An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 29
ADVERSARIE.
But if the scripures will not satis…ie you, then must you be beaten with your own r…d. for if I grante you that all men did not fall out of gods holie election unto cōdennation by Adams trāsgress…on, it followeth therupon that the cōming of Christ his procious death and passio… is superfluous, vaine and of none effecte So by your peruers d…ctryne …e will infect Christianite with the chief error wherewith the Iewes be delud…d,The 29. section. That … they esteme it a great madnes, to say that Christ should suffer death for the offence cōmitted by Adam, euen so may I collect of your error-for what nedeth Christ to die for them, whom nether Adams transgression▪ nether their own could make them fall from gods election. but now I will more largely dilate this argument, Election was afore the world when there was no sinne, and the promes of Christ, was made sithēse the world was created, because of sinne for had not sinne bene we neded no new promes being alredie iust and holie images of God. Now if the elect did not fall out of the election, by Adās trāsgress…on, then nede they no redemer, being alredie safe by reason of the electiō, in which they were afore sinne, ād remaine still in the same. Because as you say the elect nether did, nor can fall out of the election. Then seing the elect be safe and hole they nede no phisition, nether came Christ to call the righteous, but …inn…rs. wherfor the death of Christ, as concerning them is in vain, they being safe alredie by election. The like argument vseth Paul to the Galathya…s, if righteousnes cometh by the Law, then Christ died in vaine, if the elect▪ be st…ll in the fauor of God what nede they of Christ, to reconcile them to the father, in whose fauore they are alredie Now as touching the other sorte, whom ye call reprobates you say they cā by no maner of meanes be saued. yea & that Christ died not for them, then was Chistes death altogither in Vaine▪ for his death you say belongeth not to the reprobate, and the elect hauehave no nede of it. Is not this godlie gere:
ANSWER.
In dilating your argument by the which ye go about to proue yt Christes preciouse death was surperfluouse and vaine,To the 1. & 2 if the elect did not fall from their election, this reason ye vse.
Election was afore the world whē there was no sinne, and the promes of Christ was made sithence the world was created, becaus of sinne for had not sinne bene we ned…d no newe promes being alredie iust and holie …mages of God. Now if the elect say you, did not fall out of the election by Adams transgression, then nede they no r…demer, being alredie saue by reason of the election in the which they were afore sinne and remaine still in the same. &c▪
In this argument ye commit two fowle faultes. The first, ye take that for a thing true, ād cōfessed, which is fals. and therefore by vsus alwaies denied. for thus ye reason: man was elected before the worlde was created, but man sinned aftre the world was created, Ergo man fel from his election. we still denie the conclusion, and do affirme, that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all times, so did the elect euer remain… in Christ. and therfore after that they had sinned, it behoued that the promes shoulde be declared, that by the same the elect might receaue comfort, and be assured of their election.
Your second fault, more declareth youre grosse ignorance in the mysterie of our redemption. for from election ye streight waies leap to glorificacion and saluation, obseruing nether middes nor meanes, which gods wisdome hath appointed, and determined to go betwext Trew it is, God hath elected in Christ to life euerlasting his chosen childrē. But how? Sainct Paul yea the hole scriptures, wheresoeuer mention is made of our election, ioyneth therewith the death and blood of Christ. for none otherwies were we elected in him, but that he shoulde sustein the punishement for our transgression. And that we shoulde receaue life, which we had lost in Adam and in our selues, by the meanes of his death and resurrection. therefore where ye reason, if the elect did not fall oute of the Election, by Adams transgressiō, thē nede they no redemer, being alredie saued, by reason of their election, the cōclusion is fals, and the reason vaine. for the elect hauehave nede of a redemer,Why the elect hauehave nede of a redemer not because that they did fal out of election but by reason that they did fal from iustice to sinne, & frō obediēce to dissobediēce & therefore nede they a redemer, a phisicion, ād one to giuegive thē life. because yt they being elect in gods eternal counsel are yet fallen into bondage into mortal sicknes, & death, by their own trāsgression. If ye can proue yt the elect did not sinne, & that they are no… sicke, then might ye hauehave concluded, that they neded no redemer nor phisition.To the 3 And so ye might hauehave proceded in your argument vponupon the wordes of the Apostle saing: that if righteousnes cometh by the law, then Christ died in vaine, but seing that all gods childrē are fallen in to sinne, the bondage and miserie wherof, they in this lief cōtinually fele, how iustly ye may conclude, that becaus they remained in gods election, and so consequently in his fauor by Christ, that therefor they neded no redemer, let the indifferent reader iudge.
If it seme strāge to you, that God loued sinners in Christ besides the places that are afore alledged for probation of that part, heare what the veritie it self pronounceth: So God loued the world (saieth our master) that his onelie begotten Sonne hath he giuen. whom soeuer ye shall vnderstand vnderunder the name of the world, ye can not s… clude sinners from it. where ye most vnreuerently ask, what then nede they of Christ to recōcile them, I answer (with greater feare and reuerence then alas you declare) euen such nede they hauehave of Christ as the bodie hath of the soule, or yet the liuing mā of holsome nuriture, yea much more. for albeit the bodie hauehave lief, by the meanes of meat and drink, yet hauehave the elect nether lief nor reconciliation, but by Christ Iesus, yea and that by the meanes of his deathe, and passion, by the which, iust payment and satisfaction is made to gods iustice, for their sinnes. And so are they reconciled, who by nature are the enemies to God.
We do not denie but that Christes death is sufficient for to redeme the sinnes of the hole world.To the 4 but because all do not receaue it with faith, which is the fre gift of God giuen to the chosen children, therefor abyde th… vnfaithfull in iust condemnation. God remitt vntounto you (if his good pleasure be) aswell your vnreuerent conclusion as your most vniust accusation, in which ye burden vsus, that we will infect the Christianitie with the chief error, with the which the Iewes are infected, who esteme it a great madnes, to say that Christ should suffer death for the sinnes and offences committed by Adam. Assuredly I do more then wōder that such impietie shalbe found in any creature indewed with reason, but I remitt iudgemēt to God. Thus you procede.