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…

Against the point I know nothing of worth, besides that in the ¹Rom. interpreted and opened in the answer to the fourth Doubt following; save only that place in Jude, where it is said of the false teachers (as it is commonly translated) that they were ordained of old to condemnation. The words in the original are; [Greek or Hebrew]. The sense whereof is given to be, that these false teachers were of old ordained to judgement. viz. As they take it from eternity, and so before themselves were, or had given any former cause of such condemnation: and according to this sense, the subject whereabouts the decree of reprobation is conversant, is not the world as fallen in Adam, much less as fallen from Christ: but as considered in massa pura, before they had done good or evil, yea, before they were. To clear this objection I am to crave leave to depart from the usual translation and interpretation of this place. For first, [Greek or Hebrew] doth not in the first place signify condemnation, but, as you well know, judgement rather. And so if I should give the sense, they were of old ordained to judgement, viz. according to their works; this would not at all touch the second act of positive Reprobation, the point now in hand; but only confirm the first point touching the former act of positive Retribution, spoken of before; viz. before the world was, God then ordained the men of this world to judgment according to their works. And surely I should have rested in this sense, but that I see the Apostle Jude interposing the Pronounce [Greek or Hebrew], doth thereby point at some spiritual kind of [Greek or Hebrew], or judgement spoken of by him in the words before. v. 3. He thought it needful to exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints. In the v. 4. He rendereth a just reason hereof from the antagonists which were crept in amongst them; and whom God himself, as the chief [Greek or Hebrew], had designed and sent amongst them, to put them to this contention and trial. For so the coherence requires this word [Greek or Hebrew] to be here translated; for [Greek or Hebrew] coming of [Greek or Hebrew], which signifies decerno, dimico, to contend in law or war; and then judico, and last of all condemno; doth first signify ⟨p. 128⟩lis or certamen, contention or trial;

Against the point I know nothing of worth, besides that in the