Display of Popish Practices, Slanders · Slander 10
The tenth Slaunder.
Sathan is a lyer by the power of God.
THE AVNSVVERE.
Theſe be Caluines words, whiche after thy manner thou haſt cited maymed, that thou mayſt perſuade, that it pleaſeth Caluine that God be the authour of lyes, and ſo muche the more to commaund lying. Thus contrariwiſe ſaith Caluine, God himſelf doth now vſe the wicked, to puniſh the ſinnes of men, as it were whippes, and ſometimes, as if he ſhould draw them by the necke, he cauſeth them to be miniſters of his louing kindneſſe.☞ Theſe ſaith Caluine, who after he hath with playne teſtimonies proued each member, at the laſt he addeth, the ſame is to be ſéene in Sathan, the Captaine of all the vngodly, and Prince of all wickedneſſe. God ſendeth him to deceiue Achab, with this commandemēt, that he be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all his Prophets.* 1. Reg. 22.23. So the ſpirit of errour is the miniſter of the wrath of God, to blind yt wicked which would not obey the truth. That therfore thou ſayeſt (Sycophāt) is true, but thou ſhouldeſt hauehave added, that lying is not manded of God, for as much as it is lying (for thus farre God doth not command or allow lying, but forbiddeth & puniſheth it) but in that it is the iuſt puniſhment of them whiche hauehave preferred lying before truth,2. Theſ. 2.2…. as Paule expreſſeth.
The Sycophants Argument to the tenth Slaunder.
AGAINST the tenth Article they reaſon thus: If Sathan be a lyer by the power of God, then it is a iuſt thing to be a lyer, and Sathan is iuſt, for if it be iuſt to commaund lying, to obey with lying is iuſt, for the rightuouſneſſe of obedience is eſteemed by the rightuouſneſſe of the commaundement: and as to obey a wicked precept is wicked, ſo to obey a iuſt precept is iuſt.
THE REFVTATION.
THERE is neyther lie nor ſinne cōmanded of God in ye it is ſinne, but as it is ye puniſhment of ſinne. And it is a iuſt thing before God to puniſh ſinnes with ſinnes, as we hauehave plētifully ſhewed in his place. Then that the obedience may be ſaid to be iuſt, it is not ynough that the precept be iuſt, but that is alſo required, that that whiche is iuſtly commanded, be iuſtly executed. Therefore Sathan euen then doth not obey, yea he reſiſteth God by a direct contrarie, when he doth that which God cōmandeth, for agréement in that kind is the chiefeſt diſagréement, bycauſe God iuſtly willeth & commandeth the puniſhmēt of ſinne, but Sathā doth ſo execute this, not ye he may puniſh ſinne, but yt as much as in him lieth, he may cōmit ſinne.
The ſecond Argument of the Sycophant to the tenth Sclaunder.
IF Caluine ſhall ſaye that Sathan is not obediently a lyer, that is, that hee may obey GOD, we will aunſwere by Caluines iudgemente, that this alſo is done by the power of God, that he ſhould not in obedience be a lyer, and not to be an obedient Sathan, bycauſe he is not an obedyent lyer, bycauſe the Lorde commaunded him, not to be an obedyent lyer.
THE REFVTATION.
ALBEIT thou windeſt thy ſelfe like an Eele into euerie part, yet thou art takē captiue, for though I grant thée, that Sathan is not by the commaundement of God alyer of obedience, yet it ſhall not followe in reſpecte of this precept, that there is any iniuſtice in God, or obedience in Sathan, for God hath iuſtly inflicted vppon Sathan this frowardneſſe, not as it is frowardneſſe, but as the Lord depriuing him of the gift of obedience, he iuſtly willeth, that the filthye ſpirite be eueryevery daye worſe than himſelfe, vntil, when the meaſure is full, he may adiudge him to eternall torments. And dothe the Lorde ſéeme to thée eyther ydle, or againſte his will, and not rather willing, and iuſtly decréeing, to execute ye parts of a Iudge, euen againſte Sathan himſelfe? but Sathan hymſelfe, when the Lord hath iuſtly commaunded him, puniſhing his ſinnes with ſinnes, is not obediently a lyer, yet in that he doth not obey, he obeyeth not, as he which murmureth againſt God, and againſt his will procureth to himſelfs condemnation.