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…

But well you may puzzle the wits, and trouble the mind of many an Orthodox and well-affected Christian, with so intricate a discourse, labouring to devise a new way to justify our Doctrine of Election by so tempering the Doctrine of reprobation, as utterly to overthrow your own Orthodox opinion, in the very point of election, as I have already showed, as occasion hath been given.

But well you may puzzle the wits, and trouble the minde of many an Orthodox and well-affected Christian, with so intricate a discourse, labouring to devise a new way to justifie our Doctrine of Election by so tempering the Doctrine of reprobation, as utterly to overthrow your own Orthodox opinion, in the very point of election, as I have already shewed, as occasion hath been given.

Object. How then (will you say) can these two stand together? there is a sufficiency and power in the means, to lead the men of this world to the knowledge of God, and to grace in Christ, and yet there is an impotency, yea an impossibility in the men of the world to come to Christ, without greater and stronger means then these be?

Object. How then (will you say) can these two stand together? there is a sufficiency and power in the meanes, to lead the men of this world to the knowledge of God, and to grace in Christ, and yet there is an impotency, yea an impossibility in the men of the world to come to Christ, without greater and stronger means then these bee?

Answ. For answer whereto I will not content my self to say, that these means are sufficient, because they suffice to leave men without excuse; only in the second place, and by accident, after, when men have neglected to make so good use of them as they might have done: but you see that God aims at other ends in the first and principal place. viz. to lead them to repentance to save their souls from the pit, as the places alleged give evident witness: and for these ends it is that these means must be acknowledged and conceived as sufficient. For else the Word of God argued an imperfection or insufficiency of such means to their proper ends. I think it safe to say, these means are sufficient, ex parte Dei, on Gods behalf, to manifest the will of God, rather to desire repentance and life, then the hardening and destruction of the Creature. And ex parte hominum, in regard of men, sufficient to enable them to the performance of such duties, in which their natural consciences would excuse them, and in which way they might the sooner find mercy, mercy vouchsafing more powerful and more effectual helps, whilst they walk according to the knowledge and helps, which they have received, and sin not against conscience, but only out of ignorance in the state of unbelief.