dissentest from thy selfe carrye flintie heartes to harden declareth not not to mollifie but to make something of harde harder Séeing this hardenesse is from the birth in vs and is enlarged vppon vs not by creation but by coruption and therefore God worthily detesteth it and euen by his insâ—e iudgement dubleth it howe is it that you feare to graunte that the hardening was the iust worke of God the punisher and auenger Verily thou canste not denye that the spirite of GOD doeth not speake otherwise For in howe many places is GOD saide to harden to blinde to shutte vppe the eares to make grosse the haâ—te to holde the hearte to tourne the harte to giue ouer into a reprobate sense to sende a strong delusion and manye like Howe often do they come in reading But of sufferaunce in these thinges there is not indéede the least mention in the sacred Bookes as muche indéede as I can call to mentorte except in one onely place where it is saide that the Lord in times paste suffered the Gentiles to walke in their own wayes But neither this-place nor any like if it be so that thou findest anye doe any whit relieue thée séeing that in Sufferaunce is necessarilye included Will much lesse that these shoulde be repugnant betwéene themselues as we haue shewed in his place But it is labor-worth to shewe the selfe wordes of Caluine that here also thy lewdnesse may be manifested These therefore be Caluines wordes The heart of Pharao is hardened of God saith Moses In vaine here doe they flie to sufferaunce as if God maye be saide to haue done that be onely hathe suffered to be done For Moses plainly affyrmeth that that hardnesse was the worke of God These saith Caluine But thou moste lewde Sycophant writest that the whole rebellion of Pharao was by Caluines sentence ascribed to god As thoughe indéede thys thy lye cannot be conuinced by that same sclaunder which thou adioynedst by and by The ninth Sclaunder The will of God is the chiefe cause of the hardening of men THE AVNSVVERE WHome he will he hardneth sayeth the Apostle But if also thou séekest some higher thing than the will of God thou maiste in deede wander without God we rest in this bound with the Apostle Further he that saith that the will of God is the chiefe or the highest cause of the hardening of men can he ascribe to God the whole rebellion of Pharao For if it be the onelye cause why is it called the Chief If behoueth a lyar to be mind full Sycophant The Sycophants Argumentes to the eight and ninth Sclaunder In the eigth and ninth articles they aske what Moses meant when he writeth And Pharao hardened his hearte But is it so to be interpreted Pharao hardned his hearte that is God hardned Pharaos hearte That shall be much more violent than if thou shouldest say God hardened Pharaos hearte that is hee suffered Pharao in the naturall hardenesse of hys hearte bycause Pharao refused to obey hym Then they aske of that Thys daye if you will heare hys voyce harden not youre heartes But if they haue so expounded it GOD will not harden youre heartes it will be moste absurde for he should commaunde menne that whiche is Gods For if it be the Lordes to harden heartes it cannot be enioyned to menne that they shoulde either harden or not harden the heartes no more than that they shoulde adde or take awaye from their stature one cubite THE REFVTATION Indéede this is the piller and foundation of thy goodlye disputation againste Predestination whiche thou hast inserted in thy Annotations of the ninth Chapiter of the Epistle to the Romanes whiche howe firme it is lette us sée I praye thée therefore Good man who euer besides thée alone made blinde by the iuste indgement of God was so senselesse and madde that when the highest cause is assigned he woulde suppose the inferiors to be moued or not rather to be established Make to your selues a new hearte and a newe spirite saith the lord Wilt thou gather thereof that it is not the Lord that should giue a new harte and create a cleane spirite whiche shoulde take awaye the stony hearte and giue a heart of fleshe If thou doe these things saith Paule writing to Timothie thou shalte saue thy selfe Wilte thou gather of this that wée are not saued of God by Christe Fathers of families are saide to féede their families and he that liueth by his laboure is said to nourish himselfe also breade and meate are saide to nourish vs Doeth not therefore God féed vs yea al these as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things sette in theyr order doe very wel accorde For being coÌ„uerted of God we conuert being urged of God we do God blessing vs wée liue by our endeuor Séest thou therefore Asse that they are foolish and ridiculous whatsoeuer thou hast imagined that thou mightest discountenance the truth for neyther as he sayth is there any councell againste the Lord and so vseth the iust iudge to besotte them whiche doe not stay themselues in his worde Induration therefore is the iust worke of God who hardneth whome he pleaseth and yet not otherwise than iustly hated séeing they bée corrupt Induration is also the worke of Sathan by whome in déede the Lord worketh in the heartes of infidels as it is written The Spirite of the Lorde departed from Saule and an euill spirit sente from the Lorde dyd trouble him It is also the worke of the false Prophetes whome themselues also the Lorde seduceth by Sathan that one may inforce another into iust condemnation as it is written If a Prophet deceyued speake the worde I the Lorde haue deceyued that Prophet as also it appeared in the Magicall Egiptians and in Sedechia the false Prophet Finallie the hardning is also their work which are hardned bycause by their natiue wickednesse they being enforced by the lust of Sathan the false Prophets and their owne they do harden themselues therefore by an indoubted and inseparable coniunction they cleaue togither which thou absurdly déemedst to be contrarie in themselues But I will adde héereto the wordes of Caluine himselfe that thy lewdenesse maye the better appeare It doth not hinder sayth he that is spoken in another place that Pharao did harden his owne heart bycause we neyther ymagine that the heartes of men are enforced with outward means that they should be forcibly driuen nor do we transferre the cause of hardning vpon God as if of their owne accorde and by their proper malice being barbarous and hard harted they dyd not stirre vp themselues to wickednesse but that whych men doe wickedly the Scripture teacheth that it is not otherwise done but when God doth iustly decrée it to be as is reported in another place that all excepte the inhabitants of Gybeon opposed themselues against Israell that it was of the Lorde whiche made obstinate theyr hearts These sayth Caluine in that very place whyche thou
in Christe M. Theodor Beza of Vezel whiche his sayd worke whē I had pervsed to my great comfort and enablement against the foe I beganne eftsoones to pittie the wante of suche a worthy worke to mine owne countriemen to whome the Lorde hath not giuen the vnderstanding of tongues though manye and mightie blessings in his heauenlye truth And least I might be found to haue buried my poore talent in the erth whē it might do good or deuoyd of that Simpathie which the people haue that inioy the Lord I employed mine endeuour by all the spare time that I had from other necessarie affaires to acquainte this the said renoumed worthy worke with our mother tong and that especially for two sortes of people the one are those of the Lords secret ones who yet wander in the way of ignorance and eftsones take part with the wicked cause for lacke of helpes in that they finde no meane to withstande the batteries of Satan in the enemie The other are those whom god hath alredy sealed in the felowship of his truth by the testimonie of a good conscience and assured zeale to serue the Lorde in Sion and yet want enablement to stande for the Lorde But amongst these especially for the helpe of them whose place of present being doeth require at their hands their better enablement to further the Lords poore ones in the way of life whome they haue wonne without warrantise whose diligence in time to come God graunt may be so much as their vnderstanding small whom inchaunting Circe the worlde hath bewitched and broughte into a compasse beyond themselues and made them retchlesse in loue of the Lord and as fallen vnder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sonke down in selfeloue haue thrust themselues into the Lords sanctuarie the dyreful downefall and destruction of many soules as it is written Vbi non est visio dissipabitur populus where there is no preaching the people perishe or without walking in the warranted waye haue lefte to call to the Lorde for labourers and made stones breade and in their blind liking haue with Vzza stept to the vpholding of the Lords Arke in the time of staggering but to their owne decay whose condemnation sleepeth not whereof some in deede haue Vrim but not Thummim some Thummim but not Vrim and many none of both whose song will be with Lysimachus if repentāce be not a remedie with speede That this my poore trauell mighte be set in warrantize against Zoylus and the carping foe to passe forth for the accomplishment of that good that is hoped for I eftsones most humbly recommend it to your Honors protection whose zeale for the Lords family I haue eftsons experiēced to my great comfort in the time of my being within your iurisdiction in Lincolneshire The Lorde increase in you his manye and mightie blessings multiply vpon you the measure of his grace that as he hath chosen you into the forefront of his haruest and giuē vnto you amongst others the chiefest and especiall charge to see his fielde furnished with labourers so he continually make ful the measures of his own mercies in your hart that the end of al and singular our attempts may be lyned by the word of life to the aduancemāt of the name of our eternal God by the faythfull furtherance of the free passage of his word amōg his people that such as yet wander in the wildernesse of most palpable blindnes or sense lesse obstinacie for wāt of workemē wel armed with appurtināces incident to such soucraign embassage on the lords behalfe might be brought home to the vnitie of one simplicitie in Christian profession that Gods glorie maye bee aduaunced his Church vniuersally profited and your Lordship with others in such place discharged to stand boldely before the maiestie of the Almightie in the day of Christ VVhich thing as for many benefites receiued I am most bounde so I most humbly and hartilye craue at the handes of our eternall father by Christe to whose merciful assistaunce and mightie prouidence remayning to performe vnto you al the duties that I may I do most humbly committe you Your Lordships most bounden in the Lord VVilliam Hopkinson ¶ THE PREFACE OF the Slaunders against the Doctrine of Iohn Caluin or rather of euery faithfull Congregation of the secrete Prouidence of God. THY Doctrine Iohn Caluine a man muche renowmed in all the worlde hath many fauourers but therewithall the same in like sort hath many aduersaries But I who wishe there may be one doctrine as there is one trueth and all to consente therevnto if it maye bee haue thoughte conuenient to admonishe thee familiarly of those things whiche are vsually bruyted agaynst thy doctrine that if they be false thou wouldest refute them and sende thy refutation to vs that we maye the rather withstande them and do it with suche proofes as the people maye vnderstande And there be many things wherein many dissent from thee but for the present leauing the rest to some other conuenient time I will deale with thee of the argument of Destinie or Predestination bicause both this Article moueth much controuersie in the Church which we wish may be suppressed and also the Aduersaries reasons in this Argument seeme to be suche as can not be refelled by those Bookes whiche hitherto thou haste published There are caried here and there of this matter certayne Articles gathered out of thy bookes whiche I will heere tumultuously set downe and then I will shewe those things which vsually are alleaged agaynst euery of them that thou mayste the rather see where vnto to answere THE ANSVVERE ALBEIT we haue euer endeuored to set forth that doctrine whiche is not oures but Iesus Christes in such sorte that we might winne many to the delight and loue thereof yet arte thou Sycophant much deceyued if thou thinkest that wée stande vpon the multitude eyther of foes or fauourers For neither are we so much vnskilfull of the state of men or vnmindefull of the very wordes of Christe that wée should forget that there haue bene euer moe founde who haue withstoode the truth than defended it Thou truely as I perceyue bethinkyng thy selfe of some wise preface haste chosen that one whiche did moste accorde with thy nature and inclination for so almoste it falleth amongst men especially of guiltie consciences that they déeme others by their owne disposition Therefore bycause thou shrowding thy selfe as it were vnder the shadowe of thy pretended modestie dost of olde ayme at this marke that the moste may thinke thée some body haste in déede déemed that we are grieued with the same infirmitie and therfore that thou couldst not worke vs a greater dispite than if with a certaine sottishe kinde of chattering thou mightest pretend to haue done this as bewayling our miserie carefull for the defence of our cause thou shouldest friendly familiarly write vnto vs But in déede we maruel that any man so practised in deceit could so forget him self
at the least to muse to dispute to couet and to chaufe yea but thou wilte say I speake onely of those things which belong to god Therfore thou oughtst to haue defined what those things were And albeit thou shouldst change thy self into euery shape thou shalte neuer finde any thyng attributed to liuyng creatures whiche may in lyke sense be auouched of god Yet I confesse that the Scripture such is the goodnesse of God dothe oftentymes lyke a nourse as it were maffle with vs but yet so that it obserueth a certayne choyse Wherfore in lyke case thou oughtest to haue boūded thy similitude with his limites I also graunt that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that naturall affections in the nature of things and especially in men are great arguments of Gods goodnesse But yet who will graunt thée except he be madde that God loueth those whome he dothe loue none otherwayes than men loue one another Sée euen of thyne owne examples how false and foolish this is whiche of vs would haue chyldren borne to him like Toades Snakes or spiders But al these if it be lawful to speake as thou doest the Lorde doth dayly bryng foorth neyther is there any creature whiche for hys wonderfull goodnesse he preserueth not But what wilt thou haue a lame a blinde or a foole borne to thée yet the Lorde dothe euery day set suche spectacles before vs And what when he exciteth some in whome he may manifest hys power as Moses speaketh or when he formeth certayne vassals to dishonour as Paule wryteth yea also a greater thyng when he correcteth those hys beloued and déerest chyldren I say not for their sinnes but hée will the iuste bée oppressed of the vniuste to be executed and in the ende moste cruelly slayne for hys owne glorie for so euerywhere speaketh the Scripture and experience confirmeth it wilte thou make one this loue of God with the decrées of mans nature Therevpon the Disciples aske when they sée the blynde man who hath sinned he or his parents that hée shoulde be borne blynde Iesus answered that neyther hée nor his parents sinned that is that he was borne blynd neyther for his own sins nor for hys parentes but that the workes of God might be manifested in him What sayest thou to this goodman heare that your outscape of foreséene sinnes hath failed thée and some Phisition might be déemed a cruell Father whiche I say not should wounde his sonne but also that I may speake as you doe shoulde suffer his Sonne to be wounded that by the curyng thereof he mighte gette a name Thou seest beast thou seest howe beastly thyne imaginations of GOD bée when thou doest consider eyther the loue or hatred of God accordyng to the prescripte of nature created In lyke case Dauid when he fell into these cogitations that hée mighte decerne of the hatred and loue of GOD after the manner of men I am become sayth he a beast before thée that is till he wente into the Sanctuarie of the Lorde Thou shouldest haue sought out the nature of GOD before that thou diddest dispute of his loue and hatered There bée manifested to vs lyuyng in this worlde twoo wayes to knowe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that may be known of god One the contemplation of thyngs created dothe shewe vs whiche Paule disputyng with the Romaynes and Athenienses of the firste principles of Christian religion doth manifest The other God hath shewed vs in his worde None of bothe I confesse is to be neglected but howe muche more certayne this is than the other Dauid proueth by his owne example and if not of our selues yet by continuall obseruation of all ages it may plentifully be perceyued For who euer taught more vnméete thyngs of GOD than those wyse Egyptians of whome afterwardes was Gréece taught or whence but from the same dyd spryng Idolatrie lette be perused the speaches of Apollonius with the Bracchamans Gymnosophistes and we shall sée what humayne Diuinitie is Yea howe doteth that diuine Plato and howe often erreth hée from those firste principles which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common knowlege Truly the very last wordes of Socrates whē he died we owe a cock to Esculapius do sufficiētly bewray how sound knowledge Socrates had of diuine thyngs excepte he then beganne to doate on his deathes bedde and also that Plato would leane the selfe dotage of hys Mayster in writing or else that then he left not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissemblyng But without doubte that saying of Paule is true they are become vaine in their owne reasonings their foolish harte is ful of darkenesse when they thought themselues wyse they became fooles Also that the worlde in the wisedome of God did not knowe god When Paule wrote these things he did not vndoubtedly blame nature dayly shewing vs as Dauid sayth the wonderfull workes of God but accused our blindnesse whiche may be holpen of one onely God and that by the hearyng of his worde Bycause thou doest not consider this thou rightly reapest this rewarde of thy foolishnesse that bycause thou endeuourest by the rules of this nature to conclude the nature of God thou offerest thy selfe to be laughed at of very chyldren But thou wilt say I afterwards shewe thée Scripture I graunt that in déede but yet so that thou cōclude it with those thy principles by the contemplation of visible things when it ought to be contrary that is to alowe those principles whiche the order of nature yéeldeth so farre as they consent with the authority of Scripture whereof we shall heare hereafter Let this therefore be the very summe of the answere that God doth loue his issue but in his owne order which he hath manifested vnto vs in his holy woorde so farre as was néedefull for vs. I come to the other like sottish writing I wil vse no harder speach All men thou sayest are the issue of God bycause God is the father of Adam of whome all men are borne therefore God loueth all men First I answere that thou dost against the rule of Scripture which doest confusedly attribute to God the name of Father and that summarilye in respect of all men that is whiche also communicatest that whiche is onely proper to one Churche in Christe with straungers That place in déede of Malachie is very vnfitly applied of many to the generall procreation of all men when it is rather referred to one publique father of Israell whether Abraham or Iacob as appéereth by a lyke place of Moses But least I séeme to contende for wordes albeit the controuersie is not in vayne the Lord created all men in Adam and let him be in this poynt the vniuersall father of all If this be reason good inough to proue that God should loue al men how is it that contrarywise the Apostle sheweth al in Adam to be the Sonnes of wrath and death and therefore of hatered wilt thou answere that the Apostle beholdeth all men as they are corrupted
so for what may satisfye such enuie suche madnesse and such leawdenesse as this is But yet indéede these things do whether thou wilt or no sufficiently shew what wickednesse it is to dare obiect the to any man whych he hath playnely testifyed that he hateth as a most wicked blasphemie But let vs yet bring moe testimonies out of the same Booke least I be sayeth he too tedious I veryly perceyue that to haue bin accomplished that Augustine teacheth And these be the wordes of Augustine These be the greate workes of the Lorde sought out into all hys willes and so wisely soughte out that when the Angelicall and humane creature hadde sinned that is had done not that whyche he woulde but that it selfe woulde euen by the same wyll of the creature whereby that was done whyche the Creator woulde not he fulfilled that whyche he woulde vsing well euen the wicked as the chiefe good to their damnation whome he had predestinate to payne and to their saluation whome he louingly predestinate to grace for as much as apperteyneth to themselues they did that which God would not but so muche as apperteyneth to the omnipotencie of GOD they were by no meanes able to doe it surely euen in that selfe thing whyche they dyd agaynste the will of God the wyll of God is done of them for therefore the greate workes of the Lorde soughte out into all his willes that in a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manner that be not done beside his wyll whyche also is done againste his will bycause it shoulde not be done if he did not suffer it nor indéede dothe he suffer against his will but willingly But also the saide Augustine a little before sayeth it is not to be doubted that God doth well in suffering to be done whatsoeuer is euill done for he suffereth not this but by hys iust iudgement Albet therefore those things that be euill in that they are euill they are not good yet that they be not only good but euill is good for except this were good that they shoulde euen be euill they shoulde by no meanes be suffered to be of the omnipotente good to whome withoute doubte as it is easie to doe what hée wyll so is lyke easie not to suffer that hée will not excepte we beléeue this the very begynning of oure fayth whereby we professe oure selues to beléeue in the Almightie God is indangered After that Caluine hathe cyted these and manye others at the last hée addeth these that he mighte crosse those sclaunderers whyche you haue drawen out of Pighius his puddles If I had euer affirmed sayeth he that it came to passe by the instinct of the diuine spirit that the fyrste manne shoulde alienate hymselfe from God and not rather euery where affyrme inforced by the instigation of the Deuill and the proper motion of his owne heart it myght be that Pighius shoulde worthely insult agaynste mée But now when remouing the néerest cause of the action from God that I mighte togither remoue from him all faulte that man alone maye be vnder the offence hée slauderously and wickedly wresteth vpon me this saying that the defection of man is one of Gods workes And whereas by the ordinance and foreknowledge of God it was decréed what shoulde come to passe concerning man yet is not God to be drawne into the felowship of the faulte as eyther author or alower of the transgression sith it is manifest that it is a secrete farre beyonde the vnderstandyng of mans minde least we shame to confesse our ignorance Yea let not any of the faithfull sorrow to be ignorant of that whiche the Lorde deuoureth with the brightnesse of his improchable light Furthermore seing that Caluine hath so plainely not so writen as reported out of Augustine who thinkest thou will be so foolishe that he would not note thine impudencie or so madde to persuade himselfe that you are moued with any care of godlinesse to auouche the glorie of God whiche Augustine or Caluin would haue withstoode but least wée séeme desirous to oppresse you with the sole authoritie of the name if whatsoeuer is done by the ordināce of God it be so done as if in déede it be wickedly done therefore God is to be drawen within the cōpasse of the fault say I pray thée that I may passe innumerable exāples whereof we wil speake anone how wilt thou excuse God in the most haynous wicked act of all others which euer I say not onely were done but euen imagined of men the betraying the condemnation the slaunders and finally I say the most cruell death of the sonne of god Now thou hast to deale not with Augustine and Caluine or some other of their cōpany who are wise to the Churche of God foolish in your sight but with Peter himselfe For he playnely and openly as thou requirest sayth that Iesus was takē crucified of the Iewes who was betrayed by the determined counsell and prouidence of god But what did the whole Churche at Ierusalem In dede saith he Herode and Pontius Pilate came togyther agaynste thyne holy sonne Iesus whome thou hast annoynted that they mighte do those things whyche thy hand and thy coūcell had determined to be done These be the words of the holy Ghost speaking by Peter and the Apostles not that they mighte turne the fault of the wicked men vppon God himselfe whiche wickednesse we so detest that it hath neuer entred into our thought but that they mighte set against the sclaunder of the crosse that secrete councell and incredible loue of God the father towards his But doe we speake any other wayes or be you so wise that you shoulde thinke you can speake more deuinely than the holy Ghost himselfe hath spoken or rather so shamelesse and euen so wicked as that you dare accuse that for blasphemy in any whose authour euen the spirit of God woulde aduance We say in déede that Adam fell of his owne frée will and by his owne fault and yet not by chance but euen as the determined counsell the prouidēce and hande of God had determined that it should come to passe These selfe things affirmeth Esay of Christe who in déede he saith was stricken and wounded of the Lorde for our iniquities when the wicked both Iewes and Romanes considered nothing lesse These things doth Peter expresse the vniuersall assembly of the most holy Churche confirmeth Nowe shewe thou how that offence is worse than this or graunte that we may vse the spéech of the Apostles withoute suspition of blasphemy or inuent newe outscapes that thou mayest goe on to be like thy selfe It remayneth that I aunswere to the other whiche you vse to séeke that is where it is written in the bookes of God that Adam fell not without Gods decrée In déede we maruell at thys newe Religion in an Academicall man and whyche denyeth the word of God howsoeuer it be taken to be sufficiente to deceyue the controuersies of Religion But least
woulde not obey God who sayeth that he willeth not sinne God hath suffered to stande out spirites of error which may teach that God willeth sinne that those whiche woulde not obey the truth may obey lyes THE REFVTATION I say again that thou art a doltheade which takest a most sharpe vpbreading and rebuke for sufferance And I sende thée againe to the Grammer schole that thou maist learne there what is the force of the figure called Ironia and howe manye sortes there be accompted of it And that whyche thou ceasest not to tryfle of the spirite of errour who can take it in good parte If a Prophete beyng deceyued speake the worde I the Lorde haue seduced that Prophete sayeth the Lorde in Ezechiel And in an other place what sayth the Lorde to the lying spirite Thou shalte perswade sayth he and ouercome goe out therefore and do so And what witnesseth Paul For that sayth he that they haue not receyued the loue of the trueth to the ende they mighte be saued therefore GOD wyll sende them strong delusions that they maye belieue lyes I praye thée good man aduise againe and againe with thy selfe diligentlye he that sendeth from him the executioner with certaine commauncementes that he punishe with iuste correction men that be conuicte malefactours and condemned may he be sayd only to forsake them and not hymself rather willing and determyning to make strong the executioners hande to their iust punishment Al these if thou knowest not albeit of their owne nature be sinnes whiche God hateth reuengeth yet for as much as they are decréed of God they are nothing else but punishmentes of sinne If thou belienest not Augustine who handeleth that Argument plentifullye and plainely against Iulianus yet at the leaste belieue Paule who manifestlye witnesseth this thing in thrée places of his Epistle to the Romanes And whereas indirectly charging vs thou sayste there be spirites of errour which starting vp shoulde teache that God willeth iniquitie we passe not muche bycause that thyne impudencye maye be condemned throughe Gods goodnesse with oure liues and writings And sée howe of the contrarie thou canst excuse thy selfe of most manifeste slaunder which thinkest that sinnes are permitted of God in that they are sinnes Neyther when I say this I returne euil speaches but for a false slannder I render a true accusation The Sycophantes fifth Argumente to the thirde Slaunder Further they bring a place out of Zacharie where GOD saith he is angry with the quiet nations bycause that when he was lightlie angry with the Israelites they helped euil that is did more grieuously afflicte the Israclite thā Gods displeasure coulde beare therefore God suffering not willing it A like example they alleage out of the Prophete Obed who reprehendeth the Idumeans bycause they did more grieuously afflicte the Iewes the thā Lordes wrathe required REFVTATION THIS verilye I impute to the Scriuener bicause he wrote Israelits for Idumeans in the latter prophesie which thou cytest For I suppose this thy Obed to be he whome the Hebrewes cal Obadia and the Latines Abdias But truely I cannot excuse this that thou recitest out of this Prophete those things which then shalt finde in hym in no place Therfore for as much as helogeth to this place thou art taken tardye with an open lye For I read in Abdias that the Idumeans shoulde be grieuously punished bicause they most cruelly raged against their kinsemen alredy vexed by them by all maner of meanes but that which thou wrytest is no where extant in him The place therefore of Zacharie remayneth in the expounding of whiche sée with what snares thou hast entangled thy seft from whence thou canste not ridde thy selfe For I aske as it were from what poynt thou wylt beginne thys thy secréete sufferaunce from wil Verilye from whence those nations went beyonde those boundes whych were set them of God Let vs suppose that they were more moderate yet hitherto it wil folow that God willing so the Iewes were oppressed of them Thus far therfore they sinned not if we rest our selucs in thine intentions For thou denyest that wil of god in any sins by any meanes to come in betwixt But who wil graunt thée this that vngodly wicked men sin not in afflicting Gods people without this exception be added if they passe the boūds which are set thē of god Art thou so ignorāt what obedience is Truely great is the force of truth whyche enforceth thée against thy will eyther to deale playnely with vs or to dissent frō thy self But least thou be ignorāt good mā Satā or any wicked mā can not moue his foote no not euen his finger to hurt eyther good or euil whether he know that Lords decrée or not but he shall sin grieuously For an euill trée doeth alwayes bring forth euill fruits yea though the best Phisition do plant dresse it and vseth his poysons to certaine remedies But of thys matter let this be an example Let there be a wicked Citizen iudged an enimy to the countrey and for that cause be bānished he méeteth with another as wicked or more hurtfull who not knowing the edicte of proscription he kyileth the man in robberie with that kinde of death wherewith he shoulde haue died if the common wealth had had him in their power Doeth this man séeme to haue obeyed the common wealth who ki led the man that was vnder proscription or rather worthy to be punished as a théefe For how can he séeme to haue obeyed that knewe not the edict of proscription The same also is to be iudged of the Chaldeis and other enemies of the people of God who albeit they afflicted that Iews with deserued punishments did execute Gods iudgements yet they can not séeme to haue obeyed god euen whose name they did not reuerence much lesse did thinke to obey hys commaundements This only is the difference that the common wealth dyd not appoint that spoyler to kil him but the Lord called the Chaldeis albeit they knewe it not to execute his iudgements as himselfe test if yeth in infinite places and chiefely in the. 23. of Ezechiel which place I thinke can not be read without trembling Therefore the Chaldeis did not properly the Lordes worke but by thē not knowing it and thinking no such thing the Lord executed hys iust work neuerthelesse did afterwards most iustly punish thē as the Prophets had witnessed For so the Lord in Esai when he sayde oh Assur the rodde of my furye and the staffe of them in my displeasure I wil send him to a dissembling nation I wil commaund him againste the people of mine indignation that he robbe them as a praye and take spoiles and lay him to be troden vppon as the duste in the streates And then hee addeth but Assur himselfe thinkes not so nor will his hearte conceiue it bicause it will be in his harte to roote out and destroy many nations And
they cannot passe the breadth of a line except he will and commaundeth The strength of I straell will not deceiue saith Samuell nor will be remoued with repentaunce séeing he is not a man that hée can repent And Paule saith it is not possible that the word of God should fall away But it must néedes fall awaye in some parte if any thing yea euen the leaste be done beside his wil yea euē of those which he doth not simply allow But what doe I bring these witnesses for Balaam himselfe that hireling Prophet doth reproue thée GOD is no man that he shoulde lye saith he nor the Sonne of man that he shoulde repent Doth he say and not do or speak and not make good yea euen Sathan himselfe that lying and vncleane spirite doth reproue thée in whom when there wanteth not a thousand waies to do mischief and is so great wickednesse as we cānot possibly thinke yet he is so straightly bridled that he cannot euen hisse againe excepte the Lord with his voice excite him and is so straightlye fettered that he cannot moue so muche as his finger but by the Lordes assignement He euen hée I saye doeth confute thée and albeit againste his will yet he confesseth againste the testimonie of his owne conscience that thou arte enforced of him that thou mightest breake out into these blasphemies For he acknowlegeth that excepte power bée obtayned of the Lord he cannot hurt any be it neuer so little and then when it is granted him of the Lorde to hurte for the Lorde giueth hym this power of his owne good will either that he may punish the wicked or allure recall trie and correct his own as we haue shewed before so ofte he féeleth himselfe constrained to remaine within the determined boundes as appeareth by the storie of Iob Achab and other testimonies Therefore that I maye at the last come to the verye place of Zacharie that the enimies of the Iewes did more grieunously afflict them than the wrath of Gods displeasure coulde beare yet they coulde not passe the decrée of God no not the breadth of a naile For Gods decrée dependeth further than his displeasure And it is shewed in these wordes of the Prophet that there is no cause why the people shoulde measure the wrath of God by the multitude of calamities which they suffered For that the Lorde sent them a greate parte thereof not as being angry he woulde destroy them but contrarily as thoughe a louing father shoulde correct them that they might retourne themselues to good life The Lorde therefore after his maner as it were some moste louing father maffling with his children testifieth that he is angrye with their frowardnesse and crueltie to whom he hadde giuen his children to be corrected but not destroyed that is that the Executioners dealte more cruellye with them than his displeasure could beare But all these are no otherwise to be expoūded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humane affectiō than when we reade that God hath bin angry or repented of which matter we will speake anone For whereas thou triflest elsewhere that many things are done against the determination of God as if the issue of Gods counsel depended of a condition adiected and that indéede such as is sette in oure power all this the Churche of Basill oute of the worde of God hath worthily cursed long agoe for sacrilegious blasphemie And the rather bycause we are entred into this speech I thinke good to annexe thy words out of that vncleane quaternion of thine annotations vpon the Epistle of Paule to the Romanes whiche being by good right condemned of the Churche at Basill yet thy lykes haue not ceased to sperple throughout all Churches I hinke therefore good I say to recite them and refell them bycause they belong to this place Thou say est it is easie to shew that many things are done against the determination which is toyned with condition The Potter hath determined the chalke to be a vessell for the kitchin but that vessell is cleft in the fornace contrary to the determination God had determined to bring all the Israelites that he brought out of Egipt into the lande of Canaan as Moses himselfe sheweth and therfore were al baptized into Moses in the cloude but bycause they would not assaulte the Cananites againste the determination they perished in the wooddes and as the Scribes fordidde the counsell of God in themselues Luke 7. God had vowed King Ezechias to death but by prayers and godlinesse Ezechias obtained fiftéene yeres cōtrarie to the determination Sire hundreth such may be brought Doest thou acknowledge thy wordes thou monster of men than the whiche Sathan coulde not vomite anye more filthie thing against Heauen For who is our God if his counsell depende vppon vs if anye thing can come to passe as thou sayest in the same place againste his will and determination if he be changed like men if men may violate his determination if hée shame not to make frustrate to morrowe that whiche he determined to day I humbly beséeche you you noble Senatours of the moste famous Citie also you moste excellent well learned Gouernors of the Uniuersitie at Basil how long wil you sufferin your bosome this shame this filth this monstrous beast But to the matter thou deprauest shamefully filthily thrée testimonies that thou maist strengthen thy blasphemie For indéede it is true that those Israelites were not forbidden to goe into the lande of Canaan but for their owne faulte but whence doest thou vnderstande that the Lord did euer otherwise determine of them from thence bycause they were all baptised in the cloude as if indéede the Lorde hadde ordained to life all those that are borne of Abraham after the fleshe and circumcised or all those whiche are baptised in the Church of Christe And that which the Lorde sayeth to Moses ye shall not doubtlesse come into the lande for which I lifted vp my hand the is I sware the I would place you in it this I say if thou takest to make for thée thou art much deceiued by those which we wrote a little before thou maist easily be refelled For what answereth the L. to Moses praying for the peopls health I haue forgiuen this people saith he according to Yet by and by it followeth that excepte two none aboue twenty yeares olde shoulde enter into Canaan What then verily yet the LORDE sayeth he spared the people to whome he had threatned destruction nor is this to be taken of euerye person The LORDE therefore hadde sworne to the people that he woulde place them in Canaan which also he didde albeit they went not in whiche hadde rebelled and in déede hée partly punished so the Re belles as yet he shewed mercie to their posteritie and abode by his promise but partly he so shewed himselfe mercifull to these as hée iustlye punished those and neuerthelesse cleared his own faithfulnesse as is shewed in the.
the wicked we vse to say this in respect of God working the workes are good iust which works if we consider the euill instruments as they also work are euil and vniust therfore are of God punished with iuste punishments This is not our distinction séeing the Lorde in Esay doth manifestly confirme the same and Peter also with the whole Churche at Ierusalē as we haue taught a little before So also Augustine when he saith the father deliuered his sonne the Lords own body Iudas the Lord why is God in thys actiō iust man guilty except bicause in one thing which they did that cause not one for which they did it But if also thou please to reade that which the same Augustine hathe after his manner deuoutlye and wittilye written of these matters in his Enchiridion to Laurentius in the. 100. Chapter thou shalt vnderstād many which ought to haue bin vnderstood of thée before thou shouldest reprehend our doings Therefore this distinction thou must either grant or refute not that Chimaera whiche thou imaginedst to thy selfe séeing that appertaineth nothing to vs and this heresie of the Libertines is of none more vehementlye and plentifully confuted than of Calum himselfe whom thou chargest with that suche is thy shame The fifth Slaunder No adulterye thefte or murder is committed but the wil of God commeth in betwixt Instit Chap. 14 Distinct 44. THE AVNSVVER IF thou haddest added that which Caluin in that place handleth in good earnest agaynste that selfe heresie whiche thou no lesse impudently than wickedly layest to our charge thē at that last it should haue appeared to haue bin truly said which thou sclaunderously reprouest For we say not simply that the wil of God doeth come in betwixt in these things which be euil but we adde two things One is that the will of God doth so come in betwéen euen in these things yet as in no case he allow or do work in thē in that they be euil but as they be that punishments of other euils or else by thē the Lord executeth his in déed sometimes secret but yet always iust iudgemēts The other that that Lord so oft as pleaseth him doth so vse euen euill instrumēts to that performing of his iust works that the instruments in that mean time do in no case obey the wil of God but in déed do resiste it by direct contrarie Of both we haue sayd already verye many things Yet I will in fewe wordes repeate some of them that at the laste I may satisfie thée When the Lorde would punish the adultrey of Dauid beholde sayth he I will stirre vp againste thée euill out of thine owne house and I will take thy wiues in thy sight and I will giue them to thy neyghbour and he shall sléepe with thy wines in the sight of this sunne For thou didst it in secrete but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sunne it selfe But saye Sycophant hée that doeth these and the Lorde doth all these iustly nor is the authour of incest but he iustly punisheth adultrey and murther doth he séeme to thée not to put in his wyll betwéene When thou shalte cease to spoyle sayeth the Lord thou shalt be spoyled And doth not the Lord séeme to them to haue giuen ouer willinglye spoylers into the handes of other spoylers If thou darest denye thys the Lorde himselfe shall refell in the same Prophete Esaye speaking to the Medes and Persians by whome he had determined to spoyle the Babilonians the spoylers of that Iewes I haue giuen commandement to my holy ones and haue called the mightie to my wrathe But what when the Lorde sayde to Satan Beholde whatsoeuer things Iob hath are in thy power did he decrée nothyng and a little after did Iob spake blasphemie when hauing dispised the roberie of Satan and the Chaldeis hee sayde The Lorde gaue and the Lord hath taken away And when the Lord sayth that it will come to passe that be that stryketh with the sworde shall perishe with the sworde doth he not séeme to thée to speake of those iudgements which he willingly executeth by the handes of others yea euen whē one spoyler spoyleth another Therfore the will of God and that iusse and holy commeth in betwixt both then also when men do euill and therefore haue iust punishmente But I thinke it good to cyte the verye wordes of Caluine not named as thou hast done but whole that I may set out to all men to be séene thy singular malice impudencie In those things which are already come to passe many do estéeme the prouidence of God wickedly most vnworthily All things that are done haue respect to the order of the diuine prouidence Therfore neyther theftes nor adulteries nor murthers are committed but the will of God commeth in betwixte Why do they therefore saye the théefe shall be punished whych hath despoyled him whom the Lorde wil chastice by pouertie Why shal the murderer be punished which killed him whose life the Lorde had ended If all these obey the will of God why shall they be punished Thus farre Caluine hath spoken in the person of the Lybertynes in which matter thou bewrayest such lewdnesse as hath not bene hearde of whyche attributest to Caluine himselfe which being spoken in the person of the Lybertines in the same place he afterwards refuteth in these wordes For he addeth these but indéede I denye that they obey the will of god For we saye not that he whyche is caried with an euill minde doth yéelde his ministerie to God commanding séeing he only obeyeth his wicked affection He obeyeth God who being informed of his will endeuoureth to that ende whereto he is called of the same And whence are we instructed but out of his worde Therfore in the accomplishment of matters that his wil is to be soughte of vs which he declareth in his word That only God requireth of vs which he commādeth If we committe any thing against the commandement it is not obedience but disobedience and transgression Caluin addeth further other obiections of the Libertynes whych in an other place I will set againste thyne arguments But now naughty felow art thou not ashamed of thy selfe bycause thou obiectest to Caluine those very thying which he hath dissolued Thou dealest euen in such sort as the Epicures are wōt which will enforce Dauid on their side bycause it is written in him There is no God. The sixth Slaunder The Scripture manifestly witnesseth that wicked actes are assigned to God not only willing but the authour thereof THE AVNSVVER WIit thou Diuel neuer leaue to Slaunder No one man within all memorie hathe beaten downe eyther more vehemently or more Godly thys blasphemie of the Lybertines than Caluin and wil it not shame thée so ofte to vrge the same lye in other wordes Howe often haue I aunswered alreadye wyth howe manye Testimonies taken out of Caluine himself haue I
his people Finally for that the Scripture manifestly calleth the wicked a rodde a hammer a sawe an axe which in the hande of God is appoynted and hurled not so in any wise as if mē were disburthened of blame or as if men had digenerated into logges and blockes but that we may know the prouidēce of God not to be idle in any case Otherways why shoulde God call Nabucadnezer his seruaunte and for that cause also haue scourged him bycause he called the subuertion of Ierusalem his work But what when the kings harte is sayde to be in the hande of the Lorde that he inclyneth it whether soeuer he will is it not manifestly proued that we saye that God doth stirre vp euen the wicked affections not in the they are euill but in much as he hath determined to vse them well But that also appeareth by the example of Dauid whom the Lorde is manifestly sayde to set him on to number the people If this be blasphemie go too euen rise against the spirite of God himselfe and lay to his charge the sinne of blasphemie But thou wilt saye in an other place the same thing is attributed to the Diuell therefore the name of the Diuell is to be attributed in the other place vnderstoode where it is not expressed But the wordes of the text are on this manner And the wrath of the Lorde was againe kindled against Israel and he moued Dauid against them in that he sayd go and number Israel and Iuda But who séeth not that the name of the Lorde is to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so that to be confirmed which Salomon hath written afterwards that the kings hart is turned whether soeuer the Lorde will. That in no wise as if he did instil another lewdenesse but bicause he stirreth vp that which he found eyther to the punishing of sinnes or to execute other of his counsels as a certain wel learned man hath excellently sayde But albeit the same motion is in an other place attributed to Satan is there therefore no part of the Lordes séeing it is sufficientlye manifest the Satan is the executioner of the Lordes wrath For what is sayd of Saul The spirite of the Lord departed frō Saule there entred into him an euil Spirit sent of the lord But say wherfore are these wordes of the Lord added To the end to signifie an idle sufferāce not rather the in this matter we may knowe Satan to haue bin gods instrument exercising his iust iudgemēt Neyther only the as Caluin hath wel truely written by the God cōmaunding he stirreth vp the mindes to these desires which in respect of Satā the wicked are euil but bicause he effectually draweth thē For it is not writtē the the lord sayd to the lying spirite I suffer thée to deceiue Achab if thou cāst but thou shalt perswade ouercome Go therfore do so Nor Paul writeth the the Lorde dyd giue a certaine power to deceiue but to giue strong delusion that they maye beleue lyes And the thou shouldest not thinke that we haue first taught thus out of the word of GOD heare what Augustine hath written of these things Iulianus the Pelagiā as appeareth out of Augustine against him in his fifth booke third Chapter dyd thinke this same thing the thou thinkest that is when the Lord is sayde to blynde or to harden or to giue ouer into a reprobate sense that it signifyeth nothing but that the Lorde leaueth and suffereth But Augustine sheweth that god doth not only leaue but also declare his wrath power Iulianus saith the these spéeches are beyond al credite Augustine will that they be appertinent Iulianus sayth they were burdned before with their dosires what néede was it that they shoulde be giuen ouer to them But Augustine saith doest thou thinke one thyng to haue lustes and to be giuen ouer to them For they are giuen ouer to their lustes not that they may haue them but also that they may vtterly be possessed of them Therfore saith he euē as God worketh in the bodies of the wicked by afflicting them so also he worketh in their mindes by sending them headlong into sinne And in that place Augustine handleth the historie of Semei The Lorde saith Dauid cōmaunded that he shoulde curse me God saith Augustine iustly inclined his will which was dehraued by the own fault that he might rayle vpon Dauid And there is adioyned a cause the Lord shal render me good things for this curse The same Augustine saith in an other place whē saith he God willeth that that thing be done which may not be done but whē men be willing he togither inclineth their harts that they be willing not only worketh in the hartes by assisting but euen by iudgyng that they may performe the thing which purposed no such thing which his hand counsell hath decreed The same saith in an other place the Scripture if it be diligently considered sheweth not only the good willes of mē which himself hath made of euil directeth those which he hath made good into good actions and eternal life but also that those which concerne the creature of the worlde are so in the power of God that he causeth the same to be inclined when he wil whether he will either to do good to some or to inflict punishmēt to certaine And immediatly who saith he wold not trēble at these iudgements wherwith God euen worketh in the hartes of the wicked whatsoeuer he wil yet rendring to them according to their deseruings Againe he saith it is sufficiētly euident by the testimonies of scripture that God worketh in the hartes of the wicked to the inclining their willes whether socuer he wil whether it be to good according to his mercie or to euil according to their deseruings that by his iudgemët sometimes secrete sometimes apparant alwaies iust For it ought to be fixed in your hearts that there is no iniquitie wyth god Hearest thou now Sclauderer how God worketh iustly euen in the he arts of the wicked or that I maye speake more properly by the hartes of the wicked but when after Augustine Caluine hath moste plētifully expressed of what lewdenesse was these distinctions omitted which are graunted vppon the manifeste word of God to insert the false and counterfayt sequeles of thine own braine whereof thou makest them the Authoures of whome they are so wisely and diligently refelled But tyme requireth that we heare thyne Argumentes The Sclaunderers Argumentes to the eleauenth Sclaunder Caluine attributeth to God that whiche belongeth to the Deuil as the Scriptures witnesse euery-where THE REFVTATION But thou playste the Sclaunderer whiche is of the Diuell when thou falsely accusest Caluine of that blasphemy which he hath refuted as carefully and diligently as any in the worlde God being moued with iust anger againste the Israelites pricketh Dauid by the ministerie of Sathan that by the numbering
An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes TO create to perdition is not of loue but of hatred therefore he created none to perdition REFVTATION AS this Argument dothe depende of the aforewritten so it is of necessitie that the first béeing infringed this also doe sayle Thou haste collected euill that all are beloued of God bicause that all were created in Adam But we contrarywise approue that God by his incomprehensible but yet iuste decrée hath Predestinate whom soeuer it pleased him to hys hatred and therefore to destruction neyther that that is discrepant from the nature of God whiche ought not to be measured by the common sense of men And then we shewe that that God is not moued with the hatered of any that he should vowe him to destruction but that he hath hated him whome he hath Predestinate to destruction and that truely the cause of this hatered and destruction is manifest to vs that is voluntary corruption in Adam whiche isluyng vpon all his posteritie yéeldeth also like fruictes to the tree and that to satisfie all stayed wits that albeit they know not the cause of the sacred decrée yet both bycause it is diuine and also bycause destruction is so descerned that togither the iuste causes of perdition be determined abidyng in men themselues also they confesse it to be iuste Wherfore also we haue proued that that we vse not to speake so as that we say that any one is simply created of God to destruction but therfore that by his due damnation God might shew forth his iustice But that the daÌ„nation of the Reprobate is iuste bicause their perdition doth so depende vpon the Predestination of God that yet the whole cause matter of their destruction be found in themselues These whosoeuer vnderstaÌ„deth at the least shal sée this that it is moste absurde that thou sayste that it is of hatered to create to perdition For that I say againe before the Lorde would create men we speake of the order of causes he neyther hateth or loueth but whome he createth he hath decreed from euerlasting eyther to loue in Christe or to hate in Adam Therefore to create to perdition is not of hatred but of him who hath decréed to hate to hate I saye for iust cause whiche he so annexed to the decrée of hatred that all the fault be in him whome he hateth Further if no man be therefore created that God in his due destruction might be glorified then God eyther hath determined to saue all or boroweth the causes of his counsell of the foreknowen will of men and that so that whom he knew would refuse grace offered for that cause he should vowe them to destruction and in déede shoulde suffer them to runne headlong séeing they will so But oh good Lorde howe many things be héere affirmed not alone foolishly but also wickedly For if God hath decréed to saue all as in déede he determined if he loue all howe is it that he doth not saue all Is it bicause he can not If that be so he is not omnipotent Or is it that he will not Then the Lorde altereth his counsell and when he sayth he repenteth we muste not nowe vnderstande that to be spoken of God not by translation and improperlie but properlie and in déede But and if he require the cause of hys purpose of the men them selues what workeman is he that dependeth of his worke yea what wise man euer thinketh to say that God determining to make men first considered of what forte they woulde be that thence he might consult then to haue considered wherfore he would create them Then what shall become of them to whom grace is neuer offered of which sorte we haue foreshewed that there be many Wilte thou say that all these are saued for as muche as they haue not that foreknoweÌ„ cause of refusing grace Sée for as muche as thou haste once declined from the right pathe into what absurdities thou runnest But this is the right way that God hath created all for hys owne glorie euen the wicked for the day of euill In this doctrine is no circumstance of wordes no absurditie if thou doste determine that whiche is moste true that the will of God albeit it sometimes séeme otherwise to vs yet alwayes is the soueraigne rule of iustice Agayne I pray thée how is it that thou takest such paines to defend the reprobate rather I pray thée let vs giue them ouer leaue them to the eternall Indge to be damned Let vs rather be occupied in giuing thankes to God and setting forth of his glorie who when hée also might haue predestinate vs to destruction yet rather gaue vs to his sonne by whome béeing apprehended by Faith we are fréelye saued And this benefite of God doeth wonderfullye shine forth towardes vs by the contrary destruction of reprobates and hitherto the reprobates are set to be considered of vs not that we shoulde defende theyr cause but learne in feare and trembling to reuerence the Lorde An other of the Slaunderers Arguments To creat is a worke of loue and not of hatred Therefore God created all men in loue and not in hatred REFVTATION AGAINE thou beatest againste the same rocke whiche knowest not howe to set hatred vnder the decrée that so that betwixte the decrée and hatred be interiected the cause of hatred whose gusâ—tinesse remaineth in menne themselues as I haue already saide a thousand times Againe albeit wée willing lye confesse the goodnesse of God to haue appeared in the very worke of creation nor that God hath properly hated his own worke but his corruption yet who will graunt thée that thou wouldest enfore by this argument that God bicause that for his singular goodnesse he created the reprobate therfore he did not predestinate them to his deserued hatred But I will helpe thée here For not onely in the creation of the reprobate but also in all their life a certaine vnspeakle kindenesse of God doeth often shine insomuch that if thou beholdest the presente state of thinges and ascendest no further the Lorde maye rather seeme to fauoure the wicked than the righteous which cogitation muche moued Dauid and deceyned the Epicures But what sayeth the LOKDE of all Reprobates in the person of Pharao saying Therefore sayeth hée haue I raised thée vppe that is haue broughte thée foorthe that in thée I might declare my power that is to saye in working mightily on thée Nor yet am I ignorant that there is not wanting those which otherwise expounde the word of Exciting whyche aunswereth to the Hebrue worde but the Apostles saying doeth sufficientlye declare that it is to be expounded so that it oughte to ascende to the very creation Againe what way so euer thou doest expounde it truelye it shall expresse the Lordes benefites vppon Pharao whome notwythstanding he hadde from euerlasting decréede to destroy and that bycause he woulde For why otherwise shoulde Paule ascende to the will and shoulde not rather
shuld simply signifie to wil or rather doth not signifie to allow to haue acceptable for which the Greciās say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be well affected And know thou that God wil manye things whiche yet he approoueth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his meane as for example whē he doth exercise his or correct them by the hand of the wicked doest thou thinke that it pleaseth him well that the wicked do albeit they are excited by him as he sayth euery where by hys Prophetes and so much that therefore Nabuchadnezer was called the seruant of the Lord Truely if thou thinkest so thou arte in a great errour séeing these selfe same offences he afterwards so seuerally punished in the Chaldees what then forsooth God simply alloweth not those things y is in the they oppresse his people but in y by thys meanes his patiēce is cōfirmed those that sinned are recalled to amendment hys iustice is manifested in punishing the wicked the wicked fill full there measure finally whereas these iudgements set forth his glory here the Lord approueth the vse and most iuste end of these things And the destruction of reprobates is also of this kinde not that God is simply delited therewith but for his owne glory for which cause he testifieth by Salomon that he created the wicked agaynst the day of euill Therefore I haue often saide that we vse not to speake so as to say that God created any men for their destructions sake but that by the iuste destruction of some he might manifest his owne glorie verily then the which end nothing more iust or requisite can be imagined Therefore this appertayneth nothing to the purpose of the present cōtrouersie whether God for his owne glory haue predestinate some that is the wicked to destruction which thou deniest I with Moses Salomon affirme neither canst thou gather any thing else out of those places of Ezechiel then the which we say that God is so louing that when he dealeth with men after their deserte he is not delighted with their destruction but alone prouideth for the glory of his owne name like as iust and fauourable iudges regard not the torment of offenders as though that only were their purpose to shed mens bloud but bicause the law equitie requireth that by the punishment of offenders the wicked may be feared the good may be defended from the iniuries of euil men therfore they haue hated not the men but offences in the men and by the prescript of lawes do punish them This I say is the meaning of the worde I will not against those who accused God as some cruell tirant who should rage against men without any regarde of good or euil when contrarily he neuer punisheth any but offenders that so as he is not delighted with their tormēts but with his own iustice Otherwaies if thou simply takest the word of nilling thou must in déede shew how God being vnwilling to damne y wicked therfore willing to saue them so many notwithstanding are punished with ouermuch torments by sentence of the same vnwillyng God. Finally thou shouldest haue noted to whom this Sermō of Ezechiel was applied truly not to a wicked people and obstinate but to the people of God amongst whome seing he had many elect it is no maruell that he vsed that speach to them whome conteyned within his couenant he indeuoured to recall vnto himselfe But thou to thy o◠other follies whereof I haue spoken hast also added this that thou wouldest appropriat to all mankinde that only belongeth to the Churche of God. An other Argument of the Sycophantes GOD will haue none to perish but all to come to the knowledge of the truth REFVTATION THOV arte the same thou waste wonte to be and indéede thou doest that which Heretiques be wont when with euil consciēce they patch togither the péeces of Scripture that they may vrge them vpon the simple and vnskilfull Peter in that place whiche thou wrestest after thy maner strengthning the elect agaynst certaine scoffers who as to many at this day did deride whatsoeuer was spoken of the supreme iudgement Beloued saith he be not ignorant in this one poynt that a thousande yeares with the Lorde are as one day and one day as a thousande yeares that is as I take it that the Lord after the maner of men is not bounde to any moments of time which is to strictly obserued of some Then he addeth the Lorde that promised is not slacke as many accompt this slacknesse but he is lōg suffering to vs warde notwilling that any should perishe but that all thould come to repentance And it is euen as much as if Peter shoulde haue sayde There be many of you who thinke the Lorde deferreth his other coming beyonde equitie who in déede doe thinke farre otherwayes of God then cōuenient For first let vs weigh who he is that hath promised to come that he might vtterly deliuer his In very déede he is god But may he then deferre his promise euen one moment whose worde is moste sure and who hath prefixed appointed seasons to his promise Then sée how some by impatience do sinisterly estéeme this sufferance For they thinke that the Lorde dothe after a sorte dispise his Churche or that he dothe not estéeme it so muche as is requisite when of the contrarie parte the Lorde woulde not deferre that his comming except he shoulde vse great patience and lenitie towardes vs For he onely deferreth his comming till he shal haue gathered his people whereof he will not that one shoulde perishe but rather that by true repentance they shoulde all be saued It is proued by many reasons that this is the simple plaine and apparant meanyng of the wordes of Peter To this ende he indeuoreth that he may confirme the faithfull against Epicures whence it is that he alleageth those things whiche solely belong to the faythfull that in déede he mighte recall them to the promises Finally Peter is wholly conuersant in this that he may teache the delay of the iudgement to come to indure more patiently whiche in déede do not agrée with the frowarde and obstinate who woulde pray the Lorde to protracte that iudgement as long as mighte be as appeareth by this speache of the Diuels why dyddest thou come to torment vs before the time so farre is it of that the Lordes tariance shoulde séeme too long to them Therfore seyng he calleth them beloued whome he speaketh to and adioyneth himselfe vnto them as who sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towardes vs not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towardes you who is suche a dullard that seeth not that this speache belongeth onely to the Churche alone I say to the elect Therefore in an other place it is sayde that the Lorde in that iudgement shall firste gather togither all his elect out of all the world that is to say the number of them
nown beyng accomplished Finally Iohn is the best interpretor of Peter for of him are alledged the soules of them that are stayne for the worde of God to trie that they are werie of this long delay howe long O Lorde whiche arte holy and true doest thou not iudge and reuenge our bloud agaynst those whiche dwell in the earth but what answeare haue they Euen the same whiche Peter mentioneth that is that they muste reste yet a litle whyle that is to say but euen so long til the full number of their felowe seruaunts and brethren be accomplished These therefore are they thou Sycophant of whome the Lorde will haue none to perishe and all whome he calleth to repentaunce in his time but the reste whome he hath created agaynst the day of euill for his owne glorie as Salomon sayth whome it is better to beléeue then thée there is no doubte but for their owne offence he will haue to perishe as the Scripture plainely witnesseth of the sonnes of Helie and the reprobate Iewes Here therefore thou dashest agaynst the same rocke where agaynst earwhyle thou madest shipwracke For that which onely is spoken of the chyloren thou also wilte haue to belong to the dogges whiche albeit if I shoulde graunt thée yet here also muste thou shewe how some perishe agaynst the will of God for an idle sufferaunce of iudgement agreeth not An other of the Sycophantes Argumentes IF God created the greatest parte of the worlde to perdition it foloweth that his wrath is more then his mercie And yet the Scriptures witnesse that hee is slowe to wrathe and swifte to mercie so that his wrathe is onely extended to the thirde or fourth generation when his mercie reacheth vnto thousandes REFVTATION THERE bée almoste in thys Argumente more faultes then sillables That whiche thou brablest of the greatest parte of the Worlde is all thyne owne as I sayde before albeit it maye appeare by the authoritie of Christe and the continuall obseruation of all worldes euen to the blynde themselues howe fewe doe enter at the strayte gate in respect◠of them whiche go the broade way whiche leadeth to destruction yet wée vse not willingly to wéerie oure selues in these speculations whether there bée moe vassalles of wrathe and reproche then of mercye and honour Agayne as I haue often sayde wée maye not saye that GOD hathe simplye created some to perdition but to declare his owne glory in the iuste condemnation of some Also the sequell whiche thou adioynest holdeth not for albeit that GOD shoulde saue but one man wée say the greatnesse of his loue which he hath manifested in the secrete and incomprehensible misterie of hys eternal sonne is suche that by infinite degrées it shoulde excéede all his seueritie to the wicked howe great soeuer it be thought For who in heauen or earth may comprehende what is the breadth the length and profunditie of hys loue towardes vs miserable sinners For how greate these are that eternall worde whiche in the beginnyng was God with God to be so abaced that he became man subiect to all the infirmities of our fleshe sinne onely excepted that wée agayne might be made the chyldren of god That eternal worde to be conceyued to be borne and to drawe the common breach with vs The almightie to be afflicted the space almost of foure and thirtie yeares with all troubles and afflictions with hunger thirste watchings with horrours bothe of bodie and minde with infinite slaunders the lyfe it selfe to be slayne with moste sharpe and cruell torments and to be shutte vp in a sepulchre For so we may speake by the example of Paul not that we should confound the natures but vnite them beyng seuerall But what seyng that nowe in suche falsehoode of the worlde the continuall loue of Christe towardes hys Churche dothe not nor euer shall cease if but one I say and onely pryuate man shoulde be made partaker of this wonderfull and inexplicable benefite what mater yet can be vrged of thys loue of God with his seueritie agaynst all other men and the very rebellious Angels But thou a craftie fellow haddest rather discerns the state of wrath and mercie by the number of the damned and saued then by the nature of them But why shouldest thou not doe this who arte not ashamed to wryte that that Paule whiche confesseth himselfe to knowe nothing but Iesus Christe crucifyed and who hath sette forth vnto the worlde so mightely all the riches of the Gospell that he hath deliuered to the world the rudiments of Religion and that he had a certayne more perfecte and more secrete doctrine which he hath taught to certayne his more perfecte Schollers I imagine nothing herein or sclander as thou doest Thine annotations vpon the first Epistle to the Corinthians are extant wherein thou speakest so playnely and so apparantly that thou canst not denye this blasphemie therefore I maruell not that the mercie of God in Christ crucifyed is so estéemed as nothing of thée that thou darest compare with his seueritie who hadst rather beléeue thy selfe than the Apostle and openly transformest the Christian religion into Iewishe or Anabaptisticall babling And that whiche apperteyneth to the twofold testimonie of Moses thou also too impudently wrestest the eyther of them for what if I should except that God did there manifest what a one he woulde shew himselfe to his Church Truely I shoulde say as it is as appeareth euen in this one example Let vs compare the fact of Saule with the offence of Dauid Saule contrary to the commaundemente of God whiche séemed a gréeuous thing did not by and by sley Agag the King that was taken captiue and kéepeth the fatter Cattell by oblation eyther for the Lordes Sacrifices or for himselfe by couetousnesse And what did Dauid that worthy Prophet who had so often experienced the louing kindnesse of God he defloureth anothers wife fostereth sinne hée procureth a most worthy and valiante man to be slayne by most filthy surpassing treacherie and so muche the rather that he might yéeld to his cruell desire he wittingly and willingly hazzerdeth the whole host to most euident perill the Arke of couenant and the name of God hymselfe to the scoffings of the enimies but Saule is immediately reiected nor can the Lord be intreated by any the teares of Samuell and Dauid is streighte receyued to mercie but why so in déede the foreknowledge of sinnes will héere do thée no good but to this thou must come of necessitie that God pityeth and hardneth whome it pleaseth him Yet Saule hathe not what to complayne for who hathe first giuen to the Lord and it shall be restored him Nor is it iniurie to Saule though Dauid fynde grace But yet who can not sée in Saule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wonderfull seueritie of God as Paule speaketh but in Dauid that expresse nature of God whiche hymselfe described in Moses when he saith that he is readie to mercie and slowe to
whose fall he did not onely foresee but would it with an eternall and secrete decree and ordeyned that he should fall which that it mighte come to passe in his time he appointed an Apple the cause of the fall The censure of the Sycophant SO they say that the second Article is the Deuils doctrine and they require of vs Caluine that we shewe them where it is written in the diuine bookes THE REFVTATION IN patchyng of thys sclaunder thou hast kept thyne inclination for thy selfe hast forged that thou brablest of Adam predestinat to damnation and of the Apple that God sette before him These I say thou hast impudentlye faygned that it shall not néede to aunswere any thing to them And how reuerently and religiously Caluine vsed to thynke and write of the fall of Adam maye appeare by these testimonies whyche I haue written out worde for worde partly of hys Institutions of Christian Religion and partly of hys Booke of eternall Predestination So dependeth the destruction of the reprobate sayeth he of the Predestination of God that the cause and matter be founde in themselues for the firste man did fall for that the Lord did so sée it expedient Why he so determined we knowe not yet it is assured that he determined no otherwayes but bycause he sawe it good that the glorye of hys owne name shoulde bée aduanced thereby Where thou hearest mention of the glory of GOD thynke there to bée iustice for it must bée iust that deserueth prayse man therefore falleth Gods prouidence so ordeyning but he falleth through his owne faulte The Lorde hadde pronounced a little before that all thyngs that hée made was very good whence therefore commeth thys wickednesse to man that he shoulde fall from hys GOD least it shoulde hée déemed to bée by creation God by hys worde approoued whatsoeuer hadde procéeded from hym therefore hys owne malice corrupted the pure nature whiche hée hadde receyued of the Lorde and by hys fall inforced all hys posteritie to destruction wyth hym wherefore we shall rather sée the apparante cause of damnation in the corrupte nature of man than séeke out the secrete and wholly incomprehensible in the predestination of God. Nor let it gréeue vs thus farre to submitte oure iudgemente to the immeasurable wisedome of God that it sayleth in manye of hys secretes for if those thynges which is not permitted or lawfull to know the ignorance is learned the shew of knowledge is a kind of madnesse These Sicophant be Caluines words which alone shall plentifullye suffice all gouerned wittes to deface thy slaunder But we will also adde these of abundance that your impudencie may more and more appeare There be sayeth he thrée things to be noted Firste the eternall predestination of God to be firme and ratified wherby he determined what should come to passe of all mankinde of euery man before Adam fell Then that Adam hymselfe for the worthinesse of his defection is inthralled to death and finally in his person being nowe desperate and a castaway that all his progeny was so damned that whome afterwards God did fréely elect he shoulde dignifie with the honor of Adoption But also a little after in the same place when saith he there is anye spéeche had of Predestination I haue euer constantly taught and thys day do teach that there they must beginne that all the reprobate whiche are cast away and damned in Adam are worthelie lefte in deathe that they perishe worthely who are by nature the children of wrath so that no man haue cause to complayne of Gods too muche seueritie séeyng that all menne carrie the guiltinesse shutte vp in themselues If we returne to the first man when he was created innocente that he fell willingly and thereby that it came to passe that by his owne faulte he broughte vppon hym and his destruction Nowe albeit that Adam fell no otherwayes than God knowying and so ordeyning hée lost both hymselfe and hys posteritie yet that maketh nothyng eyther to the deminishing of hys faulte or charging of God wyth the cryme for thys is euer to bée consydered that hée depriued hym selfe of that innocencie whyche he receyued of GOD hée voluntaryly vowed hymselfe into the bondage of sinne and Satan willingly gaue himself headlong to destruction One excuse is pretended that he could not auoyde that which was decreed of god But volumtary transgression suffiseth inough and too much to guiltinesse For the secrete counsell of God is not the proper and naturall cause of sinne but the manifest will of man The foolish complaint of Medea is of the olde Poet worthily derided Vtinam ne in nemore pelio c. She beyng taken with the surious loue of a straunger and vnknowen man betrayed hir countrey when she was in hir self guiltie of infidelitie and barbarous crueltie when the scourge of inchastitie doth afllict hir she foolishly turneth hir selfe to causes a farre off when man findeth within himself the cause of euill what auayleth it to wander that he may séeke it in heauen The faulte is manifest in that that he would sinne why doth he rushing into the passages of heauen drowne himselfe in a Labarinth Albeit that menne wandering by infinite fetches do indeuour to deceaue thēselues they shall neuer so amase themselues but they shall receyue the sense of sinne grauen in their hartes vngodlinesse therefore laboureth in vaine to deliuer man whome his owne conscience condemneth And for that God wittingly and willingly did suffer man to fall the cause may be secrete but vniuste it cannot be This is Caluines sentence of Adams fall whiche why it should displease thée thou shouldest rather haue shewed then to haue so impudently slaundred it but there be twoo things whiche you vse to pretende to the whiche I will answere apart First yée complaine as you are men very religious that by this meanes God becommeth the author of all sinnes sith by the fall of Adam all haue succéeded whose offence is to be attributed vnto him if in déede Adam fell by his ineuitable decrée Then you requyre the expresse worde of GOD whereby that doctrine may be ratified That which belonggeth to the firste thou hast heard already wherefore thys thy consequence is naughte worth God ordeyned thys therefore he is in the fault Caluine sheweth a reason out of Augustine in these words This sayth he without controuersie is to be holden that God hath euer hated sinne for indéede this prayse whereby he is glorifyed of Dauid is incident to him that he is a God that will no iniquitie but rather in ordeyning the fall of man he had a most excellent and iust end from which the very name of sinne is estraunged Although I so affirme him to haue ordeyned it as I graunt not that he was the proper author thereof doest thou héere Sycophant Caluine excellently refuting that very blotte of blasphemy whiche falsely and maliciously you obiect against him but yet these things satisfye thée not Be it
custome of Academians Shall it be lawfull to adde or to deâ—ract any thing from the deuine doctrine no indéede but doctrine is to be distinguished from examples whiche be but as it were hangers on of the doctrine In that highest Religion this is to be obserued that we whollie depende vppon the written word of god But if we desire to know what is set before vs in examples eyther to be allowed or reiected certayne generall positions are to be compared with that whereof the question is albeit the Scripture in the very report of examples doth not alwayes expresse it for proofe sake albeit those factes whereof we haue spoken are not manifestly condemned in the report of theÌ„ yet bicause the word of God doth manifestly forbidde drunkennesse incest lyes mankillings whoredoms deceyptes wicked iudgementes and finallye the hauing of many wiues sith the Lord hathe sayd from the beginning of two and they shall be one flesh we shall not doubt that they all are repreheÌ„ded as sinnes wherto euen the most excellente men were inthralled But sith thou canst not denye these how is it that when we come to that historie of Adam wherein is described his fall thou wilt not follow this order but requirest the expresse sentence of god For thou wilte saye bycause it is farre from the nature of God to constitute that whiche is euil so much the more that selfe thing whiche is the fountayne of all euill But we haue already shewed before that God dothe ordeyne iustly those things whiche men do vniustly that God I say dothe well vse a sinning instrument for God considereth one thing that is his owne glory for which he hath made euen the wicked as Salomon sayth but the froward will of Sathan and wicked men promiseth it selfe another thing So it commeth to passe that in one selfe worke God is iust Sathan wicked and men vnrighteous That thou mayest vnderstande thys sette we before vs thys selfe example of Adam When God woulde make man for the manifesting of the glory both of hys mercie and iustice as the issue of the matter sheweth and the Apostle setteth before vs vnder the example of the Potter He made Adam to hys owne similitude that is holy and innocente as the same Apostle expoundeth But why did he that truly bycause that sith he is good nothing can be created of him that is wicked But it is requisite that they be depraued both of whome he hath determined to shewe mercy and also whome for hys glories sake he hath decréed iustly to condemne then bycause albeit he coulde haue created that whyche was defyled yet if he hadde created any defyled thyng he coulde not iustly condemne hys owne worke Therefore I saye it was néedefull that Adam shoulde be created holy and innocente that he whyche of hys owne frée wyll wythout anye faulte of God became defyled shoulde open the way to Gods eternall counsels that is to the manifesting both of hys mercy and iustice It was therefore requisite that God shoulde open thys onely way to hymselfe that is ordeyne the fall of Adam but to that ende whyche I sayde whyche séeing it is most iust and holie it followeth that his ordinance is also iust But Sathan in the meane whyle vnwittinglie seruing the determination of God what doth he indeauoure truely béeyng inflamed wyth the hatred of God and boyling wyth enuie he laboureth so deface that excellente worke of God But what dothe Adam and Eue truely they doe violently thrust downe euen God hymselfe as a lyer and enuious from the throne of hys deytie The Serpente therefore and Adam and Eue are worthely punished who were so the instrumentes of God that so muche as in them lay they were not obediente to hym but rather conspired agaynste hym yet manifested the way to hys eternall and iust councell The beginnyng of sinne is to be soughte in the voluntarie mouing of the instrumentes whereby it commeth to passe that God hathe iustly decréede that whiche they vniustly dyd as wée before alleadged out of Augustine But yet thou wilte saye they could not resist the wyll that is the decrée of god I graunte but as they coulde not sâ— also they woulde not but they coulde not otherwayes wyll I graunte in respecte of the issue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 efficacie but yet the wyll of Adam was not forced yea he assented vnto sinne not onely wyth wylling but frée motion when hys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hys strength was not subiecte to the bondage of sinne But these thou wilte saye doe not yet satisfye mée I graunte that to but who arte thou who acknowledgest no Iustice or Wisedome in GOD excepte whereof thou mayest perceyue the reason why doest thou not rather enquire who thy selfe arte and reuerence the goodnesse of God in falne and corrupted Adam Adam is falne willingly that God decréeth is iust if these two do not satisfie thée that thou place all the offence in Adam being falne the Apostle pronounceth thée vnworthy with whome a man should dispute any more bycause thou neyther knowest who God is nor who thou art thy selfe But goe to at the last let vs strike sayle I haue shewed what rule we must follow in weying examples I also haue shewed that héere is no blasphemy whiche thou mayest feare It remayneth that I shewe out of what Chapters of Christian doctrine it may euidently appeare to be true that we affirme that is that Adam fell neyther by chance or God not knowing of it or ydlely suffering it to be so and much lesse against his will. This therefore I say is confirmed by al those places of Scripture where is affirmed that there is no rashnesse with God that is omnipotent that God hathe not only made all things but also dothe gouerne them that God careth and hath euer cared for men that there is nothing secrete to God that God is not changed nor moued with repentance albeit the Scripture doth sometimes speake so that it may as it were maffle with vs all these I say thou must eyther refute as false or confesse that whiche we affirme and I haue repeated already a thousande times that is that Adam hath falne God not only foreknowing but also iustly ordeyning and decréeing it for if before the workemanship of maÌ„ he did deliberate wherfore he would make maÌ„ he did rashly and vnaduisedly If he decréed another thing then that which came to passe he is eyther not almighty whose councels SathaÌ„ hath infringed or incoÌ„stant which changeth hys purpose Beholde Sycophant more manifest testimonies of Scripture as I thinke than thou wouldest and many moe than thou lookest for but that is almost incredible that thou who so carefully be thynkest howe thou mayest support the iustice of God that is to say staggering and in daunger to fall didst neuer consider howe weake that is whereto thou leanest albeit we should graunt it thée For I pray thée if thou pleasest to examine this deuine wisedome by the rule of
where one did lye slayne and a certayne godly man was there present who said for very horror wo is me who hathe done this wicked acte he aunswered by and by in hys Picardian tong I if thou wilt know haue done it Then the other as one astonished said hast thou art thou so wicked Quintinus aunswereth I am not he but it is god How sayth the other are the offences to be imputed to God which he cōmandeth to be punished Then began this filthy fellow the more to vomit out his poison saying so the matter standeth thou thy selfe hast cōmitted it I haue cōmitted it God hath committed it For that which I and thou do God doth also what God doth we do for he is in vs This being granted this sinne should be imputed to God or it is to be cōcluded that there is no sinne done in the world sith there is nothing which is not made of God so all difference of good and euill is taken away whereon it wyll followe that we may not reprooue any thing as euill séeing all be the workes of God and it shall be lawfull for men as it were with reynes let loose to doe whatsoeuer commeth in their mind not only bycause we are without the dāger of sinning but also bycause to restreyne any desire is to hinder god For example hath one committed whoredome he is not to be blamed for there shoulde be inforced blasphemie against god Hath some one desired his neyghbours wife let him haue hir if he can for hée knoweth certaynely that he doth nothing but the will of god That apperteyneth to riches he that can get them by force or by anye craftie meanes let him do it boldly for he shall vndertake nothing whiche is not alowed of god He that hath violently taken whatsoeuer he could lette him not muche trouble himselfe about restoring of them for it is not beseting that God shoulde be corrected The some turne these fiue speculatiōs to their profite for whatsoeuer it be they will neyther that themselues be touched nor that God whome they immagine do any thing that may be hurt to them If any one haue suffered detrimente agaynste hymselfe or losse of goodes they laugh and say that all those be excellent euen that they contende wyth God who accuse the authors of michiefe but if their least finger bée neuer so little touched forgetfull of these fyne reasons they breake out into choller and are not more vehemently chafed agaynste any Héere I wyll sette downe a pleasant Hystorie whereby I will shewe what these dotages doe them good when they haue most néede There was at Paris a certayne Cobler so forced with the poyson of thys secte that hée iudged nothyng to bée euill It came to passe that when hée woulde on a tyme visite Stephanus a Fabrica wyth whome hée hadde some dealing and founde hym sadde for hys seruaunte whyche hauyng runne from hym hadde taken with him certayne money but the chiefe cause of hys heauinesse was that hée feared least he shoulde in some other place abuse hys name amongst hys Chapmen The Cobler asked what was amisse wyth hym he aunsooered in thrée wordes as hée was a man of fewe wordes incontinente the cobler exalting hymselfe as if with displayed wings he woulde flye aboue the Cloudes he reproued Stephanus as blaspheming God for that hée called hys worke wickednesse and bycause GOD dyd all thynges nothyng is to bée iudged euill Stephanus knowyng that hée coulde profite nothyng by reasoning wyth hym in one worde hée cutte of hys talke Within fewe dayes after it came to passe as God woulde that a certayne seruaunte committed thefte agaynste thys smatering Philosophicall Cobler hée as one halfe madde running this way and that way desired in greate hast to heare somewhat of his Seruaunte When he coulde not fynde the man hée came to Stephanus hys house that wyth howling and complayning hée myghte ease hys minde nowe hée beganne to cast vppon that théefe heapes of raylings and was procéeding further When Stephanus thus interrupted hys talke what sayeth hée is it good to blaspheme or maye wée accuse God if hée haue done thys hée is rather to be praysed the frantike fellowe béeyng auercome wyth hys wordes whyche hymselfe hadde vsed before and béeyng stricken wyth shame hée departed and yet for all that he repented not By thys example we are taughte howe the Lorde dothe confounde those madde men wyth experience it selfe and yet that dothe not profite them whereby they shoulde the lesse frowardlye continue in theyr madnesse for they are possessed of the Deuill whyche dothe not suffer them to sée those thinges whyche are layde before their eyes Then is to be noted that there followe of thys article thrée execrable euils The fyrste euill is this that thys graunted there shall be no difference betwixt God and the Deuill as also in very déede the God which they immagine vnto vs is an Idoll worse than the Deuils themselues Another that men shall any more be moned with no conscience to shunne euill but as beastes hauing no difference of things shall followe their owne appetite The third that no man shall now dare to iudge of any thing but all things must be allowed whoredomes murthers theftes and the greatest offences of all shall be taken for laudable exploytes That this article may better be dealt withall I must treate in order of these thrée whiche I sayde woulde followe and then their foundation being ouerthrowen which they abuse must be refuted HOVV the prouidence of God whereby he doth all things is to be considered howe the Libertines speaking of it confounde all things which is the first consequence of the abouesaide Article Chap. xiiij WEdenie not but all things are done by the will of God and so muche the more when we declare why he is called Almightie we attribute vnto him an effectuall power in all creatures and teach that hauing once created the vniuersall world he also doth so gouerne the same and hath euer his hand ready in the worke that he may kéepe all things in their estate and dispose them according to his wil. That I may more easily expresse what this meaneth I say that we must consider that God doth worke thrée manner of wayes in the vniuersall goernement For first there is an vniuersall working whereby he directeth all creatures according to the state and propertie whiche he hathe giuen to euery of them when hée created them This gouernance is nothing else than that which we call the order of nature For whilest the infidels due acknowledge nothing in the disposition of the worlde but that they sée with their eyes and therefore constitute nature as it were a Goddesse whiche should rule and gouerne all things this glory is to be giuen to the will of God that it alone guydeth and ruleth all things Wherefore when wée see the Sunne the Moone and Starres performe their course let vs thinke that they obey God that they execute his
commaundements and not that onely but that they are gouerned with Gods hande and that all things are done by his power So when we beholde the course of earthly things al things to be attributed to God but the creatures are to be iudged as instruments in hys band which he will apply to the worke howsoeuer it pleaseth him The Scripture oftentimes toucheth this vniuersall prouidence that we may learne to giue glory to God in all his workes And God especially commendeth to vs this his power that we may acknowledge the same in our selues to the ende we may be ridde froÌ„ arrogancie which so soone as we forget that we be in his hande dothe vse by and by to surmount in vs To this it is that Paule sayde at Athens In him we liue moue and haue our beyng for he doth testifie vnto them that excepte he do sustayne vs with his hande for neuer so litle moment of time we can not continew seing we remayne in him and as the soule disperseth his power thorowe all the bodie dothe inforce the members that so we be quickened of God of whome we obtayne whatsoeuer strength and abilitie is in vs Yet this vniuersall working of God dothe not let but that all creatures bothe in heauen and earth may receyue their qualitie and nature and folowe their proper inclination The other way whereby God worketh in his creatures is that he compelleth them to the obedience of his goodnesse iustice and iudgement euen as be will nowe helpe his seruaunts nowe punishe the guiltie nowe trie the patience of the faythfull or chasten them with a fatherly affection So when he will bestowe aboundance of fruytes he giueth Raynes in his time sendeth warmth by his Sunne and lightsome and sayre dayes then also he vseth other naturall meanes as instruments of hys louyng kindnesse But when he dothe withdrawe his hande unto himselfe the heauen becommeth as it were brassie the earth as ironie Therefore it is he that maketh Thunders Froste Hayles and Tempestes and he causeth barraÌ„nesse Therfore whatsoeuer the Ethniques ignoraÌ„t attribute to fortune we must ascribe to the diuine prouidence not so much to that vniuersall power wherof we haue spoken but to his speciall moderation wherby he gouerneth al things as seemeth best and most to his glory And that he teacheth when he sayeth by the prophets that he createth light and darkenesse sendeth lyse death that nothing good or euil coÌ„meth but from his hand in so much that he saith that he gouerneth also lots and other things which séeme casual But if some one be casually slaine not by fore practice that he is cause of hys death and hath so appoynted least we shoulde denie any to fall by chaunce but all things by the determination of his counsell And he is vehemently offended when we thinke that any thyng roÌ„meth from other where and do not looke upon him that we may acknowledge him not onely as the principall cause of all but also as the Author determinyng by this or that meane all things by his counsell So therefore let us conclude that as wel prosperitie as aduersitie Raynes Windes Hayles Froste Brightnesse Aboundance Famine Warre and Peace are the workes of God and that the creatures whiche be inferiour causes be onely instruments whiche he hath in use to execute hys will and therfore vieth theÌ„ at hys pleasure turneth those thyngs which way soeuer it pleaseth him bringeth them to that passe that that vndoubtedly may be done whiche he hath determined There is further to be noted that he vseth not onely sencelesse creatures in thys sorte that by theÌ„ be may worke and performe his will but euen men themselues also the Diuel In so much that euen Sathan and the wicked are executers of the Diuine will. Euen as he vsed the Egyptians to afflict hys people and a litle whyle after he stirred up the Assyrians and others lyke that he mighte punish theyr offences We sée he vsed the Diuell that he might torment Saule deceyue Achab and when néede is to exercise his iudgements against al the wicked or on the otherside to proue the coÌ„stancie of his owne people wherof Iob is an example unto us Whiche things when the Libertines here rashly and vnaduisedly breakyng out nor lookyng any further they conclude that the creatures doe nothyng else So they horribly confounde all things For they confound not onely heauen with earth but God with the Diuell And that commeth so to passe bycause they obserue not twoo exceptions muche necessarie The first is that Sathan and the wicked are not so Gods instrumentes but they also play there owne partes For wée muste not so immagine that GOD worketh so by a wicked manne as by a stone or blocke but as by a reasonable creature accordyng to the qualitie of nature which he hath gyuen hym When therefore we say that God worketh by creatures that booteth not why the wicked for there parte shoulde not worke too whiche also the Scripture dothe manifestly shewe For as it pronounceth that GOD will hysse and as it were sounde with a Trumpette that hée maye brynge out the Infidelles to battell that he will barden and inflame their hartes so it ceasseth not to shewe theyr owne counsell and of what will they are and ascribeth vnto them that worke which by Gods decrée they execute The other exception wherof these vnhappie men haue no vnderstanding is this That there is great oddes betwirt the worke of God and the worke of a wicked maÌ„ sich God vseth him but insteede of an instrument The wicked is incited to his worke with his couetousnesse or ambition or enuie or crueltie and he regardeth no other end Therefore of that roote that is of the affection of minde and ende whiche he respecteth the worke taketh his qualitie and is worthely iudged cuill But God hath altogither respect of contrary things that is to witte that he may exercise his iustice to befend the good that he may vse his grace and mercie towardes the faythfull and correct those that deserue euill Sée in what sort we must discerne betwirt God and men that hence we may beholde in the selfe worke his suffice goodnesse and iudgement thence the malice of the Diuell and Infidels but let vs take an excellent and lightsome glasse wherein we may beholde these When worde was brought to Iob of so great losse of his goods of the death of his children and of so many â—uils which vefell him he acknowledged that God did vid visits him saying the Lorde hath giuen me all these things and he hath taken them And in déede so the truth was but in the meane time did be not know that the Diuell did cause this euill vpon vnderstoode he not that the Chaldées had briuen away hys heardes and cattle did he commende those robbers and théenes or did he excuse the Diuell bicause that affliction came out from God No I trowe For he vnderstood
31 And he worketh in respect of his owne worke but he suffereth in respect of that worke which that euil instrumets doe willingly in so muche as they be actiue not passiue instrumēts that we may retaine that words accustomed in scooles Yet he iustly suffreth that these doe vniustly bicause that sinnes in so much as God suffreth them are no sinnes but punishments of sinnes For it is a iust thing before God that sinnes be punished euen with sinnes But these self actiós for asmuche as they procéede from Satan and wicked men stirred vp of Satan and their owne concupiscence in this respect they are sinnes which the Lord iustly punisheth in his due time for the Lorde neuer suffreth sinnes as they are sinnes yea he euer disaloweth and forbiddeth them 32 Nor is this consequence aught worth God will all things therfore he aloweth all things For he willeth many things and therefore suffreth not bicause he doth simply alowe them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a sorte For he aloweth them in that he suffreth them bycause that hetherto they be no sinnes as we sayde alreadie but he disaloweth and reuengeth as he cōsidereth the wicked instruments whose déedes they bée 33 These be Augustines wordes in his Enchiridion to Laurentius the. 100. chapter Great are the workes of the Lorde sought out into all his willes as in a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manour that is not done besides his will which is done against his will bycause it should not haue bene done if he had not suffred it nor in déede doth he suffer agaynst his will but willingly The same in his fifth Booke agaynst Iulianus the thirde Chapter where of set purpose he hath disputed against them which determine an idle foreknowledge or sufferaunce and at the laste breaketh out into these wordes truely sayeth hée if we suffer them ouer whome we haue authoritie to commit offences before our eyes we shalve guiltie with them But how innumerable things doth he suffer to be done before his eyes which verily if he would not he would by no meanes suffer and yet is he iuste and good 34 The whole Scripture cōmon reason doth shew that nothing is done without the wil of God no not of those which séeme most casuall as Genes 27.20 it is sayde God brought the pray to Iacobs handes by by And in Exod. 21.13 So oft as man slaughter is committed at vnwares the Lord saith Moses hath brought to passe that he should fall into thy handes The like is sayde of the euent of lottes in the Prouerb 16.33 of all the counsels of men in the. 4. of Daniel 32. of the falling of Sparowes in the. 10. of Mathew 29. and finally of all things without exceptiō in the first to the Ephesians 11. 35 But it plainely appeareth almost by euery page of Scripture that in déede the most effectual wil of God doth some betwixte euen then also when he worketh by the wicked So he is sayde to haue sent Ioseph into Egipt Gen. 45.8 So he stirred vp Pharao to manifest bys power in him Exod. 4.21 So he gaue the wiues of Dauid to his sonne Absalon 2. Sam. 12.11 So he stirred vp the minde of Dauid to the number of the people 2. Sam. 24.1 So he commaunded Simey to curse Dauid 2. Sam. 1.10 So Dauid called his enimies the sworde and hande of the Lorde Psalm 17. vers 1◠and 14. So the Lorde calleth the Modes and Persians his sanctified and instrument of his wrath Isay 10.5 and. 13.6 So the falling away of the tenne Tribes he calleth his worke 2. of Numbers 11.4 So sayth Iob the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away Iob. 1.21 So the King of the Babylonians is compared to an axe and a sawe that is bycause by hym thinking no such thing the Lord executeth his worke Isay 10.15 So the Godly are afflicted by the will and predestination of God Rom. 8.29.1 Peter 3.17 and. 4.19 So there is no euill in the Citie whiche the Lorde hath not done Amos. 3.6 and Ieremias in hys lamentations 3.37 who is it sayeth he which saith it is done and God hath not commaunded it therefore out of the mouth of the Lord procéede not good and euill 36 But go to let be chosen for example the worke of all others most excellente and togither the most wicked in déede the most excellente if we beholde the infinite iustice and mercie of the father or the immesurable obedience and loue of the sonne but the most wicked if we consider the instruments themselues as Sathan Iudas the Iewes Pilate and Herod And this worke is the death of the sonne of God full of crueltie and ignomie If wée shoulde in this facte denye that the eternall councell of God did come betwixt we shall be conuinced with infinite testimonies of Scripture It is ratifyed that wée were elected in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde no otherwise than in hym that shoulde dye Ephes 1.4.1 Pet. 1.20 for which cause also he is sayde to be the Lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde Apoc. 13.18 that is not only by the foreknowledge but especially by the determinate councell of God in so muche verily that Herode and Pilate albeit they thoughte no such thing yet therefore did accord that they might execute those things whiche the hande and councell of the Lord had determined to be done Artes. 4.28 therefore he coulde not be taken but in his time Iohn 7.30 and. 8.29 and. 12.27 For he was deliuered by the determined councell of God and decree going before Actes 2.25 and hee was wounded of God for our iniquities Isai 53.5 for God is he who hathe not spared hys owne sonne but gaue him for vs all Rom. 8.32 Therefore if but only this example were extant of the eternall and least ydle Prouidence of God at any time it shoulde in déede abundantly suffice to conuince all those who falsely crye out that we make God the author-of sinne when we saye that nothyng is done but by the iust will of God. 37 For neyther therefore doe we excuse but most vehemently accuse Sathan who working in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 both also when the Lord by Sathan himselfe and by Sathans bondslaues 2. Timo. 2.26 doth most effectually and iustly performe his will. Therefore euery where we acknowledge and reuerence the goodnesse and iudgements of God albeit we oftentymes sée not the reason of them And we all condemne the very instrumentes which be euill and their sinister and wicked actions that is all the shiftes and slightes of Sathan the enuie and brother quelling of Iosephs bréethren the wickednesse and obstinacie of Pharao the horrible incest and fathermurthering mind of Absolon also the rashnesse of Dauid the leudenesse of Semey the falsehode and malice of Dauids enimies the sacrilegious falling away of Ieroboam and the tenne tribes the thefte of the Chaldees the insatiable auarice incredible gréedinesse intollerable arrogancie of the
in God there can be no difference of good and euill albeit for as much as he is God after his peculiar and proper manner he is cause of all and euery thing For all things in so muche as they are done by the will and decrée of God working as the Apostle sayeth Ephes 1.11 whether hée performe his worke by good or euill instruments are alwayes iust good and holy but in so muche as the instrumentes worke sometimes their actions be good and therefore acceptable to God but sometimes euill and therefore inacceptable to God and inthralled to his iust iudgement For albeit God willeth and doth all things that be done yet he willeth not all things in suche forte or executeth in such wise as the instruments will and do for the faulte is in the instrumentes not in god But nowe it is that we sée whych workes of the instrumentes bée good and whiche also euill But that that maye bée conueniently made playne wée say that the will of God is vsed in two sortes for sometimes it conteyneth onely those things whiche the Lorde dothe simply allowe that is bycause the qualitie of them is good of it selfe as when Dauid sayeth teach me to doe thy will and when wée pray the father that hys wyll may be done in carthe as it is in Heauen that is that all our life may be framed to hys wyll In these places I saye and innumerable others the will of God sheweth nothing else than that whyche the Lorde hathe manifested to vs in his word to be acceptable and pleasante to hymselfe nor in déede doe we saye that Sathan or men in that they doe euill doe the will of God but rather resist the will of God and therefore in the end to suffer iust punishmentes of theyr wickednesse And therefore we determine that they are euill whose qualitie is such that in themselues they displease God But contrarily those are good which God dothe simplye in themselues allöwe but sometymes the wyll of God doth conteyne euen those thynges whiche he dothe not simply allowe but rather reiecteth and reuengoth them which yet he dearéeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his meane and in a certayne respect do please him which when thou vndershandest not thou foolishly reprchendest For what wilt thou deny that they do heynouslie offeÌ„d which persecute the Churche but that the saincts are afflicted by the wil of God if it be so that thou denie it Peter himselfe shall refute thée in two places It is better saith be if God wil so that you be persecuted for well doing than for euil The same in the same Epistle Those saith he that by the wil of God are afflicted let theÌ„ coÌ„mit their foules to him 〈◊〉 wel doing as to 〈◊〉 faithfull creator Dost thou heare that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of will But what sayeth Paule where be handleth the same arguments Those saith he whome he knew before he predestinate to be coÌ„formed to the image of his sonne Now therefore we perceyue that the Predestination and will of God did come betwixte in the afflictions of the Sainctes Peter also in another place disputing of the Crosse of Christ which place we haue oftentimes alreadie cyted maketh mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the determinate councell and foreknowlege of God. And in another place the whole Church at Hierusalem maketh mention of the hand and councell of God but dothe God allow the wickednesse of them that persecute the Church no in déede but the wicked whyche persecute the Church shall at the last suffer deserued tormentes But God dothe dayly trye out and perfite his Church by that same thing which he worthily reueÌ„geth in his enimies and in this respecte the will councell ratified and determined decrée and finallie the very worke of the most iust and most wise God doth no lesse come betwixt than when he vseth choyse and holy instrumentes to the accomplishment of things of themselues most good and excellent If this consolation be taken from vs as in déede it is if we beléeue the dreaming I can not tell of what idle sufferaÌ„ce besides the wil and decrée of God in such as these how shall we euer remaine firme and constant nor doth he say al things which thinketh that the end issue of al such matters are gouerned of god But this ought especially to be beléeued that Sathan or Sathans instrumeÌ„ts can not practise against vs be it neuer so little that y our good father hath not from euerlasting decréed determined for our coÌ„moditie that our coÌ„solatioÌ„ might be full firme But it may be that in this kind of euil whereby the godly are afflicted thou wilt denie that Peter Paule the other holy wrighters wheÌ„ they make meÌ„tioÌ„ of the will couÌ„cel decrée hand of God do not intend those that persecute the church but them rather which suffer these things But it I shall remoue this obiection I seare least some may thinke that I do you an open iniurie who should suppose that it were possible that you should broche such foolish questions Yet I will also vndoe this doubte bycause I sée nothing of it selfe so playne and without all difficultie whiche may not gréedily of you be taken to the ende you may both incomber your selues and others First of all these things are so vnited in themselues by mutuall relation that is the actiâ—â— of those that persecute the Saintes and the sufferaunce of the afflicted Sainctes by them that he whiche saithe God will this but dothe onely suffer that may worthily séeme â—oyde euen of common reason But least I séeme to contende with thée with reasons drawen only from common sense which compasse of contention thy selfe yet séemest to haue prefixed vs go to let vs heare the Spirite of God himselfe speakyng whose authoritie I wishe thou couldest once preferre before thy fruitelesse and childishe inuentions Iob beyng giuen into the hande of Satan not for any sinne of hys but for a most excellent example both for his and our confirmation sake the Lorde saith he hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken away What wouldest thou answere here good man agreeth the worde of takyng away with Iob from whom the thing was taken or rather with him who taketh the thyng For Iob neyther crieth out that he hath wrong done him or excuseth the théeues but acknowledgeth and reuerenceth the suste will of God in giuing and takyng away I say he acknowledgeth the will of god Who may not sée that Iob by the worde of taking away aswell as giuing hath intended not onely the will and purpose of giuing and taking away but euen the very selfe giuyng and taking away For the Lorde both in giuing and taking away vseth whatsoeuer instruments be pleaseth and that in nowise inforced but willingly Therfore in the like argument as we haue shewed before calleth his aduersaries albest wicked men yet the sworde and hand of god And further
wilt thou denie I say not only the detecminatiō or wil but also the powre hand of God to come in betwixt in the afflictions of Saintes yea in respect of the persecutors theselues At the least heare what Paul saith of the most bitter death of the sonne of God He spared not saith he his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all And wilt thou acknowledge here no decree no will of the most good God our most louing Father Further let vs now come to that sorte of wicked with whom the Lorde albeit vsing the handes and helpe of the vngodly doth yet iustly correct his children here also we shall shew that the decrée the wil the counsell and finally the action of God doth come in betwixt Finally what examples of outrage crueltie vngoblinesse did not the Chaldees she we in Hierusalem and all Iudes who is he that lifte vp his hande that stroke Iudah who his ensigne being displaied gathered together the Gentiles vnto warre that with an hisse stirred vp the people a far off whiche brought strong and mightie waters against Iuda Let vs heare the Lord him selfe answering by Isai O Assur the radde of my furie the staffe of my wrath in their hand I will fende him to a disseinbling people I will cōmaund him against the people of my indignatiō that he rob them as a pray that take spoyles and giue him to be trode vpon as the duste in the stréetes But what saith the Lord in Ieremie I will stād saith he and will take all the nations of the North Nabucadnerer my seruant King of Babilon and I wil bring them vpon this lande against the inhabitans thereof and against al these nations by the borders thereof and I will spoyle them And in Erechiell Wo be to the blouddy citie saith hée for I will make the burning great I will he ape on much woode in kindlyng the fire in consuming the flesh in casting in spice that the very bones may be burnte What more Thus saith the Lorde God beholde I will pollme my Sanctuarie euen the pryde of your power the pleasure of you and your hartes desice But I pray thée good felow dothe he nothing but enely forsake or suffer idlely something to be done or doth he only moderate the issue of things who himselfe inciteth the enimies appointeth armies leadeth the hoaste and bryngeth euen into the citie and commaundeth that none be spared kindleth the fire and by al meanes doth nourish it and finally doth prostitute the very Temple to the rauine and auarice of all the vngodly If thou deniest thys worke of God the worke I say of God not idlely lookyng on but effectually workyng the same thyng by Nabucadnerer I will yet rather beléeue the Lorde than the false Prophete For the Lorde reasonyng thus of the selfe thyng that is of the destruction of the Citie After sayth hée that the Lorde hath finished all hys worke in mounte Sion and Ierusalem I will visite the proude harte of the kyng of Assur Therefore when thou flyest to the Sanctuarie of hys idle and fruytelesse sufferaunce what other thyng doest thou shewe but that thou arte voyde euen of common reason For truely it is euen as muche as if thou shouldest saye that GOD beyng idle dothe worke agaynst hys will except it be so that thou darest accuse the Prophetes yea euen the Lorde hymselfe of blasphemye and in déede of ignoraunce But what dyd Dauid when hée was exasperated with the cursings of Symer Thus sayde Dauid he curseth mée bycause the Lorde hath commaunded him to curse me So when the tenne Tribesfel away not onely from Roboam but also from the Lorde himselfe for whiche defection they afterwardes suffered moste sharpe punishments dothe not the Scripture playnely witnesse that it was the Lordes doyng that the kyng shoulde not harken to the people Truly I do not imagine any thing here sith the holy Ghost in the reporte of hys Historie vseth the wordes cause or occasion than the whiche I sée not what coulde be sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more effectuall Wherefore also the Lord himselfe dealing of this defectiō and speakyng to the armie of Roboam by Semahia the Prophete Goe not vp saith he neyther fight ye agaynst your brethren the thyldren of Israell let euerye man returne to his owne home for this thyng is my doyng But also go to when the Lord threatned that he would reuenge the adultery of Dauid with the punishment of a like and therefore the greater mischiefe that is with incest what sayth he I will take saith he thy wiues in thy sight and will giue them to thy beste beloued who shall sléepe with thy wiues in the sight of this Sunne Beholds goodfelow the very wordes of the Lorde Goe therefore and accuse God of blasphemie For why shouldest thou not dare to do that seing blushlesse and shamlesse face thou darest reprehend his seruants affirming these same things as wicked and blasphemers But thou wilt say these haue néede of some interpretation But of that we shall sée hereafter Now let vs come to the thirde forte of euils by which the Lorde punisheth the wicked eyther by the good or else doth it amongst themselues lyke as I should stryke with a hammer so one shoulde mangle and flea an other But here agayne we affirme not that truytlesse and forged sufferance or leauyng whiche you dreame but that the counsell decrée will and finally the action of God did in déed come in betwéene and that most iuste and holy bothe also when euill instrumentes worke wickedly whiche God doth most iustly graunt them and executeth by them What then wilt thou denie that the good are stirred vp of God to the destruction of the wicked I thinke not But what is to be thought of euils committed among themselues then also when one do iniurie the other appeareth euen by that place of Esai where the Lord calleth the Medes and Perstans whom he would stirre vp against the Babilonians his holy ones and the instruments of hys wrath But also in an other place where there is mention of those kings whiche sette themselues against Iosua This was done of the Lorde sayth the holy Ghost who had hardened their hartes that they shoulde withstande Israell with battell and that they might giue them ouer to the slaughter nor that any pitie should he shewed them but they shoulde vtterly be destroyed as the Lorde had commaunded Moses But of hardening we shall sée in his place Now answere what it is to deceyue a false Prophete I know what thou wilt answere that is the same whiche thou arte wonte to brable of leauyng of whiche mater lette vs heare if thou wilt Augustines words disputyng against one Iulianus and playnely refutyng that your separation of sufferance frō will. What is it saith Augustine to Iulian that thou sayste when they are sayde to be giuen ouer to their
20. Chapter of Ezechiel In the meane time there is lefte no place to the chaunging of his determination or for repentaunce For whereas it is sometimes saide that the LORDE hathe repented If thou vnderstandest not that it is spoken by figure in déed thou knowest not the firste groundes of Christian religion if thou impudentlye deniest it thou arte more worthy for thy blasphemye to be suppressed of a Magistrate than that thou shouldest be enformed of any one In the other place whiche thou citest oute of Luke thou bewrayest thy manifest intollerable malice From whom did euer this blasphemie procéede besides thée that he shoulde saye that men might infringe the counsell of God And thou thy selfe in déede when in Latine thou diddest rather peruert than conuerte waste somewhat more shamefaste for so thou haste interpreted When this was hearde the people and publicans being washed with the wasing of Iohn praised god But the Pharisies and Lawyers so muche as in them didde lye dydde foredoe the counsell of god But saye when thou wouldest adde that exception as much as in thē did lye did thy conscience tel thée that this sentēce could not stand withoute this exceptiō How is it therfore that that omitted thou darest now is impudentlye wreste this testimonie that thou mayst ratifye so horrible a blasphemie But further good Lord what sacrilegious impudencie is this to dare so openlye transferre the moste sacred worde of God to whose onely authoritie the truth amongst men leaneth And indéede I leaue thy washing to such a fine and daintie man as thy selfe For we are not the menne whiche despise baptisme but who taught thée to expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against themselues as much as in them was It shoulde rather haue bene layde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as was in them And séeing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath manye significations why hast thou chosen that which was of al others least appertyyning was it not bycause thou haste determined as muche as was in thée to depraue thys place and manye others For who can not sée that those were set agaynst the Publicanes imbracing the doctrine of God by direct contrarie those who despised the same and abandoned it from them For the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth oftimes declare thys as I chn 12.48 and 1. Thessa. 4.8 in the whiche place thou thy selfe vsest the worde of retecting Seest thou therefore moste shamelesse man that this testimonie doth nothing lesse than confirme thy blasphemie But I assure thée this wil come to passe that if thou repentest not with spéede and bringest a more religious minde to the dealing in holye writings the verye stones will rather rise against thée than that thou shouldest escape with this sacrilegious impudēcie vnpunished That remayneth whiche thou alleagest of Ezechias of which sorte of examples thou auouchest there mighte be many broughte It séemeth good to rcproue thine ignoraunce with the wordes of Caluine himselfe bycause though thou burst with enuye of this matter there can be nothing spoken neyther more briefly nor more truely nor more plainly Thus therfore hée saith in that goldē worke whose true title is that institutiō of Christiā religiō in that chapter of predestinatiō the prouidēce of God that 53. 54. section As when we heare that God is angry we may not thinke that there is in him any disquietnesse but rather thinke that this spéeche is taken from our sense bycause God séemeth to beare the countenance of one that is moned angry so oft as he executeth iudgement so may we not conceiue any other thing by the name of repentance than the alteration of his works bycause men are wont in changing their workes to shewe that they displeased them Bycause therfore euery chaunge amongst men is the correction of that whiche displeaseth and correction procéedeth of repentaunce therefore by the name of repentaunce is signifyed that whiche God changeth in his workes In the mean time neyther his counsell nor wyl was infringed nor his affection changed but that which from euerlasting he had forsaken approued and decréed he prosecuteth with a standing course howsoeuer any soden chaunge may appeare to the eyes of men Nor whyle the sacred historie reporteth the destruction forgiuen to the Niniuites which before was published the prorogation of Ezechias his life whē death was denounced sheweth what Gods decrées were abrogate They whych so thinke are deceiued in threatnings which albeit they simplye affirme yet neuerthelesse it is to be vnderstand that they conceyue in them a secrete condition Why dyd the Lorde sende Ionas to the Niniuits who shoulde foreshe we their destruction Why dyd he foretel of death to Ezechias by Esay For he coulde haue destroyed both those and them without warning of destruction He therfore weyed another thing than forknowing their destruction they might beholde it comming euen hard at hand Verilye he woulde not they shoulde be destroyed but amended least they shoulde be destroyed Wheras therefore he prophecieth that Nineuy shoulde be destroyed after fortye dayes it is therefore done leaste it shoulde perish Whereas the hope of longer life is cut off to Ezechias it is therefore done that he might obtayne by request a longer life Who séeth not now that the Lord by such like threatnings woulde awake them to repentaunce whom he feareth that they might escape the iudgement whiche their sinnes had deserued If that be so the nature of things inforceth vs thither that in a simple denuntiation we vnderstande a secrete condition which also we cōfirme by like examples The Lorde reprouing the king Abimelec bycause he had takē from Abraham his wife vseth these wordes Beholde thou shalte dye for the woman whom thou haste taken for she is the mans wife And after that he had made excuse he sayeth thus Restore the man hys wife for he is a Prophete and he shall pray for thée that thou mayste liue But if not knowe that thou shalte dye the deathe and all that thou haste Séest thou that by the first denunciation he might strike hys minde the more vehementlye to the ende he mighte make him carefull to restore but by the other he plainely manifesteth his will When the like reason is of other places infer not vpon them that anye thing of the former counsel of the Lorde is disanulled bicause he hath made frustrat that he pronoūced The lord rather maketh way to his eternal ordinance whē in denouncing punishmēt he moueth thē to repentance whō he wil spare than change any thing in wil no nor in word excepte bycause he setteth not downe by sillables that which is manifest he meaneth If in téed that be to stand true which that prophet Esay sayth The lord of hostes hath determined who can disanul it his hand is stretched out and who shal turne it away These saith Caluine which if they cannot satisfie thée yet they are suche as I truste will satisfie all gouerned wittes Nor doth
approued in all the worlde In déede I graunte it one thing to bid or commaund but another thing to permitte that this or that be done but I say that common sense doth shew to euery one that wil is ioyned with an inseparable bonde both with commaundement and with sufferaunce albeit sometimes men ouercome with necessitie or importunitie do commaunde or suffer to be done that whiche otherwayes they woulde not But for as murhe as thou requirest similitudes go too let vs declare these with examples dilated Those that performe their businesse by others it is of necessitie that they giue them authoritie to doe whatsoeuer apperteyneth to the accomplishmente of that businesse as the procuratour maye deale by commaundement But who besids thée alone did euer thinkâ— to saye that this sufferaunce was contrarie to will séeing that this whole sufferance procéedeth of méere wyll and so much the more of choyce But the maner of working is no other which the lord vseth in that doing of those things whiche are done euerye daye For firste he hathe giuen to euerye not onlye sorte but also scuerall that vniuersall power and facultie whyche thou mayest sée manifolde Then he applyeth this same power euery moment to singular particular actions eueÌ„ as by his eternall and inchangeable counsel he doth not onely foreknow and gouerne but also willeth and decreeth all things And he vseth as we said before both good and also cuill instruments whiche destruction began not from the creation but corruption but so he vseth them that if there be anys vice in the instruments this contagion come not so farre as vnto him For he rightly decréeth willeth and permitteth not onely those things which the voluntarie instruments will and doe iustly but also those whiche wicked instruments wil do wickedly as we haue plentifullye made plaine before But all these not otherwise than by the willing sufferaunce of God doe that whiche they do For what thing in heauen or in earth hathe of it selfe either this power or vse of this power whether he vse it rightly or no Therefore I professe that I cannot sée what common sense can shewe thée that sufferaunce can be separated from will or that God can suffer any thing againste his will. Yet I confesse that there is otherwise greate oddes betwixte God and men vsing the helpe and procuration of men For that we say nothing of the lewd counsells of men that which for the moste parte men do being enforced with necessity â—â—cause they cannot accomplishe their owne nor other mens matters God doeth it with moste frée will séeing otherwise he is of hymselfe Omnipotent and in himselfe altogither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient Men oft times either by feare or force or by some other meane constrained rather than prouoked do permit many things whiche they woulde not vndone But God alone decréeing with moste frée will permitteth that whiche he doeth permit Bycause Apollo in the Poets sweareth rashly by the law of an oth after a sorte he is constrained to graunte the Chariot to Phaeton perishing Yet he willing graunteth the Chariot bycause the regarde of an othe preuailed more with him than the certaine perill of his sonne Iupiter complaineth in Homer with teares bicause he coulde not when he would denuer his Saâ—pedo from present death Herode swearing rashely when he hearde the heade of Iohn Baptiste to be required and being heauie aduised with himselfe whether he had rather the maide being reiected fall into the crime of periurie or kill moste cruelly the moste innocent man not shewing cause why and at the laste not so muche I thinke for conscience which was none as moued wyth vaine glorie and ambition leaste he shoulde séeme to haue sworne vnaduisedly or in performing an othe inconstant doth not only suffer but commaundeth the heade of Iohn being cut off to be giuen the maide in hir hands as Mark very wel noteth A sicke man fearing his life giueth himselfe to the Chirurgion to be cutte yet not againste hys will yet not altogither with frée will. The same we maye thinke of the Merchaunte who in a greate tempest doth not onely suffer his marchandize to be caste ouer boorde but also he with his owne handes doeth caste them ouer Beholde thou many eramples of sufferaunce in al which yet Wil cannot be secluded from Sufferance Be it farre from vs yet to conceiue any like things of God bycause neither rashenesse nor ignoraunce nor repentaunce take place in him nor is he enthralled to any necessitie For as Augustine sayeth wel and learnedly the life of God and the foreknowledge of God we putte not vnder necessitie if we say it is of necessitie that God liue euer and know all thinges as his power is not lessened séeing he is saide not to can dye or be deceiued For thus he cannot this thing that indéede he were rather if he coulde of lesse power Yet he is rightlye called Omnipotent who cannot dye nor be deceiued For he is called Omnipotent by dwing what he will and not in suffering what he will not Therefore that I maye dispatche at once a waye to Anticyra with that thy common sense and there if thou causte hauing drunke a gallon of Helleborus learne at the laste to be wise and so to dispute of common sense that we may vnterstand thée to be indued with some sense For where thou sayest that Christe was wonte to teache diuine matters according to common sense who will euer graunte it thée excepte he be voice of all Christian religion Christe vseth I graunte familiar kinds of speaking but where didst thou euer knowe that diuine matters did agrée with oure common sense and therefore that they coulde be taught according to oure common sense Paule cryeth that the naturall man perceiueth not those things that are of God the same witnesseth that To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of the fleshe is enmitie againsts God the same professeth that he teacheth that doctrine which should of the Gentiles be takeÌ„ for foolishnesse The same cryeth O Man who arte thou and O the déepth of Gods iudgementes and Christe praising Peters confession Flesh and bloude sayeth he haue not reuealed that to thée But thou on the contrary vrgest vs to coÌ„mon sense as the supreame iudge of Gods mysteries Shew vs therfore moste pregnant fellowe why the Lorde protracted the calling of the Gentiles so long howe the worde coulde become fleshe howe Christe is borne of a Virgin how he can féede vs in earth with his quickening fleshe whiche is in Heauen howe the Lorde wil whiche thou haste foolishly denyed that many should be borne to miserie that he might be glorified in them as by the example of him that was borne blinde and by Christes owne wordes we haue taughte why the calling of manye shoulde be deferred to the laste tyme of theyr lyfe Howe may it be that the greatest parte of menne shoulde heare nothyng at all of CHRIST
So therefore he writing to Laurentius saith whiche place Caluine hath aptlye cited and adorned with excellent examples Sometimes sayeth he man willeth that with good will whiche God will not yea he with good will muche more and muche more certaine as if a good sonne woulde his father should liue whome God with good will will haue to dye And againe it may be that Man will that with an euill wil whiche God willeth with good will as if an eutil sonne woulde his father should die also God willeth it the other truely willeth that which God willeth not but this willeth that whiche God willeth and yet the godlinesse of the other albeit willing an other thing is rather consonant to the good will of God than the vngodlinesse of this who willeth the same thing So much it differeth what manne willeth and what be agréeable to God and to what ends euerye one referre his will that either it be approued or improued For God performeth certaine his willes and that good by the euill willes of wicked menne as by the auill willing Iewes by the good will of the father Christ is staine for vs which was so great a good that the Apostle Peter when he woulde not it shoulde be done of hym that woulde be staine be was called Satanas Howe good appeared the goodwils of the godly faithfull which would not that the Apostle Paule shoulde goe vp to Ierusalem least he should suffer those euills there whiche Agabus the ê“het hadde foretolde And yet God woulde haue him suffer these things for manifesting the faith of Christe exercising the martire of Christe neither didde he fulfill his owne good will by the good will of the Christians but by the euill will of the Iewes and they rather appertained to him whiche woulde not that he woulde than those by whome being willing he did that he woulde bicause that same thing indéed but he by them with good will but they performed wyth an euill will. But all wills be either of Angels or of men either of good or of euill either willing that whiche God willeth or an other than God willeth the will of the omnipotent God remaineth alwaies inuicted which can neuer be euill bycause also when it ordaineth euill it is iuste and verily that whiche is iust is not euill Beholde the firste parte of thy slaunder plentifullye truely and plainely manifested Now I come to the other wherein thou doest maliciouslye imagine that Caluine teacheth that the will of God is often contrarye to his commaundement I will firste speake of the matter it selfe then I will shewe Caluins wordes that euery man maye knowe thine impudencie in deprauing them We graunte that the Lorde in the table of the commaundementes and the explication thereof hath plainely and simply manifested to vs his will so muche indéede as maketh to the leading of a godlye and innocent life Yet I saye thou arte brainelesse and starke madde if thou thinkest that all the will of God is comprehended in his lawe For what Doth not the frée redemption by Christ appertaine to his will. Yet is there of this benefite no mention in his lawe For the declaration of this law belóngeth to the other parte of the diuine worde whiche is called the Gospell But while we speake so do we attribute to God two wills and those repugnant by dircete contrarye For these be contraries Except thou do al these things thou shalt dye the death and albeit thou doe them not yet if thou doest beleeue thou shalt liue Yet God forbid that we shoulde attribute to God two willes muche lesse contrarie séeing the will of God is euer one moste simple and like it selfe For the LORDE neuer gaue his lawe with that wil that by it he mighte saue vs but rather that thereby being conuicte of vnrighteousnesse he mighte bring vs to CHRIST Nor doeth the Gospell abolish righteousnesse by the lawe but that whiche we finde not in oure selues it teacheth to be fréely imputed in Christe by Faith Thou séest therefore that there are not straighte twoo willes where there appeared two nor that there is repugnaunce there where appeared to be chiefe I wil procéede If thou thinkest that thou knowest whatsoeuer GOD will nor that there is ouer and aboue anye secreate will of GOD say I praye thée what shall befall to thée or mée to morrowe by the will of the Lorde Prophecie howe long the Lorde wil suffer that thou shalte waste the Churche of god Or if thou like not to telthese foreshewe by thy Sybilles whiche I heare thou arte wonte to preferre before the holyest Prophets themselues as more worthye and euident whyche of the two Kings shall conquere Henry or Phillip For if thou wilte accomplishe this and thou shalte easilye doe it if there be no secreate will of God aboue thy reach thou shalt deliuer many miserable mortal men of greate care and heauinesse and that whiche thou misérablye gapedst for long agoe in vaine thou shalte by and by gette thy selfe a greate name It rayned with vs this daye in the morning the rest of the day was faire y nough Let vs set of the contrary that in the same instants it was faire at Paris when it rayned here and that it rayned when it was fayre here All these things came to passe by the determination and will of god Are there therefore togither in hym twoo willes and those indéede contrarye But doe not you Sycophantes acknowledge at the laste howe sottishe howe foolishe and ridiculous you are For when we saye that there is a certaine will of GOD reuealed to vs but says also there is a secreate will by and by with greate laughter you for suche sage and reuerent menne doe aske whether there be two wills in God and howe we knowe this secrete will. As thoughe in déede when we saye so it bée not sufficiently apparant that we saye not anye other thing than that the will of God that is his eternall counsells be partely manifested to vs so much as concerneth our health as Paule witnesseth Act. 20. that he had shewed all the counsell of God to the Ephesians that he might shutte vppe all the waye to false doctrine but partely yet to remaine secrete that is forasmuche as according to his infinite wisedome and power hée hath decréed manye things and dayly executeth whiche excéede all the capacitie and vnderstanding euen of the Angells themselues muche more of miserable Dwarffs and so much the more oughte rather to be religiously reuerenced than curiouslye searched But if thou doest not acknowledge this to be true thou arte more than senselesse and starke madde Yea in the selfe same doctrine whiche he hath manifested to vs Howe many things be there whereof we maye in no case doubt and yet whereof if thou endeuourest to enter consideration thou doatest no lesse than if thou wouldest comprehende God himselfe This brightnesse dazeleth the lighte of oure eies both in the contemplation of many things but also moste
that all these are spoken of that wyll whyche dothe most condemne thée For he that sclaundereth an innocente agaynste hys conscience he transgresseth the whole Lawe of God and is a Deuill But that whyche apperteyneth to the matter I shame to repeate that whyche I haue so often vrged that GOD is alwayes lyke hymselfe and in one sorte wylleth those thynges whyche bée contrarie by nature We haue cyted moe testimonies out of the Scriptures than that thou canst indure the multitude of them and more playne than that thou canst obscure them The Sycophants ninth Argument to the seauenth Sclaunder ALSO that saying of Christe How often would I haue gathered thy children togyther and thou wouldest not Verilye Christ speaketh of his manifest wil as which he had made manifest by so many meanes But if hee had another contrary to that his whole life was mere Hipocrisie that which is moste horrible to thinke THE REFVTATION Indéede this saying is to be vnderstoode of the manifest will of Christe Yea I euen giue thée a further thing than thou maiste desire For I say that in the place Christe speaketh not only of his but also of the ministerie of al the Prophets which had she wed the word of the Lord in IerusaleÌ„ séeing all the Prophets were Christes instrumentes that is of that alone Prophet which the Lorde promised to the Israelits by Moses But it is a matter â—f some waight to knowe wherefore the Lorde shoulde manifest his will by his Ministers For we here consider Christe as executing the office of a Minister both by the mouth of his Prophets and also by himselfe when he was a Minister of Circumcision Paule saith that he shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of god Therefore Paule knew al the counsell of god For neither speaketh he as a distraught man or as thy Sybilles those things whiche he vnderstood not but those thinges whiche he knewe euen from God and embraced by faith But when the same would shew forth the worde of God in Asia and Bythinia he was forbidde by the holy Ghoste Some counsell therefore of Gods. Paule knewe not whiche if he hadde knowne before he woulde not haue assayed to go into Bythinia Adde moreouer that he being rapte vp into the thirde heauen he sayeth boldely that he sawe secreates which it was not lawfull to vtter Howe doe these two agrée in themselues that he kept nothing secrete who yet hadde learned by reuelation those things which it was not lawfull to teache except bycause there be manye thinges secreate wyth GOD the knowledge whereof to the perfecting of godlinesse is not yet ripe or profitable But is ther here any repugnance betwéene Paule and the spirite of God Yea in the shew of discord is greatest agréement For that whiche Paule willeth well with a better will the Lord willeth not albeit the reason thereof be secret the reason of Paules wil manifest And seeing eche of these wills is good for both God prouideth for his own glory as he knoweth it is conuenient and Paule is carefull for the glorye of God as the office of Apostleshippe requireth they maye differ but be contrarie they cannot For that whiche is good in that it is good maye differ from some good thing to be contrarie to some good thing it cannot So he omitted nothing whiche might be profitable for the profite and saluation of the godlye but he made manifest the whole counsell of God yet he declared not those things whiche Moses witnesseth remaine secreate with God. What then whence is that shewe of oddes verily euen from thence that albeit the Lorde manifest the doctrine of saluation to his Ministers by whom hée maye instructe hys Churche yet hée maketh not manifest to them what hée hathe determined of anye one Hée sendeth them then that they should preach the glad tydinges of saluation to some one whole Countrey but he reserueth to himselfe in his secreate counselles in whome he will haue the preaching of the Gospell to bée effectuall and at what time and agayne whome hée hathe decréed by the same preaching to blynde and harden What is therefore the office of Ministers verily to call all indifferently to saluation to doe good to all to allure all with wordes and benefites For they leaue the secreate iudgementes of God till he make them manifeste Hence is that appearaunce of odds betwéene God and his ministers seeing they eftsoones laboure to gather togiâ—her those whome they knewe not to appertaine Here be those dayly mournings and complaints of Ministers whiche sée those resiste who oughte leaste of whiche kinde also is this complaint of Christe whiche thou bringest But yet in the shew of discorde we haue shewed before that there is no contrariety But yet if thou please to attribute this saying of Christe as to God not as to the Minister of GOD in what sorte it is certaine that albeit he be frée from all sin yet some ignorance hath place in him knowest thou not that the Lord that he maye allure his children with his louing kindenesse doeth sometimes massle as children with vs He complaineth that he is deceiued of his Vineyard wherein in stéede of swéete Grapes he founde wilde Grapes But wilâ—e thou gather hence that the Lord can be deceiued He saith elsewhere taking aduisement of sending his sonne to the husbandmen after that his seruants were staine it may be they wil reuerence my sonne Wilt thou gather hence that as men are wont he was doubtfull in mind that contrarie to his expectation it fel out that his son was slaine séeing it is said elsewhere to haue deliuered his son to the Iewes to be crucified and that be spared not his son Therefore séeing that out of this place also thou gatherest that God dissenteth from himselfe or that the people of Ierusalem coulde infringe the counsell and will of God as thou fearest not to saye in another place or that they perished against the wil of God what else doest thou bewroye but thy wonderfull ignorance The Sycophants tenth Argument to the seauenth Slaunder Finallye they saye If God commaundeth an other thing than he willeth that there is not two willes but a lye For he that saith he willeth that whiche he willeth not he lyeth and in worde onelye to commaunde is not to will but to lie THE REFVTATION Bycause here also thou alleagest a matter that neuer came into our minds I consider no other thing but that thou perseuerest in thy madesse The eigth Sclaunder The hardning of Pharao moreouer his frowardnesse of minde and rebellion was the worke of God and that by the testimonie of Moses who ascribeth to God the whole rebellion of Pharao THE AVNSVVERE IN another place thou definest that to harden declareth nothing else but not to mollific That definition I say to be foolishe and ridiculous For séeing we al as thou thy selfe arte constrained to graunte albeit a little after thou
much therefore as this slaughter springeth from this beginning that is from God iustly inforcing the will of the théefe albeit it be euill and directing the hand and weapon of the théefe yet is neyther the inforcement euil nor the worke euill but it is counted of God iust and holye which punisheth the théefe with iust torments For God did neyther inforce the théef nor gaue him wickednesse but the will of the théefe whiche was euill alreadie hée well and iustly stirred to a good and holye worke But for as muche as this slaughter procéedeth from an other beginning that is of the will of the théefe which is so inforced not as a stone or blocke but as a wil which also it selfe is so vrged that it worketh and is so mourd that it moueth it selfe with an inward motion and that his owne thus farre I say both thys motion springing from an euil beginning is euill and endeth into an euil action that is manslaughter whiche it is so farre off that it shoulde please God that contrarilye he can not but punishe it But goe too let vs put this example also wherby this diuersitie of beginnings maye be vnderstoods Let vs suppose that thou arte a crooked Asse whom I as a Muletor shall inforce into the milne with whippes For as muche as this action procéedeth from me as from a beginning it cannot be reprehended if it be reasonable but for as much as it procéedeth from thée it is in it selfe a great fault For indéed I am to thée the cause of going but all the haultyng is of thy selfe whose begynning was in thy selfe albeit I hadde not stirred thée forwarde Wilte thou that I speake more playnely that thou mayste not complayne of darkenesse Thou arte made by nature to slaunder those things whiche thou doest not so muche as vnderstande or dissemblest that thou vnderstandest Yet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poyson is not so much nature as the deprauation of nature Therfore is not his efficient but rather deficient cause to be sought for whiche indéede séeing we all féele to cleaue faste in our entrailes there is no cause why we shoulde accuse GOD in very déede as author of these things and of sinnes But for that bycause man is corrupt therefore the LORDE by hys power wherewith he gouerneth without exception and enforceth to foreordayned endes hath abasterdized from himselfe that whiche apperteyneth to hym No indéede He therfore vseth euē sinning instruments and bringeth them to an ende determyned of himselfe And that indéede so that hée doeth not sinne anye thing neyther in mouing nor directing the instrument For the action is of himselfe but the defecte is of the instrumente whiche also selfe thing by an inwarde mouing doth inforce it selfe and when it is corrupt it hath depraued motions Séeing therfore God hath made choyse especiallie of al others in these partes of thée alone by the deprauation of nature enuious and a slaunderer by whom partly hée might exercise his owne people and partly punish those who hauing despised the offered trueth of the Gospell do folowe lyes and slaunders so ofte as he séeth good hée sēsibly stirreth vp in this thy depraued nature those motions vsing both the ministery of Satan of others also thyne own lewdnes which motions afterwards by litle litle breake out into those blasphemies those contumelyes in refelling wherof we now take paynes But when in the yeares paste we reproued these things and when also we reproue them nowe what do we else but that we daylye more and more pricke thée forewarde that thou mayst procéede to siaunder and to forge blasphemies Yet be it farre away that when we say thou arte moued and inforced of God we shoulde ascribe to God any of thy sins Be it also far awai that there may worthily be layd vpon vs any blame bicause being prouoked with our wrytings Thou becomest euerye daye worse and worse for that our diligence is exercised with thy lewde speaking for that by this meane the hipocrisie of manye is dayly manifested for that by thy slaunders is stirred vp in vs a desire to knowe the truth and defend it for that the iust iudgement of God against those who haue preferred trueth before falsehoode or abused the knowledge of the Gospell is so set before vs to be séene as in a most cleare glasse in this thy strength of lying and error we acknowledge that we are bound to God for this which moueth and directeth thy lewdenesse to these vses And whereas thy deceytes are nowe espich of many whose simplicity other ways thou mightest haue deceyued for that thyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubtfulnesse is nowe hated of many for that nowe those sauage purposes whiche thou haddest taken to oppresse the truth are nowe apparaunt to all when without respect thou wouldest that heretikes shoulde be borne withall for that in some forte all men doe knowe what is thyne impudencie in peruepting the worde of God godly men also doe acknowledge that they are bounde to God for this and with a thankefull minde they acknowledge that our diligence was somewhat in that mater so far it is off that we shoulde sustaine any blame for that being offended with our writings thou rushest headlong in worse and that by thine owne faulte for there is no fault in vs for that many weake ones are offended by thée bycause the course of Gospel is hindered of thée for that thou blasphemest the name of GOD for that without cause the credite of the faithful seruaunts of God is hindered finally for that thou procurest to thy self others whō thou drawest to the destruction these finally al men ascribe to Satan with whose furies thou art driuē and to thy lewdenesse and impudencie But sée nowe Sycophant as I thinke an example sufficiently manyfest and apparaunte whereby thou mayste vnderstand that God doth so prompte the will and affections to the very wicked that al these motions for as much as they are ministred of him are both iust and honest as they appertayne to a iust and good worke For the cause of sin is in our selues but at what time and against whom it ought to breake out it is in the power of God which instilleth not a new malice but according to his infinite wisedome when and howe it pleaseth him he moueth gouerneth bendeth guydeth and finally ordereth to the aduauncement of the glory of his owne name that whiche is bred in men euen the wicked not knowing of it so much the rather determining a quite contrary counsel with themselues This is our iudgement of the preuidence of God in this argument which we handle which it remayneth that we confirme with the authoritie of the word of God and the fathers Here to we saye it appertayneth that the Lord is so often sayde in Scriptures to haue hardened burthened and helde the hartes of Pharao Sehon the Cananytes and the Egyptians and the rather turned them into the hatred of
of the people he might make a way to his iuste iudgementes What reprouest thou here Sathan inciteth Dauid to this not that he shoulde obey God but that God might be offestded and if it may be that Dauid and al the people might perish Dauid himselfe it may be being prouoked wyth pride or ambition commaundeth the people to be numbred But is this to attribute to God that which belongeth to the Diuel Art not thou rather a blasphemous mouth which for the most parte destroyest the prouideÌ„ce of god The Second and third argument to the eleuenth Sclaunder If God do prompte in euil vnhonest affections yet commaundeth vs to resist euill affections he commaundeth vs to resist himselfe he is contrarie to himselfe Euerie good gifte is from aboue commeth downe from the father of lights But are also euil affections a good gift or descend darkenesse for euil affections are in deede darkenesse from the father of al light THE REFVTATION WE worthyly referre the lewdenesse of affections not to the first cause which alwayes doth most iustly but to those beginnings whence they procéede that is to Satan and the corruption of man Therfore we say that no affections are ministred in that they are euil But thou when thou sayste that they are permitted of GOD doest indéede attribute to GOD whiche is moste estraunged from his nature albeit we shoulde graunt thée that there is this idle sufferaunce For of what sort is Gods iustice if by any meanes he suffer sins in that they are sins or affections in that they are euill Thou therefore caytife stranglest thy selfe with thyne owne sworde and when thou indéede gatherest these things thou doest in great earnest approue thy selfe a wicked and blasphemous wretch The Slaunderers fourth argument to the eleuenth Slaunder Iames writeth plainly that no man is tempted of God but euery one of his owne lust THE REFVTATION IT is of necessitie that whether thou wilt or no thou confesse that the word of tempting is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying many things For it is plainely written in Deuteronomie of the euill Prophete The Lord tryeth your and in the same booke the Lorde sayth that he tempted the people forty yeres in the wildernesse and in another place God tempteth Abraham Yea men also are sayde to tempte God and Paule aduiseth that we trye our selues Yet Iames denyeth that any is tempted of the Lord but rather of his owne luste that is of the meane wherby Satan tempteth vs or we are tempted of other men or of our selues For the Lord is sayde after his manner to tempt vs that is to aproue that laying before vs the occasion of manifesting of our mind to be manifested eyther our selues may vnderstand what we be least flattetering our selues we deceyue our selues but that rather when we knowe our weakenesse we may beginne to repent or that our dissembling may be manifest to others Hence it is that by the name of Temptation is eftsones vnderstoode affliction bycause it tryeth our fayth So Paule aduiseth vs that we trye our selues that is examyne diligently whether we be in the fayth as himselfe doeth verye well interprete So we are forbiddent to tempte GOD that is to séeke to finde out hys mynde as if wée doubted of hys faythe and by this meane to prouoke his patience to anger Also Sathan tempteth and therefore he is called a Tempter We also tempte one an other and concupiscence is sayde to teâ—pt vs All which when they are spoken the name of Téptation agréeth not with God sith it declareth nothing else but a soliciting to euil which by no means can haue place in god Yet God is said to leade into teÌ„ptation that is when he vseth the work of Satan or of some other that he may accomplish his decrée dothe he therefore tempt in no wise For euen then he is not the Authouc of euill except it be that he is to be thought euill when he executeth his iudgements or vseth our falles to the listing vp and finallye consirming of vs and instruction of the whole Church So not without the ordinance of God was Adam tempted of Sathan so much ouercoÌ„med but that he might vse that fal to expresse the riches of his goodnesse much more apparantly in the redemption than in the creation also that he might make way to his iuste iudgements So many of the sainctes long agoe by the commaundement and will of God himselfe haue fallen and continually doe fall into moste grieuous temptations but with theyr greate profitte and by no faulte of God as the samctes themselues confesse So an euill spirite from the Lorde exasperateth Saule and there is no doubt but this spirite enforced him headlong into those horrible euils Did therefore the Lorde tempt Saule that is solicite him to euill No in no wise but he exercised Saule with iuste punishments For the euill procéedeth from the beginning of the euil instruments and the good whiche is drawne out of the very euill is al due to god Finally therfore as a certain right learned writer hath noted God tempteth not that is in that forte that the Diuell and wicked men are wont to teÌ„pt And the reason is that God is not tempted of euill For hée that tempteth an other to euill is firste himselfe tempted and ouercome of euill The Diueli therefore and wicked menne doe tempte that is thinking wickedlye and hauyng foresette a wicked ende to themselues they make sharpe their lewdenesse and enforce to euil But God tempteth vs to an other ende that wée may vnderstand oure infirmities or our strength that wée maye fall into some great calamitie and so maye beginne to repent that finally when it is requisite he maye punish sinnes with sins and with other iust punishments He that saith this Selaunderer doth he attibute to God that whiche belongeth to our concupiscence But there remaineth a question why Iames making no mention of Sathan shoulde saye that we are tempted of our luste Indéede bycause that albeit Sathan coth sollicite vs and some do pricke forwards others yet all these appertaine to that ende that the concupiscence whiche is in vs maye be kindled And this interior motion is the true proper beginning of our affections and therfore of our actions Séeing then that Adam albeit the Diuell prompting him yet in the beginning didde depraue himselfe of his owne accorde and properly and men be gotten of him doe in like sorte properly of their own accorde moue themselues with this wicked concupiscence and become dayly worse than themselues why should they lay anye fault vppon God séeing they cannot properly accuse euen Sathan or any other thoughe fellowes of these mischiefes yet as the causes of their destruction But to what ende be all these Lette vs heare Caluine himselfe whose writing doth confeunde thée beaste He therefore expressing those selfe sacred wordes And leade vs not into temptation The name of Temptation saith he is
from him who of all men shall hée moste miserable Doest thou not heare howe Paules teaching was accepted at Athens Doest thou not heare Paule crying out that the natural man conceiueth not those things which are of God What sayst thou to these goodman For indéede so the matter standeth The Lorde communicated the benefite of the Gospell with all people whome therefore the Prophet calleth vpon to aduance the glorie of god For neither wil the Lord be praised of euery one but only of the Saints as it is written O ye righteous reioyce in the Lorde it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull And in an other place God said to the vngodly man why doest thou make mention of myne ordinaunces and takest my lawes in thy mouth It is therefore necessarie that that thankesgiuing whiche is acceptable and pleasaunte to God procéede from sayth séeing that without sayth nothing can please god And fayth cōprehendeth God not such as we conceyue him by our common sense for as Iohn sayth darkenesse doth not cōprehend the light but such as he hath set forth himselfe to be beholden and loked vpon in his worde in whose hartes the day starre hath shined But séeing now by almoste infinite testimonies of both testaments wée haue so manifestlye proued that not all things vniuersally but euen euery thing is gouerned by the prouidence and eternall decrée of God euen so muche that God willeth iustlye and accomplisheth also those things iustlye whiche both Satan and men wil iniustly and performe vniustly and that no infection of the mouings or actions may reache vnto the first cause but bicause it procéedeth from the depraued beginnings of the instruments there also it remayneth finally séeing we haue manifestly shewed that there is vtterly nothing done which redoundeth not to the glorie of God in so much that euen by our lye the truth of God is aduaunced what remayneth but the thou packe hence with thy moste foolishe and false argument And that which thou pratest of a bearde and one hauing a bearde doth it not manifestly proue what mind thou broughtest to handle these secretes of God For what hath a beard or one bearded to do with the kingdom of God Yea who wil not thinke that these so foolish things are rather vttered of a childe being an infante than of a bearded man But in déede thou diddest miserably feare least thou shouldest loose the pleasant scoffe Yet I wil aunswere thée in few words least thou complain the we deride those Arguments which we can not scriously confute A beard is of a méere naturall motion sinne of a voluntarie motion and therfore corrupt bycause that wil is corrupte iudgement corrupt vnderstanding corrupt appetyte corrupt and finally whole man enbondaged to sinne Yet that thing causeth not as we haue shewed by the testimonie of Scripture alreadie set downe that the Lorde should abandon himself from the soueraigntie of his effectuall prouidence wherby it is that he no lesse iustlye rightly inclyneth bendeth and directeth euen the euil wils whether soeuer it pleaseth him than if they were not corrupte But sée thou of what iudgemente it is to compare things so dissonant as if they were vtterly like that is that which is méere naturall which is voluntarie The Sycophants seuenth Argument to the eleuenth Sclaunder If Caluin shal say that this is the secret iudgement of God and to vs vnknowen we answere that in deede there be certaine secrets of God which we knowe not but that which belongeth to iustice that is knowen to vs and manifested in the Gospel according to which reuealed Gospel as Paul teacheth not after that secret iudgement of Caluin wil God iudge the world and so it shal follow from al as wel godly as vngodly for as wel the godly as vngodly shal see that it is iust that those that haue not obeyed the trueth not secrete such as is Caluines but reuealed such as is the Gospels may bee punished those which haue obeyed may receiue reward THE REFVTATION There wants somewhat in this thy writing but it is his fault to whom thou cōmittedst thy booke to be writtē For otherwise in déede with greate trustinesse all thinges are printed out of that very coppie whiche thou sentest to Paris to be printed there by stealth But to the matter Why I pray thée makest thou mention of these things For do we saye that there is another rule of good and euill of iuste and vniuste than the lawe of God Do wée shewe another waye of saluation than the Gospell of the sonne of God so as it remaineth written Or do we saye it shall come to passe that God shall iudge the world by any other prescription than by his worde Or rather are not we the men which not only haue auouched the auctoritie of the worde of God for oure vttermoste against the Papistes but also against thy selfe thrée yeres ago when thou biddest that newe reuelations be looked for bycause the word of God such as is deliuered vs by the Prophets Apostles suffiseth not to decide the controuersies of the Churches But arte not thou the verye man whiche in thy Commentaries vppon the first Epistle to the Corinthians affyrmest that Paule hath but onely taughte vs the rudimentes of religion and that he had an other more perfect doctrine whiche he cōmmunicated with certaine his perfect Schollers Howe is it therefore that being so suddainely chaunged thou risest againste vs as if we rested not in the onely words of God Is it that thou maist shewe that thou haste repented But truelye we be the same men we were nor haue we learned at anye time to reste anye where but in the onely worde of god God shall iudge the worlde by the Gospell that is whosoeuer he shall finde embracing Christe by faith whiche indéede will appere by their fruits be wil forgiue declare them Coheires with Christe the reste being worthily condemned he shall giue ouer to be tormented in eternall flames By this will of the heauenly father I say Christe shall iudge the quicke and the deade But what madnesse is this to gather of that that al the counsels or iudgements or all the iustice and will of God are manifest to vs that is whatsoeuer he doeth is manifest vnto vs and whatsoeuer he hathe decréed of euerie one and in euerie one from euerlasting But arte not thou verie he whiche canste expresse vnto vs the reasons of all Gods counsells or also of his iustice whiche he hathe vsed both to wardes the gooly and also towardes the vngodlye from since the foundations of the worlde were laide and also hereafter shall vse doest not thou I saye knowe all these secreats of Gods eternall prouidence Yea thou wilte say I grant that there are certaine secreates of God whiche we know not but al his iustice I saye is manifest to vs But a little before thou denyedst that any wil of God was vnknowen But doe not the secreates of God
appertaine either to his iustice or his will Awaye therefore moste sottish coaks and aduise first with thy selfe what thou intendest before that thou oppugne those things whiche others doe well and constantly sette downe But that we wander without the worde of God or decline so much as a nailes breadth when we saye that God worketh euen by those and exerciseth albeit his sometimes secreate yet alwayes his iuste iudgements vppon those whom he worthily punisheth as rebells that those things are not done besides his will that we I say when we crie with the Prophets and Apostles that the wayes of the Lord are secrete and so muche vnsearcheable say nothing that God hathe not plainely manifested in his word we haue inough and too muche proued For this also hath the Lord manifested to vs that there be infinite thinges in that dispensation of matters whiche he vseth whiche if anye woulde searche this one thing should followe that the nearer he approche to the brightnesse of God the darker he shoulde be till at the last he being deuoured with the maiestie of the diuine lighte shoulde perish The Sycophants eighth Argument to the eleauenth Sclaunder The wrath of God sayth Paule is reucaled againste all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men whiche withholde the truth of GOD in vnrighteousnesse But if Caluins sentence be true the wrath of God is reuealed against al Innocentes For if hee minister wicked affections hee is angrye and hateth them before the wicked affections For to minister euil affections is of hatred hee therefore hateth those that bee giltlesse for before wicked affections they be guiltlesse if indeede sinne bee of wicked affections or rather sinne is a wicked affection THE REFVTATION Good God what a monster of ignoraunce and lewdenesse doe I sée First of all the place of Paule which thou citest thou dost manifestly wreste for neither doeth it appertaine to anye parte of men alone but in like sort euecy one withoute exception Paule with this worde of Iustice condemneth euery man not so much as one excepted For al insomuche as they are the children of Adam and wythoute Christe and in this respecte they are considered of Paule in this place are holden conuict of that crime whereof Paule reasoneth bycause there is not so much as one whych doth either honour God or helpe his neighboure by the prescription of that knowledge whyche partelye GOD hathe engrauen in the mindes of men and partelye proposeth to all by the contemplation of the creatures This is the naturall exposition of Paules wordes as appeareth by the order and conclusion of the whole disputation But to what ende bée all these to that whereof we deale For is not God therefore offended with the wickednesse of men bicause hée vseth it well bothe to the comforting of the godly and to the correcting of the vngodlye Furthermore whereas thou pratest of the ministring of affections why doest thou wrest it againste vs whiche teache no other thing but that GOD doeth iustlye and wisely moue encline gouerne and bring to the ende whyche hymselfe determined euen wicked willes for that whiche I haue already saide nowe a thousande times wée place the whole lewdnesse and desarte bothe affections and actions as it is méete in the wicked and Eclipsed beginnings Therefore thou striuest not againste vs but agaynste thine owne shadow But now how sottish how false and howe wicked be those thinges whiche thou addest For first thou affirmest that men are guiltlesse before lewde affections bycause saiste thou sinne is of wicked affections But when thou saiste these things arte thou not a playne Pelagian For say how are we borne the children of wrath yea howe we are conceiued in iniquitie howe we haue néede of the badge of remission of sinnes and newe birth that is Baptizme euen from our beginning if there be no sinne but of wicked affections nor that wée are guiltie the children of wrath before we trauell with wicked affections But if these thinges be true as they are moste false from whence shoulde wicked affections spring euen by wicked education by imitation finallye by vtter frée will whiche doth then firste of all enthrall it selfe in euerye manne vnto sinne when they begin to boyle with wicked affections Therefore men should haue no néede of grace regenerating séeing sinne is not by propagation if they would follow nature And arte thou not ashamed moste filthie Dog to dispute of Christian religion which renuest vnto vs afresh these reastie poysons of Pelagius but rather arte thou worthye with these monsters that thou shouldestsée this lighte But séest thou that this foundation being ouerturned whatsoeuer thou haddest buylded vpon doth fal to the ground If sayst thou Caluines sentence be true the wrath of God is reuealed againste all those that be guiltlesse Lo thou lyest agayne Sclaunderer for so farre it is off that Caluin be allyed to this blasphemie that contrarily he doth not indéede assent to them whiche will only haue the nature of man to be hurte and wounded which also deny that concupiscēce in the regenerate is sin Yea he sheweth but of the word of God that whole man how much soeuer he is is euen frō his cōception nothing else but Sathans bondslaue and enthralled to the iuste wrath of god And séeyng that Caluine alone of all them that liue at this day hath most soundly and learnedly defended this doctrine against Pighius and all Sophisters what impudencie is this of thine what ignorance and lewdenesse to say if the doctrine of Caluin be true that it followeth that God doth shewe his wrath againste innocents séeing Caluine almost in euery page of his bookes so highly cryeth out that no man euen from his very birth is innocente But yet thou wilt say howe dothe youre doctrine stand togither In déede it accordeth maruellous well for we do not say that God hath eyther made or doth make euill inclinations or dothe giue wickednesse or doth minister wicked affections or entice to mischiefe But this we say that God dothe well moue the inborne wickednesse of men and to bend gouerne and encline it whether soeuer be pleaseth as it is euidente that Gregorie hath most aptly written euen when they endeuour to infringe the will of God that they doe it and that they obey the councell of God when they resist it Furthermore if we should graunt thée that whiche thou addest that to minister wicked affections were of hatered should it thereof come to passe that God hated those that were giltlesse No in no case For we say that whiche is most true that all are borne guiltie and therefore enthralled to the iust iudgements of God except they be deliuered by Christ But euen that whiche thou sayest is not simply and alwayes true that is to say that God hateth them whose wicked affections he moueth For the Lord loued Paule from euerlasting and yet so long as it pleased him he incyted and sharpned by Sathan his madnesse and
Church baptise infants if we be not borne the children of wrath Giue therefore wicked Pelagius glorie to God and if thou canst acknowledge at the last the grace of God not whereby we were created that wée might be men for this we lostin Adā if thou only exceptest this bycause we sinne willingly but that whereby we are iustifyed that we might be iuste men For God is he which altogether worketh in vs the will and the déed And to what purpose shal it be to vndo with moe words the doubt which thou patchest séeing Augustine hath written so plainely and plenteously to Valentine of thys same matter de correptione gratia and after Augustine also both that worthy seruaunt of Christe Martyne Luther against Erasmus and also Caluine himselfe whether thou wilt or no a confident auoucher of the Christiā veritie against Pighius haue shewed Yet I wil speake in fewe wordes that maye satisfie thée if thou louest the truth The vse of admonitions is manifolde which thou séemest not sufficiently to haue vnderstoode The godlye are admonished that so oft as néede is they maye be reproued that the drowsinesse being shaken off they maye stirre vp themselues that being at the leaste vanquished with shame when they haue erred they may returne into the waye that when they knowe their weakenesse they may take better héede to themselues But thou saist we striue not about these For to these it is giuen to will and doe Let vs come therefore to the forrainers Of these there be two kindes For some albeit not yet called yet by Gods secrete election they belong to the kingdome of god Others are auowed to iuste destruction Thou indéede denyest this difference but we haue proued it out of the worde of God in his place experience it selfe approueth it to be true But albeit the sunne beames be all one and the same yet if softneth war and hardeneth clay So also it commeth to passe here For therefore are admonitions giuen forth to them that hée elect that when they knowe their owne miserable condition they maye runne to him of whome alone they may be healed I came not saith Christ that I might cal the iust but sinners to repentaunce Also I came that I mighte saue that whiche was loste Also come to me all yée that trauell and be heauye laden and I will ease you So sayth Paul by the lawe is the knowledge of sin and that whiche more is the increase of sinne but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by accident not in anye wise that the sinner might be deuoured but that so much the more feruentlye he might aske that of the Lorde which also he maye obtaine For that which appertaineth to these there is the effectual working of the spirite ioyned with the outward preaching of the word Therefore as the Lorde sayth I haue giuen them preceptes Also he sayth in another place I will cause you to walke in my preceptes And I will giue them a newe spirite and I will take awaye their stonye harte out of their flesh and I will giue them a fleshie harte And that whiche apperteyneth to the others albeit the worde is not ordeyned to their amendement yet is it not preached to them in vaine Wherwith they both may be pricked for the presente with the testimonie of conscience and also be the more made without excuse against the day of iudgement For neither doth necessitie as I will shewe afterwardes take awaye wil or extenuate or make lesse the guiltinesse of the wicked So Moyles is sent to Pharao and the Egiptians to be hardened by their owne lewdenesse albeit necessarie yet voluntarie So Esaye is sente to harden the peoples harte to stoppe their eares and blinde their eyes by no fault in himselfe or in the worde but by their own proper faultes as those which not being inforced against their will but although necessarilye yet resist the trueth of their owne accorde And whence is this necessitie verily not from the creation but from the corruption in whiche albeit they be left yet haue they nothing wherefore to accuse god But bycause thou thinkest there is but one only vse of admonition that is that those whiche be admonished may returne into the waye thou therefore patchest a false conclusiō But this verie thing thou wilt saye is vniust as though in déede we be not all worthy that the Lorde shoulde punishe vs with whatsoeuer meanes From whomsoeuer he taketh a stony hart and giueth them a fleshye let them reuerence the mercy of GOD and whose stonye heartes he hardeneth and whome he more and more holdeth guyltie lette them being vanquished wyth hys iustice remayne silente The Sycophants second Argumente to the thirtenth and fourtenth slaunder If Caluine wil saye that the preceptes are therefore giuen that men may be made excuselesse we aunswere that that is in vaine For if thou shalt commaunde thy sonne to eate a rocke and he shall not do it he is no more excusable after the precept than before Likewise if God say to me steale not and I steale necessarily nor can any more absteine from stealing than I can eate a rocke I am no more excuselesse after the precept than before nor more inexcusable than afterwards THE REFVTATION Thou indéede opposest thy selfe against Gods trueth like a brasen rocke but the spirite of the Lorde shall also deuoure thée and that stone which is cut without hands shall crushe thée If we are borne the children of wrathe are we not I pray thée inexcusable before the precept I pray not for the world sayth Christ But doest thou by the name of World only vnderstande them which when they can beléeue the Gospell yet neuerthelesse will not If the blinde leade the blinde they fall both into the ditch but thinkest thou that none be borne blinde whē on the contrarie parte manne is nothing else but a moste palpable darkenesse The Apostle wytnesseth that manne is so inthralled to sinne that hée is not apte so muche as to thinke anye good but is he to thée excuseable excepte of himselfe he can not onely will but also worke But it may be thou wilte say that all in some sorte are borne blinde but God gineth this grace to all that they maye open their eies if they will. But who wil grant thée this where death raigneth there verily doth sinne raigne and death beareth sway enen vppon verye infants where is then that thine vniuersall grace As thoughe in déede men were not borne by their owne nature sufficiently inexcusable in Adam except also there approch a newe diuorse of grace Againe dost thou thinke that there is anye grace whiche indéede properly belongeth vnto life without Christe that can be deriued vnto men But how may they obtaine any grace by Christe which are not comprehended within the couenaunt nor euer heard any thing of Christe so sarre is it off that they haue embraced him by faith For Faith cōmeth by hearing And if thou denyest that there
Come to me all yée that laboure Thou thinkest that it belongeth to all men as if Christe had inuited euerye one to him But I except many things Firste I saye that Christe speaketh as a Minister And this is the office of a Minister that bycause he knoweth not the secreate councells of God he teache indifferentlye those that are committed to his charge and bid them to the Lord and so much the more so muche as in him lyeth to wil that they may be saned But if thou gatherest thereof that all belong to the Lords flocke or that especiall grace to be giuen in like sorte to all thou arte wonderfullye deceiued For the Lorde will that the Gospell be preached to manye blinde to manye deafe and to manye proude people that they may more and more be blinded made deafe hardened nor yet is God therefore an Hipocrite as we haue proued in his place Then if this voice of Christe appertaine to euery one without exception to what end did Christ collecting that solemne Sermon which like an eternall Bishop he offered a little before the sacrifice of his fleshe manifestly shewe that he prayeth not for the worlde but onely for them whome the father had giuen him Doth he vnderstand by the name of the world those which when they can beléeue will not No I trow séeing that there commeth to the sonne whatsoeuer the father hath giuen him whereof it followeth that they indéede can not beléeue whome the father hath not giuen to his sonne and those whiche come to the sonne not to bée therefore giuen to the sonne bycause they beléeue but cōtrarilie that they therefore beléeue bycause they are gyuen to the sonne in whome verilie they were elected before the foundations of the world were layde and finally that those whiche are giuen to the sonne can not but beléeue whiche impossibilitie is not in their nature but dependeth of the vertue giuen from aboue For the power of the Spirite of God is effectuall in them whome the Lord draweth that not onely the power of beléeuing but the very effect of power also that is faithe might be ministred Whiche things séeing they are so how is it that thou wilt haue that note not so much vniuersall as infinite to apperteyne to euerie one and that Christe should differ from himselfe for if the world as thou comprehendest also those to whome the Gospell is eyther not preached or preached in vayne in these wordes be called of Chryste howe is it that in another place hée sayeth that hée prayeth not for the World But whereto is it to prosecute these with so many wordes Chryste dothe not simplye call all to hym selfe but the wéerie and loaden that is those whiche mourne vnder the burthen of sinnes and as it were are ouerloaden or as Dauid speaketh whyche are of an humble and contrite heart Prone that all men are suche or coufesse that thys spéeche of Christe maketh nothing to the strengthening of thine error But go to let vs come to the reste That whiche thou sayste that God doeth minister good and honest affections wée thinke by experience that it is most true as they whiche finde sufficiently by proofe that we are not apte of oure selues so muche as to thinke that which is good but thys we saye is proper to the children of God for they onely are moued with the Spirite of god That whiche procéedeth from the rest we saye that it is sinne before God albeit to mans iudgemente it haue a shewe of goodnesse Finally that whiche thou addest that God doth deliuer from the necessitie of sinning into the whiche they hadde by their disobedience thrown downe themselues that I saye I do so allowe that it cannot content me And first in déede that which thou saist of the necessitie of sinning I can not sufficientlye maruell that thou haste ouershotte thy selfe which so often hast reproued vs for that cause bycause we say that men do sinne albeit willinglie yet of necessitie But this indéede is the power of the trueth that it euen constraine lyers oftentimes to disagrée with themselues But there be two things which I demaund here For I would haue thée expresse how God doeth deliuer vs from this necessitie of sinning that is to witte by his sonne and that onlye by grace And I do not rashely déeme leaste albeit it may be that thou diddest neuer inquire neyther what Pelagius helde nor especially what Augustine hath aunswered to the Pelagians yet the same furies enforce thée wherewith once Pelagius being driuen did miserably trouble the West parts Then that whiche thou addest of the disobedience of men doeth not in déede satisfie me bycause we haue alreadie resolued manye argumentes of whiche it maye easily be gathered that originall sinne or sinne by propagation thou dost vtterly holde for a fable or in deede dost extenuate make lesse that that which belongeth to propagatiō thou rather thinkest it to be attributed to imitation The Apostle verily when he dealeth of these thyngs that is of the first originall of our bondage he attributeth it to the disobedience of one man whiche thou séemest to referre to the rebellion of euery man as if in déede euery one did cast himselfe into the fetters of this necessitie by imitation and long practise and that we are not rather borne bondslaues euen from our conception Therefore I admitte not this excepte thou expounde thy minde in this matter more plainely Finallye that which thou adioynest that God neuer denyed to anye a benefite praying to him we acknowledge for true but with a double coniunction annexed For they all doe not aske but onely those which are touched with knowledge of theyr lacke and many also aske they wotte not what or they aske not of faythe and therefore they receyue not Bycause therefore none asketh or if hée aske he asketh not arighte excepte he whiche is moued of the spirite of God and therefore which is the sonne of God therfore I affirme that this benefite of GOD belongeth not to euerye one as thou wouldest but onelye to all the electe of GOD also whose peculiar badge this is that they alone do rightlycal vpon the father and therfore are only heard Lastly that whiche thou haste patched of the Caluinian GOD to what ende should I refute it wyth moe wordes excepte I doe againe that which is done alreadye But this yet giueth me a passage to consider somewhat more nerely of those thy children of the Gods I confesse my self to be one of them whom the Lord hath instructed in the true and moste holye doctrine of his Gospell by hys faithfull seruaunt Iohn Caluine I will neuer blushe indéede to confesse my self to be his scholler one amongst manye thousandes of men whome he hath gayned to Christ And indéede why shoulde it repente vs séeing by thys teacher especially through the grace of GOD we haue learned not onely to abhorre and reprehende but also to
howe the Lord séeing he can saue all enen onelye with a becke yet saueth few and why of two equall in themselues he rather saneth this than that Finally that we maye persiste in the propounded example there be infinite of that sorte I pray◠thée that by thy common sense thou wilte foredoe this dubble knotte whiche Augustine fasteneth Great sayth he are the workes of the Lorde that in a wonderfull and inspeakeable maner that be not done besides his wil whiche is done againste his wil bicause it should not be done if he did not suffer it nor indéede doeth he suffer againste his will but willingly Also if we suffer those that be vnder oure aucthoritie to committe euills before oure eyes we shall be guiltie with them But howe innumerable doth he suffer to be done before his eies which if he wold not he woulde by no meanes suffer and yet he is iust and good That remaineth which thou reportest of Similitudes as if in déede Christe did adde them for plainnesse sake as we vse in teaching But I graunt indéede that they are taken of familiar experience but so farre it is off that I agrée vnto thée that they are alleadged for perspicuitie that contrarily trusting to the testimonie of the holy Ghost I affirme that it was done by the iuste iudgement of an angry God that Christs mighte set downe his misteries to a faithlesse adulterous natiō riddle wise For there is greate oddes betwene similitudes whiche in declaring a thing are wonte to be vsed of Maisters and those whiche they call Parables whiche thou maiste call more rightly Allegories or Kiddles thā Similitudes But why should we not credite the holy Ghost rather than thée The fourth Slaunder All the wicked actes that man committeth are the good and iuste workes of God. THE ANSVVERE WHat is it to playe the Diuel if this be not The wordes of Caluine which thou hast wrested are these We muste sayeth he sée howe the will ōf GOD is cause of all things that are done in the world and yet GOD is not the Authour of euills I will not saye with Augustine whiche yet I reuerence as spoken truelye of him that in Sin or euill there is nothing posititious For it is a sharpe saying whiche woulde not content manye But I make choice of an other beginning Those things whiche are wickedly and vniustly done of men the same are the right and iuste workes of god If this séeme to some at the firste sighte a Paradox lette them not at the leaste be so highe minded but a little bée content with me to enquire out of the word of God what is to be thought These sayeth Caluine Then he sheweth by the Scriptures how God by his coūsel gouerneth those thinges whiche séeme moste casuall what is the Stoicall necessitie and how far casualtie is not abandoned Then he descendeth to those actions wherein the counsells and endeuoures of men come in betwixt and teacheth that God worketh so as that that be performed which was or dained from abone euen by the wicked themselues albeit vnwitting and againste their will. Summarily Caluine teacheth that God worketh wel euen by euill instrumēts so ofte as pleaseth him nor therefore that himselfe is allyed to anye faulte or that the euill instruments do not sin If he speak either wickedly or vnaptly or too obscurely that speaketh so let that holy Ghost be blamed of all these faults For that Lorde letteth not in Isai to call that miserable destructiō of Ierusalem ful of al calamities so much the more of offēces his work but vtterly in a cōtrary respect So Peter doubteth not to saye that Christe was betrayed by the determinate counsel and foreknowlege of God. The Churche at Ierusalem accordeth with Peter and speaketh yet more sharpely if there be in these kindes of speaking any sharpenesse at all For it speaketh of Herode and Pontius Pilate no otherwise than of the Executioners of the counsells of god Also Paule saith plainly that God spared not his sonne Dauid sayeth that Ioseph was sent before of the Lorde into Egipt The same calleth his aduersaries the Hand Sworde of the Lorde The Lord himselfe calleth Nabuchadnezer his seruant But is this with the Libertines to make God the Authour of sinne or to intermixe the wicked actes of the vngodlye with the sacred workes of God But of these it is spoken plainelye in the depelling of the former slaunder The Sycophants arguments to the fourth Slaunder Against the fourth against that of the Prophet Isai they crie out VVe be to them that call good euil and euill good If sinne be good and the iuste worke of God it foloweth that righteousnesse is the euil and vniust work of God for righteoousnesse is euery way contrary to sinne If sinne be iuste it foloweth that iniustice be iuste For sinne is iniustice If son be the worke of God it foloweth that God doth committe sin and if he committe sin he is the seruaunt of sin by Christes sentence If sinne be the worke of God and Christe came to abolishe sinne he came to abolishe the worke of god But if he came to abolish the workes of the Diuel as Peter witnesseth whiche be the workes of the Diuel if sinne be the iuste worke of God God hateth and punisheth his own iust work therefore he is vniuste But if it be obiected to them that sinne is not sinne to God they wil answere to whome therefore is it sin or why doeth he himselfe hate it or why is it sinne but bycause it is contrary to the lawe not of men but of God If sinne be the worke of God God committeth sinne and if God committeth sinne he sinneth as hee that doeth righteousnesse is righteous But if God sinne why doeth he forbid others to sinne why doeth he not rather commaunde them to sinne that men maye folowe him The child ought to folowe hys father Be ye holy saith hee for I am holyes Therefore by the same reason it shal be saide Committe sin for I committe sinne THE REFVTATION TRuelye thou couldest not cite anye place more to the purpose than this of I sai that it maye wholye agrée with thée and thy faction For what else is it to call God euill thā to do that you do that is to peruert those things which be we godly written with most filthie slaunders Sée therfore howe gently and simply I will deale with thée whatsoeuer thou collectest by these argumentes I consēt to thée that it is true but it maye be I graunte thée more than in déede thou wouldest that is that thou arte brainelesse starke mad that thou sholdest holde such a conflict in so hote contentiō against thine own shadow I wil only in few words answere to that obiection which y vnworthily layst to our charge For we do not say that sinne against God is not sin but when we distinguish betweene the works of God and of Sathan or