A04920:544
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.
And therefore I doubt not to affirm, but that the fall of man and the remedy for the same, was not only foreseen but also before determined, and the fruit which of the same should ensue concluded and appointed in gods eternal counsel before that ever Adam was created. the reason and probation ⟨p. 293⟩hereof we have before declared to be the issue of all things, as we are taught by gods manifest word, yea by most evident experience. for who needeth now to doubt, that it was gods eternal counsel, that man should fall from that perfect image in which he was created and so become subject to the death, to the end that the faithful might receive perfection, justice and life in Christ Jesus alone, seeing that scripture so manifestly affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world were laid that God hath wrapped all nations in disobedience that he might have mercy upon all,1 upon all I say which refuse not the remedy, from all beginning prepared, which is Christ Jesus, as the Apostle witnesseth, saying: in him & by him, are all things created, & he is before all things,2 & all things consist or abide by him, and he is the head of the body of the Church, who is the beginning, the first begotten of the dead, that in all things he may hold the preeminence. for it hath pleased the father that all fullness should dwell in him▪ and to reconcile, by him all things to him self. This counsel I say was not temporal, as taken and devised after the fall of man, but it was eternal, as the same Apostle witnesseth in these words:3 God hath called us by an holy vocation, not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace, which was given to us by Jesus Christ before eternal times, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our saviour Jesus Christ. But mark well that the Apostle sayeth that grace was given to the faithful by Christ Jesus from the eternity of times which thus to Titus he doth confirm saying,4 Paul the servant of God, and an Apostl• of Jesus Christ according to the faith of gods elect, and the knowledge of the verity, which is according to godliness in the hope of eternal life, which he hath promised, which is God that can not lie, before the world began, and hath opened his word at the time appointed