The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 23
¶The .xxiii. Chapiter. A Confutation of the sclaunders wherwith this doctrine hath alwaye been wrongfully burdened.
BUt when the witt of man heareth these thynges, the frowardness therof can not be restrained, but that by and by as at the bloody blast of a trumpet, soundyng to battaile, it diuersly and excessiuely turmoyleth. And many in deede, as thoughe they would driue away the malice from God, doo so graunte election, that they denye that any man is reprobate: but they do to ignorantly & childishely: forasmuche as election it selfe coulde not stande vnlesse it were set contrary to reprobation: God is said to seuer them whome he adopteth vntounto saluation: it should be more than foolishly said that other doo either by chaunce or by their owne endeuor obteyne that whiche onelyonly election geueth to a few. Therefore whom God passeth ouer, he reiecteth: and for none other cause, but for that he will exclude them from the inheritance which he dothe predestinate to his children. Neither is the waiwardnesse of the men tolerable, if it suffre not it selfe to be bridled with the word of God, where the incomprehensible counsell of God is entreated of, whiche the Angels themselues do worship. But we hauehave already heard that hardening is no lesse in the hand and will of God than merciemercy. Neither dothe Paule (as these men doo that I hauehave spokē of) busily labor to excuse God with a lyeng defence:Rom. ix.xx. but only he teacheth that it is not lawfull for the thing formed to quarell with him that formed it. Nowe who so do not admitt that any are reiected of God, how wil they vncombre themselues from that sayeng of Christe, EueryEvery tree which my father hath not planted,Mat. xv.xiii. shalbe plucked vp by the roote? They plainly heare that all they are adiudged & auowed to destruction, whom the heauenly Father hath not vouchsaued to plant as holy trees in his ground. If they denie this to be a signe of reprobatiō, then is there nothing so clere ye it may be proued to thē. But if they cesse not to wrāgle, let the sobrietie of Faith be contented with this admonition of Paule, that there is no cause to quarel with God,Rom. … xxi. if he willyng on the one syde to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen doo with dumme sufferance, and lenitie beare wyth the vessels of wrathe prepared to destruction: and on the other side he make knowē the richesse of his glorie toward the vessels of mercye which he hath prepared to glorie. Let the Reders marke, how Paule to cutte of occasion from whisperinges and backbitinges, geueth the chiefe rule to the wrath and power of God: bicause it is vniust that those depe iudgementes which; swallow vp all our senses, should be made subiect to our determination. Our aduersaries aunswer is very triflyng, that God doth not vtterly reiect them whome he suffreth in lenitie, but abideth with a mynde hanging in suspence towarde them, if peraduenture they may repente. As thoughe Paule geueth to God a patience, to loke for their turning, whome he sayeth to be made to destruction. For, Augustine sayth rightly where he expoundeth this place,Lib. v. cō tra Iul. cap. 6. where power is ioyned to sufferāce, God doth not suffer, but gouerne with his power. They further say also that it is not for nothing said that the vessels of wrath are prepared to destruction: but, that God hathe prepared the vessels of merciemercy: bicause by this meane he ascribeth and chalengeth the prayse of saluation to God, but the blame of destruction he casteth vponupon them which by their owne will doo bring it vponupon themselues. But although I graunt to them that Paul by the diuerse maner of speaking didde soften the rowghnesse of the first part of the sentence, yet it is not mete to assigne the preparing vntounto destruction to any other thing than to the secret counsel of God: which also is affirmed a little before in the rest of the texte. That God stirred vp Pharao: Then, that he hardneth whome he will. Wherupō foloweth that the hidden coūsel of god is ye cause of hardning. This at ye lest I get which Augustine saith,Lib …. de predest. sanct. ca. 2. yt whē God of wolues maketh shepe, he doth with a mightier grace reforme thē, that their hardnes may be tamed:& therefore god for this cause doth not cōuert ye obstinate, bicause he doth not shew forth in the thē the mightier grace, which he wāteth not if he wold shew it forth.
These sayenges in dede shoulde be sufficient for the godly and sobre, and them which remembre themselues to be men. But forasmuche as these venemous dogges do cast vp not only one sort of venime against God, we will as the mater shal serue, answer to eueryevery one particularly. Foolishe men doo diuers waies quarell with God, as though they had hym subiect to their accusations. First therfore they aske, by what right the Lorde is angry with his creatures, of whome he hath not been first prouoked by any offence: for to condemne to destruction whom he will, agreeth rather with the wilfulnesse of a tyrant, than the lawful sentēce of a iudge. Therfore they say yt there is cause why mē shold charge God, if by his bare will, without their owne deseruyng, they be predestinate to eternal death. If such thoughts do at any time com into the mynd of the godly, to breake their violent assaultes they shalbe sufficiently armed with this although they had no more, if they consider howe greate wickednesse it is, euen so muche as to enquire of the causes of the wil of God:Thys is …ke out … Augustine▪ lib. 1 de Gen. …ont. n…ani… ▪ ca. …. sith of all thinges yt are, it is ye cause, & worthily so ought to be. For if it hauehave any cause, then somwhat must go before it, wherto it must be as it were boūd: which it is vnlawful ones to imagine. For, ye will of God is so ye highest rule of righteousnesse, yt whatsoeuer he willeth, euē for this yt he willeth it, it ought to be takē for righteous. When therfore it is asked, why the Lord did it: it is to be answered, bicause he willed it, But if thou goe further in asking why he willed it, thou askest some greater & hier thing than the will of God: which cānot be foūd. Let therefore the rashnesse of man restrayne it self, & not seke which is not, least paraduenture it may not finde that whiche is. With this bridle (I say) he shalbe wel withholden whosoeuer he be that wil dispute of the secretes of God with reuerence. As for the boldenesse of ye wicked, which drede not openly to speake euel of God: against it the lord with his owne righteousnesse, without any our defense shal sufficiētly defend himself, when he shal take al shiftyng frō their cōsciences, & hold them fast conuinced, and condemne them. Neither do we yet thrust in the fained deuise of absolute power, which as it is prophane, so worthily ought to be abhorted of vsus. We faine not God lawlesse, who is a law to himself: bicause (as Plato sayth) men stand in neede of lawes, whoe are troubled with vnlawful lustes: but ye wil of God is not only pure from al fault but also is the hiest rule of perfectiō, yea & the law of all lawes. But we denie that he is subiect to yelde accompt. We denie also that we are mete iudges, which wold pronoūce of this cause after our owne sense. Wherfore if we attēpt further than we lawfully may,Psa. li.…. let that threatenyng of the Psalme bryng vsus in feare, that God shal ouercome so oft as he is iudged of any mortall man.
So can God in kepyng silence, put his enemies to silence. But, that we may not suffer them freely to scorne his holy name, he deliuereth to vsus out of his word weapons agaynst them. Wherefore if any man assayle vsus with such wordes: why God hath from the beginning predestinate some to death, which whē thei were not, could not yet deserue the iudgemēt of death: we in steede of answer may againe on our side aske of them, what they thinke that God oweth to mā, if he wil iudge him bi his owne nature. In such sort as we be al corrupted with sinne, we can not but be hatefull to God: & that not by tirannous crueltie, but by most vpright reason of iustice. If all they whom the Lord do…h predestinate to death, are by the estate of nature subiect to ye iudgemēt of death: of what vniustice against thēselues, I beseche you, may they complaine? Let al the sonnes of Adā come: Let them striue & dispute with their creator for that by his eternall prouidēce they were before their generation condemned to euerlastyng miserie. What shall they be able ones to mutter agaynst this defense, when God on the other side shal call them to reknowlegyng of themselues? If they be all takē out of a corrupt masse, it is no maruell if they be subiect to damnation. Let them not therefore accuse God of vniustice, if by his eternall iudgement they be apointed to death, to which thei themselues do …ele whether they will or no, that they are willingly led of their owne nature. Whereby appereth how wrōgfull is the desire of their murmuryng, bicause they do of set purpose hide the cause of damnatiō which they are cōpelled to acknowlege in thēselues, ye layeng of the blame vponupon God may acquite them. But though I do a hundred times confesse, as it is most true, that God is the author of it, yet they do not by and by wipe away the giltinesse whiche beyng engrauen in their cō sciences from time with oft recourse, presenteth it self to their eyes.
Agayne they except and saye: were they not before predestinate by the ordinance of God to the same corruption whiche is now alledged for the cause of dānation? Whē therfore thei perish in their corruptiō, thei do nothing but suffer the punishmēt of that miserie into which by his predestinatiō Adam sel & drew his posteritie hedlōg with him. Is not he therefore uniust, whiche doth so cruelly mocke his creatures. I graunt in deede yt al the children of Adā fel by the wil of God into that miserie of state wherin they be now boūd: & this is it yt I sayd at ye beginning, that at length we must alway returne to the determination of the wil of God, the cause wherof is hiddē in himself. But it foloweth not by & by that God is subiect to this sclaūder. For we wil with Paul answer thē in this māner,Ro. ix.xx. O man, what art thou that cōtendest with God? doth the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou formed me so? Hath not the potter power to make of the same lūpe one vessel to honor, & an other to dishonor? They will say that the righteousnesse of God is so not truely defended, but that we seke a shift, such as thei are wont to hauehave that want a iust e…euse. For what els semeth here to be sayd, thā that God hath a power which can not be hindered from doyng any thing whatsoeuer it be as he will himselfe? But it is far otherwise. For, what stronger reason can be brought than whē we are cōmaunded to think what a one God is? For how should be cōmit any vniustice, which is iudge of the world? If it properly perteine to the nature of God to do iudgemēt, then he naturally loueth righteousnesse, & abhorreth vnrighteousnesse. Wherefore the Apostle did not, as though he were ouertakē, loke about for holes to hide him: but shewed that the reason of the righteousnesse of God is hier than that it either is to be measured by the measure of man, or may be comprehended by the sclender capacitie of the wit of man. The Apostle in deede confesseth that there is such depth in the iudgemētes of God, wherwith the mindes of men shold be swalowed, if ther endeuored to pearce into it. But he teacheth also how haynous wrōg it is, to binde the workes of God to such a law, that so sone as we vnderstād not the reason of them, we may be bold to disalow them. It is a knowen sayeng of Saloniō (which yet fem do rightly vnderstand) The great creator of al rēdreth reward to the foole,Pro. xxvi.x. and reward to transgressors. For he crieth out concerning the greatnesse of God: in whose will it is to punish fooles & transgressors, although he do not vouchesaue to let them hauehave his Spirit. And mōstruous is the madnesse of men, when they so couet to make that whiche is vnmeasurable, subiect to ye smal measure of their reason.i. Tim. v.xx…. The Angels which stoode still in their vprightnesse, Paul calleth elect. If their stedfastnesse was groūded vponupon the good pleasure of God, the falling away of the other proueth that they were forsaken: Of which thing there can no other cause be alleged than reprobatiō, which is hidden in the secret counsell of God.
Goe to: let there now be present some Manichee, or Celestine, a sclaū derer of the prouidence of God: I say with Paule that there ought no reason to be rendred therof: bicause with the greatnesse of it, it far surmounteth our vnderstanding. What maruel? or what absurditie is it? Wold he hauehave the power of God so limited, yt it may be able to work no more, than his minde is able to conceyue? I saye with Augustine, that they are created of the Lorde, whome he without dou…yng foreknew that they should goe into destruction: and that it was so done, bicause he so willed: but why he willed, it is not our p…rt to ask a reason of it, who can not comprehend i…: …either is it mete that the …nd of God should come downe into cōtrouersie amōg vsus, of whiche so of… a… mention is made, vnderunder the name of it is named ye hiest rule of righteousnesse. Why therefore is any question moued of vnrighteousnesse where righteousnesse clerely appereth? Neither let vsus be ashamed, after the exāple of Paule, so to stoppe the mouthes of the wicked, & …rō time to time so oft as thei shalbe bold to barke against it, to repete this, Whoe be ye miserable men, yt lay an accusation to Gods charge▪ & do therfore lay it to his charge bicause he doth not tēper the greatnesse of his workes to your dulnesse? As though thei were therfore wrōgful, bicause they are hidden frō flesh. The vnmeasurablenesse of ye iudgementes of God is by cleare experiences knowen vntounto you. Ye know that they are called the depe bottomlesse depth.Ps. xxxv… ▪ Nowe aske of the narrow capacities of your wit, whether they cōprehend that whiche God hath decreed with himself. What good doth it you therfore with mad searchyng to plunge your selues into the bottōlesse depth, which reason it self teacheth you that it shalbe to your destruction? Why are ye not at the least restrained with some feare of that whiche both the historie of Iob and the bookes of the Prophetes do report of the i…comprehensible wisedome, & terrible power of God. If thy minde be vnquieted, let it not greue thee to embrace the counsell of Augustine.August. de uerb. apost…punc; serm. 20. Thou beyng a man lokest for an answer at my hand: and I also am a mā. Therfore let vsus both heare him that sayth: O mā, what art thou▪ Better is a faithfull ignorance than rash knowledge. Seke merites: thou shalt finde nothing but peine. O depth. Peter denieth: ye the…e beleueth: O depth. Sekest thou a reason? I wil trēble at the depth. Reason thou, I will wonder: dispute thou, I will beleue: I see depth, but I reache not the bottome. Paule rested, bicause he found wondering. He calleth the iudgementes of God vnsearchable: & art thou come to search them? He sayth that his wayes are impossible to be traced ou…: and doest thou trace them? with procedyng further we shall nothyng profit: For neyther we shall satisfie their waye wanton curiousnesse, neyther doth the Lord neede any other defense, than whiche he hath vsed by his Spirit, whiche spake by the mouth of Paule: & we forget to speake well, when we cesse to speake with God.
Their other obiection also ariseth out of vngodlinesse, which yet …ō deth not so directly to the accusing of God as to the excusing of the sinner Howebeit the sinner which is condēned of God, can not be iustified without dishonor of the iudge. Thus therefore prophane tonges do bark agaynst God, sayeng: why shold God impute those things for sinne to men, wherof he hath by his predestinatiō layed necessitie vpō men? For, what should thei do? Should thei wrastle with his decrees▪ But so should thei do it in vaine, sithe they cā not do it at al. Therfore they are not rightfully punished for those things, whereof yt …he…e cause is in Gods predestinatiō. Here I will absteine frō yt defense, wherunto ye Ecclesiastical writers do cōmonly flee, namely that ye fore knowlege of God withstādeth not but ye mā may be accōpted the sinner: bicause God foreseeth the euels of man, not his owne. For so y• cauillatiō wold not stay here, but will rather presse vsus further wt sayeng yt God might if he had would, hauehave prouided remedie for those euels which he foresaw: and that sithe he hath not so done, he hath of determined purpose created men to that end that he should so behaue himself in earth: and if by the prouidence of God, man was created to this condition, yt he should do al those thinges that he doeth: thē he is not to be blamed for that which he can not auoyde, & which he enterprised by ye wil of God. Therfore let vsus see how this knot ought to be well loosed. First of all this ought to be holdē certaine among al men whiche Salomō sayth, y• God hath created all thinges for himself,Prou. xvi.…ii. & the wicked mā to an euel day. Behold, when the dispising of al things is in ye hād of God, whē in his power remaineth the rule of safetie & death: he so ordereth thē by his coūsel & beck, that among men there are borne some adiudged euē from their mothers wōbe to death, which wt their destructiō may glorifie his name. If any man answer, yt there is no necessitie layed vponupon them by the prouidence of God, but rather yt he created them in suche estate, bicause he foresaw their peruersnesse to come: he neither sayth nothing at al, nor altogether. The old writers are wont in deede somtimes to vse this solutiō: but as it were doubtingly. But the Scholemen rest vponupon it, as though nothing could be obiected agaynst it. In deede I wil willingly graunt, yt foreknowlege alone bryngeth no necessitie to creatures, although al men do not so agree: for there be some that wil hauehave it also to be the cause of things. But it semeth to me that Ualla, a mā otherwise not much practised in holy writings, saw both more depely and more wisely, which shewed that this cōtention is superfluous: bicause bothe life & death are rather the doynges of Gods will that of his foreknowlege. If God did but foresee the successes of mē, & did not also dispose & order them by his wil, thē this questiō shold not wtout cause be moued, whether his foreseyng any thing auailed to the necessitie of them. But sith he doth none otherwise fortee ye things yt shal come to passe, than bicause he hath decreed yt they shold so come to passe: it is vaine to moue cōtrouersie about foreknowlege, where it is certaine that al things do happē rather by ordināce & comādemēt.
Thei say that this is not writtē in expresse wordes, that it was decreed of God, that Adam shold perish by his falling away. As though the same God, whō the Scripture reporteth to do whatsoeuer he wil, created the noblest of all his creatures to an vncertaine end. Thei say he had freewill, that he might shape to himself his owne fortune: & that God decreed nothing, but to hādle him according to his deseruing. If so cold a deuise be receyued, where shalbe that almightinesse of God, whereby he gouerneth al thinges according to his secret coūsel, which hangeth vponupon none other thing than it self? But predestination, whether they wil or no, sheweth himself in Adams posteritie. For it came not to passe naturally that all men should lose saluation by the fault of one parent. What hindereth them to cōfesse of one man, that which agaynst their willes they cōfesse of all mākinde? For why should they lose their labour with dallyeng shiftes? The Scripture crieth out y• all mē were in the persone of one man made bonde to eternall death. Sithe this can not be imputed to nature, it is playne that it proceded from the wonderous coūsell of God. But it is to much absurditie that these good Patrones of the righteousnesse of God doe so stumble at a strawe, and leape ouer great beames. Againe I aske: how came it to passe, that the fall of Adam did wrappe vp in eternall death so many nations with their children beyng infantes, without remedie, but bicause it so pleased God? Here their tonges whiche are otherwise so pratlyng, must of necessitie be dūme. It is a terrible decree, I graunt: yet no man shalbe able to denie, but that God foreknew what end mā should hauehave, ere he created him, and therefore foreknew it bycause he had so ordeyned by his decree. If any man here inuey agaynste the foreknowledge of God, he rashly and vndiscretely stūbleth. For what matter is there, I beseche you, why the heauenly iudge should be accused for that he was not ignorant of that which was to come? Therfore if there be any eyther iuste or colorable complaynt, it toucheth predestination. Neyther ought it to serue an absurditie whiche I say, that God foresaw not onelyonly the fall of the first man, & in him the ruine of his posteritie, but also disposed it after his owne will. For as it belongeth to his wisedome, to foreknow all thinges that shalbe: so it belongeth to his power, to rule and gouerne all thinges with his hand, And this question Augustine very well discusseth, as he doth other, sayeng: We most holsomly confesse that which we most rightly beleue,Euchir. ad Laur. that the God and Lord of all thinges, which created all thinges very good, and foreknew that euell thinges should spring out of good, and knewe that it more perteyned to his almighty goodnesse euen of euell thinges do well, than not to suffer them to be euell: that he so ordered the life of Angels and men, that in it he might firste shewe what free will could do, and then what the benefit of his grace and iudgement of iustice could do.
Here they runne to the distinction of will and permission, by which they will hauehave it graunted that the wycked doe perish, God only permittyng but not willyng it. But why should we saye that he permitteth it, but bycause he so willeth. Howebeit it is not likely, that man by himself, by the onelyonly permission of God, without any his ordināce, brought destruction to himself: as though God apointed not, of what condition he would hauehave the chiefe of his creatures to be. I therefore wil not dout to cōfesse simply with Augustine,De Gen. ad. leter. lib. 6. cap. … ▪. that ye will of God is a necessitie of things & that what he willeth, it must of necessitie come to passe: as those things shal truely come to passe which he hath foreseen. Now if for excuse of themselues and of the vngodly, eyther the Pelagians, or Manichees, or Anabaptistes, or Epicureans (for with these …ower se…tes we hauehave to do in this question) shall obiect against vsus necessitie wherewith they be bound by the predestination of God: they bryng nothing fit to the purpose. For if predestination be nothing els but a dispensation of righteousnesse of God, which is hidden in deede, but yet without faulte: For asmuch as it is certayne y• they were not vnworthy to be predestinate to that estate, it is also as certayne that ye destruction is moste righteous whiche they entre into by predestination. Moreouer their destruction so hangeth vponupon the predestination of God, that bothe cause and matter thereof is founde in themselues. For the first man fell, bicause the Lord so iudged it to be expediēt: why he so iudged, is vnknowen to vsus: yet it is certaine that he so iudged for no other reason but bicause he saw that therby the glorie of his name should be worthily set forth. When thou hearest mentiō of ye glorie of God, there thinke of his righteousnesse: For it must be righteous that deserueth prayse. Man therefore falleth, the prouidence of God so ordeyning it: but he falleth by his owne fault. The Lord had a litle before pronounced, that all the thinges whiche he had made were very good. Whense therfore cōmeth that peruersnesse to man,…. i.xxxi to fall away from his God? Least it should be thought to be of creation, the Lord with his cōmendation allowed that which came from himself. Therfore by his owne euelnesse he corrupted the nature whiche he had receiued pure of the Lord, and by his fall he drewe his whole posteritie with him into destruction. Wherefore let vsus rather beholde an euident cause of damnation in the corrupted nature of mankinde, whiche is nerer to vsus, than searche for a hidden & vtterly incōprehēsible cause thereof in the predestination of God. Neyther let it greue vsus so far to submit our wit to the vnmeasurable wisdome of God, that it may yeld in many secretes of his. For, of those things which it is neyther graū ted nor lawfull to know, the ignorance is well learned: the couetyng of knowlege, is a kinde of madnesse.
Some mā pa…happes wil say, that I hauehave not yet brought enough to subdue that wicked excuse. But I verily confesse that it can neuer be brought to passe, but that vngodlinesse will alway grudge & murmure against it: yet I think that I hauehave spoken so much as might suffice to take away not only all reason but also all color of gainesayeng. The reprobate wold be thought excusable in sinning, bicause they can not escape the necessitie of sinnyng: specially sithe such necessitie is cast vponupon them by the ordināce of God. But we denie that they are therby wel excused, bicause the ordināce of God, by whiche they cōplaine that thei are destinate to destruction, hath his righteousnesse, vnknowē in deede to vsus, but yet most certaine. Wherupō we cōclude, yt they …eare no euel which is not layed vponupon them by the most righteous iugemēt of God. Then, we teache that they do ouerthwartly, which to seke out the beginning of their dānatiō, do bend their eyes to the secret closets to the counsel of God, and wink at the corruptiō of nature, frō whense their dānation springeth. And this withstandeth ye thei cā not impute it to God, for y• he witnesseth of his owne creation. For although man is create by ye eternal prouidēce of God to that calamitie, wherunto he is subiect: yet ye mater therof he toke of himself, not of God: for asmuch as he is by no other meane so loste, but bicause he wente out of kinde from the pure creation of God into a corrupt & vnpure peruersness.
Now the aduersaries of Gods predestination do sclander it also wt a third absurditie. For whē we impute it to nothing els but to ye choise of the wil of God, that thei are made free frō the vniuersal destructiō, whō he maketh heires of his kingdome, therby thei gather yt there is with him accepting of persones, whiche ye Scripture eueryevery where denieth: & therefore, that either the Scripture disagreeth with it self, or that in the electiō of God there is respect of deseruinges. First, ye scripture in an other sense denieth, yt God is an accepter of persones, thā as they iudge it. For by the name of Persone, it signifieth not a man, but those things which beyng seen with eyes in man are wont to procure either …auor, grace, & dignitie, or hatred, cōtempt, & shame: as, richesse, wealth, power, nobilitie, office contree, excellencie of beautie, & such other: on the other side pouertie, neede, basenesse, vilenesse, contēpt, and such other.Act x.xxxiiii▪ Ro. ii.… Gal. vi.xxviii. I…am. ii.v. Col. iii.xxv Eph. vi▪ … So Peter and Paule do teache that the Lord is not an accepter of persones, bicause he putteth not differēce betwene the Iewe & the Grecian, to refuse the one & embrace ye other for only respecte of nation. So Iames vseth the same wordes whē he mindeth to affirme, that God in his iudgement nothing regardeth richesse. But Paule in an other place speaketh thus of God, that in iudgyng he hath no consideration of freedome or bondage. Wherefore there shal be no cōtrarietie if we shal say yt God accordyng to the will of his good pleasure without any deseruyng choseth to his sonnes whom he wil, reiecting & refusing other. But the matter may thus be opened, that men maye be more fully satisfied. They aske howe it cōmeth to passe, that of two betwene whome no deseruing putteth any difference, God in his electing passeth ouer the one & taketh the other. I on ye other side do aske them, whether thei thinke that in him that is taken there is any thing yt may make the minde of God to encline toward him. If thei confesse (as thei needes must) yt there is nothing, it shal folow yt god loketh not vpō mā, but frō his owne goodnesse fetcheth a cause why to do good to him.Aug … B…ny. lib. … cap. 7. Wheras therfore God chooseth one mā, refusing an other, this cōmeth not of respect of man, but of his merciemercy alone, whiche ought to hauehave libertie to shew forth and vtter it self where and whē it pleaseth him. For we hauehave in an other place also shewed, that there were not from the beginning many called noble,1. Co…. ….xxvi. or wise, or honorable, that God might humble the pride of flesh: so far is it of, that his fauor was boūd to persones.
Wherfore many do falsly & wickedly accuse God of partial vnrighteousnesse, for yt he doth not in his predestination kepe one self course toward al men. If (say thei) he finde a gilty, let him egally punish all: yf he finde them vngilty, let him witholde the rigor of his iudgement from all. But so they deale with him, as if eyther merciemercy were forbidden him, or when he would hauehave merciemercy he be compelled altogether to geue ouer his iudgement. What is it that they require? if all be gilty, that al may together suffer all one peyne. We graunt the giltinesse to be cōmon, but we say that the merciemercy of God helpeth some. Let it help all, say they. But we answer, that it is rightfull that he should also in punishing shew himself a rightfull iudge. When they suffer not this, what do they els but eyther goe about to spoyle God of his power to hauehave merciemercy, or al leaste to graunt it him vponupon this condition, that he vtterly geue ouer his iudgmēt.Epist. … & g…a… Wherfore these sayengs of Augustine do very wel agree together. Sithe in the first man the whole masse of mankinde fell into condemnation, these vessels that are made of it to honor, are not ye vessels of their own righteousnesse, but of ye merciemercy of God: & wheras other are made to dishonor, the same is not to be imputed to vnrightfulnesse but to iudgement &c:De bono perse…. … That to those whom he re…useth, God rēdreth due peyne: to those whome he calleth, he geueth vndeserued grace: that thei are deliuered from al accusation, after the manner of a creditor, in whose power it is, to forgeue to the one, and aske of ye other. Therfore ye Lord also may geue grace to whō he wil, bycause he is mercifull: & geue it not to all, bicause he is a iust iudge. He may by geuing to some▪ yt which they do not deserue, shew his free grace: and by not geuing to all, declare what all deserue. For wheras Paule wryteth that God enclosed all vnderunder sinne,Rom. …i.xxxi. that he might hauehave merciemercy vponupon all, it is therewithall to be added that he is dettor to no man: bicause no mā first gaue to him, that he may require like of him.
This also they often say, to ouerthrowe predestination, that while it standeth, all carefulnesse and endeuor of well doyng falleth awaye. For whoe (say they) shall heare that eyther life or death is certainely apointed for him by the eternall decree of God, but that it will by and by come into his minde that it maketh no matter how he behaue himself, sithe the predestination of God can by his worke be nothing hindered or furthered? So shal al men dissolutely throw forth thēselues, and after a desperate manner runne hedlong whether their lust shall carrie them. And verily they say not altogether falsly, for there be many swine, whiche with filthy blasphemies defile the doctrine of predestination, and by this pretense also do mocke out all admonishmentes & rebukynges, sayeng, God knoweth what he hath ones determined to do with vsus: if he hauehave decreed our saluation, he wil bring vsus to it at the time apointed: if he hauehave predestinate our death, we shold trauaile in vaine to the contrarie. But the Scripture, when it teacheth with how much greater reuerence and religiousnesse we ought to think of so great a misterie, doth both instruct the godly to far other sense, and well cōfute these mens outrage. For it doth not speake of predestinatiō to this ende, that we should be encouraged to boldnesse, and with vnlawful rashnesse attēpt to searche the vnattained secretes of God: but rather that beyng humbled and aba…ed we should learne to trēble at his iudgement, & reuerently to loke vp to his merciemercy. To this mark the faithfull wil leuell thēselues. As for that filthy groyning of swine, it is well confuted of Paul. They say that they goe carelesly forward in vices: bicause if they be of the nūber of the elect, their vices shal nothing hinder them▪ but that they shal at length be brought to life. But Paul telleth that we be to this ende,…ph. i.iii…. that we should leade a holy and faultlesse life. If the marke of that electiō is directed vntounto be holinesse of life, it ought more to awake and sturre vsus vp cherefully to practise that holinesse, than to serue for a clokyng of slouthfulnesse. For howe greatly do these thinges differ the one from the other: to cesse frō well doyng, bicause election sufficeth to saluatiō: and that the apointed end of election is that we should applie our selues to the endeuor of good doynges. Away therfore with such sacrileges, which do wrongfully misturne the whole order of electiō. Where they stretch their blaspemies further, when they say that he whiche is reprobrate of God, shal lose his labor if he goe about to make himselfe allowable to him with innocencie and honestie of life: therein they are taken with a most shamelesse lie. For, whense could such endeuor come but of election▪ For whosoeuer be of the nūber of the reprobate, as they are vessels made to dishonor, so they cesse not with continuall wicked doynges to prouoke the wrath of God agaynst themselues, and by euident tokens to confirme the iudgement of God whiche is already pronounced vponupon them: so far be they from striuyng with him in vaine.
But other do maliciously and shamefully sclaunder this doctrine, as though it did ouerthrow al exhortatiōs to godly liuing. For which matter in olde time Augustine was burdened with a greate malice. which he wiped away with his boke of Correption and Grace written to Ualentine, the redyng whereof will appease al godly and trac…able men: yet I wil touch a fewe thinges, which (as I trust) shall satisfie them that be honest and not contentious. We hauehave already seen how open and lowde a preacher of the free election Paule was: was he therefore colde in admonishyng and exhortyng? Let these good zelous men cōpare their earnestnesse with his, & it shal be found in them …se in comparison of his incredible heate. And truely this principle taketh away all doutes, that we are not called to vncleannesse, but that eueryevery man should possesse his vessell in honor,i. Thes. i…i… vii. Eph. ii.… &c. Agayne, that we are the handy worke of God created to good workes whiche he hath prepared that we should walke in them. Summarily, they that are euen but meanely exercised in Paule, shal without long declaration easily perceiue how fitly he maketh these thinges to agree, which thei fayne to disagree. Christ commaundeth that men beleue in him▪ yet is his definitiue sentence neyther false nor contrarie to this cōmaundement, where he sayth,Iohn. v….lx…. No man can come to me, but he to whome it is geuen of my father. Let preachyng therefore hauehave his course, whiche maye bring men to fayth, and with continuall profityng holde them faste in perseuerance. Neither yet let the knowlege of predestination be hindered, that they which obey may not be proude as of their owne, but maye glorie in the Lord.Mat. ….ix. Christ not for nothyng sayth, Whoe so hath eares of hearyng, let him heare. Therfore when we exhorte & preach, they that hauehave eares do willingly obey: but who so lack eares, in them is fulfilled that whiche is written,Esa. vi.ix▪ That hearyng they heare not. But why (sayth Augustine) shold some hauehave,Lib. de …a…no perso…, cap. 15. & other not hauehave? Whoe hath knowen the minde of the Lord? Must that therfore be denied which is open, bicause that can not be comprehēded whiche is hidden? These sayenges I hauehave faithfully reported out of Augustine: but bicause paraduenture his wordes shall hauehave more authoritie than mine, goe to, let vsus bring forth the very wordes that are red in himself. If when this is heard, many are turned into dulnesse and sluggishnesse, and beyng enclined frō labour to lust do goe after their desires: ought that therefore to be accompted false whiche is spoken of the foreknowlege of God? If God hauehave foreknowen that they shalbe good, shal they not be good, in how great euelnesse soeuer they nowe liue? and if he hauehave foreknowen that they wil be euell, shal they not be euel, in how great goodnesse soeuer they be now seen? Shal therfore those things which are truely spokē of the foreknowlege of God, be for such causes either to be denied or to be left vnspoken of? namely then when if they be not spoken of, men goe into errors?Cap. 16. The rule (sayth he) to kepe truthe vnspoken, is one thing, and the necessitie to speake truth is an other. As for the causes of leauyng truth vnspoken, it were long to search them out al: of whiche yet this is one, that they be not made worse whiche vnderstande it not, while we meane to make them more learned that vnderstand it, whoe when we speake any such thing are in deede not made more learned, nor yet are made worse. But when a true thing is in such case, that when we speake it, he is made worse that can not conceiue it: and when we speake it not, he is made worse that can conceyue it: what thinke we now to be done? is not the truth rather to be spoken, that he maye conceiue it, that can conceyue it: that kepe it vnspoken, that not only neither of them maye conceiue it, but also he that more vnderstandeth may be the worse? wheras if he did heare & conceiue it, by him also many shold learne? And we wil not say that which, as the Scripture witnesseth, we lawfully might hauehave spokē. For we feare for so the least when we speake, he be offended that can not conceiue it: but we feare not least while we holde our peace, he that can conceyue truthe be deceiued with falshed. Whiche sentence he at the last shortly knittyng vp,Cap. 20. more plainely also confirmeth. Wherefore if the Apostles & they which followed them, the doctors of the Church, did both, namely both godlyly preache of the eternall election of God, and holde the faythfull in awe vnderunder the discipline of godly life: why doe these our aduersaries beyng confuted with inuincible violence of truthe, thinke that they saye well in sayeng that that whiche is spoken of predestination is not to be preached to the people although it be true. Yea it must in any wise be preached, that he which hath eares to heare may heare. But who hath eares if he hauehave not receiued them frō him that promiseth that he will geue them? Truely let him y• receiueth not, refuse it: so that yet he which receiueth it, do take & drinke, do drink & liue. For as godlinesse is to be preached, yt God may be rightly worshipped: so is also predestination, that he whiche hath eares to heare of the grace of God, may glorie in God and not in himself.
And yet that holy man, as he had a singular desire to edifie, so tempereth the manner of teaching the truthe, that offense be wisely auoyded so far as it lawfully maye be. For he sheweth that those thinges which are truely sayd, maye also be conueniently sayd. If any man do thus preache to the people. If ye beleue not, the cause is for that ye are already predestinate of God to destruction: suche a man doth not only cherish slouthfulnesse, but also maineteyne wickednesse. If any man also stretch his sayeng to the time to come, and saye that they whiche heare, shall not beleue, bicause they are reprobate: this shalbe rather a cursyng than a teachyng. Such therfore Augustine not vnworthily biddeth to departe from the Church, as foolish teachers, and vnlucky and ill prophecieng Prophetes. In an other place he truely affirmeth that it is to beholden that a man then profiteth with rebukyng, when he hath merciemercy and helpeth whiche maketh to profit whome he will, euen without rebukyng. But why some thus, & some otherwise? God forbidde, that that we should saye that the power of iudgyng belongeth rather to the claye than to the potter. Agayne afterward. When men by rebuking either come or returne into the way of righteousnes, who worketh saluatiō in their heartes but he which when any whosoeuer he be planted & watereth, geueth the encrease, whom when he wil saue, no freewill of man resisteth? It is therefore not to be doubted that the willes of men can not resist the will of God (which both in heauen & earth hath done what soeuer he would, and which hath also done those thinges that are to come) but that he may do what he wil, for asmuch as euen of the very willes of men he doth what he wil. Agayne, whē he wil leade mē to him, doth he binde them wt corporal bondes? He inwardly worketh, inwardly holdeth hearts, inwardly moueth hearts, & draweth them with their willes which he himself hath made in thē. But, that which he by and by addeth ought in no wise to be omitted: that bicause we know not whoe belongeth or not belongeth to the number of the predestinate, we ought so to be affectioned that we would al men to be saued. So shal it come to passe, that whome soeuer we finde, we shall trauaile to make him partaker of peace. But our peace shal rest vponupon the children of peace. Therfore for our part, we must applie holsome and sharp rebukyng to all men like a medicine, that they perish not, nor destroye other, but it shalbe the worke of God to make it profitable to them whome he hath foreknowen and predestinate.