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…

REFUTATION.

REFVTATION.

THAT which is reported of Balaam, that is, that he blessed Israel whom he was hired to curse, the same I can affirm of thee, who defendest our cause which thou hast undertook to withstand. For what is it to send that spirit of error •or dost thou think that this showeth no other thing, than to account as one forsaken? Or he that sendeth one for some certain cause, either sendeth him against his will, or ⟨p. 136⟩condemneth nothing? but to what man that is not mad shalt thou ever persuade this? But we will speak of this in the refutation of the next Argument. And that which thou triflest of the leaving of the prodigal son, is nothing. For what, dost thou think, that the son was forsaken of his father, regarding nothing, or against his will? If none of both be true, surely he forsook him willingly, nor did he cast away all care of him, but would at the last that he should (as they say) smell of his expenses, and then he thought most of him, when he seemed to have forsaken him, of the which thing we will speak, in the depelling of the the sixth Argument. Therefore this doeth not make against us, but against thee, which separatest sufferance from will. But thou bewrayest thy shameful ignorance in the explication of this place of Ezekiel. For to give precepts that be not good, doth not show to live so as thou mayst run into evil precepts: but the Lord calleth evil precepts, tributes, burdens, laws, & finally, whatsoever the conquering Chaldees were to lay upon the captives: As if the Lord should say, ye would not obey my most holy and just commandments, but for this your infidelity I will severely punish you, for I will give you to be ruled of others, who shall enjoin you, whatsoever most iniust, hard, and filthy things, & shall enforce you to perform them. This exposition, if not out of the Latin interpreters, yet truly thou mightest have learned of the Hebrews, except thou art wont to contemn and despise all writers. But doth not this your tradition declare that idle forsaking? Verily thou shalt never make any believe this, which hath never so superficially seen the Prophets: and this is no less foolish and doltish, than if thou shouldest say that men that be malefactors, convict & contemned, are not of a willing magistrate delivered to the hangman, but only forsaken.