it consisted wholly of them for they undertook to cast out of the Synagogue Joh. 9. 12. And when Saul breathed out threatnings against the Saints in zeal of reducing them to the Church from which they were departed and seduced as he thought he went to the chief Priests and all the estate of the Elders for his commission and he received anthority from them to bring both men and women unto Jerusalem to be punished Act. 22.15 And that estate of Elders in the originall is called a Presbytery which also shewes that it was made up of chief Officers of the Church called Presbyters some of which were chief Priests the other Pharisees and some subordinate Presbyters were joyned with them to make up that assembly having authority to judge of manners according to the Lawes of God however upon mistake they punished the true professors of the Christian Religion yet not under the notion of professors of the true Religion but out of zeal to reduce the beleeving Jewes to conformity to the old administration as judging it still in force as it was delivered by Moses If any make question whether this Presbytery according to the Text were the Church to whom complaint was to be made concerning stubborn offenders I answer that Councell or Presbytery was made up of the chief Officers of the whole Church and so the Church representative on whom alone all the authority of the Church was involved for the punishing of sin and preserving the peace of the whole And for the word Church they that are acquainted with the Original language know it is used for any assembly or congregation called together whether to civill or sacred ends and so these Elders and Rulers of the Jewes assembled together for the ends aforesaid are not unproperly called a Church And for the latter thing propounded before namely that the Christian Churches in after ages are to proceed by the same rule and in the same order the Church of the Jewes then did that is to say by a Presbytery seems to me very probable For first of all there were in use in the Christian Church in reference to the rule and government thereof the same names that were in the Church of the Jewes which is a sign that there was the same thing Saint Paul who was well acquainted with the nature of the Presbytery at Jerusalem from whom he received authority to trouble the beleeving Jewes cals an assembly of Elders or Church officers a Presbytery of which what better reason may be conceived then this the resemblance that was between this Eldership and the great Councel in the Church of the Jewes It is clear the Apostles themselves did order all things in the Church ordained Elders and authorized them in the Name of Christ to ordain others c. And they were as much Rulers and Officers over the Catholick Church as the chief Priests and Elders were to the Jewes And hence in the Apostolical Churches Ordination of Ministers was derived from them that were Officers to the whole Church and in a most immediate manner by Jesus Christ were constituted so to be which makes me inclinable to beleeve that those still that are ordained Officers for the good and benefit of the whole should be ordained by such a Presbytery that are intrusted with that power by the Officers of the whole as much as may be So farre am I from consenting to these men that take it for granted that the common members of a particular society may chuse and install their own officers Now what is there in all this for that pretended way of discipline which these Gentlemen commend to their reader here is not the least warrant for any to separate from the Church or withdraw for all is one nor for the people to rule and chuse their own Officers nor for imposing a Church Covenant explicitly to be professed in the congregation and those that will not come up to this and such like termes must not be admitted unto Sacramentall communion Nor is here any warrant for sentencing Church members before a regular triall nay here is no warrant for any single Minister to set up discipline over his people without the consent and conjunction of the reverent brethren of the Ministry with them The key of discipline is not at all in one alone but rather in the whole together A word more on that Scripture as it is directed to the Apostles vers 18 19 20. and so in them to the officers of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world Verily saith our Saviour there if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them These words seem to have reference unto what was spoken before concerning the authority of the Jewes Church Officers and our Saviour would have his Apostles to know that though their authority may seem to the world yea and to themselves to be weak and contemptible in respect of that great bench of Elders generally submitted unto by the Jewes yet they should have as great authority to binde and loose as the other nay two of them by the authority given them by the Lord of the Church should be equivalent to their great authority And we know it came so to passe They had power to work miracles and were inspired with an extraordinary spirit and had some speciall promises peculiar to them alone as well as gifts They had power to give the holy Ghost by imposition of hands and an extraordinary power in prayer and power to punish and kill the bodies of men for sacriledge and hypocrisie And we know the very Church it self is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Now what is this to these Ministers in Glocester-shire Dare two or three of them assume this power for I suppose all the Ministers of the County are not of their minde and way to do as the Apostles did Suppose they be Ministers of the Gospell is the Church built upon them or their Doctrine Where have they any such promise that they shall not erre and whatsoever they shall agree to aske shall be done for them of the Father of Jesus Christ They plead their serious and solemn seeking of God and commend unto us their model of Discipline as the result of their serious debates and returns of their prayers but that authority will not satisfie judicious Christians when the thing it self is so inconsistent with the generall rules of the Word as hath been shewed Besides it is well known that in many places the Ministers of the Gospell have used the like means in behalf of themselves and their people yet but few have run into their waies but either fall into some association of Churches and Presbyteries
Mat 28.19 20. And do this in remembrance of me is a precept for the baptized of years to observe they being under Church indulgence otherwise we shall be driven to question our Baptisme and then our Church ministry and run mad to the separations or begin again if we could tell how In the mean time how injurious to Church members doth our ungrounded rigour and private interpretations cause us to be To the fift Querie I say The remedy is both by instruction and direction by these waies the Apostle applies himself to them for the cure of their maladie He repeats the first institution comments upon it the better to give them to understand the nature end and use of the ordinance which before they were ignorant of or did not well consider And having taught them the minde of Christ in what was necessary to that service then he gives direction what they must doe First to examine themselves whether they understand what these things of God did mean as they had been taught and then to tarry one for another that the ordinance may be carryed on with order decency and reverence becoming worship and then he assures them they shall not be judged of the Lord. To the sixth Querie I answer The Apostle intends the remedy to the good of the whole Church which comprehends every particular member of years that did actually receive and offend therein And he taught them not any thing but what was easie to be understood by any reasonable man owning the true Religion among them He directed them not to do any thing but what was easie for them to do externally And their offending was so obvious and apparent that they were easily convinced and yeelded to the reproofe Gods blessing concurring with the means and indeed we read no more of their offending in that manner afterwards nor any other Christian Church But they were a Church consisting of members under better qualifications then ours Object therefore the same remedy which was sufficient for them is not sufficient for most of ours 1. Solution I answer The Apostle writing to them That if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such they should not eat intimates that there were such among them that were as bad as ours But secondly if we be a true Church our members we admit true Church members even as theirs then ours come under the same rules with them unlesse we can finde different rules for the same Church in the same things and respects if not then ours are under the same rule in reference to the Sacrament untill they be legally ejected and cast out and are bound to act according to those rules and that order prescribed in hope of a blessing even the worst member among us To the seventh Querie whether the duty of self-examination in order to the sacrament be not properly to be restrained to the premises treated on in the context I answer That whether it be to be extended in this place so farre as most do urge in respect of their reall state unto God competent measure of knowledge in the many fundamentals of Religion the having and acting every grace necessary to salvation c. or to be restrained to the particulars there mentioned I dare not peremptorily determine though strongly inclined to beleeve the latter Not because I think self-examination touching the former may carelesly be neglected by any but I question whether the Apostle had any respect thereto in this place in reference to the Sacrament because I conceive the Apostle here sutes the remedy to the malady and that unworthinesse of person was not any part of malady nor ignorance in the fundamentals of Religion but their not discerning the Lords body and that put them upon other unworthy carriages as is shewed before And therefore as examination is part of the remedy prescribed it seems to me most probable that it properly refers to the rule of institution and those other directions given in the context The eighth Querie is whether a carelesse neglect of this private duty of self-examination before do give a writ of ease and excuse such negligent persons from the precept of publique duty and service Do this in remembrance of me To this I say I cannot conceive how the neglect of a private duty can excuse any in the neglect of publick worship that are Church members of years under the obligation of all that Christ commands The Apostles being sent to preach and baptize those that received their Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospell and came under the baptisme of Christ were bound to teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded and in so doing they had a promise of his presence and blessing upon their endevours And loe I am with you alwaies to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 20. What can be more plain except we shall say the observance of the holy Supper is none of his commands I think Christ commands nothing for the hurt of his visible subjects they observing it according to their present capacity Can an instance be given in the Old or New Testament of any that came under Circumcision or Baptisme whether proselyte or native of years that as private members were admitted to all other ordinances in the Church and yet were forbidden the use of the other Sacrament the Passover or the Lords Supper There is but one Law for the stranger and home-borne If our Baptisme be the Baptisme of Christ I say if it be the baptisme of Christ by which we are consecrated to Christ why should any be exempted from any obedience and priviledge being of years and under Church indulgence at least more then the circumcised under Moses or the Baptized under the Apostles Our not acting according to Scripture presidents in this particular will I fear in time unchurch us We blame the Separations when we our selves maintain the first principles of setting up distinctions and separations in the Church But it is dangerous to be partiall in the lawes of Christ Why may not the wofull neglect of Sacraments visible pledges of divine love be one thing that makes ministers be so contemptible and vile in the eyes of many as they are Well but to return I say this comming to the Sacrament is one of Christs commands and he that breaks the least of his commands and teaches men so shall be called the least in the Kingdome of God But I think Mr. H. hath said enough to this to satisfie any sober impartiall Christian to whom I must still referre the reader for further satisfaction herein The Doctor hath many quillets about this particular which are more like to puzzle then to satisfie the reader He strives to put an inclosure to some duties as not common to all and he instances in relations and sex that come under the obligations of the second Table the which
the Passeover was of absolute force in respect of all the congregation of Israel is so obvious and manifest that I need not say any thing for proof thereof Exod. 12. Numb 9. is without all gainsaying And though the end of that observance were spirituall and the service it self mysterious yet those that were most ignorant and carnall were as much under the obligation of that holy service as those that were regenerate and really holy it concerned them all to conforme to the externals of that service upon their lives no excuse would serve for the omission of it but that of legall uncleannesse and being in a journey and that but for the present only Thirdly That the Church of the Jewes was a mixt people in respect of reall goodnesse and badnesse even as ours are I know none will deny and yet in respect of their relative state in reference to the Covenant made with their fathers they were all equals in the enjoyment of the externall priviledges and observances of the Covenant and the Church of God in order to that blessednesse promised to all that diligently observed the duties of the Covenant And no people so happy and prosperous as they while they adhered to Gods worship prescribed unto them but when they forsook the waies of God and followed their own waies and went after other gods c. then it ever went ill with them I know the Lord required truth and power as well as externall form in worship yet they are not usually blamed for want of power but for want of form in not doing what God commanded 4. That the severall Churches of the Gentiles now are under the same Covenant of grace and added to or graffed into the Church of the Jewes and their Church constitution I think cannot be denied For though the administration of the Covenant now be different from what it was before Christ was exhibited yet there is no more change of the Church properly and formally considered then there is change of the Covenant or change of the head Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever on whom as the chief corner stone the Church in all ages hath been and still is built and founded The same persons that by birth priviledge were born members of the Jewes Church and beleeving in Christ kept their station were alwaies members they and their seed never ceasing so to be even thousands of the Jewes Jesus Christ had many Disciples while he himself was a member and a Prophet of that Church and conformed unto the ceremoniall Administration The twelve whom he chose were before most of them members of the Jewish Church and though not after the order of Aaron yet after the order of Melchisedech as being King and Lord of all he gave them authority to preach and baptize and work miracles in the Jewish Church only while he was conversant among them And those that beleeved in him and those that beleeved not were all one Church adhering to the same worship and order of that Church untill Christ was raised from the dead and had compleated the work of mans redemption then all those carnall ordinances were abolished he put an end to them all and those that never did beleeve that he was the true Messias did then unchurch themselves and their seed For they still adhering unto Moses and looking upon Christ as a false Christ refused to submit to the administration of the Lord Jesus and so lost their station in the Church but so many as were convinced that he was the true Messias adhered unto the Apostles Doctrine and came under all Church administrations so that for a good space of time the Apostles preached the Lord Jesus in Jury only before they preached to the Gentiles so that there was I beleeve many thousands of souls of the newly reformed Church of the Jewes before there were any particular Churches of the Gentiles And where it is said they were added to the Church it is not to be understood that here was now a new Church constituted where was none before but still the same Church under a different administration And the Jewes that were of the Church before beleeving in Christ as in him that was promised should come are now by the preaching of the Apostles convinced that Jesus whom their Rulers crucified is the Christ already come And this beleeving of theirs was no new faith but the same which they had before in respect of the object though under another consideration And for those Jewes which beleeved and adhered to the Apostles Doctrine many of them for a great while would not be taken off from their former customes and observations It is said that salvation is of the Jewes Joh. 4.22 Out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2.3 After Christs ascension the Apostles were to preach the God to all nations but beginning first at Jerusalem Luk. 24.47 And they that were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Venice and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Word to none but the Jewes only Act. 11.19 Certainly the Jewes were the first that came under the Gospell Ministry and although some of them did not beleeve yet that did not make the faith of God of none effect that did not deprive the beleevers of their Church state nor make void the promises of God made to them Rom. 3.3 The faithfulnesse of God appeared in the effects of great Covenant love to that people in opening the eyes and hearts of so many thousands to receive the Gospell There were but some of the branches that were broken off and not all Rom. 11.17 Besides the Gentiles received all from the Jewes they were the only instruments of their conversion there being few or none in authority to preach but such as were Jewes by nation at first All this being so it must needs follow that the beleeving Gentiles were but added to or graffed into the Church of the Jewes and baptized into the same body and so made partakers of the same hope and calling being made the children of the same God fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers with them of his promise in Christ by the Gospel Ephes 3.6 Fellow citizens with the Saints the beleeving Jewes and of the houshold of God Ephes 2.19 And true it is that the Churches of the Gentiles had a very reverent esteem of the Church of the Jewes and did readily conform to the directions of the Church at Jerusalem and were carefull in their charity to gather and distribute to their necessity confessing themselves their debtors having received from them their spirituall things and that alone by their means Rom. 15.26 27. So that all make up but one Church and all walk by the same rule having one faith one Lord one Baptisme All submitted themselves to the rule and order of the Apostles they undertaking the care and order of all
Christ or by his Apostles or any that drived authority immediately from them and therefore they have it not at all and to intrude themselves and assume unto themselves things of such an high nature is a most insolent boldnesse and they may fear to perish in the gainsaying of Corah and his company 5. I cannot conceive how there should be any true discipline practised in our Churches without the speciall assistance countenance and power of the civill Magistrate as the state of things are in England For almost all of all sorts are either carelesse or impatient or erroneous and not willing to come under discipline And although these Gentlemen say it is our own fault and why do we not set upon it beginning with the minor part yet this is very ill nay absurdly advised For as I said before I beleeve I shall never see true discipline exercised in the Church of England untill the Lord so move upon the hearts of our Rulers as to make them instrumentall to put the Church into that capacity which ordinarily cannot be without a nationall assembly of learned grave moderate and godly Divines chosen if possible by the whole and carryed on without tumult And that a profession of faith if not already done may be so clearly drawn up in respect of fundamentals in doctrine and worship according to evident rules of holy Scripture as may be established to be the publique profession of the Nation which all whatsoever should with peaceable spirits submit unto And also that the subjects of the keyes in a nationall Church may be more clearly determined and liberty of conscience better stated and bounded that the reformation of the whole may grow up together at least in all the externals of Christian obedience Otherwise how shall discipline be practised if carnall and loose Christians shall be left at liberty whether they will come under it or no Now I say while they are within the visible Church and Kingdome of our Lord Jesus and professe his Name in hope of eternall life why should they not submit to all his Lawes as the way and means appointed of that blessed end And the same grounds that do warrant the restraining offenders from evill and the forcing of them to do their duty in reference to some of the Lawes of Christ do warrant the doing of the like in reference to all the rest of his royall Lawes What is more sutable then that they that reign and rule only by Jesus Christ should put forth their power and improve all their interest for the advancing of Christs Scepter over all I confesse these Gentlemen have some unhappy expressions questioning our Church members because as they say the main instruments of bringing them to the true Religion in England were such as carryed it on by a civill power when the outward calling ought to be by the word only which the most of our common people never had they say Answ 1. I wish our Governours had that holy and grounded zeal for the reformation of what is amisse now in the Church that our first reformers expressed in point of reformation in their generation 2. We must distinguish of a twofold state of Church membership or the way of bringing people to be Church members 1. Aliens of years are to be discipled and called by the Word before they may be baptized and received into the Church and so it was in the Apostles first planting of Churches But 2. The seed of persons so called are by vertue of the Gospell Covenant members borne and upon that account are baptized and when they come to years are as much under the obligation of all holy observances as those that are called by the word So it was in the Church of the Jewes in respect of all that were circumcised so that Church membership is and may be pleaded from birth priviledge Gal. 2.15 We who are Jewes by nature c. 3. Our first reformers did not force Heathens to receive and professe the Protestant Religion but reduced baptized erring Christians unto that obedience and reformation which their Baptisme and profession did oblige and ingage them unto according to the examples of godly Kings and Prophets amongst the Jewes in case of defection and irregularity I might produce divers instances of this holy and religious care and zeal in reforming but those that are acquainted with the Scripture can remember the histories of them And orthodox Divines do generally hold that the Baptisme of a Papist is valid and need not be repeated And it need not be doubted but upon that ground the King of Spain or the French King if the Lord should give them a heart throughly convinced of and affected with the truth might reduce their subjects if they were able to that conformity to the Lawes of Jesus Christ which their Baptisme doth oblige them to Rome it self upon such a reformation might become a true visible Church without any repeating either of the ordination of their Ministers or their Baptisme Were all that superfluity of naughtinesse from time to time contracted in Doctrine worship and discipline purged out and all administrations made conformable to the Lawes of Jesus Christ as it was with them for some hundreds of years from the Apostles times we could not tell what to object against them but might have communion with them Say that we heretofore were a member of Rome received all sacred ordinances from them having now repented of the evils and abominations which the holy things of Christ were polluted with and reformed them according to the institution what can be objected against us though we were put in possession of the ordinances of Christ by means of the civill power 4. If an argument drawn from successe be of any force in any case surely in supernaturall and spirituall events above any other and we are not left without innumerable evidences of the divine operations upon the souls of many in our Nation through the blessing of the Lord upon the use of those holy administrations of the Covenant which our first reformers with zeal care and power brought our fathers under blessed be God for this unspeakable gift This for the fifth thing proposed concerning discipline 6. The sixth and last is this That holy discipline is so to be ordered that the edification of all may be best furthered and preserved and the objects of Church censures may be healed rather then hurt by them Sometimes the Church must rebuke some that the rest may fear and sentence some few most notorious offenders when many deserve the same punishment rather then indanger the peace union and edification of the Church punish and chastise what they can with the health and safety of the whole and with patience bear and forbear when the remedy is like to prove worse then the disease Lawfull things are not alwaies expedient nor consist with charity It is a good saying of Cyprian mentioned by Calvin Let the Church mercifully correct what they
can and what they cannot let them patiently suffer and with love groan and lament it And to the same purpose he brings in the advice of Augustine touching the abounding of drunkennesse in Africa this and the like evils according to his judgement are to be taken away not roughly nor after an imperious manner but more by teaching then commanding more by admonishing then by threatning and that is the way to deal with a multitude of sinners severity must be exercised on the sin of a few c. And he concludeth thus The command of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 to cast out the wicked is in no case to be neglected when it may be done without perill of breaking the peace of the Church Institut lib. 4. cap. 12. Sect. 11.13 And we may take notice that where there is mention made of the Apostles exercising of Discipline it is only upon particular persons and not upon a multitude when he findes many guilty of evill practises he reproves admonishes and threatens to come with the rod 2 Cor. 12.20 13.21 1 Cor. 4.21 And truly as the state of things now stands I think it will be found a very difficult thing to get into possession of the true way of discipline and to make that use of it that the Churches peace and edification may be promoted and not prejudiced by it For either the supposed unregenerate in the Church shall on the one hand be cast off and separated from as in the Independent way and some others or else on the other hand the dissenting brethren will be judged schismatical for causing divisions and separations in the Church contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ And therefore our condition is the more sad in that Discipline which tends so much to the wel-being of the Church can so hardly be attained amongst us Thus I have given you my judgement and apprehensions in this point Now in the next place Because these Gentlemen have commended a way of Discipline to the godly I shall crave leave a little to examine it whether it be such a one as godly men may safely receive and use as the discipline of Jesus Christ and not rather reject it as having nothing of Christ in the rise and root of it according to holy Scripture and this I shall do very briefly because I have said so much to the point already 1. It 's well they acknowledge our parochiall congregations to be true Churches though it be but in a large sense for being such they come under the same lawes and priviledges externally which belong to true Churches in the strictest sense that is unlesse they can finde a different rule in Scripture for true Churches though not in the same degree of purity which I believe they cannot because I do not finde but Laodicea and Philadelphia as they were both true Churches so they were both under the same rule c. 2. They confesse that none but such as are already excommunicated and such as ought to be excommunicated are to be kept from the Sacrament and in this Mr. H. and they seem to be agreed pag. 27. provided say they that Mr. H. mean such as of right ought to be excommunicated by the Church For his meaning they may be sure he doth not mean that Church members should be censured without regular triall and that by a Church that is in a fit capacity to hear and judge and sentence according to divine rule But how will these gentlemen prove that the greater part in a parish are such as of right ought to be excommunicated and never put it to the triall whether their sinfulnesse be of that nature for which excommunication may and ought to be inflicted It is obstinacy and wilfull persisting in grosse sins after private and publick admonition that is to be punished with excommunication and how can they know that the greater part of a parish do so sin when they never admonish them either privately or publickly Sure there must be a clear conviction of their sins and all fair and amicable Christian means used to reclaim them before they can judge any in their parish excommunicable were they in a capacity thus authoritatively to deal with them which I think they are not 3. But they say This is a most generally received truth that every particular congregation hath power in it self to reforme it self according to what shall be practicable to them pag. 158. To which I shall oppose their own words pag. 7.10 Where first they say That the ignorant and profane must be withdrawn from because it is clear they cannot be regularly cast out by discipline neither is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated for that the major part of the Church is corrupt and the same may be well supposed of most of the mixt parochiall congregations in England and will not excommunicate nor are fit to do so nor to chuse officers to do it pag. 9 10. Now is not this a strange thing they condemn Mr. Humfrey for not setting up Discipline in his Church and strongly assert That every Congregation hath power to reform it self and yet they say it is clear that the ignorant and profane cannot be regularly cast out by Discipline nor is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated Reader Canst thou desire a better justification of Mr. Humfreys present practise in the matter of the Sacrament then these mens own words If he cannot reform in a right way must he and others undergoe reproach because they dare not exercise discipline in a wrong way as these gentlemen do There are many sober and godly Ministers that judge it better not to pretend to discipline at all then to take up that way to which some give the name when there is nothing of the nature of true discipline If we cannot exercise it aright why should any be censured for not exercising it wrong To doe evill that good may come the Apostle judges damnable so rarely it is that good ends and evill means stand together But they say Object If they cannot regularly excommunicate the ignorant and scandalous that are excommunicable then the Minister and those that are convinced of their duty to come up to a more close communion and fellowship in the Gospell must withdraw from the corrupt majority and wait for their coming in upon the same termes agreed upon by the minor part and for this they commend to us Mat. 18. 1. Answ It is very harsh to say that the ignorant in the Church are for that excommunicable they may expresse their desires to learn and use the means appointed to that end and so not be excommunicable nor to be separated from And for the scandalous they are to be tryed as was hinted before and then excommunicated if there be just cause else they shall be deprived of a speciall ordinance of the Church intended as the last remedy to convert the obstinate sinner from his evill waies And as
framing such expedients as in a manner bring in all under a capacity of Sacramentall communion and discipline as in Worcestershire and other places or else carry on the Ordinances of Jesus Christ by vertue of their office as well as they can without Discipline as being convinced of their incapacity for the present so attain unto the true end and exercise thereof notwithstanding all their search disquisition and indevours to satisfie one another therein And the serious debates and seeking of God concerning this should move to own and assent to what is concluded thereupon I conceive it more safe to adhere to the greater part of sober Divines that have been serious in the use of these and all other means to satisfie themselves and others as well as those men and yet dare not in the least degree countenance their way and practise I would aske them this question whether they did ever read of any such practise that a few particular Ministers by their own authority have had the boldnesse to withdraw from the greatest part of their flocks and set up a way of Discipline of their own framing and upon the matter unchurch the greatest part of their congregations allowing them no other priviledge in the Church then they would to Pagans Did the Apostles ever make so bold with any Christian congregation that adhered to the Gospell administrations or did they ever authorize ordinary Presbyters to do so Nay did any ordinary Presbyter in the Apostles time exercise Discipline but upon the command of the Apostles or do we finde them any where blamed because they did not do it I verily beleeve these Gentlemen may not assume such an interest in the exercise of the Key of Discipline as the Apostles had and yet they are more busie with the rod then ever any of the Apostles were Alas it's pity some care is not taken to restrain their imperious usurpation over their severall flocks I think since the ceasing of the Apostles office it is more sutable to the Scripture alledged and other Scriptures to elect such Presbyteries to judge of manners in the Church as were constituted in the Church of the Jewes which our Saviour approved of which yet would come short of being equall with the Apostles in respect of the authority which they had in the Church of Christ though they were in all places men of the best qualifications for Rule that any attain to in our times and so I have done with that Scripture Mat. 18. I will trouble the reader but with two or three passages more about their new modell for I have a good minde to draw to an end and my other occasions will not permit me to do much in these waies Pag. 4. they tell us of the drawing up a profession of faith wherein they acknowledge their former Abominations in worship professing their repentance before the Lord for them Concerning which I say It is a strange expression of Christians except they were such as came newly out of Paganisme or Popery at least What abominations of worship have been established or practised in our Church since the reformation of it Is it not strange that the Ministers of the Church who should be ready to defend the Church from the wicked slanders and reproaches of Anabaptists and other Separatists should thus publickly join with them and that in such a publick way before the world too How many powerfull and successefull Ministers of the Gospell now with Jesus Christ in glory have justified all the ordinary parts of Gods worship as it was practised in our publick assemblies all along and conformed thereunto chearfully in respect of the substance of our worship Indeed there were some needlesse ceremonies used about worship which were declared by the Church to be no part of the worship now these were born as burthens which many of the godly desired to be eased of by their removall but it never came into their thoughts that they were guilty of abominations in worship because of them How doth Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures upon Joh. 4. justifie the Church of England as a true Church and the severall parts of worship practised therein as being according to the institution of the Lord And how doth he from thence blame those that separated or neglected the publick prayers of the Church and yet himself was one of the old non-conformists And Mr. Cotton that went into new England writing an Epistle to that Book doth therein highly commend the Author for many things but in a speciall manner for confuting the separations of the Brownists and he repeats what another reported of him styling him the hammer of Schismaticks commonly called Brownists Those Gentlemen talk of the Covenant established in Christ into which they require a profession to enter of those they admit to partake of the Seal of that Covenant pag. 10. Concerning this I say it were well if they would act according to their own words for 't is certain all Church communion is sounded upon covenant relation And those whose admittance to the Sacrament we plead for are supposed to have entred Covenant relation either in their parents or in their own personall profession of the true Religion that holy Scriptures teach or both and their voluntary adhering to the administrations of the Covenant doth attest their entring the Covenant and their continuing and abiding in that relation let them say what they can to the contrary But they say Object Persons that have entred Covenant may back-slide and so that relation cease and they instance in Simon Magus but those that brake bread were such as continued in the Apostles doctrin Act. 2.42 And back-sliders are not to be admitted to surther communion 1. Answ How do they know that Simon Magus fell off rom the Christian profession when the last we read concerning him is his retracting his erroneous the uphts desiring the Apostle to pray for him that none of those evils might come upon him 2. Suppose he did backslide and renounce his Baptisme and profession would he then have desired Christian communion in the Ordinances of Christ what more absurd 3. We only plead for such to break bread that continue in the Apostles Doctrine which we say all do that adhere to the administrations of Jesus Christ set up in his Church as the ordinary means of obtaining Covenant grace And for what they say concerning renewing of our Covenant with God after defection from him we heartily allow of it provided it be done according to the Scripture Deut. 29.10 11 12 c. Nâ—hem 10.29 Where in the persons of the chief the whole ingaged to walk in all the waies of the Lord and to observe and do all his commandements and his judgement and his statutes This is contrary to these men that would set up a Rail to hinder Christians from observing all Gods Commands nay rather to uncovenant a people in Covenant then ingage them to renew Covenant and walk worthy their Covenant relation in their observance of all covenant Ordinances in hope of blessing And I wish that if the Church cannot the Magistrate would take down the high places that hinder the Lords people from worshipping at the only place of worship If some have liberty to worship at Dan and Bethel why should any be restrained from worshipping at Jerusalem and doing their homage and service in remembrance of Christ who died for sinners I had thought to have added a word concerning the fourth and last thing proposed in the beginning of this Examination as it was urged by Mr. Humfrey namely that Ministers ought to do their duties as they are Ministers though Discipline be wanting and cannot well be attained as things stand of which duties the administration of the Sacrament is one which by their office they are bound to performe as they will answer the neglect thereof to Jesus Christ himself who commands the observance of all his holy Ordinances in the Church for the feeding of his flock And those that love him will make conscience in their places to be faithfull to him that hath appointed them But I fear I have been too tedious already And Mr. Humfrey in his Rejoynder to Doctor Drake hath abundantly given satisfaction in the vindication of this and other truths asserted in his former Book And if he shall think these Gentlemen worthy of any further answer I shall rather leave it to himself then do any thing that may hinder the Church of God of the faithfull and profitable labours of him or any others FINIS ERRATA PAg. 1. line 7. for reprove read reproach p. 4. l. 24. put out may p. 12. l. 8. f. when r. what p. 21. l. 25. f. many r. main p. 32. l. 12. put out be p. 33 l. 14 f. such r. say p. 34. l. 28. r. not allow p. 35. l. 16. r. simply p. 39. l. 16. in the margin for 42 2. r. 42. p 49 l. 5. l. 34. r. 3. which should begin the line and senâ—ence p. 51. l. 3. r. premise l. 22. f. baptized r. lapsed p 60. l. 26. r. guest p. 65. l. 27. f. the r. by p. 67 l. 8. f. communication r. communion p. 71. l. 13 put a period after worship p. 74. l. 25. f. all r. and p 75. l. 12. f. also r. and so p. 91. l. 18. r. relation p. 99. l. 9. r. reference p. 110. l. 29. f. and Gentiles r. assembilies p. 116 l. 1 2. r. Gillespy p. 117. l. 22. put in the margin 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10. p. 120 l. 10. f principles r. priviledges p. 127. l. 5. f. God r. Gospel p. 151. l. 1. s no r not p. 164. l. 14. s drived r. derived p. 173. l. 7. put out the stop after sense
pleading thy right during thy priviledge of positive Church membership And in the last place I shall in all humility offer a few words to the reverend Ministers of God as a means to quench the present flames that are in the Church of Christ in England First let me beseech you not to urge upon your people any practise under necessity of duties of worship either publique or private that is not evidently commanded or at least deducted from the clear and genuine sense of holy Scripture by necessary consequence Secondly labour so to agree among your selves in the main essentials of Doctrine Worship and Discipline that in every place there may be a preaching and holding forth of the same things in all Thirdly condescend to the meanest of your people with an equall respect in all your ministeriall administrations both publique and private that none may be discouraged nor any indulged in an evill way Fourthly be as watchfull of those that are inclined to an inordinate zeal in the smaller matters of Religion as of those that expresse but little zeal at all in Gods worship Fifthly allow the worst of your people the title of Christians beleevers members and allow them all other externall priviledges which of right are theirs in regard of their relative state as they are such yet deal faithfully with them as touching their reall state in order to their eternall weal or woe Sixthly decline as much as may be novelty and variety in profession catechismes and all essentials of publique worship that your people may more willingly adhere to you and give you the greater advantage to advance the Christian Religion among them Lastly What in you lies restore with the spirit of meeknesse in your private admonitions weak brethren that through infirmity fall do not exasperate any w th pulpit invections unlesse it be in case of known obstinacy But I shall leave all to your charitable construction and sober apprehension of what I do here offer to your consideration I am a poor worm and look to be despised for medling with things out of my spheare but I see it 's the common lot of the most learned in these times to be reproached and therefore I shall the better bear it though for this my vindicating of Mr. Humfrey from reproach I be the more reproached I am sorry his principles be not vindicated from the reverend Doctors exceptions and objections by a better pen then his Who is thy humble servant breathing after the simplicity of truth John Timson The Barre to free Admission to the LORDS SVPPER removed MEEting with a Book called A Barre to free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper written by Doctor Drake in answer to Mr. Humphrey and having diligently read both I finde that even good men are too apt to reprove one another in things controverted betwixt them which ought not so to be As for Mr. Humphreys vindication of free admission as he states bounds and handles it it seems to me more rationall and clear then to deserve so many harsh expressions from the reverend Doctor as he hath let slip whether in haste or more deliberately I leave to himself to consider Sure I am some words might better have been spared then so published in print to the world it being not yet determined whether Mr. Humphreys discourse be untrue or no though disputable with the Doctor it seems whether it be more full of words or untruthes which is very uncharitable and unbrotherly dealing but I forbear Both the reverend Doctor and Mr. Humprey are Gentlemen I am altogether unacquainted with whose gifts learned abilities I yet much reverence and wish this poor distracted Church may never want such officers to rule and feed her in the Lord as the meanest of them be It 's an unhappy controversie I confesse and little cause there is to take content in these debates yet as times are it hath need of scanning and sifting because much of the unity and welbeing of the nationall Church depends upon the right stating and clearing of this Question our doubts and scruples concerning the holy Supper having upon the matter unsetled all Some mistakes about admission thereto have run thousands into faction schisme and separation under a zeal of separating the Precious from the Vile of withholding the childrens bread from dogs of preserving the Ordinances pure c. The premises are good conducing much to reformation were they not misapplyed in respect of persons and in respect of the right way and means of putting them in execution as things now stand as I beleeve it will appear they are by this following discourse wherein I shall endevour to vindicate that little Tract of Mr. Humphrey from the Doctors unbrotherly dealing with him according to my measure and meannesse Not that I intend an orderly and exact reply to every particular which neither my capacity nor occasions of my laborious calling will bear but to undermine his chiefest strength passing by the rest And first of all for the Text which Mr. Humphrey delivers his discourse upon though he may be thought not so happy in his choice of it in order to what he insisteth on as having rather a sound then a true and full sense of the question and point concluded yet I doubt not but the discourse will as to the substance thereof be warranted by other Scriptures And for Judas his receiving or not receiving I look not upon it as clearly argumentative one way or other Neither do I think that first president without the supply of other Scriptures would make much for or against us in this matter they being Apostles only that then received whose office in the Church is now ceased In short I shall not go about to defend every quotation or assertion in Mr. H. Book nor to clear him from some inconsistences pointed out by the reverend Doctor it 's sufficient that he hath made good the main thing asserted namely That all Church members of years and under Church indulgence not rightly excommunicated may come freely to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper His free Admission is limited with exceptions of infants distracted the excommunicated and he might say the drunk Now the Doctor saith That by the same reason that he excepts these we may may except the grosly ignorant and scandalous in the Church Concerning which this twofold inquiry is made 1. Whether Church members of years having the exercise of reason being ignorant be as uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or distraught 2. Whether scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated To the former of these the Doctor saith That the grosly ignorant are as uncapable to examine themselves and discerne the Lords body as Infants and therefore as justly to be excepted against nay more because Infants and distraught may have the grace of the covenant really the other not To which I answer what the secret working of the
Spirit may be in such comes not within the Churches cognisance to inquire but what is agreeable to the revealed will of God and then if any of years being baptized professing the true religion be in the same incapacity as Infants or distracted it 's true there is the same exception against them otherwise not For mine own part I never knew any of years but could take and eat and drink of the consecrated signes reverently and orderly according to the institution as to the externals of that service which the state of Infants is uncapable of And mad men would indanger the abuse of the holy signes by their undecent and unreverent demeanour in those necessary acts of communion and worship And it must be granted that persons at years are not under that naturall incapacity that infants are in order to the outward form of worship Neither are Infants as such under the obligation of precepts of worship as grown persons in the Church are Nor can it be reasonably imagined that such a state of persons in the Church should be admitted actually to receive that in the discretion of the Church are no proper objects of Church censures in point of offending which grown persons in the Church are though never so ignorant And what though the Doctor say he can teach a childe of three or four years old as much or more then some of our people at years have learned all their life time A Parrat may be taught to speak words but can he make such children rationally understand what they are taught and exercise devotion from a principle of conscience in reference to religious worship as in charity we may hope of grown ones according to that little they know which may be conceived by their desires after it and their demeanour in the Sacramentall actions Moreover I doubt not but the Doctor or any other Minister of the Gospell may in a short time inform the ignorant among their people so as to make them capable of discerning the Lords body and to eat and drink lawfully in the Apostles sense though not in the sense I shall give account of hereafter All which being laid together I conceive that Church members of years most ignorant are not so uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or mad men are and therefore the same or like ground of excepting against the one will not equally reach the other And then the Doctors often retorting Mr. H. exception doth rather discover weaknesse then adde any strength to the cause This to the first inquiry As for the other namely whether the scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated I do not finde the Doctors judgement so expresly delivered but he seems to debar such from the Sacrament But sure to debar Church members scandalous their externall priviledge during Church indulgence and toleration they being under triall or otherwise is contrary to the judgement and practise of the independent Churches and seems irrationall and unjust to execute before a judiciall triall and sentence I confesse I am unsatisfied with their proceedings as Presbytered toward Church members of years admitted 1. They set up an Eldership whose office is very doubtfull too doubtfull to assume and exercise the keyes of Christs Kingdome especially where there is no association of Churches so that upon the matter the power of sentence is in the Pastour alone or in those whom Jesus Christ never impowered with the keys at all to binde and loose authoratively 2. They set up such a way of triall and Church examination of native Church members in order to the Sacrament the observance whereof is both their duty and their priviledge as no word doth warrant discouraging the most from indevouring after their duty and priviledge so that upon the matter they are left out without any regular casting out 3. They cause a carelesse forbearance of the Sacrament and make their suspension and excommunication upon the matter all one and the Doctor allowes all presence at every ordinance denying only the act of receiving to the worst 4. They positively suspend Church members for ignorance and such like wants and comings short of what they should be to God for which there is not the least warrant either of rule or president in divine writ 5. They make excommunication lesse then it is indeed in allowing the excommunicate presence in the congregation at every ordinance and make it more then indeed it is in dismembring Church members by it it being appointed as the last remedy to heal diseased members not to destroy them They are not thereby dismembred but to be lookt upon saith Mr. Cawdry as diseased members under cure 6. No more priviledge is allowed to Church members not approved of by the eldership though not yet under any positive sentence then is allowed to Heathens and to the excommunicate as much of priviledge in the ordinances of the Church is allowed as to Heathens All which upon triall will be found to be beside the rule I think and yet such are the consequences that flow from the Doctors own principles and premises in his Bar to free admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper In the next place the Doctor declares his judgement concerning a scandalous member of a congregation impresbytered presuming to receive what is to be done in such a case As first the Minister is to tell him of the sinne and desire him to forbear if that will not do then to shew him the present danger of murdering Christ and eating and drinking judgement to himself and he hath done his duty But then it may be inquired whether he mean only in case of common fame the scandall having been publick otherwise I suppose it will not be a time to nominate any members sinne or person in publique first Then secondly I question whether a scandalous member doth necessarily murder Christ and eat and drink judgement to himself in the Scripture sense whether the person be regenerate or unregenerate For he may be Scandalous and yet knowing and able to put a difference between common bread and the instituted signs in order to their end He might be drunk the week before and yet sober scrious and reverent in the act of receiving and not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ nor eat and drink judgement to himself in the Doctors sense He often distinguishes of worthy Church members and unworthy according to the judgement of visibility accounting the regenerate in the Church only worthy of admittance but not the other they not having a personall worthinesse must necessarily eat and drink unworthily and so judgement to themselves in the Apostles sense c. Now because all his conclusions seem to be deducted from meer mistakes and misapplyings of the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 11.20 to the 34. to the great perill and danger of the visible Church of Christ as causing rents and divisions therein I shall therefore make
bold to present to consideration these necessary queries in reference to a discovery of the most probable sense of the place humbly praying the Reader when ever he think of me to think seriously and impartially of them 1. Enquiry is to be made whether the Apostle intends any such thing as personall worthinesse or unworthinesse in order to the Sacrament 2. Whether the unworthinesse the Apostle speaks to were not meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending in or about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order 3. What were those sins that provok'd the Lord so immediately to punish them for the present and made them liable to be further punished for the future 4. Whether they were chastised for unworthinesse of person or other sins they were guilty of before they came together to celebrate the holy Supper 5. What is the remedy the Apostle prescribes to that Church to prevent future judgement and to enjoy present benefit 6. Whether the unregenerate and most ignorant person professing and owning the true Religion among them were not in a capacity so to use the remedy as to prevent the judgement and receive benefit by the ordinance where God gave a blessing 7. Whether the duty of self-examination in order to the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the premises treated on in the context 8. Whether a carelesse neglect or incapacity of this duty of self-examination before do excuse and give a writ of ease from that precept of publique duty and service Do this in remembrance of me 9. Whether there be any thing in the institution nature end language action of the Sacrament in the context or elsewhere incongruous to the receiving of the unregenerate in the Church I doubt not but an ingenuous answer to these Queries would much moderate the unchristian rigour of these times about Sacramentall communion if not to make the controversie to cease among sober godly men And therefore pardon my boldnesse in adventuring to present to publick view my confused apprehensions in answer to these queries and that with as much brevity as I can Something must be done and if I can discover the truth or give occasion unto some more able to doe it I shall blesse God and think my labour well bestowed For the first I conceive there is not the least hint or sound of unworthinesse of persons in the Church of Corinth spoken to by the Apostle in reference to the Sacrament nor are they blamed or punished for their reall unworthinesse as to God visible to the Church though it 's probable they had such amongst them in that communion For in the beginning of this Epistle the Apostle gives them the titles of the Church of God sanctified in Christ Jusus called to be Saints c. And of those that were punished for profaning the ordinance the Apostle speaks very hopefully nay confidently that their persons were justified they were chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the world But it may be said Object The Church of Corinth were all of them at least visibly worthy in respect of their persons and therefore their free admission is no warrant for us seeing many of ours want that visible worthinesse And if those that were visibly worthy did through their miscarriage eat judgement to themselves what may we think of ours that have not so much as that visible worthinesse which they had 1. I answer Solution If there be nothing against personall unworthinesse in persons professing the true religion in the context in order to the Sacrament then unworthinesse of person in such can be no bar against them but the former is true therefore the latter is true also 2. If the Apostle upon so weighty occasion meddle not with their unworthinesse of person in reference to their receiving then neither need we to meddle with it it is sufficient that those we admit be baptized and of the true Religion under Church indulgence to entitle them to all the ordinances which they are to use as means of their spirituall good they being given to the visible Church to that very end 3. If our Baptisme were rightly administred according to the Word then ours of years that are of the same with them of the Church of Corinth have as much externall priviledge in the Church as they had till either by Apostasie they fall off or by the right exercise of Discipline they be put out And had we the same charity the Apostle had we would allow them the title of Saints beleevers brethren by profession and calling as they did all along For the second and third Quere I am sure the Text is clear for the affirmative namely that their unworthinesse was meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order And they did eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords body and they profaned the holy Ordinance in that they put no difference between their own supper and the Lords Supper their own bread and the instituted signs And for persons to make the consecrated signs appointed by Jesus Christ to spirituall ends as in the institution a common or civill thing to please and satisfie the outward man must needs be a great evill and was that high and provoking sin for which they are there punished as well they might For indeed it was a sin worse then carrying the Arke of the Covenant contrary to order and yet for that the Lord made a breach upon them And Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for offering strange fire which the Lord commanded not so dangerous a thing it is not to come up to or to adde to or to profane divine institutions Doubtlesse the Corinthians were very rude unreverent and disorderly in the present observance some were hungry and some drunk some had too much and others could get none or but little as is intimated in the remedy or direction given to that particular case To tarry one for another as to order and if any hunger let him eat at home not make the holy Supper a meer businesse of eating and drinking that they come not together to condemnation for time to come as they had done before To the fourth Query I answer They were not chastened for unworthinesse of person or for any other sins they were guilty of before but for unworthy actings in the act of receiving or at that time For this cause some are weak and some are sick and some are fallen asleep that is for eating and drinking unworthily contrary to order and decency the which word unworthily respects their manner of doing not their persons It 's no were said Whoso eateth and drinketh being unworthy is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. And I think it is no where else the language of Scripture to require reall worthinesse of person before they be sit to come under precepts of duty and service Doth not Baptisme lay ingagements upon all to observe all the commands of Christ
of discretion and professing the true Religion The Doctor hath written very understandingly and informingly concerning the Covenant and the manner how it is sealed and yet he fals off in his conclusions and applications excluding the unregenerate in the Church from the Sacramentall seals whom yet he allowes to be objects of Covenant grace saying that only the elect and persons effectually called are the objects and yet he intimates that the elect unregenerate are the object of initiall grace and that grace and faith be a part of the Covenant sealed by the Sacrament and yet he would not have those receive that have not this faith and grace though promised in the Covenant and sealed in the Sacrament But if the elect before conversion be in the writing and in the Church then Sacraments seal to them but doubtlesse God hath his elect to call in the Church else we cannot tell where they are if not under the ordinary means of their calling And therefore there can be no danger in sealing that part of the Covenant to such And doth not the Doctor himself and others act accordingly in administring the seal in Baptisme Are they within the Covenant then by vertue of a visible profession in their parents and upon that account sealed with the Sacrament of Baptisme and yet grown to years denyed the same seal of the Supper If they had right then how comes it to passe they have none now The Doctor saith Because of their antifederall wickednesse they prejudice themselves and deprive themselves of covenant right and that those that are in the state of nature are out of the Covenant and the grosly ignorant are such c. And therefore to be denied the sacramentall Seal To which I answer It 's hard to such that any born in the Church of Christian Parents they continuing to uphold an externall profession of the true Religion are out of the Covenant how ignorant or wicked so ever they be For if there be a more immediate object of those promises of giving the first grace in the Church where the ordinary means of working that grace are then persons in the state of nature and unregenerate in the Church are the immediate object of those promises before others out of the Church But there is a present and immediate object of those promises in the Church that are under covenant ordinances except the day of Gods giving the first grace be past in the Church Therefore those in the State of nature and unregenerate in the Church are the present and most immediate object of those promises in the Covenant of Gods giving the first grace As for those in the Church that have the first grace already they cannot be the proper objects of it in the promise and those that are out of the Church not having the ordinary means of putting those promises into performance cannot be the present and most immediate or most likely objects For as touching the state of Paganisme the Apostle intimates plainly That they are strangers from the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 Therefore the unregenerate in the Church are the present and most proper objects of those promises and consequently of Sacraments that seal to the truth of those promises And for those that will not allow men in the state of nature and unregenerate to be of the Church they will allow the Covenant a full object in the Church And for particular sins and personall miscarriages in the Church we are to make no difference in the regenerate and unregenerate there being the same rule to guide us in dealing with both But let none mistake me when I say the unregenerate in the Church are the immediate and proper objects of the promises of the first grace I do not mean that all such in the Church must necessarily have that grace given them but such there are in the visible Church which by nature are as bad as any others and in no consideration differ from the worst of men considered in themselves but are simple sinners wholly lost with the rest of fallen mankinde That which makes the difference is out of themselves it 's the meer good will and pleasure of him that worketh all things after the counsell of his own will giving grace to whom he will of those that in all respects are equall in sin and misery So that when we shall come to judge of persons in the Church under the most evident characters of unregeneracy yet we may not exclude them from being objects of covenant grace and mercy nor from the seals and pledges of that grace and mercy during their abode in the Church and the Churches indulgence toward them In a word nothing excludes from covenant relation but the sin against the Holy Ghost which I fear many of our blasphemous Sectaries are guilty of and positive unbelief such as was in the hardned and obstinate Jewes who denyed the holy One and true Messiah sent among them obstinacy and Apostasie in the justly excommunicated renouncing the Christian Religion hating to be reformed by the Churches censures these things exclude and nothing else And this might suffice for answer to the Querie but I shall adde two or three arguments more 1. The very nature of the Sacrament of the Supper is a visible Gospell representing Christ crucified to sight and all the other senses by instituted signs which more ordinarily is carryed to the ear by the word but in this all the senses are made the inlets to the soul carrying the knowledge of Christ crucified to the understanding heart and conscience And I think the unregenerate in the Church have as much need of being taught Christ crucified by the visible signs as any others and they have as much need of the benefit and advantage of their outward senses as the regenerate and more they being more dull and slow of spirit to understand or to be affected with the meaning and end of this service then they are 2. The main end of this service is to keep a continuall fresh remembrance of the death of Christ and that satisfaction made by him by which all the same blessings of the Covenant are procured to fallen man Christs bloud was shed for many for remission of sins that he might gather into one the children of God scattered abroad in all the world and in all ages of the world is the end of his death Joh. 11.52 And the Sacrament is to be observed in remembrance of that by all those that professe hope of being saved through the merits of his death which the unregenerate in the Church do and cannot be excluded from the number of those many Christ shed his bloud for and therefore it is proper for such to remember the death of Christ in order to their spiritual good whom we cannot exclude from being the sheep he died for 3. The actions of taking eating and drinking are naturall actions of the body in reference to
Christ in his laying down his life for sinners but I must contract But then saies the Doctor If this be so Object let all come pell-mell and then where is the reformation so much indevoured after of late To this I answer Solut. That if by coming all pell-mell be meant all though they come to mock at or openly to abuse the ordinance I say it doth no way follow from what I have asserted nor from any thing Mr. H. hath said For he hath very well stated the question and excepted infants distracted and justly excommunicated persons and these being excepted if he or I say let all come that will I think it neither to be absurd nor dangerous seeing that Christ when he offers himself and the thing signified in the Sacrament saith Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Why may not we say of all of years under Church indulgence whether Presbytered or not Presbytered they offering themselves to receive are not to be denyed the Sacrament for supposed incapacity or unworthinesse Besides Mr. H. hath given a rationall account of his own practise to acquit himself from such reproachfull expressions as are used against him namely That he hath done his utmost de jure that all come prepared And that none may charge him with arrogance he modestly and humbly breaks out into this patheticall expression But woe is me if I justifie my self who am a man of unclean lips and dwell among people of unclean lips eminent only in failings By which words he doth not detract what he had said before but only shewes that though such were his frailty that he as all other failed and came short in every duty yet he had not willingly neglected or wholly omitted any duty in that respect which Christ requires of him And so whether Mr. H. or the Doctor favours most of pride and vanity let the intelligent and sober judge Now to the other part of the objection namely Where is the reformation so long indevoured after if we allow of such a free admission I answer 1. I would learned men did more study by the right means and in the right way to reform a true Church labouring under some corruptions in Doctrine worship and discipline which is our case 2. I would fain know whether the debarring of Church members of years and not excommunicated from the Sacrament be a means of reforming approved in the Word 3. Whether the want of discipline do justifie a totall neglect or suspension of Sacraments in order to reformation 4. Whether separation in the Church be a good expedient to further the reformation of the whole 5. Whether to abolish the essentials of Church discipline in the use thereof for some exorbitant abuses be a good expedient to reform the thing 6. Whether denying the Sacrament to those whom the Church cannot justly proceed against the positive excommunication be any furtherance to reformation 7. Whether there can be any reformation of the Church in that respect untill discipline be restored and uniformly exercised in the same and if so whether the Sacrament must be suspended till then and whether it be any thing towards reformation so to doe 8. Whether the very nature and being of reformation in the visible Church stands not only in the externall conformity to the indisputable Lawes of Christ their head constraining all to an uniformity thereunto When these few queries are answered either by the reverend Doctor or any other that holds the Church of England a true constituted Church as to its essentials and being if I live and God enable me thereto I may take occasion to make a further and more direct answer to that latter part of the objection concerning reformation In the mean time I shall go on to vindicate Mr. H. in what he asserts touching excommunication and censures of the Church For what he hath asserted concerning these is by the Doctor charged to be false bloudy tenants c. And here I shal first assert what I conceive is truth and then answer to what the Doctor hath said 1. I conceive that none are proper objects of excommunication but such as are in the true Church of God and in fellowship with the Saints in all acts of communication and worship publick For what have I to do to judge them that are without them God judges 1 Cor. 5.12 2. That no one is to be excommunicated but in case of violating some manifest and known Law of Christ and that violation peristed in to obstinacy after a judiciall triall conviction and patient waiting of the Church for his reformation 3. That none may exercise the key of Ecclesiasticall Discipline but such persons in office to whom all the keys of Christs Kingdome are committed being appointed by him to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments as well as exercise discipline 4. That no single pastour alone but such as are so in an association as to derive authority from the whole can exercise Church censures authoritatively and that every Presbyter in generall is not to have a part in this power but some in speciall chosen by the whole Church which are more eminently qualified and fitted for the exercise of Ecclesiasticall rule and government 5. That excommunication when it is just is a solemn ejecting or putting out of obstinate sinners in the Church from all acts of communion and worship of God in the publick congregation untill by repentance they manifest both their shame and sorrow for their sin and upon the manifestation of this and publick promise of amendment the Church ought to be satisfied therewith and the penitent offender to be restored and regularly admitted to all externall Church priviledges again 6. That those have much to answer for that were the occasion of laying Gods vineyard waste by throwing down the wall and plucking up the hedge of discipline established before they were agreed of another warranted by the Word to be set up in stead thereof By this time they may both see their folly and feel the smart of it in the evil effects and consequences Well having laid down these propositions let me a little apply them and shew you what will follow upon the truth of them And first if the first be true as I conceive it is then those that never were admitted to the Lords Supper are not in a capacity of these censures of the Church nor to be amended by them what ever their enormities be If the second be true then none in the Church may be censured for ignorance or for the omitting of doubtfull duties especially that of submitting to Church examination in order to the Sacrament If the third be true then not only the common members but the ruling Elders will be called in question for usurping the key of Discipline they not having power to exercise the key of Doctrine and Sacraments If the fourth be true then we may take notice how little
of true discipline is practised in the Church of England and in what an incapacity we are for the present of any true reformation whatever some pretend But the sixt and last I intend more especially to clear up in vindication of Mr. H. And take it thus Excommunication is a delivering to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. It 's a great thunder-bolt punishment inflicted by the Church as the last remedy to reduce the obstinate from the way of perishing Calvin saith As Christ is in the Church so Satan is out of the Church to which condition the excommunicated are sentenced but with a mercifull end to reduce them to Christian obedience where God gives the blessing Otherwise it is the very beginning of hell and eternall wrath when the sentence is just it being confirmed in heaven Put out from among you that wicked person 1 Cor. 5.13 He must be put out from among themselves and so out of all communion The same word seems to be Joh. 9.22 and 12.42 where it is said of some that they durst not confesse Christ for fear of the Jews for they had a greed that if any did confesse him they should be put out of the Synagogue So that if the Apostle Paul in the censure of the incestuous person have any reference to the practise of the Jewes as the Doctor seems to hint why then doubtlesse he was put out of the Churches assemblies For it is most certain the Synagogues were places of case where the Jewes publiquely assembled for divine worship of prayer reading preaching c. Act. 13 14 15 16. So that I say if Paul followed the practise of the Jewes or meant that the Corinthians should proceed according to their practise in this then his meaning was that they should put out that wicked person from their assemblies for communion and worship I professe I cannot but wonder the Doctor should be so tart with Mr. Humphrey in this thing he having the very letter of the Text and the practise of the Jewes Church to warrant what he hath asserted in this point For let me aske the reverend Doctor how he or any other of his opinion will reconcile that delivering to Satan out of the Church and allowing their presence in the congregation in all acts of worship and spirituall communion except actuall receiving of the Sacrament of the Supper To put out that wicked person from among themselves and at the same time to allow him presence among themselves and to have communion with them in all acts of worship except the Supper are altogether inconsistent Neither doth that any thing at all help which the Doctor so often urges in his book Let him be as a Heathen or publican But Heathens and publicans may be present at all the ordinances 1 Cor. 14.24 And therefore the excommunicate may because they are not to be unto the Church worse then a Heathen c. For to this I have many words to say which I think will answer the argument 1. It will appear that scandalous brethren are in some respect worse then infidels If any provide not for his own specially for those of his own house he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 And it had been better for revolting Christians never to have known the way of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.21 And there was not such a thing so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife 1 Cor. 5.1 And when scandalous brethren are worse then Heathens in sinning under such means of better obedience that Heathens have not there is reason they should be denied something of priviledge that Heathens may have 2. It 's clear that scandalous brethren are to be denied that priviledge in civill commerce and familiarity that Heathens are allowed to have with Christians and Christians with them 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. 2 Thess 3.14 1 Cor. 10.27 compared Liberty is given to Christians to have civill and friendly familiarity with infidels and fornicators of the world which yet is absolutely to be denyed to scandalous and disorderly brethren as a means to bring them to shame And if scandalous brethren under triall or actuall censure are to be debarred of some priviledge that heathens are allowed it will somewhat weaken the strength of the Doctors argument 3. The Apostles had direct and expresse commission after Christs ascension to preach unto the Heathen and therefore had warrant to admit of their voluntary presence to hear in any place where opportunity might give the advantage of converting them But yet upon their rejecting the Gospel when it was faithfully tendred to them the Apostles might shake off the dust of their feet against them and leave them deeper under wrath The unbeleeving Jewes were within the commission too but when they rejected the words of eternall life and abused the messengers of Christ that preached this to them it 's said they judged themselves unworthy of eternall life and upon that account the Apostles forsake them Most terrible things are written against the disobedient to the Gospell And I am sure Christians that reject the Lawes of Christ as the excommunicated are supposed to do are worse then Infidels that never had the means of knowing and doing what Christ commands As in respect of sin and eternall punishment those that live under the Gospell but refuse to submit to it may be said to be worse then Heathens so why not in point of externall Church priviledge likewise they having forfeited all those priviledges of word prayer Sacraments ingaging all powerfull means of their reformation which heathens never had the advantage of And it is supposed that Christ is rejected in all the ordinary means appointed to reclaim the scandalous and obstinate in the Church before this sentence of excommunication is pronounced and put in execution against them And just it is that they that obstinately reject all should be banished from all that they may either return to their duty by repentance and thereby give satisfaction to the Church and be again received into communion or else adde to obstinacy apostasie also be rejected for ever that the Name of God be not evill spoken of because of such scandalous members 4. Let him be to thee as a Heathen or Publican that is let the excommunicated be as odious and as abominable to thee as a Publican or Roman officer sitting at the receit of custome was to the Jewes or as a Heathen was to the Jewes during the present state of the Jewish Church with respect to which Christ speaks when the uncircumcised were an abomination to the Jewes they being forbidden to let any stranger or uncircūcised in the flesh come into Gods Sanctuary or partake of any priviledge of worship but upon being a Proselyte And let the excommunicated be as such a one and then what hath the Doctor and his party gotten Touching the
practise of the Greek Churches urged I say what is that to us when it is not agreeable to the practise of the first Apostolicall Church of Christ For upon the like ground on which they made four degrees of excommunication they might have brought in ten And therefore not so much their practise as the ground thereof is to be regarded in this point But then the Doctor addes That if this admitting of the excommunicated to be present at all ordinances be an error it is out of indulgence and an errour on the right hand for whereas he excludes from one ordinance he might exclude from all according to Mr. H. tenent c. 1. To this I answer right hand errours are evill as well as left and to be taken heed of and therefore not to be pleaded for but to be reformed 2. Suspension from the Sacrament only is no legall censure 1. Because it hath no ground nor footing in the Word 2. Because it is the same with excommunication according to the Doctors own principles and practise For he allowes presence at all the ordinances in the Church in both and his proceedings in order to both are the same And he and the rest of his opinion and way not coming up to the true nature of Church censures do as much as in them lies hinder the end of censures which is that the persons censured may either be ashamed and penitent and so return to Christian obedience or else renounce their profession and turn Apostates Thus I humbly conceive Mr. H. tenent is no bloudy tenent but a most mercifull way and means set up in the Church and left to be used as the last remedy for the cure of the most desperate souls And not to use this remedy according to its nature and true intent of Christ therein is to deprive the obstinate offendor of the only means left of his amendment and salvation and so is indeed far from being an errour on the right hand And yet by the way to expresse my thoughts a little further I hold that all unnecessarily friendly familiarity with scandalous disorderly brethren that sin out of wilfulnesse whether they be under Church induigence triall or censure is to be declined according to that 1 Cor. 5.10 11. which sense I humbly conceive comes neerer the meaning of the place then to understand it of or to inferre therefrom a suspension from the Sacrament The last thing that I shall speak to is the Doctors exceptions against some of Mr. H. quotations of Scripture concerning which I say let him but allow Mr. H. the same liberty he takes himself in some of his own quotations and then he will have little cause to finde fault for his impertinent allegations of Scripture I have given account of some of the Doctors already I shall here take notice of two or three more 1. He urges many texts of Scripture to prove that some in the Old Testament were debarred the priviledges of worship for morall uncleannesse but his proofs in that fal short of what they are brought to prove being in cases that will not serve his turn For such persons in the Jewish Church came under the censure of the Judicial Laws which were very severe against such offenders and there is nothing exprest in Moses or the Prophets that I know of in reference to excommunication And in that Church the porters charge concerning uncleannesse is to be understood of ceremoniall and Gentile uncleannesse Again for that Tit. 1.15 brought by the Doctor to prove that some in the Church not excommunicated were unclean I deny that those the Apostle there speaks of were of the Christian Church Let him consult with the tenth verse and he may easily see the Apostle means those vain talkers and deceivers that were especially of the circumcision they professe they know God as other unbeleeving Jewes did but in their works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate vers 16. They were either such as never were of the Christian Church or if they were once of it yet now were revolted and become Apostates by their horrid opinions and abominable impieties And then what is this to members of a Christian Church professing Christianity Again for Church examination in order to the Sacrament the Doctor alledges 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear having a good conscience c. The scope of the place is to shew what a Christians duty is when they are apprehended and under the terrour of persecuting adversaries which duty is to be so far from being affrighted from their Christian profession that in such case they should be alwaies ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them with meeknesse and fear c. And the Apostle urges them to this duty of constancy from a great incouragement If you suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye vers 14. Now how impertinent is this place for Church examination or examination by the Pastour or Elders before admittance to the Sacrament If such kinde of proofs be sufficient to warrant that practise of examination and suspension from the ordinance for neglect of it men may prove any thing they have a minde to and make every fancy of their own a necessary duty and so make void the necessary Lawes of God by their traditions I shal instance in one quotation more and then I have done and it is 2 Pet. 3.5 For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the heavens were of old c. This the Doctor quotes to prove that grosse ignorance in Church members is a scandalous sin for which the Church may proceed to censure them and to suspend them from the Sacrament but sure this is not very pertinent to his purpose as will easily appear if he consult with the Context This second Epistle was written to stir up their pure mindes by way of remembrance that they might be mindfull of the words spoken before by the holy Prophets c. and to arme them against those Scoffers that should come in the last daies 2 Pet. 3.1 2 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last daies scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying Where is the promise of his coming c. Scoffers at the Promise which notes the highest degree of defection from and renouncing of piety so Psal 1.1 of the three degrees of ungodly men the scoffers or scorners is the last as being the worst And by these are meant such as fell off and joined their selves with the persecuting Jewes complying with them and falling into all the villany in the world exprest here by walking after their own lusts that is going on habitually as in a constant course doing whatsoever seemed right in their own eyes without any restraint of law of nature of Christ c. In the
lawfully refuse to baptize them at the present without any long deferring of it although they had been Heathens born I would I did but understand your answer to this supposition I conceive that all those that being of years are in a capacity for Baptisme are in a capacity also of all other Christian communion I presume the Apostles baptized upon as easie termes and so might you except you have a different commission or understand the Apostles commission in some other sense then they themselves did But I must contract my self aske you once again whether you ever found any president in the Word for what you practise in this point what Church under the administration of the Gospell will afford a president for your practise Do you separate according to Apostolicall order and rule or by vertue of some new commission or light the Scriptures never taught you I pray you again consider you had need be sure of good warrant to bear you out for you have been the cause and means of our being without discipline Sacraments union and communion with other reformed Churches indulgence to you hath been the occasion of an unlimited Toleration the misery of all those factions Schismes Heresies Blasphemies now abounding in every corner of the Land Well if your foundation be only the wisdome of the flesh and a worldly interest time will discover more of the Babel you are building when the consequences of your principles practise and design are come to full maturity It may come to that passe and it is much to be feared it will that you would retreat if you could tell how In the mean time the wilde beasts of the wildernesse come into Gods vineyard and by heresies destroy the tender grapes and many follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth is evill spoken of Men arise from among our selves speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them 2 Pet. 2.2 Act. 20.30 But mark them thut cause divisions and avoid them Rom. 16.17 But let me speak one word more in order to discipline which as you were never yet willing to come under as to the reforming of the whole so have your indevours been all along most fierce to obstruct and retard the discipline debated on in order to that end Again when the fittest way in Christian prudence according to rule was agreed upon as a means to reforme the whole and confirmed by the supreme Authority of this Nation designs were driven on to obstruct it and such things attempted as are the greatest scandals to the Protestant Religion that ever it suffered under And thirdly notwithstanding many symptomes and sad omens of a carnall design tending to the confusion and ruine of the whole and those the proper products of your own miscarriages do already appear yet you persist in your own contrivances and will not retract untill not only the Church but also the flourishing state of the Common wealth be involved in the same confusion and ruine The very sinewes of the Common-wealth are the fear of God and divine order in carrying on the same in all its parts uniformly different parties and factions too much indulged do ever beget jealousies and fears the common nursery of sedition and rebellion And that which cannot be held without gratifying of all factions and parties cannot in reason and policy hold long Why may not men truly fear God and carry on the power of godlinesse in their several functions and places under an establishment of Doctrine worship and order the only way to honour God And the best expedient to preserve the whole uniformity in the Church is a good foundation of peace and tranquillity in the Common-wealth And that is ever the best policy amongst Christians that is subordinate to true piety and our greatest freedome desired will be soonest attained in the way of religiousnesse when sin will be a snare to any people I confesse it is meerly occasionally that some things have dropped from my pen of this nature I would not offend any nor have I undertaken to meddle with the Independent way strictly taken they have been sufficiently answered by divers learned and reverend Gentlemen and the inconsistences contradictions absurdities and mistakes of their way discovered and not yâ—t vindicated by any that ever I heard of I only have hinted some things tending as I conceive to the Churches peace and unity in vindicating Church members from reproach and slander and inference to the preceding discourse And therefore I shall end with Mr. Humphreys wishes adding some of mine own 1. I wish we had a government establisht in the Church the nearest in Christian prudence that may be to the word of God 2. I wish the duty of fraternall correption a watching over and admonishing one another in love were better known and practised amongst us 3. I wish that men would look more to their own consciences and leave the judging of others spirits heart and reins alone to the judgement seat of Christ 4. I wish though there may be some judging by the fruits that wise religious men would be more cautious of countenancing the separations in the visible Church seeing upon the same ground that you go to gather a Church out of any mixt congregation another will gather a separation out of your Church and so continue as I have intimated from our sad experience an endlesse separating untill this first separation shall in a few years be able to take up the saying of that greatest Grand-mother unto those many Schismes shee shall see issuing as her naturall off-spring out of her owne bowels Rise up daughter go to thy daughter for thy daughters daughter has a daughter for this separations separation has a separation so farre Mr. Humfrey I adde 1. I wish that the distinction of beleevers and unbeleevers Church and world Christ and Belial holy and profane worthy Church members and unworthy were used in the Church of God according to Scripture meaning and with due caution and no otherwise 2. I wish that Sacraments were more clearly understood in respect of their nature and end attributing unto them their due according to the Scripture avoiding all humane boldnesse either in adding to advance them or in diminishing them so as in the least degree to debase them 3. I wish that the Lord Jesus may have the liberty and full scope of his own instituted ordinances given for the spirituall good of his Church that he may use them as instruments of his Spirit in order to that end upon the spirits of all his subjects according to their necessities and spirituall wants 4. I wish that a godly care may be taken in the education of all borne in the Church that being instructed in the plainest way of faith and obedience in the Christian religion they may be prepared to profit by every ordinance in the Church when they come to years 5. I wish that all of years may be made to understand their duties
and Church priviledges and be incouraged unto Church communion in all the waies of Christ that so they may come under Church discipline the best remedy to reclaim the obstinate and wilfull offenders 6. I wish the gifted brethren were better imployed then in unchurching our Churches and gathering Churches out of them it were a work more proper and acceptable either to be content to exercise their gifts to the edifying and building up of that Church in which they received them or else to goe into the infidell world as the Apostles did and preach the Gospel and plant Churches there The Scripture Raile Examined REader since I parted with what I had written in answer to Doctor Drake in the foregoing discourse there came to my hand Mr. Humfreys Rejoyner in vindication of himself a work very well performed by him wherein the truth formerly by him asserted is better cleared and confirmed to the satisfaction of many souls fearing God and breathing forth their earnest desires after the settlement reformation and uniformity of the Church of God in England according to the Word of God Be not prejudiced against his book by other learned men who have and still do appear with much bitternesse and passion against him more to affright with words and humane dictates meerly then with matter of grounded truth according to the sense of the holy Scripture witnesse that book put forth by some Ministers of Glocester-shire intituled A Scripture Raile to the Communion Table I confesse the title is good for we do acknowledge there ought to be such a thing but not in their sense as I hope shall appear by the discovery made in this short discourse following in which I shall wave what hath been already written in answer to D. Drake by Mr. Humfrey and my self and take notice only of some things in the Scripture Raile which have not yet been spoken to that I know of And this I shall do as briefly as I can because I would not anticipate him whom it doth more nearly concern And first of all because I would not leave the weak and incautelous Reader deceived with vain and groundlesse words in reading this Scripture Raile let this be noted that I take Scripture discipline to be the only Rail for the Communion Table which I hope both the Author reproached and my self earnestly desire may be set up and all our indevours tend as conducible means to that end as being assured that the first stone in the building of the reformation as to our case is holy discipline And whether their principles or ours tend most to that I hope to make appear to sober and unprejudiced Christians And the way I shall take shall be to discover some of these Gentlemens unbrotherly dealings with Mr. Humfrey first in perverting his sense Secondly in setting up a Raile to the Lords Table by perverting Scripture and so making that Raile to be a pretended discipline meerly 1. They have damned and censured his Book to be an ungodly pamphlet in which is a masse of perverting Scriptures tending to destroy all Church reformation little better then carnall and profane reasoning sophistry a heterodox piece abomination a vile piece with divers other such hard censures language enough to affright any from ever looking into it that have any care of their souls to avoid their own destruction in complying with that soul damning practise of maintaining mixt communion as they call it I must confesse these men seem very confident in reproaching and censuring both the Book and the man but in this their indeavour to make it thus vile and odious to the world they have not the least evidence of truth or strength of reason to evince it that I can finde in their Book And it will so appear if you minde what is Mr. H. scope and end in his discourse and what are the principles upon which it is founded As 1. That the visible Church of Christ consists of men making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and so are Saints by calling what ever they are in truth while they so professe and adhere to the true worship the means and matter of which are hearing the word receiving the Sacrament and prayer and of these many are called and few are chosen 2. That all of these of years come under the obligation of Christs commands and are bound to do their duty homage to Christ their Lord as well as they can according to Mat. 28.19 20. 3. That all such ought to submit to Church discipline and not to be excluded from any observance nor denyed any Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and debarred by vertue of positive excommunication 4. That Ministers by vertue of their function and office may lawfully administer the Sacraments to Church members though they be ignorant and scandalous he doing his duty as well as he may in preparing them in the want of Church discipline These I dare boldly affirme are the main things asserted in that little despised piece which with a sober spirit the Author hath soberly discussed and cleared from the common exceptions made against it by men of different mindes for which his pains first and last I verily beleeve the Church of God in England have great cause to be thankfull to the Lord of the harvest for sending such a faithfull plain-hearted labourer amongst us the sweet temperature of his spirit so adorned with wisdome charity and such a peaceable frame bespeaks him taught of God the true sense of his will in his holy Scriptures rather then his reproachers 1. Touching the visible Church what evill hath he done in asserting it to consist of men making a profession of faith in Christ Wherein doth he dissent from the most orthodox writers in all ages in judging the Church of England a true Church It is confessed by the adversaries and also that a parochiall congregation where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred according to order being a part of the whole is a true Church likewise And this is also confessed by these Gentlemen for they grant that our parochiall Churches are true Churches in a large sense and that is enough as to this and so I hope there is no evill in this first position 2. For the next thing by him asserted namely that all of years in a parish being baptized come under the obligation of all Christs commands it is proved by the text before cited Mat. 28.19 20. And that in order to the Lords Supper Do this in remembrance of me is a known duty belonging to every particular member of the Church in common with all other parts of the worship and service of God And is it then profane reasoning to urge Church members to do their duty and homage in this particular more then in all others To this these Gentlemen have said but little that I can finde to take off what is urged by Mr. H. As for that of the Passeover Mr. H.
Churcher All the Churches of the Gentiles were not only converted to the faith by the Apostles but also put into an holy order and way by ordaining them officers to rule and feed them in the Lord. And as it was in the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets there was a receiving of Proselytes aliens converted and they became Jewes by religion so it was in the times of the Apâ—stles they made nations and cities and countreys proselytes and they became Christians with the Jewes and there was but one law rule and way for all that wâ—â—e imbodied into the Church And there was graâ—â—ing int◠〈…〉 off from the same Church still all along to this day I have been too long in this but I will be shorter in the next Fifthly that the Church of Christ since the coming of Christ in the flesh is under the same and in some respects greater â—riviledges then under Mâ—ses and the Prophets This will appear to be a truth if we conâ—â—der thâ—â— Jesus Christ is and ever was the mâ—â—â—ting â—â—ule of all blessings and privilâ—dges unto the Church in all times and ages of the world that the Church hath ever been in possession or expectation of On the account of his transaction with the Father all the promises of covenant blessings of grace and glory made to Abraham and his seed are founded and thereby confirmed and so consequently to all that are of his faith for so saith the Apostle They that are of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham even all the Gentiles that receive the Doctrine of faith so as to initiate them into that Church of which Abraham was the father it being first formed up in his family and the Govenant freely made with him and sealed to him by the Sacrament of Circumcision I say all that are of Abrahams faith are blessed with him Hence it is that the Apostle to the Ephesians hath many expressions to the same purpose Chap. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ And in the second chapter it is clearly intimated that there was a time while they were in their state of Paganisme that they were Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world But now saith he you that were afar off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Ephes 2.11 12 13. But now in Christ Jesus you are of the Commonwealth of Israel children of the Covenants and Promises and have as much interest hope of good from God through Christ as the Jewes who by descent were the naturall seed of Abraham And therefore were now no more strangers and foreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. The reason of all is Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in spirituall things as to the Church and their seed And therefore he is said to be the Minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercies Rom. 15.8 9. as being made sharers in all those promises of free grace made to the fathers and their naturall seed Nay we may observe how the Apostles do usually apply the severall promises in the Prophets to particular cases in the Churches of Christ in their times But it may be asked Quest what were the priviledges of the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets The Law of the Passeover did oblige all the congregation of Israel upon their lives to observe it in the season Our Supper of the Lord is the same to us that the Passeover was to them for the substance as hath been proved having the same meaning and end The people of the Jewes as mixt as ours are if not worse in respect of good and bad regenerate and unregenerate and so as uncapable to make a spirituall use thereof The Church under the Law and the Prophets before the coming of Christ in the flesh and since the same which Jesus Christ and his Apostles only reformed in point of externall administration first owned by the Jewes unto which Church so reformed all beleeving Gentiles are added and graffed into it as the stock and so partake of the same spirituall and externall priviledges with them they and their seed so long as they continue to adhere and cleave to the outward means of salvation in order to that end and from these premises will follow these conclusions First that the same obligation lies now upon all Christians to observe the Ordinance of the holy Supper that did lie upon the whole congregation of Israel to observe the Ordinance of the Passeover and the Law of the Passeover may teach us so much and in some respect is still in force For so long as the equity and reason of a command or law remains the command and law it self remains for the substance of it but the equity and reason of that command concerning the Passeover still remains in respect of the Lords Supper succeeding in the room of the Passeover and therefore should guide and direct us in the administration thereof as touching the subjects or persons that ought to receive And then secondly if all that were in the Church of the Jewes came under the obligation of all the commands of God to that Church respecting the members in common and that both good and bad then all that are grassed into the same Church come under the obligation of all the Lawes given to the same Church and respecting the members in common now as well as then even all good and bad Thirdly the same exceptions that which all as he hath stated the thing are bound to observe I need not stand upon this Answ because I have already been somewhat large upon that Scripture where they say the Apostle requires such qualifications in my former discourse to which I reserre the reader Yet because these men have something which the Doctor hath not I shall hint a little at something of theirs I must confesse I judge the main stresse of the controversie to lie in that eleventh chapter of the first to the Corinthians And there need be no question but the Corinthians were injoyned by the Apostle to observe this ordinance of the holy Supper in remembrance of Christ for vers 2. he commends them for remembring him in all things and keeping the ordinances as he delivered them to them So that their keeping and observing of this ordinance as well as the other as to the thing it self was well done by them but then when he speaks to their miscarriages about the manner of performance he praises them not but reproves them for their wofull abuse of the ordinance in their excesse disorderly and unreverent behaviour in the very act of receiving or while they were together for that end They made a breach upon the very externals of that service using the
elements as common things to please the outward man and not to that end for which the Lord Jesus appointed them And these men in a manner confesse as much that they being newly come out of idolatry in imitation of their idolatrous feasts had their love-feasts when they came to the Lords Supper and that there was excesse among them though not precisely at the Lords Supper These men are not willing to yeeld they were drunk at the administration precisely but immediately before or if at the time of receiving yet not with the wine consecrated for that holy and spirituall end the remembrance of the death of Christ And therefore as most Divines conjecture their excesse was at their love-feast spoken of in Jude But I conceive it is very uncertain whether they had any such feast or no that place in Jude doth not determine it much lesse the keeping of it immediately before the Lords Supper or in the place where they met together for the celebration of that holy service But whether they came drunk or eat and drank unto excesse of the elements liberally provided it was such a profanenesse that neither 〈…〉 nor Mr. H. I hope shall never 〈…〉 what ever these men charge 〈◊〉 with in this respect telling the 〈…〉 he 〈…〉 the admission of idolaters drunkards and impenitents to the Sacrament pag 32.33 34. compared But is this brotherly dealing think you to mâ—ke such a wilde in 〈…〉 a Minister shew what 〈…〉 was â—or which God so severely punished the Câ—â—intâ—â—anâ— but he must be reproached as â—ne pleading for the admittance of idolaters drunkards and impenitentâ— to the Sacrament Hath not Mr. H. said enough in his Book to free himself from this crime He said indeed there was nothing against their coming for that was their duty which these men deny unlesse they be so qualisied but he doth not only say they ought to come but to come prepared yet mens impenitency and unpreparednesse doth not make void the commandement of God neither is the principall to be neglected for an 〈…〉 subservient thereto And I pray you whom doth the Apostle set up to be judge of theâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—fications in the Church What 〈…〉 hath he appointed for this Is it not clear that every man is to examine himself and judge himself that he may not be judged of the Lord Can men devise better waies to carry on Gods Ordinances with purity thâ—n himself hath prescribed The Câ—rinthians sinning was in unworthy actions at the time of the administration and I pray you who could foresee that to prevent it better then themselves And as for their persons and reall worthinesse the Apostle meddles not with it at all Neither may we denominâ—te men such in person really as some unworthy acts done by them do import for if we do so we shall condemn the generation of the just righteous men may be overtaken with some unrighteous actions for in many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 And I grant this unworthy receiving was out of weaknesse and ignorance as these Gentlemen plead the Corinthians coming newly out of their heathenism but what is this to them that are not guilty of their unworthy receiving at all as for matter of order and reverent decorum in the observances not one among a thousand offending therein And for unworthinesse of person there is not one word in the Text in reference to coming to the Sacrament and yet that makes all the trouble and causes many to run into a world of mischief in the Church Hence they inferre that the unregenerate in the Church receiving eat and drink judgement to themselves and therefore teach them to omit the duty contrary to all rule both in the Old and New Testament and all Scripture Churches And hence they make schismes and separations in the Church And hence they make this the highest ordinance as being a communion for Saints only and upon the matter the least of all in other respects detracting from the wisdome power and goodnesse of God in denying it to be a means of regenerating grace unto Church members And hence they have invented suspension from the Lords Supper with the losse or neglect of true discipline And hence these tlemen have commended unto us as the only expedient for reformation to begin with the minor part leaving out the rest as judged to be excommunicable without any tryall Hence it is that many are afraid of being guilty in partaking with others in their sins in unworthy receiving especially in the sin of murdering Christ And many other like errors they run into by reason of this one error in taking that eating and drinking unworthily to be meant of unworthinesse of person The holy Ghost intends the manner of eating but they will have it to be intended of the worthinesse of the man that eats And upon this error is grounded all that these men have to say against M. H. book I could wish they would better consider of it For still I say the Corinthians were commended for keeping this ordinance as well as any other in the Church and reproved only for some great abuse in their manner of carrying on that service the which abuse did not lie in coming unworthily nor in their other miscarriages which were many upon other occasions but in this their abusing of the holy signs unto câ—â—nall and common ends For this 〈…〉 and sickly amongst them an 〈…〉 So that this place cannot be urged against any that are Christians and exâ—â—nally at least commâ—â— to the holy actions required in this service but against open abuses of the institution But these men will say of me Object as they do of M. H. pag. 88 That I know well enough but that I would blinde poor souls that Do this in remembrance of me was spoken to the Disciples such as were of Christs family and not to all c. I know sure enough Answ that this command was spoken to the Disciples of Christs family not to all but then I know also and so might they that all that are born in the Church of Christ and baptized and of years and under Church indulgence are Disciples of Christs family and therefore that command is spoken to them and they are bound to observe it except they can produce some dispensation for the neglect of duty in this more then in all other observances for the baptized come under the obligation of doing all that Christ commands Mat. 28.19 20. And let the reader then judge who are most guilty of blinding poor souls they that teach them to observe and do all that Christ commands or they that teach men to omit and neglect some necessary duties of homage and service which Christ commands for the good of their souls as these Gentlemen make very bold to do but how they will answer it before their Master I leave to themselves to consider And when I say all ought to come I do not mean the justly excommunicated who while they
it is a means of conversion as these Gentlemen do confess the Magistrate may constrain all in the Church to come under it and submit to it They say Iesus Christ should rule by the Word of his mouth and not by the Magistrates compelling edicts and yet they say That in bringing all to converting ordinances they humbly conceive the Magistrate is to put forth his power pag. 176. And then will it not hence follow that as discipline is a means of conversion the Magistrate is to put forth his power for the bringing of all under it Yea doubtlesse and to assist the Church in the setling exercise and execution of it And to withdraw without a judiciall proceeding neither doth nor can attain the true end but doth harden and prejudice sinners a great deal more and so makes them worse in stead of making them better The end of withdrawing according to the Scripture is to bring the persons withdrawn from to shame and repentance and is this a likely way to attain that end for a Minister and some ten or twenty of his people to withdraw from three or four hundred as in some places would be the case they all professing the true Religion Do these men think the Apostle meant such a withdrawing to bring sinners in the Church to shame The rule is in reference to a disorderly brother to bring him to shame but in our times applyed to hundreds at once by the minor part in a Church and that very unfitly too there being many in some such places that as truly fear God and live in Christian obedience beyond some of them that withdraw from them who yet had rather be reckoned among sinners then to joine with them that by schisme break the peace of the Church Besides grant that many of them should be excommunicable doth that warrant a separation when it is not in our power to do it regularly It is ten to one that those that are so zealous for separating did never deal with their offending brethren so far as they lawfully may and ought to amend them If we should deal thus in the Kingdome of this world as they do in the Kingdome of Christ there would be but a sad accompt given of many subjects therein If it were enough to say such are fellons and hangable by the Law and thereupon never bring them to triall but knock them on the head and there 's an end of them How long think you would this Common-wealth stand were such a confusion and barbarisme tolerated Suppose these Gentlemen in Glocestershire are run into a dangerous way of schisme in the Church through error and mistake would they be content without any ordinary means used to convince them of their error or warning and admonishing them to retract to be forthwith sentenced by a Bench of Elders as schismaticall persons and upon that accompt suspended from their Ministry I think they would not And yet by what they appear by their Book to be I think they are scarce qualified as Bishops ought to be that undertake the rule of Christs Flock and my prayer is that their uncharitable practises may not be an occasion of destroying many weak brethren for whom Christ died As for Mat. 18. it comes now to be examined that we may see how it is appliable to these new found models of Discipline hinted at by these men in the preamble of their Book And it is most clear and certain that the main scope of our Saviour is to teach us these two things in generall First That the meanest person coming to Christ and professing faith in him is not to be despised Secondly That not to deal with offending brethren in the way and order by him there prescribed is to despise them And then for the way prescribed by our Saviour it ought to begin with private admonition in case of a brother offending and if that prevail for his amendment he is not to be put to publick shame but if that will not work upon him then upon sufficient proof of the fact he may and ought to be complained of to the Church and the Church may convent him before them admonish to confesse and reform his sin But if out of obstinacy he stubbornly refuse to hear the Church after first and second admonition then to be cast out not otherwise Now what is there in all this to favour or warrant these Gentlemens practise do they proceed after this manner with every offending brother in their severall parishes before they deny them Christian communion in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper If not why will they urge a rule from Jesus Christ to others which they themselves will not practise Would they have others do that themselves neither will nor can do as themselves confesse where the greater part is corrupt And this being the case of most Parishes in England how shall we take up an establishment of discipline from this place Why they tell us by withdrawing from the major part of the Church But then it will be demanded whether this Scripture do warrant any such practise and it must needs be granted it doth not Thus you may see how sutable these new models are to those Scriptures alledged by themselves for proof thereof But to proceed a little further concerning this Scripture Mat. 18. The greatest difficulty as I conceive lies in the word Church when our Saviour bids tell the Church I shall give my thoughts concerning that also and leave them to the intelligent reader to consider 1. I conceive our Saviours rules here given in this case respected the present state of the Jewes Church as well as the Christian Churches in after times and was practicable in that present state of the Jewes Church 2. According to the same rules and order his Disciples and their followers should act in after ages as vers 18. doth plainly shew Concerning the former of these as the rule given by our Saviour respected the present state of the Jewes and was practicable in that Church we are to inquire whether the complaint were to be made to the whole Church consisting of rulers and ruled assembled together in holy worship or to the Rulers and Officers of the Church only assembled in a Court of Judicature for the hearing of complaints and trying of offenders and punishing evill manners To this I answer That to one it seems very probable that Church here is to be taken in the latter sense because the common people among the Jewes never had any such authority in that Church as to judge of manners and censure according to the rule given by our Saviour in this Scripture But it is clear that they had a Councell of Elders called the Sanhedrin Mat. 5.22 that judged of manners and punished such as reviled their brother intimated in these words He that shall say to his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councell or Sanhedrin The Pharisees and chief Priests were chief in that Councell or