Gospel through obstinacy which we perswade our selves they are not come unto and consequently the Covenant remaines which hath preserved the essence of Churches to this day though the mixture of manifold corruptions have made the Covenant more implicite then were meeâ—e Secondly Because there want no good Records as may be seene in Seldens History of Tithes to prove that in former times in England it was free for men to pay their Tithes and Oblations where themselves pleased Now this paying of Tithes was accounted as a dutie of people to their Minister or sheepe to their Pastour and therefore seeing this was by their owne voluntary agreement and consent their joyning to the Church as members thereof to the Ministery thereof as sheepe of such a mans flock was also by their owne voluntary agreement and consent and this doth imply a Covenant It was not the precincts of Parishes that did limit men in those dayes but their owne choice Thirdly Those Questions and Answers ministred at Baptisme spoken of before viz. Do st thou renounce I doe renounce doest thou beleeve I doe beleseve doest thou promise I doe promise as they were used in other places so were they also in England and are unto this day though not without the mixture of sundry corruptions Now this doth imply a Covenant And when the children came to age they were not to be admitted to the Lords Supper before they had made personall Confession of their owne Faith and ratified the Covenant which was made at their Baptisme by their Parents which course indeed afterward did grow into a Sacrament of Confirmation but that was an abuse of a good Order If here it be said that the Members of the Parishionall Assemblies are not brought in by their owne voluntary profession but by the Authority and Proclamation of the Prince and therefore they have no such Covenant The Answer is that the Christian Prince doth but his dutie when he doth not tollerate within his Dominions any open Idolatry or the open worship of false Gods by baptized persons but suppresseth the same and likewise when he gives free libertie to the exercise of all the Ordinances of true religion according to the minde of Christ with countenance also and encouragement unto all those whose hearts are willingly bent thereunto Ezra 1. 13 7 13. And therefore this practise of his cannot overthrow the â—reenesse of mens joyning in Church-Communion because one dutâ—e cannot oppose nor contradict another And suppose that this course of the Magistrate shouâ—d seeme to be a forcing of some to come in for members who were unfit in which case it were not justifiable yet this doth not hinder the voluntary subjection of others who with all their hearts desired it When the Israelites departed out of Aegypt there went a mixed multitude with them many going with them that were not Israelites indeed Exod. 12. And in the dayes of Mordeâ—ay and Hesthâ—r many of the people of the lands became Iewes when the Iewes were in favour and respect Est. 8. 17. and so joyned to them not of their owne voluntary minde nor of any sincere heart towards God but meerely for the favour or feare of men yet this forced or feined joyning of some could not hinder those that were Israelites indeed from being Israelites nor make the Iewes to be no Iewes no Church-members And the 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 Idolatâ—y 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
both that they beleeved what God promised and that they would be obedient to what he required If any shouâ—d have claimed Church-fellowship saying I beleeve the promises but would not binde himselfe to any duties of Evangelicall obedience this had been a taking hold of the Covenant by the halves a taking of one part of it in seeming and pretence and a leaving of another but it would not have been sufficient to have brought a man into the fellowship of the church Such of the Congregation of Israel as would not come to Hierusalem to enter into Covenant were to be separated from the Church in the dayes of Ezrya Ezra 10. 8. And therefore such as being strangers should refuse to enter into it could not be admitted into the Church So that the taking hold of Gods Covenant which is there required to make these strangers members of the Church is a beleeving in heart on the God of Israel and an open profession that they did beleeve and likewise a promise of obedience or subjection unto the God of Israel and an open professing of such obedience and subjection and that is the joyning in Covenant which we stand for before a man can be a member of a Church even an open profession of Faith and of Obedience A third Argument is taken from those Scriptures which shew that men become members by being added to the Church or being joyned to them Act. 2. 47. 5. 13. 9. 26. If men become members of the Church by being added or joyned then joying in Covenant or professing of subjection to the Gospel or Covenant of God is that whereby a man becomes a member of a Church But the former is true as appeares by the Scriptures forementioned and therefore the latter is true also But all the doubt in this Argument will be concerning the consequence of the Major Proposition but that may be made good by this reason and the confirmation of it viz. that a man cannot be added or joyned to the Church by any other meanes without this joyning in Covenant The truth of which Assertion will appeare by shewing the insufficiency of all other means without this joyning in Covenant and that may be done in Answer to the Objections ensuing When men were added to the Church it may be no more is meant but thaâ— God did convert them and worke Faith in their hearts and that converting of them was the adding of them to the Church This cannot be all for first Saul was converted and had faith wrought in his heart and yet he was not at the first received for a member of the Church at Hierusalem though he assayed to be joyned unto them till they were better satisfied in his spirituall estate by the testimony of Barnabas Act. 9. 26 27 28. And those strangers Isa. 56. as was said before were joyned to the Lord by being converted and having Faith wrought in their hearts and yet they doe lament it with griefe that they were not joyned as members to the visible Church The Lord hath separated me from his people say they ver. 3. The old saying is true concerning the visible Church There are many wolves within and many sheepe without Secondly Those that were joyned were beleevers before they joyned for it is said divers were added ver. 14. Thirdly Those that were added to the Church were added and joyned to them by such an act as others durst not put forth Act. 5. 13. Of the rest durst no man joyne unto them and therefore it was not by the irresistable act of God in converting of them but by some volunâ—ary act of their owne choice and consent for Gods converting grace depends not upon mans daring or not daring to receive it If to be joyned be no more but to be converted then when it is said Some durst not be joyned the meaning should be they durst not be converted nor suffer Faith to be wrought in them which is grosse Arminianisme suspending the converting grace of God upon the free will of the creature Fourthly And as this joyning which others durst not doe cannot be meant of being converted So if it be well considered what the thing was wherein they durst not joyne it may appeare that it was nothing els but this that they durst not agree and engage themselves to be of their body and societie that is they durst not joyne in Covenant with them For it cannot be meant of dwelling in the Towne with them for this they both durst doe and did nor is it onely of joyning to heare the Word in their assembly for this also they durst doe and many did it in great multitudes so that many by hearing the Word became beleevers and were added to the Lord both of men and women ver. 14. at this very time when it is said of some they durst not joyne unto them Nor is it of joyning to them in affection or approbation of their way for this they also durst doe and did expresse so much in magnifying and commending them when yet they durst not joyne unto them ver. 13. Which magnifying of them doth imply that they heard their doctrine and saw their practise and approved it and highly commended them for the same Wherefore seeing this joyning which some durst not doe cannot be meant of being converted nor of joyning in habitation nor of joyning in affection nor in hearing the Word in their Assembly nor of approbation and expressions that way it remaineth that it must be meant of joyning in that neere relation of Church-fellowship amongst them so as to be engaged by voluntary consent and agreement to be members of their Church Fiftly If joyning to the Church were no more but to be converted then he that were converted were joyned as a member of every visible Church throughout the world which were a great confusion of that Order and distinction of Churches which the Lord hath appointed Men may be joyned to the Church in heartie affection and love and yet without any Covenant True but this will not make them members of that Church for then Saul was member of the Church at Hierusalem afore he was joyned a member for he was joyned to them in heartie affection afore and therefore assayed to joyne as a member and so were they that durst not joyne Act. 5. 13. yea then a man should be a member of many Churches yea of all Christian Churches in the world for he is to love them and beare heartie affection to them all The true members of the Churches in England are united in heartie affection to the Churches in Scotland in Holland in France in New-England c. And yet they are not members of all these Churches nor subject to their censures as members are But the reason of that is because they doe not dwell among them in the same Towne Neither would habitation with them in the same Towne make a man a member of the Church there if there
be no more then so Suppose Saul to have dwelt in the same house afore his conversion in which he dwelt after which is not unpossible nor unlikely yet we see he was no member of the Church at Hierusalem afore his conversion no nor of some time after though he might have dwelt in an house in the midst of the Christians and Church-members there The members of the Dutch and French Churches in London or other Townes in England are not members of the Englishâ—Congregations or Churches no more then the English are of theirs and yet they dwell promiscuously together in the same Sâ—recte of the same Towne Towne-dwelling would not make a man a free-man of a Company in London or some other Corporation for many others dwell in the Towne with them yea it may be in the same streete that are not free of their Company and so it is in this case But the reason why such as dwell in Towne with the Church are not members thereof may be because they frequent not their Assemblies Idiots and Infidells might come into the publick meetings among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14. 23 24 25. yet Idiots and Infidells were not therefore members of the Church And Saul after his conversion might have come in among the Church in time of publick duties and have seene and heard all that they had done yet this would not have made him of one body with them Some Indians Moores and other naturall persons come into our meetings in New-England some of their owne accord and others by the Command or Counsell of their Masters and Governours yet no man can say that all these are hereby made Church-members Wherefore seeing neither conversion nor loving affection nor cohabitation nor coming into their meetings doth joyne a man as a member of the visible Church for some men have all these and yet are not members and others are sometimes members of the visible Churches and yet want some of these are hypocrites and want sound conversion it remaineth therefore that as sound conversion makes a man fit matter for a Church So profession of his Faith and of his subjection to the Gospel and the Churches approbation and acceptance of him which is the summe of Church-Covenant is the formall cause that gives him the being of a member But joyning doth not alway signifie joyning in Covenant Philip joyned to the Eunnuchs chariote and dust to mens feete Act. 8. 29. Luke 10 11. and yet there was no Covenant and therefore men may joyne to the Church without any Covenant The word indeed may expresse any close joyning whether naturall as the branch is joyned to the Vine or an arme or other member to the body or artificiall as when two stickes were joyned to become one in Ezekiels hand Ezek. 37. Or when Carpenters or Masons doe joyne pieces of stone or Timber together to make one house Neh. 4. 6. Ezr. 4. 12. but is not onely the force of the word that is stood upon But when joyning is used to expresse such joyning wherein a man voluntarily takes on him a new relation there it alwayes implyes a Covenant whether the relation be morall and civill or religious and Ecclesiasticall We speake of voluntary relation for there are naturall relations as betweene parents and children and these need no Covenant there is no Covenant to make a man a Parent or a childe There are also violent relations as between Conquerour and Captives and in these there is no Covenant neither but others are voluntary and these alwayes imply a Covenant and are founded therein whether they be morall and civill as between husband and wife Pro. 2. 17. between Master and servants Luk. 15. 15. between Prince and subject between Partners in Trade 2 Chro. 20. 35 36 37. where the Covenant or agreement is that men shall bare such a share of charges and receive such a share of profits or religious as between Minister and people between the Church and the members all these are done by way of Covenant A man cannot joyne himselfe to a woman as her husband but by way of Covenant A man cannot joyne himselfe to another as a servant or apprentise but by way of Covenant And so may we say of all the rest nor into any body corporate but by the same way and means If men be united into a body politick or incorporate a man cannot be said to be joyned to them by meere heartie affection unlesse withall he joynes himselfe unto them by some Contract or Covenant Now of this nature is every particular Church a body incorporate 1 Cor. 12. 27. Yee are the body of Christ c. and hath power to cast out 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 as a body incorporate and therefore he that will joyne unto them must doe it by way of Covenant or Agreement and so this Answer to this Objection may be a fourth Argument to prove the point in hand that joyning in Covenant is that which makes a man a member of a Church All voluntary relations all relations which are neither naturall nor violent are entred into by way of Covenant But he that joynes into a Church as a member or enters into a Church doth take upon him such a relation Therefore joyning to a Church as a member is by way of Covenant A fifth Argument may be drawne from the power which all Churches Officers and members have over all their members in the Lord If all Churches Officers and members have power in the Lord over all their members then joyning in Covenant is necessary to make a man a member of a Church but the former is true therefore the latter is true also The Assumption in this Argument that all Churches have power over their members is proved from 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. 13. where the Apostle reproveth the Corinthians for suffering the Incestuous man amongst them and commands them to deliver him to Saâ—an and cast him out from amongst them Now this he would not have done if they had had no power over him or if there had been any roome for them to say wee have nothing to doe with him wee have no power over him And the same is prooved in other Scriptures also as Mat. 18. 17. Psal. 149. 6. 7 8 9. And the Consequence of the Major Proposition viz. that then members doe engage themselves by Covenant is proved by this reason That Churches have no power over such as have not engaged themselves by Covenant and committed power unto them by professing to be subject to all the Ordinances of Christ amongst them The truth whereof may appeare by two Reasons First Because all Christians have power and right jure divino to choose their owne Officers to whom they commit their soules Act. 6. 1. 14 23. where the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} imports choosing by Election and so the word is used and translated 2 Cor. 8. 19. he was chosen by the Churches
c. It is not ministeriall gifts that makes a man a Minister to every Church nor investeth him with spirituall power over them nor though he dwell amongst them unlesse they call him and he accept of that call And as they have power to choose their Officers so likewise to choose their brethren according to God Rom. 14. 1. Now if they have power to choose their Officers and brethren then none can have power over them as Officers and brethren without their owne consent and whom they never chose nor promised by any Covenant or Engagement to be subject to the Lord Secondly If the Church should exercise any Act of Church-power over such a man as never entred into Covenant with them suppose to Excommunicate him for whoredome or drunkennesse or the like the man might protest against their Act and their Sentence as Coram non judice and they could not justifie their proceedings if indeed there have passed no Covenant or Engagement between him and them If he shall say you have nothing to doe to passe Sentence or Censure upon me I am none of your Church but of another Church Suppose in Holland in France c. and I am onely here now for Merchandise sake or upon some other occasion what shall they say to stop his mouth if there never passed any Covenant between him and them But Ministers have power over the people by the word of God Heb. 13. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 17. and not by mens engaging themselves by Covenant But what is it that makes men Ministers to such a people Officers to such a Church or maketh them sheepe of my flocke Is it not those Scriptures that makes every man a Pastour or Teacher or Ruler to a people unlesse they call him to that Office and then in so doing they Covenant and Engage themselves to be subject to him in the Lord and then those Scriptures take hold on them One might as well say it is not the Covenanting of a wife to her husband that gives him power over her but the Word of God For as the Word of God commands people to obey their Ministers so it commands wives to be subject to their husbands Ephes. 5. 22. And yet all men know a man cannot take this woman for his wife but by Covenant So that if shee once makes her selfe a wife by her owne voluntary Covenant then the word of God takes hold on her and bindes her to doe the duties of a wife but if shee hath made no Covenant the man hath no power over her as her husband neither is shee his wife So if men once make themselves members of such a Church sheepe of such a mans flocke by their own voluntary Covenant then the woâ—d of God takes hold of them and bindes them to doe the duties of members to their fellow-brethren and of people to their Pastours or Ministers But if they never chose such a man to be their Minister nor Covenanted to be subject to him in the Lord he then can have no power over them as a Minister unto them because they have right to chose their owne Ministers A sixth Argument may be taken from the distinction that is between members and not 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 not 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 thaâ—â—t 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 fuâ—ler satisfaction if it be the will of God Church-Covenant is a Terme that is not found in Sâ—ripture 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. Ier. 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 â—race 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
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 perâ—iâ—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 persoâ—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 moâ—e at the last then at the first Revel. 2. 19. Sure it is the Apostle tells the Corinâ—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 theâ—â— 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. â— 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. Objâ—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 understaÌ„d those of the rigeâ— Separation Reply Answ. Obje 13. Answ. Reply Answ.