370 / 504
C.X111.
The
Affertors
of
the
Sts
Perf. compared
with
their
Adverfari
s
314
covering and difcerning
of
the Doítrines
that
they bring,
efpecially
if
fuck
as
confent
in
any
Do
&nine,
do
alfo
concurre
in a
diflolutenefje ofconverfa-
tion-
That it
will
be
of
no
fmall
confideration,the
experience
of
all
Ages
bath
evinced.
The
Athenians
refuted
a
virtuous
Law,becaufe the Perlon
was
vicious
who propoled
it
and
k
is
generally efteemed
that
there
is a
correfpondency
betwixt
the
principles
& pra
&ices
of
thofe men, who earneftly
profes
the
pro-
motion
of
thofe
principles,
fohat
they
are mutual! producers
or
advanta
-
gets
one
of
another. This
is
all at prefent
that
was
aimed
at in the charge
uponMr
Goodwin's
Doetrine,
which he
undertakes
to
wave.
It
was
generally
embraced
at
its
firft
broaching
in
our world,bymen
only
ofa
000fe
& fcanda-
lous
Converfation,
fuperfticious in
their
wayes
of
worfhip, and
enimies
of
the
power ofGodlineffe:
which
being confefled, for
the Argument
from
thence,
valeat
quantum valere poteft.
4
t8,
But M.
Goodwin
giveth
us
two
Keafons, why
this
Do&rine
of
his was
Co
gladly received, and
zealoufly afferted by
that
Generation
of
men.
The
firft
which he
telleth you
is
plaine
and
eafy
to
be
given in,si this.
Being profeffed e-
nemies
to
the
moft Religious
and
Zealous Preachers
and Minifters
of
the Land,
with their
adherents,
whom
they
termed Puritans,
whom they both
hated andfea-
red,
as
a generation
of
men,
by
whom
rather than
any
other
they apprehended
themfelves
in danger
of
being dethroned,
Nec eos
fefellit
Opine°.
upon
this
ground
they
judged
it
a very
materiallpoint
of
their
intereft
to
oppofe
and
keepe
sender
this
faá
ion,
as
they termed
them;
in
order thereunto
they
fludied andcaff
about
how to
weaken
their intreft, and
repute,
with
the
gelAwality
of
the
people
or
at
leaft
with all
thole
that
were
intelligent
and
in that
refpeá confderable;to this end
wifely
coif/
doing
that
nothing was like to prejudice them
more
in their
elfeeeme
with
mall men,
than
to
deteá
them
of
erroser
and
unfoundneffe
in their Doárine,
and
perceiving
withal!
(as
with halfé
an
eye
they
might,
being
To
fully difengaged
as
theywere
from all
high thoughts
of
thofe
that
held
them) that
they were not
en
any
Doárine
beides,
which they
were
generally
known
to
hold
and
teach,
more
obnoxious to
filch
a
deteffion,than in
thofé which they
held
&
taught
in
oppofition
to
the Remon.ffrants,
hereupon they
politickly
fell
to profeffe
and
teach
Remon-
ffrantifine,thatfo
theymight
have the
more
frequent
occafion
and
opport
unity
to
layopen
te3e
Puritan Doárine,
before
the
people,
anditoPhew
the
inconftffencyof
it
with the
Scriptures, as alfo
with
many
of
the
moll
manifeft
principles
as well
of
Reafon
as
Religion
beftdes.
4.
t9
Anf..
That
this
is
a
tnoft vaine and groundleffe conje&ure, I prefame
any one
that
will
but
caft back
his
thoughts upon
the
poftnre
of
Affaires
du-
ring the
reigne
of
rhat
Genetation
of
men, and
a
little
confider the
wayes
and
meaneswhereby
they
were
through
the
righteous Hand
ofGod,
redúced
to
that
condition and (fate
wherein
they
now are,
will quickly determine.
The
t
ruth
is,
they
were
fo
far from
advantaging
themfelves againfttheir Adver-
faryes, and prevailing upon
them,
in
the
efteeme
of
the
moft rationalland
knowing men
in the Nation, by
their entertainingthe
Arminian
Doctrine,
that
utterly
on
theother
fide
they difhonoured their
caufe
of
ceremonys,difcipline,
& conformity,which
with
fucces
they had
fo
long carryed on with theGene
rality
ofthe
Nation,&
expofed themfelves
to
the power
of
the
people
of
the
Land
in Parliament,fró whence
as
to
all
other
differences rhey were fheltered
by an appearance ofLegallCon.áitutions;fo
that
after
Come
forward Perfon
of
that
fa
&ion,
(the
moft contemptible indeed
as
to
any
reali worth,one
or
two
indiividualls
only
excepted,ofthe
whole
tribe)
had upon the grounds
fore
-
mentioned,taken up
&
made
profeflion
of
the
Opinions and
Doarine
we
are
(peaking of,they
fell
dailybefore theirAdverfaries,as
to
the
efteeme
of
all,
or
at
leaft
the greateft
part
of
thofe who cordially &
throughly adhered to
them
as