A30345:518
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.
There is not a prohibition to preach or write to any, (say they) unless it was to punish some special sin, as when Christ saith, Cast not pearls before swine; or some others were to be served first, as Christ said to the woman of Canaan, I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and Paul, Act. 13. It was needful that the Gospel should be first preached unto you: And it was thus when the Spirit forbade Paul to go into one place, and commanded him to go into another. We might ask unto which of the two cases they will refer that of our Saviour, Into the way of the Samaritans enter ye not. Matth. 10. 5. and, Tarry ye at Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High. Luke 24. 49. during which time, and before the Apostles could disperse themselves, many millions might depart this life, who never enjoyed means sufficient to bring them to the knowledge of God in Christ. And if God have charged his servants, not to cast pearls before swine, and prohibited them for a time to preach the Word of the Kingdom to some people, and in some places, because it is his pleasure to serve others first, why should we not likewise think, that God in justice hath deprived many nations and people of all possible means, whereby they should come to the knowledge of the truth? Let us see how well this fitteth the matter in hand, The means of grace be unlimited, but in two cases there was a prohibition to write, and what is this, but in plain terms to confess, that the means of grace in all ages and times, in respect of all places and persons have not been unlimited? Besides, when no man must take this office of preaching upon him, but he that is called thereunto of God, and no man can show that he hath been called to preach the Gospel to every creature, why may not this be called a prohibition?
There is not a prohibition to preach or write to any, (say they) unlesse it was to punish some speciall sinne, as when Christ saith, Cast not pearles before swine; or some others were to be served first, as Christ said to the woman of Canaan, I am not sent, but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel; and Paul, Act. 13. It was needfull that the Gospell should be first preached unto you: And it was thus when the Spirit forbade Paul to goe into one place, and commanded him to goe into another. We might aske unto which of the two cases they will referre that of our Saviour, Into the way of the Samaritanes enter ye not.