and therefore in speaking to Adam, and in giving a law to him, God had respect to his eternal counsel & purpose, as before we have spoken, and hereafter shall rehearse. But still cry you, that yet we burden God with that which he cannot abide in his creatures that is, that he should speak one thing, as that Adam should not have fallen, and that he meant the contrary. for answer I ask of you, if ye will bind God to that law which he hath imposed to his creatures? And if ye will leave none other liberty to God his sovereign majesty, then his law hath permitted to men subject to the same: and if ye dare promise to your selves that authority over God, gird your loins, and play the strong champions: prepare your seats, appoint your judges, cite, and adjourn him to appear at a fixed day, to render ⟨p. 304⟩a reason,1 & a make an account before you of his universal regiment, in which (no doubt) ye shall find many things more repugnant to your reason then this. You think I mock you in that I will you to cite and call God to an account, in very deed I do. for as your blasphemy & pride is utterly to be abhorred, so is your vanity more worthy to be mocked, then your simplicity in that case to be instructed. for what was he ever yet amongest the most ignorant ethnics so foolish or so presumptuous, but that he did confess that the works and wonders of the supreme God, were exempted from all law, and censure of mans judgement. But in your presence, God shall have no liberty to command, or forbid any thing to any of his creatures, but that he must needs absolutely will the same, and for no cause or respect may he will the contrary, but that he shall have a double heart, he shall be a dissembler (cursed be your blasphemy that causeth me thus to write) and in him there shall be contrariety. this is the reverence which ye bear to gods infinite wisdom in all his works, to the ground whereof ye can not attain by your corrupt reason, that you burst forth in scoffing, mocking, and blasphemy. But yet to come more nigh to the matter, I deny that justly you can conclude any contrariety to be in God, albeit that to Adam he said thou shall not eat, and yet in his eternal counsel he had determined that Adam should eat, neither yet (I say) can you be able to prove, that he spoke one thing & willed the contrary, because he pronounced this sentence:
and therefor in speaking to Adam, and in giuing a lawe to him, God had respecte to his eternall counsell & purpose, as before we haue spoken, and hereafter shall rehears. But still crye you, that yet we burden God wt that which he cānot abyde in his creatures that is, that he should speak one thīg, as that Adam should not haue fallen, and that he ment the contrarie. for answer I ask of you, if ye will binde God to that lawe which he hath imposed to his creatures? And if ye will leaue none other libertie to God his soueraigne maiestie, then his lawe hath permitted to men subiecte to the same: and if ye dare promise to your selues that authoritie ouer God, girde your loines, and play the strōg champions: prepare your seates, appoint your iudges, cite, and adiourne him to appeare at a fixed day, to rendre ⟨p. 304⟩a reason,1 & a make an accōpte before you of his vniuersall regiment, in which (no doubt) ye shall finde many things more repugnant to your reason then this. You think I mock you in that I wil you to cite and call God to an accōpt, in very dede I do. for as your blasphemie & pride is vtterlie to be abhorred, so is your vanitie more worthie to be mocked, then your simplicitie in that case to be instructed. for what was he euer yet amongest the most ignorant ethnicks so foolishe or so presumpteous, but that he did confesse that the workes and wonders of the supreme God, were exempted from all lawe, and censure of mans iudgement. But in your presence, God shall haue no libertie to command, or forbid any thing to any of his creatures, but that he must nedes absolutely will the same, and for no cause or respecte may he will the contrarie, but that he shall haue a dooble heart, he shalbe a dissēbler (cursed be your blasphemie that causeth me thus to write) and in him there shalbe cōtrarietie. this is the reuerence which ye beare to gods infinite wisdome in all his workes, to the ground whereof ye can not atteine by your corrupt reason, that you burst forth in scoffing, mocking, and blasphemie. But yet to come more nye to the mater, I denie that iustly you can conclude any contrarietie to be in God, albeit that to Adam he said thou shall not eate, and yet in his eternall counsell he had determined that Adam shoulde eate, neither yet (I say) cā you be able to proue, that he spoke one thing & willed the contrarie, because he pronounced this sentence:
- 1The adversaries judge of gods majesty according to their blind reason.The aduersari•s iudge of gods maiestie according to their blind reas•n.
