A09918:65
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.
REFUTATION.
REFVTATION.
AGAIN, thou beatest against the same rock, which knowest not how to set hatred under the decree, & that so, that betwixt the decree and hatred, be interjected the cause of hatred, whose gus•tinesse remaineth in men themselves, as I have already said a thousand times. Again, albeit we willing lye confess the goodness of God to have appeared in the very work of creation, nor that God hath properly hated his own work, but his corruption, yet who will grant thee, that thou wouldest enforce by this argument, that God, because that for his singular goodness, he created the reprobate, therefore he did not predestinate them to his deserved hatred. But I will help thee here. For not only in the creation of the reprobate, but also in all their life, a certain unspeakable kindness ⟨p. 36⟩of God doeth often shine, insomuch, that if thou beholdest the present state of things, and ascendest no further, the Lord may rather seem to favour the wicked than the righteous: which cogitation much moved David, and deceived the Epicures. But what (sayeth the LORD) of all Reprobates in the person of Pharaoh, saying: Therefore (sayeth he) have I raised thee up, that is, have brought thee forth, that in thee I might declare my power, that is to say, in working mightily on thee. Nor yet am I ignorant, that there is not wanting those which otherwise expound the word of Exciting, which answereth to the Hebrew word: but the Apostles saying doeth sufficiently declare, that it is to be expounded so, that it ought to ascend to the very creation. Again, what way so ever thou doest expound it, truly it shall express the Lords benefits upon Pharaoh, whom notwithstanding he had from everlasting decreed to destroy, and that because he would. For why otherwise should Paul ascend to the will, and should not rather say, he hath pity on whom he pleaseth, and those that deserve this, or whom he foreknew would deserve, those he suffereth to be hardened. So also GOD from everlasting predestinated Esau to his hatred, but yet he blessed him in the plenty of the Earth, and dew of Heaven.