A04920:313
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.
Ye take liberty to your self in divers other phrases, to explain them as you please, yea even against the plain scripture. And why will ye not permit, that such phrases be so understand, as nothing be judged upon gods Majesty, which doth not agree, with his godly nature? ye do far abuse the mind of the Apostle: for he doth not infer as you foolishly and wickedly do, that because God did suffer with great patience, therefore he was sorry, but sayeth, he did suffer the vessels ordained to destruction, that upon the one sort his wrath and power, and upon the other (that is, upon the elect) the riches of his glory might be known. This were sufficient to put silence to your folly. But yet somewhat to instruct the simple, I will some what travel to make these words of the Apostle sensible and plane.
Ye take libertie to your self in dyuers other phrases, to explaine them as you please, yea euen against the plaine scripture. And why will ye not permitt, that such phrases be so vnderstand, as nothing be iudged vpon gods Maiestie, which doth not aggre, with his godlie nature? ye do far abuse the mynd of the Apostle: for he doth not inferre as you foolishly and wickedly do, that becaus God did suffer with great pacience, therefor he was sorie, but saieth, he did suffer the vesselles ordeined to destruction, that vpon the one sort his wrath and power, and vpon the other (that is, vpon the elect) the riches of his glorie might be knowen. This were sufficient to put silence to your folie. But yet somwhat to instruct the simple, I will som what trauale to make these wordes of the Apostle sensible and plane.
He had before concluded: that God would have mercy upon whom he would have mercy, and whom it pleased him, those did he harden. As this sentence far surmounted mans capacity,1 so might it engender some doubts, in the hearts of the very godly. For they might have reasoned if that God will finally destroy all the reprobate, to what purpose are they now permitted to triumph, and to trouble the elect of God? In answering ⟨p. 178⟩