A64003:401
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.
The third place is out of Rom. 2. 4, 5. Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulness, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. But thou after thine hardness, and heart that cannot repent, heapest up unto thy self, as a treasure, wrath against the day of wrath. Now if this doth imply any ability in man of seeking the Lord, and finding mercy from him, it must needs be in the way of repentance. And this I confess is a clear way, both of seeking ⟨p. 215⟩the Lord, and of finding mercy from him. But dare you say that a natural man hath power to repent? I presume you will not, unless you frame repentance after such a notion, as will be found to be neither seeking of the Lord, nor finding mercy from him. And you your self here profess, that God deprives them of those drawing and effectual means, without which none can come to repentance. And in the very place alleged, it is expressly said of them whom God is said to lead to repentance, that the hardness of their heart is such, that they cannot repent.
The third place is out of Rom. 2. 4, 5. Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. But thou after thine hardnesse, and heart that cannot repent, heapest up unto thy self, as a treasure, wrath against the day of wrath. Now if this doth imply any ability in man of seeking the Lord, and finding mercy from him, it must needs bee in the way of repentance. And this I confesse is a cleare way, both of seeking ⟨p. 215⟩the Lord, and of finding mercy from him. But dare you say that a naturall man hath power to repent? I presume you will not, unlesse you frame repentance after such a notion, as will bee found to bee neither seeking of the Lord, nor finding mercy from him. And you your self here professe, that God deprives them of those drawing and effectuall means, without which none can come to repentance. And in the very place alledged, it is expressely said of them whom God is said to lead to repentance, that the hardnesse of their heart is such, that they cannot repent.