A04920:685
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.
How violently you wrest the words of the Prophet,1 and of the Apostle shall shortly appear, after I have reasoned a little with you, how these your propositions do agree with that which goeth before. Ye have affirmed that God is ready to mercy, and slow to wrath, in which words you •hew: and confess, that in the God head there is readiness to •hew mercy, and also that there is a justice, which must execute wrath upon the disobedient. And so in the nature of the God head ye confess mercy ad justice. But here you say that God will the death of no creature, but that he will all men to be saved. which last words being understand as ye do urge them, must destroy the former nature of God, & take away his justice. For if he absolutely will the death of no creature, then will he no punishment to follow sin. And if he will no punishment, then willeth he his justice to cease, and so consequently must one of the properties of his godly nature cease. Study for an answer, to make your former words, and latter words better agree, or else ye will be compelled to confess, that God for some respect willeth both death and damnation to come upon some creatures. Further if God willeth all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the trueth, and yet many do perish in ignorance, and shall be condemned as Christ Jesus doth pronounce: then must it ether follow that gods will is mutable, and so he unconstant, and not at all times like to him self, or else that he is not omnipotent. For if God at the first creation of man, would all men to be saved (as ye allege) then would I know, when this will was changed. After that man had offended, say you. Then yet have I obtained, that in gods will there was mutability. For after sin he would, and by his sentence pronounced, that Adam, and his posterity should suffer the corporal death, yea and that the seed of the serpent should have the head broken down, by the which is meant the ⟨p. 393⟩spiritual death, which nether of both (as you affirm) did God will before. If you reply gods will towards the salvation of all mankind, did remain the same after sin, which was before: for a general promise of deliverance was made, by the woman's seed that was promised.
How violētly you wrest the wordes of the Prophet,