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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	bear_v	lord_n	people_n	2,240	5	4.8662	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76157	Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1232; Thomason E2111_1; ESTC R209487	172,368	411

penalties they will beare it at their hands and take it the better when we deale with them as the Word of God requireth I heare it with my eares to the grief of my heart how some of my neighbour Ministers are spoken against with bitterness by their people because they give not the Lords Supper to all even to the most ignorant and ungodly that refuse to be instructed or so much as to take themselves for any members of the Ministers charge And that which they say is that though Bishops and Common Prayer be taken down yet the giving of the Sacrament to all the Parish is not taken down And they that now submit so quietly to the disusing of many other things because Ministers are punishable if they use them would also do the like in this case And yet if you are jealous that Ministers will go as far on the other hand in refusing the people that are not to be refused though with one of an hundred there 's little feare of that we are contented that you looke to us also in this To which end these two things will be sufficient 1. Let the Magistrate joyne with the Pastours and Delegates of the Church in their meetings where Church-affaires are transacted that he may see what we do If there be no Justice of Peace in the Parish let every Church have a Church-Magistrate purposely chosen by the chief Magistrate or some Agent on his behalf deputed hereunto 2. And let the Magistrates Agent acquaint the Commissioners how things are transacted in cases of Complaint and let them by the advise of the Assistant Ministers correct us as we deserve if you should imagine this to be necessary Direct 4. The Magistrate should promote encourage countenance yea command the Pastours to Associations and Brotherly correspondencies for the more cautelous and vigorous and effectual management of these works and for the concatenation and Communion of Churches and the right understanding of each others affaires that he that hath Communion in one Church may by Communicatory Letters have Communion in any of the rest and he that is cast or kept out of one may not be received by the rest till it be proved that he is excluded unjustly And those that joyne not so fully as the rest may yet be provoked to owne one another as farre as they can that so we may maintaine brotherly Love with all that differ from us by tollerable defferences and may own them as Churches though we cannot own their different opinions or waies and may have such Communion with them as we may and upon their Letters may admit their members to our Communion This the Magistrate should at least openly provoke and encourage the Churches and Pastours to seeing no man can doubt whether it be for the edification of the Church Direct 5. For the better promoting of this Necessary work I conceive it would be a very ready and unquestionable way for the Magistrate to appoint an able Godly moderate Minister to be a Visiter in each County or rather in each half or quarter of a County to see the Churches thus Reformed and prvoke the several Pastours to their duty and assist them in it where there is need But not to have any Episcopal power to punish or cast out any Minister or excommunicate them suspend them or the like But let every Visitor have an Agent of the Magistrate joyned with him armed with authority to convent the Ministers and examine witnesses and do what more the chief Magistrate shall see meet so that still these two Visitors go together but have not the same Authority or work but let the Minister only enquire direct exhort and give account and advice to the civil Visiter and let the civil Visiter have all the Coercive Power And let both of them transmit such causes as are exempt from their determination to the Commissioners for ejecting scandalous Mininisters who by the advise of the Assistant Ministers may determin them These Visiters did very much to the first and great Reformation of Scotland when Popery had overrun all Nor did they Scruple the using of them for all that they were against Prelacy Direct 6. It is one of the chief and unquestionable parts of the Magistrats duty in order to the Reformation and Peace of the Churches and the saving of mens Souls to see that dangerous Seducers be restrained from infecting and carrying away the ignorant ungodly discontented people that are kept under Ministerial Teaching as Expectants I do not move to have men driven into our Churches Nor do I move to have an unnecessary restraint laid upon mens tongues or pens in case of tollerable differences among the Servants of Christ In this case I only desire now that the Dissenting Godly Brethren would agree together to meddle with their differences no more then needs and to manage their Disagreements with such Cautions and in such manner and season and measure as may least hinder their success in the common work viz. the promoting of the common Fundamental Verities and the converting and saving of the Ignorant and ungodly and getting down the reigning sinnes of the world And then they will find 1. That if there by any truth in the private Opinions which they would propagate it will farre easier be received when the minds of their brethren are sedate and peaceable then when they are allarmed to the conflict by unseasonable preaching for the said Opinions 2. And that the Errours of this lower nature among Brethren which some feare a tolleration of will sooner die of themselves for want of fewel in such Peaceable deportment then when the bellowes of opposition contradiction reproach and violence are blowing them up and putting life continually into them For most Dividers are proud and selfish and must needs be noted for somewhat extraordinary And you take the principal way to animate them when you make so much ado with them Whereas a few yeares neglect and not observing them as if there were no such men in the world unless when they impose a Necessity on us would more happily extinguish them I speak but what I have seen and tryed This therefore is not the matter of my present request that Magistrates would use rigor and violence with godly men about tollerable differences which the Power of greater Light and Love in the contrary minded is the principal means to reconcile But the thing requested now of Magistrates is that they would keep out the Wolves while we are feeding the Sheep or help us in it That they suffer not damnable deceivers or any that plainly go about to subvert mens Souls or the state of the Church to fall in with our Ignorant ungodly people in the time of their Learning and Expectancy And as I shall be ready against any Libertine Infidel or Papist in the world to prove this to be in the Magistrates Power and his flat duty of which I hope no sober Christian doubteth so I shall

expectants yet are they bound up by the Laws of Christ what Profession to accept and what to refuse and if by breaking these Laws they shall dangerously or grosly wrong the Church it belongeth to the Magistrate to correct them and to the people to admonish them and disown their sin yea and in desperate cases to disown them The Positive Title-condition to be produced is The Profession of true Christianity The Minister that refuseth this Profession must prove it not credible Of tolerable ignorance PROP. IX It is evident that Magistrates Ministers and people have each a power of Judging but different as they have different works How far Ministers are Judges Proved by ten Reasons against the popular claim c. How far the people must Judge How far the Magistrate must Judge Ministers for these Matters and Ministers obey them PROP. X. To this Ministerial Approbation of the Profession and Qualifications of the Expectant there is to be adjoyned a Ministerial Investiture or Delivery of the Benefit expected How many Sacraments there are 1. More than seaven in the largest sense 2. Five in a large sense not intollerable 3. Two only in the strictest sense as we define them PROP. XI The solemn Ministerial Investiture of Professours into the right of the Church-Priviledges of the Adult is either 1. Of the Unbaptized who are now first entred 2. Or of the Baptized in Infancy that never proved ungodly nor violated that first Covenant 3. Or of those Baptized whether in Infancy or at Age that have since proved wicked and broke the Covenant The first of these Investitures is to be by Baptism the second by Confirmation and the third by Absolution So that the solemn Investiture that now I am pleading for is by Confirmation to one sort that never proved ungodly since their Baptism and by Absolution to the other sort that broke their Covenant which yet hath a certain Confirmation in or with it PROP. XII This solemn Investiture on personal Profession being thus proved the Ordinance of God for the solemn renewing the Covenant of Grace between God and the Adult-Covenanter it must needs follow that it is a Corroborating Ordinance and that Corroborating Grace is to be expepected in it from God by all that come to it in sincerity of heart And so it hath the name of Confirmation upon that account also PROP. XIII Ministerial Imposition of hands in Confirmation and the foredescribed sort of Absolution is a Lawfull and Convenient action or Ceremony and ordinarily to be used as it hath been of old by the Universal Church But yet it is not of such Necessity but that we must dispence in this Ceremony with scrupulous Consciences that cannot be satisfied to submit to it Imposition of hands is allowed in Scripture to be used Generally by Spiritual Superiours to signifie their Desire that the Blessing Guift or Power may be conferred on the Inferiour for which they have a call to mediate Proved Particllarly 1. We find in Scripture a Blessing of Church-members with laying on of hands 2. And that the Holy Ghost is in a special manner promised to Believers over and above that measure of the Spirit which caused them to Believe 3. And that Praier with laying on of hands was the outward means to be used by Christs Ministers for procuring this or investing them of it 4. And that this was not a temporary but fixed Ordinance All proved How the Holy Ghost is given before Faith and after Faith and how sealed in Baptism and how not What Hope of the success of Imposition with Praier for the spirit Scripture and Antiquity for it Reasons for the non-necessity of it to the the scrupulous PROP. XIV Though in receiving Adult-persons out of Infidelity by Baptism into the Church a sudden Profession without any stay to see their Reformation may serve turne yet in receiving these that were Baptized heretofore into the number of Adult-members or to the Priviledges of such their lives must be enquired after which must be such as do not confute their Profession PROP. XV. It is not of flat Necessity that the Profession of the Expectant be made in the open Congregation or before many in order to his Confirmation or admittance PROP. XVI When a person is admitted an Adult-member of a particular Church as well as of the Universal his Profession and Admission must be either before the Church or satisfactorily made known to the Church at least who must approve of it by a Judgment of discretion in order to their Communion with him and this among us is the ordinary case because it is the duty of all that have opportunity to joyne themselves to some particu-Church and it is in such Churches that Communion in publique Worship and order must be had either statedly or transiently and temporarily Reasons to prove this Interest of the People Cases of difference between Pastours and people resolved PROP. XVII It is convenient though not of necessity that every Church do keep a Register of all that are thus Invested or admitted into the number of Adult-members PROP. XVIII Those that were never thus Ministerially and Explicitly Approved Confirmed or Absolved after an ungodly life but have been permitted without it to joyne usually with the Church in prayer and praises and the Lords Supper are Approved and Confirmed eminently though not formally though in so doing both the Pastours and themselves might sinne against God by the violation of his holy order Such therefore may be a true Church and are not to be called back to solemn Confirmation though in many cases they may be called to Tryall by their Overseers PROP. XIX So exceeding great and many are the Mischiefs that have befallen us by the neglect of a solemn meet Transition from an Infant into the Adult Church-state and which undoubtedly will continue till this be remedied that all the Magistrates Ministers people that dissemble not in professing themselves to be Christians should with speed and diligence attempt the cure The state of our Parishes anatomized Twenty intollerable mischiefs that follow the taking all into our Church-communion and neglecting this Confirmation such as all Christians should lay to heart PROP. XX. So many and great are the Benefits that would follow the generall practice of this duty of trying approving and confirming or Absolving all those that enter into the number of Adult-Christians that it should mightily provoke all Christian Magistrates Ministers and people to joyne in a speedy and vigorous execution of it Twelve excellent Benefits that will come by Confirmation It 's like to be an admirable increaser of knowledg and holiness and Church-Reformation It 's a singular means of Agreeing the Episcopal Presbyterians Congregational Er●stians and moderating the Anabaptists proved and urged Twenty Objections against this Approved Profession and Confirmation answered How little reason have Princes and Parliaments to restraine most Ministers here from overdoing The Duties that lie upon us all for the Execution of this

the less of it because Mr Hanmer hath said so much already as to the Judgment of the Ancients and my intent is to pretermit that part or say less to it which he hath performed But that it is Lawfull and fit if not of some Necessity I shall prove by the forementioned Evidence 1. Imposition of hands is allowed in Scripture to be used Generally by Spiritual Superiours to signifie their Will and Desire that the Blessing may fall on the Inferiour or the Gift or Power be conferred on him for which they have a call to mediate So that it is not confined to any particular Blessing Power or Ordinance And therefore if there had been no example of the use of it in this particular case of Confirmation or Absolution yet hence it is proved to be Lawfull and Meet because it hath this General use and allowance The Lifting up of Hands in Prayer was used to signifie from whom and whence they did expect the blessing even from our Father which is in Heaven And the Laying of Hands on the Head of the person in or after Prayer was used as an Applicatory signe to signifie the Terminus ad quem of the blessing desired or the Person on whom they would have it bestowed And as you will not cast away the use of Lifting up of Hands though it be for such mercies as you read no Scripture instance that Hands were lift up for because the General warrant is sufficient so you have as little reason to scruple or cast away the Laying on of Hands though in such cases as you read not that the sign was used for in Scripture because the unlimited Generall use is sufficient warrant in such particular cases God shewed that the very outward signe of Lifting up of the hands was not to be despised when Ameleck had the better when Moses hands fell down though but through weakness so that Aaron and Hur were fain to underset them Exod. 17. And I think we have no reason to contemn the Laying on of hands which in Grounds and Nature is so neer kin to the other And as spreading forth the hands doth not cease to be good and meet for all that God hath said he will not heare them that spread forth hands that are full of blood Isa 1. 15. So the Laying on of hands doth not cease to be good and meet though in some cases the Blessing do not follow it Still we must every where Lift up holy hands in Prayer without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. Though the signe be not of absolute Necessity in every Prayer yet it is very meet and too much neglected among us And so I may say of the other When Solomon prayed in the Temple he spread forth his hands towards Heaven 1 King 8. 22. And so he supposed all would do that lookt to be heard by the God of Heaven when vers 38. he prayeth for the people thus What Prayer and Supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy People Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart that was their Prayer-Book and spread forth his hands towards this house then heare thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and doe c. see vers 54. 2 Chron. 6. 12 13. We must lift up our Hearts with our Hands to God in the Heavens Lam. 3. 41. We must prepare our hearts and stretch out our hands towards him Job 11. 13. Praying to a strange God is signified by stretching out the hand to him Psal 44. 20. Even in Praises the people were to Lift up their hands towards Heaven Neh. 8. 6. Yea and in Blessing Lifting up the Hands was used to signifie whence the Blessing came Luke 24. 50. Now this being so commonly applied the other that is so neer a kin to it may without scruple be used in any case that that falls under the foredescribed General case Indeed every man must lift up hands because every man must pray and it is an engagment that those hands that are lifted up to God be not used in wicked works but Laying on of hands is ordinarily the Act of a Superiour to the Ends abovesaid Thus Jacob Gen. 48. 14 15. Laid his hands on the son●es of Joseph in blessing them Moses laid his hands on Joshua when he ordained him his successour Num. 27. 18 23. Deut. 34. 9. Yea even in the execution of evil they laid on hands as an Applicatory signe as in Sacrificeing as if they should say Not on me but on this substitute let the Evil of punishment be See Levit. 16. 21 22. Exod. 29. 10 15. Lev. 4. 15. 8. 14 22. Numb 8. 12. Yea in putting a Blasphemer and Curser to death they first laid their hands on his head as an Applicatory signe in whom the fault was and to whom the punishment did belong Lev. 24. 14. In the Ordination or Consecration of the Levites the people were to lay their hands on them Numb 8. 10. Not to give them Authority but to Consecrate and give them up to God By Laying on of the hands as an Applicatory signe did Christ and his Disciples heale diseases c. Mark 5. 23. Where note that the Ruler of the Synagogue Jairus took this as an ordinary signe of conferring blessings from a Superiour and therefore he mentioneth it with the blessing desired Mark 6. 5. 8. 23 25. Luke 13. 13. 4. 40. So you may see also the Apostles did yea and other believers as the promise runs Mark 16. 18. Acts 28. 8. Also by laying on of hands as an Applicatory signe they invested the seaven Deacons in their Office Acts 6. 6. And the Prophets and Teachers in the Church of Antioch separated Barnabas and Paul to the work that God appointed them Acts 13. 2 3. By Fasting and Prayer and Imposition of hands And Timothy received his Ministerial Gift by the Laying on of Pauls hands and the hands of the Presbitery 1 Tim. 4. 14. and 2 Tim. 1 6. If this last Text be understood of the Ministerial Ordination and Gift which I rather think is meant of the Apostolical Imposition of hands after Baptism for giving of the Holy Ghost So that this signe was used upon several occasions and is not at all forbidden in this directly nor indirectly and therefore it is undoubtedly lawful seing that without doubt the less is blessed of the greater Heb. 7. 7. and the Duty and Power of the Pastour to Bless the person in this case is unquestionable and this Imposition of hands is an allowed signe in Blessing as Lifting up the hands is in Praying here is Scripture enough to prove it Lawful and very meet 2. But let us enquire yet whether the Scripture lay not some kind of obligation on us to use this Ceremony in Confirmation To which end let these several things be well considered 1. We find in Scripture a Blessing of C●urch-members with Laying on of hands 2. We find in

the Souls of our poor people are deluded and they are made believe that they are Christians when they are not and in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing As Mr Thorndicke saith as aforecited No man is to be admitted to the Assemblies or visible societies of Christians till there be just presumption that he is of the Heavenly Jerusalem that is above And admitting to and excluding from the Church is or ought to be a just and Lawfull presumption of admitting to or excluding from Heaven It is morally and legally the same act that entitleth to Heaven and to the Church that maketh an heir of life Everlasting and a Christian And if so then what greater mischief can we do the Soul of an ungodly man then so to delude him by our admitting him into the Church and make him believe he is in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing False faith and false hopes are the things that fill Hell and are the common undoing of the world And all that ever we can do is too little to cure it When I bend all my studies and labours but to make a wicked man know that he is wicked I cannot procure it I can make him believe that he is a sinner but not that he is an unconverted ungodly sinner and in a state of Condemnation O the power of blinding self-love that will not suffer them to see themselves miserable when they see themselves sinfull and all because they would not have it so when yet it 's most visible to others And shall we all joyne to strengthen this potent Enemy and lay this share and thrust men headlong into Hell that are running down-hill so fast already and all under pretence of Charity and Compassion 7. We shall put them by this means into a way not only of losing the fruit of Ordinances but of misapplying all to the increasing of their deceit When we preach Peace to the true believer the wicked will misapply it and say it belongs to them When we speak against the unbelievers and ungodly they 'l think that this is not their part but bless themselves because they are Christians In our praises they are tempted with the Pharisee to thank God and perhaps for mercies which they never had as Justification Adoption Sanctification c. The Sacraments by misapplication will confirm them in Presumption And thus as they enter by deceit among Adult-believers so will they turn all the Ordinances of God and the Priviledges of the Church to feed that deceit more effectuall then among the expectants it would have been 8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of is this that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians and members of the Church we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls and make them desperate and almost past all hope or remedy I must confess that what I am saying now I was not sensible of till lately that experience made me sensible While I medled not with Publike reproofs or censures I disputed of these things without that experience which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts which makes me bold to tell the Church that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in is a likelyer way to bring us all to agreement in the rest then all our Disputings will do without it And that I resolve hereafter to take that man for an incompetent Judge and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline that never exercised it or lived where it was exercised And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments and be almost as loath to follow such as to follow a swimmer that never was before in the water or a Pilote that was never before at sea or a Souldiour that never saw warres before but have only learned their skill by the Book Our case stands thus If we take all our Parishes according to the old Church-constitution to be particular Churches and all the Parishiones to be members then either we must exercise the Discipline which Christ hath commanded or not If not then we disobey our Lord and Master and own such a Church as is utterly uncapable of Church-ends and consequently of the essence seeing that it is a Relative being For it 's supposed that it is not for any unusual accident that we cannot exercise this Discipline but from the very Church constitution or incapacity of the matter And then 1. We shall be Traitours to Christ under the name of Pastours if we will wilfully cast out his Ministerial Kingly Government 2. We shall betray the Church to licentiousness And 3. We shall set up a new Church-way which is contrary to that which hath been practised in all ages from the Apostles daies till Impiety had overspread the Christian world He that dare take on him to be an Overseer and Ruler of the Church and not to oversee and rule it and dare settle on such a Church-state as is uncapable of Discipline is so perfidious to Christ and ventureth so boldly to make the Church another thing that I am resolved not to be his follower But if we shall exercise the Discipline of Christ upon all in our ordinary Parishes what work shall we make I will tell you what work from so much experience as that no reasonings can any more perswade me to believe the contrary then that wormwood is not bitter or snow not cold 1. We shall have such a multitude to excommunicate or reject that it will make the sentence grow almost contemptible by the commonness 2. We shall so extreamly enrage the spirits of the people that we shall go in continual danger of our lives Among so many that are publikly reproved and cast out it 's two to one but some desperate villains will be studying revenge But all this is nothing but that which sticks upon my heart is this 3. We shall be the cruellest enemies to the Souls of our poor people in the world and put them the very next step to Hell For as soon as ever we have rejected them and cast them under publique shame they hate us to the heart and either will never heare us more or heare us with so much harted and malice or bitterness of spirit that they are never like to profit by us If you say that doubtless Discipline will have better fruits if it be an Ordinance of God I Answer 1. It 's no time now in the end of the world to question whether that be an Ordinance of God which Scripture speaks for so fully and so plainly and which the Catholike Church hath so long practised and that with such severity as it hath done 2. I know the Discipline is of excellent use and is likely to have excellent effects But upon whom Upon such as are fit to come under Discipline and with

is Excommunication to be deferred as long as there is any Hope by other meanes but only till we have used other means in vaine for such a season as is meet that the ends of Discipline be not frustrate For else there should never man be Excommunicated For there is some Hope that preaching against his sinne may do him good at last though he come drunk to the Lords Table twenty years together you cannot say that his Conversion is Impossible And yet we must not hereupon deferre the casting out of such a member But in his Expectant state or among the Catechumens we may beare with him lawfully in his wickedness without excluding him from among our hearers and if he heare us seaven years and seaven in vaine there is yet some Hope of his Conversion while he waiteth in his own place and way And yet I yield this much to the Objectours freely that when fit persons are taken into the Church yea or unfit by negligence we must wait with all patience that is consistent with the ends of Government and cutting off must be the last remedie and that when it is necessary it must be used though we see that it 's ten to one it will plunge the person occasionally into a worse condition For the Publike Ends of Discipline the credit of Christianity the preservation of the Church and abundance more are to be preferred before the good of that mans Soul and as paena debetur Reipublicae and we cut not off malefactours for their own good so much as the Common-wealths which by their hurt must be promoted so is it as to the Church But this must be done but upon a few for example and therefore but few that will need this severity are supposed to be in our Communion And I cannot believe that way to be of God that would bring such multitudes into this miserable state Object Your very keeping them from the Communion of the Church and not Approving or Confirming them would as much exasperate them Answ It 's no such matter Much it may but not neare so much as I certainly know by experience Those not Admitted heare with Hope but to the rejected I speak as almost hopeless except such as were fit to live under Discipline on whom it may have its due effect 9. And by this admitting all men without tryal and Confirmation to come unobservedly into the state of Adult-Christians we breed and feed continual heart burnings against the Ministers of Christ while we are necessitated to do our work upon such unprepared Souls And how much the hatred and contempt of Ministers doth conduce to the destruction of the people Satan is not ignorant that is the diligent promoter of it 10. By this means also we frustrate our own studies and Ministerial Labours to abundance of our people Partly by deluding them actually in the Reception of them among Christians that really are no Christians and partly by this provocation of their hatred 11. By this means also we breed and feed abundance of Controversies in the Church For when once we displace any parts of the frame we shall find almost all in pieces and one errour draweth on so many that Controversies grow numerous and will never be reconciled by meere words and writings till we actually set the Church in joynt againe 12. By this course also we lay open the Ordinances of God to a continual prophanation while abundance that know not who Christ is nor what Christianity is are admitted as Christians to our Christian Communion and so themselves are involved in more sinne and Gods own Worship turned into Provocation so that we may feare lest God should frown upon our Assemblies and withdraw the tokens of his Presence and deny his blessing to those prophaned Ordinances Though the innocent may still have their share in the blessing yet may the Pastours and the guilty majority deeply suffer by this great abuse of holy things 13. By this means also it is that so many Scruples are cast in our way about Administrations and reception of Ordinances and the comfort of Ministers and people in them is much abated 14. And I doubt it is a hinderance to the Conversion of many sects about us and of many ungodly ones among us who if they saw the primitive holiness of Churches might be drawn in 15. And it much corrupteth the Communion of Saints and turneth it to another thing when this Holy Communion is so much of our duty and our comfort and such a Representation of Heaven it self 16. And if it be not a practical denial of some of the Articles of our Faith it 's well We say there that we Believe the Catholike Church to be Holy and that it is a Communion of Saints that is by the parts of it to be exercised And shall we deny this in our works which in words we profess 17. By this means also we dishonour the work of Reformation when we hinder the fruits of it that should be visible to the world and make men believe that it lieth but in a change of bare opinions They that see no great difference between the Reformed and the Romanists in their lives will think it is no great matter which side they are joyned to It 's noted by some Protestant Writers that when Luther opposed Popery in Germany abundance of the common licentious people that were weary of Popish Confessions and Penances did joyne with those that were truly conscientious and dishonoured the Reformation by their lives though they increased the number and did the service as Erasmus his Gospeller that used to carry a bottle of wine and Erasmus New Testament with great brass bosses and when he disputed with a Papist knockt him about the pate with the Bible and so confuted him 18. And by this means we give the Papists more roome then they should have to reproach our Churches and glory comparatively of the Holiness of theirs Though I know that their glory is exceeding unreasonable and that our Impurities are no more to theirs then a few boiles to a Leprosie yet we do ill to give them so much occasion as we do who are ready to make the worst of all 19. By this means also we leave all Sects to quarrel with us and dispute against us even whether we be true Churches of Christ or not because our Adult-profession and Covenant is no more express and discernable then it is And though we have enough to prove our selves a Church yet do we leave them under their temptations and our selves under the obloquy And indeed we perversly maintain our own dishonour while we think it a condition to be rested in if we can but prove our selves true Churches when our Learned Divines do give as much to the Romanists themselves though not as Papal yet as Christian A Leper is a true man and yet his cure is a thing to be desired 20. Lastly By this means also we tempt many well meaning people among

accepted What is the Tongue made for but to express the mind Indeed if a man be dumb and can neither speak not write it is more tollerable to take an uncertaine signe from such a man then from another that hath the use of Tongue or pen. 5. It is a very Implicite denying of Christ which many call an Implicite Profession If a man that hath a Tongue in his mouth shall refuse to Profess the Christian Faith and quarrel with the Minister that calls him to it and say we shall have no other Profession from him then to come to Church and put the bread and wine into his mouth and not to deny Christ expresly I leave it to any reasonable man whether there be not so much of an Implicite denying Christ in this refusing to confess him when they are called to it by their Pastours whom God hath commanded them to obey and that in a case and season when all the Church hath required it or taught it to be due 6. It is contrary to the honour of Christ and the very Nature of Christianity for men to take up with Implicite uncertaine Professions when we have opportunity of more open free Professions He is not a Master to be ashamed of And he will have no servants that will not confess him before men even in the hazzard of life much more in daies of the freedom of the Gospel As with the heart men must believe to Righteousness so with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 10. What reason have we to whisper or draw back in a cause of such a nature and weight as this 7. Shall we thus teach our people to esteem Christianity as an unobservable thing by no more observing it The Solemnity of mens Transition into the Adult-state of actual Believers doth make it more Observable in the eyes of men and they will see that there is more in it then commonly is now esteemed I find by experience that our people hate no preaching more then Differencing Preaching which leaves or shuts them out from the number of the Sanctified and sets them as one the left-hand in the face of the Congregation and judgeth them before the time but faine they would have Ministry confound and jumble all together And then you may make them as great sinners as you will so you will make them no worse then the Justified that are forgiven and shall be saved And so in Practice they love no differencing waies But shall we so far gratifie the Devil and the flesh No we must labour to make the difference between Christs Servants and the world as conspicuous as we can that the Consciences of poor sinners may rather be wakened then cheated by us And therefore we should choose the most solemn Transition and Record the names of the Confirmed and let the people be brought to a publike Observation of the Necessity of Faith and Holiness while the Covenant and Profession of it is made so Necessary 8. That is the best means that is fittest to attain the End The End of a Covenant is to Oblige and the End of a Profession to declare the mind And I pray you which is fittest for these Ends An Express Profession and Covenant or a dumbe uncertain signe by coming to Church paying Tithes c. 9. Such dumb Professions are less tolerable now because we have many in our Assemblies that we know to be no Christians I know of many that will heare that believe no life to come and secretly make a scorne of Christ and Scripture and many more that know not what Christianity is as is aforesaid Now shall we take up with such signes of Christianity as we see and know are commonly used by Infidels when we may have better 10. It is essential to a Profession to be in some measure explicit for Profiteri is but palàm vel publicè fateri It is no Profession if it be not or pretend not to be an Expression of the mind And therefore to be Implicite and not Express is so far to be against the very Nature of the Profession in that measure as your Profession is Implicite as it 's called and not Express in that measure it is no Profession at all Object 7. But when you have the most express Covenant or Profession you are not sure that it is true and that the man is a believer at the heart Answ 1. I am sure that it 's Truly a Profession that is a Pretended signe of the mind tho●gh I am not sure that it 's True Profession that is a True infallible signe of the mind I can know the metaphysical though not the Morall Truth of it And then I can be sure that I do my duty and take up according to the Directions of Christ It is his work to judge the heart immediatly as being his prerogative to know it but it 's my work to judge of the Credibility of the Profession 2. And what if I have no infallible Certainty Must I therefore throw up all and make the Pastoral Church-government to be void and cast open the Vineyard of Christ to the wilderness and not so much as require a Credibility because we cannot have an Infallibility This may not be Object 8. But this will encourage tbe Anabaptists and Congregational in their Express Covenantings by our coming so neer them Answ 1. I may better say you will make men Anabaptists and drive them too far by your loosness and willfully shunning plaine duty How can weake professours be drawn to think well of that party which they see do shun so needfull a Work of God 2. Love and Peace will teach all Christians to say that it 's the best for Unity and healing of our breaches to come as neare dissenting Brethren as we may and no● to fly the further from them At least we may not run from truth and duty that we may be unlike our dissenting Brethren 3. And I take it to be my duty to tell this alowd to the Christian world that after long contest with the Anabaptists and opposition of their waies I am grown as I confidently think to this discovery of the mind of God in suffering them among us that he had this great truth and duty to which he saw it necessary to awake us the Church having been so lamentably defiled Discipline made an impossible thing and mens Salvation grievously hindred by the common secret unobserved transition of all people into the name and number and Priviledges of Adult-Christians therefore did God permit these men to step too far on the other side that the noise might be the greater and his call the more observable so that they are his messengers calling aloud to England and all other Christian Churches in Europe to keep the doore and repaire the hedge and no more to take an Infant-baptism and Profession of our Parents as a sufficient Evidence of the Title of the Adult to the Name or Place or Priveledges of

family by which you may the better know them and prepare them for Church-Communion and have opportunity to quiet them and answer their Objections and they may see that you cast them not off as Heathens but only prepare them for the state and Priviledges which they are yet unfit for And especially let us by all possible condescension meekness loving carriage blameless lives and charitable contribution to the utmost of our abilities endeavour to win them and take off that Offence or at least abate it or hinder the success of the reproaches of those that will undoubtedly be offended by our Reformation and Discipline And let us have a vigilant eye upon any Seducers especially Infidels and Papists that may creep in among them to take advantage of their discontents that we may prudently and effectually counterwork them This much faithfully done by Ministers might be an admirable mercy to the Church 2. THe Peoples duty in order to this Reformation before mentioned is 1. Of the godly and such as are fit for Church-Communion 2. Of the grosly ignorant and ungodly that are unfit 1. The duty of the first sort lyeth in these Particulars 1. They must highly value the benefit of Pastorall oversight and Church-Communion and therefore be ready to promote any work of Reformation that is necessary to their more fruitfull and comfortable enjoyment of them 2. They must so behave themselves as may honour and further the work and take heed of that by which it may be hindered least they weaken our hands and be a stumbling block to others For what can a Minister do himself if the Church assist him not much less if they hinder him Especially 1. They must take heed of scandalous sinnes which may be a shame to their Profession and open the mouthes of the enemies of the Church 2. They must take heed of Sects and Div●sions and quarrellings among themselves which will break them in pieces or hinder their Edification and make them a stumbling block to the weak and a laughing stock to the wicked 3. They must take heed of sur●yness and pride and domineering carriage towards those that are yet without And must be as eminent in meekness and humility and patience and forbearance and self-denyal as they are in the Profession of Religion For a proud domineering spirit or strangeness and unnecessary distance doth lose the ungodly whom you should be means to win 4. They must study to do all the good they can to those without be as little as may be in executing penalties on them and as much as may be possibly in speaking kindly and familiarly to them and relieving them in wants and visiting them in sickness and think it not much to purchase their love in order to their Salvation with the loss of your right or with the price of much of your worldly goods For all men love those or at least will less dislike them that do no hurt to any but do good to all or as many as they can To be the servants of all is the highest Christian dignity and the way to winne them 5. Take heed of falling out or contending with any of them or of giving them any harsh provoking words to their faces or behind their backs But put up any wrong that is meerly your own and is in your power to forgive for the sake of Peace and your own neighbours good 6. Be not men of common spirits or common speech or a common conversation but as we must make a difference between you and others in our communion and Church-administrations so let the rest see that it is not without cause For if you be but like other men we shall seeme to be partial in making a difference between you and other men Let your Light therefore shine before men to the Glory of your Heavenly Father Let them see that you despise the world and live above it and can easily part with it that you can forgive and bear a wrong that your heart is in Heaven and your treasure there and that you are the heires of another world Let all men heare and see by you that you have a higher designe in your eye then the ungodly and that you are driving on another trade then the men that have their portion in this life Heaven is your Reall Glory and to be Heavenly is your true Reputative Glory not only in the eies of the wi●e but of the common earth-worms of the world 7. Set your selves in the most diligent and faithfull improvement of all your parts and Interests to help on the Work of God on mens Souls Though you preach not you have work enough in your own places to do to further the Preachers work Speake to poore people prudently seasonably and seriously about the state of their Souls and Everlasting Life and consult with the Ministers how to deale with them Tell them in what state you find the people and take their advice in further dealing with them O if our neighbours would but helpe us in private and do their parts and not cast all the burden on the Minister there would much more be done then is Nay alas to our grief and hindrance some of our Professing people are so hot and self-conceited and proud that unless we will outrunne our own understandings and be ruled by them and shut out abundance that the Word of God allows us not to shut out and be Righteous overmuch and shut up the Church of Christ as in a nut-shell they presently murmure and rebell and separate and must betake themselvel to a stricter Congregation And others of them must have us cast off Discipline and cut up the hedge and admit all to the Communion and Priviledges of the Church and all under a blind pretense of Charity and some Learned Gentlemen by words and writings do enrage our ignorant and ungodly neighbours against us and make them believe that we do them some grievous wrong because we will not indeed deceive them and undo them and set up new Church-orders or disorders now in the end of the world so contrary to all the ancient Canons and Orders of the Church I honour and deerly love the names of many of these studious pious Gentlemen But seriously I must tell them that they want humility and in their good meanings do the Church a world of wrong And though they may be more learned even in Theology then we yet it is a great matter to have or to want experience They have not been so much in Church-administrations as we nor had so much to do with ignorant Souls And verily I must say againe that the bare Theory maketh but a bungler in this work I must much suspect the Judgment of that man in matters of Church-government or dealing with poor Souls that wants experience Let these Gentlemen but turn Ministers be it known to their faces there 's none of them too good for it nor too great and let them but try our life

here lay before the Magistrate the Reasons that shall evince the need of his help in the present case Reason 1. The people that we now speak of are so utterly ignorant that it 's easy to deceive them It 's no dishonour to Truth that a foole or a child my be deluded but such are not to be left to the malice and craft of jugling enemies Reason 2. So wicked are the hearts of those that we now speak of or many of them that they are prepared for Deceit and willing of it Materially though not Formally as such It 's easy drawing men from that which they hate or their hearts are bent against and to that which they Love and their hearts are set upon Such gunpowder will soon take fire Reason 3. Our people by the foremencioned work of Reformation will undoubtedly be cast into Discontents They will be sorely displeased with their Teachers which is a small matter were it not that it hindreth their own Salvation They have so long been used to have their own will and to be admitted even in Heathenish Ignorance and Impiety to the Communion of the Saints and all the outward Priviledges without any considerable exercise of Discipline over them that now it will be a strange provoking thing to them when their custom shall be altered So that in the discontent and hatred of their minds if Infidels or Papists or any such Malignant adversaries shall come among them their own malignity and discontent will drive them by multitudes into their nets and they will turn to the first that comes with any plausible though pernicious doctrine With half an eie we may easily see this And therefore if the Magistrate will not help us to quiet and secure the people and keep off deceivers while we are Catechising and Instructing and Preparing the grosly Ignorant and ungodly it will be to the hazard of many thousand souls and a temptation to many faint-hearted Ministers againe to cast open the hedge and lay the Churches Communion common for feare of the ill consequence that will follow to the people by displeasing them And yet I may well conclude that though still the Church will have need of some of the Magistrates help in this same way yet nothing so much hereafter as at first 1 It is Custom that most holdeth the people now and enrageth them against the breakers of it And when once the Custom is broken and turned they will be much more quiet 2. We now find the Churches in the rubbish and have the harshest work at first to do which will soone be over and the Churches and minds of men more setled 3. A few yeares Practise of Confirmation in the foredescribed way I hope will introduce such abundance of Knowledg and so increase the face of Godliness that we shall have little need of the Magistrates helpe in this kind as now we have But now at first our Necessity is very great Reason 4. Moreover our Doctrine and Practice is most contrary to mens sinnes and carnall Interest and therefore though it be True yet it is Provoking and seemeth to be against them as blood letting Fasting and bitter medicines to a Child or a foolish Patient And therefore no wonder if tolerated Seducers can draw them from it by sence or non-sence in such a case A little Reason seemes to take men off from that which seemes against them or which they hate Reason 5. On the contrary the Doctrine and Practice of Deceivers is suited to their nature and purposely sugered for them by Art For Instance If Papists fall in with them in the depth of their discontent and first raile at us as no Ministers but Lyars and Hereticks and then revile us for receiving maintenance which is their way though their Clergie receive so exceedingly much more and then tell them of all their Ancestours and then set them upon an easy outside Piety which ex opere operato will certainly conferre grace and shall take up at the strictest with an Auricuar Confession instead of necessary humiliation and true Church-Discipline and shall make those veniall and improper sinnes which we make damnable and shall send many but to Purgrtory that according to Scripture we send to Hell In a word when they shall comply with carnal hearts and Interests but as much as Montalte the Jansenian sheweth us that the Jesuites do what wonder if our Ignorant discontented people do greedily swallow such baits as these and turn to such a kind of Religiousness And this makes the Jesuites glad of our Reformation and stand by us as the Crows by Sheep that they may have our leavings or all that we cut off For it 's Number that they regard and if they will but believe in the Pope they shall be welcom to them yea be Catholikes and be saved though they believe not in Christ and the Holy Ghost nor know not what Christianity is He that thinks I wrong them 1. Let them look on millions and millions in their Churches 2. Let him but read Fr. a Sancta Clara Problem 15 16. Reason 6. The Adversaries also are very industrious and have many advantages of us from without In most Churches they will meet though with Godly yet with young unexperienced Disputers because our Ministery is but Reviving and the young ones must have time to grow And the Jesuites Fryars and other Missioners have a Pope and Cardinals and Bishops and Princes and Lords and Revenews and wealth and Seminaries and trayned Soldiers in abundance at their backs beyond Sea to furnish them with continual supply And how eager and busy they are the Christian world hath had long experience so that if such be let loose on Ignorant Souls what wonder if they prevaile Reason 7. And for the Event if the Magistrates shall refuse us this Reasonable and unquestionably lawfull aide it may be the means of the damnation of many thousand Souls I suppose I speak to Christians that believe that sinne is the poyson of the Soul and believe that Faith in Christ is necessary and that there is a Heaven and a Hell And if so they must needs understand what it is to suffer men to draw their Subjects from Christ from Scripture from the meanes of Grace and a Holy Life and to draw them into sinne that this is but to give men leave to do their worst to undo and damne as many as they can and to take them at the greatest vantage in their Ignorance and discontent to trip up their heels and tise them into Hell How dreadfull a thing is this to a Magistrate once to think of that hath but any belief of Scripture and pitty on the Souls of men And therefore as long as we do not now call upon them so much as to force Papists or Infidels either to be of our Religion or to profess that they are so or joyne in Communion with us but only desire that they may keep their venom to themselves and