The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

It appears then notwithstanding any thing offered here to the contrary, upon due consideration of it, that Believers sin not with their whole wills and full consents; at any time,¹ nor under the power of what temptation soever they may fall for a season, and that because of the Residence of this principle of a contrary tendency unto sin in their wills which is always acting, either directly in inclining unto good, or in taking off, or making remiss the consent of the will to sin, not withstanding the prevalency of the principle opposite thereunto, by its committing of sin.

It appears then notwithstanding any thing offered here to the contrary, upon due consideration of it, that Believers sinne not with their whole wills and full consents; at any time,¹ nor under the power of what temptation soever they may fall for a season, and that because of the Residence of this principle of a contrary tendency unto sinne in their wills which is allwayes acting, either directly in inclining unto good, or in taking off, or making remisse the consent of the will to sinne, not withstanding the prevalency of the principle opposite thereunto, by its committing of sinne.

1. 1§. 26.

And hence have we sufficient Light for the weakening of the Argument proposed in the beginning of this Chap.¹ For though it is weak in its Foundation (as shall be showed) concluding to what the Saints may do, from what is forbidden them to do, that prohibition being the Ordinance of God certainly to preserve them from it, yet taking it for granted that they may fall into the sin intimated, yet seeing they do it not customarily, not maliciously, not with the full and whole consent of their wills, that there is a principle in them still opposing sin, though at any time weakened by sin, and the conclusion of that Argument concerns them not. I say then, First to the Major proposition, they who are in a capacity and possibility, that is, (an universal possibility not only in respect of an internal principle but of all outward prohibiting causes as the purpose and Promise of God, of perpetrating the works of the flesh, not of bringing forth any fruits of the lusting of the flesh, which are in the best, willingly and ordinarily with the full and whole consent of their wills, in which sense alone such works of the flesh are absolutely exclusive from the Kingdom of Heaven, they may possibly fall out of the favour of God and into destruction. This proposition being thus limited, and the terms of it cleared, for to cause it to pass; I absolutely deny the minor, that true Believers do, or can so sin; that is, so bring forth the works of the flesh, as to leave no room for the continuance of Mercy to them, according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace.