A04920:657
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.
ANSWER.
Because that now I have to do not only with a blasphemer, but even (as it were) with a devil incarnate, my first and chief defence, is to say, the Lord put silence to the • Satan. The Lord confound thy despiteful counsels by the which thou studiest to pervert the righteous way of the eternal God.
Because that now I haue to do not onely with a blasphemer, but euē (as it were) with a deuill incarnate, my first and chief defence, is to say, the Lord putte silēce to the • Sathan. The Lord confound thy dispiteful counselles by the which thou studiest to peruert the righteous way of the eternall God.
But now of thee,1 ô blasphemous mouth, I ask, if thou be able to forge to thee, and to thy pestilent facti•, ⟨p. 378⟩an other God, then that God who most justly did drown, and destroy by water, all living creatures in earth, except so many, as were preserved in the ark with Noah who also did destroy by fire from heaven Sodom, and Gomorra, with the cities adjacent, and the hole inhabitants of the same (Lot and his two daughters only reserved) who further by the space of four thousand years, did suffer all nations to walk in their own ways, revealing only his good will, and the light of his word, to the seed of Abraham (to those that descended of Jacob I mean) Canst thou I say forge to thy self another God, then this eternal majesty of our God whom we do reverence, in whom we trust, and most steadfastly believe, whose Son Christ Jesus we preach to be the only saviour of his Church, and whose eternal verity we maintain, not only against Jew, Turk, and Papist, but also against you enraged anabaptists, who can admit in God no justice, which is not subject to the reach of your reason? Darest thou, and thy conspiracy stand up, and accuse God of cruelty, because that in these his works, thou canst not deny, but that mo were punished, then were preserved, mo were left in darkness, then were called to the true light? Shall not his mercy exceed all his works, except that he save the Devil, and those that justly be reprobated as he is? Stoop Satan under the empire of our Sovereign God,