A04920:169
An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations
An answer to a great number of blasphemous cavillations written by an Anabaptist, and adversary to Gods eternal predestination. And confuted by John Knox, minister of Gods word in Scotland. Wherein the author so discovereth the craft and falsehood of that sect, that the godly knowing that error, may be confirmed in the trueth by the evident Word of GodAn answer to a great nomber of blasphemous cauillations written by an Anabaptist, and aduersarie to Gods eternal predestination. And confuted by Iohn Knox, minister of Gods worde in Scotland. Wherein the author so discouereth the craft and falshode of that sect, that the godly knowing that error, may be confirmed in the trueth by the euident Worde of God
Geneva: printed by John Crespin, 1560Geneva: printed by Iohn Crespin, 1560
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
if God be granted (as he can not be denied) to be the only author of all goodness, then ask we, why giveth he the good will to the one, and not to the other. If ye answer because the one receiveth grace and the other doeth refuse it, ye have said nothing to the purpose. for we still demand, if God may not (if so it pleased his eternal wisdom) frame and form the will of the one to as great obedience as the will of the other: fret and fume as ye list: this ye can not deny, except that ye will be blasphemous deniers of his omnipotent power. Now of this manifest diversity which we see in mankind, we conclude that God hath aswell his elect whom of mercy he calleth, by faith justifieth, and by his holy Spirit sanctifieth, and in knowledge of him self and of his Son Jesus preserveth to the end, and so in the end shall he glorify them: as also that he hath his reprobate, whom for just causes he leaveth to them selves to languish in their corruption, to pass from iniquity to iniquity, till that they come to perdition, as they that are prepared vessels of wraith. If this ye be not able to convince, I send you to fight with your own shadow. for our reasons do stand as I have shortly rehearsed which you be never able to move.1 True it is that John Calvin thus writeth: Inter electos & reprobos mutua est relatio, That is betwixt the elect and the reprobate (sayeth he) there is a mutual relation, that is the one hath a contrary respect to the other, so that the election of the which the Apostle speaketh, can not stand except we should grant that God hath set apart one sort of men whom it pleased him from an other sort. You hear no mention in these words of your patch, There is reprobation of the same sort, which I know either ye, or else your Master Castalio ⟨p. 111⟩forged. Because ye would not forget your merry tale of your Jew,2 ye boldly deny that gods election hath respect to his contrary reprobation. But when ye should come to the plain demonstration thereof, ye are compelled to fly to this shift: There is no such word or phrase in the scripture. if such a reason should be made before a reasonable man, I think it justly might be rejected. for if this be a good reason: Election hath no respect to his contrary reprobation, because the words nor phrase are not in the scripture, then is this reason good also: Lot sinned not committing incest with his daughters: