them, they become thereby the Lords Church and people. Like∣wise Ezek. 20. 37. I will cause you to passe under the rod; and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant. In which place, there is first mention of an holy Covenant. Secondly, This was not of one person, but of a company, the whole house of Israel, ver. 30. 39. Thirdly, And this Covenant is called a Bond, because it is by Co∣venant that a people are bound, and tyed, and knit together, as one Church, all of them unto the Lord, and one unto another; So that the Covenant is the bond of union, by which a company are so combined and united, as that they become a Church. It is also ob∣servable, how the Lord before he would bring them into this bond of the Covenant, he would cause them to passe under the rod; by which phrase, as Junius upon the place well observes, is meant try∣all and probation; drawne from the manner of Shepheards or owners of Cattell, who went among their sheepe, or other cattell with a rod, and therewith pointed out such as were for the Lords holy use, as Lev. 27. 32. And so hereby is noted that God would not in the dayes of the Gospel have men to be brought into his Church hand over head, but he would first cause them to passe under the rod of due tryall and probation; and then such as upon tryall were found to be holy for God, or meete matter for his Church, should solemnly enter into Covenant with God, and that Covenant should be the bond that should combine them, and knit them together into one, that so they that were many particular persons, should all become one body, that is to say, a Church.And so much of the first Argument drawne from plaine Texts of Scripture.A second Argument may be taken from the Titles that are gi∣venArgu. 2. to the Church; as first, that the Church is said to be married or espoused unto Christ, Jer. 2. 2. & 3. 14. 2 Cor. 11. 2. From whence the Argument may be formed thus: If every Church be∣comes a Church by being married or espoused unto Christ, then a company becomes a Church by way of Covenant: But the for∣mer is true, therefore the latter is true also.The Assumption, that a Church becomes a Church by being married unto Christ, is plaine from the former Scriptures, where the Church of Israel, and the Church of Corinth, in regard of their entring into Church-Estate, are said to be espoused and married unto Christ, as a loving and chast Virgine to one husband. Which 0