whom he pleaseth also for his own glorie he cre ateth to iuste damnation Iust damnation I saye séeeing be neuer condenmeth anye but the guyltie of Sinne. Further the place which thou citest proueth again with what faith and conscience thou vsest to auduch the scripture For how is that when yet hytherto thou hast cyted but only two testimonies of scripture thou hast so foolishly and wickedly wrested them both If you being euill saith Christ can yet giue good giftes to your chidren how much more God What gatherest thou of this that God being good createth none to miserie As though the Lord in that place did speake to all and doth not confirme his Churche that with boldenesse it mighte crye Abba father Or in déede art thou so skill esse at least that thou knowest not that this voyce is of the spirite of adopitō For so witnesseth the Apostle But that thine exposition may be in force what else canst thou gather thence but onely this that God vseth to do good to all But doth it folow theron that he neyther createth the vassals of his wrath whiche yet he suffereth most patiently nor wonteth as it pleaseth him to vse his children to his owne glorie Beléeue me if thou canst thou art more worthy for this foolishnesse in the scholes of some rusticall teacher to be ierked wyth whippes than to be one that should be delt withal by argumentes Then thou bringest Caluin for argument who thou sayest is euill We in déede are not the men who estéeme Caluin as thou with thine are wonte to gybe for a God and Caluin is he if there be at this day any other vnder heauen who hath moste hated that thou most desirest that is to say the glorie of mē But yet this testimonie we can and ought to giue to the truth that he must be passing excellent whom in these our dates none wil hate that haue bidden battayle to godlinesse and true religion or in déede who neuer knew him Finally would God it were not so certaine that the testimonie of true goodlynesse displeaseth thée and thy factiō and that thou wouldest rather repent than confirme the fincere iudgements of all good men againste thée Other arguments of the slaunderer And of the scripture they saye thus GOD sawe that all that he had made were exceeding good Therefore Man whome hee had made was exceeding good But if hee hathe created to destruction he had created that whiche was good to destruction and heé loueth to destroye that whiche is good whiche but to thinke is wicked REFVTATION ONE cryed send me to the stone quarries But I am compelled to cry who I pray you will sende this fellowe to Antycera For I pray thée if I shoulde collect so God created me whole therefore he created that I shoulde not perishe by disease who would not thinke me madde God created Man right and innocent I grant and yet to destruction First we vse not to speake so but we say that Man was created for the glorie of God and thē we distinguish the same for we affirme that God hathe created some that in sauing them by mercie others that in condemning thē by iust iudgement he might manifest his glorie as Moses Salomon I sai and Paule do testify Therefore thou sayste Hee created that whyche was good to destruction and hee loueth to destroy that whiche is good But I say that this consequent is moste foolish For thou concludest muche more than thou haste spoken and therefore reasonest as if thou shouldeste proue that Manne is created of GOD not onelye good but also that he should neuer become euill whiche latter is false For bycause the Lorde was worthilye to condemne some it was necessarie that their beginning should be good both bicause God in that he is good cannot creat any thing but that which is good and also for that if their beginning had bin euill he coulde not iustly haue damned that himselfe had made but yet so it was requisite that theyr beginning should be good that it willingly deprauing it selfe might euident the way to iust dampnation that is to the iuste execution of Gods eternall counsell Therefore the beginning also of Reprobation was good that as the Lorde decréede from the beginning so in very déed in his due time he might iustly condemne not the righteous but those that of their accorde became euil as hée who cannot but loue that whiche is good so can he not but hate and punishe that whiche is euill But also that thou by the waye maiste learne thys that for the Elects sake it was requisite that Adam for that cause shoulde be created good that he of his owne accord might become euill For when the Lorde also hadde determined to shewe forthe a more ample fauoure in sauing his electe than in the creating of Manne that is when he had decréede not of nothing to creat them to saluation but being worthy of whatsoeuer punishement fréely to make them partakers in Christe of his eternall Kyngdome What place hadde there béene to this incredible louying kindenesse it they hadde for euer continued stedfaste in Adam for he hathe no néede of this mercye that is not miserable What haue therefore the Elect to complaine of the mutable condition of Adam sith so muche the more glorious and happy is their saluation What also the Reprobate séeing that except they were corrupted in Adam they shoulde not haue bene dampned For here I repeate that I haue often sayde that so the reprobates destruction dependeth of Gods decrée that yet the whole matter fault of their damnation remaine in themselues Yet there is one excuse sayeth Caluin very well pretended that Adam coulde not escape that whiche was decréed of god But voluntarie transgression suffiseth ynough and ynough to guiltinesse For the secrete counsel of God is not the proper naturall cause of sinne but the apparant wil of man Seing man may finde with in him the cause of this euill what auayleth it to wander that he may séeke it in heauen The fault is manifesse in himselfe bycause he woulde sinne Why hath he forcing into the secrets of heauen drowned himself into a Laby-rinth For that God knowing and willing suffered man to fal the cause may be secrete but vniust it cannot Goe nowe slaunderer and exclayme that we make God a hater of good men Another Argument of the Sclaunderer God created one mā that he might place him in Paradise which is eternal life Therefore he created al men to eternal life for al men are created in one REFVTATION FIRST I demaunde whence thou hast drawen this that God created one man that he mighte place him in Paradise Verylie of some secrete reuelation in whythe thou placest the perfectiō which thou seasest not to dreame long since I reade that Adam was placed in that moste pleasant Garden but that this was the chiefe and determined purpose with the Lorde that he might place hym there I reade
canst not denie except thou wilt adde somewhat to thine vnmeasurable impudencie that in teaching these things we haue as it were persisted in the steps of Paul. But we shall sée more of this when we shall deale with thée hande to hande Now I shall discharge my dutie if I shall euidently lay open to all Readers thine intollerable impudencie in deuising these detestable Slaunders Therfore that I may returne thither whence I haue digressed I will further auouch two places out of Caluine agaynst thy slaunders For thus he sayth Albeit before the fal of Adam God for secrete causes had determined what he would do yet do we reade in Scripture that he condēneth nothing but sinne So it remaineth that he had iust causes to reiect some but vnknowen to vs and he hateth or condemneth in man nothing but that which is not agreable with his iustice Agayne he sayth Let vs learne that we ought so to consider the Prouidence of God that we may geue glory and prayse to his omnipotencie For the wisdome and iustice of God is euer to be ioyned with his power Like as therfore the Scriptures do teach that the Lord in his iustice wisedome doth this or that so teache they a certayne ende for which he doth this or that For that fayned deuise of the absolute power of God whiche the Scholemen inferre is an execrable blasphemie For it is as much as if they should say that god were some tyrant determining what he list without equitie Their Scholes are full of suche blasphemies neither are they vnlike the Ethnicks who helde that God did dally in mens matters But we are taught in the schole of Christ that the righteousnesse of God doth shine in his workes of what sorte soeuer they be that all mouthes may be stopped and glorie giuen to him alone Doste thou Sycophant at the last acknowledge howe muche thine impudencie was in these patched Articles Thou hast further added other slaunders For first for that which Caluine hath said that some mē are reiected for iuste cause but to vs vnknowne thou making no mētion of any cause sayst that we teach that the greatest part of men are created to damnation But yet we will not striue of the number for we knowe by the Scriptures and the continuall experience of all ages that the most do enter by the brode gate which leadeth to destruction yet notwithstanding doste not thou surcease to be a slaunderer who in accusing doest adde somewhat of thine owne Then wherein thy wickednes doth most appeare thou so writest these things as if we should say that the ende of the creation of Reprobates is their eternall damnation which slaunder I thus refell with the very words of Caluine It ought to be knowen sayth he among all men that Salomon sayth that God hath created all things for him selfe euen the wicked agaynst the day of euill Beholde séeing the disposition of all things is in the hande of God séeing the determination of life and death remayneth in him and so at his will and pleasure ordeineth that among men some euen from their mothers wombe should be vndoubtedly giuen ouer vnto death who should glorifie his name in their destruction Therefore that we may briefly conclude Caluine thinketh not that the Reprobate are therefore simply created that they shoulde perish but that perishing in their owne defaulte they might aduaunce the Iustice of god And further that their perdition so dependeth of the Predestination of God that the whole matter and cause of their damnation be founde in them selues and albeit it is incomprehensible to humaine senses yet that it is the iust determination of God. Why therefore doest thou wickedly and maliciously leaue vntouched all that whiche is spoken of the fault of them that perishe and the glory of God But go too let vs heare with what sounde Arguments thyselfe canst oppugne thine owne slaunder The Sicophantes Arguments agaynst the first Article THEY say that the first Article is both agaynst Nature and against Scripture Of Nature they say thus Euery liuing creature naturally loueth his issue but this nature is of God whereon it followeth that God should loue his issue For neither woulde he make that liuing creatures should loue their issue except he loued his owne And this they proue thus The Lorde hath said Should I cause others to bring forth children and shall not my selfe bring forth As though he should say That whiche I cause others to doe I my selfe doe the same But I cause others to bring forth children therefore I also doe bring foorth Hence they bring an argument of similitude God causeth liuing creatures to loue their issue therefore he loueth his owne But all men are the issue of God for God is the father of Adam of whom all men are borne Therefore he loueth all men REFVTATION FIRST of all I say thou dost vnwisely in this place to dispute eyther of the loue or hatred of God towardes men For neither is it demaunded héere whether he hath hated any but whether he hath reiected any Which two béeing diuerse thou notwithstanding haste déemed one I will speake more playnely that thou mayste not complayne of obscuritie We say that there is an assured order of causes ordeyned of the Lorde notwithstanding he at once beholdeth all things as present yet hath he willed some causes in order to succéede and some to goe before which order of causes also the Philosophers haue acknowledged and haue called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succession by turne We affirme therefore that the hatred of God in reiecting of men in the order of causes hath not procéeded from the eternall decrée of God as that whiche of right we place in the highest degrée of all causes but rather to succéede So it is that albeit whomsoeuer the Lord from euerlasting doth predestinate to destruction afterwarde in his tyme he hateth yet to Predestinate to destruction is not to hate but to giue them ouer to his hatred But therewithall when the Lorde appoynteth vnto death whome he listeth he also ordereth the causes of hys iuste hatred to come that the whole matter of his hatred remayne in the menne them selues decréed to destruction and therefore hys Iustice to shyne in them to be prosecuted with hatred and lastely to be damned But thou arte deceyued in that whiche déemest that God dothe firste hate anye man before he assigne him vnto death Whiche is as foolishe as if thou shouldest say that he firste beginneth to hate before he haue determined whome he wyll hate Therefore I coulde at one worde conclude wyth thée that we thus farre agrée that we bothe confesse that God hateth and condemneth nothing in men but guyltinesse and sinne but that we disagrée in this that thou supposest the hatred of God to be the cause why he decreeth some to destruction and we say that that hatred is not the cause of the sacred decrée but the effect Neyther dothe it
saye hée hathe pitie on whome he pleaseth and those that deserue this or whome hée foreknewe woulde deserue those he suffereth to bée hardened So also GOD from euerlastyng predestinated Esau to hys hatred but yet hée blessed hym in the plentye of the Earthe and deawe of Heauen I smaell the sonne of the bonde maide is no heyre wyth the sonne of the Frée woman but yet hée increased to a mightye nation There is therefore extante greate signes of Gods blessings euen to the verye Reprobate but thereon it doth not folow that thou séekest that God had not predestinate theÌ„ to his hatred Yea thys foloweth that Christe sayeth That the goodnesse of God is infinite that dothe good to hys ennimyes and the reprobate shall bée so muche the more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inexcusable by howe muche they haue receyned the more benefites of god Paule therefore worthilye recalleth vs to beholde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the long suffering of God to the very vessels of wrath but yet hée therefore denyeth not that they are the vessells of wrath made to destruction An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes There is no Beaste so sauage muche lesse is Manne whiâ— the woulde bryng foorthe hys issue to miserye howe muche lesse GOD Shoulde hee not be worse than the VVoolfe So reasoneth Christe if you althoughe euil can yet giue good giftes to youre children howe muche more GOD And so reason thine aduersaries If Caluin notwythstanding that hee is euill yet woulde not beget hys sonne to miserye howe muche lesse GOD These and the like they speake of Nature REFVTATION I maruell thou canste speake thus and sith thou arts so miserable for what is more miserable than bothe this sottishnesse and iniquitye that thou doste not perceiue thy misery The Lorde cryeth to the woman I wyll augment thy sorrowe and thy trauell Hée cryeth to the the manne In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade till thou retourne againe into the earth with forrowe shalte thou eate the fruites of the earth and it shall yéelde thée Thornes and Brembles he cryeth to the Earthe it selfe accursed be the Earthe for thy sake And vnder this burtheÌ„ traueleth and groneth the vniuersall state of all thynges sayeth the Apostle Iob complayneth that man is borne vnto miserie and the fewe dayes hée lyueth are filled wyth iniquitye The wise Preacher witnesseth that there is nothying vnder Heauen more vayne or myserable than man Dauid in infinite places complaineth the same The Philosopher béeyng swallowed in thys deuice brake into thys blasphemye that they exclame that nature is a stepdame to man and that it is beste not to bée borne The common sense sayeth that whyche in déede Plinie hathe written that there is nothying more myserable than Manne that hée begynneth hys lyfe in affliction But thou arte founde alone whyche deniest that Manne is borne to miserye But yet thou wilte saye thou doest mée wrong who simply denye not that menne are borne to miserie but so begotten or created of god But I praye thée what loue is this for wilt thou measure the nature of God by mans capacitie when wyth hys only becke he can sanctifie men who otherwise should hée borne miserable yet rather willeth to bée borne in calamitie or indéede to speake after your maner permitteth But happly thou wilte except that God being angry wyth the sinnes of menne doeth this worthilye wyth which sinne being after a sort enforced he abandoneth the affection of a â—at her to some and he loueth not all when he renounceth some But so faure is it off that thou shouldest acquit thy selfe myth thys aunswere that thou speakest more and more againste thy selfe For firste whence bee these sinnes but from corruption And the alone corruption of Adam why suffereth god to be deriued vppon all his posteritie Thou canst here insert no foreknowledge of sin which hath inforced God sith it is of necessitie that thou set the cause before his effectes I will speake more plainely that the people his effectes I will speake more plainely that the people may vnderstand me If GOD will haue no man to be borne to myserie why doth he theÌ„ permitte them to be borne in corruption sith of necessitie miserie foloweth corruption Shamelesse impudent wilt thou not here at the laste giue all glorie to God wilte thou not curse that blasphemie that God is worse than a Woulfe if he will that man be created to miserie wilte thou not once thinke it good to reste silent in that secrets iustice of the incomprehensible god Will neuer this firmest triple reason bring vnder this thy beastlenesse That God sith he is iust can do nothing vniustly in his works albeit he doth manyethings whiche to vs may séeme vniust for that we cannot comprehende the causes of them That God simplie createth none to miserie but so togither ordayneth the causes of this miserie that he that is borne miserable shoulde worthilye bee borne miserable That God in the purpose of reiecting respecteth not the destruction of reprobates as the lasteende but his owne glorie whych shyneth in their iust reprobation So plainely speaketh the spirite of God and thou caytife wilt murmure against God and wilt neuer vnderstande what impietie it is to bynde GOD to the lawes of this nature nor to confesse in God anye other light of wisedome and iustice than whose brightnesse thou mayst endure But I will yet go further with thée wilt thou deny that blindenesse is a miserie I thinke not except thou béest blinder than the blinde themselues But when as thou and the rude disciples supposed the borne blind man of whom I spake before to haue bin borne to that miserie eyther for his parentes sinnes or for hys owne what aunswereth the Lorde to them and thée Neither this saith he hath sinned neyther his parences that is the Lorde neyther considered hys â—or hys parentes sinnes when he woulde haue hym borne blinde and therfore miserable but therfore he was borne blind that the workes of God might be manifest in hym God nowe and accuse the LORD hymselfe as blasphemous But what doest thou thinke Iob himselfe an vpright and simple man so cruellye vexed of Sathan that without trembling we can not reade those things that are mentioned of hym him I saye not then in déede to haue bene miserable when he brake out into moste dolerous complaintes or that he fell by chaunce into these miseries or that God was angrye with his sinnes or that wyth a certayne ydled sufferaunce or wynkyng hée shoulde gyue hys seruaunte into the hande of Sathan Thou canste saye nothing of these but the sexte of the Historie reselleth thée and Iob hymselfe so muche when praysing God he sayeth the Lord gaue and the Lorde hath taken away But if the Lorde also be then moste iuste by the selfe confession of his owne seruants when he for a time humbleth them with some miseries to his own glorie wilt thou abridge him theprayse of iustice when
we séeme to retire first I aske of thée where thou hast expresly redde that the Angels were created of God Thou haste I thinke no place more manifest then that of Iohn that all things are made the eternall worde of God and without it to be made nothing of those which be made But why may not I by the lyke reason for confirmation of that mater whiche is in question bryng that saying of Paule that God dothe all things for his willes sake For thou muste graunt of necessitie that God hath euer bene the same Then seyng the same Apostle doth aptly witnesse that God lyke vnto a Potter had ordeyned of one lumpe certen vessels to honour and mercie and certayne to reproche and wrathe how wilte thou wreste this saying that thou maiste not ascende to the very workemanship of Adam For the name of lumpe doth not agrée with mankinde created but to be created much lesse that by the name of a lumpe shoulde be vnderstoode mankinde corrupted And I call that mankinde to be created not onely that whiche God had not yet in very déede created but also he neyther considered or behelde as created much lesse as corrupted For if the Apostle should haue stayde in the sinne or corruptioÌ„ of Adam as in the highest degrée of all causes of election and reprobation that is if he would this similitude to be vnderstoode of men created and the same depraued eyther in very déede or by the foreknowledge of god Certes it coulde not haue bene sayde that God did make the vassals of wrath but that in miserable state those whome he foreknew would be or whiche already were the vassals of wrath But so should the whole proportion of the similitude be frustrate whiche if it holde not in this poynt say I pray thée wherefore Paule hath vsed it and tell vs wherefore he hath cried out so vehemently O man who art thou for if it shoulde be so why should they complayne of that which belongeth to the vessels of mercie but if on the otherside corruption be the highest degrée of causes why shoulde also the Apostle take paynes here For to make the vassals of wrath were all one as to leaue them in corruption who of theyr owne nature were borne so there shoulde not be lefte to the reprobate any pretence of the least complaynt And if there hadde bene any reason of this Diuine iudgement to bée auouched hée ought to haue gyuen this one that God is not bounde to shewe mercy to any Why shoulde the Apostle exclayme here and bidde man reuerence the secretes of the Diuine maiestie without searching further for albeit that which many alledge that Paule doth not in that place dispute why some shoulde be reiected but why these more then they sith like are due to the lyke although peraduenture it be not spoken sufficiently to the purpose yet it maketh wonderfully agaynst you For what shall â—e due both to the one and other but iuste condemnation if as you wil haue it their foreséene corruptioÌ„ did go before the decrée of God if thou thinkest this too darke go to let vs set downe some familiar similitude that we may be at thy commaundement If a creditour that hath two equally in debted to him forgiue to the one the debt he oweth whiche he requireth of the other who indéede wil not say he is mad if he say he hath iniurie done him bicause he is more hardly dealt with then the other if any king of two equally imprisoned for one offence doe shewe mercy to the one and execute the other shall their therfore be in the iudge any shew of iniquitie bicause he doth punish him yea if there were here any iniquitie it should not be in that that he punisheth him but in this rather that he should not punish the other also equally wicked Therefore if this had bene the determinate purpose of the Apostle he should not haue auouched the iustice of God in the destructioÌ„ of the reprobate but rather in the safegard of the elect which things sith they are so thou séest the wheresoeuer thou turnest thée thou caÌ„st not auoyde but that thou art inforced to confesse that God is compared to a potter in whose sight was the clay whereof he woulde make in tyme the vassals both of honoure and dishonoure bycause so it was his will then the which there is nothing more iust But saye howe did he make them verily in Adam whose creation also the Apostle vndoubtedly considered when he mentioned the Potter and the Clay Furthermore how are the vassals ordeyned in Adam some to mercie and honour and some to wrath and reproche truely not withoute the voluntarie fall of Adam comming betwixt for excepte by his owne will albeit by the ordinance of God yet withoute all faulte of God Adam should haue fallen there hadde neither place bin left for mercy nor for iudgement and therefore the councell of God shoulde haue bin to no purpose Confesse therefore by thys place of the Apostle that it is God whiche hathe made the vassals of wrath and mercy and therefore hathe iustly ordeyned the necessarie causes to that ende excepte thou hadst rather accuse God of ignorance and rashnesse or ymagine the Potter to depende vpon the clay and not the contrarie that the Potter formeth the Clay so as it pleaseth him that it may come to the appoynted end Furthermore when Paule sayth that God hath included all vnder disobediente that he might haue mercie on all that is to say whiche shall beléeue as the same Apostle expresseth in another place and therefore which were elected Thinkest thou not that he dothe ascend euen to the very fountayne of disobedience that is to the fall of Adam when he shall come to that poynt that he cryeth Oh the depth of Gods iudgementes But these in déede séeme not to the sufficiently manifest for thou wouldest that a place should be set downe wherein God should be sayd manifestly and in playne words to haue willed and decréed that Adam shoulde fall but I aske againe where thou canst finde in the Scriptures so as thou requirest the drunkennesse of Noe and Lot expreslye condemned and also his incest the lye of Isaac in Gerar the manslaughter of Simeon and Leuy the malice and whoredome of Iuda the poligamy of Abraham and many others the euill and very wicked iudgemente of Dauid whereby he punished Myphiboseth the sonne of a most louing man with the losse of halfe his goodes and enricheth Siba a wicked betrayer of his maister as for a good acte with great rewardes these I saye and innumerable the like I aske where thou canst finde condemned in playne and proper wordes surely I feare thou canst finde it in no place and wilte thou therefore thinke that these are not to be condemned I thinke thou wilte not except it be that thou déemest a man may dispute of Poligamy on eyther part that heare also thou maist retayne the
haue euer bin an infinite number of such in the world the truth it selfe whiche euerie one séeth wil sufficiently conuince thée And to what purpose is this that is that al confesse that by their own nature they are inexcusable albeit they are borne concluded vnder the necessitie of sinne For necessitie doth not take awaye will as whiche albeit necessarie yet not enforced but of it selfe and willingly shoulde not be drawne vnwilling but might be carried witting and willing vnto wickednesse But yet thou wilte saye there is no manne so wretched that he would desire euil Yes in déede there is in him the very miserable scruitude of man not fréed from the yoke of sinne so that neither his vnderstanding can do that which is of God and therfore perceiue that which is good nor his will alowe nor his sense desire but that whole man deceiued with a shew of euil runneth headlong into euill draweth destructiō to himselfe And to this cuil there cōmeth another also whiche also what it is thou knowest not For he which before the precept was inexcusable alreadie after the commandement is muche more inexcusable than before Paule is witnesse of that thing whiche witnesseth that that lighte with how little socuer men be indued is therefore left to them that they might be made without excuse For séeing that in dwelling lewdnesse doeth by and by oppresse put out this lighte who séeth not that by this means the offence is doubled But if also the cleare exposition of the lawe of God do approche then indéede concupiscence waxeth strong and the raines let at libertie is enforced vnto mischiefe But what if also the preaching of the Gospell then indéede concupiscence breaketh out into plaine madnesse as the examples of all times and ages do proue that is to say in them in whose harts the Lord doth not kindle the light of his Spirite But thou wilte say it is vniuste to commaunde that whiche thou knowest cannot be performed as if some father shoulde commannde his sonne to eate a rocke But thou speakest maruellous wisely Men were neuer created so that they coulde deuoure mountaines It shal therfore be vniust to require of them that they shoulde deuoure a mountaine But this necessitie of sinning this imperfection whiche causeth that wée are not apte so muche as to thinke that whiche is good doeth it procéede from that firste creation yea from the deprauednesse But whence came this deprauation but bycause willingly fell from his creator whence the necessitie of sinning came vpon all men If all men be worthily helde guiltie of this downfall saith Caluine let thē not thinke themselues excused by the necessitie in whych they haue a moste euident cause of their dampnation Also in another place What shoulde man do saieth he whē the mollifying of hearte is denyed him whiche was most necessarie to obedience Yea what doth he séeke outscapes when he can impute the hardenesse of hearte to none but to himselfe Finally that I maye make ende with thée in some time heare if thou canste heare anye thing howe brieflie to the purpose that Caluine decideth al this controuersie by whose side thou fightest against the truth It is not lawfull to pretend an excuse saith he bycause there wāteth power and as banckerout debtors we were neuer able to paye For it is not méete that we shoulde measure the glorie of God after our own power Of what sorte soeuer we be he remaineth for euer like himselfe a friend to righteousnes displeased with iniquitie Whatsoeuer he exacteth of vs bicause he cannot demaunde but that whiche is iuste by the bonde of nature there abideth a necessitte of Obeying And whereas we cannot obey that is our own faulte For if we are helde captiue of our own concupiscence wherein sinne raigneth least we should be loosed into the obedience of our father there is no cause why we shoulde alleage necessitie for our defence whose euill is euen amongest oure selues and to be imputed to oure selues The Sycophants third Argument to the thirtenth and fourtenth slaunder If Caluines saying bee true man is withoute excuse before the commaundement whereby it foloweth that there is no no neede of the commaundement to the causing of this inexcusablenesse For if the resected bee wicked before hee bee wicked that is before he bee that is to witte from euerlasting and therefore sinneth necessarily nowe he is inexcusable and damned before the precept and that against all lawes both of God and man For al lawes con demne a man after the offence and for the offence at this Caluins God hath candemned and reiected the wicked before they were muche more before they were wicked or had sinned and bycause hee hath damned them before sinne hee causeth them to sinne that is that hee maye seeme to haue condemned them iustly THE REFVTATION God suppresse thée Sathan who heapest togither so manye lies without all shame We haue plentifully proued that men are inexcusable before the precept that is before the knowledge of the precept as those whiche are borne the childrē of wrath Where thou gatherest hence that there is no néede of the precept to make this inexcusablenesse it is foolish and ridiculous Why maye not an euill estate be made worse And thou arte wonderfullye deceiued if thou thinkest that we iudge al men to be alike inexcusable when the Lorde testifyeth that there be manye which shall be punished with a greater iudgement and beaten with moe stripes Whereas thou sayste that the reiected are wicked before they be that is from euerlasting it is not our doctrine but the Apostles who witnesseth that Esau was hated that is was ordained to batred as we haue shewed in his place before be was born and hadde done anye euill and that God as a Potter maketh vessells of dishonoure Therefore this doctrine is true if in déed thou considerest reprobation in the purpose of God but if thou considerest it in that it commeth forth alreadie into acte as they speake or in that the Lord beginneth nowe to execute his determination in effecte or foreknoweth the execution thereof it is false that thou saiste For God in effecte reiecteth none but those that are corrupted in Adam and with whome therefore hée is worthily displeased Whereas thou saiste that the reprobates sinne of necessitie it is not truly said of thée For the purpose of necessitie is not the cause of that necessitie but Adams sinne which issued forth vppon all men Whereas thou saiste that the reprobates are damned before the precepte it is false in euerie respecte for there is no man damned excepte for sinne And where there is no lawe there is no transgression But the lawe giuen to Adam and transgressed of him made all men inthralled to the wrath of God and therefore to iust damnation Whereas thou sayst that God damneth men before offence out of our doctrine it is altogither forged and dothe bewray thy grose ignorance The Lorde
predestinat to life from euerlasting whome he pleased yet he saueth them not except iustifyed in Christ otherwise he should be vniust So also he predestinate to death froÌ„ euerlasting whome he would yet he dothe not abandon them to desruction except corrupt in Adam to whiche corruption also come the other frutes of contumacie and corruption For God ordeyned to destruction but to iust destruction and therefore albeit he ordeyned not to destruction for corruption and that frutes thereof but bycause he so saw it good whose will albeit secret yet it is alwayes iust yet he damneth not except for corruption and the frutes of corruption for that he hathe submitted these causes to the execution of his eternall purpose What is therefore thine ignorance what madnesse Sclaunderer when thou mingless damnation with the purpose of reiecting and in some place settest damnation before the purpose of reiecting that is the end before the beginning and art thou not ashamed to dispute of things vnknowen and whiche thou vnderstandest not Finallie whereas thou sayest it is gathered out of our doctrine that God inforceth men to sinne what doth it bewray but that thine incredible impudencie That men sinne of necessitie vntill they be deliuered from the bondage of sinne we fréelie professe out of the word of god But necessitie signifyeth none other thing to thée than enforcement So shall it be that bycause all dye of necessitie thou mayst also say that all are enforced to dye when yet Christ willingly offered hymselfe selfe to death and manye Martyrs at this day doe willingly dye for Chryste What more The Deuill also in thée shall not willingly be wicked nor willingly shall sinne but enforced and by constreynt He that speaketh thus Sclaunderer may he séeme to haue but euen a very little of that common sense to whose order and rule thou desirest that we trie the wisedome of God and yet darest thou dispute of the nature of the true and false God but how aptly thou doest it go too let vs consider The nature of the false God by the false supposition of the Sclaunderer I False God is flowe to mercie and swift to wrath whiche created the greatest part of the world to destruction and predestinat them not only to damnation but to the cause of damnation therefore he hath decréede from euerlasting and he will and causeth that they sinne of necessitie so that no theftes nor adulteries nor murthers are committed except by his wil and enforcement for he ministreth vnto them wicked and vnhonest affertions not only by sufferance but effectually and he hardneth them so that wheÌ„ they liue wickedly they do Gods worke rather than their owne and they can not otherwise do He causeth Sathan to be a lyer so that not now Sathan but Caluine God is father of lyes as he which often carieth one thing in his mind and another thing in his mouth The nature of the true God after the opinion of the Sclaunderer BUt that God whom nature and reason and Scriptures teach is flat contrarie to him for he is readye to forgiue and slow to wrath whiche created man from whome all men procéeded to his â—wne likenesse like to himselfe that he might place him in Paradise and enrich him with eternall life This God wil that all men bee saued nor that any perish therfore he sent his sonne into the earthe whose righteousnesse hathe superabounded wheresoeuer sinne hathe abounded the brighteneâ—â—e of whose righteousnesse dothe lighten all men that come into this world and cryeth Come to me all yee that labour and are laden and I will ease you This ministreth good and honest affections and deliuereth men from the necessitie of sinne into the whiche they hadde cast themselues headlong by disobedience and he healeth euery griefe and disease amongst the people in so much that he nâ—uer denyed to any maÌ„ a benefite that asked if But this God is come to destroy the workes of that Caluinian God and cast him out at the dores But these two Gods as they are betwéene themselues by nature contrarie so also they beget children contrarie among themselues that is he vnmercifull proude sauage disdeynefull blouâ—ie sclaunderers counterfayte bearing one thing in theyr heart another in their mind impatient malicious seditious contentious ambitious couetous louers of pleasures more than of God finallie full of all lewde and vnhonest affections whiche their father dothe minister to them But the other God begetteth mercifull men modest milde wel willing doers of good workes lothing crueltie playne speaking the truth from the abundance of the heart patient louing quiet peacemakers lothing chidings and contentions despisers of honoure liberall louing God more than pleasures finallie full of all honest affections whyche theyr Father dothe minister to them THE REFVTATION WHO is thy God and the God of thy faction we shal sée héereafter For first I will resell your Sclanders and then I will sette before you in his coulours youre I doll We haue not said in any place that God is slow to forgiue and swift to wrath whiche continuallie sée the contrarie both in our selues and also in the most bitter enimies of the Church as we haue taught largely in the refutation of the third and also of the tenth Argumente to the first Sclaunder That God hath created the greatest part of the world to perdition how it is to be taken and what is your falsehode in that matter we haue expounded in the suppressing of the same first Sclander Whereas thou addest that God hathe predestinate whome hée woulde not only to damnation but to the causes of damnation We in déede with Paule acknowledge it to hée true whiche maketh mention of vessels made to destruction but that he in déede is iust bycause he ordeyned by the same decrée iust causes leading to destruction Yea also if God should not haue created one man to saluation who art thou that therefore thou shouldest call him cruell séeing all are borne in Adam the children of wrath And whereas thou adioynest that God by our doctrine hath decréed from euerlasting both the will and the déede that finne might be committed of necessitie it is a forgerie as almost in euerie side of lease we haue shewed except thou addest that sinnes in that they are sinnes procéede not from God but from SathaÌ„ and the lewde will of man as the very naturall causes of sinne and for as much as they are eyther the punishmentes of sinne or exercises of the rightuous they are iustly and holyly ordesned of god It is like that thou addest that offences are committed by the will and inforcemente of God séeyng we testifie euery where that iniquitie can not please God which he punisheth with iust tormentes but that the motions also of the wicked are gouerned by the iuse Prouidence of God the forgerie therefore of ministring wicked affections is whollie thine owne as we haue prooued in his place For God also iustlie moueth the hearts of the wicked that
whereby any thing is so done that no regarde be had whether it be iuste or vniuste that is done We therefore doe in déede confesse with Paule that al things are done by purpose of the Deuine will that whome he will before they be borne or euer they haue done eyther good or euill he eyther loueth or hateth and therefore in his time eyther pitieth or hardeneth but we adde this that this notwithstanding there is no iniustice with God that he whiche dothe so decrée these things dothe notwithstandying that whiche is altogither rightuous And this we proue by many reasons Firste bycause that the will of God is the soueraigne rule of Iustice neyther is it a good consequent that that is vniust bycause mans reason seeth no cause of such Iustice For what doth not the sunne shyne bicause the blinde is still in darkenesse Againe we say they deale foolishly who holde that any thing is good in it selfe before God will haue it so seyng that contrarily it is requisite that God will anything to be iuste before it can be so For the will of God dependeth not of the qualitie of things but the contrary the qualitie of things by order of causes doth folowe the will of god Thirdly wée adde also that in suche decrée whereby God from the beginnyng determined whatsoeuer vassals of his wrath he woulde that the execution of his purpose muste be distinguished from the purpose it selfe that is the purpose of reiectyng from damnation Wée vnderstande no other cause of the purpose than the very will of GOD whiche can not bée but altogyther moste iuste albeit the blynde wysedome of the fleshe thynketh otherwise But the causes of execution that is damnation the Lorde hath plentyfully and playnely shewed vs euen the voluntary corruption of Adam deriued vnto vs and the fruyctes of that corruption But here agayne mans reason inforceth it selfe Whence sayth it be the causes of this damnation haue they so come to passe agaynst the will of GOD no forsoothe for then hée shoulde not bée Almightie Therefore with hys will for he dothe not suffer vnwillingly and that is the opinion of Epicures to ordayne a carelesse foreknowledge of GOD whiche is easily ouerthrowen by infinite testimonies of Scripture But if hée haue decreed these things to be so and I coulde not resiste hys will am not I blamelesse of that faulte whiche altogither resteth in hym And this is that greate doubte whiche no man vnderstandeth saue those who out of hys worde haue learned to thynke reuerently of god Therefore Paule when he commeth to thys poynte denieth not that it was the will of God whiche the wicked coulde not resiste but their collection of this approued principle hée vtterly denieth bycause GOD can not bée vniuste and hée recalleth vs to the consideration of mannes estate that wée mighte reuerence so highe a mysterie not that wée shoulde reproue it But in déede you are wyser than the Apostle for thou takest these thyngs not to haue come to passe by the will of GOD but if it bée so then is it maruell that the Apostle dyd not remember it that he mighte haue answered the very selfe thing Neyther doest thou consider all this whyle whether thys rashnesse dothe headlong inforce thée truely to this poynt that thou mayst more more incomber thy selfe whylest thou thinkest that thou canst cōprehende the infinite wisedome of god For that we may yéelde thée that thou séekest that the causes of damnation doe chaunce without any determination of God sée how many and wicked absurdities may follow For firste if they chaunce agaynst his will thou deniest the Omnipotencie of God who coulde not withstande that whiche he woulde But if in déede thou sayst he wincketh at it howe muche doest thou differ from Epicurisme It remayneth then that he permitteth it willingly and there is one and the same difficultie For if thou sayest that eyther our sinnes foreknowen or already committed haue giuen occasion to this will thou sayest nothyng For we séeke the Originall of these sinnes that is the causes of corruption from whiche thou canste no more seclude the determination of God than when there is question of the fruictes of corruption seing that here also the same inconueniences doe accomber thée and thou arte taken in the same Labyrinth Furthermore sée howe well thou defendest Gods Iustice For truely that whiche he hath suffered albeit he hath not determined it for we will giue thée so muche yet he coulde haue letted it euen with a becke Why therfore did he not suppresse Sathan in tyme why dyd he not thorowly establish Adam and Eue or if thou list not looke backe vnto them why did he not commanund the fountayne of sinne to stay in Adam that it should not issue out vpon his posteritie was it bicause the sinnes of his posteritie deserued it But they shoulde haue had no sinne if corruption had not bene inlarged But why dothe he dayly gyue Sathan suche libertie whiche he can restrayne truly where soeuer thou turnest thée humane reason sheweth vs this that he is equally in fault who when he can preuent one from fallyng to destruction yet doth it not with him that throweth him downe headlong Therefore although that thy solution should be of force humaine reason should not surcease to déeme God vniust But thou wilt say These things are curious They are in déede and therefore we thinke it sacriledge for any vnreuerently to attempt these high mysteries of god But we say that that is curious and wicked too to demaunde howe God shoulde be without fault if he ordayne the causes of damnation Whiche question thou haste vndertooke to dissolue but we thinke with the Apostle that it is altogether impossible with humaine senses to be expressed which is curious which is passing wicked which séeketh the secret mysteries of God without his worde Is it thou which séekest a reason of the Diuine wisedome and therefore willingly and of purpose runnest headlong into daunger or I who when we come to Gods will béeing mindefull of mans imbecilitie do secretly reuerence the maiestie of god Therfore that I may briefly say this let this be the furthest reach of mans iudgement although the cause of his decrée is vnsercheable whereby God hath determined from euerlasting to create many in whose iust damnation he might manyfest the glorie of his iustice and for that cause whosoeuer are appoynted vnto death cannot but perishe in their tyme yet that God because he damneth none but the corrupt and guyltie is therefore without all blame of their damnation as he who rightly decerneth those things whiche men doe vniustly and therefore iustly punisheth But if humayne reason can not endure it yet it doth not followe that it is otherwise Rather let whatsoeuer is fleshe giue place for so I had rather than speake as thou doest that we may wholly repose our selues in the worde of god But thou wilt say Where is the worde of God Surely thou
An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes TO create to perdition is not of loue but of hatred therefore he created none to perdition REFVTATION AS this Argument dothe depende of the aforewritten so it is of necessitie that the first béeing infringed this also doe sayle Thou haste collected euill that all are beloued of God bicause that all were created in Adam But we contrarywise approue that God by his incomprehensible but yet iuste decrée hath Predestinate whom soeuer it pleased him to hys hatred and therefore to destruction neyther that that is discrepant from the nature of God whiche ought not to be measured by the common sense of men And then we shewe that that God is not moued with the hatered of any that he should vowe him to destruction but that he hath hated him whome he hath Predestinate to destruction and that truely the cause of this hatered and destruction is manifest to vs that is voluntary corruption in Adam whiche isluyng vpon all his posteritie yéeldeth also like fruictes to the tree and that to satisfie all stayed wits that albeit they know not the cause of the sacred decrée yet both bycause it is diuine and also bycause destruction is so descerned that togither the iuste causes of perdition be determined abidyng in men themselues also they confesse it to be iuste Wherfore also we haue proued that that we vse not to speake so as that we say that any one is simply created of God to destruction but therfore that by his due damnation God might shew forth his iustice But that the daÌ„nation of the Reprobate is iuste bicause their perdition doth so depende vpon the Predestination of God that yet the whole cause matter of their destruction be found in themselues These whosoeuer vnderstaÌ„deth at the least shal sée this that it is moste absurde that thou sayste that it is of hatered to create to perdition For that I say againe before the Lorde would create men we speake of the order of causes he neyther hateth or loueth but whome he createth he hath decreed from euerlasting eyther to loue in Christe or to hate in Adam Therefore to create to perdition is not of hatred but of him who hath decréed to hate to hate I saye for iust cause whiche he so annexed to the decrée of hatred that all the fault be in him whome he hateth Further if no man be therefore created that God in his due destruction might be glorified then God eyther hath determined to saue all or boroweth the causes of his counsell of the foreknowen will of men and that so that whom he knew would refuse grace offered for that cause he should vowe them to destruction and in déede shoulde suffer them to runne headlong séeing they will so But oh good Lorde howe many things be héere affirmed not alone foolishly but also wickedly For if God hath decréed to saue all as in déede he determined if he loue all howe is it that he doth not saue all Is it bicause he can not If that be so he is not omnipotent Or is it that he will not Then the Lorde altereth his counsell and when he sayth he repenteth we muste not nowe vnderstande that to be spoken of God not by translation and improperlie but properlie and in déede But and if he require the cause of hys purpose of the men them selues what workeman is he that dependeth of his worke yea what wise man euer thinketh to say that God determining to make men first considered of what forte they woulde be that thence he might consult then to haue considered wherfore he would create them Then what shall become of them to whom grace is neuer offered of which sorte we haue foreshewed that there be many Wilte thou say that all these are saued for as muche as they haue not that foreknoweÌ„ cause of refusing grace Sée for as muche as thou haste once declined from the right pathe into what absurdities thou runnest But this is the right way that God hath created all for hys owne glorie euen the wicked for the day of euill In this doctrine is no circumstance of wordes no absurditie if thou doste determine that whiche is moste true that the will of God albeit it sometimes séeme otherwise to vs yet alwayes is the soueraigne rule of iustice Agayne I pray thée how is it that thou takest such paines to defend the reprobate rather I pray thée let vs giue them ouer leaue them to the eternall Indge to be damned Let vs rather be occupied in giuing thankes to God and setting forth of his glorie who when hée also might haue predestinate vs to destruction yet rather gaue vs to his sonne by whome béeing apprehended by Faith we are fréelye saued And this benefite of God doeth wonderfullye shine forth towardes vs by the contrary destruction of reprobates and hitherto the reprobates are set to be considered of vs not that we shoulde defende theyr cause but learne in feare and trembling to reuerence the Lorde An other of the Slaunderers Arguments To creat is a worke of loue and not of hatred Therefore God created all men in loue and not in hatred REFVTATION AGAINE thou beatest againste the same rocke whiche knowest not howe to set hatred vnder the decrée that so that betwixte the decrée and hatred be interiected the cause of hatred whose gusâ—tinesse remaineth in menne themselues as I haue already saide a thousand times Againe albeit wée willing lye confesse the goodnesse of God to haue appeared in the very worke of creation nor that God hath properly hated his own worke but his corruption yet who will graunt thée that thou wouldest enfore by this argument that God bicause that for his singular goodnesse he created the reprobate therfore he did not predestinate them to his deserued hatred But I will helpe thée here For not onely in the creation of the reprobate but also in all their life a certaine vnspeakle kindenesse of God doeth often shine insomuch that if thou beholdest the presente state of thinges and ascendest no further the Lorde maye rather seeme to fauoure the wicked than the righteous which cogitation muche moued Dauid and deceyned the Epicures But what sayeth the LOKDE of all Reprobates in the person of Pharao saying Therefore sayeth hée haue I raised thée vppe that is haue broughte thée foorthe that in thée I might declare my power that is to saye in working mightily on thée Nor yet am I ignorant that there is not wanting those which otherwise expounde the word of Exciting whyche aunswereth to the Hebrue worde but the Apostles saying doeth sufficientlye declare that it is to be expounded so that it oughte to ascende to the very creation Againe what way so euer thou doest expounde it truelye it shall expresse the Lordes benefites vppon Pharao whome notwythstanding he hadde from euerlasting decréede to destroy and that bycause he woulde For why otherwise shoulde Paule ascende to the will and shoulde not rather
wrath I may therefore agrée with thée for once if I shoulde excepte that the Lord in that place doth only speake to hys elect as he who rather sheweth himselfe worthelie and of good right terrible and inexorable to the rest But least thou exclayme that I doe wrangle I confesse that the Lorde dothe vse an incredible fauoure and lenitie euen towardes the verye vassals of wrath ordeyned to destruction Whence is it that he should not destroy Cayne by and by Whence is it that he shoulde protracte the floude so many yeares Whence is it that he shoulde blesse Esau with the plentifulnesse of the earth That Ismaell shoulde growe to a greate kindred That hée shoulde suffer the Cananites and the Amalachites so long That he shoulde not take away Saule by and by but suffer hym so long to enioy the benifyte of thys life and also the renoune and benefites of the Kyngdome of Israell Finally that wée prosecute not antiquities whence is it that he so nourisheth and so fauourably susteyneth so manye wicked Turkes suche tyrannie of Antichriste and finallie thy selfe wyth so manye false Prophetes who ceasse not to seduce whomesoeuer they may from Gods truth Greate yea greate and incomprehensible is thys goodnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies whyche woulde God they coulde once acknowledge whosoeuer are electe among them and bée not knowen that they myghte at the last returne to hym who truely sheweth hymselfe fauourable and slowe to wrath euen to hys aduersaries In expoundyng the other of the same Moses or rather testimonie of the Lorde thou offendest in lyke sorte for the vse of thys Doctrine solely apperteyneth to the Churche to whome alone the lawe is properly assigned and the Gospell Preached And there bée diuers dispositions of menne and there is a twofolde nature in the very men regenerate therefore is there added threatnings with the promises that the fleshe of them and whatsoeuer is seruile may be restreyned but the spirite and whatsoeuer is frée and at libertie in these confyrmed Nor bée these threatnings onely vayne scarecrowes sayeth the Lorde eftsoones stayeth not in the wordes but sharpely correcteth euen hys owne chyldren and tameth in theyr sight the aduersaries wyth terrible wrath yet in the meane tyme I graunte that hys mercye dothe excell but I affirme it especially in his Churche But sée howe sottishe thou arte who abusest these testimonies to the ende thou mayest auoyde that eternall and secrete mysterie of the deuine decrée Why doest thou not rather abyde in the nexte causes of destruction and persist in the Apostles pathes for so should it come to passe that thou shouldest rather reuerence the louing kyndnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies then thou shouldest not yéelde hym whyche is lawfull to euery potter no man withstanding it when as yet a certayne proportion of the clay and potter may be intended and of God and things created whatsoeuer yet these be there holdeth no comparison except so much as God adopteth men vnto himselfe of mercie for that we maye ascend vnto Adam what proportion is there of the similitude and the thing it selfe yet I graunt that Gods benefites towards men be innumerable especially if they be considered in Adam but thou art wonderfully deceyued when thou déemest that therefore God hath spoyled himselfe of his deytie that it shoulde not be lawfull for him without the note of crueltie to create how many men it pleased him in whose iust condemnation for albeit hée hathe ordeyned whome he woulde to destruction yet he boweth none to death but the deseruers of it to manifest his vpright iustice and his hatred against sinne Do trées and plantes at this day conspire against the Lord as thou doest that they are deuoured of men Do all liuing creatures expostulate with God bycause they are appoynted to the slaughter and set forth to the gréedinesse of men no I trowe for so saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the creature doth sigh and grone not as though it did expostulate with God but bycause it doth frette against the enimies of God and in déede so it is for if the earth it selfe if heauen and the starres and the beginnings of all things if almost the infinite kindes of beastes fishes and soules if stones and rockes coulds speake although their estate may séeme miserable to mans reason yet would they not only not expostulate with God as fierce and cruell but they will voluntarily haue bin thankefull to him that they were accompted worthy to serue his glory but thou Sycophant art found who would accuse God of cruelty except he hadde ordeyned all to eternall life albeit thou makest not mention of all in this place yet it must be so for if there should but one be ordeyned to eternall punishment if thou mightest be iudge God shall not escape the note of crueltie For albeit he is more cruell that damneth many then that damneth one yet he therefore ceasseth not to be cruell that damneth but one by thy iudgemente who eyther wilt not or canst not discerne the iust purpose of damnation from damnation it selfe But that we may omitte all those things whyche thou sayest the people can not conceyue I saye that thou in wresting thys testimonie of Moses arte lyke to them who maruell why moe Drunkardes than Phisitians doe come to olde age and thynke not in the meane tyme that it is chance that there bée by many degrées moe Drunkards than Phisitians So albeit as thou falselie déemest God shoulde saue the issue of euery faithfull man to the thousanth degrée not one onely excepted and shoulde destroy the Infidels children onely to the fourth Generation yet for all that shoulde there bée moe that shoulde bée damned bycause there haue bin euer more in the Worlde that dyd hate GOD than dyd loue hym But thou arte both deceyued in that that thou déemest that the Lorde hath béere sette the consideration of hys nature eyther in the multitude of those that are to be saued or damned also in that that thou takest those things in suche wise as if the Lorde hadde bounde hymselfe to saue some mans posteritie to a certayne number without exception both whyche continuall experience dothe teache to bée most false What then is the Lorde vntrue no in déede but in these wordes he onely sheweth howe muche he is more frequente in well doing than béeyng kéeping and mindefull of iniuries in persecuting his aduersaries but so that finallye he doth well to them of whome he is beloued and hateth them of whome he is hated and maketh it frée to hymselfe to haue mercy on whome he wyll and whome hée will to harden as he hathe manifestly shewed and proued in effect in the historie of Helie the Priest that I may omitte Ismaell and Isaac Iacob and Esau and innumerable others Sée how wisely and to the purpose thou disputest against the truth The second sclaunder GOD hath not only predestinat Adam to damnation but to the causes of damnation
whose fall he did not onely foresee but would it with an eternall and secrete decree and ordeyned that he should fall which that it mighte come to passe in his time he appointed an Apple the cause of the fall The censure of the Sycophant SO they say that the second Article is the Deuils doctrine and they require of vs Caluine that we shewe them where it is written in the diuine bookes THE REFVTATION IN patchyng of thys sclaunder thou hast kept thyne inclination for thy selfe hast forged that thou brablest of Adam predestinat to damnation and of the Apple that God sette before him These I say thou hast impudentlye faygned that it shall not néede to aunswere any thing to them And how reuerently and religiously Caluine vsed to thynke and write of the fall of Adam maye appeare by these testimonies whyche I haue written out worde for worde partly of hys Institutions of Christian Religion and partly of hys Booke of eternall Predestination So dependeth the destruction of the reprobate sayeth he of the Predestination of God that the cause and matter be founde in themselues for the firste man did fall for that the Lord did so sée it expedient Why he so determined we knowe not yet it is assured that he determined no otherwayes but bycause he sawe it good that the glorye of hys owne name shoulde bée aduanced thereby Where thou hearest mention of the glory of GOD thynke there to bée iustice for it must bée iust that deserueth prayse man therefore falleth Gods prouidence so ordeyning but he falleth through his owne faulte The Lorde hadde pronounced a little before that all thyngs that hée made was very good whence therefore commeth thys wickednesse to man that he shoulde fall from hys GOD least it shoulde hée déemed to bée by creation God by hys worde approoued whatsoeuer hadde procéeded from hym therefore hys owne malice corrupted the pure nature whiche hée hadde receyued of the Lorde and by hys fall inforced all hys posteritie to destruction wyth hym wherefore we shall rather sée the apparante cause of damnation in the corrupte nature of man than séeke out the secrete and wholly incomprehensible in the predestination of God. Nor let it gréeue vs thus farre to submitte oure iudgemente to the immeasurable wisedome of God that it sayleth in manye of hys secretes for if those thynges which is not permitted or lawfull to know the ignorance is learned the shew of knowledge is a kind of madnesse These Sicophant be Caluines words which alone shall plentifullye suffice all gouerned wittes to deface thy slaunder But we will also adde these of abundance that your impudencie may more and more appeare There be sayeth he thrée things to be noted Firste the eternall predestination of God to be firme and ratified wherby he determined what should come to passe of all mankinde of euery man before Adam fell Then that Adam hymselfe for the worthinesse of his defection is inthralled to death and finally in his person being nowe desperate and a castaway that all his progeny was so damned that whome afterwards God did fréely elect he shoulde dignifie with the honor of Adoption But also a little after in the same place when saith he there is anye spéeche had of Predestination I haue euer constantly taught and thys day do teach that there they must beginne that all the reprobate whiche are cast away and damned in Adam are worthelie lefte in deathe that they perishe worthely who are by nature the children of wrath so that no man haue cause to complayne of Gods too muche seueritie séeyng that all menne carrie the guiltinesse shutte vp in themselues If we returne to the first man when he was created innocente that he fell willingly and thereby that it came to passe that by his owne faulte he broughte vppon hym and his destruction Nowe albeit that Adam fell no otherwayes than God knowying and so ordeyning hée lost both hymselfe and hys posteritie yet that maketh nothyng eyther to the deminishing of hys faulte or charging of God wyth the cryme for thys is euer to bée consydered that hée depriued hym selfe of that innocencie whyche he receyued of GOD hée voluntaryly vowed hymselfe into the bondage of sinne and Satan willingly gaue himself headlong to destruction One excuse is pretended that he could not auoyde that which was decreed of god But volumtary transgression suffiseth inough and too much to guiltinesse For the secrete counsell of God is not the proper and naturall cause of sinne but the manifest will of man The foolish complaint of Medea is of the olde Poet worthily derided Vtinam ne in nemore pelio c. She beyng taken with the surious loue of a straunger and vnknowen man betrayed hir countrey when she was in hir self guiltie of infidelitie and barbarous crueltie when the scourge of inchastitie doth afllict hir she foolishly turneth hir selfe to causes a farre off when man findeth within himself the cause of euill what auayleth it to wander that he may séeke it in heauen The faulte is manifest in that that he would sinne why doth he rushing into the passages of heauen drowne himselfe in a Labarinth Albeit that menne wandering by infinite fetches do indeuour to deceaue thēselues they shall neuer so amase themselues but they shall receyue the sense of sinne grauen in their hartes vngodlinesse therefore laboureth in vaine to deliuer man whome his owne conscience condemneth And for that God wittingly and willingly did suffer man to fall the cause may be secrete but vniuste it cannot be This is Caluines sentence of Adams fall whiche why it should displease thée thou shouldest rather haue shewed then to haue so impudently slaundred it but there be twoo things whiche you vse to pretende to the whiche I will answere apart First yée complaine as you are men very religious that by this meanes God becommeth the author of all sinnes sith by the fall of Adam all haue succéeded whose offence is to be attributed vnto him if in déede Adam fell by his ineuitable decrée Then you requyre the expresse worde of GOD whereby that doctrine may be ratified That which belonggeth to the firste thou hast heard already wherefore thys thy consequence is naughte worth God ordeyned thys therefore he is in the fault Caluine sheweth a reason out of Augustine in these words This sayth he without controuersie is to be holden that God hath euer hated sinne for indéede this prayse whereby he is glorifyed of Dauid is incident to him that he is a God that will no iniquitie but rather in ordeyning the fall of man he had a most excellent and iust end from which the very name of sinne is estraunged Although I so affirme him to haue ordeyned it as I graunt not that he was the proper author thereof doest thou héere Sycophant Caluine excellently refuting that very blotte of blasphemy whiche falsely and maliciously you obiect against him but yet these things satisfye thée not Be it