366 / 504
C.
XIII.
AII'ertors
of
Sts
Perf. compared
with
their
Ad%erlaries.
310
expreffions feemingly
varying from
that
Do
&rive we
Affert, upon the
ac-
count
oftheir
different apprehenfions
of
the
tearmes,
of
Faith,
being
Regene-
rated,
Holineff
e,
and the like, (which
are all
of
them
íäll
with
us,
as
in
the
Scripture,
of
various
fignifications,
and not
clearely expreffive
of
any one
fence
intended
by
them, untill
diftinguifhed)
is
not
denyed. Speaking
of
all
thofe who had been
Baptized,
and made
profeflion
of
their Faith
as Believerr,
it
is
no wonder
if
they
granted
that
fome Believers might fall away.
But
yet
in
the
meanetime
the
moft eminent
of
them, conftantly
affirmed
that there
is
a
fort
of
Believers,
who upon
the matter
with
them,
were
the
only
true
and
Reali
Believers
(being
fuch
as
we
formerly defcribed) that could not
fall ei-
ther
totally
or
finally;
but
as
far
this
I
hope
full
fatisfa&ion
is
tendered,
the
Learned
Reader
in
the
Preface
of
this Difcourfe.
So
that
thefe Exceptions
notwithflanding, the
prejudices
that
Mr
Goodwin's
Do&rìne labours under,
from
the
oppofition made
to it
and againft
it,
in
the
defence
of
that
which
it
rifeth up
to
over throw,
by
that
Generation
of
the
Saints
of
God,
lyes
up-
ón
the
(boulders thereof,
as a
burthen
to
heavy for
it
to
beare.
4.
to.
Secondly, Mr
Goodwin
farther
proceeds,
Se&.
27
to
informe
us
of
fome
other
miftakes
in
the
inftance given,
to
make good
the
former obfervation,
For
as
for
Calvin,
Mafculus,
Martyr,
Bucer,
with the
Minifters
of
this
Nation
who
in
the
laft
Generation
fo
ZeaÌoufly oppofed,
the
perfecutions and inno-
vations
of
fome
returning
with
fpeed
and violence
to
Rome,
He tells us
they
were very
farce from
having their
fudgnaents
fettled,
as
to the Dothrine
under
conteft
fo
as refolvedlly to
have imbraced the
one,
and
rejec`íed
the
other.
I fhouldwillingly walke
in
the
heigh way for
the
manifeftation
and
cleare
evi
&ion
of
the
untruth
of
this fuggeftion:
via.
by producing their
Teftimo-
nyes
in
abundant
plentiful) manner to,confirme their cleareneffe
and
Refolu-
tion
in
the
Truth
we profeffè,
with their Zealous índeavours for the
eftablifh-
ment,
confirmation and propagation
of
it,
but that
fome
few
Conffderations,
delivered me from ingaging
in fo
facile
a tafke.
Fo"r
Firft
I
am
not
able
to
perfwade my
(elfe,
that
any
man who ever read
the
writings
ofthe
firft
fort
of
men
mentioned, and
knowes
the
confiant
Do-
&rine
to
this
day,
of
the
Churches which they planted
and
watered,
or
ever
did
/mare
ofthe latter,
will
entertaine
this Affertion
of
Mr
Good-
wins
with
any
thing but
Admiration, uponwhat grounds
he fhould make
it.
And
Secondly,
Hitnfelfe difcovering in
part
on what account he
doth
it, name-
ly
becaufeoftheir
Exhortations
to
watchfulneffe,carefulneffe,
and
dole
wal-
king
with
God,
with
their
denuntiations
of
threatnings
to
them, that
abide
not
in
the
Faith,which
he fancyes
tp
be inconfiftent with
the
Do&rine
ofPer-
feverance,fo
as
by
him
oppofed (which
inconfifrency we
have long
lince fully
manifefted,
to
be the
iffue
& offspring
of
his
owne
imagination,begotten
ofit
by the cunning
sophyfiry
of
his Pelagian
Friends)
I
know
not
why
IMould
far
-
ther
infift
upon
the
wiping away
of
this
Reproach,
caft
upon thofe
Bleffed
Soules
whom God
fo magnified in
the
worke
of
the
-Gofpell
of
his Sonne
in
their Generation; I remember
Navaret
a
Dominican Fryer,upon
hisObfer-
vation
of
the
fubtiltyes
of
the
Jefuits,
to
wreft many
fayings
of
the
Ancients
in
favour
of
their.
Opinions,in thofeDo&rines wherein thofe two Orders are at
variance,
Affirmes
That
he
was
afraid that
when
he was
dead, although
he
had
written
2i
difputedfo
much
atainfl
them,they would
produce him
for
a
Teflimo-
ny
and
Witneff
e
on
theirfide.
What
he
fearedconcerntng
himfelfe,Mr
Goodwin
bath attempted,concerning
many
more worthy Perlons: cutting
offfentences
from what
goes
before, and
followe'
after, reftrayning
generali
expreflions,
impofing
bis
owne
Hypothefis
or
hi
s
Reader,in
making application
of
what he
quotes