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…

As there is an election eternal, and election temporal, so ¹in both senses the word is taken in holy scripture. Of election eternal we read, Ephes. 1. 4. where God is said to have chosen us in Christ, that we should be holy, before the foundation of the world. Of election temporal we read, 1 Cor. 1. 26. Brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, &c. But God hath chosen the foolish things, &c. Where Election ⟨p. 120⟩is taken as all one with vocation, in proportion whereunto we must distinguish of reprobation. And like as Election temporal is all one with effectual vocation, as when men find mercy at the hands of God to obey their callings: So reprobation temporal is all one with obduration, as when men are not, through the mercy of God and power of his grace, brought about to obey their calling, but through the hardness of their hearts, uncorrected by the spirit of God, they stand out, and refuse to obey when they are called. Now like as it followeth not, that because men are not elect, in respect of Election temporal, until they obey their calling, therefore God did consider them as obedient to their calling before he elected them unto life: In like sort it followeth not, that because men are not reprobate in respect of reprobation temporal, until they are found to disobey their calling; Ergo, God did consider them as disobedient to their calling before he reprobated them unto death: albeit there is a vast difference between Election and Reprobation. For if once men be found truly to obey their calling, hereby as they are effectually called, so they may be assured of their eternal Election unto grace, and consequently unto glory also. But although men for a while are found to disobey their calling, though hereby they are obdurated, yet no evidence ariseth here-hence of their non-election unto grace, and consequently of their reprobation from grace, and as from grace so from glory also. The reason is, because nothing but small obduration and continuance in sin is an evidence of Preprobation eternal; though in this case they may be accounted reprobate two ways: First in a negative opposition to Election temporal; for certainly in this case they are not as yet effectually called, that is, converted unto God. Secondly, they may be called reprobate as it hath the signification of an adjective, and not of a participle;