bonde of causes and of a certaine intricate order which is contemned in nature but we determine God the arbiter and moderator of all things who in his eternall wisedome hath before all worlde 's decreed that hée would doe and now in his power accōplisheth that he decreed wherevpon we affirme that not onely heauen and earth and insensible creatures but also the purposes and myndes of men to be so gouerned by his prouidence that they are brought to that ende whiche is determined of the same And then he addeth by what meanes if thou shouldest consider the seconde causes by themselues any thyng may come bothe at aduenture and vnlooked for Whiche disputations if thou vnderstandest not thou oughtest to blame thy selfe who at the least knowest not by Cicero and Plutarche what was the controuersie of Chrysippus and Diodorus But what of these verily that all may sée howe muche credite is to be gyuen to that accuser whiche so shamefully lyeth in the very begynnyng saying that euery and the very worste in that part of their speache are wonte to pretende some shewe of honestie For that whiche concerneth the matter it selfe wée will further examine in his place At laste thou addest that wherein veryly thou haste excéeded thy selfe and in déede thou séemest to haue well obserued this principle of Rothorique that those thyngs whiche wée would moste firmely shoulde bée kepte in minde with the auditours may bée spoken in the laste place There are caried aboute thou sayest of this argument certaine Articles gathered out of thy bookes which I will tumultuously sette downe And is it so a greate chaunter of the truthe that thou shouldest take suche paynes to make tumultes in the Churche of GOD Is it so I say waste thou not well in thy wittes that thou shouldest forgette to aske of these rogues that carrie aboute these Slaunders whether they woulde firste with sufficient witnesses proue these thyngs they caried to be true For tell mée what wouldest thou answere if I shoulde onely say that all these are false whiche are obiected against Caluine Truely thou wouldest eyther suddenly confesse thy selfe a false accuser whiche thou clokest as well as thou canste or truely thou wouldest be constrayned thy selfe to accuse thyne owne foolishnesse whiche wilt thynke that thou oughtest to inquyre whether the accusation were iuste or vniuste then whether it were true or false And in déede as thou shalte shortly vnderstand the moste parte of these Articles as thou callest them is suche stuffe that bare deniall is sufficient But goe too that great care to reconcile the Churche hath euen nourisht thée And those that knowe thée say thou arte a simple man so that often tymes thou knowest not whether thou speake with or agaynst thy selfe therefore in déede it shall not bée amisse that wée beare with thy infirmitie of nature Moreouer thou beyng so good a manne and so muche our friende thou couldest not choose but bée muche chaffed when thou heardest those Churches wherein thou haste bene nourished and those menne whose liberalitie hath long done thée good to be charged with such impietie Therfore thou diddest that is too muche proper to fumishe men sodaynly to sette thy self to shuffle in our cause and when thou hadst no sufficient defence thou wouldest certifie vs of the whole mater So it is that the greatest matter escaped thée that is to approue how true the accusation was It were pitie but thou shouldest be pardoned of this too But I pray thée what meanest thou by this to deale Tus multuously in so waighty a cause Beware in déede that some suspect thée not as men be no fooles now to doe nothing in this matter in very good sooth and in earnest But no doubte as thou arte craftie inough thou haste an answere readie publishe it therefore that whilest thou indeuourest to pleasure thy friends thou lose the credite both of wisedome and honestie The title of the Slaunders ARTICLES gathered out of the Latine and Frenche bookes of Iohn Caluine vpon Predestination ANSVVERE THOV oughtst neither to vse this Title Slaunders impudently and malitiously ascribed to Iohn Caluine of certayne ignorant and malitious men The first Article that is the firste Slaunder GOD in the bare and alone determination of his vvill hath created the greatest parte of the vvorlde to perdition REFVTATION HOW false this slaunder is it shal appeare by the very selfe writing of Caluine For thus he saith I say saith he with Augustine that the Lorde created some whome he vndoubtedly foreknew should be damned and that it was so bycause he would so But wherefore he would so it appertayneth not to vs to enquire who are not able to comprehende it nor is it lawfull that the deuine will should be called in question of vs whereof so ofte as any mention is made the very soueraigne rule of Iustice is vnder that title named Againe bycause saith he the scripture doth playnely shew it we say that the Lorde in his eternal and vnchangeable counsel hath once determined whom in their time he would receyue vnto life whome also he would giue ouer vnto death Those to whome he vouchsafeth eternall life we say to be adopted by his frée mercie in no respect of their owne worthinesse Whom he giueth ouer vnto death those truly in his iuste and irreprehensible but that also incomprehensible iustice he abridgeth the way of lyfe Againe if we sayth he are not ashamed of the gospel it is requisite that we acknowlege whatsoeuer is therein manifestly set downe that God in his eternal decrée whose cause dependeth vpō none other refusing others hath ordayned whom he saw good to eternall life and whom by his frée adoption he vouchsaueth to lighten with his holy spirite that they may receyue eternall life offred in Christ that others beyng of themselues vnbeleuing destitute of the eyes of faith may remaine in darknesse Againe as Augustine writeth so farforth saith he the wil of God is the very soueraigne rule of Iustice that whatsoeuer he will euē in that he wil it is to be holden rightuous Therefore when soeuer it is demaunded why the Lorde hath done so it is to be answered bicause he wil but if thou procéedest in asking why he wil so thou séekest some greater or higher thing than the will of God which cannot be found Also we must euer returne saith he to the alone determination of his wil the cause wherof is secrete in himselfe Againe the Apostle sought not starting hooles as if he were taken tardie but shewed that the consideration of Gods Diuine iustice is more soueraigne than that it may either be measured after any humayne sorte or be comprehended with the weakenesse of mans witte These sayth Caluine and many others euery where of lyke sorte whereof I say it may be easily gathered that it is Slander ously spoken of thée whatsoeuer thou speakest of the bare determination of god For they call that a bare determination
whom he pleaseth also for his own glorie he cre ateth to iuste damnation Iust damnation I saye séeeing be neuer condenmeth anye but the guyltie of Sinne. Further the place which thou citest proueth again with what faith and conscience thou vsest to auduch the scripture For how is that when yet hytherto thou hast cyted but only two testimonies of scripture thou hast so foolishly and wickedly wrested them both If you being euill saith Christ can yet giue good giftes to your chidren how much more God What gatherest thou of this that God being good createth none to miserie As though the Lord in that place did speake to all and doth not confirme his Churche that with boldenesse it mighte crye Abba father Or in déede art thou so skill esse at least that thou knowest not that this voyce is of the spirite of adopitō For so witnesseth the Apostle But that thine exposition may be in force what else canst thou gather thence but onely this that God vseth to do good to all But doth it folow theron that he neyther createth the vassals of his wrath whiche yet he suffereth most patiently nor wonteth as it pleaseth him to vse his children to his owne glorie Beléeue me if thou canst thou art more worthy for this foolishnesse in the scholes of some rusticall teacher to be ierked wyth whippes than to be one that should be delt withal by argumentes Then thou bringest Caluin for argument who thou sayest is euill We in déede are not the men who estéeme Caluin as thou with thine are wonte to gybe for a God and Caluin is he if there be at this day any other vnder heauen who hath moste hated that thou most desirest that is to say the glorie of mē But yet this testimonie we can and ought to giue to the truth that he must be passing excellent whom in these our dates none wil hate that haue bidden battayle to godlinesse and true religion or in déede who neuer knew him Finally would God it were not so certaine that the testimonie of true goodlynesse displeaseth thée and thy factiō and that thou wouldest rather repent than confirme the fincere iudgements of all good men againste thée Other arguments of the slaunderer And of the scripture they saye thus GOD sawe that all that he had made were exceeding good Therefore Man whome hee had made was exceeding good But if hee hathe created to destruction he had created that whiche was good to destruction and heé loueth to destroye that whiche is good whiche but to thinke is wicked REFVTATION ONE cryed send me to the stone quarries But I am compelled to cry who I pray you will sende this fellowe to Antycera For I pray thée if I shoulde collect so God created me whole therefore he created that I shoulde not perishe by disease who would not thinke me madde God created Man right and innocent I grant and yet to destruction First we vse not to speake so but we say that Man was created for the glorie of God and thē we distinguish the same for we affirme that God hathe created some that in sauing them by mercie others that in condemning thē by iust iudgement he might manifest his glorie as Moses Salomon I sai and Paule do testify Therefore thou sayste Hee created that whyche was good to destruction and hee loueth to destroy that whiche is good But I say that this consequent is moste foolish For thou concludest muche more than thou haste spoken and therefore reasonest as if thou shouldeste proue that Manne is created of GOD not onelye good but also that he should neuer become euill whiche latter is false For bycause the Lorde was worthilye to condemne some it was necessarie that their beginning should be good both bicause God in that he is good cannot creat any thing but that which is good and also for that if their beginning had bin euill he coulde not iustly haue damned that himselfe had made but yet so it was requisite that theyr beginning should be good that it willingly deprauing it selfe might euident the way to iust dampnation that is to the iuste execution of Gods eternall counsell Therefore the beginning also of Reprobation was good that as the Lorde decréede from the beginning so in very déed in his due time he might iustly condemne not the righteous but those that of their accorde became euil as hée who cannot but loue that whiche is good so can he not but hate and punishe that whiche is euill But also that thou by the waye maiste learne thys that for the Elects sake it was requisite that Adam for that cause shoulde be created good that he of his owne accord might become euill For when the Lorde also hadde determined to shewe forthe a more ample fauoure in sauing his electe than in the creating of Manne that is when he had decréede not of nothing to creat them to saluation but being worthy of whatsoeuer punishement fréely to make them partakers in Christe of his eternall Kyngdome What place hadde there béene to this incredible louying kindenesse it they hadde for euer continued stedfaste in Adam for he hathe no néede of this mercye that is not miserable What haue therefore the Elect to complaine of the mutable condition of Adam sith so muche the more glorious and happy is their saluation What also the Reprobate séeing that except they were corrupted in Adam they shoulde not haue bene dampned For here I repeate that I haue often sayde that so the reprobates destruction dependeth of Gods decrée that yet the whole matter fault of their damnation remaine in themselues Yet there is one excuse sayeth Caluin very well pretended that Adam coulde not escape that whiche was decréed of god But voluntarie transgression suffiseth ynough and ynough to guiltinesse For the secrete counsel of God is not the proper naturall cause of sinne but the apparant wil of man Seing man may finde with in him the cause of this euill what auayleth it to wander that he may séeke it in heauen The fault is manifesse in himselfe bycause he woulde sinne Why hath he forcing into the secrets of heauen drowned himself into a Laby-rinth For that God knowing and willing suffered man to fal the cause may be secrete but vniust it cannot Goe nowe slaunderer and exclayme that we make God a hater of good men Another Argument of the Sclaunderer God created one mā that he might place him in Paradise which is eternal life Therefore he created al men to eternal life for al men are created in one REFVTATION FIRST I demaunde whence thou hast drawen this that God created one man that he mighte place him in Paradise Verylie of some secrete reuelation in whythe thou placest the perfectiō which thou seasest not to dreame long since I reade that Adam was placed in that moste pleasant Garden but that this was the chiefe and determined purpose with the Lorde that he might place hym there I reade
some good and some euill but men verily by nature are all euill but are so diffeuered by grace that many be altogither euill but many in some sort good that is for so much as Gods Spirite hath sanctified them 13 What things be of this kinde when they are in any action moued by that interior and their owne motion they are worthily sayde to do and therfore at the laste the difference of good or euill doing falleth into this kinde of instrument Nor in this respecte can they well be called instruments but rather efficient causes 14 And I call that an euill déede whiche hath not the reuealed will of God for his warrant contrarily a good which respecteth the same 15 The same albeit they are causes for asmuch as they worke by the interior and their owne mouing yet in an other respect they are called instruments that is as often for asmuch as they are moued of an other as wheÌ„ the hangmaÌ„ at the coÌ„manudement of the Magistrate killeth a man or as when by the inforcemeÌ„t of Satan some hurteth others or when in the name or at the commauÌ„dement of any one we do good or euill to any 16 In this kynde of workes euery one séeth one and the same worke to be attributed to two that is to one in dóede as inforcing and workyng by another as by an instrument and to another but to the agent himselfe for so he is an instrument as in déede he worketh by his interior and owne motion but not simply as the hammer or are in the hande of the Carpenter 17 Yea for this double respect there séemeth also to be yéelded a double worke and in déede so much as one is coÌ„mendable the other vitious as if the Magistrate deliuer the offender to the hangman euery man will worthily coÌ„mend that worke but if the hangman beyng rather moued with hatred or couetousnesse or any other wicked desire then with the iudges commaundement do put him to death truly before God he can not escape the fault of murther 18 Now therefore let vs apply these thinges to God himselfe whose power of working we proued before to come in betwéene in all things that are made without all exception and that so that by those things which he hath made as by instruments he executeth in his time whatsoeuer he hath decréed from euerlasting 19 What soeuer God doth it is good sith that no euill can procéede from the soueraigne goodnesse but he doth all things All things therefore are good for asmuch as they be done of God and that difference of good and euill hath onely place in the instruments in déede in those of whom we spake in the fouretenth proposition 20 For if these instrumeÌ„ts be good and respect the manifested will of God they do well and God doth well by them whence it is that that worke is euery way good as when the good Angels doe execute that whiche God commaundeth and holy men do folow when God calleth 21 But the euill instruments euill I say not by creation but by corruption for so much verily as they do they doe alwayes euill therefore they worthily incurre the wrath of God for asmuch as God worketh by them they serue the good will of God eyther agaynst their will or by ignorance For by what soeuer instrumeÌ„ts God worketh he doth alwayes well 22 And so God worketh by those instruments as he doth not only suffer them to worke nor only moderateth the effect but also he exciteth inforceth moueth ruleth furthermore which of al is the greatest euen createth them that by them he may accomplish that he hath determined all which God doth iustly and without all iniustice 23 For as oft as an euill man sinneth eyther agaynst himselfe or some other lyke euill God bringeth to passe without all sinne that either the wicked shal reuenge himselfe or that the wicked shall afflict the lyke with deserued punishments whiche both is the most iuste worke of God and by these examples of his iudgemeÌ„ts God doth recreat and comfort his 24 But so oft as the wicked annoy the good they in déede sinne at the last are worthily punished yet neuerthelesse the Lorde by them correcteth teacheth and confirmeth his and in déede by the very enimies of the Churche he maketh his Church glorious 25 Yet these euil instruments can not be sayd to obey God bicause albeit God doth execute his worke by them yet they so much as in them is that appertayneth there counsell and will they do not the worke of God but their owne worke for which they are worthily punished For albeit it is good whiche God worketh by the wicked yet whatsoever she euill do is euill 26 Nor auayleth the consequence God doth al things therefore he committeth sinnes For the name of sinne agreeth not but with a depraued qualitie whiche wholy is in the doyng instrument 27 But by reason of this depraued qualitie the worke which by it selfe is but one is after a sorte made two and double and that so much that one resisteth the other that is the iuste worke of God the vniust worke of man by direct contrary 28 Yet God worketh other waies by good instruments than by euill For ouer and aboue that he doth his owne worke by good instruments the good instruments also doe his worke with that strength and efficacie which God giueth them the Lorde finally doth his owne worke by theÌ„ in them he also worketh to will and doe So ofte as the Lorde executeth the iust counsels and deerâ—es of hys eternall will by the wicked as by Satan or men in that they are not negenerate he aduaunceth his owne strength and efficacie in his worke by them either not knowing or against their willes but yet in so muche as they doe his worke the Lorde worketh not in them but letteth loose the raynes of Satan whereto also he giueth the wicked to be stirred and inforced by his iuste iudgement that they may be caried by his and their owne luste 29 Therefore we repell not the name of sufferance or leaue nor was it euer in our mindes to say that God worketh in the wicked But bicause the difference of will and sufferaunce whiche Augustine no doubte tooke from the Gréekes the Sophisters drawne from Augustine and finally thou from them haue depraued bicause I say this difference is vsurped of you to appresse the truth therefore we vtterly repell it 30 For you set will agaynst sufferance wherevpon it foloweth that God suffereth those things which he doth suffer ether against his wil or in déede idlely not regarding theÌ„ But we that contrary least we either robbe God of his infinite inmesurable power or think with the Epicures we say that is the truth that God doth nothing but willingly either by instruments or permitteth to instruments that they may do yet so that whatsoeuer he do he do it mosteiustly and most iustly suffreth what soeuer he suffereth
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.
crueltie till he might haue mercie vppon him and louing him might declare to him whiche was plunging headlong into eternall destructioÌ„ that his will whereby he separate him from his mothers womb So the Lorde albeit an elect and choyce Kyng and Prophet to himselfe did yet stirre vp Dauid by Sathan to number the people Albeit the Lorde dothe hate all iniquitie yet he hateth not all those in whome is iniquitie and also whose iniquitie he vseth well how oft howsoeuer and whensoeuer he pleaseth otherwise whome should he loue at all therefore whethersoeuer thou turnest thée Sclanderer they are false and foolish whatsoeuer thou blaterest against vs or rather against the word of God. The twelfth Sclaunder The wicked in theyr wickednesse doe rather Gods worke than their owne The Sclaunderers Arguments to the twelfth Sclaunder IF it be so God is angrie with good for if wickednesse bee the worke of God then wickednesse is good for the workes of God are good And if vngodlynesse be good then godlynesse is euill for it is contrarie to vngodlynesse Therfore when the holy Scriptures say thou shalt hate euill and loue good they comâ—â— auÌ„d vsto loue iniquitie hate godlynesse And further they say that this article tasteth I can not tell what Lybertinisme and they maruell that thou art so offended with Libertines THE REFVTATION I set this saying of Augustine agaynst all thy Sclaunders in that the wicked sinne sayth he it is theyr owne in that they doe thys or that in saying it is of the power of God deuiding the darkenesse as it pleaseth him Séeff thou Sclaunderer wyth howe little force they lye in the dust whatsoeuer thou hast bent agaynst us For all these thyngs are false which thou attributest to vs and here also thou fightest agaynste thyne owne shadowe But go too lette us heare Caluine hymselfe speakyng that euen children maye iudge of thyne impudencie These verilie bée Caluines wordes Those that are but meanelie exercised in Scripture wyll not call into controuersie but that continuallie God dothe gouerne the handes of menne nowe holdeth them bounde nowe bendeth them hyther and thyther to the executing of that whych he hathe determined Yea almost it is receyued in the common iudgement of all menne that whatsoeuer men goe aboute the issue lyeth in the hande of God but bycause in so thicke darkenesse of mans mynde that knowledge is maruellous slender and inconstant the Scripture erecteth to us hygher sighte whereout we shall beholde God so gouerning all the workes of men that hâ—eacute e maye applye them to that ende whyche he hath determined And the summe tendeth to this purpose albeit men like wilde beastes run ryot restreined with no boundes that yet they are gouerned with the secrete bridle that they can not so much as moue theyr finger but to the executing of Gods worke more than theyr owne This last saying of Caluine thou Sclaunderer hast snatched that thou myghtest persuade menne that Caluine hathe foredone euen all difference of good and euill or maketh God the authoure of wickednesse But how impudently thou gatherest these appeareth by these thynges whyche Caluine hathe adioyned to the forgoyng but thou bycause thou hast made Shipwracke of all shame long agoe hast secretely ouerpassed for sayeth Caluine the faythfull whyche yéelde unto hym a willing obedyence are to be thought hys hande no otherwayes than the Angels wherefore I chiefely make mention héere of them who determine nothing lesse than to haue any thyng allyed to the councell of God or agréeable to his will. And indéede the wicked do gladde themselues as the maysters of theyr owne desires but the matter wyll at the last make proofe that by them although wicked and vnwilling that is accomplished whiche was ordeyned from aboue Further God sometymes vseth the wicked to punish the sinnes of men as if they were whyppes and other sometimes as if hée shoulde drawe them by the necke hée causeth them to bée instrumentes of hys louing kindnesse To gather into one summe the examples of the firste member should be a matter of immeasurable laboure only to touch a few shall be the best After that God exciting the King of Assur to warre called him the rodde of his wrath and declared him to be armed not with any other but with the staffe of his displeasure Afterwards he inueygheth againste his pride bycause he dyd not acknowledge hymselfe to be driuen of another as if it were an axe or saw By thys meanes they are called the Lordes Sanctifyed and hyred Souldyoures and to bestowe theyr laboure in hys affayres whome otherwise their owne ambition crueltie and couetousnesse enforceth and the Lord witnesseth hymselfe agayne wyth an hisse or sounde of a Trumpet to call them to warre And that the way to Gods bountifulnesse is prepared by the wicked actes of men euen one place of Hoses dothe sufficiently declare The conspiracie of Iosephes bréethren when they solde him was more than lewde wicked and cruell But Ioseph transferreth to God the cause of this selling but in another respect It is not you sayeth he but the Lorde that sente me before that I myghie nourishe you It appeareth therefore when they dyd wickedlye that yet God wroughte by them that they myghte fynde lyfe in deathe As muche as was in them they had slayne theyr brother thence dothe lyfe shyne vnto them The same is to be séene in Sathan the Prince of all wickednesse and head of all wicked men God sendeth hym to deceyue Achab wyth thys commaundemente that he be a lying spirit in the mouth of all hys Prophetes so the lying spirite is the minister of Gods wrath to blinde the wicked which woulde not obey the truth But contrarilie Paule least he shoulde ware proude in the strength of reuelations hée sayeth there was gyuen to hym a pricke of the fleshe the messenger of Sathan to beate hym wyth buffets Here Sathans poyson is a Preseruatiue to cure pride I praye thée what manner of Phisition is Sathan whiche hathe learned nothing but to kill and destroye But God which once commanded light to shine out of darkenesse doth so ofte as hée séeth it good maruellouslye bring health euen from the infernalles themselues and so chaungeth darkenesse into lighte But that whiche Satan worketh the Scripture in an other respecte doth affirme to be the worke of God that is forasmuche as God holding him Captiue in the obedience of his prouidence enforceth him whether he séeth it good that he maye applye his trauell uppon his owne businesse Thus farre Caluine whose wordes if thou haste redde ouer it maye be that thou wilte be ashamed of these sclaunders But surely we shal neuer make end of marueling that there could be so great impudencie in anye that he should lay to Caluines charge Lybertinisme The thirtenth Sclaunder We sinne of necessitie by the sense of God when wee sinne of oure owne or at aduenture The fourtenth Sclaunder Those things which men commit by their owne wicked
canst not denie except thou wilt adde somewhat to thine vnmeasurable impudencie that in teaching these things we haue as it were persisted in the steps of Paul. But we shall sée more of this when we shall deale with thée hande to hande Now I shall discharge my dutie if I shall euidently lay open to all Readers thine intollerable impudencie in deuising these detestable Slaunders Therfore that I may returne thither whence I haue digressed I will further auouch two places out of Caluine agaynst thy slaunders For thus he sayth Albeit before the fal of Adam God for secrete causes had determined what he would do yet do we reade in Scripture that he condēneth nothing but sinne So it remaineth that he had iust causes to reiect some but vnknowen to vs and he hateth or condemneth in man nothing but that which is not agreable with his iustice Agayne he sayth Let vs learne that we ought so to consider the Prouidence of God that we may geue glory and prayse to his omnipotencie For the wisdome and iustice of God is euer to be ioyned with his power Like as therfore the Scriptures do teach that the Lord in his iustice wisedome doth this or that so teache they a certayne ende for which he doth this or that For that fayned deuise of the absolute power of God whiche the Scholemen inferre is an execrable blasphemie For it is as much as if they should say that god were some tyrant determining what he list without equitie Their Scholes are full of suche blasphemies neither are they vnlike the Ethnicks who helde that God did dally in mens matters But we are taught in the schole of Christ that the righteousnesse of God doth shine in his workes of what sorte soeuer they be that all mouthes may be stopped and glorie giuen to him alone Doste thou Sycophant at the last acknowledge howe muche thine impudencie was in these patched Articles Thou hast further added other slaunders For first for that which Caluine hath said that some mē are reiected for iuste cause but to vs vnknowne thou making no mētion of any cause sayst that we teach that the greatest part of men are created to damnation But yet we will not striue of the number for we knowe by the Scriptures and the continuall experience of all ages that the most do enter by the brode gate which leadeth to destruction yet notwithstanding doste not thou surcease to be a slaunderer who in accusing doest adde somewhat of thine owne Then wherein thy wickednes doth most appeare thou so writest these things as if we should say that the ende of the creation of Reprobates is their eternall damnation which slaunder I thus refell with the very words of Caluine It ought to be knowen sayth he among all men that Salomon sayth that God hath created all things for him selfe euen the wicked agaynst the day of euill Beholde séeing the disposition of all things is in the hande of God séeing the determination of life and death remayneth in him and so at his will and pleasure ordeineth that among men some euen from their mothers wombe should be vndoubtedly giuen ouer vnto death who should glorifie his name in their destruction Therefore that we may briefly conclude Caluine thinketh not that the Reprobate are therefore simply created that they shoulde perish but that perishing in their owne defaulte they might aduaunce the Iustice of god And further that their perdition so dependeth of the Predestination of God that the whole matter and cause of their damnation be founde in them selues and albeit it is incomprehensible to humaine senses yet that it is the iust determination of God. Why therefore doest thou wickedly and maliciously leaue vntouched all that whiche is spoken of the fault of them that perishe and the glory of God But go too let vs heare with what sounde Arguments thyselfe canst oppugne thine owne slaunder The Sicophantes Arguments agaynst the first Article THEY say that the first Article is both agaynst Nature and against Scripture Of Nature they say thus Euery liuing creature naturally loueth his issue but this nature is of God whereon it followeth that God should loue his issue For neither woulde he make that liuing creatures should loue their issue except he loued his owne And this they proue thus The Lorde hath said Should I cause others to bring forth children and shall not my selfe bring forth As though he should say That whiche I cause others to doe I my selfe doe the same But I cause others to bring forth children therefore I also doe bring foorth Hence they bring an argument of similitude God causeth liuing creatures to loue their issue therefore he loueth his owne But all men are the issue of God for God is the father of Adam of whom all men are borne Therefore he loueth all men REFVTATION FIRST of all I say thou dost vnwisely in this place to dispute eyther of the loue or hatred of God towardes men For neither is it demaunded héere whether he hath hated any but whether he hath reiected any Which two béeing diuerse thou notwithstanding haste déemed one I will speake more playnely that thou mayste not complayne of obscuritie We say that there is an assured order of causes ordeyned of the Lorde notwithstanding he at once beholdeth all things as present yet hath he willed some causes in order to succéede and some to goe before which order of causes also the Philosophers haue acknowledged and haue called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succession by turne We affirme therefore that the hatred of God in reiecting of men in the order of causes hath not procéeded from the eternall decrée of God as that whiche of right we place in the highest degrée of all causes but rather to succéede So it is that albeit whomsoeuer the Lord from euerlasting doth predestinate to destruction afterwarde in his tyme he hateth yet to Predestinate to destruction is not to hate but to giue them ouer to his hatred But therewithall when the Lorde appoynteth vnto death whome he listeth he also ordereth the causes of hys iuste hatred to come that the whole matter of his hatred remayne in the menne them selues decréed to destruction and therefore hys Iustice to shyne in them to be prosecuted with hatred and lastely to be damned But thou arte deceyued in that whiche déemest that God dothe firste hate anye man before he assigne him vnto death Whiche is as foolishe as if thou shouldest say that he firste beginneth to hate before he haue determined whome he wyll hate Therefore I coulde at one worde conclude wyth thée that we thus farre agrée that we bothe confesse that God hateth and condemneth nothing in men but guyltinesse and sinne but that we disagrée in this that thou supposest the hatred of God to be the cause why he decreeth some to destruction and we say that that hatred is not the cause of the sacred decrée but the effect Neyther dothe it
in Adam and therefore abiected Be it so for so it is in déede But howe doest thou beholde them as yet beyng in Adam no in déede in that thou sayest not that God was but is the Father of all nor to haue loued but to loue all Thou muste therefore séeke some other outscape verily euen this as thou mayste say that GOD neuerthelesse loueth all bycause he offereth hys grace to all But if this be so in déede the foreséene corruption hath not caused that the Lorde shoulde reiect some seyng he loueth all notwithstandyng they are corrupte that hée offereth them the fauour of lyfe and that so that hée giueth them grace to receyue grace offered bycause that otherwayes the Lorde should séeme to vs as I afterwardes shall speake in his place not to deale faythfully with menne But furthermore it shall be requisite to conioyne contumacie with corruption that is furthermore to refuse grace offered But if it shoulde bée so wée shoulde not be borne the chyldren of wrathe and death but wée shoulde become so after we should refuse grace offered In lyke case after Pelagius teache the Anabaptistes and thy companion Seruetus that chyldren stoode not in néede of the grace of GOD in Christe saying that they were not reiected by nature Fynally what is it to take away Originall sinne or at the leaste so to extetenuate it that there bée no iuste cause of reprobation if this bée not what sayeth Dauid to the contraric Behosde sayth he I am conceyued in iniquitie Shewe then that all iniquitie dothe not deserue death before god But what sayeth the Lorde himselfe that sayeth be whiche is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and the fleshe is enimie to God bycause those that are in the fleshe can not please god Eyther proue therefore that no themselues seyng all are equally the chyldren of wrath what more vntowardnesse might God sée in these than in them wherefore he shoulde offer grace to the one and denie it to the other that he should take pitie on the one and harden the other or in déede as you say should suffer to be hardned Therfore of foreséene corruption or incredulitie or foreknowen sinnes it is a foolish inuention and therfore it is néedeful that thou confesse this difference to depend of the will of God albeit the reason of this iustice is vnknowen to men Lette vs set downe an other more manifest example God is indifferently the father of Esau and Iacob and that not onely in Adam but also in Isaac with whom he made a couenaunt of peculiar blessing But wilt thou dare affirme that God is no otherwayes the Father of Esau than of Iacob for we would graunt thée this that Esau may haue God his father if thou darest affirme this the Lorde from heauen shall refell thée crying the elder shall scrue the yonger and least thou mayst wrangle that this is to be vnderstande of euery seruitude the Lorde is yet agaynst thée testifying that the excellencie of Iacob was ioyned with bys loue and the reprobation of Esau with his hatered whereof it was an assured signe that he loste the promisse of the lande of Canaan seyng that was the earnest of the heauenly blessyng and adoption It remayneth then that we graunt thée that God also loued Esau as a Father yet that he loued Iacob far otherwayes But tel me whence is this differēce but of him that pitieth whom he pleaseth and hardneth whome hée will as the Apostle saith For if thou returnest to the foreknowen frowardnesse of Esau the Apostle resisteth who hauing called Iacob beloued and therefore elect before he was borne that we might knowe election not onely in tyme as that which is eternall but also in the order of causes to preuent all things and so that vtterly no place be left for foresight for faith or works as those whiche are not causes but fruites of election So when he commeth to the opposite member he vtterly sheweth by the like reason that Esau was hated and therefore vowed to destruction before he was borne or had done any evill That verely we also maye vnderstande in this behalfe not onely an eternall purpose of reiecting but that it is superiour to all causes of destruction And that héere is lefte no place to foresight or corruption or incredulitie or of euill workes For these in déede be causes of damnation so onely adherent to Esau that God by no meanes be guyltie of the cryme but yet are they causes of the eternall decrée of Reprobation not for going but folowing Other wise if these wordes of Paule Before they were borne or euer they had done good or euill you doe otherwise in one parte expounde than in another ouer and beside that generall principle that contraries haue all one discipline shall plentifully refell thée there is none who wyll not sée that apparant force is offered to the Apostles wordes if one and the same sentence and in the selfe wordes should be racked into diuers expositions Which in déede shall be if in one parte you say that foresight is excluded and in the other notwithstanding reserued Finally if the purpose of reiecting shoulde haue stoode vpon foresight ouer and besides that the selfe things of necessitie muste haue béene foreséene on both partes whence at the last the obiections whiche folowe shoulde haue sprong in foredoing of which the Apostle so forceably contendeth For neither should the Elect haue had whereof to complayne except they would complayne of mercie nor also the reprobate if for their foreséene desertes they had bene reiected But it is one thyng to aske why God hath hated an other thing to aske why he hath Predestinate to hatered All whiche least happily thou thinkest I haue deuised heare what Augustine hath thought of the same matter in his Enchiridion to Laurentius Cap. 98. Paule sayth he supposing that which is spoken as it might be to moue those which could not reach to vnderstand the profoundnesse of grace What therefore shall we say sayth he is there iniquitie with God God forbydde For it séemeth an vniuste thing that without the merite of good or euyll works God loueth one and hateth another In whiche thing if God would the workes to come eyther good of this or euil of that to come to be vnderstoode as he did foreknow them he would not haue sayde of workes but of workes to come and so haue dissolued this question yea he would haue giuen no question néedefull to be dissolued These Augustine It remayneth therefore that albeit if God maye be sayde indifferently to be the Father of all men in Adam yet can it not be sayde indifferently that he loueth men yea nor that he loueth all men and therefore that all this thy reasoning is vayne and foolishe because the purpose of God standeth not in the loue or hatred from this common benefite of creation but of the eternall and albeit secrete yet the moste righteous will of God.
in no place Yea if thou wilt stande vppon the verye wordes I rather reade that he was created to haue dominion ouer euerye liuing creature Therefore the foundation of thine argumentation is fallen as that whiche resteth not vppon the aucthoritie of Scripture but vppon thine owne fantasticall dreame God sent a sleepe vppon Adam didde he respecte that when hée made him he made him a coate of skinne but didde hée therfore creat him Séest thou how sottishly thou sholdest conclude But thou wilt say that this Paradise is a figure of eternall life But tell me from whence also haste thou that bicause the Lorde and after hym Paule and Iohn by the name of Paradise vnderstand celestiall glorie Indéede a strong Argument as thoughe the Gretians vnderstoode not by this worde al pleasant orchards and that it is vsuall in Scripture with these like earthlye shews to shadowe eternall felicitie Ierusalem in infinite places doeth shadowe the Churche is therefore euerye inhabitant of that Cittie a member of the Churche Againe if that Paradise were eternal life then shall also the Diuell Deathe and Sinne bée in eternall life and that Paradise béeyng ouer-tourned by the floud also eternall life shall vtterlye perishe Sée whether childishe shiftes doe headlong enforce thée wyth whyche thou doest féede thy selfe in suche wise as the Camelion is reported to lyue wyth the aire But leaste thou maiste complaine that I rather dally oute thine argumentes than solute them I wil shewe thée what wée are to thinke by the worde of God of thys Argument that is of the ende of the firste created man. Quadruple wise we learne to vnderstande the counsels of God one is by reuelation in the Prophets whose examples are euery where extant in Scripture Another is by peculiar reuelation of the spirite as we reade of Simeon and also of all faithfull to whose spirite the spirite of God beareth witnesse what be their giftes by Christ For that is it which we call Faith and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assured perswasion which cause by the example of Paule that we are so sure that we are fréely electe of GOD in Christe as if we had bin present in his eternall counsell The thirde is by our obseruing the sequele of naturall causes as ofte times the naturall and wise men and suche as are skilfull in humane things do foretell manye things But this coniecture in many things is deceitful and vncertaine bicause that God oftentymes ordereth the meane causes according to his secreate will. But the fourth is the moste sure meane and wythoute al exception the most sure bicause it iudgeth as they say of the latter I therefore say there are two things which not only the worde of GOD but also common reason doth shewe vs One is that God is neuer chaunged and therefore that that thing commeth to passe by the eternal and immutable decrée of Gods counsell that thinges are often altered For God not onely decréeth those thinges whiche are of stayed nature of which forte there be very fewe but also those thinges that for the moste parte are chaunged euery houre but not without assigned rules of alteration by him For example sake the Lorde blessed the earthe which he made whiche after Adams sinne he cursed But is God changed no indéede but in the beginning only for a time he blessed that which being fulfilled he had determined to curse the same for the sin of man If any aske me whence I haue them I wil answere that I haue it from the successe For séeing God is not chaunged and that it came so to passe as I saide of necessitie it is we confesse that it was so determined with God from the beginning Also the Lorde gaue the ceremonies of the lawe to hys Churche by Moses who notwithstanding by the Apostle pronounceth afterwardes if you be circumcised Christe prosyteth you nothing But dothe the Lorde chaunge his purpose that he shoulde allowe that whiche before he disallowed no indéede For he ordained the ceremonies but for a time that is to the preaching of Christe at whose comming it was requisite that they should vanish away as darkenesse in the day spring Also he assigned Saule King ouer Israell but for a time whiche albeit he did not manifest at the beginning yet he sufficiently hathe proued it when he receiued him And togither when he decréed that he woulde reiect hym he determined the cause iustely and he would take from him his kingdome for his owne faulte all which are certainly collected by the successe And the other is this whiche common reason doth shewe vs that nothing is done which God knoweth not or against his will or he being idle for neither ignoraunce nor imbecilitie is agréeable with the nature of God nor an idle foreknowledge may be attributed to him specially in the gouernment of so excellent a worke that is to saye of Man but that for the moste part the wicked assertion of Epicures wil be confirmed That God careth not for men For it wil bée that he being ydle that is dooyng nothing he suffered Adam to be circumuented of Sathan and at laste as one awaked out of sléepe endeuoureth to giue remedy The Scripture saith muche otherwise whiche affyrmeth that al things are gonerned of God euen those that séeme moste casuall It testifyeth that the verye Sparrowes do not fall to the earthe without the heauenly fathers will and that all the haires of oure heade be numbred Sathan indéede cannot touche Iob except God sée it so good and for that cause permitte it Sathan yea the Diuells truely coulde not rage againste the swyne excepte leaue be asked of Christe whyche hée graunted not againste hys will but willinglye It resteth then wée saye that all thinges are done if God will and therefore as we sée anye thyng come to passe let vs saye that it came to passe not withoute the iust eternall and immutable decrée of GOD But if anye manne will exclame here that we enforce the Stoycall necessitie Indéede I grante with Augustine or rather with the truth it selfe that the wil of GOD is the necessitie of things but this Stoicall I deny Nor doe we binde GOD to the seconde causes as Homer bringeth in his Iupiter complayning that when he woulde resiste destinye he coulde not We I saye acknowledge no suche destiny but wée saye that there is a sure and immutable successe of all thinges whiche the Lorde hathe fréelye wisely iustlye from euerlasting determined Yet we saye that the seconde causes are not enforced of Gods decrée except when he pleaseth to bridle his ennimies but they are willingly carried to the ende determined of God. Finallye both méere naturall and voluntarie motions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of frée choice wée not onelye not take awaye but accompte them as principall amongest seconde causes that is whiche as we saide euen nowe are of theyr owne accorde enclined to that ende whereto the counsells of the moste wise frée and iuste GOD the
from the nature of God thou séest Therefore also that kinde of Doctrine by thine argument whiche enforceth vs to these blasphemies is false Yet further I gesse thou haste one refuge in store that is that thou maiste say that God indéed created Adam and all men comprehended in him to eternall life but vppon condition if Adam should persist in hys innocencie which was set in his power and therefore that God séemeth not to haue chaunged his purpose I aun swere that it is true that thou saisfe of the condition but not in that whiche thou supposest Nor is it to he thought that God after the maner of meÌ„ depeÌ„deth doubtfull in hys counsells and in second causes as he pleaseth to determine this or that For what God should thys be whiche depenâ—eth vppon the rule of things created Therefore that whiche is saide of the condition is vtterly to be taken in the contrarie parte that is to saye that Adan was created with condition of the fall interiected but that vtterly whiche shoulde be performed albeit willinglye fréelye and readily yet necessarilye séeing that Gods decrée coulde not faile For the decrée of God dependeth not vppon the will of Adam but the contrarie Adams will of Gods decrée with whose efficacie notwithstanding the will was not enforced but by his owne voluntarie motion albeit Adam neyther knowing nor respecting the ende and therefore sinning was carried to the ende appoynted of God that is to this point that the waye mighte be opened bothe to the mercie and seuere â—ustice of god For in one and the same worke Adam of his owne accorde and therefore finning endenoured one thing and God wrought an other thing so indéede Adams and the Diuells drifts were frustrate bicause there is no counsell againste the Lorde But God iustely vsing a sinfull instrument wrought that he woulde bicause what soeuer he hath determined it is wholly requisit that if shoulde come to passe also euen as he had appointed If these thinges do not satisfie thée whiche reste vpon these stayed principles that God is euer iuste althoughe men conceiue not alwases how he can be iuste that God dependeth not of second causes but alwayes iustely dothe gouerne them euen then also when they doe wickedlye that God doeth nothyng at vnwares and with no certaine ende determined nor that he is ignoraunt of any thing nor to will or discerne anye thing whiche he cannot nor that he ydly beholdeth what shall come or what is but that he doeth all thinges as Salomon saith to his owne glorie and therefore to haue fore-decréede to doe that God cannot be chaunged but also that those things whiche are changed with all fixed and firme circumstaunces are of his immutable counsell chaunged If I saye those thinges doe not satisfie thée whiche reste vppon suche certaine principles and so agreable to the nature of God and so innumerable testimonies and examples of Scripture I say fréely that I now take no paines to satisfie thée and thy faction For he that doeth that shall verily doe in suche wise as if as hée saith he woulde doe it of purpose An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes IF all haue fallen in Adam it is necessarie that all shall stande in Adam and in that same estate as Adam REFVTATION ALL these things I graunt thée and that so as they make quite againste thée For séeing Adams posteritie shall stande in no other estate than Adam stoode in that is that hée mighte voluntarily throwe downe hymselfe headlong to destruction whence afterwardes the Lord woulde deliuer all these whome he had from euerlasting decréed to giue vnto his sonne the selfe thing ensueth that wée to giue vnto his sonne the selfe thing ensueth that wée wishe that the Elect haue nothing to complaine of this decrée of God séeing their estate is nowe by so muche better than if Adam had not sinned by howe muche it is more excellent to be saued by Christe the sonne of God than by Adam by Grace than by Nature And that the Reprobate also cannot complaine any thing of God as whiche albeit according to the decrée of God they are fallen in Adam yet fell they in him voluntarily and not by force and therefore are but deseruedly damned If this doth not satisfye thée and them I will crye with Paule O man who art thou that pleadest with God Another Argument of the Sclaunderers I will not the death of a Sinner REFVTATION SEE how rusticall thou art that is rude vnlearned for thou hast vtterly forgot of what thing there should be demaund We striue not good man of deathe and eternall damnation for we know that no man is damned but for his desert but of the purpose of damning whose cause albeit to vs it be vnknowen yet is it euer iust for whatsoeuer God will is iust and so God decréeth that he dothe decrée that he ministreth iust causes to the execution of his decrée Why therefore doest thou slide omitting the meane causes from the decrée of God to the execution of it that is from the purpose of damning to damnation as though in déede the Lord shoulde simply haue thus determined from euerlasting I will vowe this man to destruction and not whether I will giue ouer this man to destruction for his owne fault that my iustice may appeare I will speake yet more playnely Thou doest foolishly that doest cite the testimonie of death that is by the execution of the counsell where the counsell it selfe is in controuersie Yea the Prophet whose double testimonie thou abusest disputeth against the men of thy faction who complained that by the absolute power of God as they cal it they had incurred Gods vengeance as though God shuld deale with them tyrannously that is should rage against them whether by right or wrong But what sayeth the Lord by the Prophet verily he recalleth theÌ„ to that causes of destructioÌ„ remayning in theÌ„selues which also we do coÌ„tinually There is not sayth the Lord by the Prophet why ye shuld accuse me as I receiue the penitent so I punish none but the gracelesse rebellious for when your coÌ„scieÌ„ce shall accuse you why put you the fault in me That this is the Prophets meaning euery one that weyeth those places wil coÌ„fesse and surely al meÌ„ of stayed iudgemente when they heare these things shall try themselues will rather muse vpoÌ„ ameÌ„dment of life a renued mind to be obteyned of the Lord than vpÌ„o the sifting of the councels of god Briefely therfore I say that the Prophet mounteth not to that eternall decrée of God but sheweth the true vse of that doctrine which also we for as much as lyeth in vs do indeauoure to imprint that is that we ought to searche the decrée of God concerning oure selues not in those his vnreuealed secretes but in his word which is appoynted for vs to coÌ„sider But thou wilt vrge the word I will not as though in déed the word Caphees with the Hebrues
we séeme to retire first I aske of thée where thou hast expresly redde that the Angels were created of God Thou haste I thinke no place more manifest then that of Iohn that all things are made the eternall worde of God and without it to be made nothing of those which be made But why may not I by the lyke reason for confirmation of that mater whiche is in question bryng that saying of Paule that God dothe all things for his willes sake For thou muste graunt of necessitie that God hath euer bene the same Then seyng the same Apostle doth aptly witnesse that God lyke vnto a Potter had ordeyned of one lumpe certen vessels to honour and mercie and certayne to reproche and wrathe how wilte thou wreste this saying that thou maiste not ascende to the very workemanship of Adam For the name of lumpe doth not agrée with mankinde created but to be created much lesse that by the name of a lumpe shoulde be vnderstoode mankinde corrupted And I call that mankinde to be created not onely that whiche God had not yet in very déede created but also he neyther considered or behelde as created much lesse as corrupted For if the Apostle should haue stayde in the sinne or corruptioÌ„ of Adam as in the highest degrée of all causes of election and reprobation that is if he would this similitude to be vnderstoode of men created and the same depraued eyther in very déede or by the foreknowledge of god Certes it coulde not haue bene sayde that God did make the vassals of wrath but that in miserable state those whome he foreknew would be or whiche already were the vassals of wrath But so should the whole proportion of the similitude be frustrate whiche if it holde not in this poynt say I pray thée wherefore Paule hath vsed it and tell vs wherefore he hath cried out so vehemently O man who art thou for if it shoulde be so why should they complayne of that which belongeth to the vessels of mercie but if on the otherside corruption be the highest degrée of causes why shoulde also the Apostle take paynes here For to make the vassals of wrath were all one as to leaue them in corruption who of theyr owne nature were borne so there shoulde not be lefte to the reprobate any pretence of the least complaynt And if there hadde bene any reason of this Diuine iudgement to bée auouched hée ought to haue gyuen this one that God is not bounde to shewe mercy to any Why shoulde the Apostle exclayme here and bidde man reuerence the secretes of the Diuine maiestie without searching further for albeit that which many alledge that Paule doth not in that place dispute why some shoulde be reiected but why these more then they sith like are due to the lyke although peraduenture it be not spoken sufficiently to the purpose yet it maketh wonderfully agaynst you For what shall â—e due both to the one and other but iuste condemnation if as you wil haue it their foreséene corruptioÌ„ did go before the decrée of God if thou thinkest this too darke go to let vs set downe some familiar similitude that we may be at thy commaundement If a creditour that hath two equally in debted to him forgiue to the one the debt he oweth whiche he requireth of the other who indéede wil not say he is mad if he say he hath iniurie done him bicause he is more hardly dealt with then the other if any king of two equally imprisoned for one offence doe shewe mercy to the one and execute the other shall their therfore be in the iudge any shew of iniquitie bicause he doth punish him yea if there were here any iniquitie it should not be in that that he punisheth him but in this rather that he should not punish the other also equally wicked Therefore if this had bene the determinate purpose of the Apostle he should not haue auouched the iustice of God in the destructioÌ„ of the reprobate but rather in the safegard of the elect which things sith they are so thou séest the wheresoeuer thou turnest thée thou caÌ„st not auoyde but that thou art inforced to confesse that God is compared to a potter in whose sight was the clay whereof he woulde make in tyme the vassals both of honoure and dishonoure bycause so it was his will then the which there is nothing more iust But saye howe did he make them verily in Adam whose creation also the Apostle vndoubtedly considered when he mentioned the Potter and the Clay Furthermore how are the vassals ordeyned in Adam some to mercie and honour and some to wrath and reproche truely not withoute the voluntarie fall of Adam comming betwixt for excepte by his owne will albeit by the ordinance of God yet withoute all faulte of God Adam should haue fallen there hadde neither place bin left for mercy nor for iudgement and therefore the councell of God shoulde haue bin to no purpose Confesse therefore by thys place of the Apostle that it is God whiche hathe made the vassals of wrath and mercy and therefore hathe iustly ordeyned the necessarie causes to that ende excepte thou hadst rather accuse God of ignorance and rashnesse or ymagine the Potter to depende vpon the clay and not the contrarie that the Potter formeth the Clay so as it pleaseth him that it may come to the appoynted end Furthermore when Paule sayth that God hath included all vnder disobediente that he might haue mercie on all that is to say whiche shall beléeue as the same Apostle expresseth in another place and therefore which were elected Thinkest thou not that he dothe ascend euen to the very fountayne of disobedience that is to the fall of Adam when he shall come to that poynt that he cryeth Oh the depth of Gods iudgementes But these in déede séeme not to the sufficiently manifest for thou wouldest that a place should be set downe wherein God should be sayd manifestly and in playne words to haue willed and decréed that Adam shoulde fall but I aske againe where thou canst finde in the Scriptures so as thou requirest the drunkennesse of Noe and Lot expreslye condemned and also his incest the lye of Isaac in Gerar the manslaughter of Simeon and Leuy the malice and whoredome of Iuda the poligamy of Abraham and many others the euill and very wicked iudgemente of Dauid whereby he punished Myphiboseth the sonne of a most louing man with the losse of halfe his goodes and enricheth Siba a wicked betrayer of his maister as for a good acte with great rewardes these I saye and innumerable the like I aske where thou canst finde condemned in playne and proper wordes surely I feare thou canst finde it in no place and wilte thou therefore thinke that these are not to be condemned I thinke thou wilte not except it be that thou déemest a man may dispute of Poligamy on eyther part that heare also thou maist retayne the
cursed and infortunate if we holde that be good whiche he â—udgeth euill These on the other side suffer nothing at all to be condemned If they were aboue God himselfe that they might remitte the punishmeÌ„t which he threatneth it might be there were some place of pause but who would be condemned of God that he might be absolued of Quintinus when they will sette this article abroache they vse these wordes A Christian ought to vse all things to his commoditie For as I haue sayde from the beginning they neuer speake simply and plainely as they may apparantly expresse that they haue conceyued in minde but do intangle the matter with croked shiftes I willingly in déede yéelde vnto them that that a Christian ought as he saith to take euery thyng to profite but in that sence that the Seripture teacheth that is that in aduersitie hée may call to remembraunce that whiche Paule sayth that the faythfull are afflicted for this cause that they maye be conformed to the Image of Christe and so lette afflictions bée a helpe to them to obtayne saluation and let that consolation sustayne them If he sée hys brother slide or goe astray let it be to hym in stéede of a glasse to the ende that knowyng the infirmitie of mans nature he maye walke in the more feare But if it be so that hymselfe fall lette hym thereby be admonished of his owne imbecillitie that he may distrust his owne strength and be made more humble and lay aside all arrogancie and lette it be to hym as a spurre whereby he may be furthered to call vpon God with more feruente inuocations Sée howe Christians turne all things to their commoditte not that they may delight themselues in their sinnes or shutte their eyes least they may behold that whych is euill but rather that being heauie and sorowfull bycause they may sée that God is offended both of themselues and others they may be prepared to repentance humilitie and the feare of God and that they maye be carefull that they maye take héede to themselues in time to come After this sort Dauid gathered commoditie by the fault that he had committed not in any respect iustifying himselfe but when he heard his condemnation more and more confirming hymselfe in the goodnesse of God foreséeing least afterwards he myght slyde agayne into such calamitie Euen in like sort dothe Paule admenish vs to conuert those sinnes whiche the children of Israell committed against God to our commoditie that is that whilest we consider the punishments whiche followed we may be taught by their example See nowe wherefore the Scripture doth cite as well the sinnes of the faithful as of the contemnes of God not that it might make vs blinde whereby we shall be able to determine or vtter nothing for certaynetie and shall doubt whether that which is euill be good but that when the knowledge of euill is perceyued we mighte shunne the same as it playnely setteth downe what we should iudge of euery worke But they alleadge that it is â—â—ritten lette vs not fudge for the Lord vseth these wordes â—udge not but wherefore that he may reprehend their rashnesse who vsurp the authoritie of God in iudging of things they know not The same argumente is handled of Paule in the fourtéenth to the Romanes where he reproueth them that condemne their bréethreÌ„ for matters indifferent we haue sayeth he all one iudge to him we must giue accomptes it apperteyneth to him to determine of suche matters let vs not therefore inforce oure neyghboures prostrate vnder our opinion In déede it is an excellente and most profitable doctrine to as there is one spirituall lawgiuer that is God so that he is the best Iudge of our minds But in the meane time the testimonie is not therefore of lesse force whiche already he hath broughte when therefore we iudge whoredome thefte blasphemie dronkennesse and ambition to be gréeuaus sinnes we giue no iudgemente of our selues but we approoue that whiche God hath giuen But of the contrary these shamelesse dogges feygning that they will not iudge doe make themselues higher iudges than god I pray thée if after the supreme Iudge haue gyuen sentence some priuate man should say the matter is to be left in doubt as if nothyng shoulde bée certayne and the matter by iudgement condemned not to be taken as euill shoulde not hée as a factious man or author of sedition be déemed muche worthy of greate punishmente bycause hée would subuert all order of right But these filthy dogges vnder this pretence that they saye we must not iudge endeauour to make frustrate the supreme iudgementes of the highest God whyche he hathe published to all the worlde and that whatsoeuer he hath pronounced is but deceyuing We sée therefore that as we maye not presume so farre as to iudge accordyng to the lust of oure owne heart so all things are to be approued and as it were ratifyed with our assente whyche God hathe iudged therefore as auouche hym to be a good and righteous Iudge we shall condemne with him wicked workes and as he aduiseth we shall iudge a good or cuill trée by his frutes Afterwardes they alleadge this sentence Hipocrite firste plucke the beame out of thine owne eye and then shalte thou sée to remoue the mote out of thy brothers eye But what wyll they conclude thereof Thys aunswere belongeth to Hypocrytes who onely note other mens faultes and conceale their owne as when hée sayde to them whyche accused the Adultresse hée that amongst you is withoute sinne lette him cast the firste stone at hir He dothe not therefore forbidde to punishe offenders but onely adnionisheth that when we reprehend others we beginne at oure selues when we correcte them that haue offended lette vs be withoute those faultes whyche we correct in them that wée may shewe oure selues to bée moued with the true zeale of iustice to hate euil as well in our selues as in them withoute all respecte of persons But betwixte these two there is maruellons great difference to iudge nothing by Hipocrisie and vtterly to iudge nothyng The Lorde commaundeth that we iudge according to truth that we be not more seueare agaynste oure neyghboures than againste oure selues but these dogges with this cullor will haue all iudgemente be it neuer so consonante to reason to bée excluded and abolished Albeit if an Hypoerite flattering himselfe shall reprehende another it followeth not that hée whyche hathe offended shall therefore bée excused for euill is euer to bée damned But this is the faulte of an Hypocrite that hée measureth not hymselfe by the same rule and easilie forgyuing hymselfe hée vseth the extremitie of lawe against others But as I said in the beginning the ribalds do not indeauour to obteine this in vayne for they shuld opeÌ„ to theÌ„selues a notable ingresse if they might persuade the world that nothing at all were to be improued But it is best to note Sathans subtiltie in this place and whereto
Babilonyans and finally the wicked councels and most sauage crueltie of all the vngodly against the Church 38 It appeareth by many and manifest testimonies of Scripture that God also punisheth sinnes with sinnes and that by his in no case idle but truely effectuall and mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuerthelesse iust permission for it is he that giueth kings in his wrath Nehe. 9.37 Iob. 34.30 He it is that causeth to erre Isai 63.17 by cause he mingleth among them the spirit of error Isai 19.14 He it is whiche hardneth and turneth the harts whiche blindeth the eyes which maketh drunken with the wine of giddinesse Exod. 4.21 and. 7.3 and. 9.12 and. 10.1 and. 11.10 and 14.4 Deut. 2.29 Ios 11.20.1 Samuel 2.25.2 Chron. 22.7 Psalme 105.25 he it is that reueÌ„geth the coÌ„tempt of himselfe giuing ouer into a reprobate sense Rom. 1.28 and sending strong delusion that they mighte beléeue lyes 2. thess. 2.11 He it is which seduceth Prophets Erechixl 14.9 and finally he it is that sendeth euill spirites with commanndement to hurt and power giuen to deceyue as 1. Kings 22.22 and. 23.2 Chron. 18.21.22 Iob. 1.12 and. 2.6 Goe no we Sycophant and crye out if thou list tyll thou be hoarse agayne that we make God the authoure of sinne but goe to let vs heare with howe mightie argumentes thou canst assaulte vs. The Sycophantes first Argumente to the thirde Sclaunder AGAINST the thirde of the difference of will and sufferance they saye thys Caluine sayeth that he is a Prophete of GOD and wee saye he is a Prophete of the Deuill But it is of necessitie that one sorte doe lye for if hee be a Prophete of God wee lye but if he be the Deuils Prophete he lyeth who sayeth hee is a Prophete of god But if both be GOD willing it that is if GOD will that Caluine saye that hee is a Prophet of GOD and that wee shoulde saye hee is a Prophet of the Deuill he will contraries which is impossible for if God wyll a lye he will not the truth or if he will the truth he will not a lye wherevpon it followeth that if he will that one sorte say the truth he will not that the other do lye but out of doubte one sort do lye therefore they lye God suffering and not willing it There is therefore in God a difference betweene sufferance and will. REFVTATION FIrste of all filthy Sicophant by this argumente whiche thou takest it may appeare to euery one with what mind thou vndertookest to deale in this cause that is swelling with that enuie and leawdenesse which bereft thée of all iudgements a good while agoe but thou wouldest not lose this pleasant saying nor indéede hast thou lost thy laboure sith I thinke there was yet no man found that could reade these thy wrightings withoute extreame laughter But Calnine séemeth to me for this cause to be muche bounde to thée bycause thou doest sclaunder him so openly for indéede to be sclaundered of so obscure a man such as eucry one that knoweth thée doth long agoe confesse thée to be is to be praysed and in déede with that kinde of prayse whiche of all others is most commendable séeing it is voyde of all suspition of flatterie but these rayling trifles we may leaue to thée for more forceable is that renoune which all Churches giue to the faithful Prophet of God albeit least of all requiring it than that it may be defaced with the scoffe of a blabish rayler and greater is the dignitie that thou with thine maist burst with enuie of this faithfull seruant of God in ChristiaÌ„ Churches then that it may be obscured with any thy fomings But goe to let vs ioyne togither thyne argumente is suche God can not will contraries a lye and truth are contrarie therefore he can not will both but he suffereth a lye and willeth truth Then is therefore difference betwéene will and sufferance Heare nowe good man what I aunswere I say there is a manifest ambiâ—uitie in the name of will for sometimes will is spoken of those things whiche we simply allowe in themselues sometimes it extendeth further and also belongeth to those things whiche we in no wise approue in themselues yet we embrace them for others and in déede so much as that we perswade and for our power execute them As for example there is none except a bloudsucker who simply loueth warre séeing it bringeth with it innumerable euils There shall be also some Prince an enimie to the Countrey who so ofte as he can not other wayes defende hys people he had not rather take in hand lawful warre than resigne the people to the enimies lust Therefore a good and gentle Prince simplye will not warre if thou considerest warre in it selfe yet he will for iust causes goe to warre nor doth he â—dlys suffer his people to vndertake that but of his owne accorde and willinglie he goeth to warre euen with the danger of his owne life But who maye thinke that the Magistrate excepte he be altogither cruell is delighted with the griefe of any Citizen much lesse with his death yet the same albeit sorrowing and in no wise allowyng the slaughter in that it is slaughter should in no case idle or against his will but with his will and seriouse endeanour make inquisition vpon an offensiue Citizen and deliuer him being conuict into the hands of the formentor with commaundement giuen to execute him with this or that forture But warre and peace to saue and kill are contrarie yet who is so sottishe that would therefore denie that the Prince can not will both at one and the selfe instant but say by what meane thou wilte alleadge that in déede bycause warre is not contrarie to peace in so much as the Prince willeth it yea it doth assist peace nor to kill a Citizen is contrarie to the health of Citizens for as much as a good Prince killeth an euill Citizen sith hée killeth him iustly that he mighte defende the good But séest thou at last good maÌ„ that those things in themselues do very well agrée whiche thou callest contraries But if thou arte conséreyned to acknowledge this difference in the very actions of men thou whiche fearest not to measure all the workes of God by common reason wilte not héere suffer thyne owne rule to holde But goe to lette vs trie these by the rule and prescripte of the very worde of god We acknowledge that whiche Dauid sayde to be true for euer Thou arte a God whyche will not iniquitie and hold him that thinketh otherwayes for a wicked and blasphemous man But that whiche thou doest collect that is that when we saye without all exception that nothing is thought spoken or done wherein the will of God doth not come betwixt and that we euen endeuoure that that God is the author of all wickednesse and mischiefe but we saye this that this is nothing else but too manifest a sclaunder For we affirme that
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
inclination the same also proceedeth of the wil of God. THE AVNSVVER WE haue sayde in no place eyther that man dothe sinne by the liking of God as then doest expounde that is so as sinne doeth please him or that sinne is committed at aduenture than the which there can be nothing spoken more filthie Those moÌ„sters be thine owne but that sinnes do procéede from the will of God as they are sinnes if it had but euen come in our minds that we should haue sayd or written we would confesse our selues worthy of all torments But what punishmente are thou worthy of whiche doest thus Sclaunder the faythfull seruaunt of God and a sette enimie to the Lyhertines But of necessitie what hath bin Augustines iudgement which indéede we willingly embrace as most agréeable to the word of God appeareth by many places sufficiently The will of God saith he is the necessitie of things And agayne So God hath created inferioure causes that that may be of them whose causes they be but is not of necessitie but the higher and remoued he hath so kept secret in himselfe that it is of necessitie to be of them that he hathe made by them that it might be But that this doth not of necessitie hinder the voluntarie motion of will the same Augustine teacheth thus We say not that all things are done by Destinie yea we say y nothing is done by Destinie bycause that wher the name of Destinie is vsed to be put of those that speake it that is that in the constitution of Starres whereby euery one is conceyued or borne bycause the thing it selfe is auouched unprofitably wée shewe to be nothing worth but we neither deny the order of causes where the wyll of God auayleth most nor doe we call it by the name of Destinie least it myght be that we vnderstand the Fatum destinie is named of Fando that is of speaking for we can not denye that it is written in the holy Scriptures God spake once for that it is sayde hée spake once it is vnderstoode irremoueably that is hée spake inchangeably so as hée inchangeably knewe all thynges whyche shoulde come to passe and whyche he himselfe is to do By thys meane therefore we maye call Fatum destinie of Fando speakyng excepte thys name is alreadie wont to be understoode in another matter whereto we will not that the heartes of men be enclined And it is no consequente that if the order of all causes be certayne to God therefore there is nothyng in the determination of oure wyll And they euen our willes are in the order of causes whyche is certayne to God and is helde in his foreknowledge bycause also mens willes are the causes of mens workes Also in the same place oure willes are auayleable so muche howe muche God woulde they shoulde be auaileable and foreknewe it and therefore whatsoeuer they can they can it truly and whatsoeuer themselues shall doe they shall vtterlie doe it bycause he foreknewe they shoulde can and doe whose foreknowledge cannot be deceyued And againe if that be defined to be necessitie according to the whiche we say it is of necessitie that something bée so or be so done I knowe not wherefore wée should feare it least it take from vs the fréedome of will. Hitherto I haue reported the wordes of Augustine and what Caluine thinketh of necessitie and casuals it playnelie appeareth by hys owne wordes For when hée hadde taughte out of the worde of God that God directeth wyth hys councels those thynges whiche séeme most casuall and had shewed that as Augustine once so also hymselfe is muche vnworthilie charged wytly the Sclaunder of Stoycall Destinie At the last hée addeth these farewell the Stoykes with their Destinie to vs let the frée will of God be gouernour of all things but that casuals be taken out of the worlde dothe séemâ— absurde I lette passe the distinctions whiche are vsed in Scholes that whiche I will bring shall be in my iudgemente simple and in no wise forced and also applyed to the benefite of life So is it of necessitie that that come to passe which God hath determined that yet it neyther be precisely nor of his owne nature necessarie I haue a familiar example in the bones of Christe The Scripture witnesseth that Christ put vpon himselfe a body vtterly like oures wherefore to graunte that he had bones that might be broken no wise man wyll doubt But there séemeth to me to be another question and that aparte whether any bone of his could be broken for it was requisite of necessitie that they all remayne whole and vnhurte bycause it was so determined by the immoueable decrée of god But I speake not so as of the customarie kindes of speaking of necessitie by his meane or absolute Also I abhorre the consequent and consecutionâ— but least any deuice séeme to annoy the readers but that euery rudesbiâ— may knowe it to be true that I say Therefore if in the bones of Christe thou consider nature they were brittle but if thou consider the decrée whiche was manifested in his time they were no more endaungered to breaking than the Angels to the miseries of men But now séeyng it standeth vs on to beholde the order of nature disposed from aboue I do in no sort reiect casualtie as it apperteyneth to our sense These saith Caluin so in déed plainâ—ie and enidently that he whiche can stagger in these may séeke a fault where none is But least thou shouldest any way complayne of our obscurenesse bycause there in scarce any slaunder whiche they haue more osuallie in mouth and which men do more impudently laye to our charge namely the ignorant than this of the necessitie of the Stoycall destiny I will at once that it bée plentifully and euidently made plaine what we thinke of these things and that not with my words but of the most learned and by manye degrées moste excellent man P. Martyre who albeit he hath not published those thinges which I am to describe that were takeÌ„ out of his lectures yet this also I truste he wil graunte to his Beza not vnwilling that his helpe being gotten it may euery where be vsed to the putting downe of a lye Thus therefore thought P. Martyre when he firste shoulde expounde in the most excellent Church at Tigurine the first booke of Samuell many very godly learned men being present approuing it The questioÌ„ is saith he whether Gods prouidence be inchangeable Why not For it is the rule of al things the are done I am the Lord saith he and am not chaunged with whome there is no change nor shadowe of alteration And in the Prouâ—â— There be many thoughts in the hearte of man but the Lords counsel standeth Esai 46. I saye the worde and my counsell abideth and I doe all things whatsoeuer I will. For séeing the prouidence is the wil and knowlege of God and these appertaine to the essence of God it cannot
faile excepte God hymselfe shoulde be chaunged In déede the seconde causes séeing they are diuers they oft times hinder themselues which we sée doth come in vse in the passages of Heauen that some be hindered of others But the will of God can be hindred by no force But once he allowed the Iewish Ceremonies afterwardes he willed them to be abandoned Howe then is not the prouidence of GOD changeable I aunswere that there is in GOD altogither one and the selfe same will but that he foresawe from euerlasting what was conuenient for diuers times Augustine sayeth to Marcellinus That the husbandman doeth at one tyme sowe and at another time mowe at an other time dung his land yet that the trade of Husbandrie is not therefore chaungeable Vinditianus saith he a certain Phisition gaue to a sicke man a potion and recouered him He after many yeres being fallen againe into the same diseaseâ— the Phisition not knowyng of it tooke the same potionâ—â— But when he selte himselfe worse he came to the phisition he shewed him the matter and began to complaine of the potion Then Vinditianus it is no maruell saith he for I gaue thée not that Here when others maruelled and thought that he had vsed to adde some magical force there is saith he no such thing he is of another age hath other humors than who I dyd firste giue him that potion But for that cause shall the Phisicke be inconstant So vtterly God albeit he foreséeth all thinges yet he hath not decréed that all thinges shall be done at one time Now let vs come to the matter it selfe if the prouidence of God be certaine may it suffer any chaunce Here first I wil vse two distinctions and then I wil answere There is one simple necessitie an other by supposition For whoÌ„ we say that there is a God that God is wise and iâ—ste we vnderstande that that is simply and absolutely necessarie Other thinges he necessarie by supposition as that which is taught in Schooles that whiche is in somuch as it is is necessarie Christe and the Prophets preach that Ierusalem shal be destroyed therefore it shall be destroyed of necessitie not bycause that necessitie is in the nature of the Cittie but bycause Christe and the Prophets haue foretolde it which coulde not be deceiued There must be heresies saith Paule And Christ saith It is necessarie that offence come For these causes being set that is the corrupt wits of menne and the diuels hatred against mankind the end being sét also that the elect shall be tryed by supposition it is necessarie that these things come Also things may be considered two wayes either as they are secreat in the causes as they stande oute in acte so they haue the reason of necessity For they are no more indeterminate as to write or not to write is casuall But if thou write alreadie it is no more casuall but of necessitie Therfore we say the knowlege of senses is certaine bycause the very things can not be are themselues otherwise But also things maye be coÌ„sidered as they are secret in their causes And for that the causes are somtimes of power somtimes not of power to bring forth effects therfore there is no necessary working force in theÌ„ But if the things theÌ„selues be referred to God there is a far other reasoÌ„ For he calleth those things whiche are not as thoughe they were For bycause he coÌ„passeth al time hath neither beginning nor ending also all things whiche shall be hereafter by time indeterminable are yet present to him Hereto also coÌ„meth the will of god For bare knowlege hath no place in him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working And by this means I say that things theÌ„selues haue the maner of necessitie August vpon Genes to the Let. in the 6. booke 15. Chap. There be many means by which man other things might be made of God those means had some possibilitie not necessitie This also is of the wil of God whose will is the necessitie of thinges And albeit such things being referred to God are of necessitie yet we are to oftéeme theÌ„ of the interior proper cause to terme theÌ„ Casualls For it is of necessitie the such as is the efficient cause such be also the effect If thou demauÌ„dest why these two kindes of causes be in the nature of things some limited necessarie some infinite and casual there can be answered no other thing than that God hathe enioyned these orders to al things And God produceth limiteth and boundeth all things yet not that hée might confound dispecse the nature of things Boetius in his Topicks sayth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destinie is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of drawing and yéelding consequentlye GOD indéede draweth all thynges but so hée after a sorte yeeldeth that he disordereth nâ—thing So albeit that thinges of their owne nature remayne indifferent vnto bothe parts yet of GOD they are more inclined into the one The will of Saule was by hys nature no more enclined to goe that to tarrye But when GOD woulde send him to Samuell he beganne to encline his will into the one parte Therefore GOD setteth before his vnderstanding the will of his father and bringeth to passe that that mighte vrge and effectuallye enforce his minde that all other desires of flouth and ydlenesse if anye were whiche mighte deceiue him shoulde faile Therefore it came to passe that the will of Saule shoulde obey the prouidence of god Yet in the meane time the nature of the thing is not violated but that the will of Saule was equallye frée to bothe partes Hence it appeareth what néede we haue of the grace of god For oure will as it is depraued in all respectes it tourneth all into the worse parte Also there be manye thinges whiche woulde dull and make blinde oure vnderstanding that will shoulde not easilye encline GOD therefore setteth before oure vnderstanding that whiche is good then be kindleth oure confidence and stirreth vppe the dulnesse that we maye will effectuallye But thou wilte say wherefore is any thing called Casuall séeing it is already decréed of God into the one parte and so is made of necessitie I aunswere euerye thing by his owne proper beginning is casuall but the prouidence whyche bryngeth necessitie is a forraine cause from whiche the name shoulde not be gyuen to thinges I knowe there be many that determine those thynges whiche cannot thereto be brought of God by mans strength that our wil can either choose or refuse that there the prouideÌ„ce of God doth stay neyther procéedeth further and when God fore sawe what euery one would choose and what refuse that his foreknowledge is nothing hindered But these do not sufficiently accorde with Diuine Scriptures For they teach that God doth not so prouide for things that he may leaue them but as we haue sayde that he maye bring them to their determinate endes