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…

Secondly, you feign at pleasure in like manner, a denial, or at least a mitigation of the rigour of St. Pauls former Doctrine, whence rose this objection (for so I had rather express it, then as you do, when in very obscure manner you call it the rigour of the word objected) And I wonder you would adventure to devise a denial, or any colour of denial made by the Apostle of that, which formerly he delivered in saying, He hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth; when your self have not hitherto manifested any mind to deny ought delivered by him, as it is not fit you should. But it may be the rigour mentioned by you, is not conceived to consist in Pauls former Doctrine of Gods hardening whom he will, but rather in complaining of their disobedience whom God himself hath hardened, his will being irresistible. Now this, though amplified as a rigorous thing, the Apostle may seem to deny, or at least mitigate. ⟨p. 283⟩But first it seems to me, that the objection chargeth God not so much with a rigorous course, (for who shall hinder God to deal with any, as rigorously as pleaseth him, there being no injustice in rigour?) as with an unreasonable course. But whether rigorous or unreasonable in show, the Apostle by saying God suffers them with long patience, doth neither deny, nor any way mitigate the condition of this course of his, for complaining of their disobedience, whom himself hath hardened. For albeit God all the day long, yea, and all the year long, yea, and many years long, stretcheth out his hands to a people that walk in a way that is not good, even after their own imaginations, such being the hardness of their hearts, as even in despite of Gods sufferance of them, and gracious proceedings with them, in the ministry of his word, and sparing them in his works also, yet if God himself continues to harden them, his will being irresistible, Gods complaining of their rebellion and disobedience, seems never a whit the less rigorous or unreasonable, according to the objection proposed. For as Austin saith, Contra Julianum Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 4. Quantamlibet praebuerit patientiam, nisi Deus dederit, quis agat paenitentiam? though God afford never so great patience, yet unless God give [grace] who shall perform repentance? And to say that God doth harden by his long patience, is a strange liberty that you take in interpreting Paul.

Secondly, you feign at pleasure in like manner, a denyall, or at least a mitigation of the rigour of St. Pauls former Doctrine, whence rose this objection (for so I had rather expresse it, then as you doe, when in very obscure manner you call it the rigour of the word objected) And I wonder you would adventure to devise a deniall, or any colour of deniall made by the Apostle of that, which formerly hee delivered in saying, Hee hath mercy on whom hee will, and whom hee will hee hardneth; when your selfe have not hitherto manifested any minde to deny ought delivered by him, as it is not fit you should. But it may be the rigour mentioned by you, is not conceived to consist in Pauls former Doctrine of Gods hardning whom hee will, but rather in complaining of their disobedience whom God himself hath hardned, his will being irresistible. Now this, though amplified as a rigorous thing, the Apostle may seem to deny, or at least mitigate.