An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

Ye are so inconstant,¹ now granting predestination to be the free and mere gift of God, without any condition of our works: and immediately after ascribing it to our obedience ⟨p. 188⟩and walking in the way, that leadeth to life. In this your inconstancy, say, I can not tell how to handle you One thing I see, to my great comfort, that the glory of Christ Jesus, is so manifest, and the power of his trueth so invincible, that he will reign, in the midest of his enemies. The devils them selves must acknowledge and openly confess, that he is Lord, and the only Son of the living father: and the adversaries of his trueth, even when they fight most outrageously against the same, are compelled, to give testimony to it, as you do here in divers places: as when ye say, it followeth not, that because we must walk in the way, that leadeth to life, that therefore, for walking in the way of salvation, we are chosen (and as you write) accepted. But because (I say) that your inconstancy doeth straight carry you to denial of this, I can the less credit, that this be a true confession proceeding from an unfeigned heart: but rather that it is the mighty power of the verity, which (will ye nill ye) compelleth your mouths, to give witnessing upon her part, against your selves. God grant I may be deceived, in this my judgement. for him I take to record, that I am no otherwise enemy to any of you, then in so far, as ye declare your selves manifest enemies to the free grace of God, and to the glory of the eternal Son of the eternal father of Christ Jesus our Lord and only Saviour.² Because there is nothing in this your last part, which I have not before at large declared in diverse places, I will only note those things in the which we do not agree with you. First we use not to call predestination the free gift of God, but we call it the eternal and immutable counsel of God, in which he hath purposed to choose to lief everlasting, such as pleased his wisdom in Christ Jesus his Son.

Ye are so inconstāt,¹ now granting predestination to be the fre and mere gift of God, without any condition of our workes: and immediatly after ascribing it to our obedience