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I. SAint Paul keepes himselfe within these limits, in the ninth chapter to the Romanes, where hee speaketh more fully, and more exactly of the
election and reprobation, then any where else. For if he had written with a beame of the Sunne, it could not more cleerely appeare, that he speakes of the cor∣rupted masse, and of the will of God, by which of sin∣full men, one is chosen, and the other reprobated.
II. The scope of the Apostle, is to beate back the vaine confidence of the Iewes, who boasted in the law, and in the righteousnesse of their workes, to whom it did seeme an absurd and impossible thing that the Israelites, or the greater part of them, fell from the couenant of God, and were not reckoned a∣mong the sonnes of God. That hee might pull this scruple out of their mindes, and might wash away this pride; he fetcheth the matter from the very ori∣ginall, and doth deny that carnall propagation, or the righteousnesse of workes, is the cause why any one is to be reckoned the sonne of Abraham, but the good pleasure of God, and the free election of grace, by which God, of the issue of Abraham, chose whom he would, and whom he would hee reiected; hath mercy of whom he would, and whom he would hee hardned: and of the same masse, hath prepared some vessels for honour, and hath patiently endured the vessels prepared for destruction. To which purpose he bringeth two paire of examples, Isaac and Ishmaell, Iacob and Esau; and he doth lay downe Isaac and Ia∣cob, as sonnes of the promise, and examples of the free election of grace; but Ishmaell and Esau, as ex∣amples of reiection: And he doth seeme of purpose to adde the example of Esau and Iacob for a prolepsis, or preuention of an obiection. For the Iewes might except, that therefore the difference was betweene
Isaac and Ishmaell, because the one was of the seruant, the other of the free woman: Then also because when Isaac was borne, Ishmael already had shewed the signes of an euill disposition, and had done those things, for which hee ought to be excluded from the couenant. The Apostle doth fitly preuent this obiection, by the example of Iacob and Esau, who both were the sonnes of the free woman, and neither of them had done a∣ny good or euill, yet God loued the one, and hated the other.
III. All these things are brought by the Apostle, that he might teach in what respect God chose some of the Iewes, and reprobated others, although they were puft vp with the opinion of legall righteous∣nesse: This nation seeing it was impure and cor∣rupt, it could not be compared to the pure masse: And the Apostle should plainely speake besides the matter if he should vse the example of the vndefiled masse, to teach how God out of a corrupted nation chose some, and reprobated others.
IV. The examples of Iacob and Esau doe conuince and proue the same thing, of whom, when they were in the wombe, and had done neither good nor euill, God doth pronounce, that he loued Iacob, that hee hated Esau. Now God could not consider these twins in the wombe, but he must consider them such as they were: & they were corrupted & defiled with originall sinne. Surely he cannot be said to be preferred before the other, because he was better when he was in the womb, seeing neither of them had done good or euill. This is that with which S. Paul doth stop the mouth of these questionists, and will not haue any to plead
against God, or answere him againe; seeing there is no cause but the meere good pleasure of God, why, of two that were equally euill, he preferred the one be∣fore the other.
V. Neither is there any small force in these words; I haue hated: for God could not hate the creature whom he considered as pure and voide of sinne.
VI. It is no light thing that hee so describeth the elect, to wit, that they are they whom God will haue mer∣cy on. ver. 18. whence also, ver. 23. they are called the vessels of mercy: for mercy presupposeth misery. They force the words of the Apostle, who by misereri, to haue mercy, vnderstand simply benefacere, to doe well. I should doubt and make conscience to affirme, that God had had mercy on Christ as man, on whom yet he hath bestowed more gifts, then on any other crea∣ture.
VII. There is great weight also in the word hard∣ning: he hardneth (saith the Apostle) whom he will. As by those on whom God will haue mercy, the Elect are vnderstood; so by them that are hardned, the repro∣bate are vnderstood: And to thinke that God deter∣mined to harden that man, whom hee considereth as pure, & as in the incorrupted estate, is great wicked∣nesse, and contumelious against the iustice of God: By this meanes God should not onely punish the in∣nocent, but also depraue and corrupt the guiltlesse. For obduration and hardning is a species and kinde of punishment, and therefore after sinne; God hard∣neth none, but he who is already hard; so he hardned Pharaoh, he being already stubborne, and prone to re∣bell of his owne disposition.
VIII. Neither is there neede of much wit to per∣ceiue, that Pharaoh is no fit example of reprobation, out of the incorrupted Masse, and of a man conside∣red without sinne.
IX. It is also greatly to be obserued, that the A∣postle speaking of reprobates, doth say that they are vessels, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fitted, or prepared, to destruction: He doth not say, that God prepared or sitted them, least he should seeme to say that God put sinne in them, by which they might be prepared to destruction; but when he speaketh of the elect, ha∣uing turned his speech, saith, that God prepared them for glory, which God doth, by giuing them the spirit, and faith. It is not without consideration that the A∣postle would not after the same manner speake in both places, viz. because God found some vessels fit∣ted to destruction, but made others vessels appointed to glory, and that by hauing mercy on them.
X. Saint Austen is expresse to this purpose: For in sixe hundred places, either explaning or touching this place of Saint Paul, hee doth vnderstand by the name Masse, the Masse corrupted and polluted with sinne. So Epist. 105. Because that whole Masse is iustly condemned, iustice hath giuen that contumely and disgrace that is due, and grace doth giue that honour which is not due: and in the same Epistle, The vniuersall Masse is iustly condemned of sinne: and a little after, If they are the vessels of wrath, which are made for that destruction which is du••ly giuen to them, let them impute this to them∣selues; because they are made of that Masse, which for the sinne of one man, is iustly and deseruedly condemned of God. He doth repeate the same thing, Epist. 106. and
Encherid. cap. 98 99. and 107. where he calleth it the Masse of destruction: See also the 2. lib. against the two Epistles of the Pelagians, cap. 7. and lib. 5. against Iulian, cap. 3. Neither did euer any among the ancient, thinke that Paul speakes of the sound, and not cor∣rupted Masse.