IIeb6.4,5,6. ch. to.28:29 conGdered. CAP. XVII. Anf. i. Whether it beno punifhment for them who have been in fo good a way, a wayof fuch tendency unto Salvation, and fuch ufefullneffe to - the Gofpell, as there perlons are fuppofed tobe in; not to be renewed againe to that nate andcondition, but to be flint up, unrecoverably under the pow- er of darkeneffe, and uubeliefe,unto eternall wrath, whenbefore they were ina faire way for life and Salvation, others willjudge betide Mr Goodwin. Neither is therean affirmation of theirfalling awayfrom theirHypocrify,and being renewed againethereunto, in any thing we affert in the expofitionof this place, but.their falling away from guifts and common Graces, with the impoffrbility ofwhat kind foeverit be, ofbeing renewed to anenjoyment of them any more. His fourth and laft attempt follows. 4. (And lafily) it Randsoff, fortyfoot at leafs,from aaprobability, îthat the Apoflle writing only unto thofe, whom he judged trueand foundBelievers(asap- pearsfrom feverall places in the Epifile, as cap. 3. 14.6.9. &c.) flould in the moflferious,emphaticall and weighty paffages hereof, admonifb themofuchevilly or dangers, whichonly concerned other men, and whereunto themfelves werenot at all obnoxious,yea andwhereunto ifthey hadbeenobnoxious,all thecautions,ad- monitions ,warnings,threatningsin the worldwouldnot according to their princi- ples,with whomwe havenow todo)have relieved or delivered the. Tofay thatfuch admonitions, are a means to prefervethofe from Apoilacy, who are by other means (asfuppofe theabfolute decreeofGod, or the interpofallof his irreflflible power,for their Perfeverance, or the like) in no pobility of Apoflatizing, as to fay that wafting isa meaner tomake fnowwhite,or the rearing up ofapillar in the aire a meaner to keepthe Heavensfromfalling. Ent more ofthis in the chapter following. Anf. What exa&meafure foever Mr Goodwin feemeth tohave taken of the diftanceof ouraffertion from all probability (which he hath accurately performed, if we may take his word) yet upon due confideration it evident- ly appeares, that he is not able todifprove it, from coming clofe up to the abfolute truth, of the meaning and fcope of the Holy Ghoft in theplacesun- der confideration. Forbetides what hath been already argued, and proved, it is evident. 1. That the Apoftle wrote promifcuolly to all that profeffe the name ofChrift, & his Gofpell,ofwhom he tells you Cap-3.14.(oneofthe placeswe are dire&ed to byMr Goodwin)that thofe only are made partakers of Chrift, who hold thebeginning oftheirconfzdence to the end; For the reft notwithftan- ding all their glorious profeffion, guifts & attainments, yet they are not truly made partakers ofChrift, (whereby he cuts the throat ofMr Goodwin, whole caufe) and cap. 6.9. that there were amongfi them, who had attained things accompanying salvation,and better things than any of thofe had done , who notwithftanding their profeflion,yet held it notfafl without waveringbut eve., rydayfell away; fo that though he judged no particulars before their Apo- fiacy, yet he partly intimates, that all Profeffors werenot trueBelievers, and therefore does teach them all to make fare worke in clofing withChrift, leafs they turne Apoftates and perifhin fo doing. 2. Thatconditionall comminations and threatnings,difcovering the con- nexion that is between theantecedent and confequent, that is in the propo- fition of them, are and maybe ofufe to theSaints of God, prefersedfrom the end threatned and the caufe, deferving it, upon the accounts, P.ealons and Caufes, that have been plentifully infifted on, hath more than once been declared; and the obje&ions to the contrary the fame with thofe here infifted on , anfwered and removed. This being all that Mr Goodwinbath tooffer, by the way ofreafon, toexclude the perfons Ii i2 formerly 429
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