120 / 504
C
A
P.111
;
§
:23.
.
No
Purpofe
ofGod in thole words to
Eli
Ifaid
indeed.
64
3.
(Thirdly)
there are two
things,
that
Mr
Goodwin
inf
fts
upon
to
make
good
his
arguing from
this place.
Firft,
that
thefe words
(ifaid
indeed)
hold out the
reali
Purpofe
andDe-
cree
of
Gbd.
Secondly,that in the Promifementione ,there
was
no Condition
expreffed,
or required
to
theExecution, or Performance
of
it.
By
the
NO
he intends,that God did really Purpofe and Decree from
Eter-
nity,
that
Eli
and
his
Houle fhould
hold the
Preifthood for
ever:
By
the,
second,
that no
condition
was
expreffed, neither
in
termes,
or
neceffarily
implyed
in
the thing
it
felfe,
which
is
of
the
fame
import.
If
neither
of
thefe now fhould
prove
trxe,what little
advance
bath
M.Goodwin
made for
the
weakning
of
the
plaine
intendment
of
the
words in
the
place
un-
der
confideration,
or
for
the
confirmation of
his
own
gloffe
and interpofed
conditionals,either by
this,or the
following inftances,
that
are
of
the
fame
kind
will plainly appeare
Now
that
thefe words
(I
faid
indeed
)
are not declara-
tive
of
an
Eternal'
Decree and Purpofe
of
God,
concerning
the futuritionand
event
of
what
is
aflèrted
to
be the
objet
of that
Decree, the Continuance
of
the Priefthood
in
the
hogfe
of
Eli, may
be
evidenced
, as
from the generali
nature
of
the
things theiüfelves,
fo
from
the
particular explanation
of
the
A&
of
God, whereunto
this
expreffion
(Ifaid
indeed)
doth
relate.
§.
23.
t.
Firft; from
the
Generali
nature
of
the thing
it
felfe,
may
this
be mani-
fefted.
To
what bath been
formerly-fpoken;
I (hall
adde
only
fomefew Con
-
fiderations,
being not
willing
to
infift
long,
on
that
which
is
but
collaterali
to
my
prefent
defigne.
z
.
Firfl
then,
when
God Decreed and Purpofed this,
(if
fo
be he
purpo-
fed
it,
as
it
is
faid he
did)-
he either
forefaw
what would
be
the
¡fue
of
it
,
or
he
did
not
?
If
he did not? where
is his
infinite
Wifdome
&
Underftanding?
If
we may
not
be allowed
to
fay his
fore
-
knowledge
?
How are
all
his
works
A8s
15.18.
known
to
him
from
the foundation
of
the World?
How
loth
he declare
the
End
Ifa.
from
the beginning,
and
the
things
that
are
yet
to come?
Diftinguifhing him
-
felfe
from all
felfe
gods on this
account?
If
he did fore-fee
the
Event ,
that
it
would
not
be fo;
Why did
he
Decree
and
Purpofe
it fhould be fo?
Doth
this
become
the
infinite
Wifdome
of
God
to
Purpofe and Decree
from all
Eter-
nity, that that
(hall come
to
paffe, which
he
knowes will
never come
to
paffe?
Can
any fuch
Refolution fall upon
the
Sonnes
of
men,
to
whom
God
is
plea
-
fed
to
continue
the
ufe
of
that little
fparke
of
Reafon, wherewith they
arein-
dued
?
Ifyou
fay,
God purpofed
it
fhould continue,
in cafe
their
difobedi-
ence hindered it
not; I
aske againe,
did God fore -fee the Difobedience
that
would
fo
hinder
it,
or
did- he
not?
If
he
did not
,
the
fame
difficulties will
a-
rife which formerly
I
mentioned.
If
he did, then God decreed
and
purpofed
that
the Priefthood
fhould
continue
in
the
Houle
of Eli, if
they kept
them
-
felves
from
that
difobedience; which he taw
and knew
full well they would
runne
into.
(cui
fini
?)
2. secondly,
ifGod
did thus Purpofe and Decree;
he was
able
to
bring
it
about, and
accomplifh his defigne by:waies
agreeable
to
his
Goodneffe,
Wif-
dome, and
Righteoufneffe,
or he
was
not.
If
he was
not, where
is
his
Omnipo-
tency,
who
is
not
able
to
fullfill his
Righteous
Defignes
and Purpofes,in
wayes
correfponding
to that
ftate
of
Agents
& things,which he bath
allotted
them?
How
can it be
faid
of
him,
he
will
worke,
and nine
fhall
let him?
That
God
ingageth hisPower,
for
the
Accómpli(hment
of
his
Purpofes was (hewed
be-
fore;
If
he were able to.accompli(h
it,
why
did
he not doe
it,
but
fuffer
him
-
felfe
to
be fruftrated
of
his
end?
Is
it
fuitable
to
the Soveraigne
Will
and
Wifdome
of
God, eternally
to
purpofe and Decree
that
,
which
by
meanes
agreeable