A39697:177
Vindiciæ legis & fœderis
Vindiciæ legis & fœderis: or, A reply to Mr. Philip Cary's Solemn call Wherein he pretends to answer all the arguments of Mr. Allen, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Sydenham, Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. Roberts, and Dr. Burthogge, for the right of believers infants to baptism, by proving the law at Sinai, and the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, were the very same with Adam's covenant of works, and that because the gospel-covenant is absolute. By John Flavel minister of the gospel in Dartmouth
London: printed for M. Wolton, 1690
A REPLY TO Mr. Philip Cary's Solemn Call. › Section 3 › Argument 3: Argument III.
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.
Sol. 'Tis true, if those Works or Acts ours, which God requires, be under•od of meritorious Works in our own ⟨p. 72⟩Strength and Power to perform, it destroys the Free Grace of the Covenant; but this we utterly reject, and speak only of Faith wrought in us by the Spirit of God, which receives all from God, and gives the entire Glory to God, Ephes. 2. 5, 8.
Sol. T's true, if those Works or Acts ours, which God requires, be under•od of meritorious Works in our own ⟨p. 72⟩Strength and Power to perform, it destroys the Free Grace of the Covenant; but this we utterly reject, and speak only of Faith wrought in us by the Spirit of God, which receives all from God, and gives the entire Glory to God, Ephes. 2. 5, 8.
Obj. But you will say, If Faith be the Condition, and that Faith be not of our selves, then both the Promise and the Condition are on Gods part; (if you will call Faith a Condition) and so still on our part the Covenant is absolute.
Sol. This is a mistake, and the mistake in this leads you into all the rest; though Faith (which we call the Condition on our Part •e the Gift of God, and the power of Believing be derived from God; yet the act of believing is properly our act, though the power by which we believe be of God; else i would follow when we act any Grace, as Faith, Repentance or Obedience, tha God believes, repents, and obeys in us and it is not we, but God that doth al these. This, I hope, you will not dar to assert: They are truly our Works though wrought in Gods Strength, Is 26. 12. Lord, thou hast wrought all o