An Answer to Blasphemous Cavillations by an Anabaptist, Section 37
ADVERSARIE.
Thy worde sayeth Dauid is a lanterne to my fete and a light vntounto my steppes.The 37. section when thy worde goeth forth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen VntoUnto babes:Psal 119 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 mā lacke light …et him looke vponupon 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 saye…h th… holye Gost hauehave vnderstanding in all that thou takest in hand. This is sufficient for vsus 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?Pro. 30. God hath reueled so much of his will as is profitable for vsus to vsus to knowe.Esa, 8. the rest which is nether necessarie nor mete for vsus 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 contrarieti…, 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,Rom. 12 he wold Adam should fall then did God will two contraries which is impossible.Iob 37 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 hauehave fallen, and think and will the contrar…e that Adam should hauehave fallen
ANSWER.
The wil of God plainely reueled, in his holie scriptures we do not onelyonly followe as a bright lanterne shining before vsus,To the … 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 frō the heauen with wonders, signes and miracles wolde declare to vsus a will repugning to that which is alredie reueled persuading vsus vponupon 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 cā 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 shalbe pure, and clean, with out sinne, that God shall expell it, not onelyonly 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 shalbe their hell and punishment, as the earthlie reigning of the others, shalbe 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 vsus we hauehave proued and offer to proue at all times by the reueled will of God, what so euer we teach, affirme or beleue,To the 2 of gods eternal electiō, or of his most iust reprobatiō for we cōfesse euen the self same thing which you alledge vsus 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 earth, and that also he hath reueled vntounto vsus so much as is profitable for vsus to knowe, ether yet necessarie for our saluacion. for the which we praise his eternal goodnes and infinit wisdom & do affirme further (as before we hauehave said) that such as stād not content with that which is reueled, but arrogātly list to moūt vp to search the secretes of gods counsel, shalbe beatē downe againe by the brightnes of his glorie to eternal confusion, in a iust recompence of their presumpteous boldnes. And thus much with you we wil willingly cōfesse. but where vponupon certen questions, you make such conclusions as pleaseth you, we cannot but accuse in yon that vnreuerent yea deuelish boldenes and pride, which in all men we condemne. But let vsus heare your own wordes.
Can you proue thereby that God hath two willes, or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shoulde there be cō trarietie in God which is false. if God in respect of his reueled will, wold not that Adam should fall but in respect of his secret will he wolde Adam shoulde fall. Then did God will two contraries which is impossible.
These be your wordes and seuerall reasons most blasphemously spoken,To the 3. 4. 5. not against vsus but against gods eternall wisdome. against vsus (I say) ye cannot speak them for no such doctrine hauehave we euer taught, for we most constantly affirme that the secret wil of God and his will reueled, is alwaies one, which is the manifestation and declaratiō of his own glorie, althogh it seme diuers in ye instrumentes as before I hauehave most manifestly dec…ared. and thus most iustly might I send you to debate your cause with him whose iustice, & wisdom cannot be subiect to the vanitie of your reason. But yet because no small part of this cōtrouersie betwext you & vsus consisteth in this: that you can admit no will in God the reason and cause whereof, ye cannot see, perceaue nor vnderstand, and affirming the contrarie say, that of gods secret will, can nether man nor Angell perceaue assigne, or vnderstand any other reason, or cause, but his holie will onelie: and therefore with all reuerence do they stoupe, and couering their eyes, crie iust and righteous art thou oh, Lord in all thy workes, holie, holie, holie Lord God of armies. The vniuersall earth is replenished with the glorie of his Maiestie.Esay. …. Because I say a great part of our controuersie standeth in this point, I wil go through your questions, and seuerally answer to euerie one. first you aske if God hauehave two willes by reason that he hath a secret will and a reueled wil. I answere, that as God in his eternal God head is simple and one, so is his will in respecte of him selfe from all beginning simple and one, which is the declaration of his owne glorie. But because the instrumentes (in which gods glorie is and must be for euer manifested and knowen) be diuers, therefor hath gods will wc in him selfe is one, diuers considerations, effectes, & endes, in respect of the diuers instrumentes. for example God will the vessels of his mercies to be extolled to the glorie of the kingdome with Christ Iesus,Mat. 25 but he will the vesselles of wrath to be adiudged to the fire inquenchable prepared for the deuill & all his Angelles. Who doth not see, but in respecte of these diuers instrumēts the will of God hath diuers respectes, and diuers endes, and iustly may be called two willes or a dooble will? for it is one will to saue, and an other will to condemne, as touching the instrumentes & creatures saued or condemned. But in respecte of God the wil is one and simple, which is as before is said the manifestation of his glorie, which no lesse shyneth in the iust punishmēt of the one sort, then in the mercifull deliuerance of the other. And this much for the first. Secōdly ye ask, if yt wc is not reueled be cōtrary to that wc is reueled. To the wc I answere as before, that in respecte of God there is no cōtrarietie betwext ye will reueled and the will vnreueled. But yet may the creatures to whome God, doeth notifie his will by commandement, rebuke or exhortation, apprehend & vnderstand one thing, and yet it may be that God in his eternall counsell hath determined the expresse contrarie. if this to you at the first sight seme strange, yet my good hope is that examples in the scriptures proposed shall make the mater sensible ynough to the godlie and sobre reader.To … What do we think that Dauid did apprehend of that most sharp and vehement rebuke giuen vntounto him by Nathan thē Prophete in the name of God? No dowt that he was the sonne of death, that God wold break the league and couenant with him, as he had done to Saule his predicessor. But was it therfor the eternall purpose of God that so it should be? The end and issue declareth the contrarie. Ezechias receaued the very sentence of present death from the mouthe of the Prophet Isaiah, who no doute came not with message at all aduenture, but at the expresse commandement of God, for so he affirmeth sayinge: Thus saieth the lord put ordre to thy house for thou shalt die and shalt not liue.Isa. 38. But was not therefor the cōtrarie (to witt that he should afterward liue fiftene yeres) determined in the immutable coūsell of God. The same might I declare by many other exhortations &commandementes, but with one I wil stād contented, which shall adde light to the former. Abraham was commanded by God, to take his sonne Isaak whome he loued, his onelie sonne, in whome the promes stode, and to go to the mounteine which God wold appoint, & there to offer him in sacrifice. What will of God did Abraham apprehend in this commandement during the iourney of thre dayes? God him selfe beareth recorde, that Abraham did so vnderstand gods will, that his owne hād was stretched out to kill his sonne, yea that in his heart he had killed him. for so saith the Angell: because thou hast donne this, and hast not spared thy onelie sonne, I shall blesse the. but whether had God in his eternall counsell de…ermined, that Abrahā should kill his sonne, as Abraham did vnderstand by his will reueled? who so euer dare so affirme maketh God subiecte to mutabilitie, and denieth him to be God, whose wisdome, knowledge, purpose and coūselles be stable and appointed from all eternitie. if with reuerēce the causes hereof be searched & inquired, ye holie Gost will answer yt good it was to Dauid thus to be humbled. that profitable it was not onelyonly to Ezechias, but also to the hole Church of God after him, to cōme to the knowledge of his infirmitie, and of the agonye & battel which he susteined, fighting as it were agaīst gods iudge mētes. That by Abrahams, great obediēce, be we all instructed to obey God in all things which he cōmādeth, and to subiecte not onelyonly our lustes and affections to his will reueled, but also our reason (appeare it neuer so probable.) With the which if we stand not satisfied, but quarreling with God, will or dare in a blynd fury ask, to what purpose commandeth, and speaketh he one thing, & meaneth the contrary? That deuelishe presumption shall fall down from the clouds, and break downe for euer the frantick heads of such vile slaues of proud lucifer. And therefor be ye warned, for vengeance is prepared for all such vnreuerent reasoners in gods perfect (but yet profound) iudgementes as ye declare your selues to be, in this which foleweth.
If God (say you) in respect of his reueled will, wold not that Adam should falle, but in respecte of his secrete will, he wold Adam should fall… then did God will two contraries, which is impossible.
Answere. Impossible we confesse it to be that contrarietie should be in that will, which in it self is simple and one. But how shall you be able to proue that God in reueling his will to Adam, had none other purpose nor will but onelyonly that Adam, should not falle? (because say you) he said thou shalt not eate, I answer, & so said he to Abrahā thou shalt take ād offer thy sonne in sacrifice. And yet we knowe that the contrarie had he determined. O (crye you) God abhorreth a double heart which speaketh one thing and thinketh an other, To y• 5and yet ye abhorre nes to charge God with that which he can not abide in his creatures, that is that he should speak one thing, as that Adā should not offēd, & will the cotrarie, as that Adā should offend. Answer, God if his good pleasure be, towch your heartes with such vnfeined repētance that you may vnderstand howe horrible be these blasphemies, which thus in your furious blindnes you spew forth against gods supreme Maiestie, for before I hauehave said they are not spoken against vsus. for no such doctrine do we teach nor affirme, as that of which you gather these blasphemies, ād albeit we did, yet it were as easie for vsus to dissolue ād vnlouse such deuelish knottes, as by instructiō of your father, you knit to trippe ye soules of the simple, & as it is for ye fote of the valiant & strong mā to burst a sondre the spiders webbes which ye venemous spider maketh to catch the impotēt flies and feble gnattes. And now left y• you should glorie as thogh yor reasons yet stoode sure. Let vsus trie ād examine eueryevery membre aparte. God abhorreth (say you) a dooble heart which speaketh one thing and thinketh an other, I answer: That as God is a spirit and hath neither heart nor bodie like as man hath, so must not his words, cogitations, and thoghtes be compared to ours: for as we be corrupte liers and vaine, so where we do speak one thing, and think an other, we do meane deceate, fraud, and destruction to our brother, to whome we promise trueth, fidelitie, & conseruation to our power. But God according to the puritie and perfection of his godlie nature in speaking to his creatures, and in creating of them must not absolutely hauehave respect to thē, but also to his owne glory. for what reason is it that God of nothīg shall make that c…eature by whome his glory shall not be manyfested? and therefor in speaking to Adam, and in giuing a lawe to him, God had respecte to his eternall counsell & purpose, as before we hauehave spoken, and hereafter shall rehears. But still crye you, that yet we burden God wt that which he cānot abyde in his creatures that is, that he should speak one thīg, as that Adam should not hauehave fallen, and that he ment the contrarie. for answer I ask of you, if ye will binde God to that lawe which he hath imposed to his creatures? And if ye will leaue none other libertie to God his soueraigne maiestie, then his lawe hath permitted to men subiecte to the same: and if ye dare promise to your selues that authoritie ouer God, girde your loines, and play the strōg champions: prepare your seates, appoint your iudges, cite, and adiourne him to appeare at a fixed day, to rendre a reason,The aduersari…s iudge of gods maiestie according to their blind reas…n. & a make an accōpte before you of his vniuersall regiment, in which (no doubt) ye shall finde many things more repugnant to your reason then this. You think I mock you in that I wil you to cite and call God to an accōpt, in very dede I do. for as your blasphemie & pride is vtterlie to be abhorred, so is your vanitie more worthie to be mocked, then your simplicitie in that case to be instructed. for what was he euer yet amongest the most ignorant ethnicks so foolishe or so presumpteous, but that he did confesse that the workes and wonders of the supreme God, were exempted from all lawe, and censure of mans iudgement. But in your presence, God shall hauehave no libertie to command, or forbid any thing to any of his creatures, but that he must nedes absolutely will the same, and for no cause or respecte may he will the contrarie, but that he shall hauehave a dooble heart, he shalbe a dissēbler (cursed be your blasphemie that causeth me thus to write) and in him there shalbe cōtrarietie. this is the reuerence which ye beare to gods infinite wisdome in all his workes, to the ground whereof ye can not atteine by your corrupt reason, that you burst forth in scoffing, mocking, and blasphemie. But yet to come more nye to the mater, I denie that iustly you can conclude any contrarietie to be in God, albeit that to Adam he said thou shall not eate, and yet in his eternall counsell he had determined that Adam shoulde eate, neither yet (I say) cā you be able to proue, that he spoke one thing & willed the contrarie, because he pronounced this sentence: in what so euer day thow shalt eate of this tree, thou shalt dye the death, but rather we maye most assuredly conclude, that both the precept, & the penaltie threatned to ensue the violation of it, was a plaine and manifest declaration what before was concluded in gods eternall counsell, as also that they were the meanes, by the which the secret will and good purpose of God toke effecte amongest men & was notified vntounto the world. for if God had not before appointed the falle and the remedie for the same, he had not imposed vponupon him a lawe, the transgression whereof, should bring death, but should hauehave suffered him to liue without such feare and bondage, as we shall do when victorie shalbe giuen ouer death, which is the sting of sinne, & ouer sinne also which had his power by the lawe. And therefor I say that gods commandement forbidding Adam to eate, and the punishment of death denounced, if he did eate, were nothing contrary to his secret will: but were the very wayes appointed by his infinite wisdome, by the which he had determined that his secrete will concerning the mysterie of mās redemption should be notified & put in execution. And albeit that such as in gods eternall election finde no swetenes nor comfort, fret, fume, storme, and rage at the onelie mention of it: yet neither dare we nor can we cōceale and suppres gods eternall trueth, infinite louelove, and incomprehensible liberalitie towardes vsus: neither eshame we to confesse our owne wretched pouertie, and iust condemnation, into the which oure father Adam willingly wrapped him self and vsus. And therefor we constantly affirme that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all tymes, so it behoued vsus in time to fall in Adam, to the end that the bright glorie of God, might after shyne & appere before men & Angels. Proue nowe if you can contrarietie betwext gods will reueled, & his secrete will. How vaine is the difference, which you put betwene his will & his permissiō we shall shortly examin in this which foloweth.