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…

Now let us discuss this; If God did in this manner decree it, then certainly upon the covetousness of Judas he brought this to pass. Now I demand by what course of providence God brought it to pass, that Judas betrayed him? you say it was by giving him over to betray him. Now what you mean by this I know not, neither do you express: but I will endeavour to explain it.

Now let us discusse this; If God did in this manner decree it, then certainly upon the covetousnesse of Judas hee brought this to passe. Now I demand by what course of providence God brought it to passe, that Judas betrayed him? you say it was by giving him over to betray him. Now what you mean by this I know not, neither doe you expresse: but I will indevour to explain it.

First, I presume your meaning is God did not restrain his covetousness, for this seems to be the meaning of this phrase, Psal. 81. where it is said, God gave them over to their own hearts lusts, and by way of explication it is added, And let them follow their own inventions. Now this course of providence was not sufficient to bring it to pass, that Judas should betray him. For this is only to let him do what he will in the course of his covetousness. Now though Judas was left to do what he would in the way of satisfying his covetous course, yet it doth not follow hereupon that Judas should betray Christ. Therefore Arminius to this decree of God, presupposeth not Judas his covetousness only, but his will to betray Christ, as much as to say, God foreseeing he would betray him, decreed he should betray him. To this construction of Gods decree you come too near, though you do not deliver your self thereof so plainly as he doth, nor so plausibly. But the mischief is, it is now confessed on all hands; that the very act of willing is wrought by God, and consequently was decreed by God. Now upon what condition presupposed did God decree that Judas should will the betraying of Christ? was it upon the foresight of his will? If so, then also upon the presupposition of Judas his will to do this, God did work his will to do this; which is flat contradiction, in making Judas his will to do this, to go before his will to do this. Besides, what need was there for God to work his will to do this, when his will to