is regeneration So that it is most plaine that euen in the worke of regeneration man may submit to it or hinder it God conuerteth no man against his will neither doth God force the will he onely bendeth the will by perswasions of promises and threatnings which man may submit vnto or dispise as before Ereu. What say you to that place of Math. 22. Compell them to come in Odeg. I say that power of compulsion was giuen to the seruants of the King and that was no other then by vsing strong arguments and perswasions through the power of the Spirit in them whereby they compelled or constrained the Gentiles to come vnto the mariage not by any violent working vpon their wills but perswading their wills by force of reason Thus is Lidia said to compell or constraine Paul to her house Act 16. â—5 not by vsing any thing else but strong perswasions and earnest intreaties Ereu. What say you to Ioh. 6. No man can come vnto me except the Father draw him Odeg. Reade the place and you shall see how the Father draweth vs vnto him not by any violent compulsion but by teaching for it is written in vers 45. Ioh. 6 4â— And they shall be all taught of God euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth to mee Thus God draweth not otherwise If he should not send his heauenly doctrine thus to draw men they could neuer come to Christ and therefore that any come to Christ it is by the Fathers drawing which drawing men haue power to put from them and resist as before hath beene proued Ereu. What say you to that place Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both the will and the deede Odeg. God worketh all both in willing and doing wheresoeuer it is onely by his Word and Spirit perticularly the worke of regeneration hee worketh in man to will it and to doe it at which time man may submit vnto this worke of God and so be a co-worker with him Rom. 10.3 2. Cor. 6.1 or else he may resist this worke of God and put it from him as before hath beene largely proued And I desire it be obserued that some of the Caluinists granting that the vnregenerate hath power and will to resist hauing free-will to all euill as they say they grant the thing that we maintaine which is that God sending his Word and Spirit to worke our regeneration wee may resist it or not resist it If they affirme as some of them doe for they are deuided that the Elect though vnregenerate for so they imagine cannot resist then they hold the vnregenerate hath no more free-will to euill then to good contrary to their former opinion and to all the holy Scriptures and then is man depriued of all power to euill aswell as to good and God onely worketh both and that by compulsion wherin man hath no power to resist neither the good nor the euill Further it is confessed and it hath sufficiently beene proued that Adam in innocencie had not onely free-will but ability also to worke righteousnesse in the fight of his Creator but hauing sinned he lost not all will and power as is confessed and hath been proued but will and power to worke righteousnesse in the sight of God that hee lost and in stead thereof had a will and power to flye and hide himselfe from Gods presence but receiuing a proclamation from the Lord that his good pleasure was to shew him mercy in the promised seede and that he so loued him that he would not haue him perish but be saued here by is his will affected againe to seeke him euen by the loue and mercy of this good God who destroyed him not for his sinne but called him to his Grace and seeing his flesh vnable to please him sendeth him his Sonne whom if he will beleeue and obey he shall be made iust and righteous also the Lord setting before him life and death saluation through faith in Christ and condemnation through not beleeuing and vsing many reasons to the vnderstanding of man to chuse life and to auoide death Mans will is hereby perswaded to come againe to him from whom he runne away and to cry I haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. and so to submit to this Grace of God thus did God worke in Adam both the will and the deed not creating in him another will but changing his will from euill to good by reasons and perswasions this same did God in these Philippians and doth in all who haue no will nor power to come vnto him but God by the power of his Word and Spirit shewing him the benefit of life and the torment of eternall death and also that although of himselfe he cannot worke righteousnesse yet if he will beleeue in and obey Christ his Son he will in him accept his imperfect obedience and account him iust by this meanes and not otherwise is the will and deede wrought by God Thus much of mans will Of the Originall estate of Man-kinde Ereu. THis being the estate of men of vnderstanding which formerly you haue declared I now desire to be satisfied what is the estate of all Infants by generation that haue no vnderstanding whether they are in the estate of saluation or condemnation Odeg. I answer you that no Infant whatsoeuer is in the estate of condemnation of Hell with the wicked which I proue thus 1. Without sinne there is no condemnation RoÌ„ 6.23 Ezek. 18.4 20. 2. Without transgression of the Law there is no sinne 1. Iohn 3.4 RoÌ„ 5.13 It followeth then if Infants haue transgressed no Law there is no condemnation to them Ereu. I grant that without sinne there is no condemnatioÌ„ also without transgression of a law there is no sinne But had not Infants a Law giuen them in Adam Thou shalt not eate c and so Adam sinning they sinned in him to condemnation in hell Odeg. The Law giuen to Adam was Thou shalt not eat c In which is to be considered Adam had a life being when that Law was giuen but Infants had no life nor being as that time * Rom. 7. â— And the Law is giuen to them that knowes it and it hath dominion ouer a man as long as he liueth Therfore Infants hauing no being and so no knowledge nor being then liuing that Law had no dominion ouer them Ereu. But were not all men in Adams loynes and so hee sinning wee sinned Rom 5. Chap. Odeg. True it is we were in Adam but how not to bring any soule to Hell for the breach of that commandement Thou sh lt not eate for so the Lord hath said whose wayes are most equal All soules are mine both the soule of the Father and the soule of the Son that soule that sinneth it shall dye Yet as then that wicked Prouerbe was vsed The Fathers haue eaten sowre grages the Childrens teeth are set on edge and
Pitcher attribute this to God that in word he forbiddeth Adam and all men to sinne and in very deed willeth sinne hath so decreed it that it cannot be auoyded Is not this high blasphemie to make God an hypocrite who so hateth hypocrites Now to proue that God decreed not nor laid an necessity that Adam should fall consider God did not leaue him vnfurnished with any thing that might support him in that estate in which hee created him as first that God prouided him a most delectable place Paradice secondly that hee prouided all manner food sufficient for his conseruation besides the tree of knowledge so that he was no way forced to eate of that tree thirdly he had a most fit helpe and comfort for him his wife Heuah fourthly he had domination ouer the creatures fiftly God left him not idle but appointed him worke least Satan should thereby fill him with inuentions for want of imployment * Math. 13.24 as he doth at such times sixtly he gaue him a holy Lawe the penaltie for the breach whereof was death seauenthly and lastly he gaue him will power not to haue eaten as the contrary minded confesse all which manifestly proueth against all gainesayers that God did neither decree or laid any necessitie vpon Adam to transgresse and so fall from that estate If any obiect that if God would not that Adam should fall he would not haue giuen him a Lawe to ensnare him I answer that the giuing of the Lawe was that God might retaine his Soueraigntie ouer man and that man might testifie his dutifull subiection to his Lord and Creator and also that God might be iust in punishing transgression and mercifull in forgiuing through repentance and faith in Christ and therefore I conclude with th'Apostle Rom. 7.12 wherfore euery Law of God is holy and the Commandement holy and iust good and God doth no more intend to ensnare any man by any of his righteous Lawes then a iust King doth intend to ensnare any by making iust Lawes against malefactors Further I demaund if Adam was not created the Sonne of God Ereu. Yea for Luke saith it plainely in reckoning the Genealogie of Iesus Christ Luke 3. Odeg. Christ argueth thus * Mat. 7.11 If you which are euill doe good vnto your Children how much more shall your heauenly Father From whence I reason If euill men haue so much goodnes that they would not beget Children to misery what impietie is it to thinke such a thing of God as that hee created Adam his owne sonne to sinne and so to misery and that of necessitie And besides Nature teacheth in all the workes of God that there is naturally in euery creature Loue towards those that are begotten by them which proceedeth from their Creator and therefore it must needes follow that God is endued with the same good if out of the fountaine of his owne Loue hee impart that qualitie vnto other thinges Ereu. I thinke that cannot be denyed Odeg But to create Adam vnto misery and wretchednes is no signe of loue but of hatred Moses writeth thus Let vs make Man in our owne Image like vnto vs who may gouerne c. Tell me nowe is sinne the Image of God Ereu. No but the defacing of the Image of God Odeg. Therefore if man were created vnto the Image of God surely he was created vnto righteousnes and not vnto sinne Now concerning the Lordship that God giueth him ouer the Earth and liuing Creatures is that sinne Ereu. No in no case for by sinne not onely this Soueraigne power is abolished but euen the life of Man * Rom. 6.23 for the reward of sinne is death Odeg. You say very right Now that saying Let vs make man in our Image is his Creation and that saying which may rule is his Destination or the thing whereunto in creation he is appointed now if both of them be vnto righteousnes and not vnto sinne surely it followeth that sinne hath his beginning neither from Creation nor Destination Moreouer God himselfe witnessing that all whatsoeuer hee had made was very good doth shew also that man was very good also God placed him in Paradice * 2 Cor. 12 4. Reuel 2.7 a figure of that blessed life Therefore it is manifest Adam was Created placed and destined vnto righteousnes and happines and not to sinne and misery Ereu. How then came he to sinne and misery Odeg. Not by Gods Creation or Destination but by his owne disobedience of the most righteous Law of God Thou shalt not eate c. Ereu. Could not God that made him vnto righteousnes and blessednes haue made him also that he could not bee depriued of that estate For this is it that troubleth all men therefore they conclude that because hee sinned and God hindred him not it was Gods will yea and decree that hee should sinne for nothing can bee done against his will say they Odeg. Two thinges I must heere manifest 1. In what estate God made Adam which I desire may be well obserued 2. That many thinges bee done against the will of God For the first I answer it is an ignorant conceite of theirs for if God had made Adam that he could not but continue righteous he must haue made him God like himselfe vnchangeable or if God had made him that he could not but sinne what was he then but as the Deuils now are vnchangeable But God in making Man made a very good creature yet subiect to change by hauing his will brought to submit vnto euill through the Deuils temptations so that I may conclude that God could not make Man otherwise then he made him a reasonable creature yet mutable able to obey his righteous precepts which if he did hee would continue him in that blessed estate bee created him in if not he would bring vpon him his iudgements God not forcing him either way Further if God had made Adam vnchangeably good that he could not breake his righteous Law then it had bene to no purpose to set a penaltie to that law which could not bee transgressed And then had those most holy attributes of God his Iustice to punish sinne and his Mercy to pardon vpon repentance beene vtterly without vse towards man but if any obiect God making man changeable it proueth that God decreed he should fall that he might make way for these his attributes I answer it is a false conclusion for although God did know Adam would sinne and prouided meanes of mercy for his sinne yet hee did not decree and force him to sinne for the cause aforesaide as also himselfe testifieth As he liueth hee would haue no man transgresse and so come vnder the execution of his Iustice * Ezek. 18. 33. Secondly Adam against the will of God eate of the Tree of knowledge Pharaoh against the will of God would not let the people goe The Isralites often and many times rebelled against Gods will yea they did thinges
of the earth which sheweth they sinned but there can be no sinne without a Law neither would God haue destroyed the world but for offending hiâ— Maiesty which offences are breaking a iust Law giuen them of God Also all people after beginning at Noahs sonnes euen till Moses are said to doe well or euill whiâ—h actions must bee so iudged by some rule or Law And the Law of Moses was not giuen because there was no Law before but to reuiue or bring into remembrance those iust and holy rules which were almost forgotten and to make sinne out of measure sinâ—â—ll by this Law as also to keepe a truer obseruatioÌ„ of those things which did type out CHRIST and of what race he should come that when he came all might know that it was hee that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ereu. Indeed it is saide that all haue sinned both Iew and Gentile and sinne is the transgression of a Law so it plainely appeares as you said that all had a Law or else they could not haue sinned for where there is no Lawe there is no transgression but what is that Law the Gentiles had and that before the Flood also Odeg. It is two folde first it is written in the hearts of men euen in Nature who hath a conscience * Rom. 2.14 15.26.27 to excuse them if they doe the thinges of the Law or to accuse them if they doe that the Law forbids Secondly that which may be known of God he hath shewed it to all men not onely in the qualities of body minde but also by other his workes For the inuisible thinges of GOD * Rom. 1.19 20. Deut. 4.19 Psal 19.1.6 Iob. 12.7.8 Act. 14.17 17.24.29 Iob. 38.39.40.41 that is his eternall Power and Godhead are seene by the Creation of the world being considered in his works to the intent that all should be without excuse so that the workes of God which are seene of all men are a Law to teach them to feare and dread and to seek after the worke master to know his will so that it is most euident all men haue a Law the breach of which bringeth them vnder wrath Ereu. Two thinges let me demaund of you more one is whether this Law of the Gentiles be different from that which the Iewes had the other the time when both is required to bee obserued of man Odeg. The Law giuen both to Iew Gentile is one the same for as God is but one his Law is but one for the Law that is written in the heart is the * RoÌ„ 2.14 15. effect of that written in the letter Besides the Gentiles in all their actions haue bene condemned or iustified by the Law of Moses and the Iewes haue been condemned oftentimes by the actions of the Gentiles contained in the Law who wanted a Law of the letter Also obserue that it is the Law of workes vnto both and both are bound to obserue it euen of themselues with out an helper as they are the worke of God by creation as was Adam which when by reason of the weakenes of their Flesh they cannot keepe CHRIST is prouided to relieue them To the second part of your question I answer the Law is to bee obserued when it is giuen to a man that is when he comes to vnderstanding and when his conscience giues him peace by keeping it and warre for breaking it not till then which qualities are not in Babes for they discerne not earthly thinges and * Ioh. 3.12 how then should they discerne heauenly but when they can discerne thinges of the earth that differ * Luk. 12.56.57 as times and seasons and the like then are they iustly taxed for not knowing Gods matters there must bee a Conscience vnto which a Law is giuen which Infants haue not for Conscience is Of Infants estate hereafter at large a knowledge to a mans selfe of accusing or excusing which who so hath are breakers of the Law for though the Law be holy and iust yet flesh is weake and the Tempter strong that all when they come to haue the Law doe plunge themselues into miserie by breaking it and must be saued by CHRISTS sufferings and Faith in him Now it remaineth to proue how all may come to the knowledge of CHRIST for it is cleare all haue a Law and all are sinners and no way of reconciliation but by CHRIST Ereu. Now if it can bee shewed that Christ hath beene and still is offered to all that haue sinned and that they haue put him away and the fault is their owne and condemnation from themselues and God freed from partialitie then I am satisfied Odeg. It cannot be denyed but Adam and Heuah the first transgressors had Christ offered by the seede of the Woman promised Gen. 3. and so their generation as they tooke notice of their sinne so they tooke notice of Christ by whom they must be freed from their sinne Habell and Caine vnderstood it Gen. 4. as appeareth by their Offerings also Henoch the seauenth from Adam remembred it those were called the Sonnes of GOD which could not be but by Grace the Law made them not so Noah knew it well for he found Grace in the sight of God which is through Christ not by workes for that were not by fauour but by debt he also preached CHRIST by the same Spirit that Peter preached him to the olde world euen to them that are now in prison After the Flood Noah with his little Family offred Sacrifice which was a type of Christ from which action all his Sonnes could doe no lesse but take notice of as of the Deluge it selfe and so to conuay it by tradition to all their generations In Abrahams time it is apparant that Christ was remembred till the Law and vnder the Law written it is not doubted but he was knowne For our Fathers did all eate â— Cor. 10. c. and that Rocke was Christ Also the Sacrifices of the Gentiles though in an Idolatrous manner doth plainely show that the remembrance of Christ was among them for they offending knew there was no way to make peace but by a Sacrifice they vpheld Sacrifices which either they had from their Ancestors as one Generation tooke it from another or else somthing moued them to doe it of themselues as a troubled conscience which must be quieted by Sacrifice so yâ— we may see among all sorts of men there was a kinde of acknowledging CHRIST though by most in an euill manner which augments their sinne euen as now at this day there be many that acknowledgeth him falsly which indeed is not him but a false Christ in stead of him all which proueth that euer there was the remembrance of a pacifier though the right one was missed which was their owne fault and not Gods for why might not euery one haue found the right aswell as some God would haue all to be saued
darke but cleare and euident that all haue euer had or might haue had if they had would Christ aswell as the Law giuen vnto them Ereu. Now indeed these thinges seeme to be very true but I must intreat you to make plaine vnto me that which Paul hath writteÌ„ to the Romans concerning Election that there remain no scruple nor doubt in my minde that disputation of Paul troubleth many by reason it is handled so darkly surely I am of opinion that that place is one of those whereof Peter wrote that there were certaine darke thinges in Pauls Epistles â— Pet. 3. which the vnlearned weake doe wrest to their owne destruction as they doe also other places of Scriptures Odeg. Surely you haue good reason so to thinke now therefore let th'Apostle Peter shewe who those are that wrest the Scriptures of them or vs We say with Peter that the long suffring of God is saluation in that God would haue no man perish but would haue all come to repentance and this is that saith Peter vers 15. c. which our beloued brother Paul in all his Epistles speaketh of among the which some thinges are hard to be vnderstood which some peruert to their destruction They say God hath reprobated some and the greatest number and that before they were borne had done euill for whome there was neuer meanes of saluation because God would haue them perish for yâ— was his good pleasure Now these wordes of Peter as they iudge our aduersaries to be peruerters of the Scriptures so may they satisfie euery Godly minded man that Pauls meaning was not contrary to Peters they writing both by one Spirit nay then Pauls owne meaning was else where in the same Epistle * R that the long suffering of God was saluation euen to those that hardened their own hearts and heaped vp wrath against the day of wrath This therefore may be an entrance but let vs come to the words of Paul Rom. 9. In this 9th Chapter and so in most of this Epistle the maine subiect that the Apostle Paul handleth is That not the Law A short exposâ—on RoÌ„ â— but the Gospell is the Power of GOD to saluation not to him that is a Iew outward or that hath Circumcision of the Flesh or is an obseruer of the Law which was all the Iewes had to boast of and which they did boast of * Ioh. 8.33.39 9.28.29 Cap. 4.1.2 Cap. 2.28 c. Cap. 4.12.13.14.16 for Abraham himselfe found nothing concerning the Flesh neither was he iustified by workes but saluation appertaineth to him that is a Iew within that hath Circumcision of the heart that is of the Faith of Abraham whether he be Iew or Gentile in the Flesh this I say is the whole drift of the Apostle as in the whole so in this 9. Chap. In the 1.2.3.4.5 Vers th'Apostle sheweth his vpright vnfained desire of the saluation of the Isralites according to the flesh who were his fleshly brethreÌ„ who had all those Oracles of GOD coÌ„mitted to them of whom were the Fathers and of whom concerning the Flesh CHRIST came GOD ouer all blessed for euer Amen Yet notwithstanding his desire and all these their priuiledges Vers 6.7 the worde of God cannot be made voyde which saith All are not Israell that are of Israell neither are they all Children because they are the seede of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seede be called which Paul expoundeth Vers 8. That is they which are the children of the Flesh are not the children of GOD or not those that shall be saued but the Children of the promise are counted for the seed So that thus farre there is no difficulty but that the Apostle plainely meaneth in all these Verses Iohn 8.33.39 Ioh. 9.28.29 that not all the children of Abrahams flesh who so much boasted of their being Abrahams seed and of being Moses Disciples in the obseruation of the Law were therefore in the estate of saluation and this he desireth to acquaint the Iewes with that they might cast off their reioycing in their Fleshly discent and seeke true reioycing in another way Th' Apostle hauing propounded this as an infallible truth hee goeth about to proue it by the Scriptures First alledging the promise made that Sara shall haue a Sonne * Gen. 18.10 which Abraham belieued not considering his own and Sara's body which were dead neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthned in the Faith * RoÌ„ 4.18 c. and it was imputed to him for righteousnes so that this promised Sonne of Sara was borne not after Flesh but after the Faith which is most largely declared in Gal. 4.22 where is declared that Abraham had two Sonnes one by the seruant Hagar namely Ishmaell who was borne after the Flesh one by the free-woman Sara namely Isaac who was borne by Promise and so by Faith by the which saith th'Apostle another thing is meant these two Mothers are the two Testaments in type the two Children are the types of the children of the two Testaments the Childe of the Flesh Ishmaell sonne of Hagar typed out the fleshly Isralites which were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the Law the Childe of the Promise Isaac sonne of Sara typed out the Children of the Faith of Abraham and as the childe of the Flesh persecuted the childe of the Faith by his mockings for which cause he must be put out and must not be heyre with Isaac so saith th'Apostle do all that seeke acceptance with God through the Flesh persecute them that seeke it by the Promise through Faith and therefore all the children of the Flesh of Abraham that haue no other priuiledge to iustification must be put out and shall not be heyre with the children of the Promise This is so plaine in Gal. 4. that he that readeth the Scripture with an indifferent heart voyde of malice cannot be able to contradict being also confirmed in the 3. Cap. vers 16. where the Apostle treating of the promise of Saluation saith Now to Abraham and his seede were the Promises made hee saith not and to the seeds as speaking of many but and to thy seed as of one which is CHRIST which being well obserued that Abraham had two Sonnes or seeds by two Women as before Gal. 4. and that the Promise of saluation is made but vnto the one seed * Gal. 3.16 Vers 29. Vers â— 9 euen they that are CHRISTS that are of the Faith of Abraham and so after the manner of Isaac * Gal. 4.28 the sonne of Sara and that this Promise is not made vnto both the seeds namely vnto the Children after the Flesh of Abraham for they are not the children of God Rom. 9.8 but they must be put out and must not be heyre with th' other * Gal. 4.30 This is this sure word of Promise Sara shall haue a Son thus applyed by the Apostle
wherfore shall not the children be condemned for the sinne of their Father euen so is it now most strongly vrged although God hath not onely forbidden it but plainely said the soule that sinneth shall dye the Son shall not beare the iniquitie of the Father but the wickednes of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Further I desire it may well be obserued that Mankinde was onely in Adam in their bodily substance ☞ for of one blood God made all mankinde to dwell on the face of the earth and euen as Adam had his body from the earth yet without forme for God gaue him a forme and a soule by breathing into him the breath of life * Gen. 2.7 euen so haue wee all our earthly being from Adam he is the Father of our bodies in respect of matter but our forme and soules come froÌ„ God he is the Father of our Spirits * Heb. 12.9 Eccles 12.7 8.8 that earthly matter was in Adam of which our bodies are made as Adam was in the earth before his body was made Thus no otherwise were we in Adam but as Adam was not in the earth in forme and soule no more were wee in Adam in forme soule And as God gaue no Law to Adam before hee gaue him a soule of reason vnderstanding no more doth he giue to any of Adams posterity any law till he giue them soules of reason vnderstanding as we plainely see by Moses Deut. 11.2 I speake not to your â—hildren which haue neither known nor seen c. They must be taught it when they can vnderstand it Vers 19. The Gospell also speakes to them that haue eares to heare * Mat. 13.9 1 Cor. 10.15 To them that haue vnderstanding that can iudge what is said Further I say it was neuer Gods purpose to execute vpon Adam for that transgressioÌ„ condemnatioÌ„ to hel in that he purposed to send Christ betwixt in whom Adam beleeuing he should be saued If Adam himselfe for his own sin was not condemned to hell without remedy shall any of his posteritie be sent to hell without remedy that for his sinne seeing they fell no deeper in the transgression then he if so deepe Is this equall and right for the Iudge of all the earth to doe The Scriptures saith Gen. 18.25 This is condemnatioÌ„ Ioh. 9. that light or Christ that true light is come into the world and men loue darknes better Ioh. 3.19 Ioh. 16.9 Mark 16.16 Rom. 11.21 and Christ will condemne the world of sinne because they beleeue not in him condemnatioÌ„ consisteth in refusing Christ he that will not belieue shall be damned and not else for God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe Adam by that transgression depriued himselfe of Gods fauour in that estate wherein he was in Paradice notwithstanding the promise of Christ hath by this his sinne procured this iudgement cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life and in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread till thou return to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust Gen. 3.17 c. and to dust shalt thou returne Thus Adam brought himselfe all his posteritie the earth and euery creature in it Rom. 8.20 c. to vanity and into the bondage of corruption And in this estate are all Adams sonnes begotten and borne so that by Adams sinne vanity corruption and death went ouer all not onely ouer the generation of Adam but ouer all Flesh and the curse extended to the earth and euery creature in it And so Infants haue originall as they call it corruption as all other creatures haue yet you may see that those that dye haue corruption in or by Adams sinne if all not be cast into hell fire which is prepared onely for the Deuill his Angels and the wicked Now for the place by you alledged by the offence of one the fault came on all men to coÌ„demnation Rom. 5.18 Vers 19. For by one mans disobedience many were made sinners that is all c. You see I haue proued before that none of Adams posteritie shall be damned for his sinne but for their owne when they haue a soule of reason and vnderstanding and a righteous law is giuen them for sinne is not imputed while there is no law I haue also shewed that neither Adam nor any shall goe to hell for that sinne but for refusing Christ but this is the meaning of the holy Ghost that by Adams sinne all his posterity haue weake * Rom. 8 3 natures by the which when the commandement comes * Cha. 7.10 they cannot obey and liue but sinne and so dye till when they are aliue without the law so saith the Apostle * Verse 9. and thus is verified that all both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne Rom. 3. there is none righteous no not one there is none that seeketh God they haue all gone out of the way c. Read on the Scripture and you may euidently see that neither this nor any part of Gods word is spoken to or of Infants the Apostle saith vers 9. Now wee know that whatsoeuer the law saith it saith it to them that are vnder the law Infants are vnder no law therefore transgression cannot be imputed to them for where no law is there is no transgression * Rom. 4.15 Thus by Adams falling from this estate he was in and in him all mankinde God giuing man his precepts which man in himselfe by reason of weake flesh cannot obey all men fall vnder the wrath of God and thus they are said by nature to be the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 for the law causeth wrath Rom. 4.15 And this is the Apostles meaning yet as God left not Adam in his sinne but prouided him meanes of reconciliation so hath he for all for both the places proue that as the fault came by one vnto condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the iustification of life for Grace by Christ abounded much aboue Adams sinne * Vers 20. not onely of many sinnes in a few persons as is commonly supposed but euen as vniuersally as Adams sinne extended for if all be dead * 2. Cor. 5.14.15 then Christ died for all and the reason that many haue no benefit by it is not because it aboundeth not but because they put the word of Grace from them Act. 13.44 Act. 7.51 and iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life and resist the holy Ghost And thus farre Infants that know not their right hand from their left * Ionah 4.11 that are as destitute of vnderstanding as of malice * 1. Cor. 14.20 that haue no knowledge betweene good and euill * Deu. 1.39 that Christ so often accounteth Innocents * Math. 18.3.4 â—9
seales of the CouenaÌ„t of life and saluation that which is now the seale of life and saluation was euer the same which is the holy Spirit of promise * 2 Cor. 1 2â— Ephes 1.13 4 3â— which was yesterday to day and the same for euermore 2. Although the Scriptures speake of diuers Couenants yet there is but two Couenants that concerneth vs in our present controuersie the couenant of Workes the couenant of Grace the Law and the Gospell the Olde and the New The difference of them is largely set downe by the Apostle in Gal 4. where hee declareth that Abraham had two Sonnes one by a seruant borne after the Flesh one by a free woman borne by Promise by the which another thing is meant saith th'Apostle For thâ—se mothers are the two Couenants the one signifying Ierusalem materiall which is in bondage with her Children th' other Ierusalem spirituall which is free and is the mother of vs all so that these two Couenants belonged to these 2. seeds or Children The olde couenant the Law was made with the children of Abraham after the Flesh had circumcision in their flesh for a signe thereof The new couenant the Gospell is not made with both these seeds but with the one seed so saith the Apostle * Gal. 3.16 euen they that are of the Faith of Abraham Vers 29. The children of the Flesh are not they to whom this couenant is made * Rom. 9.8 the children of the flesh must be put out must not be heyres with the faithfull * Gal. 4.30 So that the couenant that God made with Abraham and his children after the Flesh was not the couenant of Life and saluation it was the couenant of workes of the Law the olde couenant which is done away because of the weakenes and vnprofitablenes * Heb. 7.18 19. for it made nothing perfect the Couenant the Seed the Signe were all but shadowes of good thinges to come they were types of Heauenly thinges not the heauenly thinges themselues * Heb. 9 1â— 23. Ereu. They say the Couenant made Gen. 17. whereof Circumcision was a signe was the same Couenant which wee haue now in the Gospell Odeg. If all were true that they say theÌ„ their sayings ought to bee regarded but as their are sayings in other things so are they in this The Lord saith it is not the same * Ier. 31.31 Heb. 8.6 It is a new Couenant that we haue vnder the Gospell a better Couenant established vpon better Promises not like the olde which olde is abrogated by reason of the weakenes and vnprofitablenes If a new a better not like the old then not the same and the Lord sheweth wherein it was not like the olde the old Couenant as it taught that Christ was not come in the flesh so also it taught that he was not yet come into their hearts at their Circumcision but therby as also by the whole Law they were to learne Christ as to come in the Flesh so to come into their hearts by Faith and therfore saith the Apostle * Gal. 3.8 c. They were kept vnder the Law and shut vp vnto the Faith that should after be reuealed But the new Couenant is not like this it is made onely with all that are the sonnes of God by Faith Heb. 8.10.11 which haue his Lawes put in their minds and written in their hearts all of them knowing God from the least to the greatest Againe I say though Abraham himselfe had the Couenant of Grace promised him by which promise hee had saluation in the Messiah to come yet had he not the Ordinances of the new Couenant which we haue and therefore none of his seed in the Flesh could be partakers of that which he had not himselfe in which regard it is said of Iohn Baptist who was greater then all the Prophets that the least in the Kingdome of God as greater then hee * Mat. 11.11 all the faithfull that obtained good report receiued not the Promise * Heb. 11.39 c. that CHRIST brought in this time of reformation therefore they onely shall be partakers of the ordinances of this new Couenant whome he that confirmed it with his bloud hath appointed to receiue them as before Ereu. Iohn Rob. pag. 77. They say that the Couenant which this new is not like is that Law giuen vpon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. not that Gen. 17. Odeg. They speake vntruly Marke the words * Ier. 31. Heb. 3. Nâ—t like the Couenant that I made with their Fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egipt which is mentioned Exod. 3. not Exo. 19. Then did God appeare to Moses and coÌ„maunded him to take them by the hand lead them out of the land of Egipt where the Couenant is mentioned in Vers 6. c. I am the God of thy Fathers Abraham c. I am come to deliuer them out of the Land of the Egiptians to bring them into a good Land into the place of the Cananites c. which promise was made vnto their Father Abraham in Gen. 17. That God would be their God and giue them all the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession And for the word euerlasting it signifieth in Scripture diuers thinges As the time of 50. years * Exod. 21. â— the time till CHRISTS comming * Exod. 12.14.17 the Prisoner was ordayned so was the throne of Dauid for euer * 1. Chr. 17 12. Namely till Christs coÌ„ming the Land of Canaan is promised for euer and so Circumcision euerlasting all which by Christ are taken away So that although the couenant of Circumcision be said to be euerlasting it doth no more proue it to be that couenant which we haue vnder the Gospell or now any more direction for vs then the Law of the Passouer which was also a Law for euer Againe it is granted by the aduersary * Io. Rob pag 71. and it is a truth that the Couenant in Ier. 31. and other places in the Hebrew signifieth a compact or agreement vpon a difference between two or more which in the new Testament is turned into a word signifying a will or Testament So that this is agreed vpon on all sides two parties must bee in this Couenant agreeing and promising by mutuall accord for the thinges to be done Hence it followeth that if the Couenant Gen. 17. I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee and thou also shalt keepe my Couenant thou and thy seede after thee c. Let euery Man childe be circumcised c. be one and the same with this in Ieremy then is it made onely with Abraham and such his seed as could make this Couenant namely agree with God to Circumcise their males on the 8. day and know God and not with the males of 8. daies old who could make no agreement