Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

OurExpofidónofMa: i4,ay.. farther Vindicated. CAr.111.4:gz, (as Mr Goodwin obferves in the nextplace ) we deny them from hence, not g only tobe fubje& to aftnall, butalto toa totall fcduEtion. 5. We grant,that notwithftanding the fecurity given, which refpe&s the 'lateandConditionof theperlons fpoken of yet theymay be,and often were feduced, anddrawne afide into wayes that are not right, into errours and falle Dó&rines, through the cunningfleights ofmen,who lay in wait to deceive, but never into loch, (as to any abode in them;)which are .inconfftent with the union with their Head, andhis Life in them; TheErrours and wayeswhereunto they are, or maybe feduced, are either fuch, as,though dangerous; yea in their Confequences pernicious, yet have not fuch an Afpe&upon the Faith ofBelievers,as to deny a poffibility ofu- pion,& holding the Head upon other accounts: I doubt not but that men for a feafon may not know, may disbelieve, and deny forne fundamentall Articles ofChriftianReligion, and yet not be abfolutely concluded not to hold the Head by any finew, or ligament; tohave no influence of life by any other meanes. Was it not fowith the Apailles, when they queftioned the Refurre- tionof Chrift, and with the Corinthians,who denyed the Refurre&ion ofthe Saints? an abode,l confeffe, in either ofwhichErrours would,when the Con- fequencesofthem are rnanifefted ; prove pernicious to the Soules of men. But that theyhave in themfelves fuch an abfolute Repugnancy unto,and in- confftency with the LifeofChrift, however conftdered, as that their enter- tainment for a feafon , Ihould be inímediately exclufive thereof , I fuppofe Mr Goodwinhimfelfe will not fay. In this fence then, we grant that true,Sa- ving,Juftifying Faith mayconftft with thedenyall offume fundamental) Ar- ticles ofChriftian Religion, for a feafon: but that any7raeBeliever can per-. fiít in fuch an Here fie , we deny; he having the Promife of the Spirit to lead him intoall neceffary Troth: 2. Thereare fuch wayes and things, as in their ovine naturehave an in- confiftencywith theLife ofChrift, as the Abnegation of Chrift himfelfe: but this alto weaffirme to be twofold, or to receive a twofold Confideration: t. It may berelayed, upon Confideration,with the deliberate Confent ofthe whole Souk: which we utterly deny, that Believers can, or fhall be left unto for amoment: or that ever any True believerwas fo. 2. Such as maybe fqueezedout ofthe mouthes ofinen,by the furprifall offorne grear,dreadfull, and horrible Temptation, without any habituall or Cordiall Affent to any fuchAbomination,or Difaffe&ion to Chrift, or refolute Rebellion againft him. Thus Peter fell into theAbnegation of Chrift, whole Faith yet under it didnot perifh, ifour Saviour was heard in his Prayer for him, having an eye to that veryTemptationofhis, wherein he was to be tryed, and his fall under it. In thefirft fence are ihofewords ofour Saviour (Mat.TO- 32.)tobe underftood, and not in the latter. Chrift was fo far from denying Peterbe- fore hisFather under his Abnegation ofhim, that he never manifefted more Care and Tenderneffe towards any Believer, then towards him in that Con- dition. Andthis wholly removes Mr Goodwin Toth Se&ion out ofour way, without troublingofour felves to hold up that diftin&ion ofafinall deniall ofChrift, and that not finall; feeing inall probability he let it up himfelfe, that he might havethe honour to raftit downe. What followes in Mr Goodwin from the beginningof :Seth i i s Cap: io. to theendofSect: 17. is littlemore then a Tranflation of the RemonflrantsSo- phifiry,in vexing this Text in their Synodalia, which he knowes full well where to finddifcuffed, and removed. For the fake ofour EnglifhReaders, Ifhall not avoid the confederationof it. I affirme then: r. That the phrafe It.nrarr here denotes the Irnpoffibilityofthe Event denied. The manner of N 2 Speech Pi 0.53-

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