A04920:255
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.
that he is a God that would not iniquity, but rather in ordaining the fall of man, his end and purpose was good and most right,1 from the which the name of sin abhorreth. howbeit I say that so he hath ordained the fall of man that I utterly deny him to be the author of sin. Let the indifferent reader judge with equity: if justly we be accused of that blasphemy, which so openly we abhor. but yet in the same book he bringeth forth a testimony of Augustine who thus writeth, These be the great works of God (sayeth Augustine) brought to pass in all his wills,2 and so wisely brought to pass that while the nature of Angel and man had sinned, that is, had done not that which he that is God would, but that which the self (meaning the creature) would: yet not the less by the same will of the creature, by the which that was done, which the creator would not, did he fulfil that which he would, he being infinitely good, using well those things that were evil, to the damnation of them, whom he justly had appointed to pain, and to the salvation of those whom mercifully he had predestinate to grace. In so far as to them pertained they did the thing which God wo•d not: but as appertaining to gods omnipotency they might by no means have done that, for even in that, that they did against the will of God, the will of God was done in them, and therefore great are the ⟨p. 156⟩works of the Lord (brought to pass in all his wills) that by a wondrous and unspeakable manner, that thing should not be done without his will, that yet is don against his will. fo• it should not be done if he did not suffer it. And of a trueth he suffered it not unwillingly, but willingly. And a little before saint Augustin sayeth, it is not to be doubted, but that God doeth well, permitting those things to be done which are evil. for he suffered not this, but in his just judgement. Albeit therefore that these things which be evil in so far as they are evil, are not good, yet nevertheless it is good, that not only good things, but also that evil things be. for if that this were not good that evil things should be, by no means should they be permitted to be by the omnipotent good, to whom no doubt, it is a like easy not to suffer the thing which he will not to be, as to do that thing which he will: