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…

Doeth this man seem to have obeyed the common wealth, who ki led the man that was under proscription, or rather worthy to be punished as a thief? For how can he seem to have obeyed, that knew not the edict of proscription? The same also is to be judged of the Chaldees and other enemies, of the people of God, who albeit they afflicted yt Jews with deserved punishments, & did execute Gods judgements, yet they can not seem to have obeyed god, even whose name they did not reverence, much less did think to obey his commandments.

Doeth this man séeme to haue obeyed the common wealth, who ki led the man that was vnder proscription, or rather worthy to be punished as a théefe? For how can he séeme to haue obeyed, that knewe not the edict of proscription? The same also is to be iudged of the Chaldeis and other enemies, of the people of God, who albeit they afflicted yt Iews with deserued punishments, & did execute Gods iudgements, yet they can not séeme to haue obeyed god, euen whose name they did not reuerence, much lesse did thinke to obey hys commaundements.

This only is the difference, that the common wealth did not appoint that spoiler to kill him: but the Lord called the Chaldees, albeit they knew it not, to execute his judgements, as himself test if yeth in infinite places, and chiefly in the. 23. of Ezekiel, which place I think can not be read without trembling. Therefore the Chaldees did not properly the Lords work, but by them not knowing it, and thinking no such thing, the Lord executed his just work, & nevertheless did afterwards most justly punish them, as the Prophets had witnessed. For so the Lord in Isaiah,¹ when he said, oh Assur, the rod of my fury, and the staff of them in my displeasure, I will send him to a dissembling nation, & I will command him against the people of mine indignation, that he rob them as a ⟨p. 139⟩pray, and take spoils, and lay him to be trodden upon as the dust in the streets. And then he addeth: but Assur himself thinks not so, nor will his heart conceive it, because it will be in his heart, to root out and destroy many nations. And straightway he sayeth: But it will come to pass, when the Lord hath perfected his work in mount Zion and Jerusalem, I will visit the proud heart of the King of Assur, and the glory of his high looks. which afterwards the same prophet prosecuteth more largely in the thirteenth Chapter. But let us also suppose the wicked themselves to understand, that it is the commandment of God, yet, that they, in the execution of Gods commandment, can do nothing else but sin. For example. The Magistrate giveth over every offender lawfully convict and condemned to the Executioner. The Executioner, who otherwise is an enemy, afflicteth that man with that same kind of torment that was appointed him, but moved with hatred or covetousness, not setting before him the Judges commandment, but this one thing, that he may satisfy his mind. Wilt thou think him innocent before the Lord, who seeth the thoughts of the hart, & not rather guilty of murder, yea, even of sacrilege, who abuseth yt sacred judgement of yt Magistrate, to satisfy his own lust? Such was Satan's fault, when not by the bare sufferance of God, as thou wilt, but by express commandment, he was sent to ver Job, and also to deceive Ahab.