An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 14
THE ADVERSARIE.
The first argument of them which abuse gods holie predestination is easely soluted,The fourtēth section. their argument is this. where so euer there is election, ther is also reprobation of the same sorte. But God elected som men afore the foundations of the world. Ergo he reprobated som other men afore the world. The first part of this argument is false, That wher so euer there is election, there is also reprobatiō of the same sorte. for gods election afore the world hath no respect vntounto his cōtrarie reprobation afore the world. Yea there is no such word nor phrase in the hole scripture but gods election afore the world, is generall to all men, as his calling is generall without respect of persons. This is all redie sufficiently proued, yet som of you do grant gods calling to be generall, but not his election. And in this ye accuse God of hypocrisie, you wold make him a dissembler lyke vntounto your selues, which often times with your mouth do offer and promes that which ye mind neuer to perfourme. But God is faithfull which is willing to perfourme all that he promiseth euen to them that refuseth him. And thogh they attein not the promes because of their vnbeleue, yet all the tyme of their calling be they in the generall election, as those whom the king called to the mariage, Notwitstanding they came not, yet were they chosen to be partakers of the mariage, and the seruant to whom the master forgaue all his debtes, was chosen notwithstanding he atteined not that,Isaia. 48 wherunto he was chosen, but became a reprobate, abusing the goodnes of his master. God is no hypocrite, which calleth men owtwardly, and forgeueth debtes onelyonly with the mowth, but euē from the hearte, willing to giuegive sal…ation to all them to whom he offereth it. And the cause why such do perish is their obstinatnes to gods grace: and as the Lord saieth their stifneck which hath an yron vaine and their browes of brasse which dispyse the goodnes of God, they became cast awayes, Becaus (as saint Iohn saieth) they louelove darknes better then light, And as EsdrasEsdr. 9. saieth thei kept not that which was sowē in them. whereof we may gather that they becom reprobates,I…rem. 2. because they rather refuse the grace offered and grafted in them, then that they are ref…sed. Notwithstāding both may be conueniently spoken: for because they hauehave forsaken me, I will also forsake them, saieth the Lord. And agane saieth the holie Gost. Cometh not this vntounto the, because thow hast forsaken the Lord thy God. further that this is vntrew, where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same kynd, it may be easelie proued by the inconueniēce which cometh therof.Esaia. 42. & 43. Christ is the elect and chosen of God, As then: Behold this may seruant vponupon whō I lean, my elect in whom my soule is pacified. And in an other place.The scriptures affirme that there be many fals Christes & fals Prophetes But Iesus Christe is our onelyonly Sauior: without whome there is no saluation. Thow art my witnes saieth the lord, and my seruant whom I hauehave chosen, and wile you say therefor that there be mo Christes which be reprobate. for ether this saying, where so euer there is election, there is also reprobation of the same kynd is false, orels there must be mo Christes. That were much lyke to the saing of a Iew which when he had talked with a faithfull man verie much concerning the temporall and worldlie dominion and honour of Messias, the christian proued by the prophecie of Daniel, ād also by the prophecie of Isaiah that Messias should be euill entreated euen of the Iewes, and put to death as an offender. Here the Iew being driuen to a narrow shift rather then he wold applie and confesse the trueth, he rather confessed that there should com two Messias of whom the one should be dispysed, and the other magnified. And if ye be so mynded that rather then ye will departe from your error, ye had leuer confesse mo Christes (of which som be chosen, and the others reprobate) Surelie then I think it is no faithful mans duetie to reason with you.
ANSWERE.
Easie it is in dede to solute those argumētes wc in our names ye falsly forge either by adding such patches as in our writings cā neuer be foūd,To the 1. orels by so peruerting our mindes, yea and the minde of the holie Gost that if possible it were, ye wold obscure the brightnes of the son, ād take frome creatures, the benefitt of the same, to the end that in your darknes ye might still remaine. And therefor … can not but complain of your deuilish malice which causeth you to peruerte ād writhe wordes well spokē and reasons godly and substancially made.
Shew if ye can in any of our writings that we affirm that where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same sorte. Shew that clause I say of the same sorte and I will confesse that ye hauehave red more then I hauehave done, of that mater, which neuertheles I hardly can beleue. But to the end that the simple reader may vnderstād how we do reason of election and reprobation by the contrarie effectes I will adduce not our reasons lately inuented, but twentie yeres ago committed vntounto writing by that notable instrument of God Iohn Caluin,Institu. 2. Cap. …ec. 78. who thus speaketh, wonder it is saieth he that Chrisostom did not call to mynd that it is the election of God wc maketh difference betwext men. We feare not to grante that which S. Paule in greate cōstancie doeth affirm. To witt that all together are wicked and giuen to malice, but with him we adde. That by the merciemercy of God it cometh to passe tha… we abyde not in wickednes. Therefor seīg that naturally we all labor wt a like sicknes. These onelyonly receiue health and amend to whom it hath pleased the Lord to put to his curing hand, others whom by his iust iudgement he passeth by, do languishe in their corruptiō, till they be consumed. Neither yet from any where els doeth it com that som continue to the end, and others fall in to the curse which was begonne. for because that persuerance it self is the gift of God, which is not commonly giuen to al: but he frely giueth it to whom it pleaseth him. If the cause of the difference be soght, why som constantly continue, and why others fall away by instabilitie, none other cause may be assigned, but that the eternall God susteineth and strēgthneth the one sort, by his own power, that they perishe not, and vntounto the others he giueth not the strength, that they may be documētes, and witnes of mās incōstācie &c. Thus vse we to reason by ye diuersitie wc we sein mē yt one sort are elect and others are reprobate and not as ye ymagin vsus to do. We say that nature hath made vsus equall as concerning corruption, and yet we se great diuersitie amōgest men. We ask what is ye cause of this. If ye answere education wc som Philosophers do, that will be prouen fals, as before I hauehave declared: if ye say mans fre will, we procede demanding who giueth the good will, if ye alledge man him self, the scripture proueth you liers saing it is God that worketh the will and the perfourmance. if God be granted (as he can not be denied) to be the onelyonly author of all goodnes, then ask we, why giueth he the good will to the one, and not to the other. If ye answer becaus the one receaueth grace and the other doeth refuse it, ye hauehave said nothing to the purpose. for we still demād, if God may not (if so it pleased his eternall wisdom) frame and forme the will of the one to as great obedience as the will of the other: fret and fume as ye list: this ye cā not denie, except that ye will be blasphemous deniers of his omnipotent power. Now of this manifest diuersitie which we se in mankinde, we conclude that God hath aswell his elect whom of merciemercy he calleth, by faith iustifieth, and by his holie Spirit sanctifieth, and in knowledge of him self and of his Sonne Iesus preserueth to the end, and so in the end shall he glorifie them: as also that he hath his reprobate, whom for iust causes he leaueth to them selues to lāgwish in their corruption, to passe from iniquitie to iniquitie, till that they com to perdition, as they that are prepared vessels of wraith. If this ye be not able to conuince, I send you to fight with your own shadow. for our reasons do stand as I hauehave shortly rehearsed which you be neuer able to moue.De eterna Dei proedestinatione Trew it is that Iohn Caluin thus writeth: Inter electos & reprobos mutua est relatio, That is betwext the elect and the reprobrate (saieth he) there is a mutuall relation, that is the one hath a contrarie respect to the other, so that the election of the which the Apostle speaketh, cā not stād except we should grante that God hath set apart one sort of men whom it pleased him from an other sorte. You heare no mētion in these wordes of your patch, Ther is reprobation of the same sorte, which I know either ye, orels your Master Castalio forged. Becaus ye wold not forgett your merie tale of your Iew,To the. 2. ye boldly denie that gods election hath respect to his contrarie reprobation. But when ye should come to the plaine demōstration thereof, ye are compelled to flie to this shift: There is no such word or phrase in the scripture. if such a reason should be made before a reasonable man, I think it iustly might be reiected. for if this be a good reason: Election hath no respect to his contrarie reprobation, because the wordes nor phrase are not in the scripture, then is this reason good also: Lot sinned not committing incest with his daughters: for in the hole scriptures there is neither such worde nor phrase, that in plaine wordes affirmeth: that Lot sinned commiting incest with his daughters. Consider the vanitie of your reasons and be ashamed. Ye can not denie, but this word Election is redde in the scriptures: And so oft I say can ye not denie except that willingly ye will corrupt the mind of the holie Gost, but that it hath respect to his contrarie reprobation, as by the phrases which ye impudently denie to be in the scrip…ures is most euident. As when Paul saieth: hath God then reiected or refused his people? God forbyd.Rom. … God hath not refused his people whom he knew before. And so alledgeing the like to hauehave bene in the daies of Helias, he saieth: euen so in this tyme there were a residue or a few nomber left according to the electiō of grace, that is according to the fre election, and not accordīg vntounto workes. And after he saieth that which Israel seketh, it hath not atteined vntounto: but the election hath atteined vntounto it: but the rest were blinded, whether that this phrase doeth not plainely proue that election in this place hath respect to his contrary, reprobation, let the indifferent reader iudge. The election (saieth saint Paule) hath atteined (vnderstanding the illumination which God did promise) but the rest were blīded. If ye will not suffer that this blinded rest: whom God iustly had reiected, shall be called reprobat, studie ye for a more gētle worde. for we must vse such as the holie Gost hath taught vsus. But yet one phrase or two mo: I shall hauehave merciemercy, saieth God to Moses, vponupon whom I will hauehave merciemercy. And Paul feareth not to adde his contrarie saing: and whom he will he maketh hard hearted. And agane what if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen hath suffered with long patience the vessels of wrath made redie to damnation: and that he might declare the riches of his glorie on the vessels of merciemercy which he had prepared vntounto glorie. If mercy, lief, the vessels of merciemercy, and glorie hauehave contrarie, respect to seueritie, to destruction, to the vessels of wraith, and of dishonor, then can it not be denied but that election, (from the which all these former graces flow to the elect) hath contrarie respect to reprobation. I omitte the rest of the phrases which be common in scripture and make plaine difference betwext the elect and reprobat, because before I hauehave noted diuerse and after must be compelled to repete the same. How sufficiētly ye hauehave proued your generall, speciall, and most speciall election, let the readers iudge by that which is answered to your eight vnreasonable reason, ād to your 13. vanitie.
That impudent blasphemie which maliciously ye lay to our charge shall God (without spedie repentance sodenly reuenge vponupon your own heades) blasphemous mouth,To the 3. I write to thee whose corrupt maners, fr…indly ād secretly I hauehave rebuked, but whose malice I now know. Canst thow not be vnthankfull vntounto man, except that also thow powre furth thy vennom against gods Maiestie? Impudent lier (which of vsus hath promised vntounto the or vntounto any of thy pestilent sect, that which he hath not perfourmed? Examin thy conscience, and denie if thow canst, but more hath bene perfourmed vntounto the, then euer was promised, yea euen when thow diddest deserue to hauehave bene abhorred of all honest men: and yet without fear or shame doest thow accuse vsus that we should accuse God of hypocrisie and that we wold make him a dissembler like vntounto our selues. The Lord for his great Names saik either purge thy heart, or sodenlie represse that vennome in the and in that pestilē … sect, to his own glorie, and to the cō fort of his Church. Repent, repent (I say) orels shortly shal thow fele what it is to contristate and make …orowfull the Spirit of God, be the instruments, in whom he worketh neuer so weak.
If of euerie Parable ād similitude ye will cōclude as largely as ye do here to wit,To the 4. yt because in a Parable it is said that a kinge called many to the mariage, Ergò God elected all by his generall election. Then it shall folow that all lords and masters shall alow and praise their stewardes and seruants,Luk. 16 that deceaue them. for so is affirmed in a parable, that one lord did to his steward. If we shall rather beleue Christ Iesus then you, then we shall thus conclude: Many are called, but few chosen. wonder it is that ye can not se the difference betwext these wordes: The king called many, and God chose all. I am ashamed of your ignorance. Of gods cōstant fidelitie, of his promises of the causes why ye reprobate are more ād more blynded, we hauehave before somwhat spoken and after will hauehave occasion to repete the same.
When ye wold be sene most craftie and subtill,To the 5. then appereth most your ignorāce and vanitie. To proue an absurditie in our doctrine, thus ye reason: If where so euer election be, there is also reprobation of the same kynd (this last patch, I say, is your malicious addition, but let it stand for a testimonie of your vntrueth) if then say you Christ be the elect and chosen of God (as the scriptures affirme him to be) then must it nedes folowe, that there be mo Christes of whome …ome must be reprobate: and thereupon ye bring in your foolishe tale of your Iew.
First I answer, you according to your merie disposition, which I perceaue did titill you in writing this part: That if ye can make no difference betwext election, and elect, then I wold ye were commited agane to som quick and sharpe Pedagoge who with sharp roddes wold let you fele what difference there is betwext Agentem & Patientem. Assuredly your vnreuerēt iesting in these secrete mysteries of our redemption, and these scoffing tantes in malice casten out against the eternall Sonne of God, and his vndoubted veritie, deserue none other answer. but yet partly to let your ignorance appere, and partly for the instructiō of the simple, I will prepare my self to answer with greater modestie then your malice deserueth. I hauehave said before that this patch, vponupon the which ye gather your absurditie is none of our doctrine. for we hauehave neither written nor yet taught: that where so euer is election, there must also reprobation be. of the same kynd: but simply we say that election hath respect to his contrarie reprobation. But to grant you somwhat, and not to hold you so streit, let it be that so we had written, what should rightly thereof folowe? that there must be mo Christes, of whō som must be reprobate, say you, becaus that Christ is called the elect of God, I answer in this your argument, ye vse two fallaces, that is fals and deceatfull apperances of a trueth, which are but manifest lies. The former, you change the termes, putting elect and reprobate in the minor and in the conclusion, where we put election and reprobation in the Maior, which is not lawfull in a good argument. for where we say (as ye affirme) where so euer is Election, there must also reprobation be ye infer, Christ is the elect of God, Ergo there must be mo Christes, of whom som must be reprobate. Who seeth not here the changing of the termes. Let your argument procede in order, and co…clude what ye list. Where so euer is electiō there must also be reprobation. And add if ye list, of the same kynd, but Christ is election (thus must you procede if that ye kepe the forme of a good argument). Proue your Minor and conclude what ye please. Thus doeth your vaine and foolishe sophistrie compell me to trouble the simple with the termes of the artes, which most vnwillingly I do.
The seconde falla… and deceat, lieth in the ambiguitie and doubtfull vnderstanding of this patch (which ye craftelie forge) of the same kynd, for if we had so spoken or written, yet is our vnderstanding far other then you imagine. That is we applie not these wordes of the same kynd to the particularitie of persons, and of euerie especiall man that is elect, but to the hole masse, as by saint Paule we are taught. To make the mater more sensible I will lay my self for exēpell, for I will not, nor dare not so …rreuerētly iest wt the maiestie of my God, and of his dear son Christ Iesus as ye do. You reason against vsus, as that we did vnderstand your addition of the same kynd of euerie particulare person a part, as thus: I Iohn knoxe do constantly beleue, that as of merciemercy and fre grace it hath pleased the goodnes of my God, in tyme to call me to his knowledge, ād so to remoue my blyndnes and vnbeliefe that in a part I se his fatherlie louelove towardes me in Christ Iesus his Sonne, so do I most certenlie beleue that in the same Christ Iesus, of fre grace he did elect and choose me to lief euerlasting before the foūdation of the world was laid. Ergo by your vnderstanding I must also beleue that there is another Iohn knoxe of the same kynd, hauing the same substance with the same qualiteis, proprieties and conditions that I hauehave, that was reprobated and so must be damned. Who seeth not here your vanitie, yea your most malicious cauilation, who labor to impute vponupon vsus that which did neuer enter into our heartes. We with all reuerēce and feare beleue and teach that God of one masse that is of Adam, hath prepared som vessels of merciemercy, honour, and glorie, and som he hath prepared to wrathe and destruction. To the vessels of his merciemercy in his eternall counsell before all tymes, he did appoint a head to reule, and giuegive lief to his elect, that is Christ Iesus our Lord, whom he wold in tyme to be made like vntounto his brethren in all thinges sinne except. Who in respect of his humaine nature is called his seruante, the iust sede of Dauid, and the elect in whom his soule is well compleased. Because as I hauehave said, he is appointed onelyonly head to giuegive lief to the bodie, without whom there is neither electiō, saluatiō, nor lief to man nor to Angell. And so in respect of his humanitie frō the wc he in no wies can be seperated he is called ye elect. Cōclude now if you cā. there must be mo Christes of whō sō must be reprobate I will make a more sure and more trew conclusion, then you do, which is this: God of one masse hath elected some men to lief in Christ Iesus, Ergò there was left of the sa…me masse an other sort, vnderunder an other head the deuil, who is the father of lies and of all such as continue in blasphemie against God. Gather now what absurdities ye ca…