THE DOCTRINE OF THE
SAINTS PERSEVERANCE
Explained and Conjirmed,
OK,
f 1. Acceptation with GOD, The certain Permanency of their < &
( 2. Sanctification from GOD.
MANIFESTED ^ PROVED
f 1. ETERNALL PRINCIPLES i The-] 2. EFFKCTUALL CAUSES [-Thereof. (3. EXTERNALL MEANES ) IN, (I. Nature
2. Decrees
1. THE IMMUTABILITY of the-< 3. Covenant >-0f GOD.
and
4. Promises ( OBLATION )
2. The ] and [ Of JESUS CHRIST.
( INTERCESSION ) ( 1. Promises )
3. The \ 2. Exhortations [ Of the GOSPELL.
( 3. Threats )
Improved in its Genuine Tendency to Obedience and Consolation.
AND VINDICATED
In a Full Answer to the Discourse of M'' JOHN GOODWIN against it, in his Book Entituled Redtwjption Redeemed.
With some DIGRESSIONS Concerning
I. The Immediate effects of the Death of Christ. 2. Personal! Indwelling of the Spirit. 3. Union with Christ. 4. Nature of Gospell promises, &c.
ALSO A PREFACE
Manifesting the Judgement of the Antients concerning the Truth con- tended for: with a Discourse touching the Epistles of IGNATIUS; The EPISCOPACY in them Asserted; and some Ani- madversions on Dr H: H: his Dissertations on that Subject.
By JOHN OWEN Servant of Jesus Christ in the Worke of the Gospell.
OXFORD,
Printed by LEON. LICHFIELD Printer to the University, for Tho. Robinson. Anno Dom : 1 054'
PREFATORY NOTE.
John Goodwin, in reply to whom the following large treatise on the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints was written, has been aptly described by Calamy as " a man by himself." An Arminian in creed, an Independent in churcli-goverument, and a Re- publican in politics, " he was against every man, and had almost every man against him." Estranged, by a singular idiosyncrasy of opinions, from all the leading parties of his time, dying in such obscuiity that no record of the circumstances in which he left the world has been transmitted, stigmatized with unmerited reproach by the chief his- torian of his age, and long reputed the very type of extravagance and eccentricity in religion and politics, he has been more recently claimed as the precursor of a most influential religious body, and all honour rendered to him as the WycliflPe of Method- ism,— anticipating the theological views of its founder, Wesley, and redeeming them fi'oni the charge of novelty. Stronger expressions of respect and praise Goodwin never received from his contemporaries than are to be found in the pages of his antagonist, Owen, Avho, eulogizing his "worth," his "diligence," and his "great abilities," affirms that " nothing not great, not considerable, not in some way eminent, is by any spoken of him, cither consenting with him or dissenting from him."
He was born in Norfolk in 1593, was made a Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge, in 1617, and in 1G33, as the choice of the pai-ishioners, Avas presented to the vicarage of St Stephen's, Coleman Street, London. He escaped the vengeance of Laud, for some "breach of the canons," by the promise of amendment and submission for the future. He published in lG4li a treatise on justification, entitled " Imputatio Fidei ;" in wiiich he maintains that faith, not the righteousness of Christ, " is that which God imputes to a believer for righteousness." Having rendered himself obnoxious to the Presby- terians during their brief supremacy, partly by his doctrinal sentiments, and partly by his litei'ary efforts against them, he lost his vicarage by a decision of the Com- mittee for Plundered Ministers, in 1645; but he appears to have been reinstated in it during the ascendency of Cromwell, whom he had clicctually served by some pamph- lets justifying the proceedings of the army against the Parliament in 16-18: and more especially by a tract entitled "The Obsti'uctors of Justice," in which he defended the High ('ourt of Justice in passing sentence of death against Charles I. On the Eestoration, liy an order of the House of Connnons, proceedings were instituted con- jointly against John Milton and' John Goodwin, for the same crime of publishing in vindication of the king's death. After a debate of several hours, it was agreed in Parliament that the lil'e of Goodwin should be spared ; but as he was declared in- capable of holding any office, ecclesiastical, civil, or military, he was again dcpi-ived of his vicarage. His death took place in 1665. His private character seems to have been beyond i-eproach. The odium resting on his memory must be ascribed chiefly to his defence of the execution of Charles I., and to the statements of Bishop Burnet respecting his connection witli the Fifth-monarchy Men. On the former point many good men privately held the same opinion as Goodwin; and some, such as Canne and Milton, putilislied in defence of it. Wlien Burnet accuses him of being "thorough-paced in temporal matters" for Cromwell, there might be a colour of truth in the charge: but when he speaks of Goodwin as "heading" the Fifth-monarchy Men, filling all men with the expectation of a millennium, " that it looked like a madness possessing them," and representing kingship as " the great antichri.st that hindered Christ being set on his throne ;" and when 'I'oiilady, improving upon the story, insinuates that Venner, the leader of these fixnatics in their insurrection. j)reached and held his meetings in Goodwin's place of worship, for no reason that we can discover but that (u)O(hvin and Veinier seem to have held their meetings in tlie same street, we are constrained to question both the accu-