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…

Pighius urgeth, that if mans Apostasy be Gods work, it is false that the Scripture sayeth, that all things are good which God hath made, but I can safely testify, and boldly pronounce, that this false imagination did never enter into my thought, I therefore affirm every where, that the nature of man was first made innocent, least the wickedness ⟨p. 107⟩which by his defection he hath drawn to himself, might be ascribed to God, that death, whereto he enthralled himself, which before was partaker of life, did so come by his own fault, least God should be thought the author. The same, in the same Book, whatsoever men sin, they would impute it to him, but if any would escape, (I say) he is more straitly chained with the bonds of conscience, than that he may deliver himself from just damnation. Let Adam make excuse as he will, that he was deceived by the enticements of the wife which God gave him, yet the deadly poison of infidelity within, the secrete most pestilent advisor ambition, the devilish breathing of presumption, will be found within. They are therefore much less to be excused, who endeavour to draw the cause of their evils, out of the deep secretes of God, which bewrayeth it self out of their own depraved heart. Let every one acknowledge his own sin, condemn himself, and confessing from his heart his own guiltiness, let him seriously entreat his judge If any murmur, the exception is ready, O Israel, thy destruction cometh of thy self. The same in the selfsame Book, speaking to the slanderer. They charge us (saith he) with a filthy and shameful slander, who pretend that God is the author of sin, if his will be the cause of all things that are done, for that which man wickedly committeth, set on either by ambition, or by covetousness, or by lust, or by whatsoever other wicked affect, seeing God worketh by his hand according to his justice, although secret judgement, the name of sin can have no place in him, infidelity, cruelty, pride, intemperance, envy, blind self-love, any wicked affection, causeth sin in man. In G O D thou shalt find no such thing. And a little after, such is (sayeth he) ⟨p. 108⟩the manner of Gods working in the sins of men, that when it cometh to him, with his pureness he utterly abandoneth all blemish. But what?

Pighius vrgeth, that if mans Apostacie be Gods worke, it is false that the Scripture sayeth, that all thynges are good whyche God hathe made, but I can safely testifye, and boldly pronounce, that thys false imagination did neuer enter into my thought, I therefore affirme euery where, that the nature of man was fyrste made innocente, least the wickednesse