A34674:275
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.
3. A third sort go a step beyond these, they have been convinced that they went forth •o Reformation in their own strength: they plainly see it, and discern it, and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousness of the Law, and that it is not of works, neither of one kind, nor of another; they are convinced that Faith only must do the deed, and upon this ground they will take up Faith to believe in Christ for salvation, and that Faith, which formerly they have pitched upon their good duties, they will now pitch upon Christ; ⟨p. 194⟩but still it is the same Faith, for the root is not yet burnt up, the old corruption still remaineth in them, and so here is your old faith still translated from one object to another; it was fastened before upon your duties and reformations, and now upon Christ (though by creature-strength) and now a man is ready to plead and say, If God had not loved me, he would never have set me upon such reformations, nor have enlarged me with such comforts, if he had not been well pleased with me in Jesus Christ. And though I have been sometimes burnt up touching my hope in reformation, yet I have translated my Faith to Jesus Christ; but how came you to do that? Why, I saw my hopes in my own reformation would not serve my turn, and therefore I believed in Jesus Christ, and now shall nothing draw me from him, nor pull me from my confidence, for I have built upon some word of God, and some Promise of his made unto such reformation as I have set upon, and is not this true Faith in Jesus Christ? This is far from true Faith, it is no other but a strong fallacy whereby the Devil doth cheat ⟨p. 195⟩men, and in truth this Faith is but a Faith of a mans own making (that I may so speak) it is no more than a spirit of Burning at the best, that hath burnt up his confidence in his own works, and taught him to resolve in his judgment to believe on Jesus Christ.
3. A third sort goe a step beyond these, they have been convinced that they went forth •o Reformation in their owne strength: they plainly see it, and discerne it, and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousnesse of the Law, and that it is not of works, neither of one kind, nor of another; they are convinced that Faith onely must doe the deed, and upon this ground they will take up Faith to believe in Christ for salvation, and that Faith, which formerly they have pitched upon their good duties, they will now pitch upon Christ;