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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88943	Church-government and church-covenant discussed, in an answer of the elders of the severall churches in New-England to two and thirty questions, sent over to them by divers ministers in England, to declare their judgments therein. Together with an apologie of the said elders in New-England for church-covenant, sent over in answer to Master Bernard in the yeare 1639. As also in an answer to nine positions about church-government. And now published for the satisfaction of all who desire resolution in those points.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.; Mather, Richard, 1596-1669. Apologie of the churches in New-England for church-covenant.; Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1643 (1643)	Wing M1270; Thomason E106_8; Thomason E106_9; ESTC R18913	104,756	140

same may be said in this case Suppose the Magistrates Proclamation should be a cause or an occasion rather of bringing some into the Church who came not of their owne voluntary minde but for feare or for obteining favour yet this cannot hinder but others might voluntarily and freely Covenant to be subject to the Gospel of Christ Such subjection and the promise of it being the thing which themselves did heartily desire though the Magistrate should have said nothing in it If any shall hereupon inferre that if the Parishionall Assemblies be Churches then the members of them may be admitted to Church priviledges in New England before they joyne to our Churches Such one may finde his Answer in the Answer to the tenth of the thirty-two Questions Whereunto we doe referre the Reader for this point Onely adding this that this were contrary to the judgement and practise of the Reformed Churches who doe not admit a man for member without personall profession of his Faith and joyning in Covenant though he had formerly been a member of a Church in another place as was shewed before out of Master Parker Lastly If any say that if these reasons prove the English Congregations to have such a Covenant as proves them to be Churches then why may not Rome and the Assemblies of Papists goe for true Churches also For some man may thinke that the same things may be said for them that here in Answer to this eleventh Objection are said for the Parishes in England Such one must remember two things first that we doe not say simply a Covenant makes a company a true Church but as was said before a Covenant to walke in such wayes of worship to God and edification of one another as the Gospel of Christ requireth For who doubts but there may be an agreement among theeves Pro. 1. A confederation among Gods enemies Psal 83. A conspiracy among the Arabians the Ammonites and Ashdodites to hinder the building of Hierusalem Neh. 4. 7 8. And yet none of these are made true Churches by such kind of confederacies or agreements And so wee may say of the Assemblies of Papists especially since the Counsell of Trent If there be any agreement or confederacy among them it is not to walke in the wayes of the Gospell but in wayes contrary to the fundamentall truths of the Gospel as Idolatry in worship Heresie in doctrine and other Antichristian pollutions and corruptions and therefore if they combined in these things such combinations will never prove them true Churches The Church is the Pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. But the Religion of Papists is so farre from truth that whosoever liveth and beleeveth according to it without repentance cannot be saved Witnesse their doctrine in the point of vilifying the Scriptures and in point of free-will and of Justification by works of the Popes Supremacy of the Sacrifice of the Masse of worshipping of Images c. In regard of which and such like the Holy Ghost saith that their Religion is a Sea become as the bloud of a dead man and every soule in that Sea dyeth Rev. 16. 3. And therefore agreement in such a Religion will never prove them to be true Churches nor any Assemblies of Arrians Antitrinitaries Anabaptists or Famelists supposing them also to be combined by Covenant among themselves But now for the Assemblies in England the case is farre otherwise for the Doctrine of the Articles of Religion which they professe and which they promise to hold and observe though some things are amisse in some of those Articles and though many persons live contrary in their lives yet the doctrine is such that whosoever beleeveth and liveth according to it shall undoubtedly be saved and many thousands have been saved therein and therefore Assemblies united by Covenant to observe this doctrine may be true Churches when the Assemblies of Papists and others may be false although they also were combined by Covenant the reason of the difference rising from the difference that is in the doctrine and Religion which they severally professe and by Covenant binde themselves to observe the one being fundamentally corrupt and consequently pernicious The other in the fundamentall points Orthodoxall and sound Secondly It must be remembred also which was intimated before that if fundamentall corruptions be professed in with impenitency and obstinacy then God may disanull the Covenant on his part and give a Bill of divorce to such a people Jere. 3. 8. Now experience and the Scripture also doth witnesse of the Jesuited and Trent-Papists that they repented not of the workes of their hands of worshipping Devills and Idolls of Gold c. neither repented they of their murthers nor of their sorceries nor of their fornications nor of their thefts Rev. 9. 20 21. But now for the Parish Assemblies in England we hope that we may safely say they doe not sinne of obstinacy but of ignorance having not been convinced and many of them never having had means to be convinced of the corruptions that are amongst them in respect of their constitution and worship and Ministery and so the Covenant remaining among them may prove them to be Churches when it cannot stand the Papists in like stead they being impenitent and obstinate Which we doe not speake to justifie the Parishes altogether as if there were not dangerous corruptions found in them nay rather the Lord be mercifull to the sinnes of his people wee may lament it with teares that in respect of their members and Ministery in respect of their worship and walkings in many of those Assemblies there are found such apparent corruptions as are justly grievous to a godly soule that is enlightened to discerne them and greatly displeasing to the Lord and indeed had need to be repented of betime least otherwise the Lord remove the Candlesticke and unchurch them Rev. 2. 5. In a word the corruptions remaining are just causes of repentance and humiliation but yet in as much as the Articles of Religion which they professe containe such wholesome doctrine that whosoever beleeveth and walketh according thereunto in sinceritie shall undoubtedly be saved and in as much as the corruptions are not persisted in with obstinacy therefore wee deny not but they have the truth of Churches remaining But this opinion of Church-Covenant is holden by none but the Brownists or those of the Separation and therefore it is not to be received This ground cannot be made good that none but they of the Separation are for Church-Covenant for all the Reformed Churches generally as was shewed before in Answer to Objection the tenth are for it in their judgement practise and shall all they be condemned for Brownists or maintaining unlawfull Separation from the Church Also Master Parker and Doctor Ames men of our owne Nation famous for holinesse and learning and moderation both of them plead for Church-Covenant and yet neither of them were Brownists but bare witnesse against that riged

the said Church in particular in Church fellowship 4. And not to depart from the said Church afterward without the consent thereof or how doe you hold and practise in these things 9. Whether doe you hold all or the most of our Parish assemblies in Old-England to be true Visible Churches of Christ with which you may lawfully joyne in every part of Gods true worship if occasion served thereto or if not all or the most then what ones are those of which you so account and with which you durst so partake or joyne and in what respects And why be not the rest such as well as they 10. If you hold that any of our parishionall Assemblies are true Visible Churches and that the Members thereof are all or some of them at least members of true visible Churches then whether will you permit such members at least as are either famously knowne to your selves to be godly or doe bring sufficient Testimoniall thereof from others that are so knowne or from the Congregation it selfe whereof they were members here to partake with you in all the same Ordinances and parts of Gods true worship in any of your Congregations as by occasion they may be there in the same manner and with the like liberty as you would permit any that might happily come unto you from any of the Churches of Geneva France the Low-Countreyes or yet from any one Church to another among your selves Suppose from some Church about Connecticut or that of Plimouth c. Vnto the Church at Boston New-Towne Dorchester c. Or if not what may be the Reason thereof 11. Whether doe you hold our present standing in our Parish Assemblies here in Old ENGLAND to bee lawfull and safe to be continued in or how f●rre it may be so 12. Whether doe you hold that every Believer is alwayes bound to joyne himselfe as a fixed Member to some one particular Congregation so as if he doe not and so oft and so long as he doth it not so oft and so long he is without the Church in the Apostles sence 1 Cor. 5. as an Heathen or Publican out of the Kingdome of Christ and possibility of salvation according to that maxime in divinity Extra Ecclesiam non est salus 13. VVhether doe you thinke it lawfull and convenient that a company of private and illitterate persons into a Church body combined should themselves ordinarily examine elect ordaine and depose their owne Ministers of the word without the asistance of any other Ministers of other Churches where the same may be had 14. Whether doe you hold that every small Company of seaven or nine or twenty or fourty persons combined into a Church body be such a Church as by the ordinance of Christ hath and ought to have all power and exercise of Church Government So as they may transact all Ecclesiasticall businesses independently amongst themselves 15. Whether do you give the exercise of all Church power of Government to the whole Church or to the Presbiters thereof alone and if to those then we desire to know what act of Government and Superior authority properly so called may the Presbiters doe more then any other member may doe or without the particular consent of the rest wee crave to have those particular Acts mentioned and how and over whom in those Acts the Presbiters doe rule in propriety of speaking more then the rest of the Congregation doe 16. Whether doe you not permit Women to Vote in Church matters 17. Whether in Voting doe the Major part alwayes or at any time carry Ecclisiasticall matters with you or in what things doth it in what not 18. What meanes have you to preserve your Churches in Vnity and Verity or to correct or reduce any Church erring in Doctrine or practice As 1. Whether you have any plat-form of Doctrine and Discipline agreed upon or if you have not whether meane you to have one and when and thinke you it lawfull and expedient so to have 2. Whether have you combined your selves together into Classes or purpose so to doe so as to doe no weighty matter without their counsell and consent 3. Or give you any power to Synods and Councells to determine and order things that cannot otherwise be ended so as that their determination shall bind the particular Churches so assembled to due obedience in case they decree nothing but according to Truth and right and to peaceable suffering in case they should doe otherwise Or what other course you have or intend to have for that end aforesaid 19. Whether hold you that each particular Church may lawfully make such Laws or Orders Ecclesiasticall for the Government of it selfe and the Members thereof for decency order and Edification as shall oblige all her Members and may not be omitted without sinne 20. Wherein hold you that the whole Essence of a Ministers calling doth consist As 1 whether is Election by the People it yea or no Or 2. is it so Essentiall as that without it the Ministers calling is a meere nullity Or 3. is Ordination as Essentiall a part thereof as the Peoples Election Or 4. is it but a meer formality and solemnity of their calling 21. Whether doe you hold it lawfull for meer lay or private men to ordaine Ministers in any case 22. What Essentiall difference put you between the Office of Pastor and Teacher and doe you obser●●e the same difference inviolably and do not your Teachers by vertue of that Office give themselves usually to application of doctrine as well as your Pastours and do they not also usually apply the Seales 23. What authority or Eminency have your Preaching Elders above your sole Ruling Elders or are they both equalls 24. VVhether may a Minister of one congregation being thereto requested do as a Minister any act of his Ministery as Preach Baptize Administer the Lords Supper Ordain c. in and unto other Congregations besides his owne 25. Whether hold you that a Minister of a Congregation leaving or loosing his place suppose without his fault doe withall lose both Nomen and Esse of his ministery and do become a meere Lay or private man untill he be a new elected and ordained 26. Whether doe you allow or thinke it lawfull to allow and settle any certain stinted maintenance upon your Ministers 27. Whether doe you permit and call upon meer Lay and private men neither being in the ministerie nor intended to it ordinarily to preach or Prophecie publiquely in and before the Congregation and whether thinke you that prophecying mentioned 1 Cor. 14. be to be understood of such and be an ordinary and standing order of God in the Church 28. Whether doe you allow and call upon your people publiquely before all the Congregation to propound Questions move doubts argue with their ministers of matters delivered either by them or others either at the same or some other time 29. Whether hold you that the conversion of sinners to God is ordinarily

another though now and then as need requireth Churches send to other Churches for their counsell and advice Meanes to preserve the Churches in unitie and verity and to reforme any that may erre thankes bee to God we have sundry First the holy Scriptures which are a perfect rule for Doctrine and practise 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Psal 19. 7 8. Secondly the Ministery appointed by Christ viz. of Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons Ephes 4. 11 12. 1 Cor 12. 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1. Tim. 3. 1 2. c and vers 8. and in both these we have frequently holden forth unto us the Commandement of God wherein he requires Churches to bee of one mind and one judgement in the truth 1 Cor. 1. 10. 2. 13. 11. Ephes 4. 3. Phil. 1. 27. 2. 1. 2. and his promise to lead his people into all truth and holy agreement therein Jer. 32. 29. Isa 11 6 7 c. Zeph. 3. 9. Ioh. 16. 13. with many motives and Rules from Scripture for continuing in the said truth and love Now Faith makes use of these promises and submits to these precepts and exhortations and so both these being mixt with Faith are profitable meanes by the blessing of God for that end aforesaid Heb. 4. 2. as these Churches have found by experience for these yeares since our comming into this Countrey And any other meanes sanctified of God for the aforesaid end we hope we should be glad with thankfull hearts to improve and make use of as the Lord shall help As for a Platforme of Doctrine and Discipline which you mention as one meanes hereunto if thereby you meane no more but a confession of Faith of the holy doctrine which is according to godlinesse we know nothing but it may be lawfull and expedient in some cases for any particular person that hath received the gift to doe it or any Church or a●l the Churches in any Christian Common-wealth to compile and set forth such a platforme The practise of those Churches whose Confessions are contained in that booke called The harmony of Confessions as also of Master Robinson at Leiden and others of our Nation in other parts in the Low-countries who have published such platformes we see no reason to condemne or disallow neither count we it unlawfull or inexpedient for any Church or Churches or person or persons in the countrey upon just occasion to doe the like But if your meaning be of a platforme to be imposed by authority upon others or our selves as a binding Rule of Faith and practice so that all men must believe and walke according to that platforme without adding altering or omitting then we are doubtfull whether such platformes be lawfull or expedient For if the Doctrine contained therein doe in any particular swerve from the Doctrine contained in Scripture then the imposing of them is so far forth unlawfull and if they be according to it then they may seeme needlesse in as much as the forme of wholesome words contained in Scripture is sufficient Which reason against such Platformes makes nothing against Sermons or Preaching though Sermons must be according to the Doctrine contained in Scripture because Preaching is an ordinance of God and therefore not needlesse which we cannot say of such Platformes Besides as they are not necessary so they may be a snare unto men and a dangerous temptation of attending more to the forme of Doctrine delivered from the authority of the Church and the imposers then to the examining thereof according to the Rule of Scripture and so their faith may by this meanes stand in the wisedome or will of man rather then in the power of God as if men had dominion over their faith which things ought not so to be 1 Cor. 2. 5. 2. 1. ver Christians have liberty from God to search the Scriptures and try all things and hold fast that which is good Act. 17. 11. Ioh. 5. 39. 1 Thess 5. 21. but the foresaid imposing of platformes and confessions compiled by men doth seeme to abridge them of that liberty and if it be any meanes of unity yet it may be a dangerous hinderance of some verity and degree of truth as binding men to rest in their former apprehensions and knowledge without liberty to better their judgement in those points and shutting the doore against any further light which God may give to his best servants and most discerning beyond what they saw at first And therefore we doubt such imposed platformes are not lawfull or at least wise not expedient The consociation of Churches into Classes and Synods we hold to be lawfull and in some cases necessary as namely in things that are not peculiar to one Church but common to them all And likewise when a Church is not able to end any matter that concernes onely themselves then they are to seeke for counsell and advice from neighbour Churches as the Church at Antioch did send unto the Church at Ierusalem Acts 15. 2. the ground and use of Classes and Synods with the limitations therein to be observed is summarily laid downe by Doctor Ames Medul Theol. l 1. c. 39. Sect. 27. unto whom we do wholly consent in this matter But when you speake of doing no weighty matter without the consent and counsell of a Classes we dare not so far restraine the particular Churches as fearing this would be to give the C●asses an undue power and more then belongs unto them by the Word as being also an abridgment of that power which Christ hath given to every particular Church to transact their owne matters whether more or lesse weighty among themselves if so be they be able without such necessary dependence upon Classes as we have shewed before in answer to Q. 14. Sect. 3. 4. of that Answere And Master Parker testifieth that in Genevah and in the Low-countries where they have some use of Classes yet it cannot bee said that their particular Congregations are absque potestate omni in rebus grandtoribus ut in excommunicatione the particular Churches are not without power in the more weighty matters as in Excommunication Polit. Eccles li. 2. c. 36. Sect. 11. p. 310. And Master Baine sheweth the same saying They have power of governing themselves but for greater edification voluntarily confederate not to use or exercise their power but with mutuall communion one asking the counsell and consent of the other Dioces Triall Q. 1. p. 21. And a little after Geneva made his consociation not as if the prime Churches were imperfect and to make one Church by this union but because though they were intire Churches and had the power of Churches yet they needed support in exercising of it c. which is the very same that wee said before in Q. 14 viz. That all Churches have right of Government within themselves but some had need of counsell and advice of others because they are of lesse ability to transact their owne matters

members If there be by the word of God a distinction between members of the Church and such as are no members then joyning in Covenant is necessary to the being of a member but the former is true as appeares 1 Cor. 5. 12. Some are within and may be judged by the Church and others are without and may not and therefore the latter is true also And the reason of the Consequence is because there is nothing else without this joyning in Covenant that can sufficiently distinguish them It is not Faith and Grace in their hearts for some men are members of the visible Church and yet have no Grace and others may have Grace and yet be no members and therefore this is not the thing that doth distinguish them nor is it affection nor cohabitation nor every approbation of the Word of God and the wayes of his Church nor comming into their Assemblies to heare the Word But these things were touched before and therefore may be here the more briefly passed over And so much shall suffice to have spoken of the second particular concerning the use of Church-Covenant that it is by joyning therein that a particular person becomes a member of a Church But here it will be needfull to remove sundry Objections which may seeme to some to be of great weight against Church-Covenant that so by the removing of them the truth may be the more cleared to fuller satisfaction if it be the will of God Church-Covenant is a Terme that is not found in Scripture First So is Sacrament Trinitie c. and yet those termes may be lawfully used because the thing meant thereby is found Secondly But seeing the Covenant is between the Lord and his Church as the two parties that are confederate it is all one whether it be called the Lords Covenant or the Church-Covenant As when Mamre Aver Eschol were confederate with Abraham Gen. 14. 13. might not one truely say Abraham was confederate with them Relatives doe mutually put and establish one another Thirdly The Scripture allowes both the Lords Covenant with the Church Eze. 16. 8. the peoples covenant or Saints covenant or Churches Covenant with him Deut. 29. 12. Psal 50. 5. Jer. 50. 5. Fourthly There is good reason for both the words both the Lords Covenant and the Church-Covenant because both are confederate And for that of Church-Covenant there is this reason also viz. to distinguish it from other Covenants as a marriage-Covenant Pro. 2. 17. and a brotherly Covenant 1 Sam. 20. 8. The Church-Covenant being thus called not onely because they are a Church or members thereof that make it but also because they enter into it in reference to Church-Estate and Church-duties The duties which they bind themselves unto in this Covenant being such especially as concern a Church and the members thereof But this Church-Covenant puts some disparagement upon the Covenant of Grace which every beleever is already entred into with God and seeme to charge the same with insufficiency for every second Covenant doth argue that the first was not faultlesse Heb. 8. 7. 1. A second Covenant doth argue that the first was not faultlesse where the Covenants are contrary one to another as the covenant of Grace and the covenant of works are and so it is most true that the bringing in of the free Covenant of Grace did argue that righteousnes and life could not be attained by the Law or Covenant of works for if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law Gal. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 3. 2. But if it be the same Covenant that is renewed or made againe though upon a new occasion no man can say that entring into the same the second time or a third or a fourth doth disanull the first or cast disparagement upon the same The covenant of works given to Adam was not blamed or faulted because it was renewed in Sinai The Covenant of Grace was first given to Adam in Paradise after his fall afterward to Abraham then to the people of Israel under types and shadows And againe after the coming of Christ in the flesh yet none of these doth disanull the former or argue the same to be faulty and the reason is because it is still the same Covenant though renewed upon new occasions and in some particulars in some other manner And the like we say concerning Church-Covenant or the Covenant which a man makes when he enters into the Church viz. that it is not another Covenant contrary to the Covenant of Grace which every beleever is brought into at his first conversion but an open profession of a mans subjection to that very Covenant specially in the things which concerne Church estate into which estate the man is now entring It is not lawfull to make such a Covenant as the Church-Covenant because it is not in our power to keep it and we do not know whether God will give us power This ground is very true that no man hath power of himselfe to any thing that good is but all a mans power and abilitie must come of God through Christ 2. Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Joh. 15. 5. But the inference is not good that therefore it should be unlawfull to ento into Church-Covenant for 1. By the same reason all promises are unlawfull and all covenants whatsoever as the covenant of marriage the covenant of service yea and the personall covenant of Grace when a particular soule promiseth faith and new obedience for there is none of these no not the covenant of Marriage which a man is able of himself to keep as the adultery of David and Bathsheba among others doth plainly prove 2. God hath promised to give power to them that in self-deniall seek it of him and trust to his promise for it Ezek. 36. 27. Jer. 31. 33. Rom. 6. 14. Jer. 32. 40. The true inference therefore from this ground from mans disabilitie to performe were this that therefore a man should not enter into Church Covenant in his owne strength for that was Peters fault in promising not to deny Christ but to die with him rather but Church-Covenant as also all other promises should be entred into in an humble looking up to Christ Jesus for help and assistance to performe Thou therefore my sonne be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 2. Tim. 2. 1. God disalloweth covenants of mans making and so our Church-Covenant in those words But not by thy Covenant Ezek. 16. 61. God doth not reprove them there for making Covenant for then he were contrary to himselfe who elsewhere called them to do it Exod. 29. Deut. 29. and commended them for it Psal 50. 5. Yea and in that very place of Ezek. 16. acknowledgeth a Covenant betweene him and them ver 60. 62. But the meaning is he would do them good but not for their good keeping the Covenant of works for they

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 Job 17. 9. that our good workes may be more at the last then at the first Revel 2. 19. Sure it is the Apostle tells the Corinthians 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 John 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 desited and that therefore being so murable and inconstant in their apprehensions they were not to be regarded nor hearkened unto to which Objection Mr. Pa●k●r makes full Answer in Eccles lib. 2. ca. 36. p. 307 where he sheweth from the Scripture and the testimonie of Bishop Jewel 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 ●● stored him to his sight could at the first but see men like tr●… walking and afterward saw every man cleerly and therefore●… is no good arguing to say these men have altered and correc●… 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 m●●ter 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 cerem●nies 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 iss●● 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 not 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 their 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 To. 2. To 3. To 4. Object Answ To 5. 6. To 7. To 8. To 9. To 10. To 11. Obj Answ To 12. To 13. To 14. To 15. To 16. To 17. To 18. To 19 To 20. To 21. T● 22. To 23. To 24. 25. To 26. To 27. To 28. To 29. To 30. To 31. To 32. Object 1 Answer Object 2 Answer Object 3 Answer Object 4 Answer Argu. 2. Object 1. Answer Obj. 2. Answ Obj. 3. 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. Answer Object 4. Answ Object 5. Answ Argu. 4. Argu. 5. Object Answer Argu. 6. Object 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. Ans● Obj. 12. Answ * By Brownists and Separatists you are to understād those of the riged Separation Reply Answ Obje 13. Answ Reply Answ