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Now must we declare the saying of S. Luke, “So many as were ordeined unto life did beleve;” where we must understand, that as they that will not obey the trueth are called in the Scriptures, “ordeined to damnation,” as is sufficiently proved before, so they which willingly receave the trueth, and couple the word with faith, working by charitie, are called, “ordained to life.” Where ye do replie so, Predestination is without any condition; I grant, Predestination to life is the verie free gift of God without any condition. Notwithstanding, we can not come to life, but by the way which leadeth unto life; as he which receaved the one talent of his master, receaved it of a free gift without his deserving, but because he did not walk in the way appointed by his master, his talent was taken from him againe. As afore, by the free benefitt of his master, he was chosen unto life, so now, because he did not walk in the way which leadeth unto life, he is ordeined to damnation. the prodigall sonne is receaved of his father, not for his deserving, but of the free goodnes and benevolence of his father; yet is it required of him, that he walk hereafter as an obedient sonne, which if he did not, the latter fall should be worse then the first. Predestination, therefore, is the mere gift of God afore the foundation of the world, at the which time nothing could be commanded unto us; yea, afore we either have faith, or else by hearing of the worde we may have faith, no spiritual comandement is given us; but when by hearing we may receive faith, then is the way of salvation opened unto us, in which we must walk if we wilbe saved. And yet foloweth it not, we must walk in the way which leadeth unto salvation; ergo, for walking the way of salvation, we are chosen and accepted. For S. Paul saieth, “I am guiltie to myself in nothing, but therefor I am not justified.” If a learned phisician seing one in danger of death, whom he can and may helpe, offereth phisick to the pacient, able to restore him to his healthe, and therwith prescribed the pacient a diet. Now that the phisicion giveth phisick to the pacient, it cometh onely of his owne goodnes; but if the pacient do not order himself according to the prescript of the phisition, the phisick shall not help him. And thoghe he observe good diet, yet oght he not to repute the receaving of his healthe to himself, but to the phisicion; for thogh it lieth in the pacientes power to hinder his healthe, yet it is not in his power to give himselfe healthe. So Christ, our phisition, offereth healthfull phisick to us all, and therewith prescribeth our diet, which if we do not observe, the phisick shall not availe us. And thoghe we observe it, yet oght we not to attribute our healthe to ourselves, but to the liberalitie of our phisition, Christ, which, of his mere mercie, hath made us whole. Wherefor, to return to our argument, they are ordeined unto life so many as will gladly walk in the way which leadeth unto life, that is, true obedience, and they do beleve, as S. Luke saieth.
The place of Saint Luke which ye studie to corrupt, is written in the thirteenth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles,—the light whereof is so cleare that you be never able to obscure the same; and therefor I will not spend much tyme in confutation of your vanitie, for the simple trueth of the historie shall disclose the same. Paule comming to Antioche, in Pisidia, did upon the Sabboth enter in to the synagoge of the Jewes, and therein preached a sermon most profound, most effectual, and most comfortable; in the which, by plaine Scriptures, he proved that the same Jesus which was crucified at Jerusalem was the Messias promised, and the onely Saviour of the world. At which doctrine many of the Jewes being offended, and yet some embracing the same, Paule, the next Sabboth, preached to the whole multitude of the Jewes and Gentiles assembled together. But when plaine contradiction was made by the Jewes, who did blaspheme Christ Jesus, Paule and Barnabas taking boldnes, said to the Jewes, “First, it behoved to speake to you the word of God; but because ye reject it, and judge yourselves unworthie of the life everlasting, behold we are turned unto the Gentiles, for so hath the Lord commanded us.” At which wordes the Gentiles rejoysed, and glorified the word of the Lord, and did beleve (saieth the text) so many as were ordeined to the life everlasting. Who is he so blynd that doeth not see, that in these wordes the Holie Ghost assigneth the plaine cause why some do beleve, and others do blaspheme and remaine unfaithfull? the cause why some beleve is, becaus they are ordeined to the life everlasting, as they that are the shepe of Christ Jesus, therefor they hear and beleve his voice; the others, as they are left in the power of the Devill, (as they that are never given to Christ, to the end that they may receave life,) remaine in blyndnes, and so by contradiction and blasphemies declare themselves whose children and generation they are. None of us do, nor yet ever did deny, but that the Elect of God do willingly receave and obey the trueth, and that the Spirit of God so worketh in their heartes, that not onely they beleve, but that also they are made frutefull, yea, and that frome justice they procede to justice. But as the whole praise of this we give to God, arrogating no part of it to ourselves, so we constantly affirme, that neither faith, neither workes, neither yet any qualitie that is, or that God foresaw to be in us, is the caus of our Predestination or Election to life everlasting, as before we have sufficiently proved.
Ye are so inconstant, now granting Predestination to be the free and mere gift of God, without any condition of our workes, and immediatly after ascribing it to our obedience, and walking in the way that leadeth to life. in this your inconstancie, I say, I can not tell how to handle you. One thing I see, to my great comfort, that the glorie of Christ Jesus is so manifest, and the power of his trueth so invincible, that he will reigne in the middest of his ennemies. the devilles themselves must acknowledge and openly confesse that he is Lord, and the onely Son of the living Father; and the adversaries of his truth, even when they fight most outrageously against the same, are compelled to give testimonie to it, as you do here in divers places; as when ye say, “It foloweth not, that because we must walke in the way that leadeth to life, that therefor, for walking in the way of salvation, we are chosen, and (as you write) accepted.” But because, I say, that your inconstancie doth streight carie you to denial of this, I can the less credit that this be a trew confession, proceding from an unfeined heart, but rather that it is the mightie power of the veritie, which (will ye, nill ye) compelleth your mouthes to give witnessing, upon her part, against yourselves. God grant I may be deceaved in this my judgement; for him I take to record, that I am no otherwise ennemie to any of you, then in so far as ye declare yourselves manifest ennemies to the free grace of God, and to the glorie of the eternal Sonne of the eternal Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord and onely Saviour.
Becaus there is nothing in this, your last part, which I have not before at large declared in diverse places, I will onely note those thinges in the which we do not agree with you.
First, we use not to call Predestination the free gift of God, but we call it the eternall and immutable counsell of God, in which he hath purposed to choose to life everlasting, such as pleased his wisdom in Christ Jesus his Son.
Secondly, we say, that ye are never able to prove by the parable of the talents, that any reprobate was chosen in Christ to life everlasting.
Thirdly, that we fynd neither contract, neither condition betwixt the loving Father and the Prodigal son in his admission to his former dignitie; neither do we so understand the parable as that the said son, newly receaved to mercie, wold after, of stubbornes, unthankfully depart from his father. But rather,we think, that as he had felt what miserie he susteined by folowing his own counselles, he wold in tymes comming, with all diligence, attend the counselles of his father.
Your mynd is dark to us, and your writing obscure, where that ye say, “Before we have faith, or by hearing of the Worde can have faith, no spirituall commandement is given unto us.” And also, the wordes of Saint Paule appeare not to be well applied, for there he entreateth no thing of Election, but onely affirmeth, “That in the dispensation of that ministerie committed to his charge, he knew himself giltie in nothing,” &c. But because these be of small importance, I onely put you in remembrance of them.
Last, your similitude betwixt your Phisition offering medicin, and prescribing diet to the patient, who may receave and kepe it at his pleasure, and so recover healthe, and preserve his life, or else reject and break it, and so procure his own destruction; and betwixt Christ Jesus, who, (say you,) being our Phisition, offereth healthfull phisike unto us all, and therewith prescribeth our diett, which, if we do not observe, the phisike shall not availe us, &c. This similitude in one respect doeth altogither mislyke us. For it taketh from our soveraign Lord his chief glorie and honor, for in no wise can we abyde that his mightie power, and operation, by his Holie Spirit, shalbe compared to the power of any creature. We say not, we teach not, nor believe not, that Christ Jesus doeth onely offer medicin, and prescribe a diet, as a common Phisition, leaving the using and observation of it to our will and power. But we affirme that in the heartes of his elect, he worketh faith, he openeth their eies, he cureth their leprosie, he removeth and overcometh their inobedience; yea, by violence he pulleth them furth of the bondage of Sathan, and so sanctifieth them by the power of his Holie Spirit, that they abyde in his veritie, according as he hath praied for them, and so continue they vessels of his glorie for ever. And herein we dissent from you, as afterward more plainely shal appeare in discussing of this which you thus terme:—
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