R. B. This charge proceedeth merely from the confounding of the Duty as such, and the Condition as such. A Covenant which is also a Law as well as a Covenant, may by the preceptive part Constitute much more Duty then shall be made the Condition of the Promises. Properly it is only the non-performance of the Condition that is Covenant-breaking; and so the Divines whom you oppose are not chargeable with your Consequent: For they say not that The Covenant of Grace doth make perfect Obedience the Condition of its Promise, and Accept Imperfect. That were a flat contradiction: for the Condition is Causa sine qua non, & cum quâ: But only they say, It Requireth or Commandeth perfect obedience, and Accepteth imperfect. And if you will speak so largely, as to say, that all who break the preceptive part of the Covenant, are Covenant-breakers, then no doubt but God Accepteth of many such, and of none but such. And as the word Covenant is not taken for the mutual contract, but for Gods new Law, called his Covenant, his Testament, his Disposition, Constitution, Ordination, &c. so no doubt, we all are Covenant-breakers. For whether we say that the new Law commandeth perfect obedience, or not; yet unless you take it exceeding restrainedly, it must be acknowledged that the Precept is of larger extent then the Condition, having appointed some Duties which it hath not made sine qua non to salvation: If you send your child a mile of an errand, and say I charge you play not by the way, but make haste, and do not go in the dirt, &c. and if you come back by such an hour, I will give you such a Reward; if not, you shall be whipped; He that plays by the way and dirties himself, and yet comes back by the hour appointed, doth break the preceptive part, but not the condition. Or if you suppose a re-engagement by Promise to do both these: he breaketh his own Covenant in the first respect (which was not the condition of Reward or Punishment) but not in the second. And so do true Christians both break the preceptive part of the Covenant, and also some of their own particular covenants with God: as when a man promiseth, I will commit this sin no more, or I will perform such a duty such a day. But these are not the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace, which God hath made the Causa sine qua non of Justification or Salvation. So that I conceive this charge unjust, to say no more.
R. B. THis charge proceedeth meerly from the confounding of the Duty as such, and the Condition as such. A Covenant which is also a Law as well as a Covenant, may by the preceptive part Constitute much more Duty then shall be made the Condition of the Promises. Properly it is only the non-performance of the Condition that is Covenant-breaking; and so the Divines whom you oppose are not chargeable with your Consequent: For they say not that The Covenant of Grace doth make perfect Obedience the Condition of its Promise, and Accept Imperfect. That were a flat contradiction: for the Condition is Causa sine qua non, & cum quâ: But only they say, It Requireth or Commandeth perfect obedience, and Accepteth imperfect. And if you will speak so largely, as to say, that all who break the preceptive part of the Covenant, are Covenant-breakers, then no doubt but God Accepteth of many such, and of none but such. And as the word Covenant is not taken for the mutual contract, but for Gods new Law, called his Covenant, his Testament, his Disposition, Constitution, Ordination, &c. so no doubt, we all are Covenant-breakers. For whether we say that the new Law commandeth perfect obedience, or not; yet unless you take it exceeding restrainedly, it must be acknowledged that the Precept is of larger extent then the Condition, having appointed some Duties which it hath not made sine qua non to salvation: If you send your childe a mile of an errand, and say I charge you play not by the way, but make haste, and do not go in the dirt, &c. and if you come back by such an houre, I will give you such a Reward; if not, you shall be whipt; He that playes by the way and dirties himself, and yet comes back by the hour appointed, doth break the preceptive part, but not the condition. Or if you suppose a re-engagement by Promise to do both these: he breaketh his own Covenant in the first respect (which was not the condition of Reward or Punishment) but not in the second. And so do true Christians both break the preceptive part of the Covenant, and also some of their own particular covenants with God: as when a man promiseth, I will commit this sin no more, or I will perform such a duty such a day. But these are not the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace, which God hath made the Causa sine qua non of Justification or Salvation. So that I conceive this charge unjust, to say no more.
