A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

For the Epistle being designed of God unto the common Edification of the Church, would have at length prevailed, whatever sense men through their prejudices and ignorance should put upon any passages of it.

But this controversy is long since buried; the generality of the Churches in the world, being sufficiently remote from that which was truly the mistake of the Novatians, yea the most of them do bear peaceably in their Communion, ⟨p. 40⟩without the least exercise of Gospel-discipline towards them, such persons as concerning whom the dispute was of old, whether they should ever in this world be admitted into the Communion of the Church, although upon their open and professed Repentance. We shall not therefore at present need to labour in this controversy.

But this controversie is long since buried; the generality of the Churches in the world, being sufficiently remote from that which was truly the mistake of the Novatians, yea the most of them do bear peaceably in their Communion, ⟨p. 40⟩without the least exercise of Gospel-discipline towards them, such persons as concerning whom the dispute was of old, whether they should ever in this world be admitted into the Communion of the Church, although upon their open and professed Repentance. We shall not therefore at present need to labour in this controversie.

But the sense of these words hath been the subject of great contests, on other occasions also. For some do suppose, and contend, that they are real and true Believers, who are deciphered by the Apostle, and that their Character is given us in and by sundry inseparable Adjuncts, and properties of such persons. Hence they conclude, that such Believers may totally and finally fall from Grace, and perish Eternally. Yea it is evident that this Hypothesis of the final Apostasy of true Believers, is that which influenceth their Minds and Judgements to suppose that such are here intended. Wherefore others who will not admit that according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus, true Believers can perish Everlastingly, do say, that either they are not here intended, or if they are, the words are only comminatory, wherein although the consequence in them in a way of arguing be true, namely, that on the supposition laid down, the inference is certain, yet the supposition is not asserted in order unto a certain consequent, whence it should follow that true Believers might so really fall away, and absolutely perish. And these things have been the matter of many contests among learned men.