the like he saying to her I le be thy husband and she to him I le be thy wife if there were no defect in the covenant or otherwise but want of mentioning the mutuall duties that by Gods law belong to married persons I beleeve that would never make it null nor would that their covenant the lesse bind them to such mutuall duties because the particulars were not exprest in the covenant at the marriage-making fellowship and Church duties Discourse of Cov. p. 4 7 8 26. Ans to 9. Pos p. 75. with application to this particular Church b As this covenant is destructive to our Churches so is it apt to cause schismes and separations of one Church from another even amongst themselves It s a partition wall as one cals it built up to hinder that communion that ought to be among Churches and that care that one Church and member ought to have of another Here being so strict a tye to the duties belonging to our own Church and the members thereof but not a word of any dutie to be performed to other Churches or their members So that if a member of the same Church with my selfe want watching counsell reproofe c. my covenant binds me to performe accordingly But if one of another Church doe need as much and I have fit opportunitie c. yet by this covenant I have nothing to doe with him he is without to me 1 Cor. 5.12 onely to which one is now to be joyned by this covenant Discourse of Cov. p. 10 15 28. Ans to 9. Pos p. 75. 5. And this covenant is made by every member both with God and the Church and by the Church also backe againe with every member Discourse of Cov. p. 4 10 12. J.W. ans to 10. quest R.M. to W.R. 6. And thus they define it c All the middle part of this definition explaines the matter of a true Church Of which in the former Chapter onely the beginning and end doe shew the nature of the Covenant which they call the Forme of which here in this Chapter ' Its a solemne and publike Promise before the Lord and his people whereby a companie of Christians called by the power and mercie of God to the fellowship of Christ and by his providence to dwell together and by his Grace to love and cleave together in the unitie of faith and brotherly love and desirous to partake according to the will of God in all the holy Ordinances of God together in one Congregation doe bind themselves to the Lord to walke in all such d The words are good and faire but he that takes this covenant had need to consider that in the sense of them that give it The waies of God are their wayes of Church constitution and popular Government which if he be not upon good ground satisfied that they are indeed the wayes of God then how can he safely ingage himselfe to them by this covenant and that not only to be a patient to tolerate what he cannot mend but even to act with them also in the same Our brethren conceive that a Minister in swearing canonicall obedience in omnibus licitis honestis to a Bishop did thereby justifie Episcopacie And doe not by the same reason all that take this covenant justifie popularitie and independencie wayes of holy worship to him and of edification one towards another as God himselfe hath required in his word of every Church of Christ and the members thereof Apol. p. 5. Discourse of Cov. p. 3. Apol. p. 5. 7. The properties hereof 1. It is sacred not civill Discourse of Cov. p. 3 4. 2. It must be publike before all the Church Discourse of Cov. p. 4 17 R.M. to W.R. 3. Vocall and expresse J.W. ans to 10. quest Apol. p. 45. 4. So firmely binding as that it cannot be loosed without the consent of the Church Of which see more after 8. After all this rigourous exacting of this Covenant sometimes they mollifie the matter and tell us That an e If so little wil serve what need such outcries for more and the truth of all Churches to be questioned such sharpe contentions amongst brethren to be raised and sad separations of one Church and Christian from another to be made about and for want of an express covenant as essentiall and absolutely necessary to Church estate agreement or consent to be members of this or that societie and to walk with them in Church fellowship will serve and is equivalent Apol. p. 32 44. Discourse of Cov. p. 21 22 23. T.G. to J.G. And sometimes in stead of exacting this covenant they onely inquire what is mens intention whether they intend to doe so or no and if they intend it that sufficeth Mr W. to Mr P. And as for us they sometimes acknowledge that ourconsent to the law of the land made by King and Parliament appointing that all such as sit down within such precincts shall be of this or that Parish or Church is an implicite covenant Apol. p. 14. and sometimes that our promise to beleeve walk according to our Articles of Religion is sufficient Discourse of Cov. p. 40. 9. This Covenant amongst them though for substance of matter it be all one in all their Churches yet in forme of words it is divers in divers Churches but in the same Church it is ever in one and the same f Here we have a set forme of holy Covenant in the Church a principall part of worship invented by one or more men perhaps of a former age and imposed upon others even as many as shall enter into that Church read also upon a book And what is this better or more lawfull then such a set forme of Prayer especially since this covenant is imposed as an Ordinance of God and absolutely necestarie so as no book prayer is And seeing the matter is confest to be all one in all Churches why may not the forme also be lawfully all one by mutuall agreement And if one forme of covenant be lawfull for all the Churches consociated why not one forme of Leitourgy or Directorie for worship also Forme of words as well as matter and therefore put in writing and when any one is admitted it is then read either by the party himselfe that is admitted or else unto him by some other man whereunto he is to give his assent R.M. to W.R. Apol. p. 5. 10. One or two of their formes I will here insert that the Reader may the better by example take up their sense touching this Covenant 1. The Covenant of the English Church at Roterdame as is reported to us renewed when Mr H.P. was made their Pastour was to this effect WE whose names are here-under written having a long time found by sad experience how uncomfortable it is to walk in a disordered and unsetled condition c. 1. g g All things in these two formes in a fait construction are very good but
as usually it doth amongst Divines it we doe but distinguish between admission into the Ch. reall and formall between the substance of the thing and the ceremonie or formalitie thereof The substance and reall admission indeed usually goes before Bap◠For infants of parents within the Church are born within the Church and so really within it before they be haptized And beleevers of age making open profession of their faith and repentance are ipso facto made members of the visible church by their visible profession But the formall admission of both in the solemne performance of it is both acted and sealed at once in Baptisme which is as it were a Christians formall matriculation or inrollment amongst the members of the visible Church It this be not so then let them tell me what and when is the formall admission of infants into the visible Church or are they never formally admitted untill they come to age Baptisme Ans to 32. q. 12. Nor cohabitation Discourse of Cov. p. 14 20. Nor voluntary and usuall frequenting the same place of worship subjecting a mans selfe to the same officers and lawes of government nor joyning himselfe in all holy fellowship both publike and private with the same societie Discourse of Cov. p. 21. Nor the law of the land made by the Magistrates authoritie with our own implicite consent in Parliament appointing that all Professours of Religion that sit down within such and such precincts shall be of such a Societie or Church Apol. p. 14. Nor all these together without the Church covenant which only is sufficient to doe it Ans to 32. q. p. 24. Discourse of Cov. p. 5 14 18-21 24 25. Apol. p. 19 24. 3. This covenant they hold to be distinct from the y Were the question only of the Covenant of Grace to be either entred into or renewed again and again at the constitution or restitution of Churches the matter were soon at an end that would be easily granted to be necessary yea essentiall And such only were all the Scripture Covenants which are usually cited by them to prove their Church covenant But that will not serve their turn 2. Or were it of a covenant between the officers and their people I conceive there would be no strife this being tacitely implyed in their mutuall choice each of other You shall be our pastour c. and we will be your people Provided 1. it be not obtruded as essentiall or absolutely necessary to have it expresse 2. that it be understood with a salvo jure not onely to that particular church and members nor only to that particular officer but also to all other Churches who have a common interest each in other for the good of all most of all to God himselfe 3. Yea if it were of a covenant between the church and her members and each member with another of remaining together as a fixed society till death without extraordinary impediment as a thing in it selfe arbitrary and occisionall only upon some particular reasons calling for it I speake what I thinke This also would not be denyed 4. Or which is all that can with any colour of reason be defined if it were of an ecclesiasticall constitution only binding the members to the Discipline and Covernment of such a church during mens convenient abode with it as a thing expedient only for the better being and better governing of the church I say an Ecclesiasticall constitution consonant to generall Rules of Scripture though not precisely commanded therein And which may therefore be intended temitted or altered pro re natâ according to the generall Rules of Scripture at the Churches discretion Such as are the covenants or promises required of the members of the Dutch and French Churcher There would not have been many adversaries But when an expresse vocall covenant is held forth and with all eagernesse pressed on us and on all churches as a Divine Ordinance particularly commanded in Scripture absolutely necessary essentiall and constitutive to a true church without which there is no true church but all societies are whores and concubines and without which there is no right unto nor orderly participation of any Church dutie or ordinance And this so obligatory that it is piaculum to remove from that societie with which one is in covenant without their generall consent sought at least as after is shewed And not only so but also letters are sent over with strong lines to disswade our people from living any longer in the way they have done out of Church order because out of church covenant Sermons are likewise preached bookes printed and private discourses made and in all these arguments artificially used and possionately and perswasively urged yea the Scriptures themselves forced to speake for their Church covenant as a Divine Ordinance c. I say when it is thus held forth and urged on us no marvell if it be not entertained without much agitation yea if it meet with much opposition and that amongst the godly and learned both persons and Churches Covenant of Grace so as that many which are within the Covenant of Grace i.e. effectually yea and visibly called too are not within the Church Covenant and so not within the visible Church as Job Melchizedek c. of whom before And again many are within the Church covenant and so within the visible Church that are not within the Covenant of Grace as hypocrites in the Church Apol. p. 5 6 14 Discourse of Cov. p. 3.16 4. Yet sometimes they tell us it is not distinct altogether or in substance but in some respects onely as a part from the whole this being a branch of that Discourse of Cov. p. 3 7 8 12 26 28. Apol. p. 8 31 43. A voluntary profession of z If this Church covenant be but the covenant of Grace then surely we have it and renew it daily in Baptisme at the Lords Table on our solemn Fasts c. why call they then so eagerly for that we have as if we wanted it 2. If it be but the Covenant of Grace what absolute necessity can there be of repeating and renewing it expressely and reciprocally at every admission of a new member subjection thereunto Apol. p. 22 24. Discourse of Cov. p. 18. especially to that part thereof which concernes Church a If it be a covenant of Church duties only and to this society only what needs a repetition of the whole covenant of Grace at least as essentiall to this covenant and to Church constitution and to Church membership more then to a marriage covenant or any other holy covenant It may be done at a wedding true but to make it essentiall to it would marre many a lawfull marriage Nor can it be judged essentiall that the particulars of the covenant of Grace so farre as they concerne church duties should be and that so oft repeated If two parties intending to marry each other should doe it in this generall forme only or
they may not if they could seeing by forbearance all this while they have fretted like a Gangrene into the bowels both of citie and countrey and I feare we have kept their counsell so long that many of them are already past cure in their errour and we almost remedilesse in our rents tending unto ruine Object You should rather have confuted them by arguments c. Answ This is already done in part by others and the presse is still in travell readie to bring forth more and new confutations of them 2. This is none of the worst wayes of confuting them as I conceive To relate them fully is to confute them sufficiently in the judgement of men judicious and uningaged Object You seeme by your paralell places quoted to accuse them of Brownisme wherein you highly wrong them Answ True I doe so and let the Reader judge upon examination and comparing of the places alledged if it be not so nay if in some things they doe not build up an higher partition wall betweene themselves and all other churches then ever the Brownists did as in their strict examination of members in urging a Church covenant distinct from the covenant of grace c. Besides to what hath been said in the Narration we may adde for further probabilities and just causes of our feare in this kind that 1. They sometimes cite and approve of the Brownists Books in questions between us and them and provoke us to answer them So we are informed from some of themselves P. B. that they cite Rob. book for prophecie and hold it unanswerable in that point And their party here boast much of Robijustif and bid us answer it if we can which book is also in some sort approved by the Ministers of N. E. in their Apology for Church covenant p. 30. 2. They use the same arguments and produce the same texts of Scripture to the same purposes as whosoever readeth their writings may observe 3. They condemne their courses but coldly with a quarenus only so far and so far their rigiditie onely not simply their separation Ans to 9. Pos p. 13. Apol. p. 30. Discourse of Cov. p. 41 42. They professe it there be any separating opinion amongst them they hold not themselves bound to inquire after it nor to separate from the Brownists for their separating from us I. W. ans to 10. quest ‑ M. H. ans to I. P. 4. They distinguish of separations one they call moderate the other rigid or bitter this they condemne but that they owne But what they meane by this rigid separation we well know not for even the Separatists themselves doe conde nine each others rigour the latter generally condemne some bitternesse used against our Churches by Barrow and Greenwood And of the latter also some as Robinson were far more moderate then the rest yet were all of them complete Separatists and so may these our brethren be too notwithstanding that distinction 5. They associate themselves in private communion and in Church communion too with them So Master H. to I. P. acknowledgeth and justifies it also See the Preface to Master G. defence of Master B. against Canne And we are credibly informed that H. P. received the Sacrament in a Brownists Church here in London yea some assure us of profest correspondence and agreement between some of our late Apologists themselves and those of the Separation here only that they have advised them to be moderate in their courses 6. The Brownists themselves doe claime them as their own and boast of them See Master G. defence of Master Bradshaw against Canne in the Presace 7. Though in the generall they professe to differ much from them yet when it comes to reckoning we find it not so which that it may appeare the better let us he are our brethren themselves expresse the differences Epist before the ans to the 9. Positions p. 53 60. They i.e. the rigid Separatists separate from your Congreg as no Churches from the Ordinances dispensed by you as meere Antichristian and from your selver as no visible Christians and so in divers other places Now excepting the last which is proper to the most rigid rigid Brownists of all as Barrow c. which the more moderate do utterly dislike as well as these our brethren Rob. justif p. All the rest for ought I yet see putting in the word unlawfull in stead of Antichristian as a milder terme and by Ordinances understanding Church ordinances as they needs must they cannot refuse by their Principles and practises but to own them Object By no meanes for they confesse your Parochiall Congregations to be true Churches which the other doe utterly denie Answ True in words they doe but in effect it is far otherwise 1. In that they lay the selfe same principles that the moderater sort of Brownists doe touching Church Constitution Matter Forme Power Government Communion corruptions c. which being granted the naturall product of such premises must needs be that we have no true Churches and that our Ordinances are all unlawfull 2. By carrying themselves towards us as if we were no true Churches or members of true Churches for they denie our best and most eminent Christians all Church Communion with them so they doe not to the members of any of the Churches of their own way they withdraw themselves from all Church communion with us in the best and purest of our Assemblies so they doe not from the Brownists and whereas they hold they may not lawfully admit of the members of other Churches without power given them so to doe by Letters of Recommendations from the said Churches yet they not only admit but invite thousands of the members of our Churches to their communion without yea against their consents 3. Sometimes they approve of us but faintly and coldly many faults they find with our Churches little or nothing worthy of commendation in regard of our Church estate or Church ordinances Apol. p. 38. Ans to 32. q. p. 25 26 27 31. Discourse of Cov. p. 36. And when they would seeme to justifie and pleade for us yet then they doe it with such uncouth and far fetcht proofes as we know not whether to accept or refuse their acknowledgement of the truth of our churches upon such conditions be the worse bargain as when they say we have true Churches because knit together in Church covenant though implicite because we had true Churches planted here in the New England frame in the Apostles times and perhaps also since c. Ans to 32. q p. 26. Discourse of Cov. p. 36 37. R. M. to E. B. 4. Some of them come off as roundly as any Brownists doe and tell us plainly that in deed we have good Materials but we want forme our Churches are Babels harlots Master M. to I. M. ‑ I. R. to his parents Mr S. to I. B. That we have true Churches no right Sacraments nor Ministers I. S. to Mris B. ‑ I. P.