An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

when thy days shall be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and I will set up thy seed after the which shall proceed out of thy body, and will stablish his kingdom, he shall build an house for my name, & I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever: I will be his father and he shall be my son: and if he sin, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I toke it from Saul, whom I have put away before thee, &c. howsoever ye list to understand this free mercy promised to abide after in iniquity committed, you cannot deny, but that a plain difference is made betwixt Solomon, & Saul. And if ye think, that nothing spoken in that place, did appertain to Solomon, who was born before that David had finished his days & did sleep with his fathers, but that all is performed in Christ, who many years after did spring of him ye do not rightly mark the words of God nether yet the mind of the holy Ghost, he saith not, that the child who should build a house to the name of God, and whose kingdom he would establish, should be borne after his death, but that God should raise one who should spring of his own loins, whom he would so honour after his death, that he would become his father, whom he would so entreat: that albeit he should offend, yet should he not be rejected from regiment in Israel, as Saul was, and so was the kingdom established not only to David, but also to his posterity after him. The perfection no doubt was reserved to Christ Jesus, but so was the verity in him, that the figure passed before in Solomon. Moreover somewhat is spoken in this promise, which in no wise can be referred to Christ Jesus. for how shall any be able to prove that the just seed of David in whose mouth was no deceit found, did in any sort wickedly in his own person, so that he had need of mercy, & to be corrected with the rod of the children. This I note, to give you ⟨p. 277⟩occasion to take heed what sentence ye pronounce in things so far removed from the reach of your understanding.¹ In the history of Jeroboam, ye do not observe that whatsoever is promised unto him, except the first […] of the ten tribes, is conditional. for thus saith the Prophet unto him.²

when thy daies shalbe fulfilled, thou shalt slepe with thy fathers, and I will sett vp thy sede after the which shal procede out of thy body, and wil stablish his kingdome, he shall buyld an house for my name, & I wil stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer: I will be his father and he shalbe my sonne: and if he sinne, I wil chasten him with the rodde of men, and with the plagues of the children of men. But my mercy shal not departe away from him, as I toke it frō Saul, whome I haue put away before thee, &c. howsoeuer ye list to vnderstand this fre mercy promised to abide after in iquitie committed, you cānot denie, but that a plaine difference is made betwext Salomō, & Saul. And if ye think, that nothing spoken in that place, did appertein to Salomō, who was born before that Dauid had finished his daies & did slepe with his fathers, but that all is performed in Christ, who many yeares after did spring of him ye do not rightly mark the wordes of God nether yet ye mynd of the holie Gost, he saith not, that the childe who shoulde builde a house to the name of God, and whose kingdome he wolde establish, shoulde be borne after his death, but that God shoulde raise one who shoulde sprīg of his own loynes, whom he wolde so honor after his death, that he wolde become his father, whom he wolde so intreate: that albeit he shoulde offend, yet shoulde he not be reiected frō regiment in Israel, as Saul was, and so was the kingdome established not onelie to Dauid, but also to his posteritie after him. The perfection no doubt was reserued to Christ Iesus, but so was the veritie in him, that the figure passed before in Salomō. Moreouer somwhat is spokē in this promes, which in no wise can be referred to Christ Iesus. for how shal any be able to proue that ye iust sede of Dauid in whose mouth was no deceat founde, did in any sort wickedly in his owne person, so that he had nede of mercy, & to be corrected with the rodde of the children. This I note, to giue you