An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

We know that the Canaanites came of a cursed father, whom if Paul should have compared with the Israelites, they should have complained of injury done unto them• And his reasons had been easily dissolved. for if he had said, the election of God is free, and hath respect to no works, and had brought in the seed of Abraham elected, and the seed of Ham rejected and accursed, for probation of the same, they suddenly should and justly might have replied, Ham mocked his father, and therefore was he and his posterity accursed, and so had God respect to works: But the Apostle looketh more circumspectly to so grave a matter, and therefore did choose such an example, as wherein, the wit nor reason of man can find no cause of inequality. Of this I thought good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagine, that as great cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born, as Moses layeth to the charge of the Canaanites. And so I perceive in a part ye do. for in the end ⟨p. 140⟩and after the have affirmed that the canaanites were cast out of the land by reason of their wickedness, ye return to Esau (repenting your selves I trust that so imprudently ye had slipped from one linage to an other). And these words ye affirm, That Esau is hated, it cometh of his own evil deserving conform to the saying of the Lord: Thy destruction (• Israel) is of thy self, and thy health cometh of me.

We know that the Cananites came of a cursed father, whom if Paule should haue compared with the Israelites, they should haue complained of iniurie done vnto them• And his reasons had bene easely dissolued. for if he had said, ye electiō of God is fre, ād hath respect to no workes, and had broght in the sede of Abraham elected, and the sede of Cham reiected and accursed, for probation of the same, they sodanly should and iustly might haue replied, Cham mocked his father, and therefor was he and his posteritie accursed, and so had God respect to workes: But the Apostle loketh more circumspectly to so graue a mater, and therefor did choose such an example, as wherin, the witt nor reason of man can find no cause of inequalitie. Of this I thoght good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagin, that as greate cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born, as Moses laieth to the charge of the Cananites. And so I perceaue in a part ye do. for in the end