8. This being established, that here is a firm promise of perseverance, against which Mr Goodwin opposeth scarce any thing at all, and no- thing at all to the purpose, his whole ensuing discourse falls of itself: for from the caveat used at the entrance of this promise and the ex- hortation at the close, both tending to stir up the saints, to whom the promise is made (many of whom have no distinct assurance of their interest in this or any other promise), to be heedfully careful in using the means of perseverance and avoiding the sins that in their own nature tend to the interruption of it, no other possibility of falling away can be concluded but such as may have a consistency with the faithfulness of God in the promise he hath given ; — that is, a possi- bility^ as they say, " in sensu diviso," without respect had to the in- fallibly preventing causes of it, not " in sensu composite," not a possi-
4G4; DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
billty in reference to the nature of the things themselves; which is a sufficient bottom for caveats to be given and exhortations to be made to them concerned in them, none at all in respect of the pur- poses and promises of God, infalHbly preventing the reducing into act of that possibiHty. These exceptions then notwithstanding, it appears that in 1 Cor. x. 12, 13, there is a conjunction of a gracious pro- mise of perseverance with effectual exhortations to the use of means whereby we may persevere; and, consequently, they who "deny a due consistency between them do impute folly or weakness to the Holy Ghost." "O-ttsp 'idu diT^ai.
He proceeds to the next place pointed to by himself to prove a consistency between promises and exhortations, under consideration, to wit, Phil. ii. 12, 13, " Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my ab- sence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling : for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good plea- sure." Evident it is that you have here conjoined by the Holy Ghost as weighty and pathetical an exhortation as he almost anywhere useth in the Scripture, with an assertion of grace as eminently ope- rative and effectual as by any means can be expressed.
" But," saith he, " it is one thing to affirm that ' God worketh in men as to will, so to do,' — that is, to enable men to do or put in exe- cution what they first will, or to assist in the doing or executing it- self,— another to promise to work infallibly, and without all possibility of frustration, in men perseverance. There is little or no affinity be- tween these. But how and in what sense God is said to be svspyuiv, working in men both to will and to do of his good pleasure, we shall have occasion to open more at large in the latter part of this work."
Ans. I dare say an indifferent reader will conclude that Mr Good- win was very hard put to it for an answer, finding him contenting himself with such sorry shifts and evident pervertings of the words of the text as those here mentioned. For, first. How come the words to be changed into a working, " as to will, so to do?" that is, perhaps, neither the one nor the other; — who taught him to render xa} TO SeXs/v, xa/ rh ivspyiTv, " as to will, SO to do?" But, secondly, The chit'f of the sport made with the words consists in the exposition given of them as they lie in this new translation : " To work in them as to will, so to do, — that is, to do what they first will ; not that he works in them to will, but that he assists them in doing what they first will." But what is now become of the tcim quam above men- tioned ? how doth he work in them as to will, so to do, if he only as- sists them in doing what of themselves, without his assistance, they first will? Rather than it shall be granted that God by his grace works effectually on the wills of men, to the producing of their elicit acts of believing and obedience, any course may be warranted for the
XII.] OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE REFUTED. 465
perverting of the expressions where such an operation seems to be held out. Perhaps this persuasion also, of the efficacy of the grace of God on the wills of men, is such that if it be found in any place of Scripture to be declared or asserted, it is enough to make wise and considering, prudent men to question their authority. But, thirdly, saith he, " This is not infallibly to work perseverance." I say, Show what else is required to perseverance but to " will and to do" according to the mind of God, which of his own good pleasure he promiseth effectually to work in believers, and you say something that may render your reasonings considerable. But it seems we must be kept in abeyance for an answer to this, until his criticism be ready to manifest how God is said to be ivspyuv, " working in men," per- haps what is never wrought without any such effect as is imagined. What may by him be brought forth to this purpose time will show. But if he be able to make 'O Qiog hanv 6 ii^jfywi/ h vfji,Tv, "God is working in you to will and to do," forsooth, from the participial ex- pression of the verb, he will manifest more skill in Greek than he hath hitherto in divinity in all his learned treatises. So tliat here is a second instance of a conjunction of promises of perseverance with exhortations to use the means suited thereunto; which whoso denies to have a just and sweet consistency, doth charge the Holy Ghost with folly or w^eakness. "Otsp sdsi diT^ai.