they may yea ought to own them as Members when they own the Covenant and do not desert the Church I cannot but make a little pause here before I pass on and seriously intreat our dear Brethren and all of their minde to consider well how the Lord is wont to deal with his visible Church and all the Members thereof in the Old and New Testament and compare therewith this their respect and care of the Lambs of Christs Flock When the Lord hath once stricken a Covenant with his People taking in their seed with the Parents Gen. 17.7 Deut. 29.10 11. 1. What Abundant Means of their Salvation doth he ordain and cause diligently to be improved to that end Cain and Abel both admitted to Sacrifice Abraham's Commands were to his whole Family-Church Gen. 18. The daily ordinary Sacrifices and the more solemn and extraordinary were for the whole Congregation Lev. 4.14 21. Numb 15.24 25. To Israel pertain the Adoption the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Rom. 94. And how did the Lord follow his Church in all ages by his Prophets to bring them to Repentance yea when gone after Baal to reduce them by Elijah How affectionately doth the Lord by them plead with his People Jer. 2. 3. Micah 6. Psal 81.8 c. So in the New Testament the Ministry of the Word and other Ordinances are given to the Visible Church for their Salvation 1 Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 c. and Discipline to reduce and save offenders 2. Consider the Wonderfull Patience of God in seeking the Salvation of his visible Church When the children of God were so corrupt that God resolved to destroy all flesh yet he spared them an hundred and twenty years sending Noah a Preacher of Righteousness to seek their good Genes 6. And how great was his Patience to Israel and Judah sending his Prophets early and late out of his compassion till there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36. So the Lord Jesus sent his Epistles To the seven Churches of Asia to heal their corruptions and though he threatned to Come quickly yet spared them many years 3. See with what Compassion and Bowels of humane Affections as it were the Lord expresseth himself when he is about to cast off a People he hath been in Covenant with How shall I give thee up O Ephraim c. my Repentings are kindled together Hos 11.8 So Christ O Jerusalem how oft would I have gathered thee as an Hen her Chickens c. Mat. 23.37 How did he Weepover Jerusalem saying O that thou hadst known at least in this thy day c. Luke 19.41 This is Gods way But what is our Brethrens Way to these Members of the visible Church to whom they confess the Promise doth belong Acts 2.39 1. Though God have stricken his Covenant with them and Sealed it To be their God and own them to be His People yet they will not acknowledge them Actual personal Members but in effect Distinguish them out of the Church 2. They allow them no more acts of Church-watch and Discipline then may reach an Infidel-servant and Excommunication the most effectual Ordinance of Christ to Destroy the Flesh and Save the Soul must not touch them 3. So quick they are that if the Lord be not pleased to give them Saving Faith and Grace so soon as they come to adult age Disown them as No Members and so let them go Now how farre unlike this is to Gods Way who doth not see And I must confess this is to me one great Argument That the Way of these Brethren is not the Way of God To proceed Our Brethren to clear this Coast think fit to Answer The Reasons of the Synod to prove their Continuance in the Church But the Reader must note That those Arguments are not applied to this Proposition in hand here being Eight Reasons to prove They are personally under the Watch and Discipline of the Church which are not touched by them But the Reasons that our Brethren here speak unto are those brought by the Synod to prove the last Branch of the sixth Argument for the fifth Proposition viz. That Church-members admitted in minority understanding the Doctrine of Faith and publickly professing their Assent thereto not scandalous in life and solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church wherein they give up themselves and children to the Lord and subject themselves to the Government of Christ in the Church That their Membership still continueth in adult age and ceaseth not with their Infancy And this is the rather to be noted because if their Answers suit not the case of such persons then they are not pertinent to take off the Reasons of the Synod But let us see what is answered to these Reasons though out of their place Reas 1. Because in Scripture persons are broken off onely for notorious sins or incorrigible impenitency and unbelief not for growing up to adult age Rom 11.20 Ans Our Brethren answer Not simply for growing up but for such accessaries as may attend adult age Rom. 11.20 doth not say onely for notorious sins c. Negative unbelief Neglecting the means of Grace Not Professing the Faith and the fruits thereof may give cause of breaking off And to such though our patience and expectation ought to be large and long yet it may be tired out at last and come to a period Reply 1. If our Brethren would out hold to this it would tend much to our desired Unity For hence it will follow That their Membership received in infancy doth continue in adult age untill such Accessaries do appear and till the Patience of the Church be tired out 2. If it were granted that Negative unbelief manifested by Neglect of the means of Grace Not professing of the Faith and the fruits thereof might after long patience give just cause to break them off yet by this Rule the persons described in the fifth Proposition cannot be said to be broken off for they do Profess the Faith and the fruits thereof by a life free from Scandal giving up themselves to God and submitting to the Government of Christ in his Church Or at least such as these are still objects of the Churches Patience and therefore not broken off And seeing our Brethren come thus farre I shall willingly meet them here and confess That if Negative unbelief be manifested by Neglect of the means of Grace Not professing of the Faith being orderly called thereunto by the Church and Continuance impenâ—tently in such Neglects after due means with due patience used by the Church this would give the Church just cause to cast them out for this were Incorrigible Impenitency in sin And Oh that we might meet here But when I consider many other Expressions in this Treatise I fear my desires will fail For if no act of Church-governmeÌ„t may be put forth upon their persons immediately but by their Parents how shall the Church come
ANIMADVERSIONS UPON THE ANTISYNODALIA AMERICANA A TREATISE Printed in Old England In the Name of the DISSENTING BRETHREN In the SYNOD held at Boston in New England 1662. Tending to Clear the ELDERS and CHURCHES of New England from those Evils and Declinings charged upon many of them in the two Prefaces before the said Book Together with AN ANSVVER UNTO The Reasons alledged for the Opinion of the Dissenters And a REPLY to such Answers as are given to the Arguments of the SYNOD By JOHN ALLIN Pastor of the Church of Christ at Dedham in N. England Rom. 3.1 2. What advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision Much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God Gal. 3.27 28. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither Bond nor Free there is neither Male nor Female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Heb. 12.15 16. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God left any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for a morsel of meat sold his Birthright Cambridge Printed by S.G. and M. J. for Hezekiah Vsher of Boston 1664. THE PREFACE TO THE READER SVch is the Infirmity and Corruption of Man the Malice and Subtilty of Satan the Enemy of Truth Purity and Peace and the holy and just Dispensation of God Permitting and Ordering all things to his most glorious Ends that frequent Experience sheweth how hard it is for a People desirous to walk in all the wayes of God to steer a right course between the Gulf of Profaning the Ordinances by an over-loose Dispensation thereof on the one hand and the Rocks of Rigid Separation Anabaptism and the like on the other hand And hence it may seem the less strange that notwithstanding the Eminent Lights we have had holding forth The Covenant-interest of the Church-seed and The Duty of Churches to improve the Ordinances for their good yet the Practice hereof hath not obtained in many of our Churches That this Case is now become matter of publick Dispute between the late Synod and some Dissenting Brethren though it be cause of Humiliation yet we desire herein to submit to the onely wise God hoping and waiting upon Him to see the Improvement thereof for good and for the further clearing up unto us what is His good perfect and acceptable Will in this case When these Antisynodalia of our Brethren came to our hands and Another Essay of the same nature was here Published some godly and wise Christians advised the Elders to let them â—ass in silence conceiving that they would not so take with the People as to hinder the Practice of the Doctrine of the Synod and that a Reply would occasion further Disputes and Contests But upon serious consideration of the matter by divers Elders met to that End the Reasons on the other side did preponderate Such as these 1. We being perswaded of the Doctrine of the Synod and not finding any Weight in those Tractates to change our Judgements it seemed to us that by silence we should be sinfully wanting to the Truth of God a present Truth that many godly ones are enquiring into and to the Just Interest of the Church-seed 2. This Truth being asserted in so Solemn an Ordinance viz. The Assembly of the Elders and other Messengers of so many Churches after solemn seeking the Face of God and much search into the Scriptures with large Disputes about the same Our silence in this case would not onely render that Ordinance useless and vain at present but also discourage the Churches in after-times to make use thereof for their necessary Establishment in Truth and Peace 3. We see evidently that the Principles of our Dissenting Brethren give great Advantages to the Antipoedobaptists which if we be silent will tend much to their Encouragement and Encrease to the Hazard of our Churches 4. These Treatises coming into the Peoples hands if no Answer should be returned will much strengthen the hands of such as are Dissenters and discourage the hearts of others from the Practice of the Doctrine of the Synod for the good of Posterity 5. Those unjust Aspersions cast upon many of the Elders and Churches of New-England in the two Prefaces to the Antisynodalia do tend much to weaken the Authority of their Ministry and Dispensations and would lay them under much Scandal in Old-England and New should not a just Apologie and Answer be made thereunto For these and the like Reasons it was thought necessary to return a just Answer to these Books published in Opposition to the Doctrine of the Synod But that my Brethren should have any eye upon my self to undertake this part of the Work viz. To Examine and make Reply to these Antisynodalia was very farre from my thoughts Yet when I could by no Perswasions and Intreaties prevail with them to Call out some other more able for this Work whereof we had choyce I considered that the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets and that the Lord is not wont to deny Assistance to such as he calleth forth to any Service yea that He delighteth to shew His strength in weakness In hope hereof I have by his Grace and Help run through these Antisynodalia in my plain and homely manner loving alwayes to speak to vulgar Capacities wishing heartily it had been done by some better hand that might have performed it more throughly This onely I have to say for my self That I have not willingly declined any seeming strength of Reason nor sought by Shifts and Evasions to darken any seeming Light of Truth held forth in these Antisynodalia but have Candidly according to my measure Searched the Scripture whether those things were so As I have believed so have I spoken As I finde in the Law and Testimony so have I written What weaknesses and defects may be discovered by a more judicious Eye I hope through Grace I shall be willing to see and reform upon intimation thereof onely let no Truth herein held forth be the less esteemed for the Infirmity of the Instrument I shall commit this Case of the Church-seed unto that God who of his rich Grace hath undertaken to be their God Beseeching Him to make his Wayes plain before the face of his People and to improve these Disputes to common Edification according to the good pleasure of his will Thine in the Lord JOHN ALLIN From my Study in Dedham in N.E. 6 day 11 mon. 1663. ANIMADVERSIONS UPON THE ANTISYNODALIA AMERICANA CHAP. I. Being Animadversions upon the two Prefaces The first To the Reader the second To the Honoured General Court IT is no good sign that the Publisher of these Anti-Synodalia doth so foully stumble at the Threshold in his first stepping forth into this Business For where
as he pretendeth As a Lover of the Truth to Publish this Treatise without any Commission from the Dissenting Brethren which he desireth them not to be offended with and affirms it as a truth That the persons engaged in this Dissent had much rather this Treatise were suppressed and as an untimely birth to have been buried in everlasting darkness The contrary hereunto is evidently evinced by the whole Preface following which speaketh no more in the person of the Publisher but of the Dissenters and wherein they endeavour to Answer four Objections against the Publishing thereof And in Answer to the first Objection taken from the Ill consequences that might follow they declare a Resolution to have it Published whatever should follow concluding in the words of Esther If I perisâ— I perish Besides it is well known here how earnest and resolute one of the chief of them was to have it Published Concerning the Objections here mentioned The three first from The sâ—a Consequences that may follow The trouble of the Peace of the Churches hereby and from The Novelty of their Opinion I know not of any that made these Objections Surely that language was not heard in the Synod but their own Reason might object such things The fourth Objection is A pretended Concurrence of all other Congregational Churches they know of to countenance their Cause but without any sufficient Proof thereof But seeing it is now Published though uns asonably as is confessed I shall not trouble my self and the Reader about the Answers to the Objections but apply my self to wipe off those uncharitable and unjust Aspersions that in this Preface are cast upon many of the Elders and Churches of New-England Wherein that I may not wrong any of our beloved Brethren the Dissenters I must say this on their behalf That some of them do profess that they had no hand in this first Preface nor in the Publishing thereof nor any knowledge thereof And I have reason to think so of others of them who I hope have other thoughts of their Brethren then this Preface holdeth forth So that so farre as I conceive it is the act of one of them onely or chiefly I take notice of Seven Imputations cast upon us which I shall speak unto 1. The Author of this Preface complaineth of The course Entertainment of their Tenent both in the Synod and in the General Court where they expected more Patrons then did appear Ans That none may hence judge otherwise then the truth is In respect of the Synod it cannot be denied that the matter in question was placidly fully and oft-over Debated all their Arguments weighed all Writings presented were read considered and some publickly answered So that all the course Entertainment was that their Tenent was not embraced by the Synod And as for the Honoured General Court if they were so farre satisfied with the Answers of the Synod to that Question about The Subject of Baptism propounded by them that they did not think fit in their Wisdome to countenance and encourage a Party rising up in Opposition thereto as tending to Divisions and Disturbances amongst us they may thank themselves for such course Entertainment if they will so account of it But to aggravate this course Entertainment he addeth Though it be no other Doctrine then of all the Congregational Churches in Holland England Ireland and New-England and also in New-Haven and Plimouth Jurisdictions yea and also that it hath been the Judgement and general Practice of the Churches in the Bay some few inconsiderable excepted for thirty years Ans Here is a great Pretence of general Concurrence with their Tenent but without Proof and beyond the truth And to make the Number seem the greater besides New-England he addeth And also New-Haven Plimouth c. as if these were not New-England Churches As for those Forreign Churches it doth not appear whether as yet many of them at least have declared their Judgement in this case Yea I have heard from one of good note that knows many of those Churches who upon the question answered That this case hath not as yet been considered in many of those Churches And if their Practice have not yet suited to the Doctrine of the Synod we know by our own experience how many hindrances there may be of that though their Judgement be for it But concerning the Judgement of New-England Elders and Churches let the Preface to the Synod be read by which it will appear That the most Eminent Elders in the most considerable Churches and the Messengers of the Churches of New-England were generally for this Doctrine in the Synod held at Cambridge in the year 1648. I shall mention onely that Passage of famous Hooker whose praise is in the Gospel in all the Churches and who might know as much of the Principles of the Congregational Churches as another It is not the question saith he Whether wicked Members while they are sinfully tolerated in the Church they and their seed may partake of Priviledges for this is beyond question nor do I know or ever heard it denied by any of ours Survey Part 3. Chap. 2. pag. 11. Whereby it doth appear that he took it for a general Confession on all hands That it is the Interest in the Outward Covenant that giveth right to Outward Priviledges of the Church which is the Foundation of the Doctrine of the Synod Whereas the Tenent of our Dissenting Brethren is That Members of the Church admitted in minority and having the Covenant sealed by Baptism if being adult they hold not forth saving Faith and Repentance to the judgement of the Church even so as to come into full Communion neither they nor their seed may partake of Priviledges they are Felones de se Self-mâ—rtherers Discovenanted of God and are not so much as Foederally holy so soon as they be out of their Non-age as will appear after which Tenent I cannot believe will be owned by most of the Churches named if by any of them This Author addeth further That yet now this Tenent is laden with Reproaches of Antichristianism and Anabaptism Ans If an Argument or two were used in the Synod taken from such Consequences is this ground enough to say it is laden with such Reproaches and other ground I know none Yet for that of Anabaptism it will appear the Principles of the Dissenters are so near a Kin if not the same with theirs that we cannot but fear a great tendency thereunto and what encouragement they take from thence we are very sensible Secondly In answering the first Objection this Prefacer takes occasion upon supposition of the Doctrine of the Synod to charge the Bay Churches with a sin which he cannot see how it can stand with peace of Conscience in leaving their former practice in dispensing the Seals and taking up a new manner thereof yea a grievous sin in depriving so many Infants of Baptism for thirty years yea of the same nature and somewhat worse
at them to put them upon such Duties and deal with them for their Neglect thereof and when their Parents be dead what shall the Church do then and when their Membership is owned onely in general as wrapped up in their Parents not actual or personal yea when their Personal or Foederal Holiness is denied to continue in adult age These and the like Passages Pag. 23 25 37. and in other places do make me fear that our Brethren will not hold to their Expressions in this place Reply 2. Although Rom. 11.20 saith Not onely for notorious sins c. yet it sheweth how the Jews were broken off which we know was for Notorious sins and Incorrigible Impenitency and Vnbelief And let any shew that any have been broken off or by Rule may be so for Negative unbelief without Impenitency added The contrary we finde 2 Chron. 36.16 Mat. 21.43 Acts 13.45 46. 18.6 19.8 Reas 2. The Jewish children circumcised did not cease to be Members by growing up to adult age but continued in the Church and were bound to the Duties of Members Deut. 26 2-10 16 16-17 Gal. 53. Ans The circumcised Jews did not cease to be Members simply for growing up but for growing out of kinde Jer. 2.21 They became degenerate Plants Amos 9.7 Children of the Negroes Bastard Branches to be cut off Joh. 15.2 Reply There is a double great mistake in applying these Scriptures 1. They do not speak of persons ceasing to be Members As for Jer. 2. it was the Word of the Lord to Jerusalem ver 2. and that in the thirteenth year of Josiah after the Covenant was renewed and Religion greatly Reformed and God calls them His People ver 11 13 and therefore their Membership ceased not at that time So Amos 9. He Prophesied in the dayes of Vzziah King of Judah and Joash the son of Jeroboam King of Israel in whose dayes God had not yet removed Israel out of his sight As for Joh. 15.2 though the Lord doth in his time cut off unfruitful Branches by Death or Church-censures yet till he doth so they are expresly said to be in Christ So that these places speak nothing of the ceasing of Church-membership in adult age 2. These places do not suit the persons in the fifth Proposition Jer. 2. speaketh of such as Prophesied by Baal That played the harlot on every high hill ver 20. and are therefore called A degenerate plant ver 21. Amos speaketh of Israel in the corrupt times of Idolatry and reproves their great Covetousness and Oppression Chap. 8.4 5. And therefore if such as those had ceased to be Members in adult age it doth not follow that the Membership of these in question doth cease What is here added about the phrase of Entring into Covenant is a mistake for the Synod speaks of Entring into a new Membership not denying the phrase of Entring into or Renewing the Covenant Reas 3. Those Relations of Bond-servants and Subjects which the Scripture maketh use of to set forth the state of the children of the Church by Levit. 25.41 42. Ezek. 37.25 do not cease with Infancy but continue in adult age whereby they are engaged to duty when they are most fit for it So here Ans 1. The Relation of the Son of the Bond-woman may cease in adult age as Ishmael much more of the Bond-servant Reply The Relation of Ishmael ceased not by growing up to adult age nor till he was cast out for his sin These in question are not cast out or deserving so to be and therefore this Answer is impertinent Ans 2. By this Reason Moral wickedness should not cut off adult Members for that doth not cut off the Relation of Bond-servants Reply This Argument taken from the common nature of Civil and Church-Societies doth not require they should hold in all things as that they should be governed by the same Laws and subject to the same Punishments that were indeed to make Similitudes run on all four as we say It is enough if they agree in that thing wherein they are applied And this Application of the Synod is clear in Levit. 25.41 42. where the children of the Israelitish Servants were to serve with their parents unto the year oâ— Jubile which being every Fiftieth Year they were oft grown up to adult age before that time And the reason why they should then go out is Because they that is Parents and Children are my Servants saith the Lord. So that there is the like reason in Gods Service as in that Relation And we see David delighteth to own himself the Servant of the Lord in this very Relation I am thy Servant the Son of thine Handmaid Psal 116.16 that is engaged to the Service of God from his Birth and so for ever as the Son of the Handmaid was Exod. 21.4 And yet if the Similitude should be pressed so farre we know that the Moral Wickedness of Murther Adultery and the like would cut off Servants and Subjects by Death according to the Law of God Reas 4. There is no ordinary way of cessation of Church-membership but by Death Dismission Excommunication or Dissolution of the Society none of which is the case of the children in question Ans 1. This is to be understood of Members in full communion which these adult children are not Reply If none of these belong to such adult children to cause their Membership to cease then by their judgement it seems they have no Membership at all if neither Death nor Dissolution of the Society can cause it to cease which before they seemed not to own Ans 2. There are many other wayes of the cessation of Church-members they may Excommunicate themselves as Mr. Cotton The Assembly at the Savoy and Dr. Ames affirm Also by Withdrawing sometimes commanded of God 2 Tim. 3.5 Rom 16.17 Also by Apostacy 1 Joh. 2.19 By Heresie as Arrians Quakers c. Reply 1. If these adult children may Excommunicate themselves then it is yielded that they are Members in adult age But if all these were granted yet none of them is the case of these in the fifth Proposition 2. Here is a needless multiplying of particulars All but a supposed Lawful Withdrawing are Subjects of Excommunication as shall be proved Concerning a Lawful Withdrawing that Turning away from such 2 Tim. 3.5 and Avoiding those Rom. 16.17 may more fitly be understood to be done by not admitting them into the Church or casting them out if they be in rather then by Withdrawing from the Church it self for their sakes which cannot be done without Schism except many Cautions be used Neither can such Withdrawing loosen a man's Relation to the Church which no doubt may call him to account for it and he is bound to render a reason thereof else all Discipline may hereby be made frustrate Now if his Reasons be found just it will be all one with a Dismission 3. Concerning this Self-Excommunication 1. The ordinary instances of Cain Ishmael
the house of Israeâ— yea the children to whom Bread did belong Mat. 15.24 26. These things were spoken of the Jews in general whereof those Mat. 3. Joh. 8. were a part They were indeed of the Devil not of God in respect of the inward state and saving good of the Covenant yet still in the outward Covenant and under the Means of Grace 2. If those Maâ— 3. Joâ— 8. had been discovenanted of God doth it follow that these in question are so Are these A generation of Vipers Lyars Murtherers c that live without Scandall Submit to the Government of Christ c If the Lawyers and Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves in not being Baptized of John do these so that being Bâ—ptized themselves desire it also for their Seed and that in such in way by Owning Gods Covenant Giving up themselves to God Submitting themselves to Discipline c If Mr. Cotton did count such as Ishmael and Esau Self-murtherers doth it follow that these are such that take hold of the Covenant and that in some measure of truth for ought is yet proved to the contrary 3. I must not pass over this Rigid and Dangerous Principle without further Examination The Position of our Brethren is That God himself doth discovenant or cast out of his visible Church such as bring not forth good fruit Mat. 3. that commit sin are Lyars c. Joh. 8. and that without any act of Church-censure Against this I argue 1. That these were not discovenanted of GOd I proved before And it doth appear That the Providence of God continued them under Church-priviledges and Ordinances at least till Gospel-Churches were erected after the Ascension of Christ 2. If the Lord Jesus hath ordained and commanded Church-discipline for the saving of Offenders and the Purging of his Church then he doth not discovenant such without Church-censures But so it is Mat. 18.1 Cor. 5. Therefore he doth it not himself without them The reason of the Consequence is Because if God himself did discovenant them Church-censures were useless and vain To what end should the Church cut off one that is already a Non-member what have they to do with such as are without why should Corinth be blamed for suffering that Leaven if God himself had cast it out 3. This supposed Discovenanting by God himself frustrates the great and chief End of Church discipline viz. To heal and save the Sinner for the Church having now no power over them they must perish being without the Means of their Recovery except God restore them immediately at least they are deprived of that special Means appointed and blessed of God to that end 4. What confusion would this bring into the Church For how shall the Church know when God hath discovenanted this or that man whether so soon as he hath committed such sins or how long Gods patience will bear with him And how shall the Church prove against any such That God hath indeed discovenanted him These things and much more that might be said may put our Brethren to finde some other meaning of Mat. 3. Joh. 8. 1 Joh. 3.10 and such like Scriptures Arg. 2. The children of the Parents in question are either child on of the Covenant or strangers from it Eph. 2.12 Holy or unclean 1 Cor. 7.14 within the Church or without 1 Cor. 5.12 such as have God for their God or without God in the world Eph. 2.12 But he that considereth the terms of the Proposition will not affirm the latter and the former being granted inferreth their right to Baptism Ans The Assumption is denied because the children in question discovenant themselves not keeping the conditions of the Covenant Not walking with God Not loving God c. Deut. 7.9 as they that forsake the Covenant of their fathers Deut. 29.25 And what do these that come not up to the conditions of it God may cast off for sins of Omission 1 Sam. 15. so for not believing in God Reply This being the very Hinge whereupon chiefly this Question doth turn viz. Whether and how these Church-members are cut off from their Membership in the visible Church I desire the Reader to observe well the Answer of our Brethren and their Reasons thereof Sometime they say God Discovenanteth them which hath been examined Sometime that They Discovenant themselve which also hath been spoken to before To this Refuge they now again betake themselves Their Reason here alledged I shall consider which standeth thus Church-members which do not come up to the conditions of the Covenant viz. To walk with God Love God keep his Commandments Believe in God c. do Discovenant themselves But thâ—se Church-members described in the fifth Proposition do not walk with God Love God c. Therefore they do Discovenant themselves The Proposition they would prove from Gen. 17.1 Deut. 7.9 Psa 105.8 Deut. 29.25 To this I answer 1. By denying the Proposition As for the Proofs Genes 17.1 Deut. 7.9 Psaâ— 105. These Scriptures prove it is the duty of such as enter into Covenant with God to Walk with God To be upright To love God c. and that God performs to such the Saving Benefits of the Covenant but they do not prove that simply by the neglect of thâ—se duties especially without Impenitence added they do actually Dâ—â—covenant themselves out of the visible Church and from the Priviledges thereof and the Means of Grace therein The gross neglect of the duties of the Covenant persisted in obstinately and impenitently may deserve Censures but that the want of such graces and duties of the Covenant doth actually cut off such from the visible Church is an Assertion never heard of in the Book of God nor I think in any the best Reformed Church to this day Surely Ishmael and Esau did not Walk with God Love God Believe in God in our Brethrens sense yet they continued in the Church till for their manifest Profaneness the one was cast out by Gods appointment and the other rejected Heb. 12.17 When Deut. 7.9 Moses said that The Lord keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him c. were there not multitudes in Israel that came not up to these duties of the Covenant in our Brethrens sense that yet were Gods Holy People Royall Nation enjoying all Church-priviledges and so all along through the story of all the Scriptures Deut. 29.25 renders indeed the cause of the great Plagues upon Israel to be their forsaking the Covenant But what was that forsaking of the Covenant was it their not coming up to these terms of it to Walk with God Love God Believe in God with a visible saving Faith Nothing less but because they went and served other gods and worshipped them ver 26. As for the case of Saul 1 Sam. 15. whom the Lord rejected from being King for so gross a disobedience to an express and particular Command yet we reade not that he was cast out of the visible Church Nor doth it