But before we pass farther, may not this witness, which Mr Good- win hath attempted in vain to suborn to appear and speak in his cause, be demanded what he can speak, or what he knows of the truth of that which he is produced to oppose? This, then, it con- fesseth and denieth not, at first word, that of professors there are two sorts: some are i/tootoX^s, of such as do or may "draw back unto perdition;" some cr/Vrsw;, which " believe to the saving of the soul," and that in opposition to the others. Also, that those who withdraw
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658 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
are not Tignus, not true believers, nor ever were, notwithstanding all their profession, and what[ever] their gifts and attainments in and under their profession. So that the testimony produced keepeth still its place, and is " as a king upon his throne, against whom there is no rising up," but yet speaks quite contrary, clearly, evidently, dis- tinctly, to what is pretended. Both on the one hand and the other is our thesis undeniably confirmed in this place of the apostle : If all those who fall away to perdition were never truly or really of the faith, then those who are of the faith cannot fall away; but they who fall away to perdition were never truly or really of the faith, or true believers : ergo. The reason of the consequent of the first proposition is evident; for their not being of the faith is plainly in- cluded as the reason of their apostasy, and their being of the faith intimated as that which would have preserved them from such defec- tion. The minor is the apostle's, ' We are not i/tootoX^s, of them that draw back, but of them that believe;' which plainly distinguisheth them that draw back from believers. As^ain: if true believers shall live, and continue to the saving of their souls, in opposition to them that fall away to perdition, then they shall certainly persevere in their faith, for these two are but one and the same; but that true believers shall live, and believe to the saving of their souls, in opposition to them that draw back, or subduct themselves, to perdition, is the assertion of the Holy Ghost : ergo. I presume by this time Mr G. is plainly con- vinced that indeed he had as good (yea, and much better, for the ad- vantage of his cause in hand) have let his witness have abode in quiet- ness, and not entreated him so severely [as] to [make him] denounce judgment against that doctrine which he seeks by him to confirm.
Sect. 32. The parable of the stony ground. Matt. xiii. 20, 21, comes next for consideration. The words chosen to be insisted on are in the verses mentioned, " But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy re- ceiveth it: yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while," etc. That by the stony ground is meant true believers is that which Mr Goodwin undertakes to prove; but how, in his whole discourse, I profess I perceive not. I must take leave to profess that I cannot find any thing looking like a proof or argument to evince it, from the beginning to the end of this discourse, though something be offered to take off the arguments that are used to prove it to be otherwise. Doth Mr Goodwin think that men will easily believe that faith which hath neither root, fruit, nor continuance, to be true and saving faitli? Doubtless, they must have very low apprehen- sions of saving faith, union with Christ, justification, sanctification, adoption, etc., wherewith it is attended, who can once entertain any such imagination. That which is tendered to induce us to such a persuasion may briefly be considered.
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Saith he, sect 82, " Now, those signified by the stony ground he expressly calleth 'Trpogxa/povg, that is, persons who continue for a time or a season, — that is (as Luke explaineth), o? 'Trpbg xaiphv -Triff- Tsvovai, who "believe for a season:" so that those who only for a time believe, and afterward make defection from Christ and from the gospel, are nevertheless numbered and ranked by him amongst be- lievers. The words in Luke are very particular : ' They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy ; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away;' — from whence it appears that the hearers here described are not compared to the rock or stony ground for the hardness of their hearts, forasmuch as they are said to " receive the word with joy," which argues an ingenuity and teachableness of spirit in them, and is elsewhere (namely. Acts ii.41) taken knowledge of by the Holy Ghost as an index or sign of a true believer; but for such a property, dis- position, or temper as this, namely, not to give or afford the word so received a radication in their hearts and souls, so intimous, serious, and solid, which should be sufficient to maintain their belief of it, and good affections to it, against all such occurrences in the world which may oppose or attempt either the one or the other."