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…

yet of them it holds not, as touching the other part of the condition, to wit, of continuance in obedience; for the posterity of Adam, through his fall, are quite out of the estate of obedience, till God restores them. Nay, God in this life never restores any to the estate of obedience, which was found in Adam before his fall. Out of this confusion you infer, that, Surely the purpose of Gods just retribution is to give life to the world of mankind, upon condition of their obedience, or of their repentance. As before we were troubled with confusion, so here we are again troubled with an unhappy distinction: For, what do you mean to distinguish Obedience from Repentance, as if Repentance were not Obedience? Doth not God say as well unto us, Repent, and believe the Gospel; as, If you consent and obey, you shall eat the ¹good things of the land? Is it fit to distinguish the Genus from the Species, so as to set one in opposition to the other? Though the contentions of Brethren are as the bars of a Palace; yet, as Brethren, they are all the Children of the same Father, or Mother, or both. But take we your meaning; and that by Obedience is to be understood, such a state or condition of obedience as is without all sin; then let your Position run plainly thus, Surely, the purpose of Gods just retribution is to give life to the world of mankind, upon condition of their being without sin, or of their repentance after obedience. To this I answer, That, there never was any such Covenant of God with man; I mean, in such sort conditionate: and consequently, there never was any purpose in God to make any such Covenant with man; at least for the time past: As for the times to come, let them speak for themselves, by their own experience, when they come. But that never any such Covenant had place hitherto, between God and man, it is manifest: For, since the Fall of Adam all being borne in sin, there is no place for such a Covenant, as touching the first part of the condition, which is, of being without sin. And before the Fall of Adam there was no place for this Covenant, as touching the latter part of the condition; as I presume you will not deny: only the confusion of these two states, before the Fall and after ⟨p. 66⟩the Fall, hath brought forth this wild conceit of such a Covenant.

yet of them it holds not, as touching the other part of the condition, to wit, of continuance in obedience; for the posterity of Adam, through his fall, are quite out of the estate of obedience, till God restores them. Nay, God in this life never restores any to the estate of obedience, which was found in Adam before his fall. Out of this confusion you inferre, that, Surely the purpose of Gods just retribution is to give life to the world of mankind, upon condition of their obedience, or of their repentance. As before wee were troubled with confusion, so here wee are againe troubled with an unhappy distinction: For, what doe you meane to distinguish Obedience from Repentance, as if Repentance were not Obedience? Doth not God say as well unto us, Repent, and beleeve the Gospel; as, If you consent and obey, you shall eat the