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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	attain_v	law_n	righteousness_n	5,866	5	9.1807	5	false

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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

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

had very sinfully broken it ver 59 but even as he saith elsewhere not for their sakes or for their righteousnesse Ezek. 36. 32. Deut. 9. 4 5 6. But what force is there in this arguing viz. If God will do us good but not for our good keeping the covenant of works then it is not lawfull to promise obedience to the covenant of Grace in such things as concerne Church estate All men may easily see that here is a plaine non sequitur This entring into Covenant may keep out many good men from joyning to the Churches because they are not satisfied about it and therefore it is better laid aside It is not impossible but good men may for a time be unsatisfied about it till they understand the nature and use of it and yet the thing be warrantable enough for all that in the sight of God the Tribes were troubled at the Altar set up upon the banks of Jordan by the two Tribes and an halfe till they understood the intent and use of it and for what purpose it was erected and then they were satisfied Josh 22. And the same may be said of Peters eating with the Gentiles which at the first was very offensive to them of the circumcision till they understood what Peter had to say for his defence therein and then they rested well satisfied Act. 11. But if men understand what the Church-Covenant is there is no reason that good men should be troubled at it it being nothing else but a promise of obedience unto the Gospel of Christ or of such duties as the Gospel requireth of all Christians in Church-estate For will good men refuse to obey the Gospel or submit to the ordinances of Christ or will they refuse to professe and promise so much If a man understand what it is and what we meane by it and yet refuse to enter into it when he hath opportunitie thereto such refusing is no part of his goodnesse but is to be reckoned amongst his corruptions It is ignorance at the best and if not so then it may be perversenesse of will or some want of will to performe obedience to the Gospel And surely there is smal hope that such would yeeld subjection and obedience to the Gospel who do refuse to professe or promise it But the Scripture Act. 2. 41. tels of joyning to the Church without any Covenant For it was not possible that 3000. should enter into covenant in one day Two things may be said in Answer to this Objection First that 3000. were not so many but that joyning in Covenant might easily be done by them all in one day For 1. it was at Penticost at which time of the yeer the dayes were at the longest And 2. the Scripture tels us that David made a Covenant with all the Tribes of Israel in one day 2. Sam. 5 1 2 3. The Articles of the covenant betweene David and the Tribes and so betweene this 3000. and the Lord might be openly declared and they both the one and the other might by some signe or other expresse their consent thereunto in one day Secondly as joyning in Covenant is a thing that might be done so it is more then probable that indeed it was done by those 3000. soules For it is said ver 41. that they gladly received the word that is they openly professed that they did with all their hearts receive it for this receiving of the Word is noted as a condition upon which they were admitted to baptisme and therefore it was not onely an inward receiving of it in their hearts but also an open professing that they did receive it for an inward receiving of it in their hearts without an open professing thereof outwardly would not have been sufficient for the admitting of them unto Baptisme Now this Word which they received was an exhortation to Repentance for sinne and to Faith in the promise ver 38 39. and to obedience in severing themselves from others and saving themselves from that untoward generation ver 40. And therefore when they openly professed that they gladly received this word there was an open professing of their Repentance for sinne ver 40. of their Faith in the promise and of obedience to the Commandement which is nothing else but the very summe of Church-Covenant yea and further their very preparation to this repentance faith and obedience in that true compunction and sorrow of soul was also openly made manifest ver 37. But yet there would not be such long narrations of every one severally as now are used when men do enter into Church-Covenant when each one makes a good long speech in the profession of his Faith and Repentance When the thing is certaine as was shewed before that they did openly professe repentance faith and obedience it is not difference in the length or largenesse of their speeches in expressing of themselves that can make any difference in the thing Majus minus non diversificant speciem And we denie not but they might be briefer because there was not such need they should be long in regard of some difference betweene them and us their time and ours First there were the Apostles present to heare their confessions and to judge thereof who were men of very good discerning and therefore briefer expressing of mens selves might suffice whereas the best Christians yea the best Ministers amongst us are not to be compared to the Apostles and therefore as we need more time for study and for preparation for our Sermons then they did so likewise we need more time to heare and try the soundnesse of mens repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Yet this we may adde withall that if the Apostles and those primative Christians men of such excellent discerning were sometimes deceived and could not alwayes so discern but that some Hypocrites would creep into the Church as the example of Ananias and Saphira doth witnesse how much more need is there that the Churches of God in these dayes being far inferiour to them should be very watchfull and circumspect in trying the spirituall estates of them that offer to come into the Church Secondly their times also differed from ours for their Christianitie was a matter of reproach and danger of excommunication Joh. 9. 22. of imprisonment Act. 4. 3. and 5. 18. and the like And therefore to see men now to make open profession of their faith in Christ Jesus whose servants and disciples were so hated and who himselfe but a while before was crucified this was not an ordinarie matter and therefore in words men might be the briefer when they came to be received into the Church But our times in New England do not persecute Christ and Christians and Christian Churches but countenance them and protect them and therefore there is more need now to be more studious in examination of mens estates when they offer themselves for Church members when the Jews were