An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

This I am assured can no godly man deny to be the very meaning of the Prophet. True it is that he doeth include both the peoples, the one loved, and the other ⟨p. 137⟩hated. But what reason is it that the heads shall be secluded? seeing that the beginning of the diversity did first appear in them, and the Prophet plainly sayeth: Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. Now to the mind of the Apostle you say that these words: afore the children were born, are not to be referred to the sentence which followeth: Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated: and the cause ye add as we before have declared. I answer that the most just judgements of God are fearful, and your blindness ought to admonish all men to examine them selves with what conscience they go to entreat gods secrete mysteries. If that sentence, before the children were born ought not to be referred to these words: Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated, I pray you to what words ought they to be referred? Did the Apostle speak then at all adventure, without respect to any thing following? I trust ye will grant as much as God spake, to wit that before the children were born God said, The elder shall serve the younger. and then I pray you answer whether ye think, that the preferment of Jacob to Esau proceeded from love or from hatred? or if the subjection of Esau to his brother was not a declaration of gods hatred? If you deny, yet will the Prophet condemn you, as before we have proved, ye can not escape with the solution which a writer defending free will giveth, which is this: That there mention is made only of temporal and carnal benediction, meant under the name of love, and of poverty with barrenness of ground understand by the name of hatred, which solution is so cold, that it perisheth in the self for I think no man to be so blind, but that he seeth the mind of the Apostle to be bent upon the spiritual benediction, as in his hole disputation is evident. But let it be that the corporal benediction (which we utterly exclude not, be there understand and meant, yet that neither helpeth him nor you. for where so ever gods established love is, there is lief, where so ever his established hatred is, there is death: but upon Jacob and upon his seed (spiritual I mean) was established the love of God, as the Prophet affirmeth, and our Apostle most pro ⟨p. 138⟩soundly allegeth: