A41355:189
The Marrow of Modern Divinity
The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may clearly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserveth the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Jesus Christ leadeth to eternal life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the city of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of aThe marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a
London: printed by R. Leybourn for Giles Calvert, 1646
THE MARROW OF Modern Divinity.THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity.
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.
Nom. Then, Sir, it should seem that the covenant of works was added to the covenant of grace, to make it more complete.
Nom. Then, Sir, it should seem that the covenant of works was added to the covenant of grace, to make it more compleat.
Evan. 1O no, you are not so to understand the Apostle, as though it were added by way of ingrediency,2 as a part of the covenant of grace, as if that covenant had been incomplete without the covenant of works, for then the same covenant should have consisted of contradictory materials, and so it should have overthrown it self; for, saith the Apostle, If it be by grace, then is it no more of works, 3otherwise grace is no more grace; But if it be of works, then is it no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work. But it was added by way of subserviency and attendance, the better so advance and make effectual the covenant of ⟨p. 47⟩grace; so that although the same covenant that was made with Adam, was renewed on mount Sinai, yet I say still it was not for the same purpose; for this was it God aimed in making the covenant of works with man in innocency,4 to have that which was his due from man. But God made it with the Israelites for no other end, than that man being thereby convinced of his weakness, might fly to Christ; so that it was renewed only to help forward and introduce another, and a better covenant, and so to be a manuduction unto Christ, viz. to discover sin, to waken the conscience, and convince them of their own impotency, and so to drive them out of themselves to Christ. Know it then, I beseech you, that all this while there was no other way of life given either in whole, or in part, then the covenant of grace: all this while God did but pursue the design of his own grace, And therefore was there no inconstancy either in Gods will, or acts; only such was his mercy, that he subordinated the covenant of works,