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. III. A confirmation of the former things, to wit, that some are elec∣ted, some reprobated of God from euerlasting, against the error of certaine men that say, that all men are elected in Christ.

IT cannot be denied,* 1.1 that God doth all things with a deter∣mined and certaine counsell, and that from euerlasting: because there is nothing temporall in God: otherwise hee should be mutable, as the author of the calling of the Gen∣tiles, lib. 2. cap 10. hath truely written. In God there is no ac∣cident, motion, or new will, or temporall counsell: neither is his minde altered with the inequalitie of mutable things, but he comprehendeth all times and temporall things together, with an euerlasting and stedfast regarde. Therefore because God, and that willingly, saueth some men, and damneth others, (for nothing can be done if hee bee simplie vnwilling, and a∣gainst

it) we must of necessitie confesse, that both are done according to Gods eternall purpose. And this is nothing els, than that God hath chosen some, and reiected others from euerlasting.

* 1.2Augustines argument drawne from grace to predestinati∣on, is not vnlike:

To whom God giueth his giftes freely, I meane, faith, good workes, perseuerance in faith and loue, and such like, he foreknew also that he would giue them freely, and in his foreknowledge he hath disposed them from all eternitie.

But those gifts freely giuen, are bestowed by him vpon some, and are not bestowed vpon others.

Therefore hee foreknew from eternitie, and in his presci∣ence disposed also to bestowe them vpon some, and not to bestowe them vpon others. And this is the very poynt that we defend: namely, that God hath predestinated some vnto grace before others.* 1.3 These be Augustines words: They (saith he) that so knowe, that God giueth faith, confession, obedience, perseuerance,* 1.4 &c. that they are not ignorant, that he foreknew, that he would giue, and could not be ignorant to whom he would giue, doubtles they knowe predestination: for to dispose his fu∣ture workes in his foreknowledge, which cannot be deceiued and changed, is no other thing at all but predestination. And anon, speaking of the grace of faith and perseuerance vnto the end, against certaine Semipelagians of those times, saith: Doe they say, that happely neither those things are predestina∣ted? Therefore they are not giuen of God, or else he knew not that he would giue them. But if they be giuen, and he fore∣knew, that he would giue them, doubtles hee did predestinate them. In the same place, chap. 2. The Church praieth, that the vnbeleeuers may beleeue, and beleeuing may perseuer. God then conuerteth to faith, and he giueth perseuerance vnto the end. This God foreknew should come to passe. This is the pre∣destination of Saints, whom he elected in Christ, before the creation of the world, that they should bee holie and without spot, &c.

* 1.5Thirdly, there is a strong argument from the word Electi∣on;

either that there is no election, or else, if there be any e∣lection to eternall life, it belongeth to some onely, and not to all. For if eternall life were prepared, or destinated for all, in respect of God, it should surely be termed his purpose, pre∣destination and loue, but not election, according to the diffe∣rence of these words before set downe.

Furthermore consider I pray thee, christian reader,* 1.6 to what end the contrarie opinion tendeth. Huber saith, that all are elected, and alike beloued of the father in Christ, and ap∣poynted to eternall life. Yet seeing it is certaine, that not all are saued,* 1.7 he annexeth another speciall election to this gene∣rall, which is speciall, not in respect of God, (as though hee tooke peculiar counsell for some men) but in respect of men themselues, who should applie vniuersal grace to themselues,* 1.8 for that God did elect with the condition of faith, that they that beleeue in Christ, should be saued, and such as beleeued not, should bee damned.* 1.9 What other thing must wee hence collect, than that God determined nothing at all with him∣selfe, to giue faith to some, and not to giue it to others, neither that he giueth it to some peculiarly: but that he hath left it in mens power to beleeue the Gospell or not to beleeue? For if he giue faith to some, surely he tooke peculiar counsell con∣cerning them, and let the rest passe. But if he giue not faith peculiarly to some, the grace of God whereby we are saued, is ouerthrowne, and let the Pelagians carrie away the victory. Further, they that imagine so of election, as hath been saide, (confessing in word, Gods election) doe in very deede, take a∣way all election: for if it were so, God should not choose vs, but wee him, by receiuing his offered grace, and we should be as it were the potters and formers of Gods election. Also, we shuld be so elected, because we beleeue,* 1.10 wheras on y^e con∣trarie, we are elected that we might beleeue. For electiō surely doth not finde, but make men faithfull, as Augustine testifieth.

But least we should seeme to leane onely vpon reasons, we haue many, and those very notable testimonies in the sa∣cred Scriptures, to proue both the election and reprobation of some men: as God from euerlasting would either haue

mercy, or not haue mercie vpon them. Christ, Matthew. 11. I thanke thee O father, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast reuealed them to babes: Euen so father, because it so pleased thee, Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen: but to them it is not giuen: but the prophesie of Esay is fulfilled in them: ye shall heare with your eares, and not vnderstand, and in seeing ye shall see, and not perceiue, Matth. 20. To sit on my right hand, and on my left, shall be giuen to them, for whom it is prepared of my father. And chap. 22. Many are called, but few are chosen. Therefore all are not elect, to whom the Gos∣pell is preached: much lesse, to whome it is not preached, of whom there is at this day an infinite number,* 1.11 and hath been, especially in olde time, When all the Gentiles were suffered to walke in their owne waies. Matth. 24. Except those daies should be shortened, all flesh should perish, but for the elect sake they shall be shortered. In the same place: False Christs, and false prophets shall rise, and shall doe signes and miracles, so that they should deceiue, if it were possible, euen the elect. If all men therefore were elected, no man could be seduced or pe∣rish, against which thing in the same place it is said, of two in the field, that the one should be receiued, the other forsaken, Matth. 25. The sonne of man shall place his sheepe on his right hand, but the goates on the left, and shall say to them on the right hand: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you, before the foundations of the world were laide: But to them that shall bee on the left hand, hee shall say: Depart ye cursed into the fire, that is prepared for the diuell and his angels: Iohn 10. The Lord said vnto the Iewes, continuing in their obstinacie: Ye beleeue not, for yee are not of my sheepe. My sheepe heare my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I giue vnto them eternall life, neither shall they perish for euer, and no man shall take them out of my hand, Iohn 17. The Lord separating his own from such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be not his, saith: I pray not for the world, O father, but for them whom thou hast giuen me: and these he saith are lo∣u••d of his father, and that he doth manifest his name vnto

them, and that they are sanctified and kept vnto eternall life. None of which things belongeth to that world for which he doth not pray. Therefore there is a plaine difference set downe betweene the elect and reprobates. Hereupon Au∣gustine, tract. 107. He would haue the world, for which hee praieth not, to be taken for them, that be not in that ••••••••e of grace, that they may he chosen out of the world▪ But he praieth for them whom his father gaue him. For hereby, in that his fa∣ther gaue them vnto him, it came to passe, that they pertained not to that world: for which he praieth not, to wit the world of such as shall be damned, as the same man testifieth, tract. 110. For which (he saith) he praieth not, because he is not ignorant, whereunto it is predestinate. In the same 17. chapter of Iohn, Iudas is said to perish, as the sonne of perdition; the rest con∣tinued with Christ in his temptations, and perished not, as being elect, and giuen him of the father, that he might giue them eternall life.* 1.12 And whereas Iudas also is reckoned a∣mong them, whom the father had giuen to the sonne: either it is spoken according to the opinion of men, as some thinke: or else it is to be taken, in respect onely of the Apostleship, as Augustine expoundeth it, Tract. 106. Further, whereas Luke writeth, Acts 13. That as many as were ordained to eternall life, beleeued: hee leaueth no place for doubting, but some men are, others are not foreordained or predestinated vn∣to life.

But what doth Paul, a chosen instrument,* 1.13 that was wrapt vp into paradise, and heard words that could not be vttered? How often doth hee inculcate the truth of predestination? Rom. 8. he saith: whom he foreknew, them he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne. And whom he pre∣destinated them hee also called, and whom he called, them hee iustified, and whom he iustified, them he also glorified. Further what conteine the 9, 10, 11. chapters following, but a moste cleare exposition of this present doctrine of the election of some, and the reprobation of others, according to the eternal purpose of God? That we may take a few things onely out of the Apostles disputation, chapter 9. concerning the twins,

Iacob and Esay, cōceiued both at one time, he saith, while the children were yet vnborne, whē they had done neither good nor euill, that the purpose of God might stand, which is according to his election not of workes, but of the caller, it was said to Rebec∣ca: the elder shall serue the yonger. And he citeth the place of Malachie: Iacob haue I loued, Esay haue I hated. And by and by, alleaging a testimony, and the example of Pharao out of Moses, hee concludeth in these wordes: Therefore, he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Again, Hath not the potter power ouer the cla••e, to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour, another to dishonour? And straight way addeth, concerning vessels of wrath prepared vnto de∣struction, and concerning vessels ••f mercie, which he saith are prepared of God vnto glorie. In the 11 chapter he testifieth that God hath alwayes in the multitude of them that perish, some remnants of such as shal be saued according to election of grace: of whome also hee saith: The elect haue obtayned, the rest were hardened, as it is written: God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber, eies that they should not see, and eares that they should not heare.

Notable also is the place, Eph. 1. Blessed be God, who hath blessed vs with euery spirituall blessing in heauen, in Christ Ie∣sus: as he elected vs in him, before the foundations of the world were laid, that we shuld be holy, & blameles before him thorow loue: predestinating vs to be his adopted sonnes through Christ Iesus in himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glorious grace, &c. To the Philippians. 2. It is God that worketh in vs to will and to performe according to his good pleasure, his verely, and not thine, as wee saw euen now in the words to the Ephes. In the latter to the Thess. 2. To them that perish, and are punished with the efficacie of deceite, that they might beleeue lyes, the Apostle opposeth the beloued and electe of God, who of his grace (for which hee giueth there thanks to God) are called by the Gospell, to obtaine the glorie of our Lord Iesu Christ. Of this same vocation and election he speaketh 2. to Tim. 1. God hath called vs with a holy calling, not for our workes, but of his purpose and grace, which was giuen

vs in Christ Iesu before all worlds: and is made manifest now through the appearing of Iesu Christ. And chap. 2. of the same epistle he saith: The foundatiō of God is sure, hauing this seale: The Lord knoweth who are his. But in a great house, there are not onely vessels of gold, and siluer, but also of wood and earth, and some to honour, some to dishonour.

Apoc. 13. and 17. it is said of the beast, that all the inhabi∣tants of the earth, whose names are not written in the books of life from the foundations of the world, should worship, and haue it in high estimation. The reprobates and such as perish are expressed in many words, against whome the elect are oppo∣sed, whose names are written in the booke of life before the creation of the world, and whom Gods mercie doth so de∣fend, that they cannot be seduced, at the least, finally. Iude al∣so in his epistle testifieth, that seducers were of old ordained or forewritten to this condemnation: which the Glosse and Aqui∣nas (least any man should blame our men to bee the makers of such Glosses) do expound, that they were from euerlasting in the fore knowledge of God foreseen for this iudgement of present reprobation, that they should waxe vile themselues, and cast others into vncleanenes.

In the bookes of the old Testament we read the same doc∣trine to be taught, for the Lord saith to Moses,* 1.14 Exod. 33. I will haue mercie, on whom I will haue mercie, and I will haue com∣passion, on whom I will haue compassion. And of Pharao the Scripture saith, Exod. 9. for this cause haue I raised thee vp, to shew in thee my power, and that my name might be declared in all the earth. Other such testimonies are mencioned in the disputation of Pauls epistle to the Romans. Whereunto adde that which is Prouerbs 16. God made all things for his owne sake, euen the vngodly against the euill day. And 1. Sam. 2. it is said of Elies sonnes, that they would not heare the voice of their father, because the Lord would slaie them. Again, 2. Chron. 25 vers. 16. the prophet saith to king Amasia: I knowe that God hath purposed to destroie thee, because thou hast not obeyed my worde.

By these and the like sentences of the sacred scriptures all

men perceiue, that loue the truth more than contention, that election comprehendeth not whole mankind, but that some among them are elected to saluation, others are reiected from the same according to the eternal counsell and good pleasure of God. The same men also vnderstand, that the definition of predestination, which is brought of some men, is insufficient, as though predestination of the Saints, or election were no∣thing else than the decree of God, touching the maner of ob∣tayning saluation through Christ: and reprobation were no other thing, than his decree of the dāning of vnbeeleuers, and such as abide without Christ. There is no doubte, but God hath so decreed and keepeth these things: but the proofes and testimonies alledged do further strongly prooue, that God hath also decreed, to whom he will giue, or not giue faith, whereby wee are ingrafted into Christ for saluation, in him and through him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The 1. argu∣ment.
• * 1.2

  The 2. argu∣ment.
• * 1.3

  De bono per∣seuer. cap. 19.
• * 1.4

  Cap. 17.
• * 1.5

  The 3. argu∣ment.
• * 1.6

  The 4. argu∣ment. Thes. 1127.
• * 1.7

  Thes. 735.
• * 1.8

  Thes. 7••6.
• * 1.9

  Marke here to what ende this opinion tendeth.
• * 1.10

  Marke this well. Epist. 105. Testimonies of the new Testament prouing electi∣on and repro∣bation.
• * 1.11

  Acts 14.
• * 1.12

  In what sense Iudas is said ••o b•• giuē Christ of his father.
• * 1.13

  Pauls epistle.
• * 1.14

  Testimonies of the olde Te∣stament.