Display of Popish Practices, Slanders · Slander 5
The fifth Slaunder.
No adulterye, thefte, or murder is committed, but the wil of God commeth in betwixt. Inſtit. Chap. 14 Diſtinct. 44.
THE AVNSVVER.
IF thou haddeſt added that which Caluin in that place handleth in good earneſt agaynſte that ſelfe hereſie, whiche thou no leſſe impudently than wickedly, layeſt to our charge, thē at yt laſt it ſhould hauehave appeared to hauehave bin truly ſaid which thou ſclaunderouſly reproueſt. For we ſay not ſimply, that the wil of God doeth come in betwixt in theſe things which be euil, but we adde two things. One is, that the will of God doth ſo come in betwéen euen in theſe things, yet as in no caſe he allow, or do work in thē, in that they be euil but as they be yt puniſhments of other euils, or elſe by thē the Lord executeth his, in déed ſometimes ſecret, but yet always iuſt iudgemēts. The other, that yt Lord ſo oft as pleaſeth him, doth ſo vſe, euen euill inſtrumēts, to yt performing of his iuſt works, yt the inſtruments in yt mean time, do in no caſe obey the wil of God, but in déed do reſiſte it by direct contrarie. Of both we hauehave ſayd already verye many things. Yet I will in fewe wordes repeate ſome of them, that at the laſte I may ſatiſfie thée. When the Lorde would puniſh the adultrey of Dauid, beholde ſayth he, I will ſtirre vp againſte thée euill out of thine owne houſe, and I will take thy wiues in thy ſight, and I will giuegive them to thy neyghbour, and he ſhall ſléepe with thy wines in the ſight of this ſunne. For thou didſt it in ſecrete, but I will do this thing before all Iſrael, and before the ſunne it ſelfe. But ſaye Sycophant hée that doeth theſe (and the Lorde doth all theſe iuſtly, nor is the authour of inceſt,Iſal. 33.1. but he iuſtly puniſheth adultrey and murther) doth he ſéeme to thée not to put in his wyll betwéene? When thou ſhalte ceaſe to ſpoyle, ſayeth the Lord, thou ſhalt be ſpoyled. And doth not the Lord ſéeme to them to hauehave giuen ouer willinglye ſpoylers into the handes of other ſpoylers? If thou dareſt denye thys, the Lorde himſelfe ſhall refell in the ſame Prophete Eſaye, ſpeaking to the Medes and Perſians,Iſai. 13.3. by whome he had determined to ſpoyle the Babilonians, the ſpoylers of yt Iewes. I hauehave giuen commandement to my holy ones, and hauehave called the mightie to my wrathe. But what? when the Lorde ſayde to Satan, Beholde, whatſoeuer things Iob hath, are in thy power, did he decrée nothyng: and a little after did Iob ſpake blaſphemie, when hauing diſpiſed the roberie of Satan and the Chaldeis, hee ſayde, The Lorde gaue, and the Lord hath taken away? And when the Lord ſayth, that it will come to paſſe, that be that ſtryketh with the ſworde, ſhall periſhe with the ſworde, doth he not ſéeme to thée to ſpeake of thoſe iudgements which he willingly executeth by the handes of others, yea euen whē one ſpoyler ſpoyleth another. Therfore the will of God, and that iuſſe and holy commeth in betwixt, both then alſo when men do euill, and therefore hauehave iuſt puniſhmente. But I thinke it good to cyte the verye wordes of Caluine, not named, as thou haſt done, but whole, that I may ſet out to all men to be ſéene thy ſingular malice & impudencie. In thoſe things which are already come to paſſe, many do eſtéeme the prouidence of God wickedly & moſt vnworthily. All things yt are done, hauehave reſpect to the order of the diuine prouidence. Therfore neyther theftes, nor adulteries, nor murthers are committed, but the will of God commeth in betwixte. Why do they therefore ſaye the théefe ſhall be puniſhed, whych hath deſpoyled him, whom the Lorde wil chaſtice by pouertie? Why ſhal the murderer be puniſhed, which killed him, whoſe life the Lorde had ended? If all theſe obey the will of God, why ſhall they be puniſhed? Thus farre Caluine hath ſpoken in the perſon of the Lybertynes, in which matter thou bewrayeſt ſuch lewdneſſe as hath not bene hearde of, whyche attributeſt to Caluine himſelfe, which being ſpoken in the perſon of the Lybertines, in the ſame place he afterwards refuteth in theſe wordes. For he addeth theſe: but indéede I denye, that they obey the will of God. For we ſaye not, that he whyche is caried with an euill minde, doth yéelde his miniſterie to God commanding, ſéeing he only obeyeth his wicked affection. He obeyeth God, who being informed of his will, endeuoureth to that ende whereto he is called of the ſame. And whence are we inſtructed, but out of his worde? Therfore in the accompliſhment of matters, yt his wil is to be ſoughte of vsus, which he declareth in his word. That only God requireth of vsus which he commā deth. If we committe any thing againſt the commandement, it is not obedience, but diſobedience and tranſgreſſion.
Caluin addeth further, other obiections of the Libertynes, whych in an other place I will ſet againſte thyne arguments. But now, naughty felow, art thou not aſhamed of thy ſelfe, bycauſe thou obiecteſt to Caluine thoſe very thying which he hath diſſolued? Thou dealeſt euen in ſuch ſort as the Epicures are wōt,Pſalm. 14.1. which will enforce Dauid on their ſide, bycauſe it is written in him. There is no God.