A76991:13
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
The true bounds of Christian freedom or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the several late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned John Cameron's, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.The true bounds of Christian freedome or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the severall late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned Iohn Camerons, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.
London: printed by J.L. for Philemon Stephens, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
To the Christian Reader.
Thou art not I conceive such a stranger to these times but thou knowest, that as God hath communicated many truths; so hath Satan sought to vent many errors; Hereby labouring to prejudice and weaken the reception of the one, if he could not prevail to the entertainment of the other. Indeed it is his best season for merchandizing, at such a time he finds most Chapmen, and in the heat of the Market while men are buying truths, he may hope to put off some of his own wares; which that he may make more vendible, he will seek to pass them under as honourable notions, and not stick to language them into your hearts under as spiritual conceptions, as truth it self. He hath a long time walked as a prince of darkness, and because he can deceive no longer in that shape, he now transforms himself into an Angel of light. He went a long time bare-faced, and was successful; when he was discovered he put on a ⟨image 6⟩mask, under which he hath walked many generations. And that being taken off also, he now dissembles the very visage of truth: Of all errors, none are more seductive then such which are handed to men under the notions of Free Grace, and none more destructive, they are poison in the heart, poison in the fountain. I need not tell thee how many of this kind have been vented, and entertained. For the reducing of those who are carried away, the establishing of those who stagger, and the building up of those who are in some measure settled in the truth; this following Treatise being first preached (through the long and earnest importunity of many friends) is now Printed.
THou art not I conceive such a stranger to these times but thou knowest, that as God hath communicated many truths; so hath Satan sought to vent many errors; Hereby labouring to prejudice and weaken the reception of the one, if hee could not prevaile to the entertainment of the other. Indeed it is his best season for merchandizing, at such a time he finds most Chapmen, and in the heat of the Market while men are buying truths, he may hope to put off some of his own wares; which that he may make more vendible, he will seeke to passe them under as honourable notions, and not stick to language them into your hearts under as spirituall conceptions, as truth it selfe. He hath a long time walked as a prince of darknesse, and because he can deceive no longer in that shape, he now transformes himselfe into an Angel of light. He went a long time bare-faced, and was successefull; when he was discovered he put on a