624 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
' have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts' (another asser- tion of the same apostle), how their relation unto Christ should stand, and yet their holiness sink and fall, I understand not. But I leave his friends to be his enemies in this."
Ans. How little advantage Mr Goodwin hath obtained by at- tempting a diversion from the consideration of the matter insisted on (which is all he doth in this paragraph) will quickly appear. From the righteousness of sanctification there is, or may be supposed, a twofold fall; — first, From the exercises of it, in all or any of the fruits thereof, according to the will of God ; secondly, From the habit and pri7iciple of it, in respect of its root and ground-work in the soul. It is the former that the doctor asserts. " A man," saith he, " may fall away from the zealous practice of the duties of holi- ness, and, with or under violence of temptation, as to fruit-bearing, decay in close walking, until the whole seem ready to die, so as, through the righteous judgment of God, to be exposed to calamities, corrections, and punishments in this life, yea, the great death itself, as it fell out in the case of Josiah, who fell by the sword in under- taking against the mind and will of God." But now for the work and principles of holiness, none who have once received it can ever cast it up and become wholly without it; and between this and the righteousness of justification, there is that strict connection that the one cannot, doth not, consist without the other. If now Mr Good- win understands not how a justified, sanctified person, may decline from the ways and practice of holiness for a season, so as to provoke the Lord to deal sharply, yea, and sometimes terribly with him, to take vengeance on his inventions, and yet that person not lose his relation to Christ nor his interest in the love and favour of God, I shall not presume to instruct him in the knowledge thereof, but refer liim to them who are better able so to do; wherein, upon the account of his aptness to hear as well as teach, I presume their undertaking will not be diflicult. He adds, —
2. " He seems, by his word penitus, wholly, throughly, or alto- gether, to be singular also in another strain of divinity, and to teach magis and minus in justification: for in saying that from a man's apostatizing from his own righteousness, ' it doth not follow that therefore he hath wholly or altogether shaken off the imputed righte- ousness of Cluist,' doth he not imply that a man may shake off some part of the righteousness of Christ from him, and yet keep another part of it upon him? or else, that by sinning he may come to wear the entire garment or clothing of it so loosely that it will be ready to drop or fall off from him every hour? and, consequently, that the righteousness of Clirist sits faster and closer upon some than upon others, yea, upon the same person at one time than another."
Ans. Tliat this is a second attempt for to lead the reader off from
XVII.] CERTAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 625
the consideration of the business in hand, and to prepare him by a diversion to an acceptation of what he afterward tenders in way of reply, that he may not perceive how insufficient it is for the purpose by an immediate comparing of it v/ith the answer itself, is evident. Truly, when, in my younger days, I was wont to hear that doctor in his lectures and other exercises, I did not think then I should have afterward found him called in question for want of skill to express himself and the sense of his mind in Latin, he having a readiness and dexterity in that language equal to any that ever I knew; neither yet am I convinced that his word penitus, upon which Mr Goodwin criticiseth (being commonly, as might by innumerable in- stances be made good, used to increase and make emphatical the import of the word wherewith it is associated), will evince any such meaning in his expression as is there intended by Mr Goodwin. Justification is, and it was so taught by the doctor to be (Lect. de Just.), in respect of all persons that are partakers of it, equal, and equal to every person so partaking of it at all times, though in re- gard of sense and perception, and the peace and comfort wherewith (when perceived and felt) it is attended, it is no less subject to in- creases and wanings than sanctification itself. So that this also might be intended by the doctor, without the least " strain of new divinity,'' that justified and sanctified persons, though they might so decline fi;"om the course of close walking with God as for a season to be like a tree in winter, whose substance is in his roots, his leaves and fruit falling off, ceasing to bring forth the fruits of holiness in such degrees as formerly, and so lose their sense of acceptation with God through Christ, and the peace, with consolation and joy, where- with it is attended, yet they could not, nor should, wholly be cast out of the favour of God, the nature and essence of their justification being abiding; and what singular strain of divinity there is in the tendency of such a discourse I know not. Besides, that teaching of tnagis and minus in justification should be any singular thing in Mr Goodwin I do not well understand; for if the matter of our righte- ousness, or that upon the imputation whereof unto us we are justified, may have its degrees, and receive niagis and minus, as certainly our faith may and doth, why our justification may not do so too I see no reason. But he comes at length to the matter, and addeth, —