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Show of like value when a Covenant of God is propounded and given on· Gods pa~t to a people, whether they receive it by !ilent. ~onfent, or by exprdfe termes, either b~ word of ?Iouth,or by wntmg and feale, and whether their cleavmg to their Brethren and Offic~rs, and nmtmll watchfulneffe over one another, be exprefl~ m~ntloned, or included onely in their generall profeffion of ~ibJe_Cl:ion to a1l Gods holy Ordinances and Covenant ; For we fee It evident by comparing the former Scriptures, that by any one _of thefe wayes .. people is received and efl:ablifhed to be a peculiar people an_d Church unto the Lord,and each of them lay hold of the famefplrituall priviledges, and hold forth the f~me ~oly dntics. • • Neither is there any colour to conceive this way of entrmg Ill to Church cflate by Covenant,to be pecUliar to the Pa:dagogy of the old Teftament; for itis evident by the light of nature, that all civil! Relations are founded in Covenant. For, to paffe by naturall Relations between Parents and ChiJd,·cn, and -..:iolcnt Relations between Conquerours and Captive~; there is no other way given whereby a people (fi•i Jmu) free tr?m naturall a!ld compu!fory tngagements, can be. united or combmed together mto one v1fible body, to lland by mutual! Relation, fellow-members of the fame body, but one! y by mumall Covenant; as appear.eth ~etween hufband and wife in the fa'mily, Magifirates al,ldfubJeCl:s DTthe Con!mon- wealtb, fellow Citizans in the fame Citie : and ·ther,efore 10 the New Tefhmcnt, when· a people whom the Apofiles by their miniftery had converted , were to be gathered by_ them in~o a Church eftate, what did the Apofl:les elfe but combme them 10to one body,as one chafle Virgin and Spoufe unto Chrill? 2 Cot ... q. 2 , And how could that (not univerfaU, but particular) Church of Corinth be offered.up in one body, not as rnany Spoufes, as all the particular members of that Church wc~e b~ their converfio~, but as one Spoufe unto Chrift,but onely by Joynmg all together 10 ene Covenant, or Efpoufage, to wmlhip the Lord Jews,. according tO all the Ordinances of his houfe? PaoPoS·4· We conceive it cannot feemt unreafonablc that in the fame way by which particular godly perfons doe enter into t?e fellowlhip of ~he l.ibertie ofthofe holy O;:dinances which Chnfi hath appro· priated priated to his Church;in th~ fame way it were meet that an whole company of Chrifiians !hould enter into Church ellate ; for in entring of them into Church eftate,the Lord calleth as well whole companies, as particnlar perfons, to enjoy the like liberty of all his holy Ordinances; the enjoyment oflike libertie requireth preparation thereunto by the like dutie. In the times ofJolm the Eaptijl, fuch as were received into Bapdlme, they did firfl make confeffion of their finnes, and therewith of their repentance, and of their faith alfo in him who was to come after him, M~tth. 3· 6. AU. 19· 4> 5· And in the times of the Apo!1les, Philip received the Eunuch unto Baptifme, notuntill he had made profeffion of his Faith in Chrift Jefus, A Us 8. 37· Bnt now fo~ as much as wee all who are borne in Chrillian Churches, are baptized in our infancy, and filCh as arc baptized infants,are not admitted to the Lords Table in well orderen Churches, till they have approved, and iH their own perfons publickly confirmed that profeflion of repen· tance and faith, which their parents, or others in thei1· fiead profeffed, and promifed for them at their Baptifme; it c.umot be thought unrcafonable, that fi1ch a company of godly Chriftians, having been baptized infants, lhould now make the like profeffio" 6f their repemance, before they are admitted into Chnrch clhte, which others made in the Primitive times before Baptifme,and a,ll growne up to ripe yeares.are wom publickly to make, (or at lea!t ought to make) before their admittance to the Lords Supper. Befides when upon P<ters confeffion of his faith in Chrifi . .Jefi1s, Chrifl faid that upon that rock, or foundation, he would bujld his Church, Ma1.16. 16. 18. doth he not plainly hold forth, that every Chri(\iau Church is founded, as on Chrill ; fo on Chrifi in this way,to wit, on Chrift believed on by faith,and that faith publicklyconfeffed. before God and men? PRoP~s. 5 ~ To the ereCl:ing·of a Clmr~h, ;s th.e prefcnce of Chrill is n~ceffary for the acccptan~c of it, to the p.refence of neighbouring Churches and BrethreQ, is requifite.to cry, Grace, Grace unto it ; For ifDJVids ad~ertifement be (as it is)neccifary, and of important weight, Sccept tbe Lord build the houfe, they labour in vaim.tbat bt1ild it, Pfal.I2.7. 1. how much more important is it that the Lord . (~o |