An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

If this distinction displeaseth you, quarrel with the holy Ghost, and not with us: for of his plain works, & words evident, have we received it. for all Israel were sanctified to be the kingly priesthood, all were circumcised, yea & did drink of that spiritual drink: and yet were they not all inwardly sanctified unto salvation & life everlasting. The hole tribe of Levy were sanctified to y• service of the Lord, in his tabernacle, but how many of them did still remain profane persons, y• scripture concealeth not. Even so all that great multitude, whom Christ fed in the wilderness, yea all those that adhered for a time to his doctrine, were after some manner sanctified, that is separated, & divided from the rest of the ⟨p. 240⟩world. But that sanctification was but temporal, like as also was their faith. we do not deny but that the reprobate have some manner of faith, and some sort of sanctification for a time, that is, that they are compelled even by the empire of the Spirit of God, to confess and acknowledge that all things spoken in gods scriptures, are true. And that therefore their conscience in a fear, and terror do seek some means to please God for the avoiding of his vengeance. For as this is neither the true faith justifying neither yet the perfect sanctification of the Spirit of God which reneweth the elect, in the inward man: so doth nether of both long con •inue, for they returning to their natural profanation and darkness, do leave the way of light and life and draw them selves to death and damnation. But hereof without the contumely of the Son of God and without abnegation of his plain verity, ye can not conclude that the elect members of his body,¹ can be rest out of his hands, that those for whom solemnly he hath prayed, that they should be sanctified in the verity, and that they should be one with him, as he is one with his father, may come to final profanation, and so to perdition. we fear not to affirm that to be a thing no less impossible, then that it is, that Christ Jesus shall cease to be head of his Church, and the saviour of his body.

If this distinctiō displeaseth you, quarel with ye holie Gost, and not with vs: for of his plaine workes, & wordes euidēt, haue we receaued it. for all Israel were sanctified to be ye kinglie priesthode, all were circūcised, yea & did drink of yt spirituall drink: and yet were they not all inwardly sāctified vnto saluatiō & life euerlasting. The hole tribe of Leuie were sāctified to y seruice of ye Lord, in his tabernacle, but how many of thē did stil remaine prophane persōs, y scripture cōcealeth not. Euē so all yt great multitude, whō Christ fed in ye wildernes, yea all those yt adhered for a time to his doctrine, were after som maner sanctified, that is seperated, & deuided frō ye rest of ye