And hence have we sufficient light for the weakening of the ar- gument proposed in the beginning of this chapter; for though it is weak in its foundation (as shall be showed), concluding to what the saints may do from what is forbidden them to do, that prohibition being the ordinance of God certainly to preserve them from it, yet taking it for granted that they may fall into the sin intimated, yet seeing they do it not customarily, not maliciotisly, not with the full and whole consent of their wills, that there is a principle in them still opposing sin, though at any time weakened by sin, the conclu- sion of that argument concerns them not. I say, then, first, to the major proposition. They who are in a capacity and possibility (that is, a universal possibility, not only in respect of an internal principle, but of all outward prohibiting causes, as the purpose and promise of God) of perpetrating the works of the flesh (not of bringing forth any fruits of the lusting of the flesh, which are in the best) willingly and ordinarily (with the full and whole consent of their wills (in which sense alone such Avorks of the flesh are absolutely exclusive from the kingdom of heaven), they may possibly fall out of the favour of God and into destruction. This proposition being thus limited, and the terms of it cleared, for to cause it to pass, I absolutely deny the minor, That true believers do or can so sin (that is, so bring forth the works of the flesh) as to leave no room for the con- tinuance of mercy to them, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace.
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530 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
But now frame the proposition so as the assumption may com- prise beUevers, and we shall quickly know what to judge of it: " Those who are in a capacity or possibility of falling into such sins as deserve rejection from God, or of perpetrating works of the flesh, though they do so overborne by the power of temptation, nilling the things they do, not abiding in their sins, may fall totally and finally from God; but believers may so do." As the matter is thus stated, the assumption may be allowed to pass upon believers, but we absolutely deny the major proposition in the sense wherein it is urged. I shall only add, that when we deny that believers can pos- sibly fall away, it is not an absolute impossibility we intend, nor an impossibility with respect to any principle in them only that in and from itself is not perishable, nor an impossibility in respect of the manner of their acting, but such an one as, principally respecting the outward removing cause of such an actual defection, will infal- libly prevent the event of it. And thus is the cloud raised by this fifth argument dispelled and scattered by the light of the very first consideration of the difference in sinning, — that is, between rege- nerate and unregenerate men ; so that it will be an easy thing to remove and take away what afterward is insisted on for the re-en- forcement and confirmation of the several propositions of it.
The major proposition he confirms from Gal. v. 21, Eph. v. 5, 6, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, all affirming that neither Avhoremongers, nor adul- terers, nor idolaters, nor the like, have any inheritance in the king- dom of God, or can be saved. That the intendment of the apostle is concerning them who live in a course of such sins, who sin with their whole wills and from an evil root, with whose sap they are wholly leavened and tainted throughout, not them who, through the strength of temptation and the surprisals of it, not without the renitency in their wills unto all sin, any sin, the sin Avherewith they are overtaken, may possibly fall into any such sin (as did David and Peter), was before declared; and in that sense we grant the proposition.
For the proof of the minor proposition, — which should be. That believers may perpetrate the works of the flesh in the sense intended in the places of Scripture before mentioned, — he insists on two things: first, The direction of those scriptures unto believers; secondly, The experience of the ways of such persons, — that is, of believers. The apostle tells believers that they who commit such and such things, with such and such circumstances in their commitment, can- not be saved; therefore believers may commit those sins in the manner intended ! What hath been said before of the use of threat- enings and denunciations of judgments on impenitent sinners in respect of believers, will give a sufficient account (if there be need of any) for our denial of this consequence. And for the second, that
XV.] THE SINS OF BELIEVERS CONSIDERED. 531
the experience of such men's ways and walking evinceth it, it is a plain begging of the thing under debate, and an assuming of that which was proposed to be proved, — a thing unjustly charged by him on his adversaries, as though they should confess that believers might sin to the extent of the lines drawn out in the places of Scripture mentioned and yet not lose their faith, when, because they cannot lose their faith, they deny that they can sin to that compass of ex- cess and riot intimated.