An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 9 – Section 10
THE ADVERSARIE.
You say that God reprobated and ordeined man to damnation the most parte of the world afore the foundatiōs of the world were laid,The nynte section. and yet in the creation God made all mē after his own image good and righteous, as the scripture witnesseth. for as we were all created in one man that is Adam. So were we all created in one estate that is after the image of God to lief, then if your opinion be true the ordināce of God in his election afore the world is not cōforme to his ordinance in the creation.Galat. 2. And the h…lie Gost saieth: If I buyld vp agane that which I hauehave cast doune before I declare my self to be a transgressor: if God created man to his own image vntounto lief whom before the creatiō he had reprobat ād cast away, declareth he not thereby him self to be inconstant and a trāsgressour. Ye can not escaip here with your bare solutiō, where ye say afore the world, God hath not ordeined all but som vntounto damnation, for in our creation all were ordeined vntounto lief, for so much as we were all created after the image of God of the ordinance of God in our electiō afore the world. The Apostle writeth thus. we be blessed saieth he with al maner of spirituall blessinges in heauenlie thinges by Christe according as he hath chosen vsus in him before the foundations of the world were laid that we should walk in thē.Ephes. 1. Here do we learn that gods ordinance in his electiō afore the world, and also his ordinance in the creation, is alwaies one. For as we are chosen in Christe Iesu, so we are created in Christe Iesu, and as we are chosen to be holie and without blame, so are we created vntounto good workes. Wherefor gods ordināce in his holie electiō, and his mightie creatiō, is one, ād of like strēgth and surenes. further seing we be (as the Apostle saieth) bothe elect and created in Christe Iesu. and forasmuche as there is no damnation to them that are in Christe Iesu, then is there no damnation either in the election or creation.
ANSWERE.
Because that aswell your forged lies as the vanitie of your reasons hauehave ben declared I will not trooble the reader with repetition of the same. And will also touche the rest of these your argumentes so briefly as I can.
Where ye reason that we were all created in one mā that is in Adam: So were we all created in one estate &c. If ye vnderstād that we were all created in one estate, that is in that estate which shortly was to change, becaus that God had so determined in his eternal counsell, that by the fall of one, his infinite merciemercy towardes his chosen, ād seuere iudgement towardes the vessels of wraith should euidently appere in the tyme appointed by his wisdom. If this I say you vnderstand that we were all created in one estate I will not contend with you. Albeit in verey dede in that self same masse there were at once vessels of mercy ād vessels of wraith. But because ye open yo• minde, in the cōtrarie part saing: That we were created in Adam after the image of God to lief, I am compelled vtterly to dissent from you and fear not to affirme that becaus none did stand to the end in that image, but all fell euē to death in Adam: that therefor neither in Adam neither yet in that image as Adam had it, was any created vntounto lief, but in Christ Iesus were all the chosen predestinate to lief euerlasting,Ephes. 1. euen before that euer Adam was created as the Apostle plainely doeth witnes. Where ye go about to proue by our opinion the ordinance of God in his election before the world,To the. 2. not to be conforme to his ordinance in the creation and so consequently God to be a transgressor and inconstant, ye declare your self not onelyonly ignorāt, vaine and foolishe, but also irreuerent and blasphemous against gods maiestie. for ye (so far as in you lieth) spoile him of his Godhead making him to chā ge his counsell, purpose, and ordinance euen so oft as the creatures do chāge: where we by the cōtrarie labour to explane, ād not to escaip any violēce of your dartes by a bare solution (as ye alledge) but by the plaine scriptures openly we do affirme that as our God is eternall incomprehensible, and immutable so are his counsels constant, subiect to no immutabilitie nor change: cōstant I say in God him self, how so euer thinges change to our apprehensiō. And therefor we say that neither in his election before the world, neither in his creation of man to his own image and similitude, was it his eternall coūsell, purpose nor ordināce that all the posteritie of Adam should be saued. And so can ye not proue that God destroyed any thing which he had builded. Albeit to note one thing by the way: Paule wold not hauehave bene so bold, as to hauehave made him self check mate with God, he did not (I say) accuse God of inconstancie, neither did he appoint him to be a transgressor althogh he builded the ceremonies vnderunder the Law, and destroied them againe. But to our purpose. … I say destroied nothing which he had builded. True it is that man destroied that image which God had builded, but that building of God was but temporall, and for a tyme onelyonly, but the perfect building of his churche was in Christe Iesus, builded before the foundations of the world were laid: which building God neuer destroied nor shall destroy, but shall cōsummate the work to the praise of his holie name. To him be glory.
In your hole reasoning of the wordes of the Apostle you do erre in this point, as before I hauehave noted, that ye make cōmon to all, that which ye holie Gost maketh peculiare to gods elect. for ye must first proue all to be saintes by vocation,All be not Saintes nor blessed with spiritual benediction. all to be blessed with spirituall benediction, and to hauehave obeyed, and all to be builded vponupon the foundatiō of the Prophetes ād Apostles before yt ye be able to proue that all were elected and predestinate in Christ Iesus before all tymes. That we are created in Christe Iesus vntounto good workes, is not to be referred (as ye think) to the common creation of all men in Adam, but to the new and spirituall regeneration which gods children hauehave in Christ Iesus: for the which Dauid did pray, saying: a cleā heart creat in me (ô God) which is no lesse called the creation of God, then was the first creation of man. for as man in his creation, neither wroght, neither yet could deserue to be created so honorable as he was, but did suffer the power of God to worke euen as it pleased his wisdom to perfourm the work. So in our new creation vntounto good workes the onelyonly grace and power of God worketh not onelyonly the beginning,Oure regeneration to good workes is by the grace of God. but also bringeth to perfection, so that what so euer be good, holie, or iust in vsus, is gods creation and not our worke. God open your eies that ye may se that neither in Adam neither yet in our selues, were we created to good workes, but in Christe Iesus alone. And then I think ye will not so much boast of your fre will.
Your last, as after ye do reason is a plain Paralogisme, that is a Sophisticall and fals argument: for it stādeth on foure termes against the vse of all good and solide reasoning. For thus ye procede: Saing, we be elect and created in Christe Iesus, and seing there is no condemnation to them that be in Christe Iesus, then is there no damnation neither in the election nor creation. Here be plainely foure termes. for in your Maior that is in the first part of your argument ye say not, we were elected and created in our election, and in our creation, but we were elected ād created in Christ Iesus. The secōd propositiō is most trew to witt that there is no condēnation to them that be in Christe Iesus, to such as walk not after the fleshe. but what can ye conclude hereof, that no damnation (say you) is in election nor in creation? I say your conclusion is fals and vaine for you chāge your termes, putting in the last part these two wordes: Election and creation, where ye oght to hauehave rehearesed these wordes: Christ Iesus: for thus you may well procede, we be elected ād created to good workes in Christ Iesus, but to them (saieth the Apostle) that be in Christ Iesus there is no cōdemnation, Ergo to such as be elected and newly created in Christe Iesus there is no damnation. This argument is formall and true. but omitting your foolishnes which oftener I am compelled to shew then gladly I wold, I go forward with your wordes.
THE ADVERSARIE.
If God reprobated man afore the foundation of the world,The tēth section. then God reprobated man before he offended. And if God reprobated and damned man afore be offended, then is death, the reward of gods ordināce afore the world, ād not the reward of sinne. But the Apostle teacheth vsus that by sinne death entred into the world and also that death is the reward of sinne. I pray you doeth either gods lawe or mannes law condemne any man afore he hath offended? I am certen ye are not able to proue it to be sothen oght you to be ashamed to burden God with such vnrighteous iudgement. Doeth not God rather forgiue the offence alredie committed? Let him be your God which condemneth the innocent afore he offend. But he shall be my God which perdoneth and forgiueth the offence alreadie committed which in his verie wraithe doeth think vponupon merciemercy. And so with Iob will I conclude, The great God casteth away no man.
ANSWER.
How ignorantly and how impudently ye confounde the eternall purpose of gods reprobation with the iust execution of his iudgementes I hauehave before declared and therefor here onelyonly resteth to admonishe the reader that most vniustly ye accuse vsus in that ye say: that we hold and teache that God damned man before he offended. This you be neuer able to shew in any of our workes. for constantly in worde and writing we affirme that man willingly fell from God, and made him self slaue to sathan before that death was inflicted vponupon him. and so neither make we death the reward of gods ordinance, neither do we burden him with vnrighteous iudgement. But say with the Apostle, that death is the reward of sinne, and that our God is righteous in all his workes. and therefor be ashamed and repēt your manifest lie.To … That God forgiueth the sin committed, and doeth remēber merciemercy euen when he appereth in his hote displeasure to punishe his Churche, with thankes giuing and ioy we acknowledge. But that thereof ye cōclud▪ (as ye say wt Iob) that the great God casteth away no man, we can not cease to admonishe bothe you and the readers, that either ignorantly, orels maliciously ye corrupt and depraue the minde of the speaker in that place: Elihu saieth not as ye alledge.Iob. 36. The great God casteth away no mā, but saieth: Behold the mightie God casteth away none that is mightie and valiant of courage, He main teneth not the wicked, but he giueth iudgemēt to the afflicted. And in this behalf your master Castalio (who notwithstanding that he vseth to take large libertie in translation, where any thing may seme to serue his purpose) is more circumspect and more faithfull then you be. for thus he translateth that place. Althogh that God be excellent yea excellent and strong of courage, yet is he not so dissolute, yt either he will kepe ye wicked,Castalio is translation. or denie iudgemēt to the poore. Althogh I say, yt here is a greater libertie thē I wold wish a faithfull translater to vse, yet hath he not so corrupted ye sense as ye hauehave done. Elihu reasonīg against Iob affirmeth that albeit ye power of God be infinit, yet cā not his workes be vniust, but that they are wroght in all perfectiō of iustice. how beit that often (as we be dull and blinde) we do not vnderstand nor se at the first the causes of the same, yet God giueth daily declaration of his iustice, in that the preserueth and somtyme exalteth the verteouse, that before were afflicted, and deiecteth from honors the wicked and the cruell oppressors. Be iudge your self what this serueth for your purpose.