A04920:571
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.
If in gods counsel gods gift, gods hand, and eternal purpose, before decreeing all things to come to pass, in the death of his Son, ye can see nothing, but a bare & simple permission, I can not cease to affirm, that as by falsifying such plain scriptures, you labour to take from the Church of God their most singular comfort left to us in Christs death, so do you walk in darkness, & in y• same ye shall perish except speedily you repent. Howe one, & the same work, in so far as it proceedeth from God, is most just, most profitable & most merciful: and yet as it proceedeth from the instruments most profane most wicked, damnable to them selves, & most cruel, I have abundantly declared, and after as occasion shall be offered, shall touch by gods grace, so much as may instruct the sober mind, if it be ignorant: and also to put silence to your venomous mouths, be they never so impudent. Because the scriptures which you heap together be either plainly repugning to your error, or else make nothing for probation of the same, I will so shortly as I can go through them, only noting wherein you abuse the words and mind of the holy Ghost.1 The words of our master spoken in the 24, chapter of Mathews Gospel serve nothing for your purpose. for in that place our Saviour Christ Jesus speaketh as he that is the messenger of his heavenly father, and declareth that the Jews obstinately even from their original ⟨p. 313⟩had resisted God speaking by his patriarchs, prophets of old, & now last by his Sonne. he neither speaketh nor meaneth what will, God had to save his elect, neither yet that will which he had to gather & separate them from v• world, but only (as Moses and Elijah had before spoke) declareth what fidelity & diligence God had used in the general election & vocation of that people, from time to time: and yet what had been their obstinate rebellion & unthankful defection from him: by the which they killed the Prophets, and should kill his Son sent of God to call them from iniquity. What hath this to do I say with that will, by the which God, in his eternal counsel hath made division, betwixt the elect & the reprobate? If ye dare say that Christ in that place meaneth, in that he would have gathered those murderers, and sons of murderers as he doth witness, he doth gather his chosen flock, him self will convict you of a lie.