A64003:276
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…
A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certain doubts concerning predestination together with an examination thereof / written by William Twice ...A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certaine doubts concerning predestination together with an examination thereof / written by William Twisse ...
London: printed by J.D. for Andrew Crook, 1646
AN EXAMINATION of a Treatise written by Master Cotton, for the clea… › QUESTION •.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Amongst others, I am one into whose hand this discourse of yours is fallen at length, having heard some inkling of it in the general before; and truly by accident I lighted upon it, without any enquiring of mine, without any others offering it unto me; and I am sorry to see the scandal and offence that is given thereby unto Gods people in the way of truth: and that as I seem to have just cause to suspect, some have been hardened and confirmed in their error; and some, I hear, do boast of this discourse of yours, as no small credit and reputation to their cause: yet, I am persuaded, this is no judgement of God upon you, who are far from any heretical animosity: only we all know but in part, and the best are obnoxious unto error; but the judgements of God that have their course in these days do astonish me, in giving men over to illusions to believe lies, by what means, and after what manner he thinks good; and all because we do not embrace the truth, the precious truth of God with love, thereby making our selves most unworthy of it. For, when in vouchsafing unto us his holy truth, ⟨p. 135⟩he doth as it were cram us against our appetite, is it not high time for him to make us fast?
Amongst others, I am one into whose hand this discourse of yours is fallen at length, having heard some inckling of it in the generall before; and truly by accident I lighted upon it, without any enquiring of mine, without any others offering it unto me; and I am sorry to see the scandall and offence that is given thereby unto Gods people in the way of truth: and that as I seeme to have just cause to suspect, some have been hardned and confirmed in their errour; and some, I heare, doe boast of this discourse of yours, as no small credit and reputation to their cause: yet, I am perswaded, this is no judgement of God upon you, who are far from any hereticall animositie: onely we all know but in part, and the best are obnoxious unto errour; but the judgements of God that have their course in these dayes doe astonish me, in giving men over to illusions to believe lies, by what meanes, and after what manner he thinks good; and all because we doe not embrace the truth, the precious truth of God with love, thereby making our selves most unworthy of it. For, when in vouchsafing unto us his holy truth, ⟨p. 135⟩he doth as it were cramme us against our appetite, is it not high time for him to make us fast?