CHAP. V.
After vvhat sort almightie God doth execute, & effectually declare his counsell, touching reprobation.
BY these things whereof we haue now spoken, it 1 may easily appeare, hovv God maketh them to goe to their owne place 1, whom he created to that end that hee might bee glorified in their iust condemnation. For as Christ the second heauenly Adam, is the foundation, and very substance, and effect, of the elects saluation: so also the first earthly Adam, because hee fell, is the first author of the hate, and so consequently of the damnation of the reprobate 2. For when God, mooued vvith those causes which he only knoweth, had determined to create them to this end, to shew forth in them his iust wrath, and power 3, likewise he did orderly dispose the causes, & meanes, whereby it might come to passe, that the whole cause of their damnation, might be of themselues, as hath been declared before in the third Chap. When man then was fallen willingly into that miserable estate wherof wee haue spoken in the chap. before: God who hateth iustly the reprobate, because they are corrupt: in 2 part of the~ hee doth execute his iust wrath so soon as they are borne 4: and towards the rest that be of age, whom he reserueth to a more sharpe 3 iudgement, hee obserueth two waies clean contrary one to the other. For as concerning some he sheweth them not so much fauour, as once to heare of Iesus Christ, in whom onely is saluation 5, but suffereth them to walk in their owne waies 6, and run head long to their perdition.
And as for the testimonies that God hath left to them of his diuinitie 7, serue them to no other vse, but to make them without all excuse 8, and yet through their owne default, seeing their ignorance, and sack of capacitie, is the iust punishment of that corruption, wherein they are borne.
And surely, as touching that, that they can attaine vnto in knowing GOD, by their light, or rather naturall darknes (albeit they neuer failed in the way, but so continued 9) yet were it not in no wise sufficient for their saluation. For it is necessarie for vs that shall be saued, that we knowe God, not onely as GOD, but as our Father in Christ 10: the which mysterie, flesh and bloud doth not reueale 11, but the Son himselfe, to them whom his Father hath giuen him 12. As concerning others, their fall is more terrible 13. For hee 4 causeth them to heare by preaching the outward word of the Gospel 14; but because they are not of the number of the elect, beeing called, they heare not 15, and forasmuch as they are not able to receiue the spirit of truth 16, therefore they cannot belieue, because it is not giuen vnto them 17, vvherefore, when they are called to the feast, they refuse to come. So that the word of life is follie vnto them, & an offence 18, and finally the sauour of death to their destruction.
There are yet others, vvhose harts almighty God openeth to receiue and belieue the things that they heare: but this is with that generall faith, whereby the diuels belieue and tremble 20.
To conclude, they which are most miserable of all, those climbe a degree higher, that their fall might bee more grieuous: for they are raised so high by some gift of grace, that they are a little mooued with some taste of the heauenly gift 21: so that for the time they seeme to haue receiued the seed, and to be planted in the Church of God 22, and also shew the way of saluation to others 23. But this is plaine, that the spirit of adoption, which we haue said to be onely proper vnto them which are neuer cast forth 24, but are written in the secret of Gods people 25 is neuer comunicated to the for were they of the elect they should remaine stil with the elect 26 All these therefore (because of necessitie, & yet willingly, as they vvhich are vnder the slauerie of sin 27, return to their vomit 28, and fall away from faith 29) are plucked vp by the roots, to be cast into the fire 30. I meane, they are forsaken of God 31, who according to his will (the which no man can resist 32, and yet for all that because of their corruption & wickednesse 33) hardeneth the~ 34, maketh their hearts fatte, stoppeth their eares, and blindeth them 35: and to bring this to passe, he vseth partly their owne vile co~cupiscences, to the which he hath giuen them vp to be ruled, and led by 36: and partly the spirit of lyes, who keepeth them wrapt in his snares 37, by reason of their corruption, from the which as out of a fountaine, issueth a continuall flowing riuer of infidelitie, ignorance, and iniquitie: whereby it followeth, that hauing as it vvere made a shippe-wrack of their faith, can by no meanes escape the day which is appointed for their destruction, that God may bee glorified in their iust condemnation.
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