344 / 504
C.X[I.Conf
lency
of
Prom.
of
Perf
&
Exhortations to
the
ufe
of
meanes,
288
ted,
He having
undertaken
for
the
lives
of
every one
of
them,' but
fuppoing
that
ingagement
of
his,
he
that
(ayes any
cne
might have
fo
perifhed,
is
more
carefull doubtlef
e
to
defend
his
owne
Hypothefis
than the honour
of
the
Truth., and Faithfulnefiè
of
God.
Evident then it
is
notwithftanding the Tortures, Rackes,and
Wheeles
ap-
plÿed by Mr
Goodwin
to
this
Text,
with
the
confefiion
pretended,
(and
but
pretended) to
be
extorted
from
it,
(which
but
that
it
bath gotten
San&nary
under
his
name
&
wing, would be counted
ridiculous;)that
here
is
a
Promïfe
of
God,
making
an
Event
infallible and neceffary in
refpe&
of
its relation
thereto,
by a.cleareconffiency with Exhortations
to
the
ufe
of
free, and
fui-
.
table
meanes, for
the
Accompliíhrnent
of
the
thing
fo
promifed.
p.48.
Sell.
io.
He
Obje
&s
farther
to
him
felfe,
That infundry
places
of
Scripture,ar
I
Cor. I
o. I
2,1 3.
PhiI.2. I 2,13.
Heh.
6.4,
5,9. there are Prom
fes
of
Perfeverance,
and
Exhortations
unto
it
joyned
together,
and
therefore
men
who deny
a regular
and
due confPlenty between
them
do
impute
folly
andweakeneffe
to
the
Holy
Gholl.
Whereunto he
Anfwers
fundry things
to
the end
of
the
eleventh
Sell
ion. As,
Firfl,they are
many
degrees
neerer
to
theguilt
o
fthe
crimefpecifyed,who
affirme
the
conjunction mentioned to
be
found in
the
faid
Scriptures,
than
they who
deny
the Legitimacy offuch
a
conjuniiion
;
the incongruity
of
the
conjuuilion hath
been
fufficiently
evinced,
bat
that
auy
fuch
conjunction is
to
be
found
either
in
the
Sr.
riptures
quoted or
in
any others
is
nn
mans
vifion,but
his
who
hath
darkeneffe
for
vifion.
Anf.
If
our
Adverfaryes
ipfe
dixit
may paffe
current
we (hall quickly have
1mall
hopes
left
of
carrying
on
the'Caufe under
confideration.
All
our Tefli-
monies
mu(}
be
look't upon
as
cafhired long
fince
#row
attending
any
longer
on
the tryal
in
hand,&
all
ourArguments
as
blown away like
fiyes in
the
fum-
mer;
The
very things here
in
Qreflion. viz.
That
there
is
an
Inconffiencÿ
between Promifes
of
Perfeverance, & Exhortations
to
the
ufe
of
the
Meanes
whereby
it
may be effeeted;that
God hath made
no fuch Promifes,or appoin-
ted
nö
fuch
Exhortations,and
that thole
who Apprehend any
fuch things
have
darkeneffe
for
vifion,
are
all
confirmed
by the
renewed flampe
of
tefie
meipfo5
to
which
proofe , I
(hall
only
fay
Ualeat
quantum valere
potefi.
0:49,
But he addes, That in
none
of
the places cited,
is
there
any
Promife
of
Perfeve-
rance,is evident
to
him
that
fiiall
duly confider
thew/mar and
import
of
them.
For
Fir/l, 'tis
one
thing
to
fay and
teach,
that
God
willfò limit
a5
welltheforce
as
the
continuance
of
temptations,
that
the
Saints
may
be
able
to
beare; another
to make
a
Promife
of
Abfolvte Perfeverance; yea thofe
very
words,Thatyee
may
be
able
to beare
it,
clearely import
that
all that
is
here
promifed
unto the Believing
Corinthians
is
an
exhibiting
of
meaner
to
Perfeverance,
if
they
will
improve
them
accordingly, not an
infallible certainty
of their
P
er(<verance
:
And
that
caveat
Let
him
that
thinketh
he }"lands
take
heed
leafs,
he
fall,
plainel)
fiippofeth a
poffì-
bXty of
his
falling,
Who
t
hinl¿eth(upon the
bell gronnds)that
he
flandethfure;,
for
that
this
caveat
was not
given
to Hypocrites or
unfound
Believers
,m
to
fuch
.
who pleafe
themfelves
with
a loof
e,and
groundleffa conceit
of
the
Goodne
of
their
conditionGodward is
evident,
bccaufe
t'avere
better
that
fuch
men
f1
ould
fall
front
their
prefent
(landing
ofa
groundleffé conceit
than
continue
theirfianding
; nor
would the Apofllehave ever cautioned
fuch to
take heed
o
f
f
filingan
ay,wbo
fe
con-.
dition
was more like to
be
madebetter
than
worfe
by
theirfalling.;
And
bfdes
to
under
fland
the
faid
caveat
of
loofe
believers overthrows the pertinency
of
it
to
their
caufewho
iiifít
upon
it,
to
prove a due
confifiency.
between
Exhortations
toPerfe-
veranee ,
and
Promifes to Perfeverance, as
is
evident;
If
then
it
be
direiled
to
trae.
and
found Believers,
it
clearely fuppofeth a
pobility
at
leafs
of
their falling,
ín
cafe