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
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
chieflye in this argument that we handle For séeing it is an assured truth that God hardeneth whome he will and that this will cannot be withstoode if thou askest howe therefore God is not in the faulte thou shalt shew which in déede is the truth that men be sufficiently conuinced with the testimonie of their owne conscience but bycause that reason cannot satisfie mans iudgement it is of necessitie that thou say with Paule O man who arte thou that conteÌ„dest against God And wheÌ„ thou haste reasoned many things of these misteries of God if will be of necessitie that thou crye out with Paule O the déepenesse of the riches bothe of the wisedome and knowledge of God and with Dauid Thy iudgementes O Lord are as the great déepes and with Isai Thou shalt secreatly reuerence his infinite omnipotencie All youre subtilties therefore do faile or rather youre brabbâ—ing trifles as thoughe we shoulde assigne that God were contrary to himselfe For albeit that mans minde cannot comprehend by what reason that shoulde not be done besides his will whiche is againste hys will as Augustine sayeth yet it followeth not that this is not true séeing there be extant so many and manifeste testimonies of the worde whereby it maye be confirmed to be so as we haue shewed For that idle sufferaunce in the action of euill instruments and that onely moderation of the successe and alone conuersion of good into euill besides that it is reselled with moste manifest places of holy Scripture it is also contrarye to the nature of God who shoulde haue no action in reuenging euills Yet Augustine alleageth that reason whiche maye alwayes satisfie all reasonable dispositions as we haue shewed before in the confuting of the thirde slaunder For howe often worketh the Lord by euill and therefore sinning instruments albeit the actioÌ„s themselues of their owne nature be sinnes yet in respecte of God working they are no sinnes but the punishments of sinnes wherewith either the Lorde reuengeth sinnes paste or prepareth his to patience or doth both togither Therefore God euen then when he séemeth to will sinne which yet he hathe forbidden in the Lawe cannot séeme vnlike himselfe yea rather he sheweth himselfe such a one as the lawe doth set him forth to vs that is a seuere punisher and reuenger of wickednesse But no manne in my iudgement hathe more plainelye she wed this thing than Caluin and verily in that very place which thou though-test best to reprehend There is not saith he anye cause why anye manne shoulde drawe God into the societie of the faulte so often as betwirte his secrete counsell and the manifest wicked desires of men there appeareth any likelihoode And by by of a trueth saieth he when Paule cryeth out O the Profunditie he plainely teacheth that there was some other iudgement of God concerning the Iewes than is expressed in Christes words Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children togither And whereas hée woulde not the sonnes of Hely shoulde obey their father that will differed from the precept of the Lawe wherein he commaundeth children to obey their parents But this is the place of whiche thou haste patched thy slaunder and indéede with apparant lewdenesse For for to differ from the precept of the lawe thou haste placed to fighte againste the precept of the Lawe But those things whiche do differ in themselues doe not yet of necessitie rebell one againste an other as in this kinde Frowardnesse doeth not fight againste obedience insomuche indéede as God willeth it For God willeth not that the sonnes of Hely shoulde be rebells against their father as beholding and allowing this rebellion in it selfe but rather by this meanes making waye to his iuste iudgement But do these fyghte betwéene themselues and not rather especiallye accorde in themselues to commaunde that obedience be shewed to parentes and to punishe those that rebell againste that precepte wyth another rebellion that they may reape their iuste punishement at the laste Further leaste I séeme to thée to flie to subtilties lette vs heare what exposition Caluine giueth of thys saying leaste thou mayste complaine of darkenesse or of doubtfulnesse For what is more indifferent than that he himselfe be the interpreter of his owne minde Manye saith he be deceiued in that bycause they conceiue not that God iustely willeth those thinges whyche menne sinne in dooing Thou wilte saye Howe He abhorreth adulteries and incestuous coniunctions Whereas Absolom defileth hys fathers Concubine be sore the people is it done with the will of God But hée hadde foretolde by his seruaunt Nathan that he woulde doe thys I will take saith he thy wiues before thine eyes and will giue them to thy neighboure who shall lye with them in the sighte of this sunne Thou diddest it secreatlye but I wyll doe it before all the people and before the sunne The Scripture is full of suche examples Shall wée therefore either impute to GOD the guiltinesse of sinne or shall wée coine a dubble will in him that hée maye bée at oddes wyth himselfe God forbidde But as I haue shewed alreadye that hée willeth the same thing with the wicked and vngodlye but in a diuers sorte so nowe is to be obserued what thinges be diuers in sorte that he willeth in like manner that in this varietie whiche séemeth to oure mindes the Harmonye maye be well ordered Forasmuche as the grieuous offence of Absolom is sauage impietie against hys father the treacherous violation of Wedlocke yea the filthy Prophanation of the order of Nature doe vndoubtedlye displease GOD who is pleased with Honestie Chastitie Faith and Modestie who wyll haue the lawfull order whiche he hathe prescribed to bée amongest menne reuerenced and kepte inuiolate Yet bycause it pleased hym this waye to punishe the adulterye of Dauid he willeth in the same sorte those thinges whyche to vs séeme diuers It is therefore one and a simple will whereby he commaundeth what ought to be done and by whyche be punisheth the breach of hys lawes It is saide elsewhere that sinnes be punishments which he requiteth for sinnes paste In suche documents we are to conâ—â—der two things the iust indgement of God where by he declareth that he hateth sin to whiche he inflicteth punishment and the wickednesse of man whiche is apparantly contrarye to the will of god But what maruell is it if suche immesurable brightnesse â—oe darken the light of oure minde The bodily cies are not sufficient to beholde the brightnesse of the Sunne is there either more clearenesse to oure witte or is the Maiestie of God inferiour to the brightnesse of the Sunne It is not therefore méete that we be too wise leaste in the meane time we either deny that which the Scripture doeth plainely teach and experience confirme or dare be bolde to chalenge as vnsitting for god Hitherto Caluine And thou shamest not Sycophant the moste shamelesse of all others that euer liued to affirme this that Caluine
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
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