3. " Lastly ; were it granted unto the doctor that from a man's turning aside from his own holiness, it doth not follow that therefore he hath wholly divested himself of the righteousness of Christ im- puted, yet from God's determination or pronouncing a man to be in an estate of condemnation and of death it follows roundly, that there- fore he is divested of the righteousness of Christ imputed (if ever he were invested with it before) ; because no man with that righteousness u]Don him can be in such an estate. Now we have, upon several
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626 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
grounds, proved that the 'righteous man/ under that apostasy where- in Ezekiel describes and presents him, is pronounced by God a child not of a temporal but eternal death and condemnation. This, indeed, the doctor denies, but gives no reason of his denial, for which I blame him not; only, I must crave leave to say, that the chair^ Aveigheth not so much as one good argument with me, much less as many. So that, all this while. He that spake and still speaks unto the world by Ezekiel is no friend to that doctrine which denieth a possibility of a righteous man's declining even unto death."
Ans. If this be all that Mr Goodwin hath to say for the removal of this answer, that cuts the throat of his argument if it be not re- moved, he hath little reason for the confidence wherewith he closeth it, concerning God's speaking in this place of Ezekiel against that doctrine which, in innumerable places of his word, he hath taught us is a doctrine inwrapping no small portion of that grace which, in a covenant of mercy, he dispenseth to his chosen, redeemed, justified, sanctified ones; neither is there any need to add the weight of the chair (wherein yet that person spoken of behaved himself worthily in his generation, and was in his exercises therein by no means by Mr Goodwin to be despised) [to] be laid upon the reasonings of the doc- tor in this case, they proving singly of themselves too heavy for Mr Goodwin to bear. In brief, that the substance of the reply in hand is merely a begging of the thing in question, any one that hath but half an eye in a business of this nature may easily discern. That it is supposed that a man truly righteous and justified in the blood of Christ may so fail away as to be pronounced of God to be in a state of damnation, and so fallen really from his former condition (Rom. viii. 1), is the thing that Mr Goodwin hath to prove. " Now," saith he, " this must needs be so, because God here, upon such a supposal, pronounceth such a man to be in the estate of condemna- tion." What this is with other men I know not, but to me it is no proof at all, nor should I believe that to be the sense of the place, though, in variety of expressions, he should significantly aflirm it a thousand times. The reader also is misinformed that the doctor attempts not any proof that by death, eternal death is not in this place intended; he that shall consult the place will find himself abused. But we must speak more of this anon.
And this is all our author offers as to the person spoken of in the place of Scripture under consideration; wherein, though he hath taken some pains, to little or no pui'pase, to take off the exposition of the words and the description of the person given by others, yet he hath not attempted to give so much as one argument to confirm the sense he would impose on us concerning the condition of the person spoken of; and I must crave leave to say, that naked assertions, be ' Dr Pridcaux was regius professor of divinity at Oxford in 1015. — Ed.
XVII.] CEETAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 627
they never so many, in the chair or out, weigh not so much with me as one good argument, much less as many.
There is nothing remains for consideration but only the commina- tory part of the words, or the expression of the punishment allotted of God to such as walk in the ways of apostasy here expressed, " In his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die;'' that is, "He shall be dealt withal as many of his nation were in the land of Israel. My judgments shall overtake him. It shall not advantage him that either he had godly parents that have walked with me, or that he himself had so be- haved himself in a way of righteousness, as before described. If he turn to the profaneness and abominations which are laid down as the ways of wicked men, or into any paths like them, he shall even die, or be punished for his sins;" according to the tenor of the truth laid down in the entrance of the chapter, and repeated again verse 20, " The soul that sinneth, it shall die." But now, whereas it might be replied, " Such an one, notwithstanding his degeneracy, might yet perhaps recover himself to his former way of walking, obedience, and righteousness in conversation, and is there then no hope nor help for him, but having once so apostatized he must suffer for it?" to pre- vent any such misprision of the mind of God, there is added the term of his duration in that state of apostasy; that is, even unto death: " If he committeth iniquity, and dieth in it," that is, repents not of it before his death, " the judgments of God shall find him out," as was before expressed ; " If by his repentance he prevent not his cala- mities, he shall end his sinning in destruction;" — in which expres- sions of the person's continuance in his apostatized condition, and of the judgments of God falling on him on that account, there is not the least appearance of any tautology or incongruity in the sense. The same word is used to express diverse concernments of it, which is no tautology. Though the same word be used, yet the same thing is not intended. Tautology reflects on things, not words; otherwise there must be a tautology wherever there is an avravaxXacig, as John i. 3. " To commit iniquity, and to die therein," is no more but to continue in his iniquity impenitently until death. Now, to say that [this], " A man was put to death for his fault, because he com- mitted it, and continued impenitent in it, even unto the death which he was adjudged to, and which was inflicted on him for his fault," is an incoherent expression, it seems will puzzle as great a master of language as Mr Goodwin to make good.