In chapter 7 of From Shadow to Substance, Samuel Renihan provides us with the Covenant Theology of 17th Century Particular Baptist Nehemiah Coxe.
Coxe, like many Particular Baptists before him, seen Gods dealings with Abraham differently than that of his Paedobaptist brethren. Coxe seen in Genesis 12 the Covenant of Grace being revealed to Abraham just as it was to Adam and Eve in the garden. Coxe says that the Covenant of Grace…
“…was the same for substance, that had been more darkly revealed in the ages before, but it pleased God to transact it with him as he had not done with any before him.”
Not only was it more clearly revealed to Abraham than before, but Coxe, like many Particular Baptists before him seen the two-fold nature of his seed that had belonged to two distinct Covenants…
“Abraham is to be considered in a double Capacity, both as the Father of all true Believers, and as the Father and Root of the Israelitish Nation, and for both these Seeds God did enter into Covenant with him; howbeit these Seeds being formally distinguisht the one from the other, their Covenant Interest must of necessity be diverse, and fall under a distinct Consideration; and the Blessings appropriate to either, must be conveyed in a way agreeable to their peculiar and respective Covenant-Interest.”
Concerning Nehemiah Coxes’ A Discourse of the Covenants (pictured above), Dr. Renihan says of Coxe…
“Coxe’s method for the remainder of the book was to distinguish and relate these two seeds and their respective covenants. He dedicated a section to the covenant of grace as revealed to Abraham, another to the covenant of circumcision given to Abraham, and a final section to the relationship between the two.”
This is an important distinction in the federal theology of the Particular Baptists. If you would like to learn more about this distinction, or perhaps, would like to challenge your own traditon I encourage you to read From Shadow to Substance.
Covenant Theology does not = Infant Baptism/every Covenant a different admin. of the Covenant of Grace. There’s another option…
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Substance-Theology-Particular-1642-1704/dp/1907600310
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