THE blessed Apostle, in these words, Right W¹¹. and beloued in the Lord, cleerely sets downe, as you see, that holy doctrine of Gods Predestination, and Election of his children vnto eternall life; of which, by Gods assistance, I intend at this time to entreat. I am not ignorant, that some of later times, following the old Massilians, De his taceri exigunt, quorum altitudinem nul­lus attigerit: & Doctrinam hanc, [...]tiamsi vera sit, non promendam di [...]unt. Prosp. Epist ad Aug. Quidam quaesti­ [...]n [...]m inexplic [...] ­bil [...]m dicunt. Hilar. Epist ad August. Qui­dam quaestionem esse inexplicabilem dicunt, & perpetuo sepiliendam silentio, ait Amb. Cathar. in Summar opi­nionum de [...] raedest. Ex [...]oc numero fuit Erasmus, cuiu [...] haec verba, Quid [...]utilius quam h [...] evulgar [...]? lib. contra Luther. not onely themselues auoid and shunne this doctrine as a Rocke: but by reason of the great and manifold difficulties which they finde herein, iudge it a very perilous and dangerous doctrine to be taught: not fit to be published, and preached in the Congrega­tions [Page 2] of Gods people; whose ouer-fearfull modesty, to say the best of them, ought chiefely to bridle the rash curiositie of all such, as not contenting themselues with those bounds which the sacred Scriptures set downe, dare pry into the secret and most hidden Counsels of the Lord; Let such men remem­ber what Moses Deut. 29. 29. teacheth, The secret things belong vnto the Lord our God: and let them learne of Saint Paul, Rom. 12. 3. not to pre­sume to vnderstand, aboue that which is meete to vnderstand: but that they vnderstand according to sobrietie.

Further also, their timorousnes [...]e in this point, should warne vs all to be very circumspect, and wary, vnto which of Gods Children we deliuer and diuide this portion of the food of life: for the Word of God, as it containeth milke Heb. 5. 12, 13 and meats of easie digestion for Infants, and the weaker sort of Gods houshold; so for them that be stronger in faith, and of riper iudgement and knowledge, it hath store and plenty of stronger meates. And though euery part of this spirituall food be most wholesome for Gods Children, yet this doc­trine of Gods Predestination, and Election, which is most strong, but most wholsome meat, is much more fit for this and such like, most iudicious and learned Auditories, then for those who are but children in vnderstanding, and nouices in the schoole of Christ.

But wholly, as they teach, to debarre the Church & people of God, from hearing this most comfortable doctrine, what is it else, but to conceale and suppresse the most gracious mer­cies of God, and depriue his people of the chiefest comfort which can enter into the heart of a mortall man? Nay, what else is this, but euen to betray the truth of God, and to harten and incourage most wicked men, who in the insolency of their prophane hearts, cease not to oppugneScripsit contra doctrinam de Praedestinatione quidam Ioh. Scotus circa an­num 850. quem docto & pio l [...]bro [...] f [...]ta [...]it Eccle­sia Lugdunen­sis. Ante hunc, circa [...] 490. Epis [...]opu [...] quidam Faustus Rhe­giensis, Pel [...]gia­nisinum ceculte d [...]fendens, libris duobus de li­ber, Arbit. Prae­destinationem oppugnauit: & [...]am tenentes H [...]reticos vocat. Et Lucidus in Epistola Fausti libro [...] ita inquit, Damno qui dicit alios deputatos ad mo [...]tem al [...]s ad vitam. Quam Lucidi Epistol [...]pro Catholica commendat Bar. an. 490. nu. 29. & 30. & clarius Annotat. praefix. lib. Fausti in BB. 5. patr. tom. 4. pa. 795. In euertenda Praedestinatione consentiunt Alb. Pighius & Georg. Siculus. Calu. l. de aetern. Praede [...]t. inter eius Opusc. pa. 950. this doctrine, and in most reuiling manner to blaspheme this holy truth, [Page 3] accounting and calling it (which without horror I can not vtter,) not onely an humane deuice Commentum vocat exploden­dum. Auth. li­belli de Chri­sti Seruatoris efficacitate. Rat. 7. Augus [...]i­nus [...]nduxit h [...]r­readum Praede­stinationis dog­ma. Id [...]m Rat. 103. Absurdissi­mum est creder [...] Deum elegisse paucos quos ser­uaret, relictis cae­te [...]is. Idem Rat. 23. Haec di­stinctio, quae excludit bonam hominum par­tem, est à malo Spiritu. Idem Rat. 6. I abhor your horrible doctrine. Au­thor libel. cui ti­tulus, Confu­tation of the carelesse by necessitie. Sect. 23. and figment, but euen a detestable and diabolicall doctrine, such as hath no ground A capite ad calcem habemus scripturam nobis fauentem, & contrariam sen­tentiam damnan­tem. Auth. l de Christi Seru. effic. Rat. 100. Quicquid de Praedesinatione [...] adim [...]s, Philosophica tantū argu­tia niti, non in Scriptura tradi clamat Georg, Siculus, Calu. libr. citat. pa. 989. nor warrant out of the Word of God. Shall they with such insolen­cie, and impiety, blaspheme the truth of God? and shall the Watchmen of Israel be silent at the hearing of these Rabshe­kaes, thus to reuile the Lord of Hoasts? Doubtlesse if we be silent, and hold our peace hereat, not onely the mouthes of Babes and Children shall bee opened; but as our Sauiour saith, the very stones shall defend the truth, and sing Hosan­na unto our God.

Againe, the Word of God, as it is most perfect and suffi­cient, not wanting any one point at all, which is needfull for our instruction, and knowledge; so may we not once think, without great dishonour vnto God, that any one iot or tit­tle, much lesse any maine point of doctrine deliuered there­in, is superfluous for the Church of God: specially seeing God himselfe hath told vs, that the things re [...]ealed belong to vs, and to our children for euer: And againe, that whatsoeuer things are written, are written for our learning. Seeing then this doctrine of Predestination and Election, is not onely layd downe, but often repeated and inculcated in the Word of God: Why should wee be wiser then God, to conceale that from Gods people, which God will haue both vs to teach, and them in due time and season to learne, and beleeue?Deut. 29. 29. Rom. 15. 4.

Now for the difficulties which in this case they pretend, I can not in truth deny; but that as euery Article of our faith, so specially this, may iustly seeme hard and obscure vnto vs, whose knowledge is darkned with infinit mists both of our naturall, and of that habituall ignorance which wee haue ad­ded vnto it. But we are all to bee so farre from being dismaid herewith, that this should rather be a spurre vnto vs, to stirre vs vp euery day to growe and increase in the knowledge of [Page 4] God, and of his Word, that so we might more plainely both discern our selues, and be able to instruct others in that truth, and point out vnto them euery part of that path which lea­deth vnto euerlasting life. Yet let vs euen herein also behold and admire the wisedome and the mercies of our most gra­cious God, that howsoeuer those things, for the continuall exercise of Gods children, are wrapped vp in sundry difficul­ties, so that an Elephant may swimme therein; yet, withall, they are so tempered by Gods Spirit, and fitted for our ca­pacities, that neither this, nor any one point of all our faith is without such euident & cleere proofes in the Word of God, as that for the most a Lambe may wade in them, and for them all, such as best serue for the instructing of Gods peo­ple, and the full satisfying of any Christian and beleeuing soule. For thy word Psal. 119. 105 is a light vnto our feet, and a Lanthorne vnto our steppes, it giueth Psal. 19. 7. wisedome and vnderstanding, euen vnto the simple. And it is truely said by Saint Austen, In ijs quae a­per [...] in Scriptu­ra posita sunt, inueni [...]ntur illa omnia, quae conti­nent fidem mo­resque viuendi. lib. 2. de doct. Christ. c. 9. that whatsoeuer belongs either to our Faith, or good life, that is plaine­ly set downe in the Scriptures of God. Wherefore they which affray the people of God with these difficulties, do no other­wise then those Messengers, and Spye [...], which Moses sent to see the Land of Canaan. Surely, saidNum. 13. 28, 32. they, the Land flow­eth with Milke and Honey, but the people are strong that dwell in the Land, they be Gyants, and the sonnes of Anak, and the Cities are walled, and exceeding great, we be not able to goe vp a­gainst them, for they are stronger then we. So they brought an euill report of the Land, causing the people to be faint-hear­ted, and murmure against the Lord: So these men, hauing like diligent Spyes, considered and viewed euery part of this doctrine, know right well, that it is a doctrine of exceeding comfort, and that it floweth with Milke and Hony; but they bring an euill report vpon it, and vpon the Word of God, when they affray Gods people from entring hereunto, with the greatnesse of those difficulties, as it were with so many Gyants and sonnes of Anak, which they haue [...]pyed and seene herein, Let not vs, with those euill Spyes, prouoke [Page 5] the wrath of God by our distrust & diffidence; but with Ca­leb & Ioshua, men in this action, highly renowned of God himselfe, let vs harten and encourage the people, and in con­fidence and assurance of the aide of our God, say vnto them, Let vs goe vp at once, and possesse the Land, for vndoubted­ly we shall ouercome it. Let vs then in the name and feare of God enter into this doctrine, beeing guided though not with Caleb and Ioshua, yet with the Prophets and Apostles, and euen led by the hand of our Sauiour Christ: who all by their teaching and preaching of this doctrine, haue chalked out the way vnto vs, how we may enter into it, and take full possession of those ioyes, and comforts, which are contained in the knowledge and meditation thereof.

In handling this doctrine of Election, I commend to your godly consideration these three points, out of these words of the Apostle. The first, our Election it selfe. The second, the certainty and assurance of our Election; both of them set down in these words, Giue all diligence to make your Election sure. The third, the meanes of this assurance, one of which beeing sanctitie, and holinesse of life, the Apostle expresseth in these words: For if yee doe these things, ye shall neuer fall. Concer­ning Election it selfe, two things are to be obserued. First, the parties who are Elected: Secondly, the cause of their Election.

Touching the parties elected, I shall not need to stay long in refuting that no lesse impious, then senselesse opinion of some who teach,Gods electi­on before the world, is gene­rall to all men. Confut. of the carel. by nec. Sect. 14. Cōcludi [...] Pighius omnes si [...]e exceptione, ad vitam aeternā destinatos, Calu. lib. de aeterna praed. pa. 969. Georgy Siculi commentum est, non fuisse hunc vel illum proede­stinatum ad salu­tem, sed Deum statuisse tempus, quo totum mun­dum seruaret. Calu. l. eodem. p. 951. Sensit ita etiam Nich. Heming. qui l. de gratia vniuer. pa. 34. dei electi­onem vni [...]ersa­lem vocat. that Gods election before the world is gene­rall to all men, so that euery one is alike chosen by him vnto eternall life: which conceit of theirs, as it is directly con­trouled by the expresse words of the Scripture, wherein is mention of some, who are vessels Rom. 9. 22. of wrath prepared to destruc­tion; and as Saint Iude Verse 4. saith, ordained to condemnation: so is it repugnant euen to common sence, and reason. For who doth not know, that to elect, or chuse, implyeth a reiecting and refusing of some others? This very word of Election signi­fying nothing else, but a separating and culling out of some from the rest, as our Sauiour saithIoh. 15. 19. of his Disciples, that hee [Page 6] chose them out of the world. Seeing then it is most [...]leere, that some are chosen Ephes. 1. 4. 2. Thes. 2. 13. and elected by God vnto saluation: certain it is, that God separated them for a peculiar people vnto him­selfe, and pickt them out from the rest, which he refused, and left in their sinne, to be led by their owne lusts into that de­struction, which is ordained for them.

Now as errOur neuer wanteth some colour and shew of truth; so these men, to maintaine this fancy, alledgeConfut. of the carelesse. Sect. 15. the words of Saint Paul, Rom. 8. 29. where hee saith, that whom God knew before, them also be did predestinate to be made like to his Sonne. Seeing th [...]n, say they, God knew all men without exception, before the beginning of the world, it must needs follow, that he did also predestinate, and elect them all vnto eternall life. In which reason, as if it were insoluble, they boast and triumph: but without all truth and substance of reason. For they might easily haue obserued a double Est in Deo du­plex cognitio: Sci­entia simplicis [...]otitiae quae est communis omni­bus honis & ma­lis: & Scientia approbationis, quae est honorum tantum. Aquin. quaest. Disp. q. de libro vitae. art. 8. knowledge of God mentioned in the holy Scripture. The one, of beholding and seeing onely, which is a knowledge of appre­ [...]ension; of which the Apostle saith, Heb. 4. 13. that euery crea­ture is manifest in his [...]ight, and all things are naked and open to his eyes: the other is a knowledge of louing and liking, which the Schoolemen rightly tearme a knowledge of approbation; of which it is said, Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous: not onely the seeing and beholding them, for so he doth know the wayes of the wicked also: but he knoweth the wayes of the righteous, by louing, allowing, and appro­uing their wayes, in which sort hee neuer knoweth the way of any wicked man, seeing both himselfe, and his wayes, are an abomination vnto God. Now it is most certain that all men, euen the Reprobate, are foreknown of God, by his for­mer kinde of knowledge; for all things are manifest and naked before his eyes. But this knowledge of apprehension can not possibly be ment by the Apostle in the 8. to the Romans. For whom God knoweth in that place, them he both iustifyeth in this, and gLorifieth in the life to come, as the Apostle ex­pressely witnesseth in the same place. Now seeing hee doth [Page] not iustifie and glorifie all, but will say to some, Goe into euerlasting fire, who shall haue their portion in that Lake which burneth with fire And brimstone; it remaineth eui­dent, that the Apostle speaketh not of that former know­ledge of apprehension, but of the later of approbation, by which I may truely say vnto you, that God neuer knew any Repro­bate, or vngodly person; our Sauiour teaching in plaine tearmes the same, Mat. 7. 23. Then will I professe to them, I ne­uer knew you, Depart from me, ye workers of intquity. Where­fore to returne their own reason against themselues; Seeing God knoweth (that is, loueth and approueth) all those whom he electeth, as S^t Paul teacheth, but neuer knoweth in this sort any Reprobate, or vngodly man, as our Sauiour professeth; it re­maineth true, and certaine, euen by that very Text whereon they most rely, that not all men without exception, but only some are elected of God, and ordained to euerlasting life.

Concerning the number of which, the Massilians, Nec acquies­cunt Praede [...]tina­tum electoum numerum, nec augeri posse nec minui. Prosp. Epist ad Aug. Eligendorum a [...] re [...]ciendorum esse definitum numerum no­lunt. Hilar. Ep. ad Aug. and some other,Ambr. Ca­tharinus puta­uit paucos a [...]uot praedestinatos ad vitam, & eorum numerum certum esse ait. Reliquos [...]mnes nec ad vitam nec ad mortem proedesti­natos sensit, sed pro suo arbitrio vel seruari posse▪ vel perire, & quot ex his ser­uanai sunt, non esse determina­tum in prouiden­tia Dei asserit. Cathar. Com in c. 4. Ge. & in Tract. de prae­dest. ad Conc. Trid. most ignorantly, and impiously taught, that it was not defined, nor set downe by God, but left so vncertaine, and depending on the wils of men, that according as they were either willing, or vnwilling to embrace the grace of God, the number of the Elect might be either augmented, or impay­red. A conceit so repugnant to the truth, that though their o­ther error, touching mens wils, were admitted, yet can it no way stand with the praescience of Almighty God, who knowing Ioh. 21. 17. all things; yea the very thoughts Psal. 139. 2. of men long before, euen before all eternitie, can not bee ignorant either how many will, or how many himselfe will haue to embrace his grace, and to be saued.

Some others haue fancied, that though the number of the Elect, (which the Schoolemen call Numerum formalem) bee certaine, yet the persons who are to make vp this number, (cal­led by them Numerus materialis) is vncertaineQuidam dix­ [...]runt praedesti­natorum numerum certum esse formal [...]ter, sed non m [...]terialiter, ac si dicas quòd centum vel [...]ll [...] sal­mentur, non autem quòd hi vel illi. Aquin. p. 1. q. 23. art. 7. and not defined by God. A fancy indeed, seeing the Scriptures [Page 8] plainely teach, that God in his secret Councell hath decreed, not onely how many, but in particular also, who those are, whom he hath chosen to bee heires with Christ. For when our Sauiour saith,Luke. 10. 20 that euen your names are written in Heauen, and that he being the good Shepheard, calleth Iohn 10. 3. his Sheep by name, & that he knoweth whom Iohn. 13 18. he hath chosen: and when the Apo­stle 2. Tim. 2. 19. saith, The foundation of God standeth sure, and hath this Seale, The Lord knoweth who are his: What else doe, or can these import, but that God hath most certainly decreed and set downe in writing, not onely how many, but euen particu­larly who they be, yea, and what their names are, whom hee hath chosen, and sealed vnto eternall life? and this number, as Saint Austen Lib. de c [...]r. & grat. c. 13. saith, is so certainly set downe with God, that neither any one of them can be taken away, nor any other can bee added vnto them.

Now what this number in particular is, [...]as to set downe, is impossible for mortall man, so to search it out, were most vaine and fruitlesse curiositie. Let this suffice vs to know, that though this number, in respect of the wicked, is but small; seeing Christ tellethMath. 22. 14. vs, that many are called, and few chosen: and, that many Math. 7. 13. going the br [...]ad way which leadeth to destructiō, and few in the narrow, which leadeth vnto life: Few indeed in respect of those many ryet euen those few, cōsidered in them­selues, are an exceeding great number. For the seed Gen. 22. 17. &c. 32. 12. of Abra­ham is like the Starres of heauen, or as the sand of the Sea shore, such as can not be numbred. Gen. 16. 10. And I may truely say of the E­lect, they are a number, numberlesse; Saint Iohn himselfe war­ranting this saying; Reu. 7. 9. where besides those thousand thousands that were sealed of the Iewes, he saw a great mul­titute, which no man could number, of all Nations, and Kindreds, and People, and Languages, wh [...]ch stood before the Throne, cloa­thed with long white Robes, and hauing Palmes in their hands: in regard of which infinit number, our Sauiour tellethIohn. 14. 2. his Disciples, that in his Fathers house are many dwelling places. And let this suffice to bee spoken of the parties which are elected.

[Page 9] The next point to be considered in our election, is the cause thereof. Where first it is vndoubted, that the declaring and manifesting of Gods glory, is the cause why God in generall would elect some, and reiect some other, when all were alike before him in the same masse or lumpe of perdition. That one saying of Salomon doth sufficiently proue this, Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake: that is, for his owne glory and honour. For when wee were all included in the same masse of sinne, (out of wh [...]chSola [...] Catha [...]inus. Con [...]in c. 4. Gen. contendit quidem [...] c [...]natu, s [...]u [...] plane vn [...]s e­lectionem nen fieri ex massa [...], nam ex hac e [...]egi honun [...]s, & se. ip­tura [...]ocet, & Aug plus nailies [...]leclarat. Vide Ench. c. 27. & 33. & Epist. 106. &, Quid o­derat in E [...]au, nisi originale peccatum? Epist. 105. God elected some, and left others therein,) if God had then refused all, (as in iu­stice if it had pleased him he might haue done,) neuer could those glorious riches, of his mercy haue been knowne vnto vs, which now are manifest in sauing his Elect by Christ. A­gaine, if then by a generall Pardon hee had released all, (as in mercy if it had pleased him, he might haue done,) then could we not haue seene the glory of his iustice, which now in the deserued punishment of the wicked is mightly and mani­festly declared vnto vs. So then, to make knowne vnto all, the glory and praise of his mercy in the one; and the glory and praise of his Iustice in the other: he framed of the same Iumpe and masse of sinne, some to be vessels of mercy by electing them vnto life; and he left others to be vessels of iustice, letting them alone in that state of damnation, into which all mankind had plunged it selfe.

But if wee wade further into this doctrine, and search not only why in generall God elected some, & refused others, but why in particular these are elected rather then the other: as namely Iacob, rather then Esau, and S^t Paul, rather then Iu­das, seeing not onely they both were in themselues alike, but Gods glory had no lesse been seene in electing the one, then the other, if it had so pleased him, as now the cafe is more dif­ficult; so are there diuers men of diuers iudgements.

Most fond, of all others, is the dreame of Origen, who thoughtIntelligamus ammam egisse▪ antiquitus, prop­ter quod in a [...]er [...] [...], in altero odio habita sit, vt aliae animae fierent in honorem, aliae in contum [...]liam materiar [...] ̄ causarum (que) mor [...] praecesserunt. Hoec ex Or [...]gine citat Hier. [...]pist. ad Auitu [...]. that mens soules were created long before their bo­dies, [Page 10] and according to their good or ill deserts before their vniting to the bodies; God elected some men unto life, and appointed o­thers vnto death, though none, as he Origines audet dicere, d [...]abolum id ru [...]sum fut [...] ­rum, quod fuerat, & c [...]nscensurium regna coelorum. Hier. Epist. ad Ioh. Hier. supposed, to eternall death. Which errour of Orig [...]ns, is not onely by all sound Philoso­phers reiected, who rightly teach that the soules are not cre­ated, before, but in the very instant of their coupling to the bodies: so is it,Omnes cos er­rores Catholiea fi­des à corpore suae vnitatis abscidit, constanter praedi­cans, quòd animae hominum, prius­quam suis inspi­rentur corporibus, non fuere. Leo Epist. 93. c. 10. & dicentibu [...] Animas peccasse antequam corpo­ribus vnia [...]tur; A [...]athema denū ­ciat Conc. Brach. 1. cap. 6. together with Origen the Author of it, and with the Priscilian Hereticks, who after Origen reuiued the same, most iustly condemned by the iudgement of the Church, truely and constantly teaching, that the soules were not, before their inspiring into the bodies. For this time contenting my selfe with that one cleere testimony of the Prophet, Zech. 12. [...]. that God formeth the spirit of man in him: I will passe from this errour, as unworthy of any further ex­pence of time.

Others there are who haue taught,Quid de nobi [...] praescire ac pra­ordinare debeat Deus, quantum pertinet ad futurum, in profectu hominis defectu (que) consis [...]it. Faust. l. 2. de lib. arb. cap. 2. Dicunt ambo (Pigh. & Georg. Sicul.) h [...]c ex Dei confilio non pe [...]dere, qui­nam electi sint vel rep [...]obi, sed singulos sibi vtramvis fortunam, suo arbitri [...] statuere. Calu. lib. de atern. praedest. pag. 950. constat qu [...]mvis [...]ieri posse reprobum sua malitia, & reprobationem non ma­nare à voluntate Dei reijciente homines, sed à v [...]luntate hominum reijciente Deum. Auth. lib. de chri. seruat. [...]f [...]icac. Rat. 77. & Constat neminem reprobatum esse a Deo, qui prior diuinum nu­men salutaria ipsi proponens ac suggerens non contempserit. Idem Rat. 67. & pessimè huc sonant ista Hemingij lib. de grat. vniuer. Efficimur hic electi, quando credimus, pa. 20. &, Abusus deno­rum Dei sunt causae abiectionis, & non consilium Dei, p. 22. &, Non est volentis aut currentis, sc [...]li­cet secundum carnem, sed est volentis & currentis secundum fidem. Idem pag. 31. God reproba­ted no man before he was: Author. Confut. of the errors of the carelesse. S [...]ot. 4. Hee reprobated none before the foundation of the world. Idem Sect. 8. Nulla est ab aeterna vit [...] reprobatio, ni [...]quam sibi quis (que) ob propria p [...]ccata ac flagitia acquisincrit. Ambr. Cathol. tract de praedest. ad Conc. Trid. that Gods electing of these, and reiecting the other, dependeth wholly on the will of men themselues, and not of the Decree or will of God: and that there is none reiected of God, [...]ll by their owne contempt, them­selues d [...] first reiect God, and by their wilfull obstinacie refus [...] his grace when it is offered vnto them. How euidently do these men oppugne the Scriptures of God? For if election and reiection depend on the actions of men after they be borne, how can it be true, which the Apostle teacheth,Ephes. 1. 4. that we are [Page 11] elected before the foundation of the world? and that God Rom. 9. 11, 12 e­lected Iacob, ad hated Esau before they were borne, when as yet they had done neither good nor euill? Is not here a reiecting of Esau, before he by his owne actuall contempt reiected God, or despised his grace? Or did Esau, more then Iacob, reiect God before he was borne? Or if we seeme to any to straiten their opinion (though their bookes and writings do testifie this to be their sence and meaning,) seeing our workes com­mitted actually in time, can no way be the cause of that Decree which is eternall, and before all time: Let vs proceed, and see, if the same works, being from euerlasting foreseene & foreknown by God, as if they had been done, may truely be said, (as some Graecipatres, nec pauc [...] Latino­rum arbitrati sunt causam prae­destinationis h [...] ­minum ad vitam aeternam esse prae­scientiom bono­ [...]um operum quae facturi erant, vel fidei. Sic Chry­sostomus, Theodoretus, Theophyla­ctus, O [...]cume­nius, Origines, Ambrosius, Hieronymus, Sedulius, Pe­rer. in Epist. ad Rom. ca. 8. d sp. 22. & idem docet Sixt. Senens. in Bibl. sua sanct. l. 6. Annot. 251. & 252. [...]n ei­dem opinione Heming. Est inquit praes [...]ien­ [...]a, regula electi­onis & praedes [...]i­na [...]ionis. l. de grat. vniu [...]rs. pag. 21. & quia cre­dimus, praesciti & electi censemur: nam quos praesciuit Deus credituros, eos ex gr [...]tia elegit. R. 27. &, Nos [...]a [...]sam reprobationis contuma­ciam hominis praeuisam facimus. ibid. pag. 77. of better note haue taught,) to be the cause of our election to eternall life.

Now, if we will herein hearken to the Apostles doctrine; we shall cleerely perceiue, that our faith, sanctitie, and all our good workes, are so farre from being the cause of our election, that they are in truth, the very effects therof. For we are elected that we should be holy and without blame, Ephes. 1. 4. And the Apostle saith of himselfe, 1. Cor. 7. 25. that he obtained mercy, that he might be faithfull. Whence it is manifest, that God did not first foresee vs good and faithfull, and therefore elected vs; but first he elected vs, and for this cause decreed to make vs faithfull, good and holy in his sight. And therefore Saint Austen hauing sometimes taughtAugust. exposit. propos. in Epist. ad Rom. nu. 60. & 62. that God did chuse vs be­cause he foresaw that we would beleeue; afterwards retracteth, August. lib. 1. Retrac. ca. 23. & lib. de Praedest. sanct. cap. 3. & 19. and recalleth this sentence as erronious, and deliuereth a truer lesson, that faith is the effect of Predestination, not the cause: seeing the Apostle faith not, that hee obtained mercy be­cause he was faithfull, but he obtained mercy, that hee might be faithfull. For we are not called, saith he,Lib. de Praed. sanct. cap. 19. because wee did be­leeue, but that we should beleeue. Againe, when the Apostle [Page 12] demandeth, 1. Cor. 4. 7▪ Who separated thee? (which was an other and principall motiue to Saint Austen, to retract Lib eodem c. 3. quo praecipu [...]te­ssimonio [...]uictus sum, cum [...] ­rem. his former errour) had the cause of our election beene ei­ther our faith, or good workes foreseene: it would haue beene easily answered, My owne faith, my owne workes, my owne good will to embrace Gods grace: these being foreseene by God, separated me, and moued God to elect mee rather then others: but the Apostle knowing all these to bee the gifts of God, and effects of his free loue, and e­lection, referres wholly our separating from the rest, to the grace and good pleasure of him who saith, Luk. 12. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure, to giue you the Kingdome: that so no man might boast of himselfe, but he that gloryeth, might glory in the Lord.

In the 9. to the Romanes, the Apostle disputing this mat­ter of set purpose and at large; sheweth, that though Iacob and Esau were in themselues alike before God, not hauing done either good or euill, the one more then the other; borne at the same time, and of the same parents: yet for all this equali­tie, God loued Iacob, and hated Esau. And because this might seeme vniustin the eyes of man, that of two being altogether equall and alike, the one should be loued, and the other hated of God: the Apostle proposeth to himselfe this great difficul­tie, as S. Austen Diffici [...]ma [...] quaeti [...]ne [...] v [...] ­cat. Tract. 53. in Iohan. & Ep. 105. vbs hoc [...] ­piose tractat. & in Ench. c. 98. rightly calleth it; What shall we say then, is there vnrighteousnesse with God? Now if God had loued and elected Iacob for his good workes, or faith foreseene; or ha­ted Esau for his prophanenesse, which from all etern [...]tie hee did foreknow; surely this question not onely might easily be answered,Eo modo sol [...]e­r [...]t istam quaesti­ [...]nem Apostolus, [...] nullam quam solui opus esset, saceret. Aug. [...]nch. c [...]. 9. but there were no difficulty nor doubt at all therein. For what vnrighteousnesse can this s [...]eme to any, that God should loue Iacob, who, hee knew would loue and obey him? or why should he not hate Esau, of whom hee foreknew, that hee would be a wicked, a prophane person, and one that would hate the Lord? But the Apostle answe­reth not in such wise; but knowing right well, that God, without all respect to the good or euill actions foreseene in [Page 13] the one more then in the other, loued Iacob, and hated Esau; and knowing that the good actions of the one, were not causes, but effects Quicquid est in h [...]mine ora [...] ­nans i [...]sum ad salutem, est effec­tus Praedestmati­onis. Aquin. p [...]. 1. q. 23. art. 5. Vere quia Prae­destinatio est prae­paratio benefici­cr [...]m De [...] quibus certissi [...]è l [...]bera­mur. Aug. lib. de bono Pers. c. 14. of that loue of God and of his grace, which he in mercy gaue vnto him; and that the euill actions of the other proceeded from the want of Gods loue and of his grace, which hee in iustice denyed, or would not giue vnto the o­ther: He, I say, knowing all this, giueth another and better answere, that howsoeuer this may seeme vniust to the eyes of man, yet it is in truth most righteous, because it is the will and the good pleasure of God so to doe: For I will haue mer­cy, sa [...]th God, on whom, I will, and whom he will, he hardeneth. And that we might plainely see, that there is nothing at all in any one, which did or could moue God to loue and elect him rather then another; the Apostle addeth this Conclusi­on, as ensuing necessarily on that testimony of God: So then, it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy. The true and certaine cause then, why God in particular elected these, and rei [...]cted the other, is no way in themselues, nor in their workes, either actually perf [...]r­med or foreseene and foreknowne by God, but it is wholly and solely in God himselfe; It is euen his good pleasure and will: who as he elected vs (that is, pull'd vs out of that masse of perdition from the rest) according to the good Ephes. 1. 5. pleasure of his will; so by the same his good pleasure and will, did he leaue others in that masse of sinne, whom he made vessels Rom. 9. 21, 23 of wrath; and as Saint Iude saith, ordained to condemnation. The rea­son of both which, is that which the Apostle expresseth, Hee sheweth mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he har­deneth.

With what reprochfull speeches this doctrine, and the tea­chers therofare reuiled, you are not ignorant, & their bookes are too euident witnesses thereof. And no maru [...]ll if they shoot their arrowes of most venemous words against men, seeing they feare not to open their mouths against heauen, & in the insolent folly of their wits, plead against God, whose most holy will & Iustice, in this case they seeke to ou [...]rthrow.

[Page 14] First, say theyDicit haereti­cus, pro volunta­te Dei, tra [...]untur homines in per­ditionem, &c. Faust. Rheg. l. 1. de liber. arb. c. 19. Their damnation commeth not by the counsell & will of God, for hee is sorie for it. Auth. Con­fut. of the careles. Sect. 24., It can not withstand the will of God, to ordain any to be vessels of wrath, or to destruction; for God witnesseth, and that also with an oath, Ezech. 33. 11. that hee desires not, nor would the death of a sinner, but that the wicked should turne from his euill way, and liue: according as S. Paul teacheth, 1. Tim. 2 4. That God will haue all to bee saued: and S. Peter, 2. Epistle 3. 9. that God would haue no man to pe­rish, but would haue all to come to repentance. If God, say they, He willeth not their de­struction, and that which he willeth not, he doth not or­daine. Confut. of the carelesse. Sect. 24. would haue none to perish, then can it not bee his will to or­daine any vnto death, who professeth hee would not their death: vnlesse there bee two diuerse, yea euen contrary wils in God, which vpon our doctrine theyCan you proue that God hath two wils? Is that which is not reuealed con­trary to that which is reuea­led? Then shal there bee con­trariety in God, which is false. Was there euer any such monstrous do­ctrine? Idē Sect. 37. similia habet sect. 35. 36. & 45. suppose most necessa­rily to follow.

Which reason of theirs might haue some force with Epi­cures, and all such as make God an idle spectator of the euents in this world: For then perhaps he might see their death, and either not will it, or winke thereat. But farre be these conceits from vs, who haue learned out of the Word of God, that hee not onely seeth, but by his counsell ordereth and gouerneth eue­ry thing in this world, so that not so much as one Sparrow can fall to the ground, nor one haire from our heads, without the prouidence and will of God. Nay, these most wicked men, Herod, Pontius Pilat, and the other Iewes, & Gentiles which put Christ to death, neither did, not could doe ought: but as Saint Peter saith, Act. 4. 28. What thine hand, O God, and thy Councell [...], had determined before, or decreed to be done. Wherefore, if God would not at all haue the death and de­struction of those vessels of wrath which are of old ordained to condemnatiō, as Saint Iude speaketh; then certainly, though all the armies both in heauen and earth should band them­selues together, yet could they not all effect the death of the meanest or weakest of them: for who is able to resist his will, who is Almighty? And who saith of himselfe, Esay 46. 10. My counsell shall stand, and I will doe whatsoeuer I will. Vnlesse then we will deny the first Article of our Faith, which is the omnipotency of God; wee must needs confesse, that the death [Page 15] and damnation of those vessels of wrath, cōmeth to passe by the will of the Almighty: for if he would it not, hee could; nay, he would haue hindred it ten thousand wayes: and as S^t Aust [...]n Non fit aliquid nisi Omnipotens ficri velit, vel si­nendo vt fiat, vel ipse faciendo. Ench. cap. 95. truely and excellently saith; There is not, there can not be done ought, either in heauen or earth, vnlesse God will haue it to be done, either doing it himselfe, or suffering it to bee done; and he suffers Nec vti (que) no­lens sinit, sed vo­lens l. eodem. cap. 100. it, not against his will, but with his will.

Now this wil of God, though in it selfe it be but one and most simple, yet in respect of vs, it consisteth of two Priorem, vo­luntatem signi, alteram, volunta­tem beneplaciti vocat Magist. sent. l. 1. dist. 45. 46. & Aqui. p. 1. q. 19. art. 11. Et prior [...]m, voluntatem an­tecedentem, alte­ram voluntatem co [...]sequent [...]m vo­cat. Aqui. q. ea­dem art. 6. Et priorem volunta­tem conditiona­tam, alteram vo­luntatem abs [...]lu ā esse declarat. ib. parts; the one opened and reuealed in his Word; the other hid and secret from our eyes, neuer knowne vnto any, vntill himselfe either by the euent of things, or some other way make it manifest vnto vs. Both which, are cleerely expressed in that true and memorable saying of Saint Austen, Non fit praeter e [...]us v [...]luntatem, quod etiam fit contra eius voluntatem. Ench. cap. 100. where speaking of the sinnes of men and Angels, he saith, It comes to passe by a won­derfull and ineffable manner, that those things are not done besides or without the will of God (not without his secret and permis­si [...]e will) which are done against, and euen contrary to the will of God (contrary to his reuealed and preceptiue will.) All which will easily appeare, if we rightly obserue the difference of the one will from the other.

In his reuealed will, is set downe, as our duties towards God, and whatsoeuer he willeth,Praeceptum Dei, signum est Deum id velle, etsi (absolutè) fieri non vult. Magist. sent. l. 1. dist. 4 [...]. that is, requireth or com­mandeth to be done by vs, according wherevnto our liues and actions are to be framed; so also is set down therein, the pub­lishing and free offering of saluation vnto euery creature, but still with this condition, in regard whereof it's called his con­ditionall will, that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ, and leades a sanctified life, shall be saued; but whosoeuer beleeueth not, but a­bideth in sinne, he is condemned already. His secret will is farre otherwise: For therein he hath absolutely set downe whatso­euer Voluntas beneplaciti consonat rerum eff [...]ct [...]bus, & ipsi effectus [...] ah illo non discordant. Fit en [...]m omne quod beneplacito vult fieri, & omne quod non vult fieri, equaquam fit. Mag. sent. ibid. euent doth fall out in the whole world: and concerning the saluation of men, hee therein hath particularly, and without [Page 16] any condition decreed, whom in mercy hee will haue to be sa­ued; and therefore in his due time will, by his effectual grace, worke faith and sanctitie in their hearts that they may be sa­ued: againe, he hath therein absolutely set downe, whom in iu­stice he will leaue in that masse of perdition, into which they had cast themselues, and therefore will not giue his grace vnto them, but leaue them to their owne hearts lust, that they may willingly runne forward in sinne, and so most deseruedly fall into that pit of perdition which is prouided for them. Here­of we may haue some resemblance in this manner: Put case a King, after the iust senten [...]e of death passed against sundry offenders, should proclaime and publish in one writing, that he would freely pardon and saue all those that did bring vnto him his owne Signet; and in another writing kept secret to himselfe, should set downe which of those offenders in par­ticular he would saue, and therefore would send vnto them his owne Signet, that they might bring [...] vnto him, and so be saued. The former of these writings may well bee called his open and reuealed will, the later his hid or secret. Euen so it is in the will of God; the conditionall part whereof, is euer since the fall of Adam, reuealed and published vnto men, that hee will in mercy pardon and saue all those, and onely those who doe bring vnto him his own Seale or Signet, which is ingrauen with the image of his Sonne, the print whereof is a liuely Faith, working by charitie: but in another part of his will, as it were in an other booke which is not, not can bee seene by man, he hath absolutely set downe, whom in particular he will saue, and therefore will giue his own Signet vnto them, imprinting in their hearts both faith and holinesse, by which they are sealed vnto eternall life.

These two wils, or ratherNon est Dei voluntas diuersa, sed loqu [...]tio di­uersa est de v [...] ­luntate, Mag. sent. loc. c [...]t. two seuerall parts of Gods one and most simple will, are so farre from being repugnant or con­trary the one vnto the other, as they ignorantly and impious­ly affirme, that they doe most fitly, and euen subordinately a­gree one with the other, which that we may perceiue; The whole will of God, concerning mens saluation and damna­tion, [Page 17] may bee fitly set downe in a reason, or demonstration, drawne from the effect, to the cause. The proposition whereof is this, Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ, and liue in pietie, them hath God elected, and them will be haue to be saued; but whosoeuer doe not beleeue, nor liue in piety, them hath hee reiected, and will in the end condemne. And all this is reuea­led vnto vs, and it is the summe, or effect, of his whole reuea­led will. The Assumption which God maketh, is this; But these and these men will beleeue, for I will worke faith and sancti­tie in their hearts: those and the other doe not, nor will they beleeue, nor liue in pietie; for I will harden them, as I harde­ned Pharaoh, not giuing my grace, nor working faith and sanctitie in them: And this is part of the secret will of God, not reuealed vnto vs, but onely in the elect themselues, and some few whom God hath witnessed in his Word, either to be heires of life, or to be partakers of eternall death. Of these two premises, which are parts, the one of the reuealed, the o­ther of the secret will, this conclusion is inferred, which is the absolute decree of God: Therefore these and these haue I elec­ted, and will in mercy saue: Those and the other haue I refu­sed, and will at the last day in iustice condemne, and cast into euerlasting fire. Thus you see, that the one will doth no way contrary the other; but with a sweet harmony they both concurre in one Demonstration, wherein from the effect of Gods will, which in giuing his grace is our beleeuing, and in not giuing his grace, is our not beleeuing, wee proceed vnto the cause of both, which is the absolute will of God in electing these; and the absolute will of God, in reiecting, or leauing the others.

Nor is that in any sort to bee allowed, which some of later times, following the fancy of Iulianus Iulianus ex­is [...]inabat De [...]m non velle absolut [...] vl [...]um s [...]luare, se [...] omnes sub conditione, si & ipsi vel [...]ni. bel. l. 2. de grat. & l. arb. c. 8. H [...]c (que) eum sensisse colli­gitur ex Aug. l. 4. cont. Iulian. c. 8. the Pelagi [...] Heretick, doe affirme,Qui dicunt no [...] sine hac fidei & perseuerant [...]ae conditione electos esse ad vitam, Euangelium prorsus abolent. Heming. ib. de vniuer. grat. p. 63. God vseth not his abso­lute will in the matter of our saluation. [...] verba. and teach, that God vseth not his absolute, but o [...]ely his conditionall will in this case of mens saluation; so that if men doe beleeue, and repent, they shall then be saued, leauing it to mens owne will, and choise, whether they will beleeue, and repent, or no: For then would our Sauiour neuer haue [Page 18] said, It is your Fathers wil to gliue you the Kingdom; but rather he would haue said,Luke 12. 32. It is your own wil, in that ye belieue, for which God doth, and wil giue the Kingdome vnto you. Nor could that be true, which againe he saith,Iohn 15. 16. Electionem illam nec fides ipsa prae­cedit, ne priores illum eligisse di­canu [...]r, falsum (que) sit quod absit. Non vos me ele­gistis, sed ego vos elegi. Aug. I. de Praed. sanct. cap. 19. You have not chosen mee, but I ha [...]e chosen you; seeing if his will were in this case onely conditionall, he should neuer chuse man, before man had first chosen God, by choosing to beleeue in God; yea, the saluati­on of each man should by this means depend wholly on him that runneth, & him that willeth; and the Apostles words so cleerely and certainly set down, should be vntrue: It is not in him that runneth, nor in him that willeth, but in God that sheweth mercy. By which words is cleerely signified, that the onely cause why this man rather then another is chosen vnto life, stands not in the will of man, but of God, who by his absolute will decreeth to giue his grace vnto one, and thereby make him to beleeue and runne the race of piety, and so be saued: and by his like absolute will decreeth to harden; that is,Obduratio Dei, est nulle misere [...]i, non vt non à Deo i [...]rogetur aliquid, quo [...]it homo de­ter [...]or, sed tantùm quo sit [...] non erogetur. Aug. I. 1. ad Simpl. q. 2. not to giue his grace to another, & so leaue him to runne on the race of his own wickednesse, vnto eternall perditio [...].

This being obserued, it is not hard to answere those places of Scripture: Where it is said, that God 1. Tim. 2 4. would haue all men to come to repentance, and be saued. For if these, and the like spee­ches be vnderstood, not of all sorts, or degrees of men, as besides others, S^t Austen O [...]es homi­nes, id est, omne genas hominum, Reges, pri [...]atos, nobiles, ignobiles, &c. Aug. Ench. c. 103. & Epist. 107. Potest intel­l [...]g [...]t fiat dis [...]ri­bu [...]io pro generi­ [...]us s [...]. gulorū, & non pro singulis gene [...] ̄. Aquin. P. 1. q. 19. art. 6. often expounds them; but as they take them, of all men, without exception of any, then can they no way be meant of the absolute will of God; seeing then it were im­possible Mulis a veri­tate deuiaru [...]t, dicentes Deum multa velle fieri, quae non fiunt. Quis enim [...] desipiat, &c? Mag. sent. I. 1. dist. 46. [...]x August. that any at all should perish: for if they did, the will or wickednesse of man should make frustrate the wil and Counsell of God. And who is able to resist his will? Of which himselfe saith,Isay 46. 10. I will doe whatsoever I will: and of which S. Austen Aug. Epist. 107. Vbi de Infantibus loquitur, & in Enchir. c. 95. De populo Bethsaidae a [...]t, Deus noluit selu [...]s fieri. saith, that many are not saued: non quia ipfi, sed quia Deus non vult, and, quia nolit saluos fieri: not because they would not, but because God wil not that they shalbe saued: or [Page 19] he had absolutely willed that euery one without exception should be saued: how could Saint Paul haue said of those vessels of wrath, that they are prepared? or Saint Iude, that they are ordained? or as Saint Austen, Quos i [...]st [...]prae destinauit ad poenam. Aug. Ench. c. 100. and after him, Fulgentius Praedestinauit Deus quosdam ad gloriam, quosdam ad poenam. Fulg. I. 1. ad Mouim. Qui totus liber est de duplici prae­destinatione, vn [...] bonorum ad g [...]o­riam, altera malo­rum ad poenam. and others often speake, predestinate to destruction and cou­demnation. For none canPertinet ad fi­dem, vt Praedesti­nationem Dei in vtram (que) partem (tam ad mortem quam ad vitam) esse credamus, & si vtrumvisnege­tur sacrilegum est. Ecel Lug­dun. l. cont. Io. Scot. qui praede­stinationem ad poenam negauit. doubt, but what God prepareth, or­daineth, and predestinateth, that also he willeth, seeing predesti­nation Quid est aliud Praedestinatio, quàm aeterna Dei voluntas? Eccl. Lugd, lib. cit. is his very will? Hence it is, that some,Nich. He­ming. l. cit. p. 16. 19. & saepius. considering that those testimonies could not be meant (as they suppose) of the absolute will of God, seeing by it he will Voluntate con­sequenti (quae absoluta est) Deus vult quosdā damnari. Aquin. p. 1. q. 19. art. 6. haue many to perish, doe expound them of his reuealed, which is called his conditionall will; for by it God wil haue his Gospel preached, and saluation conditionally offered vnto all, and so all condition­ally to be saued: to wit, all who performe that condition of faith and sanctitie which is required of all.

But I rather assent to the iudgement of others, and speci­ally of Saint Austen: who by those generall speeches of all, and none; vnderstand not all men without exception, but all Gods Elect and chosen children: expounding the places in this manner, that God would haue all to come to repentance and be saued; namely, all his Ita dictum est omnes homines vult saluos fieri, vt intelligantur omnes praedestinati. Aug. l. de Correp. & grat. c. 14. & idem do­cet l. 4: cont, Iulian c. 8. Sic etiam de solis praedestinatis ad vitam explicat haec verba. Eccl. Lugdun. in l. contra Ioh. Scotum. chosen, of what degree or con­dition soeuer they be; and againe, he would haue none to pe­rish; to wit, none that beleeue in him, none of his elected seruants, of what degree soeuer. Which restriction is the more agree­able, seeing Christ himselfe seemeth of set purpose to set it downe, Math. 18. 14 saying; It is not your Fathers wil, that any of these little ones should perish. He said not, It is not Gods will that any should perish; but granting this of some, hee saith, It is not Gods will that any of these little ones, of these chosen ones, who are little, meane, and contemptible in the eyes of the world, that any of these should perish. And the very circumstances in Saint Peter (Who is an expositor of [Page 20] Exechiel) do enforce the same limitation. For besides that h [...] writeth this to the elect of God, who had obtained like preci­ous faith with himselfe, he giueth this as a reason of the long patience of God, and his slacknesse in comming vnto ludge­ment, because God would haue no man to perish, but would haue all to come to repentance. Now the reason of Gods slacknesse, is not the repentance and saluation of all men without exception, (for if he stayed for that, he should neuer come vnto ludge­ment) but the reason thereof is the expecting and waiting till the elect be all effectually conuerted, and their number fulfilled, as it is most manifest, Reu. 6. 10, 11. where those blessed. soules vnder the Altar, crying vnto God, How long, Lord, holy and true, doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud! receiue this very answere that here S. Peter giueth, that they must rest and stay yet for a little season, till the number of their fellow [...] seruants and brethren were accomplished. Wherefore though God will haue none of these his chosen children, and of their fel­low seruants to perish (for whose sake hee slacketh his com­ming,) yet, as before we haue proued, it is the absolute will and decree of God, concerning the reprobate and refuse of the world, that they shall perish in their sinnes, and runne head­long of their owne accord into the pit of destruction proui­ded and ordained for them.

O but, say they,Siptucos serua­ret, relictis caete­ris, suiss [...]t non so­lum iratus & in­ [...]lemens, sed ini­quus, &c. Auth. l. de Christ. seru. effic. Rat. 23. Those men are more to be abhorred then Atheis [...]s. What greater cruel­ty & tyranny, then to create the most part of the world to cue [...]lasting damnation, & that onely be­cause it was his pleasure and will? Then is God worse then the diuel. Auth. conf. of the carel. Sect. 6. & 7. ye cruel­ly affirm Gods ordinance to be the cause of damnation. Idem. Sect. 23. this can not stand with the Iustice of God, that he should ordaine any, or create them vnto everlasting death, and that for no other cause, but that it is his will and plea­sure. For death is the reward of sinne, and not of Gods ordinance or decree.

Wretched men, who being besotted with a spirit of blind­nesse, and daring to reprehend that which they do not com­prehend, doe most ignorantly confound those two [...] Innuit hos v­ [...]rosq, actus, Ca­iet. comment. in part. 1. Tho. q. 23. art. 5. S [...]d, non recte effectus vocat. Reprobati [...] inquit, quo [...]d prim [...]um effectu [...], N [...]gtionem actus mise [...] is ordiae seu gratiae exercet: quoad alterum e [...]ctum, qui est [...], Ius [...] act [...]n exercet. acts of Gods decree, which in this cause of the Reprobation of men are diligently and necessarily, to be distinguished. The former is Negatiue, and that is, the eternall purpose and decree of God not to [Page 21] shew mercy, nor giue his grace vnto them, nor to pull them out, as we doth the elect, but leaue them in that masse of sinne, and most wofull state, whereinto both they and the elect vvere now together falne. The other is Positiue, and that is, the eter­nall purpose and decree of God to inflict that euerlasting punish­ment vpon them, which is most instly deserued by that sinne, into which they wilfully fall, and in which they stil abide, pursuing sinne with all greedinesse. We neuer say, nor so much as once think, that God either condemneth any, or appoints them vnto death, without their owne most iust deserts. God himselfe teacheth vs this lesson, Hos. 13. 9. Thyperdition, O Israel, is of thy selfe; and the Apostle, saying, Rom. 6. 23. that the wages of sinne, is death, cleerely witnesseth vnto all, that eternall death is as duely earned by the wicked, and paid vnto them for their iust recompence, and hire, as is the wages by any master to his labourer, or seruant. And herein is that true which S. Austen Lib. 3. contr [...] Iul. cap. 18. saith, God is both good, and iust. Hee may without our good deserts free vs, because he is good; but hee cannot without our ill deserts condemne vs, because he is iust. Yea, in that last and great Day, when God shall sit in his Throne of iudge­ment, the wicked and reprobate, forced to confesse their faults written in their conscience, as in a large booke, shall then acknowledge both their owne deserts, and the Iustice of God, in rewarding them with the due wages of their sinnes. It is not then the will and pleasure of God, as they maliciously slander, but their owne great and hainous transgressions, for which they are punished, and for which God from all eter­nitie decreed to punish them: sinne onely is the cause of this later and positiue act in Gods decree.

But for the former & Negatiue act in their reiection, where­by God ordained, that when all mankinde was alike guilty before him, all included in that one and the selfesame masse of perdition, into which by their owne voluntary transgression all mankinde had plunged it selfe (for in [...]Adam Rom. 5. 12. Ephes. 2. 3. all men sin­ned, and so death and Gods wrath went ouer all) that hee would not then in mercy pull these out of that masse, and [Page 22] make of them vessels of glory, but in iustice leaue them in that their sinfull and wofull estate to be vessels of wrath, leaue them to their owne lusts, destitute of his grace, that so they might runne out the race of their sinnes, and be as it were fatted for the day of slaughter: the cause of this act, I say, is the very will of God; which though we may not doubt, but that be­ing his will, who is most wise, it is also most reasonable, Cauendum est, ne dū voluntatē Dei magnificare volumus, volun­tati eius deroge­mus. Si enim non esset alia ratio, quare istum ele­git & illum non, nisi quia placet, certe [...]am non oc­culta dicerentur diuina iudicia, sed manifesta, cum qu [...]bet hāc rationem capiat: nec dicerentur mirabilia, sed po­tiùs voluntaria, quare dicendum est, qu [...]d voluntas illa Dei, est rati [...] ­nabiliss [...]a, & rationem habet, & ab aeterno ha­buit. Bonau. in lib. 1. sent. dist. 41. q. 2. & groun­ded both vpon most iust, wise, and diuine reasons, such, as perhaps, in the life to come shall be made euiden [...] vnto vs; yet hereof no other reason can possibly be giuen by vs, nor ought to bee sought for in this mortall life, but onely this, I will haue mercy on whom I will: and whom he will, he hardneth, that is, he wil not shew mercy vnto them.Tunc non late­bit, qu [...]d nunc latet, cur ille potiùs quàm iste fuerit assumptus, cum causa vna esset ambobus. Aug. Ench. cap. 95.

Now why should this seeme vniust vnto thee, O thou disputer against God? It is, as the Apostle tels thee, the will of God; whose will, seeing he is infinitely wise, is euer most iust; yea, it is the very rule Dei valuntas, non tantùm est recta, sed etiam regula. Bonau. loc. cit. of all perfect iustice. Again, in that thou art a creature, thou art none of thine owne, but thou art wholly Gods. Is it not lawfull for me to doe with my owne what I will? saith the hous-holder in the Gospell: and shall it not be lawfull for God, to doe, and to dispose of his owne, as it best pleaseth him? Shall the Potter without controulement frame of the same lumpe of clay, one vessell to honour, another to dishonour, onely because it so pleaseth him? and wilt thou, which art but dust and ashes, aske a reason of God, why of that one lumpeSi artifex ex vil [...] mate­ria, faciat vas pulchrum & nobilibus vsibus accommodatum, totum ascribitur bonitati artificis: sed si ex vili materia, vt ex lut [...], faciat vas [...]ccommodatum vitibus vsibus, non potest vas (si rationem ha­beret) conqueri, sed si ex pretiosa materia, vt ex auro, aut gemmis, vas faciat ad vili [...] officia, tū conque­ri posset. Humana aut [...] natur a vi [...]itatem habet, non solùm ex materia, quia est lutum & limus t [...]ae, sed quia est cor [...]a peccato: vnde quicquid boni habet, debet bonitati figult. Aquin. comment. in c. 9. ad Rom. Et idem omnin [...] docet Aug. Epist. 106. Vbi massam [...]llam ex qua Deus h [...]e [...] diuersa vasa finxit, nec integram aut mediam idest, nec bonam, nec malam) sed plane corrupt [...] fuiss [...] docet. of sinne, fit for nothing at all but to make vessels of dishonour, he made thee, rather then another, a ves­sell of dishonour, which of a silly Potter thou wouldest blush [Page 23] and be ashamed to aske? Nay, the Apostle saith of the Potter, that he hath not only power, but euen authoritie & a rightfull power; (for so the word [...] importeth) to frame the clay as he listeth, and of what part thereof he wil, to make a vessel either for honor, or dishonour. How much more is there au­thoritie and a rightfull power in God ouer all men? For the Pot­ter made not the clay, but God made, yea created vs of no­thing: and the Potter, though by much and many degrees he excell the clay, yet still the oddes and difference is finite. But God infinitely excelleth all mankinde; and therefore his authoritie is infinitely more ouer vs all, then is the Potter ouer the least parcell of Clay. Yea, thou thy selfe wilt, for thy own pleasure, sport, or glory, kill and slay of thy Deere, and fat of thy beasts, which thou wilt, for slaughter: and yet because thou thinkest they are thy owne, death it were for any of thy seruants, to say to thee, no lesse then to the man of sinne, Do­mine, Non Rex, non Synodus, non tota Ecclesia (Papae) dicere potest, Cur ita facis? Clau. Esp. com. in c. 1. ad Titum. pag. 77. cur ita facis? yet thy beasts had no way offended thee, but beene good and seruiceable vnto thee, so that thou hadst onely the power of a Lord ouer them, but thou hadst no cause of wrath and anger against them: How much more may the Almighty, for his glory, designe or leaue which of all mankinde he pleaseth, for the day of slaughter; seeing both, they all had by their rebellion against God, incensed his wrath, and prouoked his iust indignation against them; and hee being the Lord of all Lords, and Creator of heauen and earth, hath infinitely more authority ouer them all, then thou hast, or canst haue, ouer the least and meanest thing that thou doest possesse?

Lastly, if God had beene indebted vnto thee, or bound to shew thee mercy and fauour, then mightst thou haue had some cause to complaine of his wrong. But the Almighty did owe thee nothing, nor was he obliged to shew thee the least fauour. And though hee was not, yet, to leaue thee vvithout all excuse, hee enriched thee with his free bounty, and thou hadst greatly tasted of his fauours, in that hee gaue thee thy being, when hee might haue suffered thee to continue in [Page 24] Nothing: in that he made thee a man, when, if it had pleased him, hee might haue made thee a beast; yea, haue made thee a Toad: and especially in that hee created thee after his owne image, decking thee with righteousnesse and true bolinesse, set­ting thee in a most glorious and happy estate, and giuing vnto thee free will, power and abilitie to haue continued so for euer, if thou wouldest thy selfe. Now feeing thou, and all mankind by their owne will and wilfull disobedience, didst depriue thy selfe of all that glory; and pulledst downe his iust wrath and vengeance vpon thee: Why doest thou now repine against so good and gracious a God? or how canst thou imagine a­ny colour of iniustice in his doings, though hee shew not to thee that vndeserued mercy which hee doth vnto others, to whom he giueth both grace and glory? As one of those ma­lefactors before mentioned, caunot iustly complaine, that the King doth wrong him, because he did not pardon him, as he did some other in the like offence, and condemnation: So though God deale in iustice with thee, and not in mercy, as he doth with others, yet he doth no wrong vnto thee, seeing he ought thee nothing: and to shew vndeserued In his quae ey gratia dantur, & non ex debito, po­test aliquis, abs [...], praeiudicio iusti­tiae, pro libito suo, plus dare cui vult, & cui vult, minus, dummod [...] nulli subtrahat debitum. Aquin. p. 1. q. 23. art. 5. fauour, is mercy and loue; but not to shew it, is no iniustice, no wrong at all. Whence also may fully be cleered the iustice of God, in his reiecting of the transgressing angels. There is, I confesse, great oddes and difference in the reiection of them, and of men. All mankind was included in one common roote, whence all the rest should be propagated: so were not the angels. All mankinde in that common roote had sinned, Rom. 5. 12. Ephes. 2. 3. and willingly depriued themselues of blessednesse, and made themselues subiect to the eternall hatred of God: so had not the angels. In electing men, God vsed an act of mercy; I will haue mercy on whom I will. Now mercy presupposeth sinne and misery: so in electing of them, God in mercy puld them out of sinne and misery, and in mercy gaue both grace and glory vnto them. In electing the Angels, he cannot be said to haue vsed this Act of mercy, seeing they were then neither sinfull, nor [Page 25] miserable. His act in electing them, was onely an act of free loue and bounty, in giuing such grace vnto them, as that they should neuer sinne, neuer [...]e willing to sinne, nor euer fall from that most blessed estate, wherein they were created. In reiecting men, God vsed an act of iustice: and that act was both Nega­tiue, decreeing not to giue such grace vnto them, as should free them from sinne and misery, as hee did to the elect; and positiue, decreeing, for that sin into which they wilfully now had runne, to inflict eternall punishment vpon them. All which, God himselfe expresseth, saying of that reiected per­son, I haue hated Esau: that is, I haue both in iustice decreed not to shewDicitur Deus reprobos odrsse, quia non vult eis hoc bonum, qu [...]d est vita ae [...]rna. Aquin. p. 1. q. 23. art. 3. Quod verum est res­pectu actus primi seunegatiui. such loue and mercy to him, as I doe to Iacob; and in iustice also decreed to inflict that punishment on him, which his sinne most iustly hath deserued. In reiecting the Angels, God can not be said to haue vsed this Act of Iustice, seeing hee could not decree to leaue them either in sinne, or misery, into neither of which as yet they were falne. His act of reiecting them, was onely Negatiue, decreeing not to giue that grace vnto them, which hee gaue to the elect An­gels, such as would preserue them from sinning, but to leaue them wholly to themselues, and permit Deus bona om­nia vult volun, t [...]te effectiuā, quia ipse eorum author est & approbator: Mal [...] verò seu peccata nunquā v [...]lt vo­luntate essectiuā, sed tantum per­missiuā, quia vo­lens permittit ea fieri, cum non im­pediat ne fiant: ipse autem nec author corum est, aut causa, nec praecipit fieri, ne [...] facta approbat. Haec innuit Mag. sent. dist. 46, lib. 1. & alij Scholastici in eam dist. & Aug. in Ench. cap. 96. them of their owne accord to fall into sinne: and his decreeing to punish their sinne, was an act of his iustice on the parties reiected, rather then an act of his reiection of them. In all which, Gods dealing to haue been most iust, if wee rightly consider thereof, will be cleere and manifest. For had God at the Creation either made mankinde or Angels sinfull, or hauing made them iust, had he left them impotent, Si hoc adiuto­rium (quo possent stare si vellent) vel Angelo, vel homini, quando primùm [...]acti sunt, defuisset, non vtiq, suā culpā cecidissent, adiuterium quippe defuisset, siue quo ma [...]ere non possent. Aug. l. de. Cor. & grat. c. 11. or vn­able to stand in that blessed estate if they would, or had hee himselfe thrust them forward into sinne, compelling or causing them to transgresse, then might they haue iustly complai­ned indeed of God: Complained first of want of goodnesse in God, who had either made them euill, or forced them to be euill; and then complained of his iniustice, who would pu­nish [Page 26] them for doing that euill, whereof himselfe had beene the cause and author vnto them. But Gods proceeding here­in was farre otherwise. It was euery way most iust, and most equall. For he not onely created mankinde and all Angels in perfect righteousnesse Gen. 1. 27, 31. and innocency, exceeding good, and complete in all goodnesse, which was N [...] habere voluntalem im­mutab [...]at [...]r bo­num, soli Deo conuenit Creatu­rae autem Natu­ra exigit, vt quia non est summe bon [...], id [...]o vo­lunias cius non sit summè, id est, incom mutabi [...]ter bona. Sed talis, quae possit de [...] ­cere, vel non defi­ce [...]e. Aquin. in q. d [...]p. q. de P [...]ou. art. 4. sit for their natures, but withall, he gaue vnto them (that which was requisite to reasonable creatures) such a freedome of will, and so great as­sistance and aboundance of his grace, that by these, they might Dederat Deus primo h [...]mini ad­intorium, per quod posset per­man [...]re si vellet, vt autem vellet, in [...]iu [...] reliqu [...]t arbitriv. Aug. l. de Cor. & grat. c. 11. Quod idem [...] Angelis pec­cantibus dicen­dum est. for euer haue perseuered in pietie, and continued in bles­sednesse, if themselues had beene willing. And although God might further haue giuen, both to the wicked angels, and to all mankinde, such an ouerplus of grace, (as he gaue to the elec­ted Angels, and dayly giues to the elect Sanctis per gratiam prade­s [...]inatis non s [...]lum ta [...]e ad [...]utorium dati [...] (vt possirt sta [...]e siv [...]l. nt) sed tale, vt perseuerantia ipsa d [...]n [...]tur, si [...] vt per hoe donum non nisi per­seu [...]rantes siat. Aug. ibid. cap. which are regenerate and sanctified) that they should not onely bee able to perse­uere, if they would; but that they should also be willing so to per­seuere: yet seeing he was no way bound to giue this grace vn­to them, seeing that grace was meerely his owne, to giue it, or not giue it, vnto whom he would; neither can mankinde, nor any of the reiected angels, complaine of iniustice in God, for not giuing such grace vnto them. May not I doe with my owne what I will? May not I giue my grace to whom I will? and withhold it from whom I will? Is thy eye euill, because I am good? For seeing that grace was due to none of them all, if he giue it to any, that's his bounty and a surplusage of his loue; but in not giuing it to others, seeing hee ought it not to any, he doth no wrong at all vnto them. In the very like sort, when first the wicked angels, and after them all mankinde, had by their owne wils, and most voluntary transgression, cast off the loue of God, and so not onely depriued themselues of that glory, which if they had been willing, they might for euer haue enioyed, but made themselues lyable to Gods wrath, and eternall condemnation: what wrong or iniustice can this seeme to any, not to pull them out of that pit of per­dition, [Page 27] into which, with open contempt of God, both those angels, and all mankinde, of their owne accord, and most willingly had now cast themselues? If he had for euer left all mankinde, as he did all the transgressing angels, in that wo­full and wretched state, hee had done no wrong to any, see­ing hee was not bound to shew his mercy or fauour vnto any. In that he puls out some, it's a superaboundance of his loue and mercy towards them. In that hee leaues the rest to destruction, it's truely iustice on Gods part, and on theirs most deserued punishment; for to giue vndeserued fauour, is mercy, but not to giue it, or to render deserued punishment, is no wrong.

Now, whereas in the last place, they accuse If your say­ing were true, then were his workes full of cruelty, mise­ry, damnation and destiucti­on. Auth. co [...] fu [...] of the carelesse. Sect. 23. He had then beene worse then the d [...]uell. Idem Sect. 7. Nulla est tam immanis be­stia, quae velit creare pu [...]lum ad mise [...]i [...]m. Auth. confut. Artic. ex Calu. de­ce [...]p. art. 1. Quare creauit cos, si ad [...] non praedestina­uit? Ob [...]o impiorum, in Dialogo Honorij Aug. de P [...]ae­dest. God not onely of inuistice, but for tyranny and cruelty for creating so many, whom hee would permit to fall into sinne, and then in­flict endlesse and insupportable torments vpon them; whereas, if it had pleased him, he might haue giuen vnto them all such grace, as would haue preuented not onely their destruction, but their sinne also which was the cause thereof; they doe herein bewray themselues, not onely to be besotted in er­rour; but such as Gyant-like doe maliciously fight against God. Art thou wiser then the Almighty? or wilt thou pre­scribe a Law vnto God, whom, or how many hee should create? or what measure of grace he should giue vnto them? Art thou able to answere him one for a thousand? Was't not sufficient to giue both to all mankinde, and to all angels, so much grace and power, as that thereby they might for euer haue stood in integritie, and haue inherited eternall felicitie if they would themselues? In which one gift, consists the effect of all that, which the oppugners of this truth, either doe, or can say, to cleere the iustice of God [...], or free hish from that cruelty, which against vs they obiect: Or had God entended their death, or destruction, before he foresaw their most wilfull rebellion; then might they haue had some colour for their impious and blasphemous declaiming a­gainst the Lord. But seeing no thought of punishing either [Page 28] men or Angels, euer entred into the heart of God, but in or­der, Etsi in Dei [...]oluntat [...] non sit ve [...]prius, vel po­s [...]e [...]us ( [...]mpore) quia quaecun (que) vult, ab aeterno volu [...]t, ordine ta­men naturae, & pro nostro captu, non possismus al [...] ­ter cogitare, qua hoc ordine Deum voluisse, & velle: sic vt resco ordi­ne volucrit, quo inter sepositae sunt. Ita ordine natura, [...] vo­luit causas, deinde affecta, &c. Hie [...]. Zanch l. 3. de Attrib. Dei, c. 4. q. 11. Thes. 3. though not of time, yet of nature and reason, after his fore­sight of their voluntarie disobedience and rebellion against him: why should they count it either iniustice or cruelty, to inflict that deserued punishment on them, which they wilfully puld downe vpon themselues. Or was God bound to giue them such an antidote of his preuenient grace, as would haue preserued them from sinne? Besides, that he was not so obliged to any, in the infinitenesle of his wisedome, he saw it was not fit he should giue that vnto them: for by giuing such grace vnto all, it would haue beene thought, that it had been their own, and their naturall power, which now, by not giuing it to some, is declared to bee due vnto none; and by bestowing it on others, is knowne to bee his free and supernaturall gift and grace vnto them. Nay, by giuing such grace vnto all, hee had for euer both damm'd vp all passage to his iustice and mercy; and the greatnesse of his loue, wisedome, and good­nesse, had for euer beene obscured. And therefore firstSic ordinauit Angelerum & l [...]minum vitam, vt in ea prius [...]stenderet quid posset corum libe­rum arbitrium, deinde quid posset suae grattiae benefi­cium, institiae (que) indi [...]um. Aug. l. de corr. & grat. cap. 10. he [...] would let them know what of themselues, and by their owne will they would doe, euen runne into destruction, that afterwards hee might make euident and knowne all the exceeding riches of his glory. The riches of his mercy; which could neuer haue beene seene if he had suffered none to fall into misery, whence afterwards himselfe would deliuer them by mer­cy. The riches of his iustice; who is now seene to be so in­finitely iust, as that he hath an infinite hatred against all iniu­stice, and therefore iustly inflicteth an infinite punishment vpon it; and who therefore would not in mercy pardon all, as he might haue done, lest it might seeme, that hee who is Righteousnesse it selfe, had not in a iust and perfect manner hated vnrighteousnesse. The riches of his wisedome; who is now seene to be so infinitely wise, as that he could finde a most blessed meanes, both fully, euen to the vtmost far­thing, to punish the offences, and so to satisfie his infinite iu­stice, and yet wholly to pardon the offenders, and so to ma­nifest his infinite mercy; that euery one might with the Pro­phet [Page 29] Psal. 101. 1. say vnto God, Mercy and iudgement will I sing vn­to thee. The riches of his power and goodnesse; which both are now seene to be so infinite, that hee is able to turne the greatest euill, to our greatest good, and euen out of sinne, to worke saluation; and out of death, to effect eternall life. The riches of his lone to the elect: the infinite greatnesse where­of could neuer haue beene conceiued, if they had not seene in the iust punishment of others, from what infinite and endlesse torments they are freed themselues, and freed by his onely loue, either most louingly preuenting them vvith his grace, that they should not fall into sinne, as hee did the elected Angels: or most louingly deliuering them by his grace, when they were falne into sinne, as he did all the elect of mankinde. In regard of all which, it may truely bee faid with Saint Austen, Omnipotens Deus, cum sum­mè bonus sit, nullo mod [...] sme­ret malt al [...] quid esse, nisi vs (que) ade [...] esset omnipotens & bunus, vt be­nefacit etiam de [...]alo. Ench. cap. 11. Nec [...]ubitandum est Deum facere be­nè, etiam sin [...]nd [...] fieri, quicun (que) fiunt mal [...]. Qui [...] etsi mala, in quantum smala sunt, non sint bona, tamen vt nonsolūm bona, sed etiam sint & mala, bon [...]m est. Lib. eod. c. 96. that God being both most powerfull and most good, would neuer haue suffered euill to haue beene, vnlesse hee had beene so infinitely good and powerfull, that he was able euen out of euill, to bring good: and vnlesse Melius iudi­cauit de malis beneface [...]e, quàm mala nulla esse permittere. Aug. in Ench. cap. 27. Rectissimè credimus qu [...]d Deus, qui creauit omnia bona val­de, & mala ex boms exoritura praesciuit, sciuit magis ad suam omnipotentissim [...]m bonitatem pertinere, de malis benefacere, quàm mala esse non sinere. Idem lib. de Cor. & grat. cap. 10. he had knowne that it was a farre more glorious worke, and would turne to his farre greater glory, when some had sinned, euen out of sinne to worke saluation, then not to suffer them to sinne at all. But what though we in the shallownesse of our vnderstanding either cannot giue, or cannot comprehend the reason of Gods will herein? Shall we therefore presume to exclaime against the Lord, or accuse him for thus doing? Doth not the Apo­stle put to silence the insolency of this folly, when hee saith, Rom. 9. 20. O man, who art thou that disputest with God? Who art thou that darest aske a reason of his will, whose very will is the rule Dei voluntas est Ratiorationum, nec tantum recta, s [...]d regula. Bon. in l. 1. sent. dist. 41. q. 2. of al reason? Much rather oughtest thou here euen with amazement and admiration, cry out with the same Apostle; Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches [...] both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out! Yet euen by this little, which we haue now said, [Page 30] you doe cleerely see, both the will of God to bee most holy, and his iustice most vpright, and both his will and iustice to be without all blame, in that his whole Decree, whereby hee elected some, to giue freely vnto them both grace and glory, and left others in their owne sinne, to bee led thereby into euer­lasting perdition.

Howsoeuer then blasphemous mouthes doe barke a­gainst Heauen, & against their Creator; yet let vs, & all Gods seruants, not onely acknowledge, but magnifie, as in those whom he refuseth, his Iustice; so in our selues, his exceeding and vnexpresseable mercy: let vs cast all our crownes before his footstoole, and sing an hymne of praise vnto him, who not onely hath made vs of nothing, but which is the most happy blessing that wee can wish or desire, hath made vs vessels of loue, vessels of mercy, and glory; whereas if it ha [...] pleas [...]d him▪ hee might haue left vs to haue beene ves­sels of wrath and vengeance, as hee left the rest: for there was no oddes at a [...]l [...]etwixt them and vs, in our selues: the onely odd, was in his mercy and will; Euen so, O Lord, it was thy holy will, who hast said it, and it shall stand for euer, Thou wilt h [...]ue mercy on whom thou wilt, and whom thou wilt thou hardenest. And thus much be spoken of the first generall point: namely, our Election it selfe, as well of the parties who, as of the cause why they are elected.

The second generall point proposed, was the certainty of our election; expressed in this, that the Apostle saith, Make your election sure. Now our election is said to be sure or cer­taine, two manner of waves. First, it is sure and certaine, in it selfe: secondly, it is called sure and certaine in respect of vs, and of our perswasion or knowledge. Concerning the former certainty, beeing not so proper to this place, I would not haue at all entreated, if some malicious men had not with most venemous tongues oppugned, and eagerly sought to disgrace this truth: teaching thatSi quis defece­rit á fide, des [...]it esse electus. & reprobus efficitur. Heming. lib. de grat vniuers. pag. 26. Here you see, that they diuide all men into two forts; the one elected, which by no meanes can perish; the other re­probate, so that by no meanes they can be saued. What can the Diuel wish his members to teach more for the aduance­ment of his Kingdome then this? Auth. confut. of the carelisse by necessity. Sect. 27. By this you see, that the e­lect become reprobates by their wicked­nesse. Ibid. Sect. 30. & simi [...]a il­lic passim. Idem sensit Alphon. à Castre, [...]i ne (que), Praedestinatos si [...] n [...]ces [...]tari ad bonum, ait, vt peri [...]e neque [...]t, ne [...]; reprobos sic cog [...] ad gebeanam, v [...] vitam promcue [...]ri non valean:. Lib. de haeres. vit. Predestinatio. Gods election is so vn­certaine, [Page 31] and changeable, as that the elect may become repro­bates, and the reprobate elect; the elect bee quite blotted out of Gods fauour, and fall from their election; the other receiue the cr [...]wne of glory, which was prepared for the elect.

But wee are taught a farre more comfortable doctrine in the Word of God, That Gods election is most firme, certaine, and vnchangeable. For it it the Ordinance, Counsell, and De­cree of God, who hath chosen vs, Ephes. 1. 4. who hath prede­stinate, that is, fore-ordained vs vnto glory, Rom. 8. 29. Now if the ordinances and Lawes of the Medes and Persians, were such as might not be altered; how much more shall the De­cree of God be immutable, of which himselfe faith, Isay 46. 10. My Counsell shall stand? The firmenesse of this election our Sauiour teacheth, Iohn 6. 37. where speaking of his cho­sen seruants which his Father hath giuen him; he saith, They shall all come vnto me, and those that come vnto me, I cast not a­way. And lest we should imagine, (as they doe,) that though Christ would not put them away, yet either themselues, or some other, might take them from him; hee addeth further, Iohn 10. 28. of the same chosen sheepe, I giue vnto them e­ternall life, and they shall neuer perish, neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand. If not any, then not the World, nor the Flesh, nor Satan with all the powers of darknes, no nor they themselues, shall bee able to plucke themselues from Christ, or take them out of his Fathers hand. And lest wee should thinke that though they cannot be pluckt, or by force drawne from Christ, yet by some subtiltie, or craft of Satan, they might be ensnared, and, as it were, stolne from him, our Sauiour preuenteth euen this doubt also, Math. 24. 24. tel­ling vs, that the wonders and lying signes of Satan shall bee such, and so great, that if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect. Manifestly implying thus much, that not all the sleights, deceits, and lying wonders of Satan, shall bee able to deceiue any one of his Elect; because it is impossible by any meanes whatsoeuer, to take or steale them away from Christ, who being the Watchman and good Shepheard of [Page 32] Israel, can neither slumber nor sleepe. Seeing then Christ promiseth to receiue all the elect, and beeing once receiued and come vnto him, neither himselfe will cast them away, neither any force or violence shall bee able to pull them out of his hand, nor any deceit or sleight of Satan shall steale them from him, that remaineth as vndoubtedly true, which Saint Paul teacheth, Rom. 8. 29. that saluation and eter­nall glory; is by a golden chaine most infallibly and in­separably linked vnto election; for whom God predestina­teth, them also he (effectually) calleth; and whom he so calleth, them also he iustifieth; and whom he iustifieth, them also hee glo­rifieth.

Here againe they open their mouthes wide against God. abusing their wits, peruerting the Sacred Scriptures, and in the insolency of their folly, euen in most reprochfull man­ner slandering this holy truth of the certainty of Gods e­lection; yea, and the whole doctrine of Predestination also, as a dangerous, pernicious, and pestilent doctrine, making men, as they teach, Obijciunt no­men gratiae vt abommandum sensum operiant blasphemi [...]. Sub­sidia enim orati­onis excludunt, & operandi la­borem. Quid enim vltra spe­ret quem iam gratia (electionis) suum fecit? In quo etiam non desperet, quem praefinitio violen­ta damnauit? In illo culp [...], in hoc gratia locum non habet. In v­tro (que) periclitatur iustitia. Salus illic ingerenda est, non quaerenti, huic auferend [...] etiam labora [...]ti. Faust. Rheg. (bomo hareticus,) quisub specie oppugnandi, Pelagianismum fortiter propugnat.) lib. 1. de libero a [...]b. cap. 4. By your poysoned doctrine ye infect the people of God, and draw them to a secure, idle, and carelesse life. Auth. consut. of the carelesse. Sect. 27. Why, Mas [...]ers, haue yee no con­science thus to cause the people to sinne? Ibid. If your opinion be true, the preaching of repentance is vaine; for if the elect cannot perish, what need they repent? and if the reprobate cannot attaine saluation, to what purpose should they repent? Ibid. Sect. 30. It is no matter what we do, if your doctrine be true. Ibid. Sect. 28. & huc [...]lanè spectabat haer [...]sis [...]a quae Praedestinatorum dicta est. Omnia sic ex predestinati [...]ne suspendende, vt re (que) bona opera prodesse, ne (que) m [...]la [...]pera obesse cuiquam possent. De qua Sigeb. in Chron. an. 415. Sed opinor eum non satis recte exposuisse istam haeresin. secure and carelesse of well doing, and of their saluation. For if I be, say they, predestinate to life; what neede I repent, beleeue, serue or loue God, let mee wallow in sinne, yet seeing the elect cannot perish, nor fall out of Gods fauour, I am certaine I shall be saued: But if I bee reiected of God, to what purpose should I repent or amend my life; for though I walke in all the statutes of God, yet can I not attaine to life, but must vn­auoidably be condemned?

See how rightly the Apostles doome is verified of these [Page 33] men, When they professe themselues to bee wise, they become fooles, God making the wisedome of the flesh meere foolish­nesse. For know they not, that this dispute of theirs is eue­ry way as effectual against the Praescience and foreknow­ledge (which yet themselues confesseAuth. con­fut. of the care­lesse Sect. 15. & 18.) as it is or can bee against the Decree and Predestination of God? his Praes [...]i­ence being as certainely infallible, as his Decree is immuta­ble. If God then foreknow that I shall be saued, let me liue as I list, and passe my time in sinne, yet I shall bee sure to bee an heire of Gods Kingdome: But if God foreknow that I shall be damned, to what end should I feare or serue the Lord: for seeing God foreknoweth this, and what hee foreknoweth must vnauoidably come to passe, though I should wholly deuote both my soule and body to Gods seruice; yet of necessirie I must at the last eternally perish? Let them now either in plaine tearmes professe Atheisme, and deny Proescience in God, and so denyQuid aliud est negare in Deo praescientiam fu­turorū omnium, qu [...]m dicere, De­um non esse De­um? Quomodo e [...]m Deus est qui futuro [...] um prae­scientiam non ha­bet? Eccl. Lugdun. in lib. cont. Ioh. Scot. him to be God, or let them cease with such vaine disputes, to oppugne the Ordinance, Decree, and Predestination of God, the selfesame difficulty as forcibly ouerthrowing the infallibilitie of the one, which themselues confesse, as it doth, or can, the Immu­tabilitie of the other, which we defend.

See againe how Satan hath bewitched these men: they seeme witty to themselues in pleading thus against their owne saluation; but this their reason is with them of no force at all, to make them secure and carelesse in their bo­dily estate, or worldly affaires. God doth not onely fore­see, but foreordaine also concerning euery man, whether hee shall be rich or poore, sicke or whole, liue or dye; for none of these come from the earth, nor spring out of the dust, as holy Iob Iob 5. 6. speaketh, that is, they come not by chance or fortune vnto any; but as the Prophet saith, Lament. 3. 38. Out of the mouth of God, (from his appoint­ment and Decree) proceedeth both good and euill. And yet when will these disputers either perswade others, or resolue themselues vpon this their reason, to set Cock on hoope, as [Page 34] themselues speake,Let vs set cock on hoop, and let the world [...], let vs eate and drinke, and rise vp to play, &c. Auther. confut. of the carel. Sect. 27. that is, to sit carelesse and secure, to sleepe and sl [...]mber, nor once trouble their mindes or bo­dies in the eager pursuite of the wealth and pelfe of this world? because it God hath decreed, or doe foresee, that they shall haue wealth; let them doe what they will, sit still, or ryot, waste and lauish all they haue, yet shall they sure abound, seeing what God foreknoweth, or fore-ordai­neth, shall most infallibly come to passe: and if God decreeth or foreseeth that they shall be poo [...]e and miserable, though they compasse Sea and Land, and load themselues with all, both the East and West Indian treasures, yet by that vnresistable Decree of GOD they shall bee put all in­to bottomlesse bagges, and liue and dye in a poore e­state. Or would not these men thinke that hee did scoffe and deride them, who would in serious manner perswade them, neuer to eate or drinke, but rather to starue or stab themselues; because, if God (who hath numbredIob 14. 5. all our dayes) hath decreed, or doth but foreknow, that they shall yet liue twenty, thirty, or forty yeeres more, doe whatsoeuer they will or can, yet shall they attaine to that period prefixed or foreknowne of God: and if God haue [...]rdained or foreknoweth that they shall dye with­in a moneth or a yeere, though they should eate no­thing but the fruit of the Tree of Life, and fill them­selues with Nectar and Ambrosia, yet could not all this immortall foode prolong their liues one houre, or mi­nute; seeing the foreknowledge of God is without all errour, and his ordinance without all change? When they can by this their reason, wherein they infinitely please them­selues, perswade either themselues, or others, to this care­lesse, nay, franticke courses, then may they with some co­lour perswade, that our doctrine of the Prescience and Pre­destination of God will make men careles [...]e of their eternall saluation.

But if laying aside the pride and wantonnesse of their owne wits, they could bee content to submit their [Page 35] reason to the wisedome of God, they should easily dis­cerne, how their whole dispute in this, and all like cases, relyeth on no other stay, then a broken staffe of Reede. For did God either foreknow or fore-ordaine any of these ends, without respect vnto the meanes, which doe infal­libly leade therevnto, then had they some shew for their pretended reason. But seeing it is most certaine, that God neither de [...]reeth, nor foreknoweth of any, that the shall bee saued, but withall hee both foreknoweth and de­creeth, that himselfe will make him to embrace those meanes, and walke in those wayes which will bring him vnto life: and seeing hee neither decreeth nor foreknoweth the damnation of any, but of the same hee decreeth, and foreknoweth, that he will leaue them destitute of his grace, to be led by their owne lusts into sinne and impenitency, which is the infallible meanes to bring them vnto death: [...] most cleerely hence followeth, that as none doe neglect or omit the meanes, but the same also doe misse of the end, so neither doe any euer faile to attaine the end, who doe embrace the meanes that lead therevnto. Whence it comes to passe, that though none of the Elect can either misse of the end, or neglect the meanes of saluation, God by his grace directing them in the one, and thereby leading them vnto the other; yet vpon that suposall which they make, if they should not beleeue, nor vse the meanes of life, it may, yea, it must be said, that they should neuer attaine to to the end, but eternally perish. Euen as Saint Paul, though hee knew that God had decreed and fore­told Act. 27. 30, 3 [...] him also, that all who were with him in that dangerous tempest, should come safe to Land, and not so much as an hayre fall from the head of any: all which himselfe certainly be­leeued; yet when the Mariners, who were to bee the meanes of their safety, were ready to fly away, and leaue the rest to the rage of the sea, hee conditionally and truely said, that if the Mariners abode not in the ship: that is, if they vsed not the meanes of their [...]afety appointed by [Page 36] God, there could none of them be safe: notwithstanding both the Decree, Praescience, and Prediction of GOD for their safety. Againe, though in respect of Gods immuta­ble Decree and Praescience, it bee simply impossible, that any of the Reprobate should either beleeue, repent, and leade a sanctified life, or bee saued; yet euen of such it may and must bee sayd, that if they performe those du­ties, which are the meanes of life, they shall asluredly at­taine vnto the end to which those meanes doe leade, which is eternall saluation. Euen as our Sauiour, though hee knew that God had decreed concerning Tyrus and Sydon, two heathenish, proud, and prophane Cities, that neither himself would worke those singes among them, where­by they would haue beene conuerted and repent; nor that they should either repent or bee saued [...] yet condition­ally and truely [...] saidMath. 11. 21. of those Cities, that if those workes had beene done amongst them, which were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would haue repented, and so should haue haue beene saued. The reason of all which, and of all the like is, that which the Logicians rightly teach, that a conditionall proposition Propositio con­ditionalis [...] po [...]t [...]esse. puts nothing in being, that is, requires not the being or being true of either part there­of, but it onely shewes what must follow and be gran­ted, if such a condition bee admitted, whether it bee true, or false.

But leauing their disputes; let now euery mans con­science iudge, how vniustly they slander vs and this holy Doctine, as an inticement Ye would intice the pecple by this doctirine, to fi [...] ne. Auth. Censes. of the car [...]les. Sect. 28. Ye draw them to a lecu [...]e, and carelesse, life. Idem Sect. 27. vnto sinne, and perswasion of securitie. For seeing the Scriptures and the Spirit of God teach, both that Predestination which wee haue deliue­red, and the immutabilitie thereof; let them take heede, lest in reuiling the teachers of this doctrine, they do not blaspheme the Spirit of God himselfe. For our selues, wee will not desist: first, in generall, to exhort all men, to cease from doing euill, and learne to doe well, telling them with the Apostle, Rom. 8. 13. If they liue after the flesh, they shall dye: [Page 37] but if they mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, they shall liue: and with the same Apostle, Galathians 6. 7. Whatsoeuer they s [...]we, that shall they reape; If they sowe vnto the flesh, they shall reape corruption and death: but if they sowe to the Spirit, they shall reape life euerlasting. Then for the Elect in particular; Wee exhort them with Saint Paul, 1. Tim. 1. 19. to fight the good fight, hauing faith and a good conscience: with Saint Peter, 2. P [...]t. 1. 10. to g [...]ue all diligence to make their election sure; and with Iohn Baptist, Mctb. 3 8. to bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life; For if they doe not this, if they keepe not faith and sanctitie, which are the Mariners to guide them to the celestiall Ha­uen, they will certainly make shipwracke of their sal­uation, the Spirit of GOD assuring them, that bee Iohn 3. 18. that beleeueth not is condemned already, and that Math. 3. 10. eue­ry Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be [...]ewne downe and cast into the fire. As for the rest, wee cannot speake to any one in particular, as one retected of God: for neither can any knew of another, no nor of himselfe neither, that hee is a Reprobate, seeing at the last watch, yea, euen at the last gaspe, God may effectually call and conuert him: and wee in charitie are both to iudge and hope the best of all: Yet euen them also (if wee know any to bee such) wee would not cease to stirre vp vnto all the duties of a Christian life; assuring them, that if they will beleeue and liue in fanctitie and holinesse, they shall be crowned with glory: God himselfe sayingGen. 4. 7. to Cain, whom hee knew to bee a Reprobate; If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and Christ proclaiming,Iohn 3. 15. that whoso­euer beleoueth, shall baue euerlasting life.

Besides which, vnto them both, whether they be Elect or reprobate, it may be further said, that as by their refrain­ing from sinne, and doing that which is good, in either of both estates, they shall be sure to gaine; so by their pursu­ing of sinne, and heaping vp iniquitie, they shall, in either estate, bee sure to lose thereby. For if they bee elect, though [Page 38] by reason of Gods ordinance, they bee sure to obtaine remission of sinnes, and eternall life, and to bee in the number of those heauenly starres; yet because euen in that eternall life, there are many Io [...]n 14. 2. proqualitate me­ntorum (i. bo [...]o­rum operum) di­uersae sunt man­siones. Hier. l. 2. contra Iouin. & Aug. tract. 67. in Iohan. and diuers mansions, and one Starre 1. Cor. 15. 41, 42. Q [...]d [...] Aug. & Hier. Io [...]s [...]. differeth from another in glory; the moe, and the more hainous sinnes that they doe commit, the lesse portion Qui suturi sint pro meritis, (i. benis operi­bus) praemiorum etiam gradus, honorum atq, gloriarum, quis est idoneus cogita­re? Quod tamen (gradus) futuri sint, non est am­bigendun [...] August. lib. 22. de ciuit. dei, cap. 30. Denarius quidem ille est communis omnibus, quo vti (que) denario, significatur vita [...]terna. Sed multe mansiones diuersus meritorum (i. operum) in vna vita aeterna significant dignitates. Sancti, sicu [...] Stell [...] diuersas mansiones, diuersas clari­tates in cocle sortientur. Nec erit aliqua inuidia impanis claritatis, quoniam regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis. August. tract. 67. in Ioh. & idem iterum habet, l. de virg. cap. 26. Sic erit in resurrectione mortuorum, vt iusti in claritate solis luceant, & qui in sequents grad [...] sunt, lune splendore rutilent, vt alius Lucifer sit al [...]s A [...]cturus, & qui parce seminat, parce & metet, & in coelis erit maximus & minimus. Hier. lib. 2. cont. Iouin. vbi Iouiniani err [...] ­rem resutat, qui docuit, Nullam esse diuer sitatem, nullos gradus in praemys Sanctorum, sicut ne [...] vollos agnouit in poenis damnatorum. Hinc etiam recte a Scholasticis dicitur, Praemtum essentiale Sanctorum esseaequale, nempe visionem Dei, sed praemium accidental [...] esse inaequale, quia c [...]arits al­ter altero Deum videt. Mag. sent. lib. 4. dist. 49. & Aquin. in distinct. 49. q 5. art. 1. and weight of that eternall glory shall bee giuen vnto them, as there is lesse light and glory in those which they call obscure or cloudy starres, and those of the fift or sixt magnitude; whereas if their liues had here shined in san­ctitie, in innocencie, in faith, in purity, and in sinceritie, then themselues also should haue shined like those prime and fairest Dan. 12. 3. Vbi iustos ait fulgere vt coelum, cos verò qui & i [...]sfisunt, & altos ad institian con­uertu [...], splendere vt Stellas, etsi Hier. verba illa aliter exponit. starres, or like the Sunne in his strength and glory. In like sort, If they be reiected of God, though by reason of their owne peruerse wils beeing hardened in sinne, they are sure to runne into etnerall death and perditi­on; yet because euen in that eternall death, there are di­uersities and degrees of punishments, for some fewer, Luk. 12. 47, 48. & Toler [...] ­bilius cri [...] Tyro ac Sidoni, quàm vobis, Mat. 11. 22, 24. for others moe and more bellish stripes, the more they restraine themselues from sinne, and the more they practise those workes of iustice and temperance, which for the substance Potest seruart praeceptum Dei, quoad substantiam operis etiam cum peccato. Bell [...]5. de grat. & lib. a [...]b. cap. 9. of the worke are good, and such as Heathen men and Re­probates [Page 39] may performe, euen by this they shall gaine thus much, that their stripes and punishments shall bee farre more easie, then if by their wallowing in sinne, and letting loose the reines to impietie, they had treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath. Seeing then, whether soeuer they be Sheepe or Goates, they are sure by impietie to lose, and by good workes to gaine, both of them in Tanto, though neither of both in Toto; euen in this respect, if there were no other, it behoues them both to labour and striue to represle sinne, and doe that which is good; that if they be elect, their reward may bee more glorious; and if they bee not elect, their punishment may bee lesse grieuous.

Lastly, in whom, I pray you, doth or can this holy doctrine breed securitie and carelesnesse? Not in them who know or thinke themselues to bee elect. For this very perswasion of Gods loue, in whomsoeuer it is, doth cause a more feruent loue, and more earnest seruing of the Lord, who hath vouchsafed them so great and vnexpressible mercy: euen as the Apostles, who knew that their names were written in heauen, were most ready and desirous to doe and suffer all things, for the loue they had vnto God, the loue 2. Cor. 5. 14. of Christ constraining them therevnto. For as Saint Austen saith,Deum si ama­re pigebit, saltem redamare non pi­geat; Nulla e­nim maior est in­uitatio ad amo­rem, quàm prae­uenire amando: & [...]imis dur­us est animus, qui amor c [...], &c. August. de Catech. rudi­bus, cap. 4. Hee is too churlish and [...]nkinde, qui amorem si nolit impendere, nolit rependere, who if hee will not bestowe loue vpon God, will not yet requite the loue of God freely bestowed on him. Not in them, vvho thinke themselues Reprobates: For seeing they doe not, nor can know themselues to bee such; why should they deiect their mindes, and not rather hope, by repentance, faith and and sanctitie, to obtaine fauour with God, and bee found in the number of those, of whom the Apostle faith, 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himselfe from these, he shall bee a vessell vnto honour? Euen as in their bodily sicknesse, and worldly estate, they labour and toyle, neglecting no meanes to attaine health, wealth, and welfare, because [Page 40] they know no other but that God hath decreed an happy successe, and to giue a blessing to those meanes vvhich are commanded and ordained by himselfe: So because they know no other, but that God hath decreed to giue saluation and eternall glory vnto them: why should they not labour by faith, sanctitie, and all holy meanes, to at­taine vnto life, and leaue the successe vnto him, vvho hath said and assured them, Ezekiel 18. 31. Returne and cast away all your transgressions, so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction? So many wayes is that their cauill of securitie cleerely refuted: by which, as by the chiefest en­gine, which their wits could deuise, they seeke to ouer­throw both the whole doctrine of Gods Predestination, and that certainty or assurance of our election: of which we now entreat.

But they further oppose the Scriptures against vs, and against that assurance, which we before declared; see­ing Dauid, Psal. 69. 28 desireth of God, that hee would wipe Iudas (of whō among others that Psalme is meant) was wiped out of the Booke of Life; and as Saint Peter saith, was found vnwor­thy of his elec­tion. Hee was before chosen, &c. Auth. conf. of the carelesse. Sect. 32. his enemies out of the Booke of Life. Now if any may be wiped out, whom God hath once enrolled among his elect; then is not our election so sure and immutable as wee haue taught.

For answere whereunto, I say with Saint Austen, In Psal. 69. God neuer wipes out any, whom hee writ in that Booke: for if a wretched man was so constant, that hee would not al­ter his writing, but said,Iohn 19. 22. What I haue written, I haue writ­ten; what indignitie were it to Almighty God, to thinke him so wauering, that hee will write and blot out againe, which a sinfull man, Pontius Pilate, was ashamed to doe? Those enemies then of God, of whom Dauid speaketh, who vnder the colour of an outward profession, cloaked their inward hatred to God and his Prophets, were writ­ten in the Booke of God, or seemed so to be, onely by the iudgement of men, who saw no more then their outside and fained profession; they were neuer written there in truth, nor according to his knowledge, who tryeth the hearts and [Page 41] reines. And Dauid, to whom Gods Spirit had reuealed their hypocrisie, and deepe dissimulation, among other curses, prayeth that this also may befall vnto them; that whereas themselues or other men thought them to bee written among his chosen children, and to bee of their number, God would in his iustice, pull off that vizor of hypocrisie, and make it knowneQuomode inde delentur, vbi nunquam scripti sunt? Hoc dictum est, secundum spem ipsorum, qui [...] ibi se scriptes pu­tabant, vt ipsis constet, non se esse ibi scriptes. Aug. in illum Psal. to all, by brauding them with some marke of his hatred, as hee branded Cain, that they nei­ther are, nor euer were of that flocke of his chosen seruants. Which the Prophet expresseth, by two seuerall phrases, the latter whereof doth expound the former; saying, Let them [...], bee wiped out of the Booke of the liuing, and not bee written among the righteous: wiped out, according to mens iudgement, who thought they were writt therein, but in truth declared, not to bee, nor euer to haue beene written a­mong his rightcous seruants. Which to bee the Prophets meaning, is most cleere by that of Saint Iohn, Renel. 17. 8. where speaking of all the wicked, who shall goe into euer­lasting perdition, (of which sort none may doubt but these cursed enemies of God were) hee faith, that their names are not written in the Booke of Life from the founda­tion of the world: that is, were neuer written in that Booke. And if they were neuer truely, but only in theQuidam phre­natici hoc practex­tu (precationem Mosis & Pau­li) fidei nostrae caput de aeternae Dei Praedestinatione labefactant. Calu. in Exod. cap. 32. ver. 31. iudgement of men written in that book, neither were they, nor could they be in truth, but onely according to the iudgement of men (charitable I confesse in this point, but yet erroneous) wi­ped out of the same Booke.

That seemeth of greater difficultie, which they ob­iect from the prayers of Moses, and Saint Paul, who being without all doubt written in the Booke of Life, (the Spirit of God witnessing of the one, that hee was Heb. 3. 2. faithfull in all the house of God: and of the other, that he was a cho­sen Act. 9. 15. vessell, for whom was layd 2. Tim. 4. 8. vp the crowne of glory,) de­sired of God that rather then his name should bee blasphe­med, or his glory impayred, he would euen blot Exud. 32. 32. them out of that Booke of Life, and make them a curse Rom. 9. 3. for euer [Page 42] to bee separated from Christ. Which thing, if Gods electi­on were immutable, had beene simply impossible, and such as those holy men would neuer, as it seemes, haue requested, and so earnestly prayed for at the hands of God.

I can no way here assent to the iudgement of Saint Ie­rome, Perict [...]upit, non in perpeluii, sed in praesentia­rum, & perire in carne. Hier. E­pist. ad Algas. quaest. 9. who expounds these prayers to bee meant of a temporall and bodily death onely, but not of the eternall. For such a death could not haue made them accursed, or an Anathema; nor haue separated them from Christ; nay, by it they should haue attained blessednesse, and haue beene eternally vnited vnto Christ. By which, and some other reasons, Chrysosteme Chrys. hom. 16. in Rom. doth not onely refute, but euen deride that opinion.

Much lesse may wee consent to some other learned men, who rightly vnderstanding in these prayers a totall and eternall separation from God, doe thinkeMoses non sa­tis reputal quid Deo conueniat, & longius pro­gressus Paulus, &c. Sic confu­sum fuit votum, vt repugnantiam in ardoris venementia non vide­vint, ac si extra sè essent. Calu. com. in c. 32. in Exod. v. 31. & tanta vehemen­tia abreptus fuit, ot lvquatur quasi ecstaticus, ibid. affectus praecipi­tanter [...]ernontur, hve votum con­fuso animo erupit. Calu. in cap. 9 ad Rom. them to haue beene somewhat rash, ouer-heady, and lesse considerate positious, proceeding indeede from a minde full of zeale, but so astonished, amazed, and carrted away with the a­boundance of loue vnto God, and to his people, that they consi­dered not, neither that it was vnfit for themselues to haue, or for God to yeeld to these requests, nor yet how impossi­ble it was which they now desired. Such confusion and in­considerate zeale, wee may not admit in these holy men, seeing Saint Paul did not speake, but write this, with most serious and aduised premeditation, yea, by the inspiration and guiding of Gods holy Spirit, protesting also and cal­ling God to witnesse of his hearts desire in this matter: and Moses Perspicimus & Mosts & Pauli eundem fuisse affectum. Hier. loc. cio. in his prayer was moued for the same cause, and directed by the same Spirit, to request the same thing of God: yea, and the prayers of them both are such, if they bee rightly considered, as euery true Christian and child of God may, in the zeale of their hearts, present before the Throne of God.

For whereas they suppose it in no wise allowable, to [Page 43] pray for that which either in it selfe, or in regard of Gods Decree and Praescience is impossible, and cannot bee gran­ted, our Sauiours owne prayerMath. 26. 39. doth vndeniably teach the contrary, when hee conditionally desired of God, that if it were possible that cup of death might passc from, him: And yet hee knew it, to bee no lesse impossible for him to escape that Cup, then it was impossible that Moses, or Saint Paul, or any elect vessell of God should eternally pe­rish. Now, that Moses and Paul did in their prayers im­ply the like condition, is not to bee doubted: For seeing their Petitions proceeded from a true faith, and aymed at, nothing else but Gods glory, they could not chuse but be accepted of God, and granted by him, in like sort as our Sauiours was: Christ himselfe assuring vs, that whatsoeuer Iohn 16. 23. wee aske in his name, and with Mar. 11. 24. a belecuing heart, shall be granted vnto vs: now they could no way bee granted, if simply and without condition they had beene asked of God; for then they had beene actually wiped out of Gods Booke, and separated from Christ, who by his eternall and immutable Decree were elected and ordained to bee partakers with him in glory. Their prayers then were con­ditionall, and in effect thus much, that seeing the glory and honour of God seemed much to bee encreased by preser­uing his people of Israel, whom hee threatened to destroy and cast away, these men inflamed with the desire of Gods glory, request,Haec dicit, Si possibile esset vt per meam perdi­tionem glorsfica­retur Christus, & yudaei salui fie­rent, ne (que) hoc de­tractare: siquide optarim, inqua [...]t, si possibile esset, si liceret. si mihi haec optio daretur. Oecum. in illum locwn: Optabam si fieri posset, esse Anat [...]ema. Aq. in c. 9. ad Rom. that if it were possible, and if it might stand with Gods holy will, b [...]ee would rather destroy them, then so great a Nation, and rather blot them out of his Booke, and make them an Anathema, for euer to be separated frem God, then by casting away those whom he had chosen for his inheritance and peculiar people, suffer any part of his glory and honour to bee impayred.

Great loue I confesse vnto God, but such, as if any thinke them too prodigall of their soules, hee therein be­wrayeth himselfe to bee of the minde and affection of Iu­das: who, when the box of Spikenard was powred on [Page 44] Christs feete, mouedIohn 12. 4. Math, 26. 8. the Disciples to grudge and say, What needed all this waste? Such men are too rife in this last and worst age of the world, who if any thing bee be­stowed on Christ, or vpon his Church for the furthe­rance of his glory, straightway they murmure and repine, and cry out with Iudas, What needeth all this waste? But when they themselues haue spent many boxes; nay, bar­rels and Butts of Spikenard, to wallow in the lusts and pleasures of their sinnes, yea, when they haue spent not onely their Lands and goods, but their bodies and soules [...]lso in the seruice of the Diuell; yet in all this, there is no was [...]e at all. Now if such vile and wretched miscreants thinke nothing too much, nor too deare, for the honour and seruice of Satan; why should Moses, Saint Paul, or any of Gods children thinke any thing, though it be their very bodies and soules, too deare or precious to bee be­stowed on God, or for his honour? I am verily perswa­ded, that if the true Child of God, after serious medita­tion of these two examples, should come vnto this strait, that on the one side were proposed his owne saluation, with the losse of Gods glory, on the other the glory of GOD with his owne destruction, when hee should remem­ber that hee were made of God, and made onely for the honour of God, that he, and euery one are in duty bound, as Saint Austen An pliùs quis­ (que) debct Deum cil gere qu [...]m suiplum. Aug. 1. r. de doct. Chr. c. 27. & incem­pvabiliter plus charitatis Dco debcmus, quàm nobis: nam Deum propter se, nos ve­ro, & proximos prop [...]er Deum di­l [...]gcre debemus. Aug. 1. 8. de Trin. cap. 8. truely teacheth, to loue God more then themselues; and that his glory, as another saith, is more to be regarded Vna Dei gloria praesuri merctur cantums mund [...]s. Calu. in Exod. 23. then an hundreth worlds, and therefore certainly more then one sally worme of the world, of which the ProphetIsa. 40. 17. saith, All Nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him or in comparison of [...] lesse then Nothing: When hee should, I say, consider all these, howsoeuer flesh and bloud would wrastle and resistawhile, yet in the end hee would with Moses and Saint Paul, much preserre the glory of his God, before the good and saluation of his owne soule. To conclude this point▪ that which C. Blassius answered,Cic. lib. de Amicit. but very ill, concerning [Page 45] his loue towards his friend Gracchus, that most fitly besee­meth our loue towards God: When hee once said, that hee so much esteemed his friend Graochus, that whatso­euer Gracchus would command him, hee would performe and dee it. What, quoth Lelius, and would you euen burne the Capitoll for his sake? Truely, quoth Blassius, Gracchus would neuer will or wish me to doe that, but if hee should, I would not refuse to doe it. Such should be our loue to God, and zeale to his glory, that for his [...]ake, wee should suffer and vndergoe anything whatsoeuer hee would haue vs. What, will you say, should wee, being vessels of honour, suffer our selues to bee euen a Curse, an Anathema, and to bee separated for euer from God? I may heere assuredly an­swere vnto you, that neither can this possibly be effected, nor can God euer wish that hurt or [...] vnto vs; but if hee should require it, and if it were possible, thereby to gaine him honour and glory, wee should not refuse, no not to become an Anathema from GOD, as you see Moses and Saint P [...]ul are so farre from refusing it, that in the burning zeale of their hearts, they desire it of Almigh­tie God. And thus much be spoken of the former certainty of our election, which is the firmenesse and certainty there­of in it selfe.

When first this Scripture did offer it selfe vnto my minde, it was my speciall purpose and desire to haue en­treated of that which hath not yet beene once touched; namely, of that other assurance of election which is in re­spect of our selues, wherein is contained the greatest trea­sures of our spirituall comfort. But God, you see, hath so disposed of my labours, that I haue onely at this time, pas­sed, as it were, ouer the Red Sea, and thorow the wilder­dernesse, and but entered or taken possession in the common and generall right of Gods children, of that good land, fight­ing by the way with diuers sonnes of Anak; all which, by the power and strength of our God wee haue put to flight this day. When God shall grant mee opportunitie, I shall [Page 46] be desirous, according as God shall enable mee, to per­forme also that best and most blessed act of Ioshua, which is, to diuide this good Land among Gods Children, and by assuring euery one of them in particular of their owne electi­on, set each of them, as it were, in the blessed and peaceable possession of his owne portion in this heauenly inheritance: meane time and euer, I commend vs all to the grace, fa­uour, and mercy of our God; to whom bee ascribed by all, and in all places, all honour, praise, and thanksgiuing, both now and for euermore. Amen.