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 ANSWER.

THE AVNSVVERE.

These be Calvins words, which after thy manner thou hast cited maimed, that thou mayst persuade, that it pleaseth Calvin that God be the author of lies, and so much the more to command lying. Thus contrariwise saith Calvin, God himself doth now use the wicked, to punish the sins of men, as it were whips, and sometimes, as if he should draw them by the neck, he causeth them to be ministers of his loving kindness.¹ These saith Calvin, who after he hath with plain testimonies proved each member, at the last he addeth, the same is to be seen in Satan, the Captain of all the ungodly, and Prince of all wickedness. God sendeth him to deceive Ahab, with this commandment, that he be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets.² So the spirit of error is the minister of the wrath of God, to blind yt wicked which would not obey the truth. That therefore thou sayest (Sycophant) is true, but thou shouldest have added, that lying is not ⟨p. 199⟩manded of God, for as much as it is lying (for thus far God doth not command or allow lying, but forbiddeth & punisheth it) but in that it is the just punishment of them which have preferred lying before truth,³ as Paul expresseth.

These be Caluines words, whiche after thy manner thou hast cited maymed, that thou mayst persuade, that it pleaseth Caluine that God be the authour of lyes, and so muche the more to commaund lying. Thus contrariwise saith Caluine, God himself doth now vse the wicked, to punish the sinnes of men, as it were whippes, and sometimes, as if he should draw them by the necke, he causeth them to be ministers of his louing kindnesse.