A30345:723
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.
A common cause doth not distinguish: but if grace be common to them that believe, and them that believe not, it is only the common cause of conversion, and doth not separate the believer from the unbeliever. Men are said to sanctify, purge and free themselves, as the instruments of God, and free agents subordinate to grace predetermining: but the Scripture never saith that man is the cause, separating himself from the number of reprobates externally called in like manner with himself. Conversion, as it is an act supernatural in us, should be the effect of divine vocation: but the cause of comparative vocation should be the mere will or pleasure of the creature. Grace and liberty cannot be mixed together in the partiality of the cause, because liberty (as the Patrons of that opinion hold) is a free, indifferent, elective cause: but grace, a cause determinate to produce one effect. The use of grace is the application of actual grace to act. But if the efficacy of grace depend upon the liberty of mans will, neither grace preventing nor co-operating doth apply grace to it work: not preventing grace, because no mere power, as such, doth actuate it self: nor co-operating, because in order of causality it goeth not before the ⟨p. 343⟩efficiency of the will. If God give to believe, and not only power1 to believe, to believe, and not only to believe, when we will to believe; then by grace he determineth the will to believe, suffer, will; and the efficacy of grace is reduced unto God, willing and determining. And if he work in us both to will and to do,2 not according to the liberty of our will, but his own good pleasure: if to will and do, inclinably, rightly and well, and not so as we may resist, then he determineth the will to will and do by his grace.
A common cause doth not distinguish: but if grace be common to them that believe, and them that believe not, it is only the common cause of conversion, and doth not separate the believer from the unbeliever. Men are said to sanctifie, purge and free themselves, as the instruments of God, and free agents subordinate to grace predetermining: but the Scripture never saith that man is the cause, separating himselfe from the number of reprobates externally called in like manner with himselfe. Conversion, as it is an act supernaturall in us, should be the effect of divine vocation: but the cause of comparative vocation should be the meere will or pleasure of the creature. Grace and liberty cannot be mixed together in the partiality of the cause, because liberty (as the Patrons of that opinion hold) is a free, indifferent, elective cause: but grace, a cause determinate to produce one effect. The use of grace is the application of actuall grace to act. But if the efficacie of grace depend upon the liberty of mans will, neither grace preventing nor co-operating doth apply grace to it worke: not preventing grace, because no meere power, as such, doth actuate it self: nor co-operating, because in order of causality it goeth not before the