal. 2. and 3. chapters to wit that man is iustified by faith in Christ Iesus To which doctrine nothing is more contrary than to imagine iustification to be so generall and largely spreading as condemnation is generall in all and vpon all men simply Thouching the words Ro. 5. we haue answered before least any should thinke that they may be obiected to maintaine so generall a iustification Ambroses exposition of all men Rom. 5. which also Ambrose vpon that place openly reiecteth and expoundeth that grace aboundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life as touching the beleeuers of whom there is a certaine proper vniuersalitie subiect to Christ and partaker of his grace no lesse than the vniuersality of mankind draweth from Adam sinne and death The second argument The 2. reason There is no remission of sinnes out of the Church Therefore neither redemption which Paul as I said defineth to be remission of sinnes The Antecedent Augustine proueth saying In 1. Epist Io. tract vlt. Where there is remission of sinnes there is the Church And from thence in the same place hee gathereth against the Donatists who shut vp the Church in a part of Africa that the Church of Christ is scattered through the whole world because remission of sinnes in the new Testament is despersed through all nations beginning at Hierusalem What is the Catholike Church For this is the Catholike Church that is the people of God throughout all nations accounting and reckening all the saints withal that were before the birth of Christ who yet were knit to the same body whereof he is the head while they beleeued in him who was preached of before Cap. 3. de cate Ruâ—iâ—bus as the same Augustine writeth in another place Here the same illation is of force If redemption be so vniuersall that as our aduersaries suppose all are truely and vndoubtedly
no succession But where faith is there is libertie adoption and inheritance The 7. reason The Maior The seuenth argument from another consequent that is from sanctification and conuersion Whosoeuer are redeemed are also sanctified conuerted and regenerated according to the promise A deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away iniquities from Iacob and this is my couenant with them Sanctification and conuersion necessarily follow redemption when I shall take away their sinnes saith the Lord. Which place out of the 59. of Isaie Paul Rom. 11. applieth to the conuersion of Israel and from thence sheweth that conuersion is ioyned with deliuerance or redemption Whereto also pertaineth the saying of Iohn 1. Epistle 3. Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill but for this cause was the sonne of God reuealed that he might destroy the workes of the deuill Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not He speaketh of practising righteousnes as whereby the sonnes of God were discerned from the sons of the deuill such as sinne are of the deuill such as do righteousnesse are of God thorow Christ who destroyeh in vs the workes of the deuill not onely by forgiuing sinnes but also by renewing our corrupt nature to doe the workes of righteousnes The circumstance of the words and the scope do teach this exposition and Augustine confirmeth it in Hypognosticâ— lib. 3. where withal he alleageth that which is written Heb. 9. that the blood of Christ who by his eternall spirit offered himselfe to God doth purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God See also in Zacharies song Luk. 1. vers 74. Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31.74 Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31. in Peters words and in his 1. Epistle 2. ver 24. but most plentifully of all Rom. 6. and 7. chapters All which places without gainsaying doe witnesse that the sanctification or renouation of a man to practise righteousnes and good workes are necessarily ioyned with the gift of redemption Here now let vs set downe the assumption The Minor which the holy Scripture and experience doe plainly and sufficiently conuince that not all men bee endued with the spirit of sanctification for their conuersion and renewing of their life It is proued Because this sanctification is not without the free giuing of the holy spirit but the world cannot receiue that spirit Ioh. 14. Further this gift consisteth herein 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 8. 7. Luk. 1. that being dead to sinnes wee should liue to righteousnesse and should serue God in his sight with holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life And is this giuen to all men nay it properly belongeth to the sonnes of promise and of the new couenant as the Lord saith I will put my lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them and all shall know me Iere. 31. Heb. 8. and I will be mercifull to their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more Also I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit within you and I will take away your stonie heart Eze. 36. will giue you a fleshy heart and I will make you to walke in my precepts and to keepe my iudgements and ye shall bee my people and I will be your God Which things seeing they be thus we conclude also The conclusioÌ„ that redemption belongeth not to all men but to the children of the promise onely Now the aduersary two maner of waies runneth a ground about this argument Hub. thes 1089 first in that be laboureth to wrest sanctification indifferently vnto the whole progenie of men and yet alleageth no fit testimonie of Scripture to proue it which as we haue seene plainly declareth the contrarie Thes 1096. Secondly in that he either craftily depraueth the force of the argumeÌ„t or els doth not vnderstand it to wit as though froÌ„ the coherence of the double benefit of redeÌ„ption and sanctification we reasoned thus God requireth sanctification of his redeemed ones therefore the greatest part is not redeemed because it doth not practise godlines But our reasoning is not drawne from our dutie but from Gods benefit promising that he will giue to the redeemed a new heart and a new spirit and so will cause them to walke in his waies by putting and writing them in their mindes not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stony tables but in the tables of the heart The 8. reason The 8. Argument neerely agreeth with the seuenth In the redeemed ones the will also is redeemed by Iesu Christ The will is redeemed and set free in all those that be redeemed otherwise the best thing in man was not redeemed Therefore by graunting the redemption of all faithfull and Infidels it should follow that the will also in all is redeemed and healed and so free will should bee established in all whomsoeuer whereas yet they that are ignorant of Christ and beleeue not in him doe serue sinne and are not able to will or goe about any thing that is good as Luther hath notably proued in his booke de seruo arbitrio The 9. reason The 9. Argument from another consequent which is blessednes and eternall life Eternall life Eâ—â—â—â—â—lessedâ—â—s to low â—â—ose that be redeemed effectually Whosoeuer are effectually redeemed shall not perish but shall haue eternall life But the vnbeleeuers doe perish for hee that beleeueth not shall be damned Therefore the vnbeleeuers are not effectually redeemed The Maior is fully proued by these sayings Being iustified by his blood we shall now much more bee saued from wrath by him For if when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more now shal we be saued by his life Rom. 5. And chap. 8. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth Againe If God be for vs who is against vs euen he that hath not spared his own sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead yea rather who is also risen againe and maketh intercession for vs. Paul is manifestly of this iudgement that they shall neuer be damned for whom Christ dyed rose againe and maketh intercession Notably saith Ambrose Ambr. de Iacob vita beata lib. 1. cap 6. He that hath giuen vs the author of all excepteth nothing There is nothing then that we may feare can possibly be denied vs there is nothing wherein we ought to bee doubtfull of the continuance of Gods bountifulnes whose plentie hath been of so long continuance An excellent saying and of great comfort to a penitent heart if it be oft remembred and alwaies ready so that first he would predestinate then he would call and
whom he would call them he would iustifie glorifie Can he possibly forsake them whom he hath pursued with his so many and great benefits But there is feare least the Iudge be too seuere Consider what iudge thou hast to wit Christ Can he condemne thee whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he hath offered himselfe whose life he knoweth is the reward of his death Will he not say Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 16. What profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I my selfe haue saued See also if ye please Augustine confirming this very argument Hereupon it riseth that some vnder pretence of vniuersall redemption haue thought that all at length shall be saued Of which mad error Caluin vpon 1. Ioh 2. Bucer in the Acts of the Conference had at Argentine with Melchior Hofman A booke published in the dutch tongue at Argent 1553. doe make mention and also Wolfgange Musculus in the place concerning the redemption of mankinde warning vs to take heede least vnderstanding amisse the vniuersalitie of redemption we say with frantike men that no man is damned and perisheth for euer These our men with whom we deale deny that thing truly but what auaileth it to denie it seeing neuerthelesse they stifly maintaine that principle from whence that error springeth They except that the redeemed doe not perish vnles they cast away and tread vnder foote redemption once receiued But contrariwise the testimonies of Scripture euen now alleaged doe teach that such as are effectually redeemed and alreadie iustified by the gift of God shall certainly haue life and heauenly glorie and cannot possibly by any meanes be pluckt away from the loue of God towards them in Christ Iesu And as for some examples and places to the contrary they haue been sufficiently answered in the second booke before If all sinner be blotted out and satiâ—fied then vnbeâ—iefe is blotted and it shall not condemne vs. Furthermore how agree these things together that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied for and in very deede blotted out and yet that the greater part of men are damned for vnbeliefe For if all sinnes are forgiuen all men then vnbeliefe also is forgiuen How then shall it damne any man Thus it euer abideth vnmoueable that all at length shall be saued if all men together bee effectually made partakers of redemption The 10. reason The tenth argument is drawne from the causes of redemption two whereof are the principall efficient causes one farther off The causes of redemption to wit the grace of God giuing his sonne vnto vs the other most neere vs the sonne himselfe finishing the worke of redemption in the nature of man which hee tooke vpon him The materiall cause is the passion and death of the righteous for the vnrighteous The instrumentall efficient cause is likewise two-fold to wit 1. The word of grace that offereth Christ vnto vs with his benefits and serueth to stirre vp faith in vs for faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God 2. And faith it selfe wherewith as it were a hand wee receiue grace offered and are made partakers thereof Herevpon the Apostle Rom. 3. saith We haue all sinned but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Iesu Christ whom God hath set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes Where we see among other causes of redemption faith required as the instrument wherewith wee may applie vnto vs redemption gotten for vs by his blood and may become partakers thereof to the blotting out of our sinnes Therefore the vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with redemption and propitiation And that the necessitie of faith may the more appeare in euery matter of saluation Faith how necessarie to saluation the Apostle Heb. 11. expressely testifieth that it is impossible without faith to please God producing for this point most notable examples of antiquitie who are shewed to please God through faith and to haue obtained righteousnes which is according to faith Notably saith Augustine in Euang. Ioh. serm 60. The medicine for all wounds The great necessitie and profit of faith and the onely attonement for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ Neither can any man at all bee clensed either from originall sinne or the sinnes which he hath done vnles by faith he be vnited and ioyned to his bodie For they that beleeue in him are the sonnes of God because they are borne of God by the grace of adoption which is in the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ for in beleeuing we are made the sons of God as it is written He hath giuen them prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God while they beleeue in him And serm 181. de temp Faith is the ground of all good things Aug. de temp ser 181. and the beginning of mans saluation without this none can bee of the number of Gods sonnes and without it in this world neither doth man attaine the grace of iustification nor hereafter shall possesse eternall life and whoso walketh not by faith shall not come to see God In these testimonies of the Scriptures and our Elders according to the Scriptures if wee meane to stand and wee ought to rest therein away with the deuise of the righteousnes of all men and the operation of saluation in all Hub. thes 49. 65. and the receiuing of all men into grace and their purging from sins whether they beleeue or not The aduersaries doe except that they thinke not that the merit of Christ is applied without faith or that any man without it can be made partaker of the fatherly will of God Thes 72. 1112 I answere therefore they bee manifestly contrary to themselues that say such things The aduersaries contrarie to themselues Thes 65.270.168 and yet stifly maintaine that all men none excepted faithfull and vnfaithfull before and after Christs birth are set free by the blood of Christ truly and vndoubtedly from all sinne and condemnation and are receiued into the grace and fauour of God that all alike are saued iustified and quickened that all pertaine to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace and such like For if no man can be partaker of the grace of God righteousnes life and saluation in Christ vnles he applie those good things to himselfe and the application cannot be but by faith how belong those things to all vnfaithfull as well as faithfull The 11. reason The Maior The 11. Argument from another consequent Redemption is such a benefit whereby of seruants of sinne wee are made the sonnes of God of children of wrath the children of grace of strangers and vnknowne we are made a royall and priestly stock as it is written Apoc. 1. and 5. He hath loued vs and redeemed vs to God by his blood and hath made vs to our God kings and priests and wee
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
himselfe into all men by his spirit and the fulnes of his Godhead For wee all haue receiued of his fulnes that we might know his most excellent loue Which all Not all Christians And elsewhere de his qui initiantur cap. 4. In the poole of Ierusalem one was cured euery yeare now all are healed or certainly one Christian people alone Infinite such sayings are in the writings of the fathers and in the common speech of men CHAP. IX Testimonies of the Schoolemen and other new Diuines BVt that wee may throughly bring to an end the report of our witnesses let vs proceed to the Schoolmē as they cal them who also haue spread abroad the doctrine which in this point they receiued from their forefathers Pet. Lomb lib. 3 distinct 18. Peter Lombard called the Master of Sentences speaketh of his own others opinion that Christ merited for his members redemption from the deuill and sinne and the opening of the kingdom of heauen that his fierie sword being taken away they may boldly enter thereinto In the same distinction about the end He deserued for vs by the suffering of death and passion the entrance into Paradise and redemption from sinne and the deuill For he by dying was made the sacrifice of our deliuerie But restraining this whole benefit of redemption vnto those that be Christs a little after he addeth If Adams pride was the ruine of all much more was the humilitie of Christ wherby he tasted of death able to open the gate of the kingdome of heauen for all his owne after he had fulfilled the decree of God The same man in his next distinction We are said to be iustified by the death of Christ because we are iustified by faith in his death and as in old time such as looked vpon the brasen Serpent lifted vp vpon the pole were healed of the bitings of Serpents so if we looke vpon him by a true faith who did hang vpon the crosse for vs we are loosed from the bands of the deuil that is from sinnes And in other words at large in the same place he teacheth that deliuerance from the deuill belongs to them that beleeue in Christ Innocent 3 lib. 2. de offic missae cap. 41. Innocentius 3. maketh this distinction◠that the blood of Christ was shed for the predestinate onely as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie and he bringeth the words of Leo before by vs recited And there is nothing more common among the Schoolmen then this distinction Hereupon Thomas in 1. Tim. 2. saith Thomas Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes for some effectually but for all sufficiently because the price of his blood is sufficient to saue all but it hath not effect but in the elect because of an impediment And more cleerely vpon 5. Apoc. he saith We speake of the Lords passion two maner of waies Either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all for it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all although there were more worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. Cur Deus c. homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so not all are redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not to the redeemer and therefore not all haue the efficacie of redemption The same man saith Idem summ de veritate materia 26. quaest 7. The merit of Christ as touching sufficiencie is alike to all but not as touching efficiencie which happeneth partly through freewill partly through Gods election by the which the effect of Christs merits is bestowed vpon some of mercie but it is withdrawne from others by the iust iudgement of God Against the Gentiles lib. 4. cap. 55. he alleageth this cause of the foresaid distinction betweene sufficiencie and efficiencie The death of Christ saith he is as a certaine vniuersall cause of saluation as the sinne of the first man was as it were the vniuersall cause of damnation But the vniuersall cause must be applied to euery one particularly that he may receiue the effect of the vniuersal cause The effect of the sin of our first parents commeth to euery one by our fleshly birth But the effect of the death of Christ commeth to euery one by spiritual regeneration whereby man is after a sort ioyned vnto Christ and incorporated vnto him Other testimonies of this author we haue before alleaged Petrus Galatinus a most learned man Pet. Galatin de arcam Cath. verit lib. 8. cap. 14. following the same distinction writeth after this sort Albeit the passion of Christ ought to be sufficient to blot out the sinnes of all men yet it will not blot out the sinnes of all but theirs onely who shall beleeue in him and repent Therefore saith the Prophet he bare the sinnes of many Also Stapulensis Stapul in 5. Ro. Christ hath truly in himselfe the redemption of all sufficient not onely for vs but to redeeme innumerable worlds beside but not al are partakers therof because of their owne peruersnes as the light of it selfe is able to driue away the darkenes of all men albeit not all mens eies be inlightened Among our Diuines Martyr Caluin Zanchie and others admit and follow the same distinction as wee haue largely noted in the 1. booke chap. 11. Likewise in the 2. booke cha 12. we haue prooued I thinke sufficiently that the most famous and best learned Diuines of Heluetia Zuinglius Musculus Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Simlerus Lauaterus and others are in very deede of the same opinion that we defend touching the vniuersality of grace Luther tom 3. in Isa 53. To these also let vs adioyne Luther So great saith he is the righteousnesse of Christ that it is able to iustifie infinite worlds and Christ offereth his righteousnesse to all men but all that beleeue in him doe obtaine it according to that He that beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued Others abide vnder sinne and wrath And in the same place Christian righteousnes saith he is not receiued vnles Christ be knowen before Againe Christian righteousnesse touching the substance is nothing els then the knowledge of Christ that is faith wherewith Christ is apprehended in the hart that he hath giuen himselfe a ransome for vs and for our sinnes as Paul saith 1 Tim. 2. The word surely offereth and preacheth Christ to all as the sacrifice for our sinnes but vnlesse the holy Ghost inlighten the hearts no man can giue assent vnto this word And we assent when we apprehend the promise that in Christ is the blessing of Nations and this is the glorie of a Christian to know that it is his righteousnes to beleeue in Christ The same man as we haue seene aboue expoundeth those sayings farre otherwise then our aduersaries doe to wit God will haue all men to be saued I wil not the death of a sinner whereupon being naughtily vnderstood leaneth the opinion of our aduersaries hee vnderstandeth them of God will reuealed in his word which he
and shall haue God gratious vnto him to eternall life This God hath promised saith Augustine Aug. Psalm 88. this God hath said and if that bee but little God hath sworne it Therefore because the promise is sure not according to our merits but according to his mercies no man ought to publish that with feare wherof he cannot doubt And that is wel to be marked against the Papists who because they wil haue iustificatioÌ„ to depend vpon their workes if not wholly yet at least in part as it hath been sayd before Alsons de Castro in voce gratia Bern. serm 68. sup Cant. Serm. 3. de 7. fragm and they themselues doe not dissemble it they can neuer iudge of this certaintie of grace But as Bernard said excellently well Why is the Church carefull for merits seeing there is surer and safer matter of reioycing in the purpose and mercie of God And elsewhere I consider three things wherein resteth my whole hope the loue of adoption the trueth of promise and the power of rendring Now let my foolish thought murmure as much as it will saying who art thouâ— or how great is that glorie An excellent saâ—ing and worthy rememberance or by what merits thinkest thou to obtaine it I confidently answere I know whom I haue beleeued and I am certaine because in great loue he hath adopted me because he is true in his promise because he is able to performe it This is a threefold corde that is hardly broken sent vs from our heauenly countrey into this prison let vs firmely keepe and hold it Ambrose also agreeth hereto in Luk. 1. Not euery one that is iust before men is iust before God He is surely blessed that is iust in Gods sight He is blessed of whoÌ„ the Lord vouchsafeth to say Behold a true Israelite A true Israelite seeth God and knowes himselfe to bee seene of God and giueth to him the secrets of his heart Places obiected by the Papâ—sts for doubting Against these things the aduersaries who bid our consciences stand in doubt whether we receiue remission of sinnes obiect some places of Scripture concerning the imperfectioÌ„ of good works in this world yea in the most holy men whose confession is this Psalm 19. 1. Cor. 4. Who vnderstandeth his faults Clense me Lord from my secret sinnes Also I know nothing by my selfe yet therein am not iustified But these places are wrongfully alleadged against vs who make account that wee are iustified before God not for our owne worthines and workes but through the death and satisfaction of Christ alone For to him giue all the Prophets and Apostles witnesse Acts 10. that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name Eccles 9. But nothing is more common for the opinion of the Papists than that of Salomon in Ecclesiastes A man knoweth not whether he bee worthie of loue or hatred but all things to come are vncertaine as the old translation hath which according to the Hebrew veritie is euen loue and hatred a man knoweth not all things alike befall to all men there is one and the same euent to the iust and vniust person c. But this fortresse is made of figge leaues For what is it obscure in the doctrine of the Church whether they that are in Christ and liue according to the spirit do please God and contrariwise whether theeues fornicators adulterers drunkards Idolaters and such like doe displease him 1 Cor 6. Gal. 5. of whom the Apostle so euidently pronounceth that such shal not possesse the kingdome of God But as for the saying of Salomon Aben-Ezra one of the Hebrew writers referreth actiuely loue and hatred vnto men that there is no man that knoweth the things that men loue or hate that is the prosperitie or aduersitie that shall come vnto them Yet the sense is more plaine that Olympiodorus also vpon Ecclesiastes giueth The true sense of Salomons works that by the outward euents of this life it cannot be knowne whether a man bee in loue or hatred with God Which meaning that which followeth in stead of a reason plainly confirmeth that all things happen alike to all righteous and vngodly to him that serueth God and to him that despiseth him This Alphonsus considering freely confesseth that this testimonie Contra Haeresâ—â— vt suprà that had seemed before most manifest to him as to many other in Poperie doth little or nothing proue this point It is obiected also out of Ioel. 2. that the Prophet exhorting the people of God to turne with all their heart to the Lord Ioel 2. saith who knowes if the Lord will turne and forgiue Ion. 3. and leaue behinde him a blessing As also the king of Niniuie perswading the people to repentance said Amos 5. who knowes if he will turne and repent him that we perish not And in Amos wee reade Hate euill loue good peraduenture the Lord of hosts will be mercifull to the remnant of Ioseph Such also is that that Peter said to Simon Magus Repent and pray to God Acts 8. if peraduenture the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee All these things seeme to be against the certaintie of grace But the Papists deale very vnaduisedly alleadging such places vnles they would denie that God doth forgiue them their sinnes that with all their hearts repent which thing is easily proued by sixe hundred places of Scripture yea the very sayings from whence that shew of doubting ariseth manifestly proue the same thing when the Lord saith in Amos seeke me and ye shall liue and the Lord your God shall be with you As Ioel also testifieth if they repent it shall come to passe that the Lord in great zeale will spare his people for he is louing gratious and of much mercie Obiection To what purpose then doth the spirit of God speake doubtfully sometimes by the Prophets and Apostles touching the hope of pardon Answere 1 First albeit God forgiueth their faults that truly repent yet he doth not alwaies put away corporall calamitie as it appeareth by Dauids example 2. Sam. 12 but that the punishment to such as repent is turned into a fatherly chastisement Secondly learned interpreters do admonish vs that doubting which the Scripture after the maner of men speaking of God sometime vseth is not in respect of God but in respect of men because it is vncertaine of them whether they will repent Thirdly in grieuous sinnes it is in stead of holesome medicine to propound the hardnes of pardon that they that haue sinned may haue in the beginning some taste of the grace of God and by little and little may gather courage and in the meane while not straightwaies rise vp to securitie but carefully come to God with a great confession and crauing of pardon for their faults A fine similie So the Phisition wil not straightwaies asswage the griefe but wil see what may be more expedient
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati