A04920:627
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.
God can not will two contraries, but to speak the […],1 and to lie are contraries. Therefore he can not will them both. But he permitteth men to lie, and willeth them to speak the trueth. There is therefore a difference between the will, and the permission.
God can not will two contraries, but to speake the 〈…〉,1 ād to lie are contraries. Therfor he can not will them both. But he permitteth men to lie, and willeth them to speake the trueth. There is therfor a difference betwene the will, and the permission.
- 1The adversaries argument. Answer.The aduersaries argument. Answer.
God can not will two contraries, True it is in him self, in one respect, and for one purpose, he who is author of concord, can not will contrariety: but in consideration of his creatures, for divers respects, and sundry purposes, things be not contraries, the one to the other, which to our judgements, have appearance of contrariety. If you be so well seen in your arts, as some of you pretend ye can not but understand this answer to be sufficient, to dissolve what so ever ye have unreverently collected. But yet to make it more sensible to the simple, I say that in this proposition, God can not will two contraries, and in the conclusion which you make upon the same, you ought to have made a distinction between those things which God simply (or as ye spake before, absolutely) will, and between those things, which he will for a certain end and purpose, which doeth not appear in the external actions. For certain things there be (as in an other place I have entreated) which God will, even for them selves, such as be mercy, justice, temperance chastity, and all other virtues, which he will, have to shine in his elect and please him in Christ Jesus his Sonne. And yet nevertheless he also will cruelty, injustice, excess, filthy life, blindness, & induration to be in others, as just punishments of their sins, and causes of their condemnation. The last (I say) will God to be in the reprobate, not for the wicked acts sake, which do ever displease his Majesty, but for such ends as his wisdom hath appointed. Let this be