A04920:471
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.
ANSWER.
When I did first read this your blasphemous railing, I did wonder to what purpose, ye would rehearse the advertisements, admonitions, and exhortations given to the seven Churches in Asia, & unto all other churches in their names and conditions, seeing that nothing in ⟨p. 253⟩the same can serve your purpose, yea altogether the holy Ghost through that hole work, doth manifestly fight against your pestilent errors. and therefore I say at the first sight, I did wonder, to what purpose ye would travail, where ye were assured to lose your labour. But when I came to your conclusion, which ye make in manner of exhortation to us, I did perceive, that easy it is to find a staff (as the proverb saith) to beat the dog, which man would have killed.1 But to the matter. Ye boldly affirm (how so ever ye be able to prove) that the Apostle useth no such manner of doctrine, as we teach, &c. If ye understand, that because he teacheth not in those seven epistles, or letters, in express and plain words, that from the beginning some be elected to life everlasting, & others be reprobate, that therefore he teacheth it in no place,2 ye are not ignorant of the answer, and therefore I omit it. But I ask, if you do not think that the Apostle doth dedicate this his hole work to those seven congregations, so doeth him self witness (as in the first chapter is evident) then what so ever is contained in this hole vision, appertaineth to the instruction, exhortation, admonition, comfort, and before advertisement of those congregations, no less then that, which is contained in these words by you rehearsed.3 Then let us hear what is written and spoken by him in this matter, I saw (saith he) four Angels standing upon the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the winds should not blow upon the earth &c. And I saw an other angel ascending from the uprising of the sun. &c. And he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels, to whom power was given to hurt the earth & the sea (saying), hurt not the earth nether the sea, nether yet the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. I pray you, why were these, who were to be marked in the foreheads, more called the servants of God, by the voice of the Angel. then others? I know you will answer, because