A30345:141
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel…A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel…
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errors of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightness, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithful servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errours of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightnesse, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.
London: printed by G. Miller for Edward Brewster, 1645
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.
Besides, all that descend from the loins of Abraham, and all that were borne in his house, and bought with his money are counted1 for the seed, though indeed many of them were wicked and profane. Therefore Abraham is commanded to circumcise every man-child, both him that is borne in his house, or bought with money of the stranger, which is not of his seed. Thus Ishmael, Esau, and others were circumcised, counted Abraham's seed, and under Covenant, until they fell away, and discovenanted themselves: but their posterity are not counted for the seed, because they utterly fell away, and departed from the faith. The whole Nation of the Jews descending from Jacob, was accounted the seed of Abraham, until the time of Reformation, though many amongst them were wicked, and oft-times fell away. I know (saith our Saviour to the Pharisees) ye are Abraham's seed, but ye 2seek to kill me, so did not Abraham. In respect of the external administration of the Covenant they▪ were counted the seed: but ⟨p. 52⟩they walked not in the steps of the faith of Abraham▪ and therefore indeed and truth they were not the seed. And the Apostle speaking to the Jews, who had put Christ to death, saith, Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant, which God made with 3our Fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the Kindreds of the earth be blessed. Further it is to be observed, that in all the seed the Covenant reacheth to Infants borne of the seed under the Covenant, which was the reason why they must receive the seal of the Covenant at eight days old. Neither must we put off this, that Infants have only jus foederis, for they be foederati. Your children are holy, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. 14. Holy by Covenant, though by nature sinful. Indeed it is true they be not capable of many actual enjoyments under the Covenant, nor of actual Faith: but through the free grace and acceptation of God, the Promise of forgiveness, and the Kingdom of Heaven belongeth unto them. So that if any person come into Covenant and procreate children, that man and his issue are foederati, and may grow up into a further body from that beginning. From this we may see the true ground of all Covenants as they receive difference