The xviij. Chapter. How it may be said, that God dooth repent, and dooth tempt.
¶ Looke the propositions out of the 22. chapter of Genesis, at the end of this booke.
1 THE interpretours labor earnestlie to vnderstand how repentance may happen vnto God. 2 For GOD saith; I am God, and am not changed. And in the first of Samuel; The triumpher of Israel is not changed. And Balaam in the book of Numbers saith; God is not as a man, that he should be changed: neither as the sonne of man that he should be a lier. Yet in Genesis he saith; It repenteth me that I haue made man. 3 Forsomuch as these places séeme to be repugnant, they must be accorded togither. Some after this sort expound these places, that Euen as the holie Ghost is said To call and make request for vs, 4 with sighes that cannot be expressed; so it may be said, that God dooth repent. But the spirit praieth not, requesteth not, sigheth not; for he is God: but bicause he stirreth vs to praie, to make request, and to sigh, he himselfe is said to doo the same. And according to this sense Paule biddeth vs, 5 that we should not make sorrowfull the spirit of God: that is to saie, we should not with our wicked acts offend the saints, in whom is the spirit of God. Euen so, 6 bicause the wickednes of Saule was a gréefe vnto good men, and that God stirred vp that affection in them; therefore God himselfe is said to be led with repentance. This reason Luther followeth in his treatise vpon Genesis. But Augustine in his booke of 83. questions, the 52. question, where of set purpose he handleth this question, saith, that The scripture is accustomed oftentimes to humble it selfe to our capacitie, and to attribute those things vnto God, which we sée doone in the life and conuersation of men; for that the same cannot otherwise be vnderstood.
7 Therefore, bicause men vse not to reuenge, vnlesse they be angrie; the scriptures saie, that God, when he dooth reuenge, is angrie. And bicause that men possesse not the chastitie of their wiues, without gelousie; and that God in like maner taketh principall care, least his church being as it were his spouse should plaie the harlot, they saie he is gelous. 8 On this wise are féet, hands and other parts of the body ascribed vnto God. And so, bicause men are not accustomed to change their purpose, 9 vnlesse they repent them of some déed; therefore, as often as God changeth his dooing, they saie that he is mooued by repentance: not that there is become anie alteration in God, but bicause that thing may be changed, which we hoped would haue continued for euer. And for this purpose it is said, that God repented him that he made Saule king. 10 Others thinke that this doubt maie more easilie & plainlie be dissolued, if the change be vnderstood in the thing if selfe, & not in God. And to hold vs to our example, Saule was godlie and honest before, now he became wicked and rebellious; 11 therfore he séemed woorthilie such a one, of whom God would repent. And this séemeth the more probable, bicause it followeth in the text it selfe; And Saule went his waie.