Of Nature and Grace, Title page – Table of contents
A FRVITEFVLL AND BRIEFE DISCOVRSE IN TWO BOOKES: THE ONE OF NATVRE, THE OTHER OF GRACE, WITH conuenient aunſwer to the enemies of Grace, vponupon incident occaſions offered by the late Rhemiſh notes in their new tranſlation of the new Teſtament, & others.
Made by IOHN PRIME fellow of New Colledge in Oxford.
1. Cor. 10.15.
I ſpeake as vntounto them which hauehave vnderſtanding iudge ye what I ſay.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier for George Biſhop. 1583.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE S. FRAVNCIS WALSINGHAM KNIGHT, chiefe Secretarie to her Maieſty, Chancellor of the order, & one of her highneſſe priuye Counſell, all grace and peace in Chriſt Ieſus.
NOW a long time, there hath bene, no leſſe learned then large writing in our Engliſh tong, touching the iuſt confutatiō of ſundrie pointes in poperie, ſpecially of their priuat Maſſe, Praiers in a ſtrāge language, Tranſſubſtantiation, the real preſence, the Supremacie, and the like. But all this while concerning the Nature of man, and of the Grace of God, of Free will in nature, of concupiſcence in the regenerate, of meritoriouſe perfection, faith, works, & the whole ſubſtance of iuſtification, the aduerſaries hauehave brought vsus hitherto no great matter. Of late in their Engliſh Rhemiſh notes as the great miſtreſſe, and in M. Martins diſcouery as the handmaide therunto (for ſo he tearmeth his book) there is ſomwhat ſaid, & ſhifts deuiſed. The moſt of al, that may ſeme materiall is borrowed of M. Stapletons dictates, their controuerſie reader at Doway. In regard whereof & in ſom other reſpects in this diſcours I hauehave dealt more with him, then with any Latine writer elſe, & yet ſo that the greateſt benefit therof may redound to thē that hauehave greateſt neede, and can not happily ſo well vnderſtand the Latine tong, from whence moſt of their ſlights are firſt deriued, & now put foorth into Engliſh ſcholies & ſmal pamphlets. Wherin if this my doing ſhall diſpleaſe M. Stapleton, more then he would, or I wiſh, as perhaps it maye, may it pleaſe him (for they of Rhemes are otherwiſe like to be occupied) waſt vagaries ſet apart, euen as in the ſight of God, without fraud & ambiguitie, plainly, directly and ſhortly, to oppoſe as him liketh, for more triall herein, and he ſhall ſoone perceaue, that the ſeruaunts of truth, will not be aſhamed in due ſorte by replie, to declare whoſe ſeruauntes they are. The whole book of his lectures in conueniēt time ſhalbe anſwered (if God will) by a moſt godly, learned, and painefull father. In the meane ſeaſon (right honourable ſir) this preſent dutie, which I hauehave performed, without recitall of farther circunſtances in many wordes, alwayes troubleſome to greater affaires, I offer in moſt hūble maner I may, to your honours fauourable, & experienced protection. The Lord God bleſſe and preſerue your honours perſon, your vertuouſe Ladie, your godlie cares and counſels all in Chriſt Ieſus alwayes.
Your honours moſt hūble and bounden IOHN PRIME.
THE CHIEFE POINTS HANDLED IN THE 1. BOOKE.
1. Of the fall of Adam, and of originall ſinne in his poſteritie. pag. 1
2. Of the blindneſſe of mans vnderſtanding. pag. 4
3. Of the frowardneſſe of his will. pag. 6
4. Of the ſinne of concupiſcence yet remaining euen in the regenerate. pag. 9
5. At large of the whole queſtion of free-will, and of the naturall mans impoſſibilitie to obſerue the Law. pag. 15
THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS TREATED IN THE ſecond booke.
1. Of the freeneſſe of the Lords graciouſe louelove and fauour. pag. 41
2. Againſt curioſitie in the ſearch of vnſearchable miſteries. pag. 43
3. Of election, vocation, and reprobation, and of a contented knowledge therin. pag. 46
4. Of iuſtification, the fullneſſe, freeneſſe, and comfort therof. pag. 61
5. Of righteouſneſſe by imputation, & of inherent iuſtice. pag. 64
6. Of the regenerate mans imperfection to fulfill the Lawe exactlie. pag. 75
7. Of the queſtion of merites, and that there is no deſeruing at Gods handes. pag. 95
8. How onelyonly faith doth iuſtifie. pag. 115
9. Of the moſt comfortable doctrine of the certaintie of ſaluatiō by fayth and hope, to be in euerie man particularly touching him ſelfe. pag. 141
10. Of ſanctification and the meanes therunto in this life. pag. 176
11. Of glorification in the life to come, and of due ſobrietie in queſtions therin of ſome moued. pag. 192