Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of Elefli01z. 237 And llr. Yr u may oblervc rhe [Us] there ronote ou r the whole Church,~ for to it f<>llows, Eve;, Us whom he h.llh c,JI!ed, 11ot ofthe Jews o1tl;•, b11t alfo C'"P· l · ofilx Gentiles, which rwo divided rhe World. This for the reality of'rhe ~ riling it (elfin Peters Scope, That [Us] is intended in a difcriminating fenJe from orhors Called. I!. If we confult the peculiar'Phrafeolog.)' and Ujtofrhe word [Us] or [We] as in the Apollles mouths H founds, when they lpeak of Samts, UJhom God h·llh calied, we lhnlllind it notes forrh the whole Body of rhe rrue Church, as a fer and fixed number rhar ll1all nor be diminitbed in any one ofthem; and who are fpec ially called forth out ofthe World, yea, and dtfcriminarcd from another fort ofProieffors, calledottt of the World, together with thtm who {111 away. I mighr, yea, I !hall I rhink ro give an account of every title oftills lign!fi. cancy of the word [Us] as applyed unro true Saints by caUmg of '>Vhom only her<! 'Peter fpeaks. , . [Us] Sers out and denores rhe whole bulk and Body of the rrue Church oFGod, (irfl cul!td ottt ofthe whole M>l(r of M,lllkilld /;y the Eltcti01t of Grace, thm catledforth 6y e.ffec1ual vocatio11from the refl ofthe World; F'rom whence it is indeed, it bears its name, and is fliled by way of Eminency, ;,.,,~., or the 01urch. Iniomuch that every Saint being a Member of rhar great Corporati– on may fpeak ofhimftli, and ofor ro another, in the language of[Wt] and Us, by wav ofapartment from all the World. 2. They are termed an [Us] in a far narrower difcriminarion than that lrom al l the World, even from t!Jem that are called out ofthe Community of rhe World, by a reo! work ofthe SpJrit upon them, as wdl as upon rhefe Sainrs thcmfdves; Yet but with an Abortive imperfect work of Calling, and Profeffi. on, that proves vain, as J•'""s fpeaks, as to the ilfue thereof. T hus exprelly you have it, 1 .!oh. 2 . 19. Tl"y Wellt outfrom [US] bttt they wernwt of [US] for t( tbry had 6em of [US,] they would no do116t have co11timtedwith [US']; 6ut they wmt ottt that they mtght 6e made mawftjl, Jh,Jt the;•were not all of Us. 1 • He Entitles the whole Body oftrttly cat!edo11es, that had received that U nction from the Flo!y 011e, in the aext Vtrje, where there is an [Us J four fe– veral times. And 2ly. Thofe, in differern:.e from whom he rerms thefe the [US] were fuch as through a work of Calling had once joyned themf'clves unto them; as thofe words, Thry went out froeyU.<, and cotttirmednot with Us, domani– fel\ly decl"e; Yet (fays he) of a differing kind and fordrom Us; forzf they h 1d6nn [ofUs J t!Jfy would have co11tiuued wuh Us, bttt wellt out tl.wt zt might 6emantfej! tl'ry were 11ot of Us; that whereas rbey hod been :iccouetcd and reckoned to beof[ Us]. Having made a feparation from the World a& well as we, and profelled Chrifl and Chriflian Holinefs, as wellns we; Yet to the end that va!l difference that was betwixt that work ofCalling which had .been upon them., and that whrch wa. upon Us, and which did as really diflin· guitb Us from rhem,that that might appear, they were left to fall away, and fo to go out fromUr. By which, lly. It alf<?thereappears, thatthis rrueUs, (genuinely and righrlv fo fliled) are (as was fa id in t he Atfercion) a fixr and ltanding,and du– rable Company, or Body, whereof trot 011e fha116e dimi111jbed; llpu obferve how peremptory and conclufivc he is in ir; for, fays he, lf they had been of [Us] rrul v cllied, they would [ 1to dmt6t 1 have continued wirh [Us,] As If i1c had f.1id, All of the right Breed and Calling, or of the right CompJoy of the true [Ur] rhey do continue together for ever, they are a !landing durable Bndy ro CiJrift, and every one of them continues fo ; and he dorh not barely affirm ir (which being an Apoflle, were fuflicicnt) nordorh he only bring it in bv war of a rcafon, or cerrain evidence, that therefore thofe orher were none ofU r ;n rhofe words, For ifthey had been ofUs, ~c. Bur he would have us out ofall doubr, or qu~f\ioning of ir, [without doubt] fays he, there mull: never fo much as a thought be entertained ro the contrary, nor ever any que– !lit>n by any ofyou be made ofit. And

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