An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

Some other be that grant that sin was à cause why man is reprobate,¹ and there with they hold that gods absolute ordinance is also the cause, this saying containeth contradiction in it self: for if it be gods absolute ordinance. then is it not in respect of any other thing, but as they say because it hath so pleased him, if they meant that gods ordinance is the cause why sinners suffer death, or that God ordained that sinners for their sin should suffer death, I could agree with them. but that were contrary to that which they have said, that God absolutely ordained any man afore he was, yea afore the world to death because so it pleased him. for if death be the reward of sin, and for offence, and sin we do die, then §2cometh not death by gods absolute ordinance. And if I do grant that both gods absolute ordinance and also sin are the causes of damnation after your meaning, mark well what inconvenience followeth thereof. first ye must grant me that gods ordinance is the principal and chefest cause, (for it can not be inferior to any other cause) secondly ye will grant that the first or principal cause called Causa Causae, is the cause of the second and inferior cause called §3cause causate, so to conclude, gods ordinance which is Causa causae, shall be the cause of sin which is Causa causata. As for a familiar example, the heat of the son, and the dew, cause the ground to be fruitful, and God also is the cause thereof for he maketh the barren ground fruitful, but forasmuch as God is the principal and first cause, he must be also the cause of the same which is but the second cause. Thus it is clearly proved that if gods ordinance were the cause of reprobation then gods ordinance should also