Regeneration nota repetition of a former birth. itfgnif es only thefpiritisall generation witha Rind of refenion upon, and unto 357 thebirth Natural'. Anf. Firft, That theGrammaticallfence of the word imports aReiteration of fomegeneration, is only Paid ; hath other fignifications in compofition, betides the intimatingofa reiterationof the fame thing: either infpecie,or in- dividually, the fame againe; IramP)49naia would feemerather to inforce fuch an Interpretation, than dVay!nnan, which yet it doth not: It is fpoken ofthat which bath no birth properly at all, as Philo de Mundo,s' who vpae ñ róQµx . TnPpc+"V, <it\d xj mzúy)upwíae eîvaipHV vaofit felfeis only through, xweyv ¿v' idfva -- ---- Horn. 'OIP. ç. through a wooddy Countrey; dv4 a e, 1 cfurrenion, Bothnot import againe, after another rifing before , but a re- ftauration from a loft fiate; fo is '74"1evnaía ufedMath: 59.28. to be regene- rate, is tohave anew, and another generation,not any one repeated; Irr the place mentioned of fohn byM. Goodwin, there is mention neitherofa repeti- tion ofa former generation,nor direly of a new one: Though it be fo, it is not there called fo; our Saviour at firft faies, aaPtal ns yavnai IP.3ev,unleffe a man be bornefrom above: as theword is elfewhere rendred,dnd properly fignifies, as lohn 3.3s. Iohn 19.11. Mark.1 q.38. lames 3.17. and fometimes.of old or former daies, as Ads 26.5. onceonly, it fignifies againe, Gal:4.g. but there foyned with .áuV, which refraines it. And in the expofition afterwards of what he intendedby that Expreflion , he calls it limply a being borneofthe mater & thefpirit,v 5. without the leaf' intimation of the repetition of any birth; but only the affertingof anew fpirituall one ; called abirth indeed, with alIufion tothe birth Nattrall, which is the road opinion, well beaten e- ver fenceChrift firft trod that path. Befides, the very fame thing which is ex- preit under the nameofRegeneration,being a fpirituall birth, which a man had not before, is alfo delivered unto us in fuck words, and termes, as ma- nifeft no reiteration ofany fiat; condition, or thing to be included therein; asConverfion.toGod, a uickning fromdeath, SanCificationby the fpirit, &ct all which manifeft the indu&ion ofa new Lifeand forme, and notthe Repe- tition ofanother; hence the ancients called Baptifine, Regeneration; being the initiall ordinance ofChriftianity, and expreffive ofthe new life; which in, and through Chrift, we receive; and that from Tit. 3. 5. Regeneration then neither in theimport oftheword, nor in the natureofthe thing,doth require a reiterationofany generation; but only the addition of a newone, to. that which a man bath before; and whereunto this dothallude. The receiving of anew fpirituall Birth and Life, is our Regeneration, Renovation, Refurrenion, ttickning, implanting intoChrif}, and the like:fo that the foundationof all the enfuing difcourfe, is a meere quagmire, where no firme footingcanbe ob- tained; andofthe fame Nature is that which enliises; It is(faith he.) thecoma mon fence ofDivines, that the treogenerations mentioned, the Natur ellandfpiri- tuall,are membra dividentia,andcontra-diflieeguifhed the one unto the other ;and fo theApoflle Peter toofeemes tofrate and reprefent them;as alto our Saviour him., felfe Iob:3.6. Now there can hardly any inflame begiven, inhere the introducing o fonecontraryPrme or quality into theSubjell, is termed a reiteration, or repeti tienofthe other; Calefalion( for example) isnever termed a repetition of Frige- fanion, norCalefanion called 'a reiterationofFregefanion; nor whena Regenerate or mortifyedman dyeth his naturalldeath,- is hefaid to reiterate Or repeat his Spirituals death . An/. That in the terme Regeneration two births are implyed, may be granted: thatthe fame is intimated to hp repeated, is denyed: andnot pro- ved at all; And thereforeMr Goodwin fayes well, that the introducing ofa contrary forme, is not calledthe reiteration of an other, no more is it here; Zz3 our
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