Ordaining the Paftor of the Church. But many Good Men rather chufe and wish, that this great Action, may be done in as publick a Manner as may be; For 'tis indeed one of the greatest Things that can be done among the Children of Men; 'Tis a Glorious Homage paid unto the Son of GOD, and a Teftimony born to His Reli-, gion; 'Tis rarely performed when in the Hands of a wife Moderator, without Floods of Tears in the affected Spectators, and lafting Impreffions of Piety upon them.

10. The CHURCH COVENANT thus ufed in the Churches of New-England, is by Intelligent and Confiderate Perfons, looked upon as no other than the Covenant of Grace more particularly applied unto the Duties and Concerns of particular Churches. Particular Churches are in their Apprehenfion an Inftitution of our Lord Redeemer; and there are particular Duties, which the Members of thefe Churches owe unto their Elders, and unto one another. The Church-Covenant is but an Acknowledgement of the Obligations to thefe Duties lying on the Members of the Churches. No Body denies that GOD commands Men to acknowledge their Obligations to the Duties of their feveral Relations: But then it appears very plain, that the more explicit they are in fuch a Tranfaction, on fuch an Occafion as that of Gathering a Church, 'tis the Better on all Accounts; And the Great King whofe Name is Venerable, is always to be ferved with our Beft. It is an Ancient Maxim not peculiar to the Perfons of the Congregational Way, Federata Conjunctio conftituit Ecclefiam. And indeed, it feems beyond

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all Contradiction, That where Men do not, Implicitly at leaft, Agree, and Engage to Worship our Saviour together, according to His Laws, they cannot be efteemed, a Church. But then, if an Implicit Covenant be of fuch Importance to the Being of a Particular Church, 'tis argued, furely an Explicit Covenant is Expedient, Profitable, Defireable. Without fomething of this Nature, 'tis asked, How can there be fuch a Joining and Cleaving together, as there was Exemplified for Chriftian Churches, in that which was the Mother of them all! Acts II. 42.

Antiquity is no Stranger to this Notion. Tis Tertullian's Defcription of a Church, Corpus fumus, de Confcientia Religionis, et Difciplinæ Unitate, et Spei Fadere: Which is as much as to fay, A Body United for the Confcientious Obfervation of the Duties of Religion, by an Agreement in Difcipline, and a COVENANT of Hope for Eternal Blessedness. The fame Tertullian, in his Apology, fays, that the Chriftians then Affembled, Ad Confederandam Difciplinam; which intimates, that they had a Difcipline, and a COVENANT for the Difcipline.

Pliny the Governour of Bithynia relates, in his Letter to the Emperor [which our Tertullian alfo refers to,] That fome Renegado Chriftians, being Examined about the fecret, but facred Conventicles of the Faithful in thofe Primitive Times, confeffed no worfe of them than this; That they entred into a COVENANT, † To do no difboneft Thing in the World.

Ne Furta, ne Latrocinia, ne Adulteria committerent, ne Fidem fallerent, ne depofitum abnegarent, D 2

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In the Apology of Justin Martyr, who lived. within a few Years of the Apoftles themselves, we find the Chriftians who were admitted into Church-Fellowship, agreeing in a Refolution to conform in all Things to the Word of GOD: Which feems to be as truly a Church-Covenant, as any in the Churches of New-England.

And thefe Churches hope that they fhall not hear that Reproached as a New Invention, which was practifed in the Second and Third Centuries.

The famous Dr. Hornbeck, a Profeffor in theUniversity of Leyden, who wrote in Defence of > the Presbyterian Church-Government, has published his Approbation of what the New-English Divines Cotton, and Mather, and Norton, wrote in Defence of their Explicit Church-Government,

And Zepperus writes it as the Manner and Order of the Churches in Holland; That when any Perfons are admitted unto the Lord's Table there, they make a publick Profeffion of their Faith before all the Church; and likewife COVENANT, that they will continue in that Faith, and lead their Lives accord ingly.

Several Synods in Holland have required Perfonal Covenanting with GOD, and the Church; and the Incomparable Voetius highly applauds their doing fo.

One of the Epifcopal Way complains of the Reformed Churches in France, That they would not admit a Man' to the Lord's Table without a Promife (or COVENANT) of continuing in the Faith. 'Tis no more indeed, than what we find provided by their National Synods; That none

were

were admitted as Members of the Reformed Chur ches in France, without a publick entring into a COVENANT of GOD, with Submiffion to Difcipline.

The very learned Parker gives this Account of the Reformed Churches, (whereto Perfecuti- ! on had exiled him) That when any Perfon feeks for Admiffion into Church Communion, his Name is published in the Congregation, that if any one bath ought to object against the Perfon propounded, he should acquaint the Elders therewith. If nothing is brought against him, he is admitted, but not without a Solemn COVENANT with GOD, and the Church: And to the Church be promifes to walk as becomes that holy Fellowship: That be will fubmit unto the Difcipline of: the Church; and that he will watch over the Brethren of that Communion, according to the Command of CHRIST.

In fine, the Churches of New-England appear well facisfied with the Words of the famous Baxter. I conclude, That whatever fome particular Perfons may be guilty of, there is no real Difference between the Presbyterians and Independents, in the Point of Church-Covenant. GOD forbid, That any Faithful Minifter of CHRIST, fhould fight against that which is profitable to the Well-being of a Church, meerly because the Church without it may have a Being. Then must we plead for Hunger and Want, and Calamitous Difeafes, that leave us but the Being of Men. Nature and the Scripture Præcedents in the Old Testament, and the Doctrine of the Apostles, and the Ancient Practice of the Churches, do fatisfy us of the Ufefulness of boly Covenants, prudently, Seriously, and Seasonably made.

If the Church thus formed, have proceeded (as they ufually do unto a Good Agreement about a Perfon to be their Paftor, the Ordination of this their Paftor is alfo confummated, at this Time, in the Affembly, immediately upon their Confederation. The Methods of it are to be fetched out of the enfuing Article.

ARTICLE II.

The Dwaining of a PASTOR.

S.1. WHEN a Church wants a PASTOR,

they do first, by Prayer with Fafting, humbly fupplicate pur Afcended Redeemer, who giveth fuch Gifts unto Men, that He would give unto them, A Paftor, after His own Heart.

Then (except the Providence of Heaven have otherwife laid Profpects of Supplies before them,) upon Confultation with the Chriftian Inhabitants of the Town, ask Information from the Minifters in their Vicinity, or from the Governours of the College, What Young Men, may be moft likely to be ferviceable unto them. And being thus, or otherwise informed, the Committee whom the Church ufually have to act on their behalf, in fuch an Affair, invite one or more of thefe Can didates, to preach a few Sermons among them.

Hereupon they hope for an Opportunity, to obferve, whether any of thefe Candidates anfwer

the