402 / 504
C. XV.
The
fallacious
ground
of
this Argument
of
M
G"s.
346
ding
to
the tenour
ofthe
Covenant wherein they walke with God, not
only
deferve reje
&ion
and damnation,
but
alfo be Abfolutely
and Indifpenfably
exclufive
of
them, from
the
Kingdome
of
God.
What
Mr
Goodwin
bath
drawne forth
to
take
off,
in any
meafure, the
Truth
of
this
Affertion,íhall
be
confidered.
He
(ayes
then,
.7o
fay
that
true
Believers,or
any
other
men
do
perpetrate
tr3e
workes
of
the
flef,,
out
of
infirmity,involves
a
contradiction:
For
to do
the
workes
of theflef,
plyes
the dominion
of
the
Flefh
in
the
doers
of
them, which
in finnes
of
infirmity
bath
no
place, the
Apofitle
clearely
intimates
the nature
o
f
fins
ofinfirmity
in
that
to the
Galatians,
Beloved
if
any
man
be
overtaken
with a
fault,
0702,nya,1
)
be
prevented,or taken
at
unawares,when
a mans
foot
is taken in the
fnare
of
a tempta_
tion,only through
a
defell
of
th.
at
fpirituall
watchfulnes
over
hinsfelfe,&
his
wayer
which
he
ought to
keepe
confiantly,and
fo finneth
contrary
to
the habituall
ding
frame
of
his
heart,this
man
f
nneth
out
of
infirmity,
but
he
that
thus
finneth
cannot
in
Scripturephrafe
be
f
aid
either
to
walke,or
to
live according
to
the
Flef,
or to
do
the
workes
of
the
Flefb,or to do
theLufls
or
clefires
of
the
Flefh,becaufe
none
of
thefe
are
anywhere
afcribedunto,
or charged
upon
true
Believers,
bat
only
upon
filch perfons
who
are
enemies unto
God,and Children
of
death.
Anf.
This
being
the
fnbftance
of
all
that
is
fpoken
to the
bufineffe
in
-
hand,
I
have
tranfcribed
it
at
large,
that with
its
Anfwer
it
may
at
once lye
under the
Readers
view,
I fay
then
Firi
we give
this reafon
that
Believers
cannot
perpetrate the
workes
of
the
flefh
in
the
fence
contended about,
becaufe
they
finne
out
of
infirmity, and
do
not
fay
that
they
fo perpetrate
the
workes
of
the
flefh ',but
of
infirmity. But
if
by
perpetrating the
workes
of
the
flefh,
you intend only the bringing forth at
a-
ny
time, or under
any
Temptation
whatfoever,
any fruits
of the
flefh, inch as
every
finne
is,
that
this may
not
be done out
of
infirmity,
or that it
involves
a
contradi
&ion
to
fay
fo,
is
indeed not
to
know what you
fay,
to
contradi&
your
fell;
and
to
deny
that there
be
any finnes
of
infirmity
at
all,
which
that
there
are
you
granted
in
thewords
foregoing, and defcribe
the nature
of
it
in
the
words following.
They
doubtleflè
in
whom
the
Flefh alwayes
luffeth
againft the Spirit
are
fometimes lead
a
way
and inticed by
their
owne Luíts,
fo
as
to
bring forth the fruits
of
it.
Secondly,
If
to do
the
workes
of
the
flefb,
imports with you,
as
indeed
in
it
felfeit
loth,
the
predominancy
and
dominion
of
the
flefh
in
them
that
doe
the
workes
thereof
we
wholly deny
that
Believers can
fo
do the
workes
of
the
flefh,
as
upon
other
Reafons,
fo
partly
becaufe
they
finne
out
Of
infirmity,
which
fufficiently
argues
that
the
Flefh
bath not the
dominion
in
them,
for
then
they
Should
not through
Infirmity
be captivated to it, but
Should
-will-
ingly
yeild up
their
members, as infirm/rents
Of
unrighteoufnefe
unto
finne.
Thirdly, The
defcription you give
of
a
finne
of
infirmity from
Gal
6.
t.
Is
that
alone
which we
acknowledge may
befall Believers,
though it hath
forne-
times befallen them
in
greater
finnes,
It
is
evident
from hence,
that
a
finne
becometh
afinne
of
infirmity;
not
from
the nature
of
it,
but
from the
man-
ner
of
mens
falling into it.
The
greateft
a
&uall finne, may
be
a
finne
of
in-
firmity, and the
lean,a
finne
of
Prefumption. It
is
poffible a Believer may
be
overtaken,
or rather
furprifad,
with
any
finne, fo
he be
overtaken
or
fur
ri-
fed.
A
furprifall
into
finne
through
the
power ofTemptation, fubtilty
of
Sa-
-;:
than, ftrength
of
indewlling finne,
contrary
to
the
habitual! Banding
frame
of
the heart,
(not
alwayes
neither through a'defe&
of
watcbfullnefej
is-all
that
we
grant
a
Believer
may
belyable
to:
and
fo
upon Mr
Goodwins
confef-
lion he
fins
only
out
of
infirmity,
filch
fins
being not
exclufive
of
the
Love and
Favour
of
God.
And
therefore
Fourthly