C.XL4,17 Do.`t!of
Pcrf
of
Sts
its
ufefulnes
to
promote
Gofp.Obedience.
2
54
ttlre be
held
out, or
may be deduced from this
to
the contrary, they
are
at
li-
berty
from
fubmitting their undernandings to them, and
may arraigue them
as
falfe
and fuppofìtitions
their
whole divine Authority
is
unqueftionably
caft
downe
to the ground,
and
trampled
on by
the
feet
of
men
.
(Kai'MU-,a
146 Vejf
.re.úaa
)
God
will
take
care for
the
vindication
of
the honour
of
his
Word.
y
2.
The
oppofition here made by
Mr
Goodwin,
and impofed on
his
Ad-
verfaries,
is
as
bath
been (hewed, wretchedly falle,
not
once fpokcn
or
owned by them with whom he hath
to do, nor
having
the lean
colour
given
unto
it by the Do&rinethey maintaine;yea
is
diametrically
oppofite thereunto,
The
maine
of
what they teach, and
which
Mr
Goodwin
hath
opppfed
in this
Treatife,
indeavouring
to
anfwer
that
eminent
place
of
the
r
john 3.9.
with
many others produced and argued
to that purpofe,'
is,
that
God
will
accor-
ding
to
the
tenor of the
Covenant
of
Grace,
fo
write
his
Law
in
the
hearts
of
his,
and put
his
feare
in
their
inward parts,
that
they
!hall
never depart
from him,
fo
as
to
become defperately and outragioutly
profane,but be
pre-
ferved
fuch
to
the
end,
as
that
the Lord
with
the greaten advantage ofGiory
to
his
infinite Wifdome, Righteoufnefie, and
Holineffe, may irreverfih'v
affure
the immortall Inheritance
of
his
Love and Favour
unto
them.
So
that
Mr
Goodwin's
Difcourfe
to
the
end
of
this
*lion,
concerning
the
Conti-
nuance
of
the Love
of
God
to
them
that
are wicked, with an
equall meafure
of
Favour
to
them
that
are Godly, according
to
this
Do&rine,
is
vaine,
and
grofsly
fophiflicall,and fuch
as
he himfelfe
knoweth
to
be
fo.
To
fay,
every
one
that
dóth
i.11
good
in
the
fight of
the Lord,
and
that
he
delightetb
in
him,
(that
is) he
approveth wickedand ungódly men,
we
know
is
fufficiently dif-
honourable:to
him:but yet
to
fay
that
he
delighteth
in
his
Church,
& People,
walked
and
made Holy
in
the
Blood
of
Chrin;-notwithnanding their
failings,
or
their
being fomtime
overtaken
with
great
firmes,
when he pleafeth
in an
extraordinary
way, for ends
belt
knowne
to
himfelfe,
to
permit them
to
fall
into them,
(which yet he doth feldome and
rarely,)
is
that; which
him
felfe
affirmeth, & afcribeth
to
himfelfe
in
innumerable
places
ofScripture,(if
their
Authority may
paffe
unquenioned)to the
praife
of
the Glory
of
his
Grace.But
it
feemeth,
if
we take, any care,
that
Mr
Goodwin
may
not
call
the
Authority
ofthe
Scriptures
into
queftion,
(being
fully refolved,
that
the
Do&rine of the
Saints Perfeverance
is
unworthy
of
a
Holy and Righteous
God,)
we
muff
give
over
all
attempts
of
farther
deducing it from
them;
But yet for
thepre-
fent,
we (hall confider
what he
hath farther
to objed
again it.
4.
Sett. 34.
He father obje
ðagainn
him
felfe
and
his
D
,
in
the
be
halfe
of that
which he
doth
oppofe
in
thefe words.
It
is poffîble,
thatyet
fome will
farther
pbjetl
agáinfl
the
Argument
in
hand;
Vnleffethe
saints
be
affured
ofthe
perpetuity
of
their
fianding, in
thé
Grace
and
Favour
o
f
God,they
mu.{l
needs
be
under fearer
of
falling
away,
and
fo
of
perifhing;
andfeare
we
know is
of
a difcouraging
and
infeebling
nature; an
enemy
untofuck
atlions,
which
men
of
confidence
and
courage
are apt
to
undertake.
Air(.
What
this
pbje
&ion
maketh
in this place,
I
know
not;
it
neither
afferteth
any eminency in
the
Do&rine by Mr
Goodwin
oppofed,
as
to
the
promotion ofGodlineffe, nor
immediately challengeth
that,
which he doth
marntaine
of
a
contrary tendency,
but
only
intimateth,
that
the
Sts
Confolar
tion
and
peace
is
weakned
by
unnecefiary fearer
,
fuch
as his
opinion
is
apt to ingenerate
in
them;
But
however
thus farreI
owne
it,
as
to
the
maine
of
the
Obfervationinhand, that the
Do&rine
of
the
Apoftacy
of
Believers,
is
apt and
fuited
to cut the
Saints
of
God, and
heirs
ofthe
Promife
fbort
of
that
nrong
Confolation, which he
is
fo
abundantly
willing
that
they
fhould
receive,