A47399:172
[The axe laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of…[The ax laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of…
[The axe laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of infant baptism and church-membership containing an exposition of that metaphorical text of Holy Scripture, Mat. 3, 10].[The ax laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of infant baptism and church-membership containing an exposition of that metaphorical text of Holy Scripture, Mat. 3, 10].
London : Printed for the author, and are to be sold by John Harris, 1693
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.
As to those great Advantages, Blessings, and Privileges of the Covenant of Works, which you talk of, I wonder what they were; for the Covenant of Works could not give Life, no Justification, nor Righteousness (that could) save by that Covenant, no pardon of Sin; but, contrariwise, Death, Wrath, and the Curse, is denounced upon every Soul of Man, for the breach of it. How vain then are your Arguments? in the Gospel is Life, is Justification, is Pardon of Sin, to every Man that believeth; To the Jew first, and also to the Gentiles, Rom. 1.16. Time would fail me, to show how absurd your Notions are, to what almost all our Learned Protestant Divines, have wrote about the Covenant of Works. —
As to those great Advantages, Blessings, and Privileges of the Covenant of Works, which you talk of, I wonder what they were; for the Covenant of Works could not give Life, no Justification, nor Righteousness (that could) save by that Covenant, no pardon of Sin; but, contrarywise, Death, Wrath, and the Curse, is denounced upon every Soul of Man, for the breach of it. How vain then are your Arguments? in the Gospel is Life, is Justification, is Pardon of Sin, to every Man that believeth; To the Iew first, and also to the Gentiles, Rom. 1.16. Time would fail me, to sh•w how absurd your Notions are, to what almost all our Learned Protestant Divines, have wrote about the Covenant of Works. —
The Jewish Infants received no Soul Spiritual, and Eternal Advantage by Circumcision: (What the chief Advantage, or Profit was which they h•d thereby, St. Paul tells us, Rom. 3.1, 2.) Tho' it was commanded of God, for the Ends, and Designs, I have already mentioned; and if so, What Benefit can any Infant receive by Baptism, (or rather Rantism) which is a mere humane Innovation? You confess, it was instituted by the Church, as a needful Thing, p. 37. And the Church hath Instituted it, because it is needful; it was indeed never Instituted, or Appointed by our Lord Jesus: And,