Ford:

Now, how often does God clear himself, and cast all blame of men’s destruction upon themselves? Ezek 18:31,32, “Cast away all your transgressions,” &c, “for why will you die? I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies.” Hos. 13:8, “O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself.” To this purpose also read Isaiah 5. v. 1, 4….

To return where we left before; I shall a little further, and more fully show, that God is (if I may so say) exceeding careful to clear himself of having any hand in the death of him that dies: He thinks that he has done what was to be done on his part; “What could have been done more, that I have not done?” Isaiah 5:3.4. As if he should say, there wanted nothing to their being a fruitful people, if they would themselves. Consider also what our Savior says, John 5:40. “And,” (or rather, But), “you will not come unto me  that you might have life.” Vers. 39, he had told them, that the Scriptures testified to him, that he was the light and the life of men; “But” (says he), “you will not come unto me that you may have life.” Is not that as much as to say, “Here is life laid up in me, all sufficient to all intents and uses an safe enough, but you will not come and take it, though you may have it only for the asking?” If this be not the full purport and meaning of those words, I cannot imagine what it should be. For our Savior speaks plainly to them, that if they should die in their sins, it is not because eternal life is not to be had, but because they will not have it. And is not this enough to clear God, and condemn the unbelieving world? Add to this that affectionate passage of our Savior, Matt. 23:37, “I would have gathered them as a hen gathers her chickens, but they would not.” This clears him; and dare any man say or think, that our Savior meant otherwise than he spoke? O! how happy had that people been, if they had taken him at his word! Take one place more, Luke 19:41, 42, how pathetically he wishes, “if thou had known in this day, the things that belong unto thy peace!” Was it not in his heart (think you) that Jerusalem was the only cause of her destruction? And by all you may see, the Lord is willing to clear himself, and we may assure ourselves he is able to do it. He well knows, that all his dispensations of grace and providence are such, as will clear him against all the world. Our Savior knew well (and has not forgotten it to this day) that when he was on earth, he was no way wanting to the work which his Father had put into his hands. And this appears Isaiah 49:4, that God will justify him, that it was not by any default of his, that his labor had no better success; “His judgment is with the Lord and his reward with his God.” He knew (and knows still) that he had one all that he had to do, for the reclaiming of his countrymen and for the reconciling of the world. Did the Jews wont [for] any means, whereby they might know him to be, as he was indeed, the promised Messiah?

Thomas Ford, Autokatakritos, or, The Sinner Condemned of Himself (London: Printed for Edward Brewster, and are to be sold by Giles Widowes, at the Maiden-head, over against the Half-Moon, in Aldersgate-street, near Jewen-street, 1668), 7, and 9-10. [Some spelling modernized, some reformatting;  square bracketed insert mine; and underlining mine.]

Latimer:

And now, the world standing in this damnable state, comes in the occasion of the incarnation of Christ. The Father in heaven, perceiving the frail nature of man, that he, by himself and of himself, could do nothing for himself, by his prudent wisdom sent down the second person in Trinity, his Son Jesus Christ, to declare unto man his pleasure and commandment: and so, at the Father’s will, Christ took on him human nature, being willing to deliver man out of this miserable way, and was content to suffer cruel passion in shedding his blood for all mankind; and so left behind for our safeguard laws and ordinances, to keep us always in the right path unto everlasting life, as the evangelists, the sacraments, the commandments, and so forth : which if we do keep and observe according to our profession, we shall answer better unto this question, “Who art thou?” than we did before. For before thou didst enter into the sacrament of baptism, thou wert but a natural man, a natural woman; as I might say, a man, a woman: but after thou takes on thee Christ’s religion, thou hast a longer name; for then thou art a Christian man, a Christian woman. Now then, seeing thou art a Christian man, what shall be thy answer of this question, “Who art thou?”

Hugh Latimer, “Sermons on the Card,” in Sermons by Hugh Latimer, Sometime Bishop of Worcester (Cambridge: CUP, 1844), 1:7. [Some spelling modernized and underlining mine.]

Ford:

For proof hereof, I appeal to John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him, should not perish.” Here’s enough said, to show, That God is not wanting to me, but that they are wanting to themselves. There’s provision made such, and so much, as none can perish, but they who refuse to make use of it. Whosoever believes on him, shall have everlasting life. What can be said or done more on God’s part? What constructions are made of this Scripture are many, I shall not mention, but shall give the sense of Calvin upon it. “The Love of God here testified,” (says he) “respects Humanum genus, mankind; and a note of universality is added, to invite all promiscuously to the partaking of this life, and to cut off all excuse, observe that, from such as believe not.” “For this purpose,” (says he) “the word [WORLD is used, to show, that though there be nothing in the world worthy of God’s love and favor, yet to show himself gracious to the whole world, he calls all without exception to the faith of Christ.” Indeed he says too, “That life eternal is offered unto all, so as notwithstanding faith is not of all.” And in this he confesses, the special grace of God to some particular persons.

Let it also be considered, That the word [WORLD] cannot rationally be taken in any other sense. For in the next verse, it is meant of the world, whereof some are saved, and some perish, (as Reverend Davenant observes) and that they who perish, perish only because they believe not on the Son of God. I shall not debate, what advantage the coming of Christ into the world brought to such, as make no use, reap no benefit by it. Certainly it states the question beyond all dispute, That as faith only saves, so unbelief only condemns, which is all I have to prove. For there’s not the least hint of any defect on Gods part, but all the fault is said on man alone, in not believing on the Son of God sent into the world, not to condemn, but to save it. And here let Calvin speak what he thought in this case: Certium quidem e, non omnes ex Christi morte fructum percipere: Sed hoc ideo fit, quia eos impedit sua incredulitas. In Ep. ad Heb. cap. 9. v. 27. “It is only by Infidelity, that all are not partakers of the benefits of Christ’s death.”

Thomas Ford, Autokatakritos, or, The Sinner Condemned of Himself (London: Printed for Edward Brewster, and are to be sold by Giles Widowes, at the Maiden-head, over against the Half-Moon, in Aldersgate-street, near Jewen-street, 1668), 46-47. [Some spelling modernized; italics original; square bracketed inserts original; and underlining mine.]

Latimer:

1) Man is the
cause of his
own damnation.

O what a pitiful thing is it, that man will not consider this, and leave the sin and pleasure of this world, and live godly; but is so blind and mad, that he will rather have a momentary, and a very short and small pleasure, than hearken to the will and pleasure of Almighty God! That might avoid everlasting pain and woe, and give unto him everlasting felicity. For that a great many of us are damned, the fault is not in God; for Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri, “God would have all men be saved:” but the fault is in ourselves, and in our own madness, that had rather have damnation than salvation. Therefore, good people, consider these terrible pains in your minds, which are prepared for the wicked and ungodly: avoid all wickedness and sin; set before your eyes the wonderful joy and felicity, and the innumerable treasures which God hath laid up for you that fear and love him, and live after his will and commandments: for no tongue can express, no eye hath seen, no heart can comprehend nor conceive the great felicity that God hath prepared for his elect and chosen, as St Paul witnesses. Consider therefore, I say, these most excellent treasures, and endeavor yourselves to obtain the fruition of the same. Continue not, neither abide or wallow too long in your sins, like as a swine lies in the mire: make no delay to repent your sin, and to amend your life; for you are not so sure to have repentance in the end. It is a common saying, Pœnitentia sera raro vera: therefore consider this thing with yourself betimes, and study to amend your life; for what avails it to have all the pleasures of the world for awhile, and after that to have everlasting pain and infelicity? Hugh Latimer, Sermons and Remains of Hugh Latimer (Cambridge: CUP, 1845), 2:192-193. [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; italics original; marginal references and comments cited inline and location discretionary; and underlining mine.]

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