[This is a review of the book, “It Pleased The Lord To Make A Covenant Of Grace: A Critique of 1689 Federalism” by Earl M. Blackburn. This review is also published in Amazon Books.]
Clarifying 1689 Federalism For Ordinary Christians
This monograph published by Veritas Heritage Press consists of 80 pages, half of these pages being appendices relevant to the objective of the author, which is to critique the so-called 1689 Federalism view of Covenant Theology. 1689 Federalism has been strongly advocated by some Reformed Baptists in recent years, in contrast to the so-called Classical, or Substance Administration, view held by other Reformed Baptists. Both groups of Reformed Baptists hold to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, each group claiming the Confession as upholding/teaching its view.
1689 Federalism claims that the Covenant of Works which God made with Adam in the Garden of Eden was, in some sense, republished in the Sinaitic (Mosaic) Covenant. It is further claimed that the covenants in the Old Testament (which God made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David) were types pointing to the New Covenant which is equated with the Covenant of Grace. Advocates of 1689 Federalism have claimed that the majority of the Particular Baptists of the 17th century hold to their view. They have insinuated that those who hold to the Substance Administration view have been unduly influenced by the Covenant Theology of the paedobaptists.
In contrast, the Classical view holds that the Covenant of Grace was in operation immediately after the Fall, which was first announced in Genesis 3:15, 21 [p. 20]. It was revealed progressively through the various administrations/stages in the various covenants of the Old Testament, culminating in the new covenant. The law which was given in the Sinaitic Covenant was not a republication of the Covenant of Works. Instead, it was given to fulfill the ‘three-purposes’ [p. 32] of restraining sin (the civil use), driving us to Christ (the pedagogical use), and showing us how to live in a pagan world (the didactic use). The law was not given in order to gain salvation by those who keep it. There always have been only two ways of salvation — by works or by grace. The Covenant of Works made with Adam, who represented the human race (Rom. 5:18-19) is still in force. Unlike Adam before the Fall, all who attempt to be saved by works (i.e. by keeping the law) will fail. All the elect, in both the Old and New Testament dispensations, are saved by the Covenant of Grace, which came into force immediately after the Fall. “The Covenant of Grace was actively administered, not just typologically stated, by the various covenants made through the ages until the coming of the Anointed One [p. 21].”
A whole chapter (chapter 4) is devoted to countering Republicationism, under seven arguments. The claim that all the 17th century Particular Baptists held to some form of Republicationism, modified later to “the majority opinion”, is called into question. A few 17th Particular Baptists did believe Republicationism, but not all! Quotes from a number of 17th century Particular Baptist writers are given, including those of Robert Purnell, Thomas Hardcastle, John Spilsbury, Robert Steed and Abraham Cheare, which show that they held to the Classical view, and not to Republicationism. Quotes from other Puritans are given to show that they similarly held to the Classical view of Covenant Theology and, indeed, had warned against Republicationism. It is known that the Particular Baptist, Nehemiah Coxe, held to the Republicationism of the well-known Congregationalist, John Owen, which was not the mainstream belief of the Puritans — be they Presbyterians, Congregationalists, or Particular Baptists. While the Particular Baptists differed from the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists on baptism, they held to basically the same Classical view of Covenant Theology. A present-day Presbyterian, Meredith Kline, has resurrected Republicationism which seem to have been followed by the Reformed Baptists of today who are advocating 1689 Federalism.
Veritas Heritage Press declares that its ultimate goal is to glorify the triune God of Holy Scripture by engaging the average person in the pew or on the street with the divinely revealed truths of this God [p. 77]. The present book succeeds very well to make clear the issues disputed and to convince one of Classical Covenant Theology over against 1689 Federalism.
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