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 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.

I answer, if you mean an unconditionall 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 covetousnesse and hypocrisie. 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 iudgement against him, it was the judgement of his carnall popularity and his worldly feare of Caesar. That the common people and Souldiers cryed out against him, and laid violent hands on him, it was the punishment of their ignorance and infidelity. Now it is out of all controversie 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 counsell of his will; but that proveth not that God carryeth all things with an absolute and unconditionall decree of providence. For it is the counsell 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.