The Covenant of Grace, To the reader – Publishers advertisement
TO THE READER.
IF either Author or Matter may tend to commend any Treatiſe, I might take occaſion from both theſe reſpects to ſpeak to the high commendation of all theſe three enſuing Treatiſes; the Authors of them being ſuch as whoſe commendations are in the gates of all the daughters of Zion, and therefore need not Epiſtles of Commendation from any others. The Name of Mr. John Cotton (the Author of the two former) being like a precious Ointment powred forth; and although his bleſſed ſoul be now amidſt the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect in the heavenly Jeruſalem that is above; yet his holy works and labours left behind him, doe (and I truſt ever will) ſpeak to the Saints, to the Churches here below, both in the preſent and alſo future Generations yet unborn. Neither doth the other (viz. the third, that concerning the Power of Magiſtrates in matters of the firſt Table) ſeem to claim any lower deſcent, being indeed a Reſult of a meeting of divers reverend and godly Elders of ſeverall Churches in the Maſa…uſets Plantation in New-England, An. 1646. where both the head and heart of the forenamed reverend and precious man was alſo preſent, amongſt thoſe approved workmen who need not to be aſhamed.
And as for the Matter which they do treat of, 'tis the eſtabliſhment of Peace both Spirituall, viz. of a beleeving ſoul with the Lord in the Covenant of Grace, as in the firſt Treatiſe: and Eccleſiaſticall, viz. between the Brethren and Churches of the Presbyterian and Congregationall way, as in the ſecond: and alſo Politicall, viz. between Magiſtrates and people in point of power and Juriſdiction, about matters belonging to the firſt Table, as in the third Treatiſe. How well theſe things are here ſpoken unto, I ſhall willingly leave to the godly and learned Readers to judge.
I ſhall only deſire to give a brief account of the publiſhing of them to the world, that the Reader may undoubtedly aſſure himſelf that theſe are neither ſpurious Copies, nor ſurreptitiouſly put forth.
The Treatiſe of the New Covenant having been taken from the Authors mouth in Preaching, was afterward preſented unto him with deſire of his peruſal and emendation of it; which being done (and indeed the interlinings of his owne hand doe plainly teſtifie his correcting of it) he delivered back, not long before his death, into the hands of a Gentleman, (one of the Church in Boſton there) who coming over hither, and being about to return, left it with me to take order for the Printing of it.
That of the Queries I had from the Reverend Author himſelf (my moſt Honoured friend) in a letter from him, with liberty (if it might be thought meet) of publiſhing of it: At my coming over from that Country (which was about a year before his death) he delivered unto me the ſame for ſubſtance, but in another Form, viz. in 12 Propoſitions, and therefore did then expreſſe his unwillingneſs to yield to the impreſſion of them (being moved thereunto by a Reverend Elder then preſent with us) by reaſon (as he ſaid) they were ſet down by way of Propoſitions; but afterward the Lord having directed him to mould them in to another model (turning the twelve Propoſitions into eleven Queries) he was pleaſed to ſend them over unto me as here they are preſented. He was a man of peace, of a very ſweet ſpirit, and had a ſpeciall faculty of compoſing differences in the judgements of Brethren: and thus much I ſhall crave liberty to teſtifie of him, that, beſides the multiplicity of occaſions which was conſtantly upon him, he was not without care about the Peace and welfare of the Churches abroad; and notwithſtanding his ſo vaſt a diſtance in body from the Churches and Saints in his Native Countrey, yet he had great thoughts of heart for the Diviſion of his Brethren here, being ſeriouſly ſtudious how to compoſe and heale their breaches: He hath ſometimes ſaid unto me being privately together, Brother I perceive there is a great gravamen which the one party is much offended at with the other, I pray let us study how we may eaſe and remove it. From that ſolicitous care it was that he drew up theſe 11 Queries, unto which (may it be without offence) I ſhall be bold to add one more to make up the number even and round, the which I doe preſume that our Reverend and honoured friend would not have been averſe unto, had he been on earth, to have been conſulted withall.
The third and laſt Treatiſe, being The Reſult of a Synod at Cambridge (as 'tis ſtiled by the Copy come to my hands) was lately ſent over unto me from a Reverend Friend (one that was preſent at that Aſſembly) deſiring mee earneſtly (intimating alſo that 'twas not his owne deſire only) to procure the Printing of it, as conceiving it might prove, very uſefull for the preſent ſeaſon.
Now theſe three little Treatiſes being in mine hand (through providence) together, and each of them ſomewhat too ſmall to put forth ſeverally, I was the more willing (eſpecially apprehending them not to be altogether heterogeniall) to joyne in one ſmall Volume, and as they came from one and the ſame place, ſo to ſend them forth as Companions together: and oh that the preſence and bleſſing of the Spirit of Chriſt may go along with them, making them uſefull and profitable unto the Readers or Hearers of them!
THO: ALLEN.
BOOKS Sould by John Allen at the Riſing Sun in Pauls Church-yard.
NOva Teſtament. Beza. fol.
Doctor Holdſworths Works, compleat. 4o.
Mr. Caryl's fifth Vollume, on Job. 4o.
Mr. Greenhil's ſecond Voll: on Ezekiel. 4o.
Goſpel-Liberty, by Mr. Cradock. 4o.
Mr. Lockiers Works. 4o.
Andrew's Catechiſticall Doctrine. 8o.
Simpſon of Juſtification. 8o.
Ainſworth's Communion. 8o.
Ainſworth's Arrow againſt Idols. 8o.
Welch Testament. 8o.
The Saints Deſire, by Samuel Richardſon. 8o.
Gaule of Witches. 8o.