1 Ce. q, k7 Vindicated CAP. XVII. pirate themfelyes from finne and finners, in fuch a manner and to fuch ade- 431 gree(not difembling but anfwering their coilvi&ions) as to bleffe them- felves oftentimes` in their owncondition; and to obtaine anef}eem with the peopleof God to be fuch indeed, as they profef e themfelves to be, and yet come fhort ofthat unionand communion with the Lord Chriff, which all true Believers are made partakersof. It is not ofany ufe or importance to exa- mine the particularplaces mentioned by Mr Goodwin, wherein as he füppo- feth the exprefiìonofthe knowledge or acknowledgment of the, truth denotes that which is laving, and comprehended)true Faith, unleffe heattempted to prove from them,that the word could fignify nothing elfe, or that a man might not bebrought to an acknowledgment ofthe truth, but that he muff of neceffitybe a trueBeliever: neither of which he doth, or ifhedid, could he poffibly give any feeming probability to. There may be a knowing of the things oftheGofpell inmen, & yet they may come fhort of the happineflè ofthem that doe them; there is a knowledgeofChrifi, that yet is barren as to the fruiteofholineffe. 3. In the next place the perfonsqueried about, are laid to be fan&ifyed 4.34; by the blood ofthe Covenant;ofthis Mr Goodwin layes (Se&. 2 r.) i.e. By their fprinkling herewith,to befprinkled fromfuch, who refufe thisfprinkling: as like - wifefrom the pollutionsand defilements ofthe world. to be SanElifyed when ap- plyed untoperforas, is not found inany otherfence throughout thenew Tefiament, unleffe it be where Perfons , beare the confideration of things. t Cor. 7. i 4. But ofthisflgnifcationof theWordwhichwe claime inthis place,infiances arefo frequent andobvious, that we(hall not need to mention any Anf. If no more be intended in this expreflion,but what Mr Goodwin gives us, in theexpofitionof it viz. that they arefolfprinkled with it, as tube fepa- rate from them that refufe this fprinkling (that isopenly) as likewife from thepollution anddefilements ofthe world, we (hall not need to contend a- bout it: for men may be fo fprinkled,and havefuch an efficacyof convi&íón come upon them by thepreachingofthe Croffe , &blond (bedding of Chrifr, as tobe feparated from thofe who profeffedly defpife it, and the open pub- licationoftheWord,andyet be fairefrom havingconfciencespurgedfromdead worker toferve the livingGod. And fecondly that the terme offantlifyingwhen applyed to perlons, is not tiled in any other fence, than what is by Mr Goodwinhere expreffed, is an Affertion that will he rendered ufeleffe untill Mr Goodwin be pleafed to give it an edgeby explayning in what fence he here intends to apply it. Ofxhe terme sant7ifying there are, as hath been declared, two more eminent and known fignifications. Firfi, tofeparate' from commonufe, flare or condition, to dedicate, confecrateand let apart toGod by profefíion ofhiswill, in ape- culiar manner is frequently foexpreffed. Secondly realy to purify, clenfe with Spiritual) purity, oppofed to the defilement of finiteis denoted thereby; In theexpofition givenofthe place here ufed by Mr G. He mentionsboth: Separation , and that chiefely, as the nature ofthe San&ífication whereof herpeakes, as alfo tome kind of Spirituali denting from finne: but in what fence precifely he would have us to underftand him he doth not tell us. I fomewhat qúeflion, whether it be ufed in theFpiftle tothe Flebrewes, in any other fence than the former, which was theTemple fence the ofword; the Apoftle ufing many termesofthe old worfhip in their firfi fignification. however that it is ufed in that fence, in the new Teffament appropriated to perlons, without any fuch refpe& as that mentioned by M. G. is fulficientr ly convinced bythat ofour Saviour john 17. t 9. Jgiy iyW _'s¡,caterdk, I i i 3 expreffing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=