130 / 504
C
n
r:111.4:;4.-
Interpretation of
Rm./L8.2,
8.
d9'c,
further
Explayned,
74
to their
refpe&ive
Operation)
of
every one
of
them,
being equal!
to
theAc-
complifhmentof
the Purpofe
of
God
in
and
by them all; and
willingly owne
it;
efpecially finding
how
little
is
laid
(
and
yet how
much
labou
rtaken)
to
dreffe up
a
pretended
Anfwer
unto
it
Of
this
there
are
two parts ,
whereof
the
firft
is
this
I
Anfwer,
faith
he.
r
.
Firft,By
a demurre
upon
theformer
o
fthefe
pleas
,which war
that
the
connexi-
on
between
the
Predelination
of
God mentioned,
and
his Calling,
is
uninterrupti.
ble. Somewhat
doubtfull
to me
it
is, whether a
perfon,'who
by
meanes
of
the
Love
of
God,
which
is
in
him
at
prefent,
falls
under his
Decree
of
Predef
ination,
may
not
pobly,
before
the time appointed
by
God
for
his Calling, be changed
in that
hirAffeaion, and
confequently paffe
from
under
that
Decree
of
Prede.flination,
and
fall
under another
Decree
of
God oppofite
thereunto,
and
fo
never
copse
to
be
called.
Anf. I confeffe this
demurre.
outrunnes
my
underftanding,
Equis
albis
neither
can I by any meanes,
overtake it,
to
pinne any
tollerable
fence
upon
it
though
I
would allow it
to
be fuited only
to
M.
Goodwin
principles, and
calculated for
the
Meridian ofArminianifiner
for,who(I pray)are
they,in any
fence,
(in
M.
Goodwins)that doe fo love God,
as
to
fall
under, as
he
fpeakes,
that
pendulous Decree
pfPredeftination,
and
to
whom this promife here
is
made?
Are they
not
Believers?
Are any others
Predeftinated
in
our
Authors
judgement, but
thofe who are
a&ually
fo?
is
not
theDecree
of
Predeftinati-
on,
Gods Decree or Purpofe
of
faving
Believers
by Jefus Chrif
s'
Or
can any
love
God
to
Acceptation,
without
Believing?
If
then
they
are
Believers
,
can
they alter that condition
before they
are
Calleds
Wee
fuppofed
thatFaith
had
Rom. 10.17.
been
by
hearing,
and
hearing
by
the word
of
God,
and
that
it
is
of
neceflity(in or-
der
of
nature)
that
Calling
fhould precede
Believing.
What
are men called
to?
Is
it not
to
Believe?
Here
is
then
a
new fort
of
men difcovered,
that
believe,
and
fall
from Faith, Love God and forfake him,all antecedently
totheir
Vo-
cation andCalling.
I
am confident
that
M.
Goodwin
may
be perfivaded
to
withdraw
this demurrer,
or
if
not, that'
he
will
be
over-ruled
in
it, before
the judgement
feat
of
all
unprejudiced
men.
It
will fcarcely as
yet
paffe
cur-
randy, that
men are
borne Believers,
and after
Inch
and
filch a
time
of
their
continuance
in
that
elate
of
beliefe,
and
being
Predeftinated thereupon,God
then calls them. Neither doe I underftand the meaning
ofthat
phrafe, [never
come to
be
called] ufed by
Him,
who
maintains
all
to be
called,
but
this
is
but
a
demurrer.
the
Anfwerfollowes.
4 34.
For the great regard
I
beare unto the
Authors Abilities,
I
{hall
not
fay
that
his infuing
Difcourfe
doth not
deferve
to
be tranfcribed, and
punctually
fted on:but
this I may
fay
(I
hope) without offence,
that
it
is
fo
long
&
tedi-
ous, fo
remote
from what it pretends
unto, to
wit ,
an
Anfwer
to
the fore
-
mentioned
Argument,
that
I
dare not venture upon the patience
of
any Rea-
der,
fo
farre,
as
to
enter into
a
particular
confederation
ofit.
The
fumme
of
it
is,
that
there
is
no unlikelihood
in
this
,
that,
though one
part
of
the Chaim
of
Divine
Graces before
mentioned, cannot be diffolved
nor broken, yet another may,
(
notwithftanding
that
a diffolution
of
any
one
of
them, renders
the defigneofGod
in
them all, wholly fruftrate
and
fruit-
leffe
)
This
he proves,
by propofipg
a
newferies
of
Divine
A&s, in
a&uall
de-
pendance
one
upon
another,
fome
whereofmay be uninterruptible, but the
other not
fo.
He
that
(hall
but
(lightly view the Concatenation
of
Divine
A&s,
here propofed by
Mr
Goodwin,for
the illuftration
of
that
dependance of
them,
and their
Efficacy,
which we
infift
upon
,
will quickly finde
it
lyable
to
forne fuch
fmall
Exceptions, as
renders
it
altogether
ufeleffe,
as
to
the
end
propofed.
Asfirft.,
I. That