because in their words I shall have opportunity to recite some more of our Own even those of the Canons Convocat London An. 1603. c. 60. I will pass by Frans de S. Clara and such Reconcilers lest you say that is not the common Judgment of the Papists And at this time it may suffice to instance in one that most petulant insolent Jesuite Hen. Fitz Simon in his Britanomach lib. 3. cap. 4. pag. 289 290 291. Where he reciteth the words of our Canon that seing it was a solemn ancient laudable custom in the Church of God observed even from the daies of the Apostles that all Bishops laying hands on those that were Baptized in Infancy and are instructed in the Catechism of the Christian Religion should Pray over them and bless them which we commonly call Confirmation we will and ordaine that every Bishop or his suffragane do in their proper person diligently observe this right and custom in their ordinary visitation To which saith the Jesuite What do I heare All this is very Orthodox very Catholike if uttered in good sadness And citing the Rubricke before-mentioned he mentioneth the Conference at Hampton Court pag. 10 11 32 33. That the Doctrine of Confirmation was part of the Apostles Catechism rashly rejected by some Churches but in Calvins Judgment to be taken up againe and is ungrateful to the Puritans only because they may not themselves administer it And pag. 64. he would perswade us that most certainly the Bishops borrowed this passage from the Rhemists Test Annot. in Heb. 6. 2. against the Puritans More he adds from Resp Oxon. ad Libel supplic Covell c. and concludes All this the Formalistes as he constantly calls that party do freely grant us then which the Catholikes themselves as to the sound of the words seem scarce able to thinke or speak any thing more honourable of Confirmation And that you may see how farre he accepts also of Calvins concession he doth with ostentation cite the words of Calvin in Act. 2. and Instit lib. 4. cap. 19. § 28. that It's incredible that the Apostles should use Imposition of hands but by Chrsts Command and that it was not an empty signe and that it is to be accounted for a Sacrament So that these two parties cannot be against us in the matter of Confirmation though I know that the Papists are against us for laying by their ceremonies and abuse of it 3. And as for the Presbyterians they cannot be against it For 1. The most eminent Divines of that Judgment have written for it of whom I could cite abundance But Calvin Hyperius and others cited by Mr. Hanmer already sufficiently declare their desires after the restoring of Confirmation And Chemnitius a Lutheran is large for it and others of that way 2. And it is so clearly usefull and necessary to the Reforming of distempers in the Church and the quiet of the Ministry and the safe and succesfull exercise of Discipline that I know they will heartily consent to it 4. And for the Congregational party 1. Some of them have declared their Judgments for it in the approving or promoting Mr Hanmer's Book 2. And I have spoke with some of the most eminent of that mind that are for it 3. And the solemn Covenant or Profession which they require of all that enter among them as Church-members doth shew that they are for it in the substance though how far they like or dislike the signe of Imposition of hands I know not It is the want of this that they are so much offended with in our Parish-Church and therefore doubtless they will consent 5. And For Anabaptists though we cannot expect their full consent because they admit not Infants into the Visible Church and therefore Baptise those whom we Confirme or Restore yet doubtless they will like this as next to that which they suppose to be the right and because we come as neare to them as is fit and lawfull for us to do it is the likeliest way to abate their censures and procure with them so much Peace as in reason may be expected with men that differ from us in the point of Infant-Baptism Three sorts of them I suppose we may meet with 1. Some that grant that Infants are Christs Disciples Christian and Vissible Church-members but yet think that Baptism is not for their admission but only for the Adult I confess I know of none so moderate nor am I sure there are any such but by hearsay or conjecture But if there be our differences with these men would be most in the External signe If they do but as much by Infants as the express words of the Gospel do commend and Christ chid his Disciples for opposing that is if they yield that they shall be offered unto Christ and that the Minister of Christ do in his Name Receive them lay his hands on them and bless them because of such is the Kingdom of God and then baptize them when at age they make a personal Profession and if we on the other side offer them to Christ and the Minister in his Name accept them by Baptism and at age confirm them upon their personal Covenanting or Profession the difference here would be most that they change the outward signe and they use Imposition of hands when we use Baptism and we use Baptism when they use Impsition And with such it were easy for moderate men to hold brotherly Love and Peace 2. Some we shall meet with that deny Infants to be Visible Church-members and yet think the Infants of Believers to have some promises more then the rest of the world or at least that they are Candidati Christianismi Expectants of a Church-state and are as soone as they understand any thing to be bred up as Catechumens in the Church seminaries and to be Baptizd as soone as they are actual Believers And as far as I understand them some of them will consent that they be offered and dedicated to God in Infancy and solemnly received by Ministerial Imposition of hands into the state of Expectants If these men be of peaceable moderate Spirits and agree with us in other matters of Religion in the substance at least they must needs acknowledg that in the foredescribed practice of Confirmation we come so neere them that they cannot deny us brotherly Love and Peace For I hope they will not think that they may lawfully deny these yea or their communion to all that be not punctually of their opinion against the Church-membership and Baptism of Infants 3 And as for all the rest of the Anabaptists that hold also the doctrine of Pelagianism or Socinianism or Libertinism or Familism or Quakers or Heathenism they are not in a capacity for us to treat with about Accomodation or Christian Peace But yet as to all the intemperate dividing unpeaceable Anabaptists that will but reproach us for our drawing so neer them at least we shall have this advantage against their
Opinion right let it not so farre dispossess you of Charity and Reason as to unchurch all the Churches of Christ that thinke otherwise or to cast off Communion with the Godly that are not of your Opinion as long as we come so near you as to take none into the Number of Adult Church-members but those that are Confirmed or Approved by Christs Ministers upon their personal credible Profession of Faith and Holiness Lay all this together and we may well conclude that this Practice of Ministerial Approbation and Confirmation or Restoration of all that are admitted into the Number of Adult-Christians or visible Church-members and to their Priviledges is so necessary and so admirably fitted both for Reformation and Reconciliation of the Episcopal Presbyterian Independants Erastian and moderate Anabaptists and to stop the mouths of the Intemperate and of the Papists that all Magistraâ—es Ministers and People that love the Churches Purity and Peace and long to see it clensed and healed should gladly embrace it and vigorously promote it it I Have two things yet more to do upon this Subject 1. To answer some Objections and 2 To give some Directions to all sorts for the effectual putting it in execution The Objections are these Object 1. You will tempt the Anabaptists to say that this is but a shift of our own devising instead of Baptism lest we should yield to them when we are convinced of the Necesity of a personal Covenanting by the Adult Answ There is no Ordinance or Truth of God that will not be spoken against by mistaking men and yet we must not therefore cast them away Nor is it the way to vindicate a Truth or Ordinance from reproach to disclame it and so to reproach it actually our selves Nor is it the way to get advantage of an adversary to fly fom him too far into the contrary extreame but rather to come as neare him as the truth will give us leave And to the Anabaptists Objection we shall give them our reasons against their way in a fitter place and have already done it We are most certain that the Servants of God of old both with Circumsion and without it Deut. 29. did enter their children into Covenant with God as well as themselves And if it be the express Word of God that both Infants and Aged should be entered and engaged to him in Covenant we will obey his Word and do both though the Anabaptists will do but the one He must have a hard face that will deny that it was once the duty of Parents to offer their children to God and enter them into Covenant with him and when they have proved that this Duty or Power is recalled which I never yet saw done no not in Mr. Tombes his last Voluminous Review then we will forbeare it but till then it is not mens talk and confident words that must make a tender Conscience yield to omit so great and plain a duty or give up so great a Mercy as this is I am sure that Infants were then no more able to believe themselves nor enter themselves in Covenant with God then now and I am sure the Parents by Gods appointment did it for them offering and engageing them to God and that God hereupon is called their God and they his people and that usually the signe of the Covenant was annexed And I am sure that Parents have as much Natural Interest in their children now as then And I never yet saw where God had acquit us of this duty or withdrawn this Mercy from us and our seed Object 2. The proof which you bring for this Confirmation is so obscure that it is not like to be generally received Answ It was generally received in almost all the Churches on earth till lately And as far as I plead for it it is yet Doctrinally at least owned and maintained even by those Churches that practically have disused it Of all the Christians on Earth I suppose there is a thousand if not ten thousand for it doctrinally or dogmatically for one that is against it if we judge by the Laws Confessions and writings of their guides Though the Greeks I know do not own the Popish Confirmation nor have it not so formally as they should and the Papists have corrupted it by their abuse yet the thing in substance is owned dogmatically by almost all the Christian world And they must be very singular persons that disowne it 2. And I think the proofe that hath been given you is clearer then you have for the Morality of the Lords day for constant family Prayer for Infant Baptism and many a holy Duty which yet we have sufficient proof for What would you have plainer Is there the least doubt of it whether a Presonal Profession and Covenanting with God be necessary to him that will be taken into the Number of Adult Christians and possess their Priviledges and Communion Or whether this Profession must be approved by the Pastour of the Church and known to them that must hold Communion with him Prove if you can that ever one man was admitted among Adult-Christians to enjoy Communion with them without such a personal Profession You cannot prove it If Infant-Covenanting were enough for the Adult then Infidels are Believers 3. Object But this will make Ministers to be Lords of the Church when no man can be taken into the Church or possess the Priviledges of a Christian till he be Approved by them This will put a Tyrannical Power into their hands Answ 1. Such a Tyranical Power as every Physician hath who may choose or refuse his patients or every School-master hath that may choose or refuse his Schollars if he engage not himself to the contrary as Plato Zeno and every Philosopher did in his Schoole 2. It is such a Tyranny as Christ hath unquestionably set up and to accuse him of setting up Tyranny is an unkind part of them that look to be saved by him 3. It is a Power that hath Constantly been exercised by the Officers of Christ and did not men smel out the Tyranny of it till now What Prince did govern the Church doores and judge who should be admitted from the daies of Christ till Constantines daies when the Church was at the purest yea or ever after for many a hundred yeares Did not all the Apostles and every Preacher of the Gospel Baptize those that they convetred and judge of them whether they were Baptizable And did not the Bishops Confirm the Baptized without consulting another Power Half that were admitted into the Church by Baptism and more for some hundred yeares after Christ were the Adult and of these the Pastour required a personal Covenant and Profession The other half were their Infants and for them they required the Parents Profession and entering them into Covenant But still the Pastours were the Judges who were the administers 4. If you think it too much Power for us I beseech you think it too much work for
me to say but little for the Confirmation of it Arg. 1. The Church cannot judge of things unknown Non entium non apparentium eadem est ratio Not to appear and not to be is all one as to the judgment of the Church We are not searchers of the heart and therefore we must judge by the discoveries of the heart by outward signes Arg. 2. If Profession of Faith were not necessary Coram Ecclesiâ to mens Church-membership and Priviledges then Infidels and Heathens would have Right as was said in the former case and also the Church and the world would be confounded and the Church would be no Church But these are consequents that I hope no Christians will have a favourable thought of and therefore they should reject the Antecedent Arg. 3. It is a granted case among all Christians that Profession is thus necessary the Apostles and Ancient Churches admitted none without it nor no more must we Though all require not the same manner of Profession yet that Profession it self is the least that can be required of any man that layeth claim to Church Priviledges and Ordinances proper to Adult members this we are all agreed in and therefore I need not adde more proof where I find no Controversie But yet as commonly as we are agreed on this yet because it is the very point which most of the stress of our present Disputation lieth on it may not be amiss to foresee what may possibly be Objected by any new comers hereafter Object Perhaps some may say 1. That we find no mention of Professions required in Scripture 2. It is not probable that Peter received a Profession from those thousands whom he so suddenly Baptized 3 Our Churches have been true Churches without such a Profession personally and distinctly made therefore it may be so still To these briefly yet satisfactorily 1. The Scripture gives us abundant proof that a plain Profession was made in those times by such as were baptized at Age and so admitted by reason of their ripeness and capacity into the Church and to the speciall Communion and Priviledges of the Adult at once To say much of the times of the old Testament or before Christ would be but to interrupt you with less pertinent things Yet there it is apparent that all the people were solemnly engaged in Covenant with God by Moses more then once and that this was renewed by Joshua and other godly Princes and that Asa made the people not only enter into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their hearts and with all their Soul But that whosoever would not seek him should be put to death whether smal or great man or woman And they sware to the Lord with a loud voice and with shoutings and with trumpets and with cornets 2 Chron. 15. 12 13 14. So following Princes called the people to this open Covenanting But this is not all To take the Lord only to be their God with the rest of the Law was the very essence of an Isarelites Religion which they did not only openly Profess but excessively sometimes glory in As Circumcision sealed the Covenant and therefore supposed the Covenant to Infants and aged whoever were circumcised so had they many sorts of Sacrifice and other worship in which they all were openly to profess the same Religion and Covenant Many Purifications also and Sanctifyings of the people they had and many figures of the Covenant I am the Lord thy God c. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me c. was the tenour of the Covenant which every Israelite expressly and by frequent acts professed to consent to The Law is called a Covenant which all were to own and avouch the Lord to be their God and themselves his people See Deut. 26. 17 18. chap. 29. 10 11 14 c. 2 King 23. 3. 2 Chron. 23. 3 16. chap. 29. 10. Ezr. 10. 3. Neh. 9. 38. Psal 50. 5. Ezek. 20. 37. Jer. 50. 5. Isa 56. 4 5. Exod. 34. 27. Psal 103. 18. 25. 10. 18. 10 c. And yet I hope no Chhistian would wish that we should deal no more openly and clearly with God the Church and our selves in daies of Gospel Light and worship then the Jews were to do in their darker state under obscure Types and shadows We find that when John Baptist set up his Ministry he caused the people to Cenfess their sinnes Matth. 3. 6. And if we confess our sinnes God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1 Joh. 1. 19. And whereas some say that John Baptized them that he calleth a Generation of Vipers I Answer 1. We will believe that when they prove it It seems rather that he put them back 2. If he did Baptize them it was not till they Confessed their sinnes before that all did and it seems by his charge till they promised to bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3. 8. Christ would not have so instructed Nicodemus in the Nature and necessity of Regeneration before he was a Disciple if a Professed or Apparent preparation had not been necessary Nor would he ordinarily have taught men the Necessity of denying themselves and forsaking all for a treasure in Heaven with such like if they would be his Disciples if the Profession of so doing had not been Necessary to their visible Discipleship I grant that so full a Profession was not made before Christs Resurrection as after For many Articles of our Belief were afterward made Necessary And the Apostles themselves were unacquainted with what the weakest Christian did afterwards believe But still the Essentials of Faith then Necessary in existence to mens Justification were Necessary in Profession â—â— mens visible Christianity or Church-membership As to those Acts. 2. 37. c. It is plain that they made an open Profession if you Consider 1. That they were openly told the Doctrine which they must be baptized into if they did consent 2. It is said They that gladly received that word were baptized 3. It is certain therefore that they first testified their glad reception of the Word 4. We may not imagine that Peter was God or knew the hearts of all those thousands and therefore he must know it by their Profession that they gladly received the Word 5. Their own mouths cry out for advice in order to their Salvation 6. It had been absurd for the Apostles to attempt to baptize men that had not first professed their Consent 7. The Scripture gives us not the full historical Narration of all that was said and done in such Cases but of so much as was Necessary 8. The Institution and Nature of the Ordinance tells us that Baptism could not be administred without a Profession to the Adult For they were to be Baptzed into the Name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and therefore were to profess that they believed in Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Yea the very receiving of
an Infidel or one that Professeth not to be a Christian Baptism is said to save us 1 Pet. 3. 21. And therefore they that will be Baptized must profess the qualifications necessary to the Saved The Key 's of the Kingdom of Heaven are put into the Churches hands and they that are loosed on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven if the Key do not erre And therefore Pastours of the Church must absolve none by Baptism that do not by Profession seem to be Absolvable in Heaven They must Profess to have the old man Crucified with Christ that the Body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth they might not serve sinne Rom. 6. 5 6 7 8. As many as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are all one in Christ Jesus and are Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to promise Gal. 3. 27 28 29. This speaks the Apostle of the Probability grounded on a credible Profession And thereforeit is clear that the Profession was presupposed that might support this charitable judgment Our Baptism is the Solemnizing of our Marriage with Christ And it s a new and strang kind of Marriage where there is no Profession of Consent The Baptized are in Scripture called men Washed Sanctified Justified c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Cor. 14. 33. They are all called Saints and Churches of Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. All Christians are called Sanctified ones or Saints therefore it s certaine that they professed themselves such But why should I go any further in this when the main substance of my Dispute of Right to the Sacraments proves it I intreat the Reader that would have more to prove not only the Necessity of a Profession but also of the Profession of a Saving Faith to peruse that Book or at least the second Disputation where are Twenty Arguments for it and the sence of all the Ancient Churches there cited out of Mr Gatakers Collections See also Dr Hammonds many testimonies to prove the use of the Abrenuntiation Paraenes pag. 18 19 20. I love not needlesly to recite whath others have already cited But he that knows not that the Universal Church from the daies of the Apostles hath baptized the Adult upon a personal Profession of Faith and Repentance and Vow or Promise or Covenant for obedience knows little of what the Church hath Practised And I hope few sober men will be found that will be so singular and self-conceited as to contradict the Practise of the Universal Church in such a case as this and set up their own private judgment against it and go about to perswade us to a new way of Church enterance and admission now in the end of the world Blame me not to be confident with you where I have so good ground as Scripture and so good company as the Primitive Universal Church To this let me adde that most or too many that we are to receive to the Priviledges of Adult members have violated their Baptism-Covenant and proved ungodly after Baptism and that by open notorious Scandals Now Scripture and the Practice of the Universal Ancient Church direct us to require of these an open Confession of sinne For they need an Absolution and not a meer Confirmation It is past all controversie that such have both an open Confession and Profession to make Yea how scrupulous the Ancient Church was of Receiving and Absolving such violators of the Baptismal Covenant and on how severe terms they did it is known to all that know any thing of those times I pray amongst others see what Grotius Discus Apol. Rivet pag. 221 222. citeth from Irenaeus Tertullian Pacimus Hierom c. ad pag. 235. n. And as to the last Objection that our Churches were true Churches when we made no particular Professions I Answer 1. Without some Profession of true Christianity our Churches could not have been true Churches And therefore against those that would prove them no Churches we plead and justly that a Profession was made by them 2. But I pray you mark that that will prove a Church to be a true Church which will not prove every person in the Parish to be a true Member of that Church 3. And he that thinks it enough that our Churches have a meer Metaphysical Verity such as Bishop Hall and multitudes of Learned Protestants allow the Church of Rome it self is as good a friend to it as he is to his wife or child that will let them go naked yea and be contented that they catch the plague or leaprosie yea and plead for it too and all because they have still the Truth of Humane Nature I know that any thing that may truly be called a Profession will in that point seem to prove the Being of the Church But as it will not seem to prove the well-being so an obscure Profession doth but obscurely prove the Being of it which an open plain Profession doth more clearly prove Let us not befriend either the Kingdom of darkness or the Seperatists so much as to leave our Churches so open to their exceptions and so apt to cherish and befriend their ignorance and infidelity of the world If coming to Church and sitting there be somewhat a probable argument that men do implicitly believe as that Church believes yet it 's a very dark proof that they understand what the Church believes especially when experience hath acquainted us with the Contray of many of them But now I have said this much for a personal and plain Profession I would faine know what any man hath against it The Church through the great mercy of God hath yet liberty to use it And we see how many thousands make a blind kind of shew of Christianity going from one publike duty to another and knowing not what they do And is there not need that they should be brought out into the open light and see their way If Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be the Essence of our Christianity in the Name of God I desire you to consider whether it be a thing to be hudled up in the dark Unless it be mens design to hide the Nature of Christianity and keep people in destructive ignorance and delude their Souls with a name and shew of a Religion which they understand not they will surely be willing that men should know the Covenant that they make and understand what they do before they enter into a Marriage bond with Christ if at Age or own it if they have been entered in infancy Why should we choose Darkness rather then Light Why should an Implicit Covenant and Profession be pleaded for when the being of a Profession is palam fateri openly to make known and when we know by sad experience that when we have all done the best we can to make our ignorant people understand we shall find enough ado to accomplish it Ignorance hath no need of frendship especially from Ministers it deserveth none especially in so great
Grace betwixt him and the Covenanter and a delivery Representation and Investiture of the Grace or Benefits of that Covenant thus we have only two Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper But truly I would not quarrel with them for the meer name as to the five which I mentioned Prop. 11. The solemn Ministerial Investiture of Professours into the Right of the Church priviledges of the Adult is either 1. Of the unbaptized who are now first entered 2. Or of the Baptized in Infancy that never proved ungodly nor violated that first Covenant 3. Or of those Baptized whether in Infancy or at Age that have since Proved wicked and broke that Covenant The first of these Investitures is to be by Baptism the second by Confirmation and the third by Absolution So that the solemn Investiture that I am pleading for is by Confirmation to one sort that never proved ungodly since their Baptism and by Absolution to the other sort that broke their Covenant THe Baptism of the Adult we have not now to do with Of those that are Baptized in Infancy some do betimes receive the secret seeds of Grace which by the blessing of a holy education and some among the prophane is stirring within them according to their capacity and working them to God by actual desires and working them from all known sinne and entertaining further Grace and turning them into actual acquaintance with Christ as soone as they arrive at full natural capacity so that they never were Actual ungodly persons To these their Investiture in the state of Adult-members upon their personal Approved Profession is a Confirmation of the mutuall Covenant that it findeth them under and of them in that Covenant But there are others I doubt the most that since their infant Baptism have proved Actual wicked ungodly persons if not openly flagitious and scandalous yet at least unacquainted with any special sanctifying work till after they attain to the full years of discretion These break their Covenant made with God in Baptism in which they were devoted to him and engaged to live to him forsaking the flesh the world and the Devil And therefore these must come in as Penitents even as if they had proved wicked after an Adult Baptism they must do and therefore it is first an Absolution which they must receive not only a Particular Absolution from an Act of haynous sinne which afterwards may be renewed upon particular penitence but a General Absolution from a state of sinne Yet this doth consequently participate of the Nature of the former and hath a Confirmation in it or with it Not a Confirmation in the wicked state that such have lived in but a Renewal and solemn Confirming of the Covenant between God and them which in Baptism was made So that to such it is as an Absolution and Confirmation Conjunct Prop. 12. This solemn Investiture on personal Profession being thus proved the Ordinance of God for the solemn renewing of the Covenant of Grace between God and the Adult Covenanter it must needs fâ—llow that it is a corroborating Ordinance and that corroborating Grace is to be expected in it from God by all that come to it in sincerity of heart And so it hath the name of Confirmation upon that account also THe Papists quarrel with us and curse us in the Counsel of Trent for denying their Ends of Confirmation and making it another thing But they fasly describe our Opinion We do not take it to be a meer Catechising or receiving the Catechized to the Lords Supper or to a higher form But we take it to be the Approbation of the personal Profession of them that claime a Title to the Church-state and Priviledg of the Adult and an Investing them solemnly therâ—in upon the solemn Renewal and personal Adult enterance into Covenant with God Now in this Renewed Covenant as they give up themselves to Christ afresh and personally engage themselves to him and renounce his enemies owning their Infant-Baptism when this was done by others in their names so God is ready on his part to bless his own Ordinance with the Collation of that Corroborating Grace which the Nature of the Renewed Covenant doth import Otherwise God should appoint us means in vain and fail them in the Use of his own Ordinances that use them as he hath appointed which is not to be imagined Though the unsound hâ—pocritical Receivers may miss of this blessing and though as the Degrees of Coroborating Grace God is free to give it out as he pleaseth So that the Papists shall have no cause to say that we needlesly or erroneously do deny either the name of Confirmation or the true use and ends of it or the notional Title of a Sacrament to it in a larger yet not the largest sence We affect not to fly further from them then we needs must much less to fly from the Ancient Practice of the Universal Church But we must cravâ— their pardon if we introduce not their Anâ—ointing though ancient seeing when iâ— was used of old but as an Indifferent Cereâ—monie they have turned it now into a proper necessary Sacramental signe And if we give not the Confirmed a boxe on the eare as they do for a holy signe or abuse it not as they in many respects and turne it not into a meer deceiving formality in this also we must needs crave their pardon So much of the Name and Ends of Confirmation Prop. 13. Ministerial Imposition of hands in Confirmation and the fore-described sort of Absolution is a lawfull and convenient Ceremony and ordinarily to be used as it hath been of old by the Vniversall Church But yet it is not of such Necessity but that we must dispense in this Ceremony with scrupulous Consciences that cannot be satisfied to submit to it THus must we take heed of both extreams either of rejecting a Ceremony that hath so much to be said for 〈◊〉 as this hath or of making it more Necessary then it is to the wrong of tender Consciences that are not yet ripe enough to be well informed of it and to Answer the Objections that they have heard against it nor yet to receive your Answers I. For the first Part of the Proposition I think it may suffice 1. That Imposition of hands was used in Scripture times and so used as may invite us to imitation but not deter us from it at all 2. And that it hath been since of ordinary use in the Universal Church in this very case so that no other Original of it can be found but Apostolical yea we have exceeding probable evidence that the use of it was never interrupted from the daies of the Apostles down to the Reformation 3. Nor is it laid aside in many of the Reformed Churches So that you will find that as it 's easie to prove Lawful so it 's more likely to be a Divine Institution Necessary Necessitate praecepti then to be unlawfull I shall purposely say
prentice after this If the University give a man the Degree of Doctor of Divinity or Master of Arts that never took Degree of Batchelour of Divinity or of Arts they cannot afterwards call him back to take his Batchelours Degree If you have irregularly admitted the untryed unapproved unconfirmed to the Lord Supper you have Eminenter though not Formaliter Confirmed and Approved him though irregularly Of this more anon Prop. 19. So exceeding great and many are the mischiefs that have befallen us by the neglect of a solemn meet Transition from an Infant into the Adult Church state and which undoubtedly will continue till this be remedyed that all Magistrates Ministers and People that dissemble not in professing themselves to be Christians should with speed and diligence attempt the Cure LEt us here take a view of the case of our Nation and Congregations and then consider of the effects and consequents All the people of our Parishes except Anabaptists do bring their Children to be Baptized which if it were faithfully done were a happy means of an early engagement unto Christ and a happy enterance upon further mercy Multitudes of those know not what Baptism is nor to what use and end it is appointed nor what benefit their Children may receive by it I speak upon too sure and large experience nor do they know what Christianity is nor who Jesus Christ is nor what it is that they are to do in Baptism But there they make a promise customarily as they are bid in words not understood that they will acquaint their children at age with the Covenant there made which they never understood themselves and that they will educate them in Godliness when they hate Godliness at the heart And when they come home they performe their promise accordingly They teach them nothing of the Doctrine of Christianity and the life to come but they give them up to the flesh and the world which there in words they did renounce and they teach them by their daily examples to curse and swear and raile and to be proud and covetuous and voluptuous serving their bellies in stead of God and hateful reproaching a godly life instead of teaching it their Children These Children are customarily brought to the Assemblies where they heare the plainest teaching without understanding or regarding it and grow hardened under daily reproofs and exhortations living as their Parents taught them some in gross ignorance and worldlyness without any signes of Godlyness further then to come to Church some in Drunkenness some in Whoredom abundance in a malignant hatred of a holy life making them that use it the common scorne and taking them for the hatefullest persons in the Parish or Country where they live For custome sake and to quiet their Conscience in their sinne they will come to the Lords Table if they be admitted by the Pastour and may have it in their mode and way And if a Minister shall desire them to come to him first that he may understand their knowledg and Profession they scorn it and ask him by what Authority he would examine them and what proof he hath that men must be examined before they be admitted to the Lords Supper And some self-conceited half-witted Writers have taught them this lesson and made Ministerial tryal and Approbationâ—odious to them But because they were once Baptized and have since come to hear and joyne with us in the Assembly therefore they think that they have right to all Ordinances and are true Christians and Adult members of the Church and also exempt from the Government of the Pastours that require them to submit to the means of their own good In the Bishops daies some few of them were Confirmed in the Country where I lived about one of ten or twenty and what that was and how it was done I can tell you but what I once made tryall of When I was a Schoole-boy about 15 years of age the Bishop coming into the Country many went in to him to be Confirmed we that were boies runne out to see the Bishop among the rest not knowing any thing of the meaning of the business when we came thither we met about thirty or fourty in all of our own stature and temper that had come for to be Bishopt as then it was called The Bishop examined us not at all in one Article of the Faith but in a Church-yard in hast we were set in a rank and he past hastily over us laying his hands on our head and saying a few words which neither I nor any that I spoke with understood so hastily were they uttered and a very short prayer recited and there was an end But whethey we were Christians or Infidels or knew so much as that there was a God the Bishop little knew nor enquired And yet he was one of the best Bishops esteemed in England And though the Canons require that the Curate or Minister send a Certificate that children have learnt the Catechism yet there was no such thing done but we runne of our own accord to see the Bishop only and almost all the rest of the County had not this much This was the old careless practice of this Excellent Duty of Confirmation Some few perhaps halfe a Parish in the best places will send their children to Church to be catechized yet but even those few that learn the words for the most part understand not what they say and are as ignorant of the matters as if they never learnt the words This is the common way by which our Parishes come to be Churches and our people to be Christians supposing some to be mixt among them that are more Faithfully devoted to God in Baptism and better educated in the feare of God 2. Now let us see what are the real visible undenyable fruits of this defective sinful course Because men build upon this Fundamental falshood that infant Baptism upon the Parents Profession doth give them right to the Church-state and Priviledges of the Adult without any personal Profession and Covenanting with God when they come to the use of reason which the Church must have cognisance of and so they that entred somewhat more Regularly into an Infant Church state do become Adult-members secretly unobservedly and no body well knows how Hereupon it followeth 1. That our Churches are lamentably corrupted and diseased though they are true Churches and have Life in them while they are made so like the unbelieving and ungodly world and the Garden of Christ is made too like the common wilderness For Heathens and Impious persons and all sorts of the unclean almost are the members of them where Parishes or Parish-meetings are made convertible with Churches I would make the case neither worse nor better then it is Till within these few years I knew but very imperfectly how it is and I thought the case had been better with some and worse with others then I have found it upon tryall And had I not set
the Souls of our poor people are deluded and they are made believe that they are Christians when they are not and in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing As Mr Thorndicke saith as aforecited No man is to be admitted to the Assemblies or visible societies of Christians till there be just presumption that he is of the Heavenly Jerusalem that is above And admitting to and excluding from the Church is or ought to be a just and Lawfull presumption of admitting to or excluding from Heaven It is morally and legally the same act that entitleth to Heaven and to the Church that maketh an heir of life Everlasting and a Christian And if so then what greater mischief can we do the Soul of an ungodly man then so to delude him by our admitting him into the Church and make him believe he is in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing False faith and false hopes are the things that fill Hell and are the common undoing of the world And all that ever we can do is too little to cure it When I bend all my studies and labours but to make a wicked man know that he is wicked I cannot procure it I can make him believe that he is a sinner but not that he is an unconverted ungodly sinner and in a state of Condemnation O the power of blinding self-love that will not suffer them to see themselves miserable when they see themselves sinfull and all because they would not have it so when yet it 's most visible to others And shall we all joyne to strengthen this potent Enemy and lay this share and thrust men headlong into Hell that are running down-hill so fast already and all under pretence of Charity and Compassion 7. We shall put them by this means into a way not only of losing the fruit of Ordinances but of misapplying all to the increasing of their deceit When we preach Peace to the true believer the wicked will misapply it and say it belongs to them When we speak against the unbelievers and ungodly they 'l think that this is not their part but bless themselves because they are Christians In our praises they are tempted with the Pharisee to thank God and perhaps for mercies which they never had as Justification Adoption Sanctification c. The Sacraments by misapplication will confirm them in Presumption And thus as they enter by deceit among Adult-believers so will they turn all the Ordinances of God and the Priviledges of the Church to feed that deceit more effectuall then among the expectants it would have been 8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of is this that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians and members of the Church we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls and make them desperate and almost past all hope or remedy I must confess that what I am saying now I was not sensible of till lately that experience made me sensible While I medled not with Publike reproofs or censures I disputed of these things without that experience which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts which makes me bold to tell the Church that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in is a likelyer way to bring us all to agreement in the rest then all our Disputings will do without it And that I resolve hereafter to take that man for an incompetent Judge and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline that never exercised it or lived where it was exercised And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments and be almost as loath to follow such as to follow a swimmer that never was before in the water or a Pilote that was never before at sea or a Souldiour that never saw warres before but have only learned their skill by the Book Our case stands thus If we take all our Parishes according to the old Church-constitution to be particular Churches and all the Parishiones to be members then either we must exercise the Discipline which Christ hath commanded or not If not then we disobey our Lord and Master and own such a Church as is utterly uncapable of Church-ends and consequently of the essence seeing that it is a Relative being For it 's supposed that it is not for any unusual accident that we cannot exercise this Discipline but from the very Church constitution or incapacity of the matter And then 1. We shall be Traitours to Christ under the name of Pastours if we will wilfully cast out his Ministerial Kingly Government 2. We shall betray the Church to licentiousness And 3. We shall set up a new Church-way which is contrary to that which hath been practised in all ages from the Apostles daies till Impiety had overspread the Christian world He that dare take on him to be an Overseer and Ruler of the Church and not to oversee and rule it and dare settle on such a Church-state as is uncapable of Discipline is so perfidious to Christ and ventureth so boldly to make the Church another thing that I am resolved not to be his follower But if we shall exercise the Discipline of Christ upon all in our ordinary Parishes what work shall we make I will tell you what work from so much experience as that no reasonings can any more perswade me to believe the contrary then that wormwood is not bitter or snow not cold 1. We shall have such a multitude to excommunicate or reject that it will make the sentence grow almost contemptible by the commonness 2. We shall so extreamly enrage the spirits of the people that we shall go in continual danger of our lives Among so many that are publikly reproved and cast out it 's two to one but some desperate villains will be studying revenge But all this is nothing but that which sticks upon my heart is this 3. We shall be the cruellest enemies to the Souls of our poor people in the world and put them the very next step to Hell For as soon as ever we have rejected them and cast them under publique shame they hate us to the heart and either will never heare us more or heare us with so much harted and malice or bitterness of spirit that they are never like to profit by us If you say that doubtless Discipline will have better fruits if it be an Ordinance of God I Answer 1. It 's no time now in the end of the world to question whether that be an Ordinance of God which Scripture speaks for so fully and so plainly and which the Catholike Church hath so long practised and that with such severity as it hath done 2. I know the Discipline is of excellent use and is likely to have excellent effects But upon whom Upon such as are fit to come under Discipline and with
honour it is to Christ and the Church to have the number made up by such as we would disallow I have shewed you before and also what a mischief that is to themselves which some would give them as a benefit 3. If Magistrates and Ministers do their duty yea or but Ministers alone they will better be kept from Heathenism or other evils in the state of Expectants and Catechumens then in the state of Church-members where Discipline will make them mad Object 14. But at least your designe lookes as if you would keep the Children of all such unchristened and what work would that make Answ I medle not with that Question but leave every man to his own Judgment And if I did my self keep off such children I think it would prove but very few For 1. I would refuse none of the Parents that had aliquid Christi that made but a Credible Profession of Christianity 2. I am perswaded that this Practise would bring almost all the people to a tollerable Profession when they know it is expected and what lieth on it 3. Upon experience now I find that both the Parents are seldom so bad as to be uncapable of offering their child to God in the Judgment of the Church Nay commonly here the more one of the persons is in scandalous sinne the more the other hates it And they are seldom both grosly ignorant And those that were delayed on these terms would receive no wrong by it Gods way is the best The Children of unbelievers must not be inchurched in waies of our devising nor respected before the honour of Christ and the common good of the Church of God But of this I say againe I interpose not my Judgment but leave each man to his own Object 15. But though Confirmation be a duty yet none but Bishops have power to do it and therefore it is not a lawfull thing for Presbyters to attempt it Answ 1. What mean you by Bishops It is a word that hath by mens application got so many significations that we may well expect that you give us the Definition of a Bishop before you make him the matter of your Dispute And yet I have read so many Bookes that Dispute for Episcopy and so few that tels us what they mean by it that I must needs say that most of them lose their labour with such as I. If by a Bishop you mean such as our English Bishops were or any fixed Pastour of many particular Churches I deny that such were ever Instituted by Christ much less have they the sole Power of such administrations 2. Do you meane that it is by Gods Law or the Laws of men that Diocesan Bishops only may Confirm If by Gods Laws prove it and we shall quickly yield But that it 's very unlikely you should do If you say that only the Apostles had this Power I Answer 1. That then fixed Diocesan Bishops had none of it For the Apostles were none such 2. Then Timothy Titus â—paphroditus c. when they pretend to have been Bishops had it not 3. Ananias was no Apostle that laid hands on Paul that he might receive the Holy Ghost of this more anon But if you say that this Power is given to the Bishops meerly by the Laws of men then either by the Laws of Magistrates or of Bishops For the former we know of none in force with us to that purpose and if they were it is a work without their line which Christ hath done before them and not left to them to describe the Offices of his Church And for Bishops Canons we know no Power that any Bishops ever had to make standing Laws for the Universal Church nor of any such Laws that are obligatory to us And the Opponents themselves do violate the Canons of General Councils without scruple as the 20th of 1. Con. Nic. and abundance more and how can they oblige us more then them 3. Presbyters have the Keys of the Kingdom Therefore they may takein and Confirm thereby 4. Presbyters may by Baptism take in members into the Vniversal Church and judge of their fitness in order thereto therefore much more may they Confirm them and judge of their fitness in order thereto 5. It s granted that Presbyters may Absolve which was ordinarily by Imposition of hands yea saith Bishop Vsher the Deacons were sometime allowed it therefore Presbyters may Confirm Or if you yielded but Absolution you would yield much of what we contend for seeing so many violate their Baptismal Covenant that Absolution for Restoring of them will be as necessary as Confirmation 6. Hierome that makes Presbyters and Bishops by Gods Law to be the same doth yet according to the custom of the Church say that What doth the Bishop except Ordination which the Presbyter doth not therefore he supposed that Presbyters might Confirm 7. The same Hierome expresly saith that Imposition of hands was reserved to the Bishop for the honour of Priesthood rather then by Divine Ordinatlon Therefore it is but a humane institution 8. The Episcopal Divines and other Writers of their side do commonly maintaine the validity of Presbyters Ordination viz. that in case of Necessity it is lawfull and where there is no flat Necessity it is not a nullity where it is irregular I cited Christian Concord pag. 53 54 c. many Bishops and their defenders that thus justifie the Protestant Churches that have no Bishops as Dr. Field Bishop Dâ—wname Bishop Jewel Saravia Bishop Alley Bishop Pilkington Bishop Bridges Bishop Bilson Grotius Lord Digby Mr. Chisenhal Bishop Davenant Bishop Prideaux Nowel Bishop Andrews Mr. Chillingworth to whom I adde to make up twenty 17. Bishop Bramhal of Schism 18. And Dr. Steward in his Answer to Fountaines Letter 19. Dr. Ferne 20. And Bishop Vsher in his Judgment lately published Abundance more might easily be added but Mr. Mason's Book in vindicacation of the Ordination of the forraigne Reformed Churches may serve instead of more 9 We have no Bishop to do it and therefore it must be done by Presbyters Or we have none that we know of and non esse non apparere are to us all one 10. Presbyters may Impose hands in Ordination and ever did here in England Therefore much more in Absolution and Confirmation 11. King Charles by the advice of his Doctours in the Isle of Wight reserved only Ordination and not Confirmation and Absolution to the Bishops 12. Presbyters are Governours of the Churches which are their Pastoral charge and are called Rectors see Bishop Vshers Reduction of Episcopacy c. proving it Therefore they may do this which is an act of Government or Guidance of the particular Church 13. Presbyters must teach and oversee the people as their charge and deliver them the Sacrament Therefore they must judge to whom they must do it 14. A Diocesane Bishop is uncapable of doing it faithfully Could one man Try Approve and Confirm faithfully all
Baptism was an Actuall Profession 9. The constant Practice of the Universal Church hath given us by infallible Tradition as full assurance of the order of Baptism and in particular of an Exprss Profession and Covenant then made as of any point that by the hands of the Church can be received by us 10. And it was in those daies a more notorious Profession to be so Baptized and to joyn in the holy Assemblies then now it is When the Profession of Christianity did hazard mens liberties estates and lives to be openly then Baptized upon Covenanting with God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and openly joyn with a hated persecuted sort of men was an eminent sort of Profession It being also usually Private in houses as separated from the main body of the people and not in publike places like ours where men are justly driven to come as leaners for instruction Moreover it 's said of all that were Baptized being then at Age that they first Believed And how could the Baptizers know that they believed but by their Profession Yea it 's said of Simon Magus that he Believed and was Baptized which though he might really have some historical Faith yet implyeth that he openly Professed more then he indeed had or else he had scarce been Baptized Which hath caused Interpreters to judge that by Faith is meant a Profession of Faith And if so then sure a Profession was still Necessary Yea Christ in his Commission directeth his Apostles to make Disciples and then Baptize them promising that he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved And who can tell whether a man be a Disciple a Believer or an Infidel but by his Profession How was it known but by their Profession that the Samaritans Believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ before they were Baptized both men and women Act. 8. 12. Philip caused the Eunuch to profess before he would Baptise him that he believed that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God which upon his teaching the rest did import the rest if it were not more fully as is likest Professed Act. 8 37 38. Saul had more then a bare Profession before Baptism Acts 9. 5 15 17. Cornelius and his company had a Profession and more for they had the Holy Ghost powred on them speaking with tongues and magnifying God that use of the gift of tongues imparting more then the gift it self Acts 10. 46. Yea the Spirit bid Peter Go and not doubt Acts 11. 12 And it was such a gift of the Spirit as caused the Apostles to conclude that God had granted the Gentiles Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. How was it known but by their Profession Acts 11. 21. That that great number Believed and turned to the Lord And the Grace of God was such as Barnabas saw vers 23. And when Saul after his Baptism assayed to joyn himself to the Disciples at Jerusalem they so suspected him that they would not receive him till Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and declared to them how God had dealt with him and how boldly at Damascus he had preached in the Name of Jesus which shews that they admitted not men to their Communion till their Profession seemed Credible to them For no doubt but Saul told them himself that he was a Believer before he was put to make use of the testimony of Barnabas The Converted Gentiles Acts 13. 48. shewed their Belief and gladness and openly glorified the Word of the Lord. How but by a Profession did it come to pass that the great multitude at Iconium both Jews and Greeks were known to be Believers Acts 14. 1. The same I may say of the Jaylour Acts 16. Who by works as well as words declared his Conversion And the Bereans Acts 17. 12. And the Athenians Acts 17. 34. And Crispus with the Corinthians Acts 18. 8. Acts 19. 18. The believing Ephesians Confessed and shewed their deeds and many of them burnt as many of their Books of ill Arts as came to fifty thousand pieces of silver In a word it is the standing Rule that If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousnes and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation He that bids us Receive him that is weak in the Faith but not to doubtfull disputations implieth that we must not receive them that Profess not at least a weak Faith Heb. 5. 6. 1 2 3. Shew that the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ were first laid as the Foundation before Baptism And who received those Principles could not be known but by a Profession To this let me adde that Poenitentiam ageâ—e was judged by the Ancient Doctours the Repentance that was prerequisite to Baptism and that is A manifested professed Repentance Gods order is to the Adult first to send Preachers to proclaim the Gospel and when by that men are brought so farre as to Profess or manifest that their cies are opened and that they are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God then must they be Baptized for the Remission of their sinnes and to receive the Inheritance among the Sanctified by Faith in Christ Acts 26. 17. 18. As their sinnes are not forgiven them till they are Converted Mark 4. 12. So they must not be Baptised for the forgiveness of sinnes till they Profess themselves Converted Seeing to the Church non esse non apparere is all one Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ is the summe of that Preaching that maketh Disciples Acts 20. 21. And therefore both these must by Profession seem to be received before any at age are Baptized If as many as are Baptized into Christ are Baptized into his death and are buried with him by Baptism into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead so we also should walk in Newness of life Rom. 6. 4 5. Then no doubt but such as were to be Baptized did first Proâ—ess this mortification and a consent to be buried and revived with Christ and to live to him in Newness of life For Paul was never so much for the Opus operatum above the Papsts as to think that the Baptizing of an Infidel might effect these high and excellent things And he that Professeth not Faith nor ever did is to the Church an Infidel In our Baptism we put off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ being buried with him and rising with him through Faith quickned with him and having all our trespasses forgiven Col. 3. 11 12 13. And will any man yea will Paul ascribe all this to those that did not so much as Profess the things signified or the necessary Condition Will Baptism in the judgment of a wise man do all this for
approving of it belongeth to the Office of the Pastours of the Church The first is grounded by almost all Christians that I know of and therefore need not may words 1. If every man should be the sole Judge of the soundness and validity of his own Profession then Hereticks and Heathens and Infidels may all croud into the Church for when there is any outward advantage or other common motive to induce them to it they would all joyn with the Church as if they were Christians And we see that it is the custom of Hereticks to intrude And who shall say to any of them why do you so if themselves are the only Judges We meet daily among our own neighbours with abundance that know not whether Christ be God or man nor who he is nor what he hath done for us nor why he came into the world and are ignorant of almost all the Essentials of the Christian Faith and with abundance more that live in common drunkenness scorning at holy duties and at a Godly life and hating those that use it and giving up themselves wholly to the flesh and the world And yet all these men are so confident of the soundness and validity of their own Profession that they will hate that Minister that shall make any question of their Right to the Priviledges of the Church I speak not by hearsay or conjecture but by sad experience And if they be their own judges all these will be approved and admitted and indeed what man would not be admitted where Christianity is in credit or hath any worldly advantages so that it 's certain that this would pluck up the hedg and lay open the Vineyard of Christ unto the wilderness For self-love is such a powerfull blinding thing that it will make every man almost especially of the worser sort approve of that which is their Own 2. If every man should be the sole Judge of his own Profession and fitness for Church Priviledges then there could be no Communion of Saints For all the most ignorant and impious persons would intrude into our Communion and it would be a Communion not only of actual but of professed impious men But the consequent is intollerable as being contrary to an Article of our Belief and a principal part of Christian practice 3. If each man were the only Judge of his own Profession then there could be no exercise of Church Discipline nor keeping or casting out the wicked But the consequent is unsufferable Therefore 4. If each man be the only Judge of his own Profession then the Church is an unguided ungoverned Society but the Consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent 2. And now I prove that it belongeth to the Office of the Ministers to judge of and approve the Profession of such as expect admission or the Priveledges of the Church 1. If persons are not the sole Judges themselves then it must belong to the Minister to judge But the Antecedent is before proved The Consequence is proved thus It must belong either to the Pastours or the Magistrate only or the people only or to all or some of these conjunctly Not to the Magistrate only for 1. No man that I know of affirmeth it 2. It is another mans office Not to the people only for 1. None that I know of affirmeth this They all include the Pastours 2. As I said it is made part of the Pastours office If you say that it belongs to Magistrates People and Pastours jointly then you include the Pastours And I grant that in some sort it belongs to them but in a different sort as I shall tell you under the next Proposition 2 It is to Ministers as such that the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed but to approve of the Profession of such as are to be admitted into the Church or to its Priviledges is part of the exercise of the Key 's of the Kingdom therefore it is Ministers to whom it belongeth thus to judge and approve I have proved in another place and so have many others more at large that the Key 's were not given to Peter or to the Apostles as to private men for so they were not nor as to a Church of private Christians for so they were not nor the representatives of any such nor yet as to Apostles only for then they should have belonged to none but themselves the contrary whereof is certain nor as to fixed Diocesan Bishops for such they were not and it 's generally granted that the Key 's belong also to Presbyters either wholly or the chief of them and particularly that in question Nor yet were the Key 's given them only as a Synod or Presbyterie for Peter was not such and this in question hath ever been exercised by such Ministers Arg. 3. The Rulers of the Church are the lawful Judges or Approvers of the Profession of those that come into the Church or demand the Priviledges of it But it is the Ministers of Christ that are the Rulers of the Church as is exprest 1 Thes 12. Acts 2. 28. Heb. 13. 7. 17. 24. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Therefore Arg. 4. Those that are by Office the Stewards of the Mysteries of God and Rulers over his houshould to give them meat in due season which they must do as faithfull and wise servants till their Lord cometh are the men that must judge of and approve the qualifications of those that come under their Stewardship Government and Administration of these Mysteries But such are the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. Matth. 24. 45 46 47. Therefore Arg. 5. To whom it belongeth to receive men at age into the Church to restore by Absolution them that fell off and to Administer Christ's Ordinances to those that are within to them doth it belong to try judge and approve of them that are to be thus received absolved or that expect the Priviledges of the Church But it belongeth to Christ's Ministers to receive men absolve them and administer the Ordinances to them Therefore The Antecedent is commonly granted and plain in Scripture The Consequence hath Reason so evident as needs no confirmation Arg. 6. If all that enter into the Church or that are restored by Asolution or are stated in a Right to Church Priviledges of the Adult are therewithall engaged into a mutual voluntary Relation to Christs Ministers then must their Profession be judged of approved by Christs Ministers but the Antecedent is certain Therefore so is the Consequent The Antecedent is cleare because 1. All that enter into the Universal Church do enter under the hand of the Ministerie and thereby acknowledg their Relation to them and Authority to admit them 2. Because all such do engage themselves to be Christs Disciples and learn of him as their Master not as coming down from Heaven to teach them personally but as teaching them by his Word Spirit and Ministers conjunctly saying Luke 10 16 He that heareth you heareth me
become not Ministers I think 2. It is only the Ministers who being separated to the Gospel and Work of God do lay by all other business and give themselves wholly to these things Gentlemen much less all the people of the Church cannot lay by their callings to attend this business of trying and judging of mens Professions as Ministers must do if they will be faithfull Should private members have so muâ—h Church governing work as some cut out for them and should they bear such a burden as some would lay upon them under the name of Power and Priviledges it would undo them soul or body or both they would find time little enough for it in some places if they all cast off their outward callings And 3. The Pastours only are capable because of Unity For should the People have this work as some would have it the multitude would hinder execution and they would turn all to wrangling 1. Such bodies move slowly 2. Multitude with that divesity of parts and minds that is among them would set them by the eares and the Church would be almost alway in a flame If every man that is to make Profession of his Faith on this or the like occasion must be tryed and judged by all some would approve and others would disapprove and reject in most or very many cases Whereas the Pastours being single or not many and more experienced and able and vacant for a full enquiry have less reason to be partiall injurious or disagreed Arg. 14. The Practice of the Apostles Evangelists and the Pastours of Christ's Church in all Ages doth put us quite out of doubt that it is not only belonging to the Ministerill Office to judge and approve of such Professions but that it is a very great part of that Office John Baptist received and judged of the Profession of his Penitents before he did baptize them The twelve Apostles Mat. 10. 13 14. Were to judge of the worthiness or unworthiness of those that they were to abide with Mark 6. 11. Who were the Judges or Approvers of the Profession of the 3000 Converts Acts. 2. 41. but the Apostles that Baptized them or judged them to be Baptized Who else approved of all the believers that were added Acts 5. 14. even multitudes both of men and women They that Continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship Acts 2. 42. and under their Government no doubt entered at first under their condâ—ct Philip was the Judge of the Eunuch's Profession Acts 8. 37 38. Ananias was scrupulous of admitting Paul but as God himselfe Approved of him to Ananias Acts 9. 13 14 15. So Aâ—anias also must ministerially approve him vers 17. Who judged of Lidia's Profession and the Jaylours Acts 16 but the Apostles or other Ministers of Christ What need we instance any more when we all know that no Convert entered at Age into the Church but under the hand of some Minister of Christ that did Baptize him or appoint him to be Baptized Object But this is not our Case for we were Baptized in Infancy and are in the Church already Answ You entred not into the number of Adult and more perfect Members in your Infancy nor did you make any personal Profession in your Infancy That 's yet to be done Your Parents Profession will serve you no longer then your Infant state These being not in the Gospel Church before were at once Baptized and entered thereby into the Number of the Adult members So would we do if we converted those that were the seed of Heathens or Infidels But though this be not your Case in respect of Baptism and an Insant Church-state yet this is your own Case in regard of personal Profession and Adult Church-state If the Ministers of Christ in Scripture time admitted none into an Adult Church-state and to the Priviledges of such but upon a Personal Profession approved by the said Ministers then neither must we do so now But the Antecedent is past doubt Therefore The Reasons of the Consequence is because the Scripture is our Rule and the Reasons of the Cases are the same If you say with the Anabaptists that I may as well argue from the Apostles example for the Baptizing of the Aged I Answer so I will when the Case is the same when they are converted from Infidelity or are not born and baptized into the gospel-Gospel-Church before The Apostles did not Baptize at Age any person that was born of believing Parents in the gospel-Gospel-Church after Baptism was instituted As to them that say that Mary was a Christian and yet Christ was not Baptized till full Age. I Answer 1. That Mary was not a Baptized person 2. That Baptism into the Name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost was not Instituted in Christs Infancy How should he be Baptized in Infancy when there was no such Ordinance of God in the world as Gospel-Baptism or Johns Baptism If you think Baptism and Profession or Church-membership so inseparable that we must not require such a Profession but in order to Baptism 1. You speak without proof 2. You speak even contrary to the experience of the Jewish Church where in the wilderniss Circumcision was separated from Profession and Church-membership both of Infants and Adult the later being without the former 3. If we may be Baptized in Infancy without a Personal Profession then they are separable but the Antecedent is proved in due place 4. No man denieth that I know of but that Personal Profession approved by the Ministers is necessary in several Cases after Baptism But all the examples of the Baptized Adult in the New Testament will fully prove that all men should enter into the state and number of Adult Church-members upon a Personal Profession approved by the Ministers of Christ for so did all in the Scripture terms on Reasons common to them and us and no man can put by the obligation of the example by any pretence of an imparity of Reason but what will be as strong to evacuate almost all Scripture example and much of the commands But as to the Baptizing persons at Age we will do the same when the persons are such as the Apostles baptized aud that they baptized none others was never yet proved but more said for the Affirmative And ever since the Apostles daies it hath been the constant Practice of the Church that the Profession and claim of the Adult should be tried by the Ministers of Christ 1. In Case of Infant Baptism the Minister was to receive and approve the Parents Profession 2. In Case of the Baptism of the Aged they alwaies entred under the tryal approbation or hand of the Minister 3. In Case of the Confirming of those at Age that were Baptized in Infancy it was alwaies done under the hand and judgment of the Minister 4. In Case of Absolution of those that fell after either Infant or Adult Baptism it was alwaies upon a Profession approved by the Minister To prove
the less of it because Mr Hanmer hath said so much already as to the Judgment of the Ancients and my intent is to pretermit that part or say less to it which he hath performed But that it is Lawfull and fit if not of some Necessity I shall prove by the forementioned Evidence 1. Imposition of hands is allowed in Scripture to be used Generally by Spiritual Superiours to signifie their Will and Desire that the Blessing may fall on the Inferiour or the Gift or Power be conferred on him for which they have a call to mediate So that it is not confined to any particular Blessing Power or Ordinance And therefore if there had been no example of the use of it in this particular case of Confirmation or Absolution yet hence it is proved to be Lawfull and Meet because it hath this General use and allowance The Lifting up of Hands in Prayer was used to signifie from whom and whence they did expect the blessing even from our Father which is in Heaven And the Laying of Hands on the Head of the person in or after Prayer was used as an Applicatory signe to signifie the Terminus ad quem of the blessing desired or the Person on whom they would have it bestowed And as you will not cast away the use of Lifting up of Hands though it be for such mercies as you read no Scripture instance that Hands were lift up for because the General warrant is sufficient so you have as little reason to scruple or cast away the Laying on of Hands though in such cases as you read not that the sign was used for in Scripture because the unlimited Generall use is sufficient warrant in such particular cases God shewed that the very outward signe of Lifting up of the hands was not to be despised when Ameleck had the better when Moses hands fell down though but through weakness so that Aaron and Hur were fain to underset them Exod. 17. And I think we have no reason to contemn the Laying on of hands which in Grounds and Nature is so neer kin to the other And as spreading forth the hands doth not cease to be good and meet for all that God hath said he will not heare them that spread forth hands that are full of blood Isa 1. 15. So the Laying on of hands doth not cease to be good and meet though in some cases the Blessing do not follow it Still we must every where Lift up holy hands in Prayer without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. Though the signe be not of absolute Necessity in every Prayer yet it is very meet and too much neglected among us And so I may say of the other When Solomon prayed in the Temple he spread forth his hands towards Heaven 1 King 8. 22. And so he supposed all would do that lookt to be heard by the God of Heaven when vers 38. he prayeth for the people thus What Prayer and Supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy People Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart that was their Prayer-Book and spread forth his hands towards this house then heare thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and doe c. see vers 54. 2 Chron. 6. 12 13. We must lift up our Hearts with our Hands to God in the Heavens Lam. 3. 41. We must prepare our hearts and stretch out our hands towards him Job 11. 13. Praying to a strange God is signified by stretching out the hand to him Psal 44. 20. Even in Praises the people were to Lift up their hands towards Heaven Neh. 8. 6. Yea and in Blessing Lifting up the Hands was used to signifie whence the Blessing came Luke 24. 50. Now this being so commonly applied the other that is so neer a kin to it may without scruple be used in any case that that falls under the foredescribed General case Indeed every man must lift up hands because every man must pray and it is an engagment that those hands that are lifted up to God be not used in wicked works but Laying on of hands is ordinarily the Act of a Superiour to the Ends abovesaid Thus Jacob Gen. 48. 14 15. Laid his hands on the sonâ—es of Joseph in blessing them Moses laid his hands on Joshua when he ordained him his successour Num. 27. 18 23. Deut. 34. 9. Yea even in the execution of evil they laid on hands as an Applicatory signe as in Sacrificeing as if they should say Not on me but on this substitute let the Evil of punishment be See Levit. 16. 21 22. Exod. 29. 10 15. Lev. 4. 15. 8. 14 22. Numb 8. 12. Yea in putting a Blasphemer and Curser to death they first laid their hands on his head as an Applicatory signe in whom the fault was and to whom the punishment did belong Lev. 24. 14. In the Ordination or Consecration of the Levites the people were to lay their hands on them Numb 8. 10. Not to give them Authority but to Consecrate and give them up to God By Laying on of the hands as an Applicatory signe did Christ and his Disciples heale diseases c. Mark 5. 23. Where note that the Ruler of the Synagogue Jairus took this as an ordinary signe of conferring blessings from a Superiour and therefore he mentioneth it with the blessing desired Mark 6. 5. 8. 23 25. Luke 13. 13. 4. 40. So you may see also the Apostles did yea and other believers as the promise runs Mark 16. 18. Acts 28. 8. Also by laying on of hands as an Applicatory signe they invested the seaven Deacons in their Office Acts 6. 6. And the Prophets and Teachers in the Church of Antioch separated Barnabas and Paul to the work that God appointed them Acts 13. 2 3. By Fasting and Prayer and Imposition of hands And Timothy received his Ministerial Gift by the Laying on of Pauls hands and the hands of the Presbitery 1 Tim. 4. 14. and 2 Tim. 1 6. If this last Text be understood of the Ministerial Ordination and Gift which I rather think is meant of the Apostolical Imposition of hands after Baptism for giving of the Holy Ghost So that this signe was used upon several occasions and is not at all forbidden in this directly nor indirectly and therefore it is undoubtedly lawful seing that without doubt the less is blessed of the greater Heb. 7. 7. and the Duty and Power of the Pastour to Bless the person in this case is unquestionable and this Imposition of hands is an allowed signe in Blessing as Lifting up the hands is in Praying here is Scripture enough to prove it Lawful and very meet 2. But let us enquire yet whether the Scripture lay not some kind of obligation on us to use this Ceremony in Confirmation To which end let these several things be well considered 1. We find in Scripture a Blessing of Câ—urch-members with Laying on of hands 2. We find in
Scripture that the Holy Ghost is in a special manner promised to Believers over and above that measure of the Spirit which caused them to believe 3. We find that Prayer with Laying on of hands was the outward means to be used by Christs Ministers for the procuring of this blessing 4. We find that this was a fixed Ordinance to the Church and not a temporary thing Lay all this together and you will see as much as my Proposition doth affirm Let 's try the proof of it I. Though the proof of the first be not Necessary to the main point yet it somewhat strengtheneth the cause Mark 10. 16. Christ took the Children up in his armes put his hands upon them and blessed them so Math. 19. 15. This is not I confess a Confirmation upon personal Profession which I am now pleading for But this is a Benediction by laying on of hands And the subjects of it were such Children as were Members at least of the Jewish Church being before Circumcized II. But to come neerer the matter let us enquire what this Gift of the Holy Ghost was that is promised to Believers Whatsoever the Pelagians say the Scripture assureth us that Faith and Repentance which go before Baptism in the Adult are the gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet for all that the Holy Ghost is to be given afterward And though very often this afterâ—gift is manifested by Tongues and Prophesie and Miracles yet that is not all that 's meant in the promise of the Holy Ghost Gad hath not tyed Himself by that promise to any one sort of those extraordinary Gifts no nor constantly to give any of them But he hath promised in General to give Believers the Spirit and therefore there is some other standing gift for which the Spirit is promised to all such And indeed the Spirit promised is One though the gifts are many and the many sorts of gifts make not many Spirits If any man therefore shall ask whether by the Promised Spirit be meant Sanctification or Miracles or Prophesie c. I Answer with Paul There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit as there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversities of operations but the same God 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. It is therefore no wiser a question to ask whether by the Spirit be meant this gift or that when it is only the Spirit in General that is promised then to ask whether by the Lord be meant this or that administration and whether by God be meant this or that opâ—ration To one is given the word of Wisdom by the Spirâ—t and to another the word of Knowledg by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit c. vers 8 9 10. Now I confess if any man can prove that this promise of the Spirit to the faithfull is meant only of the extraordinary gift of Miracles then he would weaken the Argument that I am about But I prove that contrary 1. Cor. 12. 12 13. It is the gift of the Spirit by which we are One body which is called Christs by which we are all baptized into this one body and such members as have a lively fellow-feeling of each others state vers 26. 27. Yea such as giveth to the Elect the excellent durable grace of Charity vers 31. and Chap. 13. Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Note here that it is not only the gift of Miracles but the Spirit of Adoption that is here mentioned and that it 's given to Believers because they are Sonnes And all the first part of Rom. 8. to vers 29. doth shew that it is the Spirit of Adoption Supplication and that by which we mortifie the flesh that is given to Believers 2 Cor. 1. 21 22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts It is not the common gifts of the Spirit only that are here spoken of nor is it the first gift of Faith but it is Confirmation or inward establishment in Christ and that Spirit which is the Fathers Seal upon us and the earnest of the Inheritance I believe not that it is outward Anointing or sealing with the signe of the Cross that is here mentioned as many Papists dreame but inward unction seal earnest and confirmation by the Spirit are here exprest So 2 Cor. 5. 5. Zach. 12. 10. It is the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that is promised to the Church And see the pattern in Christ our head on whom after Baptism the Spirit descended and to whom it is promised Matth. 12 18. Ephes 1. 13 14. In whom also after yee believed yee were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance Here it 's evident that it 's such a gift of the Spirit which is an Earnest of Heaven that is given to men after they believe Joh. 7. 39. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given them because that Jesus was not yet Glorisied Yet the Apostles had Faiththen And that it is not meant only of the Apostles extraordinary gifts of Miracles the foregoeing words shew He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow living waeters but this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive By all this it is evident that there was an Eminent gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them that had already the grace of Faith and Repentance and Love to Christ wrought in them by the Holy Ghost and that though this Eminent Gift did very much consist in gifts of Languages Prophesie and mighty works for the Confirmation of Christs Doctrine which was then to be planted in the world yet was it not only in those gifts but as some had only those common though extraordinary gifts for the good of the Church so some had an Eminent addition of Special Gifts to seal them up to the day of Redemption and be the earnest of the Inheritance to the saving of the Soul If you ask Wherein these special Eminent Gifts of the Holy Ghost do consist I Answer 1. In a clearer knowledg of Christ and the rsteries of the Gospel not an uneffectual but a powerful affecting practical Knowledge 2. In a fuller measure of Love agreeable to this Knowledg 3. In Joy and Peace and sweet Consolation 4. In establishment and corroboration and firmer resolution for Christ and everlasting Life For the understanding of which we must know that as the Doctrine is the Means of conveying the Spirit so the Spirit given is answerable to the Doctrine and Administration that men are under It 's a very great question whether Adam in Innocency had the Spirit or not But as the Administration according to the meer Light and Law of Nature is eminently in Scripture attributed to the
of the means now And 1. When I have proved it once Appointed it lyeth on the contrary minded to prove it changed or ceased That 's the task of them that affirm it ceased If I shew them an obligation once laid they must prove it taken off Their only Argument is that the persons and occasion were only extraordinary and are ceased and therefore so is the signe or means To which I Answer 1. By denying the Antecedent both as to persons and occasion They were not Only extraordinary 2. By the denying the Consequence as it is inferred from the persons For extraordinary persons were our patterns for ordinary durable works But I prove the Negative 1. The Use and Ends of the Ancient Imposition of hands do still continue Therefore we are to judge that the signe and means is not to cease For the proofe of the Antecedent remember that I have before proved that it was not only though very eminently the gift of Tongues and Miracles that was then meant by the Holy Ghost that was given but also Corroborating Grace And the necessity and actual collation and use of this doth still continue 2. There is still a discernable Aptitude in the means to these necessary Ends. The Baptized believer may yet want the Joy of the Holy Ghost and boldness of Access to God and the shedding abroad of fuller Love in the heart Rom. 5. 5 And that Consolation which is much of the work of the promised Spirit which therefore is called the Comforter and that Corroboration and Stability which he needeth Now to have a Messenger of Christ that hath received a binding and loosing power in the Name of Christ to Encourage us in our Profession and to put up Solemn Prayers for us and as it were take us by the hand and place us in the higher form at least to place us at our first personal Profession among Adult believers and make particular application of the Promise to us and Bless us in the Name of Christ by virtue of their Ministerial Office this must needs tend much to confirm and comfort and encourage the weak Though still further Ministerial Confirmation by Praying and Exhortation will be necessary to the end Acts 14. 22. 15. 31 32. 3. The Scripture signifieth to us that Imposition of hands was of standing use in the Church and therefore not to cease with Miracles In Heb. 6. 2. We find it named among the parts of the Foundation Laying on of hands Now all the doubt is what Impositon of hands is there mentioned 1. For them that think the Apostle meaneth Jewish Imposition when he mentioneth the Christian Foundation Points I think their Opinion saveth me the labour of Confuting it 2. Either then it is Imposition of hands in case of Ordination or in case of Confirmation or in case of Absolution or for working Miraculous cures The last alone it cannot be because we find it among Foundation Points and find it a continued thing and because there is no evidence to lead us to such a restrained exposition And if it be in the case of Absolution or Ordination that Imposition is to continue it will by consequence be proved that it no more ceaseth here then there And usually they that question the use of it in one case question it in the rest 3. For my part I think that it is no one of these cases alone that the Scripture here speaketh of but of the Power and use of it in General for the Ministers of Christ to be his Instruments in conferring Evangelical Gifts and Power by imposition of hands We must not limit and restrain the sence of Scripture without Evident cause It is as if the Apostle had said You are long agoe taught the Necessity of Repenting and forsaking the works of Death and of Believing in the true God and of being Dedicated and Engaged to Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the Baptismal Covenant in which you your selves have been consecrated unto God and received the remission of sinne and you have seen the Power that is given to the Ministers of Christ that by their Prayers and Imposition of hands Miracles have been wrought to confirm their Doctrine and Grace is given to confirm the Soul and Absolution and Peace is given to the Penitent and Ministeriall Power delivered to others c. But however you understand this Imposition of hands without apparent violence you must confess either Imposition in the case that we are speaking of or that which will warrant it and stands on the same ground to be here meant So 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes Some think that here is meant Imposition of hands in Ordination and some that it 's meant only of Confirmation and some of Absolution but however it will help us in the following Argument 4. Scripture fully proveth that Laying on of hands is a thing to be continued to other Vses where the reason of continuance is the same Therefore we are not to judge it ceased as to this use This Text last named shews that it is a standing or continued thing and if for Absolution then for Confirmation and if for Ordination then for both the other So 1 Tim. 4. 14. sheweth that the Presbytery did lay hands on Timothy in Ordination And if it cease not to this it ceaseth not to other continuing uses This much from Scripture for Imposition of hands is more then Nothing though it may not be so full as you expected But on the contrary Nothing is brought to prove it unlawfull that 's worth the mentioning The last thing that I have to do is to argue from the Practice of the Church as the Exposition of these texts of Scripture If the Universal Church of Christ have used Confirmation by Prayer and Laying on of hands as a Practice received from the Apostles and no other beginning of it can be found then have we no reason to think the Ceremony to be ceased or to interpret the forementioned Scripture contrary to this Practice of the Universal Church But the Antecedent is true as I now come briefly to prove supposing what Mr Hanmer hath said It is commonly known that the Ancientest Canons of the Church do speak of this as the unquestioned Practice and duty of the Church So that to recite Canons were loss of time in so known a case And if any say that Anointing and Crossing were Ancient I Answer 1. That they were as ancient in the Popish use as the Matter of a Sacrament or as necessary signes is not true nor proved but disproved by our Writers against the Popish Confirmation frequently 2. Nor can it be proved that they were as Ancient as Indifferent things 3. We prove the contrary because they were never used in Scripture times their being no mention of them 4. So that we bring Antiquity but to prove the continuance of a Scripture Practice and so to clear the sence
of it But the Papists plead the Fathers for that which Scripture is a stranger to If Ignatius ad Heronem Diaconum be genuine there 's this testimony Nihil sine Episcopis operare Sacerdotes enim sunt tu autem Diaconus Sacerdotum Illi baptizant sacrificant manus imponunt tu autem ipsis ministra I recite it out of Vshers ' Latin copy as supposed the most pure Tertullian lib. de Proscript cap. 36. appealing to the practice of the Apostle John in the Africane Churches mentioneth as his Faith that he taught one God the Creatour and Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and the Resurrection of the body and that he joyned the Law and Prophets with the Evangelical and Apostolik Writings and thence drunk this Faith And of his Practice he saith Aquâ signat Sancto Spiritu vestit Euchristiâ pascit as three distinct Ordinances Lib. de Baptismo cap. 8. Having mentioned Baptism and the Unction joyned to that and not then to Confirmation he addeth De hinc manus imponitur per benedictionem advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum Idem de Resur Carn cap. 8. Sed caro abluitur ut anima emaculetur Caro unguitur ut anima consecretur Caro signatur ut anima muaiatur Caro manus Impositione adumbratur ut anima Spiritu illuminetur Cyprian ad Stephan Epist 72. Et ad Jubaian is too much for it I will not trouble you in citing any Writers since General Councels were in use because their testimony is enough He that would see such may read Barronius ad An. 35. at large So much for the proof of the fitness of Imposition of hands in Confirmation I come now to the second Part of my Proposition viz. That this Ceremony is not of such Necessity as that such as scruple it should be denied liberty of forbearing the reception of it if they submit to the Ministerial tryal and Approbation of their Profession and admission and reception to Church priviledges For proof of this consider 1. That we do not find that God any where Instituted this signe as a matter of Necessity still without interruption to be used but only that by holy men it was applyed as a convenient signe or gesture to the works in which they used it Even as Lifting up of hands in Prayer was ordinarily used as a fit gesture not wilfully to be neglected without cause and yet not of flat necessity or as kneeling in Prayer is ordinarily meet but not alway necessary We find no more Scripture for the one then for the other Which indeed sheweth on one side how causeless it is to question the Lawfullness of it any more then of Listing up the the hands or Kneeling and yet how little reason there is on the other side to make it a matter of flat necessity 2. As we find that Kneeling in Prayer and Lifting up the hands were oft omitted so we find that sometime the Holy Ghost is given before Baptism or Imposition of hands Acts 10. And we find not that the Apostles used it to all though I confess the Negative arguing is infirm yet it seems not probable that this was alwaies done 3. It is somewhat suspicious to find in Martyr's description of the Christian Churches Practices no mention of this nor any Sacrament but Baptism and the Lords Supper nor any of the Roman Ceremonies And Irenaeus and some other are silent in it 4. God maketh no Ceremonies under the Gospel so necessary except the two Sacraments not layeth so great a stress on them as under the Law And therefore we are not to interpret the Gospel as laying mens Salvation or the Peace of the Church on any Cerimonies unless we find it clearly expressed 5. For all that I have said from Scripture for Imposition of hands in Confirmation though the lawfulness of it is proved past doubt yet the proofe of the duty of using it is lyable to so many Objections as that I must needs conclude that the Gospel tenderness the sense of our mutual infirmities and our care of tender Consciences and of the Churches Peace should restrain all the Sons of Piety and Peace from making it a matter of flat Necessity and forcing them that scruple it to submit to it And now having said thus much of Imposition of hands and Confirmation as grounded on the Apostles example I must againe and againe remember you that this is in a manner but ex aebundanti and that the cause that I am pleading doth not at all need it but that I did before most clearly manifest the Truth of my position upon other grounds upon which I shall proceed and having shewed the Necessity of Ministerial judging of mens Profession and the personal Covenanting of the Adult and the Lawfullness of imposing hands therein I go on as to the manner Prop. 14. Though in Receiving Adult persons out of Infidelity by Baptism into the Church a sudden Profession without any stay to see their Reformation may serve tuâ—n yet in the receiving those that were Baptized heretofore into the Number of Adult-members or to the Priviledges of such their lives must be enquired after which must be such as do not confute their Profession VVE find in Scripture that the Converted were suddenly Baptized and they stayed not for any Reformation of life to go before Indeed the Ancient Chrches aferwards kept their Catechumens long in expectation but that was not to see their lives first reformed but that they might have time to teach them the Doctrine of Christ which they must know before they could be Converts indeed The Apostles did suddenly Baptize converted Jews and Proselites because they had so much preparatory knowledg as that a shorter teaching might acquaint them with the Christian doctrine But the Heathens must belong in learning so much as the Jews knew before Conversion Yet if the Catechumens did fall into gross sinne in time of their expectation and learning they were so much the longer delayed because it signifyed that their first professed desires of entering into the Church upon Christs terms were not right But the Baptized stand upon other terms For 1. They are already in Covenant with God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and have renounced the flesh the world and the Devil and promised obedience to God and to live according to their Covenant And this the Church hath still required of them as I shewed out of Justin Martyr and others before Dionysius or whoever else in lib de Hierarch Eccles saith Ipse autem se omnino ea quae tradentur sequuturum esse pollicetur And Ex eo praeterea quaerit num ita instituat vivere cum promisit asseverationibus c. upon which saith Albaspinaeus Quia scilicet fidem Christianam Christianumque vivendi genus mores sese complexos persequnturisque jucabant antequam baptizarentur in Tertul. de Paenit pag. 289. Postea Non accedebant ad Baptismum nisi de rebus
fidei plane instructi id est de Dei magnitudine potestate rebusque quae in Evangeliis continentur uno excepto Eucharistiae mysterio neque baptizabantur nisi post quam ea omnia se credere jurassent quorum fides a fide poenitentiae incipiebat c. Et in sequ Jucabant in Baptismo solennibus verbis se nunquam peccaturos deinde renunciabant Diabolo pompis ejus Denique Censurâ si peccarent post baptismum coercebantur So that men that are engaged in covenant with God must keep Covenant or manifest themselves Penitent for the violation of it before they are admitted to further Priviledges There is a long time in which they grow up from an Infant-state to an Adult and how they live in that time must be enquired after 2. Otherwise the Apostate would have equal Acceptance and Priviledges with the Faithfull 3. And so Penitence and Absolution would be excluded and confounded with meer Confirmation 4. Moreover the Baptized are obliged to be responsible for their lives being under the Government of Christs Ministers and among his Saints 5. For the sake of their own Souls and of the Church and Ordinances we must endeavour to preserve them from Corruption which lying Professions would introduce and therefore must not overlook or neglect such Evidence as is within our reach 6. Else Ministers that are by office to judg of their Profession would be unfaithfull Judges and forfeit their trust if they shall wilfully neglect any Evidence within their cognisance by which they may be enabled to judge But yet it is not the certainty of inward saving Grace that we must find out by mens lives for no man can have such certainty of another but only that their lives be not such as Null and Invalidate and confute their Profession and they live not in the perfidious violation of their Baptismal Covenant Prop. 15. It is not of flat Necessity that the Profession of the Expectant be made in the open Congregation or before many in order to his Confirmation and Admittance PRoved 1. It is not of Necessity that Converted Infidels be admitted by Baptism into the state of Adult-members upon a Publique Profession in a Congregation therefore it is not of Necessity that others be so admitted in Confirmation The Antecedent is proved by the instance of the Eunuch Acts 8. whom Philip Baptized in their way and the Jaylour and his houshold Acts 16. Baptzed in the night at home The Consequence is proved by the propriety of reason and case 2. If a man may by Confirmation be admitted into the Number of Adult Christians in the Church Universal without being admitted into a particular Church then his Profession and Admission need not in that case to be before the Congregation But the Antecedent is true as I prove thus A man may by Adult Baptism be admitted first into the Universal Church only As was the Eunuch the Jaylour Lydia Sergius Paulus and every first Convert in any City where the Apostles came Therefore a man may by Confirmation be admitted into the Number of the Adult in the Catholick Church only For the reason is the same and the former admitteth them into the same number The Consequence of the Major is plain For no one Congregation more then another can claim the cognisance of the Admission of a member into the Universal Church or Confirming them in it 3. Scripture hath no where made such Publique Admission to be of constant Necessity therefore it is not so 4. Else none could be Admitted or Confirmed when persecution hindereth Church Assemblies 5. The Church is to believe and trust the Pastours to whom it doth by office belong to try and admit them 6. General unfixed Ministers may thus try approve and confirm who are not Pastours of any particular Church such as Apostles Evangelists and others were therefore they are not alwaies to do it before a particular Church Nor indeed did they alway do so Prop. 16. When a Person is admitted among the Adult-members af a Particular Church as well as the Vniversal his Profession and Admission must be either before the Church or Satisfactorily made Known to the Church at least who must Approve of it by a Judgment of Discretion in order to their Communion with him and this among us is the ordinary case because it is the duty of all that have opportunity to joyn themselves to some particular Church and it is in such Churches that Communion in publique Worship and Order must be had either statedly or transiently and temporarily 1. THe solemnity it self of our Transition into the number of Adult-members and their Communion is of very great advantage as I shall manifest more anon 2. We that are commonly against the private Admission of Infants at least except in some urgent case have less reason to be for the private Transition and Admission of men among the Adult and that into a particular Governed Church 3. The whole Society among whom such a person is entered do owe him much duty and brotherly assistance They must Love him with a special Love They must live though not in a Levelling yet in a Charitable Community with him not shutting up the bowels of Compassion from him when they see him in want but relieving him as if they sufferd with him They are not only to Love him and Relieve him as a man but as one of Christ's little ones or friends yea as his brethren yea as loving and relieving Christ in them Matth. 25. 35. to the end They must receive and relieve a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Besides this they must have Church-Union and Communion with him as one Body and must pray for him and rejoice with him in Gods Praises and the Lords Supper and watch over him and admonish and reprove him in sinne for his recovery and avoid him if he walk disorderly and be impenitent in scandalous sinne c. Now 1. No man can perform all this duty to a man that he knoweth not to be thus related to him If he know not that he owes him this duty any more then to any one else in the world how shall he pay it him To say that we are bound to take all men that converse with us to be such is to say that Christians must renounce their witts and turn the Church into Bedlam 2. And as this proves that the Church-members must be made known to one another so it proves that they must have a Judgment of Discretion in receiving them though the Pastours have the Judgment of Governing Direction For 1. God hath not left the Pastours at liberty to take in whom they Please but hath described what Profession they shall accept or what persons they shall admit and whom they shall reject If therefore the Pastours go against the Word of God then this following is the peoples duty 1. If they know not the errour or the case be doubtfull they
of the person because no duty is at all times a duty to be performed and especially when the hurt that will follow upon it in the divisions of the Church is like to be far greater then the good if it be done 6. But if the Church should be so corrupted as that the Major Vote doth set against Faith and Godlines as such and so will not admit a sound member to be added to them the Pastour with the Minor part may after due Admonition and Patience as justly reject the guilty and obstinate as if they were but one man and not a Major part What is said of this case of Admission holds also of Rejection by Excommunication and of other Antecedent acts of Discipline 4. Lastly If Excommunication must usually be done in publique before the whole Church that they may know whom to avoid and know the Reason of it then Admission must usually be done in publique the Person or the Pastour opening the case to the people that they may know whom to have Communion with and know the Reason of of it but the Antecedent is confessed by almost all And it s proved plainly by Paul's practice and direction 1 Cor 5. throughout And it was the custom of the Christian Churches in Tertullians daies Apolog. cap. 39. There also in the Christian meeting for Worship are exercised exhortations castigations and the Divine Censure for Judgment is passed with great deliberation or weight as with men that are assured of the presence or sight of God and it is the highest Representation of the Judgment to come if any one so offend as that he be discharged or banished from Communion of Prayer and of the Assembly and of all holy Commerce or fellowship Abundance more out of Cyprian and others might be easily produced to prove that this which I have spoken was the ancient interest of the people in these Church-affaires Yea in the choise of their Pastours yea and in rejecting unworthy Pastours Cyprian saith they had a chief Interest Not by Ruling Power but by a prudent exercise of obedience choosing the good and refusing the evil Self-preservation is naturall to every body where it is not by evil means and to the hurt of the Publike State It 's hard if a Natural body may not lawfully refuse or cast up Poison if a Governour should give it them God bindeth none to the perdition of their Souls nor any holy Society to destroy it self or suffer it self to be destroyed or corrupted by others without the use of all just means to resist the bane But of this I shall desire the Reader that would know the Judgment and Practice of the Ancient Church to peruse Dr Blondel de Jure plebis in Regimine Ecclesiast adjoyned to that excellent piece of Grotius de Imperio summarum Potâ—statum circa Sacra This much may satisfie you that it should not be usually a secret but a solemn Transition from an Infant-state of membership into an Adult-state and that by a publike Profession or Notification of it the particular Church should have satisfaction herein Prop 17. It is convenient though not of Necessity that every Church do keep a Register of all that are admitted thus into the Number of the Adult-members AS we were wont to keep a Register of the Infants Baptized so have we as much Reason of the Adult Approved and Confirmed or Restored Corporations of old were wont to keep a book of the names of their Burgesses or Citizens in respect to which God is said to have a Book of Life wherein he writes mens names and out of which he blots them speaking after the manner of men The Church hath great reason for this practice the business being of so great weight that we forget not who are of our Communion which without a Register in great Congregations must needs be done If any be so vaine as to demand a Scripture proofe of this let him first bring me a Scripture-proofe that he may read with spectacles or write a Sermon from the Preachers mouth or use Notes in the Pulpit or print c. and then I will give him proofe of this In the mean time if this do not satisfie him he shall have liberty to disuse it Prop. 18. Those that were never thus Ministerially and Explicitly Approved Confirmed or Absolved after an ungodly life but have been permitted without it to joyne ordinarily with the Church in Prayer and Praises and have been admitted to the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper are approved and confirmed Eminently though not Formally though in so doing both the Pastours and themselves did sin against God by the violation of his holy Order So that such may be a true Church though much corrupted or disordered THis I adde for two Reasons 1. To confute them that say our Churches are no true Churches for want of an explicite Profession 2. And to acquaint you who it is among us that are or are not to be called to Confirmation 1. It is not the degree of clearness and openness in our Profession or in the Ministerial Approbation or Admission that is Essential to a Church-member An obscure Profession may be truly a Profession Some obscure Profession hath been ordinarily made by our people in this Land heretofore by their ordinary hearing the Word and standing up at the Recital of the Creed and joyning with the Church in Prayer and Praise and confessing the Scriptures to be the Word of God and acknowledging the Ministry And a further Profession they made by actual receiving the Lords Supper which is a silent Profession of their Faith in Christ And though they were not solemnly Approved and Confirmed except that one of many had a Cerimonious Confirmation from the Bishop in their Childhood yet were they Actually admitted to daily Communion with the Church and the special part of Communion in the Lords Supper And though this Profession and admission was lamentably defective of which more anon yet it is such as may prove our ordinary Assemblies to have been true Churches 2. And I do not think it fit that any that have been already admitted to Church-communion in the Lords Supper should be now called out to Confirmation by Imposition of hands though where there is just cause to question their Knowledg Faith or lives they may by the Postour be called to give an account of them and put upon a clearer Profession then they have yet made But sure when they have been admitted to the Lords Supper by any regular Ministry and Church they are to be taken for Adult-members till they are justly cast out or do cast out themselves For the more Perfect doth include the less Perfect in it If a man be ordained a Presbyter that was never ordained Deacon he is not to be called back againe and made a Deacon If you make a man free of your Trade before he was ever bound prentice you cannot call him back againe and bind him
any from whence they may fetch matter of reproach against the Pastours and Ordinances among us 10. Another sort there are that are deeply possest with a conceit that God having determined before we are borne whether we shall be saved or not it is in vaine to strive for if we be predestinated we shall be saved what ever we do and if we be not we shall not what ever we do and that we can do nothing of our selves nor have a good thought but by the Grace of God and if God will give it us we shall have it and the Devil cannot prevaile against him but if he will not give it us it 's in vaine to seek it for it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth Mercy and therefore they give up themselves to security and ungodliness because they cannot do nothing of themselves And thus by misunderstanding some Texts of Scripture and abusing some Truths of God they are hardened in ungodliness thinking that all is long of God and they will not so much as promise Reformation nor promise to use the means because they say they cannot tell whether God will put it into their hearts and it is all as he will 11. Besides these there is one or two honest ignorant Professours that are turned Anabaptists and joyne with the Church of them in the next Parish 12. And some Papists are among us and whether only those that stay from the Assemblies I cannot say Of these twelve sorts of People this Parish is composed which I therefore mention that the state of our Parishes may be truly known while others are compared with this For every one hath not had the opportunities which I have had to know all their people or the most And now if all these are fit to go for Christians then must we make a new kind of Christianity and a new Gospel and a new Christ And if all these are fit to be Church-members then we must make a new kind of Churches And why then may not those be Christians and Church-members that never heard of the Name of Christ as well as many of these 2. By this untried Entrance of all sorts into our Churches we bring a dishonour on the very Christian Name and so on the Lord Jesus himself and on his Gospel and holy waies Christianity is not a matter of meer Opinion Christ came not into the world only to perswade men to have high thoughts of him but to save his people from their sinnes and to destroy the works of the Devil And when the Church of Christ shall be turned into a den of thieves or a sty of swine what a great dishonour is it to the Lord As if we would perswade the world that his servants are no holier then others and differ but in an Opinion from the world Christ needeth not Disciples and therefore will not take in all that refuse to come upon his terms but hath fixed his terms and will have only those that will yield to them Though I abhorre the rigor of the contrary extreame that would make the Church narrower then it is and pinne it up in so small a number as would tempt men to doubt of Christianity it self and teacheth men to exclude their bretheren meerly because they are themselves uncharitable Judges when they are not able to disprove their Profession yet must I also detest this horrible dishonouring of the Lord as if his Body were no better than the army of the Devil 3. And by this means the Heathens Jews Mahometans and all Infidels are exceedingly hindred from believing in Christ when they can say as the Turks when men question their fidelity what dost thou think I am a Christian He that knows any thing of Religious affaires knoweth that commonly the first thing that draweth men to any party is the liking of the Persons and their Practices from whence they grow to enquire with inclination into their doctrines The Ancient Christians that lived before the daies of Constantine did bring Christianity into reputation by their Holiness and God was then more eminently seen among them But when the countenance of the Emperour and worldly advantages had drawn in all men to the Church and the Bishops did set the door too wide open Christianity lookt like another thing and that inundation of wickedness overspread the Church which Salvian and so many more complaine of Our likeliest way to win the Jews and all Infidels to the Church is by shewing them the true Nature of Christianity in the Church-members 4. Hereby also we confound the ancient Order of Catechumens or Expectants with the true members of the Church and lay the Church and the porch yea and the Church-yard if not the commons all together By which also our Preaching and Administrations are confounded so that whereas the Ancient Churches had their Common Sermons and some Prayers which were fitted to the unconverted or Expectants and had also both Doctrine Praiers Praises and other worship proper to the Church especially on the Lords Daies we must now speak to all and joyn with all and the Church and the Enemies of the Church must sing the same Praises as if they were one body And God is not the God of confusion but of order in the Churches He that put two sorts of Preaching and Doctrine into the Apostles Commission Matth. 28. 19 20. One for making Disciples and another for the edifying and guidance of Disciples did never intend that these should be confounded 5. And then by this means the Souls of millions of poore people are deprived of the great benefits of the Ordinances and Administrations suitable to their state The begetting Word goeth before the feeding strengthning Word even before the milk for babes The laying of the foundation must go before our building thereon Every one will thrive best in his Own Element and place A fish will not prosper on dry land nor a man under water The womb is the only place for the Embrio and unborn child though not for those that have seen the Sun If you will break the shell before the Chicken be hatcht that you may hasten its production or honour it with a premature association with the rest that see the Sunne your foolish charity will be the death of it And so deale abundance of mistaken Zealots with the Souls of men who cry out against the wisest and most conscionable Ministers as if they were unchristning the People and undoing the world because they would feed them with food convenient for them and will not be such hasty midwives as to cast the mother into her throws if not rip her up that shee may have the child at her breasts which should yet be many daies or moneths in the womb Moreover they thus cause our people to lose all that benefit of preparations and solemn Engagement to Christ of which more anon among the Benefits 6. By this means also
do manifest whom they esteem good Christians and this the people very much look at 2. The Reputation of all the Pastours of the Church which is to be manifested in their Agreements Confessions or Declarations and Practices 3. The common consent of Christian people which is to be manifested by their actions according to the Laws of Christ and the Direction of their Guides If Magistrates Ministers and people do concurre to repute all the Infidels and utterly Ignorant wicked men among us to be Christians how many thousand Souls may this deceive and undo for ever Whereas If Magistrates Ministers and People that feare God would all agree accordng to the Laws of Christ to esteem none Adult-Christians but those that by a Credible Profession of Christianity do seem to be such it would abundantly help to convince them of their misery and the need of Christ and Grace and the absolute necessity of a change We see even among good men in the case of a particular sinne how much common Reputation doth help to hinder the work upon their Consciences Among the Reformed Churches beyond the Sea what Conscience is troubled for these actions or omissions on the Lords Day which in England would much trouble men of the same temper in other things Among several Sects it troubleth them not freely to revile the Servants of Christ that are against them because they finde it rather go for commendable then much condemnable by those whom they most esteem Among the Papists the believing in a Vice-Christ and the worshiping of his Image and Cross with Divine Worship and also the consecrated Host and the condemning all the Churches of Christ that do it not do goe for Virtues and Christian Practices though they are most haynous odious sinnes and what is it but common Reputation of Prince and Priests and multitudes of people that could make so many yea and such persons as some of them are to continue in such sinnes as if they were a part yea an essential part of holiness and one generation to succeed another in them Were these sinnes but commonly reputed to be as odious as indeed they are what a change would it make on millions of Souls So that it 's strange to see the power of Reputation 3. Moreover this course would be an excellent help to the Labours of the Ministers of Christ for mens Salvation They would better understand and apply our Sermons whereas now they lose the benefit by misapplying them Now we must labour all our lives and with most in vaine to make unbelievers and ungodly persons understand what they are and no means will serve to convince many people that they are not truly Christians that know not what it is to be a Christian or that hate it and fight against it When they all go together under the name of Christians what ever comforts they hear offered to Believers they take them to themselves or mistake them as offered to them and all the threatnings that are uttered against unbelievers they put by and think it is not they that they are spoken against But if once we could but get men to stand in their own places and to know themselves how easily then would our message work Me thinks the Devil should not be able to keep one man of an hundred in his power if they knew themselves to be in his power nor one of an hundred in a state of ungodliness and condemnation if they knew that they are in such a state At least I am sure men will not so numerously nor easily runne into Hell when they know they are going into it as when they are confident that they are good Christians and in the way to Heaven 4. If this foredescribed Confirmation be practised it will more powerfully oblige our people to Christ then a secret sliding into the number of Adult-Christians will do And doubtless solemn engagements and obligations have some force upon Conscience to hold men to Christ and restraine them from sinne or else Baptism it self would be much frustrate and the Jews should not have been so often called by Moses Joshua Asa and other Princes to renew their Covenant with God But with us men feel no such bonds upon them And many question whether they are bound at all by their Parents promises for them in Baptism 5. The profiting of our people will be much greater in their own place when those that are not yet fit for Adult-membership and Priviledges are kept in the place of Catechumens or Expectants Every thing doth thrive and prosper best in its own place If you teare them not out of the Churches wombe till they are ready for the birth they will prosper there that else may perish Your Corne will best prosper in the cold earth where it seems to be dead and buried till the Springing time shall come And you should not violently unhose the eares till Nature put them forth The first digestion must be wrought before the second and Nature must have time allowed it and the stomack must not too hastily let go the food if you would have good sanguification and nutrition follow Men think they do a great kindness to grosly ignorant or impious men to take them into the Church before they are capable of such a station and the work or Priviledges thereto belonging but alas they do but hurry them to perdition by thrusting them out of the state where they might have thriven in preparation to a Church-state into a state which will set them abundance of work which they are utterly unfit for and under the pretence of benefits and Priviledges will occasion abundance of aggravations of their sinnes A boy in his A B C. will learne better in his own place among his fellows then in a higher form where he hath work set him which he is uncapable of doing 6. By this means also Church-Discipline will attain its Ends It will awe and preserve the Church and terrifie and reduce offendours and help them to Repentance and preserve the order of the Church and Gospel when it is exercised upon such as are capable of it that know the nature of it and either are habitually diposed to profit by it or at least understand what it was that they were engaged to and understandingly consent to live under such a Discipline and when it is exercised upon few and we have not such multitudes to sweep out of the Church 7. By this means both Church-associations and Ordinances may attaine their Ends and people will be capable of doing the duty of Christians to one another when others are capable of receiving it Church members are bound to exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened by the deceitfullness of sinne Heb. 3. 13. and to teach and admonish one another Col. 3. 16. But before swine we must not cast such pearls nor give that which is holy to dogs Matth. 7. 6. Therefore it necessarily followeth that dogs and
Christians but to give them Infant Priviledges upon the Parents Profession but to require of them a sober serious Profession and Covenanting by themselves in owning their Baptismal Covenant before we number them with Adult-Christians And that God hath suffered the Anabaptists to make such a stirre among us will prove a mercy to us in the End if we have the wit and grace to learn this upon this troublesome occasion and then the Reformation will do us more good then ever the Anabaptists did us harm But if we will not learne nor obey Gods call we must yet looke to be molested by them more or else to do and suffer worse Object 9. But if you will not take a non-renouncing of Christ and Infant Baptism as sufficient without a Personal Covenant and Profession you may on the same grounds call men every week to such a Profession because that the former Profession shews not what they afterwards are but what then they are Answ 1. The case is quite another In your instance it is but the continuance of the same Profession and Condition that is requisite And I am bound to take it as continued while I have no Evidence to question it and see the performance of it as far as belongeth to my cognisance But in my case the Conditions and the Professions are not the same A new Condition of Right is necessary to the Adult which they had not at all in their Infant Baptism Then they entered upon their Parents Faith or Profession but at age they must necessarily have a Faith or Profession of their own or else they actually cease to be Christians 2. And yet let me adde that frequent Professions of Faith and renewing Covenant with God have ever been used in the Church both before Christs Incarnation and since and indeed the Lords Supper doth import it And for my part I thinke it a very convenient edifying course to have the Articles of our Faith every day repeated as the Belief of that Church and the people to stand up at it to signifie their consent so be it you will not take up with this silent Profession alone and exclude a more explicite one when it is requisite But this fitly signifieth our standing to the first Object 10. But this will cast you upon the same difficulties which you Object to the Anabaptists you will not know at what Age to take men for Adult-Christians Answ 1. We shall not accept them for their Age but for their Profession And we can easily tell when they offer themselves to tryal and Profession and desire the Communion of the Church As the Ancient Churches could tell when their Catechumens were to be baptized 2. And for the time when we must judge their Infant Church-state to cease if they own not the Covenant personally we cannot set a certaine yeare nor is it necessary but when their Infancy ceaseth then their Infant-state ceaseth That is when they come to the full or competent use of Reason But then observe 1. That if they be called at such a time to profess their Faith and own their Covenant and refuse it then we must judge them refusers of Christianity unless the Reasons of the Refusal allows another judgment 2. Or if they will fully neglect for a considerable space to own their Baptismal Covenant and to seeke a standing among the Adult-Christians it 's a strong presumption that they are Backsliders 3. If they only suspend their personal Profession at age we must only suspend our Judgment till we have some light to discern the cause and cannot be sure that there are Deserters or Apostates 4. But we are sure that they are nor to be numbred by the Church among Adult Christians till they have produced the Evidence of their Title which is no other then A Credible Personal Profession So that it 's easy to know when any such person is to be admitted and publikely owned as an Actual Believer though it be not so easy to discern of all before that time whether they are to be reckoned as Desertours or not He that wilfully neglecteth to come among the Adult Christians long after he hath the full use of Reason which is not with all at the same age is to be much suspected at least And commonly about 16 or 17 or 18 years of age is the time when we have reason to expect that they should seek the Communion and Privilidges of the Adult For about that age they have a competent use of Reason Object 11. But if you admit them into the Church in Infancy say the Anabaptists you will be obliged to excommunicate them all that prove ungodly when they come to age and not to let them silently pass out of the Church again Answ Excommunication is either an excluding them from all Relation of members to the Catholike Church or from the actual Communion of the Church or from both The former we can do but Declaratively In the latter we also adjoyne the charge of God for the execution of the sentence But those that were never personal Professours of Faith nor admitted into the Communion of Adult-Christians are not fit to be cast out of it And this is the common use of Excommunication to remove those as unfit from the Communion of the Adult that once were in it and forfeit that Communion which cannot belong to them that never were in it And for our Declaring them Desertours or Apostates we may do it upon just occasion but we are not bound to do it publikely by all that are guilty this being not the Excommunication that is so enjoyned in the Scriptures Where do you find that the Church in Scripture-times or after was wont to Excommunicate Apostates And yet Apostates were formerly of the Church It is those that hang on and pretend still to be of the Church and intrude into the Actual Communion of it that we must cast out when they deserve it Object 12. But if they cease to be Christians you must Baptize them againe if you will receive them Answ No such matter The Anabaptists themselves will not Rebaptize an Apostate when he returneth to the Church He is to be received by Confession and Absolution and not by Baptism If a Christian turn Turk and afterward Return he is not to be Rebaptized Object 13. But by this means you will unchristen the people and then they will be exasperated and turn Heathens or hearken to any seducers that will mislead them Answ 1. No we will unchristen no man but do that honour to Christianity and that right to the Church and the Soules of men as to make a difference between Christians and Infidels and that somewhat wider then the bare Names He that is a Christian shall be more encouraged by this course and he that is not cannot be unchristened by us If men will not unchristen themselves they need not fear lest the just trying and approving of their Christianity should unchristen them 2. How little
will not be Penitent and Reforme And then tell them that if there be any that have slipt into a Church-state in shew and knew not what Christianity was or what they did and finde themselves as yet unfit for it if they do forbeare the Priviledges of the Church till they are better prepared and acquainted with them and can use them to their profit you shall in meane time be ready to Teach them publikly and privatly till they are prepared And those that are fit to continue and use such Priviledges advise not to forbeare them But let them know that you can neither take all the Parish as such for members of the Universal Church or of your charge and therefore must have some better Evidence especially after such a confusion that negligence hath brough into the Church And you cannot take any man to be of your charge against his will and therefore you must know their minds 3. Give them notice that all that own their Church-membership and will have Communion with that Church under your Ministry and Pastoral oversight are desired by you to signifie their desires by giving in their names to the Cleark of the Parish or some other fit person or if they refuse that by coming to you 4. When you have their names keep them some time while you get information of the persons lives And then give notice to all if it may be to avoid imputation of partiality or at least of all that you have reason to suspect of gross ignorance or impiety by streets Villages or houses to come to speak with you on some appointed daies where you may discerne the fitness of some and such as you find to be grosly ignorant or scandalous advise them to stay till they are prepared offering them your help because else you must do that in a way of Discipline that they are unfit to beare 5. All that disown their own standing and Church-membership or present Right to Priviledges and withdraw into the order of Catechumens as being ignorant in what they did before you may safely teach them as Catechumens and are not bound to enrage them by Church-Discipline which they consent not to and are not capable of 6. All those that you find tolerable that have owned their Churchmembership and not withdrawne themselves you ought to keep their names in a Church Book for memory and to call them solemnly at some day of humiliation or other fit season to own their Relation publikly their names being-read that all may know with whom they are to hold Communion And if there be need you may justly require them there openly to renew their Profession and Covenant with God 7. Your flock being then Reformed and known you need not call them againe to examination before particular Sacraments or other parts of Church-communion 8. When any members are after added they should if unconfirmed and such as never did Communicate be received solemnly by Prayer and Benediction and if they be such as have been admitted to Communion let them be only Approved upon renewing their Profession For the one sort are Confirmed in their Relation to both Catholike and particular Church but the other only enter then into the particular Church being solemnly received into the Catholick Church before and perhaps into some other particular Church or into that from which they departed Direct 5. If any come in that hath violated his Baptismal Covenant by a wicked life he is before you Receive him to give some open testimony of his Repentance if his sinne were open that so he may be Ministerially Absolved and the Church receive him not meerly as an Adult-Believer but as a Convert with Praiers and Rejoicing And the fuller Confession he makes of his ungodly life and of the way and Love of God in his recovery and the fuller warning he giveth others of the sinnes that he was guilty of and the fuller he communicateth to them the Satisfying Reasons that caused him to turne the better it is and more suitable to the state of a Penitent as also the fullyer he professeth his Resolution to stick close to Christ by the help of his Grace for the time to come Direct 6. For the exeecution of this because all the People cannot be still ready nor attend and because it 's fit they have some cognisance of these things let some of the most sober judicious persons be chosen by the Church not into Office but as their Delegates or Trustees to meet with the Pastours monthly in some convenient place where all persons may first address themselves that seek the Priviledges of the Church and where matters of Discipline may be first transacted before we bring them to the Assembly yet not forbidding any other of the Church to be there present that will And either in that meeting may members after be admitted and their names made publike at the next Communion or else some meetings publikly appointed foure times a veare or more for admitting such in publike as shall be found fiâ—est which may be at a fast before a Sâ—crament And let any of the Church at that prepâ—rative meeting have leave to put in what exceptions they have against the person for his Profession or Conversation Direct 7. Let the Pastours and Churches that live within the reach of any Communion be as many as is possible associate and meet for the maintaining of Communion of Churches by their Officers and Delegates And those that differ in such tollerable matters as may not hinder their Christian or Church-Communion and yet are not satisfied to joyne in Synods with the rest let them Agree upon such terms of Communion and Christian correspondence as their Principles will admit And let no stranger be admitted to our Church-communion that bringeth not a Certificate called of old Communicatorie Letters or some sufficient Testimony from one of these sorts either the Churches neerly Associated or those that we agree to take for Brethren And those that bring such Certificates must be admitted by us without any further Tryal or Confirmation unless there be some notable cause of suspition But for those that live in Heretical or Impious Societies or such as refuse all Church-order and Communion with neighbour Churches or are justly disowned by the Associated Churches we should not admit them to our Communion without a particular Tryal or a better Certificate then those Churches can give them And thus should all the Churches be concatenated and their Communion setled Direct 8. Above all let every Minister see that he wisely and diligently carry himself to the rest of his Parish avoiding indeed the excommunicate as Heathens but for all that are willing to learne in an Expectant-state let us deale lovingly gently and tenderly with them denying them nothing that lawfully we can yield them in matters of Buryal Marrying Praying Preaching or the like And be sure to carry on the Necessary duty of Catechizing and personal Conference and Instruction with them family by
ejus salubriter percipit And saith the Synod of Dort Artic. 1. 8. 17. Quandoquidem de voluntate Dei ex verbo ipsius nobis est judicandum quod testatur liberos fidelium esse sanctos non quidem natura sed beneficiâ— faederis gratuiti in quo illi cum parentibus comprehenduntur pij parentes de electione salute suorum liberorum quos Deus in Infantia ex hac vita evocat dubitare non debeâ—t And if there be such certainty of the Election and Salvation of all such Infants of the godly as ought to exclude all doubting surely the visible Church-state of the Adult also hath some respect to saving grace so farre as that its credible fide humanâ that such have saving Faith And saith Mr Fullwood Append. p. 6. I conceive that such an ones personall profession in his generall owâ—ing the true Faith and usuall attending Gods publick worship doth superadde a kinde of new right and mingle it with such a persons former right had by his Birth priviledge And if the new Right be not a necessary Right I think it will prove no right I will contend with no man whether the approved profession which I have pleaded for in this book be the very same thing with the Ancients confirmation I have given you my thoughts of it and I am sure the thing in question is our duty and the name not unfit and that its the same with the Confirmation owned by the Divines of the reformed Churches and particularly with that established and recommended in the Book of Common-Prayer here in England for the substance I shall conclude with this serious request to my Brethren seconded with weighty reasons Even that they would take heed of both extreams in their judging of Church-members and managing the Discipline and Ordinances of Christ 1. Should we be so loose as to cast out Discipline or settle the Churches either with such materials for quality or quantity as that it shall be uncapable of Discipline we shall never be able to answer it to Christ And should we make a new qualification of Adult Church-members even their Infant-Title-condition alone or the profession of a Faith that is not saving we should come too neere the making of a new Baptism and Church And truly if we do but slubber over the business and to avoid offence or trouble to our selves should take up with a profession utterly incredible especially in these times when we have so much liberty and countenance from the Magistrate for a fuller Reformation we shall be guilty of so much injury to the Church and the Christian name and our people souls as is little considered by many that have their eye only on the contrary extreame as if there were no danger but on one side 2. On the other side if we go so rigidly and unrighteously to work as some men are bent to do we may accomplish those ends that we are endeavouring to overthrow and frustrate our own which we think to attain If we will reject the Scripture-ancient-Character or Evidence of Title to Church-priviledges even a credible profession of Christianity we shall confound our selves and trouble the Church and be at a losse for a certain Evidence and never know what ground to rest upon And we shall injure the souls of multitudes of true Believers and keep out those that Christ will entertain For there are no other terms besides taking mens profession by a humane Faith on which we can admit persons without excluding multitudes that should not be excluded I doubt many Ministers that have had a more ingenuous education themselves are not sufficiently sensible of the great disadvantage that Countrey People are under by their want of such Education Many that are bred where holy discourse is strange and never were used to any thing of that nature no nor to common Urbanity of speech or behaviour may be brought to hearty sorrow for sinne and desires after Christ and Grace long before they can expresse their knowledg or desires in any such manner as some men do expect Many gracious souls as farre as I can discerne I have met with that never were noted for any thing extraordinary in Religion though they lived among such I had rather let in many that are unregenerate into the Church then keep out one that 's a true Believer if there be no other remedy The Lord Jesus that died for them and sent the Ministery for them and will at last admit them into Heaven will give us little thanks for excluding his weakest Members from the Church and from the use of the Sacrament and Communion of Saints who have most need of them of any that have right to them For my part I desire not nor dare be guilty of that way of Government in the Church as shall grieve those that Christ would not have grieved and exclude the weak and turne or keep out the Infants in Grace from the Family of the Lord. A compassionate Minister is likest to Christ that will not break the bruised reed How dealt he with the woman taken in adultery How tenderly excuseth he the sluggishnesse of his Disciples that could not watch and pray with him one houre in his last extreamity with the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak when many now that think well of themselves would almost excommunicate men for as small a fault We know not in such cases what Spirit we are of But this is not all I must confesse Brethren which I beseech you patiently to hear these three things very much stick upon my thoughts 1. I cannot but observe how many eminent Professors of Piety have miscarried and grievously miscarried of late when some of lower Professions have stood fast And I think God suffers the falls of many of his own to let them know the frailty of our natures and cause them to be compassionate to others And some censorious mens hearts might smite them if they had heard from their Master Let him that is faultless cast the first stone 2. And it sticks very much upon my thoughts how small a handfull the censorious way would reduce the Catholike Church of Christ to When it is but about the sixth part of the world that are at all Baptized Christians and scarce the sixth part of them that are Protestants and of the Protestants so few except in England that are so qualified for holiness as in your admissions you exspect and in England how small is the number that you would admit I am deeply afraid lest you hainously injure the Cause of Christ by your excessive rigor and lest confining even the visible Church into so exceeding small a compass should tempt men to infidelity For he that to day can believe that Christ died not for one of a hundred thousand in the world may to morrow believe that he died for none at all I hope the little flock of the Elect is not so little as some would have