Consideration of Certain Controversies, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of a Church-Covenant.
Queſtion.
VVHether a Church-Covenant ſolemnly made between the Members and the Governours of a Church publikely before the whole Church, whereby the members of a particular Church are by a publike and expreſſe agreement and promiſe aſſociated and united amongſt themſelves, to exerciſe the feare and ſacred worſhip of God, unity of faith, brotherly love, mutuall edification, and all duties of piety in a holy communion with God and amongſt themſelves; be abſolutely neceſſary and eſſentiall to the conſtitution of a true Church: ſo that without this Covenant there is no true or pure Church, nor true Church member?
Anſwer.
THe Reformed Churches judge it neceſſary to the conſtitution of a particular viſible Church, that there be ſacred union in the exerciſe of Eccleſiaſticall communion, expreſſed by certaine externall acts appointed by God, and to be exerciſed in a viſible Church ſociety, under one miniſtry, and ſpirituall diſcipline. But this union, they affirme, the members of a true Church enter into amongſt themſelves, when they are united in one externall profeſſion of the truth and holyneſſe, and in the ſame baptiſme; and will frequent the ſame divine worſhip, be ſubject to the ſame Church Governors, be governed by the ſame law and juriſdiction Eccleſiaſticall; and do ſubmit themſelves to the ſame diſcipline, and partake of the ſame Supper of the Lord. And in this union there is, they affirme, a kind of tacit and virtuall Covenant, which uniteth the faithfull into a particular Church: although ſuch a ſolemne Covenant betweene them in expreſſe termes be not publikely entered into before the whole Church, as the queſtion requireth.
We grant in this controverſy:
1. That there is a Covenant of ſaving grace between God and repenting Sinners, founded in Chriſt the Mediator: whereby all the faithfull are obliged to the performance of all duties of piety which he hath commanded in his word, as well in Church communion and fellowſhip, as out of it: by which Covenant all thoſe who are truly partakers of it obtain right to all thoſe ſaving benefits which are contained in the promiſes of this Covenant.
2. That there is a tacit or virtuall Covenant between the members of one and the ſame externall particular Church: whereby they are obliged to the performance of thoſe mutuall duties, which are required of the members of a viſible Church in reference to their particular Church communion: as that they will be ſubject to the care and Diſcipline of their own Paſtors, frequent the ſame publike worſhip of God, and be ruled by the ſame law and juriſdiction Eccleſiaſticall: by which Covenant they alſo obtain to themſelves right to thoſe things which are peculiar to this particular Church, and the members thereof, and do not belong to other particular Churches.
3. We grant that there may be an expreſſe and ſolemne Covenant, in the preſence of God and the Church, upon extraordinary occaſions, entered into, by all the members of the viſible Church of one nation or kingdome: when the Church in that kingdome or nation hath made defection from God and his worſhip, or ſome other neceſſity call for it; for the preſerving, or propagating, or reſtoring of the decayed worſhip of God. By which Covenant notwithſtanding there doth not accrew to the Church of that kingdome any new right, but that right which before they had to injoy the ordinances of God, which by reaſon of their defection, or ſome other cauſe, was hindered and as it were ſuſpended, they may now freely and purely again reduce to practiſe. Thus did the Church of God under the Old Teſtament often in the time of defection, or extraordinary neceſſity, enter into a ſolemne Covenant in the preſence of God.
4. Neither do we hold that the Covenant mentioned in the Queſtion, is for the matter of it alltogether unlawfull: for it is lawfull alſo expreſſely, publikely, and ſolemnly to vow to God thoſe things which are in the precepts of God enjoyned to all beleevers: But that neceſſity of making this publike, ſolemne, and expreſſe Covenant, in the preſence of the whole Church, requiring it as a thing of abſolute neceſſity to the eſſentiall conſtitution of a particular Church, we do not acknowledge: but that union above mentioned, we conceive ſufficient by the word of God for the joyning men profeſſing the faith into one particular Church. So that, by the word of God, to the eſſence and intireneſſe of a particular Church, this union is ſufficient.
We deny therefore in this controverſy:
1. That a ſolemne and expreſſe Church Covenant, between the Governors of a Church and the Members of it, publikely entered into before the whole Church, for the performance of all exerciſes of piety in a holy communion with God and amongſt themſelves, is abſolutely neceſſary and eſſentiall to the conſtitution of a true viſible Church, ſo that without ſuch a Covenant there would be no viſible Church of God, no member of a true or pure Church.
2. We deny allſo, that by ſuch a Church-Covenant that right is obtained which the members of a Church in Eccleſiaſticall communion have to the Sacraments of grace, the priviledges of the Eccleſiaſticall Miniſtry and other benefits which Chriſt hath given to his Churches.
The Reaſons of our deniall are theſe:
1. Becauſe the Apoſtles have not ordained any ſuch Church-Covenant betweene the Members and the Paſtors of a Church; neither in the admiſſion of Members into the Church did require ſuch a Covenant as neceſſary: but by the Sacrament of Baptiſme they received ſuch as profeſſed the truth and holineſſe in…o the Church viſible, and joyned in the ſame exerciſes of divine worſhip with thoſe who were without any ſuch Covenant received into an Eccleſiaſticall body with themſelves. See Acts 2. 42, 47. & 5. 13. & 8. 12. & 9. 26. & 18. 8.
2. Under the Old Teſtament the particular Churches in the Synagogues entred not into any ſolemne Church Covenant in the admiſſion of members: but only on extraordinary occaſions, when they had made defection from God, all the faithfull of the whole nationall Church renewed their Covenant with God, for reſtoring the decayed worſhip of God; or when they were by ſome other neceſſity called upon for renewing ſuch a Covenant.
3. No man can injoyne any thing upon the conſciences of men, (as abſolutely neceſſary to injoying the Sacraments of divine grace, and the benefits of the Miniſtery of the Church,) which God hath not injoyned; without damnable wil-worſhip. But God hath not injoyned ſuch a Covenant on the conſciences of men as abſolutely neceſſary: for there is no law of God wherein he hath injoyned a neceſſity of this Covenant as the eſſentiall form of Church-communion, ſo as that without it no man can be member of a viſible Church, or have right to the ſeales of the Covenant: Therefore the neceſſity of this Covenant is a will-worſhip; and ſo to be rejected.
4. The meanes whereby the members of a Church viſible are aſſociated and united into externall Eccleſiaſticall communion, are Baptiſme under the New Teſtament, as Circumciſion was under the Old Teſtament, 1 Cor. 12. 13. as Cornelius, Acts 10. 47. Lydia, Acts 16. 15. & others, were by Baptiſme ingrafted into the body of the Church viſible: which in thoſe of yeares is joyned with an imbracing and profeſſion of ſound Doctrine and ſubjection to the ordinances of God; as appeares in the believers, Acts 2. 41. the Bereans, Acts 17. 10. and by Chriſts commandement, Mat. 28. 19.
Hence ſay the Profeſſors of Leyden, that beſide the primary uſes of the Sacrament of Baptiſme, there are other ſecondary uſes of it: to wit, the externall ingrafting them into a particular viſible Church, Acts 2. 41. the uniting of Chriſts members amongſt themſelves, and into one body: 1 Cor. 12. 12. and conſequently upon theſe, a ſignification of our profeſſion; and a diſtinction and ſeparation from all other aſſemblies of unbeleevers. This Church-Covenant therefore is not the formall reaſon of our Eccleſiaſticall communiō in the Church viſible. Hence allſo our Churches of the Netherlands in admitting of Paſtors or Church members do not enter into any ſuch Church Covenant: which yet are true viſible Churches of God; whoſe members have all eſſentiall requiſites neceſſary to Church communion in the viſible Church.
We reject therefore the Opinions of thoſe:
1. Who make this Church-covenant to be the Forme of the Church of God: ſo that true beleevers profeſſing the faith are indeed Materials of a Church, who yet ſo long as they have not entered into ſuch a Covenant want the Forme of it; and therefore are no true Church of God. The Argument upon which we reject this poſition, is, becauſe the Forme of a thing gives it its being and operation, ſo that there can be no property, no operation, or act of a true Church in ſuch an Eccleſiaſticall company, who are not joyned in ſuch a Covenant. And therefore this opinion depriveth all the Reformed Churches, which are not united in ſuch a Church-covenant, of a true Church Miniſtery, of the power of calling and ordaining Miniſters, of a lawfull adminiſtration of the Sacraments, of Eccleſiaſticall Juriſdiction, &c. And denies all that are baptized, &c. in thoſe Churches, to be truely and rightly baptized, &c.
2. We reject alſo the opinion of thoſe, who make this Church-covenant to be that moment of time, wherein the Miniſter of a Church hath Church-power over his Congregation committed to him; and the people injoy the benefits of his Eccleſiaſticall function; and the members of the particular Church amongſt themſelves exerciſe the care and power, and hold Eccleſiaſticall communion and fellowſhip; whereas it is certain out of the Word of God, that the Miniſters and Paſtours of Churches receive Eccleſiaſticall power over their flockes, and the people become ſubject to the Miniſtery of their Paſtours for the Salvation of their ſoules and their mutuall edification in faith, not from any contract which thoſe men make amongſt themſelves, but from Gods Calling, whereby the Paſtours are ſent forth by the Church of Chriſt to the Miniſtery; and the flock injoyned by divine appointment, to receive the miniſtery and labour of their Paſtours by Gods inſtitution for their ſalvation: See 1 Cor. 4. 1, 2▪ 2 Cor. 5. 20. Epheſ. 4. 11, 12. 1 Theſ. 5. 11, 12. and it's certaine alſo that beleevers amongſt themſelves have charge of each other by vertue of the communion of Saints, whereby they all diſperſed through the whole world are aſſociated into one body, Eph. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and 1 Theſ. 5. 14, 15. and by the duty of Charity which requires this mutuall care from all. Lev. 19. Heb. 3. and 10.
3. We reject alſo the opinion of thoſe who affirme, that the Sacraments of the Old and New Teſtament, are ſignes and ſeales to confirme this Church-covenant, and ſo inſtituted by God for the ratifying of it; that they are to be adminiſtred to thoſe only, who are by ſuch a Church-covenant united amongſt themſelves; but to be denied to others, though knowne to be Godly, who be not in ſuch a Church-communion and ſtrict fellowſhip. Whereas it doth moſt cleerly appeare out of the holy Scriptures that the Sacraments were inſtituted by God in his Church, chiefly and in the firſt place to be ſignes and ſeales of the Covenant of Grace, and of the benefits promiſed in the Covenant of Grace, and of Salvation procured by Chriſt for us, as is manifeſt by the Sacrament of Circumciſion, Gen. 17. 7, 10. Rom. 4. 11. of the Paſſeover, 1 Cor. 5. of Baptiſme, Mark 1. 4. Act. 2. 38, 39. and 22. 16. Rom. 6. 3 4. Tit. 3. 5. and of the Lords Supper, Matth. 26. 26, 27, 28. 1 Cor. 11. 24, 25, 26. But in a ſecondary reſpect we acknowledge the Sacraments to be ſeales of our outward ingrafting into the Church viſible, and our conjunction into one body of the Church, Act. 2. 41. 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. and that, as we conceive, of the Catholicke Church; ſo that he that is baptized is not baptized into the communion only of this or that particular, or parochiall Church, but is joyned into that one body of the Church Catholike and univerſall: as the whole Miniſtery of the Church is given by Chriſt to men, to bring them to the unity and conjunction of the Church Catholike and univerſall, and to ingraft them as members into it, Eph. 4. 11, 12. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Rom. 12. 5, 6, 7. And as by Excommunication duly performed the perſon excommunicate is not caſt out of this or that particular Church only, but is bound all the world over, and ſhut out from the brotherly communion of the Church univerſall, Matth. 18. 17, 18. ſo the Sacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper are ſeales to a man of Eccleſiaſticall communion, not only in a particular Church, but in the Church univerſall. And therefore we hold that theſe Sacraments are to be adminiſtred not to thoſe only who by a Church Covenant have joyned themſelves to ſome particular Church, but to all the members of the Church Catholike, who have duly prepared themſelves for the partaking of them. Thus our Belgick Churches deny not the ſeale of Baptiſme to the children of thoſe parents, who have not by a confeſſion of faith and ſubmiſſion to Eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline, joyned themſelves to any particular Church; according to the practiſe of the Jewiſh Church, Joſh. 5. 4, 6. as neither doe we deny the participation of the Lords Supper to thoſe who by reaſon of the neceſſity of their calling cannot joyne themſelves to any particular Church, but are forced to travell through divers Parochiall Churches.