First (say you) this doctrine carrieth men away §Ifrom Gods revealed will unto his secret will,1 from the word to impressions or persuasions wrought by faith, before credit or belief be given to the word heard. What is this? If you have at any time seen this written in our doctrine, why do you not produce or note the places? If you think it a consequent thereupon, why do you not frame your argument, and draw your consequence? what kind of Logic is this, or of whom did you learn it, to rail deadly and damnably against innocents, without any show of proof? but if you can neither show where we have written it, nor by good & apparent consequence force our doctrine to it (as out of doubt you cannot) why then do you so shamefully slander us? we never so much as thought of any such matter. Nay, all that we have hitherto taught is quit contrary They which persuade you & others such things of us, they lie as wickedly & as impudently as the devil. Away then with these monstrous forgeries. It is (good Sir) the express word of God, that they which with an earnest and thankful mind in true repentance embrace the benefit of Christ offered in the Gospel, should certainly persuade themselves that they are in favour with God through Christ, and m•st assured heirs of […] ⟨p. 110⟩life, and that not for works either don by themselves or fore seen by God, that by the meet and free mercy of God, whereby he hath vouchsafed from all eternity to make choice of them before others, which except he had don, they had surely perished in the blindness and impiety with others. We make the word of God the major of our syllogism; the testimony of conscience, that we believe and repent, the minor: in this manner: He that believeth in the son hath eternal life, But I believe in the son: hence we draw this conclusion, which was in question Ergo I have eternal life. Now I pray tell me; is this to lead you from the word, or to judge of the grace of God and our salvation otherwise then out of the word? Truly if your self will judge otherwise, you shall perish everlastingly.
First (say you) this doctrine carrieth men away §Ifrom Gods revealed will vnto his secret will,1 from the word to impressions or perswasions wroughte by faith, before credit or beliefe be given to the word heard. What is this? If you haue at any time seene this wrighten in our doctrine, why doe you not produce or note the places? If you thinke it a consequent therevpon, why doe you not frame your argumente, and drawe your consequence? what kind of Logique is this, or of whom did you learne it, to raile deadly and damnably against innocentes, without any shew of proofe? but if you cā neither shew where we haue wrighten it, nor by good & apparent cōsequence force our doctrine to it (as out of doubt you cānot) why then doe you so shamefully slander vs? we never so much as thought of any such matter. Nay, all that we haue hitherto taught is quit cōtrary They which perswade you & others such thinges of vs, they lie as wickedly & as impudētly as the divel. Away then with these monstrous forgeries. It is (good Sir) the expresse worde of God, that they which with an earnest and thankefull mind in trew repentance embrace the benefit of Christ offered in the Gospell, should certainly perswade themselues that they are in fauour with God through Christ, and m•st assured heirs of 〈…〉 ⟨p. 110⟩life, and that not for workes eyther don by themselues or fore seene by God, that by the meete and free mercie of God, wherby he hath vouchsafed from all eternitie to make choise of them before others, which except he had don, they had surely perished in the blindnesse and impietie with others. Wee make the worde of God the maior of our syllogisme; the testimonie of conscience, that we beleeue and repent, the minor: in this manner: He that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life, But I beleeue in the sonne: hence wee draw this conclusion, which was in question Ergo I haue eternall life. Now I pray tell me; is this to lead you from the worde, or to iudge of the grace of God and our saluation otherwise then out of the worde? Truely if your selfe will iudge otherwise, you shall perish everlastingely.
- 1Election doth not lead us from the revealed to the hidden will of God.Election doth not lead vs frō the revealed to the hidden will of God.
