An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

God can not will two contraries, True it is in him self, in one respect, and for one purpose, he who is author of concord, can not will contrariety: but in consideration of his creatures, for divers respects, and sundry purposes, things be not contraries, the one to the other, which to our judgements, have appearance of contrariety. If you be so well seen in your arts, as some of you pretend ye can not but understand this answer to be sufficient, to dissolve what so ever ye have unreverently collected. But yet to make it more sensible to the simple, I say that in this proposition, God can not will two contraries, and in the conclusion which you make upon the same, you ought to have made a distinction between those things which God simply (or as ye spake before, absolutely) will, and between those things, which he will for a certain end and purpose, which doeth not appear in the external actions. For certain things there be (as in an other place I have entreated) which God will, even for them selves, such as be mercy, justice, temperance chastity, and all other virtues, which he will, have to shine in his elect and please him in Christ Jesus his Sonne. And yet nevertheless he also will cruelty, injustice, excess, filthy life, blindness, & induration to be in others, as just punishments of their sins, and causes of their condemnation. The last (I say) will God to be in the reprobate, not for the wicked acts sake, which do ever displease his Majesty, but for such ends as his wisdom hath appointed. Let this be ⟨p. 354⟩explained by examples, some natural, and some taken from gods scriptures. There is no man (except he be of a most cruel nature) that considering the incommodities of war, and of battle, doeth will it, for the self. And yet a godly prince pursued by external enemies, doeth not only will his soldiers to fight, and to maintain the war, but also he provoketh, he encourageth, and exhorteth his subjects to the same. And why is it? because that war or battle pleaseth him in the self, or for the self? No, but because with out such travail, such danger, and hazard, his subjects can not live in quietness, and the estate of his common wealth can not be preserved.

God can not will two cōtraries, True it is in him selfe, in one respecte, and for one purpose, he who is author of cōcord, can not will contrarietie: but in consideration of his creatures, for diuers respectes, and sundrie purposes, thīges be not cōtraries, the one to ye other, which to our iudgementes, haue apperance of contrarietie. If you be so wel sene in your artes, as some of you pretēd ye cā not but vnderstand this answere to be sufficiet, to dissolue what so euer ye haue vnreuerently collected. But yet to make it more sēsible to the simple, I say yt in this proposition, God can not wil two contraries, and in the conclusion which you make vpon the same, you oght to haue made a distinction betwene those thinges wc God simply (or as ye spake before, absolutely) will, and betwene those thinges, which he will for a certein end and purpose, which doeth not appere in the external actiōs. For certen thinges there be (as in an other place I haue entreated) which God will, euen for them selues, such as be mercie, iustice, temperance chastitie, and all other vertues, which he wil, haue to shyne in his elect and please him in Christ Iesus his Sonne. And yet neuertheles he also will crueltie, iniustice, excesse, filthie life, blindnes, & induration to be in others, as iust punishmētes of their sinnes, and causes of their condēnation. The last (I say) will God to be in the reprobate, not for the wicked actes sake, which do euer displease his Maiestie, but for such endes as his wisedom hath appointed. Let this be