Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/248

 236 the reason is of the meanes of supernaturall knowledge vouchsafed to them that never heard of the Covenant, or lived nigh unto them that enjoyed the word of reconciliation, the comparison is of men in Covenant, who cannot want possible meanes to know the main and fundamentall points of the Covenant. Old Lawes, they say, not in use, yet in force, scarce possible to be knowne, do bind: But the question is, of many doctrines in use, which must necessarily be known, or a man cannot be in the number of the faitfull so much as in externall society.

There is not a prohibition to preach or write to any, (say they) unlesse it was to punish some speciall sinne, as when Christ saith, Cast not pearles before swine; or some others were to be served first, as Christ said to the woman of Canaan, I am not sent, but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel; and Paul, Act. 13. It was needfull that the Gospell should be first preached unto you: And it was thus when the Spirit forbade Paul to goe into one place, and commanded him to goe into another. We might aske unto which of the two cases they will referre that of our Saviour, Into the way of the Samaritanes enter ye not, Matth. 10. 5. and, ''Tarry ye at Jerusalem, untill ye be endued with power from on High. Luke'' 24. 49. during which time, and before the Apostles could disperse themselves, many millions might depart this life, who never enjoyed meanes sufficient to bring them to the knowledge of God in Christ. And if God have charged his servants, not to cast pearles before swine, and prohibited them for a time to preach the Word of the Kingdome to some people, and in some places, because it is his pleasure to serve others first, why should we not likewise think, that God in justice hath deprived many nations and people of all possible meanes, whereby they should come to the knowledge of the truth? Let us see how well this fitteth the matter in hand, The meanes of grace be unlimited, but in two cases there was a prohibition to write, and what is this, but in plain termes to confesse, that the meanes of grace in all ages and times, in respect of all places and persons have not been unlimited? Besides, when no man must take this office of preaching upon him, but he that is called thereunto of God, and no man can shew that he hath beene called to preach the Gospell to every creature, why may not this be called a prohibition?