Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Those who say that God leads us into error by privation, that is to say, in regard he bereaves us of his spirit, hit not the very white. It is said that God both hardens and blinds when he delivers men up to be blinded by Satan, who is the minister and executioner of his wrath, for otherwise we should ever be a pray unto the will of the devil: but in regard he is able to do nothing of himself without Gods commandment,¹ to whose beck he is subject, we truly affirm, that God is the author of this blinding and hardening, which also the scriptures do witness in many places. And yet it follows not thereupon that he should be the author of sin, because he punisheth mens ingratitude by such a blinding. And thus the faithful in this verse confess that God hath left them, but their sin was the cause, so as they still acknowledge Gods just revenging hand upon them. In like manner after Moses hath said, That thitherunto God had not given the people eyes to see, nor an heart to understand, he lays not the blame thereof upon God, but shows the Jews where they were to seek the remedy of such a benumbedness whereof they were convinced, Deut. 29.14. But these seem to take another pretext here, in that they ask a reason, and expostulate the matter ⟨p. 644⟩with God, as if he had bin bound to have handled them more mildly. Ans. But I answer, that the faithful have still an eye to Gods goodness, whilst they confess that their afflictions are the just recompenses of their sins.

Those who say that God leades vs into error by priuation, that is to say, in regard he bereaues vs of his spirit, hit not the very white. It is said that God both hardens and blinds when he deliuers men vp to be blinded by Satan, who is the minister and executioner of his wrath, for otherwise we should euer be a pray vnto the will of the diuell: but in regard he is able to doe nothing of himselfe without Gods commandement,¹ to whose beek he is subiect, we truely affirme, that God is the author of this blinding and hardening, which also the scriptures doe witnes in many places. And yet it followes not thereupon that he should be the author of sinne, because he punisheth mēs ingratitude by such a blinding. And thus the faithfull in this verse confesse that God hath left them, but their sinne was the cause, so as they still acknowledge Gods iust reuenging hand vpon them. In like maner after Moses hath said, That thitherunto God had not giuē the people eies to see, nor an heart to vnderstand, hee layes not the blame thereof vpon God, but shewes the Iewes where they were to seeke the remedie of such a benummednes vvhereof they vvere conuinced,