Neonomianism Unmasked, Part 2 · Debate 8
DEBATE VIII. Concerning the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace.
Calvin.
BEcauſe the Queſtion about the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace hath been greatly Controverted, and is one of the moſt conſiderable Points on which matters in difference doth depend, I am deſirous ſome one or other of us firſt may truely deſcribe, and impartially unfold the Nature and Difference of Covenants. Mr. Philalethes, I take you to be an unbyaſſed Man; and I think I have heard you offer ſome things of this kind, which may tend much to the clearing up of many Points before us of this nature.
Philal.
Sir, I ſhall readily contribute my Mite, and ſubmit it to the conſideration of your better Judgments.
1. The word Covenant comes a Conveniendo; becauſe when two Parties agree in ſome one thing or more on mutual terms, it's uſually called a Covenant; and it comprehends and takes in the Nature of a Contract or Bargain. The Latin have divers words to expreſs a Covenant by; Pactum, compactum, conventum, foedus. Cicero gives a very plauſible account of the Etymology of foedus, that is, quaſi fidus, quod in foedere interponatur fides; that in a Covenant there is a plighting of troth; but it ſeems the word is moſt probably derived from an old Heatheniſh Cuſtom of ratifying a Covenant by the Sacrificing of a Sow great with Pigs, quod in foedere foeta porca feriretur. I take pactum therefore or compactum to be the better word, and expreſſing enough of the thing meant, coming from paciſcor, quaſi pacis Actum; and if it carry the ſignificancy of any Ceremony in Covenanting, it's that of ſtriking of Hands, percuſſio manuum; thence Covenanting is called ſtriking a Covenant. The Greek words ſome of them vary not from the Import of the Latin, ſuch as foreign; but theſe are hardly uſed by the N. Te. or the LXXII Interpreters for a Covenant, and therefore we need not ſtay upon them. The word in moſt uſe is, foreign, a Teſtament, ſuch a Covenant as is like a Laſt Will and Teſtament; for this ſeems to be the true original meaning of this word; Iſocrates uſing it thus, foreign, Fortunas populo ex Teſtamento reliquit; and yet many inſtances may be given, wherein it appears that all ſorts of Covenants are expreſt by it; but it's obſervable the Spirit of God pitcheth upon this word as moſt expreſſive of Sacred Covenants; becauſe the promulgation of the Covenant of Grace was always managed in a way of Teſtament, Typically with the Patriarchs, and under the Moſaical Diſpenſation, and really by the Offering up of Chriſt; and the Apoſtle gives us this account of it, Heb. 9.15, 16. Hence the Promiſe of Life confirmed by the Death of Chriſt, declared and promulgated in the Goſpel of the Old and New Teſtament is foreign. The Hebrew word for it is foreign from foreign elegit; becauſe the Perſons Covenanting do it on free choice, and ſo the Conditions or Terms are mutually agreed on, or from foreign precidit, ſuccidit, quia Victimae cedi in foederibus pangendis ſolebant, in making the Covenant, the Sacrifice was cut in pieces, and laid ſo that the Covenanters paſſed between them, Gen. 15 10. And by a Metonimy, the Sacrifice or Ceremony uſed in Ratification was called by the Name of the Covenant it ſelf; and after this manner is Circumciſion called a Covenant, Acts 7.
2. A Covenant then is a mutual Obligation upon certain terms between two Parties. Poedus non eſt pactum tantum foreign unius lateris, quale illud cum creaturis irrationalibus, Hoſ. 11.18. Clopenb. de Foed. Vet.A Covenant differs from a Vow, becauſe in a Vow there need be but one part; a Man may promiſe to, and reſolve with himſelf to do this or that thing, there need not be two parties in making a Vow; though moſt times it is making a promiſe to God, and then it carries the Nature of a Covenant, and to this may belong a Sanction by way of Imprecation upon non-performance.
3. As there are two parties in a Covenant, ſo in a Covenant properly ſo, there are two parts, a Condition and a Promiſe. The Condition is the Terms offered by the Covenanter to the Covenantee, Foedus ē pactum mutuae fidei.upon the performance of which the Promiſe becomes due unto him; and this ſuppoſeth theſe two things neceſſarily. 1. The Covenantees ability to perform the ſaid tendred Condition. 2. His Conſent and Acceptance of the Terms; and here there is no other Sanction uſually than the Promiſe and Forfeiture expreſſed in the Obligation upon non-performance, confederatorum mutuòſe obligantium.
4. A Covenant is either expreſs and compleat in parts,There's a Covenant expreſs, and a Covenant in Law; a Covenant expreſs, when all Terms are expreſſed; a Covenant in Law is that which the Law intendeth to be made in ſuch a caſe, though it s not expreſſed; the firſt is called alſo a Covenant in fact; there is alſo a Covenant Perſonal and Real. Olden Dorpius, Cook. i. e. a Covenant perfectè, or modo quodam. A perfect Covenant is when two Parties of equal Liberty and Rank do freely, voluntarily, and upon deliberation enter into mutual Obligations, with expreſs Conditions and Promiſes; and here it's always requiſite that there be as it were an equality, i. e. at leaſt a due proportion between the Perſons Covenanting, that each may be capable of ſtanding upon his own Terms as well as the other, and not one bound to Terms at the meer good will and pleaſure of another; as a Child cannot in Nonage ſtand upon Terms with a Parent, but muſt be concluded in his or her will and pleaſure; or a ſingle Subject with a Soveraign Prince, &c. and therefore the condition to be performed ought to be ſuch, which is not precedently due by any former Relation or Duty; here muſt be a power in each party, as ſui juris, to take or refuſe without breach of any former Obligation. In this Covenant the Sanction is agreed upon by way of ſtipulation and reſtipulation, exchange of conditions with forfeiture mutually.
5. There are Covenants which are not Expreſs, Explicite or Compleat in the former manner, i. e. not between parties bearing a proportion to one another; and therefore one bound in Duty or Relation to be ſubjected to the Will and Pleaſure of the other Antecedently, or fallen under the Breach of their Duty, and Relative Obligation, and ſo lying at his Mercy; and ſuch are the Covenants that are made between Parents and Children under Age, Maſters and Servants while in Service; between Soveraign Princes in Actual Dominion, and their Subjects. Of theſe Covenants there are two ſorts. 1. A Covenant by way of Legiſlation, or a Law Covenant. And, 2. A Covenant by way of Promiſe, or free Obligation, without Condition required to Entitle to the Promiſe; the Spirit of God calls the firſt of theſe a Law, and it's properly ſo, and the ſecond a Covenant of Promiſe.
6. A Law Covenant, 1. Preſuppoſeth theſe two things. 1.Foedus minimè hic intelligitur reciprocum aut equale jus contrahendi propter partium inaequalitatem cum altera ſit Deus altera homo, creatura, non eſt humani ſed divini hujus foederis inſtitutio dicitur foreign Legiſlatio. Clopenberg. de Foed. Vet. A Soveraign Legiſlative Power duly lodged in the Law-giver, or elſe his Law Covenant is but Ʋſurpation. 2. A Power and Ability in the Subject to perform the Conditions his Law requireth, or elſe the ſaid Law is Ʋnreaſonable, Ʋnjuſt and Tyrannical.
2dly. It implies, 1. That both the Condition and Sanction be at the will and pleaſure of the ſaid Soveraign Law-giver. 2. That the firſt and natural end of the Law is Obedience to the preceptive part, which Obedience is due firſt by a Relative, Politick or Natural Relation of the Subject to the Legiſlator, ſo antecedaneous to the Law, and ſecondarily to that particular Law Obligation.
3dly. Conſequently to this Obedience, whether it be little or more, there is an Entitling to the remunerative part of the Law, if any expreſſed, or implied; and by vertue of the compact is a Reward, and the ſaid Obedience, though infinitely diſproportionable, is meritorious. But in caſe of Tranſgreſſion, the Sanction by way of Penalty takes place, and is called the Wages of Sin, ſuch a Covenant as this was the Covenant of Works; and it's not to be ſuppoſed that this Law Covenant was grievous to Adam, having a Concreated Perfection both of Ability to perform it, and an abſolute Delight in the whole revealed Mind and Will of God, from the higheſt Principle of Love to God with all his Heart and Soul; neither could his Obedience be without unwavering, ſtedfaſt Faith, wherein when he began to ſtagger, his Fall began.
7. Adam ſtood under this Law Covenant as under a Covenant of Works, wherein he is to be conſidered, and the Law it ſelf. 1. He himſelf under theſe Conſiderations. 1. As Endowed with a Perſonal Perfection, and lying under a particular obligation to Obedience, both previous to, and directly by that Law with Sanction, which the Soveraign Creator brought him under. 2. God brought not him only as a ſingle private Perſon under this Obligation only, but as a publick common Perſon, the Head of all Mankind; and he was not only the Covenant Repreſentative, but the Natural Fountain; the whole Nature being in his Loins, and therefore that firſt Covenant Breach of his threw the whole Nature out of Covenant, the Law charging Tranſgreſſion upon the whole Humane Nature, and laying it under the ſentence of Death, Rom. 5. Hence his Sin is juſtly Imputed to all his Poſterity, the whole World becoming guilty before God, beſides that a Corrupted Nature which is propagated to all his Poſterity. 2dly. The Law it ſelf. 1. The particular Command, or rather Prohibition that Adam ſtood under, had theſe things in it. 1. It was but a ſmall Branch of that Moral Obedience which God expected from him, and put him upon tryal by, but his breaking thereof in one point made him guilty of all, God ſhewing thereby unto him and the World that no Condition could be accepted but perfect Obedience. 2. He was not required to work out unto himſelf any further Grace than he had freely received, but to perſiſt in that, and therefore the Duty incumbent upon him was perſeverance in Grace. 3. The particular Obedience required of him for his probation, was very eaſie and ſmall, next to nothing; negative, and but with-holding his Hand from an Apple, and bore no proportion as a Condition to the Promiſe of Eternal Life, and therefore could never have merited in reſpect of the Value, but would have been Meritorious by reaſon of Law compact. 3. If he had perſevered, it muſt have been by Grace, as his Ability was of Grace, and ſo it is with the Angels that ſtand; they have nothing but what they have received, and therefore they are ſaved by Grace in a Covenant of Works.
8. The Law by reaſon of the Fall of Man, and God's Will to reſtore him by a Saviour, is not Vacated and Aboliſhed, but remains the ſame ſtill in the commanding Part and Sanction. It requires Moral Obedience of Man as God's Creature, and continues to condemn Man for the firſt Sin, and all Sins derived from it, both Original and Actual, in Unregenerate and Regenerate; the preceptive parts of it are Rules of Obedience to Redeemed Ones, and the Sanction remains even to them in Chriſt Jeſus, the Law obtaining its compleat end as to Righteouſneſs Active and Paſſive in the ſecond Adam. Beſides this, the Law that God governs the World by, and will Judge it by at the laſt Day, the Works of Wicked Men will be Condemned, and their Perſons for their Works; the Saints ſhall be alſo Juſtified by their Works, becauſe their Perſons and their Works are perfect in Chriſt Jeſus, they being in him, ſhall be found perfect before God, and there is no Condemnation belonging to them, nor Sin to be laid unto their Charge.