A30345:307
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.
For the better administration of this state and national Covenant, it pleased God to ordain suitable Ordinances for the teaching and applying of this Covenant, scil. of Ministry and Priesthood. The first of these the Apostle openeth, setting down the state of the Gentile and Jew before Christ came, compared both together, and how both stood in comparison to the Church after Christ, in regard of this Ordinance of teaching. As the Gentile1 before Christ was a man constrained to live without a shelter: the Jew at the same time is better provided for: for he had the Law taught to cover his head in a storm, that it be not too violent, But we after Christ dwell in well-grounded, yea, ceiled rooms, that we need not to fear the blowing, beating, or flowing in of the Sea, rain, or wind, for we have the Ordinances of the Gospel. The Gentiles before Christ ran wild like beggarly brutes without all schooling; the Jew a great deal better for the time being, he had a School-master to teach and nurture him, even,2 the Law to bring him unto Christ. But happy Christians after Christ living in the University of the Church under the free Tutors of new Ordinances. The Schoolmastership of Moses was a good Ordinance for the body of the people under Covenant with God, as we find this calling needful and profitable in a Common-weal, though inferior to the honour and worth of an University. There was not a man of them undiscovenanted who took not benefit some way or other by this pedagogy. For some were kept thereby from notorious evils, as children that learn little at School, get good in this, that they are kept from shrewd turns. Others get much ability of knowledge, though they never looked at Christ; as some at School learn to write and read, cast account and make a bond, though they never intend any better use of their learning. But the spiritual Jew got some true measure of grace to Salvation, though they reached not to that pitch and measure which is attainable under the Ordinances of the New Testament; as in some good Grammar Schools those grounds of learning may be obtained, whereby men may be serviceable to the Church or Common-weal in some measure, though they come not to that ripeness and maturity, which may be gotten in the University.
For the better administration of this state and nationall Covenant, it pleased God to ordaine sutable Ordinances for the teaching and applying of this Covenant, scil. of Ministery and Priesthood. The first of these the Apostle openeth, setting down the state of the Gentile and Jew before Christ came, compared both together, and how both stood in comparison to the Church after Christ, in regard of this Ordinance of teaching. As the Gentile