An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

To Saul and to his kingdom I have before answered, to wit, that one thing it is to be appointed to a temporal office, and an other to be elected in Christ Jesus to lief everlasting. But yet I will add somewhat more, which is this Proposition directly fighting against yours:¹ Saul nor his house was never chosen in gods eternal counsel to be kings and Rulers over Israel for ever. If ye cry, then did the holy Ghost, speaking in Samuel, lie. for he affirmed, that God had prepared the reign and kingdom of Saul upon Israel for ever, ⟨p. 274⟩I answer Samuel speaketh not in that place, what God had determined in his eternal counsel,² but what he him self thought that God had determined and appointed. And therefore ye may not conclude that the holy Ghost doth lie, except the kingdom of Saul was once appointed to have remained over Israel for ever. Nay, so can ye not conclude. But ye may say, that except that so it was, the prophet was deceived. And so no doubt he was for a season, and did speak those words according to the apprehension & judgement which he had conceived by reason of his unction and lawful election to his office. If it appear hard to you, that the prophets be deceived in any thing, consider I pray you what chanced unto him after. did he not at the sight of Eliab pronounce with an affirmation, that before the eternal,³ he was his anointed? did the holy Ghost lie because that Eliab was refused, and David chosen, or was not rather Samuel ignorant and in an error? the same might I prove by Nathan, & others, who being gods true prophets were yet for a season left in error & did both speak and give counsel otherwise than God had determined in his eternal counsel. But now shortly to prove my proposition, I say, that gods eternal purpose and counsel concerning the chief ruler and governor over Israel was long before pronounced, by Jacob in his last testament,⁴ who did appoint the crown, and Sceptre royal to an other tribe then to Benjamin. for thus he sayeth, Thou Judah thy brethren shall praise thee: thine hand shall be in the the neck of thine enemies: thy fathers sons shall bow down unto thee, &c. The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nether the law giver from betwixt his feet until Shiloh come and the people shall be gathered to him, &c.