A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 6
THE SIXTE DIalogue is of the creation and of the Prouidence and predeſtinatiō of God, and of the vocation of man.
Of the vvorke of the Creation.
MATHEVV.
SEing then we beléeue in one onelyonly God the Father, the ſonne, & the holy Ghoſt: What is that that we oughte chiefly to beléeue concerning the worke of the creation?
P.
As concerning that worke, that the father hath created all things as well viſible as inuiſible, by his godly eternall word and wiſdome which is his ſonne, in the vertue of his holy ſpirite, which is his infinite power.
Of other vvorks of God that are conioyned to the vvork of the creation.
M.
IS there not ſome other worke of God comprehēded in that of the cretion?Gene. 1. Pſal. 146. b Iere. 32. c. e. Act. 4. e. 14 c. 17. f. Pſal. 33. b. Iohn. 1. a 1. Iohn. 1. a. Collo. 1. c. Hebr. 1. a. Gene. 1. a. …ohn. 26. d. Pſalm. 104. d. Luke. 11. c. Iohn. 15.
P.
We may ioyne therevnto two at the leaſt, whiche are in ſuche ſorte ioyned with the ſame, that they cannot be ſeparated.
M.
Which is the firſt?
P.
The prouidence of God.
M.
And which is the ſeconde?
P.
His eternall predeſtination, which is a dependance of his prouidence.
M.
Thinkeſt thou that we may accompt the prouidence and predeſtination of God, among his works?
P.
I ſée not why I ſhould make more difficultie of it, than of the others whereof I hauehave made mention heretofore. For as he hath wrought if the worke of the creation, euen ſo doth he continually worke by his prouidence in gouerning by thys ſame, al that which he hath created, & in putting in executiō his eternall counſell, in ye whiche he hath predeſtinate man, to that wherein it hath pleaſed him to be glorified in him. And therefore Ieſus Chriſt hath ſayde, my father worketh euen to this preſente,Iohn. 5. c and I worke alſo.
Of the prouidence of God.
M.
WHat meaneſt thou by the prouidence of God?Pſal. 104. b. 107. c. 147. d. Pſalm. 115. a 135. b.
P.
That euen as he is creatoure of all things, he is alſo the conſeruer whiche doth by his eternall power and wiſdome guide and gouerne thē, and by his ſoueraine goodneſſe, in ſuche ſorte that nothing commeth by aduenture, neyther in Heauen nor in the earth, without his counſell and ordinaunce, and his moſt iuſt will, be it in generall or in particuler.
Of the eternall predeſtination of God.
M.
WHat doeſt thou alſo vnderſtande by the eternall predeſtination of God?Ro. 5. c. d. e. Ephe. 1. a. b. c
P.
I vnderſtande hys eternall ordinaunce, whereby he hath ordeyned before the creation of the worlde, that which he hath determined to doe withall men, to be glorified in them, as well in his merciemercy, as in his iuſte iudgement.
M.
How is he glorified in his merciemercy, according to that eternall ordinance?
P.
In ſhewing the riches of his glorie in the veſſells of merciemercy, whiche are his choſen, the whiche he hath prepared to glorie.
M.
Howe is hée alſo glorified in hys iuſte iudgement?
P.
In ſhewing his wrath,Roma. 9. c. Epheſ. 6. c. Rom. 9. c. 2. Theſs. 2. c & giuing to vnderſtande his power, after that he hath endured in great patience, the veſſels of wrath prepared to perditiō.
Of the vocation of the elect, and of the degrees whereby God bringeth them to ſaluation.
M.
IN what ſorte is it that GOD ſheweth the riches of his glorie in hys elected?Rom. 8. f. g. Math. 25. c. Act. 13. g.
P.
When he calleth them by his Goſpell to iuſtifie them by faith in his ſonne Ieſus Chryſt, to the end that afterwarde he maye glorifye them in the Eternall lyfe, the whiche he hathe prepared from the beginning.
Ma.
Thy meaning is then that God dothe call, iuſtifie and glorifie al thoſe whome he hath choſen?
P.
Sainct Paule doth yelde vsus certaine and euidente teſtimonie, when he ſayth, That thoſe whome he before did knowe, thoſe hath he predeſtinate to be made like to the image of hys ſonne, to the ende he ſhoulde be the firſte borne among many brethren,Rom. 8. f. and thoſe whome he hath predeſtinate, he hath alſo called, and thoſe whom he hath called, he hathe alſo iuſtified, and thoſe whome he hathe iuſtified, he hath alſo glorified.
M.
It ſéemeth to me, that thou putteſt here foure degrées, to wit, predeſtination, vocation, Iuſtification, and glorification.
P.
Thou ſéeſt that S. Paule maketh as many.
M.
Wilt thou conclude by his words, yt all thoſe whiche are choſen & predeſtinate, are alſo called, iuſtified, and glorifyed.
Peter.
It followeth neceſſarily, or otherwyſe the Election and Predeſtination of GOD ſhould not bée certayne, and ſhould not come to that ende wherevnto God pretendeth thereby.
Of the outwarde and inwarde vocation.
M.
DOth it followe in lyke ſorte, that all thoſe whiche are called, are alſo choſen.
P.
Thou haſte to note vppon this queſtion, that there are two ſortes of vocation, to wit, the one outward, and the other inwarde.
M.
What meaneſt thou by the outward vocation?
P.
I mean a common and generall vocation, by the whiche God dothe call by the outwarde preaching, all thoſe to whom the goſpell is preached, be they choſē or reprobates.
M.
And by the inward vocation?
P.
I vnderſtand a vocation, whereby God doth not only call man by the outwarde preaching of his worde, but maketh them to féele the power and efficacie of the ſame by his holy ſpirite, in ſuch ſorte that they doe not only heare it with their outward eares, but doe alſo receyue it into their hearts by faith, wherby they ar iuſtified.
Of the effectes of the inwarde and outward vocation, and vvhervnto they ſerue.
M.
WIlt thou ſay, that all thoſe whiche are called by ſuche vocation are choſen, and in like ſorte that all thoſe which are choſen are ſo called?
P.
It muſt be ſo vnderſtoode. For ſuch a vocation is an effecte of the election whereby a man may iudge of the cauſe.
M.
And as concerning thoſe whiche are called of that firſt calling, which thou calleſt outward, maye they bée called without béeing choſen?Matth. 20. b
P.
Thou mayſt iudge by that which Ieſus Chriſt ſayde: There be many called, but fewe are choſen.
M.
Thou meaneſt then in myne opinion, that the very reprobates maye be called by outewarde vocation, but that it profiteth them nothing, except the inward be there ioyned with it.Iohn. 3. e.
P.
As concernyng them, it ſerueth them but to their greater condemnation. For it is to their greater condemnation, for ſo muche as the grace of God was offered vntounto them, & that they hauehave reiected it thorowe their ingratitude and vnbeléefe, as though it had neuer ben offered vntounto them, yet in the meane tyme, it is not altogether in vayne,
M.
Whervnto dothe it then ſerue?
P.
To declare better the peruerſitie of mē, and to make them more inexcuſable at the iudgement of God, and to ſet foorthe the better hys great iuſtice in their iuſt condemnation.
M.
It then followeth by that which thou haſte ſayde, that thoſe which are not called, but only by this outwarde calling, are not alſo iuſtified, nor conſequentlye glorified?
P.
It is eaſye to iudge. For if they were iuſtified, they ſhould hauehave alſo receyued the worde of God through fayth, which only doth iuſtifie, and without the whiche none can be iuſtified, as thou haſte here before heard. And if they had the fayth whereby man is iuſtified, they ſhuld not be only called by that outwarde callyng, but alſo by the inwarde, whiche is euer ioyned with faith, of the whiche the faith is a ſure teſtimonie.
Of the cauſe of vnbeleefe, and of Faythe.
M.
ANd what is the cauſe that the one ſorte thorowe vnbeléefe do reiecte the Goſpell when it is offered them, and that ye others receyue it by fayth?
P.
It is not to be maruelled at, when menne by their vnbeleef and vnkindneſſe reiect the Goſpell: but it is maruell when ſome are founde that doe receyue it by faithe.
M.
Why ſayeſt thou ſo?
P.
For that that man béeing corrupted thorow ſinne,1. Cor. 1. a. d &. 2. d Roma. 8. b. is of ſuche nature, that he doth not onelyonly not vnderſtand any thing of Gods matters, nor of his worde: and in very deede he can not, but that which is worſſe, he will vnderſtande nothing of it, but doth hate and deride it.
M.
Seing that all men are corrupted by ſinne, it then followeth neceſſarily, that they be al naturally as peruerſe and wicked the one as the other, & that they can not nor will not beléeue in God, nor followe his worde.
P.
It is euen ſo.
M.
How is it then that many of contrary nature are found, whiche not only receyue by faith the worde of God, and Ieſus Chryſt our Lord, but are alſo readie to lay downe their lyfe, and to abandon the ſame for the confeſſion of their faith?
P.
Thou muſt vnderſtande that they which do this,Matth. 16. c. that thou ſpeakeſt of, are not ſuch of nature, but by the grace of God, by the which they are renued and tranſformed into a new nature, and are made newe creatures. For it is not fleſh and bloud that hath reueled it vntounto them, but the heauenly father.
Of the renewing of man, and of the gifte of faith.
M.
IN what ſorte is this chaunge of nature made,Ezec. 11. c. d Hiere. 31. f 32. g Hebr. 8. c 10. c. 2. Cor. 3. … & this renuing by ye grace of God?
P.
When God by his holy ſpirit doth chaunge their enhardened hearts of ſtone, into tender hearts of fleſh, and that he doth with his finger write & imprinte his worde in their hearts, to make them to walke after the ſame, as he hath made promiſe to his elect by his Prophets Ieremie and Ezechiel.
M.
Seing it is ſo, man can not then beléeue ye goſpel, & beleue in Ieſus Chriſte, which is ſet forth vntounto vsus in the ſame, if God giuegive him not the grace, giuing him faith to beléeue it.
P.
It is true: and therfore it is written that faith is the gift of God,Epheſ. 2. b. Iohn. 6. c. Math. 11. d. and that none can come to Ieſus Chryſte, if the father draw him not: as alſo no man can know the Father, but hée to whome hée is reuealed by hys ſonne Ieſus Chryſte.
M.
Wee may not then aſcribe the honor of our ſaluation to oure fréewill, nor to our humane powers, but onelyonly to the grace of God.
P.
Thou concludeſt very wel.
Of the cauſes of election and reprobation.
M.
BVt ſéeing that all men are of one very nature wicked and peruerſe, what is the cauſe why God dothe ſooner ſhewe this fauour to ſome, than to other ſome?Rom. 8. e. f Epheſ. 1. b.
Pe.
I can yelde thée none other reaſon, but onelyonly the good pleaſure of God, which can be but iuſt and reaſonable, for ſo muche as hée is the rule of all iuſtice, the whiche according to his eternall purpoſe, doth call to this grace thoſe whome he hath choſen, to make them by his only goodneſſe and merciemercy, partakers in hys Sonne Ieſus Chryſt, in whome he hath choſen them to this effect, before the creation of the worlde.
M.
And what wilte thou ſaye of the others, vntounto whome he ſheweth not this fauour?
P.
That he by his iuſte iudgement dothe leaue them in their corrupted and peruerſe nature,Rom. 9. c. as they hauehave deſerued by ye ſame, to declare his wrath againſt ſinne in their iuſte condemnation, as he hath declared hys louingneſſe and merciemercy, in the fauoure that he hathe ſhewed to his choſen.
M.
Thou wilte then ſay that al men of their nature hauehave deſerued to be lefte in theyr peruerſe and corrupted nature and damnation, and that in ſo doing, God can do them no wrōg, but only right and iuſtice, and that it is a ſpeciall grace that he doth to thoſe whome by his merciemercy he draweth away from ſuche a corruption and curſſe.
P.
We ought euen ſo to beléeue.
M.
Séeing it is ſo, the reprobates and the wicked hauehave nothing then wherein they may iuſtly complaine of God, and accuſe hys iuſt iudgement, by the which they be iuſtly condemned.
P.
It is eaſie to iudge.
M.
And in the like, the electe hauehave nothing wherein to glory in themſelues, but only in the grace and merciemercy of God.Roma. 3. b. 11.
P.
Sainct Paule doth confirme vntounto vsus that whiche thou ſaiſt, when he ſaith that we hauehave all ſinned, and that we hauehave all néede of the glory of God, and that he hath encloſed all men vnderunder vnbeléefe, to the ende he may ſhew merciemercy to all men, to witte; to the ende that all thoſe which are ſaued, be ſaued by his merciemercy, whereof he maketh them partakers in Ieſus Chriſte and by Ieſus Chriſte, and without whome none may obtayne ſaluation.