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…

Men oft times either by fear or force, or by some other mean constrained rather than provoked, do permit many things, which they would not undone. But God alone decreeing with most free will, permitteth that which ¹he doeth permit. Because Apollo in the Poets sweareth rashly, by the law of an oath, after a sort he is constrained to grant the Chariot to Phaeton perishing. Yet he willing, granteth the Chariot, because the regard ⟨p. 168⟩of an oath prevailed more with him, than the certain peril of his son. Jupiter complaineth in Homer with tears,² because he could not when he would, deliver his Sa•pedo from present death. Herod swearing rashly, when he heard the head of John Baptiste to be required, and being heavy, advised with himself whether he had rather, the maid being rejected, fall into the crime of perjury, or kill most cruelly the most innocent man, not showing cause why: and at the last, not so much I think, for conscience, which was none, as moved with vain glory and ambition, lest he should seem to have sworn unadvisedly, or in performing an oath inconstant, doth not only suffer, but commandeth the head of John, being cut off, to be given the maid in her hands, as Mark very well noteth. A sick man fearing his life, giveth himself to the Chirurgeon, to be cut: yet not against his will, yet not altogether with free will. The same we may think of the Merchant, who in a great tempest, doth not only suffer his merchandise to be caste over board, but also he with his own hands doeth caste them over. Behold thou many examples of sufferance in all which, yet Will cannot be secluded from Sufferance. Be it far from us, yet to conceive any like things of God, because neither rashness, nor ignorance, nor repentance take place in him, nor is he enthralled to any necessity. For as Augustine sayeth well and learnedly, the life of God, and the foreknowledge of God, we put not under necessity, if we say, it is of necessity, that God live ever, and know all things: as his power is not lessened, seeing he is said, not to can dye, or be deceived. For thus he cannot this thing, that indeed he were rather, if he could, of less power. Yet he is rightly called Omnipotent, who cannot dye, nor be deceived. For he is called Omnipotent. by doing what he will, and not in suffering what he will