A34674:142
The Covenant of Grace
The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregational churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodadation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregationall churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.
London: printed by M.S. for Francis Eglesfield and John Allen, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Answ. No: Persecution will not clear the difference, for though the stony ground indeed fell off upon point of persecution, yet the thorny soil did not so: many Papists have died for their Religion, and how much more then may some hypocrites do it, yea, even give his body to be burned, and yet want Jesus Christ, and everlasting salvation by him? 1 Cor. 13.3. Now when a poor Christian cometh, and seeth how much such an one doth magnify God, both in doing and suffering, and yet falleth away, it maketh him conclude, surely I also at the length shall turn away from the Lord. So that whether you look at the Root, or Rule, or Scope and Bent of holiness, an hypocrite will carry all things in so fair a way, that you shall hardly discover him to his very death, and when a Christian comes to measure his own sanctification by this mans, he will verily think the one to be as light as the other, and unless it be one that hath his wits well exercised, marvellous much ado he hath to clear himself in such a point as this. ⟨p. 73⟩There be that think there is no reality in hypocritical sanctification, but certainly it is a real work, and not a mere counterfeit of spiritual gifts. There are indeed some that do merely pretend it, and do but outwardly make fair weather in their profession, but believe it, it is not so in all hypocrites: there is a real work in some. Heb. 6.4,5. They are enlightened and have tasted, &c. which things are real and not imaginary, God casting in their own ends, and their own glory in their way, the servants of God have given them the right hand of fellowship, and so long they have held out, that it was never known when they did Apostate: yea, and so glorious may this sanctification be, that it may dazzle the eyes of the best of Gods children, & especially of poor Christians, and most of all discourage when they are seen to fall away. This very point hath been one principal Root of Arminianism, as another is, that men receive Christ by their own Free will: they are able to prove that there is not only a pretence in hypocrites, but real work, and so indeed the Scripture doth call it, sanctification, ⟨p. 74⟩Heb. 10.29. Now hereupon they do believe that the very best of the servants of God may depart from and forsake their justifying faith;