Lord hath taken which is not to be vndersâ—aÌ„d that the Lord did take his goods but oâ—ely suffereâ— the deuil to take them So the Lord punished his people not that he touched them but I will hide my face from them will see what their end shal be saieth the Lord. After the same maner oght that place God hardened the heart of Pharao 〈◊〉 be vnderstand that it God suffered the heart of Pharaâ— to be hardened or left him in the hardnes of his heart which appereth to be so of that whâ—ch is wriâ—ten Exoâ—â—â—e 10. chapter how long refusest thou to submit thy self vnto me to let my people goe by this we see that the will of God was that Pharao should let the people gâ—o Secondly that Pharao â—id not subrnit himself to God that his â—ind was not conforme to gods mynd Thirdly â–ª in that he refused to let the people go it was his owne dede and actâ— not gods for if I should graâ—t that it was gods will that he should râ—fuse to let the people goo then did hâ— subrâ—yt him selfe to â—he will of the Lord which is coÌ„trarie to the word theÌ„ should God aÌ„d he haue bene both of one mynd And the will of God is all wayes good and iust â–ª whâ—ch you can not deny then Pharaâ— refusing to let the people go did well â—ustly forasmuch â–ª as it was gods will he should so doâ— wherfor Pharao oght not tâ— be punished for this good iust dede These such like 〈…〉 â—skape affirming Pharaos heart to haue been actually indured of God ANSWER How meane that euer our reasons be yet great cause we haue to giue thanks vnto God that ye in laboring w t all your wittes to oppugne obscure them are yet compelled by the inuincible grace of gods mercie to iustifie and illustrate the same which shall plainely appere by this your first answere which you make concerning the omnipotencie of God forasmuch say you as God is goodnes it self his wil is alawayes good yet maÌ„ is apte to do and may do euill contrary to gods will notwithstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering man to do euill whome he might destroy afore he did euill if so pleased him and so ye bring forth y e example of Pharao I will not take in all points that aduaÌ„tage of you w c I think you wold take of vs most gladly if you had vs in such a streit as you haue here coÌ„cluded your selues for if maÌ„ may do euil contrary to gods will so that God for no respect for no end nor purpose wold that such wickednes should be donne for thus you must applie your words orels ye say nothiÌ„g against vs and yet that it pleaseth God not to destroy the wicked doer but to suffer him to do euill whome he might haue destroied before the iniquitie coÌ„mitted What shall I pray you ensue but that either there shal be in God two contrary willes one that willeth no wickednes in no wyes to be donne and an other that suffereth wickednes yea and that is pleased to suffre not to destroye the wicked maÌ„â— orels that there is a power aboue gods wil which compelleth him to suffer that which he wold not one of these two can you not auoyd But I wil dealle more fauorably with you Ye grant that God suffereth the euill and that he might destroy the wicked maÌ„ before iniquitie be committed if so pleased his godlie maiestie and wisdome Do ye not coÌ„sider that in this your confession is no les â—onteined then any of vs hath either written or spoken in this mater for if gods omnipotencie remaineth as no doubt it doth so perfecte and hole that he may not impede onely wicked men of their interprises but also y t he may destroy eueÌ„ SathaÌ„ him self if so pleased his eternal wisedoÌ„ what can be coÌ„cluded but y t God willingly for causes knoweÌ„ to his wisedome alone permitteth suffereth things to be doÌ„ne w c aâ—ter he will most iustly punish And thus I say doth you own answer confessioÌ„ iustifie o r doctrine for we do not teach y t wickednes pleaseth God in so farre as it is wickednes neither yet that God will sinfull actes to be donne in so farre as they are sinfull without any other further respecte But we say that as the actioÌ„s cogitatioÌ„s of the godly please God in Christ Iesus because they are wroght aÌ„d inspired by y e power of his holie spirit so y t the good workes as patieÌ„ce iustice chastitie suche lik God will to be doÌ„ne eueÌ„ because the works be good agreable to his owne nature so say we that God will yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be donne for y â— purposes causes coÌ„cluded in his eternal couÌ„sel Which thing if we be able to proue by the euideÌ„t scriptures of God theÌ„ oght you not to be offended althogh we preferre God to maÌ„ and his plaine trueth to your sophisticall euasioÌ„s colde interpretations of such places for the auoiding the prolixitie of many I will choose but two at y â— most plaine and most euident Is it not a great horrible sinne that a fals prophete shall come and deceause the people Yea is it not likwyes sin to deceaue y e Prophet and yet God feareth not to attribâ—t to him self bothe the one and the other for no fals prophete dothe arrise whoÌ„ God for one of two purposes doth not stirre vp to witt ether to trie and examin the coÌ„stancie fidelitie of his seruaÌ„tes orels to execute aÌ„d blind those who delite not in the veritie For Moises witnesseth in these words if in the middest of the there arrise a Prophet and he shal giue vnto the a signe and yet should say let vs go and serue straÌ„ge goddes heare him not for y e Lord your God tempteth you whether that ye wil loue your Lord your God with all your heart in all your fowle if it be the propre office of God to trye tempt and examin y e heartes of his people of his chosen children as the holie Gost affirmeth it to be Then must you confes that the fals prophetes be gods instrumentes appointed for that purpose And that God deceaueth the fals Prophet Ezechiel in plaine wordes doeth witnes saying aÌ„d if the Prophet deceaued speak the word I the Lord haue deceaued that Prophet and I will extend my hand against him and I will roote him out from the midest of my people Israel And the same doeth yet God hiÌ„ self more plainly vendicate to him self in that solemned proclamatioÌ„ made in the eares of the prophet Micheas aÌ„d boldly by him pronounced in audience of two kings Achas Iosaphat as foloweth who shall deceaue Achas to vs or who shall persuade him that he may passe vp and fall in Ramath galaad and there passed out a certen spirit standing before y e lorde he said I
And albeit that such as in gods eternall election finde no swetenes nor comfort fret fume storme and rage at the onelie mention of it yet neither dare we nor can we coÌ„ceale and suppres gods eternall trueth infinite loue and incomprehensible liberalitie towardes vs neither eshame we to confesse our owne wretched pouertie and iust condemnation into the which oure father Adam willingly wrapped him self and vs. And therefor we constantly affirme that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all tymes so it behoued vs in time to fall in Adam to the end that the bright glorie of God might after shyne appere before men Angels Proue nowe if you can contrarietie betwext gods will reueled his secrete will How vaine is the difference which you put betwene his will his permissioÌ„ we shall shortly examin in this which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE The reason where with you go aboute to persuade this to be of trueth is very meane if a man say you could do any thing coÌ„trary to gods will then were not God omnipotent wherefor what so euer 〈◊〉 doÌ„ne it must nedes be donne by the will of God whose will no man caâ— resist I answere that God is goodnes it self his will is alwayes good yet man apt to do may do euill contrary to gods will noâ— withstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering mâ—n to do euill whome he might destroy before he did the euill if so it pleased him Pharaâ— obstinatly refused to obey the will of God yet was God omnipotent for if God had list he might haue destroied Pharaâ— at the first and the arrogaÌ„t tyraÌ„nâ— was well worthie to be destroyed yet God vsed towards him by littel and litell such encreasse of punishemeÌ„t as he might therwith haue ben amâ—Ì„ded had not his malice ben and impedimeÌ„t Christ as he witnesseth hiÌ„ self wâ—ld haue gathered the Ierâ—solimâ—tans together as the heÌ„ her chickeÌ„s yet wâ—ld they not God wold that the Israelites should entre into the land of Canaâ— and they wold not wherefor they were caried back again through the wildernes where they perished Againe when God wold not that they should entre they wold nedes entre and were put to flight of the Cananites Thus we se plainely that many things be donne coÌ„trary to the will of God which shal be more largely declared hereafâ—er where we shal shewe howe God often suffered many things which he wold not yet to maintein this vntrueth ye alledge that which is written in Exodus thâ— 9. the Lord hardened the heart of Pharâ—o To the which I answere that which is writteÌ„ all most in the eÌ„d of the same chapter Pharaâ— hardened his heart he and his seruants and that which is written in the chapter of â—he first bâ—ke of the kinges wherefor should you harden your heartes aâ— the Aegyptians and Pharao hardened their heartes by these places I may prou◠〈◊〉 well that Pharao hardened his owâ—e hearte as you caÌ„ proue that God mâ—de him hard he arted by that other text â–ª wherefor tâ— vnderstaÌ„d howe these places do aggrâ— we must note first that al the children of Adam haue a hard wicked heart vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as Iâ—remie witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest al things liuâ—â—â— not maÌ„ hath the most deceafull stubborn heart the lord saieth that he will take the stonie heart froÌ„ theÌ„ and giâ—â— theÌ„ a heart of flesh â–ª without they had a stoâ—e heart he could not take it 〈◊〉 theÌ„ If Pharaâ— had a stonye heart as it doeth well appere in that he 〈◊〉 oppressed the people afore Moyses spak vnto him theÌ„ coulde it not be hardened more theÌ„ a stone afore it had bene millified which was not doÌ„ne for he refused to knowe the Lorde seâ— nâ—t his heart to gods miracles but at the first meting with Moises said I knowe not the Lord â–ª therfor Pharao willingâ—y wittingly did indure retaine his hard stiâ—e heart notwithstaÌ„ding he aÌ„d his sorcâ—rers were â—oÌ„uict to graÌ„t the miracles to be doÌ„ne by God in so much that he desired Moises Aaro to pray for him coÌ„fessing his office â–ª but yet after that he was deliuered froÌ„ the present plâ—gue he indured his heart both he aÌ„d his sâ—ruaâ—s so thaâ— as the Apostle saieth wheÌ„ they kâ—ewe God they glorified him not as God neither were they thaÌ„kful wherfor they were leâ—t to their owne lewd miâ—des which is the cause of hardâ—ing â–ª for maÌ„ being left of God is nothing els but a hard obstiâ—ate wicked creature and coÌ„forme to this meaning do the ancient doctors interprete this place God hardened Pharaos heart that is to say God suffered Pharaos heart to be hardened as this leade vs not into toÌ„p tacioÌ„ â–ª that is suffer vs not to be ledde into reÌ„ptacion So Iob saieth â–ª God hath takeâ—â— wisâ—dim from the Estriche that is as it 〈◊〉 there God hath notâ— giuen her vnderstanding And of his fâ—iends Iob saieth Thou hast wiâ—hholden their hearts froÌ„ vnderstanding that is thou hast not giueÌ„ theÌ„ vnderstaÌ„ding And thus maÌ„â—er of speaking is coÌ„mon in the scriptures not onely of God but also of maÌ„ as these nowe you haue â—idd the childreÌ„ of Israel out of the haÌ„d of the Lorde that is you haue not caused thâ— to 〈◊〉 inâ—â— the haÌ„d of the lorde The phrase of the scripture being this truely vnderstaÌ„ded â–ª the maâ—er shal be the easier for seing that God as Iames saieâ—h 〈◊〉 no maÌ„ â–ª that is to siâ—ne then did God neither hardeÌ„ the heart of Pharao not 〈◊〉 him to do wickedly but suffered him gaue him ouer to the obstinate hard heart which he had already aÌ„d this is the greatest plague that chanced to man to beâ—est to his owne lewd mynd as Saul because heÌ„ wold not obey the Lorde he was leâ—t of gods good spirit taken with an euill spirit theÌ„ from thence forth he became worse and wâ—rse likwyes Iâ—as king of Iuda because he wold not heare â—he voice of Zachariâ— the Prophet he was lest of God slaine in his owne bed with his owne seruants fouÌ„d vnworthie to be buried in the sepulâ—hars of the kings his sonne Amasias because be refused to heare the Prophet of the lord and soght câ—uÌ„sel of the Edâ—mites goddes he as lâ—â—e of God ouer coÌ„me by the king of Israel afterwards by treasâ—â— his subiectes coÌ„spired against him killed him Thus we see that there caÌ„ be 〈◊〉 greâ—ter plague then to beleft to our selues to be destitute of the grace of God Aâ— the yearth can be â—o more gryueously punished theÌ„ to lack the sunne dewe So the lord doeth punish his vineyaâ—d not wasting 〈◊〉 him self â–ª but taketh the hedge and raine from it â–ª suffereth it to be wasâ—ed and ouertrode by others So Iob was plagued of God onely by suffering him to be plagued notwithstanding Iob sayâ—th the Lord hath giuen aÌ„d the
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
not haue sinne but now haue they nothing to cloke their sinne for they haue sene and hated not onelie me but also my father No man wil be so fond as to affirme that the Iewes before Christs preaching and miracles were cleane without sinne but the coÌ„tempt of grace did so augment and increase their sinne that it became inexcusable euen so say I that Pharao did harden his owne heart frome time to time becomming more vnthankfull vnto God and more cruell to his people And y e fouÌ„teine of this induration and hardnes I confesse to haue bene borne with him and that to raige against gods people he neded no impulsion of gods parte but rather a brydle to impede his fury But yet the question is not resolued as before I haue noted for still we ask why was not that fountein shutte vp why was not the naturall venim purged and his heart mollified searche where you list ye shall fynd none other reason nor cause for the which the subsequent induration of Pharao did principallie procede but y t God in his eternall counsell for causes knowen to his wisedom alone had most iustly denyed to communicate his graces effectually with him but had raysed him vp to haue his power shewed forth in him And so God did hardeÌ„ Pharaos hearte not by permission onely but willingly withdrew his Spirit froÌ„ him as before is said Wonder it is that amongest the ancient doctors ye will seke patrocinie or defense in this mater seing it is a statute amoÌ„gest you that ye will beleue nor admit the wordes nor authoritie of no writer in any mater of con trouersie but all things you will haue decided by the plaine scripture And truly I am not contrary to your mynd in that case so that you vnderstand that ye will not admitt the authoritie of man against gods plaine trueth nether yet that you will beleue maÌ„ any furtherthen that he prouethe his sentence by gods euideÌ„t scriptures If you had produced any doctor who had confirmed his interpretation by the plaine worde of God of reason I oght to haue answered ether by the same or by some other doctor of equall authoritie orels to haue improued his interpretatioÌ„ by the plaine scriptures but seing that ye produce none ye leaue me at greater libertie and yet I will shewe you the mynd of one doctor coÌ„parable to any that euer wrote before him ether in the latin or in the greke Churche I meane of Augustine who writing against Iulian the appostate and against Manacheus who did affirme the self same thing that you do to witte that God was a passiue God that is he did suffer all euill and that against his will but he did work none Against him I say he thus writeth wilt thou say saieth Augustine to Iulian that the wicked that be giuen ouer to their owne desires are to be vnderstand onely left by gods suffering but not compelled to sinnes by power as thogh that the Apostle had not ioyned the suffering and power of God to gether where that he saieth if God willing to shewe wrath and to declare his power fuffered in great patience the vesselles of wrath prepared to destruction w t of these two saiest thou is written And also if the prophet do erre and shall speak I the lord haue deceaued him is this suffering or is it power And after adducing the same w c we before haue alledged of Achas he addeth did God these things ignorantly or doth he any thing iudgeing or doing rashly or vniustly God forbid it is not without cause that it is said Thy iudgemeÌ„tes are a great deapth it is not vaine that the Apostle crieth out Oh the hieght aâ—d depenes of gods iudgementes And after in the same place expounding these wordes lead vs not into temptation after that he hath affirmed that God giueth ouer some for iust causes to their owne lustes and blyndnes as he gaue ouer Roboam to beleue the fals and foolishe counsell of the young men he saith all these things doth God worke by wonderous and vnspeakable meanes who knoweth howe to worke his iust iudgementes not onelie in the bodies but also in the heartes of men he who maketh not the willes euill but yet he vseth them as he will seing that he can will nothing vniustly Thus far haue I alleged vnto you the mâ—nd of one doctor in this our controuersie â–ª when â—e shall bring forth the mynd of any so well grounded vpon scriptures as he dothe this his sentence â–ª I promyse to answer if I can I am not ignorant that diuers of the doctors yea and Augustine him self in some places may seme to fauor your opinion at the first sight But if their wordes in one place be compared with their plaine mynd and with the scope of their disputation in other places it shall plainely appere that none that liue this day do more plainely speak against your error then some of them haue written The places of Iob manifestly and in plaine wordes fight against you for it is said in the one place thou hast excluded their heart from wisedome and therfore this mater shall not be to their praise and in the other God hath taken wisdom from the Estrich and hath not giuen vnderstanding vnto her dare you affirme that in these wordes there is nothing but a bare permission of gods parte is there no difference betwext away taking and suffering to be taken away if any difference be betwext these two maner of speakings God giueth wisdome and God taketh away wisdome then is your interpretation foolishe and absurd nether yet is there any phrase of scripture vnderstand it as you please that can make God to call back that sentence which he hath pronounced to witt that he hath raysed vp Pharao to be an example to all generations folowing what shall be the ende of those that obstinatly resist God Who albeit he tempt no man to sinne by the power of his spirit yet as before I haue proued he iustly giueth them ouer to the inordinat lustes of their own corruption yea he giueth them ouer into the hands power of sathan to be pricked and stirred forward to all iniquitie that their damnation may be iust and also that his vengeaÌ„ce iustly deserued may the more sodenly falle vpon them The mynd of saint Iames is onely to bring men to the right examination and triall of them selues lest that by flattery they beginne to seke y e originall cause of their sinne in an other then in them selues And yet doth that nothing impede but that God in his maner which alwayes is iust doth hardeÌ„ the heartes of those whome before he had reprobated We confesse that no greater plague can chance vnto man â–ª then that he be left to his own lewde mynd â–ª for theÌ„ of him can procede no good nor permanent frute But as the earth lacking rayne dewe and moisture must nedes be barren and so
Philistians priestes and soâ—h sayers gaue glory to God iudged him to be iust in that he plagued Pharaâ— in that he hardened his heart against God desiring their ruler â–ª by the same example not to hardeÌ„ theâ—r heartes against God but to send away the Ark of the Lord lest he likwies plague them But if the Philistians soth sayers had knoweÌ„ as ye presume to do that God did harden Pharaâ—s heart what 〈◊〉 coulde they attribut to God for punishing Pharao for that thing wherâ—of he was the author him self mouing and forcing Pharao therunâ—o seing as you haue said no man is able to resist his secrete will what iustice had it bene to punishe Semei for that oâ—fence where of God was the author commanding him to do it Dauid Saieth thus the Lord is knowen to execute true iudgement when the vngodlie is trapped in the workes of his â—wne handes not when he punished for the offence wherunto he moued men him self If God should punish a man because he hath a beard should any glory redound to God thereof seing he hath giuen vs beards him self â–ª But here you be very religious and say we oght not to speake so vnreuerently of the woâ—kâ— of God for this is the secret iudgement of God vnknowen to vs I answere there be some secretes of God vnknowen to vs. But the iudgement of God is knowen made manifest to vs in the word and after this word as saint Paul teacheth not after your secret iudgement shall God iudge the world so shal God be glorified of all godlie vngodlie forasmuch as all shall iudge is to be iust they which haue not obeyed the trueth not your vnknowene trueth but that which is knowen that is â—he word shal be punished aÌ„d they which haue obeyed to the â—rueâ—h not secrâ—t as yours but reueled in gods word shall receaue their rewarde Moreouer if this be the secret iudgemeÌ„t of God who reuâ—led it â—heÌ„ to you Hâ—we do you knowe it to be secret is it secreâ—e which you knowe and teachâ—n dede I thiÌ„k it to heso for it is so secret that I caÌ„ not cache no holde of it But herin I de perceaue not the secret but â—he manifest iudgemeÌ„t of God which suffereth you to erre thus because you with holde the trueth is vnrighteousnes aÌ„d according to your knowledge you haue not glorified God neither haue you bene thankfull but waxâ—d full of vanities in your owned imaginations wherfore my counsell is that you â—urnâ— againâ— from â—hat infiâ—â—â—â—tie wherin you haue drowned your selues beleue â—he worde sâ—kâ— no forther for it is the power of God to salutation to euery one that beleuâ—â—h ANSWERER As your most pestilent sect euen from the first originall of it hath with all malicious craft labored to subuert and confound gods most perfect ordinance so do you in this mater confound those things which we most plainely aÌ„d most destinctly set a parte and deuide them the one from the other for first you are neuer able to proue that any of vs hath alledged or yet doeth alledge the word or fact of Ioseph and his brethren for any proof of gods eternall election or most iust reprobation but to declare that such is gods prouideÌ„ce towardes his chosen childreÌ„ and towardes their saluation preseruation of his church that what so euer sathan and wicked men imagine to the destruction of gods elect that same doeth his infinit goodnes conuert to their profit comfort and ioye And so this is the first that impudeÌ„tly ye confounde to witt his prouidence which exteÌ„deth to all his creatures with his election which perteineth onely to his children The second is no man hath euer put more plaine difference betwext the wicked will of Sathan the corrupt and malicious will of man and the holie aÌ„d most iust will of God theÌ„ we do in all o r doctrine aÌ„d writings And yet ye accuse vs that we attribut to God that which is propre to the deuill that is to moue the thoght of men to do euill Howe far that impietie is from all our cogitations as God one day shall manifestly reuele to your eternall confusion except that spedely you repent so may all godlie men who either haue heard our voices or redde our writings beare record how iustly you accuse vs. we constantly affirme that God neither moued by his holie spirit the heartes of the patriarkes to enuie aÌ„d hatred neither vet of Pharao to crueltie neither yet to iniquitie for that is naturally borne with all men and nedeth the power of the potent Spirit of God to extinguish and queÌ„ch it but not to inflaÌ„be and kindle it But yet we say that God who out of darknes produced or broght forth light had in y t most detestable facte of the patriarckes both his will and his counsell farre coÌ„trarie to their myndes and purpose euen as hâ— had in the cruell and most vniust death as coÌ„cerning the instrumeÌ„tes that were the executers of his deare sonne Christ Iesus nether yet doth it ther of folowe y t euill thoghtes whereunto we are comanded to resist are moued by him or yet come from him for the fountaine thereof doth euerie wicked man so fynd within him self that his owne conscience shall conuict him that no where elles is the cause of his iniquitie of the seuere punishment which for the same he shall susteine to be soght but onely within him self and as proceding of him self by instigation of the deuill into whose power he is deliuered as was Saul and others by the inscrutable and incompreheÌ„sible but yet most iust iudgemeÌ„tes of God If in you were ether modestie or discretioÌ„ to iudge of those thinges y t be well godly spoken or yet docilitie to be taught in those thinges wher of vterly ye declare your selues ignorant ye coulde not thus as in a furious rage spewe forth your venim against gods supreme Maiestie for your horrible blasphemies are not so much spoken against vs as against God As for vs they do no more obscure the manifest light of our doctrine then if in your despyte ye should spitt against the bright sunne to impede the brightnes therof for in none of our writinges be you able to shewe any of these sentences which maliciously without shame you laye to our charge Euill thoghtes come â–ª from God God punisheth maÌ„ for the offences wherof he is author and wher vnto he prouoketh him God moued and forced Pharaâ— to pnuishe the people These I say and others your horrible blasphemies which we so detest that we affirme the first authors of them to be worthie of most sharp punishment you be neuer albe to shewe in any of our writinges And this might serue for a sufficient answered to all your dispitefull raling But lest you should still glory in your iniquite and grosse ignorance I will discouer the same folowing your answer in the wordes of S. Iames saying God teÌ„pteth no man
him all feare indewing him with an heroicall and bold spirite as God him selfe saith I girded the thogh thou hast not knowen me and giuing to him so fortunate succes that all was subiecte to his empire And therefor albeit tenne thousand times ye will aske What nedeth God to mouâ— the wicked to do wickedly which being giuen ouer of God imagineth nothing but wickednes his master the deuill slâ—peth neuer Yet will I answere that as to destroye Babylon in so farre as it was gods worke it was no wicked dede but his most iust iudgement So albeit Cyrus had neuer bene so much enraged against Chaldea ether by his owne pride ether yet by sathan that nether of both could haue broght any thing to passe except that the Lord had decreed to perfourme his worke in Babylon as he him selfe did threaten saying Behold I come vnto the o â— thou destroying mountaine saith the Lord which destroyest all the earth I will stretche oute myn hand vpon thee and rolle the downe from the rockes and will make the a burnt mountaine They shall not take of the a stone for a corner nor a stone for fundations but thou shalt be destroyed for euer saith the Lord c. If you see nothing in these and other such threateninges of God but a permission onely I can not cease to say that you are more then blinde But now to that which folo weth in these wordes THE ADVERSARIE To that which ye alledge of the Prophet Isai harden the heartes of this people c. for the better vnderstanding of thaâ— place we must note that which is written in the chapter going afore howe the Lord had chosen this people and planted them as a vineyarde and called all Israel to be iudge betwext him and his vâ—neyard what more could haue bene donne for it then he had donne and yet when he looked for frute of equitie and rightâ—ousnes to there was wrong and mysâ—rie where vpon followed their induraâ—sâ— for they were hardened of the lord that is as afoâ— is sade God gaue them ouer to their own heartes lustâ—s Further where he saieth to the Prophet hardâ— their heartes we must alwaies consider that their heartes were alredye hardened which their wickednes did plainely declare yet hath he coÌ„manded the Prophet to do his office not to make their heartes hard for that belongeth â—nelie to Godâ— who giuing them â—uer to their heartes lustes hath alredy haâ—dnede them but the office of a Propheâ—e was toâ— shew them the hardnes of their harâ—es so when he saiethe harden their heartes it iâ— as muche as shew and declare vnto them the hardnes of their heartes The like phrase of speaâ—che haue we in Leâ—it 13. If the priest see that the scab is growne abrâ—de in the skiâ—me the priest shall make him vncleane how should the priest make him vncleane who is alredye vncleane and whose fleshe he durst not touche but by declaring him to be vncleane So how should the Prophet harden their heartes whose heartes were hardened alredy and whose heartes he could not touche but by declaring â—hem to be hard hearâ—ed So saieth the Lord to Ieremie driue this people away that they may go oute of my sight sâ—m to death som to the swerd some to hunger some to captiuâ—tâ—e this was not the office of the Prophet which the Caldes executed but the Prophet was here commanded to shew that for their wickednes they should be driuen away some to death some to the swerd some to hunger and some to captiuitie So Ieremie tooke the cuppe out of the lordes hand and made all people drinke thereof â—nto whom the Lord sent him where there be mâ— nations recâ—ned then euer Ieremiâ— did see with his corpâ—rall eyes this place therefore must be vnderstand as the others conforme to the office of the Propheâ— which was to shewe them that for their wickednes they should drink of the cuppâ— of the â—ordes wrathe which appereth more plainely by that which followeth where he sayeth if they will not receaus the cuppe of thy hand and drâ—nck it that is if they will not take warning by the c. This interpretation is conforme to the phrase of the scripture nether is it contrary to any part of the word but if any man hath a better vnderstanding lett him vse is tâ— the glory of God Of these thinges alredy spoken â—t is sufficiently proued that God hath reprobat and cast away no man before the foundation of the world but as he hath creaâ—ed man like vnto his own image so he will the deathe of none but that all should be saued nether is he â—he author or mouer to any euill which with long pacience suffereth wickednes to drawe men to repentance nether willeth he any thing contrary to that which is expressed in his word for at God is constant and immutable of this his holy will he haâ—he vttered and declared vnto man to knowe the rest reserued he vnto him seâ—f for as much as no man is able to câ—preheÌ„d the prâ—funditie and depth thereof therefor oght no man to go about to proue or improue any thing by that which is vnknowen to him wherefor they which affirme and teache that â—od haâ—h ordeâ—ned men a fore the fundation of the world to be damned so that by no meanes they can be saued for suche is his secrâ—te will not with standing be declareth the coÌ„trary in hâ—s word they must nedes haue an euill opinion of God and therefore oght all men of duetie to abhoâ—re their deuilishe doctrine And because I haue said that they haue an euill opinion of God I haue added here a discription of â—hose careles libertines â—â—d conforme to their doctrine in all pointes and a discription of the true God wherby it may appere euen vnto the simple howe abhominable their doctrine and opinion in this mater is ANSWER What soeuer shal be redde in the hole scriptures you shall neuer be able to proue that in these wordes of Isaie Go and harden the heartes of this people is nothing els meant but that the Prophete was onely commanded to declare vnto them their blindnes and hardnes of heart for wher soeuer mention is made of the difference betwext the elect and the reprobate this vertue is attributed to the word that it doth illuminate the eyes and mollifie the heartes of the one by the power of the holy Gost and by the contrarie that it doth excecate and more harden the other by reason of their corrupt nature to the which they are iustly left The Euangelist saint Iohn making mention that the Iewes did not beleue in Christ Iesus albeit that they had sene his wonderous workes addeth this cause therefore saithâ— he they could not beleue because Isaiah had said He hath blinded their eyes hardened their heartes that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand in their heartes and be conuerted that I may heale them Here
doth the Euangelist attribute to the Prophet not onely that he declared their blindnes but that God by him did in verydede iustly blind their eyes and harden their heartes But this shall more plainly appere in examining the reasons and scriptures which ye alledge for proofe of your interpretation First say you their heartes â—ere alredy hardened which their wickednes did plainely declare yet hath he commanded the Prophet to do his office not to make their heartes hard for that belâ—ngeth onely to God who giuing them ouer to their heartes lustes he alredy hardened them And so ye conclude that the Prophet did onely declare vnto them the hardenes of their heartes We do not deny but that their heartes were hardened before and that iustly for their iniquities sake they were giuen ouer to their heartes lustes But whether they were so hardened before the preaching of the Prophet that after they could be not harder I greately doubte Yea I nothing doubte to affirme but that euen as the claye by the heate of the Sunne becometh more hard and more hard or as the branch cutte of the natural stock doth more more wither vntill that no kinde of sappe nor moisture doth remaine euen so I say do the reprobate from time to time become more obstinate more blinde more hard and more cruell and that by the word w c doth plainely rebuke their iniquitie and euidenly declare whose children their are ExaÌ„ples in scripture hereof are manifest Some lenitie and geÌ„tlenes appered in Pharao toward the people of Israel before that Moses at gods commandement required their libertie But that will and word of God commanding him to let his people go and serue God in the wildernes did so quicklye worke in the heart of that reprobate that the greater hardnes of his heart was sodenlye felt by the Israelites to their greate grief and grudging disconfort In the people of Israel in their elders Priestes and counsell appered some face of iustice when Stephan was accused before that he pronounced these wordes ye stiffenecked and vncircumcised in heart and eares you haue euer resisted the holy Gost eueÌ„ as your fathers haue resisted so do you whom of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted and they haue slayn them whiche shewed before of the coÌ„ming of y t iust whom ye haue now betraied murthered Before this sentence I say there appered some face of iustice but what ensued the holy Gost doth witnes saying wheÌ„ they heard these thinges their heartes brast for anger and they gnashed at him with their tethe And after also that he gaue a more plaine confession of Christe Iesus of his exaltation glory power and Maiestie they cried out w t a great voyce they stopped their eares they as wolues enraged russhed vpon him w t one consent and so without all ordre of iustice did stone him to death If ye coÌ„fesse not y t the word of God proceding froÌ„ the mouth of Stephen did not more harden them who no doubte were hardened before you deny a trueth that is more then euideÌ„t Diuers places more I might adduce for the same purpose but hauing respect to breuitie I stand content with thâ—se two which I doubte nothing are sufficient to proue that men that be alredy hardened yet by the comming of the plaine word which rebuketh their iniquitie they become more hard As the owle being blind euen when she appereth to see best in the night season but yet in y e day time she is more blinded bacause that the weaknes of her eyes can not abide the bright beames of the sunne And eueÌ„ so it is w t the reprobate they are alwaies blind and hard heared but wheÌ„ the light of God doth most plainely shine before theÌ„ or when they are called froÌ„ iniquititie to vertue then becometh the word of glad tidinges to theÌ„ a verie sauor of death by the w c they are both more blinded and more hardened And so in your first reason we dissent froÌ„ you in y t that you seme to affirme that because y e reprobate are once hardened therefore they caÌ„ be no more hardened Your second reason is that because it beloÌ„geth to God onely to make hard their heartes thâ—t therefor there resteth nothing to the Prophetes but to shew vnto them the hardnes of their hartes I am glad that once ye will coÌ„fesse y t it is nothing repugning to gods good nature for iust causes to harden the heart and to make blind y e eyes of the reprobate But y t therfore nothing resteth to y e Prophetes or Apostles but onely to declare vnto meÌ„ their hardnes I caÌ„ not admitte For we do find y t God doth so coÌ„municate his power w t his true messingers and embassadours that what soeuer they lowse in earth he doth lowse in y e heaueÌ„ what soeuer they bynd in earth he bindeth in heaueÌ„ whose sinnes they remitte they are remitted whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined The Lord him selfe saith vnto Ieremie Behold I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and I haue ordeined thee aboue nations and kindomes that thou maiest roote out destroy scatter and that y u maist also build vp and plant And vnto Paul it was said And now I shall deliuer the from the natioÌ„s to y e which I send thee that thou maist open the eyes of those that be blind that they may conuert from darknes vnto light and from the power of fathan vnto God These wordes do witnes that the effectuall power of God doth work with the word which he putteth in the mouthes of his true messingers in so much that ether it doth edifie lighten or mollifie to saluation or els it doth destroy darken and hardeÌ„ For the word of God is of y e nature of Christe Iesus he is not onely come to illuminate and to raise vp but also to make blind and to beate downe as he him selfe doth witnes saying I am come to iudgement into this world y t those that see not shall see that those that see shal be blind And Simeon saith Behold this is he y t is put in resurrection in ruine of many in Israel In so much that vpon whoÌ„ that stone of offense falleth it shall burste him to powder And therefore we can not admitte that the ministerie of his blessed word preached or published by his faithfull messingers be nothing els but a simple declaration what men be No we know that it is the power of God to saluatioÌ„ of all those y â— beleue that the message of reconciliation is put in their mouthes that the word w c they preach hath such efficacie strength that it deuideth asunder y â— ioyntes sinewes y e bones froÌ„ the marye that y e weapons of their warrefare are not carnall but are power in God to the beating downe of all stroÌ„g holdes by the which the true messingers beat down all counselles
Now what greater crueltie tyrannie and oppressioÌ„ can be then to creat the most parte of the world to euerlasting damnation so that by no maner of mean they can escaip and auoid the cruell decre and sentence against theÌ„ Seing the Philosopher Plato iudged them vnworthie to liue and to be suffered in any commoÌ„ welth which spake euill of God what oght our iudgements to be of such men which haue so wicked and opinion of God what so euer our iudgement be of them and what so euer their deseruing be let vs labore rather to win them then to lose them But forasmuch as he which toucheth pitche is in danger to be defiled there with Therefor oght we to walk warely with such men that we be not defyled and infected of them Specially seing that now a daies this horrible doctrine doeth freate euen as the disease of a cankar which infecte from one membre to an other vntill it hath occupied the hole bodie without it be cut away euen so this error hath alredie infected from one to an other a greate nombre The lord grante them the true meaning and vnderstanding of his worde whereby they may be healed and the sicknes cut of the membre being saued ANSWER Becaus that in all this your long discourse ye more shew your malice which vniustly against vs ye haue conceaued then y t either ye oppugne our beleif either yet promote your fals opinion I will not spend the tyme to recompence your dispite Onely this I will offer in the name of all may brethren that if you be able in presence of a lawfull iudge and magistrate euidently to coÌ„uict vs y t either we speak euill of God either yet y t by our writinges preaching or reasoning it iustly can be proued that our opinion is euill of his eternall maiestie power wisdom and goodnes that then we refuse not to suffer the same punishment which you by the auctoritie of Plato iudge vs worthy of Yea we further offer our selues willingly to vnderlie the verey death which God by his law hath appointed to all blasphemers prouided that you refuse not to vnderlie the same penaltie if falsly ye accuse vs. What is your studies to win vs and whether our doctrine be horrible error or not I do not now dispute Thus you reason THE ADVERSARIE God created man a verey good thing and dare you say that God ordeined a verey good thing to destruction Then God deliteth in the destruction of that which is verie good Man at his creation was a iust and innocent creature â–ª for afore the transgreâ—sion there was no euill neither in Adam nor in vs and think you that God ordeined his iust and innocent creatures to condemnation what greater tyrannie and vnrighteousnes can the most wicked man in the world yea the deuil him self do then to condemne the innocent and iust person Hereby may we se that these careles man by more abominable then the Athei which beleue there is no God But these affirme God to be as bad as the deuil yea and worse for asmuch as the deuil can onely tempt a man to death but he can compell none to fall vnto coÌ„demnation but God may not onely tempt but also compell â—y his eternall decre the most part of the world to damnation And hath so done as they say â–ª so that of necessitie and onely because it was his pleasure and will then must God be worse then the deuil For the deuil onely tempted men to fall but God compelleth them to fall by his immutable decre Oh horrible blasphemie ANSVVER Becaus that before plainely and simply I haue declared our iudgement of gods eternall election and most iust reprobation in all these your dispitefull arguments I will onely shew your malice ignorance and proude vanitie This is your argument God created man a verie good thing therefor he did not ordein him to destructioÌ„ your reason is for that is contrarie to his iustice to ordein a good thing to destructioÌ„ I answere if ye be able to proue that man stoode in the same goodnes perfectioÌ„ and innoceÌ„tie he aÌ„d his posteritie whome so hieghly ye praise in the which he was first created then will I confesse your argument to be good But if man albeit he was created good did yet willingly make him self euill how can it be contrarie to the iustice of God to appoint punishmeÌ„t for transgression which he did not onely fore se by an idle speculation or yet suffre and permitt against his omnipotent will but in his eternall counsell for the manifestatioÌ„ of his own glory had decreed the same Against which albeit ye cry horrible blasphemie till your braines drop out yet haue we Moises Exod. 9. Isaiah 6. Salomon and Paul to absolue vs from your cruell senteÌ„ce For they do affirme that God hath created all thinges for his own glorie and the wicked to the day of destruction that he raised vp Pharao that his power might be shewen furth in him that he blindeth the eis and hardeneth the heartes of some so that they can neither heare nor se that they may conuert That God hath prepared bothe vessels of mercie and vessels of wraith which places albit som of them seme not to appertein to the creation yet if they be iustly weyed it shall euidently appere that the hardnes of mennes heartes their blindnes and stubborn malice are not onely punishments of sinne but also are the effects of reprobation like as faith obedience and other vertues be the fre giftes of God geuen in Christ Iesus to those whom he hath elected in him But yet to your argument which thus ye amplifie do ye think that God ordeined his iust and innocent creatures to damnation what greater tyrannie and vnrighteousnes can the most wicked man in the earth yea the deuil him self do then to coÌ„demne a iust aÌ„d an innocent person I answer as before that your argument is nought worthe For you conclude more then ye be able to proue of your two former propositioÌ„s which be those God created man a verie good thing Trew it is and God reprobated maÌ„ and shall also condeÌ„ne him whoÌ„ he created good I grant also Therefor he damned the good thing which he created or that thing which is verie good I deny the conclusion For before demnation there cometh a change in man so that he of verie good became extreme euill and so gods iust iudgements found nothing but that which is euill to condemne You forme your reason as that God had so created maÌ„ good that he by no meanes after could be made euill which last part is fals and so you are deceaued If ye caÌ„not se iust causes why God should make that thing verie good which after should becom exttreme euill accuse your own blindnes and desire of God to repres in you that presumption and pryde which against the eternall Sonne of God you haue conceaued and so your eyes
two golden calues to make the people sacrifice at Bethel wherupon followed the wrath of God Of their siluer and gold haue they made them images to bring themselues to destruction The Israelites made them images thinking thereby to be saued and not destroied yet their destruction followed thereof Ieremie saieth Omy mother alas that euer thow diddest beare me to be a brawler aÌ„d a rebuker of the hole land Ieremies mother did not bear him to that intent but yet this was the end And in the new Testament if any man hunger lett him eat at home that ye com not togither to condeÌ„nation the Corinthians came not togither to the intent to purchesse thereby condemnatioâ— but of their abuses in comming togither followed their condemnation By these places and many others we may vnderstand the phrase of scriptures That they be ordeined to damnation whose end is condemnation which they receaue not by the will of God which wold all men to be saued but as a iust reward for their sinnes As the traitor which suffereth oght not to impute his death to the sentence which the iudge iustly hath giuen against him but to his own offence and treason so when we for our sinnes be ordeined to punishement we oght not to impute it to gods fore ordinaÌ„ce which is both good and full of mercie but to our own offences And seing as S. Paul saieth God suffered them with greate pacience their damnation cometh not by the counsell and will of God for which he is sorie as he saieth by the prophete Ieremie I haue bene sorie for the so long that I am werie will ye say that God werieth him self suffering aÌ„d sorowing for them whom he had reprobated afore the world surelie I think that thoghe ye hitherto haue vnaduisedly said so ye will from hence furthe say so no more which God graÌ„te in tyme that ye werie not the lord also with sorowing for you ANSWER As your cogitatioÌ„s of God be grosse and carnall so be your iudgemeÌ„tes in this place of scripture deceuable and most erroneouse Esteme it no iniurie that I affirm your cogitations of God to be carnall aÌ„d grosse For I can euidently proue that som of you affirm and maintein that God hath eies fete handes armes and finally all proportion of man that he slepeth and doth againe awake that he forgetteth and after doth remember that he is mutable and doth in verie dede repent If these cogitations of the eâ—ernall God be not carnall yea if they be not wicked aÌ„d deuelish let the godly indifferent reader iudge In this your long gradation which ye make vpon the wordes of Paule ye coÌ„clud contradiction to the holie Gost and to the plaine wordes of the Apostle For the Apostle meaneth and plainely speaketh that albeit God doth long suffer and delay the iudgement of the reprobate yet cease they not to be vesseâ—les of wrath as they that are ordeined to perdiâ—ion But you conclude the coÌ„trarie affirming that he hath not ordeined them to fal And so because you conclude directly against the holie Gost I can not cease to say that your collectioÌ„ is erroneouse But to giue an answer more full and large in examining the partes of your gradatioÌ„ I will shew your error aÌ„d the cause thereof first you say seing God suffered them with greate pacieÌ„ce he is sorie for them here I say in your first foundation lieth your error and the cause thereof is that altogether ye are ignoraÌ„t of gods nature in whom nether falleth such sufferance such pacieÌ„ce nor such sorow as you grosly imagin God is omnipotent and is compelled to suffer nothing which he hath not appointed in his eternall counsell he is a Spirit aÌ„d fre from all such passions as creatures be subiect vnto for in his eternall Godhead there is nether pacience subiect to paine nether yet sorowe annexed with angwishe and grief But when such passions be attributed vnto God it is for the weaknes of our vnderstanding that the holie Gost doth subiect him self in langage and tongue to our capacitie Ye take libertie to your self in dyuers other phrases to explaine them as you please yea euen against the plaine scripture And why will ye not permitt that such phrases be so vnderstand as nothing be iudged vpon gods Maiestie which doth not aggre with his godlie nature ye do far abuse the mynd of the Apostle for he doth not inferre as you foolishly and wickedly do that becaus God did suffer with great pacience therefor he was sorie but saieth he did suffer the vesselles ordeined to destruction that vpon the one sort his wrath and power and vpon the other that is vpon the elect the riches of his glorie might be knowen This were sufficient to put silence to your folie But yet somwhat to instruct the simple I will som what trauale to make these wordes of the Apostle sensible and plane He had before concluded that God wold haue mercie vpon whom he wold haue mercie and whom it pleased him those did he harden As this sentence far surmounted mannes capacitie so might it engender som doubtes in the heartes of the verey godlie For they might haue reasoned if that God will finally destroy all the reprobate to what purpose are they now permitted to triumphe and to trooble the elect of God In answering to which doubt the Apostle assigneth three reasons why God with great pacience suffereth the vesselles of wrath To witt that his power his wrath and the riches of the glorie of his mercie more euidently may appere be knowen For if God should sodanly from the bellies of their mothers take away the reprobat or if he should in the beginning of their malice so break downe their pryde that they could not procede against him nether should his power appere so great nether yet his wrathe so iust and so holie But when he doth suffer them as he did Pharao from one mischief to procede to an other often remouing his plagues and so declaring him self easie to be entreated euen vnto such tyme as their malice and raige do carie them as it were openly to dispyse God and his power when then I say in one moment God potently doth ouer throwe the force streÌ„gth of his ennemies as y t he did of Pharao Senacherib Balsasar and of others then is his godlie power and most iust wrathe more euidently knowen then that he should ether haue repressed them in the beginning ether yet haue taken them away before their malice began to budde For hereby doth he not onely admonish others of the certen destruction of all those that continue in crueltie but also giueth to his Churche most singulare comfort letting them se that his prouidence and power watcheth for them euen when the raige of the ennemie appereth to deuore al. And so do they se what is gods mercie towardes them Further wheÌ„ the elect aduisedlye do consider what be gods seuere
so shall thy nauel be hole and thy bones strong â–ª And Iâ— but is not we that can fynde out the almightie for in power equitie and righteousnes he is hiegher then can be expressed Let men therefor feare him for there shall no man se him that is wise in his own conceat we must not â—eke out the sâ—cretes of God for we shall not preuaile but bring our selues to consufion If we go about to establishe our opinions by gods secret will we must nedes fâ—ll in horrible darcknes and errors for who can know what the will of God is we must submitt our selues with all humilitie to the word and there with great reuerence search out such things as are written for our comfort and edification which we can not duelie vnderstand without the spirit of God to teache vs as it is written oh Lord who can haue knowledge of thy vnderstanding and meaning except thâ—w giue him wisdom and send thy holy Gost from aboue But if we prepare our selues with râ—uerence to read the word of God to the intent to vnderstand it to our consolation and with humilitie submâ—t our selues to do it God will open to vs so much as is ether necessarie or profitable for vs. ANSWER What confirmation our doctrine hath by the inuincible and most euident testimonies of gods holie scriptures I will not now dispute onely I must coÌ„pleine that maliciously and most impudently ye wrest our wordes and peruert our myndes And for the probatioÌ„ thereof I say that ye are neuer able to shew in any of our writings the wordes and sentences which in this place ye affirme vs to say ye be neuer able I say to proue that we haue written or taught that God by his reueled will will all men to be saued and yet by his secrete will he willeth many to be damned That by his reuâ—led will he willeth no wickednes but by his secret will he will Pharao to be hard hearted Semei to curse Dauid the Patriarkes to sell their brother Ioseph that by his reueled will he wolde not that Adam shoulde fâ—ll but by his secret will he willeth Adam to fall These propositions I say you be neuer able to shew in our writinges nether yet to proue that our doctrine did or doth tend to that end for we constantly affirme that God reueled vnto vs his most holie and most iust wil in his plaine and holie scriptures which do assure vs that a separation shal be made betwext the goates and the lambes that the one shal receaue the kingdom propared vnto them before all beginning and that the other shal be adiudged to the fyre which neuer shal be quenched That God stirred and raised vp Pharao that his power might be declared in him that these wordes God plainely spoke to Moises I know that Pharao shal not permitte the people to depart therefore haue I hardened his heart that I may multiplie my woÌ„ders vpon him that Dauid did represse the furie of Abisai and of his seruantes who wolde haue killed Semei saying suffre him to curse for the Lord hath commanded him the Lord perchance shal behold my affliction and shal reward me with good for his cursing this day That Ioseph said to his bretheren be you not moued with sorow y â— ye haue solde me for the Lord hath sent me for conseruation of a great multitude it is not therefore you that haue sent me hither but God who hath made me father to Pharao and Lord ouer his hole house None of all these I say do we cast vpon gods secrete will as ye falsly accuse vs but we do constantly affirme that his will is so plainely reueled in these maters that such as shall denie any of them to haue bene gods wil can not escape abnegation of his eternall veritie And further we say that the fall of man is plainely reueled vnto vs not onely by experience but euen by that same law which was imposed to him shortly after his creation the transgression whereof made Adam and all his posteritie criminall and giltie to gods iustice that nether against gods wil reueled nether yet against his secrete wil. for by his will reueled can no man further conclude but this that in what day soeuer AdaÌ„ should eate of the frute forbiddeÌ„ that he should die the death But Adam against gods command ement did eat and therefor did he iustly vnderly the sentence of death And thus do we referre to gods will manifestly reueled what soeuer ye imagin that we ascribe to his secret will Nether yet nede you to maruell if ye list to take such paines as to read our writiÌ„ges where that we finde the doctryne that we teach your surmised lie we cast vpon your selues seing that Moises the prophetes Christ Iesus and his Apostles in all writings do affirme the same But yet lest that ye should think that we attribute nothing to gods secret wil I will in few wordes confesse what we teach maintein and beleue in that case And that the rather because you gather agreate absurditie not of our doctryne but of that which ye falsely imput vpon vs in this maner for asmuch you say as the secrete will of God is knowen to none but to him self alone Who hath reueled it to you how can you say this is gods secret will if it was gods secret will that Adam should fall and you knew it â–ª then it is both secret and vnsecret both reueled and vnreueled both knowen and vnknowen What greate absurditie is this To the which I answere according to your impudeÌ„t foolishnes that because you fight with your owne shadowe these yo r dartes do hurt vs nothing for we do not affirme that we do knowe the fall of man by gods secret will but by his will manifestly reueled vnto vs by his holie scriptures Or more plainly to answer yo r reasons which you think inuincible we say that that wil which was secret in God before all time was reueled to man in time by his owne word and that from time to to time the same became more manifest as sainct Paul witnesseth in these wordes To me the least of all saintes is giuen this fauor or grace that I should preach amoÌ„gest the GeÌ„tiles the vnsearchable riches of Christe That I should bring forth to light before all meÌ„ what is y e coÌ„munion of the mysterie w c was hid from all ages in God who hath made all things by Christ Iesus that the manifest wisdome of God may nowe be notified to principates and powers in heauenlie things by the Church according to the fore appointment of the ages which he hath made in Christ Iesus our lorde so that we are now bold to say that albeit no creature did knowe before all time what ordre God should kepe in the creation and disposition of all thinges in time yet may we nowe I say be bolde to affirme that the secrete was hidde in the
all height which is raysed vp against the knowledge of God by the which also they lead into bondage all cogitatioÌ„s to obey Christe we know further that they haue veÌ„geaÌ„ce in readynes against all inobedience That fire passeth forth of their mouthes which deuoureth their enemies that they haue power to shutte the heauen that rayne descend not in the daies of their prophecie That gods power both in the one sort and in the other is coÌ„teined with his word euen preached pronounced and fore spoken by his messingers do all exaÌ„ples in gods scriptures witnes At the praier and prophecie of Elias was the heeauen both shut and opened fire descended froÌ„ heauen coÌ„sumed those vngodly souldiours w t their captaines At the curse of Eliseus did beares deuoure 〈◊〉 childreÌ„ that mocked him The wordes of Isai Ieremy and Ezechiel albeit for the time that they spake they were contemned yet had they such force and effect y t no streÌ„gth was able to gainestaÌ„d that which they had pronounced At Peters word Ananias and Saphira did sodainlye dye Paule by his senteÌ„ce made Elimas the sorcerer blinde and so forth the exaÌ„ples be almost without noÌ„bre that declare y t gods power is ioyned w t his worde not onely in sauing w c I thinck you will admitte but also in punishing destroying If you thinke it fearefull y t gods holy word shall haue this power and effect to kill to blind and to harden Remembre first the seuere iudgemeÌ„tes of God against sinne and often call to minde that the fault nor chiefe cause is not in the word but in the subiect and person in whom it falleth The word falling in to y e heart of the elect doth mollifie illuminate as before is said but falling in to the heart of the reprobate it doth harden more excecate the same by reason of the qualitie and incurable corruption of the persone And thus in your second reason we do vtterly dissent from youâ— feare not to affirme y t gods true Prophetes messingets do not onely declare what meÌ„ beâ— but y t by the word which is coÌ„mitted to their charge effectually they worke ether lyght or darknes life or death yea saluation or damnation The text of Leuiticus serueth you nothing and y e text of Ieremie is expressely against you For the hiegh Priest is not commaded to go to a maÌ„ in whom no leprosie appered and to pronounce what after shall become of him but the man in whom there is apperant signes of leproâ—ie is coÌ„manded to be ledde to the Priestes who are commaÌ„ded to pronounce according to the signes w c they see CoÌ„sidre I besech you the difference betwene the office of the one the office of y â— otherâ— the sentence of the one and the senteÌ„ce of the other the one y t is the Priestes go not nether are they sent to seke those y t haue apperance or suspicion of leprosie But the Prophet is sent by God to theÌ„ that then was called the people of God in whoÌ„ no man could haue suspected such blindnes such hardnes of heart such rebellion as the Prophet is coÌ„maÌ„ded to threateÌ„ The Priestes did not nor might not pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce against a maÌ„ in whom manifest signes of leprosie appered not yea triall must be taken whether it be leprosie or not But the Prophet is coÌ„manded to go to that people who held them selues cleane and before all triall to pronounce that sharp sentence you shall heare w t your eares and shall not vnderstand you shall plainely see and yet shall not perceaue the heart of this people is hardened Was there anysuch coÌ„mandemeÌ„t or charge giuen to y e priestes Might any of them haue said to any man y t appered to be cleane c whole thou shalt be leprous I pronounce the sentence which thou shalt not escape I trust not Then for the diuersitie as well of their offices as of the senteÌ„ces which they pronounced the phrases must be diuers Where ye affirme that y e Prophet could not touch their heartes but by declaring theÌ„ to be hard hearted ye seme not to vnderstand what is the vertue and power of gods word pronounced eueÌ„ by the mouth of man w c as before we haue declared pearceth to y e depest secret that lieth within the heart Yea and worketh that thing w c the Pro phete pronounceth and speaketh how vnapperaÌ„t that euer it be to mans reason or how stowtly and stubburnly that euer the wicked resist Did not the wordes of Elias spoken vnto Achab aftre y e murtheriÌ„g of Naboth touch his heart yes the very hypocrite him selfe had some sense and feling of gods iust wrath And both he and his posteritie for all his princely pompe did after fele the veritie of them To witte dogges did licke his blood the flesh of Iesabell was eaten by dogges his children and hole posteritie were rooted out of Israell And thus did the wordes of the Prophete touch his heart in the time when they were spokeÌ„ with a certeine feare stupiditie and trembling which wordes were after of such power strength and veritie that no male children were left aliue to Achab in Israel And the same is true of Ieremies wordesâ— sentence spoken against diuers natioÌ„s whose faces albeit he neuer saw yet did he so potently touch their heartes that how soeuer they despised his threateninges yet was no word vainely spoken but in effect was euery thing complete as he pronounced And wonder it is that ye are ignorant in this vertue of gods word seing that ye confesse that Ieremie toke the cuppe from the Lordes hand which he was commanded to giue to all nations y t they might drinke the cuppe of the Lordes wrath saing vnto them Drincke be drucken and spew and fall and rise no more becaus of the swerd w c I will send among you Was this I praye you a simple declarationâ— or was it not rather a sentence decree so effectuall that albeit nether Babylon nether any other proud and whicked nation wold for that time beleue it yet came it most effectually to passe And I say y t these wordes of Ieremie do manifestly repugne to your interpretation do sufficieÌ„tly proue y t those wordes spoken to Isai are otherwise to be vnderstaÌ„d then y t he was commanded onely to declare what the people were For as the wordes of Ieremie had this effect y t according as he spake so came y e destruction vpon those proud natioÌ„s so lykewise had the wordes of God spoken to Isai the same effect which he pronounced To the one he said thou shalt giue vnto them the cuppe of my wrath that they may drinke it The Prophet without feare did obey his commandement and God did faithfully performe what so euer his messinger had pronounced Euen so did God command Isai to blind and harden that stubborn and rebellious generation of the Iewes by the
saith not I will the death of no creature but saith â–ª I will not the death of a sinner Ye are not ignorantâ— suppose what difference there is betwext an vniuer saâ—â— negatiue an indefinite or particulare Where ye saye God willeth the death of no creature ye speake generally and vniuersally excepting none But so doth not the Prophet for he saith not I will the death of no creature nether yet I will the death of no sinner but simply saith I will not the death of a sinner I wonder that ye consider not that as there is difference betwext creatures and creature so that also there is difference betweâ—â— sinners and sinner Some creatures are appointed 〈◊〉 death for the vse and sustentation of maÌ„ And dare yoâ— say that this is done against gods will we be taught the contrarie by his owne mouth If you correcting your generalitie shall say that you meane onely that God will the death of no man And I feare not yet to ioyne with you and against you to affirme that God hath willed doth will and shall will the death of some men The holy Gost speaking of the sonnes of Heli the high Priest saith But they did not heare the voice of their Father because the Lord wold kil them And Moises saith Sihon king of Hesbon wold not suffer vs to passe through his cuntrie for the Lord thy God did harden his minde and strengthen his heart y t he shoule giue him into thy handes How often doth Moses Iosua declare vnto the people that God wolde kill roote oute and destroye those wicked nations from besore the face of his people And were all those kinges whom Iosua did kill killed against gods will The holy Gost affirmeth the contrarie For it is written the Lord did trouble them before Israel and he did strike them with a great slaughter And while that they did flee before the Israelites and were in the descense of Bethoron the Lord cast downe vpon them from heauen greate stones and many more perished by the haile stones theÌ„ were slaine with the swerd of the children of Israel If the destruction slaughter death of these wicked men and of the greate host of Senacherib was not the will of God I can not tell how man shal be assured of his will For the plaine word did before promise that the Lord should destroye them and the fact doth witnes the constaÌ„cie and perfourmance of his will and the same thing doth God this day shall do to the ende of the world when he shall adiudge the reprobate as before is said to the death perpetuall and that not against his will but willingly for the manifestation of his iust iudgementes and declaration of his owne glorie And therefore I say that your prosition saying God willeth the death of no creature is manifestly fals as it that repugneth to gods iustice and to his euideÌ„t scriptures The minde of the Prophetes was to stirre such as had declined from God to returne vnto him by true repentance And because their iniquities were so many offenses so greate that iustly they might haue despaired of remission mercie and grace therefor doth the Prophet for the better assurance of those that should repent affirme that God deliteth not nether willeth the death of the wicked But of which wicked of him no doubâ—e that truely shoulde repent in his death did not nor neuer shal God delyte But he deliteth to be knoweÌ„ a God that sheweth mercye grace and fauor to such as vnfeinedly call for the same how greuous so euer their former offenses haue bene But such as continue obstinate in their impietie haue no portion of these promises For them will God kill them will he destroye and them will he thrust by y e power of his word in to the firewhich neuer shal be quenched The Apostle in these wordes God willeth all meÌ„ to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth speaketh not of euery man and of euery particulare persone But of all men in generall that is to say of men of all estates all conditions all realmes and all ages For as in Christe Iesus there is nether Iew nor Gentile nether man nor woman free manâ— nor seruant but all are one in him so can no estate no condition of man no realme nor no age be proued so wicked and so corrupt but out of the like hath God called some to the participation of his light and to saluation and life by Christe Iesus and that this is the very naturall meaning of the holy Gost the texâ—e it selfe doth witnes For the Apostle immediatly before willeth praiers and supplications to be made for all men for Kinges and for all that were placed in authoritie And because that the Church was chiefely oppressed by such this doubte might haue risen Are we then bound to pray for those that are expresse and coniured ennemies against God You are saith the Apostle for that is good and acceptable before God our Sauior who will all men to be saued That is God willeth you to pray for your persecuters that their eyes may be opened and they conuerted to the liuing God who no doubt will saue some of all estates of all conditioÌ„s and vocatioÌ„s of men For the natioÌ„s are giuen to Christe Iesus by inheritance Kinges shal be the feders of the Church Quenes shal be nurses And in his holy temple shall all sing praise If this interpretation which we doubt not to be the verie meaning of the holy Gost caÌ„ not satisfie you Then will I aske of you If God will men otherwise to be saued then by Christe Iesus or as the Apostle speaketh by comming to the knowledge of the veritie Plaine it is that by the wordes of the Apostle ye caÌ„ conclude none otherwise For as he saith God will all men to be saued so doth he adde and willeth all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie Which word willeth albeit it be not expressedly repeted in the second meÌ„bre yet of necessitie it must be vnderstand as those that be but meanly sene in the greke or latine tongue do euidently see Then if I shall sufficiently proue that God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie in such sort as the Apostle meaneth shall it not infallablye folow that God will not all men to be saued in such sense as you vnderstand That God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of that veritie by the which man is verely made free from the boÌ„dage of sathan is euideÌ„t not onely by those whom we do see walke in darknes and ignorance but also by the manifest srriptures of God who called Abraham making to him and to his sede the promes of saluation saying I will be thy God and the God of thy sede after thee which promes he kept secrete many ages from the rest of the world WheÌ„ he did notifie his law vnto Israel