A04920:319
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.
We stick none other ways to the literal sense of these former words of the Apostle then the rest of scriptures permit and do teach us.1 But how proper be your phrase and common manner of speaking, by the which ye labour to obscure the plain words of the Apostle, we briefly shall examine. Ordained to damnation (say you) after the common manner of speech, doth signify no more, but whose end is damnation. To grant you some what, I would know of you, who hath ordained damnation, to be the end of the reprobate: I perceive by your example, that ye dare not say, God: for thus ye say, we use to say of a man, that is cast to be hanged, this man was born to be hanged, notwithstanding that was not his mothers mind to bear him to be hanged.
We stick none other wies to the literall sense of these former wordes of the Apostle then the rest of scriptures permitt and do teach vs.1 But how proper be your phrase and common maner of speaking, by the which ye labor to obscure the plaine wordes of ye Apostle, we briefly shall examin. Ordeined to damnation (say you) after the common maner of speach, doth signifie no more, but whose end is damnation. To grant you som what, I wold know of you, who hath ordeined damnation, to be the ēd of the reprobat: I perceaue by your exemple, that ye dare not say, God: for thus ye say, we vse to say of a man, that is cast to be hanged, this mā was born to be hanged, notwithstanding that was not his mothers mynd to bear him to be hanged.
- 1Answer to the. 4.
Besides the foolish rudeness of this example, I wonder at your madness, that you can never make difference betwixt God and earthly creatures. Dare you say, that God hath no greater power, nor foreknowledge in directing and appointing his creatures to their ends, then the mother hath to direct, force, and appoint the end of her child? after that she hath born him, she knoweth not what shall be his natural inclination: although she instruct and correct him, yet can she not bow and expel his crooked nature: when he is absent from her presence, she seeth not his conversation. If he be deprehended in theft or murder: and so cast to be hanged, she can not (although she would) deliver him from the hands of the judge. But is there any of these imperfections in God? Consider yet, and let reason at length put silence unto your foolishness.