The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance, Chapter 15 (2 of 3)
I cannot see then,§. 29. to what end and purpose the whole ensuing discourse from the beginning of this Argument to the end of the 21. Sect. is. It is acknowledged that all those places doe concerne Believers; The intendment of the Holy Ghost in them, being to discover to them, the nature of the sinne specified, and the end of the committing of them, in the way intended, and that God purposes to proceed according to the importance of what is threatned to those sinnes, so committed, with all that doe them, that so they may walk watchfully, and carefully avoiding not only those things themselves, but all the wayes and meanes leading to them, (though if any one of them sinne, any of those sinnes without the deadly attendants of them mentioned in Scripture, they have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous) but that from thence it may be inferred, that Believers may, and some doe so sinne, and that God intends as it is expressed, to destroy them if they so doe, when he hath promised they shall never doe so, is a very weake and ridiculous Argumentation: They are a medium of acquainting them with the desert of sin, the tenour of the Law, to them that are under it, and the riches of Grace in their deliverance.
It is true,§. 30. unbelievers are (as you say) in our judgement, (and I wonder what yours is in the case) in a state of exclusion from the Kingdome of God, whether they perpetrate the workes of the flesh mentioned or no: Unbeliefe is in our Judgement, sufficient of it selfe to exclude any one from the Kingdome of God. But yet withall in our Judgment (and we desire to know yours) it is impossible that Unbelievers (we meane those who are Adulti) should not perpetrate the same evills mentioned, or others of the import, all the thoughts, & imaginations of their hearts being evill, & that continually, & thereupon be farther exposed to the wrath of God, which is revealed against all that do evill. If therefore the discovery of a mans desperate condition, that he may be stirred up to labour, & strive for a deliverance from it, doth concerne him, then these & the like passages do properly & primarily concerne Unbelievers whose state with the issue of it, is particularly described therein. And to say (as our Author doth) that it is a vaine thing for the Spirit of God to threaten wrath to men upon the committing of sinne, if by unbeliefe they are exposed antecedently to that wrath, is to question the wisdome of him with whom, (whatever become of us poore wormes) he cannot contend. He hath told us, that all men by nature are Children of wrath and uncleane, so farre as not to be able to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, unlesse they be washed and borne againe and yet we hope without the least deficiency in wisdome, hath farther revealed his wrath from Heaven, against the ensuing ungodlinesse that is committed by these Children of wrath to be executed in tribulation and anguish against every soule that so doth evill: not to detaine the Reader, what hath been said, and shall farther be argued concerning the difference that is between Believers and unbelievers in their sinning, with that also which hath been spoken of the concernement of Believers, in these and the like passages of Scripture, sufficiently arguing that no such inference as is made for the confirmation of the Assumption of the Argument under consideration according to Mr Goodwins thoughts and apprehensions of it, can possibly be drawne out from them.
Sect. §. 31.22. is a pretty pageant, and by the Readers favour I shall shew it him once more. If it be objected that true Believers have a Promise from God that they shall never loose their Faith. I answer, first that this hath of been said, but never so much as once proved. Secondly upon examination of those Scriptures wherein such Promises of God are pretended to reside, or to be found, we finde no such thing in them, we find indeed many Pomises of their Perseverance, but all of them Conditionall, and such whose Performance in respect of actuall and compleate Perseverance, is suspended upon the diligent and carefull use of meanes by men to persevere. And lastly to affirme that true Believers can by no commission of sinne or sinnes whatsoever, how freequently soever reiterated, how long continued in soever, ever make shipwracke of their Faith or fall away from the Grace and Favour of God so as to perish, what is it but to provoke the flesh to an outragiousnesse in sinning, and to encourage that which remaines of the old man in them to bestirre it selfe in all wayes of unrighteousnesse; and doubtlesse the bringing of that Doctrine hath been the casting of a snare upon the World, and hath caused many, whose feet God hath guided into wayes of peace, to adventure so farre into desperatenesse of sinning, that through the just Judgement of God their hearts never served them to returne.
Ans. First, The foundation of this whole discourse, is a supposall of promises of preserving believers in their Faith, upon the ridiculous supposition after mentioned, to be asserted by the Doctrine of the Saints perseverance and the defenders of it, which Mr Goodwin knows fulwell to be far otherwise.
Secondly, It hath sufficiently been proved, that Believers have a promise, yea many promises, to be kept by the power of God, from all, and any such sinne, or any such circumstance of sinne, or continuance in sinne, as is wholly inconsistent with Believing, and that therefore they shall be preserved in Believing.
Thirdly, Upon our calling the examination of the proofes of this assertion to an account, we have found them to be made up, of triviall exceptions, and sophisticall suppositions, confident beggings, and cravings of the things under contest and debate, (all the endeavours to prove the promises of Perseverance to be conditionall, having also involved in them, an absolute contradiction to the Truth, and to themselves) no way sufficient to evince, that the promises and work of Gods grace, are suspended upon any conditions in men whatsoever.
And Fourthly, We say that the intrusion of this vaine Hypothesis, that believers should continue so, under the consideration here intimated by you of sinne, when the maine of the Doctrine contended for, consists in a full and plaine deniall that they can, or shall fall under them (according to the import of 1 Ioh. 3. 9. immediately to be insisted on, being preserved by the Spirit and grace of him who so workes his Law in their hearts, that they shall never depart from him) is the great engine you have used in all your attempts against it, being indeed a meere begging of the thing in question.
Fifthly, That there is nothing in this Doctrine, in the least, suited to turne aside the Saints of God from the holy Commandement, but that on the contrary, it is of an excellent usefulnesse, and effectuall influence for the promotion of all manner of Godlinesse, in those that are truly Saints, howsoever any man may abuse it, (as any other discovery of the grace of God) turning it into Lasciviousnesse, hath been declared: what use hath been made of the contrary Doctrine in the world, we have hitherto had experience; only in the Pelagians, Papists, Socinians, and Arminians, and with what fruits of it they have abounded, the Church of God doth partly know. What it is like to bring forth, being now translated into another soile, or rather, having wonne over to it, men sometimes of another profession, is somewhat, though not altogether, yet in obeyance.
Let us then with the Apostle,§. 33. having proceeded thus with M. Goodwin, that a foundation may be the better laid, for the removall of what he farther adds, proceed to consider the progresse of sinne, and to remarke from thence the difference that is betweene Regenerate and Vnregenerate men in their sinning.
The second thing proposed in the Apostles discourse of the Rise and progresse of sinne, is the generall way that Lust proceedeth in, for the bringing of it forth, and that is Temptation: every one is tempted of his own Lust; This is the generall way that Lust proceeds in, for the production of actuall sinne. It tempts, and he in whom it is, is tempted: There is a Temptation unto sin only, and a Temptation unto sin by sin: The first is no sinne in him that is so tempted; our Saviour was so tempted; he was tempted of the Divell, Math. 4. 1. %He was in all points tempted like as we are, without sin. That his temptations were unto sin, is apparent from the story of them; but the Prince of this world coming had nothing in him. John 14. 30. Found nothing in him to Answer and close with his Temptations; and therefore though he was tempted, yet was he without sin. Now though this sort of temptations from Sathan, are not Originally our sinnes but his, yet there being tinder in our soules that kindles more or lesse, in and upon every injection of his fiery darts, there being something in us to meet many, if not all of his Temptations, they prove in some measure in the issue, to be ours. Indeed Sathan sometimes ventures upon us, in things wherein he hath doubtlesse small hope of any concurrence, and so seemes rather to aime at our disquiet, than our sinnes: as in those whom he perplexes with hard and blasphemous thoughts of God; a thing so contradictory to the very principles not of Grace only, but of that whereby we are men, that it is utterly impossible there should be any assent of the soule thereunto; to think of God, as God, is to think of him, every thing that is Good, Pure, Great, Excellent, incomprehensible in all perfection: Now at the same time, to have any Apprehensions of a direct contradictory importance, the mind of man is not capable. Were it not for the unbeliefe, causelesse feares, and discontentments, that in many do insue upon Temptations of this nature, which are consequents, and not effects of it, Sathan might keepe this dart in his owne forge, for any mischeife he is like to doe with it. The Apostle speakes here of Temptations by sinne as well as unto sinne; and these are mens sinnes, as well as their Temptations, they are Temptations as tending to farther evill; they are sinnes as being irregular and devious from the rule. Now this tempting of Lust compriseth two things.
First,§. 33. The generall active inclination of the Heart unto sinne, though not fixed as unto any particular act, or way of sinne; the motus primò primi; of this you have that Testimony of God concerning man, in the state of nature Gen. 6. 5. %Every figment of the thought of his heart, is only evill every day; the figment or imagination of the thoughts, is the very roote of them; their generall moulding, or active preparing of the mind, for the exerting of them; so 1 Chrou. 28. 9. %God understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. The figment of them: The next disposition of the soule unto them; and 2 Cron. 29. 19. Keepe this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts, or keep their hearts in a continuall framing posture and condition, of such good thoughts. This (I say) is she first way of Lusts, Temptation; it makes a mint of the heart, to frame readily all manner of evill desires, and thoughts that they may as our Saviour speakes proceed out of the heart Mat. 15. 19. Their actuall fixing on any object, is their proceeding, antecedent whereunto, they are framed and formed in the heart; Lust actually disposeth, inclines, bends the heart to things suitable to it selfe, or the corrupt habituall principle which hath its residence in us.
Secondly, The actuall tumultuating of Lust, and working with all its power and policy, in stirring up, provoking to, and drawing out thoughts and contrivances of sin, with delight and complacency in inconeiveable variety: the severall degrees of its progresse herein being afterwards described.
In the first of these there is no small difference between Regenerate & Vnregenerate persons,§. 34. and that in these two things.
First, In its universality; In Unregenerate men, every figment of their heart is only evill and that every day; there is an universality of actings exprest positively, & exclusively, to any actings of another kind; every figment of their heart is only evill; and of time, every day: whatever good they seeme to do, or do, whatever dutyes they performe, that in them all, which is the proper figment of their heart, is only evill. On this account, take any duty they do, any worke they performe, and weigh it in the ballance and t'will be found in respect of principles, and circumstances, or aimes, to be wholly evill. That indeed there is nothing in it that is acceptable to God: & their hearts are casting, minting, and coyning sinne, all the day long. With Believers 'tis not so, there is also a good treasure in their hearts, from whence they bring out good things; there is a good Root in them that beares good fruit; though they are, or may be overtaken with many sins yea with great sins, yet lust doth not tempt thē as it doth unregenerate men, with a perpetuall continuall active inclination unto evill, even some way or other in all the good they do. The Spirit is in them, & will, and doth in what state so ever they are, dispose their hearts to Faith, Love, Meekenesse, and actuates those Graces, at least in the elicite acts of the will; for a good tree will bring forth good fruit, never any Believer is, or was so deserted of God, or did so forsake God, as that every figment of his heart should be evill only, and that continually; That no one act of sinne, can possibly expell his habit of Grace, hath been formerly shewed; neither is he ever cast into such a condition, but from the good principle that is in him. There is a panting after God, longing for his Salvation with more or lesse efficacy; the sparke is warme and glowing, though under ashes.
Secondly, In respect of power. Lust tempts in unregenerate men out an absolute, uncontrouleable dominion, and that with a morally irresistible efficacy; All its dominion, as hath been shewed, and very much of its strength is lost in Believers; this is the intendment of the Apostles discourse Rom. 6. concerning the crucifying of sinne, by the death of Christ. The power, strength, vigour, and efficacy of it, is so far abated, weakned, mortified, that it cannot so effectually impell unto sin, as it doth when 'tis in perfect life and strength.
But you'l say then,§ 35. If Lust be thus weakned in Believers, more than in others, how comes it to passe, that they do at any time fall into such great, and hainous sinnes, as sometimes they doe, and have done? Will not this argue them, to be even worse than unregenerate persons, seeing they fall into sinne upon easier termes, and with lesse violence of impulse from Indwelling sinne than they?
Ans. First, The examples of Believers falling into great sinnes, are rare, and such as by no meanes are to be accommodated to their state, in their ordinary walking with God; 'tis true there are examples of such falls recorded in the Scripture, that they might lye as bwoys to all generations, to caution men of their danger, when the waves of Temptation arise, to shew what is in man, in the best of men, to keepe all the Saints of God humble, selfe-empty, and in a continuall dependance on him, in whom are all their springs, from whom are all their supplies; but as they are mostly all Old-Testament examples, before grace for grace was given out by Jesus Christ, so they are by no meanes farther to be urged, nor are, but only to shew that it is possible that God can keep alive the root, when the tree is cut downe to the ground; and cause it to budde againe by the sent of the water of his Spirit, flowing towards it.
Secondly, That Believers fall not into great sinnes at any time, by the meere strength of Indwelling sinne, unlesse it be in conjunction with some violent outward Temptation, exceedingly surprizing them, either by weakning all wayes and meanes, whereby the principle of Grace should exert it selfe, as in the case of Peter, or by sudden heightning of their corruption, by some overpowring objects, attended with all circumstances of Prevalency, not without Gods with-holding his speciall grace in an eminent manner, for ends best known to himselfe, as in the case of David: Hence tis, that even in such sins, we say, they sinne out of infirmity, that is, not out of propense deliberation, as to sinne, not out of malice, not out of Love to, or delight in sinne; but meerely through want of strength, when overborne by the power of Temptations.
This Mr Goodwin frames as an Objection to himselfe,§. 36. in the pursuit of the vindication of the Argument under consideration; Sect. 23.
Others plead that there's no reason to conceive that true Believers, though they perpetrate the workes of the flesh, should be excluded from the Kingdome of heaven upon this account; because when they sinne in this kind, they sinne out of Infirmity, and not out of malice.
Ans. I was not to choose what Objections M. Goodwin should answer, nor had the framing of them, which he chose to deale withall: and therefore must be contented with them, as he is pleased to afford them to us; Only if I may be allowed to speake in this case, and I know I have the consent of many concern'd in it, I should somewhat otherwise frame this Objection or Answer:being partly perswaded, that M. Goodwin did not find it, but framed it himselfe, into the shape wherein it here appears. I say then, that the Saints of God sin out of Infirmity only, not malitiously, nor dedita opera in coole bloud, nor with their whole hearts, but purely upon the account of the weakenesse of their graces, being overpowred by the strength of Temptation, and therefore cannot so perpetrate the workes of the flesh, and in such a way as must according to the tenour of the Covenant wherein they walke with God, not only deserve rejection and damnation, but also be Absolutely and Indispensably exclusive of them, from the Kingdome of God. What Mr Goodwin hath drawne forth to take off, in any measure, the Truth of this Assertion, shall be considered. He sayes then,
To say that true Believers, or any other men do perpetrate the workes of the flesh, out of infirmity, involves a contradiction: For to do the workes of the flesh, implyes the dominion of the Flesh in the doers of them, which in sinnes of infirmity hath no place; the Apostle clearely insinuates the nature of sins of infirmity in that to the Galatians; Beloved if any man be overtaken with a fault, (foreign) be prevented, or taken at unawares; when a mans foot is taken in the snare of a temptation, only through a defect of that spirituall watchfulnes over himselfe, & his wayes which he ought to keepe constantly, and so sinneth contrary to the habituall & standing frame of his heart, this man sinneth out of iufirmity, but he that thus sinneth cannot in Scripture phrase be said either to walke, or to live according to the Flesh, or to do the workes of the Flesh, or to do the Lusts or desires of the Flesh, because none of these are any where ascribed unto, or charged upon true Believers, but only upon such persons who are enemies unto God, and Children of death.
Ans. This being the substance of all that is spoken to the businesse in hand, I have transcribed it at large, that with its Answer it may at once lye under the Readers view. I say then
First we give this reason that Believers cannot perpetrate the workes of the flesh in the sence contended about, because they sinne out of insirmity, and do not say that they so perpetrate the workes of the flesh out of infirmity. But if by perpetrating the workes of the flesh, you intend only the bringing forth at any time, or under any Temptation whatsoever, any fruits of the flesh, such as every sinne is, that this may not be done out of infirmity, or that it involves a contradiction to say so, is indeed not to know what you say, to contradict your selfe, and to deny that there be any sinnes of infirmity at all, which that there are you granted in the words foregoing, and describe the nature of it in the words following. They doubtlesse in whom the Flesh alwayes lusteth against the Spirit are sometimes lead a way and inticed by their owne Lusts, so as to bring forth the fruits of it.
Secondly, If to do the workes of the flesh, imports with you, as indeed in it selfe it doth, the predominancy and dominion of the flesh in them that doe the workes thereof, we wholly deny that Believers can so do the workes of the flesh, as upon other Reasons, so partly because they sinne out of infirmity, which sufficiently argues that the Flesh hath not the dominion in them; for then they should not through Infirmity be captivated to it, but should willingly yeild up their members, as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sinne.
Thirdly, The description you give of a sinne of infirmity from Gal 6. 1. Is that alone which we acknowledge may befall Believers, though it hath sometimes befallen them in greater sinnes. It is evident from hence, that a sinne becometh asinne of infirmity, not from the nature of it, but from the manner of mens falling into it. The greatest actuall sinne, may be a sinne of infirmity, and the least, a sinne of Presumption. It is possible a Believer may be overtaken, or rather surprised, with any sinne, so he be overtaken or surprised. A surprisall into sinne through the power of Temptation, subtilty of Sathan, strength of indewlling sinne, contrary to the habituall standing frame of the heart, (not alwayes neither through a defect of watchfullnesse) is all that we grant a Believer may be lyable to: and fo upon Mr Goodwins confession he sins only out of infirmity; such sins being not exclusive of the Love and Favour of God. And therefore
Fourthly we say that true Believers cannot be said to walke according to the flesh, to do the workes of the flesh, to do the Lusts and desires of the flesh, which the Holy Ghost so cautions them against, which as Mr Goodwin observes are none of them charged upon true Believers, but only such persons as are enemyes of God, and Children of wrath; so that those expressions hold out to Believers only what they ought to avoid in the use of the meanes which God graciously affords them, and do not discover any thing of the will of God, that he will suffer them, contrary to his many Faithfull Promises to fall into them. And so the close of this Discourse is contrary to the beginning; M. Goodwin granting that true Believers cannot fall into these sinnes, but only such as are enemies to God; and yet he hath no way to prove that true Believers may cease to be so, but because they may fall into these sinnes, which that they may do, he here eminently denyes. Wherefore he adds▪
If by sinning out of malice they meane sinning with deliberation, with plotting,§. 37. and contriving the methods and meanes of their sinning, sinning against Judgement, against the dictates of conscience (and what they should meane by sining out of malice but sinning upon such tearmes as these I understand not) certaine it is that true Believers may so sinne out of malice, or at least such as were true Believers before such sining, and this our Adversaries them selves confesse.
Ans. All this falles heavy on the shoulders, (as it is supposed) of poore David, and yet we think it evident, that God tooke not his holy Spirit from him, but that his Covenant continued with him, ordered in all things and sure, and that sinne had not dominion over him. The reasons of this perswasion of ours concerning him, shall farther be insisted on, when we come to the consideration of his case in particular, in the meane time I confesse the dreadfnll falls of some of the Saints of God, are rather to be bewailed than aggravated; and the riches of Gods Grace in their recovery, to be admired than searcht into: yet we say,
First, That no one Believer whatever in the world, upon any temptation whatever, did fall into any sinne of malice, that is, accompayned with any hatred of God, or despite of his Grace, or whole delight of his will in the sin, whereunto he was by temptation for a season captivated & though they may fall into sin, against their judgements & dictates of their consciences, as every sin whatever, that they have, or may possibly have knowledge of, or acquaintance with, in their owne hearts and wayes, is; Yet this doth not make them to sinne out of malice; for that would leave no distinction between sinnes of infirmity whereinto men are surprised by Temptation, and of Malice. Even sinnes of infirmity being in generall and particular directly contrary to the dictates of their inlightned, sanctifyed judgements & consciences.
Secondly, for sinning with deliberation, plotting, and contriving the methods and meanes of sinning, (the proofe whereof, that so they may do, will ly as was before obseved, on the instance of David) I say it being the will of God for ends and purposes knowne to his infinite Wisdome, to give us, as to his fall, his darke side, and his sinne to the full, with the Temptations wherewith he was at first surprised, and afterward violently hurryed upon carnall reasonings and considerations of the state whereinto he had cast himselfe, having lost his old friend and counsellour as to any shines of his countenance for a season, not acquainting us at all with the frame, and working and striving of his Spirit, in, and under that fall, I shall not dare to draw his case into a Rule, that what he then did a Believer now may do, judgeing of his frame in doing of it, only by what is exprest. That Believers may have morosam cogitationem, or deliberation upon some sinnes, whereunto they are tempted, upon the strength of indwelling sinne, which may possibly so over come and prevaile against the workings of Grace for a season, as to set the flesh at liberty to make contrivances to fulfill the lusts thereof (I say) many have granted, and I shall not (for the sake of poore returning soules, whose backslidings God hath promised to heale,) deny: but yet I say all their actings in this kinde, are but like the desperate actings of a man in a feaver, who may have some kind of contrivance with himselfe to do mischiefe, (as I have known some my selfe) and aime at opportunityes for the accomplishment of it; all the facultyes of their foules being discomposed, and rendered unserviceable to them through their distemper; Through the violence of temptation, & the tumultuating of lusts, the whole new man may be for a season so shattered, & his parts laid out of the way, as to such a due Answering to another, that the whole may be serviceable to the worke of Faith, (as a disordered army, wherein is all its fundamentall strength as well as when it is rallied in battalia, is altogether unserviceable, 'till it be reduced to order) that sinne taking the opportunity to fill their corrupt part (as farre as it is corrupt) with its pleasure and desireablenesse, and so to set the thoughts of it on worke to continue meanes for its accomplishment; Now as through the goodnesse of their Father and supplyes of Grace, which through the Covenant thereof, they do receive, this distemper seiseth not Believers but rarely & extraordinarily, so it doth no way prove them to sinne with malice, or without hatred of, and opposition (secret opposition, which may be as secret, as some inclinations to sinne are not known to our selves) to the things they do in and under that condition.
That which followes in this Section being suited to the apprehension of some particular men, though of great name and esteeme, according to their worth and desert in the Church of God, as Vrsin, Paraeus and the rest, about reigning sinne, wherein (as I have declared) my thoughts fall not in with them I shall not need to insist any longer upon it, Paraeus after all his aggravations of the sinnes of Believers, yet adds that they sinne not (nor did David) ex contemptu Dei, but through a preoccupation or surprisall of sinne; which I believe to be the perswasion of far the greatest number of Saints in the world; whatever Mr Goodwin is pleased to think or say to the contrary; nor is their apprehension weakened by Nathans charging upon David, his despising of the commandement of the Lord. in doing evill; which as it is virtually done in every sinne, and in great sinnes in an eminent manner, so that it did amount indeed, not only to a consequentiall but a formall voluntary contempt of God, Mr Goodwin shall never prove. A Father often and severely chargeth upon his sonnes, a despising of his command, when he hath been carryed out to transgresse it, when yet he kowes his sonne honoureth and reverenceth him in his heart, and is exceedingly remote from any resolved contempt of him.
The close of all is a concession of the Contra-Remonstrants at the Hague Conference; §. 38.That Believers might fall into such sinnes, as that the Church according to the Commandement of Christ, must pronounce that they shall no longer abide in her communion, and that they shall have no part in the Kingdome of Christ; which being usually made an argument for the Apostacy of the Saints, I shall consider how it is here improved by M. Goodwin.
Certainly (saith he) their sence was, That true believers may sinne, above the rate of those, who sinne out of infirmity, in so much as there is no commandement of Christ, that any Church of his should eject such persons out of their Communion, who sinne out of infirmity only; so that by the confession of our Adversaries themselves, even true Believers may perpetrate such sinnes, which are of a deeper demerit, than to be numbred amongst sinnes of infirmity, yea such sinnes, for which the Church of Christ, according to the Commandement of Christ, stands bound to judge them for ever excluded from the Kingdome of God without repentance; from whence it undeniably followes, that they may commit such sinnes, whereby their Faith in Christ will be totally lost, because there is no condemnation unto those that are by Faith in Jesus Christ, whether they repent or not, and therefore they that stand in need of Repentance, to give them a right and title to the kingdome of God, are no sonnes of God by Faith; for were they sonnes, they would be heires also, and consequently have right and title to the inheritance; so that to pretend that howsoever the Saints may fall into great and grievous sinnes, yet they shall certainly be renewed againe by Repentance before they dye, though this be an assertion without any bottome on Reason or Truth, yet doth it no wayes oppose, but suppose rather a possibility of the totall defection of Faith in true Believers.
Ans. First, That true Believers may sinne, above the rate of sinnes of Infirmity, because they may so sinne, as that according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, they may be cast out of a particular Church, is not attempted to be proved: M. Goodwin think none may be excommunicated but such as have sinned themselves out of the state of Grace? That a man may through infirmity, fall into some such sinne, as for it to be amoved from a Church society, (that a motion being an ordinance of Christ, for his recovery from that sinne) I know not that it can be reasonably questioned. So that by our confession, that true Believers may so sinne, as to be righteously cast out of the externall visible society of a particular Church, doth no way inforce us to acknowledge that they may sinne above the rate of them, who are overtaken with, or surprized in sinne, upon the account of their weaknesse or infirmity.
Secondly, The Church of Christ in rejecting of one from its society, according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, is so farre from being obliged to judge any one for ever excluded from the Kingdome of God; that they doe so reject a man, that he may never be excluded from that Kingdome: It is true he may be Ecclesiastically and Declaratively excluded from the visible Kingdome of God, and his right and title to the outward Administration of the good things thereof; but that such an one is, and must be thought to be properly and really excluded from his interest in the Love of God, and grace of the Convenant, (being still by the appointment of God, and command of Christ, left under the power of an ordinance, annexed by him, to the Administration of that Covenant, it doth not follow.
Thirdly, The non-restauration of persons cast out of communion, by the Church, to their place in the Kingdome of God, but upon Repentance, holds proportion with what was spoken before upon exclusion, The Repentance intended is such, as is necessary for the satisfaction of the Church, as to its expressenesse and being known; yet we grant withall, that all sinnes whatever without Repentance, in that kind and degree, that is appointed and accepted of God, are exclusive of the Kingdome of God; and we doe much wonder that M. Goodwin to the Text Rom. 8. 1. should adde, whether they repent or not, which is not only beyond the sence of what went before, but directly contrary to that which followes after, that walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit; not to repent of sin, is, doubtlesse to walke after the flesh, and no one of them who are freed from condemnation in Christ, doth good and sinneth not; The words we confesse, are not the condition in the intention of God, on which their non-condemnation is suspended, but yet they are a description infallible of them, who through Grace are made partakers of it. We say then, that Believers may so fall, as that being on that account, rejected from the communion of the Church, so as not to be restored, but upon the evidence of their Repentance (and we say that Repentance is required for all sinnes, or men cannot be saved, wondring what Mr Goodwin according to his principles intends by the addition to the Text of Rom. 8. 1. unlesse it be, that no man stands in need of Repentance, unlesse he have cast off all Faith and interest in God; a most Anti-evangelicall assertion) and yet not commit such sins, as whereby their Faith must needs be wholly lost.
Fourthly, There's a twofold Right and Title to the Kingdome of God; a Right and Title by the profession of a true Faith to the externall Kingdome of God, in regard of its outward Administration, and a Right and Title to the Eternall Kingdome of God by the possession of a true Faith in Christ: The former, as it is taken for jus in re, believers may loose for a season; though they may not in respect of a remote, originall, fundamentall Root which abides; the latter they never loose, nor forfeite: We say also that repentance for sinne being a thing promised of God, for those that come to him in Christ, upon the account of the ingagement of his Grace, for the Perseverance of Believers; All such fallers into sinne, shall certainly return to the Lord by Repentance, who heales their back-slidings, which Mr Goodwin hath not been able to disprove; Of whose Arguments, and his endeavours to vindicate them from exceptions, this is the chiefe.
But yet there being two or three things,§. 39. that M. Goodwin is pleased to adde to what went before, as objections against his doctrine in generall, though not of this last Arguments concernment, any more than of any others he makes use of, because there are in them Considerations of good advantage to the Truth in hand, I shall a little insist upon them, before I proceed with my intended discourse.
The First is,§. 40 that the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy, maimeth or dismembreth the Body of Christ, and brings in, an uncouth and unseemely interchange of members between Christ and the Soule; which howsoever slighted by M. Goodwin, is a plea not of the least importance, in the case in hand. The body of Christ intended, is that mysticall and spirituall, not that Politicall and visible; His body in respect of the reall union of every member of it, unto him as the head, described by the Apostle in its Relation unto him. Ephes. 4. 15, 16. It growes up unto him, in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joyned together, and compacted, by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in Love: So also Collos. 2. 19. the Body we intend, whereof Christ is the Head, is that, not only in a Politicall sence, as the supreame governour of it, but in a Spirituall, according to the Analogy of an Head Naturall, from whence life, & all influence of it unto the Members do flow; Of this body, some are in their Spirits already consummated, and made perfect in Heaven, some are as yet pursuing their Warfare in all parts of the World, pressing forward to the marke of the high-calling set before them: Now that any member of his Body, bone of the bone, flesh of the flesh of Christ, given him to make up his fulnesse, and mysticall perfection, joynted unto him, washed in his bloud, and loved by him, according to the Love and care of a head to its members, should be plucked off, to be cast into the sire, and after it hath so closely and vitally been admitted into the participation of his fulnesse and increase, being united to him, become a child of the Divell, an Enemy to him, and his sometimes fellow members, so as to hate his head, and to be hated of his head (when yet no man ever yet hated his own flesh) this we suppose no way to answer that inexpressibly intense Love, which the Lord Jesus beares towards his members, and to be exceedingly derogatory to his honour and Glory, in reference with his dealing to Sathan, the great enemy of his Kingdome. But to this M. Goodwin Answers.
First, For dismembering the Body of Christ, is it not the Law of Christ himselfe, in every particular Church, or body of his, that as any of their members putrifie and discover themselves to be rotten and corrupt, §. 41.they should be cut off by the Spirituall sword of excommunication, and doth not such a dismembring as this, rather tend to the honouring & adorning the Body of Christ, than any wayes to maime or deforme it? And for such a dismembring of the Body of Christ which the Doctrine in hand supposeth to be causable by the members themselves, by the voluntary disfaithing of themselves, through sinne and wickednesse neither is the permission of this, upon such tearmes as it is permitted, either unworthy Christ, or inconvenient to the Body it selfe. Reply.
First that there is no Argument will tolerably arise from what is practicable and comely in a visible Ecclesiasticall Body of Christ, to the Mysticall Spirituall Body; that is, from a particular visible, to the Catholike Church of Christ. As to the matter in hand, this is evident by the light of this single consideration, that in such an Ecclesiasticall body of Christ, there are alwayes or may be, and Christ himselfe in the rules and Lawes that he hath given for the government thereof did suppose that there alwayes would be good, and bad, true Saints and empty professours; whereas in the Body whereof we treate, there is no soule actually instated, but who is actually united to the head, by the inhabitation of the same Spirit. There never was nor shall to eternity, any dead member be of that Body. They are all living stones, built upon him who is the Foundation; now surely this is an inference attended with darknesse to be felt, because it may be comely for those to whom the Administratione of Ordinances in the visible Church of Christ, is committed, to cut of a dead member, from the membership which he holds by his confession of the Faith, when he discovers himselfe not to answer the confession he hath made, in his walking and Conversation; Therefore Christ himselfe, doth cut off, or on way, or other, loose any living members of his body Mysticall, and actually by Faith instated in the unity of his Body with him. And if it shall be objected that even living members and such as are truly so, may yet for, and at a season, be cut off from a visible particular body of Christ. I Answer,
1. It is true, they may so, in respect of their ordinary present right to the enjoyment of Ordinances, not in respect of their remote fundamentall Right that still abides.
2. They are so, or may be so, for their amendment, not for their destruction. That separation for a season being an expression of as much Love and tendernesse to them in Christ as his joyning of them to the Body was from whence they are so separated. And
3. This makes not at all to the impairing of the true compleatnesse of the mysticall Body of Christ, and the perfection of its parts; for as in particular visible bodyes of Christ there may be, and are dead members which have no place in the body, but are as excressencyes in the vine, and yet the body is not rendred monstrous by them; so a true member may be removed and the Body not be maimed in the least. The member though perhaps, from any such visible body, for a season and yet the true Spirituall sicke and pineing, continuing a member thereof still; Now there is nothing of all this that will in any measure agree, to the plucking off a member from the Mysticall Body of Christ, whereof alone we speake. If any should be so separated, it must not only bee to his present actuall enjoyment of Union, but to the losse of his Spirit also, and with him of all right and title, plea, or claime whatever, to any interest therein; Neither is it possible that it should be a meanes for the correction and amendment of such an one; it lying in a direct tendency to inevitable destruction; separation from all interest in Christ can looke no other way; so that still the uncouthnesse of such a procedure abideth.
Secondly, The reason that's added to put some colour and glosse upon this Assertion. viz. That such persons as are affirmed to be so separated from the Body of Christ, do voluntarily disfaith (as 'tis called) themselves, is not to the purpose in hand. For
1. The question is about the thing it selfe, whereunto this Answer de modo, is not satisfactory; 'Tis urged by the Argument, that it cannot be allowed any way, the answer is, tis done this way.
2. Were Mr Goodwin desired to explaine unto us the manner how Believers voluntarily do, or may disfaith themselves, I suppose he would meet with no small difficultyes in the undertaking; However this sounds handsomely.
3. That they should so disfaith themselves, through sinne, and wickednesse, without being overcome by the temptations of Sathan, and the power of the enemyes, with whom they have to do and wrestle, doubtlesse will not be affirmed, whilst they continue in their right witts, and if they loose them, twill be difficult to manifest how they can voluntarily disfaith themselves. The state wherein they are described to be by Mr Goodwin, and the considerations which for their preservation he allowes them, should not, me thinkes, suffer him to suppose that of their owne accord, without provocations, or temptations, they will wilfully ruine their owne soules. Now that Believers should by the power of any Temptation, or opposition whatever, or what affliction soever, arrising against them, be prevailed upon to the losse of their Faith, and so to their dismembring from Christ, is that which is objected as an unseemely uncouth thing, which in this Answer Mr Goodwin earnestly begges, may not be so esteemed, and more he adds not as yet.
The following Discourse,§: 42. wherein he pursues the businesse in hand, is so pretty, as that I cannot but once more present it to the Reader. Saith he,
As to a politicke or civill corporation, 'tis better that the Governers should permit the members respectively to go or be at liberty, that so they may follow their businesse and occupations in the world, upon the better termes, though by occasion of this liberty they may behave themselves in sundry kinds very unworthily; than it would be to keepe them close prisoners though hereby the said inconveniences certainly be prevented; in like manner 'tis much better for the Body of Christ, and for the respective members of it, that he should leave them at liberty to obey and serve God, and follow the important affairs of their soules, freely and without any Physicall necessitation, though some do turne this liberty into wantonnesse, and so into destruction, than I would be to deprive them of this liberty and to cause and constraine them to any course whatsoever out of necessity: though 'tis true, the committing of much sinne and iniquity would be prevented hereby in many; the dismembring of the body of Christs Apostles, by the Apostacy of Judas was no disparagement either to Christ himselfe, or it.
Ans. The summe of the whole discourse is, that the Lord Jesus Christ hath no way to keepe and secure his members to himselfe, that none of them perish, but by taking away their liberty which rather than do, 'tis more to his honour to let them abuse it, to their everlasting destruction; & to this end sundry sine supposalls, are scattered through the whole Discourse. As
1. That the liberty of Believers, is a liberty to sinne, which they may abuse to their owne destruction. The Apostle is of an other mind, Rom. 6. 17, 18, 19. God bethanked that ye were the servants of sinne, but ye have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine, which was delivered to you; being then made free from sinne ye became the servants of Righteousnesse &c. 2. That there is no reall efficacy of Grace that will certainely fulfill in Believers the good pleasure of Gods Goodnesse, and bring forth the fruits of an abiding Holinesse, but what must needs deprive them in whom it is of their liberty: and suitably hereunto, 3. That God having through Christ made his Saints Spiritually free, frō sin unto Righteousness, so that with the utmost liberty that they are capable of as Creatures, they shall surely do good, cannot by his Spirit continue them in that condition, infallibly without the destruction of their liberty. 4. That the Spirituall operation of God in, & with the wills of men, induceth a necessitation as to their manner of operation, that they must act on that account, as necessary, & not as free Agents: with such other the like supposals, which are so many grosse figments whereof M. G. shall be able to prove no one to Eternity; For the removeall then of all the fine words here tendered out of our way, it may suffice to tell their Author, that he who is made Redemption to his Saints, that sets them free from their bondage to sinne, by his Spirit, which is allwayes accompanied with Liberty, and makes them willing, ready, and free to Righteousnesse, and Holinesse in the day of his power towards them, whose effectuall Grace enlargeth and improves all their facultyes, in their operations, with the choicest attendences as to the manner their of working, can, and doth, by, in, and with the perfect exercise of their liberty, keepe them to himselfe, in their union, and communion with him for ever. That this pretended liberty unto sinne, is a bondage, from which Christ frees his Saints, neither is any thing that can be imagined more derogatory to the glory of his Grace, than to affirme, that he cannot keepe those committed to him, infallibly, to the end, without depriving them of the liberty which they have alone through him. Of Physicall necessitation enough hath been spoken before; Judas was never a member of the Body of Christ, or of Christ in the acceptation whereof we speake. By the body of the Apostles, is intended only their number, of which Judas (though he was never of that body whereof they were members) was one.
Farther the wickednesse of this Apprehension,§. 43. that Christ should loose any of those who are true, and living members of his Mysticall body, is aggravated upon the accovnt of that state and condition, whereinto he parts with them. They being thereby made members of Sathan, and his Kingdome; God and the Divell so interchanging Children to the great dishonour and reproach of his name: to his M. Goodwin replyes, in the 28. Section.
For the interchange of members between Christ and Sathan, the Scripture presenteth it, as a thing possible, yea as frequent and ordinary, know ye not (saith the Apostle) that your Bodyes are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot; in the originall it is, foreign, &c. i. e. taking away the members of Christ, shall I make them, &c. meaning that true Believers who only are the members of Christ disrelate themselves to him, cease to be members of his body, whilst they live in a course of whoredome and Adultery, and make themselves members of another far different relation, viz. of those harlots with whom they will fully commit sinne, and consequently, in such a sence of the Divell.
Ans. First, for the sence of that place of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6. 15. As farre as it relates to the merit of the cause in hand, I shall have occasion to speake unto it, at large hereafter, & so shall not anticipate my selfe, or Reader; For the present I deny that there is the least mention made of any interchange of members between Christ and the Devill, much lesse of any such thing as frequent and ordinary; 'Tis true the Apostle sayes that he that is joyned to an harlot makes his members the members of an harlot, and on that consideration, and conclusion, with part of the dignity of Believers, whose persons are all the members of Christ, perswades them from the sinne of Fornication; That they may so much as fall into that sinne, he doth not here intimate. That men not only in respect of themselves, and their principles of sinne, and pronenesse unto it, within, with the prevalency of Temptations, but also eventually, notwithstanding any regard or respect to other externall prohibiting causes, may fall into all the sinnes from which they are dehorted, Mr Goodwin hath not proved as yet, nor shall I live, to see him do it.
Secondly, for a man to make himselfe the member of an harlot, is no more but to commit Fornication: which whether it be Mr Goodwin's Judgement or no, that none can fall into or be surprised with, but he is ipso facto cut of from the Body of Christ thereby, I know not; Taking in the consideration of what was spoken before, concerning the manner of Regenerate persons sinning, with what shall be farther argued, I must professe, I dare not say so; In the meane time, it is punctually denied, that Believers can fall into, or live in a course of Whoredome and Adultery, and without such a course, they cease not according to M. Goodwin's sence of these words, to be members of Christ, nor doe they otherwise become members of the Divell. There is nothing here then that intimates such an interchange in the least.
Thirdly, for M. Goodwins criticisme upon the word foreign: it is hardly worth taking notice of.
For First, If by taking, there be meant taking away, the sence must be, that they are first taken away from being members of Christ (the word expressing a time past in that tendency) and then, made members of an Harlot: which First, is not suited to the mind of M. Goodwin, who endeavours to prove their ceasing to be members of Christ, by becoming members of an Harlot; the efficient cause of their ceasing to be joyned to Christ, consisting in their being joyned with an Harlot. And Secondly, destroyes the whole scope of the Apostles reasoning in the place, from the great unworthinesse of such a way, or practice, as making the members of Christ, to be the members of an Harlot, because none should so be made, but those who had first creased to be members of Christ; and so his Assertion instead of an effectuall perswasive, should upon the matter be entangled in a contradiction to it selfe.
And Secondly,§. 44. as there is nothing in the place to inforce that sence of the word, so there is nothing in the word, to impose that sence upon the place; When our Saviour speaks to his Disciples Luke 9. 3. foreign, he doth not bid them take nothing away for their journey, but take nothing with them. And so Marke 6. 6. Where his command is, that foreign, and in that of Math: 4. 6. When the Divell urged to our Saviour, foreign, he did not intimate that the Angells should take him away in their hands, but support him from hurt: when Jesus Ioh: 11 41. foreign: he did not take away his eyes out of his head, and cast them upward, no more then the Angell did his hand, when foreign, Rev: 10. 5. or the Apostles their voyce, when foreign, Acts 4. 24. Nor doth Christ command us to take away his yoake, in that heavenly word of his, foreign, Math: 11. 29. so that here is little help left to this sence imposed on the place, under consideration, from the importance of the word, & so consequently not the least countenance given to that horrible interchange of members between Christ and the Divell, which is asserted as an usuall and frequent thing.
What he addeth in the close of the Section,§. 45. is no lesse considerable than the beginning of it; for (saith he) if it be no dishonour to Christ, to take in such as have been members of the Divell, why should it be any disparagement to him to reject such, who by their wicked and abominable wayes render themselves unworthy of such a Relation.
Ans. Believers hold not their Relation to Christ, upon any worthinesse that is in themselves for it, but upon the account meerely of Grace, according to the tenour of the Covenant of Mercy. That they may fall into such wicked and abominable waies, as shall render them altogether unmeet for that Relation, according to the Law of it, is that great Argument call'd petitio principii which Mr Goodwin hath used in this case an hundred times. But the comparison instituted in the first words is admirable; Confest it is, that 'tis no dishonour to Jesus Christ; yea, that 'tis his great honour, seeing he came to destroy the workes of the Devill, to bind the strong man, to spoyle his goods, to destroy him that had the power of death, and to deliver them who by reason of death were in bondage all their dayes, to deliver his people from their sinnes, washing them in his bloud, and to make them a peculiar people unto himselfe, zealous of good workes; that 'tis no dishonour (I say) for him to translate them from the power of Sathan, into his own Kingdome, making them meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, by redeeming them from their vaine Conversation, to do according as he intended, and to take his own, given him of his Father, out of the hands of the Tyrant which held them under bondage. Therefore having undertaken to keep them and preserve them, having so overcome Sathan in them, for them, by them, broken the head of the Serpent, 'tis no dishonour for him, to loose ground given for his Inheritance, with his subjects, members, brethren, children, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, into the hand of the Devill againe; what fort is so strong as to hold out against such a battery? If it be no honour for Christ to bind Sathan, and to spoile his goods, then 'tis no dishonour for him to be bound by Sathan and to have his goods spoiled.
Another burthen upon the shoulders of Mr Goodwin's Doctrine,§. 46. whereof he labours to deliver it, is the great Absurdity of the Repetition of Regeneration, whereof there is no mention at all in the Scripture, and which yet must be Asserted by him, unlesse he will affirme all that fall away at any time irrecoverably to perish; which howsoever he waves at present, were with much more probability according to his owne principles, to be maintained, than what he insisteth on.
But this repetition of Regeneration (saith he) is not unworthy God, and for men a blessed and happy accommodation; whether it be unworthy God or no, the Scripture, and the nature of the thing will declare. The Accomodation that it seemes to afford unto men, being a plaine incouragement to sinne at the highest rate imaginable, will perhaps not be found so Happy and Blessed unto them. With great noise and clamour, hath a charge been managed against the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance, upon the account of its giving supportment to the thoughts of men, in and under the wayes of sinne; whether Truth and Righteousnesse have been regarded in that charge, hath been considered. Doubtlesse it were a matter of no difficulty, clearely to evince that this Doctrine of the Repetition of Regeneration, is of the very same tendency and import, which is falsly and injuriously charged upon that of the Perseverance of the Saints; The worst that a man thinks he can do by any act of sin, is but to sin himselfe quite out of the favour of God, into a state of death, and desert of wrath. He can no farther injure his soule, than to cast it into the condition of men by nature; Tell this man, now, whom you suppose to be under the temptation to sinne, at least that he hath in him that great foole the flesh which longs for Blessed Accommodations to its selfe, whilest it makes provision to fulfill its lusts, that if he should so do, this is an ordinary thing for men to do, and yet to be renewed againe and to have a Second Regeneration; do you not incourage him to venture boldly to satisfy his sinfull desires, having such a reliefe against the worst that his thoughts and feares can suggest to him?
But whatever it be in respect of God or men, yet that so it may be Mr Goodwin proves from. Heb. 6. 6. Where 'tis said, that 'tis impossible to renew some to repentance, wherefore some may be renewed; and in Jude 12. Men are said to be twice dead, therefore they may live twice Spiritually; The first proofe seemes somewhat uncouth. The persons spoken of in that place are in M. G. judgement Believers; there is no place of Scripture wherein he more tryumphs in his endeavoured confirmation of his Thesis. The Holy Ghost says expresly of thē, that 'tis impossible to renew thē: therefore says M.G. 'tis possible; what is of emphasis in the Argument mentioned ariseth frō two things. 1. That they are true Believers of which afterwards. 2. That they fall totally away; This then is the importance of M. Goodwins plea, from this place, If true believers fall totally away, it is impossible they should be renewed to Repentance, therefore if true Believers fall totally away, it is possible they should be renewed to and by Repentance; that there is a falling away, and a renewing againe by Repentance of the same persons, we grant. That falling away is partiall only, which is incident unto true Believers, who, when God heales their backslidings, are renewed by Repentance. To be renewed also by Repentance, is taken either for the renovation of our Natures, and our change as unto state and condition, and so it is the same with Regeneration and not to be repeated; or for a Recovery by Repentance in respect of personall failings, so it is the daily worke of our lives. Jude saies, some are twice dead; that is, utterly so, an hyperbolicall expression to aggravate their condition. Those to whom the Gospell is a favour of Death unto Death, may well be said to be twice dead; unto the Death that they are involved in, and are obnoxious to by nature, they adde a second death, or rather, seale up their soules under the power and misery of the other, by contempt of the means of Life and recovery; therefore Regeneration may be reiterated: Quod erat Demonstrandum.
Much of the Section that remains, is taken up, in declaring in many words without the least attempt of proofe, that 'tis agreeable to the honour of God, to renew men totally fallen away; that is, when those who have been quickned by him, washt in the bloud of his Sonne, made partakers of the Divine nature, imbrac'd in the armes of his Love, shall despise all this, dis-faith themselves, reject the Lord and his Love, trample on the bloud of the Convenant, kill their soules, by depriving them of spirituall life, proclaime to all the world, their dislike of him, and his Covenant of Grace; yet though he hath not any where revealed, that he will permit any one so to doe, or that he will accept of them againe, upon their so doing; yet M. Goodwin affirming that for him so to doe, is agreeable to his Holinesse and Righteousnesse, 'tis fit that those who conceive themselves bound to believe what ever he saies, should think so too; for my part I am at liberty.
I should not farther pursue this discourse, nor insist on this digression, but that M. Goodwin hath taken advantage by the mention of Regeneration, to deliver some rare notions of the nature of it, which deserve a little our farther taking notice of, for which end doubtlesse he published them. To make way then for his intendment, he informes us (Sect: 29.) That Regeneration it selfe, according to the Grammaticall and proper signification of the word imports a reiteration, or repetition of some generation or other; it cannot import a Repetition of the naturall all Generation of men; the sence of Nicodemus in this poynt was Orthodox, who judged such a thing impossible, therefore it must import a repetition of a spirituall generation, unlesse we shall say (which I think is the road opinion) that it signifies only the spirituall generation with a kind of reflection upon, and unto the birth Naturall.
Ans. First, That the Grammaticall sence of the word imports a Reiteration of some generation, is only said; foreign hath other signification in composition, besides the intimating of a reiteration of the same thing: either in specie, or individually, the same againe; foreign would seeme rather to inforce such an Interpretation, than foreign, which yet it doth not: It is spoken of that which hath no birth properly at all, as Philo de Mundo, foreign of it selfe is only through,
foreign Hom. foreign. through a wooddy Countrey; foreign, Resurrection, doth not import againe, after another rising before, but a restauration from a lost state; so is foreign used Math: 19. 28. to be regenerate, is to have a new, and another generation, not any one repeated; In the place mentioned of John by M. Goodwin, there is mention neither of a repetition of a former generation, nor directly of a new one: Though it be so, it is not there called so; our Saviour at first saies, foreign, unlesse a man be borne from above: as the word is elsewhere rendred, and properly signifies, as Iohn 3. 31. %Iohn 19. 11. %Mark. 15. 38. %Iames 3. 17. and sometimes of old or former daies, as Acts 26. 5. once only, it signifies againe, Gal: 4. 9. but there joyned with foreign, which restraines it. And in the exposition afterwards of what he intended by that Expression, he calls it simply a being borne of the water & the spirit, v. 5. without the least intimation of the repetition of any birth; but only the asserting of a new spirituall one; called a birth indeed, with allusion to the birth Naturall, which is the road opinion, well beaten ever since Christ first trod that path. Besides, the very same thing which is exprest under the name of Regeneration, being a spirituall birth, which a man had not before, is also delivered unto us in such words, and termes, as manifest no reiteration of any state, condition, or thing to be included therein; as Conversion to God, a Quickning from death, Sanctification by the spirit, &c. all which manifest the induction of a new Life and forme, and not the Repetition of another; hence the ancients called Baptisme, Regeneration; being the initiall ordinance of Christianity, and expressive of the new life, which in, and through Christ, we receive; and that from Tit. 3. 5. Regeneration then neither in the import of the word, nor in the nature of the thing, doth require a reiteration of any generation, but only the addition of a new one, to that which a man hath before; and whereunto this doth allude. The receiving of a new spirituall Birth and Life, is our Regeneration, Renovation, Resurrection, Quickning, implanting into Christ, and the like: so that the foundation of all the ensuing discourse, is a meere quagmire, where no firme footing can be obtained; and of the same Nature is that which ensues; It is (saith he) the common sence of Divines, that the two generations mentioned, the Naturall and spirituall, are membra dividentia, and contra-distinguished the one unto the other; and so the Apostle Peter too seemes to state and represent them; as also our Saviour himselfe Ioh: 3. 6. %Now there can hardly any instance be given, where the introducing of one contrary forme or quality into the Subject, is termed a reiteration, or repetition of the other; Calefaction (for example) is never termed a repetition of Frigefaction, nor Calefaction called a reiteration of Frigefaction; nor when a Regenerate or mortifyed man dyeth his naturall death, is he said to reiterate or repeat his Spirituall death.
Ans, That in the terme Regeneration two births are implyed, may be granted: that the same is intimated to be repeated, is denyed: and not proved at all; And therefore Mr Goodwin sayes well, that the introducing of a contrary forme, is not called the reiteration of an other, no more is it here; our new birth is called our Regeneration, or new generation, in allusion to our naturall birth, not as a repetition of it, neither is the Allusion in respect of the contrary qualityes wherewith the one, and the other are attended, but in respect of the things themselves, in which regard, as they are not the same, so they are not contrary but diverse. They are both births, the one Naturall the other Spirituall; Naturall and Spirituall in that sence are not contrary qualityes, but diverse adjuncts; and so are the two births compared, 1 Pet. 1. 23. Iohn 1. 13. In which last place our Regeneration is exprest under the simple terme of being borne, with distinction to the naturall birth, and not the least intimation of the iteration of any birth or Generation subjoyned; so also is it Iames 1. 18. so that hitherto little progresse is made by Mr Goodwin towards his intendment whatever it be; thus then he expresseth it.
I rather (saith he) conceive that Regeneration which the Scripture makes appropriable only unto persons living to yeares of discretion,§. 48. who generally in the dayes of their youth, degenerate from the innocency of their childhood & younger yeares, and corrupt themselves with the principles & wayes of the world, relates not to the Naturall generation as such, I meane, as naturall, but unto the Spirituall estate and condition of men in respect of their Naturall generation and birth, in and upon which they are if not simply & absolutely yet comparatively, innocent, harmeles, free from pride and malice; and inrespect of these qualifications, in Grace and favour with God, upon the account of the death and sufferings of Christ for them, as we shall afterwards prove.
Here you have the summe of the designe, and the Doctrine of Regeneration cleared from all those vaine and erroneous opinions, wherewith it hath so long been clouded. It is, the returning of men into the good state and condition wherein they are borne, after they have degenerated into waies of wickednesse; we thought it had been the quickening of them, who are by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes, their being begotten againe by the will of God, the bestowing of a new principle of Spirit and Life upon them, a Translation from Death to Life, the opening of blind eyes, making them who were darknesse, to be light in the Lord. It seemes we have all this while been in the darke, and that Regeneration indeed, is only a returning to that condition from whence we thought it had been a delivery; but let us a little see the Demonstration of this new notion of Regeneration.
First, (he saith) the Scripture makes it appropriable only to them who come to yeares of discretion. Sir, your proofe; we cannot take your bare word in a thing of this importance. In the place your selfe chose to mention, as the foundation you laid of the inferences you are now making, our Saviour saies, tis a being borne of the spirit; doth the Scripture make this appropriable only unto men of discretion? Men only of discretion then can enter into the Kingdome of God; for none, not so borne of the Spirit shall enter therein Ioh. 3. 5. If none but men of discretion can be borne of the Spirit, then infants have no other birth but only that of the flesh; and that which is borne of the flesh is flesh, v. 6. Not capable of entring into the Kingdome of heaven; surely you better deserve the title of durus pater infantum, than He to whom of old 'twas given; perhaps a grosser figment was never framed by a man of Discretion.
Secondly, It is true, Infants are comparatively innocent, in respect of Actuall Transgressions but equally nocent and guilty with Sinners of discretion, in respect of naturall state and condition. They are no lesse obnoxious to that death, from whence our Regeneration is a delivery, by the bestowing of a new Spirituall life, than a sinner of an hundred yeares old; A returning to this condition, it seemes, is Regeneration. Quantum est in rebus inane!
Thirdly, The qualifications of Infants not Regenerated, are meerely negative and that in respect of the acts of sinne, not the habituall seed and root of them; for in them dwells no good; that in respect of these qualifications of Innocency that are in them by nature Antecedent to any Regeneration (all which are resolved into a Naturall impotency of perpetrating sinne) they are accepted in Grace and favour with God, had been another new notion, had not Pelagius and Socinus before you fallen upon it; without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And his wrath abides on them that Believe not. Iohn 3. 36. That Infants have or may have Faith, and not be regenerated, will scarcely be granted by them who believe the Spirit of Christ to cause Regeneration where he is bestowed Tit. 3. 5. And all Faith to be the Fruit of that Spirit; Gal 5. 26, 27. Farther for the qualifications of Infants by Nature; how are they brought cleane, from that which is uncleane? Are they not conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquity? Or was that Davids hard case alone? If they are borne of the flesh, and are flesh, if they are uncleane, how come they to be in that estate, upon the account of their Qualifications accepted in the Love and favour of him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity? If this be the Doctrine of Regeneration that M. G. preaches I desire the Lord to blesse them that belong unto him, in a deliverance from attending thereunto. Of the Effects of the death of Christ, in respect of all children I shall not now treat; That they should be saved by Christ not washed in his Bloud, not sanctifyed by his Spirit, (which to be is to be Regenerate,) is another new notion of the new Gospell.