lobs z. 19 Explàin'd andvindicated. 396 rily imply they wereBelieversformerly, but perhaps they bad beenfo, andwerebe- forefallen away, being eboaked by thecares of the world, an obfervation is infi- nuated,dire fly oppofite to the Apofkles de igne,and fuch asmakes his whole Difcourfe ridiculous; An account hegives ofmens falling away from the Faith, and tells them 'tis becaufe,though they have been profeflòrs, yet they were never trueBelievers, yea butperhaps they were true Believers,and then fell away,& after that fell away; that is, they fell from theFaith,and then fell from the Faith: forthat is plainely intimated in, & is the fenceof this doubty 4.45. Obfervation. But toproceed withhis expofit:ion: he fayes, itfollows, for iftheyhadbeen ofus, they wouldno doubt have continuedwith us ; in theft words theApofilegives a rearmofhis Exception telling them, to whom he writes ; that this was afagne andArgument that thofe Antiehriftian teachers, werenot of them in the fencede- dared; viz. That they didnot continuewith them, that is,they witted their for- mer intimacy and converfe with the Apoftles, refufed to.jteere the rame courfe, to walke by thefame principles, any longer with them, which (faith he )daubtleffe they would not havedone,had they been asfincerely ajfeiied towards jefusChrift& the Gofpellas we; by which Affertion Yob: plainely vindicated himfelfe and the Chriftian Churches ofhis communion, fromgiving anyjuft occafion ofoffence unto thofemen, whereby theyfhould be any wayes induced toforfake them, and refolves their unworthy departureofthis kind into their own carnall and corrupt hearts, which lulledafterfomeflefhlyaccommodations and contentments that werenot to beobtained., or enjoyed, in atlnereprofeffionof the Gofpell with the Apoftlesand thofe whowere perfeli ofheart with them. Auf. Firff, That noafperfion was caft on lohn , or ,the Churches of his Communion, by the Apoftafy ofthe Anticbrifi's, of whom he fpeakes, from which he fhould need to vindicate himfelfe and them, was before declared: Therewas not, indeed, norpofíibly could be, the Jeaft occafion for any fur- mizeofevill concerning them, from whom mendeparted, in turning ungod- ly oppofers ofChrift; For any thing that ishere offered, 'tis but an obfcure- ingofthe Light that breaks forth from the words, for the difcerning ofthe Truth inhand ; 'tis granted that the Apoflle manifefts, that they were notof them, that is, true, upright, found believers, that walked with a right foot in the Doârine of the Gefpell, becaufe they forfooke the communionof the Saints, tofall into the conditionofAntichriftianifine, wherein they were now engaged. Now ifthis be an Argument that a man was never a true believer, in thehigheft profeffion that he makes, becaufe he falls from it , and forfakes it, certainly thofe that are true believers, cannot fo fall from their ftedfaft- neffe; or the Argument will beofno Evidence or convi&ionat all ; Neither Is any thing hereofferedby M. Goodwin, but what upon a through confide- ration, doth confirme the inferences we infift upon, and make to the worke in hand; Truth will atone time or other, lead captive thofe who are moft p. 46. skilfull in their Rebellionof ft it What is added (Se&.24.) concerning the Righteousjudgement ofGod, and the gracious tendency ofhis difpenfations to his Churches ufe,in fiiffering there wretches fo todifcover themfelves, and be manifefted what they were, I op- pofe not Thedifcovery that was made, was ofwhat they had been before, that is not trueBelievers, & not what now they were; yea,by what they now (hewed themfelves to be,was made main feftwhat before they were;Wordsof the like import you have r Cor. i a. 19. For there molt be alto herefies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifeft amongyou ; as here thofe who fall away are manifeftedto be corrupt, fo there are thofewho a- bidetobe fincere. From
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