A30345:173
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.
The righteousness here mentioned is not the singular righteousness of this or that act, whereby a man is said to do justly or righteously, which is called the righteousness of fact: but universal righteousness or the righteousness of Justification, whereby a man is freely acquitted from all his sins, and accepted of God as righteous unto life, which is called righteousness of the person. Faith is not imputed for righteousness, in respect of the worth or dignity of faith either in habit or act, but in respect of it's office, whereunto it is ordained in the Covenant of Grace, as it doth embrace Christ, and thereby we are made partakers of the merits of his free and willing, and perfect obedience to the command of Grace. Faith is accounted for righteousness in regard of the object, and is a cause of that Justification which is of grace. A cause, I say, not a bare condition without which the thing cannot be: bu• ⟨p. 67⟩a cause, not meritorious or material, but instrumental only, receiving Christ promised and offered in the word of grace. For1 howsoever our righteousness be called the righteousness of the faith of Jesus, or by the faith of Jesus, faith it self is never called our righteousness. We read that Christ is made unto us of God 2righteousness, that by one mans obedience many are made righteous, that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth, that the believer is justified by him, and by faith in him obtaineth remission of sins. We find also by conference3 of Scriptures, that to be justified by faith, and to be justified by Christ is in substance all one. And what can be the sense of those places, but this, that Christ is the meritorious and material cause (so to speak) of our Justification, faith the condition and instrument, whereby we receive Christ made of God our righteousness. The Apostle making comparison betwixt the first and second Adam showeth, that as sin cometh from Adam alone unto us all, as he in whom we have all sinned: So from Jesus Christ alone cometh righteousness to all that are in him, as from him that hath satisfied the justice of God, and performed grateful obedience at the commandment of grace, for them all.