I cannot deny but I have met with such an Assertion before in Mr. Tombs and I can tell you too, that Bellarmine invented it before Mr. Tombs was born, and that Dr. Ames fully confuted it in his third Tome, Page 27. proving that there was no extraordinary cause o• Abraham's account, why God should justify or seal him more than any other Believer; and that Abraham had nothing to glory in before God. But to restrain▪ as you do, the public Seal of a Covenant, that comprehended and equally concerned the whole Church and People of God, to one single Person, so tha• neither Isaac nor Jacob, who were b• ⟨p. 47⟩name enrolled in that great Charter, •hould have any right to the Seal of it; •s such a Conceit as amazes an intelligent Reader. We know Abraham was the •rst that received it, but utterly deny •hat he received only for himself; but •e received it as the Father of all them •hat Believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, •s the very next words tell us, he re•eived it that he might be the Father of •ll that Believe, that is, for himself, and •ll his Spiritual Children. One half of his Sacrament of Circumcision you allow, •age 205. to the rest that were under […], viz. to be a sign of the Covenant; but •e other half you cut off, and say it •as only a Seal to him. What good vouchers have you for this Exposition •f the Text? Have you the Concurrence […] Orthodox Expositors? Or is it the rash •d bold Adventure of your own head? •am sure it no ways agrees with the drift •d scope of the Apostles Argument, which evidently is to prove, that both •ws and Gentiles are justified by Faith, as Abraham was; and that the Ground of •stification and Blessedness, is common •th to the uncircumcised Gentiles, and •cumcised Jews; and that Abraham, ⟨p. 48⟩and all other Believers, have but one way of Justification and Salvation; and that how great soever Abraham was, in this case he hath found nothing whereof to Glory, ver. 1, 2. and is not your Exposition a notable one, to prove the Community of the Privilege of Justification, because the Seal of it was peculiar to Abraham alone? rectify it, and better consider it.
I cannot deny but I have met with such an Assertion before in Mr. Tombes and I can tell you too, that Bellarmine invented it before Mr. Tombes was born, and that Dr. Ames fully confuted it in his third Tome, Page 27. proving that there was no extraordinary cause o• Abraham's account, why God should justifie or seal him more than any other Believer; and that Abraham had nothing to glory in before God. But to restrain▪ as you do, the publick Seal of a Covenant, that comprehended and equally concerned the whole Church and People of God, to one single Person, so tha• neither Isaac nor Jacob, who were b• ⟨p. 47⟩name enrolled in that great Charter, •hould have any right to the Seal of it; •s such a Conceit as amazes an intelligent Reader. We know Abraham was the •rst that received it, but utterly deny •hat he received only for himself; but •e received it as the Father of all them •hat Believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, •s the very next words tell us, he re•eived it that he might be the Father of •ll that Believe, that is, for himself, and •ll his Spiritual Children. One half of his Sacrament of Circumcision you allow, •age 205. to the rest that were under 〈…〉, viz. to be a sign of the Covenant; but •e other half you cut off, and say it •as only a Seal to him. What good •ouchers have you for this Exposition •f the Text? Have you the Concurrence 〈…〉 Orthodox Expositors? Or is it the rash •d bold Adventure of your own head? •am sure it no ways agrees with the drift •d scope of the Apostles Argument, hich evidently is to prove, that both ws and Gentiles are justified by Faith, as braham was; and that the Ground of stification and Blessedness, is common th to the uncircumcised Gentiles, and cumcised Jews; and that Abraham,
