My selfe and wife doe most heartyly salute you and our deare sister and all our Cosins. Sir I received your lovinge Letter dated 9ber 15, 39 this present daye in a shippe which now arrived from the Ile of Maye: I am very gladd to heare from you, and of your healthe and wellfare; and your good inclination towards N: E: which gives vs hope, we shall one daye see you here  torn may be assured of most kinde wellcome, which (I hope) you doubt not off. and thoughe I will not vse any Arguments to perswade you (for I have been allways slowe in that exercise) I would gladly remove one block, which seemes to lye in your waye, and that is about our Church Covenant: Your Letter comes so late to my hande as I shall not have opportunytye to have answar from mr. Hooker (being 100 miles from vs) tyme enoughe to certifie you of it this yeare: but I will tender you mine owne thoughts about it: and I suppose I may saye to you as experience hathe proved in many other bothe learned and godly tu si hic esses aliter sentires: It cant be that the Covenant (if it be rightly knowne) should give offence, if it did not seeme to strike at the foundation of the Churches in Engld. which (as wee heere conceive) is but in semblance 170only, for we acknowledge many true Churches in Engld. which are ioyned only by an implicite Covenant, but let the Covenant be examined which is this: I doe renounce all former corruptions and polutions I doe promise to walke togither with this Church in all the ordinances of Religion according to the rule of the Gospell, and with all the members heerof in brotherly loue. this is the substance of the Covenant now if a father should require this of his child or a master of every servant he receives into his house or a Company of Christian neighbors in Engld. of such as they receive into their private communion, what offence were here? seeing heere is nothing required of the partye but what he is bound vnto by the worde of God. besides it is of the nature and essence of every society to be knitt togither by some Covenant, either expressed or implyed: now to leave it vncertaine, where men have opportunytye to expresse and cleare it, were a faylinge (at least).

But it is objected that there is neither precept nor patterne of any suche Covenant in scripture; Answ: Admitt there were none, yet there is warrant sufficient for gatheringe of Churches, and therefore all things necessaryly incident therto are warrantably implied. What other warrant had Neh: 5: 12: to binde the people by an oathe to release their vsurious gaine? or the people at his appointment to binde themselves by an Oathe and a Curse to walk in the Lawe of God? which example may be warrant sufficient for Christians when they enter into Church fellowshippe to binde themselves by promise to walke accordinge to the rule of the Gospell, and what evill can be in it, if the Churche require suche a promise of them? Let that place in Neh: 10: 1: 29: etc. be well considered. I suppose it may satisfie any that is not vnder temptation, of the warrantablenesse of such a Churche Covenant as ours is.

Again leave out the Covenant and let vs see what manner of Churches you will constitute: suppose 10 or 20 Christians were desirous to constitute a Churche, these being mett togither, every of them makes confession of his faith, will this make them a Churche? I conceive it will pass the skill of 2 a good logitian, to make these a Churche, without some contract or agreement such as will amount to a Covenant.

Againe if a man enters no covenant, then is he not tyed to one Churche more then to another, and then may he depart without leave or offence, nor can he be reputed to be of that Churche any longer then while he is in the Assembly, and so consequently, vpon the dissolvinge of the assembly, the Church hath no beinge till they assemble again.

Now whereas I expresse my feare of temptation in suche as scruple our 171covenant, so far as for that verye Cause to shune Communion with vs, I doe it not without good grounde, for when I see them leape ouer greater matters, as communicatinge with all parochiall members, whereof many are no Saints neither by callinge nor profession: submitting themselves to Canonicall obedience, whereby they evidently betraye the libertye of the Gospell, and enervate the power of Christ his holy ordinances, of ordination, Admonition, excommunication etc. putt the case allso (as it often falles out) that a godly patron when he bestowes a benefice vpon a minister, takes a soleme promise of him to be resident vpon it, to teache dilligently etc: who is there amonge you that will scruple to accept a livinge vpon suche a Covenant as this, which hathe neither precept nor patterne in Scripture? So when the Clerck comes to the Bishopp for Admission, if he requires a promise (nay an Oathe) of him to doe that which the dutye of his place requires, none of you would sticke at suche a Covenant as this.

Besides There is a great mistake in the order of our Covenant, for it passeth for granted everywhere that none can be admitted heere before they enter into this Covenant, whereas in very truth they are tryed and admitted by the vote of the wholl Churche before any Covenant be tendered or mentioned to them. Lastly it is sometymes tendered to them as a declaration of their purpose and intention only and not in the words of a Covenant or promise, so willinge are our Churches to please our brethren in all things to our mutuall accord and edification.

I am most sadly affected with james luxfords perfidious dealeing with you: I must confes I should not haue bin apt to expect better in such a way of dealeing, yet I did hope god had blest your selfe with the phenix of the age. but I see god will not haue vs expect miracles whear meanes may be had: yet your call from your ocasions hath bin of that nesessitye and wayt for the honer of god, and the good of this collony, as far as I am able to iugd, that I 172think you haue many promises in bank for support. I think god hath gifted you with much self denyall for his name, and that cannot fayle of reward from him that hath so firmly promised it: but howeuer god is only good: only wise, only able to deliuer and prosper: and he vseth not to fayle whear he giues a wayting spirit: standing still is somtimes the way to reach saulluation from god: he hath allso blest you with many experiences of former mercy, and experience may well breed hope: Ohe hapy pitch, could wee indeed say with Job, though he kill vs yet to trust him, and to take the stem of bitter as willinglie as the stem of prosperity becaus from god I think this wee ought to indeuor but for my part the scripture it selfe hath not conuinct me of a president of such a temper att all times, and he that best knowes our frame knowes wee can return but what he is pleasd to furnish vs with: yet good sir remember the perill and disaduantage of deiection of spirit. many by strenght of resolution and composednes of spirit, without anny better principles haue waded in depths, and clymed heights: how much easyer may it be to those that are compast with cloudes of witneses, and promises as that author sayth cast of all that preseth downe, and annimat vs to aspire his steps that contemned all sublinarie changes: but what doe I troubleing you with thees wheerin you are so much better furnisht then I can supply: I much bewayell my insufficiencie to be assistant in anny kynd to you. I owe you much but must submit to prouidence: Yours to commaund