483 / 504
IIeb6.4,5,6.
ch.
to.2
8:
29
conGdered.
CAP.
XVII.
Anf.
i.
Whether
it
be
no punifhment
for
them who have
been in fo
good
a
way, a
way
of
fuch
tendency unto Salvation, and
fuch ufefullneffe
to
-
the
Gofpell,
as
there perlons are
fuppofed
to
be in; not
to
be
renewed againe
to
that
nate
and
condition,
but
to
be
flint
up,
unrecoverably
under the pow-
er of
darkeneffe, and uubeliefe,unto eternall
wrath,
when
before they were
in
a
faire way
for
life
and Salvation, others will
judge
betide Mr
Goodwin.
Neither
is
there
an affirmation
of
their
falling awayfrom
their
Hypocrify,and
being renewed againe
thereunto,
in any
thing
we affert in
the
expofition
of
this place,
but.their
falling away from guifts and common Graces, with
the
impoffrbility
ofwhat
kind foever
it
be,
of
being renewed
to
an
enjoyment
of
them
any more.
His
fourth
and laft
attempt
follows.
4.
(And
lafily)
it
Rands
off,
fortyfoot
at
leafs,
from aaprobability,
îthat
the
Apoflle
writing
only
unto thofe,
whom he
judged
true
and found
Believers
(asap
-
pears
from feverall
places
in
the Epifile,
as cap. 3.
14.6.9.
&c.)
flould
in the
mo
fl
ferious,emphaticall and
weighty paffages hereof, admonifb
them
of
uch
evilly
or dangers, which
only
concerned
other men,
and
whereunto themfelves were
not
at
all
obnoxious,yea
and
whereunto
ifthey had
beenobnoxious,all the
cautions,ad-
monitions
,warnings,threatningsin
the
world
would
not
according to
their princi-
ples,with
whom
we
have
now to
do)have relieved or delivered the.
To
fay thatfuch
admonitions, are a
means
to
preferve
thofe
from
Apoilacy,
who
are
by
other
means (as
fuppofe
the
abfolute decree
of
God, or
the interpofall
of
his irreflflible
power,
for
their
Perfeverance, or the
like)
in
no
pobility
of
Apoflatizing,
as
to
fay
that
wafting
is
a meaner tomake
fnowwhite,or the rearing
up
of
a
pillar
in
the
aire a
meaner to
keep
the
Heavens
fromfalling.
Ent
more
of
this
in
the
chapter following.
Anf.
What
exa&
meafure foever
Mr
Goodwin
feemeth
to
have taken
of
the
diftance
of
our
affertion
from
all probability
(which he
hath accurately
performed,
if
we may
take
his
word) yet
upon due confideration it evident-
ly appeares,
that
he
is
not able
to
difprove
it,
from coming
clofe
up
to the
abfolute
truth, of
the meaning and
fcope
of
the
Holy Ghoft
in
the
places
un-
der
confideration.
For
betides
what hath been already argued, and proved,
it
is
evident.
1.
That
the
Apoftle
wrote
promifcuolly
to
all
that
profeffe
the name
of
Chrift, &
his
Gofpell,of
whom he tells you Cap-3.14.
(one
of
the
places
we
are
dire&ed
to byMr
Goodwin)that thofe only
are made
partakers
of
Chrift,
who
hold
the
beginning
of
theircon
fzdence
to
the end;
For the reft notwithftan-
ding
all
their
glorious profeffion, guifts &
attainments, yet they are not truly
made partakers
of
Chrift, (whereby he cuts
the throat
of
Mr
Goodwin,
whole
caufe) and
cap.
6.9.
that there
were amongfi them, who had attained
things
accompanying
salvation,and
better things
than any
of
thofe had done , who
notwithftanding their profeflion,yet held it notfafl
without wavering
but
eve.,
ry
day
fell away;
fo
that
though he judged
no particulars before
their Apo-
fiacy, yet he partly intimates,
that
all Profeffors were
not true
Believers, and
therefore
does
teach them
all
to
make fare worke
in
clofing with
Chrift,
leafs
they turne
Apoftates and perifhin
fo
doing.
2.
That
conditionall comminations and threatnings,difcovering the con-
nexion
that
is
between
the
antecedent and confequent,
that
is
in
the propo-
fition
of
them, are and
may
be
ofufe to the
Saints
of
God, prefers
ed
from
the end
threatned
and
the
caufe,
deferving
it,
upon
the
accounts, P.ealons
and Caufes,
that
have been plentifully
infifted
on,
hath more than
once been
declared;
and
the obje
&ions
to
the contrary the
fame
with thofe here
infifted
on
,
anfwered and removed. This being all
that
Mr
Goodwin
bath
to
offer,
by the
way
ofreafon, to
exclude
the
perfons
Ii
i2
formerly
429