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…

I come to the last, taken out of Joh. 16. 8, 9. And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin, because they believed not in me. It seems you insist only upon the latter, in as much as the allegation reacheth no further. The other parts being explicated in the Verses following. Cannot Christ reprove the world of infidelity, for not believing in him, unless thereby be acknowledged a power in a carnal man to do more good then he doth, in the way of seeking the Lord? Surely, if any power in man hereto is to be acknowledged, it must be a power to believe in Christ; seeing infidelity is the sin whereof the world shall be reproved by Christ; and not the sin of not doing the good they could in the way of seeking the Lord.

I come to the last, taken out of Joh. 16. 8, 9. And when hee is come hee will reprove the world of sin, because they beleeved not in mee. It seems you insist onely upon the latter, in as much as the allegation reacheth no further. The other parts being explicated in the Verses following. Cannot Christ reprove the world of infidelity, for not beleeving in him, unlesse thereby bee acknowledged a power in a carnall man to doe more good then hee doth, in the way of seeking the Lord? Surely, if any power in man hereto is to bee acknowledged, it must bee a power to beleeve in Christ; seeing infidelity is the sin whereof the world shall bee reproved by Christ; and not the sin of not doing the good they could in the way of seeking the Lord.

But your self acknowledge in this section that God deprives them of those drawing and effectual means without which none can come to Faith and Repentance. Much less doth it prove your present distinction, namely, that albeit God deprives them of such means, without which none can come to Faith and Repentance; yet they are enabled to do more good then they do, in the way of seeking the Lord.

But your self acknowledge in this section that God deprives them of those drawing and effectuall means without which none can come to Faith and Repentance. Much lesse doth it prove your present distinction, namely, that albeit God deprives them of such means, without which none can come to Faith and Repentance; yet they are inabled to doe more good then they doe, in the way of seeking the Lord.