The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Ans. The close insinuation in Peter Martyr's words, of the Saints sinning with their whole wills, and the Logic of Mr Goodwin's inference from them I believe is very much hidden from the Reader; To the Theology of it, I say, that the Saints [Greek or Hebrew], do immediately return to God by Repentance, (as Peter did) upon their surprisals into sin; nor have they any rest in a condition, of the Eclipse of the countenance of God from them, as upon sin it is always more or less; of Davids particular case, mention may afterwards be made; But the proof, that they sin with their whole wills and full consent because they would continue in sin, did not the Lord relieve and deliver them by his word and Grace, is admirable; I would adventure to cast this Argument into as many shapes, as it is tolerably capable of, had I the least hope to cause it to appear any way Argumentative; we deny then that Believers have any such power habitually residing in them, as whereby without any new supplies of the Spirit or concurrence of actual Grace; they can effectually and eventually recover themselves from any sin whatever; Which supplies of the Spirit, and Grace, we say and have proved are freely ⟨p. 337⟩promised to them in the covenant of Graces; But what will here follow to the supportment of Mr Goodwin's Hypothesis, that therefore in all their sins or in any of their sins, they sin with the full and whole consent of their wills, I suppose he alone knows.

Ans. The close insinuation in Peter Martyr's words, of the Saints sinning with their whole wills, and the Logicke of Mr Goodwin's inference from them I believe is very much hidden from the Reader; To the Theology of it, I say, that the Saints 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, do immediately returne to God by Repentance, (as Peter did) upon their surprisalls into sinne; nor have they any rest in a condition, of the Eclipse of the countenance of God from them, as upon sinne it is alwayes more or lesse; of Davids particular case, mention may afterwards be made; But the proofe, that they sinne with their whole wills and full consent because they would continue in sinne, did not the Lord relieve and deliver them by his word and Grace, is admirable; I would adventure to cast this Argument into as many shapes, as it is tolerably capable of, had I the least hope to cause it to appeare any way Argumentatives; we deny then that Believers have any such power habitually residing in them, as whereby without any new supplyes of the Spirit or concurrence of actuall Grace; they can effectually and eventually recover themselves from any sinne whatever; Which supplyes of the Spirit, and Grace, we say and have proved are freely