A30345:541
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 if Christ died thus for his people, seed, inheritance, sheep, and Church, he died not equally for all and every man: for then in his death he considered none to be made his sheep or brethren before others, nor did he purchase grace that one should be made the child of God rather then another. For though grace be distributed, in different degrees, yet that being so common to them that believe and them that believe not, that sometimes the greater measure is given to them that reject and cast it off, it cannot be the cause why one man differs from another.
And if Christ died thus for his people, seed, inheritance, sheep, and Church, he died not equally for all and every man: for then in his death he considered none to be made his sheep or brethren before others, nor did he purchase grace that one should be made the child of God rather then another. For though grace be distributed, in different degrees, yet that being so common to them that beleeve and them that beleeve not, that sometimes the greater measure is given to them that reject and cast it off, it cannot be the cause why one man differs from another.
Many things are answered to this argument; As first, that it is1 not said Christ died for his sheep, or brethren only, and that his dying for them doth not exclude others; as Paul saith, Christ died for him, applying the death of Christ to himself, but not excluding others. But the instance is not like; for these words (for me) are not disjunctive to distinguish Paul from the rest of the faithful, but from unbelievers, or them that were not in the same state or kind. This is a privilege common to Paul with all believers, that Christ died for him: in respect of them then it is not disjunctive, but in respect of them who be not partners in that prerogative, it is disjunctive. Therefore the example doth rather prove the speech to be restrictive, then otherwise: for as these words of Paul, Who loved me, and gave himself for me, distinguish Paul from the company of unbelievers, and so are exclusive: in like manner are these words of our Saviour, I lay down my life for my sheep, restrictive and exclusive. In those Texts there is no exclusive particle expressed, but the proposition for sense is restrictive. For when difference or distinction is contained in some term, the Proposition is for sense exclusive, no less then if it was