The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance, Chapter 16

The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance · Chapter 16

p. 376CAP. XVI.

1. M. G's seaventh Argument about the tendency of the Doctrine of the Saints Aposlas… as to their consolation proposed. 2. Considered: what that doctrine offereth for the consolation of the Saints, offered: the impossibility of its affording the least true consolation manifested. 3. The influence of the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance into their consolation. 4. The medium whereby M. G. confirmes his Argument examined: what kind of Nurse for the Peace and consolation of the Saints, the Doctrine of Apostasy is; whether their obedience be farthered by it: what are the causes and springs of true consolation. 5. M. G. Eight Argument proposed to consideration. 6. Answer thereunto: the minor Proposition considered: the Holy Ghost not afraid of the Saints miscarriages. 7. The confirmation of his Minor Proposition proposed and considered. 8. The Discourse assigned to the Holy Ghost by M. G. according to our principles: 9. Considered: 10. Exceptions against it, the First: 11. The Second. 12. The Third. 13. The Fourth. 14. The Fifth. 15. The Sixth. 16. The Seaventh. 17. The foundation of M.G. Pageant everted. 18. The proceedings of the Holy Ghost in exhortations according to our principles: 19. Sophismes in the former discourse farther discovered. 20. His farther plea in this case proposed: 21. Considered: 22. The instance of Christ and his obedience considered, and vindicated as to the application of it, to the businesse in hand. 23. M.G. last Argument proposed. 24. Examined. 25. 1 Ioh▪ 2. 19. explained. 26. Vindicated. 27. Argument from thence for the Perseverance of the Saints. 28. M.G. exceptions thereunto. 29. Considered; and 30. Removed. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. The same words farther perused. 38. M.G. Consent with the Remonstrants manifested by his trascriptions from their Synodalia. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. Our Argument from 1 Ioh. 2. 19. fully cleared. 48. The conclusion of the examination of M. G. Arguments for the Apostasy of the Saints.

p. 377THE seaventh Argument which Mr Goodwin insisteth upon,§. 1. in the 36. Section of his 13. Chapter containes one of the greatest Rarities, he hath to shew in the whole packe, concerning the influence of the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy into their Consolation in their walking with God, an undertaking so uncapable of any Logicall Confirmation, as that though Mr Goodwin interweave his Discourse concerning it with a Sillogisme, yet he quickly leaves that thorney path, and pursues it only with a Rhetoricall flourish of words, found out and set in order to deceive; At the head then of his Discourse he placeth this Argument as it is called.

That Doctrine whose genuine and proper tendency is to advance the peace and joy of the Saints in Believing, is of a naturall sympathy, with the Gospell, and upon this account a truth; such is the Doctrine, which informeth the Saints of a possibility of their totall and finall falling away: Ergo.

The Proposition of this syllogisme he supposes we will grant,§. 2. and (not to trouble the Reader with the Qualifications, and limitations formerly annexed, to that which proposed the furtherance of the obedience of the Saints, as a proofe of the truth of any Doctrine) for my part I do. For the proofe of the Assumption wherein alone Mr Goodwin's interest in this Argument doth lye, He referrs us to his 9. Chapter: where, as he tells us, (if we may believe him) he hath undenyably demonstrated the truth of it. But we have considered whatever looks that way in that Chapter, and have found it all as Chaffe and stubble, before the breath of the Spirit of the Lord in the Word. That which lyes upon his shoulders, to support; (A burthen too heavy for him to beare) & whose demonstration he hath undertaken is, that it tends to the Peace, Joy, & Consolation of the Saints of God, in their walking with him (which arises from, and solely depends upon that assurance they have of their eternall fruition of him through Christ) to be instructed, that indeed they are in themselves weake, unable to do any thing as they ought, that they have no strength to continue in the Mercy of God, but carry about with them a body of death, and that they are continually exposed to a world of Temptations, whereby many strong men fall down, thrust through and are slaine every day, and that in this condition there is no consideration of the Immutability or Vnchangeablenesse of God, that may secure them of the continuance of his Love to them, no eternall purpose of his that he will preserve them, & keepe them, through his power, no Promise of not leaving them, or of giving them such supplyes of his Spirit and Grace that they shall never forsake, nor leave him, nothing in the Covenant, or Oath of God whereby it is confirmed, to Assure them of an Abiding, and a not-to-be destroyed communion with him, that Christ by his death and oblation hath not so taken away the guilt of their sins, nor laid such a sure foundation, for the destruction of the power of them, as that they shall not arise either way to their ruine: That he intercedes not for their Preservation in Faith and Holinesse, upon the account of which state and condition, of things, many of the most eminent Saints that ever served God in this world, have utterly fallen out of his Love and Favour, and have p. 378been cast out of covenant from whence though perhaps some few have been recovered, yet for the greatest part of them, have perished everlastingly (as is the state in reference unto many in every Generation,) only such may do well to consider what a fearefull & desperate issue, their Apostacy will have, if they should so fall, and what an eminent reward, with what Glory is proposed to them if they persevere. That I say the instruction of the Saints, in this Doctrine, is a singular meanes of promoting their Consolation and establishing their peace, is that which (doubtlesse with undervaluing thoughts of all with whom he hath to do) he hath undertaken to prove. I doubt not but that Mr Goodwin thought sometimes of the good old Rule, sumite materiam vestris qui scribitis aequam viribus & versare di… quid ferre recusent, quid veleant humori. Selfe-confidence is hereby setled and fixed with considerations: & though M. G. in the close of this Section, tels us, That sundry Godly and seriously Religious persons, when they heard this Doctrine published which he now asserts, with their wbole hearts blessed God for it: Yet truly I cannot but question whether, yea I must positively deny that ever any Saint of God received Consolation by the doctrine of the Saints Apostacy, a lye exceedingly unsuited to the production of any such effect, any further than that all Errour whatsoever is apt to defile and cauterise the Conscience, so deceiving it with sencelessenesse for peace; Perhaps some of Mr Goodwin's hearers who either were so ignorant, or so negligent, as not to be acquainted with this Doctrine before, in the attempts made for that the propagation of it, by the latter broode of Prelats and Arminians amongst us, upon his delivery of it with inticing words of humane wisedome, helped on by the venerable esteeme they have of his transcendent parts and abilityes, through the cunning of Sathan, improving the itching after new Doctrines, which is fallen upon the minds and spirits of many professours in this age, have rejoyced under the shadow of this bramble, set up to rule in their Congregation: And (according as is the constant manner of all, in our dayes that are insnared with any errour be it never so pernitious) have blessed God for it, professing they never found rest nor peace before; yet I no way question for such as feare the Lord, and are yet bowed downe under the weight, and carryed away with the strength of Mr Goodwin's Rethoricke for a season, will quickly finde a fire proceeding out of that newly enthroned Doctrine, preying upon and consuming all their Joy, Peace, and Consolation, or (which I rather hope) a fire proceeding out of their Faith, (the Faith once delivered to the Saints) to the utter confusion & consumption of this bramble scratching errour in the meane time if the eminent appearance of many thousands of the Saints of God, in this Nation (whereof many are fallen asleepe, and many continue to this day) testifying and bearing witnesse to the Joy & Consolation they have found, & that upon Spirituall demonstrative grounds in being cast into the mould of the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance for many dayes, be of no weight with Mr Goodwin, I know not why his single Testimony (which yet as to the matter of fact I no way question) concerning some few Persons by himselfe seduced, into a perswasion of their Apostacy, blessing God for the discovery made to them (the constant Practise of all persons in their first intanglement, in the foulest and grossest errours whatever) should sway us much to any good liking of it.

The influence of the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance,§. 3. into their consolation, hath been sufficiently already evinced, when we manifested, the support of their Faith and Love, the conquest of their feare and troubles thereby; so that I shall not need, farther to insist thereon. It was in my thoughts indeed, to have handled the nature of Gospell Consolation, that which God is so abundantly willing the heires of promise should receive, at large, both as to the p. 379nature and Causes of it, the meanes of its preservation; The oppositions that lye against it: and by all the Considerations of it, to have manifested, That it is utterly impossible to keep it alive one moment in the heart of a Believer, without the contribution of supportment it receives from the Doctrine in hand. And that those who refuse to receive it, as usually delivered, indeed have none, nor can have any drop of it, but what is instilled into them, from, and by the power and efficacy, which secretly in and upon their hearts that truth hath, which in words they oppose: all their peace and comfort, being indeed absolutely proportioned, to that which the Doctrine of the Saints perseverance tends to confirme, and to nothing else. But this Discourse growing under my hands beyond all thought or expectation, I shall now only keep close to the removall of the Exceptions made against it, and hasten to a close.

I must not leave this Argument,§. 4. without taking notice of the Medium, whereby M. Goodwin supposeth himselfe to have confirmed the truth of the assumption, laid downe at the entrance, or, to have manifested the good complexion (as he phrases it) of that nurse he hath provided for the Consolation of the Saints (a Nurse with breasts of flint, and a heart of Iron, hath, this Cruell man provided for them; a Nurse whom God will never admit into his family, nor ever expose his childrens lives, to any such Wolfe, or Tygre, as will certainly starve them, if not devoure them: Rather a curst, yea an accursed step-dame, than a nurse; who when the children aske for bread, gives them a stone; and when they begge for fish, gives them a Scorpion: A false and treacherous hireling, doing 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 p. 380one 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.

p. 381If 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 use of Admonitions and Exhortations to them in that condition, hath been already declared; for the present, I shall only adde; That let their finall Apostasy, in respect of the Event, be never so impossible, yet in the state and condition wherein they are, and from the things which they are exercised about, with the Principles on which they proceed, and the wayes whereby they are led on, considerations enough, may be raised to set forth those Exhortations, Admonitions, and Encouragements, appointed by the Holy Ghost, to be used and insisted on, in the Administration of the Word, in the Beauty and splendor of infinite Wisdome, Love, and Kindnesse. The glory of God being so eminently concerned, as it is, in the Obedience, and fruitfulnesse of the Saints; the honour of the Lord Jesus in this World, with the advancement, and propagation of the Gospell, in like manner relating there unto; Their own peace lying so much, as it doth upon their close walking with God, the spirit being so grieved by their falling into sinne, as he is, God so dishonoured, and themselves exposed to such fearfull desertions, darknesse, trouble, sorrow, and disquietments as they are, upon their being overcome by the temptations of Satan, and prevailed upon to turne aside into waies and sinnes, short of totall Apostasy, and it being the purpose of the Lord, to lead them on in obedience, in wayes suitable to that nature, he created them withall, and that New nature wherewith he hath endued them, (both apt to be wrought upon by Motives, Exhortations, and Perswasions) without any such supposall, as that of finall Apostasy; There is a sufficient bottome and foundation of exalting the motives and admonitions insisted on, to the possession of that Glory, of Wisdome, and Goodnesse which is their due. But M. Goodwin having borrowed another Pageant from the Remonstrants, had a great mind to shew it to the World, in its English dresse, and therefore introduces the Holy Ghost, thus speaking in the Admonitions above pointed at.

Suppose we then the Holy-Ghost should speake thus unto the Saints,§. 8. Oh yee that truly Believe, who by vertue of the promises of that God that cannot lye, are fully perswaded and possest that ye shall be kept by God, by his irresistible Grace, in true Faith untill Death; so that though Satan should set all his witts on worke, and by all his stratagems, snares, and cunning devices, seek to destroy you, yea though he should entice you away from God, by the allurements of the World, and entangle you with them againe, yea and should cause you to runne and rush headlong against the Light of your own Consciences, into all manner of horrid sinnes, yet shall all his attempts and assaults upon you in every kind be in vain, & you shall be in never the more danger, or possibility of perishing: VntoUnto you (I say) attend and consider how sore and dangerous a contest you are like to be ingaged in, for you are to wrestle not against Flesh and Bloud, but against Principalities and Powers, the governors of this World, and spirituall wickednesses, against that old Serpent the Divell, the great red Dragon who was a murtherer from the beginning, and who still goes about p. 382like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devoure, Who will set himselfe with all his might, to thrust you headlong into all manner of sinnes, and so to separate 'tweene you and your God for ever; And truly I am afraid, least as the Serpent by his subtilty deceived Eve, so your minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity which is in Jesus Christ, least the tempter should any way tempt you, and my labour about you be in vaine; Therefore Watch, Pray, Resist him stedfast in the Faith; Take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to resist in an evill day, and having done all things stand fast; Stand having your loines girt with the girdle of truth, and the brestplate of Righteousnesse upon you: Would such an Oration or speech as this be any way worthy the Infinite wisedome of the Holy Ghost? Or is it not the part of a very weake and simple person to admonish a man and that in a most serious and solemne manner of a danger threatning him, or hanging over his head, and withall to instruct him with great variety of direction and caution how to escape this danger, when as both himselfe knows, and the person admonished knowes likewise that it is a thing altogether impossible that ever the danger should befall him, or the evill against which he is so solemnely cautioned come upon him? Therefore those who make the Holy Ghost to have part and fellowship in such weaknesse as this are most insufferably injurious unto him.

Ans. To support the Stage for to act this part of the pageant in hand upon,§. 9. there are many supposalls fixed by our Author, that are to beare up the weight of the whole, which upon tryall will appeare to arrant false pretences, painted anticks, that have not the least strength or efficacy for the end and purpose whereunto they are applied.

First,§. 10. 'Tis supposed, that the end of all these admonitions, is meerely and solely to prevent the Saints from finall Apostasy; and that they are to beware of the wiles and assaults of Satan, only least he prevaile over them, to cause them to depart utterly from God; That this is supposed in this discourse is evident, because upon the granting of a promise, that they shall not be so prevailed against, they are judged all uselesse and ridiculous: Now who knows not but that Satan may winnow, and in some measure prevaile against the Saints, to the Dishonour of God, the Reproach of the Gospell, Grieving of the Spirit, and Scandall of the Church, although they fall not totally and finally from God; And that many of those Admonitions, tend to the preservation of Believers, from such falls and failings, is more evident than to need any Demonstration by consideration of the particular instances.

Secondly,§. 11. It supposeth as is exprest, that Believers may fall into all manner of horrid sinnes and Abominations, which is the thing in Question, and by us punctually denied: What ever their surprizalls may be, yet there are sinnes which they cannot fall into: and the great abomination of every sinne, that 'tis committed with the whole heart, and with full consent, they are not at all exposed or liable unto, as hath been proved.

Thirdly,§ 12. That there is an inconsistency between Promises and Precepts, in reference to the same Object; that God should promise to worke any thing effectually in us, and yet require it of us, is thought ridiculous, and on this account the great folly here imputed to the discourse framed for the Holy Ghost, is proposed to consist in this, that God should exhort us, to watch against the assaults of the Divell, and yet promise that by his Grace, he will effectually work in us, & for us, the very same thing; A supposall destructive to the whole nature of the New-Covenant, easily disproved by innumerable instances.

Fourthly,§. 13. That Believers are to be wrought upon to obedience alwaies, whatever the frame of their spirits be, by the same waies and meanes; Thence 'tis that promises, promises of highest and greatest assurance, are p. 383in this discourse, coupled with cautions of the deepest charge, as though they must at the same time operate the same way to Believers, or else the Holy-Ghost be liable to be traduced, as inconsistent with himselfe. When the great variety that is in their spirituall frame and temper, the manifold Temptations wherewith they are assaulted, the Light and Darke places they walke through &c. give occasion sufficient to the exercising towards them, all the piping and mourning that is provided for them.

Fiftly,§. 14. That all Believers are assured of their Perseverance, & that to such a degree as not to feare any Apostasy, or to care what becomes of them (that is assured to presumption not Believing,) & therefore are those Cautions and Admonitions of the Holy Ghost on that Account, tending to stirre up in them any Godly care or feare rendred frustrate; when M. Goodwin himselfe, thinks that very few of them, doe upon any good and abiding foundation, know themselves to be Believers. And we never once supposed that all of them have Assurance of their Perseverance, nor any of them upon the termes here proposed; all the strength of what is here insinuated lyes in this that God gives Assurance to men of the stedfastnesse, and constancy of his Love, under supposall of their falling into all manner of abominable sinnes; Which supposall alone renders an inconsistency between the sence of the Promises we embrace, and that of the Admonitions that are given to the Saints charging them to walke heedfully and to watch diligently against the attempts and assaults of Sathan. Now this supposall is in it selfe false and ridiculous: Neither ever did the Lord, nor do we ever say he did, tender men Assurance of his Love on such termes; Neither is it possible for any one for ever to have a true perswasion of his owne Perseverance under such notions.

Sixtly,§: 15. That there is an inconsistency betwixt Faithfull Promises of attaining an end by the use of meanes, and Exhortation with Admonitions, to make use of those meanes; so that if it be supposed that God promiseth that Sathan shall not in the issue prevaile over us prescribing to us the meanes whereby we shall be preserved from his prevalency, 'tis in vaine to deale with us for the application of our selves, unto the use of those meanes.

Seaventhly,§. 16. 'Tis also supposed that an Assurance of the Love of God and the continuance of it to the Saints unto the end, so that they shall be never utterly rejected by him is an effectuall way & meanes to induce them to carnall & loose walking, and a negligence in those things, which are a provocation to the eyes of his Glory, and therefore if he Promise Faithfully never to leave us nor forsake us, it is an inducement for us to conclude, let the Divell now take his swing & do with us what he pleaseth. To exhort us to take care for the avoidance of his subtiltyes and opposition is a thing altogether ridiculous; The vanity of this supposall, hath been sufficiently before discovered and it selfe disproved.

Upon such Hypotheses as these (I say) upon such painted posts,§. 17. is the whole pageant erected which we are here ingaged withall; and these being easily cast down, the whole rushes to the ground, in the roome whereof according to our principles this following Discourse may be supplyed.

You that are true Believers,§. 18. called, Justifyed, Sanctifyed by the Spirit and Bloud of Christ, adopted into my family ingrafted in, & united unto the Son of my Love, I know your weakenesse, insufficiency, disability, darkenesse, how that without my Sonne and continuall supply of his Spirit, you can do nothing, the power of your Indwelling sinne, is not hid from me, how with violence it leads you captive to the Law thereof, and though ye do believe, yet I know you have yet also some unheal'd unbeliefe and on that account are often overwhelmed with Feares, Sorrowes, Disconsolations and Troubles, and are p. 384ready often to thinke that your way is passed over form me, and your Judgment hidden from your God: And in this Condition, I know the Assaults, Temptations, and Oppositions of Sathan that you are exposed to, how he goes up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking to destroy you, his wayes, Methods, wiles and baits (that he layes for you, and whereby he seekes to destroy you) are many, he acts against you as a Serpent subtilly and wisely; as a Lyon dreadfully and fearefully, and with snares not of you, by your selves to be resisted: you have Principallityes, and Powers to wrestle withall, and the darts of the wicked one to defend your selves against, Wherefore beware of him, be not ignorant of his devices, stand fast in the Faith, take to you the whole armour of God, resist him, overcome him, cast him out by prayer, and the bloud of the Lambe, watch night and day that you be not surprised nor seduced (as Eve was) by him, that he turne you not out of the way into pathes leading to destruction, and thrust you headlong, into such sinnes as will be a dishonour to me, a griefe to my Spirit a scaudall to the Church, and bitternesse to your owne soules; And as for me, who know your disability of your selves to do any of these things, and so to hold to the end, because it pleased me to love you, & set my heart upon you, having chosen you before the Foundation of the world, that you should be holy and unblameable before me in Love, & having given my only Sonne unto you, who is your peace & through whom you have received the Attonement, with whom I will not deny you or withhold from you any thing that may safeguard your abiding with me unto Salvation, I will through the riches of my Grace, worke all your workes for you, fulfilling in you all the good pleasure of my Goodnesse & the worke of Faith with power, I will tread down Sathan, this cruell, proud, Malicious, bloudy enemy of your Soules, under your feet, and though at any time he soile you, yet ye shall not be cast down, for I will take you up, and will certainly preserve you by my power, to the end of your hope, the Salvation of your soules; whatever betide you, or befall you, I will never leave you, nor forsake you, the mountaines may depart and the hills be removed, but my kindnesse shall never be removed from you, comfort ye, be of good courage, and runne with joy the race that is set before you.

This (I say) is the language which according to the tenour of the Doctrine whose maintenance we are ingaged in, God speakes to his Saints and Believers, and if there be folly and inconsistency found therein, let the Scriptures vindicate and plead for themselves.

Secondly, For the close of this Discourse of our Author, charging this course of proceedure with folly; viz. To give admonition to the use of meanes, when the end is certainely determined to issue upon the use of those meanes, he must first evince it as to the application of it to the businesse in hand, before I can close with him in the managing thereof: for the present I rather think the folly of this charge, as far as it lookes towards the Doctrine under consideration to arise from other things. As

First, An Impertinent comparison instituted between God and man in their Admonitions and dealings with men; as though nothing might beseeme him in Spirituall things of eternall concernement, but what is squared to the rules of our proceedings one towards another, in things Naturall or Civill. And▪

Secondly, A false supposall that the end is promised and assured to any, without or besides the use of meanes, or walking according to the rules, precepts, and instructions given for that purpose, or for Attainement of the end so promised. Now what folly there is to charge men to use meanes for the attaining of an end, when they are, although Exhorted, also Assured, that in their so p. 385doing, they shall attaine the end aimed at, is yet under contest? And may passe for the present with those other Ridiculous supposalls, formerly mentioned.

But Mr Goodwin proceedes farther in the vindication of this Argument Sect. 38.§. 20.

And whereas (saith he) they still plead, or pretend rather, that such admonitions as these lately specifyed may well stand with an unconditioned Promise of Perseverance, we have formerly shewed, that they are not able to make good this plea, nor to give any reasonable account of it, whereas they adde that their sence and opinion is not, that tis a thing absolutely or every way impossible for true Believers to fall away totally or finally from their Faith, but that they willingly grant that true Believers what through their owne weakenesse, and what through the subtile baites and temptations of Sathan may so fall away.

I Answer, But this is but a fig-leafe sought out to cover the nakednesse of their Opinion, which hath no strength at all nor weight in it. For what though it were in a thousand other respects never so possible for true Believers to perish, yet if it be altogether impossible in such a respect which over rules all those others, and which will & of necessity must hinder the comming of it to passe, all those other notwithstanding, 'tis to be judged simply and absolutely impossible, and all those respects wereby tis pretended possible are not to be brought into account in such a case.

Ans. §. 21.Whether we are able to make good our plea concerning the consistency of Admonitions with the Promises of Perseverance, Mr Goodwin is not the sole Judge; Neither do either we, or our plea stand or fall at his Arbitrement; What hath been lately spoken for the reinforcement of that plea against his Exceptions, he may if he please, take time to consider.

Secondly, For what is now added in this place as a part of that plea of ours, as tis here proposed we owne not; We doenot grant that true Believers may fall away on any account whatever totally and finally, if the expression, may fall away, relate to the issue and event; We say indeed that by the temptations of Sathan Believers may be prevailed against, to the committing of many sins, the root whereof is in themselves, whilst the lust remaines in them which tempteth and insnareth them, whereby God may be dishononred, and their own Consciences wounded, which is a sufficient ground and bottome for all the Admonitions that are given them to beware of his deceits, to strengthen themselves against his assaults, to be built upon, though through the Grace & Faithfulnesse of God and his goodwill manifested, and secured unto them in his Covenant and Promises, he can never totally prevaile against them.

We say moreover, that 'tis not from Believers themselves, nor any thing in them, nor frō any Faith that they have received, that they cannot so fall finally away; there being in them a pronenes to sin, & the seed of all sin still remaining, yea a root of bitternes ready to spring up & trouble them; but from those outward principles of the Will, Purposes, Covenant & Promises of God which we have formerly insisted on. Farther, that there is no need of granting any such possibility taking that terme, as relating to the issue and event, and not the internall principle of operation in men, to manifest the Harmony that is between the Admonitions under consideration, and the Promises we have insisted on; it being sufficiently evinced on other considerations; So that Mr Goodwins ensuing Discourse concerning Absolute Impossibility is not at all related to any thing that we have asserted.

Thirdly, Neither yet doth the Reason by Mr Goodwin produced, in any measure convince what he intends though we be not concerned therein; He will not easily perswade us that that which is possible in any respect, much p. 386lesse in many, and impossible only in one, is alwayes to be judged Simply and Absolutely impossible; much lesse are we concerned in it, who say that Simply and Absolutely the falling away of Believers is Possible, namely, as the terme possible relates to the principle of operation in them; But in some respects only it is impossible, that is, not of it selfe, but in respect of the externall prohibiting cause. It was Absolutely and simply possible, that the bones of our Saviour should have been broken, in the nature of the thing it selfe: impossible, in respect of the decree of God; So are a thousand things Absolutely possible in their owne nature, as to the power of the causes whereby they might be produced, but impossible in respect of some externall prohibiting cause; Absolutely possible in respect of their proper cause and principle; impossible in respect of the event, upon the the account of some externall prohibiting cause as was shewed. So 'tis in the businesse in hand; We assert not any possibility in respect of the event; As though in the issue it might so come to passe, that Believers should fall totally and finally from God, which is the thing we oppose: but it grant, in respect of the causes of such apostacy, with reference to the nature of the thing it selfe; Though how the possibility might be reduced into act Mr Goodwin cannot declare; As for the close of this Section concerning the Absolute, Peremptory, irresistible decrce of Perseverance which he ascribes to us as our assertion, when he shall have convinced us of the Conditionall, Non-peremptory, reversible decree of God, which he endeavours to introduce in the place thereof, he may here more of us, in the meane time foreign.

Section 39.§. 22. 40. he seekes to alleviate the instance commonly given of our Saviour Christ, who though assured of the end, (and in respect of whom 'twas utterly impossible that his glorious exaltation, should not follow in the issue, he being wholly out of all danger of being detained under the power of Death,) yet he Laboured, and prayed, and fasted, and resisted Satans temptations, and watched against him, and dealt with him, by weapons taken out of the word of God; And in especiall when the Divell urged him with the argument in hand, that there is no need of meanes or the using of them, when there is a certainty of the end, and an impossibility that it should otherwise fall out, or the End not be brought about and accomplished, as he did when he tempted him to cast himselfe headlong from a pinacle of the Temple because the Angells had charge over him, that not so much as his foot should be hurt against a stone, whatever he did, as Sathan intimated, which is the tenour of the Argument wherewith we have to doe, he returnes to him the very Answer that we insist upon, viz. that though it be the good pleasure of God to bring us to the end we aime at, yet are we not to tempt him by a neglect of the meanes which he hath appointed; 'tis true, there are Arguments used to us that could have no place with Christ, being taken from the Estate & Condition of infirmity and weaknesse through sinne, wherein we are; which is a ground only of an Inference, that if Christ who was Holy, Harmelesse, undefiled, separate from sinners, did yet watch and pray and contend against Sathan, much more should we do so. But this doth not at all take off from the parity of Reason that is in case of Diligent using of the meanes, for the compassing of the end, that in some respect is under an impossibility of not being accomplished; For the removeall of this instance Mr Goodwin enters into a large Discourse of the cause and Reason vesting the Lord Christ with an immutability in good, and how 'tis not competent to any Creature: which that it is, never entred into the thoughts of any to assert that I ever heard of; Nor is it of the least importance to the removeall of our Instances as to its serviceablenesse unto the end, for which 'tis produced; He tells us also, That in case men be caused necessit atingly and p. 387unavoidably to act Righteously, it will take away all rewardablenesse from their actings; And the Reason is, because such a necessitating of them, makes them meerly passive they having not any internall principle of their owne to contract such a necessity; which Discourse is pursued with many other words to the same purpose; And a Discourse it is

First, Exceedingly Irrelative to the businesse in hand; there is not any thing now under consideration, that should minister occasion at all, to consider the manner of our yeilding Obedience, and the way of Gods Grace, in the bringing forth the fruits thereof, but only of the consistency that is between Admonitions for the using of the meanes, when 'tis supposed impossible that the end prevented by them should ever come to passe, which may, or may not be so, whatever be the manner and way of our yeelding Obedience upon the exertion of the Efficacy of the Grace of God; Diversion is one of Mr Goodwins ordinary wayes of warding those blowes, which he is not able to beare.

Secondly false, charging a crime on the Doctrine which he doth oppose whereof it is not guilty; Neither it, nor they that maintaine it, affirming that there is a necessitation upon the wills of men by the Grace of God, such a necessitation as should in the least prejudice their freedome, or cause them to elicite their acts as principles Naturall and necessary; All the necessity ascribed by them to the efficacy of the operation of the Grace of God, respects only the event; They say 'tis necessary that the good be done, which God workes in us by his Grace, when he workes it in us; but for the manner of its doing, they say, tis wrought suitably to the state and Condition of the Internall principle whence tis to proceed, and doth so, and of the Agents whereby tis wrought, which are free; Neither do they say that good is not wrought by any Native and inward Principle that is in men, unlesse they will allow no principle to be Native but what is in them by nature; And then indeed they say, that though Naturally and Physically there is, yet Morally and Spiritually there is not in them any Native principle to that which is Spiritually good; seeing, in that sence no good thing dwells in men. But if it may suffice to evince that they worke from a Native inward principle, that their wills which are their Naturall facultyes, quickned, improved and heightned, by inward, indwelling habits of Grace, properly theirs when bestowed on them, are the principles of all their actings, then they assert them to worke no lesse from a native internall principle than Christ himselfe did; So that notwithstanding this diversion given in to supply the Absence of an Answer, the instance as to that alone, wherein the parallell was intended, stands unmoved, and Mr Goodwin's whole charge of folly and inconsistency on the proceeding of the Holy Ghost falls to the ground, which is the issue of his eight Argument in this case; His last follows.

The last Argument which he proposeth Sect.§. 23. 41. and ends his Chapter withall, is faint, and as the droppings after a showre, will easily be blown over, he thus proposeth it.

That Doctrine which Naturally, and directly tendeth to beget and foment jealousyes, and evill surmises between brethren in Christ, or such as ought cordially to Love, Reverence and Honour one another is not confederate with the Gospell, nor from God, and consequently, that which contradicteth it must needs be a truth: The common Doctrine of unqnestionable and unconditioned Perseverance, is a Doctrine of this tendency, apt to beget and foment jealousyes, suspicions and evill surmises between brethren, or such as ought to Love and Respect one the other as brethren in Christ: Ergo.

Ans. Not to take notice of any thing by the by, which sundry Expressions and one inference at the least, in this Argument do readily administer occasion p. 388unto. I awaite the proofe of the Minor, which in the following Discourse amounts to this: That judging all those who fall finally away not to have been true Believers, we cannot but have evill surmises, of all that stand, that they are not true Believers, seeing as good as they have fallen away, hence jealousyes of their Hypocrysy will arise. And he tells us for his part, he knowes no Christian in the world, that he hath more reason to judge a true Believer, than he had to judge some, who are turned wretched Apostates. To which I say briefely,

First,§. 24. I doubt not but Mr Goodwin knowes fullwell, that this is not a Rule given us to make a judgement of Believers by, with whom we walke, and towards whom it is required we beare Love without dissimulation, Rom. 12. 18.Rom 12:18towards such as shew us their Faith by their workes; Our rule of walking from the principle of Love, and Charity is layd downe in 1 Cor. 13. And if all that any man knowes at this day professours in this world, should turne Apostates, save only one, and he had reckoned that one, and them that are Apostatized, before their Apostasy, of the same ranke of Believers, and had no evill thoughts of that one above the rest, he was bound without any evill surmises to believe all things, and to hope all things, and not to let goe his sincere Love towards that one, imbracing of him, delighting in him, holding cōmunion with him to his lives end without suspicion of Hypocrisy, or other hard thoughts of him unles he also should degenerate; 'Tis said Joh. 2. 23. That many believed on Christ because of the profession of Faith that they made, & Ioh. 6. 34. They pray earnestly to be fed with the bread of Life; So that they were accounted among his Disciples v. 60. & yet upon a temptation they left our Saviour, & walked no more with him, v. 66. Now notwithstanding the profession of these men our Saviour plainely sayes, that they believed not, v. 64. They falling thus away who had professed to believe, and were accounted as Believers, so called and named among the Disciples of Christ, and Christ declaring on the account of their Apostacy, that indeed they did never believe, how was it that the remaining Twelve had not hard thoughts and jealousyes one of another, (especially considering that there was one Hypocrite still left among them) whether they had true Faith or no… seeing our Saviour had declared that those who so fell off, as those before mentioned, had none? Doubtlesse they were instructed to walke by a better and streighter Rule, than that Mr Goodwin here assignes to Believers; Let him who will or can fall away, whilst we are taught of God to love one another, and are acted by the principle of Love which thinkes no evill, and do contend against evill surmizes as the workes of the flesh; There is not any thing in the least attending the discovery of one mans Hypocrisy, to worke us to a perswasion that another (not in any thing discovered) is so also; that because we see some goodly house fall under stormes and temptations to the ground, and so manifest it selfe to have been built on the sand, that therefore we must conclude that those which stand, are not built upon the Rocke, is not suited to any principle or Rule that our Master hath given us to walke by, in order to the exercise of that Love, which he calleth for in us towards one another.

Secondly,§. 25. I say this way of proceeding in our thoughts and judgements doth the Holy Ghost lead us to: 1 Iohn 2. 19. The Apostle giving an account of some who had formerly walked with him in the profession of the Faith, and of the fellowship which they had with the Father and Sonne, fell away from Christ into an opposition against him, so farre as to deserve the title of Antichrists, having not only forsaken the Gospell, but making it also their businesse to oppose it, and to seduce others from the simplicity of the same; These he informes the scattered Believers of the Jewes were Apostates, having formerly p. 389walked with them, but deserted their fellowship, and thereby manifested themselves never to have been true Believers, nor ever indeed to have had fellowship with the Father and the Sonne, no more than they of whom our Saviour spake in the place before mentioned; And yet doubtlesse the Apostle may not be supposed to lay a foundation for jealousyes, evill suspicions, and surmises among Believers, though he plainely and evidently affirme that those who fall away were never true Believers, and that if they had been so, they would have continued in their Faith and fellowship with the people of God. They went ous from us (saith he) but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would (no doubt) have continued with us, but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

A passage (by the way) clearely confirming the maine of the Doctrine we have hitherto insisted on;§. 26. And therefore I shall turne aside, before I come to the close of this Chapter, having this occasion administred, to vindicate it from the exceptions Mr Goodwin gives in against the Testimony it beares in this case.

The Argument that it readily furnisheth us withall, is of this import,§: 27. If all they who fall away totally from the fellowship, and society of the Church, and Saints of God, what ever their profession were before that Apostasy, were never true Believers, and are thereby manifested never to have been so, then those who are true Believers cannot fall away: But the First is true, therefore the latter; The words are so disposed as to be cast into an Hypotheticall Proposition, which virtually includes a doubleArgument as every discrete Axiome doth; 'tis not thus, therefore thus; If true Believers might so depart and Apostatise as those here mentioned, no unquestionable proofe could be drawne from such Apostacy, that men were never true Believers, which yet is plainely insisted on, in the Text.

M. Goodwin Cap.§. 28. 10. Sect. 21, 22, 23, 24. Pag. 189, 190, 191, 192. gathers up sundry Exceptions from the Remonstrants which, (as they also did) he opposeth to this Interpretation of the words, and the Inferences from them insisted on; I shall briefely consider and remove them in that order as by him they are laid downe. He saith,

First, This Inference presumeth many things, for which neither it, nor any the Authors of it, will ever be able to give any good security of proofe, As

First, That this phrase [they were not of us] imports that they were never true Believers; this certainly can never be proved, because there is another sence, and this every whit as proper to the words, and more commodious for the Context, and scope of the place, which may be given of them, as we shall see anon.

Ans. §. 29.That there is not any thing presumed for the eduction of the Inference proposed, but what is either directly exprest, or evidently included, in the words of the Text, will appeare in the farther consideration of what M. Goodwin hath to offer to the contrary. That expression [they were not of us] imports evidently, that they were not of them, in the fellowship and communion, which he was now exhorting Believers to continue and abide in. He tells them at the head of this Discourse Cap. 1. 3. that the end of his writing to them, was to draw them into, and keep them in communion with himselfe, and the Saints with him; which Communion or Fellowship, he tells them, they had with the Father and the Sonne. But as for the Persons, of whom in these words he is speaking to them, describing them by their former and present condition, with the causes of it, he tells them, that though they abode with them for a season, yet they were never of them, as to the Communion and fellowship they had with the Father and Sonne, and so were never true Members of the Church; The only reason M. Goodwin gives to Invalidate this p. 390sence of the Words is, that he is able to give another meaning of them (in his own judgement) more proper to the words, and more commodious to the scope of the place: which whether it have any more efficacy to take in the force and evidence of the Interpretation given, lying plaine and cleare in the first view of the words, and Context, than it hath to evade the eduction of any Truth whatever, from any place of Scripture whatever, seeing some or other suppose themselves able to give another sence of the words, let the Reader judge: But he adds

Secondly, §. 30.That this Expression [they were of us] signifies that they were true Believers is presumed; of the uncertainty of this supposition we shall (saith he) give the like account.

Ans. When we come to take M. Goodwin's farther Account, we shall be able (I make no doubt) to reckon with him, and to discharge his Bill; In the meane time, we say, that supposition [if they had been of us] (whence our Inference is made) evidently includes a fellowship and communion with the Apostle & true Believers in their fellowship with God, which is asserted as a certain Foundation of mens abiding in the communion of the Saints.

But saies he,

Thirdly, §. 31.tis supposed, that these words [they went out from us] signifie their finall defection, or abdication of the Apostles communion, or their totall and finall renunciation of Christ, his Church, and Gospell; This supposition hath no bottome at all, or colour for it.

Ans. Divide not the words from their coherence, and the intendment of the place, and the signification denyed is too evident and cleare for any one, with the least colour of Reason, to rise up against it; They went out, so out from the communion of the Church, as to become Anti-Christs, opposers of Christ, and seducers from him; and certainly in so doing, did totally desert the Communion of the Apostle, renounce the Lord Christ, as by him Preacht, and forsooke utterly both Church and Gospell, as to any fellowship with the one or the other: And we know full well, what is the bottome of this and the like Assertions, that such and such things have no bottome at all; which never yet failed M. Goodwin at his need.

Fourthly (saith he)§. 32. 'Tis supposed that this clause [they would no doubt have continued with us] signifies they would have continued in the same Faith, wherein we Persevere and continue; nor is there (saith he) any competent Reason to inforce this sence of those words, because neither doth the Grammaticall tenour of them require it, and much lesse the scope of the passage.

Ans. The Fellowship John invited Believers unto, and to continue in, (as hath been often observed with him,) and the Saints with him, was that which they held with the Father and the Sonne, to continue with them therein, in the Litterall Grammaticall sence of the words, is to continue in the Faith: It being Faith whereby they have that fellowship or Communion; this also is evident from the scope of the whole passage, and is here only impotently denied. But saith he,

Fiftly, The said Inference supposeth that John certainly knew, that all those who for the present remained in his communion, were true Believers, for, if they were not true believers, they that were gone out from them in the sence contended for, might be said to be of them, that is, persons of the same condition with them; But how improbable this is, I meane that John should infallibly know, that all those who as yet continued with them, were true Believers, I referre to consideration.

Ans. Had M. Goodwin a little poised this passage before he took it up, perhaps he would have cast it away, as an uselesse trifle; But his masters having insisted on it, perhaps he thought it not meet to question their judgements, in p. 391least, for feare of being at liberty to deale so with them in matters of greater importance. I say then that there is not the least coulour for any such supposall from the inference we make from the text; nor is there any thing of that nature intimated, or suggested in the words, or Argument from them; the body of them whom the Apostates forsooke, were true Believers; and their abiding in the fellowship of the Saints, was a manifestation of it sufficient for them to be owned as such, which the others manifested themselves never to have been, by their Apostacy. But saith he,

Sixtly, §. 33.The inference under contest yet farther supposeth, that John certainely knew, that they who were now gon out from them, neither were, now, nor ever before true Believers, yea and that he certainely knew this by their departure or going out from them.

Ans. This is the very thing that the Apostle affirmes, that he certainely knew those Apostates never to have been true Believers, and that by their Apostacy, or falling totally from the Gospell, becomming seducers and opposers of Christ; Let him argue it out with the Holy Ghost, if he can, whose plaine and cleare expression this is, and that confirmed by the insuing Argument of the Perseverance of them who were true Believers, and whose fellowship is with the Saints, in their communion with the Father and the Sonne; Wherefore saith he,

Lastly it presumeth yet farther that all true Believers do alwayes abide in the externall communion of the Church; §. 34.and that when men do not so abide they plainly declare herein, that they never were true Believers, which is not only a manifest untruth, but expressly contrary to the Doctrine it selfe, of those men who assert the inference; for they teach (as we heard before) that a true Believer may fall so foulely and so farre, that the Church according to the command of Christ, may be constrained to testify that shee cannot tolerate them in her externall communion, nor that ever they shall have any part or portion in the Kingdome of Christ, unlesse they repent; Doubtlesse to be cast out of the Church according to the institution and command of Christ (who commands no such thing but upon very heinous and high unchristian misdemeanours) is of every whit as sad importance, as a voluntary desertion of the Churches communion can be for a season.

Ans. It supposeth that no true Believers fall so off from the Church, as to become Antichrist's, opposers of Christ, and the Church, so as to deny that Christ is come in the flesh, which was the great busines of the Antichrists in those dayes; Tis true, and granted by us, that a true Believer may forsake the outward communion of some particular Church for a season, yea and that upon his irregular walking and not according to the rule of Christ, he may by the Authority of such a Church, be rejected from its communion for his amendment and recovery into the right way, of which before: But that a true Believer, can voluntarily desert the communion of the Saints, and become an Antichrist, that this text denyes, and we from it, and the many other witnesses of the same truth, that have been produced: Notwithstanding then all Mr Goodwin exceptions, there is nothing presumed in the inference, we make from these words, but what is either expressly contained, or evidently included in them.

But Mr Goodwin will not thus give over,§. 35. he prefers his exceptions to this Testimony in another whole Section: which because the Demonstration of the truth in hand from this place, though here handled by the by, is of great importance, and such as by its single strength, is sufficient utterly to cast to the ground the figment set up in opposition to it, I shall present entirely to the Reader (that our Authour may be heard out and nothing omitted that he p. 392pleads, for the waving of the force of the Argument in hand) that whole Section. Thus then he proceeds.

Suppose that these two suppositions be granted to the Inference makers; §. 36.First, That this phrase [to goe out from us] signifies voluntarily to forsake the society and communion of Christians; And Secondly, That this expression [to be of us] signifies true and inward communion with those from whom they went out, yet will not these contributions suffice, for the firme building of the said Inference; The Reason is, Because the Apostle expressely saith; that they would have continued with [us,] not that they would have continued such, as they were, in respect of the Truth or Essence of their Faith; and if the Apostles scope in this place were to prove or affirme, that they who are once true Christians, or Believers, alwaies continue such, then, when he saith they would have continued with us, he must of necessity meane, either that they would have continued Faithfull as we continue Faithfull, or else that they would have continued alwaies in our society, or in the profession of Christianity: But that neither of these sences are of any tolerable consistency, is evident, by the light of this Consideration, viz. That the Apostle then must have known, that the persons hee speakes of, and who went out from them, neither were nor ever had been true Christian Believers, when they went thus from them; Now if he had this knowledge of them, it must be supposed either that he had it by extraordinary Revelation (but this is very improbable, and howsoever cannot be proved;) or else that he gain'd and obtain'd it by their departure or going out from them; but that this could be no sufficient Argument or ground, to beget any such knowledge in the Apostle concerning them, is evident from hence, Because it may very easily, and doth very frequently come to passe, That they who are true Christians, doe not alwaies continue in the society to which they have joyned themselves, no nor yet in the externall profession of Christianity it selfe; yea, our opposers themselves, frequently and without scruple teach, that even true believers themselves, may through Feare, or shame, or extremity of sufferings, be brought to deny Christ, and without any danger of being ship-wrack't of their Faith forbeare making a profession of the name of Christ afterwards.

Ans. §: 37.First, What is meant and Intended by those expressions [went out from us, and to be of us] hath been declared; We are not to teach the Holy Ghost to speake; What ever conceit we may have of our own abilities, when we deale with Wormes of the Earth, like our selves, to his will, to his expressions, we must vaile and submit; He is pleased to phrase their continuance in the Faith, their continuance with us, that is, with the Saints in the fellowship and communion of the Gospell, which they had with God in Christ; The expression is cleare and evident to the purpose in hand, and there is no contending against it.

Secondly, we doe not say, that 'tis the direct scope and intent of the Apostle in this place, to prove that those who are true Believers, cannot fall away, and depart from the Faith, which he afterwards doth to the purpose, Cap. 3. 9 but his mind and intendment was, to manifest, that those who forsake the Society of Christians, and become Anti-Christs, and seducers, were indeed never true Believers; useing the other Hypothesis as a medium for the confirmation of this Assertion.

Thirdly, By that phrase, they would have continued with us, the Apostle intends their continuance in the society and fellowship of the Faithfull by the profession of Jesus Christ, whom now they opposed; denying him to be come in the flesh; that is, they would not have so fallen off, as they have done, upon the account of the Estate and Condition of true Believers, and reall Saints, who are kept by the power of God to salvation.

Fourthly, The Apostle did know, and professed himselfe to know, that p. 393they were not, nor ever had been true Believers, when they were once so gone out from them, as they went; as our Saviour Christ profest them not to have been true believers, who followed him for a while, were called and accounted his Disciples, when they fell in an houre of Temptation; Neither have we the least reason to suppose, that the Apostle had this knowledge by Revelation, seeing the thing it selfe in reference and proportion to the principles he laies downe of the continuance of Believers, did openly proclaime it.

Fiftly, That true Christians or Believers, can so fall away from the society of the Saints, as these here mentioned did, is denied; and a grant of it ought not to be begged at our hands; 'tis true, that (as was before granted) a true believer may for a season desert the communion or fellowship of a Church, wherein he hath walk'd, and that causelesly; yea, he may be surprized through Infirmity, to deny, under mighty temptations, in words, for a moment, the Lord Christ, whom yet his Heart loves, and honours, as in the case of Peter was too evident, But that such an one, may forsake the externall profession of Christianity, or cease profession making, and betake himselfe to a contrary interest, opposing Christ and his wayes, as those here insisted on did; that's denied, and not the least attempt of proofe made to the contrary.

Whilst I was upon the consideration of these exceptions of Mr Goodwin's,§. 38. to our Testimony from this Text of Scripture by us insisted on, there came to my hands, his Exposition on the 9. Chapter to the Romans; In the Epistle whereof to the Reader, he is pleased, Sect. 6. Studiously to wave the imputation of having borrowed this Exposition from Arminius and his followers: An Apology perhaps unworthy his prudence, and great abilityes: which Testimony yet I feare, by having cast an eye on the body of the Discourse, will scarcely be received by his Reader, without the helpe of that vulgar Proverbe Good Wits jumpe: But yet on that occasion I cannot but say, however he hath dealt in that Treatise, this Discourse I have under consideration is purely translated from them, the condition of very much of what hath ben already considered, having the same which I had there thought to have manifested, by placing their Latine against his English in the margent: but these things are personall, not belonging to the cause in hand M. G. is sufficiently known to have Abilityes of his own such as wherewith he hath done (in sundry particulars) considerable service to the Truth, as sometimes they have been unhappily ingaged in wayes of a contrary nature, and tendency.

It being evident from these Considerations that our Author is not able in the least to take off this witnesse from speakeing home to the very heart of the cause in hand,§. 39. that it may not seeme to be weakened and impaired by him in the least: I shall farther consider that diversion which he would intice the words unto, from their proper channell and Intendment, and so leave the Apostacy of the Saints dead, at the foote of it: He gives us then, (Sect. 23, 24.) an Exposition of this place of Scripture, upon the Rack whereof, it seemes not to speake what formerly we received from its mouth, For the occasion of the words, he sayes,

For the true meaning of this place, §. 40.'tis to be considered, that the Apostles intent in the words▪ was to prevent, or heale an offence, that weake Christians might take, at the Doctrine which was taught and spread abroad by those Antichrists or Anticristian teachers, spoken of in the former verse; and they are said to have been many, & that especially because they had sometimes liv'd & conversed with the Apostles themselves in Christian Churches, and had profest the same Faith & Doctrine with them; by reason hereof some Christians not so considerate or judicious as others, might possibly thinke or conceive, that surely all things were not p. 394well with the Apostles, and those Christian societyes with which they consorted; There was something not as it ought to have been, either in Doctrine, or manners, or both, which ministred an occasion to these men to breake communion with them, and to leave them.

Ans. §. 41.First The intendment of the Apostle in the Context, is evidently to caution Believers against seducers, acquainting them also, with the sweet and gracious provision, that God had made for their preservation, in the abiding, teaching, anointing, bestowed on them: In the verse under present consideration, he gives them a description of the persons that did seduce them, in respect of their present state and condition; They were Apostates; who though they had sometimes made profession of the Faith, yet indeed were never true Believers, nor had any fellowship with Jesus Christ, as he and the Saints had, which also they had abundantly manifested by their open Apostacy, and ensuing opposition to the Doctrine of the Gospell, and the eternall Life manifested therein.

Secondly, That any Christians whatsoever, from the consideration of these seducers falling away did entertaine any suspicion that all things were not well in that society of which the Apostle speakes (not with the Apostles, which were all dead, himselfe only excepted, when John wrote this Epistle) either as to Doctrine or manners, so supposing them to take part with the Apostates, in their departure, is a surmize whereunto there is not any thing (in the least) contributed in the Text, or Context, nor any thing like to it, being a meere invention of our Author, found out to serve this turne, and confidently without any induction looking that way; or attempt of proofe, imposed upon his credulous Reader; if men may assume to themselves a liberty of creating occasions of words, discourses or expressions in the Scripture, no manner of way insinuated, nor suggested therein, they may wrest it to what they please, and confirme whatever they have a mind unto.

This false foundation being laid he proceeds to build upon it,§. 42. and suitably thereunto feignes the Apostle to speake what never entred into his heart, and unto that, whereof, he had no occasion administred.

To this (saith he) the Apostle answereth partly by Concession, partly by Exception; First by Concession, in those words [they went out from us] which words doe not so much import their utter declining or forsaking the Apostles communion, as the advantage or opportunity which they had, to gaine credit and respect, both to the Doctrine, and Persons, among professours of Christianity in the World; In as much as they came forth from the Apostles themselves as men sent and commissioned by them to teach; The same phrase is used in this sence, and with the same import where the Apostles write thus to the Brethren of the Gentiles, Acts 15. 24. For as much as we have heard, that certain that went out from us have troubled you, with words subverting your soules, saying you must be circumcised and keep the Law, to whom we gave no such commandement; So that in this clause [they went out from us] the Apostle grants; First, That those Antichristian teachers had indeed for a time held communion with them; And Secondly, That hereby they had the greater opportunity, of doing harme in the World, by their false Doctrines. But Secondly. He Answers farther by way of Exception (but they were not of us) whilest yet they conversed with us, they were not men of the same spirit and principles with us; we walk'd in the profession of the Gospell, with single and upright hearts, not aiming at any secular greatnesse, or worldly accommodations in one kind or other; these men loved this present World, and when they found the simplicity of the Gospell, would not accommodate them to their minds, they brake with us, and with the truth of the Gospell it selfe at once.

Ans. §. 43.First, I suppose tis evident (at the first view) that this new glosse of p. 395the Apostles words, is inconsistent with that, which was proposed for the occasion of them in the words foregoing; There an Aspersion is said to be cast upon the Churches, and societyes whereof the Apostle speakes, from the departure of these seducers from them, as though they were not sound in Faith or manners; here an insinuation quite of an other tendency, is suggested, as though these persons found continuance in their teachings and seductions, from the society and communion which they had had with the Apostles; as though they had pretended to come from them, by commission, and so instead of casting reproach upon them by their departure, did assume Authority to themselves, by their having been with them; But to the thing it selfe I say,

Secondly, That the Apostle is not answering any Objection, but describing the state and condition of the Antichrists, and seducers, concerning whom, and their seduction, he cautioneth Believers, hath been formerly beyond contradiction manifested and maintained; That expression then [they went out from us] is not an Answer (by concession) to an Objection▪ but a description of seducers by their Apostacy; Which words also in their regard to the Persons as before by him described, do manifest their utter declining and forsaking the Communion of the Saints, they so going from them, as also going into an opposition to the Doctrine of the Gospell.

Thirdly, That the Apostle here insinuates an advantage these Antichrists had, to seduce, from their former communion with him, (a thing not in the least suggested (as was observed) in the occasion of the words, as laid downe by Mr Goodwin himselfe) is proved from the use of the words [they went out from us] Acts 15. 24. Whence this undenyable Argument may be educed. Some who went out from the Apostle, had repute and authority in their preaching thereby, these Antichrists went out from the Apostle, therefore they had repute and authorety thereby; younger men than either Mr Goodwin or my selfe, know well enough what to make of this Argument; Besides, though there be an agreement in that one Expression, all the neighbouring parts of the Description, manifest that in the things themselves, there and here pointed at, there is no affinity; Those in the Acts pretended to abide still in the communion and Faith of the Apostles, these here expressively departed both from the one and the other, to an opposition of them both: The former, seemed to have pretended a commission from the Apostles, these according to Mr Goodwin himselfe did so farre declare against them, that it was a scandall to some, fearing that all had not been well among the Apostles.

Fourthly, That which is called an Answer by way of Exception (as in it lye the expression of it so used upon the matter, is as much as we urge from these words; The import of them is said to be, they were not of us, though they were with us, yet they were not such as we are, didnot walke in that uprightnesse of heart, as we do, they were not men of the same principles and spirit with us; that is, they were not true, thorough, sincere and sound Believers at all, no not while they converst with the Apostles. Now evident 'tis that in those words, as is manifest by the assuming of them againe for the use of an inference insuing [for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us] the Apostle yeilds a Reason and Account, how they came to Apostatize and fall to the opposition of the Gospell from the profession wherein they walked; 'twas because they were not men of thorough and sound principles, true Belivers: and consequently he supposeth, and implyeth, that if they had been so they would not, they could not have so Apostatized: for if they might there had been no weight in the account given, of the Reason of their revolt.

In what followes,§. 44. that these words, but they were not of us, do not necessarily p. 396imply they were Believers formerly, but perhaps they had been so, and were before fallen away, being choaked by the cares of the world, an observation is insinuated, directly opposite to the Apostles designe, and such as makes his whole Discourse ridiculous; An account he gives of mens falling away from the Faith, and tells them 'tis because, though they have been professors, yet they were never true Believers, yea but perhaps they were true Believers, and then fell away, & after that fell away; that is, they fell from the Faith, and then fell from the Faith: for that is plainely intimated in, & is the sence of this doubty Observation.

But to proceed with his exposition: §. 45.he sayes, It followes, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; in these words the Apostle gives a reason of his Exception telling them, to whom he writes; that this was a signe and Argument that those Antichristian teachers, were not of them in the sence declared; viz. That they did not continue with them, that is, they quitted their former intimacy and converse with the Apostles, refused to steere the same course, to walke by the same principles, any longer with them, which (saith he) doubtlesse they would not have done, had they been as sincerely affected towards Jesus Christ & the Gospell as we; by which Assertion John plainely vindicated himselfe and the Christian Churches of his communion, from giving any just occasion of offence unto those men, whereby they should be any wayes induced to forsake them, and resolves their unworthy departure of this kind into their own carnall and corrupt hearts, which lusted after some fleshly accommodations and contentments, that were not to be obtained, or enjoyed, in a sincere profession of the Gospell with the Apostles and those who were perfect of heart with them.

Ans. First, That no aspersion was cast on Iohn, or the Churches of his Communion, by the Apostasy of the Antichrists, of whom he speakes, from which he should need to vindicate himselfe and them, was before declared: There was not, indeed, nor possibly could be, the least occasion for any surmize of evill concerning them, from whom men departed, in turning ungodly opposers of Christ; For any thing that is here offered, 'tis but an obscureing of the Light that breaks forth from the words, for the discerning of the Truth in hand; 'tis granted that the Apostle manifests, that they were not of them, that is, true, upright, sound believers, that walked with a right foot in the Doctrine of the Gospell, because they forsooke the communion of the Saints, to fall into the condition of Antichristianisme, wherein they were now engaged. Now if this be an Argument that a man was never a true believer, in the highest profession that he makes, because he falls from it, and forsakes it, certainly those that are true believers, cannot so fall from their stedfastnesse; or the Argument will be of no Evidence or conviction at all; Neither is any thing here offered by M. Goodwin, but what upon a through consideration, doth confirme the inferences we insist upon, and make to the worke in hand; Truth will at one time or other, lead captive those who are most skilfull in their Rebellion against it.

What is added (Sect. 24.) concerning the Righteous Judgement of God, §. 46.and the gracious tendency of his dispensations to his Churches use, in suffering these wretches so to discover themselves, and be manifested what they were, I oppose not. The discovery that was made, was of what they had been before, that is not true Believers, & not what now they were; yea, by what they now shewed themselves to be, was made manifest what before they were; Words of the like import you have 1 Cor. 11. 19. %For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you; as here those who fall away are manifested to be corrupt, so there are those who abide to be sincere.

p. 397From what hath been occasionally spoken of the intendment and scope of this place, of the designe which the Apostle had in hand, of the direct sence of the words themselves,§. 47. M. Goodwins exceptions to our Interpretation of the words and inferences from it, being wholly removed, and his Expofition, which he advanceth in the roome of that insisted on, manifested to bee, as to the occasion and scope of the place assigned, utterly forreigne unto it, and as to Explication of the particulars of it, not of any strength or consistency for the obscurenig of the true sence and meaning of the place, in the eye of an intelligent Reader, 'tis evidently concluded beyond all colourable contradiction, that those who are true Believers indeed, having obtained communion with the Father and his Sonne Christ Jesus, cannot fall into a totall Relinquishment of Christ, or of the Faith of the Gospell, so as to have no portion nor interest in the communion they formerly enjoyed.

To returne to M. Goodwins close of this 13.§. 48. Chap. and nine Arguments (as he calls them) from which he labours to Evince the Apostasy of Believers, he shuts up the whole with a Declamation against, and revileing of the Doctrine he opposeth, with many opprobrious and reproachfull expressions, calling it an Impostor, and an Appearance of Satan in the likenesse of an Angell of Light, with such like termes of reproach, as his Rhetorick at every turne is ready to furnish him withall; threatning it farther, with calling it in Question before I know not how many Learned men of all sorts, and to disprove it by their Testimony concerning it; and so all that is required for its destruction is, or shall be speedily dispatched; God knows how to defend his Truth, and as he hath done this in particular, against as fierce assaults as any M. Goodwin hath made, or is like to make against it, so I no way doubt, he will continue to doe; 'Tis not the first time, that it hath been conformeable to its Author; in undergoing the contradiction of men, and being laden with reproaches, and crucified among the theevish principles of Errour and prophanenesse. Hitherunto it hath not wanted in due time its Resurrection, and that continually with a new Glory, and an added estimation to what before it obtained among the Saints of God; and I no way doubt, but that it will grow more and more, untill the perfect day, when those opinions and inventions of men, derogatory to the Grace and Covenant of God, his Truth, Unchangeablenesse, and Faithfulnesse, which now make long their shades, to eclypse the beauty and lustre of it, shall consume and vanish away before its brightnesse; In which perswasion I doubt not, but the Reader will be confirmed with mee, upon the farther consideration of what M. Goodwins endeavours are in an opposition thereto, wherewith now by the grace of God, contrary to my first intendment, I shall proceed.