¶ Two bokes of the noble doctor and B. S. Augustine thone entiteled of the Predestinacion of sain­tes, thother of perseueraunce vnto thende, whervnto are annexed the determinacions of two auncient generall Councelles, confermyng the doctrine taught in these bokes by s. Aug. all faythfully translated out of Laten into Englyshe by Iohn Sco­ry the late B. of Chichester, very ne­cessary for al tymes, but namely for oures, wherin the Papistes & Ina­baptistes haue reuiued agayne the wycked opinions of the Pelagiās, that extolled mās wyll & merites agaynst the fre grace of Christe.

Yf ryghteousnes commeth by the lawe then Christ dyed in vayne.

Gala. 2.

¶ Reade fyrst, and then iuge, who haue preached the true catho­lyke doctrine of the Chur­che of Christ: we, or our aduersaries.

¶ Vnto the Christean reader Iohn Scory the late B. of Chichester wy­sheth grace and peace frō God oure Father thorowe Iesu Christe our alone and onely me­diator and Aduocate.

HE wrote not amysse whi­che notynge thignoran­cie, ingratitude and vani­te of mās nature said, that men cōmend, prayse, and wonder at thynges past and aunci­ent: they despyse and set nought by the thynges present, whych they haue before their eyes, and in their hā ­des: they earnestly desyre and gredely couet thynges to come. In ye first we maye beholde mans ignorance, because nothynge namely in religion and doctrine be it neuer so aun­cient, is worthye any commendaci­on, excepte the same be also groun­ded vpon truthe. In the seconde we may consyder thingratitude of mā, whych contemnynge goddes good­nes, presently callyng all men to ly­ght, lyfe, and lybertie, had rather a­byde in darkenes, death, and bondage. In the thyrde mans vanitie is [Page]bewrayed, whych gapyng alwayes for newes, is neuer cōtented nor sa­tisfyed, wyth the manyfest truthe obteyned and had. The tyme of Chri­stes cōuersacion in thys world, wā ted not these kyndes of men: whych despysynge the present lyght of the worlde, the foūtayne of lyfe & truth,Ioh. 8. whom they beheld wyth theyr eyes, and handeled wyth theyr handes, they commended and praysed the mooste auncient Moses, with whome they knewe (they sayd) that God hadde talked wyth:Ioh. 9. they made none ende of garnyshyng the monumentes and graues of the olde pro­phetes,Mat. 23 and iuste men: they bosted them selues to be the sonnes & sede of olde father Abraham:Ioh. 8. not for any loue or zeale they had to tholde fa­thers prophetes, and their true worshippyng of God, but onely for the hatered they bare to Christ, and hys heauenly doctrine. Wherfore God dyd after moste iustely (accordyng to Christes threatnyng) take away his kyngdome from them,Mat. 21. and. 23. makynge theyr habitacion waste and desolate And bycause they loued not ye truthe presently offered vnto them,2. Thes. 3 be sene [Page]them streng delusion, yt they myght beleue lyes. I came (sayeth the sōne of God) in my fathers name,Ioh. 5. and ye receyued me not, yf an other shall come in hys owne name, hym wyll ye receyue. Thus were the blynde, vnthankfull, and vayne Iues most iustely punyshed. Whether our age be not ful of suche godles men, I reporte me to thyne owne conscience gentle reader. That God hathe in thys our age,Ioel. 2. powred out aboūdant lye the manyfolde gyftes of hys ho­lye spirite vpon the, the chyldren of men, to open our eyes, that we my­ght be conuerted from darkenes to lyght, and from the power of Satā vnto God,Act. 20. that we myghte receyue the remission of sinnes, and a felowshyp amonge them whych are san­ctified thorowe fayth, is more manyfest then the noone daye. Neuerthelesse suche is the wylful ygnoraūce, and vnthankfull vanite of mē, that (these present manyfolde, and won­derfull gyftes of Goddes spirite be­ynge contemned, and set at nought, whyche we dayly se wyth our eyes, hear wyth our eares, and as it were grope wyth our handes, they neuer [Page]cease cryenge fathers, fathers, the churche, the churche, to the intents onely to deface the cleare and open truthe reueled vnto their owne age They wolde make the worlde beleue that tholde auncient Ecclesiasticall wryters (whose onely errores they adore, and worship, but the truthe whyche both they taught, and we defende, they either hyd, and dissemble or els depraue, and corrupt, as they do the holy scriptures) taught an o­ther religion, and an other waye of saluacion, then was of late taught, and by common consent and autho­ritie receyued in Englande, in the dayes of the moste excellent and fa­mous Henry the father, and moste vertuouse and Godlye Edwarde the sonne, the ryght myghtye and noble kynges lately of Englande, whose moste worthy fames and memories (tho some moste vngodly, & vnnaturally, do continually ende­uoure themselues by all maner of meanes to deface) shall euermore cō tinue, and be celebrate, cōmended, & set out, of all such as were their true and louyng subiectes. They wolde (I saye) beare men in hande, that in [Page]the dayes of these moste worthy kinges, abhominable and new fangled doctrine was openly taught, and a lyke religion receyued, and vsed. So vnthankfull they are vnto God, for hys present benefites. Neuertheles thou mayst euidētly perceyue deare brother, by readyng of these bokes of S. Aug. whych I haue faythfully translated out of laten into Englysh (wherunto I entend (yf god wyl) to adde an other entiteled of the spirit and letter) what was thold doctrine of the catholyke churche, touchynge our saluacion. For teachynge and defendyng wherof chiefly, accordyng to the truthe of the holy scriptures, and the same auncient doctrine of the true catholyke church, our aduersaries are not ashamed to saye, that we the preachers that truely prea­ched goddes holy worde, in ye dayes of thaffornamed moste noble kyn­ges, preached nothynge but newfangels, and abhominable doctrine.

And therfore they thynke,Ioh. 16. that they do God hye seruice, to molest & trouble vs in euery place, to robbe and spoile vs of al maner of worldly ly­uynges, liberties and goodes, to re­uyle [Page]and slaunder vs, to rayle and lye vpon vs openly euen in the pul­pettes, from the whych goddes holy worde ought onely to soude, and be heard, and not maliciouse slaūders, and manyfest lyes. These notwythstandynge, they desyre to be coūted catholykes, not onely vnlustly vsur­pyng that name to them selues on­ly, but also vncharitably excludyng from the same al suche as be true catholykes in dede. They haue many yeares iugled wyth the worlde, vnder the tytle of the catholike church, and notwythstandyng that by son­dry meanes theyr leigerdemayne haue ben openly discouered (wher­by the moste parte of men perceyue well enowe theyr ypocrisie) yet ha­ue they nowe agayne put vpō theyr vnshamefast, and horyshe face, the vysar of the catholyke churche: whi­che S. Au. in these bokes do so pluck of, that all men maye perceyue, that in deprauyng the true catholyke do­trine of saluacion, whyche we haue moste truely preached, they shewe themselues to be ye great hore, that sytteth vpon many waters,Apo. 17 the mo­ther of horedome and abhominaci­ons [Page]of the earth, rather thē yt catho­like churche, which is the veray and only spouse of Christ Iesu our Lord Thou shalte therfore in these bokes gentle reader perceyue (as I haue sayd) the true catholyke doctrine of our saluacion, and of all matters that depēde, and are annexed to the same: as what is the veray original cause of our saluaciō, after what maner and sorte, we are fyrst called vnto saluacion, by what and whose meanes and deseruynges we so continue, that we attayne the fruicion of the same in thend: why al are not so called, that they may folowe, and obey the caller: howe weake and vnable mans wyll is, either to come to God, or to continue in hym vnto thende: whether we be saued, that is predestinate, called, iustifyed, & glo­rifyed frely thorowe the onely gra­ce and fauoure of God, by faythe in Christe Iesu, or by the preceptes of good lyfe: For thus S. August. spea­keth,De spiritu & littera. Cap. 13. we conclude (sayeth he) that a man is not iustifyed by the precep­tes of good lyfe, but by the fayth of Iesu Christe. That is not by ye lawe of workes, but by the lawe of fayth: [Page]not by the letter, but by the spirite: not by the merites of dedes, but by grace frely geuen. I praye you whi­che of vs all (whych are iudged and proclamed by our aduersaries to be new fangled and lyeng preachers) dyd euer preache more largely or o­therwyse, of the doctrine of saluaci­on and iustificacion, then S. Aug. haue here wrytten: I beseche the cō ­syder and marke S. Aug. wordes well, and then I doubt not but that thou shalt perceiue manyfestly, that our aduersaries declare themselues moste shameles reprobates, whyche are not afrayed in theyr frantyke & furious mode, to call that doctrine whych is onely auncient, true, and heauenly, new fangled, and abomi­nable.2. Tim. 3 Neuertheles as the madnes of Iannes and Iambres that resy­sted Moses was euidēt vnto al mē, euen so I doubt not, but that thou mayest perceyue, that S. Aug. dothe discouer here the madnes of these sorcerers, whyche can none other­wyse (beyng destitute of the trueth) mayntayne their madnes, but by violence and tyranny: as theyr cruell enterpryses and procedinges, do manyfestly [Page]declare to all ye worlde thys daye. That thou be not therfore de­ceyued and bewytched thorow their incantacions,Gala. 3. reade diligētly (I say) these bokes of S. Aug. whervnto I haue in thende annexed the deter­minaciō of two auncient councels, that conferme the truthe of S. Aug. doctrine. And yf any thynge perad­uenture shall seame vnto the harde to be vnderstāde, I wolde haue the to consyder that S. Aug. do in some places here intreat of goddes secret councelles, and iugementes, which can not be perceyued either by external senses,1. Cor. 2. Mat. 11. or naturall reason, but by fayth only, that beleueth, and re­steth in the true vnderstandynge of Goddes worde. The beleuyng man therfore that calleth vpon God, shal as easely vnderstande thys true ca­tholyke doctrine of saluacion,Ioh. 10. as the shepe knoweth ye voyce of hys owne shepherd: altho the wyse of ye world, that do peryshe, whose vnbeleuynge myndes Satan hath blynded,2. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 1. wyl esteme thys not onlye new fangled, but also folyshe and abhominable.

Further yf any thynge that S. Au. here teacheth of the state of infantes [Page]that dye wythout baptime shal per­aduenture offende the, I muste de­syre the diligently to wey, and con­syder, bothe the horrible deformite of that originall synne, wherin we were all borne,Rom. 5. Psal. 51. and also the moste iuste and secrete iugement of God, vpon the chyldren of wrathe for the same, whych S. Aug. in the .xii. chapter of thys seconde boke do set forthe moste playnly.Ephe. 2. And thē I doubt not but yt yu shall either be persuaded, to credite also s. Aug. in this mater, or els yu wylt wt quietnes & modeste discent frō him. For s. Aug. intēded neuer either in these bokes, or in any other tyrānically to cōpelle any mā (as our aduersaries do) to folow his iugement in religion, but desyreth onely to be credited so far forth, as a mā may perceyne, that he dyd not erre. That he was of thys mynde, you maye in many places of hys o­ther workes, and namely in the. 21. chapter of thys seconde boke many­festly se. Neither haue I translated these bokes to call the from the cer­teine and infallible truthe and au­thoritie of Goddes worde, to hange nowe vpon S. Aug. but that bothe thou, and all other that wyll, maye [Page]perceyue by the testimonye also of S. Aug. what was and is,The cause of trā ­slatynge these bokes. thold, aū ­cient, and true, catholyke doctrine of the churche touchynge our salua­cion (whych cōsysteth vpon our eternall eleccion, or predestinacion, vo­cacion, iustificacion, and glorifi­cacion, as S. Paule testifieth to the Romanes) wherby thou mayest the more truly iuge, betwene vs & oure aduersaries, which cease not to crye out, affermyng moste vntruly, that we haue preached new fangled and abhominable doctrine.

But thys ought not to be passed ouer wyth silence that S. Aug. both in these bokes, and in diuerse other places of hys workes do teache and afferme, that infantes can not be saued wythout the receyuynge of the Sacramentes of Christes body and blood. Of thys iudgement was also S. Cipriane, wherby it is manyfest that in theyr dayes the Churche of Christe dyd vse to mynistre Theucariste to infantes.The eu­chariste gyuen to infantes Thys was an olde and auncient tradiciō of the church. And notwythstandyng that our ad­uersaries haue omitted the same, as they do diuerse other suche lyke, yet [Page]are not we so captiouse, or so vncha­ritable, eyther to condempne them for thys omission, or to enforce that they shulde receiue the same tradici­ons againe. Wherfore by right and equitie they ought to graūt, that the churche of Englande, accordyng to the lyberties of the same, in ye dayes of the moste noble and excellet prin­ces Henry the .viii. and Edward the vi. by cōmon consent of al the states of the realme, and their supremest authorite in earthe vnder Christe, myght omitte or chaunge tradiciōs in religion (as it dyd) altho the same were auncient, and mencioned in olde wryters, as longe as it dyd cō ­stitute, or ordeyne nothyng, against goddes wrytten worde. Wherupon I may also iustly conclude, that tho­se our aduersaries whiche do nowe condemne the hole churche of Eng­lande, that was in the dayes of tha­fornamed kynges, for omittyng or alteryng of tradiciōs, that they wet false dissemblyng and pariured traitores, against theyr moste naturall kynges and countreye, & malicious ypocrites against the true catholyke churche of Englād. For what thing [Page](as touchyng the cōmen order for religion) haue God cōmaunded by hys wrytten worde to be done, that was then omitted (except thonly vse of Christes true discipline) whyche in dede was then resisted by some, yt haue ben, and are, by the iuste iuge­ment of God compelled, to submitte their neckes vnto the heuie burden, and greuous yoke, of Antechristes vicare a wretched & vile shauelyng. Or els what thynge hathe goddes wrytten worde prohibite & forbyd­den, that was then cōmaūded to be done and practised? I meane styl of the cōmon order for religiō. Yf you can agayne saye any of these, do in some particular matter, and by goddes helpe you shalbe answered. But yf you can not truely deny, but that Goddes voice and worde was so reuerently heard,whē the churche of Eng­lande was the true ca­tholyke churche of Christ in reforming the cō mon order of religion, that al thyn­ges were approued, and vsed (except discipline) that it cōmaūdeth: and all thinges refrayned, yt it forbiddeth: then muste I also conclude, that the Church of England in the dayes of thaforenamed kinges, was the true catholyke churche of Christ. For the [Page]truthe sayeth, he that is of God hea­reth goddes worde.Ioh. 8. Ioh. 10. And agayne he sayeth, my shepe heare my voice: but the churche of Englande in ye dayes of the sayde kynges, dyd heare the worde of God, and ye voice of Christ Therfore the churche of Englande, was then the true catholike Church of Christe. Can you for shame you chyldren of the deuel, and enemyes to all ryghtfulnes, whych cease not to peruerte the strayght wayes of the Lorde,Act. 13. denye any part of this ar­gument? Are you not dryuen (for wante of the truthe) to buylde a­gayne youre newe Babilon, wyth shamefull lyes, manyfest falshode, and moste barbarous and cruel ty­ranny? But paraduenture you wyll saye that in the dayes of kynge Ed­warde, we dyd not myngle water wyth the wyne in the Lordes Sup­per. What then? Dyd Christe in the instituciō of ye same gyue either ex­ample or cōmaundement to mingle water wyth the wyne? Dyd he not calle that whyche hys Apostles had dronke out of the cuppe,math. 26 mar. 14. the frute of the vyne tree? Is wyne alone the frute of the vynetre, or wyne & wa­ter mingled together? But you saye [Page]that tholde wryters as S. Cipriane and other, do make mencion of the myngled cuppe wyth wyne and wa­ter. Dothe not the same Cipriane & S. Aug. also with other, teache more earnestly, that infantes can not be saued wythout receyuyng theucha­riste: and for ye same purpose allege Christes wordes, excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, & drynke hys blood, ye haue no lyfe in you?

Therfore lykewyse as ye (leauynge in thys pointe,Joh. 6. & dyuerse other, both Cipriane, Aug. and all the hole ca­tholyke churche of theyr tyme) do yet thynke, that neuertheles you are Christes churche. (And so wolde I also iuge of you, and accepte you, yf you gaue not many horrible and manyfest occasiōs, to be rather wor thely counted the synagoges of Sa­tan) euen so do we moste iustely and truly beleue, that the churche of En­glande in the dayes of the sayd kynges, was Christes true catholyke churche, notwythstandynge it dyd not (accordyng to the lybertie of the same) myngle water wyth, wyne, not mythstandynge it dyd not an­noynte infantes and ministres of [Page]the worde wyth oyle, or omitted a­ny suche lyke tradicion, or ceremo­nye, altho the same were mēcioned in the olde wryters: For asmuche as it dyd neither obserue, nor cōmaūde any thynge, that is forbydden: nor yet omytte or forbydde any thynge, that is cōmaunded by the wrytten worde of God: whyche alone is suf­ficiēt to gouerne ye same true catho­lyke churche of Christ in al matters of religion,2. tim. 3 necessary for saluacion.

But I appeale vnto thyne owne conscience gentle reader, whether our aduersaries go not beyōde this lawfull lybertie,The ly­bertie of the churche whyche consysteth in the alteracion or cuttynge of of suche tradicions as be eyther super­fluous, or supersticious, accordyng as diuersite of tymes shall requyre. For they vsynge a moste licentious and leude lybertie, disanull goddes cōmaūdemētes, to maintaine their owne tradicions and inuencions.

For they bothe do themselues,Mat. 15 and also compell other to do that, which God forbyddeth: & forbyd ye whyche God by hys written worde cōmaun deth. The true doctrine of the gospel touchynge remission of synnes, elec­cion, [Page]vocation and iustificacion thef do corcupte, wyth the leuen of their owne doctrine: as I doubte not, but that thou wylt manyfestly perceyue by reading of these bokes of S. Aug. Our sauiour Christ by expresse wordes cōmaunded all hys to drynke of his holy cuppe:mat. 26. but they by expresse wordes forbyd all (excepte their an­nointed shauelynges syngynge or sayeng theyr masse) to drynke of ye cuppe. Saint Marke by the spirite forseynge thys theyr cursed sacri­lege dothe testefye,mar. 14. that they al drāke of the cuppe. Dare they yet trifle wc these scriptures, as they were wont to do, and to saye, that all that were with Christ at hys last supper, were prestes, and that therfore they all dranke of hys cuppe. I wyll not cō ­tende about wordes, so that they vnderstande by prestes ministers of the newe testament: but I pray you dyd any of them synge or say masse at Christes Supper, that they might therby be admitted, to drynke of his holy cuppe? For they teache, that none may drynke of the Lordes cup but priestes doynge masse: and ther­fore on maundaye thursdaye, when [Page]they haue but one masse, they vse in great churches to minister to theyr priestes and all, but onely the one kynde of breade. Further yf Christe (as they saye) dyd at his laste supper gyue the Sacramentes of hys body and bloode onely to prestes, howe dare they gyue any parte of them to any laye man? By what authorite do they then gyue the one parte to women? For I suppose ye they wyll not confesse, that either laye men or women be prestes. But I praye you what can you saye you cōmytters of sacrilege to S. Paule, whyche wry­tynge to the hole churche of the Co­rinthians,1. Cor. 10 11. cōmaunde as well ye lor­des Cuppe, as the breade, to be gyuē to al, and not only to the ministers? Are not you the selfe same, whome Christ noted whē he sayd, you brea­ke the cōmaūdementes of God tho­rowe your owne tradicions?math. 15. Who gaue you lybertie to mumble in a straunge tonge vnto the people, whiche is not onely agaynst the wryttē worde of God,1. Cor. 14 but also against common sence, and reason: The written worde sayeth, that yf I praye wyth tonges, my spirite or breath prayeth [Page]but my mynde is without frute.

The written worde sayeth, yf thou blessest wyth the spirite, that he whiche occupyeth the romthe of the vn­learned can not say Amen, at the gyuyng of thankes, seyng he vnderstā deth not what thou sayest. The written worde sayeth, that it were better in the congregacion, to speake fyue wordes wyth the mynde, to thinfor­macion of other, then ten thousand wordes wyth the tonge. The writtē worde cōmaundeth all thynges to be done to edefyeng: But you cōpell your prestes to praye wyth the spirit or breath, to gyue thākes in a straū ­ge tonge: to speake nothynge to thin formacion and edefyeng of other: And the people you compell to saye Amen, and to ratifye that, whyche they vnderstande not.1. Cor. 14 The written worde sayeth that thys is a pointe of chyldishnes, & a declaracion that you are out of your wyttes. Marke well the. 14. to the Corinthians and then iuge gentle reader, whether I haue not truely charged them, that in thys matter they do both cōtrary to the written worde of God, & also to cōmon sense and reason. What [Page]shulde I speake of their grosse ydo­latrye in worshipping of stockes & stones, and of their fyne iuggelyn­ges in erectyng and maintainyng pilgrimages, whyche I thynke can neuer be forgotten of oure age, ex­cept they can make vs to haue as lytel witte in our heades, as the Ido­les which they haue compelled vs to worship, haue lyfe & felyng in their stockes and bodyes (for theyr retro­cedynges tende to thys point,Retrocedinges. backsly­dinges. deforme defaceor disfigu­re. to de­forme the church agayne, as it was in kynge Henry the .vii. dayes) Do they not in thys thyng also cōmaūd that, whyche God dothe expresselye forbyd? Marke well the .ii. cōmaundement and then iuge. Dothe not the wrytten worde call this their y­dolatrye, vanitie, lyes, fornicacion,Deu. 27 psal 97 106. and 115. Esa. 44 Bie. 10. Eze. 14. Oze. 13. miche. 1. Aba. 2. Gap. 14 adultrye, infidelite, vnclennes, fyl­thye donge, and abhominaciō? The other rablement of their execrable inuenciōs, wherwith they haue dis­anulled goddes holy ordinaunces, takyng to themselues a moste wic­ked and leude libertie, I wil omitte at thys present. Neuertheles thou mayest manifestly perceiue by these deare brother, that for all their ma­licious [Page]railinges vpō the poore mē bres of Christ in Englande yt lately floryshed here thorowe peace & true doctrine vnder the protecciō of our late souereigne lorde the moste ver­tuous, learned, and excellent prince kynge Edwarde the .vi. and dothe nowe moste constantly endure, and moste victoriously triumphe vnder the crosse of Christe, that the same were & be the true catholyke church of Christ of Englande (the omitting or alteryng of certeine tradicions & ceremonies notwythstandyng:)

And that our aduersaries (of whose moste fylthy and stynkyng maners and lyuynges, of whose moste bloo­dy and cruel tyrānies, I haue made no particular mencion at thys pre­sent, but onely by the waye touched two or thre pointes of theyr false & antechristean religion) that our ad­uersaries (I saye) are no more worthye of the name of the catholyke churche of Christe for al theyr stoute countenaunce, then were the brag­gynge Iues worthye to be counted the true sede and sonnes of Abrahā:Ioh, 8. Vnto whose tethe and face Christe doubted not to saye: ye are of your father [Page]yt deuell, and the lustes of your father ye wyl do: he was a murthe­rer from the beginnyng, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truthe in hym. Do not our aduersa­ries in theyr manyfold, bloody, cruel, and straunge tyrannies, in their moste fylthye and abhominable lu­stes: in their moste false and lyeng doctrines and religion, resemble & expresse the veray lyuelye ymage of their father the deuell, painted out in thys place by our sauiour Christ?

Prospe­rite in wicked doynge.But my thynke I heare them nowe obiecte agaynst me, their luc­key successe in all their backslydyn­ges (they wolde haue me say proce­dynges) whych (they say) God wold not so prospere, except they were his true churche, and allowed their religion and worshippinges. Verelye I do confesse that their tyrannicall & ydololatricall enterprises haue he therto wonderfullye prospered in their handes, wherby (I feare) a great number ace seduced: Neuer­theles they are suche as neuer had loue vnto the truthe, but had pleasu­re in vnryghtfulnes (what soeuer pretēce they made outwardly) whose2. thes. 2. [Page]names are not written in the boke of lyfe.Apo. 13. 2. tim. 2. For the sure grounde of god remayneth, hauynge thys seale: the Lorde knoweth thē that. are his. &c.

But yf thys argument of luckye successe, wherwith they flatter them selues & deceyue other were a good argument: Then shuld the Turkes be the true church of God, and their religion the purest. For they haue wonderfully preuayled against the christians, and that many yeres.

Reade the boke of the Iuges and ye also shall perceyue yt sometyme the Moabites,Iudi. 3.4.6▪ and 10. somtyme the Cananites, somtyme the Madianites, somtime the Philistiās, the Ammonites, Ammorites, Sidonians & Amelikites had the vpperhande vpon Israel: sometyme by a longer space, somty­tyme by a shorter. For thus it is writen in the seconde chapter of ye same boke. The Lorde waxed angry with Israel,Iudi. 2. and delyuered them into the hādes of rauenares to spoile them, & solde them into the hādes of their enemyes roūde about them,Papisti­cal raueners leaue no maner of thyng neither to man, wife, nor chylde. 4. re. 17. so that they hadde no power any longer to stande before theyr enemies, but vnto what soeuer thynge they wente, [Page]the hande of the Lorde was vpō thē with euel lucke. Dyd the good lucke of these Idolatrous nacions proue that they were the true churche of God? God forbyd. What shulde I speake of Salmanaser which cōquered and caried awaye into captiui­te tenne of the. 12. tribes?4. re. 25. Or els of Nabuchodonoser, that in lyke ma­ner caryed awaye thother two, and burnt vp the cytie and tēple of Hie­rusalem? Dyd thys happy successe of the Assirians and Babilonians proue that they were Goddes people? Further was not the moste worthy and noble kynge Iosias of whome the scripture testifyeth,4. re. 23. that there was none before him like vnto him that turned vnto the Lorde wyth all hys herte, wyth all hys soule, and al hys myght, accordyng to all the law of Moses, neither after hym arose there any suche, was he not slayne of Pharao Neco kynge of Egipte when he had put downe all maner of Idolatrie and false religion, and erected ye true worshippyng of God accordyng to hys written worde? Was not the same true religion & worshippynge immediatly after his [Page]death abolyshed, and ydolatrye and false religion agayne restored and exalted, as hye as euer it had ben in ani kinges dayes before? But what folowed thys apostacy and backsly­dyng of thisraelites? Captiuite, bondage, and thraldome of the kynge & of all hys nobles and cōmons: and wastyng, desolacion, and burnynge vp of the hole citie and temple. God be mercyfull vnto thys realme of England, and graunt it grace once agayne to kysse & imbrace the sonne of God, lesse the Lorde be in lyke maner angrye wyth it. &c. Who doeth not knowe of the victory that Cain had agaynst Abel,Gen. 4. Gen. 33. or of the domini­on that Esau had vpon Iacob, or of the successe wherby the Iewes pre­uailed agaynst Christe and hys apo­stels, The Kynges and ruelers of thys worlde agaynste Christes holye martyres? What maruell is it then, that wyckednes hathe nowe in lyke maner the vpper­hande. Namelye seynge the holye scriptures do testifye, that thys shulde thus be. For Daniel the pro­phete [Page]speakynge of the fortunate sucesse of their Antechristean kyngdome (whyche is compared vnto an horne that hadde a grymme vysage and a mouthe speakynge presum­pruouse thynges) sayeth,Dan. 7. I behelde and the same horne made battayle agaynst the sayntes, yea and got the victorye of them, vntyll the ty­me that the olde aged came. &c.

And agayne he sayeth, he shall speake wordes agaynst the hyest of all, he shall destroye the sayntes of the moost hyest, and thynke that he maye chaunge tymes and la­wes. Iohn also in hys reuelation comparynge theyr Antechristean kyngdome vnto a beast that rose out of the Sea, sayeth:Apo. 13. And all the worlde wondered at the beast, and they worshipped the Dragon, whi­che gaue power vnto the beast, and they worshipped the beast sayeng? Who is lyke vnto the beast, who is able to warre wyth hym? And ther was geuē vnto hym a mouth, that speaketh greate thynges, and blasphemyes, and power was ge­uen vnto hym to do. 42. monethes. [Page]And he opened hys mouthe vnto blasphemy agaynst God, to blaspheme hys name and hys tabernacle, & them that dwel in heauen. And it was geuen vnto hym to make war wyth the saintes, and to ouercome them. And power was gyuen hym ouer all kynredes tonges and naci­ons, and all that dwell vpon thearth worshipped hym, whose names are not wryttē in the boke of lyfe of the lambe, whych was kylled from the begynnyng of the world: yf any mā haue an eare let hym heare. Wher­fore as it behoued that Christ shulde be delyuered into the handes of the wycked that the scriptures myghte be fulfylled, that tolde aforehande of the same: Euen so it muste nedes be that their antechristean kyngdome shulde preuaile (as it doth) and that they shulde make warre, and ouer­come Goddes churche, as touchyng all worldly victory that may be had agaynst theyr bodyes: and temporal lyues: bothe that these scriptures & suche lyke maye be fulfylled: And also that we whyche vnthankfullye abused the moste gracious tyme of Goddes mercyful visitacion, which [Page]haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde our God,Dani. 9 to walcke in hys la­wes, whiche he layde before vs by hys seruauntes hys prophetes, that faythfullye, playnlye and earnest­lye, spake vnto our kynge, hys coū cellers, nobilitie, and to all the peo­ple of the lande, that they shulde conforme theyr lyues vnto the moste holy doctrine, whych they dayly herde wyth their owne eares, and redde wyth their eyes, ye we (I saye) whi­che receyued the grace of the Gospel in vayne,1. Cor. 6. and made it a cloke of our wantō lustes, gredy couetousnes,1. Pet. 2. & vnsaciable ambicion, myght be cal­led thorowe thys affliccion vnto re­pentaunce. For (as the author of the seconde boke of the Machabees say­eth) we haue thys grace more then other people, that God doth not suf­fer vs longe to synne vnpunyshed lyke other nacions,2. mac. 6. that when the daye of iugement cōmeth, he maye punyshe them in the fulnes of theyr synnes. &c. Yf we synne he correc­teth, but he neuer wythdraweth his mercy frō vs: and tho he punysheth wyth aduersitie yet dothe he neuer forsake hys people. Therfore lyke­wyse [Page]as the luckey successe of the y­dolatrose and wicked Moabites, Cananites, Philisteans, Madianites, Ammonites, Ammorites, Sidoniās Amelikites, Philisteans, Egiptiās, Assirians, Babilonians and other, whyche they had agaynst Goddes people, the chyldren of Israel, dothe not proue that the false and supersticious religions of these abhomina­ble ydolatrers wer gods true wor­shipping, or that they were Goddes true churche: euen so the luckey suc­cesse, wherof oure aduersaries in their barbarous and cruel interpri­ses do so muche bragge, do neither proue theyr supersticious worship­pinges to be true religion, nor their moste bestly Sodome to be Christes true catholyke churche.

Yf thou be desyrous further to knowe Goddes wonderfull iuge­mentes in prospering thongodly in thys worlde, reade the .12. of Hiere­mye, the .1. of Abacuc, the .21. of Iob, the .36. and the .72. psalmes. And yf thou be in lykemaner willynge, to knowe what afflictions and trou­bles tholde and propheticall churche suffred in thys lyfe, reade the latter [Page]ende of the .ii. to the Hebrues. But as for ye Church of Christ, she ought alwayes to prepare her selfe after then sample of her heade & captaine Christ, to denye her selfe, and to take vp her crosse,Mat. 16 and so to folowe hym into hys kyngdome: Into ye whyche she muste enter by sufferyng many troubles. For thys is a true sayeng,Actū. 14. (sayeth S. Paule) yf we be dead with Christe, we also shal liue wyth him,2. tim. 2. yf we be pacient, we shal also reigne wyth hym, yf we denye hym he shall also denye vs. And agayne he sayeth all that wyl lyue godly in Christ Iesu muste suffer persecution.2. tim. 3 Thys is therfore the very and true badge of Christes Churche,Act. 5. Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 11. and. 12. wherof Peter & thapostles reioysed, wherof Paule dyd glory, wherof we are at this present no more ashamed, then we are of Christ crucifyed. For because we do not suffer theyr raylynge lyes, wrongfully enprisonments, malici­ous pursutes, euen vntyll banyshe­ment from our natiue coūtrey, bar­barous and cruell robbynges and spoylynges of lādes, houses, lyuyn­ges, lyberties, & goodes, we do not (I saye) suffer these moste bocherlye [Page]persecucions, because we maye be truelye charged to be murtherers,1. pet. 4. theues, horemongers, sodomites, y­dolaters, or busye bodies in other mens matters, but only because we are christeās, glorieng onely in the Lorde Christ, and in hys moste holy and precious death, whyche we be­leue alone wythout mans merites,1. Ioh. 2, or satisfactory Masses, or other lyke inuencions what so euer, to be oure redemption and satisfaction, & the Lorde Christ to be our onely om­nisufficient redemer and mediator,1. timo. 2. by whome and wyth whome vnto the Father and holy Gooste be all honor domi­nion and rule. &c.

Anno. 1555. 10. Calen. Martij.

To the Reader.

LEt no man be troubled that S. Augustine ma­keth no mencion of thys worke that foloweth in his Retractacions. He had his bo­kes of retractaciōs in hande / whē he wrote these: as he himselfe doth witnesse in the secōde boke of thys matter.

The fyrst boke of the Predesti­nacion of saintes made by S, Aurelius Augustine bishop of Hippone, and translated into Englyshe by Iohn Scory, the late bishop of Chichester.

Cap. i.

VVe knowe that the A­postle haue sayd in his Epistle to the Philippi­ans:Philip. 3. It greueth me not to write one thinge to you. For to you it is a sure thynge. Notwithstandyng the same wry­tinge [Page]to the Galathians, when he sawe that he had sufficiently wrought that thynge amonge them, which he perceyued to be necessary for them, by the ministery of his doctrine, he sayd: Frō hence forth let no mā put me to busines: or (as it is red in many bokes) let no mā trouble me.Gala. 6. But I, altho I do con­fesse, that I am greued that ther is no place geuen, to so many & ma­nifest authorites of Goddes word, wherby the grace of God is cōmended (which is vtterly no grace yf it be geuen for our merites) yet your diligence and brotherly loue most deare sonnes Prosper and Hilari,Grace is no grace yf it be geuen for merites. that wolde not haue these men so fondly erre (insomoch that after so many bokes and epistles made of this matter, yet agayne you desyre me to wryte of the same) I do so muche loue, as I am not able to expresse: but that I loue it so muche as I ought, I dare not afferme.

Wherfore lo I wryte vnto you a­gayne, and althoo I am not nowe present with you, yet by your meanes I take in hande agayne that thynge, whyche I thought that I [Page 2]had sufficiently entreated already. For when I had consydred youre letters, me thought those brethren for whome ye are so Christeanlye carefull, lest they should folowe the sayeng of the Poete, which is, let euery man trust to hym selfe (and should fal into that which was not spokē by the Poete, but by the Pro­phete. Cursed is euery one that putteth hys trust in man) ought to be handeled after that maner,Iere. 17. Cursed is he that trusteth in man. Phi. 3. as tha­postel handeled them to whome he sayd: and yf you be otherwyse mynded, God shall open euen the same vnto you, For they are yet deceiued in the question touchyng the predestinaciō of saintes. But they haue, wherby (yf they be otherwyse mynded in thys matter) God may reuele thys also vnto them, yf they walke in that wherunto they are come Wherfore thapostell when he had sayd, yf you be otherwyse mynded God shal open euen the same vnto you: notwithstandyng (sayeth he) let vs procede in that, wher vnto we are come.

But these our brethren for whō your godly charite is so careful are [Page]come vnto this point, that they be­leue with the Churche of Christe, that mankynd is borne subiecte to the synne of the fyrst man: and that no mā can be delyuered from this euel, but only by the ryghteousnes of the seconde man. They are also come vnto thys, that they acknow­lege that the wyl of mā is preuen­ted by god his grace, & that no mā is able of himselfe either to begin, or to finishe any good worke. The­se thinges therfore whervnto they are come beyng retayned, do sepe­rate them farre from the Pelagiās error. Wherfore yf they shall pro­cede in these,By what meanes a ma mai attaine to the true knoulege of al mat­ters in religion, ye come in to controuersye. and call vpon hym that geueth vnderstandynge, (yf they haue a wronge iugement of Predestinaciō) God wil reuele also that matter vnto them: notwithstā dyng let vs also bestowe suche affection of loue and ministery of the worde as he whome we call vpon doth giue: that we may in these bo­kes speake those thinges that may be mete and profitable for them.

For howe do we knowe whether parauenture our God by this our seruice (wherby we serue them in [Page]the fre charitie of Christ) wil bring thys thynge to passe?

The seconde Chapter.

FYrst therfore wy muste declare that Fayth where by we are Christians, is the gyft of God, yf neuerthe­lesse it were possible for vs to do this with more diligence, thē we haue alredy done it in so many and so great bokes. But now I perceyue that we muste make answer vnto them, which say that the wytnesses of the holy scriptures, whi­che we haue alleged for this mat­ter, proue onely that we haue the selfe fayth of our selues, but then­crease of it we haue of God: as tho fayth were not geuen vs of God but onely encreased in vs of hym, for that meryte sake that it began of vs. They do not therfore varye from that opinion, which Pelagi­us hymselfe in the iugement of by shoppes in Palestina was compel­led to condemne (as the actes of the same do wytnesse) that the grace of God was geuen accordyng to our [Page]merites: as tho ye beginning of our fayth apperteined not to the grace of God, but rather that for the be­gynnyng sake, it were added vnto vs, that we might beleue more ful­ly and perfytly: and by this meane we should first geue vnto God the beginnynge of our fayth, that we myght be recompensed with then­crease of the same, and with what soeuer els we should faythfullye aske. But against these, why do we not rather heare: who hath geuen vnto hym fyrst,Rom. 11. and he shalbe recō ­pensed agayne? For of him, and by hym, and in hym are all thynges. And therfore the very selfe begyn­nyng of our fayth of whome is it, but onely of hym? For not only o­ther thynges (this except) are of hym: but of hym, and by hym, and in hym are al thinges. But who can saye that he whiche now haue begō to beleue, do deserue nothing of hym in whome he dyd beleue? wherby it is brought to passe, that other thinges are nowe counted to be added as Goddes recompence to hym that haue deserued: & thus the grace of God is geuē according [Page 4]to our merites. When thys was obiected against Pelagius, he con­demned it, that he should not be cō demned hymselfe.It is a damna­ble opini­on to af­ferme the grace of God to be geuen accor­ding to our meri­tes. Phil. 1, Whosoeuer therfore wyl vtterly auoyde this damnable opinion, let hym truely vn­derstande what thapostel sayeth, vnto you it is geuen for Christes sake, that not onely ye shoulde be­leue on hym: but also suffer for hys sake. He teacheth yt either of these is the gyft of God, because that (saieth he) either is geuē: Neither doth he say that ye myght beleue in him more fully and parfitly: but that ye myght beleue in hym: Neyther sayd he, that he hym selfe obteyned mercy that he might be more fayth ful, but that he myght be faythfull. For because he knewe that he had not fyrst geuen vnto God the be­gynnynge of hys fayth, and was recompensed of hym wyth then­crease of the same, but that he was made faythfull of hym, of whome he was also made an Apostell. For the veray begynnynges also of his fayth are wrytten, and are mooste manifest by the solemne readynge of them in the churche. For he be­ynge [Page]contrary to the fayth whych he destroyed, & an exceadyng great enemy therof, was sodēly by a mo­re myghty grace cōuerted to the same (he cōuertyng hym, which was sayd by the prophet should worke thys conuersion: Thou conuerting vs,Psal. 84. shalt quicken vs) that not only of onwillinge he myghte be made willyng to beleue,God graunt thys grace to al Magi­strates, that of ignoraunce thorow onbeleue do perse­cute the right christen fayth 2. Cor. 3. but also that of a persecutor he myght suffer persecucion in the defence of that fayth, whych he dyd before persecute. For it was geuē hym of Christ, not on­lye to beleue in hym, but also to suffer for hym. And therfore he pray­syng thys grace, which is not geuē for any merites, but worketh al good merites sayeth, not yt we are sufficient of our selues, to thynke any thynge as it were of our selues but our ablenes cōmeth of God. Let thē marke here, & cōsyder wel the­se wordes, whiche thinke that ye be­gynnyng of fayth is of vs, & then­crease therof is of God. For who seyth not that thynkinge goeth before beleuyng? For no man bele­ueth any thing, except he hath first thought, that it oughte to be bele­ued. For althoo sodenly, altho very [Page]swyftly certaine cogitacions do go before the wyll to beleue, & she im­mediatly do so folowe as an inseperable companion, neuertheles it is necessary that all thinges that are beleued, should he beleued wyth a cogitacion goynge before: altho in very dede beleue it selfe is nothing els, but to thinke with agrement. For not euery one that thinketh be leueth:A short de scripcion of beleue. forasmuche as mani thinke to that ende that they maye not be­leue: but euerye one that beleueth thinketh, & in beleuyng thinketh, and in thinkyng beleueth. As tou­ching therfore, that belongeth to religion and godlynes, wherof thapostell spake: yf we be not able to thynke any thynge as of our sel­ues, but oure ablenes commeth of God: certeinly we are not able to beleue any thynge as of our selues (the which we can not do without thynkyng) but our ablenes wher­by we begynne to beleue commeth of God. Wherfore as no man is able of hymselfe, either to begyn or performe any maner of good work (whych these brethren (as your letters testifie) do nowe confesse to be [Page]true: whervpō it foloweth, that in the beginning and performing of euery good worke, our ablenes cō ­meth of God) euen so no man is a­ble of himselfe either to begyn or to performe fayth, but our ablenes commeth of God: For fayth yf it be not thought, is no fayth: & we are not able to thynke any thynge of oure selues, as of oure selues, but our ablenes is of God. We muste therfore beware brethren beloued of God, that mā do not extolle him selfe against God,Who be they that extol thē selues a­gaynst God. Rom. 4. when he sayeth, that he performeth that, which god hath promysed. Was not the fayth of the Gentils promysed to Abra­ham, and he geuyng prayse to God was moste certeinly persuaded, yt he whyche had promysed, was able also to performe. He doth therfore worke the fayth of the gētyls, that is able to performe that he promy­seth. Furthermore yf God do wor­ke our fayth, wōderfully working in our hertes to make vs beleue: is it to be feared that he is not able to worke all: and should mā then cha­leng to hymself the fyrst parte therof, that he maye deserue to receiue [Page 7]the laste part of hym?

Consyder ye yf by this meanes any other thynge be brought to passe, but that the grace of God should by al meanes be geuen at cording to our merites, & so grace should now no more be grace. For by this meanes it is rendred as dewe, and not geuen frely: for it is dewe to him yt beleueth, that ye selfe fayth be encreased of the Lord: and that the fayth encreased, should be a rewarde of the fayth begon: ney­ther do men marke, that by the af­firmacion of this doctrine, this re­warde is imputed to them that be liue not of fauour but of dutie.

But why nowe do they not ascribe altogether to man,Godly­nes springeth of fayth: therfore do charite springe of faith: and not con­trary. 1. timo. 1. Rom. 12. (For I can not perceyue by any meanes, but that he whiche coulde hegynne that he had not, may encrease that he hath now begon) but only because they are not able to resyste ye moste ma­nifest wytnesses of God, wherby fayth also (of whôe godlynes hath her begynnynge) is declared to be the gyft of God. As this place do declare: God hathe deuided to euerye mā the measure of fayth: and that, [Page]peace vnto the brethren, and charttie with fayth frō God the father, and the Lorde Iesu Christ:Rom. 1. & suche other. A man therfore that wyl not stryue against so manifest wytn esses, & yet wyll ascribe to his owne power that he beleueth, he doth as it were compoūde with God, that he may challenge parte of fayth to hymselfe, and that he maye leaue parte to hym, and that whych is more arrogant, he taketh the fyrst to hym selfe, and geueth hym that foloweth:Our ad­uersaries compoūd with god and as touchynge that whych he sayeth belongeth to both he maketh hymself the doer of the fyrst, and God of the last.

The thyrde Chapter.

BUt that godly and meke doctor (I meane the most blessed Cipriane) was not of thys iugement: which sayd that we ought to glorye in nothyng,No good thynge is our owne for asmuche as no thyng is our owne. This thyng to proue he alleged ye Apostle for wyt­nesse sayeng: what haste thou, that thou hast not receaued?1. Corin. 4 but yf thou [Page]haue receyued, why dost thou glo­ry as tho thou had not receyued? By this wytnesse chiefly, was I al­so ouercome, when I dyd in lyke maner erre,S. Aug. cōfesseth his error: wolde to god oure B. and P. that haue the lyke error, wold make the lyke con­fession. thynkyng fayth wher by we beleue in God, not to be the gyft of God, but to be in vs of our selues: and that we dyd obteyne by it the gyftes of God, wherby we myght lyue in thys world soberly, iustly, and Godly. For I dyd not thynke that faythe was preuented by God his grace, that throughe it myght be geuen vnto vs that we dyd profitablye aske: but onlye I thought, that we could not beleue, except we herde fyrst the preaching of the truthe: but that we myght cō sent to the Gospel when it is prea­ched vnto vs, I supposed it to be our owne, and of our selues. The whyche myne error is declared in dyuers of my workes,Out of these workes do our aduersaries gather diue­rs autho­rities of S. Aug. that were writtē before I was made byshop. Amonge which is also that, wher­of you haue made mēcion in your letters: where as is an exposicion of certeine propositions of thepist­le wrytten to the Romanes. Fur­thermore when I retracted all my [Page]workes,against grace for the defence of free wyl and merites. and dyd wryte the same retractacion: of the which I had now fynished two bokes, before I had receyued your longe letters: when I was in the fyrst dolume now co­me to the retracting of thys boke, ther I spake after thys maner: In lyke maner disputing what (I say) God dyd chose in hym ye was not yet borne,Rom. 9. to whom he sayd that the elder should serue hym: and what he reiected in the same elder, being in lyke maner not yet borne: of whome for the which cause the prophete said:Mala. 1. I haue loued Iacob, but Esau I haue hated (altho this testimony of the Prophet was spoken lōge after) at the length I brought my disputacion vnto thys point, That I sayd: God hath not therfo­re in his forknowledge chosen any mans workes, which he should gyue hym: but he hath in hys for knowlege chosen fayth, so that he hath chosen hym, whom he knewe afor­hāde would beleue in hym, to whō he myght geue ye holy Goost, that by workynge of good workes, he myght also attaine to eternal lyfe. I had not yet diligētly sought,The cau­se why s. Aug. con­tinued solonge in this error Rom. 11. nor yet foūde out, what maner a thing [Page 8]the election of grace was: wherof the same Apostle sayeth. The rem­naunt are saued by the election of grace: whych verely is no grace, yf any merites at al go before it: leste that whych is now geuen, shoulde not be geuen accordyng to grace, but rather as dewtye recompensed to merites. Wherfore thys that I sayd immediatly: For the same A­postle sayeth, it is ye selfe same God that worketh all in all:1. Cor. 12. but in no place it is sayde, that God bele­ueth all in all: and then after I added. For in that we beleue, it is our owne, but in that we wor­ke wel, it is his, that geueth the ho­ly goost to them that beleue: suerly I would not haue sayd thus: yf I had then knowē, that the self fayth had ben also founde amonge god­des gyftes, whych are gyuen of the same spirite. Both then are oures, for the choise of wyl: & yet that not­wythstandyng both are geuen, thorowe the spirite of fayth and chari­tie. For not charitie only, but as it is wrytten: Charitie with fayth frō God the Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ. And where as a lytle after I sayd thus:Ephe. 6. for to beleue and [Page]wyll is oures, but to gyue to them that beleue and wyl power to wor­ke well thorowe the holy goost, by whome the loue of God is spred a­brode in our hartes, is his: This is true: but by ye same rule, both these are also his, forbecause he doth prepare the wyl: & both are oures, be­cause they are not done excepte we be wyllyng. And by this whiche I sayd also after. For neither can we wyll, except we be called, and whē after callyng we shall wyl, our wil and runnyng are not sufficient, except God geueth strength to vs rū ­nyng, and brynge vs thether, whe­ther he do cal vs: And then after I concluded thus: It is therfore ma­nifest that it lyeth neither in the rū ner nor in the wyller that we worke well, but in God that hath mercye: thys is a moste true sayeng.Rom. 9.

There is one pecu­lier callīg that belō ­geth only to gods chosen, wherof is men on made Ro. 8. & this is accordyng to the purpose of God.But I dyd speake but lytle of that callyng, whyche is wrought accor­dyng to the purpose of God. For thys maner of callynge belongeth not to al that are called, but onlye to the electe. Therfore this that I sayd a lytle after: For lykewyse as in them whome God hath chosen, [Page 17]not workes, but fayth begynneth the merite, that they maye worke thorowe the gyft of God: Euen so in them whome he condemne, infidelitie and vngodlynes begynneth the merite of paine, that by the self paine they may also worke wyckedly: this I said moste truely: but yet I sayd not that the merite of fayth was also the selfe gyft of God: nei­ther dyd I thynke it a thynge worthy to be enquyred for. And in an other place. For vpon whom (sayd I) he hath mercy, he maketh hym to worke wel: and whome he dothe harden, he leaueth hym to worke euel. But bothe that mercy is geuē to the merite of fayth goynge befo­re, and also thys harding to the precedynge wyckednes. The whyche verely is true, but yet we ought to haue serched further whether that also the merite of fayth do preuent gods mercy: that is, whether thys mercy is therfore only wrought in man, because he was faythfull: or whether it was also wrought, that he myght be made faythfull.1. Timo. 1. For we reade (as thapostle sayeth) I haue opteined mercy, that I myghte [Page]be made faythful: he sayeth not, because he was faythful. It is then geuen vnto the faythful, but it was also geuen, that he myght be made faythfull. Wherfore in an other place of the same boke, I sayd most truly. For yf not of workes, but thorowe goddes mercy, we be both called that we mai beleue, and also when we beleue, it is geuē vs that we maye worke well, the Gentyls are not to be enuyed for this mercy neuerthelesse. I dyd not there so diligently entreate of that callynge, which is accordyng to goddes pur­pose, as I ought to haue done.

The fourth Chapter.

YOu se verely what was then my iudgement of fayth & workes (althoo I traueled in the cōmendacion of god his grace) in the which iugement, I percea­ue that these oure brethren are at thys present: because they haue not so muche endeuoured thēselues to profyt, and to go forwardes wyth me in readyng my bokes, as they [Page 18]they haue in the onlye readyng of them.The com­mon fault of al papistes in re­dyng the doctores, whyche gnawe only vpō their er­rors, and depraue al that they ha­ue writtē well: as they do the scrip­tures. For yf they had thus endeuored them selues, they should haue founde this matter dissolued, accordyng to the truth of the holy scri­ptures, in the first boke of the two which I wrote in the begynninge of my Byshopryke vnto Simpliti­anus of blessed remembraunce, by shop af the Churche of Millane, successour vnto S. Ambrose: except peraduenture they neuer sawe them. Which yf it be so I pray you cause that they mai haue the sight of thē. I dyd fyrste speake of the fyrst of these two bokes, in the second boke of my retractacions: where as my wordes by these. Amōge the bokes (sayd I) which I made beyng By­shoppe, I wrote the first two vnto Simplicianus byshop of the chur­che of Millane, the successour of the moste blessed Ambrose of diuers questions: wherof I bestowed two in my first boke that touche mat­ters that are entreated to the Ro­manes. The first of these questiōs is of that which is wrytten: what shal we thē say, is the lawe synne? God forbyd:Rom. 7. vnto that place where [Page]he sayeth, who shal delyuer me frō this body of death? The grace of God thorow Iesu Christ our Lord. These wordes of the Apostle, the lawe is spiritual, but I am carnal: and the reste which declare the battayle betwene the spirite and the fleshe I dyd so expounde, as thoo thapostle had described a man, be­yng yet vnder the lawe, and not vnder grace. For longe after I came to the knowlege that those wordes (and that more truely) myght be also vnderstand of the spiritual mā. The latter question in this boke, reacheth from that place where he sayeth: neither was it so wyth her only,Rom. 9. but also when Rebecca was with chylde by one (I meane) by our Father Isaac: vntyl these wordes where he sayeth, except ye Lorde of hoostes hadde left vs seede, we should haue ben made as Sodoma and had ben lykened to Gomorra.S. Aug. labored to set vp the choyse of mās wyll but grace ouercam. In answering of which question, great payne was takē to set vp the choyse of mans wyl: but Goddes grace gat the vpperhande. Neither could any more be attained, but only that we myght vnderstande that [Page 19]thapostle had sayd, according to the moste manyfest truthe. Who hath preferred the? what hast thou, that thou hast not receaued?1. Cor. 4. but and yf thou haue receyued it, why gloriest thou as thoo thou haddest not receiued it? The which the martir Cipriane also willyng to declare, concluded altogether in the selfe tytle of hys worke, sayeng we ought to glory in no thyng, for as muche as no thynge is our owne. Lo this is the cause why I said before, that I my self also was ouercome by this witnesse chefely of the Apostle: when I had an other iugement of thys matter, then God dyd open vnto me in the answering to this que­stion, when I wrote (as I sayd) to Simplicianus the byshop. This testimonye therfore of the Apostle, where as to subdewe mans pryde he sayd: what haste thou, that thou haste not receyued? doth not suffer any faythfull man to saye: I haue fayth which I haue not receyued: and thys proude answere is vtter­terlye supprest by these wordes of the Apostel. Neither maye thys be said: altho I haue not parfit faith, [Page]yet I haue the begynnynge therof wher by I beleued fyrst in Christe: because yt it is answered also here: what haste thou, that thou hast not receyued? but and yf thou haue re­ceyued, why dost thou glory as tho thou had not receyued?

The .v. Chapter.

BVt as touchyng that they thynke, that thys sayeng what hast thou, that thou hast not receyued, can not therfore be spoken of this fayth, because that whyche was fyrst geuen to nature beyng hole and parfyte, remayneth styl in the same nature altho corrupt, do make nothynge for theyr purpose, yf we remember for what entent the Apostle spake thys. For his entent was to bringe to passe, that no mā should glory in man: for ther were sprong vp discencions amonge the Christian Corinthians, so that euery one sayd: I holde of Paule, another I holde of Apollo, but an o­ther sayd, I holde of Cephas: & frō thence he came to this, that he said, [Page 20]God hath chosen the folyshe thyn­ges of the worlde, to confound the wyse. And God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde, to cō founde thinges which are myghty And vyle thinges of the worlde, & thinges which are dispysed hathe God chosen, yea and thynges of no reputaciō, for to brynge to nought thinges of reputaciō, that no fleshe should glorye in his presence. The Apostels intent in this place is ve­rye manifestly against mās pryde, that no man should glory in man. and by this meanes, should not glorye in hymselfe. Further when he had sayd, that no fleshe should glo­rye in Goddes syght, to declare in whome man ought to glory, he added by and by, of hym ye are (sayth he) in Christ Iesu, whiche is made vnto vs wysedome of God, & right fulnes, and sanctifieng and redemption, that (as it is wryttē) he whi­che doth glory,Iere. 9. should glory in the Lorde. From thence he deduced this his purpose to thys point, that he after (rebukyng them) sayd:1. Corin. z. for ye are yet carnall. For seyng there is among you enuyeng and stryffe [Page]are ye not carnal, and walke after the maner of men? For when one sayeth I holde of Paule, an other I am of Apollo, are ye not men?

What then is Apollo, what thinge is Paule? ministers by whome ye haue beleued, and euē as the Lorde hath geuen to euery one. I haue planted, Apollo hath watered: but God gaue thencrease. So then nei­ther is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth: but God that geueth thencrease. Se you not that thapostle goeth about nothing els,Thapost­les intent is to brīg downe man, that God mai be extol­led. but onlye that man should be brought downe, and God alone eralted? Forasmoch as among thē that are planted and watered, he sayeth that neither the planter, nor the waterer is any thing, but only God that gyueth increase: inso­moche that euen thys also that one plāteth, and an other watereth, he ascribeth not to them, but to God sayeng, as the Lorde hath geuen to euery man: I haue planted, Apollo hath watered. Frō hence therfore he continuyng in ye same purpose, came to thys point that he sayd: let no man therfore glory in man.

For he had euen now sayd, he that gloryeth, let hym glory in the Lord After these and certayne other wordes that are ioyned vnto these, this selfe intent of his is brought vnto thys that he sayeth: These thynges brethren I haue figuratiuely des­cribed in myne owne persone and Apollos for your saks, ye ye myght learne by vs, that no man (beyond that whych is aboue writte) swelle one agaynst an other for an others sake. For who preferreth the? what hast thou that thou hast not recey­ued? but and yf thou hane receiued it, why dost thou glory as tho thou had not receyued it? In this moste euident intent of the Apostle, wherin he speaketh against mās pryde, that no man should glory in man, but only in the Lorde, to thynke vpon the selfe hole and perfecte nature, as it was geuen in her fyrste creation, or vpon any of the rem­nauntes of the corrupted nature, is (as I suppose) a very great absur­dite. For is one man preferred be­fore, another by these gyftes which are common to al men? The Apo­stle [Page]in thys place said fyrst, for who doth preferre the? and after this he added: but what haste thou, that yu haste not receaued? For the mā that swelleth agaynst another myght saye, my fayth dothe preferre me, my ryghteousnes dothe preferre me: or yf ther be any other thynge. But this godly doctor meting with suche ymaginacions sayeth, what hast thou, that thou haste not receiued? of whome, but onely of hym which hath preferred the aboue another, to whome he hath not geuen that whych he hath geuen to thee. But and yf thou also hast receiued (sayeth he) why doest thou glorye, as tho thou haddest not receyued? doeth he saye any other thynge I pray the, but only that he that doth glorye should glorye in the Lorde? But no thynge is so contrarie to thys vnderstandyng as that anye mā should so glory of his merites, as tho he hym selfe were the wor­ker of them and not goddes grace:Ther is a certeyne speciall. grace that deuideth the electe frō the reprobate. but suche grace, as seuereth ye good from the euel, not that which is cō mon both to good & euell. Let ther be then a grace genē vnto nature, [Page 22]wherby we are reasonable creatu­res, and are preferred from brute beastes: let ther be also a grace ge­uen to nature, wherby amōg men the beutefull are preferred frō the euel fauored, or the witty from the foolyshe, and yf ther be any suche lyke. But he whome thapostle re­prehended dyd not swelle agaynst brute beastes, nor agaynst any o­ther mā for any natural gyft, whi­che maye be also in the moste wic­ked: but he dyd swell for some good gyft, that apperteyned to a godlye lyfe, ascribyng it to hym selfe, and not to God, when he deserued to heare: who doth preferre the? what haste thou that thou hast not receyued? For althoo it be in the possibi­lite of nature to haue faythe, do it therfore folowe that she also hathe fayth in dede? For aldo it be in possibilite for all men to beleue,Rom. 10. 2. Thes. 3. yet al men do not beleue in dede. For thapostle sayeth not, what canst thou haue, which thou hast not receiued that thou myghtest be in possibilite to haue: but he sayeth, what haste thou, that thou hast not receyued? Therefore to be in a possibilite both [Page]to haue fayth & charitie is cōmō to the nature of mā:The peculiar grace of gods electe. but to haue faith and charitie in dede is peculiar to the grace of the faythful. That na­ture therfore wherin is geuen vs a possibilite to haue fayth, doth not preferre one man before an other: but the selfe fayth is it, that prefer reth the faythful from and aboue the vnfaythful. And therfore wher it is sayde: who doth preferre the? what hast thou, that thou haste not receyued? Who so euer dare saye, I haue fayth of my selfe: (I haue not therfore receyued it) doth cer­teynlye resist this moste manifest truthe: not as tho to beleue, or not beleue, were not in the choise of mans wil: but the wil in the electe is prepared of the Lorde. And ther­fore it doeth also appertaine to the selfe faith, which is in the wil. For who hath preferred the? What hast thou that thou haste not receyued?

The .vi. Chapter.

MAny do hear the word of truthe: but some do beleue it, and some do resyst it. These therfo­re wyl beleue: but the [Page 23]other wyl not beleue. Who is ignoraunt of thys? who do deny this?The wyl of some is prepa­red, the will of o­ther is not prepared of the Lorde to beleue. Rom. 11. But for asmoche as ye wyl of some is prepared of the Lorde to beleue, & of other some it is not: we muste certeinly put a difference, betwene that that commeth of his mercy, & that that commeth of his iugemēt. That (sayeth thapostle) which Israel sought, he hath not obtained, but yet the election hath obtained. The remnaūt are blynded, as it is written, God hath geuen them the spi­rite of vnquietnes,Esa. 6, eyes that they should not se, and eares that they should not heare, euen vnto thys daye. And Dauid sayeth: let theyr table be made a snare to take them withal, and an occasion to fal,Psal. 68 and a rewarde vnto them: let their eyes be blynded that they se not, & bowe downe their backes alwayes. Be­holde here mercy and iudgement: mercy in the eleccion, which hath obtayned goddes mercy: but iudgement in the reste which are blyn­ded: and yet the one beleued, because they wold, the other beleued not, because they would not. Mer­cye therfore and iudgement were [Page]wrought in the selfe wylles. For thys eleccion cōmeth of grace, and not of merites. For he sayd afore: euen so at thys tyme,Rom. 11. ther is a remnaunt **saued thorowe the election of grace. Yf it be of grace then is it not of workes. For then grace should not be grace. That thē that the election haue obtained, they haue obtained it frely. For ther went no thyng of theirs before, whyche they fyrst gaue,god hath saued vs for no thynge. Psal. 55. that they myght be recompensed. For he hath saued them for nothyng. But the reste which were blynded, were recom­pensed: as that is also there decla­red. Al the wayes of the Lorde are mercy and truthe. His wayes are vnsercheable. Therfore both hys mercy wherby he dothe frely dely­uer, and also his truthe wherby he doth iustely iuge, are vnsercheable

The .vii. Chapter.

BVt peraduēture they say. The Apostle do put a difference betwene fayth and workes: he sayeth in dede that grace cōmeth not of workes: but he sayeth not that it commeth not yf fayth. Yt is euen so. Notwitstandyng Iesus sayth, [Page 24]that euen faythe also is the worke of God: & cōmaundeth vs to worke the same:Ioh. 6. For the Iewes sayd vn­to hym: what shal we do, to worke the workes of God? Iesus answe­red and sayd vnto them: This is the worke of God, that ye beleue in hym whome he sent. So then thapostle doth distincte fayth and workes: as in the two kyngdomes of ye Hebrues, Iudas was distincte from Israel, when as yet the selfe Iudas was Israel. Therfore of fayth (sayeth he) that a man is iustified, and not of workes: because the selfe fayth is fyrste geuen, wherby the reste are obtayned, whiche are properlye called workes, wherin men do lyue vprightly. For he him selfe also sayeth, you are saued by grace thorowe fayth,Ephe. 2. and that not of your selues, but it is the gyfte of God, that is, & that I sayd by faith not of your selues but it is ye gift of God. And now fayth (sayeth he) cō ­meth not of workes, lest parad­uenture any man myght be extol­led. For it is a common sayeng: Therfore he deserued to haue faith bycause he was a good man also before [Page]he had fayth.Acto. 10. Rom. 10. S. Aug. meaneth that befo­re Corne­lius had the knowlege and faith that Christ was in­carnate, that he had dyed & rysen a­gayne. &c. For Corne lius had the same fayth in Christ to cum, that Abraham and the fathers were saued by: For it is impossi­ble for­ny to be saued without any ma­ner of fayth in thonly mediator Christ. For no man commeth to the father but by hī Ioh. 14. in Christ also is e­ternal life without whom is nothing but eter­nal death Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Esa. 54. Which maye be sayd of Cornelius, whose almes dedes were accepted and his prayers herde before he beleued in Christe: and yet he gaue not almes, neither prayed without al maner of fayth. For how dyd he cal on him in whō he dyd not beleue? But yf he coulde haue ben saued wythout ye fayth of Christ, thē should not thapostle Peter the chief buylder haue ben sent vnto him to haue buylded hym: not withstandyng except the Lord shal buylde the house, the buylders la­bour in vayne that buylde it. And yet you saye, we haue fayth of oure selues, other thinges that apper­teyne to the workes of ryghteous­nes, we haue of the Lorde. As thoo fayth appertayned not to the buyl­dyng, as tho the foūdacion (I say) belonged not to the buyldynge. But yf it do chieflye and princy­pally belong to the buyldynge, the buylder in preachyng do labour in vayne, except the Lorde by his mercye do buylde the same within.

What soeuer therfore good worke Cornelius wrought both before he beleued in Christ, and when he be­leued [Page 17]and also after he dyd beleue, ought to be ascribed al vnto God: lest paraduenture any mā myght glory, or be extolled. Wherfore the only maister and Lorde, when he had said the wordes which I afore rehersed, thys is the worke of God to beleue in hym whome he sente: in the same his sermon he sayeth a lytle after: I haue sayd vnto you that you haue sene me and not be­leued: al that the father geueth me, shall come vnto me.

The .viii. Chapter.

VVhat meaneth thys that he sayeth he shall come vnto me, but only that he shall beleue in me? but that thys may be brought to passe, it is the gyfte of the father. In lykemaner a lyt­le after he sayeth, murmure not a­monge youre selues: no man can come to me except the father which sent me drawe hym: & I shal rayse hym vp in the last daye. It is writ­ten in the prophetes, and they shal be all taught of God. Euery one [Page]that hath herde of the father & learned cōmeth vnto me. What me a­neth this, euery one that hath herd of the father and learned commeth vnto me, but only ye ther is none, which do heare & learne of the fa­ther, but that he cōmeth vnto me? For yf euery one that haue herde of the father and learned cōmeth: out of doubt euery one then which cōmeth not, haue not herde of the father nor learned: for yf he hadde herde and learned, he should haue come. For ther is not one, that ha­ue herde and learned, that cōmeth not: but euery one (as the truthe sayeth) which haue herde of the fa­ther and learned,The sub­ril & wor­ldly wyse dome wil not be a scolar in this scole cōmeth. This scole wherin the father is herde, and do teache to come to the sonne, is farre aboue the vnderstandyng of the fleshe. In this scole is the sonne hymselfe, for he is the very worde of hym, by whom ye father do thus teache: neither dothe he worke this in ye ear of the fleshe, but in ye ear of the herte. Ther is also together the spirite of the father & the sonne: for he dothe also teache together with the father and the sonne. For we [Page 18]haue learned that the workes of the Trinitie are inseperable. And thys is verely the holye Goost, of whome thapostle speaketh: but we hauyng (sayeth he) the same spirit of fayth.2. Corin. 4. But therfore chieflye is this attribute vnto the father, be­cause that the only begotten is be­gotten of hym: and of him doth procede the holye Ghoste: of whome to dispute more exquisytly woulde be very lōgerand further I do sup­pose that our labour (of the Trinite which is God) that is cōprehended in. xv, bokes is come into your hā ­des. This scole I saye wherin god is herde and doth teache, is farre aboue the reache of the wysedome of the fleshe. We perceyue that ma­ny come to the sonne, because we perceyue yt many beleue in Christ: but where & howe they haue herde this of the father and learned,The gra­ce of the­lccre is secret, wherof hard hertes at not par­talers▪ we perceyue not. For thys grace is verye secrete: but that it is grace who douteth? This grace therfore that is thorowe Goddes gyfte powred priuely into mens hertes, is not receyued of any harde herte. For to that ende is it geuen, that the hardnes [Page]of herte myght fyrst be taken awaye. Therfore when the father is herd within, and teacheth to cōe to the sonne, he taketh away the stony herte,Ezech. 11. and. 36. and geueth a fleshy herte: accordynge as he promysed by the preachyng of the Prophet. For af­ter thys maner dothe he make the sonnes of promyse, and the vessels of mercy, whych he hath prepared vnto glory. Wherfore the doth not he teache al that they maye come to Christ,Al are not tau­ght to cōe to Christ. but because that of mercye he teacheth all, whom he teacheth: but whome he teacheth not, of iud­gemēt he teacheth not: For he hath mercy vpon whome he wyl, & whō he wyll he doth harden: but he hath merci, geuing that is good: he doth harden recompensyng that is de­serued. Or els paradueture (accor­dyng as some men thynke the di­stinction to be made) these may al­so be the wordes of hym, vnto who thapostle sayeth:Rom. 9. Thou sayst then vnto me: So that we maye vnder­stande that the aduersary had said, therfore he hath mercy on whome he wyl, and whome he wyl he doth harden, and so forth: that is, why [Page 19]dothe he yet blame vs? For who tan resyst his wyl? Dyd thapostell answere this aduersarye thus, O man it is false, that thou hast said? no forsoth. But he answered, O man what arte thou, that dis­putest with God? shall the worke saye to the workeman, why haste yu made me on this fashion? hath not the potter power ouer the claye to make euen of the same lompe, and so forth as ye knowe very wel. And yet notwithstādyng after a certein maner the father do teache all to rōe to his sonne. For it is not writ­ten in vayne in the prophetes: and they shall al be taught of God, the which testimony as sone as Christ had first recyted, he added by and by: euery one that haue herd of the father and learned, commeth vnto me. As we therfore speake trulye, when we speake of any one scole­maister, which is only in the cytie: this scolemaister teacheth all in this cytie: not because al do learne, but because none that learne there any letters, lerne of any other but onlye of him: euen so we say truly: God do teache al to come to Christ, [Page]not bycause al do come, but because no man do come any other waye. But why he doth not teache al, the Apostle hathe opened so muche as he thought mete to be opened: be­cause (sayeth he) God willynge to shewe his wrath, and to make hys power knowen,Rom. 9. suffred with longe pacience the vessels of wrath ordeyned to damnacion, that he myght declare the ryches of his glorye, on the vessels of mercy, whiche he had prepared vnto glory. Hereof it commeth that the worde of the crosse is folyshnes to them that peryshe:1. Corin. 1. but to them that are saued it is the po­wer of God. All these do God teach to come to Christ:Whyche al are those that god wyll haue sa­ued. 1. 11. 2 al these wyl God haue saued, and come, to the know­lege of the truthe. For and yf he would teache them to come vnto Christ, which esteme the worde of the Crosse as folyshnes, without al doubt they also should come. For he neither deceyueth nor is decey­ued that fayth, euery one that hath herde of the father and learned,Ioh. 6. cō meth vnto me. God forbid therfore that any mā should not come, whi­che hath herde and learned of the [Page 20]father. Wherfore (saye they) dothe not he teache al? yf we shal saye, be cause they whome he teache not, wyll not learne: we shalbe answered, what meaneth that then,Psal. 84. The lord maketh of vnwillīg willyng. Math. 5. that is sayd vnto hym? Lorde thou ron­uertinge vs, shalte quicken vs: or els yf the Lorde do not make of the vnwillyng willynge, why do the churche accordyng to the commaū dement of the Lorde praye for her persecutours. For so also S. Cipzi­ane would haue this that we saye, thy wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen, to be vnderstande: that is,Math. 6. as in them which do nowe beleue, and are as it were heuen, euen so also in them which do not beleue, and are therfore yet earth. What then do we for them that wyll not beleue, but only that God shoulde worke in them also a wil to beleue. As touchyng the Iewes the Apost­le verely sayeth.Rom. 01. The good wyll of my herte, & praier to God for them is, that they myght be saued. He prayeth for them that beleue not, what els, but that they may beleue For otherwyse they do not attaine saluation. Yf thē the fayth of them [Page]that do praye do preuent goddes grace: do therfore the fayth of them that are prayed for, that they maye beleue, preuent the grace of God? For this prayer is made for them, that fayth may be geuē vnto them that beleue not, that is to saye, that haue no fayth.Why so­mebeleue the prea­chyng of the gos­pel & sōe not Math. 13 Acto. 13. Ioh. 6. When the Gospell is then preached, some beleue and some beleue not: but they that be­leue (whē the preacher maketh out wardly a soūde) do inwardly heare & are taught of the father: but they that beleue not, they hear outwardly, but inwardly they neither hear nor learne: that is, vnto ye one sorte it is geuen that they may beleue, but vnto the other, it is not geuen: because no man (sayeth Christ) commeth vnto me, excepte the father which sent me drawe hym: the whiche after is more euydetly spoken. For a lytle after, when he had spo­ken of the eatyng of his fleshe, and drinckyng of his blodde, and cer­taine also of his disciples had said: thys is an harde sayeng, who can heare hym? Iesus knowyng wyth himself, that his disciples dyd murmure for this, he sayd vnto them: [Page 21]do this offende vnto you? and a lytle after.Ioh. 6. The wordes (sayth he) that I haue spoken vnto you are spirite and life: but ther be certeine of you that beleue not. And by and hy the­uangelist sayd: Iesus knewe from the begynnyng who should beleue and who shoulde betraye him, and sayd: Therfore I sayd vnto you, that no man can come vnto me, except it were geueu hym of my fa­ther. Therfore to be drawen of the father to Christ, and so to hear and learne of the father, that we maye come to Christ, is nothyng els but to receyue a gyft of ye father,What is to be drawen of the father Iob. 6. wher­by we maye beleue in Christ. For he that sayd, no man commeth vn­to me except it were geuen hym of my father, dyd not preferre them that heare the Gospel, from them that heareth it not: but dyd prefer­re the beleuers, from them that be­beleue not.

The .ix. Chapter.

FAyth therfore is the gyfte of God, aswell when it is begonne, as whē it is per­fecte: And that this gyft is geuē to some, and to other [Page]some is not geuen, no man may in any wyse doubt: which wil not striue against the moste manifest holy scriptures.Striuers against the moste manyfest scriptu­res But why this faythe is not geuen to all, ought not to trouble any faythful man, which bele­ueth, that al thorough one man, at brought vnder condēpnacion, and that moste iustly without al doubt: so that God should not be reprehē ­ded iustly, altho he delyuered none from the same. By the whych it is manyf est, that great is the grace that many are delyuered, and in them that are not delyuered, they do acknowlege what should haue ben dewe to themselues:Iere. 9. Our ow­ne meri­tes are dā nable. that they which glorye, should not glorye in their owne merites (whiche they perceyue to be lyke vnto the meri­tes of them that are damned) but should glory in the Lorde. But why he dothe rather delyuer one, thē another, his iudgementes are vnser­cheable, & his wayes past findinge out.Rom. 11. For in this point also it were better for vs, eyther to heare of o­ther or to saye our selues: O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God:Rom. 9. then to take vpon vs as thoo [Page 22]we knewe the matter, to discusse that which he would haue secrete: which neuerthelesse coulde not wil any thynge, that is vnryghtfull. But as touchyng that which ye cal to remembraunce, that I sayd in a certaine worke of myne againste Porphirius, hauyng this tytle, of the tyme of the Christian fayth: I dyd so speake, that I omitted thys more diligent and exacte disputacion of grace: not without significa­tiō, that I would not in that place declare it ani further, which might be done eyther at some other tyme, or els by some other bodye. For a­monge other wordes I sayd thus, answeryng to the question purpo­sed: why Christe dyd come after so many ages. Therfore (sayd I) se­yng they dyd not obiecte againste Christ, that al folowed not his doc­trine (for they themselues do also perceyue, that that can not be iust­lye obiected, either agaynst the wy­sedome of the philosophers, or a­gainst ye worshipping of their god­des) what other thyng wyl they answere, but that the depenes of god­des wysedome and knowledge are [Page]vnsercheable, where as paraduen­ture some other councel of God ly­eth very priuely hyd, and yet to an­swere thus, is wythout any preiu­dice peraduenture of other causes also, that maye be searched out by wysemen. But let vs in discussyng of thys question (because of short­nes) make them only this answer, that Christ would then appeare vnto men, and haue his doctrine to be preached amonge them,Why Christ ca­me no so­ner. when he knewe, and where he knewe wer suche, as would beleue in him. For at those tymes and in those places where hys Gospell is not yet prea­ched, he knew aforehāde, that they would al be so affected in the prea­chyng therof, as (althoo not all) yet verye many were in his corporall presence, whych would not beleue in him,Ioh. 11. and. 12. no not when he had raysed the deade agayne to lyfe. As we al­so perceyue at this daye, that many wyll not yet beleue, notwithstan­dyng that the prophecies of the prophetes of hym are fulfylled so ma­nyfestly,Resisters of truth but they had rather tho­rowe mans subtiltye resyste, then to geue place to so cleare, to so ma­nyfest [Page 23]and to so great authoritie of God, so excellentlye publyshed and spred abrode. As longe as mās vn­derstandynge is base and weke, it can not assent to goddes truthe.

Bere is an an­swere vn­to them that aste why the gospel before our dayes was so longe hydde.What wonder is it then, seynge Christ knewe the world in the for­mer ages to be so full of infideles, that he would neither appeare nor preache vnto them, whom he knew aforehande, would neither beleue his doctrine nor miracles? For it is not incredible that all men then were so affected, as we maruell that a great multitude syns hys cō ­mynge haue ben, and yet do conti­nue vntyl thys daye: and yet neuertheles from the creation of man­kynde, he neither ceased to preache vnto them, sometyme more secret­lye, and somtyme more openly, ac­cordynge as it semeth vnto God mete for the tymes: neither wan­ted there that beleued in hym, and that from Adam vntyl Moses and amonge the selfe people of Is­rael (whiche by a speciall mystery was a propheticall nacion) & amōg other nacions also before he came in the fleshe. For seyng ther is mencion [Page]made in the holy bokes of the Hebrues of diuerse, euen from the tyme of Abraham, which were, neither of hys kynred, nor of the peo­ple if Israel, neither of other naci­ons made of the common wealthe of Israel, whych neuertheles wer partakers of thys mysterye: why maye we not thynke, that ther wer dyuers here and there also among other nacions, altho we do not reade any mēcion to be made of them in the sayd authorities? So that saluacion that commeth thorow thys religion,Christes religion is thonly true reli­gion. by the whych (beyng only the true religion) true saluacion is truly promysed, dyd neuer wante vnto any that was worthy, and to whome so euer it was wanting, he was vnworthy to haue it. And this is preached syns the begynning of mans generaciō vnto the worldes ende, to some men to saluacion, but to some to damnacion. And by this it appeareth, that to whome soeuer it was not preached at al, that they were knowen aforehāde to be such as would not beleue: and an example of these, are al they, to whome thys saluaciō was opened, and yet [Page 24]they beleued not. But whē it was preached vnto them that wolde beleue, they were therby prepared vnto the felowshyp in the kyngdōe of heauen, and the holy angels.

Perceyue you not that I would haue spoken thus muche of the fore­knowledge of Christ, without anye preiudice of the secrete counsell of God, & of other causes, as I thou­ght sufficient to conuince the infi­delitie of the Paganes, which had obiected this question? For what is more true then this, that Christe knewe aforehande, what men would beleue in hym, & at what ty­me, & in what place? But I dyd not then thynke it necessarye either to enquyre or dispute, whether (Christ beynge preached vnto them) they should haue had fayth of them sel­ues, or haue receyued it by the gyft of God: that is, whether God had only foreknowen them, or had also predestinate them. Therfore when I sayd, that Christ would then ap­peare vnto men, & haue his doctri­ne to be preached among thē, when he knewe, and where he knewe were such as wold beleue in hym: [Page]Thys myght also haue ben spoken thus, that Christ would the appe­re vnto mē, and haue hys doctrine to be preached, then, and where, he knewe to be suche: as were chosen in him before the foūdacion of the worlde was layd. But and if I shoulde then haue made thys answere: I should haue caused the re­ader to haue endeuoured hymselfe to haue searched out those thinges,S. Aug. had ne­uer so clearly disputed of grace & predesti­nacion yf he had not ben forced therunto by the heresie of the Pela­gians. which nowe I muste nedes by reason of the Pelagians error, dispute more diligently and more largely: I thought it therfore good to spea­ke briefly that, that was sufficient at that tyme to be spoken: omitting (as I haue sayd) the depenes of the wysedome and knowledge of God, and without ani preiudice of other causes: of ye which, I thought not good then, but at some other tyme to dispute more conueniently.

The .x. Chapter.

IN lyke maner where as I sayd, that the saluacion which cōmeth thorow thys religion, did neuer want vnto any that was worthy, and that to whō [Page 25]so euer it was wātyng, he was on­worthy to haue it: if it should be discussed & searched wherby any man is made worthy: ther be that wolde saye, that they are made worthy by the wyl of man:Worthy­nes. but we saye that they are made worthye by goddes grace, or by goddes predestinaciō. Furthermore thys only difference is betwene grace and predestinaci­on:The difference be­twene predestinaci­on and grace. Ephe. 2. predestinacion is a preparaciō to grace: but grace is the very gyft it selfe. Therfore this that the Apo­stle sayeth, not of workes leste any man should boast hymselfe: for we are his worckmanship created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes, is grace: but that that foloweth, whi­che God prepared aforehande that we should walke in them, is predestinacion: which can not be wyth­out a foreknowledge, al thoo ye afore knowlege maye be without prede­stinacion. For by predestinacion God knewe aforehande the thin­ges, that he hymselfe would do.

(Whervpon it is sayd, he ordeyned those thynges that were to come,) But he is able to knowe aforehāde tho thynges also that he dothe not, [Page]as al maner of synnes. For altho ther be cerceyne synnes which are also punyshmentes for synnes (for the whiche cause, it is wryttē, God delyuered them vp vnto a leude mynde,Rom. 1. that they shoulde do those thynges that were not comly) yet ther is no synne cōmytted on God des behalfe, but ther is only his iugement. Wherfore the predestina­cion of God (which is to our bene­fyt and comforte) is (as I sayd) the preparacion aforehande to grace: but grace is the effecte of the same predestinacion. When God ther­fore dyd promyse vnto Abraham the fayth of the gentyls in his sede,Ben. 17. Rom. 4. sayeng, I haue made thee a father of many nacions (whervpon the Apostle sayeth, therfore by fayth is the inheritaunce geuen, yt it myght come of fauoure,Goddes promyse is groun­ded vpon his predestinacion, and not vpō mās wyll. and the promyse myght be sure to al the sede.) This promyse was not grounded vpō ye power of mans wyll, but vpon the predestinacion of God. For he pro­mysed not that what men, but that what he hymselfe should bryng to passe: For altho men do worke such good thynges as apperteyne to the [Page 26]worshippinge of God, yet it is he that is the cause,Men are not the cause that god per­formeth his pro­myse. that they do those thynges that he cōmaundeth: but they are not yt cause, that he should performe that whiche he hath pro­mysed. For otherwyse to performe goddes promyses, should stande in the power of man, and not in the power of God: & so that which was promised of God to Abrahā, should be performed by mā. But Abrahā beleued not so: but he beleued ge­uyng glory to God,Rom. 4. because he was able to performe those thynges, that he had promysed: he sayth not, that he was able to tel aforehande: he sayeth not, that he was able to knowe aforehāde: For he can bothe tel aforehande, and also knowe a­forehande dedes that are none of hys: but he sayeth, he is able also to performe: & therfore they are his owne works, and none others. Do you thynke paraduēture, that God promysed the good workes of the gentyls to Abraham in hys sede, that he myght promyse that which he hymselfe do performe? but that he promysed not the fayth of the gē tyls, which mē worke themselues: [Page]but (that he myghte promyse that whych he performeth) he knewe a­forehande fayth, that men shoulde worke it? Truly thapostle speaketh not after this maner: For God promysed sonnes to Abraham, whiche should folow the fotesteppes of his fayth. Thys thynge he speaketh moste euidently. But yf he promy­sed the workes of the gentyls, and not their fayth: (Forasmuche as ther are no good workes but suche as spryng of fayth. For the iuste lyueth by faythe,Abac. 2. Rom. 14. Gebr. 11. and all that is not of fayth is synne: & wythout fayth it is impossible to please God) it muste neuerthelesse folowe, that it lyeth in mans power, that Goddes promyses be performed. For except man do worke that wythout god­des helpe which belongeth to mā, God shall not performe his gyfte, that is to saye, excepte man haue fayth of hymselfe, God shal not performe that whiche he hath promy­sed, that is, that the workes of righ teousnes myght be geuen of God. And vpon thys it shoulde folowe, that it saye in the power of man, & not in the power of God, that God [Page 27]myght be able to performe his promises. But yf both truth and god­lynes forbyd vs thus to beleue,Then are our aduersaries voide both of truthe & godlynes let vs then beleue with Abraham, that he is able to performe the thynges that he hath promysed: But he hath promysed sonnes vnto Abraham, whych they can not be excepte they haue fayth: he do therfore gyue e­uen fayth also.

The .xi. Chapter.

SEynge then (as the Apostle sayeth) the inheritaunce is geuen by fayth,Rom. 4. ye it myght come of fauoure or grace, & the promyse might be sure,A wōder. I wonder that men had. rather cō ­myt them selues to their owne we­kenes, then to the certeinte of god­des promise. But thou sayest, I am vncerteine of goddes wyl towarde me. What then? arte thou certeine of thyne owne wyll towardes thy selfe, and arte not afrayde? He that semeth to stande,1. Cor. 10. let hym take hede that he fall not. Seyng thē as both be vncertein, why doth not a man commytte his fayth, hope, and cha­ritie rather to the stronger then to the weaker? But when it is sayde, [Page](say they) yf thou beleue thou shalt be saued:Rom. 10. one of these is requyred to be done, the other is offered to be geuen: that whiche is requyred, is in mans power, but that whiche is offered, is in the power of God.

But I praye you, why be they not bothe in goddes power: aswell that that he commaundeth, as that whiche is offerd? For we praye vnto God, that he wyll gyue, that he cō ­maundeth: They that beleue praye for thēselues, that their fayth maye be encreased: They praye for them that beleue not, that fayth maye be geuen them: So that fayth bothe in her increasynges, & also in her be­gynnynges maye be the gyft of God. But thys sayeng, yf thou be­leue thou shalt be saued, is lyke vnto thys, yf thorough the spirite ye shal mortifye the dedes of the flesh,Rom. 8. ye shall lyue. For here also of these two, one is requyred, thother is of­fered. Yf thorowe the spirite (sayeth he) ye shal mortifye the dedes of the fleshe, ye shall lyue. That we maye then thoroughe the spirite, mortefy the dedes of the fleshe is requyred: but that we maye lyue, is offerd.

Thynke you then that it were con­uenient, that we should saye, that the mortificacion of the fleshe, were not the gyft of God: and that we should not therfore cōfesse it to be goddes gyft, because we heare that it is requyred of vs, (the promyse of lyfe beyng offered) yf we shall do accordingly? God forbyd, that they that are partakers and defenders of grace should thus thynke.A dam­nable er­ror. Thys is the damnable error of the Pela­giās: whose mouthes thapostle immediatly stopped, sayeng: For as many as are ledde by the spirite of God, these are the sonnes of God: that we shoulde not beleue, that we could mortifye ye dedes of the fleshe by our owne spirite, hut by the spi­rite of God. Of the which spirite of God he dyd also speake in that pla­ce,1. Cor. 12. where he sayd: All these worketh one and the selfe same spirite, deui­dyng to euery man seueral gyftes euen as he wyll. Amonge whyche al, he named also faith, as ye know Therfore lykewyse as altho ye mor­tifyeng of the dedes of the fleshe be the gyft of God, yet is it requyred of vs (the reward of lyfe beyng set [Page]before vs) euen so faythe also is the gyft of God, notwithstandyng that it selfe be also requyred of vs, by thys sayeng, yf thou beleue thou shalte be safe (the rewarde of salua­cion beyng set before vs) For ther­fore are these thynges bothe com­maunded vnto vs, and are also de­clared to be the gyftes of God, that it might be perceiued, both that we do them, and also that God dothe make vs to do them: as he sayeth moste playnly by his prophet Eze­chiel: For what is more playne thē this, when he sayeth:Ezec. 36. God maketh vs to do his commaū ­demen­tes. I shall make them to do them? Marke wel most dere brethren thys place of the ho­lye scripture, and you shal perceiue that God doth promise that he him selfe wyll so worke both faythe and workes, that they maye do the thinges that he cōmaundeth to be don. In the same place he maketh men­cion also of their merites, but it is of their euell merites, wherin he doth declare that he do rēder good gyftes for euel merites, in yt he maketh thē here after to bryng forthe good workes, whē that he causeth them to do goddes cōmaūdemētes.

The .xii. Chapter.

BVt all thys disputacion wherby we defende the grace of God thorow Ie­su Christ our Lorde, to be vereli grace, that is to say not geuen after our merites, altho it be defended moste manifestly by the testimonies of Goddes worde: yet therbe some that thynke them­selues to be discoraged from al godly lyuyng, except they may ascribe somewhat to themselues, whyche they may first gyue vnto God, that they maye be recompensed. Thys may be somtyme doubtful among them that are of age and discrecion that haue now the vse of the choise of wyll: but when we once come to yonge infauntes, and to the mediator of God and men, the mā Christ Iesu,1. timo. 2. all defence of mans merites goyng before the grace of God do faile. For neither are any of them preferred before other by any merites of man goyng before, that they should belong to the saueor of mē: neither was he (for asmoche as he hymselfe is also man) made the sa­ueour of men by any merites of [Page]man goyng before. For who can abyde to heare this, that chyldren beyng baptised in their infancye, are coūted to departe this lyfe for their merites sake that are to cōe: and that therfore other dye in the same age without baptisme, be­cause also their euell merites to come are forknowen: but that neither their good lyfe, is rewar­ded of God, nor yet their euell lyfe condemned? But (that I maye speake myldly) hath thapostle set no bounde, beyonde the whiche, it is not lawful for the rashe suspicion of man to passe?Rm. 14. 2. Cor. 5. For he sayeth, we shall all stande before the iud­gement seate of Christ, to receyue euery one accordyng to the thyn­ges that he hath done by the body whether it be good or euel. He sayeth, that he hathe done, he added not, or shall do. But what shoulde put this in suche mens heades, to thinke that the merites to come of infantes (that shall neuer be in dede) should either be punished or rewarded, I can not tel. But why is it sayd that a mā shal be iuged, accordyng to the thynges that he hath done by the body, whē as many [Page 30]thynges are done by the onely mynde, not by the bodye, nor by a­ny parte of the body, and that ma­ny tymes so euel, that suche thou­ghtes deserue most iuste paine, as is this (that I maye omitte other) when the folyshe man sayd in hys herte, ther is no God?Psal. 53. What mea­neth thys then, accordynge to tho thynges that he hathe done in the bodye, but accordyng to tho thyn­ges that he dyd whē he was in the bodye: So that we may vnderstād by the body, the tyme of the bodye? After the dissolucion of the bodye, no man shalbe in the body vntyll the laste resurreccion,Do you thynke that s. Au. thought here vpō the Po­pes pur­gatory? and not then to get any merites, but either to receyue rewardes for good merites, or els to be punyshed for euel merites. But in this meane space be­twene the puttynge of and the re­surreccion of the bodye, the soules are either tormēted, or els do rest, according to suche thinges, as they dyd in the tyme of the body. Vnto the which tyme of the bodye do al­so original synne belonge (whiche the Pelagians do denye, but Chri­stes churche doth acknowledge) the which when infantes dye beynge [Page]either thorow goddes grace pardoned, or els thorowe goddes iudgement vnpardoned: they do by the merite of the newe birth, either passe from euell to good, or els by the meryte of theyr first byrthe, passe from euel to euel.Baptisme of infātes This thing the catholyke fayth knoweth, vnto this also many heretikes do agre wythout against sayeng. But I maruel exceadingly, vppon what grounde these men should thynke (whose wittes as appereth by your letters, are not to be despysed) that euery mā should be iudged, not on­ly accordyng to those merites, whiche he had as longe as he was in the bodye, but also accordynge to those merites that he shoulde haue had, yf he had taried longer in the body: neither durst I haue beleued this, but that I durst not mistrust you. But I trust that God wyll so worke, that they beyng admoni­shed, maye shortly vnderstāde that suche synnes as are counted yet to come, yf they maye be iustly puni­shed by goddes iugement, in them that are not baptised, yt thei may al so thorowe goddes grace be pardoned, [Page 31]in them that are baptised.

For who soeuer saye, that the syn­nes to come maye onely be puny­shed by goddes iudgemēt, but may not be forgeuē by his mercy: ought to consyder howe great iniurye he dothe to God, and his grace: as the the synne to come, myght be knowen aforehande, but could not be for geuen. But yf thys be an inconue­nience, then oughte the infantes (whiche should be synners yf they lyued longer) to be holpen in theyr tēder age by baptisme, wherby synnes are washed awaye.

The .xiii. Chapter.

BVt yf they paraduenture saye, that synnes are for­geuē to them that repēt, and therfore that these dieng in their infancy are not baptised, because God knewe aforehande that they would not repent, yf they had lyued: but as tou­chyng them that are baptised, and departe out of their bodies in their chyldhode, God knewe aforehand that they would haue repented, yf [Page]they had lyued. But let thē marke and consyder wel, yf thys be so, thē chyldrē that dye without baptisme, are not punyshed for original syn, but for their owne synne, which e­uery one should haue done, yf he had lyued. In lyke maner, they that are baptised, are not washed from original synne, but frō theyr owne synnes, whyche they shoulde commyt yf they had lyued, bycause they coulde not synne before they came to age and discrecion: but sōe are forsene to repent, & some that they should not repent: and ther­fore some departe thys lyfe beynge baptised, and some wythout bapti­sme. Yf the Pelagians herde thys, they would not nowe trauel in the denial of original synne, and seke for infantes I can not tel what place of their ioye, wythout the kyng­dome of God: namelye, seyng they are conuinced, that they can not ha­ue eternal lyfe,Ioh. 6. whyche haue not eaten the fleshe, nor dronke ye blood of Christe: and forasmuche also as that is a false baptysme, whych is geuē in the remission of synnes [Page 32]to them, that haue no synne at al. For they woulde afferme that ther were vtterlye no originall synne, but yt the infātes whyche are losed from thys bodye, are eyther baptised, or not baptised, accordynge to their merites that they should do, yf they dyd lyue: and that for their merites to come, they dyd either receyue, or not receyue, the bodye and blood of Christe, wythout the whych certeynly the can haue no lyfe:In the dayes of S. Aug. yonge in­fantes re­ceiued the cōmuniō. and that they were verelye baptysed in the remission of syn­nes, althoo they drewe no synne from Adam: For their synnes to come, are pardoned them, where of God knewe aforehande, that they woulde repente. By thys meanes they myghte easelye pre­uaile, and obtayne theyr purpo­se in denyeng originall synne, and in contendynge, that the grace of God is not geuen, but accordynge to oure merites. But seynge that mannes merites to come, that shal neuer come, are doutles none at all (whyche a man maye moste [Page]easely perceyued) therfore the Pelagians could not saye this, & muche lesse myghte these men afferme this. It can not be declared, howe muche I am greued, that these which together wyth vs, do by ca­tholyke authoritie, condemne the error of these heretikes, dyd not se thys, which the Pelagians dyd perceyue, to be moste false & folyshe.

The .xiiii. Chapter.

CIpriane wrote a boke of mortalitie, commen­dably knowen vnto manye, and almoste to all them that loue Ecclesia­stical wrytynges, in the whych he dothe afferme, that therfore death is not only not vnprofitable vnto the faythful,Why death is pro­fytable. but also is profytable, forbecause it conueieth a mā away from the daunger of synnyng, & setteth hym in a saffetye from syn­nyng any more. But what profy­teth death, yf the sinnes to come be punished, which were neuer com­mitted? Neuertheles he sayeth ve­ry plentifully and excellently, that [Page 33]daungers to synne wante not in this lyfe: & that after this lyfe ther remayne none. Where as he doth also allege this testimonye out of the boke of wysedōe, he was takē a waye,Sap. 4. that malice shoulde not chaū ge his vnderstandyng. The which in lyke maner beynge alleged of me, you sayd that these brethren haue reiected, as that which was not taken out of a Canonicall boke: as tho besyde the wytnesse of thys bo­ke, the thynge it selfe whiche we would teache by it, were not many fest. For what Christiā dare denye, that the iuste man yf he be preuen­ted wyth death,Sap. 4. Popyshe purgatory pyck purse da­re deny thys. shalbe in refresh­yng? whyche doctrine yf any man shall teache, what man hauynge a sounde fayth, wyll thynke that he should be resysted. In lyke maner, yf he shall teache, that yf the iuste man shall departe from his ryght­fulnes, wherin he hath lōge lyued and shall dye in that vngodlynes, wherin he hath liued & speake not of an hole yere) but only one daye, shall go from hence into paynes dewe vnto the wicked, and that his formare ryghtfulnes past shal no­thynge [Page]profyt hym, what faythful man wyll agaynesaye thys open truth? Furthermore yf it be demā ­ded of vs, whether (yf he had dyed, when he was a iuste mā) he should haue founde paynes or reste, shall we doubt to answer that he should haue founde reste? Thys is all the matter, wherfore it was sayd, of whome soeuer it was sayd: he was taken awaye, that malyce shoulde not chaunge hys vnderstandyng, For it was spoken of the daūgers of thys lyfe, & not of the foreknow­lege of God whyche knewe afore­hande, that whyche was to come, not that which was not to cōe, that is to saye, that he would preuente hym with vntymely death, that he myght be taken frō the vncertein­tie of tentaciōs: not that he should synne, whych should not abyde in tentacion. For of thys lyfe, it is red thus in ye boke of Iob,Iob. 7. is not mans lyfe vpon earth a tentacion? But why it is graunted to some, to be taken awaye from the peryls of this lyfe, whyles they are ryghtful: but other beyng iuste, are kept in the same daungers by a longer lyfe, [Page 34]vntyil they fall from ryghtfulnes,Vn sea cheable iugementes but yet iust. who knoweth the mynde of the Lorde? And yet herby we maye vn­derstāde, that those iuste men, whi­che do lyue godly vntyll their olde age and the last daye of thys lyfe, ought to glory in the Lord, and not in theyr owne merites: For he that hath thorowe the shortnes of lyfe taken away the iust man, that malice shoulde not chaunge his vnder stādyng: doth also in the lōgestlyfe kepe the iuste, that malice may not chaunge hys vnderstandyng. But why he hath holdē in thys lyfe the iuste, that wyll fall awaye, whome (before he dyd fall) he myght haue taken awaye: hys iugementes are certeinely moste iuste, but yet vn­sercheable. Seyng that these thyn­ges are true, the sentence takē out of the boke of wysedom ought not to haue ben reiected, whyche haue ben so muche estemed in the chur­che of Christ, that it haue ben ma­ny yeres redde in the place, where the readers of lessons do vse to red to the church of Christ, & haue ben also herde as Goddes worde of all christians, euen from the byshop­pes [Page]vntyl the poorest laye faythful men,The scriptures, wer red­de in the vulgare tonge to the poeple according to. s. Paulus doc­trine. 1. Corinti. 14. the penitētes, and the yonge scolers called Cathecuumini. But yf by the testimony of the interpretores of holy scriptures which wer before our dayes, I would defende thys doctrine, which nowe we are cōmpelled to defende, agaynst the newe error of the Pelagians more diligently and more aboūdauntly thē we were wonte, that is to say, that the grace of God is not geuen after our merites: and that it is fre lye geuen to whomsoeuer it is ge­uen, because it lyeth not in mans wyll or runnyng, but in the mercy of God: but yet to whome so euer it is not geuē, by iuste iudgemēt it is not geuen, forbecause ther is no vnryghtfulnes wyth God: Yf I would (I saye) defende thys doc­trine,Men are bent ra­ther to credite doctors, then goddes wor­de. by the catholyke interpre­tures of the holye scriptures that were before our dayes: the brethrē for whome nowe we take thys la­bour, would geue place. For so you haue sygnifyed by your letters.

But what nede is it, that we shuld serche out theyr workes, whych be fore thys heresye dyd sprynge vp, [Page 35]had no nede to occupie themselues in aunswerynge to thys hard que­stiō: which out of doute they would haue done, yf they had ben, by suche heretikes compelled thervnto?Whi man of thold doctores speke litle of grace.

Whervpon it happened, that they dyd but briefly and by the waye, declare in certain places of their wrytynges, what they thoughte of the grace of God: but theyr chiefe exercyse was in other matters, whych they dysputed agaynst the enemyes of Christes churche: not­wythstandyng in theyr exhortaci­ons vnto all vertues, wherby men serue the lyuynge and true God, to attayne eternal lyfe & true bles­sednes, and in their assembles or prayers, it dyd plainlye appeare of what strength goddes grace was. For the thynges that he hath com­maunded to be done, should not be desyred of God, except the doyng of them were his gyft. But they that would be enstructed, by the testi­monies of Ecclesiasticall wrytters or doctours, muste preferre thys boke of wysedom (wherin it is red,Goddes wordepre ferred a­boue all doctores he was taken awaye that malice should not chaunge his vnderstan­dynge) [Page]before al doctours. Forby­cause the-noble doctours, that wer euen nexte vnto thapostles dayes, dyd also preferre it before themsel­ues: whych, when they dyd aledge it for a wytnes, did beleue that thei dyd allege nothyng, but ye wytnes of God. And surely it is manyfest, that the moste blessed Cipriane (to commende the benefyte of a swyft death) dyd dispute, that they were delyuered from the daungers of thys lyfe, whych do ende thys lyfe, wherin men may synne. In the same boke amonge other thynges, he sayeth. Why? seyng that yu shalt be wyth Christ, and beyng certeine of the Lordes promyse, that thou arte called vnto Christe, doest not embrace thys, & reioyce that thou shalt be deliuered from the deuel? And in an other place he sayeth: Chyldren by death auoyde the daū ­ger of slippery youth: In lyke ma­ner he sayth in an other place: why do we not make haste, and runne, that we maye se our countre, that we maye salute our parentes? A great nombre of our dere beloued parentes, brethren, and chyldren, [Page 36]do tary ther for vs. A'great multy­tude, beyng now sure of theyr own saftie, & yet careful for oure health, desyre our company. Wyth these, & suche lyke sentences, in the moste cleare lyght of the catholyke fayth, thys doctour dothe manyfestly te­stefye, that the daungers and tentaciōs of sinning, are to be feared vntyl the puttyng of of thys body, af­ter the whych no man shal suffer a­ny suche thynges. But and yf he dyd not thys wytnesse, whē would any christiā doubt of thys matter? How then, to a man that is fallen, and in the same falle myserably endynge thys lyfe, and goynge vnto paynes dewe to suche, how (I say) should it not haue ben exceding profytable for hym, yf he had ben takē out of ye place of tentaciō by death, before he had fallen? And thus (yf we set asyde rashe contencion) thys question, touchyng hym that was taken awaye, that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng, is fully aunswered. Neither ought therfore the boke of wysedome, to haue suffered thys iniury (whyche haue so many yeres ben redde in [Page]the churche of Christe, wherin this sentence is also redde) because it is agaynst them, whych are deceyued in thextollyng of mans merites,Who be the enne­mys of grace. & ennemyes agaynst the moste ma­nyfest grace of God, whych do ap­peare chiefly in yonge infantes: a­monge whome (for as muche as some departe thys lyfe beyng bap­tised, and other without baptisme) is euidently declared mercy & iud­gement: but mercy, that is frely gouen, and iudgement that is dewe. For yf men should not be iudged, accordynge to the workes of theyr lyfe, whych they had before deathe, but accordynge to suche as they should haue had, yf they had lyued longer: he had receiued no benefyt, whych was taken awaye, that ma­lyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng: it should nothynge haue profyted them (whych dye in theyr synne) yf they had dyed before: whiche no christian shall dare afferme.The ca­tholike faith is contrary to the pela­gians er­rors. Wherfore oure brethren, whyche wyth vs in the defence of the catholyke fayth, do impugne the pernicious error of the Pelagians, ought not so muche to fauour this opini­on [Page 37]of the Pelagians, wherby they thynke the grace of God to be ge­uen accordyng to our merites: in­somuche that they go aboute to de­stroye thys true, auncient, and christian sentence (he was takē away, that malice should not chaunge his vnderstandynge) because they can not abyde the hearyng of it, and to afferme that opinion, whyche we thought no man would haue bele­ued, no nor yet haue dreamed: that is, that euery dead mā should be iuged, accordyng to suche workes as he should haue done, if he had liued longer in the bodye. Thus it appeareth, that that whyche we afferme, that the grace of God is not geuen accordyng to our merites, is inuincible: insomuche that wytty men ropugning against thys veritie, wer compelled to afferme, that the Pelagians errors ought to be banyshed from the eares and thoughtes of all men.

The .xv. Chapter.

Christ ys a cleare light af predesti­nation.THe saueour himselfe the mediatour betwene god and men, the mā Christ Iesus, is also a moste cleare lyght of predesti­nacion & grace: and that he myght so be, by what merites of his go­yng before, eyther of workes, or of fayth dyd the nature of man that was in hym purchase thys? Let it be declared (I praye you) whereby that man deserued, to be assumpte of the worde coeternal to the father in the vnitie of persone, ye he might be the only begottē sonne of God? Dyd there any maner of goodnes of hys go before? What dyd he aforhande, what beleued he, what axed he, that he myght attayne to this vnspeakable dignitie? begā not the selfe mā (whych was made and as­sumpte of the worde) to be the only sonne of God, euen from the tyme that he began to be man? Dyd not that woman full of grace conceiue the only sonne of God? Was not the only sonne of God borne of the holy goost, and the virgine Mary, not by the luste of the fleshe, but by the singular gyft of God? was it to [Page 38]be feared, lest that man should syn thorough fre choise, whē he should come to the yeres of discrecion? Or had he not therfore frewyll, & that somuche the more, that he could not serue synne? For all these most wōderful gyftes, and other (yf ther be any more that maye be counted moste iustely and peculiarly hys) mans nature, that is, our nature receyued in hym after a syngular maner, wythout any merytes of hys goynge before. Let man here dispute with God (yf he dare) & say: why haue not I also the lyke? and yf he shal thus be answered: O mā what arte thou that disputest with God, and wyll not so be satisfyed, but wyl augment his impudency, and saye: why do I heare: O man what art thou?Rom. 9. Seyng I am that I heare, that is to saye, a man: and so is he also, of whome I speake: but why am not I also that, that he is? For thorough grace cam he to this excelient dignitie: why is grace dy­uerse, where as nature is one? Surely ther is no acceptiō of persons wyth God.Acto. 10. What (I say not a christian) but what madde man would [Page]speake these wordes? In our heade then maye appeare vnto vs, ye selfe fountaine of grace, from whence it doth spreade it selfe into all hys membres accordynge to the mea­sure of euery one.Ephe. 4. By ye same grace is euery mā from the begynnyng of hys fayth made a christiā, by the whych that man from hys begyn­ning was made Christ: of the same spirite, is man also borne agayne, wherof thys man was fyrst borne: thorowe the same spirite there is wrought in vs remissiō of synnes, by the whyche it was wrought in hym, that he should haue no sinne. God knewe aforehande, that he would do these thynges wythout al doubt. The selfe same is therfore the predestinacion of sayntes, whi­che dyd moste euidently appeare in the moste holy whych who can de­nye, that do ryghtlye vnderstande the wordes of truthe? For we haue learned, that the Lord of glory him selfe (inasmuche as mā was made the sonne of God) was predestinate The doctor of the Centyls do crye in the begynnyng of hys Epistles:Rom. 1. Paule the seruaunt of Iesu Christ, [Page 39]called an Apostle, put a part for the Gospel of Godwhych he promysed by his prophetes in his holy Scriptures of his sonne, which was ma­de vnto hym of the sede of Dauid after the fleshe, whych was prede­stinate the sonne of God in power, by the spirite of sanctification of the resurrection of the dead. Iesus was therfore predestinate, that he whych after ye fleshe should be the sonne of Dauid, myght be neuer­theles in power the sonne of God, by the spirite of sanctification: be­cause he was borne of ye holy goost and of the virgine Mary. The selfe same is that syngular takynge of mās nature vnspekeably wrought of God the worde, that the sonne of God, and the sōne of mā together: and the sonne of mā for mās sake that is taken, and the sonne of god for the only begottē sake that dothe take, should truly and properly be called God: lest that not a trinitie, but a quaternite should be beleued vpō. This so great, so hye, and so excellent exaltacion of mans nature, as could not be more, was predestinate: lykewyse as ye diuine nature [Page]for our sakes dyd abase it selfe so lowe (as it could not be lowar) in that it toke the nature of mā, with the weaknes of the fleshe,Phili. 2. euen vn­to the death of the crosse. As therfo­re that one, was predestinate to be our head: euen so we heyng many were predestinate, that we myght be his membres.Mans merites perished in Adam Here let all mans merites kepe sylence together, whiche peryshed thorough Adam: and let the grace of God raigne, which doth raigne thorough Iesu Christ our Lorde, the onlye sonne of God our Lorde. Whosoeuer shall fynde our in our head, the merites going before, of that his syngular generacion: he may seke out in vs hys mē bers, the merites goyng before of the multiplyed regeneracion. For thys generacion was not recom­pensed vnto Christ, but geuen, yt he might be borne of the holi goost & ye virgin, void frō al bondage of syn: euen so (that we myght be borne a­gayne of water and the holy goost) it was not recompensed vnto vs for any merite, but frely geuen: And altho faythe led vs vnto the fountayne of regeneration, yet [Page 40]ought we not therfore to thynke, that we fyrste gaue any thynge to God, that we myght be recompen­sed wyth the healthfull regenera­cion. For he hath made vs to bele­ue in Christ, whiche for oure sakes made Christe, in whome we do be­leue: he dothe make in men the begynnyng of faith and fynishing in Iesu, which made the man Iesus the prince and fynisher of fayth: For so is he called (as ye knowe) in the epistle to the Hebrues.Heb. 12.

The .xvi, Chapter.

FOr God dothe call manye of his predestinat sonnes, that he maye make them membres of hys only pre­destinate sonne: not with that callyng wherwyth they were called,Mar. 22. Two di­uerse cal­linges. that would not come to the mariage. For wyth that callynge were called bothe the Iues, vnto whome Christ crucifyed was a frō ­blyng, & also the gētils, vnto whōe Christe crucifyed was folyshnes: but he calleth the predestinate with that calling, which the apostle marked [Page]sayeng,1. Corin. 2. that he preached Christ the power of God and the wysedōe of God, vnto them that were called, both Iues and Grekes: For thus he sayeth: but vnto them that are called: that he myght point out them, that were not called: know­yng that ther was a certeine peculiar callyng, of them that are called accordynge to purpose, whome he knewe aforehande,Rom. 8. & predestinate, that they myght be lyke the ymage of his sonne. The whych calling he noted, sayeng: not of workes, but of the caller it was sayd vnto him.Rom. 9. That the elder should serue the yō ­ger. Sayd he not of workes, but of beleuyng? he dyd vtterly take that also awaye frō man, that he might ascribe al to God: Therfore he said but of the caller, not wyth euerye maner of callynge, but wyth that callynge wherby he is made bele­uyng. Thys maner of callynge he dyd also consyder,Rom. 11. when he sayde, the gyftes and callyng of God are wythout repentance. For I would also haue you a lytle whyle consy­der, when he sayd, the gyftes and callyng of God are wythout repē ­taūce. [Page 41]For I would also haue you a lyttel whyle consyder what matter was ther intreated. For when he had sayd:Rom. 11. For I wold not haue you ignoraunt brethren of thys myste­rye, that you should not be wyse in your owne eyes: because blyndnes was partly wrought in Israel, vn­tyl the fulnes of the gnetyls should enter in, and so all Israel should be safe: as it is written. Ther shall cōe out of Sion he that dothe delyuer, and shall turne awaye the vngod­lynes of Iacob. And thys is my co­uenaūt to them, when I shal take awaye theyr synnes: to these he ad­ded by and by, whych we muste di­ligentlye vnderstande: as concer­nyng the gospel they are enemyes for your sakes, but as touching the eleccion they are loued for their fathers sakes. What meaneth thys, as concernyng the gospell they are ennemyes for your sakes, but only that their enmytye wherby they slewe Christe, dyd promote the gos­pel, as we certeinly perceyue,God can vse euell thinges well. and thys doth he declare to haue hap­pened by Goddes disposition, whi­che can vse well euen thynges that [Page]are euel: not yt the vessels of wrath should profyte hym: but that they myght (thorough his well vsynge of them) profyt the vessels of mercy For what could be spoken more playnely then that that was sayd, as concernyng the gospell they are ennemyes for your sakes: It is thē in the power of the euel to syn [...]. But that by synnyng, they shoulde thoroughe their malyce do either this or that, it is not in their po­wer, but in the power of God, that deuideth the darkenes, and dispo­seth the same:Esa. 45. Goddes will ful­filled. so that for this cause euen in that that they do agaynst the wyll of God, ther is nothynge fulfylled, but the wyll of God. We read in the actes of thapostles, whē thapostles beyng let lose of ye Iues were come to theyr felowes, & had declared vnto them hawe the prie­stes and elders had threatned thē, they all lyft vp theyr voices to the Lorde wyth one accorde,Act. 4. and sayd: Lorde thou arte he that hast made the heauen, and earth and see, and al thynges that are in them, which by the mouth of our father Dauid thy holy seruaunt haste sayd:Psal. 2. why [Page 42]dyd the Hiethen range, and the peo­ple ymagine vaine thynges. The kynges of the earth stode vp, & the rulers came together agaynst the Lorde, and agaynst his anointed. For of a truth Herode and Pilate and the people of Israel are gathered togehter in thys cytie, against thy holy chylde Iesus whom thou haste annointed, to do whatsoeuer thy hande and councel haue prede­stinate to be done. Behold that was sayd, as cōcernyng the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes. For the hand and councell of God dyd predestinate so muche to be done by the enemyes the Iewes, howe muche was necessarye for the pro­motyng of the Gospell for vs. But what meaneth that that folow: but as touchynge thelection they are loued for their fathers sakes. Are those ennemyes whych dyd perysh in theyr enmytie, and beyng aduersaries to Christ among that naciō do yet peryshe, are they chosen and welbeloued? God forbydde. Who (tho he were neuer so folyshe) wold afferme thys? But altho both these are contrarye, the one agaynst tho­ther, [Page]that is to saye ennemyes and beloued, altho they do not agre in the selfe same mē, yet do they agre in the selfe same naciō of the Iues, and in the same carnal sede of Is­rael: whyles some of them apper­teyne to the haltynge, and some to the blessyng of the selfe same Isra­el.Gen. 32. For he dyd before open thys sence more playnly where he sayd: That Israel dyd seke, that hath he not obtayned,Rom. 11. notwythstandynge the election hath opteyned it, but the reste were blynded: yet the selfe same Israel is in both. Where thē we hear, Israel hath not obteined: or, the rest are blynded: ther muste be vnderstande the ennemyes for your sake: where we herde, but the­lection hath opteined, ther must be vnderstande, the beloued for the fathers sakes: vnto ye whych fathers these thynges were verely promy­sed. For to Abraham were the pro­mises made,Gal. 3. Rom. 11. and to his sede. Wherfore euen into thys Olyue is the wylde Olyue also of the Gentyls grafted. Furthermore the election now wherof he speaketh, ought certeinly to come of grace and not of [Page 43]dewtye, for asmuche as the rem­naunt are saued by thelection of grace. This election hath obteined, the rest beyng blynded. According to thys election the Israelites are beloued for theyr fathers sakes.

For they are not called wyth that callyng wherof it is sayd,Mat. 20.22. ther are many called: but wyth that callyng wherwith thelecte ar called. Wherfore in thys place also after he had sayd, but as touthyng thelection, they are beloued for theyr fathers sakes: he added by & by that, wher­vpon we dispute. For the gyftes & callyng of God are wythout repentaunce,Goddes callyng ye vnchā geable. that is, they are constantly fastned wythout chaunge. As ma­ny as belonge vnto thys callynge, they are all taught of God: neyther can any of them saye. I beleued, & therfore I was called after thys maner: for the mercy of God dothe preuente hym, forbecause he was called after suche maner that he myght beleue. For al that are tau­ght of god come to the sonne, for because they haue herde and learned of the father by the sonne, whyche sayeth moste manifestly:Ioan. 6. euery one [Page]that haue herd of the father & lear­ned commeth vnto me. Not one of those do peryshe, forbecause that he wyl not lose any thynge of all that the father hath geuen hym.Thei whō God calle of purpose, shall ne­uer be dā ned 2. Ioa. 2. Who so euer therfore is of thys number certeinly he doth not peryshe, nei­ther shall he be of this sorte that do peryshe: Therfore it is sayde, they went out from among vs because they were not of vs: for yf they had ben of vs, they had certeinly continued wyth vs.

The .xvii. Chapter.

LEt vs therfore vnderstād the callynge to be suche wherby they are chosen, not as tho they are chosen because they dyd beleue, but they are chosen, that they may beleue. For the Lord hymselfe doth sufficiently declare thys, where he sayth: you haue not those me, but I haue chosē you.Ioan. 15. For yf they had bē therfore chosen, because they dyd beleue, they dyd certeinly chose hym fyrst, dy beleuing in hym, that they myght deserue to be chosen. But he doth vtterly ouerthrowe thys, whi­che [Page 44]sayth, you haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you. And they dyd doubtles chose him, when they beleued in hym. And for none o­ther cause he sayeth, you haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you: but only for that thei chase not him that he myght chose them, but that they might chose him, he chase thē: For because his merci through grace (but not of dewtye) dyd preuent them. He chase them therfore from the worlde, when he was conuer­sant here in the fleshe,Ephe. 1. The tru­the of predestina­cion and grace endureth for euer. but yet they were nowe chosen in hym, before the worlde was made. Thys is the immoueable truthe of predestina­cion and grace. For what meaneth that the apostle sayeth, as he chase vs in hym before the worlde was made? Certeinly yf this be therfore spoken, because God knewe afore­hande that they would beleue, not because he should make them to be­leue: the sōne speaketh against this foreknowlege sayng, you haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you: Seyng that God dyd rather know aforehande this, that they should chose hym that they myghte de­serue [Page]to be chosen of hym. They are therfore chosen before ye world was made, in that predestinacion, in the whych God knewe aforehād his owne workes, that were to cōe: but they are chosen from the world by that callyng, by the whych God hath fulfylled that whyche he dyd predestinate. For whome he hathe predestinate,Rom. 8. Whom dothe God iu­stifye. them hath he called, that is to saye, wyth that callynge that is accordynge to purpose: he hath not then called any other, but those whome he hath predestinate, them hathe he also called: neither hath he iustifyed anye other, but them whom he so called, them hath he also iustifyed: neither hathe he glorifyed any other, but them whō he hath predestinate, called, iustifi­ed, them hath he also glorified with that ende, whych hath no ende.

God then hath chosen the faithful: but that they myght be made faithful, not because they were faythful. The Apostle Iames sayeth,Actu. 2. hathe not God chosen the poore in thys worlde, ryche in fayth, and heires of the kyngdome whych God hath promysed to them that loue hym? [Page 45]By electiō therfore he maketh both ryche in fayth, & heires of the kyngdome. Who I praye you hearynge the Lorde sayeng you haue not chosen me, but I haue chosē you, dare be so bolde as to saye, that men are chosen thorowe beleue: wher as rather they are chosen that they may beleue, lest that they should be foūd to haue chosen Christ fyrst, contra­ry to the sentence of the truthe, vnto whome Christ sayeth:Ioan. 15. you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you?

The .xviii. Chapter.

VVho hearyng thapostle sayeng, blessed be God and the father of oure Lorde Iesu Christ, whi­che hath blessed vs with all maner of spirituall blessynge,Ephe. 1. in heuenly thynges in Christ, euen as he dyd chose vs in hym before the makyng of the worlde, that we myght be holy and wythout blame in hys syght, in charitie predestinatyng vs to make vs hys sonnes by adoption thorough Iesu Christ thorough [Page]the selfe same, accordyng to the pleasure of his wyl, wher in he hath made vs accepted in hys belo­ued sonne, In whome we haue re­dempcion thorowe hys blodde, the forgeuenes of synnes according to the ryches of his grace, whych gra­ce hath bene plentifully in vs in al wysedome and prudence, that he myght shewe vnto vs the secrete of hys wyll accordyng vnto his good wyll, whyche he purposed in hym when the tyme were fully come, to repaire all thynges in Christ, both the thynges that are in heauē, and also the thynges that are in earthe in hym, in whōe also we are made heires, beyng therto predestinate accordynge to the purpose of hym, whych worketh all thynges, accor­dynge to the councell of hys owne wyl, that we myght be to the praise of hys glory: Who (I saye) he aring these thynges diligently and wyth vnderstandyng, dare doubt of this manyfest truthe which we defend? God in Christ dyd chose his mem­bres before the world was made: and howe could he chose them that yet were not, but in hys predestin­tion? [Page 46]he chase vs then, predestina­ting vs: but would he chose the vn­godly & vncleane? For yf the question be preponed whether God doth chose these, or rather the holy & blameles: what wyl he aunswere that shall be demaunded: wyl he not by and by geue sentence for the sayn­tes and the blameles? He knewe therfore aforehande (sayeth the Pelagian) whych should be saintes & blameles,The pelagian. through the choise of frewyl, and therfore before the world was made, he chase thē in that hys foreknowlege, wherby he knewe aforehāde that they would be such. He dyd therfore (sayeth he) chose them before they were, predestina­tyng sonnes whome he knewe a­forehande would be holy and bla­meles: certeinly he made them not so, neither sawe aforehande that he would make them, but onlye sawe aforehande that they would so be. Let vs then consyder the wordes of thapostle,S. aug. and se whether he dyd therfore chose vs before the world was made, because we were to be holy and wythout blame, or rather that we myght be so. Blessed (say­eth [Page]he) is god and the father of our Lord Jesu Christ, whych hath bles­sed vs wyth all maner of spirituall blessyng, in heauenlye thynges in Christe, euen as he dyd chose vs in him before ye making of the world, that we myght be holye and wyth­out blame: Not because then that we were to be, but that we myghte be. For it is certeine, for it is manyfest,The fonteyne of grace. for therfore we wer to be such, because he had chosen vs, predesti­natynge that we myghte be made suche thorowe hys grace. He ther­fore blessed vs after thys maner wyth all spirituall blessyng, in heauenly thinges in Christ Iesu, euen as he chase vs in hym before the makynge of the worlde, that we might be holy and blameles in his sight, in charitie predestinating vs to make vs his sōnes by adopcion thorough Iesu Christ, thorough the selfe same. Furthermore marke what he addeth, accordynge to the pleasure (sayeth he) of hys wyl, lest that in so excellent a gyfte of god­des grace,Goddes Wylle. we should glorye in the pleasure of our owne wyll: wherin (sayeth he) he hathe made vs accepted [Page 47]in hys beloued sōne: in the whi­che his wyll vndoubtedly he hathe made vs accepted. It is so sayd, he hath made vs accepted thoroughe grace, as it is said, he hath iustified vs thorough ryghtfulnes: In whō (sayeth he) we haue redempcion thorough hys blood, the remission of synnes, accordyng to the ryches of his grace, which grace hath ben plentefully in vs in all wysedome and prudence, that he might shewe vnto vs the secrete of his wil, accordyng vnto hys good wyll. In thys mystery of hys wyl he hath put the ryches of hys grace, accordyng to hys good wyll, not accordynge to oures: whych can not be good, ex­cept he accordyng to hys good wyll should helpe that it myght be made good.Mans wille, But when he had sayd, accor­dyng to hys good wyll, he added, whych he purposed in hym, that is, in hys beloued sonne, when the ty­me was fully come, to repayre all thynges in Christe, bothe the thyn­ges that are in heauen, and also the thinges that are in earth in the selfe same, in whome also we are made heires, beyng therto predestinate, [Page]accordynge to the purpose of hym, whych worketh all thynges, accordyng to the coūcel of his owne wyl, that we myght be to the praise of his glory. It would be verilōge to dispute of euery thynge. But ye do perceiue, vndoubtedly ye do perceyue,The apo­stolife doetrine defē deth grace, agenst the extol­lares of merites. howe manyfestly this grace is defended by thapostles doctrine: agaynst the whych mans merites are extolled, as tho mā should first gyue somwhat vnto God, that he myght be recompensed. God dyd therfore chose vs in Christe before the worlde was made, predestina­ting vs to make vs hys sonnes by adoptiō, not because we were to be, by our owne strength holy and blameles, but he chase vs, and predestinated vs that we myghte be. But thys dyd he accordynge to the plea­sure of his owne wyll, that no mā should glorye of his owne wyl, but onlye of hys good wyll towardes hym: he dyd this accordinge to the ryches of his grace, accordyng to his good wil, which he purposed in his beloued sonne, in whōe we are made heyres, predestinate not ac­cording to our purpose, but accor­ding [Page 48]to ye purpose of him that wor­keth all thinges, in so muche that he dothe worke in vs the wil also. But he doth work according to the councell of his owne will,Wille. that we might be to the praise of his glory. This is the cause that we crye out, that no man should glory in man, and by that, neither should glori in hymselfe: but that he whiche dothe glorye, should glory in the Lorde, that we may be to the prayse of his glorye. For he doth worke certeinlye according to his owne purpose, that we may be to the prayse of his glori, holi & blameles, for the which cause he hath called vs, predestina­ting vs before the makinge of the worlde.Calling accor­ding to purpose Ro. [...]. 11. Vpon this his purpose is grounded that peculiar callinge of the chosen, vnto whome al thinges worke to the beste, because the saintes ar called according to purpose, and the gyftes and calling of God, are without repentaunce.

The .xix. Chapter.

BVt these our brethren of whome we now speake, and for whose sake we nowe write, do paraduenture saye, that the Pelagians are cōfuted by this testimonye of the Apostle, where he sayth, that we are therfore chosen in Christ & predestinate before the making of the worlde,Ephe. 1. that we should be holye and blameles in his syght in charitie, for thei suppose that whē we haue receiued the commaundemen­tes, that now by our own strēgth, by the choise of free wyll, we are made holy & blameles in his syght in charitie: which thyng (say they) because God knewe aforehande woulde be, therfore he chase, & pre­destinated vs in Christ, before the makyng of the worlde: when as yet thapostle sayeth, that not because he knewe aforehande that we would be suche, but that we might be suche, thorough the selfe election of his grace,Goddes owne worke. wherby he hath made vs accepted in his beloued: Therfore when he dyd predestinate vs, he knewe aforehand his owne worke whych dothe make vs holy and blameles. [Page]Wherfore the Pelagians error is iustely reprehended wyth thys testimony. But we saye (saye they) that our God knew aforehād nothyng but fayth, wherby we be­gynne to beleue, and that for thys fayth sake, he chase and predestina­ted vs before the world was made, that nowe we myght be holy & bla­meles thorough his grace and workyng. But let them heare also in this testimony where he sayeth: we are made heires, predestinate according to the purpose of him that worketh al thynges. He therfore that worke all thinges, do also worke our beginning to beleue. For faith selfe dothe not go before that cal­lyng, wherof it is sayd:Rom. 11.9. the gyftes and callyng of God are suche, that it can not repent hym of them: and wherof it is sayde, not of workes, but of the caller, when he myghte haue sayd, but of the beleuer,Ioan. 15. Faithe is the effecte of Goddes elec­tion and callyng. & the election whych the Lorde signifyed sayeng: you haue not chosen me, but I baue chosen you. For he dyd not chose vs because we beleued, but that we myght beleue: that we should not be counted, to haue cho­sen [Page]him first, and then this should be false (whych God forbydde) you haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you: neither are we called be­cause we dyd beleue, but we are called that we maye beleue, & by thys callyng, wherof God cā not repent hym, thys is Certeinly wrought and per­formed, that we maye beleue. Neither is it nedeful to repete the great mul­titude of suche thynges, as we ha­ue before spoken in thys matter.

To be shorte, thapostle also in the wordes that folow this testimony, gyueth thākes vnto God for them that dyd beleue, not because the gospel was preached vnto them, but because they beleued. For he sayth: In whō also ye beleuyng the word of truthe, the gospel of your salua­cion, wherin you beleuyng,Ephe. 1. are sealed wyth the holy spirite of promes whych is the pledge of our inheri­tance, to redeme the purchased pos­session, vnto the prayse of his glory Wherfore I also (after that I herd of your fayth in Christ Iesu, & loue vnto all saintes) cease not to gyue thankes for you. Their faythe was newe and freshe, after the Gospell [Page 50]was preached vnto them. For the whych fayth thapostle whē he herd therof gaue thankes to God on their behalfe.Peticiōs and th [...] ­keste of depar [...]ed what be thei? Gal. 6. Yf he should haue gyuen thankes to a man for that thynge, whych he either supposed, or els knewe that he had not done, it myght be counted rather flatery or mockery then thankes gyuyng. Let vs not be deceyued, god wil not be mocked: For ye beginning faith, is also his gyft: otherwyse the thankes gyuyng of thapostle, myghte worthely be coūted false or of false glorye. What meaneth thys? is it not euident of whome the Thessa­loniās had the beginning of faith, for the which neuertheles the same apostle geueth thankes vnto God,1. Thes. 2. sayng: For this cause we also giue thankes vnto God wythout cea­syng, forbecause when ye had receiued of vs the worde, wherwith god was preached, ye receiued it not as the worde of men, but euen as it was in dede the word of God, whi­che worke in you that haue bele­ued it. What meaneth this, that he geueth thankes vnto God for this matter? For it is a vaine and foo­lyshe [Page]thynge yf he geue thankes to any, for that he hath not done. But bycause thys is neither vaine nor folyshe, certeinlye God hymselfe wrought this worke, for the which he geueth thankes vnto him: That when they had receiued of thapost­le the worde, wherwith God was preached, they might receiue it, not as the worde of men, but as it is in dede the very worde of God.The ma­ner of Goddes working in his chosen. God therfore do so worke in the hertes of men by that callyng that is accordyng to hys owne purpose (wherof we haue spoken aboūdantly) that they should not heare the gospel in vayne, but that they maye after they haue herde it, be conuerted and beleue, receiuyng it not as the worde of man, but as it is in dede the veray worde of God.

The .xx. Chapter.

THys also do teache vs that the begynnynge of mens fayth is the gyfte of God, when the Apost­le wryteth thus in his e­pistle to the Collocenses:Collo. 4. Continue in prayer, and watche in the same with thankes geuyng, prayeng al­so [Page]for vs, that God maye open vn­to vs the dore of his worde, to spea­ke the mysterye of Christe (for the which I am also in bandes) that I maye declare it so, as it behoueth me to speake. Howe is the dore of the worde opened, but when the vnderstandynge of the hearer is ope­ned, that he maye beleue, and that after he haue receyued the begyn­ning of fayth, he may allowe whatsoeuer is preached, and disputed, to the edificatiō of holsome doctrine, lest that his herte beynge shute vp thorough vnbeleue, he should im­proue & reiecte those thynges that are spoken? Wherfore he sayeth to the Corintheans also.1. Cor. 16. I wyll tarye at Ephesus vntil whitsontyde. For a great dore & manyfest is opened vnto me, and ther are many aduersaries. What other thynge cā here be vnderstande, but onlye that (the gospel beyng ther by him first preached) that many beleued, and also that ther were many aduersaries of the same beleue, accordynge to thys sayeng of the Lorde, no man cōmeth to me except it were geuen hym of my father:Ioan. 6. and vnto you [Page] Luc 8. it is geuen to knowe the secretes of the kyngdome of heauen, but to them it is not geuē? The dore ther­fore was opened in thē, vnto whōe it was geuen: but the multitude of aduersaries were of them, vnto whome it was not geuen. In lyke maner the same Apostle in hys se­conde Epistle vnto the same people sayeth:2. Cor. 2. whē I was come into Tro­a [...]a for the Gospel of Christ, and a dore was opened to me in ye Lorde, my spirite had no reste: forbecause I dyd not fynd Titus my brother: but dydding them farewel, I went out in to Macedonia. Whome bad he farewel, but onely them that beleued, in whose hertes de dore was opened thorough his preachyng? But marke what he addeth, but praysed be God (sayeth he) whyche dothe gyue vs the victory alwayes thorough Christe, and doth declare the sauoure of his knowlege in all places by vs: For we are the swete smelle of Christ vnto God bothe in them that are saued, and in them also that do peryshe, to some verely the sauour of death vnto death, but to some the sauour of life vnto lyfe [Page 52] Paule ys an inuincible defendor of grace: this cause wil then pre­uaile a­genst the tyrāny ād subtelty both of deuel and worlde. Lo for what cause the valeant sou­geor, and inuincible defendour of grace gyueth thankes. Lo for what cause he geueth thankes: because thapostles are the swete smelle of Christ vnto God, both in them that are saued thorough his grace, and in them also that peryshe thorough his iudgemēt. But that they might be the lesse angry which vnderstād not these thynges, he warned whē he addeth and sayeth: And who is mete vnto these thinges? Not withstandyng, let vs returne to the openyng of the dore. Wherby thapostle dyd signifye the begynnynge of the fayth of the hearers. For what is this (prayeng also for vs yt God maye open vnto vs the dore of the worde) but a moste manyfest demō stracion, that the very begynning of fayth, is the gyft of God? For it should not be asked of hym by prayer, except men beleued that it were his gyfte. This gyfte of the heauenly grace came downe into that purple sellar:Act. 16. whose vnderstanding (as the scripture dothe wytnesse in the actes of thapostles) God had ope­ned, and she gaue hede vnto those [Page]thynges, that were spokē by Paul: For she was called after suche ma­ner, that she might beleue. For god doth worke in mēs hertes what he wyll,God worketh in mēs har­tes what he will. Act. 4. either helpyng or iudging, insomuche that euen that maye be fulfylled thorough them, whyche hys hande and councel haue prede­stinated to be done. It is therfore vaine that they haue said, that that also whych we haue proued by the testimony of the scriptures, out of the bokes of Kynges & Cronicles, apperteine nothyng to the matter wherof we dispute: that is, when God wyll haue any thynge to be done, whych can not be don except men be wyllynge, that then their hertes are inclined to wille yt thing that he would haue don: he incly­nyng them, whych by a wōderfull and vnspekeable maner, do worke also in vs to wyll. For what other thynge is it to saye nothyng, and neuertheles to agayne saye: excepte paraduenture they haue made you some reason why they so thought: whych you thought not mete to de­clare in your letters? But what reason thys maye be, I knowe not.

Is it thys thynke you because we declared that God dyd worke this in the hertes of me,1. Reg. 10 2. Reg. 5. & dyd persuade the willes of as many as he would that Saul or Dauid myght be ma­de kynge? Therfore they thynke that these ensamples make not for this purpose, because it is not all one thynge to raigne temporallye in this worlde, and eternally with God: and thinke they therfore, that God do bowe the wylles of whom it pleaseth hym, to set vp earth thy kyngdomes: but to optaine the heauenly kyngdome, he do not bowe the wylles of whome it pleaseth hym? But I suppose that this was spoken for the kyngdome of heauē sake, and not for any earthy kyng­dome. Inclyne myne herte vnto thy testimonies: or thys,Psal. 118. Psal. 36. Pro 16.20 3. Reg. 8. the goyn­ges of a man are gouerned of the Lorde, and he hath pleasure in hys waye: or this. The wyl is prepared of the Lorde: Or, let oure Lorde be wyth vs as he was wyth oure fa­thers, let hym not forsake vs, nor turne vs from hymself: but let him bowe oure hertes vnto hymselfe, that we may walke in al his waies [Page]Or thys, I wyl gyue them an hert to knowe me, & eares of hearinge: or thys, I wyl gyue them an other hecte,Ezec. 36. and a newe spirite wyl I gyue vnto them. Let them also heare thys. I wyll gyue my spirite vnto you, and I wyll make you to walk in my ryghtfulnes, and that you obserue and kepe my iudgemētes. Let them heare this, a mans goynges are gouerned of the Lorde, but howe shall the mortall vnderstand his owne wayes:Pro. 20. Let them heare, euery man seameth iuste in his owne eyes, but it is the Lorde that maketh the hertes streight.Act. 3. But owr aduersa­ries will neither heare these nor none o­ther. Let them heare, they beleued as manye as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe. Let them heare these, and all other places of the holy scriptures, whi­che I haue not rehersed, by the whiche it is declared, that God do also prepare and conuerte the willes of men vnto the kingdome of heauen and eternal lyfe. Iudge youre sel­ues what maner of doctrine it is, that we ought to beleue, that God do worke the willes, for the setting vp and establyshyng of the earthy kyngdomes of men: but that men [Page 54]do worke their owne wylles to at­taine the kyngdome of heauen.

We haue spoken many wordes, & we myght paraduēture longe sins haue persuaded that we go about, and yet we are fayne to speake af­ter suche maner, to them that haue sharpe & quicke vnderstandinges, as we should do to them that were dulle, whych are not satisfyed with that, that is to muche.

The .xxi. Chapter.

BVt let them pardone vs, for thys newe question hath compelled vs thus to do: For where as in our formare workes we haue proued by sufficiet witnesses, that also fayth is the gyft of God: Therbe some that haue inuented somwhat to against saye thys, and that those wytnesses dyd serue to none other purpose, but onlye to shewe that thencrease of fayth was the gyft of God. But ye begynnyng of fayth, wherby men fyrst beleue in Christ, is of mansselfe, & is not the gyft of God: but that god required [Page]thys fayth, that when that wer gone before, other that are goddes gyftes myghte folowe after, as it were for the merite of faythe, and that none of them are geuen frely when God his grace is cōmended in them, which is no grace excepte it be fre. Howe absurde and folyshe this opinion is, you do perceiue.

Wherfore we haue endeuoured oure selues as muche as we are a­ble, that we myght shewe, that also the begynnyng of fayth is ye gyft of God. Wherin, altho we haue lō ­ger traueled, then paraduenture they would yt we should haue done, for whome we haue take these pai­nes, wherfore we are contented to be reprehended of them: So that they wyll confesse, that we haue brought that to passe that we haue done in dede (altho it be done with more wordes then thei would, and altho that it be done with werines and hyrkesomnes of suche as haue vnderstandynge) that is, that we haue proued, that also the begynnyng of fayth is the gyfte of God, lykewyse as is continencye, pacience, ryghtfulnes, godlynes & [Page]other, wherof ther is no contenciō betwene vs and them. Let vs ther­fore, make here an end of this fryst volume, leste any myght be offended wyth to great a length of one boke.

The ende of the fyrst boke.

¶ The seconde boke of S. Aure­lius Aug. byshop of Hippone / of the goodnes of perseueraunce or continuynge to thende / translated by Iohn Scory the late byshop of Chichester.

The fyrst Chapter.

NOw muste we dispute more diligently of per­seueraunce. For in the former boke when we intreted of the beginning of faith, we did speake somwhat also of this matter. We do therfore afferme, that perseueraunce, wherby men do continue in Christ vntyl thend, is the gyft of God: to thende I say, whē as this lyfe is fynished, in the which only men be in daunger to falle. Therfore it is vncertein, whether any mā as longe as he lyueth in thys worlde, haue receiued thys gyft. For yf he falle before deathe, verely men saye that he dyd not cō tinue to the ende, and this is moste [Page 56]truely spoken. For howe can he be counted to haue receyued, or had perseueraunce, which dyd not con­tinue to thende? For yf any man haue continente, and fall from the same, and is become incontinent, yf he haue ryghtfulnes, either patience, or fayth it selfe and fall from them, it maye be truly sayd, that he had these, and not that he hath thē. For he was continent, or he was iuste, or pacient, or he was fayth­full as lōge as he was so. But whē he ceaseth thus to be, he is not then that man he was: For how had he perseueraunce, which dyd not per­seuer, seyng euery man declare his perseueraunce by perseuerynge, whych thys man dyd not? But leste any myght resyst and say, yf a mā after he was made faythfull lyued ten yeres, & in the middes of them, dyd fall from the fayth, dyd he not continue fyue yeres? I wyl not striue about wordes, if that also be coū ted worthye the name of perseue­raunce, as it were for his tyme, but as touching this perseueraūce, wherby men continue in Christ vnto thende (wherof we now intreat) [Page]he ought not in any wyse to be coū ted to haue had it whyche shall not continue to thende: and the fayth­ful man of one yeres continuaūce, yea and of as shorte tyme els as ye can ymagine, yf he lyued faythful­lye vntyll deathe, had rather thys perseueraunce, then he that hadde ben faythfull many yeres, yf he a lytle before death fel from the sted­fastnes of fayth.

The seconde Chapter.

THys beyng agreed vpō, nowe let vs se whether this perseueraūce (wherof it is sayd, he that shall endure to thende shalbe saued) be the gyft of God.Mat. 10. But yf it be not, howe is thys true that tha­postle sayeth, vnto you it is geuen for Christes sake, not only, that you should beleue in hym,Phili. 1. but also that you should suffer for hym? One of these belonge to the begynnynge, the other to the ende: notwithstan­dyng bothe are the gyft of God, forbecause it is sayd, that bothe are geuen: as we haue nowe declared be­fore. [Page 57]For what beginnyng is more true for a christian, then to beleue in Christ? what ende is better, then to suffer for Christes sake? but as touchyng that which belongeth to the beleuyng in Christe, men haue inuented a certaine contradiction, that the begynnyng of fayth should not be counted the gyft of God, but only thencrease therof: vnto which opinion we haue (thorough goddes helpe) sufficiently answered. But what can be sayd, why perseuerāce vnto the ende is not geuen in Christe, vnto whome soeuer it is geuen to suffer for Christes sake: or (to speake more plainlye) vnto whom soeuer it is geuen, to dye for Christes sake? For Peter also tha­postle declaryng this to be goddes gyft, sayeth,1. Pet. 1. it is better (yf it be the wyl of god) that ye should suffer for wel doyng, then for euel, When he sayeth, yf it be the wyll of God, he declareth that it is not geuen of God vnto all saintes, that they should suffer for Christes sake. For they whome God wyll not haue come to the trial and glorye of suf­feryng, [Page]do yet attaine the kyngdome of heauen, yf they shall continue in Christ vnto thende. But who wyll saye that thys perseuerance is not geuē to them, whych dye in Christ either by sicknes of body, or by any other chaunce, seyng that a farre harder perseueraunce is geuen to suche, as gyue themselues ouer vn to death it selfe for Christes sake? be therfore stronge in the Lorde.

For men do cōtinue with more difficultie, wheras the persecutor la­boureth all that he can, that they should not continue: and therfore they endure euē vnto ye death, that they maye continue. Wherfore it is an harder matter to haue thys perseuerāce, but to haue the other, it is easyer: notwithstandyng it is an easye matter for hym to gyue both, vnto whom nothyng is hard For thys hath he promysed sayng: I wyll gyue my feare into their herte,Iere. 32. that they shall not departe from me. What other thynge is this, then that the feare whyche I wyll gyue into their herte, shalbe suche, and so great, that they maye stycke by me continually. Why is [Page 58]thys perseueraunce asked of God, yf it be not geuen of God?By thys rule of. s. Aug. thei mocke the sain­tes that desire of them any thinge which thei can not gyue or do. Gala. 6. Is not thys also a mockyng prayer, when that is asked of hym, which is knowen not to be his gyft, but to be in the power of mā without his gyft: as that also is a mockyng thankes­geuyng, yf men shal gyue thankes to God for that, which he hath nei­ther gyuē, nor done? but loke what I sayd ther, that saye I also here: erre not (sayeth thapostle) God wil not be mocked. O man, God is a wytnesse, not only of thy wordes, but also of thy thoughtes: yf thou shalt trulye and faythfully aske a­ny thynge of hym that is so ryche, beleue that thou doest receiue that whych thou askes of hym, of whōe thou doest aske. Honour hym not wyth thy lyppes, and in thyne hert extolle thy selfe aboue hym, bele­uing that thou hast that of thy self, whyche thou pretendest to aske of hym. Is not our perseueraunce as­ked of hym? Who soeuer nowe de­nyeth thys, he ought not to be con­futed with my disputacions, but to be called backe agayne by godlye mens prayers. But is ther any of [Page]them whych wyl not with ye which is called the Lordes prayer praye vnto God for his owne tontinu­aunce in hym, for asmuche as the Lorde taught the same: wherby the saintes desyre in a maner nothing els but perseueraunce? Reade at your leasure diligently that exposi­ciō, in the boke of blessed Cipriane, whiche he made of thys matter: whose title is of the Lordes praier: and consyder what maner a preser uatyue was so longe agone prepa­red, against the Pelagias poisones that were yet to come.They that mai­taine the­se the Pe­lagiās er rores ar not of the catholike Churche of Christ. For therbe iii. thinges (as ye knowe) whyche chiefly the catholyke churche do de­fende against them. Of the whiche the fyrste is, that the grace of God is not geuen for our merites: for because all the merites of the ryght­full, are bothe the gyftes of God, & geuen also thoroughe the grace of God. The seconde is, that no man be he neuer so ryghtfull; do lyue in this corruptible body, wythout se­me synne. The thyrde is, that man is borne subiecte to the sinne of the fyrst man, and tyed vnder damna­cion: except the gylte that is drawē [Page 59]by the fyrst byrth, be losed by these­conde byrth. That onely whyche I last recited of these thre, is not spo­kē of in ye aforesaid boke of the glo­rious martyr. But the other .ii. ar disputed there so manyfestly, that we maye perceiue, that these afore­sayd newe heretikes, the enemyes of the grace of Christ, were conuinced longe before they were borne. Amonge these merites therfore. of the saintes, whiche are none other but onlye Goddes gyftes, he sayeth that perseueraunce also is Goddes gyfte, sayeng thus:Cipriane The first peticion of the lor des prayer. We say (sayeth he) thy name be sanctifyed: not as tho we wyshed vnto God, that he myght be sanctifyed thorough our prayers, but bycause we desyre of hym, that his name maye be sanctifyed among vs. Furthermore of whome is God sanctifyed, whyche he hymselfe sanctifyeth all? for be­cause he sayd, be ye holy, for I also am holye,Leuit. 19. we do desyre and praye for thys, that we whych are sancti­fyed in baptisme, maye continue in that, whych we haue begonne.

And a litle after, he disputing more of the same matter, and teachynge [Page]vs to aske perseueraūce of the Lor­de, whych he myght not do by any meanes iustely and truly, excepte that also wer his gyft: that this sanctificacion (sayeth he) maye conti­nue among vs, we pray. vnto God: and because that our Lorde & iudge dothe threaten him,Ioan. 5. whome he had healed & quickened, that he shoulde sinne nomore, lest ani worse thing myght happen vnto him: we make thys prayer continually, Thys do we desyre bothe nyght and daye, that the sanctificaciō and lyfe, whi­che is receyued thorough the grace of God, maye be kept thorough his proteccion. Therfore when we be­ynge sanctifyed do saye, thy name be sanctifyed, we do desyre of God (as thys doctor vnderstandeth the matter) perseueraunce in sanctifi­cation, that is, that we maye conti­nue in sanctificacion. For what o­ther thynge is it, to aske that we haue alredy receyued, but only that he wyll also graunt vnto vs, that we maye neuer fayle to haue the same. As therfore the holy mā, whē he prayeth vnto God that he maye be holy, dothe verely desyre, that he [Page 60]maye continue holy: euen so truely the chaste man also, when he pray­eth that he may be chaste, the conti­nent man, that he may be cōtinent, the iuste that he maye be iuste, the godly that he may be godly, and o­ther whych we defende against the Pelagians to be the giftes of God, they do doubtles desyre thys, that they maye continue in those good thynges, whyche they knowe that they haue receyued. Whych yf they receyue, certeinly they receiue also perseuer aunce, that great gyfte of God, wherby hys other gyftes are preserued. The se­conde pe­ticion. What, when we say thy kyngdome come, do we desyre any other thynge, but that it may come vnto vs also, whych wee doubte not shall come vnto all saintes? Ther­fore they also whyche are alreadye sanctifyed, what praye they els, but that they may continue in that sanctificacion, whych is geuen them?

For the kyngdom of God shall not otherwyse come vnto them: which certeinly shall not cōe to any other but onlye to suche as endure vntyl the ende.

The .iii. Chapter.

The thyrde peticiō THe thyrd peticiō is this, Thy wyl be done in heauen, and in earth, or as is red in many bokes, & is moste vsed of them that praye, as in heauen so also in earth. Whych many vnderstande, as thy holy angels do thy wil, so al­so we maye do the same. But yon­der doctor and martyr, would haue the spirite & fleshe to be vnderstand by heauen and earth, and that we praye thys, that bothe these beynge ag [...]ed together we may do the wil of God. He perceyued also an other meanyng to be in these wordes a­greyng to the moste sounde fayth, wherof we haue nowe spoken be­fore: that is, that the faythful beyng cladde wyth the heauēly man, and therfore not vnworthely called by the name of heauen, myght be vn­derstande to praye for the infideles whych are yet earthy, bearyng tho­rough their fyrste byrth the earthy man onely. Wheras he dothe ma­nyfestly declare, that ye begynning also of fayth is the gyft of God. For asmuche as the holy churche dothe praye, not onlye for the faythfull, [Page 61]that fayth maye be encreased, or cō tinued in them: but also for infide­les, that they maye begynne to ha­ue fayth, wherof they were vtterly destitute, and against the whyche they also bare hatefull hartes. But nowe we do not dispute of the be­gynnyng of faith, wherof we haue spoken in the former boke plente­fully, but of that perseuerance whiche verelye the saintes that do the wyll of God do also desyre, sayeng in their prayers. Thy wyl be done. For seyng that it is alreadye done in thē, why desyre they that it may be yet done, but only that they may continue in that they haue begon to be? Notwithstandynge it maye here be sayd, that the saintes desyre not, that the wyll of God maye be done in heauen, but that it may be done in earth, as it is in heauen: in earth, that is to saye, that it maye folowe heauen, that is, that man may folowe Angell, or the infidele the faythfull: and in this sence, the saintes desyre, that that may come to passe whych is not yet: not that whych is, should continue. For altho men excelle in neuer so greate [Page]holynes, yet are they not equall to the angels of God: The wyl of god therfore is not yet done in them, as it is in heauen. Yf thys thynge be thus, then not perseuerance, but the begynnyng seameth to be desy­red in that parte, wherein we praye that of infideles mē may be made faythfull: but in that parte wherin we desyre, that men in doynge the wyll of God, maye be equall to the angels of God, when the saintes (I saye) prays for thys, it is many fest that they pray for perseuerāce: For no man attayneth that perfect blesse, which is in the kyngdome: except he shall continue vnto thend in that holynes, whych he receiued in earthe.

The .iiii. Chapter.

THe fourth peticion is: Gyue vs this daye oure dayly bread:The forth peticion wherby the blessed Cipriane dothe shewe, howe in this pla­ce also we maye vnderstande, that perseueraunce is desyred. For a­monge other thinges he sayeth, but [Page 62]thys breade we desyre to be geuen vs dayly: lest we that are in Christ, and daylye receyue the Eucharist for the meate of healthe, should be separate from the body of Christe, whiles (by the meanes of some grenous faute) we beyng absent, and not cōmunicatyng, are forbydden the heauenly bread. These wordes of the holy man of God do many­festly showe, that the saintes desyre of the Lord perseuerāce: whē wyth thys intent they saye, gyue vs thys daye oure daylye breade: that they should not be seperate from the bo­dye of Christ, but that they myghte continue in that holynes, wherin they shoulde committe no crime, wherby they myght deserue to be separate from the same.

The .v. Chapter.

EYftlye we saye in the Lor­des prayer,The .v. peticion. Forgyue vs our dettes, as we forgyue our detters: in the whiche only peticion persouerāce is not founde to be asked. For the synne wherof we desyre forgene­nes [Page]are past: but perseuer āce (whi­che dothe make vs saffe for euer) is necessarye for the tyme of thys present lyfe: not yet for ye tyme that is paste, but for that is to come vn­tyl the ende of the same. Neuerthe les it is necessary somthynge to cō syder how in this peticion also, these heretikes that came longe after, were euen then thrust thoroughe with the tonge of Cipriane, as it were wyth an inuinsible darte of the truthe, The Pelagians are not afrayde to afferme also thys,A Pela­gian. that the iuste man in thys lyfe is vtter­ly wythout synne, and that the congregacion that is wythout spot or wrinckle or any suche thynge (whiche is thalone and onlye spouse of Christ) is amonge suche men now in thys present worlde:Ephe. 5. as tho that were not his spouse, whych (beyng scatered ouer the whole earth) doth saye, as she haue learned of hym, Forgyue vs our dettes. But consy­der (I praye you) howe the moste glorious Cipriane doth ouerthrow them. For when he dyd expounde the selfe place of the Lordes prayer, he sayd among other: But how ne­cessarely, [Page 63]howe warely, and howe holsomlye are we warned, that we are synners, whych are compelled to praye for the remissiō of our synnes: that when forgyuenes is as­ked of God, the mynde myght be myndfull of her owne conscience, (that no man as tho he were inno­cent, should stande in his owne conceit, & by extollyng hymselfe should further perishe) he is instructe and taught that he dothe dayly synne,No man without synne. when he is commaunded to praye for the forgeuenes of his synnes. To be shorte thus do S. Iohn also teache in his epistle sayeng: yf we shall saye, we haue no synne, we deceyue our selues,1. Ioan. 1 and dyuerse suche lyke whyche were to longe to recite in thys place.

The .vi, Chapter.

BUt nowe when the sain­tes do say,The .xi. peticion. leade vs not in to temtacion, but deliuer vs from euell, For what other thing do they pray, but that they maye continue in ho­lynes? [Page]For certeinly, whē this gyft of God is graūted vnto them (whi­che to be the gyft of God, is suffici­ently and manyfestly declared, for asmuche as it is asked of hym) whē (I saye) this gyft of God is graunted vnto them, that they be not led in to tentacion, ther is none of the sayntes but that do continue in holynes euen vnto thende: For there is not one, that do fall awaye from perseuerance in the purpose of christianitie, except he be fyrst brought in tētaciō. Yf thē his praier begrā ­ted to him, yt he maye not be brou­ght into tētaciō, he doth vndouted lye (thorow goddes gyft) continue in that holynes, whych thorow the gyft of God he hath receyued. But these brethren (as you wryte) wold not haue thys perseuerance after thys maner to be preached, that by humble peticion it might eyther be gotten, or els lost by disobedience: wherin they do not well consyder, what they saye: For we speake of that perseuerance, wherby men cō ­tinue vnto the ende, which yf it be geuen, they do continue vnto the ende, but yf that they do not continue [Page 64]vnto the ende, it is not geuen, as we haue nowe before sufficiently also declared. Let not men saye then, that perseuerance vnto thend is geuē to any, excepte the selfe end shall fyrst come, and that he shalbe foūde to haue cōtinued vnto thend, vnto whome it was geuen. We callym chaste, whome we knowe to be chaste, whether he shal cōtinue, or not continue in the same chasti­tie vnto thende: And yf he hath any other gyft of God, that may either be kepte or lost, we say that he hath it, as longe as he hath it, and yf he shall lose it, we saye that he had it. But as touchyng perseuerance vn to thende, forasmuche as no man hath it, but he ye shal continue vnto ye end: many may haue it, but none cā lose it. For it ought not to be feared whē a mā hath continued vnto thende, lest paraduēture some euel wyll myghte sprynge vp in hym, that he shoulde not continue vnto thende. Therfore thys gyft of God maye be optayned by humble peri­tion, but when it is geuen, it can not be lost by disobediēce. For whē any mā hath cōtinued vnto thend, [Page]neither can thys gyfte, nor any o­ther be lost, which myght haue ben loste before thende. For howe can that thynge be loste, wherby it is brought to passe, that that also that myght haue ben lost, cā not be lost? But lest paraduenture it might be sayd, that perseuerance vnto thend can not be lost, whē it is geuē, that is, when a man hath continued vn to thende: but that it is then loste after a certeine maner, when a man lyueth so disobediently, that he can not attaine vnto it: Likewise as we saye, that the man whych hath not continued vnto thende, hathe loste eternall lyfe or the kyngdome of God, not because he had now receyued it and hadde it, but because he myght haue receyued it and had it, yf he had continued: let vs take a­waye stryfe aboute wordes, & then maye we saye, that also many thinges maye be lost, that are not had, but are hoped for to be had. Let any man that dare, saye vnto me, whe­ther God be not able to gyue that, that he hath cōmaūded to be asked of him? Whosoeuer thinketh thus, I saye not that he is a fole, but I [Page 65]saye that he is madde. But God hath commaunded that his saintes should saye vnto him in their prayers, Leade vs not into temptacion. Whosoeuer then requiring thys, is herde of God, is not brought in to the temptacion of disobedience, wherby he maye worthely lose the perseueraunce in holynes. But euery one by his owne wyll forsaketh God, wherby he is worthely forsa­ken of God. Who wyll deny thys? But therfore we praye, that we be not ledde into temptatiō, that thys thynge maye not happen. And yf we be graciously herd, Certainlye thys thynge commeth not to passe, because God dothe not suffre it to come to passe. For ther is nothyng wrought, but that he either doeth it hymselfe, or suffreth it to be don. He is therfore able bothe to turne the wylles from euel to good,The po­wer of god ouer mās wil. Psal. 84. Psal. 65. and also to turne suche as he readye to fall, and to leade them in that path that is pleasaunt in his syght. Vn­to whome it is not spokē in vaine, O God thou conuertyng vs shalte make vs alyue. It is not sayde in vayne, let not my fote be moued.

It is not sayd in vayne O Lorde, Let not the synnar haue hys desyre vpon me.Psal. 139. Last of all (that we maye not recyte many places, altho par­aduenture mo come to our remembraunce) it is not spoken in vayne, leade vs not into temptacion. For who soeuer is not ledde into tenta­cion, out of al doubt he is not lead into the tentacion of his owne euel wyll. And who soeuer is not led in to the tentacion of hys owne euell wyl, Certeinly he is led into none.Iaco. 1. For euery man is tempted (as it is wrytten) beyng drawen away and entised of his owne concupiscence. But God doth tempt no man with any hurtfull tentacion. For ther is also a tentacion that is profytable, when that we are not deceyued or opprest, but proued, accordyng as it is sayd,Psal. 25. Proue me O Lorde, and tempt me. That tentacion therfore is hurtful, whiche thapostle sygni­fyed sayeng,1. Thes. 3. lest paraduenture he that doth tempt should, tempt you, and our labour should be inuaine. God (as I sayd) doth tempt no mā, that is, he bryngeth or leadeth no man into tentacion. For to be tem­pted, [Page 66]and yet not to be led into ten­tacion, is not euel: yea rather it is also good, For this is none other but to be proued. Where as thē we saye vnto God, leade vs not into tē tacion: what do we saye els, but suffre vs not to be ledde? Wherfore many do praye after this maner, suffer vs not to be ledde into tenta­cion, and so is it redde in many bo­kes, and so dothe blessed Cipriane allege it. Neuertheles I haue not founde it in any place in the gospel wrytten in the Greke tonge after any other maner, but after thys,when are we in moste sa­uegarde? leade vs not into tentacion. We do then lyue in moste sauegarde, yf we ascribe al vnto God. But we do not committe our selues partlye to hym, and partly to our selues, whiche thynge thys reuerent martyr perceyued well enough. For when he dyd expounde the same place of of the Lordes prayer, after other thynges he sayd. But when we do praye that we maye not come into tentacion, we are put in mynde of our infirmite and weaknes, when we so praye, that no man shoulde arrogantlye extolle hymselfe, that [Page]no man should proudly and arro­gantly challēge any thynge to him selfe, that no man should saye, that either the glory of confession or of suffering were his owne: seyng the Lorde hymselfe teachyng humilite sayd, watche and pray that you cōe not into tentacion,Mat. 26. The spirite is ready, but the flēshe is weake: that when we do humbly and mekelye fyrst knowledge our infirmite, and attribute al vnto God what soeuer wyth his feare is humbly asked: it maye be graunted thorow his mercye.

The .vii. Chapter.

YF therfore we had none other proue but onelye the Lordes prayer, it would alone suffice, to proue the matter of gra­ce which we defende: For it hathe lefte vs nothyng, wherin as in our owne we maye glorye. For this al­so that we should not departe from God, it dothe declare to be the gyft only of God, when it dothe teache vs to aske the same of God, For he [Page 67]that is not ledde into tentacion, dothe not departe from God. But this lyeth not in the strength of fre choyse by anye meanes, as the strength of it is nowe:what po­wer free wyl hath nowe. notwithstā ­dyng it was in man before his fal. Nuertheles it dyd appeare in an­gels, of what power the lybertie of wyll was, in the dignitie of mans fyrst creacion, which dyd abyde in the truthe, whē the deuel with hysfel from the same: and haue attey­ued a perpetuall sauetye from fal­lyng, wherin we are most certeine that they do nowe remayne. Howe muche belonge to grace. But after mans fall, God would haue it apperteine onli to his grace, that man maye come vnto him: neither would he haue it belonge to any o­ther thynge but to grace, that man should not departe from him. God hath put this grace in him, in whō we haue optained the inheritaūce,Ephe .i. predestinate accordyng to hys pur­pose, that worketh al thynges: and therfore as he worketh so that we maye come vnto hym: So dothe he also worke, that we should not de­parte from hym. For the whiche cause, it is sayde vnto hym by the [Page]prophete,Psal. 79. let thy hande be vpō the man of thy ryght hande, and vpon the sonne of mā, whome thou haste made stronge for thine owne selfe, and we do not departe from thee. Thys sonne of man verelye is not the fyrst Adā, in whome we depar­ted from God: but thys is the laste Adam, vpon whome was the hāde of God, that we should not departe from hym. For thys is hole Christ wyth his members,The churche is Christes bodye. Ephe. i. for hys church sake which is his body, his fulnes. When therfore the hande of God is vpon hym, that we maye not de­parte from God, certeinly goddes workyng do reache euen vnto vs. For thys is the hande of God, for by Goddes workyng it is brought to passe, that we may be in Christ, abydyng with God, not departing from God, as we dyd in Adam.

For in Christ we haue optained the inheritaunce, beynge predestinate according to hys purpose, that worketh all thynges. Thys therfore is the hande of God,The had of God. not our hande, that we should not depart frō god. Thys (I say) is his hande that said, I wyll gyue my feare into their [Page 68]herte, that they may not depart frō me.Iere. 32. For the whych cause he would haue vs to aske also of him, that we be not ledde into tentacion: wher­into yf we be not brought, we do not departe from hym by any ma­ner of meanes: The whych myght be geuē vnto vs also wythout prayer, but he would haue vs to be ad­monished by our prayer, of whom we may receiue these good gyftes. For of whome els do we receyue them, but of hym,Vnto whōe we ought to praye. of whom we are cōmaunded to aske them? Let not the churche in any wyse loke for a­ny labored and studyed disputaci­ons in thys matter, but let her marke well her dayly prayers.

She prayeth that the vnbeleuers maye beleue: God doth therfore cō uerte them to the fayth. She pray­eth that those that beleue, may continue: God dothe therfore geue perseueraunce vnto thende: Thys dyd God knowe aforehande should co­me to passe. The selfe same is the predestinacion of saintes, whome he chase in Christe,Ephe. i. before the ma­kyng of the world, that they might be holy and blameles in his syght [Page]in charitie, predestinating them to make them hys sonnes by adoptiō thorowe Iesu Christe, thorowe the self same, according to ye good plea­sure of hys wyll, vnto the prayse of the glory of hys grace, wherby he hath made vs accepted in his belo­ued sonne, in whome we haue re­demption thorowe his blodde, the remission of synnes, accordyng to the ryches of his grace, which was plentefully in them in all wysedōe and prudency, that he might shewe vnto them the mystery of his wyl, accordyng to, his good wyl, whych he purposed in hymselfe vntyl the tyme were full come, to repaire al thynges by Christ bothe the thyn­ges that are in heauen, & also that are in earth thorow hym,Agaynst the truth mans doctrine ought not to be alowed. by whō we are also made heires, beynge predestinate, according to his pur­pose that worketh all thynges. Agaynst thys so shirle a trompe of the truthe, what mā hauyng a so­ber and circumspecte fayth, can al­lowe any mans doctrine?

The, viii. Chapter.

BVt why (sayeth he) is not the grace of God geuen accordyng to mens merites? I aunswer, because God is mercyfull.why gra­ce is not geuen to all But why then (sayeth he) is not thys grace geuen to all? Here also I an­ [...]were, because God is a ryghtfull [...]udge: And therfore is grace geuē [...]f hym also frely: and by his ryght [...]ull iudgement in other, it is decla [...]ed, what benefyt they haue recey­ued by grace, vnto whome it was geuen. Let vs not then be vnthāk [...]ull, that the mercyfull God dothe delyuer so many from so dewe dā ­nacion, accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll, vnto the prayse of the glory of hys grace. So that, yf he delyuered no man from thence yet should he not be vniust. For by one,Roma. 5. Ephe. 2. all men brought into condem­nacion, are ryghtfully and not vniustely iudged the chyldrē of wrath He therfore that is delyuered, let hym loue grace: he that is not delyuered, let hym acknowlege dette.

Yf in the forgeuyng of dette, be vnderstande mercy, and in requiring the same, be vnderstande iustice: [Page]by no meanes is there sounde any iniquitie wyth God. But why (say­eth he) not only among infantes, but also amōg them that are borne at one tyme, hauyng one & the selfe same cause, the iudgement is so di­uerse? Is it not a lyke question, to aske why in a dyuerse cause, ther is one iudgement? Let vs therfore cal to remembraunce those labourers whyche laboured the hole daye in the vyneyard, and those that laboured but an houre, For the cause is dyuerse of the labour that was be­stowed, and neuertheles the iudgement in rendryng the rewarde is one.Mat. 20. Dyd the murmurers in thys place also heare any other thynge of the good man of the house, but thys I wyll? For suche was hys lyber alite to some, that he dyd no maner of wronge to the other. And both these verely are in good thin­ges: notwythstanding as touching that, whycy apperteyneth to ryght fulnes and grace, it maye be also truly sayd of the gylty that is dely­uered, I wyll: and also it maye be sayd of hym that is damned, Take that whyche is thyue, and get the [Page 70]hence: For I wyll gyue vnto this man that, which is not due to him: is it not lawfull for me to do what I wyl? is thyne eye euel, because I am good? but yf he shal saye here, why dyd not he gyue thys grace also to me? he shall worthelye heare, O man what arte thou that dispu­test wyth God?Roma. 9 whome thou doest certeily perceiue, to be a most merciful geuer to one of you, but to the a moste iuste exactor and demaun­der, neuertheles not vnryghtfull to neither of you. For seynge he should be iuste, altho he should pu­nyshe you bothe: he that is delyue­ted, hath wherfore to gyue thākes: he that is damned, hath nothynge that he maye reprehende. But yf nowe (sayeth he) thys muste nedes be, that in that al are not damned, he myght declare, what should be dewe to all, and so he myghte more graciously cōmēde his grace in the vessels of mercye: why in the selfe same cause, wyl he rather punyshe me then hym: or wyl delyuer hym rather then me? To thys I make none aunswere. Yf thou demaund why? because I cōfesse that I haue [Page]nothynge to saye. Yf thou wylt al­so aske why? because that as in this matter his pre is iuste, so also hys mercy is great,Vnsercheable iugementes, and in lyke maner his iudgementes are vnsercheable He goeth on yet, and demaundeth, why hath he not geuē to some, that haue truely worshipped hym, per­seueraunce vnto the ende? Why thynkest thou, but only because he lyeth not that sayeth,1. Ioan. 2 They wente out from amonge vs, but they wer not of vs, For yf they hadde ben of vs, they would vndoubtedly haue continued wyth vs? Are there then two natures of men? God forbyd. For yf there were two natures, there should be no grace at all: For the fre delyueraunce should not be geuen to any man, yf it were dewe to be rendred to nature. But it sea­meth in mans iudgement,Mans iugemēt. that all they that appeare to be good fayth­full men, ought to haue receyued perseueraunce vnto thende: But God hath iudged it better, to myn­gle some that shall not continue, amonge the appointed nomber of saintes, that they should not lyue in securite,Securite Vnto whome securite [Page 71]in ye tentacion of thyslyfe is not ex­pedient. 1. Cor. 10. For thys sayeng of thapo­stle, wherfore he that seame to stād let hym take hede that he fall not, hath kept downe many from per­nicious pryde. For he that falleth, falleth thorow hys owne wyl, and he that standeth, standeth thorowe the wyll of God. For God is able to set hym vp: he dothe not then set vp hym selfe, but it is God that dothe thys. Neuertheles it is good not to be hye mynded, but to feare.Rom. 12. For euery man dothe either stande or fall in his owne thought. For as thapostle sayeth, (wherof we haue also made mencion in our former boke) we are not able to thinke anithynge as of our selues,2. Corin. 3 but oure ablenes commeth of God. Whome blessed Ambrose folowed,Ambro. in his bo­ke of fle­yng the worlde. cap. i. & our thoughtes are not in oure owne power, the whyche thynge euery one perceyueth to be moste true, that hath humilitie and truthe ioyned together wyth godlynes. But that Ambrose myght thus saye, he spake it in that boke, whyche he wrote of fleyng ye world, teachyng, that thys [Page]worlde oughte to be fled, not wyth the body but wyth the herte, which he declared could not be done, but only by the helpe of God. For he sayeth, we do many tymes speake of the fleyng of thys world, and I woulde to God our affeccion were as ware and carefull aboute thys matter, as it is easy for vs to spea­ke therof: but (that which is worse) the flickerynge inticement of ear­thy lustes, do oftentymes crepe preuely in, and the spreading abrod of vanities do occupye the mynde, so that thou doest ymagyne & thynke vpon that thyng, whych thou wol­dest fayne eschewe, whych is verye harde for a man to beware of, but clearly to put awaye it is vnpossi­ble. Furthermore the Prophete do wytnesse that thys thynge may be desyred, rather thē gotten, sayeng: Bowe my herte into thy testimo­nies,Psa. 118. & not into couetousnes: For our herte and thoughtes are not in our owne power, whych beyng so­denly darkened, do confounde the mynde & vnderstandyng, & drawe them an other waye, then thou dyd dest purpose: They call them backe [Page 72]to the worlde, they do intermingle worldly matters, they throwe in voluptuouse pleasures, they weaue in flickeryng entisementes, and in the selfe same tyme that we go a­boute to lyft vp the mynde, we ha­uyng vaine thoughts engrafted in vs, are often tymes throwē downe to earthy matters. It lieth not therfore in the power of mē, but in the power of God, that mē may haue power to be made the sonnes of God.Ioh. 1. For of hym do they receyue this power, which do put into mās herte godly thoughtes, wherby he maye haue fayth,Gala. 5. that maye worke by loue: The whych goodnes to re­ceyue & kepe, and in the same to go forwardes cōtinually vnto thend, we are not able to thinke ani thing as of our selues,2. Cor. 3▪ but oure ablenes cōmeth of God, in whose power ar both oure hertes and thoughtes.

Wherfore of two infātes, that are bothe fast wrapped together in the bādes of original synne, why thys is taken, and he forsaken: All are not called alyke. & of two vngodly persones that be nowe of age and discrecion, why thys is called after suche a maner, yt he maye [Page]folowe the caller, but the other ei­ther is not called at al,Of two godly persons. or at the lest wise is not called after suche a sorte that he maye folowe the caller: the iudgementes of God are vnsercheable. Notwithstanding this ought to be moste certeine to the faythful that the one is of the nombre of the predestinate, but the other is not. For yf they had ben of vs (sayeth one of the predestinate,1. Ioan. 2. whiche out of the Lordes breste dyd sucke thys secrete) they had vndoubtedly con­tinued wyth vs. What meaneth thys I praye you, they were not of vs, for yf they had ben of vs, they had certeinly continued wyth vs? Were they not both created of god, bothe borne of Adam, both made of the earthe, and of hym whych said, I haue made all breath:Esay. 57. Dyd they not both receyue soules of one and the selfe same nature? Laste of all were they not bothe called, and fo­lowed the caller, bothe of vngodly iustifyed, and both renewed by the fountayne of regeneracion? But yf he (whych certeinly knew what he said) should heare thys: he might aunswere and say, These are true, [Page 73]and accordyng to all these thynges they were of vs, neuertheles by a certeyne other differēce, they were not of vs: For yf they had ben of vs they should vndoubtedly haue continued wyth vs. But in conclusion what is thys difference? God hys bokes are open,Goddes boke. let vs not turne a­waye our face. The deuine scripture dothe crye, let vs therfore gyue eare. They were not of them, be­cause they were not called accor­dynge to purpose:Roma. 8. They were not electe in Christ before the makyng of the world. They were not made heires thorough hym:Ephe. 1, They were not predestinate accordynge to the purpose of hym that worketh all thynges. For yf they had bene so, they had ben of the nombre of thē, and should wythout all doubt haue continued wyth them. For (that I maye omitte to declare) how possi­ble it is for God,What god can do yf he wyll. to conuerte the willes of men vnto hys fayth, that are turned from hym and are a­gaynst hym, and so to worke in their hertes, that they may not gy­ue place to any aduersities, neither beyng ouercome by any maner of [Page]tentacion, should departe frō hym (Forasmuche as he can bryng this also to passe (as the Apostle sayeth) that he wyll not suffer them to be tempted,1. Cor. 10. aboue that they shal be a­ble to beare.)

The .ix. Chapter.

THat I maye therfore (I saye) omitte to declare this, certeinly god could (knowynge aforehande that they shoulde fall a­waye) haue taken them out of this lyfe, before thys should haue hap­pened. Shall we returne agayne thether, that we maye yet dispute, how folyshly it is sayde, that deade men shalbe iudged also for those synnes, whyche God knewe afore­hande that they would do, yf they had lyued? The whych is so repug­naūt to a christian vnderstanding, and vtterly to mans iudgement that I am also ashamed to confute it. For why may it not be said, that the gospel it selfe, bothe was prea­ched in vayne wyth so great labor, and sufferyng of the saintes, and [Page 74]is also yet so preached yf mē might be iudged also without the hearing of the gospell, accordyng to the dis­obedience or obedience, which god knewe aforehāde that they shoulde haue had, yf they had herde it?Luce. 10 [...] Neither should Tyrus and Sidō haue ben damned, altho more easelye, thē were those vnbeleuyng cyties, wherin the myracles and signes of the Lorde Christ were wrought: For yf they hadde ben wrought a­monge them, thei had done penāce in ashes and sackeloth: as the wor­des of the truthe do testifie, in the whych hys wordes the Lorde Ie­sus do declare vnto vs, the depe mistery of predestinacion. For yf it shalbe demaunded of vs, why so great miracles were wrought a­monge them, whyche beholdynge them, would not beleue: and were not wrought amonge them, which should haue beleued, yf they had se­ne them: what shall we aunswere? Shall we make that aunswere, whych we haue before made in an other boke, where as I aunswered to syre certeine questions of the Pagants: (neuertheles wythout any [Page]preiudice of other causes, whyche maye be founde out by wyse men) For when it was demaūded, why Christ came after so many ages: I made thys aunswer (as ye knowe) that in those times and in those places whē, & wheras the gospell was not preached, he knewe aforehāde, that they would all be suche at the preachyng therof, as were manye in hys corporall presence, whyche would not beleue in him,Io. 11.12. no not after he had raysed vp the deade. In like maner a lytle after in the same boke & in the same question, what maruel is it (said I) forasmuche as Christ dyd knowe the worlde to be so full of infideles in the formar a­ges,This an­swer may serue for our tyme also. that he would not (and that vp on good cause) preache vnto them, whych he knewe aforehāde would neither beleue his wordes nor myracles? Certeinly we can not saye thus of Tyrus and Sydon, and in them we knowe, that these iugemē tes of God do appertaine to those causes of predestinacion, wythout preiudice of whyche hydde causes, I sayd that I made then this aunswere. For it is an easye matter to [Page 75]atruse ye infidelite of the Iues, that spronge of fre wyll,The fru­tes of frewyll. Math. 11. whyche would not beleue so great miracles wrought amonge them. Which the Lord rebukyng reproued and sayd: wo be to the Lorozaim and Gethsaida, for yf ye myracles had bē wrought in Tyrus and Sydon, whych haue ben wrought in you, they woulde longe ago haue done penaunce in ashes and sackclothe. But are we able to saye, that the people also of Tyrus and Sidon would not haue beleued, yf suche myracles had ben wrought amonge them, or els that they should not haue beleued, yf they had ben done amonge them? The Lorde hym selfe doth wytnes, that they should haue repēted with great humilite, yf so be those syg­nes of Goddes myracles had bene wrought among them. And neuertheles they shalbe punyshed in the daye of iudgemēt, altho wyth a les­ser punyshment then those cyties, that would not beleue by the miracles that were wrought amonge them. For the Lord sayeth after, neuertheles I saye vnto you, that it shalbe easyer in the daye of iudge­ment [Page]vnto Tyrus and Sidon then it shalbe vnto you. They then shall be punyshed more sharpely, these shalbe punyshed more easely: neuertheles punyshed shall they be. Fur­thermore yf the deade are iudged also accordynge to those workes, whyche they should haue done yf they had liued, out of doubt because these should haue ben faythfull, yf the gospell had ben preached vnto them wyth so great miracles, they ought not verelye to be punyshed: but they shalbe punyshed,

The .x. Chapter.

IT is therfore false, that yt dead shalbe also iudged accordynge to suche workes, whyche they should haue done, yf the gospel had cōme vnto the, when they were alyue. And yf thys be false, ther is no cause why any ma shold say of infantes, that peryshe dyeng without baptisme, that this do therfore worthely happen vnto them, because God knewe aforehande, that yf they should lyue, & that the gospel should be preached vnto thē, [Page 76]that they would vnfaythfully hear it. It remaineth therfore that they are holden faste tyed in the bandes of original synne only, & that they go into damnacion onely for thys synne: because we do perceiue, that vnto other hauyng the same cause, the newe byrthe is not geuen, but only thorowe goddes grace:The se­crete and iuste iud­gement. of God. And that by his secrete iudgement (and neuertheles iuste, because there is no iniquitie wyth God) some shall peryshe by lyuyng wyckedly also after baptisme, whych notwithstā dynge are kept in this lyfe, vntyll they maye peryshe: whyche shoulde not peryshe, yf they had ben holpen by the death of the body preuētinge their fall: because no deade man is iudged, either for the good or euell, whych he should haue done, yf he had not dyed: Otherwyse the men of Tyrus and Sidon should not be punished, accordyng to those dedes whych they haue done, but rather accordyng to suche as they shoulde haue done, they shoulde thoroughe great repentaunce and faythe in Christ haue optayned saluacion, yf those myracles of ye gospel had ben [Page]wrought amonge them. A certeine catholyke disputer not of smal esti­macion, dyd expounde this place of the gospel after suche a maner that he said, that the Lorde knewe aforehande, that they of Tyrus and Si­don would departe from the fayth, after thei had beleued the miracles that should haue ben done among them, and that rather of mercy he wrought thē not amonge thē: be­cause they should haue bē more greuously punished, yf they had forsa­kē ye faith,Luce. 11. 2. Pet. 2. Hebr. 10. which thei had receiued, then yf they had neuer receiued it. What nede I at this present to de­clare, what maye be desyred yet in the iudgement of thys learned, & very wytty mā, seyng that his selfe iudgement do mayntaine our cau­se? For yf the Lorde of his mercye, dyd no myracles amonge these, wherby they myght haue bē made faythfull, lest they should be ye more greuously punyshed, when after­wardes they should become vn­faithful, (because he knewe afore­hande, that they would returne to their infidelite againe:) It is then sufficiently and manyfestly decla­red, [Page 77]that neuer a one of the deade shalbe iudged of those synnes, whi­che God knewe aforehād he should haue done: yf he be holpen by any meanes, that he may not do them: As (yf thys iudgement be true) it maye be sayd, that Christ dyd helpe them of Tyrus and Sidon: whome he wold should rather not come to the fayth, then by departyng from the fayth, cōmytte a more greuous offence: the whyche he sawe afore­hande that they would do, yf they had come to the fayth. Neuerthe­lesse yf it should be demaūded, why it was not rather wrought, yt they myght beleue, and that this might be graunted them, that they might departe out of this lyfe, before they should forsake the fayth: I can not tell what maye be aunswered. For he that sayeth, that it was a good turne for them, that should forsake the fayth, that they myght not be­gynne to haue that, whyche they should with greater wickednes for sake: doth sufficiētly shewe, that no mā shalbe iudged of that euel, whi­che was knowen aforehande that he should do, yf by any meanes it [Page]be prouided for him, that he maye not do it. It was therfore wel pro­uided also for hym, whych was ta­ken awaye, that malyce should not chaunge his vnderstandyng. But why it was not thus prouided, for the men of Tyrus and Sidon, that they myght beleue and be taken a­waye, that malice should not chāge their vnderstandyng, he could paraduēture make aunswere to thys, whych thought it good to dissolue thys question after thys maner. But I perceiue that it is sufficient for the trial of the matter, whych I haue in hande, that (by the iudge­ment also of thys man) it maye be declared, that men shall not be iudged of those synnes, which they ha­ue not done: althoo they were for­sene, yt they would do them Neuer­theles (as I sayd) I am also asha­med to confute thys opinion, wherby it is supposed, that those synnes shalbe punyshed in them, that are dyeng or deade, whyche were for­sene that they would do, yf they had lyued: lest it myght appere, that we also dyd esteme this opinion of any valure, whych we myght seame to [Page 78]kepe downe wyth disputacions, ra­ther then to let passe wyth silence.

The .xi. Chapter.

THerfore (as thapostle saieth) it lyeth neyther in the wyllar,Roma. 9. nor in the rū nar, but in the mercy of God: whych dothe helpe amonge the children also, so many as he wyl (altho they neyther rūne nor wyl) whome he chase in Christ before the makyng of the worlde, vnto whome he wyl also gyue gra­ce frely, that is to saye,What is frely. for no merites sake of theirs goyng before, ei­ther of fayth or workes: And he dothe not helpe those that are also of age and discrecion, which he wil not helpe, whome he afore sawe would beleue his myracles, yf they had ben wrought amonge them: Whome in hys predestinacion se­cretly, but yet iustly he hath ordey­ned to an other end:All are not ordeyned to one ende Rom. 11. Psal. 24. For ther is no iniquite wyth God, but hys iudge­mentes are vnsercheable, and hys wayes paste fyndynge out: but all the wayes of the Lorde are mercye [Page]and truthe. His mercye therfore is vnsercheable, wherby he hath mercye vpon whome he wyll, without any merites of his goyng before: And his truthe is also past fynding out, wherby he doth hardē whome he wyl, for his merites verely go­ynge before: but yet suche as are cō mon oftymes to hym, vpon whom he hath mercy. As of two twynnes wherof thone is takē, the other for saken: the ende is dyuerse, but the merites are cōmon. Amonge whō neuertheles, as the one is delyue­red by the great mercy of God, so thother is damned by no iniquite vpon goddes behalfe. For is there any iniquitie wyth God? God for­bydde. But hys wayes are past fyndyng out. Let vs therfore beleue moste certeinly,what we ought to beleue. that his mercye is shewed in them that are delyuered, and hys truthe in them that are punyshed: neither let vs go aboute to serche out suche thynges as are vnsercheable, nor to fynde out suche thynges as are paste fynding out. For out of the mouthe of infantes and suckelynges he hath made per­fyte hys prayse:Psal. 8. that that which we [Page 79]perceyue in them, whose delyue­raunce no good merites of theirs wente before, and in them whose damnacion only original synne cō mon to them bothe wente before: the same we should not doubt to be done to them also, that be of age & discrecion, that is to saye, that we should not thynke,Grace is not geuē to ani mā for hys merites. either that gra­ce is geuen to any man for his merites, or that any man is punyshed but for his merites, whether that they whych are delyuered and pu­nyshed, haue theyr euel causes lyke or vnlyke, that he that semeth to stande should take hede that he fall not: and that he that doth glorye,1. Cor. 10. Iere. 9. should not glorye in hymselfe, but in the Lord. But why can not these men abyde (as ye wryte) that the cause of infātes, should be brought forth for an ensample of suche,The Pe­lagians and Maniches deny ori­ginal syn as are of age and discrecion, whyche doubte not to confesse agaynst the Pelagians original sinne, that thoroughe one man entered into the worlde, and that by one man dam­nacion is come vpon all men? The which also ye Manicheis do not al­lowe, which haue in no reuerence, [Page]not only the scriptures of thold te­stament, but also they do receiue the scriptures that belonge to the newe testament after suche a ma­ner, that by a certaine priuilege of their owne, yea rather sacrilege, they allowe what they wyl, & what they wyll not allowe, they reiecte. Agaynste whome I wrote in my boke of fre choise: out of the whych these brethren thynke to prescribe against vs.Prescri­pcion. Therfore would I not clearly dissolue the moste besy and harde questions that ther happe­ned, lest my worke should haue bē to longe, wheras the authorite of Goddes worde dyd not helpe me, agaynst these that are so peruerse and wycked. And I could haue concluded (as I dyd) wyth an vndoub­ted reason, whyche soeuer of these should be true, whyche I dyd not then determinatlye auonche that God ought to be praysed in al thinges,The wicked here­sie of the Mani­ches. wythout any necessitie to be­leue, that there should be two coe­ternall substances of good & euell myngled together. Furthermore in the fyrst boke of retractacions, (whych worke of myne you haue [Page 80]not yet redde) whē I was come to the retracting of the same bokes of free choise, thus I spake: In these bokes (I saye) many thynges are disputed after suche a maner, that certein questions happenyng (whiche I was not either able to dissol­ne, or els required at that present a longe declaraciō) myght be to that ende deferred, that vpon both par­tes, or vpon euery of the partes of the same questions (it dyd not ap­peare what was moste consonant vnto the trueth) oure disputacion myght be yet concluded vpon thys point, that (whyche soeuer parte should be true) men myght beleue and also perceiue that God oughte to be praysed. The fountaine of euell. That disputacion was takē in hande for theyr sakes, whych denye that euel do original­ly sprynge of the free choise of wyl: and do contende that God (yf thys be so) the creator of all natures oughte to be blamed, willynge by thys meane accordyng to their vngodlye error, (for they are Mani­theis) to bring in a certeine nature of euel, vnchaungeable, and coeternal to God. In lyke maner a lytle [Page]after in an other place. After these it was declared (sayde I) oute of what mysery (moste iustly throwē vpon synners) the grace of God dyd delyuer, because mā was able willyngly, that is, by free choise to fall, but not in lyke maner to ryse agayne: vnto whych mysery of iust damnacion, ignorance and difficultie do apperteine,Difficulte, troble, painful­nes, daū ­ger, tra­uel. whych euery mā do suffer from the beginnynge of his natiuite, neither is any man delyuered from thys euell, but by the grace of God. The whych myserye the Pelagians would not haue to sprynge of iuste damnacion, deny­eng originall synne. Altho igno­raunce and difficultie dyd apper­teine vnto man in their natural beginninges, yet ought not God to be blamed but praysed, as in the same thyrde boke we haue di­sputed. The whiche disputacion ought to be had agaynst the Manicheis, whych do not allowe the ho­ly scriptures of the olde testament, wherin original synne is declared And what soeuer is redde in thapostles wrytynges, that is taken out of tholde testament, they contende [Page 81]with detestable vnshamefastnes, that it was thruste in of them that corrupted the scriptures, as tho it had not be spoken of thapostles.

But agaynst the Pelagians that ought to be defended, that both the newe testament and tholde do ap­proue, whyche they professe, that they do allowe. These wordes dyd I speake in the fyrst boke of my retractacions, when I retracted my bokes of fre choyse. Neither are these thynges only there spoken of me cōcerning these bokes, but ma­ny other also, whych I thought to longe, and not necessarye to be put into thys worke written to you: whych I thinke you wyl also iuge, after ye haue redde altogether. All tho we dyd then so dispute of infantes in the thirde boke of fre choise, that notwithstandynge that were true, whych the Pelagians do afferme, that ignoraunce and difficultie (without whych no man is borne) be the begynnynges, & not the pu­nishmentes of nature: yet shoulde the Manicheis be ouercome, whi­che wyl haue two natures of good and euell to be coeternall: shoulde [Page]therfore the faythe be called into doubt, or els forsaken, whyche the catholyke church do defēde against the selfe Pelagians, which do con­fesse original synne, the gylt wher­of is drawen by the fyrst byrth, and losed by the seconde byrth? But yf they also together wyth vs do ac­knowlege thys, that we may bothe together in thys matter, destroye the Pelagians error: Why thynke they that it should be doubted, that God doth also delyuer from the power of darkenes,Collo. i. and dothe tran­state into the kyngdōe of the brygh­tenes of hys sonne those infantes, vnto whome (thorow the sacramēt of baptisme) he hath geuen his grace?Grace is not geuē to all. In that then that he geueth this grace to some, but to some he dothe not gyue it, why wil they not syng vnto the Lorde mercye and iudge­ment? But why thys grace is ra­ther gyuen to some then to other, who hathe knowen the Lorde hys mynde?Roma. 11 Who is able to serche out suche thynges as ar vnsercheable? Who is able to finde out suche thinges as are paste fyndyng out?

The .xii. Chapter.

YT is therfore broughte to passe that the grace of Gōd is gyuen not accordynge to the merites of thē that receiue the gra­ce, but accordyng to the good plea­sure of hys wyll, vnto the prayse & glory of the selfe grace of hys, that he that dothe glorye, should in no wyse glory in hymselfe, but should glory in the Lorde: whyche gyueth to suche men as he wyll,The wyll of god. because he is mercyful: and yf he gaue not, yet he is ryghtfull: and to whome he wyll not gyue, he dothe not gy­ue: that he maye cause the ryches of hys glory to be knowen,Roma. 9 amōge the vessels of mercy. For in giuing to certeine that whyche they do not deserue, he would vndoubtedly ha­ue hys grace to be fre, and so to be his grace in dede:Grace. but in not gy­nyng to all, he dothe declare what all dyd deserue. He is good in shewyng mercy to some, he is iust in punyshyng the reste: Yea he is good to all, For it is a good thyng to render that whych is dewtye: and he is iuste to all, for it is a iuste thynge, when that whych is dewe, is geuē [Page]wythout fraude of any man. But the grace of God is defended to be without merites, that is, to be true grace, altho the baptised infantes be not (as the Pelagians iudge) de­lyuered from the power of darke­nes, because they are not (as they thynke) holden vnder any synne, but are only trāslate into the king­dome of the Lorde: For so also the kyngdome of heauen is gyuen,Heauen geuen to infan­tes wyth out meri­tes. (to whome it is gyuen) wythout any good merites: and to whome it is not geuen, wythout any euel meri­tes, it is not geuen. The whych we are wont to obiecte agaynst the sa­me Pelagians when they laye to our charge, that we ascribe the grace of God to desteny in affermyng that it is not geuē for our merites sake.Satum. But they do rather in infan­tes ascribe the grace of God to de­stenye, whych saye that there is de­steny, where as is no merite. For no merites by the selfe Pelagians iudgement also, can be founde in yonge children, why some of them should be sent into the kyngdome, and some of them should be bany­shed out of the kingdome. But like [Page 83]wyse as (that I might declare that the grace of God is not geuen for our merites sake) I had nowe ra­ther defende thys, accordynge to bothe our iudgementes, that is, as well accordyng to our owne iudge met, whych do afferme that yonge chyldren are bonde vnder original synne: as also the iudgement of the Pelagians, whiche deny originall synne: (And notwithstanding this I ought not therfore to doubt, but that the infantes haue somwhat, whych he maye forgeue them, that do saue hys people from theyr syn­nes) Euen so also in my thyrde bo­ke of fre choyse,Math. 1. I dyd resyste the Manicheis accordynge to both vn­derstādinges, whether ignorance and difficultie (wythout the which no mā is borne) be the punyshmentes, or the begynninges of nature, & yet neuertheles I do defende but one parte of those. I haue there al­so euidently enough declared, that thys is not the nature of the crea­ted man,S. Aug. bokes were ob­iected a­gaynst himselfe. but the payne of the con­dempned man. The aūcienty ther­fore of that my boke, is vaynely obiected agaynst me as a prescripciō [Page]that I should not intreat the cause of infantes, as I ought to do, & vp­on their cause cōuince by the lyght of the manyfest truthe, that the grace of God is not geuen for mans merites sake. For yf I (when I be­ganne my bokes of fre choise at Rome beyng a laye man, and dyd fy­nyshe the same in Aphrica beyng priest) dyd yet doubt bothe of the dā nacion of infantes that were not regenerate, and also of the delyue­raunce of them that were renued: No man (as I suppose) is so vniust and so enuious,Who be vniuste & enuious. whyche would for­byd me to profyte and go forwar­des, and would iudge it mete, that I should continue and abyde styll in thys doubt. But seyng this may be vnderstande more truely, they ought not to thynke that I therfor doubted of thys matter, because I thought it good thus to conuince them, against whome I thē wrote: that whether these were the payne of original synne in yonge chyldrē (accordyng as the truthe teacheth:) or were not (as some errynge sup­pose.) Neuertheles the mynglyng together of two natures, that is, of [Page 84]good and euell (whyche the Mani­theis error dothe bryng in) oughte not to be beleued in no wyse: God forbyd that we should leaue ye cause of yonge chyldren after suche a maner, that we shoulde saye, that we were vncerteine, whether the infā ­tes that dye beyng regenerate in Christe, do passe into eternall lyse: but those that are not regenerate, do passe into the seconde deathe: be­cause it is wrytten, By one man synne entered into the worlde, and death by the meanes of synne, and so death went ouer all men:Roma. 5. Other­wyse thys can not be truely vnder stande: neither do any delyuer frō eternall death (wherwith synne is moste iustely recompensed) either great or smale, but he only, whiche beynge wythout any synne of hys owne, either originall or actuall, dyed for the remission of oure syn­nes,Let vs not be a­shamed to repere one aun­swer to the same obieccion both original and actual. But why do he delyuer rather these thē them? We say againe & againe, neither ar we wery or ashamed of this aunswere, O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God? hys iud­gementes are vnsearcheable, and [Page]hys wayes past finding out: wher­vnto we adde thys,Ro. 9.11. Eccle. 3. Seke not oute the thynges that are aboue thy ca­pacitie, and searche not out ye thyn­ges that are to myghty for thee. Do you not perceiue dearely belo­ued, howe folyshe an opinion it is, and howe contrary to the holsome fayth and syncere truthe, that we should affirme that yonge chyldren yt be deade, shalbe iudged according to suche workes, as they were afor sene to haue done, yf they had ly­ued? In to thys opinion are they cō pelled to falle (whych certeinly all men that haue vnderstandynge (thoo they haue neuer so lytle wyt) and namely christians do abhorre) whych would none otherwyse va­rey from the Pelagians error, but that they myght yet stille thynke it lawful for them to beleue, and also to defende by disputacion, that the grace of God thorow Iesu Christe our Lorde (wherby alone,We are holpē by grace a­lone. after the fall of the fyrst man, in whome we all fell, we are holpen) is gyuen ac­cordyng to our merites. Whiche Pelagius hymselfe (for feare that he should be condemned) dyd con­demne [Page 85]in the presence of the by­shoppes of the East churche beyng hys iudges. But yf thys can not be affirmed (I meane) of the workes of the deade, good or euell, whiche they should haue done yf they had lyued, and therfore none at al, and suche as neuer shalbe in Goddes forknowlege: but yf thys (I saye) can not be affermed (whyche you perceyue howe falslye it should be sayd) what remayneth there, but that we should (blynde contencion set apart) acknowlege and cōfesse, that the grace of God is not geuen for our merites,Thenne­mies of grace are uone of the catho lyke churche. whyche the catho­lyke churche do defende against the Pelagians heresye: And thys maye we perceyue by a more eui­dent truthe chefely in yongel chyl­dren. For neither is God compel­led by desteny, either to helpe these infantes, or not to helpe those, for­asmuche as they haue both one cause: neither yet shall we thynke that humaine matters in yonge chyl­dren, when reasonable soules shall be either damned or delyuered, are not gouerned bi goddes prouidēce, but by casual fortune, Seyng that [Page]not so muche as one sparowe doth fall vpon the earth,Mat. 10. wythout oure fathers wyll that is in heauen: or that the dyeng of chyldrē wythout baptisme, should be so imputed to the negligence of the parētes, that goddes iudgementes wrought no thynge in that matter: as tho they themselues (which by this meanes do myserably dye) had chosen to thē selues, by theyr owne wyll suche negligent parentes, of whom they myght be borne.Goddes iugententes in chyldren. What should I speake of thys, that some tyme the infant gyueth vp the goost, before he can be holpen by the mynistery of hym that do baptise? For often tymes when the parentes haue made haste, and the ministers were redy, that the infant myght be bapti­sed, yet God would not haue it to be baptysed, whych dyd not kepe it alyue, that it myght be baptysed.

What should I speake also of thys, that somtyme the infantes of infi­dels maye be holpen by baptisme, that they should not go into perdi­cion, and the infantes of the fayth­ful can not be holpen by baptisme? Wherin is certeinly derlared, that [Page 86]before God there is no respecte of persons: For then he would rather delyuer the yonge chyldren of hys worshippers, then of hys enne­myes.

The .xiii. Chapter.

BVt nowe (seyng we in­treate of the goodnes of perseuerance) what mea­nes this, that one beyng at deathes dore, is holpen that he should not dye wythout ba­ptisme, and an other that is bapti­sed, is not holpen, that he myghte dye before he fall. Except paraduenture we wyl yet herken vnto that absurdite, wherby it is auermed that it doth nothynge profyte any man to dye before he fall, because he shalbe iudged according to those dedes, that God knewe aforehande that he would do, yf he dyd lyue.

Who can paciently heare, who can abyd thys peuishe opiniō, ye doth so excedyngly repugne agaynst ye holsome fayth? And neuertheles they that wyl not confesse ye the grace of God is not geuē accordyng to our [Page]merites, are constrayned to affer­me thys. But they that wyll saye, that euery one of the deade shalbe iudged, accordynge to those dedes, whych God knewe aforehāde, that euery one woulde do yf he lyued, (perceiuyge wyth howe manyfest falshode and great absurdite thys is affermed) there is nothyng lefte wherfore they should saye that whiche Pelagius condemned,What o­piniō the churche cōpelled pelagius to con­demne. & whych the church caused hym to condēne, that the grace of God was geuen for our merites: Seyng they per­ceiue, that yonge chyldren are ta­ken out of thys world, some beyng not regeuerat vnto eternal death, but other that are regenerate vnto eternall lyfe. And amonge them also that are regenerate, some do de­parte hence perseueryng to thend: other are kept here vntyl they may fall awaye, whych certeinly should not haue fallen, yf they had depar­ted hence, before they dyd fall: And agayne some that are fallen do not departe thys lyfe before they maye repent, whych certeinly should ha­ue peryshed, yf they had departed this lyfe, before they had repented. [Page 87]Wherby it is playnly enough be­clared, that the grace of God aswel to begynne, as to continue also vn­to thende, is not geuen accordynge to our merites, but is gyuen accordyng to hys moste secrete wyl, and the same also moste iuste, most mercyful, moste wyse: For whome he hath predestinate,Ro. 8.11. them hath he al­so called wyth that callyng, wherof it is sayd, The gyftes and callyng of God are suche, that it can not repent hym of them: No man wyth certein affirmacion can be iudged of mē to belong vnto thys callyng before he shall departe out of thys world: but in thys lyfe (whych is a tētacion vpō earth) he that semeth to stande, let hym take hede that he fall not.i. Cot. 10. For therfore (as we sayde before) by the moste prouident and forseyng wyl of God, they that shal not continue, are myngled amōge them that shall continue: that we might learne not to be hye minded but to make oure selues equall to them of the lower sorte,Rom. 12. & to worke our owne saluacion wyth feare & tremblyng. For it is God that worketh in vs, both to will,Phi. 2. and also to [Page]worke, euen of good wyll. We wil then, but it is God that worketh in vs also to wyll: we worke then, but it is God that do also worke in vs the worke, euen of good wyll. It is expediet for vs both to beleue this, and also to confesse thys, Thys is godly, thys is true, that our confes­sion maye be humble and lowly, & that all may be ascribed vnto God. We thynking beleue, thinking we speake, thynkyng we do what soe­uer we do: but as touchynge that, that apperteine vnto the waye of godlynes,2. Cor. 3. & true worshyp of God, we ar not able to thinke any thing as of oure selues, but oure ablenes cōmeth of God. For our owne hert and oure owne thoughtes are not in our owne power: wherfore the same Ambrose whych taught this, sayd also,Ambro. who is so blessed, that in hys herte do alwayes ascende? But wythout Goddes helpe, howe can thys be done? certeinly by no mea­nes. Furthermore he sayeth vpon the same scripture, Blessed is the man whose helpe cōmeth of the O Lorde,Psal. 83. whose herte is bent towar­des heauen. That Ambrose myght [Page 88]speake thys, he dyd not only reade it in the holy scriptures, but he felt also the same in his herte, as we ought wythout all doubt to beleue of that man. Therfore that whych is spoken in the Sacramentes of the faythfull, that we should lyfte vp our hertes vnto the Lord, is the gyft of the Lorde: For the whyche gyft, they vnto whome those wor­des are spoken,Thinfe you that this ad­monicion was in a straunge tōge, spo­ken to so me lytle boye stan dyng at an alta­res ende? Collo. 3. are admonished by the priest, to gyue thākes vnto the Lorde our God, after whyche wor­des they make aunswere, that it is both mete & ryght, that they should so do. For asmuche then as oure owne herte is not in our owne po­wer, but is holpen wyth Goddes helpe, that it maye ascende, and be fired vpon suche thynges that are aboue, where as Christ is syttynge at the right hande of God, and not vpon suche thynges as are vpon earthe: vnto whome should we gy­ue thankes, for thys so great a be­nefyte, but vnto the Lord our God that worketh ye same, whiche by the lyke benefyte delyueryng vs, hath chosen vs out of ye bottome of thys worlde, and predestinated vs be­fore [Page]the foundations of the worlde were layde?

The .xiiii. Chapter.

The doc­trine of predesti­nacion ys no hinde­raunce to prea­ching. BUt they saye, that the definition and determinaciō of predestinacion, is con­trary to profytable prea­ching, as tho it had hyndered the preachyng Apostle. Dyd not that teacher of the Gentyls in fayth and truthe, many tymes cō ­mende predestination, and neuer­theles ceased not to preache the worde of god? Because he said, it is God that worketh in us bothe to wyll and worke, euen of good wyl dyd he not therfore exhorte vs both to will and also to worke those thinges that please God?Phi. 2. Or because he sayd, he that hathe begonne in you the good worke,Phi. 1. wyll verforme it, euen vntyl the daye of Christ Iesu: dyd not he councel men buthe that they should begynne, and also con­tinue vnto thende? For the Lorde himselfe cōmaunded men that they should beleue, and sayeth, beleue ye in God and beleue in me?Joan. 14. and yet [Page]neither was hys sayeng false, nor hys determinacion vaine, where he sayeth, No mā cōmeth vnto me, that is, no man beleueth in me, ex­cepte it were geuen hym of my father.Joan. 6. Nor yet, because this determinacion is true, therfore is that commaundement vaine. Why then do we thynke, that the determinacion of predestinacion is vnprofytable, seyng the selfe same scripture of God dothe commende it, that do teache vs to frequente and vse all these, namely preachyng, cōmaundyng, exhortyng, rebukyng? Dare any man say, that God knewe not aforehande vnto whome he would gyue faith, that they might beleue? or that he knewe not aforhande whome he would gyue vnto hys sonne,Jo. 6.7. that he should not lose one of them? all whych yf he knewe a­forehande, he knewe aforehande vndoubtedly those hys benefites, wherby he dothe vouchesaue to delyuer vs. Thys precestinacion of saintes is nothyng els,what is predestinacion. but for the foreknowlege and preparacion of the benefytes of God, wherby they are moste certeinly delyuered, as [Page]many as ar delyuered. But as touchyng the rest, where are they lefte but in the lumpe of perdiciō by the iusse iudgement of God? wherin wer lest they of Tyrus & Sidō, whiche might also haue beleued, if thei had sene those wonderfull, sygnes of Christ. But because it was not geuen them, that they should be­leue, therfore that was also denyed them, wherby they myght beleue. Wherby it appeareth, that some haue in the selfe nature, a gyft of god naturally to vnderstande, wherby they maye be moued to beleue, yf they shal either heare wordes, or sesygnes, agreyng and conformable to their myndes: and neuertheles yf they be not in the depe iugemēt of God seuered and parted frō the lompe of perdicion, thorow the predestinacion of grace, the selfe wordes and miracles of God are not applyed vnto them, wherby they should beleue, yf they either herde them, or sawe them. In the same lompe of perdicion were the Iues also lefte, whyche could not beleue the great and manifest miracles, that were wrought before their [Page 90]owne eyes. But why they coulde not beleue the Gospell hathe decla­red sayeng,Job. 12. but when he had done so many myracles before them, yet beleued not they on hym, that the sayeng of Esaias yt prophet myght be fulfylled that he spake.Esa. 53. Lorde, who beleued oure sayeng? and to whome is the arme of the Lorde o­pened? Therfore could they not beleue, because that Esaias sayeth a­gayne. He hath blynded their eyes, and hardened their herte, that they shoulde not se wyth their eyes, and vnderstande with their hertes, and should be conuerted and I shoulde heale them. The eyes therfore of them of Tyrus and Sidō were not so blynded, nor their herte so hardened, For they had beleued, yf they had sene suche miracles as these sawe: but it dyd neither profyte thē that they myght haue beleued, for they were not predestinate of hym, whose iudgementes are vnsercheable, and hys wayes past finding out:Rom. 11. neither should it haue hindered these, that they could not beleue, yf they had bē so predestinate, that God would haue lyghtned thē [Page]beyng blynde, and would haue taken from them their stony herte heyng hardened. Neuertheles that whych the Lorde spake of the Tirians and Sidonians, maye be vnderitande parhappes some other waye, yet he doth vndoubtedly confesse, that no man commeth vnto Christ except it shalbe geuen hym, and that thys is geuen vnto them, whych were chosen in hym before the makyng of the worlde, whyche dothe heare the worde of God, not wyth the eares of ye fleshe, but with the eares of the harte: And that not wythstandyng thys predestinaciō (whych is also declared by the wor­des of ye gospel very manifestly) did not let ye Lord to say the words whiche I recited a lytle before, both to moue vs to begynne (beleue ye in God and beleue in me) and also to continue sayeng,Joh. 14. that we muste alwayes praye and not be wery.Luce. 18. For they vnto whome it is geuen, do bothe heare and do, but they vnto whom it is not geuen, do not, whether they heare, or they heare not. For vnto you (sayeth he) it is geuen,Math. 13. to knowe the mystery of the kyngdome [Page]of heauen, but to them it is not geuen: wherof one of these belonge to the mercy,Psal. 100 the other to the iudgement of hym, vnto whome our soule doth saye. O Lorde I wyl synge vnto thee mercy and iudgement. Neither thē should the faith that continueth and goeth forwardes, be hyndered by the preachyng of predestinacion, that they maye heare that whyche behoueth them to heare, and that they maye obey, vnto whome it is geuen. For how shal they hear wythout a preacher? Nor yet by the preachyng of fayth that goeth forwardes, and continueth vnto thende, shoulde the preaching of predestinacion be hyndered: that he whych lyueth faythfully and obediētly, should not for the same obedience be extolled, as tho he had not receyued it, but had it of hymselfe, but that he whyche dothe glory might glory in the Lorde.Nothing is our owne. Cipriane. For we oughte to glorye in nothynge, for nothinge is our owne. Thys thynge Cipriane moste faith fully perceyued, and moste boldlye determined, wherby he dyd vndoutedly pronounce, that predestinacion [Page]was moste certeine. For yf we ought to glory in nothynge, foras­muche as no thynge is our owne, certeinly we ought not to glory of obedience, tho it had continued ne­uer so longe. Neither ought it so to be coūted oures, as tho it were not geuen vs from aboue. And ther­fore the selfe perseueraunce is the gyfte of God, whych euery christiā oughte to acknowlege, that God knewe aforehande, that he would gyue to hys called, beyng called with that calling wherof it is sayd,Callyng. the gyftes and callynge of God ar suche,Rom. 11. that it can not repente hym of them. This is therfore the predestinacion, whych we do faythfullye and humbly preache. And this not­wythstande the same teacher and doer (which both beleued in Christ,S. Aug. preached predesti­nacion. and also dyd continually lyue in holye obedience, euen vnto the suffe­ring of death for Christes sake) dyd not therfore cease from preachyng the Gospel, exhorting to fayth and godlye workes, and from the selfe perseueraunce vnto thende, becau­se he had sayd, that we ought to glory in nothynge, forasmuche as no­thyng [Page 92]was oures: wherin he dyd moste clearly set out the true grace of God, that is, whych is not geuē for our merites, whych God knew aforehande that he would gyue.

By these wordes of Cipriane pre­destinacion is vndoubtedly cōmended, whych yf it dyd not hynder Cipriane from preachyng obedience, certeinly neither ought it to hyn­der vs. Wherfore altho we preach that obedience is the gyfte of God, yet do we exhorte men vnto the sa­me. But to them that do obediently heare the exhortacion of the truth, the selfe gyft of God is gyuen, that is, to heare obediētly: but they that do not heare after that maner, vn­to them it is not gyuen. For it is not euery man, but it is Christ that sayeth, no man cōmeth vnto me,Ioh. 6. except it were geuen hym of my fa­ther:Math. 13 And vnto you it is gyuen to knowe the mystery of then kyng­dome of heauen, but to them it is not gyuen: And of continencye he sayeth, all men can not away with that sayeng,Math. 19 saue they to whōe it is gyuen. And when thapostle dyd ex­horte the maried folkes vnto the [Page]chastitie of wedlocke,1. Corin. 7 I would all men were (sayeth he) as I am my selfe, but euery man hathe his pro­per gift of God, one after this sort, an other after thatr where as he dothe sufficiently declare, that not onlye continēcy is the gyft of god, but the chastite also of the maried. Seyng therfore these thynges are true,Chastitie in mari­age. we do exhorte vnto thys as­muche as we can, and as muche as God gyueth to euery one of vs. For thys is also hys gyft, in whose hande, are bothe we, and our wor­des. Wherupon thapostle sayeth. Accordyng to the grace of God ge­uen to me,1. Corin. 3. as a wyse buylder I ha­ue layde the foundacion: and in an other place he sayeth, euen as the Lorde hath geuen to euery man, I haue planted, Apollo hath watered but God gaue thencreace. So then neither is he that planteth any thynge, neither he that watereth, but God that geueth thencrease. And thus, as he dothe exhorte and preache truely, whyche haue recey­ued the gyft so to do: euen so vndoutedly he dothe obediently heare the exhorter and preacher, whych had [Page]receyued thys gyfte. Here of com­meth it, that when the Lorde dyd speake vnto them, whych had their carnall eares open, he sayd neuer­theles, he that hath eares to heare,Luce. 8. let hym heare: whyche he knewe moste certeinly that all had not. But of whome they haue these ea­res of hearyng, who so euer haue them, the Lord him self doth shewe where he sayeth, I wyl gyue them an hart to knowe me, and hearing eares. Then the eares of hearyng,It is the peculiar gyft of thelect to heare the gospel o­bediētly. is the selfe gyfte of obeyng, the whiche who that had, myghte come to hym, vnto whome no man com­meth, except it were gyuen hym of his father. We therfore do exhorte and preache, and they that haue eares of hearyng, do heare vs obedi­ently: but they that haue them not, it happeneth vnto them that which is written, that they hearyng, may not heare, that is, hearing with the eares of the body, maye not heare wyth the consent of the herte. But why these haue eares of hearinge and the other haue not, that is, whi it is gyue to them of the father that they maye come to the sonne, but [Page]to thother it is not geuē, who hath knowen te mynde of the Lorde? or who was hys counseller? Or what art thou O mā that disputest wyth God?Ro. 11.9. Should it therfore be denied that is manyfest, because that can not be comprehended whych is se­crete? Should we therfore saye (I saye) that it is not true, whyche we manifestly perceyue to be true, because we can not fynde out, why it is true?

The .xv. Chapter.

Predesti­nacion is no hinderaunce to rebu­king or correc­ting.BVt they say (as you wryt) that no man can be styr­red vp wyth the profyt of rebukyng. Yf it should be preached in thassemble of the churche, in the hearynge of a multitude, The determinate sen­tence of the wyll of God touchyng predestinacion, is thus, That so­me of you dyd come from infydeli­tie to fayth, when ye receyued the wyll to obey, or maye continue in fayth after ye haue receyued perse­uerance: [Page 94]but as for the reste of you that do remayne in the delectacion of synne, you haue therfore not yet rysen, because the helpe of the mer­ciful grace haue not yet raised you. Neuertheles yf any of you be not yet called, whome God hath prede­stinate by hys grace to be chosen, ye shall receyue the same grace, wherby you maye wyl, and be chosen. But yf any of you do nowe o­bey,The wordes of an aduer­sary. and be predestinate to be re­iecte, the power to obey shalbe takē from you, that you maye leaue o­bedience. But these theyr wordes, ought not to discourage vs from confessynge the grace of God, that is, whych is not geuen accordynge to our merites, and from cōfessing ye same grace to be geuē accordyng to thys predestinacion of saintes: Lykewyse as we ar not discoraged from cōfessyng the aforeknowlege of God, yf any man should preache of it vnto the people after thys ma­ner, that he would say: whether ye now liue godly or vngodly, ye shal be suche hereafter, as God knewe aforehand that ye should be, eyther good, yf he knew ye should be good [Page]or euel, yf he knewe ye should be e­uell. For yf after the hearynge of thys doctrine, many be turned vn­to slothefulnes and negligēce, and beyng ready, from labour to luste, do folowe theyr owne concupiscen­ces: Should it be therfore thought, that that were false, which was spoken of the foreknowlege of God? Shall not they be good (howe vn­godly nowe so euer they lyue) whi­che God knewe aforhande should be good: but yf he knewe thē afore­hande to be euell, shall they not be euel, how Godlye so euer they sea­me nowe to be? There was one in our monastery, whyche beyng re­buked of the brethren, because he dyd certeine thynges that oughte not to be done, and omitted cectein thinges which he should haue don, made aunswere and sayd, what so euer I am nowe, I shalbe suche a one, as God knewe aforehāde that I should be. Whych vndoubtedlye sayd the truthe, & yet by thys true speakyng, dyd not profyte in good­nes: but fell so farre vnto wycked­nes, that he (leauyng the felowship of the monastery) became a dogge [Page]returned to his vomete: and neuertheles what he yet shalbe it is vn­certein.2. Pet. 2. Should those thynges therfore whyche are spoken of the true forknowlege of God, be either de­nyed, or kepte vnder silēce for suche occasions, namelye then: when yf they were not spoken, men do falle into other errors?

The .xvi. Chapter.

Praier is not hyn­dered by preachīg of prede­stinacion Math. 6.THer be also some, which do therfore either not praye at all, or praye ve­ry coldlye, because they haue learned of the Lor­des preachyng, ye God doth knowe wherof we haue neade, before we aske of hym. Shall it therfore be thought either that the truth should be forsakē, or els wyped out of the Gospell for suche mens iudgemen­tes? but rather, seynge it is many­fest that God hath prepared, to gy­ue some thynges to them also that praye not for them, as the begyn­nyng of fayth, and somthynges to none, but to suche as praye for thē, as perseuerance vnto thende: Cer­teinly, [Page]who so euer thynketh that he hath thys of hym selfe, prayeth not that he maye haue it. We must therfore take hede, lest whyles we feare that prayer should not waxe feruent, prayer be quenched, and pryde syt a fyre. When the tru­the ought to be spoken, vn­derstand yt who that can. Let the truth ther­fore be spoken, namely where any doubt compelleth, that it should be spoken, and let them vnderstande that can, leste paraduenture they whych are able to vnderstande the truthe, wherby falshed maye be es­chewed, should (whyles the trutho is kepte vnder silence, for their sa­kes that can not away with it) not onely be spoyled of the truthe, but also caught wyth falshode. For it is a good matter, yea and also profy­table, that some truthe should be kept in sylence for their sakes, that can not awaye wyth it. For to this purpose was that spoken of the Lorde.Ioan. 16. 1. Cor. 3. I haue yet many thinges to say vnto you, but ye can not now bear them: and that of thapostle, I could not speake vnto you as vnto spiri­tuall, but as vnto carnall: euen as vnto babes in Christe. I gaue you mylke to dryncke, and not meate. [Page 96]For ye then were not stronge, nei­ther are ye as yet. Neuertheles by a certeine maner of speache, it may be that the selfe thynge that is coū ­ted to be mylke for babes, should be also meat for them that are strōge. As for ensample, In ye begynnyng was the worde, and the worde was wyth God, & the worde was God. What christiā can kepe this secret? Who is able to vnderstande it?

Either what greater or hygher matter can there be founde in hol­some doctrine? whych neuertheles is not kept frō babes vnder silēce, nor yet hyd, either from greate or smale. But the consyderacion to kepe the truthe vnder silēce is one, the necessitie to speake the truth is an other. It wold be a lōge matter to seke out, or to wryte here,Whē the truthe maie somtyme be in silence. al cau­ses of kepyng sylence of the truth, amonge the whych yet thys is one, that we should not make thē worse which do not vnderstande, whyles we go aboute to make them better learned, that haue vnderstādyng: whych (as lōge as we kepe suche a rerteine matter in silence) are not in dede made better learned, but [Page]neither are they made worse. But when a truthe is after suche a sorte that by declaryng the same, he that can not away wyth it is made worse: & when we kepe it in silēce, he is made worse, that can welle awaye wyth it, what do we thynke ought then to be done? Shoulde not the truthe rather be spokē, that he that can take it should take it, then to be kept in silence, wherby not onely neither of them maye take it, but also he whyche is of better vnder­standyng is made worse? Whyche yf he dyd heare, and myght awaye wyth it, many also thorowe hym should learne. For ye better capaci­te he hath to learne, the more mete he is to learne other. The enemy of grace do prease on, and enforce by all meanes,The en­nemy of grace. that grace shoulde be beleued to be geuen for oure meri­tes, and so grace should nowe no more be grace. And shall not we speake that, whyche we are able to speake by thautorite of the scriptu­res? For we are afrayd forsoth left (yf we should speake) that he wold be offended,Ironia. whych can not awaye wyth the truth, and are we not a­frayed, [Page 95]lest that by holdyng our peace, he should be deceyued wyth fals­hede, whyche can vnderstande the truthe? For either must a predesti­nacion be preached after suche ma­ner,S. Aug. dilemma as the holy scripture doth ma­nifestly teache it, that the gyftes & callyng of God in the predestinate be suche, that it can not repent him be them: or els we muste confesse,Rom. 11. that the grace of God is gyuen ar­cordyng to our merites, according to the opinion of the Pelagians: (Altho thys opinion (as we haue now often said) be redde in the Ac­tes of the Byshoppes of the East churche, to be condemned by the mouthe of Pelagius hymselfe.) Furthermore these for whome we take these paynes, are so farre seuered from the peuyshe heresie of the Pelagians, that altho they wyl not yet acknowlege, that they are pre­destinate, whych by Goddes grace are made obediēt, and do continue, neuertheles wyl they now confesse that grace do preuent their willes vnto whome grace is geuen? Therfore certeinly, that grace shuld not be beleued to be geuen frely, as the [Page]truthe speaketh, but rather accor­dyng to the merites of the wyll go­ynge before, as the Pelagiās error barketh against the truthe. Grace do therfore go before fayth also, o­therwyse yf fayth go before grace, vndoubtedly the wyl also goeth before grace, because fayth can not be wythout the wyll. But yf grace do go before fayth, because it doth pre­uent the wyll, Certeinly it goeth before all obedience, it goeth before charitie also, wherby onely God is obeyed pleasauntly and truly: And in hym in whome are all these vertues, and to whome they are al ge­uen, grace do preuent them, and worke them.

The .xvii. Chapter.

AMonge these vertues there remayneth perse­ueraunce vnto thende, whych is dayly asked of the Lorde in vaine, yf the Lorde do not worke ye same in hym by hys grace, whose prayer he doth graciously heare. Consyder nowe howe farre it varyeth frō the truth [Page 98]to denye that perseueraunce vnto thende of thys lyfe, is the gyfte of God, forasmuch as he himselfe sendeth an ende to thys lyfe, when he wyl, whych yf he graunt before the houeryng fal, he maketh a man to continue euen vnto thende. But the largest of Gods goodnes appeareth more wonderfullye and more manifestly to the faythfull, in that this grace is geuē also vnto yonge infantes,Grace appereth moste manifestly in infan­tes. whyche in that age haue no obedience, wherfore it should be geuen. Vnto whome so euer ther­fore God do gyue these his gyftes, out of doubt he knewe aforehand, that he would gyue them, and dyd in his forknowlege prepare them. Those then whome he hath prede­stinate, the selfe same hathe he also called, wyth that callyng wherof to make often rehersal, I am ney­ther wery nor ashamed: wherof it is said, The giftes & calling of God are suche, that it cānot repent hym of them. For thys is certeinlye to predestinate,What is to prede­stinate. and none other thing but onely to ordeyne in hys owne foreknowlege (whych can neither be chasiged nor deceyued) his owne [Page]workes that ar to come.Goddes foreknowlege can not be chaūged nor deceyned. As he therfore do so liue that he may be chast, whome God knewe aforehande would be chaste, (altho thys be vn­knowen vnto hym) euen so he whō he hath predestinate to be chaste (altho he be ignoraunt of thys) do not therfore so lyue that he should not be chaste, because he vnderstan­deth that he shalbe chaste by God­des gyfte, but rather hys charitie dothe also reioice and he is not puffed vp, as tho he had not receyued the same. By the preachyng therfo­re of predestinacion,Iere. 9. he is not only not hyndred from thys worke, but also he is thus farre forthered, that when he dothe glory, he myght glorye in the Lorde. But that whyche I haue spoken of Chastite, may be also moste truely verefied of fayth, of Godlynes, of charitie, of perseue raūce (and that I may not reherse euery one) the same may be sayd of all obedience, wherby men obeye God, But these men whyche do so place and appointe the only begin­nyng of fayth, and perseueraunce vnto thend in our power, that they thynke them not to be the gyftes of [Page 97]God, neyther that God do worke our cogitacions and wylles, that we maye haue and kepe the same, but as for other vertues, they grāt that God doth giue them, whē they are opteined of hym by faith of the beleuer: why are they not afrayed, that theyr owne exhortacion vnto these other vertues, and other mēs preachyng should be hyndered by the determinacion of predestinaci­on? Wyll they also paraduenture say, yt these are not predestinate? Yf it be so, either they are not geuen of God, or els he knewe not that he would gyue them. But yf they be both gyuen of God, & also he knew aforehand that he wold giue them, certeinly he did predestinate them. As therfore they do also exhorte to chastitie, godlynes, & other whiche they cōfesse to be the gyftes of God and they cā not deny but that they were foreknowen of him, and therfore predestinate: neither do they saye, that theyr owne exhortacions are hyndered, by preachyng of goddes predestinacion, that is, by preachynge Goddes foreknowlege of these gyftes of hys to come: euen so [Page]let them vnderstande, that theyr exhortacions either to fayth or perse­ueraunce are not hyndered, yf that the selfe workes (accordynge to the truthe) be counted goddes gyftes, and suche as were foreknowen, that is, predestinate to be geuen: but rather by the preachyng of predestinacion is hyndered, and quite ouerthrowen that only moste per­nicious error,what pernicious error that is, whi­che is cō ­founded by prea­ching of predesti­nacion. wherby it is affer­med, that the grace of God is gyuē for our merites, that he that dothe glory, should not glory in the Lord but should glory in hymselfe. Whiche thyng that I may declare more manyfestly, for their sakes that haue dulle vnderstandynges, I must desyre them that haue receyued of God quycke and sharpe wyttes, to beare wyth my taryeng: Iaco. i. The Apo­stle Iames dothe saye, yf any of you wante wysedome, let hym aske it of God that gyueth aboundaunt­ly to al men, and casteth no man in the tethe and it shall be geuē hym. Pro. 2. It is written also in the prouerbes of Salomō, That the Lords gyueth wysedome. And of continency it is redde in the bokes of wysedome, [Page 96]the authoritie wherof noble lear­ned men haue alleged, whych lōge before our dayes entreated the ho­ly scriptures: there then it is redde, when I knewe that no man could be continent, except God gaue it:Gapi. 8. & thys selfe same was also a point of wysedome to knowe whose gyft this was. These therfore (that I may passe ouer other with silence) namely continency and wysedome are the gyftes of God. These mē do also agre to these: For they are not Pelagiās, that they would contend against thys manyfest truthe with a stubburne and heretical peuish­nes. But that these thynges (saye they) myght be gyuen vs of God, fayth hath obtayned whych begyn­neth of vs: the whyche fayth bothe to begynne to haue it, and also to continue in the same vnto thende, they contende to be oure owne, as tho we do not receyue it of the Lor­de. Here vndoubtedly thapostle is agaynesayd, whiche sayeth. For what haste thou,1. Cor. 4. that thou hast not receyued? The martyr Cipriane is also agaynsayd, that sayeth that we ought to glory in nothynge, for as­muche [Page]as nothynge is oures. But when we haue spoken bothe these and many other thynges whyche I am wery to repete agayne, and haue shewed that bothe the begyn­nyng of faith, and also perseuerāce vnto thende are the gyftes of God, and that there were no gyftes of hys to come, but that he knewe them aforehand, both what should be geuen, and also to whome they should be gyuen, and therfore that they whome he dothe delyuer and crowne,Our ad­uersaries suppose & obiecte the selfe same. were predestinate of hym: they suppose that we ought be aunswered, that the determinacion of predestinacion is contrary to pro­fitable preachyng, because that af­ter the hearyng of it, no man can be stered vp wyth the good profyte of rebukyng. They sayeng these wordes, would not haue the giftes of God preached to men, that they bothe come to fayth, and also conti­nue in the same, lest it myght sea­me, that men were rather brought to desperacion then exhorted, why­les they that heare the preachynge do thynke, that it is vncerteine to mans ignoraunce, vnto whōe God [Page 99]wyll gyue these gyftes, & to whōe he wyll not gyue them. But why then do they themselues preache also wyth vs, that wysedome and cō ­tinency are the gyftes of God? But yf that exhortacion wherby we ex­horte men to be wyse and continēt be not hyndered, altho we preache that these are the gyftes of God: what in goddes name is the cause, that they should thynke, exhortaci­on to be hyndered, wherby we ex­horte men to come to the fayth, and in the same to cōtinue vnto thend? And yf these maye be counted god­des gyftes, as it is proued by the witnesses of his scriptures, lo (that we may passe ouer cōtinency wyth silence) let vs in thys place dispute of wysedōe only.Wysedōe Iaco. 3. For the fornamed thapostle Iames sayeth. The wyse doone that commeth from aboue. Fyrste it is chaste, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be persuaded, full of mercy and good frutes, inestima­ble, wythout simulacion. See you not, I praye you, howe wysedome commeth downe from the father of lyght, replenyshed wyth many & great vertues? For euery good gift [Page](as the same Apostle sayth) and euery perfyte gyft is from aboue,Iaco. i. commynge downe from the father of lyght. Why then (that I maye let other thynges passe) do we rebuke the vncleane and contencious, vn­to whome neuertheles we preache, that chaste and peaceable wysedōe is the gyfte of God: neither are we afrayed lest they (beyng troubled wyth the vncerteintie of Goddes wyll) should finde in this preaching more desperacion then exhortaciō. And should be stered vp wyth the good or pricke of rebukyng, not a­gainste themselues, but rather a­gaynste vs, because we do rebuke them hauyng not these gyftes, whiche we saye are not gotten by the wyll of man, but gyuyng thorowe the lyberalitie of God? Further­more, why dyd not the preachynge of thys grace, feare thapostle Ia­mes himself to rebuke the vnquiet, and to saye, yf you haue bytter en­uyeng and strife in your hertes, reioyce not, neither be lyars against the truthe:Iaco. 3. thys wysedome descen­deth not from aboue, but is earthy and naturall, and deuelyshe. For [Page 102]where enuyeng and stryf is, there is vnstablenes, and al maner of e­uell workes. Therfore lykewyse as the vnquiet ought to be rebuked, both by the testimonyes of Goddes worde, and also by the self dedes of oures, whyche these haue common wyth vs, neither is thys correction hyndered, because we preache that peaceable wysedome is the gyfte of God, wherby the contenciouse are corrected and healed: euen so infy­deles, or they that continue not in the fayth ought to be rebuked, not­wythstādyng the preachyng of the grace of God, wherby bothe faythe it selfe also, and continuaūce in the same,Iaco. i. are commēded to be the gyf­tes of God: For altho wysedome is obtayned by fayth (as Iames hym­selfe when he sayde, yf any of you wante wysedome, let hym aske of God that gyueth aboundauntly to all men, and casteth no man in the tethe and it shall be gyuen hym: he added by and by: but let hym aske in fayth nothyng doutyng:) neuer theles because fayth is geuen, befo­re he dothe aske it vnto whome it is gyuen, we maye not therfore [Page]thynke, that it is not the gyfte of God, but that we haue it of our selues, because it is geuen vnto vs wythout askyng. For thapostle say­eth moste manifestly,Ephe. 6. Peace vnto the brethrē and charitie wyth faith from God the father, and the Lorde Iesu Christ. He therfore that is ge­uer of peace and charitie, is also the giuer of faith, For the whych cause we beseche him, not only to encrease fayth in them that already haue it, but also to gyue fayth to thē that haue it not. Neither do these (for whose sake we speake these thyn­ges,Our aduersari­es crye after the same maner. whych crye out that by the preching of predestinasion and grace, exhortacion is hyndered) exhorte men vnto those gyftes only, whych they contende, not to be gyuen of God, but to sprynge of our selues: as is the begynnyng of fayth, and cōtinuaūce in the same vnto thend: whych certeinly they ought to do, so that they should only exhorte the infydeles that they myght beleue, and them that are faythfull, that they myght continue: but as for o­ther whych they together wyth vs denye not to be the gyftes of God, [Page 102]that they may wyth vs ouerthrow the Pelagians error) as is chastite, continency, pacience, and suche o­ther, whych are obtayned by fayth, and wherby men lyue godly, They oughte onely to declare that men should aske these of God, and pray vnto God, that he wold gyue these, bothe to themselues and to others, but they ought not to exhorte any man to take and reteyne these.

But seyng that they do also exhorte men vnto these giftes (as they may do) and in exhortyng confesse them selues to be mē, they do declare manyfestly, that exhortacions either to beleue, or to continue vnto the ende, are not hyndered by thys kynde of preachynge, bycause we preache that these also are the gyf­tes of God, and that no man haue them of hymselfe, but they are ge­uen of hym. But that euery man thorowe his owne leudnes forsa­keth fayth, when he gyueth place & consenteth vnto tentacion, wher­by it is wrought in hym yt he dothe forsake fayth, who denyeth thys? But we shuld not therfore say that perseueraunce in faythe were not [Page]the gyfte of God. For he that say­eth, leade vs not into tentacion, dothe aske thys dayly: and yf he be graciously herde, he receyueth this: and therfore he dayly prayeng that he may continue, do certeinly put the hope of hys perseueraunce, not in hym selfe, but in God. But I wyl not amplifie thys matter with my wordes, but I leaue it rather to he iudged of themselues, that they maye perceyue, what maner a thing that is, wherin thei haue persuaded themselues,Are not owr ad­uersarcis also persuaded euen thus. yt by preaching of predestinacion, the people are rather brought in to desperacion, thē exhorted to lyue godly: Thys is e­uen as muche as yf they should say that a man muste then dispaire of hys saluacion, when he hath lear­ned to put his hope, not in hymself but in God: when as yet the Pro­phete cryeth.Iere. 17. Cursed is euery one that putteth hys truste in man.

These gyftes of God whych are geuen to the chosen, that are called at cordynge to the purpose of God, a­monge the whych the begynnynge of fayth, and perseueraunce in the same vnto thende of thys lyfe (as [Page 100]we haue proued both by many reasons,Fol. 100. and also by the wytnessynge of many authorities) certeinly the­se gyftes of God (I say) are not for knowen of God, yf ther be no such predestinacion as we defende: But they are foreknowen, thys is ther­fore the predestinacion whych we defende.

The .xviii. Chapter.

VVherfore the same predestinacion is somety­me sygnifyed by the name also of foreknowle­ge, as thapostle sayeth, God hath not caste awaye hys people whych he knewe aforehande.

Thys that he sayeth he knew afore hande, is not truely vnderstande,Rom. 11. but by thys, he dyd predestinate, as the circumstaunce of the selfe place dothe declare: For he spake of the remnauntes of the Iues that were saued, when the reste dyd peryshe. For before he said, that the prophet had sayde vnto Israel,Esa. 63. Rom. 10. all the daye longe haue I stretched forth my hā des, vnto a people yt beleueth not, but speaketh agaynst me: and as thoo he hadde ben aunswered.

What is therfore become of God­des promises made vnto Israel, he added straitwayes, I saye then, hath God caste awaye hys people? God forbydde. For euen I also am an Israelite, of the sede of Abrahā, and of the Tribe of Beniamin, as tho he should saye, for I am also of the selfe people: Then after he ad­ded that, wherof we nowe speake, God hath not caste awaye his peo­ple whych he knewe aforehande. And that he myghte declare that ther was a remnaunt left thorowe the grace of God, not thorowe the merites of their workes, he added afterwardes, either wote ye not what the scripture sayeth of G­lias, howe he maketh intercession to God against Israel, and so forth But what sayeth the aunswere of God agayne to hym (sayeth he) I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousande men,3. Re. 19. whych haue not bowed the knee to Baal. For he sayde not, there are reserued for me: or they haue reserued themselues for me, but, I haue reserued vnto my selfe. And therfore he sayeth, euen so at thys tyme, the remnaunt are [Page 101]saued thorowe theleccion of grace. But yf it be of grace, then is it not of workes. For then were grace no more grace. And he ioynyng those wordes which I haue nowe before wrytten, and aunsweryng to thys question, sayd, what then? Israel hath not obtayned that he soughts. No, but yet thelection hath obtay­ned it, the remnaunt are blynded. Therfore in thys election, and in these remnauntes whych are lefte thorow thelectiō of grace, he wold haue the people to be vnderstande, whome God had not therfore caste awaye, because he knewe them a­forehande. Thys is that election, wherby he chase whome he would in Christ, before the makyng of the worlde, that they myght be holye and blameles in hys syght in cha­ritie, predestinating them to ma­ke them hys sonnes by adopti­on. Noman therfore that vnder­standeth these thynges, is permit­ted either to denye or to doubt, that thapostle dyd signifye predestina­cion, when he sayde, God hath not cast awaye hys people whome he knewe before. For he knew before [Page]a remnaunt, whych he would saue thorowe thelection of Grace: that is therfore to saye, he dyd predesti­nate, for vndoubtedly yf he dyd predestinate, he knewe before: for to predestinate is to know afore that, whych he hymselfe wold do. What dothe then forbyd vs, whē we read of the foreknowlege of God, amōg some interpretors of Goddes word whych do entreate of the callynge of thelecte, to vnderstande the sa­me predestinacion? But peraduen­ture they dyd rather couet to vse thys worde in thys matter, bothe bycause it is more easy to be vnder stande, and also bycause it dothe not only not repugne, but rather a gree to the truthe, whyche is prea­ched of the predestinacion of grace: Thys I am assured of,Erroni­us dispu­ters. that no mā wych oute errour could dispute a­gaynst thys predestinacion, which we defende accordyng to the holye scriptures.

The .xix. Chapter.

NEuertheles I suppose, that they which require the iudgementes of in­terpretours in this matter, ought to be satisfied wyth the authoritie of holy Cipri­ane and Ambrose,Cipriane Ambrose men notablye & cōmendably knowen in the christi­an fayth and doctrine, whose testi­menies (that are so manyfest) we haue alleged: that is, that they be­leuyng the grace of God to be free in euery point as it ought to be be­leued, myght preache the same by all meanes as it ought to be prea­ched: and also that they should not thynke the same preachyng of grace, to be cōtrary to that preaching, wherby we exhorte the slothful, or rebuke the euel. Because that these men also, when they dyd preache the grace of God after such maner, that one of them sayd, we ought to glory in nothing, for asmuch as nothyng is our owne: the other sayd, that our owne herte & oure owne thoughtes, were not in oure owne power: neuertheles they ceased not both to exhorte, and also to rebuke, that the commaūdementes of God [Page]myght be obserued: Neither were they afrayed, that it should be ob­iected agaynst them: why do you exhorte vs? Why do you rebuke vs yf we haue no good thynge of oure owne, and yf oure owne herte be not in our owne power? These ho­lye men could not be afrayed leste that these thynges should be obiec­ted agaynst them: wherby they vn­derstode that it was geuen to very fewe, that they myghte receyue the doctrine of saluacion, not by the preachyng of any man, but by the Lorde hymselfe, or els by the An­gels of heauen: but that it was ge­uen to many that they myght bele­ue God thorowe men. Neuerthe­les by what so euer meane goddes worde is preached vnto man, vn­doutedly it is the gyft of God, that any should so heare, that he maye obey ye same. Wherfore thaforsayd moste excellent interpreters of goddes worde, dyd both preache ye true grace of God as it ought to be preached, that is, such grace as no mās merites do preuent, and also dyd in stantlye exhorte men to kepe God his commaundementes, that they [Page 103]whych had the gyfte of obedience, myght heare what cōmaūdemēts they ought to obeye: For yf any maner of merites of ouers do preuent or go before goddes grace, Certein­lye it is either the merite of some dede, or of some worde, or of some thought, wherein is vnderstande also the selfe good wyll. But he whiche sayd that we ought to glory in nothynge, forasmuche as nothing is our owne, dyd briefly cōprehend al kindes of merites: but he ye sayd, that our owne herte, and our thoughtes, wer not in our owne power dyd neither passe ouer dedes nor wordes, For there is neither word nor dede of mā, that do not procede from the cogitacion of the herte.

But what could the most glorious martyr, and moste eloquent doctor Cipriane, do more in thys matter then he dothe, whē he teacheth vs, that we ought also to praye in the Lordes prayer, for thennemyes of the christian faythe: (whereas he dothe also declare, what he thought of the begynnyng of fayth, that it was also the gyft of God) & sheweth that the churche of Christe, do dayly [Page]pray for perseuerance vnto thend, because that God doth geue ye also, but only to them that haue cōtinu­ed, The blessed Ambrose in lyke maner when he dyd expounde yt which Luke theuangelist sayd,Ambrose it semed also good vnto me: It may be (sayeth he) that that semed not good to him alone, whych he sayeth semed good vnto hym: For not by mans wyll only this semed good, but as it pleased him that speaketh in me Christ, whych doth so worke, that that whiche is good, maye also seme good to vs: for vpon whom he hath mercy, him dothe he also cal. And therfore he that foloweth Christ mai (beyng demaūded why he would be a chri­stian) aunswere thus, it semed also good vnto me: whych answer whē he maketh, he denyeth not that it semed good vnto God: For the wyll of man is prepared of the Lorde.

For it cōmeth of the grace of God, that God maye be glorifyed of hys saint. In lyke maner in the same worke, that is, in therposiciō of the same gospell, when he should come to that place, wheras the Samari­tanes would not receyue the Lorde [Page 104]goyng to Ierusalem: Learne also (sayeth he) that he would not receyue them, that were not conuerted wyth a symple mynde: For yf he had would, he had made them that were wythout deuocion deuoute. But why they dyd not receyue him the selfe same Euangelist declareth sayeng, because hys face was,Luce. 9. as thoughe he would go to Ierusalem the disciples verely desyred to be receyued into Samaria, But God dothe call whome it pleaseth hym, and maketh whom he wyl deuoute or religious, what is more plaine, what do we seke more euident of the interpretor of thys worde of God, yf we delite to heare that also of them, whych is manifest in the scriptures? But to these two (why­che ought to suffice) let vs adde also a thyrde I meane) holy Gregory, whych do wytnesse bothe that to be leue in God,Gregory nazianze ne not Gregory the. b. of Rome. and also to cōfesse that whych we beleue is ye gyft of God, sayeng, we beseche you that ye wil confesse the Trinitie of one God­head. But yf ye wyl otherwyse, say ye that they be of one nature, and God shalbe beseched to gyue you a [Page]voice from hys holy spirite: that is, god shalbe prayed vnto, that he wil permitte suche a voice to be gyuen you, wherby you may cōfesse that, whych you beleue. For I am cer­teine that he that hathe geuen the fyrst, wyl gyue the seconde also: he that hath geuen you beleue, wyl gyue you also confession. These excel­lent and noble doctors, affermyng that ther is nothynge wherof we maye glory as of our owne, which God hathe not gyuen vs, and that not so muche as our owne herte, & thoughtes ar in our owne power, but ascribyng all vnto God, & con­fessynge that we do receyue all of him, that we may be conuerted vn to hym, & cōtinue vnto thende, that that whych is good, maye also sea­me good vnto vs, and that we may wil the same, that we may honour God and receiue Christ, that of vn dououte we maye be made deuoute and religious, that we may beleue in the selfe Trinite, & confesse with mouth also that, whych we beleue: These certeinlye do they ascribe to goddes grace, these do thei acknowlege to be Goddes gyftes, They do [Page 105]wytnesse that we haue not these of our selues, but of hym. But wyl a­ny man saye, that these doctors did so confesse this grace of God, that they durst deny his foreknowlege, the whyche not onely the learned, but also the vnlearned do confesse? Furthermore yf they knewe, that God dyd gyue these gyftes after suche a sorte, that they were not ig­noraūt, that he knewe aforehande, that he would gyue them, and that he could not be ignoraūt to whome he would gyue them, out of al dout they knewe predestinacion,Thapostles prea­ched pre­destinacion, the whiche beyng preached by thapostles, we defend agaynst newe heretikes wyth great payne and diligence: & yet neuertheles it could not be iust­lye obiected agaynst thē preaching obedience, and ernestly (accordyng to their power) exhortinge men to the same, yf you wyll that obediēce whervnto ye exhorte vs, shall not waxe colde in our herte, preache no more this grace of God vnto vs, whych we confesse that God doth gyue, whervnto ye also exhorte vs, that we maye do it.

The, xx. Chapter.

VVherfore yf both thapostles, and also the doc­tors of the churche that succeded them, and folowed their ensample, dyd obserue bothe these thynges, that is, They dyd bothe truely preache the grace of God, whych is not gyuen accordyng to oure merites, and dyd also teache godly obediēce wyth holsome preceptes: what is the cause that these our brethren beyng shutte vp: wyth thinuineible power of the truthe, do thynke that they themselues yet speake trulye: sayeng, altho that whych is spoken of the predestinacion of gods bene­fytes be true,whether predesti­nacion ought to be prea­ched. yet ought it not to be preached vnto the people. It ought to be preched in any wyse, that they which haue eares to hear mai hear But who is that that hath eates of hearynge, yf he haue not receyued them of hym whych sayeth: I wyll gyue them an herte to knowe me, and hearyng eares. Truly let hym that taketh not, refuse, & retect, whiles yet he that taketh, maye take & drynke, may drynke and lyue. For lykewyse as godlynes ought to be [Page 106]preached, that God may be trulye worshipped of hym that hath cares to heare: Chastite ought to be prea­ched, that no vnlawfull thynge be commytted wyth the priuey mem­bers of hym, ye hath eares to heare. Charitie ought to be preached, that God and the neyghbour may be loued of him, that hath eares to hear, euen so also thys predestinacion of goddes benefites ought to be preached, that he yt hath eares to heare, maye not glory in hymselfe, but in the Lorde. But where as they saye, that ther was no nede to trouble so many hertes, (of suche as do not wel vnderstande) wyth thys vncer teintie of suche disputacion, because the catholike fayth hath bē no lesse profitably defended, wythout thys determinacion of predestinacion so many yeres, both agaynst other he retikes, & specially against the Pe­lagians, as well wyth oure owne formare bokes, as also wyth the bokes of many catholyke writters and others: I maruel muche that they wyll thus speake, and do not consyder the selfe bokes of oures (that I maye at thys present passe [Page]ouer other mens with silence) both written and publyshed, before also the Pelagiās beganne to appeare, wherin they may perceyue, in how many places we (not knowyng the Pelagians heresye to come) dyd beleue in preachyng grace, wherby God dothe delyuer vs from our e­uel errors and maners, workynge thys, not for our good merites go­yng before, but for hys owne free mercye. The whyche thynge I be­ganne more fully to vnderstande,S. Aug. was mo­re sincere in doctrine after he was byshop, then he was before: God graunt that oure b. maye be so. in that disputacion whych I wrote vnto Simplicianus of blessed remē braunce byshop of the churche of Millane, in the beginninge of my byshopryche, whē as I both knewe and also defended that the begyn­nynge of faythe was the gyfte of God. For whyche of my workes could be better knowen, and more gladly redde, then the bokes of my confessions, seyng I had also published them before the Pelagians he resye sprange vp? In these bokes I sayd verely vnto our God, and I sayd often, gyue that thou com­maundest, and commaunde what thou wylt. The whych my wordes [Page 107]Pelagius could not abyde, when they wer rehersed of a certeine brother a felowbyshop of myne in his audiēce at Rome, and he speakyng agaynst them somwhat angerly, dyd almoste falle oute wyth hym, that had recyted them. But what els dothe God fyrst and chiefly cō ­maunde vs, but that we should be­leue in hym? and thys then doth he gyue, yf it be well sayd vnto hym, gyue that thou commaundest. And in ye same bokes also, that I myght shewe my conuersion, when God conuerted me vnto the fayth, whi­che I had wasted wyth moste my­serable & furious bablyng: do you not remember that I declared the same after suche a sorte, that I myght shewe that I was conuer­ted by the faythfull and dayly tea­res of my mother, that I shoulde not peryshe? wheras I dyd certeinlye preache, that God by hys grace do conuerte mens willes, not such only as are turned from the ryght fayth, but suche also as are aduer­saries vnto ye same. Furthermore howe I prayed vnto God, For per­seueraunce that goeth forwardes, [Page]ye bothe knowe, & can also declare when you lyste. Who therfore (I wyl not saye dare denye, but) dare once doubte, that God knewe not a forehande that he would gyue all his gyftes, whych I either desired, or praysed in the same worke, and that he could neuer be ignoraunt to whome he would gyue them?

Thys is the manifest and certeine predestinacion of saintes, whyche necessitie after compelled vs to de­fende more diligently and painful lye, when we dyd nowe dispute a­gaynst the Pelagians. For we ha­ue learned, that euery heresye ha­ue brought into the churche their proper doubtes,The ca­tholike doctorce confuted heretikes wht God desiwode. against the whych the holy scripture myght be the more deligently defended, then yf no suche necessitie had compelled. For what is that, that hath enforced the places of the scriptures, (where by predestinacion is commēded) to be defended more largely and manyfestly by thys oure trauail, but be­cause the Pelagians saye, that the grace of God is gyuen accordynge to our merites: whyche what els is it, but a manyfest and vtter deny­eng [Page 108]of grace.

The .xxi. Chapter.

THat thys therfore opini­on whyche displeaseth God, myght be destroy­ed, whyche is ennemye to the free benefytes of God, wherby we are deliuered, we haue defended by the holy scriptu­res (out of the whych we haue now alleged many places) that as well the gegynnyng of faith, as also perseuerance in the same vnto thend, are the gyftes of God. For yf we do say, that the begynnyng of fayth is of our selues, that by it we maye deserue to receyue other gyftes of God, the Pelagians do conclude, that the grace of God is geuen ac­cordyng to our merites. The whi­che ye catholyke faith hath so muche abhorred, that Pelagius (fearynge to be condemned) dyd hymselfe cō ­demne it. In lyke maner yf we saye, that we haue oure perseue­raunce not of the LORDE: but of our selues, they wyl answer that we haue aswel the beginnyng [Page]of fayth of our selues, as thend: reasonyng thus, that we haue muche more of our selues that beginning of fayth, yf we haue of oure selues the continuaunce in the same vnto thende: Forasmuche as to perfor­me, is more then to begynne: and so in lyke maner they cōclude, that the grace of God is gyuen accor­ding to our merites. But yf bothe be the gyftes of God, and that god knewe aforehande, that he woulde gyue these his gyftes (whych who can denye?) then ought predestina­cion to be preached, that the true grace of God (that is, whych is not geuen accordinge to oure merites) maye be defended wyth an inuincible fortresse. And I verely do sup­pose, that in that boke whose tytle is, of correccion and grace (whych could not satisfye all our frendes) that I haue so playnly declared, that perseuerance also vnto thend is the gyft of God, as I dyd either in no place, or almoste no where before write the same so expressely and so manyfestly (yf my memory do not faile me.) But I dyd not so speake these, as tho no man before [Page 109]me had spoken the same: For bles­sed Cipriane dyd so expounde oure peticions in the Lordes prayer (as we haue before declared) that in the selfe fyrit peticion, he taught vs to aske perseueraunce: affermynge that we prayde for thys when we sayd, thy name be sanctifyed: that (forasmuche as we were alreadye sanctifyed by baptisme) we myght continue in that wherein we had be gonne. Neuertheles let these bre­thren consyder (vnto whom for the good wyll they beare me I oughte not to be vnthākfull, whych do professe (as ye wryre) that they do em­brace all my doctrines, excepte this that is nowe come into question:) let them I saye consydre, whether in the latter part of my fyrst boke, of the two bokes whych in the be­gynnynge of my byshopryche, I wrote vnto Simplicianus byshop of Millane, before the Pelagians heresie dyd appeare, ther were left any thynge, that myght cause this to be called in to doubte, the grace of God is not geuen accordyng to oure merites: & whether I dyd not there sufficiētly proue, ye the begyn­nyng [Page]also of fayth was the gyft of God: and whether vpon those thinges that are there spoken, it dothe not consequently folowe (altho the same be not expressed) that also perseueraunce vnto thende, is gyuen of none but of hym, whyche hathe predestinated vs vnto hys owne kyngdome and glory. Furthermo­re dyd I not publyshe many yeres agone, the selfe epistle which I had nowe wrytten against the Pelagi­ans, vnto ye holy Paulinus byshop of Nola (against the whych epistle they haue nowe begonne to barke) Let thē also loke vpon that epistle, whych I wrote vnto Sixtus priest of the churche of Rome, when we stroue against the Pelagians in a sharpe bickerynge: and they shall fynde it lyke vnto that whych was wrote vnto Paulinus. Let them therfore call to remembraūce that these were now many yeres agon spoken and wryttē against the Pe­lagians heresye, whyche (that is wonderful) do nowe displease thē: Neuertheles I would haue no mā so to embrase al mine, that he shuld folowe me in any thynge, but in [Page 110]suche wherin he shal perceyue that I do not erre.Howe farre. S. Aug. wold be folowed. For therfore do I nowe make bokes, wher in I haue taken in hande to retracte my wor­kes, that I maye declare, that I haue not folowed myne owne selfe in all pointes, but I suppose that I haue thorowe goddes mercy wry­tyng as one that goeth forwardes, altho I was not perfecte in the be­gynning:Folowe then sam­ple of S. Aug. but beware ye folowe not lottes wiffe nor demes that lo­ued this present worlde. For I do speake more arrogātly then truly, yf I should yet saye that I were nowe in this age come to perfectiō in writyng, with out any maner of error. But ther is great difference, how farre and in what matters a mā dothe erre, and howe easely a man dothe either re­forme, or howe stobernly he laboureth to defende his error. For the is a good hope to be conceyued of ye man, whōe the last day of this lyfe, shal fynd thus goyng forwardes, that the thynges whych he wanted in hys trauaillinge may be geuen hym, and that he may be iuged ra­ther worthy to be made perfyt thē to be punyshed. Whefore yf I wyll not be vnthanckfull vnto [Page]men, whych dyd therfore loue me, because they had receiued some profyte of my labours, before they lo­ued me: howe muche more shoulde I not be vnthanckfull vnto God, whome we should not haue loued excepte he had fyrst loued vs, & had made vs hys louers: for charitie cō meth from him (as they sayd) whōe he made not only his great louers but also his chiefe preachers. For what is more vnthankfull, then to deny the self grace of God, sayeng, that it is gyuen accordyng to oure merites? The whych opinion the catholyke fayth hathe abhorred in the Pelagians, insomuche, that it was obiected agaynste Pelagius himself as a capital crime, the whiche Pelagius hymselfe not for the loue of God, but yet for feare of his owne cōdemnacion condēned. But who soeuer would saye, that the grace of God is gyuen accordynge to our merites, whych the faythful catholyke man do abhorre, he may not wythdrawe the selfe fayth frō the grace of God, by ye which grace he optained mercy, that he myght be faythfull. And so let hym ascribe [Page 111]perseueraunce also vnto thende vnto the grace of God, wherby he ob­taineth that which he daily asketh, that he maye not be broughte into tentacion. But betwene the begynnyng of fayth, and ende of perseue­raūce, ther are meane giftes, wher by we lyue vertuously, the whyche (as they also agree) are gyuen of God by the meanes of fayth. But all these, that is, as well the begyn­nynge of fayth, as all other goddes giftes euē vnto thend, God knewe aforehand, that he would gyue thē to those his called. It is therfore a point of to great contencion, either to agaynstsaye predestinacion, or to doute of the same. Whych neuer theles ought not to be preached vn­to the people after such a sorte, that it should seme by the self preaching to be after a certeine maner repre­hended before the vnlearned mul­titude, or before suche as haue but a blunte vnderstādyng: as the fore­knowlege of God (whych certein­lye they can not deny) semeth to be reprehended, yf it should be sayd vnto men thus: whether you runne or slepe, you shalbe suche, as God [Page] A good medicine euell mi­nistred. (that can not be deceyued) hath for­knowē you to be. (It is the part of a deceytfull phisicion, or of suche one as is also vnlearned, to mini­ster a good medecyne after suche sorte, that either it may hurte, or at leste wyse not profyte hym to whōe it is ministred) 1. Cor. 9. but we oughte thus to saye, runne so that ye maye ob­tayne, and in this selfe course of youres ye shal perceyue, that ye are so forknowen of God, that ye may runne laufully: And yf after any other maner the foreknowlege of God maye be so preached, that the sloggishenes of man may be bany­shed awaye.

The .xxii. Chapter.

ALtho thē the determinat sentence of goddes wyll, touchynge predestinaci­on be suche, that some bi receyuyng a wyl to obey are conuerted from infidelite vnto fayth, orels continue in faythe, but other which tary in the delectacion of damnable sinnes (yf they be also of the nombre of the predestinate) [Page 113]haue not yet therfore rysen, becau­se the helpe of goddes merciful grace, haue not yet raysed them. For if any be not yet called, whome God thorowe his grace haue predesti­nate to be chosen, they shall recey­ue the same grace, whereby they maye bothe wylle to be chosen, and be also chosen in dede. But yf any do nowe obey, whych neuer theles are not predestinate vnto this kyngdome and glory, they are but for a tyme,Howe predesti­nacion ought to be preac­hed to the peple. neither shall they cō tinue vnto thende in the same obe­dience. Altho then (I saye) these thynges are true, yet oughte they not to be preached in the audience of the multitude so as these wor­des should also be applied vnto thē, and that these wordes of these bre­thren shoulde be spoken, whyche you haue wrytten in your letters, and which I haue declared before: The determinate sentence of God­des wyll touchinge predestinacion is suche, that some of you, by recei­uyng a wyll to obey, shall come from infidelite to fayth. What neaded it to be sayde some of you? [Page]For yf we speake vnto the churche of God, yf we speake vnto thē that beleue, why in sayeng that some of them are come to the fayth, are we iudged to do iniury to the reste: se­yng we myght more conueni­ently saye, The determinate sen­tence of Goddes wyll touchynge predestinacion is suche, that by re­ceyuynge a wyll to beleue, ye are come from infidelitie to fayth, and maye continue in the same vnto thende? Neither ought that whych foloweth to be spoken at al, that is, but the reste which do abyde in the delectaciō of synne, ye are not ther­fore yet rysen, because the helpe of goddes mercyfull grace, haue not yet raysed you: seynge, that it bothe maye, and ought to be spoken wel and cōueniently thus: But yf there be any of you, that do yet abyde in the delectaciō of damnable sinnes, take holde of moste holsome disci­pline. Whych neuertheles whē ye haue done, be not puffed vp, as it were for youre owne workes, and glory as tho you had not receyued this.Phi. 1. For it is God that worketh in you bothe the wyll and the worke, [Page 113]euen of good wyll: & agayne youre goinges are so guyded of the Lord, that you may couet hys waye. But as touchynge your selfe good & godly runnynge knowe ye also that it dothe apperteine to the predestina­cion of Goddes grace. In lyke ma­ner that whych foloweth & is sayd: Neuertheles yf any of you be not yet called, whōe God thorowe hys grace haue predestinate to be cho­sen, ye shal receyue the same grace, wherby ye may both wil to be cho­sen, and be also chosen in dede: this is sorer spoken, then it myghte be, yf we do consyder, that we speake not to al sortes of mē, but to ye chur­che of Christe. For why is it not ra­ther spoken thus: and yf ther be a­ny yt are not yet called, let vs praye for them, that they maye be called? For paraduenture they are so pre­destinate, that they may be graun­ted vnto our prayers, and that thei may receyue the same grace, wherby they maye bothe desyre to be e­lecte, and be made so in dede. For God whych hath fulfylled all thyn­ges that he hath predestinate, hath wylled vs also to praye for the en­nemyes [Page]of faythe: that hereby we myght vnderstande, that he dothe graunt also vnto the vnfaythfull that they maye beleue, and dothe make of vnwilling willinge. But that nowe whyche is ioyned vnto these wordes, I maruel if any weake membre amonge the christian congregacion, can by any meanes paciently heare, when it is sayd to them: And yf any of you that do nowe obey, be predestinate to be reiecte, the power to obey shalbe takē frō you, that ye maye fal from obe­dience, For thus to speake, what o­ther thynge seameth it els, but to curse, or after a certein maner to prophecie mischiefe? But yf it plea­se you, or yf you thynke it necessary to speake somwhat also of thē that do not continue, why at the lesse wyse do ye not rather speake after that maner, as is spoken a lytle before: Fyrst that thys should not be spoken of them, whyche beynge a­mong the people do not yet heare, but shoulde be spoken of others to them, that is, that it be not spoken thus, yf any of you that do now o­bey be predestinate to be reiected, [Page 114]but yf any do obey, and so forth to be spoken by a verbe of the thyrde person, and not by the seconde per­son, For an abhominable and no pleasaūt matter is spoken, and by thys speakynge, the foreheades of the auditorye, are as it were moste rygourously and moste hatefullye knocked one agaynst another, whē any mā do saye to them vnto whōe he speaketh: and yf any of you whi­che do nowe obeye be predestinate to be reiecte, the power to obeyshal be taken from you, that you maye falle frō obedience. What parte of the sentence is left out, yf it should be spoken thus: But yf ther be any that do nowe obey, which neuer the les are not predestinate vnto hys kyngdome and glory, they are but for a tyme, neither shall they conti­nue in ye same obediēce vnto thēde? Is not nowe the same thynge spo­kē both more truely and also more comely, that we maye not seame as it wee to wyshe vnto them so great an euell, but to tell of other that which they hate, that they may not thynke it to belōge vnto them, whiche do hope and praye for better [Page]thynges. That same phrase of spe­che, whych they thynke ought to be vsed in predestinacion, may be spo­kē in a maner by the same wordes also of goddes foreknowlege (why­che vndoubtedly they cānot denye) so that it maye be sayd, And yf any of you, that do nowe obey be fore­knowen to be reiecte, ye shal fal frō obedience. For as thys is moste true, euen so verely it is moste im­pudent, moste vntymely, moste vn comly, not because it is false doctri­ne, but because it is not holsomlye ministred, vnto the disease of mās infirmitie. I thinke also that that maner of speakynge, whych we haue sayd ought to be vsed in the preachyng of predestinacion, should not suffice hym that speaketh to the people, except he should adde thys, or some suche lyke thynge, that he would saye. You ought therfore to truste to obteyne also the selfe per­seueraunce in obedience of the fa­ther of lyght, from whome cōmeth downe euery good gyfte and euery parfyte gyft,Iaco. 1. and to aske the same by dayly prayers, & in thys doynge to beleue, that you are not straun­gers [Page 115]from the predestinaciō of his people, because he doth graunt vn­to you, that you maye also thys do. God forbyd that you should therfore despayre of your selues, becau­se you are cōmaunded to put your-trust in hym, and not in youre sel­ues. For euery man is cursed, that putteth hys trust in man:Ieri. 17. Psal. 117, Psal. 2. Tit. 1. & again, it is better to truste in the Lorde, then to truste in man: For they are all blessed that truste in hym. And you holdyng faste thys hope, serue the Lorde in feare, and reioyse be­fore hym wyth tremblyng. For no man can be certeine of eternal life, whych God that cānot lye, hath promysed before theternall tymes vn­to ye sonnes of promyse, before thys lyfe (whyche is a tentacion vpon thearth) shalbe fynyshed: but he vn­to whome we do dayly saye, leade vs not into tentacion, shall make vs to perseuer in hymselfe vntyll thende of thys lyfe. Seynge that these and suche lyke are spokē whether it be to a fewe, or to the hole multitude of the churche, why are we afrayed to preache the predesti­nacion of saintes, & the true grace [Page]of God, that is, whych is not geuē after our merites accordyng as the holy scripture doth teach the same? Is it to be feared that a mā should thē fall into desperacion, whē he is taught to put his truste in God: & that he shoulde not dispaire, yf he shoulde moste proudlye and moste vnhappely put hys truste in hym­selfe? and I would to god that such as haue dulle vnderstandynges, & are weake, whyche either can not, or at the leste wyse yet can not vn­derstande the scriptures, or their exposicions, would either heare or not heare our disputacions in thys matter after suche a maner, that they would rather diligently consyder theyr owne prayers, whych the churche hath alwayes vsed frō her begynnyng, and shall vse vnto the worldes ende.

The .xxiii. Chapter.He pro­veth pre­destinaci­on and grace by ye praiers of the church.

EOr the churche haue al­wayes made mencion of this matter in her prayers whyche we are nowe compelled agaynst these newe [Page 116]heretikes, not only to make reher­sall of, but also to defēde and maintaine manifestly, yea and somtime she hath thought it good, yt it should be declared in sermons, when she was not vexed with any aduersari. For when did not the churche pray for infidels, and for her ennemyes that they myght beleue? Whē was ther euer any faythfull man, that had an infidele to hys frend, neighbour, or wyfe, and haue not desyred for them of the Lord suche a mynd, as myght obey the christian fayth? Who is it that do not alwaies pray vnto the Lorde, that he maye con­tinue in hym? Or who at any tyme hearyng the priest callyng thus vpon the Lorde for the faythfull. O Lorde graunt vnto them, that they maye continue in thee vnto thend, durste either by worde, yea or by thought once reprehende hym for this prayer,Howe could he say, Amē, except he vnder­stode hys blissynge 1. Cor. 14. & haue not rather with a beleuyng herte and confessynge mouthe made aunswere vnto this his blessyng sayng, Amen. Seyng that the faythfull in the selfe praier of the Lorde, pray for nothyng els, (namelye when they saye thys.

Leade vs not into tentacion) but that they maye continue in holy o­bedience. As therfore in these pray­ers, euen so also in thys fayth the churche dyd sprynge vp; and dothe bothe growe, and haue growen, by the whyche fayth it is beleued, that the grace of God is not geuen, for the merites of thē that receiue it. For neither would the churche praye that faythe myght be geuen to infideles, except she beleued that God would turne mens willes vnto hymselfe, bothe of suche as are turned from hym, and also of such as are ennemyes vnto hym: nor yet would she praye that she beyng not deceiued, nor ouercome wyth the tentacions of the world, myght continue in the fayth of Christ, ex­cepte that she beleued that the Lor­de had our herte so in hys owne power, that notwythstandyng we do not kepe godlynes but by our ow­ne wyll, yet neuertheles that we cā not kepe the same, except he should worke in vs also the wyll. For yf the churche askyng these thynges of hym should thynke yt they were geuen her of her selfe, the prayers [Page 117]that she vseth are not true prayers, but made for a facion: whych God forbyd that any of vs shulde saye.

For who can truly morne, desyring to receyue of the Lorde that whyche he prayeth for, yf he shulde thynke that he hath thys of hym selfe, and not of hym: namelye because we knowe not what to desyre as we ought,Rom. 8. but the spirite hymself (sayth thapostle) maketh intercessiō for vs wyth gronynges, whych can not be expressed wyth tonge? For he that searcheth the hartes knoweth what is the meanyng of the spirite: for he maketh intercession for the saintes, accordyng to the pleasure of God. What meaneth thys, the spirite ma­keth intercession, but onely that he maketh vs to make intercessiō with vnspeakable gronynges, but yet wc suche as are true, because the spirite is the truthe? For the self same is he, of whome he speaketh in an other place: God sent ye spirite of his sonne into our hertes cryeng Abba father And what meaneth this cryeng,Gala. 4. but makyng vs to crye, by the same fy­gure of speache that we vse, whē we call that a merye daye, that maketh [Page]mē meri? The which ī an other place he declareth where he sayeth. For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bon­dage to feare any more, but ye haue receyued the spirite of adoptiō wherby we crye Abba father.Rom. 8. There he sayd, that the spirite dothe crye, but here he sayeth, by whome we cryer declaryng certeinly what he mente, when he sayd cryeng:True & spiritual prayer is goddes gyfte. that is, (as I haue nowe expowned) makyng vs to crye. Wherby we do vnderstand, that it is also the selfe gyfte of God, to praye vnto God with a true herte and spiritually. Let them therfore consyder, howe farre they are deceyued, whych thynke yt to aske, to seke, and to knocke, come of our selues, & are not gyue vnto vs. And thys they say vnto thys end, that grace might be preached to folowe oure merite, when we in askyng do receyue, and in sekyng do fynde, and when it is opened vnto vs knockyng. Neither wyl they vnderstande that to praye, that is, that we maye aske, seke, and knocke is also the gyfte of God: For we receyue the spirite of the sonnes of adoption, by whome we crye Ab­ba father. The which the blessed Ambrose [Page 118]perceyued to be true: for he sayeth, to pray vnto God appertaineth to spirituall grace: as it is written,1. Cor. 12. no mā sayeth that Iesus is ye Lorde, but in the holy Gost. These thynges therfore whyche the churche asketh­of the Lorde, and whych she hath al­wayes asked syns her begynnyng, The same God, knewe aforehande that he wolde gyue to suche as are hys called, according as he had now already geuen in the self predestinacion, whych thapostle declared with out all maner of doubte: For he wrytynge to Timothe sayeth,2. Tim. 1. suffer thou aduersitie wyth the Gospel, thorow the power of God, whych saued vs, and called vs with an holy callyng, not accordyng to oure dedes, but ac­cordyng to hys owne purpose & gra­ce, whych grace was geuen vs tho­rowe Christ Iesu before theternall tymes, but is nowe declared openly by the cōmyng of our sauiour Iesu Christe. Let hym therfore saye that sometyme the churche beleued not the truthe of thys predestination & grace, which is nowe more diligently defended agaynst these new here­tikes, let him (I saye) thus saye, whiche [Page]dare afferme, that some time she prayed not at all, or els that she praied not truely, both that the vnfaythfull myght beleue, and also that the faythful myght continue. The whi­che good thynges yf she alwayes prayed for, she dyd vndoubtedly al­wayes beleue yt they were the giftes of God,It was neuer lawfull for the churche to denye the truthe. nether was it at any tyme lawful for her to deny, that the same were euermore knowen of hym. And thus it appeareth, that the churche of Christ haue alwayes beleued thys predestinacion, whych against newe heretikes is now wyth a new trauell defended.

The .xxiiii. Chapter.

BVt what shal I say more? I suppose that I haue suf­ficiently taught (or rather more thē nedeth) that both to begyn to beleue in the Lorde, and also to continue in hym vnto thende,The true worshippīg of God. are the gyftes of God. But as for other vertues that belōg to a godly lyfe, wherby God is truly worshipped, they also for whome we [Page 119]wryte these, do graunt that they are the gyftes of God. Furthermore they can not denye, bothe that God knewe aforehande all hys owne gyftes, and also that he knewe afore, to whome he wolde gyue them. As o­ther gyftes therfore ought to be preched, that he whych preacheth them may be obediently heard: euen so also predestinacion ought to be prea­ched, that he whych obediently hear these thynges, shulde not glorye in man, and therfore shulde not glorye in hym selfe, but in the Lorde, because also thys is Goddes cōmaunde­ment, that we shulde obedientlye heare: that is, that he whyche glori­eth, myght glory in the Lorde, is the gyft of God in lyke maner as other gyftes be.To glo­ry in the Lorde is goddes gyfte. The whych gyfte whosoe­uer wanteth, I am not afrayde to saye, that what so euer gyftes he hath besydes, he hath them in vaine Thys gyft we wyshe vnto the Pela­gians, that they maye haue, but vn­to these our brethren we wyshe, that they may haue it more fully. Let vs not be therfore readye to dispute, & stoo to praye. Let vs pray moste derely beloued, let vs praye, ye God maye [Page]also gyue grace to our enemies, and namely to our brethrē and louers, that they maye vnderstande and cō fesse, that no man (after that great and vnspekeable ruyne, wherby all we fel in one man) can be delyuered but by ye grace of God, and that the same grace is not recompensed as dewe,True grace. for the merites of them that receyue it, but is frely gyuē as true grace, for no merites sake goyng before it. For there is no clerer ensample of predestinacion, then Iesus hym selfe: wherof I haue nowe dis­puted, both in my fyrst boke, and the same I haue also chosen to cōmend in thende of thys: for there is no ensample (I saye) of Predestinacion more cleare, then the selfe mediator. What so euer faythfull man is desyrous truely to vnderstande predestinacion, let hym beholde hym, and in hym, he may also fynd hymselfe: Let the faythfull (I saye) do thys, whyche do beleue and confesse, that the true nature of man, that is, oure nature is in hym, notwythstādyng that it be syngulerlye exalted to be the onelye sonne of God, by that that God the worde dyd take it, so that bothe he that dothe take, and it [Page 120]that was taken, myght be one per­sone in Trinitie. For by the takyng of man, there was not a quaterni­te made, but the Trinite continued, when the truthe of one persone in God and man, was vnspeakeablye wrought, by the takynge of mans nature. For we saye not, that Christe is God onely, as the hereti­call Manicheis saye: neither that he is Man onely, as the hereticalle Photinianes saye: neither do we saye, that he is man after suche sorte that he shoulde haue anye thynge lesse, then other haue, as touchyng that whyche is certaine to belonge to mannes nature: whether it be the soule, or in the selfe soule the reaso­nable mynde, or the fleshe, not ta­ken of the woman, but made of the worde, beynge conuerted and chaū ­ged into the fleshe, all whych beynge false, and the vayne inuencions of the hereticall Appollinaristes, haue made thre seuerall & dyuers sectes. A Christian and true de­scripciō of Christ But we saye that Christ is true god, borne of God the father without begynning of tyme, and that the same is true man, borne of hys mother a woman, when the appointed fulnes oftyme was come: and that neyther [Page]hys humanite (wherby he is inferi­or to the father) do in any point ma­ke lesse his diuinitie, wherby he is equalle to the father: but that bothe these are one Christe, whych accor­ding to hys diuine nature dyd both saye moste truely, I and the father are one:Ioh. 10. and accordyng to hys mans nature dyd also most truely saye,Ioh. 14. the father is greater thē I am. He therfore that of the sede of Dauid made thys man iuste, whych shulde neuer be vniuste, wythout any merite of hys wyll goyng before: the selfe sa­me do make of vniuste iuste, wyth­out any meryte of theyr wylle go­ynge before, that he myghte be the heade, and that they myght be hys members. He then that made that man wythout any merytes of hys goynge before, that no synne coulde be forgeuen hym, whych he either shulde drawe by generacion, or commytte by wyl: the self same do make beleuers in hym, wythout any me­rites of theyrs goynge before, vnto whome he maye forgyue all synne. He that made hym suche a one, that he neuer had, nor shulde haue an e­uel wyll: the selfe same in his mem­bres [Page 121]do make of an euel wyl, a good wyl. And therfore he hath both pre­destinated hym and also vs, for be­cause he sawe aforehand not our precedyng merites, but his owne work [...]s: bothe in hym that he myght be oure heade, and also in vs that we myght be hys body. Yf they whyche shal reade these do vnderstād them, let them gyue thankes to God: but they that do not vnderstande them, lette them praye, that he maye be theyr inwarde teacher, from whose presence knowlege and vnderstan­standyng do come. But they whych thynke that I do erre, I wold wishe that they wolde often tymes diligēt­ly consyder what is spoken, lest par­aduenture they maye erre themsel­ues. But I do perceyue that God is mercyfull vnto me, when by them that reade my workes I am not on­ly made better learned,S. Aug was contēted to be admonished of his errores in wrytyng but also mo­re godly: And thys is the thyng that I chieflye loke for of the doctors of the churche, yf it be so that that whych I nowe wryte, do come into theyr hādes, and they do vouchsaue to consyder the same.

Thende of the seconde boke.

¶ Vnto the Kynge of Kynges, and Lorde of Lordes, whych onely hathe immortalite, and dwelleth in the lyght that no man can attaine, whome neuer man sawe, neither can se, be ho­nour and rule e­uerlastyng.

Amen.

Fautes escaped in printyng.

  • Fol. 57. pa. 2. li. 11. be therfore strōge &c. this hole lyne shulde be an an­notacion in the mergent.
  • Fol. 89. pa. i. li. 27. read but the fore knowlege.
  • Fol. 96. pa. 2. li. 15. reade ought to be aunswerid.
  • Fol. 98. pa. i. li. 8. reade the larges.

¶Thou hast here folowyng gentle reader the determination and sen­tence of two auncient coūsels, wherby thou mayste also perceyue what was thold catholyke doctrine of the churche of Christ touchynge grace and fre wyl.
The seconde councell Arausicanum.

Cap. 4. Yf any man do contende that in the purgynge of oure synnes God dothe abyde and tary for our wyll, but do not confesse that the wyll also to be purged frome synne is wrought in vs, by the infusion and operacion of the holye Goost, he dothe resyst the selfe same holy gost speakyng by Salomon, the wyll is prepared of the Lord,Pro. 10. and 20. and he doth al­so resyst the Apostle holsomely preachynge, it is God that dothe bothe worke in vs the wyll,Philip. 2. and also ye performaunce of the dede, euen of good wyll.

Yf any man do afferme that as well thencrease, as also the begyn­nynge of fayth,Cap. 5. the selfe affeccion to beleue, wherby we beleue in hym yt iustifyeth the vngodly, and wherby [Page]we come to the newe byrthe of bap­tyme, is in vs naturally and not by the gyfte of grace, that is to saye, by thinspiracion of the holy Gost, that redresseth our wyl from infidelite to fayth, from vngodlynes to godly­nes, is an aduersary to the doctrine of thapostle: for asmuche as blessed Paule sayeth.Philip. 1. We trust that he whiche the hath begon in you a good worke shall performe it vntyll the daye of oure Lorde Iesu Christ. And thys:Philip. 1. Vnto you it is gyuen for Christes sake, not only that you maye beleue in hym, but also that ye maye suffer for hym.

And agayne, ye are saued by grace thorowe fayth,Ephe. 2 and that not of your selues, for it is the gyfte of God.

Yf any man do afferme that vnto vs beleuyng,Cap. 6. wyllyng, desyryng, endeuouryng, laboring, watching, studyng, askyng, sekyng, knocking, mercy is gyuen wythout the grace of God: but do not confesse, that it is wrought in vs of God, by the infu­sion and inspiraciō of the holy gost, that we maye beleue, wyll, or be a­ble to do all these thynges as it behoueth, or do put the helpe of grace vnder [Page 123]mans humilite, or mans obedi­ence, neither cōsenteth that the gyft of obediēce and humilitie do apperteyne to the selfe grace, resysteth the Apostle, which sayeth. What hast yu that thou haste not receyued?1. Cor. 4 1. Cor. 15 and a­gayne, by the grace of God, I am that I am.

Consilium mileuitanum.

Cap. 5. It is agreed that who so euer shal say, that therfore the grace of Iustification is geuen vnto vs, that we may thorow grace fulfyl that more easelye, whyche we are cōmaunded to do by free choise: as thoo yf grace also were not geuen, altho not ease­lye, yet neuertheles we myght also wythout grace fulfyl goddes cōmaū dementes, let hym be accursed. For the Lorde dyd speake of the frutes of hys cōmaundementes, where as he said not, wythout me ye can do them very hardely:Ioh. 15. but he sayd, wythout me ye can do nothynge.

¶ Praysed be God our Father, the Lord of heauen & earth: because he hath hyd these thynges frō the wy­se and prudent, & hath opened them vnto babes. &c.

Math. 11. ☞ ☜

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