hath abounded that they may live in all filth and folly because God hath promised never to forsake them not turne away his Love from them they doe not looke upon it as an hellish abuse of the Love of God which they labour to crucifie no lesse then any other worke of the flesh whatsoever Presuppose indeed the Saints of God to be Dogges and swine wholly sensuall and unregenerate that is no Saints and our Doctrine to be such that God will Love them and save them continuing in that state wherein they are and you make a bed for Iniquity to stretch it selfe upon But suppose that we teach that the wrath of God will certainly come upon the Children of disobedience that he that Believeth not shall be damned and that God will keepe his owne by his power through Faith unto Salvation and that in and by the use of meanes they shall certainly be preserved to the end and the mouth of iniquity will be stopped 2. They say it takes away that strong curbe and bridle §. 14. which ought to be kept in the mouth of the flesh to keepe it from running headlong into sin and folly namely the feare of Hell and punishment which alone hath an influence upon it to bring it to subjection and under Obedience But now if there be nothing in the world that is of use for the mortification and crucifying of the flesh and the lusts thereof but it receives improvement by this Doctrine this crimination must of necessity vanish into nothing 1. Then it tells that the flesh and all the deeds thereof are to be crucifyed and slaine God having ordained good workes for us to walke in That for the workes of the flesh the wrath of God comes upon the Children of disobedience if any say let us continue in sinne because we are not under the Law or the condemning power of it for sinne but under Grace it cries out God for bid Rom. 6. 15 16. And saith this is Argument enough and Proofe snfficient that sinne shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law but under Grace It tells you also that there is a twofold feare of Hell and punishment of sinne First of Anxietie and doubtfullnesse in respect of the end Secondly Of Care and diligence that respecteth the meanes And for the first it saith that this is the portion of very many of the Saints of God of some all their dayes though they are so yet they know not that they are so and therefore are under anxious and doubtfull feares of Hell and Punishment notwithstanding that they are in the armes of their Father from whence indeed they shall not be cast downe as a man bound with chaines on the toppe of a tower he cannot but feare and yet he cannot fall He cannot fall because he is fast bound with strong chaines He cannot but feare because he cannot actually and clearely consider often times the meanes of his preservation And for the latter a feare of the wayes and meanes leading to punishment as such that continues upon all the Saints of God in this life neither is there any thing in this Doctrine that is suited to a removall thereof And this it saies is more much more of use for the mortification of the flesh then the former 2. It sayes that the great and Principall meanes of mortification of the flesh is not feare of Hell and Punishment but the Spirit of Christ as the Apostle tells us Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live It is the Spirit of Christ alone that is able to do this great Worke We know what bondage and Religious drudgery some have put themselves 〈◊〉 upon this account and yet could never in their lives attaine to the mortification of any one sinne It is the Spirit of Christ alone that hath soveraigne power in our soules of killing and making alive As no man quickneth his owne soule so no man upon any Consideration whatsoever or by the power of any threatnings of the Law can kill his own sinne There was never any one sinne truly mortified by the Law or the threatning of it All that the Law can do of it selfe is but to intangle sinne and thereby to irritate provoke it like a Bull in a net or a beast lead to the slaughter It is the Spirit of Christin the Gospell that cuts its throate destroyes it Now this Doctrine was never in the least charged with denying the Spirit of God to Believers which whilst it doth grant maintaine in a way of opposition to that late Opinion which advanceth it selfe against it it maintaines the mortification of the flesh and the lusts thereof upon the only true and unshaken foundations 3. It tells you that the great meanes whereby the Spirit of Christ worketh the mortification of the flesh and the Lusts thereof is the Application of the Crosse of Christ and his Death and Love therein unto the soule and saies that those vaine endeavours which some promote and encourage for the mortification of sinne consisting for the most part in slavish bodily exercises are to be bewayled with teares of bloud as abominations that seduce poore soules from the Crosse of Christ For it saies this work is truly and in an acceptable manner only performed when we are planted into the likenesse of the death of Christ having our old man crucified with him and the body of sinne destroyed Rom. 6. 5 6. and thereupon by Faith reckoning our selves dead unto sinne but alive unto God v. 11. It is done only by knowing the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ and being made conformable to his death Phil. 3. 10. by the Crosse of Christ is the world crucified unto us and we unto the world The Spirit brings home the power of the Crosse of Christ to the soule for the accomplishing of this work and without it it will not be done Moreover it saies that by the way of motive to this duty there is nothing comes with that efficacy upon the soule as the love of Christ in his death as the Apostle assures us 2 Cor. 5. 14. for the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe now it was never laid to the charge of this Doctrine that it took off from the vertue of the Death and Crosse of Christ but rather on the contrary though falsely that it ascribed too much thereunto so that these importune exceptions notwithstanding the Doctrine in hand doth not only maintaine its own innocency as to any tendency unto loosenesse but also manifestly declareth its own usefulnesse to all ends and purposes of Gospell Obedience whatsoever For 3. It stirres up §. 15. provokes and drawes out into action every
principles the Flesh and Spirit are as those contrary qualityes of the same subject and the inclinations yea and the elicite acts of the will are of the same nature with them so that in the same act they may both be working though not with equall efficacy Notwithstanding any thing then said to the contrary it appeares that in the sinnes which the Saints fall into they do not sinne with their whole wills and full consent which of it selfe is a sufficient Answer to the foregoing Argument Sect. 25. containes a discourse §. 17. too long to be imposed upon the Reader by a transcription There are three parts of it the first rendring a Reason whence it is that if the Spirit be stronger than the flesh yet the flesh doth often prevaile in its lustings The second The way of the Spirits returne to act in us after its motions have been rejected The third endeavours a proofe of the Proposition denied That the Saints sinne with their full and whole consent by the example of David For the first he tells you That the spirit acts not to the utmost efficacy of its vigour and strength but only when his preventing motions are entertained and Seconded with a suitable concurrence in the hearts and wills of men through a deficiency and neglect whereof he is said to be grieved and quenched i. e. to cease from other actings or movings in men This Truth is the ground of such and such sayings in the sayings of Paul for if you live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit doe mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God c. Ans. The Spirit here intended by M. Goodwin is the Holy and Blessed spirit of Grace What his actings to the just efficacy of his vigour and strength are M. Goodwin doth not explaine nor indeed notwithstanding the seeming significacy of that expression is able It must be to act either as much as he can or as much as he will That the Holy Spirit in opposing sinne acts to the utmost extent of his Omnipotency in any I suppose will not be affirmed If it be as much as he will then the sence is he will not in such cases act as much as he will what that signifies we want some other expressive phrase to declare To let this passe let us see in the next place what his actings to this just efficacy are suspended upon it is them in cafe his first preventing motions be received and seconded But then secondly What are these first preventing motions of the spirit §. 18. And what is it to entertaine them with a suitable concurrence of the Will For the First M. Goodwin tells us in this Section they are motions of a coole and soft inspiration such clowdy expressions in a thing of this moment are we forced to embrace preventing motions of the spirit are either Internall Physicall Acts in with and upon the Wills of men working in them to will and to doe called preventing from the actings of the wills themselves or they are Morall insinuations and perswasions to good according to the Analogy of the Doctrine M. Goodwin hath espoused it is the latter only that are here intended The preventing motions of the spirit are his Morall perswasions of the Will to the good proposed to its consideration See then in the next place what it is to second entertane these motions with a sutable concurrence in the heart and Will Now this must be either to yeeld Obedience to these motions and to doe the good perswaded unto or something else if any thing else we desire to know of M. Goodwin what it is and wherein it consists if it be to doe the good perswaded too then what becomes I pray you of those subsequent Helps which are suspended upon this obedience when the thing it selfe is already performed which their help and assistance is required unto They may well be called subsequent motions which are never used nor applyed but when the things whereunto they move and provoke are before hand accomplished and performed yea they are suspended on that condition Farther wherein do these subsequent helps as it is expressed which move at a more high and glorious rate consist We have had it sufficiently argued already to a thorough conviction of what is Mr Goodwins judgment in this matter viz. That he acknowledgeth no operations in or upon the wills of men but what are Morall by the way of perswasion contending to the utmost efficacy of his vigour and strength in disputing that there is an inconsistency between Physicall internall operations in or upon the Will of men and Morall exhortations or perswasions as to the production of the same effect This then is the frame of this fine Discourse If upon the Spirits first perswasion to good men yeild Obedience and do it accordingly the Spirit will then with more power and vigour move them when they have done it and perswade them to doe it That this discourse of his doth readily administer occasion and advantage to retort upon him his third Argument formerly considered of imposing incoherent and inconsistent reasonings and actings upon God in his dealings with men the intelligent Reader will quickly find out and it were an easy thing to erect a Theater and upon Mr Goodwins principles to personate the Almighty with an incongruous and incoherent discourse but we feare God Thirdly That the Spirit is grieved with the sinnes of Believers and their walking unworthily of or not answerable to the grace they have received is cleare Ephesians 4. 31. The Apostle admonisheth Believers to abstaine from the sinnes he there enumerates and consequently others of the like import having put on and learned Christ unto sanctification that they doe not grieve the Spirit from whom they have received that great mercy and priviledge of being sealed to the day of Redemption But that therefore the subsequent and more effectuall motions of the spirit are not free as the first but supended on our performance of that which he first moves unto and so consequently that there is neither first our second motion of the Spirit but may be rendred uselesse and fruitlesse or be for ever prevented is an Argument not unlike that of the Papists Peter feed my sheep therefore the Pope is head of the Church The ensuing discourse also is not to be passed without a little Animadversion §. 20. thus then he proceeds Believers saith he doe then mortify the deeds of the body by the spirit when they joyne their Wills unto his in his preventing motions of grace and so draw and obtaine farther strength and assistance from him in order to the great and difficult work of mortification in respect of which concurrence also with the spirit in his first and more gentle applications of himselfe to them they are said to be led by the Spirit as in
not the least service for God but labouring to stirre up strife in his Family to set his poore children and their heavenly Father at variance filling them with hard thoughts of him As one that takes little or no care for them And discouraging them in that obedience which he requireth at their hands continually belying their Father to them and that in reference to the most desireable Excellencies of his Faithfulnesse Truth Mercy and Grace never speaking one good or comfortable word to them all their daies nor once urging them to doe their duty But with-holding a rodde yea Scorpions over their backs And casting the eternall flames of Hell into their faces this is that sanguine indeed truly spiritually bloudy Complexion of this new Nurse which is offered to be received in the roome of that sad Melancholy piece of the Perseverance of the Saints Thus then he proceeds The Consolation of true Believers depends upon their obedience their obedience is farthered by this Doctrine and therefore their Consolation also Ans. What are the springs of true spirituall heavenly Consolation the consolation which God is willing Believers should receive whence it flowes the meanes of its continuance and increase how remote it is from a sole dependency on our own Obedience hath been in part before declared But yet if the next Assertion can be made good viz. That the Doctrine of the Saints Apostasy hath a tendency instituted of God to the promotion of their Obedience and Holinesse I shall not contend about the other concerning the issuing of their consolation from thence All that really is offered in the behalfe of Apostasy as to its serviceablenesse in this kind is that it is suited to ingenerate in Believers a feare of Hell which will put them upon all wayes of mortifying the flesh and the fruits of it which otherwise would bring them thereunto And is this indeed the great mistery of the Gospell Is this Christs way of dealing with his Saints Or is it not a falling from Grace to returne againe unto the Law Those of whom alone we speak who are concerned in this busines are all of them taken into the Glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God are every one of them partakers of that Spirit with whom is liberty are all indued with a living principle of Grace Faith and Love and are constrained by the Love of Christ to live to him are all under Grace and not under the Law have their sinnes in some measure begun to be mortifyed and the flesh with the lusts thereof the old man with all his wayes and wiles crucifyed by the Death and Crosse of Christ brought with their power and efficacy by the Spirit into their hearts are all delivered from that bondage wherein they were for feare of Death and Hell all their dayes by having Christ made Redemption unto them I say that these persons should be most effectually stirred up to Obedience by the dread and terrour of that Iron rod of vengeance and Hell and that they should be so by Gods appointment is such a new such another Gospell as if preached by an Angell from Heaven we should not receive That indeed no motive can be taken from hence or from any thing in the Doctrine by Mr Goodwin contended for suited to the principle of Gospell Obedience in the Saints that no sin or lust whatsoever was ever mortifyed by it that it is a clog hinderance burthen to all Saints as far as they have to do with it in the wayes of God hath bin before demonstrated And therefore leaving it withall the Consolation that it affords unto those who of God are given up thereunto we proceed to the Consideration of another Argument his eighth in this case which is thus proposed Sect. 37. That Doctrine which evacuates and turnes into weakenesse and folly §. 5. all the gracious councells of the Holy Ghost which consist partly in the diligent information which he gives unto the Saints from place to place concerning the hostile cruell and bloudy mind and intention of Sathan against them partly in detecting and making knowne all his subtile stratagems his plots methods and dangerous Machinations against them partly also in furnishing them wiih speciall weapons of all sorts whereby they may be able to grapple with him and to tryumph over him partly againe in those frequent admonitions and Exhortations to quit themselves like men in resisting him which are found in the Scripture And lastly in professing his feare least Sathan should circumvent and deceive them that Doctrine I say which reflects disparagement and vanity upon all these most serious and gracious applycations of the Holy Ghost must needs be a Doctrine of vanity and errour And consequently that which opposeth it by a like necessity a truth But such is the common Doctrine of absolute and infallible Perseverance Ergo. Ans. Not to ingage into any needlesse contest about wayes of Arguing §. 6. when the designe and strength of the Argument is evident I shall only remarke two things upon this First the Holy Ghost professing his feare least Sathan should beguile Believers is a mistake It was Paul that was so afraid not the Holy Ghost though he wrote that feare by the appointment and inspiration of the Holy Ghost The Apostle was jealous least the Saints should by the craft of Sathan be seduced into errours and miscarriages which yet argues not their finall defection this indeed he records of himselfe but of the feares of the Holy Ghost arising from his uncertainty of those issue of the things and want of power to prevent the coming on of the things feared I suppose there is no mention And Secondly that the consequent of the supposition in the inference made upon it is not so cleare to me as to Mr Goodwin viz. Suppose any Doctrine to be false whatsoever Doctrine is set up in opposition to it is true I have knowne and so hath Mr Goodwin also when the truth hath layen between opposite Doctrines assaulted by both entertained by neither with these Observations I passe the Major of this Sillogisme the Minor he thus confirmes If the Saints be in no possibility of being finally overcome by Satan or of Miscarrying in the great and most important businesse of their Salvation by his snares and subtilties §. 7. all that operousnesse and diligence of the Holy Ghost in those late mentioned Addressements of his unto them in order to their finall conquest over Satan will be found of very light consequence of little concernement to them yea if the said Addressements of the Holy Ghost be compared with the State and Condition of the Saints as the said Doctrine of Perseverance representeth and affirmeth it to be the utter uselesnesse and impertinency of them will much more evidently appeare Ans. What possibility or not possibility the Saints are in of finall Apostasy from God what assurance themselves have may have or have not concerning their Perseverance with what is the
made good will be of no use to M. Goodwin as to his present purpose The whole strength of this Argumentation is built on this supposall That the effectuall Grace of God in its working the will deed in Believers or the Spirits doing of it by Grace with Gods fore determination of events doth take away the Liberty of the will inducing into it a necessary manner of Operation determining it to one antecedently in order of time to its own determination of it selfe which is false nowise inferred frō the Doctrine under Consideration Yea as Gods Providentiall concurrence with men and determination of their wills to all their Actions as Actions is the Principle of all their naturall Liberty so his Gracious Concurrence with thē or operations in thē as unto Spirituall Effects working in thē to will is the Principle of all their true Spirituall Liberty when the Son makes us free then are we free indeed the Reward then is proposed to an understanding enlightned a will quickned made free by grace to stirre thē up to actions suitable to them who are in expectation of so bountifull a close of their Obedience which actions are yet wrought in them by the Spirit of God whose fruits they are and this to very good purpose in the hearts of all that know what it is to walke with God and to serve him in the midst of Temptations unlesse they are under the power of some such particular errour as turnes away their eyes from believing the Truth Secondly §. 11. The opposition here pretended between a Physicall necessitating and a Morall inducement for the producing of the same effect is in plain tearms intended between the Efficacy of Gods internall grace and the use of Externall exhortations and motives If God give an Internall Principle or Spirituall Habit fitting for inclining to spirituall actions and duties if he followes the work so begunne in us who yet of our selves can doe nothing nor are sufficient to think a good thought with continuall supplies of his Spirit and Grace working daily in us according to the exceeding greatnesse of his power the things that are well pleasing in his sight then though he worke upon us as Creatures endued with Reason Understandings Wills and Affections receiving glory from us according to the Nature he hath endued us withall all Exhortations and Incouragements to Obedience required at our hands are vaine and foolish Now because we think this to be the very Wisdome of God and the opposition made unto it to be a meere invention of Satan to magnify corrupted nature and decry all the Efficacy of the Grace of the new Covenant we must have something besides and beyond the naked Assertion of our Author to cause us once to believe it Thirdly The great Execution that is made by Morall inducements solely without any internally efficacious grace in the way of Gospell Obedience is often supposed but not once attempted to be put upon the proofe or Demonstration It shall then suffice to deny that any perswasions outward motives or inducements whatever are able of themselves to raise ingage and carry out the will unto Action so that any good spirituall Action should be brought forth on that account without the effectuall influence and Physicall operation of internall grace And M. Goodwin is left to prove it together with such other Assertions derogatory to the free Grace of God Dogmatically imposed upon his Reader in this Chapter whereof some have been already remarked and others may in due time The residue of this Section the 13 th spent to prove that Eternall Life is given as a Reward to Perseverance having already manifested the full consistency of the Proposition in a Gospell acceptation of the word Reward with whatever we teach of the Perseverance of the Saints I suppose my selfe inconcerned in And therefore passing by the triumphant conclusion of this Argument asserting an Absolute power in men to exhibite or decline from Obedience I shall goe on to that which in my apprehension is of more importance and will give occasion to a Disconrse I hope not unusefull or unprofitable to the Reader I shall therefore assigne it a peculiar place and Chapter to it selfe CAP. XV. 1. M G's fift Argument for the Apostasy of true Believers 2. The weight of this Argument taken from the sins of Believers The difference between the sins of Believers and unregenerate persons proposed to consideration 3. lames 1. 14. 15. The rise and progresse of Lust and Sinne. 4. The fountain of all sinne in all persons is Lust. Rom. 7. 7. 5. Observations clearing the difference between Begenerate and unregenerate persons in their sinning as to the common fountaine of all sinne The first 6. The second of the universality of Lust in the soule by nature 7. The Third in two inferences the first unregenerate men sinne with their whole consent 8. The Second inference concerning the raigne of sinne and raigning sinne 9. The Fourth concerning the universall possession of the Soule by renewing Grace 10. The fift that true Grace bears rule where ever it be 11. Inferences from the former considerations The first that in every regenerate person there are diverse principles of all Morall operations Rom 7. 19. 20. opened 12. The second that sinne cannot raigne in a Regenerate person 13. The third that Regenerate persons sinne not with their whole consent 14. Answer to the Argument at the entrance proposed Believers never sinne with their whole consent and willes 15. M. G's attempt to remove the Answer 16. His exceptions considered and removed Plurality of Wills in the same person in the Scripture sence of the opposition between flesh and spirit that no Regenerate person sinnes with his full consent proved 17. Of the Spirit and his Lustings in us 18. The Actings of the spirit in us free not suspended on any conditions in us 19. The same farther manifested 20. M. G's discourse of the first and second motions of the spirit considered 21. The same considerations farther carried on 22. Peter Martyrs Testimony considered 23. Rom. 7. 19. 20. considered 24. Difference between the opposition made to sin in persons Begenerate and that in persons unregenerate farther argued 25. Of the sence of Rom. 7. and in what sence Believers doe the works of the flesh 26. The close of these considerations 27. The Answer to the Argument at the entrance of the Chapter opened The Argument new formed the Major Proposition limited and granted and the Minor denied 28. The proofe of the Major considered Gal. 5. 21. Ephes. 5. 5. 6. 1 Cor 6. 9. 10. 29. Believers how concerned in comminations 30. Threatning proper to unbelievers for their sinnes 31. Farther objections proposed and removed 32. Of the progresse of Saints intempting to sinne 33. The effect of Lust in tem ptations 34. Difference between Regenerate and unregenerate persons as to the tempting of Lust 1. in respect of universality 2. of Power 35. Objections Answered 36. Whether
their comportments with him in his higher and farther application they become filled with the spirit according to the expression of the Apostle Be ye filled with the spirit i.e. follow the spirit close in his present motions and suggestions within you and you shall be filled with him i.e. ye shall find him moving and assisting you upon all occasions at a higher and more glorious rate Ans. First what this joyning of our Wills of the spirit is was in part manifested before The Will of the spirit is that we be mortified His motions hereunto are his perswasions that we be so To joyne our Wills to his is in our Will to answer the Will of the spirit that is upon the spirits motions we mortify our selves By this also he tells us we draw or obtaine farther strength or assistance from the spirit for that worke which we have done already but how so why he tells you afterward that this is the Law of the Spirit It seems then that by doing one thing we obtaine or procure the assistance of the spirit for another and that by a Law I aske by what Law by the Law of workes by that Law the Apostle tells you that we doe not at all receive the spirit therefore by a parity of Reason we obtaine not any farther supplies from him by that Law By the Law of Faith or Grace that Law knows nothing of such termes as that we should by any acting of ours procure the Holy Spirit of God which he freely bestowes according to the maine tenour of that Law Farther How is this second grace obtained and what is the Law of the Spirit therein is it obtained ex congruo or ex condigno produce the Rule of Gods proceeding with his Saints or any of the sonnes of men in the matter of any gratious behovement of his and you will out-doe what ever your Predecessors whether Pelagians Papists Arminians or Socinians could yet attaine unto Our Lord hath told us that without him we can doe nothing yea all our sufficiency is of God and without him we cannot think a good thought that he workes in us to will and to doe not only beginning but perfecting every good worke fulfilling in us all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the work of Faith with power ascribing the whole of the great work of Salvation to Himselfe and his Holy Spirit working freely and gratiously as he wills and pleaseth Of this order of his dealing with men that his first or preventing Grace should be free but his subsequent Grace procured by us and bestowed on us according to our working and cooperation with his first grace invented by Pelagius Iulianus and Celastinus and here introduced a new by M. Goodwin he informes us nothing at all In briefe this whole discourse is the meere Pelagian figment wrapt up in generall clowdy expressions with allusions to some Scripture Phrases which prophane as well as erring spirits are prone to concerning the bestowing of the Grace of God according to the differing deportments and deservings of men differencing themselves from others and in comparison of them holding out what they have not received But Secondly §. 21. to Answer the first and gentle motions of the spirit is to be led by him and then we shall be filled by the spirit But how doth M. Goodwin prove that to be led by the spirit is to answer his first gentle motions and thereby to obtaine his farther and more glorious actings and perswasions Is it safe thus to make bold with the word of God or is not this to wrest it as ignorant and unstable men doe unto perdition Saints being led by the spirit of God and walking after the spirit are in Rom 8. expressions of that Effectuall sanctification exerting it selfe in their conversation and walking with God which the spirit of God worketh in them and which is their duty to come up unto in opposition to living or walking after the flesh If this now be attained and the Saints come up unto it antecedently to the subsequent Grace of the Spirit what is that subsequent grace which is so gloriously expressed and wherein doth it consist Neither doth that expression of led by the Spirit hold out the concurrence or comportment of their Wills as it is phrased with the gentle motion of the spirit but the powerfull and effectuall Operation of the spirit as to their Holinesse and walking with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not they comport or concurre with the Spirit in his motions but by the spirit they are acted and carried out to the things of God Neither hath this any relation to or coherence with that of the Ephesians 5. 18. % Be filled with the spirit neither is there any such intendment in the expression as is here intimated of a promise of receiving more of the spirit on condition of that compliance concurrence and comportance with his motions as is intimated That the spirit is sometimes taken for his Graces sometimes for his Gifts habitually sometimes for his actuall operations is known The Apostle in that place disswading the Ephesians from turning aside to such carnall sinfull Refreshments as men of the world went out unto bids them not be drunke with Wine wherein is excesse but to be filled with the Spirit to take their refreshment in the joyes of the spirit speaking to themselves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs v. 20. Could I once imagine that M. Goodwin had the least thought that indeed there was any thing in the Scripture looking towards his intendment in the producing of it I should farther manifest the mistake thereof To play thus with the word of God is a liberty we dare not make use of yet Thirdly he concludes That the reason why Believers are overcome by the Lustings of the flesh is not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh but because men have more will to harken to the Lusts of the Flesh than to the Spirit Fortunam Priami cantabo nobile bellum This is the issue of all the former swelling Discourse mens sinnes are from their owne willes and not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh And who ever doubted it the Conclusion you were to prove is That Believers sinne with their whole will and full consent of their wills and that the new principle that is in them doth not cause their wills to decline from acting in sinne to the just efficacy of all their strength and vigour But of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the insinuation in that expression of the Will hearkening to the lusts of the flesh and not the lusting of the Spirit in a sovereigne indifferency to both and a liberty for the performance of either in a way exclusive of good or vicious habituall Principles of operation in the will it selfe I shall not now divert to the consideration of What else remaines in this Section §. 22. either doth not concerne the businesse