A04920:653
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.
And thus in your second reason, we do utterly dissent from you• & fear not to affirm, that gods true Prophets, & messengers, do not only declare what men be• but that by the word, which is committed to their charge, effectually ⟨p. 373⟩they work ether light,1 or darkness, life, or death, yea salvation, or damnation. The text of Leviticus serveth you nothing, and the text of Jeremiah is expressly against you. For the high Priest is not commanded to go to a man, in whom no leprosy appeared, and to pronounce, what after shall become of him: but the man in whom there is apparent signs of leprosy, is commanded to be led to the Priests, who are commanded to pronounce according to the signs which they see. Consider I beseech you, the difference between the office of the one, & the office of y• other• the sentence of the one, and the sentence of the other, the one (that is the Priests) go not, nether are they sent, to seek those that have appearance, or suspicion of leprosy. But the Prophet is sent by God, to them that then was called the people of God, in whom no man could have suspected such blindness, such hardness of heart, & such rebellion as the Prophet is commanded to threaten. The Priests did not nor might not pronounce sentence against a man, in whom manifest signs of leprosy appeared not, yea trial must be taken, whether it be leprosy, or not: But the Prophet is commanded to go to that people, who held them selves clean, and before all trial, to pronounce that sharp sentence, you shall hear with your ears, and shall not understand, you shall plainly see, and yet shall not perceive, the heart of this people is hardened. Was there any such commandment or charge given to the priests? Might any of them have said, to any man that appeared to be clean, &c whole, thou shalt be leprous, I pronounce the sentence which thou shalt not escape? I trust not. Then for the diversity as well of their offices, as of the sentences which they pronounced the phrases must be divers.
And thus in your second reason, we do vtterly dissent from you• & feare not to affirme, yt gods true Prophetes, & messingets, do not onely declare what mē be but yt by the word, which is cōmitted to their charge, effectually