A04920:235
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.
To wit, that God for just causes would destroy ad break down the estate and policy of that common wealth, and yet nevertheless would repair and build it up again to such an estate, as best pleased his wisdom, as the sequel did declare, for that great multitude corrupt with sin, he hrak down dispersing and scattering them amongest diverse nations, and yet after he did collect, & gather them together, and so made them a people of whom, the head of all justice, Christ Jesus did spring.
To witt, that God for iust causes wold destroy ad break downe the estate and policie of that common welthe, and yet neuertheles wold repair and build it vp againe to such an estate, as best pleased his wisdome, as the sequele did declare, for that great multitude corrupt with sin, he hrak downe dispersing and scattering them amongest diuerse nations, and yet after he did collect, & gather them togither, and so made them a people of whome, the head of all iustice, Christ Iesus did spring.
But what hath this to do with the eternal election of God by the which he hath elected some to lief everlasting,1 whom our Apostle calleth vessels of mercy, and hath left others in their own corruption and perpetual condemnation. And so I say because that Jeremiah entreateth one thing, that is a temporal punishment and the mutation which shortly should follow in Jerusalem, a•d the Apostle entreateth an other as before is said, the one can be no exposition to the other. but rather the Apostle hath respect, or at least alludeth to the saying of Isaiah, which thus speaketh: Woe to be to him that striveth with his maker, the vessel of clay with the Potter of clay,2 Shall the clay say to his potter: what makest thou: In which words (as before we have more largely spoken) the Prophet, and the Apostle following his phrase, represseth the pride of man, who compared to God is much more inferior to his majesty, than clay compared to the Potter. For God hath created and made man when he was not, which thing the