Of the redemption of mankind three bookes wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of redemption and grace by Christ, and of his death for all men, is largely handled. Hereunto is annexed a treatise of Gods predestination in one booke. Written in Latin by Iacob Kimedoncius D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge, and translated into English by Hugh Ince preacher of the word of God.

CHAP. XVII. Of this, that only vnbeleefe condemneth, and not other sinnes: but whosoeuer is condemned, for only vnbeleefe he is condemned.

ALL these things being made plaine, Hubers opinion is now spoyled, and his threefold ranke scattered here and there, whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments, hath bid this battel vnto the trueth. But yet before we make an end of this point, wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption, we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation: to wit, how it commeth to passe, that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God, and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God, and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued, yet all are not saued for euer. This therefore is the cause, say they, because some abide by faith in saluation receiued, others through vnbeleef refuse, contemne and cast away saluation gottē for them, and so by neglecting and despising their saluation, make themselues reprobates, and therefore onely are damned, because they despise grace,

and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes. These things are in so many words ex∣tant in Hubers Thes. 19.69.155.245. And also in his Thes. 187. he writeth, that such as beleeue not, tread vnder foote their redemption, and propitiation for their sinnes, shaking from them through vnbeleefe, and so their vnbe••eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation.

In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel. pag. 548. saith, that men are not therefore damned, because they haue sinned, but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ, who suffe∣red, was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the dam∣ned, than for the sinnes of Peter, Paul, and all the Saints: no∣ting there these words in the margent: onely vnbeleefe dam∣neth men.

As touching this doctrine, it is confessed, if any man truly beleeue in Christ, the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell: and contrarily, if a man haue not faith, he shall be damned, albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne. For he that beleeueth shall be saued: he that beleeueth not shall be damned, saith that faithfull and true witnesse. And Augustine writeth, that onely the sinne of vn∣beleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes, that they are not released by the grace of God, as by beleeuing all sins are remitted.

Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is, that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith, yet it dare auouch, that there is remission of sinnes, free∣dome from the iudgement and wrath of God, and power of the deuill, yea and saluation it selfe without faith. For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death, whether they beleeue or not, otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie, that he that beleeueth in Christ, through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes, the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers. This is a farre other opinion, than if a man should say (as Huber doth) that all together are set free from all sinne, and all iudgement

and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men, yea in vnbeleeuers: onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes, and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God. Augustine saith well in the foreci∣ted place, The medicine of all the wounds of the soule, and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men, is to beleeue in Christ, and by faith we are borne of God, and made the sonnes of God, as it is written: to them that beleeue in his name, he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God.

The other thing which is worthily reproued in the allead∣ged opinion, is this, that it precisely setteth downe the con∣tempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbe∣leefe, to bee the cause of damnation. For first this opinion [ 1] presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell, in re∣spect of all and euery one who euer haue been, are, or shall be: which how vaine it is, is taught by many testimonies of the Scriptures: Act. 14.16.17.30. Eph. 2.12. Psal. 147.19.20. Besides looke what wee haue spoken in the sixt chapter of this booke.

Secondly, the Apostle saying: They that haue sinned with∣out [ 2] the law, shall perish also without the law: and they that haue sinned in the law, shall be damned by the law; doth not onelie grant, that the Gentiles for the most part wanted the know∣ledge of the law written, much more the knowledge of the promises of the grace of the Gospell published by Moses and the Prophets: but also alleadgeth the reason of the iust dam∣nation of the Gentiles from the breach of the law of nature, making no mention of the contemned grace of the Gospell.

Thirdly, what shall we say of so many millions of infants [ 3] without the Church, who haue bin preuented by death from the beginning of the world, and are daily preuented, before they can heare the least tittle of the grace of the Gospel? what contempt is there of grace? what lothing of saluation?

Fourthly, the Lord in the Gospell saith: If I had not come [ 4] and spoken vnto them, they should not haue had sinne: but now they haue nothing to cloake their sinnes withall. Augustine

tract. 89. aduiseth vs to vnderstand this place not of euery sinne, but of the great sinne of vnbeleefe: and mouing the question, whether they vnto whom Christ commeth not, nor speaketh vnto them, haue excuse for their sinne? answereth; not truly for euery one of their sinnes, but for this sinne, that they haue not beleeued in Christ, they haue a plaine excuse, and they cannot therefore auoide damnation, according to the saying: Whosoeuer haue sinned without the law, shall also perish without the law: and whosoeuer haue sinned in the law, shall be iudged by the law. And such he saith are they, who when they heare contemne, or else gainsaying resist, or with hatred pursuing them by whom they heare. Also Epist. 99. ad Euod. speaking of such as are in hell, according to his owne and the common opinion of others, maketh difference be∣tween such as here would not beleeue the Gospell preached, & those that haue not here contemned (saith he) that which they would not heare, and are cast into hel without any guil∣tines of the contempt of the Gospell. The like he writeth in his booke of nature and grace, lib. 4. If with these sayings of ancient fathers we compare the phrases of new Sectaries, we shall see a flat contrarietie. And let these be spoken for con∣futation of those things, so much as the state of our purpose seemed to require.

Notes

• Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries, How all are not eternally saued, that yet were redee∣med and saued by Christs death, as they say.
• What we like in the aduersa∣ries doctrine.
• Mar. 16.
• De verb. Dom. sec. Ioh. serm. 60. & enar. Ps. 109.
• What we mis∣like iustly. The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets.
• Acts 10.
• Ioh. 3.
• Serm. 60.
• The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons.
• Ioh. 15.
• Augustines iudgement of this question.