C.XV. The fallacious Ground ofthis Argument of M. G's. 336 20. Could I onceimagine that M. Goodwin had the leaff thought, .that indeed therewas any thing in the Scripture, looking towards his intendment in the producingofit, I fhould farther manifef} the miffake thereof; To play thus with the wordofGod, is a libertywedare not makeufeofyet. Thirdly he concludes That realm why Believers are overcome by the Luflings ofthe flefh, is notbecaufethe Spirit is not ffronger than theflefh, but becaufe men have more will to harken to the Lufls ofthe Flefb, than to the Spirit. Fortunam Priami cantaba, &nobile bellum. This is the ifl'ue ofall the former fwelling Difcourfe, mens l nnes are from their owne willes, and not becaufe the Spirit is not fironger than the flefh; And who ever doubted it,the Conclufion you were to prove,is,That Believers finnewith their whole willandfull confent oftheir wills, and that the newprin- ciple that is in them, doth not eanfe theirwills to declinefromaäing infìnne to the jufl efficacy ofall theirflrengthand vigour. But of this ,;dB yo7, for thein6ntáa- tion in that expreffionoftheWill hearkening to the lofts oftheflefly and not the loftingofthe spirit, in a fovereigne indifference to both, anda liberty for theperformanceofeither, in a way exclufiveofgood, or vicious habituall Principles ofoperation in the will it felfe, I (hall not now divert to the con- fideration of. $. 224 What elfe remaines in this Se&ion, either doth not concerne thebufùteffe in hand,a's the finenotions oftheSpirits retorne to moveBelievers whenhis mo- tions have beenrejected, with the manner, whereof according to his conception, muff beafterwards confideredapart, as the fall ofDavid into adultery and Norther; iftherebe need to go forth to the confideration ofhis examples and inflances: and therefore I (hall not longer infift upon it only theclofeofit confiffingof an inference made from force words of Peter Martyr deferves confideration. uponDavid:finne(faith he) Peter Martyr, makes this obferva- tion, That theSaints themfelves being once fallen into finne, would alwayes re- maine in the pollutionofit, did notGodbÿ his mighty Wordbring them out ofit; i whichfayingofMartyrclearely afo implyes that theSaints manytimes finne with their whole willsandfullconfents,becaufe were anypart oftheir wills bent againfl thecommiting o f thefnne at the time, when it is. committed, they would quef#ion- lef/e return to themfelvesand repent immediately after the heat andviolenceofthe Loft being over; by reafon of the fatisfailion that bath been given thereun- to. Anf. Thedole infinuation in Peter Martyr's words, of the Saints finning with their wholewills, and the LogickeofMr Goodwin's inference from them Ibelieve is very muchhidden from the Reader. To theTheology ofit, I fay,, that the Saints aap) ,rrHvr, do immediatelyretorne toGod byRepentance, (as Peter did)upon their furprifalls into finne ; nor have -they any ref} in a condition, of the Eclipfe of the countenance of God from them, as upon. finne it is alwayes moreor leffe; ofDavids particular cafe, mention may af- terwardsbe made. But the proofe, that they finnewith their whole willsand full confentbecaufe they would continueinfinne, did not the Lordrelieve andde-. liver them by his word andGrace, is admirable; I would adventure to cat} this Argument into as many fhapes, as it is tolerably capableof, had I the leaf}hope tocaufe it toappeare any way Argumentative; wedeny then that Believers have any fuchpower habitually refiding in them, as wherebywith- out any new fupplyes ofthe Spirit or. concurrence ofaífuall Grace; theycan effeaually and eventually recover themfelves from any finne whatever; Which fupplyes of theSpirit, and Grace, wefay and have proved are freely promifed
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