A briefe declaration of the chiefe points of Christian religion set forth in a table. Made by Theodore Beze.

CHAP. III.

How God putteth in execution his eternall counsell, aswell towards the elect, as the re∣probate.

THe Lord God, that hee might put in execution this eternall counsell to his glory, prepared away accor∣ding to his infinite wisedom, indifferēt both to those that hee would chuse, and those also which hee would refuse. For when he determined to shevv his infinite mercie in the saluation of the elect, and also his iust iudgement in the condemnation of the re∣probate; it was necessary that hee should shut vp both vnder disobedience & sinne, to shew his mercy to all 1

those that belieue 2. that is to say, to the elect: because faith is a gift of god which proper∣ly belongeth vnto thē 3: and cōtrariwise to haue iust cause to condemne them, to whom it is not giuē to belieue 4. nor to know Gods mysteries 5. Therefore GOD did this in such sort, and with such wis∣dome, that the whole fault of the reprobates damnati∣on lyeth in themselues: and on the other side, all the glo∣ry and praise of the elects sal∣uation belongeth wholly to his onely mercy.

For he did not create man a sinner (for then he should haue beene, with reuerent feare bee it spoken, the au∣thor of sinne, which after∣wards hee could not iustlie haue punished) but rather he

made him after his owne i∣mage 6: to wit, in innocēcie, purity, & holiness: who not∣withstanding without con∣straint of any, neither yet forced by any necessitie of concupiscence as touching his will (which as yet was not made seruaunt vnto sinne 8) willinglie, and of his owne accord rebelled against God: binding (by this meanes) the vvhole nature of man to sin, and so consequent∣ly to the death of bodie & soule 9.

Yet we must confesse that this fall came not by chance or fortune, seeing his proui∣dence doth stretch forth it selfe euen to the smallest things 10: neither can we say, that any thing doth happen, that God knoweth not, or

careth not for, except wee would fall into the opinion of the Epicures, from the which God preserue vs, nei∣ther yet by any bare or idle permission or sufferance, which is separate from his will and sure determination. For seeing hee hath appoin∣ted the end, it is necessarie al∣so that he should appoint the causes which lead vs to the same end: vnlesse we affirme with the wicked Manichees, that this end happeneth at all aduentures, or by meanes of causes ordained by some other God.

Further more, wee cannot thinke that any thing happe∣neth contrary to Gods will, except wee deny blasphe∣mously that hee is omnipo∣tent & Almightie: As Saint

Augustine noteth plainly, in his booke De correptione & gratia, chap 104. Wee con∣clude therefore, that this full of Adam did so proceede of the motion of his will, that notwithstanding it happe∣ned not without the vvill of God: whom it pleaseth by a maruailous and incompre∣hensible mean that the thing which hee doth not allow (for asmuch as it is sin) shold not happen without his will. And this is done, as wee said before, that hee might shew the riches of his glory to∣wards the vessels of mer∣cie: and his vvrath and power vpon those vessels, which hee hath made to set foorth his glory by their shame & confusion 12. For the finall end of Gods coun∣sell

is neither the saluation of the elect, nor the damna∣tion of the reprobate: but the setting forth of his own glory, in sauing the one by his mercy, and condemning the other by his iust iudge∣ment.

Then to auoid al these blas∣phemies, vnto the which the infirmitie of our wits doth draw vs, let vs confesse that the corruption of the princi∣pall worke that GOD hath made (which is man) is not happened by chaunce, nor without the will of him, who according to his incompre∣hensible wisedome, dooth make and gouerne all things to his glory. Albeit wee must confesse (in despight of mans iudgement, which was limit∣ted in the beginning within

a certaine compasse, and af∣ter was miserably corrupted) that the whole fault of his damnation lieth in man: for∣asmuch as betwixt the secret and incomprehensible will of God and that corruption of mans nature, which is the verie first occasion of the reprobates damnation, the wil of the first man is a mean, vvhich being created good, hath willingly corrupted it selfe, and therby opened the doore to the iust iudgement of God, to condemn al those, to whom it doth not please him to shew mercie. And if they would yet obiect, and cauill, saying, that they can∣not resist the will of GOD 13, let vs suffer them to their owne destruction to plead a∣gainst him, vvho wil be able

enough to defend his iu∣stice, against their quarrel∣ling. Let vs rather reuerence that which passeth the reach and compasse of our wits & turne our minds whollie to praise his mercie, who by his onely grace hath saued vs, when wee deserued the like punishment and damnation, and were no lesse sinners and wicked then they.

Notes

• Why man was created good, but yet so, that he might willingly becom euil.
• The creati∣on of man.
• Corruption.
• The fall of Adam chan∣ced not with out the wil & ordinance of God.
• F••c••ir. ad Laurent. Chap. 99.
• The whole fault of mās perdition, is in himselfe, and not in God.