A09918:174
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…
An evident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianism Wherein is mightily cleared the sovereign truth of Gods eternal predestination, the staid groundwork of our most assured safety by Christ. Written in Latin by that reverend father, master Theodore Beza, and now lately Englished by VV.H. preacher of the Gospel.An euident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianisme Wherein is mightelie cleared the soueraigne truth of Gods eternall predestination, the stayd groundworke of oure most assured safetie by Christ. Written in Latin by that reuerend father, mayster Theodore Beza, and now lately Englished by VV.H. preacher of the Gospell.
London: printed by Ralph Newberie, 1578
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
We deny not, but all things are done by the will of God, and so much the more, when we declare why he is called Almighty,1 we attribute unto him an effectual power in all creatures, and teach, that having once created the universal world, he also doth so govern the same, and hath ever his hand ready in the work, that he may keep all things in their estate, and dispose them according to his will. That I may more easily express what this meaneth, I say, that we must consider that God doth work three manner of ways in the universal government. For first, there is an universal working, whereby he directeth all creatures according to the state and property which he hath given to every of them, when he created them. This governance is nothing else than that ⟨p. 89⟩which we call the order of nature. For whilst the infidels due acknowledge nothing in the disposition of the world, but that they see with their eyes, and therefore constitute nature as it were a Goddess which should rule and govern all things: this glory is to be given to the will of God, that it alone guideth and ruleth all things. Wherefore, when we see the Sun, the Moon, and Stars perform their course, let us think that they obey God, that they execute his commandments: and not that only, but that they are governed with Gods hand, and that all things are done by his power. So when we behold the course of earthly things, all things to be attributed to God, but the creatures are to be judged as instruments in his band, which he will apply to the work, howsoever it pleaseth him. The Scripture oftentimes toucheth this universal providence, that we may learn to give glory to God in all his works. And God especially commendeth to us this his power, that we may acknowledge the same in our selves, to the end we may be rid from arrogance, which, so soon as we forget that we be in his hand, doth use by and by to surmount in us. To this it is that Paul said at Athens. In him we live, move, and have our being:2 for he doth testify unto them, that except he do sustain us with his hand, for never so little moment of time we can not continue, seeing we remain in him: and as the soul disperseth his power through all the body, doth enforce the members: that so we be quickened of God, of whom we obtain, whatsoever strength and ability is in us.