A53688:319
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.
1. First, he hath given them Eyes wherewith, & Light whereby Clearly, & evidently to see and know, that it is not more rational, or manlike for men to refrain all such acts, which they know they cannot perform, but to the present and unavoidable destruction of their natural lives, then 'tis to forbear all sinful Acts whatsoever, and especially such, which are apparently destructive to their Souls.
1. First, he hath given them Eyes wherewith, & Light whereby Clearaly, & evidently to see and know, that it is not more rationall, or manlike for men to refraine all such acts, which they know they cannot performe, but to the present and unavoidadle destruction of their naturall lives, then 'tis to forbeare all sinfull Acts whatsoever, and especially such, which are apparantly destructive to their Soules.
2. Secondly, God hath not only given them the Eyes, and the Light we speak of, wherewith, and whereby clearly to see, & understand the things manifested, but hath farther endued them with a faculty of Consideration, wherewith to reflect upon, and review, and ponder, so oft as they please, what they See, Understand, and Know in this kind. Now what soever a man is capable, First, of Seeing and Knowing: (Secondly) of Pondering and Considering, he is capable of raising or working an inclination in himself towards it, answerable in Strength, Vigour and Power, to any degree of Goodness, or Desirableness, which he is able to apprehend therein: for what is an inclination towards any thing, but a propension, and laying out of the heart and soul towards it? So that if there be worth, and goodness sufficient in any object whatsoever to bear it; and (Secondly) if a man be in a capacity of discovering and apprehending this good clearly; and (Thirdly) be in a like capacity of considering this vision, certainly he is in a capacity and at liberty to work himself to what strength, or degree of desire and inclination towards ⟨p. 28⟩it he pleaseth, now 'tis certain to every man, that there is more good in abstaining from things either Eminently dangerous, or Apparently destructive to his Soul, then in forbearing things Apparently destructive to his natural being. (Secondly,) as evident it is, that every man is capable of attaining or coming to the certain knowledge of, and clear apprehending this excess of good to him in the former Good, then in the latter. Thirdly, neither is it a thing less evident then either of the former, that every man is as capable of ruminating or reapprehending the said excess of Good as much & as oft, as he pleaseth as he is simply of apprehending it at all; which supposed as undeniably true, it follows with an high hand & above all contradiction, that the Saints may (and have means and opportunities fair and full for that purpose) plant inclinations or dispositions in themselves to refrain all manner of sins, apparently dangerous & destructive to the safety of their Souls, fuller of energy, vigour, life, strength, power then the natural inclination in them, which teacheth them to refrain all occasions which they know must needs be accompanied with the destruction of their natural beings.