would either have been found unfit upon tryall or if not hearty to the worke would have hindred the successe thereof 3. If but one third part of those chosen hold and who are upon tryall found fit being confirmed by them their authoritie is as binding as if five times their number had imbraced it and the fewer there are the more commendable is their resolution against difficulty and the lesse fear of dissention who also if they find the work too hard as opportunitie is offered may admit of additional assistance 4. The numerousnesse of the Presbytery is one of the blocks cast in the way of reformation therefore there is lesse need to stumble at their paucity if able to carry on the work Ob. 22. But is it meet all men should come before the Eldership to be examined before admittance me thinks they should go to the houses of some men of best rank and converse with them there Answ Vnlesse in case of sicknesse or the like it is very unfit For 1. It s exemplary giving occasion to others to expect the like and sets open a doore of chargeing the Eldership with partiallity and un-even dealing in distribution of Divine Ordinances 2. It must needs draw contempt both upon Governours and Government and Ordinances 3. It were an endlesse work and let men be never so high in the world yet if they ow not so much respect for the work sake to those whom God hath set over them in the Church as to come before them such men will never receive benefit by the Ordinance And if such a spirit predominate I am sure it s against the rule laid down by the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.17 Yea and derogates very much from the disposition of every one that are either fit for Church Communion or Heavenly intertainment Mark 10.15 Verily verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein So also Matth. 18.4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the Kingdome of God David a King yet thought it his honour to be humble Psal 131.2 professing himself to be as a weaned child 4. Where the soul truly thirsts after Jesus Christ in the Ordinances it will easily step over this block hunger will break stone walls And although the Devil and wicked men indeavour to hedge up thy way to the Ordinances yet if thou spiritually hunger and thirst all these will be laid low every one that hath the knowledge of Jesus Christ hath learned to deny himself 5. Although the Eldership would willingly use all good means to win men by love and ready to deny themselves as it s their dutie for the avoyding of offence and the enlargement of the Church yet herein they should but please some and displease many more and bring such an endlesse task upon themselves as would take up much time and abundantly retard the work 6. It s not a work either commanded or commended to any particular Eldership by the Classical assembly how ever in some extraordinary cases something of this nature may be done left to the discretion of the particular Presbytery and who I doubt not but will condescend to any thing that may promote the work of God Ob. 23. But if men and women must both be examined it may fall out a man may be found unfit and his wife may be received sometime the man received and his wife unfit what a kind of confusion will this be doth not the Apostle Paul say The unbelieving woman is sanctified by the believing man and the unbelieving man by the believing woman 1 Cor. 7.14 A. The Apostle speaks there concerning the reason why unbelievers and believers might cohabit and continue in a conjugal estate of matrimony And is not so to be understood as that the wife can be saved by the husbands faith or the husband by the wives this were to crosse the doctrine of Scripture and the analogie of faith for every man must know and believe for himself The just shall live by his faith neither Abraham Noah Iob or Daniel could deliver any mans soul by their faith though never so nearly related The Apostle only signifies three that it was unlawfull to depart matrimonial society because both were not believers for that if the one did believe it gave their children right to external Christian Church priviledges and such Ordinances as they were capable of as Circumcision under the Law Baptisme in time of the Gospel not that the Parents can either adde or infuse Grace into their children for the dearest of Gods Saints may have children destitute of Grace and uncapable either of Church-fellowship or the least share in Jesus Christ neither is there the least hint of any thing in this Text of Sacramental Communion or of things pertaining to life and salvation for in such cases every man and woman must plead their own interest and either have particular and peculiar saving Grace or the nearest relation they have to the most Holy can do them no good He that believes shall be saved he that believeth on the Sonne hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Iohn 3.16 And hence is it that in the great and general judgement men and women of nearest relations are separated Two shall be in the field the one taken and the other left two women grinding at the mill the one taken and the other left March 24.40 41. 2. As in the Kingdome of Heaven there is neither marrying Mark 12.16 nor giving in marriage but all are as the Angels so the Church of God on earth take no cognizance whether men be married or single wives or Virgins but he or she that 's capable of Church Communion ought to be admitted and must be visible Saints And although never so nearly related if not so ought to be shut out 3. Suppose a man upâ—â— examination be admitted and his wife respited for her incapacity a while till God shall enable her or suppose the wife be admitted and her husband for like reason suspended is it not better for that party found fit to be admitted and the party unfit to be debarred then either both to be admitted or both kept back or that either of them should deny themselves the benefit of the Ordinance For 1. It s agreeable to the Word of God and Ordinances of the Church and tends much to the comfort of the Communicant to be admitted if worthy and to admit the unworthy is contrary to all 2. What comfort can it be to thee while thou art participating the body and bloud of Jesus Christ if thy wife unworthily admitted not discerning the Lords Body be eating and drinking damnation to her self or contrariwise if thy wife be a worthy Communicant it will be the terror of her soul to see her husband hailing destruction upon himself by
preposterous and unwarrantable thrusting himself upon such Divine displeasure Why shouldst thou endeavour to draw the guilt of thy bloud upon the Eldership or why shouldst thou pull ruine upon thy self And although thou beest not capable blesse God for a believing wife or if thy wife uncapable and thou admitted endeavour her instruction that she may in due time be also received in to Sacramental Communion here and both spiritually united to Jesus Christ 3. It s the want of knowledge of Jesus Christ ignorance of the Doctrine of regeneration and reformation that makes men scruple hereat for any such reason none being more ready to rush upon Divine Ordinances to their ruine then men and women most uncapable to receive them rightly Ob. 24. What are the principal points that will be enquired of by the Eldership what time men come before them A. They are very plain and easie to be understood and every man and woman may reade them in the Ordinance of Parliament wherein are set down certain rules and directions concerning Admission and suspension in point of ignorance and scandal but for that all have not that Ordinance I shall hint out the Heads briefly as followeth All admitted ought to know 1. That there is a God That there is but one True and everliving God maker of Heaven and Earth and Governour of all things That this onely true God is the God whom we worship That this God is but one yet three distinct Persons the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost all equally God 2. That God created man in his own Image in Knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse That by one man sinne entred the world and death by sinne That thereby also all men are dead in trespasses and sinnes and are by Nature children of wrath and so liable to eternal death the wages of every sinne 3. That there is but one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who is also over all God blessed for ever neither is their salvation in any other That he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary That he died upon the Crosse to save his People from their sinnes That he rose the third day from the Dead ascended into Heaven sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh continual Intercession for us of whose fulnesse we receive all Grace necessary to salvation 4. That Christ and his benefits are applied onely by Faith that Faith is the gift of God and that we have it not of our selves but is wrought in us by the Word and Spirit of God 5. That Faith is that Grace whereby we believe and trust in Christ for remission of sinnes and life everlasting according to the promise of the Gospel That whosoever believes not on the Sonne of God shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him to Eternity 6. That they who truely repent of their sinnes do see them sorrow for them and turn from them to the Lord and that except men repent they shall surely perish 7. That a godly life is conscionably ordered according to the Word of God in holynesse and righteousnesse without which no man shall see the Lord. 8. That the Sacraments are Seals of the Covenant of grace in the bloud of Christ That the Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptisme and the Lords Supper That the outward Elements in the Lords Supper are Bread and Wine and do signifie the Body and Bloud of Christ crucified which the worthy receiver by Faith doth partake of in this Sacrament which Christ hath likewise ordained for a remembrance of his death That whosoever eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord and therefore that every one is to examine himself lest he eat and drink judgement to himself not discerning the Lords Body 9. That the souls of the Faithfull after death do immediately live with Christ in blessednesse And that the souls of the wicked do immediately go into Hell torments That there shall be a Resurrection of the bodies both of just and unjust at the last day at which time all shall appear before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what they have done in the body whether it be good or evil and that the righteous shal go into Life eternal and the wicked into everlasting punishment Ob. 25. What are the crimes that make men uncapable of admittance in point of scandal A. 1. All persons that shall blasphemously speak or write any thing of God his holy Word or Sacraments 2. An Incestuous person 3. An Adulterer 4. A Fornicator 5. A Drunkard 6. A profane Swearer or Curser 7. One that hath taken away the life of any Person maliciously 8. All worshippers of Images Crosses Crucifixes or Reliques All that shall make any Image of the Trinitie or any person thereof all Religious worshippers of Saints Angels or any meer Creatures 9. Any person that professeth himself not to be in charitie with his Neighbour 10. Any person that shall challenge any other person by word message or writing to fight or that shall accept such challenge and agree thereunto any person that shall knowingly carry any such challenge by word message or writing 11. Any person that on the Lords-Day shall use any Dancing Playing at Dice or Cards or any other Game Masquing Wake Shooting Bowling playing at Foot-ball or Stool-ball Wrestling or that shall make or resort to any Playes Interluds Fencing Bull-baiting or Bear-baiting or shall use Hawking Hunting or Coursing Fishing or Fowling or that shall publikely expose any Wares to sale otherwaise then is provided by an Ordinance of Parliament of the 6. of April 1644. Any person that shall travel upon the Lords-Day without reasonable cause 12. Any person that keepeth a known Stewes or Brothel-house or that shall solicit the Chastitie of any person for himself or any other 13. Any person Father or Mother that shall consent to the marriage of their Child to a Papist or any person that shall marry a Papist 14. Any person that shall repair for any advice to any Witch Wizard or Fortune-teller 15. Any person that shall assault his Parents or any Magistrate Minister or Elder in the Execution of his Office 16. Any person that shall be Legally attainted of Barretrie Forgerie Extortion or Briberie And the severall Elderships shall have power likewise to suspend from the Sacrament of the LORDS-Supper all Ministers that shall be duely proved to be guiltie of any of the Crimes aforesaid from giving or receiving the Sacrament of the LORDS-Supper FINIS Imprimatur James Cranford John Bellamie Errata Pag 4. line 6. For the journey reade their journey l. 9. for no way r. in a way p. 4. Ob. 4. r. appear p. 4. l. 24 for tresbytery r. Presbytery p. 10. l. 34. for desolute r. destitute p. 11. l. 8. for gelding r. gould ring p. 12. l. 5. for which r. when p. 15. l. 17. for Aposiles r. appeals p. 16. l. 10. for hardly r. Lordly p. 16. l. 11. for dominum r. dominion p. 16. l. 31. for record r. retard p. 22. l. 9. for injustifiably r. inevitably p. 24. l. 34. for their Idols r. the Iewes p. 30. l. 3. for preaches Preachers
as equivalent to them as those times of the Church and the condition thereof could admit for in cases of controversie of doubt of error or injury c. we finde the particular Church appealing to an Assembly of Apostles and Disciples from whom they received directions decrees and in whose determinations the particular Churches acquiesce as in that great dissention that arose in the Church at Antioch about circumcision Paul and Barnabas are sent up to Jerusalem by the Church to receive the direction and determination of the Apostles and Elders there Act. 15.1.2 Having had much debate and dispute of the matter send down their determination by messengers from amongst themselves together with Paul and Barnabas viz. Barsabas and Sylas who carry them both by word and writing the effect whereof is in 28 29. verses For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burthen then these necessary things that ye abstain from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye shall do well Farewell After the receiving of this determination we read of no more contending about circumcision but all was quiet So that we see here was something of like nature to a Synodicall Assembly although the constitution of the Church and State at that time neither had need of nor could possibly set up either Nationall Provinciall or Classicall Assemblies 1. They had lesse need then now by reason the Churches were not so numerous 2. There Pastors and Elders being endowed with a more infallible spirit lesse need of Apostles 2. Not possible 1. For that the Church being in its infancy they had not a competent number of Apostles Elders c. to make many Assemblies 2. And more especially they lived not under Christian Majestrates there was then no Nationall Church they neither had countenance nor encouragement from the civil Majestracy there was neither Nation Province or City that generally professed Christ they had a particular Church here and there and these lyable ever and anon to be dissipated by persecution c. Now there can be no Nationall Provinciall or Classicall Assemblies where the Nation Province or considerable part of the Kingdom do not professe Christ Now if there bee much corruption where so great provision is made to reforme how much more where there is no place of appeal Therefore I shall affirm this to the whole world that there is no other Government in the Church for the substantials of it held forth in the word of God then Presbyterian for the circumstancialls the State of the times and constitutions of our Kingdom cannot expect to finde recorded in all things conduceable to the well being of a Church in regard of union and order I would to God we had more wisdom then to quarrell about circumstances certainly would we promote the substantialls of Reformation wherein both Presbyterian and Independent agree other things would be easily reconciled but while we thus contend about that punctillo of appeal the work of Reformation is most sinfully and shamefully neglected for as I said formerly Independent Government is Presbyterian except in point of appeal nay Episcopacy regulated viz. when their Lordly usurped power their Diocesan Dominion their temporall civil and secular Jurisdictions is taken off is also Presbyterian a Scripture Bishop is a Pastor or Presbyter or Elder only every Pastor is an Elder but every Elder not a Pastor Some rule some labour in the word and doctrine so that Bishop Pastor Teacher Presbyter Elder will admit of one and the same interpretation Therefore let us cease contending about words that tend rather to strife then edifying let us not tythe Mint and Annis c. while we neglect Judgement Mercy and Fidelity c. while we quarrell in circumstances in the neglect of the substance of Gods worship Like a foolish builder we are convering the house before the foundation be well laid lie a Star-gazing while the ship is ready to sink under us we quarrell about Rosemary and Bayes while Church and State run both to ruine and our neighbouring nation wallows in its blood stand combing and triming our beards while our house is on fire over our heads Truly thus and far more ridiculous is our condition the Lord help us to see it and doubtlesse it were just with God to give us over to pursue shadows and lying vanities in the neglect of our own mercy for that we are so weded to promote the Circumstances in the retard and overthrow of the substantialls of Gods worship and the power of Godlinesse c. The Third and Fourth particular Concerning the Lawfullnesse and usefulnesse of Examination by the Eldership as followeth 11. Ob. But they say now none must come to the Sacrament without Examination by the Eldership which some hold to be no better then a point of Popery however it s very needlesse and ridiculous for ancient men that have born all offices in the Parish and Church too lived long under the meanes often formerly admitted now to be Catichised like boyes neither doe I beleeve there is any rule for it in the Word the Apostles saith Let every man examine himselfe and so let him eat c. 1 Cor. 11.28 A. It s very true that none are now to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords supper but who ought to be examined and that upon good ground neither is there the least punctillo of Popery in it or is it either needlesse or ridiculous but a very necessary duty and grounded both upon Scripture and good reason as well for ancient as young people and seeing this is the grand stumbling-block I shall endeavour its removall especially and for that indeed without Examination there can be no true Reformation 1. For that it s objected as tending to Popery whosoever thinks so it s not for want of ignorance for it is not intended either by Parliament or Synod or any particular Congregationall Eldership to expect auricular confession but onely an account of a reason of mens Faith which men may do and yet have little share in Jesus Christ True if a man render a competent account of his knowledge in the mysteries of God if nothing of scandall appear in the life he cannot be kept back from Sacramentall visible communion although as before a stranger from union with Christ therefore is it there is a twofold Examination requisite 1. Examination of a mans own heart whether he have the sinceritie Godly zeal knowledge faith repentance love c. with such graces as indeed give a man right not onely to the Elements but to Jesus Christ without which he can have no comfort in participating 2. Examination by the Pastor and Elders whereby he is known fit for visible communion for although a man may give the Eldership a fair account yet may he be an hypocrite a childe of the devil the principall part without which all is