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…

I doubt not but Gods will is serious, what way or course soever it takes; but you are very adventurous upon your Readers credulity, in endeavouring to persuade him, that God willeth such a gracious heart in them, in whom he means not to work; considering, as I presume your self believe (although this discourse of yours makes me not a little to stagger in this mine apprehension) that God alone is able to work such an heart in any: yet you labour to expedite a facile way unto our faith, or credulity rather, to take hold of your Proposition by a familiar comparison; A father (you say) persuades both his son and his servant to be cut, both being dangerously sick of the stone; but when persuasions will not serve with his son, he taketh him and bindeth him ⟨p. 108⟩hand and foot, and causeth him to endure it: The servant he continueth to persuade to endure the like course of cure, but proceedeth no further. In this case, you say, the Master doth seriously desire the healing and life of his servant, though he did not proceed to the cutting asunder of his flesh: I grant all this; but I wonder not a little that your self do not observe the incongruity in this comparison, which on no side is suitable; for the son, in this case, is made to be cut against his will, that he may be healed; but God forceth no man to conversion and repentance against his will, that he may be healed; for, indeed, voluntas non potest cogi, at least in respect of actus eliciti, wherein consists repentance and conversion. On the other side, the servant is no more willing to be cut than the son, for it is not in the power of man to change the will either of servant or of son; but this is in Gods power, and with an omnipotent facility, as Austin speaks, Omnipotenti facilitate convertit, & ex nolentibus volentes facit: Now, put the case that the Master should know, that of all the means he could use to make his servant willing to endure the cutting, none but one would prevail with him, and that one would prevail with him to make him willing; should the Master use all other means, which he well knew would prove ineffectual, and purposely forbear the other, which he well knew would prove prevalent? In this case, speak freely, I pray, whether this man did seriously and earnestly desire the cutting and healing of his servant, and not rather the contrary?

I doubt not but Gods will is serious, what way or course soever it takes; but you are very adventurous upon your Readers credulity, in endeavouring to perswade him, that God willeth such a gracious heart in them, in whom hee means not to worke; considering, as I presume your selfe beleeve (although this discourse of yours makes mee not a little to stagger in this mine apprehension) that God alone is able to worke such an heart in any: yet you labour to expedite a facile way unto our faith, or credulity rather, to take hold of your Proposition by a familiar comparison; A father (you say) perswades both his sonne and his servant to be cut, both being dangerously sicke of the stone; but when perswasions will not serve with his sonne, hee taketh him and bindeth him