372 / 504
C.X111.
The
Affertors
of
the
Sts
Perf. compared
with
their
Adverfaries'
316
Churches, and
the Puritan
Preachers
of
our
own
Nation. They
were
a
com
pany ofsciohys
in
comparifon, and
men
of Nothing,
who Arminiani
-sd:
Men,
as
the
ßifhopofLincolne
once
told them,
whole
Learning
lay
in
a
few
un-
learnedLituegies:
It
is
true;
they had gotten to
fuch
a
Head ,
and to
fuch a
Height,
not
long before their fall,
that
they were ready
to
accule, and charge
their
Affociates
as
to
Difcipline,
Worfhip,
and
Ceremony,
of
Puritanifrne,
who
failed
not
to retort
iirminianifine
and
Popery
back againe
to
them.
We
know
Who.
aid
of
the other,
that
they were
Tantm
non
in
Epifcopatu
Puritani;
änd
who
returned
to
him
and
his
Affociates,
Tantum
non
inVxoratu
Pontifi'cii.`f
he
truth
is,
thofe among
them,
as
there
were many among them , both
sifopf,
and
men,
(
as
they
fpeak
and think
)
of
Inferior Orders
,
who were
folidly
Learned,
efpecially
in
the writings
of
the
Ancients
(
of
whom many are
yet
alive, and tome are
fallen a fleepe
)
were univerfally, almoft
to
a
man
of
the
fame
judgement withC4lvin,
in
the
heads
of
our
Religion under confiderati-
on.'Jewell,
Abbot, Morton
,
Vfber ,
Hall,
Davenant,
and
Prideaux,
(
great
names among
the World
of
Learned men) with
a
confiderable retinue
of
men
of
repute
for
Literature
and Devotion,
(with
whom on no account whatever
the
Arminianizing
party
of
the
Prelates
and
their
followers, are
to
be named
the
lam©
day) have
fufficiently
teftified
their thoughts
in
this
matter to
all
the
World..
From what Ambiguity
of
expreffion
it
is
,
that
any fentence
is
ftolne
from
Auffine,and
others
Of
the
Ancients,feeming
to
countenance
the Dottrine
of
the
Saints
Apoflacy,
bath
been elfewhere difcovered
, and
may
farther be
manifefted
asoccáfion
(hall
beadminifired
5
And
without
pretence, to
any
great
skill
in the old Learning, this I dare aflèrt,
(
whereof I
have given
Tome
account
in
the
Preface
to
the Reader)
that
not
one
of
the
Ancients
(
much
lelfe
Auflin)
did ever maintaine
fuch an
Apoffacy
of
saints
,
and
fuch
à
Petfe-
verance
as
that
which M.
Goodwin
contendeth
for.
4
z
t,
This
being
that
which M.
Goodwin
hàth
to
offer for
the
clearing
of
the
Do-
errinehe maintaineth,from the
two
firft
parts
of
the charge
exhibited againft
it,
he applieth
himfelfe
in
the
laft place,
to contend
with
a
common
Obfer-
vation made by Chriftians,
weighing
and pondering
the
principles and wayes
of
men
in
the
daies
wherein
we
live;
Namely,
the
degeneracy
of
the
moll
of
men,
mho
at
any
time
embrace
it
from theirformer ProfefJon,
and their turning
afide
to
the
paths
o
floofenefe andfolly.
An
obfervation which
iftrue
,
(though
M.
Goodwin
is
pleated
to
attest
that
any confidering man
(
like himfelfe)
will
laugh
it
to
fcorne,)will
not
eafily
be digefted
in
the thoughts
of
them,that are
willing
to
weigh
aright the
ufuall pretence
of
God
with
his
Truths,
efpecially
at
the
firft
embracement
and
entertainement
of
them. Neither
will this
ob-
fervarion be
diverted
from purfuing
the
Doctrine
againft which it
is
lifted
up, by comparing
it
with
that
of
the
Vehappineffe
of
Marriages
made between
Coufen-
Germans,
there
being nothing
in
that Relation,that
fhould
be
a
difpo-
fing caufe,
to
any fuch iffue
as is
pretended;
much
leffe
with
that
farther
ob-
fervation,Thàtfome
Apoilatile
from
the Prote cant Religion,yea
from Chrifüa-
vity it felfe;
there
being not
the
leaft Parity,
or
indeed
Analogy in
the
inftan-
ces.
¡fit
might beaflirmedofmen,
that
after their embracing
of
Chriftiani-
ty,
or the
Proteftant
Religion, they generally
decline, and
grow'worfe, (as
to
their
Morali
Converfation,)then they
were before,
I
doe not know at prefent
what
Apology
could
be
readily
fixed
on
,
that
might
free
the
one,
and the o-
ther,
from
grievous
Scandall.
To
fall from a Profef
lion
of
any
Religion,
or
any head or
part
of
a
Religion, upon the account
of the
corruption
that
is
in
them,
that
fo fall
from
it,
is
rather
an
honour
,
then a reproach
to
the Reli-
gion to deferred.
But
in,
And
upon
the embracement
of
any
Religion, or any
DoClrine in
Religion, for men
to
decline from
that,
which
is
the proper end
of