An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

ANSWER.

To the which I answer, that if the devil were not a liar, and the father, not of lies only, but also of all deceitful liars, it were not possible, that you who in so many things have declared your selves horrible liars should vainly brag that ye have written the trueth. For besides those odious crimes, which most impudently, and most falsely you lay to our charge, amongest all the scriptures by you alleged, their are not three which ye do not abuse, yea and in some ye do so openly belie the holy Ghost that you conclude contrary to his expressed ⟨p. 452⟩words. But when I consider, that your Master & father Satan him self, ashamed not in the presence of Christ Jesus, to boast, and to brag, that all the power, and glory of the earth was given unto him, and that he gave it to such as best pleased him, when yet in very deed he had no power to give to his fellow angels, and companions of darkness licence to enter into the bellies of swine, till that he, and they were fain to beg that pleasant palace, of him, to whom all power is given in heaven, and in earth. When this I say, I do consider, I do more lament your miserable blindness, then that I can stomach against your vanity, except in so far, as to the end, I must say, that such as obstinately deny the plain truth of God, are liars, and the sons of that liar, who first deceived man, and poured into his hart the same venom, and error which this day ye teach, and maintain. For he was bold to affirm that wisdom and life was to be found by other means then God had determined, yea where God had pronounced death, and damnation, he promised salvation, and life, and so do you. For God hath appointed life to none of his elect, but in Christ Jesus only, and that by such means, as in his holy word expressed, which are true faith, continual repentance, abnegation of our selves, of our own justice, and wisdom, and finally by receiving (of free grace) in Christ Jesus, whatsoever we have lost in Adam. But ye ashamed not to affirm, that the justice of Christ sufficeth us not, except that we have a personal justice of our own. How coldly ye speak, or write of his death, of his resurrection of his mediation, and perpetual intercession, is evident.