362 / 504
C.X111.
The
Affertors
of
the
Sts
Perf
compared
with
their
Adverfaries,
3o6
they
really believed,
the
whole fabricke
of
his
Doetrine wherein
he
bath de-
parted
from
the
Faith, he
once
(as
they
fay)
profeffed,
to
be a
lye;
A
lye
of
dangerous and pernitious Confequence
to
the
foules
of
men,
a
lye derogatory
to
the Glory
of
God, the
efficacy
ofGrace, the
merit
of
the Death. ofChrift,
and the honour
of
the Gofpell, and
full
of
difconfolation
to
poore
fouler,
being in and
under Temptation;What though
they
fuppofe
it
fecretly
to
un-
dermine the
maine fundamentals
of
the
Covenant
of
Grace,
andcovertly
to
fubftitute another Covenant
in
the
Rome
thereof,
what
though theyhaye
obferved
that
the
Do&rine they have received,
was Imbraced,
Preached,
pri_
zed,
by all thofe great and
bleffed fouler, which in
the
Taft
Generation,
God
magnified
with
the
converfion
of
fo
many
thoufands
in this
Nation,given into
their
Miniftry
whiffs
they
fpent
their
dayes
under
continuali
Afii
&ions& per
-
fecutions?what though they have
the
generali known confent
ofall
thefe
for
-
Churches
beyond
the
Seas
with them,in
their
zeale for
the
Dotirine
underCon-
fideration;
What
though
under
thefe &
the
like apprehenfions,they
profefle
in the
prefence
of
God,
his
holy
Angels
and men,
that
the eternal! Intereft
of,
the
precious foules
of
men,is more
valuable to
them tenthoufand
times than
their
owne lives,and
that that
is
the
foie
Reafon
of
their
oppofition
to
M.
G:
in
his
attempts
againft
the Do
&rive they
have
fo
received and imbraced,
yet it
is
meet
for
us
to
Judge, and for all
to
whom
evillfermifes are not
efleemed
to
be
among
the
worker
of
the
fleAthat
all
their
oppofition,
is
nothing but
a
cb»
plyance with,and purfuit
of
thofe worldly lowand wretched aimes,that they
are
filled
withal!.
But
as
to
thofe Perlons before mentioned, what
!hall we
fay?
Their
Piety,
Literature,
Zeale,
Diligence,
Indieflry, Labour
with
fucceffe
in
the
worke
of
the
Mini.ffry,
<and
that under
manifold difcouragetnents) are
fo renowned
in
the world,
that
howv
or wherewith
they
fhaIl
be
{bitted of,
from being confiderable
in
their Teftimony,
I
cannot
imagine.
If
ever Per-
fons
in
thefe
latter
Ages
had written upon their
breafis,Rolyneffe to
the Lord,
If
ever
any
bare about,
a conformity to the
Death and refurreaion
of
our Lord
7ef
a
Chr
1,
they
may
put
in for an eminent efteeme, and name among them;
&
will
doubtleffe befound at laft
to
be
ofthe
thirty,
if
they attaine not
to
the
firfl
Ranke
of
theWorthyes of
Chrift in thefe
ends
ofthe
world;How
is
it
that
they
were
not retarded,
in
the courfe
of
their Gofpell Obedience,
by their
entertainement
of
this
wretched Do
&rive
of
the
Saints
Perfeverance?
But
what though
they kept themfelves Perfonally
from
the
poll
titian
ofit
yet
pof-
fibly
their
Miniftry
was
defiled
and rendered
ufeleffe
by it. And who
I pray
is
it that
in this
Generation
can
fo
fupport
,himfelfe
with
fucceffe
in the Mi-
nifiry,
as
to
rife up
with
this
accufation againft them
?
Many thoufànds.who
were their
Crowne,
their
Glory,
and
Rejoycing in
Chrift, are
fallen
a fleepe,
and
forne
Continue
to
this
day.
Of
the
Reafons given by Mr
Goodwin
why
all
the
Zealous,
Fruitfull, Faithfidl
Preachers,
of
former dayes, imbraced
this
Do&rine,
we !hall inftantly
undertake the
Confideration.
In
the
meane time
this
feems
ftrange,
that
God
fhould magnify, and make famous the
Minifihy
of
fo
many,
throughout theworld,
and give
in
that
vifible Meiling o their
Labours
therein,
which
hath
filled this Ifland
with
fuch
an increafe
ofChil-
dren to
sion,as
that
fhe
bath not
lengthnedthe
cords
of
her Tabernacle,
to
fuch
an extent and
compafhe,
in any
proportionable
fpot
of
earth under
Heaven,
if
any one eminent
part
of
their
DoiFrine, and
that
whereon they lay'd great
weight
in
theirMiniftry,
which
they
prefled with
as
much fervency and
con
-
tention
of
Spirit as any head
of
the
Iike
importance,
fhould
indeed be
fo
ap-
parently
deftru&ive
of
Holineffe,and
of
fuch
a
dire&
and
irrefiftible
efficiency
to
render
ufeleffe
that
great
Ordinance
of
the
Miniftry
committed to
them,
as
this
is
clamoured
to
be.
What
will
be the
fucceffe
&them,
in their Mini-
11'7