Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

lohn 6.;8,;9,4o. & the Argum. from thenceVindicated. CA x.111. ß:4S. be turned away from them, for his Connfell (hallHandandhe willdoe all his 85 Pleafure. Some thing is byM. Goodwinoffered to takeoff the firength of this tefti- 4.45 mony, but yet fo little, that had I not refolved tobearehimout to the ut- moft, what he can fay in , and unto the cafe inhand , it would fcarfe be thought needfull,to divertto theconfideration ofit ; This placeofScripture hebinds up inone bundles withnineor tenneothers ,to the compofureofone Argument which (almoft uno Halitu) heblowes awayCap, i t.seel. 36, 37.&C. rag. 251,252&c. To theconfider ation ofthe Argument it felfe thereby him propofed, I'am not yet arrived; the influence ofthis Text into it, is from what is laid of Chrifts Preferving Believers: my prefent Confideration is cheifily ofthewill and Intention ofthe Fathersgiving them tohim to be pre- ferved:fo that I (ball obferve only oneor two things to his Generali Anfwer, and then proceed to thevindication of this Particular place we have in hand. 1. Firft he tels you , That the Conelutionof theformer Argument, that true Believers (hall never mifcarry orfall away,oppofethnot hisfence in thisControver- fy; whether it oppofehis fenceor no, mull be judged, this I know, that he bath tohis uttnoft oppofed it all this while, {hewing himfellfe therein very uncurteous&unkind ,but why fo,on what account is it, that this conclufion whichhath fo much oppofed, is now conceited not tooppofe him ? Thofe who thusfall away(faith he) arenoe true Believers but wicked Apofiates, at the time of theirfalling away. That the conclufionmentioned oppofeth his fencetomtl is evident; but that it isfence wherewith in this placehe oppofeth theCon- clufion, isnot fo cleare. The Queftion iswhofall away;htot Believers but A- poftatesfaith Mr G. We fay fo too, in the naturall firft fence ofthofe words whoeventualitér areApoftates, were never antecedentèr (to their Apóftafie) TrueBelievers. But this is not yourfencedoubtleffe ; That thofe who fall a- way, in their falling away (which is thefence of that claufe , at the time of falling away)were Apoftats, that is, were fallen away, before they fell away, is neither our fence nor yours, for it isnone at all . Berth's, bath oneArgu- ment againft theP.erfeverance ofthesaints,from the impoffibility of finding a fubje& tobeaffe&ed with the notion ofApoftafie,if trueBelieversbe exemp- ted fró it:for Hypocrites,faithhe,cannotfall away;nor can Believers faith Mr Goodwin,but they are Apoftates when they fall away;that is, it is a dead man thatdyes; or after he is dead, hedyes: after he is an Apoftate he falls away. Perhaps it wouldbe worth ourferious inquiry,toconfider how Believerscan indeed poffibly come tolook theSpirit ofGrace which dwells in them,with their habitofFaith and Holineffe. For our parts we contend that they have an infuffedHabitofGrace,-and that wrought with amighty Impreffionup- on their Minds and Hearts, (Faith beingofthe opperation ofGod, wrought by theexceding greatneffe ofhisPon'er as he wrought in Chrift when heRaifed bim from thedead) Whether fisch an Habit can be removed, but by that handthat beftowed it, andwhether it may be made appeare, that God will onany occafion fo take itaway , orhath expreffed himfelfe that he will fo dealewith anyofhis Children, is I fay, worthy our inquiry : But 2. Secondly, he denies the Major Propofition, and faith, that, thófè who are kept andprerervedby Chrill, may poffiblymifcarry; Boldly ventured ! what Want is there then, ordefe& in the keeperoflfrael, that his flock thóuld fo mifcarry under his hand? Is itof Faithfulneffe? The Scripture tells us, he is a faithfull High-Priefl in things pertaining to GodHeb. 2. 17. Faithful/ to him that appointedhim, Heb.3.2. And that he did the whole will ofGod. Is it of Tenderneffe, to takecare ofhis poore wanderingones? He is otheiwiferepre- M 3 Tented

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