A04920:649
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.
In the people of Israel, in their elders, Priests, and counsel, appeared some face of justice, when Stephan was accused, before that he pronounced these words: ye stiffenecked, and uncircumcised in heart, and ears, you have ever resisted, the holy Ghost, even as your fathers have resisted,1 so do you: whom of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them, which showed before of the coming of that just, whom ye have now betrayed, & murdered. Before this sentence (I say) there appeared some face of justice, but what ensued ⟨p. 370⟩the holy Ghost doth witness, saying: when they heard these things their hearts burst for anger and they gnashed at him with their teeth. And after also that he gave a more plain confession of Christ Jesus, of his exaltation, glory, power, and Majesty, they cried out with a great voice, they stopped their ears, they as wolves enraged rushed upon him, with one consent, and so without all order of justice, did stone him to death. If ye confess not that the word of God, proceeding from the mouth of Stephen, did not more harden them, who no doubt were hardened before, you deny a trueth that is more then evident. Divers places more I might adduce for the same purpose, but (having respect to brevity) I stand content with th•se two, which I doubt nothing, are sufficient to prove, that men, that be already hardened, yet by the coming of the plain word, which rebuketh their iniquity, they become more hard. As the owl being blind, even when she appeareth to see best in the night season, but yet in the day time, she is more blinded, because that the weakness of her eyes, can not abide the bright beams of the sun. And even so it is with the reprobate, they are always blind, and hard hearted, but when the light of God doth most plainly shine before them or when they are called from iniquity to virtue, then becometh the word of glad tidings to them, a very savour of death, by the which, they are both more blinded, and more hardened. And so in your first reason we dissent from you in that, that you seem to affirm, that because the reprobate are once hardened, therefore they can be no more hardened. Your second reason is, that because it belongeth to God only to make hard their hearts, that therefore there resteth nothing to the Prophets, but to show unto them the hardness of their hearts.