An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

Because that before plainly and simply I have declared our judgement of gods eternal election, and most just reprobation in all these your despiteful arguments, I will only show your malice,¹ ignorance, and proud vanity. This is your argument, God created man a very good thing therefore he did not ordain him to destruction. your reason is: for that is contrary to his justice, to ordain a good thing to destruction. I answer if ye be able to ⟨p. 75⟩prove that man stood in the same goodness, perfection and innocency (he and his posterity whom so highly ye praise) in the which he was first created, then will I confess your argument to be good. But if man (albeit he was created good) did yet willingly make him self evil how can it be contrary to the justice of God to appoint punishment for transgression, which he did not only fore see by an idle speculation, or yet suffer and permit against his omnipotent, will, but in his eternal counsel for the manifestation of his own glory had decreed the same. Against which, albeit ye cry horrible blasphemy till your brains drop out, yet have we Moses Exod. 9. Isaiah. 6. Solomon and Paul to absolve us from your cruel sentence. For they do affirm that God hath created all things for his own glory, and the wicked to the day of destruction, that he raised up Pharaoh that his power might be shown forth in him: that he blindeth the eis and hardeneth the hearts of some, so that they can neither hear nor see that they may convert: That God hath prepared both vessels of mercy and vessels of wraith which places albeit some of them seem not to appertain to the creation, yet if they be justly weighed it shall evidently appear that the hardness of mens hearts,