An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

but suddenly cometh satan enemy to God, and to man, his good creature, and first poured in venom into the heart of the woman, which afterward she poureth into the heart of Adam: to the which both the one and the other, without all violence used of gods part, doeth willingly consent: and so conspiring with the serpent do accuse God of a lie, do fully consent to vindicate ⟨p. 127⟩or challenge to them selves the power of the God head of mind and purpose (so far as in them lay) to thrust down, and depose him from his eternal throne. Here we see how the creatures and their wills without compulsion, do serve gods purpose and counsel. for satan was neither sent nor commanded of God to tempt man: but of malice and hatred did most willingly and greedily run to the same: the will of man being free before, was not by God violently compelled to obey satan: but man of free will did consent to satan and conspire against God. And yet was the fall of man not only foreseen and fore known of God, but also before decreed for the manifestation of his glory. Let us yet take an other example that the matter may be more evident. The death of Christ Jesus for mans redemption, was decreed in the eternal counsel of God before the foundations of the world were laid as we were elected in him, and as he was the lamb killed from the beginning, which death also was decreed in the same counsel of God to be in a certain time appointed: And that so certainly that neither could the malice of any creature prevent the hour appointed of God thereto: neither yet could any policy or chance impede or transfer the same to any other time. For how oft Christ was afore assaulted, the Evangelists do witness: But always his answer was: my hour is not yet come. And what impediments did occur immediately before his death, is also evident. The feast of Easter was instant, the fame of Christ was great, the favour of the people, with public voices was declared, and the counsels of the hie priests and seniors had decreed that to avoid sedition his death should be delayed, till after that feast: But all these were shortly overthrown, and Christ did suffer in the very time appointed as he before had forespoken. But now to the instruments which serve in this matter, and whether they were compelled by God or not. Judas we know was not one of the least:

but sodanly cometh sathan ennemie to God, and to mā, his good creature, and first powred in vennom into the heart of the woman, which afterward she powreth into the heart of Adame: to the which bothe the one and the other, without all violēce vsed of gods part, doeth willingly consent: and so conspiring with the serpent do accuse God of a lie, do fully consent to vendicat