457 / 504
Do&pretend.to
promoteGodlin.how
far aaArgu.m.of
the
truch,C. XVII.
red
for
him by
the
Blond
of
Chrift
,
nor
is
there
any holineffe
wrought
in
him
yot
by
the
Almighty
efficacy
of
that. Spirit and
Grace, he having
a
fu
iciency
in
---
himfelfe for
thole things,
that there
is
not
a
reall Phyficall
concurrence
of
the
Grace
of
God
for
the produtiion
of
every
good
act
whatever,
and
that
he
is
Juftifyed upon
theaccount
()fatly'
a&
or part
of
his
Obedience, or the whole,
and
I
(hall
not be
much moved
or
fhaken with
the Judgement
of that
man,
concerning
the
ferviceableneffe & fuitableneffe
of
any
Do&rine or Do&rines
to the furtherance
of
Godlineffe and Holineffe;
There are
alto many different
opinions
about the nature
of
Godlineffe, what
it
is,
and wherein
it
doth
confift. I
delire
to
be
informed how
a
man may
dire&ed
in
his
Examinati-
on
ofthofe
opinions,fuppofing him
in a
fireight and
exigency
ofthoughts be-
tween
them,
in conftdermg which
of
them
is
belt
fuited
to
the promotion
of
Godlineffe
.
I
do not intend
in
the
lealt to derogate
from
the certaine and
undoubted
truth of
what
was
premifed
at the
beginning
ofthisDifcourfe.viz.
That
every GofpellRule
whatever
is certainly conducing
to
the
furtherance
ofGof=
pelf
©bedtene in them
that
receive
it
in
the
Love
and
power
thereof; Every
er-
rour
being in
its
utmoft
A&ivity
(efpecially
in
corrupting the
principles
ofit)
obftru
&ive
thereunto,much
les
do
we in any
tneafure decline
the tryall
of
the
DoEtrine which
I
affert, in oppofition
to
the
Apoflacy
of
the
Saints,
by
this
touch-(tone
of
its ufefulneffe toHolineffe,having formerly manifefted its
emi-
nent
A&ivity
and
efficacy
in
that
fervice,
and the
utter
averfeneffe
of
its
cor-
rivall to lend
any afftftance
thereunto;
But
yet I
fay,
in an inquiry after, and
dijudication
of
truth,
whatever
I
have
been
or
may be
itreightned between
different perfwafons,
I
have and
(hall
rather
dole
in
the
practice
of
Holineflè
in prayer,
Faith and waiting upon
God,to
fearch the Scripture,to
attend
wholly
to
that
Rule, having plentifull
promifes for
guidance and dire
&ion,
than
to
weigh in
any
Rationall
confideration
of
my
owue, what
is
conducing
to Ho-
lineffe,.what
not
; efpecially in
many
truths
which
have
their
ufefullneffein
this
fervice,
(as
is
the
cafe
of
moft Gofpell Ordinances and inftitutions
of
Worfhip) not
from
the
connexion
of
things, but
the meere will
of
the
ap-
pointer.Of
thofe Do&rines(I confeffe) which
following
onto
know
the
Lord,we
know
from
his Word
to
be
from
him,
and
in
which
doing
the
will
of
Chrill, are
revealed
to
us
to
be
his will, a
.peculiar valuation
is
to
be
let on the head
of
them,
which
appeare
to
be peculiarly and eminently ferviceable to the
pro-
motion
and furthering
our
Obedience;
as
alto
that
all
opinions what
ever,
that
are
in
the
leaí'rfeducers from
the
power,
truth
and Spirituality
-of
obe-
dience
are not
of
God,& are
eo
nomine
to
he reje&ed; yet
having a more fore
rule
to
attend unto,! dare not
make
my apprehenfions
concerning the
tenden-
cy
of
Do&rines, any
Rule
(if
God hath not
fo
fpoken
of
them)for the
judging
of
their
truth
or.falle-hood:
if
my
thoughts are not (hut up and determined
by the power
of
the
Word.
The
next propofall made by
M.
Goodwin,
is
of
the advantages
he
bath
to
6,
7,
judge
of
Truths,
which
he bath done unto plenary
fatisfa
&ion,
according
to
the
Rule
,now confidered.
The
first
thing
he offereth
to
induce us
to
dole
with
him
in
his
judgement ofOpinions
is
the
knowledge
he
bath
of
thegenerall
courre
of
the Scripture;
what
is
intended by the
generell
court of
the Scripture,
well I
know
not:
& fo am
not able to judg
of
M.Goodwins
knowledge
thereof
by
any
thing expofed
to
publique
view;
If
by
the
generell
courfe
of
the scrip-
tures,
the
matter
of
them
is
intended,the
importance
of
the expreffon
feems
to
be
coincident with
the
Analogy,
or
proportion
of
Faith
, a
fa
fe
rule
of
Pro-
phefy;
but
what ever
M. Goodwin
knowledge
may
be
ofthis,
I am
not per-
fe&ly
fatisfied
that
he
bath kept
dole
unto
it
in
many Do&rines
of
his Book
entituled
Redemption Redeemed
; and
fo
the
weight:of
his skill
in
judging
of
F
f
f
truths