and an other I will pray to God to open his Eies that he if gods good pleasure be may se the light that so brightly shyneth Other places for this present I omitte For of these precedents I suppose it be euident that in the eternall counsel of God there was a difference of mankynd euen before the creation which by his own voice is most plainely declared to vs in tyme. Now to that obiection which Pighius that pestilent and peruers Papist and you all after him doth make To witt that God did predestinate according to the workes and faith which he foresawe to be in man I might obiecte to the contrary that if Predestination procedeth from gods purpose and will as the Apoâ—â—le affirmeth it doth that theÌ„ the purpose and will of God being eternall can not be moued by our workes or faith which be temporall And that if the purpose of God be stable and sure that then can not our workes being vnsure be the cause thereof But to auoid prolixitie and tediousnes I will by plaine scriptures proue that of fre grace did God electe that of mere mercie doeth he call and of his onelie goodnes without all respect had to our dignitie as to be any cause first mouing him doeth he perfourme the worke of our saluatioÌ„ And for the proofe of the same let vs take Abraham and his posteritie for example Plaine it is that he and his sede were preferred to all the nations of the earth the benediction was established to spring frome them the promes of the land of Canaan was made vnto them and so were they extolled to the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods peculiar people But let vs consider what either faith or obedience God found in them which might haue moued him thus to preferre them to other naâ—ions Let vs heare Moises The Lord they God saieth he hath chosen the that thow shoul dest be a peculiare people to him aboue all the peoples which are vpon the face of the earth God hath not so vehemently loued you and chosen you because you are mo in nombre then other nations seing ye are fewar then all other people but because he hath loued you and wold kepe the othe which he made to your fathers And after it foloweth Say not in thy heart my power my streÌ„gth aÌ„d my hand haue prepared this aboundance to me and think not in thy heart it is for my iustice that the Lord hath broght me into this land Of these places it is plaine that Moises leaueth no cause neither of gods election neither yet of perfourmance of his promes in maÌ„ but establisheth it altogether vpon gods fre loue and good pleasure The same did Iosua in that his last and most vehement exhortation to his people a litle before his death in which plainely he affirmeth that Abraham and his father were idolaters before they were called by God w c place Ezechiel the Prophete most euidently declareth rebuking the vnthaÌ„kfull defection of the Iewes from God who of mercy had giueÌ„ theÌ„ life honour and dignitie they of all others being the most vnworthy For the saieth Thus saieth the Lord God to IerusaleÌ„ Thy habitatioÌ„ aÌ„d they kiÌ„red is of CanaaÌ„ thy father was an amorrhean and thy mother an Hittite and in thy natiuitie wheÌ„ thow wast born thy nauill was not cutt thow was noâ— washed wiâ—h water to soften the thow was not salted with salt neither yet was thow swadled in clowtes By the which the Prophete signifieth that all was imperfect all was filthie all was corrupt and stinking as touching their nature he procedeth none â—ie pitied the to do any of these vnto the for to haue compassioÌ„ vpon the but thou wast cast oute in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thow wast borne And when I passed by the I saw the polluted in thine own blood aÌ„d I said vnto y e wheÌ„ thou wast in thy blood y t is in thy filthie sinnes y u shalt liue And this he repeteth to the eÌ„d y t he may beat it more deply in their myndes I saieth the Lord said vnto the beiÌ„g in thy bloode thou shalt liue and so he procedeth declaring how that God did multiply them did giue vnto them beautie streÌ„gth honour and dignitie These thre places do plainely witnes what perfection God did find in this people whom thus he did preferre to all others And what obedience did they render vnto him after the vocation of Abraham the hole Histories do witnes for perfection and obedience was not found in Abraham him self yea neither in Moises nor in Aaron but contrarie wise the inobedience of all we find noted to the same end y t Moises hath before spokeÌ„ to witt that none shall boast that either iustice proceding or folowing was the cause why God did choose and elect that people For how shall God choose for that which the holie Gost plainely denieth to be in any man discending of the corrupt sede of Adam For Isaiah plainely doeth affirme that all our iustice is as a clothe most polluted and spotted If our iustice be polluted as the Prophete affirmeth it to be and God did predestinate vs for our iustice what foloweth but that God did predestinate vs for that which was filthy and imperfecte But God forbid y t such cogitations shoulde take place in our heartes God did choose vs in his eternall purpose for his owne glorie to be manifested in vs aÌ„d that he did in Christ Iesus in whoÌ„ onely is oure full perfection as before we haue said But let vs yet heare som testimonies of the new testament sainct Paul to his disciple Timothie saieth Be not ashamed of the testimonie of our Lord neither be thow ashamed of me who am his prisoner but be thow partaker of the afflictions of the EuaÌ„gile according to the power of God who hath made vs safe and hath called vs with an holie vocation not according to our workes but according to his purpose and fre grace which was giuen to vs by Christe Iesus before all tymes but now is made patent by the appering of our Sauiour Iesus Christe Here plaine it is that neither are we called neither yet saued by workes much les can we be predestinate for them or in respect of them Trew it is that God hath prepared good workes thaâ— we should walk in them but like trew it is that first must the tree be good before it bring furth good fruite and good can neuer the tree be except that the hand of the gardiner haue planted it To vse herein the plaine wordes of saint Paule he witnesseth that we are elected in Christ to the end that we should be holie aÌ„d without blemishe Now seing that good workes spring furth of election how can any man be so foolish as to affirme that they are the cause of the same Can the streame of water flowing from the fountaine be the cause of the
he loued vs and hath sent his Sonne the propitiation for our sinnes so that bothe those apostles in plaine wordes do speake that which before I haue affirmed to witte that God loued the membres of Christ Iesus euen when they were enemies aswell touching their knowledge and apprehension as also touching the corruption of their nature which was not regenerate And so I conclude as before that the loue of God to vardes his electe is stable and immutable as it which beginneth not in tyme neither dependeth vpon our worthines or dignitie which trueth is contrarie to that which I perceaue ye holde and affirme Thus far I trust we haue sufficiently proued and that by plain scriptures and by no patched vnreasonable reasons as the author of your booke accuseth vs. That God hath his electe whom in Christ Iesus he hath chosen and that of decreed purpose to giue them life Which purpose counsell and loue of God is sure stable and immutable Now resteth to proue that God hath reiected some and also to note the absurdities which folow vpon your doctrine and so shall I not be compelled after in the discourse to spende tyme and trauell to confute your error That God â—ath reprobated any appereth to you horrible Yea and ye affirme God to be more cruell then any wild beast if so he did For thus ye writte in your booke as foloweth THE ADVERSARIE God hath geueÌ„ to all his sensible creatures a naturall inclination to loue their birthes then doth God also loue his birthe as he saith shall I cause other to beare and shall not I also beare Lykewise shall God make other to loue their birthes aÌ„d he not loue his own birthe Man is the birthe and child of God created to his own image aÌ„d similitude as the Prophet saith haue we not alone father Hath not one God made vs And Paul saith we are the generation of God Wherfore God loueth his own birthe that is man Then did he not reprobate and cast away man afore he was For that were a profe that he hated and abhorred his own birthe aboue all other Now there is no wild beast much les any man which wold bring furthe their birth to destruction How much les then becometh it the goodnes of God to make aÌ„d bring furth like to his own image and similitude vnto perpetualâ— confusion ANSWER How bolde how shameles and how blasphemous thou declarest thy self I speak to thee aÌ„d they coÌ„pagnions that collected these blasphemies It shall shortly appere after that I haue by gods grace with simple perspicuitie declared the trueth Trew it is that to the naturall man nothing appereth more absurde nor more repugnaÌ„t to good reason as men term it then that all shall depend vpon gods will and appointment for so think they that God can not auoid the suspition of iniustice yea say they he can not be purged nor made fre from malice and crueltie But such as entryng within them self do but in a parte consider what is their own condition what is there ignorance and how far they are inferiour to y â— angels in iustice aÌ„d knowledge to his holie angels I say that be most obedient and continually stand before his face and yet neuertheles do couer their faces and of very reuerence neither darre nor will rashly behold the brightnes of his glorie If further we shall coÌ„sider y t as in God his wisdom his power his goodnes and mercie are infinite so are his iudgemeÌ„ts and iustice in the self most righteous incomprehensible to the dulnes of our wittes For as his wisdom and power far surmounte all that we can imagin so are his iudgements and iustice a great depe as Dauid affirmeth and in the booke of Iob is planely described able to swallowe vp and vtterly to cofounde all our senses Alas shall I whose corporall eie is so feble and weak that directly it can not behold the son which is a visible creature but that it shall be bliÌ„ded aÌ„d dasylled shall I I say direct the eie of my mynde corrupted by sinne to measure and coÌ„preheÌ„de the brightnes of his iustice who dwelleth in the light inaccessible If man coulde impose or prescribe to God a law aÌ„d measure of wisdoÌ„ power mercie aÌ„d goodnes so y t none of theÌ„ should otherwise be in his eternall God heade the maÌ„ could vnderstaÌ„d approue the some apperance might they haue to bring his iustice which is no les infinite and incomprehensible then the others vnder the censure and examination of their iudgement and reason But what bolde and foolish presumption is this that man who knoweth not fully what lieâ—h within his own heart shall without all reuerence enter to iudge the secrete mysteries the full knowledge whereof doeth onely abyde in the eternall God head That impudently he shall pronounce this can not be iust becaus we do neither se nor vnderstand the cause of the iustice God graunt vs greater humilitie more reuerence and fear which righteously is called the beginning of wisdom then that so rashly and proudly we shall presume to damne that which we vnderstand not Lest that doing the contrarie that malediction pronouÌ„ced by â— saiah fall vpoÌ„ vs where he saieth Wo be to him that reasoneth with his maker the vessel of claie with the potter Doth the clay say to the potter what makest thow and thy work hath no handes wo be to him that saieth to his father what shalt thow beget This I thoght expedient briefly to admonishe the godlie reader before I did enter in to plane battell with the aduersarie Beseching further such as do not erre in this article of set purpose and malice but rather of ignorance and simplicitie not to be offended as thogh I did stomack against them if at any tyme I shall handle the impudent writer or collector of this booke whose nature is better knowen vnto me then vnto many of them according to his malicious frowardnes But now shortly to the mater The proposition and conclusion of this writer are bothe one to witte God hath not reiected nor reprobaâ—ed anie man His reasons and argumentes as the reader may perceaue are for that were against the nature of God w e he thus proueth God causeth others to beare aÌ„d therefor he beareth And so bringing his argumeÌ„t froÌ„ this similitude God maketâ— beastes loue their birthes therefor â—eloueth his birthes but al men are the birthes oâ— God For God is the father of Adame of whoÌ„ are al meÌ„ borne Therefor he loueth all meÌ„ If he loueth theÌ„ did he roprobate none for that shoulde declare that he hated and abhorred and were more cruell then a wilde beast These be thy argumeÌ„ts blasphemous mouth In answeriÌ„g whereto if I shall seme to excede modestie let the godlie coÌ„sider that thy horrible blasphemies are intolerable And first I call the heauen and earthe the insensible creatures and the iudgement of reasonable men to witnes with me how beastly
spirit that Balaam was led withall when he counselled to giue occasion of sinne to the people I know ye wil answer that I mean not so Mean what ye list and do what ye can yet this is the issue and frute of your doctrine and who so euer is thus corrupt by you without he repent he shall die the death but God shall require his bloode of your haÌ„ds Marke well your disciples how many of them endeuore theÌ„ selues to bring furth the frutes of repentance how many of theÌ„ seke for power to crucifie the flesh with the lusts and coÌ„cupiscence thereof How many of theÌ„ caÌ„ we perceaue by their conuersatioÌ„ that they haue cast of the old maÌ„ aÌ„d put on the new maÌ„ walking sincerely in their vocation aÌ„d the true feare of God but if they accustom to frequent your congregations as the papistes do the masse theÌ„ be they faithfull brethren I hold my peace of that ye vse to haue respect of persons preferring the welthie which if they be liberal thoghe they be drowned in many vices you vse to help vp such sores with this saying There is none during this life that caÌ„ be knoweÌ„ to be in the election be he neuer so vertuous nor any owt of the electioÌ„ be he neuer so vnrighteous after this maner ye do heall theÌ„ vp so that they nede not to indeuor them selues to bring furth the frutes of liuelie faith for the surest tokeÌ„ of their electioÌ„ they think to be that they be of your congregation but Christ saieth in that shall al meÌ„ know that ye are my disciples if you do what so euer I coÌ„maÌ„d you aÌ„d againe ye shal know theÌ„ by their frutes for a good maÌ„ owt of y e treasure of his heart bringeth furth good things yet ye say no maÌ„ caÌ„ be knoweÌ„ to be either in the election or owt of the election during this life and for proofe hereof ye alledge the saying of Paul â–ª the deuil doeth transforme him self into an Angel of light to which I breifly answer that God doeth neuer traÌ„sforme hiÌ„ self into an Angell of darknes wherefor so long as ye walk in darknes ye be not of God But thus ye take the most shameful meÌ„ by the had flatteriÌ„g theÌ„ so that they caÌ„ not return froÌ„ their wickednes whereby it appereth that ye be not sent froÌ„ God for ye by your doctrine giue occasioÌ„ to the people to sinne And the Lord saieth if they had bene in my couÌ„sell they had turned my people frome their euill waies aÌ„d wicked imaginations but such lippes such letuce such disciples such masters of your chief Apollos be persecutors on whoÌ„ the bloode of Seruetus crieth a veÌ„geaÌ„ce so doeth the blood of others mo whom I coulde name but forasmuch as God hath partly alredie reuenged their bloode and serued som of their persecuters with the same measure where with they measured to others I will make no mention of them at this tyme. And to declare their wickednes not to haue proceded of ignorance and humane infirmitie but of indured malice they haue for a perpetuall memorie of their crueltie sett furth bookes affirming it to be lawfull to persecute and put to death such as dissent from them in controuersies of religioÌ„ whome they cal blasphemers of God notwithstanding they afore they came to autoritie they were of an other iudgement and did bothe say and write that no man oght to be persecuted for his conscience saik but now they are not onely becom persecuters but also they haue giuen as far as lieth in them the sword into the handes of bloodie tyrantes Be these I pray you the shepe whom Christ sent furth in the middest of wolues can the shepe persecute the wolf doth Abel kil Caynâ—doeth Dauid thogh he might kill Saul shortly doeth he which is born of the spirit kill him which is born after the fleshe Mark how ye be fallen in to most abhominable tyranny and yet ye se it not Thus I am constreined euen of conscience to write That if it shal please God to awaik you owt of your dreaÌ„ that ye may perceaue how me error haeth drowned you in mo errors and hath broght you to a sleping securitie that when ye walk eueÌ„ after the lustes of your heartes thirsting after bloode and persecuting poore men for their conscience saik ye be blynded and se not your selues but say tushe we be predestinat what so euer we do we are certeÌ„ we caÌ„ not fall owt of gods fauor A wake therefor and looke what daÌ„ger ye be in and how by your poisoned doctrine ye infect the people of God and draw them to a secure ydle and careles life ANSWER The crimes laid to our charge in this mater be haynous For first we are accused that we prouoke men to a careles aÌ„d libertine life So that by vs the people do nothiÌ„g â—uteate and drink and ryse vp to play That we haue no conscience but being led with the spirit of Balaam giue occasion of sinne to the people That none other frute doeth ensue our doctrine â—ut libertie to sinne for our disciples are cruel murtheâ—ers subiect to all iniquitie respecting persones and flattering sinners And last y t by our poisoned docttrine we infect the people and bring theÌ„ to a secure ydle and careles life Because I wil omit no notable part of your booke to ouerslippe without some reasonable answer I wil folowe youre ordre althogh it be confused If you be able by plaine scriptures to proue a thirde sort of meÌ„ which nether be elect nether yet reprobat then shal we learne of you other wise to deuide But if God by his first voice pronounced in this mater made mencioÌ„ but of two sedes and if Christ Iesus wheÌ„ he shal come shall set one army on the right hand and an other vpon the left hand without mencion made of anie third sort of men we can not repent nor yet call back the trueth of our doctrine albeit that ye in despite and furie cry what can the deuil wishe his membres to teach more for the aduancement of his kingdome then this what can be inuented more to prouoke men to liue a careles and libertine life more then if they be persuaded that nether wel doing auaileth or pleaseth God nor euil doing hindreth vnto saluacion and so forthe ye procede in youre first accusacion Before I haue required and yet againe do require of Gods faithful lieutenants in earth I meane of lawful Magistrates who rule in gods feare whome ye vtterly studie to abolish and depriue of them I saie I haue required iustice to be ministred betwext vs and you without respect of persones Let the heauen and earth if men wil not yea let God and his holie Angelles in whose presence we walke beare recorde and witnes how vniustely and maciously ye accuse vs that we prouoke the people to a careles libertine life If euer it can be proued by our doctrine or
aduertisement of those coÌ„gregations no les then that which is conteined in these words by you rehearsed Then let vs heare what is writen and spoken by him in this mater I sawe saith he foure Angelles standing vpon the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the windes shoulde not blow vpon the earth c. And I saw an other angell ascending from the vprising of the sonne c. And he cryed with a loude voice to the foure Angelles to whom power was giuen to hurt the earth the sea saying hurt not the earth nether the sea nether yet the trees vntil we haue sealled the seruantes of our God in their foreheades I pray you why were these who were to be marked in the foreheades more called the seruantes of God by the voice of the Angell then others I knowe you will answer because of their good workes and godlie intentions But from whence I praie you did it procede that y e workes and intention of the one sort were good and of the other wicked If you say from their own fre wil and power the holie Gost doth proue you liers as before I haue declared and our Apostle assigneth also an other cause saing And power was giuen to the beast vpon all tribes tongues and natioÌ„s and all those that dwelt vpon the earth did worship him whose names are not writen in the book of life of the lambe who was killed from the beginning of the worlde Here it is plaine that our Apostle against your affirmation teacheth that some do worship the beast and so do finally perish and other do not worship him and attein to life â–ª that because the names of the one are written in the booke of life and the names of the others are not written and that more plainely he speaketh in these wordes Then I loked and lo a lambe standing on the mount Zion w t him a hundreth fortie foure thousand hauing his fathers name written in their foreheades c. and they sang as it were a newe songe before y e throne and before the foure beastes the elders none coulde learne the song except those hundreth fortie and foure thousand which were boght from the earth c. and aftre in the 17 chapt is mencioned of these inhabitantes of the earth who shall wonder vpon the beastwhose names are not written in the book of life from y e creation of the worlde if in these places I say y e Apostle maketh no differeÌ„ce betwext one sort of men an other let y e reader iudge if there be differeÌ„ce betwext boght not boght writteÌ„ in y e book of life not writteÌ„ to learn y e newe â—og not to learne y e same theÌ„ no dowt o r Apostle putteth as plaine a differeÌ„ce as we do yea y e hole scope of his reuelatioÌ„ is to declare y t there is a noÌ„bre of y â— elect called y e spouse of y e laÌ„be whoÌ„ it behoueth to be coÌ„plete before y â— coÌ„sumatioÌ„ of all thiÌ„gs com before y t y e iÌ„noceÌ„t blood that hath bene shed be reueÌ„ged vpoÌ„ those y t dwell vpon the earth and therefore aduise with your selues how ye be able to proue that S. Iohn taught no such doctrine as we teach But admitting that he had neuer spoken nether yet of any nombre chosen that can not fall vtterly from their election nether yet of any nombre reprobate who must nedes be apprehended with the beast and with him be cast into the lake of fyre Is it therefore a good argument that all those that teach such maner of doctryne be fals teachers or that no such doctryne is conteined in the holie Scriptures I wil make the like reason Nether Moises nether Iohn the Baptist in any expressed wordes haue left to vs written â–ª that Christ Iesus shoulde be born of a virgin that he shoulde suffer in Ierusalem â–ª that his disciples should all be sclaÌ„dered and flee from him that he shoulde rise againe and ascending into the heauen shoulde send the holie Gost visibly vpon his Apostles nether Moises I say nether yet Iohn who were excellent teachers haue taught in expressed wordes any such doctrine Ergo the teachers of it be fals teachers it is not written in gods scriptures your argument is no better admitting that the Apostle had neuer made meÌ„tion of any sort elected But now shortly to answer to all which without purpose ye heape to gether in this place I say first ye oght to haue made a difference betwext those seuen congregations where Christ Iesus had bene preached and receaued and the rest of the worlde w c theÌ„ remained or after was to remaine in blindenes error for to those y t haue by publicke profession receaued Christ Iesus be they elect or be they reprobate do appertein exhortations threatning y e doctrine of repeÌ„taÌ„ce consolatioÌ„ propheciiÌ„g reuelatioÌ„ of thiÌ„gs to com but to those y t yet remaine manifest enemies of the trueth apperteine onelie y e coÌ„mon calling to eÌ„brace the trueth with the threatniÌ„g of destructioÌ„ if they contiune vnfaithfull And therefore becaus these former coÌ„gregatioÌ„s as said is had professed them selues to be of gods housholde they were intreated as his domestical seruantes If any aske the cause why are som so amiably and others so strangely intreated I answer no other cause can be assigned but that it pleased gods infinit wisdome and goodnes to make that plaine and euident difference betwext those that once be receaued in his houshold be it by externall profession onely and those that remaine in blindenes that the one he commonly doth visit but the other he doth as it were neglect and destroy for what other cause can we assigne that God so louingly did often call to repentaÌ„ce the people of Israel so often offending from the daies of Moises vnto y e comming of Christ Iesus that he sent vnto them Prophetes to exhort to rebuke and to declare the estate of things to come and in this mean ceason the space of two thousand yeres permitted the Gentiles to walke in their own waies And now after the reiection of the Iewes what cause can we assigne that among vs Gentiles God vseth to stirre vp now one countrie now an other to receaue the trueth to detest and abhorre our former superstition Idolatrie and wickednes and of so long coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce hath left bothe y e Iewes turkes drowned still in their blindnes damnable errors we shall find none other cause I suppose then did the Apostle se when that he said to God are knowen all his workes euen froÌ„ the beginning and that he will reuele his secretes to such as please him ye do not heare in all this reuelation of Iohn that Babilon is exhorted to repeÌ„tance y t the blasphemous beast is rebuked ether of his tyranny ether of his blasphemie with any promes made to
earth and that also he hath reueled vnto vs so much as is profitable for vs to knowe ether yet necessarie for our saluacion for the which we praise his eternal goodnes and infinit wisdom do affirme further as before we haue said that such as staÌ„d not content with that which is reueled but arrogaÌ„tly list to mouÌ„t vp to search the secretes of gods counsel shal be beateÌ„ downe againe by the brightnes of his glorie to eternal confusion in a iust recompence of their presumpteous boldnes And thus much with you we wil willingly coÌ„fesse but where vpon certen questions you make such conclusions as pleaseth you we cannot but accuse in yon that vnreuerent yea deuelish boldenes and pride which in all men we condemne But let vs heare your own wordes Can you proue thereby that God hath two willes or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shoulde there be coÌ„trarietie in God which is false if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam should fall but in respect of his secret will he wolde Adam shoulde fall Then did God will two contraries which is impossible These be your wordes and seuerall reasons most blasphemously spoken not against vs but against gods eternall wisdome against vs I say ye cannot speak them for no such doctrine haue we euer taught for we most constantly affirme that the secret wil of God and his will reueled is alwaies one which is the manifestation and declaratioÌ„ of his own glorie althogh it seme diuers in y e instrumentes as before I haue most manifestly decâ—ared and thus most iustly might I send you to debate your cause with him whose iustice wisdom cannot be subiect to the vanitie of your reason But yet because no small part of this coÌ„trouersie betwext you vs consisteth in this that you can admit no will in God the reason and cause whereof ye cannot see perceaue nor vnderstand and affirming the contrarie say that of gods secret will can nether man nor Angell perceaue assigne or vnderstand any other reason or cause but his holie will onelie and therefore with all reuerence do they stoupe and couering their eyes crie iust and righteous art thou oh Lord in all thy workes holie holie holie Lord God of armies The vniuersall earth is replenished with the glorie of his Maiestie Because I say a great part of our controuersie standeth in this point I wil go through your questions and seuerally answer to euerie one first you aske if God haue two willes by reason that he hath a secret will and a reueled wil. I answere that as God in his eternal God head is simple and one so is his will in respecte of him selfe from all beginning simple and one which is the declaration of his owne glorie But because the instrumentes in which gods glorie is and must be for euer manifested and knowen be diuers therefor hath gods will w c in him selfe is one diuers considerations effectes endes in respect of the diuers instrumentes for example God will the vessels of his mercies to be extolled to the glorie of the kingdome with Christ Iesus but he will the vesselles of wrath to be adiudged to the fire inquenchable prepared for the deuill all his Angelles Who doth not see but in respecte of these diuers instrumeÌ„ts the will of God hath diuers respectes and diuers endes and iustly may be called two willes or a dooble will for it is one will to saue and an other will to condemne as touching the instrumentes creatures saued or condemned But in respecte of God the wil is one and simple which is as before is said the manifestation of his glorie which no lesse shyneth in the iust punishmeÌ„t of the one sort then in the mercifull deliuerance of the other And this much for the first SecoÌ„dly ye ask if y t w c is not reueled be coÌ„trary to that w c is reueled To the w c I answere as before that in respecte of God there is no coÌ„trarietie betwext y e will reueled and the will vnreueled But yet may the creatures to whome God doeth notifie his will by commandement rebuke or exhortation apprehend vnderstand one thing and yet it may be that God in his eternall counsell hath determined the expresse contrarie if this to you at the first sight seme strange yet my good hope is that examples in the scriptures proposed shall make the mater sensible ynough to the godlie and sobre reader What do we think that Dauid did apprehend of that most sharp and vehement rebuke giuen vnto him by Nathan theÌ„ Prophete in the name of God No dowt that he was the sonne of death that God wold break the league and couenant with him as he had done to Saule his predicessor But was it therfor the eternall purpose of God that so it should be The end and issue declareth the contrarie Ezechias receaued the very sentence of present death from the mouthe of the Prophet Isaiah who no doute came not with message at all aduenture but at the expresse commandement of God for so he affirmeth sayinge Thus saieth the lord put ordre to thy house for thou shalt die and shalt not liue But was not therefor the coÌ„trarie to witt that he should afterward liue fiftene yeres determined in the immutable couÌ„sell of God The same might I declare by many other exhortations commandementes but with one I wil staÌ„d contented which shall adde light to the former Abraham was commanded by God to take his sonne Isaak whome he loued his onelie sonne in whome the promes stode and to go to the mounteine which God wold appoint there to offer him in sacrifice What will of God did Abraham apprehend in this commandement during the iourney of thre dayes God him selfe beareth recorde that Abraham did so vnderstand gods will that his owne haÌ„d was stretched out to kill his sonne yea that in his heart he had killed him for so saith the Angell because thou hast donne this and hast not spared thy onelie sonne I shall blesse the. but whether had God in his eternall counsell deâ—ermined that AbrahaÌ„ should kill his sonne as Abraham did vnderstand by his will reueled who so euer dare so affirme maketh God subiecte to mutabilitie and denieth him to be God whose wisdome knowledge purpose and couÌ„selles be stable and appointed from all eternitie if with reuereÌ„ce the causes hereof be searched inquired y e holie Gost will answer y t good it was to Dauid thus to be humbled that profitable it was not onely to Ezechias but also to the hole Church of God after him to coÌ„me to the knowledge of his infirmitie and of the agonye battel which he susteined fighting as it were agaiÌ„st gods iudge meÌ„tes That by Abrahams great obedieÌ„ce be we all instructed to obey God in all things which he coÌ„maÌ„deth and to subiecte not onely our lustes and
preferred or coÌ„pared vnto them And therfor they grudge they murmurre aÌ„d they enuie the liberalitie of their father his mercy shewed to the sonne y t before appered lâ—st To whom this might be applied besides the Iewes and the Gentiles ye are not ignorant The other similitude doth teach vs that many in mouth say Lord Lord I go I go whose heart did neuer fele what is the reuerence and true obedience due to gods Maiestie We coÌ„fesse no les then Ieremie doth write for we say that God nether coÌ„manded such abhominations as his people coÌ„mitted nether yet y t euer they did enter in to his heart that is they did neuer delyte nor please him nether yet did he euer will them for the actions them selues But when you shal be able to proue that it did not apperteine to his iust iudgementes to punishe those idolaters with such blindnes that they became more cruel then brute beastes then shall ye be more able to proue that in no wise did God will that crueltie God willed not those abhominations for the murther committed and blood that was shedde for that he hated did punish But he willed y t a testimonie should be left to the world in what blindnes man falleth when he declineth from God and from his true honor of which fearfull example you and your sect oght to take hede The Israelites in killing their childreÌ„ no doubte did euen agre with gods will and were of one mynde with his iust iudgementes as you declare your selues to be in spewing forth these horrible blasphemies agaiÌ„st his supreme Maiestie For as they leauing the plaine will of God declared in his law concerning their oblations and making of sacrifice in a blinde zeale to honor God as they pretended with sacrifices more precious and acceptable because their children to them were more deare theÌ„ oxen or bullockes as they I say in so doing leaue to vs a fearefull example of gods iudgementes So do you by these your horrible blasphemies w c in furie iesting skoffing ye vomit furth against God his eternall trueth against the true professors of the same and thus farre I coÌ„fesse was gods most iust will fulfilled in theÌ„ as also it is here after shal be fulfilled in you That because they in y e vanitie of their imaginatioÌ„s dâ—clined froÌ„ gods will reueled God of his iustice wolde make theÌ„ spectacles to all ages folowing what were hisâ—iudgementes as I haue said against idolaters EueÌ„ so ye neither content y t God shal vse his creatures as best serueth for his glory nether yet that any iustice be in his eternall God head to the which your reason can not atteine are giuen ouer by gods will into reprobate myndes thus horribly to blaspheme his Maiestie to admonish the generation present and to come that with greater sobrietie more feare and reuereÌ„ce they speake aÌ„d thinke of those mysteries that be incoÌ„prehensible vnto maÌ„ I haue before declared that no man leauing the will of God reueled in his worde doth ether obey him ether yet please him and so can he neuer be of one mynd w t God that committeth thinges forbiden by his word But why that God forbiddeth iniquitie to all which also in all men he hateth and yet that betwext his vessels of mercie and the vessels of wrath he maketh such difference that to the one he giueth medicine and purgation against the natural venom so effectually that it worketh their saluation in the ende and to the other he denieth that grace he will not make you nor any of your faction further of counsell then he hath expressed in these wordes He hath mercie on whom he will haue mecie and whom he will him he maketh hard hearted That sathan hath so enraged you that vpon that doctrine which the holy Gost most euidently doth teach ye dare gather this abhominable absurditie that God and whicked idolaters are both of one mynde that they both inwardly and owtwardly do obey him ye haue iust cause not onely to be ashamed but also to quake tremble and feare for that horrible blindnes wherinto you are fallen and for those iust veÌ„geances which your pride doth craue of gods iustice Iust art thou o â— Lord in all thy workes To your question asking by what meanes should the Lord stirre vp the mynde of the king of the Medes to destroy Babylon who had before a desyre ready bent to do the same but by suffering and permitting him To this question I say doth â—sai the Propheâ— answer saying Thus saith the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him therefor will I weaken the loynes of kings and open the doores before him the gates shall not be shut I will go before thee and make the crooked streight I will breake the brasen doores and burst y e yâ—one barres And I will giue y e treasures of darknes and the thinges hidde in secrete places c. If there be in you ether modestie or aptnes to learn this is sufficient to instruct you how God raysed vp his spirite which before was redy bent to destroy Babylon to witte in giuing vnto him so prosperous succes that no impedimeÌ„t was able to resist or withstaÌ„d him which thing God did not by and ydle permission or sufferance as ye imagine but by his power which did effectually worke in all that his iourney as the Prophet here in many other places doth witnes Which thing doth Cyrus him selfe also confesse in these wordes The Lord God of heauen hath giueÌ„ me all the kingdomes of the earth he hath commanded me to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah And the holy Gost affirmeth that y e Lord did stirre vp y e spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to cause this proclamation to be made Dare you say that to giue all the kindomes of y e earth to one man is nothing els but to suffre him to ryue and posses them at his appetites Daniel affirmeth the coÌ„trary saying The name of God be praised for euer and â—uer for wisedome and strength are his And he changeth the tymes and seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vp kinges he giueth wisedome to the wise and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand c. And Dauid also saith he that raiseth the nedie oute of the dust and lifteth vp y e poore out of the dung that he may sette him with the princes euen with the princes of his people And therefore because the holy Gost giueth to gods prudence and working power that which you most wickedly attribute to his permission or ydle sufferance I feare not to say that as God stirred vp Cyrus spirite effectualy mouing it to giue libertie and commandement to his people to returne to Ierusalem and to restore the temple so did he also stirre vp his spirit in enterprising his first iourney against Babylon in taking froÌ„