" Secondly, God hath not only given them the eyes and the light we speak of, wherewith and whereby clearly to see and understand the things manifested, but hath farther endued them with a faculty of consideration, wherewith to reflect upon, and review, and ponder, so oft as they please, what theyemp, understand, and know in this kind. Now, whatsoever a man V^neoable, first, of seeing and know- ing, secondly, of pondering and cSi^nddering, he is capable of rais- ing or working an inclination in himself towards it, answerable in strength, vigour, and power, to any degree of goodness or desirable- ness which he is able to apprehend therein; for what is an inclina- tion towards any thint:- but a propension and laying out of the heart and soul towards it? So that if there be worth and goodness suffi- cient in any object wliatsoever to bear it; and, secondly, if a man be in a capacity of discovering and apprehending this good cleai-ly ; and, tliirdly, be in a like capacity of considering this vision, — certainly he is in a capacity and at liberty to work himself to what strength or degree of desire and inclination towards it he pleaseth. Now, it is certain to every man tbat there is more good in abstaining from things either eminently dangerous or apparently destructive to his soul, than in forbearing tilings apparently destructive to his natural
I.] MR G.'S GROUNDS OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. 1 09
being. Secondly, As evident it is that every man is more capable of attaining or coming to the certain knowledge and clear apprehending of this excess of good to him in the former good than in the latter. Thirdly, Neither is it a thing less evident than either of the former, that every man is as capable of ruminating or re-apprehending the said excess of good as much and as oft as he pleaseth, as he is simply of apprehending it at all. Which supposed as undeniably true, it follows with a high hand, and above all contradiction, that the saints may (and have means and opportunities fair and full for that pur- pose) plant inclinations or dispositions in themselves to refrain all manner of sins apparently dangerous and destructive to the safety of their souls, fuller of energy, vigour, life, strength, power, than the natural inclination in them which teach eth them to refrain all occa- sions which they know must needs be accompanied with the destruc- tion of their natural beings. Therefore, if they be niore, or so much, afraid of destroying their lives voluntarily and knowingly (as by casting themselves into the fire or the water, or the like) than they are of falling away through sin, the fault or reason thereof is not at all in the doctrine, which affirms or informs them that there is a possibility that they fall away, but in themselves and their own voluntary negligence. They have means a"nd opportunities (as we have proved) in abundance to render themselves every whit as secure, yea, and more secure, touching the latter, as they are or reasonably can be concerning the former."
Ans. When I first cast an eye on this discourse of Mr Goodwin, I confess I was surprised to as high a degree of admiration, and some other affections also, as by any thing I had observed in his Avhole book; as having not met (if without offence I may be allowed to speak my apprehensions) with any discourse whatsoever of so transcendent a derogation from, and direct tendency to the over- throw of, the grace of Christ, but only in what is remembered, by Austin, Hilary, Fulgentius, with some others, of the disputes of Pelagius, Coelestius, Julianus, with their followers, and the Socinians of late, with whom Mr Goodwin would not be thought to have joined in their opposition to the merit and grace of Christ. As I said, then, before, if this should prove in the issue to be the sum of the means afforded to preserve the saints from apostasy and falling away into ruin, I shall be so far from opposing a possibility of their defection that I shall certainly conclude their perseverance to be impossible, being fully persuaded that, with all the contribution of strength which the considerations mentioned are able of themselves to afford unto them, they are no more able to meet their adversaries, who come against them with twenty thousand subtleties and temptations, than a man with a straw and a feather is to combat with and over- come a royal army. The Scripture tells us, and we thought it had
110 DOCTRINE OF THE SATNTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CIIAP.
been so, that we "^are kept by the power of God unto salvation;" and that to this end he puts forth " the exceeding greatness of his power in them that believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrouglit in Christ when he raised him from the dead;" whereby he "strengthens them with all might, according to his glori- ous power," " making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." ^ It seems, though there be a glorious sound of words in these and innumerable the like expressions of the engage- ment of the power and faithfulness of God for the safeguarding of his saints, yet all this is but an empty noise and beating of the air; that which is indeed material to this purpose consisting in "certain conside- rations which rational men may have concerning their present state and future condition." But let us a little consider the discourse itself.