A04920:84
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.
How blasphemous be your similitudes, your self may consider, if malice have not utterly blinded you, for I have all ready proved that God is not bound to the laws ⟨p. 65⟩and bounds of nature, and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye allege, few words shall declare. Ye deny, that God doeth speak here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophet,1 but to all men in general: and even to those that had forsaken him, as ye would seem to prove by the words of the same Prophet spoken before in his thirty chapter.2 First (I say) that those two places do no more agree, then do those words of Christ spoken after his resurrection: Go to my brethren and tell them: I pass up to my father, and unto your father, and unto my God and unto your God, and those which he spake before his death, against Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Corosaim, or unto Jerusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction, because they did not know the time of their visitation. For in the former place God speaketh to Zion which long had been waist and to his people, which long had been oppressed. And to the end that the reader may better understand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steal the words which explain the hole matter, I will bring forth the words of the Prophet.3 Rejoice (sayeth he) • heavens: and rejoice thou earth • you mountains breast you forth in gladness, for the eternal hath comforted his people and shall have mercy upon his poor ones. Zion hath said, the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me, May a woman forget her child that she shall not have compassion upon the son of her bosom, but let it be that they forget (nevertheless I shall not forget thee, for lo in these my two hands have I engrafted thee, and thy walls are for ever before me. If these comfortable words were spoken in general to all men (as ye affirm) let indifferent men judge: If all men were Zion, that long had lien desolate, if all were his people that long had been oppressed in the captivity of Babylon: If all did so complain, that they thought God to have forgotten his league and promise, which of mercy he made with them: