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…

Secondly, by the same reason it may be said, that God condemns men out of his absolute will, and yet he condemns none but for sin, yet you shall never read that God condemns whom he will.

Secondly, by the same reason it may bee said, that God condemnes men out of his absolute will, and yet hee condemnes none but for sin, yet you shall never read that God condemnes whom hee will.

Thirdly, if God doth harden out of his absolute will, then also he did purpose to harden of his absolute will. Whence I infer that then God did not purpose to harden for sin. For Gods purpose to harden only in respect of sin, is commonly accounted (and that by your self) a will conditionate, and a will conditionate is opposite to a will absolute.

Thirdly, if God doth harden out of his absolute will, then also hee did purpose to harden of his absolute will. Whence I infer that then God did not purpose to harden for sin. For Gods purpose to harden only in respect of sin, is commonly accounted (and that by your self) a will conditionate, and a will conditionate is opposite to a will absolute.

Lastly, I deny that God doth harden for their sins, as hardening denoteth a denial of saving grace; For to harden for sin is to punish, but to deny saving grace to them that never had saving grace, is not to punish them; to leave a man in the state wherein he finds him, is not to punish him. And therefore when Epaminondas ran his Javelin through a Sentinel whom he found in sleep, saying, I did but leave him as I found him, because sleep is usually said to be Mortis Imago, the Image of death, had he no better Apology for his fact then this, he had no way freed himself from injustice. If God may harden man for sin, and yet sin shall not be a primary cause moving God to harden him, by the same reason, though God condemns man for sin, it is not necessary, that sin should be a primary cause moving God to condemn him, which is directly contrary to your tenet in the point of reprobation. And this consideration of your own, if you hold your self unto it attentively, may bring you into the right way, from which you have erred, and the want of it hath