A09918:78
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.
But so far is it off that thou shouldest acquit thy self myth this answer, that thou speakest more and ⟨p. 37⟩more against thy self. For first, whence be these sins, but from corruption: And the alone corruption of Adam, why suffereth god to be derived upon all his posterity? Thou canst here insert no foreknowledge of sin, which hath enforced God, sith it is of necessity that thou set the cause before his effects. I will speak more plainly that the people his effects. I will speak more plainly that the people may understand me. If GOD will have no man to be borne to misery, why doth he then permit them to be borne in corruption, sith of necessity misery followeth corruption? Shameless impudent, wilt thou not here at the last, give all glory to God? wilt thou not curse that blasphemy, that God is worse than a Wolf, if he will that man be created to misery? wilt thou not once think it good to rest silent in that secrets justice of the incomprehensible god? Will never this firmest triple reason bring under this thy beastliness, That God sith he is just can do nothing unjustly in his works, albeit he doth many things which to us may seem unjust for that we cannot comprehend the causes of them. That God simply createth none to misery, but so together ordaineth the causes of this misery, that he that is borne miserable, should worthily be borne miserable. That God in the purpose of rejecting, respecteth not the destruction of reprobates as the last end, but his own glory, which shineth in their just reprobation. So plainly speaketh the spirit of God, and thou caitiff wilt murmur against God, and wilt never understand what impiety it is, to bind GOD to the laws of this nature, nor to confess in God any other light of wisdom and justice, than whose brightness thou mayst endure? But I will yet go further with thee: wilt thou deny that blindness is a misery? I think not, except thou beest blinder than the blind themselves. But when as thou, and the rude disciples supposed the borne ⟨p. 38⟩blind man, of whom I spake before, to have bin borne to that misery, either for his parents sins or for his own, what answereth the Lord to them and thee? Neither this (saith he) hath sinned; neither his parents:
But so faure is it off that thou shouldest acquit thy selfe myth thys aunswere, that thou speakest more and ⟨p. 37⟩