No Fine Print, No Conditions!

"It appears, in that it [the new covenant] was a free covenant, in respect of the subjects thereof; there was no Condition put into it, the performance whereof doth entitle to the Blessings therein contained. It's their Union with Christ entitles, and not any thing done by them, 1 Cor.3.22,23. Gal.3.29. You can't find one Condition put into the Covenant, with respect to the subjects thereof, in all the places where it is most largely described: All the Conditions were to be, and are performed by Christ. Now if this be granted, that the New Covenant contains nothing but Conditions on Christ's part, and nothing but Promises on the Father's part, it will follow, that such as have no interest in the Merits of Christ, that have no Interest in the Promises of the Father, have no Interest at all in the New Covenant."

  Anonymous. Truth Vindicated (London: Printed for the Author, 1695), p.266

Christ our Covenant

"For as it is Christ, alone that is given for a Covenant of the People: So it is by his Blood alone that all the Promises of the Gospel Covenant are Confirmed unto us. It is evident therefore that the Promises of the Gospel Covenant do all of them run to Christ the Inheriting Seed; to him they are made; In him do they all Center; And by him alone to be Communicated to all his Members."

Philip Cary. A Solemn Call (London: Printed for John Harris, 1690), p.211.

Reformed View of the Covenant of Grace Destroys Justification by Faith!

Thomas Patient says, "Fifthly, this opinion [believing the covenant of circumcision to be the covenant of grace, aka Reformed view] destroys the doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ, only seeing that it doth hold out another way than by faith, to come to Justification, which is by carnal birth of beleeving parents; for if a soul be admitted into a Covenant of life, I hope you are not ignorant, that Justification is a great privilege in the new covenant, and really the portion of all that are in that covenant."

Thomas Patient, The Doctrine of Baptism and the Distinction of the Covenants (London, Henry Hills, 1654), 80.

Christ a Covenant, declaring Grace!

"As the Father thus gives forth Christ a Covenant, in whom he declares grace, doing all in him, for us, without us, so he comes to soules by the same spirit that he was in Christ; so that Christ comes not onely as a Covenant to us, but in us, and the same law of spirit and life takes possession of us; and this is the law written in the heart, which will occasion soules in whom it is, never to depart from God."

Thomas Collier, A Second Generall Epistle to all the Saints (London: Printed for Giles Calvert, 1649), preface.

Christ's Church is Christ's Garden

"The first is, That the Church of Christ, are believers in Christ. Secondly, That the Church of Christ are such as are sweetly overcome, or fetch'd in to Christ, by the comings in of Christ. Thirdly, That the Church of Christ, must worship Christ. Fourthly, That the word of Christ, is the Rule of the worship of Christ."


Hobson further develops these four points, but it is the last that I want for us to hear. "Every king must, and doth rule by a Law suitable to himself: kings that govern, and rule in civil things, are to govern and rule by a civil Law; but Christ who is a king spiritual, ruleth and regulateth his Church by a spiritual Law; civil Laws cannot reach Christ's government; Neither hath Christ centered any power in the civil authority, to regulate mens spirits in the worship of Christ; though that was formerly in the Church of the Jews, which was a type of Christ; it is now ended by Christ; and all power in matter of worship is called home to him, and resided in him . . ."

Paul Hobson, A Garden Inclosed and Wisdom Justified only of Her Children (London: James and Joseph Moxon, 1647), 13, 22-23.

Two Covenants in Abraham

"I answer, that Abraham had the promises of both Covenants, and had also the types of both; to wit, Agar and Sarah, and so virtually he had both; but always the types go before the thing typified, and the promises before the things promised; and God saith expressly he made the first Covenant with that people, when he took them by the hand, to lead them out of the Land of Egypt: The second, or New Covenant was actually made out at the death of the Testator, Heb.9:16-17."

James Pope, The Unveiling of Antichrist (Printed by Jane Coe, for Henry Overton, 1646), 3.

Baptism says, "Keep the Law of Christ."

"Circumcision was to be a Bond and Obligation to keep the whole Law of Moses's; but Baptism witnessed that Moses Law was made void, and that only Christ's Law was to be kept."

Henry Danvers, A Treatise of Baptism (London, Printed for Francis Smith, at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1673), 222.