were with we be burdened to wit that God is the author of sinne ether that he deliteth or willeth iniquitie ether that sathan or men doing wickedly do obey God ether in so far as they do euil that they do the thing that God will and therefor are blameles Let such blasphemies be far not onely from our mowâ—hes but also from our cogitations aÌ„d thoghtes That none of these blaspemies necessarely may be concluded of ouredoctryn may thus be proued God putâ—eth in execution the counselles of his will by second causes and mid instrumentes not as bouÌ„d vnto them as the Stoâ—kes did affirme but frely and poteÌ„tly making mouing and directing them as it pleaseth his wisdom Of those instrumeÌ„tes there are two principall kindes The one hath lief and mouing the other be without lief which raâ—her be moued by the force of others then moue theÌ„ selues There be two sortes of those that haue lief the one be iâ—dued with reason and iudgement the other be without reason and are onely caried by the blynd force of nature Those that be without lief and those also that haue lief but lack reason can nether be said to do well nor euil but those that vse them as instrumentes may be said ether to do well or euil Those that haue lief endued with reason are ether Angelles or meÌ„ The angelles be of two sortes som good som bad but as for men all by nature are euil But by grace they are so seperated that som are vtterly euil som partly good to witt in so far as the Spirit of God hath sanctified them Such as in any action are moued by their own inward motion iustly may be said to work and therefor in that kynd of instrumentes falleth the differeÌ„ce of good and of euill workes nether yet properly in that respect may they be called instrumentes but the causes efficieÌ„t An euill action I call that which hath not the reueled will of God for the assurance and eÌ„d and by the coÌ„trarie the work is good when the worker looketh to obey gods expresse commandement These same althogh they be causes in so far as they work by their own proper motioÌ„ yet are they in an other respect called instrumentes in so far as they are moued by an other As when the hangman by the commandement of the magistrate killeth a man or when by instigation of the deuil meÌ„ hurt others or wheÌ„ at the commandement of any we do ether good or euill to any maÌ„ In this kynd of actions it is euident that one work is attributed to two to the one as to him that worketh by an instrument and to the other as to the worker by motion or commandement such workers are instrumentes not simply as the haÌ„mer or axe is in the hand of the smithe or hewer but they are such instrumentes as also moue by their own inward motion And for this double respect a double worke appereth som tymes to be done In somuch that the one may be lawdable and the other wicked As if the magistrate shall committ an offender worthie of death to the executor of iustice This worke is praise worthie of all good men But if the lictor inflaÌ„bed rather with enuie auarice or any other wicked affection then looking to the commandemeÌ„t of the iudge shall kill the same offender most certen it is that before God he can not auoid the cryme of murther Now let us applie these thiÌ„ges to God whose efficacie before we haue proued to worke in all thinges without exceptioÌ„ aÌ„d so that by those thiÌ„ges which he hath made as by instrumenâ—es he executeth in tyme what so euer he hath decreed frome eternitie What so euer God worketh is good seing from him who is infinitlie good no euil thing can procede but he worketh aâ—l thinges therefor all thinges be good inso far as they ar done by God And that difference of good and euil hath onely place in the instrumentes aÌ„d in those of whom we haue spoken in the 14. proposition For if those instrumentes be good and if their actions look to the reueled will of God they do well and God also doth well by theÌ„ wherefor that work is alwaies good as when the good angelles execute that which God coÌ„mandeth and holie men do follow God calling them Euil instrumentes euill I say not by creation but by corruption in so far as they work alwais they do euill and therefor iustly do they incurre the wrath of God But in so far as God worketh by theÌ„ they ether by ignorance orels against their purposes serue to the good work of God But God him self by what so euer instrumentes he worketh worketh at all tymes well And so he worketh by those instrumeÌ„tes that not onely he permitteth and suffereth them to work nether doth he onely moderate the eueÌ„t or chance but also he raiseth them vp he moueth he directeth and that which is most of all he also createth to the end that by them he shall work that which he hath appointed Which thinges God doth righteously and without any iniustice For wheÌ„ the wicked man sinneth ether against him self ether against any wicked person God without any sinne doth aÌ„d bringeth to passe that the wicked man shall take vengeance vpon him self or that euill men shall take veÌ„geance vpon other wicked men who haue deserued punishement And this one and other work of God is most iust and by such exemples of his iudgementes God erecteth and comforteth his afflicted How oft that euill men hurt good men the wicked meÌ„ sinne aÌ„d in the end they suffer iust punishement and yet by them neuertheles doth God chasten instruct and confirme his own and by the manifest ennemies of his Church doth God make glorious his Church Yet can it not be said that those euill instrumentes do obey God For albeit that God worketh his work by them yet they so far as in them lieth and as coÌ„cerning their own counsell and will do not the work of God but their own work for the which meritably they are punished Albeit what so euer God worketh by the wicked is good yet what so euer the wicked men work is euel Nether is the consequent good God worketh all thinges Ergo he worketh sinne for the name of sinne is not but in the vicious aÌ„d faultie qualitie which is altogither in the instrument that worketh By reason of this corrupted qualitie the work which in the self is one som maner of way is double and may be diuided Insomuth that the one that is the iust work of God derectly fighteth and repugneth against the vniust work of man God neuertheles far other waies worketh by his good instrumeÌ„tes theÌ„ he doth by his euil instrumeÌ„tes for besides that by his good instrumeÌ„tes he worketh his work the good instrumentes also do their work by that strength and efficacie which the Lord ministereth vnto them And God also worketh his work by them and in them he worketh to will and
â–ª this notwihstanding I say we vse not boldly to pronounce whether of the nobres shal be the greater but w t all sobrietie we exhorte the people coÌ„mitted to our charge not to folowe y â— multitude to iniquitie For if they do there is no multitude that can preuale against God And so to vs in this behalf ye are greatly iniurious But yet in y e secoÌ„d parte your malice is more manifest for ye burdeÌ„ vs that we should affirme that the end of the creation of the reprobate was none other but their eternall perditioÌ„ From which calumnie master Caluin clearly purgeth vs in these wordes All oght to know saieth he that which Salomon saieth y t God hath created all for him self aÌ„d the wicked also to the euill day CoÌ„sider aÌ„d mark that we instructed by the holie Gost do first affirme that the cause and end why the reprobate were created neither was nor is not their onlie perdition as ye burden vs but that the glorie of God must nedes appere and shyne in all his workes And secondarely we teach that their perdition doeth so depend vpon gods predestinatioÌ„ that the iust cause and mater of their perditioÌ„ is found within them selues and that albeit the decre and couÌ„sel of God be incomprehensible to mens vnderstaÌ„ding yet neuertheles it is most iust and most holie And thus haue I so plainely and in so few wordes as conueniently I could expound in what pointes ye are malicious liers what ye haue added of hatred to our wordes and what ye suppresse that the equitie of our cause should not appere to men God grant you if his good pleasure be with greater modestie to write and with more humilitie to reason in those hieghe mysteries which far surmount the reatch of mannes capacitie But now I procede to the preface of your confutation which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The confutation of the first error To proue this true they can bring furth no plane testimonie of the worde For there is no such saieÌ„g in the holie scripture that God hath reprobate man afore the world But the senteÌ„ces which they alledge be far set and forged coÌ„trarie to the meaning of the holie Gost as God willing it shal planely appere And where scripture will not serue they patch their tale with vnreasonable reasons for theire hole intention is contrarie to true reason ANSWER In verie dede if all were true w c ye haue heaped vp in your vniust accusation I for my parte wold not ashame to confesse that more were affirmed then plane scriptures do teach but your additioÌ„s which before we haue touched being remoued and that added which of malice ye haue omitted I hope that our propositioÌ„ shal be so plane and simple that the reasonable man if he be godlie shall neither lacke good reason nor plane scriptures to confirm the same Albeit that ye are bold to affirme that we haue neither scripture nor good reason and that our whole inteÌ„tion is contrarie to true reason But now let vs forme our own propositioÌ„s God in his eternall and immutable counsels hath once appointed and decreed whom he wold take to saluatioÌ„ aÌ„d whoÌ„ also he wold leaue in ruyne aÌ„d perditioÌ„ Those whome he elected to saluation he receaueth of fre mercie without all respect had to their own merites or dignitie but of vndeserued loue gaue theÌ„ to his onelie son to be his inheritaÌ„ce aÌ„d theÌ„ in tyme he calleth of purpose who as his shepe obey his voice aÌ„d so do they attein to y â— ioy of that kingdom which was prepared for them before the foundations of the world wer laide But to those whom he hath decreed to leaue in perdition is so shut vp the entrie of life that either they are left continually corrupted in their blindnes orels if grace be offered by them it is oppugned and obstinatly refused or if it seme to be receaued that abideth but for a tyme onely aÌ„d so they returne to their blindnes aÌ„d croked nature aÌ„d infidelitie agane in which finally they iustly perishe Becaus the hole coÌ„trouersie standeth in this whether God hath chose any to lief euerlastiÌ„g before the begiÌ„niÌ„g of al tymes leuiÌ„g others in their iust perditioÌ„ or not my purpose is first by plane scriptures to proue the affirmatiue and after in weying the same aÌ„d other scriptures that by Gods grace shal be adduced so planely as I caÌ„ to shew vnto you what horrible absurditie ineuitably foloweth vpon your error in which ye affirme that God hath chosen no man more one then an other â–ª that either your blindnes remoued ye may turne with all humilitie to the eternall soÌ„ne of the eternall God against whom you arm your selues orels that your damnation may be the more so dayne and iust for your refusall of the plaine light offered That God hath chosen before the foundation of the world witnesseth the Apostle saing Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christe who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenlie things by Christe as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holie and without blame before him by loue Here the Apostle in expresse wordes affirmeth that God hath chosen a certeiÌ„ nombre for he speaketh not to the hole world as you either ignorantly orels maliciously do after alledge but to his beloued congregation of Ephesus who with all obedience had receaued the word of lief offered and with great pacience had continewed in the same euen after the departure of their Apostle from them yea after his boÌ„des and impresonnement Such I say doeth the Apostle affirme that God hath chosen and that before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid So that we haue Gods election before all beginning planely proued Here might I bring furth many places but I hauing respect to breuitie stand content with this one place That this he hath done once in his eternall and immutable couÌ„sell without respect to be had to our merites or workes which you alledge to be causes of Gods election witnesseth the same Apostle proceding as foloweth who haeth prâ—destinat vs that he should adoptat vs in children by Iesus Christe according to the good pleasure of his will that the glorie of his grace by the which he hath made vs deare by that beloued may be praised In whom we haue redemption and by his blood remission of sinne according to his aboundant grace of the which he hath plentifully poured vpon vs all wisdom and prudence opening to vs the secrete of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him self to the dispeÌ„sation of the fulnes of tymes summarely to restore all things by Christe bothe those that be in the heauens and those that be in the earth by whom we are chosen in a portion or lott predestinate according to the purpose of him by whose power are all thinges made according to the
this to do with the eternall election of God by the which he hath elected som to lief euerlastiÌ„g whom our Apostle calleth vessels of mercie and hath left others in their own corruption and perpetuall condemnation And so I say because that Ieremie intreateth one thing that is a temporall punishment and the mutatioÌ„ which shortly should folowe in Ierusalem aâ—d the Apostle intreath an other as before is said the one can be no exposition to the other but rather the Apostle hath respect or at least alludeth to the saing of Isaiah which thus speaketh Wo to be to him that striueth with his maker the vessel of clay with the Potter of clay Shall the clay say to his potter what makest thow In which wordes as before we haue more largely spoken the Prophete and the Apostle folowing his phrase represseth the pryde of man who compared to God is much more inferior to his maiestie theÌ„ clay compared to the Potter For God hath created and made man when he was not which thing the Potter did not to the clay of which he maketh the diuersitie of pottes and therefor of right hath God more power ouer man then hath the potter ouer clay This I doubt not to be the mynd of the holie Gost in bothe the places In which similitude is further to be considered that as the Potter doeth no iniurie to the clay what forme soeuer he giueth it for the matter and substance of it he doeth not change so doeth not God wrong to the verey reprobate whom he prepareth to be vessels of wrath for that are they of nature Where that ye say that it is not the meaning of this place that God without all iust causes doeth make anie man to destruction none of vs doeth hold the contrarie for we affirme that the causes of reprobation are most iust but yet we say that they are incomprehensible to man That ye giue to God no greater power nor none other will then to your good artificer consider with your self how vndiscretely ye matche his eternal God heade whose power is infinite and whose determined will no creature can resist with creatures that be but impotent vnwise aâ—d ofteÌ„ dissapointed of their purpose and will Trew it is that no artificer willingly wold lose his clay aÌ„d labore but is compelled to break those that be faultie But this procedeth partly frome his ignoraÌ„ce who did not before know and se the fault which was in the mater and partly of his impotencie who can not at his will otherwies remedie the faultie vessell but onely by breaking the same But dare ye or will ye impute vpon God those imperfections so ve seme to do for this ye write So God created no man to lose him but onely loseth them that wold not be good whom he created to be good as the lord saieth I planted the a noble vyne The cheif end of mannes creation we haue before declared to be the glorie of God which if you can not se shâ—ne in the iust condemnation of the reprobate accuse your bliÌ„dnes That God created the reprobate to the day of destruction Salomon affirmeth as often before is said But that he was created to be good that will not the wordes of the Prophete w c ye adduce proue for in y t place there is no meâ—tioâ— made of creatioâ— but of plaÌ„tatioÌ„ w c is a thâ—g far differeÌ„t frome creatioÌ„ The substance w c was before is plaÌ„ted y t by manuring aÌ„d trauale of the plaÌ„ter it may be better but creatioÌ„ importeth the being of the substaÌ„ce w c before was not And so the Prophete in this place w c ye alledge to proue that God created all men to be good meaneth no such thiÌ„g but onely rebuketh the Israelites who loÌ„g after their creatioÌ„ were plaâ—ted by the haÌ„d of God aâ—d were coÌ„tinualy watered by his Prophetes aÌ„d yet did they briâ—g furth no better frute How that God wold all meÌ„ were good aÌ„d also that al me should be saued we shal God williÌ„g after speak How that God remaining good for euer ma his creature fel frome his original goodnes I haue before spokeÌ„ aâ—d therefor will not now trooble the reader w t the repetitioâ— of the same In the differece w c ye make betwext the vessels w c y e potter makâ—th some to serue y e table and some y e kitchiâ—g or priuie of w c he breaketh none but such as be faultie ye vtterly dissagre froÌ„ the miÌ„d aÌ„d plaine wordes of the holie Gost. for S. Paul calleth not the vesselles of honor priÌ„ces or prophetes and Apostles and the vessels of dishonour the laborers aÌ„d inferior sort of meÌ„ but the one he calleth y e vessels of mercie aÌ„d the other he calleth y e vessels of wrath The one he feareth not to affirme to be prepared aÌ„d ordeined to destructioÌ„ y t the seuere iudgemeÌ„t of God agaiÌ„st sinne may appere in theÌ„ the other to be prepared to glorie y t the riches of his mercie may be praised for euer This plaine simplicitie will not the Apostle recaÌ„t neither yet thereof God assisting vs wil we be ashamed how so euer ye raige aÌ„d blaspheme the veritie And this I say that your differeÌ„ce betwext honest aÌ„d vnhonest vessels aÌ„d betwext those that shal be brokeÌ„ aÌ„d not be broken is altogether besides the purpose of the Apostle And so of Conyas son of loaciÌ„ ye caÌ„ proue no more but y t God wold depriue hiÌ„ frome his kingdome aÌ„d frome y t seat of Dauid in w c vnworthelie he did reigne If he was the reprobate theÌ„ althogh he was kiÌ„g yet was he the vessell of dishonor for these wordes althogh he were y e signet in my right haÌ„d are not spokeÌ„ to declare y t in verey dede he was the signet in the haÌ„d of God but are spokeÌ„ agaiÌ„st the foolish presuÌ„ptioÌ„ of hiâ— aâ—d of the Iewes w c liuig most wickedly did yet neuertheles brag aÌ„d boast that God could not leaue the seat of Dauid voide but y t one of his sede must for euer sit on it And this is euideÌ„t if the text be wel marked for where he saieth althogh he were the signet he sufficietly declareth y t so he was not aÌ„d so I say y t those wordes proue nothiÌ„g of yo r purpose for first must ye proue y t because he was a king therefor he was a vessell of honor in such seÌ„se as S. Paul speaketh And secoÌ„darely ye must proue y t he was elected to the lief euerlasting because it is said that albeit he were a signet in y e right haÌ„d of God yet should he be plucked of wâ—e by plaine scriptures to do will be more then hard for you how so euer that ye brag that ye will proue all your purpose by scriptures Where ye seÌ„d vs to ask of y e potter of y e husbaÌ„d maÌ„ aÌ„d of y e Magistrate if any of theÌ„ wold williÌ„gly break
his vessell plaÌ„te a tre to be barren or kil any of his subiects we send you as befor to ask couÌ„sel at the plaine scriptures whether â—in God there is not a greater knowledge greater power aÌ„d a iustice more perfect althogh it be incoÌ„preheÌ„sible to o r dulseÌ„ses theÌ„ y t their is in y e potter husboÌ„d maÌ„ or Magistrate How that God wil not the death of the sinner but rather that he may conuerte and liue we shall shortlie God wiliÌ„g after speak And therefor omitting that which indigestly you heape togither I procede to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Where ye replie w t that it lieth not in maÌ„nes will or ronning but in the mercie of God I answer by the same senteÌ„ce y t we may both will aÌ„d roÌ„ne which is coÌ„trarie to your hole purpose aÌ„d doctrine aÌ„d yet saieth the Apostle our saluatioÌ„ depeÌ„deth of the mercie of God for it is his fre gift The GeÌ„tiles w c for their wickednes wer reiect of God in vaine should they either wil or ronne w tout God exteÌ„ded his mercie towardes theÌ„ as he doeth now preseÌ„tly Lyke as on the other side the Iewes which for their sinnes be now abiect in vaine should they either wil or roÌ„ne without it pleased God to extend his mercie ouer theÌ„ as he shal do after that the fulnes of the GeÌ„tiles become in as witnesseth Paul â–ª for there we must vnder staÌ„d that wheÌ„ it pleased God to offer vs his mercie yet without we both will and ronne we shall not obtein the reward notwithstanding neither for our willing or ronning are we worthie to receaue saluation for it is the fre gift of God which he giueth to vs onely for his own mercies saik God offered saluation to Ierusalem not for the deseruing but of his mâ—rcie yet obteined they not saluation because they wold neither will nor ronne As Christ saieth how often wold I haue gathered thy children as the hendoeth her chekens and thow woldest not so the scribes and the Phariseis made the counsell of God towardes them of none effect for they dispised it Gods will was to saue them but they wold neither will nor ronne but kepe still their old passeâ— so they perished Wherefor vnto our saluation is required chiefly the mercie of God as the onely sufficient and the efficient cause thereof wherby we being vnworthie and his ennemies be reconciled and receaued vnto the feloship of the saintes Secondly is required that we both will and ronne not as the cause but rather as the effect anâ— frute of our reconciliaâ—ion declaring our selues to be thankfull for the benefits which we haue frely without our merits receaued otherwies the kingdoâ— shal be â—aken from vs againe and geuen to such as shall boâ—h will and ronne bringing furth the fruts thereof ANSWER Your ancient father Pelagius coniured ennemie to the fre grace of God did bragge and boast as you do that in man there was a will and a ronning But the probation of bothe is one that is to say your affirmation must suffice for auctoritie You boldly write that of those wordes of the Apostle neither it is of him that willeth neithâ—r yet of him that ronneth but of God hauing mercie it is plaine that we bothe will and ronne But how is this proued your long discourse in which it semeth that ye haue forgotten your self proueth no part of your purpose for the question is not what either the Iew or y e geÌ„till doeth ImeaÌ„ after they haue receaued the grace of God For theÌ„ we confesse that they haue yet not of theÌ„ selues a will aÌ„d studie to walk in godlines but the question is whether this wil aÌ„d studie which now by grace they haue receaued was anie cause of their election the contrarie whereof we haue before proued We do not imagine the faithfull meÌ„bres of Christes bodie to be stockes or stones insensible without will or studie of godlines â–ª but we affirme that it is God that worketh in vs the good will and the good thoght for of our selues we are not sufficient to think one good thoght We further affirme that except with all humilitie the fre grace offered with thankes giuing be receaued that they serue nothing to the saluation of the coÌ„temners But therewith we adde that it is God onely who taketh away the stonie and stubborne heart and giueth to vs a fleshie heart In which he by the power of his holie Spirit writeth his law maketh vs to walk in his wayes draweth vs to his Sonne Christ Iesus giueth vs into his protection I mean as faith assureth vs in our conscience aÌ„d so we acknowledge God alone by Christ Iesus his sonne to be the beginning the middes and the end of our sanctification godlie lief and saluation I for my part do yet againe praise God that his veritie is of that strength that somtymes it will compell the verie ennemies to bear testimonie to it And I pray God to retein you in that mynd that vnfeanedly you may beleue aÌ„d coÌ„fes that what vertues or good motions that euer be in you be the onely effects or fruites as ye call them of your reconciliation and neither cause of your election nor yet of your iustification That Ierusalem and the scribes refused grace and therefor iustly were condemned we consent with you but that euer it was the eternall couÌ„sell aÌ„d will of God to giue them life euerlasting that we constantly deny Our reasons we haue before alledged and after will haue occasion to repete som againe And therefor we procede Thus ye write THE ADVERSARIE Here with great vehemencie ye alledge these wordes of Paule who hath ben able to resist his wil of which saying ye inferre that God without any cause knowen to vs hath reprobated and damned many against which wil no man can resist These wordes did Paule write because he did foresee that of his former sainges som deuelish disposed persons wold take occasion to burden God with vnrighteousnes as ye do making him the author of euill for ye say that God hath a secrete will whereby he willeth the most parte of the world to be condemned which will because it can not be resisted therefor of mere necessitie by the immutable decre of God so many do perish further ye this affirming God to be the cause of damnation onely because it so hath pleased him ye cause many other to burst owt and say Sithe his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self and not to vs if any sinne be committed and surely for my parte were it not I abhorre your horrible doctrine wherwith ye cruelly affirme gods ordinaÌ„ce to be the cause of damnation I wold not medle further in this mater but with reuereÌ„ce behold the workes of God forasmuch as I se thankes be to God no work of God wheriÌ„ his mercie doeth not clerely shyne But if your saying were true
to repentance offereth light of saluatioÌ„ to all so that God refuseth none except such as vtterly refuse light or such as haue bene partakers of gods grace and do forsaik the couenant of the Lord. for besides the euident testimonies of the scriptures the common experience froÌ„ the begiÌ„ning doeth witnes that God in that maner hath not illuminated euery man for how many do perish in their mothers bellies how many sodenly die before their reason can iudge of good and euill how many are depriued of natural reason vnderstanding Yea how many remaine wylde brutishe liuiÌ„g like beastes and eating one another how many do continewe all their life without any other knowledge of God theÌ„ the visible creatures of God do teach them which I think ye will not affirme to be sufficieÌ„t illuminatioÌ„ to prouoke them to repentance or to atteine to life I pray you what light had Esau refused when God pronounced this sentence the elder shal serue the yonger vpoÌ„ the which the Apostle as before we haue declared doeth conclude that yer the children had donne either good or badde the one was loued the other was hated That God doeth nothing without a iust cause most willingly we coÌ„fesse But that there is no iustice in God to the groud whereof your blind reason doeth not pearse we constantly deny And therfor we must nedes affirme that to seke an other cause of gods workes then his holy will is more theÌ„ impietie for the causes be knowen to his wisedom alone why some he hath chosen to life euerlasting in Christe Iesus his SoÌ„ne and why that others are left in perdition the cause may be secrete as Augustine speaketh but vniust can it not be because it procedeth from gods will which is the perfecte rule of al iustice and equitie If that ye crye till that the mountaines resound againe the obstinat iniquitie of the reprobate will not be reformed and â—hat is he cause of their induration in fewe and sobre wordes we aÌ„swere That in maÌ„ there is no wickednes which God may not reforme if so be his godlie wil and good pleasure Albeit of these your wordes God may haue mercie when he will on whome he will and that besides his couenante some suspition may arise that greatly you do not esteme that inestimable benefite granted vnto vs in Christe Iesus his onely SoÌ„ne yet will I so fauorably interprete your wordes as I can If ye vnderstand that such as this day be ignorant of God ennemies to his trueth persecuters of his saintes may sodenly or after this be called to the trew knowledge of y t communioÌ„ which is betwext God and man by Christ Iesus I do fully agre with you for so was Abraham so was Paule and so were the Gentiles who long did liue without trew knowledge of God and without as touching their owne apprehension the assurance of his couenant and league But if you vnderstaÌ„d that God can or will receaue to mercie at any time such as he hath not elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus his Sonne before all times we vtterly abhorre that error as a pestilence most perniciouse Now to that which foloweth ADVERSARIE That place of the booke of â—he kinges The Lord commandeth Semei to curse Dauid I vnderstaÌ„d so forasmuch as God is the author of all goodnes â–ª aÌ„d of no euill he gaue not a wicked mynd to Semei But willing to exercisâ— his seruant Dauid vnder the crâ—sse and finâ—ing Semei a naughtie and euill mynded man specially towards Dauid he gaue him the bridell which being left of God he by the intisement of the deuill which was alredie in his heart did curse Dauid â–ª and Dauid being gouerned by the spirite of God did paciciently suffer the wicked to curse him hâ—ping that God wolde turne his cursing into blessing â–ª for this did Dauid knowe that without the permission and suffering of God Semei coulde no more curse him then Balaam might curse the Israelites it foloweth not therfor that God did effectually mâ—ue Semei to do the wicked dede but onely sâ—ffered 〈◊〉 yet if ye will seke to the litterall sense of this place and aâ—â—â—rm that Gâ—d did effectually command Semei to curse Dauid then I must go this way to work with you all that the Lord commandeth is iust if 〈◊〉 be iust to â—â—mmand to curse It is iust to obey to curse for the righâ—â—ousnes of the dede is knowen by the righteousnes of the commandemeÌ„t as it is uniust to obey an vniust coÌ„mandemeÌ„t so is it iust to obey a iust coÌ„mandemeÌ„t wherefor Semei obeing the coÌ„mandement of God which is iust did iustly you wil say thaâ— Semei did not obedienâ—ly thaâ— is to obey God but of an euill mynd cursed Dauid I answer you after your ownâ— saying that this was also the wâ—ll of God that Semei should haue an euill mynd and not to please God cursed Dauid â–ª for you say that God gaue him an euill mynd to curse Dauid wherfor in thaâ— he of a disobedient mynd cursed Dauid he was obedient to God and aâ— we haue said to obey God it is iust I pray you then why commandeth Dauid his sone Salomon to punishe Semei for this iust acte they which feare â—hey hore frost saieâ—h Iob the snowe shall fall vpon them likwies so long as you stick to your error when you think to auoyd one danger you shall fall into a greater ANSWER You do euer decline from the principall scope and so mak ye a fals conclusion for we do not deny but God finding in Semei at that time a wicked mynd towardes Dauid did lowse the bridle to his corrupted affections but in two things do you and we differre The first is that whether he found any wickednes in him which his godly power might not haue remoued if so he had determined to haue donne from the beginning And secondarily if so he gaue him the bridle that he might not haue impeded the sâ—me if such had bene his godly will and therefore where you affirme that God did effectually moue Semei to that wicked dede if you vnderstand that in so farre as the dede was wicked the Spirit of God I meane the holy Gost did not moue him therunto I subscribe with you for so outrageously to curse Dauid in the day of his great calamitie he was moued by that venime which loÌ„g had lurked in his breast and by the instigatioÌ„ of the deuill But if thereupon you conclude as that you seme to do by your manifest wordes that God did nothiÌ„g elles but onely suffer him Because I say that such ydle permissioÌ„ can neither agre with gods power nor with his iustice we must nedes affirme that when God giueth ouer the wicked into a lewd aÌ„d reprobate mynde that theÌ„ as iustly he punisheth sinne by sinne so doeth he more theÌ„ onely suffer There is more required that a fact be iust aÌ„d iustly and obediently
nomber Israell I answer as the one place repugneth nothing to the other so doeth it not explaine the other in such seÌ„se as ye adduce for it repugneth not to say that God man aÌ„d the deuil work in one fact actioÌ„ as in the histories of Iob Achab Semei and Pharao is manifest God for iust causes giueth his commandement and power to sathan as to his instrumeÌ„t be he neuer so wicked to do what in his eternal cousel was before decreed Sathan of a wicked and rebellious mynd chooseth such instrumentes and vseth such meanes as God likwies hath appointed Men in al wicked actions of their fre and voluntarie motion do folow their corrupt and wicked affections in declaring their pride vanitie malice or crueltie which wicked affections in so farre as they are wicked we confesse that God will not for he can will no iniquitie but yet that his eternal almightie power shall be iudged so ydle that it doeth nothing in such actions but onely suffer we can not admitte for such reasons as we haue before alledged wher that we did examine the differeÌ„ce betwext gods wil and his permission You retein your old nature and iustly I might say the nature of the deuill most maliciously affirming vs to say that what so euer God permitteth he willeth it absoluteâ—â— and so that absolutely he willeth all wickdâ—â—ces Which saying as ye be neuer able to proue vpon vs so do we coÌ„fesse it not onely erroneous but also so blasphemous that who so euer dare pronounce or affirme the same deserueth death for we most constantly in word and writing affirme absolutley God willeth no iniquitie for all his workes in so far as they procede frome his wisedom aÌ„d infinite goodnes are holie and iust and therfor do we make God author of no sinne which onely procedeth frome the fountaines that be corrupted that is from the deuil and frome man as in diuers places most euidently we haue declared Because I do perceaue that greatly ye delyte in your prignaÌ„t wittes I will not say foolish vanitie I will recicite your hole wordes by the which ye wold seme to proue contrarietie in God except that we wold grante a difference betwext gods will and his permission I say saieth the author of your book to vs that ye are the Prophetes if the deuill which teach such filâ—hie doctrine and ye say be the Prophetes of God Now of necessitie one of vs lieth for if ye be the Propheâ—es of God I lie And if ye be the Prophetes of the deuil ye lie And if God will vs to say the trueth he will not that we lie for then he should will two contraries which is impossible yet one of vs lie which must be by permission and suffering of God and not by his will whereof it foloweâ—h that there is difference betwext the suffering and the will of God It appereth that in this description of persons in which ye oppose your selues to vs ye wold more declare what is your iudgement and opinion of vs and what ye wold that we should be estemed of others then that ye greatly do trauale to proue any contrarietie in gods wil by the same for his eternall wisedom seeth the meanes how that his commandement and his will are not contrarious the one to the other albeit that he command one thing and yet for iust causes will wicked men to do the contrary which kinde of coÌ„trarietie and repugnance doeth so blind your eyes that you can not se how God caÌ„ coÌ„mand all men to speak trueth and yet for iust causes before sene and determined in his counsell that he wil y e deuil aÌ„d his slaues to delite in lies Albeit I say that the apperance of this contrarietie blinde you yet will not gods trueth cease of be trueth neither will the libertie of his eternall Godhead be broght into bondage to your corrupt iudgement His commandement and his will do nether debate nether fight betwext them selues but do agree in all thinges euen as do his mercie his iustice his wisedom and his power albeit oftener it is that his iustice doth punish such as vpon whom he hath determined to haue mercie Euen so he commandeth men to obeye his commandementes whom he not onely foresaw to be disobedieÌ„t but for most iust causes willeth his glory to appere euen in their vnrighteousnes lies And this he doth without all contrarietie in his godly will to the full knowledge wherof albeit ye can not atteine yet more profitable it were for you to be ignorant of such thinges as God reserueth to be reueled in the time appointed in his eternall counsell then thus without all reuerence and feare to trouble your foolish braines in deuising such absurdities as may seme to oppugne gods eternall veritie which in the ende wâ—l triumphe to your destruction â–ª shame and confusion if obstinatly you procede as you haue begonne For albeit that he loueth trueth and hateth lies and albeit that he commandeth man to speak the trueth and forbiddeth man to beare fals witnes yet feareth he not to giue a commandement to that wicked spirite to go forth to be a lieng spiritte in the mouthes of all Achabes fals prophetes Yea forther he gaue him power to worke that in the fals prophetes which he forbiddeth all men to do For he commandeth that no man shall deceaue an other and yet giueth he power to the deuill to be a lieng spiritte in the mouthes of the fals prophetes and to them he giueth power to deceaue Achab. If ye list to lay contraritie to the charge of God prepare your winges and with Nabuchadnezer of Babylon saye we will passe vp to the heauens and shall establish our seates aboue the sterres of God we shall passe vp vpoÌ„ the hight of the clowdes and we shall be like to the most highest yea if thus ye will call his secrete counsels to examination and triall ye must be iudges and superiors to him Thus iustly I might illude aÌ„d skoffe y o r reasoÌ„s as vanities most vnworthie to be answered But yet hauiÌ„g respecte to the simple I wil gather your argument and forme it as strongly as your selues can and I will answere so much of the same as ye think nable to be answered your argument is this God can not will two contraries but to speake the 〈◊〉 aÌ„d to lie are contraries Therfor he can not will them both But he permitteth men to lie and willeth them to speake the trueth There is therfor a difference betwene the will and the permission God can not will two coÌ„traries True it is in him selfe in one respecte and for one purpose he who is author of coÌ„cord can not will contrarietie but in consideration of his creatures for diuers respectes and sundrie purposes thiÌ„ges be not coÌ„traries the one to y e other which to our iudgementes haue apperance of contrarietie If you be so wel sene in your artes as some of
burdē God with iniustice in defending his own innocētie At which reasons Elihu offended after that the other three were put to silēce takīg vpō him to reproue Iob affirmeth that the wisdom the power the iustice and the iudgementes of God were incomprehensible that God could do nothing vniustly how that euer it appered to mannes iudgement and amongest other thinges he saieth wilt thou say vnto a king thou art wicked or vnto princes ye are vngodlie How muche les to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes and regardeth not the riche more then the poore For they be all the worke of his handes They shall dye sodenly and the people shal be trobled at midnight and they shall passe furth and take away the mightie withoute hand for his eies are vpon the wayes of man and he seeth al his goings Thus haue I noted partly y t none shall think that these wordes may seme to fauor your error and partly that your vntruethe in wrasting such places may more manifestly appere Ignorance of the tongues may be some caus in you but in some of you I can manifestly proue that malice blindeth knowledge and compelleth you to speake and write against your vnderstanding God touche your heartes with true repentance and giue you his holie spirit with greater reuerence to intreat his scriptures But now to the scriptures that ye alledge God say you hath no respect of persōs Ergo wil ye cōclude he hath no election Your conclusion is fals and my reason is becaus that gods fre election depēdeth not vpon the persones of men but vpon his own promes and good will ▪ But to make this mater more sensible I wil make an argumēt directly against yours God respecteth not the persons of men But yet amongest men is found great diuersitie bothe in vertue ād in vice Therefor there must be som cause from whence this diuersitie procedeth Of the first part I know ye doute not and the secōd parte is confirmed by common experience and by euidēt scriptures for how diuerse be the inclinatiōs of mē none cā be ignorāt except such as do not obserue the same Such as attribute the caus of such diuersitie to the sterres and to the influence of the Planetes are more then vaine education and vp bringing doeth somwhat bow nature in that case but neither of bothe is the cause of such diuersitie for how many haue bene norished in vertue togither and yet haue after fallen to moste horrible vices and in the same perished And contrarie wies how many haue bene wickedly broght vp and yet by grace atteined to an holie conuersation If the cause of this diuersitie I say shal be inquired and soght it shall not be found in nature for thereby were and are we all borne the sonnes of wraith if in education and vp bringing we se how oftē that faileth The cause thereof thē must be of necessitie without man To make the mater yet more plaine by an exēple Paule preached Christ Iesus to be the onely Sauior of the world both amongest the Iewes and gentiles to som his preaching was the sauour of lief and to others it was the sauour of death from whence commeth this diuersitie from the obedience will and faith of the one say you and frome the stubborne inobedience and infidelitie of the other you say somewhat but not all for true it is that faith and an obedient will is that which we call Causam propinquam that is the next cause to our apprehension but what is the cause that the will of one is obedient and the will of the other stubborne that the one doeth beleue and the other doeth blaspheme How so euerye do shift the holie Gost in many places plainely affirmeth the cause not to be in nature nor yet to procede of man nor of his fre will but to be the fre grace of the caller as Christ Iesus doeth witnes None can com vnto me excepte my Father draw him No mā can se the kingdom of God except he be borne againe and that neither of blood neither of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God who toucheth and openeth the heartes of so many as he hath ordeined to lief to aduerte and beleue the thinges that be truely preached As those that be the shepe of Christe Iesus who heare his voice and know the same These and many places mo do most plainely declare what is the cause that some beleue and others beleue not to witt that som are born of God and som are left in nature som are shepe som are goates the heartes of som are touched and opened by the finger and Spirit of God as it was said to Peter flesh and bloode hath not reueled this vnto the but my Father which is in the heauen and the heartes of others left in their own blindnes and hardnes If ye demand how is it then that God respecteth not the person of man I answer if ye did vnderstād a right what is mēt by acceptation of persons or what it is to respect persons ye should not doute in this behalf Acceptatiō of persons is when an vnworthie person is preferred to a worthie either by corrupt affection of those that do preferre him either yet for some qualitie or externall beautie that appereth in man As if to the office of a king or of a bushope should one be elected that neither hath godlynes knowledge wisdom nor yet the spirit of gouernement because he is riche noble of bloode fare and lustie and the persons hauing giftes much more excellent should be contemned this is called acceptation of persons As Samuel seing Eliab and considering his beautie and stature doeth boldly pronounce in his own heart assuredly before the Lord this is his anoīted Such acceptation of persons is not with God for neither looketh he to blood riches nobilitie vertue strength nor beautie temporall in his eternall election but onely to his own good will and eternall purpose by the which he hath elected vs in Christe Iesus If ye shall consider the same place depely ye shall find that none within the hole scriptures of God more confuteth your error then it doeth For as God respecteth not the person of mā so respecteth he nothing that is or can be within man as the chief cause of his election For what can God forese consider or know to be in man that good is which floweth not from his fre mercie and goodnes as it is written we are not sufficient of our selues to think any thing that good is but all our sufficiencie is of God who worketh in vs bothe to will and performe Then if all vertue what so euer be in vs be the work of God can the work folowing be the cause of gods eternall purpose If the cause and the effectes proceding of the same be things diuerse then are our vertues and fruites not
the deuill which did manifestly ganesay gods reueled will And therefor do we affirme that neither was the purpose nor counsell of God any cause of sinne but we say with the Apostle that by one man did sinne enter into the world The cause whereof was the malice of the deuill and that fre consent of man to rebelliō whose will was neither inforced neither yet by any violence of gods purpose compelled to consent but he of fre will and redie mynd left God ād ioyned with the deuil Conuict vs now if ye can that we make gods absolute ordinance which maner of speaking I say we abhorre to be the principall cause of sinne Albeit that ye wold be sene subtill in adding your ▪ Logicall termes Causa causae ād Causa causata yet doeth your similitude which ye bring furth for demonstration of your purpose declare that either ye haue not learned orels that ye haue forgottē the chief and principall point of right reasoning which all reasonable men confesse to be rightly to diuide For if ye can not diuide betwext the will of God working all thinges for his own glorie ād the operation of creatures be they Son Moone sterres rayn or dew who can work nothing but as God hath appointed I will not folow you as a God We say not that gods ordinance is the cause of reprobation but we affirme that the iust causes of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowen to his godlie wisdō alone but the causes of sinne of death and damnation are euident and manifestly declared to vs in the scriptures to witt mānes fre will consenting to the deceiuable persuasiō of the deuill wilfull sinne and volūtarie rebellion by which entred death into this world the cōtempt of graces and gods mercies offered with the heaping vp of sinne vpon sinne till damnation iustly came These causes I say of sinne death and damnation are plainely noted vnto vs in gods holie scriptures But why it pleased God to shew merice to som and deny the same to others becaus the iudgementes of God are a deuoring depthe we enter not in reasoning with him but with all humilitie render thankes to his Maiestie for the grace and mercie which we doubt not but of his fre grace we haue receaued in Christ Iesus our onely head When you shall further charge vs that we make God autor of euill we haue good hope plainely to conuict your vennemous tongues of a most malicious lie Now to your wordes THE ADVERSARIE The Lord reasoneth with the inobedient Israelites which did forsake him saing O my people what haue I done vnto the or wherein haue I hurt the giue me answer If the Israelites had ben so well learned as you they might haue answered Lord thow hast preordinate us by thy immutable decre to fall away frome the so that of necessitie we must perish in this hast thow hurt vs with an vncurable wounde ANSWER How so euer we be learned if ye betimes repent not your vnreuerēt skoffing ād iesting at gods eternal predestination ye shall learn in experience that the immutable decre of God is most iust by the which y e fyre which neuer shall be quenched is prepared for the deuill and his angels and for all such as with trembling do not fear his godlie Maiestie and with sobrietie do not contemplat his iudgementes incomprehensible And thus I leaue your blasphemous boldnes to be repressed by the power of him whose iudgementes you mocke THE ADVERSARIE Now I intend with the helpe of God to answer to the arguments which they that be intangled with this error vse to alledge for the proof thereof leauing such as be ▪ but vaine and ingender rather contention then edefying answering to such as some most weghtie collected of certen places of the scriptures wherby it may be thoght that they may be deceaued beseching the gentill reader to wey the mater with an indifferent balance and first heare before thow refuse and God willing thow shalt not repent the of thy labor but forasmuch as the autor ād maīteners of this error do often make mention of election whereby they wold cloke their absurditeis I will first declare how election is taken in the scriptures thre maner of waies that is generally specially and most specially of all first we be all chosen and created in Christe Iesu as Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians in the first and second chapter and conforme to this election he lightned all them that cam into the world and calleth all men to repentance bothe greate and small riche and poore Iew and gētil male and female of all estates without respect of any person And all that be thirstie he calleth to come to the water of lief Secondly he commandeth them which com at the first calling to renounce father ād mother wief and childe with all other earthlie thinges yea and them selues also This is the secounde election where there departed an innumerable multitude which will not forsaik such thinges but for their own lustes Here departed Cayn with the monstrouse Giātes cruell tyrants and bloodie hypocrites and all persecuters which shed innocent bloode here departed Epicurus with all his bellie gods among which was the riche glotton which dispised Lazarus there departed Sardanapalus accompanied with venus and all that be drowned in the lustes of the fleshe Among which was Herodias There departed Cresus with many rich welthie persons among which was the rich yong man of whom we read in the Gospell that with a sorie countenance he departed frō Christe There departed Tarquinius the proude with such as be puft vp with the Pompe glorie of this world Among which was Herode◠of whom we read in the Actes of the Apostles that for his pryde he was striken of God and eaten of lyse There departed Demetrius the siluer smithe with such as will not forsak◠their filthie lucre Amongest which were the maister and mastres of the damsell possessed with a spirit that prophecied There departed a hole band of Stoikes with their destinie plaing fastor loose and that of necessitie which passeth all iuglers coming Among them are all such as defend that of mere necessitie a few nōber must be saued and of mere necessitie all the rest of the world must be condemned Who so abideth this seconde election and calling Christ commandeth them to take vp their crosse and folow him And thus to continue to the end this is the third and last election of which saieth the Lord I haue chosen the in the fire of tribulation here the seuentie disciples departed for they can not abyde this hard saing here doeth Iudas trudge they which remayn suffer greate assaultes in so much that som tyme they turn there backes to their enemies as the Apostles did when Christ was taken and there do worthie soldiours stagger stumble and fall as Peter when he denied his master and swore he knew him not And Thomas
The first argument of them which abuse gods holie predestination is easely soluted their argument is this where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same sorte But God elected som men afore the foundations of the world Ergo he reprobated som other men afore the world The first part of this argument is false That wher so euer there is election there is also reprobatioÌ„ of the same sorte for gods election afore the world hath no respect vnto his coÌ„trarie reprobation afore the world Yea there is no such word nor phrase in the hole scripture but gods election afore the world is generall to all men as his calling is generall without respect of persons This is all redie sufficiently proued yet som of you do grant gods calling to be generall but not his election And in this ye accuse God of hypocrisie you wold make him a dissembler lyke vnto your selues which often times with your mouth do offer and promes that which ye mind neuer to perfourme But God is faithfull which is willing to perfourme all that he promiseth euen to them that refuseth him And thogh they attein not the promes because of their vnbeleue yet all the tyme of their calling be they in the generall election as those whom the king called to the mariage Notwitstanding they came not yet were they chosen to be partakers of the mariage and the seruant to whom the master forgaue all his debtes was chosen notwithstanding he atteined not that wherunto he was chosen but became a reprobate abusing the goodnes of his master God is no hypocrite which calleth men owtwardly and forgeueth debtes onely with the mowth but eueÌ„ from the hearte willing to giue salâ—ation to all them to whom he offereth it And the cause why such do perish is their obstinatnes to gods grace and as the Lord saieth their stifneck which hath an yron vaine and their browes of brasse which dispyse the goodnes of God they became cast awayes Becaus as saint Iohn saieth they loue darknes better then light And as Esdras saieth thei kept not that which was soweÌ„ in them whereof we may gather that they becom reprobates because they rather refuse the grace offered and grafted in them then that they are refâ—sed NotwithstaÌ„ding both may be conueniently spoken for because they haue forsaken me I will also forsake them saieth the Lord. And agane saieth the holie Gost. Cometh not this vnto the because thow hast forsaken the Lord thy God further that this is vntrew where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same kynd it may be easelie proued by the inconuenieÌ„ce which cometh therof Christ is the elect and chosen of God As then Behold this may seruant vpon whoÌ„ I lean my elect in whom my soule is pacified And in an other place Thow art my witnes saieth the lord and my seruant whom I haue chosen and wile you say therefor that there be mo Christes which be reprobate for ether this saying where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same kynd is false orels there must be mo Christes That were much lyke to the saing of a Iew which when he had talked with a faithfull man verie much concerning the temporall and worldlie dominion and honour of Messias the christian proued by the prophecie of Daniel aÌ„d also by the prophecie of Isaiah that Messias should be euill entreated euen of the Iewes and put to death as an offender Here the Iew being driuen to a narrow shift rather then he wold applie and confesse the trueth he rather confessed that there should com two Messias of whom the one should be dispysed and the other magnified And if ye be so mynded that rather then ye will departe from your error ye had leuer confesse mo Christes of which som be chosen and the others reprobate Surelie then I think it is no faithful mans duetie to reason with you ANSWERE Easie it is in dede to solute those argumeÌ„tes w c in our names ye falsly forge either by adding such patches as in our writings caÌ„ neuer be fouÌ„d orels by so peruerting our mindes yea and the minde of the holie Gost that if possible it were ye wold obscure the brightnes of the son aÌ„d take frome creatures the benefitt of the same to the end that in your darknes ye might still remaine And therefor â— can not but complain of your deuilish malice which causeth you to peruerte aÌ„d writhe wordes well spokeÌ„ and reasons godly and substancially made Shew if ye can in any of our writings that we affirm that where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same sorte Shew that clause I say of the same sorte and I will confesse that ye haue red more then I haue done of that mater which neuertheles I hardly can beleue But to the end that the simple reader may vnderstaÌ„d how we do reason of election and reprobation by the contrarie effectes I will adduce not our reasons lately inuented but twentie yeres ago committed vnto writing by that notable instrument of God Iohn Caluin who thus speaketh wonder it is saieth he that Chrisostom did not call to mynd that it is the election of God w c maketh difference betwext men We feare not to grante that which S. Paule in greate coÌ„stancie doeth affirm To witt that all together are wicked and giuen to malice but with him we adde That by the mercie of God it cometh to passe thaâ— we abyde not in wickednes Therefor seiÌ„g that naturally we all labor w t a like sicknes These onely receiue health and amend to whom it hath pleased the Lord to put to his curing hand others whom by his iust iudgement he passeth by do languishe in their corruptioÌ„ till they be consumed Neither yet from any where els doeth it com that som continue to the end and others fall in to the curse which was begonne for because that persuerance it self is the gift of God which is not commonly giuen to al but he frely giueth it to whom it pleaseth him If the cause of the difference be soght why som constantly continue and why others fall away by instabilitie none other cause may be assigned but that the eternall God susteineth and streÌ„gthneth the one sort by his own power that they perishe not and vnto the others he giueth not the strength that they may be documeÌ„tes and witnes of maÌ„s incoÌ„staÌ„cie c. Thus vse we to reason by y e diuersitie w c we sein meÌ„ y t one sort are elect and others are reprobate and not as ye ymagin vs to do We say that nature hath made vs equall as concerning corruption and yet we se great diuersitie amoÌ„gest men We ask what is y e cause of this If ye answere education w c som Philosophers do that will be prouen fals as before I haue declared if ye say mans fre will
we procede demanding who giueth the good will if ye alledge man him self the scripture proueth you liers saing it is God that worketh the will and the perfourmance if God be granted as he can not be denied to be the onely author of all goodnes then ask we why giueth he the good will to the one and not to the other If ye answer becaus the one receaueth grace and the other doeth refuse it ye haue said nothing to the purpose for we still demaÌ„d if God may not if so it pleased his eternall wisdom frame and forme the will of the one to as great obedience as the will of the other fret and fume as ye list this ye caÌ„ not denie except that ye will be blasphemous deniers of his omnipotent power Now of this manifest diuersitie which we se in mankinde we conclude that God hath aswell his elect whom of mercie he calleth by faith iustifieth and by his holie Spirit sanctifieth and in knowledge of him self and of his Sonne Iesus preserueth to the end and so in the end shall he glorifie them as also that he hath his reprobate whom for iust causes he leaueth to them selues to laÌ„gwish in their corruption to passe from iniquitie to iniquitie till that they com to perdition as they that are prepared vessels of wraith If this ye be not able to conuince I send you to fight with your own shadow for our reasons do stand as I haue shortly rehearsed which you be neuer able to moue Trew it is that Iohn Caluin thus writeth Inter electos reprobos mutua est relatio That is betwext the elect and the reprobrate saieth he there is a mutuall relation that is the one hath a contrarie respect to the other so that the election of the which the Apostle speaketh caÌ„ not staÌ„d except we should grante that God hath set apart one sort of men whom it pleased him from an other sorte You heare no meÌ„tion in these wordes of your patch Ther is reprobation of the same sorte which I know either ye orels your Master Castalio forged Becaus ye wold not forgett your merie tale of your Iew ye boldly denie that gods election hath respect to his contrarie reprobation But when ye should come to the plaine demoÌ„stration thereof ye are compelled to flie to this shift There is no such word or phrase in the scripture if such a reason should be made before a reasonable man I think it iustly might be reiected for if this be a good reason Election hath no respect to his contrarie reprobation because the wordes nor phrase are not in the scripture then is this reason good also Lot sinned not committing incest with his daughters for in the hole scriptures there is neither such worde nor phrase that in plaine wordes affirmeth that Lot sinned commiting incest with his daughters Consider the vanitie of your reasons and be ashamed Ye can not denie but this word Election is redde in the scriptures And so oft I say can ye not denie except that willingly ye will corrupt the mind of the holie Gost but that it hath respect to his contrarie reprobation as by the phrases which ye impudently denie to be in the scripâ—ures is most euident As when Paul saieth hath God then reiected or refused his people God forbyd God hath not refused his people whom he knew before And so alledgeing the like to haue bene in the daies of Helias he saieth euen so in this tyme there were a residue or a few nomber left according to the electioÌ„ of grace that is according to the fre election and not accordiÌ„g vnto workes And after he saieth that which Israel seketh it hath not atteined vnto but the election hath atteined vnto it but the rest were blinded whether that this phrase doeth not plainely proue that election in this place hath respect to his contrary reprobation let the indifferent reader iudge The election saieth saint Paule hath atteined vnderstanding the illumination which God did promise but the rest were bliÌ„ded If ye will not suffer that this blinded rest whom God iustly had reiected shall be called reprobat studie ye for a more geÌ„tle worde for we must vse such as the holie Gost hath taught vs. But yet one phrase or two mo I shall haue mercie saieth God to Moses vpon whom I will haue mercie And Paul feareth not to adde his contrarie saing and whom he will he maketh hard hearted And agane what if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen hath suffered with long patience the vessels of wrath made redie to damnation and that he might declare the riches of his glorie on the vessels of mercie which he had prepared vnto glorie If mercy lief the vessels of mercie and glorie haue contrarie respect to seueritie to destruction to the vessels of wraith and of dishonor then can it not be denied but that election from the which all these former graces flow to the elect hath contrarie respect to reprobation I omitte the rest of the phrases which be common in scripture and make plaine difference betwext the elect and reprobat because before I haue noted diuerse and after must be compelled to repete the same How sufficieÌ„tly ye haue proued your generall speciall and most speciall election let the readers iudge by that which is answered to your eight vnreasonable reason aÌ„d to your 13. vanitie That impudent blasphemie which maliciously ye lay to our charge shall God without spedie repentance sodenly reuenge vpon your own heades blasphemous mouth I write to thee whose corrupt maners frâ—indly aÌ„d secretly I haue rebuked but whose malice I now know Canst thow not be vnthankfull vnto man except that also thow powre furth thy vennom against gods Maiestie Impudent lier which of vs hath promised vnto the or vnto any of thy pestilent sect that which he hath not perfourmed Examin thy conscience and denie if thow canst but more hath bene perfourmed vnto the then euer was promised yea euen when thow diddest deserue to haue bene abhorred of all honest men and yet without fear or shame doest thow accuse vs that we should accuse God of hypocrisie and that we wold make him a dissembler like vnto our selues The Lord for his great Names saik either purge thy heart or sodenlie represse that vennome in the and in that pestileÌ„â— sect to his own glorie and to the coÌ„fort of his Church Repent repent I say orels shortly shal thow fele what it is to contristate and make â—orowfull the Spirit of God be the instruments in whom he worketh neuer so weak If of euerie Parable aÌ„d similitude ye will coÌ„clude as largely as ye do here to wit y t because in a Parable it is said that a kinge called many to the mariage Ergò God elected all by his generall election Then it shall folow that all lords and masters shall alow and praise their stewardes and seruants that deceaue
to passe of necessitie for as God doeth foresee that men will do 〈◊〉 so doeth he also foresee that they may leaue the euill vndone and as God foreseeth that men will not do well so he foreseeth that they be not compelled thereto but might do well if they list As for example Christ could and might haue obteined more then twelue legions of Angels and yet God did know that he should not obtein them also God did know that Christ should not pray for twelue legions of Angels and yet he might haue praied as he saieth him self Of this it is manifest that notwithstanding the for knowledge of God things may com to passe otherwiese then they do Wherefor it foloweth that Gods foreknowledge causeth no necessitie Pilate had power to crucifie Christ or to let him go which Christ denied not but rather affirmed it saing he had that power srome aboue aÌ„d althogh Pilate did not delyuer Christ notwithstanding he might haue done it Ananias solde his possession and yet he might haue not sold it he broght a parte of the price thereof to the Apostles which he might haue reteined to him as Peter witnesseth that the price therof was in his own power Many such other exemples may I bring furth whereby it should appere manifest that notwithstanding the fore knowledge of God things be done which might not be done and things be not done which might be done ANSWERE Albeit that ye be so blinded that ye can put no difference betwext the foreknowledge will and power of God which all are perfect in him self as is his eternall God head and the foreknowledge will and power of man or creatures which he imperfect and weak by reason of maÌ„nes corruption yet I doubt nâ—t but that all reasonable men shall sodanly espie your vanitie who dare be so bold as to affirme that because your knowledge was not the cause that Paul was a persecutor that therefor the foreknowledge of God his eternal purpose couÌ„sell and will w c we neuer seperate did no more in that mater then did your bare knowledge by the same reason ye may conclude â— t God wroght no more w t Paule in preaching to the Gentiles theÌ„ did your knowledge for y e reasoÌ„ is a lik stroÌ„g But he him self will not be so vnâ—hankfull but will confesse that from his mothers wombe he set him a parte and called him by his grace to the end that he might reuele his Sonne Christ Iesus by him for the which he vnfeanedly thanked the goodnes of God who made him strong in Christ Iesus to be faithfull in that office and ministerie I am not ignoraÌ„t that other waies doeth God worke in the heartes of his elect the work of their saluation and other waies in the reprobaâ—e for in the heartes of his elect effectually and by the power of his spirit doeth he so worke in them the motions that be aggreable to his holie commandments that they striue and contend against their natural corruption but iustly leauing the reprobate to them selues and to sathaÌ„ their father they willingly folow without all violence or compulsion of gods parte iniquitie and sinne and so finally the way of perdition to the which â—hey naturally are inclyned But yet if any will affirme that therefor gods fore knowledge doeth but Idly behold that they will do and that in his eternall purpose counsell and will he will one thing aÌ„d they will an other so that their will preuale against his he shall not escap the cryme of horrible blasphemy as before I haue said aÌ„d here after also must more largely entreat Of your knowledge what shall com in Iulie aÌ„d of your libertie to write I onely answer this that albeit God did not compell you to write for there to your wicked will was beÌ„t yet becaus he foreknew and also hath fore spoken that of necessitie it was that heresies should com that the elect might be tried it was not altogither against his will that ye should manifest your self aÌ„d that we should patiently suffer your vniust accusations Your wrastling and wrangling with the wordes of our master Christ Iesus to Peter is so far from the purpose of the holie Gost that I am partly ashamed in your behalf Doeth Christ in that place absolutely affirme that either he might pray for xii legions of Angells either yet that his Father wold or might giue them to him then to deliuer him or doeth he not rather by this interrogation Beleuest thow not that I may pray my Father rebuke the bold and foolish interprise of Peter who rashly pretended to defende by his sworde him whome the Father had giueÌ„ into the haÌ„des of his ennemies of determined purpose to die for our sinnes and so did he coÌ„clude contrarie to your mynd to witt that impossible it was that either he should pray for any Angels to delyuer him at that tyme either â—et that his Father should send any for that purpose for becaus it was other waies determined in his eternall and immutable counsell as 〈◊〉 plaine wordes he witnesseth saing But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled in which it is fore spoken that so it behoueth to be In the wordes of Pilate and in Christes answer ye shew the like ignorance as before for there vpon ye conclude what Pilate might haue done and yet did not the same where as the purpose of Christe Iesus was to reproue the proode arrogancie of the vaine man who did vsurpe to him self authoritie rendring vnto God neither honor nor glorie but boasting him self of his power he thoght all thinges lawfull which it pleased him to do Against which pride and vniust vnthaÌ„kfulnes Christ absolutely denieth that he should haue had any power ouer him except it had bene giueÌ„ to him frome aboue By which wordes and sentence he did put him in minde that he should make accomptes what iudgement he pronounced not to the Emperor onely but to the soueraigne God who as he hath appointed and established autoriteis so shall he seuerely require of their haÌ„ds an accompt if vnder his name they vse tirannie or pronounce fals iudgemeÌ„t This I doubt not is y e true aÌ„d simple meaniÌ„g of y e text aÌ„d not as ye ignoraÌ„tly orels maliciously collect y t Christ affirmed that Pilate had power not to adiudge him to be crucified but to deliuer hiÌ„ The holie Gost affirmeth y e direct coÌ„trarie saiÌ„g of a trueth in this citie haue coÌ„uened against thy holie SoÌ„ne whome thow hast anointed Herode aÌ„d PoÌ„tius Pilate with the gentiles and the people of Israel to do what so euer thy hand and counsell haue before decreed to be done Now let the indifferent reader iudge which of our collections and conclusions is most strongly proued Ye affirme that Pilate had power not to crucifie Christ and I say that he was appointed in the immutable counsell of God to be one of the wicked instrumentes by whome the Sonne of God
then were his workes full of crueltie miserie damnation and destruction Now as touching this saying who is able to resist his will we must learne what is gods will If you ask the Lord he will answer you it is not my will that any man sinne neither is it my will that the sinner die but rather that he amend and liue but if he will not amend but continew in sinne him wil I punishe and him may I also punishe hauing power aboue all men as the potter ouer the clay Wherefor when any man suffereth iustly for his trespasse he oght not to accuse God and say who can resist his will â–ª as God wold absolutely the destruction of his creatures as ye teach God will all men to repent and amend and also that theâ— who will not repent and amend be punished this his will is iust and full of mercie against which will is no man able to resist for either must they repent and amend orels they must suffer As the potter wold gladly make of his clay a good vessell but if it will not frame he breaketh it and casteth it away and as the king wold all his subiects to be obedient vnto his lawes yet the vnworthiest slaue in his dominion hath power to break the kinges lawes Notwithstanding wheÌ„ he suffereth for his offence the kinges will is fulfilled eueÌ„ so thogh God both wille hand coÌ„man deth vs to obserue his law yet haue we power to offend against the former parte of his will otherwies we should all obserue â—he will of God and be saued and so should there be no reprobate But when for our disobedience we be punished the will of God is fulfilled which will is both good and iust and therefor oght no man to accuse it aÌ„d say who is able to resist his wil. No more theÌ„ clay when it framed not to be a good vessell doeth accuse the potter of breaking it ANSWER Ye be not able to proue that in any vehemencie we alledge those wordes of the Apostle in other sentence theÌ„ he wrote theÌ„ for all praise aÌ„d glorie be vnto God the mercifull giuer we haue not so litle profited in the schoole of Christ Iesus that we wold wrest the wordes of the holie Gost to a coÌ„trarie sense We are not ignorant that the Apostle pronouÌ„ceth these wordes in the person of carnall meÌ„ who hearing that God hath mercie vpon those that he wil and that also he maketh hard hearted such as he will do storm and furiously crye wherefor theÌ„ doeth he coÌ„plein who is able to resist his wil. These wordes I say do we not vrge to proue our doctrine for where we affirme that the onely will of God is the perfect reule of all thiÌ„ges which be done aÌ„d are to be done in heaueÌ„ and in earth we build our doctrine vpon euideÌ„t testimonies of the scriptures aÌ„d vpon the cheif principalles of our religioÌ„ and faith Dauid and Isaiah do both aggre that our God who dwelleth in heauen doeth what so euer he will in heaueÌ„ and in earthe that he formeth light and doeth creat darknes that is giueth aswel prosperitie as aduersitie Daniel affirmeth that the supreme God distributeth kingdomes as best semeth to his wisdom and Salomon doeth witnes that against the Lord there is no counsell can preuale The necessarie principalles of o r faith do teach vs that as in God there falleth no ignorance so in him there is no impotencie He doeth not as it were in suspeÌ„se aÌ„d doubt behold the eueÌ„t aÌ„d chaÌ„ce of thiÌ„ges ronning after to seke remedie but that in wisdom hath he disposed all thiÌ„ges willing nothing which he may not and doeth not bring to passe in time according to his eternall purpose and working nothing which is not most iust howbeit the causes thereof be hidde frome vs. Of these and many mo scriptures and necessarie principalles of our faith do we grounde our doctrine and not vpon that one place spoken in the rebuke of the stubborn and rebellious disputers with God ye burden vs that we accuse and make God to be the author of euill aÌ„d the cause of damnation That we cause many brest owt and say since his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self aÌ„d not to vs if any sinne be committed And last ye affirme that if our sainges be true that then are gods works full of crueltie miserie damnatioÌ„ and destructioÌ„ and so of two thinges ye accuse vs and the thirde ye affirme ineuitably to folow of our doctrine if it be true Here after I will not greatlie labour to confute thy argumeÌ„tes which is a thing most easie euen to any godlie man how beit he had neuer sene arte nor studied the same But seing that thow and thy most pestileÌ„t sect be not content maliciously to sclander those that in such a case be most innoceÌ„t but that also with most impudent mowthes ye vomite furth your horrible blasphemies against gods maiestie I will most earnestlie and most vnfeanedlie require of all reulers Princes Magistrates and gouernors who in the fear of God do ruele aboue their subiects that as they will answer in the presence of the Lord Iesus for the administration of iustice committed to their charge that indifferently they iudge betwext you and vs. To witt that if we can euidently be coÌ„uicted of those crymes which ye most maliciously and most vniustly lay to our charge that then iudgement without mercie be executed against vs. But and if ye fail in your probation and also if ye can not proue crueltie to be in gods workes supposing that our doctrin remaine as that it is trew aÌ„d stable that then such order may be takeÌ„ for repressing of your vennemous tongues that neither ye be permitted thus openly to blaspheme gods Maiestie neither thus maliciously to sclander innocentes and to offend y e eares of all godlie hearers And to the end that meÌ„ shall not think that being at this time accused we beginne to deuise new defenses or excuses of our selues I will faithfully and simply bring furth of the workes as som what I haue done before of that singulare instrument of Christ Iesus in the glone of his Gospell Iohn Caluin such sentences as shall make plaine to all men what our opinion is of God of the fall of man of the woÌ„derous work of our redemption and of the most iust reiection and damnation of the reprobat Thus saieth he dependeth the perdition of the reprobate vpoÌ„ the predestination of God that the cause and the mater is altogither found in them the first man fell because the eternall iudged it expedient why he iudged it we know not yet certeÌ„ it is that he so iudged it not but that he saw the glory of his name thereby to be illustrate when that thow doest heare the mention of gods glorie there also remembre thow iustice to be for of necessitie it is that iust must y t
be which deserueth praise MaÌ„ therefor falleth gods prouidence so ordeining but yet he falleth by his own fault for God of short time before had pronouÌ„ced that all which he had made were verey good frome wheÌ„ce theÌ„ came such wickednes to maÌ„ y t he so traterously declyned froÌ„ his God Lest that it might haue bene through that that it proceded frome the creation God approued by his own commendation whaâ— so euer he had made Therefor did man corrupt by his own malice that pure and clean nature which from God he had receaued aÌ„d by his fall he drew his hole posteritie to perditioÌ„ Therefor let vs rather behold the euident cause of damnatioÌ„ in the corrupt nature of mankind then that we shall pretend to searche it being his and vtterly incompreheÌ„sible in the predestination of God neither yet let vs be ashamed so far to subiect the capacitie of our vnderstanding to the incomprehensible wisdom of God that in manie of his mysteries we acknowledge and confesse our selues to be ignorant for learned and blessed is the ignorante of those thinges which to vnderstaÌ„d and know is neither lawfull neither yet possible in this life The apperance of knowledge in such thiÌ„ges is a kynd of madnes These be the wordes of this most godlie writer frome whose iudgement none of vs doeth dissent in this mater For froÌ„ him we must confesse except that we wold in concealing the trueth declare our selues to be vnthankfull that we all haue receaued comfort light and erudition as from gods good instrument who yet thus further procedeth There be thre thinges saeth he in this mater to be considered first that the eternall predestination of God by the which he had decreed what should becom of all maÌ„kynd yea and of euerie man euen befor that Adam fell was sure and appointed Secondly that Adame for his defection was iustly adiudged to death and last that in the personne of him that then was lost was damned his hole posteritie aÌ„d yet neuertheles God did frely choose of the same such as vpon whom it pleased him to bestow the â—onor of adoption and yet after in the same place he saieth when we speak of predestination I haue constantly taught and this day do teach that frome thence we oght to begin that iustly are all reprobat left in death who were dead and damned in Adame that iustly they perishe who by nature are the sonnes of wrath And therefor that none hath cause to complein of gods rigorous seueritie seing that all do bear the cause of damnation within them selues for if we shall com to the first man we shall find that willingly he fell and so by his one faule he broght perdition to all his posteritie And albeit that Adam fell not but that God both knew and ordeined thesame yet serueth that nothing nether to extenuat and excuse his crime nether yet to wrap God in societie of the same for alwaes must we looke to this that he spoiled him self of the righteousnes which he receaued from God that willingly he made him selfe seruant to sinne and to sathan that without compulsion he cast him self headlong in to destruction and death yet resteth one excuse to witt that he could not auoid nor flie that which was decreed by God but his voluntarie transgression is sufficient to his condemnation nether yet is the secrete counselle of God the proper and naturall cause of sinne but the fre and plaine will of man And there for seing that man findeth in him self the cause of his miserie what shall it profitt him to seke it in the heauen And after albeit that men by long compassing about purpose to delude them selues yet can they neuer make them selues so brutishe and dull but they shall fele the sense of sinne grauen in their heartes Therefor in vaine is it that vngodlines goeth about to absolue man whom his own conscience damneth In so far as God willing and knowing permitted man to fall the â–ª cause may be secrete and hid but vniust it can not be And yet he further writeth this saieth he is to be holden without all controuersie that sinne was euer hatefull to God for most rightely doth this commendation wherewith of Dauid he is commended aggre to him that he is a God that wold not iniquitie but rather in ordeining the fall of maÌ„ his eÌ„d and purpose was good and most right frome the which the name of sinne abhorreth howbeit I say that so he hath ordeined the fall of man that I vtterly denie him to be the author of sinne Let the indifferent reader iudge with equitie if iustly we be accused of that blasphemie which so openlie we abhorre but yet in the same book he bringeh furth a testimonie of Augustine who thus writeth These be the great workes of God saieth Augustine broght to passe in all his willes and so wisely broght to passe that whill the nature of Angell and man had sinned that is had done not that which he that is God wold but that which the self meaning the creature wold yet not the les by the same will of the creature by the which that was done which the creator wold not did he fulfill that which he wold he being infinitely good vsing well those thiÌ„ges that were euil to the damnation of them whom he iustly had appointed to paine and to the saluation of those whom mercifully he had predestinate to grace In so far as to them perteined they did the thing which God woâ—d not but as apperteining to gods omnipotencie they might by no meanes haue done that for euen in that that they did against the will of God the will of God was done in them and therefor great are the workes of the Lord broght to passe in all his willes that by a woÌ„derous and vnspeakable maner that thing should not be done without his will that yet is don agaiÌ„st his will foâ— it should not be done if he did not suffer it And of a trueth he suffered it not vnwilingly but willingly And a litil before saint Augustin saieth it is not to be doubted but that God doeth well permitting those thinges to be done which are euil for he suffered not this but in his iust iudgement Albeit therefor that these thinges which be euill in so far as they ar euill are not good yet neuertheles it is good that not onely good thinges but also that euill thinges be for if that this were not good that euil thinges should be by no meanes should they be permited to be by the omnipoteÌ„t good to whom no doubt it is a like easie not to suffer the thing which he will not to be as to do that thing which he will except we beleue this the beginning of our faith is indangered by the which we professe our selues to beleue in God the father almightiâ— c. And in the end to answer to these calumnies which ye haue taken furth of Pighius that papist
Iohn Caluin concludeth if euer I had said that it came to passe by the instruction or motion of the spirit of God that the first man did alienat him self frome God and not that rather I haue in al places defended that man was pricked thereto by instigation of the deuill and by the motion of his own heart theÌ„ meritably might Pighius and his coÌ„plices haue railed agaiÌ„st me But seing that I remouing froÌ„ God the verey cause of the actioÌ„ do also remoue from him all crime so that man onely is subiect aswell to the crime as to the punishment wickedly and maliciously is this laid to my charge that I should say that mannes defection and fall is one of gods workes But yet lest y t one thing should appere to lacke of our full doctrine I will recite his wordes which he writeth against the libertines in the 14 chapter of that worke we do not deny saieth he but that all thinges are done by the will of God In so much that wheÌ„ we declare wherefor he is called omnipotent we geue to him an effectuall power in all his creatures and we teach that as once he created the vniuersall world so also that he gouerneth the same And that his haÌ„d is alwaies at the work that he might kepe all thinges in their estate and dispose them after his will And to the end that I may expreâ—â—e the same more easely I say that God is to be considered thre maner of waies to work in the administration or his creature first there is an vniuersall operation by the which he directeth all creatures according to the conditioÌ„ and proprietie which he gaue to euerie one when he formed them and this gouernemeÌ„t is nothing els but that which we call the order of nature for albeit the vnfaithfull know nothing in the disposition of the world but that which they se with their eies And therefor they make nature as she were a goddesse to haue impire and dominion ouer all yet is this praise to be giuen to the will of Godâ— that it onely doeth moderat aÌ„d gouern all thinges Wherefor when we se the son the moon and the sterres fulfill their course Let vs vnderstand that they obey God that they execuâ—e his commandement yea and that they are guided by the hand of God And also when we se the course of earthlie thiÌ„ges all thinges are to be ascribed to God The creatures are to be estemed but as instruments in his haÌ„d which he applieth to the work euen as pleaseth him The scripture doeth often make mention of this vniuersall prouidence that we may learn in all his workes to giue glorie vnto God But chiefly in vs doeth God commeÌ„d this his power that we shall know it in our selues to the end that we may be purged of arrogancie which sodanly vseth to arise in vs how son we forgett our selues to be in his haÌ„des Hereunto apperteineth that which Paul said to those of Athenes It is he in whom we liue are moued and haue our being By the which he wold admonish vs that except God vp hold vs by his hand that vnable it is for vs to stand the least moment of time for euen as the soule dispersing her streÌ„gthe throughe the hole bodie moueth the meÌ„bres so are we qwickened of God form whome onely we obtein what so euer strength or power we haue But this vniuersall operation of God impedeth not but that euery â—reature in heauen and in earth retein their own nature and qualitie and also do folow their own inclination The second maner by the which God worketh in his creatures is that he appointeth them in obedience of his goodnes iustice and iudgement somtymes to help his seruantes somtymes to punishe the wicked and somtimes to examin the pacience of his seruantes or to correct and chasten them with a fatherly affectâ—on as when he will giue vs aboundance of frutes he giueth rain in his time he sendeth heat by the son and bright and clear daies as also he vseth all other naturall meanes as instruments of his liberalitie But when he pulleth back his hand the heauen is made like brasse the eaâ—th is yron and so it is he that sendeth thonder frost hale and also it is he that is the cause of sterilitie and barennes Therefor what so euer the Ethnicks and ignorant did attribute to fortune we assigne to the prouideÌ„ce of God Not onely to that vniuersall operation of the which we haue before spoken but to his especiall ordinance by the which he gouerneth all as he knoweth it to be most expedieÌ„t and profitable and this he teacheth when by his Ptophetes he saieth that he created darknes aÌ„d light that he sendeth death and lief that neither good nor euill can chaÌ„ce but froÌ„ his haÌ„d In so much that he saieth that he doeth gouern aÌ„d direct the lottes Yea if that any maÌ„ by chaÌ„ce and not of set purpose be slain he auoweth him self to be the cause of his death and that so he had appointed that we shall iudge nothing to com of fortune but that all cometh by the determination of his counsell And further it displeaseth him wheÌ„ we esteme any thing to procede from any other so that we do not behold him and know him not onely the principall cause of all thinges but also as the author appointing all thinges to the one part or the other by his counsell Thus let vs then conclude that prosperitie and aduersitie rayn wyndes hale frost fare wether aboundance hunger warre or peace to be the workes of God and that the creatures which be the inferior causes are onelie instrumeâ—tes which he hath in redines to execute his will which he so vseth at his pleasure that he leadeth and moueth them to bring to passe what so euer he hath appointed Moreouer it is to be noted that not onlie he thus vseth his insensible creatures that by them he worketh his will but also men them selues yea and also deuilles insomuch that sathan and wicked men are executers of gods will as he vsed the Egypâ—ians to punishe his people and a litle after he raised vp the Assyrians and other such to reuenge the sinnes of his people we se that he vsed the deuil in tormenting Saul and in deceauing Achab. which thinges when the libertines doheare rashely and without iudgement beholding no further they conclude That now the creatures do no more work and so horribly do they confound all things nether do they onelie mingle and mixt the heauens with the earth but also they ioyn God with the deuil aÌ„d that chanceth vnto them becaus they do not obserue two most necessarie exceptions The former is that Sathan and the wicked are not so the instrumentes of God but that they also do theire own partes Nether must we imagin that God so worketh by wicked men as by a stock or a stone but as by a creature participant of reason c. When we say
no difference betwext those two dictions or wordes The Lord of his mercie preserue his Churche frō so bolde so deceatfull teachers If altogither thou haddest bene ignorant with sorow of heart I could haue lamēted thy foolishenes but pererauing y e of set purpose and malice willingly to corrupt gods plaine scriptures that thow may blynd the more easely the eies of the simple with grief ād dolor I say that better it had bene for the neuer to haue bene born thē thus obstinatly to fight agaīst gods plaine trueth And that in such furie that where from the scriptures thou canst haue none assurance for thy error yet so thow darest wrest them y t they may seme to serue thy purpose Where so euer thou cāst wrest any place that it may be translated by this englishe To there thow ashamest not to affirm y t it is the self same phrase with this of S. Paule vesselles of wrathe prepared or ordeined to destruction This is sufficient to shew to the learned yea euen to such as do but vnderstand the firstprinciples of their grammer thy infidelitie ād craftie deceat in this mater But because such as vnderstand nothing in the latin tongue can not hastely espie thy craft I will trauale to make it so sensible as I can If I should say I am appointed to death to fele the punyshement of sinne and so to make sinne to cease will thow therefor say that this particle To in the former place where I say I am appointed to death and in the second place where I say to sele the punishement of sinne and to make sinne to cease are all one phrase and oght a like to be resolued I suppose thow wilt not for in the first place it cā be none other wies resolued but thus I am appointed to death that is I must nedes die but in the secōd place two causes of death be assigned for where I say to fele the punishemen◠of sinne I vnderstand that one cause of death is that I and all mē may fele how horrible is sinne before God and in this last I vnderstād that death so putteth an ēd to sinne that after it may not trooble the elect of God The phrase of S. Paule is much more different from all that thow adducest then be these phrases before alledged one differen◠frome an other for where he saieth vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction he signifieth the final end of the vessels of wrath to be ordeined and before determined in gods eternall counsell And in all these places to prouoke the Lord to anger to defyle my Sanctuarie to kyndle gods wrath against Israel to make Israel sinne and such like are their actions signified to be the causes of gods anger gods wrath and why he reputed his Sanctuarie polluted Thus thy frowardnes causeth me to trooble the simple reader The place of leremie tho v maliciously doest peruerte for it cā be in nowies so trāslated But what tōgue so euer thow doest follow thow must say wo be to me O my mother that thus hast born me a man that am a brawler and a man of contention in the hole land The place of Paule 1. Cor. 11. serueth nothing for thy purpose for albeit there be a preposition ad which truely may be translated To yet that speach is far differente from the former speach of the Apostle for where he saieth Eat at home that ye come not togither to condemnation he doth admonish them of the danger which they know not w c was that such inordinat and riatouse banqueting ioyned with the cōtēpt of the poore without repentance must bring condemnation if thow list replie alledge that thow stickest not somuch to the termes as to the mater ▪ for in all these former speaches man pretēded one thing but an other thing ensued What cāst thow thereof conclude but that gods purpose sentence and mynd is not subiect to mannes purpose and intention True it is that nether Pharao did resist Moises of purpose to be plagued nether did Ieroboam erect the calues that Israel should be destroied but yet becaus God had so before pronounced ineuitably plagues and destruction did follow their inobedience If hereof ye will conclude as ye seme to do that those whose end is condemnatiō receaue not that by y e will of God because ye cōclude that which neither ye haue proued neither yet go about in this place to proue I will not trouble my self with answering for this present But whē ye shal go about to proue that God will all men to be saued as ye affirme I hope by gods grace to answer sufficiently For as we doubt not but gods iudgemētes are holie and most iust so we know that the conscience of the wicked shall fele in them selues and no where elles the causes of their condemnation Neither yet did any of vs euer hold beleue or affirme that any reprobate shall haue that libertie in the hell to quarell with God of the secrete causes of his condemnatiō for the bookes shall be opened and the secretes of all heartes shall be reueled To the suffering pacience and sorowing of God I haue before answered in the beginning of this your last confused gradation and so I will not trouble the reader with the repetition of the same The wordes of Ieremie which ye alledge can haue no such sentence as ye do gather for he doeth not speak of any passion that was in God as touching his eternall Godhead but onely doeth appeall to the conscience of the people how oft God had not onely rebuked but also from time to time corrected them euer calling them to repētance and suspēding their last punishment how beit that they continually from euil fell backward vnto worse And so at length was God werie oftener to repent that is to say at once he wold powre furth his iust vēgeāce which before so oft he had threatned Let the first chapter of Isaiah be commentarie to this place and I trust the sentence shall be plaine For there he affirmeth that in that people there was no hole part that is all order and policie was almost confounded Ierusalem was in a maner left desolate by the manifest plagues which had apprehended it but yet there was no trew conuersion vnto God And here he saieth thow hast left me saieth the Lord and I haue therefor lifted vp myn hād vpon the and haue scattered the. I am werie in repenting that is that I haue spared the so long I shall scatter them with the fan euen vnto the gates of the earth that is to the vttermost parte I haue made my people desolate and I haue destroyed them neuertheles they haue not turned frō their waies I trust y t euerie reasonable man will cōsider y t those wordes be rather spoken to admonish the people how God by all meanes had prouoked them to repentance then to declare vnto vs what nature or
certen securitie And therefor the wordes of our master spoken to his disciples and the admonition of Paul to the Churches in his daies doth much profit comfort and confirme vs for by the same we are so armed against offences and sclanders which daily do chance that albeit we se that froÌ„ amongest our selues arise such as bring in damnable sectes which lead many to perdition yet we do not therefor detest nor ahbore Christs simple veritie but being prouoked by that fall deiection of others with great solicitude and care we call for the assistance of gods holie spirit en those most miserable and most wicked daies That ye affirme vs to be lieng prophetes not seÌ„t of God but such as runne of our selues calling to our coÌ„gregation the people whom after we prouoke to a careles libertine life we answer not to you but to our God Iudge vs ô Lord in this cause according to our innocencie according to the puretie which thy spirit hath formed in our heartes destroy all lyeng lippes and confound thou those that of malice trouble thy afflicted flock Let your frieÌ„des enemies to gods eternall trueth proude boasters of their own iustice and suppressers to their power of Christes glorie giue eare if they list to your admonition absenting them selues from all well reformed congregations We will not cease to exhort all the faithfull to frequent and hant the places wher Christes Euangil is truely and openly preached his holie sacrementes rightely ministered according to his own ordinance and institution And also where disciplyne is put in practise according to that ordre which he him self hath commanded Nether yet will we cease to affirme that your priuie assemblies and all those that in dispyte of Christes blessed ordinance do frequent y e same are accursed of God We do not deny but that Iudas Achitophell BalaaÌ„ and many mo willingly and of determined purpose did wickedly most vnthankfully offend but what is this to your mater It resteth alwaies to be proued that they were elected in Christ Iesus by the eternal counsel of God Your foolish question demanding if Adam or any other maÌ„ can be saued by Christ. which doth forsaik him I haue before answered plainely prouing that the elect children can not finally forsaik and conteÌ„ne the ordinance of their father Nether yet can the membres refuse the lief whiche they receaue froÌ„ their head And that because the Spirit of God drawing them to Christ maketh them to fele their necessitie which they haue of him And therefor with al thank fulnes and ioy do they receaue him who is made to vs from God wisedom iustice satisfaction redeÌ„ption and lief To me it appereth a very foolish questiâ— if any should demand if a man perfect in witt memorie and reason feling him elf so pressed which honger or thirst that of necessitie he must perish except nature were supported to ask I say if such a man willingly and obstinatly wold refuse holsom meat and drink appereth foolish and vaine And such is your question for the elect children do fele their own miserie honger thirst and pouertie yea they labor vnder the burden of their sinnes which they hate of the which they wold be releued And therefor they can not refuse the iustice lief and assured redemption which is offered to theÌ„ in Christ Iesus To whom be all praise glorie and honor for euer The place of the Apostle I haue before answered and therfor I shortlie com to that wich ye call THE ADVERSARIE The third error of the careles by necessitie God hath two maner of willes one reueled will and a secret will which is onely knowen â—o him self â–ª by gâ—ds reâ—â—led will men should not com to nought but they which porâ—sh 〈◊〉 perishe by his secrete will in respect of gods commandement It was nâ—t gods will that Adam should sinnâ— but in respect of gods secrete will God wold Adam to fall ANSWER How maliciously ye peruerte our wordes and how impudently ye forge vpon vs a form of doctryne which did neuer enter into our thogthes shall appere God willing bv answering to that which ye call the confutacion of our third error which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The authors of this wicked opinion when they could not sufficiently confirme their errors by the auctoiite of gods word they inuented a new shift to approue it by gods secrete will for say they Thogh God by his reueled will will all men to be saued yet by hiâ— secrete will he willeth many to be damned by his reueled will he will no wickâ—dnes but by his secrete will he will Pharao to be hard hearted Sâ—mâ—â— to curs Dauid the patriarkes to sell their brother Ioseph c. by his reueled will he wold 〈◊〉 that Adam should full but by his sâ—cret will be willeth Adam to ful I maruel much where ye haue founde out this maner of doctrine for nâ—ther Moses and the prophetes nether Christ and his Apostles vse any such maner of doctrine further what profit do yeto the peâ—ple wiâ—h this dâ—â—trine Sure I am that 〈◊〉 cause many to conceaue an euill opinioÌ„ of God hereby But now for asmuch as the secrete will of God â—â—kâ—oweâ— to none but â—o him self alone who hath râ—â—eled it to you how can ye sâ—y this is godâ— secrete will â—f it was gods secâ—eâ—â— will â—hat Adâ— should fall and you 〈◊〉 it then it is both secrete and 〈◊〉 both reueled and unreueled both knowen unknowen what greate absurditie is this can a maÌ„ call that which he knoweth vnknowen or that which is secret reueled so may a maÌ„ say hearing is not hearing light â—s no light By this straÌ„ge doctrine you wolde be counted wyse but you are so much from the right way that you are become foolish you can not content your self with such thinges as it hath pleased God to reuele in his word for our comfort but will nedes knowe gods secret will Search not saith Sirach out the ground of things as are to mightie for the but looke what God hath commanded the and looke vpon that alwaies and be not curious in many of his workes for it is not nedefull for the to se with thine eyes thinges that are secret the medling with such thinges hath beguyled many a man and tangled their wits in vanitie And in the Prouâ—rbeâ— Eyke as it is not good to eate to much honie euen so he that will searche out hiegh thinges it shal be to heauie for him wo be vnto them saith the Lord that are wyse in their own sight and think them selues to haue vnderstanding for he that presumeth to know the secret will of God and thereby will confirme his error he can not be reformed by gods reueled will which is the worde Be not wise saieth Paul in your own opinions And the holie Gost be not wise in your own conceat but fâ—are the Lord and depart from euill
our frayle bodies do we hold the secrete will of God for a ruele of all equitie perfection and sufficiencie teaching and affirming that if any man of vaine curiositie or of deuelish pride presume to define or determine vpon these or others his inscrutable secretes the causes whereof other then his secret but most iust will is not neither shal be reueled till the full glory of the sonnes of God be manyfested when the wisdome goodnes iustice and mercie of God shall so euidently appere to the full contentation of his electe to the most iust conuicting of the conscieÌ„ces of the very reprobate to whome shall be left no place of excuse but in their owne consciences they shall receaue the iust sentence of their most iust condemnation and so shall they in tormentes glorifie the most iust most seuere iudgement of God and his vnspeakable hatered against sinne conceaued We teach and affirme I say that if any man in this life trauale to searche out other causes of these foresaid works of God then his secrete will that the same man hedlongs casteth him selfe in to horrible coÌ„fusion which he can not eskape without spedie repentance And against such men are al the scriptures by you alledged spoken and written and not against vs who as we affirme nothing which gods worde doeth not plainely teache vs so do we cease curiously to inquire any cause of his workes other theÌ„ it hath pleased his godlie wisedome and mercie to reuele vnto vs by his holie spirit plainely speaking in his holie scriptures And therefor to you it shal be most profitable to trye and examine this mater with greater indiffereÌ„cie then hitherto you haue done and to ponder and wey whether it be ye or we that be wise in our owne conceate sight or opinion or that go about to finde out the almightie that is to subiecte his Maiestie and wisdome to the iudgemeÌ„t of our corrupt reason You I say who vpon his words plainely spoken by the holie Gost and vpoÌ„ his works which he neither fearerh nor eshameth to attribute and clame to him selfe dare make these blasphemous conclusioÌ„s Then is he more cruel then a wolf then is he a dissembler then beareth he hoÌ„ny in his mouthe gaule in his breast then is he author of sinne him self theÌ„ is he vniust coÌ„trarious to him self or we y t coÌ„miÌ„g but onely to the sight of gods incoÌ„prehensible iudgements with all treÌ„bliÌ„g reuereÌ„ce fall done before his Maiestie w t the Apostle do crye Oh y e depnes of y e riches wisdome and knowledge of God howe inscrutable are his iudgementes and vnsearcheable are his waies who hath knowen y e minde of the Lord or who hath bene of his counsell or who hath giuen vnto him first that he should recompence him for of him and by him and in him are all things to him be glorie for euer Amen Be you your selues iudges I say whether you or we do search out thinges that be aboue the reache of our capacities and by that meanes studie to bring God as it were in boÌ„dage to our reasons but now that which foloweth in these wordes ADVERSARIE Thy worde sayeth Dauid is a lanterne to my fete and a light vnto my steppes when thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen Vnto babes all the wordes of the Lord are pure and cleane it is a shilde to them that put their trust in it And the Prophet Esaya if any maÌ„ lacke light â—et him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie we must not leaue the word and seke to establish our phantasies ether by reason or gods secret will for we are commanded that we turne not from the word nether to the right hand nor to the left that thou maiest sayeâ—h thâ— holye Gost haue vnderstanding in all that thou takest in hand This is sufficient for vs and this we oght for to do But we knowe say you euen by the worde that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him verie well and can you proue thereby that God hath two willes God hath reueled so much of his will as is profitable for vs to vs to knowe the rest which is nether necessarie nor mete for vs to know he hath not reueled Is it therefore an other will or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shal there be contrarietiâ— in God which is fals if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam shoulde fall but in respect of his secret will he wold Adam should fall then did God will two contraries which is impossible was there euer any such monsterous doctrine taught God abhorreth a double heart which speaketh one thing and thinketh and other and yet abhorre you not to charge God with that which he cannot abide in his creatures that is that he should speak one thing as that Adam should not haue fallen and think and will the contrarâ—e that Adam should haue fallen ANSWER The wil of God plainely reueled in his holie scriptures we do not onely followe as a bright lanterne shining before vs for the directing of our pathes walking in the darknes of this mortalitie but also we affirme it to be of such sufficiencie that if an Angell froÌ„ the heauen with wonders signes and miracles wolde declare to vs a will repugning to that which is alredie reueled persuading vs vpon that to ground our faith or by that to rule the actions of our liues we wold hold him accursed and in no wise to be heard and therefore yet once againe I caÌ„ not cease to exhort you if by late reuelations ye I mean some of your faction hath receaued any newe knowledge of gods will by the which you persuade others that man in this life shal be pure and clean with out sinne that God shall expell it not onely in the resurrection but euen while we walk compassed with this corruptible flesh euen as the bright sunne chaseth away the darck cloudes that the children of God shal so beare dominion ouer the wicked in this earth that all the proud tyrannes and oppressors shall be come slaues to the godlie and that shal be their hell and punishment as the earthlie reigning of the others shal be their heauen and ioye promised Examin I say your selues if that any of you be infected with these and others mo grosse and foolish fantasies which by gods reueled will you be neuer able to proue But as for vs we haue proued and offer to proue at all times by the reueled will of God what so euer we teach affirme or beleue of gods eternal electioÌ„ or of his most iust reprobatioÌ„ for we coÌ„fesse euen the self same thing which you alledge vs to say which is that by the word of God we knowe that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him in heauen and in
earth and that also he hath reueled vnto vs so much as is profitable for vs to knowe ether yet necessarie for our saluacion for the which we praise his eternal goodnes and infinit wisdom do affirme further as before we haue said that such as staÌ„d not content with that which is reueled but arrogaÌ„tly list to mouÌ„t vp to search the secretes of gods counsel shal be beateÌ„ downe againe by the brightnes of his glorie to eternal confusion in a iust recompence of their presumpteous boldnes And thus much with you we wil willingly coÌ„fesse but where vpon certen questions you make such conclusions as pleaseth you we cannot but accuse in yon that vnreuerent yea deuelish boldenes and pride which in all men we condemne But let vs heare your own wordes Can you proue thereby that God hath two willes or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shoulde there be coÌ„trarietie in God which is false if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam should fall but in respect of his secret will he wolde Adam shoulde fall Then did God will two contraries which is impossible These be your wordes and seuerall reasons most blasphemously spoken not against vs but against gods eternall wisdome against vs I say ye cannot speak them for no such doctrine haue we euer taught for we most constantly affirme that the secret wil of God and his will reueled is alwaies one which is the manifestation and declaratioÌ„ of his own glorie althogh it seme diuers in y e instrumentes as before I haue most manifestly decâ—ared and thus most iustly might I send you to debate your cause with him whose iustice wisdom cannot be subiect to the vanitie of your reason But yet because no small part of this coÌ„trouersie betwext you vs consisteth in this that you can admit no will in God the reason and cause whereof ye cannot see perceaue nor vnderstand and affirming the contrarie say that of gods secret will can nether man nor Angell perceaue assigne or vnderstand any other reason or cause but his holie will onelie and therefore with all reuerence do they stoupe and couering their eyes crie iust and righteous art thou oh Lord in all thy workes holie holie holie Lord God of armies The vniuersall earth is replenished with the glorie of his Maiestie Because I say a great part of our controuersie standeth in this point I wil go through your questions and seuerally answer to euerie one first you aske if God haue two willes by reason that he hath a secret will and a reueled wil. I answere that as God in his eternal God head is simple and one so is his will in respecte of him selfe from all beginning simple and one which is the declaration of his owne glorie But because the instrumentes in which gods glorie is and must be for euer manifested and knowen be diuers therefor hath gods will w c in him selfe is one diuers considerations effectes endes in respect of the diuers instrumentes for example God will the vessels of his mercies to be extolled to the glorie of the kingdome with Christ Iesus but he will the vesselles of wrath to be adiudged to the fire inquenchable prepared for the deuill all his Angelles Who doth not see but in respecte of these diuers instrumeÌ„ts the will of God hath diuers respectes and diuers endes and iustly may be called two willes or a dooble will for it is one will to saue and an other will to condemne as touching the instrumentes creatures saued or condemned But in respecte of God the wil is one and simple which is as before is said the manifestation of his glorie which no lesse shyneth in the iust punishmeÌ„t of the one sort then in the mercifull deliuerance of the other And this much for the first SecoÌ„dly ye ask if y t w c is not reueled be coÌ„trary to that w c is reueled To the w c I answere as before that in respecte of God there is no coÌ„trarietie betwext y e will reueled and the will vnreueled But yet may the creatures to whome God doeth notifie his will by commandement rebuke or exhortation apprehend vnderstand one thing and yet it may be that God in his eternall counsell hath determined the expresse contrarie if this to you at the first sight seme strange yet my good hope is that examples in the scriptures proposed shall make the mater sensible ynough to the godlie and sobre reader What do we think that Dauid did apprehend of that most sharp and vehement rebuke giuen vnto him by Nathan theÌ„ Prophete in the name of God No dowt that he was the sonne of death that God wold break the league and couenant with him as he had done to Saule his predicessor But was it therfor the eternall purpose of God that so it should be The end and issue declareth the contrarie Ezechias receaued the very sentence of present death from the mouthe of the Prophet Isaiah who no doute came not with message at all aduenture but at the expresse commandement of God for so he affirmeth sayinge Thus saieth the lord put ordre to thy house for thou shalt die and shalt not liue But was not therefor the coÌ„trarie to witt that he should afterward liue fiftene yeres determined in the immutable couÌ„sell of God The same might I declare by many other exhortations commandementes but with one I wil staÌ„d contented which shall adde light to the former Abraham was commanded by God to take his sonne Isaak whome he loued his onelie sonne in whome the promes stode and to go to the mounteine which God wold appoint there to offer him in sacrifice What will of God did Abraham apprehend in this commandement during the iourney of thre dayes God him selfe beareth recorde that Abraham did so vnderstand gods will that his owne haÌ„d was stretched out to kill his sonne yea that in his heart he had killed him for so saith the Angell because thou hast donne this and hast not spared thy onelie sonne I shall blesse the. but whether had God in his eternall counsell deâ—ermined that AbrahaÌ„ should kill his sonne as Abraham did vnderstand by his will reueled who so euer dare so affirme maketh God subiecte to mutabilitie and denieth him to be God whose wisdome knowledge purpose and couÌ„selles be stable and appointed from all eternitie if with reuereÌ„ce the causes hereof be searched inquired y e holie Gost will answer y t good it was to Dauid thus to be humbled that profitable it was not onely to Ezechias but also to the hole Church of God after him to coÌ„me to the knowledge of his infirmitie and of the agonye battel which he susteined fighting as it were agaiÌ„st gods iudge meÌ„tes That by Abrahams great obedieÌ„ce be we all instructed to obey God in all things which he coÌ„maÌ„deth and to subiecte not onely our lustes and
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all
if ye affirme y t God nether teÌ„pteth y e obeidieÌ„ce of his seruaÌ„tes nether yet sendeth false prophetes to tempt his people his plaine scriptures will rebuke your vanitie for God tempted Abraham he tempted his people fortie yeres in the wildernes he tempteth also by sending fals prophetes as Moises doth witnes And therefor ye must be compelled to grant that this word tempting or to tempt is diuersly taken in the scriptures somtimes to trye and examyn somtimes to bring to light and knowledge thinges that be secret in mans heart sometymes to seke by experience a certentie of thinges spokeÌ„ pronounced or affirmed and somtymes moue or to prouoke to iniquitie in this last signification we confesse that God tempteh no man for as the mater of all iniquitie lieth within man so is he prouoked moued and stirred therunto by his owne lustes and instigation of the deuill onely And thus albeit we grant that to moue euill thoghtes is to tempt yet we denye y e coÌ„uersion which is this Ergo to teÌ„pt is to moue euill thoghtes But let vs heare forther of your profound vanitie all is good say you that commeth from the father of light God grant that in your heartes ye were assuredly so persuaded if euill thoghtes come from him they must be good and so you conclude that then was Iosephes wordes fals and that God may be called the father of darknes O execrable is your blasphemie because from him come euill thoghtes which are darknes Answer If any of vs haue so written or spokeÌ„ let vs be stoned to death as execrable blasphemers And if that ye in your blind fury do therewith vniustly burden vs althogh ye may eskape the handes of man yet shall you not esskape gods seuere and soden vengeance It is malice that will not suffer you to vnderstand howe that these euilles whiche men willingly comitt in so farre as they com from God are iust profitable and good for we most constantly affirme that the damnation of the deuill the induration of Pharao the deceauing of Achab and other such in so farre as they proceded from God are his iust and good workes because they are the punishment of sinne the excecution of his iust iudgementes and a declaration of his iustice which iustely is armed against the obstinate rebellion of Angelles and men but thereof to conclude ergo their euill thoghtes their malicious myndes their hatered and crueltie came immediatly from God is more then a blasphemie for all these be and are found within the offenders which God doth vse not by an ydle permission for that is a thing most contrarious to his iustice but effectually as his wisedome best knoweth they shall serue to his glory y t for vtilitie of his chosen children I say it is a thing most contrarious to gods iustice power ydly to suffer iniquititie to be done if he had no further respect then to the facte as it is committed for as a man can not be excused who may impede murther and doth it not so can not gods iustice be excused by your ydle permission if he had no further respect but to thinges as they be doÌ„ne by man And so is gods iustice rather accused then mainteined by the foolishness of your curious braynes saying God permitteth many thinges which he wold not what vanitie is this Is it not a thing confessed amongest all that gods power is omnipotent who then caÌ„ compelle him to suffer that which he wold not And why doth he willingly suffer thinges which in his law he hath forbidden I answer for the manifestation of his own glory which is more precious then the heauen and y e earth and all the creatures in y e same conteined And thus doth vanitie cause you to fear that gods iustice shall fall into decay except it be vndersett vpholdeÌ„ w t your foolishe distinctioÌ„ betwext his will his permission but we feare not to affirme y t he permitteth nothing which in some respect he will not for as he is omnipoteÌ„t a most louing father so should he suffer no calamitie to come nor crueltie to be vsed against his children â–ª except he did before see yea and before determyn their cofort his glory to arrise of the same And will you say y t gods glory the coÌ„fort and y â— preseruation of his Church is an euill work because that wicked men are instrumentes by whome gods eternal counsell is broght to passe Was the exaltatioÌ„ of Iosephe to honor the preseruation of Egypte and of other nations from famine yea and the feding of Iacob and his familie an euill work because that Iosephes brethren of malice and enuie did sell him to the Ismaelites and they for lucre did seli him againe to Putiphare whose wyfe of malice did moste vniustly accuse him so being in prison at length he was broght to the knowledge of Phirao and so was promoted for his reuelation and wisedome to honor and dignitie O say you it is not this that we do lay to your charge but you affirme that God was author of the malice and of the wicked thoghtes of Iosephes brethren You do belie vs most maliciously for we constantly denye that God ether powred in them any malice oâ— did moue by his holie Spirit any wicked thoght into them for those we say they had of nature in so farre as it is corruâ—ted But we say that God vsed their wicked thoghtes and malice to his glory and to the full comfort of him whose destruction they soght and that he did not ydly permitting them but effectually working by such instrumentes and meanes as his wisedome had before appoiÌ„ted Rage now as you list for albeit to you this saing is vaine y t God worketh all thinges for his owne glory yet will not God haue his glory measured by y e vanitie of your braine We glâ—rifie God say you when we iudge him wâ—rthie to be gloriâ—ied Answer if you vnderstaÌ„d that then onely and at none other time elles do meÌ„ glorify God but when they confesse him worthie of glory you are ignorant foolishe and manifest liers for your argument is no better then if I should say man slepeth in the night season therfor no man may or can slepe at any other time If your master Castalio had considered that an argument made a specie ad genus negatiue is vaine and foolishe he had not heaped to gether so many sophisticall reasons by the which you and others are abused To make this mater some what more plaine If y e glorie of God coÌ„sist in the manifestation of his mercie of his trueth of his power of his wisedome and of his moste iust iudgementes then do all creatures glorifie God whether they iudge him worthie or vnworthie of the same for Dauid affirmeth that the heauens declare the glory of God and yet haue they nether iudgement nor vnderstaÌ„ding the heauen and the earth saieth Isaiah are replenished with his glorye
you pretēd ye cā not but vnderstand this answere to be sufficiet to dissolue what so euer ye haue vnreuerently collected But yet to make it more sēsible to the simple I say y t in this proposition God can not wil two contraries and in the conclusion which you make vpon the same you oght to haue made a distinction betwene those thinges w c God simply or as ye spake before absolutely will and betwene those thinges which he will for a certein end and purpose which doeth not appere in the external actiōs For certen thinges there be as in an other place I haue entreated which God will euen for them selues such as be mercie iustice temperance chastitie and all other vertues which he wil haue to shyne in his elect and please him in Christ Iesus his Sonne And yet neuertheles he also will crueltie iniustice excesse filthie life blindnes induration to be in others as iust punishmētes of their sinnes and causes of their condēnation The last I say will God to be in the reprobate not for the wicked actes sake which do euer displease his Maiestie but for such endes as his wisedom hath appointed Let this be explained by examples some natural and some takē frō gods scriptures There is no mā except he be of a most cruel nature that considering the incōmodities of warre and of battell doeth will it for the selfe And yet a godly prince persewed by externall ennemies doeth not onely will his soldiours to fight and to mainteine the warre but also he prouoketh he encourageth and exhorteth his subiectes to the same And why is it because y t warre or battell pleaseth him in the self or for the self No but because with out such trauaill such danger and hasard his subiectes can not lyue in quietnes and the estate of his commō wealth can not be preserued The same may I say of godlie magistrates punishing murtherers adulterers and blasphemers w t death and yet nether willing the death of any mā neither yet deliting in the sheding of their blood In these similitudes I grāt somwhat to be vnlike for gods power is not subiect to such incōmodities vnwillingly as be the powers of men But yet these similitudes suffice to explaine the chief purpose w c is y t man may will two contraries for diuers respectes without any contrarietie in him self For peace and warre are cōtraries to kill to saue the life are likewise cōtraries and yet one man euen at one time may will both the one and the other for diuers respectes and diuers endes He may will peace for the cōfortable quietnes and felicitie y t ther of springeth and at the same instāt without all cōtrarietie in him self he may wil warre to withstād the furie of the ennemie y t wold oppresse his subiectes And may not these thinges w c we perceaue to be in creatures be in God in greater perfectiō althogh we perceaue not the causes Let vs trie the answere both by the examples of gods seruātes and last by the exāple of God him self Lot no doubte did agree with gods wil in that he loued chastitie sobrietie and temperāce and hated filthie life riotous chere and excesse For the holy Gost boareth him this record that he was pure and cleane both in eares and eyes But what will had he when he did offer his two daughters to be defloured and abused by those vilanous persons was it cōtrarie to his formar will Did he now beginne to delyte in that execrable filthines assured I am he did not But being oppressed with the present necessitie reteining the same loue wil and minde to chastitie and honest conuersation soght y e next remedie that to him appered able to haue staied the rage of that furious multitude vpon God I grāt falleth no such necessitie But let the chief scope be obserued and we shall vnderstand that for diuers respectes to will two thinges wherof the one is contrarie to the other is not to will contrarietie But let vs come to God him self God willeth mercy iustice all other vertues as before we haue said and these he will at all times and before all times But is it not possible therfor that he can will crueltie oppression blood sheding murther and death Who then sent Nabuchadnezer to destroy not onely the Iewes but also the Moabites and other nations Who pronounced this sentence Cursed be he that doeth the Lordes worke negligently and he that withdraweth his swerd from blood Who did create the smithes with their hammers to break downe the hornes which had dispersed Israel And finally who gaue his owne sonne to the cruell death Who hath subiected the deare spouse of Christe Iesus to afflictions and temporall calamities Dare you denie but that it was and is the eternall God by whose good will all these thinges were appointed and decreed or were any of them done agaīst his almightie will I think you wil not so affirme For the scripture witnesseth that God gaue his Sonne to the world euē of determined purpose that he should dye orels who could haue compelled his Maiestie therunto if his will had bene repugnant Peter affirmeth that blessed are we that suffre for y e name of Christe adding this comfortable sentēce By them y t is by the persecuters is y e name of God blasphemed but by you it is glorified And therfor let such saith he as be afflicted by y e will of God lay doune their soules in well doīg as in the handes of a faithfull keper Paul witnesseth y t those whom God hath elected in Christe Iesu he hath also predestinate and before appointed to be like fashioned to the image of his owne Sonne Of which testimonies it is plaine that the greuous destruction the aboundance of the bloodshed amōg diuers natiōs the cruell death of Christ Iesus and the most fearefull afflictions of his dearely beloued Church did procede from gods will in so much as he did not onely suffer them but also for most iust causes respectes and endes which often before I haue recited he did will and appoint them and yet in God was there no contrarietie For in the destruction of Ierusalem ād of others he had not respect simply to the ruine and vastatiō of those places but to his iust iudgementes which were prouoked to take vengeance vpon the multitude of their sinnes which lōg he had suffered When our Master Christe Iesus did suffre he had no delite in the crueltie of those enraged dogges who did crucifie him which as he hated so after he did most seuerely punish but his pleasure ād delite was in the redēption of man which by none other sacrifice could haue bene perfited And this day and from the beginning he hath had no pleasure in the blood which is shed neither in the tyrānie which is vsed against his simple and smal flock but because he wil haue the members like y e head he doeth a
preaching of his Law and by rebuking of their manifest impietie And so he did God working all to his glory according to his eternall purpose And this because your interpretation is not sufficieÌ„tly confirmed by any phrase of the scripture which ye haue alledged aÌ„d also because it repugneth to the scriptures which before I haue adduced we can not admitte it Against your complexion or Epilogue which is nothing but a superfluous repetition of those thinges which sufficiently ye haue not proued althogh you so bragge we say that as God by his eternal word and power infinite hath created al thinges so hath he by his wisedom incomprehensible so disposed all thingesâ— y t as nothing was created for the self so was nothing the appointer of the self to serue God as his glory required But he in his eternal counsel appointed the end to euery creature to the which they shal once atteine by such meanes as he most iustly hath appointed And therfor seing his glorie doth no lesse require his iust iudgemeÌ„tes then his superabouÌ„dant mercie to be knowen he hath in his eternal counsel elected some and reiected others eueÌ„ before y e foundatioÌ„s of y e world And albeit he created man after his own image yet did God neuer determine y t mankind should staÌ„d in Adam but his iust couÌ„sell and purpose was that all men should fall in Adam that the elect might know the price of their saluation Christe Iesus in whoÌ„ they were elected before y t in Adam actualy they did fall or were created And so God willing to make his glorie to shine in al hath prepared some vessels of mercie and some of wrath to y e one he hath frely giueÌ„ life euerlastiÌ„g in Christ Iesus his sonne The other he hath for iust causes so reiected that albeit with long pacience he suffereth their manifest rebellion yet in the finall iudgement he shall commaÌ„d them to go to the fire that neuer shal be quenched And this will and counsel of God is neither secret nor hidde from his Church but is in his word most manifestly reueled aÌ„d therfor of it we feare not to affirme that euen in the first promise and euer since hath God made a plaine distinction betwext the elect and the reprobate so that the purpose and counsell which before was hidde in God was in time manifested vnto man Which will and counsell of God becaus it is constant and immutable like as God him selfe is must of necessitie take effect and therfor I boldly affirme that neither can any whom God in his eternal purpose hath reprobated become the elect and so be saued neither yet can any of Christes elect nombre to life euerlasting be reprobated and so come to finall perdition We further saye that albeit gods will in the selfe be one to witte the manifestation of his own glorie yet as touching his creatures it hath diuers respectes for God will the saluation of some and he also will the iust â—ondemnation of others And the contrarie of this doth God neuer declare in his word but rather doth most plainely reuele it And therfore this his godlie will is not called secrete as that it is not expressed in his word but because that in his word there is no cause assigned gods good will onely excepted why he hath chosen some and reiected others And this knowledge is so necessarie to a Christian that without the same ca the heart of man neuer be sufficieÌ„tly subiected vnto God nether can he rendre vnto him due praise and honor except that he acknowledge and confesse y t God him selfe hath made differeÌ„ce betwext him others To your odious termes dispitefull railing I briefely say at this time THE LORD shall iudge To my knowledge there resteth no notable scripture which ye haue alledged or rather abused for confirmatioÌ„ of your error which is not sufficieÌ„tly answered two places excepted The one is of Ezechiel affirmig that God will not the death of a sinner the other conteineth the wordes of Paul saying God will all men to be saued which places because you recite them here in the description of him whom you call the true God I thoght it expedient to delay til this opportunitie to y e end that hâ—uing to fight as it were face to face with the deuil him self I might haue some coÌ„fort of my God in entreating some place of his holie scriptures Thus you procede with a mouth most execrable and blasphemous THE ADVERSARIE The properties of the God of the careles by necessitie Their gods wrath excedâ—th all his workes for he hath reprobate the most part of the world afore the foundation of the world be is slowe vnto mercy and ready to wrâ—the for he will not be intreated to saue any of them whom he bath reprobate afore but of necessitie do what they can they must be damned neâ—ther is he omnipâ—tont which may do and leaue vndone â–ª what pleaseth him for he is bound â—y â—is â—wn absolut ordinance and infallible foresight to do onely all things as they be donne and becaus 〈◊〉 so pleased him to she we his power strength he styrred up Pharao many mo to do wickedly â—e giueth wicked commandement and euill thoghtes to Semei and many other And therafter plagued them for their labor onely because they were wicked instruments to work his will for he made them naughtie vesselles 〈◊〉 commit all abomination neither could they choose but work wickedly being â—is vesseles of wrath he hathe two willes â—ne contrary to an other for he saieth one thing and thinkeâ—h another he is worse theâ— the deuill for not onely tempteth â—e to do euill but compelletâ— by immutable fore ordinance and secret wil without which no thing can be doâ—â—e he is the prince of darknes for frome him comâ— euill thoghtes which are darknes ANSWER Because that now I haue to do not onely with a blasphemer but eueÌ„ as it were with a deuill incarnate my first and chief defence is to say the Lord putte sileÌ„ce to the â— Sathan The Lord confound thy dispiteful counselles by the which thou studiest to peruert the righteous way of the eternall God But now of thee ô blasphemous mouth I aske if thou be able to forge to the and to thy pestilent factiâ— an other God then that God who most iustly did drowne and destroy by water all liuing creatures in earth except so many as were preserued in the arke with Noah who also did destroye by fire from heauen Sodom and Gomorra with the cities â—diacent and the hole inhabitantes of the same Lot and his two daughters onely reseruedâ— who further by the space of four thousand yeres did suffre all nations to walk in their owne wayes reueling onely his good will and the light of his word to the sede of Abraham to those that descended of Iacob I meane Canst thow I say forge to thy self another God then this eternall maiestie of our
1. 1. cor 3 Netherâ—â— faith nâ—ther electioÌ„ grouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ man nor vpon his constaÌ„cie To â—he 4 Christes power is of greater vertue to saue his elect then Adams â—mpotencie was to bring damnation vpon alâ— To the 5. 6 The aduersarie is conuicted by his own reasoâ—s The place of Moises coÌ„cerning Cain To the 7 1. Cor. 10 To the 8 Genese 9 To the 9 10 11. 12 13. 1 Cor. 10 To the 14. 15 16. Nom. 23 why Balaam blessed Israel could not curs them To the 17 18. A propâ—sition 1 Sam. 13 â— King 16 Gen. 49 why Saul was electedâ—â— the king doÌ„ which was appointed to an â—ther tribs To the 18. 19. 20. 2. Sam. 7 To the 21 3 Kâ—g 11 To the 22. 23. Ezâ—â— 18. The 33 sectio To the 1 To the 1. 2. 3. 4 To the 5 To the â— Tâ— the 7 To the â— The 2. argumeÌ„t The 34. section Luc 18. Iohn 5. Esai 49 Iere. 13 â— Câ—r 11 Mat. 24 2 The. 2 Ephes â–ª 5 To the â— 2 3. To the 4. â— To the 7 To the 8 To the 9 To the 10 The elect of God can not forsake Christe The 35. secâ—â—on The 36. section Eccle. 3 â–ª Oh that you could looke vpon that alwayes Prouer 28 Esaie 5. Rom. 12 Prou. 3 Iob 37 Sap. 9 To the 1. 2. 3. 4 Euâ— 9. 2 King 16. Genâ— 45 To the 5 â—phes 3. Rom. 11 Colo. 1. Tiâ—â— 2 Tit. 1. 1. Pet. 1. To the 6. 7. 8. Rom. 12 Iob. 37â— The saings of Castalio against Iohn Calâ—in The 37. section Psal 119 Pro. 30. Esa 8. Rom. 12 Iob 37 To the â— To the 2 To the 3. 4. 5. Esay â— Mat. 25 To 〈◊〉 Isa. 38. To y â— 5 The aduersariâ—s iudge of gods maiestie according to their blind reasâ—n The 1 â–ª argument 38. Section Iere. 17. Eze. 36. Iob â—9 Iâ—b 17. Iâ—sue 22 Esa. 5. To y e 1. 2. Eze. 14 3. Reg. 22. Act. 2. Act. 4. To the â— To the 4. 5. 6 7. Iere â–ª 47. Ezeâ— 36 Psal. 95 To the 8. 9 10 Lib. 3. contra lul ca. 5 Iâ—b 39 Iâ—b 17 To the 10 To the 11. 12. 13 14. 15 Isa. 5 Isa. 3 Isa. 7 Isa. 10 Isa. 45 Am os Iere. 25 Ezec. â—4 Iob 1 To the 13 Act. 13 To the 16 The cause and endes of things that be wroght Who obey God who obey not God The will of the CaldeaÌ„s against Iob. Of Dauids trooble Absalâ—â— Semei and Achitophel Of the diuersitie inthe worke of the death of Christe The 3. Argument The 39 section To y e 1 To y e 3 TO tâ—e 4. The â— arguâ—ent The 40. section Iob. 17 To the 1. 2 To y e 3. 4. 2. Re. â— The 5 argument The 〈◊〉 section Roma 1 To y e 1. 2. To the 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 Isa. 6 The place of Dauid Iob. 1. To y e 11. 12 13 IudgemeÌ„tes of God in which maÌ„s reason can not be satisfied Heb. 11. To y e 12. The 6. Argument The 42 section Luk â— 15. Iere 32. Iere. 51. Esai 21 To the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. Reg. 24. 2. pa. 21 To the 4. To y e 5 answer Isa. 14 The aduersaries argument Answer Zae. â—â— 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. To Y e 6. 2. Peâ— 2â— Isa. 40. Isa. 47. â—lle â—1 To the 7. 8. 9 Ironiaâ— Rom. 9 To the 9 To the IO Isa. 45 Isâ— 47 Ezra 1 Dan. 2 Isa. 45 Iâ—r 51 Theâ—â— argumenâ—â— â–ª The 43. section Leui. 13 Iere. 15 To the â— Iohn 12 Answer Exo. 5. â— Act. 7 Answer Iâ—re â— Luke Maâ— 21 1. Co. 1â— Apo. 10 3. King 18 4. Kin. 1 To the 2. 3. 4. lere 25 To y e â— 6. 7. 8. To the 8. The 44. section To y e 1 To y e 2. What is 〈◊〉 To y e 3 To y e 4. 5. The 45. section The secrete doctrine of Anâ—baptistes In the â— sectioÌ„ 1. argument In the 9 sectioÌ„ 1. argument Answer To y e 2 Answer Psal. 17. Psal. 5. Psal. 75. Psal. 18. Act. 17. Answer To the 3 Answer Answer Answer 1. Reg. 2 Deu. 2 â—â—e 18 Deu. 30 Esa. 54 Iohn 6 Iocl Act. Psal. Isa. â—6 Isa. 6â— Gala. 3 1. Thes. 5â— Psal. 21 Isa 31 Isa. 56 Iere. 1 Iere. 6 Iere. 15 2. Ti. 4 The wicked be not taught of God God will not the death of a sinner explaned 1. Iohn 1 1. Iohn 3 2. Pet. 3 To the. 6 The 46. section Historia Sleâ—dani libro 5. The hypocrisiâ— of the Anabaptistas MuÌ„cers faâ—s oraâ—tie â—ration The Anâ—bâ—ptisâ—s greate â—ercie Here 〈◊〉 the trâ—wtâ— of Anabaptistâ—s How Gâ—d reâ—eieth thinges The coÌ„fort of the Anaba â—n aduersitie Historia Sleidanâ— libro deciâ—â— The doctrine of Anabaptistes 〈◊〉 Anabatistes â—rept in This was a 〈…〉 A sufficient assuranâ—e for anabab Anabaptistes are as make as waspes The â—bstinacie of Anabaptistes The simplicitie of the Anabaptistes Let Germanie adueâ—â— for their Prâ—phâ—â— speaketh An equall vocation of the â–ª Aâ—abaptist and Papist The 47. section The 48. section