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…

The fourteenth is out of Esa. 5. 3, 4, 5. Judge I pray you between me and my vineyard. 4. What could I have done more to ⟨p. 222⟩my Vineyard, that I have not done unto it? why have I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes? 5. And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I conceive herein you may devise a treble ground to build upon. I could wish your self had dealt plainly, and argued herehence, the justification of your premised distinction. It might have saved your Reader a great deal of pains, whereas now by the manner of your Discourse, he is driven as well to argue for you, as to answer for himself, that he may keep himself from being overtaken with error upon a general consideration ere he is aware.

The fourteenth is out of Esa. 5. 3, 4, 5. Judge I pray you between mee and my vineyard. 4. What could I have done more to ⟨p. 222⟩my Vineyard, that I have not done unto it? why have I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wilde grapes? 5. And now I will tell you what I will doe to my vineyard. I conceive herein you may devise a treble ground to build upon. I could wish your self had dealt plainely, and argued herehence, the justification of your premised distinction. It might have saved your Reader a great deale of paines, whereas now by the manner of your Discourse, hee is driven as well to argue for you, as to answer for himself, that hee may keep himself from being overtaken with errour upon a generall consideration ere hee is aware.

The first ground may be, that God seems to profess, that he had done what he could do; now undoubtedly he could give them power to do more good then they did, in the way of seeking the Lord, which is the thing that you affirm, and therefore he did give this power: but say I, God could give means also to draw effectually unto repentance; and consequently he did draw them hereunto, which is the thing that your self deny, and the Text it self also, for instead of sweet grapes, they brought forth wild grapes.