A04920:570
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.
one I will recite which I trust shall be so plain that the devil him self by no subtlety shall be able to obscure the light of the trueth. Was there ever any fact since the beginning more wicked, if the instruments shall be considered, as was the cruel and ignominious death of the Son of God? And yet what doeth the holy Ghost attribute to God in that case? him sayeth Peter (being crucified) did you kill after that you had taken him by the hands of the wicked men being given by the appointed counsel & fore knowledge of God.1 And after,2 they have verily convened against thy holy Son ne Jesus, whom, thou hast anointed, Herod together & Pō tius Pilate, with the Gentiles together & the people of Israel to do what so ever thy hand & thy counsel have decreed to be done. Advise well what ye will answer, the words are plain, & so plain that you can not avoid thee. for he that sayeth the wicked men did what so ever God did foresee & before determined, yea what his hand▪ that is his power, and counsel, that he had before decreed to be done, meaneth a thing of more greater importance than he that sayeth they did what God permitted and suffered to be done. Consider further that you have not to do with men, as with Augustine, Calvin and us whom you call careless libertines, but with the holy Ghost speaking in Peter & in the hole Church of Jerusalem, yea speaking in the hole scriptures. for if not to spare his Son, but to give him to the death for us, to cause our sins to make war against him, to punish him for the same, in such sort that of all men ⟨p. 312⟩he was most contemptible for a season. if I say to give to death to strike, to wound & punish, be actions, then did not God only suffer his Son to die to be wounded to be smitten & to be punished without any will, that any such thing should come to pass, but he in his eternal counsel appointed the time, the place & the persons, when, where, and by whom he should suffer the same. for of love he gave him to suffer the true death: that we by him might receive life. the time could not be changed & the cup which the father had given him he must needs drink, as in the figures was foreshad owed and by his own people, and gentiles, as the Prophets, and David, had before spoken.