The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Now as through the goodness of their Father and supplies of Grace, which through the Covenant thereof, they do receive, this distemper seizeth not Believers but rarely & extraordinarily, so it doth no way prove them to sin with malice, or without hatred of, and opposition (secret opposition, which may be as secret, as some inclinations to sin are not known to our selves) to the things they do in and under that condition.

Now as through the goodnesse of their Father and supplyes of Grace, which through the Covenant thereof, they do receive, this distemper seiseth not Believers but rarely & extraordinarily, so it doth no way prove them to sinne with malice, or without hatred of, and opposition (secret opposition, which may be as secret, as some inclinations to sinne are not known to our selves) to the things they do in and under that condition.

That which follows in this Section being suited to the apprehension of some particular men, though of great name and esteem, according to their worth and desert in the Church of God, as Ursin, Paraeus and the rest, about reigning sin, wherein (as I have declared) my thoughts fall not in with them I shall not need to insist any longer upon it, Paraeus after all his aggravations of the sins of Believers, yet adds that they sin not (nor did David) ex contemptu Dei, but through a preoccupation or surprisal of sin; which I believe to be the persuasion of far the greatest number of Saints in the world; whatever Mr Goodwin is pleased to think or say to the contrary; nor is their apprehension weakened by Nathans charging upon David, his despising of the commandment of the Lord. in doing evil; which as it is virtually done in every sin, and in great sins in an eminent manner, so that it did amount indeed, not only to a consequential but a formal voluntary contempt of God, Mr Goodwin shall never prove. A Father often and severely chargeth upon his sons, a despising of his command, when he hath been carried out to transgress it, when yet he knows his son honoureth and reverenceth him in his heart, and is exceedingly remote from any resolved contempt of him.

That which followes in this Section being suited to the apprehension of some particular men, though of great name and esteeme, according to their worth and desert in the Church of God, as Vrsin, Paraeus and the rest, about reigning sinne, wherein (as I have declared) my thoughts fall not in with them I shall not need to insist any longer upon it, Paraeus after all his aggravations of the sinnes of Believers, yet adds that they sinne not (nor did David) ex contemptu Dei, but through a preoccupation or surprisall of sinne; which I believe to be the perswasion of far the greatest number of Saints in the world; whatever Mr Goodwin is pleased to think or say to the contrary; nor is their apprehension weakened by Nathans charging upon David, his despising of the commandement of the Lord. in doing evill; which as it is virtually done in every sinne, and in great sinnes in an eminent manner, so that it did amount indeed, not only to a consequentiall but a formall voluntary contempt of God, Mr Goodwin shall never prove. A Father often and severely chargeth upon his sonnes, a despising of his command, when he hath been carryed out to transgresse it, when yet he kowes his sonne honoureth and reverenceth him in his heart, and is exceedingly remote from any resolved contempt of him.