PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 11
John Owen · 384,374 words · 378 reading sections
Section 301
524 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP, take thereof. To play thus with the word of God is a liberty we dare not make use of yet. 3. He concludes, " That the reason why believers are overcome by the lustings of the flesh is, not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh, but because men have more wil…
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2. The apostle doth not say what he was not habitually luilling to, but what he was habitually uniuilling to, — that is, what the bent of his will lay habitually against, having actual inclinations and elicit acts always to the contrary, though sometimes overcome. Neither in his discoursing of it doth he mention at all…
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1. The sum of this part of the reply is. That what Paul speaks is true of the ordinary course of believers, but not of extraordinary surprisals. This seems, I say, to be the tendency of it, though the direct sense of the whole is not so obvious to me. By that expres- sion, " The evil that I would not, that I do," you i…
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And hence have we sufficient light for the weakening of the ar- gument proposed in the beginning of this chapter; for though it is weak in its foundation (as shall be showed), concluding to what the saints may do from what is forbidden them to do, that prohibition being the ordinance of God certainly to preserve them f…
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I cannot see, then, to what end and purpose the whole ensuing discourse, from the beginning of this argument to the end of the 21st section, is. It is acknowledged that all those places do concern believers, the intendment of the Holy Ghost in them being to discover to them the nature of the sins specified, and the end…
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^ 2. It hath sufficiently been proved that believers have a promise, respev.vjany promises, to be ke])t by the power of God from all and of any) x^^Wi^ or any such circumstance of sin, or continuance in sin, XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 583 as is wholly inconsistent with beheving; and that therefore they sh…
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1. The general active iticlination of the heart unto sin, though not fixed as unto any particular act or way of sin, the " motus primo primi." Of this you have that testimony of God concerning man in the state of nature, Gen. vL 5, " Every figment of the thoughts of his lieart is only evil every day." The figment or im…
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2. That believers fall not into great sins at any time by the mej'e strength of indwelling sin, unless it be in conjunction with some violent outward temptation exceedingly surprising them; either by weakening all ways and means whereby the principle of grace should exert itself, as in the case of Peter; or by sudden h…
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8. The description you give of a sin of infirmity, from Gal. vi. 1, is that alone which we acknowledge may befall believers, though it hath sometimes befallen them in greater sins. It is evident from hence that a sin becometh a sin of infirmity, not from the nature of it, but from the manner of men's falling into it. T…
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540 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS* PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP. temper, through the violence of temptation and the tumultuating of lusts, the whole new man may be for a season so shattered, and his parts laid out of the way as to such a due answering one to another that the whole may be serviceable to the work of faith (as a disorde…
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2. The church of Christ, in rejecting of one from its society, accord- ing to the appointment of Jesus Christ, is so far from being obliged to judge any one /or ever excluded from the kingdom of God, that they do so reject a man that he may never be excluded from that kingdom. It is true, he may be ecclesiastically and…
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First, " For dismembering the body of Christ, is it not the law of Christ himself, in every particular church or body of his, that as any of their members putrefy and discover themselves to be rotten and corrupt, they should be cut off by the spiritual sword of excommuni- cation? and doth not such a dismembering as thi…
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The following discourse, wherein he pursues the business in hand, is so pretty as that I cannot but once more present it to the reader. Saith he : " As in a politic or civil corporation, it is better that the governors should permit theraembers respectively to go or be at liberty, that so they may follow their business…
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Ans. 1. For the sense of that place of the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. ] 5, as far as it relates to the merit of the cause in hand, I shall have occa- sion to speak unto it at large hereafter, and so shall not anticipate myself or the reader. For the present, I deny that there is the least mention made of any interchange of me…
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Another burden upon the shoulders of Mr Goodwin's doctrine, whereof he labours to deliver it, is the great absurdity of the repeti- tion of regeneration, whereof there is no mention at all in the Scrip- ture, and which yet must be asserted by him, unless he will affirm all that fall away at any time irrecoverably to pe…
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I should not farther pursue this discourse, nor insist on this di- gression, but that Mr Goodwin hath taken advantage by the mention of reofeneration to deliver some rare notions of the nature of it, which deserve a little our farther taking notice of; for which end, doubtless, he published them. To m'ake way, then, fo…
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" I rather," saith he, " conceive that ' regeneration,' which the Scripture makes appropriable only unto persons living to years of discretion, who generally in the days of their youth degenerate from the innocency of their childhood and younger years, and corrupt themselves with the principles and ways of the world, r…
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Thus much, then, we have learned of the mind of Mr Goodwin by his digression: — 1. That no children are regenerate; 2. That they are all accepted with God, through Christ, upon the account of the good qualifications that are m them; 3. That regeneration is a man's returning to the state wherein he was born. And having …
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This drawing off by sin in believers is by the power of sin, in op- XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 557 position to their will. Their wills lie against it to the utmost; they " would not/' as was showed, be so drawn off. But as for the others, as hath been shown, however their minds may be enlightened, and the…
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2. A believer is exceedingly troubled upon the account of his being at any time led captive to the power of sin in this kind; and the review of the frame of his spirit, wherein his affections were by delight conformed to any sin, is a matter of sore trouble and deep humiliation to him. I am of Austin's mind, De Nup. et…
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3. That an impenitent continuance in and under the guilt of such a sin is a sore sign of a heart that neither hath nor ever had any true faith. In others, there is a truth in that of Austin, who af- firmed that " he dared say that it might be good for some to have fallen into some eminent particular sin, for their humi…
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I say, It is evident that the scope of the place is to evince that in the children of God, those that are bom of him, there is such a prin- ciple, genius, new nature, as that upon the account thereof they cannot sin ; and therefore, that those who have not such principles in them, whatever their pretences be, are not i…
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564 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP, and sinneth not/' saith Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 46; and, " In many things we ofifend all," saith James, in chap. iii. 2. And this aj)ostle putteth all out of question by convincing the best of saints that have "communion with the Father and with his Son," that by saying …
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But secondly, saith he, "The phrase of 'committing sin' is nowhere in the Scripture found in such a sense as to sin with final impeni- tency, or to sin to death." A71S. The contrary hath been demonstrated. The same phrase necessarily importeth no less, verse 8 of this chapter; and an equiva- lent expression, beyond al…
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However, then, the word in the Scripture may be variously taken, yet here it is, from adjacent circumstances, evidently restrained to such a signification as, in respect of the event, absolutely rejecteth the thing denied. The gradation of the apostle also leadeth us to it. " He sinneth not," nay, " he cannot sin." " H…
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That which looketh towards the argument under consideration appeareth first in sect. 31, which he thus proposeth: "If the said argument understandeth the phrase ' Cannot sin,' according to the fifth and last import mentioned of the word ' cannot/ wherein it soundeth an utter and absolute incapacity and impossibility, t…
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XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 571 use and nature of it, and its abiding in the person in whom it is. Whatever it is, it is called " seed," not in respect of that from whence it Cometh, as is the cause and reason of that appellation of other seed, but in respect of that which it produceth, which arise th and e…
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XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 673 not SO sin as to apostatize or fall totally from God ; but that such is the nature of regeneration, whereby any one is born of God, the Holy Ghost here declareth, for he denieth apostasy upon the account of regeneration, " He cannot sin, because he is born of God;" which is t…
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Ans. I have thus at large transcribed this discourse, because it is XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 575 the sum of what Mr Goodwin hath to offer for the weakening of our argument from this place. Of what weight this is will quickly ap- pear; for, — 1. This reason, " The seed abideth in him," though brought in…
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Ans. 1. If any such places be found, yet it is confessed that it is an unusual sense of the word, and a thousand places of that kind will not enforce it to be so taken in another place, unless the cir- cumstances of it and matter whereabout it treateth enforce that sense, and will not bear that which is pi-oper. 2. Mr…
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Mr G.'s seventh argument, about the tendency of the doctrine of the saints' apostasy as to their consolation, proposed, considered — What that doctrine ofFereth for the consolation of the saints stated — The impossibility of its affording the least true consolation manifested — The influence of the doc- trine of the sa…
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680 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP. if they persevere. That, I say, the instruction of the saints in this doctrine is a singular means of promoting their consolation and establishing their peace is that which (doubtless with undervaluing thoughts of all with whom he hath to do) he hath undertaken to prove…
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582 DOCTIUNE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP. them all their days, nor ouce urging them to do their duty but with holding a rod, yea scorpions, over their heads, and casting the eternal flames of hell into their faces. This is that sanguine, indeed truly spiritually bloody, complexion of this new nurse, which is of…
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Secondly, That the consequent of the supposition in the inference made upon it is not so clear to me as to Mr Goodwin, — namely, " Suppose any doctrine to be false, whatsoever doctrine is set up in opposition to it is true." I have known, and so hath Mr Goodwin also, when the truth hath lain between opposite doctrines,…
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Ans. To support the stage for to act this part of the pageant in hand upon, there are many supposals fixed by our author, that are to bear up the weight of the whole ; which, upon trial, will appear to be arrant false pretences, painted antics, that have not the least strength or efficacy for the end and purpose whereu…
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Upon such hypotheses as these, I say, upon such painted posts, is the whole pageant erected which we are here engaged withal; and these being easily cast down, the whole rushes to the ground, in the room whereof, according to our principles, this following dis- course may be supplied : — "Ye that are true believers, c…
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But Mr Goodwin proceeds farther in the vindication of this argu- ment, sect. 38: — " And whereas," saith he, " they still plead, or pretend rather, that such admonitions as those lately specified may well stand with an unconditional promise of perseverance, we have formerly showed that they are not able to make good t…
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XVI.] NO CONSOLATION IN THE OPPOSITE DOCTRINE. 691 lute, peremptory, irresistible decree of perseverance, wliich he ascribes to us as our assertion, when he shall have convinced us of the condi- tional, non-peremptory, reversible decree of God, which he endea- vours to introduce in the place thereof, he may hear more …
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The last argument Avhich he proposeth, sect. 41, and ends his chapter withal, is faint, and, as the droppings after a shower, will easily be blown over. He thus proposeth it: — " That doctrine which naturally and directly tendeth to beget and foment jealousies and evil surmises between brethren in Christ, or XVI.] NO…
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The argument that it readily furnisheth us withal is of this im- port: "If all they who fall away totally from the fellowship and society of the church and saints of God, whatever their profession XVI.] NO CONSOLATION IN THE OPPOSITE DOCTRINE. 595 were before that apostasy, were never true believers, and are thereby …
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"Fourthly," saith he, " It is supposed that this clause, 'They would no doubt have continued with us,' signifies They would have continued in the same faith wherein we persevere and continue. Nor is there," saith he, " any competent reason to enforce this sense of those words, because neither doth the grammatical tenor…
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But Mr Goodwin will not thus give over. He prefers his excep- tions to this testimony in another whole section; which, because the demonstration of the truth in hand from this place, though here handled by-the-by, is of great importance, and such as by its single strength is sufficient utterly to cast to the ground the…
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5. That true Christians, or believers, can so fall away from the society of the saints as those here mentioned did, is denied, and a grant of it ought not to be begged at our hands. It is true that (as was before granted) a true believer may for a season desert the com- munion or fellowship of a church wherein he hath …
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This false foundation being laid, he proceeds to build upon it; and, suitably thereunto, feigns the apostle to speak what never entered into his heart, and unto that whereof he had no occasion adminis- tered : — " To this,'' saith he, " the apostle answereth partly by concession, 602 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERA…
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In what follows, " That these words, ' But they were not of us,' do not necessarily imply they were believers formerly, but perhaps they had been so, and were before fallen away, being choked by the cares of the world," an observation is insinuated directly opposite to the apostle's design, and such as makes his whole …
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To return to Mr Goodwin's close of this 13th chapter, and "nine arguments," as he calls them, from which he labours to evince the apostasy of believers, he shuts up the whole with a declamation against and reviling of the doctrine he opposeth, with many oppro- brious and reproachful expressions, calling it " an imposto…
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Though I could willingly be spared the labour of all that must ensue to the end of this treatise, yet, it being made necessary by the endeavours of men not delighting in the truth which hitherto we have asserted for the opposition thereof, and lying, I hope, under the power and efficacy of that heavenly exhortation of …
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In the ensuing discourse, Mr Goodwin informs us of these two things: — First, What rule he proceeds by in judging of the truth of xvil] certain passages in scripture considered. 609 contrary opinions, when, as lie phraseth it, " the tongue of the Scrip- ture seems to be cloven about them." And, Secondly, Of his own a…
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XVII.] CERTAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 611 pel rule whatever is certainly conducing to the furtherance of gospel obedience in them that receive it in the love and power thereof," every error being in its utmost activity (especially in corrupting the principles of it) obstructive thereunto; much less do we in…
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For what he mentions in the last place, of the "light of reason and understanding" which he hath, I do not only grant him to have it "in XVII.] CERTAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 613 common/' as he saith, "with other men/'' for the kind of it, but also, as to the degrees of it, to be much advanced therein abov…
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3. That it is not the nature and tenor of the covenant of grace, and God's dealing with his chosen secret ones, his saints, true be- lievers, as to their eternal condition, which in these words is intended, but the manifestation of the righteousness of God in dealing with that people of the Jews, in a peculiar disiDens…
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5. The whole purport and intendment of the scripture under con- sideration is only to manifest the tenor of God's righteous proceed- ing with the people of Israel, in respect of his dispensation towards them in reference to the land of Canaan. Convincing them of their own abominations, confuting the profane proverb inv…
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Ans. 1. Doctor Prideaux's choosing not to lay the weight of this answer to the argument of the Arminians from this place on the hypothetical manner of the expression used therein, is called a " de- filing the sanctuary by the guardians of the cause whose protection it undertakes." • " Crimina rasis Librat in antitheti…
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The severals of the text come nextly under consideration, and amongst them, first, the subject spoken of (that we may take the words in some order, Mr Goodwin having roved up and down, back- wards and forwards, from one end of the text to the other, without any at all), and this is, "A righteous man;" that is, such an …
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" And indeed the whole series and carriage of the context, from verse 20 to the end of the chapter, demonstratively evinceth that by the ' righteous man' all along is meant such a man as was or is truly righteous, and who, had he persevered in that way of righte- ousness wherein he some time Avalked, should have worn t…
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624 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP. ' have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts' (another asser- tion of the same apostle), how their relation unto Christ should stand, and yet their holiness sink and fall, I understand not. But I leave his friends to be his enemies in this." Ans. How little…
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3. " Lastly ; were it granted unto the doctor that from a man's turning aside from his own holiness, it doth not follow that therefore he hath wholly divested himself of the righteousness of Christ im- puted, yet from God's determination or pronouncing a man to be in an estate of condemnation and of death it follows ro…
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Mr Goodwin endeavours to make the punishment threatened in the words, "He shall die for his iniquity," precisely and exclusively to signify eternal death (which the former interpretation doth not ex- clude) ; which he is no way able to make good. What he ofifers, sect. 8, concerning the incongruity of the sense, and ta…
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Neither is there any thing more added by Mr Goodwin, in all his considerations of the words of this passage of the Scriptures, than what we have insisted on. That [argument] he nextly mentioneth, " That if God here threateneth impenitent sinners only with tempo- ral death, then why should the most profligate sinners fe…
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2. Finding his exposition of this parable liable and obnoxious to an exception, in that it renders God changeable in his dealings vnih men, and a knot to be cast on his doctrine which he is not able to untie, he ventures boldly to cut it in pieces, by affirming '•' that indeed God loves no man at all with any love but …
1,123 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.