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 places that may be alleged to the contrary, do speak of Gods Decree in delivering Christ to death for us, which as it was a work of mere grace, you may safely conceive it was decreed by an absolute and unconditional decree of providence, as generally the works of free grace are. For either they depend on no condition in the creature, or at least on none but such as God is pleased to work in us, and for us. And yet I believe that in your own judgement you think not that ⟨p. 246⟩God did decree the death of Christ, much less deliver him to death, but upon condition of Adams fall. If you say, God did as well decree a sinful manner of the death of Christ by the hands of the wicked, as the death it self, and that by an absolute, an unconditional decree.

The places that may bee alledged to the contrary, do speak of Gods Decree in delivering Christ to death for us, which as it was a work of meere grace, you may safely conceive it was decreed by an absolute and unconditionall decree of providence, as generally the works of free grace are. For either they depend on no condition in the creature, or at least on none but such as God is pleased to work in us, and for us. And yet I beleeve that in your own judgement you think not that ⟨p. 246⟩God did decree the death of Christ, much lesse deliver him to death, but upon condition of Adams fall. If you say, God did as well decree a sinfull manner of the death of Christ by the hands of the wicked, as the death it self, and that by an absolute, an unconditionall decree.

I answer, if you mean an unconditional decree, presupposing no condition in those creatures, which were the wicked instruments of his death, it is spoken without warrant either from those places, or from any other. That God gave up Judas to betray him, it was the punishment of his covetousness and hypocrisy. That God gave up the high Priests and Pharisees to conspire against him, to deliver him to Pilate, it was the punishment of their ambition and envy, and in some of them their sin against the Holy Ghost. That Pilate against his conscience gave judgement against him, it was the judgement of his carnal popularity and his worldly fear of Caesar. That the common people and Soldiers cried out against him, and laid violent hands on him, it was the punishment of their ignorance and infidelity. Now it is out of all controversy that God doth not punish sin with sin, nor decree to punish, but upon condition of sin presupposed. It is true indeed, God worketh all things after the counsel of his will; but that proveth not that God carrieth all things with an absolute and unconditional decree of providence. For it is the counsel of his will, as to work the salvation of his Elect according to the Covenant of Grace, freely and absolutely: so to dispense rewards and punishments to the men of this world according to the condition of their obedience or disobedience.