A learned treatise of the plague

But let us hear something else of more weight peradventure; There can be nothing sent of God (say they) but that which is good; nay; there is nothing Good, but that which cometh of God: But the Plague is sent of God, therefore it is good; if not of its own nature, yet in respect of the good end; namely, to punish our Sins, to try our Faith, to drive us to Repentance, and to bring forth Hypocrites to light. Who therefore (say they) can deny, but that They fly the thing that is good, which fly the Plague, by the which God bringeth all these things to pass? Again, that which God sendeth upon all, that is to say, upon any one Church or Kingdom; as for example, the Plague, the same he will have born of all; how is it to be fled from? Therefore they set themselves against the will of God, which fly the Plague; nay, they fly in vain, because it is in vain to strive against the will of God; but what could have been more vainly said than these things; For to let pass the falsehood that lieth in these words, Good and Evil, in this Argument, to what end I pray you should they enter into this disputation concerning the nature of things? There is no Evil ⟨p. 15⟩(that is to say, no calamity or punishment) in the City, which the Lord hath not done, saith the Prophet. Why therefore shall we call Famine, Pestilence, War, and such like, Good? Because, say they, they fall out unto the good of the Godly. I grant it, because the Lord fetcheth Light out of Darkness: Yea, but the Godly are instructed by Sin it self. Are Sins I pray you therefore good, and doth he which resisteth them resist God? To be short, who seeth not, that to pray unto God against things which of their own nature are hurtful unto us, and withal to use just and lawful remedies to avoid them, if it may be; So that we commit the end to God, to be a far other thing than it is, or that we should hope to withstand God, or by any means to escape his Judgements? Abraham himself, Isaac and Jacob did fly Hunger, the which notwithstanding was sent of God; who yet cannot be said to have fled the thing that was good, or to have sinned: As for that which they so greatly stand upon, namely, That those which fly the Plague do break that immovable Precept which Humanity it self teacheth, Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye the same unto them;

But let us hear something else of more weight peradventure; There can be nothing sent of God (say they) but that which is good; nay; there is nothing Good, but that which cometh of God: But the Plague is sent of God, therefore it is good; if not of its own nature, yet in respect of the good end; namely, to punish our Sins, to try our Faith, to drive us to Repentance, and to bring forth Hypocrites to light. Who therefore (say they) can deny, but that They fly the thing that is good, which fly the Plague, by the which God bringeth all these things to passe? Again, that which God sendeth upon all, that is to say, upon any one Church or Kingdom; as for example, the Plague, the same he will have born of all; how is it to be fled from? Therefore they set themselves against the will of God, which fly the Plague; nay, they fly in vain, because it is in vain to strive against the will of God; but what could have been more vainly said than these things; For to let passe the falshood that lieth in these words, Good and Evil, in this Argument, to what end I pray you should they enter into this disputation concerning the nature of things? There is no Evil