Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

I would all our controversy lay here,¹ surely we should soon agree. Whosoever doth as you say, cannot be justified in so doing; some men it may be through an earnest desire of promoting what they conceived to be the mind of Christ, have been too rigid in their dealings with their Brethren. What hath been said, will show the evil of their practice as well as of others.

I would all our controversie lay here,¹ surely wee should soon agree. Whosoever doth as you say, cannot be justified in so doing; some men it may be through an earnest desire of promoting what they conceived to be the mind of Christ, have been too rigid in their dealings with their Brethren. What hath been said, will shew the evill of their practice as well as of others.

1. 1Answ.

As for entering into Covenant, It is true, there is such a practice in the Congregational Churches, and a Covenant either explicit or implicit, I think all acknowledge: that is, there must be some agreement to join those together in a body, who formerly were not joined, to make them to be of such a society, to have power in it with others for the choice of Officers in this Congregation, and to be under the care & charge of those Officers more then Members of another congregation: what shall join them, if not at least some mutual agreement to join in one body for such spiritual ends as Christ hath appointed this body for, the very nature of a society that is embodied, carries this with it; and any farther then this I know none requires as necessary.

As for entring into Covenant, It is true, there is such a practice in the Congregational Churches, and a Covenant either explicite or implicite, I think all acknowledg: that is, there must be some agreement to joyne those together in a body, who formerly were not joyned, to make them to be of such a society, to have power in it with others for the choise of Officers in this Congregation, and to be under the care & charge of those Officers more then Members of another congregation: what shall joyn them, if not at least some mutuall agreement to joyn in one body for such spirituall ends as Christ hath appointed this body for, the very nature of a society that is embodyed, carries this with it; and any farther then this I know none requires as necessary.