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…

Before all these decrees, was the decree of delivering Christ to death by certain sins of certain men, according to your Opinion in this place. Whence it followeth, that the delivering ⟨p. 251⟩of Christ to death by the sins of men, being last in intention, must be first in execution, to wit, before Adam was suffered to fall, or they suffered by an evil conversation to arise to so corrupt dispositions, or God denied them grace to correct such corrupt dispositions. And though Christs suffering death in a special manner, to wit, by the sins of men, were to be first in execution, yet Christs suffering death in general and in an indefinite manner, was to be last in execution. And this argumentation of mine throughout depends merely upon your own rules delivered in clearing the first doubt. But pass we over these scrupulosities.

Before all these decrees, was the decree of delivering Christ to death by certain sins of certain men, according to your Opinion in this place. Whence it followeth, that the delivering ⟨p. 251⟩of Christ to death by the sins of men, being last in intention, must bee first in execution, to wit, before Adam was suffered to fall, or they suffered by an evill conversation to arise to so corrupt dispositions, or God denyed them grace to correct such corrupt dispositions. And though Christs suffering death in a speciall manner, to wit, by the sins of men, were to bee first in execution, yet Christs suffering death in generall and in an indefinite manner, was to bee last in execution. And this argumentation of mine throughout depends meerly upon your own rules delivered in clearing the first doubt. But passe wee over these scrupulosities.

The course you take to explicate Gods providence in punishing sin with sin, is nothing congruous to the examples thereof set down in holy Scripture. For whereas Judas his betraying of Christ was a fruit of his covetousness, you make Gods giving him over to the committing of this sin to be the punishment of his covetousness. Likewise whereas the High Priests and Pharisees conspiracy against Christ was a fruit of their envy; (for Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered him) and of their ambition, as appeareth