A04920:573
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.
1Amongest all things living man hath the most deceitful & stubborn heart• ▪ your liberty or ignorance in citing the Prophets words pass measure,2 And the Lord sayeth that he will take away the stony heart from them, and give them a heart of fl•sh. no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same, which you allege for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equal, and that only grace maketh the difference, then we demand & ask whether that grace be given to some, and denied to others & that by permission & sufferance, as you speak, or if it be the determined will of God that his grace and mercy by Christ Jesus shall be freely communicated with some, and that the same shall most justly be denied to others, albeit the causes to us do not appear, during the time of this our mortality. If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stony heart and in giving the fleshy heart, be nothing else but only a permission & sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit, then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharaoh ⟨p. 315⟩and of the rest of the reprobate there is nothing else but a bare permission without any efficacy of gods spirit. But if it be God that worketh in us the good will and performance of the same, and that he hath mercy upon whom he listeth. then is it likewise, that God hardeneth whom he will. Mark & note y• words of the Apostle: He sayeth not, he hardeneth whom he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened, but plainly he sayeth that he hardeneth whom he will. The Apostle saw none other cause why mercy was showed to some and others were left in indurations, but gods will. True it is that the reprobate of nature have and from their mothers womb doth tarry with them, the matter of their induration. But the question is. What is the cause, that that pestilent matter is removed from some, and why? doth it remain with others? If you answer because some receive grace offered, and some refuse it. Ye have said nothing, as more plainly I have before declared▪ for always we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God, and why is the will of the other rebellious, considering that all by nature are equal. Although that you travel to confound the heaven and the earth yet shall ye be brought to this principal: