Display of Popish Practices, Conclusion
The concluſion of the Sycophants Sclaunders.
Theſe be (Caluine) the things whiche thy aduerſaries do ſay of thy doctrine, and they admoniſhe men to iudge of this doctrine by the fruite. And they ſay, that thou and thy Diſciples do yeeld many fruits of thy God: for they ſay you are for the moſte parte quarrellers, deſirous of reuengement, long keepers and mindful of iniuries, and filled with other vices which thy God ministreth. But if anie man anſwere them, that it is not the faulte of the doctrine, as that it is ſounde, and begetteth no ſuche men, they anſwere, that it doth begette ſuch men, and that is made euident thereof, bycauſe many after they yeelded to this doctrine, become ſuche, when before they were leſſe euil. But nowe thoſe that belecued the doctrine of Chriſte, were made better: but by thy doctrine they ſaye they are manifeſtly made worſe. Furthermore, when you ſay that you hauehave true doctrine, they ſay, that you are not to be beleeued. For, if your God doe often ſay one thing, and thinke and wil another, it is to be feared leaſte you imitating your God, doe the ſame, and deceiue the people.
Truely Caluine, I did once fauoure thy doctrine, and defended it, albeit I did not ſufficiently perceiue it, bycauſe I did attribute ſo much to thine outoritie, that I thought it a grieuous ſin ſo much as to thinke the contrarie: but nowe hauing hearde thine aduerſaries argumentes, I hauehave not what to anſwere. In deede thy Diſciples endeuoure to aunſwere, and amongeſt the fauourers whiche they hauehave, they brag boldly the truth: but when they come to the aduerſaries, they quake, and ſeeke helpe of thy bookes, but it is weake. For thy reaſons be darke and almoſte of that ſorte, that the booke being laide aſide, they ſlippe out of memorie by and by, nor can they conuince the aduerſaries. But the aduerſaries arguments are plaine, ſharp, and ſuch as may eaſily be committed to memorie, and be perceiued of the vnlearned, and ſuch almoſte as were they that followed Christe. Hence it commeth that thy Diſciples doe more builde vppon thy aucthoritie, than vppon reaſon. And when they cannot ouercome their aduerſaries, they holde them for heretikes and frowarde men. and they ſhun their company, and euerie where moue al men to ſhun them: But I, who thinke it is not to be regarded who ſpeakes, but what is ſpoken, do iudge, that all are to bee hearde, and all things approued, and that whiche is good to be kepte. VVherefore Caluine, if thou haſte any true, manifeſt, and ſtrong arguments, wherewith thine aduerſaries may bee refelled, I praye thee bring them abroad, that thou mayſt defende the truth. Thou knoweſt that it is written, I wil giuegive you a mouth and wiſedome, whiche none ſhall be able to reſiſte. I whereſoeuer I can take the truth, I am readye to folowe it, and to perſwade others to the ſame. But if by chance thou haſt erred (for we are men) I pray thee Caluine, that thou wilte giuegive glorie to God. That ſhall bee more commendable to thee, than to perſeuer in erroure. But he not diſpleaſed with mee for this Epistle, if thou be a iuſt and a true man, it is not to be feared that thou wilt: Firſt, bycauſe it is for thy weale to be put in minde of them: then bycauſe, if thou thinkeſt (as thou ſayſte) that all thinges are done neceſſarily, thou wilt alſo belecue, that I hauehave written this Epistle of neceſsitie. Farewell.
THE AVNSVVERE.
THeſe be the things (Slaunderer) which the Diſciples of ye faithful & conſtant ſeruant of God Iohn Caluin, do gather out of the worde of God againſte thy prophane and wicked forgeries, and do admoniſhe men, that they beware moſte diligently, of thy not no we diſſembled, but apparant doctrine, whiche is patched togither of the Papiſtes, Anabaptiſts, Seruetus, Pelagius his, and finallye thine owne monſters and miſcreants. But whereas thou ruleſt vponupon Caluines Diſciples, in that ſurely I cannot be angrie with thée, albeit I do not onelye willingly profeſſe my ſelfe to be one of their number, but daylye alſo thanke God for it. It pitieth me rather for thée, whiche haſte forgote two thinges, one of the whiche at the leaſte, I woulde thou haddeſt remembred. For that I may omit many men of all degrées, whiche hauehave hearde Caluine teaching theſe things that he doth teache, in Fraunce and Germany, with great fruite, and who till this day do kéep a-thākful memorie of this benefit, that I may paſſe an innumerable companie of moſt learned men, whiche at this day depend vponupon the teachers voice. What corner in all Chriſtēdome doeſt thou thinke that there is, wherein there are not manye that thinke themſelues to hauehave profyted by reading the writings of ſuche an excellent Diuine? What will become of thée (miſerable caitife) if oute of ſo greate a number, but ſome thouſandth man ſhall take in hande to oppugne theſe thy dotages? Verily a large fielde of exerciſing thy patience is opened to thée: and ſo it may be, it wil come to paſſe, that thou whiche of late betwixte thoſe thine accompliſhments, ſporting (as I thinke) ſaydeſt, that thou waſte but onelyonly two miles diſtant from the ſcope of perfection, arte euen carried beyonde the marke. But I doe forgiue thée. For in the finding out and deſcribing of our aduerſaries arguments, thou waſte ſo wonderfullye occupied (goodman) and for this deſerte moſte deare to vsus, that thou diddeſt fling thy ſelfe at vnwares into this daunger, that is, vnmindfull that thou haddeſt to do with proude men, blowdy, ſclaūderous, counterfaite, impatiente, but eſpeciallye ſuche as will kéepe an iniurie long, with curſed ſpeakers, that they may repreſent their Maiſter. But howe coulde that befall thée, that thou alſo waſte Caluins diſciple, and to be bound to no man more than to him alone, as thou alſo before this haſt often ſaid, but of thy faſhion, that is, truelye and ſimply, as the thing ſheweth? But it maye be I am too troubleſome to thée, whileſt I put thée in minde, that thou ſhouldeſt be thankfull. Yet, as I truſt, thy modeſtie will beare it, that I may putte thée in minde what thou maiſte aunwere oure aduerſaries. Whereas once being moued with the aucthoritie of Caluines name, thou diddeſt ſo fauoure his doctrine, that thou thoughteſt it an offence euen to thinke the contrarie, that indéede we ſée not howe thou couldeſt excuſe before theſe oure aduerſaries, eſpecially being ſuch ſharp diſputers. For they wil ſaye, the man muſte néedes be either light and fooliſh by nature, or not ſufficiently ſerious in the ſtudy of Chriſtian religion, whiche being broughte vppe in the ſuperſtition of Biſhoppes, woulde paſſe vntounto the Euangeliſtes ſide, before that be ſufficientlye knewe what the Euangeliſtes teache. But thoſe our aduerſaries will not ſo hardly forgiue an Academicall man. I come to the reſt, for whiche thou arte ſorie. Whereas thou complaineſt of the obſcureneſſe of oure reaſons, and that thou ſaiſte oure aduerſaries argumentes, are eaſilie committed to memorie, and perceiued of the vnſkilfull, it doeth not much trouble vsus. For we hauehave learned of Paule, that the naturall mā perceiueth not thoſe things that are of God, & yu arte wonderfullye deceiued, if thou thinkeſt that to be vnlearned, doth any thinke profite to the vnderſtanding of Gods trueth. They were vnlearned for the moſte parte whyche followed Chriſte, but they followed hym not therefore, bycauſe they were vnlearned, as that notable Sermon whereof is mention in the ſixth of Iohn doeth ſufficientlye teache. Therefore holde thou it foreign that to knowe nothing is the moſte pleaſaunt life. But as we deſpiſe no man, knowing indéed by experience, that the Spirite of God doth breath vppon whomſoeuer he pleaſeth, yet we hauehave learned to exerciſe good artes and diſciplines as muche as we maye, nor doe we muche feare thoſe ſottes, amongeſt whome thou delighteſt thy ſelfe. Nor in déede was it very neceſſarie, that wée ſhoulde bée taughte, that theſe argumentes procéeded from ſuche kinde of men, when the matter it ſelfe exclameth, that ſuche trifles coulde not come from anye other. Yet we are deceiued in one point, for that we thoughte them to be dogges, whome thou writeſt to be Aſſes. If thou ſpeakeſt in earneſt, that thou arte prepared to folow the trueth, thou haſte (as I truſte) where thou maiſte fynde it, if thou haſte not alreadie founde in the mind to reſpiſe other mens, but eſpeciallye Caluines writings.
But if thou canſt proue, that we do erre, we will not onelyonly giuegive God the glorie, but we will alſo thanke thée. We reade thy writings partly not without griefe and ſorowe, for the wicked blaſphemies eueryevery where diſperſed: partly alſo not without laughter for ye inumerable fooleries. If we hauehave anſwered ſomewhat more bitterly than thou wouldeſt, thou muſt blame thy ſelfe, that mighteſt hauehave bene ſilent for vsus. Yet, as I hope, thou wilt take al theſe patiently, according to thy ſingular modeſty, eſpecially, if yu ſuffereſt this law to be obiected againſt, thée which is pretended againſte vsus, that we take in good worth thoſe things which are done of neceſſitie. For in déede it was more neceſſarie for vsus to defende our eſtimation, annexed with the defence of true doctrine, than for thée to wound the trueth, thorowe the ſides of a moſt innocent and iuſt man.
AT LONDON Imprinted by Ralphe Newberrie and Henrie Bynneman.
Anno. 1578.
End of the text · Theodore Beza, Display of Popish Practices (1578)