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…

From the old Testament you come unto the new: That of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13. 5. you strain miserably to make it serve your turn. For first you serve your turn at pleasure in the word [Greek or Hebrew], which is merely the privation of [Greek or Hebrew]. yet you enforce it to signify a desperate condition, which is utterly repugnant to the genius of the Apostles text: who admonisheth them to prove themselves, whether they were in the faith, to humble them if they found themselves otherwise; not to preach desperation unto them. Nother doth the Apostle infer the condition of reprobates (such as there he speaks of) from the receiving of the grace of God by a powerful ministry (such as Pauls was) offered unto ⟨p. 125⟩them in vain; but from the not having Christ in them. In this case, whatsoever their minister was, and how little time soever, as well as how long they had enjoyed the Gospel, he pronounced them reprobates: As, indeed, till men are effectually called, there is no necessity that there should be any difference between the Elect and Reprobates considered in themselves: Albeit in respect of the different purposes of God towards them, there is a very great difference. That out of the 1. to the Rom. as concerning the Gentiles given up to a reprobate mind, I have already spoken sufficient. I like Piscators interpretation of [Greek or Hebrew] better then yours: He renders it thus, in mentem omnis judicii expertem. And I pray tell me, do you not think they were given over [Greek or Hebrew]; [Greek or Hebrew], before their transforming of the glory of the incorruptible God, into the similitude of corruptible things? Were it not so, how could they have been guilty of so foul a transformation? It is true, he gave them up also to a reprobate mind, to do things uncomely, and to corrupt their lives also with horrible uncleanness. Yet, I have showed out of 1 Cor. 6. that some of those were afterwards sanctified, and consequently ab origine the elect of God, and not reprobates in such a sense as we entreat of it in this controversy.

From the old Testament you come unto the new: That of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13. 5. you straine miserablie to make it serve your turne. For first you serve your turne at pleasure in the word , which is meerly the privation of . yet you inforce it to signifie a desperate condition, which is utterly repugnant to the genius of the Apostles text: who admonisheth them to prove themselves, whether they were in the faith, to humble them if they found themselves otherwise; not to preach desperation unto them. Nother doth the Apostle inferre the condition of reprobates (such as there hee speakes of) from the receiving of the grace of God by a powerfull ministerie (such as Pauls was) offered unto