Conhfency ofProm: ofPerf. &Exhortationstothe ufe ofmeanes. C.X11. neceftitating them thereunto ; andfo comports with thofe Arguments. orExhor- 277 tations in their mannerofefficiency by which he preffeth or moveth them tofuch things; Ey the way,toprevent Humbling andquarrelling, it no wayfollowesfrom the Premifes, that aMinifler inhispreaching orperfwading untoduty'sfboulddoe as touch as God himfelfe cloth in or towards the perfwadingof men hereunto, it onlyfollower that the Minifier doth cooperate with God, which the Apoftle him- felfe af firmes inorder toone & thefame effell,(i.e. )thatheoperateth in one& the fame kindofefficiency with God, Morally or perfwadingly, notsreceffrtating,for where one neceffitates, & another onlyperfwades theycannotbefaidto cooperate, or worke the one with the other,nomore than two,when the onemines & theother walkes afoftpace , can befaidto goe or walke together. Eut when twoperfwade in one and the fame ablion, one may perfwade more effeelualty by many degrees than the other, may have apeculiar Ate, or methodof perfwading above the other. That which is now undertaken to be proved is, That Goddoth notmake 4. ufeofExhortations,as meanes for the eftablifhing of theSaints in believing, and confirming their Perfeverance. This is that which by us is affigned unto them, and this all that the Nature of them doth require, that they fhouldbe ufedunto: the certaintyoftheevent whereuntothey are applied depending not on their Nature, as fuch meane s, buton the purpofe of God, to ufe them for that endwhich he hathdefigned , andpromifed to bringabout and ac- compli(h. Beforehe ventures on any oppofition to the intendment ofthis Affertion, hephrafeth it fo, as either to renderit unintelligible to himfelfe and others, or (ifany thingbe fignified by the expreffìonshe ufeth) to divert it wholly from the mindof them, and their fence, with whom he hath to doe. Who ever faid that Godby Exhortations,doth influencethe Willsofmen upon fuch termes, as tomake them Infruflrably, andneceJtatingly willing to Perfevere? Or, can he tell uswhat's the meaningof thofe termes, [7nfruflrably, Neceffitatingly willing to Perfevere;] Though tis eafy to gueffe at what he here intends , yet tis farreabove my (hallow capacity, to reach the fence ofthere expreffions. How any ofthefe termes, relating to the event and iffueof things, and in what fence they may be ufed, I have often (hewed; As relating either to the manner ofGods operationin, and upon the Will , or the Wills elicitation of its own a&, (anyfarther then by relation tothat Axiome, Vnunaquodq; quad eft;dum eft, neceffe eft) they expreffeneither our fence,norany bodies elfe that I know. That which I (hall make bold to take up for M. Goodwin: intend- ment is; That Goddoth not by Exhortations effe&ually caufe the Saints to Perfevere; Tobewilling to Perfevere, is toPerfevere : to be Neceftatingly willing, is, I know not what; Now iffuch anefficacybe afcribed to Exhorta- tions, as reaches the certaintyoftheeffe&, fo that the certaintyof the effe&, as to the event, fhouldbe afferted to depend on them as fuchmeaner , this is nothing tous; we afcribe an efficacy to them in propriogenere, but the certain - ty.ofthat event towhofe proddlion they concurre, we affirme, as bathbeen abundantly declared; tó depend on othercaufes. But the proofeofwhat is here Afferted,outrunnes for uncouth ftrangeneffe, 25. the Affertion it felfe, quid' albis, as they fay: For, faithhe,ifthis be /o (that is, as you have heardabove, how, neither he norwee know) then thefame Act of the Willfhouldbe bothPhyficallandMorall; And FrÍ'r, Why fo? Becaufe Phyficall & Moral/ meanes are ufed for the pro- ducing of it; asthough fundry caufesoffeverall kinds, might not concurreto produce one uniforme effe&, farre enough from a neceffity of receiving fo much as a Denomination from eachofthem; In the concurrence of feverall N n 3 > caufes
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=