68 / 504
C
A
r.1.
4:
19.20.
Grounds
of
judging mens fpirituall condition.
12
throne
of
God, and
to
make
thetn
fearchers
of
the
hearts
atad
tryers
of
the
reynes
of
others,
who are
fo
often
in
the darke
to
themfelves,
and never
in this life
fufficiently
acquainted with
their
owne inward
chambers:
or
elfe
at
once
to
cut
off
and deftroy
all
communion
of
Saints,
by rendringit
impoffible for us
to
attaine
fatisfa&ion,who
are
fo
indeed,
fo
farre
as
to
walke
with them upon
Rom.i2.9.
that
account,in
Love
without
dimulation.
Doubtleffe the
Difciples
of
Chrift
were
bound
to
receive
them
for
Believers,
of
whom it
is
laid
,
that
they did
beleive,becaufe
of
their
profefíion
fo
to
doe, &
that
with fome hazard
&
dan-
Ioh.2.23,24.
ger; though he
who
knew
what
was
in man, would
not
truft
himfelfwith
them,
becaufe
the
roote
of
the
matter
was
not
in
them.
I
fuppofe
T
shall
not need to put
my
felfe
to
the labour
to
proove,or
evince
4
ì9.
this
Ground
ofour
charitable procedure,
hi
our
thoughts
of
men profeflìng
the
wayes
of
God
,
though their hearts are not upright with
him; But, fayes
Mr
Goodwin,
To
fay that
whit
they
flood,
men were
indeed bound
to
judge
them Believers: but
by
their
declining,
they difcover themfelves
not
to
have
been
the
men, is but to
begge
the
gueflion, and that
upon very
ill
termes
to
obtain
it.
Anf.
For
my
part,I
finde
not
in this
Anfwer
to that
objet1ion(But
they
had
the
linea,
ments
oftrue
Believers
and
therefore
we were
bound to
judge
them
fa,
)
that,this
did not
at all
proove
them
to
befo,any
begging
of
the guefiion,
but rather
a
fair
'Sam.
x6.7.
Anfwer given
to
their importune Requeft, that the
appearance
ofthe
face,
as
farre
as the
eyes
of
men
canpeirce,
muff needs conclude them
in
the
eyes of
God
to
anfwer
that
Appearance
in
the
inward and
hidden man
of
the
heart.
But
Mr
Goodwin
further
purfues his defigne in
hand,
from
the
words
of
our
Saviour Mat.
7. 2o.
By
their
fruit
yee
(hall
know
them:
if
faith
he,
this ride
be
Authentically
we doe
not
only
ftand
bound
by
the
law
of
Charity,
but
by
the law
of
R.ighteoufneffe
or
difirict judgment
it
felfe,
to
judge
theperfons,
we
fpeake of,
true
Believers;
whilil
they
adorne the
Goffell
with fuch
fruits
of
Righteoufn
effe,
aswere
mentioned;
for
our
Saviour
doth
not
fay;
by
their
fruits
yee
(hall have
grounds
to conceive
or
conjecture them
fuch
or
fuch,ortojudge
them
in charityfuch
or
fuch,
but
ye
(ball
know
them;
now
what
a
man
ltnowes,
he
is not bound
to
con-
jeture,
or to
judge
inn
way
of
charity
to
be
that
which
he
kuoweth
it
to
be,
but
pofitively
to
judge,
and
conclude
of
it
accordingly.
If
then
it
be
pofflble
for
men
by
any
fuch fruits,worltes,or
expreffions,to know
true
Believers
,the
perfons
we
fpeake
of,may
be
known to have
been
ruch.
Though the
words
ofour
Saviour principally lye
oit
theotherfide
ofthe
way,
giving
a
Rule
for
a
condemnatory
Judgment
of
men, whole
evils
Fruits declare
the
Root to
be no
better;
wherein we cannot well be deceived,
the
wor4es
of
the
flefh
being manifefl',
and he
that
worketh
wickedneffe
openly, and brings
Ga1.2.19.
forththe
effeéts
of
finne vifibly, in
a
courte,
as
a
Tree
cloth
its
fruit,
may
Rom:6.z6.
fafely
be cócluded,whatfoever pretence
in
words he makes,to be
á
falle
cor-
rupt
Hypocrite; yet by the
way
of
Analogie
and
proportion,
it
is
a Rule
alto,
whereby
our
Saviour will have
ut
make
a
Judgement
of
thole
Profeffors
and
Teachers,
with whom
we have
to do,
as
to
our
Reception and
Approba
tion
of
them. He bids
his Difciples
taft,&
try
the Fruit
that
fuch
perfons
beare,
and acording
to that,(not
any
fpecious
pretences they make,
or
innocent Ap-
pearanceswhich
for
a feafon
they
Phew
themfelves
in)
let
their Eftimation
of
them be;
Yea
but,
(ayes
Mr
Goodwin,
we
doe
not
only
Hand
bound
by
the Law
of
Charity, but
by
the Law
ofa
Righteous
and
flriei
judgment
it
felfe
to
judge fuch
perfons Believers.
This
diftin&ion
between
the Law
of
Charity,
and the
Law
of
a Righteous
Judgment, I underftand
note
Though Charity
be the
principle exerted eminently
in
fuch
dijudications
of
men,
yetdoubtlefte
it
Q.
20.
Anf