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…

to wit, if it were first in intention, and consequently men should first be saved, and afterwards have faith and repentance granted unto them. Thus I have showed my readiness to concur with you in opinion in this particular; and that upon other grounds than yours: and whose grounds are more sound, yours or mine, I am content to remit it to the judgement of any indifferent Reader. As for your reason here mentioned, repeating only what you have formerly delivered, as touching the will and good pleasure of God, not for the death, but for the life, not only of the elect, but of all others also; the vanity of this assertion of yours, I think I have sufficiently discovered. And I wonder you should carry it thus, not of the death, but of the life; when most an end you have carried it only thus hitherunto; that Gods willing their life, is only upon condition of their obedience and repentance, not otherwise: Or, in a disjunct axiom, thus, Either of life in case they repent, or of death in case they did not repent; and what should move you to call this a willing to give them life, and not to inflict death? Why should you not rather call it a will to inflict death, and not to give life; considering that God was ⟨p. 114⟩resolved to deny them such grace, as would effectually bring them to obedience and repentance; and to grant them only such a grace, as he fore-knew full well, would never bring them to obedience and repentance? 1. Cain was of the family of Adam, to whom the promise was made concerning the seed of the woman, that he should break the serpents head; and although Cain was offered acceptance upon his repentance, yet it followeth not that all were offered the same acceptance, even those that never received any tidings or promise concerning the Messiah. And the Apostle plainly signifies, that the Gentiles were not admonished to repent until Christ was preached unto them, Act. 17. 30. But suppose it were so, yet this hinders nothing at all the precedency of the decree of condemnation, unto the decree of giving such a Covenant and permitting them to despise it. For, because God purposed to damn them for such a sin, therefore he might decree to give them such a Covenant, and permit them, or expose them, (by leaving them destitute of his grace) to the despising of it: Not that I do approve of any such conceit, as before I have manifested;

to wit, if it were first in intention, and consequently men should first be saved, and afterwards have faith and repentance granted unto them. Thus I have shewed my readinesse to concurre with you in opinion in this particular; and that upon other grounds than yours: and whose grounds are more sound, yours or mine, I am content to remit it to the judgement of any indifferent Reader. As for your reason here mentioned, repeating onely what you have formerly delivered, as touching the will and good pleasure of God, not for the death, but for the life, not onely of the elect, but of all others also; the vanitie of this assertion of yours, I thinke I have sufficiently discovered. And I wonder you should carry it thus, not of the death, but of the life; when most an end you have carried it onely thus hitherunto; that Gods willing their life, is onely upon condition of their obedience and repentance, not otherwise: Or, in a disjunct axiome, thus, Either of life in case they repent, or of death in case they did not repent; and what should move you to call this a willing to give them life, and not to inflict death? Why should you not rather call it a will to inflict death, and not to give life; considering that God was