The covenant of nature made with Adam described and cleared from sundry great mistakes. And thereby proving, I. That the kind of death that was threatned in that covenant, in Gen. 2.17. ought not to be understood of any other kind of death but of a double spiritual death, 1. By depriving Adam of Gods concreated image: and 2. By corruption of nature that followed thereupon. II. Proving that the said covenant was totally extinguished and made utterly null, as soon as Adam had but tasted of the forbidden fruit, and received the said threatned punishment. III. Expounding Gal. 3.10. and proving that the curse therein threatned must not be understood of the curse of the said covenant of nature, but of that curse that is threatned in the covenant of grace to the fallen posterity of Adam, for their not doing of Moses law by faith in Christ, which was given to them for the covenant of grace and reconciliation only. ... VIII. Expounding Rom. 8.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 8. in ch. 25. By William Pynchon.

Mr. Nortons third consideration examined.

The Law at mount Sinai (saith he) must be considered as the Covenant of grace it self, though dispensed after a legal manner.

[Reply 10] In this third consideration I do most heartily accord with Mr. Norton, but yet I say also, that he hath put a dead fly into this most precious box of sa••ing truth, by adding these heterodox expressions [Freed from its pure legal nature of co••ctio••, malediction, and justification by works] but I have formerly shewed, that the moral Law of nature, in the which Adam was created, was not given for the matter of Adams obedience to the Covenant of nature, but that it was given him as the meer Law of his nature, without any promise or threatning thereunto annexed: and from thence it followes, that it had no coaction or ma∣lediction belonging to it: But 2. In case Mr. Norton doth speak this of the Co∣venant of nature, unto the which a promise and a threatning was annexed, then I have before shewed, that God did not make the Covenant of nature with him, in relation to his moral obedience or d••sobedience, but in relation to his transient act of positive obedience in eating first of the Tree of life: and 2. I

have also shewed, that the moral Law of nature is now translated into the Co∣venant of grace, both in the Decalogue, and also in the rest of the Bible, not in the abstracted sence, as it was written in Adams heart for the rule of his na∣tural obedience, but as a true part of the Covenant of grace, to shun sin, and to drive to Christ; and theref••re now it hath a binding power annexed to it, (more then it had to Adam during the time of his innocency) of coaction, and also of malediction to all impenitent unbelievers, to force them either to believe in Christ as their Redeemer, or else to damn them. But in this sence the moral Law was not imprinted in Adams heart in the time of his creation, neither are any of the fallen sons of Adam freed from this coaction and malediction, but believers only, who are also justified from all sin formally by Gods forgiveness only: but in the time of Adams moral perfections the moral Law of his nature had no coaction, malediction, or justification by works.

Conclusion.

1. From the premises it followes, that one and the same word Law, in one and the same Text, (many of which I have cited before at N^• 7.) cannot by the rules of a sound exposition comprehend Mr. Norton•• said threefold conside∣ration in it.

Or thus:

One and the same word Law (as given at mount Sinai) cannot comprehend in it his said three differing sorts of Laws.

2. Neither can the word Covenant at mount Sinai comprehend two distinct and opposite sorts of Covenants, as the Covenant of nature and the Covenant of grace are. 3. Therefore seeing Mr. Nor••on hath so grosly transgressed this rule of a sound exposition in his several answers to my Dialogue, he hath most miserably confounded the true sence of the word Law, and the true sence of the word Covenant at mount Sinai: and 4. By that means he hath most miserably confounded the right understanding, 1. Of the great point of Christs satisfa∣ction, and 2. Of the great point of a sinners justification.