Counsell if it had been taken well But it was very ill taken for when Hezekiah sent the posts from Citie to Citie through the Countrey of Ephraim and Manasseh with this Message That he would have a reformation according to the first institution or patterne and would not have them doe as their immediate forefathers had done It is said verse 10th That they laughed the Messengers to scorne and mocked them What! may we not doe as our Fathers have done must we now be wiser than they Yes saith he you must be wiser than they and you must doe better than they else you will shew your selves arrand fooles and utterly undoe your selves for your fathers were stiff-necked and did not yeild themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to doe as He bad them But they would doe as pleased them and was good in their owne eyes and so brought all this evill upon themselves You must not doe as they did for then you must suffer as they did whom God gave up to desolation as you see Now read how these words wrought with some of them not a few the Lord by His Spirit setting them home vers 11. There was a Reformation in those matters and things must be done according to their first institution We hope it will teach you very much in point of admission to the Lords Table And yet to set home your lesson and to helpe you in your choice of fit Guests for the Lords Table Take in the last place an example from Ezra Who would have none to joyne with him in the Passeover But such onely as had seperated themselves from the filthinesse of the Heathen and joyned themselves to Gods people to seeke the Lord God of Israell Ezra 6. 21. So much to your fourth objection You have yet more to say to justifie your Doings SECT V. THat you see not why you should exclude any from the Lords Table because how know you whether they may God is the onely â—â—wgâ—ver and we must receive the Law from His mouth He that will please God must shut all his own Imaginations out of dooâ—es and have nothing to doe with thâ—m We never dishonour God more than when we take upâ—n uâ—â—o serve Him oâ—r own way and leaving His rule make a rule for our selves Mr. C on Job 23. p. 405. Ab extra ordinario ad ordinarium non valet argumentum not be converted there It is you know Mr H s conceite and we know you have said no lesse To this we say That you give us but your word for this but give us one word from your God and we will give you one of our eyes Then search againe for another word to prove that this sealing ordinance is converting and give it us and we will give you the other eye so for two Scriptures you shall have two eyes deare though they are to us yet not so deare as the truth the least jóta whereof is of more account with our God and so with His good people than are the visible heavens and the earth Therefore Sir Mr H s we would rather mention his name than yours so much we favour you shall not put out our eyes with his conceits now that he hath put out his owne by his sensuality He shall not abuse us as he doth the Scripture shamefully after his manner touching the Centurions Conversion by seeing Christ onely upon the Crosse It was as miâ—aculous and extraordinary as was the Renting of the vaile and rockes and opening of the Graves And he is as well able to prove That when he last administred this ordinance he raised dead bodies out of the Graves as that he raised dead soules by his administring to them the Bread and the Wine which yet is the thing he is to prove That Conversion which is the raising of the soule from its grave is wrought in this way we meane by giving out this ordinance It is true The people will speake Highly of it That they never found the Word of Gods grace so prevailing with them as was that they heard delivered to them at the graves mouth and at the Lords Table But he that cannot see that this is a meere delusion and devise of Satan and our owne heart which is blind and cannot see a farre-off and will make us beleive a lye That God will step out of His way and worke extraordinarily for us while we neglect and turne our backs upon the ordinary meanes He hath appointed for the turning the heart unto Him We shall speake more to this in another place for the present we say onely thus That this tenet That Sacraments doe convert senteth strongly of Poperie and is most unsavoury and loathsome to every good mans heart being assured That That the â—ord preached is the great Appointment of God to bring Christ and the soule together never to be parted againe Preaching is the Chariot that Carrieth Christ up and downe the world here is Christ for you who sanctifieth Himselfe for your sakes That He might doe for you and in you all that was to be done and to suffer all that was to be suffered for the satisfying of His Fathers justice and the Compleating of an everlasting Righteousnesse That ye might be Compleate in Him and wholy sanctified through the Truth and throughly furnished to every good worke Then preaching Christ Crucified is the Appointment of God for the salvation of soules so many Scriptures give-in their evidence that we know not how many The dead shall heare John 5. â—5 the voyce of the Son of God in the preaching of the Gospel and they that heare that is beleive and obey shall live Other sheepe I have He meanes us Gentiles them also I must bring belonging Jâ—hn 10. 16. Eph. 5. 14. John 17. â—0 2 Tim 1. 10. 1 Coâ— 18. 21. 23. 2. 14. to the Election of Grace but how wilt thou bring them Lord Thou art in Heaven and they on Earth they shall heare my voice The preaching which Christ bids His Ministers preach is no other but Christs voice which bids the sleeper awake and arise from the dead It is that whereby the Spirit workes faith in the soule it is that whereby life and immortalitie is brought to light through the Gospell All the Angells in Heaven cannot convert one sinner it is not their office or appointment from God But the word preached which the wisdome of the world counts foolishnesse converteth all that are converted being that great Appointment of God for that end It is just so with us now dry bones when Conversion is wrought as once it was And as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking Ezek. 37. 7. 10 breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feete an exceeding great Army As then so now and to the end of the world life and immortalitie is brought to light into our soules by the Gospell It is the Chariot of Christ of
comes now to be proved when we have set downe Mr Baxters Pag. 129. 133. words which seeme to us to speak contrary we will note but one passage amongst many in his booke of Baptisme The Assembly I told you before that gave in their experiences about the time and manner of Gods working grace in their hearts did most give-in that it began as they thought in youth or childhood in very few by the Ministeriall teaching And for my own part I think that if ever I had true actuall faith it was by the benefit of education before ever I heard a Sermon We would speak three words to this 1 by way of Caution 2 By way of supposition 3 positively or Concludingly as we have been taught by our learned Godly Ministers 1. By way of caution we would wish no man to trust that Conversion whereof he can give no other Certificate but that he was virticiously educated 2. Suppose that a parent by his holy Discipline and pious education had converted his childe by the good hand of God with him we would aske hath he done this without the Word It could not then be called holy Discipline or pious education 3. But to speake positively and so to conclude this point that the word of the Lord may have in all things the pre-eminence Education or the bringing up of a childe in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord is but the externall moulding of a man not the internall Renovation of his heart Education fashions and frames the outside onely Conversion if true the inside Education changeth the actions onely Conversion not the actions onely but the Nature also for the effecting whereof there must be put forth an exceeding greatnesse of Power together with the Word once more and to doe our Utmost to drive it home we are borne every mothers child like a wild Asses Colt we love to be free or rather dissolute we cannot endure to be subdued to order we would know no Law but our own lusts nor rule but our own desire nor be servant to any but our own will Yet the Law of a virtuous education passing upon us we may be brought into some good order and under subjection we may be canded over and seeme more than Civill And yet there is as vast a difference betwixt what Education doth and the word preached doth as there is betwixt Nature and Grace and that is greater than between a mans Nature and a beast Education may pollish and beautifie yea and rectifie Nature put it into a pretty frame for a time But the word preached is appointed for this very thing to change Nature to put it into a right frame and to set it right for ever To change a sinner into a Saint To make a Beleever of an Infidell Therefore holy Cowper taking this very thing into Consideration That the word preached is the onely meanes of Conversion would alwayes as he went to Church send up this ejaculation or short prayer Lord bow my eare that I may heare thy word Amen He it is who hath an Almighty Arme and reacheth it forth by His Spirit with his Word and so maketh it a Converting word that He in all things may be Glorified through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT VI. IN the sixt place we have heard you say that you have done your duty when you have told your people theirs and the danger of unworthy receiving according to the tenour of those dreadfull words they find written 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 c. THIS is well but not the whole of your duty no nor the least part They will not beleive that there is any danger in receiving at least such you speake of unto them being in your account and upon the same score admitted to the Table Beleivers Disciples and Saints why should they Question that which you doe not question Let Turkes and Pagans question those matters and not Disciples and Saints we meane Baptized-ones for eo nomine c. But Sir it is good to be serious in these matters as to be sâ—rvent in a cold matter is no signe of Wisdome So to bâ— câ—ld in an hot and fervent Buisinesse be vrayes folly Wâ— makâ— bold â—o put three questions to you Th' one relating to a gâ—â—â—t Loâ—d on Earth supposing you to be a steward in his housâ—â—â—d leâ—ve you to make answer to this Lord. The other relaâ—ing to the Lâ—rd of Heaven and Earth whose servant you profâ—sse your sâ—lfe â—o be and a steward in His house The third shall be put to your owne soule and as to the other so to this make you your answer Calling God to record upon your soule The first 1. Supposing you to be a steward to a great Lord on Earth would he take it well at your hands That you counselled yea threatened a rude and rascall Company nasty wretches and not worthy to enter your Lords house much lesse to approach His Table notwithstanding in they would Come which yet they Could not without your Connivance and more and sit downe with Him at his Lordâ—hips Table Answer this matter to your Great Lord and so we leave it 2. You are a servant to your great Master in Heaven and you say He hath made you a steward in His house Make your Answer to Him Questioning you at this great point why have you been so carelesse what manner of persons you have admitted to my Table make Answer to Him we leave this upon your thoughts also 3. Put it to your owne Soule Is it enough to warne Men we cannot doubt but you have been warning proud men and covetous and hypocriticall mockers and you know whome and yet they have Come Doubtlesse Sir you should have restrained them from drinking a Cup of poison and from Rushing upon their owne damnation Answer this to your owne Soule and when you are about it Call God to record therein Then perhaps you may tremble at Elies doome I will judge thy house for ever for the iniquity thou knowest because thy Sonnes made themselves vile and thou Restrainedst them not thou didst not bend thy brow nor frowne upon them A good man scatters the wicked with his eye they shall not pertake of holy things of bread ordained for Children This shall suffice for that If a Lord on Earth will not take these doings at your hand will your Master in Heaven And if your Conscience which is as we may say the Center of the soule placed betwixt the understanding and the will taking in the Result from both If this your Conscience acquit you not God is Greater than your Conscience how will you Answer Him It commandeth your serious thoughts in debateing these matters and then to give in your Answer thereunto We would remind you of this last said thereby to Render you the more serious That as a steward is not to doe any thing but according to the minde and will of his
Lord so nor are you in Gods House but according to the mind and will of Christ receiving whome He receiveth refusing whome He refuseth Casting-out whome He Casteth out whence Paul exhorted the Romans to receive unto them the weake in faith upon this ground Because the Lord hath received him Rom 14. 1 2 3. If it be said as a Learned man doth say That the Oeconomy of a Princes house is no rule for the Government of Gods house he is well answered That surely 't is a disgrace and dishonour to Gods house to be more loosely and dissolutely ordered than is the house of any Earthly King or Lord. And though the Oeconomy of Princes houses be no rule for the ordering of Gods house yet methinks th' ordering of Gods house the King of Kings might be a rule or patterne in some proportion for the Oeconomy of Princes houses and should not Stewards of Gods house blush That these stewards should be more Carefull about their Lords house which is but Earth upon Earth than Gods stewards are of His house which is Heaven upon Earth Rejoyce ye Heavens SECT VII IN the 7th place you have this to argue for the free admission to the Lords Table You Cannot Restraine It is not in your power to keepe them away we say you and they of your way looke for orders from our Rulers if they give us power we shall see it executed according as they shall prescribe So then without a Civill Sanction we may not expect Church-Reformation Our excellent Jewell speakes we thinke fully and not impertinently to this as Is generally knowne to all the Learned in his Epistle concerning the Councill of Trent we will abstract To segniâ—ur Sâ—â—piâ— a Gentleman in Venice p. 859 860. a few of his lines though all are worthy to be heard and read of all men Then belike it is not lawfull for any of us to beleive in Christ to professe the Gospell to serve God aright to fly Superstition and Idolatrie except they our Rulers will give us leave In humane Counsells it is the part of a wise man to expect the Judgement and Consent of men But in matters divine Gods word is all in all The which so soone as a Godly man hath received he presently yeeldeth and submitteth Himselfe He is not wavering nor expecting others He understandeth that he is not bound to give eare to the dictates of men the Pope or Counsell but to the will of God whose voyce is to be obeâ—ed though all men say nay If at the first Christ and His Apostles had staid for a Civill Sanction or Councill when had their sound gone out unto all Lands This is to our seeming very applicable to our purpose and may answer this your plea for a Civill Sanction from the Ruler thereby to impower you to keep off the grossely obstinately affectedly ignorant persons those sons and daughters of Beliall that cast-off Christs yoke from approaching the Lords Table If the Rulers would give you power you would doe it Possibly he may be such an one that is afraid to hedge-in the Sacrament and to make it inaccessible to the scandalous and prophane or to settle a faithfull and searching Minister in the place he lives in who will if he will approve himselfe faithfull make a difference between the precious and the vile for then he knowes he shall but make thereby a rod of Discipline for himselfe to drive himselfe forth from that sacred Assembly Therefore a Godly Minister is not to waite the Rulers pleasure or a Civill Sanction as we suppose But we crave leave to aske doe not you derogate much from Alas that a duty should be to be don but none found to doe it a power but non to act it keyes but no hand to hold them Mr. Sâ—nders p. 83. the power your Lord Christ hath given you and entrusted you with and from the Authority of His word Is not that sufficient to beare you out in the ordering matters in Gods house as Stewards there All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth goe yee therefore c. If the Ruler will doe his uttermost for your helpe in these matters moveing orderly and in his spheare And having the Interest of Christ full in his eye he shall doe well and his worke shall be accepted But if he forbeare be it at his perill You know your duty Blessed are you if you doe it You serve a Good Master able to beare you out if so be you order thing according to His mind and rule of His word All power is His originally and all yours is His derivatively lay out all for Him which you have received from Him and feare not the face of the Magistrate supposed setting himselfe against you you have power over him as a Steward in Gods house he none over you in reference to these sacred administrations as the Churches records rather the sacred Scripture tells you And you may be pleased to remember this for your great Comfort If through grace you endeavour to order matters by the rule of Gods word God will not be mastered by His owne guifts nor make derivative power too strong for originall power But blessed be God ye have no excuse here the powers on Earth at present are for you give encouragement to you Yet that there may be no mistake here about these two great hands through which the great God conveyeth so much good to his people Magistrates and Ministers we crave leave to add a little more The Donatists did aske as we have heard what had the Emperour to doe with the Church To whome it was answered That the Emperour could not rule the Common-wealth except he governed the Church for the Church is a Common-wealth So then The ordering the matters of Religion belongs to the Care of the Civill Ruler But then we must note There are two things in Religion first intrinsecall within the Church as to preach Administer the Sacraments and to ordaine Ministers these he ought not to doe But for those things which are without those belong unto him He is to see others doe their duty and Correct them that doe it not He ought to set all agâ—eing and to reforme abuses but not to meddle with things within the Chuâ—ch aforesaid as to execute the same but Read Dr Owâ—n his Sermon upon Dan p. 30. 49 51 52 53. to over-see and governe their executions and those persons whose proper office it is to execute them O it is a stately sight to behold that excellent and sweet harmonâ— in state where the Magistrate and Minister meet amiably conspireing together who shall doe most at the setting up of the Kingdome of Christ and carrying on His interest through the Nation The truth is The Lord Christ hath been little beholding to most Rulers that have lived upon Earth and He hath taken as little care of them as they tooke little care of His honour Yet in those seirce and
be troubled about it no nor regard it in the least If our Minister would give us the Lords Supper before this killing worke were done what he did in the Pulpit he would undoe all at the Table If he would preach hell to us from th' one place we would take heaven to us at th' other he shall never make us beleive That we are heathen and worse not that we are all Children of wrath and are every day and houre of the day damneing our soules while we are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath he shall never make us beleive this while he puts a Cup of Blessing into our hands And yet if he doth not thus he shall be the white and marke for wrath envy to shoote all their arrowes against you which flesh and blood cannot endure yet doe not Conferre with it it is our Jealousie â—e doe ye shall never please God then nor your people for their good to Edification It is the greatest enemie we have in the world the Devill and Satan himselfe not excepted ye are no debtours to the flesh and owe it nothing but mortification as ye tell your people we hope Well thus we judge of the Holy way and blessed are they that walke in it flesh and blood must never be Consulted with about it it is an adversary yea a torment to it as the holy way is an adversary to the flesh and a Torment to the same Thus we have heard you argueing the affirmative for free admission to the Lords Table you will allow us the same patience while we argue the Negative That this free admission to the Lords Table so ordinary amongst us is not according to the mind of God and prescript of His word holding forth our Rule before us and thus we Argue it CHAP. III. SECT I. THey are not to be admitted to feast at the Lords Table who turne their backes upon the feast of the Gospell we meane thus They must not be suffered to Come to Tâ—â—t feast to which sinners are invited is oneâ—â— the declaration of the Word and mind of God in the Gospell The word of grace iâ— the greatest feast which God makes his people Mr Caâ—yl upon Job 23. p. 411. the Lords Table there to receive Christ Jesus the Lord in the bread and wine who reject Him and make light of Him in the tenders and offers of the Gospell We ground this upon those knowne Scriptures whereon we shall dwell a little Math 22. 2. Luk 14. 16. where we have the Lord of Heaven and Earth the King of Glory intending to His Church and people the highest preferment that is imaginable He will give His Son the Heire of the Kingdome to be His Bridegroome Now because there is a marveilous disproportion as her present Case is betwixt this Bridegroome and the Bride as vast a disproportion as is betwixt Heaven and Earth yea we may say Heaven and hell and at as huge a distance they stand too This Bridegroome and this intended Bride as heaven and hell doe and such a gulfe betwixt them Beside all this This intended Bride is a very ill-favoured and froward peice and as proud as she is uncomely and as willfull also as will it selfe and as sure as death she will refuse life she will have none of the match He shall not be her Bridegroome who then Any but Hee and the truth is but nullum tempus occurrit Regi The Lord of time may take His own time and when He pleaseth shee hath made her own choice and is married already and wonderously shee is satisfyed in her match But now here 's much to doe first to breake this match and make it null then to make it an abhorring to her soule that shee was so hasty carried-on so headlong in the buisinesse of so high Concernment and then to make her fitt and prepared for her Bridegroome then to give her free and full and hearty consent to Come together never to be parted more Now to effect all this God the Father maketh a sumptuous and glorious feast like Himselfe the Lord of glory wherein He holds forth to the world the abundant riches of grace and of glory by His Sonne Jesus Christ And this we doubt not to call the feast of the Gospell whereby this Bridegroome maketh love to His Bride That shall be and because He is too high and stately yea and too glorious too to woe in His owne person besides that His terrour would make her afraid Prov. 9. 3. He hath His Para-nymphs and spokes-men for Him who are His Maidens Ministers and Preachers of His Gospell And this we take to be the scope of this Parable which you know Nihil probat ratione circumferentiae sed tantum ratione Centri we must observe whereat it drives and wherein it Centers And we take in two rules here first for the sensing of parables and similitudes and then one thing which is spoken against the arguing therefrom 1. We observe their true scope and intendment and not to In ilâ—is quae metaphoriâ—è dicuntur non oportet accipere similitudine â—â— secundum omnia wrench and tenter it beyond that which were against the Rule we not angariari parabolam in Compelling it to goe farther then it would 2. What things are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men are to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becomeing God now in the third place 3. We would take off an objection here before we proceed to our Argument drawne from this Parable That there is no argueing Theologia Symbolica non est argumentativa Dr. Owen p. 440. from Parables Similitudes are not argumentative True saith that excellent man Similitudes argue not beyond th'extent of that particular wherein their nature as such doth consist The intendment of Christ in every parable is warily to be observed Therefore though a Learned man Aquinas himselfe as we have heard hath said as aforesaid and better Divines than he yet by his leave and their favour we thinke the speech is neither Logicall nor Theologicall that is as we are told neither good Logicke nor good Divinitie Not good Logicke for Comparata etiam ficta arguunt and if they doe argue then they are argumentative and prove something as sure as operating is working Nor Good Divinity for if all Scripture be profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doctrine and reproofe then Symbolica also arguing by parables If not why would Christ and some Prophets 2 Tim. 3. 16. before Him and John th' Apostle after Him delight so much in Symboles and parables if they were not doctrinall and argumentative These things we thought necessary to premise before we could argue from the Scriptures first to cleare the sense of them and what their scope is and that we have good warrant to argue from them and secondly to make it cleare
of Land houses and the like we know how bootlesse it were for us to have nothing to shew for our rights and just title to them but a Seale without a writing or a Covenant without a Seale And whereas it is said we open the Covenant to the people and so we discharge our duty and leave them to examine themselves at that point for so they are Commanded But let a man i. e. every man examine himselfe and so let him eate 1 Câ—â— 11. 28. This presupposeth that which is most false saith Learned Beza That all are able diligent and willing to examine themselves and so upon that supposition to be admitted to the Lords Table We will deferre this to another place where we shall find this very Scripture assured us That ignorant persons are no 〈◊〉 Bez. more to be admitted to the Lords Table than are Children or madmen So we leave this taking it fully proved that they who are wholy ignorant what the Covenant is or what it meaneth are not to have admission to receive the signes and seales thereof or as our little Catechisme hath it They that have no inward Grace cannot tell what to make of the outward signe SECT III. THey are not to be admitted to the Lords Table who cannot possibly receive any thing there but bare Elements bread and wine they cannot receive profit by it not having faith to mingle with it faith is a necessary ingredient in every Service we doe performe to God or to our owne Soules The word spoken to us profits not unlesse we mingle it with faith The word Heb 4. 2. spoken out from us The word of prayer prevailes not without faith It is like a Gun discharged without a Bullet which makes a noise and doth no execution So in receiving at the Lords Table if we doe not put out the hand of faith we receive no more there than at our owne Table faith is to the soule what the eye eare mouth hands feete are to the body No Spirituall good comes into our soules till Faith by the Word and Spirit comes in and fetcheth it in And no good can come forth till faith putts it forth be it word or deed If faith be not wrought in us the Spirit and Word hath had no work upon us for that is the first grace in the order of time and to our apprehension faith comes in first and drawes all other graces after it it enliveneth and quickneth the soule it is the Spring of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is If we have faith if we can beleive nothing is impossible to us to doe or to suffer when God calls us thereunto It was a Sad time with the Thessalonians and Paul was sadded at it and faine would he know how the case stood with them specially how it fared with their faith when I could no longer forbeare I sent to know your faith 1 Thes 3. and when good tideings were brought us of your faith we were exceedingly comforted for I know full well so long as you stand fast in the faith ye shall stand like Mount Zion in the world an everlasting foundation mauger all the powers and policies of Hell-Gates wide open against you To open this a little and to proceed in it Because indeed it is the very hinge upon which all shall turne When the holy Spirit comes in to the soule conveyed in thither by the word the Spirit the Hand of God and Christ His Vicar or Agent here on Earth does nothing in an ordinary way without the word The word can doe nothing without the Spirit it bringeth all at once along with Him All Spirituall things needfull to Salvation And that the soule may take fast hold on them and appropriate them to Himselfe saying all these are mine The Spirit with the Word for He will not worke alone as the Word cannot workes faith there and faith workes up the soule to Christ for it is the Spirits working It s chiefe and maine object And now drawes or suckes from that Breast of Consolation all that is desireable suitable satisfactory and most pleasant to her But this is the thing Faith lookes first to Christ the person of Christ the fountaine the Spring-head the Treasurie the mine of Gold Faith lookes to the person of Christ first it knitts the soule to Him then it lookes to all the good things we have by Him a world of good things in Him a world of good things from Him All that tends to Grace and Glory Yet it is the person of Christ that the soule of a Christian principally lookes to The whole word of God all the divine truths therein revealed are the object of faith to direct order and sway our lives But yet these are not the object of faith when we looke for peace for Consolation for forgivenesse of sinnes and reconciliation with God Then faith lookes to Christ fixedly wholely solely These things being premised we returne to our Argument First They that have not received faith the Guift of God Faith is the Mother Grace where that is in Truth there is true knowledge unfaigned live and Gospell Repentance The graces required in every true Communicant John 20. sent unto us by the hand of the Spirit with the word can performe nothing pleasing to God nor can they receive any thing from God but a Cup of wrath if they continue faithlesse and unbeleiving They have not received Faith no not by all those meanes appointed by God as Conduit-pipes to convey faith and every Grace unto them they have not received faith true saving faith they cannot receive Christ a true and saving Christ a King and Prophet to Rule governe and teach them and a Priest to save and Redeeme them a false Christ and he is many they may Receive by a false faith they must have a true faith before they can receive a true Christ with all the benefits of His blood-shed for them a true faith leades them unto this storehouse or Treasury brings them up to this fountaine opnod for sin and uncleannesse layes the soule in that Jordan cleanseth and washeth it there bids it wash and be cleane bids it drinke and be drunken Cant. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 18. with wine whereof is no excesse i. e. be aboundantly satisfyed But without faith none of this can be It being the very bucket the mouth of the soule So that a man comeing without faith to the Lords Table is like a vessell cast into an Ocean of waters that hath no mouth to let any-in So then without faith without Christ and then Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israell and Strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope well set and setling and without God in the world Now are these to be admitted to the Lords Table persons without faith and then without any saving grace for faith is first in
good roote or rather the roote him he is planted in Him he beares upon Him Come when all is said this must stand Let a man beleive truely and truth of beliefe will bring forth truth of holinesse A true faith a true hope true love true obedience all in Truth when faith is in Truth that is truely set and fixed upon its chiefe and proper object Christ Jesus the Lord. O how doth man boast himselfe to be some body when he is nothing nay worse than nothing but knowes it not A Beleiver when he is worse than an Infidell And how secure doth he lye he is many under the shadow of a false faith more secure such is his presumption he is very Confident than a true beleiver such is his infirmity lyes under the shadow of a true faith You may heare these speake like Saints and see them if you narrowly marke them live like Devills so that if their wordâ— doe not bewray them their workes quickly will outside Christians iâ—side Heathens O it is good and but your duty Sir to observe men and search them narrowly before you admit them to the Lords Table for all men have not faith no not they many of them that 1 Thes 3. 2. make a profession and a shew of it You may meete with not a few sottish and brutishly ignorant and then not so meete to sit at the Lords Table as a swine properly so called is to sit â—t yours You may meete with some also that have a pearle of knowledge in their heads their hearts as full of poyson and deadly hatred against the Gospell of the Kingdome and true heires thereof in Christ true Gospellers as the most venomous Serpents are Protestants in doctrine Recusants in lives having a tongue professing for the Truth and a life professing against it faire outsides but within as noysome as a dunghill or an open Sepulchre which yet savoureth with them as a Garden of Spices or bed of Roses something resembling an Heaven in shew when they have an Hell with-in the heart we meane so you may say have the excellent of the Earth too but to them it is an Hell as their dunghill smells like a dunghill but to those their hell is their heaven here as their dunghill smells with them as aforesaid a most certaine Character of a polluted wretch We would not be mistaken here we censure no man we judge him not we dwell at home and our selves must we judge But upon due search thus you 'le finde it to be even as we have said and ye may have found it so by experience we may put downe this for a Conclusion If faith bring Christ the fountaine of Grace into the heart of a man he can no more walke in darknesse of sin and ignorance there is a darknesse of Spirit of sorrow wherein a Childe of light may walke and you have an excellent booke of it but no more walke in darknesse than he can doe that could Isaiah 50. carry the Sun in his hand and he may as well carry fire in his bosome and not feele it burne as carry true Grace in his heart and not cleanse his life But Counterfeits in Grace and contented to continue such and to hold sin the least sin-fast shall become Saints when an Ape comes to be a man and Copper becomes Gold which is never rejected but when it would looke like Gold Beleive it you doe a beleiver can no more be without Holinesse than can a godly man be without godlinesse or a true Christian without Christ or than can the Sunne be darke or the fire Cold. We shall crave leave to speake further to you about these three grave matters The feast of the Gospel The Covenant And Faith but we shall deferre it till the Last and therewith close-up this Treatise We proceed now in our argueing against this free admission to the Lords Supper In the fourth place SECT IV. IT is not according to the practise of Christ He gave it to Disciples onely it is not possible we conceive to make it out That He gave it to Judas yet if it could be made out we have enough to say were this a place for it He gave it to Disciples onely Judas himselfe if there looked like a Disciple being very like one and by so doing he prescribes his Ministers what they are to doe so we conceive as to those administrations to Ea quae perspiâ—ua sunt difficilia sunt â—â—â—â—ticis Mark 14. 23. the worlds end And here we are not bold to say that Mr H s your Champion doth fearefully pervert Scripture wrest and Crooke His blessed Lords practise to the Countenancing of his owne cursed and crooked doings and they all dranke of it Well what then his inference now hold your Nose if you cannot endure the deadly stinke of the Dragons excrements Therefore let all Come that will Come to the Lords Table Good Sir Give us leave to pause a little while we take these things into our thoughts is there not a Cause we should so doe When we heare this Reasonable Creature we call a man a schollar and a Minister too as he calls himselfe and would be called speake thus unreasonably as if he was as much wanting of Reason as he is of Grace unreasonably said wee Is it not too slight a word doth not he speake blasphemy doth he not blaspheme the Blessed practise of our Lord and Saviour which He hath set as a patterne for all His people to practise after And they all dranke of it So may ye all ye drunkards and yee all ye uncleane persons and you all you worse than Infidells and you all despisers of the Gospell and yee all that never thought of any other Covenant but that which ye have made with sin death and hell And ye all that have faith though it have no more life than a polished Stone hewen timber or a doore-naile no-matter how dead it be 't is a faith that will serve the turne to entitle them to these holy things drinke ye all of this as we read those Disciples did and they all dranke of it But Sir is not this Blasphemy Wee are willing to make you Judge here because you judge so well of the man Come in here all ye of the world for whome that sacred person John 17. 9. never opned His mouth and prayed Come in hither ye knowne enemies of the Crosse of Christ ye belly-servers ye that minde Earthly things drinke ye all of this ye that Crucifie to your selves the Son of God afresh and put Him as they doe by their Heb. 6. vile usage and abhominable Conversation to an open shame drinke ye all of this and ye all who have trodden under-foote as they can The Son of God and have counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith they professed themselves sanctified an unholy Heb. 10. thing and have done little lesse than despight to the Spirit of Grace All ye
drinke of this And to make a round number and full and so to fill the Table that as there is no want of roome for a nationall Church is wide enough and rich for supply so there may be no want of Guests Come ye all ye stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe allway resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee What though ye see what provisions are made for you notwithstanding All ye drinke all of this for the bread ye have taken already Sir we have proceeded hitherto with some regret yea with some indignation to our soules yet for the Close hereof we beseech you Consider That by the gracious allowance of their Lord and Master they His Disciples all dranke of it The Lord Himselfe putting the Cup into their hand but these all afore-mentioned have drunke and dayly doe drinke of it by Man's Allowance Drinke ye all of this said Christ Jesus the Lord and what He bad them doe they did it and they all dranke of it Drinke ye all of this saith This-man without any the least warrant from God and how readily is he obeyed what he bad them doe they did and they all dranke of it Though he that bad them and they that did as they were bad have done and still doe as Crosse and Contrary to the mind of Christ as He Himselfe is to Beliall or to Anti-christ which is to be argued in the fift place so soone as we have put downe this for a conclusion That God hath not onely given us His Word for a secondary rule of Righteousnesse to walke-by but Himselfe and His Son the Highest patterne the primative or Originall prototype the clearest Copy without blot the fairest example of Holinesse Whence we conclude That Christ Jesus our Lord is both the principle and patterne of Holinesse The principle within His people the patterne of Holinesse without or before them Therefore will all His servants who in desire and endeavour approve themselves Faithfull doe as He did following-on in his steps He that saith He abideth in Him ought himselfe also to walke even as He walked 1 John 2. 6. SECT V. AS this free and Common admission is contrary to the practise of Christ so it is as it must needs be contrary to the mind of Christ we are forced as we conceive to argue distinctly from these the practise and mind of Christ though His practise Cleareth His mind as His mind His practise But yet we shall argue differently from it and we shall be breife in it It is cleane Crosse and Contrary to the mind of Christ why Because it is so pleasing and well agreeing and full-up to the minde of the world free admission to the Lords Table is The mind of Christ and the mind of the world commonly called the Church there doe stand as Crosse and Contrary each to other as doe heaven and hell the greatest opposites or remotest extreames What is the mind of Christ cannot be the mind of the world and what is the mind of the world cannot be the mind of Christ but most Contrary thereunto And to make full proofe of it let a Minister that hath the mind of Christ as every Godly person hath and then liveth-up to it as it is revealed to Him in His Word and acteth thereafter in giving out or with-holding those sacred signes and seales of His body Crucified and His blood powred forth he shall finde that he tormenteth the dwellers on the Earth the Common people commonly called the Church there who have no other plea for their Church-ship but that they were once washed The mind of Christ no other than the Spirit of Christ in His word is unto sensuall men not having the Spirit as the morning is to the evill doer even as the shadow of death But let a man doe Contrary to the minde of Christ and give out to these ignorant Brutish ones and will be such the fore-mentioned water to their Babes bread and wine to themselves and he gratifies them in the highest way of Gratification he gives them their hearts desire and now from that day forward they will put on high account upon themselves they will not thinke of themselves below the thoughts their Minister rates them at they will account themselves sith he hath accounted them such first Beleivers Disciples and Saints You remember who he was that when he would doe a man a mischeife he would Give him a sute of apparrell as rich as silver and gold could make it and now the man a proud creature and the worse he is the better he thinkes of Himselfe values himselfe his inside we meane according to the Rate of his outside and so as the Beasts you read of ingentes rollunt animis he was proud by nature more proud by accident now that he is put into such a dresse The application is plaine Take heed Sir of dressing up the people at the Lords Table though they delight as much to be dressed as ever a childe in yeares did in new and fine Clothes in a Saints dresse because he was borne and Baptized in England whereas they cannot make it out they ever heard a word from Christ yet that onely is prevailing to make Saints being obeyed and beleived You understand the purpose of this and therefrom how contrary your doings are to the mind of Christ for can that have any agreement with the minde of Christ which hath so full an agreement with the minde of His enemies and adversaries all over the Nation We proceed SECT VI. ALL are not to be admitted to the Lords Table because all are not visible Saints But none but visible Saints were to be admitted to Communion at the Lords Table as you so well know that know so well the Church Stories And those primitive practises And truely we are loth to minde you in those things Ne accedant nisi examinati Calv. Ep. 278. Eâ—it in examine ratio arceaâ—tur donec profectum ostenderint you are or should be able to instruct us however your practise be Contrary But this is the thing we cannot reach-to that you understand these things so well and your practise be not so well because commonly intellectus currit cum praxi praxis cum intellectu Therefore we doubt there is some failing in your understanding because you have not given it-up to God If so you should know they were trained up and Catechised first and yet they staid a while before admittance till they could make proofe that they were taught and so they had gained some Competent knowledge of those things they were there to receive together with their repentance toward God and their faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ And you can tell us moreover for we are in Comparison with you but Children and as yesterday in these things That huge personages Emperours and the like have thrust as presumptuously unto that Table as did Vzziah the King to burne 2 Chron.