4 C n r. XVII. The Righteous man fpokcnof, who, 420 whom it isaffirmed, with fome adjunet in the ufeofit, as .a Tim. 3. 8. Tit. i. 16. that it neceffarily imports a difallowance or iìejeiïion of God, as to the whole ítate and condition wherein they are , ofwhom it is allerted , joyned with a profligate ditpofition to farther abominations in themfelves; that in a- ny place it imports, what MrGoodwin would wreftit hereunto ,.a manfinal- ly reje&ed ofGod, what ever may be the thought ofothers, hewill not af- fect; and what ever the tranflation be, I would know of him,whether inany place,where the word is ufed,heBoth indeed underftand it in anyother fence, than that which here he oppofes; only with this difference , that in other pla- ces it regards the generallconditionand Rate ofthem , concerning whom it is affirmed, here only thecondition ofa man, reftrained to the particular cafe of labouring in the Minifiry, which is underconfideration 2 Cor. s 3.5,6,7. the word cannot be extended any farther , than to fignify a condition of men, when they are notaccepted nor approved; which is the fence of the wordcon- tended for; nor yetHeb. 6.8. though it be attendedwith thofe feverall quali- ficationsofnighunto curling &c. The Apoftle afcending by degrees in the de- fcription ofthe dateofthe unfruitful! barren land,faies firft it is á<P6 ,,@,or dif- allowed by the Husbandman, as that which he hathfpent his colt and labour about invaine;fo that not only the originali firftfignification oftheword,(as is known,) Rands for the fencecontended for, but it is alfoevidently reflrai- nedto that fence by the context, defigne and fcope of the place, with the in- tendmentofthe Apoftle therein , the word being the fame that in all other places ofthewritings ofthe fame Apoftle, unlefle where it ismeafured, as to its extent and compaffe, by fume adjoyned expreffion,which is interpretative of it, as to the particular place, beingRill ofthe fame fignification. Mr Goodwin enfuingdifcourfe, isconcerning the judgement of Expofitors upon theplace, particularly namingChryfoflome, Calvin, Mufettlus, Deodate, the Englifb Annotators, ofwhom notwithftanding, not any one doe appeare for him, fo unhappy is he in hisquotations, though fundryofgood note,(and amongft them Pifeatór himfelfe) doe interpret the word in the fence by him contended for; knowing full well , that it may be allowed inits utmoft fignificancy, without the leaft prejudice to the Doftrine ofthesaints Perfeve- rance, ashath been manifefted: of thefe mentioned by M. Goodwin, there is not anyone, from firft to laic, but reftrained the word to the re oachableneffe or inreproachableneffe:of the Apoftle, in thedifcharge ofthe workeofthe Mini- firy, the fence ofit, which we alfo infift upon , to fpend time and labour in fearching theexpreflïons ofparticular men , weighing and confidering the coherence, defigne, and circumftancesoftheir writings, is betides my intenti- on; the judgement of whatbath been affirmed, is left to the intelligent Rea- der, who fuppofeth it ofhis concernment, to inquireparticularly into it. :5. What isadded ofthe Scopeofthe placeSeel. i 5. pag. 280. alone requires a ny fartherconfideration, this hethettthus propofeth 5. The(cope oftheplacefrom verre 23. evinceth the legitimacy o f fuck afence in both, above all contradipion; for theApoflle, havingalertedthisfor therearm, motive, andend, why hehadmade himfelfe afervant to all men, in bearing with allmensn'eakneles andhumors in thecourfeof his Miniflry, via. that he might bepartaker ofthe Gofpell (i.e. ofthePaving benefit orbleffìng oftheGot-pea) with them, v. 23. and againe, that what he did, he did toobtaine an incorruptible Crowne, v.2 5. plainly fhemeth, that that which he fought to prevent, by running andfighting atfuch anhigh rate as hedid, was not the blame anddifparagensent ofTomefuchmisbehaviour, under whichnotwithfianding he might retaine thePa- ving loveofGod, but the loffëofhispart and portion in the Gofpell, andofthat incorrup-,
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