A09918:371
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 eleventh Slander.
The eleuenth Sclaunder.
God giveth will to them that work wickedness, yea he ministereth wicked and unhonest affections, not only by sufferance, but effectually, and that for his own glory.
God giueth will to them that worke wickednesse, yea he ministreth wicked and vnhonest affections, not onely by sufferance, but effectually, and that for hys owne glorie.
THE ANSWER.
THE AVNSVVER.
God forbid that any of us should either have spoken or written as thou writest, that evil will, or any wicked or unhonest affections, are either given, suffered or wrought of God, seeing that our very thought doth abhor from such blasphemies. This indeed we doubt not to affirm, that God doth quicken and enforce even those that be wicked, and do wickedly, but so, as the whole lewdness of the moving and deed remain in themselves, nor that any the least pollution doth reach so far as unto God. For we say that which is most true, that God is so the first mover of all things, as that he hath not only given the common influence to all things, which now also he doth further, but also as he hath from everlasting decreed all things, so also the second causes, as it pleaseth him, to bend and govern them, that he may stir, direct and bring them to every determined end, nor that any thing (be it never so little) can be sequestered from his effectual and governing providence. For even a Sparrow, saith Christ, falleth not to the ground, without the will of my father: nor was there ever any man in his right wits, that thought God to be like some master builder who should leave his ship which he had made, to be governed of others, or when a certain force of nature was given to all things that he got himself to heaven, that every part of the world might be carried according to their will and inclination, or that the world is governed only by the general influence. All these opinions we have learned out of the word of God to hold abominable: and in this place we think not with moe words to refute them.