the Apostles did not herein vary for they sung a Hymn at the close as Matth. 26. 30. which example I need not stand to improve against the Anti-psalmists of this age There are severall pertinent meditations that may fully take up the time of the action with great advantage and benefit to our souls as namely 1. The dreadfulness of Gods justice which with a terrible stroak did smite the great Shepherd for our sins the least dram of it would have sunk us to all eternity 2. The cursed nature of sinne that so exasperates the holy God and makes such a breach between God and the creature as can never be made up but by the broken body of the Lord of Glory 3. What it cost to redeem a soul a mass of gold as big as the whole earth not valuable with one drop of this blood 4. What an infinite love broke forth that God rather than let our souls be lost would send his eternall Son and make him sin for us 5. What a great work it is to reconcile a sinner to his God all names of men and Angels are nothing to it all their sufferings would not pay a penny of this debt which is not dissolved by any blood but of the Lord of Glory 6. That God would not only pardon sin by giving forth a generall pardon as a King pardons rebels but so pardon as might even melt the hardest heart and for ever humble and silence and satisfie it by the love of God and the sufficiency of that Sacrifice whose vertue extends to thousands and lasts alwaies 7. That the gratious Covenant of God made with all that beleeeve in Christ is sealed and ratified with such blood as there needs no doubt of the validity of the Covenant though one man bad as many sins on him as all the world 8. That Gods way of saving man by a Mediatour the death of a Mediatour doth oblige man to be the thankfullest creature in the world Angels that sin'd not have need of no Mediatour Angels that sin'd have none man that sin'd and therefore needs one hath one given to him The man Christ Jesus 9. That as God gave Christ for you so he gives him to you that he that was your Sacrifice offered up to God might in this Sacrament be offered unto you as meat and drink as spirituall repast that as we live by Christ so we may live upon him being entertained as confederates to feast with God upon the Sacrifice offered up unto him It is a fruitfull field of Meditation through which ye may walk the time of celebration and then breathe out your Meditations in a Song of praise as the close and musick of this heavenly Feast Concerning which Hymn wherewith the Jews did usually close the coenam apolyticam or dimissory Supper calling it the Hallel from the first word of it Hallelujah you may consult not only the Jewish Writers but our Learned men Cameron Myroth in Matth. 16. 30. Drusius in Matth. 26. 30. Hugo Broughton in Dan. pag. 46. beside Paulus Burgensis Gerard Harm Fol. 178. col 3. who do also point out to us the 113. 114. Psalms as that Hymn for though some others do rather conceive it a new Hymn composed by our Saviour Grotius in Matth. 26. and the 17 Chapter of St John to be it we finde no Reason to go with them in that opinion both becaUse our Saviour did not easily vary from the Rite or Custom received nor could the Disciples have sung with him in consort except we imagine such a praelection of it to them as is Used by us now a daies which will not be proved CHAP. XIII How much it concerneth Ministers to Teach and all to Learn the true meaning of this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 26 27. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the death of the Lord untill he come Wherefore whosoever doth eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord c. VVHen this Ordinance of the Supper is suitable to the Institution and the Communicant is suitable to the Ordinance then all is right Of the former I have acquitted my self by setting forth the nature Use end of this Sacrament according to our Lords Institution recited by the Evangelists and by St Paul in this place § 1 Now I am to proceed unto the later which is to render the Communicant suitable to the Ordinance of which our Saviour did not in the Institution directly speak but the Apostle in this place speaks more fully and directly unto than in any other place is found the abUses and distempers of the Corinthians leading him most properly to it and though in Popish Churches the grand errour and abUse lies in the unsutableness of their Mass to the Institution yet in Reformed Churches who endeavour to imitate the pattern in the Mount the common sin lies in the unsutableness of the Communicant to the Ordinance and so the point of worship stands between us and the Papists much alike as it stood between the Samaritans and the Jews of old The Samaritans Used a false worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4. 22. The Jews had a true worship but were carnall and for the most part formall worshippers The Feast is prepared drest and ordered according to the Institution of Christ Now the guests are to be surveyed and tried whether they come worthily or unworthily by the test or ticket of the Apostles Doctrine following to the end of the Chapter of which I shall say this in generall 1. That the Apostles Doctrine in this place is properly calculated for the rectifying the abUses and unworthiness of the Corinthians as ye may see at the 33 34 verses but so also most other Scriptures occasionally written are of generall Use their latitude is greater than their particular direction 2. That the Apostle spends the most of his Doctrine upon eating and drinking unworthily setting home the sin and danger of it for the occasion viz. the sinne of the Corinthians required it and yet doubtless the point of worthiness should in order of nature be first stated before unworthiness can be understood for how should I know sinne except first I knew a law of duty how a crooked line except I know what is straight and therefore to attent consideration the Apostle will be found to begin there as I shall shew you afterwards 3. That the Apostle in setting home the sinne and danger of eating and drinking unworthily speaks thunder and lightning in very pertinent but yet new and unusuall phrases which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have no brother in any other part of Scripture as guilty of the body and blood of the Lord eating and drinking judgement or damnation c. full of terrour and fit for compunction These of the 26 verse are the words of St Paul who having recited what Christ did and said at the first celebration and institution of this Sacrament goes about to set
and demonstrate We know that in all Sacraments there is Analogy or proportion and so in this the elements broken bread and wine pouned forth or the body and bloud of Christ the actions of Taking Eating and Drinking the outward elements doe denote the acts of a Communicants soul receiving and feeding upon Christ and such acts there must be to answer unto the outward actions So as if you tell me of any sensible object it 's easie to shew what sense it belongs unto for if it be light or colour it belongs to the eye if it be any sound it belongs to the ear c. So this Sacrament being survey'd and studied it is not hard to finde what graces are to be set on work accordingly And this Rule that I may not guesse at randome I shall follow in the ensuing Discourse First It 's necessary that the Communicant have knowledge of the Nature Use and End of this Sacrament and that is demonstrate thus Here are outward elements and actions which do signifie some other thing as namely the body and bloud of Christ as himself expounds it offer'd by God unto and to be received by the Communicant and therefore there must be knowledge to discern and understand this mystery that 's hidden under a visible out-side to wit the Sacrifice of Christs body which is represented and the confirmation of the Gospel-Covenant by his bloud for without this knowledge a man comes blinde-fold eats and drinks as a bruit takes the dish for the meat and is no otherwise refresht than a thirsty man would be by eating and sucking a sign-post which doth but signifie that there is wine within It was a childes Question Exod. 12. 26. What mean you by this service And I would our ignorant people would so play the childe for they do but eat the shell and gnaw the bone of the outward service becaUse they know not the meaning of it So the carnall Jew knew not the meaning of the Rites and Types then Used nor saw both Law and Gospel in their Sacrifices both which they were full of I confesse the knowledge of this Sacrament draws with it the knowledge of our lost estate as Passeover is not understood without Egypt in sinne and misery For where Christ appears bloudy there sinne must needs appear deadly and those fundamentals and grounds of Christianity which are but the A. B. C. of Religion must be knowne but it is not the knowledge of a Scholar but the knowledge of a Christian which we plead for so much as may serve to look into the entrails of this Sacrament and may lead on the affections to value prize thirst after Jesus Christ whom if we see not we cannot desire or love Visus est prima amor is linea fight is the first line of love nor can we believe in him untill we see John 6. 40. Whosoever see the Sonne and believes in him shall have everlasting life I should not charge a poor Christian with any great rate of knowledge for the quality is more to be regarded than the quantity If he know both sinne and Christ by taste as well as by sight if he have a distinguishing and favoury knowledge of the things of the Spirit and there be as it is in embers a great heat though but little light then is it good though not great I know that Questions demodo in all points of Divinity are hard to answer It 's well if we can answer a Question aere I may know what sinne is and yet not tell how it enters and comes at first into my soul The Apostles took Christ at this time for their Saviour and Lord the true Messiah but how he should execute all the parts of his Office they did not clearly understand and yet did at and drink with him at his Table § 3 Secondly This is not all but it is first as light was at the Creation the first creature but all the world was not made when light was He is not wholly fitted that hath knowledge there must be a Christ-receiving or a Christ-taking faith and this is shown thus God offers the body and bloud of his Sonne which was shed for the remission of sinne and saith Take ye Eat ye Drink ye and that inward act which answers to this outward action whereby we do receive Christ that is exhibited we call faith when Christ is tender'd to us in the Word we believe ex-promisso when offer'd in the Supper we believe ex pignore There we have a promise here a pawn or pledge This faith is the taking hand which goes forth to the offering-hand of God This taking eating drinking are but faith appropriating and applying Christ You say you believe What believe you That God offers Christ to your faith What 's a poor man the richer for believing that one offers him a shilling What 's a condemned man the better for believing that a pardon is offer'd to him This is but a faith of the truth of the offer But doe ye receive Christ offered Do you close in with Christ Do you take him into you Here is the best Covenant sealed with the best blood that ever was You believe this to be a truth but come not in to this Covenant that saith doth but serve to your just condemnation It is the Christ-receiving not the truth acknowledging saith that brings salvation to you If men did but know what saving saith is we should have either more or fewer believers more for they would renounce that superficial thing cahed faith and buy gold tried in the fire Fewer for they would not count themselves to believe by that faith which they have A woman may believe a man to be rich and honourable and reall in his suit yet that belief doth not make a marriage but actual consent to take him for a husband For saith gives as well as takes it gives a man up to Christ as well as takes Christ to be a Saviour It is not true faith that blows hot and cold out of the same mouth and cries Hosanna to Christ a Saviour but yet I will not have him reigne over me This Sacrament presents Christ to faith thus It presents Christ himself his body and bloud not the benefits of Christ apart and abstract but Christ himself It presents Christ for intimate union with us as the nourishment is to the body It presents him really as the bread and wine is really taken and received It presents him crucified and suffering as if he was now dving and bleeding in whom faith findes reconciliation remission justification and redemption so is it acted and exercised in this Ordinance § 4 Thirdly The third grace that is freshly revived and set on work in this Sacrament is Repentance and that appears thus Here is represented Goes Justice against our sinne in bruising his own Sonne with fore and dreadfull breaches made upon him and this Justice is mixt with goodnesse in transferring and laying upon the Sacrifice
is enough to the putting on my better clothes and framing my self to a grave composure but here I am to meet my Lord Christ and to receive him as my Saviour I am to have the Covenant of mercy sealed to me in his blood I am to make a thankfull memoriall of Christ and to profess my embracement and adherence to his death as my only comfort therefore be thou awakened O my faith my godly sorrow my spirituall appetite my thankfulness that I may go out to Christ and he come in to me 3. This takes off all slighting and undervaluing of this Ordinance which appears to an outward and carnall eye No better bread or wine than I can have at home for in this plain case is a rich Jewel this bread is the body this wine is the Blood of the Lord of Glory and therefore I must not value the seal by the worth of the wax which is not worth a penny but by the pardon or the inheritance which passes and is conveyed by it 4. This keeps me from running blindfold into the sin of guiltiness of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so into condemnation for as the same Signet or Seal of a Prince doth to one seal a pardon to another an execution so this very Sacrament is to a Beleever a seal of pardon to another as it were the seal of his condemnation 5. Lastly The preparation so much spoken of and the self-examination required by the Apostle cannot be imagined to referre to the eating of bread and drinking wine but to the inward thing of the Sacrament it necessarily follows that those inward graces that enable us to have communion with Christ and make commemoration of him can never be known or sought except we know the meaning of this Sacrament for it is that which gives the Law and Rule of all our preparations And so I have shown you the Reasons why we should labour to understand the language of this Ordinance So much of this generall Point the second Point shall be taken from those words Ye shew the Lords death or shew ye for the word might be construed imparatively but that the particle For would not then so well consist CHAP. XIV The great business that lies upon the Communicant as oft as he eats this Bread and drinks this Cup is to shew the Lords Death Doct. 2 THis Point cleaves into two parts § 1 First It is the Lords death which in this Sacrament is shewn forth The two standing Sacraments of the Jewish Church Circumcision and the Passeover did both appear in blood The two standing Sacraments of the Gospel do also referre to death We are buried with him by Baptism into death Rom. 6. 4. and in the Supper we shew the Lords death As of all deliverances and benefits vouchsafed to Israel of old God would have the Passeover-deliverance celebrated by a constant memoriall in all generations so of all that Christ doth for us it is his death that must be shewn forth in all generations of the Church till he come again and therefore this Ordinance is speculum crucifixi as Calvin saith and In 1 Cor. 11. the memoriall not so much of Christs life or resurrection De satisfact cap. 1. saith Grotius as of his death This death hath no second in all the world for it was the death of the Sonne of God the death of the Lamb of God 1. Of the Sonne of God the Lord of Glory whose highness and excellency gave price and value to his death Had he not been man he could not have suffered Had he not been the Sonne of God God blessed for ever he could not have satisfied and conquered 2. Of the Lamb of God and therefore his death was a Sacrifice and that 's more than a Martyrdom for though a Martyr may be said to seal with his blood that truth he dies upon yet no blood can seal the Covenant but this of Christ no death can ratifie the Testament but the Testators death Had the death been the death of the Lord a most excellent person and not also the death of a Lamb for Sacrifice to make attonement it had wanted one of his properties but it was both As it was the death of the Lord of Glory the Sonne of God so it gave us the most illustrious testimony and example of the love of God as ever was or could be and that the Scripture often points unto As it was the death of the Lamb of God so it was a Sacrifice death wherein he was made sinne for us and bore our sinnes in his Body As it was the Joh. 11. 13. Rom. 5. Gal. 2. 20. death both of the Sonne of God and the Lamb of God so it reconciled us sinners unto God and meritoriously redeemed and ransomed us from our bondage to the curse and wrath of God the only ground and foundation of our hope peace and comfort § 2 Secondly It is the business of the Communicant to shew forth this death of the Lord The Ordinance it self is full of death what other language doth bread broken and the blood severed from the body speak but a dying Christ As the Ordinance so the Communicant doth by eating and drinking in fact declare and annunciate his profession of adherence to and embracement of the death of Christ we solemnly and publiquely avow both to God and men that we stick unto and abide by the death of the Lord for remission of sinne and reconciliation of our persons to God and it is a solemn part of Gods positive worship to shew forth the death of Christ our Lord not by a meer historicall relation but a practicall and publique profession of our faith and acceptance thereof which though at all times we may remember yet God would have a solemn Ordinance in his Gospel-Churches for the commemoration and shewing of it forth which Ordinance is this of the Supper I know men are witty to elude Ordinances and to flatter themselves with private devotions and meditations but when God hath set up an Ordinance on purpose for the publique and solemn shewing of the Lords death let them consider it that are not only careless of the benefit of it but fail of their duty by not presenting themselves at this solemn shewing of the Lords death but how can it be expected that they that shew not the life of Christ by a godly conversation should care to shew forth his death by publique profession or rather how can it be construed that they do it out of conscience of duty and not out of meer superstition expecting that from the Sacrament which the Papist expects from his auricular confession that is to quit the old score that he may more freely begin upon a new But I may not forget that which is very learnedly Observed that the Apostle using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which frequently is Used for publishing and preaching Schiud in loc Haggada the Gospel doth
allude to the Haggada as it was called by the Jewish custom at the Passeover and that was a set and solemn declaration or annunciation of the Lords passing over the hoUses sprinkled with blood of their slavery and hard bondage in Aegypt and their deliverance thence teaching us in this our Gospel-Passeover to shew forth our hard bondage under sinne and the Lords justice passing over all the souls sprinkled with this blood and thereby delivering us from our spirituall Aegypt § 3 The Use of this Point is to call upon all Communicants hoc agere to be intent upon and taken up with this employment Shew ye forth the Lords death this must be your actuall exercise at the time of eating and drinking the death of Christ must fill your eyes your ears your lips your thoughts If any of you could see Christ dying the sight would wholly take you up and you come as near to see him dying as an Ordinance can bring you in a representation If any where that Psal 2. 11. takes place here Rejoyce with trembling Tremble for you see the weight of sinne upon the Lord Christ and the severity and wrathfull indignation of God against sinne both those terrours cannot be seen in a clearer glass than the death of the Lord Rejoyce for the love that delivers up Christ is unparallel'd and the death of the Lord is succedaneous a Sacrifice death the Sacrifice bears the sinne and takes it off you there is a nunc dimitiis for all you that take Christ in your arms I would not be thinking of the joys of heaven the second coming of Christ absolutely and abstractly considered but shewing forth his death As in prayer good thoughts if impertinent are distractions and to be whipt for vagrants so here If my heart present to me the anger and terrible wrath of a just and holy God I shew the Lords death If the Law take me by the throat and say Pay that thou owest I shew the Lords death If conscience ask me what I have to shew for pardon of sin and peace with God I shew the Lords death Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It s Christ that died CHAP. XV. The Lords Supper is an iterable Ordinance THe third Point is taken up from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as often as ye eat this bread c. Doct. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is an iterable Ordinance which is to be repeated Our Saviour gives a hint of this in those words This do for a remembrance of me and the Apostle from him For as often c. The word often is sometimes opposed to seldom and sometimes to once as Heb. 9. 25 26. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High priest entreth into the holy place every year For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world The Sacrifice of Christ or the offering of him up was but once Heb. 9. 26. The Sacrament of his body and bloud is often as a memorial of that Sacrifice and the comparison Used in that place is this As man dies but once so Christ also As in the Sacraments of the Jews the first of them Circumcision was but once nor indeed could be but the Passeover often once every year and Christ was but once circumcised but kept the Passeover often So in the Sacraments of the New Testament Baptism is but once Christ was but once baptized but the Supper often which though Christ celebrated but once yet he gave order for the repetition of it I will not now take up the discussion why Baptism but once the Supper often the Scripture gives us no hint for the repetition of the one but it doth for the other and the old saying is plausible Semel nascimur saepius pascimur we are but once born but we are often nourisht God did more punctually and precisely under the Law prescribe the times of their Sacraments the eighth day for circumcision such a day of such a moneth yearly for the Passeover as he also did the times and place and other circumstances of his worship for the people were more servile then and the worship more outward but under the Gospel circumstances are at more liberty and spiritualnesse more call'd for and therefore in this Sacrament for instance we have nothing for how often but we have for how worthily as a learned man Observes and therefore under correction it was not so right Muscul de coena Lib 4. distinct 13. Qu. 5. that when as Durand saith The primitive devotion of communicating every day was grown so cool that it came to be commanded on the three great festivals whereof Easter was by Innocent the first made Anno 1200. of the Quorum I might instance nearer home enjoyning all to it at that time For of this Chrysostom had complained long before that at those times the people either of custome or by Law crouded in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the custome saith he O the partiality of men The truth is I finde that in times of persecution threatning Christians either to arm themselves or in fear of being scatter'd and dispers'd took every occasion to celebrate the Supper and Justin Martyr signifies that their solemn meetings on the Lords dayes were accompanied with this feast and that the Question how often is propounded in Austine and Chrysostom and Austin perswades and exhorts every Lords-day Austin Eccles Dogm cap. 53. Chrysost hom 13. heb Gerard. Harm cap. 171. if the heart be prepared and Chrysostom saith that a pure conscience may come as often as it will but for a wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once is too often and to conclude if the necessity of our infirmities the great benefit the honour of this memorial may be heard to speak we shall come to this Rule That frequency beget not a customary formality or fastidious satiety as Manna did nor seldomnesse beget forgetfulnesse or superstitiousnesse extraordinarinesse and under this caution I leave the determination of the times unto the Church CHAP. XVI Of the Continuance of this and other Gospel-Ordinances in the Church THe fourth point ariseth from the last words Untill he come and it is this This Ordinance and so all Gospel-ordinances are to continue in force in the Churches untill Christ come and this point cleaves into two parts § 1 First The Lord Christ will come again he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 37. He that shall come he shall appear the second time Heb. 9. 28. as in the old Church of Israel there was a glorious Temple then a captivity that followed after the captivity a second Temple and then Christ came So in Gospel-Churches there was first a glorious Virgin primitive Church then followed a captivity under Antichrist and that captivity shall be followed with a second Temple a Reformed Church and then Christ shall come again but as
that they were discommended that hold to the Legall service 2. Heathens and Infidels are excluded from this Table becaUse they are extraneous and without so they are called 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge or censure them that are without they are without the gates of the Church not obnoxious to the Government nor allowed the priviledges of it and they that are without the gate cannot be admitted to the Table untill they come in and be members of the family 3. All unbaptized persons are excepted by the order of our Sacraments whereof Baptism is first for insition and implantation into the Body of Christ and the Lords Table for further coalition and growth this order is confirmed by the Use or business of the Sacraments the one being of Regeneration and so first the other of Communion and so the second See 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit are we baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one spirit first baptized and then made to drink which order the Church of Christ hath held from the beginning as it 's said by Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. After the new Convert is thus washed we bring him to our meetings where the Eucharist is 4. Those that are under a present incapacity of performing such antecedaneous acts of preparation or which are to be exercised in the act of communicating provided that this incapacity be visible as I may say or manifest unto us as in infants ideots stupid ignorants bruits in the shape of men who though baptized yet are not capable of discerning the Lords Body or of examining themselves who seem to be excepted ver 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat and drink And so I know a mad man may have lucid intervals and a poor ignorant soul may be brought to know the letters and spell the first syllables of Christianity against either of which I would not shut the door but if the ignorant cannot be gotten beyond sottishness and stupidity nor got out of his Obstinacy in blindness I should be very unwilling to let him runne blinofold down the precipice or leave the door open for him to fall into condemnation not that I envy him a benefit but pity his downfall which I ought to hinder or at least not to help forward and I may say of such an one as the Apostle of the Law Rom. 7. 13. Shall that which is good be made death unto him God forbid Especially considering that the Apostle having said Let a man examine himself and so let him eat doth in the next words come on again ver 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body As for infants though the Churches of ancient time admitted them after Baptism to partake of the P Martyr in Musculus de caena Lords Supper for some hundreds of years and one or two of our Reforming Divines speak somewhat favourably of it yet the ground they went upon Joh. 6. 53. that otherwise they had not salvation is disclaimed by all both becaUse that Chapter speaks nothing of Sacramentall or Symbolicall eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood and also was delivered by Christ a year or two before this Sacrament was born into the world and becaUse there is so much activity and exercise required in a Communicant as viz. to remember the Lords death to shew it forth to discern the Lords body to examine ones self to judge ones self therefore is that ancient practise Obsolete and as by tacite consent deserted and in room thereof we admit now not by their years for a man of threescore may be a childe in understanding and a childe in years may be a man but by their discretion and knowledge in the mystery of Christ and if the Parents or Pastors care the blossoming of grace and pregnancy in the childe were answerable to my desires I should as I am for great reasons be for eatly admissions of them as namely that the benefit and refreshing of this Ordinance might curb the over-growth of the sins and lusts of youth and help forward the growth of their graces to an early maturity Those that are professed Christians baptized-Church-members whether they live in open practice or fall under the guilt of some gross and scandalous sinne are for that time as they be impenitent to be secluded from or not admitted unto this Communion and this is an adjudged case in Scripture 1 Cor 5. where one for terrible incest notoriously manifest detested by very Heathens remained in the Communion of the Church through neglect of their duty which the Apostle reproves and having shown what power they had of judging such as were within members of their Church enjoyns them to purge out the leaven and to cast out from themselves that wicked person and least any perverse gainsayer should restrain this power to this one sin the Apostle saith ver 11. If any that is called a brother be a fornicatour a covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or extortioner the Church hath power to judge them that are within But what is this to the Sacrament enough verily for he that is cast out of the hoUse is certainly cast out from the houshold table and the abstention from Communion so much named in Cyprian or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or seclusion Forbes 631. mentioned in the Canons and whatsoever word is Used for this casting one out of Church-communion here if any where it operates and works in forbidding the Use of the Table where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Church society and communion is as for instance Divorce though it extend further yet signifies nothing at all is no Divorce if not a thoro or mensa from bed or board so this restention is nothing it works nothing I speak not of a private avoidance of familiarity with wicked persons which lies on private persons if not to this seclusion from the Table I shall not further urge the example of the old Testament which debarres the uncircumcised and the unclean for the time from the Passeover and I deny not that under that worldly Sanctuary and those carnall Ordinances as they are called Heb. 9. 1 10. Legall uncleanness might debarre when spirituall and morall did not as now morall filthiness may when legall uncleanness is not for that uncleanness under the Law had a spirituall signification and though it was not alwaies sinne yet it signified morall pollution as the leaven which was held Hag. 2. 13. execrable and must be cast out at the Passeover is spiritually applied to another meaning by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. Purge out the old leaven ver 7. for Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us the old leaven that is the wicked and incestuous person Beza Slater alii out of your society and malice and wickedness out of your lives ver 8. and
therefore the Argument which is drawn from the signification of the legall type is not so contemptible as a Learned man of M. Humfrey late would seem to make it since the Apostle seems to argue from the leaven cast out at the Passeover as I have hinted §. 7. The evidence of Reason § 7 The third evidence is that of Reason which was this that such as have no right to eat or have lost for present right or capacity should not intrude themselves I say those that have no right and they are those that as the Apostle saith Eph. 2. 12. are meer strangers to the Covenant for in Reason the Covenant must go before the Seal and not the Seal before the Covenant and therefore they were Disciples to whom Christ said Take and eat not aliens or strangers to the Gospel Covenant whereof it was ordained a Sacrament infidels or unbeleevers which answer to the uncircumcised were debarred the Passeover Or else they are such as having had both right unto and Use of this Ordinance have afterward lost their capacity for the time by some gross and enormous crime which hath brought them under seQuestration or deprivation by the censure of the Church and these answer the unclean under the Law who having right to the Passeover as Church-members were yet forbidden the Use during such uncleanness for against such is the key turned and the door shut untill and unless by their repentance for their sinne they be restored to their right and the seQuestration be taken off for so in the ancient Churches while the Lapsi lay under pennance and were in the School of repentance they could not communicate the Crier said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysost hom 3. in Ephes and if the same Authour and the same place may be heard ye shall learn from him the very two sorts which I am speaking of There ought saith he to come to this Table neither any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them that are not initiated and entred Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any of those that are professours and members but unclean or flagitious whose sinnes are such ut judicatur excommunicandus as it 's said in Austin Epist 118. ad Januarium Now there is Reason that such as lie in manifest and enormous sinne without repentance should either forbear or by the Church be forbidden access to the terrible mysteries as Chrysostom often cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them 1. That they should forbear being made acquainted what a fearfull sinne they boldly adventure upon viz. to be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord the very naming of it being able to strike terrour and what danger they rush themselves into of eating and drinking damnation to themselves as it were professedly seeking and solemnly setting their hands to their own ruine for though every sinne have death the wages of it yet for a man to provoke his own destruction and solemnly seal it upon himself is most fearfull Who would not tremble to eat such a sop as should be presently followed with Satan or to eat such forbidden fruit as is sawced with this bitter sawce Morte morieris Thou shalt die for if this bread enter into a man filthy and polluted Calvin Iustit lib. 4. ca. 17. Majore illum ruina praecipitat and he that hath purpose to sinne gravatur magis saith Austin he is De Eccles Dogmat cap. 35. loaden with a greater guilt He takes poyson both by Reason of his guiltiness of other sinnes and of the abUse of the Sacrament saith Bernard And therefore let Serm. de caena 2 men consider what they are like to reap that either ravish and force or secretly think themselves well if they can steal the Sacrament for he that is in mortall sinne sinnes mortally as Alensis saith and Pars 4. Q◠46 that becaUse as the Schoolmen say Committit falsum Aquin. 3. pars Quaest 8. Esti◠lib. 4. distinct 12. in Sacramento he commits a falshood in this Sacrament professing himself to come to and receive Christ to whom he is an enemy and a stranger he mocks God solemnly And therefore as Mr Selden De Synodecis p. 254. saith If Judas that had a deliberate purpose of betraying Christ had of himself therefore gone forth becaUse he was so unworthy certum ipsi laudi fuisset verily it had been a credit and commendation to him to have forborn and indeed there would appear some conscience in such forbearance whereas there appears nothing but blindness boldness pride custom c. in a dangerous intrusion I cannot encourage men to forbear this Ordinance nor allow the excUse of those that flatter themselves in such forbearance by their sinne as I have heard some they cannot come to the Sacrament becaUse they are not in charity Sinne may be an impediment but it is not an excUse if you be in manifest and flagitious sinne ye may not come but that sinne excUses not for you ought to finde a third way that is to repent and lay aside your sinne that you may come Let a man examine himself and so let him eat saith the Apostle As in the Marriage feast Matth. 22. he that came without his wedding garment was cast out and they that pretending excUses came not are said not to be worthy v. 8. What then is to be done this third to have a wedding garment and come too Instance a drunken servant that forbears to wait at his Masters table becaUse he is drunk but yet that is no excUse for he ought to be sober and wait also And this answers a captious fallacy or objection which may be made by some There is Reason that the Church should forbid openly criminous persons from access to the Lords Table 1. It would be not only contra veritatem but contra charitatem to make such partakers of the holy Supper They are the words of Learned Grotius Grotius de imperio p. 229. who cannot be suspected to speak partially in this caUse but to speak the sense of Antiquity Against truth for the seal saith he is not to be applied to him to whom the thing signified manifestly belongs not and therefore in the Churches of old it was wont to be proclaimed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy things to holy persons And Chrysostom shews that one with a loud and terrible Homil 17. ad Hebr. voice pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for pearls are not to be cast to swine Against charity it is to suffer a blinde soul that discerns not the Lords body to fall into the pit which we have left open No mother would suffer her childe to eat that which may be poyson to it no shepherd would call his sheep into such pastures as will certainly rot them no friend would put a sword into the hand of a furious man no Physician would reach water to an Hydropick that eagerly thirsts for it It was charity as well as
Christ receive here the pardon of sin Question not the Seal or truth of it 3. That I may not divide into further particulars there is by this Sacrament a communication of a greater proportion of Gospel-Spirit For we have been all made to drinke into one Spirit 2 Cor. 12. 13. which Spirit plentifully bestows his severall fruits and graces for the growing up of a member into Christ the Head in all things Ephes 4. 15. from whence we have not onely those Auxilia actualia actual influences and aids of delight comfort evidence sweet tastes powerfull motions and impressions which Vasquez cals grace sacramental and saith That Gratia Sacramentalis non est gratia habitualis sed auxilia quaedam actualia which I conceive is an errour For though a man have a sweet taste and transient delight in meat or wine yet there is also a permanent and abiding nourishment proceeding from that he eats or drinks So here the very habituall graces are nourisht strengthened excited It may be a man at present doth not feele that strength he doth receive nor is sensible of the intention of his graces For the same Vasquez saith Intentionem habituum infusorum sub experimento humano cadere non posse And it 's true at present time But the growth of grace manifests it selfe in time We doe not see our selves or others grow but that we are growne is plaine enough nor doe we see how much the light incReases by every step of the Sunne rising higher for our growth is graduall and by imperceptible instances and degrees when power of resisting temptations mortifie lusts which before were too hard for us doth appear we may see our growth as we see our shadowes are shortened but how much in a minute we see not and may say That the graces which this Ordinance requires and excites are thereby strengthened and enlarged and therefore the Rule is good What Grace thou wouldest have strengthened by this Ordinance that doe thou set on work and exercise in it for that is Sowing to the Spirit as the Apostle cals it And I make no Question but a believer shall finde the benefit of this Sacrament in his obedience also for the fuller the Vessell is the faster it will runne out at the tap If the habits incRease the fruit of obedience will be proportionable We mend a barren Tree at the root sweeten the sap there and the Tree is more fruitfull When Jacob had seen the sweet vision in Bethel then he lifted up his feet Genes 29. 1. it put mettle into him So much for this Point the Benefit of this Sacrament which being dis-Used as at this time is a great losse to the improvement of Christians though they see it not The Christians in persecuting times when a storme was coming then were they most diligent to frequent this Table to lay in store for a hard Winter and fortifie their resolutions And let this Benefit be a Motive to the Use of Preparation which was the Reason I have handled it in this place for there is no Promise no Benefit to one that comes to this Table unworthily CHAP. XXIX The Sinfulness of Eating and Drinking Vnworthily § 1 I Have said concerning eating this Bread and drinking of this Cup of the Lord worthily Now I come to the other branch The eating and drinking unworthily What that is hath been sufficiently opened already The Antithesis or opposition between worthily and unworthily is such as if you know the one you know both as he that knows what a right line is knows what is a crooked or oblique Worthily to eat is in such manner as is answerable and suitable to the nature end and Use of the Ordinance and unworthily to eat is contrary that is without a sacramental or Supper-disposition and otherwise then is fit that these holy mysteries be handled and intreated as I have before proved The Point I shall take up is this § 2 To eat the bread and drink the Cup of the Lord unworthily is a sinne of an high Nature and of consequence dangerous It is a fearfull sinne and attended with fearfull effect It is of a high nature as appears by that peculiar guilt which is contracted he shall be guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord it is of fearfull consequence He eats and drinks judgement to himself Thou seest saith Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In loc what a terrible word the Apostle speaks speaks nay thunders so as may awake the secure soul into a trembling The example of Nadab and Abihu their being made Sacrifices themselves was enough to give warning to all after them against offering of strange fire and was the occasion of that excellent Rule which God gave at that time to be observed in all our near approaches to him I will be sanctified of all that come nigh me Lev. 10. 3. There are four things to be open'd 1. The sin it self viz. Eating and drinking unworthily 2. The caUse of the sinne Not discerning the Lords body 3. The aggravation of the sinne by the object and peculiar nature of it viz. A guiltinesse of the body and bloud of Christ 4. The danger that attends or follows upon it He eats and drinks judgement to himself § 3 1. The sinne is Eating and drinking unworthily and it is a peculiar sinne or transgression of the Law of this Ordinance One may do what the Law requires and yet sinne grievously if the manner of doing be vicious and corrupt Men may be content if the matter by their Law required be done whether with a good will or an evil but God is not so who values the disposition of heart when the thing in command sometimes is not done so he hearkned to Hezekiah his prayer for them that prepared their heart to seek God though not legally purified 2 Chron. 31. 19. and is highly displeas'd when the command Do this is Observed but it is done unworthily and therefore they say he is pleased with benè not meerly with bonum The Ordinance it self is the Index or Touchstone of unworthinesse Here is Christ offer'd and presented to thee and thou hast no faith Christ broken bleeding for sinne and thou hast no repentance Christ for spiritual nourishment and thou hast no appetite The Covenant is sealed and thou art no confederate strengthening and refreshing grace convey'd and thou art a dead man Communion of Christs body and bloud and thou art no member in Union with him How unsatiable art thou to the Ordinance and therefore eatest and drinkest unworthily § 4 This word unworthily may he taken two wayes Privative and Contrary Taken privatively it is as much as not worthily not suitably to the Nature and Use of the Ordinance Taken contrarily it is as much as wickedly so we say a man deals unworthily that is basely unjustly injuriously In the first sense He that hath no spiritual grace and therefore cannot exercise it or he that hath some but doth not exercise
is not guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord which was never offer'd to him in this Sacrament No aggravations of sinne are like to the aggravations of the sins of wicked Christians their guilt is not of so high complexion that never knew of Christ either we must be saved or we cannot be so easily damned the weight of sins against Christ is heavier than of those that are meerly against the Law of God We are the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon us If we bear briars and thorns we are nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. 2. How many do that they think least of and are guilty of that they once imagine not themselves to be guilty of but few of a thousand will own this guiltinesse of the Body and Bloud of Christ and yet as often as they do or have eaten and drunk at this Table unworthily so often they have incurred and renew'd this guilt Do not they say at the last day When saw we thee an hungry or in prison Did the Jews think they pierced their true Messiah There are not many Christians in name and profession such that can be convinced that they hate and despise Christ as much as the very Jews that crucified him which yet may be demonstrate by clear arguments The Jew honour'd the name of the Messiah and expected great things of him and yet hated and rejected him blindfold and so we call Christ Saviour and Lord and besprinkle him with sweet water but his reign and government over us we utterly despise and hate and prefer a sordid lust far before him CHAP. XXXII The Danger of this Sinne. § 1 4. THe fourth thing expounded was the danger of this sinne He eats and drinks judgement to himself if he be a godly man that eats and drinks unworthily or haply also damnation if he be an hypocrite for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may respectively extend to both A strange phrase it is to eat and drink judgement but it is allusive and per mimesin as sure as he eats of the Bread and drinks of the Cup unworthily so sure is judgement to follow thereupon or to accompany it for he eats judgement but it is to himself not to others except they be partakers in his sinne which may be divers ways So as we have reason to insert in all our prayers Lord forgive our nostra aliena our other mens sins but without partnership in the sinne we need not fear share in the judgement He eats it to himself and therefore that argument of the Donatist which is rise now a dayes Si corruptis sociaris c. If you be joyned with wicked men how can you be clean If you pray with them hear with them receive the Sacrament with them was answer'd by Austin True saith he if we be joyned but that is not in bodily presence locally but by consent or allowance and so we are no more joyn'd then Christ and the Apostles were joyn'd with Judas at the Passeover or Supper who I believe was not defiled by his presence as neither were those guests that came in to the marriage by the presence of him that had no wedding garment It 's true example may defile by contagion and infection but allowance and consent defiles by accessarinesse unto the sin §. 2. The Application § 2 How precious an Ordinance is this Supper and yet how dangerous There is life and death set before you It 's on one side a refreshing cloud on the other a flaming fire so by the same water and way were the Israelites saved and the Aegypians attempting the like were drown'd Thus Christ also is a precious stone to believers a stumbling and a crushing stone to unbelievers and the Word is a savour of life and a savour of death Some mens eyes are open'd by it and some are shut The same Ark is to Israel a glory to the Philistims a scourge Here is honey in the same rose to the Bee and poyson to the Spider and it is according as you eat and drink worthily or unworthily We reade in Scripture that when people cried to Christ for cure usually he put it upon their faith According to your faith and If thou canst believe and we never reade of any one that cried that he was put by for want of faith for if they gave never so little account Lord I believe help my unbelief it was accepted The benefit of this Ordinance is according to your Faith Repentance and if you can give but any account of them to God you may drink Christ out of this Rock but if you be in sinnes of love and delight and come in your wickednesse you take the Sword by the point not by the haft and you shall smart for your presumption Secondly The horrible thunder of the Apostle in this place is not to deterre but to prepare Communicants An humble soul is affrighted with the terrour and dare not draw nigh this fiery Mount but it is not spoken to affright from the Sacrament but to enforce a due preparation When the destroying Angel rode his circuit the Israelites lay secure within the line of bloud This bloud here offer'd will protect thee from this condemnation threatned if thou flie to it But Thirdly The ignorant that are without knowledge and the scandalous without repentance who are by the common vote of men excepted against as unfit Communicants they may know that this is a dreadfull eating and drinking which is accompanied with such a guiltinesse and wiâ—h such judgement and yet this fiery Sword will not keep them off they will be rushing in to this Tree of Life It is not envy malice or partiality but it is charity to entreat you not to lust so eagerly after those Quails which while they are in your mouths the wrath of God is like to fall upon you both of you have marks enough of condemnation upon you Desire not to adde more be sure the King will survey and view his guests you cannot scape in the croud What if you be taken from the Table and cast into utter darknesse It concernes me to give you warning If you take the Allarme and first labour for knowledge and seeke repentance by the means appointed to beget them and to beget you unto God Well If not then it concernes the Church to shew you mercy in making stay of you from falling into the fire For Fourthly The eating and drinking of the Lords Bread and the Lords Cup unworthily is a sinne dangerous to Common-wealths and Churches for it brings judgement Epidemick judgement so it did upon this Church of Corinth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this caUse many among you are sick and die Haply they had some common and mortall sicknesse or mortality and knew not the caUse of it Happy we if we knew the particular caUse of Gods angry visitations sinne in the generall we acknowledge but we owne not our particular
some check for a man is to examine himself concerning his fitnesse and if he eats unworthily he eats damnation or judgement to himself and therefore a private member hath here no call or warrant to examine the fitnesse of others nor do they that are unworthy eat judgement to him but to themselves But of this I have already spoken at large §. 7. Of the Ministers or Elderships examining Communicants before Admittance § 7 I know you will ask me what I say to that examination of men and women competents or candidates of this Sacrament which hath been Observed in your Congregations of later time for the exploration only of their competency of knowledge in order to their Admission to the Lords Table I professe my hearty sorrow for the rents and discontents which have ensued not will I stand up to justifie any scandalous procedure which hath armed any man with argument or indignation but shall clearly without any fraud or prevarication declare my opinion upon the thing it self 1. I do not enforce it upon this Text which doth not intend an Examination meerly by propounding Questions but a finding out of our spiritual estate and of that whole fitnesse and meetnesse required of us in order to our accesse to the Lords Table That in question was an exploration by Question touching knowledge competent or sufficient This in the Text is required before every Sacrament that but once in order to first Admission and therefore as I prove it not by this Text so I must needs say it is not disproved by it And therefore they that infer from hence against all Examination by others must necessarily destroy all catechizing whether by parents masters or others which cannot be Every man is bound to examine himself but not bound from examining others that are under his charge for then he should be bound from his duty and therefore it holds not negatively that no man may examine another and so both parts may let this Text rest 2. The Church of Christ did never hold her self unconcerned in the admittance of members into her society In the primitive Churches when men of years came in unto the Church from Idolatry and Heathenism they passed a severe test and were catechized a long time before they became competents for Baptism and at their Baptism had Questions propounded and by them answer'd as touching their faith and purpose of life and having past the test then it was needlesse at the Supper except they fell into grosse sin but that case and ours is different when all are baptized in infancy and therefore must be catechized and instructed in the fundamentals of Religion and have the test of the Church before they come to the Lords Table or else never 3. Therefore in all Gospel Churches we may find footsteps of this exploration look into the Romish and Popish way they have auricular Concession which is a mixture of tyranny and superstition but the people must pass this test which did not they ignorantly take for an easie way of pardon of sin they would be sensible of as extream slavery and it 's Paraeus his Observation That this Confession was of old instituted ad hanc probationem for this trial or probation of mens fitness to this Sacrament The Lutherans have such a way of Examination and Confession too as Chemnitius confesses And the Augustan Confession as Bellarmine notes is plain for it Nulli admittuntur nisi prius explerati And so in England it was ordered That no man should be admitted that had not learnt his Catechism c. I do not bring these instances to any end but to cry down the ignorant opinion of novelty and strangeness For if we in England had followed our own Rule it had not been such a stranger as it now seems 4. The intent and end of this Examination in question was partly that thereby the Church might know her own members and their due qualifications partly that there might be a help to prepare and put into the way such as could not examine themselves For if the Church should afford her Communion to all at all adventures to what scandal and contempt should she prostitute her self and the Ordinance there would be no wisdom in making her Communion like that of a common Inn where known and unknown are all alike Nor would there be charity to suffer blind folks to run into an open pit and rush on the sword-point You may Observe how willingly a patient will answer a Physician Questioning him about his bodily estate And a clyent his counsellour Questioning him about his title or caUse becaUse both are in order to advise and help of them that cannot help themselves and such is this if it were so well interpreted but misrepresentation and prejudice judges otherwise for men look upon it as a dominion over their faith not a help to their weakness especially if they see a distance kept and authority assumed They look upon it as an arraignment and take themselves to come to a Bar or Tribunal to be examined upon delinquency which kinde of distances I like not in such a business as tends to society and communion where poor and rich are all one in Christ Jesus And if any man through mistake have conceived That this doth but set up a Tribunal upon him to dive into his bReast to extort his secrets like an auricular concession I blame him not of his backwardness to appear for so should I for I abhor both that tyranny and that superstition but if no more be but that the Church would know my faith or help my ignorance I see not but I may conclude with Mr Hooker a man I know of reverence with you in his fifth book of Ecclesiastical Polity when in answer to Mr Cartwright upon this point hath these words The Examination of Communicants when need requireth for the profitable Use it may have in such cases we reject not And so Paraeus Examen publicum aut privatum non respuimus 1 Cor. 11. modo absit so as tyranny and superstition be kept out Give me leave upon those words of Mr Hooker to infer and say 1. To them that ask for a direct precept or injunction for this in the New Testament I answer That 't is a point of order not of faith It 's of profitable Use saith Hooker not of absolute necessity for then I must be examin'd too and it would extend to all the world as well as us and yet you exact it not at Ministers hands nor men of known sufficiency Therefore it 's not of absolute necessity but of order I mean not of necessity to worthy receivers 3. In some cases profitable and I must tell you we were in a singular and particular case here in England for you know men and women had been by Law compell'd to receive the Sacrament so oft in a year which compulsion to discover Recusancy with the neglect of catechizing brought in a world of people