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…

2. But be it granted that we are chosen in Christ as our head; it follows not here-hence, that Christ Jesus was chosen in order before us. He was ordained to be a Lamb for a burnt offering to save us, and we were ordained to obtain salvation through him. What colour is here, why the former ordination should be conceived to go before the latter, and not rather the contrary; seeing our salvation is plainly intimated to be rather the end of his mission, incarnation and passion, then his mission, incarnation and passion to be the end of our salvation? So Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son; where the love of God to us men is designed as a motive with God for the giving of his Son; yet I do not maintain any such order, I have other reasons to overthrow that, and to bring both these ordinations to be co-ordinate, and not subordinate in the intentions of God. And indeed, as I have said, if the incarnation of the Son of God were in Gods intention, before the permission of the sins of the world, it would follow, that the permission of the sins of the world, even in crucifying Christ, should be first in execution, that is, Christ should be crucified before he was incarnate.

2. But be it granted that we are chosen in Christ as our head; it followes not here-hence, that Christ Jesus was chosen in order before us. He was ordained to be a Lambe for a burnt offering to save us, and we were ordained to obtain salvation through him. What colour is here, why the former ordination should be conceived to go before the latter, and not rather the contrary; seeing our salvation is plainly intimated to be rather the end of his mission, incarnation and passion, then his mission, incarnation and passion to bee the end of our salvation? So Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne; where the love of God to us men is designed as a motive with God for the giving of his Sonne; yet I doe not maintaine any such order, I have other reasons to overthrow that, and to bring both these ordinations to be co-ordinate, and not subordinate in the intentions of God. And indeed, as I have said, if the incarnation of the Son of God were in Gods intention, before the permission of the sins of the world, it would follow, that the permission of the sinnes of the world, even in crucifying Christ, should be first in execution, that is, Christ should be crucified before he was incarnate.