A53688:1637
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.
As to a politic or civill corporation, 'tis better that the Governors should permit the members respectively to go or be at liberty, that so they may follow their business and occupations in the world, upon the better terms, though by occasion of this liberty they may behave themselves in sundry kinds very unworthily; than it would be to keep them close prisoners though hereby the said inconveniences certainly be prevented; in like manner 'tis much better for the Body of Christ, and for the respective members of it, that he should leave them at liberty to obey and serve God, and follow the important affairs of their souls, freely and without any Physical necessitation, though some do turn this liberty into wantonness, and so into destruction, than I would be to deprive them of this liberty and to cause and constrain them to any course whatsoever out of necessity: though 'tis true, the committing of much sin and iniquity would be prevented hereby in many; the dismembering of the body of Christs Apostles, by the Apostasy of Judas was no disparagement either to Christ himself, or it.
As to a politicke or civill corporation, 'tis better that the Governers should permit the members respectively to go or be at liberty, that so they may follow their businesse and occupations in the world, upon the better termes, though by occasion of this liberty they may behave themselves in sundry kinds very unworthily; than it would be to keepe them close prisoners though hereby the said inconveniences certainly be prevented; in like manner 'tis much better for the Body of Christ, and for the respective members of it, that he should leave them at liberty to obey and serve God, and follow the important affairs of their soules, freely and without any Physicall necessitation, though some do turne this liberty into wantonnesse, and so into destruction, than I would be to deprive them of this liberty and to cause and constraine them to any course whatsoever out of necessity: though 'tis true, the committing of much sinne and iniquity would be prevented hereby in many; the dismembring of the body of Christs Apostles, by the Apostacy of Judas was no disparagement either to Christ himselfe, or it.
Ans. The sum of the whole discourse is, that the Lord Jesus Christ hath no way to keep and secure his members to himself, that none of them perish, but by taking away their liberty which rather than do, 'tis more to his honour to let them abuse it, to their everlasting destruction; & to this end sundry sine supposals, are scattered through the whole Discourse. As