The Treasure of Truth Touching Salvation and the Christian Religion, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1
The fyrst Chapter.
That the question of God his euerlasting Predestination, is neyther curious, nor vnneedefull in the Churche of God.
AVgustineAngustine his ansvvere to their vain obiection, that are enemies vntounto the doctrine of predestination, saying that it maketh preaching to bee a thing needlesse. in his Booke of the good gifte of perseuerance, or continuance vntounto the ende. …p. 14. They say that the doctrine of destination is enemie vntounto Prea…g, that it shoulde doo no good. As …gh it had bene an enemie vntounto the …stles preaching. Hath not that ex…ent teacher of the Gentyles so often …es commended Predestination, & … ceased not to preache the worde of …
Also, Lyke as he which hath receyued the gyfte, doeth truelye exhort and preache: euen so he which hath receyued the gifte, doeth obediently heare him that exhorteth and preacheth, &c. Therfore doo we exhort and preach: but they which hauehave eares to heare: doo obedientlye heare vsus: they which hauehave not, that thing commeth to passe in them which is written, That hearing they shoulde not heare: hearing with the sence of theyr bodie, they shoulde not heare with the assent of theyr bodie. But why the one hauehave (eares to heare) and the other hauehave not, that is to saye, why it is giuen vntounto the one of the Father to come vntounto the Sonne, and is not giuen vntounto the other, who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde? Must that which is manifest be therefore denyed, because that which is hydden can not be comprehended or knowen?
Also Cap. 15. Whether if when this is heard, some are turned vntounto a sluggishe heauinesse and slownesse, & being readily bent to fal frō labour vntounto wantonnesse, do goe after theyr lustes: must therefore that be thought false which is …ayd of the foreknowledge of God? And …yll not we also speake that, which the …cripture being witnesse is lawfull to …peake? By lykelyhoode we are afrayde …ast he shoulde bee offended which can…ot take it, and are not afraide, least we …lding our tongues, that he which can …ke the truth, should be discea…ed with …sehoode?
Also Cap. 20. If the Apostles, and the …eachers of the Church which folowed …em, dyd both, that they might intreate …odly of the eternall election of God, & …ight keepe the faithfull vnderunder the go…rnment of a godlye lyfe, what is it …t these our men being shutte vp with …in…insible force of the truth do think …t they saye well, that it is not to bée …eached vntounto the people, although it bee …ue which is sayde of Predestinati…n? …ay it must vtterly he preached, that he …hich hath eares to heare, may heare. …d who hath (eares to heare) if he …ue not receyued of him which promy…th that he wyll giuegive? verilye, let him that receyueth not, refuse: yet so that he which desyreth, take and drinke: drinke and lyue. For as godlynesse is to bée preached, that God maye be duely worshipped, so also is Predestination: that he which hath eares to heare, may glory of the grace of God, in God, not in him selfe.
This is the minde of that most excellent man,Tvvo thinges to be obserued in the doctrine of predestination. which notwithstanding, putteth two conditions: (1) One is, if these matters be reasoned of, according to the rule of the worde of God: (2) The other, if the selfe same which the scripture declareth as touching these matters, bée expounded aptlye and vntounto edifying, of both these poyntes we hauehave purposed to speake in fewe wordes, and fyrst of the doctrine it selfe: and then of the vse and applying of it.