be accompted synne No suche thought can be attributed or ascribed vnto God as can be agaynst hys wyll therefore no synne canne bee hys woorke Neyther can he be the authour of euyll whiche therefore is called god because he is the authour and geuer of all good so contrarye to the nature of synne and so farre frome euyll that he tourneth all oure euyll to some good oure synne to the vtteryng of his grace oure lyes to the declaraciō of his truth No thys is the parfyte woorke maister whyche woorketh al thynges wythout faulte or trespasse all other doe fayle fault and trespasse and sinne in al their woorkes that he may be iustifyed in all hys doinges and al creatures fal down before hys face presence Who though he do woorke all in all thynges yet doth he woorke the same to suche godly ende and purpose knowen onely to hys maiestye that thought wee be compelled to saye God is the authour of the fact yet muste we aunswer but not of the crime Because he is the mayster of the house and Lord ouer the family and therefore maye doe anye thynge wythoute the blame of hys seruauntes And lyke as that whyche is no faulte in the Mayster of the house is a greate faulte manye tymes in anye of hys seruauntes because it is breakyng of their Maysters commaundemente Euen so doubtles the selfe same woorke is synne in God hys seruauntes and creatures whych to God is no synne but an ordynary woorke appoynted for some special purpose eyther for the manyfestacion of hys power as was the hardenyng of Pharao or for the declaraciō of hys mercye as was the fall of Dauid of Peter of Marye Mawdelen and all other repentaunt synners And wherefore I praye you maye not thys Lorde thus vse hys owne Seruauntes wythoute any blame of synne seinge that he hath created and made them all only to serue hys glorye his iustice and his mercy Or how can he be vniust or the author of anye synne by whome all the world must be iudged and brought to the balance of iustice and equity Whan the first world shall be condempned for their sinne and iniquitye and we nowe lyuynge shall be iudged for oure synnes especyallye all those which not onlye do euil thē selues but are authours and fautours to wycked doers Roma i. Fourthly The maiesty of God can be subiecte to no synne be cause it canne be vnder no lawe And that onlye is worthelye called synne whyche is done agaynste a lawe therefore no worke that God doth ought to be accompted euyll eyther that he is the occasion of any euyll which onlye is the mynde sence and spryte and power of the lawe wythout whome no lawe of it self is good For euerye good lawe is the mynde wyll and commaundements of God and what so euer lawe is not the mynde wyll and commaundemente of God as was the lawes of the Scribes and Pharyseis and of our late Papists the same be wycked who of necessitye were set vp the body of antechrist to vttre their vnrighteousnes that Christ the sonne of rightousnesse the heade of his bodye in his manyfolde mercies more playnelye myghte appeare and shyne with more glory Againe to define sinne to be the affeccion mocion or operacyon of any reasonable creature againste the law of God his maiestie must nedes be secluded and excused who is the law maker the creator no creature hauing no euill mocion nor led wyth any affection which might make his worke euil Like as the creature is for the most part blame worthi because euē whan it doth the best of all It is subiecte to some affectiō eyther self loue or hatred of some other yea the Lorde God may vse anye of hys creatures in any worke without the blame of anye euyll as well as the smithe may make his colles to flame or to quenche them eyther the same peace of yron somtimes his hammer somtime his tonges or stythye Wherfore though very much myght be sayd in this parte that as the potter maye make of one peece of claye what hym lyketh the smythe maye make of hys yrō diuerse instrumēts yet folowyng the godlye wysdome of S. Paule I thincke it more mete to beate downe mans subteltyes wyth the contemplation of the maiesty of the myghty God pronouncing boldly that such as say if my lyes and synne setforth hys glory why am I then iudged as a synner let vs do euyll that good may come and so in their wicked words dare make God the author of euill hathe their worthye dampnacion al ready as Paule sayeth Roma iii. For of necessitie which theyr eyes can not see such diuersity of sinne and grace of rightousnes and vnrightousnes of the contraryete chaung of thinges must be in thys wonderful creation of heauen and earthe by the high Maiestye of God appoynted and opened For what neaded the goodly creature of light If ther had bene no darknes or howe shulde this benefyte haue bene felte or perceyued what matter or cause of vtterynge iustyce mighte haue bene founde wythoute synne and vnryghtousnes howe shoulde grace haue bene shewed yf no wrathe had bene deserued No the mightye God thereby most euidently vttereth his maiestye in that he sheweth how the heauens fal in to darknes without him the earth into dust the angels into deuils the mē into synne and so finally withoute hym all thinges to come to noughte that he might be magnified creating all thynges his sonne our sauiour renoumed who hath redemed vs al his holye spirite exalted who hath renewed al vs that be his electe and chosen Now to what creature is the maiesty of god bound and found debter of his spryte If he with hold it from any hys dreadful maiesty may rightly with hold it for who hath geuen him first to ask any thing again of debt or duty If his maiesty do giue his spirit it is of his fre mercy and grace If the earth fal into dust if man fal into sin that al things may be knowne to be nothing without god what blame deserueth god or who dare accuse him No let al flesh fal down before his maiesty cōfes Al things doth only rest vpon the o Lord god thou hast created all thinges of nothinge so that without the they all do fall to their original to shew them selues vayn and nothing worthy weake wretched miserable wherfore if we haue any good thīg it commeth of thy mercy if we haue any weakenes sinne or infirmitie it cōmeth of our owne concupiscence lustes and vanity our perdition is of oure selues our synne is of our selues only of the is our saluation thou made vs claye pots and vessails to thine vse Do thou with vs as thou shal thinke good in thyne eyes the shame shal fal vpon our own faces The second cause which cōcerneth mā wherby many mistake this doctryn is that God exhorteth man alwaies in his scryptures to good and forbyddeth euell wyth manye terryble threatnings
neither to the vnderstādyng of many places of the scriptures but we wyl confesse vnto thee the weakenes of our fayth wayghtyng alwayes for further reuelacion of thy gloryous lyght to be vttered vnto vs when thou shall thyncke of thy fatherly beneuolence and goodnes mete and conuenient knowynge most surelye that thou wylt pyttye our chyldyshe infansye and cause the same to serue for thy glorye our greate commoditye seynge that we do erre and are chyldysh as sonnes before such a father whyche cannot put of hys fatherlye pyttye but rather as thou hast bought vs vnto the to be the heires of thy kyngdome by the bloude of thy naturall sonne so we be moste sure that thou wylt lyghten vs in the ende wyth the ful fruition of the bryghte lyghte of thy countenaunce that we may see the and know thee as this thy sonne our redemer knoweth the yea see the our father face to face and knowe as wee be knowen Thus rest we only of thy hand to encreace our knowledge at thy good pleasure O myghtye Lorde and moste mercyfull father So be it If you can thus submitte your selues good brethren to the wysdome of God woorkyng in vs weakelyngs what hym lyketh Al the stomblyng stockes whych myght offend you may easely be remoued Ther be twoo thynges especyallye whych do seeme to stande agaynste thys doctryne of eleccion and reprobacion or of God his gouernaunce and prouidēce for al is one in effecte the one toucheth God the other man The tyrst and principalis lest that the wicked do make God the author of synne in the reprobate the whyche doubte we maye remoue fowre manner of wayes Fyrst by the authoryty of scriptures Secondlye by the testimonye of theyr owne consciences whiche be the reprobate Thyrdlye by the nature of synne Fowrthly by the maiesty of god whych is bounde to none of hys creatures to make hym thys or that vessayle For the fyrst Saynt Iames sayth Lette no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God as he cannot be tempted wyth euyl so neyther dothe he tempt any man But euery manne is tempted drawen awaye and entysed of hys owne lust and concupiscence Then the lust when it hath conceyued bryngeth foorthe synne Iames. i. And euen thus it appeared in the fyrst fal of mankynde Fyrste thoughe the Lorde oure God had warned and commaunded the contrary our olde ennemye styrreth the concupiscence and luste of the woman wyth the goodnes pleasātnes beawty of the aple then her lust cōceiuing this bryngeth forth synne entising also her housbād to the breaking of God his cōmandemētes Gen. iii. But cōtrarywise saith Iames in the same place Ia. i. Lest you shuld erre cōeeyue any euil opiniō of God euerye good gyfte and euerye parfyte gifte is from aboue descending from the father of lyght wyth whom is no varyablenes neyther chaunge into darknes that he should geue now good thynges nowe euyll nowe lyght nowe darknes No sayth the Apostle Paule let God be true and al men lyars Can God be vniust How shall he then iudge the worlde Rom. iii. Agayne God saith by hys prophet Ezechyel I wyl not the death of a synner but I wyl rather that the synner conuerte repente and lyue And vnto wycked Iherusalem saith our sauiour Christ O Iherusalem Iherusalem whyche sleyest the Prophetes and stonest them that are sēt vnto the How oft wold I haue gathered together thy chyldren as the Hen gathereth her chykyns vnder her wynges and thou woldest not Lo thy house therfore is left desolate Math. xxiii Loo here appeareth the goodnes of the lyuyng Lord so dylygently callyng the wycked to hym by hys woorde by hys Prophetes by hys messengers and at the lengthe by hys owne sonne that he cannot in any case be accompted the authour of theyr euyl nor cause of their fal But contrary wise theyr owne wylful and wycked stobbernes is the cause of theyr euyll and the onely occasion of theyr fal as it is written Thy perdicion and destruccion is of thyne owne selfe but onlye of me is thy saluaciō And infinite scryptures to the same purpose appertaynyng That wee may say wyth Danyel vnto the O lord belongeth ryghtuousnes and to vs the shame coueryng of our faces Dani. ix Secōdly The testemony of the consciēces of the wicked whych shal accuse or excuse them at the great day whyche is alwayes of the force valure of a thousande wytnesses whych is the woorme that shal neuer dye but gnawe the wycked for euer Esa lxvi Thys conscience I say of theyres shall condempne the wicked and what shal God then do Or wherein is hys dreadfull maiestye to be charged Cain by hys owne conscience is compelled to confesse greater is my wyckednes then can be remytted Thou castest me frome the face of the earthe sayth he and I must hyde me from thy face Lo the iust iudgemēt of God and hys worthy condempnacion openly cōfessed Who dare then blame God Cain dare in no wyse doe it Neyther yet proud Pharao who condempned in his own hart and conscience accuseth him selfe and hys people and iustifyeth god delyuerynge all men from thys wycked blasphemye sayinge openlye I haue synned nowe the Lorde is iust and I my people are wycked Exodi ix What doth Iudas Doth he not crye lykewise I haue sinned betraying thys innocent bloud Math. xxvii And to vtter in dede that thyng he felt wythin hys breast he is compelled to take aduengeance and execute a iudgemēt most terrible against hym selfe vtteryng to al the world hym selfe most wycked and that the iustyce of God punyshyng such wycked traytours and murtherers ought most worthelye to be feared magnyfyed and reuerenced throughout the whole world Lyke as al the other wicked and desparate parsones whyche for anguyshe of harte and terrour of cōscience do murther them selues doth euydētly and cōtinually wytnesse vnto the worlds and that ther is a iust Lord the god of iudgement whome they doe feare and before whose face they dare not appeare to accuse hym of anye synne but rather takyng the cryme blame shame and punyshment vnto themselues who worthelye by theyr owne conscyence haue deserued it dothe thus tormente theym selues and wyth vyolente handes aduenge the synne they haue commytted in theyr owne synnefull soules and bodyes Thus must God alwayes be foūd iust and ouercome whē he is iudged by the testimony of oure owne conscience whyche shall accuse or excuse vs at the great day Roma ii Wherefore let no man be so foolyshe to saye that God is the authour of euyll vnlesse he wyll bee accompted woursse then Cain more proude then Pharao more wicked then Iudas or any other the reprobate from the begynnynge Thyrdly the nature of synne beyng defyned by the authoritie of scriptures to be a thought woord or deede contrarye to the wyl of God For such thinges onely defyle the man as Christ our master saieth Mathewe xv and therefore are onelye to
whiche thinges semeth not to be nedefull say they seing the elect shal be saued and the reprobate condempned by decree and sentence geuen vppon them before they be borne To this we do answer that these exhortacions and comninations are very necessarye to bothe twain because God leadeth vs men alwayes lyke reasonable creatures not lyke in sensible stockes or stones And to the electe they are mooste necessarye Pryckes and spurres to styrre the dull flesh toward his deuty as all good men fealeth and can beare wytnesse To the reprobate they are testymonies of the good wyl of the almighty God to them opened and vttered but openly resisted refused and reiected accordinge to the saying of our sauioure Christ If I had not come and spoken to them they had had no sinne but now they haue no pretense or excuse for their sinne Peraduenture you wyl aunswer me they can not obey vnto it What is the cause thereof I pray you because they lacke the spirite of Christe to leade them you wyll saye I dare easely grant you but wyl they graunt thys wyl they thinke you submytte theym selfe vnder poore Christe and the folyshenes of the crosse and not rather boaste and bragge their wisdom theyr knowledge and theyr vp ryght dealyng and rightousnes Ar not these the men that dare thus boste We knowe aswell as the Preacher can tell vs. Is the sprite of God departed from vs to speake wyth hym as was said to Micha .ii. of the kynges .xxii. chap. Or as the Phariseis dyd aunsweare vnto Christe are we blinde to whome our sauioure saythe agayne If you wer blind you had no sinne but now you say you see therefore your synne remayneth Io. ix Thus doubtles they are so farre from the submission and subieccyon to poore Christ that contrarye wyse they dooe willinglye and naturallye followe theyr father Lucifer Who dyd lyft him self arrogantly aboue Christ the sonne of ryghteousnesse and euermore fyghteth agaynste Christe though the mightye power and hyghe wysdome of God turneth hys euell wyll and al theyres to hys glory and good purposes None other wayes then bodilye and naturall darknes whiche by the wonderful wysdome of God clearelye setteth forthe the bright sonne shine and yet laboreth by continual course to shadow the sōne to couer the whole earthe Wherfore the Lord God to dryue a waye this natural darcknes from manne exhorteth to iustice equitye which is his nature and the image which man ought to coūterfait And alwaies cōmaundeth thinges therunto agreable And forbiddeth that he is not that is to sai iniquiti and behorteth there from by his Prophetes and preachers publishing his wil pleasure which is the light and law most perfit to man his noble creature whome he hathe made for his honoure and glorye whome he hath appoynted to beare hys Image vpon earth of iustice rightousnes and innocency But because this image colde by no creature parfytlye be expressed onles the same were fully replenished with the selfe same godhead because that all things besydes forth had some inperfection bewraying their originall the darcknes as Iohn calleth it the Tohu and Bohu as Moises dothe it name The vayne vanitie and wylde deformite whence they were by creacyon altered recouered and brought into lyght and lyfe as apeared in Adam falling from truthe to lyes streyght at the beginning now of necessity the sōne of God who only is good of nature becōmeth mā and taketh this office to beare the image of god inuisible Col. i. And to be the head of that spiritual perfection which was to be wrought in mankynd by his a fore appointed purpose and becometh the first begotē of al creatures for bi him wer al things created both in heauen and earth visible and inuisible maiestye Lordship rule and powre by whom and in whom al things are created and he is before all creatures and in him al thinges haue their being And he is the head of the bodye he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead that in al things he might haue preeminence For it pleased the father that in him shuld dwel al fulnes and by him to reconcyle al things to him self And to set at peace by him through the bloud of his cros both things in heauen and thynges in earth for euē you sayth Paule which in times past were straungers because your mindes were set in euel works hath he now recōsiled in the bodi of his flesh through deathe to make you holy and vnblameles without faulte in his sight Seing then that thys cannot be denyed to bee the course of god hys holy woorking to dryue awaye thys darknesse to bryng mā to hys light to take away synne to brynge man to a lyfe blameles the state of innocēcy his own liknes shal it not be most nessessarye to haue preachers teachers to tel vs this same and admonyshe vs wherunto we be called seynge of our selues and our owne reasons no suche thyng can be perceiued Therfore haue we preachinges and exhortacions as Paule sayeth for when the worlde through wisdome knew not God in the the wysedome of God it pleased God through the foolyshnes of preachynge to saue them that beleue .i. Corin. i. And as he also sayth of hym selfe in another place We doe preache thys rytches in Christ the hope of your glory warnyng al men teachyng al men in al wisdom to make al men parfyt in Christ Iesu Thus serueth then exhortacions dehortacions cōminations and publicacions of the lawes and wyl of our Lorde God that he may be knowen the Lord and gouernour ouer all the thynges he hath created and the only law maker amonges hys creatures publyshyng vnto al that parfyt equitie iustice whiche ought in no case to be resisted Wherevnto yf they cannot attayne they must confesse and knowledge theyr owne infyrmytye and weakenesse and submyt theym selues vnder the myghtye hande of God and so doynge they shall be receyued as chyldren of the most louynge and most mercyfull Father in such degrees of parfection as he hath appointed to the beawtefying of the bodye of hys sonne our heade So that the Lorde God dothe teache all and lyghten all men that come into the world both chosen and reprobate wyth such a knowledge as doth the good Prynce whyche vnto all hys subiectes proclaymeth hys statutes and publysheth his lawes but lyke a good tender father he leadeth hys chyldren regenerate and borne a newe neyther of fleshe nor bloude nor the wyl of man and guydeth them with hys fatherly spirite in the pathes of the same lawes wrytynge in theyr hartes what is hys good wyll and pleasure In the whych course of God hys wōderfull woorke the wycked hathe no cause to complayne for as theyr father whom they do follow is named the prince of thys worlde so they haue the worlde at wyll and are rytche roysters and wealthye worldelynges tramplynge vnder theyr feete poore Abell and the despysed Christians neyther wyll