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…

Nor let it grieve us thus far to submit our judgement to the immeasurable wisdom of God, that it saileth in many of his secretes, for if those things ⟨p. 68⟩which is not permitted or lawful to know, the ignorance is learned, the show of knowledge, is a kind of madness. These (Sycophant) be Calvins words, which alone shall plentifully suffice all governed wits, to deface thy slander. But we will also add these of abundance, that your impudency may more and more appear. There be (sayeth he) three things to be noted. First, the eternal predestination of God, to be firm and ratified, whereby he determined, what should come to pass of all mankind, & of every man before Adam fell. Then that Adam himself for the worthiness of his defection, is enthralled to death: and finally in his person being now desperate and a castaway, that all his progeny was so damned, that whom afterwards God did freely elect, he should dignify with the honour of Adoption. But also a little after in the same place, when (saith he) there is any speech had of Predestination. I have ever constantly taught, and this day do teach, that there they must begin, that all the reprobate which are cast away and damned in Adam, are worthily left in death, that they perish worthily, who are by nature the children of wrath, so that no man have cause to complain of Gods too much severity, seeing that all men carry the guiltiness shut up in themselves. If we return to the first man when he was created innocent, that he fell willingly, and thereby that it came to pass, that by his own fault, he brought upon him and his destruction. Now albeit that Adam fell no otherwayes than God knowing, and so ordaining, he lost both himself and his posterity, yet that maketh nothing either to the diminishing of his fault, or charging of God with the crime, for this is ever to be considered, that he deprived him self of that innocency which he received of GOD, he voluntarily vowed himself into the ⟨p. 69⟩bondage of sin and Satan: willingly gave himself headlong to destruction. One excuse is pretended, that he could not avoid that which was decreed of God. But voluntary transgression sufficeth enough, and too much, to guiltiness: For the secrete counsel of God is not the proper and natural cause of sin, but the manifest will of man.

Nor let it gréeue vs thus farre to submitte oure iudgemente to the immeasurable wisedome of God, that it sayleth in manye of hys secretes, for if those thynges