Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

Of how many sorts are those meanes?

Of two; some are common as well to the Elect, as the Repro∣bate, wherein the Elect and the Reprobate are made equal: others proper and speciall to either, wherein the elect are discerned from the reprobate.

Those that are common are threefold, namely the Creation of man, male and female in the vpright state, that is, in righteous∣nesse and holinesse,a. 1.1 but changeable. For God alone is vn∣changeable.

2, The Fall of man, whereby he defiled himselfe with sinne most fouly, ^b. which could not haue happened without both the ordinance and will of God, that mans wretchednesse might giue place to God his mercie, and the transgression of man to Gods iustice (neyther yet can any thing be said to fall out with∣out the knowledge of god, or God being against it and vnwil∣ling, or vnaduisedly, from whose will and pleasure not the little sparrowes are excepted, Matth. 11.29.) Neuerthelesse the fall of man was from his owne accord, and of his owne will: and there∣fore the fall of Adam sticketh as a fault in his free, a••d vncompel∣led will, wherewith he obeyed the serpent rather then god, and not in the onely bare will of god: whereupon it was very well said of Prudentius,

Nemo nocens, si fata regunt, quod viuitur et fit: Imo nocens, quicun{que} volens, non quod licet audet. No man is bad if fate doth rule, and cause men liue in ill, Yea he is bad, who lawlesse liues, and liues so with his will,

3. The spreading of that sinne, that is of the guilt and punish∣ment from Adam ouer all men: for no cleane thing can bee bred of an vncleane:d. 1.2 from whence it commeth that all men by nature, not by imitation and custome are the children of wrath,

Ephes. 2.3. For seeing that God, before he created mankind, had determined both to shew a notable token of his mercie, euen in the saluation of the Elect, and also to declare his iust iudgement, it was necessarie that eyther should bee included vnder sinne, namely, that he might haue mercie on them that beleeued, and a∣gaine, that hee might finde argument of iust condemnation in those, to whom it is giuen neither to beleeue, nor to vnderstand the mysteries of God, Matth. 13.11.

By these ruines of mankind therefore, God all-wise decreed to separate some to himselfe, to choose them, and to bring them to life as vessels of his mercie: and to leaue others in their corrupti∣on, and to reserue them vnto punishment, as vessels of his wrath against sinne: and that with such wisedome, that all the praise of the saluation of the Elect should wholy be referred to the mercie of God: and the whole fault of the condemnation of the Re∣probate should remaine in themselues.

Notes

• a. 1.1

  Gen. 1.26. Eccles. 7.29
• d. 1.2

  Iob. 14.4.