C. XV. Regeneration not to be Repeated. 356 and yet to be renewedagaine and to hive a. second Regenerat o ;doyou not incourage him to venture boldly to fatisfy his finfull defires,having fuck a re- liefe againfttheworft that his thoughtsand feares can fuggeft to him ? But whatever it be in refpeít ofGod or men, yet that fo it may be Mr Goodwinproves from. Heb. 6. 6. Where 'tis faid, that 'tis iinpofiblé torenew fame to repentance, wherefore fome may be renewed;andin fuck12. Men are faid tobe twicedead, therefore they may live twice Spiritually; The firft proofe feemes fomewhat uncouth. The perfons fpoken of in that place are in M: G. judgement Believers;there is no place ofScripture wherein he more try- umphs in his endeavoured confirmationofhisThefis.The Holy Ghofr Pays ex- preflyofthé,that'tis impoffible to renew th6: therefore Pays M.G.'tis pofiìble; what is of emphafesin the Argument mentioned arifeth fró two things,s .Tha t they are true Believers ofwhich afterwards. 2. That they fall totally away; This then isthe importanceofM. Goodwin' plea, from thisplace, If true be- lieversfall totally away, it is impoffible they fhould be renewed toRepentance, therefore iftrue Believersfalltotally away, it itpofble theyfhould be renewed to and by Repentance; that there is a falling away,, anda renewing againe by Repentance ofthe fame perlons, we grant. That falling away is partial] only, which is incident unto trueBelievers, who, when God heales their backfli- dings, art renewed by Repentance. To be renewedalfo by Repentance, is ta- ken either for the renovation ofour Naturas, andour change as unto ftate and condition, and fo it is the fame withRegenerationandnot tobe repeated; or for a Recoveryby Repentance in refpe& ofperfonall failings, fo it is. the daily workeofour lives. fade faies, tome are twice dead; that is, utterly fo, an hyper- bolicallexpreffion toaggravate their condition. Thofe to whom the Gofpell is afavour ofDeath unto Death , may wellbe faid tobe twicedead; unto the Death that they are involved in, and areobnoxiousto bynature, they adde a fecond death, or rather, Peale up their foulesunder thepower and miferyof theother, bycontempt ofthe means ofLife and recovery; therefore Regene- ration maybe reiterated;2uod erat Demonflrandum. Much ofthe Se&ion that remains, is taken up, in declaring in many words without the leaft attempt ofproofe, that'tís agreeable to the honour ofGod, to renew men totally fallen away; that is, when thofe who haye been quick- nedby him, wafht in theblond ofhis Sonne,made partakers ofthé Divine na- ture, imbrac'd in the armes ofhis Love, fh4ll defpife all this, dif-faith them- felves,reje& the Lord andhis Love, trampleon the blondofthe Covenant, kill their foules, by depriving them of fpirituall life, proclaims toall the world, their diflike ofhim, and his Covenant ofGrace; yet though he bath not any where revealed, that hewillpermit any one fo todoe, or that he will acceptofthem againe, upon their fo doing; yet M. Goodwin affirming that for him fotodoe, is agreeable to his Holineffe and Righteoufneffe, 'tis fit that thofe whoconceive themfelves bound to believe what ever he faies, fhould think fo too; formypart I amat liberty. 4.47. 3 fhould not farther purfue this difcourfe, nor infift on this digreffion , but thatM.Coodwinhath taken advantage by the mentionofRegeneration,todeli. ver Tome rare notionsofthe natureofit, Which deferve a little our farther taking noticeof, for which end doubtlefhe be publifhed them, To make way then for his intendment, he informesus (Sea:29.) That Regeneration it felfe, according to the Grammaticali and properfignificationof the word imports a al- teration, or repetitionofforcegeneration or other; it cannot import aRepetitionof thenaturallGeneration ofmen; the ence of Nicodemus inthis poynt was Ortho- dox, whojudgedfuch a thing impel le, therefore it mufì import a repetitionofa fpirituallgeneration, unleffe wefhallfay (which I think is the road opinion) that it
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=