A04920:261
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.
The wicked man is provoked to iniquity ether by avarice, ambition, envy, or cruelty nether yet looketh he to any other end ⟨p. 160⟩or purpose, and therefore the work taketh the quality from the root, from the which it springeth, that is from the wicked affection of the mind, and the mischievous end which he looketh unto: and therefore justly is it judged evil. but God altogether hath a contrary respect: to wit, that he may exercise his justice, to the conservation of the good to use his favour and gentleness towards the faithful, and that he may punish such as have deserved. Consider how we must make difference betwixt God and man, that upon the one part we shall behold his justice, his goodness, and his judgements: and upon the other part we shall consider in the self same work the malice and envy of the devil and of the wicked. Let us take a bright and clear glass in the which we may behold these things. When the message of the loss of all his goods came to Job,1 the sudden death of his sons, and so many calamities, which all at once fell upon him. He doeth acknowledge that he was visited by God saying: The Lord gave all these things, and it is he that hath taken them away, and no doubt so it was. But in the mean time, do we not know, that the devil procured all these things? and did not he understand by narration of his servants that escaped, that the chaldees had driven away his bestial and flocks? Did he commend those brigands and spoilers? or ought we to excuse the devil? because that all these calamities proceeded from God. Not so, for both we and he do, and did understand that there was a great difference betwixt their purposes: And therefore he (yet damning the evil) said the Name of the Lord be blessed. The same may we say of David: but at this time it sufficeth, that God so worketh by his creatures, and so doeth use them to his providence, that the instrument, by the which he worketh, ceaseth not to be evil. And albeit that he convert the malice of the devil and of wicked men to good, yet they therefore are neither excusable, neither yet clean from sin: and their works are wicked, and to be damned. for all works take their quality of the purpose and the will of the author. Who so ever maketh no distinction betwixt these things, maketh an ⟨p. 161⟩horrible confusion.