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 thus Arminius himself falls upon Exam. Pag. 31. Apostolus inquit, nos in Christo electos esse tanquam in mediator, cujus sanguine nobis salus parta est. And thus the danger is fairly avoided of making Christ the cause of our election quoad actum eligentis, which not one of our Divines, that I know, maintains, save Rolloc. But Arminius, I confess, labours for it tooth and nail, to no other end, but that so he may somewhat plausibly bring in faith also, if not as a cause, yet as a pre-requisite at least of our election. And yet for all the noise he makes in this kind, calling Christ the foundation of our election, nevertheless the issue is to confess that all comes to this, that Christ is therefore the foundation of our election because he is the meritorious cause bonorum electione praeparatorum, of good things which are prepared by election; such as he specifies to be grace and glory, as appears both in his public and private disputations. Now, if in this sense we are said to be elect in Christ, that we should be holy, then it is clear, we are not elect in Christ tanquam in capite; for, ratio capitis non est ratio causae meritoriae, as Arminius himself acknowledgeth, Exam. Pag. 3. Apostolus inquit nos electos esse in Christo tanquam in mediator, cujus sanguine nobis salus parta est & vita: there a way hath causa meritoria, his course. And then he addes, & ut in capite, ex quo ista bona ad nos derivantur. So that ratio capitis with him is ratio causae efficientis; not moraliter, but physicè: and therein he saith truth. Secondly, observe what he marks out of this, that we are all elect in Christ, tanquam in capite, for here-hence he will deduce, that we are elect in Christ tanquam mortuo & resuscitato, because Christ was not made the head of his Church till after his resurrection, building as it seems upon that we read Ephes. 1. 20. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his right-hand in heavenly places. 21. Far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named, not in this world only, but also in that that is to come: 22. And hath made all things subject under his feet, and hath given him over all things to be the head of the Church.

And thus Arminius himselfe falls upon Exam. Pag. 31. Apostolus inquit, nos in Christo electos esse tanquam in mediatore, cujus sanguine nobis salus parta est. And thus the danger is fairely avoided of making Christ the cause of our election quoad actum eligentis, which not one of our Divines, that I know, maintains, save Rolloc. But Arminius, I confesse, labours for it tooth and naile, to no other end, but that so he may somewhat plausibly bring in faith also, if not as a cause, yet as a pre-requisite at least of our election. And yet for all the noyse he makes in this kind, calling Christ the foundation of our election, neverthelesse the issue is to confesse that all comes to this, that Christ is therefore the foundation of our election because he is the meritorious cause bonorum electione praeparatorum, of good things which are prepared by election; such as he specifies to bee grace and glory, as appeares both in his publique and private disputations. Now, if in this sense we are said to be elect in Christ, that we should be holy, then it is cleare, we are not elect in Christ tanquam in capite; for, ratio capitis non est ratio causae meritoriae, as Arminius himselfe acknowledgeth, Exam. Pag. 3. Apostolus inquit nos electos esse in Christo tanquam in mediatore, cujus sanguine nobis salus parta est & vita: there a way hath causa meritoria, his course. And then he addes, & ut in capite, ex quo ista bona ad nos derivantur. So that ratio capitis with him is ratio causae efficientis; not moraliter, but physicè: and therein he saith truth. Secondly, observe what he marks out of this, that we are all elect in Christ, tanquam in capite, for here-hence he will deduce, that we are elect in Christ tanquam mortuo & resuscitato, because Christ was not made the head of his Church till after his resurrection, building as it seemes upon that we read