365 / 504
compared
with
their
Adverfaries.
C.Xlll.
who have
appeared
in
the
Caufe
that
Mr
Goodwin
hath
now
undertaken, are
3O9
Tompfon, Mountagu
&c.with
an
obfcure
Rabble
of
that Generation.'
fhall
ea-
fily
allow
MrGoodwin
to
be
a
man more
ftarpefightedthan
the
mofl
of
thofe
with
whom he
hath
to
do,
in
this prefent
cornett;
as
alto
to
have
his fences
more exercifed,
in
the Writings
óf
thofe eminent
Perfons
lafl
named;
But
yet
that
he
is
fenfible
of
fuck
a
Spirit
of
Holines,breathing
in
their
writingsf
which
for
the
moll
part
are
fluffed
with
cruellfcoffings
at the Profeffours
of
it, and
horrible
contempt
of
all
clofe
walking with God
)
I cannot
eafrly
& readily
believe; Ihould he
adde
to
them
Arminius,
with
all
that
followed him, in
the
Low Countryes, their moll Learned
Corvinos, Drunke
and
Sober; As
alto
fuch
among the
Papifls,
and
Lutherans,as
are
his
Companions
in
this
worke,and
fwell
thé
all
with
the
Rethorickofhis commendations until/
they
breake,I
dare
fay
he
will
never
be
able
be'ore
indifferent Judges,
to
make
out
his
Aflèrtion
of
the
excellency
of
their writings, forthe futherance
of
Holineffe,
compared
with the
Labours
of
thofe great and
holy
Souks, who have
both
among
our
felves,and
abroad,'Laboured
in
the worke
1
am
at prefent
ingaged
in.
The
World
of
men profefiìng the
Reformed Religion
have long
fince in
their
Judgmentsdeter
mined
this difference,
nor doth
it
deferve any
farther de.
bate.
Secondlp,That
thofe who
maintaine
the
Perfeverance
of
the Saints, are
fore
§:8-
indeed
in their Exhortations
to Holineff
è,
but
contemptible
in
their
Principles up-
on which
they
fhould build
thofe
Exhortations,
Is
an infinuation
that
Mr
Good-
win fometimes makes ufe
of, handfomely to
beg
the thing
in
ueflion,
when
he
defpaires
to
carry
it
by
any convincing Argument
in a
faire difpute:
That
the
Principles
of
this
Do&rine are eminently ferviceable,
to
the furtheranceand
promotion
of
HelinefTe,
hath
been formerly evinced beyond all poffibility
of
Contradi
&ion
from them,who
in
any
meafure underftand what trueGodli-
rreffe
is,
and
wherein
it
doth
confifl.
Neither ought Mr
Goodwin
if
he would
be efteemed
as
a
man
difputing
for
his
perfwafion
,
fo
often
to
begge
the thing
in
Qteftion;
knowing fullwell,
that
he
bath not
fo
deferved
of
them with
whom
he
bath to
do,
as
tò
obtaine
any
thing
of
this
nature,
on thofe tearmes
at their hands.
Thirdly,
what
was
thejudgement
of
the
Primitive Chriflians,
as
in
others,
4.
9,
fo
in and
about
this head
of
Chrifiian Religion,
is
heft known
from
that rule
of
Do&rine, which
it
is
confeflèd
they
attended
unto,
being delivered
unto
them;
and
in
the
defence whereof,
and to
give Teflimony whereto,
fo
many
Thoufands
of
them,
lovednot
their
lives
unto death.
Of
thofe
that
committed
overto pofterity,
any thing
oftheir thoughts,
in
that
fpace
of
time limited by
M. Goodwin,
(viz
three hundred years,)
he names
but
two
of
whom
I
(hall
not
fay,
that
if
they
failed
in their
Apprehenfions
of
the
Truth
in
this
matter,
h
is
not the
only
thing
wherein they
fo
failed; And
yet
that
it
can
be
evident
in
the
leaft,
that
they were contenting
in
judgement
with
M. Goodwin,
wherewithfrom
us
he differs,
is
abfolutely denied. This elfewhere
is
already
farther
confidered.
It
is
a
common obfervation
,
and not
deflitute
of
a
great
evidence
of
Truth, that
the Liberty
ofExpreffron
which
is
ufed by men in
the
delivery
of
any
Do&tine,
efpecialIy
if
it be
done
obitèr
by
the
way,
before
fomeoppofitinn
bath
been
framed,
and
Plated
thereunto, bath
given
advan-
tage to
thofe
following
of
them,
(
when
death bath prevented
all poflibility
for them
to
explaine thémfelves, and
their own thoughts)
to draw
them
into
a
participation with
them,
in
that,
which
their
Souks abhorred.
The
plea
of
Arius
and
his Affociats
,
concerning
the
judgement
of
the Do
&ors
of
the
Church, in
the
daies
before
him
,
about
the
great
Article
of
our Faith,
The
Diet,
ofChrift,
is
known.
That
there are
it
many
of
the
Ancients
, fundry
exprelf
ons