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Aífertors.ofStSPericompared
with
their
Adverfarìes.
C.XUUJ:
as
to
the
difcipline,
and
ÍTWorfbip
then
eftabl'ifhed.
CertaineIy
the
Prelatical!
315
party
themfelves,
will
not
fay,
they prevailed
on
that hand,
as
to
any ends
and
purpofes
for the eftablifhtnent
of
thcit
intereft
,
or making good
their ground againft
their
oppofers
.
Nay the molt fober and
Learned
of
that
fort
of
men,
do
to
this
day
áfcribe
in
no
final!
meafure
the
downefall
of the
whole fabricke
whereof
they were parts and members
to
théprecipitating
ra4meffe,
and
folly of force few,
in
advancing
and preff-
ing
the
Arminian
crrours
that
they themfelves were given up
unto.
As
for
the
zealous
and Godly
Minifters
of
the
Nation,
ufually
termed
Pitritans,
(w ho
are here acknowledged
by Mr
Goodwin
to
have all generally oppofed the
Do
&rive
he.ftriveth
to build
"up,
)
though they had
in
many Parliaments
wherein
the molt intelligent
and rational! men o
f
the Nation
are ufually
convened,
made by
their
friends
fundry attempts for
their
reliefe
againít
the
Perfectítions
of
the
other
as
is
evidenced
by
their
Petitions, and Addrefes
Rill
on
Record,
yet were never able to attaine
the
leali redreffe
of
their
grievan-
ces,
nor to
get one ftep
of
ground
againft
their
Adverfaries,
until'
the
Ad=
vantage
of
their.Arminianifine was adminifired
unto them,
on
which by
lever
rail degrees they prevailed
themfelves in the
iffue
to
the
utter
breaking
of
the
Yoke
of
their Tafke-
matters.
It
is
true,
He
who
takes the crafty in
their
owns
imaginations, and mixeth
the counsel!
o
the
Wife
with madnefé
and, folly, cau-
ling
them
to
erre in their
wages
as
a
drunken man
in
hisvomit, chit',
oftentimes
turne the
devices
of
men upon
their
owne heads, and
make
thofe things fub-
fervient
to
their
ruine, which they
fixed
upon
as
the molt expedient
mediums
for
theireftablifhment and continuance;
filch.
perhaps was
thecafe
with them
in their
Canonical! Oath
attempted
to be impofed,in one
of
their
laft
Convoca-
tions. But
that the
taking up, and afferting
of
the
Arminian
Dottrine
was
a
defigne
of
that party
of
men,to get upon the Judgements
&
Affe&ions
of
the
people,
and
to
expofe
the
PuritanicallPreachers
to their
contempt
and
repro-
ach,is an imaginati6
that
cannot
likely fall upon any
one
who had
his eyes
oè
pen
in
the
dayes
wherein thofe things were publikely ailedon
the
flags
of
this
Nation' For that
infinuation
in
the
dole of
Mr
Goodwin
s
Difcourfe,eoncer-
ning
the
Advantages given
that
fort
of
then; by
the
inconfiftency
of
the
Do-
&rine
of
the
;Puritans
(which they oppofed)
with
the
Principles
of
Religion
and
Reafon,
I
(hall only
fay
that
it
being once more through the Providence
of
God, called forth
to
a
publicke`
debate, it neither
fiandeth,
nor
falleth
to
the Judgement
of
any (ingle man, muchlelfe
of
one who
is
profeffedly
in-
gaged
in an
oppofition
thereunto.
Another Reafon
of
the
fame evidence
with
the
former
;
is
tendred
in
thefe
O.
'..
words,
It
tcgenerally known
that
the Cathedral!generation
of
men throughout
Chriflendome,
were generally
great admirers
Ofthe
old Learning
(asforce
call
it)
d
mean
the
Writingr,andrenents
of
the
Fathers, and
o
f
Aulline
more efpecially;
and that
they fregaentfy. made
shield and
Buckler
of
their" Authority
tó'
defend
themfelves,
againfi
the Peni
andOpinionsof later
Writers;
whom
their manner
was
according
to
the
exigency
of
their
i
stereo
(at
lull
as they conceived)
to
flight
and vilify
in
comparifon
of
the other.
Non'
the
judgments
of
the
Fathers
more ge=
nerally,
and
of
Aufline
snore
particularly, flood for the
po
f,/ibility Of the
Saints de-
feEfion, both
totali andfinal!,
wherein
it
fieraeth
the
greater
part
of
our
16loderne
Reformed
Divines have departed from them.
That
this
pretence
is
no whit
better
than that
that
went before,will be evi-
denced
by
the light
of
this
one confideration.
via. That thofeamongthe
'Pi-
paps andtheir adherents, who were indeed nioft
zealous
of,
and belt verfed
in
theWritings-of
the Fathers,
were generally
of
the
fame
judgement about
the
Grace
ofChrifl, and
the
Will
ofMan,&c. with
the
refidoe
of
the reformed
S
f
2
Churches