In what follows, " That these words, ' But they were not of us,' do not necessarily imply they were believers formerly, but perhaps they had been so, and were before fallen away, being choked by the cares of the world," an observation is insinuated directly opposite to the apostle's design, and such as makes his whole discourse ridiculous.
604 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS* rERSEVERANCE. [ciIAP.
An account he gives of men's falling away from the faith, and he tells them it is because, though they had been professors, yet they Avere never true believers. " Yea, but perhaps they were true believers and then fell away, and after that fell away;" — that is, they fell from the faith, and then fell from the faith ; for that is plainly intimated in and is the sense of this doughty observation.
But to proceed with his exposition, he says, " It follows, ' For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us/ In these words the apostle gives a reason of his exception, telling them to whom he writes that this was a sign and argument that those antichristian teachers were not of them in the sense declared, namely, that they did not continue with them ; that is, they quitted their former intimacy and converse with the apostles, refused to steer the same course, to walk by the same principles, any longer with them : ' which,' saith he, ' doubtless they would not have done had they been as sincerely affected towards Jesus Christ and the gospel as we.' By which assertion John plainly vindicated himself and the Christian churches of his communion from giving any just occasion of offence unto those men, whereby they should be any ways induced to forsake them, and resolves their unworthy departure of this kind into their own carnal and corrupt hearts, which lusted after some fleshly accommodations and contentments that were not to be ob- tained or enjoyed in a sincere profession of the gospel with the apostles, and those who were perfect of heart with them."
A71S. First, that no aspersion was cast on John or the "churches of his communion" by the apostasy of the antichrists of whom he speaks, from which he should need to vindicate himself and them, was before declared. There was not, indeed, nor possibly could be, the least occasion for any surmise of evil concerning them from whom men departed in turning ungodly opposers of Christ. For any thing that is here offered, it is but an obscuring of the light that breaks forth from the words for the discerning of the truth in hand. It is gi'anted that the apostle manifests that " they were not of tlicm," — that is, true, upright, sound believers, that walked with a right foot in the doctrine of the gospel, — because they forsook the communion of the saints to fall into the condition of antichristian- ism, wherein they were now engaged. Now, if this be an argument that a man was never a true believer, in the highest profession that he makes, because he falls from it and forsakes it, certainly those that are true believers cannot so fall from their steadfastness, or the argument will be of no evidence or conviction at all; neither is any thing here offered by Mr Goodwin but what, upon a thorough consideration, doth confirm the inferences we insist upon, and make to the work in hand. Trutli will, at one time or other, lead captive those who are most skilful in their rebellion against it.
XVI.] NO CONSOLATION IN THE OPPOSITE DOCTRINE. 605
What is added, sect. 24, concernhig the righteous judgment of God, and the gracious tendency of his dispensations to his church's use, in suffering these wretches so to discover themselves, and to manifest what they were, I oppose not. The discovery that was made was of what they had been before, — that is, not true behevers, — and not what now they were ; yea, by what they now showed them- selves to be was made manifest what before they were. Words of the like import you have, 1 Cor. xi. 19, " For there must be also here- sies among you, that they which are approved may be made mani- fest among you." As here those who fall away are manifested to be corrupt, so there those who abide are to be sincere.
From what hath been occasionally spoken of the intendment and scope of this place, of the design which the apostle had in hand, of the direct sense of the words themselves, — Mr Goodwin's exceptions to our interpretation of the words and inferences from it being wholly removed, and his exposition, which he advanceth in the room of that insisted on, manifested to be, as to the occasion and scope of the place assigned, utterly foreign unto it, and, as to explication of the particulars of it, not of any strength or consistency for the obscuring of the true sense and meaning of the place, in the eye of an intelli- gent reader, — it is evidently concluded, beyond all colourable con- tradiction, that those who are true believers indeed, having obtained communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, cannot fall into a total relinquishment of Christ or of the faith of the gospel, so as to have no portion nor interest in the communion they formerly enjoyed.