éPP T ND I X, Numb:IV. SIR, è Ince I faw you, I have perufed Mr. Rutherfords Piece upon the Covenant ; ' S which miniliersyet furtheroccafion, as I apprehend, to fecond my former ' motion to you of handling the Doctrine ofthe Covenants in a more diltindman- ' ner, then hath beendone by any I have yet met withal. For if that whiçh is < proper to each Covenant were handled apart by itfelf, and the appropriate de_ c fign, end and ufe of each of them refpedtively, were but plainly let forth to far '- as the Scripture will guide therein; I cannot but think it wouldbe of as great :de as any one thing you can undertake ; and it is not my opinion alone. For want a of which it hathhappened, that Men have interwoven and confounded one Co- ' venant with another, and great Miftakes have thereby been committed by many a in flaring the Terms of the New Covenant, and the true¡ Notion of Juítilea tion by Faith ; and through fuch Miftakes a great part of the Apoftles Epiftles ' have been obfcured, inftead of beingexpounded. ,As for initance,; Whereaskhere may be a fixfold oppofition eafily obfervedin the Apoftles Writings ,, in reference ' to the Doctrineof Juftification, (whichbeing attended to the fcope and meaning of them, will plainly appear). there hath been a teventh mof inlfted on ; which ' is Trot, I think, there to be found. And this bath come to pats for want of un- derftanding the difference between the two Covenants , and for,want of ;a,di- e fiin& confiderationof the feveral -falfe Opinions of the then preterit Jews about < JuRification, which the Apoftles in their Writingsengage againft. TheOppofr- ' [ions I mean, are - thefe: ' x, As the promifeof JuRification and Eternal Life upon condition ofFaith in ' the Promife relating to the Melfias before he came, is oppofed to the Promife of ' Temporal Felicity upon condition of a due Obfervation of the Law of Mofer, Gal, 3. i t, u. a 2. As the PromifeofJuftificationand Life upon condition of Faith in the Pro- ' mite to Abraham, is oppofed to the Errourof the Jews , who held that Promife to be made to Abraham upon conditionof Circumcifion, and to them as his Seed upon condition of ,a Litteral Obfervation of the Lawof .114a r Ram. 2, 3, and 4$3 Chapters; Gabz,.3,'and 4th Chapters. , ;. As the Promife of Juftification and Lifeupon condition of Faith in Chrift ' as crucified, is oppofed to the Erreur of theUnbelievingJews , who held it pro. ' coifed to their Litteral Obfervation of the Law of Mofes, without Faith in the ' Deathof Chrift, Hob. 8, 9, and IQChapters. 4. As the Promifeof Jultification andLife upon condition of Faith and Go-, ' fpel Obedience only, is oppofed to the Opinion of fome Judaizing Chriftians, ' who held the fame to bepromifed upon condition ofFaith in ChriR, and a Lit- ' teral Obfervationof the LawofMofes, jointly, Gal, 5. Aflt x5. I, 5. 5. As the Promifemade to Abraham's SpiritualSeed, is oppofed to the Opini- ' on of the unbelievingJews, who held it made to his Natural Seed as fuch Or which is much the fame ; as the promife made to Perlons fo and fo qualified, is oppofed to the JewifhOpinion ofanäbfolute and unconditionate Promife made ' to them in Perfon, as they were the Offspringof Abraham , Rom. 9. 6, 7,8. Rom. ' 2.28, 29. ^, ' 6. As Juftification by Faith, accompanied with Gofpel Obedience, is oppofed ' to the Opinion of,fome Profaffors of Chriffianity, Gnotticks or otherSolifìdians, ' who held Juftificationby Faithalone, withoutreference to or neceffityof a holy ' Life, 'ames z. t Epift. `, ohn, jade 3,4, &c. Thefe are the things to which the ' Controverfal Part of theApoftles Writings in reference to the Point of Juftifica- < don, do relate. But befide there, there isanother infifted on, as if it wereRill,included and in- ' tended in the Apoftles reafonings again{ Jollification byWorks of the Law, and that is an Oppofition between Faith and all Works in reference to Jultificati- ' on, as well fuch as confit in Gofpel Obedience as the effect of Faith Rrictly ea- ' ken, as thofe which are properly Works of the Mofaical Law. Whereas fuchan Opppoofition Teems to be not only without, but againft Scripture Evidence. For ' Gofpel Obedience, as an infeparableeffeá of SavingFaith, is as well as Fairh,and together with Faith, oppofed to the Works of Motels Law in point of Juftificati- ' on. For fo I take it tobe, where it is faid, Circamcifion (which by a Synecdoche ' is put for the Works of the Law) avrailetb nothing, batfaith whichworker, by lave: ' which is as much as to fay, which worketh by keeping the Commandmenttssoof
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