“Thy worde (sayeth David) is a lanterne to my fete and a light unto my steppes. When thy worde goeth forth, it giveth light and understanding even unto babes: All the wordes of the Lord are pure and cleane; it is a shielde to them that put their trust in it.; And the Prophet Esaya: “If any man lacke light, let him looke upon the lawe and the testimonie.” We must not leave the word and seke to establish our phantasies, either by reason or God’s secret will. For we are commanded that we turne not from the word, neither to the right hand nor to the left, that thou maiest, sayeth the Holye Ghost, “have understanding in all that thou takest in hand.” This is sufficient for us, and this we oght for to do. But we knowe, say you, even by the worde, that God hath a secret will, whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him verie well. And can you prove thereby that God hath two willes? God hath reveled so much of his will as is profitable for us to us to knowe; the rest, which is neither necessarie nor mete for us to know, he hath not reveled. Is it therefore an other will, or is that which is not reveled contrarie to that which is reveled? Then shall there be contrarietie in God, which is fals. If God, in respect of his reveled will, wold not that Adam should fall, but in respect of his secret will, he wold Adam should fall; then did God will two contraries, which is impossible. Was there ever any such monsterous doctrine taught? God abhorreth a double heart, which speaketh one thing and thinketh another; and yet, abhorre you not to charge God with that which he cannot abide in his creatures, that is, that He should speak one thing, as that
Adam should not have fallen, and think and will the contrarie, that Adam should have fallen.

Answer.

The will of God, plainely reveled in his holie Scriptures, we do not onely followe as a bright lanterne shining before us, for the directing of our pathes, walking in the darknes of this mortalitie, but also we affirme it to be of such sufficiencie, that if an Angell from the heaven, with wonders, signes, and miracles, wolde declare to us a will repugning to that which is alredie reveled, persuading us upon that to ground our faith, or by that to rule the actions of our lives, we wold hold him accursed, and in no wise to be heard. And therefore, yet once againe, I can not cease to exhort you, if by late revelations ye (I mean some of your faction) hath receaved any newe knowledge of God’s will, by the which you persuade others, that man in this life shalbe pure and clean, without sinne; that God shall expell it, not onely in the resurrection, but even while we walk compassed with this corruptible flesh, even as the bright sunne chaseth away the dark cloudes; that the children of God shal so beare dominion over the wicked in this earth, that all the proud tyrannes and oppressors shall become slaves to the godlie; and that shalbe their hell and punishment, as the earthlie reigning of the others shalbe their heaven and joye promised.
Examine, I say, yourselves if that any of you be infected with these and others mo grosse and foolish fantasies, which by God’s reveled will you be never able to prove. But as for us, we have proved, and offer to prove at all times, by the reveled will of God, whatsoever we teach, affirme, or beleve of God’s eternal election, or of his most just reprobation. For we confesse even the self same thing which you alledge us to say, which is, that by the Word of God we knowe that God hath a secret will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him in heaven and in earth; and that also he hath reveled unto us so much as is profitable for us to know, either yet necessarie for our salvation. For the which we praise His eternal goodnes and infinit wisdom; and do affirme further (as before we have said), that such as stand not content with that which is reveled, but arrogantly list to mount up to search the secretes of God’s counsel, shalbe beaten downe againe by the brightnes of his glorie to eternal confusion, in a just recompence of their presumpteous boldnes. And thus much with you we will willingly confesse; but where upon certen questions you make such conclusions as pleaseth you, we cannot but accuse in you that unreverent, yea, devilish boldenes and pride, which in all men we condemne. But let us heare your own wordes:—
“Can you prove thereby that God hath two willes? or is that which is not reveled contrarie to that which is reveled? then shoulde there be contrarietie in God, which is false. If God, in respect of his reveled will, wold not that Adam should fall, but in respect of his secret will, he wolde Adam should fall; then did God will two contraries, which is impossible.;
These be your wordes and severall reasons most blasphemously spoken, not against us, but against God’s eternall wisdome. Against us (I say) ye cannot speak them, for no such doctrine have we ever taught. For we most constantly affirme, that the secret will of God, and his will reveled, is alwaies one, which is the manifestation and declaration of his own glorie, althogh it seme divers in the instrumentes, as before I have most manifestly declared. And thus most justly might I send you to debate your cause with Him, whose justice and wisdom cannot be subject to the vanitie of your reason. But yet, because no small part of this controversie betwixt you and us consisteth in this, that you can admit no will in God, the reason and cause whereof ye cannot see, perceave, nor understand; and we affirming the contrarie, say, that of God’s secret will can neither man nor angell perceave, assigne, or understand any other reason or cause but his holie will onelie; and therefore, with all reverence do they stoupe, and covering their eyes, crie, “Just and righteous art thou, O Lord, in all thy workes: Holie, holie, holie, Lord God of armies: the universall earth is replenished with the glorie of his Majestie:” Because, I say, a great part of our controversie standeth in this point, I will go through your questions, and severally answer to everie one.
First, you aske, If God have two willes, by reason that he hath a secret will and a reveled will? I answere, That as God in his eternal Godhead is simple and one, so is his will in respecte of himselfe from all beginning simple and one, which is the declaration of his owne glorie. But because the instrumentes (in which God’s glorie is and must be for ever manifested and knowen) be divers, therefor hath God’s will, which in himself is one, divers considerations, effectes, and endes, in respect of the divers instrumentes. For example, God will the vessels of his mercies to be extolled to the glorie of the kingdome with Christ Jesus; but he will the vesselles of wrath to be adjudged to the fire inquenchable, prepared for the Devill and all his angelles. Who doth not see, but in respecte of these divers instruments, the will of God hath divers respectes and divers endes, and justly may be called two willes, or a double will? For it is one will to save, and another will to condemne, as touching the instruments and creatures saved or condemned. But in respecte of God, the will is one and simple, which is, as before is said, the manifestation of his glorie, which no lesse shyneth in the just punishment of the one sort, then in the mercifull deliverance of the other. And this much for the first.
Secondly, ye ask, If that which is not reveled be contrary to that which is reveled? to the which I answere as before, that in respecte of God, there is no contrarietie betwixt the will reveled and the will unreveled. But yet may the creatures to whome God doeth notifie his will by commandement, rebuke, or exhortation, apprehend and understand one thing, and yet it may be that God in his eternall counsell hath determined the expresse contrarie. If this to you, at the first sight, seeme strange, yet my good hope is, that examples in the Scriptures proposed shall make the mater sensible ynough to the godlie and sober reader. What do we think that David did apprehend of that most sharp and vehement rebuke given unto him by Nathan the Prophete in the name of God? No doubt that he was the sonne of death, that God wold break the league and covenant with him, as he had done to Saule his predicessor. But was it therfor the eternall purpose of God that so it should be? the end and issue declareth the contrarie. Ezechias receaved the very sentence of present death from the mouthe of the Prophet Isaiah, who no doubt came not with message at all adventure, but at the expresse commandement of God; for so he affirmeth, sayinge, “Thus saieth the Lord, Put order to thy house, for thou shalt die, and shalt not live.” But was not therefor the contrarie (to witt, that he should afterward live fiftene yeres) determined in the immutable counsell of God? the same might I declare by many other exhortations and commandementes, but with one I will stand contented, which shall adde light to the former.
Abraham was commanded by God to take his sonne Isaak, whome he loved, his onelie sonne, in whome the promise stode, and to go to the mounteine which God wold appoint, and there to offer him in sacrifice. What will of God did Abraham apprehend in this commandement during the journey of three dayes? God himselfe beareth recorde that Abraham did so understand God’s will, that his owne hand was stretched out to kill his sonne; yea, that in his heart he had killed him. For so saith the Angell: “Because thou hast done this, and hast not spared thy onelie sonne, I shall blesse thee.” But whether had God in his eternall counsell determined that Abraham should kill his sonne, as Abraham did understand by his will reveled? whosoever dare so affirme, maketh God subjecte to mutabilitie, and denieth him to be God, whose wisdome, knowledge, purpose, and counselles be stable, and appointed from all eternitie. If with reverence the causes hereof be searched and inquired, the Holie Ghost will answer, That good it was to David thus to be humbled: That profitable it was not onely to Ezechias, but also to the whole Church of God after him, to come to the knowledge of his infirmitie; and of the agonye and battel which he susteined, fighting as it were against God’s judgementes: That by Abraham’s great obedience be we all instructed to obey God in all things which he commandeth, and to subjecte not onely our lustes and affections to his will reveled, but also our reason (appeare it never so probable.) With the which if we stand not satisfied, but quarreling with God, will or dare, in a blynd fury, ask to what purpose commandeth, and speaketh he one thing and meaneth the contrary, that devilishe presumption shall fall down from the clouds, and break downe for ever the frantick heads of such vile slaves of proud Lucifer. And therefore be ye warned, for vengeance is prepared for all such unreverent reasoners in God’s perfect (but yet profound) judgementes, as ye declare yourselves to be, in this which followeth:—
“If God (say you), in respect of his reveled will, wold not that Adam should falle, but in respecte of his secrete will he wold Adam should falle, then did God will two contraries; which is impossible.;
Answere: Impossible we confesse it to be, that contrarietie should be in that will, which in itself is simple and one. But how shall you be able to prove, that God in reveling his will to Adam had none other purpose nor will, but onely that Adam should not falle? Because, say you, he said, “Thow shalt not eate.” I answer, and so said he to Abraham, “Thou shalt take and offer thy sonne in sacrifice.” And yet we knowe that the contrarie had he determined. “O (crye you) God abhorreth a double heart, which speaketh one thing and thinketh another; and yet ye abhorre not to charge God with that which he can not abide in his creatures; that is, that he should speak one thing, as that Adam should not offend, and will the contrarie, as that Adam should offend.” Answer: God, if his good pleasure be, touch your heartes with such unfeined repentance, that you may understand how horrible be these blasphemies, which thus in your furious blindnes you spew forth against God’s supreme Majestie. For, before I have said, they are not spoken against us, for no such doctrine do we teach nor affirme, as that of which you gather these blasphemies; and albeit we did, yet it were as easie for us to dissolve and unlouse such devilish knottes, as by instruction of your father you knit to trippe the soules of the simple, and as it is for the fote of the valiant and strong man to burst asondre the spider’s webbes which the venemous spider maketh to catch the impotent flies and feble gnattes.
And now, lest that you should glorie as thogh your reasons yet stoode sure, let us trie and examine every member apart. God abhorreth (say you) a double heart, which speaketh one thing and thinketh another. I answer, That as God is a spirit, and hath neither heart nor bodie like as man hath, so must not his words, cogitations, and thoghtes, be compared to ours: for as we be corrupte liers and vaine, so where we do speak one thing and think another, we do meane deceate, fraud, and destruction to our brother, to whome we promise trueth, fidelitie, and conservation to our power: But God, according to the puritie and perfection of his godlie nature, in speaking to his creatures, and in creating of them, must not absolutely have respect to them, but also to his owne glory; for what reason is it that God of nothing shall make that creature by whome his glorie shall not be manyfested? And therefor in speaking to Adam, and in giving a lawe to him, God had respecte to his eternall counsell and purpose, as before we have spoken, and hereafter shall rehears. But still crye you, that yet we burden God with that which he can not abyde in his creatures; that is, that he should speak one thing, as that Adam should not have fallen, and that he ment the contrarie. For answer, I ask of you, if ye will binde God to that lawe which he hath imposed to his creatures? And if ye will leave none other libertie to God his soveraigne majestie, then his lawe hath permitted to men subjecte to the same: and if ye dare promise to your selves that authoritie over God, girde your loines, and play the strong champions: prepare your seates, appoint your judges, cite, and adjourne him to appere at a fixed day, to render a reason, and make an accompte before you of his universall regiment; in which (no doubt) ye shall finde many thinges more repugnant to your reason then this. You think I mock you, in that I will you to cite and call God to an accompt: in verey deed I do; for as your blasphemie and pride is utterlie to be abhorred, so is your vanitie more worthie to be mocked, then your simplicitie in that case to be instructed. For what was he ever yet amongest the most ignorant Ethnicks so foolishe or so presumpteous, but that he did confesse that the workes and wonders of the supreme God, were exempted from all lawe and censure of man’s judgement? But in your presence, God shall have no libertie to command, or forbid any thing to any of his creatures, but that he must nedes absolutely will the same; and for no cause or respecte may he will the contrarie, but that he shall have a double heart, he shall be a dissembler, (cursed be your blasphemie that causeth me thus to write,) and in him there shalbe contrarietie; this is the reverence which ye beare to God’s infinite wisdome in all his workes, to the ground whereof ye can not atteine by your corrupt reason, that you burst forth in scoffing, mocking, and blasphemie.
But yet to come more nye to the mater: I denie that justly you can conclude any contrarietie to be in God, albeit that to Adam he said, Thou shall not eate, and yet in his eternall counsell he had determined that Adam shoulde eate; neither yet (I say) can you be able to prove that he spoke one thing and willed the contrarie, because he pronounced this sentence: “In what so ever day thow shalt eate of this tree, thou shalt dye the death,” but rather we may most assuredly conclude, that both the precept, and the penaltie threatned to ensue the violation of it, was a plaine and manifest declaration what before was concluded in God’s eternall counsell, as also that they were the meanes, by the which the secret will and good purpose of God toke effecte amongest men and was notified unto the world; for if God had not before appointed the falle and the remedie for the same, he had not imposed upon him a lawe, the transgression whereof should bring death; but should have suffered him to live without such feare and bondage, as we shall do when victorie shalbe given over death, which is the sting of sinne, and over sinne also which had his power by the lawe. And therefor, I say, that God’s commandement forbidding Adam to eate, and the punishment of death denounced, if he did eat, were nothing contrary to his secret will: but were the very wayes appointed by his infinite wisdome, by the which he had determined that his secrete will concerning the mysterie of man’s redemption should be notified and put in execution. And albeit that such as in God’s eternall election finde no sweetenes nor comfort, fret, fume, storme, and rage at the onelie mention of it: yet neither dare we nor can we conceale and suppres God’s eternall trueth, infinite love, and incomprehensible liberalitie towardes us: neither eshame we to confesse our owne wretched povertie, and just condemnation, into the which oure father Adam willingly wrapped him self and us. And therefor we constantly affirme, that as we were elected in Christ Jesus before all tymes, so it behoved us in time to fall in Adam, to the end that the bright glorie of God, might after shyne and appere before men and angels. Prove now, if you can, contrarietie betwixt God’s will reveled, and his secret will. How vaine is the difference which you put between his will and his permission, we shall shortly examine in this which foloweth.