A04920:551
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.
The will of God plainly revealed, in his holy scriptures we do not only follow as a bright lantern shining before us,1 for the directing of our paths walking in the darkness of this mortality but also we affirm it to be of such sufficiency, that if an Angel from the heaven with wonders, signs and miracles would declare ⟨p. 298⟩to us a will repugning to that which is already revealed persuading us upon that, to ground our faith, or by that to rule the actions of our lives, we would hold him accursed, and in no wise to be heard. and therefore yet once again I can not cease to exhort you, if by late revelations ye (I mean some of your faction) hath received any new knowledge of gods will, by the which you persuade others, that man in this life shall be pure, and clean, with out sin, that God shall expel it, not only in the resurrection, but even while we walk compassed with this corruptible flesh, even as the bright sun chaseth away the dark clouds, that the children of God shall so bear dominion over the wicked in this earth, that all the proud tyrants, and oppressors shall be come slaves to the godly, and that shall be their hell and punishment, as the earthly reigning of the others, shall be their heaven and joy promised. Examine I say your selves, if that any of you be infected with these, and others mo gross and foolish fantasies, which by gods revealed will, you be never able to prove. But as for us we have proved and offer to prove at all times by the revealed will of God, what so ever we teach, affirm or believe,2 of gods eternal election, or of his most just reprobation for we confess even the self same thing which you allege us to say, which is that by the word of God we know, that God hath a secret, will whereby he worketh all that pleaseth him in heaven and in earth, and that also he hath revealed unto us so much as is profitable for us to know, ether yet necessary for our salvation. for the which we praise his eternal goodness and infinite wisdom & do affirm further (as before we have said) that such as stand not content with that which is revealed, but arrogantly list to mount up to search the secretes of gods counsel, shall be beaten down again by the brightness of his glory to eternal confusion, in a just recompense of their presumptuous boldness. And thus much with you we will willingly confess.