XII CONTENTS.
of that proposition consiJerccl— Every one tliat is born of Goi], vrliat is affiraied of tlicni — What meant by "coinniittiii!? of sin" — Mr (x 's opposition to tlic sense of tliat expression ffivcii — Roasnns for the continuation of it — Mr (j.'s reasons against it pro- posed and considered — How lie tliat is bom of <iod cannot sin — Several kinds of im- possibility— Mr G.'s attempt to answer the arfcument from this place particularly examined— The reasons of the pi-oposition in the text considered— Of the seed of God abiding — The nature of that seed, what it is. wherein it consists — Of the latter part of the apostle s reason, "he is born of God" — Our argument from the words— Mr G.'s endeavour to evade that argument— His exposition of the words removed— Far- ther of the meaning of the word "abidetli" — The close, . . . 608
CHAPTER XVI.
THE BEAUI^■G OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS" APOSTASY ON THEIR CONSOLATION.
Mr G.'s seventh argument, about the tendency of the doctrine of the saints' aposfasy as to their consolation, considered— What that doctrine olfereth for the consolation of the saints stated— The impossibility of its affording the least true cons"latioii ni.anifested — The influence of the doctrine of the saints' perseverance into their con- solation— The medium wliereby Mr G. confirms his argument examined^What kind of nurse for the peace and consolation of the saints the doctrine of apostasy is — Whether their obedience be furthered by it — What are the causes and springs of true consolation — Mr G.'s eighth argument proposed to cc)nsideration — Answer there- unto— 1'he minor proposition considered— The Holy Ghost not afraid of the saints' miscarriages— The coniii-mation of his minor proposition proposed and coiisiilered — The discourse assigneil to the Holy Ghost by Mr (J , according to our i:)rinciples, considered— Kxceptions against it — 'J'hc foundation of Mr G.'s pageant everted — The procedure of the Holy Ghost in exhortations, according to our principles— Sophisms in the former discoiu'se farther discovereil — His farther plea in this case proposed, considered — The instance of Christ and his obedience considered and vindicated, as to the application of it to the business in hand— Mr G.'s last argument examined — 1 John ii. 19 explained — Argument from thence for the perseverance of the saints — Mr G.'s exceptions thereunto considered and removed — The same words farther pursued — Mr (i.'s consent with the Remonstrants ni.anifested by his transcriptions from their Synodalia— Our argument from 1 John ii. 19 fully cleared— The conclu- sion of the examination of Mr G.'s arguments for the apostasy of the saints, 678
CHAPTER XVII.
A REVIEW OF PASSAGES I.N' SORIPTORE ADDUCED TO PROVE THE APOSTASY OF SAIXTS.
The cause of proceeding in this chapter — Mr G.'s attempt, chap. xii. of his book — Of the preface to Mr G.'s discourse — Whether doctrine renders men proud and pre- sumptuous— Mr (t.'s rule of judging of doctrines called to the rule— Doctrine pre- tending to promote godliness, how far an argument of the truth — Mr G.'s pretended advantages in judging of truths examined — 'J'hc first, of his knowledge of the general course of the Scriptures — Of the experience of his own heart — And his observations of the ways of others — Of his rational abilities— Ezek. xviii. 24, 25, projiosed to con- sideration— Mr G.'s sense of this place — The woids opened — An entrance into the answer to the argiunent from hence — 'i'he words hypothetical, not alisolnte — Mr G.'s answer proposed and considered— Whether the words are iiypotheticnl— The severals of the text considered — The " righteous man "spoken of, whom— Mr G.'s proof of his interpretation of a "righteous man" considered— Dr Prideaux's sense of the right- eous person hei-c intended considered — Of the commination in the words "Shall die " — ^J'he sense of the words— What death intended— Close of the consideration of the text insisted on— Matt xviii. 32 -.35, taken into a review — Whether the love of (iod lie mutable — What the love of (iod is— 1 C()r. ix. 27; in what sen.'ie it was possible for PmuI to become a reprobate — The propei- sense of the place insisted on manifested— Of the meaning of the word aiixi/j.o( —The scope of the place farther cleared— Ileb. vi. 4-8, x. 2!i-29, proposed to consideration— Whether the words be conditional - The genuine and true meaning of the place opened in six observations
— Mr (i.'s cxcejitions removed— 'J'hc persons intended not true believers— 'J'hc parti- culars of the text vindicated- Of the illumination mentioned in the text, etc. — Of the progi-ess made by men not really i-egenerate in the things of (Jod— The close of our consiilei-ations on thes(> texts— Ueb. x. .'iS, :i9— Mr (i.'s arguing from thence answered
— Of the right translation of the words -Beza vindicated, as also our English trans- lators—'JMie words of the text etl'ectual to prove the saints' iierscvcrance — Of tho parable of the stony ground. Matt xiii. 20, :^l-Mr (i.'s arguing from the place con- sidered— An argument from the text to prove the persons described not to be true believers— :j Pet. ii. 18-22— Mr (i.'s arguings from tiiis place considered, etc, liOG