A30345:657
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.
Thirdly, our Saviour Christ as man is taken to have prerogative before every other creature. For this phrase of setting at his right hand, noteth the preeminence of him, as next to God himself: that look as one made a King, hath a dignity above all persons named in his Kingdom, Dukes, Earls, Lords: So our Saviour taken up as man to this kingly dignity, must needs be in preeminence before them. It is no wonder, for this nature essentially appertaineth to that person, which made all these things, visible and invisible. Again, every person, the nearer he is in conjunction of blood to an earthly King, the more he hath prerogative1 above others, more dis-joined: so this created nature, seeing it is made one personally with God, by how much it is more nearly united, by so much it is fit that it should have prerogative before others. Not to speak, that being heir of all things, it is meet that he should be before all, who are but parts of his inheritance, and having more excellent endowments, I mean created gifts than any other, it is meet he should have the first place before all other. Christ is set far above all principality, and power, and might, and domination: which words are commonly understood of the Angels, but the two first words may fitly be interpreted as names of excellency found in this present world. For principalities and powers when they are put for angelical natures, they are not termed so simply, but with an addition to the place; but these words put for humane excellencies, we read them simply, without any thing added. And this distribution of power named in this world, and in that to come,2 respecteth something in this enumeration fore-named, the former these two first named, the latter the couple following.
Thirdly, our Saviour Christ as man is taken to have prerogative before every other creature. For this phrase of setting at his right hand, noteth the preheminence of him, as next to God himselfe: that looke as one made a King, hath a dignity above all persons named in his Kingdome, Dukes, Earles, Lords: So our Saviour taken up as man to this kingly dignity, must needs be in preheminence before them. It is no wonder, for this nature essentially appertaineth to that person, which made all these things, visible and invisible. Againe, every person, the nearer he is in conjunction of bloud to an earthly King, the more he hath prerogat•ve