we derive our being from Parents not onely in our essentials and integrals but in a great measure in our temperature of body and mind Who sees not vertues and defects of body and mind to be hereditary and that from either sex Children do patrizare follow their Parents inclination without any imitation now the heavens were not in the same posture Mars Jupiter c. were not in the same ascendent in their birth as in ours A begger is delivered under the same posture of the heavens with a Noble-woman shall the children of both be of the same trade and way Secondly If the Stars and their influences were universal causes of what is done in and shall befall our persons yet these men profess acquaintance onely with some few and those almost onely the Planets The Stars of an unfixt motion Those innumerable Stars which we call fixt and have been said to be in the eighth which we call the starry sphere are not observed nor known in their various postures what some may incline to others will thwart and destroy For a third rule Natural signs when causes unlesse an extraordiâ—a y power inteâ—vâ—ne wâ—rk unâ—voydably those signs which fairly may be looked upon as causes in nature have their effects and produce the thing signified unavoydable irresistible so that is a labour in vain to use any wayes a tempting of God to make any addresses to him for prevention who ever prayed that the day and night should not be of an equal length at such a day in the Spring and Autumne which are known to us by the name of the aequinoctial or that the Sun shall not be eclipsed at such a time when it is known that the body of the Moon will interpose it self in that season If the heavens are alike causes of mans vicious wayes of the ruine and bane of Nations endeavours for prevention will be equally vain whether it be by prayer or repentance He that cannot make the Sun to stand still or to return backwards by prayer let him not think to stand in the gap for a land or turn away Gods fiery indignation seeing the course of nature appointed of God brings it about above resistance I have heard of some Rabbins that pray every night that the Sun may rise again and the earth enjoy a new morning as though it were no otherwise in nature by the God of nature ordered and setled but it lay in them to hinder it but Christians have learned better then to think by their prayers to impose a new course on the way of nature And knowing that prayer and repentance are wayes appointed of God and by experience succesfull for reversal of judgements and prevention of National desolations they know that Stars in a way of nature cannot effect it nor yet the sons or disciples of nature foresee or foretell it Secondly There are prodigious signes 2. Prodigious signe such that are either miraculous exceeding all power of nature or else wounds and monsters in nature And I know not the reason why Chamier lib. 1. Cap. 11. de Sacramentis in genere should exclude them from the number of signes certainly the return of the Sun in Hezekiahs time was to him a sign of his recovery from sicknesse and of his deliverance from the Assyrian Isay 3 S. 4 5 6 7 8. Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will adde unto thy daies fifteen yeares And I will deliver thee and this City out of the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend this City And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken Behold I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone down in the sun-dyal of Ahaz ten degrees backward The like may be said of Gideons fleece that had dew on it when all the earth was dry besides and again the fleece dry when upon all the ground else it was dew This was to signifie that the Lord would deliver Israel by his hand Those eclipses of the lights of heaven to the Egyptians when there was light in Goshen to the Israelites Exod. 10.21 22. and at Christs death when from the sixth houre there was darknesse over all the earth unto the ninth houre Matth. 27.45 was no other I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord Joel 2.30 31. There shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the earth distresse of Nations and perplexity the sea and the waves roaring mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken which Zanchius understands of those Comets which as wonders in nature in severall ages have appeared He that pleases may consult the Author himself treating de Cometarum prognosticis lib. 3. de operibus Dei Cap. 2. Thes 12. Signes by Instition Thirdly There are signes by institution not so in nature or by way of prodigy but as they are designed to signify These are 1. Of man some by imposition man putting at pleasure such a signification upon them words in this sense are signes no other reason of primitive names of things can be given but his pleasure that gave them Some by custome as an Ivy bush is a sign of wine Sometimes by covenant or agreement so the arrowes that Jonathan shot with the words that he agreed to utter were a sign to David that there was peace or that there was harm intended to him 1 Sam. 20.20 c. So the Scarlet thred was a sign between Rahab and the spies Joshua 2.18 A Souldiers Colours or the word that is given on his guard or in fight is such a sign 2. There are signes by institution from God such was the rainebowe It may be a naturall sign of showers but it is by institution that it signifies that there shall not be any more a flood to destroy the earth Gen. 9.11 These instituted signes whether of God or man admit of other distinctions which will be touched upon in the next place in opening the nature and shewing the properties of Sacramentall signes There are signes of a fourth sort which might have been spoken to namely those that are Diabolicall or superstitious But I shall not trouble my self or the Reader with them SECT II. The properties of Sacramental signes FIrst Sacramental signes are externall and sensible Sacramentall signes are 1. Exteâ—nal and sâ—nsible such that do not immediately but by the help of the senses affect the understanding There are indeed such signes that immediately offer themselves to the mind which some call mentall or intellectuall Signes These are either notions framed in
to baptize no Infant as being unable to know the Parents faith to justification and further with Walaes concluding that the Parents faith doth not justifie the child but as Calvin resolves lib. 4. instit cap. 16. Sect. 20. they are baptized into future faith and repentance which Walaeus also sayes is the opinion of most others Neither shall I baptize any man of years till I have as high assurance if not more of his justification than Mr. Baxter seems to think any man can have of his own If this must stand then Paedobaptists and Anabaptists must all leave their Principles and both men and women when they have learn'd to read that new name in the white stone that is have concluded their assurance must turn Sebaptists and then let us look for as many counterfeits as there were Jews in Christs time with broad Phylacteries Those that bottom Baptisme on the Covenant holinesse of Covenant distinct from that of sanctification stand ensnared in none of these difficulties or inextricable perplexities All the following Arguments to the 9th may be easily granted and that is thus formed Titles given by Apostles do not argue that in their thoughts they were alwaies answered with inherent grace If the Apostles use to communicate the proper titles of the justified to all that are baptized till they see them prove apostates or hypocrites then they did take all the baptized to be probably justified though they might know that there were hypocrites among them yet either they knew them not or might not denominate the body from a few that they did know But the antecedent is true Therefore For the truth of the antecedent here laid down That the Apostles use to communicate the proper titles of the justified to all that are baptized I expect better proof then a naked affirmation And all that is brought for proof is I need not cite Scripture to prove that the baptized ar called by the Apostles Believers Saints Disciples Christians Mr. Bl. hath done it already pag. 28. And he very well knowes that I there make it good That those titles are not proper to the justified but ordinarily given to those that are not justified nor in any saving condition But if my words in the place quoted or elsewhere may not be heard Mr. Baxters sure will take who in his Saints rest Part 4. Sect. 3. p. 105. saith There are many Saints or sanctifyed men that yet shall never come to heaven who are onely Saints by their separation from Paganisme into fellowship with the visible Church but not Saints in the strictest sense by separation from the ungodly into the fellowship of the mysticall body of Christ quoting these following Scriptures Heb. 10.29 Deut. 7.6 and 14.2 21. and 26.19 and 28.9 Exod. 19.6 1 Cor. 7.13 14. Rom. 11.16 Heb. 3.1 compared with vers 12. 1 Cor. 3.17 and 14.33 1 Cor. 1.2 compared with 11.20 21. c. Gal. 3.26 compared with Gal. 3.3 4. and 4.11 and 5.2 3 4. John 15.2 His demand therefore to me is strange Now who knows not that salvation is made the portion of Believers Saints Disciples when he himself affirms that there are Saints that never shall be saved He afterwards puts a further question Is it another sort of them or doth the Scripture use to divide Saints as a genus into two species Not that I know of It is but an aequivocum in sua aequivocata The name belongs to them but as the name of a Man to a Corps c. Then it seems that there is nothing of Reality in such Separations Camero tells us otherwise that there is a reality in this Saintship by separation In the relation of his dispute with Courcellius he affirmed that the Text of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.14 was without doubt to be understood of reall holinesse To which Courcellius replying He that is really holy hath no need of regeneration and baptisme But Infants of Believers after they are borne have need of baptisme and regeneration Ergo. Which Camero answered as the relation sayes by distinguishing of real holinesse which is twofold One consisting in the bare relation of the person to the people of God or the Church and depends wholly upon birth within the pale of the Church and of parents embracing the Covenant The other is c. And it seems that the Scripture is still under the change of equivocal speeches all over As Camero hath somewhere observed that the word Saints in Scripture is far more frequently taken for Saints on Earth then for Saints in heaven so I doubt not but it may be maintained that it speaks far more frequently of Saints by dedication and separation and so of Believers and Disciples by profession then by inherent qualification and doth it in all these places speak equivocally had it been affirmed to be Genus Analogum in opposition to uni vocum Scripture Language real and not aequivocal as is said of Ens in respect of Substantia Accidens it had been lesse but to make nothing of this noble priviledge of which Scripture speaks so honourably is too plainly to side against the truth it self I would know for my learning what advantage or profit a dead Corps is in Capacity to enjoy I think one at all but these as the Apostle tells us have much every way even they that have no more then sanctity of this nature If such equivocation be found in the word Saint their the like is to be affirmed of the word Believer and believers having their denomination from their faith that is equivocal in like manner and so our Common division of faith into dogmatical or historical temporary miraculous and justifying is but a division of an aequivocum in sua aequivocata which I should think no man would affirm much lesse Mr. Baxter who makes common and special graces to differ onely gradually and then as cold in a remisse degree may grow to that which is intense so one aequivocatum may rise to the nature of another animal terrestre may become Sidus coeleste one of our dogs that we use on Earth may become a star in heaven then miraculous faith it self hath onely the name and nothing of the power and nature of faith in it Judas had power given him to cast out unclean spirits Maetth 10.1 4. and he never had faith that justifieth if his faith was onely aequivocal then the unclean Spirits were equivocall likewise I shall never believe that an aequivocal faith can cast out a real devil The Apostle tells us of faith to the remooval of Mountains void of charity 1 Cor. 13.2 If this were equivocall faith those must be equivocal Mountains Mr. Baxter addes To put the matter beyond doubt I wish Mr. Bl. to consider that it 's not onely these forementioned titles but even the rest which he will acknowledge proper to the regenerate which are given by the Apostles generally to the baptized Instances given in Adoption Gal. 3.26 27. union with
jurisdiction can here apply this distinction seeing it overthrowes that which they apply hither Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Many that are admitted ma want acceptance in heaven but having their right and putting in no visible barre their confessed Ecclesiastical right concludes that their admission is with acceptance of heaven and my great businesse hath been for their comfort and encouragement that give admittance that their benefiting is possible that are thus admitted And here I might take into consideration the opinion of those that would have a promiscuous admittance and indeed I had it in my thoughts to have given a brief answer to Mr. Humphrey's Scriptures and Reasons so much by some applauded and so strongly bottomed Because all Communicants must drink of the Cup therefore all must communicate with some limits which being yielded as I have proved they must will draw the limit necessarily yet somewhat more narrow But this is by one hand already done and I have lately had the happinesse to see a second learned Piece fitted for the Presse dealing largely in it which I doubt not may both satisfie the Adversary and the Reader so that my pains may well be spared onely I cannot but take notice of his fourth Reason for a promiscuous admission which he faith will arise from the vanity formality impossibility of selecting people to this Ordinance Look to the heart of all these separations they come to nothing For put the case you will have a gathered company I pray who do you account indeed to be fit and worthy receivers If not all that make profession as we do mixtly then those onely that have an interest in Christ and are true believers Well but how will you be able to know them The heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it And if we can hardly discover our own hearts how shall we discern others so that all will come but to these that have the fairest shew those that seem such and you cannot be secured but there may and will be some hypocrites and so this true partaking as all one body and one blood in such an unmixt communion as you pretend vanishes and there can be no such matter But now if men stand here upon a formal purity and will have the outward purest Church they can they go to separating again and never leave separating and separating as we have daily testimony till they are quite separated one from another Even as in the peeling of an Onion where you may peel and peel till you have brought all to nothing unlesse to a few tears perchance with which the eyes of good men must needs run over in the doing To this I answer If the rule to take in this gathered company be interest in Christ to take in those of a saving interest and refuse all others if regenerate then he shall be admitted in case unregenerate then he shall be refused then I shall yield his conclusion I shall leave that distinction to him that knowes what is in man I should fear many a man of non-interest might be let in and many a man of true interest refused a glozing tongue may here carry it further then an upright heart And for his next of a formal purity to get the Church as pure as we can though this ought to be our endeavour to get the Church as pure not formally but really as possible yet I make it no rule But following the Apostles rule to do as all things else so this to edification though it be a matter of much care and prudence yet not vain and impossible in a good measure to determine it upon this rule I pitch till I hear something that may take me off it SECT XVI An enquiry into the power authorized to judge of mens meetnesse for the Lords Supper THe adaequate subject of Sacraments being found out and some discovery made of those that according to Scripture principles stand in a present aptitude for actual admission A great question yet remains Who must judge of this fitnesse Who are to judge of mens present aptitude so as to approve of men as such and Authoritarively to refuse or passe by others in which we may seem to be much in the dark finding no one expressely set up for that work nor any Scripture-precedent of any that have taken upon themselves such power And herein men have been very different in their thoughts The various claimes that are made to this power The Church of England heretofore hath vested the Minister in sole power as appears in Canon 26. which provides That no Minister shall in any wise admit to the receiving of the holy communion of his cure or flock which be openly known to live in sin notorious without repentance nor any who have maliciously and openly contended with their neighbours untiil they shall be reconciled As also the Rubrick to the same purpose It is true that those that made it their businesse to scrue up Episcopal power to that height that it could not bear did interpret this of such notorious offenders that by the Ordinary had been so adjudged and under present censure expressely contrary to the very words of Canon 27. requiring every Minister so repelling any such upon complaint or being required by the Ordinary to signifie the cause unto him and therein obey his direction In case of such a preceding censure upon the person thus refused he had beforehand his direction and complaint is then supposed to be made onely for his obedience in refusing those that according to command given were to be denied The Schoolmen generally go this way putting the sole power into the hands of a Minister not so much disputing it so farre as I have read as taking it for granted Suarez putting it to the question a Utrum teneantur Ministri hujus Sacramenti non dare illud homini existenti in pâ—câ—ato mortali Whether the Ministers of this Sacrament are bound not to give it to a man in mortal sinne answers b respondetur certum esse habere Ministros hujus Sacramenti hanc obligationem simpliciter absolute loquendo That they are simply and absolutely under such an obligation mentioning none that are over them or assistent to them in it And in his first reason he saith That c Ex quibus sequitur primo hanc obligationem oriri ex ipsa lege naturali ac divina supposita tali Sacramenti institutione potestate ac munere commisso Sacerdotibus this obligation doth arise from natural and divine Law an institution of the Sacrament being supposed and such commission given to the Ministers so that he doth no more question the Ministers authority in this thing then he doth the institution of the Sacrament it self Suarez in tertiam partem Thomae quaest 89. disput 67. sect 1. And Thomas puts the question
men of his interest should be received then Christ would not at any hand have knowingly gone against it and given him admission to it And what he did according to the mind of God as a Minister by a Minister may be done And to pronounce him at that time that he received it such that had no right for admission yet to admit him were such a precedent as Christ would not have given Christ would not trust himself with some upon that account that the knew what was in them Joh. 2.23 24. and he would not have trusted the Sacrament with such a one in case he had not known that it had been the mind of God that men of that standing should partake of it If it be objected that Christ knew that Judas was not in a capacity to improve the Sacrament for sanctification and salvation being a reprobate I answer respective to his gifts wherewith he was endowed he was in capacity of improvement The Sacrament is of use to those that were his inferiours and an eye is had to the tendency of the work according to Gods revealed will and not to that which is in Gods secret purpose Let us summe up the argument briefly into this form Ministers must give the Sacrament so as it may be to edification and not certainly to destruction But they must give it to some not yet throughly sanctified Therefore some not throughly sanctified may receive it to edification and not to destruction Thirdly the Law and Gospel in their joynt strength applyed in power to the understanding may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms conditions and propositions of the Covenant may work men of profession of faith to faith saving and justifying may work a man that is onely in name the Lords to be truely and savingly his This none can deny if Law and Gospel cannot do it in the way of instruments and ordinances appointed of God there is no way on earth in which it can be done But in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour of Law and Gospel applyed in power to the understanding Therefore the conclusion followes that the Lords Supper may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms of the Covenant men of profession of Faith to Faith saving and justified The Assumption is clear that in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour both of Law and Gospell There we have the curse of the Law in the highest degree held out Christ made a curse and bearing all that the Law denounces against sin even all that which sinne according to the Law did demerit There are sins bruises transgressions wounds There we have the summe and substance of the Gospel held out Christs death for remission of sinne laid open There we have Christ a curse which is that which the law inflicts upon transgression There we have Christ a sacrifice which is that which the Gospel doth promise all brought home and applyed to the understanding of the communicant Fourthly That which is high in the aggravating of sinne to the conscience and clear in holding out the pardon of sinne may work a man of Covenant interest up to the terms and conditions of the Covenant may work men of profession of Faith to a Faith saving and justifying This is clear which way else are men brought up to faith and sanctification but upon the sight of sinne in its aggravations and Gospel tenders for the removal of it The Assumption that sin is in this ordinance in the highest way aggravated and the removal of it held out is also clear and may easily per partes be proved 1. The highest aggravation of sin to the breaking of the heart and the melting of the soul is the looking upon him whom our sins have pierced Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born and that we thus look upon him in the Sacrament I shall choose to set it out in the words of the Ministers and Elders met in the Provinciall Assembly of London in their Vindication where speaking to those that joyn with them at the Lords Table pag. 104. You must so remember Christ as to find power coming out of Christ Sacramental to break your hearts for all the sins you have committed against him Christ is presented in the Sacrament as a broken Christ his body broken and his blood poured out And the very breaking of the bread understandingly looked upon is a forcible Argument to break your hearts Was Jesus Christ rent and torn in pieces for you and shall it not break your hearts that you should sin against him Was he crucified for you and will you crucify him by your sins And besides the breaking of the bread is not onely ordained to be a motive unto brokennesse of heart for sin but also in the right use to effect that which it doth move unto And pag. 105. You must so remember Christ Sacramentall as to find power comming out of Christ to subdue all your sins and iniquities as the diseased woman felt vertue coming out of Christ to cure her bloody issue so there is power in an applicative and fiducial remembrance of Christ at the Sacrament to heal all the sinful issues of our soules there is no sin so strong but it is conquerable by a power derived from Christ crucified And pag. 106. You must continue in remembring Christ in the Sacrament till your hearts be wrought up to a through contempt of the world and all worldly things Christ instituted the Sacrament when he was going out of the world and when he was crucifying the whole world was in darknesse and obscurity and he is propounded in the Sacrament as a persecuted broken crucified Christ despising and being despised of the World And if you do practically remember the Sacrament of his death you will find vertue coming out thereof to make you dead to the world and all worldly things And pag. 107. Cease not remembring Christ till you be made partakers of the rare grace of humility Of all the graces that were in Christ in which he would have Christians to imitate him in humility is one of the chiefest Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am humble And Christ in the Sacrament is presented as humbling himself to the death of the crosse for our sakes And what a shame is it to remember an humble Christ with a proud heart The practical remembrance of the humility of Christ Sacramental when sanctified is mighty in operation to tame the pride of our hearts And pag. 110. To endeavour that your eyes may affect your hearts when you are at the Sacrament For as Christ in the Ministery of his Word preacheth to the ear and by the ear conveyeth himself into the
thus driven on they could not but see that Christs presence with or in the Elements can be no more then Sacramental in which the sign is still put for the thing signified The bead is the body and the cup the blood of Christ no otherwise then the rock in the wildernesse was Christ In the explication of Sacramental signs there can be expected no other then Sacramentall speeches And therefore that great Lutheran Logician was much mistaken in charging the transgression of his maxim upon Calvinists that the proper sense of Scripture is ever to be held unlesse the contrary can be evidently proved in their leaving of the letter in the words of the Supper sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he speaks Taking it for granted that no such necessity can be shewen When it is enough to evince the necessity of a trope that the words are an explanation of a Sacramental sign We must not put this Sacrament at such a distance from all others as to make the whole here rigidly proper and all others Sacramental Words must be fitted to the nature of the subject But to help himself out he wisely borrowes from Bellarmine an assertion that Reasons are not to be demanded of any that hold the proper sense why they keep to it Both of them it seems despairing of giving any reason that is satisfying But methinks he might blush in the use of the Simile that he hath also borrowed to make his assertion good This were say they as if any should ask of those that are in a journey why they hold the old beaten way and why they go in at the door and not at the window When they or either of them can make it appear that the old way of interpretation of Sacramental speeches is to understand them properly without any Metonymie then I shall say that the letter here is not to be left but in the strictest rigour to be followed But till then I shall believe them to be both out of the way And all Sacraments being appendants to promises it will likewise follow that Christs presence with him that in faith takes these Elements is no other then a presence in Spirit Where these things are happily accorded and all scruple laid aside a new quarrel is raised about the subject of Sacraments That they are institutions of Christ and gifts vouchsafed by him to his Church is acknowledged But to whom they belong and who of right can make his claim to them is not determined when yet the visibility of the Ordinances and trust reposed in man for dispensation of them whose sight is more weak then to discern that which is invisible necessarily concludes that they belong to visible Church-members not in a select way pickt out of other Churches which is a way that no Scripture-Saint ever trod but in as great a latitude as the profession of the Christian faith In this Scripture is so plain that it is wonder that ever it was made a controversie Either the Jew outwardly was mis-nam'd when the title of Circumcision was given him and a foul misprision run upon when a proselyte was circumcised or a new convert in Scripture-way baptized or else this must necessarily be granted So that as to title and right of claim if Scriptures may judge the Covenant-grant is clear Yet as there are many that have their just right in Legacies and inheritances who are not judged meet for present fruition It would be many a man's losse even to ruine to have that presently put into his hands which justly might be claimed as his own So it fares in this great Ordinance of the Lords Supper which all that partake of are to look upon and improve as a memorial of Christs death for which all are not in any possible capacity as they are not for some other duties And here in all reason they that are to dispense this Ordinance are most concerned to distinguish And if Regeneration be the mark by which they are to be steered it is not like a Sea-boy appointed for the Pilot's guide floting on the top of the water but rather as one hid in the bottome which necessarily involves both dispenser and receiver in inextricable difficulties and perplexities And when most confesse that men free from ignorance errour and scandal though unregenerate must have admission and all acknowledge that such will we nill we will enter If it be concluded that unregeneration is an undeniable and invincible barre to all possible benefit and blank paper is alwayes sealed whensoever such take it it is not yet made known how it may be dispensed by those in whose hands it is entrusted with any possible comfort A great part of this work is to render the way here more comfortably passable in giving the doubting soul hopes that yet sees not concluding evidence in his own thoughts of a new birth many of which upon principles that they have taken in sadly reason against themselves in participation of this Ordinance and withal to put courage into the hands of the Ministers of Christ to presse the power of this soul-humbling Ordinance of God on the hearts of intelligent hearers competently instructed in Gospel principles whom yet they may justly have in jealousie not yet to have come up to this great and blessed work of a thorough change wrought in the mean space differing little or nothing from the common received opinion as to the qualifications of those that are to be or are not to be denyed admittance Yet I thought not meet that they should go alone but to send out upon this occasion into publick view a just Tractate of Sacraments which occasionally is grown into a bigger bulk then I ever intended That which appeares clear to my sight I doubt not but will seem otherwise in the eyes of some others And therefore I put it upon my account to meet not onely with dislike as every one does that deals in works of this nature but also with opposition I heare indeed that as of old it hath been said that unregenerate men have no true right in the sight of God to any of his creatures and that all such possessors are usurpers so also it is now maintained that all such notwithstanding their visible Church-interest are without all right to any Church-priviledges Though they make use of them as unregenerate men do of the creatures and by command from God must make use of them so that their neglect of them is justly charged as their sin yet they are still without any true right to them or title in them This I confesse with me is a strange assertion I should thinke that those immunities which Jesus Christ to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth of his good pleasure doth vouchsafe to men of meer visible Church-interest in order to bring them to an invisible right and title and which unregenerate men enjoy in order to work them to a Regenerate state are their true ana proper right
as the immunities which the highest power grants to civil incorporations in order to bring them to a further honour and lustre are their just inheritance When Moses commanded the congregation of Jacob a law this is called their inheritance Deut. 33.4 By vertue of the grand charter from God himselfe who herein differenced them from all other nations It is true that the grosse abuse of civil immunities granted to incorporate bodies may justly move the highest power to disfranchize them but whilest the grant remaines the priviledge is theirs and the like abuses of Church-priviledges may justly move Christ Jesus and hath moved him to dischurch a people and take his Kingdome from among them removing his Candlestick from them but whilest his Kingdome remaines and their light by his long suffering-holds their right continues The Regenerate make a more blessed use but the unregenerate have an equal right There was no difference in the right of Apostleship between Peter and Judas how great soever the difference was in their respective improvement of it The barren tree whilest it hath a place in the Vineyard is within the verge of the servants care and hath right to be digged and dung'd as well as the fruitful To draw towards an end and not to hold thee longer from the work it self as to the whole that thou shalt finde here delivered the great thing that I crave at thy hands is that those two great enemies to a right apprehension of truth Prejudice and Respect of Persons may be laid aside that so my reasons may gaine which otherwise they will be denyed an indiffent hearing and that nothing may be charged as mine upon any supppsed want of distinct explication which I do not clearly own and which men may have reason to believe that I shall disclaime For prevention of which so far as may be in me I have given in a list of Erratas which I pray thee to correct before or as thou readest if it be not already done to thy hand as in most CoppieS I hope care will be taken of those that are more foule many of which do not only destroy the sense which were more tolerable but lead to a contrary sense Other smaller faults meerly literal or mispointings or such mistakes in a word where that which was intended is clearly obvious I hope I need not entreat thy candour As for any that shall please to appear against me as in almost every part of the work I know that I have some of one interest or other that are adversaries I only desire that they deale with me as I have made it my businesse to deale with others Personal invectives Sarcasmes and Jeers though upon the fairest supposed advantage falsifications wrestings of sentences industrious concealment of the strength of arguments may possibly cloud an adversary but shall never advance the glory of truth which stands not in need either of mens passion or fraudulency which will be found no better then his folly And what name soever may be gained where truth gaines nothing let those enjoy that look after it I desire not to be any share in it So far as I yet see and I think I see much reason for it I intend here to set down my staffe and to travel no further in this troublesome way resolving not to change my purpose unlesse I shall either be convinced by truth and so shall manifest the change of my minde or else see the truth in danger to suffer which I do not yet see in any thing which is published against me and not answered by me And in such case I shall endeavour to take that way that truth may be best cleared and the Reader least troubled which will be as much as is possible to examine adversaries arguments and decline personal concernments The Lord grant that all that is here spoke for truth may be succesful for thy Spiritual good And if any thing through mistake be let fall against it that it may speedily be discovered that nothing here may be thy Spiritual detriment Thomas Blake Errata The Title of Chap. 5. Sect. 3. is by mistake put on the head of the leaf to the following Section and the title of Chap. 7. Section 16. is by like mistake put to the two following Sections likewise Page 300. It is said by inadvertancy that Circumcision was taken up again in the Wildernesse Josh 5.2 when indeed it was when they had passed Jordan and were in Canaan I desire that the Reader may look upon this as expunged Words to be blotted out Page 94. line 14 dele to be p. 313 l. 6. a fine del it p. 385. l. 13. a fine dele done p. 443. l. penult dele and. p. 461 l. 10 dele There followes p 613 l. 5 dele know p. 617 l. 18 dele the. Words to be added Page 37. line 4. adde is not mentioned p. 121 l. 9 are obliged p. 164 l. 10 the minor Proposition in a syllogisme is left out and must be thus supplyed But men short of faith which justifieth are Christians p. 167 l. 11. to be p. 240 l. 30 speaks so p. 242 l 2 are apt p. 305 l. 26 Let us so do it as p. 314 l. 15 These may p. 345 l. 11 a fine any thing p. 376 l. 9 a fine where no barre is put p. 465 l 7. they little thought that p. 481 l. ult or Justification P. 485 l. 20 and thus argue p. 540 l. 9 he p. 574 l. 8 a fine speaks of p. 634 l 12 have not Words to be changed Page 16 line 24 r. last p. 26 l. 13 14 r. 6. p. 40 l. 15. r. Noah p. 29. l. 24 r. of p. 35 l. ult uncircumcision p. 37 l. 6 a fine Divinity p. 41 l. 14 unavoidably irresistibly l. ult wonders p. 56 l. penult nor p. 69 l. 33 though he p. 105 l. 4 a fine which as p. 136 l. 6 a fine lost p 142 l. 3 meer p. 175 l. 12 accept p 184 l. 16 Few p. 193 l. 13 to p. 195 l. 8 a fine taking oft p. 196 l. 6 load p. 229 l. 7 a fine bereft p. 236 l. 18 years p. 238 l. 11 lest p. 240 l. 26 commonly p. 244 l. 14 were p. 247. l. 3 a fine strangely p. 284 l. 14 that all p 280 l 16 or produce a p. 307 l. 10 persistest p 341 l. 12 a fine the soul p. 357 l. 19 led p. 359 l 8 read ver 15 p. 360 l. 6 Those p. 396 l. 6 a regenerate p. 400 l. 10 a fine deviations p. 416 l. 3 flowing p 429 l. 10 a fine the p. 430 l. 15 a fine Pharisees p 445 l. 12 a fine speak p. 448 l. 19 is most p. 449 l. 18 sayes p. 445 l. 21 Ilart p. 463 l. 7 or p. 468 l. 6 a fine dealâ—ng p. 472 l. 8 justification p. 525 l 3 4. In order to our enquiry into it this l. 17 never l. 23 scope p. 550 l. 15 You p. 567 l. 22 His
unconfest did hinder To deny penitents where there is any fair and possible hopes by reason of conviction wrought is their sad discouragement we see them lame and weak and we deny them a Crutch that is provided for them And to receive obstinate ones that without remorse carry it on in wickednesse seems dangerously to strengthen them in their wayes and not at all to help them out of their ungodly courses From this that hath been spoken a fair answer therefore may be given to the arguments before past by concerning any power in this Ordinance for conversion And first for that from the Directory where the ignorant scandalous and prophane that live in any sin or offence against their conscience are warned not to presume to come nigh that holy Table it is meant of those that purposely resolve to hold their sin and doubtlesse that purpose standing here is no comfort to be put into their hands It is no other then that counsel of our Saviour Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way first he reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Sacraments will not be accepted from that hand where malice is seated in the heart and implacably continued but it followes not but that where the soul is startled and such resolutions for sin do not appear this maybe a means further to awake and provoke to a resolution against it As to that of Communicating to Heathens Pagans enough hath been said before It can neither be done with allowance nor any possible benefit And for Excommunicate persons they are supposed to be in an obstinate way of wickednesse The last is onely worthy of consideration That Ordinance that is not communicable nor lawfull to be administred to any known impenitent sinner under that notion but onely as penitent sinners truly repenting of their sins is not a converting but a sealing Ordinance But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is not communicable nor lawfull to be administred to any known impenitent sinner c. Ergo. Here I might justly except against that opposition that is still put between converting and sealing Ordinances as though it must be taken for granted that no sealing Ordinance could have any hand in or towards conversion Gods seal added to his promise may by the blessing of God be serviceable here as well as his oath added for confirmation but this is grounded upon the mistake of the way of the Sacraments sealing in which I have sufficiently expressed my self For answer to the Argument it self The major Proposition is not true unlesse it be understood with just limitation Reproof is an Ordinance that may well be reckoned among those that work to conversion being the way of life Prov. 6.23 and called the reproof of life Prov. 13.31 an excellent oyl Psal 141.5 and upon that account to be used towards a brother in sin Levit. 19.17 And yet prudence must be used in the application of it Every man is not a meet subject to get good by it There is no such warinesse explicitely required in the dispensing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as there is in the application of reproofs nor yet any so punctually pointed out not to communicate as there is not to be reproved The Wisemans observation is that He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth to himself a blot Therefore he gives advice upon it ver 8. Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee rebuke a wise man and he will love thee Every Ordinance therefore that is for conversion is not meet to be applyed to every man in an unconverted condition Rebukes set out the danger of sin and the Lords Supper is for the aggravation of it in holding forth the sad effects of it yet neither of both meet to be applyed to all in sin That charge of our Saviour is deliveted in an universal way Cast not holy things to dogs nor pearles before swine The Proposition there included is general Nothing that is holy nothing that is of the honour of a pearly is to be cast to any dog or swine whence we may assume But there is no converting Ordinance but it is of the number of holy things Ergo. No converting Ordinances are to be given to any that are dogs and swine which way soever any think to extricate themselves by putting limits to any term in the Proposition they must necessarily be brought to yield that all converting Ordinances are not promiscuously to be applyed to all in sin But choyce must be made unto whom they may with profit be delivered And thus I have spoke my full thoughts of the subjects of this Ordinance concluding without the least hesitancy or scruple That all in Covenant have a fundamental or first right to it a jus ad rem and making it my businesse to find out who they be that may be admitted in expectation of benefit by it and who are justly detained from it In which I trust I have given just offence on no hand either in giving way to the admission of any that according to any Scripture-rule or just deduction thence should be held back and so hardening them in any way of ignorance or sin in giving them any encouragement I have a witnesse in heaven that I intended nothing in this but to find out the mind of Jesus Christ and to have this Ordinance so administred that the edification of the visible Members of Jesus Christ might be most prompted and godlinesse encouraged And in case that this which I have done may not be serviceable this way I desire that it may prove an abortive I know there is a distinction used by some and applyed to admission both of Infants to Baptisme and men of growth to the Lords Table that there is a twofold title one in foro Dei in the Court of Heaven and here onely the Infants of the elect regenerate have title as they say to Baptisme and the elect regenerate themselves to the Lords Supper The other in foro Ecclesiastico in the Court of the Church and here all tiie Infants of professed believers have right in Baptisme and the knowing and not scandalous though unregenerate to the Lords Supper By the favour of which distinction those of that judgment and I may be well enough agreed and as I think there is small difference about the persons to be admitted to this Supper yet for the distinction I confesse I do not understand it Both the Sacraments being Church-Ordinances I suppose God keeps no other Court about them save the Court of his Church If they have this right in foro Ecclesiastico then it is the mind of God that the Church should admit them and so they have right in foro Dei likewise And I marvel how those that bring this within the power of