401 / 504
`
The
fallacious
Ground
of
this
Argument
of
M:
G's.
All
its
dominion,
as
bath
been (hewed,
and very
much
of
its
flrength
is
loft
in
Believers; this
is
the intendment
ofthe
Apoftles difcourfe
Roma 6.
concerning
the crucifying
of
finne,
by
the death ofChrift.
The
power, ftrength, vigour;
and
efficacy
of
it,
is
fo far
abated,
weakned, mortified,
that
it cannot fo
effe-
îtually
impel!
unto
fin,
as
it doth
when 'tis
in perfe& life
and ftrength.
But you'] fay
then, IfLu(t
be thus weakned
in
Believers
,
more than
in
e-
,
thers, how comes
it
to
paffe,
that
they do
at
any
time
fall
into
fuch
great,and
hainous fumes,
as
fometimes
they doe , and have done
?
Will not this argue
them, to be even
worfe
than
unregenerate perlons,
feeing
they
fall
into
finne
upon eafier
termes, and with leee
violence
of
impulfe from
Indwelling
finne
than
they
?
Anf.
Firft,
The
examples
of
Believers falling
into
great
firmes,
are rare,
and
fuch as
by
no
meanes are
to be accommodated
to
their flare
.,
in
their
ordinary walking with
God;
'tis
true
there are examples
of
fuch
falls recor-
ded
in
the
Scripture,
that
they might
lye
as
brags
to
all generations,
to
cau-
tion
men
of their
danger, when the
waves
of
Temptation
arife,
to
thew
what
is
in
man,
in
the belt
of
men,
to
keepe all the
Saints
of
God humble ,
felfe-
empty,
and
in
a
continual] dependance on
him,
in
whom
are
all
their fprings,
from whom are
all
their
fupplies;
but
as
they are
moftly
all Old-
Teflament
ex-
amples, before
grace
for
grace was
given
out
by Jefus Chrift,
fo
they are by no
meanes
farther to be urged, nor are
,
but
only
to
thew
that
it
is
poffible
that
God can keep alive
the root,
when
the tree
is
cut
downe
to theground
; and
caufe
it to buddeagaine
by the
fent
of
the water
of
his
Spirit, flowing
towards
it.
Secondly,
That
Believers fall
not into great
firmes
at
any
time , by
the
meere
.
ftrength
oflndwelling
finne, unleffe
it be
in conju.n&ion
with fome
vio-
lent outward
Temptation,
exceedingly fiirprizing
them, either by weakning
all
wayes
and
nneanes,
whereby
the
principle
of
Grace fhould exert
it
felfe, as
in
the
cafe
ofPeter,or
by fudden heightning
oftheir
corruption,by
Tome
over-
powring obje
&s,
attended
with
all
circumftances
of
Prevalency, not without
Codswith-holding
his
fpeciall
grace
in an
eminent
manner,
for
ends
heft
known
to
himfelfe,
as
in
the
cafe
of
David: Hence 'tis,
that even
in
fuch
fins,
we fay, they
finne out
of
infirmity,
that
is,
notout
of
propenfe
deliberation,
as
to
finne,
not out
of
malice,
not out
of
Love
to,
or
delight
in
finne;
but
meere-
ly through want
of
ftrength
,
when
overborne
by
the
power
of
Tempta
-,
tions.
This Mr
Goodwin
frames
as
an
Obje
&ion
to
himfelfe
, in
the purfuit
of
the
vindication
of
the Argument under
confederation;
sett.
z3.
others
plead
that
there's
no
reafon
to
conceive
that
true
Believers,
though they
perpetrate the
workes
of
the
flefh,
fhould
be
excluded
from
the Kingdome
of
hea-
ven
upon
this
account;
becaufe when they
finne in
this
kind,
they
finne
out
of
Infir-
mity,
and
not
out
of
malice.
Anf-
I
was
not to
choofe
what Obje&ions
M.
Goodwin
fhould anfwer
,
nor
had
the framing
of
them, which hechofe
to
deale withal]: and
therefore muft
be
contented
with them,
as
he is pleafed to
afford
them
to
us ;
Only
ifl
may
be allowed
to
fpeake in this cafe, and I
knowI have
the
confent
Of
many con-
cern'd
in
it,
I
fhould
fomewhatotherwifeframe
this
Objetiion or
Anfwer:be-
ing partly perfwaded,
that
M.
Goodwin
did not
find
it,
but
framed it
himfelfe,
into the
fhape wherein
it here appears.
I fay
then,
that
the Saints
of
-God
fin
out
of
infirmity only,
not
malitioufly,
nor
dedita
opera
in
coole
blond, nor
with their
whole
hearts, but
purely upon
the
account
of
the
weakeneffe
of
their
graces,.being
overpowred by the ftrength
of
Temptation,
and
therefore
cannot
fo
perpetrate the
workes
of
the
flefh, and
in fuch
a
way
as
mutt accor-
Y
y
ding
345
it
35.
4.36