An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

ANSWER.

If you be able to prove that David stood in also hot a contention against God,¹ as Peter did against his master Christ Jesus: that David affirmed the expressed contrary to that which God had pronounced, and that God had appointed the certain time aswell when Saul should come as when the men of keyla should betray him, then might ye have had some colour to have compared and matched the denial of Peter with the flying of David. But if Peters denial was with a double affirmation pronounced by the mouth of Christ Jesus: and if the sentence of God both touching the coming of Saul and touching the unthankfulness of the men of keyla, was conditional, ye be more the• bold that take upon you to join together things so diverse. Christs words to Peter were neither spoken nor meant under any condition, but were pronounced as followeth.² Verily, verily I say unto thee, that the cock shall not crow till thou shall deny me thrice.³ Which words leave neither liberty, freedom nor power to Peter to provide for him self, that this sentence should not be true, but the words and answers spoken to David were according to his questions, which were first, if that brute of Sauls coming was true, and if the men of keyla, to whom he had shown such thankfulness of late before, should become so ingrate that they should betray him into the hands of Sauls And God did answer that Saul should come down, and that the citizens of keyla should betray him. But I trust ye will not be so impudent as to deny, but that both these affirmations were spoken conditionally to assure David of his doub•es, and to give him advertisement that neither he should abide the hazard of Sauls coming, neither yet commit him self and his men of war to the fidelity of those that were in keyla. Be judges now your selves