An evident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianism Wherein is mightily cleared the…An euident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianisme Wherein is mightelie cleared the…

Thou demandest whence I have these? I answer that I collect them of the success, or as they say of the latter, nor that thou canst deny those things I have spoken, but that either thou shouldest make God variable and inconstant, or weak and ignorant, or that appertaineth to the ordinance of causes, unoccupied, I add also rash and unskilful. For what? before he made man, did he not foresee with himself wherefore he would make him? or at the least foreseeing the faults, determine ⟨p. 50⟩what he would do unto men.

Thou demaundest whence I haue these? I aunswere that I collect them of the successe, or as they say of the latter, nor that thou canste denye those thinges I haue spoken, but that eyther thou shouldest make God varyable and inconstant, or weake and ignoraunt, or that appertayneth to the ordinance of causes, vnoccupyed, I adde also rash and vnskilfull. For what? before he made man, did he not forsée with himselfe wherefore he would make him? or at the least foreséeing the faultes, defermyne ⟨p. 50⟩what he woulde do vnto men.

Who I pray thee could indifferently suffer these things to be spoken of God, which are not to be found in men, except such as are destitute of all wit and reason? But if he had with himself foresette an end, I ask of thee what it was? Thou wilt say to bless all men. Now therefore good fellow show how the counsels of God are not uncertain, and infirm. Howe God is not variable and inconstant, how not altogether weak, if by no means he now perform that which he had determined, concerning the blessed life of all men. For neither canst thou say by that thine invention, that even those whom he saveth, are not saved by thy forged decree, seeing they are saved by Grace, not by nature. And there is no doubt, that very many are given over to eternal forments, seeing without Christ there is no salvation, and Faith cometh of hearing. But by his own fault thou wilt say. I grant it, but what doth that help thee? For if that were decreed with God, to save Adam, and all his posterity, surely either God will not, or he can not perform that he had decreed: if he will not, then he hath changed his purpose, if he cannot, then is he not omnipotent. But how far off both be from the nature of God, thou seest. Therefore, also that kind of Doctrine, by thine argument, which enforceth us to these blasphemies is false. Yet further I guess thou haste one refuge in store, that is, that thou mayest say that God indeed created Adam, and all men comprehended in him to eternal life, but upon condition, if Adam should persist in his innocency, which was set in his power, and therefore that God seemeth not to have changed his purpose.