A04920:331
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 place of saint Luke which ye study to corrupt, is written in the 13.1 chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The light whereof is so clear, that you be never able to obscure the same. And therefore I will not spend much time in confutation of your vanity. for the simple trueth of the history shall disclose the same. Paul coming to Antioch in Pisidia did upon the Sabbath enter in to the Synagogue of the Jews, and therein preached a sermon most profound▪ most effectual, and most comfortable. In the which ⟨p. 187⟩by plain scriptures he proved that the same Jesus which was crucified at Jerusalem, was the Messiah promised, and the only Saviour of the world. At which doctrine many of the Jews being offended, and yet some embracing the same, Paul the next Sabbath preached to the hole multitude of the Jews and Gentiles assembled together: But when plain contradiction was made by the Jews, who did blaspheme Christ Jesus, Paul and Barnabas taking boldness said to the Jews: first it behoved to speak to you the word of God, but because ye reject it, and judge your selves unworthy of the life everlasting, behold we are turned unto the Gentiles. for so hath the Lord commanded us. At which words the Gentiles rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord, and did believe (sayeth the text) so many as were ordained to the life everlasting. Who is be so blind that doeth not see, that in these words the holy Ghost assigneth the plain cause, why some do believe, and others do blaspheme, and remain unfaithful? The cause why some believe is, because they are ordained to the life everlasting, as they that are the sheep of Christ Jesus:2 therefore they hear, and believe his voice, the others as they are left in the power of the devil (as they that are never given to Christ, to the end, that they may receive life) remain in blindness, and so by contradiction and blasphemies, declare them selves, whose children and generation they are. None of us do, nor yet ever did deny, but that the elect of God do willingly receive and obey the trueth, and that the spirit of God so worketh in their hearts, that not only they believe, but that also they are made fruitful, yea and that from justice, they proceed to justice.