Mr G's Exceptions thereto, difcuWed & remooved. CA r:ill. ß:54. 6. Suppofe it begranted, that the words referre to the endeavours ofthe feducers in this place, yet they muff needs deny heir prevalency, as to the end aimed at: It is afferted, either tobepoifible, thatthe Eleet fhould be fo fe- duced, or not Ifnot, we have what we aime at If it bepoble, and fo here afferted, the totali of this Expreflion of our Saviour will be refolved into a Conclufion, certainly molt remote from his intendment. If it be poßzble that the Elect may befeduced, then(hallthey befeduced : but it ispojfible(fay our Ad- veriaries,) therefore they£hallbe feduced. Neither Both that which Mr Goodwin urgeth Sect. 12. out ofthe synodalia before mentioned pag. 3 ¡4, 3 r g. at all prove, that the words denote onlyadifficulty ofthe thing aimed at, with Re- lation to the earnestendeavours offeducers: s doth indeed intimatetheir endeavours,but withall their fruitlefneffe,asto the event. .si dtuva7dr is not re- ferred ( asin theExample ofPaul ) to the thoughts oftheir minds, but to the fucceffe foretold by Chrift. That Ecaphaticall & Diacriticall Expreffion in the defcription ofthem,agáinft whom their Attempts are, (even theveryElea) ar- gues their exemption. And if byElea are meant limply and only Believers as fuéh, how comes this Emphaticall Exprefiion and defcription of them to beufed, when they alone, and no other canbe feduced; for thofe who feemetoBelieveonly, cannot bePaid to fall from the Faith, fayour Adverfa- ries; It is true, theProfefforsofChriftianity adhered of old, under many tri- ails (for the greater part) with eminent Constancy,to their Profeffion:yet is not any thing eminently herein held out in that Paying, which Mr Goodwin calls Proverbial in Galen : he fpeaking of the followers of Mofes the fame asofthefollowers ofChrifi. What elfe followes in Mr Goodwin from thefame Authors, isnothing butthe prefling of( I think) oneof the moft abfurd Ar- guments, that ever LearnedMen madeufe of, in any Controverfy ; andyet fuch as it is, wee (hall meet with it, over and over, (as we have doneoften already) before we arrive at the endofthis difcourfe; and thereforeto avoid tedioufneffeI fhall not here infift upon it. With its mention it shall be paffed by. It is concerning the ufelefneffe ofmeanes, and Exhortations unto the ufe ofthem, ifthe End to be attained by them be irrevocably determined , al- though thofe Exhortations arepart ofthe meanes appointed for the Accom- plifhment oftheend fodefigned. I (hall not (as I faid) in this place infift up. on it: One thingonly I {hill obferve in Seer. r7. he grants , that God is able to determine the Wills of the Elect to the afeofineanes,proper andfufzcienttopre- vent their being deceived; by this determining the Willsofthe Elect to the ufeof proper meaner, theEfficacy ofGrace in and with Believers, toa certaine pre - fervationofthem to the end,is intended. It isthe thing he oppofeth,as we are informed in thenext words (he hash no where declared himfelfe willing or re- solved to doe it). That by this one Affertion Mr Goodwin hath abfolvedour Doétrinefrom all the absurd Consequences and Guilt of I know not what Abominations, which in various Criminarions he bathcharged upon it, is e- vident upon the ñrft view and Consideration. All that weaffirme God to doe, Mr Goodwin grants that he can doe. Now ifGod fhond doeall he is a- ble, there would no Abfurdityor evill, that is truly fo, follow. What he can doe, that he can Decree to doe: and this is thefummeofour Doetrine, which he bathchofen to oppofe. God (wee fay ) bath Everlaftingly Purpofed to give,and Both aCtuallygive his Holy Spirit toBelievers, toput forth filch an exceeding greatneffe ofPower, as whereby in the ufeofmeanes , they Mall certainly be preferved to. Salvation ; This God can doe,faies our Author. ThisConceáìonbeingmade by the Remonfrants in their Synodalia, Mr Good- win(I prefume)thought it but duty tobeas free,ashis Predeceffors,andthere- fore contentedunto it alto, although it bean axe laid at the root ofalinoft all N 3 the 93
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