approued in all the worlde In déede I graunte it one thing to bid or commaund but another thing to permitte that this or that be done but I say that common sense doth shew to euery one that wil is ioyned with an inseparable bonde both with commaundement and with sufferaunce albeit sometimes men ouercome with necessitie or importunitie do commaunde or suffer to be done that whiche otherwayes they woulde not But for as murhe as thou requirest similitudes go too let vs declare these with examples dilated Those that performe their businesse by others it is of necessitie that they giue them authoritie to doe whatsoeuer apperteyneth to the accomplishmente of that businesse as the procuratour maye deale by commaundement But who besids thée alone did euer thinkâ— to saye that this sufferaunce was contrarie to will séeing that this whole sufferance procéedeth of méere wyll and so much the more of choyce But the maner of working is no other which the lord vseth in that doing of those things whiche are done euerye daye For firste he hathe giuen to euerye not onlye sorte but also scuerall that vniuersall power and facultie whyche thou mayest sée manifolde Then he applyeth this same power euery moment to singular particular actions eueÌ„ as by his eternall and inchangeable counsel he doth not onely foreknow and gouerne but also willeth and decreeth all things And he vseth as we said before both good and also cuill instruments whiche destruction began not from the creation but corruption but so he vseth them that if there be anys vice in the instruments this contagion come not so farre as vnto him For he rightly decréeth willeth and permitteth not onely those things which the voluntarie instruments will and doe iustly but also those whiche wicked instruments wil do wickedly as we haue plentifullye made plaine before But all these not otherwise than by the willing sufferaunce of God doe that whiche they do For what thing in heauen or in earth hathe of it selfe either this power or vse of this power whether he vse it rightly or no Therefore I professe that I cannot sée what common sense can shewe thée that sufferaunce can be separated from will or that God can suffer any thing againste his will. Yet I confesse that there is otherwise greate oddes betwixte God and men vsing the helpe and procuration of men For that we say nothing of the lewd counsells of men that which for the moste parte men do being enforced with necessity â—â—cause they cannot accomplishe their owne nor other mens matters God doeth it with moste frée will séeing otherwise he is of hymselfe Omnipotent and in himselfe altogither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient Men oft times either by feare or force or by some other meane constrained rather than prouoked do permit many things whiche they woulde not vndone But God alone decréeing with moste frée will permitteth that whiche he doeth permit Bycause Apollo in the Poets sweareth rashly by the law of an oth after a sorte he is constrained to graunte the Chariot to Phaeton perishing Yet he willing graunteth the Chariot bycause the regarde of an othe preuailed more with him than the certaine perill of his sonne Iupiter complaineth in Homer with teares bicause he coulde not when he would denuer his Saâ—pedo from present death Herode swearing rashely when he hearde the heade of Iohn Baptiste to be required and being heauie aduised with himselfe whether he had rather the maide being reiected fall into the crime of periurie or kill moste cruelly the moste innocent man not shewing cause why and at the laste not so muche I thinke for conscience which was none as moued wyth vaine glorie and ambition leaste he shoulde séeme to haue sworne vnaduisedly or in performing an othe inconstant doth not only suffer but commaundeth the heade of Iohn being cut off to be giuen the maide in hir hands as Mark very wel noteth A sicke man fearing his life giueth himselfe to the Chirurgion to be cutte yet not againste hys will yet not altogither with frée will. The same we maye thinke of the Merchaunte who in a greate tempest doth not onely suffer his marchandize to be caste ouer boorde but also he with his owne handes doeth caste them ouer Beholde thou many eramples of sufferaunce in al which yet Wil cannot be secluded from Sufferance Be it farre from vs yet to conceiue any like things of God bycause neither rashenesse nor ignoraunce nor repentaunce take place in him nor is he enthralled to any necessitie For as Augustine sayeth wel and learnedly the life of God and the foreknowledge of God we putte not vnder necessitie if we say it is of necessitie that God liue euer and know all thinges as his power is not lessened séeing he is saide not to can dye or be deceiued For thus he cannot this thing that indéede he were rather if he coulde of lesse power Yet he is rightlye called Omnipotent who cannot dye nor be deceiued For he is called Omnipotent by dwing what he will and not in suffering what he will not Therefore that I maye dispatche at once a waye to Anticyra with that thy common sense and there if thou causte hauing drunke a gallon of Helleborus learne at the laste to be wise and so to dispute of common sense that we may vnterstand thée to be indued with some sense For where thou sayest that Christe was wonte to teache diuine matters according to common sense who will euer graunte it thée excepte he be voice of all Christian religion Christe vseth I graunte familiar kinds of speaking but where didst thou euer knowe that diuine matters did agrée with oure common sense and therefore that they coulde be taught according to oure common sense Paule cryeth that the naturall man perceiueth not those things that are of God the same witnesseth that To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of the fleshe is enmitie againsts God the same professeth that he teacheth that doctrine which should of the Gentiles be takeÌ„ for foolishnesse The same cryeth O Man who arte thou and O the déepth of Gods iudgementes and Christe praising Peters confession Flesh and bloude sayeth he haue not reuealed that to thée But thou on the contrary vrgest vs to coÌ„mon sense as the supreame iudge of Gods mysteries Shew vs therfore moste pregnant fellowe why the Lorde protracted the calling of the Gentiles so long howe the worde coulde become fleshe howe Christe is borne of a Virgin how he can féede vs in earth with his quickening fleshe whiche is in Heauen howe the Lorde wil whiche thou haste foolishly denyed that many should be borne to miserie that he might be glorified in them as by the example of him that was borne blinde and by Christes owne wordes we haue taughte why the calling of manye shoulde be deferred to the laste tyme of theyr lyfe Howe may it be that the greatest parte of menne shoulde heare nothyng at all of CHRIST
saye hée hathe pitie on whome he pleaseth and those that deserue this or whome hée foreknewe woulde deserue those he suffereth to bée hardened So also GOD from euerlastyng predestinated Esau to hys hatred but yet hée blessed hym in the plentye of the Earthe and deawe of Heauen I smaell the sonne of the bonde maide is no heyre wyth the sonne of the Frée woman but yet hée increased to a mightye nation There is therefore extante greate signes of Gods blessings euen to the verye Reprobate but thereon it doth not folow that thou séekest that God had not predestinate theÌ„ to his hatred Yea thys foloweth that Christe sayeth That the goodnesse of God is infinite that dothe good to hys ennimyes and the reprobate shall bée so muche the more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inexcusable by howe muche they haue receyned the more benefites of god Paule therefore worthilye recalleth vs to beholde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the long suffering of God to the very vessels of wrath but yet hée therefore denyeth not that they are the vessells of wrath made to destruction An other of the Slaunderers Argumentes There is no Beaste so sauage muche lesse is Manne whiâ— the woulde bryng foorthe hys issue to miserye howe muche lesse GOD Shoulde hee not be worse than the VVoolfe So reasoneth Christe if you althoughe euil can yet giue good giftes to youre children howe muche more GOD And so reason thine aduersaries If Caluin notwythstanding that hee is euill yet woulde not beget hys sonne to miserye howe muche lesse GOD These and the like they speake of Nature REFVTATION I maruell thou canste speake thus and sith thou arts so miserable for what is more miserable than bothe this sottishnesse and iniquitye that thou doste not perceiue thy misery The Lorde cryeth to the woman I wyll augment thy sorrowe and thy trauell Hée cryeth to the the manne In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade till thou retourne againe into the earth with forrowe shalte thou eate the fruites of the earth and it shall yéelde thée Thornes and Brembles he cryeth to the Earthe it selfe accursed be the Earthe for thy sake And vnder this burtheÌ„ traueleth and groneth the vniuersall state of all thynges sayeth the Apostle Iob complayneth that man is borne vnto miserie and the fewe dayes hée lyueth are filled wyth iniquitye The wise Preacher witnesseth that there is nothying vnder Heauen more vayne or myserable than man Dauid in infinite places complaineth the same The Philosopher béeyng swallowed in thys deuice brake into thys blasphemye that they exclame that nature is a stepdame to man and that it is beste not to bée borne The common sense sayeth that whyche in déede Plinie hathe written that there is nothying more myserable than Manne that hée begynneth hys lyfe in affliction But thou arte founde alone whyche deniest that Manne is borne to miserye But yet thou wilte saye thou doest mée wrong who simply denye not that menne are borne to miserie but so begotten or created of god But I praye thée what loue is this for wilt thou measure the nature of God by mans capacitie when wyth hys only becke he can sanctifie men who otherwise should hée borne miserable yet rather willeth to bée borne in calamitie or indéede to speake after your maner permitteth But happly thou wilte except that God being angry wyth the sinnes of menne doeth this worthilye wyth which sinne being after a sort enforced he abandoneth the affection of a â—at her to some and he loueth not all when he renounceth some But so faure is it off that thou shouldest acquit thy selfe myth thys aunswere that thou speakest more and more againste thy selfe For firste whence bee these sinnes but from corruption And the alone corruption of Adam why suffereth god to be deriued vppon all his posteritie Thou canst here insert no foreknowledge of sin which hath inforced God sith it is of necessitie that thou set the cause before his effectes I will speake more plainely that the people his effectes I will speake more plainely that the people may vnderstand me If GOD will haue no man to be borne to myserie why doth he theÌ„ permitte them to be borne in corruption sith of necessitie miserie foloweth corruption Shamelesse impudent wilt thou not here at the laste giue all glorie to God wilte thou not curse that blasphemie that God is worse than a Woulfe if he will that man be created to miserie wilte thou not once thinke it good to reste silent in that secrets iustice of the incomprehensible god Will neuer this firmest triple reason bring vnder this thy beastlenesse That God sith he is iust can do nothing vniustly in his works albeit he doth manyethings whiche to vs may séeme vniust for that we cannot comprehende the causes of them That God simplie createth none to miserie but so togither ordayneth the causes of this miserie that he that is borne miserable shoulde worthilye bee borne miserable That God in the purpose of reiecting respecteth not the destruction of reprobates as the lasteende but his owne glorie whych shyneth in their iust reprobation So plainely speaketh the spirite of God and thou caytife wilt murmure against God and wilt neuer vnderstande what impietie it is to bynde GOD to the lawes of this nature nor to confesse in God anye other light of wisedome and iustice than whose brightnesse thou mayst endure But I will yet go further with thée wilt thou deny that blindenesse is a miserie I thinke not except thou béest blinder than the blinde themselues But when as thou and the rude disciples supposed the borne blind man of whom I spake before to haue bin borne to that miserie eyther for his parentes sinnes or for hys owne what aunswereth the Lorde to them and thée Neither this saith he hath sinned neyther his parences that is the Lorde neyther considered hys â—or hys parentes sinnes when he woulde haue hym borne blinde and therfore miserable but therfore he was borne blind that the workes of God might be manifest in hym God nowe and accuse the LORD hymselfe as blasphemous But what doest thou thinke Iob himselfe an vpright and simple man so cruellye vexed of Sathan that without trembling we can not reade those things that are mentioned of hym him I saye not then in déede to haue bene miserable when he brake out into moste dolerous complaintes or that he fell by chaunce into these miseries or that God was angrye with his sinnes or that wyth a certayne ydled sufferaunce or wynkyng hée shoulde gyue hys seruaunte into the hande of Sathan Thou canste saye nothing of these but the sexte of the Historie reselleth thée and Iob hymselfe so muche when praysing God he sayeth the Lord gaue and the Lorde hath taken away But if the Lorde also be then moste iuste by the selfe confession of his owne seruants when he for a time humbleth them with some miseries to his own glorie wilt thou abridge him theprayse of iustice when
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
mans iudgemente how shall God be without fault if man so left by his determination and prostitute to the fraude of Sathan that the workemaister did idlely from Heauen sée him fall who yet coulde haue vpholden him with hys only becke when he was falling nor had any cause why he should hate him Thou séest I thinke into what dangerous downefalles they of necessity plunge themselues whosoeuer like Giants had rather practise a way to heauen than to rest vpon the simple word of God by whych we vnderstand that God is in Heauen who doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him and dothe all things iustly albeit oure flesh determine otherwayes For bycause he is God hée can not be vniust and he is in such wise iust as that hys iustice surpasseth all our vnderstanding The thirde sclauuder THE sinnes that are committed are done not only by his sufferance but also by his will for it is friuolous to assigne a difference betwixte the sufferance and will of God for as muche as perteyneth to him whosoeuer doth this will pacifie God with smooth speeches and flatterie THE AVNSVVERE NOw at the last we are come to that whereof you are wonte to triumph as though we did make God the author of sinne for of the twelue Articles which remayne I sée them pertayne to this one purpose that is to the ende you may séeme in a matter neuer so absurde and of it selfe almost incredible to imagine no falsehoode especially to those men who haue not either leasure or will inough to reade our writings But so I truste I shall answeare that all men though very vnlearned or els thy very friendes in nothyng more then this one may easily perceyue thyne impudencie and ignorance For séeing their be twoo sortes of men whiche vrge agaynst vs this blemishe one of them whiche confesse in déede that we do not say so but that yet we set downe those things of which it is necessarily gathered and the other of them who are not ashamed to say wryte that we plainely affirme this same it shall be sufficient to teache those that they knewe not but in déede the shamelesse impudeÌ„cie of these is worthy to be more sharply suppressed Yet I will doe my best that all men may sée that I rather weigh what may be come vs then thée Seyng therefore there be onely twoo things whereby men may be decerned of men that is to say déedes and wordes vnder whiche also I comprehende writings say I pray thée if thou canst that the demenours of Caluine or any of vs be such as that the least suspition of suche blasphemie may fall vpon vs For he muste not onely be alyed to some one small faulte or cryme whiche shoulde amoue all difference betwirte good and euill filthinesse and honestie but vtterly gyuen ouer to all wickednesse and wonderfully practised without all shame in euery kynde of mischiefe euen so muche that as the Logitians say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affection hath procéeded in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into an habite But that we may confesse our selues willingly and of our owne accorde to bée by almoste infinite distaunce farre from that perfection which thou dreamest yet by Gods benefite so haue we liued to this present day in the Churche of God that whiche I wishe be spoken without all shewe of boastyng no man hath yet bene founde whiche hath thought our lyse worthie hys reproofe of whome all good men had rather not be reprehended then praysed And truely I thinke thou shalt not perswade any wise man that it can be possible that if we were in that opinid that we shoulde thinke that God beyng the author wée might sinne vnpunished hauing willingly left our coutâ—y and despised those things which most men be in loue withall and finally not regardyng all those things whose assistance they séeke for who haue determined to walow theÌ„selues in the filthe of pleasures we had rather almost in the sight of the whole world indure what so euer miseries amongst whiche I accompt this the chiefe that we haue continuall conflicts with like monsters as thou arte had rather I say suffer al these calamities so many yéeres and to procure the crueltie of all men against vs then yéelde to those things whereto not only nature it selfe but also selfe will and reason would draw vs But that which appertaineth the writings of Caluine whome alone before others you thinke you must gnawe vpon how am I afrayde good man cast with this your fact you will most coÌ„sirme to vs that very same doctrine whiche you fight agaynst For what wise man thinkest thou who when he shall reade but the very titles of Caluines bookes and shall knowe that you lay to his charge this sclaunder will not straight way thinke that all memozie and reason is quite taken from you by Gods iuste iudgement For what furious madnesse is this to attribute thys Heresie to Caluine whiche beyng in our memorie renewed of the Libertines your selues well knowyng it yea euen thy selfe Sycophant beyng conuersant in the same Citie and it may bée in the same house hée hath so vehemently and plentifully refuted Therefore that it may be euidently séene euen of all blynde men what is your securitie impudencie and leawdenesse that it maye appeare to men and Angels what wroÌ„g you do not so much to Caluine or our Churches as to the very truth of God and lastly that all at once may vnderstand what is oure iudgemente of these things goe to let vs heare with howe strong how true and how sounde arguments euen eleuen yeares agoe he hath refuted in his booke written and published thys blasphemie of the Libertines and those selfe offences which you shame not to obiect to the faithfull seruant of God heare therefore Sycophant how true it is that Caluine maketh God the author of sinne ¶ Foure Chapters gathered out of Caluines Booke againste the Libertines OF the opinion of the Libertines whereby they thinke that the alone immortall Spirite doth all things which poyson lurketh vnder this sentence Chap. xiij AFter they haue ymagined the alone spirite according to their owne will when they haue destroyed and abolished the natures both of Angels of Deuils and also of soules they say that this Spirite doth all things not that they may signifie that which the Scripture teacheth of him saying all creatures as they do remayne in him that so they are gouerned of him and are subiect to his prouidence and that euery one in his order is obediente to his will but that whatsoeuer is in the world must directly be iudged hys worke So they attribute no will vnto maÌ„ as if he were a stone and they take away all difference of good and euill that by their iudgenieÌ„t nothing can be done wickedly séeing God is author of all things but that the matter maye be shewed more apparantly I will sette downe some example of their iangling When that Swyne Quintinus once as it was came into a place
that all these are spoken of that wyll whyche dothe most condemne thée For he that sclaundereth an innocente agaynste hys conscience he transgresseth the whole Lawe of God and is a Deuill But that whyche apperteyneth to the matter I shame to repeate that whyche I haue so often vrged that GOD is alwayes lyke hymselfe and in one sorte wylleth those thynges whyche bée contrarie by nature We haue cyted moe testimonies out of the Scriptures than that thou canst indure the multitude of them and more playne than that thou canst obscure them The Sycophants ninth Argument to the seauenth Sclaunder ALSO that saying of Christe How often would I haue gathered thy children togyther and thou wouldest not Verilye Christ speaketh of his manifest wil as which he had made manifest by so many meanes But if hee had another contrary to that his whole life was mere Hipocrisie that which is moste horrible to thinke THE REFVTATION Indéede this saying is to be vnderstoode of the manifest will of Christe Yea I euen giue thée a further thing than thou maiste desire For I say that in the place Christe speaketh not only of his but also of the ministerie of al the Prophets which had she wed the word of the Lord in IerusaleÌ„ séeing all the Prophets were Christes instrumentes that is of that alone Prophet which the Lorde promised to the Israelits by Moses But it is a matter â—f some waight to knowe wherefore the Lorde shoulde manifest his will by his Ministers For we here consider Christe as executing the office of a Minister both by the mouth of his Prophets and also by himselfe when he was a Minister of Circumcision Paule saith that he shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of god Therefore Paule knew al the counsell of god For neither speaketh he as a distraught man or as thy Sybilles those things whiche he vnderstood not but those thinges whiche he knewe euen from God and embraced by faith But when the same would shew forth the worde of God in Asia and Bythinia he was forbidde by the holy Ghoste Some counsell therefore of Gods. Paule knewe not whiche if he hadde knowne before he woulde not haue assayed to go into Bythinia Adde moreouer that he being rapte vp into the thirde heauen he sayeth boldely that he sawe secreates which it was not lawfull to vtter Howe doe these two agrée in themselues that he kept nothing secrete who yet hadde learned by reuelation those things which it was not lawfull to teache except bycause there be manye thinges secreate wyth GOD the knowledge whereof to the perfecting of godlinesse is not yet ripe or profitable But is ther here any repugnance betwéene Paule and the spirite of God Yea in the shew of discord is greatest agréement For that whiche Paule willeth well with a better will the Lord willeth not albeit the reason thereof be secret the reason of Paules wil manifest And seeing eche of these wills is good for both God prouideth for his own glory as he knoweth it is conuenient and Paule is carefull for the glorye of God as the office of Apostleshippe requireth they maye differ but be contrarie they cannot For that whiche is good in that it is good maye differ from some good thing to be contrarie to some good thing it cannot So he omitted nothing whiche might be profitable for the profite and saluation of the godlye but he made manifest the whole counsell of God yet he declared not those things whiche Moses witnesseth remaine secreate with God. What then whence is that shewe of oddes verily euen from thence that albeit the Lorde manifest the doctrine of saluation to his Ministers by whom hée maye instructe hys Churche yet hée maketh not manifest to them what hée hathe determined of anye one Hée sendeth them then that they should preach the glad tydinges of saluation to some one whole Countrey but he reserueth to himselfe in his secreate counselles in whome he will haue the preaching of the Gospell to bée effectuall and at what time and agayne whome hée hathe decréed by the same preaching to blynde and harden What is therefore the office of Ministers verily to call all indifferently to saluation to doe good to all to allure all with wordes and benefites For they leaue the secreate iudgementes of God till he make them manifeste Hence is that appearaunce of odds betwéene God and his ministers seeing they eftsoones laboure to gather togiâ—her those whome they knewe not to appertaine Here be those dayly mournings and complaints of Ministers whiche sée those resiste who oughte leaste of whiche kinde also is this complaint of Christe whiche thou bringest But yet in the shew of discorde we haue shewed before that there is no contrariety But yet if thou please to attribute this saying of Christe as to God not as to the Minister of GOD in what sorte it is certaine that albeit he be frée from all sin yet some ignorance hath place in him knowest thou not that the Lord that he maye allure his children with his louing kindenesse doeth sometimes massle as children with vs He complaineth that he is deceiued of his Vineyard wherein in stéede of swéete Grapes he founde wilde Grapes But wilâ—e thou gather hence that the Lord can be deceiued He saith elsewhere taking aduisement of sending his sonne to the husbandmen after that his seruants were staine it may be they wil reuerence my sonne Wilt thou gather hence that as men are wont he was doubtfull in mind that contrarie to his expectation it fel out that his son was slaine séeing it is said elsewhere to haue deliuered his son to the Iewes to be crucified and that be spared not his son Therefore séeing that out of this place also thou gatherest that God dissenteth from himselfe or that the people of Ierusalem coulde infringe the counsell and will of God as thou fearest not to saye in another place or that they perished against the wil of God what else doest thou bewroye but thy wonderfull ignorance The Sycophants tenth Argument to the seauenth Slaunder Finallye they saye If God commaundeth an other thing than he willeth that there is not two willes but a lye For he that saith he willeth that whiche he willeth not he lyeth and in worde onelye to commaunde is not to will but to lie THE REFVTATION Bycause here also thou alleagest a matter that neuer came into our minds I consider no other thing but that thou perseuerest in thy madesse The eigth Sclaunder The hardning of Pharao moreouer his frowardnesse of minde and rebellion was the worke of God and that by the testimonie of Moses who ascribeth to God the whole rebellion of Pharao THE AVNSVVERE IN another place thou definest that to harden declareth nothing else but not to mollific That definition I say to be foolishe and ridiculous For séeing we al as thou thy selfe arte constrained to graunte albeit a little after thou