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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

&ethagainn

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,