A53688:954
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.
Ans. 1. It is the intent and purpose of God, that the Sealing of Believers shall abide with them for ever: whence comes it to pass, that his Purposes do not stand, and that he doth not fulfil his pleasure? It is not that he changeth, but that men are changed: that is, the beginning of the change is not in him; Occasion of it is administered unto him by men. When his Sealing is removed from Believers, doth God still purpose that it shall continue with them, or no? If he doth, then he purposeth that shall be, which is not, which it is his will shall not be, and he continues in his vain Purpose to Eternity. Or if he ceases to purpose, how is it that he is not changed? Such things speak a change in the sons of men, and we thought had been incompatible with the Perfection of the Divine Nature: even that he should Will & Purpose one thing at one time, and another, yea the clean contrary, at another: Yea but the Reason of it is, because the men concerning whom his Purposes are, do change; This salves not the Immutability of God; Though he doth not change from any new consideration in himself, and from himself, yet he doth from obstructions in his way, and to his thoughts in the Creatures: yea instead of salving his Unchangeableness, this is destructive to his Omnipotency.
Ans. 1. It is the intent and purpose of God, that the Sealing of Believers shall abide with them for ever: whence comes it to passe, that his Purposes doe not stand, and that he doth not fulfill his pleasure? It is not that he changeth, but that men are changed: that is, the beginning of the change is not in him; Occasion of it is administred unto him by men. When his Sealing is removed from Believers, doth God still purpose that it shall continue with them, or no? If he doth, then he puposeth that shall be, which is not, which it is his will shall not be, and he continues in his vaine Purpose to Eternity. Or if he ceases to purpose, how is it that he is not changed? Such things speake a change in the sonnes of men, and we thought had been incompatible with the Perfection of the Divine Nature: even that he should Will & Purpose one thing at one time, and another, yea the cleane contrary, at another: Yea but the Reason of it is, because the men concerning whom his Purposes are, do change; This salves not the Immutability of God; Though he doth not change from any new consideration in himselfe, and from himselfe, yet he doth from obstructions in his way, and to his thoughts in the Creatures: yea insteed of salving his Vnchangeablenesse, this is destructive to his Omnipotency.