Bullinger:

That Christ calls all sinners unto him, and offers unto them grace and all good things.

The eight chapter.

An objection.

But if any man here say, that he dares not come unto Christ, both because of the majesty and great dignity of Christ, and also because of man’s corruption, and sundry sins: let him most diligently weigh this with himself, that if he remain in this incredulity or unbelief, and come not unto Christ by faith, or trust that Christ will forgive him his sins, and reconcile his Father, that the saints, albeit they have some care and consideration hereof, yet they shall do nothing with God. Because that God requires faith of every one of us, and also the Scriptures teach, that without faith it is impossible for any man to come unto God, or to please him. Furthermore, in the cause or quarrel of sin God hears or admits none but Christ alone, as the only intercessor, and only and eternal reconciliation or propitiation for sins. Let every one therefore come straight to Christ, and join himself unto him, and do his diligence to have Faith. For otherwise neither Noah, nor Job, nor Moses, nor Samuel, nor Daniel shall do any good God himself witnesses by his holy Prophets [Jere. 14. Ezek. 14]. But unto the end that we may join ourselves unto Christ by faith, we must hear his exhortations or allurements full of comfort, grace and truth, wherewith he does allure and call us unto him, and in the Gospel of Matthew, 9^th chapter says: “They which are in health need not the Physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners to repentance.” Our Lord spoke these words, when as the Pharisees were displeased that he received sinners, and showed himself courteous unto them. Hereunto also pertain the words of Paul, which are 1 Tim. 1^th Chap. “An undoubted saying, and worthy that by all means we should embrace it, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,” &c. Mat. 11, Christ our Lord has these words, “All things are given unto me by my Father: come therefore unto me all you that labor, and are laden, and I will refresh you.”  Moreover hereunto pertain the words of Isaiah. 55^th chapter, and those sayings of Paul. Hebrews, 2^th chapter, Christ ought in all points to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest, in those things which should be done with God, to cleanse the sins of the people. For by this that happened him to be tempted, he can also help them that are tempted and therefore Christ our Lord, bids his Disciples to ask and pray in his name, for that they should receive all things necessary for them.  Moreover all sinners which ever at any time came unto him, he most gently received them into grace or favor and sent them from him in peace satisfied with an easy and quiet mind, but such as put no trust in him, those who left in their sins and misery.

To be short, God the heavenly Father has ordained Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, to be our only intercessor, mediator, and defender. He is with his Father passing excellent, most dearly beloved, and most acceptable. He wants nothing which is to be required in a true mediator. He is almighty, gentle, and bountiful unto sinners, he allures them unto him, and promises them faith and love, and these things are true and certain.

Henry Bullinger, Common Places of Christian Religion, (Imprinted at London by Tho. East, and H. Middleton, for George Byshop, 1572), 176-177. [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; and underlining mine.] [Notes: Unfortunately, folio 178 is missing from Bullinger’s continuing discussion on the free offer.]

Bullinger:

That the whole world is maintained and very well governed by God’s providence.

The fourth Chapter.

That God
does yet
now preserve
the things
he has made.
John 5.

But God did not only make this world, and all things that are therein, but also preserves the same, and yet now God’s power works in preserving of it. Whereupon Christ our Lord says, “My Father works hitherto and I work.” Now it were a fond thing to grant that the Whole was created by God, and to deny that he cares for it, or governs it. Therefore all things that are, and do move anywhere are and do move by God his providence, the Elements, the courses of the Starts, seasons and varieties of times, fruit, and other things, which the earth brings forth, continual springs of fountains, the certain courses of Rivers, Monsters of the Sea, besides these beginning continuance and change of Empires, and those things which are punishments all these things, and whatsoever else may be reckoned up, are ruled by God’s providence and counsel. And that these things are very well and excellently governed, not only the Holy Scriptures,  but also daily experience does teach, and all the saints in Heaven do confess. Apoca. 4^th and 5^th chapters.

Epicures.

Amongst the Gentiles in times past the Epicures, who had regard neither of God nor man (whose like would to God we had not in our time a great many), did think God neither cares for us at all, neither yet sees what we do, and that there was no providence of God at all: and others judge all things to be ruled either of nature, or fortune, and therefore that all things come to pass either by chance, or at all adventures, or else to be ordered by constellations, that is by the force and power of Stars, or by man’s means and counsel. But such as hold these opinions, these never have any regard of God, or commit their affairs unto God. Wherefore such men are fro good cause rebuked by S. James which says, “go to now you which say, today, or tomorrow we will go into that city, and remain a year there, and will use merchandise, and get grain, whereas you should rather say if the Lord will, and if we live, we will do this or that,” [ James. 4.]. For Christ our Lord has also commanded us not to be careful for all things to come, [Mat. 5. Luke. 12.] but for to do those things which are commanded of God, and finally to cast all our care upon him [ 1 Peter. 5. Heb. 13.], for so much as as with our carefulness we cannot make one hair either white or black [Mat. 10.], and that all the hairs of our heads are numbered unto God, without whose will, not the very smallest birds that are, fall unto the ground. And saint Paul says, God gives unto all men life, breath, and to be short all things, for through him, we live and have our being and move. And David says: “The eyes of all things are cast upon thee O Lord, and thou gives them meat in due season, and opening thy hand feeds all things living, which being shut up, all things perish and decay,” [Psal. 147.].

And Daniel says, wisdom and power of the Lord’s, which changes times and seasons, which puts down kings and makes kings, &c [Daniel. 2.]. If any man be desirous to have more testimonies of this, sort let him read Levit. 26; Deu. 28; Job. 38; and 39. Esai; 40; Jere. 10; Psa. 104, 107, 139, and 147; and the commentaries of Saint Augustine upon the 148^th Psalm.

What profit comes
by the knowledge
of God’s providence.

And this true and perfect knowledge of God’s providence whereby all things are governed, makes men patient in adversity, modest and ware, and in all all matters it keeps in us the remembrance and reverence of God, and stirs us up ti praise and call upon God.

Henry Bullinger, Common Places of Christian Religion, (Imprinted at London by Tho. East, and H. Middleton, for George Byshop, 1572), 38-40. [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; and underlining mine.]

Marbeck:

Providence.

Of the providence of God, what it is.

Providence is not only that unspeakable power whereby it comes to pass, that God has foreseen all things from everlasting, and most wisely provided for all things beforehand: But also that eternal decree or ordinance of the most wise and righteous God, whereby that everything that has been, has been: and everything that is, is: and everything that shall be, shall be: according as it liked him to appoint from everlasting

Beza.

We mean by the providence of God, that even as he is creator of all things, he is also the conserver, which does by his eternal power and wisdom, guide and govern them, and by his sovereign  goodness in such sort, that nothing comes by adventure, neither in heaven nor in earth, without his counsel and ordinance, and his most just will, be it in general, or in particular.

Peter Viret.

No good or evil does happen without a cause, or by fortune without God’s providence, but all things do happen after his judgment.

Hierom., upon Eze.

Providence is sometime as much to say as knowledge, and foreknowledge of things to come. Sometime it signifies an ability to foresee for others of things necessary, so it is said that God in heaven does foresee and care for all. Again, some do decline the providence of God after this wise: Providence is the everlasting and unchangeable kingdom and administration of all things. They do mean (says Musculus), by the word of kingdom, dominion and power, and by the word of administration, the temperature of that dominion which they added, because of the finding and giving of all things unto us, which seems in show, to be a condition of ministry, as well as of dominion.

Musc., Fol. 425. and 426.

God’s providence we call that sovereign Empire and supreme dominion, which God always keeps in the government of all things in heaven and earth contained. And these two (that is, prescience and providence), we so attribute unto God, that with the Apostle we fear not to affirm, that in him we have our being, moving and life. We fear not to affirm, that the way of man is not in his own power, but that his foot-steps are directed by the eternal God (that the sorts and lots which appear most subject to fortune), go so forth by his providence, that a sparrow falls not on the ground, without our heavenly Father. And thus we give not to God any prescience, by an idle sight, and a providence by a general moving of his creatures (as not only some Philosophers, but also more then is to be wished in our days do), but we attribute uto him such a knowledge and providence, as is extended to every one of his creatures. In which he so works, that willingly they tend and incline to the end, to the which they are appointed by him, &c.

Knox, fol. 21.

Because we know not all things (says S. Austen), which God does concerning us in most good order, that therefore in only good-will we do according to the law, because his providence is an unchangeable law. Therefore since God does claim unto himself the power to rule the world, which is to us unknown. Let this be a law to us of soberness and modesty, quietly to obey his sovereign authority, that his will may be unto us the only rule Justice, as the most just cause of all things. I mean not that absolute will, of which the Sophists do babble, separating by wicked and profane disagreement, his Justice from his power, but I mean that providence, which is the governess of all things, from which proceeds nothing but right, although the causes he hidden from us.

Calvin, 1. book, chapt. 17, Sect. 3.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 880-881. [Some reformatting; spelling modernized.] [Note: Marbeck’s reference to Hierom probably refers to Hieronymus Zanchius, the Latinized and alternative spelling used for Jerome or Zanchi, also known as, Girolamo Zanchi. And needless to say, Musc. refers to Musculus.]

Humfrey:

1)

Of Redemption.

As for this Head of Redemption, I am for a middle Way, as Mr. Baxter was, and Dr. Davenant in his Book De morte Christi, which Arch-bp. Usher approved, and was biased toward the Universality of it. For seeing the Scripture is so express and full that Christ died for all, that he tasted Death for every Man, that he was a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World; and that so many more Texts might amply be quoted, there is some Sense wherein this Universality must be maintained, or the Scripture be forsaken.

The Death of Christ therefore may be considered as it hath purchased Remission and Salvation on Condition, and so it is for all, and acknowledged (as Mr. Baxter notes) by Dr. Twiss. But the strict Calvinist will have more, that it redounds to purchase the Condition also, and the Redeemed therefore are only the Elect. This Inference I dislike quite, and the Proposition, that Christ by his Death (whereby he hath made Satisfaction for our Sins) hath purchased the Condition also for any, I question.

For the Inference, If there was a double Redemption, once to purchase Pardon and Life on Condition, and another to purchase also the Condition, then would it be plain, that one was for all, and the other for the Elect only. But Redemption is but one, though that one may have a double Respect, and Dr. Davenant and Mr. Baxter no doubt thought not any otherwise: that is, a Respect to the whole World, or a Respect to the Elect. As it respects all the World, it does purchase Remission and Salvation on Condition; as it respects the Elect, it does farther (as they must hold) purchase for such the Condition also. Upon this account therefore with them it does not follow, that none are redeemed but the Elect, because that though in one respect, as Christ by his Redemption hath purchased also the Condition (supposing it so) it was for the Elect: yet in another respect, as it hath purchased Pardon and Life only on Condition, it is for the World; so that in these diverse Respects, all are redeemed, and also the Elect only. I will not wonder therefore at these two Eminent Men, Mr. Baxter and Bishop Davenant, that they affirm Redemption to be Universal and Special both, I thank them for their Pains, their great Pains, but in good earnest it is an Inconsistency I cannot fully, but half approve.

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