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world_n	catholic_a	church_n	visible_a	2,933	5	9.1820	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76800	The storming of Antichrist, in his two last and strongest garrisons; of compulsion of conscience, and infants babptisme [sic]. Wherein is set down a way and manner for cburch [sic] constitution; together with markes to know right constituted churches, from all other societies in the world. Also the cruelty inequality and injustice of compulsion for conscience, by 29. arguments is opened; with an answer to 26. objections brought for the same. Also 12. arguments against the baptizing of infants; with an answer to 26. objections brought for the same. Wherein is displayed to the view of all, from the testimonies of Scriptures, Fathers, councels; the mischiefs, uncertainties, novelties, and absudities [sic] that do attend the same. Wherein is answered the most valid arguments brought by St. Martiall, in his sermon preached in the Abbey Church at Westminister, for the defence hereof. With an answer to Mr. Blake his arguments, in his book cald Birth-priviledge; and to the arguments of divers others. As also a catechisme, wherein is cleerely opened the doctrine of baptisme, together with a resolution of divers questions and cases of conscience, about baptisme. Written by Ch. Blackwood, out of his earnest desire he hath to a thorow reformation, having formerly seen the mischiefs of half reformations.	Blackwood, Christopher.	1644 (1644)	Wing B3103; Thomason E22_15; ESTC R7842	101,204	126

point But many have suffered for protesting against it and those of Gods dear children And this I am perswaded were times now or should they be hereafter against Infants baptisme there is hardly that person to be found that would lose a Living much lesse his life for the defence hereof And yet I doubt not but many persons who hold the same in defence of a plain and clear truth would not spare to sacrifice livings credit life and all for Jesus Christ For when a person is put upon losing some dear enjoyment and suffering some great hardship a man will not go a jot further then he hath cleere light nay in point of danger the flesh seekes to winde out it selfe all that it can So that if there be not a plain command from God a man will not suffer 5 It s objected we know not what we would have neither do the Reformers know what we desire Answ The desires of all I know not but my own desires and the desires of divers of Gods Saints I shall propose in all humility to be considered of which may be considered under these par●iculars 1 We desire pure worship that we may have wherewith to answer the conscience when it questions who hath required these things a● your hands Esa 1. We know how hot the jealousie of God is in case of strange fire as we see in the case of Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.1 2 We desire that it may be enquired into whether the division of Assemblies which was in use in the time of the first Nicene Councell and how long before I cannot tell probably thought to have continued from the Apostles time wherein congregations were divided into three sorts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hearers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persons catechised or fitted for membership 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Officers and Communicants be not suitable to the Scriptures and a practise seriously to be thought of in these times of Reformation That this was the manner of dividing Congregations we see concil Nicen can 14. de catechumenis la●sis concil Ancyran canon 6. de his qui timore ritus Gentilium peregeruat See the same more fully canon 4 de his qui Gentilitatis ritus aliquid peregerunt In which Canons Assemblies were divided into Hearers Catechumeni and Communicants 1 Hearers and the necessity of the times did it not agree with the Word and the ancient Councel as it doth cleerly require one rank of persons to be only hearers what are the whole rable of ignorants drunkards swarers worldlings fit to be save hearers these are far the greater number nor will a little stupifactive divinity in taking them and theirs to baptism and keeping them off from the supper promote them to a higher rank 2 Catechumeni These were persons of whom there was some good hope that they would embrace Christianity in the tru●h and power who thereupon were instructed in the principles of christian Religion before they were baptised Cypr. l. de bapt haeret saith If any of the catech●meni shall be slain for the conf●ssion of the name of Christ before he be baptised it hurts him not that he was not dipt in water because such an one is baptised with the most glorious and principall baptisme of bloud of which Christ said I have another baptisme Hence there was an Officer in the ancient church who was called a Catechist whose Office was to prepare persons for the receiving of baptisme and the supper and for other duties Such an one was Origen at Alexandria Eus l. 6. c. 12. who seeing the burthen to be too great for himself alone took in one Heraclus to be a fellow helper with him and this Office was according to Gal. 6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let him that is cat●chised make him that catechiseth pertake in all his goods 3 Offerers or Communicants who being once taken in by baptisme remained in full communion till they were cut off by death or censures The third thing we desire is puritie in constitution of Religion 1 We desire not a reformation of the old which seemeth to be false for these two reasons 1 Because of the universall defection of Antichrist whereby all Ordinances Officers and Constitutions of Jesus Christ were put out of place and new ones come in their stead In stead of Pastors Elders Teachers Deacons c. there hath come in Diocesan Bishops Priests Archdeacons Deans Prebends Churchwardens Sidemen Instead of preaching and prayer Mattens and Even-song and Lyturgies of I know not how many sorts 2 B●cause the matter of the Church hath been so erronious that suppose the power of all Ordinances and Keyes in a time ot universall defection should resolve it selfe radically into the Church Yet there being not any Church right for matter which is part of the Essence this power could not resolve it selfe radically into a Church And therefore if it be any where on earth as doubtlesse it is t must needs be in believers who joyning themselves together in Assemblies may stirre up and take again that power which was committed to the Churches and after cheated away by Antichrist If Idolatry will-worship false matter can un-church Churches then doubtlesse all the Churches so overshadowed by an Antichristian veile have ceased to be Churches and if neither Idolaters will-worship nor false matter singularly nor collectively doe unchurch Churches then the Churches under the Papacie may perhaps be found to continue true Churches to this day who have had a successive though not of preached doctrines yet of persons such as they were which succession hath been like a ship which the longer it went to Sea the fuller it was of leakes Yet if any please they may querie further of the two last branches 2 We desire a setting up of constitutions according to the Scripture or in plaine termes to have a Church described by such notes that cannot be applyed to any other society in the world the taking away of one of which destroyes the essence of the Church That so Gods people may know how to recollect themselves by these signes as Captains in war use by military signes to recollect their routed and scattered forces Only we must consider by way of premise that which Zwinglius long agoe observed that there are but two sorts of Churches mentioned in Scrip ure 1 Catholick comprehending all the elect or body of Christ borne or unborne which were purchased with Christs blood Eph. 5.25 Many men dream of a Catholick visible Church Jewes and Gentiles are taken into one body Ephes 2.14 But not in respect of ministeriall dispensation but of mysticall union The Fathers were wont to call the Church Catholike in opposition to Heretikes and in opposition to the Churches formerly closed up in Judaea but not dreaming of any such united visible body here upon earth also in respect that all beleevers had one and the same faith If all the Churches in a Nation make one body Nationall and all bodies Nationall make one body Catholike then must there be a sutable soul to animate this body but this cannot be Christ nor his spirit therefore must it be Antichrist who hath overshadowed the whole world under the cloud of a visible catholike

them out of Communion and so the matter of the churches come to be so corrupted that they are made uncapable of reformation for when the matter of Churches is rotten what hope is there that the churches will come into a pure state Better did the Nicene Councell that divided their Congregations into Hearers Catechumeni or persons catechised and Communicant The mixt multitude were hearers hopefull persons that had good desires were Chatechumini and those that were deemed believers were Communicants a practise much to be thought of in these times of reformation 2 It confounds the world and the church together which Christ hath severed Joh. 15.19 Joh. 17.9.14.15 Infants b●ptisme especially serving to christianize the prophane world who if men enlightned would speak what they think they must needs say they are not Christians no not one tenth part in too too many Congregations 3 It causes reproach to christianity when many persons that have been christianized only by their infants baptisme prove so unholy which Heathens look on as part of you yea though they be kept off from communion with you in the Lords Supper yet will it be hard to keep off such from the Supper their ignorance must be very grosse and their scandals very soul that keeps them off but more hard to keep them off if they lead civill lives and be rich especially if they understand some Catechisticall points though any christian man may see they are strangers from any life of grace 4 Wicked persons rest in the baptisme they had in their infancy without seeking after knowledge or grace whereas were they held a while up●n hope of acceptation into communion of churches they might be furthered to seek knowledge and restrain from grosse enormities whereas now supposing themselves Christians by their baptisme they received in infancy they care not to do either 5 It s a Nest-egge and ground work for traditions if we fall upon traditionary teachers Bell ●● d ve●b ● d●● 5. Mort A●ol part 2. l 1. c 39. Obj-Ame● Ant Synod ●e ●●●ver 〈…〉 apo p 2●2 presently they hit us in the teeth with infants baptisme B●llarmine saith the Lutherans cannot prove the baptisme of infants against the Anabaptists by the Scripture the Catholiks are not wont So the Remonstrants in their Assemblies as a very ancient rite which can scarcely be left off without great scandall and offence 6. It fills the conscience with scruples some question whether they were ever baptised some question how could I make a covenant by my selfe much lesse by others being an infant Some thinke there is no word at all for what is herein done but it s onely a laudable Apostolicall tradition some thinke it a Signe of faith in present others in infants But that which causeth most scruple is about the formalis ratio the formall cause that inrights a man to this infant Baptisme Some thinke the faith of the parents or of those that offer them doth inright them hereto Others think that the faith of their Grand-father great-grandfather to many generations if none be neerer that were godly of the race the faith of Noah shall serve Aug. Ser. 1 ● de ver apostol Others thinke the faith of the whole Church Others thinke that childrens Seminall faith makes them capable hereof the nature whereof who can understand seeing all faith requires an act of the understanding which infants have not Some thinke Abrahams faith doth it Some think there is an inward covenant which was made to Abraham whereby whatsoever God is to a godly man he is the same to all the seed Nay say others seeing many of the godlies seed are wicked this is impossible but th●re is a certain outward Covenant formerly in circumcision now in bap●isme whereby infants do partake talke with ten men and you shall see them divided into five parts about the formall cause that en●itles an infant to baptisme It s a speech of Erasmus things are bad where there is need of so many remedies Infants Baptise destroyes two of the principall marks of a particular church whereby the members of it are known from all other societies i● the world so that hereby they are made no markes at all as 1. Prof●ssion 2. Baptisme 1. Profession That which makes us members of the Catholike I mean Christs bodie for the catholike visible church I explod as a monster that hath neither Ordinances nor officers unlesse w●e take catholike into opposition to the church closed up in Iudea I say that which makes us members of the catholike the profession hereof makes us members of a particular Church faith doth the one the profession of faith doth the other Acts 8.37 38. Acts 19.18 and this profession is required in New England before any person is admitted as a member Now infants baptisme utterly destroyes this note being they are members already 2. Infants baptisme destroyes baptisme from being a marke of a Church He that would truely define and describe it by such properties as are so essentiall to the thing as that being there they make it to be that it is and being absent it ceaseth to be any more the same And further that it be common to no more but that thing Now infants baptisme is no distinguishable signe or mark of a member of a church because it is common to more persons then such as by Church right are members of Churches even to many that assoon as they grow up become persecutors of beleeving members of the same church of which the persecutors themseves are reputed members Most Divines make Baptisme a signe of a church but how it can be so in such a subject I see not 8. It makes the Preachers assertions of Baptisme and the peoples practicalls to jar one with another Melancton saith dipping signifies the old man with sin to be appointed to death and comming up out of the water Loc. com de bap signifies that wee being now washt do expect a new and eternall life Zanchy They that are dipt Zanch in Ephes loc de ba● are received into the faith and flock of Christ and Order of them that are to be renewed by the spirit forgivenesse of all sins being given unto them ●n Roma●●s c 6.5 Martyr saith Baptisme is a signe of regeneration into Christ into his death and resurrection which succeeded circumcision consisting of the washing of water in the word whereby in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost remission of sins and powring out of the Spirit is offered and by a Sacrament we are planted in Christ and his visible Church and right to the Kingdome of heaven is sealed unto us and we likewise professe that we will hereafter die ●o sin and live to Christ 〈◊〉 l. cap. ●5 Polanus saith Baptisme is a Sacrament in which they to whom the Cov●nant of grace belongs according to the command of Christ are washed with water in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost that is

good Wheate But they must both grow together in the world Mat. 13.30 which cannot be meant of Hypocrites unlesse the field were the church but the field is the world as Christ expounds it verse 38. where he also expounds what he meanes both by Tares and Wheate the Tares are the children of the wicked one and these must grow in the field of the world till the harvest That is till the end of the World as Christ expounds it God intended many of these should be brought home in future time therefore they should not be banished from their seats and dwellings but let alone if God at any time would give them repen●ance By Tares are meant persons not doctrines as verse 38. and for persons Christ uses a generall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those weedes that spring up with the corne to show that all prsons opposite to true worshipers ought to be permited in the field of the World But for as much as God hath appointed the civil sword to take away wicked men as theeves murderers c. And that the children of the Kingdome are the visible Church of Christ Mat. 8.12 21.43 erefore the Tares are Idolaters Will-worshippers which are to remain in the field of the world 7 Persecu●ion for religion makes us uncapeable of amending what is amisse or seeing our own errors yea by this ground the R●formers themselves tha● sit abou● Refo mation would be made uncap●ble of reforming any thing amisse in the churches wer● there such m●gistrates as formerly ●o put the lawes yet standing in execution yet do the be●t see but in part and many glorious truths have been lately revealed a●d more may we expect if the compulsions of conscience which is in most places of the Christian world hinder not 8 It is against all equity for it is unequall for to bid me to see with other mens eyes they have read other books heard other conferences and reasons then I have yet I must see with their eyes 9 Because there is a possibility of error in those that thinke they s●e most yea even Paul said of himselfe and his collegus We know onely in part and prophesie in part 1 Cor. 13.9.12 How oft have the most glorious Fathers of the church erred not one of them that ever I heard of but have erred the fure Generall Councels though many good things concluded yet I suppose in many things have erred Have not Parliaments sometimes erred doing and undoing did not those godly Martyrs who laid down their lives for some truths remain in other things erronious and left the ceremonies the stumbling blocke of the godly for so many yeers Now there being a possibility of error how know you but you in p●rsecuting and compelling may persecute and compell a man who retaines the trurh your selfe mean time retaining the errour 10 Because the Scriptures of the New Testament for what can be alleadged from the old testament we shall hereafter answer God willing never mention any compulsion but the embracement of Christian religion is required form persons willingly When Christ sent out the 70. Luk. 10.6 10.11 They were to wish peace if they were received well if not they were onely to shake off the dust off their feet and not to goe to any violence So Mark ●6 15.16 preach the Gospell to every creature whosoever beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved they were to do no more but onely propound truths and so perswde Act. 2.41 They that gladly received the word were baptized here was nothing but willinesse The Corinthians 2 Cor. 8 5. gave their owo s●lues to the Lord and to us by the will of God there was no compulsion And so Mat. 11.12 From the dayes of ●ohn the Baptist untill now the Kingdome ●f Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force there was no violence offered to persons to embrace it for persons did willingly embrace it of themselves 1 Cor. 14.25 The unbeleever that comes into the Churches assemblie having the secrets of his heart discovered he fa●ls down to worship that God that they preacht and report when hee was gone that God was in them of a truth And therefore to force Papists and prophane multitudes whether they will or no to joyne in one worship one word Baptisme Supper and Identity of communion is not according to the word but though it carry the specious show of a glorious uniformity yet doth it b●get nothing but a politick hypocriticall faith which changes according to the vicissitude of Armies in time of warre and the multitude of Princes States and humane Lawes in times of Peace 11 Compulsion is unlawfull because it produceth many mischiefs As first it exposes Protestan●s to compulsion in Popish countries I have heard ●t related that when sundry Protestants in France complained against persecution the Pap●sts made this answer that wee doe no otherwise then your owne Doctor Calvin allowes 2 It is a great mischiefe to your posterity yea to the posterity of the whole Kingdom for though your selfe were so full resolved that you should never stand need nor see more light yet how know you but your son or daughter or father or mother may see more light then your self do and would you willingly loose the society of so many friends by banishm●nt imprisonment d●a●h when it may be you have none of your kinred so conscientious as they for indeed conscientious persons only or mostly suffer in point of compulsion other men by Scholastick-distinctions and fleshly devices being able to turn themselves any way 3 It hardens Papists in their inquisitory practises for they reason thus the Protestants as well as we doe all agree in this point as well as in the doctrine of the Trinity Resurrection c. therefore that wherein all agree is undoubted And so long as t ey goe in these inquisitory wayes there is little likely-hood that the Gospell should once take footing in Spaine or Italy c. S●● M. S. Ans to A. S p. 24. Bloody Tenent of pers● for cons p 6 4 It causes many hypocrites and time-s●rvers or else cause State-insurrections as in Holland Scotland 5 It takes away possibility from comming to the light of any new truth 12 Compulsion is unlawfull in Religion from universall practise both of Nations and Churches till the t me of Antichrist the Sichemites suffer●p Iacob and his sonnes to dwell among them though of a different Religion Gen. 4.7 When the Israelites were in captivity yet did they injoy their consciences The Romans bore with the Jews in their Religion t●ough a tributary Na●ion yea among the Jewes there were divers Sects as Pharis●es Saduc●s Herodians There were divers errors in the Churches of Corinth Galatia seven Churches of Asia yet are none blamed for not forcing but for not Excommunicating the Hereticall for the first 300. yeers after Christ though wee finde the sword of Excommunication drawn out too rashly yet did wee never hear that

Ghost from his mothers wombe Answ I answer with Augustine neither do I countenance that which is done in Iohn nor thence do I fasten a rule what should be thought of infants Mirabili●● yea I do wonderfully or miraculously publish ●hat in him because I finde it not in others Aug. Epist 57. 2. Had we any extraordinary testimony by an Angel that this or that infant were filled with the holy Ghost from the womb then should we incline the more to baptise them Thirdly all that can be deduced hence is that there is power in God to give the holy Ghost to an infant in a miraculous way yet doth it not appear that Iohn was filled with the holy Ghost by beleeving That he was filled with the holy Ghost from the womb is certain because the word sets it down but for the manner how this was done is uncertain because the word sets it not down We may as well reason that because Enoch and Eliah were translated into heaven other men are so to 3. Object We cannot except any from having faith therefore we baptise all Answ First we except against all from having faith in their infancy because they have not so much as understanding now faith is as well an act of the understanding as of the will 2. In dispensation of this ordinance we must have ground of accepting persons as fit subjects before we can dispence it Acts 8.38 which cannot in an ordinary way be affirmed of infants 3. It appears that all infants wants faith For the proof whereof Downes on Iust●f●cation I will give sundry reasons published long ago by a Divine not interested in this cause who ex professo took upon him to handle this question 1 They have no knowledge of good nor evill Deut. 1.39 Cannot discern betw●xt the right hand and left Jon. 4.11 How then can they understand those things that are above the pitch of nature 2 The dislike that infants have at baptisme testified by their crying and other motion of body had they actuall faith they would endure all with much patience but if in doing so they go against their knowledge the Sacrament is so far from benefitting of them that by their reluctation they contract a further guilt 3 If they have faith why are they not after the imitation by baptisme forthwith ad●itted to the Lords Supper As they were from Augustines time to the times of L●dovious Pitts and Lotharius a matter of 600 years nay why are they not rather admitted then those of riper years for infants ●ave not so much as evill thoughts in them 4 Because not so much as any one of them among so many millions as hav● been in the world when he commeth to riper years giveth any testimony of his faith till he be further taught and instructed If a childe born of christian parents and entered into a visible Church by baptisme shall yet while he is in his tender years fall into the hands of Turkes as many thousand have done the whole band of Janizaries as some say consists of no other doth he not readily receive that religion which is first instild into him without dreaming of the Cristian faith Which yet how it should be having from his first infancie been seasoned and sanctified in the Christian faith cannot easily be conceived or imagined 5 Do all that have received faith in infancy lose it again when they come to be of more years It seemeth so if they received it for otherwise why are they put to their catechisme and taught the Elements of faith again But this were a strange course For how should they lose it unlesse perhaps God secretly steale that from them which in time past he gave them which to say is very derogatory to the bounty of God who never withdrawes favour once given untill man by abusing of it have deserved to lose it Not losing it therefore and yet learning it when they come to yeares of capacitie it is a plain argument they never received it in their infancy 6 All habits whether acquired by custome or infused from above make a man more apt and prone unto their proper actions For example whosoever is possessed of the vertues of Justice Temperance Liberality Fortitude will readily do justly temperately liberally valiantly it being the nature of habits to make easie their actions Are now the children of Christians when they come first to bee instructed are more capable of Christian Relgion or more inclineable to holy actions then the children of Infidels experience tells they are not but are as wax indifferently flexible any way It s absurde therefore and void of reason to place in infants the habit of faith which yet inclines them no more to the acts of faith then those that are without it ●om 10. ● 7. Faith comes by hearing but infants hear not neither by the eare nor by any other way proportionable thereto or if they do they understand not what they heare for did they understand I pr●sume they would hearken more attentively unto what is said then we see they do Wherefore not hearing neither do they beleeve If you say they beleeve by an inward hearing then is that faith wrought either by ordinary or extraordinarie meanes not by extraordinary meanes for it is done every day and hour by ordinary therefore If so then have we a double manner of working faith and both of them ordinary the one by inward hearing in infants onely the other by inward and outward also in those that are adult which is a meere noveltie in the church of God haec ille To conclude the point August contra Donatisas l 4. c. 24. saith Baptised infants cannot as yet believe with the heart unto righteousnesse and confesse with the mouth unto Salvation Also Chemnic Deer Conc. Trid. pars 2. exam Can. 13. p. 89. saith I truely that love simplicity do not understad nor can unfold after what manner that infants that are baptized do beleeve Object But though infants have not actuall faith yet they have Seminall faith Answ This is a vaine distinction For 1. There is but one faith Epes 4. consisting in taking and relying on Christ if we understand justifying faith and one profession of faith which metonimically is called faith and goeth currant for saith in all Ecclesiasticall Dispensations when the profession of life condemnes not the profession of words 1 Pet. 23. Borne again of immortall seed 2. There can be no such thing as Seminall faith in infants because the first feed of faith is illumination of which infants are not capable because voide of understanding This word Seminall doth merely delude men by the Metaphoricall acception to make men think there is a phisickall grouth of faith as in seeds of vegitive bodies when they are sowen when the growth is Metaphisicall and onely in reasonable soules who are fit subjects thereof Obj●ct But if infants have not faith how can they please God and how are they saved Heb.

Church 2 Particular church or churches which is no other then a company of Saints in profession explicitely or implicitely consenting together to worship God in the Word Sacraments and Prayer and all other duties of Religion Now whereas there is mention made of churches in some particular mens houses as in the houses of Philemon Aquila and others I suppose the churches in those houses were no distinct kinde of churches from those that were named in Townes and Cities but they were so called because the brethren did meet to worship God in these principall mens houses and because its like there were divers beleevers in those houses When the Apostles came to this or that City we must not think that multitudes were converted at once but now one and then one so that often the constituted churches were so small that they could well meet together in one place in one private house Now whereas some others have laboured to find a Presbyteriall church in no place in all the New Testament are the Elders or Presbytery cleerly so called though many have laboured with all their power herein to finde it Much lesse is there any shadow of a parochiall church but it hath been brought in by Antichrist of late dayes Instead of a Parhagiall church consisting of Saints Antichrist hath brought in a Parochiall church consisting of a multitude meaning the cohabiting multitude These things being thus premised we will set down these signes of a Church as they do in order of nature present themselves These are sixe the three former necessary to the being the three latter to the well-being of a church The first is a right matter viz. visible Saints as was proved before 1 Cor. 14 33. Matter towards the production of being is in order though not in time before form therefore it is essentially requisitie to a well constituted church that there be a right matter We will not here dispute whether churches failing in the matter cease to be churches But this is enough that we know God requires such a matter henceforth such matter must the churches have to be right as the Apostolicall churches had but they had Saints for the matter of their churches therefore so must we have Beleeve it we are beholding for the recovery of this truth to our brethren nick-named Independants which is as precious a truth about church order as ever was recovered from the spoiles of Antichrist for if the matter of churches be wrong let the wisest and holiest do what they can they shall never bring things into a comfortable order 2 The second Essentiall requisite to a consti uted church is agreement consent or covenant call it what you please the foundations of all societies are and have been established herein nor can this nor any other society be accidentally shuffled together as Cards in a pack or Lo●s in a Lot box therefore sanctified reason requires that a particular or visible church for these are terminis convertabiles be established by some kinde of covenant or agreement which to me seemeth sufficient if it came under no other precept but the precept of order yet have we examples both of the 3000. added to the Church at Jerusalem Acts 2.41 47. and the Apostle Acts 9 6. Paul assaying to joyne to the church who could not be admitted till Barnabas gave testimonie of him for those places which some alledge for this covenant from Deut. 26.17 18. and 29.10 11 12. Ier. 50.4 c. They were peculiar to the church of the Jewes and were used in point of Reformation not of Constitution and belongd onely to the church of the Jewes which did totâ specie differ from Evangelicall churches as having both Ordinances and Officers different they having Priests we Ministers They bodily Sacrifices of beasts We spirituall They having the presence of God confined to one place especially We having it where two or three are gathered in Christs Name Their service for the most part ceremoniall till time of Reformation Ours Morrall and perpetuall Their passeover eaten by all the family confined to a certain day with many other differences Yet when I speake thus of this covenant it s far from me to thinke that it doth give being to the Church It s one thing to give being to a thing per se or by it selfe and its another thing to concurre to the being of a thing meate and drinke doth not give being to the life of man though without it he could not live for if he had not rest and Phisicke and ayre and Stomack and digestive power he could not live though he had never so good meate and drinke So this covenant or agreement doth not give being to the church for a company of Arrians Socinians Papists c. may have a visible Sanctitie and enter thus into covenant yet will not we call them a church but a Synagoue of Satan because they want a right dispensation of doctrine and Sacraments This is such a necessary signe that one Church cannot be severed from another without it son why are you of this Church rather then of that Because there was such an agreement betwixt the Elders and members of this Church which was not betwixt the Elders and members of another The third signe is a right dispensation of the word and Sacraments That whereby the Apostolicall Churches were known from other societies is a signe of a true Church of Christ but they were known by this See this note first in constitution of Churches Acts 2.42 they continue● in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers Matth. 28.19 Christ sending forth the Apostles to convert and constitute Churches bids them only teach and baptize them as if he should say word and Sacraments are essentiall to his Church 2 In reformation when Iosiah would reform the Church of the jews he declares the doctrine of the law unto them 2 Kings 23.1 2 3.2 Chron. 34.30 31. when Ezra was to restore the Church after the captivity he layes this foundation for restoring of it he expounds the law to the people a practise well to bee thought of in these times fit for many congregations in this Kingdome who are not fit to pertake of any thing else save the word shortly after Ezra restored the worship of the Passeover according to the prescript of Moses Ezra 6.19 Apoc. 11.1 There was in the reformation of the Churches a reed to m●asure t●e Temilo and the worshippers therein this was no other but the word of God and Paul 1 Cor. 11. reforming the Church of Corinth teaches them the doctrine of the Sacrament of the Supper as he had received it from Christ verse 23. There are b●sides these three essentiall