Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

C.XV. The fallacious Ground ofthis Argument of M. G's. 3 5o men cannot be faved, wondring what Mr Goodwin according to his princi- ples intends by the addition to theText of Kam. 8. r. unlefle it be , that no man ftands in needofRepentance, unleffe he have caftoff all Faith and inte- r& inGod; a molt Anti-evangelical] affertion) and yet not commit fuch fins, as whereby their Faith muff needs be wholly loft. Fourthly, There'sa twofoldRight and Title to the Kingdome of God; a Right and Titleby the profeffionof a trueFaith to the externall Kingdomeof God,in regardofits outward Adminiftration , and a, Right andTitle to the Eternal] Kingdome of God by the poffeffonofa true Faith in Chrift : The former,as it is taken forjus in re, believers may lode for a feafon ; though theymaynot in refpeet of a remote, original], fundamental' Root which a- bides; the latter they never lode, nor forfeite : We fayalto that repentance for finne being a thing promifedofGod,for thofe that come to him in Chrift, upon theaccount oftheengagement ofhis Grace, for the Perfeverance ofBe- lievers; All fuch fallers into finne,fhall certainly return to theLord by Repen- tance, whoheales their back-flidings, which Mr Goodwin bath not been able to difprove; Ofwhole Arguments , and his endeavours to vindicate them from exceptions, thisis the chiefe. $51 39. But yet therebeing two or three things, that M. Goodwin is pleafed toadde towhat went before, as obje&ions agamft his do&rine in general], though not of this laft Arguments concernment, any more thanof anyothers he makes isle of becaufe there are in them Confiderations ofgood advantage to the Truth inhand, I (hall a little inlift upon them, before I proceed with my intendeddifcourfe. The Firft is,that the Dotlrine of the Saints Apoflacy, mnaimeth or difinera- 4. 40 breth the Body ofChrifl, andbrings in, an uncouth and unfeemely interchangeof members betweenchrifi and theSoule; which howfoever flighted by M. Good- win, is aplea not ofthe leaft importance , in the cafe in hand. The bodyof Chrift intended, is that myl'íicalland fpirituall, not that Political] .and-vifible; His body in refpe&ofthereali union of every member of it ; untohim as the head, defcribed by the Apoftle in its Relation unto him. E;phef. 4.0 5,16. It grower up unto hint, inall thìngr, which is thehead, evenChrifl,,from whom the wholebodyfitly joyned together, andcompael ed, by that which everyjoynt fuppli- eth according to the ejfelluall working in the meafure ofevery part, maketh in- creafeofthe body unto the edifying ofitfelfe in Love: So'alfo Collof. 2. íg. the Body we intend, whereof Chrift is the Head, is that , not -only in a Political] fence, as the fupreamegovernonrofit, but in a Spiritual], according to the Analogy of anHeadNaturall,fromwhence life, & all influence ofit unto the Members do flows Ofthisbody, fome are in their Spirits 'already confumma- ted, and madeperfe& in Heaven , fome are asyet purfuing their Warfare in- all partsofthe World, prefiìng forward to the markeof the high-calling fet before them: Now that any member ofhis Body, bone ofthebone, flefh of the flefhof Chrif, given him to makeup hisfulneffe, and myfticall per£eftion, joynted untohim, walhed in hisbloud, and lovedby him , according to the Love and careofa head to its members, fhouldbe plucked off, to be call in- ao-the fire, and after it bath fo clofely and vitally been admitted into the par- ticipation ofhis fulneffe and increafe, being united to him , become achildof theDivell, anEnemy tohim,andhis fometimes fellowmembers,fo as to hate his head, and tobe hated ofhishead(when yet no man ever yet hatedhis own flefh) this we fuppofeno way toanfwer that inexpreflibly intenfe Love,which the Lord Jefus beares towards his' members, and to be- exceedingly deroga- tory tohis honour and Glory, in reference with his dealing to Sathan,.the great enemyofhis Kingdome. But to this M. GoodwinAnfwers. rirfi,

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