A Preface to the Reader. genre fibre's S : e/fugaftini quo: ad Profperum& Hilariumfcrip/it, memoratùfratribta legen- der ingerere : Epift : Synod: Byzac : much more might be added to manifeft the Judgmentof Auftine to have been the Catholic&Judgment of the Church in thofe dayes. So that in his tingle Teftimony asgreat a number are included , as in the Tcllimonyofany one man in the worldwhatever. Now the Controverfy that Was between e4vftin;and the Pelagianr,andSemi-Telagians about Per/everance , Hilary thus expreffeth in his Epifi: to him: Deinde molefléferant ( 1pea- king of the Semi- Telagians) ita dividi gratiam, qua vel cunt , primo Flowini dataeft, ve! nunc omnibua datar , sa ille acceperit Perfeverantiam , sonquâ fieret , ut perfeveraret ,fed finequâ per libertine Arbitrium perfeverare nonpeffet ; nuncverb SasElù inRegnam per Graham pradeftina- ris, non tale adjutorium perfeverantia deter , fedtale, ut rù perfeverantia ipfa donetar , nonfolum tee fine ille Dono perfeverantes effe non poffint, verism etiam atper hoc Donum non nil;perfeveran- terfine. Ceteram quicquidTibetdonatumfit predeftinatis , id poffe clu amittere, j. retinere pro- pria volantate contendunt. The very (late of the controverfy as now under conceit is moil cleerly expreft,in thisReport of the Difference,between the Semi-peYagi ens,and the Church of God in thole dayes. And becaufethe whole fumme ofMr. Goodwin's Book is brieflycompri- fed,in the ninth and tenth Chapter of'rofjter deingrat :I (hall tcattfcribe that tenth chapter, to prefent to the Reader thefubftance and pithofThat Treatife, as alfa the (late ofthe Con- troverfy in thofe dayes. fans fidesfit e rftrapatefcat, Gratin quaChrifti Popularfanner, hoc cohibetur Limitevobifcum,e formam have adfcribitùilli: Vtcunflos voter illa gaidem, invitettg; nee untrue Trateriens,ftudeat commanem aferreTaimera Omnibus, efu totem peccato abfolvere t3Ylssndum; Sedproprio quema, Arbitrio parerevacanti, yridiciogTao;moth feextendere mente Ad lucem ablatata,qu afe nonfubtrahat a11i , Sed cupidos rettijuvet,illufiretgvolentei. Hint adjutoris Domini Bonitate magiflrit Crefcere'virtutam fladia , ut quod gaifgr petendam vN_andatù didicit ,jugi fefletur amore. Effe autem edoelia iftam communiteraquas Libertatem anima, at curium explerebeatum Perfftenda queant, foamefetlumg, petitum 'DanteDeo, ingenüs qui nunquam defit honeftù. Sed quianon idem eft Cunt-tù Viyer,& variorum Illecebrù reram erahitar difperfa volunteer, Sponte aligaos vitilsfuccumbere,qui potaiffent A Lapfu revocare pedem,ftabilef, mauere. As I fayd,we have the fumme ofMr.Goodwin's Bookin this declarationof the Judgment of the Semi-Telagiant , fo alfo in particular the ftate ofthe Controverfy about the perfeverance of the Saints as then it was debated;& I doubt not but the learned Reader will eafily perceive it to beno other,then thatwhich is now agitated between me &Mr.CloodWin. The controver- fy indeed in the matter between _9uftin andtheTelagians was reduced to 3heads t.As to the Foundation ofit,which Auftin concluded tobe the decree ofPredeflination,whieb they denyed: the Impulfive Cange of it,he proved to be the Free graceof God tr the meafure or quality of that Grace to be filch as that whoever received it, didperfevere,it being perfeverancewhich was given both which they denyed : about the kind offaith, which Temporary profeffours might have and fall from it, whichwere nevereletted, therewas between them noConteft at all.Ofhis Judgment thenthere were thefe two main heads which he laboured to conflrmee That perfeverance is a gift ofGod , andthat no man either did , or couldperfevere in Faith and obedience upon thefirength ofany grace received,( much lets of his own Ability flirtedup and promoted by fach confiderations,as Mr. Goodwin makes the ground and bottómeof the pers feverance ofall that fo do ) but that the Whole war from her Grace. Subfervient to this, he maintained , that no one Temptation vehatloever , could be overcome but byfame Alt ofGrace , and that therforeperfeverance mutt needs be a work thereof, it being anabiding in Faith and obedieuce,nocwithílanding,and againít Temptation. To this is that of his on ?oh: Hem. 53; 6 g quofdam
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