Let vs therfore examine the sense, and if S. Hierome, the great scripture Doctor did rightly vnderstand it, God did speake to this effect to Cain: Because thou hast freewil, I warne thee, that sinne haue not dominion ouer thee, but thou ouer sinne. The Hebrew hath thus: ad te appetitus eius, et tu dominaberis in eum, or, ei. Vnto thee the appetite therof, and thou shalt rule ouer it. Thargum Hierosolomitanum concludeth Gods speach to Cain thus: Into thy hand I haue geuen powre of thy concupiscence, and haue thou dominion therof: whether thou wilt to good or to euil. The Greke hath thus: To thee is the conuersion therof, and thou shalt beare rule ouer it: to wit, appetite, lust, concupiscence is vnder thy wil. Finally, al antiquitie vniuersalitie and vniforme consent of Christian Doctors, and other lerned Philosophers, and reasonable men hold it for certaine and an euident truth, that man yea a sinner hath freewil. Yet Luther, the father of Protestants, so abhorred this truth, that he could not abide the very word, nor voucsafe (when he writ against it) to title his beastlie booke, Contra liberum arbitrium, Against freewil: but, De seruo arbitrio. Of seruil arbitriment. And denieth that man is in aniwise free to choose, to resolue, or determine, but in al things seruil, tyed, constrained, and compelled to whatsoeuer he doth, saith, or thincketh. Further, that man in al his actiōs is like to a hackney, that is, forced to goe whither the rider wil haue him. And knowing the whole world against him, shameth not to confesse, that he setteth them al at naught in respect of him selfe, concluding thus: I haue not (saith he) conferred with anie in this booke, but I haue affirmed, and I do affirme. Neither wil I that anie man iudge hereof, but I counsail al to obey, or yeelde to my opinion. Caluin also for his part,
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conspireth in this heresie with Luther, but more faintly rather wisheth, then imagineth that men be so madde as to flee from the name of freewil. I (saith Caluin) neither myselfe would vse this word, and would wish others, if they as'e me counsaile, to abstaine from it. But we wil be bold to oppose S. Hieromes reason against Luther, Caluin, al Manichees, and others that denie freewil. God made vs (saith he) with freewil, neither are we drawen by necessitie to vertues nor to vices; otherwise where is necessitie, there is neither damnation nor crowne.
16. Cain went forth] It is a marke of Heretikes to make breach, and goe forth of the Church. And commonly it cometh of enuie. Some runne into heresies and schismes (saith S. Cyprian) when they enuie Bishops, whilest one either complaineth that him selfe was not rather ordained, or disdaineth to suffer an other aboue him. Hereupon he kicketh, hereupon he rebelleth. Enuie moued Cain to kil his brother, because his owne workes were wicked and reiected: and his brothers iust, and estemed. So going forth became obstinate, obdurate, and desperate in his sinne, and being reprobate of God, began a wicked Citie, opposite to the Citie of God. Wherfore Moyses, as S. Augustin noteth, intending to describe, and shew the perpetual continuance of Gods Citie, the true Church, from Adam, which he doth by the line of Seth to Noe, and so forward to his owne time, would not omit to tel also the progenie of Cain, euen to the floode, wherin al his ofspring was finally drowned and destroyed, that the true Citie of God might appeare more distinct, more cōspicuous, & more renowmed. And that in deede the same only (and not anie broken and interrupted companies or conuenticles) might be knowen to be the true Church of God.
23. I haue slaine] So hard and obscure is this place, that S. Hierom required by S. Damasus Pope to expound it, dareth not affirme anie one sense for certaine, but proposing diuers, which the text may seme to beare; wisheth the Pope (who was also very lerned) to examine al more at large: putting him in mind that Origen writ his twelfth and thirtenth bookes vpon this onlie place.
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