An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 22
THE ADVERSARIE.
Where ye replie wt that it lieth not in mānes will or ronning,The 22 section. but in the merciemercy of God, I answer, by the same sentēce yt we may both will ād rōne, which is cōtrarie to your hole purpose ād doctrine, ād yet saieth the Apostle, our saluatiō depēdeth of the merciemercy of God, for it is his fre gift. The Gētiles wc for their, wickednes wer reiect of God, in vaine should they either wil or ronne wtout God extēded his merciemercy towardes thē, as he doeth now presētly, Lyke as on the other side the Iewes which for their sinnes be now abiect, in vaine should they either wil or rōne without it pleased God to extend his merciemercy ouer thē, as he shal do after that the fulnes of the Gētiles become in, as witnesseth Paul▪ Rom. 11.for there we must vnderunder stād that whē it pleased God to offer vsus his merciemercy, yet without we both will and ronne, we shall not obtein the reward, notwithstanding neither for our willing or ronning, are we worthie to receaue saluation. for it is the fre gift of God, which he giueth to vsus onelyonly for his own mercies saik. God offered saluation to Ierusalem not for the deseruing, but of his m…rcie, yet obteined they not saluation, because they wold neither will nor ronne. As Christ saieth, how often wold I hauehave gathered thy children, as the hendoeth her chekens, and thow woldest not, so the scribes and the Phariseis made the counsell of God towardes them of none effect, for they dispised it. Gods will was to saue them, but they wold neither will nor ronne, but kepe still their old passe… so they perished. Wherefor vntounto our saluation is required chiefly the merciemercy of God,God continew you i… this confession. as the onelyonly sufficient, and the efficient cause thereof, wherby we being vnworthie and his ennemies, be reconciled and receaued vntounto the feloship of the saintes. Secondly is required that we both will and ronne not as the cause, but rather as the effect an… frute of our reconcilia…ion, declaring our selues to be thankfull for the benefits which we hauehave frely without our merits receaued, otherwies the kingdo… shalbe …aken from vsus againe, and geuen to such as shall bo…h will and ronne, bringing furth the fruts thereof.
ANSWER.
Your ancient father Pelagius, coniured ennemie to the fre grace of God, did bragge and boast, as you do, that in man there was a will, and a ronning. But the probation of bothe is one, that is to say, your affirmation must suffice for auctoritie. You boldly write, that of those wordes of the Apostle, neither it is of him that willeth, neith…r yet of him that ronneth, but of God hauing merciemercy, it is plaine that we bothe will and ronne. But how is this proued? your long discourse (in which it semeth that ye hauehave forgotten your self) proueth no part of your purpose. for the question is not, what either the Iew, or ye gētill doeth (Imeā) after they hauehave receaued the grace of God. For thē we confesse that they hauehave (yet not of thē selues) a will ād studie to walk in godlines: but the question is whether this wil ād studie which now by grace, they hauehave receaued was anie cause of their election: the contrarie whereof we hauehave before proued.To the. 2. We do not imagine the faithfull mē bres of Christes bodie to be stockes or stones insensible without will or studie of godlines▪ but we affirme that it is God that worketh in vsus the good will, and the good thoght. for of our selues we are not sufficient to think one good thoght. We further affirme,To the. 3▪ that except with all humilitie, the fre grace offered with thankes giuing be receaued, that they serue nothing to the saluation of the cō temners. But therewith we adde, that it is God onelyonly, who taketh away the stonie and stubborne heart,Ezec. 11. 4 and giueth to vsus a fleshie heart. In which he by the power of his holie Spirit writeth his law, maketh vsus to walk in his wayes, draweth vsus to his Sonne Christ Iesus, giueth vsus into his protection. I mean as faith assureth vsus in our conscience ād so we acknowledge God alone by Christ Iesus his sonne to be the beginning,To the 5. the middes, and the end of our sanctification, godlie lief, and saluation. I for my part do yet againe praise God that his veritie is of that strength, that somtymes it will compell the verie ennemies, to bear testimonie to it. And I pray God to retein you in that mynd, that vnfeanedly, you may beleue ād cōfes, that what vertues or good motions that euer be in you, be the onelyonly effects or fruites as ye call them of your reconciliation, and neither cause of your election, nor yet of your iustification.
That Ierusalem and the scribes refused grace, and therefor iustly were condemned, we consent with you. but that euer it was the eternall coūsell ād will of God to giuegive them life euerlasting, that we constantly deny. Our reasons we hauehave before alledged, and after will hauehave occasion to repete som againe. And therefor we procede. Thus ye write.