A30345:174
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.
In which comparison faith never hath the place of our righteousness, but answers in our participation of righteousness in Christ, to that which is the ground of our being partakers in the sin of Adam. For, as we were one with Adam, and in respect of original and nature were in him, and one with him, and so by being in him and one with him, did all in him and with him transgress the commandment of God: even so, in respect of faith, whereby only we are united unto Christ, and spiritually made one with him, and ingrafted into him, we all in him did satisfy the justice of God, or are made partakers of the fruit and benefit of his satisfaction. Thus our union with Christ and means thereof, is always to be distinguished from our communion with him, in the participation of his righteousness, as the fruit thereof. Like as our being in Adam, and one with him, is to be distinguished from the fruit thereof, which is communion with him in the participation of his transgression. If faith be only the hand whereby we put on Christ both as a justifier and sanctifier, then it is not the garment of righteousness, wherewith we are clothed. But it is only the hand whereby we put on Christ as a garment, Gal. 3. 27. Rom. 13. 13, 14. ⟨p. 68⟩Faith justifieth as it embraceth the righteousness of God. But Christ only is the righteousness of God, allowed and ordained of God to be our righteousness. In the third to the Romans and elsewhere, oft we meet with this phrase, We are justified by faith: Now in the fifth Chapter of that Epistle, vers. 17. it is said, that we shall reign in life through Jesus Christ, and verse 19. that by his obedience we shall be made righteous. What in the first place is called Justification and Salvation by faith, that in the other is called making righteous and reigning in life through Christ and him believed on. And so we read, that of faith, and by faith, and through faith we are justified; but we never read for faith we1 are justified, Act. 3. 16. First, Peter saith, His name hath made this man sound, through faith in his name: And then, the faith which is by him, hath given to him this disposition of body. Is it not plain here, that aith hath healed him, is as much as his name, or Christ believed on hath healed him: the one phrase expounding the other. Christ brought in everlasting righteousness into the world,