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IT remaineth now that we consider, how blinding and har∣dening of the vngodly is attributed vnto God. For vnlesse this be rightly vnderstood, God shall seeme to bee accused of iniustice, and contrariwise sinners excused, according to the saying: Why is hee yet angrie? for who shall resist his will?
Some, to auoide these rockes, doe expound, that God harde∣neth by permitting onely, and all seeme not to take this per∣mission after one sort: some referre it to the long suffering, and lenitie of God, so that he is said to harden when he doth not forthwith chasten sinners: and to haue mercie, when by and by he inuiteth them to repentance by afflictions. Others say, that permission here is the priuation of grace, so that to harden is all one with, not to soften by grace.
The former exposition is referred of Erasmus to Origene and Hierome. But it is confuted by Luther by most strong reasons. For that ouermuch libertie of interpreting, tendeth to confound all things by a new and vnheard of Grammer: as when God saith, I will harde the heart of Pharao, change∣ing the persons, a man should take it, Pharao hardeneth him selfe by my lenitie. God hardeneth our heart, that is, wee har∣den our selues, while God deferreth punishment. So, that God sheweth mercie, doth not signifie, to giue grace, to for∣giue sinnes, to iustifie, or to deliuer from euils: but contrarily it signifieth to punish, and to chastise. This is nothing else than of mercie to make wrath, of wrath mercie, by an alto∣gether crosse kinde of speech. And if then God bee said to harden, when hee doth good, and forbeareth; and to haue mercie, when he afflicteth and chastiseth, then God shall not bee said to haue hardened Pharao, but contrariwise to haue had mercie on him. For what omitted hee in afflicting, cha∣stening, and calling Pharao to repentance? These and many other things, saith Luther in that place.
Augustine also reproueth Iulian the Pelagian of an error for this, that he thought that hardening pertained onely vnto Gods patience, and not to his power, as God did not harden, but by shewing his patient goodnesse, when euils bee done. What is it (saith he) that we daily say: Leade vs not into temp∣ration? but that we bee not deliuered ouer vnto our lusts? Doe we happely aske this of God, that his goodnes be not patient to∣wards vs? What man in his right wits so meaneth? Because so wee should not call for his mercie, but rather prouoke his anger.
Their iudgement is somwhat fuller, who albeit they also make mention of permission in this matter, yet they take har∣dening for the withdrawing and depriuing of grace. And this is it that is read in Augustine: God is saide to harden, to blinde, to turne away him whome hee will not soften, in∣lighten, and call. Neither doth God harden, by bestowing ma∣lice, but in not bestowing mercy. Also to Simplician, Gods har∣dening is, that he is vnwitting to shew mercie, so that he giueth not any thing to a man to make him worse, but onely giueth him nothing to make him better. And by and by; he bestoweth not vpon some sinners his mercie to iustifie them, and therefore he is said to harden some sinners, because he hath not mercie on them and not because he compelleth them to sinne. In this sense Lombard also and Aquinas speake of induration o•• harde∣ning.
Albeit this exposition be tollerable, yet the same Aquinas in his exposition vpon the 9. to the Rom. vpon the saying, he hardeneth whom hee well: freely confesseth, that something more must bee vnderstood herein: and he addeth, that men are moued of God to good or euill by a certaine inward motion, but diuersely. For a man is stirred vp to good of God, directly, and of him selfe, as of the author of goodnes: but vnto euill by occasion. Here with may those things be compared, that Lu∣ther hath in his booke of seruile free will cap. 150. and 154. and Brentius vpon 1. Sa. 2. of Elies sonnes writeth thus: To the in∣tent they might be punished worthily according to their deserts, the Lord by his secret power brought it to passe, that they should not repent at their fathers admonition, and should perish: to wit, inwardly working what outwardly hee forbiddeth by his word. And this is not to be the author or cause of maliciousnes, but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same. These things he.
But especially Augustine at large proueth and declareth, that God worketh as pleaseth him euen in the hearts of wicked men, by rendring vnto them according to their deserts. So God (saith he) wrought in the heart of Amasia, (with whome doubtles God was iustly angrie for his Idolatrie) that he should not heare good counsell, but contemning it, should goe to warre,
where with his whole army he might be destroyed. And in the Psalmes it is said of the Egiptians, what God did vnto them. He turned their hearts, that they hated his people, and dealt de∣ceitefully with his seruants.
Of these and such like places of the holy Scripture he after∣ward concludeth, that God worketh in the hearts of men to bowe their willes, whither soeuer it pleaseth him, either to good of his mercy, or to euill according to their deserts, in his iudge∣ment doubtles, sometime manifest, sometime hidden, but al∣waies iust. In like maner against Iulian: Many things (saith he) we could rehearse, wherby it might plainely appeare, that by the secret iudgement of God the hart is made peruerse, that a man heareth not the truth, and therupon sinneth for a punishment of some former sin. And among other things these he mentio∣neth: Rom. 1. Therefore, (that is for a recompence of their er∣ror) God gaue them vp into shamefull affections, and into a re∣bate mind, to do the things that were not conuenient, being full of all vnrighteousnes, fornication, wickednes, coueteousnes, &c. 2. Thess. 2. Because they receiued not the loue of the truth, that they might be saued, God sent vnto them a strong force of er∣ror that they might beleeue a lye. Isa. 19. God hath cast among them the spirite of error, and they haue seduced Egipt. And chapter. 63. why hast thou made vs O Lord to erre from thy waies? hast thou hardened our hearts, that we should not feare thee? 1. King. 22. By Gods commaundement, and in his iudge∣ment a lying spirite went forth to seduce Achab by the false Prophets. He doth these things after a wonderfull and vn∣speakeable maner, (saith Augustine) who knoweth how to worke his iust iudgements, not onely in the bodies, but also in the harts of men: who maketh not euill wills, but vseth them, as he will, seeing he cannot will any thing vniustly. Cyprian also vpon the petitiō. Lead vs not into tēptation, or as he readeth: Suffer vs not to be lead &c. writeth, that the aduersarie can do nothing against vs, vnles God before hath permitted him, and thence is power giuen him: and that that euill one hath power against vs in two respects: either to punishment, when we haue sinned, or els to glory, when wee are tryed. Which thing in so many
wordes welneere our Augustine expresseth: Temptations (saith he) are made by Sathan, not by his authority, but by Gods sufferance, either to punish men for their sins, or els to proue and exercise them of Gods mercy.
Therefore by all these proofes a man may after a sorte per∣ceiue, that hardening, when in the Scriptures it is attributed to God, signifieth not onely permission, but also the operati∣on of Gods wrath: for, (that I may say nothing of outward things, which make to the induration of reprobates,) the de∣uill himselfe, who worketh mightily in the children of disobe∣dience, is so in the power of God, that he doth nothing but at his commaundement. And this is diligently to bee marked, that, whether by forsaking, or by any other waie that mā can shew or not shewe, God, who is most highly good, and vn∣speakeably iust, doth exercise such kind of iudgements, he is not the author, but the reuenger of crimes, while he punish∣eth one sin with another. For we seeke for the merite of mercie (saith Augustine) and we find it not, because there is none; least grace should bee made of none effect, if it be not giuen freely, but rendred for deserts. But we seeke for the merite of hardening, and we find it. For, for good cause the whole lumpe of sin is condemned from the first beginning of it: and as age increa∣seth, so wickednes thereupon groweth through a mans owne will, and thereupon also damnation. Therefore the Scriptures rehearse deliuering vp into euil lustes, and efficacie of error and such like, as the scourges of Gods wrath, and the iust recompence of reward.
[Obiection.] But God worketh (thou saist) hardnes of heart. But hardnes of heart is sin: for what is it els, than to resist the commaunde∣ment of God as Stephen cast the Iewes in the teeth? Therefore God worketh sin.
[Answere. 1] Answere. First, God worketh not hardnes of hart, (as hath been said) by instilling malice, but by forsaking, and deliue∣ring vp to ye lusts of the hart, & to the deuil himselfe. [Answere. 2] Second∣ly, in the Minor there is a fallacie of the accident. For (as Aug. teacheth,) the hardnes of heart, as manie other things, may be considered three manner of waies: to wit, as it is sin: as it is the
punishment of former sinnes: and as it is the cause of sinnes fol∣lowing, namely, when through the error of a blind heart some euill is committed. And these diuerse respects concurre acci∣dentally in one and the same worke. Therefore as farre forth as hardnes (whereof wee speake) is a sin, it is the worke of man and the deuill: and it is Gods worke no otherwise than as it is a∣punishment. For hee is the author of euery punishment of sinne whatsoeuer it be: because euery punishment of sin, as it is such, is good, because it is iust. But God is not the author of sin, be∣cause it is euill. And God is exceeding good and iust, and can∣not be the author of an euill and vniust thing, as it is written: Thou art a God that hast no pleasure in wickednes. And Cle∣mens Alexandrinus citeth out of the Poet: Iupiter who raig∣neth ouer the Gods, and beholdeth all things, is not the cause of euils to mortall men.
Hereupon dependeth an answere to an other obiection also: [Obiection. 2] That if God hardens men, they that sin, seeme to be made excusable. For who may resist his will? [Answere.] But for two causes no place of defence or shift is left for such as be hardened. First because the merit of induratiō sticketh fast in themselues, as we haue seene. Secondly, they themselues wittingly and wil∣lingly harden their owne heart against Gods commaunde∣ment, and indurate themselues: as of Pharao not onely it is written, that God hardened him, but also that he hardened his owne heart. And the wiseman witnesseth, that the wicked erre, because their own malice blindeth them. For through ma∣lice they shut their owne eyes, least they should see, and stop their eares, least they should heare, like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare, least she should heare the voice of the charmer.
Diuerse opini∣ons of Gods hardening a man.
Collat. de lib. arbit. De ser. arbit. ca. 139. & seq.
The first opi∣nion confuted as false.
Lib. 5. cap. 3.
The second o∣pinion better, but vnperfect.
De pr••••l. & gra••ca. 4. Epist. 1••5. Lib. 1. cap 2.
Lom. lib. 1. dist. 4. c. 4. q. ••. 2. q. 29. God moueth mens hearts to good and euil, but diuerslie, yet alwaies iustly.
Brentius.
De gra. & lib. ar••. cap. 1.
2. King 14.
Psalm. 105.
God worketh in m••ns hearts, to bow their wills to good or euill.
Lib. 5 cap. 3.
God puni∣sheth sinne with sinne.
Augustine.
Cypr ser. de ••∣rat. dom. in 5 petit.
The diuell hath power a∣gainst vs in two respects.
De serm. Dom. in monte lib. 2.
Gods harde∣ning is not only permissi∣on, but also the operation of his wrath.
God is the re∣uenger, and not the author of sinne.
Ad Sixtum. Epist. 105.
Rom. 5.
Contra Iul. pel. lib. 5. cap. 3.
Hardnes of heart taken three waies.
Psalm. 5. Lib. 5. Stromat.
They that be hardened, haue no defence for it, and that for two causes.
Exod. 8. Wisd. 2.
Psalm. 58.