A57966:224
The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace
The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace containing something of the nature of the covenant of works, the sovereignty of God, the extent of the death of Christ ... the covenant of grace ... of surety or redemption between the by Samuel Rutherford ...The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace containing something of the nature of the covenant of works, the soveraignty of God, the extent of the death of Christ ... the covenant of grace ... of surety or redemption between the by Samuel Rutherford ...
Edinburgh: printed by Andro Anderson for Robert Brown, 1655
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.
Now that were a strange eke and excellency of the New Testament Covenant above the Old, to forfeit, without farther process, all Infants under the New Testament ⟨p. 76⟩of all Covenant-right, which was due to them of old under the Covenant which the Lord calls faulty: Egypt shall be my people, except their 1. Infants. 2. And except their aged, and their non-Saints. (5.) Infants in the former Covenant had right by birth to the means of salvation, to be taught and Catechised in the Law of the Lord, because born of Covenanting Parents within the Visible Church, and so had title to Covenant-calling, and GODS Covenant-choosing, Mat. 22.4. as is clear, Gen. 18.19. I know Abraham will command his Children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, Exod. 20.10. Deut. 6, 6, 7. And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy Children, Exod. 12▪ 26, 27. Ps. 78.4, 5, 6. Now if Infants be without the Covenant as the Infants of Pagans, then they have no more Covenant-right to the hearing of the Gospel, and a treaty with Christ, and Covenant, then Pagans have. Its not enough to say their Fathers owe that much natural compassion to their souls, as to teach them, it being a Parents duty; Yea, but what warrant hath a Father as a Father to make offer of a Covenant of Grace in the Name of GOD to one Pagan more then to another, since all are equally without the Covenant, if there be a Covenant-call warranted to them, where is the Fathers command to propone and engage the Covenanters consent, if the Children be Pagans? but as they have a right by birth to the call, they being born where the call soundeth, they must have some visible right to the Covenant it self, more then other Pagans. Its but of small weight to say that, Rom. 9. Paul expoundeth that in the New Testament, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, only of the spiritual seed, such as Jacob, who was predestinated to Glory, not of those that are carnally descended of Abraham, otherwise it should follow, that these that are in the Covenant, might believe that they should be saved, though void of Faith and Repentance.