Religion But where this hope is you usually see how ready men are to speak of the Grace of God to Friend and Neighbour why not to a Church or its Officers that may bring their Relation to the Church You see how naturally in our discourse but now you fell into this when I took but occasion to ask how you came so suddenly in love with the Lord Jesus Christ you gave me a very full account of the Grace of God towards your Soul Phil. Why is it no more than such a poor account as I gave you but now alas I could have said a great deal more concerning Gods wonderful gracious dealings with me but that I hasted to this discourse with you about Gospel Church and Order which I have long wished for I had thought your members must have prepared some set speech in such exact form and manner as some men can do But alas how many good honest Christians cannot express themselves but they can tell you in their plain way of speaking what they were Drunkards Lyars Scoffers Debauched Adulterers Blasphemers c. And one will say God cast me down under the sence of sin by awakening my Conscience by such a Word or such a Providence and I began to think how I was in hastning to eternal destruction he will tell of the great struglings he had with Satan the World and his Company to hold him fast in his sinful ways he will tell you what good tidings to him the Revelation of the Free Grace and Love of God to Sinners was And how thereby his Heart was drawn forth to Faith in his blood and obedience to all his commands he will tell you the Sermon and places of Scripture some at least of the most remarkable which were made most effectual for his Souls benefit and advantage If this be all you stand upon I think none that hath tasted that the Lord is gracious will make any scruple of it As for my own part I could be willing to make it my frequent discourse to any faithful Friend in Christ to declare to him what God hath done for my Soul and should look upon it as the best entertainment he could give me to hear the like from him And I know not why any one should question the doing it to a Church of Christ where so many faithful ones labour under the sence of their own sins and weaknesses as well as a mans self Christ I find bashfulness is a great hindrance to many in some especially Women it is from their Sex and the natural temper of many of both Sex there is no remedy for them but to pray against it and for Church Officers to deal with them in all Tenderness and Condescention supposing still that there is much of the Grace of God and sence of Sin in them which is not expressed by what shews it self Again others are ashamed some upon this account viz. to tell the World how wicked and vile they have been others afraid they shall be rejected and that would be a great disgrace to them As to the first sort I say Churches do not stand upon this that every one should particularize the individual Sin that he hath committed it may be some of an heinous and enormous nature it is enough that he specifies the sence of the greatness of the sins he lived in in General unless he finds it for the honour of God and the good of others to declare what a wicked wretch in this or that kind he hath been which the world and his acquaintance knows as well as he and in that respect it is necessary for the honour of God and Paul did so that great Apostle I was a Persecutor c. And how often doth he aggravate his sin and magnifie the rich Grace of God that called and saved him That great notorious sin of his known to all he declares often to the Churches and others Then as to the declaring our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his great and precious Promises there is no reason any should be ashamed of it unless a man be ashamed the World should know he is willing to be saved and not eternally perish Rom. 10.10 11. The Apostle anticipates this Objection when he saith with the Heart man Believes and with the Tongue Confession i. e. of that Faith is made unto Salvation it immediately follows for the Scripture saith He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed i. e. To confess with his Mouth what he believeth in his Heart As for Confession of particular secret sins it is not expected by the Churches they have no such custom to require it but leave it to the wicked practice of the Romish Priests in Auricular Confession Phil. You have given very good satisfaction in this point for I have heard many that are not acquainted with the way of your Churches object this very strenuously as if your Ministers took upon them the practice of those Wicked Varlots who make Confession a stratagem to creep into acquaintance with mens secrets for their own advantage But I would have you answer the other objection that many are afraid they shall be rejected and I will tell you too many are loath to bewray their own ignorance and unacquaintedness with the things of God Christ As for such who fear they shall be rejected they are of two sorts 1. Such as are lifted up in themselves and put on Religion more for the applause of it than for the love of it these have not learned Christ for they know not how to deny themselves and therefore it 's better they stay off than offer themselves till their Hearts be enclined to love Christ and his commands more than the applause of men And these have usually one of these reasons for their fears first Either that they have lived in some known scandalous sins that they cannot give any sufficient grounds to others to believe they have thorowly repented of by a manifest Reformation and such had better forbear offering themselves till their Friends and Acquaintance observe some evident change in them Or it is by reason they fear as you say they shall bewray their Ignorance in the things of God if that be the reason it is much better for them to discover their Ignorance than to remain in it being the enquiries upon this account into mens Knowledge it is only in the great and weighty points of the Gospel without acquaintance with which a man cannot believe unto Salvation by Jesus Christ Besides what danger is there of publick disgrace If the way of the Churches be known no unprejudiced Christian can think there is any for if a man offer himself to joyn to a particular Congregation he goeth to the Pastor or Elder and acquaints him with his desire who will if he think there be reason first enquire of his knowledge in some great fundamental points wherein finding him grosly defective he gives him Information and desires him frequently
that joyns to the Church doth primarily and professedly joyn themselves to the Lord in Church Communion And the immediate declared event of this Exhortation of Barnabas was that they joyned to the Lord in Church fellowship and became a Church ver 26. See also Act. 16.5 2. It appears to be the duty of every Believer to joyn himself to a particular Church from the Nature of Conversion it is the turning the whole man unto God in all the ways and appointments of Christ wherein he is to be found but Church fellowship is a Divine Institution where God is to be found joyned with and submitted unto as is abundantly manifest from the currant of the Old and New Testament This seems to be the meaning of the Apostle when he doth beseech the Romans ch 12.1 by the Mercies of God to present their Bodies i. e. their Persons to give up their Persons by presenting them to or before the Lord viz. in Church Communion a living Sacrifice of thanksgiving Holy and Acceptable unto God which is your reasonable worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be rendred your word service or worship the word is used for the Word of God 1 Pet. 2. Or a service of Words As new born babes desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere Word the Milk or Milk of Word So that the Exhortation of the Apostle seems to be made to Believers to devote and dedicate themselves unto the Lord in Church fellowship by a Covenant or Obligation of Words being called their service of Words viz. their explicate word the Presentment or Devotement of themselves unto the Lord according to Hos 14.2 This Dedication or Devotement is lively signified in Baptism wherein every Believer doth federally oblige himself to Father Son and Holy Ghost and thereby doth both bind himself to joyn unto the Lord in professed Subjection to all his Ordinances and doth shew it Sign and Seal it before the Lord. And every adult one that professeth himself baptized and doth not actually joyn himself unto the Lord in Church fellowship doth practically deny his Baptismal Dedication wherein he is devoted to be a living i. e. visible lively Sacrifice of thanksgiving in his Person and all his performances unto the Lord. 3. That Believer that joyns not himself in Church Society falls short of many great ends of his professed high and holy Vocation for we are called according to Gods purpose of Grace to be a choice Generation a Royal Priesthood a People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for a peculiarity i. e. unto God for his special visible service to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices of a true Gospel Nature acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ ver 5. Wherein the Virtues of Christ are shewed forth or declared ver 9. Not only perceived in our selves but shewed forth in Practice and Profession and this is or can be no way so much as in Gospel instituted worship wherein a Believer comes unto and is built up in the Lord Jesus Christ as a living Stone The great reason of squaring a stone is to be laid in the building as the end of squaring the Stones in Mount Lebanon was to lay them in Solomons Temple a Type of a Visible Gospel Church Such I doubt not but the Holy Ghost means by the Apostle Peter saying Ye as lively Stones are built a spiritual House ver 5. and so the Apostle Paul Eph. 2.20 21. Again the Lord Jesus doth declaredly design that Believers should be visibly separated from the World to come out in the way of Gospel Communion from all unclean things and Persons 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. From all Heathenish Antichristian or false unwarranted worship and from Communion with professed Vnbelievers and enter into a solemn explicite Covenant with the Lord without doing of which they answer not the end of their calling in Christ Lastly our Calling is not only to be the Lords singly but conjunctly with the Saints and redeemed ones to a mystical Relation to Christ in a Community of the Elect and called ones which is answered by us as in our inward and spiritual so by our external and visible joyning our selves to the Society of the faithful to serve the Lord in one Body with them for we are called to the Peace of God that rules in our Hearts in one body Col. 3.15 i. e. with other Saints and Believers and therefore are to walk worthy as it becometh this vocation not only as to Moral Duties but instituted worship Eph. 4.1 c. Phil. 1.26 Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ and this in our Order and stedfastness of our Faith in Christ Col. 2.5 4. There are Duties to be performed by every Believer by Virtue of his Relation to Christ as such which cannot be done but in a way of Church Communion for he is obliged to observe what ever Christ hath commanded Mat. 28.20 And how great things hath Christ required to be observed in a way of Church Communion as the exercise of Brotherly love Heb. 13.1.1 Joh. 3.11 And he there refers to our Saviours express command Joh. 13.34 The Obedience to which lyes in the sensible Expression thereof as it appears by what follows Hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one for another i. e. In outward visible acts And the Apostle speaks of the â—ommunion of Love fellowship of the Spirit Bowels of Mercy sameness of Mind c. Phil. 2.1 2 3. Love is a Grace that gives Life to all acts of Communion it flouâ—isheth and branches it self in the most lively manner in a Society and Societies are for the sake of it Destroy love and not only the ends but the very bond and Life of a Society comes to nothing There are great commands of Christ that we are not capable of obeying him in but in Church Communion As frequent assembling together provoking one another to love and good works Heb. 10.24 The remembrance of the Lords Death frequently in the Lords Supper And this is to be observed in a Body or Society of Believers See 1 Cor. 10.16 17. I might instance also in all Duties that concern brotherly watch Pastoral watch each Officers duties by their respective places and Members to them all Discipline actively or passively considered Christs Church Institution Ordinances and Statutes are those which are principally intended by David Psal 119. And such were those that Zechary and Elizabeth walked in blameless Luk. 1.6 5. Every one that supposeth himself in a state of Grace should use all endeavours required by Christ and means instituted by him for growth in Grace Now that Church fellowship and Ordinances are instituted by Christ for growth in Grace I think no sound Christian will go about to deny Believers are exhorted or commanded to grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 And that Churches and their Officers and Ordinances are appointed for that end which we are to abide stedfast in the use of
your genius Phil. Say you so I will be so bold with you then as to start some matter for our discourse which may be of use to me and it is that which I have been just now meditating on when walking by my self and I can't tell what is the matter with me there may be something of God in it my mind for some months since hath been much running on such things My Friend I am thinking about a Church of Christ whether or no Christ instituted any or whether there be any Visible Church but what is established by the Laws of Men our Parson stands very stifly on this latter Opinion and truly to give him his due though a while ago he seemed a little of a Persecuting spirit which I always chid him for he is a learned man a good Divine an eloquent Preacher and indeed an indifferent good liver unless now and then in some company he may drink a glass of Wine too much which a good man may do Indeed he was upon this Point Sunday last and I am thinking he did not give sufficient Scripture ground to prove what he said Christ Sir I am not a little startled at this humour of yours you know how often you have been moved to great passion upon my starting Disputes upon that Point and that you looked upon things of this nature how clearly soever proved from Scripture to have as little certainty in them as you do the Interpretation of Prophecies now Phil. It 's too true indeed what you say of me and I thank you for it but Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit it may be God is fixing my heart to a more serious and impartial consideration of these things from which two things hindered me 1. A rooted prejudice took in from the University and daily company especially with them of the Gown of both sorts against these things 2. Worldly Interest I did not dare to suffer my mind and conscience to be overcome by the light of some Truths lest they should so far prevail as to prejudice my Estate and Reputation among the leading men of the times I shall speak two words which shall introduce you with chearfulness into this discourse 1. In our former converses about these things although I usually as you know the manner is for discourse sake gave you much opposition yet there were many Arguments which you used pinched me very hard and although I seemed to blow them off with little regard yet they stuck in my mind afterward and now recur with no small evidence and demonstration especially such as flowed so clearly from Scripture as I know there were many tho' I made as if I would not see it And I have had a great veneration for Scripture and I have often thought that it must be the standard for our Religion whatever men say else we must turn Papists or Mahometans And there was one place among the rest which you pressed upon me for strictness of walking according to Gospel Rules in the service of Christ Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatever I command you From this place I have had many checks of conscience in reading over the Books of the New Testament in the course I observe in my family seeing so many things commanded by Christ which I take no regard to especially in Gospel Instituted Worship and I have thought that sure Christ commands Believers much more than meer Morality which made me to question my true friendship to Christ and that I was not carried forth in the practice of that little Religion which I pretend to from a right principle but from carnal and did but what a meer prudential moral man might do viz. to attain to a little seeming negative Holiness and seeing upon examination I find the fruit no better I question the goodness of the Tree Indeed I pleased my self that I was not of a persecuting spirit and now I find this came from the natural constitution God hath given me I was always of a compassionate nature hating cruelty Likewise I took up from the Gospel a Moral Rule to do as I would be done by now in all this I find there was nothing but nature and meer morality not any thing of grace here now I finding my self meerly natural I see the reason why all the mysteries of faith and order the commands of God in the Gospel were meer foolishness to me And I manifested a love to you and others of your perswasion because you were always the fairest and honestest sort of men to deal with except here and there an Hypocritical knave Such will be found among the strictest Professors in this world though I often had my mouth stopped when your inveterate Enemies condemned all and your very Religion it self for your sakes Besides I did love you because I saw you good Commonwealths men for the most part asserted our Civil Liberties as well as Spiritual And lastly as I may tell you I had no little condemnation in my conscience by observing the conversation of some of you and looked upon it as some kind of expiation for my extravagancies and compliances and so a palliate cure of my stinging conscience to shew as much countenance to you as could well stand with my circumstances And I was willing to have a general reputation among all Parties for a good honest prudent Gentleman of a religious inclination though differing in some smaller matters and sometimes carried away by a sort of men to those practices I approved not of but could not well avoid and you know I was never no swearer nor did ever care for healths and seldom out of the way by a glass of Wine more than ordinary Christ Sir I am sure now you speak like a very honest Gentleman indeed I have often heard your discourse with delight but never with so much complacency as now you have by this got my very heart for I hope you are through grace raised to a better savour and truer relish of spiritual things than ever I perceived in you Phil. I wish that be true God grant that through his rich grace it may be so I will add a word more concerning my state in grace by and by but let me first mention the other thing to induce you to proceed in answering my desire and it is this I am now willing candidly to enquire into your way of Worship that which you call Gospel Order and to lay aside all wrangling disputes and prejudices and take things calmly and with a sincere impartial attention that so I may have the clearest information that may be of the true mind and will of Christ for now I see it is to no purpose to serve Christ in a way that he never revealed or appointed such services I am convinced are neither acceptable to him nor profitable to us therefore our gracious and wise Lord tells the corrupt worshippers of his day In vain do ye worship me teaching for
Wine poured out signifie the Body and Soul sufferings of the Lord Christ they are exhibited in this Ordinance in a lively manner to our thankful remembrance of Gods and Christs love to us therefore by the ancients called the Eucharist 2. Hereby our acts of Faith are renewed and our Faith greatly strengthned in the love of God to us in the Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ for us in his Death and Suffering for our present Justification and Sanctification and Future Glory 3. It is a sign and Seal of our Union to and Communion with the Lord Jesus Christ and to one another our Communion together by a common participation of Christ our Head in his personal Excellencies and mystical Communications as also our Communion in him one with another as a mystical and visible Politick Body 4. It is a visible Testimony and Profession of our mutual love and Obligations therein as members one of another 5. There is a sweet Communion in each others Gifts and Graces in order to edification and growth in Grace Phil. To what Church Officer doth the administration of this Ordinance appertain Christ It appertains to the Pastoral teaching Office for the Seals are teaching Ceremonies by way of Instruction unto us for increase in Faith and Love and by way of Consolation and Confirmation in our right to Covenant Benefits and Priviledges And hence it belongs primarily to the Pastor that is principally called to the whole Office of feeding the flock for Christ the great Pastor first administred it And secondarily to the Teacher who is called to bear a share with him in his Teaching work which is feeding the flock with wholesome Doctrine and administring such instituted signs and seals as tends to the Confirmation thereof unto their Souls and Consciences and therefore where there is actually Pastor and Teacher it may for the ease of the Pastor that part of this Labour may be born by the Teacher as well as that of teaching And in case of the Death of the Pastor the whole pastoral charge as to Teaching and Administring falls upon the Teacher unless the Church think meet to choose another Pastor Phil. But I pray what do you think of the practice of our Minister and if I mistake not some Non-conformists use it still viz. for the Administrator or Administrators for I have known several at the same time in one Congregation to go about from Person to Person and deliver the Bread and Wine into the hand of each repeating as oft the Words of institution Take eat c. Take drink c. Christ I take it to be an unscriptural usage for Luke 22.17 Christ said Take this and divide it among your selves And if it be said that is spoken of the Passover Cup it makes not against us for in the same manner as that Cup went about did also the Bread and Wine that followed And we have no ground to suppose that he delivered the Bread with the Words This is my Body take eat nor the Wine c. any more than once Again it 's plain that this practice came from Rome from that blasphemous Heresie of theirs that the Bread is the very Body of Christ after Consecration of the Priest and therefore not to be touched by the Communicant but put into his Mouth by the supposed sacred Hands of the Priest Therefore it hath the same Idolatrous Original as Kneeling in receiving hath nourisheth much vain Superstition in the people makes the Ordinance most tedious and troublesome if not too Comical Phil. You mention Kneeling methinks that seems to be a comely gesture enough in so solemn and sacred an Ordinance though I confess I am not for imposing of it Christ I need not tell you the reason and ground of that Innovation viz. From the Idolatrous worshiping the Bread And I need not tell you that the posture in receiving was not so from the beginning but after the eastern manner of sitting at a Feast It is not proper or comely to kneel at a Feast which is for a sociable rejoycing Kneeling is a posture of prostration in Prayer but this is a distinct Ordinance from Prayer though it be blessed by Prayer The Prayer is over when the Element is distributed and then our business is not to pray but to feed in a Feasting Sacramental and Spiritual manner Neither is the practice of some Communicants to be commended who after the Element is blessed by the Prayers of the Congregation betake themselves to their particular private prayers before they eat or drink it 's a new Consecration as if the Element were not sufficiently consecrated Or as if they were to receive in an act of Prayer Whereas now they are to receive their spiritual food to the satisfaction of their hungring and thirsting Souls with rejoycing and gladness of Heart making it the Bread of Consolation and cup of Salvation praising the Name of the Lord. The Nature of receiving clearly appears from this that it is a Feast of Remembrance and therein for spiritual Repast Nourishment and Consolation and it appears in that the distribution of the last Element ends with a Psalm or Hymn of praise before we arise from the Table and therefore to be performed in the same posture we were in when we received the Cup and we use not a kneeling posture in singing Phil. I have read many considerable Arguments indeed against this posture in receiving which gives ground to suspect there is too much of Superstition in it and that it was derived from Rome but I have not before considered what you say of its great disagreement to the very Nature of the Ordinance the Act of receiving being a distinct duty from praying and therefore I believe many that profess to more Knowledge in these things than I do do they know not what in betaking themselves to private Prayers when they should be exercised after another manner and so do unduly mix one Ordinance with another or thrust out one spiritual duty by another I am glad you mention it to me I hope it will be matter of good instruction to me in my practice for the future Christ I am glad to find your Heart so moulded by the Grace of God that you are ready to receive the impression of Truth It was otherwise not long ago Phil. I think the next Head of Church Ordinances which you mentioned were the Keys I pray speak to them Christ. By Keys I mean Church power of opening and shutting It is a Scripture Word but Metaphorical A Key is used in respect of spiritual Knowledge or in respect of Power In respect of Knowledge Luke 11.52 In this respect Peter had the Key of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to him as an Apostle as is spoken by our Saviour Mat. 16.19 Being the first Apostle instructed by God to open the door for preaching the Gospel unto the Gentiles Act. 10. But this Key tho' first turned in exercise by Peter was given to the rest of the