304 / 504
C.XI.g,3,4
Dca.ofPerfof
Sts
its
ufefulnes
to
promote
Gofp,Obedience.
248
choiceneffe
of
ingredients,
for
the advancement
of
Godlineffé
in
the wor/d;,there-
fore
what
particular
Dotfrine is
o
f
the
fame
Spirit,
tendency,
and
import,
mint
needs
be
a
natural/
branch thereof,
and
hail)perfect accord
with
it
this
Propofiti-
on
then
is
nnqueffionable.
4:
3
Anf According
to
the
principles formerly laid downe, I have fomething
to
fay
(though not to thepropofition
it
felfe,
as
in
the
termes it
lyeth,
but)
only
as
to
the
fixedneflè,
and
ftayedneffe
of
it,
that it
may
not
be
a
nofe
o
f
wax,
to
be
turned to
and
fro at
every ones
pleafurt,
to
ferve their turnes; for
what fort
of
men
is
there
in
the world, profeffng thenameo£Chrift, that
do not
lay
claime
to
an intreft
in this Propofition, for
the
confirmation
of
their
OpinionsIt
is
but
as aCommon
Exordium
in
Rethoricke,a ufeleffe flourifh;
The
Dotfrine
whichis according
to Godlineffe,
that
is, which
the Scripture
teach
-
eth
to
be
true,
and to
ferve
for
the
promotion
of
Godlinefl'e,
(riot what
Do-
&rine foever any
darke
braineficke
Creature doth apprehend
fo
to
do)in
the
fate
andCondition,
wherein
the Saints
of
Godwalke
with him,
is
a branch
of
the
Gofpell:
I
adde,
in
the
'late
and
condition,
wherein
we
walke
with
God:
for
in
the
frate
of
innocency,
the
Do&rine
of
the
Law,
as
a
Covenant
of
Life,was
of
an-
gular
aptneffe, and ufefulneffe
to promote
Obedience,
which
yet
is
not
therefore
any
branch, or
part
of
the Gofpell,
but
oppofìte
to
it, and deftru-
&ive
of
it.
All
the advantage
then
Mr
Goodwin
can expeet
from
this
A
rgu
ment to
his caufe,
dependeth upon
the
proofe
of
the
minor Propofition,
which alto muff be
effe
&ed in
afwerable proportion to
the
reftri
&ions
and qualifications given
to
the
Major,
or the
whole
will
be void and
of
none
effe&;
That
is,
he mutt prove it by the Teftimony
of
God,
to
be according
to
Godlinefle,and
not
give
us in
(by
a pure begging
of
the thing
in
Queftion,)
that
it
is
fo
in
his
Apprehefion
,
and according
to the
principles whereon
he
'cloth
proceed,
in
the
teaching and
afferting
of
Godlineflè:
Mr.
Goodwin
knowes,
that
there
is
no
idle
difference btween him and
us,
about the nature
and
caufes
of
Godlitieffe,
then there
is
aboute
the
Perfeverance
of
the
Saints:
and therefore
his
afferting
any
Do&rine
to
be fuited
to
the promotion
of
,Godlineflè,
that
Affertion being
proportioned to
his
other
Hypothefis
of
his
owne, wherein
we
accord
not
with him
,
and in particular
to
his
notions
of
the
caufes
and
nature ofGodlineffe,
with which conceptions
of
his
we have
no
communion,
it
cannot
be
Of
any weight with
us, unleffe he
prove
his
affirmation
cordingto the
limitations before expreffed; Now
this
he
at-
tempteth
in
the
words following.
4
4
What
Dot-trine
(faith he,)
can there
be
more proper
and
powerful/ to
promote
Godlineffé,
in
the
hearts and lives
of
men, then
that;
which, on the
,zrtandlpró
enifeth a
crown
ofBlejdnefe,
and
eternal/
Glory to
thofe,
that
live
Gocilily
with-
out declining; 'and
on
the other
hand,threatneth
the
vengeance
of
Hell
fire,
eternal-
ly
againfi thofe,that (hall
turne
aide
intoprofaneneffe,andnot returne
by
repen-
tance:
whereas the
Dotrine,
which promifeth,
and
that
withal
l
pojble
certainty
andaffurance,all
fulneffeofBleffedneffè
and
Glory,
to thofe
that
fhall
at
any
time
be
Godly,though they
fball
the
very
next
d)
or hour,
degenerate,
and
turne bofe,
and
profane;
and
continue never
fo longinfueh
a
coml.e,
is
moll manifefflydeffru-
tfive
to
Godlineffe,and encouraging above
mea
fore unto
profanenefJe.
4
5
Anf,
There
are
two parts
of
this Difcourfe:
the
one
(;t4e,Cxtuasva
or)
confirmatory
of
his owneThefis;
the other
(ávaCxevznxñ
or)
defirutfive
oft-hat
which he oppofeth;
For the
firft,
it
is
upon
the.
matter,
all
that
he
produ-
ceth for the confirmation
of
his
Minor
Propofition,
wherein any
angular
con
-
cernement
of
his
opinion
cloth
lye:
Now
that
being,
in
a
found
fence,
the
common Inheritance
of
all
that
profeffe
the Truth,
under what
deceits
or
miftakes foever;
the
femme
of
what
is
here
infifted
on,
is,
that the
Do&rine he
maintail
eth