A04920:477
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.
But Ephesus, Smyrna, Theatira, and the rest of the congregations, which before had professed Christ Jesus▪ and yet were become not manifest enemies, but were fallen some in decay of life, some in corruption of manners, and some in heresies, were exhorted to return to ⟨p. 257⟩repent, and to be fervent, to continue, with sharp threatening, if they did the contrary. And why this? because that God before had planted among them his trueth, which yet utterly they had not refused, and therefore doth he honour them as his domesticall servants, but in vain (say you) for if they be of the elect,1 they cannot perish: if they be of the reprobate sort, they can not be saved. This is of you unreverently reasoned, will ye not suffer God to order his household, as best pleaseth his wisdom? This order hath he appointed that the trumpet of his word to exhort, to rebuke, to encourage, to offer mercy to the penitent, and to threaten death, to such as do decline, shall clearly sound in his Church, so long as he doth acknowledge it to be his. Not that by the word preached, he that was reprobate in gods eternal counsel, may be the elect, and so changed: but that the word preached, and often repeated, maketh a difference betwixt the elect, and the reprobate, even before man.
But Ephesus, Smyrna, Theatira, and the rest of the congregations, which before had professed Christ Iesus▪ and yet were become not manifest ennemies, but were fallē som in decay of life, some in corruption of manners, and som in heresies, were exhorted to returne to ⟨p. 257⟩repent, and to be feruent, to continue, with sharp threatning, if they did the cōtrarie. And why this? because that God before had planted among them his trueth, which yet vtterly they had not refused, and therefore doth he honor them as his domesticall seruantes, but in vaine (say you) for if they be of the elect,1 they cannot perish: if they be of the reprobate sorte, they can not be saued. This is of you vnreuerently reasoned, wil ye not suffer God to order his houshold, as best pleaseth his wisdom? This order hath he appointed that the trompet of his worde to exhort, to rebuke, to encourage, to offer mercie to the penitent, and to threaten death, to such as do declyne, shall clerely sound in his Church, so long as he doth acknowledge it to be his. Not that by the word preached, he that was reprobate in gods eternall counsel, may be the elect, and so changed: but that the worde preached, and often repeted, maketh a difference betwext the elect, and the reprobate, euen before man.