A30345:470
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.
Lastly, It will be said, the Apostle threateneth punishment for not receiving or retaining Christ, and exhorteth to care of it, which argueth general purchase, or else such exhortations and threatenings would be without force. Touching the thing it self, it is ⟨p. 209⟩freely acknowledged that the sufficiency of Christs death and greatness of the price was such, that God might salva justitia, not only invite all man-kind to come unto Christ, but also bring them unto faith and salvation by him, if it had seemed good unto him in his infinite wisdom: and the efficiency of it so great, that God doth seriously invite many that live in the visible Church to come unto Christ and bestow many spiritual gifts and graces upon them, by their own fault unavailable, to whom he doth not give grace to repent and believe unfeignedly. But exhortations and threatenings argue not that general purchase in question. For the obstinate and rebellious, they whose eyes are closed and hearts hardened, least seeing they should see, or hearing they should hear, and be converted; even they are exhorted to repent, and threatened for their impenitency: but I have not found, that the purchase was made absolutely for all such as such. For some rebellious, I can believe that Christ hath purchased not salvability alone, but faith, regeneration, pardon and salvation, because it is written of Christ, That he is ascended on high, and hath led 1captivity captive, and hath received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them: or as Piscator renders it, thou hast led captive the rebellious, that they might dwell with the Lord God. But the maintainers of universal redemption have not undertaken as yet to prove general purchase for all and every obstinate, rebellious and treacherous revolter from the Lord. In this place the objection is more vain: for the Apostle might well speak of the application and possession of the fruits of Christs death, when he exhorteth them that had heard and received the word of truth, to retain and keep that which they had heard. Exhortations and threatenings both are useful to them who have not received the truth: for God is pleased by such means to work what he doth exhort men unto: and to them who have received the truth, and do possess the benefits of Christs death, that they might continue and persevere.
Lastly, It will be said, the Apostle threatneth punishment for not receiving or retaining Christ, and exhorteth to care of it, which argueth generall purchase, or else such exhortations and threatnings would be without force. Touching the thing it selfe, it is