C<xV1. All things impollible, not abfolutely fo. 386 leffe in many, and i.tnpofiible only in one , is alwayes to be judged simply andAbfolutely impoffible; much leffeare we concerned"in it; who fay that Simply and Abfolutely the falling away ofBelievers is Poflible, namely, as the termepoffible relates to the principle of operation in them; But in fome re -, fpe&s only it is impofíìble, that is,not ofit felfe, but in refpe& oftheexternal prohibitingcaufe. It was and limply poffible, that the bones of our Saviour fhould have beenbroken, in the nature of the thing it felfe: im-. poffible, in refpe& ofthe decree ofGod; Soare a thoufand things Abfolutely poble in their owne nature, as to the power of the caufes whereby they might be produced, but impojible in refpe&of Tome external] prohibiting caufe; Abfolutely pofíìble in refpe&of their proper caufeand principle; im- pofiible in refpe& ofthe event,upon thetheaccount ofCome external] prohi- biting caufe as was (hewed. So 'tis in the bulneflé in hand; We affert not any pofiìbility in refpe&of the event; As though in theiffue it-might focome topaffe, that Believers fhould fall totallyand finally fromGod, which is the thingwe oppofe: but itgrant,in refpe&ofthe caufesoffuck apoflacy,with re- ference to the nature ofthe thing it felfe; Though how the poffibility might be reduced into a&Mr Goodwin cannot declare; As for the dole ofthis Se&i- on concerning the Abfolxte, Peremptory, irref/lible decree of Perfeverance which he afcribes to us as our. affertion, when he fhall have convinced us of theConditìnnall, Non-peremptory, reverfihle decree ofGod, which he endea- vours to introduce in theplace thereof,he may here more'ofús, in the mean time ¡úvopev;tamp EPµsv. $. 22, Seçlion39.40. he feekes to alleviate the inflance comnionly given of our Saviour Chrift, who though affuredofthe end, (and in refpe& ofwhom 'twas utterlyimpoble that his gloriousexaltation,fhould not follow in the iffue,he being wholly out ofall dangerof beingdetained under the powerofDeath,) yet he Laboured, and prayed, and failed, and refilled Satins temptations,and watched againfi him, and dealt with him, byweapons taken out oftheword ofGod; And in efpeciall when the Divell urged him with the argument in hand, that there is no needof meaner or the"ling of them, when there is a cer- taintyof the end, andan impoffibility that itfhouldotherwifefallout, or the End not be brought about andaccomplifbed, as he did when he tempted him to café bimfelfe headlongfroma pinacle ofthe Temple becaufe the Angelis hadcharge over him, that notfo much as hisfoot fhould behurt again(] a(lone, whatever he did, as Sathan intimated,which is the tenour ofthe Argument wherewith we have todoe, he retornes to him the very Anfwer that we infill upon; viz. that though it be thegoodpleafureofGod to,bring us to theend we aime at, yet are we not to tempt him by a negleet of the meanes which he bath ap- pointed; 'tis true, there are Arguments ufed tóus that could have no place with Chrift, being taken from the Efface &Condition of infirmity and'weak- neffe through finne, wherein we are; whichis a ground only ofan inference, that ifChrift whowas Holy, Harmeleffe, undefiled, feparate fromfinners, did yet watch and pray and contend againfl Sathan, muchmore fhouldwe do fo. Butthis lothnot at all take off from the parity ofReafon that is incafe of Diligent ufrngofthemeanes, for the compaffing ofthe end, that in fumere- fpe& is under an impoffibilityof not being accomplifhed; For theremoveall ofthis inflance Mr Goodwin enters into a large Difcourfe of the caufe and Reafon veiling the Lord Chrift withan immutability in .good, and how 'tis not competent to anyCreature:which that it is,never entred into the thoughts ofany toaffert that I ever heardof Not is it of the leaft importance tothe removeall ofour Inflame as to its ferviceableneffe unto the end, for which 'tis produced; He tells us alfo, That in cafe men be caufed,neceßstatingy and- unavoidably
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