A09918:270
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.
THE ANSWER.
THE AVNSVVER.
IF thou haddest added that which Calvin in that place handleth in good earnest against that self heresy, which thou no less impudently than wickedly, layest to our charge, then at yt last it should have appeared to have bin truly said which thou slanderously reprovest. For we say not simply, that the will of God doeth come in betwixt in these things which be evil, but we add two things. One is, that the will of God doth so come in between even in these things, yet as in no case he allow, or do work in them, in that they be evil but as they be yt punishments of other evils, or else by them the Lord executeth his, in deed sometimes secret, but yet always just judgements. The other, that yt Lord so oft as pleaseth him, doth so use, even evil instruments, to yt performing of his just works, that the instruments in yt mean time, do in no case obey the will of God, but in deed do resist it by direct contrary. Of both we have said already very many things. Yet I will in few words repeat some of them, that at the last I may satisfy thee. When the Lord would punish the adultery of David, behold saith he, I will stir up against thee evil out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives in thy sight, and I will give them to thy neighbour, and he shall sleep ⟨p. 166⟩with thy wines in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it in secrete, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun it self. But say Sycophant he that doeth these (and the Lord doth all these justly, nor is the author of incest,1 but he justly punisheth adultery and murder) doth he seem to thee not to put in his will between? When thou shalt cease to spoil, sayeth the Lord, thou shalt be spoiled. And doth not the Lord seem to them to have given over willingly spoilers into the hands of other spoilers? If thou darest deny this, the Lord himself shall refel in the same Prophet Isaiah, speaking to the Medes and Persians,