A30345:517
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 the comparison there be many things unlike. For commonwealth are one body politic, in which it is held sufficient to publish Laws in some known places, and at some times, granting space and means that all may learn them if they will. But we speak of such as never were so much as in the outward society of the Church, nor adjoining to them; that never heard of the Covenant of grace, they, nor many of their Ancestors, nor of a people or society professing the true Religion. So that whereas ⟨p. 236⟩the reason is of the means of supernatural knowledge vouchsafed to them that never heard of the Covenant, or lived nigh unto them that enjoyed the word of reconciliation, the comparison is of men in Covenant, who cannot want possibl• means •o know the main and fundamental points of the Covenant. Old Laws, they say, not in use, yet in force, scarce possible to be known, do bind: But the question is, of many doctrines in use, which must necessarily be known, or a man cannot be in the number of the faithful so much as in external society.
In the comparison there be many things unlike. For commonwealth are one body politick, in which it is held sufficient to publish Lawes in some knowne places, and at some times, granting space and meanes that all may learne them if they will. But we speake of such as never were so much as in the outward society of the Church, nor adjoyning to them; that never heard of the Covenant of grace, they, nor many of their Ancestours, nor of a people or society professing the true Religion. So that whereas ⟨p. 236⟩the reason is of the meanes of supernaturall knowledge vouchsafed to them that never heard of the Covenant, or lived nigh unto them that enjoyed the word of reconciliation, the com•arison is of men in Covenant, who cannot want possibl• meanes •o know the main and fundamentall points of the Covenant. Old Lawes, they say, not in use, yet in force, scarce possible to be knowne, do bind: But the question is, of many doctrines in use, which must necessarily be known, or a man cannot be in the number of the faitfull so much as in externall society.