eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are
spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Therefore he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were vnder the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Where by the way is to be considered that by sins past in the saying of the Apostle to the Romanes are properly vnderstood the sinnes committed vnder the old Testament which could not be purged with the blood of goates and calues but the righteous did expect a better oblation Heb. 10.14 which should consecrate for euer those that are sanctified Acts 15.11 Whereupon Peter also said By the grace of our Lord Iesu Christ wee beleeue to be saued as well as our fathers But this whole place of redemption is large and worthie of great cōsideration to wit 1. Whence 2. By whom 3. How 4. When 5. For what cause 6. Whereto and 7. Who are redeemed All these truly haue a profitable and necessarie consideration and bee euery where taught in the Scriptures Of these propounded questions the sixe former wee will brieflie touch but the seuenth and last for which cause chieflie wee vndertake this labour wee will more fully and largely expound as the Lord shall permit CHAP. II. Whence we are redeemed THerefore as touching this question Whence we are redeemed the holy Scriptures sufficiently teach vs Our redemptiō is not corporal but spirituall and eternall from Satan sin and death that the redemption whereof we speake is not temporall from some corporall bondage or tyrannie such as the redemption was of Israel from Egypt from the house of bondage and the hand of Pharao by Moses and after from the hand of the Canaanits and Midianits and other their enemies by Gedeon and other Iudges and specially from the most grieuous 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus the king and Monarch of Persia but this redemption is spirituall and eternal shadowed of old by those corporall deliuerances to wit from the power of darknes and the slauerie of sinne death Coloss 1.13 Heb. 2.14 and of him who had the power of death that is the deuill And these be the enemies and haters whereof Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist maketh mention in his song greatly extolling this redemption Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Luk. 1.68 to 76. for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp a horne of saluation for vs in the house of Dauid his seruant as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that hee would saue vs from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate vs that being deliuered from the hand of our enemies wee might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And albeit this benefit of spirituall and eternall redemption is vsually contemned of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh and to whom the slauerie of sinne and the world is so sweet as Satan the God of this world hath blinded their minds yet such is the greatnes and so inestimable is the dignitie thereof that they who haue rightly tasted the redemptiō of Christ whereby libertie to captiues saluation to them that perished and life to the dead is repaired do easily vnderstand that euen the riches kingdomes and pleasures of the whole world are to bee esteemed as nothing in comparison of it For what doth it profit a man Matth. 16. if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule CHAP. III. By whom this redemption came Our redeemer is Christ true God and man holy and righteous 1. Tim. 2.5.6 BVt now the Redeemer who hath deliuered vs from the slauerie of sinne death and the power of Satan is none other then the Mediatour of God and men our Lord Iesus Christ true God and true man like vnto vs in all things except sinne For there is one God and one Mediatour also of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a price of redemption for all as the Apostle saith And to the Romanes chap. 3. Rom. 3.24 he teacheth that wee are iustified through the redemption wrought in Christ Iesu And elsewhere the same Apostle affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.30 that Christ is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption that as it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Iohn who from the breast of the Lord had receiued hidden mysteries 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 likewise testifieth If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But euery where such testimonies meete vs in the diuine Scriptures Eph. 2.20 1. Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 For Iesus Christ is the foundation of the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles neither is there saluation in any other nor any other name giuen vnder heauen among men whereby wee must be saued Whereupon their error is worthily to bee detested who not contented with the onely and perfect redeemer Christ seek part of their redemption and saluation elsewhere in themselues or in the Saints where as yet the holiest men vnlesse the grace of Christ had saued and redeemed them could neuer haue been able to satisfie no not for themselues Therfore also Iohn as Augustine well considered said not Augustine If any sinne ye haue an aduocate nor said ye haue me ye haue not Christ but both named Christ and not himselfe and also said we haue and not ye haue He would rather put himselfe in the number of sinners that he might haue Christ his aduocate then put himselfe aduocate in Christs stead and be found among the proud that be condemned Brethren saith he we haue Iesus Christ the righteous an aduocate with the father and he is the attonement of our sinnes Hitherto Augustine tractatu primo in 1. Epist Ioh. CHAP. IIII. Of the maner of the redemption finished NOw the maner of our redemption by Christ The maner is his abasing of himselfe to the death of the crosse and to the shedding of his blood Phil. 2.7 being a mysterie altogether and wonderfull but wholly agreeing to the iustice and trueth of God the Scripture setteth downe on this wise to wit that the eternall Sonne of God for vs and our saluation a based himselfe taking the forme of a seruant being made like vnto men and found in shape as a man and submitting himselfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse that by his passion and death and shedding of his most sacred blood as by the onely propitiatorie sacrifice he might redeeme our body and soule from eternall damnation and purchase for vs the grace of God righteousnes and eternall life For this cause
that our Lord and Redeemer our King and high Priest Iesus Christ came into the world Christ was borne in the 42. yere of Augustus Anno mundi 3963. made of the seede of Dauid after the flesh in the 42. yeare of the raigne of Octauius Augustus which was the yeare of the world 3963. after Funccius supputation Yet I am not ignorant that others disagree from that account certaine of the olde Latines and Greekes ascending vp to the 5000. yeare but by a plaine error in account which riseth from the difference betweene the Hebrew copies and the Greeke Septuaginte But to proceede in my purpose the Lord from the time of his comming and appearing in the flesh sustained all his whole life both in bodie and soule the wrath of God against the sinne of all mankinde but specially in his end 1. Pet. 2.24 when he bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree Coloss 2.14 and tooke out of the way the hand-writing of death that was against vs nailing it on the crosse And it is recorded that this was done in the 34. yere of the incarnation of Christ He suffered death in the 18. yere of Tiberius being 34. yeres old or as Epiphanius saith 32. yeres and 74. daies on the 12. day of the Calends of Aprill that is 21. of March and in the 18. of the raigne of Tiberius Caesar Yet Epiphanius contra Alogos haeres 51. will haue all the yeres of Christs presence in the flesh from his birth to his passion which he writeth was done the day before the 13. of the Calends of Aprill to be only 32. and 74. daies differing one yeare from the former opinion And the same man diligently refuteth the naughtie supputation of others who misunderstanding that prophesie of Esai chap. 61 that I may preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord thought that the Lord after he had finished only one yeares ministerie after his baptisme by Iohn suffered death in the full thirtith yeare of his age In which opinion was Seuerus Sulpitius who noteth that our Lord was crucified when the two twinnes Fusius and Rebellius were Consuls And their Consulship fell in the 31. yeare of Christ as Epiphanius witnesteth But now to omit the curious searching out of these things least any should marueile that Christ after so many thousand yeares should bee made manifest at the length vnder Tiberius as it were in the euening of the world Heb. 9. and as the Scripture speaketh in the end of the world to abolish sinne by the offering of himselfe wee must thinke that it happened not so by chance or fortune but by the eternall counsell and prouidence of God Wised 81. 11.17 which as the Wiseman saith reacheth mightily from one ende to another and disposeth all things pleasantly and ordereth all things in number weight and measure Hereupon saith Peter 1. Epist 2. Christs comming into the world after so many thousand yeares was appoynted so from al eternitie in Gods counsell as the Scripture teacheth vs. that the Lambe by whose precious blood we are redeemed was made manifest in the last times for our sakes being foreordained before the foundations of the world were layd And by the witnes of Paul Gal. 4. God sent his sonne made of a woman after the fulnes of time was come And he meaneth the time of the incarnation of the Sonne and of our redemption by him which was before appointed of his heauenly father which thing the similitude vsed in that place doth declare For he had said that the heire being an infant is vnder tutors vnto the time appointed of the father So Ephes 1. he mentioneth the fulnes of times for the restoring of all things by Christ And that we may more certainly vnderstand that this time of the restoring of all things was by God from all eternitie appointed the same was by diuine inspiration plainly foretold by the mouth of the holie Prophets 1. Epist 1. who as Peter teacheth foretold of the grace that should come to vs searching when and at what instant that foreshewing spirit of Christ that was in them should declare the passions that should happen to Christ and the glorie that should follow Vnto whom it was reueiled that not to themselues but vnto vs they should minister those things We haue examples in the prophesie of Iacob Gen. 49. and of the 70. weekes in Daniel chap. 9. And euery where the Prophets when they foretell of the kingdome of Christ haue made mention of the last daies A question Why came he in the old age of the world and not in the beginning after the fall Acts 1.7 But some man may aske why in the old age and almost end of the world hath God sent his sonne to be a Redeemer and not rather straightwaies after the fall of mankinde Although it be not our part curiously to enquire into the counsell of GOD and it is sufficient to answere curious wits as Christ answered his disciples It is not for you to know the time or seasons which the father hath put in his owne power yet there are reasons of some account alleadged by learned men Thom. part 3. quaest 1. art 5. of the redemption or sending of the Sonne of God so long deferred First it was expedient that the greatnes of mans disease and corruption should more and more be felt Foure causes why Christs birth was so long deferred and made manifest not by the examples of one age onely but of many Therefore God left man first in the state of nature that hee might know the strength or infirmitie rather of his nature after when it decaied he receiued the Law which being giuen the disease increased through the fault not of the Law but of nature that so his weakenes being knowne he might crie vnto the Phisition and seeke for the helpe of grace Secondly the Law and the Prophets the figures and legall shadowes and promises of Christ to come ought to haue their course also and the greater the Iudge or Lord is that was to come the longer rew of cryers or heralds ought to go before as the glosse saith vpon that to the Galathians chap. 4. When the fulnes of time came Thirdly it is agreeable to order that that which is vnperfect and naturall should be first and then that which is spirituall 1. Cor. 15. Therefore the states of nature and of the law as being more vnperfect haue well gone before the state of grace and that by a iust distance of time Fourthly that way the godly were exercised in faith and in the expectation of the redemption to come which when they had beheld a farre off through faith they dyed not obtaining the promises as farre foorth as the exhibiting of the Messiah did not fall out in their times Hereupon the author to the Hebrewes setteth out their faith and long sufferance with notable praises and propoundeth them vnto vs for imitation Heb.
11. and 7. vers 12. Augustine disputing against Porphyrie of the time of Christian religion in his booke de sex paganorum quaestionibus writeth that Christ did then come when he knew that men would beleeue But the enemies of grace wresting this speech Tom. 7. fol. 1228. 1243. 1269. caused Augustine to correct it partly by interpretation partly by calling it in againe CHAP. VIII The question of the redemption of the old fathers is handled and a double opinion about the same is confuted BVt hereupon another question ariseth concerning the fathers who dyed before the birth of Christ whether redemption appertained also to them The error of the Marcionits and Manichees The Marcionites and their like to wit the Manichees of old time denied it who held that no man was saued before the 15. yeare of Tiberius as Epiphanius reporteth Epiph. de haeres Manich. Whom that most filthie Seruetus followed and many other of the sect of the Anabaptists who foolishly say Tertul. lib 4. contra Marci vltra medium that the Israelites no otherwise thē as a heard of swine were satted of the Lord in the land of Canaan without any hope of heauenly immortalitie But this monstrous error is easily refuted by many places of the Scripture from which wee will onely choose a few Certainly the author to the Hebrewes tieth together a long rew of the olde fathers Heb. 11. who pleased God before Christ was exhibited to the world and were made heires of that righteousnes which is of faith Gen. 17. What meaneth that forme of the couenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seede Exod. 3. Matth. 22. and that which was said I am the God of Abraham God of Isaac and the God of Iacob do they not shew that they were partakers of grace whereof Christ is the onely foundation Whereto also tendeth that notable saying of the Lord Ioh. 8. Abraham desired to see my daie and he saw it and reioyced Neither is any kingdome promised vnto vs in the Gospell then that wherein wee should sit with Abraham Matth. 8. Isaac and Iacob and all the elect of God that come from East and West But those fathers dyed before the comming of Christ in the flesh What then They had in the meane while the promise of Christ to come the ground of their hope and confidence Neither doth the force of the death of Christ extend it selfe vnto our times only but to the fathers also euen from the beginning of the world For Iesus Christ yesterday Heb. 13. to day and for euer is the same as the Apostle saith Heb. 13.8 Hee meaneth that Christ was not onely in times past as touching his diuinitie as it is said of him elsewhere Before Abraham was I am but such as he is now such was he of olde and now is and shall remaine for euer mercifully to saue and defend his owne In which sense also the place Apoc. 13.8 is truly read of the lambe slaine before the foundations of the world were laid to wit as touching the counsell of God and the perpetuall vertue of this sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also among the old writers Ambrose taketh that saying vpon the 5. to the Romanes Yet I denie not but the Greeke text in that place may thus also be construed Whose names are not writtē from before the foundations of the world c. because of the very like place Apoc. 17.8 We conclude therefore with Augustine August de na◠gra cap. 44. that the same faith healed the righteous of olde time which healeth vs euen the faith of Iesu Christ the Mediatour of God and men the faith of his blood the faith of his crosse And in another place he saith Lib. 1. de pecca merit remiss cap. 11. The only grace of the Sauiour destroyeth the kingdome of death in euery one which grace wrought also in the old Saints whosoeuer before Christs comming in the flesh leaned vpon his helping grace and not vpon the letter of the law which commandeth onely and helpeth nothing Yet here is not to be omitted Of the fathers Limbus that many doe so extend the benefit of redemption vnto the old righteous men that they notwithstanding denie that any one entered into the kingdome of heauen before the death of Christ whereby they vnderstand that the gate of heauen was at the length opened And if a man aske whither then were the soules of the godly in old time receiued they answere into Hell that is forsooth Limbus patrum Hereupon the booke de Ecclesiasticis dogmat which is fathered vpon Augustine chap. 78. and 79. defineth thus Before the passion of the Lord all the soules of the Saints were kept in hell vnder the debt of Adams transgression vntill through the vndeserued death of the Lord they were deliuered from that seruile condition but after his ascension into heauen all the soules of the Saints departing out of the bodie goe vnto Christ as the soules of sinners vnto hell And Hierome vpon Ecclesiast chap. 3. writeth that before the comming of Christ all went to hell to bee held in darknes and heauenly things were shut vp vntil Christ with the theefe vnlocked the dores of Paradise Basill also mentioneth this opinion vpon the 48. Psalme and many other of the old writers And this is almost the common opinion of the Schoolemen who adde this declaration that the holy fathers suffered in hell no punishment of sense but only punishment of losse to wit exclusion from the life of glorie And the cause of this detaining of the fathers in hell they make to bee the guiltines of all mans nature through originall sinne which none of the Saints faith or righteousnesse was able to remoue but it should bee remoued at length by the price of the blood of Christ Thomas part 3. quaest 42. artic 5. But this deuise of Limbus patrum though it hath manie founders yet it is nothing but a fained thing For there is but one way to loose vs from the guiltines of euery sinne as well actuall as originall 1. Ioh. 1. because the blood of Christ doth wash vs from all sin saith S. Iohn Not then from originall only as Paul also generally speaketh to Titus Tit. 2. He gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from all sinne or iniquitie Neither doth Thomas denie it in the place before cited part 3. q. 49. art 5. Cath. archiepis lib. Romae edit◠cum priuil pap 1552. which is to be noted against the horrible blasphemie of Catharinus and such like Papists who affirme that the passion of Christ doth purge onely originall sinne and those actuall sinnes which are committed of a man before Baptisme but all other sinnes which follow are not now to be purged by that sacrifice but by the Masse Certainly Thomas writeth flatly that by the passion of Christ we are deliuered not onely from the common sinne of
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
on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
saith very cleerely The band of death drawne together by the sinne of one was loosed by the death of one who alone owed nothing vnto death His personall dignity in that he was both God and man III. The third cause which is greatest of all the death of Christ was not a meere mans death although innocent and iust but it was his death who is both true God and man in one and the same person And this exceeding great dignitie of this person is the cause that this price of his blood death although it was temporall if the continuance of it be respected yet it is of infinit force to saue them for euer who come vnto God by it Which the Author to the Hebrewes chap. 9. teacheth saying If the blood of buls and goates and the ashes of a yong heifer sprinkling the vncleane do sanctifie to the puritie of the flesh how much more doth the blood of Christ who offered himselfe by the eternall spirit without blame to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God And Acts chap. 20. Paul is witnesse that God by his owne blood redeemed his Church Not that the deitie hath flesh or blood for God is a spirit but that person which suffered death for vs is both God and man and so this blood is and is truly called the blood of God whose excellencie therfore and dignitie is exceeding great To these this is annexed that beside his power diuine His Lordship ouer vs and his neerenes in blood vnto vs. and abundantly sufficient to deliuer our commō Redeemer had also the full and perfect right of redemption both because he is Lord of all also because he is neere vnto vs in blood For by the right of Lordship it is meete that the seruant bee redeemed of the master and the subiect of his prince and by the right of kindred the father doth well redeeme the sonne one brother another and one kinsman another And hither may be referred that which we reade Leuit. 25.25 to be specially ordained touching the right of neerenes of kindred Thirdly also this hath been a question 3. question Why must we be redeemed by his death rather than by some other meanes as touching the meanes of redemption whether the deliuerance of vs could not possibly haue been by some other meanes then by the death of the Sonne of God Wee answere with Augustine lib. 13. de trinit that another way was possible to God vnto whose power all things are subiect but this was the meetest way and most fit with God to heale our miserie Or as Thomas part 3. quaest 46. decideth this doubt we do distinguish betweene possible or impossible simply and that which is after a sort To speake simply and absolutely it was possible to God to deliuer man by another meanes then by the death of Christ because nothing is impossible with God Luk. 1.37 But after a sort Because no other was possible or by supposition of Gods foreknowledge and fore appointment it was impossible as the Lords words do plainly shew Matth. 26. Father if this cup cannot passe away vnles I drinke of it thy will be done Whereupon Hilary saith Therefore the cup cannot passe vnles he drinke it because we cannot be restored but by his passion because of the decree of Gods will Moreouer it is plaine that that way is most fit with God and meetest to cure our miserie Because this way was most iust with God which God vsed through the passion of his Sonne For it was a iust thing that for the sinnes of mankinde the iudgement of God should be satisfied thorow punishmēt and that the same nature which had sinned should also giue a recompence for sin Further it was agreeable to the trueth and goodnes of God Most agreeable to his truth Gen. 2.17 to the trueth because a threatning had gone before What day so euer thou shalt eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death and it was promised and euer by continuall testimonies shewed and by diuers ceremonies shadowed that the sonne of God borne of a woman should dye for vs and so should confirme the new couenant by his blood To his goodnes and mercy And to the goodnes of God it agreeth because seeing man of himselfe could not satisfie for sinnes God of his exceeding great mercie gaue vnto him a satisfier euen his only begotten sonne Whereupon it was said of Christ himself Iohn 3. Rom. 5. Ioh. 3. So God loued the world that he gaue his sonne c. And Paul God doth set out his loue towards vs that when we were as yet sinners Christ died for vs. And truly this was a token of a farre more abounding mercie that he did not spare his owne sonne for vs then if he had remitted our sins without satisfaction Ephes 2. so that wee may worthily now say with the same Apostle God who is rich in mercie because of his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead thorow our offences hath quickned vs together through Christ by whose grace we are saued This was most expedient to money to loue God again Besides that way of deliuerance was most expedient for our saluation For so we know by the greatest experiment of all how much God loueth vs and we are prouoked to loue God againe Then an example is giuen vnto vs of obedience loue humilitie sufferings and glorie which when all miseries are ouercome we doe expect as Peter saith 1. Epist 2. Christ suffered for vs and left vs an example that wee should follow his steps Likewise Paul Phil. 2.5 and 2. Cor. 8.9 and elsewhere To suffer afflictions for his sake propounding the example of Christ exhorteth vs to the duties of loue and other vertues Further because we are redeemed by the death of the Sonne of God To keepe our selues from sinne 1. Cor. 6. A notable saying and washed from our sinnes in his blood a greater necessitie lieth vpon vs To keep our selue from sinne 1. Cor. 6. A notable saying that we should keepe our selues to God vndefiled in bodie and soule as the Apostle saith Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodie and spirit which are Gods And thus much of the meanes of redemption a mysterie altogether wonderfull and vnspeakeable which the Author of Meditations in Augustine chapter 7. excellently setteth out in these words O state of wonderfull reformation A notable saying and disposition of vnspeakeable mysterie the vniust sinneth and the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth and the innocent is beaten the vngodly offendeth and the godly is condemned what the euill deserued the good doth endure what the seruant hath done the master doth pay what man doth commit God doth suffer and abide This is a heauenly medicine O good Iesu this is the preseruatiue of thy loue CHAP. VI. The
all mans nature both as touching the offence and also the guiltines of the offence he paying a price for vs but also from the proper sinnes of euery one of vs who communicate with his passion through faith charitie and the sacrament of faith part 3. q. 52. art 5. Reasons against the old fathers being in Limbo or Hell But the holy fathers as the same Thomas confesseth in old time while they liued were freed from the guiltines of the punishment of actuall sinnes through faith in Christ Therefore by the same faith they were also freed from the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne of necessitie or els if they were detained in hell being excluded from glorie and suffered the punishment of losse as they speake for originall sin it must be alike confessed also that they were punished with the paine of sense for their actuall sinnes Further Who reueiled vnto them that originall sinne in hell is punished only with the paine of losse and not of sense that is to say with the exclusion onely from the life of glorie without feeling of any sorrow Beside this we reade Luk. 16. that poore Lazarus was caried by Angels into Abrahās bosome where he had ioy and that the rich man in hell lifting vp his eyes saw Lazarus a farre off and also that Abraham said Betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe firmely set It is absurd as Augustine noteth ad Euod Epist 99. that only two Abraham and Lazarus were then in that memorable bosome of rest If saith he there were more then two there who dare say that the Patriarches and Prophets were not there From hence thus I reason The Patriarches and Prophets and the rest that were righteous in old time were receiued into Abrahams bosome therfore not into hell The consequence is proued because hell in the Scripture is no where taken in good part But that bosome of Abraham is vsed in good part as the habitation of a memorable and certaine secret rest Therefore we must not beleeue that that bosome was some part of hell This reason is wholly Augustines vnto Euodius And the same he proueth by the words of our highest teacher saying that Abraham said Between vs and you there is set a great gulfe wherof sufficiently appeareth saith Augustine that the bosome of so great felicitie is not any part or member as it were of hell He addeth also this proofe If the Scripture saith he had said that Christ being dead came into that bosome of Abraham not naming hell and the sorowes thereof no man durst haue affirmed that therefore he descended into hell Now let the reader consider The Schoolemens fained deuises of foure hels whether these reasons drawne by Augustine out of the Scripture deserue more credite then the trifling words of the Schoolmen who haue deuised foure hels that is the hell of the damned Purgatorie and the two Limboes one for Infants the other where the holie fathers were before Christ which last they make a part of hell contrary to the reasons brought out of Augustine Hereunto may bee added that a man may see the deuisers of Limbus patrum to be much troubled in assigning the deliuerance of the godly soules out of that prison For sometime they attribute it to the passion of Christ whereby he loosed the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne wherein the fathers as they thinke were detained in hell and opened the gate of the kingdome of heauen Sometime they teach that it was needful for the soule of Christ to descend into the hell of the fathers that it might absolue there all the Saints who were bound with originall sinne where they almost make Christs descension penall vnto him as Aquinas part 3. quaest 52. art 1. teacheth that it was meete for Christ to descend into hell because he came to beare our punishment and that was saith he not onely the death of the bodie Bonau dist 22. quaest 6. lib. 3. Gabr. ead q. artic 3. Thom. part 3. q. 52. 57. but also descension in hell Sometime againe they decree masterlike that albeit those soules were made blessed in Christs descension and so heauen was straightway set open vnto thē as touching the reward of blisse yet it was not open as touching the place till Christ ascending into heauen took them together with him But why dissent they from the old writers whose opinion they would seeme to follow for Hierome as wee cited would haue heauen onely shut vp A doubt propounded to the schoolmen to be resolued till Christ with the theefe vnlocked the gates of paradise Further if they would seeme very skilfull in heauenly secrets let them shew vs where then did the soules of the Saints abide all that space of 40. daies betweene the resurrection and ascension of the Lord For being loosed from the band of original sinne wherewith they were tied in hell they could not bee detained there any longer but with their iniurie and the iniurie of Christs blood through whom libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie was obtained and yet as they wil haue it they were not in heauen Where then wandred they The same may bee obiected of the soules of the godly as many as slept in the said space of 40. dayes CHAP. IX Of the impulsiue cause of mans redemption BVt to speake of other things this also commeth to be considered for what cause the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ tooke vpon him the redemption of man But the question now is not of the finall cause whereof wee will speake something in the next chapter but of the impulsiue cause as they call it that is to say what moued him that he being the workman and Lord would for his works sake Two causes moued Christ to redeeme vs 1. His loue to vs. 2. His obediēce to his father taking vpon him the nature of it humble himselfe vnto the most base and shamefull death of the crosse for vs and our saluation The answere is readie and plaine that it was done of our Sauiour to shew his loue towards vs and his willing obedience towards his father Of the loue of the Sonne towards vs in the whole worke of his humiliation Paul speaketh both elsewhere Of the first and also to the Phil. 2. where he exhorteth to the loue of our neighbour that no man should seeke his owne but the things of others and confirmeth his exhortation by the example of Christ commanding that the same affection be in vs which was in Christ Iesu who when hee was in the forme of God abased himselfe for our sake of his meere loue towards vs as the Apostle there exhorteth vs to follow him Of the second And of his obedience towards his father Christ himselfe witnesseth Ioh. 5. I seeke not my will but his that sent me euen the fathers And more cleerely chap. 6. I came downe from heauen to doe not my will but the fathers will who
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life And a little after Neither that alone but also wee reioyce in God through our Lord Iesu Christ by whom wee haue now obtained reconciliation Againe If death raigned by one offence much more those who doe receiue that abundant grace gift of righteousnes shall raigne in life To Titus chap. 2. He gaue himselfe for vs to redeeme vs from all sinne and to purge vs a peculiar people for himselfe zealous of good workes Peter also ioyneth these things together 1. Epist chap. 2. when he saith that our Lord bore our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree that we being dead to sinnes might liue to righteousnes Of these things there ought to bee a daily consideration The true vse of the former ends if they be well weighed Ephes 1. that we may vnderstand the greatnes of the gift of Christ and giue him thanks without ceasing weighing with ourselues what is the breadth and length and depth as Paul speaketh of the grace of God and what is the hope of his calling and the riches of his glorie in his Saints Further the daily meditation hereof is profitable and necessarie partly to nourish in vs faith and hope and partly to stirre vp and strengthen in vs more and more newnes of life Hauing saith the Apostle Heb. 10. libertie to enter into the holie place by the blood of Iesu and hauing an high priest who is ruler ouer the house of God let vs come with a true heart and a sure perswasion of faith and let vs hold the confession of hope without wauering And as touching the framing of our life we are commanded to walke worthie of the Lord Colos 1. who when wee were the seruants of sinne to death hath deliuered vs from sinne and made vs seruants of righteousnesse Hereupon are those exhortations of Paul Rom. 6. Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body and giue not your members weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as such as are aliue from the dead and your members weapōs of righteousnes vnto God Againe As you haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie for iniquitie so now giue your members seruants of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Certainly seeing we are the freemen of Christ we ought to liue vnto him who hath redeemed vs Tit. 2. and would haue vs his peculiar people and followers of good workes neither ought we as forgetfull of our Redeemer retyre vnto the campes of Satan and the world our enemies and submit againe our bodies and soules vnto the yoke of our old bōdage frō whence we were redeemed with the blood of the Sonne of God O mad men O vile traytors and the wickeddest of all mortall men who so greatly reproch a Christian name nay Christ the Redeemer and doe little lesse then tread the blood of the couenant vnder their feete CHAP. XI WHO BE REDEEMED BY CHRIST The controuersie of the question propounded is rehearsed and briefly expounded For whom Christ died THese things being declared let vs come to the question reserued to the last place Who they be whom Christ the Mediatour of God and men redeemed by his death or for whom he died And this matter shall be more largely handled then the former questions as farre as the Lord shall assist vs for their sakes that are desirous to learne and for the defence of the truth of the Gospell seeing not long agoe by occasion of the Conference at Mompelgart the matter hath growne into a grieuous contention Huberus and a certaine man inflamed with anger and seeming to be mad hath too too bitterly and reprochfully in his writings which he hath spersed abroad both in Latine and Dutch blowne the same with the fanne of contention as though there had not been before discords and strifes more then enough in this our corrupt age in the Church of Christ with often and most grieuous offences of the weake He ouerwhelmeth such as dissent from him with all kinde of reproches and railing words as come into his mouth The shamefull reproches and slanders of Huber against vs the truth That they come neere to Mahometisme and Paganisme That they maintaine Satanicall blasphemie are franticke desire to extinguish the name of Christ and that they are hereunto inclined to driue away Christ first out of the hearts then out of the Scripture and lastly out of the Church it selfe And hee termeth them seducers Pharisees Scribes a subtill poysoned and false sort of men and grieuously abuseth innocent persons with other hard words as often as pleaseth him according to that his passing christian zeale towards the Church of God supposing by his brasen forehead as I thinke to get himselfe credit with the reader to thinke it written truly what he should write impudently forgetting altogether the admonition of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2.24 The dutie of a Diuine That the seruant of the Lord must not be contentious but gentle towards all apt to teach forbearing euill men with meekenes instructing those that are contrary minded This is the dutie of a Diuine As for reproches railing speeches mockes biting taunts ill reports back-biting and all other doggish eloquence let scoffers and iesters take them to themselues In 2. cap. 2. ep ad Timot. A notable speech of Ambrose against contention Conference saith Ambrose and not contention ought to be among the seruants of God For strife must needes wring out something nay many things which are spoken against conscience so so that inwardly he looseth in his minde when outwardly he goeth away with the victorie For no man suffereth himselfe to be ouercome although hee know the things to be true which hee heareth Therefore let vs speake of the thing itselfe For to railing words and reproches he will answere who hath said Vengeance is mine Deut. 32. Rom. 12. I will repay vnto whom for Christs sake who hath pardoned vs our sinnes wee heartily pray that hee would forgiue our aduersaries those grieuous wrongs they doe vnto vs that he would take away discord and plant loue and peace in the truth among the Churches that with one mouth wee may glorifie God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and receiue one another as Christ hath receiued vs to the glorie of God Rom. 15. Therefore comparing matter with matter and cause with cause The state of the controuersie Huberus Thes 1. let vs begin at the state of the controuersie The question is Whether Christ suffered for the redemption of all or not Here straightway those men crie out that the Caluinists so they call vs for the hatred of the truth raging against the passion of the Lord Iesus Christ doe openly denie that hee died for the sins of the whole world Compend Thes 1. and his Dutch booke in the preface Againe
a Sauiour to saue them but as to him who hath receiued all power in heauen and earth Secondly he vrgeth the words that he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are said to be all of one that is partakers of one and the same nature whereof he inferreth that Christ suffered vnderstand alwaies effectually for the whole nature of mankinde and as many as are partakers of the same But here there is no consequence at all And he boldly writeth that this is so cleere as nothing can bee more cleere Trifles For the Apostle saith not that Christ sanctifieth all who are partakers with him of the same humane nature neither can this bee gathered of his words vnles a man altogether vnskilfull of Logicke should think that that affirmatiue he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one may simply bee conuerted More rightly the writer of the calling of the Gentiles in the last booke first chapter saith Nature being euill and miserable in all men before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and among such as should perish there is a difference made in some part thereof by him who came to seeke and saue that which was lost Thirdly he thus reasoneth Christ hath abolished him who had the power of death the deuill Ergo by dying he hath pulled all and euery one out of his power I answere that the deuill is destroyed by the death of Christ vnto the faithfull Coloss 1.13 vnto whom all the assault of Satan is in vaine and of none effect vntill the God of peace doe at length vtterly tread him vnder their feete Rom. 16. Ioh. 3. But the wrath of God abideth vpon the vnbeleeuers and consequently the power of Satan who is as a certaine executioner of Gods wrath to punish In the meane while we confesse with Leo that the death of Christ is so rich in value that if the vniuersalitie of captiues should beleeue in Christ no bands of Satan could hold them Obiection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thus the deuill shall not bee abolished while his power remaineth ouer very many I answer that it is a fallacie à dicto secundū quid that is from a saying spoken in part For as we rightly say that Christ doth abolish and take away sinnes that is the workes of the deuill by iustifying and gouerning his owne albeit in the meane while sinne ceaseth not to raigne in very many so the deuill is worthily said to bee abolished by the death of Christ Ephes 2.2 2. Tim. 2.26 although his power continueth towards the children of disobedience Let other places be compared wherein the Greeke word is extant as 1. Corint 1.28 Romanes 6.6 and 2. Tim. 1.10 Fourthly they be the expresse words of the Apostle That Christ tasted death for all that he might set them at libertie as many as were all their life subiect vnto bondage To this we answere if this saying be meant of the efficacie of Christs death the vniuersall particle doth not comprehend all men and euery one but all who are sanctified as here and somewhat after the Apostle himselfe declareth For when he had made mention of death which he tasted for all straightwaies he annexeth a declaration of the sonnes of God as it were painting out a certaine companie or armie of them before whom being to be brought from the kingdome of that hellish Pharao into the true land of promise and the glorie of the heauenly kingdome goeth cheerfully that first begotten sonne of God the prince and author of their saluation who died for them all and rose againe and being crowned with glorie and honour carieth before them his crosse as it were for a standard and prepareth and fortifieth the way for thē And a little after They that are sanctified saith he and hee that sanctifieth are all of one Where by those that are sanctified he noteth such as are appointed to the saluation of their soules and must be brought vnto glory as he had said before In these surely the efficacie of Christs death is extant and not in those who are not sanctified as after also in the 10. chapter he saith that Christ by one offering hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified And these bee they of whom Christ himselfe speaketh Ioh. 17. Father I sanctifie that is offer my self for thē that they may be also sanctified through the truth to wit they who are giuen to the sonne by the father and are his people as the Apostle also saith vers 17. of this chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was in all things made like to his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in the things of GOD to satisfie for the sinnes of the people And as for that which is mentioned of deliuerance from bondage and the horror of death by the death of Christ wee may finde this effect also in the godly who being armed against corporall and spirituall death Ioh. 5.24 with the death of Christ as with a remedie against all euill haue passed from death to life And so Brentius himselfe in Expli Catech. expresseth this saying page 164. Christ saith he hath abolished death by his death not that we should not die bodily but that the bodily death should not bee the destruction of him who beleeueth in Christ for he is preserued in death to eternall life Albeit as touching this later member wee are to know that the text may be indefinitly read as the old translation hath it and after that Luther in the Dutch that he might deliuer them who through feare of death were all their life subiect to bondage For the Grecians as Stephanus in his Thesaurus warneth doe take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as many as for who And thus much of this kinde of testimonies which say that Christ our Lord died for all with the answers also added to the reasons gathered out of the circumstances of those testimonies Such places follow wherein the fruite of Christs death and passion seemeth to be extended to all without exception CHAP. IIII. HEre first the words of the Apostle are obiected comparing the fall of Adam and the redemption by Christ together Rom. 5.18 where among other things hee writeth Huber thes 48. The first place of the aduersarie out of Rom. 5.18 alleadged to proue that the fruite of Christs death belongs to all that as by one offence guiltines came vpon all men to condemnation so by one iustification the benefit of Christ redoundeth vnto all men to the iustification of life Both there is all men and here also all therefore as many as perished in Adam are iustified by Christ Neither is it any matter say they that it followeth straightway that many are made righteous by the obedience of one for by many is not vnderstood some onely but all because in like maner it is sayd that in Adam many are made sinners
this forme that hath another forme it must necessarily depend doubtles vpon the simple will of the creator So also to vse another similitude from artificiall things if a man should gather many like and equall stones together and purpose to build with them a reason may easily be rendred in respect of the end why he setteth some stones in the top and some in the bottome To wit because it is requisit to the perfection of the house that there be both a foundation hauing stones belowe and a top or ridge of the wall hauing stones aboue But why among equall stones he layeth these in the toppe and those in the bottome there is no other reason but because it so pleaseth the workeman So wee must confesse also that the case is here alike and the Apostle expressely teacheth He hath mercy on whom he will and whom be wil he hardeneth And to the Eph. saith Cap. 1. that we are predestinated of him according to the good pleasure of his will Notably also the sonne of Sirach saith chap. 33. whom I mencioned before Why doth one daie excell another seeing all the light of daies proceedeth from the sunne By the Lords iudgement they be distinguished and he hath disposed the alteration of times and feasts Hee hath aduanced and consecrated some daies and other he hath put in the common order Likewise all men come of the earth and Adam was created of it but the Lord hath put a difference among them through his manifold knowledge and made their waies diuerse He hath prospered aduanced blessed some and made them neere vnto him but others he holdeth accursed and pulleth them downe As claie is in the potters hand so men are in the hand of God their creator to whom seuerally hee rendreth according to his owne iudgement These things are plaine and euident Yet because the matter is harde and handled to and fro in sundrie disputations of sound diuines and heretikes wee must entreate of it more at large CHAP. 6. Diuerse opinions are brought touching the cause of election and reprobation ANd first of all Origene Origenes his error of the forebeing of soules and of the cause of predestination in his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are full of errors following the fables of the heathen philosophers Plato and Pythagoras dreamed that God in the beginning created onely spiritual creatures and those all equal and that afterward there followed a diuersitie and inequality of creatures according to the diuersity of merites For that some of these spirituall creatures through loue did cleaue to God more or lesse and according hereunto that there bee distinct orders of Angels but that other some turned from God and sinned more or lesse and according hereunto obtained diuerse states and sunke downe into noble or vnnoble bodies as bee the heauenly bodies and the bodies of deuils and men c. The first opinion So he fained that God before the creation of the world chose some to bee adopted in Christ and appointed others to perpetuall paines according to the good or euill workes of the soules that were created together and were in the heauenly Ierusalem euen before the making of the world Hier. in 1. ca. ad â—ob q. 10. ad Hedib Aug. â—ont 2. epist. Pelag. lib. 2. c. 6. Ierome Augustine Aquinas and others make mention of this fable But this foolish and vngodly dotage is now long agoe worthily hissed out of dores because whatsoeuer it bableth of the forebeing of soules and of their merites before the bodies and of the diuersitie that followed is contary to the Apostles saying concerning Iacob and Esau That when the children were not yet borne it was said The elder shall serue the yonger that the purpose of God which is according to election not of workes but of the caller might remaine stedfast Whereunto also pertaineth that Iob. 38 4.7 that is read in Iob. Where wast thou when I founded the earth when the bright starres praised me and all the sonnes of God shouted for ioy If Origenes tale were true Iob might haue answered I was reioycing among those sonnes of God Further as Hierome also vrgeth hee that saith that the soules were elected for their holynes contradicteth the Apostle testifying that we are elected hereunto that we should bee holie and without fault before God and not because wee were such Thomas Ephes 1. against the Gentils Lib. 2. cap. 44. largely confuteth that error The errors of the Pelagians The Pelagians followed who sprung vp in the daies of Augustine when now hee was a Bishop These men contended that men by the strength of nature or free will alone was able to keepe and fulfill the commaundements of the Lord euen without grace yet more hardly than if the helpe of grace should come And not that onely but also heaping vp one impiety vpon another and raging against grace did auoch that the grace of God was giuen according to mens merites By which vnthankefull speech against God and altogether iniurious vnto his free benefites whereby wee are deliuered they did in very deede take away grace because if of merites it is not now of grace But as for the cause of election and reprobation The 2. opinion that works foreseene are the cause of predestination confuted Rom. 11. they referred it to good or euill workes foreseene that euery one was predestinated of God either to life or to death as he had foreknowne that hee would liue either well or ill But contrarily Paul testifieth that election is of grace If it be of grace now not of workes otherwise grace were not grace But if of works now not of grace otherwise workes were not workes Moreouer it sufficiently appeareth that good works themselues are the effect of election therefore they cannot be the cause of it because one the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect of it selfe For as the Apostle teacheth we were chosen not because we were but hereunto that we should be holy and without fault before God through loue Good works be effects of grace Ephe 1. Phil. 2. And it is he that worketh in vs to will and to perfourme according to his good pleasure Grace therefore belongeth to the caller but good workes belgoneth consequently to him that receiueth grace not that they should bring forth grace but by grace should be brought forth A similitude of a wheele For the wheele doth not therefore runne well that it may be round but because it is round So no man therefore worketh well that he may receiue grace but because hee receiueth it therefore God did not foresee the good works of any man but such as he already determined with himselfe to giue him But the Catholike faith being long agoe defended against the Pelagians Epist eius ad Aug. tom 7. The errors of the Semipelagians The 3. opinioÌ„ of foreseene faith See Hilaries said Epistle Prospers also