the visible state of it Abundant more like Testimonies might be added if it would not be the Readers trouble And lest all of this should be evaded with this distinction that respective to us they are members but they are not so in foro Dei let us see what l Ecclesiae Refor distinguunt inter Ecclesiam Christi invisibilem mystâ—cam quae coetus est hominum vocatorum fidelium qui communionem habent cum Christo cui nulli hypocritae annumerari possunt inter Ecclesiam Christi Visibilem externam quae est societas eorum qui veram fidem profitentur ad communionem societatem Ecclesasticam inter se exercendam Apollonius hath in his answer to the question concerning qualification of Church-members He saith The reformed Churches distinguish between the invisible Mysticall Church of Christ which is the company of believers called which have Communion with Christ to which no hypocrite can be joyned c. And the outward visible Church which is the society of those that professe the true faith for the exercise of Ecclesiastical Communion and society among themselves And having expressed his judgement as to the question proves it by three Arguments The 3d. is m Ex descriptione Ecclesiae visibâ—lis cujus natur describitur in jure Dei quod sit horreum in quo cum tritico paleae colliguntur domus Dei in qua vasa aurea ligne a sunt rete quo pisces boni mali capiuntur from the description of the Church visible whose nature in the right of God is described saith he that it is a barne in which chaffe is gathered with the wheat the house of God in which are vessels of Gold and wood a net in which are fishes good and bad This distinction therefore as thus applyed is here by him denyed and to this end we may examine further the definitions given by Divines of the visible Church A definition compriseth no parts that are Monstrous adventitious Excrementitious or barely equivocal but those onely that are of the essence or at least integrality where it is an Integrum as the Church as Mr. Hudson hath shewed is that is defined We have heard Wollâ—bius his definition before Mr. Hudson pag. 9th saith The Church visible is a company of people called or separated by God from Idols to the true Religion and yeelding professed subjection to that call which is true saith he of the godly as well as of the Hypocrites The Leyden Professours disput 40. Thes 32. give this definition n Visibilis Ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sac amentorum ac disciplinae Ecclesiasticae usum in unum externum corpus coalescunt The visible Church is a Company of those which by the outward Word and use of Sacraments and Ecclesiastical Discipline are gathered into one outward body and society Explaining themselves in he 35. Thes in the same manner as Mr. Hudson before The definition of Trelcatius junior little differs from it pag. 432. And wheras Mr. Baxter saith that our Divines generally plead that Hypocrites are not true members of the universal Church but as a wooden Legge to the body I am almost confident that in turning over all his books he can produce but few such Testimonies Had he said the Catholick Church instead of universal I believe he might have found many Universal and Catholick in Authors use of them dâ—stinguished but whether he can find them speaking in his terms I somewhat question When Whitaker handles the question so voluminously he states it of what sort of men the Catholick Church consists but not universal Dr. John Reynolds maintaining that position The holy Catholick Churâ—h which we believe is the whole company of Gods Elect and Chosen expresseth himself by the word Catholick we see in his Thesis and addes The wicked must needs be a part of the Church if the name of Church did signifie the visible Church Now I think that scarce any will deny that the universal Church is visible which Mr. Hudson so largely hath proved cap. 5. Yet Whitaker as largely makes good that the Catholick Church is invisible quaest 2. de Eccles .. If I be now sent to my Dictionary to see whether Catholick and universal be not both one and demanded whether there be any more difference between them then is between Idolum and Imago about which we have had so much stir with the Papists the one a Greek word the other a Latine I confesse it is so in Grammer but not in their use of it that handle the question of the Church Catholick in this manner and when their Authority is quoted their sense must be inquired into And in case they took it for the same as universal they could not make it invisible in which sense Hudson observes Zanchy Gerard Whitaker Chamier Ames Dr. Willeâ— do use it to which Daverant Trelcatius with other might be added The distinction is usual into Catholick and visible and in that sense a wicked man is no member of the Church Catholick as opposite to vibsile when yet he is a true Member of the Church universal as opposite to particular And therefore I say that a bad man is a true Member of the Church visible and I think I am not gainsayed by any of our Divines but seconded But though they may be true members of visible Churches yet perhaps Mr. Baxter hath a way to make them onely as woodden leggs respective to the true Church visible Churches with him being no true Churches but aequivocally so called owning that Charge of Bellarmines o Confessionistae Calvinus docent duas esse Ecclesias veram quae est Sanctorum fide lium Congregatio externam quae nomine tantum est Ecclesia in qua boni mali reperiuntur sed malos esse in Ecclesiâ non de Eclesiâ where he saith that the Confessionists and Calvin teach that there are two Churches A true one which is the Congregation of the holy and faithfull An outward one which is onely a Church in name in which good and bad are found but the bad are in the Church not of the Church But here he hath Amesius his adversary who bettter understood the mind of Protestant Writers and in this is rather to be believed He answers Tom. 2. lib. 2. de Eccles Cap. 1. p Calumnia est manifesta quod impingitur illis duarum Ecclesiarum Militantium fictio non distribuunt Ecclesiam miltantem in duas species sed duplicem respectum aut considerationem unius ejusdem Ecclesiae distinguunt ac proponunt unam quoad essentiam internam alteram quoad modum existendi ex ternum This fiction of two Militant Churches which is put upon them is a manifest Calumny they do not divide the Church Militant into two Species but they distinguish and hold forth a double respect or consideration of one and the same Church One according to
down a ladder at the same instant he is climbing up it When I bring this similitude for illustration of the point in hand that a promised service and fidelity in war is enough to get listed and to do service is of necessity to be rewarded I am told that this runs upon the great mistake which I have been so often told of and am further informed that the formal reason and denomination of a condition is from the donors constitution or imposition giving this benefit onely on the terms by him assigned and not upon our promise to perform them If I have been told of it often it is well if I can be convinced of it now I utterly deny that the denomination of conditions of a Covenant in actual being is from the one and not from the other that is exclusively to the other I well know the donour is to prescribe and the receiver is to accept without putting in Exceptions But if there be no acceptance of terms there is no Covenant and there being no Covenant there can be no Covenant conditions as is plain by the usual definition of Covenants where the Gospel is preached and no entertainment at all given there is no Covenant people of God they stand bound by Law precepts but are under no obligations to Covenant conditions Argument 4. reviewed The next Argument in which I am concerned and the last which in this thing is produced is That the Eunuch must first believe and then be baptized upon his desire of Baptisme Philip saith If thou believest with all thy heart thou maiest This I have confest carries more colour then all the former and indeed I never met with any thing either in Scripture or reason produced that carries with me so much as any colour for it this excepted Yet this is not unanswerable One difficult text does not use to take us off our hold of many plain ones I answer 1. Philip may call for that de bene esse when the Eunuch was to be admitted which was not yet essential to his admittance Those that preach preparatory Sermons for the Lords Supper call for allthat may give the highest comforts and not barely for that which is the Minimum quod sic to give admission 2. As I have said so I say still that dogmatical faith is a true faith and to prevent needlesse Criticisms it is truly a divine faith so that none can say that Jesus is the Christ can believingly subscribe that Article but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 And whosoever sayes with assent of judgment and understanding that Jesus the Son of Mary is Christ the Son of the living God speaks more then flesh and blood can suggest and is not attainable but by Divine revelation And whereas it is objected that it is a false faith when it pretends to be that which Scripture calls faith in Christ and denominateth believors I answer 1. I have shewed before that our prosession qualifying for Baptisme is not a profession that we have such faith which cannot be done without an eminence of faith to assurance but a profession of the necessity of it to salvation and an engagement to it 2. It denominates believers in the ordinary and common language of Scriptures and wheresoever believer is put in opposition to unbeliever or infidel faith of this nature is still understood In that famous text 1 Cor. 7.14 every man and woman is a believer that was removed from heathenish Idolatry to the profession of Christianity or as Paulinus whom Jerom so much magnifies speaks was a baptized person Otherwise the case there put about the validity of marriage and lawfulness of marriage society were not between an infidel and a professour of Christianity but between a regenerate man whom this language onely makes a believer and one unregenerate which in this language are infidels which were a case never yet put to question When mention is made through the History of the Acts of so many thousands that upon the Apostles preaching believed it can denote no more then the embracing of the way of Christianity in opposition to Judaisme or Heathenisme If it imply a through Regeneration of the soul there could be no unregenerate ones among them which is wholly against the nature of visible Churches and all experience as hath been abundantly manifested As for that distinction which seems to be hinted between believing Christ and believing in Christ Mr. Ball in his Treatise of Faith pag. 5. hath sufficiently shewed the groundlesnesse of it pointing out Scriptures where a preposition is added to the word believe when nothing but assent of mind is signified And where it is put without a preposition when trust and confidence is implyed Abraham believed God Rom. 4.3 where no preposition is added and it was counted to him for righteousnesse And on the contrary the Rulers believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or on Christ and loved the praise of men more then the praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. It followes I think if a man say This is the Son the Heir Come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours we will not have this man reign over us that these are not true believers nor have right to Baptisme though their belief that he was the heir be a dogmaticall faith true in its kind I am sorry that such things should be mentioned where inquiry after truth is contended and contention not studied It is well known that I speak to a faith of profession which is theirs that take to that party which is for Christ and not with those that professedly go in a full opposition against him and are in a high rode any such conviction of spirit supposed of sin against the Holy Ghost I know not why Dr. Ames should be brought in telling us that in those places where saving faith is spoke to trust in the Messiah is ever included seeing we are speaking of a faith that is short of saving nor yet that I should be told that words of knowledge and assent do in Scripture oft imply affection and consent unlesse that it be to let me know that it doth not generally hold which in case I were in a strait and at want for a present answer would well help me out And whereas I am demanded whether I do not know how ordinarily saving faith it self is denominated from the Intellectual act alone I answer that I do know it and if I were ignorant of it before Mr. Burgesse hath taught me the same thing with the same reason of it in his Spiritual Refining page 170 171. Pos 8. And I know also that it hath its denomination often from the act of the will alone But will it follow that the understanding is never fully perswaded for assent but the will is also not alone somewhat moved but throughly inclined for consent and acceptance If the understanding at any time be brought to a reall assent whilest the will is swayed by lusts
condescend to our weaknesse to answer what infirmity can expect or feeblenesse crave We might think that Gideon was exceeding bold with God to ask a double sign for the strengthening of his faith in the promise of God to save Israel by his hand yet we see God is pleased to gratify him Judg 6.39 40. yet God deales more abundantly with us not onely in a double but a multiplied confirmation to make good every truth which he hath been pleased to manifest And as he teacheth us by similitudes drawn from earthly things as we see in the Prophets and parables from our Saviours mouth so also to speak to our eyes in these signes and seales ratifying and confirming heavenly things unto us Those great mercies which no thought can reach are set out in so obvious a way that every eye doth behold and see That water which we employ for our common use and among other necessary services cleanses all filth that cleaves to us serves to set out that great mystery of the blood and Spirit of Christ taking away both guilt and filth of sin The bread which we have at our table the wine which we drink for our food and repast that sets out both the attonement and divine nourishment which our soules find in the flesh and blood of Christ crucified and dying for us There is abundant weaknesse and tottering in our faith that needs in this manner to be strengthened Abundance of sweet mercies in our God that will vouchsafe this to strengthen and support us Secondly If Christ thus condescends to our weaknesse Christs compassion towards us should move us to compassionate our selves in making provision of these helps let us learn to have compassion of our selves and not neglect or despise so great favours If Christ had judged us to have been of strength he had never tendred us this crutch and when he sees that we need it and therefore hath provided it let us see that we do not reject or despise it Is it not to imitate Ahaz in his obstinacy who when he could not believe the promise that God would deliver him and his people from the combined power of Israel and Syria that were then before Jerusalem and having a sign tendred him of God either in the depth beneath or the height above for his assurance in the thing he answers he will not desire a sign Isa 7.11 12. he will rather dwell in his unbelief and perish As that sign was to that promise so all Sacraments are to Gods great promise He that casts away Sacraments indulges unbelief and we may well fear that he shall dwell in it to destruction CHAP. XI SECT I. The whole of the work of Sacraments is by way of sign and seal THe next observation followes The whole office and use of Sacraments All that the Sacraments work on the soules of receivers is by way of sign and seal They have no immediate effects for the working of any inward graces or priviledges but as our understanding is exercised by them as Indicative signes and our faith as ratifications and seales of the promises The text that we have under our hand is abundantly full to his purpose Scarce any text holds out a truth I may say more clear and full then this text doth that which is here delivered if we take in the context with it The Context opened to which the copulative And leads The Apostle having in the former Chapter delivered the doctrine of justification by faith goes on here to make it good by the Example of Abraham and his argument rendred in syllogistical form appears to be this As Abraham the father of the faithful was justified so must all the faithful This is taken for granted as needing no proof But Abraham the father of the faithful was justified not by works but by faith The Assumption consists of two parts and the Apostle proves both 1. The negative that he was not justified by works this he proves by two arguments 1. If he were justified by works then he hath whereof to glory ver 2. But he hath not whereof to glory before God Ergo he was not justified by works 2. If he were justified by works the reward were reckoned not of grace but of debt ver 4. But the reward is not of debt but of grace Ergo. Which he further confirmes by the testimony of David describing the blessednesse of man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin ver 7 8. As David describes blessednesse that way man is blessed But David describes it to be by imputation of righteousnesse and not by works Ergo. The affirmative that Abraham was justified by faith he proves by a full testimony of Scripture Gen. 15.6 He believed in the Lord and he counted it to for him for righteousnesse Now it might be objected that this justification of Abraham and blessednesse that David speaks of was nothing to the Gentiles uncircumcised but to the Jewes in the state of Circumcision and so Circumcision may yet have an hand in justitification This the Apostle denies ver 10. and proves the contrary by the time of Abrahams justification which was in uncircumcision not in Circumcision If Abraham were justified in uncircumcision then Circumcision hath no hand in justification But Abraham was justified in uncircumcision Ergo But then the greatest question is to what end or purpose he was circumcised having already that righteousnesse which doth justify what needs more Circumcision then might have been let alone The Apostle answers that he was circumcised on a twofold account for a double reason The first is in reference to his own estate in faith which equally concerns all in his state of believing He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised The second in reference to the whole Church that he might be the Father of all that believe in Circumcision or in uncircumcision so that we have both the Apostles authority and his argumentative discourse for confirmation of our point That the work and efficacy of Sacraments is by way of sign and seal We shall find Peter giving his vote with Paul in this thing where he enters a dispute about Baptisme as Paul here doth about Circumcision as you may find 1 Pet. 3.20 21. having mentioned Gods long suffering towards disobedient ones in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing he saies Few that is eight soules were saved by water That element which as an executioner of divine vengeance destroyed the world of the ungodly as an instrument in the hand of God preserved Noah and his family It destroyed the world by overwhelming of them as after it did Pharaoh and his host It saved Noah and his household by keeping the Ark above trees rocks mountaines buildings or whatsoever might have been
teach the world that the onely justifying act of faith is the accepting of justification as merited by Christs blood or the accepting of Christs righteousnes to justifie them it is not hard for an unprejudic'd man to discern For my part in all my experience of the case of the ungodly that I have triall of I can find no commoner cause of their generall delusion and perdition then this very doctrine Answ To this I might have many things to say 1. It is the hard fate Desperate Conclusions inferr'd from right principles if I may say so of Christian Religion to have inferences of this kind drawn from her principles And yet the way of Christians hath not been either to desert the principles from which they are drawn nor yet to own or defend the inferences or conclusions that are drawn from them The Apostle affirming that the exaltation of Gods glory in not utterly casting of the Nation of the Jewes was eminently seen in their disloyalty and covenant-breaking with him Inference is presently made that covenant-breaking and disloyalty cannot then be blamed If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory why yet am I also judged as a sinner That which advanceth Gods glory cannot be charged as a sin Bat covenant-breaking with God according to the Apostle addes to his glory and therefore it cannot be charged as a sin If answer be made that this exaltation of God in his glory is by accident and no thanks to him that breaks covenant but to the goodness of God that brings good out of evill From this inference is made also Let us then do evill that good may come which Conclusion was slanderously charged upon the Apostle Rom. 3. vers 8. The doctrine of Gods free election of some and passing by of others occasioned two dâ—sperate inferences 1. That there is then unrighteousness with God as deserting yea hating his creature without cause Rom. 9.14 2. That God then without reason finds a fault with his creature this being his will who can resist it Ro. 9.19 The wits of some have been indeed busied to put such a comment upon the Apostles words that no such inference as these with any colour or shew of reason can be drawn and thereby make it appear that their comment is utterly dissonant from the Text for from the Apostles doctrine these inferences in the judgement of blinded reason and rules held between creature and creature seem directly to follow as evidently appears in the Apostles answer To come nearer to the business in hand the Apostle making it his work to advance Gods free grace in mans justification some feared lest their sin was above the grace of a pardon To satisfie these the Apostle tels them that where sin abounded grace doth super-abound Rom. 5.20 So that the greatness of their sin exalts the free grace and favour of God an inference is presently ready Let us then continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 And here indeed was as fair and full encouragement to sin as any that you hold out in your objection against this doctrine this very use which you say is now made by wicked ones of this Doctrine generally taught by Protestants was made as is said in the Apostles times by the Gnosticks and others who maintained that it was enough to believe that Christ died for sin though a man liv'd in all wickedness and ungodliness How could this so soon spring in the Church but that carnal ones found some-what that would bear some colour on which they might bottom it as omne mendacium fundatur in aliquâ veritate as may be seen verified in the instances mentioned Let not Christian doctrin then be blamed upon the account of such desperate deductions and cursedly wrested inferences As soon as reformation began and this doctrine among others appeared it is well known what from the adversaries it suffered As it was laid to the Reformers charge that they made God the author of sin so that Gibieuf with his black mouth makes Calvin worse then the Manichees so also that they utterly laid aside all care and regard of good works or wayes of godliness and that upon account of their doctrine that faith alone justifies It is well known with what a belly they use to picture Luther as if his work had been alone to drink And Bellarmine taking upon him in the preface to his fourth Tome out of the Revelation to set out what a creature a Lutheran is saith that those that are addicted to their belly for the most part fall to them And their orator Turner in his elogie of Drunkenness applauds the Lutherans with a bene secistis in that they have lest the Catholique Church to betake themselves to that party How full their invectives were against Calvin and Beza and all of their opinion as enemies of all godliness and friends of prophanesse almost all books of popish writers may witnesse Those things are famous that Bellarmine out of Bolsecke and Colcheus quotes to this purpose Granatensis in his dedicatory Epistle before his Dux peccatorum having laid this down as a maxime that Holinesse and purity of doctrine is a certain mark and note of true faith and Religion and asserted that there hath been no sect from the beginning of the world if we run through all ages to be compared with Christians for doctrine of concernment to mans Moral conversation he enters comparison first with Heathenism then with Turcisme then with Judaisme after Christs comming and lastly takes notice of the lives of Hereticks in the primitive times of the Manichees out of Austin Of the Gnosticks out of Epiphanius Of the Carpocratians out of Austin then he fals upon his own times and saies The Heretiques of our own times are no more holy They that have fetch'd back the errors of faith of former Heretiques from hell are also diligent followers of their practices what holiness of life saith he is to be expected from the Lutherans that with their speciall faith have set open a door to all impiety and the wicked practices of the Calvinists are better known saith he then we desire and thereupon tels us two tales first that some that neighbour upon Geneva being demanded why they did not reject the Catholique and receive Genevas Gospel answerd That was not to be wondered at for said they the words and books of Calvinists stuff'd with lies and fraud are carried further then the narrative of their wickedness But to us say they that go every week to their Market it is well known to be a kingdome of hellish confusion and therefore their Gospell doth not take with us His next is of a certain Minister of theirs who a few years before went into Hungary petitioned a Bashaw of the Turks for liberty to preach their Gospel to the Christians that lived among the Turks under tribute and to perswade the said Bashaw to grant his Petition he began with many reasons
that conquered should take away his part and he that was conquered should leave his with the Priest according to Varro was called a Sacrament They collected therefore that the Sacrament signifies our depositing of our selves as I may say with God or our yielding up of our selves to him As they that strive for mastery did leave for a pledge a summe of money so we leave our selves as a pledge with God But this use of the word Sacrament I suppose is more obscure and the analogy not so clear and therefore Divines in ancient times would scarce borrow this word from thence so few understanding the allusion or the application of it Secondly The oath which anciently Souldiers took when they listed themselves to the Emperour for faith and obedience was called by the name of Sacrament Therefore others judge it very probable that these Ordinances are called Sacraments in that in them every Christian Souldier doth tye himself to his Captain Christ Jesus This is far more probable for three Reasons 1. The use of the word in this sense was more common and received and therefore more apt to give occasion to the like use of it in these Sacred Ordinances 2. The application is more clear seeing our Sacraments as God willing shall be shewn are engagements 3. Heathen Writers make such allusion d Deo oportebat nos jurare milites Caesar It behoves us saith one of them to swear to God and Souldiers to Caesar And the Fathers used the word Sacrament with this allusion as Vossius out of Tertullian quotes two passages e Vocati sumus ad militiam Dei vivi jam tunc cum in Sacramenti verba respondimus We are at that instant called to the warfare of the true God when we answer in the words of the Sacrament and elsewhere f Ut Sacramento benedictionis exauctoretur nunquam in castra Ecclesiae reversuâ—us That he may be disbanded and shut out from the blessings of the Sacraments never more to return into the tents of the Church To which may be added a third quoted by Bellarmine The Devil imitates the very things of Divine Sacraments in idol-Mysteries he washes some and signes other of his Souldiers in their foreheads And Austine in his Preface to the 181 Sermon De tempore saith g Notum est dilectissimi quod beneficia temporalia a temporalibus Dominis accepturi prius Sacramentis militaribus obligantur Dominis suis fidem se servaturos profitentur Quanto magis ergo aeterno Regi militaturi aeterna praemia percepturi debent Sacramentis coelestibus oligari fidem per quam ei placituri sunt publicè profiteri It is known Beloved that the Souldiers being to receive temporal rewards from their temporal Masters do first tye themselves with military Sacraments and professe faithful service to their Lords How much more should those that war under an Eternal King and are to receive rewards from him bind themselves with heavenly Sacraments and publickly professe that faith whereby they may please him In this Rivet rests satisfied as appears in his Cathol Orthodox Tract 3. Quaest 2. h Vox Latina Sacramentum deducta est à verbo Sacrare à Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Latinis à militia desumpta fuit in qua juramentum quo milites duci obstringebantur vocabatur Sacramentum Refert Claris Ed. Leigh Crit. Sac. pag. 270. The Latine word Sacrament saith he is borrowed from the verb Sacrare and by Ecclesiastical Latine Writers is taken from proceedings in war in which the Oath wherewith Souldiers were tyed to their Captain was called a Sacrament Thirdly There being so great affinity between Mystery among the Greeks and Sacrament among the Latines Mystery signifying that which is secret of any kind whether sacred or prophane of which there are many instances given and Sacrament signifying that which is made sacred or consecrate words seldome long holding their signification Mystery began to be taken more strictly for holy secrets and so Sacraments for Sacred secrets afterwards the word Mystery and with it Sacrament began to be used for sacred things held forth in outward signes The vision of the seven Candlesticks setting out seven Churches are called Mysteries Revel 1.20 The conjunction in marriage of man and wife setting forth the union between Christ and his Church is called a Mystery Ephes 5.32 And when Divines found no word in Scripture to set out these Ordinances of the Old and New Testament Circumcision Passeover Baptisme the Lords Supper they gave them the name of Sacraments further restraining their signification to holy secrets held forth in outward signes and sealing spiritual grace to us This Vossius takes to be most satisfactory Though I professe my self scarce satisfied with the reason that he gives Thes 16. and comparing it with what he hath said in his 6th Thesis it may seem to speak as much in favour of the second opinion which he rejects as this third which he followes The reason that he assignes as taking with him is i Latinos in variis Sacramenti notionibus secutos esse Graecos qui ipsi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc rem arcanam appellant nunc rem arcanam sacram nunc rem arcanam symbolicam nunc denique rem arcanam sacram symbolicam gratiae spiritualis significativam That the Latine Fathers in the use of the word Sacrament had much respect to the use of the Greek word Mystery And so in several places by him produced they had respect unto the military use of it in like manner Here it is not for me to interpose I suppose none is able to speak any more then conjecture In which I leave the Reader to use his own liberty assenting to Vossius that those are weak arguments that are drawn from the use of the word either in the first or second acceptation and concluding that they are as weak that are drawn from the use of it according to the third opinion There must be a better bottom for an argument then the bare denotation of the word especially when it is of humane not of Divine imposition And the use of the word being thus taken up by man the acceptation or use of it upon that account hath been very various and ambiguous insomuch that when Writers speak of Sacraments the Reader is often at a stand what they mean by them The various acceptation of the word Sometimes every thing that is secret is called by the name of Sacrament therefore the vulgar Latine which appears to be more ancient than their number of seven Sacraments doth not onely render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacramentum in Eph. 5.32 upon which they take advantage to bring in marriage into the number but frequently elsewhere when nothing towards a Sacrament by their own confession is intended Having made known to us the Sacrament of his will Eph. 1.9 By revelation he made known to me the Sacrament Eph. 3.3
Levit. 25.42 they are born unto God Ezek. 16.20 they are the children of God Ezek. 16.21 they are holy Rom. 11.16 1 Cor. 7.14 Either then we must carry it out to all the infants of the visible Church or else we cannot assure it to the infants of invisible members And therefore the Schoolemen afore mentioned justly ascribe as much to a faith informed as to that which is formed respective to the good of the issue of such believers 5. All that is spoken in Scripture of the blessedness of the seed of the righteous may as fairly be extended to them through the whole course of their lives as to the times of their infancy promises being not put with any such restraint as to have an end when their infancy is expired The most ample of promises which we find is in Esay 59.21 There it is promised that the Spirit shall not depart out of the mouth of thy seed or thy seeds seed but this rather belongs to them of years then of an infant-condition If it be said that many infants of the righteous persevere not but cast off the seed of grace received I answer the grace of perseverance is necessarily required to make blessed and blessedness is promised we know temporal blessings are made over by promise to the seed of such His seed shall be mighty upon earth wealth and riches shall be in his house Psal 112.2 3. Psal 37.25 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed The opposition that is found between the letter of promises of this nature and the event which the experience of every age observes hath wrought a great conflict in mens spirits how to reconcile them And this hath been the result of all that they are not to be understood without their due limits and several have been put I shall not stand to enter into the dispute onely I say experience doth as much oppose the literal meaning of true blessedness to all the seed of the righteous as of temporal prosperity one must therefore have its due limits as well as the other To wind up this whole discourse concerning Sacraments in that juncture of time God then had his Church in which there was salvation Henoch walked with God and yet without faith it was impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Noah was an heir of the righteousness of faith Heb. 11.7 a righteousness in which the Apostle desired to be found for salvation Phil. 3.8 yet in all that juncture of time there was no written Word in which the succeeding ages have everlasting life Joh. 5.39 God had other wayes of discovery of himself to his people for life So the Church might answerably be without Sacraments howsoever we judge salvation to be thereby either conveyed or sealed God that tyes us to Ordinances is himself free and in what way he pleases may communicate blisse and give assurance of it The likest conjecture that we can make of Gods ordering by providence that in this juncture of time from the fall to the time of Abrahams call there should be no Sacrament nor any such supposed remedy known to acquit infants from Orinal sin is â—o declare the freedom of God that as he pleases to ordaine Sacramental signes so he is not tyed to them or his hands bound up by them but as he saved without Sacraments before the floud and after to the time of Abraham and infants under the Law dying before the eighth day so he still saves in the want though not in the sinful neglect much lesse in the contempt of these Ordinances CHAP. IV. Of the definition of a Sacrament THe next consideration of Sacraments in mans fallen condition is from Abraham unto Christ in the time of the dispensation of the Old Covenant In which those known Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover were of force and given in charge of God to his people and together with those Sacraments extraordinary or such as come near up to the nature of Sacraments The Cloud the Red-Sea Manna and the Rock Sacraments under the old new Covenant of one and the same nature 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. But intending to speak of Sacraments in general and there being no essential difference between the Sacraments under the Old and New Covenant One and the same definition containing whatsoever is essential to a Sacrament in any of them as many wayes might be made manifest Their names are promiscuously used the cloud that Israel was under and the sea that they passed through is called by the name of Baptisme 1 Cor. 10.2 and so also is Circumcision Collos 2.11 12. The thing signified and benefit received is in every one the same The Apostle comparing those that did eat of Manna and drank of the Rock in the Wilderness with believers in Gospel-times that partake of the Lords Supper saith They all ate the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Corrinthians 10.3 4. And we may say the same of those that did eat of the Passeover As Christ was that bread that Manna did typifie Joh. 6.49.50 so it was he that was held out and his death shewed forth in the Passeover 1 Cor. 5.7 I shall therefore wave this different consideration of them and make it my businesse to enquire what a Sacramen is and to make discovery of the generall nature of it which in case out of Scripture I can reach that will serve for a bottome on which all that I intend to speak may be grounded Bellarmine spends a whole Chap. in enquiry whether a Sacrament can properly be defined quoting severall Schoolmen for the negative That it cannot be defined because a Sacrament is not one of it self but an aggregatum one by accident or at least not ens reale no real being and those things that are but one accidentally or not really are below a definition He quotes others in the affirmative Some that it may be defined imperfectly others that it admits of a perfect definition After a distinction laid down very little to the purpose one member of the distinction being by his own confession not considerable by Divines he concludes that a Sacrament morally considered as it ought to be considered by Divines may be defined having a reall being and according to its own way of being it is one Morall Philosophers define saith he a Kingdome a City a Family though they be not one physically but by aggregation so do Divines define a Church a Councell or Sacrament which are one in being no other way Suarez agrees with him Disput 1a. de Sacramentis Sect. 4 ta which Whitaker praelect de Sacr. pag. 4. acknowledges to be true A Sacrament may be defined So that he observes it is agreed that they may be defined and I
f Quo significat Dominum voluisse aptare suum sermonem ad captum auditorum ob id locutum in parabolis quod nudi sermonis nondum essent capaces at parabolas suas desumsiffe a rebus vulgaribus per quas idiotae utcunque induci parari possunt ad mysteriorum captum Hereby he signifies that Christ would fit his speech to the capacity of the hearers because they were not capable of naked truthes and he borrowed his speeches from vulgar things by which the most unlearned might be fitted for the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven Though some understand the words as they were worthy to hear and not to understand parables being above the common capacities and put for hard and difficult speeches As Matth. 13.10 Christ being demanded Why speakest thou in parables he answers ver 11 12 13 14 15. Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him it shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath Therefore speake I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which saith By hearing ye shall hear and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their eares and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them But blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare But these texts may be reconciled A parable or Similitude when men stay in the outward bark of it is as a riddle nothing can be more obscure Some mystery men know is hid under it but they know not what Therefore Christ having uttered a parable to the multitude Matth. 15.11 and Peter requesting Declare unto us this parable ver 15. saith Are ye also yet without understanding Parables explained are the plainest way of teaching shewing the face of heavenly things in earthly glasses and therefore the Lord to set out his dealing with his own people faith I have also spoken by the Prophets and I have multiplyed visions and used similitudes by the Ministery of the Prophets Hos 12.10 But the scope be not discerned onely that which is said of earthly things and no more is known Now what words are to the eares in similitudes and comparisons that Sacramentall signes are to the eyes by both the understanding is holpen the memory refresht and as may God willing be unfolded faith strengthened The cleansing from sin we find in Scripture held forth under the metaphor of pouring out water Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you To which the Apostle alludes Ephes 5.26 where he saith Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word Which was typified also in those divers washings mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 9.10 which the blood of Christ doth really work Purging our consciences from dead works to serve the living God cleansing us from all sin 1 John 1.7 and therefore it is called the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus 1 Pet. 1.2 In Baptisme in a standing Ordinance this is held out The party interessed in Covenant is dipped in or washed with water and the reason of it given Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the Name of the Lord. Christ promises to his Church living bread and water whereof whosoever drinketh shall never thirst He further explaines himself The bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Joh. 6.51 My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed Joh. 6.55 Christ being to dye holds this out in outward signes and with his own Comment upon them Taking and breaking bread he saith This is my body Taking the cup he saith This is the cup in the New Testament in my blood shed for them and for many for the remission of sinnes In elements of frequent use ordinary easy to be compassed these high mysteries and singular mercies are shadowed SECT IV. A further Corollary drawn from the same Doctrine The necessity of explanation of Sacramental signes FOurthly Then there is a necessity that these Sacramental signes be opened explained the mystery cleared the thing signified held out and the Analogy and proportion made known otherwise the soul is still left in the dark and no benefit reaped either for the help of our faith or clearing of our understanding There is no Sacrament as Calvin well observes without a promise preceding The Sacrament is an appendant to the promise as a seal among men is to a Covenant an earnest to a bargain or a ring hath been to a marriage were there no promise there were nothing in those signes As where there is no Covenant there is nothing confirmed by a seal where there is no bargain nothing is ratified by earnest given where there is no matrimoniall consent the ring would be but an imposture the Word of promise gives being to the Sacrament according to that received speech g Accedit verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum The Word to added to the Element and it is made a Sacrament And there can be no improvement of the Sacrament to any spirituall advantage without understanding of the promise Were the signes such as did proclaime their own signification as a footstep the foot that made the impression or a shadow the body then the signes might stand alone and speak their own intentions But being creatures for civill uses and having only an aptnesse in them to hold out the thing that they signifie and as hath been said equally apt to other significations a further explanation is necessary Signes among men must have their significations known as well as founds in musical and military instruments otherwise as none could know in the one what is piped or harped nor upon sound could prepare themselves to battell 1 Cor. 14.7 8. so in the other none can know what is shadowed out or resembled There was a custome to ratifie Covenants by killing a calfe and the Covenanters passage between the parts of it as you may see Jerem. 34. He that understood not the meaning of that ceremony could know nothing of a Covenant by that means between parties to be solemnized none understand any more then by sight then many of us do now by the reading of it A garland at the door if custome did not give us a reason of it would speak no more to a passenger without
his sayings Here is a full tender of a Covenant and Covenant-termes on Christs part he that accepts of Christ as his Lord and professes to keep his sayings enters Covenant he that hath in him such an heart as God wished in Israel To feare him and keep all his Commandements alwayes Deut. 5.29 keeps Covenant Gospel-Preachers hold out Christ in Covenant and they do not onely tender mercies but engage to duties Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins and this duty of repentance is in order to the priviledge of remission of sins as we find from Peter Act. 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the duty of the Covenant is neglected the mercy of the Covenant is lost This caused them in their Ministery to be so zealous to urge men to it Testifying both to the Jewes and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Christ For the usuall solemnities of a Covenant In the usual accessories on solemnities These are found in the transactions between God and his people as well as the essentials of it 1. Covenants used to be written for memorial for posterity and so is the Covenant between God and man as in Old so in New Testament-times These things are written that you might believe and that believing you may have everlasting life Joh. 20.31 2. Covenants used to be confirmed with outward visible signes as the killing of beasts Jo. 15. Jer. 34 This was done in the old administration Exod. 24. Half of the blood was sprinkled upon the Altar to denote Gods entering of Covenant vers 6. The people also were sprinkled with blood to shew their voluntary entering into Covenant vers 8. And in the new dispensation a new and unheard of ratification was used the blood of the Mediatour of the Covenant Matth. 26.27 28. This Cup is my blood in the New Testament which was shed for you and for many for the remission of sins This latter is a plain allusion to the former in which you may find 1. A threefold agreement Either of both these were Covenants 2. Either of both these had their ratifications and confirmations 3. Either of both were confirmed with blood 2. A threefold difference 1. The former was the Old Covenant which was antiquated This is the New 2. The former was ratified and sanctified with the blood of beasts This is ratified and sanctified in the blood of Christ 3. That blood could never take away sin Heb. 10. This was shed many for remission of sins Thirdly Covenants use to be confirmed by seal so is this Covenant between God and his people as remaines to be spoken to As the being of a Covenant is thus plentifully proved by Scripture-testimony so we might as amply prove it by arguments drawn from thence Arguments evincing a Covenant in the proper nature of it The Churches of Christ are espoused unto Christ Hos 2.19 20. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you to Christ and Spouses are in Covenant with their Bridegroom The Churches of Christ are married to Christ Esay 54.5 Thy maker is thine Husband the Lord of hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called And wives are in Covenant with their husbands Their sins against God are branded with the names of Adulteries Whoredomes and these are not barely disobedience of a Command or neglect of a favour but breaches of Covenant The Churches of Christ are servants of Christ Levit. 25. houshold servants Ephes 2.19 and servants are their Masters by Covenant Their sins in this relation are not barely obstinacy stubbornness or ingratitude but they are charged with treachery falsehood dealing falsely in Covenant and their hearts being not stedfast in Covenant It is above me to conceive how man can be a Covenant-breaker not alone respective to man but God as he is frequently charged when there hath past no Covenant between God and man They may question whether there were ever any such thing as a Covenant in the world SECT III. Proposition 2. SEcondly Whereas there is an usual distinction almost in all that write or speak of the Covenant of a double Covenant between God and his people one external and the other internal one passing outwardly and the other inwardly kept and observed Or as Doctor Preston expresseth it a single and a double Covenant which I shall forbear to examine seeing I know there is a right meaning though I much doubt whether there be in the Reader a right understanding My second Proposition shall be that it is the external Covenant not the inward that exactly and properly is called by the name of a Covenant and to which priviledges of Ordinances and title to Sacraments are annext This Proposition occasioned by this received distinction is of three heads which in case the Reader please he may subdivide into three distinct Positions 1. The outward and not the inward Covenant is most exactly and properly called by the name of a Covenant The outward and not the inward Covenant is properly a Covenant which I thus make good That Covenant to which the definition of a Covenant doth belong hath exactly and properly the nature of a Covenant this none can deny The definition sets out the nature of the thing defined But the definition most actly belongs to the outward Covenant not to the inward this is plain An agreement of parties on tearms and Propositions is the definition of a Covenant Now the outward Covenant is an agreement on tearms and Propositions as elsewhere I have abundantly declared In that Covenant God engages himself to man for his happiness and man engages to faith and obedience The inward Covenant hath no tearms or Propositions at all for man to make good upon account of his Covenanting seeing the performance of the conditions of the Scripture-Covenant is his very entrance into the inward Covenant He that believes and repents keeps Covenant nothing more is expected of God or promised by man But believing and repenting is the first closing with God in Covenant according to them that speak of an inward Covenant A Covenant to perform conditions is a Covenant properly so called But the outward Covenant not the inward is a Covenant to performe conditions is plain The conditions in the inward Covenant are the Covenant That which confounds entrance into Covenant and keeping of Covenant is no Covenant properly so called In a Covenant properly so called these are distinct But the inward Covenant confounds entrance into Covenant and keeping of Covenant and therefore in exact propriety of
in ignorance being so far knowing Christians SECT IX The seventh Proposition enlarged AS for those that are of years Admission of men of years examined though we are not much concerned scarce one unbaptized Person in an age being tendred to us yet it is not meet wholly to omit it when any in the Primitive times upon the Preaching of the Apostles was ready to professe and willing to engage in a way of Christianity he was streight according to the order of Christ to be admitted by Baptisme the Commission it self speaks thus much Disciple all Nations baptizing them is the charge being discipled there needs no further enquiry and accordingly was the practice the Eunuch upon profession of faith and water at hand was presently baptized by Philip Act. 8. and the Jaylour the self same hour that he was converted was baptized by Paul and Silas Act. 16. Those that limit Baptisme to years of discretion appear to be wholly of this mind Mr. Tombes Examen Pag. 159. is clear that profession of faith and holinesse is sufficient warrant to baptize And for their practice let their Proselytes wheresoever they prevail speak when such as we see are admitted we may well conclude that in their judgement none are to be refused There are others that set up a new Church-door having discipled any in their way they do not as Christ enjoyned concerning unbaptized Heathens or as others concerning baptized Christians baptize them but they tender a Covenant of Church-fellowship unto them and that is their way of Church entrance when yet their infants keep the old rode of Baptisme These at least some of them are exceeding strict and will have none admitted but those that the quickest sighthed Admission unto a Church-Covenant and membership looked into Eagle-eyed Christians judge so farre as they are able to apprehend to have both name and thing of Christianity And to add honour to this way the world must be born in hand and that with attestation of no mean ones that the conversion of the Gentiles and Jewes in that infinite number as we read in the Acts of the Apostles was all in reality and that the whole Church of Hierusalem consisting at least of eight thousand members was an homogeneal body under the same light conscience and tendernesse Of a more noble homogeneity and more pure constitution sure then ever came into Christs thoughts to see his Kingdom attain unto upon earth He compares it to a field made up of a mixture of Tares and Wheat Matth. 13.24 to a Draw-net cast into the Sea which taketh fishes of all kinds both good and bad Matth. 13.47 And in the close o◠two other Parables inferres that many are called but few are chosen Matth. 20.16 Matth. 22.14 This he spake in the ears of his Disciples and we may wonder if they should live to see it contradicted He tells his hearers Luk. 9.27 Matth. 16.18 There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God And can we think that he understood a Kingdom in that resplendent glory which he had ever denyed when he made it his business to decipher and hold it forth unto them When they heare of it they hear of a field with tares and wheat of a draw-net with fish of all sorts They live to see flourishing fields of pure wheat full nets of fishes that are onely good being told that many are called but few chosen they yet see myriads of thousands called and all chosen Yea Paul after he had seen the contrary and gained fellowship according to these men in such an homogeneal pure body still symbolizes in like Parables of a great house that had vessels some to honour and some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 applying it to the Elect and Reprobate in the Church of God We are told that the complexion of a visible Church under the Gospel is conversion the constituted matter converted ones and that this soul-complexion is the same in the whole body members having received the same Spirit of Adoption owning and experiencing the same grace of God But it is plain that Christ did neither see nor foresee any such purity of complexion nor can they that look upon Primitive Churches in the glasse of Scriptures see any more then Christ did discover Those words of Luke Act. 15.3 And being brought on their way by the Church they passed through Phenice and Samaria declaring the conversion of the Gentiles and they caused great joy unto all the brethren is made a fundamental ground-work of this building of such glory as though all conversion by the Word were attended by the changing work of the Spirit which happy glosse in case it would hold would turne all the grounds in the parable into good ground and a cōnvert or proselyte in an historical narrative would ever be the same with elect or regenerate But the words going before and following these if they may be but taken in will serve to spoil all this supposed glory and purity A sect riseth up and teacheth the Brethren that except they be circumcised after the manner of Moses they cannot be saved and what manner of men they were and how their Doctrine took we may read in Pauls Epistles to the Philippians Colossians and especially in that to the Churches of Galatia it almost wrought to the apostatizing of those Churches from the faith of Christ to another Gospel If ever these were one homogeneal body respective to soul complexion an abundant proof is given in against the Saints perseverance and for their falling from grace Paul was not so enamoured with their beauty when he tells them that he is afraid of them and travells again in birth of them And whether he had such high thoughts of the Corinthians let sundry passages in his Epistles to them witnesse Great complexion spots may be seen 1 Cor. Chap. 3.3 Chap. 6.8 Chap. 11.18 19 21. Chap. 15.12 34. 2 Cor. 12.20 21. So that it is plain that in primitive times Jewes and Pagans being wrought upon by the Word heard and miracles seen to make profession of and engage to a Christian faith and life were upon that account received of which as some had hearts sincere towards Christ so many were otherwise Through the whole Scripture there is no demurre put to the Baptisme of any who made profession of the Name of Christ save Saul concerning whom Ananias being warned of God to go to him and conferre sight upon him being struck blind objects the evil that he had done to the Saints at Hierusalem and that he had at present authority from the Chief Priests to bind all that called on the Name of Christ Acts 9.13 14. And when he afterwards assayed to joyn himself to the disciples that were at Hierusalem they were all upon that account afraid of him Neither Ananias at Damascus nor the Church at Hierusalem did put his sincerity in grace to the question upon that account they might
have challenged thousands of others But they feared that he onely pretended conversion upon a design to advance his way of persecution Let Mr. Cobbet from New England in this particular be heard who laies down this conclusion That the Church in dispensing an enjoyned initiatory seal of the Covenant of grace looketh into visibility of interest in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof nor is the saving interest of the persons her rule by which she is to proceed There we find in the affirmative what that is that must lead viz. visibility of interest in the Covenant and in the negative what must not lead and that is saving interest in the Covenant And visibility of interest is certainly theirs who professe Christ engage for Christ and avouch themselves to be for him unlesse we will utterly confound Covenant entring and Covenant keeping which Scripture so carefully distinguishes I know Mr. Firmin in his reply to Mr. Caudry speaking of Scandalous persons Mr. F. appendix as to the admission of men of years examined pag. 4. saith According to our Congregational principles that which gives a man the first right to a Sacrament viz. his interest in the Covenant of the Gospel this man hath not for he doth visibly declare to the Churches that he hath no interest in the Covenant That interest in the Covenant of the Gospell gives a man the first right to a Sacrament we willingly imbrace but that censure of scandalous persons that they visibly declare to the Churches that they have no interest in the Covenant we must reject as evidently contrary to Scripture principles Israel of whom Moses gave that testimony that the Lord had not given them an heart to perceive and eyes to see or eares to hear speaking of the generality of them had some that might have been judged scandalous yet they all of them even then entred Covenant with God Captaines of their tribes Elders Officers even all the men of Israel from the hewer of wood to the drawer of water Deut. 29.10 11. Those that God owns as his people in Covenant and calls by the name of his people I shall take to have interest in the Covenant though thousands say the contrary But God ownes these as his people respective to Covenant interest they that did steal murder commit adultery sweare falsely burne incense to other gods and walk after other gods all men would judge to be scandalous yet such come and stand before the Lord in his house and professe themselves to be his people in Covenant and whether or no God doth not so esteem them let his own mouth speak Jer. 7.12 Chap. 6.26 Chap. 8.11 The Vineyard of the Lord consists of a people in visible Covenant yet with these we find not a few scandals and scandalous ones as Isay 5. is manifest see Hos 4.6 12. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledg my people aske counsel at their stockes and their staffe declareth unto them for the spirit of whoredome hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God Shall we say they were not Gods people or shall we say that these were no scandals to put all out of question the Apostle tells us Rom. 9.2 3. that interest in the Covenant pertaines to all Israel after the flesh neither is it any otherwise in Gospel times 1 Cor. 5.11 If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner c. he that is called a brother is visibly in Covenant but such a one we see may be scandalous The seven Golden Candlesticks are the seven Churches amidst which Christ walkes and whether there were not scandals among these read the Epistles to them If visible interest in Covenant give a first right then these undoubtedly may claime it their first right according to the forementioned principle is undoubted and for actuall admission as well as the first right to the Sacrament of initiation let the same Mr. Cobbet speak John Baptist did and lawfully might baptize those multitudes albeit in the general he knew that many yea most of them would prove false and frothy quoting Matth. 3.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. and afterward Albeit we may think in the general that to be sure in all visible Churches there will be some vessels of dishonour sometimes yet Ministers which are the Churches as well as Christs servants are not therefore to refuse to dispense Church ordinances since they are in the face of the Church such utensills as the Lord may have and hath need of Hence the Apostles which are extraordinary persons knew the guile of persons secret from the Church witnesse that act against Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5.1 c. yet in administring the Church seal of Baptisme they refused not Ananias and Sapphira no nor Simon Magnus Acts 8. Nor thousands of other of the Jewes amongst whom how many proved false Acts 2.41 and 4.1 2 3 4. compared 21.20 21 22 23 24 28 30 31 36. and 22.20 22 and 23.12 13. witnesse So that we see Scripture gives precedents if we judge them safe to follow of a very facile admission of those that professe and manifest their willingnesse to engage in Christian waies Mr. Firmin saies If a bare profession of faith in Christ be sufficicient to make a member of a Church then no person can be justly excommunicated out of a Church for the vilest sinnes or heresies provided he doth but hold this profession of his faith The consequence is cleere the person is the same now which he was when you took him into the Church To this I have answered pag. 449. The consequence is cleerly erroneous for he made a profession of his faith and not of his sin To this Mr. Firmin replyes Then it seemes the man must professe his sin with his own mouth as his faith though Mr. Blake knowes he is a ranter c. The members of the Church witnesse it yet because the mans own mouth doth not professe it you admit him I desire to know where witnesses were called in for this purpose to speake what they had to say against such and such a mans admission to Baptisme as now by an instrument affixt on the door of the publique place of meeting men are called to except in case they have any thing to speak against Ministers ordination Had Paul and Silas nothing against the Jaylour at Philippi who was so serviceable to those in power that he thrust them into the inward prison and made their feet fast in the stockes Acts 16.24 And wheras our author saies elsewhere that there was a legal work on his conscience so there is many a time on mariners in a sea storm which a calme will suddenly quiet Can he imagine that the lives of all the people even the Publicanes and harlots that John baptized Matth. 21.31 Luke 7.29 compared were so inoffensive that none could say
his reason seeing by baptisme grace is given If any one be rightly disposed to receive the effect of baptisme in the instant that he receives perfect Baptisme he shall receive grace therefore he receives the Sacrament with sufficient dignity and sanctity further adding Seeing this is a Sacrament of the dead grace is not praerequired for the receiving of it being ordained to confer grace that disposition is sufficient upon which the Sacrament confers such an effect Suarez in tertiam partem Thom. Tom. 3. Q. 68. Dis 24. art 4. Sec. 2. p. 250. Our opinion being otherwise of the work of baptisme it is otherwise concerning admission to baptisme when men are willing to be received into the number of Christians and will engage for Christian wayes which necessarily implies a profession of repentance of all unchristian practices we judge them to have right of admission Thirdly How far rules laid down by some Fathers and Councils for the way of discipline did exceed in rigour hath been the complaint of many not admitting those that had been overtaken by temptation to Church-fellowship notwithstanding any evidence of repentance till after many years space of humiliation In which time how much advantage might be given to Satan let men of experience judge Mr. F. himself dislikes their long deferring of their Catechumeni from baptisme and may not others have liberty to manifest their dislike as well as he Fourthly Let it be taken into due consideration whether such rigour in holding converts off so long a space and requiring such an height in preparatory graces were not a great remora to the progresse of the Gospel and gaining in men to Christian profession How speedy a progresse the Gospel made in the Apostles times we may see in the Acts of the Apostles and Ecclesiastical Story Dr. Andrewes in his Preface to his Work on the Commandements quotes a testimony of Egesippus That by the diligent instructing of the Church there was no known Common-Wealth of any part of the world inhabited but within 40 years after Christs Passion received a great shaking off of heathenish Religion But how slowly it proceeded after some time is over-plain May not the difference of their way that thus swerved from the Apostles and men in Apostolique times be assigned as a great reason We find them facile in admission but in the mean time exceeding plain in making known what was required of them in order to the end of their professed faith their everlasting salvation that were admitted Fifthly If it may be granted which according to Scripture rules can never be denied that men wrought off from Turcisme Paganisme Judaisme and brought to a profession of Christianity and a professed engagement to Christian wayes have their right and stand in title to baptisme If then upon observation of inconveniences arising as jealousies conceived that they may offer themselves out of design to work themselves into a fairer opportunity of persecution as was suspected in Paul the Church in Prudence for some space shall delay their admission I shall not contend Onely I assert their right and justifie their practice that proceed accordingly and unlesse some great cause appear to the Churches prejudice tendring themselves they are actually to be received A Digression for Vindication of Chap. 32. of the Treatise of the Covenant from Mr. Baxters Exceptions touching the Faith that entitles to Baptisme HEre I am put upon it to take into consideration The occasion of this Digression that which Learned Mr. Baxter in his Apology hath been pleased to oppose against me Though he be large I shall make it my businesse if it may be to be more brief I entitled the two and thirtieth Chapter of my Treatise of the Covenant in this manner A dogmatical Faith entitles to Baptisme being a Corollary naturally as I yet think inferred from the Doctrine that I had before delivered of the latitude of the Covenant explaining my self that I meant such a faith that assents to Gospel-truths though not affecting the heart to a full choyce of Christ and therefore short of that Faith which is justifying and saving ratifying it with several arguments In which I might well have thought that I should have found my ancient friend my Second rather then an Adversary considering what he had delivered pag. 224. of his Treatise of Infants Church-Membership This opinion Mr. Baxters concession that the Covenant of grace which Baptisme sealeth is onely to the Elect and is not conditional is one of the two master pillars in the Antinomian fabrick and afterwards If any shall think that this affirming that Christ hath brought the reprobate also into a Covenant of grace conditional be any part of the Arminian errors as the whole scope of Scriptures is against them so Mr. Blake hath said enough to satisfy He that will deny reprobates to be so farre within the Covenant of grace must not onely denye infant Baptisme but all Sacraments till he be able infallibly to discern a man to be Elect. I did never rise so high in words for my opinion as the Reader may here see my adversary hath done for me and I shall have more occasion to observe his concessions in this thing But how to reconcile all with that which pag 327. of the same Treatise he delivers I know not If men be taught once that it is a Faith short of justifying and saving faith which admitteth men to Baptisme as having true right in foro Dei it will make foul work in the Church This he asserts with five several arguments to which in the Chapter quoted I gave a brief answer not once naming the Author that if it might be such contests with a man that I so much honour might not have been observed and yet the truth not deserted Before he enters upon any refutation of my arguments or vindication of his own he is pleased to spend nine full pages to shew how farre he takes unregenerate men to be in Covenant and to discover as he saies my mind in this point Neere to the close of that discourse he saies that what I mean by Covenanting he despairs to know which surely will be the Readers wonder that knowes what he hath said pag. 224. before mentioned I speak impartially according to my judgement I think there is more true worth in those two or three leaves of Mr. Blakes book in opening of the Covenant then in all c. And as he despaires to know my meaning so I as much despair ever to make it known to him He quotes very many expressions of mine and knowes my meaning in none of them and some that I borrow from others as Dr. Preston and Pareus and he knowes neither my meaning nor theirs in them And in case I should make attempt if it might be to make it further clear he hath still an art to render it obscure He observes that I say that which I think all say that the accepting of the word preacht
seed The latter is an inherent quality infused by regeneration by which the man is brought into conformity with the Law of God The former according to them and him in that Treatise gives title to Baptisme even where the latter is wanting Those words therefore were more then needed If men be once taught that it is a faith short of that which is saving and justifying which admitteth to Baptisme seeing it is in reformed Churches generally and universally taught Mr. T. very well knowing as all do know that in these last ages it is a doctrine generally received and setting himself to oppose it saith that he can derive its pedigree no higher than Zwinglius but he hath heard of those that were Zwinglius his seniors to be of the same mind as the Reader may see in my answer to his letter The Jesuites generally charge it upon Calvin and Beza and those of that party and well they may as their opinion but not as their invention As to that charge they stand acquitted by their adversaries Suarez in Thom. part 3. tom 3. q. 69. art 8. dis 27. Sect. 1. speaking of this opinion saith It is ancienter then Calvin as appears by Waldens tom de Sacram. tit 3. cap. 53 54. yet Calvin saith he either encreased or revived it as appears by Ruardus Lindanus Prateolus and others This easily may be yielded and if Chamier may be heard all Protestants embraced it Mr. Baxter in the words before may see the opinion of that Divine whom he so deservedly magnifies Mr. Cobbet full against him notwithstanding he lives where the greatest strength of that party is that are his opposites Let the Reader observe his fourth conclusion pag. 52. The Church in dispensing an enjoyned initiatory seal of the Covenant of grace looketh unto visibility of interest in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof nor is it the saving interest of the persons in view that is her rule by which she is therein to proceed And compare with it the close of his whole discourse upon it in these words And I the more wonder that any which confesse that it 's not to be denyed that God would have infants of believers in some sense to be accounted his to belong to his Church and family and not to the Devills as true in facie Ecclesiae visibilis c. yet do oppose us in this particular now in question If he please to peruse Pareus 1 Cor. 7.14 as he shall find Stapleton in objections there produced his friend so Pareus fully his adversary And I shall adde one testimony that carries many more in the belly of it in which the Reader may see that Dr. Ward in this thing now in agitation hath the generall vote of reformed Churches for him and against Mr. Baxter Apollonius speaking to the question Quaestio quarta An infantes quorum parentes proximi solenni Ecclesiastico foedere alicui particulari Ecclesiae sese non adjungunt in Ecclesia non sint baptizandi sed ut baptismi in capaces privilegiorum Ecclesiae expertes sint aestimandi Resp. Existimant Reformati quod federalis quaedam sanctitas qua jus habent illi qui hoc modo sancti sunt ad media salutis Sacramentum Baptismi qua ab Ethnicis Turcis similibusque aliis infidelibus separantur 1 Cor. 7.14 toti nationi seu populo communicetur cui Deus tabulas sui foederis ita impertit ut easdem suscipiant profiteantur quos ad statum visibilis Ecclesiae suae vocat ducit Rom. 11.16 17 18 19 20. Haec foederalis sanctitas transfertur ad posteros non per proximorum parentum sanctitatom inhaerentem qui sua fide vel infidelitate eam posteriis proximis vel tollerent vel stabilirent sed misericordi Dei voluntate qua foederis illius privilegia externa parentibus etiam remotioribus promissa extendit constanter impertit in multas generationes posteris fidem profitentibus etiam iis quorum parentes proximi impii in foedere Dei perfidi fuere Whether infants whose immediate parents do not joyn themselves by any solemn Ecclesiastical Covenant to any particular Church are not to be baptized in the Church but are to be esteemed incapable of Baptisme and void of Church priviledges answers the question in these words The reformed hold that a certain foederall holinesse whereby those that are in this manner holy have right to the means of salvation and whereby they are differenced from Heathens Turkes and other like infidels 1 Cor. 7.14 is communicated to the whole Nation or people to whom God do's so impart the tables of his Covenant that they receive and professe them whom he calls and brings to the state of his church visible Rom. 11.16 17 18 19 20. This foederall holinesse is transmitted to posterity saith he not by the inherent holinesse of immediate parents which either their faith or unbelief should take away or establish to their immediate posterity but by the good and gracious will of God whereby he extends and constantly bestowes the outward priviledges promised to more remote parents for many generations to posterity professing the faith even to those whose immediate parents have been found wicked and false in their Covenant quoting these texts Ps 106.35 36 44 45. Isa 63.10 11.51.1 2 3. Ezek. 20.8 And confirming this assertion with severall arguments the last of which is this c Quia adulti omnes in Novo Testamento à Johanne Baptista Apostolis sunt baptizati telonarii milites quicunque ex Judea circumjacentibus regionibus ad Baptismum devenerunt absque longiore examine si modo fidem profiterentur peccata confiterentur et si hypocritae genimina viperarum homines malae frugis iter eos essent proinde infantes eorum ad baptismum admittendi Causam hanc pro praxi Ecclesiarum Reformatarum multis disputat Cl. Walaeus in locis communibus operum in Folio pag 494 495. Because all of years in the New Testament were baptized by John Baptist and the Apostles as Publicanes Souldiers and whosoever out of Judea and the regions round about came to Baptisme wit hout any further tryal provided that they professed their faith and confessed their sins though there were many Hypocrites generations of vipers and men of dissolute courses amongst them and therefore saith he their infants are also to be admitted unto Baptisme adding that learned Walaeus largely defends this cause for the practice of reformed Churches in his Common places pag. 494 495. adding yet further d Rejicimus igitur Antitheses eorum qui denegant Baptismum filiis eorum qui impie vivunt vita sua improba efficatiam baptismi sui irritam erga se reddunt Hisce opponimus judicium Leydensium in Synopsi Theol. ubi sic disserunt disput 44. thes 50. We therefore reject the contrary opinion of those which deny Baptisme to the children of those who live wickedly and by
Christ and several others If I will acknowledge this I shall be soon brought to yield up all Is all Adoption proper to the regenerate what shall we say then to that of the Apostle Rom. 9.4 To them pertained the Adoption Had the Apostle that heavinesse and continual sorrow of heart for Israel after the flesh and doth he yet give them that testimony that they are regenerate Gomarus on the place hath these words Lest any in this place should mistake Adoption and acceptation for sons in Scripture is twofold general and special General adoption is an outward destination or call into the visible Church and Company of the Sons of God upon which account many are said to be the Sonnes of God as opposite to the Sonnes of men that is aliens from the Church Gen. 6.2 And Israel this general way are called the sons of God not onely those that were elect to life eternall and regenerate but also those that were reprobate and meerly carnal and therefore the Jewes Sons of the kingdome or the Church of God are said to be cast into utter darknesse Matth. 8.12 And whether all union with Christ imply regeneration let John 15.2 be consulted where an union with Christ is cleerly held out yet Mr. Baxter brings that text among others to prove that there are some Saints that shall never be saved Mr. Hudson and Mr. Cobbet tell us at large that Christ is the head of the Church visible and hath many unfruitful members Other phrases are there brought or titles as proper to the regenerate which are well known in Scripture to be applyed to such as have Apostatized and are brought by Arminians to prove falling away and are answered by their adversaries Mr. Hudsons words are here worthy of consideration Onely the invisible company have internal spiritual communion and are elect many of those that have external communion and are visible members shall perish and yet by reason of their profession are said 2. Thes 1. 1. to be in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as Ames also confesseth Med. lib. 1. Cap. 32. art 9. Such was the Church off Corinth and Ephesus c. wherein all were not in Communion for life and of such Christ speaketh John 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he takes away and verse 6. If a man abides not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned These are said to be redeemed 2 Pet. 2.1 denying the Lord that bought them and sanctified Heb. 10.29 yet hath accounted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and much more to this purpose Vindi. pag. 5. And if the Apostle give Testimonies to whole Churches holding out what they ingage to be ought to be and professedly were this comes short of his purpose I find little or nothing in all the other Arguments but that which either looks not at all towards any thing that I hold Humane authorities vouched or else is already spoken to His last onely from humane authority is observable Our Divines against the Papists saith he do generally plead that Hypocrites are not true members of the universal Church but as a wooden leg is to the body I must tell him that if they be Members of a particular Church then they are true members of the Church universal Taking universal and particular in a Similar homogeneal way for the visible Church state as we must take them if we speak any thing to purpose That which is pars partis is pars totius if my finger be a part of my hand it is a part of my body and if Mr. Baxter be an Inhabitant of Kederminster then he is an Inhabitant of Worcestershire and if of Worcestershire then an Inhabitant of England and let us see what they say of the Church visible indefinitely Lord Duplesse in his Treatise of the Church pag. 3. saith The invisible Church conteineth none but the good the visible containeth both the good and the bad that onely the Elect this all those indifferently that are brought into her by the preaching of the truth e Visibilis Ecclesia est coetus communiter vocatotum tum electorum tum reproborum Wollebius saith pag. 194. the visible Church is a company joyntly called as well of Elect as Reprobate f Ecclesia visibilis constat non solum ex electis vere piis sed etiam ex reprobis Hypocritis Ravanellus in verb. Eccles The visible Church consists not onely of the Elect and truely Godly but also of reprobates and Hypocrites g Nostri Ecclesiam universalem non invisibilem quae solos electos vere fideles complectâ—tur de quae Christus loquitur Matth. 16. sed visibilem quae electis hypocritis constant intelligunt Gomarus Analysis in 2 Thes 2. Our Divines understand the Church universal not invisible which onely contains the elect and truely faithful of which Christ speaks Matth. 16. but the visible which consists of Elect and Reprobate Mr. Hudson Vindication pag. 7. In the same sense that a visible Church may be called a Mystical body of Christ Christ may be also called a Mysticall head thereof as Christ terms himself a Master so he hath evil slothfull servants and stewards as a King he hath rebells that will not have him to rule over them even in his Church Matth. 25.6 giving like instance as a shepherd as an householder as a bridegroom a husbandman a fisherman a vine adding Christ saith My people are foolish they have not known me sottish children c. h Alia est Ecclesia vocatorum promiscue bonis malis fidelibus hypocritis constans Alia est Ecclesia electorum vere fid lilium qui quidem in coetu vocatorum sunt Pareus Revelation 3.1 The Church of the called is one consisting promiscuously of good and bad faithful and hypocrites the Church of the elect is another consisting of Elect and truely faithful which indeed are of the same company of those that are called Ames Anti Bel. T. 2. lib. 2. Cap. 1. not 5. when Bellarmine had stated the controversy between his party and his adversaries Others he saies require inward virtues to make any a Church member i Nosautem ut aliquis aliquo modo dici possit pars verae Ecclesiae de qua Scripturae loquuntur non putamus requiri ullam inteman virtutem But we faith he do not think that any inward virtue is required to make a man in some sort a part of that true Church of which the Scripture speaks After discovery of his sophistry in the word after a sort positively answers k Falsum est internas virtutes requirui à nobis ut aliquis sit in Ecclesia quod visibilem ejus statum It is false that inward vertues are required of us to put a man into the Church according to
the inward Essence and the other according to the outward manner of Existence Yet this must be taken further into Consideration seeing from this distribution of the Church Mr. Baxter hath got up an Argument to prove visible Churches to be no Churches which is his nineteenth Argument of his 26. and is thus framed If the distribution of the Church into visible and invisible be but of the subject into divers adjuncts and not of a Genus into its Species then that part or those Members which are meerly visible are indeed no part of the Members of the Church so distributed but are onely Equivocally called a Church Church-Members c. The Antecedent must be yielded him the Consequence he saith is undeniable in that adjuncts are no part of the Essence much lesse the form or the whole Essence and therefore cannot denominate but aequivocally instead of the essence To this I answer the consequence might as fairly have been that these members which are invisible are no parts or members of the Church so distributed seeing invisibility or invisible as is confest is an adjunct as well as visibility or visible There may be a distribution of man by hundreds of adjuncts either corpulent or leane high or low black or fair old or young rich or poor learned or unlearned c. If one of these so denominated be a true man shall the other then be onely aequivocally a man If a corpulent man be a true man is a leane man no man If a tall black or old man be a true man shall then a low fair or young man be no man This must needs follow as well as the other The reason given that adjuncts are no part of the Essence is not at all to the purpose seeing the subject that is denominated by such adjuncts hath its Essence though blacknesse be not of the essence of a man yet the man that is black hath his essence and though visibility be not of the essence of the Church yet the Church which is denominated visible hath its essence And whereas we are warned to note that visibile is not the same with visum so I can give warning that invisibile is not the same with non visum though I know not to what purpose Secondly I answer the Church being an integrum and that per aggregationem and onely one in exact propriety of speech it cannot be capable of any such distribution so there must be one Church of one denomination and another of another but it is a distribution of Church-members which serve as parts to make up the whole some of which are onely visible that is all their honour to make a visible profession and to enjoy the glory of Ordinances and the Divine protection of God over his vineyard upon which account they are nigh when others are a far off The other are invisible members As they have all the visible honour before mentioned so they have an addition of a far greater glory of invisible graces The former I take to be the Church most properly though I know others are of another opinion for two reasons 1. When the Church is an integrum as Mr. Hudson hath largely proved it the visible Church containes the whole for the invisible part is also visible invisible respective to graces but visible respective to profession and outward priviledges The invisible is onely one part and so not the Church in its most proper signification 2. The Scripture almost wheresoever it speakes of a Church takes it in this acception and that which is the ordinary and common language of the holy Ghost which he uses most often almost alwayes is that which is most proper Some have said that the word Church is not more then once taken for the Church invisible which is Heb. 12.23 The Church of the first born If it should be granted that there is two or three places more which will bear that acceptation of it which is as much as can be pretended yet I dare say there is not one for twenty where the Church is taken for the Church visible And is the language of Scripture still all over aequivocal When Christ sayes The Kingdome of heaven is like to a man that sowed good seed in his field is like to a draw-net shall we say the Kingdome of heaven aequivocally taken Stephen sayes This was he that was in the Church in the wildernesse must we understand it of the Church aequivocal And when Paul gave Timothy a directory how to behave himself in the house of God which he sayes is the Church of the living God must we understand it of a Church aequivocal Such a one would be but a weak ground or pillar of the truth we may say the same of abundant other places If all these aequivocals be granted it will shortly be questioned whether there be any reality in Scripture language The Author vindicated from Arminianisme As the authority of our Divines is produced against the Papists so also their authority against the Arminians is brought forth Our Divines against the Arminians saith he do suppose the first act of believing to be the first time that God is as it were engaged to man in the Covenant of grace and that it is dangerous to make God to be in actual Covenant with men in the state of nature though the conditional Covenant may be made to them and though he hath revealed his decree for the sanctifying his elect That God is then first engaged for the graces of the Covenant I easily yeeld for then the grand condition by the help of grace is put in by the soul But let us here take up that which he is pleased to yield and compare it with that which he hath put into the Index of his Treatise of Infant-Baptisme where he notes this as Mr. T. his Error That the Covenant whereof Baptisme is the seal is onely the absolute Covenant made onely to the Elect which pag. 223. he confutes And if men in the state of nature be in that Covenant that Baptisme seales viz the conditional Covenant then men in the state of nature and short of justifying faith have right to Baptisme It follows In my opinion the transition is very easie from Mr. Blakes opinion to Arminianisme if not unavoidable save by retreat or by not seeing the connexion of the consequence to the antecedent When this was charged upon me by another hand I was acquitted by Mr. Br. and he testified for me that I had acquitted Mr. M. from any such charge I marvel therefore that now it should be fastened upon me But let us hear his reason For grant once that common faith doth coram Deo give right to Baptisme and it is very easie to prove that it gives right to the end of Baptisme God having not instituted it to be an empty sign to those that have true right to it What is it that we hear will it give immediate right to the end of Baptisme
distinction of a Church into visible and invisible Arg. 12 12. The children of God have right in the sight of God to be admitted to baptisme This is clear enough But men short of justifying faith are children of God even those that drew down judgements on the Old world as Gen. 6.2 The whole body of the children of Israel Deut. 14.1 Those that most provoked God amongst them Those that revolted from Christ for whom Paul had so much heavinesse in the flesh Rom. 9.4 If the way of their adoption or sonship be questioned doubtlesse it â—s such as hath with it an inheritance for a child is not adopted but to be provided for And what inheritance can be conceived but Church priviledges Greater will not be yeelded and lesser to one thus related cannot be assigned and what priviledge can be inherited if there be no door of admittance to it Those therefore that are short of justifying faith have right in the sight of God to Baptisme 13. Those whom God ingraffs by his power into the true Arg. 13 Olive and makes partakers of the fatnesse of the Olive they have right in the sight of God to be admitted This is plain God engraffing right must not be denyed But he engraffs by his power those that are short of that faith that justifies even the whole body of the Church of the Gentiles and we expect the like of the Church of the Jewes as appears from the Apostle Rom. 11. Therefore those that are short of a justifying faith have right in the sight of God to Baptisme I had thought to have ended here but let me add two more 14. All of those that professedly imbrace a Gospel tender Arg. 14 in which there is a conditional promise of Justification Adoption Glorification have right in the sight of God to all Ordinances ordinarily necessary and requisite to bring them up to these conditions and to the fruition of these glorious priviledges and consequently to baptisme the leading priviledge This none can deny that know the readiness of Christ in imparting saving Ordinances to a people But those that are short of faith which is justifying may imbrace a Gospel-tender in which there is a conditional promise of Justification Adoption Glorification Those therefore that are short of faith which is justifying have right in the sight of God to all such Ordinances and consequently to Baptisme 15. If the Apostle argue for a right to Baptisme from gifts Arg. 15 that are common to the justified and unjustified then faith which is short of justifying gives right in the sight of God to Baptisme This none can deny unless they will call the Apostles Logick into question and deny his consequence But the Apostle thus argues for a right to Baptisme from those gifts that are common to the justified and unjustified this is plain Act. 10.47 Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we The holy Ghost there is the gift of the holy Ghost then poured out the gift of tongues as in the 45. and 46. verses is held forth which is a gift not onely inferiour to charity but such as may be sever'd from it 1 Cor. 13.1 A gift of that kind that men of a miraculous faith ordinarily did as in an instant confer They are therefore gifts common to the justified and unjustified Those therefore of faith short of that which is justifying have right to Baptisme Arg. 16 16. If the promise be to others besides believers then so is the seal for to whom God promiseth to them he engageth himself to perform But the promise is to others Therefore the seal is to others This will be evident if it be once understood that it is onely the conditional Covenant which God sealeth by the Sacraments for this promise is made to unbelievers though the good promised is not to be enjoyed by any but those that perform the condition Arg. 17 17. If God do no more in his actual sealing to believers then he doth when the Sacrament is rightly applyed to hypocrites then he actually sealeth to hypocrites But God doth no more in his actual sealing to believers then he doth when the Sacrament is rightly administred to hypocrites The Minor is proved by the enumeration of the several acts 1. God maketh a promise 2. He commandeth Ministers to publish it 3. He hath instituted the Sacraments as mutually engaging signs or seals 4. He commands Ministers to deliver or apply them to those that professe their consent and desire to enter or renew the Covenant These two last I confesse I have borrowed and that from Mr. Br. pag. 223. of his Infant-Baptisme and whether they make for him or against him to prove or disprove their right which he here calls hypocrites and distinguishes from believers I leave to the censure of the intelligent Reader Mr. Baxters Arguments reviewed and his Vindication examined Argument 1. MR. Baxter argues When Christ saith Make me Disciples of all Nations Matth. 28.29 Vindicated baptizing them he meant sincere disciples though we cannot know them to be sincere I have answered that this discipleship which Christ here mentions is such of which whole Nations are in a Capacity which was made plain by the Commission concluding If whole Nations yea the whole universal visible Church consisting of discipled Nations were all believers it were a great happinesse Christ on the contrary saith Many are called but few chosen Mr. Baxter replyes If it be not sincere disciples that Christ means in that Text Then no Apostle was bound by that Commission and great Precept to endeavour the making of sincere Disciples but onely counterfeits and half Christians But the Antecedent is false Therefore I am sorry to hear the Constitution of visible Churches to suffer this brand of making counterfeit and half Christians It is well known whose Language it is That all charging or urging of duty upon unregenerate persons is onely to bring them to hypocrisie Do not all know that the means necessarily conducible must be used in order to the end proposed In order to make men sincere disciples they must be made visible professing disciples They may be half Christians if Mr. Baxter will have it so in order to whole Christians Dr. Ames if I do not misremember compares visible Churches to rough stones taken out of the quarry and invisible Christians to stones hewed and polished I am sure they must be taken out of the quarry to be put into the building It is said that Melanchton used to wish that there were more hypocrites in the world then there were not that he would have more dissembling among those that made profession of Christianity but more brought in to make profession Profession being a good step in the way to sincerity which a man would think Mr. Baxter would not dislike who so far speaks the mind of Christ towards men that if they will come but onely to a
visible profession he will not deny them admittance there because they intend to go no further but will let them come as neer as they will And what he sayes of Christs readinesse for admittance I may say of Ministers endeavours they must bring them thus far in order to a greater work Ministers are to be instrumental by the work of regeneration to make men babes in Christ and by remisse heat resembling smoaking flax to bring them up to greater fervour Shall we thence infer that they are to make men luke-warm which is a temper that Christ will not bear We therefore distinguish of luke-warmnesse 1. As a medium to further heat so Ministers must bring men up to it 2. As a terminus or end in which men rest So considered a Ministers work is to bring men beyond it the same we may say of a visible profession as a medium not as a terminus it must be all Ministers endeavours Mr. Baxter cannot be ignorant that Mr. Marshall and others that are for Infant-Baptisme have proved and Mr. Tâ—mb's hath yielded That this inlarged Commission given here to the Apostles is put in opposition to their limited Commission Matth. 10.5 6. They were first sent unto a Nation discipled to their hands entring as Christ tells them into other mens labours what that Nation was they must by their endeavors work all to be That was a Nation of professed disciples and hither they are by their Commission to bring all Nations Mr. Baxter addes For your Argument I grant the Conclusion and what would ye have more I wish no more so that you will stand to your word and then visible disciples of which whole Nations consist according to Christs Commission have right to Baptisme and I think that is the thing in Question He yet saith I grant the Minor taking the word disciples equivocally as a Corps is called a man and I confesse it usual so to take the word but otherwise I deny the Minor But I abhor that acceptation Honest-meaning men do not use to say so much lesse the Holy Ghost as though I should say that I had kept twenty men in my house these twenty years and then come off with a tale of twenty pictures I assert a reality in that discipleship which you call aequivocal As for that which followes To be Christs Disciple as to the Aged is to be one that hath unfeignedly taken Christ for his Master to teach him and rule him renouncing the contrary guidance of the flesh the devill and the world c. This is true as to the Inheritance of heaven but not as to Inheritance of Ordinances in order to the further work of sincerity that qualifies for heaven The Jew outwardly was not thus qualified and yet he had upon that account just title to Church-priviledges and in particular to Circumcision There followes to your Confirmation I deny the Minor and I say that it is so new a doctrine to affirm that whole Nations are not capable of being sound believers that it deserved one word of proof Much lesse should you have hid your Minor and turned it into a Negatio Existentiae when it should have been but a Negatio Capacitatis Doth it follow that a Nation is not capable of sound faith because they have it not or will not have it and afterwards you say If there be any Nation uncapable of faith then God cannot make them believers And so in conclusion you will have stones to be in this capacity for God can make them disciples as well as he can of them raise up Children to Abraham But you might easily know that I intended a Capacity to be brought into this state in Gods ordinary regular way by the Apostles Ministry And Chap. 27. pag. 194. I had before thus explained my self That which a whole Nation in Gods ordinary way of administration is in a Capacity to attain and enter into is onely a Covenant professed visibly entred upon and doth not require any inward change or work upon the soul to the being of it This is plain it cannot be expected in Gods ordinary way that a Nation should be brought forth at once all inwardly holy and sanctified such a field without tares hath not been seen such a floor without chaffe such a draw-Net without any fish that 's bad such a feast and none without a wedding Garment So that this is a doctrine so clear that proof needs not where there never shall be any futuriety we may well and fairly speak of an incapacity Capacity is vain when it is known and confest Existence shall never follow But there must never be any such existence as appears in Christs and the Apostles Parables of mixtures in visible Churches and hitherto all ages have had experience Whereas you say Do you think Preachers yet be not bound to indeavour the saving conversion of whole Nations If you say No you take them off the work their Master hath set them on If you say Yea Then you think they must indeavour to perswade men to that which they have not a Capacity of I think they are to bring them if heathens to a visible profession and as many as may be to thorow conversion That is somewhat remarkable which followes Vocation uneffectual is common to Pagans Vocation throughly Effectual is of the same extent with justification and I think Election A Pagan called according to Scripture is a Contradiction in adjecto Calling in Scripture-phrase is not a bare tender but accompanied with a professed answer That speech of Christ Many are called but few chosen is the close of two Parables Matth. 20.16 22.14 the one of Labourers called into the vineyard the other of Guests called to the wedding And in both applyed to them that answered to the Call that came and laboured in the vineyard that came with other bidden ones to the Feast and not to those that refused According to this doctrine there is no Medium between a Pagan and a justified man all Pagans and unjustified men are upon the same terms the Jew outwardly whatsoever St. Paul saith to the contrary hath no profit or advantage above the heathen When the Psalmist gives that Elogy to the children of Israel a people near unto the Lord Psal 148.14 the same may be said of every Pagan that is an alien from the Common-Wealth of Israel if once he hath manifested so much stubbornnesse as to refuse a Gospel-tender Scripture makes visible Church-Members nigh when others are afar off Ephes 2.13 and in visible Churches some according to Scriptures are more nigh then others Mark 12.34 when yet both are in an unjustified Condition Argument 2. reviewed Mar. 16.16 vindicated Mr. Baxters second Argument to prove that onely justifying Faith gives title to Baptisme is thus laid down When he saith He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved here Faith goes before Baptisme and that not a common but a saving faith for here is but one faith
and the bruised reed broke There have not been a few hungry sad souls that I have known that have born the terror of the Lord separate themselves for this reason But it will be replyed by those that give this warning that they mean not these they are not at all intended in their speech these they would tender and with all endeared affection of love encourage as those that have most need and are most fit to receive food for their strength But all of this helps not when this Proposition is laid down That no man in whom justifying faith and a new life by the Spirit is not wrought may dare otherwise then on the peril of his soul to draw nigh hither will not such a soul necessarily assume A new life through the Spirit is not wrought in my soul I am conscious to my self that I am carnal whatsoever endeavours I have used to believe yet how far am I from faith in strength and truth I find my self all over doubts and fears and plunged in unbelief And though I have made it my businesse to keep off from sin yet how far am I from a true change by repentance I find my heart hard obdurate even as an adamant yea the poor deserted soul will take to it self the state of Cain the condition of Judas If there be any other high in wickednesse they have matched yea they have exceeded them They are to put it to the question whether they are in grace or no whether they have a new life wrought or as yet are short of it This they must either determine in the affirmative that they are in grace at least there are those hopeful signs in present that they cannot but conclude it and then they safely may come upon sight of this they may with cheerfulnesse make their addresse or else they must carrie it in the negative all that is yet wrought is not life is not grace is not faith in its power is not repentance in truth as they can do no other that walk in darknesse and see no light that say God hath forgotten to be gracious and so they must keep off from the Ordinance and debar themselves from those cordials those apples those flagons that are there tendered and sick of love yet dare not intermeddle with the Lords tokens that are tendered to them or in the third place suspend and so sit down in doubtful fears whether they have grace or no and then that of the Apostle Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin will soon come into their thoughts and so all that are short of fulnesse of assurance must in dreadful horror separate themselves Secondly This Sacrament in that it is a Sacrament hath the name and nature of a seal as we see in the text and God willing shall be shewn a visible seal intrusted in the hands of man and therefore must needs be of a more different latitude and large extent then that seal which God reserves in his own keeping the seal of the Spirit The Lord knowes them that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 But man is to seek who are the Lords God knowes how to put to his seal to his own man who hath not this knowledg must needs be here allowed a greater latitude either men entrusted with it must have the knowledge of God as to this particular who they are in whom a new life is and grace wrought or else they must be allowed a greater latitude to take in men that make profession of God and as members in Church-Communion may be edified by it I know this argument is carried another way and that we conclude the contrary upon a double account 1. These seales of God outward and inward should answer each to other Those that have the outward seal they are to have the inward those that take into their hand the seal of the Sacrament should have the impresse of the Spirit on their soules To which I answer That the writing of the Word with Inke and Paper in the Bible and the writing in the heart by the Spirit should answer each the other that is every Christian should make it his businesse to hide that Word in his heart that by the Ministery sounds in his ears and yet Christians are not warned not to take a Bible into their hands till the impresse of that which is there is put on their hearts The Word is delivered in a greater latitude and so also must the Sacrament 2. Some say this Sacrament seales Gospel-promises onely they therefore that can claime the promise and have their interest in it can claime the seal otherwise the seal is put to a blank there is a seal where there is no Covenant-promise 1. I answer this argument thus carried speaks sadly to the hearts of all dispensers of the Sacraments they must see there is a Covenant-promise or else they must not dare to put to a seal To put any mans seal to a blank paper where nothing is written is a vain use of that seal It stands there as a cypher Now to put Gods seal to a blank where nothing is written doubtlesse is as vain and an high taking of Gods Name in vain according to these the Covenant is written in non-legible and invisible characters This inward work is that white stone with a new name written which no man knoweth save he that receives it Revel 2.17 and so the dispensers too often against convictions of conscience allwayes at hap-hazard must deliver them any thing written or not written whether a blank or filled up they cannot tells but are all at uncertainties 2. I answer as is the seal so is the Covenant both of them external and one must answer to the other Now these in question as hath been demonstrated at large are in Covenant An outward Covenant is by few questioned and so the seal is put to no blank but given to one interested in Covenant It seals the grace of the Covenant and mercy tendred in the promise on Gods termes and propositions So that the different latitude of the seal of the Spirit and of the seal of the Sacrament do conclude that men of no more then visible Church-interest may partake of it 3. The Church de facto hath injoyed it in this latitude not to instance in some ages following the times of the Apostles in which the Pastors called all their people to daily Sacraments and the use of it in Austins time when wicked ones in the Church were so numerous that they durst not deal with Church-censures but look into the Scripture though we are kept much in the dark concerning their practice little mention being made of the administration after the institution yet we know that this Sacrament was the priviledge of visible members then in being and it is clear enough how far many even then were short of sincerity If that of 1 Cor. 11. be
put into the Proposition and it not delivered in that generality and whensoever that distinction shall be put I shall not doubt but an answer in the distinction will be suggested Secondly Inabilities to perform duties upon the bare account of natural corruption in a right way and in that acceptable manner as to receive the comforts of them do not discharge a man from obligation to the duty In case indeed it could be proved that God never gave the Sacrament in charge to an unsanctified man but left this visible Ordinance as a Legacy or charge to an invisible Society whom none but themselves can distinguish and few of them able to distinguish themselves then the argument were of some force but from the inability to reason against obligation to the duty to take men off from it upon that account of weaknesse through natural corruption will take all men off that are unregenerate from all duties Thirdly Those that in this way disable all men in nature from these duties which are given in charge to a Communicant upon that ground to keep them from the Sacraments yet confesse they may do this work in order at least to their own exclusion they cannot examine themselves in order to receive but they may and must examine themselves in order to hold themselves off from it When the Apostle speaks to the whole visible Church of Corinth expressely Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. This few say they can reach but to examine and not to eat is in the power of all the other Fourthly Though these reach not the highest duties and so come not up to the ultimate end of the Sacrament yet they perform in their measure several duties and reach the intermediate and subordinate end of it They see Christ there evidently set forth and crucified before them There they see the highest aggravation of sin Christ wounded for sin bruised for transgression under the Fathers wrath for mans guilt suffering for sin the just for the unjust They see him bearing the sins of many and they cannot nor may not exclude themselves from the number They see there a ransome paid for sin a discharge made to the Fathers Justice They see Christ tendered and offered They may further oblige themselves to all duties required as well to the interesting grace which is faith as to the qualifications of obedience They do believe Acts 2.12 13. Luke 8.13 Joh. 12.42 43. 1 Tim. 1.19 This faith is true in its kind they do not onely yeeld assent but reach to some measure of joy and delight Luke 8.13 They are in Christ their way of inhesion or implantation I shall not determine But in the latitude as he is an head he hath members that are inherent in him he is an head of a Church visible and hath many members suitable as the Reader may see in Cobbet of Infant-Baptisme Conclus 5. pag. 56. Whilest those hearers mentioned Luke 8.13 believed I cannot think it was the seeds-mans office who had sounded the Word in their ears to have withheld the visible Word from their eyes or advised them to have withdrawn themselves And as they do duties incumbent on Communicants so also they receive mercies many intermediate mercies though in that state they receive not the highest and choicest mercies They partake of the fatnesse of the Olive Rom. 11. even all that come into that state that the blinded Jewes and the worst part among them did relinquish SECT XII Proposition 10. THe Lords Supper as all other Ordinances of Christ must be so administred The Lords Supper must be so administred that Communicants may be edified that the Kingdom of Christ may be most advanced and the Church in her members most edified Let all be done to edification is the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 14.26 Not as an Apostolical Canon as Mr. Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Policy hath observed for then if the Apostle had been silent that injunction had not been obliging but as a necessary result from all that they had in charge from Jesus Christ Prophecie exceeds unknown tongues because it edifies 1 Cor. 14.4 And unknown tongues are without profit and of no use without interpretation to edifie ver 5. Therefore we have the Apostles resolution for publique prayers ver 14 15 16 17. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitfull what is it then I will pray with the Spirit and with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Else when thou shalt blesse with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest for thou verily givest thankes well but the other is not edified And for the preaching of the Word ver 18 19. I thank my God I speak with tongues more then you all yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Matters circumstantiall and of themselves indifferent if they be not reduced to this end prove inexpedient and to the doer evil All things are lawful for me but all thinges edifie not 1 Cor. 10.23 The whole of the Ministerial work and every appendant to it must be reduced hither what have builders to do but to edifie And if they edifie not what do they do In what other metaphor soever their work is set out this is still their businesse the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.12 When they have done this and made it their whole businesse they may with confidence speak to God in the words of Christ I have glorified thee I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.5 This thread which runs through the whole of the Ministeriall work is not to be excluded here Those of whom there is hopes that they are willing to learn Christ are to be taken into Christs School by Baptisme and those are to be admitted to the Lords Supper that knowingly will engage for continuance and comming on in the waies of Christ Baptisme is the entry door into the Church visible no man must be refused of whom there is reason of expectation that they will be professedly Christs And the Lords Supper is the means of the growth of those that are thus visibly and in the face of the Church received where this may conduce to their building up it is not to be denyed so that the dispensers great enquiry must be whom the Lords Supper may benefit where it may edifie which according to Scripture rules may be discerned and determined otherwise the Apostle had not given this charge Let all things be done to edification and where it may edifie to give it and where it serves not for edification to forbear it not whether
enjoyed for help in their knowledge the longer at School the better the Master the more inexcusable the truant The growth of years that he had upon him when he first manifested a care to know age is unteachable in comparison of youth a low measure of light sometimes drawes on more strength of affections But where sin is not seen nor Christ known and consequently the soul is so in the dark that no use can be made of this ordinance for spiritual advantage the person may justly be judged to be in a present incapacity In which for the most part it will be more safe to delay then deny to perswade the party to forbear a little time and in the mean while to commend meanes of further growth by all means to endeavour his help that he may be fairly drawn on and not driven back from this Supper In the next place those that resolvedly will not make improvement of this Supper but wilfully put a barre to their benefiting by it are to be taken into consideration And his is done 1. By error entertained in their judgments by a taint in the faith that they professe 2. By viciousnesse of life or a profligate course Now either of both these to speake a few words of them joyntly are either such that are so in private and secret or else openly and professedly Those that are indeed such though in way most secret in the present posture as they stand are in an equall incapacitie to make inprovement of this ordinance with him that most openly proclaimes it Judas was unfit when he did communicate as well as Barabbas if he had communicated But of these the dispensers of this ordinance can take no cognizance Men wicked in secret cannot be debarred from the Sacrament they cannot follow men into their chambers and closets much lesse can they make a scrutiny into their hearts Here may be a just barre when yet none may justly debarre them Here there is almost an universal agreement those that pretend to the the greatest care in their admissions not dissenting though it give no small check to that glorious homogeneity of which they speak in the Churches of Christ and utterly overthrowes the definition given by many of the Church visible He that pleases may read Suarez in tertiam partem Thomae disput 67. Sect. 4. putting this to the question whether it be lawfull to deny the Sacrament to a secret sinner desiring it publiquely and by many reasons determining it in the negative as also in the following Section resolving the question who is to be accounted a publick and who a private offender And what is spoken by him of sin may be applied to error Those that are openly such Excommunicate persons are to be judged to be in a present inaptitude for the Sacrament by sufficient detection of their error or crime are either such that are under the Churches censure and stand excommunicate or else they are such that the Church doth tolerate whether because that censure is not in use in the place or otherwise Those that are under the Churches censure upon account of that sentence must be deemed in an incapacity when the sentence whether for error or for scandal hath had its due work for reformation as upon the incestuous Corinthian it must be supposed that the Church will again restore them to their freedome in the mean space whether the Church hath proceeded right or wrong be over rigid or just in her censure it is not in any one single Minister to determine There is a famous story related by Mr. Hooker in His Ecclesiastical Policy of one Bertelius that was excommunicated by the sentence of the Eldership of Geneva and had procured from the Senate of the place by common consent under their seal a relaxation further decreeing with strange absurdity as the Author censures it that it should belong to the same Senate to give final judgement in matter of excommunication and to absolve whom it pleased them Calvin hearing the report of it said Before this decree shall take place either my blood or banishment shall sign it And two daies before the Sacrament kill me if ever this hand shall reach forth that which is holy to them whom the Church hath judged despisers Men under publique sentence must be deemed to be such as by sentence they are adjudged But for others that stand free from censure their present aptitude for this ordinance is to be considered First Error in judgment and wickednesse in life equally indispose to this ordinance As to them that are in error of judgement some otherwise sufficiently austere would have all indulgence shewen and men of all judgements admitted enlarging liberty of conscience so farre that it should exempt men respective to their judgements from any sentence secular or Ecclesiastical not considering that as we find one ordered tO be sentenced for lewdnesse 1 Cor. 5. so also others under the same sentence for errors 1 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 2.17 18. And concealing if it may be that the same words that are produced by them for cleansing the Churches of wicked persons 1. Cor. 5.6 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump is by the Apostle applyed in so many words to set out the danger of error Gal. 6.9 upon which account doubtesse it is that some that professe so much zeal against loosenesse of life and plead for so much indulgence in difference in judgement ever quote those words out of Pauls Epistle to the Corinthians concealing that text to the Galatians that it may not appear that there is a like danger in either But whilest some are over indulgent others must not be too severe but carry an equal hand in regard both of errors in judgement and in practice As for errors in judgement they may be either immediately against these Sacramental ordinances or against Christ the summe and substance of them and all Gospel promises in Christ Errors of the first kind are 1. Theirs that are above ordinances either upon pretence of the Spirits immediate work without any agent or instrument on earth so that there needs not either Word prayer or Sacraments the opinion of Swenkfeldius or else because all is grown corrupt since the Apostles times that a company cannot be found with whom they may communicate as Musculus speakes of one in his Common places that had not received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper of twelve eares because he could find no pure Church in which to observe it I fear shortly we shall have many such But we need not here trouble our selves with these seeing of their own accord they keep at a distance from us 2. Theirs that look upon the Sacraments as matters either antiquate and obsolete as belonging to the Churches infancy in which it was indulged those carnal observances too low as they think for grown Christians or else as things of meer indifferency which may be used or neglected such are unmeet to be
received If any such be detected seeing though the substance of religion be not in the Sacrament so much as in the Covenant yet a man of so low an opinion of this ordinance of necessity debarres himself of any benefit of it a diffident opinion of a medicine or conceit against it is said to hinder the working I am sure it will obstruct the working of the Sacraments which have no innate physical vertue nor any other efficacy further then our understanding and faith makes improvement For errors against Christ the summe and substance of the Sacraments as every error is some way against him who is the foundation and carries on the whole work of our salvation that which I have delivered Treatise of the Covenant pag. 232. where I made it my businesse to give rules concerning separation when we are to stay with a Church and when to leave it may here be taken into consideration weighing both the kind and degree of these errors and the place that they have got in the affections and resolutions Those errors that necessitate us to leave a Church when it is in the whole face of it tainted and polluted may justly give occasion to deny a member accesse in case he tender himself to this ordinance These as hath been said are either such that render Christ in an uncapacity to be our Mediator and Saviour or such that are inconsistent in whole or in part with his Mediatourship of the former kind are those that are against his person 1. Those that impugne the Godhead of Christ such that though they give him the glory to be above Angels yet will have him to be no more then a creature a God in title and place as are Magistrates not in nature or power an opinion that involves the Apostolique Church and all Churches in succession in Idolatry giving the honour of God the worship due to God unto him who by nature is no God a doctrine that will make Christ an impotent and not an omnipotent head too weak for his work to governe the world to bring under his enemies 2. Those that deny his manhood as having not taken our flesh and so no suitable head but a phantastique or seeming body Those that are against his Mediatorship are either such that obscure or some way eclipse it as every error doth that is any way considerable or such that rase if not utterly overthrow it in some of the necessary parts of it his Kingdome Priesthood or Prophetical office These are overthrown either directly in termes of full opposition or else by consequence and this either is immediate and evident the truth being confest they cannot be denyed or else the consequence more remote and not so easily discerned These things being premised we must bring it home to our purpose 1. Where fundamental truths are not onely questioned doubted and disputed but abjured and denyed errors directly Errors directly against the foundation or by clear consequence opposing fundamental truths tender the peâ—son uncapable of benefit by the Sacrament or by immediate cleer consequence introduced so that the fundamental truth cannot be known but the error must be seen Here is such a flaw in the Covenant that no improvement can be made of the seal to allude to that of the Psalmist Foundations are destroyed and what can the stewards of the mysteries of God do Such a soul hath framed to it self such a Christ as the Gospel never held out for his salvation These are such of whom the Apostle speaks Col. 2.19 that hold not the head from which all the body by joynts and hands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God and how can they then find any spiritual nourishment When they thus withdraw from Christ they are justly denyed to sit at his Table But when the error is of an inferiour nature as neither rendring Christ in an incapacity to be a Saviour nor yet wholly inconsistent with the work of his Mediatorship or at least not such directly but only by way of consequence and that not immediate and evident but more obscure and remote so that it may justly be hoped that in case the consequence were seen the conclusion that they draw would be best rather then the principle of truth denyed the case is then otherwise As we might live in such a Church in case doctrine of that kind were received and taught so we may not refuse such a member making his farther conviction our businesse where ignorance may stand with grace there errour is not wholly inconsistent with it And where there is any fair possibility that Christ may be there this Ordinance is not to be denyed And in case the opinion entertained and contended for be yet more soul so that we have just cause as the Apostle of the Galatians to say that their doctrine is inconsistent with grace yet being not as we can discern fixedly settled and resolutely received and concluded upon but with hesitancy and wavering their faith rather staggered then destroyed these should not hastily be refused But as the Apostle gives counsel respective as I take it to private converse After once or twice admonition reject so let it be here make essay to regain a brother rather then lose him It cannot be conceived that the Apostle when he wrote his Epistle to the Churches of Galatia would upon the account of their error how dangerous soever have discontinued this ordinance as long as he saw any hopes of their reestablishment though they were in eminent danger to be dischurched yet he would continue Church-ordinances Men of a resolved profligate course of life are uncapable of benefit by the Sacrament As for those that put a bar to their benefiting by the Sacrament by their vicious life or profligate course most mens verdict is soonest of all other against them with the Poets Peribomius Morbum gressu incessuque fatentur they have their faults written in their foreheads And certain it is that those men that are in their sin and resolved for sin in present can receive no benefit by the Sacrament First They that look upon Christ to receive benefit in the Sacrament look upon him pierced by their sins and that withall sorrow and grief of spirit The greatest grief in Family or Common-Wealth is borrowed to expresse it Zach. 12.10 11. They shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that in bitternesse for his first-born In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Had adrimmon in the valley of Megiddon VVhich was the mourning upon occasion of Josiah's slaughter 2 Chron. 35.24 But these now look upon him suffering for sins with all pleasurable delights and content in sin they see him under all this burden for our trangression and in the mean time take delight to add to the weight of it and so stand at the greatest distance from
jurisdiction can here apply this distinction seeing it overthrowes that which they apply hither Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Many that are admitted ma want acceptance in heaven but having their right and putting in no visible barre their confessed Ecclesiastical right concludes that their admission is with acceptance of heaven and my great businesse hath been for their comfort and encouragement that give admittance that their benefiting is possible that are thus admitted And here I might take into consideration the opinion of those that would have a promiscuous admittance and indeed I had it in my thoughts to have given a brief answer to Mr. Humphrey's Scriptures and Reasons so much by some applauded and so strongly bottomed Because all Communicants must drink of the Cup therefore all must communicate with some limits which being yielded as I have proved they must will draw the limit necessarily yet somewhat more narrow But this is by one hand already done and I have lately had the happinesse to see a second learned Piece fitted for the Presse dealing largely in it which I doubt not may both satisfie the Adversary and the Reader so that my pains may well be spared onely I cannot but take notice of his fourth Reason for a promiscuous admission which he faith will arise from the vanity formality impossibility of selecting people to this Ordinance Look to the heart of all these separations they come to nothing For put the case you will have a gathered company I pray who do you account indeed to be fit and worthy receivers If not all that make profession as we do mixtly then those onely that have an interest in Christ and are true believers Well but how will you be able to know them The heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it And if we can hardly discover our own hearts how shall we discern others so that all will come but to these that have the fairest shew those that seem such and you cannot be secured but there may and will be some hypocrites and so this true partaking as all one body and one blood in such an unmixt communion as you pretend vanishes and there can be no such matter But now if men stand here upon a formal purity and will have the outward purest Church they can they go to separating again and never leave separating and separating as we have daily testimony till they are quite separated one from another Even as in the peeling of an Onion where you may peel and peel till you have brought all to nothing unlesse to a few tears perchance with which the eyes of good men must needs run over in the doing To this I answer If the rule to take in this gathered company be interest in Christ to take in those of a saving interest and refuse all others if regenerate then he shall be admitted in case unregenerate then he shall be refused then I shall yield his conclusion I shall leave that distinction to him that knowes what is in man I should fear many a man of non-interest might be let in and many a man of true interest refused a glozing tongue may here carry it further then an upright heart And for his next of a formal purity to get the Church as pure as we can though this ought to be our endeavour to get the Church as pure not formally but really as possible yet I make it no rule But following the Apostles rule to do as all things else so this to edification though it be a matter of much care and prudence yet not vain and impossible in a good measure to determine it upon this rule I pitch till I hear something that may take me off it SECT XVI An enquiry into the power authorized to judge of mens meetnesse for the Lords Supper THe adaequate subject of Sacraments being found out and some discovery made of those that according to Scripture principles stand in a present aptitude for actual admission A great question yet remains Who must judge of this fitnesse Who are to judge of mens present aptitude so as to approve of men as such and Authoritarively to refuse or passe by others in which we may seem to be much in the dark finding no one expressely set up for that work nor any Scripture-precedent of any that have taken upon themselves such power And herein men have been very different in their thoughts The various claimes that are made to this power The Church of England heretofore hath vested the Minister in sole power as appears in Canon 26. which provides That no Minister shall in any wise admit to the receiving of the holy communion of his cure or flock which be openly known to live in sin notorious without repentance nor any who have maliciously and openly contended with their neighbours untiil they shall be reconciled As also the Rubrick to the same purpose It is true that those that made it their businesse to scrue up Episcopal power to that height that it could not bear did interpret this of such notorious offenders that by the Ordinary had been so adjudged and under present censure expressely contrary to the very words of Canon 27. requiring every Minister so repelling any such upon complaint or being required by the Ordinary to signifie the cause unto him and therein obey his direction In case of such a preceding censure upon the person thus refused he had beforehand his direction and complaint is then supposed to be made onely for his obedience in refusing those that according to command given were to be denied The Schoolmen generally go this way putting the sole power into the hands of a Minister not so much disputing it so farre as I have read as taking it for granted Suarez putting it to the question a Utrum teneantur Ministri hujus Sacramenti non dare illud homini existenti in pâ—câ—ato mortali Whether the Ministers of this Sacrament are bound not to give it to a man in mortal sinne answers b respondetur certum esse habere Ministros hujus Sacramenti hanc obligationem simpliciter absolute loquendo That they are simply and absolutely under such an obligation mentioning none that are over them or assistent to them in it And in his first reason he saith That c Ex quibus sequitur primo hanc obligationem oriri ex ipsa lege naturali ac divina supposita tali Sacramenti institutione potestate ac munere commisso Sacerdotibus this obligation doth arise from natural and divine Law an institution of the Sacrament being supposed and such commission given to the Ministers so that he doth no more question the Ministers authority in this thing then he doth the institution of the Sacrament it self Suarez in tertiam partem Thomae quaest 89. disput 67. sect 1. And Thomas puts the question
Cyrenius in Syria to Pilate in Judea Luke 2.2 Luke 3.1 is given by the Apostle to these here mentioned A military or politicall word saith one which is spoken of a publick person who is possest of power either in Common Wealth or Army And if those other texts of the Apostle be consulted Hebr. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Tim. 5.19 2 Cor. 2.6 and 5.12 13. 1 Thes 5.12 to mention no more so much will easily be found in them that speaks a government within the Church it self not going out of its own limits Whether some texts ordinarily produced hold out so large an enumeration as is by some bottom'd upon them may happily be disputed but that there should not so much as any government at all be spoken to cannot be imagined which thing in reason is also plain 1. The Church is a society a visible Kingdom an incorporation a body and when all of these have their lawes governours censures punishments it cannot be thought that this society should herein so farre differ and be so farre inferiour to all other societies as to be wholly destitute when all others enjoy government governours for their strength defence and more compleat being the Church alone shall be like that City which the Wise man speaks of broken down and without walls Prov. 25.28 2. The Church consists of men as do other societies subject to failings yea to enormities and exorbitances in judgement and practice There hath no age past in which the Church hath not had her schisms errors and scandals No society or body politick is so like to run upon miscarriages seeing the lawes to which Christ ties are so averse to our natures when we can bear others we are apt to say we will break these bonds and cast them away from us Satan envies no other society or bond of men as he doth the society or bond of Christians His kingdome will consist together with all other states and kingdomes they may rule and he rule likewise onely this of Christs Kingdome is wholly averse to Satans and militates against it for the ruine of it 3. The Church from the beginning hath exercised this power within it self when all other powers were adverse and contrary to it How long was it before the Church had a Christian Magistrate and lay under the persecution of heathen states in all which time a discipline vvas yet kept up If the Church had no such povver hovv could it then exercise it 4. The Churches that have been remisse in their improvement of this povver have had their check from Christ himself in glory He manifests his displeasure from heaven against the Church of Pergamos that they had those that held the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and against the Church of Thyatira because they suffered Jesabel to teach and seduce his servants Rev. 2.14 15 20. The censure that lyes upon the Kings of Judah upon neglect of reformation in their time argues that they vvere in povver for it So the censure of these Churches upon like account argues their povver in like manner Even those that plead most for freedome of conscience and liberty in religion vvith all impunity from the civil povver yet confesse from these and like texts a povver vvithin the Church it self for censure of delinquencies To all this some are ready to subscribe as being not able to gainsay the clear Scripture evidence of a povver Ecclesiastical and confesse that it vvas so in those times but novv they contend that the case is othervvise Providence hath ordered a change of things and all is swallowed up in the hand of him that is chief in power since the time that the Church hath enjoyed Kings for her nursing fathers and Queens for her nursing mothers not barely accusing them of error that dissent in opinion but charging them to resemble those sons of Belial that upon the Israelites institution of Kingship were ungratefully asking this question How shall this man save us 1 Sam. 10.27 Making good their assertion of a change of this nature by this similitude As in the first Church among the Jewes whilest they were in a wandring condition as their need was greater so Gods personal providence and guidance of them was more expresse and apparent and therefore whilest they were in this Theocraty their government was not to be managed by any setled universal authority besides that of God himself or any one who took not in all weighty things immediate direction from him until such time as being throughly settled in peace and security from their enemies he might make his recesse and permit and appoint to them a King of their own Nation So in the first founding of the Christian Church during the time of their persecution as their weaknesse required were in a Theocraty too guided by the expresse direction of our Saviour himself given to the Apostles during the time of those fourty daies that he was conversant with them upon earth but now after the time that God hath perfected the time of the Churches deliverance and free establishment in peace and rest from all about her and the Prophecy is fulfilled by appointing Kings her nursing fathers and Queens her nursing mothers and having sons to be set as Princes in all Lands so that now under Constantine the uproomes and wandring Tabernacles as formerly under Solomon are converted into stately temples for men now to think of their running into their Wildernesse and persecuted condition by entertaining those temporary forms which unto that condition were most fit doth import both ingratitude and murmur against God and imprudence towards themselves Thus farre this similitude But those of this opinion I doubt would take ill that free dealing toward themselves which they use toward others and that upon their casting off all Ecclesiastical government under the notion of temporary forms we should apply that speech of the Lord himself to Samuel concerning the people of Israel upon their resolution to make a change in government 1 Sam. 8.7 They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them And to make the dissimilitude in this simile further apparent it should I suppose be taken into consideration that when God was pleased first to permit and then appoint a King over Israel that the former fabrick of Government written in the Law was not taken down but the whole Levitical order still stood as to all purposes prescribed of God the change was no more nor further but in him that rul'd in chief Instead of one raised by an immediate hand of God as their exigence required they now had one after the manner of other Nations of constant standing And God forbid that we should murmur that the Church hath her sons for Princes and that those that rule over us serve the Lord Jesus with us But we think that these servants of Christ thus raised in honour should see that what Christ hath set up should
be aright managed and that they should have that inspection as the Kings of Judah had to rectifie what they find out of order but not to pull down any thing that Jesus Christ had raised up no more then the praise-worthy Kings of Judah did that which Moses had prescribed especially seeing the Lord Christ even in the space of those forty daies before mentioned asserting his pleni-potentiary power that he had received from his Father and giving power to his Church declares it to be of that lasting tenure to continue to the end of the world Matth. 28.18 19 20. And because these words which import this continuance are variously interpreted and some will understand them with limit to the end of the Apostles age seeing the age of a man is often set out by the word seculum the sports at Rome which were seen once in mans age were called ludi seculares and so we have this text against us But against this interpretation let the Reader observe 1. The frequent use of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end of the world by this Evangelist chap. 13.39 The harvest is the end of the world ver 40. So shall it be in the end of this world ver 49. So shall it be in the end of the world and Matt. 24.3 Tell as when shall these things be what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world none of all which can be understood of the end of one but of all ages 2. Let the context there be considered Christ there promises his presence in the work of discipling all Nations but that was not the work of one age onely many ages are past over and yet many Nations are not discipled His presence is promised in the Word and Sacraments which must have their continuance till Christs second coming 1 Cor. 11.26 The Apostles words Heb. 9.26 may well serve for a comment on these words of our Saviour the alone place as Gomarus notes where this phrase is used excepting the texts out of Matthew mentioned But now once in the end of the world he hath appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself There are two ages of the world one determining upon Christs suffering resurrection and ascension the other commencing at that time and concluding at the end of all time and therefore the space betwixt Christs first and second comming is ordinarily called the last daies Christ dyed at the consummation of the first and the promise of his presence is made till the consummation of the second and the power given and received is no otherwise temporary Cauti 2 2. Neither is this to make for the prejudice of the office of ruling Elders Ruling Elders not hereby prejudiced Various opinions concerning them concerning whom there is in the Church so hot dispute Some own no such power but make it to be a new device not heard of before this last age Others plead a divine right for it and produce Scriptures that appear to speak very fair that way though they meet with very shrewd objections A third not insisting upon any such formal institution being jealous that the texts held forth will scarce bear it out yet concluding that the whole body of the faithful have their interest in government Church Government being neither Monarchical nor purely Aristocratical but mixt with a Democraty they bring in ruling Elders not as officers set up by any immediate institution but as representers of the people So that as Knights appear in Parliament not in their own names as the Peers of the realm heretofore have done but in the name of the respective Counties and Burgesses in the name of their respective Corporations so ruling Elders chosen by the vote of the people have no other power but what they exercise in the name and right of those that set them up Pastors have their power primitively vested in their own persons by immediate appointment of Christ Jesus These have power by way of delegation from them that authorize and appoint them others yet are not at all displeased with this power but upon neither of the former grounds but as a prudential course for the more easy and orderly regulating of the affairs of the Church in case either the chief Magistrate shall set them up or the Church it self by his appointment allowance or connivance Asserting a liberty in the chief Magistrate or Church for this purpose That as in the Jewish Sanedrim there were of the people appointed to assist the Priests both in civil and sacred affaires so when nothing to the contrary appears in New Testament-times it may be still so provided As the Church might set up some to determine Controversies and prevent law-suits 1 Cor. 6.4 and might appoint a brother to be joyned with Apostles to receive and disburse the Churches Alms 2 Cor. 8.9 10. And the Church of Antioch might delegate some to be present at the debate and determination of the Apostles and Elders of Jerusalem in a case then controverted Act. 15.2 so it is not unlawful with prudent limits to appoint some that may be assistant to carry on Church Government I shall not determine on what bottome it is safest to fix them I onely say that I do not see how the Church can well want them And though Mr. Mede whom some adore as their oracle for antiquity Apparet ex his quae diximus in munere adsessorum qui nonnullis in locis in usu sunt quos distinctionis causa temporarios aut laicos praesbyteros appellare possumus nihil esse quod possit reprehendi Non deesse in pia antiquitate exempla quae si non plane conveniant certe ad hunc morem accedunt Quae urbs si non prima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certe praecipuos ejus defensores edidâ—t and all deservedly magnifie calls it a new device yet Grotius of no lesse esteem speaks with more favour Imper. Summar potestat circa Sacra Cap. 11. After a large discourse about them He saith that it appears by that which we have said that in the office of Assessors which are in use in some places whom for distinction sake we may call temporary or lay Elders there is nothing that may be blamed Affirming further that there is not wanting in Sacred Antiquity examples which come very near to this custome though not wholly up to it Neither does he make Geneva with some others the first Authors but onely the chief defenders of this order instancing in the benefit that may hence arise both respective to the civil Magistrate and Church Pastors The second of these with me is very rational and being fixt upon that bottome though those exceptions hold that are usually taken against those texts on which their Divine autority is usually built yet the order may still stand and those negative arguments which are brought against them from the Apostles inscription of his Epistle to the Philippians directed to
Prayer dost thou pray ever or never resolving to keep back from the Sacrament dost thou resolve wholly to forbear to call on the Name of the Lord If thou resolvest in this way and perishest thou hast upon thee the brand of the wicked Psal 14.4 They call not on the Name of the Lord and the sentence of the wrath of God Jer. 10.25 If thou canst pray with hopes to be heard thou mayest then have hopes to receive the Sacrament to be accepted and if so qualified as to be out of hopes in the one then thou art altogether void of hopes in both Paul speaks much of the danger of an unworthy Communicant which should awaken all that intend to receive And multitude of Scripture-Texts speak the same of men that pray in such a condition What can be worse then for the Lord to say when they pray he will not hear he will hide his eyes Isa 1.15 to reproach their praying by the name of howling Hos 7.14 to account it an abomination Prov. 28.9 Secondly If it be above thy hopes to sit down with acceptance at the Lords Table Is it not then as much above thy hopes to sit down in heavenly places with Christ Jesus If thy state of ignorance unbelief and wickednesse keep thee from participation with visible Church-members in this Ordinance in the way how wilt thou be fit to joyn with the Church Triumphant in glory Thou must be made meet for heaven Col. 1.12 if thou come to heaven and thou art meet to partake of this Supper when thou art meet for heaven unfit for this unfit for salvation Thirdly If the danger be great to come unworthily is it any lesse not to come at all It is hard to determine of the sins of despising and prophaning the worship of the Lord whether is greater or lesser Judge whether are in better case those mentioned Matth. 22.7 or him that is mentioned ver 12 13. and then thou wilt see that there remains nothing but to endeavour to be such a one that may come otherwise thou perishest in coming and perishest in absenting Others professe their willingnesse and readinesse to come in case they could have things to their minds when they come But things being as they are they are compelled to forbear Now these keep off out of several principles which in case they be well laid they may justifie their practice but in case they are found erroneous their way must needs be faulty These are in two extreams Want of a wonted Leiturgy may not excuse Some would come in case the ancient Liturgy were held and the Book of Common Prayer anciently in use in England might be observed in the mean time till that be they do forbear To this I say It is wonder how so much stresse is laid on this as to invite to the worship of God in case they may enjoy it and to perswade a total neglect if they want it Give me leave to desire of these there being so many that harp upon this string a few things for satisfaction that so we may either prevail with them to hold Communion with us or else that we may forbear with them First Is not this an honour far above all that is due to any labour or composure of man to turn the scale in this manner whether an instituted worship of God must stand or fall An humane work it is this cannot be denyed we are to receive nothing as Divinely inspired upon pain of adding to the Word of God but that which is contained in the words of the Scripture For this so to steer my course that when my liberty of use of it is granted I will worship and when denyed I will forbear This I say is too high an honour a work of man is thus made of the very essence and being of an Ordinancie of God Hezekiah indeed put that honour upon the Altar at Hierusalem that he would admit no sacrifice elsewhere as Rabshakeh could observe to his reproach Isa 37.7 But he had a Word of God for it Deut. 12.5 6. To give the like honour to this book without a word from God is to idolize it These opinions of it were that which outed it Secondly Is it for the excellency of the work it self that thou thus prizest it or from the Sanction that from higher powers hath been put upon it the Law that did establish it It must needs be one of these that moves thee to put such an honour upon it That no such incomparable transcendent excelleny to cause so high a price to be put upon it can be found in the work it self may seem several waies to appear if we consider 1. The time of composure immediately upon the first dawning of the Gospel light and beginning of the knowledg of God in the midst of us 2. The persons for whose use it was composed such that for the generality had scarce stept one foot out of Popish blindnesse 3. The end at which the compilers aimed to frame such a piece that might draw on a people wholly held in Masse Idolatry to be content to accept somewhat in their own tongue where prayers are directed to God in Christ and not as before they had been trayned to Saints and Angells So that they made not that use of their own gifts for such a work as by the light received from God they might have framed but such a one that they judged most meet for the Churches present infant condition and so contented themselves in a great part with that which they found in the Breviaries and Portuises of Rome In so much that B. Davenant one of the gravest and most learned of Prelates saith Deter 37. k Quidam exipsis Pontificibus Romanis formulam illam sacrorum officiorum qua not utimur probare voluerit modo nos ab ejus autoritate hac in rependere voluissemus that some of the Bishops of Rome have offered to approve our form of prayers provided that we would accept it by their authority This is sufficient if no more should be said to make it appear that it did never come up to that excellency that one might reach that were composed in greater light and for their use that were of further growth But letting it passe without exception and yielding as must be granted that thousands are in heaven that received the Sacraments no otherwise then according to the directory in it yet doubtlesse as must also be granted that many more thousands are in heaven that never knew it Christ and his Apostles never used it It was not in use in the primitive times How many Liturgies may be read as we may see if we go no further then Cassander and this of ours is none of them None of the reformed Churches in the world except England hath made use of it Had it been of such a glory that men would deny themselves the benefit of the Sacrament rather then want it all should at the
beares no relation to the cleansing of sin but washing with water and bread and wine no relation to the setting forth of the Lords death remembrance of him or life by him but the breaking eating and drinking Thirdly That which being removed nulls a Sacrament that is necessary to the being of Sacraments This is plain Nothing can destroy being but the want of that which is necessary to being But the removal or taking away of the use nulls and destroyes the bring of Sacraments Let not the foreskin be cut off nor the Lamb rosted and eaten the water not be applyed to the person nor bread and wine eaten and drunken there is no Sacrament therefore the use of Sacraments gives being to them Fourthly All benefit of and in the thing signified consists in the application therefore the Sacraments for their being use and benefit consist in their application likewise The consequence is grounded upon the analogy that is between the sign and the thing signified The antecedent is clear the blood of Christ the sufferings of Christ not brought home to the soul and interest obtained by application doth not benefit or profit Fifthly That which enters the definition of a Sacrament is of the being of it This none can deny But the use or office of a Sacrament enters the definition of it Ergo. The Apostle defines it to be a sign and seal which plainly speaks not the nature but the use of Sacramental elements Here is no Conroversie in this thing among parties save with the Church of Rome neither is there any with them save in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper They confesse that the being of Baptisme doth so consist in the use that without it it is no Sacrament Onely the Lords Supper for Transubstantiations sake though never used is still a Sacrament when they reserve it in a box carry it about for pomp hold it up for worship it is still a Sacrament The body of Christ is still there and if a mouse falls upon it the mouse receives a Sacrament knawes upon Christs flesh But when worms breed in it as they may by their own confession they are hard put to it They cannot breed upon accidents the shape the colour of bread cannot give being to worms And to say that the substance which remains there which is the flesh of Christ breeds them is no low blasphemy The generation of one is the corruption of another and God will not suffer his holy One to see corruption I remember an answer to this great difficulty when I first read Philosophy out of Conimbricenses Physicks That learned Society did determine that God by miracle did create matter and laid it by the consecrate host and that did putrifie and not the consecrated bread and so Worms were generated They sure believe that it is an easie thing to put God upon miracles Against this permanency of this Sacrament out of the use of it we say First If the use of this be instituted The Sacrament of the Lords Supper equally transient with Baptisme as well as the use of Baptisme and given in command then this Sacrament consists in the use as well as Baptisme This cannot be denyed for the institution and Comman of Christ must equally lead us in both But in the Lords Supper as well as in Baptisme the use is within the institution and given in Command by Christ Therefore this Sacrament of the Lords Supper consists in the use as well as that of Baptisme Whereas Bellarmine replyes to this that Christ commanded the bread to be eaten but not presently after consecration therefore to delay eating is not against the institution To this we answer 1. Neither did he command water as soon as set apart for Baptisme to be applyed to the party to be baptized yet till it be applyed the party is not baptized water is no Sacrament and so the bread and wine in that interim still applyed still wants the nature of a Sacrament 2. He did command it then to be eaten by Bellarmin's confession though not instantly to be eaten and he gave the like command of the cup as of the bread yea with more exactnesse a note of universality added Drink ye all of it yet their Laity have a Sacrament and never drink of it 3. That which the Apostles did that Christ enjoyned as Amesius well replyes they understood Christs intimation as well as the most nimble-headed Jesuites but they did not reserve it but did eat it Secondly If there be no footsteps in all the holy Scriptures of any other way of dealing with the elements of the Lords Supper then the eating and drinking of them then according to the institution they must be eaten and drunken But there is no footstep there of any other dealing with the Sacrament then eating and drinking Therefore according to the institution it is not to be reserved but to be eaten and drunk Indeed Chamier quotes Croquet replying that some of the Ancient have said that Judas took one part of the Sacrament and reserved the other for scorn but this may be well reckoned among others of like nature in their Legends And I would advise all those that believe it if they be ambitious to be disciples of Judas to follow it Thirdly The promise in this Sacrament is not to be divided from the precept by any that will expect a blessing But where the promise is This is my body this is my blood in the New Testament in the institution There is a precept Take eat Drinke ye all of this therefore they must eat and drink that will have benefit in the promise It would little I suppose please the Reader to hear Bellarmine Suarez and other Jesuits to exempt this Sacrament from the common nature of Sacraments and to make it permanent when the other as they speak are transeunt Thomas Aquinas Part 3. Quaest 73. art 1. resp ad 3. makes this difference between the Eucharist and other Sacraments This Sacrament is perfected saith he in the consecration of the matter other Sacraments are perfected in the application of the matter to the person to be sanctified Suarez disp 42. Sect. 4. quotes it with approbation and Scotus in quanto Dist 8. quaest 1. as he is quoted by Amesius All the Sacraments except the Eucharist consist in their use so that in them the Sacrament and the receiving of the Sacrament is the same He that pleases may read Bellar. Arguments lib. 4. de Eucharistia Cap. 2 3 4. Suarez in the place named with Whitakers Amesius Vorstius in 3. Tom. Bellar. Thes 9. pag. 406. Chamier against them both with others of that party de Eucharistia lib. 7. cap. 4 c. I shall desire to take up the Reader with that which I judge more necessary Gerard in his Common places Cap. 4. de Sacramentis makes it his businesse to find out the Genus in the definition of a Sacrament in which the general form of Sacraments he sayes is to be
farre as I could learn that it did succeed and spread as little as almost any error that ever I knew spring up in the Church Plain Scripture proof of Infants c. pag. 294. so inconsiderable was the party that stood for it And Vorstius speaking in the name of Protestant Divines in general saith b Id potissimum quaeritur an Sacramenta sint signa tantum sigilla foederis gratiae sive externa symbola signacula foederi gratiae appensa divinitus ad hoc institura ut gratiam Dei salutarem in foedere promissam nobis significent atque ita fidem nostram suo modo confirment simul publice testaram reddant quae quidem communis est Evangelicorum sententia an vero preaterea sint causae efficientes hujus salutaris justificantis gratiae sive an sint effectiva gratiae ejusdem organa nempe ad hoc divinitus institura ut gratiam istam realiter instar vasorum in se contineant omnibus illa percipientibus candem vi sua imprimant reipsa conferant quae Bellarmini Pontificiorum omnium opinio est It is disputed whether Sacraments are onely signes and seales of the Covenant of grace or outward signes annext the Covenant and appointed for this of God that they should signify saving grace of God promised in the Covenant and signifying seal and after their manner confirm our faith and give publick testimony of it which saith he is the common opinion of Protestants or whether they be further efficient causes of this saving and justifying grace or whether they be effective instruments of this grace appointed of God for this thing that they should indeed containe it in them and convey it which is the opinion of all Papists Vorstius Anti. Bellar. ad Contro 1 Gen. And our men further judge that opinion of the opus operatum or of the outward Sacramental action as though without the faith and pious motion of those that use it it could justifie any to be evidently false and pernicious And they teach that all Sacraments by the ordination of God himself have onely a power to signifie and seal and not to conferre the grace of the Gospel it self And whereas several passages in the Liturgy of this Church did seem to favour the opposite opinion affixing adoption membership of Christ and inheritance of the Kingdom of heaven and regeneration to Baptisme we know how great offence it gave to many eminently Learned and pious putting them upon omission of those passages And also what Interpretation as with a grain of salt others put upon them that they were onely Sacramentally such And doubtlesse these either hit upon the meaning of the Church which was held to these phrases in imitation of many hyperbolical speeches in the Fathers or else the Church had mist the meaning of Scriptures so loth were the sons of the Church to be quarrelling with their mother and yet more loth with her to run into errors The Observation it self if heeded hath a caution or limit in it Affirming that Sacraments work no otherwise then as signs and seals and that they conferre no inward graces or priviledges further then they work upon the understanding and faith of those that receive them it implyes that they do conferre what an outward symbole or sign is apt to and of powder to convey and that outward priviledges in Sacraments are either conferred of infallibly evidenced This is clear the Apostle having so far undervalued Circumcision in the flesh as to make it Parallell with uncircumcision so that a circumcised Jew and an uncircumcised Gentile differed nothing as to their Spiritual state and condition inferres by way of objection What advantage then hath the Jew and what profit is there of circumcision And answers not that outward circumcision is altogether unprofitable but that it hath much profit and instances in one eminent one To them are committed the Oracles of God This is the inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob Deut. 33.4 as Moses speaks and carrying with it this great priviledge it conveyes with it all other inferiour Church-priviledges right to the Passeover upon this account was theirs Exod. 12.48 and not otherwise So it is with Baptisme men are taken into the Church at this door according to the Commission given to the Apostles Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. Whatsoever they were and whomsoever they professedly served before they are this way taken in as the consecrate servants of the whole Trinity and added to the Church Act 2.47 When they had by the Covenant a precedent title in Baptisme they have a solemn inauguration By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 It is the Spirits work to shape the heart of unbelieving Corinthians to enter into one visible Church-body as that work of Gods power whereby he did perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 And therefore when c Durandus docet characterem esse ens rationis id est respectum advenientem ex deputatione ad certum officium qualis est relatio in Doctoribus Praetoribus c. Quae sententia vix distinguitur ab haeresi hujus temporis Durand denyed that the Character which the Church of Rome speaks of was any quality in the soul but meerly a relation comming as by way of deputation to an office or duty exemplifying it by the relation that is seen in Doctors Praetors c Bellar. lib. 2. de Sacramen effectu cap. 14. saith That this opinion can scarcely be distinguished from the Heresie of this time d Haeretici non negant neque negare possunt quin sit aliqua relatio rationis in Ministris quae non est in aliis qui non sunt deputati ad ministrandum And further saith That Heretiques do not deny nor can deny but that there is some relation in Ministers which is not in others who are not deputed to the Ministery We do confesse indeed that there is that relation in Christians to Christ by the work done in the Sacrament of Baptisme which is not in Heathens And though we deny Orders to be any Sacrament yet we confesse there is that relation in Ministers to Christ by vertue of their Ordination that is not in those that are not called to the work of the Ministery There are those indeed that do deny it But those that Bellarmine had to deal with and that he charges for Heretiques as Luther Melancthon Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Chemnitius willingly yeeld it And in case this were all the character that they talke of to be imprinted in Baptisme yea in Ordination we should never contend about it And as these priviledges are conferred as to actual interest in the initiatory Sacacraments both of Baptisme and Circumcision so the same priviledges in the following Sacraments are infallibly evidenced as appears in that text 1 Cor. 10.17 The Apostle there making it
with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy without blemish Ephe. 5.25 26 27. As the spot is taken off by his Spirit in working new principles in us and working us up to new obedience so the guilt is removed by his sufferings He blots out their transgressions for his Names sake He remembers them no more He hides his face from them He casts them into the bottom of the sea removes them as far as the East is from the West He doth not one of these to leave the other undone He vouchsafes purifying and he vouchsafes pacifying grace He delivers from the wrath to come and he makes meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light He conferres habitual graces and he honours with relative priviledges Fifthly These may be distinguished Blood and Spirit may be distinguished but must not be divided but they must by no means be divided Christ doth not impart his merit where he doth deny his Spirit We account it a great presumption in men of years to talke of justification and want sanctification and we can say to such If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his God writes his Law in the heart and puts it into the inward parts where he remembers sin no more Jer. 31.33 They are quickened together with Christ that have their trespasses forgiven them Col. 2.13 And it is an unwarrantable conceit to imagine that relative priviledges of adoption and pardon of sin are conferred on infants in Baptisme or otherwise when their natures remain still the same and unchanged who can think that God fits all of age for glory that he takes into glory and yet takes infants into glory their impurity and birth-defilement continuing Seeing that we have instances as of Gods love of infants Rom. 9.13 of Christs blessing of them Matth. 19.16 so also of the gift of his Spirit Jer. 1.5 Luk. 1.15 In case the former may be avoided yet certainly the later is above exception The reason given by Christ of that sentence of his holding forth an absolute necessity of regeneration Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God is the pollution of the first birth as appears by his own words ver 6. inferred immediately upon the repetition of the former That which is born of the flesh is flesh and this is of equal concernment to infants and men of years uncleannesse of birth as well as uncleannesse of life stands as a barre to our entrance into heaven and no unclean person must enter there Sixthly The Sacraments especially those of initiation whether in the old or new Covenant about which concerning this in question there is most dispute The Sacraments especially those of initiation have respeâ—t to both of these havo respect to this whole work both of the change of our nature and the removal of our guilt As the have respect to the one so also to the other and that the whole of their work and the way how it is wrought may be better understood we are to consider that First Somewhat is hinted and implyed in those respective signs of Circumcision and Baptisme and that is our uncleannesse in nature and guilt contracted upon it Why should either infant or man of years have the foreskin of his flesh in that way by Divine appointment cut off but to let us understand the propagation of corruption and derivation of it from man to posterity Why should water be applyed which is of an abstersive cleansing faculty but to let us know that there is uncleannesse to be removed Cleansing for that which is clean is vain and needlesse As Sacrifices for atonement did imply wrath so this cleansing implyes filth and consequently guilt filth and guilt being inseparable Secondly Somewhat is signified and taught us in them somewhat the bare signs themselves are apt to signifie viz. That the taking off of the staine and the removal of our guilt is to be done by anothers power Why is this applyed by another hand but to let us know that it is above our strength Somewhat not the signes of themselves but the Word of the Covenant that is annext teaches and that is That the blood of Christ removes this guilt and that the Spirit of Christ takes away this stain This the signes of themselves could never shew but the words of the Covenant abundantly do demonstrate that remission of guilt is the work of the blood of Christ and Regeneration or Sanctification the work of the Spirit That the water in Baptisme holds out the Spirit unto us for Sanctification and change of our wayes is that I know denyed by none and in the Scripture it is plain I will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed Deut. 30.6 Circumcision is that of the heart Rom. 2.29 which by the Apostle Col. 2.11 is interpreted the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh Baptisme is the same as to the signification as we see in the same place from the Apostle Col. 2.11 12 13. In whom ye are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein ye are also risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickned together with him having forgiven all your trespasses And this death to sin and life in grace are both from the Spirit Rom. 8.11 12 13. and both of these Baptisme holds out to us Rom. 6.4 We are buried with him by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of life But whether the blood of Christ be at all signified by this element of water some have questioned Sticking so rigidly to that phrase of the Apostle Tit. 3.5 that they will not alone have it understood of Baptisme but they will have nothing else looked after in Baptisme but the work of regeneration But this doubtlesse is a clear mistake The blood that was shed in circumcision gave the circumcised to understand that the guilt propagated could not without blood be remitted And if any think that this is too dark and obscure a proof of a Mystery of this weight let them compare with it the text under hand and the Apostles scope and aime in it which as we have heard is to shew that Abrahams circumcision was not his justification seeing he was justified by faith in his state of uncircumcision and that he received circumcision as a sign and seal of it justification is by blood Rom. 3.25 Circumcision is a sign and seal of justification Righteousnesse of
Lastly as Durand Reas 4 doth observe The whole that is done in it speaks its own use and signification and the use and signification of Sacraments wholly depends upon divine institution They have nothing that beares any colour to say for the Sacramentality of it save that Text of the Apostle Ephes 5.32 where the Apostle having illustrated that love which is due from the husband to the wife by that similitude of the love of Christ to the Church concludes This is a great Mystery and having spoke both of the union betwixt Christ and the Church and between man and his wife to prevent all mistakes he addes but I speak of Christ and his Church so that first we have not the word Sacrament there but the word Mystery which by Bellarmines own confession is not elsewhere in Scripture to be understood of any Sacrament and Cajetan on the words as Amesius observes warnes the prudent Reader to observe that we have not from Paul in this place that Marriage is any Sacrament So that neither word nor thing is found in Scripture that Marriage is a Sacrament Every one of these might have born a large discourse as is well known to all that are verst in these controversies But so many having spoken so fully to them though I was unwilling intending a Treatise of the Sacraments wholly to omit them yet was resolved that the Reader might not be overburthened to be as brief as possible in them FINIS A POSTSCRIPT TO REVEREND and LEARNED Master BAXTER IN WHICH These following QVESTIONS are friendly debated Whether faith in Christ quà Lord be the justifying act Whether mans Evangelicall personall righteousness be here perfect Whether the Morall Law is a perfect rule of righteousness Whether Vnbelief and Impenitence in professed Christians are violations of the Covenant of Grace Whether Faith and Repentance be Gods conditions or mans in the proper conditionall Covenant Whether the Covenant of Grace require perfection and accept sincerity With an enquiry into the judgement of Antiquity about severall things in reference to Justification Sicut meritum Christi non potest apprehendi ad justitiam salutem nisi per organon fidei divinitùs ad hoc ordinatum ita si fides alibi quà m in suo proprio principali objecto quaerat Justificationem non invenit nec accipitillam Chemnit exam concil Trident de fid Justif pag. 159. LONDON Printed by S. G. for Abel Roper at the Sign of the Sun against Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1655. THE INTRODVCTION REverend Beloved and much Honoured I have received your Apologie according to your appointment from your Stationer for which I return you hearty thanks as for the gift it self so for the pains that you have taken to rectifie me where in your judgement I have publickly stept aside An error in Divine things if it stand alone without addition of further aggravations is not light Truth being of such divine excellency that no pensil can draw out all deviation from it into opposite error must needs answer in black deformity and darkness But when it is not simple error but joyned with endeavour to engage others it is far above it self in fowlness To reduce a brother therefore not onely erring but thus erring must needs be an high acceptable office of love But in this I need to do no more than to say over to you what you have said to me in your first and second page which you stile your Prologue In this if we both speak our hearts thoughts we are one And I wish that in all other things there were a like unity in judgement and the time I hope with some confidence is near at hand that all mists and clouds will be so dispelled that we shall arrive at perfect union And as for infinite other reasons so for this glory is infinitely desireable In order to a right understanding between us I must acquaint you that your first words after your Christian salute have their mistake though not much material whether upon mistake of my words when I last saw you in Shrewsbury or fayling in memory I cannot determine I told you not that I had then sent to the Press a treatise of the Covenant◠but wished you indeed not to be offended in case I should in such a treatise publish somewhat in the way that you mention In which I do not barely oppose my memory to yours but also the witness of the Reverend Brother whom you know was then present together with the computation of time which speaks it to me to be above contradiction It was May 3. that we spake together as I well know by the errand that I had at that time into those parts and my book saw not the light till towards the end of November following and yet made speedy haste after it went out of my hands I was glad of the opportunity as of a brief discourse of some things as the little scantling of time would bear so also to understand your mind in the thing already mentioned before any further proceeding that there might be no unbrotherly difference which at that time you express'd with all possible candor for my encouragement in that way Yet you now complain that I have given the first onset and so put you upon a necessity of this way of dealing against me which you mention in your Preface Apologetical and in this Prologue and more at large in the Preface of your Confession preferring in your judgement a more private Collation and enquiry into things before this publique way of appearing in the Press And indeed I had it in my thoughts to have written to you before I had any setled resolution at all any more to have appear'd in publique had done some little that way as soon as your Aphorisms came to light which was more than three years and an half before my treatise of the Covenant was published as may be seen comparing the dates of either but after-thoughts took me off And indeed I see no cause of Repentance considering the issue of things between you and others After so much pains of writing on both sides I do not hear that any of those eminently learned men which you say from most parts of the land have taken this way to impart their animadversions have at all prevail'd to change your mind Neither do I hear that any of your replies have wrought any change in them for satisfaction And in the mean space those elaborate writings on both sides are buried in your Study and theirs and no other but your selves have any benefit at all Only we have their complaints such is humane frailty that their names suffer in your publick writings As to the Charge against me for making the first onset I had not appear'd at all had I not upon other occasions which may be seen in my Preface been put upon it to come out in open view And how far I stand guilty of that in which I
much for you as the most of those that are by you produced You may see that I distinguish of conditions serviceable to man in his return to God 1. For recovery of his lost estate of happiness 2. For the repair or new frame of his qualifications depraved and spoiled cap. 11. pag. 74. The condition immediately serviceable for mans return to God reconciled in Christ I say is Faith in the page quoted The condition respecting mans reparation in his qualifications to hold up communion with God I say is Repentance cap. 14. pag. 93. This then with me enters not the act of justification but is the justified mans way to bliss and glory And when Repentance is at the highest and obedience at the best it is not repentance nor obedience but the bloud of Christ in which faith alone interests us that must be our discharge So that if I may take the boldness to interpose my thoughts as to that multitude of quotations which you have produced for the interest of works in justification I think for the greatest part they labour of that Fallacy called Ignoratio Elenchi Put them into Syllogistical form and the Reader shall find that they do not conclude the thing in question They very fully speak a necessity of good works to Salvation which is the unanimous judgement of all Orthodox writers and the question is about their interest in Justification Which two in the judgement of Protestant writers very much differ as you may see in Mr. Ball Treatise of the Covenant pag. 18. Whose testimony I have produced at large p. 434. c. and thither I here refer you Where you may see the sole interest of faith the instrumentall efficiency or causality of it with an utter deniall of any interest of works in this of justification So that he alone may speak for all that the acknowledgement of the interest of works according to the tenor of the Covenant as a way appointed of God for attainment of glory doth not argue any interest at all of works in the work of justification But to return to that from which these quotations have caused this short digression I think you might have spared those words If I were on one side and all the Divines in England on the other there is yet the same reason to prefer all the first Churches before all them as there is to prefer all them before me In a word I shall ever think him more culpably singular who differeth from Christ and his Apostles and all his Church for 1200. or 1400. yeers then he that differeth from any party now living and differeth not from them forementioned Unless you could make it better appear that Christ and his Apostles and the Church for this space of time were more cleerly for you It is the Churches Testimony that is now our business and if the Reader have no more then Chemnitius bare word affirming with so much confidence as we have heard that all ages have been against you it is enough against your bare word that all former ages have been for you You now see my thoughts how they stand upon the Reading of that part of your Apology in which I am concerned Though it be above my hopes to give you satisfaction yet others I doubt not wil be more flexible in their opinion What you wil please to do further I know not it is enough that I understand my own mind which is so far as I can before-hand resolve not to intermeddle further and whatsoever I shall hear from you to impose silence on my self You have drawn me out to speak what is here said in my own just defence If this will not do it I shall think it will not be done Let me request that Christian Candor that the Common cause may not suffer and that you will not dwell on literall mistakes or unaptness as you may conceive sometimes of the phrase but take that which you shall judge to be my full meaning which I have made my business as fully as I can to make known I have no more to make yours or the Readers trouble but shall leave all to your candid interpretation and his impartiall censure and not onely subscribe but with unfeigned resolution by the help of grace remain in acknowledgement of your manifold eminent graces Your true affectionated Friend Brother and fellow labourer THOMAS BLAKE An Alphabeticall Table relating to the chief heads handled in this Treatise A. Abraham WHether any Sacraments from Adam to him Page 24 The question discussed in severall propositions Ibid. c. Acts Of God are entitled to man and the acts of man to God in Scripture Page 451 Actions Are denominated good or evill from the Law onely Page 613 Adam Was not Created an infant in understanding Page 15 Admission Of men of yeers to Baptisme examined Page 101 The way of the Primitives in it laid open ibid. Admission by a Church-Covenant examined Page 102 Admission to the Lords Supper is no act of jurisdiction Page 253 Admission to the Lords Supper not to be exempted from cognizance of Church power Page 273. c. Rules for admission to Sacraments more explicite in the Old Testament Page 92 Antiquity Who they be that make the highest claimes to it as being on their party Page 652 Chemnitius his thoughts of the judgement of Antiquity concerning the Protestants doctrine of iustification Page 65â— 653 Quere's put concerning Mr. Brs appeal to Antiquity in point of Controversie Page 653 c. Proofs from Antiquity for the instrumentality faith Page 628 c. Evasions of these testimonies examined Page 661 Proofs from Antiquity that faith in Christ as pardoning sin is the justifying act Page 633 Proofs from Antiquity against the interest of mans obedience in justification as consummate Page 665 Apostates Application of the Seales of the Covenant to them is a putting a Seale to a blank Page 20 Assent Essentiall in Faith Page 502 It must be firm Page 503 Vnlimitted ibid. Assurance Of faith is possible Page 496 What sins cloud it Page 394 Astrology Judiciall Astrology censured Page 39 c. Arminianisme The Author vindicated from it Page 158 c. B. Mr. Ball. HIs testimony of the instrumentality of faith in justification Page 434 That works do not justifie ibid. That the New Covenant hath its conditions ib. That repentance is a condition of the Covenant Page 435 No condition of justification Page 436 Baptisme Johns Baptisme in the whole of it of divine institution Page 436 Contempt and neglect of Baptisme censured Page 68 An emprovement is to be made of it Page 72 The sin of Covenant Parents destroyes not the Child 's right to Baptisme Page 97 Visibility of interest the Churches guide in admission to Baptisme Page 104. 110 How far Faith and Repentance antiently were required in Baptisme Page 109 Their grounds or reasons who delayed Baptisme in the Primitive times Page 110 Their way of admission of the Catechumeni to Baptisme
the actually regenerate Page 189 192 Arguments evincing it ibid. c. It must be administred for the communicants edification Page 199 With the word as an appendant to it it may be serviceable towards conversion Page 200 Arguments evincing it Page 200 c. Objections answered Page 209 c. Generall charges Page 209. to 216 Particular arguments Page 216 Whether the Lords Supper may be stiled a converting ordinance Page 211 Explicatory propositions ibid. c. The Lords Supper supposeth not thorough conversion and faith justifying Page 217 Not instituted onely for justified persons Page 218 All of present incapacity to receive benefit by the Lords Supper are to be denied access to it Page 225 Scandalous persons of a vicious and profligate course of life are in an incapacity of profit by the Lords Supper Page 238 Arguments evincing it Page 239 Objections answered Page 240 Who are to judge of mens present aptitude for the Lords Supper Page 249 The judgement of the Church of England formerly concerning it ib. The judgement of the School-men ibid. The judgement of the antient Fathes Page 250 The judgement of a great party of the reformed Churches ibid. The Lords supper may be occasionally delayed Page 299 The argument borrowed from delay of the passeover vindicated ibid. Just occasions of delay instanced in Page 302 No prescript for the time frequency of observation of the Lords Supper Page 303 Directions for our guidance about it Page 304 When dispensed it may not without weighty reasons be omitted Page 306 Excuses for absence from it removed ib. The excuse of unfitness examined Page 307 The excuse of the want of a wonted Leiturgy examined Page 308 The excuse from the variation of a gesture or posture examined Page 310 The excuse from a call to give an account of knowledge examined Page 311 The excuse from mixture of such that are supposed unworthy examined ibid. See Sacraments T. Tree OF life in Paradise a Sacrament Page 9. 14 Tree of knowledge a Sacrament ibid. These Trees had somewhat that answered their name Page 12 Not by any naturall power ib. Reasons and experience making it good Page 13 Why the Tree of knowledge bears that name Page 15 16 Transubstantiation There is no such thing Page 51 Titles A communication of them between Christ and his Church Page 448 449 Titles given by the Apostle to Baptized ones do not alwayes argue that in their thoughts they were answered by inherent grace Page 149 Type Variously used Page 428 Leviticall types lead unto Christ in his Priestly office Page 566 U. Visible BAptisme and the Lords Supper privileges of the Church visible Page 187 Visibility Of interest the Churches rule in administring Sacraments Page 118.187 Extreme Unction The Matter Page 534 Form Page 534 Minister Page 534 Effects Page 534 Qualifications of the subject ib. Arguments evincing it so be no Sacrament Page 585 Unfitness For the Lords Supper no excuse for a continued neglect of it Page 307 Unregenerate Man may assent to the whole truth Page 178 W. Doctor Ward VIndicated Page 116 117 Water In Baptisme implies uncleaness with a possibility of cleansing not by our own but by anothers power Page 368 It holds out the Spirit for sanctification ib. With the bloud for pardon Page 369 Word One and the same word often repeated in the same verse or neer to it in a different sense Page 573 Word of God A necessary meanes of faiths nourishment Page 509 Works Paul excludes not onely works of merit but all works from justification Page 574 He excludes all works that we have done ib. He excludes all those works or righteousness which is inherent ib. He excludes all those works which the Law commands Page 575 He excludes all those works which any in the highest pitch of grace can attain unto ibid. FINIS A Table of those Scriptures which are occasionally cleared briefly illustrated or largely vindicated in this Treatise Genesis Chap. Verse Pag. 2 9 10 3 22 33 13 14 5 9 598 8 21 363 9 8 c. 516 Exodus Chap. Vers Pag. 12 25 301  43 44 45. 75. 78  48 49 75 13 4 5 399  21 22 521  45 301 14 19 20 521  21 22 523 16 14 15 ibid. 17 6 524 Numbers Chap. Vers Pag. 9 1. 300  15 521 11 7 523 14 14 521 20 9 524 21 17 18 525 Deuteronomie Chap. Vers Pag. 8 3 523 10 16 380 12 5 6 7 300  10 11 301 16 usque ad 8 299 300 30 6 376. 379 4 25 523  2 Chronicles  16 8 9 638 34 3 301  3 4 ibid. 35 19 ibid. Ezra Chap. Vers Pag. 6 19 301 Nehemiah Chap. Vers Pag. 9 19 521  20 523  25 524 Psalms Chap. Vers Pag. 32 7 8 352 37 25 26 30 51 5 363  7 373 54 3 363 78 13 523  15 524  23 ib.  24 523 98 14 521 105 41 524 112 2 3 30 114 7 8 524 Jeremiah Chap. Vers Pag. 9 25 379 10 25 299 11 3 4 281 23 6 449 31 32 33 84 85 33 16 449 Ezekiel Chap. Vers Pag. 12 10 204 Matthew Chap. Vers Pag. 5 48 645 6 30 590 7 6 230 9 22 486 11 28 460 13 11 12 54  39 40 49 269 15 26 260 20 29 166 24 32 269. 295 Mark Chap. Vers Pag. 4 33 54 5 34 486 6 13 534 10 14 227 16 16 170 Luke Chap. Vers Pag. 1 6 598  75 596 7 59 486 14 15 219 15 33 188 15 22 225 17 6 590 John Chap. Vers Pag. 1 4 645 2 23 220 3 5 290  5 8 10 12. 53 54 6 53 227  53 54 373  31 49 58 523 8 31 188 12 42 177 Acts. Chap. Vers Pag. 2 38 367  37 38 108  39 174  41 217  47 299 8 13 160  17 530  37 176 10 47 165 217 15 9 449 450 22 16 376. 380 Romanes Chap. Vers Pag. 2 28 128 3 25 432. 567  28 587  30 451 4 1. usque aed 12 352  3 177  11 33 35  17 218 5 9 587  8 9 567  19 365 9 4 151 7 22 594 1 Corinthians Chap. Vers Pag. 4 4 431. 575 5 11 261 6 12 372 7 14 150. 176 10 1 2 3 424  1 2 525  4 524  5 6 7 11 428  16 17 c. 48  17 358 11 28 227 12 12 4â—9  13 358 14 14 15 16 c. 199 15 34 100  56 604 2 Corinthians Chap. Vers Pag. 1 12 431  21 67 7 1 452 13 5 492  11 645 Galatians Chap. Vers Pag. 2 19 599 3 14 444  18 451 Ephesians Chap. Vers Pag. 2 12 299 3 17 444 448 4 24 592 5 26 372  32. 2. 541 c. 1 Thessalonians Chap. Vers Pag. 5 23 586 2 Thessalonians Chap. Vers Pag. 3 14 261 Titus chap. vers pag. 3 5 374. 380 Hebrews chap. vers pag. 4 2 471. 481 8 7 364 9 26 269 11 29 523 11 throughout 569 James chap. vers pag. 2 25 572. 577 5 14 15 535 536 1 Peter chap. vers pag. 1 4 17  22 452 3 20 21 353. 387  21 170 1 John chap. vers pag. 4 7 596 Revelation chap. vers pag. 22 2 10  11 592 2 7 10 FINIS
but then it would have been as arrogant Sixthly That he make some provision for tender and scrupulous consciences that shall admit his principles 1. In taking in of members into Church-fellowship as it is called A man without grace in a visible Church according to him is as a wooden leg in the body how great a deformity this is and how great a trouble to have such instead of those that are of flesh and bone it is easy to judge and yet how many of these necessarily will and must be received 2. In baptisme of Infants To baptize an Infant is with him not onely to espouse but to solemnize a full and actual marriage with Christ Jesus and that in words not de futuro but de praesenti and what further glory then they may expect from his hand I scarce can tell An illustrious Prince will have none but of noble and Royal blood and Christ will have none to be thus in marriage relation given to him but the seed of regenerate and graciously qualified persons How shall I get intelligence that this or that infant is descended of such a race where shall I learn his or her pedigree that I may thus give to Christ Iesus And in case probabilities must lead us we have need of further help then yet we see to judge of such probability Must we find those qualifications in the man who himself is for Baptisme or his child that may move us to conclude that in all reason and possible apparance here is a child of God or an Infant of a regenerate person Or will it serve our turn and satisfie our consciences that we cannot certainly conclude the contrary If the first be required it will put all the Ministers of Christ hard to it and prove such a snare that I know not how they will extricate themselves If the latter be that which we must receive here is then a loose rule for to lead in so high proceedings For men will be so laxe in their own marriage choice as for to take any into that society if they be not able to conclude her a strumpet or desperately wicked we have hitherto believed that Jesus Christ is pleased to receive in a greater latitude into visible relation Seventhly I desire Mr. Baxter to tell us how he hath mended the matter and provided for the honour and lustre of the Christian name or made up at all that gappe of which he speaks He saies the Church is bound to baptize as largely as I say men have right to Baptisme I think here he will find little or no difference and when he refuses none that I receive and where I say they have right he saies we are bound to baptize without right how will this make Christianity to look with any better face how much will Worcestershire Congregations where this is received exceed other Congregations where unanimously it is denyed I would have him to reflect on his 18th Argument and see whether the force of it be not evidently as much against hinself as it is against me against whom it is brought It is thus framed That doctrine which makes it the regular way in Baptisme for all men to promise that which they can neither sincerely promise nor perform is unsound But such is Mr. Blakes Ergo. And after much work to explain himself it comes to this that unregenerate men cannot resolve or sincerely promise to love believe or obey and therefore upon that account are without right to baptisme Let it be taken into consideration that when I say these men that in their present state are thus unable to love believe and obey have notwithstanding right to Baptisme and he saies that this inability notwithstanding they ought to be baptized how is the matter mended If my Doctrine upon this account be unsound his doctrine and practice will be found unsound likwise Mr. Baxter saith Vocation which is effectual onely to bring men to an outward profession of faith is larger then election and makes men such whom we are bound to baptize Eighthly I shall desire some Scripture text or cogent reason to make it appear that we are bound to baptize those that in the sight of God have no right to Baptisme the command given will argue with me their right unlesse I hear an injunction from heaven that notwithstanding their want of right we are to baptize them Peter argues the right of those Acts 10.47 for their admission to Baptisme which had been more then needed in case without any such right the water in Baptisme might have been applied unto them and I marvel that Mr. Baxter should so tenaciously hold to Philips speech to the Eunuch If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest seeing he believes as well as I that faith short of this which he saies these words necessarily imply might have admitted him and put a necessity on Philip to have baptized him though it would not have given him right to Baptisme His actual admission and not his right is there put to the question If these things be well considered Mr. Baxter may see cause to begin with a confutation of Mr. F. before he undertakes a defence and I suppose the Reader will see that he had small cause to censure my Arguments to be so dilute unlesse he himself had brought some of greater strength Lastly I would have Mr. Baxter seriously consider whether that which we have observed already out of him and might yet further be gathered may not make up a forcible Argument and conclusive of this title to Baptisme in those who yet rise not up to the Faith that is justifying when they are separate from Paganisme into fellowship with the visible Church as he asserts Saints Rest Part 4. Sect. 3. pag. 105. and with them their issue as he hath concluded from 1 Cor. 7.14 when they attain to graces real and true as we have seen from him I am sure the Apostle as hath been said Act. 10.47 argues from such qualifications to an interest in Baptisme when they have their interest in the Covenant of grace as a fruit of Christs death as he saith doubtlesse reprobates have Treatise of Infant-Baptisme pag. 224. when their Baptisme hath all that is essential to Gods sealing as he asserts it hath pag. 222. All of this laid together with more that may be taken up will in all indifferent Readers eyes conclude a title And further whether he have not spoken as much in plain words terminis terminantibus for the interest of unregenerate men or men of a meer visible profession in Baptisme let his words be considered Saints Rest Part 4. Sect. 3. pag. 104 105. Where giving holy and seasonable advice to beware the company of sensual and ungodly men he limits it with Cautions least it should be thought that he perswades as he rightly stiles it unto an ungodly separation he addes As I never found one word in Scripture where either Christ or his Apostles denyed admittance to
any man that desired to be a member of the Church though but onely professing to repent and believe so neither did I ever there find that any but convicted Hereticks or scandalous ones and that for the most part after due admonition were to be avoided or debarred our fellowship And whereas it is urged that they are to prove their interest to the priviledges that they lay claim to and not we to desprove it I answer If that were granted yet their meer sober professing to Repent and believe in Christ is a sufficient evidence of their interest to Church-membership and admittance thereto by Baptisme supposing them not admitted before and their being baptized persons if at age or members of the universal visible Church into which it is that they are baptized is sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper till they do by heresie or scandall blot that evidence which evidence if they do produce yea though they are yet weak in the faith of Christ who is he that dare refuse to receive them And this after much doubting dispute and study of the Scriptures I speak as confidently as almost any truth of equall moment so plain is the Scripture in this point to a man that brings his understanding to the model of Scripture and doth not bring a model in his brain and reduce all he reads to that model What have I spoke more then here is said and did I ever speak with more and higher confidence I say that a faith which is short of justifying gives title to Baptisme and he sayes Such give sufficient evidence of their interest to Church-membership and consequently admittance to Baptisme so that if my doctrine herein be loose as he chargeth it the Reader will hardly find his to be fast and it heares not well to play fast and loose The evasion of equivocal will not here serve that will utterly spoyl the whole strength of his Caution and put men amain on this separation as it will contradict his assertion of their grace as real and true They will say They will have no fellowship with a dead Corps instead of a reall man for that is his expression of the difference between what is real and what is equivocal Neither can he here come off by the help of his distinction of forum Dei and forum Ecclesiae These gifts and graces from God these priviledges vouchsafed of God and purchased by Christ plainly enough speak a right in the sight of God Neither is there as we have heard in this Controversie any such distinction to be admitted I am therefore in this no further to blame then he hath been and if he see cause to recede from yet I see all reason to persist in my opinion SECT X. Proposition 8. FOr the Sacrament of the Lords Supper No such vast difference between baptisme and the Lords Supper that the one should be a priviledge of the Church visible and the other peculiar to the Church invisible there cannot be that vast difference and disproportion between it and baptisme that the one should be a priviledge of the Church visible and the other peculiar and proper to the Church invisible that all in the outward administration of the Covenant as some speak should be interessed in the one and onely those that come up to the termes of the Covenant should have any interest in the other Christ gave order that Disciples should be baptized Matth. 28.19 and he delivered his Supper to Disciples Matth. 26.26 27. and it is more then strange that disciples should be taken in that aequivocall way as to hold out all in outward profession confoederation and visible Church communion in the one as is almost generally agreed upon between Paedobaptists and their adversaries and to be restrayned to those that answer to their profession in the other so that in the administration of the one the dispensers have a firme rule to lead them viz. visibility of interest as Mr. Cobbet hath largely shewn in his Vindication pag. 52. Cou. 4. and in the other can have nothing for their guide but an invisible work left to their charity to conjecture Disciple therefore respective to either of the Sacraments which are outward visible ordinances and visible Church priviledges can be no more then a man of visible interest When Christ sate down to the Passeover it is said he sate down with the twelve onely they had right to eat of it in his company Exod. 12.3 being of his family And as he was eating he gave the Supper but then the phrase is changed he gave it to his Disciples onely the twelve were occasionally there but it was instituted in behalf of all Disciples of which the number could not be small considering how many John had made and baptized and Christ had made and baptized more then he though not in person but by his Disciples Joh. 4.1 2. A reverend brother makes this practice of Christ at the first institution and administration of the Supper to be a directory for future to receive such onely to it as are the Disciples of Christ To which I willingly condescend provided that the word be aright understood I know the word is sometimes taken in a restrayned sense for those that indeed do the duty of disciples Joh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and Luke 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple As the word Israelite is sometimes taken for those that do the duty of Israelites and are such as Israelites ought to be Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile when respective to fruition of Church ordinances of what nature soever all that were of Israel according to the flesh or visible Church-Members in Israel are expressed by it Disciple or Israelite is a man of outward Covenant interest The latitude of it according to Scripture expressions I have shewen Treatise of the Covenant pag. 208. All that were Christs family Disciples did eat of the Passeover with him Matth. 26.18 even Judas as is acknowledged and scarce to be doubted of but he did eat of the Supper It is more then strange that as a Disciple he should be taken into the Passeover and a few houres after as no Disciple should be put from the Supper The Lords Supper is for the building of those that Baptisme takes in But Baptisme takes into the Church visible Visible Church members have then interest in the Supper When Sacraments are in their use distinguished one for admittance into the Church and the other for growth one as the Sacrament of our birth and the other our nourishment most understand the first of admission into the Church visible well knowing that regeneration is not tyed to baptisme but the growth many will have to be in the Church invisible which inharmonious discord between Ordinances of the same kind cannnot be suffered To give notes of
world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned or in whom all have sinned 4. The readinesse and pronenesse of little ones to run upon sin is an evidence of it The thornes bryars and weeds that the earth casts out when precious flowers and choise plants are more hardly nourished is an argument that the earth is under a curse and is not now as once it was The sins that even in childhood appear and together with age grow forwards when graces are difficultly planted and that which is good very hardly produced is as great an evidence of a mans innate degeneration This even Heathens could see though they knew not whence it was e Homines natura sua esse malos induci non posse ut justitiam colant Plato observed that men by nature are wicked and that they cannot be brought to learne righteousnesse and f Hominem à natura noverca in lucem edi corpore nudo fragili atque infirmo animo ad molestias anxio ad timores humili in quo divinus ignis sit obrutus Referunt Theol. Lydenses Disp 15. Thes 6. Tully lamented that man is brought into the world by his stepdame nature with a body naked frail and weak a mind anxious in troubles low under fears weak for labour prone to lust in whom every Divine spark is overywhelmed If any man demand how it comes to passe that we are thus we must look as far as Adam to see the inlet of it By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 His was peccatum originans giving the rise to all evils in us thence issued peccatum originatum our original condition as before decribed Sin seizing upon the Angels made them unclean and they have through that defilement the denomination of unclean spirits sin seizing upon man hath rendered him unclane It defiled not onely the person of man but the nature of man had man stood all mankind had stood man falling all mankind became filthy Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 Adam begat a son in his own likenesse Gen. 5.3 like himself when he had lost the image of God what sin made man that an infant is so far as of capacity to be not to act sin he that can do nothing cannot do evil but in them there are those principles that shew themselves in action so far as there is power to act A young Serpent doth sting none poysons none but there is in them a poysonous and destroying na ure which growes as nature growes 5. By the duty incumbent upon Christians to put off the old man Ephes 4.22 which is not so called in opposition to that which is young as though man grew up to it by degrees many years being gone over his head before he had gotten that name but in opposition to that which is new as we see ver 23. The old hath the precedency of the new and is before it as the old garments are worne and put off before the new put on why must all of necessity be new if the old would serve the turn Secondly This sin which is mans hereditary estate This Original state of man is not onely a want of Primâ—tive integrity but is attended with universal defilement hath in it not onely a want of that Priwitive purity which God stamped upon man according to his own likenesse but also an universal defilement and pollution Therefore the Apostle setting out this estate under the name of the old man gives it this character corrupt according to deceitfull lusts Ephes 4.22 All the pollution in the world is from lust 2 Pet. 1 4. that is the sink and source from whence all proceeds and the old man is wholly made up of these corrupt filthy and defiling principles They promise better when they draw aside but that is their work and therefore as they are corrupt so they are branded as deceitful likewise Upon this account it is that man is dead in trespasses and sins able to rise no higher in nature then that which is sin and this renders his conversation to be according to the course of this world after the prince of the power of the air the former is his pattern and the later is his Soveraign the one is followed the other served And consequently with guilt or ordination to punishment In fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh and mind Ephes 2.23 serving divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 as wholly enslaved by this defiling principle And as this is of the being so guilt or ordination to punishment is a necessary adjunct or consequent of it Death is in as great a latitude as sin Rom. 5.12 the proper wages of that work Rom. 6.23 Therefore all that have a nature thus defiled are by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Men may descant as they will upon the word and tell us of another use of it in prophane Authors but all their wit will not work men from under this guilt or gain him any thing more in his birth-state but wrath for his portion Thirdly To restore man to his Primitive happiness his nature must be healed Nature must be healed and guilt removed for restitution of man to his Primitive glory and his guilt removed there must be a change wrought in his principles and a pardon vouchsafed of his sin If either the stain continue or the guilt hold man will be wretched till he be again like God and reconciled to God his case is forlorne This needs no proof man was without stain or guilt when God made him upright his stain must be washed and guilt removed or else his happinesse is not repaired And this was the converted Corinthians glory they were under the defilement of Adultery Idolatry Fornication Drunkennesse c. and upon this account under the sad doome of exclusion out of the Kingdom of heaven but being washed sanctified justified the doome is reversed However you Interpret these several phrases we have their deliverance from the stain and guilt of sin in them Fourthly Either of both of these is the work of Christ and the happy priviledge of all of Gospel-interest Either of both of these is the work of Christ by his blood and Spirit He takes off the stain in the work of Regeneration and Sanctification by the power of his Spirit as by our fall we were dead in sin so by this new work on our hearts we are dead to sin we were free from righteousnesse now we are alive to righteousnesse Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you When we were dead in sins he hath quickened us together with Christ Ephes 2.5 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it