C. XV. 348 g. 38. The fallacious groundof this ArgumentofMG's. prevaileagainff the workings ofGracefor a feafon, as to fet the flefh at liberty to make contrivances to fulfill the lufts thereof (Ifay) many havegranted, and I (hall not (for the fake of poore returning foules,whofe backflidings God bath promifed to heale,) deny: but yet I fay all their aflings in this kinde, are but like the desperate a&ingsofa man in a leaver, who may have forcekind ofcontrivancewith himfelfeto domifchiefe, (as I have known forcemy felted and aimeat opportunityes for the accomplifhment ofit; all the facultves of their foules being difcompofed, and rendered unferviceable to them through their diffemper; Through the violenceoftemptation, & the tumultuating lufts,the wholenew manmay be for a feafon fochattered,&his parts laid outof the way, as to fuch adue Anfwering to another, that the whole may be fervi- ceable to theworke ofFaith, (asa difordered army, wherein is all its funda- mental) ftrength aswell aswhen it is rallied in battalia, is altogether unfervi- ceable, 'till it be reduced toorder) that finne taking the opportunity to fill their corrupt part (as farre as it is corrupt) with its pleafure and defireable- neffe! and fo to let the thoughtsof it on worke tocontinue meanes for its ac compl ifhment; Now asthrough the goodneffeof their Father and fupplyes ofGrace, which through the Covenant thereof, they do receive, this diffem- per feifeth not Believers but rarely& extraordinarily,fò it Both no way prove them to finite with malice, or without hatred of, and oppofition (fecret op- pofition, which may be as fecret, asCome inclinations to finiteare not known toour felves ) to the things they do in' and under that condition. That which fo'llowes in this Seftionbeing fuited to the apprehenfion of force particular men, though ofgreat nameand ecleeme, according to their worth and defert in the Church ofGod, asVrfix, Pancus;and the ref}, about reigning;fnne, wherein (as i havedeclared) my thoughts fall not in with them I (hall not need to infiff any longer upon tt:t'anew' afterall his aggravations of the finnes ofBelievers, vet adds that they finne not (nor did David) ex con- temptu Dei, but througha preoccupation or furprifall offmne; which I believe tobe the perfwafion of far the greateff numberofSaints in the world; what- ever Mr Goodwin is pleafed to think or fay to the conrrary; nor is their an.- prehenlon weakened byivathans charging upon David, his deJpifzngofthe commandement ofthe Lord. indoing evil); which as it is virtuallydone ineve- ry finne, and in great firmes inan eminent manner, fo that it did amount in- deed, not only to a confequentiall buta fermallvoluntary contempt ofGod, Mr Goodwin (hall never prove. A Father often and feverely chargeth upon his fonnes, a defpifing ofhis command,when he bath beencarryed out to tranf- greflè it, when yet he kowes his bonne honoureth and reverenceth him in his heart, and is exceedingly remote from any refolved contempt of him. The doleofall is a eonceflïon ofthe Contra-Remonffrants at theHague Con -. ference;Th at Believers mightfallintofilchlures, as that the Church according to the Commandement ofChrifl, mull pronounce that they (hallno longer abidein her communion, and that they fhall have no part in theK¿ngdome of Chrifi ; which being ufually made an argument for theApoftacy of the Saints, I (hall confi- der how it is here improved by M.Goodwin. Certainly (faith he)theirfencewas, 7hat true believers may finne, above the rate ofthofe, n'hofnne out of infirmity, info much as there is no commandement of Ch.riff, that any Church ofhisfhoald ejeetlfuch perlons out oftheir Communion, whofinneout ofinfirmityonly; fo that by the confeJfon ofour Adverfaries them- (elves, even true Believers mayperpetrate fuck fines which are ofa-deeper de- merzt, than to benumbred amongfifnnes of infirmity, yea;fzchfinnes, for which theChurchofChrifl, according to the Commandement..ofChrf, hands bound to judge
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