Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 3 · Excursus 1
¶ Whether God be the cauſe of ſynne.
BVt in theſe thinges which are ſayd, there ariſeth a queſtion which is not to be left vnſpoken of. For it is writtē that god ſold the Iſraelites to the king of Meſopotamia. Wherfore it ſemeth that he holpe a wicked man, & aided hym to ſatiſfy his tyranny and ambition. For he had neither a iuſt cauſe, nor yet an honeſt title, to clayme vntounto him the dominion of the Hebrues. What ſhall wee ſaye therefore? Shall we affirme that God is the cauſe of this ſinne? Ther happeneth in this booke and in other places of the holye Scriptures ſuche kynde of ſpeeche, and that often times very plaine, and therefore it ſemeth good to be expounded once for all.
Whether by ye word permiſſiō this queſtion may be diſſolued.Some, yea and that with no euyl minde labour to excuſe God, and ſay that he doth not theſe euyl thinges, but onelyonly permitteth them, And they thinke that in doubtful places, that interpretation is to be applied, which altogether wanteth fault and daunger of vngodlines. Vndoubtedly this their ſaying wer to be praiſed, if that we could ſe their expoſition to be allowed in the ſcriptures. But there it is farre otherwiſe ſayd,It is proued by good reaſons that beſides permiſſion god worketh ſomewhat whē ſins ar cōmitted. namely that God doth ſtirre vp wycked men to their wicked actes, that he ſeduceth, delyuereth, commaundeth, hardeneth, and deceaueth them, and bringeth to paſſe thoſe ſinnes which are grieuous. Suche kindes of ſpeeche do manifeſtly teach vsus, that God after a ſorte woorketh euyll thinges, not onelyonly in permitting, but alſo in doing in vsus. Without doubt al we are ſaid both to hauehave our being, and alſo our mouing in him: For he is in ſuche ſort the firſt cauſe of all thinges, that without him we can do nothing. For how ſhould we moue our ſelues, vnleſſe by his power we wer both moued and alſo driuen? Farther, how farre his gouernment extendeth, we may reade in the .xi. chap. of Mathew: for two Sparowes (ſaith the Lord) are ſold for a farthing, and yet one of them falleth not to the ground without the wyll of the father. And that was as much to ſay as without the counſell of God nothing be it neuer ſo ſmal is done in the world. Moreouer that permiſſion wherby certaine go about to make plaine this queſtion, at the length is called againe to the will. For who ſoeuer can let and prohibite any thing that is euil, and doth it not, it is manyfeſt that after a ſort he is willing therunto. Beſides that, he permitteth it not againſt his wyll,God doth not idlelye beholde thoſe thinges whych are done o… men, but worketh together with them Eſay. 5. but willinglye. Wherefore a wyll without doubt is contayned in that permiſſion.
But now muſt we ſhew, that God, when ſinnes are committed, doth not ydely looke on, yea he woorketh ſomwhat there. For Eſay in the .v. chap. ſaythe, that God would geue a token, and with his hiſſing cal a nation from the vtmoſt partes of the earth, which ſhould ouerthrow the kingdome of the Hebrues, as their ſynnes had deſerued. By which it manifeſtly appeareth, that God ſtirreth vp Tyrannes and outward nations to theſe vniuſt warres.Eſay. 10. Alſo in the .x. chap. the ſame Prophet pronounceth that king to be wicked, which in that expedition was in the hand of God as a ſaw, a ſtaffe, and an axe. There is no man ignoraunt but that al theſe thinges do ſo woorke and moue, that they be firſt moued. Yea and that proud king is therfore reprehended, bicauſe he ſo exalted himſelfe as though he wer God, who had by him brought ſuch and ſo great thinges to paſſe.Gen: 45. Ioſeph alſo in the booke of Geneſis ſaid vntounto his brethren which had by a wicked cōſpiracy ſold him: It was not you but god that ſent me into Egipt. In the firſt booke of the kinges alſo,1. kinges. 22. and the .xxii. chap: Sathan, who was readye to deceaue Achab, was commaunded by God to do it, & to preuaile. Which words declare that God himſelfe commaundeth and alſo ſtirreth vp to deceaue. Further it is written in the Prouerbes the .xxi. chap.Prouerbes. 21. The hart of the king is in the hand of God, he ſhal incline it whether ſoeuer he wyl. The ſcripture ſaith alſo of Pharao, Exodus 9.10.11 Rom. 9.kinges ſeme free from humayne lawes, but God boweth them whether he wyll, (which place Paul alledgeth) that his hart was hardened by God. Neither maketh this anye thing againſt it,Pharao was hardened both of god & of hym ſelf. if thou ſhalt ſay that it is written in the .viii. chap. of Exodus, that Pharao hardened himſelfe, for as muche as bothe ſayinges are true. For God doth no violence to the wyll of man, ſeing that nothing is more contrarye vntounto it than to make it to doo any thing vnwillingly, or by compulſion. Howbeit it is chaunged and bowed of God ſo ſoftly and pleaſantly, that it willinglye & without violence inclineth to whatſoeuer pleaſeth God.Auguſtine. And it often times happeneth (as Auguſtine in diuers places hath taught) that God puniſheth former ſinnes by latter ſynnes. And the holye ſcriptures before Auguſtines time teſtified the ſame, & eſpeciallye Paule, in his Epiſtle to the Roma. the firſt chap. Wherfore God hath in his hand the affections of our hart, which he loſeth or reſtraineth as ſhal ſeeme good to his moſt wiſe prouidence, & turneth them whitherſoeuer it ſhal pleaſe him. And ſo great is his power,God worketh more as touching ſinnes than is expreſſed by the worde permiſſion. 2. Theſſ 2. yt we muſt beleue that he worketh much more, than may be expreſſed by the woord of permiſſion. For Paul feared not thus to write vntounto the Theſſalonians: bycauſe they hauehave not receaued the louelove of the truth, therfore ſhal God ſend on them an error, ſo that they ſhal beleue lyes, & al they ſhalbe iudged which hauehave not beleued the truth, but allowed vnrighteouſnes. Theſe wordes manifeſtly teſtifye, yt God did caſt error vponupon them, to puniſh their former ſinne, namelye vponupon thoſe which deſpiſed the truth offered them. Dauid alſo ſemeth to tend to this, when in the .2. booke of Samuel the .16. chap. he ſaid of Simeck: Suffer him,2. Sam: 16. for God hath cōmaunded him to curſe me. Alſo in the ſame booke the .12. chap. God by Nathan the Prophet ſaith of Dauid which had grieuouſly fallen:2. Sam: 12. behold I wyll ſtirre vp euil againſt thee, & wil take thy wiues, & geue them vntounto thy neighbour, who ſhal ſleepe with them: this diddeſt thou ſecretly, but I wil do this thing openly, in the eyes of the Sunne and of all Iſrael.
If the matter be ſo (thou wilt ſay) they which ſinne ſhall eaſily be excuſed:The ſinnes of men are not excuſed by the working of god for they may ſone ſay, yt they wer by God moued & ſtirred vp to ſin. Not ſo. For mē ar not ſo deliuered by God vntounto ſins, as though they wer them ſelues pure & innocent. For they which ar ſo ſtirred vp to naughtines, hauehave worthily deſerued the ſame. And the ſame men are not driuen againſt their wil, but they wonderfully delite themſelues in thoſe tranſgreſſions and ſinnes. Wherefore their excuſe is fooliſhe, or rather none.
But this ſemeth to be agaynſt the things before ſaid,Whither God do together both hate & wil ſinnes. bicauſe in the Pſalmes it is wrytten that God is ſuch a one, as willeth no iniquity, and hateth ſynnes. And vndoubtedly he is ſo in dede: For vnles he hated ſinnes, why ſhould he puniſh them? for thinges that are allowed, are not wont to be puniſhed. Farther, he hath moſt ſeuerely prohibited them by his lawes. But as touching this,A diſtinction of ye wyll of God. thus muſt we decree of the wil of god, that it is in nature and very dede one, whych yet may be deuided for diuers and ſundry reſpectes. For as it is ſet foorth in the ſcriptures & the law, he condemneth ſinnes, he prohibiteth them, and threatneth moſt grieuous puniſhments vntounto them. Howbeit bicauſe he directeth the ſame ſinnes whitherſoeuer he wil, & vſeth them to his counſels and decrees, neyther when he may, letteth them, it is therfore ſayd that after a ſort he wylleth them. Neither is it meete to deny that ſuch ſundry reſpectes are in the wyl of god. For god would before al beginninges, hauehave his ſonne ſacrificed vntounto him for a moſt ſwete ſacrifice: who yet himſelf ſaid in the law: Thou ſhalt not kil, & thou ſhalt not ſhed innocent bloud. God alſo forbad, that any ſhoulde be deceaued, who for all that would hauehave Achab to be deceaued of Sathan, Chriſt was killed by the will of God.as we hauehave a lyttle before mencioned. And leaſt any man ſhould doubt that Chriſt was put to death by the wyl of God, we may ſe in the actes of the Apoſtles that it is moſt manifeſtly ſaid that the Iewes did thoſe things which God by his counſel had before ordained.
What then? Shal we ſay that god is the cauſe of ſynne? Not ſo,God if we ſpeake properli is not the cauſe of ſinne. for if we wil ſpeake properly: and that it may the more manifeſtly appeare, we muſt marke, that one ſelfe acte as it is deriued from vsus, is verye ſynne: but in reſpecte that it commeth from God, it is both good, iuſt, and holy. For puniſhment is by God impoſed to wycked men. And to puniſhe ſynnes, no man is ignoraunt but that it partayneth to iuſtice. Wherfore God in withdrawing his grace from the vngodly, and miniſtring ſome occaſions, which might moue to good things, if they happened to right & iuſt mindes, and which he knoweth the wicked wyll turne to euil, may after a ſort, although not properly, be ſaid to be the cauſe of ſinne. And vndoubtedly that act,A …militude. in that it paſſeth through vsus, is ſinne, but not as it cō meth from God. For in that it cōmeth frō God, it is moſt perfect iuſtice. It happeneth ſomtimes, that the ſelf ſame wine being poured into a corrupt veſſell, is loſt, and made paide: which wine as it was brought by the huſbandmā & put into the veſſel is both ſwete and good. Neither is it hard to vnderſtand how one & the ſelfe ſame act may as touching one, be vicious: & in reſpect of an other, iuſt. For when a murtherer & hangman do kill a man, the act as touching the matter or ſubiect, without doubt is al one, namelye the death of a man. And yet the murtherer doth it moſt vniuſtly, & the hangman by law and iuſtice. Iob alſo did wel vnderſtand that when he ſaid: The Lord gaue, & the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleaſed him, ſo is it done. He did not by thoſe wordes praiſe the Chaldians, Sabines, & the Deuil, which wer veſſels of iniquity, & moſt vicious: but he with great godlines allowed thoſe euils, as they were gouerned & ruled by the prouidence of God, namely for this cauſe, bicauſe they pleaſed God. It is alſo written in the .2. booke of Samuel the .24. chap. of Dauid, who vnaduiſedly wold hauehave the people numbred, & how God was angry with Iſrael, & therfore he ſtyrred vp Dauid to do that. And in the booke of Paral. it is writtē that Sathan was the doer of it. For God doth thoſe thinges which he wil hauehave done by Angels, as wel good as euil. Wherfore that numbring of the people as it proceeded of Dauid or the Deuil, was in dede vicious; but in that it came from God, who intended to puniſh the Iſraelites, it pertayned excedingly to the ſetting foorth of hys iuſtice.
Howbeit Iames ſayth, that God tempteth none to euyll, but eueryevery one of vsus is allured by our own concupiſcence.Auguſtine. Whyther God tempt or no. Auguſtine wryting of thys thyng in hys booke de conſenſa Euangeliſtarum, ſaith that there are two kyndes of temptacion, the one of trial, the other of deceite. And in dede as touching tryal he denyeth not but that God tempteth, for that the ſcriptures do confeſſe it. But with that kinde of temptation which deceaueth, whereof Iames wrote, he ſayth that God tempteth no man. But the ſcriptures teache not ſo, as we hauehave declared a litle before of Dauid, and before him of Achab. Yea, and in Ezechiel the .14. chap. god ſaith that he had deceaued the Prophet. And the ſame Auguſtine writeth not after the ſame maner in other places, as it manifeſtly appeareth in hys bookes de Praedeſt. Sanctorum de Cerrept. & Gratia ad Valent. and in hys .5. booke and .3. chap. contra Iulianum. Wherfore the true interpretatiō of this place is, that eueryevery man is therfore tempted of his own concupiſcence, bicauſe al men hauehave their natural diſeaſe, which is corruption, and vicious luſts, which ar together borne with them, & do alſo grow and increaſe in them. Wherefore God inſtylleth no malice of his, for we hauehave inough at home. Therefore he cannot bee accuſed, for as much as the beginning of vngodlines & wickednes commeth not from hym,God when he wyl bringeth to lyght our frowaconeſſe of mynde. but lieth hid in vsus. He ought not therefore to bee counted to geue the cauſe and fault, who yet when it ſemeth good vntounto him, wil for iuſt cauſes hauehave our luſts & wickednes brought to light, and rule & gouerne our wicked acts, therby more and more to illuſtrate his iuſtice and glorye, & to aduaunce the ſaluation of the godly. Wherfore his ſingular goodnes and prouidence is very much to be praiſed, which can ſo iuſtly and wiſely vſe ſo wycked meanes.
Whence the variety of proneneſſe to ſynne commeth.But if a man wil aſke, how it happeneth, that ſome are more prone to ſinnes than others, if (as it is ſayd) malice & wyckednes ar rooted into vsus al from our byrth, neither is it nede that any new or latter malice ſhould be inſtilled in vsus frō God. And ſeyng that we ar al brought forth of one & the ſelfe ſame lumpe, and that lumpe likewiſe is altogether viciated, it ſhoulde ſeeme that all alſo ought to be of a like diſpoſition and inclination to wickednes. But thys is diligently to be weighed, that beſides thys diſpoſition ther happen naturall malices, maners, cuſtomes, wicked qualities, fellowſhippes, temperatures of bodies, ſundry parentes, diuers countries, and manifold cauſes, wherby ſome are made more or leſſe prone vntounto ſins, which proneneſſe of ours God according to his iuſtice, goodnes, and wiſdome vſeth and ſtirreth it vp, gouerneth and ruleth it. And this is not to be forgotten, that none of vsus hauehave ſo in our ſelues the beginninges of good actes, which truely pleaſe God, as wee euen from the verye birth hauehave within vsus the beginninges of ſins. For they ar inſpired in vsus by the holy ghoſt, and we continuallye receaue them of God, neither burſt they foorth out of the corrupt beginninges of our nature.
Now reſteth to ſee from whence after the ſynne of Adam, that frowardnes and corruption came,Whether the firſt corruption after the ſynne of Adam were deriued frō god or no. and whither it wer deriued from God to puniſh the wicked act which was committed. I anſwer, that we maye not ſo thynke: for man was for the fault which he had committed allenated from god, wherfore he iuſtly withrew from him his giftes, fauour and grace. And our nature being left vntounto it ſelf, falleth and declineth to woorſe and woorſe, yea it cōmeth to nothyng, from whence it was brought forth at the beginning.Wherefore we muſt ſeke for no other efficiēt cauſe of that corruption. Wherefore by that wythdrawing of giftes and grace, and departure from God, which is the fountain of al good thinges, nature is by it ſelf throwen headlong into vice and corruption. But now let vsus returne to the hiſtory.