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…

As touching the other examples wherein the administration of Gods providence is more obscure, while he punisheth sin with sin; I say also that Gods punishing consists in denying, or not maintaining some kind of grace, or rather not so much to be called grace as a natural restraint, not from sin in general, (for that cannot be but by saving grace) but from some sins in special, which are foul in the judgement of a natural mans conscience; such as are those unnatural defilements the Apostle speaks of Rom. 1. Now God in a natural manner restrains men from such excess, either for fear of shame of the world, or by reason of some natural detriment that may arise thereby, or by the ministry of his Angels restraining the temptations of Satan in this kind; And it is found by experience that Nemo repent fit turpissimus, but they grow to extremes by degrees, and the longer a man lives, the worse he grows, if grace correct not the course of corrupt nature, according to that saying, Nemo senex metuit Jovem. Now if God shall forbear this restraint, and give them over to the power of Satan, they shall be exposed to the commission of such abominable things, and therein they shall receive in themselves a just recompense of their former errors. And therewithal we see how this case is as extravagant from our present purpose in discoursing of obduration as the former. And you confess that the hardening of Pharaoh is referred by the Apostle to the will of God; but withal you add, that it is referred thereto, by him, as to the first cause thereof, whereas no such distinction or limitation suitable is expressed or implied by the Apostle; but only for the advantage of your own opinion, you are pleased thus to shape it. And it is very strange that the Apostle should utterly omit such a cause as is of a most satisfying nature, and give himself to the pleading of that, which affords so little satisfaction in the judgement of flesh and blood, such as it seems they relish most of, with whom the Apostle enters upon this his Dialogue; neither doth the Apostle refer this to Jacob and Esau only, as you fashion it (to hold up the difference you put between Gods hatred of Esau before he was born, and his hatred of Pharaoh;)

As touching the other examples wherein the administration of Gods providence is more obscure, while hee punisheth sin with sin; I say also that Gods punishing consists in denying, or not maintaining some kinde of grace, or rather not so much to bee called grace as a naturall restraint, not from sin in generall, (for that cannot bee but by saving grace) but from some sins in speciall, which are foule in the judgement of a naturall mans conscience; such as are those unnaturall defilements the Apostle speaks of