A Church Covenant Lawful and Needful, Title page – Dedication
A Church-Covenant Lawfull and needfull to be entredinto by all, that intend to walk in Church-fellowship according to Gospel-order.
Having tasted the sweetness of that everlasting Covenant God in Christ hath made with His people, ordered in all things and sure; and can say of it as David did, tasting his Words as he did, sweeter than the honey, the first droppings of the honey-combe, This is ALL my salvation, and ALL my desire.
Quis pacto credit, & pactum negat? who beleeves the Covenant of his God, and refuseth to enter Covenant with his God?
He, that finds himselfe concerned in it, will engage unto it, the keeping the Conditions of it, in His strength, who hath promised to enable for it, and to stand unto it.
Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His wayes, and to hearken unto His voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, and to make thee high above all nations, which He hath made in praise, and in name, and in honour, and that thou maist be an Holy people unto the Lord thy God, as He hath spoken,
Deut. 26. 17, 18, 19.
I will Cause him to draw neere, and he shall approach unto Mee: for who is he, that engaged his heart to approach unto Mee, saith the Lord,
Jer: 30. 21.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley. 1656.
TO THE MINISTERS of the Gospel, the Glory of Christ, called, chosen, and faithfull, pretious in your Lords eyes, and ever since honourable.
SIRS;
THe Author, in behalfe of a sew Names, charged too rashly by a Godly Minister, (as is meet for Him to think, for a Godly man may be rash, but he will quickly bethink himselfe of his rashness and repent) to walk by a fancie, not walking, which is the abhorring of their soules to doe, in the broad, or Rode way of the Nation, in point of Church Communions, or Gospel administrations, The giving-out the signes and seales of the Covenant, To old-men in Covenant with sinne and death, brawned in their villanies, accursed by the Lord; To yong-men strong and stout against the Lord and His Christ, who never take the glorious and fearefull NAME, The LORD, Thy God into their mouths but in vaine; nor make mention of Christ and His pretious blood (A simple folk are commonly mistaken here) not as to the substance of it, that is spilt and perished, and if we had it, as some say they have, it could not wash us, but defile us, as our blood would, but pretious as to the glorious Merit of it, being the blood of God-man) never making the least mention, of Christ and His blood (the Churches Treasure; for it is their Righteousness, as our blood is our sinfulness) but in an oath: To Babes in understanding, who, take them altogether, old and yong, and Babes, are as wholy ignorant of Christ, and of the Covenant of God established in His Blood, as are the Babes they present to Baptism: This Author, he was saying, made his Address unto you at the first, Craving your righteous judgement in these matters; Also as to a Church-way, and their walk therein, who walk together well agreed in Gospel-fellowship, Whether their way is not, as a Causey way, paved-out before them in the Holy Scriptures? And
Now at the last, and full close of his undertaken Task, work of Faith, and labour of love, he taketh the boldness againe to make Application unto you, Craving your judgement, which, he is assured shall be, according to Truth, as before about a Church-way, so now about a Church-Covenant (that Apple of strife, and bone of offence cast-in among the Churches, he sayes not by whom, but he sayes the hand of—Joab is with them in all this, and therefore, the more earnestly he craves your judgement in this matter) whether, (there being a Communion of Saints on earth, who, through the supply of the Spirit, are still maintaining their fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ) these may not, yea ought not, in the strength of Christ, enter into Covenant each with other, and all with God, so to doe? Briefly, whether the Oath of the Covenant (that is, in the strength of Christ, to stand to it) may not be taken once, as well as the seales thereof, often? he would adde, yea taken first, if time serve, and persons are so agreed, before the seales are taken? Herein he craves your righteous judgement, And humbly craves leave to adde, or rather entreats you to adde it for him what you read spoken in a ease very different, but not more weighty and momentous, Take heed what ye doe: for ye judge not for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement.
This is all he commends to your thoughts, which, he feares not will be less serious, because offered unto you with a trembling hand, because by so inferiour a person, as if, (it was a proverb once) he had been offring to an Elephant, and not to such he knowes you to be, as well the sheep of Christ meek and gentle, can beare, beleeve, hope, endure all things, according to the right sense and meaning thereof, being clothed with charity, as ye are with humility: he was saying, as well the Sheep of Christ as ye are His Shepherds. Notwithstanding, his heart should tremble more than his hand, Considering wisely the weight of the matter he craves, your judgment-in, The oath of the Covenant being as momentous almost, as the seales are, and they are Tremenda mysteria. But indeed, this causeth his feare, least any thing should be taken amiss by you, or don uncomely by him, such a Nothing as indeed he that tendreth this unto you is
HEZEKIAH WOODVVARD.