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…

and then judgement, and at the last hand condemnation. Thus, Paul takes this word in the first sense with Jude here, [Greek or Hebrew] for suits or trials, or contentions. There is utterly (saith he) a fault amongst you, [Greek or Hebrew], in that you have contentions, or suits, or trials, one with another. If you take the primitive sense of the word [Greek or Hebrew], and also consider the coherence of the Apostles words in this place, this will appear to be his native and true meaning; [Greek or Hebrew], who were of old designed to this contention: Yet for a little further clearing of the text, let me add a word touching the sense of the other two words; [Greek or Hebrew]. In the word [Greek or Hebrew] the Apostle alludeth to the common course of Judges, and suites in the law; or of wrestlings in the Olympian, or of captains in the war, who were wont conscribere, to design afore-hand, or set down in writing the names of such adversaries as were to have their causes or trials tried before them. And as for [Greek or Hebrew], which signifies of old, I dare not stretch it so far, as to reach it to eternity; neither doth the place require it, nor any other in scripture to my remembrance. Yea, God himself, in Jeremiah, plainly distinguisheth time of old, from eternity; as the lesser from the greater. If you then ask what is that old time Jude here speaks of, wherein God wrought afore-hand, and as it were designed; viz. these false teachers to the trial of his Church, and contention with him: I answer, About 4040. years before Jude wrote this Epistle, when God pronounced in 'Paradise that ancient curse upon the serpent and his seed, I will put enmity (saith he) between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, then was that of old, when God did assign and appoint these false teachers under these general words, the seed of the serpent, to this enmity, and contention with the Church, concerning the faith once given to the Saints. And indeed the description which Jude gives of these false teachers, thus set out by God unto this contention, doth plainly decipher them as the seed of the serpent; [Greek or Hebrew], ungodly men, turning the grace of God into wantonness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

and then judgement, and at the last hand condemnation. Thus, Paul takes this word in the first sense with Jude here, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 for suits or tryalls, or contentions. There is utterly (saith hee) a fault amongst you, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, in that you have contentions, or suits, or tryalls, one with another. If you take the primitive sense of the word , and also consider the coherence of the Apostles words in this place, this will appeare to bee his native and true meaning; , who were of old designed to this contention: Yet for a little further clearing of the text, let me adde a word touching the sense of the other two words; . In the word the Apostle alludeth to the common course of Judges, and suites in the law; or of wrestlings in the Olympian, or of captaines in the war, who were wont conscribere, to designe afore-hand, or set downe in writing the names of such adversaries as were to have their causes or tryalls tryed before them. And as for , which signifies of old, I dare not stretch it so farre, as to reach it to eternitie; neither doth the place require it, nor any other in scripture to my remembrance. Yea, God himselfe, in Jeremy, plainly distinguisheth time of old, from eternitie; as the lesser from the greater. If you then aske what is that old time Jude here speakes of, wherein God wrought afore-hand, and as it were designed; viz. these false teachers to the tryall of his Church, and contention with him: I answere, About 4040. yeares before Jude wrote this Epistle, when God pronounced in 'Paradise that ancient curse upon the serpent and his seed, I will put enmitie (saith he) between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, then was that of old, when God did assigne and appoint these false teachers under these generall words, the seed of the serpent, to this enmitie, and contention with the Church, concerning the faith once given to the Saints. And indeed the description which Jude gives of these false teachers, thus set out by God unto this contention, doth plainly decipher them as the seed of the serpent; , ungodly men, turning the grace of God into wantonnesse, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.