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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50245	An apologie of the churches in New-England for church-covenant, or, A discourse touching the covenant between God and men, and especially concerning church-covenant ... sent over in answer to Master Bernard, in the yeare 1639 ...	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.; Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1643 (1643)	Wing M1267; ESTC R180449	39,536	50

but onely that they were dull and slow of heart to consider of sundry dispensations of God towards them for as much is said of the disciples of Christ Mar. 8. 17 18. when doubtlesse they were not meere carnall or naturall persons This people Deut. 29. could not become the Lords people by entring into sol●mne Covenant with God for they were the Lords Church and people already before this 1. If they were yet that was by entring into solemne Covenant with God on Mount Sinai when the Lord had brought them up out of the Land of Aegypt for then they entred into solemne Covenant with God and God with them and so they became the Lords peculiar people Exod. 19 4 5 6 8. c. If they were his people before that yet that also was by Covenant made with them in the loynes of Abraham when God tooke him and his seede to be his Church and people yet separating Ishmael from Isaac and Esau from Iacob that the inheritance of the Covenant of God and of being the Church of God might rest in the house of Iacob 2. Yet it was not without great reason that the Lord should now establish them by solemne Covenant to be a people to himselfe because the Nation had been much degenerated from the spirit and wayes of Abraham in Aegypt and had broken that Covenant by their Idolatries there Ez●k. 20. 7 8. And the Covenant made in Sinai or Horeb when they were come out of Aegypt they had also broken by their Idolatries in the Wildernesse Ez●k 20. 13 16. for which causes and the like the Lord consumed that generation that they never entred into the Land Iosh. 5. 4 6. And therefore now when their posteritie and children were ready to enter in the Lord entred into Covenant with them and thereby established them to be his people their Fathers being cut off for breaking the Covenant But still it was by Covenant that both Fathers first and children afterward became a Church and people unto God and when this generation were entred into the Land their Covenant made before between God and them was confirmed by Circumcision Iosh. 5. 3 7. they being not Circumcised before But this Covenant was of the whole Church with God and therefore not like our Chu●ch-Covenants whi●h are between the Church and the members concerning watchfulnesse over one another and the like Our Church Covenants are with the Lord himselfe as was shewed before in the description thereof For watchfu●nesse and duties of edification one towards another are but branches of the Lords Covenant being duties commanded by the Law and so it was with that people of Israel who when they promised and Covenanted to walke in all the wayes of God in all his statutes and commandements and judgements they promised these du●ies of love and watch●ulnesse and e●ification one towards another because these were duties commanded and required o● God Lev. 19. 17 Deut. 29 ●8 the neglect whereof in the matter of Achan was the sinne of al● the Co●gregation and brought judgement upon them all Iosh 7. 11 12. Yea by this Covenant they were bound to duties towards them that were not then present but children afterward to beborne and prosely●es that afterward should be added to them ver. 14 15. Like as our Church-Covenants are with them that now are and that hereafter shall become members of the same Church When Iehojada made a Covenant between the King and the people 2 King 11. 17. that Covenant was but a branch of the Lords Covenant with them all both King and people for the King promised but to Rule the people righteously according to the will of God and the people to be subject to the King so Ruling Now these duties of the King to them and of them to the King were such as God required in his Covenant both of him and them and so it is in Church-Covenant the duties of the Church to the members and the members to the Church and one another are no other but such as the Gospel and the Covenant of grace requireth both of the Church and the members of it in their severall places But this place of Deut. 29. is not sufficient to prove a Church-Covenant in these dayes because it is in the Scriptures of the old Testament for whatsoever must be used in the dayes of the New T●stament must be proved from the Scriptures of the New Testament or else it is to be layd aside 1. The Church-Covenant may be proved from the New Testament also as will afterwards appeare 2. But suppose there were not pregnant places for it in the New Testament yet it is not enough to prove the same unlawfull for whatsoever Ordinance of the old Testament is not repealed in the New Testament as peculiar to the Jewish Paedagogie but was of morall and perpetuall equitie the same bindes us in these dayes and is to be accounted the revealed will of God in all ages though it be not particularly and expressely mentioned in the writings of the New Testament else how shall we prove it unlawfull for a man to marry his Sister or his Aunt How shall we prove it warrantable and necessary for Magistrates to punish Sabbath-breaking blasphemy and Idolatry How shall we prove it lawfull to apply the seale of Gods Covenant unto Infants or to admit women to eate of the holy things for the Scriptures of the New Testament doe speake little in these cases onely the Scriptures of the Old Testament doe give direction and light about them Lev. 18. 19. Neh. 13. 15. c. 2 Chron. 15. 16. 2 King 23. Gen. 17. 2. Exod. 12. 4. 6. And the New Testament hath nothing to the contrary and they are all according to morall equitie and reason and therefore they are to be observed from the Scriptures of the Old Testament as the revealed will of God though there were nothing expressely for them in the New And the same we say of the particular in hand For that a company should be combined together into one body in way of Government and subjection by way of mutuall free Covenant as men doe when they enter into Church Estate nothing is more naturall or agr●eable to morall equitie nay it implyeth a contradiction in the very name of libertie or freedome that free-men should take upon them authoritie or power over free men without their free consent and voluntary and mutuall Covenant or Engagement And therefore seeing this Covenant is not repealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament the Scriptures of the Old are sufficient warrant for it Another Scripture to prove the same is Deut. 26. 16 17 18. with Deut. 27. 9. This day the Lord hath commanded thee to doe these Statutes and Iudgements thou shalt therefore keepe and doe them c. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Statutes c. And the Lord

promise a promise it is and therefore it is called a joyning in Covenant here an entring into Covenant Deut. 29. 10. Solemne and publick and therefore it is by the children of Israel and the children of Iudah together and they say let us joyne Secondly The object the Lord and one another joyne our selves to the Lord it is not a promise onely to man but to the Lord himselfe and likewise to one another for come let us joyne implyes mutuall consent together Thirdly The Agents or the qualification of the persons Christians not Turkes Indians c. Saints Psal. 50. 5. 16 17. called to fellowship with Christ so 1 Cor. 1. 9. else if they be not united to Christ by faith they are not fit materialls for such a building as a Church of God which is the house of the living God Ephes. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Phil. 1. 1. Rev. 21. 27. By his providence to live together else they cannot partake in the Lords Ordinances together as Churches ought to doe 1 Cor. 14. 23. Act. 14. 27. the whole Church comes together in one place cleaving together in faith and love so Act. 4. 32. If they differ namely in opinion or in their affection and should joyne in this Covenant breaches factions rents and schismes would be like to be the issue of such joyning things so unlike would not close nor long hold together Dan. 2. 43 Desirous to partake in all Ordinances this should be the ground of their joyning in Covenant together Psal. 110. 3. willing and not pride nor gaine nor the like Fourthly The Act binde themselves that now they are bound by their owne word and promise that they may say now as Psal. 56. 12. Thy vowes are upon me or as Num. 30. 2. if he binde his soule with a vow Fiftly The matter promised To walke together in all such wayes of worship and mutuall edification as the Gospel requireth of Churches and Church-members they binde not themselves to observe any devises of their owne nor inventions of men but such things as the word of God requireth neither is it perfect obedience to the Law for that were impossible to performe and presumption to promise nor is it onely in generall the duties of the Gospel but specially such duties of worship to God edification of one another as concerne Church-State which now they enter into Sixtly The manner of performing Confidence of Gods gracious acceptance and assistance through Christ for in all our wayes God must be acknowledged Pro. 3. 6. and much more in such speciall matters of weight If men in entring into this Covenant looke for acceptance through any worth of their owne or promise dutie in their own strength they shew themselves like to the Pharisees Luk. 18. 10 11. and turne the Church-Covenant into a Covenant of workes and as many as are of the workes of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3. 10. The use and benefit of this Church-Covenant and the fruit thereof may be seene in two particulars first That this is that whereby a company of Christians doe become a Church It is the Constituting forme of a Church Secondly This is that by taking hold whereof a particular person becomes a member of a Church which was constituted afore For the former of these every Christian Church must have in it both matter and forme and as the matter by Gods appointment are visible Saints or visible beleevers Ephes. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 2. and in the New Testament onely so many as may meete together in one Congregation So the forme is a uniting or combining or knitting of those Saints together into one visible body by the band of this holy Covenant Some union or band there must be amongst them whereby they come to stand in a new relation to God and one towards another other then they were in before or els they are not yet a Church though they be fit materialls for a Church even as soule and body are not a man unlesse they be united nor stones and timber an house till they be compacted and conjoyned Now that a company becomes a Church by joyning in Covenant may be made good sundry wayes first By plaine Texts of Scripture as from Deut. 29. 1 10 11 12 13. Yee stand this day all you before the Lord your God your Captaines of your Tribes your Elders your Officers with all the men of Israel ver. 10. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God ver. 12. and he may establish thee for a people unto himselfe ver. 13. So that here is plain●y shewed that here was a company ver. 10. and this company were to be established to be a people unto the Lord that is to say a Church ver. 13. And this is done by the peoples entring into solemne Covenant with God ver. 12. And therefore a company of people doe become a Church by entring into Covenant with God This Covenant was not like our Church-Covenants for it was of all the Nation together whereas the Church-Covenant with us is of some select persons leaving out others 1. This Objection concerns the matter of a Church but the Covenant is not the materiall cause of a Church but the formall cause thereof and for this the Text is plaine and expresse that by entring into Covenant with God a people come to be the Lords people that is to say his Church 2. If it was of all the people together the reason was because that Church was a nationall Church now if a nationall Church becomes a Church by entring into solemne Covenant with God then a Congregationall Church becomes a Church by the same means for there is no difference between them in this point 3. Though it was of all the people we may not say it proves that when we looke at the materiall cause of a Church there may be a promiscuous taking in of all Commers without distinction or separation of the precious from the vile for first when God took in this Nation to be his people he separated them from all the Nations of the earth besides so that there was a distinction and separation of some from others Secondly this generation was generally a generation of beleevers for it was they that were to enter into the land within a while after for they were fortie yeares in the Wildernesse this Covenant was made in the last moneth save one of the last of those fortie yeares Deut. 1. 3. And their carkasses fell not in the Wildernesse through unbeliefe as their Fathers did Num. 14. Heb. 3. but entred by faith and when they were entred subdued Kingdomes by their faith Heb. 11. 33. and served the Lord all the dayes of Ioshua and of the Elders that outlived Ioshua Josh. 24. 31. As for that which is said of them ver. 4 5. of this Chap. that the Lord had not given them eyes to see c. that proves not that they were wholly hardned in a carnall estate

another because these are common to them all then how can Covenant distinguish them sith all Churches are joyned by Covenant one as well as another It is not a Covenant simply or a Covenant in generall that doth constitute a Church or distinguish one Church from another but a Covenant with application and appropriation to these persons Even as it is in marriage though all married couples be united by Covenant and a Covenant wherein one couple promiseth the same duties that another couple doth yet a Covenant with application and appropriation of the duties covenanted to this man and this woman in particular such a Covenant is the very thing that make a couple man and wife together and gives them mutuall power over each other as husband and wife and puts a distinction between them and all other men and women in the world And so it is in this case a Covenant to performe Church-duties with application and appropriation to such persons is the very thing that constitutes a Church and distinguisheth one Church from another And thus much concerning the former of the two particulars to shew the use of Church-Covenant viz. that it is that whereby a company doe become a Church The second particular is this taking hold of the Covenant or joyning in it is that which makes a particular person a member of a Church And this followes upon the former and that may be the first Argument to prove it If joyning in Covenant be that which makes a company to become a Church then taking hold of that Covenant is requisite to make a particular person become a member of the Church But the first is true as hath been shewed before Therefore the second is true also If compacting and conjoyning of stones and pieces of Timber be that that makes an house then a particular stone cannot become a part of that house till it be compacted and conjoyned to the rest But the former is true even in the Church of God which is the spirituall Spouse and Citie of God living stones Christians beleevers must be compacted together and builded up together Ephes. 2. 21. 22. Psal. 122. 3. and therefore the latter is true also that a particular Christian becomes a member of the Church a part of that building by being combined with the rest A second Argument may be drawne from the Scripture Isa. 56. 3 6 7. Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath joyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people c. The sonnes of the strangers that joyne themselves to the Lord to serve him c. and take hold of my Covenant even them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them joyfull in my house of Prayer c. Concerning which Scripture note three things to the present purpose First That these strangers were members of Christ true beleevers joyned to God by Faith for it is said they have joyned themselves to the Lord v. 3 v. 6. that they loved the name of the Lord served him and kept his Sabbaths v. 6. and yet for all this they were not as yet joyned as members of the visible Church for if they had been ioyned there would have been no cause for such a complaint the Lord hath separated me from his people v. 3. Besides bringing them into the Church as members and granting them the priviledge of members is promised as a reward and blessing upon this their joyning to the Lord by faith and obedience v. 7. And therefore it is not the same but a disti●ct thing from it the one being promised as a reward and blessing upon the other Secondly The Lord promiseth that he will make them members of his Church Them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them joyfull in my house of Prayer Thirdly That among other things requisite to make them members this was one viz. the taking hold of that Covenant which was between the Church of Israel and God v. 6. So that hence we may gather that men may be members of Christ joyned to the Lord by faith and love and yet for the present not be members of the visible Church And that when God is so gracious to true beleevers as to make them members of his visible Church it is requisite that they joyne in Covenant before But might not faith in Christ beleeving in heart on the God of Israel be all the taking hold of the Covenant that is here meant Not so but over and above that here is also meant their open profession of their Faith in the God of Israel and open binding of themselves by Covenant to all such duties of faith and obedience as God required of the Church of Israel and the members thereof Now distinctly take the Answer to this Objection in three or foure particular Propositions First There was a Covenant between the Church of Israel and God Exod. 19. 5 6 7 8. Ezek 16. 8. Deut. 29. 10. c. Secondly This Covenant was mutuall not onely a promise on Gods part to be their God and to take them for his people but also reciprocally on their part to give up themselves unto God to be his people and to doe the dutie of people to their God The Covenant is not meerely to receive from God and promise nothing back againe to him nor doth God binde himselfe therein and leave men at libertie but it is mutuall on both parts as these Scriptures declare Gen. 17. 1. Exod. 19. 7. 8. Deut. 5. 27. 6. 16 17. Hos. 2. 23. Zach. 13. 9. Thirdly Hereupon it followes that if men had not promised and also performed in some measure of truth the duties of Faith and obedience unto God they had not taken hold of the Covenant but had discovenanted themselves notwithstanding all the promises of God unto their Fathers or others Thus though God promised Abraham to be a God to him and to his seede in their generations Gen. 17. 7. yet the Ishma●lites and Edomites descending from Abraham were discovenanted by not promising nor performing those duties of Faith and obedience which God required on the peoples part when a Covenant containes promises on Gods part and duties also on mans he doth not take hold of the Covenant that takes one part and leaves another Fourthly To beleeve what God promised in the Covenant for his part and to promise in a private way the duties of obedience on mans part was not sufficient to make these strangers members of the Church but they must doe it openly and in the view of the Church else the Church could have had no warrant to have admitted such into their Fellowship if their faith and obedience had not been visibly professed Exod. 12. 43. 48 2 Chron. 23. 19. And in as much as the Covenant was mutuall when these strangers did manifest their taking hold of the Covenant they manifested and professed both Faith and obedience

Separatists maintaine it When Doctor Bancroft in a Sermon at Pauls-Crosse had avouched that the Superioritie of Bishops above other Ministers is by Gods owne Ordinance and to make the contrary opinion odious affirmed that Aerius per●i●ting in it was condemned for an Heretique by the generall consent of the whole Church and that Martin and his Companions doe maintaine the same opinion of Aerius What saith learned Doctor Reinolds hereunto in a Letter to Sir Francis Knolls who required him to shew his judgement herein Touching Martin saith he if any man behave himselfe otherwise then in discretion and charitie he ought let the blame be laid where the fault is and defend him not but if by the way he utter a truth mingled with whatsoever else it is not reason that that which is of GOD should be condemned for that which is of man no more then the doctrine of the Resurrection should be reproved because it was maintained and held by the Pharisees Wherefore removing the odious name of Martin from that which is sinceritie and love is to be dealt with c. And the very same doe wee say to them that would make Church-Covenant to be odious because it is held by those of the Seperation who are commonly called Brownists If men behave themselves otherwise then they ought we defend them not therein but if they hold any truth mingled with whatsoever else wee would not have that which is of God to be condemned for that which is of man truth should not be refused because of other corruptions that may be found in them that hold it If you with them hold Church-Covenant you iustifie them in all their Wayes of seperation and erronious opinions Not so for many of them hold that there are no visible Christians that stand members of the Parishes in England and that it is not lawfull to hold any private Religious communion with such perso●s and that the parishionall Assemblies are none of them true Churches and that it is not lawfull to hear any of those Ministers to preach the Word none of which are justified at all by holding Church-Covenant though they do hold the same There is no such necessarie and inseparable connexion betweene these opinions and that of Church-Covenant that he that holds this must needs hold the other also But the time hath been when your selves did not hold Church-Covenant as now you do when you were in England you were not of this mind and therefore no marvell if your change since your coming to New England be suspected and offensive If you change your judgement and practise in this manner God knows whether you may come at last and therefore men may well be afraid of holding with you in this point which your selves did not hold when you lived in your native Countrey Some of us when we were in England through the mercie of God did see the necessitie of Church-Covenant and did also preach it to the people amongst whom we ministred though neither so soone nor so fully as were meete for which we have cause to be humbled and to judge our selves before the Lord But suppose we had never knowne nor practised the same before our coming into this countrey yet if it be a truth of God there is no reason why we should shut our eyes against the light when God holds it forth unto us nor that others should be offended at us for receiving the same For by the same reason men might still continue in their sinnes and not make any progresse in knowledge and holinesse that so they may not seeme unconstant which were contrary to the Scripture wherein we are commanded nor to fashion our selves according to the former lusts of our ignorance 1. Pet. 1. 14. But to be changed Rom. 12. 2. and renued Ephes. 4. 23. and put off the old man and put on the new Ephes. 4. yea to grow in grace and holinesse 2. Pet. 3. 18. and be stronger and stronger Iob 17. 9. that our good workes may be mo●e at the last then at the first Revel. 2. 19. Sure it is the Apostle tells the Corin●hians and Ephesians that the time had been when they were not the same men that now they are when he wrote unto them and yet he doth not blame them for leaving their former opinions or practise but commends them for it 1. Cor. 6. 11. Ephes. 2. 3. c. And it is said of Apollos an eloquent man and mighty in the Scripture that when he came to Ephesus the way of God was expounded unto him more perfectly by Aquila and Priscilla whereas before he was instructed in the way of the Lord knowing onely the Baptisme of Iohn yet this was no dispraise at all to him that now upon better information he would change his judgement to the better nor unto them that were the means thereof Act. 18. 25 26. Nullus pudor est ad maliura transire The time hath been and we may be humbled for it when we lived without God in the world and some of us in many sinfull courses and shall any be offended because we are not still the same and when God called us from the wayes of sin and death to the Fellowship of his grace in Christ yet some of us lived a long time in conformity to the ceremonies imposed in our native Countrey and saw not the evill of them But when God did open our eyes and let us see the unlawfulnesse thereof we cannot see but it would have been a with-holding the truth in unrighteousnesse and a great unthankfulnesse to God for light revealed to us if we should still have continued in that course through an inordinate desire of seeming constant and therefore it is not any just cause of offence that we have changed our judgement and practise in those things when we once perceived the Word of God to disallow them Indeed it hath been sometime objected against Mr. Cartwright and others that desired the reformation of the Churches in England in regard of Discipline and Church-Order that they which stood so much for Reformation in Discipline did in after times adde and alter some things beyond what they saw at first and what themselves had formerly desired and that therefore being so mutable and inconstant in their apprehensions they were not to be regarded nor hearkened unto to which Objection Mr. Parker makes full Answer in Eccles. lib. 2. ca. 36. p. 307. where he sheweth from the Scripture and the testimonie of Bishop Iewel Doctor Reinolds and others that in the Reformation of Religion God brings not his servants into perfection in knowledge and zeale at the first but by degrees so as they grow and make progresse in these things in such wise that their good works are more at the last then at the first as was said of the Church of Thyatira even as the man that had been blind when Christ restored him to his sight could at the first but see men like trees walking and afterward saw every man cleerly and therefore it is no good arguing to say these men have altered and corrected such things from what their apprehensions were at first and therefore they are not to be regarded Now if this be no good arguing against Mr. Cartwright and those that in England have been studious of Reformation as indeed it is not then it is no good Argument against us in this matter of Church-Covenant to say we now hold and practise otherwise then we have done in former time If any shall here reply that change from conformity to the ceremonies to Worship God more purely is warranted by the Word and therefore not blame-worthy and that the same may be said of the case of Apollos of the Corinthians and Ephesians forementioned and of Cartwright and the rest in his times We answer that this is true and thereby it appears that it is not simply the changing a mans opinion or practise that can be counted blame-worthy or offensive but changing without warrant of the Word and therefore in point of Church-Covenant the issue must not be whether we or others have formerly known and practised it but whether it have ground from Gods Word For if it have as we hope have been proved before in this discourse then the observing of it can be no cause of just offence unto others nor imputation of inconstancy to our selves though in time past we had not had so much light as to discerne the necessitie and use thereof The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary and grant unto all his Churches and servants that the●● love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that they may discerne the things that differ and approve the things that are excellent and by his Spirit of truth be led forward into all truth till Antichrist be utterly consumed with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming and the holy City new Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven as a Bride adorned for her husband the Lambe the Lord Jesus to whom be all glory of affiance and service for ever Amen FINIS Object 1. Answer Object 2 Answer Object 3 Answer Object 4. Answer Argu. 2. Object 1. Answer Obj. 2. Answ. Obj. ● Answer Argu. 3. Argu. 4. Argu. 5. Object Answer Argu. 1. Argu. 2. Object Answer Argu. 3. Object 1. Answer Obj. 2. Answ. Obj. 3. Object 4. Answ. Object 5. Answ. Argu. 4. Argu. 5. Object Answer Argu. 6. Obj●ct 1. Answer Object 2. Answ. Obj. 3. Answ. Obj. 4. Answ. Obj. 5. Answ. Obj. 6. Answ. Reply Answ. Obj. 7. Answ. Obj. 8. Answ. Obj. 9. Answ. Obj. 10. Answ. Obj. 11 Answ. Obj. 12. Answ. * By Brownists and Separatists you are to understād those of the rige● Separation Reply Answ. Obje 13. Answ. Reply Answ.