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…

4. If there had not been a predestination of Gods elect, nothing at all had been in the nature of things. Therefore I hold this as certain, that unless Christ had been to come into the world, there had been no predestination of the elect made by God; and if no predestination had been, by virtue whereof all things follow, there should have been neither heaven, nor earth, nor other elements, nor living things, nor men, nor angels, nor sins, nor devils, nor reprobates; and last of all, that I may conclude in one word, ⟨image 137⟩God alone had been, and nothing else had been besides God, neither natural nor supernatural, neither good nor evil; we speak according to the common law and order of things, and according to those ends which probably we conceive God to have had in the making of creatures. For our purpose is not at all so to tie the majesty of the divine power to the weakness of our apprehensions, to deny that God could (such is his absolute power) make and ordain the nature of things without dependence upon grace and glory, and grace without dependence upon Christ our Lord.

4. If there had not been a predestination of Gods elect, nothing at all had been in the nature of things. Therefore I hold this as certaine, that unlesse Christ had been to come into the world, there had been no predestination of the elect made by God; and if no predestination had been, by vertue whereof all things follow, there should have been neither heaven, nor earth, nor other elements, nor living things, nor men, nor angels, nor sins, nor devils, nor reprobates; and last of all, that I may conclude in one word, ⟨image 137⟩God alone had been, and nothing else had been besides God, neither naturall nor supernaturall, neither good nor evill; we speak according to the common law and order of things, and according to those ends which probably we conceive God to have had in the making of creatures. For our purpose is not at all so to tye the majesty of the divine power to the weaknesse of our apprehensions, to deny that God could (such is his absolute power) make and ordaine the nature of things without dependance upon grace and glory, and grace without dependance upon Christ our Lord.