A30345:482
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.
It is further objected, that it will not agree with the argument of the Apostle, who by Christs death for all, could not prove all to be dead to sin, nor so much as all the Elect, or all at Corinth. And the drift of the place is to prove, not that all men simply are dead to sin, for that is notoriously false, and was neither taught, nor confirmed by any Pen-man of holy Writ; nor that all the Elect, or all at Corinth are dead to sin; for he speaketh to the Church or faithful in Corinth, not to the place, or inhabitants universally: but that the faithful, who had believed in Christ, as himself and the converted Corinthians had done, and did for the present, were dead to sin, which he strongly confirmeth from the communion they have with Christ in his death and resurrection, that is, that Christ died for them in effect and event, that the virtue and efficacy of his death did show forth it self in them.
It is further objected, that it will not agree with the argument of the Apostle, who by Christs death for all, could not prove all to be dead to sin, nor so much as all the Elect, or all at Corinth. And the drift of the place is to prove, not that all men simply are dead to sinne, for that is notoriously false, and was neither taught, nor confirmed by any Pen-man of holy Writ; nor that all the Elect, or all at Corinth are dead to sin; for he speaketh to the Church or faithfull in Corinth, not to the place, or inhabitants universally: but that the faithfull, who had believed in Christ, as himself and the converted Corinthians had done, and did for the present, were dead to sin, which he strongly confirmeth from the communion they have with Christ in his death and resurrection, that is, that Christ died for them in effect and event, that the vertue and efficacy of his death did shew forth it self in them.
If the other Interpretation be admitted, the consequence is good thus, Christ died for all believers, therefore all men by nature are dead in sin: for the state of believers before conversion is the same with the others: and if they by the merit, power and efficacy of Christs death be delivered from the guilt and dominion of sin, who so is not set free by the death of Christ from the power of sin, must needs be dead therein. Arguments not much unlike we have,