A learned treatise of the plague

Finally, that which they take for most certain, namely, that happening or chance is repugnant unto the sure and steadfast Decree of God; which notwithstanding it maketh not much to the matter, yet who will grant it them? we call those happening or chancing Causes, which of their own nature may fall out unto either part; if any man should take them out of the nature of things, I know not whether he should have any man of a right Judgment to hold with him. They say out of St. Augustine, That the will of God is the necessity of things; I grant so far as pertaineth unto the end and effects of the Causes themselves: But as St. Augustine saith very well, It followeth not, that though all things which God hath decreed shall come to pass, must needs come to pass, that therefore they come to pass of necessary Causes; like as the Stoics did falsely conclude, and the same may be proved by most certain and most plain examples: For do we not believe that Christ had indeed Man's bones; and therefore such as of their own nature might at any time have been broken; and yet indeed they could not be broken, for that it was otherwise decreed by God: Therefore by hap and chance, concerning their own nature they were not broken; when as notwithstanding they were such as might have been broken, and yet by God's Decree they remained of necessity unbroken. Again, that Christ from the very time that he took upon him our Human nature was endued with a Mortal body, all Christians do confess; therefore of his own nature he might have been slain by Herod, with the other little Children; but by God's Decree he could not: Therefore that he was not then slain, fell out by hap and chance, if you consider the nature of his Body, when as it might have chanced otherwise: But, by God's Decree, he could no more be slain by Herod, than the will of God could be changed. Christ when he was carried to be crucified, was then undoubtedly of such health, that he needed not at that time to have died; he died therefore by chance, if you do consider the cause of his Natural death; and yet be died of necessity, if you look to the unchangeable appointment of his ⟨p. 11⟩Father, because his hour was come: and withal he died willingly, because he laid down his Life for us. Thus far therefore is neither chance nor will repugnant unto the most certain Decree of God.

Finally, that which they take for most certain, namely, that happening or chance is repugnant unto the sure and stedfast Decree of God; which notwithstanding it maketh not much to the matter, yet who will grant it them? we call those happening or chancing Causes, which of their own nature may fall out unto either part; if any man should take them out of the nature of things, I know not whether he should have any man of a right Judgment to hold with him. They say out of St. Augustine, That the will of God is the necessity of things; I grant so far as pertaineth unto the end and effects of the Causes themselves: But as St. Augustine saith very well, It followeth not, that though all things which God hath decreed shall come to pass, must needs come to pass, that therefore they come to pass of necessary Causes; like as the Stoicks did falsely conclude, and the same may be proved by most certain and most plain examples: For do we not believe that Christ had indeed Man's bones; and therefore such as of their own nature might at any time have been broken; and yet indeed they could not be broken, for that it was otherwise decreed by God: Therefore by hap and chance, concerning their own nature they were not broken; when as notwithstanding they were such as might have been broken, and yet by God's Decree they remained of necessity unbroken. Again, that Christ from the very time that he took upon him our Human nature was indued with a Mortal body, all Christians do confesse; therefore of his own nature he might have been slain by Herod, with the other little Children; but by God's Decree he could not: Therefore that he was not then slain, fell out by hap and chance, if you consider the nature of his Body, when as it might have chanced otherwise: But, by God's Decree, he could no more be slain by Herod, than the will of God could be changed. Christ when he was carried to be crucified, was then undoubtedly of such health, that he needed not at that time to have died; he died therefore by chance, if you do consider the cause of his Natural death; and yet be died of necessity, if you look to the unchangeable appointment of his