A64003:387
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 5: The Fifth Doubt.
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.
Secondly, That the means God useth for these good ends, are in some measure sufficient (if they be not hindered by men) to bring them to the attainment of these ends: for when God saith himself, he useth these means for these ends; for us to say, these means are not sufficient for these ends, seemeth to me to derogate from the wisdom and sufficiency of God, whose works are all of them perfect, Deut. 32. 4. and so sufficient for the ends for which he wrought them. Yet God forbid I should doubt of that which our Saviour telleth the Jews, No man can come to Christ, except the Father draw him, Joh. 6. 44. by the same Almighty power and authority, whereby he sent Christ into the world.
Secondly, That the meanes God useth for these good ends, are in some measure sufficient (if they bee not hindered by men) to bring them to the attainment of these ends: for when God saith himself, hee useth these meanes for these ends; for us to say, these meanes are not sufficient for these ends, seemeth to mee to derogate from the wisdom and sufficiency of God, whose works are all of them perfect, Deut. 32. 4. and so sufficient for the ends for which hee wrought them. Yet God forbid I should doubt of that which our Saviour telleth the Jews, No man can come to Christ, except the Father draw him, Joh. 6. 44. by the same Almighty power and authority, whereby hee sent Christ into the world.
The whole tenor of your Answer in clearing the Fifth 1Doubt looks this way, as if you maintained a sufficiency of power in those whom we account Reprobates to perform such things, upon the performance whereof they should be saved. I confess you do not make any express mention of Faith, but of obedience in general, and of repentance; which I presume you will acknowledge, will be inseparable from Faith. And that you do acknowledge a sufficiency in them to perform Obedience and Repentance requisite to Salvation, I prove thus: