Secondly, That the consequent of the supposition in the inference made upon it is not so clear to me as to Mr Goodwin, — namely, " Suppose any doctrine to be false, whatsoever doctrine is set up in opposition to it is true." I have known, and so hath Mr Goodwin also, when the truth hath lain between opposite doctrines, assaulted by both, entertained by neither. With these observations I pass the major of this syllogism; the minor he thus confirms: —
" If the saints be in no possibility of being finally overcome by Satan, or of miscarrying in the great and most important business of their salvation, by his snares and subtleties, all that operoseness and diligence of the Holy Ghost, in those late-mentioned address-
584 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
ments of his rinto them, in order to their final conquest over Satan will be found of very light consequence, ,of little concernment to them; yea, if the said addressments of the Holy Ghost be com- pared with the state and condition of the saints, as the said doc- trine of perseverance representeth and affirmeth it to be, the utter uselessness and impertinency of them will much more • evidently appear/'
Ans. What possibility or not possibility the saints are in of final apostasy from God ; what assurance themselves have, may have, or have not, concerning their perseverance ; with what is the use of ad- monitions and exhortations to them in that condition, — have been already declared. For the present I shall only add, that let their final apostasy in respect of the event be never so impossible, yet, in the state and condition wherein they are, and from the things which they are exercised about, with the principles on which they proceed, and the ways whereby they are led on, considerations enough may be raised to set forth those exhortations, admonitions, and encourage- ments, appointed by the Holy Ghost to be used and insisted on in the administration of the word, in the beauty and splendour of in- finite wisdom, love, and kindness. The glory of God being so emi- nently concerned as it is in the obedience and fruitfulness of the saints; the honour of the Lord Jesus in this world, with the advance- ment and propagation of the gospel, in like manner relating there- unto; their own peace lying so much as it doth upon their close walking with God; the Spirit being so grieved by their falling into sin as he is; God so dishonoured, and themselves exposed to such fearful desertions, darkness, trouble, sorrow, and disquietments as they are, upon their being overcome by the temptations of Satan, and prevailed upon to turn aside into ways and sins short of total apostasy; and it being the purpose of the Lord to lead them on in obedience, in ways suitable to that nature he created them withal, and that new nature wherewith he hath endued them (both apt to be wrought upon by motives, exhortations, and persuasions), without any such supposal as that of final apostasy; — there is a sufficient bottom and foundation of exalting the motives and admonitions in- sisted on to the possession of that glory of wisdom and goodness which is their due. But Mr Goodwin having borrowed another pageant from the Remonstrants, had a great mind to show it to the world in its English dress, and therefore introduces the Holy Ghost thus speaking in the admonitions above pointed at : —
" Suppose we, then, the Holy Ghost should speak thus unto the saints: 'O ye that truly believe, who, by virtue of the promises of that God that cannot lie, are fully persuaded and possessed that ye shall be kept by God, by his irresistible grace, in true faith until death; so that though Satan should set all his wits on work, and
XYl.] KO CONSOLATION IN THE OPPOSITE DOCTRINE. 585
by all his stratagems, snares, and cunning devices, seek to destroy you; yea, though he should entice you away from God by the allure- ments of the world, and entangle you with them again ; yea, and should cause you to run and rush headlong, against the light of your own consciences, into all manner of horrid sins; 3^et shall all his at- tempts and assaults upon you in every kind be in vain, and you shall be in never the more danger or possibility of perishing; — unto you, I say, attend and consider how sore and dangerous a contest you are like to be engaged in ; for you are to wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, the governors of this world, and spiritual wickednesses, against that old serpent the devil, the great red dragon, who was a murderer from the beginning, and who still goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may de- vour, who will set himself with all his might to thrust you headlong into all manner of sins, and so to separate between you and your God for ever. And truly I am afraid lest, as the serpent by his subtlety deceived Eve, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Jesus Christ, — lest the tempter should any way tempt you, and my labour about you be in vain. Therefore watch, pray, resist him steadfast in the faith. Take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to resist in an evil day, and having done all things stand fast, — stand, having your loins girt with the girdle of truth, and the breastplate of righteousness upon you.' Would such an oration or speech as this be any way worthy the infinite was- dom of the Holy Ghost? Or is it not the part of a very weak and simple person to admonish a man, and that in a most serious and solemn manner, of a danger threatening him or hanging over his head, and withal to instruct him with great variety of direction and caution how to escape this danger, when, as both himself knows and the person admonished knows likewise, it is a thing altogether im- possible that ever the danger should befall him, or the evil against which he is so solemnly cautioned come upon him? Therefore, those who make the Holy Ghost to have part and fellowship in such weak- ness as this are most insufferably injurious unto him."