Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/58

 46 God, and may well be called seales of the Covenant, as they did signifie remission of sins in and through the bloud of Christ, our true Priest and Sacrifice. Whether God was pleased to confirme his Covenant by any other visible signes or seales, in that state of the Church, is more then the Scripture hath revealed.

One question remaineth to be discussed, scil. Whether this Covenant of Promise was made in Adam with all and every Infant that should afterwards be born into the world?

There be some that hold the affirmative part, viz. That all Infants, whether borne of beleeving, or infidell parents, are comprehended under the Covenant of Grace, according to the internall efficacy, though not according to the externall administration, so as they be truly and effectually partakers of the benefits promised therein. But the Authors of this opinion doe neither consent with themselves in this, nor with the truth. Not with themselves: for they say Christ died for all men considered in the common lapse or masse, in respect of impetration, not of application. But if all Infants be partakers of the Benefits of Christ, he died for them, and so for all men in respect of application: all men are effectually regenerated, justified, sanctified and adopted, untill by disobedience they fall from that estate. Againe they confesse, that God with the Fathers may and hath reprobated the children, which is directly contrary to this assertion. ''Arm. in Perk. pag''. 92. ''Probas (Perkinse) gratiæ rejectionem prævisam, non esse causam desertionis, quia Infantes extra fœdus evangelicum morientes, gratiam non repudiaverunt, qui tamen reprobi sunt, & à Deo deserti: At, inquam ego in Parentibus, avis, abavis, atavis, tritavis Evangelii gratiam repudiarunt, quo actu meruerunt, ut à Deo deserentur. Velim enim mihi solidam adferri rationem, cur cum omnes in Adamo contra legem peccaverint, posteri ejus, atque eo ipso poenam meriti sunt & desertionem, etiam infantes in suis parentibus quibus gratia Evangelica oblata est, ac repudiata, non peccaverint contra gratiam Evangelii: Perpetua enim est fœderis Dei ratio, quod filii in parentibus comprehendantur & censeantur''. And whereas they teach that Christ died for all men in respect of impetration considered in the masse, but not as impenitent, unbeleevers, or obstinate, let this opinion stand, and he died for impenitent and unbeleevers only in respect of impetration, but for all men in the masse effectually, so as they be actually set into