413 / 504
Regeneration
nota
repetition
of
a
former birth.
it
fgnif
es
only
the
fpiritisall generation with
a
Rind
of refenion
upon,
and
unto 357
the
birth
Natural'.
Anf.
Firft,
That
the
Grammaticallfence
of
the
word imports
a
Reiteration
of
fomegeneration,
is
only
Paid
;
hath other
fignifications
in compofition,
betides the intimating
of
a
reiteration
of
the
fame
thing: either
infpecie,or
in-
dividually,
the
fame againe;
IramP)49naia
would feeme
rather
to
inforce fuch
an
Interpretation, than
dVay!nnan,
which yet
it doth not: It
is
fpoken
of
that
which
bath no birth properly at
all,
as Philo
de
Mundo,
s'
who
vpae
ñ
róQµx
.
TnPpc+"V,
<it\d
xj
mzúy)up
wíae
eîvaipHV
va
of
it
felfe
is
only
through,
xweyv
¿v'
idfva
--
-
-
--
Horn.
'OIP.
ç.
through a
wooddy
Countrey;
dv4
a
e,
1
c
furrenion,
Both
not import
againe,
after another rifing before
,
but
a
re-
ftauration from
a
loft
fiate;
fo
is '74"1evnaía
ufed
Math: 59.28.
to
be regene-
rate,
is
to
have
a
new,
and another generation,not
any
one
repeated;
Irr
the
place mentioned
of
fohn by
M. Goodwin,
there
is
mention neither
ofa
repeti-
tion
of
a former generation,
nor
direly
of
a
new one:
Though it
be fo,
it
is
not
there called
fo;
our
Saviour
at
firft faies,
aaPtal
ns
yavnai
IP.3ev,unleffe a
man
be
borne
from
above: as
the
word
is
elfewhere
rendred,dnd properly
fignifies,
as
lohn
3.3s.
Iohn
19.11.
Mark.1
q.38. lames
3.17.
and fometimes.
of
old
or
former
daies,
as
Ads 26.5.
onceonly, it
fignifies
againe, Gal
:4.g.
but there
foyned with
.áuV,
which
refraines
it. And
in
the
expofition afterwards
of
what
he
intended
by
that
Expreflion
,
he calls
it
limply a being
borne
of
the
mater
&
the
fpirit,v
5.
without the leaf' intimation
of
the
repetition
of
any
birth;
but
only
the
afferting
of
a
new fpirituall one
;
called
a
birth
indeed,
with
alIufion
tothe birth Nattrall,
which
is
the
road opinion,
well
beaten
e-
ver
fence
Chrift
firft
trod that
path.
Befides,
the
very fame
thing
which
is
ex-
preit
under the name
of
Regeneration,
being a fpirituall
birth,
which
a
man
had not before,
is
alfo delivered
unto
us in fuck
words, and
termes,
as
ma-
nifeft
no
reiteration
of
any
fiat;
condition,
or
thing
to
be included therein;
as
Converfion.to
God,
a
uickning
from
death,
SanCification
by
the
fpirit,
&ct
all which manifeft
the indu
&ion
of
a new Life
and forme, and
notthe Repe-
tition
of
another;
hence
the
ancients called Baptifine,
Regeneration;
being
the
initiall ordinance
ofChriftianity, and
expreffive
of
the
new life; which
in,
and
through Chrift,
we
receive;
and
that
from
Tit.
3.
5.
Regeneration
then
neither
in
theimport
of
the
word, nor
in
the nature
ofthe
thing,doth require
a reiteration
of
any
generation;
but
only the addition
of
a
new
one,
to.
that
which
a
man bath before; and whereunto this
doth
allude.
The
receiving
of
a
new fpirituall
Birth
and
Life,
is
our
Regeneration, Renovation,
Refurrenion,
ttickning,
implanting into
Chrif},
and the like:
fo
that
the foundation
of
all
the
enfuing
difcourfe,
is a
meere
quagmire,
where no
firme
footing
can
be
ob-
tained;
and
of
the
fame
Nature
is
that
which
enliises;
It
is
(faith
he.) thecoma
mon
fence
of
Divines,
that
the treogenerations mentioned, the Natur
ell
and
fpiri-
tuall,are membra dividentia,and
contra-di
flieeguifhed
the
one
unto the other
;and
fo
the
Apoflle
Peter
too
feemes to
frate and
repre
fent them;as
alto our
Saviour him.,
fel
fe
Iob:3.6.
Now
there
can hardly
any
inflame
be
given,
inhere
the introducing
o
f
one
contrary
Prme
or quality into
the
Sub
jell,
is
termed a
reiteration,
or repeti
tien
of
the other;
Calefalion
(
for example)
is
never termed
a
repetition
of
Frige-
fanion,
nor
Cale
fanion
called
'a
reiteration
of
Frege
fanion;
nor
when
a Regenerate
or
morti
fyed
man
dyeth his
naturall
death,- is
he
faid
to
reiterate
Or
repeat
his
Spirituals death
.
An/.
That
in
the
terme
Regeneration
two
births
are
implyed, may
be
granted:
that
the
fame
is
intimated to
hp
repeated,
is
denyed:
and
not pro-
ved
at
all;
And
thereforeMr
Goodwin
fayes
well,
that
the
introducing
of
a
contrary forme,
is
not calledthe
reiteration
of
an
other,
no more
is
it
here;
Zz3
our