69 / 504
The
judgement
ofCharity- audits
rule.
CAP.
L
0:21.22
it
proceeds
by
:he
rules
of
Righteous
judgment;
When
we fpeake
of
7udg
13
ment
ofCharity,
we
intend not
a
lode
conjecture, much
felfe
a
Judgment
contradiftina from
that
which
is
righteous; but
a
Righteous and
ftrict
Judg-
ment,aecording
to the
exa&eft rules
whatfoever ,
that
we have
to Judge
by,
free from evillJiirmtfes,and
filch
like
vices
of
the minde,as are oppofed
to
the
grace
of
Love.By
Paying
it
is
ofCharity,we are
not
abfolved
frö the moll
eat
procedure(according
to the
Rules
of
judging given
unto
us) but
only
bound
up
from
indulging
to
any
Envy,Malice ,
or
filch
like
works
of
the
flefli,which
are óppofite toCharity
in
the
fubje&
wherein it
is:
Charity
in this affertion
de-
notes
only
a gracious
qualification
in
the
fubje&,
And
not
any condefcenfion
from
the Rule: and therefore
I
fomething wonder,
that
Mr
Goodwin
ihould
make
a
Judgment
of
Charity
(as afterwards) a meere
conjeture ,
and allow
beyond
it
.
a
Righteous and
ftri
&Judgement,which amounts
to
knowledg.
It
is
true
our
Saviour tells
us
, that
by
their
fruits,
we
(hall
know
them;
But
4,
it:
what knowledge
is
it
that
he intendeth?
is
it
a
certain
knowledge
by demon
-
ttration
ofiti
or
an infallible afitrance
by
revelation? I am confident M.
Good-
win
will not
fay
it
is
either
of
thefe,
but
only
fuch
a
perfwafion;as
is
the refult
of
our
thoughts
concerning
them,upon the
profeffronthey
make,&
the
works
they
doe, upon
which we
may
(
according
to the
minde
of
Chrift, who
bare
with
them whom he knew
to
be no
Believers,
having
taken
on
them
the pro-
feflion
of
the
faith,)
know how
to
demean
our
(elves
towards them :
fo fame
we may know them by
their
fruits
and
judge
of
them; other knowledge our
Saviour
intendeth
not,
nor I believe
does M.
Goodwin
pretend unto
.
Now
notwithflanding
all this even on this account, and
by
thisrule,
it
is
very
pot
table,
yea very eafy,
and
praC.íically
proved
true
in all places,
and
At
all times,
that
we mayjudge,
yea
fo
farre
know,rnen
tobe,or
not
to
be
fedneers by
their
fruits,
as
to
be able
to
order
aright our demeanour towards
them,
According
to
the
will
ofChrift,
and yet be miftaken,
(
though hot
in
the
performance
óf
our
duty
in
walking regularly according
to thelines
drawne
out
for our
paths)
in the
perfons
concerning whom
our judgement
isg
the knowledge
of
them being neither by
demonfiration,
nor from
revelation;
filch
as
coi non
po-
teft fuhefe
falfum,we may be deceived:
The
Saints
then or
believers,
of
whom alone
our
difcóurfe is
,
may
be
15:22,
briefely
delineated by thefe
few confiderable
concernements
of
their
Saint-
(hip.
r.
That
whereas
by
nature
they
are children
of
Wrath
as
well
as others,
and
dead in
trefpaffes
andfinnes
that
faith
and
holineffe which
they
are
in
due
Rom.
t.zè;
time
invefted withal!,
whereby they are made
Believers
and
¡Saints, ,and
di-
29'
ftinguifhed from all others
whatever,
is
an
effet
And
fruit
of,
and
flowes
from God's
eternal'
purpofe concerning
theirfalvation
or
eletlion
:
their faith
Aâ.
í3.4P
being
as
to
the
manner
of
its bellowing peculiarly
ofthe
operation
of
God,
E
Petii42;3;
and
as
to
its
diftintion
from evèry
other
gift,
that
upon any account
what e-
4,s.
ver
is
fo
called,
in refpe&
of
its fountaine
termed,
The
faith
of
Gods
elell.
2.
For
the
manner
of
their obtaining
of
this pretious faith,
it
is
by Gods
giving
to
them
that
holy
Spirit
of
his,whereby he raifed Jefus
from the dead,
RòmCe
t
s'
to
raife
themfrom
their
death.in
fìnne, to
quicken
them unto
newneffe
Of
Eph.t,,g,
life,
endowing
them with
a
new
life,
with
a
Spirituali gracious
fupernaturall
20.
habit, fpreading
it
felfe
upon
their
whole
foules,
making'
them new
creatures.
,o,
1,5,58y
throughout
(in
refpe&
ofpatts)
invefting
them
with an abiding principle,
be-
Mac9.
ri
ïng
a
natural
genuine fountaine
of
all
thofe Spiritual'
a
&s,workes
and
duties,
'6'1';
323.0
which he
is
pleated
to
worke
in
themand by them,
of
his
own good plea
-
i
Pure:
2
MI'
Gal5.22,23,
C3
1Iuh.3.9,
Eph, 2.10, Pet.1.22. Philip. t2,5v:i;:
:
3