The triall of truth Containing a plaine and short discovery of the chiefest pointes of the doctrine of the great Antichrist, and of his adherentes the false teachers and heretikes of these last times.

Div. 5.

That it would be an impeachment to the Lordes omnipotency, if sin•…•… shoulde be done, himselfe in no respect willing, but altogeather nillinge the sam••e.

THe almighty creator and governour of heaven and earth * 1.1 whose wil hath his forth in al things whatsoever, whose de∣crees cannot be reversed, no•• his power resisted, who is e∣ven in that selfe same thing most singularly good, wherein man is most notoriously evil, who can drawlight out of darkenes, and turne evill into good, hath made sinne it selfe that proceedeth not from himselfe but from the devill, not only an occasion to de∣stroy * 1.2 pride and to plant humility in the heartes of his saints, but also a way for the manifestation of his most severe iustice in the punishment thereof, and of his endles mercy in pardoning the same, and of his infinite wisedome in appointing such a meanes for mans delivery from sinne, whereby he sheweth himselfe both perfectly merciful, and perfectly iust. And in these respectes it may be saide that God willeth, albeit he never iust••fieth sinne, but disalloweth, hateth, and interdicteth the same, and that vpon the * 1.3 paine of eternall damnation. Greate are th•• workes of the LORD (saith S. Austine) and most exquisite in regard of the * 1.4 manifolde re∣spectes of his will: so that by a straunge and vnspeakable manner that is not done BESIDES, which is done AGAINST his vvill: because it should not be done, if he did not suffer it; neither doth he suffer it nilling, but willing. And yet the church of Rome teacheth that God in no respect willeth sinne, but that the sinner performeth the same wholy and altogether against his will. Contrary to the iudgmēt of the wiseman: How might any thing endure if it were not thy vvill? * 1.5 Contrary to the Apostle: who hath resisted his will? and greatly pre∣iudicing thereby the Lordes omnipotency according vnto the plaine and direct censure of S. Austine in this very case. It is not to be doubted (saith he) but that God doth well, in suffering whatsoever is done evill, in that he doth not suffer it, but in his iustice: & now verely that which is iust, is good. Wherefore albeit these thinges which are evill, in

that they are evill are not good, yet notwithstanding it is a good thing, that not only good, but that evill should BE also. For vnlesse it were good that e•• should BE, it should not be permitted to BE of the omnipotent good: to whō without all doubt as it is an easie matter to doe whatsoever hee will, so it is as easye a matter to stay whatsoever he will not. The which thinge vnlesse vve firmely beleeue, the very first foundation of our chri∣stian faith will be greatly shaken wherein we make profession that we beleeue in GOD the father almighty. Neither is he for any other cause truely called omnipotent or almighty, but for that hee is able to to doe whatsoever he will, and the effect of his will is not hindred by the will of any other creature whatsoever. So then God willeth the actions of the wicked: for he could stay them if he willed them not, and had not appointed to draw good out of them, by making them a meanes to manifest his iustice in the authors destruction. And so the Apostle teacheth in plaine wordes that the wicked and reprobate which are hardened in their sinnes by the malice of Satan and by the corruption of their owne nature, are not hardened by the bare permission onely but al∣so by the will and appointment of God. He hath mercy (saith the A∣postle) * 1.6 on whome he WILL and whome he WILL he hardeneth. The Philosopher could say that nothing in this world is made by God rashly or vainely, not hauing an ende wherevnto it is created, and meanes to bring it to the same end. For there is no wise worke-master here among men that will goe about anything, but that he will first determine with himselfe concerning the end of his worke, and the meanes wherby it may be brought therevnto. Which of you (saith our Savi∣our * 1.7 Christ minding to build a tower, sitteth not downe before & counteth the cost whether he be sufficient to performe it &c. Wherfore it cānot be but meere madnes, yea open blasphemy to avouch that the most wise & mighty creator should appoint to make many that should m••r••e themselues, and not to appointe the end wherevnto they should come, and the meanes whereby they should be brought to the same. For to say that God ordained them to life, but alte∣red his purpose vpon their alteration, i•• to robbe God of his vn∣chaungeable goodnes, and of his wisedome and foreknowledge also: to say that God disposed not of them neither this waie nor that way, but left them onely at their owne disposition, is to say

that the ordering of the clay is in it selfe, and not in the potter that fashioneth the same: or to say, that God meerly permitteth their eternall destruction, and their sins wherby they are brought therevnto, neither willing nor nilling the same, neither in•…•…ning to the one nor yet to the other, is to make the Lord a newter in the ordering and governing of this present world, and to open a gappe to flat Epicurisme.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Almighty. Iob 9. 12. Ma h. 8. 8. Eccl. 3. 14. Esa. 14 24. Gen. 50 20. Rom. 8. 28.
• * 1.2

  Aug. co•…•…. Pet. l. 3. c. 13
• * 1.3

  Aug. Ench. ad Laur. c. 100.
• * 1.4

  in omnes voluntates ••ius.
• * 1.5

  Wisd. 11. 22. Rom. 9. 19. Aug. Ench. ad La•…•…. c. 96.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 9. 18. Nihil si•• fr••s••ra. Frustra fi•• quod fine car••t.
• * 1.7

  Luc. 4. 28.