364 / 504
C.XIII.
The
Aífercots
of
the
Saints Perfeverance
308
latter,
which
I
am
very
fenf
ble
of
in
the
writings
of
the
former;
Theft
call
for
Righteoufne¡fe, Holineffe,
andall
manner
of
Chriftian eonverfation, with
every
whit
as high a
hand
asthe other,
and
snide
nothing
to
check,
obftruél, or
infeehle
the Authority
of
their
demands
in this
Rind; when as the other,
though
they
be
fore
many
times
in their exhortations, and
conjurements unto
holineffe
;yet
other
while
render
both thefe
and
themfelves
in
them
contemptible,by avouching
fuch
principles, which cut the very
f
news,
and
.flrength
o
f
filch
their
exhortations,
and
fully
ballance
all the weight
of
thofe
motives,
by
which
they
feek
to
bind
them
up-
on the
Confciences
of
men.
And
for
men
truly
holy
and
Confcientious,
doubtleffe
the Primitive Chriflians
for
three
hundredyears
together
and
upwards
,
next after
the times
of
the
Apoftles,
will
fitly
ballance
with
an abundant furplufage,both
for
numbers,
and
Truth ofGodlineffe,All
thofe
in
the
Reformed Churches; who
fine
Calvins
dales, haveadhered
to
the
common
Doirine
of
Perfeverance
:
And
that
the
Churehes'ofChrift
more generally
during the
faidfpace
of
three hundred
years
and
more, held a
pof
bility
of
ee
totia
and
fs'nall defetlion ,
even
in
true
andfound
Believers,
isfo
cleare
from
the
Records
yet
extant
of
thofe
times,
that
it
cannot
be
denied.
An
f:
To
let
paffeM.
Goodwins
Proverb,
with
its
Applycatipn,
(it
being very
facile
to
returne
it
to
its
Author, there
being
nothing
in
the World
by
him
propofed,
to
induce
us
to
fuch
an
eftimation
of
his affociates
, in
the work
of
teaching the
Do&rine
of
the
Saints Apoftafy,
and their labours therein,
or
a-
ny
other undertaking
of
theirs,as
he
labours
to
beget,
in
guilding
over
their
Worth
and Writings, but
only
his
own judgment,&
an
overweening
o
f
their
Gee
fe
for
Swans,)
Let
us
fee
what
is
offered by
him
to
evince
the
Experience
A
erted, not to
be
fo
unquefiionable
as
is
pretended.
He offers Firft, his
own
Affirmation, That
if
an
eftimate
may
be
made
of
mens Worth
and
Halinefè
by
their
writistgs,Thofe'who
oppofe
the Doflrine
of
the Saints
Perfeverance
will
be
found in
the promotion
o
f
Holineffe,
and
the
praflice
ofit,to
outgoe
their Adver-
faries.
Their
writings, he tells us,
breath forth
a
fpirit
of
holineffe, fuch
as
he
cannot
find
in
the writingsofothers;
But firft,
for this you have only
M.
Good-
wins nakedfingle
Teftimony:
And
that,
oppofed
to the
common experience
of
the
people
of
God; What
weight this
is
like
to
beare with men, the event will
fhew.
It
is
a
hard
thing for
one
man
upon
his bare word ,
to undertake
to
per
-
fwade
a
multitude,
that
what their
eyes fee
, and their
eares heere,
is
not
foi
M.
Goodwin
had need have
Pythagorean
Difciples for
the imbracing
of
thefe
di&ates
ofhis;
The
experience
ofThoufands,
is
placed
to
confirme
the
obfer-
vation infrftedon:
faith M.
Goodwin,
it
is not
fo ,
they
are
in
my
judgement all
deceived.
Burg
S5:7.
Secondly, who are
they
in whole
writings
Mr
Goodwin
bath foundfach
a
Spirit
of
Holineffe,
breathing with Authority,
as
is
not
to
be found
out,nor
perceived
in
the writings
ofthem,that
affert
the
Do&rine
of
the
Perfeverance
of
the
Saints.
Calvin, Zanchini, Beza,
&c. (and
to
confine
our
felves
home)
Reynolds, Whitaker, Perkins,
Greenhorn, Dodde,
Prellon,
Boulton, Sibbs, Ro-
gers,
Collverwell, Cotton,
&c.
(whole
fame upon this very
account,ofthe
emi-
nent
and
effe&uall
breathing
ofa
Spirit
of
Holyneffe
in
their
writings,
is
gone
out
into
all
the
Nations about
us, and
theirRemembrance.
is
bleffed
at
home
and
abroade,)
are fome
of
the
men whó have
as
bath
been.fhewed,
laboured
in
watering
the Vineyard
of
the
Lord,with
the
dew
and raine
of
this
Dottrine:
Who, or
where are they
who
have
excelled them
in
this
undertaking
?
Let
the
men
be named, and
the
writings
produced
that
Mr
Goodwin,
may have
fome joyned
with him, in
a
fearch
after,
and Judgement
of
that
Spirit
that
breathes
fo
excellently
in
them,
that
we be
not
forced
to
take
his
Teftimony
of
we
know not what,nor whom; Thofe amongft our
felves
ofcheifeft name,
who
1
3
`