..... . ~ ~e)»'~J .of :Baok~iding• . 6t6 ' .. CHA·P. XXVI. 'DireBions for 'Decli11ing or 13ackfliding Q>rijlians,: and about Peife"l!erance. .'I .. ,._~._ cafe 0~. Backfliders is (o tm.iblc, and yet the millakes of .;,an~ Chrillians fo common in !hmkmg unjulily that they are ba~kfhders, th~t th!s fubjeCl: mull be handled with the grea. ter care. And when I have firfl gtven fome DucCl:IOns for the CI<Te, I fhall ne-xt give fome to others for Prevention, of fo fad a llate. . 9: I. Dine\:. I . 7)nderftand weU wherein BacJsllidi~g doth co•fift, the{ortr, and the dtgreu of it tb.r fo you may tbt mort certajnly and exal1Jy di{cern, whether it h..e indeed your cafe or mt. To this ;nd 1 fhall here <:>P<n to you, I. The feveral faits of Backfiiders.; 11. The feveral fieps or dtgrees of back. lliding. Ill.The figns of it. ' §• 2. I. There are in general three forts ofBackfiiders. I· Such as decline from the1ruth by the error of their Vnderftmding. 2· Such as turn from the G.odnefs ofGod and HolineG, by the-corrupti– on of their WiD and Ajj'eaions. 3· Such as turn from the Obeditnce of God, and an upright conver– fation, by the finfulnefs of their lives. The firll fort containeth in it, r. Such as decline to Infidelity fromFaith; and doubt of the 1rutb of the Word of God: 2· Such as decline only to error about the meaning of the Scriptures · though tpey doubt not of the 1r•th of them. This corrupted JudgeO¥nt will prefently corrup; both Heart and Life. 9· 3· The fi:cond fort (Backfliders in Htart) C:ontaincth, r. Such as only lofo their Ajfeflionr toGood; their complacency, and defire; and lofe their averfenefs and zealagainfi fin: 2. And fuch as lofe the very Refoluti.n of the WiU alfo, and grow unrefoloed what to do, if not refolved to do evil, and to omit that which is good. . ~· 4• The third fort ( Backfliders in Life) comprehendeth, I. Thofe that fall from Duty, to· wards God or Man. 2. And thofe that fall into pofitive fins, and tum to fenfualily, in voluptuouf neji, worldlineji or pride. ~ 5· 11. I. Eackjlidm in judgemeNt, do fometimcs fall by flow degrees , and fomctimes fi•d· denly at onct. Thofe that fall by degms, do fame of them begin in the failing of the undtr· ftanding; but mofi of them begin at the failing or falfenefs of the Heart, and the corrupted WiU corrupteth the underftanding. ~· 6. I. Thofc that fall by degrees through the failing of the Vnderftanding, are thofe fimple fouls that never were well grounded in the truth : And feme of them reafon them[elves into error or un-– belief; and others of them ( which is moll ufual ) are ltd into it by the cunning and diligence of feducm. And for the Degrees, They grow firfi to doubt of fome Argumentt which formerly feem· cd valid to them ; and then they doubt of the trurb it fclf: Or elfe they hear fame argument from a feduccr, which (through their own weakncfs) they are unable to anfwer : And then they yield to it, as thinking that it is right, bccaufe they fee not what is to be faid againll it ; and know not 'Ihemethad what others know to the contrary, nor how eafily another can confute it : · And when once they arc cf f•lling inro brought into a fufpicion of one point, which they formerly held, they quickly fufpeCl: all the Hmlie or reil : and grow into a {ufpicion and difaffctl:ion to the perfons whom they did before moll highly Sells. value : And then they grow into a high eficem of the pcrfons and party that feduced them ; and think that they that are wifer in one thing, arc wifer in the ufi : and lO are prepared to receive all the errors which follow that one, which they firll received; And next they imbody with the Sect that fcduced them; and feparate from the fober united part of the Church: And fo they grow to a zealous importunity for the increafe of their party, and to lofe their charity to thofe that arc llgainll: their way; and to corrupt their Morals, in thinking aB di!honefly lawful, which fcemeth neceJTary to promote the interefi of their Sect, which they think is the intere!l of the Truth and of God : And at la{\ its like they w_ill grow weary of that Se&, and hearken to another, and another; till in ~he end they come to one of thefe periods : eitherto fettle in Pop£ry as the eafiefi Religion ; and be!ng taken with their pretence of Antiquity, Stability, Unity and Univcrfality; or elfe to turn to Athe1f~ or Infidelity, and take all Religion for a meet deceit ; or elfe, (if they retained an honelt heart m their former wanderings ) God fheweth them their folly, and bringcth them back to Unity and Charity, and maketh them fee the vanity of rhofe Reafonings which before feducedthern, and. which once they thought were fame fpiritual cceldliallighr. This is the common courfe oferror; when the Vnderftanding is the moll notable •aufe. But fometimes a deceiver prevaileth with them on a f•ddrn,
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