straightway he sayeth But it will come to passe when the Lord hath perfected his work in mount Sion and Ierusalem I will visite the proude hearte of the King of Assur and the glorie of his high lookes whiche afterwardes the same prophete prosecuteth more largely in the thirtéenth Chapiter But lette vs also suppose the wicked themselues to vnderstande that it is the commandement of God yet that they in the execution of Gods commaundement can do nothing else but sinne For example The Magistrate giueth ouer euerye offender lawfully conuict and condemned to the Executioner The Executioner who otherwise is an enimie afflicteth that man with that same kind of torment that was appointed him but moued with hatred or couetousnesse not setting béefore him the Iudges commandement but this one thing that he maye satisfie his minde Wilte thou thinke hym innocent before the Lorde who séeth the thoughtes of the hart not rather guilty of murther yea euē of sacriledge who abuseth that sacred iudgemēt of that Magistrate to satisfy his owne luste Suche was Sathans faulte when not by the bare sufferaunce of God as thou wilte but by expresse commaundement he was sent to ver Iob and also to deceiue Achab. And it is very like that the Idumeans did no otherwise whiche are reprehended of Obadia séeing it is probable that they were not ignorant of those things which the Prophets hadde preached againste the Iewes Therefore that we may strike saile at the laste indéede thou thinkest righte that thou thinkest that the wicked are enforced by the will of God againste those whome God by them will punishe But here thou arte deceiued two waies and that with a deadly error Firste in that thou thinkest they do not sinne except it be so that they excéede measure whiche we haue proued to be false Againe bycause thou thinkest they can goe beyonde the boundes and limits which God hath set them which erroure lincked with wonderfull blasphemie it remaineth that I reproue I say therefore that the Lorde so oft as he decréeth anye thing and he firste decréeth with what punishementes he maye corect the sinnes of men is wont also to determine all things as it were with ratified and set limits of places of times and of persons Also I saye that all thinges are so firme and ratified which God hath decréed that séeing he is neuer chaunged the issue also muste néedes followe of all thinges whyche hée hath appointed and altogither suche as he hath appointed But I dispute not here of secōd causes least thou shouldest accuse me after thy maner as a defēder of Stoical destiny I dispute of those gouerned endes whyche GOD hathe decréed and determined Those endes in déede thou thinkest cannot be remoued without vnspeakeable wickednesse I thinke thou arte taken conuict of double blasphemie when thou saiest this For I graunte that if they might be auoyded that hée whyche doeth this were guiltie of sacriledge and hée séemeth guiltie of offending the diuine Maiestie but that GOD permitteth anye thing to be done againste that he hathe decréed I denye bycause hée shoulde disagrée from himselfe Againe this I deny that it is not in anye mans power to passe those endes whyche God hath sette and determined He that shall deny these I say is guiltie of sacriledge is blasphemous wicked and a madde manne For what maner of God shal we estéeme him whose sentence is not firme and ratified and whose decrée and will shoulde depende vppon seconde causes For whereas thou supposest that thou canste escape these inconueniences when thou sayest that the endes which GOD hathe prescribed cannot be passed excepte hée suffering but not willing it that is leaste his wil séeme inconstant doth euidently prone thy foolishnesse For if he suffer againste his will it followeth that some thing is dono whiche God woulde not shoulde be done Where then is his omnipotencie For if thou doest except that he woulde not it shoulde be done but that he did not lette it and therefore his omnipotencie not to be imperiled whiche coulde but woulde not oppose it selfe neither in déede shall this helpe thée but from Silla thou runnest headlong to Charibdis For so it shoulde come to passe that to suffer shoulde signifye all one thing as not to hinder as if one suffer a streame to runne headlong downe a hill whiche he can stay But if God doe not let any thing therefore he letteth it not bycause that either he woulde it should be done or of the contrarie that he would it should not be done or finally that he careth not whether that thing be done or not Choose whiche of these pleaseth thée beste If thou saye that GOD will haue that done whiche hée suffereth thou makest with vs or rather with the LORDE hymselfe who testifyeth that euen the Sparrowes fall not to the grounde wythoute the Heauenlye fathers will nor therefore is there daunger leaste thou make GOD the Authour of Sinne as wée haue plentifullye made plaine before But if thou thinkest that he suffereth something bycause hée woulde not it shoulde be done who will not thinke thée without common sense for he woulde rather forbid that than suffer it And truely common reason telleth as the onelye will of God sufficeth that anye thyng be done so also that anye thing be not done it sufficeth bycause GOD will not that it be done There remaineth a thirde that he suffer something to come to passe whiche he willeth it be either done or not done as that be careth not whether it be done or no. But who knoweth not that this doctrine is Epicurious Furthermore who I praye thée besides thée alone knoweth not that the omnipotencie of God standeth not only in this that be can do what he liste but in this also that all the power and strength of all inferioure causes dependeth of him But whence is this strength but from a willing God For neither can it be wreasted from the beginning neither procéede nor issue as out of the hands of an ydle God that inferior causes shoulde be enforced not by his but by their owne determination For I denye not but that the instruments are in déede enforced which are endeued wyth will according to their owne liking but bycause it is carried to the ende ordained of god For bycause as Augustine hathe excellently and truely written the will of God is the necessitie of things nor that Stoycall which thou falsely obiectest against vs but which taketh not awaye the voluntarie mouing of will as the same writer hath plainely manifested in his bookes entituled of the Cittie of god Therefore when thou sayste that God nilling but suffering the limits maye be passed which he hath set thou either spoilest him of his omnipotēcie or makest him light and inconstant and finally contrarie to himselfe But this thy blasphemy euen all dumb creatures do reprehēd with open mouth which haue continued so many thousād yeres in their estate they plainly confesse that
as not to think that men would straight enquire how it could be that in so waightie a matter writing so familiarly to thy friends thou shouldst suppresse thy name But what if they also should know that which is manifest to vs that thou hast not letted but that these broched Slaunders might haue bin bruted in all the worlde before we should heare any whit of theÌ„ truly they would not doubt to report thée as mostly all other diuine things so also to haue lewdly wickedly abused the sacred name of amity But we if thou knowest it not do leaue for thée to regard the multitude of fauourers thine I say it shal be for vs For neither doe we defende that cause wherin thou art worth one rushe And thou art the very man albeit this time hath others whose protection if the truth require it should do in such sort as if the improuident shéepe should thinke them selues in safetie under the defence of some gréedie Wolfe Truely thou art muche deceyued if thou supposest thou canst go vnknowne thy trifling scurilitie thy foolish ambition thy babbling subtilties thy great follie thy indeuour voyde of all godlynesse finally thine intollerable vanitie in euery parts of this writing bewrayeth it selfe All which as thou hast them common with manye yet so they doe apparantly shewe forth in thée that whether thou termest thy selfe Bellius or Theophilus or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no body finally whatsoeuer Physnomie thou dost pretende yet those thine entries bewray thée to be a Cumane Asse Whom therfore thinkest thou to be so sadde that would not deride thée or so pleasaunt that would not be in fume with thée if he should heare thée giuing out that thou wishest nothing more than one doctrine Thou I say who first presumedst to bring into these partes where the diuine light hath shined a freshe Academicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great doubt or impossibilitie to conceyue But in déede is this the way and meane to establishe one doctrine to reporte the worde of God to be so doubtfull and vncertayne that which way soeuer thou takest it it suffiseth not to decide the controuersies of Religion and we must looke for some other newe reuelation from heauen For thou mayst easily recount all these sith thou haste so often written them Away with this hypocrisie why commest thou not out of thy lurking corners why doste thou hyde thy name why doste thou not bidde open warre to the trueth For truely thou canst not now be vnknowen and though it be agaynst our willes thine obstinacie will bring to passe that we shall name thée Thou requirest of vs proofes that the people may vnderstande We aunswere that we professe that doctrine whiche can séeme to the worlde nothing but foolishnesse And howe true this aunswere is we may very well gather by the example of Christ himselfe For except he satisfie thée whom may we thinke shall But thou muste néedes confesse that those people did very little profite in his doctrine which continually followed him when those twelue his dearest familiar friends to whome he imparted his secrete mysteries when he their master was presently to ascende into heauen séemed not sufficiently to haue knowen what is the nature of his kingdome But I knowe where vpon thou standest Bicause thou haste read that the wisedome of God is hidde from the wise and prudent of this worlde therefore howe muche the more any man is vnskilfull of good artes discipline so muche the rather thou déemest him worthy to be iudge of diuine mysteries Thou therfore most allowest the mind of the multitude and I know not what vulgar kinde of proofe doth best please thée for neither doest thou it as I thinke as if thou diddest in déede beléeue it were so but that in déede thou mayest knowe more to deceyue the vnskilfull common multitude But if thou art ignorant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of the fleshe is the very thing that letteth vs to sée the light of God neither is it only in those wise men but in euery one Who soeuer is subiect to this disease as all be that are not renued of the spirite thou labourest in vayne to teache him the secrets of Christian Religion whether thou shouldst maffle with the multitude or labourest to be wise with the prudent that is to doate of purpose We must receiue these things by fayth But fayth is the gift of God comprehendeth arguments not deuised of our owne brayne but takeÌ„ out of the word of God which if thou dost not vnderstaÌ„d ther is yet no cause why thou shouldst blame the too much darkenes of things or require more perspicuitie in Caluin or any other Thou thy selfe hast within thée that darknes which causeth that thou art blind in the cleare light Thou contemnest the writings of learned men ere thou comost to them not that thou mayst learne but that thou mayst reproue them Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfloue this pride doth blinde thée howsoeuer thou doest shadow these with a certaine false counterfayte of libertie and simplicitie Giue glory to God pray him hartely that he will open thine eyes then shalt thou proue those arguments to be both playne euident and necessarie whiche now thou reprouest as weake and beggerly Thou saydest before that thou hadst determined to deale of that one argument of Destinie or Predestination We truly who haue long sithence much hearde thée to be out of measure impudent and by experience knowe it to be so doe yet maruell that thine impudencie could be so great that thou durst obiect to Caluine that hatefull name of Destinie wherof what he hath tofore written it shall not repent vs to set downe in his owne wordes both bicause albeit thou arte full of enuie they are excellently plainely learnedly and godly written also that by the entrance euery one may know with what faithfull minde thou vndertookest this matter Thus therfore saith Caluine Those that endeuour to worke despite to this doctrine doe falsly vrge that it is the Stoickes opinion of Destinie whiche also was obiected to Augustine in his time Albeit we contende of wordes against our will yet we admitte not in any wise the name of Destinie bothe bycause of that kinde whose prophane straungnesse Paule hath taught vs to auoyde and also bicause they indeuour to burthen Gods truthe with the hatred of it These hath Caluine written in so many words which if thou diddest not know what rashnesse is it to reproue that thou knewest not but if in déede thou diddest theÌ„ what impudencie was it to charge him with that crime whiche thy selfe knewest to be false But here I will pleasure thée For thou wilt say it is not Destinie in name but in effect It is â—o Heare therefore what in the same place he adioyneth The very opinion of the Stoiks sayth he is falsly malitiously obiected vnto vs For we deuise not with the Stoicks a necessitie of the perpetuall
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
approued in all the worlde In déede I graunte it one thing to bid or commaund but another thing to permitte that this or that be done but I say that common sense doth shew to euery one that wil is ioyned with an inseparable bonde both with commaundement and with sufferaunce albeit sometimes men ouercome with necessitie or importunitie do commaunde or suffer to be done that whiche otherwayes they woulde not But for as murhe as thou requirest similitudes go too let vs declare these with examples dilated Those that performe their businesse by others it is of necessitie that they giue them authoritie to doe whatsoeuer apperteyneth to the accomplishmente of that businesse as the procuratour maye deale by commaundement But who besids thée alone did euer thinkâ— to saye that this sufferaunce was contrarie to will séeing that this whole sufferance procéedeth of méere wyll and so much the more of choyce But the maner of working is no other which the lord vseth in that doing of those things whiche are done euerye daye For firste he hathe giuen to euerye not onlye sorte but also scuerall that vniuersall power and facultie whyche thou mayest sée manifolde Then he applyeth this same power euery moment to singular particular actions eueÌ„ as by his eternall and inchangeable counsel he doth not onely foreknow and gouerne but also willeth and decreeth all things And he vseth as we said before both good and also cuill instruments whiche destruction began not from the creation but corruption but so he vseth them that if there be anys vice in the instruments this contagion come not so farre as vnto him For he rightly decréeth willeth and permitteth not onely those things which the voluntarie instruments will and doe iustly but also those whiche wicked instruments wil do wickedly as we haue plentifullye made plaine before But all these not otherwise than by the willing sufferaunce of God doe that whiche they do For what thing in heauen or in earth hathe of it selfe either this power or vse of this power whether he vse it rightly or no Therefore I professe that I cannot sée what common sense can shewe thée that sufferaunce can be separated from will or that God can suffer any thing againste his will. Yet I confesse that there is otherwise greate oddes betwixte God and men vsing the helpe and procuration of men For that we say nothing of the lewd counsells of men that which for the moste parte men do being enforced with necessity â—â—â—â—cause they cannot accomplishe their owne nor other mens matters God doeth it with moste frée will séeing otherwise he is of hymselfe Omnipotent and in himselfe altogither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient Men oft times either by feare or force or by some other meane constrained rather than prouoked do permit many things whiche they woulde not vndone But God alone decréeing with moste frée will permitteth that whiche he doeth permit Bycause Apollo in the Poets sweareth rashly by the law of an oth after a sorte he is constrained to graunte the Chariot to Phaeton perishing Yet he willing graunteth the Chariot bycause the regarde of an othe preuailed more with him than the certaine perill of his sonne Iupiter complaineth in Homer with teares bicause he coulde not when he would denuer his Saâ—pedo from present death Herode swearing rashely when he hearde the heade of Iohn Baptiste to be required and being heauie aduised with himselfe whether he had rather the maide being reiected fall into the crime of periurie or kill moste cruelly the moste innocent man not shewing cause why and at the laste not so muche I thinke for conscience which was none as moued wyth vaine glorie and ambition leaste he shoulde séeme to haue sworne vnaduisedly or in performing an othe inconstant doth not only suffer but commaundeth the heade of Iohn being cut off to be giuen the maide in hir hands as Mark very wel noteth A sicke man fearing his life giueth himselfe to the Chirurgion to be cutte yet not againste hys will yet not altogither with frée will. The same we maye thinke of the Merchaunte who in a greate tempest doth not onely suffer his marchandize to be caste ouer boorde but also he with his owne handes doeth caste them ouer Beholde thou many eramples of sufferaunce in al which yet Wil cannot be secluded from Sufferance Be it farre from vs yet to conceiue any like things of God bycause neither rashenesse nor ignoraunce nor repentaunce take place in him nor is he enthralled to any necessitie For as Augustine sayeth wel and learnedly the life of God and the foreknowledge of God we putte not vnder necessitie if we say it is of necessitie that God liue euer and know all thinges as his power is not lessened séeing he is saide not to can dye or be deceiued For thus he cannot this thing that indéede he were rather if he coulde of lesse power Yet he is rightlye called Omnipotent who cannot dye nor be deceiued For he is called Omnipotent by dwing what he will and not in suffering what he will not Therefore that I maye dispatche at once a waye to Anticyra with that thy common sense and there if thou causte hauing drunke a gallon of Helleborus learne at the laste to be wise and so to dispute of common sense that we may vnterstand thée to be indued with some sense For where thou sayest that Christe was wonte to teache diuine matters according to common sense who will euer graunte it thée excepte he be voice of all Christian religion Christe vseth I graunte familiar kinds of speaking but where didst thou euer knowe that diuine matters did agrée with oure common sense and therefore that they coulde be taught according to oure common sense Paule cryeth that the naturall man perceiueth not those things that are of God the same witnesseth that To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of the fleshe is enmitie againsts God the same professeth that he teacheth that doctrine which should of the Gentiles be takeÌ„ for foolishnesse The same cryeth O Man who arte thou and O the déepth of Gods iudgementes and Christe praising Peters confession Flesh and bloude sayeth he haue not reuealed that to thée But thou on the contrary vrgest vs to coÌ„mon sense as the supreame iudge of Gods mysteries Shew vs therfore moste pregnant fellowe why the Lorde protracted the calling of the Gentiles so long howe the worde coulde become fleshe howe Christe is borne of a Virgin how he can féede vs in earth with his quickening fleshe whiche is in Heauen howe the Lorde wil whiche thou haste foolishly denyed that many should be borne to miserie that he might be glorified in them as by the example of him that was borne blinde and by Christes owne wordes we haue taughte why the calling of manye shoulde be deferred to the laste tyme of theyr lyfe Howe may it be that the greatest parte of menne shoulde heare nothyng at all of CHRIST
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
whereby any thing is so done that no regarde be had whether it be iuste or vniuste that is done We therefore doe in déede confesse with Paule that al things are done by purpose of the Deuine will that whome he will before they be borne or euer they haue done eyther good or euill he eyther loueth or hateth and therefore in his time eyther pitieth or hardeneth but we adde this that this notwithstanding there is no iniustice with God that he whiche dothe so decrée these things dothe notwithstandying that whiche is altogither rightuous And this we proue by many reasons Firste bycause that the will of God is the soueraigne rule of Iustice neyther is it a good consequent that that is vniust bycause mans reason seeth no cause of such Iustice For what doth not the sunne shyne bicause the blinde is still in darkenesse Againe we say they deale foolishly who holde that any thing is good in it selfe before God will haue it so seyng that contrarily it is requisite that God will anything to be iuste before it can be so For the will of God dependeth not of the qualitie of things but the contrary the qualitie of things by order of causes doth folowe the will of god Thirdly wée adde also that in suche decrée whereby God from the beginnyng determined whatsoeuer vassals of his wrath he woulde that the execution of his purpose muste be distinguished from the purpose it selfe that is the purpose of reiectyng from damnation Wée vnderstande no other cause of the purpose than the very will of GOD whiche can not bée but altogyther moste iuste albeit the blynde wysedome of the fleshe thynketh otherwise But the causes of execution that is damnation the Lorde hath plentyfully and playnely shewed vs euen the voluntary corruption of Adam deriued vnto vs and the fruyctes of that corruption But here agayne mans reason inforceth it selfe Whence sayth it be the causes of this damnation haue they so come to passe agaynst the will of GOD no forsoothe for then hée shoulde not bée Almightie Therefore with hys will for he dothe not suffer vnwillingly and that is the opinion of Epicures to ordayne a carelesse foreknowledge of GOD whiche is easily ouerthrowen by infinite testimonies of Scripture But if hée haue decreed these things to be so and I coulde not resiste hys will am not I blamelesse of that faulte whiche altogither resteth in hym And this is that greate doubte whiche no man vnderstandeth saue those who out of hys worde haue learned to thynke reuerently of god Therefore Paule when he commeth to thys poynte denieth not that it was the will of God whiche the wicked coulde not resiste but their collection of this approued principle hée vtterly denieth bycause GOD can not bée vniuste and hée recalleth vs to the consideration of mannes estate that wée mighte reuerence so highe a mysterie not that wée shoulde reproue it But in déede you are wyser than the Apostle for thou takest these thyngs not to haue come to passe by the will of GOD but if it bée so then is it maruell that the Apostle dyd not remember it that he mighte haue answered the very selfe thing Neyther doest thou consider all this whyle whether thys rashnesse dothe headlong inforce thée truely to this poynt that thou mayst more more incomber thy selfe whylest thou thinkest that thou canst cōprehende the infinite wisedome of god For that we may yéelde thée that thou séekest that the causes of damnation doe chaunce without any determination of God sée how many and wicked absurdities may follow For firste if they chaunce agaynst his will thou deniest the Omnipotencie of God who coulde not withstande that whiche he woulde But if in déede thou sayst he wincketh at it howe muche doest thou differ from Epicurisme It remayneth then that he permitteth it willingly and there is one and the same difficultie For if thou sayest that eyther our sinnes foreknowen or already committed haue giuen occasion to this will thou sayest nothyng For we séeke the Originall of these sinnes that is the causes of corruption from whiche thou canste no more seclude the determination of God than when there is question of the fruictes of corruption seing that here also the same inconueniences doe accomber thée and thou arte taken in the same Labyrinth Furthermore sée howe well thou defendest Gods Iustice For truely that whiche he hath suffered albeit he hath not determined it for we will giue thée so muche yet he coulde haue letted it euen with a becke Why therfore did he not suppresse Sathan in tyme why dyd he not thorowly establish Adam and Eue or if thou list not looke backe vnto them why did he not commanund the fountayne of sinne to stay in Adam that it should not issue out vpon his posteritie was it bicause the sinnes of his posteritie deserued it But they shoulde haue had no sinne if corruption had not bene inlarged But why dothe he dayly gyue Sathan suche libertie whiche he can restrayne truly where soeuer thou turnest thée humane reason sheweth vs this that he is equally in fault who when he can preuent one from fallyng to destruction yet doth it not with him that throweth him downe headlong Therefore although that thy solution should be of force humaine reason should not surcease to déeme God vniust But thou wilt say These things are curious They are in déede and therefore we thinke it sacriledge for any vnreuerently to attempt these high mysteries of god But we say that that is curious and wicked too to demaunde howe God shoulde be without fault if he ordayne the causes of damnation Whiche question thou haste vndertooke to dissolue but we thinke with the Apostle that it is altogether impossible with humaine senses to be expressed which is curious which is passing wicked which séeketh the secret mysteries of God without his worde Is it thou which séekest a reason of the Diuine wisedome and therefore willingly and of purpose runnest headlong into daunger or I who when we come to Gods will béeing mindefull of mans imbecilitie do secretly reuerence the maiestie of god Therfore that I may briefly say this let this be the furthest reach of mans iudgement although the cause of his decrée is vnsercheable whereby God hath determined from euerlasting to create many in whose iust damnation he might manyfest the glorie of his iustice and for that cause whosoeuer are appoynted vnto death cannot but perishe in their tyme yet that God because he damneth none but the corrupt and guyltie is therefore without all blame of their damnation as he who rightly decerneth those things whiche men doe vniustly and therefore iustly punisheth But if humayne reason can not endure it yet it doth not followe that it is otherwise Rather let whatsoeuer is fleshe giue place for so I had rather than speake as thou doest that we may wholly repose our selues in the worde of god But thou wilt say Where is the worde of God Surely thou
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.
An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes TO create to perdition is not of loue but of hatred therefore he created none to perdition REFVTATION AS this Argument dothe depende of the aforewritten so it is of necessitie that the first béeing infringed this also doe sayle Thou haste collected euill that all are beloued of God bicause that all were created in Adam But we contrarywise approue that God by his incomprehensible but yet iuste decrée hath Predestinate whom soeuer it pleased him to hys hatred and therefore to destruction neyther that that is discrepant from the nature of God whiche ought not to be measured by the common sense of men And then we shewe that that God is not moued with the hatered of any that he should vowe him to destruction but that he hath hated him whome he hath Predestinate to destruction and that truely the cause of this hatered and destruction is manifest to vs that is voluntary corruption in Adam whiche isluyng vpon all his posteritie yéeldeth also like fruictes to the tree and that to satisfie all stayed wits that albeit they know not the cause of the sacred decrée yet both bycause it is diuine and also bycause destruction is so descerned that togither the iuste causes of perdition be determined abidyng in men themselues also they confesse it to be iuste Wherfore also we haue proued that that we vse not to speake so as that we say that any one is simply created of God to destruction but therfore that by his due damnation God might shew forth his iustice But that the daÌ„nation of the Reprobate is iuste bicause their perdition doth so depende vpon the Predestination of God that yet the whole cause matter of their destruction be found in themselues These whosoeuer vnderstaÌ„deth at the least shal sée this that it is moste absurde that thou sayste that it is of hatered to create to perdition For that I say againe before the Lorde would create men we speake of the order of causes he neyther hateth or loueth but whome he createth he hath decreed from euerlasting eyther to loue in Christe or to hate in Adam Therefore to create to perdition is not of hatred but of him who hath decréed to hate to hate I saye for iust cause whiche he so annexed to the decrée of hatred that all the fault be in him whome he hateth Further if no man be therefore created that God in his due destruction might be glorified then God eyther hath determined to saue all or boroweth the causes of his counsell of the foreknowen will of men and that so that whom he knew would refuse grace offered for that cause he should vowe them to destruction and in déede shoulde suffer them to runne headlong séeing they will so But oh good Lorde howe many things be héere affirmed not alone foolishly but also wickedly For if God hath decréed to saue all as in déede he determined if he loue all howe is it that he doth not saue all Is it bicause he can not If that be so he is not omnipotent Or is it that he will not Then the Lorde altereth his counsell and when he sayth he repenteth we muste not nowe vnderstande that to be spoken of God not by translation and improperlie but properlie and in déede But and if he require the cause of hys purpose of the men them selues what workeman is he that dependeth of his worke yea what wise man euer thinketh to say that God determining to make men first considered of what forte they woulde be that thence he might consult then to haue considered wherfore he would create them Then what shall become of them to whom grace is neuer offered of which sorte we haue foreshewed that there be many Wilte thou say that all these are saued for as muche as they haue not that foreknoweÌ„ cause of refusing grace Sée for as muche as thou haste once declined from the right pathe into what absurdities thou runnest But this is the right way that God hath created all for hys owne glorie euen the wicked for the day of euill In this doctrine is no circumstance of wordes no absurditie if thou doste determine that whiche is moste true that the will of God albeit it sometimes séeme otherwise to vs yet alwayes is the soueraigne rule of iustice Agayne I pray thée how is it that thou takest such paines to defend the reprobate rather I pray thée let vs giue them ouer leaue them to the eternall Indge to be damned Let vs rather be occupied in giuing thankes to God and setting forth of his glorie who when hée also might haue predestinate vs to destruction yet rather gaue vs to his sonne by whome béeing apprehended by Faith we are fréelye saued And this benefite of God doeth wonderfullye shine forth towardes vs by the contrary destruction of reprobates and hitherto the reprobates are set to be considered of vs not that we shoulde defende theyr cause but learne in feare and trembling to reuerence the Lorde An other of the Slaunderers Arguments To creat is a worke of loue and not of hatred Therefore God created all men in loue and not in hatred REFVTATION AGAINE thou beatest againste the same rocke whiche knowest not howe to set hatred vnder the decrée that so that betwixte the decrée and hatred be interiected the cause of hatred whose gusâ—tinesse remaineth in menne themselues as I haue already saide a thousand times Againe albeit wée willing lye confesse the goodnesse of God to haue appeared in the very worke of creation nor that God hath properly hated his own worke but his corruption yet who will graunt thée that thou wouldest enfore by this argument that God bicause that for his singular goodnesse he created the reprobate therfore he did not predestinate them to his deserued hatred But I will helpe thée here For not onely in the creation of the reprobate but also in all their life a certaine vnspeakle kindenesse of God doeth often shine insomuch that if thou beholdest the presente state of thinges and ascendest no further the Lorde maye rather seeme to fauoure the wicked than the righteous which cogitation muche moued Dauid and deceyned the Epicures But what sayeth the LOKDE of all Reprobates in the person of Pharao saying Therefore sayeth hée haue I raised thée vppe that is haue broughte thée foorthe that in thée I might declare my power that is to saye in working mightily on thée Nor yet am I ignorant that there is not wanting those which otherwise expounde the word of Exciting whyche aunswereth to the Hebrue worde but the Apostles saying doeth sufficientlye declare that it is to be expounded so that it oughte to ascende to the very creation Againe what way so euer thou doest expounde it truelye it shall expresse the Lordes benefites vppon Pharao whome notwythstanding he hadde from euerlasting decréede to destroy and that bycause he woulde For why otherwise shoulde Paule ascende to the will and shoulde not rather
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
Creatoure doe tende Lette this bée for example GOD the father tendering the saluation of hys Electe assuredlye decréede that CHRIST for a certaine season shoulde dye This I saye so oughte to be that I affyrme it coulde not be before his houre hadde come as say the Euangelistes nor after the prefixed time was come that it coulde otherwise be whyche appertaineth to the successe In the meane time when Christe was freshe in yeares and was of excellent constitution in bodye if you respecte in parte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strengthe of Nature it was suche that he mighte haue liued manye yeares also suche was the nature of humane wyil whyche woulde haue wonderfully abhorred moste cruell death lincked with the wrathe of GOD the father and also woulde haue prayed pardon Therefore if by it selfe thou shouldest consider the power of Nature then will we saye that Christe coulde not haue dyed also if thou shouldest consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the force of Will in him that he mighte haue wished not to dye But Nature by naturall motion and will of hys owne accorde consented to the decrée of GOD that is to deathe of necessitie Therefore there is not why thou shouldest obiect to vs the Stoicall assertion whyche taketh from God a liberty to decrée and to determine seconde causes that is it bringeth GOD spoyled of his Diuinitie vnder gouernemente and to willing counsels or deliberations leaueth no place Nor is it preiudiciall to vs that I maye speake these by the waye that there séemeth force to be offered nowe and then to the seconde causes as when the Sunne stayes his course and the Sea is deuided For we saide that GOD is not bounde to seconde causes but that he may bende them whereto it pleaseth hym Nor is it to be doubted but nature willinglye would gyue place when the Creator commandeth There is more difficultie in the corrupte will of the Diuelles and all those who are not regenerate whiche it is sure doth sometimes oppose it selfe vtterly that is wittingly and willingly againste the decrâ—es of god But here is altogither apparant the in comprehensible and inâ—â— plicable condition of the counsells of God that like as the will of the deuill and his members in that it vtterlye opposeth it selfe againste God yet ignorauntlye serueth the workes of God no lesse than with willing force it should yéelde to obey him Tell me therefore that we maye amongest manye choose one singular example when Sathan endeuoured to destroy Ioseph by his brethren by whome God hadde decréed to saue the Isralites what did he truely the selfe thing that he had decréed againste whome he did oppose himselfe that is that Ioseph hauing gotten auctoritie in Egipt might prepare refuge for the Church of god Ioseph therefore respectyng Gods decrée and comforting his amayed brethren said You did not send me hether but god Therefore where I saide that the seconde causes do readily endeuour themselues to the will of God as appertaineth to the corrupt will of the wicked is thus to be vnderstoode that wée maye rather consider the issue than the forme oft hat will. But these it maye be are too far fetcht whiche yet I thought good to sette downe in moe wordes that in parte I might displaye the wickednesse and in parte the foolishnesse of him who yet shamed not to obiecte vnto vs those things which of what forte they shoulde be he verily neuer séemeth to haue vnderstoode I come to the matter We shew that all things come to passe by the eternall immutable decrée of God for that with him is neyther ignoraunce nor imbeciiltie nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 negligence nor anye alteration of counsell We also shewe this that those things that are chaunged are not changed but by the eternall and immutable couÌ„sell of god But this thyrde we haue approued which dependeth of the aforesayd that this collection is most sure this thing is so come to passe therefore it was the councel of God that it should so come to passe Of these it is easily gathered what is to be thoughte of the ende of the fyrst made man truely that which the issue sheweth he was created good but with this condicion that in certayne time of his owne accorde and by no faulte of the Creator this goodnesse béeing lost hée mighte ignorauntly prepare the way both to them that are to be saued in mercy by whose saluation God hath decréede from euerlasting to manifest his glory and also to those that should iustly be damned in whose iust destruction lykcwyse he determined from euerlasting to shew forth the inmeasurablenesse of his iustice and seueritie Adam therefore was created good so that if thou consyderest this straight of nature by it selfe that is the integritie and innocencie then he might and ought to bée saued and also his posteritie that hee was to bring forth lyke to himselfe But if thou consyderest Gods decrée that is wherefore he created him good thou shalt fynd hée neyther could remayne good which appertayneth to the successe nor that his posteritye could be borne in anye other estate then in that whereto as inthraled God from euerlasting had determined they shoulde be borne Thou demaundest whence I haue these I aunswere that I collect them of the successe or as they say of the latter nor that thou canste denye those thinges I haue spoken but that eyther thou shouldest make God varyable and inconstant or weake and ignoraunt or that appertayneth to the ordinance of causes vnoccupyed I adde also rash and vnskilfull For what before he made man did he not forsée with himselfe wherefore he would make him or at the least foreséeing the faultes defermyne what he woulde do vnto men Who I pray thée could indifferently suffer these thinges to be spoken of God whiche are not to be founde in men except suche as are destitute of all witte and reason But if he hadde with himselfe foresette anend I aske of thée what it was Thou wilte saye to blesse al men Now therefore good fellowe shewe howe the counsells of God are not vncertaine and infirme Howe God is not variable and inconstante howe not altogither weake if by no meanes he now performe that which he had determined concerning the blessed life of all men For neither causte thou saye by that thine inuention that euen those whome he saueth are not saued by thy forged decrée séeing they are saued by Grace not by nature And there is no doubt that very manye are giuen ouer to eternall forments séeing without Christ there is no saluation and Faith commeth of hearing But by his owne faulte thou wilte say I graunte it but what doth that helpe thée For if that were decréede with God to saue Adam and all his posteritie surely either God will not or he can not performe that he had decréede if he will not then he hathe changed his purpose if he cannot then is he not omnipofent But how farre off both be
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
rather to do agayne the worke of god Nor doe I onely say that that may be gathered of their former speach laste we should contende in disputing whether that were there meanyng or no but I say that self thing which themselues confesse And so much the rather they especially determine that thing with thēselues that they may bedasle consciences to the ende that men voyde of al care might accomplish whatsoeuer came in place and whatsoeuer they desired as if God had giuen his lawe in vayne whereby good might be discerned from euill But I aske this one thing of them whether we haue not in the lawe the declaration of the Diuine will but by that God hath pronounced that whoredome thefte murther and as it foloweth couetousnesse hatred enuie ambition and others of lyke forte doe displease him Nowe if they may be sayde to be acceptable to him is he not teproued of a lie Moses witnesseth that the lawe was giuen that we might learne to serue God to sticke to him and to obey hys will leaste wée prouoke his wrath agaynst vs with our sinnes These miserable men doe indeuour this that they may finde out in vs the like thoughts And least we should conceiue any thing they binde vp our eyes with this swathing bande that is that all things are done by the will of God therfore that nothing doth displease him as if God were mutable and agréed not with himselfe or a dissembler affirming that he hateth detesteth that which yet he lusteth and aloweth For this saith Paul the wrath of God commeth vpon the vnbeleuers Ye make sadde the Spirite of God saith Isay You haue bene burthenouse to me saith the Lorde in an other place Also the Lorde is vehemently angry with and his displeasure is inflamed against Israell I know in déede that God is not subiect to mens affections but all these speaches do signifie that he disaloweth and condemneth euill and that therefore sinne is the cause of enmities twixt vs and him and that wée can not so long as we do euill agrée with him that rather we may looke for correction and reuengement seyng he is a iust indge who cā suffer no iniquity We almost read in the whole Scripture nothing else but these exhortations Feare the Lord take héede thou offend him not takehéede auoyde euill But these madde men do exclayme the cōtrarie that it is foolish to feare least we offend him sith we do nothing eyther good or euill but he worketh all things in vs Paul saith that the very Gentiles wāting both Scriptures and doctrine haue the lawe written in their hartes that is a conscience wherewith they eyther defende or accuse thēselues before god These euill disposed men endeuor to deface it denying that there is any thing wherof we may be accused seyng all things are done of god How should they shame to peruerte the Scriptures when they dare doc so much that they feare not to deface that persuasi◠naturally infixed printed in our mindes of God if for the excusing of our selues we would alleadge ignoraunce God sendeth vs to our conscience which can abundātly teffifie against vs But these madde men hauing suppressed this testimonie say that God ought first to accuse himself if he wil intend any accusation against vs seing he worketh all things in vs Moses calleth that a roote bringyng forth gall Wormewood when with starterings we endeuour to suppresse al rentorse of conscience so deceaue our selues that we should thinke wickednesse to be sport An in very déede what poyson rā be more deadly pestilent in al the world Also he calleth that to ioyne dronkennesse to thirst and by good right for our natural affection is an inordinate appetite and as it were a thirst to do wickedly When therfore we blesse our selues as he saith in that place and persuado our selues that we shall haue peace so long as we liue loosely wickedly that is euen so as as if one vehemently inflamed with thirste shoulde make himselfe drunke with wine least he should any more be moued with any sence when he ought rather to haue brydled and repressed I is thirste with sobrietie and abstinencie An excellent place truly for our instruction that we may vnderstande what poyson lurketh vnder the honie whiche these vnluckie men deliuer vnto vs Yet notwithstandyng they continually apply themselues to thys outscape that there is vtterly nothing done besides the will of god But I answere that for that belongeth to the workes that we doe Gods will is to be considered of vs in suche forte as himselfe declareth the same As for example when he commaundeth euery thing to be kept to his proper owuer that losse and iniurie be not done to any there bys will is euident What therefore may please him further ought not to bée searched for we knowe that if wée doe that we shall obey his will but if not we shall not be accepted of hym If any therefore should steale and say then that he hath done nothyng besides the will of God he lyeth impudently seyng he hath transgressed the commaundement of God in the whiche he was gyuen to vnderstande of it Some one will aske whether any thing can be done agaynst the will of God I graunt their can not But we muste vtterly take héede that we inquire not of his prouidence which is vnknowne to vs sithe wée knowe what he requireth of vs what he aloweth or what be condemneth Salomon affirmeth not without cause that it will come to passe that hée shall be confounded of the glory that searcheth the maiestie And of truthe it is for euer necessarie that it fall out so and that this way the arrogancie of the proude be punished That we haue by experience in these who when they will clyme aboue the cloudes that they may searche out the will of God when they are not contented with the reuelation whiche is set bowne thereof in the Scriptures they runne headlong into so absurde and beastly dotages as is horrible bothe to be spoken and hearde OF the thirde onsequence which the Libertines drawe out of this proposition God doth all things that is that it is not lawfull to reproue any thing Chap. xvi AFter they haue so let louse the raynes to al as they suffer euery one to liue as he liste by this cullor that they suffer themselues to be gouerned of God from the same ground they gather that it is wickedly done if he be iudged for any matter But they cā haue no sitter doctrine whereby they may make way to their abominations For they haue gained much whē they haue closed or rather shut vp that eyes of their auditors that no man dare any more iudge whether their sayings and doings be good or euill But if we graunt them this whereto is this sentence of God whereby he curseth all those that call euill good Sée how God denounceth all things to vs
layde open your impudency I will not repeate againe nowe that I haue sayde a thousand times Yet it shall be labour worth to sée what occasion thou tookest to patch this flaunder Caluin wrot in his booke of eternall Predestination against Pyghius and Siculus out of whose puddles you haue drawn your vncleane filthynesse Augustines sentence sayth he must be kept when God will any thing to be done that muste not be done but by mē willing that he togither inclineth their hartes that they become willing and worketh in their hartes not onelye by helping but also in iudging that they who had no such purpose may fulfil that counsel which his hand hath determyned And by and by here truely it may easily be gathered howe vaine and inconstant that defence of diuine tustice is That those things whiche be euill are not done by his will but only by his sufferance Truely for as much as they are euil which are done of men with an euill minde as I will set down more plainely anone I graunt they do in no case please god But whereas they fayne that he suffereth those thinges being idle whyche the Scripture pronounceth to be done not only with his will but he being authour is too fryuolous a shifte Thus farre Caluine whom indéede thou thoughtst to hold entāgled in thy snares whē thou readest these things but how foolishely I will shew anone For I will gratifye thée and alleage another like place out of Caluines booke againste the Lybertynes Chap. 14. The Lord sayth he is highly displeased when we suppose that any thing procéedeth from any other place and do not beholde him that we may acknowledge him not only as the chiefe cause of al but also as authour determining by his counsel al things by this or that mean. So therfore let vs cōclude as wel prosperity as aduersitie Raines Windes Hayles Frost fairenesse abundāce famine warre peace be the workes of God the creatures which be inferiour causes be only instrumēts whyche he hath in vse to execute his will and therefore that he vseth them as he pleaseth turneth them whyche waye soeuer he will and bringeth them to that poynte that it may altogyther be performed that he hath determyned These be Caluins words whiche if thou takese as if he sayd that God were the authour of wicked acts or willeth sinne thou certainely excéedest all impudency séeing Caluine in those places confuteth that same blasphemie And byeause manye that they maye disolue the Argument of the Lybertines do rushe out into another error not muche lesse to be reproued as those whiche determyne an idle sufferaunce of God in most matters for the action therefore before all things he hath thoughte this error to be refuted He teacheth therefore that God executeth his worke no lesse by euil instruments than by goodtand therefore séeing he alwayes worketh as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al sufficient of himselfe not as an idle beholder nor only the geuernour of the verye ende but to come in betwixt as the very authour the author I say not of the worke whiche euill instruments do wickedlye for thys thou hast added of thine owne store Sycophant but of that worke whyche God doth most fustly by them then also when they doe moste wickedlye Caluine doeth not teache that wicked actes are committed God eyther being willing or the author of them but he teacheth that whiche is moste true albeit the euil instrument sinne by cause he worketh with a depraued will yet God doth nothing lesse than sinne when he worketh well by an euill instrumente and that he is the authour of this hys moste holy worke So by Satan and the wicked he continually exerciseth and confirmeth his Churche So so ofte as he pleaseth he reuengeth the wicked by the hands of the wicked So he chastized his people by the Assyrians So he woulde by Absolom punish the adulterie of Dauid when Dauid himselfe was saued So by Iosephs bréethren he prepared a place of refuge for hys Church If thou denyest these I call thée to the testimonie of the Scriptures which indéede almost infinite we haue cited in the depelling of the thirde sclaunder that I may omitte those things whiche we haue so often described word for word out of Augustine and Caluine vppon the same matter Doest thou now Deuill acknowledge thyne owne impudencie The Sycophants Arguments to the fifth and sixth Sclaunder AGAINST the fifth and sixth they say both many other things and especially these if God willeth sinne and is the authour of sinne God himselfe is to be punished for sinne must needes be punished in the authour of it If God willeth sinne the Deuill willeth not sinne for the Deuill is contrarie to God in all thinges if God willeth sinne he loueth sinne and if he loue sinne he hateth righteousnesse If God willeth sinne he is worse than manye menne for many menne will not sinne but howe muche so euer any one commeth nearer to the nature of GOD so muche the lesse hee wylleth sinne VVhy then sayeth Paule The good that I woulde doe I doe not but the euill that I woulde not that I doe VVhy willeth not Paule that whyche God willeth or why willeth Paule that which God willeth not Finally they aske what Scripture doth witnesse that wicked actes are committed to God not onely being willing but the authour thereof THE AVNSVVERE WHat shoulde I Sycophante contende with moe wordes agaynst thée thou art out of thy wittes when thou thinkest vs so foolishe as that wée shoulde euer thynke that GOD willeth or loueth Sinne or that euils are cominitted to GOD as the Authoure But what soeuer in thys place thou hast sottishlie wrested agaynste vs who knoweth not that they are drawen from hym whome thou dost striue against Therefore thou art not only shamelesse and a lewde man but also vnthankefull which dissemblest by whom thou hast profyted The seauenth Slaunder Whatsoeuer men do when they sinne they doe it by the wyll of GOD for bycause the wyll of God oft tymes striueth with hys commaundement THE AVNSVVERE ALbeit Satan and Infidels can not execute be it neuer so little eyther against the godly or vngodlye excepte God decrée it will it and permitte it Yet it followeth not that the sinne which they do they should do it by the wil of god For albeit God willeth that same thing which Satan Insidels will yet he willeth not after the same forte and in that respect as Satan and Infidels will. For God wylleth iustly and worketh by them iustly that which these both will and do wickedly by cause they are so enforced of God that yet they do theyr owne partes that is with counsell and will depraued There is therefore greate dissention where there séemeth to be greatest agréement and of the contrarie greate agréemente where there séemeth to be much discorde Of the which matter I thinke good to adde that excellent place of Augustine that thy slaunder may be the better séene
chieflye in this argument that we handle For séeing it is an assured truth that God hardeneth whome he will and that this will cannot be withstoode if thou askest howe therefore God is not in the faulte thou shalt shew which in déede is the truth that men be sufficiently conuinced with the testimonie of their owne conscience but bycause that reason cannot satisfie mans iudgement it is of necessitie that thou say with Paule O man who arte thou that conteÌ„dest against God And wheÌ„ thou haste reasoned many things of these misteries of God if will be of necessitie that thou crye out with Paule O the déepenesse of the riches bothe of the wisedome and knowledge of God and with Dauid Thy iudgementes O Lord are as the great déepes and with Isai Thou shalt secreatly reuerence his infinite omnipotencie All youre subtilties therefore do faile or rather youre brabbâ—ing trifles as thoughe we shoulde assigne that God were contrary to himselfe For albeit that mans minde cannot comprehend by what reason that shoulde not be done besides his will whiche is againste hys will as Augustine sayeth yet it followeth not that this is not true séeing there be extant so many and manifeste testimonies of the worde whereby it maye be confirmed to be so as we haue shewed For that idle sufferaunce in the action of euill instruments and that onely moderation of the successe and alone conuersion of good into euill besides that it is reselled with moste manifest places of holy Scripture it is also contrarye to the nature of God who shoulde haue no action in reuenging euills Yet Augustine alleageth that reason whiche maye alwayes satisfie all reasonable dispositions as we haue shewed before in the confuting of the thirde slaunder For howe often worketh the Lord by euill and therefore sinning instruments albeit the actioÌ„s themselues of their owne nature be sinnes yet in respecte of God working they are no sinnes but the punishments of sinnes wherewith either the Lorde reuengeth sinnes paste or prepareth his to patience or doth both togither Therefore God euen then when he séemeth to will sinne which yet he hathe forbidden in the Lawe cannot séeme vnlike himselfe yea rather he sheweth himselfe such a one as the lawe doth set him forth to vs that is a seuere punisher and reuenger of wickednesse But no manne in my iudgement hathe more plainelye she wed this thing than Caluin and verily in that very place which thou though-test best to reprehend There is not saith he anye cause why anye manne shoulde drawe God into the societie of the faulte so often as betwirte his secrete counsell and the manifest wicked desires of men there appeareth any likelihoode And by by of a trueth saieth he when Paule cryeth out O the Profunditie he plainely teacheth that there was some other iudgement of God concerning the Iewes than is expressed in Christes words Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children togither And whereas hée woulde not the sonnes of Hely shoulde obey their father that will differed from the precept of the Lawe wherein he commaundeth children to obey their parents But this is the place of whiche thou haste patched thy slaunder and indéede with apparant lewdenesse For for to differ from the precept of the lawe thou haste placed to fighte againste the precept of the Lawe But those things whiche do differ in themselues doe not yet of necessitie rebell one againste an other as in this kinde Frowardnesse doeth not fight againste obedience insomuche indéede as God willeth it For God willeth not that the sonnes of Hely shoulde be rebells against their father as beholding and allowing this rebellion in it selfe but rather by this meanes making waye to his iuste iudgement But do these fyghte betwéene themselues and not rather especiallye accorde in themselues to commaunde that obedience be shewed to parentes and to punishe those that rebell againste that precepte wyth another rebellion that they may reape their iuste punishement at the laste Further leaste I séeme to thée to flie to subtilties lette vs heare what exposition Caluine giueth of thys saying leaste thou mayste complaine of darkenesse or of doubtfulnesse For what is more indifferent than that he himselfe be the interpreter of his owne minde Manye saith he be deceiued in that bycause they conceiue not that God iustely willeth those thinges whyche menne sinne in dooing Thou wilte saye Howe He abhorreth adulteries and incestuous coniunctions Whereas Absolom defileth hys fathers Concubine be sore the people is it done with the will of God But hée hadde foretolde by his seruaunt Nathan that he woulde doe thys I will take saith he thy wiues before thine eyes and will giue them to thy neighboure who shall lye with them in the sighte of this sunne Thou diddest it secreatlye but I wyll doe it before all the people and before the sunne The Scripture is full of suche examples Shall wée therefore either impute to GOD the guiltinesse of sinne or shall wée coine a dubble will in him that hée maye bée at oddes wyth himselfe God forbidde But as I haue shewed alreadye that hée willeth the same thing with the wicked and vngodlye but in a diuers sorte so nowe is to be obserued what thinges be diuers in sorte that he willeth in like manner that in this varietie whiche séemeth to oure mindes the Harmonye maye be well ordered Forasmuche as the grieuous offence of Absolom is sauage impietie against hys father the treacherous violation of Wedlocke yea the filthy Prophanation of the order of Nature doe vndoubtedlye displease GOD who is pleased with Honestie Chastitie Faith and Modestie who wyll haue the lawfull order whiche he hathe prescribed to bée amongest menne reuerenced and kepte inuiolate Yet bycause it pleased hym this waye to punishe the adulterye of Dauid he willeth in the same sorte those thinges whyche to vs séeme diuers It is therefore one and a simple will whereby he commaundeth what ought to be done and by whyche be punisheth the breach of hys lawes It is saide elsewhere that sinnes be punishments which he requiteth for sinnes paste In suche documents we are to conâ—â—der two things the iust indgement of God where by he declareth that he hateth sin to whiche he inflicteth punishment and the wickednesse of man whiche is apparantly contrarye to the will of god But what maruell is it if suche immesurable brightnesse â—oe darken the light of oure minde The bodily cies are not sufficient to beholde the brightnesse of the Sunne is there either more clearenesse to oure witte or is the Maiestie of God inferiour to the brightnesse of the Sunne It is not therefore méete that we be too wise leaste in the meane time we either deny that which the Scripture doeth plainely teach and experience confirme or dare be bolde to chalenge as vnsitting for god Hitherto Caluine And thou shamest not Sycophant the moste shamelesse of all others that euer liued to affirme this that Caluine
dissentest from thy selfe carrye flintie heartes to harden declareth not not to mollifie but to make something of harde harder Séeing this hardenesse is from the birth in vs and is enlarged vppon vs not by creation but by coruption and therefore God worthily detesteth it and euen by his insâ—e iudgement dubleth it howe is it that you feare to graunte that the hardening was the iust worke of God the punisher and auenger Verily thou canste not denye that the spirite of GOD doeth not speake otherwise For in howe many places is GOD saide to harden to blinde to shutte vppe the eares to make grosse the haâ—te to holde the hearte to tourne the harte to giue ouer into a reprobate sense to sende a strong delusion and manye like Howe often do they come in reading But of sufferaunce in these thinges there is not indéede the least mention in the sacred Bookes as muche indéede as I can call to mentorte except in one onely place where it is saide that the Lord in times paste suffered the Gentiles to walke in their own wayes But neither this-place nor any like if it be so that thou findest anye doe any whit relieue thée séeing that in Sufferaunce is necessarilye included Will much lesse that these shoulde be repugnant betwéene themselues as we haue shewed in his place But it is labor-worth to shewe the selfe wordes of Caluine that here also thy lewdnesse may be manifested These therefore be Caluines wordes The heart of Pharao is hardened of God saith Moses In vaine here doe they flie to sufferaunce as if God maye be saide to haue done that be onely hathe suffered to be done For Moses plainly affyrmeth that that hardnesse was the worke of God These saith Caluine But thou moste lewde Sycophant writest that the whole rebellion of Pharao was by Caluines sentence ascribed to god As thoughe indéede thys thy lye cannot be conuinced by that same sclaunder which thou adioynedst by and by The ninth Sclaunder The will of God is the chiefe cause of the hardening of men THE AVNSVVERE WHome he will he hardneth sayeth the Apostle But if also thou séekest some higher thing than the will of God thou maiste in deede wander without God we rest in this bound with the Apostle Further he that saith that the will of God is the chiefe or the highest cause of the hardening of men can he ascribe to God the whole rebellion of Pharao For if it be the onelye cause why is it called the Chief If behoueth a lyar to be mind full Sycophant The Sycophants Argumentes to the eight and ninth Sclaunder In the eigth and ninth articles they aske what Moses meant when he writeth And Pharao hardened his hearte But is it so to be interpreted Pharao hardned his hearte that is God hardned Pharaos hearte That shall be much more violent than if thou shouldest say God hardened Pharaos hearte that is hee suffered Pharao in the naturall hardenesse of hys hearte bycause Pharao refused to obey hym Then they aske of that Thys daye if you will heare hys voyce harden not youre heartes But if they haue so expounded it GOD will not harden youre heartes it will be moste absurde for he should commaunde menne that whiche is Gods For if it be the Lordes to harden heartes it cannot be enioyned to menne that they shoulde either harden or not harden the heartes no more than that they shoulde adde or take awaye from their stature one cubite THE REFVTATION Indéede this is the piller and foundation of thy goodlye disputation againste Predestination whiche thou hast inserted in thy Annotations of the ninth Chapiter of the Epistle to the Romanes whiche howe firme it is lette us sée I praye thée therefore Good man who euer besides thée alone made blinde by the iuste indgement of God was so senselesse and madde that when the highest cause is assigned he woulde suppose the inferiors to be moued or not rather to be established Make to your selues a new hearte and a newe spirite saith the lord Wilt thou gather thereof that it is not the Lord that should giue a new harte and create a cleane spirite whiche shoulde take awaye the stony hearte and giue a heart of fleshe If thou doe these things saith Paule writing to Timothie thou shalte saue thy selfe Wilte thou gather of this that wée are not saued of God by Christe Fathers of families are saide to féede their families and he that liueth by his laboure is said to nourish himselfe also breade and meate are saide to nourish vs Doeth not therefore God féed vs yea al these as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things sette in theyr order doe very wel accorde For being coÌ„uerted of God we conuert being urged of God we do God blessing vs wée liue by our endeuor Séest thou therefore Asse that they are foolish and ridiculous whatsoeuer thou hast imagined that thou mightest discountenance the truth for neyther as he sayth is there any councell againste the Lord and so vseth the iust iudge to besotte them whiche doe not stay themselues in his worde Induration therefore is the iust worke of God who hardneth whome he pleaseth and yet not otherwise than iustly hated séeing they bée corrupt Induration is also the worke of Sathan by whome in déede the Lord worketh in the heartes of infidels as it is written The Spirite of the Lorde departed from Saule and an euill spirit sente from the Lorde dyd trouble him It is also the worke of the false Prophetes whome themselues also the Lorde seduceth by Sathan that one may inforce another into iust condemnation as it is written If a Prophet deceyued speake the worde I the Lorde haue deceyued that Prophet as also it appeared in the Magicall Egiptians and in Sedechia the false Prophet Finallie the hardning is also their work which are hardned bycause by their natiue wickednesse they being enforced by the lust of Sathan the false Prophets and their owne they do harden themselues therefore by an indoubted and inseparable coniunction they cleaue togither which thou absurdly déemedst to be contrarie in themselues But I will adde héereto the wordes of Caluine himselfe that thy lewdenesse maye the better appeare It doth not hinder sayth he that is spoken in another place that Pharao did harden his owne heart bycause we neyther ymagine that the heartes of men are enforced with outward means that they should be forcibly driuen nor do we transferre the cause of hardning vpon God as if of their owne accorde and by their proper malice being barbarous and hard harted they dyd not stirre vp themselues to wickednesse but that whych men doe wickedly the Scripture teacheth that it is not otherwise done but when God doth iustly decrée it to be as is reported in another place that all excepte the inhabitants of Gybeon opposed themselues against Israell that it was of the Lorde whiche made obstinate theyr hearts These sayth Caluine in that very place whyche thou
much therefore as this slaughter springeth from this beginning that is from God iustly inforcing the will of the théefe albeit it be euill and directing the hand and weapon of the théefe yet is neyther the inforcement euil nor the worke euill but it is counted of God iust and holye which punisheth the théefe with iust torments For God did neyther inforce the théef nor gaue him wickednesse but the will of the théefe whiche was euill alreadie hée well and iustly stirred to a good and holye worke But for as muche as this slaughter procéedeth from an other beginning that is of the will of the théefe which is so inforced not as a stone or blocke but as a wil which also it selfe is so vrged that it worketh and is so mourd that it moueth it selfe with an inward motion and that his owne thus farre I say both thys motion springing from an euil beginning is euill and endeth into an euil action that is manslaughter whiche it is so farre off that it shoulde please God that contrarilye he can not but punishe it But goe too let vs put this example also wherby this diuersitie of beginnings maye be vnderstoods Let vs suppose that thou arte a crooked Asse whom I as a Muletor shall inforce into the milne with whippes For as muche as this action procéedeth from me as from a beginning it cannot be reprehended if it be reasonable but for as much as it procéedeth from thée it is in it selfe a great fault For indéed I am to thée the cause of going but all the haultyng is of thy selfe whose begynning was in thy selfe albeit I hadde not stirred thée forwarde Wilte thou that I speake more playnely that thou mayste not complayne of darkenesse Thou arte made by nature to slaunder those things whiche thou doest not so muche as vnderstande or dissemblest that thou vnderstandest Yet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poyson is not so much nature as the deprauation of nature Therfore is not his efficient but rather deficient cause to be sought for whiche indéede séeing we all féele to cleaue faste in our entrailes there is no cause why we shoulde accuse GOD in very déede as author of these things and of sinnes But for that bycause man is corrupt therefore the LORDE by hys power wherewith he gouerneth without exception and enforceth to foreordayned endes hath abasterdized from himselfe that whiche apperteyneth to hym No indéede He therfore vseth euē sinning instruments and bringeth them to an ende determyned of himselfe And that indéede so that hée doeth not sinne anye thing neyther in mouing nor directing the instrument For the action is of himselfe but the defecte is of the instrumente whiche also selfe thing by an inwarde mouing doth inforce it selfe and when it is corrupt it hath depraued motions Séeing therfore God hath made choyse especiallie of al others in these partes of thée alone by the deprauation of nature enuious and a slaunderer by whom partly hée might exercise his owne people and partly punish those who hauing despised the offered trueth of the Gospell do folowe lyes and slaunders so ofte as he séeth good hée sēsibly stirreth vp in this thy depraued nature those motions vsing both the ministery of Satan of others also thyne own lewdnes which motions afterwards by litle litle breake out into those blasphemies those contumelyes in refelling wherof we now take paynes But when in the yeares paste we reproued these things and when also we reproue them nowe what do we else but that we daylye more and more pricke thée forewarde that thou mayst procéede to siaunder and to forge blasphemies Yet be it farre away that when we say thou arte moued and inforced of God we shoulde ascribe to God any of thy sins Be it also far awai that there may worthily be layd vpon vs any blame bicause being prouoked with our wrytings Thou becomest euerye daye worse and worse for that our diligence is exercised with thy lewde speaking for that by this meane the hipocrisie of manye is dayly manifested for that by thy slaunders is stirred vp in vs a desire to knowe the truth and defend it for that the iust iudgement of God against those who haue preferred trueth before falsehoode or abused the knowledge of the Gospell is so set before vs to be séene as in a most cleare glasse in this thy strength of lying and error we acknowledge that we are bound to God for this which moueth and directeth thy lewdenesse to these vses And whereas thy deceytes are nowe espich of many whose simplicity other ways thou mightest haue deceyued for that thyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubtfulnesse is nowe hated of many for that nowe those sauage purposes whiche thou haddest taken to oppresse the truth are nowe apparaunt to all when without respect thou wouldest that heretikes shoulde be borne withall for that in some forte all men doe knowe what is thyne impudencie in peruepting the worde of God godly men also doe acknowledge that they are bounde to God for this and with a thankefull minde they acknowledge that our diligence was somewhat in that mater so far it is off that we shoulde sustaine any blame for that being offended with our writings thou rushest headlong in worse and that by thine owne faulte for there is no fault in vs for that many weake ones are offended by thée bycause the course of Gospel is hindered of thée for that thou blasphemest the name of GOD for that without cause the credite of the faithful seruaunts of God is hindered finally for that thou procurest to thy self others whō thou drawest to the destruction these finally al men ascribe to Satan with whose furies thou art driuē and to thy lewdenesse and impudencie But sée nowe Sycophant as I thinke an example sufficiently manyfest and apparaunte whereby thou mayste vnderstand that God doth so prompte the will and affections to the very wicked that al these motions for as much as they are ministred of him are both iust and honest as they appertayne to a iust and good worke For the cause of sin is in our selues but at what time and against whom it ought to breake out it is in the power of God which instilleth not a new malice but according to his infinite wisedome when and howe it pleaseth him he moueth gouerneth bendeth guydeth and finally ordereth to the aduauncement of the glory of his owne name that whiche is bred in men euen the wicked not knowing of it so much the rather determining a quite contrary counsel with themselues This is our iudgement of the preuidence of God in this argument which we handle which it remayneth that we confirme with the authoritie of the word of God and the fathers Here to we saye it appertayneth that the Lord is so often sayde in Scriptures to haue hardened burthened and helde the hartes of Pharao Sehon the Cananytes and the Egyptians and the rather turned them into the hatred of
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
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
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
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
wrath I may therefore agrée with thée for once if I shoulde excepte that the Lord in that place doth only speake to hys elect as he who rather sheweth himselfe worthelie and of good right terrible and inexorable to the rest But least thou exclayme that I doe wrangle I confesse that the Lorde dothe vse an incredible fauoure and lenitie euen towardes the verye vassals of wrath ordeyned to destruction Whence is it that he should not destroy Cayne by and by Whence is it that he shoulde protracte the floude so many yeares Whence is it that he shoulde blesse Esau with the plentifulnesse of the earth That Ismaell shoulde growe to a greate kindred That hée shoulde suffer the Cananites and the Amalachites so long That he shoulde not take away Saule by and by but suffer hym so long to enioy the benifyte of thys life and also the renoune and benefites of the Kyngdome of Israell Finally that wée prosecute not antiquities whence is it that he so nourisheth and so fauourably susteyneth so manye wicked Turkes suche tyrannie of Antichriste and finallie thy selfe wyth so manye false Prophetes who ceasse not to seduce whomesoeuer they may from Gods truth Greate yea greate and incomprehensible is thys goodnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies whyche woulde God they coulde once acknowledge whosoeuer are electe among them and bée not knowen that they myghte at the last returne to hym who truely sheweth hymselfe fauourable and slowe to wrath euen to hys aduersaries In expoundyng the other of the same Moses or rather testimonie of the Lorde thou offendest in lyke sorte for the vse of thys Doctrine solely apperteyneth to the Churche to whome alone the lawe is properly assigned and the Gospell Preached And there bée diuers dispositions of menne and there is a twofolde nature in the very men regenerate therefore is there added threatnings with the promises that the fleshe of them and whatsoeuer is seruile may be restreyned but the spirite and whatsoeuer is frée and at libertie in these confyrmed Nor bée these threatnings onely vayne scarecrowes sayeth the Lorde eftsoones stayeth not in the wordes but sharpely correcteth euen hys owne chyldren and tameth in theyr sight the aduersaries wyth terrible wrath yet in the meane tyme I graunte that hys mercye dothe excell but I affirme it especially in his Churche But sée howe sottishe thou arte who abusest these testimonies to the ende thou mayest auoyde that eternall and secrete mysterie of the deuine decrée Why doest thou not rather abyde in the nexte causes of destruction and persist in the Apostles pathes for so should it come to passe that thou shouldest rather reuerence the louing kyndnesse of GOD towardes hys enimies then thou shouldest not yéelde hym whyche is lawfull to euery potter no man withstanding it when as yet a certayne proportion of the clay and potter may be intended and of God and things created whatsoeuer yet these be there holdeth no comparison except so much as God adopteth men vnto himselfe of mercie for that we maye ascend vnto Adam what proportion is there of the similitude and the thing it selfe yet I graunt that Gods benefites towards men be innumerable especially if they be considered in Adam but thou art wonderfully deceyued when thou déemest that therefore God hath spoyled himselfe of his deytie that it shoulde not be lawfull for him without the note of crueltie to create how many men it pleased him in whose iust condemnation for albeit hée hathe ordeyned whome he woulde to destruction yet he boweth none to death but the deseruers of it to manifest his vpright iustice and his hatred against sinne Do trées and plantes at this day conspire against the Lord as thou doest that they are deuoured of men Do all liuing creatures expostulate with God bycause they are appoynted to the slaughter and set forth to the gréedinesse of men no I trowe for so saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the creature doth sigh and grone not as though it did expostulate with God but bycause it doth frette against the enimies of God and in déede so it is for if the earth it selfe if heauen and the starres and the beginnings of all things if almost the infinite kindes of beastes fishes and soules if stones and rockes coulds speake although their estate may séeme miserable to mans reason yet would they not only not expostulate with God as fierce and cruell but they will voluntarily haue bin thankefull to him that they were accompted worthy to serue his glory but thou Sycophant art found who would accuse God of cruelty except he hadde ordeyned all to eternall life albeit thou makest not mention of all in this place yet it must be so for if there should but one be ordeyned to eternall punishment if thou mightest be iudge God shall not escape the note of crueltie For albeit he is more cruell that damneth many then that damneth one yet he therefore ceasseth not to be cruell that damneth but one by thy iudgemente who eyther wilt not or canst not discerne the iust purpose of damnation from damnation it selfe But that we may omitte all those things whyche thou sayest the people can not conceyue I saye that thou in wresting thys testimonie of Moses arte lyke to them who maruell why moe Drunkardes than Phisitians doe come to olde age and thynke not in the meane tyme that it is chance that there bée by many degrées moe Drunkards than Phisitians So albeit as thou falselie déemest God shoulde saue the issue of euery faithfull man to the thousanth degrée not one onely excepted and shoulde destroy the Infidels children onely to the fourth Generation yet for all that shoulde there bée moe that shoulde bée damned bycause there haue bin euer more in the Worlde that dyd hate GOD than dyd loue hym But thou arte both deceyued in that that thou déemest that the Lorde hath béere sette the consideration of hys nature eyther in the multitude of those that are to be saued or damned also in that that thou takest those things in suche wise as if the Lorde hadde bounde hymselfe to saue some mans posteritie to a certayne number without exception both whyche continuall experience dothe teache to bée most false What then is the Lorde vntrue no in déede but in these wordes he onely sheweth howe muche he is more frequente in well doing than béeyng kéeping and mindefull of iniuries in persecuting his aduersaries but so that finallye he doth well to them of whome he is beloued and hateth them of whome he is hated and maketh it frée to hymselfe to haue mercy on whome he wyll and whome hée will to harden as he hathe manifestly shewed and proued in effect in the historie of Helie the Priest that I may omitte Ismaell and Isaac Iacob and Esau and innumerable others Sée how wisely and to the purpose thou disputest against the truth The second sclaunder GOD hath not only predestinat Adam to damnation but to the causes of damnation
whose fall he did not onely foresee but would it with an eternall and secrete decree and ordeyned that he should fall which that it mighte come to passe in his time he appointed an Apple the cause of the fall The censure of the Sycophant SO they say that the second Article is the Deuils doctrine and they require of vs Caluine that we shewe them where it is written in the diuine bookes THE REFVTATION IN patchyng of thys sclaunder thou hast kept thyne inclination for thy selfe hast forged that thou brablest of Adam predestinat to damnation and of the Apple that God sette before him These I say thou hast impudentlye faygned that it shall not néede to aunswere any thing to them And how reuerently and religiously Caluine vsed to thynke and write of the fall of Adam maye appeare by these testimonies whyche I haue written out worde for worde partly of hys Institutions of Christian Religion and partly of hys Booke of eternall Predestination So dependeth the destruction of the reprobate sayeth he of the Predestination of God that the cause and matter be founde in themselues for the firste man did fall for that the Lord did so sée it expedient Why he so determined we knowe not yet it is assured that he determined no otherwayes but bycause he sawe it good that the glorye of hys owne name shoulde bée aduanced thereby Where thou hearest mention of the glory of GOD thynke there to bée iustice for it must bée iust that deserueth prayse man therefore falleth Gods prouidence so ordeyning but he falleth through his owne faulte The Lorde hadde pronounced a little before that all thyngs that hée made was very good whence therefore commeth thys wickednesse to man that he shoulde fall from hys GOD least it shoulde hée déemed to bée by creation God by hys worde approoued whatsoeuer hadde procéeded from hym therefore hys owne malice corrupted the pure nature whiche hée hadde receyued of the Lorde and by hys fall inforced all hys posteritie to destruction wyth hym wherefore we shall rather sée the apparante cause of damnation in the corrupte nature of man than séeke out the secrete and wholly incomprehensible in the predestination of God. Nor let it gréeue vs thus farre to submitte oure iudgemente to the immeasurable wisedome of God that it sayleth in manye of hys secretes for if those thynges which is not permitted or lawfull to know the ignorance is learned the shew of knowledge is a kind of madnesse These Sicophant be Caluines words which alone shall plentifullye suffice all gouerned wittes to deface thy slaunder But we will also adde these of abundance that your impudencie may more and more appeare There be sayeth he thrée things to be noted Firste the eternall predestination of God to be firme and ratified wherby he determined what should come to passe of all mankinde of euery man before Adam fell Then that Adam hymselfe for the worthinesse of his defection is inthralled to death and finally in his person being nowe desperate and a castaway that all his progeny was so damned that whome afterwards God did fréely elect he shoulde dignifie with the honor of Adoption But also a little after in the same place when saith he there is anye spéeche had of Predestination I haue euer constantly taught and thys day do teach that there they must beginne that all the reprobate whiche are cast away and damned in Adam are worthelie lefte in deathe that they perishe worthely who are by nature the children of wrath so that no man haue cause to complayne of Gods too muche seueritie séeyng that all menne carrie the guiltinesse shutte vp in themselues If we returne to the first man when he was created innocente that he fell willingly and thereby that it came to passe that by his owne faulte he broughte vppon hym and his destruction Nowe albeit that Adam fell no otherwayes than God knowying and so ordeyning hée lost both hymselfe and hys posteritie yet that maketh nothyng eyther to the deminishing of hys faulte or charging of God wyth the cryme for thys is euer to bée consydered that hée depriued hym selfe of that innocencie whyche he receyued of GOD hée voluntaryly vowed hymselfe into the bondage of sinne and Satan willingly gaue himself headlong to destruction One excuse is pretended that he could not auoyde that which was decreed of god But volumtary transgression suffiseth inough and too much to guiltinesse For the secrete counsell of God is not the proper and naturall cause of sinne but the manifest will of man The foolish complaint of Medea is of the olde Poet worthily derided Vtinam ne in nemore pelio c. She beyng taken with the surious loue of a straunger and vnknowen man betrayed hir countrey when she was in hir self guiltie of infidelitie and barbarous crueltie when the scourge of inchastitie doth afllict hir she foolishly turneth hir selfe to causes a farre off when man findeth within himself the cause of euill what auayleth it to wander that he may séeke it in heauen The faulte is manifest in that that he would sinne why doth he rushing into the passages of heauen drowne himselfe in a Labarinth Albeit that menne wandering by infinite fetches do indeuour to deceaue thēselues they shall neuer so amase themselues but they shall receyue the sense of sinne grauen in their hartes vngodlinesse therefore laboureth in vaine to deliuer man whome his owne conscience condemneth And for that God wittingly and willingly did suffer man to fall the cause may be secrete but vniuste it cannot be This is Caluines sentence of Adams fall whiche why it should displease thée thou shouldest rather haue shewed then to haue so impudently slaundred it but there be twoo things whiche you vse to pretende to the whiche I will answere apart First yée complaine as you are men very religious that by this meanes God becommeth the author of all sinnes sith by the fall of Adam all haue succéeded whose offence is to be attributed vnto him if in déede Adam fell by his ineuitable decrée Then you requyre the expresse worde of GOD whereby that doctrine may be ratified That which belonggeth to the firste thou hast heard already wherefore thys thy consequence is naughte worth God ordeyned thys therefore he is in the fault Caluine sheweth a reason out of Augustine in these words This sayth he without controuersie is to be holden that God hath euer hated sinne for indéede this prayse whereby he is glorifyed of Dauid is incident to him that he is a God that will no iniquitie but rather in ordeyning the fall of man he had a most excellent and iust end from which the very name of sinne is estraunged Although I so affirme him to haue ordeyned it as I graunt not that he was the proper author thereof doest thou héere Sycophant Caluine excellently refuting that very blotte of blasphemy whiche falsely and maliciously you obiect against him but yet these things satisfye thée not Be it