98 / 504
C
F,
li.ß.
,t
14441:;,6.
vindicated:
OfGods
Unchangeablenell'e.
42
to
his
ownei
rmerly,defcribed.
If
it
be taken
in
the
firft
fence,as apparantly
it
is
intended; and
fo
made
out
from
the
inftance
of
Gods dealing with the
Lewes
in
outward
Bleflings,
and Punifhments, Mr
Goodwin
,
doth
playnely
(t.,E.m
imp
;AM
A/0
fall
into
a
thing quite
of
another nature,infteed
of
that,
which
was firft
propofed.
(Amphora
cum
c
spit
Inflitui
cur urceus
exit
?)
There
is a
wide differencebetweene
outwardProvidentiall
,Difpenfationc,
and
Eter-
nallPurpofes and
a
&s
of
Grace and Goodwill;
To
deale
in
the
inftancein-
tifted on by Mr
Goodwin:
there
being frequent mention in the Scripture
(as
afterwards
(hall
be
fully
declared)ofa
difference & diftin
&ion
in, and
of
that
Ron
9.:g,5
Pèople,(for
they
are not all
ifrael,that
are
of
ifrael)the
whole
lump
&
body
of
them
being the
People-
of
God,
in refpe&
of
feparation from
the
reft
of
the
world,&
dedication
to
his
Worfhip
&
externall
profeflion,yet
a
Remnant
on-
ly,a
hidden
Remnant,being
his
People upon
the
account
of
Eternall
deejgna.
tion, and
a&uall
Acceptation
into
Love and Favour
in Jefus
Chrift:
there
muft
needs
be
alfo
a
twofoldDifpenfation
of
God, and
his will, in
reference
to that
People:
The
Firft
common
&
Generall,.towards
the
whole
body
of
them
in
outward
Ordinances and Providentiall
Exercifes
of
Goodnefie
or
Juftice: In
this
there
was
Great variety,
as
to
the Latter part,comprehending
only externall Effeas,
.or
products of
the
Power
of
God;
in which
regard be
can pull downe
what he
bath
fet
up, and
fet up
what
hé
bath pulled
down;
without the
leaft fhadow
of
turning: Thefe
various Difpenfations
working
Uniformely towards the accomplifhment
of
his
Unchangeable Purpofe5
And this
is
all
that
Mr
Goodwins
Exceptions reach
too
:
Even
a
change
in
the outward
difpenfation
of
Providence,which none ever denied, being
that
which
may, nay
is
done for the bringing about añilaccomplifhment (in
a
way futable
to
the
advancement
of
his
Glory)
of
his
unchangeable Purpofe.
What
proportion there
is
to
be arguedfrom,betweene the
generali
effe
&s
of
various Difpenfations,
and that
peculiar Love,
and Grace
of
the
Covenant
thereof, wherein God
affures his Saints
of
their
Stability upon the account
of
his
own Unchangeablenes
I
know
not:l$ecaufe
he may remove hisCandle-
ftick from
a
fruitleffe, Faithleffe People, and give
them up
to
defolation,
may he
therfore take
his
holy Spirit from them
that
Believe?
For
whilft
that
continues
the root
of
the matter
-is
in
them.So
that
(Secondly
)
there
is a
pe-
culiar Difpenfation
of
Grace
,exerted towards
thofe peculiar ones,whom he
owneth and receiveth
as
above mentioned;wherein
there
are
fuch
ingage-
ments
of
the
Purpofe, Decrees
and
Will
of
God,
as
that theftreame
of
them
cannot
be
forced
back,without
as
Great
an
Alteration
&
change
in
God,as
the
thoughts
of
the heart
of
the
meaneft
worme
in
the world, are
lyable
unto;
And
on this
the
Lord
afferts
the
ftedfaftneffe
of
his
Love
to
them,
in
the
miditofthe
changes
of
outward. Difpenfations
towards the
body
of that
People,wherein alto their Externall concernments were wrapt up, rsam.
r
a.
22.Butthis
will
afterwards
be more fully cleared.
The
Subftance
of
this
Ex-
ception amounts only
to
thus
much
;there
are
changes
wrought
in
the workes
which
outwardly are
of
God,as to
generali and common adminiftrations;
therefore
alfo
are
his Eternall purpofes
of
Spirituall Grace lyable
to the like
Alterations. Whereas
Mr
Godwin (ayes
that
this will
not import
any
alterati-
on
in
God,
at
leaft
any fuch
alteration
asis
incompetent to
him
;I know
not
of
any fhadow
of
alteration,
that
may
be afcribed
to
him,without the
grea-
teft and molt fubftantiall derogation from
his
Glory,
that
you can
ingage
into.
0.18.
And
this farther clears,
what
is
farther excepted,
to
the
end
of
the
SeEl.4o.
in
thefe words;
Therefore
neither
the Vnchangeablenefé,
nor Changeablenefe
of
God
are
to
be
eflimated,
or meafured,
either
by
any
variety,
or uniformity
of
di-
fpenfation