Display of Popish Practices, Slanders · Slander 8 – Slander 9
The eigth Sclaunder.
The hardning of Pharao, & moreouer, his frowardneſſe of minde, and rebellion, was the worke of God, and that by the teſtimonie of Moſes, who aſcribeth to God, the whole rebellion of Pharao.
THE AVNSVVERE.
IN another place thou defineſt, that to harden, declareth nothing elſe, but not to mollific. That definition I ſay, to be fooliſhe and ridiculous. For ſéeing we al (as thou thy ſelfe arte conſtrained to graunte albeit a little after thou diſſenteſt from thy ſelfe) carrye flintie heartes, to harden, declareth not not to mollifie, but to make ſomething of harde, harder. Séeing this hardeneſſe is from the birth in vsus, and is enlarged vppon vsus, not by creation, but by coruption, and therefore God worthily deteſteth it, and euen by his inſ…e iudgement dubleth it, howe is it, that you feare to graunte, that the hardening was the iuſt worke of God, the puniſher and auenger? Verily, thou canſte not denye, that the ſpirite of GOD doeth not ſpeake otherwiſe. For in howe many places is GOD ſaide to harden, to blinde, to ſhutte vppe the eares, to make groſſe the ha…te, to holde the hearte, to tourne the harte, to giuegive ouer into a reprobate ſenſe, to ſende a ſtrong deluſion, and manye like? Howe often do they come in reading? But of ſufferaunce in theſe thinges, there is not indéede the leaſt mention in the ſacred Bookes, as muche indéede, as I can call to mentorte,Act. 14.16. except in one onelyonly place, where it is ſaide, that the Lord in times paſte, ſuffered the Gentiles to walke in their own wayes. But neither this-place, nor any like if it be ſo that thou findeſt anye, doe any whit relieue thée, ſéeing that in Sufferaunce, is neceſſarilye included Will, much leſſe, that theſe ſhoulde be repugnant betwéene themſelues, as we hauehave ſhewed in his place. But it is labor-worth, to ſhewe the ſelfe wordes of Caluine, that here alſo thy lewdneſſe may be manifeſted. Theſe therefore be Caluines wordes, The heart of Pharao is hardened of God (ſaith Moſes.) In vaine here doe they flie to ſufferaunce, as if God maye be ſaide to hauehave done, that be onelyonly hathe ſuffered to be done. For Moſes plainly affyrmeth, that that hardneſſe was the worke of God: Theſe ſaith Caluine. But thou moſte lewde Sycophant, writeſt, that the whole rebellion of Pharao, was by Caluines ſentence, aſcribed to God. As thoughe indéede thys thy lye cannot be conuinced by that ſame ſclaunder, which thou adioynedſt by and by.
The ninth Sclaunder.
The will of God is the chiefe cauſe of the hardening of men.
THE AVNSVVERE.
WHome he will he hardneth (ſayeth the Apoſtle.) But if alſo, thou ſéekeſt ſome higher thing, than the will of God, thou maiſte in deede wander without God: we reſt in this bound with the Apoſtle. Further, he that ſaith, that the will of God, is the chiefe, or the higheſt cauſe of the hardening of men, can he aſcribe to God the whole rebellion of Pharao? For, if it be the onelye cauſe, why is it called the Chief? If behoueth a lyar to be mind full, (Sycophant.)
The Sycophants Argumentes to the eight and ninth Sclaunder.
In the eigth and ninth articles, they aske what Moſes meant when he writeth And Pharao hardened his hearte. But is it ſo to be interpreted, Pharao hardned his hearte, that is, God hardned Pharaos hearte? That ſhall be much more violent, than if thou ſhouldeſt ſay, God hardened Pharaos hearte, that, is hee ſuffered Pharao in the naturall hardeneſſe of hys hearte, bycauſe Pharao refuſed to obey hym. Then they aske of that: Thys daye, if you will heare hys voyce, harden not youre heartes. But, if they hauehave ſo expounded it, GOD will not harden youre heartes, it will be moſte abſurde: for he ſhould commaunde menne, that whiche is Gods: For, if it be the Lordes to harden heartes, it cannot be enioyned to menne, that they ſhoulde either harden, or not harden the heartes, no more than, that they ſhoulde adde, or take awaye from their ſtature one cubite.
THE REFVTATION.
Indéede this is the piller and foundation of thy goodlye diſputation againſte Predeſtination, whiche thou haſt inſerted in thy Annotations of the ninth Chapiter of the Epiſtle to the Romanes: whiche, howe firme it is, lette us ſée. I praye thée therefore, (Good man) who euer, beſides thée alone, made blinde by the iuſte indgement of God, was ſo ſenſeleſſe and madde, that when the higheſt cauſe is aſſigned, he woulde ſuppoſe the inferiors to be moued, or not rather to be eſtabliſhed? Make to your ſelues a new hearte,Ezeck. 18.31. and a newe ſpirite, (ſaith the Lord.) Wilt thou gather thereof, that it is not the Lord, that ſhould giuegive a new harte, and create a cleane ſpirite? whiche ſhoulde take awaye the ſtony hearte and giuegive a heart of fleſhe?1. Tim, 4.19. If thou doe theſe things, (ſaith Paule) writing to Timothie, thou ſhalte ſaue thy ſelfe. Wilte thou gather of this, that wée are not ſaued of God by Chriſte? Fathers of families are ſaide to féede their families, and he that liueth by his laboure, is ſaid to nouriſh himſelfe: alſo, breade and meate are ſaide, to nouriſh vsus. Doeth not therefore God féed vsus? yea, al theſe as foreign things ſette in theyr order, doe very wel accorde. For being cōuerted of God, we conuert: being urged of God, we do: & God bleſſing vsus, wée liue by our endeuor. Séeſt thou therefore Aſſe, yt they are fooliſh and ridiculous whatſoeuer thou haſt imagined, that thou mighteſt diſcountenance the truth? for neyther (as he ſayth) is there any councell againſte the Lord, and ſo vſeth the iuſt iudge to beſotte them, whiche doe not ſtay themſelues in his worde. Induration therefore is the iuſt worke of God, who hardneth whome he pleaſeth, and yet not otherwiſe than iuſtly hated, ſéeing they bée corrupt. Induration is alſo the worke of Sathan, by whome in déede the Lord worketh in the heartes of infidels, as it is written, The Spirite of the Lorde departed from Saule,1. Samu. 16.14. and an euill ſpirit ſente from the Lorde dyd trouble him. It is alſo the worke of the falſe Prophetes whome themſelues alſo the Lorde ſeduceth by Sathan, that one may inforce another into iuſt condemnation, as it is written, If a Prophet deceyued ſpeake the worde, I the Lorde hauehave deceyued that Prophet,Ezec. 14.9. 1. Reg. 22.23. as alſo it appeared in the Magicall Egiptians, and in Sedechia the falſe Prophet. Finallie the hardning is alſo their work which are hardned, bycauſe by their natiue wickedneſſe, they being enforced by the luſt of Sathan, the falſe Prophets and their owne, they do harden themſelues, therefore by an indoubted and inſeparable coniunction, they cleaue togither, which thou abſurdly déemedſt to be contrarie in themſelues. But I will adde héereto the wordes of Caluine himſelfe, that thy lewdeneſſe maye the better appeare. It doth not hinder (ſayth he) that is ſpoken in another place, that Pharao did harden his owne heart, bycauſe we neyther ymagine, that the heartes of men are enforced with outward means, that they ſhould be forcibly driuen: nor do we tranſferre the cauſe of hardning vponupon God, as if of their owne accorde, and by their proper malice, being barbarous, and hard harted, they dyd not ſtirre vp themſelues to wickedneſſe, but that whychmen doe wickedly, the Scripture teacheth that it is not otherwiſe done, but when God doth iuſtly decrée it to be, as is reported in another place, that all, excepte the inhabitants of Gybeon, oppoſed themſelues againſt Iſraell, that it was of the Lorde, whiche made obſtinate theyr hearts, Theſe ſayth Caluine in that very place whyche thou dareſt ſclaunder, as aſcribing to God all the rebellion of Pharao. Art thou not aſhamed to ſée this cléereneſſe thou Sycophant?