can be no Rule to us determining only as your self observe what shall be done to us not what shall be done by us The first branch then of your fourfold distinction of a Rule is here alone of useful consideration that is the Rule of Obedience or what shall be due from us We have nothing to say here either of the Rule of Reward or Punishment nor of the Rule of the condition of the Reward or Punishment which are your other branches And that only I here intended and I had thought all I would have known that I only intended it This you say you suppose is my meaning as well you might but withall you say It is strange to your ears and give your reasons 1. That is but part of that very Law of nature Doth not the Law of nature say you as well as the Positive Law determine de debito poenae as well as de debito officii But sure debitum officii and not debitum poenae is our Rule 2. You say If you took it for the whole of nature is that the only Rule And here comes in it seems that which is strange to your ears that I should make the Moral Law as determining de debito officii our only Rule perfect and compleat Which assertion being so unanimously received might well have delivered you from all wonder at the strangenesse of it With whom they joyn that oppose the perfection of the Morall Law how erroneous soever you had judged it Undertaking the negative part and impleading it of imperfection you have indeed Arminians Socinians and Papists on your part But Protestants for ought I know unanimously your adversaries Papists have their Traditions added as well to the Law as to the Gospel which is an accusation of the written Law as imperfect They have also their Evangelicall Counsels which though they are not commanded yet as Bellarmine speaks are commended as raising Christians to an higher perfection then ever the Law required Socinians with whom many Arminians joyn affirm that Christ hath instituted new precepts of Obedience in the Gospel and added them to the Commands of the Law such as transcend and exceed all that were delivered in Old Testament-times Gerrard having disputed for the perfection of the Law against Papists cap. 14. De Evangelio saith The Popish opinion of New Laws promulgated by Christ the Photinians which is an other name of Socinians greedily imbrace making a fair way for Mahometism seeing that in the Alcoran it is in like manner said That Moses gave a Law lesse perfect Christ more perfect and Mahomet most perfect of all Out of the Cracovian Catechism in the same Chapter Gerrard quotes this passage Christ came not only to fulfill the Law for us but added new precepts to it These new precepts the same Author saith they make twofold Some of which do appertain to manners Some to ceremonies or outward rites in worship He names three that appertain to manners To deny a mans self take up his Crosse and follow Christ Which three precepts my Author in way of opposition saith belong to the first Commandement Peltius in his Harmony of Arminians and Socinians Chap. 4 4 6. sheweth their combination against the Orthodox party as in many other things so in this proposition now controverted He there quotes from Socinians these positions That Christ in the New Testament did not only abrogate the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Law but did much increase and add unto the Morall Law That he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it which fulfilling saith he is nothing else but a perfecting of it and addition of what was wanting That we ought not only to observe those things that are given to us of God and not abrogated by Chrijst but those precepts in like manner that are added by Christ Much more from many Socinians and Arminians may be seen in that Author to that purpose Dr. Hammond in his Practicall Catechisme speaking of Christs Sermon in the Mount agrees indeed with the Papists against the Protestants That Christ doth not here expound Moses and vindicate the Law from false glosses but that he addes to the Law and names many additions to the 6. 7. Commandement other Commandements but dissents from Papists that make these Evangelicall Counsels and makes them precepts not precepts of Moses but of Christ added by him to the Law but this with much Modesty as though he would not be peremptory in his opinion So that * Authorities vouchsafed for the perfection of the Morall Law as a Rule Mr. Burges pag. 166. handling controversies about the Law saith I shall now handle the perfection of it and labour to shew that Christ hath instituted no new duty which was not commanded before by the Law of Moses And this question saith he will be profitable partly against the Arminians partly the Papists and lastly the Socinians He further saith pag. 169. That Christ did not add new duties which were not commanded in the Law because the Law is perfect and they were bound not to add to it or detract from it Therefore we are not to conceive a more excellent way of duty then that prescribed Further if we speak of holy and spirituall duties there cannot be a more excellent way of holinesse this being an Idaea and representation of the glorious nature of God Dr. Ames in his Sciagraphia handling the Decalogue makes this his first doctrine (a) Lex ista Dei quae in Decalogo continetur est perfectissima regula ad vitam hominis dirigendam The Law of God contained in the Decalogue is a most perfect Rule of the guide for the life of man He gives four reasons with an use of information (b) Vt legem istam Dei eo loco habeamus quo debemus i. e. ut non aliter de eadem cogitemus quam ut de vitae nostrae unica forma tanquam de illa norma quae nullum habet defectum sed perfecta est in sese perfectionem omnem à nobis requirit That we esteem this Law as it ought to be esteemed that as the only Rule of our lives and such a Rule that hath no defect but is perfect in it self and requires all perfection in it Davenant de Justit actual cap. 40. pag. 463. saith (c) Ipsa le◠Christi est exactissima pefectissima regula Sanctitatis et justitae The Law of God it self is a most exact and perfect Rule of Holiness and Righteousness And in the proof of it saith (d) Passim in Scripturis confirmatur quae perfectionem legis divinae mirificè extollunt This is every where confirmed in Scripture which wonderfully extols the perfection of the divine Law Downham in the preface of his Tables of the Commandements saith that The Law of God is perfect requiring perfect obedience both inward and outward not only in respect of the parts but of the degrees The Leyden Professors say
(e) Tam perfecta est haec lex ut nihil ei in praeceptis moralibus aut à Christo aut ab Apostolis ipsius additum fuerit quoad exactiorem bonorum operum normam sub novo Testamento sit adducta The Law is so perfect that nothing in Moral precepts either by Christ or his Apostles as any more exact rule of good works hath been added under the New Testament Disp 18. § 39. Vrsinus in his definition of the Morall Law inserts this (f) Obligans omnes creaturas rationalies ad perfectam obedientiam internam externam binding all reasonable creatures to perfect obedience both inward and outward Pag. 681. Chemnitius entitles his third Chapter de Lege (g) De perfectâ obedientiâ quam Lex requirit Of the perfect obedience which the law requires and presently laies down these words (h) Variis autem corruptelis omnibus temporibus olim nunc depravata est doctrina de perfectâ obedientia quam Lex Dei requirit This doctrine of the perfect obedience which the Law requires in all ages past hath been and is now depraved Bucan in his Common places Pag. 188. thus defines the Morall Law (i) Est praeceptio divina continens piè justéque coram Deo vivendi regulam requirens ab omni homine perfectam perpetuam obedientiam A divine injunction containing a rule to live piously and justly before God requiring of all men perfect and perpetuall obedience towards God I shall conclude with the Confession presented to both houses of Parliament by the Assembly of Divines Chap. 19. 2. The Law after his i. e. Adams fall continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousnes and as such was delivered by God on mount Sinai in ten Commandements To these more might be addded but these are sufficient to take you out of that wonder that I should assert the perfection of it But I shall not rest barely upon the authority of these testimonies but offer to your consideration these following reasons Arguments evincing the pefection of the Morall Law 1. If the Law be not a fully perfect and compleat Rule of our lives then there is some sin against God which is not condemned in the Law this is clear Deviation from any rule given of God is a sin Deviation from that supposed additionall rule is a sin But there is no sin which the Law doth not condemn Sin is a Transgression of the Law 1 John 3 4. He that sins transgresseth the Law 2. If the Law alone discovers and makes sin known then it is a perfect full and compleat Rule this is plain Omne rectum index est obliqui But the Law alone discovers sin Rom. 3.20 This office is ascribed there to the Law and is no other but the Morall Law Had not the light of that Rule guided him in this work he had never made any such discovery And it is the moral Law written in the decalogue that he means as appears in the quotation I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet 3. That which alone works wrath is the alone Rule and guide of our lives This is clear in what sence soever it is that we take working of wrath whether we understand it of working of wrath in man against God as some do Mans heart being apt to rise against him that will exercise Soveraignty over him Or of the wrath of God kindled against man upon transgression of the Law But it is the Law that works wrath it is ascribed to it and it alone Rom. 4.15 4. That which being removed will take away all possibility of sinning that is alone the Rule of our obedience This is plain were there any Rule the transgression of it would be still our sin But the Law being removed all possibility of sin is taken away Where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4 15. 5. If the Law only adds strength to sin viz. for condemnation then the Law is the alone Rule of obedience This is plain Any other Rule whatsoever addes like strength to sin and upon transgression will condemne But the Law only addes strength to sin 1 Cor. 15.56 The strength of sin is the Law 6. Either the epithite morall is not justly given to the Law or else it is a perfect Rule of manners that is of obedience This is plain for morall denotes as Amesius observes that use of it But this epithite given to the Law and appropriated to it was never as I think upon any such account challenged Ergo. 7. Either this new Rule doth transcend the old Rule of the Morall Law requiring a more exact degree of perfection as Papists speak of their Evangelicall counsels Socinians of their additionall Gospell precepts or else it falls short and admits of obedience in a degree more low If it require obedience more high then even the doers of the Law in the greatest highth and possible supposed perfection though equall to the Angels are sinners The Law might be fulfilled and yet disobedience charged If it fall short of the old Rule which it seems is your opinion seeing you confesse an imperfection is our personall righteousnesse as it refers to the old Rule and assert a perfection as it relates to the new Rule then the new Rule allows that which the old Rule condemnes and so you bring in a discrepency between them and find an allowance for transgression So that I think I have sufficient authority divine and humane with reasons that are cogent to conclude that which I have asserted That the old Rule the Rule of the Moral Law is a perfect Rule and the only Rule You come in here with six several exceptions taken against the (a) Exceptions taken against the perfection of the Law perfection of this Law or singularity of it as rule 1. You demand What say you for matter of duty to the positive (b) 1. Exception precepts for the Gospel of Baptism the Lords day the Officers and a government of the Church c Is the Law of nature the only rule for these And foreseeing what I would answer as well you might you adde If you say they are reducible to the second commandment I demand 1. What is the second commandment for the affirmative part but a general precept to worship God according to his positive institution 2. Do ye take the precept de genere to be equivalent to the precepts de speciebus c. To this I think I may answer out of your own mouth Aphor. pag. 149. The neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second commandment In case we break the commandments in the neglect of them then the commandment requires the observation of them For which you may consult also Mr. Burges Vindiciae legis pag. 149. Balls Catechisme Amesius his Sciographia Dod on the Commandments Downhams Tables Zanchy each of them on this Commandment and Cawdry and Palmer
Rome in it Page 227 Whether Infants were saved by their Parents faith and how before circumcision Page 26 27 28 Severall propositions laid down Page 29 c. Infant-Baptisme Severall benefits of it Page 185 c. See Baptisme Infirmities Men Covenant not with God to be above all infirmities Page 392 Meer infirmities no Covenant-breaches ibid. Their happiness whose sins are not above infirmities Page 393 Sins above infirmities and towards presumption ibid. See Sin Institution A word of institution necessary to the being of Sacraments Page 58 Repetition and explanation of this word of institution singularly usefull Page 59 All Sacramentall rites must be of divine institution Instrument Faith The instrumentality of Faith in justification asserted Page 437 Scripture Texts holding out the instrumentality of Faith as in other actions so in justification Page 444 Whether the action of the principall cause and of the instrument in Morall operations is alwayes one Page 445 The unanimous consent of Protestant writers that Faith is an instrument ibid. c. Faiths instrumentality makes not man the efficient cause of his justification Page 438. 464 Faiths instrumentality in receiving Christ being granted its instrumentality in justification cannot be denied Page 441 Faith is the instrument of the soul and not of it self in receiving Christ Page 443 Instruments of meer reception and further operation distinguished Page 448 Faith an instrument of the proper reception of Christ Page 460 It is the instrument both of God and man in the work of justification Page 448. 487 The grant of the New Covenant is not an instrument of justification solely sufficient Page 466 Concauses instrumentall have efficacy one from another Page 470 Instruments Cooperative or Passive Page 474 Whether the word be a passive instrument or Cooperative with the Spirit ibid. An instrumentall effiâ—iency ascribed to Faith respective to Salvation Page 486 Arguments for the instrumentality of faith in justification Page 485 Proofs from Antiquity for its instrumentality in justification Page 628 c. See Faith Justification The relative change in it necessarily presupposes a reall Page 447 God and man not co-ordinate causes in it Page 449 In justification of man God acts not without man Page 446 Quaeres put in what sense the grant of the New Covenant is said to be solely instrumentall in the work of justification Page 478 Arguments against the sole sufficiency of the grant of the New Covenant for justification Page 489 Justification by Gospell grant and by the sentence of the Judge how they differ Page 556 557 Justification at the day of judgement not specifically distinct from that which precedse Page 558 The Father appoints the termes of justification and salvation Page 559 Paul treats directly and industriously of justification by faith Page 576 Justifying Faith which is short of justifying gives title to Baptisme Page 163 c. Severall arguments vindicated Page 120 c. Exceptions examined Page 143 Additionall arguments to prove it Page 161 Covenanting and justifying not Synonima's Page 135 136 None able to Baptize if justifying faith onely give admission Page 160 Jurisdiction Admission to the Lords Supper is no act of jurisdiction Page 253 Arguments evincing it ibid. c. Objections answered Page 262 K. Knowledge A necessary prerequisite in faith Page 500 Knowledge distinguished Page 501 See Ignorance L. Law ANd Covenant are not to be confounded Page 598 Law Morall Arminians Socinians and Papists oppose the perfection of the Morall Law Page 601 Authorities of Protestant writers for the perfection of the Morall Law Page 602 Arguments evincing the perfection of the Morall Law Page 603 Objections answered Page 605 There is no sin that is not condemned in the Morall Law Page 603 In what sense the preceptive part of the Morall Law is a perfect rule of righteousness Page 605 c. Actions are denominated good or bad from the Law onely Page 613 Men are denominated really and not equivocally righteous that imperfectly obey the Morall Law Page 614 The Law commanding duty and the end of the duty are not opposite but subordinate Page 614 Law nature What meant by the time of the Law of nature Page 24 No Sacraments appointed of God during the time called the Law of nature Page 24 c. Scripture silence a probable argument Page 26 Jesuites arguments herein examined ibid. The preceptive part of the Law of nature delivered to Moses and as used by Christ whether they differ Page 600 Leiturgy Divine ordinances must not stand or fall upon the want or fruition of any set leiturgy whatsoever Page 308 Leiturgy of the Church of England taken into consideration ibid. c. 1. As to the work it self Page 308 2. As to the sanction put upon it Page 309 Life What meant by it in the Covenant of works Page 11 Not barely an animall life ibid. c. The tree of life had not any naturall power to answer its name Page 12 Lord. Faith in Christ qua Lord is not the justifying act Page 554 The position at large discussed Page 555 c. Lords Supper See Sacraments Supper Lunatick Persons uncapable of any benefit by the Lords Supper Page 229 M. Man His first originall is in sin Page 363 Arguments evincing it Page 364 In mans restitution his nature must be healed and his guilt removed Page 366 The healing of his nature and the removall of guilt is the work of Christ Page 366 Manna Whence it hath its name Page 523 The time it continued with Israel Page 524 Miraculously provided ibid. A fable concerning it ibid. Of a Sacramentall nature Page 525 No standing Sacrament Page 526 Meanes Their necessity for our help in the way of faith and obedience Page 17 Objections answered Page 17 18 Mediatour See Christ Metonymies Frequent in Scripture Page 572 Marriage The Matter Page 540 Form Page 540 Minister Page 540 Reasons evincing it to be no Sacrament Page 541 Minister Allegations for a Ministers sole power in admission to the Sacrament Page 251 Inconveniences objected against it answered Page 262 A Ministers prudence in this work to see with more eyes then his own Page 272 Where an Eldership is erected to make use of them ibid. To make scrutiny into mens knowledge with all tenderness Page 273 Not to refuse but upon known crimes ibid. When he cannot in this do what he would he is to do what he is able Page 274 Ministerial Dispensation of Sacraments a part of the Ministeriall function Page 277 Whether Ministeriall dispensation be of the essence of Sacraments Page 277 c. Gospell order transgrest when Sacraments are not dispenced by a Ministeriall hand Page 278 Doctor Abbots and Mr. Hookers judgement in it ibid. Mixt. Lawfull to communicate in mixt congregations Page 314 Arguments evincing it ibid. c. Morall Perfection or imperfection is in reference to a rule Page 592 Duties naturally Morall bind all Page 195 Where a positive command is given there is a Morall tye to obedience ibid See Law
I will not take thee for my God to rule me or be my happinesse nor will I take Christ to governe me and save me in his way nor will I be guided or sanctified by the Holy Ghost but hereafter I will and therefore I come to be baptized If I say such have right to baptisme and you say we are bound to baptize them how do you mend the matter do not you conclude your fourty sixt Section with these words Vocation which is effectual onely to bring men to an outward profession of saving faith is larger then election and makes men such whom we are bound to baptize 2. I say and do professe of those that have those secret reservations wrapt up in their brests and not yet from under the power of lusts yet convinced of their duty and acknowledging the necessity that it is the mind of God that they should be baptized and have admission to ordinances in order to bring them more sincerely and unreservedly to God And this being the will of God as you seem to yeeld when you say we are bound to baptize them I say they have right in the sight of God to Baptisme and it were ill with the Church if those in Austins case that would pray Da castitatem da temperantiam Domine sed non modò should be denyed all investiture in Church priviledges Where Mr. Baxter saies that faith which is the condition of the promise is the condition in foro Dei of title to the seal And I say that I judge the contrary to be undenyable After many words which are needlesse to repeat we have his reasons with a complaint that I have given no reason of my denyal To which I say That which in a parenthesis without reason is affirmed may without rendring any reason be denyed But before I come to consider of his reasons it is necessary that the terms be looked into and the question rightly stated that there may be no misunderstanding When Mr Baxter speaks of the condition of the promise I suppose he means the condition called for in order to the attainment of the thing promised the promise for the object of the promise as it is taken Heb. 11.13 Otherwise the promise it self properly taken hath no condition There was no condition inducing God to make promise of Christ nor to make tender of any such promise But he promises glory by Christ on his own terms and propositions Now for the reasons themselves to make good that that which is the condition of the promise is the condition of title to the seal The first is The seal is but an affix to the promise therefore that which is the condition of the promise is the condition of the seal The seal is no affix to the thing promised but it is often separated from it It is a means to convey and a way to confirm it upon Gods tearms to those that have their Interest in the Covenant 2. The use of the seal is to confirm the promise to him to whom it is sealed Therefore the condition of the promise is the condition of the seal When it is granted that the use of the seal is to confirm the thing promised it will not therefore follow that there is the same condition required for interest in the seal as for interest in the thing in promise If a man will ingage under seal to give me one hundred pounds provided that I will come to such a place and accept it my professed willingnesse will Interest me in the seal my actual acceptance in the Moneys 3. If the promise and seal have two distinct conditions then there are two distinct Covenants for from the conditions most commonly are contracts specified and therefore Wesenbechius and such like Logical Civilians call it the form of the contract or stipulation to be either pura vel in diem vel sub conditiene and those subconditions are specified oft from their various conditions But there is not two Covenants Therefore I know not well how to reach this Is there not one thing needful to interest me in a bargain or to make me a Covenanter and another thing to obtain the benefit accruing by such conditional bargain or Covenant 4. Is it not against the nature and common use of sealing that it should be in order before the promise or Covenant And that men should first have right to that seal on one condition before they have right to the promise and then have right to the promise after on another condition But sure it is not against the nature of seals to be before the mercy covenanted for and promised And I beseech you take this into serious consideration and do not sleightly passe it Justifying faith with you is the Covenant and do not you preach to work men up to it and I hope your labours are happily successeful Yet all of these to whom you preach perhaps not a man excepted hath this seal and is baptized Do you now in all your Ministerial labours go against the nature and common use of sealing To keep a due order we must then forbear baptizing not onely till men professe to believe but are actually in the faith in a way that justifies 5. If it be so undenyable that that faith which is the condition of the promise is not the condition in foro Dei of title to the seal as you affirm why then do ye build so much against Mr. Tombs on that Argument from Acts 2. The promise is to you and your Children arguing a right to the seal from an interest in the promise I Argue not from an interest in the seal to an interest in the thing promised but require something further By this it appears that you take the promise properly and not for the thing promised and then I pray you reconcile this to your second reason The use of a seal is not to confirm in this that I have a promise but that I shall have interest in the good that is promised 6. Where you say that an acknowledgement of the necessity of such faith with ingagement to it is sufficient for a title to the seal I reply then those that at present renounce Christ so it be against their knowledge and conscience and will ingage to own him sincerely for the future have a title to Baptisme How comes I pray you that future in you manifest much reading in the Law and I have heard this as a Maxime In obligationibus ubi nullus certus statuitur dies quovis die debetur There is no day overtaken but the ingagement is for present though God in mercy except when for a long time the ingagement hath been presumptuously neglected But bring me a man that in his heart is convinced that Jesus is the Christ with his mouth professes him and ingages for him and in the mean space actually renounceth him and I will do what you would have me with him That is a man that is falling headlong
any man that desired to be a member of the Church though but onely professing to repent and believe so neither did I ever there find that any but convicted Hereticks or scandalous ones and that for the most part after due admonition were to be avoided or debarred our fellowship And whereas it is urged that they are to prove their interest to the priviledges that they lay claim to and not we to desprove it I answer If that were granted yet their meer sober professing to Repent and believe in Christ is a sufficient evidence of their interest to Church-membership and admittance thereto by Baptisme supposing them not admitted before and their being baptized persons if at age or members of the universal visible Church into which it is that they are baptized is sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper till they do by heresie or scandall blot that evidence which evidence if they do produce yea though they are yet weak in the faith of Christ who is he that dare refuse to receive them And this after much doubting dispute and study of the Scriptures I speak as confidently as almost any truth of equall moment so plain is the Scripture in this point to a man that brings his understanding to the model of Scripture and doth not bring a model in his brain and reduce all he reads to that model What have I spoke more then here is said and did I ever speak with more and higher confidence I say that a faith which is short of justifying gives title to Baptisme and he sayes Such give sufficient evidence of their interest to Church-membership and consequently admittance to Baptisme so that if my doctrine herein be loose as he chargeth it the Reader will hardly find his to be fast and it heares not well to play fast and loose The evasion of equivocal will not here serve that will utterly spoyl the whole strength of his Caution and put men amain on this separation as it will contradict his assertion of their grace as real and true They will say They will have no fellowship with a dead Corps instead of a reall man for that is his expression of the difference between what is real and what is equivocal Neither can he here come off by the help of his distinction of forum Dei and forum Ecclesiae These gifts and graces from God these priviledges vouchsafed of God and purchased by Christ plainly enough speak a right in the sight of God Neither is there as we have heard in this Controversie any such distinction to be admitted I am therefore in this no further to blame then he hath been and if he see cause to recede from yet I see all reason to persist in my opinion SECT X. Proposition 8. FOr the Sacrament of the Lords Supper No such vast difference between baptisme and the Lords Supper that the one should be a priviledge of the Church visible and the other peculiar to the Church invisible there cannot be that vast difference and disproportion between it and baptisme that the one should be a priviledge of the Church visible and the other peculiar and proper to the Church invisible that all in the outward administration of the Covenant as some speak should be interessed in the one and onely those that come up to the termes of the Covenant should have any interest in the other Christ gave order that Disciples should be baptized Matth. 28.19 and he delivered his Supper to Disciples Matth. 26.26 27. and it is more then strange that disciples should be taken in that aequivocall way as to hold out all in outward profession confoederation and visible Church communion in the one as is almost generally agreed upon between Paedobaptists and their adversaries and to be restrayned to those that answer to their profession in the other so that in the administration of the one the dispensers have a firme rule to lead them viz. visibility of interest as Mr. Cobbet hath largely shewn in his Vindication pag. 52. Cou. 4. and in the other can have nothing for their guide but an invisible work left to their charity to conjecture Disciple therefore respective to either of the Sacraments which are outward visible ordinances and visible Church priviledges can be no more then a man of visible interest When Christ sate down to the Passeover it is said he sate down with the twelve onely they had right to eat of it in his company Exod. 12.3 being of his family And as he was eating he gave the Supper but then the phrase is changed he gave it to his Disciples onely the twelve were occasionally there but it was instituted in behalf of all Disciples of which the number could not be small considering how many John had made and baptized and Christ had made and baptized more then he though not in person but by his Disciples Joh. 4.1 2. A reverend brother makes this practice of Christ at the first institution and administration of the Supper to be a directory for future to receive such onely to it as are the Disciples of Christ To which I willingly condescend provided that the word be aright understood I know the word is sometimes taken in a restrayned sense for those that indeed do the duty of disciples Joh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and Luke 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple As the word Israelite is sometimes taken for those that do the duty of Israelites and are such as Israelites ought to be Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile when respective to fruition of Church ordinances of what nature soever all that were of Israel according to the flesh or visible Church-Members in Israel are expressed by it Disciple or Israelite is a man of outward Covenant interest The latitude of it according to Scripture expressions I have shewen Treatise of the Covenant pag. 208. All that were Christs family Disciples did eat of the Passeover with him Matth. 26.18 even Judas as is acknowledged and scarce to be doubted of but he did eat of the Supper It is more then strange that as a Disciple he should be taken into the Passeover and a few houres after as no Disciple should be put from the Supper The Lords Supper is for the building of those that Baptisme takes in But Baptisme takes into the Church visible Visible Church members have then interest in the Supper When Sacraments are in their use distinguished one for admittance into the Church and the other for growth one as the Sacrament of our birth and the other our nourishment most understand the first of admission into the Church visible well knowing that regeneration is not tyed to baptisme but the growth many will have to be in the Church invisible which inharmonious discord between Ordinances of the same kind cannnot be suffered To give notes of
well weighed we may well believe that the Primitive times were not acquainted with the rigour of some persons 4. There is no reason that this Ordinance should stand alone that in all other Ordinances there should be a greater latitude and men in an unregenerate state admitted and not held out with limit to men in whom a life of Sanctification through the Spirit is found and this alone pent up in so narrow a compasse I know somewhat is said for the latitude of some Ordinances that all are received to them because they are Ordinances appointed for conversion of men unconverted But this Plea in many will not serve unregenerate mens admission to prayer to thanksgiving to fasts hath been that I know questioned by few And those that deny that the Lords Supper hath any influence to conversion have not asserted these to have any such efficacy or power unregenerate men then must be admitted to the Supper or else they must be denyed to come to fasts thanks-giving and prayer Here some do distinguish between duties naturally Moral and those that are of meer positive institution Moral duties as prayer thanksgiving c. are confest to belong in general unto all but it is not so as is objected in duties of positive institution they are given with limit to some and are not of universal obligation To which I answer 1. By way of concession positive Precepts bind not all because they are not given to all the Gentile Nations were not tied to the Law of Ceremonies given to the Jewes and meer Heathens are not now tied to our Sacraments 2. For a positive answer I say Positive Precepts were never given in charge with any such distinction as to bind the regenerate and to exclude men in unregeneration Men under sin and in nature are bound to the affirmative part of the second Commandement to observe every way of worship that shall be instituted by God all of which are onely of positive right All Israel were tied to sacrifice as well as to hear and pray it was a sin not to sacrifice as not to fear an oath Eccles 9.2 And all Christians are now under an obligation to the Law of the Sacraments as they are to other duties And as to the thing in hand this distinction of Moral and Positive duties as I conceive is of no use for the positive Command being given there is a Moral tie to yeeld obedience Instance may be given in purely Ceremonial Precepts that are seconded with this sanction I am the Lord Levit. 19.23 24 25. So that when a Precept meerly Ceremonial was broke immediately yet the first Command was broken interpretatively and by way of necessary consequence the Law of nature tied Adam to abstain from the forbidden fruit when God had given him a Precept not to eat of it and the young man in the Gospel was also bound to sell all that he had and give it to the poor when Christ had manifested that it was his pleasure There are texts indeed produced seemingly taken of men under sin from the performance of positive duties as Math. 5.23 24. and as much may be said concerning those that are Moral Ezek. 14.2 3.20.2 3. We read that the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination Prov. 15.8 21.27 and as much is said of their prayers Prov. 28.9 All which textâ— sufficiently imply Gods dislike when they are acted by such hands but none of them imply mans disobligation Fifthly This limit of the Lords Supper to regenerate persons as on the one hand it will take with the consciences of many sanctified Christians to hold them back as hath been said even with all that stand short of assurance of grace so on the other hand it will give encouragement to many unsanctified ones to make addresse to it Broken hearts under the body of sin having not yet attained to the light of Gods smiling face will be so severe in their own censure as to hold themselves back The generation of formal Professors pure in their own eyes and not yet cleansed from their filthinesse Prov. 30.11 will flock to it So that we must either find some other more sure rule or else the hearts of many precious ones whom God would not have made sad will be sadned and the hands of many in sin upon their admission will be strengthned Objections answered I know there are Objections even without number multiplyed against this that I have here delivered and such that have taken with very many to carry them to determine the Point in hand in a contrary way And in case I had not seen that the weaknesse of them is more and more discerned and that by men of eminent parts and integrity I should have been by the multitude as well of Objections as Objectors discouraged to appear against them The duties of the Lords Supper are such say some that onely the sincere servants of Christ that are sanctified by Christ are able to perform The mercies of the Sacrament are such as they onely can receive and therefore onely these are the fit subjects of it And these are driven on very far The duties preparatory to the work cannot be done by others as is objected as self-examination self-judging The duties executory cannot be done that accompany the work it self How specious soever this argument appears and I doubt not but it is with all sincerity of heart and integrity urged yet I desire it may yet be further considered First That this Argument thus urged doth disable all men not sanctified from all other duties by the command of God incumbent upon them as well as from this duty they must upon this account exclude themselves from every Ordinance enjoyned of God as well as from this put the argument into form and this will easily appear They that cannot do the duties charged upon those that are put upon a work nor receive the mercies given in promise to it are to be excluded from it Now as these assume An unsanctified man cannot discharge the duties nor receive the comforts of a Communicant so will I with equal reason assume That an unsanctified man cannot perform the duties charged upon the hearers of the Word upon him that calls upon the Name of God or returns thanks to him He cannot perform the duties that are charged puon him that is to sanctifie the Sabbath to meditate to instruct his family rebuke his brother give almes follow the duties of his calling No unsanctified man does all that is required in the performance of any of these neither is any fit to receive the mercies of these duties that is unfit to receive the mercies of that duty Therefore it followes that he must neither hear pray give thanks sanctifie the Sabbath instruct or reprove any give almes labour in his Calling or any other work If any think to come off by way of distinction That there is difference between this and other duties Then the distinction should have been
put into the Proposition and it not delivered in that generality and whensoever that distinction shall be put I shall not doubt but an answer in the distinction will be suggested Secondly Inabilities to perform duties upon the bare account of natural corruption in a right way and in that acceptable manner as to receive the comforts of them do not discharge a man from obligation to the duty In case indeed it could be proved that God never gave the Sacrament in charge to an unsanctified man but left this visible Ordinance as a Legacy or charge to an invisible Society whom none but themselves can distinguish and few of them able to distinguish themselves then the argument were of some force but from the inability to reason against obligation to the duty to take men off from it upon that account of weaknesse through natural corruption will take all men off that are unregenerate from all duties Thirdly Those that in this way disable all men in nature from these duties which are given in charge to a Communicant upon that ground to keep them from the Sacraments yet confesse they may do this work in order at least to their own exclusion they cannot examine themselves in order to receive but they may and must examine themselves in order to hold themselves off from it When the Apostle speaks to the whole visible Church of Corinth expressely Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. This few say they can reach but to examine and not to eat is in the power of all the other Fourthly Though these reach not the highest duties and so come not up to the ultimate end of the Sacrament yet they perform in their measure several duties and reach the intermediate and subordinate end of it They see Christ there evidently set forth and crucified before them There they see the highest aggravation of sin Christ wounded for sin bruised for transgression under the Fathers wrath for mans guilt suffering for sin the just for the unjust They see him bearing the sins of many and they cannot nor may not exclude themselves from the number They see there a ransome paid for sin a discharge made to the Fathers Justice They see Christ tendered and offered They may further oblige themselves to all duties required as well to the interesting grace which is faith as to the qualifications of obedience They do believe Acts 2.12 13. Luke 8.13 Joh. 12.42 43. 1 Tim. 1.19 This faith is true in its kind they do not onely yeeld assent but reach to some measure of joy and delight Luke 8.13 They are in Christ their way of inhesion or implantation I shall not determine But in the latitude as he is an head he hath members that are inherent in him he is an head of a Church visible and hath many members suitable as the Reader may see in Cobbet of Infant-Baptisme Conclus 5. pag. 56. Whilest those hearers mentioned Luke 8.13 believed I cannot think it was the seeds-mans office who had sounded the Word in their ears to have withheld the visible Word from their eyes or advised them to have withdrawn themselves And as they do duties incumbent on Communicants so also they receive mercies many intermediate mercies though in that state they receive not the highest and choicest mercies They partake of the fatnesse of the Olive Rom. 11. even all that come into that state that the blinded Jewes and the worst part among them did relinquish SECT XII Proposition 10. THe Lords Supper as all other Ordinances of Christ must be so administred The Lords Supper must be so administred that Communicants may be edified that the Kingdom of Christ may be most advanced and the Church in her members most edified Let all be done to edification is the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 14.26 Not as an Apostolical Canon as Mr. Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Policy hath observed for then if the Apostle had been silent that injunction had not been obliging but as a necessary result from all that they had in charge from Jesus Christ Prophecie exceeds unknown tongues because it edifies 1 Cor. 14.4 And unknown tongues are without profit and of no use without interpretation to edifie ver 5. Therefore we have the Apostles resolution for publique prayers ver 14 15 16 17. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitfull what is it then I will pray with the Spirit and with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Else when thou shalt blesse with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest for thou verily givest thankes well but the other is not edified And for the preaching of the Word ver 18 19. I thank my God I speak with tongues more then you all yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Matters circumstantiall and of themselves indifferent if they be not reduced to this end prove inexpedient and to the doer evil All things are lawful for me but all thinges edifie not 1 Cor. 10.23 The whole of the Ministerial work and every appendant to it must be reduced hither what have builders to do but to edifie And if they edifie not what do they do In what other metaphor soever their work is set out this is still their businesse the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.12 When they have done this and made it their whole businesse they may with confidence speak to God in the words of Christ I have glorified thee I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.5 This thread which runs through the whole of the Ministeriall work is not to be excluded here Those of whom there is hopes that they are willing to learn Christ are to be taken into Christs School by Baptisme and those are to be admitted to the Lords Supper that knowingly will engage for continuance and comming on in the waies of Christ Baptisme is the entry door into the Church visible no man must be refused of whom there is reason of expectation that they will be professedly Christs And the Lords Supper is the means of the growth of those that are thus visibly and in the face of the Church received where this may conduce to their building up it is not to be denyed so that the dispensers great enquiry must be whom the Lords Supper may benefit where it may edifie which according to Scripture rules may be discerned and determined otherwise the Apostle had not given this charge Let all things be done to edification and where it may edifie to give it and where it serves not for edification to forbear it not whether
are not so inviolably joyned but that the work is done though unduly by him that is not called to it yet though the validity of the work be asserted the disorder must be opposed Entring upon Aarons work and never called of God as Aaron was with Vzziah officiating in that work that appertains not to him leaving scruples in the thoughts of those to whom in this disorder they have administred these ordinances This the Church hath never suffered save onely tha Papists and Lutherans dispense with Baptisme in case of necessity putting so much weight upon it and placing such efficacy in it which the Church of England also suffered after the reformation till King James his dayes and then as appears in the conference at Hampton-Court it was reformed Dr. Abbot in his Lectures read while it stood in power appeared publickly against it and as I remember for the book is not in my hands affirmed that zealous Ministers then generally did distaste and decry it The Midwife was usually employed in the work as nearest at hand to cast water upon the infant ready to dye in her armes though in no capacity of that function by reason of her sex and though the sex might have born it she was never called to it But they must first make that good that all perish without Baptisme or that the act of Baptisme assures us of salvation before they can justifie this practice Protestant Writers with irrefragable arguments opposing it produce as a dispensation from God for the breach of an order by him set up otherwise we shall conclude that from the time of the said conference it hath justly been put into the hands of the lawful Minister and notwithstanding Mr. Tombes his quibble it was upon just grounds concluded by the late Assembly in their confession of faith Chapter 27. Sect. 4. SECT XVIII A further Corollary from the former doctrine All that are interested in Sacraments must come up to the termes of the Covenant IT further followes that all those that interest themselves in Sacraments expecting benefit by Baptisme and comfort at the Lords Table must come up to the tearms of the Covenant They receive them as signes and badges of a people in Covenant with God They receive them as seals of the Covenant God puts to his seal to be a God in Covenant In their acception they engage as by seal to be his people in Covenant The obligation now is mutual in case man fail on his part God is disobliged If any tye be upon him it is to inflict the just merit of breach of Govenant upon them I have spoken to the necessity that lyes upon the Ministers of Christ to bring their people up to the termes and Propositions of it Treatise of the Covenant chap. 20 21. Here I speak to it onely as the interest in the Sacraments tyes to it And this obligation hath all force and strength in it When God entred Covenant with man in his integrity upon condition of perfect and compleat obedience and gave him as we have heard Sacraments for the ratification and confirmation of it when man failing in obedience and falling short of the duty of the Covenant those Sacraments were of no avail notwithstanding the tree of life man dyed and notwithstanding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil man became brutish in his own knowledge It fares no better with those that are under a Covenant of grace and live and persist in breach of Covenant we see the heavy curse that God pronounceth against them Jer. 11.3 4. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt from the iron Furnace saying Obey my voyce and do them according to all which I Command so shall ye be my people and I will be your God And to this Jeremy adds his Amen or So be it O Lord which assent of his though it may be referred to the Prophets duty in obedience of Gods Command when he had said to him ver 2 3. Speak to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and say unto them Thus saith the Lord Cursed be every man that obeyeth not c. The Prophet in these words says What thou hast enjoyn'd me I will do it and so Junius and Tremelius understand it or to the Prpphets earnest desire to have the promise fulfilled which the Lord utters in the close of his speech ver 5. That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day To which the Prophet answers So Lord let it be that this people being careful to keep Covenant with thee may still enjoy that land which thou didst by oath bind thy self to settle them in as the last larger Annotations understand it or to Jeremies answer in the name of the people binding themselves to obedience as Diodati understands it yet doubtlesse it also comprizeth the Prophets acknowledgement of the equity that the curse should fall on those that obey not the words of the Covenant The Amen is of that latitude that it comprizeth the whole that goes before of the Prophets duty his desire the peoples obligation and the equity of the curse that lyes upon disobedience As the Sacraments in Paradise could be no protection to man in sin so the Sacraments under the present Covenant whether in the old dispensation of it in the dayes of the Fathers or new dispensation of it in Gospel-times can be no protection of those that lye in unbelief and impenitence Let not an unbeliever let not an impenitent person think to find shelter here as the Jewes did think to find in the Temple and say They are delivered to do these abominations Priviledge of Sacraments can help Christians no more then birth-priviledge could the Jewes who are checkt by John Baptist for making it a plea to this purpose and called to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life Matth. 3. I do not say that unlesse you are assured that you do believe to justification and repent in sincerity and unfeignednesse that you must not come to the Lords Table I have declared my self to the contrary but I say you must make it your businesse to believe your work to repent in truth and sincerity or else you shall never find here acceptation The Covenant of works was for mans preservation in life and Adam could have help towards immortality in the tree of life no longer then he made it his businesse to keep up to that which the Covenant required The Covenant of grace is for mans restitution to life none under this Covenant can find any help towards life in any Sacraments annext to it otherwise then in keeping up faith and repentance which are the termes and conditions of it Which way doest thou expect
life in the Sacrament either of thy initiation or confirmation either in Baptisme or the Lords Supper is it in the Sacrament it self or is it in Christ that thou shouldest seek and look after in the Sacrament If thou lookest for it from Sacraments thou Idolizest them and deceivest thy own soul Bread and Wine never were nor ever can be saviours Our Fathers ate Manna in the Wildernesse and are dead Joh. 6. We may eat bread at the Lords Table and eternally dye All Israel in the wildernesse did eat of Manna and drank of the Rock which the Apostle calls Spiritual meat Spiritual drink being Sacramentally such yet with many of them God was not well pleased but they were overthrown in the Wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.5 If thou sayest thou lookest for life in Christ I desire to know where thou findest that men in unbelief have life in Christ The Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and presently adds The life that I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2.20 And the same we may say of repentance Christ with his own mouth denounceth death and destruction to the impenitent I tell you Nay except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luk. 13. Where he gives life he gives repentaace to life Act. 11.18 I have said that the Sacrament may be improved with the help of the Word towards conversion But if there be no such change already wrought in thy soul nor any such thing in thy endeavour then this great Orinance is sadly prophaned thou pretendest to Christ when indeed thou treadest under foot the blood of Christ seemingly wouldst have thy interest in his blood and dost become guilty of his blood Here Christs death is set out his sufferings for sin called to remembrance Art not thou now affected with delight in his death when thou art affected with delight in thy sin when thou seest a man murthered and sportest with the murtherers with those whom thou knowest to have had the alone hand in the murther how then dost not thou be come an accessory This is the case of the man that comes to the Sacrament and will keep his sin He looks not upon Christ Sacramentally broke to the breaking of his heart but he looks upon him to his hearts rejoycing Look upon all that hath been said of the danger of unworthy receiving by all that have written practically upon this subject all is thy danger that art in sin and resolvest not to relinquish thou art admitted into the Church by Baptisme and upon that account art of that number and reckonest thy self among those that are called Christians and here perhaps thou hast hopes highly prizest this priviledge as sometimes the Jews did circumcision in order to the favour of God and assurance of eternal life And doubtlesse rightly understood it is to be prized otherwise God would not have given it it is an honorarium or token of love to his people Nor would the Apostle Peter have said that Baptisme saves 1 Pet. 3.21 But our building of hopes upon Scripture-words without Scripture-Comment doth undo us When the Jewes took themselves to be secure against all the judgements that the Prophets could denounce by reason of sin upon the priviledge of circumcision Jeremy undervalues not circumcision at all but helps them to a right understanding of it will have them to have it full and compleat reckoning up many Nations by name he saith They are uncircumcised they were wholly destitute of it and mentioning the house of Israel saith that they are uncircumcised in heart Jer. 9.26 They want the best and choisest part of it and so are in the same condition with uncircumcised ones and the Apostle after him beating down the vain confidence of the Jewes in their outward title called Jewes and circumcision which was a badge of their relation to God as a people in Covenant tells them that he is not a Jew that is one outwardly that was not enough to give a full and true denomination but he is a Jew that is one inwardly who is for God in soul as well as in name and circumcision is that of the heart Rom. 2.28 and he beats down the carnal opinion of the Jewes in circumcision by a definition given of the circumcised We are of the circumcision that worship God in Spirit and in truth Phil. 3.3 And baptisme of the flesh can neither be nor do more then circumcision in the flesh The Apostle therefore telling us that Baptisme saves is as willing to undeceive us as the Prophet was to undeceive the Jewes and tells us that he doth not mean the outward putting away of the filth of the flesh the application of water is but the outside of Baptisme but the answer of a good conscience towards God when conscience answers to that which this washing signifies and to which it engages then Baptisme saves not of it self but seales Salvation through the Resurrection of Christ when conscience fails in its duty Baptisme fails in its efficacy then it brings not Salvation but is an aggravation of condemnation as after may appear Thou art admitted to the Supper of the Lord upon that account that through knowledge gained and profession made thou art in a capacity for improvement of it for eternity But if thou stay here and thy remembrance of Christ broken for sin do not work thee to brokennesse of heart under sin canst drink of this Cup and gulf in wickednesse here is no pardon sealed but condemnation heightened I know on the other hand to discourage men from endeavour some say that there is no acting for life but from life what can be gained by sin and all actions done in unregeneration are no other but sin I marvel then what that Counsel of our Saviour means Joh. 6.27 To labour for the meat that endures to everlasting life The context acquaints us with the unregeneration of those to whom this Counsel is given As also what that complaint of our Saviour means Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life These works in unregenerate men are acts of obedience and not as is objected sins onely by accidental pollution they are sinful such subtleties are above the Logick that we read in Scriptures which gives duties in charge in reference to their respective ends without consideration of the state of the subject under command whether in nature or grace Actions we know work to habits and in case that rule hold that Habitus infusi infunduntur more acquisitorum which Dr. Wilkin sayes is a golden rule in Divinity Treatise of the gift of prayer pag. 8. this is above controversie I yeeld to that of Austin that as a wheel is not made round by turning but turnes because it is round so a man is not made good by doing good but is good through grace and then does good as the tree is first good and then brings forth good fruit But it is not
faith is not Sanctification Sanctification is inherent the righteousnesse of faith is imputed but circumcision is a sign and seal of the righteousnesse of faith And that Baptisme signifies and seals the same thing we find expressely in Peters words Ast. 2.38 Be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Remission of sins is by blood Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there is no remission Baptisme is for remission of sins and therefore the water in Baptisme holds out the blood of Christ And I doubt not but Ananias had respect to this in his speech to Paul Act. 22.16 Rise and be baptized and wash away thy sins Somewhat it is to which these signs engage and that is all unto which a Christian in duty as duty stands engaged whether for his change in heart or life or in order to the pardon of his sin Baptisme engages to the first work of regeneration and to the first work of making all new within To this circumcision did tye as it signified it so it engaged to it Deut. 10.16 Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiffenecked If by vertue of their circumcision in the flesh God did not require it why is the want of it charged on Judah as their sin or how could it lay them open with other Nations to punishment Jer. 9.25 26. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the uttermost corners that dwell in the wildernesse for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncicumcised in the heart And that the first work is required as well as a further degree and progresse both in circumcision and baptisme is clear In baptisme we are explicitly dedicated as the Jewes were implicitly in circumcision to Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore engaged to be sincerely his in Covenant But this cannot be till a change be wrought and we be born again from above To this therefore we are engaged We are engaged to love the Lord with all our heart with all our strength but this cannot be while our hearts are in an unchanged condition and therefore the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 is mentioned in order to this of the love of the Lord The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul what is it but the first work that is called for in that of the Prophet Make ye a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 10.31 And in those texts of the Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead Ephes 5.14 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man And be renewed in the spirit of your minds Ephes 4.22 23. Howsoever some of these Scriptures may be conceived to be directed to men in a state of Regeneration and therefore that they call not for the first work but for a further progresse in grace yet all of them cannot be so Interpreted And there is not any of them but implyes that where the first work is not done it must be done where the old man is not put off it must be put off and where the new man is not put on it must be put on where the spirit is not renewed it must be renewed Neither is it of force against this to say that the first work is out of our power and that in it we are wholly passive and therefore we do not in baptisme engage to it but God rather engages for it To which I answer Though it be out of our power yet it is within the command of God and is matter of our duty Gods command is no rule of our strength neither is it brought down to answer our weaknesse so a carnall man should be under no spiritual command but it is a rule of our duty what we once were and still ought to be it commands us for to be And though we be passive in the first work yet we are alwaies concerned to be active and assoon as we do receive power we are to act Dead Lazarus was commanded to rise and having power communicated from God he did actually rise and come out of the grave There is not any promise of God for inherent Grace nor any work of Grace but it comes within our duty and a command lies on us as instance might be given and consequently there is an obligation and engagement to it Gods command and his promises stand not in opposition but in subordination and to say that God is engaged and not man is dangerous then all that are baptized must be regenerate or else God fails in his engagement Somewhat it is that these signs seal and in sealing ratify and confirm and that is as the text shewes the righteousnesse of Faith and consequently all other priviledges whatsoever of like nature that are annexed to it Remission Justification Adoption Glorification Sacraments as seals have not as I conceive at least immediately and directly reference to graces or inherent habits but priviledges They are as Mr. Baxter hath well observed seales of the conditional Covenant and so they must seal whatsoever they do seal on Gods terms and conditions they ratifie mercies promised on those termes that the Covenant doth promise now graces are the conditions and termes of the Covenant and mercies are promised upon those termes and therefore the Covenant requires them but the Sacraments do not ratifie and seal them The Sacraments as signs shew us our wants of or wants in grace by the help of the Word and light received from it they point us out where supply may be found they engage us to this change to the whole of duty required from the people of God and upon answer of our conscience in this work they seal and confirm all promised priviledges to us The nature efficacy and operation of Sacraments would be better understood if that which is proper to each part or the particular office in each relation were better known The seal in a Lease as from the Lessor doth not ratifie the homage that is to be done by the Lessee or the service from him due but the inheritance or benefit whatsoever which upon condition of such homage or service is conveyed Graces are the homage and priviledges are the benefit or the inheritance the priviledges then and not the graces are directly in Sacraments sealed to us It is not sealed up to us either in Baptisme or the Lords Supper that we do believe or repent but that believing and repenting we have forgivenesse of sin and salvation But some say that the Sacraments seal all that the Covenant promises but the Covenant promises Grace and therefore the Sacraments
hear onely at their idle leisure judging a businesse that may be done but see little necessity of doing of it would pretend not to despise it yet put a very sleight esteem upon it Doth the child judge so of the dug Or do these judge so of their ordinary and necessary food A life of nature is kept up in the use of meanes as long as it can be patcht up if Physick be neglected so is not food The Word is food and physick for the life of grace and this is let alone 3. Those that carelesly negligently superciliously and disdainfully hear as though their businesse were not to feed but judge not to learn or be minded of any thing but onely to censure According as the way of their fancy works so the Word takes Some are pleased onely with Kickshawes like such dishes on a table that have shew without substance words that are quaint and strained not to help but to exceed their understandings Others with choyce notions onely how wholesome soever it is not worth heeding if not curious Others take up all according to the person that delivers it with children they are pleased with every thing from one hand with nothing from another Lastly Those that let go all truths as soon as they are heard There is no more heard of the Sermon when once it is done They that go to a feast will talk of the dishes and they that go to a Fair or Market will talk of the Commodities but when they go to the Congregation there is not a syllable heard of the Word after they return When meat goes out of the stomach as it comes in it neither strengtheneth nor nourisheth and the Word slipt as soon as it is heard can be no more effectual Sacraments 2. Sacraments are visible signs and seals That of Baptisme enters us into the Church visible and seals all the promises made to members on Gods terms and propositions And the Supper of the Lord is for confirmation of those that are visibly Church-members on the same terms likewise Baptisme is past in the act but still present in the use As a Souldier by oath taken and colours given was tied to his General so we are hereby tyed unto God and God is tyed unto us and hereby we know our duty and Gods promise As a lease binds to duty and assures a benefit so it is with the Sacrament of Baptisme The Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 compares it to the Ark of Noah he was there tost up and down in the deep considering his present state he might well have feared shiprack but the Ark being of Gods apointment and he put into it by Gods command he might well confide in him for safety If we look to the temptations and assaults wherewith our souls are on all hands battered we have just cause of fears but when we call to mind that we entered the Church as Noah the Ark by Baptisme and make it our businesse that conscience may answer unto what Baptisme requires what objection soever our heart makes Baptisme may raise our souls in confident assurance The Lords Supper is to the eye as the promises are to the eare Whilest we are in the body spiritual things under corporal signs are ordained for our help and strength Our Saviour tells us his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed John 6.55 And here under the signs of that which is our ordinary meat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ is tendered and as our food is offered unto us Where these Sacraments have their due esteem and men baptized in infancy do not passe by the thoughts of it in their growth but well consider their engagements and bonds that lye upon them to presse them to duty and the engagements of God for support of their faith they then make use of this ordinance to uphold faith and keep life in it in their souls when they frequent the Lords Table and conscienciously communicate for the ends for which it was instituted to be laid low in themselves to see sin aggravated and pardon tendred there is like hopes But when all thoughts of Baptisme is laid aside and the Lords Supper either neglected or prophaned these may well look that as a child through want of food so their faith upon the same account may languish Prayer 3. Prayer is the daughter of faith and also the nurse or foster-mother Faith breathes out it self in prayer and prayer obtains a more ample measure of faith to pray Lord I believe help my unbelief was the prayer of the father of the Lunatick Mark 9.24 and Lord encrease our faith was the prayer of the Apostles Luk. 17.5 When we have done all to stand prayer in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 must second This Communion with God keeps up faith in God They that make it their work to pray alwayes ever holding it up in the season of it joyning with the Congregation in publique in the family in a way more private and after Christs counsel in their closet sending forth holy ejaculations in their beds their walks and on all occasions These take care of their faith But in case that may be truly said of them which was falsly laid to the charge of Job that they restrain prayer before God Job 15.4 their faith may justly be suspected I may speak concerning this grace in the words of the Apostle these have not because they ask not these starve their faith and let it dye through want of nourishment and support We hear of Camelions that live in the ayr and Salamanders in the fire A Wonder was not long since noysed out of Germany of a Maid that lived onely on the smell of flowers An impostor lately went from place to place that fed on stones these that would passe for believers are some such Monsters Thus we have lookt into faith according to the three first rules the last followes which is the fruit that it beares or the effects that it produceth The fruits which faith bears and the effects which it produces These might be reduced into two heads First such as all faith if true produceth Secondly such as onely a strong and grown faith obtaineth But calling men to the tryal whether they be in the faith and not whether they be high and transcendent in believing I shall wave the latter and speak onely to the former These fruits which every faith which is such in truth produceth are either in the understanding or affections For that which it produceth in the understanding 1. In the Understanding take this rule Faith puts that high prize on Christ and priviledges through Christ that all earthly things are comparatively of the meanest value and most low esteem This we might make good in divers instances 1. In Moses If we read the beginning Chapters of Exodus we may there see the sad afflicted estate of the people of God in that time together with the honour to which Moses
you thus challenge never had any such thing in their thoughts Making the Scripture their study and Protestants writers their Comment they find Justification by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.9 and interest in this blood alone by faith Rom. 3.25 28. and works they find again and again excluded I wish you to consult the Homilies of the Church of England especially the Homilies of the Salvation of Man-kind by Christ our Saviour pag. 14. Having touched upon divers passages of Saint Paul This is added In the aforesaid places the Apostle toucheth especially three things which must go together in our Justifycation upon Gods part his great mercy and grace upon Christs part Justice that is the satisfaction of Gods Justice or the price of our Redemtion by the offering of his body shedding of his blood with the fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly and upon our part true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ And therefore Saint Paul declareth here nothing upon the behalf of man concerning his Justification but only a true and lively faith And yet that faith doth not shut out repentance hope love dread and the fear of God to be joyned with saith in every man that is Justified but it shutteth them out from the office of Justifying With much more to the same purpose Your Readers that are not so much seen in the Language of Bellarmine and Suarez as they are in the Scriptures or at least that do not so much heed them deny all that you take for granted In which also you have phrases more uncouth to your Readers then any that I have uttered can be to you to be righteous signifieth say you quoad legem novam non obligatus ad poenam cui debetur praemium This signification according to this new law I think was never found in any of our old and new Dictionaries Those that are righteous shall be thus acquit and rewarded we believe but not upon account of any righteousnesse inherent in them but the righteousnesse of Christ made theirs by faith and so their faith is accounted to them for righteousnesse You then adde So that you see that your first righteousnesse non reatus poenae vel jus ad impunitatem ad praemium as it requires Christs perfect satisfaction as a medium to it by which all the charge of the Law works must be answered So it requires our performance of the condition of the Law of grace as an other medium by which Christ and his benefits are made ours I had thought that our righteousnesse had not been non reatus poenae that is not the thing at best were it as perfect as Adams was but reather non reatus culpae If a man be charged with Murther his righteousnesse as to this charge is his not-killing and not his non-obligation to the Gibbet That follows upon it non reatus is not of the essence of righteousnesse nor is reatus of the essence of sin otherwise then consecutive And that Christs righteousnesse should be thus called a medium I do not see I think it is the thing it self and not a medium to it And that our righteousnesse is any medium to Justification as it is inherent I deny and that our inherent righteousnesse required by the Law of Grace stands in any such subordination to the righteousnesse of Christ as a necessary means to make it ours I see your word for it but I think and the reformed Churches are of the same mind that I have the whole current of Scripture against it You close up this discourse thus And thus I have done what at present I thought my duty that it might be not my fault that you are in ignorance all over But I have said the lesse because I have lately more exactly opened the nature of our righteousnesse in answer to the Animadversions of an other learned brother But it is worth inquiry whether this learned Brother have received satisfaction from that more exact paines of yours Perhaps his learning may serve to give as exact an answer And if his greater learning be not satisfyed with that which is more exact and elaborate my less learning may well remain as much unsatisfied with lesse exactnesse And your Reader will think you were not so well advised to publish your self and conceal your most exact opening of this poynt of so great concernement Though you might think that any thing might serve me yet all your exactnesse will I believe be litte enough in this poynt to give satisfaction to many Readers Whereas you had said in your Aphorismes pag. 122. Imperfect righteousnesse is not righteousnesse but unrighteousnesse Imperfect righteousnesse is no contradiction It is a contradiction in adjecto yet there admitting an imperfection in holinesse I answer'd I never took imperfect righteousnesse to imply any such contradiction more then imperfect holinesse To this you reply 1. By a way of concession that holinesse is taken first for the relation of a person or thing dedicated to God So it admits not of magìs and minùs more then righteousnesse 2. That the common use of the word Holinesse is for the qualities or actions of a spiritually-renewed man this is confessed to have its transcendent perfection as wel as righteousness Hitherto we are agreed but here say you is the difference Holinesse thus taken is a quality which though it have the truth of being yet it is intendend and remitted or doth recipere magìs minùs righteousnes is a relation which in suo formali is not intended or remitted And is not Righteousnesse a quality in like manner which is intended and remitted when Zachary saies Righteousness as well as holiness is intended and remitted We are delivered out of the hands of all our enemies to serve in righteousnesse and true holinesse Is not the one a qualification by a new work of the Spirit as well as the other When the Angel said Rev. 22. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still As unjust and filthy hold out vicious qualities from the flesh so Holy and righteous both signifie renewed qualities by the Spirit It follows Nay if you will exactly open it it will appear that the righteousnesse in question is a relation founded in a relation Yea more that the very subjectum proximum hujus relationis nec intenditur nec remittitur this is that I mean by perfection besides the aforesaid transcendentall perfection And how shall we know what the righteousnes in question is either it must be gathered out of your own words or out of their words that you censure as guilty of such ignorance as before Let us look upon your own words Thess 2.2 which you there comment upon In this fore-explained sense it is that men in Scripture say you are said to be
sufficient Rule for us now for believing in Jesus Christ no nor the same Law of nature as still in force under Christ For a generall command say you of believing all that God revealeth is not the only Rule of our faith but the particular revelation and precept are part c. To this I say 1. As before I think I may answer out of your own mouth where you say Neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second Commandement and unbelief is a breach of the first If we break the Commandement in unbelief then the Commandement binds us to believe 2. Much of that which I have spoke by way of answer to your former may be applyed to this likewise 3. I have already spoke to this that faith is a duty of the Moral Law Treat of the Covenant Chap. 3. pag. 18 19. To which I refer the Reader 4. If Adam had no command for faith then he was not in any capacity to believe and by his fall lost not power of believing And consequently it will not stand with the Justice of God to exact it at our hands having never had power for the performance of it 5. I say there was power in Adam for that faith that justified but not to act for justification Adam had that habit and the Law calls for it from all that are under the Command of it But the Gospel discovers the object by which a sinner through faith is Justified 3. The same answer may serve to your third objection 3. Exception which indeed is the same with the former only a great deal of flourishing is bestowed in discourse of the understanding and will paralleling them with the Prefaces grounds and occasions of Laws And at last bringing all to the Articles of the Creed to which enough allready is spoken 4. You say But what if all this had been left out 4. Exception and you had proved the Morall Law the only Rule of duty doth it follow theâ—efore that it is the only Rule Answ I take righteousnesse to be matter of duty and then the only Râ—le of duty is the only Rule of righteousnesse You say further Sure it is not the only Rule of rewarding And I say Rewarding is none of our work but Gods and I look for a Rule of that work which is ours and that we are to make our business I confess an imperfection in it to give life but assert a perfection as thâ— Rule of our lives It justifies no man but it orders and regulates every justified man 5. You say The same I may say of the Rule of Punishment 5 Exception To which I give the same answer It is not our work bu Gods either to reward or punish And here you speak of a part of the penalty of the new Law And I know no penalty properly distinct from the penalty of the old You were wont to compare it to an Act of Oblivion and Acts of Oblivion are not wont to have their penalties You instance in that of the Parable None of them that were bidden shall tast of the supper when thâ— sin for which they there suffer is a breach of a Morall Command 6. You say The principall thing that I intend is 6. Exception that the Morall Law is not the only Rule what shall be the condition of Life or Death and therefore not the only Rule according to which we muâ—t now be denominated and hereafter sentenced Just or Vnjust To this I have already given a sufficient answer and if I had not you answer fully for me Aphor. p. 144 Thes 28. Where you say The precepts of the Covenant as meer precepts must be distinguished from the same precepts considered as conditions upon performance of which we must live or die for non-performance And I speak of them as meer precepts and so they are our Rule of righteousness and not as they are conditions either of the Covenant of works or grace And a man may be denominated righteous by the Laws Rule when he cannot stand before the sentence of it as a Covenant of which we have heard sufficient After a long discourse against all possibilitie of Justification by the Law of works as though I were therein your adversarie or that the Antinomian fancy were above all answer that a man cannot make the Law his Rule but he makes it withall his Justification you go about to prevent an objection and say If you should say this is the Covenant and not the Law you then tell me that you will reply 1. Then the Law is not the only Rule To which I say When my work is to make it good that the Law is our only Rule I marvaile that you will so much as imagine that I will say that which makes it not the only Rule But perhaps you think I do not see how it cannot follow as indeed I do not neither can I see any colour for it 2. You reply It is the same thing in severall respects that we call a Law and a Covenant except you mean it of our Covenant-act to God of which we speak not who knowes not that praemiare and punire are Acts of a Law And that an Act of Obliviom or generall pardon on certain terms is a Law and that the promise is the principall part of the Law of Grace To which I say that praemiare and punire are not essentiall in a Law Some have power of command so that their words in just things is to be a Law where most deny any power of punishment as an Husband over the Wife Some Parents have Authority to command Children Children remaining under the obligation of the fifth Commandment as long as the relation of a Child continueth when they have neither power to reward or punish Jacob took himself to be in power to command Joseph among the rest of his Sons as appears in the charge that he gives concerning his buriall Gen. 47.29 30. and Chap. 49.29 So compared and yet he was not in power either to reward or punish him And though they be acts of a law where he that gives the Law is in power Yet they are no parts of a Rule nor any directiory of life to him to whom they are proposed I know that an Act of Oblivion or generall pardon may be called a Law as many other things are catachresticè and abusivè but that it should be a Law properly so called I know not The Romanes defined a Law whilst that a Democratie was in force among them to be Generale jussum populi aut plebis rogante magistratu Afterwards when the State was changed and the Legislative power was in other hands they defined it to be Jussum Regis aut Imperatoris And Tullye's definition of a Law is that it is Ratio summa insita in natura quae recta suadet prohibetque contraria Here jussio suasio and prohibitio are express'd which are not found in Acts of Oblivion That every man who
Moses Baptisme into him what Page 526 N. Names GIven by God not empty titles Page 12 Nature What meant by the times of the Law of nature Page 24 Necessity Of Sacraments asserted Page 285 c. Argumeats evincing it Page 288 c. The kind of degree of the necessity of Sacraments enquired into Page 289 Not absolutely necessary to Salvation Page 289 Objections answered Page 290 Explicatory Rules delivered in it Page 294 c. A greater degree of necessity in the initiatory leading Sacrament then in that which follows Page 298 Arguments evincing it ibid. c. O. Obedience MAns sin disobligeth him not from obedience Page 195 196 197 Obligation Mans Obligation of himself unto God implies Gods mutuall obligation Page 130 Oblige Mans inability for duty doth not disoblige from duty Page 197 Orders Their number in the Church of Rome and their divisions Page 538 Most of this number doubted by themselves whether they be Sacraments ibid. The Matter Page 539 Form Page 539 Effect Page 539 Minister Page 539 Reasons evincing it to be no Sacrament ib. Ordinances All outward Ordinances are for the Church in fieri and not onely in facto Page 189 Sacraments must have the Honour of divine Ordinances Page 68 Originall sin Asserted Page 363 Distinguished into peccatum originans orinatum Page 365 Originall sin not a meer want of primitive integrity but attended with unversall defilement ibid. c. Oyle Anointing with Oyle Jam. 14 15. What it means Page 536 537 Queres put to those that would revive this practice Page 537 P. Parables CHrist speaking in Parables what it meaneth Page â—4 Pardon Closing with God for pardon is not to pardon a mans self Page 452 Passive Neither believing nor receiving are to be judged meerly passive Page 442 In what sense faith passive in justification Page 476 c. Pemble Not sole and singular in asserting the word to be a passive instrument Page 476 He is large in reasons of it Page 475 Penance The parts of it Contrition Page 531 532 Confession Page 531 532 Satisfaction Page 531 532 Papists agree not what that is in Penance that makes up a Sacrament Page 533 Arguments evincing it to be no Sacrament ib. People Allegations for their power examined Page 252 264 Perfection Of the subject and perfection of parts respective to the universality of the object distinguished Page 586 Pighius A learned Papist with divers others joynes with us in the doctrine of justification Page 440 Pope He hath his visible pardoner as well as others Page 464 Prayer A necessary means of faiths nourishment Page 509 Priest The several functions of Christ as Priest King Prophet are to be distinguished but not divided Page 562 Priestly Levitical types lead us unto Christ in his Priestly office Page 566 Privileges A faith short of justifying entitles to visible privileges Page 161 Profession Men of a visible profession truly and really in Covenant with God Page 128 Profession of faith engages to a lively working faith Page 172 c. Promise That which is the condition of the thing promised is not the condition of the Seal Page 173 Exceptions against it examined ibid. Gospell promises are a savour of death unto many Page 469 Protestants Vindicated from four supposed great errors Page 452 The author is confest to appear in the common cause of Protestants ibid. R. Rainbow DEfined Page 516 It had respect to a Covenant improperly so called Page 517 It was an instituted sign ibid. Correspondencies between it and the promise Page 518 How far it was Sacramentall ibid. How far it fals short ibid 519 Reall Covenants may be broke by men in Covenant Page 138 Common grace is reall Page 132 Men of a visible profession really in Covenant with God Page 128 Regenerate Duties of positive institution do not onely bind the regenerate Page 195 Repentance How prerequired in Baptisme Page 108 Repentance and Faith Are mans conditions not Gods in the proper conditionall Covenant Page 626 Right Fundamentall and actuall distinguished Page 88 The distinction cleered In civill immunities Page 88 Ecclesiasticall privileges Page 89 They must be both written Page 90 Right unto a bar to detain from Sacraments not alwayes express Page 91 Righteous Men are so denominated really and not equivocally that imperfectly obey the Law Page 614 Righteousness Non reaâ—us is not righteousness Page 588 Imperfect righteousness is no contradiction Page 589 Righteousness as well as holiness is intended and remitted ib. Righteousness and holiness in what sense commonly used Page 592 Righteousness in an imperfect conformity to the Law asserted Page 595 There is a partiall reparation of in herent righteousness in regeneration Page 611 That righteousness which the Covenant requires the Sacraments appendant to it seal Page 413 Righteousness Christ The naturall righteousness of Christ is not our justification Page 439 Whether the righteousness whereby Christs person was righteous be given to us Page 453 Queries put concerning this gift of righteousness Page 454 Faith being terminated on Christ is terminated on his righteousness Page 455 To receive his righteousness for justification no fancy or delusion Page 456 Righteousness Faith The Righteousness of Faith is the great promise of the Covenant of grace Page 414 This righteousness is sealed in the Sacraments of the Covenant of grace Page 415 Proved by Scriptures Page 417 Confirmed by reasons Page 418 Explained by rules Page 419 420 Bellarmines five objections answered Page 421 c. Propositions explaining the meaning of the righteousness of Faith Page 415 So called in opposition to the righteousness of works required in the Covenant ibid. It is the Synechdochically put for the whole of the Covenant that interests us in this righteousness ibid. c. All blessings and privileges flowing from and following upon this Covenant unto true blessedness are comprized under the righteousness of faith Page 416 Christ the Mediatour of the Covenant is the fountain from whence the blessedness of this righteousness comes ibid. Faith considered as an instrument receiving this righteousness ib. All must see that they be right principled in the doctrine of the righteousness of faith Page 429 Ignorance here was the Jews undoing ib. Papists mistake in this point Page 429 c. Faith the alone grace that interests us in this righteousness Page 432 Rock How it was said to follow Israel Page 524 The Rock it self was not intended as a sign but the water flowing out of it Page 525 Of the nature of a Sacrament ib. No standing Sacrament Page 526 Rule See Law S. Sacrament THe word vindicated Page 2 3 The reason of the word enquired after Page 4 5 The various acceptations of it Page 6 7 8 Whether man enjoyed or was capable of a Sacrament in the state of integrity Page 9 No Sacrament instituted of God during the time called the Law of nature Page 24 c. A Sacrament may be defined Page 32 c. The definition of a Sacrament in generall Page