141 / 504
lohn
6.
;8,;9,4o.
& the Argum. from thenceVindicated. C
A
x.111.
ß:4
S.
be
turned
away from
them, for
his
Connfell
(hallHand
and
he
will
doe
all
his
85
Pleafure.
Some
thing
is
by
M.
Goodwin
offered
to
take
off the firength
of
this
tefti-
4.45
mony,
but yet
fo
little,
that had
I
not refolved
to
beare
him
out
to
the
ut-
moft,
what he can
fay in
, and
unto the
cafe in
hand ,
it
would
fcarfe
be
thought needfull,to divert
to
the
confideration
ofit
; This place
of
Scripture
he
binds up in
one
bundles
with
nine
or
tenne
others
,to
the compofure
of
one
Argument which (almoft
uno
Halitu) heblowes away
Cap,
i t.seel.
36,
37.&C.
rag.
2
51,2
5
2&c.
To
the
confider
ation
of
the Argument
it
felfe
there
by him
propofed,
I'am not yet arrived; the
influence
of
this
Text
into
it,
is
from
what
is
laid
of
Chrifts Preferving
Believers:
my prefent Confideration
is
cheifily
ofthe
will
and Intention
of
the
Fathersgiving them
to
him
to be pre-
ferved:fo
that
I (ball
obferve only one
or two
things
to
his
Generali
Anfwer,
and
then
proceed
to the
vindication
of
this Particular place we have
in
hand.
1.
Firft he
tels
you
,
That the
Conelution
of
the
former
Argument,
that
true
Believers
(hall
never mifcarry or
fall
away,oppofeth
not hisfence
in this
Controver-
fy;
whether it
oppofe
his fence
or no,
mull be
judged,
this
I
know,
that
he
bath to
his
uttnoft oppofed
it
all this while,
{hewing
himfellfe
therein very
uncurteous
&
unkind
,but
why fo,on
what account
is
it,
that
this conclufion
which
hath
fo
much oppofed,
is
now conceited
not
to
oppofe him
?
Thofe
who
thus
fall
away
(faith he)
arenoe
true Believers but wicked Apofiates,
at
the time
of
their
falling
away.
That
the
conclufion
mentioned oppofeth
his
fence
to
mtl
is
evident;
but
that it
is
fence
wherewith
in this place
he oppofeth
the
Con-
clufion,
is
not
fo
cleare.
The
Queftion is
who
fall away;htot Believers
but A-
poftatesfaith Mr G.
We
fay
fo
too,
in
the
naturall
firft fence
of
thofe words
who
eventualitér
are
Apoftates,
were never
antecedentèr
(to
their
Apóftafie)
True
Believers. But
this
is
not
your
fence
doubtleffe ;
That
thofe who fall
a-
way, in
their
falling away
(which
is
the
fence
of
that
claufe ,
at
the time
of
falling
away)
were Apoftats,
that
is,
were fallen away, before they
fell
away,
is
neither our
fence
nor
yours, for
it
is
none
at
all .
Berth's,
bath oneArgu-
ment
againft
the
P.erfeverance
of
the
saints,from
the
impoffibility
of
finding a
fubje&
to
be
affe&ed
with
the
notion ofApoftafie,if
true
Believers
be exemp-
ted fró it:for
Hypocrites,faith
he,cannot
fall
away;
nor
can
Believers
faith Mr
Goodwin,
but
they are
Apoftates
when they fall away
;that
is,
it
is
a
dead
man
that
dyes;
or after
he
is
dead,
he
dyes:
after he
is
an
Apoftate
he
falls
away.
Perhaps it would
be worth our
ferious
inquiry,to
confider how
Believers
can
indeed
poffibly
come
to
look the
Spirit
ofGrace
which
dwells
in
them,with
their habit
of
Faith and
Holineffe.
For our parts
we contend
that
they have
an infuffed
Habit
of
Grace,
-and
that
wrought with
a
mighty Impreffion
up-
on their Minds and Hearts, (Faith being
of
the
opperation
ofGod,
wrought
by
the
exceding
greatneffe
ofhis
Pon'er as
he
wrought
in Chrift when
heRaifed
bim from the
dead) Whether
fisch
an
Habit
can
be
removed, but by
that
hand
that
beftowed it,
and
whether
it
may
be made appeare,
that
God will
on
any
occafion fo
take it
away ,
or
hath
expreffed himfelfe
that
he
will fo
deale
with
any
of
his
Children,
is
I
fay,
worthy our inquiry :
But
2.
Secondly, he denies
the Major
Propofition, and
faith,
that,
thófè
who
are
kept
and
prererved
by
Chrill,
may poffibly
mifcarry;
Boldly
ventured
!
what
Want
is
there then, ordefe&
in
the keeperoflfrael,
that
his
flock
thóuld
fo
mifcarry under
his
hand?
Is
it
of
Faithfulneffe?
The
Scripture tells
us,
he
is
a faithfull
High-
Priefl
in
things pertaining
to God
Heb.
2. 17.
Faithful/
to
him
that
appointed
him, Heb.3.2.
And
that
he did
the
whole will
of
God.
Is
it
of
Tenderneffe,
to
take
care ofhis poore wandering
ones?
He
is
otheiwife
repre-
M
3
Tented