A sober reply to the sober answer of Reverend Mr. Cawdrey, to A serious…

One passage I observe, you call the godly Ones our Members, but do you look on them as your Members, who are gone 3000. miles from you, never to see you more, where you can never have any inspection over them, let them walk as they will? I am sure they do not think you are their Officers, nor do call you so, how then they should be still your Members I cannot tell: let therefore Mr. Hooker speak for himself, and out of him I will give you an answer, and show you the reason is not as you say: Mr. Hooker thus, The faithful Congregations of England are true Churches; Members that come commended from such Churches to ours here, so that it doth appear to the judgement of the Church,¹ whence they come, that they are by t•em approved and not scandalous, they ought to be received to Church. Communion with us, as Members of other Churches with us in New England, in like case so commended and approved. Hence then Sir, is the plain reason, the people that go from hence, do quite depart from these Churches, so that they never come more under the Inspection of the Officers and Churches here: they never b•ing Letters testimonial from you, to show they are Members still with you, and approved by you, and so commended, as saith Mr. Hooker to those Churches there, but thither they come free from all Churches (even in their own account) and there let them walk as they will, there are no Churches have power to reach them, unless they will join themselves to one there, as they have disjoined themselves from your Churches here. But now make this trial, let there go out of the faithful Congregations of England, persons, whose intent is not to disjoin themselves from you, only they go as Merchants on some other errand, let the godly Officers of such Congregations, give a certificate under their hands, such persons ⟨p. 27⟩that now àre coming to you in New England, are godly persons, Members of our Churches, and walk in Church-fellowship with us, and that orderly, though we have no explicit Covenant; we desire such may for the time of their abode with you, be admitted to the Lords Supper, if a Child he borne to them, let it be baptized: and those persons when they come there walk accordingly, I say try the Ministers there, and I dare warrant you such persons shall not be denied Communion though you have not an explicit Covenant.