A30345:535
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.
But in respect of the good pleasure of God not to give them grace to repent and believe, which of his rich mercy he gives to others, who have abused what they received no less, perhaps more then they, the end is to manifest his justice in them, for the contempt of his grace. For what God doth command, entreat, persuade and promise, that he doth will as he doth command, in •reat, persuade and promise it. But as God doth justly deny that grace to one, which of his free love he vouchsafeth unto another, so he willeth to manifest his justice in the one sort, and the riches of his grace in the other.
But in respect of the good pleasure of God not to give them grace to repent and believe, which of his rich mercy he gives to others, who have abused what they received no lesse, perhaps more then they, the end is to manifest his justice in them, for the contempt of his grace. For what God doth command, intreat, perswade and promise, that he doth will as he doth command, in •reat, perswade and promise it. But as God doth justly denie that grace to one, which of his free love he vouchsafeth unto another, so he willeth to manifest his justice in the one sort, and the riches of his grace in the other.
Lastly, Some object, that they that are invited must either have Christ, he not dying for them, or miss of Christ though they repented, whereof the former would argue mutability, that Christ should die for men, and not die for them, and the latter would be a breach of promise. A conceit not much unlike, drove Socinus to deny the prescience of God, because whencesoever this prescience cometh, it is altogether certain, and from that is necessarily gathered an antecedent necessity of all things which are done. Socin. Praelect. cap. 8. And in the same form and manner a man may reason from the prescience of God, if God approve the repentance and faith of them, whom he doth certainly foreknow to have no portion or benefit by the death of Christ, then either if they repent they shall have no benefit, which is contrary to his promise, or if they have benefit, then is God deceived, neither of which can be admitted without blasphemy.