Least through greeff I shoulde trouble your Attentione with abrupt languadge I humblye craue leaue to vnfoulde my reall thoughts in a few lines breffly vnto you. I am still in doubte of your continued displeasure towards mee. if my Groundes will nott afforde such a constructione, I shall at once be both glad and sorrye for my mistake; Worthye Sir is my faulte soe greate that I cannot be reconcilde; I doe confess I am a man of manny faylinges, and certaynelye I am not ignorante of that vnbesseeminge Cariadge once, nay twise towards your selfe, but as time ripneth frute soe haue I through gods goodnes since that throughlye considderd the folly of such rash and proudlike Actions. Therfore I beseech you pass by whats past for I am vnfaynedlye sorry for myne offence, and I hoope and resolue in time to come to be moor carefull if the Lord inable mee. I am loath to vtter anny thinge in myne owne behalfe, nether can dutye extennuate my faulte, yet cann I bouldlie pleade Innocencye in anny other thinge to my Knowledge. Accept what you haue hearde your selfe from mee. If I haue priuily Instegated, or by Aspertions sought to wrong you, lett your harte be hardned, for ther should be cause. Nay if I haue secretlye giuen waye to anny disloyall thoughts, justlye lett mee reape stuble in stead of a frutefull haruest from this my Acknowledgment. I knowe the diuell is readye to imploye bad mindes by whisperings to preiudicate your Thoughts agaynst mee; perticculars I knowe none, butt if there ether hath or shoulde, I humblye beseech you lett Christiane Charretye from the groundworke of thees 169vnfayned expressions, confounde ther motions as but false, or (at best) suppositions. Nether doe I by this make waye for my followinge propositione, for it is butt commone; onely a dutye is heerby intended in the first place, and next my owne peace, which I ame to seeke with all men: Your sunn Dudlee when in the baye last, verry kindly desirde mee to come and liue at ther plantione.2 A good lott he promisde to procur mee. Now Honnoured Sir my full resollutione is nott to remoue to anny plantatione in the Pattent if you are not willinge. What Nueberrye once offerd me was ther owne volluntarye ackt, and noe wayes sought by mee; a little lande will serue my Turne, peaceable Competency I onelye seeke of god. If I may haue your good will therein, with Cheerfullnes, I shall proceed, and how soe euer rest your Worships in all hartye Affectione and Christiane seruice to commaunde

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.