The Treasure of Truth Touching Salvation and the Christian Religion, Treatise 1 · Chapter 6
The sixt Chap.
Of the laste and full execution or performing of the counsell of God… both in the chosen, and also in the ofcastes.
The first Aphorisme.
FOrasmuch as God is verie righteousnesse it selfe,The full performing of the iudgementes of God. it is meete that he should saue the ryghteous, and condempne the vnrighteous. (1) But they onelie amongste men are righteous,VVho are righteous. vvho being vnyted and graffed in Christe by saith, yea, and also rooted in him: and being made one bodie vvith him, (2) are in him and by him iustifyed and sanctified, that is, made righteous and holie. VVhereby it is proued, (3) that the lyfe wherevnto they are ordained to the glorie of God, doeth by a certaine right appertaine vntounto them onelie.
Proues out of the word of God.
Ioh. 17. 21. That all may be one, as thou Father arte in mee, and I in thee, that they also maye bee one in vsus: that the worlde maye beleeue that thou hast sent mee.
Rom. 9. 5. For if being planted with him, we hauehave growne in the likenesse of his death, euen so shall we growe in the lykenesse of his resurrection, or rysing againe.
Col. 2. 7. Rooted and buylt in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye hauehave beene taught, abounding therein with thankes geuing.
1. Cor. 10. 16. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ?
Rom. 8. 50. And whome he hath predestinated or foreordained, these also hath he called: and whome he hath cal…ed, those also hath hée iustified or made …ighteous: And whome he hath iustified … made righteous, those also hath hee …lorifyed.
1 Cor. 1. 30. But ye are of him in Christ …esus who of God is made vntounto vsus wis…om, and righteousnesse, and sanctiūca…on, and redemtion.
2 Cor. …. 5. Moreouer it is God that hath created vsus for this thing, who also hath genen vsus the earnest of the spirit.
Rom. 6. 23. And that he might make knowne the riches of his glory towards …he vessels of mercy, whiche hee hath ord…ned vntounto glory.
Rom. 3. 25. Whome God hath set forth …o bee an ap peasement through fayth in his blood, to declare his righteousnesse, …y the forgeuenes of the sinnes that are p…ssed:
29. Through the pacience of God, to shewe at this time his righteousnesse that he myght bée righteous, and a maker ryghteous of him, which is of the fayth of Iesus.
Eph. 1. 5. Who hath foreordayned vsus Whome hee would adopte or chose vntounto sonnes through Iesus Christ in him selfe, according to the good pleasure of his wyll:
6. To the prayse of his glorious grace, wherwith he hath freely made vsus acceptable or to be lyked of in that beloued.
The seconde Aphorisme.
ANd contrariwise, they that remaine in the pollution or fylthinesse and death of Adam, are worthelie hated of God, that they maie bee damned by him,*Hee …eaneth Infants, vvho although they die before they commit actuall sinne, yet are they from their mothers vvom…e defiled vvith origi…al sin, vvhichwhich is inough to condempne them. those not being so much as once excepted, which hauehave died before that they coulde sinne after the lykenesse of Adam, that is to saie, in acte or deede.
Proues out of the word of God.
Rom. 5. 14. But death reigned from Adam vntounto Moyses, ouer those also which had not sinned after the lykenes of the transgression of Adam, which… was the figure of him that was to come.
Eph. 2. 3. Amongest whome also we in times paste had our conuersation in …e instes of our …lesh, doing such things … liked our flesh and thoughtes, and …ere by nature the sonnes of wrath, as …ell as others.
Ioh. 3. 36. He that beléeueth not the …nne, shall not see lyfe: but the wrath of …od remaineth vponupon him.
The thirde Aphorisme.
BOth these executions or perfourminges of the iudgementes of God, …e brought to passe by three degrees, as …ell in the one as in the other, whereof …e fyrst hath beene by vsus declared al…eadie. For as touching the electe or …hosen, (1) the verie selfe same moment …hat they hauehave receyued the gyfte of …ayth, after a sort they hauehave passed from …eath to lyfe, (2) a sure pledge whereof …hey hauehave.In the ch… sen. But this their ly…e is altoge…her hydde in Christ, vntyll such tyme …s that first death set them one degree …rewarde, (3) by which death the soule …eeing loosed from the chaynes of the …odie, entreth into the ioye of his …orde.
(4) Finallie at the daie appointed fo… the iudgemente of the quicke and the dead… vvhen as this corruptible shall pu… on immortalitie. and God shall be all in all, then shall they at length in presence see his Mai…stie, and shall inioye that vnspeakeable ioye, vvhiche vvas prepared for them from everlasting, to wit, a rewards due vntounto the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ, vvhichwhich vvas deliuered for their sinnes, and raised againe from the dead, for their iustification or righteous making, by whose power and spirite, they hauehave vvalked from faith to fai…h as by their vvhole life shall plainly appeare.
Proues out of the worde of God.
Ioh. 5. 24. Uerily, verily, I say vntounto you, he that heareth my worde, and beleeueth him that sent mée hath euerlasting life, & shal not come vntounto condemnation: but hath passed frō death to life.
2. Cor. 1. 22. God hath sealed vsus, and hath geuen the earnest of the spirite in our hartes.
…. Cor. 5. 5. Moreouer it is God who hath created vsus for this thing, who also hath geuen vsus the earnest of the spirit.
… Cor. 1. 4. I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe, for the grace of God which is geuen you in Christ Iesu:
5. …hat in all things ye are made riche in him, in all kinde of speach, and in all knowledge.
6. According as the testimony or witnesse of Iesus Christ hath béene confirmed in you.
7. So that you are not destitute of any gifte, wayting vntyll our Lorde Iesus Christ be reuealed.
8. Who shall also confyrme you vntounto the ende, &c.
Rom. 8. 24. For we are saued by hope. And hope if it b…e séene is no hope. For that which a man seeth, why should he hope for?
25. But if we hope for that which wée sée not, we wait for it by patience.
Eph. 1. 13. In whome also after that you hauehave beléeued, ye are sealed with that holy spirit of promisse,
1…. Which is the earnest of our inheritance, vntyl that we are set at liberty to the prayse of his glory.
Rom. 5. 2. By whom also we hauehave entrance through fayth into this grace, by which we stande, and reioyce vnderunder the hope of the g…ory of God.
Luc. 23. 43. Uerely, verely, I say vntounto thée, thys daye shalt thou be with mee in paradise.
Math… 22. 31. And concerning the resurrection or rysing againe of the dead, hauehave you not read what is spoken vntounto you of God, saying.
32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the lyuing.
Luk. 16. 22. And it came to passe that the beggar died, and was carried of Angels into Abrahams bosom.
Phillip 1. 23. For I am in a straite on both sides, desiring to go hence and to be with Christ: for that is best of all.
Act. 3. 21. Who must be conteined in heauen vntill the times of the restoring of all things, which God hath forespoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world beganne.
Rom. 8. 21. And the creatures themselues shall bée deliuered from the bondage of destruction into the lyberty of the glory of the sonnes of God.
Looke. 1. Cor. 15 In the whole chapiter.
2. Cor. 5. 10. For all wée must appears before the tribunal or iudgemēt seate of Christ, that eueryevery man may receiue the things which he hath done, in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or euill.
Rom. 14. 10. For we shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ.
Math. 25. 34. Then the king shall say to those that shall be on his right hande, come ye blessed of my Father, possesse the kingdom prepared for you from the laying of the foundations of the world.
The fowrth Aphorisme.
NOw contrariwise (1) the reprobates or ofcastesIn th… ofcas…e…. being conceyued, borne, and brought vp in sinne, death, and the wrath of God remayning vponupon them, (2) when as they go out of this world, do fal into another gulfe of destruction, they… soules being throwne headlong into an… euerlasting horrour or trembling, (3) vntyll that daie, when as their bodie and soule being ioyned togeather againe, they shall goe into that euerlasting fire, prepared for the Deuyll and his Angelles.
Proues out of the worde of God.
Psal. 51. 7. Beholde, in iniquity was I borne and in sinne hath my mother conceyued mée.
Ioh. 3. 36. He that beléeueth not the sonne, shall not sée lyfe, but the wrath of God remaineth vponupon him.
Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore lyke as by one man sinne hath entred into the world, and by sinne death: and so death hath gonne ouer al men, in that al men hauehave sinned.
Rom. 7. 14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnall or fleshly, soulde to be subiect vntounto sinne.
Eph. 2. 3. Amongst whome also wée some times had our conuersation in the lustes of our flesh, doing the things that like… … flesh and thoughtes: and were by na…re the sonnes of wrath as well as others.
Luck. 16. 23. And being in hell, lyfting vp his eies, when as hee was in tormentes, he saw Abraham a far of, and Lazarus in his bosome:
24. Then he crying sayde: Father Abraham take pity vponupon mée, and sende Lazarus that hée maye dyppe the typpe of his fynger in water, and c…le my tongue, because I am tormented in this flame.
Math. 25. 41. Then he shall also say to those which shall be one his left hand, ye cursed, departe from mée into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the Deuyll and his Angels.
The fyfte Aphorisme.
AFter these two vvaies then, and the same being cleane diuerse one from another, shall the last ende of the iudgementes of God, laie open his glorieThe glorie hath of God. vntounto all men: as who in his electe or chosen hath declared him selfe to bee both most exceeding just and also most exceeding mercifull:M…st exceeding iust & …e…cifull. to wyt, iust in that hee hath with greatest seueritie, or sharpnesse punished all the sinnes of his chosen in the person of his sonne, and hath not receyued them into his fellowship, before that hee hath fullye and whollie made them righteous and holie in him: and in this infinitelie, or without ende mercifull, that hee hath purposed to chose them freelie in him selfe: and afterwarde as he p…rposed, hath freelie adopted them in his sonne: to wyt, by calling, iustifying and glorifying them, that faith cōming in between, the which he (being moued with like gentlenesse) hath graunted vntounto them. Now on the other parte, which concerneth the reprobates or ofcastes, the…r corruption and vnbeleefe, with the fruites springing from the same, and the testimonie or vvytnesse of their owne conscience shall so reproue them, that a beit they vvrestle neuer so muche against it, yet God his exceedingMost ex…eeding iust iustice in their iust condempnation… all men approuing it, maie, appeare.