Ans. According to the principles formerly laid down, I have some- thing to say, though not to the proposition itself, as in the terms it lieth, but only as to the fixedness and staidness of it, that it may not be a nose of wax, to be turned to and fro at every one's pleasure, to serve their turns ; for what sort of men is there in the world, pro- fessing the name of Christ, that do not lay claim to an interest in this proposition for the confirmation of their opinions? It is but as a common exordium in rhetoric, a useless flourish : "The doctrine which is according to godliness," — that is, which the Scripture teacheth to be true, and to serve for the promotion of godliness (not what doctrine soever any dark, brain-sick creature doth apprehend so to do), in the state and condition wherein the saints of God walk with him, — " is a branch of the gospel." I add, " In the state and condition wherein lue walk with God ;" for in the state of innocency, the doctrine of the law, as a covenant of life, was of singular aptness and usefulness to promote obedience, which yet is not therefore any branch or part of the gospel, but opposite to it and destructive of it. All the advan- tage, then, Mr Goodwin can expect from this argument to his cause dependeth upon the proof of the minor proposition, which also must be effected in answerable proportion to the restrictions and qualifica- tions given to the major, or the whole will be void and of none effect;
408 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCK [CHAP.
that is, lie must prove it by the testimony of God to be "according to godUness," and not give us in (by a pure begging of the thing in question) that it is so in his apprehension, and according to the prin- ciples whereon he doth proceed in the teaching and asserting of god- liness. Mr Goodwin knows that there is no less difference between him and us about the nature and causes of godliness than there is about the perseverance of the saints; and therefore his asserting any doctrine to be suited to the promotion of godliness, that assertion being proportioned to his other hypothesis of his own, wherein we accord not with him, and in particular to his notions of the causes and nature of godliness, with which conceptions of his we have no communion, it cannot be of any weight with us unless he prove his affirmation according to the limitations before expressed. Now, this he attempteth in the words following: —
" What doctrine," saith he, " can there be more proper and power- ful to promote godliness in the hearts and lives of men, than that which on the one hand promiseth a crown of blessedness and eternal glory to those that live godlily without declining, and on the other hand threateneth the vengeance of hell- fire eternally against those that shall turn aside into profaneness, and not return by repentance? whereas the doctrine which promiseth, and that with all possible certainty and assurance, all fulness of blessedness and glory to those that shall at any time be godly, though they shall the very next day or hour degenerate, and turn loose and profane, and continue never so long in such a course, is most manifestly destructive to godliness, and encouraging above measure unto profaneness."
Ans. There are two parts of this discourse, the one zaTocffxevaffrixri, or confirmatory of his own thesis; the other dmsKsvaoTijir;, or de- structive of that which he opposeth. For the first, it is upon the matter all that he produceth for the confirmation of bis minor propo- sition, wherein any singular concernment of his opinion doth lie. Now, that being, in a sound sense, the common inheritance of all that profess the truth, under what deceits or mistakes soever, the sum of what is here insisted on is, that the doctrine he maintaineth, concerning " the possibility of the saints' defection, promiseth a crown to them that continue in obedience, and threateneth vengeance of fire to them that turn to profaneness;" which, taken as a proof of his former assertion, is liable to some small exceptions: as, —
1. That this doth not at all prove the doctrine to be a branch or parcel of the gospel, it being, as it standeth severally by itself, the pure tenor of the covenant of works; which we confess to have been of singular importance for the propagation of godliness and holiness in them to whom it was given or with whom it was made, being given and made for that very end and purpose. But that this alone by itself is a peculiar branch or parcel of the gospel, or tiiat it is of
XI.] ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE DOCTRINE CONSIDERED. 409
such singular importance for the carrying on of gospel obedience, as so by itself proposed, that should here have been proved.
2, As it is also a part of the gospel, declaring the faithfulness of God, and the end and issue of the proposal of the gospel unto men, and of their receiving or refusing of it, so it is altogether foreign to the doctrine of Mr Goodwin under contest. And he might as well have said that the doctrine of apostasy is of singular import for the promotion of holiness, because the doctrine of justification by faith is so; for what force of consequence is betwixt these two: " That God is a re warder of them that obey him, and a punisher of them that rebel against him, is an incentive to obedience; therefore the doctrine that true believers united to Jesus Christ may utterly fall out of the favour of God, and turn from their obedience, and be damned for ever, there being no promise of God for their preservation, is also an incentive to holiness?"