A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certain doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certaine doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…

Can God annihilate us without any respect to sin, and can he not afflict us? Alas! what affliction would most men be content to endure rather then to dye, much more rather then to be turned to the gulf of nothing, from whence we came? If it be said, that God may afflict in some degree, but not in the highest; or for a time, but not for ever; such as we conceive that torment to be which we signify by the word Condemnation: I pray remember, we are made after the image of God, and endued with the light of reason, and let us not cast our selves in a brutish manner upon conceits without all evidence of reason. Now tell me, what reason can be devised why God should be able, without all prejudice of his justice, to inflict pain in one degree, in two degrees, in three or four degrees, in five, six, and seven degrees, without all respect to sin only, if in the eight degree he should inflict it in this manner, he should be unjust? Again, if without injustice he may inflict pain on an innocent creature for a thousand years, or ten thousand years, or ten times ten thousand, what reason why he cannot afflict a creature for ever, without injustice? yet if no finite time can be set which he cannot exceed, why not for ever? Nay, if a creature should be put to his choice, whether he would choose to be annihilated, or to be in eternal torment, yet preserved without sin, which of these two would an holy creature make choice of? should he not prefer his being without sin (though in eternal torment) before annihilation?

Can God annihilate us without any respect to sinne, and can hee not afflict us? Alas! what affliction would most men bee content to endure rather then to dye, much more rather then to bee turned to the gulfe of nothing, from whence wee came? If it be said, that God may afflict in some degree, but not in the highest; or for a time, but not for ever; such as wee conceive that torment to bee which wee signifie by the word Condemnation: I pray remember, wee are made after the image of God, and endued with the light of reason, and let us not cast our selves in a brutish manner upon conceits without all evidence of reason. Now tell mee, what reason can bee devised why God should bee able, without all prejudice of his justice, to inflict paine in one degree, in two degrees, in three or foure degrees, in five, six, and seven degrees, without all respect to sinne onely, if in the eight degree hee should inflict it in this manner, he should bee unjust? Againe, if without injustice hee may inflict paine on an innocent creature for a thousand yeares, or ten thousand yeares, or ten times ten thousand, what reason why hee cannot afflict a creature for ever, without injustice? yet if no finite time can be set which hee cannot exceed, why not for ever? Nay, if a creature should be put to his choyce, whether he would choose to bee annihilated, or to bee in eternall torment, yet preserved without sinne, which of these two would an holy creature make choyce of? should he not preferre his being without sinne (though in eternall torment) before annihilation?