An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 25 – Section 26
THE ADVERSARIE.
Now must we declare the saing of S. Luke so many as were ordeined vntounto life did beleue,The 25. section. The eight argument where we must vnderstand, that as they that will not obey the trueth, are called in the scriptures ordeined to damnation, as is sufficiently proued before, so they which willingly receaue the trueth, and coople the word with faith, working by charitie are called, ordeined to life. Where ye do replie so: predestination is without any condition, I grant predestination to lief, is the verie fre gift of God, without any condition. Notwithstanding, we can not com to life, but by the way which leadeth vntounto life. As he which receaued the one talent of his master, receaued it of a fre gifte without his deseruing, but because he did not walk in the way appointed by his master, his talent was taken from him againe. And as afore by the fre benefitt of his master he was chosen vntounto life, so now because he did not walk in the way, which leadeth vntounto life he is ordeined to …damnation. The prodigall sonne is receaued of his father, not for …his deseruing, but of the fre goodnes and beneuolence of his father, …et 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 therefor is the mere gifte of God, afore the foundation of the world, at the which time nothing could be commanded vntounto vsus, yea afore we either hauehave faith, or…ls by hearing of the worde we may hauehave faith, no spiritual comandemēt is giuē vsus but whē by hearing we may receiue faith thē is the way of saluatiō opened vntounto vsus, in wc we must walk, if we wilbe saued. And yet foloweth it not, we must walk in the way which leadeth vntounto saluation, Ergo for walking the way of saluation, we are chosen and accepted. for S. Paul saieth, I am giltie to my selfe in nothing, but therefor I am not iustified. 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 giueth phisick to the pacient, it cometh onelyonly of his owne goodnes, But if the pacient do not order him self according to the prescript of the Phisition, the phisick shall not help him. And thoghe he obserue good diet, yet oght he not to repute the receauing of his healthe to him self, but to the Phisicion. for thogh it lieth in the pacientes power to hinder his healthe, yet it is not in his power to giuegive him selfe healthe. So Christ our Phisition offereth healthfull phisick to vsus all, and there with prescribeth our diet, which if we do not obserue the Phisick shall not auale vsus. And thoghe we obserue it, yet oght we not to attribute our healthe to our selues: but to the liberalitie of our Phisition Christ, which of his mere merciemercy hath made vsus hole, wherefor to return to our argument, they are ordeined vntounto life so many as will gladly walk in the way which leadeth vntounto life, that is true obedience, and they do beleue as S. Luke saieth.
ANSWER.
The place of saint Luke which ye studie to corrupt, is written in the 13.The place of S. Luke in the actes. 13. chap. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles. The light whereof is so clere, that you be neuer able to obscure the same. And therefor I will not spend much tyme in cōfutation of your vanitie. for the simple trueth of the historie shall disclose the same. Paule comming to Antioche in Pisidia did vpō the Sabboth ēter in to the Sinagoge of the Iewes, ād therein preached a sermō most profound▪ most effectuall, and most comfortable. In the which by plaine scriptures he proued that the same Iesus which was crucified at Ierusalem, was the Messias promised, and the onelyonly Sauior of the world. At which doctrine many of the Iewes being offended, and yet som embrasing the same, Paule the next Sabboth preached to the hole multitude of the Iewes and Gentiles assembled together: But when plaine contradiction was made by the Iewes, who did blaspheme Christ Iesus, Paule and Barnabas taking boldnes said to the Iewes: first it behoued to speake to you the word of God, but becaus ye reiect it, and iudge your selues vnworthie of the life euerlastīg, behold we are turned vntounto the Gentiles. for so hath the Lord commanded vsus. At which wordes the Gentiles reioysed, and glorified the word of the Lord, and did beleue (saieth the text) so many as were ordeined to the life euerlastīg. Who is be so blynd that doeth not se, that in these wordes the holie Gost assigneth the plaine cause, why some do beleue, and others do blaspheme, and remaine vnfaithfull? The cause why som beleue is, becaus they are ordeined to the life euerlasting, as they that are the shepe of Christ Iesus:Iohn. 10. therefor they heare, and beleue his voice, the others as they are left in the power of the deuīll (as they that are neuer giuen to Christ, to the ēd, that they may receaue life) remaine in blyndnes, and so by contradiction and blasphemies, declare them selues, whose chilren and generation they are. None of vsus do, nor yet euer did deny, but that the elect of God do willingly receaue and obey the trueth, and that the spirit of God so worketh in their heartes, that not onelyonly they beleue, but that also they are made frutefull, yea and that frome iustice, they procede to iustice. But as the hole praise of this we giuegive to God, arrogatīg no part of it to our selues, so we constantly affirme that nether faith, neither workes, neither yet any qualitie that is, or that God forsaw, to be in vsus, is the caus of our predestination or electiō to life euerlasting, as before we hauehave sufficiently proued.
Ye are so inconstāt,To the 2. now granting predestination to be the fre 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, say, I can not tell how to handle you One thing I se, to my great comfort, that the glorie of Christ Iesus, is so manifest, and the power of his trueth so inuincible, that he will reigne, in the midest of his ennemies. The deuilles them selues must acknowledge and openly confesse, that he is Lord, and the onelyonly Son of the liuing father: and the aduersaries of his trueth, euen when they fight most outrageously against the same, are cōpelled, to giuegive testimonie to it, as you do here in diuers places: as whē ye say, it foloweth not, yt because we must walke in ye way, that leadeth to life, that therefor, for walking in the way of saluation, we are chosen (and as you write) accepted. But because (I say) that your inconstancie doeth streight carie you to denial of this, I cā the les credit, that this be a trew confession proceding from an vnfeined heart: but rather that it is the mightie power of the veritie, which (will ye nill ye) compelleth your mowthes, to giuegive witnessing vponupon her part, against your selues. God grant I may be deceaued, in this my iudgement. for him I take to record, that I am no otherwies ennemie to any of you, then in so far, as ye declare your selues manifest ennemies to ye fre grace of God, ād to the glorie of ye eternal Sōne of ye eternal father of Christ Iesus our Lord ād onelyonly Sauiour.To the 3 Becaus there is nothing in this your last part, wc I hauehave not before at large declared in diuerse places, I wil onelyonly note those thīges in the wc we do not aggre with you. First we vse not to call predestinatiō the fre gift of God, but we call it the eternall and immutable coūsell of God, in which he hath purposed to choose to lief euerlasting, such as pleased his wisdom in Christ Iesus his Son.
Secondly we say, that ye are neuer able to proue by the parable of the talentes, that any reprobate was chosen in Christ, to life euerlasting.
Thirdly that we fynd neither contract neither condition betwext the louing Father,To the 4 and the prodigall son in his admission to his former dignitie, neither do we so vnderstand the parable, as that the said son newly receaued to merciemercy, wold after, of stubbornes, vnthākfully 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 vsus and your writing obscure, where that ye say before we hauehave faith, or by hearing of the worde, can hauehave faith, no spirituall commandement is giuen vntounto vsus. and also the wordes of saint Paule, appere not to be well applied: for there he entreateth no thing of election, but onelyonly affirmeth, that in the dispensation of that ministerie committed to his charge, he knew him self giltie in nothing &c. but because these be of small importance, I onelyonly put you in remembrance of them.
Last your similitude betwext your Phisitiō offering medicin, and prescribing diet to the patient, who may receaue and kepe it, at his pleasure, and so recouer healthe, and preserue his life, orels reiect and break it, and so procure his own destruction: and betwext Christ Iesus who (say you) being our Phisition, offereth healthfull phisike vntounto vsus all, and therewith prescribeth our diett, which if we do not obserue, the phisike shall not auale vsus &c. This similitude in one respect doeth altogither mislyke vsus. For it taketh from our soueraign Lord, his chief glorie and honor. for in no wies 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 beleue not, that Christ Iesus doeth onelyonly offer medicin, and prescribe a diet, as a common Phisition, leauing the vsing and obseruation 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 remoueth, and ouercometh their inobedience, yea by violence he pulleth thē 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 euer. And herein we dissēt frō you as afterward more plainely shal appere in discussing of this which you thus terme.
THE ADVERSARIE.
The second error of the careles by necessitie.
The elect thogh they sinne greuously▪ yet are they neuer owt of the fau…r and electiō of God,The 26 section. neither cā they by any meanes finally perishe. So that Adam when he transgressed, and Dauid committing adulterie and homicide were fauored euen then and beloued of God,Reade the answer to the 27. Section. ād neuer owt of election nether could they be. Againe the reprobate as Saul and Iudas were neuer in the fauor and election of God, neither could they nor none other reprobate attein vntounto saluation.
ANSWER.
The trueth of this proposition doeth nothing excuse your malice, and hatered: for albeit there be no sentēce in it conteined, we beīg rightly vnderstād, is not aggreable to gods worde, yet of what purpose and mynd ye hauehave gathered these sentences, leauing those that should explaine the same, it easely may appere, by that vennom which ye spew furth against vsus, to make vsus odious to all the world as here foloweth.