An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie

The Pamphlet. The Protestants make God the author, of sinne, the onely cause of sinne, that man sinneth not, that God is worse then the Diuell. 5. Article.

WHosoeuer defendeth that God commaundeth, per∣swadeth, vrgeth, impelleth to sinne, maketh God the cause of sinne.

a 1.1 But all Protestants say that God commaundeth, perswadeth, vrgeth, impelleth to sinne: Ergo.

The Protestants make God the cause and author of sinne.

The Maior I proue: for if God perswade or impell men to sinne, as for example: Iudas to sell Christ, Saint Peter to deny Christ, the Iewes to crucifie Christ: questionles he intended the * 1.2 sacriledge of Iudas, the negation of Peter, the murder of the Iewes: and this much more effectually then Iudas, Peter, or the Iewes. For who can resist his impulsion? or who can frustrate his intention? Voluntati eius quis resistet? Who is able to oppose himselfe against his will? yet what man is he, that in con∣science were not bound to conforme his will vnto the will of God, who is the author of all good wills, and the first rule and square of all regular wils. Iudas, Peter, and the Iewes, if they bad fol∣lowed the motions of God, who could haue blamed them, for following him, who could not erre in impelling, nor sinne in per∣swading them?

But some will say, that God moued them for a good end: vi∣delicet, the redemption of man, and they intended an ill end: to wit, Lucre, reuenge, or some other sinister effect. Yet this shift will not salue the sore, for euill may not be done, that good may follow. Non sunt facienda mala vt inde veniant bona: For * 1.3 otherwise a man might steale to giue almes, be drunke for a me∣riment, commit aduontrie to beget children.

Moreouer why might not Iudas, Peter or the Iewes, intend

that good end which God intended, and yet haue sould, denied, and crucified Christ conforming their intentions to his, they be∣ing instruments and he the first moouer?

Againe it cannot be said: but that God indirectly, and most effectually intended their sinnes; for he that intendeth any effect wherewith another effect is necessarily conioyned, consequently intendeth it: as for example. He that intendeth to burne a ship in the midst of the sea, intendeth consequently the death of all the men which be in her. In like manner, if God intended that Iudas should sell Christ, vnto which action sinne was necessa∣rily adioyned, consequently God intended the sinne as well as the selling.

The Minor is to too euident. For the Protestants deride Gods permission, they say that all his actions are energeticall, or effectuall: they desperately auer, that Paules conuersion, and Dauids aduoutrie, were in like manner the workes of God: And as he elected some to glorie, before the preuision of workes; so he reiected some from glorie before the preuision of sins. Here hence I infer that according to the Protestants principles, God is most properly the author of sinne, because he impelleth most effectually thereunto.

Next that he is the only author of sinne, for that he inforceth men vpon necessitie to sinne, and they as instruments follow the motion of their first cause.

Againe, that man sinneth not; for where there is necessitie of sinning, there is no sinne, for sinne is free or no sinne: besides, how can man sinne in conforming his will with Gods will?

Finally, God is worse then the diuell: for that the wickednes of the diuell, principally consisteth in moouing, perswading, and inducing of men to sinne: the which by the Protestants confes∣sion, God performeth more effectually then the diuell, because the motions of God are more forcible, and lesse resistable, then the illusions or suggestions of the diuell.

Many sinnes moreouer are acted without the temptations of the diuell, some of ignorance, some of passion, but none without the motions of God: so that God is worse then the diuell, both in causing a greater multitude of sinnes then the diuell, and in the

forcible manner of causing sinnes, which the diuell cannot at∣taine vnto. The which doctrine is as good a ground for A∣theisme as euer hell could deuise: for were it not much more reasonable to say there were no God at all, then to beleeue there were such a God, as commaundeth, perswadeth, vrgeth, impelleth men to sinne; and yet for the same sinnes will torment them with the inexplicable paines of hell.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Caluin. lib. 1. Institu. cap. 17. §. 11. & cap. 18. §. 4. & lib. 3. cap. 23. §. 7. 8. 9.
• * 1.2

  Quintius serm. de prouidentia Beza Aphoris.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 3. vers. 8.