An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

and that this is the very natural meaning of the holy Ghost, the text it self doth witness. For the Apostle immediately before willeth prayers, and supplications to be made for all men, for Kings, and for all that were placed in authority. And because that the Church was chiefly oppressed by such, this doubt might have risen: Are we then bound to pray for those that are express, and conjured enemies against God? You are, saith the Apostle: for that is good, and acceptable before God our Saviour, who will all men to be saved. That is, God willeth you to pray for your persecutors, that their eyes may be opened, and they converted to the living God: who no doubt will save some of all estates, of all conditions and vocations of men. For the nations are given to Christ Jesus by inheritance: Kings shall be the feeders of the Church: Queens shall be nurses: And in his holy temple, shall all sing praise. If this interpretation (which we doubt not to be ⟨p. 397⟩the very meaning of the holy Ghost, can not satisfy you. Then will I ask of you. If God will men otherwise to be saved then by Christ Jesus? or as the Apostle speaketh, by coming to the knowledge of the verity? Plain it is, that by the words of the Apostle ye can conclude none otherwise. For as he saith God will all men to be saved, so doth he add, and willeth all men to come to the knowledge of the verity. Which word (willeth) albeit it be not expressedly repeated in the second member, yet of necessity, it must be understand, as those that be but meanly seen in the greek, or latin tongue do evidently see. Then if I shall sufficiently prove, that God willeth not all men, to come to the knowledge of the verity, in such sort, as the Apostle meaneth, shall it not infallibly follow, that God will not all men to be saved, in such sense as you understand. That God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of that verity, by the which man is verily made free from the bondage of satan, is evident, not only by those whom we do see walk in darkness, and ignorance, but also by the manifest scriptures of God. who called Abraham, making to him, and to his seed the promise, of salvation, saying: I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee which promise he kept secrete many ages from the rest of the world. When he did notify his law unto Israel, and when Moses did repeat the same, he said:

and that this is the very naturall meaning of the holy Gost, the tex•e it selfe doth witnes. For the Apostle immediatly before willeth praiers, and supplications to be made for all men, for Kinges, and for all that were placed in authoritie. And because that the Church was chiefely oppressed by such, this doubte might haue risen: Are we then bound to pray for those that are expresse, and coniured ennemies against God? You are, saith the Apostle: for that is good, and acceptable before God our Sauior, who will all men to be saued. That is, God willeth you to pray for your persecuters, that their eyes may be opened, and they conuerted to the liuing God: who no doubt will saue some of all estates, of all conditiōs and vocatiōs of men. For the natiōs are giuen to Christe Iesus by inheritance: Kinges shalbe the feders of the Church: Quenes shalbe nurses: And in his holy temple, shall all sing praise. If this interpretation (which we doubt not to be