QXVI.SomeProfefforsApoff. nocaule toquefiion the fincerity of others. 388 unto. I awake the proofe ofthe Minor, which in the following Difcourfea- mounts to this: That judging all thofe who fallfin:dly away not to have been true Believers, we cannot but have evillfurnreifer, of all thatjiand, that they are' not true Believers,feeing as goodas they havefallen away,hence jealoufyesoftheir Hj'pocrybo will arife. And he tells usfor his part, he knowes no Chriflian in the world, that hehath more reafon to judge a true Believer, than hehad to judge force, who are turned wretched Apoflates. To which I fw briefely, 4. 24. Firft, I doubt not but Mr Goodwin knowes fullwell, that this is nota Rule given us to makea judgement of Believers by, with whom we walke, and Rom s2.1s. towards whom it is required we beare Love without dßimulation, to- wards fuch as Phewus their Faith by their worker; Our rule ofwalking front the principleofLove, and Charity is layd downe in t Cor. 13. And ifall that any man knowes at thisday profeffours in this world,fhould turne.Apoflates, fave only one, and he had reckoned that one, and them that are Apoftatized, before their Apoflafy, ofthe fame ranke of Believers, and had no eviti thoughts ofthat one above the ref}, he was bound withoutany evill furmifes tobelieve all things, and to hope all things, and not to let goehis lincere Love towards that one,imbracing ofhim,delighting inhim,holding cómunionwith him to his lives end without fufpicion ofHypocrify,or other hard thoughts ofhim unies he alfo fhould degenerate; 'Tis Paid foh.2.23.That many believed on Chrift becaufe ofthe profeffion of Faith that they shade,&14.6.34.They prayearneftly tobe fed with thebreadofLife;So that they were accounted a- mong hisDifciplesv.6o. &vet upon a temptation they left our Saviour,&wal- ked no more with him, v. 66 Nownotwithflanding the profeffion ofthefe inea our Saviour plainely Cayes, that they believednot, v.64. They falling thus away who hadprofeffcd to believe, and were accounted as Believers, Co called and named among the Difciples ofChrift, and Chriff declaring on theac- count oftheir Apoftacy, that indeed they did never believe, howwas it that the remaining Twelve had not hard thoughts andjealou(yes one ofanother, (efpecially confidering that there was one Hypocrite hill left among them) whether they had true Faith or no, feeingour Saviourhad declared that thofe who fo fell off; as thofe before mentioned, had none? Doubtleflè they were inftrucled towalke by a better and ftreighter Rule,than that Mr Goodwinhere afiìgnestoBelievers; Let him whowill or can fall away, whilft weare taught ofGod to love oneanother, and areaCtedby the principle ofLovewhich thin/ es no evil], anddo contend againft evill Curmizes as the workes of theflefh; There isnot any thing in theleaf} attending the difcovery ofonemans Hypo - crify, to workeus to a perfwafion that another (not in any thing dilcovered is fo alto ; that becaufewe fee Tome goodly houfe fall under ftormes and temptations to theground, and fo manifeft it Celfe to havebeenbuilt on the fand, that therefore we mull conclude that thofewhich Hand, are not built upon the Rocke, is not fuited to any principle or Rule that our Mafter bath givenus towalke by,inorder to the exercifeofthatLove,ìvhich he calleth for inus towards one another. 0.25. Secondly, I fay this wayof proceeding inour thoughtsand judgements doth the Holy, Ghoftlead usto: t Bohn z t 9. TheApoftle giving anaccount offome who had formerly walked with him in the profefiìon of the Faith, andofthe fellowfhip which they had with theFather and Bonne, fell away from Chrifi into anoppofition againft him, fo farre as to defervethe titleofAnti- chrifts, having not only forfaken the Gofpell, but making it all() theirbuff- neffeto oppofeit, and to feduceoothers from the fimplicityofthe fame; Thefe be informes the fcatteredBelievers of theJewes were Apoflates, having for- merly
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=