An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

And for the proof of the same, let us take Abraham and his posterity for example. Plain it is, that he and his seed were preferred to all the nations of the earth, the benediction was established to spring from them, the promise of the land of Canaan was made unto them, and so were they extolled to the honour and dignity of gods peculiar people. But let us consider what either faith or obedience God found in them which might have moved him thus to prefer them to other nations. Let us hear Moses. The Lord they God (sayeth he) hath chosen thee,¹ that thou should didst be a peculiar people to him above all the peoples which are upon the face of the earth: God hath not so vehemently loved you and chosen you because you are more in number then other nations (seeing ye are fewer then all other people) but because he hath loved you, and would keep the oath which he made to your fathers. And after it followeth: Say not in thy heart, my power, my strength, and my hand have prepared this abundance to me, and think ⟨p. 59⟩not in thy heart,² it is for my justice, that the Lord hath brought me into this land. Of these places it is plain, that Moses leaveth no cause neither of gods election, neither yet of performance of his promise in man, but establisheth it altogether upon gods free love and good pleasure. The same did Joshua in that his last and most vehement exhortation to his people a little before his death,³ in which plainly he affirmeth, that Abraham and his father were idolaters before they were called by God, which place Ezekiel the Prophet most evidently declareth rebuking the unthankful defection of the Jews from God, who of mercy had given them life, honour, and dignity, they of all others being the most unworthy. For the sayeth: Thus sayeth the Lord God to Jerusalem:⁴ Thy habitation and they kindred is of Canaan thy father was an amorrhean, and thy mother an Hittite. and in thy nativity when thou wast born thy navel was not cut, thou was no• washed wi•h water, to soften thee, thou was not salted with salt, neither yet was thou swaddled in clouts. By the which the Prophet signifieth that all was imperfect, all was filthy all was corrupt and stinking as touching their nature. he proceedeth: none ie pitied the to do, any of these unto thee, for to have compassion upon thee: