Of Mans temporall estate, made by God, out of no newnesse or change of will. CHAP. 14.
BVt what wonder if these men runne in their circular error, and finde no way forth, seeing they neither know mankindes originall nor his end? beeing not able to pearce into Gods depths: who being eternall, and without beginning yet gaue time a beginning, and made Man in time whom hee had not made before, * 1.1 yet not now maketh he him by any suddaine motion, but as hee had eternally de∣creed. Who can penetrate this (a) inscrutable depth, wherein GOD gaue Man a * 1.2 temporall beginning and had none before: and this out of his eternall, vnchange∣able will; multiplying all mankinde from one? for when the Psalmist had sayd, Thou shalt keepe vs OLORD, and preserue vs from this generation for euer, then hee reprehendeth those whose fond and false doctrine reserue no eternity for the soules blessed freedome, in adioyning, The wicked walke in a Cy•…•…cuite: as who should say, what dost thou thinke or beleeue? Should we say that God suddainely de∣termined to make Man, whom he had not made in all eternity before, and yet that God is euer immutable, and cannot change his will, least this should draw vs into doubt, he answereth God presently, saying: In thy deepe wisdome didst thou multiply the sonnes of men. Let men thinke talke or dispute, as they will (saith he) and argue as they thinke, In thy deepe wisdome, which none can discouer, didst thou multiply mankinde. For it is most deepe, that GOD should bee from eternity, and yet decree that Man should bee made at this time, and not before, without alterati∣on of will.
L. VIVES.
THis inscrutable] The text is inuestigabilem, put for the iust contrary minime inuestigabi•…•… vnsearchable, as indolere and inuocare in latine is vsed both for affirmatiue and negatiue.