A30345:529
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 to grant the Covenant is general will avail them nothing. There is no force in this argument, the Covenant of grace is made with some, none being excluded, if they repent and believe, therefore Christ died for every man, rather we may strongly1 argue, Christ died not for every man, because God is not the God of all by Covenant. But the invitation is general, scil. in the days of grace and to them that hear it, and the promise universal to every believer: we add, the invitation is serious, showing ⟨p. 244⟩what God is well pleased with, and doth approve in us, scil. that which he persuadeth with arguments in themselves forcible to move and incite, and what he will perform, if we make good the condition. We add, that the party invited is passively capable of the invitation, that no man of what state or condition soever is hindered or kept back from coming to Christ by any cause efficient or deficient out of man himself, which doth either constrain or necessitate his not coming: and he that refuseth to come, refuseth not through inability, as unable, though unwilling and desirous to embrace it, but willingly preferring some base inferior good before it. But this argueth only the sufficiency of Christs death, that all men should be saved, if they did believe, and the efficiency thereof, that the members of the visible Church should be invited seriously, and those that be effectually called should inherit the promise.
and then to grant the Covenant is generall will availe them nothing. There is no force in this argument, the Covenant of grace is made with some, none being exluded, if they repent and believe, therefore Christ died for every man, rather we may strongly1 argue, Christ died not for every man, because God is not the God of all by Covenant. But the invitation is generall, scil. in the daies of grace and to them that heare it, and the promise universall to every believer: we adde, the invitation is serious, shewing ⟨p. 244⟩what God is well pleased with, and doth approve in us, scil. that which he perswadeth with arguments in themselves forcible to move and incite, and what he will performe, if we make good the condition. We adde, that the party invited is passively capable of the invitation, that no man of what state or condition soever is hindred or kept backe from comming to Christ by any cause efficient or deficient out of man himselfe, which doth either constraine or necessitate his not comming: and he that refuseth to come, refuseth not through inability, as unable, though unwilling and desirous to imbrace it, but willingly preferring some base inferiour good before it. But this argueth only the sufficiency of Christs death, that all men should be saved, if they did believe, and the efficiency thereof, that the members of the visible Church should be invited seriously, and those that be effectually called should inherit the promise.