An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

for we do not teach that wickedness pleaseth God, in so far as it is wickedness: neither yet that God will sinful acts to be done, in so far as they are sinful, without any other further respect. But we say that as the actions & cogitations of the godly please God in Christ Jesus, because they are wrought and inspired by the power of his holy spirit: so that the good works, as patience, justice, chastity, & such like, God will to be done, even because the works be good & agreeable to his own nature: so say we that God will, yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be done for y• purposes & causes concluded in his eternal counsel. Which thing if we be able to prove by the evident scriptures of God then ought you not to be offended although we prefer God to man, and his plain trueth, to your sophistical evasions & cold interpretations of such places. for the avoiding the prolixity of many, I will choose but two at y• most, plain and most evident. Is it not a great & horrible sin that a false prophet shall come and deceive the people? Yea is it not likewise sin, to deceive the Prophet? and yet God feareth not to attribute to him self both the one and the other. for no false prophet doth arise, whom God for one of two purposes doth not stir up, to wit, ether to try and examine the constancy & fidelity of his servants, or else, to execute and blind those, who delight not in the verity. For Moses witnesseth in these words, if in the middest of thee, there arise a Prophet, and he shall give unto the a sign, and yet should say let us go and serve strange gods hear him not, for the Lord your God tempteth you, whether that ye will love your Lord, your God with all your heart, & in all your fowle. if it be the proper office of God to try, tempt and examine the hearts of his people & of his chosen children as the holy ⟨p. 310⟩Ghost affirmeth it to be. Then must you confess that the false prophets be gods instruments appointed for that purpose. And that God deceiveth the false Prophet, Ezekiel in plain words doeth witness saying, and if the Prophet deceived speak the word, I the Lord have deceived that Prophet,¹ and I will extend my hand against him and I will root him out from the midest of my people Israel.

for we do not teach yt wickednes pleaseth God, in so farre as it is wickednes: neither yet that God will sinfull actes to be donne, in so farre as they are sinfull, without any other further respecte. But we say that as the actiōs & cogitatiōs of the godly please God in Christ Iesus, because they are wroght ād inspired by ye power of his holie spirit: so yt the good workes, as patiē ce, iustice, chastitie, & suche lik, God will to be dōne, euē because the works be good & agreable to his owne nature: so say we that God will, yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be donne for y purposes & causes cōcluded in his eternal coūsel. Which thing if we be able to proue by the euidēt scriptures of God thē oght you not to be offended althogh we preferre God to mā, and his plaine trueth, to your sophisticall euasiōs & colde interpretations of such places. for the auoiding the prolixitie of many, I will choose but two at y most, plaine and most euident. Is it not a great & horrible sinne that a fals prophete shall come and deceause the people? Yea is it not likwyes sin, to deceaue ye Prophet? and yet God feareth not to attribt to him self bothe the one and the other. for no fals prophete dothe arrise, whō God for one of two purposes doth not stirre vp, to witt, ether to trie and examin the cōstancie & fidelitie of his seruātes, orels, to execute ād blind those, who delite not in the veritie. For Moises witnesseth in these words, if in the middest of the, there arrise a Prophet, and he shal giue vnto the a signe, and yet should say let vs go and serue strāge goddes heare him not, for ye Lord your God tempteth you, whether that ye wil loue your Lord, your God with all your heart, & in all your fowle. if it be the propre office of God to trye, tempt and examin ye heartes of his people & of his chosen children as the holie