them to perform duties of worship then to omit them altogether or that it is better for all unregenerate persons not to come to the Sacrament then to come in a Christian way though but in outward conformity only which is the main thing now in question And the like may be said of that Isa 66.3 He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man and he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs neck c. What is the reason of all this Because they have chosen their own waies and their soul delighteth in their own abominations therefore the Lord will also chuse their delusions and bring their fears upon them c. vers 3.4 The truth is the fault lay not in doing those things but in not doing all that the Lord required as well as they could but they would do some things he commanded and other things of their own chusing even their own abominations like those spoken of Jer. 7. that cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and yet will steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods and come and stand before God in his house and say We are delivered to commit all these abominations This is a profane presumptuous coming to an ordinance of God but to come in a Christian conformity unto duties of worship in hope of a blessing being restrained from such enormities as are spoken of in these Scriptures is a different thing especially these places respecting nationall sins rather then of particular private persons But these Gentlemen judge that this outward consormity in the duties of Christianity according to the present capacity of persons in the Church as they are able to performe is a sweet bit for the Devill and a means to keep up rotten formality still But I pray you what is reformation in the Church but to bring people to yeeld an outward conformity to the clear and undisputable Lawes which Jesus Christ hath set up in the Church I wish with all my heart the generality of Christs subjects in the Church of England were reduced to that obedience though but meerly externall I should then think we were very happy and should much rejoice to see such daies and times in England and I must confesse my desires and prayers unto the Lord are that all our exorbitances may be reduced unto uniformity of Christian obedience though it were but in respect of the outward man in doctrine worship and discipline that all might come under the ordinary means and waies of their salvation and that we might teach our posterity in the way of holy profession and establishment of the true and lively oracles of God in respect of which for the present we are the most unhappy of all the reformed Churches in Christendome For some men cannot indure to hear of such words as uniformity in Religion under the establishment of Christian Lawes of the nation nor of a form of godlinesse and holy order in the Church of Christ but in the Kingdome of Christ would upon the matter have every one left to his liberty to do what seems good in his own eyes But our God is the God of order and not of confusion And I doubt not but the Christian Magistrate hath as much power to reform Religion in times of defection and apostasie according to the manifest Lawes of Jesus Christ by whom they rule as the Kings and rulers of the house of Judah had and ought to follow those glorious presidents Josiah Hezekiah and Nehemiah who were carefull to reform Religion in all things according to the known Lawes of God These examples are recorded for our learning and for the incouragement of those whose hearts are warmed with the love of God and zeal for his glory to improve the advantages of power and opportunity to bring both Ministers and people to a conformity in the externals of holy worship and order And the memory of Queen Elizabeth in this Nation is blessed because of her care to reftrain the Papists from their superstition and cruelty and to draw on the whole people of the Nation to the Protestant Religion And the successe of this her care in reforming and restoring the true Religion hath been very glorious in all reformed Churches abroad and indeed was instrumentall of the greatest blessing that ever this nation was possessed of for being put into a peaceable injoyment of covenant ordinances and godly order we are still by that means a people in Covenant and have the Lord for our God yet not without our fears lest the lukewarmnesse of all in the things of our God especially in the matters of his worship will in a short time darken all our glory and render us a people most despicable and odious to God and men if not utterly unchurch and discovenant us as some do slanderously report that we are already But I shall now come to the third thing propounded namely that all in the Church and of years ought to submit themselves to the discipline of the Church not to be denyed any externall Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and justly excommunicated To omit what hath been already said in answer to the Doctor touching excommunication I shall propose some few things further to be considered for the stating and clearing of the true discipline and then I shall examine whether that which these Gentlemen commend to their reader be any thing like the discipline of Christ held forth in Scripture and practised by the primitive Churches of Christ 1. That all that are baptized and of years must of necessity come under the obligation of all the Lawes and Ordinances of Christ of which Discipline is one and therefore none may plead exemption from it whosoever he be that is a brother and within comes under the Church judgement and censure Mat. 18.1 Cor. 5. 2. That although all ought to come under the discipline of that Church of which they are members yet may not any be denied Church priviledges for the state of unregeneracy meerly nor for barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse under the ordinary means of grace or not coming up to the practise of such duties as are private and more doubtfull then the duties of publick worship are For it is certain that Jesus Christ hath his elect ones lost sheep and children of God among the naturall seed of Christians or to come of them as he had among the Jewes and these elect ones he is pleased more savingly to call some at the third hour others not untill the eleventh hour of the day of grace vouchsafed to them And these being the speciall objects of redemption included in the Gospell Covenant to whom the promises of the first grace do properly belong we must suffer Jesus Christ to have the liberty of his own appointments in the Church as the only means of gathering in such unto himself that they may have life in him
it consisted wholly of them for they undertook to cast out of the Synagogue Joh. 9. 12. And when Saul breathed out threatnings against the Saints in zeal of reducing them to the Church from which they were departed and seduced as he thought he went to the chief Priests and all the estate of the Elders for his commission and he received anthority from them to bring both men and women unto Jerusalem to be punished Act. 22.15 And that estate of Elders in the originall is called a Presbytery which also shewes that it was made up of chief Officers of the Church called Presbyters some of which were chief Priests the other Pharisees and some subordinate Presbyters were joyned with them to make up that assembly having authority to judge of manners according to the Lawes of God however upon mistake they punished the true professors of the Christian Religion yet not under the notion of professors of the true Religion but out of zeal to reduce the beleeving Jewes to conformity to the old administration as judging it still in force as it was delivered by Moses If any make question whether this Presbytery according to the Text were the Church to whom complaint was to be made concerning stubborn offenders I answer that Councell or Presbytery was made up of the chief Officers of the whole Church and so the Church representative on whom alone all the authority of the Church was involved for the punishing of sin and preserving the peace of the whole And for the word Church they that are acquainted with the Original language know it is used for any assembly or congregation called together whether to civill or sacred ends and so these Elders and Rulers of the Jewes assembled together for the ends aforesaid are not unproperly called a Church And for the latter thing propounded before namely that the Christian Churches in after ages are to proceed by the same rule and in the same order the Church of the Jewes then did that is to say by a Presbytery seems to me very probable For first of all there were in use in the Christian Church in reference to the rule and government thereof the same names that were in the Church of the Jewes which is a sign that there was the same thing Saint Paul who was well acquainted with the nature of the Presbytery at Jerusalem from whom he received authority to trouble the beleeving Jewes cals an assembly of Elders or Church officers a Presbytery of which what better reason may be conceived then this the resemblance that was between this Eldership and the great Councel in the Church of the Jewes It is clear the Apostles themselves did order all things in the Church ordained Elders and authorized them in the Name of Christ to ordain others c. And they were as much Rulers and Officers over the Catholick Church as the chief Priests and Elders were to the Jewes And hence in the Apostolical Churches Ordination of Ministers was derived from them that were Officers to the whole Church and in a most immediate manner by Jesus Christ were constituted so to be which makes me inclinable to beleeve that those still that are ordained Officers for the good and benefit of the whole should be ordained by such a Presbytery that are intrusted with that power by the Officers of the whole as much as may be So farre am I from consenting to these men that take it for granted that the common members of a particular society may chuse and install their own officers Now what is there in all this for that pretended way of discipline which these Gentlemen commend to their reader here is not the least warrant for any to separate from the Church or withdraw for all is one nor for the people to rule and chuse their own Officers nor for imposing a Church Covenant explicitly to be professed in the congregation and those that will not come up to this and such like termes must not be admitted unto Sacramentall communion Nor is here any warrant for sentencing Church members before a regular triall nay here is no warrant for any single Minister to set up discipline over his people without the consent and conjunction of the reverent brethren of the Ministry with them The key of discipline is not at all in one alone but rather in the whole together A word more on that Scripture as it is directed to the Apostles vers 18 19 20. and so in them to the officers of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world Verily saith our Saviour there if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them These words seem to have reference unto what was spoken before concerning the authority of the Jewes Church Officers and our Saviour would have his Apostles to know that though their authority may seem to the world yea and to themselves to be weak and contemptible in respect of that great bench of Elders generally submitted unto by the Jewes yet they should have as great authority to binde and loose as the other nay two of them by the authority given them by the Lord of the Church should be equivalent to their great authority And we know it came so to passe They had power to work miracles and were inspired with an extraordinary spirit and had some speciall promises peculiar to them alone as well as gifts They had power to give the holy Ghost by imposition of hands and an extraordinary power in prayer and power to punish and kill the bodies of men for sacriledge and hypocrisie And we know the very Church it self is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Now what is this to these Ministers in Glocester-shire Dare two or three of them assume this power for I suppose all the Ministers of the County are not of their minde and way to do as the Apostles did Suppose they be Ministers of the Gospell is the Church built upon them or their Doctrine Where have they any such promise that they shall not erre and whatsoever they shall agree to aske shall be done for them of the Father of Jesus Christ They plead their serious and solemn seeking of God and commend unto us their model of Discipline as the result of their serious debates and returns of their prayers but that authority will not satisfie judicious Christians when the thing it self is so inconsistent with the generall rules of the Word as hath been shewed Besides it is well known that in many places the Ministers of the Gospell have used the like means in behalf of themselves and their people yet but few have run into their waies but either fall into some association of Churches and Presbyteries
Spirit may be in such comes not within the Churches cognisance to inquire but what is agreeable to the revealed will of God and then if any of years being baptized professing the true religion be in the same incapacity as Infants or distracted it 's true there is the same exception against them otherwise not For mine own part I never knew any of years but could take and eat and drink of the consecrated signes reverently and orderly according to the institution as to the externals of that service which the state of Infants is uncapable of And mad men would indanger the abuse of the holy signes by their undecent and unreverent demeanour in those necessary acts of communion and worship And it must be granted that persons at years are not under that naturall incapacity that infants are in order to the outward form of worship Neither are Infants as such under the obligation of precepts of worship as grown persons in the Church are Nor can it be reasonably imagined that such a state of persons in the Church should be admitted actually to receive that in the discretion of the Church are no proper objects of Church censures in point of offending which grown persons in the Church are though never so ignorant And what though the Doctor say he can teach a childe of three or four years old as much or more then some of our people at years have learned all their life time A Parrat may be taught to speak words but can he make such children rationally understand what they are taught and exercise devotion from a principle of conscience in reference to religious worship as in charity we may hope of grown ones according to that little they know which may be conceived by their desires after it and their demeanour in the Sacramentall actions Moreover I doubt not but the Doctor or any other Minister of the Gospell may in a short time inform the ignorant among their people so as to make them capable of discerning the Lords body and to eat and drink lawfully in the Apostles sense though not in the sense I shall give account of hereafter All which being laid together I conceive that Church members of years most ignorant are not so uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or mad men are and therefore the same or like ground of excepting against the one will not equally reach the other And then the Doctors often retorting Mr. H. exception doth rather discover weaknesse then adde any strength to the cause This to the first inquiry As for the other namely whether the scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated I do not finde the Doctors judgement so expresly delivered but he seems to debar such from the Sacrament But sure to debar Church members scandalous their externall priviledge during Church indulgence and toleration they being under triall or otherwise is contrary to the judgement and practise of the independent Churches and seems irrationall and unjust to execute before a judiciall triall and sentence I confesse I am unsatisfied with their proceedings as Presbytered toward Church members of years admitted 1. They set up an Eldership whose office is very doubtfull too doubtfull to assume and exercise the keyes of Christs Kingdome especially where there is no association of Churches so that upon the matter the power of sentence is in the Pastour alone or in those whom Jesus Christ never impowered with the keys at all to binde and loose authoratively 2. They set up such a way of triall and Church examination of native Church members in order to the Sacrament the observance whereof is both their duty and their priviledge as no word doth warrant discouraging the most from indevouring after their duty and priviledge so that upon the matter they are left out without any regular casting out 3. They cause a carelesse forbearance of the Sacrament and make their suspension and excommunication upon the matter all one and the Doctor allowes all presence at every ordinance denying only the act of receiving to the worst 4. They positively suspend Church members for ignorance and such like wants and comings short of what they should be to God for which there is not the least warrant either of rule or president in divine writ 5. They make excommunication lesse then it is indeed in allowing the excommunicate presence in the congregation at every ordinance and make it more then indeed it is in dismembring Church members by it it being appointed as the last remedy to heal diseased members not to destroy them They are not thereby dismembred but to be lookt upon saith Mr. Cawdry as diseased members under cure 6. No more priviledge is allowed to Church members not approved of by the eldership though not yet under any positive sentence then is allowed to Heathens and to the excommunicate as much of priviledge in the ordinances of the Church is allowed as to Heathens All which upon triall will be found to be beside the rule I think and yet such are the consequences that flow from the Doctors own principles and premises in his Bar to free admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper In the next place the Doctor declares his judgement concerning a scandalous member of a congregation impresbytered presuming to receive what is to be done in such a case As first the Minister is to tell him of the sinne and desire him to forbear if that will not do then to shew him the present danger of murdering Christ and eating and drinking judgement to himself and he hath done his duty But then it may be inquired whether he mean only in case of common fame the scandall having been publick otherwise I suppose it will not be a time to nominate any members sinne or person in publique first Then secondly I question whether a scandalous member doth necessarily murder Christ and eat and drink judgement to himself in the Scripture sense whether the person be regenerate or unregenerate For he may be Scandalous and yet knowing and able to put a difference between common bread and the instituted signs in order to their end He might be drunk the week before and yet sober scrious and reverent in the act of receiving and not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ nor eat and drink judgement to himself in the Doctors sense He often distinguishes of worthy Church members and unworthy according to the judgement of visibility accounting the regenerate in the Church only worthy of admittance but not the other they not having a personall worthinesse must necessarily eat and drink unworthily and so judgement to themselves in the Apostles sense c. Now because all his conclusions seem to be deducted from meer mistakes and misapplyings of the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 11.20 to the 34. to the great perill and danger of the visible Church of Christ as causing rents and divisions therein I shall therefore make
bold to present to consideration these necessary queries in reference to a discovery of the most probable sense of the place humbly praying the Reader when ever he think of me to think seriously and impartially of them 1. Enquiry is to be made whether the Apostle intends any such thing as personall worthinesse or unworthinesse in order to the Sacrament 2. Whether the unworthinesse the Apostle speaks to were not meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending in or about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order 3. What were those sins that provok'd the Lord so immediately to punish them for the present and made them liable to be further punished for the future 4. Whether they were chastised for unworthinesse of person or other sins they were guilty of before they came together to celebrate the holy Supper 5. What is the remedy the Apostle prescribes to that Church to prevent future judgement and to enjoy present benefit 6. Whether the unregenerate and most ignorant person professing and owning the true Religion among them were not in a capacity so to use the remedy as to prevent the judgement and receive benefit by the ordinance where God gave a blessing 7. Whether the duty of self-examination in order to the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the premises treated on in the context 8. Whether a carelesse neglect or incapacity of this duty of self-examination before do excuse and give a writ of ease from that precept of publique duty and service Do this in remembrance of me 9. Whether there be any thing in the institution nature end language action of the Sacrament in the context or elsewhere incongruous to the receiving of the unregenerate in the Church I doubt not but an ingenuous answer to these Queries would much moderate the unchristian rigour of these times about Sacramentall communion if not to make the controversie to cease among sober godly men And therefore pardon my boldnesse in adventuring to present to publick view my confused apprehensions in answer to these queries and that with as much brevity as I can Something must be done and if I can discover the truth or give occasion unto some more able to doe it I shall blesse God and think my labour well bestowed For the first I conceive there is not the least hint or sound of unworthinesse of persons in the Church of Corinth spoken to by the Apostle in reference to the Sacrament nor are they blamed or punished for their reall unworthinesse as to God visible to the Church though it 's probable they had such amongst them in that communion For in the beginning of this Epistle the Apostle gives them the titles of the Church of God sanctified in Christ Jusus called to be Saints c. And of those that were punished for profaning the ordinance the Apostle speaks very hopefully nay confidently that their persons were justified they were chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the world But it may be said Object The Church of Corinth were all of them at least visibly worthy in respect of their persons and therefore their free admission is no warrant for us seeing many of ours want that visible worthinesse And if those that were visibly worthy did through their miscarriage eat judgement to themselves what may we think of ours that have not so much as that visible worthinesse which they had 1. I answer Solution If there be nothing against personall unworthinesse in persons professing the true religion in the context in order to the Sacrament then unworthinesse of person in such can be no bar against them but the former is true therefore the latter is true also 2. If the Apostle upon so weighty occasion meddle not with their unworthinesse of person in reference to their receiving then neither need we to meddle with it it is sufficient that those we admit be baptized and of the true Religion under Church indulgence to entitle them to all the ordinances which they are to use as means of their spirituall good they being given to the visible Church to that very end 3. If our Baptisme were rightly administred according to the Word then ours of years that are of the same with them of the Church of Corinth have as much externall priviledge in the Church as they had till either by Apostasie they fall off or by the right exercise of Discipline they be put out And had we the same charity the Apostle had we would allow them the title of Saints beleevers brethren by profession and calling as they did all along For the second and third Quere I am sure the Text is clear for the affirmative namely that their unworthinesse was meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order And they did eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords body and they profaned the holy Ordinance in that they put no difference between their own supper and the Lords Supper their own bread and the instituted signs And for persons to make the consecrated signs appointed by Jesus Christ to spirituall ends as in the institution a common or civill thing to please and satisfie the outward man must needs be a great evill and was that high and provoking sin for which they are there punished as well they might For indeed it was a sin worse then carrying the Arke of the Covenant contrary to order and yet for that the Lord made a breach upon them And Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for offering strange fire which the Lord commanded not so dangerous a thing it is not to come up to or to adde to or to profane divine institutions Doubtlesse the Corinthians were very rude unreverent and disorderly in the present observance some were hungry and some drunk some had too much and others could get none or but little as is intimated in the remedy or direction given to that particular case To tarry one for another as to order and if any hunger let him eat at home not make the holy Supper a meer businesse of eating and drinking that they come not together to condemnation for time to come as they had done before To the fourth Query I answer They were not chastened for unworthinesse of person or for any other sins they were guilty of before but for unworthy actings in the act of receiving or at that time For this cause some are weak and some are sick and some are fallen asleep that is for eating and drinking unworthily contrary to order and decency the which word unworthily respects their manner of doing not their persons It 's no were said Whoso eateth and drinketh being unworthy is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. And I think it is no where else the language of Scripture to require reall worthinesse of person before they be sit to come under precepts of duty and service Doth not Baptisme lay ingagements upon all to observe all the commands of Christ
Mat 28.19 20. And do this in remembrance of me is a precept for the baptized of years to observe they being under Church indulgence otherwise we shall be driven to question our Baptisme and then our Church ministry and run mad to the separations or begin again if we could tell how In the mean time how injurious to Church members doth our ungrounded rigour and private interpretations cause us to be To the fift Querie I say The remedy is both by instruction and direction by these waies the Apostle applies himself to them for the cure of their maladie He repeats the first institution comments upon it the better to give them to understand the nature end and use of the ordinance which before they were ignorant of or did not well consider And having taught them the minde of Christ in what was necessary to that service then he gives direction what they must doe First to examine themselves whether they understand what these things of God did mean as they had been taught and then to tarry one for another that the ordinance may be carryed on with order decency and reverence becoming worship and then he assures them they shall not be judged of the Lord. To the sixth Querie I answer The Apostle intends the remedy to the good of the whole Church which comprehends every particular member of years that did actually receive and offend therein And he taught them not any thing but what was easie to be understood by any reasonable man owning the true Religion among them He directed them not to do any thing but what was easie for them to do externally And their offending was so obvious and apparent that they were easily convinced and yeelded to the reproofe Gods blessing concurring with the means and indeed we read no more of their offending in that manner afterwards nor any other Christian Church But they were a Church consisting of members under better qualifications then ours Object therefore the same remedy which was sufficient for them is not sufficient for most of ours 1. Solution I answer The Apostle writing to them That if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such they should not eat intimates that there were such among them that were as bad as ours But secondly if we be a true Church our members we admit true Church members even as theirs then ours come under the same rules with them unlesse we can finde different rules for the same Church in the same things and respects if not then ours are under the same rule in reference to the Sacrament untill they be legally ejected and cast out and are bound to act according to those rules and that order prescribed in hope of a blessing even the worst member among us To the seventh Querie whether the duty of self-examination in order to the sacrament be not properly to be restrained to the premises treated on in the context I answer That whether it be to be extended in this place so farre as most do urge in respect of their reall state unto God competent measure of knowledge in the many fundamentals of Religion the having and acting every grace necessary to salvation c. or to be restrained to the particulars there mentioned I dare not peremptorily determine though strongly inclined to beleeve the latter Not because I think self-examination touching the former may carelesly be neglected by any but I question whether the Apostle had any respect thereto in this place in reference to the Sacrament because I conceive the Apostle here sutes the remedy to the malady and that unworthinesse of person was not any part of malady nor ignorance in the fundamentals of Religion but their not discerning the Lords body and that put them upon other unworthy carriages as is shewed before And therefore as examination is part of the remedy prescribed it seems to me most probable that it properly refers to the rule of institution and those other directions given in the context The eighth Querie is whether a carelesse neglect of this private duty of self-examination before do give a writ of ease and excuse such negligent persons from the precept of publique duty and service Do this in remembrance of me To this I say I cannot conceive how the neglect of a private duty can excuse any in the neglect of publick worship that are Church members of years under the obligation of all that Christ commands The Apostles being sent to preach and baptize those that received their Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospell and came under the baptisme of Christ were bound to teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded and in so doing they had a promise of his presence and blessing upon their endevours And loe I am with you alwaies to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 20. What can be more plain except we shall say the observance of the holy Supper is none of his commands I think Christ commands nothing for the hurt of his visible subjects they observing it according to their present capacity Can an instance be given in the Old or New Testament of any that came under Circumcision or Baptisme whether proselyte or native of years that as private members were admitted to all other ordinances in the Church and yet were forbidden the use of the other Sacrament the Passover or the Lords Supper There is but one Law for the stranger and home-borne If our Baptisme be the Baptisme of Christ I say if it be the baptisme of Christ by which we are consecrated to Christ why should any be exempted from any obedience and priviledge being of years and under Church indulgence at least more then the circumcised under Moses or the Baptized under the Apostles Our not acting according to Scripture presidents in this particular will I fear in time unchurch us We blame the Separations when we our selves maintain the first principles of setting up distinctions and separations in the Church But it is dangerous to be partiall in the lawes of Christ Why may not the wofull neglect of Sacraments visible pledges of divine love be one thing that makes ministers be so contemptible and vile in the eyes of many as they are Well but to return I say this comming to the Sacrament is one of Christs commands and he that breaks the least of his commands and teaches men so shall be called the least in the Kingdome of God But I think Mr. H. hath said enough to this to satisfie any sober impartiall Christian to whom I must still referre the reader for further satisfaction herein The Doctor hath many quillets about this particular which are more like to puzzle then to satisfie the reader He strives to put an inclosure to some duties as not common to all and he instances in relations and sex that come under the obligations of the second Table the which
duties are common and universall to all of the same relations and sex And what though it be not the duty of all Church members to preach and administer Sacraments yet it is the duty of all Ministers what ever so to do But Mr. H. argument is If all other service lie in common it is an intrenchment upon the common liberty to put an inclosure upon the Sacraments And if the Sacrament come under the obligation of the first Table as a part of Gods worship it is equally binding to all and so in common with the rest of worship notwithstanding any thing yet made out to the contrary It is true affirmative precepts do not binde to every moment of time but that will not justifie a carelesse and wilfull neglect at any time And whereas it is said that Church members are not bid absolutely to come but so to come it seems strange to me I had thought that all precepts of worship had been absolute to persons of years in the Church of Christ And do this in remembrance of me is absolute and the principall duty however the Doctor is pleased to call it carnall Divinity and a setting up the form above the power of worship For in every duty there is a forme which is heedfully to be observed and it 's impossible there should be the power of godlinesse without the form To obey the voyce of God in regard of the matter injoyned seems to be the main as respecting reasonable man and when there is an externall conformity to the commands of the Lord such are said to walk in the waies of the Lord failings in the manner there will still be both good and bad are under a necessity of failings and miscarriages in every thing which is to be imputed to the common frailty of man fallen But not 〈◊〉 what God commands at all is voluntary rebellion and that which the Scriptures most usually threaten severe judgements unto But I hope the Doctor doth not mean that the celebration of the Lords Supper is the form and self-examination the power which yet he seems to do by his exceptions against making receiving to be the principal the other but an accessary To which exceptions I say First that this duty of examination of our selves is a private duty and the private is subordinate to the publick Secondly This duty was prescribed occasionally as a remedy to that particular case of making a breach upon the materials of divine institution and order and therefore a means to further them in the right observance of the Supper and we may most safely say the end is most principall the means lesse Besides where the duty ceaseth in some respects it is not to be urged in those respects but it 's clear there is not the same reason for point of offending in the Church of England as there was at Corinth about the Administration of the Sacrament the work of our congregations demeaning themselves more reverently and orderly in a way sutable to the carrying on of that service in regard of the externall part according to the rule of institution And therefore that duty is not to be urged upon ours with the same necessity of danger of eating and drinking unworthily as to the Church of Corinth It is true their ignorance and not discerning of the Lords body represented by the instituted signs was the cause of all their other miscarriages But some may say Object Doth it not therefore follow that the ignorant amongst us do necessarily run upon the same danger of miscarriage I answer Solut. we know they do not for ours many of them rather erre on the other hand by putting too much holinesse in the consecrated elements then by using them as common things such hath been the education of the most every where that they conceive this Sacrament to be a most holy ordinance of God appointed for the good of their souls And therefore out of fear and reverence they do demean themselves orderly and regularly conform to the externals of the institution Had the Corinthians come up to that conformity of Sacramentall actions and order that ours generally do we should not have read of their punishment for unworthy receiving as I humbly conceive nor of their being urged so to come for that principall duty is not to be neglected though through carelesnesse the other be But then saith the Doctor It is a sen to disswade men from doing their duty Object be they never so vile To which I say Solut. the Doctor knowes there be other waies to reform such enormities He instances in perswading to forbear duties of homage and worship but not only Mr. H. but many other sober Christians Ministers and others judge that all the visible subjects of Christs Kingdome are under the obligation of his commands And do this in remembrance of me is one not to be restrained to sex sunction or any particular relations but to be observed in common by all the baptized of years under Church indulgence And if the Doctor hath any thing further to say that may give satisfaction in that point my self and others will be very thankfull 9. And so I come to the last Querie propounded namely whether there be any thing in the nature language actions or end of the Sacrament in that place of the Corinths or elsewhere incongruous to the actuall receiving of the unregenerate in the Church Before I come to answer directly to the Querie I shall lay down these six propositions 1. I conceive that Sacraments in generall and this in particular were instituted for the spirituall good of the visible Church of Christ comprehensively taken in which every particular member is included 2. That the visible Church of Christ consists of persons regenerate and unregenerate professing the true religion and their seed 3. That the unregenerate in the Church are the only proper and immediate objects of the most sundamentall promises in the Gospell Covenant of the giving the first grace 4. That the whole administration of the Covenant belongs to those in the Church that are the immediate objects of the absolute promises in the Covenant they being of years of discretion to use the same in order to the Lords putting the promises into execution and performance 5. That whom the promises of grace do respect to them the use of the Sacraments do belong Sacraments being visible representations of the death and bloud of Christ on which those promises of grace are founded and by which they are confirmed 6. That those in the Church and of years whom we cannot exclude from covenant relation we may not exclude from the Sacraments they being visible seales and pledges of Covenant love to that people that are in possession of Covenant administrations of divine Ordinances of worship as ours are These being truths as I conceive they all are I think it will follow that there is nothing in the Word against the receiving of the unregenerate in the Church being of years
of discretion and professing the true Religion The Doctor hath written very understandingly and informingly concerning the Covenant and the manner how it is sealed and yet he fals off in his conclusions and applications excluding the unregenerate in the Church from the Sacramentall seals whom yet he allowes to be objects of Covenant grace saying that only the elect and persons effectually called are the objects and yet he intimates that the elect unregenerate are the object of initiall grace and that grace and faith be a part of the Covenant sealed by the Sacrament and yet he would not have those receive that have not this faith and grace though promised in the Covenant and sealed in the Sacrament But if the elect before conversion be in the writing and in the Church then Sacraments seal to them but doubtlesse God hath his elect to call in the Church else we cannot tell where they are if not under the ordinary means of their calling And therefore there can be no danger in sealing that part of the Covenant to such And doth not the Doctor himself and others act accordingly in administring the seal in Baptisme Are they within the Covenant then by vertue of a visible profession in their parents and upon that account sealed with the Sacrament of Baptisme and yet grown to years denyed the same seal of the Supper If they had right then how comes it to passe they have none now The Doctor saith Because of their antifederall wickednesse they prejudice themselves and deprive themselves of covenant right and that those that are in the state of nature are out of the Covenant and the grosly ignorant are such c. And therefore to be denied the sacramentall Seal To which I answer It 's hard to such that any born in the Church of Christian Parents they continuing to uphold an externall profession of the true Religion are out of the Covenant how ignorant or wicked so ever they be For if there be a more immediate object of those promises of giving the first grace in the Church where the ordinary means of working that grace are then persons in the state of nature and unregenerate in the Church are the immediate object of those promises before others out of the Church But there is a present and immediate object of those promises in the Church that are under covenant ordinances except the day of Gods giving the first grace be past in the Church Therefore those in the State of nature and unregenerate in the Church are the present and most immediate object of those promises in the Covenant of Gods giving the first grace As for those in the Church that have the first grace already they cannot be the proper objects of it in the promise and those that are out of the Church not having the ordinary means of putting those promises into performance cannot be the present and most immediate or most likely objects For as touching the state of Paganisme the Apostle intimates plainly That they are strangers from the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 Therefore the unregenerate in the Church are the present and most proper objects of those promises and consequently of Sacraments that seal to the truth of those promises And for those that will not allow men in the state of nature and unregenerate to be of the Church they will allow the Covenant a full object in the Church And for particular sins and personall miscarriages in the Church we are to make no difference in the regenerate and unregenerate there being the same rule to guide us in dealing with both But let none mistake me when I say the unregenerate in the Church are the immediate and proper objects of the promises of the first grace I do not mean that all such in the Church must necessarily have that grace given them but such there are in the visible Church which by nature are as bad as any others and in no consideration differ from the worst of men considered in themselves but are simple sinners wholly lost with the rest of fallen mankinde That which makes the difference is out of themselves it 's the meer good will and pleasure of him that worketh all things after the counsell of his own will giving grace to whom he will of those that in all respects are equall in sin and misery So that when we shall come to judge of persons in the Church under the most evident characters of unregeneracy yet we may not exclude them from being objects of covenant grace and mercy nor from the seals and pledges of that grace and mercy during their abode in the Church and the Churches indulgence toward them In a word nothing excludes from covenant relation but the sin against the Holy Ghost which I fear many of our blasphemous Sectaries are guilty of and positive unbelief such as was in the hardned and obstinate Jewes who denyed the holy One and true Messiah sent among them obstinacy and Apostasie in the justly excommunicated renouncing the Christian Religion hating to be reformed by the Churches censures these things exclude and nothing else And this might suffice for answer to the Querie but I shall adde two or three arguments more 1. The very nature of the Sacrament of the Supper is a visible Gospell representing Christ crucified to sight and all the other senses by instituted signs which more ordinarily is carryed to the ear by the word but in this all the senses are made the inlets to the soul carrying the knowledge of Christ crucified to the understanding heart and conscience And I think the unregenerate in the Church have as much need of being taught Christ crucified by the visible signs as any others and they have as much need of the benefit and advantage of their outward senses as the regenerate and more they being more dull and slow of spirit to understand or to be affected with the meaning and end of this service then they are 2. The main end of this service is to keep a continuall fresh remembrance of the death of Christ and that satisfaction made by him by which all the same blessings of the Covenant are procured to fallen man Christs bloud was shed for many for remission of sins that he might gather into one the children of God scattered abroad in all the world and in all ages of the world is the end of his death Joh. 11.52 And the Sacrament is to be observed in remembrance of that by all those that professe hope of being saved through the merits of his death which the unregenerate in the Church do and cannot be excluded from the number of those many Christ shed his bloud for and therefore it is proper for such to remember the death of Christ in order to their spiritual good whom we cannot exclude from being the sheep he died for 3. The actions of taking eating and drinking are naturall actions of the body in reference to
committing of some grosse and scandalous sinne is made by God an occasion of conversion shall any take warrant therefrom to commit scandalous sins c. To all which I answer That all which he hath to that purpose is argued from meer mistakes he taking for granted all along that the unregenerate in the Church do necessarily eat and drink unworthily in the Apostles sense whereas I conceive the contrary hath been already fully declared And therefore it would be well if he would see his mistake and alter his judgement that others might not be in danger of being misled by him In the mean time what he hath charged Mr. H. with in point of excommunication untruly may be retorted upon himself justly It is a cruell assertion a bloudy tenent c. And that not only in his depriving many souls of the benefit and spirituall good of so blessed an ordinance but in his detracting also from the goodnesse grace and power of God in that ordinance as if Christ had appointed it in the Church rather for the hurt then for the spirituall good of his visible subjects they partaking thereof conformly according to their present capacity Object But then saith the Doctor If it be a convering ordinance we may administer the Sacrament to the Heathen to convert them to Christianity for if it will convert those in the Church that have but the form to the power of Religion then it will sure convert the Heathen at least to the form if it will do the greater much more the lesser To this I answer Solution That an argument drawn from the greater to the lesser must be of things of the same kinde and so of men under an equall capacity else it will not hold I can throw a stone over a house can I therefore throw a feather this is lesse then the other and yet though the same arme and strength be put forth it will not do it The fallacy of the argument lies in this That there is not the same capacity of receiving good by the Sacrament in both the formall professing Christian is not in such an incapacity of receiving good by that ordinance as the Heathen are We know that to Heathens that never heard of Christ or at least do not acknowledge him their redeeming Lord so as to come under his Lawes no not so much as Baptisme the outward elements are but meer civill things And they might be easily perswaded to take and eat of those elements of Bread and Wine in order to the good of their bodies but not for the good of their souls before they own Christ to be their Lord Redeemer and Saviour till then they know not what these things mean But those among us educated in the true Religion do acknowledge Christ their redeeming Lord and they do know in some measure what these things of God mean so that the Sacrament in an ordinary way may work some proper effect upon the one but can have none upon the other without a miracle Besides it is clear enough that as no uncircumcised persons were to enter into the Sanctuary or to eat of the Passeover so no unbaptized person is to partake of the holy Supper in that Communion Were there the like ground of denying the Sacrament to the ignorant and scandalous persons under Church indulgence that there is of denying it to infidels this controversie had been at an end before this time It cannot be denyed but excommunication is appointed in the Church to convert and reduce the obstinate and wilful sinners therein doth it therefore follow that we may exercise this means of conversion to Heathens out of the Church What can be more absurd Nay what have we to do to judge them that are without 1 Cor. 5.12 The Doctor knowes well enough that different premises will not bear the same conclusions and the truth is for want of making premises equall according to Scripture presidents we have run upon false conclusions to instance in some 1. Because we finde in Scripture the distinction of beleever and unbeleever used to distinguish the Church from the World how commonly is the same used to make a distinction in the Church amongst us who in Scripture sense are all beleevers for it is evident that an unbeleever in the Scripture sense is either a Pagan infidell or an unbeleeving Jew that absolutely renounces Christ under the notion of a false Christ a deceiver a devill c. refusing to obey his Lawes or to expect salvation by him 2. Because we finde that these unbeleevers are under wrath Aliens from the common-wealth of Israel strangers to the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 Which was true of the Ephesians before they received the Gospell that therefore the unregenerate in the Church are under the same condition though they beleeve in a true sense though not sincerely and are under the Covenant and persons to whom the adoption and the giving of the Law and the service of God pertains as once to the Jewes Rom. 9.4 34. finding warrant in the word to separate from the Infidell and idolatrous world especially in matter of worship therefore they conclude we must separate our selves from the unregenerate in the Church 4. Because we finde that some beleevers have by their unworthy and undecent behaviour in time of administration profaned the Sacrament to their own perill and judgement therefore we conclude First That those whose persons are unworthy as not being regenerate eat and drink unworthily Secondly That some other unworthy actions of Christians committed before their comming to the Sacrament renders them uncapable of worthy receiving and consequently renders them liable to judgement therein 5. Because we finde in the Scripture some excommunicated for foul and scandalous sins and blasphemous opinions therefore we conclude we may exercise Church censures for any sin even for omission of such duties as are dubious whether injoyned in the word or no but I have done with these false conclusions There is one objection more which the Doctor makes against Mr. H. Free Admission to which I desire to speak something The objection is this Object That Mr. H. Free Admission strengthens the hands of the wicked by promising them lies in the Name of the Lord and makes sad the hearts of the righteous whom God would not have made sad by their profaning the ordinance c. And this he endevours to back with the language of the Sacrament or words which the Minister uses in the delivering of the Sacrament to particular persons by his words and action giving and tendring Christ and all his benefits of grace and glory to the wicked as well as to the godly the which grace and glory the Sacraments are appointed to assure and confirm c. When as in the preaching of the word it is farre otherwise the Minister therein not dispensing the same to all alike but preaching comfort to whom comfort belongs and terrour to whom
lawfully refuse to baptize them at the present without any long deferring of it although they had been Heathens born I would I did but understand your answer to this supposition I conceive that all those that being of years are in a capacity for Baptisme are in a capacity also of all other Christian communion I presume the Apostles baptized upon as easie termes and so might you except you have a different commission or understand the Apostles commission in some other sense then they themselves did But I must contract my self aske you once again whether you ever found any president in the Word for what you practise in this point what Church under the administration of the Gospell will afford a president for your practise Do you separate according to Apostolicall order and rule or by vertue of some new commission or light the Scriptures never taught you I pray you again consider you had need be sure of good warrant to bear you out for you have been the cause and means of our being without discipline Sacraments union and communion with other reformed Churches indulgence to you hath been the occasion of an unlimited Toleration the misery of all those factions Schismes Heresies Blasphemies now abounding in every corner of the Land Well if your foundation be only the wisdome of the flesh and a worldly interest time will discover more of the Babel you are building when the consequences of your principles practise and design are come to full maturity It may come to that passe and it is much to be feared it will that you would retreat if you could tell how In the mean time the wilde beasts of the wildernesse come into Gods vineyard and by heresies destroy the tender grapes and many follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth is evill spoken of Men arise from among our selves speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them 2 Pet. 2.2 Act. 20.30 But mark them thut cause divisions and avoid them Rom. 16.17 But let me speak one word more in order to discipline which as you were never yet willing to come under as to the reforming of the whole so have your indevours been all along most fierce to obstruct and retard the discipline debated on in order to that end Again when the fittest way in Christian prudence according to rule was agreed upon as a means to reforme the whole and confirmed by the supreme Authority of this Nation designs were driven on to obstruct it and such things attempted as are the greatest scandals to the Protestant Religion that ever it suffered under And thirdly notwithstanding many symptomes and sad omens of a carnall design tending to the confusion and ruine of the whole and those the proper products of your own miscarriages do already appear yet you persist in your own contrivances and will not retract untill not only the Church but also the flourishing state of the Common wealth be involved in the same confusion and ruine The very sinewes of the Common-wealth are the fear of God and divine order in carrying on the same in all its parts uniformly different parties and factions too much indulged do ever beget jealousies and fears the common nursery of sedition and rebellion And that which cannot be held without gratifying of all factions and parties cannot in reason and policy hold long Why may not men truly fear God and carry on the power of godlinesse in their several functions and places under an establishment of Doctrine worship and order the only way to honour God And the best expedient to preserve the whole uniformity in the Church is a good foundation of peace and tranquillity in the Common-wealth And that is ever the best policy amongst Christians that is subordinate to true piety and our greatest freedome desired will be soonest attained in the way of religiousnesse when sin will be a snare to any people I confesse it is meerly occasionally that some things have dropped from my pen of this nature I would not offend any nor have I undertaken to meddle with the Independent way strictly taken they have been sufficiently answered by divers learned and reverend Gentlemen and the inconsistences contradictions absurdities and mistakes of their way discovered and not yâ—t vindicated by any that ever I heard of I only have hinted some things tending as I conceive to the Churches peace and unity in vindicating Church members from reproach and slander and inference to the preceding discourse And therefore I shall end with Mr. Humphreys wishes adding some of mine own 1. I wish we had a government establisht in the Church the nearest in Christian prudence that may be to the word of God 2. I wish the duty of fraternall correption a watching over and admonishing one another in love were better known and practised amongst us 3. I wish that men would look more to their own consciences and leave the judging of others spirits heart and reins alone to the judgement seat of Christ 4. I wish though there may be some judging by the fruits that wise religious men would be more cautious of countenancing the separations in the visible Church seeing upon the same ground that you go to gather a Church out of any mixt congregation another will gather a separation out of your Church and so continue as I have intimated from our sad experience an endlesse separating untill this first separation shall in a few years be able to take up the saying of that greatest Grand-mother unto those many Schismes shee shall see issuing as her naturall off-spring out of her owne bowels Rise up daughter go to thy daughter for thy daughters daughter has a daughter for this separations separation has a separation so farre Mr. Humfrey I adde 1. I wish that the distinction of beleevers and unbeleevers Church and world Christ and Belial holy and profane worthy Church members and unworthy were used in the Church of God according to Scripture meaning and with due caution and no otherwise 2. I wish that Sacraments were more clearly understood in respect of their nature and end attributing unto them their due according to the Scripture avoiding all humane boldnesse either in adding to advance them or in diminishing them so as in the least degree to debase them 3. I wish that the Lord Jesus may have the liberty and full scope of his own instituted ordinances given for the spirituall good of his Church that he may use them as instruments of his Spirit in order to that end upon the spirits of all his subjects according to their necessities and spirituall wants 4. I wish that a godly care may be taken in the education of all borne in the Church that being instructed in the plainest way of faith and obedience in the Christian religion they may be prepared to profit by every ordinance in the Church when they come to years 5. I wish that all of years may be made to understand their duties
Churcher All the Churches of the Gentiles were not only converted to the faith by the Apostles but also put into an holy order and way by ordaining them officers to rule and feed them in the Lord. And as it was in the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets there was a receiving of Proselytes aliens converted and they became Jewes by religion so it was in the times of the Apâ—stles they made nations and cities and countreys proselytes and they became Christians with the Jewes and there was but one law rule and way for all that wâ—â—e imbodied into the Church And there was graâ—â—ing int◠〈…〉 off from the same Church still all along to this day I have been too long in this but I will be shorter in the next Fifthly that the Church of Christ since the coming of Christ in the flesh is under the same and in some respects greater â—riviledges then under Mâ—ses and the Prophets This will appear to be a truth if we conâ—â—der thâ—â— Jesus Christ is and ever was the mâ—â—â—ting â—â—ule of all blessings and privilâ—dges unto the Church in all times and ages of the world that the Church hath ever been in possession or expectation of On the account of his transaction with the Father all the promises of covenant blessings of grace and glory made to Abraham and his seed are founded and thereby confirmed and so consequently to all that are of his faith for so saith the Apostle They that are of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham even all the Gentiles that receive the Doctrine of faith so as to initiate them into that Church of which Abraham was the father it being first formed up in his family and the Govenant freely made with him and sealed to him by the Sacrament of Circumcision I say all that are of Abrahams faith are blessed with him Hence it is that the Apostle to the Ephesians hath many expressions to the same purpose Chap. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ And in the second chapter it is clearly intimated that there was a time while they were in their state of Paganisme that they were Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world But now saith he you that were afar off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Ephes 2.11 12 13. But now in Christ Jesus you are of the Commonwealth of Israel children of the Covenants and Promises and have as much interest hope of good from God through Christ as the Jewes who by descent were the naturall seed of Abraham And therefore were now no more strangers and foreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. The reason of all is Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in spirituall things as to the Church and their seed And therefore he is said to be the Minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercies Rom. 15.8 9. as being made sharers in all those promises of free grace made to the fathers and their naturall seed Nay we may observe how the Apostles do usually apply the severall promises in the Prophets to particular cases in the Churches of Christ in their times But it may be asked Quest what were the priviledges of the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets The Law of the Passeover did oblige all the congregation of Israel upon their lives to observe it in the season Our Supper of the Lord is the same to us that the Passeover was to them for the substance as hath been proved having the same meaning and end The people of the Jewes as mixt as ours are if not worse in respect of good and bad regenerate and unregenerate and so as uncapable to make a spirituall use thereof The Church under the Law and the Prophets before the coming of Christ in the flesh and since the same which Jesus Christ and his Apostles only reformed in point of externall administration first owned by the Jewes unto which Church so reformed all beleeving Gentiles are added and graffed into it as the stock and so partake of the same spirituall and externall priviledges with them they and their seed so long as they continue to adhere and cleave to the outward means of salvation in order to that end and from these premises will follow these conclusions First that the same obligation lies now upon all Christians to observe the Ordinance of the holy Supper that did lie upon the whole congregation of Israel to observe the Ordinance of the Passeover and the Law of the Passeover may teach us so much and in some respect is still in force For so long as the equity and reason of a command or law remains the command and law it self remains for the substance of it but the equity and reason of that command concerning the Passeover still remains in respect of the Lords Supper succeeding in the room of the Passeover and therefore should guide and direct us in the administration thereof as touching the subjects or persons that ought to receive And then secondly if all that were in the Church of the Jewes came under the obligation of all the commands of God to that Church respecting the members in common and that both good and bad then all that are grassed into the same Church come under the obligation of all the Lawes given to the same Church and respecting the members in common now as well as then even all good and bad Thirdly the same exceptions that which all as he hath stated the thing are bound to observe I need not stand upon this Answ because I have already been somewhat large upon that Scripture where they say the Apostle requires such qualifications in my former discourse to which I reserre the reader Yet because these men have something which the Doctor hath not I shall hint a little at something of theirs I must confesse I judge the main stresse of the controversie to lie in that eleventh chapter of the first to the Corinthians And there need be no question but the Corinthians were injoyned by the Apostle to observe this ordinance of the holy Supper in remembrance of Christ for vers 2. he commends them for remembring him in all things and keeping the ordinances as he delivered them to them So that their keeping and observing of this ordinance as well as the other as to the thing it self was well done by them but then when he speaks to their miscarriages about the manner of performance he praises them not but reproves them for their wofull abuse of the ordinance in their excesse disorderly and unreverent behaviour in the very act of receiving or while they were together for that end They made a breach upon the very externals of that service using the
Christ or by his Apostles or any that drived authority immediately from them and therefore they have it not at all and to intrude themselves and assume unto themselves things of such an high nature is a most insolent boldnesse and they may fear to perish in the gainsaying of Corah and his company 5. I cannot conceive how there should be any true discipline practised in our Churches without the speciall assistance countenance and power of the civill Magistrate as the state of things are in England For almost all of all sorts are either carelesse or impatient or erroneous and not willing to come under discipline And although these Gentlemen say it is our own fault and why do we not set upon it beginning with the minor part yet this is very ill nay absurdly advised For as I said before I beleeve I shall never see true discipline exercised in the Church of England untill the Lord so move upon the hearts of our Rulers as to make them instrumentall to put the Church into that capacity which ordinarily cannot be without a nationall assembly of learned grave moderate and godly Divines chosen if possible by the whole and carryed on without tumult And that a profession of faith if not already done may be so clearly drawn up in respect of fundamentals in doctrine and worship according to evident rules of holy Scripture as may be established to be the publique profession of the Nation which all whatsoever should with peaceable spirits submit unto And also that the subjects of the keyes in a nationall Church may be more clearly determined and liberty of conscience better stated and bounded that the reformation of the whole may grow up together at least in all the externals of Christian obedience Otherwise how shall discipline be practised if carnall and loose Christians shall be left at liberty whether they will come under it or no Now I say while they are within the visible Church and Kingdome of our Lord Jesus and professe his Name in hope of eternall life why should they not submit to all his Lawes as the way and means appointed of that blessed end And the same grounds that do warrant the restraining offenders from evill and the forcing of them to do their duty in reference to some of the Lawes of Christ do warrant the doing of the like in reference to all the rest of his royall Lawes What is more sutable then that they that reign and rule only by Jesus Christ should put forth their power and improve all their interest for the advancing of Christs Scepter over all I confesse these Gentlemen have some unhappy expressions questioning our Church members because as they say the main instruments of bringing them to the true Religion in England were such as carryed it on by a civill power when the outward calling ought to be by the word only which the most of our common people never had they say Answ 1. I wish our Governours had that holy and grounded zeal for the reformation of what is amisse now in the Church that our first reformers expressed in point of reformation in their generation 2. We must distinguish of a twofold state of Church membership or the way of bringing people to be Church members 1. Aliens of years are to be discipled and called by the Word before they may be baptized and received into the Church and so it was in the Apostles first planting of Churches But 2. The seed of persons so called are by vertue of the Gospell Covenant members borne and upon that account are baptized and when they come to years are as much under the obligation of all holy observances as those that are called by the word So it was in the Church of the Jewes in respect of all that were circumcised so that Church membership is and may be pleaded from birth priviledge Gal. 2.15 We who are Jewes by nature c. 3. Our first reformers did not force Heathens to receive and professe the Protestant Religion but reduced baptized erring Christians unto that obedience and reformation which their Baptisme and profession did oblige and ingage them unto according to the examples of godly Kings and Prophets amongst the Jewes in case of defection and irregularity I might produce divers instances of this holy and religious care and zeal in reforming but those that are acquainted with the Scripture can remember the histories of them And orthodox Divines do generally hold that the Baptisme of a Papist is valid and need not be repeated And it need not be doubted but upon that ground the King of Spain or the French King if the Lord should give them a heart throughly convinced of and affected with the truth might reduce their subjects if they were able to that conformity to the Lawes of Jesus Christ which their Baptisme doth oblige them to Rome it self upon such a reformation might become a true visible Church without any repeating either of the ordination of their Ministers or their Baptisme Were all that superfluity of naughtinesse from time to time contracted in Doctrine worship and discipline purged out and all administrations made conformable to the Lawes of Jesus Christ as it was with them for some hundreds of years from the Apostles times we could not tell what to object against them but might have communion with them Say that we heretofore were a member of Rome received all sacred ordinances from them having now repented of the evils and abominations which the holy things of Christ were polluted with and reformed them according to the institution what can be objected against us though we were put in possession of the ordinances of Christ by means of the civill power 4. If an argument drawn from successe be of any force in any case surely in supernaturall and spirituall events above any other and we are not left without innumerable evidences of the divine operations upon the souls of many in our Nation through the blessing of the Lord upon the use of those holy administrations of the Covenant which our first reformers with zeal care and power brought our fathers under blessed be God for this unspeakable gift This for the fifth thing proposed concerning discipline 6. The sixth and last is this That holy discipline is so to be ordered that the edification of all may be best furthered and preserved and the objects of Church censures may be healed rather then hurt by them Sometimes the Church must rebuke some that the rest may fear and sentence some few most notorious offenders when many deserve the same punishment rather then indanger the peace union and edification of the Church punish and chastise what they can with the health and safety of the whole and with patience bear and forbear when the remedy is like to prove worse then the disease Lawfull things are not alwaies expedient nor consist with charity It is a good saying of Cyprian mentioned by Calvin Let the Church mercifully correct what they
framing such expedients as in a manner bring in all under a capacity of Sacramentall communion and discipline as in Worcestershire and other places or else carry on the Ordinances of Jesus Christ by vertue of their office as well as they can without Discipline as being convinced of their incapacity for the present so attain unto the true end and exercise thereof notwithstanding all their search disquisition and indevours to satisfie one another therein And the serious debates and seeking of God concerning this should move to own and assent to what is concluded thereupon I conceive it more safe to adhere to the greater part of sober Divines that have been serious in the use of these and all other means to satisfie themselves and others as well as those men and yet dare not in the least degree countenance their way and practise I would aske them this question whether they did ever read of any such practise that a few particular Ministers by their own authority have had the boldnesse to withdraw from the greatest part of their flocks and set up a way of Discipline of their own framing and upon the matter unchurch the greatest part of their congregations allowing them no other priviledge in the Church then they would to Pagans Did the Apostles ever make so bold with any Christian congregation that adhered to the Gospell administrations or did they ever authorize ordinary Presbyters to do so Nay did any ordinary Presbyter in the Apostles time exercise Discipline but upon the command of the Apostles or do we finde them any where blamed because they did not do it I verily beleeve these Gentlemen may not assume such an interest in the exercise of the Key of Discipline as the Apostles had and yet they are more busie with the rod then ever any of the Apostles were Alas it's pity some care is not taken to restrain their imperious usurpation over their severall flocks I think since the ceasing of the Apostles office it is more sutable to the Scripture alledged and other Scriptures to elect such Presbyteries to judge of manners in the Church as were constituted in the Church of the Jewes which our Saviour approved of which yet would come short of being equall with the Apostles in respect of the authority which they had in the Church of Christ though they were in all places men of the best qualifications for Rule that any attain to in our times and so I have done with that Scripture Mat. 18. I will trouble the reader but with two or three passages more about their new modell for I have a good minde to draw to an end and my other occasions will not permit me to do much in these waies Pag. 4. they tell us of the drawing up a profession of faith wherein they acknowledge their former Abominations in worship professing their repentance before the Lord for them Concerning which I say It is a strange expression of Christians except they were such as came newly out of Paganisme or Popery at least What abominations of worship have been established or practised in our Church since the reformation of it Is it not strange that the Ministers of the Church who should be ready to defend the Church from the wicked slanders and reproaches of Anabaptists and other Separatists should thus publickly join with them and that in such a publick way before the world too How many powerfull and successefull Ministers of the Gospell now with Jesus Christ in glory have justified all the ordinary parts of Gods worship as it was practised in our publick assemblies all along and conformed thereunto chearfully in respect of the substance of our worship Indeed there were some needlesse ceremonies used about worship which were declared by the Church to be no part of the worship now these were born as burthens which many of the godly desired to be eased of by their removall but it never came into their thoughts that they were guilty of abominations in worship because of them How doth Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures upon Joh. 4. justifie the Church of England as a true Church and the severall parts of worship practised therein as being according to the institution of the Lord And how doth he from thence blame those that separated or neglected the publick prayers of the Church and yet himself was one of the old non-conformists And Mr. Cotton that went into new England writing an Epistle to that Book doth therein highly commend the Author for many things but in a speciall manner for confuting the separations of the Brownists and he repeats what another reported of him styling him the hammer of Schismaticks commonly called Brownists Those Gentlemen talk of the Covenant established in Christ into which they require a profession to enter of those they admit to partake of the Seal of that Covenant pag. 10. Concerning this I say it were well if they would act according to their own words for 't is certain all Church communion is sounded upon covenant relation And those whose admittance to the Sacrament we plead for are supposed to have entred Covenant relation either in their parents or in their own personall profession of the true Religion that holy Scriptures teach or both and their voluntary adhering to the administrations of the Covenant doth attest their entring the Covenant and their continuing and abiding in that relation let them say what they can to the contrary But they say Object Persons that have entred Covenant may back-slide and so that relation cease and they instance in Simon Magus but those that brake bread were such as continued in the Apostles doctrin Act. 2.42 And back-sliders are not to be admitted to surther communion 1. Answ How do they know that Simon Magus fell off rom the Christian profession when the last we read concerning him is his retracting his erroneous the uphts desiring the Apostle to pray for him that none of those evils might come upon him 2. Suppose he did backslide and renounce his Baptisme and profession would he then have desired Christian communion in the Ordinances of Christ what more absurd 3. We only plead for such to break bread that continue in the Apostles Doctrine which we say all do that adhere to the administrations of Jesus Christ set up in his Church as the ordinary means of obtaining Covenant grace And for what they say concerning renewing of our Covenant with God after defection from him we heartily allow of it provided it be done according to the Scripture Deut. 29.10 11 12 c. Nâ—hem 10.29 Where in the persons of the chief the whole ingaged to walk in all the waies of the Lord and to observe and do all his commandements and his judgement and his statutes This is contrary to these men that would set up a Rail to hinder Christians from observing all Gods Commands nay rather to uncovenant a people in Covenant then ingage them to renew Covenant and walk worthy their Covenant relation in their observance of all covenant Ordinances in hope of blessing And I wish that if the Church cannot the Magistrate would take down the high places that hinder the Lords people from worshipping at the only place of worship If some have liberty to worship at Dan and Bethel why should any be restrained from worshipping at Jerusalem and doing their homage and service in remembrance of Christ who died for sinners I had thought to have added a word concerning the fourth and last thing proposed in the beginning of this Examination as it was urged by Mr. Humfrey namely that Ministers ought to do their duties as they are Ministers though Discipline be wanting and cannot well be attained as things stand of which duties the administration of the Sacrament is one which by their office they are bound to performe as they will answer the neglect thereof to Jesus Christ himself who commands the observance of all his holy Ordinances in the Church for the feeding of his flock And those that love him will make conscience in their places to be faithfull to him that hath appointed them But I fear I have been too tedious already And Mr. Humfrey in his Rejoynder to Doctor Drake hath abundantly given satisfaction in the vindication of this and other truths asserted in his former Book And if he shall think these Gentlemen worthy of any further answer I shall rather leave it to himself then do any thing that may hinder the Church of God of the faithfull and profitable labours of him or any others FINIS ERRATA PAg. 1. line 7. for reprove read reproach p. 4. l. 24. put out may p. 12. l. 8. f. when r. what p. 21. l. 25. f. many r. main p. 32. l. 12. put out be p. 33 l. 14 f. such r. say p. 34. l. 28. r. not allow p. 35. l. 16. r. simply p. 39. l. 16. in the margin for 42 2. r. 42. p 49 l. 5. l. 34. r. 3. which should begin the line and senâ—ence p. 51. l. 3. r. premise l. 22. f. baptized r. lapsed p 60. l. 26. r. guest p. 65. l. 27. f. the r. by p. 67 l. 8. f. communication r. communion p. 71. l. 13 put a period after worship p. 74. l. 25. f. all r. and p 75. l. 12. f. also r. and so p. 91. l. 18. r. relation p. 99. l. 9. r. reference p. 110. l. 29. f. and Gentiles r. assembilies p. 116 l. 1 2. r. Gillespy p. 117. l. 22. put in the margin 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10. p. 120 l. 10. f principles r. priviledges p. 127. l. 5. f. God r. Gospel p. 151. l. 1. s no r not p. 164. l. 14. s drived r. derived p. 173. l. 7. put out the stop after sense