tions, which would else cover us with sorrow and grief, by telling us that all is for the best. (Rom. viii.) It makes us modest, and puts away pride in prosperity, by pulling from men the thought of their meriting or deserving. It forces men to love, and carefully to labour for their brethren, utterly preventing the despising of any. It excites to piety, and is the greatest enemy of ungodliness that can be, by teaching us of what dignity we are, of what value even our bodies are, as temples of the Holy Ghost and members of Christ. It causes a real desire for our home in heaven, and so leads us to despise this world, and the things which this world values. It makes man wholly and continually be careful not for himself but for others, and for the things which are for God's glory. It helps very much to the true understanding of the Scriptures, and preserves from errors, by causing us to know what is to be attributed to the law, to the Gospel, to the ministry, to the vocal word,* to the Old Testament, to the New Testament, to the sacraments, to faith, to works, to prayer, to penance, to God, to man, &c. For by the spirit of election we see and know Christ, in whom dwells all the riches and treasures of knowledge. It setteth up Christ's kingdom, and entirely overthrows the wisdom, power, choice, and ability of man, that all glory may be given to God alone. But why do I try to reckon the advantages proceeding from the doctrine of God's election, for they are innumerable? This is the sum; that where a Christian man's life has respect to God, to man, and to himself, to live godly, justly, and soberly, all is grounded upon predestination in Christ. For who liveth in a godly manner but he that believeth? And who believeth but such as are ordained to eternal life? (Acts, xiii.) Who liveth justly, but such as love their neighbours? And whence springeth this love but from God's election before the beginning of the world, that we might be blameless by love? Who loveth soberly but such as are holy? And who are they but those alone who are endued with the spirit of sanctification, which is the seal of the election of us who believe? (Eph. i., 2 Cor. ii.) Wherefore, my dearly beloved in the Lord, I have undertaken to write something to you and for your sake in this matter, which I have sent you herewith, as well as to be a help to you therein, as also to be a pledge of my anxious love and hearty desire which I have for your continuance in the truth (wherein I trust you stand at present) when I am dead and burned, as I fully expect as soon as God shall give leave to his enemies, for my benefit and endless joy in Christ. To Him, as to a most faithful pastor, from the bottom of my heart I command and bequeath you, beseeching him to watch over you night and day as over one of his poor lambs, and to keep you out of the claws of the lion and the mouth of the wolves, to his glory, and your eternal joy and comfort in Him. There is neither virtue nor vice to be considered according to any outward action, nor according to the will and wisdom of man, but according to the will of God. Whatsoever is conformable thereto is virtue, and the action that springs thereof is laudable and good, however otherwise it appear to the eyes and reason of man, as was the lifting up of Abraham's hand to have slain his son. (Gen. xxii.)

* The spoken word.

Whatever is not conformable to the will of God is vice, and the action springing thereof is to be disallowed and taken for evil; and that so much the more and the greater evil, by how much it is not consonant and agreeing to God's will, although it seems far otherwise to man's wisdom, as was Peter's wish of making three tabernacles (Matt. xvii.), and the request of some who would have had fire to have to come down from heaven from a zeal to God, &c. (Luke, ix.) Now, the will of God is only known as it is set forth in his Word; therefore, according to it, must vice and virtue, good and evil be judged; and not according to the judgment, wisdom, and collection of any man, or of the whole world, if all the angels in heaven should take their part. But this Word of God, which is written in the canonical books of the Bible, plainly sets forth unto us, that God has of his own mercy and good-will, and to the praise of his grace and glory in Christ, elected some and not all, whom he hath predestinated unto everlasting life in the same Christ; and, in his time, calleth them, justifieth them, and glorifieth them, so that they shall never perish and err to damnation finally. Therefore to affirm, teach, and preach this doctrine, has in it no hurt, no vice, no evil; much less then hath it any enormity (as some affirm) to the eyes and spirit of them which are guided, and will be, by the Word of God. That God, the Eternal Father of Mercies, before the beginning of the world, hath of his own mercy and good-will, and to the praise of his grace and glory, elected in Christ some, and not all, of the posterity of Adam, whom he hath predestinated into eternal life, and calleth them in his own time, justifieth them, and glorifieth them, so that they shall never perish or err to damnation finally; that this proposition is true, and according to God's plain and manifest Word, by the help of his Holy Spirit, which, in the name of Jesus Christ, I humbly beseech his mercy plenteously to give me at this present and for ever to the sanctification of his holy name; is what by the help, I say, of his Holy Spirit, I trust so evidently to declare, that no man of God shall be able by the Word of God to impugn it, much less to confute it.

In the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle saith thus: "Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hath blessed us with all manner of blessings in heavenly things by Christ; according as he hath elected or chosen us in him before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be holy and without blame before him through love; and hath predestinated us (or ordained us) through Jesus Christ, to be heirs unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherewith he hath made us accepted in the beloved, by whom we have received redemption through his blood, and the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace. Which grace he hath shed on us abundantly in all wisdom and understanding, and hath opened unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself, to have it declared when time was full come, that he might gather together all things by (or in) Christ, as well as the things that are in heaven, as the things that are in earth, even in (or by) him. By (or in) whom we are made heirs, being thereto predestinated according to the purpose

of Him who worketh all things according to the decree (or counsel) of his own will, that we which hoped before you in Christ should be unto the praise of his glory; in whom ye also hoped after that ye heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; wherein ye also believing, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption (or full fruition) of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory." These are the words of St. Paul, which I have faithfully translated according to the very text in the Greek, as by the judgment of all that are learned I desire to be tried; out of which words of Paul we may well perceive every thing affirmed in my proposition, as I will give occasion plainly to them that will to see it. First, the Apostle shows that the cause of God's election is of his good-will, in saying, that it is through his love whereby we are holy and without blame, also, "according to the good pleasure of his will, according to his good pleasure purposed in himself, according to his purpose which worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Secondly, the Apostle plainly shows, that election was before the beginning of the world, in saying, "that we were chosen before the foundation of the world" was laid; and afterwards in calling it "the mystery of his will purposed with himself, in time to be declared." Thirdly, the Apostle so flatly and plainly sets forth that election is in Christ, that I need not here repeat it. "We," saith he, " are chosen in him, we are heirs by him; we are accepted by him; we are gathered together in him," &c. Fourthly, that election is of some of Adam's posterity, and not of all; we may plainly see, if we consider, that he makes the true demonstration of it, believing, hoping, and having the earnest of the Spirit, "In whom he hoped," saith he, "after ye heard the word," &c.; in whom he believed, were sealed up, &c. Again, in attributing to the elect forgiveness of sins, holiness, blameless living, being in Christ, &c. "That we should be holy," saith he, &c., we have received forgiveness of sin," &c. Who seeth not that these are not common to all men? "All men have not faith," saith Paul. (2d Thess. iii.) "None believed," saith Luke, "but such as were ordained to eternal life" (Acts, xiii.); none believe but such as "are born of God" (1 John, v.); “ none believe truly but such as have good hearts, and keep God's seed, to bring forth fruits by patience." (Mat. xiii.) So that it is plain (faith being a demonstration of God's election to them that are of years of discretion) that all men are not elect, because all men believe not; for "he that believeth in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion" (Psalm cxxv); that is, he shall never be removed; for if he be removed, that is, finally perish, surely he never truly believed. But why go I about to light a candle in the clear sun light, when our Saviour plainly saith that all are not chosen, but only few? Many are called," saith he (Matt. xx.), "but few are chosen." And, in the second chapter to the Ephesians, the Apostle plainly saith, that the great riches of God's mercies, through his exceeding great love, hath saved them, before their parents and many other Gentiles, which were excluded from Christ, and strangers from the promise, hopeless, godless, &c. Wherethrough we may be occasioned to cry, "Oh! the depths of the judgments of God (Rom. ii.), "who is just

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in all his doings and holy in all his work, extending his mercy after his good pleasure and will over all his works." (Psalm cxlv.) Fifthly, that God has predestinated these, who are thus elect unto everlasting life in Christ, the Apostle also declares in the words before written, in saying, And hath predestinated us through Jesus Christ to be heirs unto himself." Again," By him," saith he, "ye are made heirs, and predestinated to the praise of his glory. So saith the Apostle (Rom. viii.)" Whom he hath predestinated, them he hath predestinated to be like fashioned unto the shape of his Son." And Christ, therefore, saith, "Rejoice in this, your names are written in heaven." (Luke, x.) Sixthly, that the end of election is to the praise of God's glory and grace, the Apostle shews in saying, we are predestinated to be holy and without blame before God, &c., in saying we are predestinated to the glory of his grace; and in saying also unto the praise of his glory, so that nothing can be more manifest. Seventhly, that predestination is not without vocation in God's and time justification, the apostle here teaches, in bringing us to the consideration of hearing the Word of truth, believing, and receiving the holy Spirit, remission of sins, &c. "In whom" (saith he) "ye have hoped, after that ye heard the word of truth," &c. Again, "By whom ye have redemption, that is, remission of sins, through the shedding of his blood," &c. Also, "He hath in his full time declared the mystery of his will," &c. Unto the Romans the apostle shows it most manifestly in saying, "Whom he hath predestinated, them he calleth; whom he calleth, them he justifieth." Whereby we may see that predestination or election is not universal or of all, for all are not justified.

Eighthly, and last of all, the apostle here also very plainly shows that election is so certain, that the elect and predestinate to eternal life shall never finally perish or err to damnation in saying, that they are predestinate to the praise of God's grace. He saith not, to the

praise of his justice, to the praise of his wisdom, to the praise of his power although he might most truly say so; but he saith, "to the praise of his grace," which were not grace, if there were any respect at all of works on our behalf; for then were grace not grace. (Rom. xii.) If there should be any condemnation of the elect and predestinate to eternal life, it must needs be because of their sins; but where would be the praise of God's grace then, which is the end of God's election ? Shall we not by this means make God's election without an end, and so without a head, and so no election at all, as some would have it further than they elect themselves? Let such fear they shall not find the benefit of God's election, because they seek it as the Israelites. did, and not as the elect, which not only find it, but also obtain it (Rom. xi.) The others are blinded, as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of unquietness, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, even to this day, &c. (Psalm lxix.) Again, he shows the certainty of salvation to them that are elected, in saying, that they are accepted in the Beloved-once accepted and beloved in Christ, and ever beloved; for whom he loveth, he loveth to the end. (John xiii.) And God's gifts are such that he cannot repent him of them, (Rom xi.) and, therefore, saith, "I know whom I have chosen ;" attributing to election the cause of final perseverance. By which Judas was not seen to be elected to eternal life, although he was

elected to the office of an apostle, as Saul was elected to the office of a king which kind of election is to be discerned * in reading the Scriptures, from this kind of election which I speak of now, that is, from election to eternal life in Christ. Thirdly, he shows the certainty of the salvation of the elect, by calling them heirs. For if we are heirs of God, then are we fellow-heirs with Christ, to be afflicted and glorified with Christ, (Rom. viii.) and therefore, saith he; according to the decree of his own will. "Lo! he calls it a decree or counsel which shall stand; as Isaiah saith, the counsel of the Lord shall stand!" (Isa. xlvi). Fourthly, he shows this certainty, by saying, that "they are elect and predestinated to the praise of God's glory, which we should more care for than for the salvation of all the world." This glory of the Lord is set forth, as well in them that perish, and are reprobates, as in the elect: and therefore St. John, bringing in the place of Isaiah, speaking of the reprobate saith, (John xii.) that Isaiah spake that when he saw the glory of the Lord. This glory of the Lord to be set forth by us, is a great mercy and benefit of God: I am assured, that if the very devils and reprobates did not repine hereat, but were thankful that they might be ministers in any point to set forth God's glory; I am assured (I say) that they should find no hell nor torments: their hell and torments come of the love they have to themselves, and of the malice, envy, and hatred they have against God and his glory. Let them tremble and fear, that may not away with † the glory of the Lord in election and reprobation. Let not their eyes be evil, because God is good, and doth good to whom it pleaseth him. (Rom ix.) He doth wrong to no man, nor can do, for then he were not righteous, and so no God. We cannot condemn the just, for then were he untrue, because his word is contrary; he cannot condemn the penitent and believer, for that were against his promise. Let us, therefore, labour, study, cry, and pray for repentance and faith; and then we cannot be damned, because we are the blessed of the Father before all worlds; and therefore we believe, therefore we repent, (Matt. xxv.) And forasmuch as it pertaineth to us who are within, to see and to speak of those things which are given unto us of God in Christ, (1st. Cor. ii.) let us labour hereabouts, and leave them that are without to the Lord, who will judge them in his time. (1 Cor. v.) The apostle prayed for the Ephesians, for no other wisdom and revelation from God than that whereby they might know God (Eph. 1.), and have their minds illuminated to see what they should hope for by their vocation, and how rich the glory of his inheritance is in his saints. Further than this I think it unseemly for us to search, until we have sought out how rich God's goodness is, and will be to us his children-which we can never do fully; but the more we go thereabout, and the more we taste his goodness; the more we shall love him, and loathe all things that displease him. This, I say, let us do, and not be too busy in searching the majesty and glory of God, or in nourishing in any wise the doubting of our salvation, whereunto we are ready enough, and the devil goes about nothing else so much as that; for by it we are dull to do good to others, we are so careful for ourselves. By it we are more dull to do good to ourselves because we

*

Distinguished.

+ Who cannot endure.