Display of Popish Practices, Slanders · Slander 12 – Slander 13
The twelfth Sclaunder.
The wicked in theyr wickedneſſe doe rather Gods worke than their owne.
The Sclaunderers Arguments to the twelfth Sclaunder.
IF it be ſo, God is angrie with good, for if wickedneſſe bee the worke of God, then wickedneſſe is good, for the workes of God are good And if vngodlyneſſe be good, then godlyneſſe is euill, for it is contrarie to vngodlyneſſe. Therfore when the holy Scriptures ſay, thou ſhalt hate euill, and louelove good, they com… aūd vsto louelove iniquitie, & hate godlyneſſe. And further, they ſay, that this article taſteth I can not tell what Lybertiniſme, and they maruell that thou art ſo offended with Libertines.
THE REFVTATION.
I ſet this ſaying of Auguſtine agaynſt all thy Sclaunders, in that the wicked ſinne (ſayth he) it is theyr owne, in that they doe thys or that in ſaying it is of the power of God, deuiding the darkeneſſe as it pleaſeth him. Séeff thou Sclaunderer, wyth howe little force they lye in the duſt, whatſoeuer thou haſt bent agaynſt us? For all theſe thyngs are falſe which thou attributeſt to vsus, and here alſo thou fighteſt agaynſte thyne owne ſhadowe. But go too, lette us heare Caluine hymſelfe ſpeakyng, that euen children maye iudge of thyne impudencie. Theſe verilie bée Caluines wordes. Thoſe that are but meanelie exerciſed in Scripture, wyll not call into controuerſie, but that continuallie God dothe gouerne the handes of menne, nowe holdeth them bounde, nowe bendeth them hyther and thyther, to the executing of that whych he hathe determined. Yea almoſt it is receyued in the common iudgement of all menne, that whatſoeuer men goe aboute, the iſſue lyeth in the hande of God, but bycauſe in ſo thicke darkeneſſe of mans mynde, that knowledge is maruellous ſlender and inconſtant, the Scripture erecteth to us hygher ſighte, whereout we ſhall beholde God ſo gouerning all the workes of men, that h…eacute;e maye applye them to that ende whyche he hath determined. And the ſumme tendeth to this purpoſe, albeit men like wilde beaſtes run ryot, reſtreined with no boundes, that yet they are gouerned with the ſecrete bridle, that they can not ſo much as moue theyr finger, but to the executing of Gods worke, more than theyr owne. This laſt ſaying of Caluine, thou Sclaunderer haſt ſnatched, that thou myghteſt perſuade menne, that Caluine hathe foredone euen all difference of good and euill, or maketh God the authoure of wickedneſſe. But how impudently thou gathereſt theſe, appeareth by theſe thynges, whyche Caluine hathe adioyned to the forgoyng, but thou, bycauſe thou haſt made Shipwracke of all ſhame long agoe, haſt ſecretely ouerpaſſed: for (ſayeth Caluine,) the faythfull whyche yéelde unto hym a willing obedyence, are to be thought hys hande no otherwayes than the Angels: wherefore I chiefely make mention héere of them, who determine nothing leſſe, than to hauehave any thyng allyed to the councell of God, or agréeable to his will. And indéede, the wicked do gladde themſelues, as the mayſters of theyr owne deſires but the matter wyll at the laſt make proofe, that by them, although wicked and vnwilling, that is accompliſhed, whiche was ordeyned from aboue.
Further, God ſometymes vſeth the wicked, to puniſh the ſinnes of men, as if they were whyppes, and other ſometimes, as if hée ſhoulde drawe them by the necke, hée cauſeth them to bée inſtrumentes of hys louing kindneſſe.
To gather into one ſumme the examples of the firſte member, ſhould be a matter of immeaſurable laboure, only to touch a few ſhall be the beſt. After that God exciting the King of Aſſur to warre, called him the rodde of his wrath,…ſai. 20. and declared him to be armed, not with any other, but with the ſtaffe of his diſpleaſure. Afterwards he inueygheth againſte his pride, bycauſe he dyd not acknowledge hymſelfe to be driuen of another, as if it were an axe or ſaw. By thys meanes they are called the Lordes Sanctifyed,Iſai. 23. and elſewhere in many places of the Pro. and hyred Souldyoures, and to beſtowe theyr laboure in hys affayres, whome otherwiſe their owne ambition, crueltie, and couetouſneſſe enforceth, and the Lord witneſſeth hymſelfe agayne wyth an hiſſe or ſounde of a Trumpet, to call them to warre. And that the way to Gods bountifulneſſe is prepared, by the wicked actes of men, euen one place of Hoſes dothe ſufficiently declare. The conſpiracie of Ioſephes bréethren, when they ſolde him, was more than lewde, wicked, and cruell. But Ioſeph tranſferreth to God the cauſe of this ſelling,Gen. 45. but in another reſpect. It is not you (ſayeth he) but the Lorde that ſente me before, that I myghie nouriſhe you. It appeareth therefore when they dyd wickedlye, that yet God wroughte by them, that they myghte fynde lyfe in deathe. As muche as was in them they had ſlayne theyr brother, thence dothe lyfe ſhyne vntounto them. The ſame is to be ſéene in Sathan the Prince of all wickedneſſe, and head of all wicked men. God ſendeth hym to deceyue Achab, wyth thys commaundemente, that he be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all hys Prophetes: ſo the lying ſpirite is the miniſter of Gods wrath, to blinde the wicked which woulde not obey the truth. But contrarilie, Paule, leaſt he ſhoulde ware proude in the ſtrength of reuelations, hée ſayeth, there was gyuen to hym a pricke of the fleſhe, the meſſenger of Sathan, to beate hym wyth buffets. Here Sathans poyſon is a Preſeruatiue to cure pride. I praye thée what manner of Phiſition is Sathan, whiche hathe learned nothing, but to kill and deſtroye.
But God which once commanded light to ſhine out of darkeneſſe, doth ſo ofte as hée ſéeth it good, maruellouſlye bring health, euen from the infernalles themſelues, and ſo chaungeth darkeneſſe into lighte. But that whiche Satan worketh, the Scripture in an other reſpecte doth affirme to be the worke of God, that is, foraſmuche as God holding him Captiue in the obedience of his prouidence, enforceth him whether he ſéeth it good, that he maye applye his trauell uppon his owne buſineſſe. Thus farre Caluine, whoſe wordes, if thou haſte redde ouer, it maye be, that thou wilte be aſhamed of theſe ſclaunders. But ſurely, we ſhal neuer make end of marueling, that there could be ſo great impudencie in anye, that he ſhould lay to Caluines charge Lybertiniſme.
The thirtenth Sclaunder.
We ſinne of neceſſitie by the ſenſe of God, when wee ſinne of oure owne, or at aduenture.