Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.

CHAP. 98.

Albeit God can, when hee will, conuert the euill dispositions of men, yet doth hee iustly al∣though hee doe not reforme the same: and when hee tur∣neth them vnto him, hee doth it of his owne meere grace and mercie.

WHo moreouer is so wic∣kedly vnwise, as that hee will affirme, that God cannot make good when hee will the euill dispositions of men, which of them hee will, when he will, and where hee will? Howbeit, when hee doth it, hee doth it of his owne mercy: and when hee doth it not, he doth it not, by rea∣son of iustice; because he taketh mercie on whom hee will, and hardeneth whome hee will. Which when the Apostle did speake, hee therein extolled grace; for the commendation

whereof hee was forthwith to speake of those Twinnes in Re∣beccaes woomb: which being vn∣borne and doing nothing that was either good or euill, to the ende yet that Gods decree tou∣ching election might stand im∣mutable, it was saide vnto him that was elected, beeing not chosen in respect of his workes but by the mercie of him that called, Because the elder shall serue the yonger. For confir∣mation whereof hee addeth an∣other saying of the Prophet where it is written, Iacob haue I loued, but Esau haue I hated. Hee therefore perceiuing how this which hee had spoken might worke in those which were not of capacitie to reach vnto the height of this doctrine of grace, What therefore shall ••ee say? sayth hee: is there a∣ny iniustice with GOD? Far bee it from vs to thinke so. For it seemeth to sauour some∣what of iniustice, that without

any merits of good or euil works, God should elect the one, and hate the o••••er. In which matter if GOD had meant of ••uture workes, either good in Iacob, or bad in Esau (both which God did fore knowe) hee would not haue said, Not by workes: but he would haue said, by futureworks, and by that meanes would hee haue discus••ed this controuersie; nay, rather haue made it no que∣stion at all necessary to bee satis∣fied. Now, in that he answered, God forbid, that is to say, God forbid that there should bee any iniustice with God, presently thereupon to prooue that this matter came not to passe throgh any iniustice in God, hee sayth, For hee saide to Moses, I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie, and I will shewe mercie to whom I will shewe mercy. Who therefore but hee that is vnwise will think God to be iniust, whe∣ther he do inflict any penal iudg∣ment vpon the worthy, or shewe

mercie vnto the vnworthie? Fi∣nally, he inferreth saying, Ther∣fore is it not in him that willeth, nor in him that rūneth, but in God which taketh mercie. For, both the Twinnes were borne by na∣ture the children of wrath, not by any of their owne workes, but being originally tyed in the bonde of damnation through Adams fault. But, hee which sayde, I will showe mercie to whome I will shewe mercie, did loue Iacob through a mercie freely proceeding out of him∣selfe, and hated Esau through a fatall iudgement. Which iudgement seeing it was due to both, hee that was cho∣sen did acknowledge in that which happened to the other that was refused, That hee was not to boast of the dif∣ference of their seuerall works, in that the same punishment did not fall vpon him, beeing in the selfe same Predicament of damnation, but to reioyce

in the liberalitie of Gods grace and mercie, because it was of Gods mercie, and not of him that willed, or of him that run∣ned. For, the vniuersall face and countenaunce (as I may so saye) of the holy Scrip∣tures, is obserued by a most highe and profitable myste∣rie, to admonish all the be∣houlders thereof, that hee which glorieth should glorie in the Lord.