preferred or coÌ„pared vnto them And therfor they grudge they murmurre aÌ„d they enuie the liberalitie of their father his mercy shewed to the sonne y t before appered lâ—st To whom this might be applied besides the Iewes and the Gentiles ye are not ignorant The other similitude doth teach vs that many in mouth say Lord Lord I go I go whose heart did neuer fele what is the reuerence and true obedience due to gods Maiestie We coÌ„fesse no les then Ieremie doth write for we say that God nether coÌ„manded such abhominations as his people coÌ„mitted nether yet y t euer they did enter in to his heart that is they did neuer delyte nor please him nether yet did he euer will them for the actions them selues But when you shal be able to proue that it did not apperteine to his iust iudgementes to punishe those idolaters with such blindnes that they became more cruel then brute beastes then shall ye be more able to proue that in no wise did God will that crueltie God willed not those abhominations for the murther committed and blood that was shedde for that he hated did punish But he willed y t a testimonie should be left to the world in what blindnes man falleth when he declineth from God and from his true honor of which fearfull example you and your sect oght to take hede The Israelites in killing their childreÌ„ no doubte did euen agre with gods will and were of one mynde with his iust iudgementes as you declare your selues to be in spewing forth these horrible blasphemies agaiÌ„st his supreme Maiestie For as they leauing the plaine will of God declared in his law concerning their oblations and making of sacrifice in a blinde zeale to honor God as they pretended with sacrifices more precious and acceptable because their children to them were more deare theÌ„ oxen or bullockes as they I say in so doing leaue to vs a fearefull example of gods iudgementes So do you by these your horrible blasphemies w c in furie iesting skoffing ye vomit furth against God his eternall trueth against the true professors of the same and thus farre I coÌ„fesse was gods most iust will fulfilled in theÌ„ as also it is here after shal be fulfilled in you That because they in y e vanitie of their imaginatioÌ„s dâ—clined froÌ„ gods will reueled God of his iustice wolde make theÌ„ spectacles to all ages folowing what were hisâ—iudgementes as I haue said against idolaters EueÌ„ so ye neither content y t God shal vse his creatures as best serueth for his glory nether yet that any iustice be in his eternall God head to the which your reason can not atteine are giuen ouer by gods will into reprobate myndes thus horribly to blaspheme his Maiestie to admonish the generation present and to come that with greater sobrietie more feare and reuereÌ„ce they speake aÌ„d thinke of those mysteries that be incoÌ„prehensible vnto maÌ„ I haue before declared that no man leauing the will of God reueled in his worde doth ether obey him ether yet please him and so can he neuer be of one mynd w t God that committeth thinges forbiden by his word But why that God forbiddeth iniquitie to all which also in all men he hateth and yet that betwext his vessels of mercie and the vessels of wrath he maketh such difference that to the one he giueth medicine and purgation against the natural venom so effectually that it worketh their saluation in the ende and to the other he denieth that grace he will not make you nor any of your faction further of counsell then he hath expressed in these wordes He hath mercie on whom he will haue mecie and whom he will him he maketh hard hearted That sathan hath so enraged you that vpon that doctrine which the holy Gost most euidently doth teach ye dare gather this abhominable absurditie that God and whicked idolaters are both of one mynde that they both inwardly and owtwardly do obey him ye haue iust cause not onely to be ashamed but also to quake tremble and feare for that horrible blindnes wherinto you are fallen and for those iust veÌ„geances which your pride doth craue of gods iustice Iust art thou o â— Lord in all thy workes To your question asking by what meanes should the Lord stirre vp the mynde of the king of the Medes to destroy Babylon who had before a desyre ready bent to do the same but by suffering and permitting him To this question I say doth â—sai the Propheâ— answer saying Thus saith the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him therefor will I weaken the loynes of kings and open the doores before him the gates shall not be shut I will go before thee and make the crooked streight I will breake the brasen doores and burst y e yâ—one barres And I will giue y e treasures of darknes and the thinges hidde in secrete places c. If there be in you ether modestie or aptnes to learn this is sufficient to instruct you how God raysed vp his spirite which before was redy bent to destroy Babylon to witte in giuing vnto him so prosperous succes that no impedimeÌ„t was able to resist or withstaÌ„d him which thing God did not by and ydle permission or sufferance as ye imagine but by his power which did effectually worke in all that his iourney as the Prophet here in many other places doth witnes Which thing doth Cyrus him selfe also confesse in these wordes The Lord God of heauen hath giueÌ„ me all the kingdomes of the earth he hath commanded me to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah And the holy Gost affirmeth that y e Lord did stirre vp y e spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to cause this proclamation to be made Dare you say that to giue all the kindomes of y e earth to one man is nothing els but to suffre him to ryue and posses them at his appetites Daniel affirmeth the coÌ„trary saying The name of God be praised for euer and â—uer for wisedome and strength are his And he changeth the tymes and seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vp kinges he giueth wisedome to the wise and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand c. And Dauid also saith he that raiseth the nedie oute of the dust and lifteth vp y e poore out of the dung that he may sette him with the princes euen with the princes of his people And therefore because the holy Gost giueth to gods prudence and working power that which you most wickedly attribute to his permission or ydle sufferance I feare not to say that as God stirred vp Cyrus spirite effectualy mouing it to giue libertie and commandement to his people to returne to Ierusalem and to restore the temple so did he also stirre vp his spirit in enterprising his first iourney against Babylon in taking froÌ„
saith not I will the death of no creature but saith â–ª I will not the death of a sinner Ye are not ignorantâ— suppose what difference there is betwext an vniuer saâ—â— negatiue an indefinite or particulare Where ye saye God willeth the death of no creature ye speake generally and vniuersally excepting none But so doth not the Prophet for he saith not I will the death of no creature nether yet I will the death of no sinner but simply saith I will not the death of a sinner I wonder that ye consider not that as there is difference betwext creatures and creature so that also there is difference betweâ—â— sinners and sinner Some creatures are appointed 〈◊〉 death for the vse and sustentation of maÌ„ And dare yoâ— say that this is done against gods will we be taught the contrarie by his owne mouth If you correcting your generalitie shall say that you meane onely that God will the death of no man And I feare not yet to ioyne with you and against you to affirme that God hath willed doth will and shall will the death of some men The holy Gost speaking of the sonnes of Heli the high Priest saith But they did not heare the voice of their Father because the Lord wold kil them And Moises saith Sihon king of Hesbon wold not suffer vs to passe through his cuntrie for the Lord thy God did harden his minde and strengthen his heart y t he shoule giue him into thy handes How often doth Moses Iosua declare vnto the people that God wolde kill roote oute and destroye those wicked nations from besore the face of his people And were all those kinges whom Iosua did kill killed against gods will The holy Gost affirmeth the contrarie For it is written the Lord did trouble them before Israel and he did strike them with a great slaughter And while that they did flee before the Israelites and were in the descense of Bethoron the Lord cast downe vpon them from heauen greate stones and many more perished by the haile stones theÌ„ were slaine with the swerd of the children of Israel If the destruction slaughter death of these wicked men and of the greate host of Senacherib was not the will of God I can not tell how man shal be assured of his will For the plaine word did before promise that the Lord should destroye them and the fact doth witnes the constaÌ„cie and perfourmance of his will and the same thing doth God this day shall do to the ende of the world when he shall adiudge the reprobate as before is said to the death perpetuall and that not against his will but willingly for the manifestation of his iust iudgementes and declaration of his owne glorie And therefore I say that your prosition saying God willeth the death of no creature is manifestly fals as it that repugneth to gods iustice and to his euideÌ„t scriptures The minde of the Prophetes was to stirre such as had declined from God to returne vnto him by true repentance And because their iniquities were so many offenses so greate that iustly they might haue despaired of remission mercie and grace therefor doth the Prophet for the better assurance of those that should repent affirme that God deliteth not nether willeth the death of the wicked But of which wicked of him no doubâ—e that truely shoulde repent in his death did not nor neuer shal God delyte But he deliteth to be knoweÌ„ a God that sheweth mercye grace and fauor to such as vnfeinedly call for the same how greuous so euer their former offenses haue bene But such as continue obstinate in their impietie haue no portion of these promises For them will God kill them will he destroye and them will he thrust by y e power of his word in to the firewhich neuer shal be quenched The Apostle in these wordes God willeth all meÌ„ to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth speaketh not of euery man and of euery particulare persone But of all men in generall that is to say of men of all estates all conditions all realmes and all ages For as in Christe Iesus there is nether Iew nor Gentile nether man nor woman free manâ— nor seruant but all are one in him so can no estate no condition of man no realme nor no age be proued so wicked and so corrupt but out of the like hath God called some to the participation of his light and to saluation and life by Christe Iesus and that this is the very naturall meaning of the holy Gost the texâ—e it selfe doth witnes For the Apostle immediatly before willeth praiers and supplications to be made for all men for Kinges and for all that were placed in authoritie And because that the Church was chiefely oppressed by such this doubte might haue risen Are we then bound to pray for those that are expresse and coniured ennemies against God You are saith the Apostle for that is good and acceptable before God our Sauior who will all men to be saued That is God willeth you to pray for your persecuters that their eyes may be opened and they conuerted to the liuing God who no doubt will saue some of all estates of all conditioÌ„s and vocatioÌ„s of men For the natioÌ„s are giuen to Christe Iesus by inheritance Kinges shal be the feders of the Church Quenes shal be nurses And in his holy temple shall all sing praise If this interpretation which we doubt not to be the verie meaning of the holy Gost caÌ„ not satisfie you Then will I aske of you If God will men otherwise to be saued then by Christe Iesus or as the Apostle speaketh by comming to the knowledge of the veritie Plaine it is that by the wordes of the Apostle ye caÌ„ conclude none otherwise For as he saith God will all men to be saued so doth he adde and willeth all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie Which word willeth albeit it be not expressedly repeted in the second meÌ„bre yet of necessitie it must be vnderstand as those that be but meanly sene in the greke or latine tongue do euidently see Then if I shall sufficiently proue that God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie in such sort as the Apostle meaneth shall it not infallablye folow that God will not all men to be saued in such sense as you vnderstand That God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of that veritie by the which man is verely made free from the boÌ„dage of sathan is euideÌ„t not onely by those whom we do see walke in darknes and ignorance but also by the manifest srriptures of God who called Abraham making to him and to his sede the promes of saluation saying I will be thy God and the God of thy sede after thee which promes he kept secrete many ages from the rest of the world WheÌ„ he did notifie his law vnto Israel
that deny that to be any parte of his mynd but say he reproueth mannes malicious blasphemy and manifest impietie The argument which ye gather of the nynthe chapter of the same book and wold seme to confirm by the wordes of Christe spoken in the seuenth of Mathew hath no greater force then the former for the writer defineth not what God had determined in his secrete and eternall counsell but what he hath expressedly coÌ„mitted to mannes charge by his law and by his holie Spirit speaking in his Prophetes and that him self doeth plainly witnesse For after that he hath asked wisdom righteously to iudge the people committed to his charge he thus speaketh what man is he that knoweth the counsell of God or that can comprehend in his mynd what God wold The cogitations of mortall men are fearefull and our opinions deceauable c. scarsly by coÌ„iecture can we attein to the thiÌ„gs that be in earth and w t trauale fynd we those things w t be amoÌ„gest our haÌ„des But who shal searche oute those thiÌ„gs y t be in the heaueÌ„s and who knoweth they couÌ„sell except that thow shall giue wisdom and from the hiest places shall send thy holie Spirit for so the wayes of those that dwell vpon earth haue bene directed and they haue learned those things that haue pleased the. Cry now as pleaseth you that because man was made lord ouer creatures in earth for that is the veritie of the text to reule the world in holynes That therefor there was no man reprobated and he writer will answer for him self and will affirme that he searcheth not what God hath determined in his eternall counsell and what shall become of euerie man for that confesseth he to be incomprehensible but he declareth what God commandeth in his law and what he hath expressed by his holie Prophetes To the which if man be found inobedient resteth no excusation seing that gods will is manifestly declared as Moises saieth in these wordes The secretes appertein to the Eternall our God but those things that be reueled appertein to vs and to our children for euer that we may do all the wordes of this law Your argumentes which ye think most strong gathered of these wordes in the 7. aÌ„d 12. of Mathew are most weak and vaine For as we do not denie that man was created iust so do we coÌ„stantly affirme that in iustice he stood not but became altogether vniust and therefor God did not condemne man before he was giltie as you falsly gather of our doctrine Wonder it is that ye se not degrees and iust causes which com betwext the purpose of reprobation and the iust condemnation of man This is your argument God purposed to reiect man before he was created Ergò he did damne him before he was criminall or glitie Your consequent is fals far no part of gods iudgements was put in execution before man did sinne for grace was offered to AdaÌ„ after his fall Cayn was admonished aÌ„d rebuked of his crueltie his posterities aÌ„d sede had raged in their furie and finally all flesh had corrupted their waies befor that gods vengeance and most iust iudgement were poured furth and put in execution against the rebellious and vnthankfull world If you be able to proue that the sentence of death was executed vpon Adam before he offended or that Cayn was accursed by gods mouth before he had murthered then hath your argumeÌ„t som apperance but if the iust causes of condemnation be found in man and so founde in man that God in vowies can thereof be accused then oght you to be ashamed to burden vs with that which ye your selues most folishly collecte And further ye shall vnderstand that as the Apostle putteth certen degrees and causes which are sensible vnto vs betwext the eternall election of gods childreÌ„ aÌ„d their glorification euen so put we the contrarie degrees and causes betwext the reprobation and the iust condemnation of the wicked for as those whom God hath chosen before all tymes in time he calleth aÌ„d that of purpose to Christe Iesus his soÌ„ne aÌ„d whoÌ„ thus he calleth he iustifieth and that more and more vntill that flesh and the corrupt affectioÌ„s thereof being mortified they attein to their glorie So by the contrarie be the reprobate either left all together in blindnes neuer called to the light and knowledge of gods fre mercie or if they be called they either do condeÌ„ne it orels sodanly fall from the same and so abiding in their corruption do still heap sinne vpon sinne till at the last their measure being full God executeth this most iust iudgements against their continuall rebellion Inferre now as many absurdities as please you vpon our doctrine you procede THE ADVERSARIE You say that God reprobated and ordeined man to damnation the most parte of the world afore the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid and yet in the creation God made all meÌ„ after his own image good and righteous as the scripture witnesseth for as we were all created in one man that is Adam So were we all created in one estate that is after the image of God to lief then if your opinion be true the ordinaÌ„ce of God in his election afore the world is not coÌ„forme to his ordinance in the creation And the hâ—lie Gost saieth If I buyld vp agane that which I haue cast doune before I declare my self to be a transgressor if God created man to his own image vnto lief whom before the creatioÌ„ he had reprobat aÌ„d cast away declareth he not thereby him self to be inconstant and a traÌ„sgressour Ye can not escaip here with your bare solutioÌ„ where ye say afore the world God hath not ordeined all but som vnto damnation for in our creation all were ordeined vnto lief for so much as we were all created after the image of God of the ordinance of God in our electioÌ„ afore the world The Apostle writeth thus we be blessed saieth he with al maner of spirituall blessinges in heauenlie thinges by Christe according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid that we should walk in theÌ„ Here do we learn that gods ordinance in his electioÌ„ afore the world and also his ordinance in the creation is alwaies one For as we are chosen in Christe Iesu so we are created in Christe Iesu and as we are chosen to be holie and without blame so are we created vnto good workes Wherefor gods ordinaÌ„ce in his holie electioÌ„ and his mightie creatioÌ„ is one aÌ„d of like streÌ„gth and surenes further seing we be as the Apostle saieth bothe elect and created in Christe Iesu. and forasmuche as there is no damnation to them that are in Christe Iesu then is there no damnation either in the election or creation ANSWERE Because that aswell your forged lies as the vanitie of your reasons haue ben declared I will not trooble the reader with repetition of the
same the godlie may be ware For this present I say first that Seruetus whom you iustifie did maintein and by worde and writing dispersed abrode wicked and most deuilishe opinions of God which might not onely make his Godhead to be dispised but also called in doubt and question He iudged those things nothing necessarie to saluation w c Christ hathe commanded and ordeined And last that impugning the true religioÌ„ he did most obstinatly maintein his diabolical erros did resist the plaine trueth to y e death His erroneous opinioÌ„s of God of his eternal Godhead were these Whosoeuer beleueth any trinitiâ— in the essence of God hath not y e perfect God but goddes imagined and elusion of deuils That Christ is the Sonne of God onely in so far as he is be gotten of God in the wombe of the virgin and that not onely by the power of the holy Spirit but because that God begat him of his owne substance That y e worde of God descending from the heauen is now the flesh of Christ so y t the flesh of Christ is from the heauen â–ª further that y â— bodie of Christ is the bodie of the Godhead the flesh of God godlie and heauenlie as it that is begotten of the substance of God That the soule of Christ is God and that the flesh of Christ is God and that aswel the flesh as the soule were in the verie substance of the Godhead from all eternitie That God is the father of the holie Gost. That Christ hauing the participation of the Godhead or of God and participacion of man may not be called a creature but one that doth participat with creatures As the worde descended into the flesh of Christ so did the holie Gost descend in to the soules of the Apostles That Christ so long as he was conuersant in the flesh receaued not the new spirit which he was to receaue after his resurrection That in all men from the beginning is ingrafted the spirit of the Godhead euen by the breath of God yet may the spirit by the which we be illuminated That the substanciall Godhead is in all creatures That the soule of man althogh it be not God it is made God by the spirit which is God him self That the soule is made mortall by sinne euen as the flesh is mortal not that the soule returneth to nothiÌ„g as nether doth the flesh but that it dyeth wheÌ„ that it is depriued of liuelie actions And that it is holden in hel languishing as that it should neuer after liue but these that be regenerated haue another soule then that they had before because of the substance which is renewed for the godhead which is ioyned That a like it is to baptise an infant as to baptise aâ— asse or a stone That there is no mortale sinne committed before the age of twentie yeares These I haue thoght sufficient to produce at this present to let the reader vnderstand that it is not without cause that I say that Seruetus whom ye iustifie is a blasphemer I haue omitted things more horrible grieuous to auoid the offence of godlie readers which sodaÌ„ly I am not minded to manifest except y t I shal vnderstaÌ„d that your vennemous tongues be not stayed by these I appeale to the coÌ„scieÌ„ce of Castalio him self if in euerie one of these former propositions which concerne y e Godhead there be not conteined horrible blasphemie For what is more blasphemous then to affirme that such as beleue in the Godhead three distinct persons haue no true God but the illusion of the deuilles That Christ Iesus is not the eternal son of the eternal father that there is no distinction betwext the father and the Sonne but in imagination onely That Christ hath no participation of mans nature but that his flesh is from heauen yea that it is the flesh of the Godhead That in Stockes stones and all creatures is the substantiall Godhead If these I saâ—e be not blasphemies worthie of ten thousand deathes especially being obstinatly mainteined against all holsom admonition let all those that feare God iudge yea euen you your selues how furious that euer ye be iudge in the mater eueÌ„ as ye wil answer before the throne of y e Lord Iesus That coÌ„tempteously he spake of baptising of the childreÌ„ of y e publyke preaching of the Euangill and of the administration of the Lordes supper that haue you common w t him for this is your glorie and persuasion to all your scolers that these things be nothing necessarie to saluation yea most streitly ye inhibit all of your sect to frequent any coÌ„gregatioÌ„ but your own And whether this be blasphemie of your parte or not to affirme those thiÌ„gs nothiÌ„g necessarie which Christ Iesus hath established and commanded to be vsed in remembrance of him to his againe comming I am content that iudgement be referred euen to those that be most indifferent betwext vs and you To supersede the rest of your blasphemies I return to your booke because that after I purpose to speake of your holie conuersation and of the great perfection y t is founde in you Ye accuse vs that we haue written bookes in a perpetuall memorie of our crueltie affirming it to be lawful to put to death such as dissent from vs in religion Notwith standing that some of vs were of an other mynd before they came to auctoritie â–ª and further that we haue giuen the sworde in to the haÌ„des of bloodie tyrannes Trew it is that bookes are written bothe by you by vs. for your master Bellius affirmeth that lawfull it is not to the ciuil magistrat to vse the sworde against heretikes To whome that godlie learned maÌ„ Theodorus Beza hath answered In which if you or your master thinke not your selues fully answered ye may put pen to the paper when you list looking to receaue answer with conuenient expidicion Iohn Caluin hath besides committed to writing the examination of Seruetus and the cause of his miserable death which bookes albeit to you they be a perpetual memorie of crueltie yet I haue good hope that to our posteritie they shal be profitable as now to vs be the godlie labors of those that before vs haue foghten the same battel against the obstinate heretikes And further seing bothe you and we must abyde the sentence of one iudge we can not greatlye feare the preiudice of your faction Where ye aske if these be y e shepe which Christ sent furth in the middes of wolues And if the shepe can per secute the wolues and I demand for answer whether Moses was a shepe or a wolf wether that fearefull slaughter executed vpon idolaters without respect of persons was not as great a persecution as the burning of Seruetus and Ioan of kent To me it appereth greater for to them was granted no place of repentance no admonition was giuen vnto them but with out further delay or
serue the Lord what profit haue we for keping his commandements â–ª Therefore may weâ— say that the proude are happie aâ—d that they which deale with vngodlines are set vp Such a spâ—rit haue ye carâ—les libertins as your doctrine wel declareth did not God threaten Adam that in what daye so euer he shoulde eat of the frute he shoulde dye the death not onely corporall but also eternall They which forsake the commandements of God forsake God him self as the Prophetes saye th they are not the Lords for they haue vnfaithfully forsaken him Wherefore Adam when he forsoke God was not the Lords but the seruant of death and sinne to whom soeuer ye commit your selues as seruants to obeye saieth Paul his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes And againe if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and nâ—ther AdaÌ„ nor Dauid were led by the spirit of Christ when they sinned for the spirit of Christ dwelleth not insuch as forsake him obey the deuil except Christ saith the Apostel dwel in you ye are cast away then AdaÌ„ Dauid were cast à waies that is reprobates wheÌ„ they sinned for nether were they in Christ nor Christ in theÌ„ in whoÌ„ the electioÌ„ of God was is but to what purpose shoulde I thus conteÌ„d with you that AdaÌ„ did fâ—lle out of the electioÌ„ seing in this ye agre not your selues for your coÌ„gregatioÌ„ which is aâ— Genâ—ua in the confession of their faith say that of the lost sonnes of AdaÌ„ God elected som to life and the rest he refused Eâ—her improue their beâ—efe or els confâ—sse with them that all the children of Adam were lost by traÌ„sgression If they were lost â–ª then were they out of the eleâ—tion with their father â–ª Adam from thâ— transgression vnto the promâ—s was made Therefore saieth Paul damnatioâ— came of one sinne vnto condemnatioÌ„ in an other place like as by Adam all dye euen so by Christ â–ª shal all be made aliue Here doeth the Apostles witnes plaâ—nely â–ª that we all by Adam do dye S. Iohn saieth hâ— that beleueth not is alredie condemnedand the wrath of God abideth on him Then were Adam and Dauid and all such workers of iâ—â—quitie for that tym that they siâ—â—ed alredie condemned being void of faith And coulde they be in the â—â—ate of condâ—mnation election both together â–ª Harken what followeth and â–ª the wrath of God abideth on 〈◊〉 as Adam from the traâ—sgression vâ—to thâ— promes felt the force of the wrath of God Thus we 〈◊〉 thaâ— Adam and Dauid and all other 〈◊〉 they sinned â—hey be out of the louâ— and fauâ—r and election of God vnto they repenâ— and be bâ—rnâ— a nâ—w for otherwisâ— can they neuer enter intâ— the kingdome of heauen Again S Iohn saith ye knowe that no manslâ—yâ— are hath etâ—rnâ—l lieâ— abiding in him Dauid was a man killâ—r wherefore he had not eterâ—al lief abiding in him Buâ— during the timâ— of his wickedâ—es he was the childe of death as the Prophet Nathan shewâ—d him Dauid gâ—uing iudgement against him self â–ª without faith it can not bâ— that any man shouldâ— please God Adam and Dauid when they sinned they were without faith then pleasâ—d they not God If they pleased him not they displeased him so that they were fallen from the loue and fâ—uor of God ANSWER Albeit that I perceaue y t ether ignoraÌ„ce doeth so impede you orels that malice doeth so blynd you y t nether ye wil nor can vnderstand y t which in y e self is most sensible plaine I wil neuer theles yet once againe repete that w c before I haue said to the eÌ„d that we may giue testimonie aswâ—ll to those y t now liue as vnto y e posteritie to com what doctrine it is w c ye so furiously impugne If ignorance be the cause why thus ye rage against vs ye may be taught if ye list to bestowe your eares to heare your eyes to read heartes to vnderstand for o â— doctrine is not as som of you do complein darke nor obscure except y t it be to those to whom y e Apostle affirmed y t his EuaÌ„gill was hid But if that malice w c ye haue coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st the eternal trueth of God doth so blynd you that ye wil not se y e bright son in y e midday there resteth no more to vs but to desire of God ether to remoue this your deuelish malice I write as knoweth God euen froÌ„ y e grief of heart orels so to stay brydle it y â— it trooble not his afflicted Church Ye accuse vs as y t we made no differeÌ„ce betwext vice vertue sinne and iustice nether yet betwext AdaÌ„ and Dauid as they were elected in Christ Iesus before y e fouÌ„dacions of the worlde were laid and betwext Adam transgressing and Dauid committing adulterie and murtheâ— Ye further seme to charge vs as we should affirme that God hated not sinne nether yet that he respected vice If our short plaine and vnfeined coÌ„fessioÌ„ be able to satisfie you in these thre dowtes I haue good hope y t after this ye shall haue no occasion to suspect vs in such causes first before God before his holie Angelles in heaueÌ„ before his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in earthe we protest acknowledge y t sinne vice and all kind of iniquitiâ— is and euer hath bene so odious in y e presence of God y t he neuer suffered y e same vnpunished in any of his elect childreÌ„ That for y e same not onelie death but also coÌ„moÌ„ calamities hath appreheÌ„ded all man kynd eueÌ„ sitheÌ„ce the first trasgression That vertue iustice and ciuil honestie besydes the iustice of the regenerat children hath so pleased God â–ª that for loue of the same he hath mainteined and to this day doth maintein coÌ„mon welthes albeit that many grieuous crymes be commited in the same As God we say and affirme loueth equitie iustice chastitie trueth mercie and teÌ„peraÌ„ce so doth he in som sort hieghly reward the same and hateth vnrighteousnes filthie life deceat excesse crueltie and riaâ—ous liuing which often he punisheth euen in manneâ— eyes And this difference we say God maketh euen amongest those that be not regenerate nether were euer called to y e true knowledge of saluation And this much briefly for the first secoÌ„d and 3. This difference we make betwext Adam and Dauid elected in Christ Iesus and Adam and Dauid transgressing gods holie commaÌ„demeÌ„t and wil reueled â–ª Adam and Dauâ—d elected in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid were so loued in the same Lord Iesus their head that when they had most horribly fallen and offended yet did God seke Adam call vpon him gently reason with him and at length conuicting his conscience of his offence did make vnto him that most ioyfull promes of recoÌ„ciliation of the same loue we say
your selues I say how much ye haue increased in Christ by his doctrine what perfection it hath wroght in you how much Christ is facioned in you by it If you wil forsake this error embrase the trueth where by ye are taughâ— that God will all men to be saued ye shall God willing perceaue more increase in godlynes that shortly then euer ye could or durst loke for continuing in your error ANSWER Whether y t you or we peruert the meaning of y e holie Gost speaking in hisholie scriptures we chiefly remitte iudgement to him who shall iudge the worlde with equitie not refusing also in the mean season the iudgement of indifferent readers To your vniust accusatioÌ„s cauillations and malitious reportes I will answer no thing till the ende of this worke And then I purpose to lay before your eyes suche thinges as ye can not denie to the end that the simple may iudge which of vs do worship the Idoll of our own fantasies and haue forsaken y e mynd of the trueth Albeit that ye and your capteyn Castalio beginne now to dispyse learning yet be ye neuer able to proue that we haue dispised godlines in the most simple of our brethren howbeit we can not conceale the trueth affirming that he who hath faithfully traualed in the tongues and in the writings of godlie men is more able to auoid error and also more apt to teach the trueth and to confute the aduersarie then he which is altogither ignorant except in his naturall tongue for we know that miracles and the visible giftes of the holie Gost giuen in the dayes of the Apostles are now ceassed Therefor I say we are not so proude that we dispyse learning nether yet so malicious that we contemne the meanest gift that God hath giuen to any of our brethren If any be that boast or bragge of their knowledge in the tongues or of y e multitude of y e bookes w c they write I will coÌ„fesse them worthie of most sharpe rebuke But as for suche as be principal instrumeÌ„tes of Christ Iesus how much they haue profited the Church of God and how litle praise or coÌ„mendation they haue soght or do seke of man the day when the secretes of all heartes shal be reueled will declare and men who be most familiarly acquainted with them partly can witnes As we do not enuie y e perfect knowledge in tongues of such as you praise so do we vnfeinedly desire God so to gouerne their heartes if his good pleasure be that rather they studie to edifie Christes afflicted Churche theÌ„ to accuse sclander and traduce suche as in the vineyard of the Lord haue labored and daily do labor much more then they do That ye will vs to turn from that w e ye call our error promising vs if so we will do more perfection shortly then euer we durst haue loked for we must be first taught that our doctryne is erroneous and after for the assurance of our hope we must haue more then the promes of men Thus ye procede THE ADVERSARIE To proue that they whiche be once elect can neuer fall they alledge this saying of Christ There shall arrise fals Christes fals prophetes and shall shew great miracles woÌ„ders in so much that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceaued â–ª of this they gather that it is not possible that the elect should be deceaued this coÌ„ditionall if it were possible c. affirmeth nothing But admitting iâ— be so we must vnderstand that the thing which is verie hard difficile to be done is called vnpâ—ssible in the scripture as in that place it is easier for acamele to go throughe the eye of an â—edâ—e then for the riche to enter in to the kingdoÌ„ of God This is called impossible â–ª because it is verie hard difficile to be dâ—ne yet be there rich meÌ„ which inherite the kingdom of heauen how can you beleue saieth Christ which receaue honor one of an other â–ª this semeth vnpossible by Christes wordes yet many such were conuerted to Christ. And the same spirit of vaine glorie was amongâ—st the elect Apostles of Christ after they had continued a long time with him â–ª for they contended who should be superior among them selues can a woman forget the childe of her wombe and not pitiâ— the same whom she hath born whiche thogh it seme vnpossible for as much as it is contrarie to nature yet do women destroy and deuore their own birthes â–ª May a maÌ„ of Inde change his skinne and the cate of the mouÌ„tane her spottes no more may ye that be exercised in euill do good suche we be of our selues notwithstanding by the power of God we be regenerat we leaue of from our euill exercises and do that which is good Thus we se it is called impossâ—ble in the scriptures which is contrarie to nature which excedeth our strenght therefor is difficile and hard to be done â—ueÌ„ so it is impossible That it is a very hard thing that the elect which follow the laÌ„â—â— whether so euer he gâ—eth should be deceaued yet not withstaÌ„ding it may come to passe as Eua was the elect of God and not withstanding the Apostle wâ—â—â—esseth that she was begyled and deceaued by the Serpent Therefor warneâ— Christ the elect Apostles saing take hede that no man deceaue you If Christ had bene of your opinion that the elect could not be deceaued to what purpose should he bid his chosen take hede lest any man should deceaue them Let no man deceaue you saieth Paule to the Thessaloniens to whom he bare witnes that they were worthy of the kingdom of heauen yet was he carefull left they should be deceaued and mouâ—d from their good mynd ether by spirit or by wordes or by letter which should some to come from him And to the Ephesians Let no man deceaue you with vain wordes for because of suche thinges commeth the wrath of God vpon the châ—ldren of desobedience And likewise â–ª warneth he the Romanes to marke and auoide such as with sweâ—e and flattering wordes decaued the heartes of the innocent As the old prophete which dwelled in Bethel deceaued the man of God whiche came from Iuda and propehâ—â—ed against the alter which Ieroboam buylded I am a prophete said he also as well as thow and an angell spake vnto me in the name of the Lord saing bring him againe with the into thyne own house that he may eate breade and drink water and he lied and deceaued the man of God Such lying prophetes be now a daies wihch say they be sent from God and call the people to their congregations without which they say there is no saluation for they condemne all others which be not of their sect And when they haue allured the people with fals errâ—neous doctryne they prouoke them to a careles libertyne lief apt
our frayle bodies do we hold the secrete will of God for a ruele of all equitie perfection and sufficiencie teaching and affirming that if any man of vaine curiositie or of deuelish pride presume to define or determine vpon these or others his inscrutable secretes the causes whereof other then his secret but most iust will is not neither shal be reueled till the full glory of the sonnes of God be manyfested when the wisdome goodnes iustice and mercie of God shall so euidently appere to the full contentation of his electe to the most iust conuicting of the conscieÌ„ces of the very reprobate to whome shall be left no place of excuse but in their owne consciences they shall receaue the iust sentence of their most iust condemnation and so shall they in tormentes glorifie the most iust most seuere iudgement of God and his vnspeakable hatered against sinne conceaued We teach and affirme I say that if any man in this life trauale to searche out other causes of these foresaid works of God then his secrete will that the same man hedlongs casteth him selfe in to horrible coÌ„fusion which he can not eskape without spedie repentance And against such men are al the scriptures by you alledged spoken and written and not against vs who as we affirme nothing which gods worde doeth not plainely teache vs so do we cease curiously to inquire any cause of his workes other theÌ„ it hath pleased his godlie wisedome and mercie to reuele vnto vs by his holie spirit plainely speaking in his holie scriptures And therefor to you it shal be most profitable to trye and examine this mater with greater indiffereÌ„cie then hitherto you haue done and to ponder and wey whether it be ye or we that be wise in our owne conceate sight or opinion or that go about to finde out the almightie that is to subiecte his Maiestie and wisdome to the iudgemeÌ„t of our corrupt reason You I say who vpon his words plainely spoken by the holie Gost and vpoÌ„ his works which he neither fearerh nor eshameth to attribute and clame to him selfe dare make these blasphemous conclusioÌ„s Then is he more cruel then a wolf then is he a dissembler then beareth he hoÌ„ny in his mouthe gaule in his breast then is he author of sinne him self theÌ„ is he vniust coÌ„trarious to him self or we y t coÌ„miÌ„g but onely to the sight of gods incoÌ„prehensible iudgements with all treÌ„bliÌ„g reuereÌ„ce fall done before his Maiestie w t the Apostle do crye Oh y e depnes of y e riches wisdome and knowledge of God howe inscrutable are his iudgementes and vnsearcheable are his waies who hath knowen y e minde of the Lord or who hath bene of his counsell or who hath giuen vnto him first that he should recompence him for of him and by him and in him are all things to him be glorie for euer Amen Be you your selues iudges I say whether you or we do search out thinges that be aboue the reache of our capacities and by that meanes studie to bring God as it were in boÌ„dage to our reasons but now that which foloweth in these wordes ADVERSARIE Thy worde sayeth Dauid is a lanterne to my fete and a light vnto my steppes when thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen Vnto babes all the wordes of the Lord are pure and cleane it is a shilde to them that put their trust in it And the Prophet Esaya if any maÌ„ lacke light â—et him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie we must not leaue the word and seke to establish our phantasies ether by reason or gods secret will for we are commanded that we turne not from the word nether to the right hand nor to the left that thou maiest sayeâ—h thâ— holye Gost haue vnderstanding in all that thou takest in hand This is sufficient for vs and this we oght for to do But we knowe say you euen by the worde that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him verie well and can you proue thereby that God hath two willes God hath reueled so much of his will as is profitable for vs to vs to knowe the rest which is nether necessarie nor mete for vs to know he hath not reueled Is it therefore an other will or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shal there be contrarietiâ— in God which is fals if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam shoulde fall but in respect of his secret will he wold Adam should fall then did God will two contraries which is impossible was there euer any such monsterous doctrine taught God abhorreth a double heart which speaketh one thing and thinketh and other and yet abhorre you not to charge God with that which he cannot abide in his creatures that is that he should speak one thing as that Adam should not haue fallen and think and will the contrarâ—e that Adam should haue fallen ANSWER The wil of God plainely reueled in his holie scriptures we do not onely followe as a bright lanterne shining before vs for the directing of our pathes walking in the darknes of this mortalitie but also we affirme it to be of such sufficiencie that if an Angell froÌ„ the heauen with wonders signes and miracles wolde declare to vs a will repugning to that which is alredie reueled persuading vs vpon that to ground our faith or by that to rule the actions of our liues we wold hold him accursed and in no wise to be heard and therefore yet once againe I caÌ„ not cease to exhort you if by late reuelations ye I mean some of your faction hath receaued any newe knowledge of gods will by the which you persuade others that man in this life shal be pure and clean with out sinne that God shall expell it not onely in the resurrection but euen while we walk compassed with this corruptible flesh euen as the bright sunne chaseth away the darck cloudes that the children of God shal so beare dominion ouer the wicked in this earth that all the proud tyrannes and oppressors shall be come slaues to the godlie and that shal be their hell and punishment as the earthlie reigning of the others shal be their heauen and ioye promised Examin I say your selues if that any of you be infected with these and others mo grosse and foolish fantasies which by gods reueled will you be neuer able to proue But as for vs we haue proued and offer to proue at all times by the reueled will of God what so euer we teach affirme or beleue of gods eternal electioÌ„ or of his most iust reprobatioÌ„ for we coÌ„fesse euen the self same thing which you alledge vs to say which is that by the word of God we knowe that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him in heauen and in
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
God whom we do reuerence in whom we trust and most stedfastly beleue whose Sonne Christ Iesus we preach to be the onely sauiour of his Church and whose eternall veritie we mainteine not onely against Iewe Turke and Papist but also against you enraged anabaptistes who can admitte in God no iustice which is not subiect to the reach of your reason Darest thou and thy conspiracie stand vp and accuse God of crueltie because that in these his workes thou canst not deny but that mo were punished then were preserued mo were left in darknes then were called to the true light Shall not his mercie excede all his workes except that he saue the Deuill aÌ„d those that iustely be reprobated as he is Stoupe Sathan vnder the empire of our Soueraigne God whose will is so free that nothing is able to constreigne or binde it For that is onely libertie that is not subiect to mutabilitie to the inconstancie or appetites of others as most blasphemously you wold imagin God to be in his election and most iust reprobation by the which in despite of SathaÌ„ of thee his slaue and sonne and of all thy sect he will declare his glorie as well in punishing with tormentes for euer such blasphemers as you be as in shewing the riches of his glorie to the members of his deare Sonne who onely depend vpon Christe Iesus and vpon his iustice To purge my God from that iniustice or from those absurdities which thou woldest impute vpon his eternall maiestie I will â—ot labor lest that ether I should seme to doubte of our owne cause ether yet to be sollicite for the defense of our eternall God And therfor seing that ye declare your selues not men ignorant willing to Iearne but deuilles enraged against God against his eternall and infinite iustice as I began so do I finish The Lord confound thee Sathan The Lord confound you enraged dogges which so impudently dare barcke against the most iust iudgementes of God And thus leauing you to the handes of him who sodanely shall reuenge his iustice from your blasphemies For the cause of the Simple I say First that most maliciously ye accuse vs as that we should affirme God to be slow to mercy and readie to wrath which blasphemy we protest before God before his holy Angelles in heauen and before his Church here in earth did neuer enter into our heart For the contrarie thereof we daily see and perceaue not onely in our selues to whom most mercifully he remitteth the multitude of our sinnes but also in the most cruell ennemies of his Church We do not define what nombre God hath elected to life nether yet what nombre presently God hath reprobated Onely we stand content with that which the holy Gost hath reueled openly to witte that their be both elect and reprobate That the elect can not finally perish nether yet that the reprobate can euer be saued we constantly affirme But we adde the causes to wit that because the one sort is giuen to Christ Iesus by y e free gift of God his father before all times therfor in time they come vnto hiÌ„ by power of whose spirit they are regenerate their darkenes is expelled and from vertue they procede to vertue till finally they attein to the glory promised As y e other sorte is left in their own corruption so can they do nothiâ—g but obey their father y e deuil in whose boÌ„dage they iustely are left And so where ye burden vs that we say let the reprobate do what they can yet they must be daÌ„ned ye do most shamefully belie vs. For we saye and teach that who so euer declineth from euill and constantly to the end doth good shall most certenly be saued But our doctrine is thiâ— that because the reprobate haue not the spirite of regeneration therfor they can not do those workes that be acceptable before God How God is almightie and omnipoteÌ„t we haue before confessed to witt that as he in his eternall wisedom foreseeth and appointeth all thinges so doth his power put all thinges in execution how and when it best pleaseth him Neither can his wisedom will nor counsels be subiect to any mutabilitie vnstablenes or chaÌ„ge For if it so were then his godly wil and counsels did not depend vpon him self but vpon his creatures which is more then absurd Nether to Pharao neither to Semei neither yet to any other reprobate did or doth God giue either wicked commandement or euill thoght But those wicked thoghtes and euill motions which be in them of their euill nature and are stirred vp by the instigation of the deuill as he doeth not purge them so doth his wisedom vse them well to his owne glorie to the exercise of his children and to the comfort of his Church In so much that the verie tyranny of Pharao the cursing of Semei and the incest of Absalom in so farre as they were gods workes they were iust and holy because they were iust punishmentes of their sinnes an exercise for his children and some part also of his fatherly correction for their offenses To the rest of your vanitie I will not answere not because I feare your sophisticall subtilitie but because I will not except that yet I be further prouoked nether by tongue nether yet by penne once name or expresse your horrible blasphe mies Which manifestly do witnes and declare that you as dogges enraged without all reuerence do barke against God because his workes do surmount your capacitie The Lord speadely call you to repeÌ„tance or els so bridle your venemous tongues that they be not able further to infect Now to the rest THE ADVERSARIE The properties of the true God God his mercie exceadeth all his workes he hath made man like to hâ—â— own image in Christe Iesus in whom is no damâ—ation he is slâ—we vnto wrathe and readie to foregiue he wil be intreated of all so that â—e biddeth all men euerie where to repâ—nt and â—ffereth faith to all men he is omnipotent and may do and leaue vndone what so euer shal be his good pleasure â—ether is it his pleasure wil tâ—at eiher Pharaâ— Semei or any other do sinne and come to destruction for he willeth the deathe of no creature but willeth all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth he hath but one will which is euer onely good reueled in his word to them that feare him and kepe his commandementes nether hath he any secret will contray to this but will performe what so euer goeth outâ— of his mouthâ— he tempteâ—th no man to sinne he is the fuâ—her of ligâ—t and cometh to destroye the workes of the careles libertynes God for be abhorreth all wickednes aÌ„d al wicked dâ—â—â—s ANSWERE In this description of your God whom you do terme the true God I do woÌ„der of three thinges First that in this your description ye dissent from your greate angel Castalio Secondely how
will suffer those thinges any longer but rather persuade him self assuredly that as God did once destroye the Cananites so will he now also these For thogh all these thinges which I haue recited before were tollerable thinck you that they shall escape vnpunished for defending and mainteining that most execrable impietie of the popish preachers Who is ignorant how greate iniquitie is in the bying selling of Masses I will say nothing of the rest Surely as Christ draue out the byers sellers out of the church so shall he now also roote out the priestes with their patrones and companions be strong therfor and to gratiâ—ie God slay all this vnprofitable multitude To make peace with them I can see no waye honest safe or sure inough for they will nether leaue of their purpose nether restore vs to libertie nether permitte the true worshipping of God and it were better for vs to die â–ª then to alowe their iniquitie and to suffer our selues to be spoiled of the doctrine of y e Gospell I promise you assuredly that God shall prosper vs â–ª and that the victorie shal be ours For he him self promised me to my face euen he I say that can not deceaue nor lie commanded me to beginne this worke on this maner by punishing the Magistrates and in dedâ— the power of God herein appereth most excellent when a greate multitude of ennemies is slayne by a smal haÌ„d To lette many other thinges passe ye know what Gedeon broght to passe with a fâ—aw what Ionathas did accompanied with one poore seruant onely what Dauid did when he fought alone against that monster Golias of huge stature who for his height was euen terrible to loke on There is no doubte but this day in like maner shal be notable and had in remembrance of all posterities for the like spectacle For althogh we seme not to be well fournished with weapons nor fensed as it apperteineth yet shall we haue the victorie And this workemanship of heauen and earth shall rather be changed then that we shal be forsaken of God for so in times past was the nature of the sea changed that the Israelites might escape danger when of Pharao they were pursewed let not the iudgement of your owne reason moue you nether let any apperance of shadow of danger trouble you but valiantly inuade the wicked and vngodly ennemie neuer let their engâ—â—es of wâ—rre make you afraid for I will receiue in the lâ—ppe of my garment al y e gunstones Behold se you not hâ—w mercifull God is vnto vs â–ª Loke vp I besech you and marke wel the signe and testimonie of his perpetuall loue toward vs Lift vp your eyes and see me the bowe of heauen by the which image shewed vs from aboue God signifieth to vs most manifestly that he will assist vs in this battell for as much as we haue the same bow painted in our enseigne he sheweth also by the very same death and destruction to our tyrannes Therfor fall vpon your ennemies with a lustie courage hauing an assured hope that God will helpe you For God will not that ye should make peace with the wicked aduersaries WheÌ„ he had made an eÌ„d of exhorting his souldiours who neuertheles for the most part trembled for the greatenes of the present daÌ„ger But all thinges were done in a hurley burley without any certen rule or order Moreouer there were some of a desperate audacitie readie to put to their handes to euery mischeuous acte these of their owne nature enclining to worke meschief were theÌ„ more sette on fire by his oration but chieflly they were moued by the rainebow which stode in the element as it is said before and that toke they for a most sure signe of victorie And this also helped them that they were a great number about eight thousand men and that the place was fitte for to defend them So these men that were so boldened with a lowde voice admonished all men to take their weapoÌ„s and to go furth against the ennemie with a good courage and they had also a song wherein they asked the assistance of gods holy spiritte But before this a certen yong man of noble birth was sent vnto them whom Muncer contrary to the law of armes and to the custom of any nation slew wherwith the Princes were so prouoked that they blew their trompettes to batell and sette their men in araye At that time there was there Philippe Prince of Hesse who althogh he was the yongest of all yet rode he to and fro exhorting the souldiours to be strong which exhortation being ended they inuaded their enemies beginning first to shote of their ordinance And then the miserable men as all amased or â–ª besides them selues nether defended theÌ„ selues nor yet fled to saue their liues but song still that song to the holy Gost to helpe them And the most part of them put such confidence in Mâ—cers faire promises that they looked for helpe from heauen WheÌ„ they had shot of their ordinance and began to assaute their holdes and that many of them were on euery side slayne then were they put to flight and went to Francusium but some of them weÌ„t to the other side of the hil where they kept out for a while a few horsemen and slew one or two of them But when they were al for the most part fledde the horsemen scattered and dispersed wandred to fro without order so that whither so euer boures fled they were pursewed But some of their meÌ„ as I said before being slaine the residue all kindled with fury desire of reueÌ„ge were more violeÌ„t and were slayn to the nuÌ„ber of 5000 â–ª streight waye FrancusiuÌ„ was takeÌ„â—y batell and 300 in it which were beheaded Muncer fledde into the towne and hid him self in a house not farre froÌ„ the gate Into the which it happened that a certen geÌ„til man entered whose seruant going vp into the vpper parte of the house of purpose to vewe the dwelling he found a certaine man lying vpon a bedde of whom he demanded what he was and whether he were one of the rebelles which fled out of the tumult That he denied saing That euen then he was sicke of an agew It happened that besides the bedde there laye a purse which the other snatched vp hoping to gette â—ome pray in it After he had opened it he found therin a letter wherin Albert Mansfeld admonished Muncer to leaue of his entreprise and not to stirre the people to seditioÌ„ when he had redde these leters he asked if they were written to him but when he denied it he forced him so that he confessed him self to be Muncer and intreated him Then being taken he was broght to George y e Duke of Saxon and to the Lantgraue who asked him why he had so deceiued poore men he answered that he had done nothing but his duetie and that the Magistrates who wold not abidâ— y e doctrine of the