walk in the Spirit, if it be not hence, that God hath promised that his Spirit shall never depart from us,' and if we are led by the Spirit we are not under the law; which by the way, letteth us see that the Spirit leadeth us, that is, maketh us willing and strengtheneth us, not we him; but on what account, shall or dare any man promise to himself, that the Spirit will continue so to do, if God hath not promised that he shall so do? or if his leading of us, be only on condition that we be willing to be led, how shall we be in the least ascertained (supposing us in any measure acquainted with the power of indwelling sin), that we shall be alway so willing: let then this pass with what was said before, as nothing to the thing in hand.

3. It is answered then (thirdly and lastly), there is no such aptness or proneness unto sin, sins I mean of a disinheriting import in saints, or true believers, as is pretended : but on the contrary, a strong propension or inclination unto righteousness reigneth in them; we heard formerly from the apostle, 1 John iii. 9. 'That he that is born of God cannot sin:' and also from 1 John v.3. From these suppositions, with many other of like import, it is evident that there is a pregnant, strong, over-powering propension, in all true believers to walk holily, and to live righteously, so that to refrain sinning in the kind intended, is no such great mastery, no such matter of difficulty, unto such men; and that when they are overcome and fall into sin, it is through a mere voluntary neglect; and thus we see all things impartially weighed, and debated to and fro, that the doctrine which supposeth a possibility of the saints' declining, is the doctrine which is according to godliness, and the corrival of it an enemy thereto.'

Ans. We have here an assertion, an inference, and a conclusion; the assertion is, that there is no such aptness and proneness to sin in believers, as is intimated;' and 'that because there is such a strong propensity in them to righteousness,' which that they have is proved from sundry places of Scripture; that is, because the Spirit is in believers, the flesh is not in them. Because they have a new man in them,

they have not an old; because they have a principle of life, they have not a body of death. That is, where the Spirit lusteth against the flesh, the flesh lusteth not against the

Spirit. We thought the doctrine of Paul, Rom. vii. Gal. v. and in innumerable other places, with the experience of all the saints in the world had lain against this piece of sophistry. It is true, their propension unto righteousness reigneth in them, but it is as true, their propension unto sin, rebelleth in them. Though the land be conquered for Christ, yet the Canaanites will dwell in it; and if the saints leave off but one day, the work of killing, crucifying, and mortifying, they will quickly find an actual rebellion in them, not easy to be suppressed: they have indeed a propension to holiness ruling in them, but also a propension unto sin dwelling in them, so that when they would do good, evil is present with them, and the good they would do, they cannot ;' but when Mr. Goodwin can prove this consequence, that saints have strong inclinations to righteousness, therefore they have not so to sin, for my part I will forbear for ever disputing with him; if he can beat us, not only from Scripture, but all our spiritual sense and experience, doubtless it is no purpose to contend any longer with him. Hence then,

2. He inferreth, that to abstain from sinning, that is, sinning customarily, and against conscience, so as to endanger the loss of the favour of God, is no such great mastery, no such matter of difficulty to such men. This abstaining from such sins, on the one hand, is the whole course of our gospel obedience, which it seemeth, however it be compared to running in a race,'' striving for masteries,' called 'resisting unto blood,' 'wrestling with principalities and powers,' requiring for its carrying on the exceeding greatness of the power of God,' with suitable 'help in time of need from Jesus Christ,' who is sensible of the weight of it, as no small matter, knowing what it is to serve God in temptations, yet is it indeed but a trifling thing, a matter of no great difficulty or mastery: do men watch, pray, contend, fight, wrestle with God and Satan, doth the Lord put forth his power, and the Lord Jesus Christ continually intercede for the preservation of the saints, Ad quid perditio hæc ?' to what end is all this toil and labour, about a thing of little or no weight? Egregiam vero laudem! We know indeed, the yoke of Christ is easy, and his 'commandment not grievous; that we can do all things through him that enableth us,' but to make gospel obedience, so slight a thing, that it is no great mas

tery, or matter of no great commendation, to hold out in it to the end, this we were to learn till now, and are as yet slow of heart to receive it.

The conclusion is, Iö, Pæan, vicimus:' all things unpartially weighed, the case is ours, and godliness exceedingly promoted by the doctrine of the possibility of the saints' defection ("Oπeρ édeɩ det§ai), and the corrival of it an enemy to it:' to prove which not one word in the argument hath been spoken, nor, to free the other from a charge of a direct contrary importance, one word to the purpose; and of Mr. Goodwin's sixth argument for his doctrine of the apostacy of saints, this is the end.

But this is not all he hath to say in this case in hand. Indeed, the main design of his whole thirteenth chapter, consisting of forty-one sections, and about so many pages in his book, and containing all which in an argumentative way he insisteth on in the case in hand, looketh this way; and therefore, having already plucked away one of the main props of that discourse, I shall apply myself to take away those which do remain, that the whole may justly fall to the ground; and therefore shall as briefly as I can, consider the whole of that discourse, containing nine arguments against the perseverance of saints, for the possibility of their total and final defection.

CHAP. XII.

Mr. G.'s entrance and preface to his arguments from the apostacy of the saints considered. The weakness of his first argument: the import of it. Answer to that first argument. Doctrine may pretend to give God the glory of being no accepter of persons, and yet be false: justification by works of that rank and order. Acceptation of persons what, and wherein it consisteth. No place for it with God: contrary to distributive justice. The doctrine of the saints' perseverance charged with rendering God an accepter of persons, unjustly; what it says looking this way. The sum of the charge against it, considered and removed. Mr. G.'s second argument, and the weight by him hung thereon: the original of this argument: by whom somewhat insisted on. The argument itself in his words, proposed: of the use and end of the ministry: whether weakened by the doctrine of perseverance. Entrance into an answer to that argument. The foundation laid of it false, and when: it falsely imposeth on the doctrine of perseverance, sundry things by it disclaimed: the first considered. The iniquity of those impositions farther discovered. The true state of the difference as to this argument, declared. The argument satisfied. The reinforcement of the minor attempted, and considered. The manner of God's operations with, and in, natural and voluntary agents, compared. Efficacy of grace and liberty in man, consistent. An objection to himself framed by Mr. G.; that objection rectified. Perseverance, how absolutely and simply necessary, how not. The removal of the pretended objection farther insisted on by Mr. G. That discourse discussed, and manifested to be weak and sophistical. The consistency of exhortations and promises farther cleared. The manner of the operation of grace, in and upon the wills of men, considered. The inconsistency of exhortations with the efficacy of grace, disputed by Mr. G. That discourse removed, and the use of exhortations farther cleared. Obedience to them twofold, habitual, actual: of the physical operation of grace and means of the word: their compliance and use. How the one and the other affect the will. Inclination to persevere when wrought in believers. Of the manner of God's operation on the wills of men: Mr. G.'s discourse and judgment, considered. Effects follow as to their kind, their next causes. The same act of the will physical and moral upon several accounts: those accounts considered. God, by the real efficacy of the Spirit, produceth in us acts of the will, morally good: that confirmed from Scripture: conclusion from thence. Of the terms, physical, moral, and necessary, and their use in things of the nature under consideration. Moral causes of physical effects. The concurrence of physical and moral causes for producing the same effect: the efficacy of grace and exhortations. Physical and necessary, how distinguished. Moral and not necessary. Confounded by Mr. G. Mr. G's farther progress considered. What operation of God on the will of man he allows. All physical operation by him excluded. Mr. G.'s sense of the difference between the working of God and a minister on the will: that

it is but gradual: considered and removed. All working of God on the will by him confined to persuasion: persuasion gives no strength or ability to the person persuaded. All immediate acting of God to good in men, by Mr. G. utterly excluded. Wherein God's persuading men doth consist, according to Mr. G. 1 Cor. iii. 9. considered. Of the concurrence of diverse agents to the production of the same effect. The sum of the 7th section of chap. 13. The will how necessitated, how free. In what sense Mr. G. allows God's persuasions to be irresistible. The dealings of God and men ill-compared. Paul's exhortation to the use of means, where the end was certain, Acts xxiv. considered. God deals with men as men, exhorting them, and as corrupted men, assisting them. Of promises of temporal things, whether all conditional. What condition in the promise made to Paul; Acts xxvii. Farther of that promise, its infallibility and means of accomplishment. The same considerations farther prosecuted. Of promises of perseverance, and what relations to perform in conjunction. Mr. G.'s opposition hereunto. Promises and protestations in conjunction. 1 Cor. x. 12, 13. discussed. An absolute promise of perseverance therein evinced. Phil. i. 12, 13. to the same purpose, considered. Mr. G.'s interpretation of that place proposed, removed. Heb. vi. 4, 5. 9. to the same purpose, insisted on. Of the consistency of threatenings with the promises of perseverance. Mr. G.'s opposition hereunto, considered and removed. What promises of perseverance are asserted, how absolute and infrustrable. Fear of hell and punishment twofold. The fear intended to be ingenerated by threatenings, not inconsistent with the assurance given by promises. Five considerations about the use of threatenings: the first, &c. Hypocrites how threatened for apostacy: of the end and aim of God in threatenings. Of the proper end and efficacy of threatenings, with reference unto true believers. Fear of hell and punishment, how far a principle of obedience in the saints. Of Noah's fear; Heb. xi. 7. Mr. G.'s farther arguings for the efficacy of the fear of hell, unto obedience in the saints; proposed, considered, removed. 1 John iv. 18. considered. Of the obedience of saints to their heavenly Father, compared to the obedience of children to their natural parents: Mr. G.'s monstrous conception about this thing. How fear or love, and in what sense, are principles of obedience. That which is done from fear, not done willingly, nor cheerfully. How fear, and what fear, hath torment. Of the nature and use of promises. Close of the answer to this argument.

It will be needless to use many words unto the discourse of the first section; seeing it will not in the least prejudice our cause in hand, to leave Mr. Goodwin in full possession of all the glory of the rhetoric thereof. For although I cannot close with him in the exposition given of that expression, 1 Tim. vi. 16. God inhabiteth light inaccessible,' something, in my weak apprehension, much more glorious and divine being comprised therein, than what it is here turned aside unto; neither am I in the least convinced of the truth Tis