VVHereas three yeeres ago, dearely beloued, I did write of this matter of Election & Reprobation, which is called Predesti­nation, in a certayn Com­mentarie vpon the Prophet Malachie, by the occasion of this texte:

The which Treatise by the rage of per­secution, partly perished, and parte dyd come of late to my hands: accompting this doctrine so necessarie, that vpon all occasions it ought with reuerence to be vttred to the glory of God, which so won­derfully appeareth in this his riche mer­cie towards vs, whom he chooseth from the filthe of sinne, to serue him in righte­ousnesse, and to the beating down of our corrupt nature, which without this, ey­ther moūteth by pride, vnto presumptiō, [Page] or falleth by infidelitie to desperation. Bi­cause that without some taste of this di­uine prouidence in Predestination, there can be no fayth, but eyther a doubtfull wauering, leading to dispayre, which we haue felte in the Papistrie, whyles we looked to our owne weaknesse and infir­mitie, not able to endure one houre in the way of righteousnesse: or else a vayne presumption of fayned holynesse, whyles we beholde our owne beléefe and good works, or the perfection that we doo ima­gine in our owne selues, as doo the Ana­baptistes. Therefore I thought it good according to my simple Talent, to testi­fie this truthe agayne vnto the worlde, at the Printing of this worthy Table of the great lerned man, Master Beza, which is set foorth in French, Latin, and Italian, and now into Englishe, translated by our brother VV. VVhittingham: wherein is most euidētly set foorth before our eyes the chiefe ground of this doctrine, and the principall poyntes thereof are so déepely opened, that there séemed to wante no­thing that was possible in so few lines to [Page] be vttered, yet for the shortnesse therein all things can not be conteyned, but that some brief lessons for the vnlearned (who hath not their sences fully exercised with suche déepe sentences) may well be adioy­ned, as euery man hereafter shall héere­vnto be moued by the spirit of God wor­king in their hearts (that many bearing witnesse to the truthe of this most pro­fitable doctrine nowe reuealed) the mer­cies of God in choosing his chyldren may more and more, day by day be disclosed: and by the witnesse of diuers consenting togither in one, God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ may be glorified. For héerein chiefly standeth his prayse, honor, and glory, that these his wonderfull mer­cies towarde his Electe may be praysed. Nowe there is no meane more apte, nor doctrine more conuenient to establish the fayth of the Saincts, than to certifie by the Scriptures, that God hathe chosen them before the beginning of the worlde to be holy to him selfe, and so written their names in the booke of lyfe in the heauens, that all their saluation resteth [Page] wholly vpon his hands and holy counsell that can by no meanes be altred or chaū ­ged, so that neyther death, diuell, nor hell, dare nowe accuse them that are by adoption grafted in Christ, who are called of the eternall purpose: bicause it is God that iustifieth, and who dare condemne them? It is Christ that is giuen for them, and howe shall not all things be giuen al­so to them? For them that he knewe be­fore, them he ordeyned before, that they should be like fashioned to the image of his sonne, and whome he appoynted be­fore, those also he called, and whome he called, those also he iustified, and whom he iustified, those also he glorified, that this eternall purpose and counsell of God, bée­ing once reuealed to his Saincts, by the effectuall vocation and calling, whiche is the iustification of fayth wrought in their heartes by the holy spirite, they can no longer doubt neyther of Election, Prede­stination, saluation, or glorification. Nei­ther can any thing more beate downe mans nature, and the pride of his vayne heart, than to behold the maiestie of God, [Page] making them by grace so farre vnlyke one to the other, who were both one, al­togither by nature the children of wrath, of vengeance, & damnation: as the won­derfull example of Iacob and Esau, of whom the Lorde pronounceth that he lo­ueth the one, and hateth the other, before they were borne, and the terrible sentēce agaynst Pharao, whome the Scripture affyrmeth that God raysed vp to shewe vpon him his power, and hardened hys hart, to make his name knowne, & suche like, which euerywhere are set before our eyes to cause man fall downe before God, and to feare his iudgements, doth declare. But our Aduersaries obiect agaynst vs, that this doctrine is an offence to many, and that some abuse it to carnall libertie. I doo answere, that Christe is a stum­bling stone to many, and all the doctrine of the Gospell is likewise slaundered by the euill conuersation of others: yet may we not prohibite the swéete floures from the Bées, bicause Spiders sucke thence their poyson, no more than wée maye stoppe the sunne to shyne, bycause it [Page] hurteth sore eyes. But that it may be the glad tydings of saluation to the assurance of the faith of the one, and a cleare testi­monie of cōdemnation of the other, to the beating downe of the pride of man, thys glorious coūsel of the mightie God, ought vnto all in this cleare reuelation of the Gospel, to be offered, opened, and publi­shed.

Wherefore by the good wyll of God, we entende to speake of this greate matter, none other wayes, neyther in any other sorte, then the open Scriptures shall ap­proue our sayings. Therfore we say with the holy Apostle Sayncte Paule: Blessed be God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, whiche hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessings in heauenly things vn­to Christe, lyke as he hath elected and chosen vs in hym before the foundati­ons of the worlde were layde, that we should be holy and blamelesse before him by loue, who hath predestinate vs, that hée mighte fréely choose vs to bée hys chyldren by Iesus Christe. Ephe. j. And thoughe there come some wicked men [Page] whiche were long before appoynted to this iudgement, whiche doo turne the grace of oure God to lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse, as holy Iude saythe: yet knowe we that we are chosen by Ie­sus Christe, that the glory of his grace, hys fauoure and mercy towardes vs mighte be praysed. For wée are the e­lecte and chosen kynred, and hys people by purchase, that wée shoulde shewe the vertue of hym whyche hathe called vs foorth of darknesse into this maruellous lighte.

This people ordeyned to saluation onely beléeueth. Act. 13. For thys Electe people onely was Chryste sent into this worlde. To them onely is the worde of saluation sente, as Peter sayth: To the Elect by the foreknowledge of God the father. 1. Pet. 1. Then to know what this Election of God is, and what in the Scriptures it dothe signifye. Wée describe and defyne Election to bée the frée choyce of the good wyll of the Al­myghtie GOD appoynting and pre­scrybyng in the Booke of lyfe before [Page] the beginning of the world, whom he will haue to be saued and compted amongest the iust. Whom he will haue holy and without faulte before hym to bée his chil­dren, by adoption to set foorth his glory. This choyse, this choosing, this afore­appoynted purpose and ordinaunce of God, is aboundauntlye set foorthe in the firste chapter to the Ephesians. That this commeth of the frée wyll of God and hys onely grace, freely without our de­seruing (contrary to the vayne opinion of the Papists and Anabaptists) the same chapter and the nexte chapter folow­ing dothe plainely testifie. Epe. 1. 2. And most euidently, the Lord in his maiestie, speaking to his seruant Moyses. Exod. 33. declared all this to stande of his mercy, saying: I will haue mercie vpon whom it liketh me, and I will shew mercie where it shall be my pleasure, for so is the mea­ning of those wordes, I will haue mer­cy vpon whom I will haue mercy. Paul also declaring in this place the woorke of God béetwixte these two children Iacob and Esau. Romaynes. 9. saythe thus of [Page] this frée Election, whē Rebecca was with child with one and the same father Isaac, before the children were borne, when they had neyther done good nor bad, that the purpose of God whiche is by Election mighte stande, it was sayde to her, not for the cause of workes, but by the grace of the caller, the el­der shall serue the younger. As it is written, saythe hée: Iacob I loued, but Esau I hated. Of the booke of life, Moyses speaketh, Exod. 32. And Christ himselfe, Luk. 10. Saying to his Apostles: Ioy you and be glad, for your names are written in the boke of life in the heauens. And in the 69. Psalme it is spoken a­gainst the wicked. Let them not be writ­ten amongst the Iust, and put them foorth of the booke of life. And agaynst the false Prophet. Ezechiel. 13. He shall not be in the counsaile of my people, nor written in the booke of the house of Israell. There be two finall causes also of this eternal purpose of the election, the which Paule rehearseth in the first chapter to the E­phesians, the one toucheth God, the o­ther [Page] perteineth to man. He hath Elec­ted vs béefore the foundations of the worlde (sayth the Apostle) that wée mighte be holy and without blame. And thys answereth the wicked, which would abuse the mercies of God to their lust. A­gaine it followeth, He hath Predestinate vs, that he might choose vs to be hys chyl­dren, that hys name may bée praysed. And this stoppeth the mouthes of al our Aduersaries that say, that thys doctrine is not to the prayse of God: so that they must cease to slaunder this doctrine, vn­lesse they wil hinder the glory of God, and denie the open Scriptures.

Nowe it is to be noted and marked dyligently, that thys woorde Election is taken after two sortes in the Scrip­ture, some tymes as it signifieth absolute­ly the frée choyse, will, and appointment of God, without the respecte of the reue­lation of the woorde and message of sal­uatyon. And thus speaketh the holy Apostle Saincte Paule of Election, saying of the carnal Iacob: They were enimies concernyng the Gospel for your cause, [Page] but concernyng the Election, they are beloued for their parents. For the gyftes of God, and hys callyng are suche, that hée can not repente. Euen as you once were mysbeléeuers from God, but nowe haue attayned mercie, by theyr mysbeléefe, that they should attayne mer­cie also.

Thys Election expresseth absolutely the secret purpose of God, without the re­spect o [...] [...]uelation of the woorde, or any of our workes followyng. Vnder thys first kynde of Election were those hundreth and twenty thousande, whiche God dyd choose and kéepe vnto hymselfe in Niniue amongst the Idolaters, and the seuen thousande which God dyd leaue for hymselfe in Israel, in the thirde booke of kings the. 19. chap. Yea, those that yet are not, are thus elect, chosen, and amongst al nations both Iewes in thys long blind­nes, & banishment from their countrey a­mongst the Turkes in theyr Idolatrous wickednesse, yea amongst the Edo­mites, the Sabees, the Indians, and Ethiopians.

[Page] And in the late blyndnesse of the Po­pishe church, wherein we togither wyth our fathers were altogether Idolatrous, all Hypocrites and counterfaite Christi­ans, thys absolute Election whereby the mercyfull Lorde God did reserue and kéepe hys chosen vnto him in all places, all ages, all countreys, without respect of persons dyd most euidently appeare. Howbeit this secresie of election muste onely bée lefte to the Maiestie of God, where, when, how, and whom he there­by saueth and sheweth his mercy. For, to the blynde iudgemente of man all these people rehearsed, and suche like séemeth reiect, reprobate and caste away as ap­peareth by Ionas condemning the Nini­uites, by Elias cōdemning the Israelites, and a long while, vntil God had by mira­cle from Heauen deliuered hym from that errour, vnto the chiefe Apostle Pe­ter, iudgeing all the Gentiles to bée a polluted people farre from the fauour of God.

The seconde kynde of Election is set forth and knowen euident and open [Page] by the spirit of God, working in the harts of the elect and chosen by fayth and trust in God his promises through Christ, tea­ching vs that we are the children of God chosen to him selfe by Iesus Christe, from the beginning, and therfore preparing vs to an holy and blamelesse lyfe to the laude & prayse of the grace of God. The which Election besides the dayly experi­ence of our consciences may bée approued by the testimonies of these Scriptures compared togither. Esay. 59. Rom. 8. Ephe. 1. Coloss. 3. and a very briefe and perfecte description of thys Election. 2. Thess. 2. in these wordes. We ought to thanke God that he hath chosen you from the beginning by the sanctifying of the spirite and the beléefe of the truth, to the which he hath called you by our Gospell, to attayne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christe. By this gratious election was Iacob dearely beloued in his mothers wombe, and Ieremy knowne vnto God before he was fashioned in his mothers wombe. Ieremie. 1. And to be short, all other the eleect of God are thus chosen, [Page] sanctified and beloued from the beginning from before the foundations of the world, frō euerlasting to euerlasting. For there is no change of tyme with God, séeyng that all thinges are present in his sighte. For vnto him a thousande yeares are but one day, but the course & change of times are in vs, our déedes, our knowledge, in mans chaungeable wisedome.

This Election must of necesitie driue downe the pryde we haue of our owne strength, our owne power, our owne na­ture, our owne frée wil, our owne merits, our owne iustification of our owne wor­kes, and bryng vs to the féelyng of the mighty power of God, whiche worketh all in all things, to the restoring of all things in our Christ, both in Heauen and Earth, by whome we are called into this state, long before appoynted accordyng to his purposed pleasure, by whose power all things are wrought, that we may boldly say with the Apostle, who dare lay any thing to the charge of the Elect of God? It is God that instifieth, who is he that can condemne? Who can seperate vs (which [Page] are thys chosen Iacob) from the loue of God.

Can affliction? Can anguish? Can perse­cution? Can hunger? Can nakednes? Can peryll? Can the sword? For I am perswa­ded, sayth he, that neyther death nor life, nor Angell, nor power, nor thyngs pre­sent, nether things to come, nether height nor depth, neyther any creature can sepa­rate vs from the loue of God in Christ Ie­su our Lord. Lo this is the loue wher with the Lorde loueth his Iacob, wherby we say: O heauenly father, Lord of heauen and earth, it hath pleased thée that thou mighte shew thy greate goodnesse moste liberally & fréely towards vs, before that we were, and therefore before we had done eyther good or euil, without any our me­rites or deseruings onely thorough thy frée mercy to elect and choose, ordayne and appoynte vs Heyres of euerla­sting life, and thereby to make all thinges perteining to our saluation so fyrme and sure, that they can not stagger, wa­uer, nor fayle. Where contrarywise if they dydde hang of our worthinesse, [Page] we should euer be doubtefull, bicause e­uery man is a lyer, and all our righte­ousnesse is like a spotted clothe, and no­thing but counterfeyte hypocrisie, wey­ed in the balance of thy seuere iustice. But the grace of this thy frée Election maketh vs most certaine and sure, séeing no crea­ture is able to take oute of thy hande, O God. Wherefore we doo laude & mag­nifie thy name worlde withoute ende. So be it.

Nowe after thys doctrine of Electi­on, and loue of God towarde Iacob, the hating and Reprobation of Esau must lykewise be declared, & though the aduersaries of thys doctrine do séeme to denye that there is anye suche Repro­bation of the wicked, yet the wordes are so playne in Malachie and Romaines. 9. that nothyng can be more euidente. For what can be more playnely spo­ken for thys purpose, then that God shoulde say before the children were borne, that he hated Esau. What was this hatred, but the Reprobation, Reiec­tion, and condemnation by God hys owne [Page] mouth of thys wicked Esau, like as in the laste verse of the first Psalme, wher it is said, that the Lord knoweth the wayes of the iuste, (that is) he hath them written in hys booke in the Heauens, he loueth them as is sayde of Iacob, hée hath suche care ouer them, that they can not fall, but vnto the glory of God, and their owne commoditie, and by the course of the contraries compared toge­ther in that Psalm: it shoulde be added, the Lorde knoweth not the wicked, like as Christe sayth, it shall bée answered vnto them, I knowe you not: the lat­ter parte of the verse is that the way of the wicked shall perishe, so that it ap­peareth to be all one, not to be elected, accepted, and knowen of God, and to perish, and to be as a Reprobate condem­ned. And Felinus foorthe of Kymhy doth note, that that parte of the laste verse of the. 2. Psalme: God beeing angry, you shall perishe foorth of the way, dothe expounde this of the fyrste Psalme, so [...] that the Election, knowledge, loue, a [...] I fauour of God, & eternall saluation [...]| [Page] not be separate: Like as his anger and ha­tred, reprobation and condemnation con­sequently do follow, in Cain, Esau, Pha­rao, Iudas, the Pharisies, and like obdu­rate persons, so manifestly vttering them selues to bée of that sort whome God al­wayes hated: The children not of Abra­ham, but as Christ answereth vnto them, of their father the diuel, who was a mur­therer frō the beginning, like as his chil­dren haue bene also euer sithe the begin­ning of the world, and therefore muste of necessitie be hated of the moste mercifull Lorde, who is compelled by the order of his workes, to vse these wicked roddes and cruel scourges, for the chastisement of his children, dooing many times the worke straunge from his nature, that he maye do his worke of mercy, peculiar vn­to his nature: And than vtterly breake, hate, reiect, and cast away into euerlasting fire and vtter destruction this rodde and scurge, like a moste mercifull father fa­ [...]oring his children and hating the rodde. th [...]e as he sayth by his Prophet: Wootion [...] Assur the rodde of my fury, and the [Page] staffe of my indignation, and after promy­seth to breake the staffe and cast awaye the rodde. Psalm. 10. Suffering in the meane season yet these instrumentes of his wrathe prepared vnto destruction, with greate pacience, for this ende that he may vtter the riches of his glory to­wards the vessels of glory, which he hath prepared vnto glory.

Thus was Pharao the manifest scurge and rodde of God, to correct, to chastice, & to exercise the Israelites, and to spread the power of God through all the world. Therefore was Moyses sente vnto him with the rodde of God hys mightie mer­cy, to breake in sunder thys rodde of cha­sticement. And the Lorde sayde vn­to Moyses, I haue appoynted thée to bée the God of Pharao, and Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet, thou shalte speake vnto him all that I com­maunde thée. And he shall speake vnto Pharao, to let go the children of Israell foorth of his lande. But I will harden hys hearte, saythe the Lorde, and I wyll, multiplie my signes and won­ders [Page] in Egypte, and he shall not heare you. And I will bring myne armie and people foorth of the lande of Egypte, by most greate iudgementes, and the E­gyptians shal knowe that I am the Lord. Exod. 12.

Agayne the Lorde sayth, Nowe shall I stretche my hande to stryke thée, and thy people with a plague, and thou shalt perishe from the earth, for therefore haue I caused thée to stande (for so is the Hebrue woorde) that I may shewe in thée my strength, and that my name may be renowmed through al the earth. Exod. 9. Then the Lorde sendeth a great hayle, so that feelyng the hande of God the tenth tyme, Pharao was com­pelled to crie: The Lorde is iuste, and I and my people are sinners, as follow­eth in the same chapter. Yet for all this the Lorde hardeneth his heart, that hée pursueth the children of Israell to hys owne destruction. Exod. 14. So that resisting the power of God he perisheth in thys worlde, and in the worlde to come hée is appoynted to the euerla­sting [Page] fyre prepared for the diuell and hys Aungels by the iuste iudgemente of the almightie Lorde: who béeyng refused and so openly resisted, iuste­ly dothe giue ouer the wycked to their owne Reprobate myndes, wyth gredi­nesse to fulfyll theyr fleshely desiers and obstinate purpose to prosecute that which the Deuyll and the woorlde willeth them to doo, and so causeth them to heape vpon their owne heades their owne dam­nation, treasuring and storing vp al their life long, workes deseruing the wrath of God againste the day of hys wrathe and vengeaunce, as the Apostle sayth to the Romaines.

This Reprobation then is the decla­ration of God his seuere iustice and iust iudgement, against the Serpent and hys séede, whome, by the worde of hys eternall wisedome hée hathe accur­sed from the béegynnyng, and appointed too euerlastyng torment. The whiche woorke necessarie for the procéedyng of God hys holie pronydence, Eter­nall and neuer ceassing Regymente [Page] and gouernaunce, bicause it is the worke of the will of the mightie God, whiche is the verie lawe, equitie, and iustice it selfe, frée from all affections, farre from all fault, crime or sinne: It ought to be kno­wen vnto vs all, that all flesh may trem­ble, and consider before whome it stan­deth, euen before that great Lorde and mighty God, who hath power both ouer the body and soule to cast into hell fire. To whom no man may say: what doest thou? Being like the clay in the potters hande, or the staffe or axe in the hande of the smiter. Who offendeth against no law, bicause his godly will is the lawe it selfe, and to knowe his pleasure, is to know the lawe, to follow his will, is to doo the lawe, so that of necessitie this great Lorde is so farre and frée from all sinne, that nothing is good but that which is wrought by hym, nothing can be e­uil that he worketh in his creatures. No, the fall of Lucifer y^e father of y^e reprobate dothe vtter his maiestie, dothe shew his iustice, which olde Sathan and Father diuell, was worthily cast downe into the [Page] bottome of hell, and eternally condemned to euerlasting payne and torment, bi­cause he did so ambitiously and proudly climbe vp aboue his appoynted place i [...] the heauens. And where the malice of this olde Serpent caused Adam the first man to mount aboue his estate▪ to desire to knowe good and euill like a God, the maruellous mercy of God, & inostimable loue towards mankind caused & compel­led this wicked worke of the Serpent to serue his glory, and to turne to our great commoditie and profite, in that he ray­seth of the séede of man another Adam, most innocent and holy, agaynst whom no Diuell, neyther any helly power may preuayle, by whom we are not onely re­conciled vnto God, and doo obteyne par­don for this offence, but we are borne a newe, and as it were agayne created in­to greater glory by farre, than we were at the first: for the first man had onely a promise to liue in the earthly garden so long as he did not eate of the forbidden frute, we haue the promise of the hea­uenly Paradice, and euerlasting plea­sures. [Page] He had earthly meate and frute, we haue the heauenly Manna which fée­deth into life euerlasting. He was created to worke in the Garden workes natu­rall, we are renewed vnto workes super­naturall, aboue nature, heauenly and celestiall. He was ouercome by the Ser­pent, we doo ouer come and triumphe o­uer the Serpent, Sinne, Diuell, Death, and Hell. He had the gifte of reason and vnderstanding, we haue the rich wisdome of God his holy spirite, whereby we dis­cerne our own infirmitie and weaknesse, and his almightie power, mercy, and good­nesse. To be shorte, where he dyd runne from God, hidde him, and sowed Figge leaues to couer his shame, following hys fonde fantasie. We doo boldly beholde the course of Gods working in our naked­nesse, sinne, and infirmitie, and magni­fie, renowne, and prayse oure Lorde God, whiche showeth his grace by oure sinne, whiche vttereth his power by our weaknesse, his wisedome by our foolish­nesse, which setteth soorth his elect vessels, his chosen Abels, by Caynites the vessels [Page] of his wrath. In whiche Cayn the first murtherer, and therefore manifestly of the serpents séede, appeareth euidently the iust iudgement of the Almightie God, accursing and condemning in Satan and Cayn, all sinnes and wickednesse. To vt­ter that he abhoreth sinne, and hateth it, béeing so farre contrarie from his nature, which is iustice it selfe, contrarie from his will, which is equitie, and his law which is iudgement: In Pharao a childe of the same father, reprobate, indurate, and ac­cursed, whome God stirred vp for the de­claration of his great power and mightie arme, as well in the manyfolde myracles wrought for his people, whiche nothing had néeded, neither had bin occasioned, if there had not bin such a tyrāt so indurate and so obstinate, to withstande God & his seruants, as also by the subuersion & drou­ning of him & his people in the red Sea, a signe & token first of the eternall and ine­uitable destruction & damnation, whervn­to the wicked are appoynted, than of the saluation assigned & sealed vp for the elect & chosen: we do lerne héerby also y^e power [Page] of God, whiche the very Sorcerers, the enimies of God were compelled to con­fesse before Pharao. Exod. 8. Wée doo lerne moreouer the iustice of God, which iustice Pharao him selfe was compelled agaynst him selfe, to denounce and af­firme. Exod. 9. And finally we may see expressed moste manifestly the fatherly mercy of the God of Iacob, whiche dyd giue the king and the whole people of E­gypt a pryce for his chosen Iacob. Lo the loue towards Iacob, and the hatred to­wards Esau. What shall we speake of Iudas and other, manifestly reprobate, whiche are compelled by the testimonie of their owne consciences to pronounce them selues wicked, and therfore to feare god his seuere iustice and iust iudgement, and to flye therefrom by the terrour of their euill consciences, which is more sore than a thousand witnesses, agaynst suche as God doth leaue to their owne selues. The which terrible examples, the Elect of God, hauing before their eyes, hathe greate cause to prayse their heauenly father, through his sonne Christe, who [Page] hath sent them his holy spirite of comfort, which will neuer suffer them to be temp­ted aboue that they are able to suffer and to beare.

But where we haue two kind of men that be aduersaries to this doctrine of Re­probation. The one sorte vttering them selues most manifestly Reprobate, obsti­nate, and wilfully wicked, crying and blaspheming: we will followe our lusts, what neede we to care howe we lyue, or▪ what we doo? If we be elected with Iacob, we shall be saued, if we be reiecte and cursed with Cham, we shall be damned. These Lucifers, not submitting them­selues to the gouernance of God, carelesse what becommeth of them, must be bette downe with the consideration of the ma­iestie and mightie power of God, whiche suffereth not one sparrowe to fall vpon the earth without his will & prouidence, neither one heare to fall from the head of his elect and chosen, howe fiercely so euer they shall rage agaynst them.

Wherefore (O you Serpents séede) howe soeuer you shall be offended with [Page] this that I shall speake, knowe this, that as the mightie God hathe made the scat­tered sandes able inoughe to stay the ra­ging Seas: so shall your proude waues of your boyling stomacks and ouer busie heades, be broken and brought full lowe, where and when it shall like the Lorde of all fleshe by these his weake vessels. And lisence must you aske, as did your father the diuel, executing his tyrannie vpon the good mā Iob, as we reade in the first chap­ter of that Hystorie, before you can lay hands eyther of body or goods of his cho­sen, and therein shall you be limitted and appoynted (as there appeareth) how farre you shall be able to extend your violence. For God holdeth your hearts in his hand be you neuer so great tyrants, & can soone cause you to faynt and fayle from your furie, turning your hearts rounde about as him liketh best. And bicause you thus blaspheme God bothe in words & déedes, following your father Lucifer, abusing Gods creatures, and despising his bene­fytes, his tollerance, and his long suffe­rance, whiche might moue you to repen­tance [Page] (as holy Paule warneth) you trea­sure vp for your selues euen wrath and vengeance agaynst the day of vengeance I doo feare nothing at all to offende you with my writing, neither doo you passe a­ny thing at all what is written or spoken, though you vse to sweare, stampe, & stare for a little space in a furious rage, when you heare and féele things contrarie to your poyson. But the scriptures of God, all good writings, all truthe, vnto suche dogs and hogs are vttered to this purpose, that they may be a testimonie of condem­nation of the light of Gods truth reiected and despised. Therfore for the elect of God that they may vnderstande the course of Gods working in al his creatures, & reue­rence his maiestie, and magnisie and re­noume his holy name, is this written. Yet doubtlesse doo I know amongst the chiefe vessels & chosen children of God there be many whiche haue not attayned to this poynt of doctrine of Electiō & Reprobatiō, whom I am very loth to offend, and ther­fore I desire thē for the loue of God to suf­fer me quietly without their grief to vtter [Page] vnto other the comforte of my conscience, which I haus hereby vndoubtedly recey­ued: like as I haue many times harke­ned vnto them in the cōtrarie First pray­ing thus bothe of vs togither vnto our heauenly father, knowledging our owne infirmitie and weaknesse. O father in the heauens, whatsoeuer we are, whatsoe­uer we haue, whatsoeuer we knowe, it is onely by thy free grace, for we were by nature the children of wrath, and we are not borne a newe of fleshe and bloud, ey­ther of the séede of man, or of the wyll of man, fleshe and bloud can not reueale the mysteries of thy heauenly kingdome vnto vs. But by thy blessed will, are we that we are, and by the same knowe we that we knowe: therefore (O father) doo we commit into thy hands onely our salua­tion. If our knowledge be small, yet we doubt nothing but that we are the chil­dren of thy euerlasting kingdome, and therefore by thy mightie power, we shall growe when it shall be thy pleasure, to a more full & riper knowledge of a more perfite age, wherein our fayth shall be [Page] fully able to comprehend & perceyue the bredth, depth, height, & largenesse of thy great mercyes, and gratious promyses. But séeing this power of full knowledge and perfect reuelation, passeth all power naturall, and remayneth onely in thy po­wer, and the light of thy spirite (O Lord). Doo thou what shall please thée, to opē to vs thy seruaunts & children, depending of thy hands, so muche of the lyght of thy countenance, and at such tymes as shall séeme good to thy wisdome and fatherly mercie. In the meane tyme thus restyng wholy vpon thée, neither can we dispaire, neither will we be too muche careful, al­though we can not attayn to y^e knowledge of many of thy works, neither to the vn­derstandyng of many places of the scrip­tures, but we wil confesse vnto thee the weaknesse of our faith, wayting alwayes for further reuelatiō of thy glorious light to be vttered vnto vs, when thou shalt thinke of thy Fatherly beneuolence and goodnesse méete and conuenient, knowing moste surely that thou wilt pitie our chil­dishe infansy, and cause the same to serue [Page] for thy glory and oure great commoditie, séeing that we do erre and are childish, as sonnes before suche a Father whiche can not put off hys Fatherly pitie, but rather as thou haste broughte vs vnto thee, to be the heyres of thy kingdome by the bloode of thy naturall sonne, so we be moste sure that thou wilte lighten vs in the ende, with the full fruition of the brighte lighte of thy contenaunce, that we may see thée and knowe thée as thys thy sonne oure Redéemer know­eth thee, yea, see thee oure Father, face to face, and knowe as we be knowen. Thus reste we onely of thy hande to en­creace oure knowledge at thy good plea­sure, O mighty Lorde and moste mer­cifull father. So be it.

If you can thus submitte your selues, good brethren, too the wisedome of God, working in vs weakelinges what him lyketh. All the stomblyng stockes whi­che myghte offende you, may easelie be remoued. There bée two thynges especially whyche doo séeme too stande agaynste thys doctrine of Election and [Page] Reprobation, or of God hys gouer­naunce and prouidence, for all is one in effect, the one toucheth God, the o­ther man. The fyrste and principall is, leaste that the wicked do make God the aucthor of synne in the Reprobate, the which doubt, we may remone foure ma­ner of wayes.

First, by the authoritie of scriptures. Secondly, by the testimonie of their owne consciēces which be the Reprobate. Thirdly, by the nature of sinne. Fourthly, by the maiestie of God, whiche is bounde to none of his creatures, to make hym this or that vessell. For the firste, Sainct Iames saith: Let no man say when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God, for God, as he can not be tempted with euill, so neither dothe hée tempte anie man. But euerie manne is tempted, drawen awaye, and entysed of his owne luste and concupiscence. Then the luste when it hath conceyued, bryngeth foorth synne. Iames. 1. And euen thus it appeared in the fyrste fall of man­kinde. First, though the Lorde oure [Page] God had warned and commaunded the contrarie, oure olde enimie styrreth the concupiscēce and lust of the woman, with the goodnes, pleasantnesse and beautie of the apple, thē hir lust cōceiuing this, brin­geth foorth sinne, entising also hir hus­bande to the breaking of God hys com­maundementes. Gene. 3. But contra­riwise, sayth Iames in the same place. Ia. 1. least you should erre and conceiue any euill opinion of God, euery good gyfte and euerie persite gyfte is from aboue, discending from the Father of light, with whom is no vareablenesse, nether change into darkensse, that hée shoulde gyue nowe good things, nowe euill, nowe light, nowe darkenesse. No, saithe the Apostle Paule, let God be true, and al men lyars. Can God be vniuste? How shall he then iudge the worlde? Rom. 3. Agayne, God saith by hys prophet Ezechiell: I will not the death of a sinner, but I wil rather that the sinner conuert, repente and liue. And vnto wycked Ierusalem sayth our sauiour Christ: O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, which slayest the Phrophets, and stonest [Page] them that are sente vnto thée: Howe oft would I haue gathered togither thy children, as the Hen gathereth hir chic­kens vnder hir winges, and thou woul­dest not. Lo, thy house therefore is left de­solate. Math. 23. Lo, héere appeareth the goodnesse of the liuing Lord, so diligently calling the wicked to hym by his woord, by his Prophets, by his messengers, and at the length by his owne sonne, that hée cannot in any case be accompted the auc­thor of their euill, nor cause of their fall. But contrariwise, their owne wilfull and wicked stobbernesse is the cause of their euill, and the onely occasion of theire fall, as it is written: Thy perdici­on and destruction is of thine owne selfe, but onely of me is thy saluation. And in­finite scriptures to the same purpose ap­pertayning. That wée may say wyth Daniel: vnto thée O Lorde, belongeth ryghteousnesse, and to vs the shame and coueryng of our faces. Daniel. 9. Se­condly. The testimony of the consciences of the wycked, whiche shall accuse or excuse them at the greate day, which [Page] is alwayes of the force and valure of a thousande witnesses, which is the worme that shal neuer dye, but gnawe the wyc­ked for euer. Esa. 46. This conscience, I say, of theyrs shall condemne the wicked, and what shall God then doo? Or wher­in is his dreadfull maiestie to bée char­ged? Cayne by hys owne conscience, is compelled to confesse: greater is my wic­kednes then can be remitted. Thou cast­sest me from the face of the earth, sayth he, and I must hyde me from thy face. Loo, the iuste iudgmente of God and his worthy condemnation, openly confessed. Who dare then blame God? Cayn dare in no wise do it. Neither yet proud Pha­rao, who condemned in hys owne harte and conscience, accuseth him self and his people, and iustifieth God, deliuering all men from this wicked blasphemy, saying openly: I haue synned nowe, the Lord is iuste, and I and my people are wycked. Exodus. 9. What doth Iudas? Dothe he not cry likewise, I haue synned, betray­ing thys innocent bloude. Mathew. 27. And to vtter in déede that thing he felts [Page] within hys breste, hée is compelled to take aduengance, and execute a iudge­ment moste terrible agaynst hym selfe, vttering to all the world hym selfe moste wicked, and that the iustice of God punishyng such wycked traytours and murtherers, oughte moste worthily to be feared, magnified, and reuerenced, throughout the whole world. Lyke as all the other wycked and desparate per­sons, whiche for anguishe of heart, and terrour of conscience, do murther them selues, doth euidently and continually wytnesse vnto the worldes ende, that there is a iust Lord, the God of iudge­mente, whom they doe feare, and before whose face they dare not appeare to ac­cuse hym of any synne, but rather ta­kyng the crime, blame, shame, and punishmente, vnto them selues, who worthyly by their owne conscience, haue deserued it, dothe thus tormente them selues, and with violente handes ad­uenge the synne they haue [...]ommyt­ted in theyr owne synnefull soules and bodyes. Thus muste God alwayes be [Page] found iust, and ouercome when he is iud­ged, by the testimonie of our own consci­ence, whiche shall accuse or excuse vs at the great day. Roma. 2. Wherefore let no man be so foolyshe to say, that God is the author of euill, vnlesse he will be accomp­ted worse than Cayn, more proude than Pharao, more wicked than Iudas, or any other the Reprobate from the be­ginning.

Thirdly, the nature of sinne being de­fyned by the authoritie of scriptures, to be a thought, worde, or déed, contrary to the wil of God. For such things onely de­fyle the man, as Christ our master sayth, Mathew. 15. and therfore are onely to be accompted sinne. No such thought can be attrybuted or ascrybed vnto God, as can be against his will, therfore no sinne can be hys woorke. Neyther canne he bée the aucthor of euill, whiche there­fore is called God, bycause hée is the aucthor and gyuer of al good, and so farre from euill, that hée turneth all oure euill too some good, oure synne to the [Page] vttering of his grace, our lyes to the de­claration of his truthe. No, this is the perfect worke master whiche worketh all things without faulte or trespasse, all o­ther doo fayle, faulte, and trespasse, and sinne in all their works, that he may be iustified in al his dooings, and al creatures fall downe before his face and presence. Who though he do worke al in al things, yet doth he worke the same to suche godly ende and purpose, knowen onely to hys maiestie, that though we be compelled to say, God is the author of the fact, yet must we answere: but not of the crime. Bi­cause he is the master of the house, and Lorde ouer the familie, and therefore may do any thing without the blame of his seruants.

And like as that whiche is no fault in the master of the house, is a great faulte many times in any of his seruantes, bi­cause it is the breaking of their masters commaundement: Euen so doubtlesse the selfe same worke is sinne in God his ser­uants and creatures, which to God is no sinne, but an ordinary worke appoynted [Page] for some speciall purpose, eyther for the manifestation of his power, as was the hardening of Pharao, or for the decla­ration of his mercy, as was the fall of Dauid, of Peter, of Marie Magdalen, and all other repētant sinners. And wher­fore, I pray you, may not this Lord thus vse his owne seruauntes, without any blame of sinne, séeing that he hath crea­ted and made them all onely to serue hys glorie, hys iustice, and hys mercie. Or howe can he be vniuste, or the au­thor of anye synne, by whome all the worlde muste be iudged and broughte to the balance of iustice and equitie. When the first worlde shall be condemned for their sinne and iniquitie, and we nowe liuing shall be iudged for oure sinnes: specially all those whiche not onely doe euyll themselues, but are authors and faultors to wycked doers. Romanes. 1. Fourthly, The maiestie of God can be subiect to no sinne, bicause it can be vn­der no lawe. And that onely is wor­thely called sinne which is done agaynst a Lawe, therefore no worke that God [Page] dothe oughte to be accompted euill, ey­ther that he is the occasion of any euyll, whiche onely is the minde, sence, spi­rite, and power of the Lawe, wythout whom no lawe of it selfe is good. For eue­rie good lawe is the minde, will, and com­maundement of God, and what so euer lawe is not the mynde, wyll, and com­maundement of God (as was the lawes of the Scribes and Phariseys, and of the cursed Papists) the same be wicked: who of necessitie were set vp the body of An­tichrist, to vtter their vnrighteousnesse, that Christe the sonne of righteousnesse, the head of his body, in his manyfolde mercies, more playnely might appeare, and shine with more glory. Agayne to de­fine sinne to be the affection, motion, or operation of any reasonable creature, a­gaynst the law of God: his maiestie must néedes be secluded and excused, who is the lawe maker, the creator, no creature, ha­uing no euill motion, nor ledde with any affection, which might make his worke euill. Like as the creature is for the most part blame worthy, bicause euen when it [Page] doth the best of all. It is subiect to some affection, eyther selfeloue, or hatred of some other, yea the Lorde God may vse any of his creatures in any worke, with­out the blame of any euill, as well as the Smith may make his coles to flame, or to quenche them, eyther the same péece of yron, sometimes his hammer, sometime his tongs or stithy.

Wherefore though very much might be sayde in this parte, that as the potter may make of one péece of clay what him liketh, the Smith may make of his yron diuers instrumentes, yet following the godly wisdome of S. Paule, I thinke it more méete to beate downe mans subtil­ties, with the contemplation of the Maie­stie of the mightie God, pronouncing boldly that suche as say (if my lyes and sinne set foorth his glory, why am I then iudged as a sinner, let vs doo euill that good may come, and so in their wycked words dare make God the author of euil) hath their worthy damnation alreadie, as Paule sayth. Rom. 3. For of necessitie, whiche their eyes can not sée, suche diuer­sitie [Page] of sinne and grace, of righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse, of the contrarietie and change of things, must be in this wō ­derfull creation of heauen and earth, by the high maiestie of God appoynted and ordeyned. For what néeded the goodly creature of lighte? If there had bin no darknesse, or howe shoulde this benefite haue bin felte or perceyued? what matter or cause of vttering iustice mighte haue bin founde without sinne and vnrighte­ousnesse? howe shoulde grace haue bin shewed, if no wrath had bin deserued? No the mightie God thereby most euidently vttereth his maiestie, in that he sheweth how the heauens fal into darknesse with­out him, the earth into dust, the Angels into diuels, the men into sinne, and so fi­nally without him all things to come to nought, that he might be magnified crea­ting all things, his sonne our sauiour re­nowmed, who hath redéemed vs all, hys holy spirite exalted, who hath renewed all vs that be his elect and chosen. Nowe to what creature is the maiestie of God bounde and founde debter of his spirite. [Page] If he withholde it from any, his dreadfull maiestie may rightly withhold it, for who hath giuen him first, to aske any thing a­gayne of debt or dutie? If his maiestie do giue his spirite, it is of his frée mercy and grace. If the earth fal into dust, if man fal into sinne, that all things may be knowne to be nothing without God: what blame deserueth God, or who dare accuse him? No, let all flesh fall downe before his ma­iestie and confesse: All things doth onely rest vpon thée, O Lorde, thou hast created all things of nothing, so that without thée they all do fall to their originall, to shewe themselues vayne and nothing worthe, weake, wretched, & miserable, wherfore if we haue any good thing, it commeth of thy mercy, if we haue any weaknesse, sinne, or infirmitie, it cōmeth of our owne concu­piscence, lusts, & vanitie, our perditiō is of our selues, our sinne is of our selues, only of thee is our saluatiō, thou made vs clay, potts & vessels to thine vse. Do thou with vs as thou shalt think good in thine eyes, and the shame shall fall vpon our own fa­ces. The seconde cause which concerneth [Page] man (wherby many mistake this doctrine) is that God exhorteth man always in his Scriptures to good, and forbiddeth euill with many terrible threatnings, whiche things seemeth not to be néedful (say they) seeing the Elect shall be saued, & the Re­probate condēned, by decree & sentence gi­uen vpon them before they be borne. To this we do answer, that these exhortatiōs and cōmunications are very necessarie to both twaine, bicause God leadeth vs men alwayes like reasonable creatures, not like insensible stocks or stones. And to the Elect they are most necessarie pricks and spurres, to stirre the dull flesh toward his dutie, as all good men feeleth & can beare witnesse. To the Reprobate they are te­stimonies of the good will of the almighty God to them opened and vttered, but o­penly resisted, refused, and reiected, ac­cording to the saying of oure Sauioure Christ: If I had not come and spoken to them, they had had no sinne, but nowe they haue no pretence or excuse for their sinne. Peraduenture you will answere me: They can not obey vnto it. What [Page] is the cause thereof I pray you? bicause they lacke the spirite of Christe to leade them, you will say: I dare easily graunt you, but will they graunt this? will they (thinke you) submit them selues vnder poore Christe, and the foolishnesse of the crosse, and not rather boast and brag their wisedome, their knowledge, and their vp­right dealing, and righteousnesse. Are not these the men that dare thus boast? We knowe as well as the Preacher can tell vs. Is the spirite of God departed from vs to speake with him? As was sayde to Micha. 2. of the Kings, 22. chapter. Or as the Pharisies did answere vnto Christe: are we blinde? To whome our Sauiour sayth agayne: If you were blinde you had no sinne, but nowe you say you sée, there­fore your sinne remayneth. Iohn. 9. Thus doubtlesse they are so farre from the sub­mission & subiection to poore Christ, that contrariwise they doo willingly and natu­rally followe their father Lucifer, who did lift him selfe arrogantly aboue Christ the sonne of righteousnesse, and euermore fighteth agaynst Christ, though y^e mightie [Page] power and high wisdome of God turneth his euill will and all theyrs to his glory and good purposes. None other wayes than bodily and naturall darknesse, which by the wonderfull wisdome of God, clear­ly setteth foorth the bright sunneshine, and yet laboureth by continuall course to sha­dow the sunne, and to couer the whole earth. Wherfore the Lorde God to dryue away this naturall darknesse from man, exhorteth to iustice and equitie, which is hys nature, and the Image whiche man ought to counterfeit. And alwayes com­maundeth thyngs therevnto agreable. And forbiddeth that he is not, that is to say, iniquitie, and dehorteth therefrom by his Prophets and Preachers, publy­shing his wyll and pleasure, which is the light and lawe most perfect to man his no­ble creature, whom he hath made for his honour and glory, whom he hath appoyn­ted to beare hys Image vppon earth, of iustice, righteousnesse and innocency. But bicause thys Image could by no creature perfectlie bée expressed, vnlesse the same were fully replenished with the self same [Page] Godhead, bicause that all things besides­foorth had some imperfection, bewraying their originall the darknesse, as Iohn cal­leth it, the Tohu and Bohu, as Moyses dothe it name. The vayne vanitie and wilde deformitie, whence they were by creation altered, recouered, and broughte into lighte and life, as appeared in Adam falling from truthe to lyes streight at the beginning: nowe of necessitie the sonne of God (who onely is good of nature) becom­meth man, and taketh this office to beare the Image of God inuisible. Colos. 1. And to be the head of that spirituall perfection whiche was to be wrought in mankinde, by his aforeappoynted purpose, and be­commeth the first begotten of all crea­tures, for by him were all things created both in heauen and earth, visible and in­uisible, maiestie, Lordeship, rule, and po­wer, by whom, and in whom al things are created, and he is before all creatures, and in him all things haue their béeing. And he is the head of the body, he is the beginning and first begotten of the head, that in all things he might haue prehemi­nence. [Page] For it pleased the father that in him should dwell all fulnesse, and by him to re­concile all things to him selfe. And to set at peace by him through the bloud of hys crosse both things in heauen and things in earth: for euen you, sayth Paule, whiche in times past were straungers, bicause your mindes were set in euill works, hath he nowe reconciled in the body of his flesh throughe deathe, to make you holy and blamelesse, and without fault in his sight. Séeing then that this can not be denied to be the course of God his holy working, to driue away this darknesse, and to bring man to his light, to take away sinne, and to bring man to a life blamelesse, the state of innocencie, and his owne likenesse: shal it not be moste uecessarie to haue Prea­chers and teachers, to tel vs this same, and to admonishe vs wherevnto we be called, séeing of our selues and our owne reasons no suche thing can be perceyued? There­fore haue we preachings and exhortations as Paule sayth: for when the worlde tho­rough wisdome knew not God in the wis­dome of God, it pleased God throughe [Page] the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeued. 1. Corin. 1. And as he al­so saythe of hym selfe in another place: We do preach this rychesse in Christe the hope of your glory, warning all men, and teaching all men in all wisdome, to make all men perfect in Christ Iesu.

Thus serueth then exhortations, de­hortations, comminations, and publicati­ons of the lawes and wyll of our Lorde God: that he may be knowen the Lorde and gouernour ouer all the thynges hée hath created, and the onely lawe maker amongst hys creatures, publishyng vnto all that perfect equitie and Iustice which ought in no case to be resisted. Whervn­to if they can not attayne, they must con­fesse and knowledge theyr own infirmitie and weaknesse, and submit them selues vnder the mighty hande of God, and so doyng they shall be receyued as children of the most louing and most mercifull fa­ther, in suche degrees of perfection as he hath appoynted to the beautifying of the body of his sonne our head. So that the Lorde God dothe teache all, and lighten [Page] all men that come into the worlde bothe chosen and Reprobate, with such a know­ledge as doth the good Prince, which vnto all his Subiects proclaymeth his statutes, and publisheth his lawes: but like a good and tender father, he leadeth his children, regenerate and borne a newe, neyther of flesh nor bloud, nor the will of man', and guideth them with his fatherly spirite in the pathes of the same lawes, writing in their hearts what is his good will and pleasure.

In the which course of God his wonder­full worke, the wicked hathe no cause to complayne, for as their father whom they doo followe is named the Prince of thys worlde, so they haue the world at will, and are riche roysters and welthy worldlings, trampling vnder their féete poore Abell, and the despised Christians: neyther will they change their estate with any such, no when they are called from darknesse to be partakers of light, of life, and the heauen­ly daynties, layde vp in poore Christ, they despise that estate, excusing their purcha­ses, their marchaundise, and their earthly [Page] lustes and delightes. Luke. 14. Wherfore in the other worlde they that héere are op­pressed shall haue comforte, and the other torment.

Suche is the order then of God his wor­king, that by the contrarietie of the Cho­sen and Reprobate, of Iacob and Esau, of Pharao and Israell, and the wisedome of God, and the wisedome of the worlde, he wyll set foorth his maiestie, his power, his diuinitie, his Godhead, so muche as may be knowen vnto man (that is to say) in his wisedome, iustice, mercy, and al­mightinesse. For comparing his wyse­dome to any other wisedome, nowe ap­peareth the contrarie, that it is very foo­lishnesse, euen darknesse compared vn­to light, death vnto lyfe, lyes vnto truth, as Paule sayth: When they accompted them selues wise, they were made very fooles, and chaunged the truthe wyth lyes: the glory of the immortall God, to mortall and corruptible creatures. They following their owne righteousnesse could not come to the righteousnesse of God in Iesu Christe.

[Page] Wherefore of necessitie God dyd shut all vnder sinne, that his mercy myghte flow ouer all. And that hys mighty power might appeare, he hath created the hea­uens and earth, wherein we do sée lighte and darknesse, death and life, shame and glory, weaknesse and strength, lyes and truthe, righteousnesse and vnrighteous­nesse, to serue to the setting foorth of hys glory, that man maye be driuen to saye with Paule: O the depthe of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God. How incomprehensible are his wayes? Howe vnsearchable are his iudgemēts? For who hath knowen the minde of the Lorde? or who hath bin his counseller. Or who hath giuen him ought aforehand, that he might be repayed? For by him, and throughe him, and in him, are all things, to him be prayse for euer. Amen.

And as this holy Apostle Paule dothe submitte him selfe to the great depthe of the wisedome of God, and his wonder­full Regimente and Prouidence, and would beate and driue downe all flesh by the consideration of y^e same. So also al our [Page] Fathers from the beginning hath layde this the onely foundation of their faythe: Wherefore Moyses beginneth to stablish the faith of man at the historie of y^e creatiō, & so foorth by the order of God hys present gouernaunce about the things made and created. And Dauid for a confession of his faithe pronounceth of this prouidence. Psa. 95. I do know that thou art a great Lorde and a Lorde aboue all Gods. All thinges whatsouer the Lordes pleasure was, he hath made in the heuēs, the earth, the seas, & the botomlesse waters. Againe, by the worde of God al thinges were set in their places, & by the spirit of his mouth all the powers that be in them. And Paul considering most déepely, and prououn­cing moste playnely thys diuine gouer­naunce of the creatures, and Godly pro­uidence of the creator, in all things for his Elect and chosen, sayth thus. Roma. 8. We knowe that all thinges woorke for the beste vnto them that loue God, who also are called of purpose: for those which he knewe before, he also predestinate, that they shoulde be like fashoned to the shape [Page] of hys Sonne. Moreouer, whome he hath predestinate, those hath he called, & whom he called, them he also hath iustified, whoō he hath iustifyed, those also hath he glo­rifyed.

So that thys appeareth to be no new learning or vaine doctrine of Gods proui­dence and Election. But the only ground of faith and certaynty of concience in all conflictes agaynst the worlde, the fleshe and the deuil, agaynst Sinne, Death, and Hell, as the Apostle vseth it in the latter ende of the same chapter, and all the Fa­thers from the beginning hath felt it. For how coulde Adam by any other worke or creature, eyther by comfort of any other doctrine, stay hys conscience? But in tha [...] the Lorde God promised to prouyde for hym, and to saue him from his enemie (who once had ouercome hym) by the bles­sed séed, which not by mrrites, but by mer­cie and grace, and therefore of his frée pur­pose before appoynted, shoulde be sente vnto hym to breake the head of the Serpent. Why? Should Abraham haue left hys countrey and hys owne fathers [Page] house, if he had not felt this diuine proui­dence, fatherly care, frée choyse, and Elec­tion of him and his seede? By the whiche liuely feeling of God his careful prouidēce, and frée choyse, sending him séede when he was past hope of seede (cōcerning hys dead bodie and al the works of nature) and by the stedfastnes of faith in the temptations about the same seede, to be made a slayne sacrifice, other gréeuous temptations and aduersities from time to time layde vpon hym, this chosen vessell Abraham is cal­led the father of all faythul. As by his hy­storie appereth a fatherly care of our God, for all his people, both for bodies & soules for wife and childe, and all togither. And Isaac his sonne, that chosen séede, in whom all the Nations of the earth were promi­sed to be blessed long before the childe was borne, hath this promise of enheri­taunce gyuen hym by fauour, that the promise might be sure to all the séede as Paule saith. Rom. 14. vnto whom and his saythful seede, this frée promise & fatherly Election and Predestination (or what else you will call it) was againe reuealed and [Page] opened. Genes. 26. in these wordes: th [...] ­row thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And the liuely sence and feeling of this Election and fatherly care of God for hym, did then especially shine in his hart, when the Lord sayd vnto him: Go not into Egipte, tarie here, I will be with thee, and wil blesse thee, and thorow thy séed shal al the natiōs of the earth be bles­sed. Gen. 26. And after that greuous temp­tation vndoubtedly wherein he was com­pelled for feare of the Philistines, to denie his wife and cal hir syster, & after the ma­nifolde contentions with the Philistines, wherin his God dyd preserue him, and at the end in the wōderful miracle of his chil­dren, whose birthright was altered by the vnsearcheable prouidence of God, the manyfest notes and tokens of the free Election and choyse of God dyd appeare. And Iacob chosen and belo­ued in his mothers wombe, felte thys free worke of God his great fauour, who had chosen hym before hee was borne, and taking occasion of the necessitie [Page] of his brother, séeketh the birthright', the which God had vnto him before appoyn­ted and promised, renouncing the course of nature, then doth he leaue and forsake his fathers house, and paciently taketh all troubles offred vnto him. In the which of­tentimes vndoubtedly he féeleth the hea­uy and gréeuous temptations that his fa­thers Abraham and Isaac had before (for no creature more often suffereth trouble than the very Elect of God) for the expe­riment of his fayth, whereby the liuely sence and vndoubted tokens of his fauou­rable election after many battels & victo­ries, might be made certen and sure, tho­rough present comfort alwayes ministred vnto him eyther by secret inspiration or manifest reuelation, witnessing the singu­ler care of his heauenly father ouer hym his dearely beloued and chosen childe, as his wonderfull vision of the ladder and the Angels descending from heauen dothe de­clare, and the other vnsion wherin the An­gell did shewe him the party coloured shéepe for his portion, to multiplie and en­crease his substance: as also when God [Page] biddeth him go into his owne countrey from this deceytfull Laban, and defendeth his Iacob from him: And finally the glo­rious victorie giuen vnto him ouer the An­gell, comforting him agaynst the feare of his brother Esau, dooth bring foorth vnto his heart and conscience the assured signe and token of the fauour of his heauenly father, first electing and choosing, and after euermore gouerning, guyding, and preser­ning by the frée mercy of his diuine Pro­uidence.

Ieremie also chosen in his mothers wombe, as appeareth in the first chapter of his Prophecie, where it is sayd from the mouth of God: before I fashioned thée in thy mothers wombe I did know thée, and or euer thou wast borne I did sanctifie thée and ordeyned thée to be a Prophet vnto this people, then felte the moste liuely signes and tokens of his Election, when his fleshe repined, grudged, and feared to take in hande the execution of this great and daungerous embassage, & the power of God his spirite dothe touche his heart, and openeth his mouthe to the planting [Page] and rooting vp of all people and kingdoms to breake, destroy, and make waste, and raysed hym as a fensed towne, a brasen wall, an yron pyller agaynste the kyngs, priestes, and people of the lande. Nowe though sometymes hys flesh doth grudge for the burthen of hys office, and anguish of hart, as though he had been an abiecte or Reprobate, yet alwayes after the brunt of temptations vttering his weak­nesse, he findeth the mercifull prouidence of his heauenly father, to take a contiun­all care for hym, and not onely comforte and assist hym, but also most euidently to punish his enimies.

And to be short, all the electe of God are thus chosen and called, guyded, and gouer­ned from their mothers wombe, according to the saying of the pryncely Prophete: Thou arte hée that takest me from my mothers wombe, thou wast my hope, yet when I hanged vppon my mothers brestes. I haue bene left vnto thee euer since I was borne, thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe. And then doe they feele most sensibly & liuely thys theyr [Page] Election, when temptations and aduer­sities doth assaile and assault them, in the which conflcts of the flesh, and the spirite, of synne and grace, of lighte and darknes, they are compelled to crye and cal, to sigh and sobbe before theyr heauenly father for the deliueraunce of this mortall and sinful body subdued to vanitie: and though they do most euidently perceyue how they are called from darknesse to lighte, from loue of iniquitie, to the hatred of the same, from obedience somtime giuen to Sathan and to the lustes of the flesh, to the obedi­ence of the spirit, which sighteth agaynst the flesh, and though, I say, they percey­uing this, be not able to quench these ra­ging lustes, yet do they mourne and dayly lament, calling for the grace of their hea­uenly father, which lamentations, sigh­ings and sorowyngs for theyr sinnes, bée the sensible féelings and lyuely sygnes and tokens of Gods infallible and sure Electi­on. Wherefore whosoeuer shal féele these secret sighes and mournings, thereby ha­ting sinne & desiring therfrō to be deliue­red, considering theyr owne weaknes, and [Page] wishing alwaies to be of more perfection, let them with all thankes géeuing vnto God reioyce, knowing that this procedeth not from flesh nor bloud, but frō the spirite of our head Iesus Christ, who maketh in­tercession for his afflicted members (who are hys Saincts) with vnspeakeable gro­nings. Whom though for a time he doo permit to be afflicted, both in spirite and bodie, as sometimes he did Iob, Ionas, Ieremie, and other: yet at the ende hée giueth vnto them most triumphant victo­rie, according to the euerlasting purpose of his diuine prouidence, who is to be fea­red, reuerenced, renowmed and praysed for euer. So be it.

Heretofore haue we answered gene­rally to them that woulde make God the autour of euill, and to them which do say, that thys doctriue taketh away exhortati­ons and threatnings, and the preaching of the worde. Now by the grace of God, we will more briefly answere to some ar­guments whiche they bryng foorth of the scriptures, settyng aparte all such cauyl­lations as mans reason (whiche in Gods [Page] mysteries can neuer be satisfied) by y^e craft of the deuil doth excogitate, & inuent. But fyrst we will speake something of good workes, & the true vnderstanding of those scriptures which commende thē vnto vs, least we should seeme to dissuade mē from the same, or extenuate the meaning of the holy ghost, in such sentences as our aduer­saries do wickedly peruert for y^e mainte­nāce of mans power against this doctrine of grace & frée Electiō, which dare affirme that by works they purchase part of their saluation, the whiche (as we haue said) is fréely gyuen by this Election in Christe Iesu before the foundation of the worlde was layde.

The good works which are so in déed, that is to say, which procéede of the spirite of a­doption, & the feeling of Gods mercies in electing, calling & iustifying, first of al haue this vse, y^e they declare the power of God to be in vs, and the spirite of Christ, which doth conforme vs to his Image: and this is the ende whereunto we are Elected and predestinate to be conformed to the image of hys sonne. Rom. 8. Elected before the [Page] foundation of the worlde to be holy and blamelesse Ephe. [...] created vnto good wor­kes, which God hath prepared for vs too walke therein Epes. 2. These haue the re­ward, as Paule saith, not only of this life, but of the world to come. Therfore sayth our sauiour Christe. Math. 25. Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the worlde. I was hungry, and yée gaue me meate: I was thirsty, and ye gaue me drinke. &c.

Of thys excellent commendation and rewarde of good workes, we do learne the dignitie of the same, not of the worthinesse of thēselues, which are neuer able to stand in Gods iugdementes: for our very righ­teousnesses are, as Esay sayth, as clothes filthily pulluted, but of the dignitie of the grace of the promise of God, who worketh them in vs. For it is God, saith Paul, that worketh in vs both the will and also the worke, euen of his purpose. Phil. 2. Ther­fore all is of grace, not of works, least any should glory. Ephes. 2. For if there were any power in our selues, or dignity in the [Page] works, then had we some thing to glory, but now that all is confessed to be of Gods free mercies, and nothing of our selues, we conclude that God crowneth and rewar­deth his owne works in vs, that who so glorieth should glory in the Lorde. [...]. Cor. [...]. And where some allege this place▪ Mat. 26. so to commende workes that they should be the cause of the Election and the fauour of God, they do not consider the fyrste wordes: Come you blessed of my father, inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world▪ Wherin we may note, that they béeing the blessed and beloued of the father, are called to the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome, not wonne by works, but prepared by the hea­uenly father for hys children before they did any works at all: Like as the wicked haue their place of eternall torment there named for them before prepared and ap­poynted. And in both twayne the workes doth only declare what the trees are wher­out they spring, & testifie what y^e fountaine is whence they flow: according as our Sa­uiour Christ sayth: the trée is knowē by y^t [Page] fruite, & a good man foorth of the good trea­sure of his heart dothe bring foorth good workes, and the euill man euill workes. This dothe Iames byd vs, to shewe our faith of our workes, and saith, that Abra­ham did thus vtter his faith by his works, and Rahab by her works, and were iusti­fied. Where we are compelled with all the Godly learned to expound the worde iustified, declared to bée Iuste, or else we do make Iames contrary to himself, con­trary to Moyses, whose sentence he in the same place alledgeth, contrary to Paule, and the whole course of Scriptures. And thus muste all the generall sentence of workes bee vnderstoode, that by these workes wherein God wyll haue vs to walke, we are knowen to haue his spirit to bée good trées, & so iudged by our fruits: as is the good apple trée by the apples, not that the apples make hym good, but testifie that hee is good, and that it hath within it selfe a kindly power of good iuice and norishment. So we feeling the power of the spirite woorkyng in oure hartes Godly motions, and so bringyng foorth [Page] good fruites of faith and good workes, doo confirme our Election & vocation, as Pe­ter speaketh, to our selues and others.

The seconde vse of workes is, that God in vs by them may be glorified. Whereof our sauiour Christ saith, Mat. 5. Let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heauen. And this is the chéefe vse of good workes, the laude and glorie of God whereunto we were fyrst crea­ted in the earthy Adam, & now are anew restored by the heauenly Adam Christ Ie­su, to walke in good works, and to be holy, blamelesse, & without faulte. And to thys ende that God in them might be glorified, doth scripture cōmend vnto vs good works and setteth foorth the crowne of glory to them that therein are exercised, So runne that ye may obtayne, saith the Apostle, la­bor for the crown incorruptible. 1. Cor. 9.

Now bicause these latter dayes are the tymes wherein our Sauiour Christe dyd say, that faith should fayle, and cha­ritie should waxe coulde, we that haue so cleare reuelation of Gods great mercyes [Page] in Iesus Christe may gyue no occasion to the slouthfull fleshe, eyther in our selues or others: but after the example of the Scriptures we must alwayes exhorte to good workes, and so tame our bodies and bring them into subiection (as Paul saith) least whiles we preach to others, we our selues bée founde Reprobates. 1. Corin. 9. the which sentence is euill alledged of the aduersaries of Election, as though Paule might haue become a reprobate, or as if y^t he had not béen certaine of his saluation, but that it shoulde hang of his well do­ings. For he sayth first in the same sen­tēce, I do so runne, not as at an vncertain thing, and so fight, not as one that beateth the ayre: but as he saith to the Romanes. chap. 8. I am sure that neyther death nor life, neither Angels, nor rule, neither po­wer, neither things present, nether things to come, neither high, neither low, neither any other creature, shall be able to depart vs from the loue of God in Christe Ie­su oure Lorde. Likewise they alledge foorth of the seconde chapter to the Phi­lippians, that Paule willeth vs to worke [Page] oure owne saluation: but they do not con­sider that he streight wayes addeth, that it is God which worketh bothe the wyll and the worke. And in the chapter before, he saith, that it is God which hath begon y^e good worke, and will finish it. So that such Scriptures may neuer bée alledged for workes, agaynst grace, for to set vp our saluation of our selues, which onely com­meth of mercy in the frée Election, wher­by we were chosen in Christe Iesu, and created a newe in him, by his onely spirite to bring foorth good workes. Therefore doo we conclude with Paul. Romanes. 11. that we are saued and iustified fréelie by Grace, not by woorkes, for so grace were no grace, and that all are shutte vp vnder synne, that mercie may be vppon all, vppon whome it pleaseth hym too shewe mercie. And for the considerati­on of these greate mysteries of Election and Reprobation, we crye with Paule: O the depth of the ryches of the wisdome of God. How vnsearcheable are his iudge­ments? & how incōprehensible his wayes? [Page] For who hath giuen him first, and he shall be recompensed? For of hym, and through him, and for hym are al things. To him therefore be glorie, for euer and euer. So be it.