458 / 504
C.
XV II._Ofthe
experiences ofM.G
s
own
heart,&
his
rationail
abilityes,
402
truths
on this
foundation,
will
not
ballance
what
I
have
to
lay againff
it,
for
the
inducement.
of
other thoughts,
than
thole ofclofeing
with
him.
The
courfe
of
the Scripture,
cannot import
the
manner
of
the expreffions
therein u-
fed:
in
that there
is
fo,
great and
fo
much variety therein,
that
it
can fcarce be
caft
into
one courfe and
current:
and
if
the
generali fcope, aime,
and
tendency
of
the Scripture may
paffe
for
the
courfe
of
it
there
is
not
any
one thing
that
lyes fo
evident and cleare therein ,
as
the
decrying
of
all
that
Ability
and
ftrength,
and power
to
doe good
in
men,
which M.
Goodwin
fo
much
pleads
for, and
Aflerts
to
be
in
them, with
an
Exaltation
of that rich
and
free
Grace
in
the
efficacy
and the power
of
it,
which he fomuch
oppofeth.
s.
s.
The
experimental)
knowledge
he
hath
of
his own
heart, the
workings
and
rea-
fonings thereof,
('
a
thing common
to
him with others
)
and
what
advantages
he
hath
thereby
I
(hall
not
confider; Only this
I fhall
dare
to
fay,
thatI
would
not for
all
the
World,
have no
experience in my
heart
of
the truthof
many
things which
M.
Goodwin
in
this
Treatife
oppofeth; or
that
my weake expe-
rience
of
the
Grace
ofGod,
fhould
not
rile above
that
frame
of
heart
and fpi-
rit,
which
the
teachings
of
it
feem
to
difcover;
I
doubt
a perfon
under the
co-
venant
ofworl¿,es,
heightned
with convi
&ions,
and
a
low
or common worke
of
the
Spirit,induced thereby
to
Come
Regular
walking before
God,
may reach
the
uttnoff
of
what
in this
Treatife
is
required
to
render
a
man
a
saint,
truly
gràcious, regenerate
and
a
Believer
;
And in
this alto I doubt not,
lyes
the
de-.
ceit
of
what
is
thirdly
infifled
on
,
vis. Ilk
obfervation
of
the
wayes
and
fpi-
rits
of
men,
theirfi(l)ings
and laflings in Religion
; A
fort
of
men
there
are in
the
world,
who
efcape
the
outward
'pollution
of
it,and
are
eleane
in their
owne
eyes,'
though they are never
wafh't from
their
iniquityes,who havingbeen
un-
der
ftrong
convictions
by
the
power
of
the Law,and broken thereby
from
the
courfe
of
their finne,attending
to
the
Word
of
the
Gofpell with a
temporary
Fâith do go
forth unto
a
profeffion
of
Religion, and walking with God
fo
far
as
to
have
all
the linaments
of
true
Believers
(as
Mr
Goodwin
fomewhere
fpeakes)
drawne
in
their
faces , hearing
the
Word
gladly
as
did
Herod,
receiving
it
with
joy
as
did the
finny ground,
attending
to it
with delight
as
they did in
Ezech.
33. 31.
Repenting
of
former
finites,
as
did
Ahab
and
judos, until!
they
are reckoned among
true
Believers,as was judos &
thole
John
2.23.
who
yet
were neverunited unto
Jefus Chrift,
of
whole
wayes
and walking Mr
Good-
win feemes
to
have made obfervation, and found many
of
them
to
end
in
vifible Apoftacy
5
But
that
this
obfervation
of
them,
fhould caufe him
to
judg
them
when Apoftatized
to
have been
true
Believers,
or
that
he
is
thereby ad-
vantaged
to
determine
concerning
the
truth
of
feverall Opinions
pretending
to
his
acceptance,
I
cannot grant,nor doth he go about
to
prove.
SS.
9
For
what he mentions
in
the
Taft
place
of
the
light
of
real
on and underfland-
ing,which he
hath,I
do not only
grant
him
to
have it
in
common
(as
he
faith)
with
other
men, for
the
kind
of
it, but
alto
as
to
the
degrees
of
it
to
be
much
advanced
therein,
above the generality
of
men
;
yet
I muff
needs tell him, in
the
dole
that
all
thefe
helps and
advantages,feeming
to
be drawne forth and
advanced
in oppofition
to that
one
great
afliftance which we enjoy
by pro
-
mile fromChrift;
of
his
Spirit
leading us into
all
truth, and teaching
us
from
God
by
his
owne anointing,are
to
me
hay
and fiubble,yea
lo/Te
and
dung,of
no
value nor
efteeme
; Had
we
not other
wayes & meanes,helps
and advantages
to
come
to
the
knowledge
of
the Truth
than
thefe
here
unfolded
and
fpread
by
Mr
Goodwin,
alum
e/fet,
we fhould
never
perceive
the
things
that
are ofGod. The
Fox was
acquainted with many
wiles
and devices;
the
Cat
knew
unnm magnum
wherein
flee
found fafety
.
Attendance
to theWord, ac-
cordingto the
direr
ion
of
the ulüall
known
Rules, and
helpes, agreed
on
for