A04920:414
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 further seem to charge us as we should affirm, that God hated not sin, nether yet that he respected ⟨p. 219⟩vice. If our short, plain, and unfeigned confession, be able to satisfy you in these three doubts I have good hope that after this ye shall have no occasion to suspect us in such causes.1 first before God, before his holy Angels in heaven, & before his congregation in earth, we protest & acknowledge, that sin, vice, and all kind of iniquity, is, and ever hath been so odious, in the presence of God, that he never suffered the same unpunished, in any of his elect children. That for the same not only death, but also common calamities hath apprehended all man kind even sithence the first transgression. That virtue,2 justice, and civil honesty (besides the justice of the regenerate children) hath so pleased God▪ that for love of the same, he hath maintained and to this day doth maintain common wealths, albeit that many grievous crimes be committed in the same. As God (we say and affirm) loveth equity, justice, chastity, trueth, mercy, and temperance, so doth he in some sort highly reward the same, and hateth unrighteousness, filthy life deceit, excess, cruelty, and ria•ous living, which often he punisheth even in manne• eyes. And this difference, we say God maketh even amongest those, that be not regenerate, nether were ever called to the true knowledge of salvation. And this much briefly for the first second and 3. This difference we make betwixt Adam and David elected, in Christ Jesus, and Adam and David transgressing gods holy commandment, and will revealed▪ Adam and David elected, in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world were laid, were so loved in the same Lord Jesus their head, that when they had most horribly fallen and offended, yet did God seek Adam, call upon him gently reason with him and at length convicting his conscience of his offence, did make unto him, that most joyful promise of reconciliation: of the same love (we say it proceeded) that God did send the Prophet Nathan to David, the offender, that by the fiction of an other person, he letteth him see the horror of his sin, that he did first terrify, and beat down his conscience: and after most tenderly