" The premises relating to the two passages yet under debate con- sidered, I am so far from questioning whether the apostle speaks of true and sound believers in them, that I verily judge that he pur- posely sought out several of the most emphatical and signal charac- ters of believers, yea, such which are hardly, or rather not at all, to be found in the ordinary sort of true believers, but only in those that are most eminent amongst them; — that so he might give them to understand and consider that not true believers only, and such who though sound yet were weak in the faith, might fall away and perish, but that even such also who were lifted up nearer unto heaven than their fellows might, through carelessness and carnal security, dasli themselves in pieces against the same stone, and make shipwreck of their souls as well as they."
Ans. 1. The house built on the sand may oftentimes be built higher, have more fair parapets and battlements, windows, and orna- ments, than that which is built upon the rock ; yet all gifts and privi- leges equal not one grace. In respect of light, knowledge, gifts, and many manifestations of the Spirit, such who never come up to that faith which gives real union and communion with Jesus Christ may far outgo those that do.
2. That there is any thing mentioned or any characters given of behevers, much less such as are singular and not common to all, Mr Goodwin hath not in any measure been able to evince. There is not the meanest believer in the world but he is a child of God, and heir of the promises, and brother of the Lord Christ; hath union with him; hath his living in him; is quickened, justified, sanctified; hath Christ made to him wisdom, etc. ; hath his righteousness in God, and his life hid in him in Christ; is passed from death to life, brings forth fruit ; and is dear to God as the apple of his eye, accepted with him, approved of him as his temple, wherein he delighteth to dwell. That any thing in this place mentioned and insisted on, any cha-
XVII.] CERTAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 655
racters we have given of the persons whom we have considered, do excel, or equal, or denote any thing in the same kind with these and the like excellencies of the meanest believers, will never be proved if we may judge of future successes from the issue of all former at- tempts for that end and purpose.
And this is the issue of Mr Goodwin's third testimony produced to confirm the doctrine of the saints' apostasy, but hypothetically, and under such a form of expression as may not be argued from, nor of saints and true believers at all. His fourth followeth.
His fourth testimony he produceth, and endeavours to manage for the advantage of his cause, sect. 81, in these words: —
" The next Scripture testimony we shall produce and briefly urge in the cause now under maintenance is in the same epistle with the former, and speak eth these words : ' Now, the just shall live by faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.' Our English translators, out of good-will, doubtless, to a bad cause, have almost defaced this testimony, by substituting 'any man ' for the 'just man:' for whereas they translate, 'But if any man draw back,' the original readeth, Kai sav biroGruXriTaf that is, ' And if,' or ' But if he,' that is, the just man, who should live by his faith, namely, if he con- tinues in it, ' shall draw back.' Beza himself likewise, before them, had stained the honour of his faithfulness with the same blot in his trans- lation. But the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words is plain and without parable, namely, that ' If the just man, who lives,' — that is, who at present enjoys the favour of God, and thereby is supported in all his trials, — and should live always, ' by his faith,' if he continues in it, as Parseus well giosseth, ' shall draw back,' or shall be with- drawn, namely, through fear or sloth (as the word properly signifieth, see Acts xx. 27), from his believing, ' my soul shall have no pleasure in him;' that is (according to the import of the Hebraism), 'my soul shall hate or abhor him to death;' as it is also expounded in the words immediately following, ' But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but,' etc. From hence, then, evident it is that such a man who is a just or righteous man, and under promise of living for ever by his faith (and therefore also a true and sound be- liever), may draw back, or be withdrawn, to the contracting of the hatred of God, and to destruction in the end. The forlorn hope of evading, because the sentence is hypothetical or conditional, not jDOsi- tive, hath been routed over and over, yea, and is abandoned by some of the great masters themselves of that cause unto the defence whereof it pretendeth. And, however, in this place, it would be most preposterous; for if it should be supposed that the just man, who is in a way and under a promise of living by his faith, were in no danger or possibility of drawing back, and that to the loss of the favour of God and ruin of his soul, God must be conceived to speak