An euident display of Popish practises, or patched Pelagianisme. Wherein is mightelie cleared the soueraigne truth of Gods eternall predestination, the stayd groundworke of oure most assured safetie by Christ. Written in Latin by that reuerend father, mayster Theodore Beza, and now lately Englished by VV.H. preacher of the Gospell.

THE REFVTATION.

There procéedeth no lie from God, not euen then when he sēdeth lying spirites with strong delusion. For in a lye as in other vices & crimes, there is a note of wicked affe∣ction, which by no means can fall vpon God. And where∣as a lying spirite, & mē lyars by nature, do lie, al this is to be attributed to their own beginnings, not by creatiō, but depraued by their own volūtarie corcuptiō. But in respect of God, it ought to be déemed iust iudgement, which in re∣spect of Satan & men, is a lie. But if y^u deniest, y^t God by y^e lies of men doth gather a great Haruest of Glorie, first of al I can by thine own example confirme that which y^u de∣niest. For how much thinkest y^u thy lies haue profited our Churches, whilest we diligently compare thē with Gods truth? Truly, excepte y^u haddest vtterly an other purpose, we shold confesse our selues much bound to thée & thy fa∣ction for this cause, bicause you haue giuen vs occasion of s••arching those things more diligently, of the knowledge wherof we verily take incredible cōmoditie. But so stand togither the increases of the Churche with Gods glorie, that in déed they cannot in any wise be known apart. By the lye of Satan Adam is vanquished. By this facte what ••••••fit came to vs? what glorie to God? verily much more

than by the creation of the worlde. The wrath of GOD is made manifest against all men, for that they withholde the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse. This wrath is no∣thing else, but the iust iudgement of God. ••ut doest ••hou thinke, that the glorie of God is not enlarged, wh••n he aduaunceth his iustice? But what? when he taketh away the wisedome of the wise, when he reuealeth his wisedom to babes, that is hid from the wise. What else remai∣neth to these wretches but lying? and yet it cannot be de∣nyed, but that selfe matter doth mightily commend the iu∣stice and wisedome of God. Therefore, thou wilte saye, doest thou praise lying to vs? No in no wise, but I reue∣rēce the indeterminable wisedom of God, which bringeth euen those things to a profitable ende, that is, to his glo∣rie, in whiche he punisheth reproche done againste him∣selfe, and he draweth euen out of mens offences, matter to aduaunce his owne glorie. If this content thée not, and thou procéedest to cauill, if Gods trueth by my lie abound to his glorie, why am I anye more condemned as a Sin∣ner, or rather why shoulde we not do euil, that good might come thereon. If I say thou procéedest thus to cauill? I will except this one thing with Paule, that thou arte one of them, whose condemnation is iuste. But in that which thou bringest of Nabuchadnezer, what else doest thou, but bewray thy childishnesse? When Nabuchadnezer had re∣ceiued y^e punishme••t of his pride, he gaue to God y^e praise of iustice. What other thing canst thou gather of that, but that Gods glorie is aduaunced by his iuste iudgementes? But nowe, when amongest his moste iuste iudgementes are numbred, strong delusion, blinding, hardening, séeste thou not, that thou arte taken in the same nettes whiche thou haste made to thy selfe.

Notes

• Rom. 3.7.••.