A30345:720
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.
The work of conversion is wrought in the will, not from any natural power of suffering, but from the obedience in which it is to Gods almighty power, which it cannot but obey, and come to any thing whereunto he will bring it. For the will hath no natural inclination to suffer any thing, both for the being and manner of it above nature, as in the eye now blind there is no natural power to receive sight. And if there were a power natural to receive conversion, then there must be some agent in nature able to work conversion: for there is not found a power natural of suffering in any thing, but there is found a power correspondent working upon it. But to leave the efficacy of grace to the liberty1 of mans will to choose or refuse, that doth make the will no instrument subject to Gods power, but giveth it power to do as it will, when God hath done all he may unto it. If God do not apply and determine the creature to will and work that which he worketh in the creature, then the creature is the cause why God worketh, and consequently why he willeth the conversion of man. For Gods concourse working this or that, must either go before the will, and so cause it to will, or else it must follow accomplishing that which man willeth. But the will of man hath no causal force on God himself, nor doth his will follow or attend upon the will of man. If the efficacy of grace depend upon the liberty of mans will, then God doth not certainly fore-know the conversion of man. For God cannot know this or that mans conversion certainly from eternity, but he must see it certain in himself, willing it, or in the causes of it, or he must see it from all eternity, as being present to himself out of the causes. But ⟨p. 342⟩if the efficacy of grace depend upon the liberty of mans will, God doth not certainly will and determine the conversion of man,2 nor is it determined in its causes or circumstances: and that he hath these things, as existing forth of their causes from eternity to eternity, co-existent with him, is an unconceivable absurdity. God doth see what a free creature will do, being set in such and such circumstances, because he doth see how his power would determine him in such and such occasions:
The worke of conversion is wrought in the will, not from any naturall power of suffering, but from the obedience in which it is to Gods almighty power, which it cannot but obey, and come to any thing whereunto he will bring it. For the will hath no naturall inclination to suffer any thing, both for the being and manner of it above nature, as in the eye now blinde there is no naturall power to receive sight. And if there were a power naturall to receive conversion, then there must be some agent in nature able to worke conversion: for there is not found a power naturall of suffering in any thing, but there is found a power correspondent working upon it. But to leave the efficacy of grace to the liberty