A53688:1505
The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance
The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectual causes 3. external means thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entitled Redemption redeemed : with some digressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectuall causes 3. externall meanes thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entituled Redemption redeemed : with some degressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...
London: printed by Leon. Lichfield, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First the efficacy of these Expressions (whereunto it is necessitated, and from which they cannot possibly decline) as to their influence into this Argument, ariseth clearly from their Ambiguity; we deny any to be necessitated to Persevere, or that our Doctrine affirms any such thing taking that expression to hold out a power upon their wills, in their operations, inconsistent with the utmost liberty whereof in Spiritual things having received a Spiritual principle) men are capable; They are not so necessitated to Persevere as that all the Acts of their Obedience, whereby they do Persevere should not be free, but necessary, indeed they are not at all, nor in any sense necessitated to persevere: There is no Necessity attends their Perseverance, but only in respect of the event, with reference to the Unchangeable purpose and infallible Promise of God; the like may be said of that other expression (possibility of declining,) God leaves in them a possibility of declining, as to their way and manner of walking with him, though he leaves not to them a possibility of declining or falling totally from him, as to the issue and event of the whole matter, which doth not in the least necessitate them to, or in any of their operations.
First the efficacy of these Expressions (whereunto it is necessitated, and from which they cannot possibly decline) as to their influence into this Argument, ariseth clearely from their Ambiguity; we deny any to be necessitated to Persevere, or that our Doctrine affirmes any such thing taking that expression to hold out a power upon their wills, in their operations, inconsistent with the utmost liberty whereof in Spirituall things having received a Spirituall principle) men are capable; They are not so necessitated to Persevere as that all the Acts of their Obedience, whereby they do Persevere should not be free, but necessary, indeed they are not at all, nor in any sence necessitated to persevere: There is no Necessity attends their Perseverance, but only in respect of the event, with reference to the Vnchangeable purpose and infallible Promise of God; the like may be said of that other expression (possibility of declining,) God leaves in them a possibility of declining, as to their way and manner of walking with him, though he leaves not to them a possibility of declining or falling totally from him, as to the issue and event of the whole matter, which doth not in the least necessitate them to, or in any of their operations.