A39697:282
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 5: Argument V.
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.
And here I had put an end to this Debate, had I not received your Return to some of these Sheets, whilst the last of them was under my Hand; wherein I only find four things in which I am concerned. In general, you tell me, You are not convinced of any Error, by what I have said. I am sorry to hear it: But considering the nature of Error on one side, and the difficulty of Self-denial on the other, you have not much deceived my Expectation. More particularly,
And here I had put an end to this Debate, had I not received your Return to some of these Sheets, whilst the last of them was under my Hand; wherein I only find four things in which I am concerned. In general, you tell me, You are not convinced of any Error, by what I have said. I am sorry to hear it: But considering the nature of Error on one side, and the difficulty of Self-denial on the other, you have not much deceiv'd my Expectation. More particularly,
(1.) You say, As to your hooking the Sinai Covenant into this Controversy, I gave you the first occasion of it; for when you showed me your Papers about God's Covenant with Abraham, I told you that you were best first to try if you could prove the Covenant at Sinai to be a Covenant of Works; forasmuch as our Divines are so far from conceiting the Covenant with Abraham to be a Covenant of Works, that they will not allow the Sinai Law it self to be so; and to convince you of it, I lent you Mr. Roberts and Mr. Sedgewick on the Covenant, to enlighten and satisfy you about ⟨p. 134⟩it: But little did I think you had had Confidence enough to enter the Lists with two such learned and eminent Divines, and make them to follow your triumphant Chariot, shackled with the incomparable Baxter and Allen, Sydenham and Burthogg, like three pair of Noble Prisoners of War. But whatever was the occasion, (setting aside your Sin) I am not sorry you have given a fit opportunity to enlighten the World in that Point also.
(1.) You say, As to your hooking the Sinai Covenant into this Controversie, I gave you the first occasion of it; for when you shew'd me your Papers about God's Covenant with Abraham, I told you that you were best first to try if you could prove the Covenant at Sinai to be a Covenant of Works; forasmuch as our Divines are so far from conceiting the Covenant with Abraham to be a Covenant of Works, that they will not allow the Sinai Law it self to be so; and to convince you of it, I lent you Mr. Roberts and Mr. Sedgewick on the Covenant, to enlighten and satisfie you about