The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Ans. The sum is, if they will continue Saints, God will take care that notwithstanding all opposition, they shall be Saints still. Very well! if they will be so, they shall be so: But that they shall continue to be so, that is not promised. The terms of Compelling, or Necessitating, are cast in, merely to throe dirt upon the Truth, least the beauty shining forth too brightly, there might have bin danger, that the very Exceptor himself could not have born it. We say not that God by his Power compelleth men to persevere, (that is) maketh them do it, whether they will or no. Perseverance being an habitual Grace in their wills, it is a gross contradiction once to imagine that men should be compelled thereunto. But this we say, that by the Almighty Power of his Spirit, and Grace, he confirmeth his Saints, in a voluntary abiding, with him all their days. Having made them a willing People in the day of the Power of Christ towards them, he preserveth them unto the end. Neither are they wrapped up by the power of God into such a necessity of Perseverance, as should obstruct the liberty of their Obedience; The necessity that regardeth them in that Condition, respecting only the issue and end of things, and not their manner of support in their abiding with God. And it is not easy to conjecture why our Author, should so studiously avoid the grant of a Promise of final Perseverance, in these words, who in his next observation upon them, affirmeth, that they respect the state of the Saints in Heaven, and not at all those that are on Earth; I mean that part of those words, which expresseth their preservation and safeguarding by the Power of God. So that this is fancied perhaps, even to be the condition of the Saints in Heaven, that God will there preserve them whilst they continue Saints, but that they shall so do, there is not any Assurance given, or to be had. It is marvellous if this be so, that in so large and vast a space of time, we yet never heard of any of those holy ones, that were cast out of his Inheritance, or that forfeited his enjoyment. But let us hear what is farther asserted. He addeth by way of Answer,

Ans. The sum is, if they will continue Saints, God will take care that notwithstanding all opposition, they shall be Saints still. Very well! if they will be so, they shall be so: But that they shall continue to be so, that is not promised. The termes of Compelling, or Necessitating, are cast in, meerly to throe dirt upon the Truth, least the beauty shining forth too brightly, there might have bin danger, that the very Exceptor himselfe could not have born it. We say not that God by his Power compelleth men to persevere, (that is) maketh them doe it, whether they will or no. Perseverance being an habitual Grace in their wills, it is a grosse contradiction once to imagine that men should be compelled thereunto. But this we say, that by the Almighty Power of his Spirit, and Grace, he confirmeth his Saints, in a voluntary abiding, with him all their dayes. Having made them a willing People in the day of the Power of Christ towards them, he preserveth them unto the end. Neither are they wrapt up by the power of God into such a necessity of Perseverance, as should obstruct the liberty of their Obedience; The necessity that regardeth them in that Condition, respecting only the issue and end of things, and not their manner of support in their abiding with God. And it is not easie to conjecture why our Author, should so studiously avoid the grant of a Promise of finall Perseverance, in these words, who in his next observation upon them, affirmeth, that they respect the state of the Saints in Heaven, and not at all those that are on Earth; I meane that part of those words, which expresseth their preservation and safegarding by the Power of God. So that this is fancied perhaps, even to be the condition of the Saints in Heaven, that God will there preserve them whilst they continue Saints, but that they shall so do, there is not any Assurance given, or to be had. It is marvelous if this be so, that in so large and vast a space of time, we yet never heard of any of those holy ones, that were cast out of his Inheritance, or that forfeited his injoyment. But let us heare what is farther asserted. He addeth by way of Answer,