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
assurance they have that those who are borne of God cannot shall not sinne unto deaths 1 Joh. 3. 9. seeing their own interest in that estate and condition may be clouded at least for a season and their consolation thereupon depending interrupted might occasion thoughts in them of very sad consideration but whilest besides all the beams raies that ever issued from a falling starre all the leaves and blossomes with abortive fruit that ever grew on an unrooted tree all the goodly turrets and ornaments of the fairest house that ever was built on the sand 1 Joh. 5. 7 8. there are moreover three that beare witness in Heaven the Father Sonne and Spirit and three that beare witness on Earth the Water Bloud and Spirit 1 Joh. 2. 20 21 whilst there is a teaching anoynting and assuring earnest a firme sealing to the day of redemption a knowledge that we are passed from death to life 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. the temptation arising from the Apostasie of Hypocrites is neither so potent nor unconquerable 2 Cor. 5. 5. but that by the grace of him through whom we can doe all things Ephes. 1. 14. it may be very well dealt withall Ephes. 4. 30. This I say Rom. 8. 16. supposing the ordinary presence and operation of the spirit of grace in the hearts of believers with such shines of Gods countenance upon them as they usually enjoy Let these be interrupted or turned aside and there is not the least blast or breath that proceeds from the mouth of the weakest enemy Psal 30. 6 7. they have to deale withall but is sufficient to cast them downe from the excellency of their joy and consolation The evidence of this truth is such § 8. that M. Goodwin is forced to say * Verè fidelit uti pro tempore praesenti de fidei conscientiae suae integritate certus esse potest ita de salute sui de salutiferâ Dei erga ipsum benevolentiâ pro illo tempore certus esse potest debet Farre be it from me to deny but that a man may very possibly attaine unto a very strong and potent assurance and that upon grounds every way sufficiently warrantable and good that his faith is sound and saving Cap 9. Sect 9. but unto this concession he puts in a double exception First That there is not one true believer of an hundred yea of many thousands who hath any such assurance of his Faith as is built upon solid and pregnant foundations I must by his leave enter my dissent hereunto and as we have the liberty of our respectiue apprehensions so neither the one nor the other prove any thing in the cause Setting aside causes of desertion great temptations and tryalls I hope through the riches of the grace and tenderness of the love of their father Act. Synod p. 182. decl sent Thes. 7. the condition is otherwise then is apprehended by M. Goodwin with the generality of the Family of God The reasons given by him of his thoughts to the contrary doe not sway me from my hopes or byas my former apprehensions in the least His reasons are First Because though the testimony of a mans heart and conscience touching his uprightness towards God or the soundness of any thing that is saving in him be comfortable and chearing yet seldome are these properties built upon such foundations which are sufficient to warrant them at least upon such whose sufficiency in that kind is duely apprehended For the testimony of the conscience of a man touching any thing which is spiritually and excellently good is of no such value unlesse it be first excellently inlightned with the knowledge nature proprieties and condition of that on which it testifieth and Secondly be in the actuall contemplation consideration or remembrance of what he knoweth in this kind Now very few believers in the World come up to this height and degree First Ans. 1. There is in this reason couched a supposition which if true would be farre more effectuall to shake the confidence and Resolution of beleevers then the most serious consideration of the Apostasies of all professors that ever fell from the glory of their profession from the beginning of the World and that is that there is no other pregnant foundation of Assurance but the testimony of a mans own heart and conscience touching his uprightness towards God and therefore before any can attaine that assurance upon abiding foundations they must be excellently inlightened in the nature properties and condition of that which their consciences testifie unto as true faith and uprightnesse of heart and be cleare in the disputes and Questions about them being in the actuall contemplation of them when they give their Testimony I no way doubt but many thousands of believers 1 Cor. 1. 26. whose apprehensions of the nature properties and conditions of things Jam. 2. 5. as they are in themselves are low weake and confused yet hauing received the Spirit of Adoption bearing witness with their spirits Rom. 8. 16. that they are the Children of God 1 Joh. 5. 10. and having the Testimony in themselves have been taken up into as high a degree of comforting and cheering assurance and that upon the most infallible foundation Imaginable 1 Joh. 5. 6. for the spirit witnesseth because the spirit is truth as ever the most seraphically illuminated person in the World attained unto Yea in the very graces themselves of Faith and uprightnesse of heart there is such a seale and stamp impressing the image of God upon the soule as without any reflex act or actuall contemplation of those graces themselves have an influence into the establishment of the soules of men in whom they are unto a quiet comfortable assured repose of themselves upon the love and faithfulnesse of God neither is the spirituall confidence of the Saints shaken Math. 7. 25. much lesse cast to the ground by their conflicting with feares Math. 16. 18. scruples and doubtfull apprehensions seeing in all these conflicts they have the pledge of the faithfulness of God Psal. 77. 10. that they shall be more then conquerours 1 Cor. 1. 9. Though they are exercised by them 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. they are not dejected with them 1 Cor. 10. 13. nor deprived of that comforting assurance and joy which they have in believing Rom. 8. 37. But yet suppose that this be the condition practically of many Saints of God that they never attaine to the state of the primitive Christians 1 Pet. 1. 8. to whose joy and consolation in believing the Holy Ghost so plentifully witnesseth nor doe live up to that full rate of plenty which their Father hath provided for them in his Family and sworne that he is abundantly willing they should enjoy and make use of Heb. 6. 17 18. what will hence follow as to the businesse in hand I professe
an interest in the good of them all that being only represented variously for the advantage of them that believe My designe is Gal. 16. 17. to describe the generall intention of God in all Gospell Promises whereby they being equally Spirited Eph. 2. 12. Heb. 6. 17. become as one and concerning these I say 1. That they are free and Gracious as to the rise §. 5. and fountain of them They are given unto us Tit. 1. 2. meerely through the good will and pleasure of God That which is of Promise 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. is every where opposed to that which is of doubt or that which is any way deserved or procured by us Gal. 3. 18. If the inheritance be of the Law which includes all that in us is desireable acceptable and deserving it is no more of Promise that is free and of meere Grace He that can find out any Reason or cause without God himselfe why he should promise any good things whatever to Sinners as all are are shut up under sinne till the Promise came Mat. 20. 15. Gal. 3. 22. may be allowed to Glory in the invention which he hath found out A well conditioned Nature necessitating him to a velleity of doing good and yeelding reliefe to them that are in misery though justly receiving the due reward of their deeds which even among the Sonnes of men is a vertue dwelling upon the confines of vice for their recovery is by some imposed on him But that this is not the fountaine and rise of his Promises needs no other evidence but the light of this Consideration That which is naturall is necessary and universall Promises are distinguishing as to them in misery at least they are given to men and not to fallen Angells But may not God doe what he will with his own Farther Jesus Christ is himselfe in the Promise he is the great originall matter and subject of the Promises and the giving of him was doubtlesse of free Grace and Mercy so Iohn 3. 16. God so Loved the World that he gave his only begotten Sonne and Rom 5. 8. God commendeth his Love towards us in that whilest we were Sinners Christ died for us and in the first of Ioh 4. 10. Herein is Love Mat. 11. 26. not that we Loved God but that he Loved us and sent his Sonne to be a Propitiation for us All is laid upon the account of Love and free Grace I confesse there are following Promises given out for the orderly carrying on of the persons to whom the maine originall fundamentall Promises are made unto the end designed for them that seeme to have Qualifications and Conditions in them but yet even those are all to be resolved into the Primitive grant of Mercy That which promiseth Life upon believing being of use to stirre men up unto and carry them on in Faith and Obedience must yet as to the pure nature of the Promise be resolved into that which freely is promised viz. Christ himselfe and with him both Faith and Life Believing and Salvation As in your Automata there is one originall spring or wheele that giveeth motion to sundry lesser and subordinate movers that are carried on with great variety sometimes with a seeming contrariety one to another but all regularly answering and being subservient to the impression of the first mover The first great Promise of Christ Gen. 3. 15. 16 and all good things in him is that which Spirits and principles all other Promises whatsoever Gen. 49. 10. Isa. 9. 6. and howsoever they may seem to move upon conditionall termes 2 Cor. 1. 20. yet they are all to be resolved into that absolute and free Originall Spring Hence that great Grant of Gospell Mercy is called the Gift by him Rom 5. 16 17. yea all the Promises of the Law as to their Originall Emanation from God and the constitution of the reward in them ingaged to be bestowed for the services required are free and Gracious There is not any naturall indispensable connexion between Obedience and Reward Diatr de Iust. Div. as there is between Sinne and Punishment as I have elsewhere at large Disputed and Proved 2. I call them Discoveries and Manifestations of Gods Good-will and Love §. 6. which is the prime and sole cause of all the good things which are wrapped up and contained in them Of this Good-will of God the Promises which he hath given are the sole discoveries We doe not in this Discourse take Promises meerely for what God hath said he Will doe in termes expresly but for every Assertion of his Good will and Kindnesse to us in Christ all which was first held out under a word of Promise Gen 3. 15. And this the Apostle inferres in Tit. 1. 2 3. In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lye promised before the◠World beganne but hath in due time manifested his Word through Preaching or discovered or made known that good will of his by the Promises in Preaching of the Gospell And to this extent of significancy is that Promise in the Scripture both name and thing in very many places stretched out Every thing whatever that is manifestative of Grace and good will to Sinners is of the Promise though it be not cast into a Promissory forme of expression Yea whereas strictly a Promise respecteth that which is either only future and not of present existence or the continuance of that which is yet even expressions of things formerly done and of a present performance some Individuals to the end of the World being to be made a new partakers of the Grace good will and Mercy in them doe belong to the Promise also in that Acceptation of it which the Holy Ghost in many places leads unto and which we now insist upon Mica 7. 17 18 19. 3. I say they are made unto sinners and that as sinners under no other Qualification whatever it being by the Mercy of the Promise alone that any men are relieved out of that condition of being sinners and morally nothing else Were not the Promises originally made to sinners Ephes. 2. 12. there would never any one be found in any other state or Condition Rom. 3. 19. I know there are Promises made to Believers Gal. 3. 22. even such as are unchangeable and shall beare them into the bosome of God but I say these are all consequentiall and upon supposition of the first and great Promise whereby Christ himselfe and Faith for his sake is bestowed on them This runs through them all as the very tenor of them Ioh. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. and method of God in them do manifest as we shall see afterwards So the Apostle Gal. 3. 22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne 1 Cor 1. 30. that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that Believe Phil. 1. 29. All are shut up under sinne Ephes. 1. 3. untill
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
height under their pressures that we have great cause of rejoycing in them all Yea but whence is this Do these Graces readily come forth and exert themselves with an efficacy suitable to this triumphing frame The ground spring of all is discovered v. 5. it is because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that is given to us From this fountaine do all these fresh streames flow the Spirit that is given us that sheds abroad the Love of God in our Hearts and thereby sets all our Graces on worke He oyles the wheeles of the soules obedience when we neither know what to do nor how to performe what we know 5. This indwelling Spirit § 27. gives Restraint Restraining Grace doth mainly consist in morall perswasions from the Causes Circumstances and Ends of things When a man is disswaded from sinne upon Considerations taken from any such head or place as is apt to prevaile with him that perswasion so applyed and intended of God for that end is unto him restraining Grace By this meanes doth the Lord keepe within bounds the most of the Sonnes of men notwithstanding all their violent and impetuous lusts Hell shame bitternessee disappointment on the one hand Credit Repute quietnes of Conscience the like on the other binde thē to their good Behaviour God through these things drops an awe upon their Spirits binding them up from running out unto that compasse of excesse and ryot in sinning which otherwise their lusts would carry them out unto This is not his way of dealing with the Saints Jer. 31. 34. he writes his Law in their hearts and puts his feare in their inward parts that they may not depart from him making them a willing people through his owne Power Psal. 110. 3. By his effectually remaining Grace he carryes them out kindly chearefully willingly to do his whole will working in them to will and to do of his owne good pleasure yet notwithstanding all this often times through the strength of Temptation the subtilty of Sathan and his readinesse to improve all Advantages to the utmost the treachery and deceitfulnesse of indwelling sinne and corruption they are carryed beyond the bounds and lines of that principle or Law of Life and Love whereby they are lead What now doth the Lord do They are ready to runne quite out of the pasture of Christ doth he let them goe and give them up to themselves Nay but he sets an hedge about them that they shall not find their way He leades them as the wild Asse in her month that they may be found he puts a Restraint upon their Spirits by setting home some sad considerations of the evil of their hearts and wayes whether they are going what they are doing and what shall be Issue of their walking so loosly Even in this life what shame what scandall what dishonour to themselves their profession the Gospell their Brethren it would prove and so hampers them quiets their Spirits and gently brings them againe under obedience unto that principle of Love that is in them and the Spirit of Grace whose yoake they were casting off whereby they are lead Many times then even the Saints of God are kept from sinnes especially outward actuall sinnes upon such outward motives reasonings and considerations as other men are Peter was broken loose and running downe hill apace denying and forswearing his Master Christ puts a restraint upon his Spirit by a looke toward him this mindes him of his folly unkindnesse his former rash confidence and ingagement to dye with his Master and sets him on such Considerations as stirred up the principle of Grace in him to take its place and rule againe and in obedience thereunto he not only desists from any farther denyall but Faith Repentance Love all exerting themselves he goes out and wept bitterly It is so frequently with the Saints of God though in lesser evills by neglect and omission of duty or inclination to evill and closing with temptations they breake out of the pure and perfect Rule and Guidance of the Spirit whereby they ought to be lead instantly some Considerations or other are pressed on upon their Spirits taken perhaps from outward things which recovers them to that obedientiall frame from whence through violence of Corruption and Temptation they had broken Like an Hawke sitting on a mans hand eating her meat in quietnesse is suddenly by the originall wildnesse of her nature carryed out to an attempt of flying away with speed but is checkt by the string at her heeles upon which shee returnes to her meat againe We have an innate wildnesse in us provoking and stirring us up to runne from God Were we not recovered by some clog fastned on us for our Restraint we should often runne into the most desperate paths And this Restraint I say is from the indwelling Spirit He stirrs up one thing or other to smite the Hearts Conscience when it is under the Power of any Temptation to sinne and folly So it was with David in the Attempt he made upon Saul when he cut of the lappe of his Garment Temptation opportunity had almost turned him loose frō under the power of Faith waiting and dependance on God wherein lay the generall frame of his Spirit he is recovered to it by a blow upon the heart from some dismall Consideration of the Issue and scandall of that which he was about 6. We have hereby also the Renewall §. 28. daily Renewall of sanctifying Grace Inherent Grace is a thing in its owne nature apt to decay and dye it is compared to things ready to dye Rev. 3. 2. strengthen the things that remaine saith Christ to the Church of Sardis that are ready to dye It is a thing that may wither and decline from its vigor and the soule may thereby be betrayed into manifold weaknesses and backslidings It is not meerely from the nature of the Trees in the Garden of God that their fruit failes not nor their leaves wither Psal. 1. 4. but from their Planting by the Rivers of water Hence are the sicknesses weaknesses and decayes of the Spirit mentioned in the Scripture Should he who had the richest stock of any living be left to spend of it without new supplies he would quickly be a Bankrupt This also is prevented by the Indwelling Spirit He is the fatnesse of the Olive that is communicated to the branches continually to keep them fruitfull and flourishing He is that golden Oyle which passes through the Branches and empties it selfe in the fruitfulnesse of the Church He continually fills our Lamps with new Oyle and puts new vigor into our spirits Psal. 92. 10. thou liftest up my horne as the horne of an Vnicorne I am anoynted with fresh oyle or renewed supplies of the Spirit And this Psal. 103. 5. is called a renewing of Youth like the Eagles a Recovery of former strength and vigor new power and ability for new duties and
upon the face of the earth It is not of your selves that you are not industriously disturbing your own soules and others with this or that entrenchment upon the doctrine of the Gospel and the free Grace of God in Jesus Christ which not a few pride themselves in with the contempt of all otherwise minded And doth not the present state of things require the full disbursing of all that you have freely received for the glory of him from whom you have received it You are persons who not only as Doctours Teachers in an Vniversity have a large distinct disciplinary knowledge of Divinity but also such as to whom the Son of God is come and hath given an understanding to know him that is true into whose hearts God hath shined to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ therefore may say what shall we render to the Lord how shall we serve him in any way answerable to the grace we have received I speak not this the Lord knowes it before whom I stand with Reflection on any as though I judged them neglecters of the duty incumbent on them Every one of us must give an account of himselfe to the Lord. The dayly paines labour and travaile of many of you in the work of the Gospel the dilegence and codeavours of others in promoting other useful literature is known unto all Only the considerations of my own present undertaking joyn'd with a sense of mine own insufficiency for this or any other labour of this kind and of your larger furnishments with abilities of all sorts press me to this stirring up of your remembrance to contend for the faith so much opposed and perverted Not that I would press for the needless multiplying of bookes whose plenty is the general customary complaint of all men versed in them unless necessity call thereto Scribimus indocti doctique But that serious thoughts may be continually dwelling in you to lay out your selves to obviate the spreading of any errour what ever or the destruction of any already propagated by such waies and meanes as the providence of God and the circumstances of the matter it selfe shall call you out unto is in the desire of my soule Something you will find in this kind attempted by the weakest of your number in this ensuing Treatise The matter of it I know will have your Approbation and that because it hath his whom you serve For the manner of handling it it is humbly given up to his grace and mercy and freely left to your Christian Judgments The general concernments of this business are so known to all that I shall by no meanes burden you with a repetition of them The attempt made by Mr Goodwin against the truth here asserted was by all men judged so considerable especially the truth opposed having a more practical influence into the walking of the Saints with God then any Other by him assaulted and the defending of it giving more advantage into an inquiry after the mind of God as delivered in innumerable places of Scripture then any of the rest opposed as that a removal of his Exceptions to our Arguments and an Answer to his Objections was judged necessary by all Other reasons manifesting this endeavour to be in order and in season I have further communicated in the entrance of the Treatise it selfe In my addresses to the work I could by no meanes content my selfe with a mere discussing of what was produced by my Adversary For he having kept himselfe for the most part within the compass of the Synodal writings of the Remonstrâ—â—ts which are already most clearly and solidly answered by one especially renowned 〈◊〉 to have tyed my selfe unto a contest with him had been merely actum agere without promoting the cause I had undertaken in the least As I account it by no meanes an ingenuous proceeding for men to beare up their own names by standing upon the shoulders of others to deport themselves Authours when indeed they are 〈◊〉 Collectours and Translatours So I am very remote from being so far in love with this way of handling controversies in Divinity as to think it necessary to multiply books of the same matter without some considerable addition of Light and strength to the Cause whose protection and promotion is undertaken On this consideration besides incident discourses which I hope through the Grace of him that supplyed seed to the sower may be of use and have an encrease amongst the Saints of God I have made it my aime and what therein I have attained is with all submission of mind and judgment cast before the thoughts of men whose senses are exercised to discerne good and evill to place each Argument insisted on upon it's own proper basis and foundation to Resolve every Reason and Medium whereby I have proceeded into it's own principles discovering the fountaine and well-head of all the streames that run in the field of this contest as also to give some clearings and evidence to our Conclusions from the several Texts of Scripture discussed by discovering the Reason of them and intent of God in them Some Arguments there are and sundry Texts of Scripture that are usually produced and urged in the defence of the cause under consideration that I have not insisted on nor vindicated from the exceptions of the Adversaries Not that I judge them indefensible against their most cunning or most furious assaults and so slighted what I could not hold for indeed I know not any one Text of scripture commonly used for this end nor any Argument by any sober man framed to the same purpose that is not capable of an easy and faire vindication but meerly because they fell not in regularly in the method I had proposed to my selfe nor would so do unless I had gone forth to the issue of my first intendment and had handled the abode of Believers with God at large from it's principles and causes as I had done that part of our doctrine which concernes the Continuance of the love of God with and unto them which the growth of the Treatise under my hand would not give me leave to do What hath been or may yet further be done by others who have made or shall make it their business to draw the saw of this Controversy to and fro which Mr. Goodwin I hope will give satisfaction as in other things so in the particulars by me omitted As to what I have to speak or at least think it convenient to speak concerning him with whom in this discourse I have much to do and the manner of my dealing with him being a thing of personal Concernment not having any influencing Aspect on the merit of the cause I shall in not many words absolve you of your trouble in the Consideration thereof My Adversary is a person whom his worth paines diligence and opinions and the contests wherein on their account he hath publikely engaged have delivered from
consideration of things weighty and serious With you who are continually exercised with severer thoughts and studies then the most of men can immix themselves withal such a condescention to the vanity of menâ— minds and lightness of their spirits I am sure can find no approbation And as for them who make it their business to run through books of a Polemical nature in what subject soever in pursuit of what is personal ridiculous invective beating every Chapter and Section to find only what ought not to be there and recoyling in their spirits upon the appearance of that which is serious and pressing to the cause in hand I suppose you judge them not worthy to be attended to with such an imposition upon the time and diligence of those who sincrely seek the Truth in love as the satisfying of their vaine humour would require It is indeed of sad consideration to see how some learned men forgetting the loss of precious houres wherewith they punish their Readers thereby in discourses of this naturedo offend against their professed intendments by perpetual diversions in long personal Hâ—rangâ—es delighting some for a moment instructing none in the mattter inquired into Some parts of this Treatise you may perhaps judge not so closely scholastically argumentative as the regular lawes of an accurate disputation would require In the same judgment with you is the Authour where yet he supposes himselfe not without just Apologie and that such as renders his way of procedure not blame worthy whereas otherwise he should not think any excuse sufficient to expâ—ate such an errour He is worthily blammed who had not rather chuse to want a fault then an excuse The truth is neither would the matter treated of nor the persons for whose sakes cheifly this labour was undertaken admit of an accurate scholastical procedure in all parts of the Treatise The doctrine asserted and the errour opposed are the concernments of the common people of Christianity Arminianisme is crept into the bodies of sundry congregations and the weaker men are who entertaine it the more gross and carnal are their notions and Conceptions in and about it Pelagius himselfe was never so injurious to the grace of God as some amongst us Now the souls of men whose good is sought in this work are no less precious in the sight of God though they are unacquainted with Philosophical termes and wayes of arguing than the soules of the most learned Besides that which we account our wisedome and learning may if too rigoâ—ously attended be our folly when we think to sharpen the reason of the Scripture we may straighten the Efficacy of the spirit of it It is oftentimes more effectual in it's own liberty then when restrained to our methods of arguing And the weapons of it keener in their own soft breathings then when sharpned in the forge of Aristotle There is a way of perswasion and conviction in the Scriptures that is more divine sublime then to be reduced to any Rules of Art that men can reach unto God in his word instructs men to make them wise unto salvation Syllogismes are not doubtless the only way of making men wise with humane wisedome much less divine Some Testimonies on this account are left at their own liberty improved only by Explanation that they might lose nothing of their owne strength seeing no other can be added to them Where the corrupt Philosophy or sophistical arguings or indeed regular sylloâ—tical proceedings of the Adversaries have rendred a more close Logical way of proceeding necessary I hope your favourable judgments will not find cause to complaine of the want thereof Whatever is amiss what ever is defective what ever upon any account cometh short of desire or expectation as I know none in the world more able to discerne and find out then your selves so there are none from whom I can expect and justly promise my selfe a more easy candid Censure a more free and general pardon a more favourable Acceptation of this endeavour for the service of the Truth then from you Besides that personal Amity and respect which God by his providence hath given me one altogether unworthy of such an allay of common perplexities in his pilgrimage with you and amongst you besides that readiness and ingenuous promptness of mind unto condescention and candid reception of labours in this kind which your own great worth and abilities furnish you withal exempting you and lifting you above that Pedantick severity and humour of censure which posseth Sciolists men corrupted with a desire of emerging in the repute of others You know full well in what streights under what diversions imployments business of sundry natures incumbent on me from the Relations wherein I stand in the University and on sundry other accounts this work hath been carried on The truth is no small portion of it owes it's rise to Journeyes and such like avocations from my ordinary course of studies and imployments with some spare houres for the most part in time of absence from all books and asisstances of that nature whatever Not longer to be burthensome unto you with things of no greater concernment then what may have respect to one every way so unworthy as my selfe what is of the seed which God hath graciously supplyed I am sure will find acceptance with you and what is of it's worthless Author or that I have added I am fully content may be consumed by the fire that tryes our workes of what sort they are My dayly prayer Honoured Brethren shall be on your behalfe that in the dayes wherein we see so many fall from the truth oppose it on the one hand a great indifferency as to the things of God leading Captive so many on the other so few remaining made useful to God in their generations by a conjunction of zeale for the truth and ability unto it's defence and those for the most part so closely engaged in and their hands so filled with the work of publique beseeching Men to be reconciled to God in Christ and building up of them who are called in their most holy faith You may receive helpe from above and encouragement to engage you by all meanes possible to spread abroad a savour of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to labour continually that the truths of God for whose defence you are particularly appointed may not be cast down nor trampled on under the feet of men of corrupt minds lying in wait to deceive alluring beguiling unstable soules with enticing words of humane wisedome or any glorious shew and pretence whatever turning them from the simplicity of the Gospel and the truth as it is in Jesus that you may not faint nor waxe weary notwithstanding all the opposition contempt scorne you do or may meet withal nor ever be turned aside to corrupt Dalliances with errour and falshood as is the manner of some who yet would be accounted sound in the faith but keeping close to the forme of
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
whole Booke of God 2. That it is a case surmised by him suitable to his owne Hypotheses neither true in its selfe nor any way Analogous to that wherewith 't is yoked being indeed a new way and tone of begging the thing in question For instance It supposeth without the least Attempt of proofe 1. Conditionall Decrees or a disjunctive intendment of Events in God it shall come to passe or otherwise 2. A middle science conditionall as the foundation of those disjunctive Decrees with 3. A futurition of things Antecedent to any determining Act of the Will of God and 4. A possibility of frustrating as to Event the Designes and purposes of God and 5. That all medium's of the Accoplishment of any thing are conditions of Gods intentions as to the end he aymes at 6. That God appoints a series of mediums for the compassing of an End and designes them thereunto without any determinate Resolution to bring about that End 7. That the Acts of Gods Grace in their Concatenation mentioned in this place of Rom. 8. are severally Conditionall because he hath invented or faigned some Decrees of God which he sayes are so All which with the inferences from them Mr Goodwin knowes will not advance his Reasonings at all as to our Understandings being fully perswaded that they are all Abominations of no lesse base alloy then the Errour it selfe in whose defence and Patronage they are produced To our Argument then before mentioned §. 35. prooving an equall indissolveablenesse in all the linkes of the Chaine of Divine Graces drawne forth and insisted on from the equall dependance of the designe Purpose of God on the mutuall dependance of each of them on the other for the fullfillng of that Purpose of his and obtaining the End which he professes himselfe to intend this is the summe of Mr Goodwins Answer If I can invent a series of Decrees and a Concatenation of Divine Acts though indeed there be no such thing neither can I give any colour to it without laying downe and taking for granted many false and absurd supposalls and though it be not of the same nature with that here proposed by the Apostle nor any where held out in the Scripture for any such End Purpose as this is neither can I assigne any absolute determinate end in this Series of mine whose Accomplshment God ingages himselfe to bring about as the Case stands in the place of Scripture under Consideration then it is meet and equitable that laying aside all inforcements from the Text Context Nature of God the thing treated on all compelling us to close with another sence and Interpretation that we regulate the minde of the Holy Ghost herein to the Rule proportion and Analogie of the case as formerly proposed This being the summe of that which Mr Goodwin calls his Answer made naked I presume to its shame valeat quantum valere potest I shall only adde that 1. when Mr Goodwin shall make good that order and Series of Decrees here by him mentioned from the Scripture or with solid Reason from the nature of the things themselves suitably to the Properties of him whose they are And 2. Proove that any eternall Decree of God either as to its primitive enacting or temporall Execution is suspended on any thing not only really contingent in it selfe and its owne nature in respect of the immediate fountaine from whence it flowes and nature of its immediate cause but also as to its Event in respect of any Act of the will of God that it may otherwise be and so the accomplishment of that Decree left thereupon uncertaine and God himselfe dubiously conjecturing at the Event for instance whether Christ should Dye or no or any one be saved by him and 3. Clearely evince this notion of the Decrees and Purposes of God that he intends to Create Man and then to give him such advantages which if he will it shall be so with him if otherwise it shall be so To send Christ if men doe so or so or not to send him if they doe otherwise so of the residue of the Decrees mentioned by him and 4. That all events of things whatsoever Spirituall and Temporall have a Conditionall futurition antecedent to any act of the Will of God When I say he shall have proved these and some like things to these we shall further consider what is offered by him yea we will confesse that Hostis habet muros c. Of the many other Testimonies to the purpose in hand §. 36. bearing witnesse to the same Truth some few may yet be singled out and in the next place that of Jeremiah 31. 3. presents it selfe unto tryall and Examination Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee It is the whole Elec◠Church of the seed of Iacob of whom he speaks the foundation of whose blessednesse is laid in the Eternall Love of God Who the persons are thus beloved and of whom we are to interpret these expressions of Gods good will the Apostle manifests Rom 11. as shall afterwards be more fully discoursed and cleared He tells you it is the Election whom God intends of whom he saies that they obtained the Righteousnesse that is by faith according to the purport of Gods good will towards them though the rest were hardned God who adds daily to his Church such as shall be saved Acts 13. 48. drawing them thereunto upon the account of their being so Elected He calls them also the Remnant according to the Election of Grace and the People whom God did foreknow v 1 2. or from Eternity designed to the participation of the Grace there spoken of as the use of the word hath been evinced to be These are the Thee here designed the portion of Israel after the flesh which the Lord in his Free Grace hath eternally appointed to be his peculiar inheritance which in their severall Generations he drawes to himselfe with Loving Kindnesse And this everlasting Love is not only the fountaine whence actuall Loving Kindnesse in drawing to God or bestowing Faith doth flow as they Believe who are ordained to eternall life but also the sole Cause and Reason upon the account whereof in contra-distinction to the Consideration of any thing in themselves God will exercise Loving Kindnesse towards them for ever That which is everlasting or eternall is also unchangeable Gods everlasting Love is no more liable to mutability then himselfe And it is an alwaies equall Ground and Motive for Kindnesse On what account should God alter in his actuall Kindnesse or favour towards any if that on the account whereof he exercises it will not admit of the least Alteration He that shall give a Condition on which this everlasting Love of God should be suspended and according to the influence whereof upon it it should goe forth in Kindnesse or be interrupted may be allowed to boast of his discovery That of
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
Assertion is repeated that God will defend them in Heaven against all opposition Here where their oppositions are innumerable they may shift for themselves but when they come to Heaven where they shall be sure to meet with no opposition at all there the Lord hath engaged his Almighty power for their safety against all that shall arise up against them and this is as is said the naturall and cleare disposition of the Context in this place but Nobis non licet c. There are sundry other texts of Scripture which most clearely and evidently confirme the truth we have in hand which are all well worth our consideration for our consolation and establishment as also something of our labour and diligence to quit them from those glosses and interpretations which turne them aside from their proper intendment that are by some put upon them Amongst which 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. 1. Philip. 6. 1 Thess. 5. 24. Joh. 5. 24. ought to have place But because I will not insist long on any particulars of our Argument from the Promises of God here shall be an end CAP. VII 1. The Consideration of the Oath of God deferred 2. The method first proposed somewhat waved The influence of the mediation of Christ into God's free and unchangeable acceptance of Believers propoâ—ed Reasons of that proposall 3 4. Of the Oblation of Christ. Its influence into the Saints Perseverance All causes of separation between God and Believers taken away thereby Morall and efficient causes thereby removed 5. The guilt of sinne how taken away by the death of Christ Of the Nature of Redemption Conscience of sinne how abolished by the sacrifice of Christ Heb 10. 3 4 14. 6. Dan. 9. 24. opened Rom 2 34. 7. Deliverance from all sinne how by the death of Christ. The Law innovated in respect of the Elect. 8. The vindictive justice of God satisfied by the death of Christ How that is done Wherein satisfaction doth consist Absolute not conditionall 9. The Law how fulfilled in the Death of Christ. 10. The Truth of God thereby accomplished His distributive justice engaged 11. Observations for the clearing of the former assertions Whether any one for whom Christ died may dye in sinne The necessity of Faith and Obedience The Reasons thereof The end of Faith and Holinesse 12. The first Argument for the proofe of the former Assertions concerning the fruit and efficacy of the death of Christ Heb. 9. 14. The second The third The compact between the Father Son about the work of mediation 14. The Fourth Good things bestowed on them for whom Christ died antecedently to any thing spiritually good in them The Spirit so bestowed and Faith it selfe The close of those Arguments 14. Inferences from the foregoing discourse The Efficacy of the death of Christ and the necessity of Faith and Obedience reconciled Sundry considerations unto that end proposed All Spirituall mercies fruits of the death of Christ. 2. All the fruits of Christs death laid up in the hand of Gods Righteousnesse 3. The state of them for whom Christ died not actually changed by his death 4 On what account Believing is necessary 15. Christ secures the stability of the Saints abiding with God What is contrary thereunto how by him removed The World overcome by Christ as mannaged by Sathan in an enmity to the Saints 16. The compleat victory of Christ over the Devill The waies whereby he compleats his conquest The Rule of Sathan in respect of siâ—ners two fold 1. Over them 2. in them 17. The Title of Sathan to a rule over men judged and destroyed by Christ. The exercise of all power taken from him 18. The works of Sathan destroyed by Christ in and for his Elect. 19. The Holy Spirit procured by the death of Christ. 20. The giving of the spirit the great Promise of the New Covenant 21. This farther proved and confirmed 22. The perpetuall Residence of the Holy Spirit with Believers proved by the threefold testimony of Father Sonne and Spirit Isa 59. 21. The Testimony of the Father proposed and vindicated 23. Our Argument from hence farther cleared This Promise Absolute not Conditionall No condition rationally to â—e affixed to it The import of those words â—as for me â— To whom this Promise is made 24. That farther cleared not to all Israel according to the flesh 25. Mr G's Objections answered 26. The Testimony of the Sonne given to the perpetuall abiding of the Spirit with Believers Ioh 14. 16. opened The Promise in those words equally belonging to all Believers 27. Mr G's Objections answered No Promise of the Spirit abiding with Believers on his principle allowed The Promise given to the Apostles personally yet given also to the whole Church Promises made to the Church made to the individualls whereof it is constituted 28. The giving of this Promise to all Believers farther argued from the scope of the place And vindicated from Mr G's exceptions 29. The third Testimony of the Holy Spirit himselfe proposed to consideration His Testimony in sealing particularly considered 2 Cor 1. 22. Ephes 1. 13. 4. 30. Of the nature and use of Sealing amongst men The end aime and use of the sealing of the Holy Ghost 30. Mr G's Objections and Exceptions to our Argument from that sealing of the Spirit considered and removed 31. The â—ame farther carried on c THere remaines nothing for the confirmation of the first branch §. 1. or part of the Truth proposed but only the consideration of the Oath of God which because it ought certainly to be an end of all strife I shall reserve the handling of it to the close of the whole if God be pleased to carry us out thereunto that we may give The Oath of God its due Honour of being the last word in this Contest The order of our method first proposed would here call me to handle our Stedfastnesse with God and the Glory created upon our Grace of Sanctification But because some men may admire and aske whence it is that the Lord will abide so Stedfast in his Love towards Believers as hath been manifested upon severall accounts that he will besides what hath beene said before of his owne Goodnesse and Unchangeablenesse c. I shall now adde that outward consideration which lyes in the Mediation of Christ upon the account whereof he acts his owne Goodnesse and Kindnesse to us with the greatest advantage of Glory ad Honour to himselfe that can be thought upon Only I shall desire the Reader to observe that the Lord Jesus is an undertaker in this businesse of perfecting our Salvation and safegarding our Spirituall Glory not in one regard and respect only There is one part of his Ingagement therein which under the Oath of God is the close of the whole and that is his becoming a surety to us of his Fathers Faithfulnesse towards us and a suerty for us of our Faithfulnesse to him so that upon the whole matter the businesse on each side
any attaine they shall never faile in or fall from but whether they may or shall attaine it or no here is nothing spoken But here is no notice taken of the maine opposition insisted on by our Saviour between the supplies of the Spirit for life Eternall which faile not nor suffers them to thirst to whom they are given and the supplies of naturall life by Elementary water notwithstanding which they who are made partakers thereof doe in a short season come to a totall want of it againe Instead of Answers to our Argument from this place we meet with nothing but perpetuall diversions from the whole scope and intendment of it and at last are told that the Promise signifies only that men should not want Grace when they come to Heaven 2. To prove that there is no Promise of any abiding spirituall Life here those words they shall never thirst are produced That we shall have our life continued to the full injoyment of it unto eternity because such are the supplies of the Spirit bestowed on us that we shall never thirst is the Argument of our Saviour That there is no such life promised or here to be attained because in it we shall not thirst is Mr Goodwins 3. It is not the intendment of our Saviour to prove that we shall not thirst because we shall have such a life but the quite contrary that we shall have such a life and shall assuredly be preserved because the supplies of the Spirit which he gives will certainly take away the thirst which is so opposite to it as to be destructive of it 4. It is true the Saints notwithstanding this Promise are still liable to Thirst that Thirst intimated Mat. 5.6 after Righteousnesse but not at all to that Thirst which they have a Promise here to be freed from a Thirst of an universall want of that water wherewith they are refreshed and that their freedome from this Thirst is their portion in this life we have the Testimony of Christ himselfe he that believes on mee shall thirst no more Ioh. 6. 35. And the reason of their not Thirsting is the receiving and drinking in that water which Christ gives them which as himselfe saies is his Spirit which they receive who believe on him Ioh. 7. 38 39. neither is that Thirst of theirs which doth remaine troublesome as is insinuated it being a grace of the Spirit and so quieting and composing Though they are troubled for the want of that in its fulnesse which they Thirst after yet their Thirst is no way troublesome That then which is farther added by Mr Goodwin is exceeding sophisticall Saith he §. 34. by the way this spirituall thirst which is incident unto the life which is derived from Christ and the waters given by him unto men as 't is enjoyed and possessed by them in this present World is according to the purport of our Saviour's own arguing an Argument that for the present and whilest it is obnoxious to such a thirst it is dissolveable and may faile for in the latter part of the said passage he plainly implies that the eternallnesse of that life which springs from the drinking of this water is the reason or cause why it is exempt from thirst Let the whole passage be read and minded and this will clearly appeare If then the eternality of a life be the cause or reason why t is free from the inconveniency of thirst Evident it is that such a life which is not free from thirst is not during this weaknesse or imperfection of it eternall or Priviledged against dissolution Ans. 1. That we cannot thirst under the enjoyment of the Life promised proves this life not here to be enjoyed is proved because the eternallnesse of this life is the cause of its exemption from Thirst But that the plaine contrary is the intendment of the Holy Ghost I presume is evident to all men The reason of our preservation to Eternall Life and being carried on thereunto is apparently assigned to those supplies of the Spirit whereby our Thirst is taken away The taking away of our Thirst is the certain meanes of our Eternall Life not a consequent of the Eternity of it All the proofe of what is here asserted is Let the whole passage be read and minded in which appeale I dare acquiesce before the judgement seat of any Believer in the World whose concernment this is It is here then supposed that the Eternity of the Life promised is the cause of their not thirsting in whom it is which is besides the Text and that they may thirst againe in the sence spoken of who drink of that water of the Spirit which Christ gives which is contrary unto it and of these two supposalls is this part of this discourse composed The ensuing Discourse rendring a reason upon the account whereof Life may be called eternall though it be interrupted and cut off we shall have farther time God assisting to consider and to declare its utter inconsistency with the intendment of the Holy Ghost in the expressions now before us He addes then in the last place Sect. 12. §. 35. That the intendment of Christ is not that the water he gives shall alway end in the issue of Eternall Life but that it lies in a tendency thereunto Ans. Which upon the matter is all one as if he had said Christ saith indeed that the water which he gives shall spring up unto Everlasting Life and wholly remove that Thirst which is comprehensive of all interveniences that might hinder it as God said to Adam In the day thou eatest of that fruit thou shalt dye but he knew full well that it might otherwise come to passe which whether it doth not amount to a calling of his Truth and credit in his Word and Promises into question deserves as I suppose Mr Goodwins serious consideration To conclude then our Saviour hath assured us that the Living Water wich he gives us shall take away such Thirst all such totall want of Grace and Spirit be it to be brought about not by this or that meanes but by what meanes soever as should cause us to come short of eternall life with himselfe which we shall look upon as a Promise of the Saints Perseverance in Faith notwithstanding all the Exceptions which as yet to the contrary hath been produced Having thus long insisted on this influence of the Mediation of Christ §. 36. into the continuance of the Love and Favour of God unto Believers by procuring the Spirit for them sending him to them to dwell in them and abide with them for ever the most effectuall principle of their continuance with God give me leave farther to confirme the Truth of what hath been spoken by remarking some inferences which the Scripture holds out unto us upon a supposition of those Assertions which we have laid downe concerning the Indwelling of the Spirit and the Assistance which we receive from him on that account all
whole Church be so farre from being saved to the ut most as utterly to be destroyed and consumed 2. Doubtlesse the Intercession of Christ §. 3. must answer the Representation of it which the Apostle so much insists on Heb. 7. 9. Of the Oblation of Christ there were many Types in the Aaronicall Priesthood of the Law Of his Intercession but one principally namely that solemne entrance of the high Priest with Blood and Incense into the Holyest of Holyes in the great Anniversary Sacrifice on the tenth day of the seventh month on the which day also the great Jubilee or Joyfull time of deliverance typifying our deliverance by Christ began Here unto is added the Priesthood of Melchisedec whereof there is mention neither of its beginning nor ending to secure us of the Continuance of our Mediator in the act of his Priesthood for ever Now the end of the high Priests so entring into this Holy place was to carry on the work of Expiation and Attonement to persection and compleat peace with God in the behalfe of them for whom he offered without And therefore the Holy Ghost saith that his entrance with Blood was to offer for himselfe and the Errours of the people Heb. 9. 7. It being but a continuation of his Oblation began without unto a compleat Attonement And therefore there is no reall difference between the efficacy of the death of Christ and that of his Intercession upon the actuall Accomplishment of it It being then the compleate taking away of the sinnes and Errours of the people as to the guilt of them and the Continuance of their peace with God which was intended by the high Priests entrance with blood into the Holyest of Holyes that which answers thereunto or the deliverance of Believers from the whole guilt of sinne and their preservation in the Love and Favour of God is the intendment of Christ in his Intercession Let the Effects and fruits of the Oblation of Christ be bounded and limited to the procuring of a new way of Salvation without purchasing for any one person whatever power and Grace to walke in that way and then exclude his Intercession from any influence into the preservation of them who do enter that way therein and perhaps indifferent men will scarce thinke the Glory and Honour of the Lord Jesus to be of any great regard with us 3. That this is the import of Christs Intercession for Believers §. 4. is evident by that preface which we have thereof John 17. being a manifest declaration on earth of that which Christ lives for ever in Heaven to do This was the Incense wherewith he entred into the Holy place which he now prepared and which was afterwards beaten small in his Agony that it might be ready to make a sweet perfume at his entrance into Heaven as he was sprinkled with his owne Blood That Christ Interceded and for his Elect for whom he dyed that they may believe our Adversaries deny but that he Intercedes for actuall Believers hath not hitherto been questioned What it is which he requests on their behalfe the tenor of that Power of his John 17. will manifest v. 11. saith he Holy Father keepe through thine owne name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are keepe them from sinne and ruine every thing that will hinder them from union with me What is it that our Saviour here prayes for for whō is he so ingaged that it is for Believers as such for whom he puts up these supplications our Adversaryes in the cause in hand do contend That these may be kept through the Power of God unto Unity among themselves which they have by their Union with him is his dying request for them He prayes not for any such onenesse as is consistent with their separation from him and his Fathers Love Where now shall we fix the supposed failure those who effectually and eventually are kept up to Spirituall Union cannot fall out of nor fall of from totally nor finally the Love of God Either Christ is not heard in his request or the Father cannot keepe them by his Power if these thus interceeded for are not preserved Many Temptations many oppositions great Tribulations without strong Corruptions within they must needs meet withall these they have no power in themselves to overcome nor to resist Should they be left to themselves they would never be able to hold out to the end Saith Christ I should loose these poore Sheep for whom I have laid downe my life to bring them unto thee Holy Father do thou therefore keepe and preserve them from all these evills that they may not prevaile over thē And keep thē through thy Nam◠thy Power for we are kept through the Power of God unto Salvation let thy Power be exerted for their preservation And what is too strong for thy Power Who can take them out of thy hand Lay that upon them for their defence shew it out in their behalfe that all their enemies may feele the weight and strength thereof Keepe them through thy Name thy Grace let that be sufficient for them let them have such supplyes of Gospell Grace and pardoning Mercy concerning which I manifested thy Name unto them v. 6. and so revealed thee a Father that they may be incouraged to trust in that Name of thine and to stay themselves upon thee where the failure is doubtlesse is not easy to manifest In the verse following our Saviour addes many motives to make his Intercession prevalent in their behalfe First v. 12. he saith that according to that Commission that he had received he had faithfully preserved them whilst that he was in the world and now being ready to leave them as to his bodily presence he urges the speciall preservation of his Father as needfull that after all the Care and Cost which he had laid out about them they might not utterly perish And then Secondly v. 13. he urges the necessity that they should have some Assurance of it in the midst of all their troubles and tryalls that they may have Consolation upon their confidence in the words which Christ had spoken to them that they should be preserved through all difficulties unto the end And he farther urges Thirdly v. 14. from the certaine Opposition that they should meet withall the world hates them and will without doubt use all wayes and meanes possible for their ruine and destruction giving also the Reason why the world hateth them and will oppose them which is such an one as must needs ingage the Heart and Goodwill of God for their preservation to wit because they receive the Word of his deare Sonne and upon that account left the world separated from it and became its enemyes and shall they now be left to the rage and fury of the world in this condition That be farre from thee Holy Father keepe them Hereupon Fourthly v. 15. he reneweth his prayer in their behalfe
fighting against their soules their continuance in Believing the falling from whence is indeed all the danger they are exposed to for whilst they continue so doing all other things are lighter then vanity that Christ takes no care about though he pray that God would sanctify them and keepe them but they must shift for themselves as well as they can he will not doth not Intercede for them that from these they may be preserved Doubtlesse he that shall think to be maintained long at any high rate of Consolation and laves in no other nor no better provision to live on then this mentioned will quickly be reduced to a dry morsell But yet some Reasons of the foregoing interpretation of this place of the Apostle Rom. 8 § 9. are offered unto us This to be the tenour and effect of Christ's Intercession for his Saints saith he is evident from the first of the three passages cited And for that demand who shall separate us from the love of Christ It is not meant from the Love wherewith we love Christ but from the Love wherewith Christ loveth us as we are Saints and abide in his love and keepe his commands neither is it so to be conceived as if sinne wickednesse loosenesse profanenesse could not unsaint men and hereby separate them from them from that love wherewith Christ sometimes loved them for that Iniquity will separate between men and their God is evident from Isa. 59. 2. But the cleare meaning is that nothing no Creature whatsoever person or thing can make Christ an enemy to those who shall in Faith and Love cleave fast unto him Ans. 1. All this respecteth only one expression in this one place of Scripture and ariseth not with the least power against our Argument taken from many places in Conjunction explicatory one of an other It runns also upon the same mistake with the former taking the exaltation of Believers upon the Intercession of Christ in their behalfe which holds out the Issue of it to be expressive of the matter of his Intercession being only a demonstration of the event of of it But grant this to be the tenor and effect of Christs Intercession that Believers may not be separated from his Love is he heard therein or is he not Whatsoever be the issue of the question our procedure will be facile But it is said that it is not the Love wherewith we love Christ but that wherewith he loveth us that we shall not be separated from take this also for granted that it is that that only will this advantage your Cause If we be never separated from that Love that Christ bears us is it possible we should wholly be separated from that Love that we beare him Wherein consists our separation from that Love that Christ bears us How is it caused or may it be procured Is it not by the losse of our Faith and Love to him Or at least is it not an inseparable consequence thereof Or can it possibly come to passe any otherwise then on that account If then he Intercedes that we may not be separated from that Love he bears us and that Love inferrs the continuance of ours doth he not withall Intercede that we may never loose that Love wherewith we love him by which we continue in his Love If the old shift be not at hand for a reliefe this young part of the Answer will instantly suffer losse It is added therefore he loveth us as we are Saints and abide in his Love that is for so we must understand it whilst we are so for that he beares any effectuall Love to us to keepe us up to Saintship that is denyed 't is true Christ loveth us as Saints and as abiding in his Commandements but it is also his Love to keepe us and he intercedeth that we may abide in that Condition wherein alone it is possible for us so to do Neither is the Question whether sinne loosenesse profanenesse do not separate between God and men more or lesse but whether Believers shall not be preserved from such loosenesse profanenesse as would make a totall separation between God and them and if God intercedes as is added in the close that nothing may make him an enemy to us certainely he must Intercede that no sinne may do it For indeed sinne is something in this businesse and this must be as to the keeping us from it I suppose no man thinks any thing in all this Discourse of Mr Goodwin's to looke like the least attempt of proofe that Christ doth not Intercede for the Perseverance of Saints Neither hath he confidence enough positively to deny it therefore spends his whole Discourse hereabout in evasions and diversions Let it be directly denyed that Christ doth not intend that the Faith of Believers may not faile that his Saints may be preserved and Saved and we know what we have to apply our selves unto And if the contrary cannot be proved the Saints know what they have to trust unto that they may no longer leane on that which will yeild them no supportment If this will not be let it on the other hand be granted that he doth so intercede for de unoquoque affirmare aut negare verum est As to this then he proceeds Secondly Were it granted that part of Christs Intercession for his Saints is that their Faith may never faile yet the intent thereof would not necessarily nor indeed with any competent probability §. 10 be this that no sinne nor wickednesse whatsoever that shall or can be perpetrated by them might cause them to make shipwracke of their Faith but rather that God would graciously vouchsafe such meanes and such a presence of his Spirit unto them as whereby they may be richly inabled to keepe themselves in Faith Good conscience to the end Ans. Whether prejudiced men will grant it or no it is clearly proved if the words of Christ themselves may be taken for proofe that he Intercedes for his Saints that their Faith may not faile and that notwithstanding the interposition of any such sinnes as they can or may suppositis supponendis amongst which is his Intercession fall into So he tells Peter upon the prediction of his dreadfull fall that neverthelesse he had prayed for him that his Faith should not faile That they may fall into such sinnes and continue in such as are inconsistent with their Acceptation with God according to the termes and tenor of the new Covenant is that which we have been disproving all this while and which our Author ought not as he doth in all his Reasonings to suppose In the not failing or dying of their Faith in their preservation therein is included their deliverance from the perpetration of the sinnes intimated or at least from such a manner of committing any sinne as should utterly separate them from God It is the continuance of a living Faith that Christ prayes for and where that is there will be workes of
oppose or a wilfull perverting of it contrary to his owne science conscience Is that the Doctrine you oppose Is it so proposed by those who through Grace have laboured to explaine vindicate it Doth not the maine weight of the doctrine turne on this hinge that God hath promised to his Saints true Believers such supplies of the Spirit and Grace as that they shall never degenerate unto such loose and profane courses as are destructive to Godlinesse Doubtlesse that Doctrine is of a most spotlesse untainted innocency which its Adversaries dare not venture to strangle before they have violently treacherously defloured it And thus Mr Goodwin leaveth his Arguments in the dust like the Estriches egges under the feet of men to be trampled on with ease The residue of this Discourse onwards to the next Argument §. 7. beingspent in the answering of pretended Objections put in against himselfe in the behalfe of the Doctrine of Perseverance not at all called out by the import of his present Arguments Discourses I might passe them over but in as much as that which is spoken thereunto tendeth to the further clearing of what formerly hath been evidenced concerning the suitablenesse of the Doctrine contended for unto the promotion of Holinesse I shall farther consider what he draweth forth on this occasion Sect. 33. he giveth us an Objection and a foure fold answer theruuto pag. 333 334 335. That which he calleth an Objection he laieth downe in these words If it be objected and said yea but Assurance of the Unchangeablenesse of God's Love towards him that is Godly is both a more effectuall perswading motive unto Godlinesse and more encouraging to a persevering in Godlinesse then a doubtfulnesse or uncertainty whether God will be constant in his Affection to such a man or no Certainty of reward is more encouraging unto action then uncertainty Ans. If any one hath been so weake §. 8. as to make use of this plea in behalfe of that Doctrine it seemeth to defend which I scarcely believe it will I doubt not be an easie taske to undertake that he shall be no more admitted or entertained as an Advocate in this cause The assurance of the Unchangeablenes of Gods Love to them that are Godly is but one part of the Doctrine in hand that such as may perhaps be cōmon to it with that W ch is brought into competition W th it It is the Assurance of the Unchangeablenes of Gods Love to a man to keepe him up to Godlines to preserve him in that state Condition of Holines to the end of the certainty of the continuance of the Love of God unto him on that account in that way that is that great Gospell motive to Obedience wherein as its peculiar our Doctrine glorieth as hath formerly been manifested Perhaps Mr Goodwin doth not think that any man is bound to lay more blocks in his owne way then he judgeth himselfe well able to remove and therefore he framed that Objection so that he might be sure to returne at least a specious answer thereunto and this he attempteth accordingly and telleth us in his first Paragraph three things 1. That the Doctrine teaching the Saints defection §. 9. doth also maintaine the Vnchangeablenesse of the Love of God to them that are Godly Ans. But what Love I pray you is that which when it might prevent it will yet suffer those Godly ones to become such ungodly Villaines and wretches as that it shall be utterly impossible for the Lord to continue his Love to them Is the Love you mention indeed a Love to their Persons or only an Approbation of their Duties and Qualifications If the First whence is it that God ceaseth at any time to love them Doth he change and alter his Love like the Sonnes of Men Why they change therefore he changeth also That God changeth not and therefore we who are subject to change are yet preserved from being consumed we have heard But that upon the change that is in men God also should change we are yet to be instructed and the Immutability of God hath taken greater hold upon our understandings and in our hearts then that we should easily receive any thing so diametrically opposite thereunto If the Love mentioned be only an Approbation of the Qualifications that are in them and of the Duties that they doe performe then is it no more a Love to them or to their persons then it is to the persons of the most profligate wretches that live The object is Duty solely where ever it may be found and not any person at all for it is an Act of Gods approving not purposing or determining Will. This is not our sence of the continuance of the Love of God to them that are Godly so that there is no comparison betwixt the Doctrines under contest as to the Asserting of the Love of God to Believers or to them that are Godly Wherefore he saith 2. That the Doctrine he opposeth §. 10. Promiseth Gods Love and the unchangeable continuance of it unto men though they change to Prophanenesse Though this is said over and over an hundred times yet I cannot believe it because the Doctrine openly affirmeth the continuance of the Love of God to them that are Godly to be effectually and eventually preventive of any such prophanenesse as is inconsistent therewithall and therefore much more vaine is that which he affirmeth in the third place 3. Namely that the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints doth not so much absolutely promise the Love of God to them that are Godly as it promiseth it conditionally to them that are prophane in case they have been Godly that is it teacheth that God promiseth the certain continuance of his Love to him that is Godly on condition he cease to be so and turne prophane Claudite jam rivos pueri we have enough of this already 2 ly He addeth yet §. 11. Neither is certainty of reward in every sence or kind more encouraging unto Action then uncertainely in some kind to promise with all possible Assurance the same reward or prize to him that shall not runne in the race which is promised to him that shall runne is not more encouraging unto men thus to runne then to promise it conditionally upon their running which is a promising of it with uncertainty in this respect because it is uncertaine whether men will runne in the said race or no and consequently whether they shall receive the said prize or no upon such a promise Vncertainty of reward is then and in such cases more encouraging unto action then certainly When the certainty of obtaining or receiving it is suspended upon the Act not when it is assured unto men whether they Act or no. Ans. 1. Perswade your servants your labourers if you can of that great encouragement that lyes in the the uncertainty of a reward above that which may be had from an Assurance
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
fastned upon them both for their joynt deliverance In Mr Goodwins 12. § 2. Chapter he takes into participation with him as is pretended 8. places of Scripture endeavouring by all meanes possible to compell them to speake comfortable words for the reliefe of his fainting and dying cause Whether He hath prevailed with them to the least complyance or whether He will not be found to proclaime in their name what they never once acknowledged unto him will be tryed out in the processe of our consideration of them In the first and second Section he fronts the Discourse intended with an eloquent Oration §. 3. partly concerning the tendency of the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance which he girds himselfe now more closely to contend withall partly concerning Himselfe his own Ability Industry Skill Diligence and Observation of Doctrines and Persons with his rules in judging of the one the other For the First §. 4. He informes us that his judgement is that many who might have attained a Crowne of Glory by a presumptuous conceit of the Impossibility of their miscarrying are now like to suffer the vengeance of eternall fire men thereby gratifying the flesh with wresting the Scripture to the encouragement thereof That the Proud and Presumptuous conceits of men are like to have no other issue or effect than the betraying of their soules to all manner of Loosenesse and Abomination so exposing them to the vengeance of eternall fire we are well assured therefore knowing the terrour of the Lord do perswade men what we are able to cast downe all high thoughts and imaginations concerning their owne Abilities to doe good to believe to obey the Gospell or to abide in the Faith thereof and to rowle themselves freely fully wholly on the free Grace and faithfulnesse of God in the covenant of Mercy ratifyed in the bloud of his Sonne wherein they shall be assured to find Peace to their soules On this foundation doe we build all our endeavours for the exalting the soveraigne free effectuall grace of God in opposition to the proud and presumptuous conceits of men concerning their own imbred native power in spirituall things an Apprehension whereof we are well assured disposeth the heart into such a frame as God abhorres and prepares the soule to a battle against him in the highest and most abominable Rebellion imaginable I no waies doubt but that the way and meanes whereby innumerable poore creatures have been hardened to their eternall Ruine have had all their springs and fountaines ly in this one wretched reserve of a power in themselves to turne to God and to abide with him That any one by mixing the promises of God with Faith wherein the Lord hath gratiously assured him that seeing he hath no strength in himselfe to continue in his mercy he will preserve and keep him in and through the Sonne of his Love hath ever been or ever can be turned wholly aside to any way or path not acceptable to God or not ending in everlasting peace will never be made good whilest the Gospell of Christ finds honour and credit amongst any of the sonnes of men There may be some indeed who are strangers to the covenant of promise what ever they doe pretend who may turne this Grace of God in the Gospell as also that of the Satisfaction of Christ Redemption by his bloud and Justification by Faith the whole Doctrine of the covenant of Grace in Christ into lasciviousnesse but shall their unbeliefe make the Faith of God of none effect◠shall their wickednesse and Rebellion prejudice the mercy peace and Consolation of the Saints Because the Gospell is to them the savour of Death unto Death may it not be the savour of Life unto Life unto them that doe embrace it What ever then be the disasters of which themselves are the sole cause of men with their presumptuous conceits of the impossibility of miscarrying seeing every presumptuous conceit of what kind soever is a desperate miscarriage their ruine and destruction cannot in the least be ascribed to that Doctrine which calls for Faith in the promises of God a Faith working by Love and decrying all presumptuous conceits whatever A Doctrine without which and the necessary concomitant Doctrines thereof the whole bottome of mens walking with God and of their obedience is nothing but presumption and conceit whereby setting aside the cold sitts they are sometimes cast into by the checks of their consciences they spend their daies in the distemper of a Feaver of Pride and Folly In the insuing Discourse Mr Goodwin informes us of these two things §. 5. First What Rule he proceeds by in judging of the Truth of contrary opinions when as he phraseth it the toung of the Scripture seemes to be cloven about them And Secondly Of his owne Advantages and abilityes to make a right judgment according to that Rule The Rule he attends unto upon the information he hath given us is The Consideration of which of the Opinions that are at any time Rivalls for his judgement and acceptation tend most unto Godlinesse the Gospell being the truth which is according to Godlinesse of his owne advantages and abilityes to make a right judgment according to this rule there are severall heads and springs as his knowledge of the generall course of the Scripture the Experience of his owne heart his long observation of the Spirits and wayes of men but chiefely that light of Reason and Vnderstanding which he hath And by this Rule with these Abilityes proceeding in the examination of the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance He condemnes it and casts it out as an abominable thing preferring that concerning their finall defection farre above it Some Considerations I shall adde to attend upon his Rule and principles First §. 6. It is most certaine that the Gospell is a Doctrine according unto Godlinesse whose immediate and direct tendency as in the whole frame and course of it so in every particular branch and streame is to promote that Obedience to Go◠in Christ which we call Godlinesse This is the will of God revealed therein even our Sanctification and whatever Doctrine it be that is suited to turne men off from walking with God in that way of Holinesse it carryes its brand in its face whereby every one that finds it may know that it is of the uncleane Spirit the evill one But yet that there may be fearefull and desperate deceits in the hearts of men judging of truths pretending their rise and originall from the Gospell by their suitablenesse to the promotion of Godlinesse and Holinesse hath been before in part declared and the Experience of all Ages doth sufficiently manifest Among all those who professe the name of Christ more or lesse in the world though in under the most Antichristian opposition to him who is there that doth not pretend that this tendency of opinions unto Godlinesse or their disserviceablenesse thereunto hath a great influence into the