A04920:185
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.
THE ADVERSARY.
THE ADVERSARIE.
Secondly these men think that gods foreknowledge causeth all things to come to pass of necessity,1 which is also untrue. for knowledge of things past, of things present, and of things §1to come dependeth of the thing that is known, and not the thing of knowledge. As I know that Paul before he was called, he was a persecutor of Christs Church,2 but Paul was not a persecutor because I knew it, but I knew it because he was a persecutor: I know that in the month of July shall be harvest, yet shall not harvest be, because I know so, but I know it because it shall be. Likewise God did know that I should write this day, but yet did he not compel me to write: for I had liberty either to write or not to write, not because he knew that I should write, therefore did I write, but because I was to write, therefore knew he that I should write. Thus ye may see how they do err which affirm that gods foreknowledge causeth all things to come to pass §2of necessity. for as God doeth foresee that men will do […] so doeth he also foresee that they may leave the evil undone, and as §3God foreseeth that men will not do well, so he foreseeth that they be not compelled thereto, but might do well if they list. As for example, Christ could and might have obtained more then twelve legions of Angels, and yet God did know that he should not obtain them: also God did know that Christ should not pray for twelve legions of Angels, and yet he might have prayed as he