thinges so euer he doth no man the is in his right wittes wil deny but it is good namely either to punishe the bad or to benefite the good Now let vs alledge examples That Ioseph came by Gods prouidence intoo Egipte and was aduaunced there vntoo great preheminence that hee might bee the preseruer of the Churche both hee himselfe sayeth it and the matter it selfe declares it And what instrumentes did the lorde vse too the compassinge of the matter Euen Sathan who stirred his brethren againste their most innocent brother the very wicked inteÌ„t of the same brethren the couetousnesse of the merchantmen and the lust of a moste mischeuous woman All these sinned most gréeuously in asmuche as they were the beginners of their owne doings But God vsing wel those moste vngracious instrumentes which thought vppon no such thinge defended his seruauntes from the famine settled them in a fruiteful soile nurtured his faithfull seruaunt Ioseph and finallye aduaunced him too the highest degrée of honour Is it not a moste rightfull worke of gods iustice that naughty persons shoulde fordoo themselues So punished he the Madianits vsinge thervntoo the spirit of discorde and the vngracious wilfulnes of the murtherers themselues so as they made assaulte one vpon another doubtles with a wicked minde but yet by the rightful iustice of god It was good that Dauid shoulde bee chastised euen after his sinne was acknowledged and forgiuen It was good also that Achitophilles trecherie Absolons trayterous minde shoulde bee discouered and sorely punished To the performance of these matters y lord vseth the outrage of sathaÌ„ Achitophells own falshartednes and Absolons owne traiterous ambition horrible lecherie and vnnaturalnes by which euill instruments the lord executed many thinges excéeding well For hee shewed howe muche hée mislyketh whooredome and craftinesse hée chastised Dauid fatherly hee punished Achitophell by his owne handes and finally he made Absolon to cast away himself The scripture beareth witnesse y our being tryed and consequently our chastisement is of the good wyll of our heauenly father that thereby he maye be glorified and his power made perfect in our weakenes And except we bee of that minde what comfort is there for the godly in so great myseries For in the triall of Iob after this maner there is vsed the spitefulnesse of Sathan and the couetousnes and excessiue crueltie of the robbers Sathan therfore dyd sinne in heaping so manye myseries vpon the seruaunt of god and the robbers did wickedly in stealinge awaye another mannes goodes But the Lorde did excéeding well in triynge his seruant and in shewinge the all sathans attemptes againste the churche are in vaine Finallye you will not denye but that the excellentest of all Gods workes was the re-emption of maÌ„kinde For the father deâ—uered his owne sonne for our sinnes â—y his foredetermined purpose and by â—he foreappointment of his eternall orâ—inance according as Peter the church â—f Ierusalem saye and the father is hée â—hat hath not spared his owne sonne for â—ur sakes And what maner of instrumeÌ„â—es hath he put too the performinge of so great a matter Surely the woorst that â—oulde be for no good maÌ„ could haue fouÌ„d â—n his hart too pursew a giltles person â—nd much lesse to betraye him condemne him crucifice him Namely euen the malice of Sathan who was entered into the harte of Iudas the cursed couetousnes and treason of Iudas himselfe the moste desperate enuye and vnrecouerable malice of the Iewes and finally Pilates nicenesse and vntowarde dealinge So is there none of these whiche sinned not moste heynouslye and all of them were payde afterwarde wyth most sore punishement at Gods hand for the same And yet in the meane whyle by thys selfesame worke he saued vs from sinne and death Que. But hereby there seemeth not any other thing to be gathered thaÌ„ that the purposes of euill persones are turned by God to a contrary ende An. Yes hereby also it is coÌ„cluded that God mooueth euen the euill wel effectually to bring his owne worke to pasâ—e by them But you must beare in minde that whiche I haue sayde namely y god dooth in suche wiâ—e mooue euill persons well too bringe his owne good worke about not as a hammer or a hatchet in aworkemans hand which are tooles that can do nothinge at all of themselues but in suche wise as the euill persons doo also mooue themselues ill too will amisse and to do amisse bicause that they themselues are the woorkinge causes of their owne euill dooinges Nowe also this muste bee added that God truely worketh in the good and by the good and that hée woorkes by the euill but not in the euill Quest VVhat difference then is there in these little woordes Ans Vndoubtedly greate For God vseth both the one and the other as instruments as ofte as he listeth and therfore he is rightly sayde too woorke his worke as well by the one as by y other But God worketh in those only whom he breatheth vppon with his holy spirit and whom he ruleth with his holy spirit eyther strengthening them in goodnes namely the Angells and the men that bee regenerated or else indewing them with new goodnesse as when he sanctiâ—teth his seruantes first of all But as for the rest he worketh not in them by doâ—ing any thing within them himself but giueth them vp to be moued and misruled partly by their own lustes and partly by the deuill howbeit in such wise as theyr lewdnesse can neyther will nor worke any thing but that which he â—ath most rightfully ordeined Question VVhat thinke you then of the name of permission or sufferance Answere If by the name of Sufferance there bee ment that difference which I spake of euen nowe namely that God woorketh not in the euyll persones but leaueth them vp to Sathan and to their owne lustes I myslyke it no whit But if Sufferance bee matched agaynâ—â— willingnes I reiect it first as false anâ— secondly as vtterly against reason That it is false it is manifest by this that iâ— god suffer anything to bee done againâ—â— his will then surely is he not God that is to say Almighty But if he be said to suffer a thinge as though he were recheâ— lesse how farre are wée of from the opinion of Epicure It remayneth then that looke what he suffereth to bee doone he suffereth it willyngly Willyngenesse therefore is not to bée matched agaynst Sufferance Agayne if it bee false it must néedes also be against reason And I say that this absurditie may appeare sufficiently too any héedefull person by this that the Aucthors of the distiction wherby Sufferance is matched agaynst willingnesse doo by that meane not only not attein to that which they would that is to wit that god should not be accounted the author of euill which thinge wee acknowledge with al our harts but also bryng the flatte contrary
vtterly impossible that he shold not bée good Ergo willingnesse and necessity are not repugnant For whereas it was of necessity y of two repugnant thynges Adam must choose but the one although none of them both was within the compasse of his owne wyll yet surely the one of them was set downe in the euerlasting ordynance of God which ordynance was bothe out of Adams will and aboue his will yet compelled not his will but rather forasmuch as his will could not take bothe of them it willingly and of it owne accord inclined finally too that part which the ordinance of god had foreset Quest But surely that necessity which is entered in together with lust into mans hart in such wise as he cannot but sinne according as thou hast declared afore seemeth too take away happening An. Although I shoulde graunt it too be so yet cannot men bee exempted from blame first because this necessitye of sinning wherwith mankinde is now ouerwhelmed cometh not of the Creat◠▪ but of the willing inclination of mans naturall will vnto euill as I saide afore And who wil think it strange y he shoulde be burned whiche hath willingly cast himselfe into the fyre Againe althoughe it bee not of hap but of necessitie that man is now caried vntoo euill consideringe that sith he is corrupted by sin hee is as the Apostle saieth become the bondslaue of sin and so remaineth til he bee set free by y sonne of god yet notwithstanding that which he dooth he dooth it willinglye and vnconstreined For like as he cannot but doo euill so also hee delighteth not in any other than euill albeit that the euill lurkinge sometime vnder the coloure of good do make him take it for good And therefore not euen this necessitie whiche was brought in by willinge fall taketh awaye the willinge moouing of the will. Which thing being graūted it foloweth that man is verely the cause of sin inasmuch as although he sin of necessity yet he sinneth willingly And yet say I not that happeninge is taken away by this necessity nother For although that in mā which is hild bound vnder necessity of sinning and is not yet regenerated there remaineth nowe no deliberating whether he may choose the trew good or the euil as there was in mans nature afore his fall yet notwithstaning there remaineth a deliberating betwene euill and euill For where the case standeth not vppon choise of this or that there is no deliberating or debating Now then euen the headiest and hastiest men that be doo deliberate but neither can they vnderstand anye thinge nor thinge any thing and therfore much lesse deliberate of any thing but eyther with straying from y good or else plainly ageinst their conscience ergo al their deliberating is busied aboute the choosing betweene twoo euilles or mo And their preferringe of the one or the other commeth altogether by hap as in respect of their owne voluntary will which happening y vnchangeable ordenaunce of God dooth no more take away now in men corrupted than it tooke it awaye in olde tyme in mankind vncorrupted Qu. The sum then of the thinges which thou hast spokē concerning prouidence is this that nothing in the whole world cometh too passe agaynste Gods will or without his knoweledge that is to say ▪ rashly casually but altogether in such wise as God himself hath ordained them from euerlasting disposing all the mean causes most mightely and effectually so as they be caried on to their appoynted end of necessity as in respect of his ordinance and yet that he is not an authour or allower of any euil bicause he dealeth alwaies most rightfuly with what instrumentes so euer he execute his woorke An. So it is Quest This is yet againe the thing that troubleth mee For although I see that God worketh rightefully by the euill sorte yet not withstandinge if all and euery thing be done by gods eternall or dinaunce so as nothinge at all may bee excluded then it remaineth that the euill doinges of the euill persones euen in respect that they be euill are not exempted from Gods ordinaunce whiche thing me thinks cannot be said without wickednesse An. Neeedes must he be sore troubled to no purpose which laboreth to comprehend gods wisdom within the bounds of his owne reason For I pray you if you woulde go aboute too conteine the whole Ocean in a drinkinge Cup what should you else doo but onely lose your labour bée counted a foole for so doinge And yet more tollerable thoughe not too bée talkt of is the proporcioninge betwéene the maine sea and the least cup that can bée than betwéene gods wisdom and the foolishnesse of mans most corrupt wit. Neuerthelesse I suppose y this whiche thou obiectest may also be fitlye answered vntoo Therfore I graūt thée euē this also that the euill workes of euill men euen in that they bée euill in respecte of themselues are not done againste gods will or without his knoweledge for were it so then should eyther Godlesnesse or else Epicurishenes folowe of necessitie But I saye further that if thou haue an eye too Gods ordinaunce the verye euill it selfe hath a respecte of goodnesse althoughe it bee euill in it selfe so as this Paradox of Austins is verye trewe namelye that it is good also that there should bée euilles too the ende that God should not suffer euilles to bée and truly in not sufferinge hée is not vnwillinge but willing Quest VVhat then Shall wee saye that God willeth iniquitie An. God forbid for it is the horriblest of all blasphemies to saye so But staye thy self awhile I beséech thee that I may expound that whiche I haue sayd so truely and godlilye as it cannot bee denyde but god must also bée auouched not to bée the Iudge of the world The name of Will is taken sometime in the largest signification for that whiche god ordaineth or appointeth In whiche signification wee must vtterly say either y god willeth all thinges y is to say y nothinge commeth to passe which God will not haue done or that God is not almightye if neuer so smal a thing com to passe which he wold not haue don or else y god regardeth not all thinges if any thing come too passe he cares not how And somtime by the name of Will there is ment onely that which liketh him bicause it is good of it owne nature and after this manner the faith full onely are saide too obey God and too execute his will béecause y in this sence God is saide too wyll that is too saye too allowe and except onelye that whiche is good and not too wyll iniquitie Which will of his is vttered fully vnto vs in his lawe but his other will is not so but in part For who knoweth what shal befall but this one daye And nothing shall béefall but that which God hath from euerlastinge both willed and ordeyned too befall Quest
finde â—hat the ablenesse to bée willinge to reâ—eiue is geuen vntoo vs and also that â—ée bée willinge to receiue bothe togeâ—her in one selfe same moment For oâ—herwise the grace were in vaine Therâ—ore as many as impugne this manner â—f togither workinge as though it were â—epugnant too the grace of God they â—ewray their owne vnskilfulnesse many â—ayes consideringe that this selfsame â—ogether workinge is the gyfte of Gods grace and woorketh in such wise together with it as that in order of causes it is in déede the latter like as it foloweth immediatly after the cause that woorketh the effecte by reason whereof all thinges are fathered whollye vppon the onely grace of God and yet notwithstandinge God at once and in one selfsame moment bringeth to passe both that through grace wée may know and throughe grace wée doo knowe in déede that through grace we may 〈…〉 and through grace we do wil in deedâ—… and finally that through grace wee mâ—… doo and through grace wee doe indeedâ—… For the efficient cause in possibility caâ—… not be called efficient in working vntâ—… it be performed in very déede Moreouer sith there is not taken froÌ„ man neyther the ability of vnderstanding nor thâ—… abilitie of willing as I haue saide aforâ—… but onely the ability to vnderstand rightly and to will rightly it cannot bee denidâ—… but that at least wise ther is in him a natural together working bycause the wheâ—… as the first disposing grace is not receiueâ—… but of one that hath vnderstaÌ„ding wil and men by nature do generally vnderstand and will man receyueth the offered grace not as a block but as one that is endewed with vnderstanding wil and so farforth as he doth but vnderstand and will he worketh together with god his maker at whose hande he hath receyned those natural powers But in respect y he vnderstandeth well and willeth wel that must bee wholly attributed too the newcome grace whereby it commeth too passe that he prepareth to make himself ready to vnderstand aright to will aâ—ight and to doo aright when he hath reâ—eiued the grace and also that he vnderâ—…andeth willeth dooth rightly indeede Quest And what is it to be thought of â—…e effectes of the first grace An. That the first grace is effectuall it 〈…〉 to be imputed to Gods seconde grace â—…r wée should straytwaies fall from the â—…rst if there folowed not another immeâ—iatelye after to make the former effecâ—ual and so must ye procéede on stil from â—race to grace Que. But it could hardly be denied but â—hat assone as we haue receiued the first â—race we worke together with the rest â—f the graces folowing so consequeÌ„tâ—y that the later graces are bestowed for merit or desert of the former grace An. Away with the names of desert and merit which fight ful but against grace â—ow much so euer the halfe pelagian Soâ—histers prate to the contrarye He that â—enyeth vs to woorke together with the â—…rst grace denieth the efficacy of the first grace And looke what I haue sayde of the first grace the same doo I say of the graces that insew For that the fyrste grace is so effectuall as that wée vse 〈…〉 well wée may thanke the second graâ—… for it For were not the seconde graâ—… present yea both freely geueÌ„ freeâ—… effectual we shold not only not goe forward but also goe quite backe againe into a far worse state then wee were iâ— before Then as for this toogether working which as I said procedeth whollâ—… of the insewing grace what hath it inâ—… that may merite or deserue anye recompence at al Nothing at al for euen theâ—… when wee after a sorte doe vse it wellâ—… which thinge also if the matter be weâ—… lookte vppon is throughe grace wâ—… doo rather vse it amisse I confesse then that the faithefull seruauntes haue Talentes committed vntoo them But yet agayne it is of men grace that the woorkinge of those Seruauntes is allowed and that they bâ—… taken for faithfull Seruauntes anâ—… finally that rewarde is geuen vntoâ—… them which is not dewe vntoo them iâ—… anye other respecte than bicause iâ—… was freely promysed and is freely performed Quest But I woulde fayne learne this oâ—… you also How this corruption is spread to mankinde Namely whither it bee 〈…〉 nature or by imitacion â—… Forasmuche as ye bée sure inough 〈…〉 it is come in ye shoulde rather haue â—…ed how it might be driuen out again â—…euerthelesse because of many noysom â—…ours I will endeuer to satisfie you in â—…s behalfe also I answere therefore â—…t the maladie is first spread abrode by â—…ture and afterwarde confirmed by â—…itation â—â—est How can you prooue that â—…s By many textes of scripture when 〈…〉 wyll and speciallye by Paules arguâ—…nt grounded vpon effectes For euen â—…y also do die whiche could not imitate â—…am by reason they are not of yeres of â—…reaton but deathe is the rewarde â—…inne ergo all men are in originall â—…ne â—â—est VVhat if I shoulde saye that the â—…te death whiche is the seperation of 〈…〉 bodie and the soule and the looseâ—…ge of the same bodye againe into his â—…t groundes is naturall For all comâ—…unded thinges are naturally subiecte 〈…〉 dissolution An. God himselfe speakinge by Moysâ— wil disprooue you Besides this your aâ—gument holdes not of necessitie For â— thoughe the thinge that is compoundeâ— maye of it owne nature be dissolued yâ— notwithstandinge it is not dissolued â— verye déede vntill the cause that coâ—pounded it do first cease to mainteineâ— together What absurditie then is thâ— in my spéeche when I say that maÌ„ wâ— in such wise created of soule and bodyâ— yea that mans body was in suche wâ— compounded or compacted togither of â— elementes as the creator of them wolâ— haue maintained them togither for euâ— had not sinne stept in by the waye Quest I graunt then that mortal bodiâ— are begotteÌ„ of mortal bodies But whâ— is that to the corruptioÌ„ of the soule oâ— lesse thou think that the soules also aâ— conueied ouer from one into anotheâ— Ans What opinion manye of the olâ— wryters haue had concerning this mâ—ter I passe not neither will I greatlâ— striue about it so it be agréede vpon thâ— originall infection is spredde into vs â— nature Yet thinke I it not good too dâ— semble this that the doctrine of conueyiâ— ouer of the soule seemeth very awk to me for either must the whole soule or at least some péece of it be conueied ouer Nowe if the whole bée conueyed then doubtlesse must the partes of it néedes be quite dispatched out of hand But if there bée but some péece of it conueyed howe can anye péece of it bée cut away from an Essence that is most single Quest If the soule come not of the corrupt father but of him that is the father maker of spirits how coms it by that corruptioÌ„ Is it by infection of the body
too passe For who is more in faulte then he whiche a greate way of foreseeyng a mischéef that is too come and being able too disappoint the same with his only becke not onely disappointeth it not but also suffereth it that is to say giueth leaue to execute the mischiefe for not euen they that bee of that opinion doo deny but that Sathan and much rather wicked men haue not any power to doo any mischeef but by appointment in case as if a man hauing a cruell Lion shet vp in a cage myght with ease kepe him in from hurting folk and yet not only wold not but also wold let him loose and suffer him to runne vpon this man or that man Perchaunce thou wilt say that so mennes sinnes deserue I graunt it Yet notwithstanding it remayneth still that Goddes willingnesse matcheth with hys sufferaunce lyke as when a Magistrate delyuereth an offender into the executioners hand appoynting him the manner of hys punyshement and therefore that there is no reason to say that sufferance striueth against willingnes Quest VVhat then doo euill persons performe Gods will. Ans If you take will in his generall singnification that is to wyt for that thinge whyche God hath willingly determined too haue come too passe and refer the woord Doo not too the intent and purpose of the wicked but too the very falling out of the matter then surely God executeth his will that is to saye the thinge that he hath determined from euerlastinge euen by the wicked also according too this saying who shal resist gods will But if that by the name of Will yee meene the thinge that of it selfe is acceptable vntoo God and will haue the woord Doo too importe a ryght affection of obeying then truely I aunswer that the wicked sorte not onely doo not Gods will but also are caryed wholly to the contrary part Quest Surely I haue not any thing too alledge ageynst it Notwithstanding I come backe ageyne too that which you haue aunswered namely that God created all thynges good at the beginnyng From whence then commes their faultinesse For if it entered without Gods appoyntment then is your saying impeached namely that nothynge at all is exempted from goddes Prouidence no not euen from hys working prouidence But if Goddes appoyntment forewent it I speake it not of purpose too blaspheme hym howe is he not the author of all euill Ans The cause of the faultinesse of the Angelles and of the firste man was the willing inclination of their owne willes vnto euill For god had created them but chaungeably good for too bee of it selfe vnchaungeably good is peculiar onely vnto God alone Que. Then both the Angels that neuer fell nor neuer shall fall and also all they that shal bee gathered vp into euerlastinge life should be Gods. Ans I deny the consequence For that the blessed Angelles neuer fell nor neuer shall fall and that there shall not bée any ende of their euerlasting blessednesse it commeth not of their vnchaungeable nature for y is peculiar vnto God alone but bycause they bee continuallye vnderpropped wyth the power of the vnchangeable god whiche power if it shold forsake them as forsake them it might if god would then doubtlesse might they not onlye bee chaunged but also vtterly banishe awaye be brought to nothing And therefore I haue sayde that the cause of faultinesse is the willinge inclination of the will which was made good in déede howbeit yet able too bée chaunged vnto euill For the saide wyll was chaungeable by Gods ordinaunce who created it so bicause that otherwise looke howe many vnchaÌ„geable natures he had made so manye Gods had he made And chaunged it was at Gods forsaking of it for too whom is hee bounde but yet by chaunging it self of it owne accorde so as the cause of faultinesse maye séeme to bée imputed rather to forsakinge than to inforâ—inge Quest But if this chauÌ„ge happened not without gods foredeterminatioÌ„ verelye it may seeme that al this inconuenience is to be fathered vpon him Ans That foloweth not forasmuche as gods determination tooke not awaye the will of y first man so also neyther hys aduisement or choosing but only ordered it For he was chaÌ„ged by falling vtterlye of his owne accorde which thing is to bée vnderstoode muche more of the falling of the Angels whose faultines krept vpon them froÌ„ at home and perhappes y was the cause that mooued God to haue pitye vpon men whiche fell by the stepping in of the diuell and not too haue pitie of the diuell and his Angelles Quest But otherwise it could not come to passe than god had ordeined should come to passe An. I graunt both For neither were it reason that the said euerlasting ordinaÌ„ce wherein I shewed a little erst that all things and euery thing without exception are comprehended should be shet out from the changinge of the chéefe péece of worke And too â—â—uouch y such maner of ordinaunce were changeable it were a poinct of wickednes Let both oâ— theÌ„ therfore be most trew Yet doth it not therevppon folow eyther that theÌ„ faulte is in God who as I sayd doth alwayes well yea euen then also when his instrumentes offend or that man is without fault as who hath not offended but willingly For this necessitye where throughe the thing that god had ordeined must néedes come to passe hath not takeÌ„ awaye either will or happening but rather hath ordered and disposed them consideringe that amonge the causes of mennes doinges euen the chéefest cause is will. Quest Your meaninge then is that the necessity of chosig that which god hath ordeined from the beginninge repugneth not against will. But happening is saide to be that whiche maye either fall out or not fal out An. Yea and I say more plainly y willingnesse or happeninge are not taken away by necessity but by compulsion As for example It was of necessity y christe should die in the age time and place fore ordeined from euerlastinge for else the Prophetes might haue lyed And yet if yée haue an eye too the naturall disposition of Christes flesh by it selfe without the foredetermination of God there is no doubte but by nature hée might haue liued longer and therfore that in that respect hée dyed by happe Christes bones might haue bin broken if ye looke vpon the nature of bones by themselues but if yée looke vntoo Gods ordinaunce they coulde no more bee broken than it is possible that God shoulde alter his determination And therefore the vnchaungeable necessitie of Goddes ordinaunce dooth not take awaye the happeninge of the seconde causes but dispose it Also it was of necessitye that Christ dyed by the ordinance of his father yet he dyed willingly yea and God forbid that euer wee should dye vnwillingly who notwithstanding must of necessitie dy once And what more God himselfe is most fréely yea most willingly good and yet is it