GOd hathe no be­gynnynge nor ne­uer shall haue en­dynge,Gene. 7. he maye do what he wyll and none but he. The bryghtest aungell that euer was, was euer in Goddes syght before he was: The foulest deuyll that euer was, was euer in Goddes syght before he was.

To conclude all thynges good and bad were euer presently in the syghte of God or euer they were: For God dyd see thend or he dyd begyn any thynge. Also he dyd know by his presciēce who shulde goo the brode way that leadeth to perdicion. And who shoulde goo the strayte waye that leadeth to e­ternall lyfe.Math. 7. The Blessed and e­lecte [Page] people of God,Ephe. 1. be and euer were in the syghte of God, before the world was layd and predesti­nate thoroughe Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto him selfe. Also the reprobates suche as shoulde be despisers of goddes liuely worde, were in his sight or euer they were borne, and or euer the worlde was layde, which are called the vessels of wrath ordeined to dampnatiō.Roma. 9. The elect doeth humble him selfe lyke vnto the puplicane referring all thynges to the mercy of God. Sayinge these wordes. I poore sinner do beleue iustly that Christ dyed for me and for as many as with aliuely fayth do confesse him to be the sonne of God, and none that beleue in him perish but haue eternall lyfe. Is it possyble that [Page] the reprobate maye haue thys ly­uely fayth? No, but only ashew thereof as Esau flattered wyth Iacob to hys face, but sekynge meanes to destroy him ī his hart.Gene. 27. Lykewyse Iudas kyssed Christe with his mouthe,Abdy. 1. yet he bare hym a false harte. For such is the ma­ner of traytors and reprobates.

The Pharyseys in lyke manner asked Christe yf they were blynd, speakynge to him yroniusly moc­kyngly. But Christe sayde vnto them yf ye were blynde ye shoulde haue no synne. That is ye see the workes of God wrought by me, yet ye beleue me not and wyll not see, the cause is why,Ihon. 1 [...] ye do not be­leue, you be none of my shepe. So the reprobates maye see carnally, and not liuely, because they be the [Page] chyldren of perdiciō and destitute of Goddes grace,2. Cor. 2. for Goddes worde hindreth and hurteth them for it is vnto theim an odoure of deathe. But the electe are sure to haue thys lyuely faythe, for they hope to be saued by the passion of Christe only and bryngeth fourth the fruytes of faythe as they haue bynne taught by Christe and hys worde. For Goddes worde vnto them is a odoure of lyfe.2. Cor. 2. For vn­to them was Christ sente in to the worlde to be their Sauiour. For the passion of Christe can not saue a reprobate, that is he that refus­teth the trueth and alwayes doeth stryue agaynste the holy Ghoste, whose dampnacion is iust & true. For suche are dāpnable creatures knowne of God before the worlde [Page] was layde and are called the ves­sels of wrathe to declare Goddes glory on the vessels of mercy. For these dampnable creatures that do perseuer & cōtinually do stryue agaynst the trueth turne Goddest trueth in to a lye whych is blessed for euer. Amen.Roma. 1.

The electe also was predesti­nate of God to be saued, but yet was not Christe promised to be their Sauioure, vnto suche tyme as Adam and Eue had offended god by disobedience for after they had transgressed goddes cōmaundemente [Page] god sayd to the Serpēt.

That is, I wyll put enmytye betwene the and the womam, be­twene thy seed & her seede the same shall breake thy heade and thou shalte treade on his heele. Here Christe was promysed to breake the Serpentes heade for he was the very seed. Therfore yf Adam and Eue had not teāsgres­sed Christe should not haue dyed, nowe seinge they did offende they and all their posteryte were infec­ted with that contagyouse poysin of synne. There was no remedy but Christe muste nedes dye, or els we should haue byn dampned perpetually. Here maye we se [...] [Page] that Adams disobediēce dampned vs all,Roma. 5. yet we our selues wrought euyll. Therfore seynge we were the causers of Christes death god myght haue dampned vs Iustly, although he elected vs before the worlde was made.Gene. 2. But god will be founde true and all men liars. For Christes obedience saueth vs all,Roma. 5. yet we oure selues worke any good. Therfore nowe are we bounde and doubble bounde to geue God all honour and prayse and to loue hym aboue measure, because God fyrst predestinate vs & elected vs in hī before y^e worlde was made y^t we shulde be sayntes,Ephe. 1. for Christe was predestinate to be the Sonne of God.Peter. 1. And than be­ynge lost thorough synne, yet god knowynge by his prescience suche [Page] thinges would come to passe.

Ephe. 1.Saynct Paule sayeth God ordei­ned vs before thoroughe Iesus Christ to be heyres vnto hym selfe accordynge to the pleasure of hys will. Here God hathe gyuen vs Christ to redeme vs by whom we haue redempcion thoroughe hys bloude euen the forgeuenesse of synnes. He hath quickned vs also that were deade in trespas and synne.Ephe. 2. Nowe shall you see that it is necessary the elect such as be­leue in Christe with aliuely faythe should not blame God because he hathe predestinate some to be the chyldren of perdicion, onlesse they would be sory for their owne sal­uacion, he ordeined some to be pu­nyshed accordynge to their dedes. The electe are punyshed many [Page] times with y^e fyre of aduersytye to trye them & to purge thē, that they maye brynge fourthe muche fruet althoughe they fall be frayltie,Iohn. 15. as none can lyue without synne,psal. 107. yet are they punished with mercy,Iohn. 1. but the reprobate that doeth euyll of purpose and wyll shewe no mercy therfore he shall haue iustice with­out mercy.Sala. 12. Iames. 2. Who shoulde haue byn ministers vnto death of suche a kynges sōne as he was but such as were castawayes ordeyned of God to be the chyldren of perdiciō and mete for nothyng els.Iohn. 16. What should a carpenter make of rotten wood, or y^e potter with brutle clay that wyll serue for no other thing but be caste awaye or to be put to some other vyle purpose? Who can let the carpenter or the potter [Page] to vse suche thynges as them lyst. Notwithstandynge suche as we named reprobates before were minysters vnto oure saluacyon, that then were, is nowe, or shall beleue in Christ with aliuely faith. Likewyse Pharoes harte was harde­ned to shew the glory of God and his mighty power to al the world, that were sythes that tyme,Exo. 9. and is to come, for in euery age god hath shewed hys wonders because he woulde be knowene that there is none lyke vnto him. Now yf they had not put Christ vnto death we had not byn redemed. But howe maye we know the reprobate now frome the electe. These thynges do I speake vnto those that pro­fesse Goddes truethe, whiche are forbydden to company with for­nicators, [Page] and specyally from such a brother that is a fornicator an extorsionar, or couetouse, a reiler, or a drounkarde (Saynct Paule sayeth) with hym that is suche see that ye eate not. In this place.1 Cor. 5. S. Paule doethe seperate the one fro the other, to thentente we shoulde put awaye frome vs all euyll, for them that are withoute God shall Iudge. So I in lyke case here, haue set vp a glasse to thentent yf any loke theron espye difformitye vpō himself it may geue hī an oc­casiō to washe hī selfe with the water of life, y^t is to examen hys con­science w^t Gods liuely word whe­ther he lyue according to his pro­fession or lyke a reprobate. The reprobate hathe a sl [...] [...]nge spi­rite, and is full, o [...] [...]tye ex­cedyng enuiouse, [...] [...]e, neuer [Page] confirmable to honestie,Gene. 4. withoute repentance, [...]ohn. 10. presumynge to much on goddes mercy, alwayes incon­stante, [...]ob. 15. repungnante agaynste the trueth,Mat. 26. full of blasphemy a fauo­rat of mammon as one that is ne­uer satiffied but alwayes poore & nedy in his harte & so dyeth with nothynge. All these thynges happen to them that God gyueth vp to do their awne wylles; for with thys plague innumerable haue byn castawaye. These are the very tokens of a reprobate, & with such we should not company nor eate, so longe as they perseuer in that wycked estate. Lykewyse the electe are knowen by thir fru­tes, for they are Goddes worke­manshy [...] [...]ted in Christ Iesus to good [...] vnto the whyche [Page] God ordeyned theim before, that they should walke in them. Ther­fore it is impossible that the elect shoulde be dampned, nowe seyng that God wyll not forsake hys e­lecte suche as haue a liuely faythe in Christe hys deare sonne, and a sure hope to receiue his promisis, bringyng forth the frutes of faith that worketh by loue: That is we laboure not for rewarde to the entente he myghte make vs hys heyres for that is ours all redye yf we beleue his promisis, but we must be seruauntes to al men that be our brothers in Christ, and mi­nyster vnto theim the fruytes of faythe in all their nede. Lyke as Christe God and man mynystred vnto vs when we had most nede, & loke what trybulacyons or my­series [Page] they suffre, whether it be hū ­gar, colde, pouertie, or any other aduersitie, lette vs thynke it to be ours, and so to beare the crosse of Christe paciently to gethers.

Nowe let euery man consulte or counsell with his awne consci­ence, and examyne hym selfe whe­ther he haue this lyuelye fayth or not, yf he haue that gyfte of God, it is a very sure token that he is the very electe of God. Therfore neuer clymbe any hygher or serche any further, why God hathe pre­destinate some, to be y^e chyldren of perdicion, wherby they might put any blame in God, & thynke that he lacketh charytie, whose iustyce and iudgement can neuer be done but with loue,Iohn. 4. for he is very loue it selfe. But rather let vs prayse [Page] his holy name because he hathe called vs to so blessed an estate, and moreouer because he is Iust and holy, and knoweth best what is to be done for vs. Also let vs geue hartye thankes to Christ for oure redempcion: And let vs syng ioyfully to the holi ghost y^t he may geue his clere lyght to suche as be desyrus to knowe the truthe of Goddes lyuely word, to whome be all honor and glory Amen.

Geue prayse to God that worketh all, in all.