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, was it not enough to bring the wrath of God upon them, to be found guilty of despising his words, and hath any natural man power to keep himself from this sin? Is there any greater despising of them, then to esteem so basely of them, as to account them no better then foolishness? Now is any natural man free from this? Doth not the Holy Ghost tell us, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man perceives not the things of God, for they are foolishness unto him? But by the way I observe, we little agree in the notion of free will; which (if I be not deceived) was never accounted by the Learned, to consist in ought other then in election of means. As for the end, according to the habitual disposition of the heart and will, a man is necessarily carried to the affection of an agreeable end, agreeable, I say, to his own disposition. Whence it followeth, that albeit it be in the power of grace alone, to change the heart and renew the will, yet whatsoever the unregenerate either do or refuse to do, they carry themselves herein freely, in as much as they proceed herein with choice in respect of their own ends.

Thirdly, was it not enough to bring the wrath of God upon them, to bee found guilty of despising his words, and hath any naturall man power to keep himself from this sin? Is there any greater despising of them, then to esteem so basely of them, as to account them no better then foolishnesse? Now is any naturall man free from this? Doth not the Holy Ghost tell us, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceives not the things of God, for they are foolishnesse unto him? But by the way I observe, wee little agree in the notion of free will; which (if I bee not deceived) was never accounted by the Learned, to consist in ought other then in election of means. As for the end, according to the habituall disposition of the heart and will, a man is necessarily carryed to the affection of an agreeable end, agreeable, I say, to his own disposition. Whence it followeth, that albeit it bee in the power of grace alone, to change the heart and renew the will, yet whatsoever the unregenerate either doe or refuse to doe, they carry themselves herein freely, in as much as they proceed herein with choyce in respect of their own ends.