An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

If ye continue in your blindness and furiously cry: But ye affirm that without his will and against it, nothing is done, therefore that men think, that even when they sin, they obey gods will. I answer by the words of the same writer whom before I have alleged: Touching the works which we commit, the will of God is to be considered, as he him self hath declared it: for in vain hath he not given his law, by the which he hath discerned good from evil. As for example when he commandeth no man to be hurt, no man to be injured, but that equity and justice be indifferently kept to all, that no man steal, defraud his brother, that none commit adultery, fornication or filthiness, but that every man keep his own vessel in sanctification and honour. Here is the will of God evident and plain. What further pleaseth him, in these cases ought no man to inquire. for we know, that if we do these, and other things that be commanded, and do abstain from all things that be forbidden,¹ that then we obey the will of God. And if we do not that, we can not be acceptable to him. If that any man shall steal, or commit adultery, and shall say that he hath done nothing against the will of God, he lieth most impudently. for in so far as he hath transgressed the commandment of God, by the which he was taught what was gods will, he hath done against his will. Let all men now judge, if that we give occasion to man, to flatter him self in sin, and to think, that when they commit iniquity against the express commandment of God, that then they obey his holy will. If any demand, ⟨p. 165⟩whether that any thing can be done against gods will: that is, if God may not, if he would stay and impede the sin of man: before I have answered by the mouth of Augustine, and now again by John Calvin that nothing is, nor can be done, which he may not impede, if so it please his wisdom, yea utterly we must eschew, that we inquire not of his providence,² which is hid from us, when that the question is of our duty. His word declareth unto us what he approveth, and what he condemneth, with that we ought to stand content, and by the same, ought we to rule our lives, leaving the secretes to God, as by Moses we are taught.

If ye continue in your blyndnes and furiously cry: But ye afirme that without his will and against it, nothing is done, therefor that men think, that euen when they sinne, they obey gods will. I answer by the wordes of the same writer whō before I haue alledged: Touching the workes which we committ, the will of God is to be considered, as he him self hath declared it: for in vaine hath he not giuen his law, by the which he hath discerned good from euill. As for exemple when he commandeth no man to be hurt, no man to be iniuried, but that equitie and iustice be indifferently kept to all, that no man steal, defraude his brother, that none committ adulterie, fornicatiō or filthynes, but that euerie man kepe his own vessell in sanctification and honor. Here is the will of God euident and plaine. What further pleaseth him, in these cases oght no mā to inquire. for we know, that if we do these, and other thinges that be cōmanded, and do abstein from all things that be forbidden,