N00406:207
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended, against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania [sic], to undermine them both. / By the minsters of the Gospel in Boston, ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended, against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania [sic], to undermine them both. / By the minsters of the Gospel in Boston, ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Reflections on Cap. 8. of Perseverance, &c.Reflections on Cap. 8. of Perseverence, &c.
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.
Sect. 2. That God hath laid duty upon His people to use endeavours for their standing, we deny not, but constantly urge; but that ⟨p. 115⟩always where the promise of preserving ▪em in faith is mentioned, this condition is understood; is warily to be taken up; if he intends that God will keep them, by fulfilling the Condition in them, it hurts us not: but if he mean, that the promise depends on our performing the condition, and so is merely Hypothetical, its an error; for i• is certain that the very keeping of His people from utterly falling, belongs to the promise of the New Covenant, under which they are by Believing, Psal. 84. 11. Jer. 32.40.
Sect. 2. That God hath laid duty upon His people to use endeavours for their standing, we deny not, but constantly urge; but that ⟨p. 115⟩alwaies where the promise of preserving ▪em in faith is mentioned, this condition is understood; is warily to be taken up; if he intends that God will keep them, by fulfilling the Condition in them, it hurts us not: but if he mean, that the promise depends on our performing the condition, and so is meerly Hypothetical, its an errour; for i• is certain that the very keeping of His people from utterly falling, belongs to the promise of the New Covenant, under which they are by Beleeving, Psal. 84. 11. Jer. 32.40.
Sect. 3. G. K. knowing that there were some Scriptures that did so fully assert the Perseverance of God's People; that he could with no face deny the truth in them, begins, in this Paragraph, to concede, yet so as not to favour our principle at all, who say, that Its the privilege of every true Believer to persevere. He therefore makes it a particular state of Holiness, which only some of these arrive unto; and then they commit no gross sins, but only Peccadillo's (and thus, with the Papists he introduceth the distinction of mortal and venial sins, which hath been sufficiently confuted by ours; who have made it evident that all sins are mortal by the law,