A04920:559
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 ADVERSARY.
THE ADVERSARIE.
The reason where with you go about to persuade this to be of trueth is very mean,1 if a man (say you) could do any thing contrary to gods will, then were not God omnipotent,2 wherefore what so ever […] done, it must needs be done by the will of God, whose will no man ca• resist. I answer that God is goodness it self, his will is always good, yet man apt §1to do & may do evil contrary to gods will, no• withstanding God remaineth omnipotent, suffering m•n to do evil whom he might destroy before he did the evil, if so it pleased him. Pharaoh obstinately refused ⟨p. 306⟩§2to obey the will of God, yet was God omnipotent, for if God had list he might have destroyed Pharaoh at the first, and the arrogant tyrann• was well worthy to be destroyed, yet God used towards him, by little and little §3such increase of punishment as he might therewith have ben am• ̄ded had not his malice ben and impediment. Christ as he witnesseth him self w•ld have gathered the Jersolimtans together, as the hen her chickens, yet wld they not, God would that the Israelites should enter into the land of Cana and they would not, wherefore they were carried back again through the wilderness where they perished. Again when God would not that they should enter, they would needs enter, and were put to flight of the Canaanites. Thus we see plainly that many things be done contrary to the will of God, which shall be more largely declared hereafter, where we shall show how God often suffered many things which he would not yet to maintain this untruth ye allege that which is written in Exodus th 9. the Lord