An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 38
THE ADVERSARIE.
The reason where with you go aboute to persuade this to be of trueth is very meane,The 1▪ argument. if a man (say you) could do any thing cōtrary to gods will, then were not God omnipotent,38. Section. wherefor what so euer … dōne, it must nedes be donne by the will of God, whose will no man ca… resist. I answere that God is goodnes it self, his will is alwayes good, yet man apt to do & may do euill contrary to gods will, no… withstanding God remaineth omnipotent, suffering m…n to do euill whome he might destroy before he did the euill, if so it pleased him. Phara… obstinatly refused to obey the will of God, yet was God omnipotent, for if God had list he might hauehave destroied Phara… at the first, and the arrogāt tyrān… was well worthie to be destroyed, yet God vsed towards him, by littel and litell such encreasse of punishemēt as he might therwith hauehave ben am… ̄ded had not his malice ben and impedimēt. Christ as he witnesseth hī self w…ld hauehave gathered the Ier…solim…tans together, as the hē her chickēs, yet w…ld they not, God wold that the Israelites should entre into the land of Cana… and they wold not, wherefor they were caried back again through the wildernes where they perished. Againe when God wold not that they should entre, they wold nedes entre, and were put to flight of the Cananites. Thus we se plainely that many things be donne cōtrary to the will of God, which shalbe more largely declared hereaf…er, where we shal shewe howe God often suffered many things which he wold not yet to maintein this vntrueth ye alledge that which is written in Exodus th… 9. the Lord hardened the heart of Phar…o. To the which I answere that which is writtē all most in the ēd of the same chapter, Phara… hardened his heart, he and his seruants: and that which is written in the chapter of …he first b… ke of the kinges. wherefor should you harden your heartes a… the Aegyptians and Pharao hardened their heartes. by these places I may prou… … well that Pharao hardened his ow…e hearte, as you cā proue, that God m… de him hard he arted, by that other text▪ wherefor t… vnderstād howe these places do aggr…, we must note first, that al the children of Adam hauehave a hard & wicked heart,Iere. 17. vntill they be mollified by the grace of God, as I…remie witnesseth saying: Amōgest al things liu… not, mā hath the most deceafull & stubborn heart & the lord saieth that he will take the stonie heart frō thē,Eze. 36. and gi… thē a heart of flesh▪ without they had a sto…e heart, he could not take it … thē If Phara… had a stonye heart, as it doeth well appere, in that he … oppressed the people, afore Moyses spak vntounto him, thē coulde it not be hardened more thē a stone, afore it had bene millified, which was not dōne. for he refused to knowe the Lorde, & se… n…t his heart to gods miracles, but at the first meting with Moises said, I knowe not the Lord▪ therfor Pharao willing…y & wittingly, did indure & retaine his hard sti…e heart, notwithstāding he ād his sorc…rers were …ōuict to grāt the miracles to be dōne by God, in so much that he desired Moises & Aaro to pray for him, cōfessing his office▪ but yet after that he was deliuered frō the present pl…gue, he indured his heart both he ād his s…rua…s so tha… as the Apostle saieth, whē they k…ewe God they glorified him not as God, neither were they thākful, wherfor they were le…t to their owne lewd mi…des which is the cause of hard…ing▪ for mā being left of God, is nothing els, but a hard obsti…ate wicked creature, and cōforme to this meaning do the ancient doctors interprete this place, God hardened Pharaos heart, that is to say, God suffered Pharaos heart to be hardened, as this, leade vsus not into tōp taciō ▪ Iob …9.that is suffer vsus not to be ledde into rēptacion. So Iob saieth▪ God hath take… wis…dim from the Estriche, that is as it … there God hath not… giuen her vnderstanding. And of his f…iends Iob saieth. Thou hast wi…hholden their hearts frō vnderstanding that is thou hast not giuē thē vnderstāding:I…b 17. And thus mā …er of speaking is cōmon in the scriptures not onelyonly of God, but also of mā as these,I…sue, 22 nowe you hauehave …idd the childrē of Israel out of the hād of the Lorde, that is you hauehave not caused th… to … in… the hād of the lorde. The phrase of the scripture being this truely vnderstāded▪ the ma…er shalbe the easier for seing that God (as Iames saie…h) … no mā ▪ that is to si…ne, then did God neither hardē the heart of Pharao, not … him to do wickedly, but suffered him & gaue him ouer to the obstinate hard heart which he had already ād this is the greatest plague that chanced to man, to be…est to his owne lewd mynd as Saul because hē wold not obey the Lorde, he was le…t of gods good spirit & taken with an euill spirit, & thē from thence forth he became worse. and w…rse likwyes I…as king of Iuda, because he wold not heare …he voice of Zachari… the Prophet he was lest of God, slaine in his owne bed with his owne seruants & foūd vnworthie to be buried in the sepul…hars of the kings. & his sonne Amasias, because be refused to heare the Prophet of the lord, and soght c…ūsel of the Ed…mites goddes, he as l…e of God, ouer cōme by the king of Israel, & afterwards by treas…, his subiectes cōspired against him & killed him. Thus we see that there cā be … gre…ter plague, then to beleft to our selues & to be destitute of the grace of God. A… the yearth can be …o more gryueously punished, thē to lack the sunne & dewe. So the lord doeth punish his vineya…d not wasting … him self▪ but taketh the hedge and raine from it▪ & suffereth it to be was…ed and ouertrode by others,Esa. 5. So Iob was plagued of God onelyonly by suffering him to be plagued notwithstanding Iob say…th, the Lord hath giuen ād the Lord hath taken, which is not to be vnders…ād that the Lord did take his goods, but o…ely, suffere… the deuil to take them. So the Lord punished his people, not that he touched them, but I will hide, my face from them & will see what their end shalbe saieth the Lord. After the same maner oght that place, God hardened the heart of Pharao … be vnderstand, that it God suffered the heart of Phara… to be hardened, or left him in the hardnes of his heart, which appereth to be so of that wh…ch is wri…ten. Exo…e 10. chapter, how long refusest thou to submit thy self vntounto me, to let my people goe? by this we see, that the will of God was, that Pharao should let the people g…o. Secondly that Pharao …id not subrnit himself to God, that his …ind was not conforme to gods mynd. Thirdly▪ in that he refused to let the people go, it was his owne dede and act… & not gods for if I should gra…t, that it was gods will, that he should r…fuse to let the people goo, then did h… subr…yt him selfe to …he will of the Lord, which is cōtrarie to the word, thē should God ād he hauehave bene both of one mynd, And the will of God is all wayes good and iust▪ wh…ch you can not deny then Phara… refusing to let the people go. did well & …ustly, forasmuch▪ as it was gods will he should so do…, wherfor Pharao oght not t… be punished for this good & iust dede. These & such like … …skape, affirming Pharaos heart to hauehave been actually indured of God.
ANSWER.
How meane that euer our reasons be, yet great cause we hauehave to giuegive thanks vntounto God, that ye in laboring wt all your wittes to oppugne & obscure them, are yet compelled by the inuincible grace of gods merciemercy to iustifie and illustrate the same. which shall plainely appere by this your first answere, which you make concerning the omnipotencie of God. forasmuch (say you) as God is goodnes it self, his wil is alawayes good, yet mā is apte to do, and may do euill, contrary to gods will, notwithstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering man to do euill, whome he might destroy afore he did euill, if so pleased him: and so ye bring forth ye example of Pharao. I will not take in all points that aduātage of you wc I think you wold take of vsus most gladly, if you had vsus in such a streit as you hauehave here cōcluded your selues. for if mā may do euil contrary to gods will: so that God for no respect, for no end nor purpose wold that such wickednes should be donne (for thus you must applie your words, orels ye say nothīg against vsus) and yet that it pleaseth God not to destroy the wicked doer, but to suffer him to do euill, whome he might hauehave destroied before the iniquitie cōmitted. What shall, I pray you ensue? but that either there shalbe in God two contrary willes, one that willeth no wickednes in no wyes to be donne, and an other that suffereth wickednes, yea and that is pleased to suffre & not to destroye the wicked mā … orels that there is a power aboue gods wil, which compelleth him to suffer that which he wold not: one of these two can you not auoyd. But I wil dealle more fauorably with you. Ye grant that God suffereth the euill,To ye 1. & 2. and that he might destroy the wicked mā before iniquitie be committed, if so pleased his godlie maiestie and wisdome. Do ye not cōsider that in this your confession, is no les …onteined then any of vsus hath either written or spoken in this mater. for if gods omnipotencie remaineth as no doubt it doth, so perfecte and hole that he may not impede onelyonly wicked men of their interprises, but also yt he may destroy euē Sathā him self, if so pleased his eternal wisedō, what can be cōcluded, but yt God willingly for causes knowē to his wisedome alone, permitteth & suffereth things to be dōne wc a…ter he will most iustly punish? And thus (I say) doth you own answer & confessiō iustifie or doctrine. for we do not teach yt wickednes pleaseth God, in so farre as it is wickednes: neither yet that God will sinfull actes to be donne, in so farre as they are sinfull, without any other further respecte. But we say that as the actiōs & cogitatiōs of the godly please God in Christ Iesus, because they are wroght ād inspired by ye power of his holie spirit: so yt the good workes, as patiē ce, iustice, chastitie, & suche lik, God will to be dōne, euē because the works be good & agreable to his owne nature: so say we that God will, yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be donne for y• purposes & causes cōcluded in his eternal coūsel. Which thing if we be able to proue by the euidēt scriptures of God thē oght you not to be offended althogh we preferre God to mā, and his plaine trueth, to your sophisticall euasiōs & colde interpretations of such places. for the auoiding the prolixitie of many, I will choose but two at y• most, plaine and most euident. Is it not a great & horrible sinne that a fals prophete shall come and deceause the people? Yea is it not likwyes sin, to deceaue ye Prophet? and yet God feareth not to attrib…t to him self bothe the one and the other. for no fals prophete dothe arrise, whō God for one of two purposes doth not stirre vp, to witt, ether to trie and examin the cōstancie & fidelitie of his seruātes, orels, to execute ād blind those, who delite not in the veritie. For Moises witnesseth in these words, if in the middest of the, there arrise a Prophet, and he shal giuegive vntounto the a signe, and yet should say let vsus go and serue strāge goddes heare him not, for ye Lord your God tempteth you, whether that ye wil louelove your Lord, your God with all your heart, & in all your fowle. if it be the propre office of God to trye, tempt and examin ye heartes of his people & of his chosen children as the holie Gost affirmeth it to be. Then must you confes that the fals prophetes be gods instrumentes appointed for that purpose. And that God deceaueth the fals Prophet, Ezechiel in plaine wordes doeth witnes saying, ād if the Prophet deceaued speak the word, I the Lord hauehave deceaued that Prophet,Eze. 14 and I will extend my hand against him and I will roote him out from the midest of my people Israel. And the same doeth yet God hī self more plainly vendicate to him self in that solemned proclamatiō made in the eares of the prophet Micheas ād boldly by him pronounced in audience of two kings Achas & Iosaphat,3. Reg. 22. as foloweth: who shall deceaue Achas to vsus? or who shall persuade him that he may passe vp, and fall in Ramath galaad, and there passed out a certen spirit & standing before ye lorde he said I shall deceaue or persuade him. And the lord said wherunto? & he said I shall passe out & be alieng Prophet in the mouthes of all his Prophetes: he said therfor thou shal deceaue him & thou shalt br…g it to passe: goo forth therfor & do euē so. And lo God hath giuē a liēg spirit in the mouthes of al these Prophetes & the lord hath spoken euill vpō the. If to make a publique proclamation to call for one to deceaue, to send him forth & to giuegive him power to do the same. be onelyonly a simple permission, & a thing which God suffereth against his will, lett the indifferent man iudge. I think that no mā will deny the incest of Absalome openly committed, not onelyonly to be sinne, but also to be so execrable & detestable a facte that nature it self (be it neuer so corrupt) must nedes abhorre it and yet I pray you what saith God that he wil do in that be half, let the Prophet witnes. Thus sayeth the Lord God (saieth Nathā) behold I shall rayse euill against the, forthe of thine own howse, and I shall take thy wyues and giuegive thē to thy neighbour, who shal slepe with them in the sunne. Thou did est yt facte secretely but I shall do this thīg opēly before all Israel, let ye vehemēcie of ye words wc here be spoken, be noted & be iudges your selues whether your interpretation be tollerable, he saieth not I shal suffer euil to come vponupon the, but plainly he saieth I shal raise vp euil against the. And therwith not content, he saieth I shall take thy wyues, and to put the mater out of all controuersie he addeth, ād I shal giuegive thē to thy neighbour yea and that will I do openly. If to raise vp, to giuegive, & to do, be to permitt onelyonly the thing which he will not, we must confesse our selues ignorant of the phrases of the holie Gost. this same might I proue by Iob, by Nabuchadnezer, by Salmanasar, by Syrus ād diuers others which for breuities saik I passe ouer. one I will recite wc I trust shalbe so plaine that the deuill him self by no subtilitie shalbe able to obscure the light of ye trueth. Was there euer any facte since the begining more wicked, if the instrumētes shalbe cōsidered, as was the cruell and ignominiouse death of the Sonne of God? And yet what doeth the holie Gost attribut to God in that case? him saieth Peter (beīg crucified) did you kill after that you had taken him by the hādes of ye wicked men being giuen by the appointed coūsell & fore knowledge of God.Act. 2. And after,Act. 4. they hauehave verely cōuened agaīst thy holie Sō ne Iesus, whō, thou hast anointed, Herode together & Pō tius Pilate, wt ye Gentiles together & ye people of Israell to do what so euer thy hand & thy cousell hauehave decreed to be dōne. Aduise well what ye wil answer, ye wordes are plaine, & so plaine yt you cā not auoide the. for he that sayeth the wicked mē did what so euer God did foresee & before dotermined, yea what his hand▪ yt is his power, and coūsell, yt he had before decreed to be donne, meaneth a thing of more greater importāce thē he yt saieth they did what God permitted and suffered to be donne. Consider forther yt you hauehave not to do wt men, as wt Augustine, Caluine and vsus whome you call careles libertines, but wt the holie Gost speaking in Peter & in the hole Church of Ierusalem, yea speaking in the hole scripptures. for if not to spare his Sonne, but to giuegive him to ye deathe for vsus, to cause our sinnes to make warre agaīst him, to punishe hī for ye same, in suche sorte yt of al men he was most contemptible for a season. if I say to giuegive to death to strike, to wound & punish, be actions, then did not God onelyonly suffer his Sonne to die to be woūded to be smytten & to be punished without any will, that any such thing should come to passe, but he in his eternall counsell appointed the time, the place & the persons, whē, where, and by whome he should suffer ye same. for of louelove he gaue him to suffer the trewe death: that we by him might receaue life. the time could not be changed & the cuppe which the father had giuen him he must nedes drinck, as in the figures was foreshad owed and by his own people, and gētiles, as the Prophetes, and Dauid, had before spokē. If in gods counsell gods gift, gods hand, and eternall purpose, before decreinge all things to come to passe, in the deathe of his Sonne, ye can se nothing, but a bare & simple permission, I can not cease to affirme, that as by falsifying such plaine scriptures, you labor to take from the Churche of God their most singuler cōfort left to vsus in Christes death, so do you walk in darknes, & in y• same ye shall perishe except spedely you repēt. Howe one, & the same work, in so far as it procedeth from God, is most iust, most profitable & most mercifull: and yet as it procedeth from ye instruments most profane most wicked, damnable to thē selues, & most cruell, I hauehave aboūdantly declared, and after as occasion shalbe offered, shall touch by gods grace, so much as may instructe the sobre mynd, if it be ignorant: and also to put silēce to your venemous mouthes, be they neuer so impudēt. Because the scriptures which you heape together be either plainely repugning to your error, orels make nothing for probation of the same, I will so shortly as I cā go through them, onelyonly noting wherin you abuse the wordes and mynd of the holie Gost.To the … The wordes of our master spokē in the 24, chapter of Mathewes Gospell serue nothing for your purpose. for in that place our Sauiour Christ Iesus speaketh as he that is the messinger of his heauēlie father, ād declareth that the Iewes obstinatly euen from their original had resisted God speakīg by his patriarks, prophets of old, & now last by his Sonne. he neither speaketh nor meaneth what wil, God had to saue his elect, neither yet yt will wc he had to gather & seperate thē frō v• world, but onelyonly (as Moises and Elias had before spoke) declareth what fidelitie & diligence God had vsed in the generall election & vocation of that people, from time to time: and yet what had bene their obstinate rebellion & vnthankfull defection from him: by the which they killed the Prophetes, ād should kill his Sonne sent of God to call them from iniquitie. What hath this to do I say with that will, by the which God, in his eternall counsel hath made diuisiō, betwext the electe & the reprobate? If ye dare say that Christe in that place meaneth, in that he wold hauehave gathered those murtherers, and sonnes of murtherers as he doth witnes, he doth gather his chosen flock, him self wil cōuicte 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, yt he did not pray for y• world, and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God. You must declare howe yt God wold yt those Israelites whose carcases fell in ye wildernes should entre into ye land promised. If you say by any other will thē by his generall precepte giuē, yt they should go & possesse it, …e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I hauehave decl…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 hauehave declared iust causes, why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie, and yet that he choseth a certē to attein therto & entre the same. And so I say ye must proue yt God did other wayes will, them to entre into the lād, thē by his general commādement, 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 lād promised, yt it behoued ye hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al cōsumed. Yea further I cā proue yt Moises him self could not obteine yt priuiledge to entre in nor the people, albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same▪ proue if you can, that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons (Iosua & Caleb onelyonly excepted) yt they should entre in it. And thē may you say that either God did chāge his wil & purpose, orels that some thing was dōne against his will,To the 4. 5. 6 & 7. 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 wc you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart, and yt God doeth suffer it to be hardened, but doeth not will it. This ye write. All the children of Adam hauehave a hard and wicked hear… vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying. Iere▪ 47.Amōgest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull & stubb…rne heart… ▪ your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure,Eze…. 36 And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them, and giuegive them a hearte of fl…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 onelyonly grace maketh the difference, then we demād & ask whether that grace be giuen to some, and denied to others & yt by permission & sufferance, as you speak, or if it be the determined will of God that his grace ād merciemercy by Christ Iesus shalbe frelie cōmunicated with some, and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others, albeit the causes to vsus 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 onelyonly 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 vsus the good will and perfourmance of the same, and that he hath merciemercy vponupon whome he listeth. thē is it likwies, that God hardeneth whome he will. Mark & note y• wordes of the Apostle: He saieth not, he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened, but palinely he saieth yt he hardeneth whome he will. The Apostle sawe none other cause why merciemercy was shewed to some and others were left in induratiōs, but gods will. Trew it is yt the reprobat of nature hauehave and frō their mothers wōbe doth tary with them, the mater of their induration. But the question is. What is the cause, that yt pestilēt 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 hauehave said nothing, as more plainely I hauehave before declared▪ 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 merciemercy vponupon whome he will, and whome he will he maketh hard hearted. And therefor as of his merciemercy and free grace, God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit, softnes, & y• feling of mercy, so doth his iust iudgementes, & iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan, work in the others hardnes obstinacie, & ye sense of his wrath. You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vntounto him, thē could not it be heardened more thē a stone a fore yt it was mollified▪ this yor reason I say is more then foolish▪ for I suppose yt you be not so brutishe, yt you wil affirme yt the heart of any tyrāne at any tyme, in naturall hardnes I meane to grope & fele, is cōperable to ye hardnes of a stone, but yt is a figuratiue speach by ye wt is declared ye vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching ye naturall power of the same. foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe, so can neuer mā by any gift, which nature hath of it self, come to that humilitie and obedience, wc 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 exhortatiō: This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes,Psal. 95 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 offer…d. as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes, if I had not com, and spoken vntounto them, they should not hauehave sinne, but now hauehave they nothing to cloke their sinne, for they hauehave sene, and hated not onelie me, but also my father. No man wilbe so fond, as to affirme, that the Iewes before Christs preaching and miracles, were cleane without sinne: but the cōtempt of grace did so augment and increase their sinne, that it became inexcusable. euen so say I that Pharao did harden his owne heart frome time to time becomming more vnthankfull vntounto God and more cruell to his people. And ye foūteine of this induration and hardnes I confesse to hauehave bene borne with him, and that to raige against gods people he neded no impulsion of gods parte, but rather a brydle to impede his fury. But yet the question is not resolued as before I hauehave noted. for still we ask why was not that fountein shutte vp? why was not the naturall venim purged and his heart mollified? searche where you list, ye shall fynd none other reason nor cause, for the which the subsequent induration of Pharao did principallie procede but yt God in his eternall counsell for causes knowen to his wisedom alone had most iustly denyed to communicate his graces effectually with him, but had raysed him vp to hauehave his power shewed forth in him. And so God did hardē Pharaos hearte, not by permission onelyonly but willingly withdrew his Spirit frō him as before is said.To the 8. 9 10 Wonder it is that amongest the ancient doctors ye will seke patrocinie or defense in this mater: seing it is a statute amōgest you, that ye will beleue nor admit the wordes nor authoritie of no writer, in any mater of con trouersie, but all things you will hauehave decided by the plaine scripture. And truly I am not contrary to your mynd in that case, so that you vnderstand, that ye will not admitt the authoritie of man against gods plaine trueth, nether yet that you will beleue mā any furtherthen that he prouethe his sentence by gods euidēt scriptures. If you had produced any doctor who had confirmed his interpretation by the plaine worde of God, of reason, I oght to hauehave answered, ether by the same, or by some other doctor of equall authoritie, orels to hauehave improued his interpretatiō by the plaine scriptures. but seing that ye produce none, ye leaue me at greater libertie. and yet I will shewe you the mynd of one doctor cōparable to any that euer wrote before him, ether in the latin or in the greke Churche, I meane of Augustine,Lib. 3. contra lul. ca. 5 who writing against Iulian the appostate, and against Manacheus who did affirme the self same thing that you do, to witte that God was a passiue God, that is, he did suffer all euill, and that against his will, but he did work none. Against him (I say) he thus writeth: wilt thou say (saieth Augustine to Iulian) that the wicked that be giuen ouer to their owne desires, are to be vnderstand onelyonly left by gods suffering, but not compelled to sinnes by power, as thogh that the Apostle had not ioyned the suffering and power of God to gether, where that he saieth: if God willing to shewe wrath, and to declare his power, fuffered in great patience the vesselles of wrath prepared to destruction, wt of these two saiest thou, is written? And also, if the prophet do erre and shall speak, I the lord hauehave deceaued him, is this suffering or is it power? And after adducing the same wc we before hauehave alledged of Achas he addeth, did God these things ignorantly, or doth he any thing, iudgeing or doing rashly or vniustly? God forbid. it is not without cause that it is said: Thy iudgemētes are a great deapth it is not vaine that the Apostle crieth out: Oh the hieght a…d depenes of gods iudgementes. And after in the same place expounding these wordes: & lead vsus not into temptation, after that he hath affirmed that God giueth ouer some for iust causes to their owne lustes and blyndnes as he gaue ouer Roboam to beleue, the fals and foolishe counsell of the young men (he saith) all these things doth God worke by wonderous and vnspeakable meanes, who knoweth howe to worke his iust iudgementes, not onelie in the bodies, but also in the heartes of men, he who maketh not the willes euill, but yet he vseth them as he will, seing that he can will nothing vniustly. Thus far hauehave I alleged vntounto you the m…nd of one doctor in this our controuersie▪ when …e shall bring forth the mynd of any so well grounded vponupon scriptures as he dothe this his sentence▪ I promyse to answer if I can. I am not ignorant that diuers of the doctors (yea and Augustine him self) in some places may seme to fauor your opinion at the first sight. But if their wordes in one place be compared with their plaine mynd and with the scope of their disputation in other places, it shall plainely appere that none that liue this day do more plainely speak against your error, then some of them hauehave written. The places of Iob manifestly and in plaine wordes,I…b 39 fight against you.I…b 17 for it is said in the one place thou hast excluded their heart from wisedome, and therfore this mater shall not be to their praise. and in the other: God hath taken wisdom from the Estrich, and hath not giuen vnderstanding vntounto her, dare you affirme that in these wordes, there is nothing but a bare permission of gods parte? is there no difference betwext away taking and suffering to be taken away. if any difference be betwext these two maner of speakings, God giueth wisdome and God taketh away wisdome, then is your interpretation foolishe and absurd, nether yet is there any phrase of scripture, vnderstand it as you please, that can make God to call back that sentence which he hath pronounced,To the 10 to witt that he hath raysed vp Pharao to be an example to all generations folowing, what shall be the ende of those that obstinatly resist God. Who albeit he tempt no man to sinne by the power of his spirit yet as before I hauehave proued, he iustly giueth them ouer to the inordinat lustes of their own corruption yea he giueth them ouer into the hands & power of sathan to be pricked and stirred forward to all iniquitie that their damnation may be iust, and also that his vengeāce iustly deserued may the more sodenly falle vponupon them. The mynd of saint Iames is onelyonly to bring men to the right examination and triall of them selues lest that by flattery they beginne to seke ye originall cause of their sinne in an other, then in them selues. And yet doth that nothing impede, but that God in his maner (which alwayes is iust) doth hardē the heartes of those whome before he had reprobated.To the 11. 12. 13 14. 15 We confesse that no greater plague can chance vntounto man▪ then that he be left to his own lewde mynd▪ for thē of him can procede no good nor permanent frute. But as the earth lacking rayne dewe and moisture must nedes be barren, and so at length subiect to malediction, so must men destitute of gods grace, with Saul, Achab, & others procede from euil to wors, till finalie they come to cōfusion. But were it not yt it is your cōmone custome to belie y• holy Gost, I wold wōder how yt you coulde be so impudent, as to affirme, that ye lorde doth punishe his vineyarde, not waisting it him self, but taketh the hedge and rayne from it and suffereth it to be wasted and troden of others. And that Iob was plagued of God onelyonly in suffering him to be plagued. Assuredly this your affirmation declareth in you ether a most brutall ignorance orels an impudencie more then manifest. Ye will not deny that Israel & Iuda were ye pleasant vineyard somtymes planted by gods own hand: So doth he him self affirme,Isa. 5 and doth God no more in their destructiō but onelyonly looke vponupon thē as an ydle and vnwilling sufferer vponupon the tragedie and myserable calamitie? he him self doth witnes ye contrary. for he saith I will plainely declare vntounto you what I will do to my vineyard, I shall take away ye hedge of it. I shall break downe the wall that it may be troden vponupon, I shall make it waste and shall also so forbid the clowdes yt they shall nether send doune rayn nor moistur vponupon it. Note and mark well I besech you, god here speaketh nothing of permission, but all together of working, to witt of taking away and of breaking downe. And how I pray you came yt fearfull destruction to passe? the lord God of hostes (saieth the Prophet Isaiah) will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudath the stay and the strength,Isa. 3 euen all the stay of bread, and all the stay of water, the strong man and the man of warre the iudge and the Prophete, the prudent and the aged, the captaine of fiftie and the honorable and the counseller, and the conning artificer, and the eloquent man, and I will appoint children (note well what God speaketh) to be their pinces and babes shall rule ouer them &c. And after the Lord shall bring vponupon the, vponupon thy people and vpō thy fathers howse the dayes that hauehave not com from the day that Ephraim departed from Iuda, euen the king of Asshur &c.Isa. 7 In that day shall the Lord shaue the with a rafer that is hyred &c. The Lord him self doth further cōfe…e,Isa. 10 that the king of Asshur is the rodd of his fury and the axe in his hād, he sayeth to an hypocriticall nation will he send him: and I giuegive him commandemente against that people which hath, deserued my indignation I will giuegive him charge to take away, to riue and to part the spoile. And further in the same place God doth acknowleged the greuous punishment and myserable destruction of Ierusalem to be his owne work. for thus speaketh the Prophet: But when the Lord hath accomplished all his work vponupon mount Zion and Ierusalem, I will visit the frute of the proude heart of the king of Asshur, and his glorious and proude lookes &c.
If these wordes may be attributed to him, who onelyonly suffereth and doth not him self effectualy work, let indifferent m…n iudge. And yet speaking more plainely he saieth: I am the lord and there is none other,Isa. 45 I forme the light and creat darknes: I make peace and creat euill (that is punishement and plagues for sinne) I the eternall do all these thinges▪ Am osto whom the Prophet Amos dothe aggre vsing these same wordes: or shall there be euill in a citie (sayeth he) and the lord hath not donne it? The lord speaking by his Prophetes Ieremie and Ezechiel saieth: I shall send, and take all the nations of the north, and Nabuchadnezer my seruant the king of Babylon,Iere. 25 and I shall bring them vponupon this land: I shall kindle the fire, augment and multiplie the flame,Ezec. …4 and I shall prophane (that is I shall make commone) my Sanctuary. If he that gathereth his warryers, that leadeth, and conducteth them, yea that giueth them strength agilitie and good succes, that putteth the sweard of his vengeance into their hand, that commandeth them to strike, and to spare none, doth nothing elles but suffre, I must confesse my self nether to know nor to vnderstand what it is to do, or what it is to work. Your bold impudencie affirming, that Iob was plagued of God, onelyonly by suffering him to be plagued, is intollerable. Doth not God prouoke as it were sathan to trye his seruant Iob? saying hast thow not considered my seruant Iob,Iob 1 how none is lyke vntounto him in the earth, an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God and escheweth euill. And after that sathan, vponupon that occasion had defaced the integritie and iusticie of Iob, affirming▪ that easye it was to feare and serue God, seing that all thinges were prosperous and fortunate in his house and familie. God first by expresse wordes giueth to him power ouer all yt perteined vntounto him: and thereafter he giueth ouer the body of Iob to the tyrannye of sathan, his life onelyonly beīg reserued. Was this I pray you onelyonly, to plague Iob, by suffering him to be plagued? Doth the father which commādeth his childe to be beaten in his presence, and commādeth how many stripes he shall receaue, nothing elles but suffer his childe to be beaten? or is he not rather the chief cause, as that he is the chief commander why his child is punished? O say you but God did not take his goods, To the 13but onelyonly suffered the deuill to take them, and so God did not punishe his people. for he touched them not, but hid his face from them, to see their end. Albeit your vanitie trouble me a littell, yet must it nedes returne vponupon your owne heades to your shame. This is a good reasonly, God by him self tooke not Iobs goods from him, therefor he did nothing but suffer them to be taken: and gods owne hand did not touch Israell nor Iuda, therefor was he but onelyonly a sufferer, and no worker of their punishment. I will make the like reason and argument. God by him self gaue no goodes to Iob, therfore did he nothing but suffer Iob to be enriched. An other, no visible hand was sene to touch Elimas the sorcerer,Act. 13 therefor did God onelyonly suffer him to be blinded. If ye will affirme the former, to witt, that God did nothing but suffer Iob to be enriched: not onelyonly shall Iob him self testifie against you, but euen sathan, althogh he be a lier, and the father of lies: yet in that case shall he conuince you of a most impudent lie. for he sayeth: Hast thow not made an hedge aboute him, and aboute his house and a boute all that he hath on eueryevery syde? thou hast blessed the work of his handes, and his substance is encreased in the land. But stretche oute now thy hand and touche all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme the to thy face. And if ye will say that God did onelyonly suffer Elimas to be blynded: then shall the holie Gost speaking in sainct Paule conuict you. for he saieth behold the hand of the Lord is vponupon the and thou shalt be blynd and shall not see the Sunne for a tyme. And thus shall you hauehave God, man, and the deuill to rebuke your vanitie. Be ashamed, repent, and giuegive glory vntounto God, who feareth not to confesse that all instrumentes in heauen earth or in hell, be his roddes, his sword, and his hand, by the which he correcteth, he punisheth, he triethe, deliuereth, and saueth according to his eternal counsell and purpose.To the 16 To proue absurdities and inconueniences (as ye terme them) to folow our doctrine: thus you reason: If I should grant that it was gods will that he should refuse, to let the people goo, then did he submit him self to the will of the Lord. then, should God and he hauehave bene both of one mynd. and the will of God is alwayes good and iust. then Pharao refusing to let the people go, did well and iustly, forasmuch as it was gods will that he should so do. wherfore Pharao oght not to hauehave bene punished for this good and iust dede. And thus in conclusion, ye affirme that these inconueniences we can not eskape. I hauehave before sufficiently declared howe that no wicked man committing iniquitie hath any respecte or mynd to obey gods holie will, ether secrete, ether yet reueled, but folowing their owne rage and inordinate, lustes doth make as it were plaine resis…ance to God. and, therefore, how so euer they be compelled to to serue gods eternall purpose: yet do they neuer obey him in their owne heartes: but obstinatly they do rebell against his blessed will reueled. And therefor, as there is no conformitie nor aggremēt betwext the holy will of God, & their peruers & malicious will, so are they subiect to iust damnatiō, for their rebellion and disobediēce. And thus taking from you the ground & foundation wher vponupon you think your selues moste assuredly to stand, I might suffer your vain building to fall into confusion But partly for the instruction of the simple reader, and partly to wōne some of you (if so please God) frō these horrible blasphemies, I purpose in this place to declare the difference betwext the holie will of God, and the wicked will of men, and why it is, that the worke of God is moste iust, and the worke of the instrumentes, vniust, and euill, reseruing the rest to better opportunitie.
The will of God must not be restreined to those thinges which externally we see donne or hear to hauehave bene dōne.The cause and endes of things that be wroght. But gods will must be extended to to those endes, for the which God worketh, and causeth to be wroght, all thinges from the beginning to witt, for the manifestacion of his owne glory, for the profit and saluation of his electe children, and for the execution of his iust iudgemētes, ether for a tyme to correct his chosen, orels for euer to punishe the stubborne and disobediēt, of the reprohate sorte. Becaus yt I suspect no man so foolish as that he will deny the will of God working to these endes to be most iust most holy, and most perfecte in it self: I wil labor for no probation of that parte. But because the instrumentes by whome God worketh,Who obey God, who obey not God. be diuers, we must first inquire and knowe what instrumentes they be that obey gods will, and therefor by him are reputed iust workers, and what they are that obey not his will, and so what so euer they do, are reputed inobediente. OnelyOnly those instrumentes do obey gods will, who hauing his will clearly reueled vntounto them, do studie and indeuer them selues to obey, accomplish, and fulfill the same, and that of very louelove, fre mynd, and zeale to obey his godlie Maiestie. the frutes and workes of these instrumentes, howe soeuer man doth iudge of them, doth God approue, yea euen albeit they appere to repugne to mercy, or to his lawe written. for the Israelites were deliuered frome theft by gods will reueled: albeit they spoyled and robbed (vnderunder the cloke of borowing) the Egyptiens of their substance. The maryners and the shipmasters being with Ionas, in that soden storme and tempest raised by God, were fre from murther and sheding of innocent bloode by gods will plainely reueled by ye mouth of the Prophet. Iehu was not onelyonly iustified from all the suspition of treason, which men might hauehave gathered of his facte, but also from crueltie, in killing those idolaters, who manifestly declared them selues friendes to Baal: by that, that God did first reuele his will vntounto him, sending his Prophet to anoynte him, and after approued his zeale, which he rewarded wt temporall promise of the kingdom to continue in his posteritie to the fourth of his sede. Thus I say doth God iustifie the workes of these instrumentes which obey his will reueled. And so I say yt they onelyonly obey God that knowing his will do studie to obey the same. But contrary wyes, who soeuer doth any thing, ignorant of gods will not knowing the will of God reueled, repugneth or doth cōtrary to the same (howsoeuer he serueth gods eternall purpose) doth nether obey God, nether cā he be excusable before gods iustice. And that because in his work & fact he looketh nothing to gods will, nether yet to the end and purpose which God respecteth. And hereof springeth and artiseth the differēce betwext the workes of God, & the workes of mā, yea betwext the workes of the godlie, and the workes of the vngodlie. God worketh all his workes, to manifest his glorie, his wisedome, his power, his merciemercy, goodnes & iustice. The godlie moued by the holie Spirit, worke their workes to giuegive obediēce vntounto God, to support their bretherē in their necessities at his cōmandemēt, and to punish vice according to his lawe. But the vngodly caried hedlonges by their own lustes, and by the fury of sathan, to whose power they are committed, work all their workes to reuenge them selues, to destroye such as they hate, and to promote their own entreprises without any respect had to God, to his will, ordinance or counsell.
One or two examples shall make this mater more sensible. The will purpose and coūsell of God in punishing Iob was to trye his patience, and of the same to leaue an example to all them that truely feare God to the end. And who dare deny this to be most reasonable, and most iust, that God examining sharply one of his childrē shall make him a scolmaster to all the rest? But what was ye will and purpose of sathan, and of the Caldeās, by whome Iob was punished? The will and purpose of sathan is plainely reueled to hauehave bene, that by those afflictions he fully purposed to withdrawe Iob from gods feare, and to cause him curse God to his face.The will of the Caldeās against Iob. The will of the Chaldeans is euident ynough, by the manifest malice of all such oppressers, who look to nothīg but to satisfie their own couetous myndes by the possessiōs of others, wc tyrannously and vniustly they by violēce spoyle. And thus doth ye diuersitie of the myndes of the workers, make ye plaine differēce betwext their vorkes. An other: God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom, in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom, and in commanding Semei to curse him, had respecte to his owne iustice, which can not suffer sinne vnpunished. euen in his derest children, thereby leauing exāple to all ages folowing, yt such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues, shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes. And this I think will all men confesse to be a work (in so farre as it is wroght by God) most iust,Of Dauids trooble Absal… Semei and Achitophel and most equall. for as God doth honor thē who do honor him, so must they be contemned, who cōtemne him. But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller, of Absalom the incestuous adulterer, and of Semei the blasphemous curser? The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne, as after should neuer be reconciled.
The vnnaturall & monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell, thoght to bind vntounto him the heartes of the people. And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all mē,Of the diuersitie inthe worke of the death of Christe. and to hauehave broght him, if possible had bene to vttermost desperation, powred forth ye vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte & stinking stomock. The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God. in which the great and vnsearcheable louelove of God towardes vsus doeth shyne, so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God, proceded from louelove, from merciemercy & iustice. but touching the instrumentes, whome God vsed in execution of the same, as in an other place I hauehave said, they looked nothīg to gods counsell, but were altogether caried to iniquitie: some by auarice, some by pride, and by ambition, some, by malice hatered and enuie. so that amōgest them all, none was found that studied to obey God, nor his holy will reueled. And thus it is euident▪ why the work of God in such cases, is iust ād good, as it that is wroght in wisedom merciemercy and iustice: and that for most iust cau…es, purpose & ende. And why the workes of wicked men (supposing yt God in some respect will thē) are yet vniust and repugning to his will, neuer dōne to obey him, ād therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction, vēgeance & damnation, pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie. Nowe let vsus examine your reasons. If it was gods will (say you that phara… should refuse to let the people go, then did he submit him self to the word of the lord, I deny ye cōsequent. for neither did Pharao knowe ye holiewil of God, neither did he submit him self to yt wc was cōmanded & reueled vntounto him. The will of God was, in yt people to giuegive an exāple & testimonie to ye world, yt ye onelyonly benedictiō of God, was sufficiēt to giuegive multiplication & encrease to his Church, euen against the determined fury of sathan, and of all wicked, that he wold giuegive vntounto his Church being afflicted most ioyful, and most wonderous deliuerance: and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people (how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe) shal in the end esca…p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued. Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined ye people in bondage for any of these endes? I think not. then did he not submitt him self to gods will▪ but obstinatly did resist, so farre of gods will, as was reueled vntounto him. And therfor I say, that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes, and most contrary mindes. God willīg his Name, his power ād his wisedome, to be preached and praised to the ēd, for the deliuerance of his afflicted people. But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall bōdage the people, (whom God commanded him to set at fredome & libertie) to serue him, as he should commād. And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument, by whom those things were broght to passe, yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne, but tyrannously: and most obstinatly did he fight against God. And therefor in the end, most iustly was he punished. Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued & burst (then I am assured) you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit & veaue the same to your great shame & perpetuall condemnation, except that spedely you repent. Now to the rest, which foloweth in these words.