and people together These ought to be distinctly considered and not confounded as too usually they are 1. The Minister are exercised herein by the power of Order which enables them to take cognizance of their capable or uncapable subjects of any of their administrations as in reference to the reproof and admonition of scorners so epecially in reference to the Sacrament especially where there is no governing Church which might over-sway their particular judgements of discretion And they are to bind and retain sins not onely by preaching the Word and denouncing the judgements of God against such as walk in wicked courses indefinitely Matth. 16.19 John 20.23 but also by with-holding the sacramentall pledges of Gods favour so far as concerns their office and administration thereof from such as are manifestly and notoriously impenitent though not yet declared obstinate in such gross wickedness And much more are they to deny the Sacrament to them who are by Ecclesiasticall juridicall procedure manifested to be obstinate in such scandalous prophanenesse this is included in though not the whole of those texts directed to the Apostles and Ministers Matth. 18.17 18. Titus 3.10 being compared with other Scriptures which authorize them to administer the Sacraments onely to obedientiall believers of which we must treat beneath and therefore do inhibit their administring to any other Of this excommunication I suppose they especially speak who sometimes deseribe it with reference onely to a withdrawing from sacramentall communion So Camero in one of his Epistles inter opuscula mifcellanea pag. mihi 532. col 2. thus speaks Haec una est legitima excommunicatio quare sic definâ—o Excommunicatio est sententia peecatori impenitentiam profitenti vel reipsâ vel etiam verbo denuncians peecata ejus non esse remissa proindeque abstinendum esse illi sacramentorum usu quae sigilla sunt remissionis peccatorum And Calvia hath a passage to the like purpose in his 278 Epistle Qui suspensi à sacra coena protervè judicium Ecclesiae respuunt declarant se extraneos ac proinde nihil senioribus restare video nisi ut Magistatum exslimulent ad cos durius coercendos nam in poenis Ecclesiasticis ultima est excommunicatio On this account I suppose it is that Chrysostome so much and vehemently warns Ministers that they admit not such as they know to be under gross wickedness to the Lords Table Chrysostom Hom. 60. ad populum Antiochenum de sumentibus indigne divina sancta mysteria Let no cruel no unmercifull no impure one any way approach Haec tam ad vos qui communieatis quam ad vos qui ministratis dicta esse volo No small punishment hangs over your heads if yee suffer any one to partake of this Table whom you know under wickedness For his blood shall be required at your hands If a Captain if the Consull himself if he who hath the Diadem approach unworthily do thou hinder and restrain him This he amplifies by one having the charge of keeping a Well clean And a little after the same Father adds But thou wilt say How shall I know this or that man what he is I dispute not what sins are unknown but what are known Dico horribile quoddam atque tremendum non est ita malum demoniacos intus esse sicut istos qui peccatorum sordibus polluuntur Illud enim pessimum est sicut Paulus ait Christum conculcare Testamenti sanguinem ducere communem spiritus gratiam contemnere Multo igitur Demoniaco pejor est qui petccati sibi conscius accedit Let us therefore exclude all whom we see come unworthily c. And that speech of Chrysostome is known sufficiently I will sooner give my life then the Lords body to one unworthily And I will sooner endure my blood to be spilt then I will allow that most holy blood to any but the worthy So also in Cyprians time to give or deny the communion was all one as to give or deny the Churches peace See his Epistle 54. Cyprianus Liberalis Caldonius c. Cornelio fratri § 9. 2. Private Christians in the Church wherein also are included the officers considered in their private capacity common to them with other members are concerned and exercised in excommunication or withdrawing communion For to them as such seem those instructive directions and precepts to belong 2 Thess 3.6 14. Rom. 16.17.3 Ioh. verse 10.11 to withdraw from and avoyd and not entertain some notorious offenders yea and that whether these offenders are censured and declared to be such by the governing Church or no. Indeed it is most orderly that the Guides and Officers go before and direct the people concerning such as are to be avoyded yet are not the people excused in their neglect of withdrawing communion in their places and stations viz. as to private encouraging intimate communion from notorious obstinate offenders although their spirituall Governors enjoyn them not this withdrawing from the foresaid obstinate notorious offenders For these Scriptures do absolutely command this withdrawing and give no such dispensation to the people in case of the negligence of their guides And when the people follow the injunctions of their Officers herein as being thereby and therewith satisfied concerning the obstinate wickednesse of such particular offenders they do close therewith not meerly because the governing Church requires this for then they should be bound so to withdraw from any whom their leaders may warn them to avoyd but especially because they are satisfied in their opinion of the integrities and abilities of their guides or by their personal knowledge of the parties censured or by some other way that these particular persons whom they are warned to avoyd are such as the Scripture commands them to withdraw their foresaid intimate and encouraging communion from 3. The Officers and people of the Church conjunctly are to withdraw communion from some offenders For to them as together the Directions for this purpose are prescribed 1 Cor. 5.1 2 4 5 7 13. When the Church is met together Whether it refer to any parricular congregation met among the Corinthians or to a classicall meeting of sundry congregations comes to one pass as to the present point For in a classicall Church-meeting there are as there were in that Synod Acts 15.2 22 23 besides the Ministers others of the brethren delegates from the rest and therefore representatives of their whole congregations respectively with respect to the transaction of a withdrawing by these excommunication is thus described as Aretius hath it Problem Theol. de Excommunicatione Excommunicatio est alicujus prosessi religionem nostam à consortio fidelium in sacris prophanis rebus exclusio facta in nomine virtute Christi per ordinarios Ecclesiae ministros consentiente reliquâ Ecclesiâ facta emendandi peccatoris causa ad liberandum à contagione peccati Ecclesiam And thus in Cyprians time it 's manifest great respect was
be censured for this my presumption in dissenting from the common interpretation of several Scriptures and asserting some things against the judgement of many or most Divines and godly Christians c. Assault Humphreys and Timson crys Mr. W. p. 48. The men like Ingenuous Worthyes appeare in print c. It s pitty that such a learned and ingenuous Divine as Mr. Humphreys appeares to be should be yoakt so unsutably with Mr. Timson Mr. Humphreys wants not assaulting Mr. Timson as to our controversie will not I thinke deserve an assault untill now in his publique capacity Mr. W. intimates he gaine the repute of lesse arrogance and more learning than his former writings so far as they reach our case have discovered If such a man as Mr Humphreys will pick out that which lookes as considerable in this controversie in Timson it would sooner be answered But I wonder not Mr. W. and Timson so well agree For they are both good at provoking words and it s a jolly Champion whose name Mr. W. hath mentioned 26 times I take it in his booke When I have little els to doe I may perhaps answer him as Mr. W. challengeth mee But I hope to be better imployed And the truth is I agree with him and Mr. Humphreys in so many things they treat of for substance that the service of answering them is not so proper for me as their peculiar Antagonists But see what an answer this is Timson is against Elders Ergo there 's no consequence from the suspension of word rejecters of Christ to the suspension of deed-rejecters of Christ Sampsons new withes will not tye these together This is to dispute at a low rate indeed §. 4. 3. To his third I say 1. Our question was not whether open scandalous and presumptuous offenders in the Church are to be punished by the discipline of the Church I wonder he hath the face to say it was and tell the Reader so who hath the Question stated before him otherwise But whether any of these might be debarred the Sacrament though not fully excommunicated Therefore Mr. W. his debate here is not only impertinent to the present argumentation he pretends to answer to but also to the whole controversie in hand 2. His odious Insinuations of every Parish Priest after his own humour using partiality with the rest of that riff raff have been answered before 3. But that which ad ravim usque he talkes on is suspending for non-submission to Examination and that of persons otherwise judicious and of good example Our Question was whether for any cause any might be suspended not for what causes Yet this Digression I intend to say somewhat to when it comes among the Digressions at the latter end to which I refer it 4. If it were not fit the correcting discipline should lye in the hands he excepts against because of their cohabitation with them who should be corrected which may cause partiality then the Corinthian Officers should not have had in their hands the correcting discipline wherewith to censure the Incestuous person because forsooth he was among them and they might if Mr. W. had been their prompter have evaded the Apostles objurgation for neglect of disciplining him and have said It was not fit for us who live with him to censure him some body els more remote who might be presumed more impartial should have taken him in hand And belike the same Reason would as well perswade Justices of peace that it s not fit for them to take cognizance of offences among their neighbours they are fit to minister Justice to those who are remote from them not to them who cohabite with them in the same Hundred or Parish And yet though Mr. W. talkes thus consideratly as he saith himselfe p. 103. yet a while agoe he seemed to have a better mind to exercise discipline among his neighbours if the State would enough assist him therein For said he p. 90. we have ordinary cases enough in being for the full exercise of Ecclesiastical discipline had we power from the Christian Magistrate to convent offenders before us authoritatively and to inflict punishments upon them after their legal conviction according to the quality of their crimes and should not rather be a ludibrium to bold offenders then any way reform them To the former part whereof I answer Did he never see the Ordinance of Lords and Commons of March 29 1648. entituled The Form of Church Government to be used in the Church of England and Ireland agreed upon by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament after advice had with the Assembly of Divines Is that but a toleration or was it ever repealed But some Ministers and others pretend ignorance of such an Ordinance and wonder when it s shewed them and well they may that they should no more regard the affaires of the Church Others have pretended It was but an Ordinance and therefore not valid after the dissolution of the Parliament who made it and yet in the meane time have sued for their tithes upon an Ordinance built upon the same Authority To the latter part I returne Cyprians answer Epist. 55. ad Cornelium Quod si ita res est frater charissime ut nequissimorum timeatur audacia quod mali jure atque aequitate non possunt temeritate ac desperatione perficiant actum est de Episcopatus vigore de ecclesiae gubernandae sublimi ac divinâ potestate nec Christiani ultrâ aut durare aut esse jam possumus si ad hoc ventum est ut perditorum minas atque infidias pertimescamus And after Non id circo frater charissime relinquenda est ecclesiastica disciplina aut sacerdotalis solvenda censura quoniam convitijs infestamu◠aut terroribus quatimur c. §. 5. To his fourth I answer It s most of it answered in what was lately mentioned whereby it appeares if Ministers were not the greatest hinderers of Church Order they might see that presbyterated Churches have power from the State authoritatively to send for offenders yea to give Oath if need require But as long as the Magistrate doth not compel them to do their duty herein by depriving them of their maintenance for neglect hereof as well as for total neglect of preaching they cannot see sufficient authority for their acting herein That Question Mr. W. here propounds whether Parochial suspension with Classical power in being by toleration civil be an universal remedy against all the evils that belong to Ecclesiastical cognizance Lanswer negatively Who said it was But doth Mr. W. thence evince the consequence of my fore-recited argument to be invalid Good Reader Respice titulum Look to what Mr W. is answering to all along and then judge whether it was handsome he of many should have told the world how he feares my braines are almost marred as he doth p. 89. I am beholding to him for his care of me But I cannot desire he should be fo
should be denied to none who demand it on that account one mans humour being of as much validity as anothers and this will not weigh down the Disswasives from a private celebration before rehearsed And then again a sick mans desiring the Communion should be a sufficient reason for our private administring of the Lords Supper unto him in a private house where the Church hath not free accesse of which there is no footsteps that I know of in the holy Scriptures 3. Nor is the pretence of a custom to have feastings and entertainments which may not fitly be on the Lords day a sufficient reason for private baptism for that custom ought rather to be altered then the ten former inconveniences of private baptism should be admitted And it is altered easily in some places by the Ministers perswasion that they have their feastings on a week day where they are of ability to have them when the baptism is on the Lords day But it 's known experimentally that many invited to such entertainments in Country Villages do not use to come to the Church to be present at the baptism as making this the least part of their businesse at such a time And upon the same pretence last mentioned two or three perhaps more Lords daies or other opportunities for publique baptism are neglected till they be prepared for their dinnerings which I suppose is a fault in the Parents agreeable to what the fore-praised Zepperus in the Chapter mentioned quotes out of Augustine in his Sermon de immolat Isaac Rogo vos fratres ut quicunque filium aut vernaculum suum baptizari desiderat jam nunc Ecclesiae eum offerre non differat that phrase suits best to publique baptism Quia non est justum ut res quae tam magna tam praeclara creditur negligenter aut tardiùs quam expedit requiratur I now proceed to speak positively to the point under consideration by laying down this Rule 11 Private baptism then hath place when the case is such as the expediences thereof for the general good of the Church do over-weigh the fore-mentioned inconvenicies More particularly as 1. In the first gathering of a Church since they who are to be members thereof are to be solemnly made disciples by baptism there may be a necessity that some who are the first fruits of the place must be baptized privately for Church order supposeth a Church existing wherein it should be exercised and observed But where a Church is constituted there this hath no place 2. In times of persecution when there cannot be set solemn Assemblie◠but Christians as they may catch at an opportunity of convening It 's a greater inconvenience to the Church that Baptism should be omitted then that it should be celebrated privatly But I did not need to put in this case unlesse the persecution be raised against this Ordinance rather then preaching for as I have stated the Question baptism is not to be called private which is as publique as the ordinary preaching in the Church is at that time 3. A like case hereunto is that in times of grosse defection and Idolatry in the Church where this ordinance cannot be publiquely administred without superstitious or heretical mixtures as in Popish Countryes 4. There may possibly occurre some Instance wherein an eminent respect to Gods glory propagating the Gospel and the good of the Catholique Church may warrant private baptisme that being to be preferred to the advantages of a particular Congregation in some respects This I suppose was the case of the Eunuch to whom Philip was directed by the extraordinary dictate of the Spirit who being on his journey to his own remote Country was converted and then instantly baptized of whom Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history lib. 2. c. 1. according to Hanmers translation saith He was the first of the Gentiles which obtained of Philip the holy mysteries by the inspiration of the heavenly word he was made the first fruits of the faithfull throughout the world And as it is reported after his return unto his native soyle he preached the knowledge of the Universal God which giveth life unto men and the coming of our Saviour whereby the prophecy was fulfilled which said Aethiopia shall stretch her hand before unto God so he And so this instance falls also under the first case for private baptism That example of the Jaylors baptism and his houshold comes under the first and second case that being a time of persecution and Paul and Silas then imprisoned and knew not when they might hope to be released much lesse when they should have an opportunity of assembling the Church in that neighbourhood And it s not altogether improbable that many other Christian prisoners might be there and then there might be a solemn assembly agreeable to the allowance of those troublesome times What other cases there may be of like exigence as to private baptisme I refer to the disquisition of better judgements 12 None of these singular cases wherein baptisme was privately administred do for any thing I know occur in the present times among us If there be conceived to be some analogical or proportionate to these as to this matter it concernes them who think so to name them and to prove the same the three fore pretended ones I have already shewed not to be such And I know none else pretended except 1 the gratifying Separatists some whereof would suffer their children to be baptized at home with a select company of their own only present but separate from our publique Assemblyes as no rightly constituted Churches 2 And very rarely perhaps one convinced of the errour of Antipedobaptisme who hath been tainted therewith before seemes inclinable to have his children baptised at home but is loath to honour God so far as publiquely to appear in the devoting his seed to God in this ordinance But if we comply with the former we wrong our Churches and seem to take upon our selves the disparagement they lay upon us in their unwarrantable separation And the humouring the latter seems to be a wrong to baptisme it selfe the honour whereof had need to be carefully preserved in these times And the Question in this case seems to be whether the real honor of Gods holy ordinance or the imaginary supposed though indeed false honour and credit of these people should be most respected I have now plainly layd down before you my apprehensions in this matter shall add nothing more herein save that upon a review I conceive it may be needful to expresse my selfe more fully in one thing which hath been hinted already viz. What we shall call publique baptisme to which I have answered that such a place convention of Christians as is judged meet for the ordinary exercise of ministerial publique preaching is a place and society to administer baptisme in if we would have it to be publique baptisme According to which rule more particularly I say 1. Baptisme in a private
courtesie and therefore that double letter he hath made the character of himselfe in his dealing with mee shall still stand for his name in the discourse following And now Reader thou mayst next peruse a true Copy of my paper which he gave thee depraved with his pretended refutation thereof and then my defence which is Christianly submitted to thy impartial judgement I shall not in the least go about to court my Reader into a complyance with me I wish him not to take one step to accompany me in an errour appearing so to be nor will it be for his advantage to refuse any complyance which the light here offered may rationally require from him I leave the whole intirely before him desiring the Father of lights by his holy Spirit to guide him into and preserve him in the wayes or rather way of peace and truth Suspension Reviewed CLEARED SETLED upon plain Scripture-Proof THe Argument Mr W. impugneth was thus managed in my Manuscript It is said by some that no unregenerate or ignorant and scandalous members in the Church being baptized and of years not excommunicate may be debarred the Lords Supper they expressing their desires to receive and proferring themselves These words Timpson hath in his Answer to Collins p. 2. For the better understanding of this position according to the mind of the Assertors thereof it may be noted That 1. The Question which is at present under consideration reacheth to any course which is effectual for debarring of the foresaid persons whether it be by disswading them from coming or by forcing them in a way of Ecclesiastical censure to keep back Those who defend the forementioned Thesis hold it unlawfull to advice the forementioned persons to forbear as well as to hinder them by juridicall suspension I hold the lawfulness of debarring both waies and the proving of either overthrows the foresaid position according to the minde of them who assert the same 2. Supposing it to be an act of power whereby they are debarr'd yet then the Question is not at present concerning the subject of that power whether it belong to the Eldership and that whether Congregationall or Classical c or to the community of a particular Congregation or to one single person whether a Diocesan Bishop or a Minister 3. Nor yet is the Question what kinde of power that is whereby they may be suspended whether it may be done by vertue of the power of order inherent in a Minister as such or by the power of jurisdiction c. But the Question is only concerning the lawfulnes of the act of suspending the foresaid persons by any person or persons whatsoever in whatsoever capacity they are or by whatsoever kind of power it may be exerted by them or any of them 4. Those who hold the forementioned position do understand the excommunication which they speak of to contain in the essence of it an exclusion from all or divers other publique Ordinances in the Church as well as from the Sacrament So that to them one not excommunicate and one not excluded from or warned to depart the publique Ordinances of hearing and praying and singing in the Church are of equal importance Whence it manifestly follows that if I prove some persons scandalously wicked who are not kept from all other publique Ordinances may be suspended from the Lords Supper they must acknowledge their assertion fully overthrown 5. They also intend by excommunicat such as are fully and compleatly with solemnity excommunicate For they cannot be ignorant that our Divines who hold suspension when it is a censure take it to be a degree of excommunication and therefore call it excommunicatio minor And it is exclusio sive suspensio vel abstinentia a coenâ Domini quâ interdicitur peccator ad tempus coenae participatione as Trelcatius Trelca Instit l. 2. Bucan loc com 44. qu. 10. 16. Polan Syntag. Theol. l. 7. c. 18. To the like sense speaks Amesius med Theol. l. 1. c. 37 de conscientiâ l. 4. c. 29. Bucanus Polanus and others express it Neither doth Aretius deny this for ought I can finde I know in his common places he saith Excommunication is larger then Suspension from the Communion of the Lords Supper according to the Scriptures But I suppose he saith not any where there I am sure he doth not nor I think in his Commentaries that its unlawfull to inflict the censure of excommunication by degrees Unless therefore our Admissionists do take excommunicate for fully excommunicate they trifle egregiously For then the meaning of their Assertion would be no wicked Church members not excommunicate may be excommunicated and that because they are not excommunicate But rather they deny all gradual proceedings in excommunication and so reject the distinction of major and minor If therefore I prove that it is lawfull to begin excommunication in suspension for a time and to stay there some time before there be a proceeding to a more solemne curting off in the face of the publique Congregation and with their consent I suppose my Antagonists will acknowledge this a lawfull manner of combat against their free admission pleaded for 6. That passage in Amesius I judge very remarkable in this Question which he hath in his de conscientiâ lib. 4. c. 29. Suspensio ab usu coenae similibus ecclesiae privilegijs nihil aliud est quam gradus excommunicationis ideo vocari solct A Multis excommunicatio minor quamvis non ex singulari Christi instiruto ex aequitate tamen et rei ipsius naturâ praecedere debet aliquandiu continuari ubi scandali ratio ferre potest moram I wish some who have written for suspension had observed this passage and if they had attended to it I thinke they would have defended their Province never a jot the worse then they have done 7. It is not necessary in opposition to my Antagonists Assertion that I should say all unregenerate ignorant or scandalous members baptized c. may be debarred or suspended the Lords Supper But it is sufficient to overthrow their opinion if I prove that some may For their tenent in reference to baptized persons of years not excommunicate is an universall negative that none such may be debarr'd Now one particular affirmative destroys a universall negative It belongs not to the present disquisition for what or how many sins or in how many and what cases any person qualified as aforesaid may be debarred but whether in any case for any sin he may be debarred For if in any case it may be lawfull to suspend a person not fully excommunicate and that is according to the sense of my Antagonists here excluded from all publique service in the Church then that cannot be freed from untruth which they assert viz. that there is no such ordinance of suspension in the Church approved by Christ This caution is not more plaine in it selfe and what can be plainer then it is
regeneration I feare is not capable of that meaning But this point hath no influence considerable that I can discerne upon our Controversie therefore I shall not launch out into it The other things Mr. W. here hath in these pages will occurre more then once beneath §. 5. In my second note numb 5. I secluded from the present Question the consideration of the subject of the power of suspension and Mr. W. in answer hereto supposeth there is no need to enquire after the subject thereof p. 13. Why might we not then here have agreed But even in this place he will fetch in though by head and shoulders the mentioning of illegal usurpation flat Brownisme Rebaptization c. What is the secluding the consideration of the subject of suspension from our present question is this usurpation flat Brownisme Rebaptization If not how come these in here But such termes as these serve for general Arguments to them who are so silly as to be moved with them and so will thrust in any where as being indifferently calculated to fit every turne §. 6. My third note or limitation of the Question number 6. secluded also from our present question the consideration of the kinde of power whether of order or jurisdiction requisite for suspension To this Mr. W. answers p. 14. They he meanes my Antagonists hold there is no such kinde of suspending power as you stand for prescribed in the word of God for refusing to submit to your examination It is your usurped kind of suspension they except against as you your selfe might have scene had you read their workes through as you snatch at a piece 1. See now how nimble our learned Gentleman is to evade the question if he could Is our question Whether persons may be suspended for resusing to submit to examination not that I refuse to speake to that in its due place but first we enquire whether in any case for any crime the persons before mentioned may be debarred and that was Mr. Timsons position before rehearsed viz. No unregenerate or ignorant and scandalous members in the Church being baptized and of years not excommunicate may be debarred the Lords Supper c. It was not none may be debarred for ignorance or refusing to submit to examination But none though never so scandalous members in the Church may be debarred And this I opposed which Mr. W. should have defended as he took upon him 2. Is not this a pretty stating the question Mr. W. here teacheth and informes me in viz. Whether is an usurped kinde of suspension lawfull This is even like to the question Quot sunt quinque praedicabilia But what are we the better for agreeing in that question when as it presently occurres whether there is any suspension not usurped 3. But indeed I see no Antagonist who is so silly as to state the question on that fashion though Mr. W. say if I had read their works through I might have seene it is our usurped kind of suspension that they except against Alas good man how industrious is he to make the world believe I am a man of no reading I will not goe about to perswade them of the contrary Yet I must needs say I had read through divers Authors against suspension and particularly Mr. Timpsons bookes before I drew up those lines which Mr. W. hath assaulted I would not have told this but that I apprehend it will be no matter of glory and commendation to me and it affords an argument somewhat probable in mine opinion to evince that Mr. W. is not infallible who insinuates elswhere as well as in this place my not reading Timsons works through but snatching at a piece I hope he will not be offended at our catching the piece of the Psalme following for our solace a while PSAL. 119. PART 1. A. 1 ALL such are blest who perfect are whose fect Gods wayes do pace 2 About his Lawes they take most care with whole hearts seeke his face 3 Also they do nothing unjust But Gods good pathes frequent 4 As thou Lord bid'st strictly we must keep thy Commandement 5 Ah! that sound guidance might me teach to keep thy statutes high 6 And then foul shame shall ne're me reach who all thy Lawes do eye 7 A right heart in me shall thee praise taught in thy judgments just 8 And I will keep thy statute-wayes O leave me not poor dust CHAP. II. §. 1. IN my fourth note at number 7 8 9. I said that my Antagonists by excommunicate understand them who are debar'd from all publick Ordinances in the Church as hearing praying c. And therefore if I prove the person spoken of in the question not debar'd from these may yet be debar'd the Sacrament it cannot be denied I shal rightly conclude against their assertion wherein I do not declare any thing of my own judgment concerning Excommunication but speak onely ad hominem And here though Mr. W. hath not a word against the Contents of this Note he carries it as if he would seem to confute it by 1. rendring extra communionem ejectio an ejection out of the common union as if there were not degrees of communion and so not of an ejection out of communion 2. by rambling about the Jus Divinum without any occasion at all ministred by any thing I had spoken here in this note for his mentioning the same 3. By concluding thus But for your full overthrowing of our assertion we shall believe it when we see it We believe you cannot I am sure you do not What needed this vapour here The man is prodigall of them being sufficientiy stockt for the largest expence of them I boasted not of a full overthrow of their assertion but said That if I prove a person baptized adult intelligent and not debarred the publick Ordinances of hearing praying c. in the Church I shall then fully overthrow their assertion which holds none baptized adult intelligent and not excommunicated may be debarred The which Mr. W. doth not deny yea he grants it in several passages of his Book expressy or by consequence But the former particular about Divine right he is often upon and he so often as disturb'd if not intoxicated with passion reels into discourses concerning prudentials and Jus Divinum charging me for excluding all prudentials from Church-government that his importunity wil force me to trouble the Reader with some short account of my apprehensions concerning these things he so pitifully raves upon throughout his Book § 2. 1. The Lawes of Christianity are given to men supposed not altogether destitute of right Reason some beams of the Image of God some remains of that signature imprinted on man at his first creation still continuing upon him And men are not called to lay aside any of their natural right Reason in their becoming Christians but rather by Christian helps to attain to an higher improvement to a more noble elevation and use thereof And therefore whatsoever
right Reason doth dictate in respect of government in generall agreeing to all government as such as it doth in many things Christians are to make use thereof in reference to Ecclesiastical government Alwayes provided that that must not be accounted right Reason which thwarts the blessed Scriptures which should ever prevail against any conceit of our own Right Reason it self teaching us that God is infinitely wiser then we and that Christs lawes must be obeyed not disputed when once they appear to be his lawes But the light of Nature the spirit of man that candle of the Lord doth direct in many wholsome things for the due ordering of any society in a suitableness to the end for which the association thereof is lawfully made whether Civill in Families Towns Kingdomes States or Ecclesiasticall in particular Churches or in the associations of particular Churches greater or lesser 2. Yea the law of Nature or Naturall Reason is part of Christs law whereby he rules his Church And therefore Christians not onely may but ought to act prudentially in the administration of Church affairs as well as in other things and to make use of all the light of Reason in pursuing that general Rule Let all things be done decently and in order 3. Yet in Ecclesiasticall government Christ the King of his Church hath given us many positive Directions in his Word partly by express preceptive Rules and partly by obligatory presidents and examples such especially as were not suited to any temporary account of those times and the condition thereof but whose ground and reason still continues in all the succeeding ages and conditions of the Church These are Ecclesiasticall constitutions on a Divine right simply and strictly From these we may not digress upon any pretence of Reason whatsoever Yea because we must act rationally therefore we must close with all these the directions of wisdome it self and deal with all our conceits and humours making insurrections against the same as with mutiners which are in rebellion against their Lord and Master 4. In a larger sense also a government may be said to be by Divine right not onely in reference to its compliance with the foresaid positive Scripture rules and binding examples but also in respect of its rationall suitableness to godly prudence for the order and edification of the Church in things not particularly determined in the Scriptures and yet neither expresly nor by consequence thwarted by the same And thus I suppose who ever have owned a Church-government they have thought it by Divine right that is that it was according to the Scriptures and not contrary thereunto 5. And thus I was satisfied to comply with the constitutions of the Presbyterial government the government in substance upon the matter of all the forraign Protestant Churches in Europe composed by a learned pious and judicious Assembly imposed by authority of both Houses of Parliament when I first setled in this County and by their Ordinance of Aug. 29. 1648. still continued as much in force for ought I know as any other law at least as any other Ordinance of Parliament divers whereof are acknowledged to be still in force Upon the apprehension I say of the lawfulnesse of the said government partly upon a strictly Scripturall account in the main things and partly viz. in lesser matters upon a rational prudentiall account not contrary to the Scripture I did and do submit unto the same And I doubt not if it had been faithfully pursued according to the religious design and intention of the imposers thereof the excellent fruits thereof through Gods blessing would have been so great as might have silenced the most of its considerable adversaries §. 3. In my fifth note at Numb 10.11 12 13 14. I hinted the ordinary and common distinction among reformed Divines of the greater and lesser Excommunication Here Mr. W. crowes over me as flying to the authority of men of so late a standing for proving the abstention pleaded for Whereas any one yea one whose brains are as ill mar'd as he tells the world he fears mine are may easily perceive that I quoted them not to prove suspension but to shew that they called Suspension Lesser Excommunication And therefore those who oppose the debarring of the suspended should not have stated this question simply concerning the unexcommunicate without distinction And yet for all Mr. W. so much blames me for this he himself quotes Peter Martyr who saith he pag. 18. being as great an Antiquary and as great a reverencer of true Antiquity as any of you saith That though degrees of excommunication may easily be proved from the writings of the Fathers yet no such thing can be proved from Scripture And Mr. W. gives his own judgment thus pag. 20. 21. We deny not degrees unto excommunication nor in excommmnication unto further degrees of severity in case of persistance in obstinacy against the authority of the Church To both which I answer 1. Comparisons are odious Doth Mr. W. know that none who assert suspension do excell Peter Martyr in knowledge and esteem of Antiquity Belike he thinks his tongue is his own and he may talk at randome Our renowned Usher hath a glorious name in forreign Countries as well as in these Nations for the Prince of Antiquaries who hath merited such an Epitaph as Doctor Hackwell in hs Apology for Gods providence l. 3. c. 6. § 2. saith was bestowed on that Phoenix of learning Johannes Picus Earle of Mirandula Johanes jacet hic Mirandula caetera norunt Et Tagus Ganges forsan Antipodes Yet hath this our most learned Doctor and Bishop pleaded for Suspension and that as grounded upon the holy Scripture in his Body of Divinity pag. 435. 2. Did the Fathers think their degrees of excommunication which they admitted were not regulated within Scripture-bounds 3. If that degrees of excommunication may be proved from the Fathers how come those who now plead for degrees of excommunication to be charged with novelty and innovation and how came it to passe that Mr. W. in his Epistle passed his word to the judicious Reader that all men of reading know how much the Church government mentioned in or collected from the Fathers and in use in their dayes differs from our mens present Model Immediatly before these words Mr. W. exclaim'd High language It may very fitly be the Title and Epithete of these his words following What was Grotius no man of reading was he not a man confessedly impartiall in this matter who yet asserts the ruling Elder from antiquity Imper. sum potest circa sacra c. 11. quoted by Mr. Blake Covenant sealed cap. 7. § 16. Was our renowned Cambridge Professor Doctor Whitaker no man of reading who in his Defence of his answer to Campions ten Reasons against Dureus London 1583. l 9. de Sophismatis p. Mihi 807. saith Ita es ignarus ut esse in Christi Ecclesia presbyteros nescias qui gubernationi tantum non verbi
another Scriture phrase referring to the casting of a person out of the communion of the Church In the 2 Thess 3. There are two other phrases both relating to the denying some communion to disorderly Christians Many think these especially the first of these belong not to any authoritative sententiall excommunication pronounced and declared by the Officers of the Church but shew the duty lying on all Christians to use their own discretion to discern and seperate from these offenders so far as concerned them in their places and stations The first of them is at verse 6. We command you brethren to withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly And the later is at verse 14. If any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy c. That also is a denying of some Christian communion which the Apostle exhorts to in the third Epistle of John verse 10 11. If there come any to you and bring not this doctrine that is a doctrine contrary to the doctrine they had received before mentioned receive him not into your house nor bid him god speed For he that biddeth him god speed is partaker of his evill deeds the which Doctor Hammond interprets of the wicked and Apostatizing Christian Gnosticks who taught men to deny Christ in time of persecution §. 6. From these hints the Scripture gives us about withdrawing communion from wicked Christians duely perused we may gather 1. That Excommunication is no Scripture word but is used by the Church to signifie all that just Ecclesiastical severity which over and besides admonition is to be used towards a wicked brother in respect of the Churches behaviour towards him for the reclaiming of him ond freeing the Church from the pollution of his intimate society For this description doth agree to the texts before mentioned as is manifest and therefore if excommunication do signifie what is the sense of those texts we shall not in the description aforesaid misconceive the importance of it That it is a part of Ecclesiasticall severity no one doubts all the texts mentioned do evince that That it is all that Ecclesiasticall severity the Church and members thereof do make use of besides admonition will not I think be questioned because so generally Authors do make Admonition and Excommunication the only divident members of Church censures in generall and because also neither the texts quoted nor any other do give ground for adding a third part of Ecclesiasticall censure distinct from these The rest of the description also is so plain in the texts that I shall not insist upon any of the particulars thereof viz. that the object of Excommunication is a wicked Brother that it is inflicted by the Church and the members thereof and that for the ends mentioned It is implyed in just Ecclesiasticall severity that it is done according to the appointment of Jesus Christ 2. Excommunication is nothing else but a Suspension of a person at present from personal priviledges not a cuttig him off simply from the Church But as I said a suspending him from the priviledges which as an orderly Church-member he might rightfully enjoy Mr. W. renders extra communionem ejectio an ejection out of the common union p. 15. But though some excommunicate persons are to be dealt with in some eminent respects as if they were cut off from and were none of the Church in reference whereto it is ordinary for Divines to speak of them as cut off Yet they are not simply cut off from all union with the Church thereby nor are so to he reputed which may be evinced from the forementioned Scriptures For 1. he that is most excommunicate according to those Scriptures is to be but as an heathen therefore not an heathen Simile quâ simile non est idem Now if he were simply cut off he should be an heathen and not onely as an heathen 2. Some excommunicate are to be accounted as Brethren 2 Thess 3.15 Therefore they are not reputed no Church-members 3. The Pastors are to have a pastorall care over the excommunicate and they and other Church members are still to admonish him as a brother 4. He is onely as a sick person under cure and Church remedies in order to his recovery 1 Cor. 5.5 Mat. 18.15 1 Tim. 1.20 Now there is no physicking of a member simply cut off 5. He is obliged to hear the word as a Church-member and to receive admonitions in publick and private For he is tied by vertue of the baptismall Covenant he hath professedly entred into to exercise himself in all the ordinances of Christ he hath opportunity for as he hath for hearing the word as well as an heathen with hope of receiving good thereby and for some other ordinances it is said that he looseth at present possessionem rather then jus as Mr Rutherford expresseth it and explains it by the similitude of a man having three houses who is for some offence confined to some one of them and sequestred from the other so as he may not make use of them 6. If he were made no Church-member by excommunication he should upon his repentance be rebaptized and so the Donatists rebaptized those who came into their Societies which was reasonable enough upon supposition that they were before no members of the visible Church as Mr. W. speaks pag. 22. 23. and passim alibi But the excommunicate when readmitted are not to be rebaptized therefore they were not reputed simply no Church-members whiles they were excommunicate 7. All say they are cut off but conditionally if they do not repent therefore they are not cut off till that condition be fulfilled which cannot be before their death for ought we know the sin against the Holy Ghost or the sin unto death I suppose can hardly if at all be known to be committed by any individuall person so as that the Church should conclude him absolutely irrecoverable To say a person is cut off conditionally includes he is not simply and absolutely cut off whiles that condition of his finall impenitency is not existent and accomplished Doctor Ricard Field of the Church lib. 1. ch 13 14 15. shewes how those three sorts of men who go out of the Church viz. Schismaticks Hereticks and notoriously wicked persons who are excommunicate do yet all of them remain still parts of the Church of God And concerning the last of them he thus speaks ch 15. Excommunication doth not wholly cut off the excommunicate from the visible Church of God For they may and often do retain the intire prosession of saving Truth together with the Character of Baptisme which is the mark of Christianity and so far forth notwithstanding their disobedience still acknowledge them to be their lawfull Pastors and Guides by whose sentence they are excommunicate that they would rather endure and suffer any thing then schismatically joyn themselves to
any other communion So he And in the same chapter speaking of suspension he saith The lesser excommunication excludeth onely from the Sacramentall pledges and assurances of Gods love which when it is pronounced against them that stubbornly stand out and will not yeeld themselves to the Churches direction and disposition is properly named Excommunication I have the rather insisted on this because of two consequences which wil naturally and easily flow from this doctrine viz. 1. That the scruple hinted by Mr. W. p. 133. and insisted on by others in opposition to our abstension or suspension is manifestly frivolous and groundless They say if a parent turn not his children out of doores he will not deny them bread and apply their simile that in like manner those who are not excommunicated or not cast out of the Church should not be denyed the Sacramentall bread in the Lords Supper 2. That Church-membership taken at large doth not give right to persons of years to the Lords Supper For then they who are cut off by any excommunication should be admitted they being still parts of the Church of God as Field calls them §. 7. 3. Since excommunication is a withdrawing or rejecting of one from communion hence it follows that as communion is more or lesse so this withdrawing and therefore excommunication is capable of degrees to be more or less And some more notable degree may be denominated by one name and another by another Thus it was among the Jewes the common nature of whose excommunication was a withdrawing from some communion as ours is Many of the learned have described theirs in the three speciall degrees of it as Schindler pentaglot in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerrard harm Evang. c. 178. gives a summary account of them out of several Authors The first was truly a separation or withdrawing But the second was more solemnly such Quâ quis solenniter in totius Ecclesiae conspectu exclusus est The word solenniter some such man as Mr. W. would catch and cavill at as he doth p. 18. against such a passage in my papers What saith he is your Suspension such an Apocryphall business that it deserves no solemnity in the managing thereof Unto such inconsiderable flirts I shall not trouble my self nor the Reader with any answer But I insist not in describing wherein the severall sorts of their excommunication did consist there being much difference among the learned in that See Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor. 5. But that there were severall sorts and in those that one was a severer degree of exclusion or separation and withdrawing from then another The four degrees or steps in the censure of excommunication among the Greeks formerly are mentioned by most who have written on this controversie The stantes succumbentes audientes and plorantes But the Gentlemen who oppose us alledge that those were steps in readmission of the excommunicate not steps or degrees in excommunication But though I confess this is an ingenuous answer yet methinks we may rationally inferre the lawfulness of proceeding by steps in excommunication from that supposed lawfulness of admitting severall steps of delivering out of excommunication Sure I am there is as much ground in Scripture and reason too as I apprehend for the former as there is for the later And that conceit of excommunication under the notion of a dismembring and turning out or cutting off from Church-membership being I conceive sufficiently and clearly refelled in the fore-going Section this inference will appear much more evident and convincing But I shall offer here these two considerations for the further confirming of gradual excommunication or putting out of Ecclesiasticall communion 1. If there be nothing in the nature of excommunication it self which is against a graduall procedure in excommunication nor any Scripture prohibition of it and if it be not contrary to the generall Rule of doing all things in the Church orderly and to edification then it is lawfull But the former is true therefore the later also That there is nothing in the nature of excommunication against it hath been shewed in that withdrawing communion which expresseth the nature of all excommunication is capable of degrees That there is no Scripture prohibition hereof is to be reckoned upon till some Scripture prohibition be produced which I could never yet see nor hear so much as pretended by any Nor is it contrary to the Rule of orderly and edifying transaction of affairs in the Church since courses of mildness and gentleness are most likely to edifie when they thwart not Justice and Right as those do not which are not contrary to the Word the Rule of Right and Justice 2. Again if a person may have no right to yea ought to be debarred the Sacrament who yet ought not to be turned out of all that private Christian communion which some excomunication deprives of then there may be degrees of excommunication or putting one out of Ecclesiasticall communion and particularly one degree of abstension or suspension preceding for some time the withdrawing of private Christian communion But the former is true therefore the later The Consequence I suspect not the deniall of the Antecedent stands firmly upon these two pillars viz. 1. That no Christian notoriously under gross and scandalous wickedness hath any right to the Sacrament nor hath the Minister any rightfull commission from the Donor or author of the Covenant and Seals thereof to administer or give the Sacrament unto him As suppose in point of faith a notorious Heretique who denies a fundamentall of the Christian Creed or in point of manners suppose one hath committed whoredome and it is notoriously known both these remaining visibly impenitent are uncapable of having the Lords Supper lawfully given unto them And yet 2. an offender though so notorious as in the forementioned cases ought not forthwith to be rejected and turned out of all that Christian private communion which some excommunication deprives of For the proof of the former of these two propositions I must crave the Readers patience and God willing in the following discourse he shall find it I hope clearly and convincingly confirmed The later of them I know none that deny And there is Scripture-evidence for it The heretick Titus 3.10 is not to be rejected and cast out of all that private Christian communion which some excommunication deprives of till after the first and second admonition which are not to be given together and at one time as all acknowledge but at some distance And a person is not thus to be rejected till obstinate Now obstinacy in wickedness referring to faith or manners cannot be suddenly manifested but requires several admonitions being to be rejected by an offender before he can be declared obstinate §. 8. 4 There are sundry sorts of persons in sundry capacities concerned and exercised in withdrawing from a scandalous brother 1. The Ministers the Stewards of the Mysteries of God 2 The people 3. The whole Church of Officers
me Reproath and shame For I have kept thy way 23 Crown'd Princes ' gainst me sate and spake But on thy Lawes I thought 24 Certaine delight in these I take And from them counsell sought CHAP. IV. §. 1. TO my first syllogisme at numb 21. of the Copy of my M S. he answers p. 33. 1 by quarrelling with my conclusion and that in two respects Besides his exception against the phrase fully excommunicate which hath been reselled above 1 that there 's left out of it They expressing their desire to receive and offering themselves But how vaine is this cavill expressing the desire he hath to receive any evasion that offers it selfe For 1. will he grant we may suspend them who do not profess their desire to receive and do not offer themselves If so then Church-membership alone doth not give right to the adult for the Sacrament and so his cause is marr'd And he a little before and in his Epistle puts in the limitation of intelligent persons at yeares who only with him are admittable so that if they are not intelligent they are to be debarred though they express their desire to receive and offer themselves Now let Mr. W. shew what Scripture debarrs these from the Sacrament and not from the prayers and other publique ordinances of the Church But that he attempts not to doe If he had it were ten to one the same proofes would bring in more limitations as well as that But it s sufficient for him for his part to cavill against others 2 Againe my argument proceeds concerning the law of Christ debarring a visible prophane person and then who sees not that it concludes against him whether he desire and offer himselfe to be admitted or no And yet with these shifts it seemes he non-plust my paper when he and it were together and tells it he could stop its course here and since it brisled not againe he is heartned to let the world know how brave acts he could do if he would 2 The other quarrell he hath against my conclusion is That its a Tautology and that is meanes that some baptized persons at yeares suspended may be suspended For saith he by not fully excommunicate we understand your meaning to be suspended Suspending may either denote the sentence of debarring or the execution of that sentence To say some persons censured with abstension or suspension may be suspended that is have the Lords Supper denyd to them is no Tautology no more then to say a person censured with full excommunication may be debarrd all publique Church ordinances according to their sense of it But the pofition I undertooke after stating the Question was this viz. That its lawfull to debar some persons the Lords Supper who are baptized and not warned to depart or kept from other publique ordinances of hearing praying singing in the publique Congregations of the Church And immediately after this I began my argument the conclusion whereof was Some baptized persons at yeares not fully excommunicated may be suspended from the Lords Supper Whereby its manifest that by not fully excommunicate I meant not kept from all publique ordinances in the Church which is their sense of excommunication And is this a Tautology some baptized persons not kept from all publique ordinances may be suspended from the Lords Supper My own judgement concerning full excommunication hath been shewed before in the last Chapter But what a pittifull business is this that Mr. W. so much quarrels at the state of the Question and sometimes saith I say what he holds himselfe in it and yet he would never rectifie the same in a line or two though desired as I am informed so to do if it pleased him not that we might have been agreed on that before we proceeded to dispute upon it But he seemes to imitate the crafty Gunner who would alwayes say he aimed at that which he hit but would never agree before he shot what should be the mark he would shoot at Thus much concerning the conclusion of my Syllogisme Now he comes to the premisses §. 2. The major he saith p. 35. he grants with my elucidation thereof in such general termes as they stand Yet after he bethinks himselfe and will as he seemes to me grant it upon condition that the granting of it may do no hurt to his own opinion Whether this be not the sense of his p. 36 37 38. let the Reader judge who will peruse the same The proof of my Minor which the Reader may receive if he please to turn back to the Copie of my paper M S. at numb 24. Mr W. sets down in his p. 39. and gives us words upon it p. 40 41 42 43. without distinguishing upon or denying any proposition therein He talkes much of Accademicall disputings Be it known to him I am not ignorant of the method of Disputation used in both our Universities But if the Respondent as he here makes himselfe should in stead of giving a short answer as he ought by denying or distinguishing upon the terms of either proposition run out into such extravagancies as he here doth he would and that most deservedly be hist out of the Schools He raps again at the distinction of greater and lesser fully and not fully excommunicate but impotently without any proof offered against the same And then lest the practice of the Church of England formerly used should give any countenance to the distinction he endeavours to clear the Church of England who manifestly used that distinction But the great fault is that it is now used by us what in them he excuseth in us Presbyterians is a crime he can hardly find terms of aggravation and disgrace bad enough to put upon it §. 3. Let us then first see what was the practice of the Church of England herein And then how Mr W. takes us off from pleading that and I shall give my reply thereto And first let us observe what was required by the Church of England formerly in reference to the manifestation of the knowleledge of such as were to be admitted to the communion and their understanding owning of the Christian faith In the order for Confirmation it 's thought good that none be confirmed but such as can say the Articles of the Creed the Lords Prayer ten Commandements and can answer to such questions of the Catechisme as the Bishop or such as he shall appoint shall by his discretion appose them in And this order is most convenient to be observed for divers considerations First because that when children come to years of discretion and have learned what their God-fathers and God-mothers promised for them in baptisme they may then themselves with their own mouth and with their own conseat openly before the Church ratifie and confirm the same And also promise that by the grace of God they will evermore endeavour faithfully to observe and keep such things as they by their mouth and confession have assented unto c.
the Canon it selfe speakes 2. But as to the substance of his exception I answer briefly thus for the overthrowing of it Either the Common prayer booke was not abolished by a lawfull authority sufficient for the nulling and abrogating of that sanction whereby it was formerly established or els it was If it were not then Ministers by vertue of the Common prayer booke may as opportunity is offered suspend according to the Directions therein given them which remaine still in force if not nulled by a sufficient authority But if the Common prayer booke was abolished by a lawfull authority sufficient for the abrogating that sanction whereby it was formerly established then certainly they who had such power to abrogate that government and order had power also to establish our suspension It belonging to the same power or authority to null as to make a law And then the same suspension in substance is delegated to Church Officers still in the Ordinance of 48 for Presbyterial Government where this is appointed by the Lords and Commons by whom only the Service booke was abrogated I have the rather hinted this for the satisfaction of some godly persons who have not been well satisfied with the State proceedings in reference to Church Government who yet have an high esteem of the former constitutions of the Church of England And me thinkes where the same thing for substance is appointed and practiced they should not reject it And now let the Reader if he please judge whether M. W. or we behave our selves most like Ministers of the Church of England in reference to the degrees of excommunication and specially in reference to suspension the neglect whereof he out of Mr. P. chargeth us with Mr. W. proceeds to carp at may be in my syllogisme when as yet may be was in the position I opposed And the question was whether such cases may occurre not whether they did occurre wherein the persons spoken of might be suspended as appeares in my M S. at numb 6.17 But our Doctor resolutissimus absolutissimus descends not so low as to observe the state of the Question he had rather it seemes be shewing his Logick to his weaker consciences for whose satisfaction his title page designes his booke and telling them p. 43 44. which are the subjects and the predicats in the Propositions and the medius terminus in the syllogisme they will it may be applaud their Doctor with an Egregiam veró laudem But if any of his weaker consciences meet with these lines I am of opinion they will not so farre admire those logical termes as to refuse the plaine and wholesome provision I now offer them to share with me in the PSAIM 119. Part 4. D. 25 Down on the dust my sad soul stayes Let thy truth life afford 26 Declar'd to thee I have my wayes Thou heardst Teach me thy Word 27 Disclose thy Precopts-way to me Thy wondrous workes I 'le tell 28 Deep griefe my soul melts strengthen me After thy Word right well 29 Drive lying wayes from me thy Law Grant to me graciously 30 Duely I chose thy Truth and saw Thy Judgements with mine eye 31 Dearly thy witness'd Truth I hold From shame Lord me discharge 32 Daily in thy wayes run I would If thou my heart enlarge CHAP. V. §. 1. THe confirmation of the Major Proposition in my second syllogisme at numb 25. in my M S. Mr. W. repeats in his p. 44. where he hath such jejune and lanquid exceptions against some explications being inserted in Parentheses and so separated from the syllogisme it selfe that I judge it needless to make any defence against them There being none I thinke who manage a dispute in writing who do not use the like Although its true in disputations face to face there is less need of them any mistake which might occurre about the meaning of the termes being soone rectified by explication thereof The like frivolous complaint he makes of some various equipollent phrases used viz. visibly unbeleevers and such as ought to be judged and taken to be unbeleevers when as I had expresly signified the equipollency of them numb 25. The proposition I was to prove was Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Lord would not according to the revelation of his will in his Word have the Lords Supper administred Now my conclusion in the syllogisme I brought to prove this was Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred An ordinary Reader I think would see no difference betwixt them to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred and them to whom the Lord would not according to the revelation of his will in his word have the Lords Supper administred But Mr. W. that he may seeme to see further into a milstone than another can doe hath spyed the disagreement He was belike at a great want for exceptions who takes up these and considering his necessity he may be better excused It s better to pick strawes than to doe just nothing But at last he hath unbutton'd his eyes and can perceive some strength in my proofe when it hath been he thinkes beholding to him for a better dresse p. 46. where he thus formes it Those who are visibly unbeleevers are visibly such to whom the Lords Supper ought not to be administred But those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly unbeleevers Ergo Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought not to be administred § 2. Well now he hath the honour as he speakes to be opponent himselfe I hope he will be more civil in his answer and not be captious against his own creature Wherein now saith he p. 47. doth this argument advance your pretensions or disparage ours and then explaining that Question or shewing that he is not at a want of other artificiall words to say the same thing againe as pompously he addes What evidence doth it artificially and intrinsecally give for you or against us My conclusion was those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred The conclusion he hath made for me is those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought not to be administred Let the Reader judge what material difference there is betwixt them Yet he grants the latter when he quarreld the former But then as bethinking himselfe that the argument is mine though the dress be his he will now have another thrust at it and denies the Minor yet not absolutely but with distinction now he attempts to play the part of a
c. notoriously such may profess his earnest desire to receive and yet that makes him not no whoremonger and no drunkard 2. Then also the Church may look for no further satisfaction in order to restoring of an excommunicate then his verbal profession of earnest desire to receive the Sacrament For that which should prevent their excommunicating of him must be avaylable to restore him But the Church in many ages hath required particular confession of notorious sins and expresse profession of repentance for them and not only profession of earnest desire to receive as antecedently necessary to the absolution of an excommunicate in analogy to that Levit. 5.4 5 6. where he who was to bring his trespass offering for a false oath though through ignorance was to confesse that he had sinned in that thing and then he is allowed to bâ—ing his trespass-offering to the Lord and the Priest shall make an attonement for him concerning his sin So more generally Numb 5.7 on which saith Ainsworth out of Maimonides The Hebrewes set down this duty thus This confession is with words and it s commanded to be done How do they confesse He saith Oh God! for I have sinned I have done perversly I have trespassed before thee and have done thus and thus and loe I repent and am ashamed of my doings and I will never do this thing againe And this is the foundation of confession And who so maketh a large confession and is long in the thing he is to be commended And so the owners of sin-and trespass-offerings when they bring their oblations for their ignorant or presumptuous sins attonement is not made for them by their oblation untill they have made Repentance and confession by word of mouth Likewise all condemned to death by the Magistrates or condemned to stripes no attonement is made for them by their death or by their stripes until they have epented and confessed And so he that hurteth his neighbour â— doth him damage though he pay him whatsoever he owe him illonement is not made for him til he confess and turn away from doing so againe for ever Now it may be Mr. W. could have taught them a more expeite and easie way of satiffactory confession viz. if the offendeiprofess verbally his earnest desire to partake of the Passeove that shall quit all scores §. 3. Mr. W. further addes As for your fully and not fully excommunicate wee look not on them as considerable in this present controversie they are your own miserable shifts c. What 's the conclusion Ergo my fore mentioned Reason is not sound Wonderfull hap he hath if he can draw this inference from such premises This distinction of excommunication hath been proved before at Chap. 3. and I wonder not if he would so faine shift it out of his way if he could it so fully enervates the Reasons of his Champion Mr. Timson and shewes his miscarriage in the very stating of the Question If that third Chap. aforesaid stand good particularly the sixth § that excommunicates are Church-members and are not by excommunication cut off from all ordinances although accidentally that may sometime coincidere and often did fall in in the primitive times The title of his booke is blasted which over each leafe is this to receive the Lords Supper is the actual right of all Church members but in the first page is thus To receive the Lords Supper the actual Right and duty of all Church members of yeares not excommunicate Which is sorrily propounded For 1. here and in his book he confounds Right and duty as if these were of the same latitude as if because its an heathens duty to be baptized or a Christians duty when drunk on the Lords day to sanctifie the Sabbath in publique Ordinances yea or an Excommunicats duty to receive all which are manifestly their duty which they are obliged to that therefore it were the heathens right to be baptized without any more adoe or the drunken Christians to be admitted into the Assembly while drunke or the excommunicate had actual right to the Lord Supper while excommunicate 2. And that all excommuncation turnes our of Church-membership Mr. Humphreys holeth Rejoynd p. 155. where he saith Suspension is null withot dismembership To what purpose then should Mr. Timson hae added not excommunicate but to instruct us in this lessoâ— That to receive the Lords Supper is the actuall right and duty of all Church members at yeares who are not no Church member This is the Warriour whose Herald Mr. W. is pleased to mâ—â—e himselfe and he once and againe provokes me to graple with him But if I have made good this one argument against Mr. W. there 's none I thinke can reasonably thinke there 's any need of answering Mr. Timson in print Mr. W. hath much of his sense and language too where he could bring it in But his distinction of fully and not fully excommunicate I suspect the more angers him because it makes the weapons of his ious brave man unserviceable in this contest with me in this gument But I have shewed there is an excommunication by the Officers of the Church or Minister alone by the people alone though the Officers refuse to joyne and there is an excommunication wherein the Officers and people of the Congregation and neighbourhood too perhaps though that 's not essential do concurre which is a fuller excommunication then either of the former §. 4. 5. In the 5th place Mr. W. answers and confutes as he pretends my Reason by saying As for your Excommunication you give us a very quaint account thereof and in a taunt he saith Schollers may do well to furnish their note bookes with it And in stead of better Answers furor arma ministrat he fits downe in the chaire of the scorners and thus acts his part It should seeme saith he that your full excommunication is a very shrewd thing when you can be at leisure to meet in a full Classis and so have your severe Rabbies of discipline sit in state with the rest of your grave Benchers then the case of a poore sinner is put upon the debale and after that your Elders have well stroaked their beards and nodded in their votes the decree is that the sinner arraigned is to be excommunicated fully and that with full excommunication compleatly The summe whereof is that such a man found and judged guilty of such misdemeanours is declared to be as an heathen Infidel and do such an one to be lookt upon and dealt with by all our Church members i. e. to he counted as an enemie and not to be admonished as a brother Here are learned arguments apodictical demonstrations but be like all in Bocardo Here are formulae oratoriae for the cupping crew who may probably applaud the Author and quaffe his health round for them I 'le confesse they are not to be answered by me Ego poenitere tanti non emam as Demosthenes said to the
before delivered we distinguish with Mr. W. and say 1. Some persons are and are called Christians beleevers c. only upon the account of their being positively and solemnly engaged to Christianity and the Christian faith And 2. some are and are called Christians and beleevers not only on the account of their being so engaged as aforesaid but of their visible conformity to those Christian engagements All who are Christians in the former respect are Church-members whiles alive and within in the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 5.12 that phrase of us Mr. W. inserts too if it referre to 1 John 2.19 is difficult to be understood and its a great question whether it be equipollent to the within 1 Cor. 5.12 so I shall omit it here A disciple or servant is sometimes denominated from his being entred into a School having covenanted with his Master to serve him and therefore these are lyable to Ecclesiastical Censures And yet they may be no Christians nor beleevers visibly upon the account of the latter respect and therefore cannot claime the priviledges belonging to disciples who learne and servants who obey their Masters whiles they notoriously refuse to learne and obey Christ And this mindes me of the second thing Mr. W. hath in the fore-mentioned pages which seemes to need an answer here It s page 139. where he saith A man undeniably without and utterly uncapable of the Lords Supper may have the Scripture characters of faith in your sense i. e. he may be instructed in the Christian faith be able to give an account yea a true account of his faith submit unto your Church order of examination and be of Christian behaviour without exception in his private carriage and yet be such a visible unbeleever to us as the Lord in his word would not have the Lords Supper administred unto viz. because not baptized c. yea though as he before said he may be regenerated 1. Sometimes Mr. W. makes to be within and to be a Christian or beleever of equal latitude as in his last exception I have answered Here he acknowledgeth one not within to be a true and reall beleever and therefore I should conclude a true Christian though not so solemnly For I am of opinion none can expect to be saved but true Christians and these Mr. W. saith may be truly regenerate and goe to heaven 2. But whereas he tells us this catechumen or heathen Proselyte may be without exception of Christian behaviour in his private carriage and yet not be capable of the Lords Supper I utterly deny this For if he were of Christian behaviour without exception he would submit to Baptisme the contempt whereof all acknowledge to be a damning sin and then in the same day and houre for ought I know he might communicate And if he have opportunity to desire the Communion he hath opportunity to be baptized and therefore cannot be excused in the neglect of it nor then be accounted in that neglect a beleever in respect of visible complyance with and obedience to the Gospel Who only hath a visible right to the Lords Supper And now Sir saith Mr. W. p. 145. to your Allegation out of Tertullian viz. Nemo illic Christianus c. This also was quoted by mee for the same purpose as the passages of Salvian were viz. that the name or word profession of Christianity is no argument nor testimony he is a Christian whose deeds do notoriously contradict the same And my paper they expressed it at numb 50. Agreeable whereunto is what I finde quoted from Tertullian Apolog. cap. 44. speaking of the Heathens prisons Nemo illic Christianus nisi planè tantum Christianus aut si aliud jam non Christianus Now Mr. W. hath left out the word prisons in the copy he hath printed as mine and when he hath so done takes paines from the context in Tertullian to informe mee that the Father speakes of the Christians sufferings in prisons as if I had not understood it before Is not this a brave confutation to be boasted of He excuseth his Transcriber of my paper p. 115. And whether he must take this non-sense to himselfe he hath printed as mine or on whom else he will lay it I know not I list not to upbraid him with frauds imposture and cheating c. which yet he usually puts on mee so wonderful civil and well manner'd is hee 2. Mr. W. addes But why shall I trouble you with these things seeing you are so ingenuous as to acknowledge that you act herein but by vertue of another mans Quotation He had before said to mee p. 60. I finde no ingenuous dealing in all your paper And here to do me a spite he will contradict himselfe like as elswhere he complaines of the obscurity of my paper p. 80 82 88. as if he could not know what I would have and yet begins his Postscript with these words Sir after all this I returne you thankes for this plaine declaration of your minde in this peice of yours But by his favour he is too hasty in concluding I had not perused Tertullian my selfe and the same may be said of his censuring my childishnesse for referring to divers Authors as mentioned by Zepperus because I said I finde Tertullian thus quoted there being other causes of such references viz. 1. When we have perused Authors not now with us and so the reference at second hand helps us only to the place where that is which we would quote And 2. When the reference to such later learned Writers who have quoted those Authors for the same intents as we would make use of them doth adde weight to the quotation by affording a probable proofe that the passages quoted are rightly understood and interpreted to the true and genuine sense of the original Authors 3. After his telling us of his favour in mentioning another passage of Tertullian for our advantage and his favours are not so ordinary and common that I should reject any of them though it shall appeare beneath I act not by vertue of his quotation He falls foul on Tertullian and as scoldes when one in any thing displeaseth them rake in all old fores and reckon-up all the faults they can really or upon uncharitable suspition charge him with so because Tertullian hath the hard hap to cross Mr. W. as himselfe conceives and to favour mee the world shall now be told what failings he had or he was thought by some to have had other wayes But what if there were some called Tertullianists accounted heretiques when yet the name heretique was very rife who denied second marriages and said that the souls of wicked men became Divels after their departure out of this life and that the soule is continued by going from one into another as much as to say by carnal descent and succession as Doctor Meredith Hanmer in his Ecclesiastical Chronographie reckons up their tenents out of Augustine What are any of these to the present controversie
appeare to be of a right faith and doctrinally true beleevers And againe saith he p. 61. By our administration to beleevers is meant such beleevers as we may have a certainty that they are beleevers Now if we must know them to be beleevers by hearing them say the Creed and testifying their beleefe of every Article therein before we can have a certainty they are beleevers capable of admission to the Supper then they must give an understanding visible account of their faith in order to their admission Their having been baptized in infancy is no demonstration and less then demonstration will not serve for the infallible certainty Mr. W. requires of their personall doctrinal faith this doctrinal faith they cannot be expected to have without instruction preceding and the meanes of instruction afforded to them is no proof of their proficiency therefore according to Mr. W. his own concessions they must give an account of their proficiency under the meanes of instruction they have had for the attaining this indispensably necessary doctrinal faith which we must saith he have an infallible certainty of before we administer unto them 4. The same Reason which will justifie the requiring a Parents renewing his profession of faith and renouncing what is contrary thereunto when he presents his childe to baptisme will as effectually prove that he should personally professe the faith before he was admitted to the Lords Supper And therefore whereas an ancient Divine in this Country as I am informed at the celebration of a Baptisme having asked the Parent the usuall Questions then offered to his Brethren Why that parent might not be admitted to the Lords Supper without any further Examination before Minister or Eldership since he had now made an open profession of his faith at the baptisme of his child It may be answered 1. That if he please to give a reason to warrant his demanding that profession from the Parent before the infant should be baptized the same will shew what he desired He may try at his leasure to give a Reason for the one which will not as effectually reach the other 2. Yea much more strong will it be in the latter than former case In his datum than quaesitum supposing the parent had been upon a personall owning the Covenant engagements admitted before that time to the Lords Supper 3. I should readily grant if this parent have not or not upon a personal confession of the faith been admitted to the Lords Supper before that this profession he was occasioned to make at the baptisme of his infant may so far as it goes serve without renewing of it at his admission to the Lords Supper But then it should be considered whether the answering in that forme I beleeve I renounce for sake c. may be reasonably judged an understanding owning of the Covenant where it appeares not by previous conference with him or a present more full explication of himselfe or some other probable way that he doth understand what he answers unto 4. Lastly I answer That the parent who is to be admitted to the Lords Supper ought not only understandingly to own the Covenant and baptisme as one seale thereof which he makes profession of at the baptisme of his infant but also particularly the ordinance of the Lords Supper the signification of the sacramental elements and actions therein and the end of celebrating the same that he may be in a visible capacity of discerning the Lords body And therefore there is manifest reason why he should make a further profession supposing he hath not done it before for his own admission to the Communion then was required from him at the admission of his Infant to baptisme And so much in answer to this proposall of the Minister aforesaid of which I desire his candid acceptance Some other passages mentioned by him at the same time I neglect as savouring of calumny and passion The tide may turne and the brooke therewith I grudge him not the liberty of Retract on but then it were seemly to be without detraction from others who still own the opinion he was lately most zealous for I now proceed 3 It makes no alteration as to the matter in hand whether this understanding profession of the faith be immediately before a persons first admission to the Sacrament or a longer time before so that the thing be done And therefore where Confirmation was in use and seriously managed that might serve this purpose sufficiently according to the direction of the Common prayer book before recited Ch 4. § 3. 4 If persons have been unduely admitted to the Lords Supper without making this understanding profession of the Christian faith before that excuseth them not from being now called to make it in order to their present admission this will stand good till it can be evinced that a neglect excuseth from duty that that must never be done which hath been sinfully left undone and that because of that irregular omission although as fit an opportunity is againe afforded for the doing of it as that was which formerly was not taken hold of as it should have been for the same And indeed as the Provincial Synod of London in their Vindication hath observed The great Odium cast upon the Presbyterial way is occasioned by the shameful neglect formerly of the Rules then appointed for Examination of all before they should have been admitted to the Lords Table And now the Reformation endeavoured in this thing is not so much for the amending the Rule which before was prescribed as in calling people up to a stricter observation of the same Rule for matter and substance 5 It hath bin already shewed that the Presbyterian Government which is that confirmed by the Parliament after advice had with the Assembly of Divines not what some Presbyterians may hold doth not require all persons now should be againe examined who have formerly upon the due profession of their faith been admitted to the Sacrament But it forbidding the ignorant to be admitted only inferres that such as hitherto have not understandingly owned the Covenant of grace should now be called to do it if they would partake of the Sacrament And therefore where any have formerly performed that in substance which is now required from them who are to be first admitted to the Supper and can make it appear there is no necessity according to Presbyterian principles for their rene wall of it as to their present communicating 6 This profession must be made before sufficient and comperent witnesses else it cannot be a satisfactory profession But who those must be is a consideration of another nature For this may vary according to the different circumstances of persons times and places and the judgement of the Church thereupon or of those who are most eminently concerned in the management of such things pertaining to the prudential order thereof so that the end be attained for the good of the persons admitted and the satisfaction and edification
of the Church I am informed by a Manuscript Copy I have of the Resolves of a Provincial Synod held at Preston in Lancashire Novemb. 14. 1648. that the said Synod among other things resolved in their sixt particular That there is not only one way prescribed or warranted by the word of god for the Elderships satisfying themselves of the sufficiency in point of knowledge of persons that are members of their Congregations respectively that they may be admitted to the Lords Supper 7. That it is not lawfull for the Elderships to tye themselves to one way as aforesaid suppose it be examination before them when that one attaines not the end and another may probably doe it So they In the businesse of Marriage its necessary the consent of the parties should be expressed before competent witnesses but the Christian Magistrate may determine who shall be competent witnesses whether a Justice of peace or a Minister shall be present to take and record the signification of their consent Yet no sober man cryes out Why are unscriptural conditions put upon persons to be marryed The like may be said concerning the present point Yet in this case methinkes that should sway most for our direction herein at present which is commended to us by both Houses of Parliament after their removal of the Common prayer book with the advice of the Reverend Assembly Form of Church Government to be used in the Church of England and Ireland of Aug. 29. 1648. p. 30. But if people in some Congregations will not be gotten to comply with that direction in the letter of it I know not but there may be some variation without offence as the Minister or Elderships of particular Churches with advice of their Classis if extant may judge expedient for the satisfaction and edification of the Church See Mr Blake Covenant sealed Ch. 7. § 14. p. 230 231 232 233. and § 16 p. 272 273. I am afraid I have been too long on this Digression The urgency and misrepresentations of the thing here handled must be my excuse I humbly submit it to the judicious peaceable Reader who will consider how to shew a cleerer way before he censure this And I shall easily neglect discontented furious uncivil Wranglers whose businesse is to carp at others but build nothing consistently of their own in this matter 4 Your pretended Church order saith Mr. W. p. 4. requires an account of mens saith auricularly And p. 28. You deny the Lords Supper to such as will not give an auricular account to you or your Elders c. Auricular confession is a phrase used to denote that which is required among the Papists 1 viz. that every one do confesse all his sins though private to the Priest alone whispering the same into his eare Now what a shameful slander is that Mr. W. puts on us in the application hereof to the profession of faith required among us cannot but be manifest to every observer 1. We require no confession of private sins but abhorre it unfeinedly 2. Who knows not the great quarrel many have against the Presbyterial Government is because it allowes not the Minister alone of his own head to seclude the other Officers chosen by the people from joyning with him in receiving this confession of faith required But let the Reader here see what cause he hath on this occasion to accompany me in a serious lamentation that envious animosities should so farre prevaile upon any as to hurry them on to such calumnies as malice it selfe could not devise more impudent 5 Mr. W. addes p. 4. Which very auricular account is the basis of your new model or pretended Church constitution And p. 9. Those you refuse to canonize by your ghostly approbation though baptized them you look upon as the world c. The like he hath over and over p. 11 21 22. Such are no Church-members with you p. 60 61 88 113 c. To name these things is to confute them I have spoken of their untruth in the Treatise Ch. 8. § 4. Ch. 21. § 1. and need to adde no more in so palpable a falshood 6 But he addes to this sad heap of falshoods when he saith p. 124. Let men be suspended by you do what they will afterwards let them be Atheists or of what sect they will afterwards you regard not The like he hath p. 122. And woe be to us if this be truly charged on us But I defye him and the Accuser of the Brethren to boot to prove the charge 7 And the language of envy powres out it selfe further p. 123. When they are suspended you look after them no longer unless it be for your Tithes and Church dues It may be the man who affected to date his Epistle from his poor house at Leek grudgeth others their Tithes His neighbours may do well to consider his complaint But a man should carry himselfe honestly though in a poor house and then he would forbeare these criminations which our course of personal instruction may manifest to be false even to a proverb 8 He tells me p. 124. Debarring from the Lords Supper with you is the comprehensive of all Discipline and that power to debar being granted you are content And who told Mr. W. this tale perhaps he is not so ill provided as to be destitute of some body or other to father it upon no more then he was for that story he tells the world in his Apology about his Antagonists designe to obstruct the impression of his book which I could never learne any thing of to this day But we are for admonition before suspension and for a further excommunication or withdrawing Communion after suspension as opportunity may be offered and the case require see Form of Church Government p. 18 39 40. Let Mr. W. tell what figments he please to the contrary Certainly he is no child but he doth what children doe when he is so busie in raising bubbles made of his own froth and then shouting aloud tosseth them about with that breath which first raised them 9 In the same page last mentioned he further gives his word against us You saith he make your Brethren your slaves 10 And by your uncontroulable power of suspension you assume to your selves more authority over the people then ever did the most domineering Prelate among us in making poor people sland to your courtesie for the Lords Supper To both these joyntly I answer 1. How is that an uncontroulable power to make our Brethren slaves with or at our courtesie 1 which is limited by the Ordinance of Parliament so that we may not adde of our own heads to the enumeration of the meritorious causes of suspension Form of Church Government p. 30 31 34 35. c. And 2 when any may appeale from a Congregational Eldership to higher Judicatories in case of wrong done them according to the constitution of the Presbyterian Government Form of Church Government p. 15. 2. How do