Ans. To support the stage for to act this part of the pageant in hand upon, there are many supposals fixed by our author, that are to bear up the weight of the whole ; which, upon trial, will appear to be arrant false pretences, painted antics, that have not the least strength or efficacy for the end and purpose whereunto they are applied.
1. It is supposed that the end of all these admonitions is merely and solely to prevent the saints from final apostasy, and that they are to beware of the wiles and assaults of Satan, only lest he prevail over them to cause them to depart utterly from God. That this is supposed in this discourse is evident, because upon the granting of a promise that they shall not be so prevailed against, they are judged
586 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
all useless and ridiculous. Now, who knows not but that Satan may winnow, and in some measure prevail against, the saints, to the dis- honour of God, the reproach of the gospel, grieving of the Spirit, and scandal of the church, although they fall not totally and finally from God? And that many of those admonitions tend to the preservation of believers from such falls and failings is more evident than to need any demonstration by consideration of the particular instances.
2. It sui^poseth, as is expressed, that believers may fall into " all manner of horrid sins and abominations ;" which is the thing in ques- tion, and by us punctually denied. Whatever their surprisals may be, yet there are sins which they cannot fall into; and the great abomination of every sin that is committed with the whole heart and with full consent they are not at all exposed or liable unto, as hath been proved.
3. That there is an inconsistency between promises and precepts in reference to the same object ; that God should promise to work any thing effectually in us and yet require it of us, is thought ridi- culous; and on this account the great folly here imputed to the dis- course framed for the Holy Ghost is proposed to consist in this, that God should exhort us to watch against the assaults of the devil, and yet promise that by his grace he will effectually work in us and for us the very same thing, — a supposal destructive to the whole nature of the new covenant, easily disproved by innumerable instances.
4. That believers are to be wrought upon to obedience always, whatever the frame of their spirits be, by the same ways and means. Hence it is that promises, promises of highest and greatest assur- ance, are in this discourse coupled Avith cautions of the deepest charge, as though they must at the same time operate the same way to believers, or else the Holy Ghost be liable to be traduced as in- consistent with himself; Avhen the great variety that is in their spi- ritual frame and temper, the manifold temptations wherewith they are assaulted, the light and dark places they walk through, etc., give occasion sufficient to the exercising towards them all the " piping" and " mourning" that is provided for them.
5. That all believers are assured of their perseverance, and that to such a degree as not to fear any apostasy or to care what becomes of them (that is, assured to presumption, not believing), — and therefore are those cautions and admonitions of the Holy Ghost on that ac- count, tending to stir up in them any godly care or fear, rendered frustrate, — when Mr Goodwin himself thinks that very few of them do upon any good and abiding foundation know themselves to be believers, and we never once supposed that all of them have as- surance of their perseverance, nor any of them upon the terms here propo.sed. All the strength of what is here insinuated lies in this, that God gives assurance to men of the steadfastness and constancy
XVI.] NO CONSOLATION IN THE OPPOSITE DOCTRINE. 587
of his love under supposal of their falling into all manner of abo- minable sins; which supposal alone renders an inconsistency between the sense of the promises we embrace and that of the admonitions that are given to the saints charging them to walk heedfully and to watch diligently against the attempts and assaults of Satan. Now, this supposal is in itself false and ridiculous; neither ever did the Lord, nor do we say he ever did, tender men assurance of his love on such terms, neither is it possible for any one ever to have a true persuasion of his own perseverance under such notions.
6. That there is an inconsistency betwixt faithful promises of at- taining an end by the use of means, and exhortations with admo- nitions to make use of those means. So that if it be supposed that God promiseth that Satan shall not in the issue prevail over us, pre- scribing to us the means whereby we shall be preserved from his prevalency, it is in vain to deal with us for the application of our- selves unto the use of those means.
7. It is also supposed that an assurance of the love of God, and of the continuance of it to the saints unto the end, so that they shall never be utterly rejected by him, is an effectual way and means to induce them to carnal and loose walking, and a negligence in those things which are a provocation to the eyes of his gloiy; and there- fore, if he promise faithfully never to leave us nor forsake us, it is an inducement for us to conclude. Let the devil now take his swing, and do with us what he pleaseth. To exhort us to take care for the avoidance of his subtleties and opposition is a thing altogether ridi- culous. The vanity of this supposal hath been sufficiently before discovered and itself disproved.