A Church Covenant Lawful and Needful, Postscript
A Postscript.
ALthough thus wee have spoken touching a Church-Covenant and our engageing one to th' other, in the strength of Christ, to stand thereunto; And as we have beleeved, so we have spoken, That the Oath of the Covenant, as before explained, is as much the Duty of Saints by Calling to enter-into, as to receive the seales thereof is their priviledge: Notwithstanding, though we, or the most of us, doe freely and heartily professe our consent to all this; yet we doe not intend it for such a necessary Test of our humbling our selves to walke with our God, as this cannot be without that; or that he, who cannot enter into it, shall not be admitted to walk with us. We cannot doubt, but that many walke humbly with their God, strengthned with All might to All-pleasing, yet never heard of a Church-Covenant, or bestowed thoughts about it. We shall not then obtrude it upon any, if we had power so to doe, for that were to reckon of it of Necessity to salvation, at least to Church-Communion; and so, perhaps, we might reflect some blame upon others, more righteous than our selves. We onelyonly said, it is lawfull and needfull; and truely we cannot conceive how matters can be carried-on, according to right order, with-out it; Therefore, to some of us, there seemes a necessitie thereof, as was said.
But yet, if we shall observe in any the least Breathings after Christ, a love to Him, a delight in Him, a zeale for Him, and against all is contrary to Him, such an one should be gladly received by us, and welcomed with all acceptation, though he might, modestly, perhaps conscientiously refuse to enter a Church-Covenant, for he may scruple at it, whether there be any such Custome among the Churches of Christ. This rather is the rule we would goe-by; The Test we would take; the thing we would have made out with the tongue, and evidenced by the life, That there is Holiness at the Heart; sincerity at the bottom. And if this be made appeare, (as Holinesse with-in, will appeare with out) we aske no more for Conscience-sake, but with such an one would we walk, and would make no doubt, but he or she would be an honour to us, and an help also. And for th' other matter, it may abide leysure for farther Consideration. We would look after that in others, and no more, than what our gracious God and tenderest Father looks after in us; TRƲTH now, in the Covenant of Grace, not Measure; though that should be according to that we have received; for he that soweth liberally, looks to reap plentifully; let us then, in the strength of Christ, goe-on unto perfection, such as is required of us, and accepted from us under the Grace of the Gospel; If by any meanes we may attaine unto the Resurrection of the Dead; growing in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To Him be Glory, both now and for ever. Amen.
This onelyonly we would add (which should have been inserted pag. 2. line 15.) That we may call to remembrance, not onelyonly what the Churches of Christ may now doe, as to a Church Covenant, their entring thereinto; But what they, with the whole nation, have don, when loe, we gave our hands, lifting-them-up to the Most High God, and did sweare, according to this forme of words, We professe and declare before GOD and the world, we unfeighnedly desire to be humbled for our sins, and for the sins of these Kingdomes; especially, that we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel; that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of Him in our lives, which are the Causes of other sins, and transgressions so much abounding among us; And our true and unfeighned purpose, desire, and endeavour for our selves, and all others under our power and charge, both in publick and in private, in all duties we owe to GOD and man, to amend our lives, and each-one to goe before another in the example of a Reall Reformation. Here was a state or Nationall Covenant; and loe, here is a state or Nationall breach of Covenant; for to all this (we mention but this, being to our seeming, as simple and unmixt, as Asa's Covenant was) we, all the Nation over, lifted up our hands, but now against all this, we all, the generality, or most of us all, have lifted up the Heel; and have set our hearts against it, as firme as a stone, like the heart of the Leviathan as hard as a peice of the nether Milstone. As doth appeare to every eye, that hath a true discerning, and can behold our walk with in doores or without; our doings in publick or in private.
Therefore will the Lord, for He is the same still reckon of us and account with us, as He hath don with mighty sinners before Him, dispisers of His oath, and Breakers of Covenant with Him; for so saith the Lord in a very like case, and as terrible the words are against a Nation, as against that man onelyonly, seeing he despised th' oath, by breaking the Covenant (when loe, he had given his hand) and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD, As I live, surely MINE Oath that he hath despised, and My Covenant, that He hath broken, even it will I recompence upon his own head, Ezek. 17. 18. 19
Blessed are all the people, that shall heare and feare, be truely humbled for what they have done, if they knew not what they did; pray for Grace continually, that more may be given unto them, whereby they may be kept-back from doing any more so presumptuously as once they did, when they lifted up their hands to the Most High God, swearing to Him, to performe with Him in those things, they might know, and acknowledge to be Holy, just, and good; and yet had no purpose to doe thereafter, yea which they abhorred so to doe; others also lifting up their hands to performe those things, they were willingly ignorant of, as they were of the Law, they desired to teach, understanding the while, neyther what they say, nor whereof they affirme.
Notwithstanding from hence, the Conclusion is this, That if it was conceived lawfull and needfull for the Church all over the Nation, to take the Covenant of God into their mouthes, when the most of them, hated instruction, and cast His words behind them; Then may an Holy Nation, a peculiar people, who have not gon back from the Commandement of His lips: and have esteemed the words of His mouth more than their necessary food, then may these, where ever they are, Covenant-in, and sweare to the same thing that they will be the Lords people, understanding well what they doe, and what they engage, in the strength of Christ, to stand unto. Yet if any one, that walks humbly, in the feare of his God, be otherwise minded for the present, His God, whose he is, and whom he serveth, shall reveale even this unto him. But if he hath a mind that way, let him look round about him first, before he subscribes his Name, and lifts up his hand to the Most High God, because of this he finds written
When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy GOD, thou shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy GOD will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. Deut. 23. 21.
Reader, thou shalt now have the last words of a Dying man, and dead to thee, so soone as he has spoken them, therefore let them command thy best observation. Thou maist have met with a flat Contradiction to all our deare Lord hath said, all they also that have spoken from His mouth, in reference to all Gospel Administrations, having met with a cursed Pamphet called a legall Resolution of two important Queries, so saith the Lawyer; most illegall and irrationall will every man say that reads him, having the use of naturall Reason, not to say a sanctified understanding, as appeares all along, specially at the 11 page. where he takes his comparisons from a Gentlemans Shepherd, his Cooke, Landresse, Groome. And since he referrs thee to his foure serious Questions, you may read the marrow of them (like that in a swines bone) in a Book called foure Grand Enquiries, page 15. to page 22. And having so don, this is the earnest desire (1) that thou takest heed of putting thy finger upon the light of Reason, least the righteous God putts it quite out, as is to be feared he hath don upon this man, and those Ministers of the same judgement with him. And (2) pray for him and them, that repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ may be given them, and so the sword removed from off their Arme and right eye. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Hezekiah Woodward, A Church Covenant Lawful and Needful (1656)