Distinctions Yet the certaine accomplishment of them as they are ascribed unto God is here asserted by the Holy Ghost Were the confirmation of the matter of our present Discourse §. 9. my designe in hand I could farther confirme it by inlarging these ensuing Reasons 1. First from the Immutability of God the least questioning whereof falls foule on all the Perfections of the Divine Nature which requireth a correspondent affection of all the Internall and Eternall Acts of his Mind and Will 2. Secondly from his Soveraignty in making and executing all his Purposes which will not admit of any such mixture of Consults or Cooperations of others as should render his thoughts lyable to Alteration Rom. 11. 34 35 36. The Lord in his Purposes is considered as the great Former of all things who having his clay in the hand of his Almighty power ordaines every parcell to what kind of vessell and to what use he pleaseth hence the Apostle concludes the consideration of them and the distinguishing Grace flowing from them with that admiration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the depth c. 3. Thirdly from their Eternity which exempts them from all shadow of change and lifts them up above all those sphears that either from within and their owne nature or from without by the impression of others are exposed to turning that which is Eternall is also Immutable Acts 15. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 11. 4. Fourthly from the Absolutenesse and Independency of his Will whereof they are the Acts and Emanations Rom. 9. 15 16 17 18 19 20. whatever hath any influence upon that as to Move it Cause it Change it must be Before it Above it Better then it as every cause is then its effect as such This Will of his as was said is the fountain of all beings to which free and independent Act all Creatures owe their being and subsistence their operations and manner thereof their whole difference from those Worlds of beings which his Power can produce but yet shall lye bound up to Eternity in their nothingnesse and possibility upon the account of his good Pleasure Into this doth our Saviour resolve the disposall of himselfe Math. 26. 42. and of all others Math 11. 25 26 27. certainly men in their wrangling Disputes and Contests about it have scarce seriously considered with whom they have to doe shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made nice thus 5. Fiftly §. 10. from the Ingagement of his Omnipotency for the accomplishment of all his Purposes and Designes as is emphatically expressed Isa 14. 24 25 26 27. Surely the Lord of Hosts hath Sworne saying surely as I have thought so shall it come to passe and as I have purposed it shall stand that I will breake the Assyrian in my land This is the purpose of God that is purposed upon the whole Earth and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the Nations for the Lord of Hosts hath purposed and who shall disanull it And his hand is stretched out and who shall turne it back The Lord doth not only Assert the certain Accomplishment of all his Purposes but also to prevent and obviate the Vnbeliefe of them who were concerned in their fulfilling he manifests upon what account it is that they shall certainly be brought to passe and that is by the stretching out of his hand or exalting of his mighty Power for the doeing of it so that if there be a fayling therein it must be through the shortnesse of that Hand of his so stretched out in that it could not reach the end aymed at A Worme will put forth its Strength for the fullfilling of that whereunto is is inclined and the Sonnes of men will draw out all their Power for the compassing of their designes if there be Wisdome in the laying of them and foresight of Emergencyes they alter not nor turne aside to the right hand or to the left in the pursuit of them And shall the Infinitely Wise Holy and Righteous thoughts and Designes of God not have his Power engaged for their accomplishment His Infinite Wisdome and Understanding are at the foundation of them they are the Counsells of his Will Ephes. 7. 11. who hath known his minde in them saith the Apostle and who hath been his Counsellour though no creature can see the paths wherein he walks nor apprehend the reason of the waies he is delighted in yet this he lets us know for the satisfying of our hearts and teaching of our inquiries that his owne Infinite Wisdome is in them all I cannot but feare sometimes that men have darkned counsell without knowledge in curious contests about the Decrees Purposes of God as though they were to be measured by our rule line and as though by searching we could find out the Almighty to Perfection But he is Wise in heart he that contendeth with him let him Instruct him Adde that this Wisdome in his Counsell is attended with infallible Prescience of all that will fall in by the way or in the course of the accomplishment of his Purposes and you will quickly see that there can be no possible intervenience upon the account whereof the Lord should not ingage his Almighty Power for their accomplishment He is of one minde and who can turne him he will worke and who shall let him 6. Sixtly by demonstrating the Vnreasonablnesse Folly and Impossibility of suspending the Acts and Purposes of the Will of God upon any actings of the Creatures whatsoever seeing it cannot be done without subjecting Eternity to time the first Cause to the second the Creator to the Creature the Lord to the Servant disturbing the whole order of Beings and Operations in the world 7. Seventhly by the removeall of all Possible or Imaginary Causes of Alteration and change which will all be resolved into impotency in one kind or other Every Alteration being confessedly an imperfection it cannot follow but from want and weaknesse Upon the Issue of which Discourse if it might be perused these Corollaries would insue 1. First Conditionall Promises and Threatnings are not declarative of Gods Purposes concerning Persons but of his Morall Approbation or Rejection of Things 2. Secondly There is a wide difference betweene the Change of what is Conditionally pronounced as to the things themselves and the change of what is Determinately willed the certainty of whose event is proportioned to the Immutable Acts of the Will of God it selfe 3. Thirdly That no Purpose of God is Conditionall though the things themselves concerning which his Purposes are are often times conditionalls one of another 4. Fourthly That conditionall Purposes concerning Perseverance are either Impossible implying contradictions or Ludicrous even to an unfitnes for a Stage But of these and such like as they occasionally fall in in the insuing Discourse This foundation being laid §. 11. I come to what was Secondly proposed namely to manifest by an Induction of particular Instances the ingagement
on the wills of men M. G. discourse and judgement 24. Considered 25. Effects follow as to their kind their next causes 26. The same Act of the will Physicall and Morall upon severall accounts Those accounts considered 27. God by the reall efficacy of the Spirit produceth in us Acts of the will morally good that confirmed from Scripture 28. Conclusion from thence 29. Of the termes Physicall Morall and necessary and their use in things of the nature under consideration Morall causes of Physicall effects 30. The concurrence of Physicall and Morall causes for producing the same effect the efficacy of Grace and exhortations 31. Physicall and necessary how distinguished Morall and not necessary Confounded by M. G. 32. M. G. farther progresse considered 33. What operation of God on the will of man he allowes All Physicall operation by him excluded 34. M. G's sence of the difference between the working of God and a Minister on the will that it is but graduall 35. Considered and removed All working of God on the will by him confined to perswasion perswasion gives no strength or ability to the person perswaded 36. All immediate acting of God to good in men by M G. utterly excluded 37. Wherein Gods perswading men doth consist according to M. G. 1 Cor. 3. 9. considered 38. Of the concurrence of diverse Agents to the production of the same effect 39. The summe of the 7 Section of Gh. 13. The will how necessitated how free 40. In what seuce M. G. allowes Gods perswasions to be irresistible 41. The dealings of God and men ill compared 42. Pauls exhortation to the use of meanes where the end was certaine Acts 24. câ—dfâ—dered God deals with men as men exhorting them and as corrupted men assisting them 43. Of Promises of Temporall things whether all conditionall 44. What condition in the Promise made to Paul Act. 27. 45. Farther of that Promise its infallibility and meanes of Accomplishment 46. The same considerations farther prosecuted 47. 48. Of Promises of Perseveranâ—e and what relations to performe in conjuction 49. M. G. opposition hereunto 50. Promises and protestations in conjunction 1 Cor. 10. 12 13. discussed An absolute Promise of Perseverance therein evinced 51. Phil. 1. 12 13. to the same purpose considered M. G. Interpretation of that place proposed removed 52. Heb. 6. 4 5 9. to the same purpose insisted on 53. Of the consistency oâ— Threatnings with the Promises of Perseverance 54. M. G. opposition hereunto 55. Considered and removed What Promises of Perseverance are asserted how absolute and infrustable Feare of Hell and punishment twofold The feare intended to be ingenerated by threatnings not inconsistent with the Assurance given by promises 56. Five Considerations about the use of Threatnings the first c. 57. Hipocrites how threatned for Apostasy of the End and Aime of God in Threatnings 58. Of the proper End and Efficacy of Threatnings with reference unto true Believers 59. Feare of Hell and punishment how farre a principle of Obedience in the Saints 60. Of Noahs feare Heb. 11. 7. 61. M. G's farther arguings for the Efficacy of the feare of Hell unto Obedience in the Saints proposed considered removed 62. 1 Ioh. 4. 18. consâ—dered 63. Of the Obedience of Saints to their heavenly Father compared to the obedience of Children to their naturall Parents M. G's monstrous conception about this thing 64. How Feare or Love and in what sence are principles of Obedience That which is done from Feare not done willingly not chearfully 65. How Feare and what feare hath torment 66. Of the nature and use of Promises Close of the Answer to this Argument IT will be needlesse to use many words unto the Discourse of the first Section §. 1. seeing it will not in the least prejudice our Cause in hand to leave Mr Godwin in full possession of all the Glory of the Rethoricke thereof For although I cannot close with him in the Exposition given of that expression 1 Tim. 6. 16. God inhabiteth Light inaccessible some thing in my weake apprehension much more glorious divine being comprised therein then what it is here turned aside unto Neither am I in the least convinced of the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the former Discourse in the close of the whole asserting a deliverance to be obtained from our thoughts of the Doctrine of the defection of the Saints which he intimateth to be that it is anti-evangelicall tormenting and bringing soules under bondage by a narrow and unprejudicate search into it finding my selfe every day more and more confirmed in thoughts of that kind concerning it by my engagement into such an enquiry which hath been observed in this present Discourse as farre as my weakenesse will permit yet it being not in the least Argumentative but for the whole frame and intendment of it Commune exordium and that which any man of any opinion in the world might make use of I shall not insist upon it His second Section containeth his first Argument §. 2. drawne forth in the defence of his Doctrine of the possibility as he calleth it but indeed what it is we have heard of the defection of Believers Of this I presume he intended no more use but as a forlorne to begin a light Skirmish with his Adversaries ordering it to retreat to his maine Body advancing after or desperately casting it away to abate the Edge of his Combatants Weapons it is so weake and feeble and therefore I shall be very briefe in the consideration of it thus then he proposeth it That Doctrine which rendreth God free from the unrighteousnesse which the Scripture calleth the respecting of persons of men is a Doctrine of perfect consistence with the Scripture and the truth The Doctrine which teacheth the possibility of the Saints declining and this unto death is a Doctrine of this import Ergo. Ans. 1. §. 3. The first proposition must be supposed Vniversall of else the whole will quickly be manifested to be unconclusive If it be only Indefinite and so equivalent as it lieth to a particular the conclusion is from all particulars and of no force as Mr Goodwin well knoweth Take it universally and I say it is evidently false and might easily be disproved by innumerable Instances Not that any errour or falsehood can indeed give God the Glory of any one of his Attributes but that they may be fitted and suited for such a service were not their throates cut and their mouthes stopt by the Lies that are in them which Mr Goodwin's Doctrine is no lesse lyable to then any other and not at all exempted from that Condition by its seeming subserviency unto Gods Aprosopolepsia Doth not the Doctrine of Justification by Workes even in the most rigid sence of it according to the tenor of the old Covenant absolutely render God free from the Unrighteousnesse of Accepting of Persens And yet for all that it hath not one jot the more of Truth in it nor is it the
good pleasure what validity there is in these inferences will be easily discerned God worketh Grace in men as men and as men impotent and corrupted by sinne As men he workes upon them by meanes suited to their Rationall being by Precepts and exhortations but as men impotent and corrupt by sinne they stand in need of his effectuall power to worke that in them which he requireth of them Of the termes wherewith his arguing in this case is clowded and darkened enough hath been remarked already His second Argument to this purpose §. 22. viz. That the Inclination of the will to good and to persevere in a Saint must be after his being made a Saint is as weake and no lesse Sophysticall than the former That inclination is radically wrought in every Believer at his Conversion the Spirit being bestowed on him which shall abide with him for ever and the Seed of God laid in his heart that shall remaine and never utterly faile with an habituall inclination to the exercise of all those Graces wherein their persevering doth consist Actually this is wrought in them according to the particular dutyes and actings of Grace that are reqnired of them which they are carryed forth unto by the daily influence of Life Power and Grace which they receive from Christ their head without whom they can do nothing Neither is the third Exception of any more validity being only a Repetition of what was spoken before rendred something more impedite darke and intricate by the termes of Physically Irresistibly and Necessitated which how farre and wherein we doe allow hath been frequently declared The summe of what is spoken amounts to this Gods reall worke in and upon the Soule by his Spirit and Grace is inconsistent with the exhortations to Obedience which we have before disproved and do reject it as an Assertion destructive to all the efficacy of the Grace of God and the whole worke of it upon the Soules of Men. What his Fourth Argument also is but a Repetition of the same things before crudely Asserted in other termes let them apprehend that can If God worke Faith and Love in the hearts of his Saints and support them in them to the end what place is left for Exhortations I say their own proper place the place of meanes of meanes appoynted by God to stirre up his to Perseverance and which himselfe makes by his Spirit and the immediate efficacy thereof effectuall to that end and purpose And I know no use of that Query Are exhortations effectuall to perswade men to Persevere after the end being built only on his false Hypothesis and begging of the thing in Question viz. That if God worke Faith and Love and continuance of them in our hearts effectually by his Grace there is no need no use of exhortations though God so work them by and with those exhortations And this is his first Attempt upon the first member of the Division made by him selfe wherein what successe he hath obtained is left to the judgement of the Reader And but that I shall not having now the part of one that Answers incumbent on mee turne aside unto the proofe of things denied I should easily confirme what hath been given in for the removall of his Objections from the Testimony of God by innumerable places of Scripture He proceeds then Sect. 6. and saies §. 23. Secondly Neither can the latter of the said consequences stand God doth not make use of the said Exhortations to influence or effect the Wills of the Saints upon any such termes as hereby to make them Infallibly Infrustrably Necessitatingly willing to Persevere or to do the things upon which Perseverance dependeth For first If so then one and the same act of the Will should be both Physicall and Morall and so be specifically distinguished in and from it selfe for so farre as t is produced by the irresistible force or power of the Spirit of God it must needs be Physicall the said irresistible working of the Spirit being a Physicall action and so not proper to produce a Moralleffect Againe as farre as the said Exhortations are meanes to produce or raise this Act of the Will or contribute any thing towards it it must needs be morall because Exhortations are Morall causes and so not capable of producing Physicall Naturall or Necessary effects Now then if it be impossible that one and the same Act of the Will should be both Physicall and Morall that is Necessary not Necessary impossible also it is that it should be produced by the irresistible working of God and by exhortations of this joynt efficiency It may be Objected they who hold or grant such an influence or operation of the Spirit of God upon the Will which is frustrable or resistible do or must suppose it to be a Physicall action as well as that which is irresistible If so then the act of the Will so farre as t is raised by the meanes of this action or operation of God must according to the tenor of the former Arguments be Physicall also and so the pretended Impossibility is no more avoided by this opinion then by the other I Answer Though such an operation of God upon the Will as is here mentioned be in respect of God of the manner of its proceeding from him Physicall yet in respect of the Nature and Substance of it t is properly Morall because it impresseth and affecteth the Will upon which t is acted after the manner of Morall causes properly so called that is Perswadingly not Ravishingly or Necessitatingly When a Minister of the Gospell in his preaching presseth or perswadeth men to such such dutyes or actions this act as it proceedeth from him I meane as 't is raised by his naturall abilityes of under standing or speaking is Physicall or Naturall but in respect of the substanceo◠native tendency of it 't is clearely Morall viz. because it tendeth to incline or move the wills of men to such or such Elections without necessitating them thereunto and so comports with those Arguments or Exhortations in their manner of efficiency by which he presseth or moveth them to such things By the way to prevent stumbling and quarrelling it no way followes from the Premises that a Minister in his preaching or perswading unto duty 's should doe as much as God himselfe doth in or towards the perswading of men hereunto it only followes that the Minister doth cooperate with God which the Apostte himselfe affirmes in order to one the same effect i.e. that he operateth in one the same kind of efficiency with God Morally or perswadingly not necessitating for where one necessitates another only perswades they cannot be said to cooperate or worke the one with the other no more than two when the one runnes the other walkes a soft pace can be said to goe or walke together But when two perswade in one and the same action one may perswade more effectually by many
degrees than the other may have a peculiar Act or method of perswading above the other That which is now undertaken to be proved is §. 24. That God doth not make use of Exhortations as meanes for the establishing of the Saints in believing and confirming their Perseverance This is that which by us is assigned unto them and this all that the Nature of them doth require that they should be used unto the certainty of the event whereunto they are applied depending not on their Nature as such meanes but on the purpose of God to use them for that end which he hath designed and promised to bring about and accomplish Before he ventures on any opposition to the intendment of this Assertion he phraseth it so as either to render it unintelligible to himselfe and others or if any thing be signified by the expressions he useth to divert it wholly from the mind of them and their sence with whom he hath to doe Who ever said that God by Exhortations doth influence the Wills of men upon such termes as to make them Infrustrably and necessitatingly willing to Persevere Or can he tell us what 's the meaning of those termes Infrustrably Necessitatingly willing to Persevere Though t is easy to guesse at what he here intends yet t is farre above my shallow capacity to reach the sence of these expressions How any of these termes relating to the event and issue of things and in what sence they may be used I have often shewed As relating either to the manner of Gods operation in and upon the Will or the Wills elicitation of its own act any farther then by relation to that Axiome Vnumquodque quod est dum est necesse est they expresse neither our sence nor any bodies else that I know That which I shall make bold to take up for M. Goodwins intendment is That God doth not by Exhortations effectually cause the Saints to Persevere To be willing to Persevere is to Persevere to be Necessitatingly willing is I know not what Now if such an efficacy be ascribed to Exhortations as teaches the certainty of the effect so that the certainty of the effect as to the event should be asserted to depend on them as such meanes this is nothing to us we ascribe an efficacy to them in proprio genere but the certainty of that event to whose production they concurre we affirme as hath been abundantly declared to depend on other causes But the proofe of what is here Asserted outrunnes for uncouth strangenesse §. 25. the Assertion it selfe equis albis as they say For saith he if this be so that is as you have heard above how neither he nor wee know then the same Act of the Will should be both Physicall and Morall And First Why so Because Physicall Morall meanes are used for the producing of it as though sundry causes of severall kinds might not concurre to produce one uniforme effect farre enough from a necessity of receiving so much as a Denomination from each of them In the concurrence of severall causes whereof some may be Free and Contingent others Naturall and Necessary the Effect Absolutely followes its next and immediate cause alone God causes the Sunne to shine freely yet is the shining of the Sunne a necessary Effect of the Sunne and not any way free or contingent God determined the peircing of Christs side and so as to the event made it necessary but yet was the doing of it in then that did it free as to the manner of its doing no way necessary But Secondly §. 26. suppose the same act of the will should be said to be both Physicall and Morall upon severall accounts And what if every Act of the will in and about things good or bad be so And it be utterly impossible it should be otherwise Yea But then the same Act should be specifically distinguished in and from it selfe Yea but who told you so The tearmes of Physicall and Morall as related to the Acts of the will are very farre from constituting different kinds or species of Acts being only severall Denominations of the same individuall acts upon severall regards and accounts The acts of the will as they flow from that Naturall faculty or are elicited thereby are all Physicall but as they relate to a Law whence they are good or evill they are Morall the one tearme expresseth their beeing the other their regularity and conformity to some Rule whereunto their Agents are obliged Quid dignum tanto If by Physicall and Morall Mr Goodwin intends Necessary and Free being the first that ever abused those words and in that abuse of them not consistent with himselfe affirming afterwards the act of a Ministers preaching as proceeding from his Abilityes of Understanding and speaking to be Physicall or Naturall which yet he will not averre to be Necessary but Free he should have told us so and then though we would not grant that the same Act may not in severall respects be both Necessary Free the latter in respect of the manner of its performanee and nature of its imediate cause the former in respect of the Event the determination of its first Causes yet its consequent is so palpably false as to the advancing of his former Assertion that t' would have been directly denyed without any farther trouble But he adds §. 27. It must needs be Physicall because it is produced by the Physicall working of the Spirit of God which being a Physicall Action cannot produce a Morall effect Ans. By Physicall Operation of God on and with the will we understand only that which is really and effectually so as different from that which is only Morall and by way of motive and perswasion Now this we say is twofold The first consisting in the Concourse of God as the first cause and Author of all Beeings to the producing of every entity such as the acts of the wills of men are this in such a way as is not only consistent with the Liberty of the VVill in all its Acts and Actings whatever but also as is the Foundation of all the Liberty that the will hath in its actings And in respect of this Influence of God the effect produced is only Phisicall or Naturall having such a being as is proper to it as also t is in respect of the will it selfe and its concurrence in operation The other is that which Mr Goodwin here calls The irresistible force or power of the Spirit destinguishing the efficacy of the Spirit and Grace of God in their working in us to will and to do producing those effects as they are good and Gracious in reference to their Rise End and Rule whereunto they are related This then is that which by Mr Goodwin is here asserted That if there be such an effectuall reall working of the Spirit and Grace of God in us to the producing of any act of the VVills of men they cannot be Morall
That is they cannot-have any goodnesse in them beyond that which is entitative And so farre are we now arrived All efficacious working of the Spirit of God on us must be excluded or all we do is good for nothing Away with all Promises all Prayers yea the whole Covenant of Grace they serve for no other end but to keepe us from doing good Let us heare the Scripture speake a little in this cause Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou maist live Jere. 31. 33. the 32. 39. This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people Chap. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and do them Act. 16. 14. God opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended to the things spoken of Paul Phil. 1. 29. It is given to you in the behalfe of Christ not only to Believe on him but also to suffer for his sake and Chap. 2. 13. For it is God which worke the in you both to will and to do of his owne good pleasure as also Ephs. 1. 19. That ye may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who Believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and 2 Thess. 1. 11. We pray alwayes for you that our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse the worke of Faith with power So also in 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature for Ephes. 2. 4 5. God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he Loved us even when we were dead in sinnes hath quickned us together with Christ Causing us Chap 4. 24. to put on that new man which after God is Created in Righteousnesse and true Holinesse with the like Assertions John 3. 3 James 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 23. John 5. 21. 2 Cor. 3. 5. c What may be thought of these and the like expressions §. 28. Do they hold out any reall effectuall internall Worke of the Spirit and Grace of God distinct from Morall perswasions or do they not If they do how comes any thing so wrought in us by us to be Morally good If they do not we may bid farewell unto all Renewing Regenerating Assisting Effectuall Grace of God That God then by his Spirit and Grace cannot enable us to act Morally and according to a Rule is not yet proved VVhat followes Saith he So farre as Exhortatious are meanes to produce these Acts §. 29. they must be Morall for Morall causes are not capable of producing Naturall or Physicall effects But if Mr Goodwin think that in this Controversy Physicall and Necessary as applyed to effects are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is heavenly wide Physicall denotes only their being Necessary a manner of being as to some of them which have Physically a beeing The tearme Naturall is ambiguous and sometimes used in the one sence sometimes in the other sometimes it denotes that which is only sometimes that which is in such a kind By a Physicall effect we understand an Effect with respect to t is reall existency as by a Morall effect an effect in respect of its Regularity And now why may not a Morall cause have an influence in its owne kind to the production of a Physicall effect I meane an influence suited to its owne Nature and manner of operation by the way of motive and perswasion What would you think of him that should perswade you to lift your hand above your head to try how high you could reach or whether your Arme were not out of joynt Secondly §. 30. It hath been sufficiently shewed before that with these Exhortations which worke as appointed meanes Morally God exerteth an effectuall power for the reall production of that wherento the Exhortation tends dealing thus with our whole soules suitably to the Nature of all their faculties as every one of them is fitted and suited to be wrought upon for the accomplishment of the End he aimes at and in the manner that he intends Briefely to every Act of the VVill as an act in genere entis there is required a really operative and Physicall concurence of the Providentiall power of God in its owne order as the first Cause To every Act as good or gracious the operative concurrence and influence of the Spirit of Grace which yet hinders not but that by Exhortations men may be provoked and stirred up to the performance of Acts as such and to the performance of them as good and gracious This being not the direct Controversy in hand §. 31. I do but touch upon it Concerning that which followes I should perhaps say we have found Anguem in herba but being so toothlesse and stinglesse as it is to any that in the least attend to it it may be only tearmed the padde in the straw Physicall and Morall are taken to be tearmes it seemes Equipollent to Necessary and Not-necessary which is such a wresting of the tearmes themselves and their knowne use as men shall not likely meet withall Hence is it that Acts Physicall and Necessary are the same Every Act of the most free agent under Heaven yea in Heaven or Earth is in its owne Nature and Being Physicall Acts also are Morall i. e. good or evill consequently in order of Nature to their existence of which Necessary or Not-necessary are the Adjunct manner in reference to the Rule or Law whereunto their conformity is required How Morall and Not-necessary come to be tearmes of the same import Mr Goodwin will declare perhaps heareafter when he shall have leisure to teach as much new Philosophy as he hath already done Divinity In the meane time we deny that any influence from God on the wills of men doth make any Act of them Necessary as to the manner of its production And so this first Argument for the Inconsistency of the use of Exhortations with the reall efficiency of the Grace and Spirit of God is concluded That which followes in this Section to the end §. 32. is a pretended Answer to an Objection of our Authors owne framing being only introduced to give farther Advantage to
So that notwithstanding these Exceptions the Exposition of the words is cleare as before given in And yet this is all M. G. produceth as his ground and foundation whereon to stand in denying ths proposition he that is borne of God sinneth not that is falleth not under the power of raigning sinne sinneth not to death as the Children of the wicked one which I shall leave under that consideration wherewith it is educed from the scope of the Text and the paralell place of Chap. 5. 16 17. The truth is there is not much need to contend about this expression M. G. granting that the intendment of it is that such as are borne of God do not walke ordinarily customarily in any wayes of known sin Sect 28. Which as he saith is the import of that Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the contrary whereof might yet be easily evinced he maketh no trade or occupation of sinning that is he doth not sinne in an inconsistency of communion with God in the Covenant of his Grace Now in this sence he granteth this Proposition he that is borne of God sinneth not i. e. ordinarily or customarily that is so as not to be accepted of God that is no Believer sinneth at such a rate as not to be accepted with God Adde now hereunto the ground reason of this Assertion viz. His being borne of God the abiding of the seed in him we have obtained all that we desire to evince from this place Because such an one is borne of God which is a Reason which holdeth good to Eternity being an act irrevocably past and because the seed abideth in him he cannot sinne ordinarlly or customarily which kind of sinning alone as is supposed can eject the abiding seed that is he sinneth not beyond the rate of sinnes of infirmity nor in any such way as should render him uncapable of communion or acceptance with God The Apostle nextly advanceth farther with his designe and saith He that is borne of God cannot sinne that is That sinne which he sinneth not he cannot sinne §. 64. He cannot fall under the power of raigning sinne unto death I confesse the words can cannot are variously used in the Scriptures some kind of impossibility in one respect or other for things may be in some regard impossible that are not so absolutely it alway denoteth The whole of the variety in this kind may be referred to two heads 1. That which is morally impossible Of that it is said that it cannot be done 2 Cor. 13. 8. Saith Paul we can do nothing against the Truth And Acts 4. 20. Say the Apostles we cannot but speake the things we have seen and heard It was morally impossible that ever any thing should have been done by Paul against the truth or that the Apostles having received the Spirit should not speak what they had seen and heard of Christ. And of many things that are thus morally impossible there are most certaine and determinate causes as to make the thing so impossible as in respect of the event to be absolutely impossible It is morally impossible that the Divell should do that which is Spiritually good and yet absolutely impossible There is more in many a thing that is morally impossible than a meere opposition to Justice as we say Illud possumus quod jure possumus The causes of morall impossibility may be such as to tye up the thing which it relateth unto in an everlasting nonfuâ—urition There is also 2. An impossibility that is Physicall from the nature of the things themselves So Jerem. 13. 23. % Can the Aethyopian change his skin that is He cannot Mat. 7. 18. % A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can an evill tree bring forth good fruit That is nothing can act contrary to its owne naturall principles And as we shall see afterwards there is of this impossibility in the cannot here mentioned They cannot do it upon the account of the new Spirituall nature wherewith they are indued Now there may be a third kind of impossibility in Spirituall things arising from both these which One hath not ineptly called Ethico-physicall or morally-naturall partaking of the nature of both the other It is morall because it relateth to duty what is to be done or not to be done And it is Physicall because it relateth to a cause or principle that can or cannot produce the effect So our Saviour telleth the Pharisees How can ye being evill speake good things Or ye cannot Mat. 12. 34. % You cannot heare my words John 8. 43. It was morally impossible they should either speake or heare that is either believe or do that which is Spiritually good having no principles that should enable them thereunto having no root that should beare up unto fruit being evill trees in themselves and having a principle a root continually universally uninterruptedly inclining and disposing them an other way to acts of a quite contrary nature Of this kind is that impossibility here intimated The effect denyed is morally impossible upon the account of the internall Physicall cause hindring of it However then the word in the Scripture may be variously taken yet here it is from adjacent circumstances evidently restrained to such a signification as in respect of the event absolutely rejecteth the thing denyed The gradation of the Apostle also leadeth us to it He sinneth not nay he cannot sin He cannot sin riseth in the Assertion of that before expressed He sinneth not which absolutely rejecteth the glosse that some seeke to put upon the words namely that cannot sinne is no more but cannot sinne easily and cannot sinne but as it were with difficulty such is the Antipathy habituall opposition which they have to sinne which Mr Goodwin adhereth unto For besides That this is in it selfe false there being no such Antipathie in any to sinne but that they may easily fall into it yea and with great difficulty and labour do restraine from it as the Apostle argueth at large Rom. 7 So is it also flatly contradictory to the words themselves the Apostle saith He that is borne of God sinneth not cannot sinne He can sinne saith this Glosse though difficultly now he that can sinne difficultly can sinne can sinne and cannot sinne are flatly contradictory He cannot then sinne at all the sinne that is intended in the place of whom it is said he cannot sinne Thus we have cleared the first Proposition in the words both as to the Subject every one that is borne of God and the Predicate sinneth not cannot sinne Which last expression taken in its only proper and most usuall signification denoteth an Impossibility of the event plainely confirmeth in direct termes the position we insist on from the words Mr Goodwin knoweth not well §. 65. If I am able to gather any thing of his thoughts from his expressions to the Argument in hand what to say to this Assertion of the Apostles The Argument he intendeth
invented To shut up this Discourse and to proceed §. 42. If these are the solid Foundations of Peace and Consolation which the Saints have concerning their Perseverance if these be the means sufficient abundantly sufficient afforded them for their Preservation that are laid in the ballance as to the giving of an Evangelicall Genuine Assurance with the Decrees and Purposes the Covenant Promises and Oath of God the Blood and Intercession of Christ the Annoynting and Sealing of the spirit of Grace I suppose we need not care how soone we enter the Lists with any as to the comparing of the Doctrines under contest in reference to their Influence into the Obedience and Consolation of the Saints which with it's Issue in the close of this discourse shall God willing be put to the triall Now that I may lay a more cleere Foundation for what doth insue §. 43. I shall briefely deduce not only the Doctrine it selfe but also the Method wherein I shall handle it from a portion of Scripture in which the whole is summarily comprized and branched forth into suitable Heads for the Confirmation and vindication thereof And this also is required to the mayne of my designe being not so directly to Convince stout Gaine-sayers in vanquishing their Objections as to Strengthen Weak Believers in helping them against Temptations therefore shall at the entrance hold out that whereinto their Faith must be ultimately resolved the Authority of God in his Word being that Arke alone whereon it can rest the sole of its foot Now this is the Fourth chap. of Isaiah of which take this short account It is a Chapter made up of Gracious Promises given to the Church in a Calamitous season the Season it selfe is described verses 25 and 26. of the third Chapter and the first of this all holding out a distressed estate a low condition it is indeed Gods Method to make out gracious Promises to his People when their condition seems most deplored to sweeten their soules with a sence of his Love in the multitude of the perplexing thoughts which in distracted times are ready to tumultuate in them The Foundation of all the following promises lies in the second verse §. 44. even the giving out of the Branch of the Lord and the Fruit of the earth for Beauty and Glory to the remnant of Israel Who it is who is the Branch of the Lord the Scripture tells us in sundry places Isaiah 11. 1. Ier. 23. 5. 33. 15. Zach. 3. 8. The Lord Jesus Christ the Promise of whom is the Churches only Supportment in every tryall or distresse it hath to undergoe He is this Branch and Fruit and he is placed in the Head here as the great Fountain Mercy from whence all others doe flow In those that follow the Persons to whom those promises are made and the Matter or Substance of them are observable the Persons have various Appellations and descriptions in this Chapter They are called First the Escaping of Israell v. 2. They that are left in Sion v. 3. Jerusalem it selfe v. 4 The Dwelling places and Assemblies of Mount Sion v. 5. That the same individuall Persons are intended in all these severall Appellations is not questionable It is but in reference to the severall Acts of Gods dwelling with them and outgoing of his Love and Goodwill both eternall and temporall towards them that they come under this variety of Names and Descriptions First in respect of his Eternall Designation of them to Life and Salvation they are said to be written among the living or unto life in Jerusalem Revel 3. 12. 13. 8. their names are in the Lambs book of life from the foundation of the World Luke 10. 20. and they are recorded in the purpose of God from all eternity Secondly in respect of their Deliverance and actuall Redemption from the bondage of death Satan which for ever prevaile upon the greatest number of the Sonnes of Men shadowed out by their deliverance from the Babilonish Captivity Revel 5. 9. pointed at in this place they are said to be a Remnant Eph. 5. 25. 26. an Escaping such as are Left and Remaine in Jerusalem From the perishing Lump of Man-kind Zech. 3. 2. God doth by Christ snatch a Remnant whom he will preserve like a Brand out of the fire John 17. 9. Thirdly in respect of their injoyment of Gods Ordinances and Word Rom. 8. 38. and his Presence with them therein they are called Psal. 48. 11 12 13 14. 16. 1 2 3. c. the Daughter of Sion and the Dwelling places thereof There did God make known his Mind and Will Jerem. 50. 5. and Walked with his People in those Beauties of Holinesse Zecl 8. 2. These are they to whom these promises are made the Elect John 12. 17. Redeemed and Called of God or those who being Elected and Redeemed Psal. 110. 3. shall in their severall Generations be Called according to his Purpose who worketh all things Isa 49. 14. according to the Councell of his own will For the Matter of these promises §. 45. they may be reduced to these three Heads First of Justification vers 2. Secondly of Sanctification v. 3 4. Thirdly of Perseverance vers 5 6. First of Justification Christ is Made to them or Given unto them for Beauty and Glory which how it 's done the Holy Ghost tells us Isaiah 61 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the Garment of salvation he hath covered me with the Robes of Righteousnesse saith the Church he puts upon poore deformed Creatures the Glorious Robe of his own Righteousnesse to make us Comely in his Presence and the Presence of his Father Zac. 13. 3 4. Through Him 1 Cor 1 20. 54. 17. his being given unto us made unto us of God Righteousnesse Isa. 45. 24 25. becoming the Lord our Righteousnesse doe we find free acceptation as Beautifull and Glorious in the eyes of God Jer. 23. 6. But this is not all He doth not only Adorne us without Rom. 5. 1. 8. 1. but also Wash us within the Apostle acquaints us that Col. 2. 10. that was his designe Ephes. 5. 25 26. and therefore you have Secondly the promise of Sanctification added verses 3 4. v. 3. you have the thing it selfe they shall be called holy Made so called so by him who calleth things that are not as though they were and by that Call gives them to be that which he calls them 2 Cor. 4. 6. he said let there be light and there was light And then the manner how it becomes to be so v. 4. first setting out the Efficient cause Ezek. 11. 19. the spirit of Judgment and Burning Joh. 3. 5. that is of Holinesse and Light Secondly the way of his producing this great effect Rom. 8. 2. washing away
as to security will be found knit up in him and there we shall do well to leave it though the handling of that suertiship of his be not of our present consideration Men will scarce dispute him out of his Faithfulnesse Henceforth he dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him he sitts at the right hand of God expecting to have his enemies made his footstoole This then I will doe if God permit And for the stedfastnesse of his Saints in their abiding with God I shall I feare no otherwise insist peculiarly upon it but as occasion shall be ministred by dealing with our Advesary as we passe on That which I shall now doe § 3. is to consider the influence of the Preisthood of Christ in those two Grand Acts thereof his Oblation Intercession into the Perseverance of Saints according to that of the Apostle Heb. 5. 27. Wherefore he is able also to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him seeing he liveth ever to make intercession for them And I will doe it the more carefully because though it be one of the greatest strengths of our Cause yet I shall walke in a path wherein none shall meet me for the most part of the way to make any opposition My entrance into the consideration of the procurement of our Glory by Christ §. 4. shall be with that whereby he came into his owne viz. his Oblation which hath a twofold influence into the Perseverance of the Saints Luk. 24. 24. or into the Safeguarding of their Salvation to the utmost 1. By removing and taking out of the way all causes of separation betweene God Isa. 59. 2. and those that come unto God by him that is all Believers Now these are of two sorts 1. That which is morall procuring such seperation or distance which is the Guilt of Sinne. 2. That which is Efficient working as the power of Sathan of sinne The first of these being that alone for which it may be supposed that God will turne from Believers and the latter that alone whereby they may possibly be turned from him Now that both these are so taken out of the way by the Oblation of Christ that they shall never actually eventually worke or cause any totall or finall separation betweene God Believers shall be demonstrated 1. He hath so taken away the Guilt of Sinne from Believers §. 5. from them that come to God by him Ephes. 1. 10. 2. 13 14 15 16. that it shall not prevaile with the Lord to turne from them He hath obtained for us Eternall Redemption Heb. 9. 12. Eternall and Compleat Coll. 1. 20 21 22. nor so farre and so farre but Eternall Redemption hath he obtained Redemtion that shall be compleated notwithstanding any interveniences imaginable what ever 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. This Redemption which he hath obtained for us 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and which by him we obtaine the Apostle tells us what it is and wherein it doth consist Ephes. 1. 2. In whom we have Redemption through his Bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes He hath obtained for us everlasting forgivenesse of Sinnes as to the compleat efficiency of the procuring cause thereof absolutely perfect and compleat in its owne kinde not depending on any Condition in any other whatsoever for the producing the utmost effect intended in it There shall be no after reckoning or account for sinne betweene God and them for whom he so obtaines Redemption And the Apostle in the 10 th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews disputes at large this difference betweene the Typical Sacrifices the Sacrifice of the bloud of Christ He tels you those were offered year by yeare and could never make the comers to God by them perfect or acquit them from sinne for then they could have had no more Conscience of sinne being once purged but now saith he there was a remembrance againe of sinne renewed every yeare v. 3 4. If sinne had been taken away there would have been no more Conscience of it that is no such Conscience as upon the Account whereof they came for helpe unto or healing by those Sacrifices no more Conscience condemning for sinne Conscience judges according to the Obligation unto punishment which it apprehends upon it Conscience of sinne that is a tendernesse to sinne and a condemnation of sinne still continues after the taking of the guilt of it away but Conscience disquieting judging condemning the Person for sinne Rom. 5. 1. that vanisheth together with the guilt of it And this is done when the Sacrifice for sinne is perfect and compleat and really attaines the end for which it was instituted And if any Sacrifice for sinne what ever doe not compleatly take away that sinne for which the Oblation is made and the Attonement thereby so that no after charge might come upon the sinner it is of necessity that that Sacrifice be renewed againe and againe The reason the Apostle gives of the repetition of the Legall Sacrifices is that they made not the comers to them perfect that is as to the taking away of their sinnes and giving them entire and complete peace thereupon All this the Apostle informes us was don in the Sacrifice of Christ v. 14. with one offering he hath for ever perfected or made perfect that worke for them as to this businesse of Conscience for sinne them that are Sanctified His one Offering perfectly put an end to this businesse even the difference betweene God and us upon the account of sinne which if he had not done it would have beene necessary that he should have been often offered his Sacrifice having not obtained the complete end thereof That the efficacy of this Sacrifice of his cannot depend on any thing forraigne unto it shall be declared afterwards Also that the necessity of our Faith and Obedience in their proper place is not in the least hereby impaired shall be manifested That they may have a proper place efficacy and usefullnesse and not be conditions whereon the effects of the death of Christ are suspended as to their Communication unto us is by some denyed how weakely how falsly will then also appeare Now this Christ doth for all that are Sanctified or dedicated or consecrated unto God which is almost the perpetuall sence of that word in this Epistle in and by that Offering of his And this the Apostle farther conmfires from the Consideration of the New Covenant with us ratifyed in and whose Effects were procured by the Bloud-shedding and Offering of Christ v. 17. their sinnes and their iniquities I will remember no more Saith God upon the account of the Offering of Christ there is an end of that businesse and that Controversy which I have had with those Sanctifyed ones and therefore let them as to this as to the making satisfaction for sinne trouble themselves no more to thinke of thousands of Rammes or the like Mic. 6. 6
that Believers receive the spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father which being a worke within them cannot be wrought and effected by Adoption it selfe which is an extrinsicall Relation Neither can Adoption and the Spirit of Adoption be conceived to be the same He also farther affirmes it 1 Cor 2. 12. we have received the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God We have so received him as that he abides with us to teach us to acquaint our hearts with Gods dealing with us bearing witnesse with our spirits to the condition wherein we are in reference to our Favour from God and Acceptation with him and the same he most distinctly asserts Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father The distinct Oeconomy of the Father Sonne and Spirit in the work of Adoption is clearly discovered He is sent sent of God that is the Father That name is Personally to be appropriated when it is distinguished as here from Sonne and Spirit That is the Fathers work that work of his Love he sends him He hath sent him as the spirit of his Sonne procured by him for us promised by him to us proceeding from him as to his personall subsistence and sent by him as to his office of Adoption and Consolation Then whether the Father hath sent the spirit of his Sonne where he is to abide and make his residence is expressed it is into our Hearts saith the Apostle there he dwells and abides And lastly what there he doth is also manifested he setts them on worke in whom he is gives them priviledges for it Ability to it Incouragement in it causing them to cry Abba Father Once and againe to Timothy doth the same Apostle assert the same truth 1 Epist. 3. 14. the good thing committed unto thee keep by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us The Lord knowing how much of our Life and Consolation depends on this Truth redoubles his Testimony of it that wee might receive it even wee who are dull and slow of heart to believe the things that are written 3. Whereas some may say §. 3. it cannot be denyed but that the Spirit dwels in Believers but yet this is not personally but only by his Grace though I might reply that this indeed and upon the matter is not to distinguish but to deny what is positively affirmed To say the Spirit dwells in us but not the Person of the Spirit is not to distinguish de modo but to deny the thing it selfe To say the Graces indeed of the Spirit are in us not dwell in us for an Accident is not properly said to dwell in its subject but the Spirit it selfe doth not dwell in us is expressly to cast downe what the word sets up If such distinctions ought to be of force to evade so many positive and plaine Texts of Scripture as have been produced it may well be questioned whether any Truth be capable of proofe from Scripture or no. Yet I say farther to obviate such Objections and to prevent all quarrellings for the future the Scripture it selfe as to this businesse of the Spirits indwelling plainely distinguisheth between the Spirit it selfe and his Graces He is I say distinguished from them and that in respect to his indwelling Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that is given to us The Holy Ghost is given to us to dwell in us as hath been abundantly declared and shall yet farther be demonstrated Here He is mentioned together with the Love of God and his shedding thereof abroad in our Hearts that is with his Graces is as clearely distinguished and differenced from them as Cause and effect Take the Love of God in either sence that is controverted about this place for our Love to God or a sence of his Love to us and it is an eminent Grace of the Holy Spirit If then by the Holy Ghost given unto us yee understand only the Grace of the Holy Ghost He being said to be given because that is given then this must be the sence of the place The Grace of the Holy Ghost is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Grace of the Holy Ghost that is given to us Farther if by the Holy Ghost be meant only his Grace I require what Grace it is hereby the expression intended Is it the same with that expressed the Love of God This were to confound the efficient cause with its effect Is it any other Grace that doth produce the great worke mentioned Let us know what that Grace is that hath this power energie in its hand of shedding abroad the Love of God in our Hearts So Rom. 8. 11. He shall quicken your mortall bodyes by the Spirit that dwelleth in you This quickning of our mortall bodies is generally confessed to be and the scope of the place inforceth that sence our Spirituall quickning in our mortall bodyes mention being made of our bodyes in Analogie to the body of Christ by his death we have life and quickning Donbtlesse then it is a Grace of the Spirit that is intended Yea the habitual principle of all Graces And this is wrought in us by the Spirit that dwelleth in us There is not any Grace of the Spirit whereby he may dwell in men antecedent to his Quickning of them Spirituall Graces have not their residence in dead soules So that this must be the Spirit himselfe dwelling in us that is here intended and that personally or the sence of the words must be The Grace of quickning our mortall bodyes is wrought in us by the Grace of Quickning our mortall bodyes that dwels in us which is plainely to confound the Cause and Effect Besides it is the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead that is intended which doubtlesse was not any inherent Grace but the Spirit of God himselfe working by the exceding greatnesse of his Power Thus much is hence cleared Antecedent in order of nature to our Quickning there is a Spirit given to us to dwell in us Every efficient Cause hath at least the precedency of its effect No Grace of the Spirit is bestowed on us before our Quickning which is the preparation and fitting of the subject for the receiving of them the planting of the Roote that containes them vertually and brings them forth actually in their order Gal. 5. 22. All Graces whatsoever come under the name of the fruit of the Spirit that is which the Spirit in us brings forth as the Roote doth the fruit which in its sodoing is distinct therefrom Many oher instances might be given but these may suffice 4. There is a Personallity ascribed to the Holy Ghost in his dwelling in us and that in such a way §. 4. as cannot be ascribed to any Created Grace which is but a Quality in a subject and this the Scripture doth three wayes 1. In
as a reason of the former for though the future continuance of the thing in being can be no reason of the effect present yet it will be a ground or reason of the continuance of a present effect Ans I have thus at large transcribed this discourse because it is the sum of what Mr Goodwin hath to offer for the weakning of our Argument from this place of what weight this is will quickly appeare For 1. This Reason the seed abideth in him though brought in illatively in respect of what was said before he doth not commit sinne yet hath its causall influence chiefly into that which followeth he cannot sinne To make good what was first spoken of his not committing sinne that is borne of God the Apostle discovereth the cause of it which so farre secureth the truth of that expression as that it causeth it to ascend and call them up higher to a certaine impossibility of doing of that which was only at first simply denyed Neither is this Assertion the seed of God abideth in him any otherwise a Reason of the first Assertion He committeth not sinne than as it is the cause of the latter He cannot sinne Now Mr Goodwin granteth in the close of his Discourse that the future continuance of a thing in being is or may be the cause of the continuance of an effect which at present it produceth and what Mr Goodwin may more curiously discover of the intent of the Apostle his words plainly assert the continuance and abode of the seed of God in them in whom it is and using it as he doth for a reason of the latter claâ—se of that Proposition He cannot sinne he speaketh properly enough so great a Master of one language at least as Mr Goodwin being judge 2. The Reason insisted on by the Apostle is neither from the word seed nor from the word abideth nor from the nature of the seed simply consideâ—ed nor from its permanency and continuance the seed abideth So that it is no exception to the intendment of the Apostle to assert the abiding of the seed not to be a sufficient cause of the Proposition because its abiding or permanencie is not a cause of present not sinning for it is not asserted that it is His present not sinning in whom it is is from God his being borne of God by the seeds his continuance and estate of not sinning both which are intended is from the abiding of the seed The whole condition of The Person that He sinneth not neither can sinne which teâ—mes regard his continued estate is from the whole Proposition The seed of God abideth in him Separate the permanency of the seed which is asserted in the consideration of it and it respects only and solely the continuance of the effect which is produced by it as seed or of the estate wherein any one is placed by being borne of God All that Mr Goodwin hath to offer in this case is that the abiding of the seed is so asserted to be the Reason of that part of the Proposition He commits not sinne as not to be the cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot sinne When the abiding of the seed singly considered is not used as any reason at all of the first nor in the proposition as it lyeth the seed abideth any otherwise but as it is the cause of the latter he cannot sinne 3. Even the expression he committeth not sinne denoteth not only the present actuall frame and walking of him of whom it is spoken but his estate and condition being once borne of God he committeth not sinne no one that is so borne of God doth none in the state condition of a Regenerate Person doth so that is in his course and walking to the end and this is argued not so much distinctly to the permanencie of the seed as from the seed with such an Adjunct 4. Mr Goodwin's Allusions to the soule and the Obedience of Angels are of little use or none at all to the illustration of the businesse in hand For though the Reason why the soule moveth the body to day is not because it will move it to morrow yet the reason why the body moveth and cannot but do so is because it hath the Soule abiding in it and he that shall say he that liveth moveth for he hath a soule abiding in him and cannot but move shall speake properly enough And the reason why the Angells do the will of God in Heaven that is actually continue in so doing is because they have such a confirmed uncontroulable principle of Obedience So that all these Exceptions amount not to the least weakning of the Apostles Arguments Sect. 32. §. 71. Our Authour giveth two instances to prove that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture signifieth sometime only to be not to abide and they are the one John 14. And the other 1 John 3. 14. And one Argument to manifest that in the place under Consideration it must needs signify a present abode and being and not a continuance c. Ans. 1. If any such places befound yet it is confessed that it is an unusuall sence of the word and a thousand places of that kind will not inforce it to be so taken in another place unlesse the circumstances of it and matter whereabout it treateth enforce that sence and will not beare that which is proper 2. M. G. doth not make it good by the instances he produceth that the word is tyed up in any place to denote precisely only the being of a thing without relation to its abiding and continuance Of the one John 14. 17. % But ye know him because he remaineth with you shall be in you saith he the latter clause shall be in you will be found a meere Tautologie if the other phrase abideth with you importetha perpetuall residence or inbeing But that this phrase abideth with you importeth the same with the phrase in the foregoing verse where it is clearely expounded by the addition of the terme forever that he may abide with you forever I suppose cannot be questioned Nor 2. Is there any the least appearance of a Tautology in the words His remaining with Believers being the thing promised and his inbeing the manner of his abode with them Also the 1 John 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not simply denote an Estate or Condition but an estate or condition in its nature without the interposition of Almighty Grace abiding and permanent so that neither have we yet any instance of restraining the significancy of the word as pretended produced nor if any place could be so would it in the least inforce that Acceptation of the word in this place contended about Wherefore M. Goodwin as I said addeth an Argument to evince that the word must necessarily be taken in the sence by him insisted on in this place which is indeed a course to the purpose if his Argument prove so in any measure It
in this that one brings forth fruit and the other doth not farther the seed of wheate or the like brings forth its fruit in a naturall way and therefore whatever it brings forth followes in some measure the nature of the seed but that seed of the Gospell brings forth its fruit in a morall way and therefore may have effects of sundry natures that which the seed of Wheat brings forth is wheat but that which the Gospell brings forth is not Gospell but Faith besides what the wheate brings forth if it come not nor ever will to be wheate in the eare it is but grasse and not of the same nature and kind with that which is wheate actually though virtually and originally there be the nature of wheate in the roote yet actually wheat is not in the blade that hath not nor ever will have eare If the seed of wheate be so corrupted in the soyle where it is sowne that it cannot bring forth fruit that which it doth bring forth what ever it be is of a different nature from that which is brought forth to perfection by the seed of wheate in good ground Againe Faith is brought forth by the seed of the Gospell when the Promises and Exhortations of the Gospell being preacht unto men do prevaile on them to give assent unto the truth of it that every such effect wrought is true justifying Faith giving union with Jesus Christ Mr Goodwin cannot prove that effects specifically different may be brought forth by the same seed of the Gospell seeing to some it is a savour of life unto life and to some a savour of death unto death needes not much proving Some receive the Word and turne it into wantonnesse some are cast into the mould of it and are tanslated into the same image if the temper of the heart as is said is not able specifically to alter the Gospell but that there may not fruit of various kinds be borne in the heart that assents to it that receives it in the upper crust and skin of it is the question Neither is it a blade occasionally withering before the Harvest but a slight receiving of the seed so as that it can never bring forth fruit that is intimated In summe this whole Discourse is a great piece of Sophistry in comparing naturall morall causes in the producing of their effects a thing not intended in the Parable and whereabout he that will busie himselfe jungat vulpes mulgeat hircos this is that which our Saviour teacheth â—â—in the similitude of seed sown in the stony ground The Word is preached unto some men who are affected with it for a season assent unto it but not comming 〈◊〉 to a cordiall close with it after a while wither away and such as these we say were never true Believers a small matter will serve to make a man a true Believer if these are such What tendency this Doctrine may have to lull men asleepe in security when Christ is not in them of a truth may easily appeare be judged if men who are distinguished from other Believers by such signall differences as these here are may yet passe for true Believers Justifyed Sanctifyed Adopted ones solvi mortales curas the way to Heaven is layed open to thousands who I feare will never come to the end of the journey What remaines of M. G's Discourse on this text §. 44. is spent in answering some objections which are made against his interpretation of the place it growes now late and this taske growes so heavy on my hand that I cannot satisfye my selfe in the repetition of any thing spoken before or delivered which would necessarily enforce a particular consideration of what M. G. here insists on let him at his leisure Answer this one Argument and I shall trouble him no farther in this matter That Faith which hath neither root nor fruit neither sound heart nor good life that by and by readily and easily yeelds upon Temptation to a totall defection is not true saving justifying Faith The root of Faith taken spiritually is the habit of it in the heart a spirituall living habit which if it reside not in the heart all assent whatever wants the nature of Faith true and saving the fruits of Faith are good Workes and new Obedience that Faith which hath not Workes James tells you is dead dead and living Faith doubtlesse differ specifically Againe Faith purisieth the heart and when a heart is wholly polluted corrupted naught and false there dwelles no Faith in that heart it is impossible it should be in a heart and not at least radically and fundamentally purify it farther Mr Goodwin hath told us that true Believers are so fortified against Apostasy that they are in only a possibility in nor probability nor great danger of totall Apostasy and therefore they who presently and readily fall away cannot be of those who are scarse in any danger of so doing upon any account whatever but that the faith here mentioned hath neither root nor fruit good heart to dwell in nor good life attending it but instantly upon triall and temptation vanisheth to nothing we are taught in the text it selfe therefore the Faith here mentioned is not true no saving Faith That it hath no root is expressly affirmed v. 21. and all the rest of the qualityes mentioned are evidenced from the opposition wherein they who are these Believers are set unto true Believers they receive the Word in good and honest hearts they bring forth fruit with patience they endure in the time of tryall like the house built on the Rock when the house built on the Sand falls to the ground One word more with this witnesse before we part they who receive the Word in good and honest hearts and keepe it do bring forth fruit with patience and fall not away under temptation so saith the testimony but all true Believers recive the Word in good and honest hearts Ergo Which is the voyce of Mr Goodwin's fourth Witnesse in this cause The 2 Pet. 4. 18 19 20 21 22. §. 45. is forced to bring up the reare of the Testimonyes by M. G. produced to convince the world of the truth Righteousnesse of his Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy ending his whole Discourse in the mire Observatioas from the Text or context from the words themselves or the coherence to educe his conclusion from he insists not on Many excellent words we have concerning the clearenesse evidence of this Testimony the impossibility of avoyding what hence he concludes we want not but we have been too often inured to such a way of proceeding to be now moved at it or troubled about it were the waters deepe they would not make such a noyse The state and condition of men here described by the Apostle is so justly delineated to the eye by the practice of men in the world to whom the Gospell is preached that I do not a little wonder how any
wholesome words answering the mould of Gospel doctrin whereinto you have been cast may shine as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation knowing that it is but yet a little while and he that shall come will come will not tarry yea come Lord Jesus come c. So prayes Your unworthy fellow Labourer and Brother in our deare Lord Jesus JOHN OWEN A Preface to the Reader READER IF thy enquiry be only after the substance of the Truth in the ensuing Treatise contended for I desire thee not to stay at all upon this preliminary discourse but to proceed thither where it is expresly handled from the Scriptures without the intermixture of any humane Testimonies or other less necessary Circumstances wherein perhaps many of them may not be concerned whose interest yet lies in the truth it selfe and it is precious to their Soules That which now I intend and ayme at is to give an account to the learned Reader of some things nearly relating to the doctrine whose protection in the strength of him who gives to his suitable helps for the works and Employments he calls them to I have undertaken and what entertainment it hath formerly found and received in the Church and among the Saints of God For the Accomplishment of this intendment A breife mention of the Doctrine it selfe will make way Whom in this controversy we intend by the name of Saints and Beleivers the Treatise following will abundantly manifest The word Perseverantia is of most knowne use in Ecclesiastical writers Austin hath a book with the inscription of it in it's forehead The word in the New Testament signifying the same thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of them that followed Paul it is said that he perswaded them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13. 43. That is to Persevere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 10 23. He that persevereth to the end The Vulgar Latin renders that word almost constantly by persevero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word also of the same signification and which the Scripture useth to express the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes by a Metathesis expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdé and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of him who is of a valiant resolved mind By faith Moses left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He. 11. 27. As eying the invisible he endured his tryal with a constant valiant mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thence is most frequently to persevere Act. 1. 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2. 42. They persevered in the Doctrine of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once used in the New Testament is rendred by our Translatours perseverance Eph. 6. 18. In what variety of Expression the thing is revealed in the Scripture is in the Treatise it selfe abundantly declared The Latin word is Classical Persevero is Constanter sum severus In that sense as Seneca saies Res severa est verum gaudium It 's extreme in excess is Pertinacy if these are not rather distinguished from their objects then in themselves Varro lib 4. de ling Lat Tells us that Pertinacia is a continuance or going on in that wherein one ought not to continue or proceed Perseverantia is that whereby any one continues in that wherein he ought so to doe Hence is that definition of it commonly given by the School-men from Austin Lib 87. qu 31 who took it from Cicero one they little acquainted themselves withall lib. 2 de Invent it is say they In ratione bene fundatâ stabilis per petua permansio And this at present may pass for a general description of it that is used in an Ethical and Evangelical sense Perseverance was accounted a commendable thing among Philosophers Morally Perseverance is that part of Fortitude whereby the mind is established in the performance of any good and necessary work not withstanding the assaults and opposition it meets withal with that tediousness and wearisomness which the protraction of time in the pursuit of any affairs is attended withal Aristotle informes us that it is excercised about things troublesome lib. 7. Eth Nicom giving a difference between Continence with it's opposite vice and forbearance or perseverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that abides in his undertaken work so it be good and honest notwithstanding that trouble and perplexity he may meet withal is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence he tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not pleasant to many lib. 10. cap. 9. And that because so to live implies difficulty and opposition And He also as Varro in the place above mentioned distinguishes it from pertinacy And of men infected with that deprav'd habit of mind he says there are three sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all These are in his Judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicâ—â— lib. 7. cap. 9. Which perverse disposition of spirit he there clearly manifests to be sufficiently differenced from a stable resolved frame of mind what ever it may resemble it in Now though there is no question but that of two persons continuing in the same work or opinion one may doe it out of pertinacy the other out of perseverance yet amongst men who judge of the minds of others by their fruits and of the Acts of their minds by their objects these two dispositions or Habits are universally distinguished as before by Varro Hence the Termes of pertinacy and obstinacy being thrust into the definition of herisy by them who renouncing any infallible living Judge and determiner in matters of faith to make way for the inflicting of punishment on the entertainers and maintainers thereof they take no thought of proving it such but only because it is found in persons embracing such errours The same Affection of mind with the same fruites and demonstrations of it in persons embracing the Truth would by the same men be termed perseverance But this is not that whereof I Treat Evangellical perseverance is from the Scripture at large explained in the Book it selfe As it relates to our Acceptation with God and the immutability of Justification which is the the cheife and most eminent part of the Doctrine contended for as it hath no conformity in anything with the moral perseverance before described so indeed it is not comprehended in that strict notion and signification of the word it selfe which denotes the continuation of some Act or Acts in us and not the uninterruptibleness of any Act of God This then is the cause of perseverance rather than perseverance it selfe yet such a cause as being established the effect will certainly and uncontrolably ensue They who goe about to assert a perseverance of Saints cut off from the absolute unchangableness of the decree purpose and Love of God attended with a possibility of a contrary Event and that not
The certaine salvation of the whole mystical body of Christ with whom he hath that communion as to give them his Spirit as he took their flesh for he took upon him flesh and blood because the Children were partakers of the same is evidently asserted which he could not do who thought that any of those on whom he bestowed his spirit might perish everlastingly And againe de praescripti ad Haeret. In pugnâ pugilum gladiatorum plerumque non quia fortis ost vincit quis aut quia non potest vinci Sed quoniem ille quivictus est nullis viribus fuit adeò idemille victor bene valenti posteâ comparatus etiam superatus recedit non aliter haereses de quorundam infirmitatibus habent quòd valent nihil valentes si in benè valentem fidem incurrant Solent quidem illi miriones etiam de quibusdam personis ab Haeresi captis aedificari in Ruinam quarè ille vel illa fidelissimi prudentissimi usitatissimi in Ecclesiâ In â—â—am partem tranfierunt quis hoc dicens non ipse sibâ— respondet neque prudentes neque fideles neque usitatos aesimandos quos haeresis potuit demutare He plainly denies them to have been believers that is truely throughly properly so who fall into pernicious haeresies to their destruction Cyprian is express to our purpose saith he nemo existimet bonos de Ecclesiâ posse disecdere tritioum non rapit ventus nec arborem solidâ radice fundatam procella subvertit inanes paleae tempestate metantur invaâ—â—â—e arbores tutbinis incursione evertuntur Hos execratur percutit Apostolus Johannes dicens ex nobis exierunt sed non fuerunt ex nobis si enim fuissent ex nobis mansissent utique nobiscum Cyp de Unita Eccles The whole Doctrine we contend for is plainly and clearly asserted and bottomed on a text of Scripture which in a special manner as we have cause we do insist upon all that is lost by temptations in the Church was but Chaffe the Wheat abides and the rooted Tree is not cast down Those fall away who indeed were never true believers in heart and union what ever their profession was And yet we are within the compass of that span of time which our adversaries without proof without shame claime to be theirs One Principal foundation of our Doctrine is the bestowing of the holy Ghost upon Believers by Jesus Christ. Where he is so bestowed there say we he abides for he is given them for that end viz to abide with them for ever Now concerning him Basil tells us that though in a sort he may be said to be present with all that are baptised yet he is never mixed with any that are not worthy that is he dwells not with any that obtaine not salvation Basil Lib de Spir Sanc Cap 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By that seeming presence of the holy Ghost with hypocrites that are baptized professors he evidently intends the common gifts graces that he bestowes upon them and this is all he grants to them who are not at last for such he discourses ofâ— found worthy Macarius Aegyptius Homil 5 about the same time with the other or somewhat before is of the same mind He tells us that those who are Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how men can be assured of Heaven whilest they live here by the earnest of it which they have received as well as if they were crowned and reigning in Heaven If those who have received that earnest may loose it againe I know not The words of Ambrose to this same purpose Lib 1. de Jacob Vitâ beat are many But because they do not only fully assert the truth we contend for but also insist briefly on most of the Arguments with which in this case we plead I shall transcribe them at large and they are as followeth Non gloriabor quia justus sum sed gloriabor quia redemptus sum gloriabor non quia vacuus peccati sum sed quia mihi remissa sunt Peccata non gloriabor quia profui nec quia profuit mihi quisquam sed quia advocatus pro me apud Patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusus est Haeredem te fecit Cohaeredem Christi Spiritum tibi adoptionis infudit Sed vereris dubios vitae anfractus adversarit insidias cûm habeas auxilium Dei habeas tantam ejus dignationem ut filio proprio pro te non peperceâ—it nihîl enim excepit qui omnium concessit Authorem Nihil est igitur quod negari posse nobis verâ—â—â—ur nihil est in quo de munificantiae divinae diffidere perseverantia debeamus eujus fuit tanâ— diutuâ—na jugis abertal ut primò praedestinaret deinde vocanet quos vocavit has justificaret quos justificaret has glorificaret Poterit deâ—erere quos tantis beneficiis neque ad prâ—mia prosecutus est Inter â—ot beneficia Dei num metuendâ— sunt aliquae accusationis insidea sed quis audeat accusare quos electos divine ceâ—nit judicia num Dous pater ipse qui Contulit potest dona sua resâ—iâ—dere quos adaptione suscapit eos à paterni affectâs gratiâ religare sed metus est ne judea severior sit confidera quâ—m judicem habeas nempe Christo dedit pater omne judicium poterit te ergò ille demnare quem redemit à morte pro quo sâ— abtulit cujus vitam suaemortis mercedem esse cognescit nonne decit quae utilitas in sanguine meo si damno quem ipse salvavi deinde consideras judicem non consideras advocatum The foundation of all our glorying in the Love of God and assurance of salvation He lays in the free grace of God in redemption and justification for the certainty of our continuance in that estate he urges the decree of Gods prâ—destination the unchangeableness of his love the Compleat Redemption made by Christ with his effectual Intercession all which are at large insisted upon in the ensuing treatise Adde to him his contemporary Chrysostome Serâ—â— 3. in 2 Cor 1. 21. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of these words of the Apostle he given the ensuing exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The designe and aime of our Establishment by the Spirit is he tells us that we be not shaken or moved from the saith of Christ So establisheth 〈…〉 not to depart fall away from the faith And that the argument which he insistion from what we have presently received to an assurance of abode in our Condition to the enjoyment of the full inheritanceis not contemtible in the Cause in hand as is further manifested in the treatise it selfe And these instances may suffice for the first period of time mentioned before the rising of the Pelagian heresy of which those others of the same kind that might be produced though they may not seem so full and expressive to
this Subject of Perseverance In the entrance of his disputation he layes down the same Principles with the Former concerning the necessity of the Peculiar Grace of Perseverance to this end that any one may persevere Disput 103. Then Disp 108 He further manifests that this gift or Grace of Perseverance does not depend on any Conditions in us or any Cooperation of our wills His position he layes down in these words Donum perseverantiae in ratione Doni perseverantiae efficacia illius nullo modo dependet effectivè ex libera Cooperatione nostri Arbitrii sed à solo Deo atque ab efficaci absoluto Decreto Voluntatis ejus qui pro suâ misericordiâ tribuit illud Donum cui vult In the further proof of this proposition he manifests by clear Testimonies that the Contrary Doctrine hereunto was that of the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians which Austine opposed in sundry Treatises And in all the Arguments whereby he further confirmes it he still presses the absurdity of making the Promise of God concerning Perseverance Conditional and so suspending it on any thing in and by us to be performed And indeed all the Acts whereby we persevere flowing according to him from the Grace of perseverance it cannot but be absurd to make the Efficient Cause in it's Efficiency and operation to depend upon it's own effect This also is with him Ridiculous that the Grace of perseverance should be given to any and he not persevere or be promised and yet not given yet withal he grants in his following Conclusions that our wills secundarily and in dependency do cooperate in our Perseverance The second Principle this learned School-man insists on is that this gift of perseverance is peculiar to the Elect or praedestinate Disput 104. 1. Con Donum perseverantiae est proprium Praedstinaterum ut nulli alteri conveniat And what he intends by Praedestinati he informes you according to the Judgment of Austin and Thomas Nomine praedestinationis ad Gloriam felùm 〈◊〉 praedestinationem intelligunt Augustinus Thomas quâ Electi ordinantur efficaciter transmittuntur ad vitam aeternam cujus effectus sunt vocatio Justificatio perseverantia in gratiâ usque ad Finem not that or such a Conditional predestination as is pendent in the ayre and expectant of men's good final Deportment but that which is the eternal free fountaine of all that grace whereof in time by Jesus Christ we are made Partakers And in the pursuit of this proposition he further proves at large that the persverance given to the Saints in Christ is not a supplement of Helps and advantages whereby they may preserve it if they will but such as causes them on whom it is bestowed certainly actually so to do and that in it's efficacy and operation it cannot depend on any free cooperation of our wills all the Good Acts tending to our perseverance being fruits of that Grace which is bestowed on us according to the absolute unchangeable Decree of the will of God This indeed is common with this Authour and the Rest of his associates the Dominicans and presâ—â—â— Jansenians in these controversies together with the residue of the Romanists that having their Judgments wrested by the abominable figments of implicite Faith and the efficacy of the Sacraments of the new Testament conveying really exhibiting the grace signified or sealed by them that they are inforced to grant that many may be are Regenerate made True Believers who are not predestinate that these cannot persevere nor shall eventually be saved Certaine it is that there is not any Truth which that Generation of men do receive admit but more or less it suffers in their Hands from that gross ignorance of the free Grace of God in Jesus Crhist the power whereof they are practically under what the poor Vassailes and Slaves will do upon the late Bull of their Holy Father casting them in sundry maine Concernements of their Quarrel with their Adversaries is uncertaine otherwise setting aside some such deviations as the above mentioned whereunto they are enforced by their Ignorance of the Grace and Justification with is in Jesus Christ there is so much of Antient Candid Truth in opposition to the Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians preserved and asserted in the writings of the Dominican Fryers as will rise up as I sayd before in Judgment against those of our Dayes who enjoying greater Light Advantages do yet close in with those and are long since Cursed Enemies of the grace of God To this Dominican I shall only adde the Testimony of two famous Jesuites upon whose understandings the light of this glorious Truth prevailed for an Acknowledgment of it The first of these is Bellarmine whose disputes to this purpose being full and large and the Authour in allmens hands I shall not transcribe his assertions arguments but only referre the Reader to his l. 2. de Grat. l. Ar. Cap. 12. Denique ut multa alia Testimonia c The other is Suarez who delivers his thoughts succinctly upon the whole of this Matter Lib. 11. de perpetuitat vel Amis Grat Cap. 2. Sect. 6. saith he de praedestinatis verum est Infallibiliter quòd gratiam finaliter seu in perpetuum non amittunt unde postquam semel gratiam habuerant ita reguntur proteguntur à Deo ut vel non cadant vel si ceciderint resurgant licèt saepius cadant resurgant tandem aliquando ita resurgunt ut amplius non cadant in which few words he hath briefly comprized the summe of that which is by us contended for It was in my Thoughts in the last place to have added the concurrent witness of all the reformed Churches which that of the most eminent Divines which have written in the defence of their Concessions but this Trouble upon second considerations I shall spare the Reader my selfe for as many other reasons lye against the Prosecuting of this Designe so especially the uselesness of spending-Time and paines for the demonstration of a thing of so evident a truth prevailes with me to desist Notwithstanding the Indeavours of Mr. Goodwin to wrest the words of some of the most antient Writers who laboured in the first Reformation of the Churches I presume no unprejudiced Person in the least measure acquainted with the systeme of that Doctrine which with so much paines diligence piety and Learning they promoted in the world with the clearness of their Judgments in going forth to the utmost compass of their Principles which they received and their constancy to themselves in asserting of the Truthes they embraced owned by their Friends and Adversaries until such time as Mr. Goodwin discovered their selfe Contradictions will scarce be moved once to question their Judgments by the Excerpta of Mr. Goodwin Cap 15 of his Treatise so that of this discourse this is the Issue There remaines only that I give a brief account of some concernments of the
1. The Promise only assures them that trust in the Lord that they shall be preserved but not at all that they that trust in him shall be necessitated to doe so still or that so they shall doe So Paul saith it was in my heart to live and dye with the Corinthians but doubtlesse with this proviso that they alwaies continued such as they then were or as he apprehended them to be when he so wrote to them Ans. I must be forced to smite this evasion once and againe before we arrive at the close of this contest it being so frequently made use of by our Adversary who without it knowes himselfe not able to stand against the evidence of any one Promise usually insisted on This is the substance of all that which with exceeding delightfull variety of expressions is an hundred times made use of The Promise is conditionall and made to those that trust in the Lord and is to be made good only upon the account of their continuing so to doe but that they shall so doe that they shall continue to trust in the Lord that is wholly left to themselves and not in the least undertaken in the Promise and this is called a discharging or dismissing of places of Scripture from the service whereunto contrary to their proper sence meaning they are pressed a delivering them from the bearing the crosse of this warfare with such like Imperiall termes and expressions To speake in the singlenesse of our spirits we cannot see any one of the discharged Souldiers returning from the Campe wherein they have long served for the safety and consolation of them that doe believe Particularly this Scripture detests the glosse with violence imposed on it and tells you that the end for which the God of truth sent it into this service wherein it abides is to assure them that trust in the Lord that they shall be preserved in that condition to the end That in the condition of trusting and depending on God they shall be as Sion and the Favour of God unto them as immoveable mountaines he will for ever be with them and about them And that all this shall certainly come to passe Christ does not say that they shall be as established mountaines if they continue to trust in the Lord but they shall be so in their trusting abiding for ever therein through the safegarding presence of God For their being necessitated to continue trusting in the Lord there is not any thing in Text or in our Argument from thence or in the doctrine we maintaine that requires or will admit of any such proceeding of God as by that expression is properly signified Indeed there is a contradiction in termes if they are used to the same pupose to Trust in the Lord is the voluntary free act of the creature to be necessitated unto this Act and in the performance of it so that it should be done necessarily as to the manner of its doing is wholly destructive to the nature and being of it That God can effectually and infallibly as to the event cause his Saints to continue trusting in him without the least abridgement of their liberty yea that he doth so eminently by heightning and advancing their spirituall liberty shall be afterwards declared if by necessitated to continue trusting not the manner of Gods operation with and in them for the compassing of the end poposed and the efficacy of his Grace whereby he doth it commonly decryed under those termes be intended but only the certainty of the issue rejecting the impropriety of the expression the thing it selfe we affirme to be here promised of God But is urged 2. That this Promise is not made unto the Persons of any § 14. but meerely unto their Qualifications like that he that believeth shall be saved it is made to the Grace of Trusting Obedience and walking with God for threatnings are made to the evill Qualifications of men Ans. This it seemes then we are come unto and what farther progresse may be made the Lord knowes The Gratious Promises of God made to his Church his People in the bloud of Jesus on which they have rolled themselves with safety and security in their severall generations are nothing but bare declarations of the will of God what he allowes and what he rejects with the firme concatenation that is between Faith and salvation Obedience and reward And this it seemes is the only use of them which if it be so I dare boldly say that all the Saints of God from the foundations of the World have most horribly abused his Promises and forced them to other ends then ever God intended them for Doubtlesse all those blessed soules who are fallen a sleepe in the Faith of Jesus Christ having drawn refreshment from these breasts of Consolation could they be summoned to give in their experience of what they have found in this kind they would with one mouth professe that they found farre more in them then meere conditionall declarations of the will of God Yea that they received them in Faith as the engagement of his heart and good will towards them that he never failed in the accomplishment and performance of all the good mentioned in them neither will that emphaticall expression in the close of the second verse which being somewhat too rough for our Author to handle he left it quite out beare any such sence That the Promises of the Covenant are made originally to Persons and not to Qualifications hath been in part already proved and shall be farther evinced God assisting as occasion shall be offered in the ensuing discourse The Promises are to Abraham and his seede and some of them as hath been declared are the springs of all Qualifications whatever that are acceptable unto God what be the Qualifications of Promises of opening blind eyes taking away stony hearts c. hath not as yet been declared But it is farther argued 3. That this and the like Promises are to be interpreted according to the rule which God hath given for the interpretation and understanding of his threatnings unto Nations about temporall things and his Promises that are of the same import which we have Jer. 18. 7 8. Plainely affirming that all their accomplishment dependeth on some conditions in the Persons or Nations against whom they are denounced Ans. God forbid shall those Promises which are branches of the everlasting Covenant of Grace Heb. 7. 23. called better Promises then those of the old Covenant upon the account of their infallible accomplishment 2 Cor 1. 20. ratified in the blood of Christ made yea and amen in him the witnesse of the Faithfulnesse of God to his Church 2 Pet. 1. 3. and grand Supporter of our Faith exceeding great and pretious shall they be thought to be of no other sence and interpretation to make no other Revelation of the Father unto us but in that kind which is common to threatnings of Judgements expresly conditionall
Ephes. 1. 7. in whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes or the Intercision of that Obligation unto punishment which attends sinne in reference to the sinner and his subjection to the Law of God and the righteousnesse thereof As the oblation of Christ respecteth God and his justice to whom it is given as a price and Ransome and whereof it is an Attonement so it is and is called or we are said to receive thereby Redemption As it respects them who receive the benefit of that Redemption Rom. 1. 5. it is the forgivenesse of sinnes Forgivenesse of sinnes as t is compleated and terminated in the Consciences of Believers requireth the interposition of Faith 1 Cor. 1. 30. for the receiving of Christ in the Promise who of God is made unto us Righteousnesse but in respect of the procurement of it and the removing all causes Rom. 4. 4. upon the account whereof sinne should be imputed unto us that is perfected in the oblation of Christ hence he is said to beare our sins in his own body on the Crosse 1 Pet 2. 24. and being once on him either he was discharged of them or he must for ever lye under the burthen of them They were on him on the Tree what is then become of them If he were freed of them and Justifyed from them as he was Isa. 50. 8 9. how should they ever be laid to our charge And yet this freedome from condemnation for sin for all the Elect which God himselfe so clearly asserts Rom. 8. 32. 33. c. doth not in the least set them free from the necessity of Obedience nor acquit them from contracting the guilt of sin upon the least irregularity or disobedience Secondly we are said to doe together with Christ those things which he doth for us in his own person Rom. 6. 5 8. and that upon the account of that benefit which by those his personall performances 2 Cor. 5. 15 16. doth redound unto us and which being done Col. 3. 1. the Quarrell about sinne as to make an utter separation between God and our souls Rom. 6. 7. is certainly removed Thus we are said to dy with him to be raised again with him and with him we enter into the holy place this whole businesse about sin being passed through for he that is dead is justifyed from sin Now all this being done by us and for us in by our head can we hencesorth dy any more shall death any more have dominion over us This the Apostle argues 2 Cor. 5. 15. we judge saith he that if one dyed for all then were all they that is all those for whom he dyed dead or dyed likewise they were dead in and with him their sponsor as to the curse due for sin that henceforth they might live to him that dyed for them Thirdly the Compact or agreement that was between the Father and the Sonne as Mediator about the businesse of our Redemption in his blood manifests this Truth Psal. 40. 8. The Father required at his hands that he should doe his will Isa. 53. 10 11. fulfill his pleasure and counsell make his soule an offering for sinne and do that which the Sacrifices of Bulls Goates shadowed out Heb. 10. 5 9 7. but could never effect upon the performance whereof he was to see his Seed and to bring many Sonnes to Glory Heb. 2 10. A covenanting and agreement into an uncertaine Issue and event as that must be of God and the Mediator if the Salvation of the persons concerning which and whom it was be not infallibly certaine ought not at any cheap rate or pretence to be assigned to infinite Wisdome In the Accomplishment of this undertaking whereunto Christ was designed the Father dealt with him in strict aud rigid Justfce Rom. 8. 32. There was neither composition about the debt 2 pet 2. 4. nor commutation about the punishment that he had taken upon himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 21. Now doth not exact Justice require that the Ransome being given in Gal. 3. 13. the Prisoners be delivered That the debt being paid Heb. 2. 9. the bond be cancelled as to any power of imprisoning the Originall debtor That punishment being undergone and the Law fulfilled the offendor goe free Especially all this being covenanted for in the first undertaking doubtlesse wrath shall not arise a second time The right knowledge use and improvement of this Grace being given bounded directed by the Gospell it is safegarded from abuse by that which God calls his owne Wisdome Fourthly §. 13. it appeares from what God bestowes upon his Elect upon the Account of the undertaking of Christ for them in the pursuit of the Eternall purpose of his Will antecedently to any thing whatsoever in them that should ingage him to do them the least good when God comes as a friend to hold out unto bestow good things upon men I meane good in that kind of Mercy which is peculiarly suited to the bringing of them to the enjoyment of himselfe it is evident that he hath put an end to all enmity and quarrell between him them Isa. 59. 20. 21 Now antecedently unto any thing in men God for Christs sake bestowes Rom. 8. 11. with the greatest act of friendship imaginable Gal. 5. 22. no lesse than the holy Spirit on them 1 Cor. 7. 4. By him they are quickned 2 Cor 3. 5. their Faith is but a fruit of that Spirit bestowed on them John 15. 3 5. If they have not any sufficiency in themselves as much as to think a good thought Ephes. 2. 1 2. nor can doe any thing that is acceptable to God being by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes which at present the Scripture affirming it I take for granted then assuredly God doth give his Holy Spirit to the Saints whereby he workes in them both to will and to do of his owne good pleasure Phil. 1. 13. antecedently to any good thing in them Col. 1. 12. that is well pleasing unto him Every thing that men do must either be brought forth by the strength and Ability of their owne naturall facultyes assisted and provoked by motives and perswasions from without or it must be of the operation of the Spirit of God there is not another principle to be fixt on The first at present I take for granted is not the fountaine of any Spirituall acting whatsoever John Gal Neither can any Gracious act be educed radically from the corrupt naturall faculty Gen. 8. 21. however assisted or advantaged It must be the Spirit then Job 14. 4. that is the sole principall cause and Author of all the movings of our soules towards God Mat. 12. 33. that are acceptable to him in Christ Now the cause is certainely before the effect and the Spirit in order of Nature is bestowed upon us
any one can be certaine of it upon such supposals as are here mentioned such a perswasion would not be from him that calls them Nor Thirdly That the End can be obtained without the use of meanes though by them it shall certainely be so But Fourthly That all the hope of their Perseverance is built on the Promises of God to preserve them by and in the use of meanes So that in Truth there is no need of any farther processe for the removing of the Argument insisted on but only a disclaimer of the Doctrine by it oposed if it be that which is here exprest That indeed which Mr Goodwin hath to dispute against §. 12. if he will deale fairely and candidly in the carrying on of his designe is this That the certainty of an end to be obtained by meanes suited thereunto doth not enervate nor render vaine the use of those meanes appointed for the accomplishment of that end The Perseverance of the Saints is the thing here proposed to be accomplished that this shall be certainely effected and brought about according to the Promises of God for the effectiug of it God hath appointed the meanes under debate to be managed by the Ministry of the Gospell that the Promise of God concerning the Saints Perseverance to be wrought and effected as by others so by these meanes in their kind doth not invalidate or render uselesse and vaine the use of those meanes but indeed establishes them and ascribes to them their proper efficacy is that which in this Doctrine is asserted and which Mr Goodwin ought to have disprooved if he would have acquitted himselfe as a faire Antagonist in this cause The Promse we say that Hezekiah had of the continuance of his Life Isa. 33. 5. 21. did not make uselesse but called for the plaister of figges that was appointed for the healing of his sore I might then as I said save my selfe the labour of farther ingaging §. 13. for the casting downe of this Fabricke built on the sandy foundations of falsehood and mistake But because something may fall in of that which followeth more indeed to the purpose than an orderly pursuit of these Assertions laid downe in the entrance would require that may more directly rise up against the cause in whose defence I am ingaged I shall consider the whole ensuing Discourse which without doubt will administer farther occasion for the Illustratihn or Confirmation of the Truth in hand He proceeds then The reason of the Minor is §. 14. because a certain knowledge and perswasion that God will by an irresistable hand of power preserve a man in the state of Grace how desperately carelesse negligent or wicked so ever he shall be clearely disolves the usefulnesse and necessity of all other meanes whatsoever in reference to this end If I know certainely that the corne which I have sowen in my field will whether I wake or sleepe grow and prosper would it not be a very impertinent addresse for any man to come to me admonish me in a serious grave manner to take heed I sleepe not but keepe my selfe waking least my corne should not grow or prosper or that it may grow prosper if my corne growes thrives prospers by the irresistable hand of God by the course of a Naturall standing providence my watchfulnesse in order to a procurement of these things is absolutely vaine c. Ans. That this is not the Doctrine which Mr Goodwin hath undertaken to oppose hath been more than once already declared That he is not able with any colonr of Reason to oppose it unlesse he first impose his owne false vaine inferences upon it them upon his Reader for the Doctrine it selfe from his constant course of proceeding against it is also evident What advantage this is like in the close to prove to his cause in the Judgment of considerate men the event will discover The Assertion of the stability of the Promises of God in Jesus Christ given to Believers concerning his effectuall preserving them to the End from such sinnes as are Absolutely inconsistent with his Grace and Favour according to the tenour of the new Covenant or such continuance in any sinne as is of the same importance by his Spirit and Grace in the use of meanes doth no way tend to the begetting in any a certaine Knowledge Assurance and perswasion that God will continue them in a state of Grace how desperately carelesse or wicked soever they shall be What is intended by the frequent repetition of this grosse Sophistry §. 15. or what successe with the intelligent Christian ponderers of things he can hope for thereby I am not able to guesse Neither is any improvement in the least given to what the intendment of this Argument is so farre as the Common Doctrine of Perseverancc is concerned therein from the comparison insuing instituted between the growth of Corne and the walking of Believers in Obedience before God For notwithstanding the Identity in respect of the comparison of that expression Irresistible which indeed is proper to neither there is a wide difference betweene the growing of corne in a meere naturall way and the morall actings of an Intelligent Rationall Creature What ever operations of God are about and in the one or the other yet they are suited to their Subejects about which they are God carryes on the growth of corne by a way of Naturall and necessary causes but his acting of Rationall Agents is by such wayes and meanes as may entirely preserve their Liberty that is preserving them in their being and leaving them to be such Agents As then God causeth the corne to grow by the shining of his sunne and the falling of his raine so he causeth Believers to persevere in Obedience by Exhortations Promises and Threatnings and such wayes and meanes as are suited to such Agents as they are The fallacy of this Discourse lyes in an insinuation that God by his Effectuall or as they are called irresistible operations for the preservation of Believers in Gospell Obedience a thing he hath undertaken over and over to performe doth change their nature and render them not free and intelligent Agents fit to be wrought upon by the proposall of suitable and desirable Objects to their understandings but meere bruit and naturall principles of all operations flowing from them a conceit as grosse and ridiculous as certainely destructive to all the efficacy of the Grace of God All the rest of this Section as farre as it concernes us is only an affirming this way and that that an Assurance of the End to be obtained by the use of meanes renders those meanes altogether uselesse which when he proves the Controversy may be nearer to an issue than otherwise he hath any Reason to hope that t is or will be to his advantage Sect. 4. Leaving the farher confirmation of his Argument he enters upon the removeall of a plea insisted on §. 16.
and all the wayes of it and all the fruits thereof and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh with all its wayes and fruits Fourthly it appeares then that this being the description of a Regenerate man which the Apostle gives as to indwelling sinne and all the fruits thereof that it is most ridiculous to exempt his frame in respect of such sinnes as they may fall into by surprisalls of temptations from this description of him and so to frame this distinction to the Apostles generall Rule that it holds in cases ordinary but not in extraordinary when nothing in the whole Context gives the least allowance or continuance to such a limitation It appears then notwithstanding any thing offered here to the contrary upon due consideration of it that Believers sinne not with their whole wills and full consents at any time §. 26. nor under the power of what temptation soever they may fall for a season and that because of the Residence of this principle of a contrary tendency unto sinne in their wills which is allwayes acting either directly in inclining unto good or in taking off or making remisse the consent of the will to sinne not withstanding the prevalency of the principle opposite thereunto by its committing of sinne And hence have we sufficient Light for the weakning of the Argument proposed in the beginning of this Chap. §. 27. For though it is weak in its Foundation as shall be shewed concluding to what the Saints may do from what is forbiddē them to do that prohibition being the Ordinance of God certainly to preserve thē from it yet taking it for granted that they may fall into the sin intimated yet seeing they do it not customarily not maliciously not with the full and whole consent of their wills that there is a principle in them still opposing sin though at any time weakened by sinne and the conclusion of that Argument concernes them not I say then First to the Major proposition they who are in a capacity and possibility that is an universall possibility not only in respect of an internall principle but of all outward prohibiting causes as the purpose and Promise of God of perpetrating the workes of the flesh not of bringing forth any fruits of the lusting of the flesh which are in the best willingly and ordinarily with the full and whole consent of their wills in which sence alone such workes of the flesh are absolutely exclusive from the Kingdome of Heaven they may posibly fall out of the favour of God and into destruction This proposition being thus limited and the termes of it cleared for to cause it to passe I absolutely deny the minor that true Believers do or can so sinne that is so bring forth the workes of the flesh as to leave no roome for the continuance of Mercy to them according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace But now frame the Proposition so as the Assumption may comprise Believers we shall quickly know what to judge of it Those who are in a capacity or possibility of falling into such sinnes as deserve rejection from God or of perpetrating workes of the flesh though they do so overborne by the power of temptation nilling the things they do not abiding in their sinnes may fall totally and finally from God but Believers may so do As the matter is thus stated the Assumption may be allowed to passe upon Believers but we absolutely deny the Major Proposition in the sence wherein it is urged I shall only adde that when we deny that Believers can possibly fall away it is not any absolute impossibility we intend nor an impossibility with respect to any principle in them only that in and from it selfe is not perishable nor an impossibility in respect of the manner of their acting but such an one as principally respecting the outward removing cause of such an actuall defection will infallibly prevent the event of it And thus is the cloud raised by this fifth Argument dispelled and scattered by the light of the very first consideration of the difference in sinning that is between Regenerate and unregenerate men so that it will be an easy thing to remove take a way what afterwards is insisted on for the reinforcement and confirmation of the severall Propositions of it The Major Proposition he confirmes from Gal. §. 28. 5. 21. Eph. 5. 5 6. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. All affirming that neither whoremongers nor adulterers nor idolaters nor the like have any inheritance in the Kingdome of God or can be Saved That the intendment of the Apostle is concerning them who live in a course of such sinnes who sinne with their whole wills and from an evill roote with whose sappe they are wholly leavened tainted throughout not them who through the strength of temptation and the surprisalls of it not without the renitency in their wills unto all sin any sin the sinne wherewith they are overtaken may possibly fall into any such sinne as did David and Peter was before declared and in that sence we grant the Proposition For the proofe of the Minor Proposition which should be that Believers may perpetrate the Workes of the flesh in the sence intended in the places of Scripture before mentioned he insists on two things First the direction of those Scriptures unto Believers Secondly the Experience of the wayes of such persons that is of Believers The Apostle tells Believers that they who commit such and such things with such and such circumstances in their commitment cannot be saved therefore Believers may commit those sinnes in the manner intended What hath been said before of the use of threatnings and denunciations of judgements on impenitent sinners in respect of Believers will give a sufficient account if there be need of any for our deniall of this consequence and for the Second that the experience of such mens waies and walking evinceth it it is a plaine begging of the thing under debate and an assuming of that which was proposed to be proved a thing unjustly charged by him on his Adversaries as though they should confesse that Believers might sinne to the extent of the lines drawn out in the places of Scripture mentioned and yet not loose their faith when because they cannot loose their Faith they deny that they can sinne to that compasse of excesse and riot intimated I cannot see then §. 29. to what end and purpose the whole ensuing discourse from the beginning of this Argument to the end of the 21. Sect. is It is acknowledged that all those places doe concerne Believers The intendment of the Holy Ghost in them being to discover to them the nature of the sinne specified and the end of the committing of them in the way intended and that God purposes to proceed according to the importance of what is threatned to those sinnes so committed with all that doe them that so they may walk watchfully and carefully avoiding not only those things
import any such thing as is aimed at from the Text nor the word abide but to the whole proposition the seed of God abideth in him as produced to confirme the former assertion of the not sinning of the Persons spoken of there is nothing spoken at all I shall therefore briefely confirme the Argument in hand by the strength here communicated unto it by the Holy Ghost and then consider what is answered to any part of it or objected to the interpretation insisted on That he that sinneth not neither can sinne in the sence explained shall never fall away totally or finally from God is granted That Believers sinne not nor can sinne so or in the manner mentioned besides the Testimony of the Holy Ghost worthy of all acceptation in the cleare assertion of it we have the Reason thereof manifested in the discovery of the causes of its truth The first Reason is Because the seed of God abideth in them A tacite grant seemeth to be made that fruit sometimes may not visibly appeare upon them as the case is with a Tree in winter when it casts its leaves but its seed remaineth Grace may abide in the habit in and under a winter of Temptation though it doth not exert its selfe in bearing any such actuall fruit as may be ordinarily visible The Word of God is sometimes called seed incorruptible seed causatively as being an instrument in the hand of God whereby he planteth the seed of Life and holinesse in the heart That it is not the outward word but that which is produced and effected by it through the efficacy of the Spirit of God that is by seed intended is evident from the use and nature of it And it is abiding in the Person in whom it is Whatever it is it is called seed not in respect of that from whence it cometh as is the cause and Reason of that appellation of other seed but in respect of that which it produceth which ariseth and insueth upon it and it is called the seed of God because God useth it for the Regeneration of his Being from God being the principle of the Regeneration of them in whom it is abiding in them even when it hath brought forth fruit and continuing so to doe it can be no other but the New Creature New Nature inward Man new principle of Life or habit of Grace that is bestowed upon all Believers whence they are Regenerate quickned or borne againe of which we have spoken before This seed saith the Holy Ghost abideth §. 67. or remaineth in him Whatever falling or withering He may seeme to have or hath this seed the seed of God remaineth in him The principle of his new life abideth some exceptions are made as we shall see afterwards to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth and instances given where it signifyeth for to be and denoteth the essence of a thing not its duration That to abide or remaine is the proper signification of the word I suppose will not be questioned That it may in some place be used in another sence is not dispuited All that lyeth under consideration here is whether the word in this place be used properly according to its genuine and first signification or no It supposeth indeed to be also but properly signifieth only to abide or remaine Now if nothing can be advanced from the Text ot context from the matter treated on or the paralell significancy of some expression that is in conjunction with it that should inforce us to carry it from its proper use and signification the instancing of other places if any such be wherein it is restrained to denote being and not duration is altogether impertinent to the businesse in hand When an Argument is urged from any place of Scripture to pick out any word in the Text and to manifest that it hath been used improperly in some other place and therefore must be so in that is a procedure so farre from an ingenious Answer that it will scarce passe for a tolerable shift or evasion To remaine then or to abide is the proper signification of this word nothing is in the least offered to manifest that it must necessarily in this place be diverted from its proper use According to the import of the word the seed of God remaineth in Believers now that remaining of the seed is the cause of their not sinning that sinne or in that manner as the Apostle here denyeth them to be liable to sinne For that is the Reason he giveth why they cannot sinne even because the seed of God remaineth in them Mr Goodwin granteth that this seed remaineth in Believers alwayes unlesse they sinne by a totall defection from God Of not sinning the sinne of totall deâ—ection from God the remaining or abiding of this seed is the cause Whilst that abideth they cannot sinne that sin for it is an unquestionable cause uncontrouleable of their not so doing This seed therefore must be utterly lost and taken away before any such sinne can be committed Now if the seed cannot be lost without the commission of the sinne which cannot be committed till it be lost neither can the seed be lost nor the sin becommited The same thing cannot be before and after its selfe He that cannot go sucha journey unlesse he have such a horse cannot have such a horse unlesse he go such a journey is like to stay at home In what sence the words cannot sin are to be taken was before declared That there are sins innumerable whereinto men may fall notwithstanding this seed is confessed Under them all this seed abideth so it would not do under that which we cannot sin because it abideth but because it abideth that sin cannot be committed The latter part of the Reason of the Apostles assertion §. 68. is for he is borne of God which is indeed a driving on the former to its head and fountaine What it is to be borne of God we need not dispute It was sufficiently discovered in the mention that was made before of the seed of God God by his Holy Spirit bestowing on us a new Spirituall Life which by nature we have not and in respect of whose want we are said to be dead is frequently said to beget us James 1. 14. And we are said to be borne of God He is the Soveraigne disposer dispenser and supreme fountaine of that Life which is so bestowed on us which we are begotten againe unto and are borne with and by And Jesus Christ the Mediatour is also said to have this Life in himselfe Joh 5. because he hath received the spirit of the father to give to his for their quickning who taketh of his and thereby begeteth them a new And this Life which Believers thus receive and whereby indeed radically they become Believers is every where in Scripture noted as Permanent and abiding In respect of the originall of it it is said to be from above
inconsistency found therein let the Scriptures vindicate and plead for themselves Secondly For the close of this Discourse of our Author charging this course of proceedure with folly viz. To give admonition to the use of meanes when the end is certainely determined to issue upon the use of those meanes he must first evince it as to the application of it to the businesse in hand before I can close with him in the managing thereof for the present I rather think the folly of this charge as far as it lookes towards the Doctrine under consideration to arise from other things As First An Impertinent comparison instituted between God and man in their Admonitions and dealings with men as though nothing might beseeme him in Spirituall things of eternall concernement but what is squared to the rules of our proceedings one towards another in things Naturall or Civill And Secondly A false supposall that the end is promised and assured to any without or besides the use of meanes or walking according to the rules precepts and instructions given for that purpose or for Attainement of the end so promised Now what folly there is to charge men to use meanes for the attaining of an end when they are although Exhorted also Assured that in their so doing they shall attaine the end aimed at is yet under contest And may passe for the present with those other Ridiculous supposalls formerly mentioned But Mr Goodwin proceedes farther in the vindication of this Argument Sect. 38. §. 20. And whereas saith he they still plead or pretend rather that such admonitions as these lately specifyed may well stand with an unconditioned Promise of Perseverance we have formerly shewed that they are not able to make good this plea nor to give any reasonable account of it whereas they adde that their sence and opinion is not that t is a thing absolutely or every way impossible for true Believers to fall away totally or finally from their Faith but that they willingly grant that true Believers what through their owne weakenesse and what through the subtile baites and temptations of Sathan may so fall away I Answer But this is but a fig-leafe sought out to cover the nakednesse of their Opinion which hath no strength at all nor weight in it For what though it were in a thousand other respects never so possible for true Believers to perish yet if it be altogether impossible in such a respect which over rules all those others and which will of necessity must hinder the comming of it to passe all those other notwithstanding 't is to be judged simply and absolutely impossible and all those respects wereby t is pretended possible are not to be brought into account in such a case Ans. §. 21. Whether we are able to make good our plea concerning the consistency of Admonitions with the Promises of Perseverance Mr Goodwin is not the sole Judge Neither do either we or our plea stand or fall at his Arbitrement What hath been lately spoken for the reinforcement of that plea against his Exceptions he may if he please take time to consider Secondly For what is now added in this place as a part of that plea of ours as t is here proposed we owne not We doenot grant that true Believers may fall away on any account whatever totally and finally if the expression may fall away relate to the issue and event We say indeed that by the temptations of Sathan Believers may be prevailed against to the committing of many sins the root whereof is in themselves whilst the lust remaines in them which tempteth and insnareth them whereby God may be dishononred and their own Consciences wounded which is a sufficient ground and bottome for all the Admonitions that are given them to beware of his deceits to strengthen themselves against his assaults to be built upon though through the Grace Faithfulnesse of God and his goodwill manifested and secured unto them in his Covenant and Promises he can never totally prevaile against them We say moreover that 't is not from Believers themselves nor any thing in them nor frō any Faith that they have received that they cannot so fall finally away there being in them a pronenes to sin the seed of all sin still remaining yea a root of bitternes ready to spring up trouble them but from those outward principles of the Will Purposes Covenant Promises of God which we have formerly insisted on Farther that there is no need of granting any such possibility taking that terme as relating to the issue and event and not the internall principle of operation in men to manifest the Harmony that is between the Admonitions under consideration and the Promises we have insisted on it being sufficiently evinced on other considerations So that Mr Goodwins ensuing Discourse concerning Absolute Impossibility is not at all related to any thing that we have asserted Thirdly Neither yet doth the Reason by Mr Goodwin produced in any measure convince what he intends though we be not concerned therein He will not easily perswade us that that which is possible in any respect much lesse in many and impossible only in one is alwayes to be judged Simply and Absolutely impossible much lesse are we concerned in it who say that Simply and Absolutely the falling away of Believers is Possible namely as the terme possible relates to the principle of operation in them But in some respects only it is impossible that is not of it selfe but in respect of the externall prohibiting cause It was Absolutely and simply possible that the bones of our Saviour should have been broken in the nature of the thing it selfe impossible in respect of the decree of God So are a thousand things Absolutely possible in their owne nature as to the power of the causes whereby they might be produced but impossible in respect of some externall prohibiting cause Absolutely possible in respect of their proper cause and principle impossible in respect of the event upon the the account of some externall prohibiting cause as was shewed So 't is in the businesse in hand We assert not any possibility in respect of the event As though in the issue it might so come to passe that Believers should fall totally and finally from God which is the thing we oppose but it grant in respect of the causes of such apostacy with reference to the nature of the thing it selfe Though how the possibility might be reduced into act Mr Goodwin cannot declare As for the close of this Section concerning the Absolute Peremptory irresistible decrce of Perseverance which he ascribes to us as our assertion when he shall have convinced us of the Conditionall Non-peremptory reversible decree of God which he endeavours to introduce in the place thereof he may here more of us in the meane time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Section 39. §. 22. 40. he seekes to alleviate the instance commonly given of our Saviour Christ who
profession and done some good yet upon the whole matter first or last they had all declined and therefore ought to owne the punishment of their sinnes God dealing severely and unto death and destruction with none but those who either wholly or upon the summe of the matter turned away from his Judgements and Statutes So that 6. This being the tenour and importance of the words insisted on this their tendency aime and accommodation to the objection levyed against the Righteousnesse of God in dealing with that people this their rise and end their spring and fall it is evident beyond all Contradiction from any thing but prejudice it selfe that all the enquiries and disputes about them as whether the declaration of the minde of God in them be Hypotheticall or Absolute what is meant by the Righteous Person what by his turning away and what by the death threatned all which expressions of the Text are in themselves ambiguous and must be limited from the circumstances of place are altogether uselesse and needlesse the words utterly refusing any accommodation to the businesse of our present debate So that 7. This dependance of the words scope of the Context designe of the place and intendment of God in it the accommodation of the whole discourse to the removeall of the Objection and disproving of the proverbiall selfe Justification of a sinfull People the only directoryes in the investigation of the true proper native genuine sence and meaning of them eyed weighed nor considered by Mr Goodwin who knew how much it was to his advantage to rend away these two verses from the body of the Prophets discourse I might well supersede any farther proceeding in the Examination of what he has prepared for a Reply to the Answers commonly given to the Argument taken from this place yet that all security imaginable may be given to the Reader of the inoffensivenesse of this place as to the Truth we mainetaine I shall briefely manifest that Mr Goodwin hath not indeed effectually taken up and off any one Answer or any one parcell of any such that hath usually been given by our Divines unto the Objection against the Doctrine of Perseverance hence levied That which naturally first offers it selfe to our Consideration §. 11. is the forme and tenour of the Expression here used which is not of an absolute nature but Hypotheticall The import of the words is If a righteous man turne from his Righteousnesse and continue therein he shall dy True say they who make use of this Consideration God here proposes the desert of sinne and the connexion that is by his appointment between Apostacy and the punishment thereunto allotted but this not at all inferres that any one who is truly righteous shall or may everlastingly so Apostatize Such comminations as these God maketh use of to caution Believers of the evill of Apostasy and thereby to preserve them from it as their tendency to that end by the appointment of God and their efficacy thereunto hath been declared So that to say because God sayes If a righteous man turne from his Righteousnesse he shall dye the whole Emphasis lying in the connexion that is between such turning away dying to conclude considering what is the proper use intendment of such threatnings that a man truly Righteous may so fall away is to build up that which the Texts contributes not any thing to in the least Against this plea Mr Goodwin riseth up with much contempt and indignation §. 12. Chap. 12. Sect. 9. in these words But this Sanctuary hath also been profaned by some of the chiefe Guardians themselves of that cause for the protection and safety whereof it was built There needs no more be done though much more might be done yea and hath been done by others than that Learned Doctor so lately named hath done himselfe for the demolishing of it Having propounded the Argument from the place in Ezekiel according to the import of the interpretation asserted by us Some saith he answer that a condition proues nothing in being which how true soever it may be in respect of such Hypotheticalls which are made use of only for the amplyfication of matters serve for the aggravating either of the difficulty or indignity of a thing as if I should climbe up into Heaven thou art there Psal. 139. It were ridiculous to inferre therefore a man may climbe up into Heaven yet such conditionoll sayings upon which Admonitions Promises or Threatnings are built do at least suppose something in possibility however by vertue of their tenour forme they suppose nothing in being For no man seriously intending to encourage a student in his way would speak thus to him If thou wilt get all the Books in the Vniversity Library by heart thou shalt be Doctor this Commencement Beside in the case in hand he that had a minde to deride the Prophet might readily come upon him thus But a righteous man according to the Judgement of those that are Orthodox cannot turne away from his righteousnesse therefore your Threatning is in vaine Thus we see to how little purpose it is to seeke for starting holes in such Logicke quirkes as these Thus farre the great Assertor of the Synod of Dort and the cause which they maintained to shew the vanity of such a sence or construction put upon the words now in debate which shall render them meerely conditionall and will not allow them to import so much as a possibility of any thing contained or expressed in them Ans. Doctor Prideaux his choosing not to lay the weight of this Answer to the Argument of the Arminians from this place on the Hypotheticall manner of the expression used therein is called a defiling this Sanctuary by the Guardians of the cause whose protection it undertakes Criminarasis librat in Antithesis doct as posuisse figuras laudatur what are my thoughts of it I need not expresse being unconcerned in the businesse as knowing it not at all needfull to be insisted on for the purpose for which it is produced the Text looking not at all towards the Doctrines under consideration yet I must needs say I am not satisfied with the Doctors attempt for the removall of it nor with what is farther added by the Remonstrants in the place which we are sent unto by M. Goodwins marginall directions though it should be granted that such conditionall expressions do suppose or may for that they alwaies do is not affirmed and in some cases it is evident they doe not that there is something in posse as the Doctor speakes whereunto they doe relate yet they doe not inferre that the possibility may by no meanes be hindred from ever being reduced into Act. We grant a possibility of desertion in Believers in respect of their own principles of operation which is ground sufficient for to give occasion to such Hypotheticall expressions as containe comminations and threatnings in them but yet notwithstanding that possibility on that account
is sufficiently convinced by that of our Saviour John 17. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressing his dedicating and separating himselfe to his objection and more instances may be had if we stood in any need of them Thirdly that many are said to be sanctifyed and holy in the latter sence as it signifyeth spirituall purity in respect of their profession of themselves so to be and some mens esteem of them who yet were never wholly and truly purged from their sinne nor ever had received the holy Spirit of Promise who alone is able to purge their hearts doth not now want its demonstration that work hath been some whiles since performed So that Mr G. makes not any progresse at all in the proofe of what he has undertaken viz. that they are true Believers in the sence of that denomination which we assert who in these places are described For a close 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is far more properly referred to Christ than to the persons spoken of and that sence the Remonstrants themselves do not oppose That they are said Cap. 6. 4. §. 33. to have tasted the heavenly guift is urged in the next place Sect. 22. to prove them true Believers both the object and the act are here in question what is meant by the Heavenly guift and what by tasting of it I shall not looke into the Text beyond the peculiar concernement of the cause in hand somewhat might be offered for the farther clearing of the one and other At present it sufficeth that be the Heavenly guift what it will the persons of our contest are said only to tast of it which though absolutely and in it selfe it is not an extenuating expression but denotes a matter of high aggravation of the sinne of Apostacy in that they were admitted to some tast and relish of the excellency and sweetnesse of the Heavenly guift yet comparatively to their feeding on it digesting it growing thereby it clearely denotes their coming short of such a participation of it who do but tast of it That to tast doth not in the first genuine signification in things naturall signify to eat and digest meat so as to grow by it I suppose needes no proof that in that sence it is used in the Scriptures Ioh. 2. 9 Mat. 27. 34. is by Mr Goodwin confessed This he tells you is only when the tast or relish of things is desired to be known but that our Saviour tasted of the gall and vineger out of a desire to know the relish of it he will hardly perswade those who are accustomed to give never so easie a beliefe to his assertions By the Heavenly guift M. G. in the first place intends Jesus Christ now if by tasting eating and drinking of Christ be intended as is here pleaded Christ himselfe will determine this strife telling us that whosoever eateth his flesh shall be saved John 6. 35 49 50 51 54 55 56 57. So that either to tast is not to eate or they that tast cannot perish Three things are urged by Mr Goodwin to give proofe of his interpretation of these words of the Holy Ghost saith he 1. Whatsoever is meant by this Heavenly guift certain is it that by tasting is not meant any light or superficiall impression made upon the hearts or soules of men through the sence or apprehension of it but an emphaticall inward and effectuous relish and sence of the excellent and Heavenly sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it opposed to a bare speculation or naked apprehension thereof The reason hereof is because the tasting of this Heavenly guift here spoken of is not mentioned by the Apostle in a way of easing or extenuating the sinne of those that should fall away from Christ but by way of aggravation and exaggeration of the beinousnesse and unreasonablenesse thereof and withall more fully to declare and assert the equitablenesse of that severity in God which is here denounced against those that shall sinne the great sinne of Apostacy here spoken of It must needs be much more unworthy and provoking in the sight of God for a man to turne his backe upon and renounce those wayes that profession wherein God hath come home to him and answered the joy of his heart abundently then it would be in case he had only heard of great matters and had his head filled but had really found and felt nothing with his heart and soule truly excellent and Glorious 2. And bestdes the very word it selfe to tast ordinarily in Scripture importes a reall communion with or participation and enjoyment if the thing be good of that which was said to be tasted Oh tast see saith David that the Lord is good a Psal. 34. 8. His intent doubtlesse was not to invite men to a slight or superficiall tast of the goodnesse of God but to a reall cordiall and thorough experiment and satisfactory enjoyment of it So when he that made the great invitation in the parable expressed himselfe thus to his servants For I say unto you that none of those who were bidden shall tast of my Supper b Luk. 14. 24. His meaning clearely was that they should not partake of the Sweetnesse and benefit thereof with those who should accept of his invitation and come unto it In like manner when Peter speaketh thus to his Christian Jewes If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracius c 1 Pet. 2. 3. his meaning questionlesse is not to presse his exhortation directed unto them in the former verse upon a consideration of any light or vanishing tast such as hypocrites false-hearted Christians may have of the graciousnesse of the Lord but of such a tast wherein they had had a reall inward and sensible experiment thereof 3. And besides according to the sence of our adversaries in the present debate if the tast of the heavenly gift we speake of should imply no more but only a faint or weake perception of the sweetnesse and glorious excellency of it yet even this may be sufficient to evince truth of grace and Faith in men For their opinion is that a man may be a true Believer with a graine of Mustard-seed only i.e. with a very slender rellish and tast of spirituall things yea their sence is that in some cases of desertion and under the guilt of some enormous courses they may have little or no tast of them at all Ans. 1. To the first discourse considering what hath been already delivered I shall only adde that although it be no aggravation of the sinne of Apostacy that they who fall into it have but tasted of the Heavenly guift yet it is that they have tasted of it that tast of its relish preciousnes sweetnes which they haue obtained whereby they are distinguished from thē whose blindnes hardnes keeps them up to a totall disrelish and contempt of it is abundantly enough to render their sinne heinous and abominable When men by the preaching of the Word
mix the promises of it with Faith or of the powers of the world to come as to receive them in power in their hearts by believing so that farther contest about these words seemes to be altogether needlesse How farre men may proceed in the wayes of God §. 36. what progresse they may make in amendment of life what gifts and common graces they may receive what light and knowledge they may be indued withall what kind of Faith Joy Repentance Sorrow Delight Love they may have in and about spirituall things what desire of mercy and heaven what usefull gifts for the Churches edification they may receive how farre they may perswade their own soules and upon what grounds that their condition Godward is good and saving and beget an opinion in others that they are true Believers and yet come short of union with Christ building their houses on the sand c. is the daily taske of the Preachers of the Gospell to manisest in their pressing that exhortation of the Apostle unto their hearers to examine and try themselves in the middest of their profession whether Christ be in them of a truth or no. I shall not now enter upon that labour the Reader knowes where to find enough in the writings of holy and learned men of this Nation to evince that men may arrive at the utmost height of what is in this place of the Apostle by the Holy Ghost ascribed to the persons of whom he speakes and yet come short of the state of true Believers M.G. indeed tells us Sect. 27. The Premises relating to the two passages yet under debate considered §. 37. I am so farre from questioning whether the Apostle speakes of true and sound Believers in them that I verily judge that he purposely sought out severall of the most emphaticall and signall characters of Believers yea such which are hardly or rather not at all to be found in the ordinary sort of true Believers but only in those that are most eminent amongst them that so he and such who though sound yet were weake in the Faith might fall away and perish but that even such also who were lifted up nearer unto Heaven than their fellowes might through carelesnesse and carnallsecurity dash themselves in pieces against the same stone make shipwracke of their soules as well as they Ans. The House built on the sand may oftentimes be built higher have more faire perapets and battlements windowes and ornaments than that which is built upon the Rock yet all guifts and priviledges equall not one Grace in respect of light knowledge guifts and many manifestations of the Spirit such who never come up to that Faith which gives reall union and communion with Jesus Christ may farre outgoe those that do 2. That there is any thing mentioned or any characters given of Believers much lesse such as are singular and not common to all M. G hath not in any measure been able to evince There is not the meanest Believer in the world but he is a Child of God heir of the Promises brother of the LordChrist hath union with him hath his living in him is Quickned Justifyed Sanctifyed hath Christ made to him Wisedome c. hath his Righteousnesse in God and his Life hid in him in Christ is passed from death to Life brings forth fruit and is deare to God as the apple of his eye accepted with him approved of him as his temple wherein he delighteth to dwell That any thing in this place mentioned and insisted on any characters we have given of the persons whom we have considered doe excell or equall or denote any thing in the same kind with these and the like excellencyes of the meanest Believers will never be proved if we may judge of future successes from the issue of all former attempts for that end and purpose And this is the issue of Mr Goodwin's third Testimony produced to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy but hypothetically and under such a forme of expression as may not be argued from nor of Saints and true Believers at all His 4. followeth His fourth Testimony he produceth §. 38. and indeavours to mannage for the Advantage of his cause Sect. 31. in these words The next Scripture Testimony we shall produce briefely urge in the cause now under maintainance is in the same Epistle with the former and speaketh these words Now the Just shall live by Faith But if any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him Our English translators out of good will doubtlesse to a bad cause have almost defaced this Testimony by substituting any man for the just man for whereas they translate but if any man draw back the Originall readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. if or but if he i.e. the just man who should live by his Faith viz. if he continues in it shall draw back Beza himselfe likewise before thē had stayned the honour of his faithfulnesse with the same blot in his Translation But the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words is plaine and without Parable viz. that if the just man who lives i. e. who at present enjoyes the favour of God and thereby is supported in all his tryalls and should live allwayes by his Faith if he continues in it as Pareus well glosseth shall draw back or shall be withdrawn viz. through feare or sloth as the word properly signifyeth See Acts 20. 27. from his believing my soule shall have no pleasure in him i.e. according to the import of the Hebraisme my soule shall hate or abhorre him to death as it is also expounded in the words immediately following But we are not of those who draw back to perdition but c. From hence then evident it is that such a man who is a just or Righteous man and under promise of living for ever by his Faith and therefore also a true and sound Believer may draw back or be withdrawne to the contracting of the hatred of God and to destruction in the end The forlornehope of evading because the sentence is Hypotheticall or conditionall not positive hath been routed over and over yea and is abandoned by some of the great Masters themselves of that cause unto the defence whereof it pretendeth And however in this place it would be most preposterous For if it should be supposed that the just man who is in a way under a Promise of living by his Faith were in no danger or possibility of drawing backe and that to the losse of the favour of God and ruine of his soule God must be conceived to speake here at no better rate of wisdome or understanding than thus The Just shall live by his Faith but if he shall do that which is simply and utterly impossible for him to do my soule shall have no pleasure in him What savour of wisdome yea or of commonsence is there in admonishing or cautioning men against such evills which there
is no possibility for them to fall into yea and this known unto themselves Therefore this testimony for confirmation of the Doctrine we maintaine is like a King upon his Throne against whom there is no rising up Ans. What small cause Mr Goodwin hath to quarrell with Beza §. 39. or other Translatours and with how little advantage to his cause this Text is produced shall out of hand be made appeare 1. The words as they cry are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the foregoing part of the chapter the Apostle had treated of two sorts of persons 1. Such as so forsake the Assemblies of the Saints withdrew from the Church and Ordinances of Christ and so by degrees fell off with a totall and everlasting backsliding of these the Apostle speakes describing their wayes and end from v. 25. unto v. 32. thence forward 2. He speaks to them and of them who abode in their persecutions and under all their afflictions to hold fast their confidence which he also farther exhorts them to that by patient abiding in well doing they might receive the reward concerning these both having told them of the unshaken Kingdome of Christ that should be brought in notwithstanding the Apostasy of many of whose iniquity God would take vengeance on he laies downe that eminent promise of the Gospell the just by Faith shall live wordes often used to expresse the state condition of Believers of those who are truly and unfainedly so the Lord being faithfull in his promise the justified person shall live or obtaine life everlasting It is the promise of eternall life that is here given them as that which they had not as yet received but in patience they were to waite to receive after they had done the whole will of God that any of these should so draw back as that the Lords soule should have no pleasure in them is directly contrary to the promise here made of their living The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next words is plainly adversative and exceptive as it is very many times in the New Testament and that as to the Persons of whom he is speaking at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the period is full the description of the state of the just by Faith is compleated and in the next words the state of backsliders is entred upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referring to them whom by their Apostasy and subduction of themselves from Christian assemblies he had before described there is an elleipsis in the words to be supplied but some indefinite terme to give them the sence intended this Beza and our translators have done by that excepted against causelessely by M.G. for if a Translator may make the Text speake â—ignificantly in the language whereunto he translates it the introduction of such supplements is allowed him 2. The following expression puts it out of all question that this was the intendment of the Apostle for he expressely makes mention and that in reference to what was spoken before of two sorts of people to whom his former expressions are respectively to be accommodated the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as above M. Goodwin to make us believe that he took notice of these words hath this passage of them as it is also expounded in the words immediately following but we are not of them who draw back to perdition but c. but what I pray is expounded in these words that drawers back shall be destroyed this is all he takes notice of in them Evidently the words are an application of the former assertions unto severall persons there are saies he some who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those saith he who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be destroyed those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall live Evidently and beyond all contradiction assigning his former assertions of the just shall live by Faith and if any man shall draw back to severall persons by a distribution of their lot and portions to them in v. 28. he layes downe in These the state and condition of believers and backsliders in v 29. he makes application of the position he laid downe to himselfe and them 1. negatively that they were not of the former sort of them that draw back c. 2. Positively that they were of the rest of them that believed and those expressions v. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe undeniably affirme two sorts of persons in both places to be spoken of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can by no meanes be referred to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would entermixe them whom the Apostle as to their present state and future condition held out in a contradistinction one to the other unto the end All that ensues in M. Goodwins discourse being built upon this sandy foundation that it is the Believer of whom God affirmes that he shall live by Faith who is supposed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrary to the expresse assertion of the Apostle it needs no farther consideration although he is not able to manifest any strength in conclusion drawn from suppositions of events which may be possible in one sence and in another impossible But before we passe further §. 40. may not this witnesse which Mr Goodwin hath attempted in vaine to suborne to appeare and speake in his cause be demanded what he can speake or what he knowes of the truth of that which he is produced to oppose This then it confesseth and denyeth not at first word that of professours there are two sorts some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such as doe or may draw back unto perdition some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which believe to the saving of the soule and that in opposition to the others Also that those who withdraw are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not true Believers nor ever were notwithstanding all their profession and what their guifts and attainments in and under their profession So that the Testimony produced keepeth still its place and is as a King upon his Throne against whom there is no rising up but yet speaks quite contrary clearly evidently distinctly to what is pretended both on the one hand the other is our thesis undeniably confirmed in this place of the Apostle If all those who fall away to perdition were never truly nor really of the Faith then those who are of the Faith caÌ„not fall away but they who fall away to perdition were never truly nor really of the Faith or true Believers Ergo. The reason of the consequent of the first proposition is evident for their not being of the Faith is plainly included as the Reason of their Apostacy their being of the Faith intimated as that which would have preserved them from such defection the Minor is the Apostles we are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them that draw back but of them that believe which plainely distinguisheth them that draw back from
5. Heb. 10. 22. universall habituall uncleannesse to holinesse from d Rom. 6. 10. Eph. 2. 12 13 14 15. Col. 1. 21. Heb. 12. 22. a state of enmity stubbornnesse rebellion c. into a state of love obedience delight c. and as to their relative condition whereas they were e Eph. 2. 3. Galat. 3. 13. 4. 4 5 6 7. Rom. 8. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Col. 2. 10. Rom. 5. 1. 8. 32 33. 1 Ioh. 3. 1 2. Ephes. 3. 15. children of wrath under the curse and condemning power of the law they are upon the score of him who was made a curse for them and is made righteousnesse to them accepted justified adopted and admitted into that family of heaven and earth which is called after the name of God These alone are they of whom we treat of whose state and condition Perseverance is an inseparable adjunct wherein and in what particulars they are differenced from and advanced above the most glorious Professors whatever who are lyable and obnoxious to an utter and everlasting separation from God shall be afterwards at large insisted upon And though M. Goodwin hath thought good to affirme that that description which we have Heb 6 of such as is supposed may be Apostates is one of the highest and most eminent that is made of believers in the whole Scripture I shall not doubt but to make it evident that the Excellency of all the expressions there used being extracted and laid together doth yet come short of the meanest and lowest thing that is spoken of those concerning whom we treat as shall be manifest when through Gods assistance we arrive unto that part of this contest That the other terme to wit Perseverance may be more briefely explicated §. 23. I shall take the shortest path For Perseverance in generall he came neere the nature of it who said it was in ratione bene fundatâ stabilis ac perpetua permansio The words and termes whereby it is expressed in Scripture will afterwards fall in to be considered The Holy Ghost restraines not himselfe to any one expression in spirituall things of so great importance but using that variety which may be suited to the instruction supportment and consolation of Believers Rom. 15. 4. this grace as is that of Faith it selfe in an eminent manner is by him variously expressed 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. To walke in the name of the Lord for ever to walke with Christ as we have received to be confirmed or strengthened in the faith as we have been taught Psal. 1. 3. 23. 6. 37. 24. 52. 10. 89. 31. 125. 1 2. 3 128. 5. to keep the waies of Gods commandements to the end to runne stedfastly the race set before us to rule with God to be faithfull with the Saints to be faithfull to the death to be sound and stedfast in the precepts of God to abide or continue firme with Christ in Christ in the Lord in the word of Christ in the doctrine of Christ in the faith in the love and favour of God in what we have learned and received from the beginning Isa. 46. 4. 54. 10. to endure to persist in the Truth to be rooted in Christ Ierem. 31. 3. 32. 39 40. to retaine or keepe faith and a good conscience to hold fast our confidence and faith to the end Zech. 10. 12. to follow God fully to keep the word of Christs patience Math. 7. 24 25. 12. 20. 16. 18 24. 24. Luk. 8. 5. 22. 23. Ioh. 6. 35 39 56 57. 8. 12. 10. 27 28 29. 14. 16 17. 17. 20 18 28. Rom. 8. 1. 16. 29. 34. 36 37. 1 Cor. 3. 8 9 10 13. 15. 58. to be built upon and in Christ to keep our selves that the wicked one touch us not not to commit sinne to be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Ioh. 5. 17. 3. 9. to stand fast as mount Syon that can never be removed to stand by faith to stand fast in the faith to stand fast in the Lord to have the good work begun 1 Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 11. 20. 1 Cor. 16. 13. perfected to hold our profession that none take our crowne These I say and the like are some of those expressions whereby the holy Ghost holds forth that doctrine which we have in hand Phil. 4. 1. Phil. 1. 6. Ephes. 1. 13 14. which is usually called the Perseverance of Saints regarding principally their abiding with God through Christ in faith and obedience which yet is but one part of this truth The reasons causes investing this proposition 4. 39. that Saints such as we have described Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 1. 6. shall so Persevere with a necessity of consequence and on which the truth of it doth depend 1 Thes 5. 24. both negatively considered and positively with the limitation of Perseverance 2 Tim. 2. 12. what it directly asserts what not with what failing 1 Pet 1. 2 3 4. backsliding declensions on the one hand and other it is consistent and what is destructive of the nature and being of it 1 Joh. 2. 19 27. c. the difference of it as to being and apprehension in respect the subject in whom it is with the way and manner whereby the causes of this Perseverance have their operation on § 24. and effect in them that persevere not in the least prejudicing their liberty but establishing them in their voluntary obedience will afterwards be fully cleared And hereon depends much of the life and vigor of the Doctrine we have in hand it being oftner in the Scripture held forth in its fountaines and springs and causes then in the thing it selfe as will upon examination appeare As to what is on the other side affirmed §. 25. that Believers may fall totally finally away something may be added to cleare up what is intended thereby to enquire how it may come to passe We doe suppose which the scripture abundantly testifieth that such believers have a Ezek 36. 27. Isa 59. 21. Luk 11. 13. Psal. 51. 11. Rom. 8 9 11 15. 1 Cor 2. 12. Gal 4. 6. 1 Tim 1. 14 Rom 5. 5. Gal 5. 22. Ioh 14. 16 17. Ioh 16. 13. 1 Cor 3. 16. 1 Cor 6. 19. the holy Spirit dwelling in them by his implanting a b Math 12. 33. 2 Cor 5. 17. 2 Pet 1. 4 Gal 5. 22 23 Ephes. 4. 23 24. new holy habit of Grace the enquiry then is how believers may come utterly to loose this holy spirit to be made naked of the habit of Grace or new nature bestowed on them That and that only whereunto this effect is ascribed is sinne Now there are two wayes whereby sinne may be supposed to produce such effects in reference to the Soules of Believers 1. Efficiently by a reaction in the same subject as frequent acts of Vice will
debilitate and overthrow an acquired habit whereunto it is opposite 2. Meritoriously by provoking the Lord to take them away in a way of punishment for of all punishment sinne is the morally procuring cause Let us a little consider which of those wayes it may probably be supposed that sinne expelles the spirit and habit of grace from the soules of Believers 1. For the spirit of grace which dwells in them it cannot with the least colour of reason be supposed that sinne should have a naturall efficient reaction against the spirit which is a voluntary indweller in the hearts of his he is indeed grieved and provoked by it Ephes. 4. 30. Heb 3. 10 11. Isa. 63 10. but that is in a morall way in respect of its demerit but that it should have a naturall efficiency by the way of opposition against it as Intemperance against the Mediocrity which it opposeth is a madnesse to imagine The habit of Grace wherewith such believers are indued §. 26. is infused not acquired by a frequency of Acts in themselves the root is made good and then the fruit and the work of God It is a new Creation planted in them by the exceeding greatnesse of his Power as he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead which he also strengthens with all might and all power to the end Is it now supposed or can it rationally be so that vitious acts acts of sinne should have in the soule a naturall efficiency for the expelling of an infused habit Col. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 1. 19. Col. 1. 11. and that implanted upon the soule by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God That it should be done by any one or two acts is impossible to suppose that a man in whom there is an habit set on by so mighty an impression as the Scripture mentions to act constantly contrary thereunto is to think what we will without troubling our selves to consider how it may be brought about Farther whilest this Principle life and habit of Grace is thus consuming doth their God and Father look on and suffer it to decay and their spirituall man to pine away day by day Eph. 1. 23. Col. 2. 19. giving them no new supplies nor increasing them with the increase of Gods hath he no pitty towards a dying child Eph 4. 16. 1 Thes 3. 12. or can he not help him doth he of whom it is said that he is faithfull and that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able Phil 1. 6. 1 Cor. 10. 13. but with the very temptation will make way for us to escape let loose such floodgates of Temptations upon them as he knows his grace will not be able to stand before but will be consumed and expelled by it what also shall we suppose are the thoughts of Iesus Christ towards a withering member Heb 2. 17 18. 3. 15. 7. 25. a dying brother a perishing child a wandring sheep where is his zeale and his tender mercies and the sounding of his bowells are they restrained Isa 40. 11. 63. 8. Will he not lay hold of his strength and stirre up his Righteousnesse to save a poore sinking creature Ezek 34. 4 12. Also He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world and will he suffer himselfe to be wrought out of his habitation and not stirre up his strength to keep possession of the dwelling place which he had chosen So that neither in the nature of the thing it selfe nor in respect of him with whom we have to doe doth this seem possible But secondly §. 27. Sinne procureth by the way of merit the taking away of the Spirit and removeall of the Habit graciously bestowed Believers deserve by sinne that God should take his Spirit from them and the Grace that he hath bestowed on them They doe so indeed it cannot be denied but will the Lord deale so with them Isa 48. 9. Will he judge his house with such fler and vengeance Is that the way of a Father with his Children untill he hath taken away his Spirit and grace although they are Rebellious Children yet they are his Children still and is this the way of a tender Father to cut the throats of his Children when it is in his power to mend them The casting of a wicked man into Hell is not a punishment to be compared to this the losse of Gods presence is the worst of Hell How infinitely must they needs be more sensible of it who have once enjoyed it Isa 49. 15 16 Isa 66. 13. then those who were strangers to it from their wombe Certainly the Lord bears another Testimony concerning his kindnesse to his Sonnes and Daughters Ierem 2. 14. Hos. 2. 14. c. then that we should entertaine such dismall thoughts of him He chastises his Children indeed but he doth not kill them he corrects them with rodds but his Kindnesse he takes not from them notwithstanding of the attempt made by the Remonstrants in their Synodalia I may say that I have not as yet met with any tolerable extrication of those difficulties more to this purpose will afterwards be insisted on 3. That which we intend when we mention the Perseverance of Saints is their continuance to the end in the condition of Saintship whereunto they are called Now in the state of Saintship there are two things concurring 1. That Holinesse which they receive from God and 2. That Favour which they have with God being justified freely by his grace through the blood of Christ and their continuance in this condition to the end of their lives both to their reall Holinesse and gracious Acceptance is the Perseverance whereof we must treat The one respecting the reall estate the other their relative of which more particularly afterwards And this is a briefe delineation of the Doctrine §. 28. which the Lord assisting shall be explained confirmed and vindicated in the insuing discourse which being first set forth as a meere Skeleton its Symetry and Complexion Its Beauty and Comelinesse Its Strength and Vigor Excellency and Vsefulnesse will in the description of the severall parts and branches of it be more fully manifested Now because Mr Goodwin §. 29. though he was not pleased to fixe any orderly state of the Question under debate a course he hath also thought good to take in handling those other Heads of the Doctrine of the Gospell wherein he hath chosen to walke for the maine with the Arminians in Paths of difference from the Reformed Churches yet having scatterd up and downe his Treatise what his conceptions are of the Doctrine he doth oppose as also what he asserts in the place roome thereof and Upon what Principles I shall briefly call what he hath so delivered both on the one hand on the other to an account to make the clearer way for the proofe of the Truth which