The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Ans. First, we do not only assert a contrary bent and inclination in the Wills of Believers at other times, but also that in and under the prevalency of indwelling sin, there is in them an I that doth it not, and a not-willing it from a Principle, though by reason of the present prevalency of the other, its actings and stirrings are not so sensibly perceived. So that though they prevail not, to the total prevention of the will, from exerting the Act of sin, yet they prevail to the impairing, weakening, and making remiss its consent thereunto.

Ans. First, we do not only assert a contrary bent and inclination in the Wills of Believers at other times, but also that in and under the prevalency of indwelling sinne, there is in them an I that doth it not, and a not-willing it from a Principle, though by reason of the present prevalency of the other, its actings and stirrings are not so sensibly perceived. So that though they prevaile not, to the totall prevention of the will, from exerting the Act of sinne, yet they prevaile to the impairing, weakening, and making remisse its consent thereunto.

Secondly, The residue of this Paragraph is intolerably Sophistical, confounding the Renitency of the inward man, the principle of grace that is in the wills of Believers, with the Convictions of the judgements and consciences of unregenerate persons, and their striving against sin on that account. The judgements and consciences of wicked men, tell them what they ought to do, and what they ought not to do without respect to the principle in their wills that is predominant. But the Apostle mentions the actings of the will it self, from its own regenerate principle. We wholly deny that any unregenerate man hath any vital principle in his will not consenting to sin, what ever the dictates of his judgement and conscience may be; or how effectual soever to prevail unto an abstinence from sin. To discover the differences that are between the contest, that is between the wills in unregenerate men, wholly set upon sin, on the one hand, and their judgements and Consciences enlightened to an apprehension and approving of better things on the other, and the contest that is between the Flesh, and Spirit lusting to contrary things, in the same will, as it is in regenerate men, is a common place; that I shall not go forth unto. We grant then, that in unregenerate men, there may be, there is, and was in some degree, perhaps in Herod, in Pilate, a conviction of conscience and judgement, that the things they do are evil; but say withal, that all this being foreign to their wills, it hinders not but that they sin with the full uncontrolled consent of their wills, which are at perfect Liberty, or rather in perfect bondage unto sin. That the Spirit should lust against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit, both in the same will. (as it appears they do.