A30345:536
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.
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.
Lastly, Some object, that they that are invited must either have Christ, he not dying for them, or misse 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 denie the prescience of God, because whencesoever this prescience commeth, it is altogether certaine, and from that is necessarily gathered an antecedent necessity of all things which are done. Socin. Praelect. cap. 8. And in the same forme 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 blasphemie.
And the answer to both these cavils is one, that certain it is Christ died for them that believe, and whosoever believeth in him truly and unfeignedly, shall have benefit by his death: but we need not, we cannot say, Christ died for them for whom he died not, or that God is changeable: For it is as sure and true, that they will not repent and believe for whom Christ died not. The connection is good, if the reprobate do repent and believe unfeignedly they