The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
OF the thrée Chapters following, I would hauehave ſpoken nothing, I mean the ix. x. and the xi. of the Epiſtle to the Romans, but that I think it neceſſarie out of one principall point of doctrine that is in them handled,Predeſtination free without reſpect of our works. to note how contrarie, to it ſelfe the doctrine is, that the Church of Rome teacheth. For out of them it is moſt plainly and inuincibly gathered, that GOD hath predeſtinate & choſen vntounto eternal life ſuch as it pleaſeth him to take, fréely euen in reſpect of his owne purpoſe and counſell, without any reſpect vntounto good works. Which becauſe it is ſo manifeſt, that themſelues are aſhamed to denie it, I briefly paſſe ouer, without any long confirmation out of the reaſons héerin alledged for proofe of the doctrine.Rom. 9. 11. 12. For Maſter Bellarmine out of theſe words. When as yet they were not borne, or had done any good or euill, that the purpoſe of God might ſtand, not by workes, but by the caller, it was ſaid to her, The elder ſhall ſerue the yonger. And alſo out of thoſe,Rom. 11. 5. 6. The remnant is ſaued according to the election of grace, If of grace, not now of workes, for then grace were no grace. Out of theſe words I ſay he concludeth verie plainly and truely,De Gra. & lib. arbit. li. 2. ca. 10 not onelyonly that election or predeſtination is frée, but alſo without any forſéeing of the workes that men ſhould do after, as his words are. And much more pithyly alſo is this confirmed by the latter end of the laſt ſentence, which is with full content left out by the old Tranſlation, the Rheimiſts, and the reſt of them. For although all the Gréek copies but one, and the Syrian Tranſlation hauehave theſe words, But if it be of works, then is it now no grace, for then work is no more work. Yet do they willingly follow the want in the old Tranſlation, becauſe the ſetting of grace againſt works, in ſuch ſort as wée ſée they are oppoſed, maketh wonderfull ſtrongly, againſt the Popiſh doctrine of merites. But what ſhould I ſpeak of Maſter Bellarmine, D. Whitaker contra Duraeū lib. 6. pag. 762.Iohn Durey the Scot telleth vsus, that it is famouſly holden in all the Vniuerſities of the Catholicks, That the foreknowledge of merits, is not the cauſe of predeſtination. Although he cannot deny but Pighius was of a contrarie mind. And Maſter Bellarmine indeuoureth in this point to ſhew his ſkill, to ſatiſfie ſome that think it cannot be, that predeſtination ſhould be frée, if all men hauehave ſufficient help giuen wherby they may be ſaued. And becauſe vponupon this ſufficient help they eſtabliſh their merite,Sufficient help. this is therfore alſo the ſumme of that he teacheth, that Merites and Predeſtination may both of them be taught. But how he is héerin deceiued, his owne words will beſt declare. But in the mean time, this is that which Saint Paule did teach, and they ſay that yet they …, that God fréely not hauing regarde to the workes which …e ſaw they ſhould doe, did chuſe a number, vponupon whom he beſtoweth eternall life. Which doctrine as it was daungerouſly impuyned in thoſe dayes of S. Auguſtine, ſo was it learnedly defended by him in ſundry treatiſes. In which it may appeare, that the Pelagions then did vſe the ſelfeſame obiections againſt this comfortable doctrine, that the papiſtes now make againſt the teaching of our free election,Auguſt. de predeſt. & gra. cap. 6. as that God may ſame to deale vniuſtly in that he puniſheth the wicked whom he calleth not from their wickedneſſe. Againe that therby all indeuour to liue in Gods feare is taken away, vertue is hindred, fatall neceſſity eſtabliſhed, the doctrine is perilous,Proſper. Epiſt. ad Aug. de reliquijs pelag. and ſuch like obiections are reckoned vp of Proſper, as alſo of Hilary who in like manner writing to S. Auguſtine rehearſeth thoſe cauils of the pelagions againſt this trueth,Hilar. Epiſtela ad August. crauing S. Auguſtine his helpe therein, becauſe many as vsus ſaith did much depend vponupon the authoritie of men, and as Proſper in his Epiſtle faith, they defend their obſtinacy by antiquitie, alledging that neuer any expounded thoſe places to the Romans after that ſorte. Which obiections becauſe it is too long to confute in this place, I ſend the reader who is deſirous to be further inſtructed, vntounto S. Auguſtine his bookes, of the predeſtination of the Saints which is an aunſwere to the two Epiſtles of Proſper and Hilarie, and that other of the vertue of perſeuerance, and that of predeſtination and grace which before I ſpake of. Which thing I may I truſt be the bolder to doe, becauſe theſe are the ſlaunders which the pelagians th…ſe knowen and condemned heretickes burthened this doctrine withall; and therefore our aduerſaries ſhould be aſhamed to vſe them. Now if you long alſo to know what theſe heretickes did teach, this it is.Proſperi. Epiſt. apud Auguſt. De praedeſtinat. Sanct. cap. 18. That God foreſéeing who ſhould beléeue, and continue in that faith, did predeſtinate ſuch to his kingdom. Or as S. Auguſtine ſaith they taught that God did chooſe ſuch as he ſawe ſhoulde be holy by the choice of their frée will, on the contrary he ſhewed the election to bée frée, without any regard to workes eyther before or after, and that which the Pelagians did then and the papiſtes now doe teach he calleth a new preſumption.
But becauſe they like worſe then to be thoughte new (although in all thinges they are new fangled) let vsus ſee what it is that they would hauehave vsus beléeue.
No doubt the Church of Rome doth as much as they can indeuour to obſcure and darken this doctrine, that the glory of merits may ſhine the brighter. And therefore euen Maſter Bellarmine who in as plaine wordes as he can deuiſe, hath before taught that this election is free without any reſpect to workes; yet after (as he now repented him of that he had ſaid) writeth That by predeſtination the elect get no right or clayme to bleſſednes,Degra. & lib. Ar. li. 2. cap. 15. neyther is it due to them, but after that by well deſeruing, they hauehave gotten the ſame. Can white and blacke be more contrarie, then theſe two ſayings are one of them to the other? So that whilſt he ſeeketh to eſtabliſh the opinion of merites, he doth not onelyonly gainfay the trueth, but euen himſelfe alſo. Let vsus marke the ſimilitude whereby he will illuſtrate his meaning. A king (ſaith he) promiſeth a price to the beſt runner,Ibid. cap. 17. to whome God reuealeth that if they runne vponupon horſes, ſuch a one ſhall winne, in wagons ſuch a one, on foote ſuch a one, by ſhip ſuch a one. Then he appoynteth them to runne with wagons, which he alſo cauſeth to be prepared for them. Althogh Maſter Bellarmine may ſeeme to be runne farre from the trueth, when by ſuch fond fictions, he would make falſhoode carie a ſhew of ſound doctrine: yet we may ſee his meaning is that as, the kinge propoſeth the price to the beſt runner, and then appoynteth ſuch a kinde of running, as he knoweth he ſhall excell in, whom he would hauehave to winne: ſo God electeth vntounto happines, ſuch as he would, becauſe he knew before that they ſhould merit the ſame. Is this free election? Is there in this no regard to workes?Pſal. 115. 8. I ſuppoſe it is in our Romiſh Maſter verified, that is ſpoken of the Idol makers, That they who make the Idols are like vntounto … them. Of Idolaters they are become Idols them ſelues, that hauehave eyes and ſee not, eares and heare not, yea wit and vnderſtand not, but ſay and vnſay, almoſt with one breath. But when they hauehave done what they can, that auncient fayth ſhall be founde not onelyonly true, but alſo directly againſt their doctrine, If election bee by grace, then not of workes, if by workes then not by grace. And becauſe it ſeemeth they are not yet reſolued, whether they ſhoulde mayntaine the auncient fayth of Rome, which ſometime they commende, or this newe opinion, which they had rather follow, it were beſt they woulde ſettle them ſelues to ſtande to the one or the other, for they cannot make both agree together. Neyther are they content vponupon this olde garment to ſet a newe patch:Concil. Trident. Seſſ. 6. cap. 12. but alſo as much as they dare, they diſgrace this auncient fayth and olde religion, when they call it a vaine preſumption and raſh to aſſure our ſelues of our election.Rom. 11. 29. But firſt that our election is certaine I hope they dare not deny, becauſe the free giftes and calling of God are without repentance. The queſtion then is whether wee can be aſſured that we are choſen: woulde he that taught vsus to call him father, hauehave vsus to doubt whether we be his children? Or if the ſpirite it ſelfe beare witneſſe to our ſpirite,Rom. 8. 15. 16. that we are the ſonnes of GOD, ſhall theſe newe vpſtart Catholickes tell vsus, that ſo to doe is raſh preſumption? And why is it called the ſpirite of Adoption▪ 15.but becauſe it teacheth vsus, nay it aſſureth vsus our election. Or howe can wee attayne to that reioycing in tribulation, which Saint Paule and Saint Peter alſo commend in the godly,Rom. 5. 3. 4. 5. but becauſe we are ſure that howſoeuer God ſeemeth to handle vsus,1. Pet. 1. 6. yet he ſtill loueth vsus, and therfore his chaſticements are not bitter to vsus, becauſe the louelove of God is ſpred abroade in our heartes. Let therefore theſe deſperate doctours dececiue ſuch as are deuoted to them, let vsus reioyce in this aſſurance of faith, that our names are written in the booke of life.