The Treasure of Truth Touching Salvation and the Christian Religion, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
The seuenth Chap.
¶VVhat waie this doctrine maie profi…ablie bee openlie set forth and taught.
HAuing declared the summe of the doctrine it selfe, there remayneth that we shewe what wee thinke is espatiallye to bee obserued or marked in the Preaching and also peculyar applying of it. For where as it seemeth to many to bée so harde,The cause vvhy this most necessarie and comfortable doctrine of God his election seemeth to many to be so hard and straunge. that they flee from it as from a rocke, this is to be attributed, or geuen partlie to the lewdnesse and arrogancie, or pryde of men: partly also to the lacke of foresyght in some, which goe about to open these secréetes vnaduisedlye, and without any choyce: and fynalli…, to the vnskylfulnesse of some, which knowe not orderly to applie vntounto them selues the thinges, which otherwyse are faithfullie and truely declared.
Therefore as concerning those first, which sinne of mallice, it belongeth vntounto God alone to amend their fault, which doubtles he hath allwayes done in his time, and wyll lykewise do hereafter in those, who me in the ende he hath purposed to hauehave mercy on: and as for the others which abide stubborneVVee must not feare to vtter God his trueth, because ey…her of the number or authoritie of the obstinate and stubborne. and stiffe in their wickednesse, there is no cause why we should be so moued either with their number or autority, that God his truth should be dyssembled. Nowe as touching the others, these things I had, which I thought néedeful to be obserued or taken heede of, in the preaching and setting forth of this mystery or secreete.
First that,A choyce in matter and vvordes. as in other poyntes (1) so especially in this secréet of predestination or foreordeining, they diligently take heede least in steede of the plaine truth of God they bring vaine and curiouseCurious and vaine questions in this doctrin especiallye to bee auoided. speculations, which they must needes do, who, to make these hiddē iudgments of God to agree with mannes braine, doo not onelye distinguishe or make a diff…rence betweene the foreknowledge and the purpose of God, as it is altogeather néedefull for to doo, but do also separate or seuer them: or else do imagin a naked & idle permission or sufferaunce: or else make a double purpose of God: from which errours, when as they must n…edes fall into other endlesse and fonde errours, they are partly constrained to denye such thinges as doo wholy cleaue fast togeather, partly also they doo inuent both folishe and many darke distinctions or differences, in the which the farther they wade, the more doo they entangle them selues, so that they can neuer get out of these Labyrinthes or ma…ées. These therefore must bée dilygentlie taken heede of, in this argument espetially, than the which none other is more méete in the Churchof God, to bée purelye and sincerelye,Such mane… of speaches as are vnusuall in the scriptures, ought as… muchas ma…e bee, to be refrained from. or vncorruptlye taught. Moreouer, that there bée no kindes of speaking, so farre as may bée, (for, for teaching sake, we maye sometymes godly and relygiously aduenture some thing) vsed, which are straunge to the scriptures, and that such as come to hand in the word of God be expounded with an apt interpretation, lest som ignoraunt person take any occasion of offence.
Also (2) there must bée great regarde had of the Auditours or hearers,A choice in …ersons. where in againe wée must make a difference betwéene the craftye and the symple, betwéene those that are wilfully ignoraunt, and them that are taken wyth simple ignoraunce, and such as is vsuall vntounto man. (3) For vntounto the one the Lorde is woonte playnlye to denounce or threaten the iudgement of his Father, (4) and the other we must leade by little and little vntounto the knowledge of the truth. This also in this case must bee looked vntounto, that we hauehave not so much regard of the weake, that whylest wée hauehave care of them wée take no kéepe of others: of which wisedome we sée notable examples in Paule, especiallye in the Epistle to the Romaines, Chap. 9. 10. 11. 14. and. 15.
Also that, vnlesse some verie great reason let them, they goe vp from the lowest degrees vntounto the …yghest, a… Paule doeth in the Epistle to the Romaines, (which is the Method or orderlie manner of teaching of all Diuinitie) hee proceedeth from the lawe to forgeuenesse of sinnes, and from thence by lyttle and lyttle, vntounto the highest degree: or that they staye in that whiche shall bee moste fyttest for the place of Scripture, whiche they hauehave taken in hande to handle, rather then to come downe from the hyghest degrée vntounto the lowest. For the brightnesse of God his Maiestie sodainlie offered, is woont mightilie to stryke the eyes, in so muche that afterwarde they are dymme in beholdinge other thinges, vnlesse they hauehave beene vsed a long season, and oftentymes to beholde that lyght.Hovve vve… must goe forevvard.
Moreouer, whether they goe vp from the lowest vpwardes, or contrarywise come downe from the hyghest downewardes, you must take héede that you r…nne not out from one extréeme vntounto the other,The middle causes are ouerpassing the middes,not to bee vvithout great confideration ouerpassed. as for example from purpose to saluation, and much more from saluatiō to purpose, also from purpose to dampnation, or contrarywise, ouer hipp… ye nearer causes of the iudgement of God: (5) vnlesse peraduenture yen hauehave to …oo with open dispysers of God, whom it auayleth not once to teache, sau… that they maye bée strooken with the iudgement of God, that there can bee no iust suspicion of offence.
Furthermore, this doctrineHovve this doctrine is to bee applyed. must neuer bee in such sort set foorth, that it bée applyed to any person seuerally, albeit some be otherwyse, eyther to bée comforten or rebuked then othersome, (6) vnlesse peraduenture some Prophete of God bée admonished by some peculyar word from God: which notwithstanding is not rashly to bée beléeuéd, for as much as it commeth to passe out of order, or not ordinarily.
But in visityng the sicke, and in famylyar admonitions, it seemeth to bée the duetie of the Minister,Hovve the Ministers must deale vvith troubled conscience. so farre as he maye, to comfort the conscience of the …oubled, wyth the declaration of elec…ion: and contrary wise to strike those …hat are obstinatly wicked and disobe…ient wyth that fearefull iudgement of God, but yet so that they kéepe some measure, & re…rayne from that last sen…ence wherevnto is added no condition. For this iurisdiction pertayneth vntounto God alone.
Proue… out of the word of God.
Math. 28. 18. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptising them, &c.
20. Teaching them to keepe all those things, whi…h I hauehave commanded you.
2. Tim 2. 23. Foolish and vnlearned questions put away, knowing that they bréed stri…es.
2. Tim. 2. 15. Study to shewe thy selfe approued vntounto God, a workeman that need…th not to bée ashamed, and which can deuide the worde of trueth aright.
Math. 25. In the whole chapiter.
Ioh. 8. 44. You are of your Father the Deuyll, and therefore you wyllful… fill the lustes of your Father.
Ioh. 9. 41. If you were blynd yo… should hauehave no sinne, but now you say, we see, and therefore your sinne remayneth
Ioh. 10. 26. But ye beléeue not, for ye… are not of my Sheepe, as I hauehave tolde you.
Luk. 20. 46. Be ware of the Scribes whiche desire to goo in long …o…es, and long gréetyngs in the markets, and the highest seates in the Synog…es, and the chiefe roumes at feastes.
47. Whiche deuowre widdowes houses, and vse long praiers for a shew: these shall receyue the greater iudgement.
Math. 23. 38. Behold your house is le…te vntounto you desolate.
1. Cor. 3. 2. I hauehave geuen you mylcke to drinck, and not strong meate, for ye were not yet able to beare it, neyther yet now are ye able.
Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weake in the …ayth, receyue vntounto you, but not for controuersies of disputations.
Ioh. 8. 33. They answered him, wée are the seede, of Abraham, and were neuer bond to any man, howe sayest thou then that we shall be made free.
34 Iesus answered them, veryly, veryly I saye vntounto you, he that commiteth sinne, is the seruaunt of Sinne.
Phyllyp. 3. 2. Beware of dogges, beware of euyl workmen, beware of con…ysion.
1 Tim. 6. 3. 4. If any man teache contrary doctrine, and consenteth not to the wholsome wordes of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according vntounto godlynes, he is puffed vp, knowing nothing, &c.
Gal. 5. 12. I would to God also that they were cut of which trouble you.
2. Tim. 4. 14. Alexander the copper smith hath done me much harme: the Lorde rewarde hym accordyng to hys deedes.
Ioh. 6. 64. But there are some of you which beleeue not. For Iesus knews from the beginning, who they wer… which beléeued not, and who should be… tray him.
Ioh. 8. 24. Therefore I sayd vntounto yo… that you should dye in your sinnes. Fo… vnlesse ye beléeue that I am he, you sha… die in your sinnes.