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…

whereby men are given over by God, whence it followeth, that they will grow harder and harder, and that is the suspension ⟨p. 186⟩of his admonitions, either by taking away his word, or forbearing inward motives by his spirit, or removing his judgements and giving outward prosperity, whereby God is said to give men over to their own hearts lusts. But how this or any of these can be called the inflicting of obduration, I understand not. And whereas you say it is prejudicial to Gods Justice, to show his power in hardening Pharaoh without respect to sin, like as to condemn him; I have already showed the great difference between condemnation and obduration. It being never said, that God damns whom he will, but the Apostle plainly professing that God hardens whom he will, even as expressly as it is said, He hath mercy on whom he will; and no marvel. For God hath revealed a Law, according to which he proceeds in damning men, but you are not able to show us a Law according to which God proceeds in the hardening of them. For if the elect before their callings, be no better then reprobates, it is impossible to assign a Law, according to which God proceeds in the hardening of men, but that by the same Law, the Elect of God must be hardened also. And hardening in the Scripture phrase is usually opposed to Gods showing mercy. It is one thing to speak of an heart hardened, another to speak of a heart desperately hardened. Yet if you were put to explicate your self, and show what it is to be desperately hardened, and that of God, and there withal to prove how Pharaoh was at the time you speak of, desperately hardened, I am persuaded this phrase would cost you more pains then you are aware of, for the satisfying of your self, and perhaps somewhat more for the satisfying of others. If then God purposed to fall upon Pharaoh in his utmost wrath, &c. Surely, from everlasting he purposed so to fall upon him: for all Gods purposes are everlasting.

whereby men are given over by God, whence it followeth, that they will grow harder and harder, and that is the suspension ⟨p. 186⟩of his admonitions, either by taking away his word, or forbearing inward motives by his spirit, or removing his judgements and giving outward prosperity, whereby God is said to give men over to their own hearts lusts. But how this or any of these can bee called the inflicting of abduration, I understand not. And whereas you say it is prejudiciall to Gods Justice, to shew his power in hardning Pharaoh without respect to sin, like as to condemn him; I have already shewed the great difference between condemnation and obduration. It being never said, that God damnes whom hee will, but the Apostle plainely professing that God hardens whom hee will, even as expressely as it is said, Hee hath mercy on whom hee will; and no marvell. For God hath revealed a Law, according to which hee proceeds in damning men, but you are not able to shew us a Law according to which God proceeds in the hardning of them. For if the elect before their callings, bee no better then reprobates, it is impossible to assigne a Law, according to which God proceeds in the hardning of men, but that by the same Law, the Elect of God must bee hardned also. And hardning in the Scripture phrase is usually opposed to Gods shewing mercy. It is one thing to speak of an heart hardned, another to speak of a heart desperately hardned. Yet if you were put to explicate your self, and shew what it is to bee desperately hardned, and that of God, and there withall to prove how Pharaoh was at the time you speak of, desperately hardned, I am perswaded this phrase would cost you more pains then you are aware of, for the satisfying of your self, and perhaps somewhat more for the satisfying of others. If then God purposed to fall upon Pharaoh in his utmost wrath, &c. Surely, from everlasting hee purposed so to fall upon him: for all Gods purposes are everlasting.