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…

THE REFUTATION.

THE REFVTATION.

BUT thou art no Hypocrite, which so apparently •• sest such a filthy speech. That which God commandeth, he always commandeth without dissimulation: that which he for biddeth, he forbiddeth simply. But thou wilt say, he eftsoons requireth of some one that which yet he would not he should do: if you be credited, give an example. He requireth of Pharaoh, that he let the Israelites go, and yet he will not that he should dismiss them, seeing he willingly hardened him. He sendeth Isay, who should require of the people amendment of life, yet he blindeth the people, that seeing, they should not see. He daily calleth many, whom yet he draweth to himself. This thou sayest is your doctrine, I grant, for so we ⟨p. 185⟩have learned to speak out of the word of God, but we for all that, deny God to be a dissembler, for to command, and to nill are not contraries, but these in deed are contraries, to command and forbid, to will and to nill, therefore God should then have bin a dissembler, if he should have commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and should have letted Pharaoh that he should not obey it, when he was ready to obey: or if he should say to the unbelievers, I will, that you repent, and in the mean, in not drawing them, should bid them be reckless of repentance. And albeit it be true, that God willeth, that is, approveth and accepteth whatsoever he commandeth, and plainly manifesteth his nature, both in bidding, and forbidding, yet it followeth, not that he always giveth grace to those, to whom he commandeth or forbiddeth any thing, that they can perform that he commandeth, or abstain from that he forbiddeth. The Lord therefore said to Pharaoh by Moses, send away my people, and yet he doth not move his heart, but hardeneth it. He saith to the Israelites by the Prophet Isaiah, Repent: and himself said to the Pharisees Repent: and by Paul, believe the Gospel, and yet he doth not draw the most of them. Yet I deny, that here is any show of dissimulation, for the Lord in very deed requireth, that he doth require, and forbiddeth in very deed that he doth forbid. But if there be any thing here, wherein humane reason may murmur, this is rather it, that the Lord should seem either unwisely, or unjustly to command that which he knoweth can not be done, or to forbid that which he knoweth sufficiently can not but be done.