Display of Popish Practices, Slanders · Slander 3 · Argument 8
The Sycophants eight Argument to the thirde ſlaunder.
Finally, they bring common ſenſe, which ſaith, that there is difference betwixte will and ſufferaunce, according to which common ſenſe Christe was wont to teache diuine matters, and which if thou doſte for doe, all Chriſtes ſimilitudes ſhall faile, of which we iudge by common ſenſe.
REFVTATION.
Thou wouldſt neuer out of aldoubte hauehave ſpoken ſo, except the Lorde had taken from thée all common ſenſe: and that indéede by iuſt iudgement, as by cauſe thou fighteſt againſt his prouidence, the worker of all and eucrye thing, by thine owne example, it mighte be approued in all the worlde. In déede I graunte it one thing to bid or commaund, but another thing to permitte, that this, or that be done: but I ſay, that common ſenſe doth ſhew to ☞eueryevery one, that wil is ioyned with an inſeparable bonde both with commaundement and with ſufferaunce, albeit ſometimes men ouercome with neceſſitie or importunitie do commaunde or ſuffer to be done, that whiche otherwayes they woulde not. But for as murhe as thou requireſt ſimilitudes, go too, let vsus declare theſe with examples dilated. Thoſe that performe their buſineſſe by others, it is of neceſſitie, that they giuegive them authoritie to doe whatſoeuer apperteyneth to the accompliſhmente of that buſineſſe, as the procuratour maye deale by commaundement. But who beſids thée alone did euer think… to ſaye, that this ſufferaunce, was contrarie to will, ſéeing that this whole ſufferance, procéedeth of méere wyll, and ſo much the more of choyce? But the maner of working is no other, which the lord vſeth in yt doing of thoſe things whiche are done euerye daye. For firſte he hathe giuen to euerye, not onlye ſorte, but alſo ſcuerall, that vniuerſall power and facultie whyche thou mayeſt ſée manifolde. Then he applyeth this ſame power eueryevery moment to ſingular & particular actions, euē as by his eternall and inchangeable counſel he doth not onelyonly foreknow and gouerne, but alſo willeth and decreeth all things. And he vſeth, as we ſaid before, both good and alſo cuill inſtruments, whiche deſtruction began not from the creation, but corruption: but ſo he vſeth them, that if there be anys vice in the inſtruments, this contagion come not ſo farre as vntounto him. For he rightly decréeth, willeth, and permitteth, not onelyonly thoſe things, which the voluntarie inſtruments will, and doe iuſtly, but alſo thoſe, whiche wicked inſtruments wil & do wickedly, as we hauehave plentifullye made plaine before. But all theſe, not otherwiſe, than by the willing ſufferaunce of God, doe that whiche they do. For what thing in heauen or in earth, hathe of it ſelfe either this power, or vſe of this power, whether he vſe it rightly or no? Therefore I profeſſe, that I cannot ſée what common ſenſe can ſhewe thée, that ſufferaunce can be ſeparated from will, or that God can ſuffer any thing againſte his will. Yet I confeſſe, that there is otherwiſe greate oddes betwixte God and men, vſing the helpe and procuration of men. For that we ſay nothing of the lewd counſells of men, that, which for the moſte parte men do, being enforced with neceſſity, …cauſe they cannot accompliſhe their owne, nor other mens matters, God doeth it with moſte frée will: ſéeing otherwiſe he is of hymſelfe Omnipotent, and in himſelfe altogither foreign ſufficient.☜
Men oft times either by feare or force, or by ſome other meane conſtrained rather than prouoked, do permit many things, whiche they woulde not vndone. But God alone decréeing with moſte frée will, permitteth that whiche ☜he doeth permit. Bycauſe Apollo in the Poets ſweareth raſhly, by the law of an oth, after a ſorte he is conſtrained to graunte the Chariot to Phaeton periſhing. Yet he willing, graunteth the Chariot, bycauſe the regarde of an othe preuailed more with him, than the certaine perill of his ſonne. Iupiter complaineth in Homer with teares,Mat. 14.10. Mat. 6.27. bicauſe he coulde not when he would, denuer his Sa…pedo from preſent death. Herode ſwearing raſhely, when he hearde the heade of Iohn Baptiſte to be required, and being heauie, aduiſed with himſelfe whether he had rather, the maide being reiected, fall into the crime of periurie, or kill moſte cruelly the moſte innocent man, not ſhewing cauſe why: and at the laſte, not ſo muche I thinke, for conſcience, which was none, as moued wyth vaine glorie and ambition, leaſte he ſhoulde ſéeme to hauehave ſworne vnaduiſedly, or in performing an othe inconſtant, doth not only ſuffer, but commaundeth the heade of Iohn, being cut off, to be giuen the maide in hir hands, as Mark very wel noteth. A ſicke man fearing his life, giueth himſelfe to the Chirurgion, to be cutte: yet not againſte hys will, yet not altogither with frée will. The ſame we maye thinke of the Merchaunte, who in a greate tempeſt, doth not onelyonly ſuffer his marchandize to be caſte ouer boorde, but alſo he with his owne handes doeth caſte them ouer. Beholde thou many eramples of ſufferaunce in al which, yet Wil cannot be ſecluded from Sufferance. Be it farre from vsus, yet to conceiue any like things of God, bycauſe neither raſheneſſe, nor ignoraunce, nor repentaunce take place in him, nor is he enthralled to any neceſſitie. For as Auguſtine ſayeth wel and learnedly, the life of God, and the foreknowledge of God, we putte not vnderunder neceſſitie, if we ſay, it is of neceſſitie, that God liue euer, and know all thinges: as his power is not leſſened, ſéeing he is ſaide, not to can dye, or be deceiued. For thus he cannot this thing, that indéede he were rather, if he coulde, of leſſe power. Yet he is rightlye called Omnipotent, who cannot dye, nor be deceiued. For he is called Omnipotent. by dwing what he will, and not in ſuffering what he will not. Therefore, that I maye diſpatche at once a waye to Anticyra, with that thy common ſenſe, and there,An Ile in Theſſalie vvhere Helleborus gro vveth, vvhiche purgeth melancholy. if thou cauſte, hauing drunke a gallon of Helleborus, learne at ye laſte to be wiſe, and ſo to diſpute of common ſenſe, that we may vnterſtand thée to be indued with ſome ſenſe. For where thou ſayeſt, that Chriſte was wonte to teache diuine matters according to common ſenſe, who will euer graunte it thée, excepte he be voice of all Chriſtian religion? Chriſte vſeth, I graunte, familiar kinds of ſpeaking, but where didſt thou euer knowe, that diuine matters did agrée with oure common ſenſe, and therefore, that they coulde be taught according to oure common ſenſe? Paule cryeth, that the naturall man perceiueth not thoſe things that are of God: the ſame witneſſeth, that To foreign the wiſedome of the fleſhe, is enmitie againſts God: the ſame profeſſeth, that he teacheth, that doctrine, which ſhould of the Gentiles be takē for fooliſhneſſe. The ſame cryeth, O Man, who arte thou? and O the déepth of Gods iudgementes: and Chriſte praiſing Peters confeſſion, Fleſh and bloude (ſayeth he) hauehave not reuealed that to thée. But thou on the contrary vrgeſt vsus to cōmon ſenſe, as the ſupreame iudge of Gods myſteries. Shew vsus therfore moſte pregnant fellowe, why the Lorde protracted the calling of the Gentiles ſo long: howe the worde coulde become fleſhe: howe Chriſte is borne of a Virgin: how he can féede vsus in earth with his quickening fleſhe, whiche is in Heauen: howe the Lorde wil, whiche thou haſte fooliſhly denyed, that many ſhould be borne to miſerie, that he might be glorified in them, as by the example of him that was borne blinde, and by Chriſtes owne wordes we hauehave taughte: why the calling of manye ſhoulde be deferred to the laſte tyme of theyr lyfe: Howe may it be, that the greateſt parte of menne ſhoulde hearenothyng at all of CHRIST: howe the Lord ſéeing he can ſaue all, enen onelye with a becke, yet ſaueth few: and why, of two equall in themſelues, he rather ſaneth this than that. Finally, that we maye perſiſte in the propounded example, (there be infinite of that ſorte) I pray… thée, that by thy common ſenſe thou wilte foredoe this dubble knotte whiche Auguſtine faſteneth. Great, (ſayth he) are the workes of the Lorde, that in a wonderfull and inſpeakeable maner, that be not done beſides his wil, whiche is done againſte his wil, bicauſe it ſhould not be done, if he did not ſuffer it, nor indéede doeth he ſuffer againſte his will, but willingly. Alſo, if we ſuffer thoſe that be vnderunder oure aucthoritie to committe euills before oure eyes, we ſhall be guiltie with them. But howe innumerable doth he ſuffer to be done before his eies, which if he wold not, he woulde by no meanes ſuffer? and yet he is iuſt and good.
That remaineth, which thou reporteſt of Similitudes, as if in déede Chriſte did adde them for plainneſſe ſake, as we vſe in teaching. But I graunt indéede, that they are taken of familiar experience, but ſo farre it is off, that I agrée vntounto thée, that they are alleadged for perſpicuitie, that contrarily truſting to ye teſtimonie of the holy Ghoſt, I affirme, that it was done by the iuſte iudgement of an angry God, that Chriſts mighte ſet downe his miſteries to a faithleſſe & adulterous natiō riddle wiſe.Mat. 13.10.11.13.14.15.16. Mat. 4.11.12. …. 8.10. For there is greate oddes betwene ſimilitudes, whiche in declaring a thing are wonte to be vſed of Maiſters, and thoſe, whiche they call Parables, whiche thou maiſte call more rightly Allegories, or Kiddles, thā Similitudes. But why ſhould we not credite the holy Ghoſt rather than thée?