A53688:322
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.
When I first cast an eye on this Discourse of Mr Goodwin, 1I confess I was surprised to as high a degree of Admiration, & some other Affections also, as by any thing I had observed in his whole Book: as having not met (if without offence I may be allowed to speak my Apprehensions) with any discourse whatsoever, of so transcendent a derogation from, and direct tendency to the overthrow of the Grace of Christ, but only in what is remembered by Austin, Hilary, Pulgentius, with some others, of the disputes of Pelagius, Coelestius, Julianus, with their followers, and the Socinians of late, with whom Mr Goodwin would not be thought to have Joined in their Opposition to the Merit and Grace of Christ; As I said then before, if this should prove in the issue to be the sum of the means afforded to preserve the Saints from Apostasy and falling away into ruin, I shall be so far from opposing a possibility of their defection, that I shall certainly conclude their Perseverance to be impossible. Being fully persuaded that withal the contribution of strength, which the considerations mentioned are able of themselves to afford unto them, they are no more able to meet their Adversaries who come against them with tweuty thousand subtleties and Temptations, then a man with a straw and a feather, is to combat with, and overcome a royal Army; The Scripture tells us, and we thought it had been so, that we are kept by the power of God unto Salvation, and that to this end, he putts forth the exceeding greatness of his power in them that Believe, 2according to the mighty Workings, which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead, whereby he strengthens them with all might according to his Glorious Power, making them meet partakers of the inheritance of the Saints Light; It seems, though there be a Glorious sound of words in these, & innumerable the like Expressions of the engagement of the Power and faithfulness of God, for the safeguarding of his Saints, yet all this is but an empty noise, and beating of the air: That which is indeed material to this Purpose, consisting in certain Considerations, which rational men may have concerning their present State, & future Condition: But let us a little consider the Discourse it self.
When I first cast an eye on this Discourse of Mr Goodwin, 1