An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

And if thou hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, & do right in my sight as did David my servant, then will I be, with thee, and build thee assure house, as I built unto David & will give Israel unto thee, &c. I pray you what can ye hereof conclude? That Jeroboam say you not withstanding gods election and free ordinance did fall from the favour of God. But how be you able to prove, that he was elected and before ordained to stand in gods favour for ever? These sayings, if thou walk before me in righteousness, if thou keep my precepts, and such others, will not prove it. I can evidently prove that Jeroboam, and all the kings in Israel after him were given to the people in gods anger, and were taken away in his hot displeasure, for so doth the Prophet Oseas witness. Now if you can prove, that such rulers, as be given in gods wrath, and taken away in his just fury, were elected and before ordained to stand in his favour for ever, advise with your counsellors, and produce your witness against the next time.¹ That Judas was never elected to life everlasting, I have before declared and therefore at this present I only say, that no more did Christ mean of Judas that he should be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, nether that he should sit upon any seat to judge any tribe in Israel, then that he meant of Peter, that he was the devil, that he should betray him, or that better it it had been for him never to have been borne. for as Christ in pronouncing the words, you twelve have I chosen but one of you is the devil, one of you shall betray me in express words he did nether appoint the person of Judas to that fact, nether yet did exempt and make free any of the rest, from suspicion of that crime, in express words ⟨p. 278⟩(I say) So like wise in saying, ye are the salt of the earth and you shall sit upon twelve seats, &c. he nether meant of the hole number of the twelve, nether yet of them only. for as for Judas, I doubt not to affirm, but that according, as it was written in the book of Psalms, That his habitation should be desolate, & that an other should receive the honour of his bishopric: that so even in the time, when he stood in the ministry most sure to mans judgement, that yet in gods eternal counsel, he was appointed to that treason, and most fearful end.

And if thou harken vnto al that I command thee, and wilt walk in my waies, & do right in my sight as did Dauid my seruant, then wil I be, with thee, and build thee asure house, as I buylt vnto Dauid & wil giue Israel vnto thee, &c. I pray you what can ye hereof conclude? That Ieroboam say you not withstanding gods election and fre ordinance did fall from the fauor of God. But how be you able to proue, that he was elected and before ordeined to stand in gods fauor for euer? These saings, if thou walke before me in righteousnes, if thou kepe my preceptes, and such others, will not proue it. I can euidently proue that Ieroboam, and all the kings in Israel after him were giuen to the people in gods anger, and were taken away in his hote displeasure, for so doth the Prophet Oseas witnes. Now if you can proue, that such reulers, as be giuen in gods wrath, and taken awaie in his iust furie, were elected and before ordeined to stand in his fauor for euer, aduise wt your counsellers, and produce your witnes against the next time.