Some drops of the viall, powred out in a season when it is neither night nor day, or, Some discoveries of Iesus Christ His glory in severall books ... : all which books are here reprinted in one booke entirely after the severall impressions of them and presented to the reader / by John Saltmarsh ...

Reply.

Some of this might have been spared. Let us have as much reason, and as little reviling as may be. Your reason is, because then neither Protesta∣tions nor Covenant of State can be administred; for some will alwaies scruple. So as here is the force of your reason; Because Protestations and Covenants in the State are put upon a people unwilling and malignant, there∣fore Government should.

First, a truth of Government, and the establishment of it, is but indirect∣ly, unsutably, and disproportionably proved from Oaths and Covenants. Indeed, under the Old Testament, and in the State of Israel, Covenants were more agreeable to the way of that Church; they were part of the Worship then; and it was a way of obligation and engagement, fitted more to the Policie of that Nation: They were a People or Nation of them∣selves, singled out from the world, and marked by a carnall Ordinance: And their Discipline was fitted to the whole Nation by God himselfe; and so Covenants, &c. gathered them up from the world into their Nationall way of Worship, &c. But now, the way of Church and Worship changing, and the Laws of such kind of externall Pedagogie ceasing, and a more inward and spirituall Law comming in, you might have done well, ••re you took things thus for granted, to cleere the way of Covenants under the Gospell, and not to prove one probable thing by another. Those of your way are against a little Church Covenant, and why not a great one?

For the imposing of Protestations now, &c. It is not my work here to discusse; nor am I against any way of State-security, that may consist with ••ound Prudence: and for the spirituall part of them, wherein men covenant in the things of God▪ let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind: That is the Apostle's rule, I am sure, what ever any say to the contrary, and will stand. In civill things, I would have any way or designe of assurance that is fairly and justly Politick: in spirituell things, only such waies of assurance as are Gospell-waies, and may sure with the New Testament-beleevers.

And now you are to prove more then perhaps you thought on; that is, to cleare a Church-covenant, which many of your Way are against: for though you condemne it in some Churches, not of your Way; yet a Nati∣onall Church-covenant you plead for. And how can this be both true and false, that a great Church-covenant is lawfull, and a little one unlawfull? A Nationall Church-covenant lawfull, and a Particular or Congregationall Church-covenant unlawfull? This only by the way: To shew you how one may mistake his way in a mist: you were proving a Government, and now you are engaged to prove Church covenants, which you are both for and against.

And yet, after all this of Protestations and Covenants, there is no faire proofe of establishing a Government, or imposing it in your way and designe

from these. It is not safe going to the State for a Paterne for the Church. If the State in certain seasons of unfaithfulnesse and unsettlement, con∣trive any way of security and assurance (necessity is often a law maker in States, yet not so in the Church) will you from hence argue for a liberty in the Church? Will you make necessity your Gospell, your Law-giver there? Necessity is sometimes a suspender of laws in the Gospell, but no law-maker.