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…

But let us examine the places of Scripture, which you muster up in great abundance. The first is out of Act. 17. 25, 26, 27. There we read that God is not worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing be giveth to all, life and breath and all things. 26. And hath made of one blood all mankind, to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitation. 27. [Greek or Hebrew], That they should seek the Lord, if so he they might have groped after him and found him, though doubtless he be not far from every one of us. 28. For in him we live and move, &c. This seems to be the most principal place whereon you insist, not only by setting it in the first place, but in as much as you deliver your opinion, in the phrase of seeking the Lord, here alone expressed. But this doth nothing serve your turn.

But let us examine the places of Scripture, which you muster up in great abundance. The first is out of Act. 17. 25, 26, 27. There wee read that God is not worshipped with mens hands, as though hee needed any thing, seeing bee giveth to all, life and breath and all things. 26. And hath made of one blood all mankinde, to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitation. 27. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, That they should seek the Lord, if so hee they might have groped after him and found him, though doubtlesse hee bee not farre from every one of us. 28. For in him wee live and move, &c. This seemes to bee the most principall place whereon you insist, not only by setting it in the first place, but in as much as you deliver your opinion, in the phrase of seeking the Lord, here alone expressed. But this doth nothing serve your turn.

For first, here is no mention at all of any sufficiency and power, that natural men either by this providence of God, or otherwise have attained unto for seeking of the Lord. For consider I pray; the manifestation of Gods grace in his word, is far more able to enable us to seek the Lord, then the manifestation of his providence in his works; yet by the manifestation of his grace in his word, it followeth not that as many as are partakers thereof, are endued with power of seeking the Lord in such sort as to find mercy from him. I confess that to seek the Lord is a phrase of a very general signification, not denoting any material action, but containing only a certain denomination, which may pass upon many material actions; and this Discourse of yours is throughout carried in such generalities, which are very apt to deceive. For in genere latent multae equivocations. And for a man to rest on such, is to be in love with his own errors. But I am confident it is only your zeal of justifying God in his ways against the imputation cast upon him by flesh and blood, that makes you take hold of, and content your self with such general notions, I should think that [Greek or Hebrew] to seek the Lord, in this place, in reference to Gods works, is of the same signification in the general with [Greek or Hebrew], to seek the Lord, in reference to his word; that is the thing, not whereunto we are hereby enabled, but the thing whereof we are thereby admonished. As Verse 30. it is said, Now he admonisheth every man, every where to repent; to wit, by the preaching of his Word: He doth not say, He doth enable every man,