A30345:485
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.
And then Christ hath not obtained of the Father by his death, that he should remit sins, but that he hath power to remit them: he hath not obtained redemption, but a possibility of redemption, or the redemption purchased is a potential remission of sins: he hath not merited sanctification, but a right that he may sanctify or sanctifiablenesse: he hath obtained also that God might pardon sin, as well as that man might be pardoned or reconciled; and notwithstanding any ⟨p. 218⟩redemption that Christ hath purchased, every man might perish, and be condemned for ever. But if reconciliation potential or a possibility of remission only be purchased by the death of Christ, how is this made actual by application? If it be actual and effectual, why is it not applied and given to every man? will not God give to every man, that which Christ hath merited and purchased for every man? The merit of reconciliation by Christ, and the application thereof must be distinguished: but for whomsoever eternal redemption is purchased, for them he hath obtained grace and glory, and upon them he will actually confer that grace and mercy, sanctifying them to be a peculiar people to himself. Heb. 9. 12. Matth. 1. 21. Joh. 4. 14. Application is as necessary an effect of redemption or reconciliation purchased, as burning is of fire; and there can be no redemption, but of necessity it must bring application, both in respect of Gods justice, and Christs sacrifice▪ Dan. 9. 24. Heb. 10. 10, 14. Therefore there is but one reconciliation, and that actual and effectual, though it may be universally proposed in the Gospel: and that particular actual reconciliation is none other but that very same, which God meritorie and impetratorie hath proposed by the death of Christ. As for the present Text alleged, reconciliation is not predicated of the whole world, taking the world for every man in the world, nor reconciliation put for reconcilableness. For it is manifest the Apostle speaks of the world as it was to be considered in the times when Christ suffered, or after, when in respect of present state the far greater part were impenitent, if not obdurate sinners, aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, without God in the world: and I desire to see that Text of Scripture, where God is said to reconcile unto himself the whole world of impenitent and obdurate sinners, as such;