than to do that for the neglect whereof he must give an account. From hence cometh it to pass, that what the Schools have curiously sought out concerning the nature of God's Will; the Pulpits, nay the Stalls of Artificers, have undertaken to decide them all. So that those things which once were but the deep amazement of some few, are now become the usual doctrine, and the vulgar consideration of many: where, that is not so much to be lamented which we search, and cannot comprehend; as that which we might comprehend but do not search: following, even that first evil exchange, for eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to deprive ourselves of the tasting of the tree of life.* So, that which nature once made a disease, the continuance of that disease hath made it nature; for even that light, which man whilst he wanteth liveth in perpetual darkness, is a light by our weakness not possible to be attained unto;† and those paths, which in our blindness we grope after with so much desire, they are "ways" not possible, by man's weakness, to be found out.‡ For there is "a cloud and darkness which are round about him,"§ and thick mists to cover him; for we are without proportion inferior to that power that hath first made us; not equal, not like. This being the just recompense of him that searcheth out that Majesty, in the end to be overwhelmed with the same glory.|| Our greatest knowledge in this, saith St. Cyprian, is to confess our ignorance; for those acts that are of this nature, there is greater holiness to believe them, than to know them. “Truth lieth in the bottom," as Democritus speaketh; and as Pindarus saith, "about our minds there hang innumerable errors ;" therefore, the counsel of the son of Sirach is to be followed; "Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things rashly, which are too mighty for thee; but what God hath commanded thee, think upon that with reverence, and be not curious in many of his works; for it is not needful for thee to see with thine eyes, the things that are secret: be not curious in superfluous things, for many things are shewed unto thee above the capacity of men; the meddling with such, hath beguiled many, and an evil opinion hath deceived their judgment; thou canst not see without eyes."¶ Yet for all this, to be absolutely either ignorant or careless of those things that concern us, are no warrants for humility; but evidences of our sloth. The world at this day hath two sorts of men; whom, though we need not to respect much, yet, we are willing even to give them a reason of what we do; which, though peradventure they challenge at our hands, yet we demand not of them a reason of what "Arbor scientiæ complures privat a bore vitæ." BONAVENT. "Lux inaccessibilis." 1 Tim. vi. 16. 66 Investigabiles viæ ejus." Rom. xi. 33. they surmise. The first sort, are sensual and careless; neither respecting the will of God, of us, nor towards us: these, for the most part, understand nothing but earthly things; whom, if you remove to matters of a higher reach, you only arm them against yourself, and awake them to shew an insufferable contempt of all virtue. For that which they think painful to themselves, being idolaters to the belly, that they suppose partly impossible to others; and that which, for their own dulness, they cannot easily learn, that they imagine (but falsely) that others can as hardly teach. The second sort, wiser than these, think that we ought to search what God will have us to do; but, what he will do with us, or, what he hath decreed or determined of us, that they think ought wholly to be neglected by us. In these two errors, there is this difference; that the dangers being equal, the reasons are not equal, that do move both; seeing man hath mo [more] reasons to persuade him to know too little, than to know too much. Therefore the Church of England calleth Predestination unto life, "the eternal purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he constantly decreed by his counsel, unto us unknown, to deliver from the curse and destruction them whom he chose in Christ out of mankind; and as vessels made unto honour, through Christ to bring them to eternal salvation: whereupon, they who are endowed with so excellent a benefit of God, are called according to his purpose, and that by his Spirit, working in a fit time.”* Wherein, if any thing in his general Will be opposite to that which secretly he hath determined of us, it is neither a contrariety in that essence which is but one; neither any warrant for us to be defective in our charity, which must imitate his general inclination to save all. And howsoever he grant not those prayers which we make for those who are not predestinate, because there is a more secret Will that "hath determined the contrary;" yet notwithstanding, even these prayers conformable to his general inclination, are in themselves without sin; they are our duties; and acceptable to God. For in God there is a Will revealed, which not to do is sin; and not revealed, which we may do and yet sin. And therefore, it must ueeds seem strange, that it is made a question by any, "How God eternally predestinateth by a constant decree, them whom he calleth and saveth, and yet hath a general inclination to save all? A matter easily answered, if we do but remember a two-fold Will: it is not, then, a foresight of any thing, that occasioned his Will otherwise; it is not any general election, altered upon a special cause; it is nothing either in us, or in himself, that maketh this decree, either to be at all, or to be any other, saving only one. We must know therefore, that the Will of God is secret; [Ibid. p. 169.] * Art. XVII. † [Vol. II. p. 168.] which therefore, in Scripture, is compared to a "deep," or revealed; which must be the rule of those actions which we ought to do. We may endeavour to do against the first and not sin, as Abraham in offering Isaac; I say endeavour, for no man can do against it: as also, fulfil the other, and yet sin, as Judas. This division of the Will of God, made by many others (though in other terms), serveth both to answer such doubts as usually arise out of this darkness; as also, fully to satisfy those slender objections which you have framed in this point. Damascene divideth the Will into antecedent and consequent; Peter Lombard, into his good pleasure, and the sign of it; others, into a Will absolute, or conditional; others, into Will of us, or by us, to be done; St. Austin, into a most omnipotent, and most powerful Will, and into a Will not so powerful, that it ever cometh to pass:§ all these divisions concurring in one and the self-same thing, to teach us, that there be parts some revealed, some secret, of that which in his [its] own nature can no more be divers or many, than it is possible for the essence of the Godhead to be more than one. But how is it then (say you) that God willeth all men to be saved? 66 Is it a constant decree," or only " an inclination?" That he thus willeth, there is no man doubteth; and although some, with the restraint of the word "all,"|| understand it, of his eternal, unchangeable, secret decree; yet we affirm, that with a conditional Will (which ever implieth faith and obedience); with a Will of the sign, antecedent, uneffectual, revealed, he willeth "all men to be saved." Who therefore that they [sic] are not, it is not his decree, but their own fault. And although we say, as Master Hooker doth, That God willeth many things conditionally; yet if we speak properly, all things that God willeth, he willeth simply; and therefore all things that God willeth, must be: the condition being, not in respect of the Will, but the manifestation of it. For it is no more possible that there should be a Will in God conditional, than that his knowledge and his wisdom should not be eternal and yet in respect of us, who must be ruled by his Law, it is conditional. God sometimes commandeth what he will not have done; not that he is contrary in his Will, but that his will as yet is not wholly revealed. The matter of Predestination was never fully handled before the time of Pelagius, whose heresies gave occasion to St. Austin and others to confirm us in this point; wherein though I confess I unwillingly labour at this time, yet I doubt not to affirm (which may serve instead of answer to content you) that the Predestination of God is eternal, not conditional; immutable, not for works foreseen, and that those, which God hath determined (though his *Psalin xxxvi. 6. Lib. ii. 46. § In Ench. 102, 103. Lib. i. dist. 45. || 1 Tim. ii. 4. * Predestination do not take away second causes) certainly must come to pass. Neither is that any variableness, as you overboldly seem to insinuate, that he inclineth one way, and decreeth another; for certainly, saith St. Ambrose, he willeth all men to be saved, if they will, themselves; for he that hath given a law to all, doubtless hath excluded none. Neither is here any acceptation of persons, That he hath chosen some, and not others; for that is acceptation of persons, saith St. Austin, when things to equals, equally due, are not equally divided; but where those things are divided, that are not due, but only of mere liberality bestowed, there this inequality is without injustice, or acceptation of persons: it being in the power of a creditor, that hath two debtors, to exact his due of the one without injustice, and, merely of his bounty, to forgive the other. If you go further in this point, to lead me into that depth, that lamentably hath swallowed up many thousands, I say with St. Austin; Thou O man, dost thou expect an answer of me, and [when] I am a man also? therefore let us rather both hear him, who saith, O man, who art thou, that doth answer God? reason thou, I will marvel; dispute thou, I will believe; and say, "Oh how unsearchable are his ways, and his judgments past finding out!"‡ ARTICLE XI. THE VISIBLE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH OF ROME. In the vehement dissensions of factions that are opposite, there is not a labour usually that reapeth either less fruit, or less thanks, than a charitable persuasion to a reconcilement; which, peradventure, hath been the principal cause why both parties looking, with a jealous eye, at the indifferent persuasions of a third, have continued both enemies in themselves, and yet the third suspected as a friend to neither. This, whilst men have done in kingdoms, their conclusions of peace have faintly languished; all sides earnestly wishing the thing, but suspecting those who were agents to intreat a persuasion to it: this, in the Church, some men have done, both in former times and of late, with more charity than either learning or success; so that, in the end, both parties have taken offence at the mention of a reconcilement. That the Church is at variance in itself, and so hath continued a long time, I think there is no man doubteth; and surely we are all persuaded, that unity and peace, are not fitter for any society in the world, than for that which is called by the name of "Church:"§ how this might be effected, it hath been the care of very wise men ; who, though they have found little appearance of success, by reason of those bad offices which uncharitable minds have performed, yet they have not ceased to wish in the behalf of the Church, as David did for Jerusalem, Oh that it were as a City built at unity in itself.* Private contentions are then furthest from all hope of agreement, when both parties, equally standing upon terms of superiority, earnestly contend which is most excellent; and, that neither have committed fault. In what straits the Church is, and hath been in all times, it may easily be gathered in that, as yet, men are not resolved to whom it belongs principally to procure her "peace."+ Some are of opinion that Princes must and ought to provide for the good and welfare of the Commonwealth; but as for Religion, they may lawfully permit to every man what his fancy desireth; so that the peace of their realms be not thereby troubled. This, once was the error of the heathen, who, admitting all sects of Philosophers, accounted it their honour that they refused none. Whereupon saith Pope Leo, "This City (speaking of Rome), ignorant of the author of her advancement, whilst she hath ruled almost over all nations, hath basely been a servant to the errors of them all, and seemed to herself to have entertained a great religion, because she hath not refused the falsehood of any."§ This made Themistius the Philosopher (as Socrates reporteth||) to persuade Valens the Emperor, That the variety of Sects was a thing much pleasing to God, seeing by that means he was worshipped after divers manners. This, though Constantine the Great did at the first (whose fact we will not at this time examine), yet, afterward, he commanded all the temples of the Idols to be shut up, and the Christian religion to be only used;¶ whose sons, Constantius and Constantinus, so far followed (as St. Austin saith) the example of their Father, that Constantine threatened banishment to all those who rested not in the determination of the Nicene Council.** The contrary was practised by the Emperors Jovinian, Valens, and Julian; who, giving a liberty to all heretics, sought nothing more, than the overthrow of the Unity of the Church. But wise men have ever seen, that the peace and tranquillity of the Commonwealth seldom or never ariseth but out of the concord and agreement of the Church itself.†† The dissensions whereof, as they serve to hinder Religion, so they kindle that flame wherewithal, doubtless in the end, the Commonwealth itself must needs perish. But, how far all sides are from allowance of reconcilement, both the times present can testify too * Psalm cxxii. 3. Aug. de Civitat. Dei. lib. xviii. cap. 51. + Ver. 6. § Ser. 1. de SS. Petro et Paulo. Euseb. lib. x. cap. 5. ** Optatus, cont. Parmen. lib. ii. epist. 166. et Ruffin. lib. x. cap. 5. tt Greg. lib. iv. epist. 32. |