A09918:399
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 REFUTATION.
THE REFVTATION.
There proceedeth no lie from God, not even then when he sendeth lying spirits with strong delusion. For in a lye as in other vices & crimes, there is a note of wicked affection, which by no means can fall upon God. And whereas a lying spirit, & men liars by nature, do lie, all this is to be attributed to their own beginnings, not by creation, but depraved by their own voluntary corruption. But in respect of God, it ought to be deemed just judgement, which in respect of Satan & men, is a lie. But if thou deniest, that God by the lies of men doth gather a great Harvest of Glory, first of all I can by thine own example confirm that which thou deniest. For how much thinkest thou thy lies have profited our Churches, whilst we diligently compare them with Gods truth? Truly, except thou haddest utterly an other purpose, we should confess our selves much bound to thee & thy faction for this cause, because you have given us occasion of s•arching those things more diligently, of the knowledge whereof we verily take incredible commodity. But so stand together the increases of the Church with Gods glory, that in deed they cannot in any wise be known apart. By the lye of Satan Adam is vanquished. By this fact what •••fit came to us? what glory to God? verily much more ⟨p. 216⟩than by the creation of the world. The wrath of GOD is made manifest against all men, for that they withhold the truth of God in unrighteousness. This wrath is nothing else, but the just judgement of God. •ut doest •hou think, that the glory of God is not enlarged, whn he advanceth his justice? But what? when he taketh away the wisdom of the wise, when he revealeth his wisdom to babes, that is hid from the wise. What else remaineth to these wretches but lying? and yet it cannot be denied, but that self matter doth mightily commend the justice and wisdom of God. Therefore, thou wilt say, doest thou praise lying to us? No in no wise, but I reverence the indeterminable wisdom of God, which bringeth even those things to a profitable end, that is, to his glory, in which he punisheth reproach done against himself, and he draweth even out of mens offences, matter to advance his own glory.