Justification Without Conditions

William Eyre, 1613-1670, was a Minister of the Gospel, and Pastor of a Church in the City of New Sarum. Eyre entered Oxford University at Magdalen Hall, aged 16, and was eventually appointed a tutor in that house, which was about the same time that he entered into the ministry. Eyre sided with Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentary Cause in the time of the Revolution against King Charles I and {according to one source} became “a rigid Calvinist, an enemy to all Church Tithes, and strong opponent of Church Revenues.” After the restoration of King Charles II he proceeded in his usual preaching, but in 1662 was silenced for Nonconformity.

This volume was printed in 1653, and its full title will familiarize us with a few of its most invaluable contents. “Justification without Conditions; or the Free Justification of a Sinner, Explained, Confirmed and Vindicated from the Exceptions, Objections and seeming Absurdities which are cast upon it, by the Assertors of Conditional Justification; wherein also, the Absoluteness of the New Covenant is proved, and the Arguments against it are disproved.” It contains a recommendation {preface} by Doctor John Owen, from which we extract the following, “for the present, I shall only say, that there being too great evidence of very welcome entertainment, and acceptance, given by many to an almost pure Socinian Justification and Exposition of the Covenant of Grace. All solid, learned, sober, endeavors, for the Vindication of the Absoluteness, Freedom, Independency, and Preeminence of that Grace in Jesus Christ, whereby we are saved, will doubtless find acceptance with the Children of Gospel-Wisdom, and all that love the glory of Him that bought us. Amongst such Labors and Endeavors I commend to thy consideration, the ensuing Treatise, and commit thee to the Lord.” John Owen, Westminster, Nov.7, 1653. This is volume is from the Second Edition printed in 1695.