An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

here I say it is plain that many years before the election of Saul was the Kingly dignity appointed to Judah, which sentence was never after retracted. And therefore my proposition ⟨p. 275⟩affirming that Saul was never elected in the eternal counsel of God to reign for ever over Israel, standeth sure and sufficiently proved. If any ask to what purpose was Saul then elected king? I answer, because so it pleased gods wisdom to tempt his people,¹ to tempt the tribe of Judah, yea and all the faithful, that then were a live, to tempt them I say, whether they would still depend upon gods promise, & look for their felicity, even by the same means, that God had forespoken: how so ever things appeared to the contrary for a season. The hole people no doubt, yea and Samuel him self, were partly criminal in that point, that they looked for salvation, and for deliverance from all their enemies by the ham des of any other, then by one of the tribe of Judah: considering that the former prophecy was so plain. But that error he did first correct in his prophet, showing unto him just causes why Saul was unworthy of that great honour, and after he did correct the same in the people moving their hearts to elect David, whom the prophet had before anointed. And so did God retain y• firmitie of his counsel, and did perform the same, when all things appeared, Plainly to repugn to his promise, yea when men had received an other to be their king, then God by his former promise had appointed.² We nether deny the supernatural wisdom and manifold graces given to Solomon, nether yet his most horrible fall, to be a document, and a memorial for ever, of his abominable idolatries, and most unthankful defection from God. which only one example we affirm ought to admonish every man most carefully to examine him self, with what simplicity he walketh before gods Majesty. But whether that Solomon so became the son of the devil, that after he did never return to God but that finally he did perish, we dare not be bold to pronounce sentence. And that because to us it appeareth, that God did make unto him a promise of mercy, his grievous ⟨p. 276⟩offence not withstanding.