In the people of Israel, in their elders, Priests, and counsel, appeared some face of justice, when Stephan was accused, before that he pronounced these words: ye stiffenecked, and uncircumcised in heart, and ears, you have ever resisted, the holy Ghost, even as your fathers have resisted,1 so do you: whom of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them, which showed before of the coming of that just, whom ye have now betrayed, & murdered. Before this sentence (I say) there appeared some face of justice, but what ensued ⟨p. 370⟩the holy Ghost doth witness, saying: when they heard these things their hearts burst for anger and they gnashed at him with their teeth. And after also that he gave a more plain confession of Christ Jesus, of his exaltation, glory, power, and Majesty, they cried out with a great voice, they stopped their ears, they as wolves enraged rushed upon him, with one consent, and so without all order of justice, did stone him to death. If ye confess not that the word of God, proceeding from the mouth of Stephen, did not more harden them, who no doubt were hardened before, you deny a trueth that is more then evident. Divers places more I might adduce for the same purpose, but (having respect to brevity) I stand content with th•se two, which I doubt nothing, are sufficient to prove, that men, that be already hardened, yet by the coming of the plain word, which rebuketh their iniquity, they become more hard. As the owl being blind, even when she appeareth to see best in the night season, but yet in the day time, she is more blinded, because that the weakness of her eyes, can not abide the bright beams of the sun. And even so it is with the reprobate, they are always blind, and hard hearted, but when the light of God doth most plainly shine before them or when they are called from iniquity to virtue, then becometh the word of glad tidings to them, a very savour of death, by the which, they are both more blinded, and more hardened. And so in your first reason we dissent from you in that, that you seem to affirm, that because the reprobate are once hardened, therefore they can be no more hardened. Your second reason is, that because it belongeth to God only to make hard their hearts, that therefore there resteth nothing to the Prophets, but to show unto them the hardness of their hearts.
In the people of Israel, in their elders, Priestes, and counsell, appered some face of iustice, when Stephan was accused, before that he pronounced these wordes: ye stiffenecked, and vncircumcised in heart, and eares, you haue euer resisted, the holy Gost, euē as your fathers haue resisted,1 so do you: whom of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted? and they haue slayn them, whiche shewed before of the cōming of yt iust, whom ye haue now betraied, & murthered. Before this sentence (I say) there appered some face of iustice, but what ensued ⟨p. 370⟩the holy Gost doth witnes, saying: whē they heard these thinges their heartes brast for anger and they gnashed at him with their tethe. And after also that he gaue a more plaine confession of Christe Iesus, of his exaltation, glory, power, and Maiestie, they cried out wt a great voyce, they stopped their eares, they as wolues enraged russhed vpon him, wt one consent, and so without all ordre of iustice, did stone him to death. If ye cōfesse not yt the word of God, proceding frō the mouth of Stephen, did not more harden them, who no doubte were hardened before, you deny a trueth that is more then euidēt. Diuers places more I might adduce for the same purpose, but (hauing respect to breuitie) I stand content with th•se two, which I doubte nothing, are sufficient to proue, that men, that be alredy hardened, yet by the comming of the plaine word, which rebuketh their iniquitie, they become more hard. As the owle being blind, euen when she appereth to see best in the night season, but yet in ye day time, she is more blinded, bacause that the weaknes of her eyes, can not abide the bright beames of the sunne. And euē so it is wt the reprobate, they are alwaies blind, and hard heared, but whē the light of God doth most plainely shine before thē or when they are called frō iniquititie to vertue, then becometh the word of glad tidinges to thē, a verie sauor of death, by the wc, they are both more blinded, and more hardened. And so in your first reason we dissent frō you in yt, that you seme to affirme, that because ye reprobate are once hardened, therefore they cā be no more hardened. Your second reason is, that because it belōgeth to God onely to make hard their heartes, th•t therefor there resteth nothing to the Prophetes, but to shew vnto them the hardnes of their hartes.
- 1Act. 7
