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…

And yet in this very place you profess that as touching all others except the Elect, God deprives them of those drawing and effectual means, without which none can come to Faith and Repentance. Nay, whatsoever it be, that lies in their power to perform besides, by the performing of it, do they come any whit nearer to the participation of Grace? I do not find you adventure to profess so much, for fear of falling into that which you call ungracious Pelagianism.

And yet in this very place you professe that as touching all others except the Elect, God deprives them of those drawing and effectuall means, without which none can come to Faith and Repentance. Nay, whatsoever it bee, that lies in their power to perform besides, by the performing of it, doe they come any whit neerer to the participation of Grace? I do not finde you adventure to professe so much, for feare of falling into that which you call ungracious Pelagianisme.

The ninth is Luk. 19. 41, 42. Which is of the same nature, and of no greater force then the former, Oh that thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace; but now are they hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee when thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and make thee even with the ground, because thou knewest not the season of thy visitation. To know, in Scripture phrase is of a complicate notion and signifieth knowledge joined with congruous affections: and thus to know the things that belong unto our peace, is so to know, as therewithal to embrace them; and to know the time of our visitation, is so to know, as to accommodate our selves thereto in agreeable conversation, as Jer. 8. 7. The Stork in the air is said to know her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow (are said) to observe the time of their coming. That is, so to know it, as accordingly to come: so to know the time of our visitation, is so to know it, as accordingly to come unto God when he visits us, and according as his Visitation requires of us. Now will you herehence infer, that they were enabled to perform all this, and so to seek the Lord? I appeal to your own conscience, whether it might not be as justly said of them, as Moses said of the children of Israel in the wilderness,