Lorde thou ronuertinge vs shalte quicken vs or els yf the Lorde do not make of the vnwillyng willynge why do the churche accordyng to the commaūdement of the Lorde praye for her persecutours For so also S. Cipziane would haue this that we saye thy wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen to be vnderstande that is Math. 6. as in them which do nowe beleue and are as it were heuen euen so also in them which do not beleue and are therfore yet earth What then do we for them that wyll not beleue but only that God shoulde worke in them also a wil to beleue As touchyng the Iewes the Apostle verely sayeth Rom. 01. The good wyll of my herte praier to God for them is that they myght be saued He prayeth for them that beleue not what els but that they may beleue For otherwyse they do not attaine saluation Yf thē the fayth of them that do praye do preuent goddes grace do therfore the fayth of them that are prayed for that they maye beleue preuent the grace of God For this prayer is made for them that fayth may be geuē vnto them that beleue not that is to saye that haue no fayth Why somebeleue the preachyng of the gospel sōe not Math. 13 Acto 13. Ioh. 6. When the Gospell is then preached some beleue and some beleue not but they that beleue whē the preacher maketh out wardly a soūde do inwardly heare are taught of the father but they that beleue not they hear outwardly but inwardly they neither hear nor learne that is vnto the one sorte it is geuen that they may beleue but vnto the other it is not geuen because no man sayeth Christ commeth vnto me excepte the father which sent me drawe hym the whiche after is more euydetly spoken For a lytle after when he had spoken of the eatyng of his fleshe and drinckyng of his blodde and certaine also of his disciples had said thys is an harde sayeng who can heare hym Iesus knowyng wyth himself that his disciples dyd murmure for this he sayd vnto them do this offende vnto you and a lytle after Ioh. 6. The wordes sayth he that I haue spoken vnto you are spirite and life but ther be certeine of you that beleue not And by and hy theuangelist sayd Iesus knewe from the begynnyng who should beleue and who shoulde betraye him and sayd Therfore I sayd vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it were geueu hym of my father Therfore to be drawen of the father to Christ and so to hear and learne of the father that we maye come to Christ is nothyng els but to receyue a gyft of the father What is to be drawen of the father Iob. 6. wherby we maye beleue in Christ For he that sayd no man commeth vnto me except it were geuen hym of my father dyd not preferre them that heare the Gospel from them that heareth it not but dyd preferre the beleuers from them that bebeleue not The .ix. Chapter FAyth therfore is the gyfte of God aswell when it is begonne as whē it is perfecte And that this gyft is geuē to some and to other some is not geuen no man may in any wyse doubt which wil not striue against the moste manifest holy scriptures Striuers against the moste manyfest scriptures But why this faythe is not geuen to all ought not to trouble any faythful man which beleueth that al thorough one man at brought vnder condēpnacion and that moste iustly without al doubt so that God should not be reprehēded iustly altho he delyuered none from the same By the whych it is manyf est that great is the grace that many are delyuered and in them that are not delyuered they do acknowlege what should haue ben dewe to themselues Iere. 9. Our owne merites are dānable that they which glorye should not glorye in their owne merites whiche they perceyue to be lyke vnto the merites of them that are damned but should glory in the Lorde But why he dothe rather delyuer one thē another his iudgementes are vnsercheable his wayes past findinge out Rom. 11. For in this point also it were better for vs eyther to heare of other or to saye our selues O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God Rom. 9. then to take vpon vs as thoo we knewe the matter to discusse that which he would haue secrete which neuerthelesse coulde not wil any thynge that is vnryghtfull But as touchyng that which ye cal to remembraunce that I sayd in a certaine worke of myne againste Porphirius hauyng this tytle of the tyme of the Christian fayth I dyd so speake that I omitted thys more diligent and exacte disputacion of grace not without significatiō that I would not in that place declare it ani further which might be done eyther at some other tyme or els by some other bodye For amonge other wordes I sayd thus answeryng to the question purposed why Christe dyd come after so many ages Therfore sayd I seyng they dyd not obiecte againste Christ that al folowed not his doctrine for they themselues do also perceyue that that can not be iustlye obiected either agaynst the wysedome of the philosophers or against the worshipping of their goddes what other thyng wyl they answere but that the depenes of goddes wysedome and knowledge are vnsercheable where as paraduenture some other councel of God lyeth very priuely hyd and yet to answere thus is wythout any preiudice peraduenture of other causes also that maye be searched out by wysemen But let vs in discussyng of thys question because of shortnes make them only this answer that Christ would then appeare vnto men and haue his doctrine to be preached amonge them Why Christ came no soner when he knewe and where he knewe wer suche as would beleue in him For at those tymes and in those places where hys Gospell is not yet preached he knew aforehāde that they would al be so affected in the preachyng therof as althoo not all yet verye many were in his corporall presence whych would not beleue in him Ioh. 11. and. 12. no not when he had raysed the deade agayne to lyfe As we also perceyue at this daye that many wyll not yet beleue notwithstandyng that the prophecies of the prophetes of hym are fulfylled so manyfestly Resisters of truth but they had rather thorowe mans subtiltye resyste then to geue place to so cleare to so manyfest and to so great authoritie of God so excellentlye publyshed and spred abrode As longe as mās vnderstandynge is base and weke it can not assent to goddes truthe Bere is an answere vnto them that aste why the gospel before our dayes was so longe hydde What wonder is it then seynge Christ knewe the world in the former ages to be so full of infideles that he would neither appeare nor preache vnto them whom he knew aforehande would
lyght of the catholyke fayth thys doctour dothe manyfestly testefye that the daungers and tentaciōs of sinning are to be feared vntyl the puttyng of of thys body after the whych no man shal suffer any suche thynges But and yf he dyd not thys wytnesse whē would any christiā doubt of thys matter How then to a man that is fallen and in the same falle myserably endynge thys lyfe and goynge vnto paynes dewe to suche how I say should it not haue ben exceding profytable for hym yf he had ben takē out of the place of tentaciō by death before he had fallen And thus yf we set asyde rashe contencion thys question touchyng hym that was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng is fully aunswered Neither ought therfore the boke of wysedome to haue suffered thys iniury whyche haue so many yeres ben redde in the churche of Christe wherin this sentence is also redde because it is agaynst them whych are deceyued in thextollyng of mans merites Who be the ennemys of grace ennemyes agaynst the moste manyfest grace of God whych do appeare chiefly in yonge infantes amonge whome for as muche as some departe thys lyfe beyng baptised and other without baptisme is euidently declared mercy iudgement but mercy that is frely gouen and iudgement that is dewe For yf men should not be iudged accordynge to the workes of theyr lyfe whych they had before deathe but accordynge to suche as they should haue had yf they had lyued longer he had receiued no benefyt whych was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng it should nothynge haue profyted them whych dye in theyr synne yf they had dyed before whiche no christian shall dare afferme The catholike faith is contrary to the pelagians errors Wherfore oure brethren whyche wyth vs in the defence of the catholyke fayth do impugne the pernicious error of the Pelagians ought not so muche to fauour this opinion of the Pelagians wherby they thynke the grace of God to be geuen accordyng to our merites insomuche that they go aboute to destroye thys true auncient and christian sentence he was takē away that malice should not chaunge his vnderstandynge because they can not abyde the hearyng of it and to afferme that opinion whyche we thought no man would haue beleued no nor yet haue dreamed that is that euery dead mā should be iuged accordyng to suche workes as he should haue done if he had liued longer in the bodye Thus it appeareth that that whyche we afferme that the grace of God is not geuen accordyng to our merites is inuincible insomuche that wytty men ropugning against thys veritie wer compelled to afferme that the Pelagians errors ought to be banyshed from the eares and thoughtes of all men The .xv. Chapter Christ ys a cleare light af predestination THe saueour himselfe the mediatour betwene god and men the mā Christ Iesus is also a moste cleare lyght of predestinacion grace and that he myght so be by what merites of his goyng before eyther of workes or of fayth dyd the nature of man that was in hym purchase thys Let it be declared I praye you whereby that man deserued to be assumpte of the worde coeternal to the father in the vnitie of persone the he might be the only begottē sonne of God Dyd there any maner of goodnes of hys go before What dyd he aforhande what beleued he what axed he that he myght attayne to this vnspeakable dignitie begā not the selfe mā whych was made and assumpte of the worde to be the only sonne of God euen from the tyme that he began to be man Dyd not that woman full of grace conceiue the only sonne of God Was not the only sonne of God borne of the holy goost and the virgine Mary not by the luste of the fleshe but by the singular gyft of God was it to be feared lest that man should syn thorough fre choise whē he should come to the yeres of discrecion Or had he not therfore frewyll that somuche the more that he could not serue synne For all these most wōderful gyftes and other yf ther be any more that maye be counted moste iustely and peculiarly hys mans nature that is our nature receyued in hym after a syngular maner wythout any merytes of hys goynge before Let man here dispute with God yf he dare say why haue not I also the lyke and yf he shal thus be answered O mā what arte thou that disputest with God and wyll not so be satisfyed but wyl augment his impudency and saye why do I heare O man what art thou Rom. 9. Seyng I am that I heare that is to saye a man and so is he also of whome I speake but why am not I also that that he is For thorough grace cam he to this excelient dignitie why is grace dyuerse where as nature is one Surely ther is no acceptiō of persons wyth God Acto 10. What I say not a christian but what madde man would speake these wordes In our heade then maye appeare vnto vs the selfe fountaine of grace from whence it doth spreade it selfe into all hys membres accordynge to the measure of euery one Ephe. 4. By the same grace is euery mā from the begynnyng of hys fayth made a christiā by the whych that man from hys begynning was made Christ of the same spirite is man also borne agayne wherof thys man was fyrst borne thorowe the same spirite there is wrought in vs remissiō of synnes by the whyche it was wrought in hym that he should haue no sinne God knewe aforehande that he would do these thynges wythout al doubt The selfe same is therfore the predestinacion of sayntes whiche dyd moste euidently appeare in the moste holy whych who can denye that do ryghtlye vnderstande the wordes of truthe For we haue learned that the Lord of glory him selfe inasmuche as mā was made the sonne of God was predestinate The doctor of the Centyls do crye in the begynnyng of hys Epistles Rom. 1. Paule the seruaunt of Iesu Christ called an Apostle put a part for the Gospel of Godwhych he promysed by his prophetes in his holy Scriptures of his sonne which was made vnto hym of the sede of Dauid after the fleshe whych was predestinate the sonne of God in power by the spirite of sanctification of the resurrection of the dead Iesus was therfore predestinate that he whych after the fleshe should be the sonne of Dauid myght be neuertheles in power the sonne of God by the spirite of sanctification because he was borne of the holy goost and of the virgine Mary The selfe same is that syngular takynge of mās nature vnspekeably wrought of God the worde that the sonne of God and the sōne of mā together and the sonne of mā for mās sake that is taken and the sonne of god for the only begottē sake that dothe take should truly and properly be called
therfore in his forknowledge chosen any mans workes which he should gyue hym but he hath in hys for knowlege chosen fayth so that he hath chosen hym whom he knewe aforhāde would beleue in hym to whō he myght geue the holy Goost that by workynge of good workes he myght also attaine to eternal lyfe I had not yet diligētly sought The cause why s Aug. continued solonge in this error Rom. 11. nor yet foūde out what maner a thing the election of grace was wherof the same Apostle sayeth The remnaunt are saued by the election of grace whych verely is no grace yf any merites at al go before it leste that whych is now geuen shoulde not be geuen accordyng to grace but rather as dewtye recompensed to merites Wherfore thys that I sayd immediatly For the same Apostle sayeth it is the selfe same God that worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. but in no place it is sayde that God beleueth all in all and then after I added For in that we beleue it is our owne but in that we worke wel it is his that geueth the holy goost to them that beleue suerly I would not haue sayd thus yf I had then knowē that the self fayth had ben also founde amonge goddes gyftes whych are gyuen of the same spirite Both then are oures for the choise of wyl yet that notwythstandyng both are geuen thorowe the spirite of fayth and charitie For not charitie only but as it is wrytten Charitie with fayth frō God the Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ And where as a lytle after I sayd thus Ephe. 6. for to beleue and wyll is oures but to gyue to them that beleue and wyl power to worke well thorowe the holy goost by whome the loue of God is spred abrode in our hartes is his This is true but by the same rule both these are also his forbecause he doth prepare the wyl both are oures because they are not done excepte we be wyllyng And by this whiche I sayd also after For neither can we wyll except we be called and whē after callyng we shall wyl our wil and runnyng are not sufficient except God geueth strength to vs rūnyng and brynge vs thether whether he do cal vs And then after I concluded thus It is therfore manifest that it lyeth neither in the rūner nor in the wyller that we worke well but in God that hath mercye thys is a moste true sayeng Rom. 9. There is one peculier callīg that belōgeth only to gods chosen wherof is men on made Ro. 8. this is accordyng to the purpose of God But I dyd speake but lytle of that callyng whyche is wrought accordyng to the purpose of God For thys maner of callynge belongeth not to al that are called but onlye to the electe Therfore this that I sayd a lytle after For lykewyse as in them whome God hath chosen not workes but fayth begynneth the merite that they maye worke thorowe the gyft of God Euen so in them whome he condemne infidelitie and vngodlynes begynneth the merite of paine that by the self paine they may also worke wyckedly this I said moste truely but yet I sayd not that the merite of fayth was also the selfe gyft of God neither dyd I thynke it a thynge worthy to be enquyred for And in an other place For vpon whom sayd I he hath mercy he maketh hym to worke wel and whome he dothe harden he leaueth hym to worke euel But bothe that mercy is geuē to the merite of fayth goynge before and also thys harding to the precedynge wyckednes The whyche verely is true but yet we ought to haue serched further whether that also the merite of fayth do preuent gods mercy that is whether thys mercy is therfore only wrought in man because he was faythfull or whether it was also wrought that he myght be made faythfull 1. Timo. 1. For we reade as thapostle sayeth I haue opteined mercy that I myghte be made faythful he sayeth not because he was faythful It is then geuen vnto the faythful but it was also geuen that he myght be made faythfull Wherfore in an other place of the same boke I sayd most truly For yf not of workes but thorowe goddes mercy we be both called that we mai beleue and also when we beleue it is geuē vs that we maye worke well the Gentyls are not to be enuyed for this mercy neuerthelesse I dyd not there so diligently entreate of that callynge which is accordyng to goddes purpose as I ought to haue done The fourth Chapter YOu se verely what was then my iudgement of fayth workes althoo I traueled in the cōmendacion of god his grace in the which iugement I perceaue that these oure brethren are at thys present because they haue not so muche endeuoured thēselues to profyt and to go forwardes wyth me in readyng my bokes as they they haue in the onlye readyng of them The common fault of al papistes in redyng the doctores whyche gnawe only vpō their errors and depraue al that they haue writtē well as they do the scriptures For yf they had thus endeuored them selues they should haue founde this matter dissolued accordyng to the truth of the holy scriptures in the first boke of the two which I wrote in the begynninge of my Byshopryke vnto Simplitianus of blessed remembraunce by shop af the Churche of Millane successour vnto S. Ambrose except peraduenture they neuer sawe them Which yf it be so I pray you cause that they mai haue the sight of thē I dyd fyrste speake of the fyrst of these two bokes in the second boke of my retractacions where as my wordes by these Amōge the bokes sayd I which I made beyng Byshoppe I wrote the first two vnto Simplicianus byshop of the churche of Millane the successour of the moste blessed Ambrose of diuers questions wherof I bestowed two in my first boke that touche matters that are entreated to the Romanes The first of these questiōs is of that which is wrytten what shal we thē say is the lawe synne God forbyd Rom. 7. vnto that place where he sayeth who shal delyuer me frō this body of death The grace of God thorow Iesu Christ our Lord. These wordes of the Apostle the lawe is spiritual but I am carnal and the reste which declare the battayle betwene the spirite and the fleshe I dyd so expounde as thoo thapostle had described a man beyng yet vnder the lawe and not vnder grace For longe after I came to the knowlege that those wordes and that more truely myght be also vnderstand of the spiritual mā The latter question in this boke reacheth from that place where he sayeth neither was it so wyth her only Rom. 9. but also when Rebecca was with chylde by one I meane by our Father Isaac vntyl these wordes where he sayeth except the Lorde of hoostes hadde left vs seede we should haue ben made
ascribed al vnto God lest paraduenture any mā myght glory or be extolled Wherfore the only maister and Lorde when he had said the wordes which I afore rehersed thys is the worke of God to beleue in hym whome he sente in the same his sermon he sayeth a lytle after I haue sayd vnto you that you haue sene me and not beleued al that the father geueth me shall come vnto me The .viii. Chapter VVhat meaneth thys that he sayeth he shall come vnto me but only that he shall beleue in me but that thys may be brought to passe it is the gyfte of the father In lykemaner a lytle after he sayeth murmure not amonge youre selues no man can come to me except the father which sent me drawe hym I shal rayse hym vp in the last daye It is written in the prophetes and they shal be all taught of God Euery one that hath herde of the father learned cōmeth vnto me What me aneth this euery one that hath herd of the father and learned commeth vnto me but only the ther is none which do heare learne of the father but that he cōmeth vnto me For yf euery one that haue herde of the father and learned cōmeth out of doubt euery one then which cōmeth not haue not herde of the father nor learned for yf he hadde herde and learned he should haue come For ther is not one that haue herde and learned that cōmeth not but euery one as the truthe sayeth which haue herde of the father and learned The subril worldly wyse dome wil not be a scolar in this scole cōmeth This scole wherin the father is herde and do teache to come to the sonne is farre aboue the vnderstandyng of the fleshe In this scole is the sonne hymselfe for he is the very worde of hym by whom the father do thus teache neither dothe he worke this in the ear of the fleshe but in the ear of the herte Ther is also together the spirite of the father the sonne for he dothe also teache together with the father and the sonne For we haue learned that the workes of the Trinitie are inseperable And thys is verely the holye Goost of whome thapostle speaketh but we hauyng sayeth he the same spirit of fayth 2. Corin. 4. But therfore chieflye is this attribute vnto the father because that the only begotten is begotten of hym and of him doth procede the holye Ghoste of whome to dispute more exquisytly woulde be very lōgerand further I do suppose that our labour of the Trinite which is God that is cōprehended in xv bokes is come into your hādes This scole I saye wherin god is herde and doth teache is farre aboue the reache of the wysedome of the fleshe We perceyue that many come to the sonne because we perceyue that many beleue in Christ but where howe they haue herde this of the father and learned The grace of thelccre is secret wherof hard hertes at not partalers ▪ we perceyue not For thys grace is verye secrete but that it is grace who douteth This grace therfore that is thorowe Goddes gyfte powred priuely into mens hertes is not receyued of any harde herte For to that ende is it geuen that the hardnes of herte myght fyrst be taken awaye Therfore when the father is herd within and teacheth to cōe to the sonne he taketh away the stony herte Ezech. 11. and. 36. and geueth a fleshy herte accordynge as he promysed by the preachyng of the Prophet For after thys maner dothe he make the sonnes of promyse and the vessels of mercy whych he hath prepared vnto glory Wherfore the doth not he teache al that they maye come to Christ Al are not taught to cōe to Christ but because that of mercye he teacheth all whom he teacheth but whome he teacheth not of iudgemēt he teacheth not For he hath mercy vpon whome he wyl whō he wyll he doth harden but he hath merci geuing that is good he doth harden recompensyng that is deserued Or els paradueture accordyng as some men thynke the distinction to be made these may also be the wordes of hym vnto who thapostle sayeth Rom. 9. Thou sayst then vnto me So that we maye vnderstande that the aduersary had said therfore he hath mercy on whome he wyl and whome he wyl he doth harden and so forth that is why dothe he yet blame vs For who tan resyst his wyl Dyd thapostell answere this aduersarye thus O man it is false that thou hast said no forsoth But he answered O man what arte thou that disputest with God shall the worke saye to the workeman why haste thou made me on this fashion hath not the potter power ouer the claye to make euen of the same lompe and so forth as ye knowe very wel And yet notwithstādyng after a certein maner the father do teache all to rōe to his sonne For it is not written in vayne in the prophetes and they shall al be taught of God the which testimony as sone as Christ had first recyted he added by and by euery one that haue herd of the father and learned commeth vnto me As we therfore speake trulye when we speake of any one scolemaister which is only in the cytie this scolemaister teacheth all in this cytie not because al do learne but because none that learne there any letters lerne of any other but onlye of him euen so we say truly God do teache al to come to Christ not bycause al do come but because no man do come any other waye But why he doth not teache al the Apostle hathe opened so muche as he thought mete to be opened because sayeth he God willynge to shewe his wrath and to make hys power knowen Rom. 9. suffred with longe pacience the vessels of wrath ordeyned to damnacion that he myght declare the ryches of his glorye on the vessels of mercy whiche he had prepared vnto glory Hereof it commeth that the worde of the crosse is folyshnes to them that peryshe 1. Corin. 1. but to them that are saued it is the power of God All these do God teach to come to Christ Whyche al are those that god wyll haue saued 1. 11. 2 al these wyl God haue saued and come to the knowlege of the truthe For and yf he would teache them to come vnto Christ which esteme the worde of the Crosse as folyshnes without al doubt they also should come For he neither deceyueth nor is deceyued that fayth euery one that hath herde of the father and learned Ioh. 6. cōmeth vnto me God forbid therfore that any mā should not come whiche hath herde and learned of the father Wherfore saye they dothe not he teache al yf we shal saye be cause they whome he teache not wyll not learne we shal be answered what meaneth that then Psal 84. The lord maketh of vnwillīg willyng Math. 5. that is sayd vnto hym
to performe therfore they are his owne works and none others Do you thynke paraduēture that God promysed the good workes of the gentyls to Abraham in hys sede that he myght promyse that which he hymselfe do performe but that he promysed not the fayth of the gētyls which mē worke themselues but that he myghte promyse that whych he performeth he knewe aforehande fayth that men shoulde worke it Truly thapostle speaketh not after this maner For God promysed sonnes to Abraham whiche should folow the fotesteppes of his fayth Thys thynge he speaketh moste euidently But yf he promysed the workes of the gentyls and not their fayth Forasmuche as ther are no good workes but suche as spryng of fayth For the iuste lyueth by faythe Abac. 2. Rom. 14. Gebr. 11. and all that is not of fayth is synne wythout fayth it is impossible to please God it muste neuerthelesse folowe that it lyeth in mans power that Goddes promyses be performed For except man do worke that wythout goddes helpe which belongeth to mā God shall not performe his gyfte that is to saye excepte man haue fayth of hymselfe God shal not performe that whiche he hath promysed that is that the workes of righ teousnes myght be geuen of God And vpon thys it shoulde folowe that it saye in the power of man not in the power of God that God myght be able to performe his promises But yf both truth and godlynes forbyd vs thus to beleue Then are our aduersaries voide both of truthe godlynes let vs then beleue with Abraham that he is able to performe the thynges that he hath promysed But he hath promysed sonnes vnto Abraham whych they can not be excepte they haue fayth he do therfore gyue euen fayth also The .xi. Chapter SEynge then as the Apostle sayeth the inheritaunce is geuen by fayth Rom. 4. the it myght come of fauoure or grace the promyse might be sure A wōder I wonder that men had rather cōmyt them selues to their owne wekenes then to the certeinte of goddes promise But thou sayest I am vncerteine of goddes wyl towarde me What then arte thou certeine of thyne owne wyll towardes thy selfe and arte not afrayde He that semeth to stande 1. Cor. 10. let hym take hede that he fall not Seyng thē as both be vncertein why doth not a man commytte his fayth hope and charitie rather to the stronger then to the weaker But when it is sayde say they yf thou beleue thou shalt be saued Rom. 10. one of these is requyred to be done the other is offered to be geuen that whiche is requyred is in mans power but that whiche is offered is in the power of God But I praye you why be they not bothe in goddes power aswell that that he commaundeth as that whiche is offerd For we praye vnto God that he wyll gyue that he cōmaundeth They that beleue praye for thēselues that their fayth maye be encreased They praye for them that beleue not that fayth maye be geuen them So that fayth bothe in her increasynges also in her begynnynges maye be the gyft of God But thys sayeng yf thou beleue thou shalt be saued is lyke vnto thys yf thorough the spirite ye shal mortifye the dedes of the flesh Rom. 8. ye shall lyue For here also of these two one is requyred thother is offered Yf thorowe the spirite sayeth he ye shal mortifye the dedes of the fleshe ye shall lyue That we maye then thoroughe the spirite mortefy the dedes of the fleshe is requyred but that we maye lyue is offerd Thynke you then that it were conuenient that we should saye that the mortificacion of the fleshe were not the gyft of God and that we should not therfore cōfesse it to be goddes gyft because we heare that it is requyred of vs the promyse of lyfe beyng offered yf we shall do accordingly God forbyd that they that are partakers and defenders of grace should thus thynke A damnable error Thys is the damnable error of the Pelagiās whose mouthes thapostle immediatly stopped sayeng For as many as are ledde by the spirite of God these are the sonnes of God that we shoulde not beleue that we could mortifye the dedes of the fleshe by our owne spirite hut by the spirite of God Of the which spirite of God he dyd also speake in that place 1. Cor. 12. where he sayd All these worketh one and the selfe same spirite deuidyng to euery man seueral gyftes euen as he wyll Amonge whyche al he named also faith as ye know Therfore lykewyse as altho the mortifyeng of the dedes of the fleshe be the gyft of God yet is it requyred of vs the reward of lyfe beyng set before vs euen so faythe also is the gyft of God notwithstandyng that it selfe be also requyred of vs by thys sayeng yf thou beleue thou shalte be safe the rewarde of saluacion beyng set before vs For therfore are these thynges bothe commaunded vnto vs and are also declared to be the gyftes of God that it might be perceiued both that we do them and also that God dothe make vs to do them as he sayeth moste playnly by his prophet Ezechiel For what is more playne thē this when he sayeth Ezec. 36. God maketh vs to do his commaūdementes I shall make them to do them Marke wel most dere brethren thys place of the holye scripture and you shal perceiue that God doth promise that he him selfe wyll so worke both faythe and workes that they maye do the thinges that he cōmaundeth to be don In the same place he maketh mencion also of their merites but it is of their euell merites wherin he doth declare that he do rēder good gyftes for euel merites in that he maketh thē here after to bryng forthe good workes whē that he causeth them to do goddes cōmaūdemētes The .xii. Chapter BVt all thys disputacion wherby we defende the grace of God thorow Iesu Christ our Lorde to be vereli grace that is to say not geuen after our merites altho it be defended moste manifestly by the testimonies of Goddes worde yet therbe some that thynke themselues to be discoraged from al godly lyuyng except they may ascribe somewhat to themselues whyche they may first gyue vnto God that they maye be recompensed Thys may be somtyme doubtful among them that are of age and discrecion that haue now the vse of the choise of wyll but when we once come to yonge infauntes and to the mediator of God and men the mā Christ Iesu 1. timo 2. all defence of mans merites goyng before the grace of God do faile For neither are any of them preferred before other by any merites of man goyng before that they should belong to the saueor of mē neither was he for asmoche as he hymselfe is also man made the saueour of men by any merites of man goyng before For who can abyde to heare