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…

Respect to disobedience as antecedent to the decree of damnation cannot be imagined, unless withal you imagine God did first decree to permit it, and thereupon for the foresight thereof decree to damn for it: Whence it followeth that permission of disobedience must be first in intention, in comparison with condemnation, and consequently it must be last in execution by your own rules, formerly laid down as unquestionable foundations. Yet do not I maintain that God in any moment of nature, doth first decree damnation, and then decree the permission of sin, for which he damns them; I make these decrees not subordinate as most do, but co-ordinate and joint decrees, being only concerning means tending to the same end. And with Aquinas, I say that reprobation includes Voluntatem permittendi culpam, & condemnationem inferendi proculpa. The end whereof is the demonstration of his glory in the way of justice. But withal I desire that culpa in this description of reprobation may be understood aright, and not as Arminius doth, whose superficial consideration of things is usually for his advantage, making him thereby the more to abound in arguments for the impugning of his adversaries opinions, according to his own shaping of them quite beside their meaning. For culpa is not fin in general in this definition, but only such a sin, propter quod quis damnatur, for which a man is damned; that is, final perseverance in infidelity or impenitency. When you say the grace of redemption offers the death of Christ, and reacheth forth some fruit thereof unto all, you walk according to your course in the clouds of your own mysteries.

Respect to disobedience as antecedent to the decree of damnation cannot bee imagined, unlesse withall you imagine God did first decree to permit it, and thereupon for the foresight thereof decree to damne for it: Whence it followeth that permission of disobedience must bee first in intention, in comparison with condemnation, and consequently it must bee last in execution by your own rules, formerly laid down as unquestionable foundations. Yet doe not I maintain that God in any moment of nature, doth first decree damnation, and then decree the permission of sin, for which hee damnes them; I make these decrees not subordinate as most doe, but co-ordinate and joynt decrees, being onely concerning meanes tending to the same end. And with Aquinas, I say that reprobation includes Voluntatem permittendi culpam, & condemnationem inferendi proculpa. The end whereof is the demonstration of his glory in the way of justice. But withall I desire that culpa in this description of reprobation may bee understood aright, and not as Arminius doth, whose superficiall consideration of things is usually for his advantage, making him thereby the more to abound in arguments for the impugning of his adversaries opinions, according to his own shaping of them quite beside their meaning. For culpa is not fin in generall in this definition, but onely such a sin, propter quod quis damnatur, for which a man is damned; that is, finall perseverance in insidelity or impenitency. When you say the grace of redemption offers the death of Christ, and reacheth forth some fruite thereof unto all, you walk according to your course in the clouds of your own mysteries.