The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Thirdly,¹ what was the judgement of the Primitive Christians, as in others, so in and about this head of Christian Religion, is best known from that rule of Doctrine, which it is confessed they attended unto, being delivered unto them; and in the defence whereof, and to give Testimony whereto, so many Thousands of them, loved not their lives unto death. Of those that committed over to posterity, any thing of their thoughts, in that space of time limited by M. Goodwin, (viz. three hundred years,) he names but two; of whom I shall not say, that if they failed in their Apprehensions of the Truth in this matter, It is not the only thing wherein they so failed; And yet that it can be evident in the least, that they were consenting in judgement with M. Goodwin, wherewith from us he differs, is absolutely denied. This elsewhere is already farther considered. It is a common observation, and not destitute of a great evidence of Truth, that the Liberty of Expression which is used by men in the delivery of any Doctrine, especially if it be done obiter by the way, before some opposition hath been framed, and stated thereunto, hath given advantage to those following of them, (when death hath prevented all possibility for them to explain themselves, and their own thoughts) to draw them into a participation with them, in that, which their Souls abhorred. The plea of Arius and his Associates, concerning the judgement of the Doctors of the Church, in the days before him, about the great Article of our Faith, The Deity of Christ, is known. That there are in many of the Ancients, sundry ⟨p. 310⟩expressions seemingly varying from that Doctrine we Assert, upon the account of their different apprehensions of the terms, of Faith, being Regenerated, Holiness, and the like, (which are all of them still with us, as in the Scripture, of various significations, and not clearly expressive of any one sense intended by them, until distinguished) is not denied. Speaking of all those who had been Baptized, and made profession of their Faith as Believers, it is no wonder if they granted that some Believers might fall away. But yet in the mean time the most eminent of them, constantly affirmed that there is a sort of Believers, who upon the matter with them, were the only true and Real Believers (being such as we formerly described) that could not fall either totally or finally;

Thirdly,