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…

Thirdly, You plainly affirm, that mankind slights to work out with the Trinity, their salvation. Now no man can be said to slight the doing thereof, for the doing whereof he hath no power. You maintain there is in a reprobate mans power to work out his salvation with the Trinity.

Thirdly, You plainly affirm, that mankinde slights to work out with the Trinity, their salvation. Now no man can bee said to slight the doing thereof, for the doing whereof hee hath no power. You maintain there is in a reprobate mans power to work out his salvation with the Trinity.

Fourthly, the comparison you make to represent Gods different dealing with his Elect, and with the reprobate, doth intimate as much. The servant you say is only persuaded to yield himself to be cut, that he may be cured of the stone, yet earnestly and forcibly persuaded: The son over and above is taken by the Father and bound and cut, that he may be cured. Now as it is in the power of the servant to yield to be cut, that he may be cured, so do you hereby intimate that it is in the power of a Reprobate to yield to be converted, that God may heal him.

Fourthly, the comparison you make to represent Gods different dealing with his Elect, and with the reprobate, doth intimate as much. The servant you say is only perswaded to yeeld himself to bee cut, that hee may bee cured of the stone, yet earnestly and forcibly perswaded: The son over and above is taken by the Father and bound and cut, that hee may bee cured. Now as it is in the power of the servant to yeeld to bee cut, that hee may bee cured, so do you hereby intimate that it is in the power of a Reprobate to yeeld to bee converted, that God may heale him.

Fifthly, you do acknowledge that Gods purpose to give life unto the world upon condition of obedience, doth imply that God should accordingly give means to help them to the performance of this obedience; for you plainly signify that God purposing to give life unto the world upon condition of obedience, doth accordingly give means to help them to the performance of this obedience. Now I say, Gods purpose to give life unto the world, upon condition of obedience, doth no more imply that God must accordingly give means to help them to the performance of this obedience, then that God must accordingly give ability by the help of such means to perform obedience. And indeed, to what end tends the giving of means to help them to the performance of obedience, if they have not ability by the help of those means to perform obedience? In this very Section you profess the means which God affords are sufficient to bring them to those gracious ends, which God (you say) intends, if they be not hindered by men. Which doth imply that in your opinion, the men of the world have power to give way unto them, and not hinder them. Yet I confess you are very sparing to confess so much. But the more you are to blame by the face of your discourse to bespeak such opinions in your Readers, and to draw unto them, the maintenance whereof you dare not undertake your self. But let us consider what you deliver hereupon. And