and Church priviledges and be incouraged unto Church communion in all the waies of Christ that so they may come under Church discipline the best remedy to reclaim the obstinate and wilfull offenders 6. I wish the gifted brethren were better imployed then in unchurching our Churches and gathering Churches out of them it were a work more proper and acceptable either to be content to exercise their gifts to the edifying and building up of that Church in which they received them or else to goe into the infidell world as the Apostles did and preach the Gospel and plant Churches there The Scripture Raile Examined REader since I parted with what I had written in answer to Doctor Drake in the foregoing discourse there came to my hand Mr. Humfreys Rejoyner in vindication of himself a work very well performed by him wherein the truth formerly by him asserted is better cleared and confirmed to the satisfaction of many souls fearing God and breathing forth their earnest desires after the settlement reformation and uniformity of the Church of God in England according to the Word of God Be not prejudiced against his book by other learned men who have and still do appear with much bitternesse and passion against him more to affright with words and humane dictates meerly then with matter of grounded truth according to the sense of the holy Scripture witnesse that book put forth by some Ministers of Glocester-shire intituled A Scripture Raile to the Communion Table I confesse the title is good for we do acknowledge there ought to be such a thing but not in their sense as I hope shall appear by the discovery made in this short discourse following in which I shall wave what hath been already written in answer to D. Drake by Mr. Humfrey and my self and take notice only of some things in the Scripture Raile which have not yet been spoken to that I know of And this I shall do as briefly as I can because I would not anticipate him whom it doth more nearly concern And first of all because I would not leave the weak and incautelous Reader deceived with vain and groundlesse words in reading this Scripture Raile let this be noted that I take Scripture discipline to be the only Rail for the Communion Table which I hope both the Author reproached and my self earnestly desire may be set up and all our indevours tend as conducible means to that end as being assured that the first stone in the building of the reformation as to our case is holy discipline And whether their principles or ours tend most to that I hope to make appear to sober and unprejudiced Christians And the way I shall take shall be to discover some of these Gentlemens unbrotherly dealings with Mr. Humfrey first in perverting his sense Secondly in setting up a Raile to the Lords Table by perverting Scripture and so making that Raile to be a pretended discipline meerly 1. They have damned and censured his Book to be an ungodly pamphlet in which is a masse of perverting Scriptures tending to destroy all Church reformation little better then carnall and profane reasoning sophistry a heterodox piece abomination a vile piece with divers other such hard censures language enough to affright any from ever looking into it that have any care of their souls to avoid their own destruction in complying with that soul damning practise of maintaining mixt communion as they call it I must confesse these men seem very confident in reproaching and censuring both the Book and the man but in this their indeavour to make it thus vile and odious to the world they have not the least evidence of truth or strength of reason to evince it that I can finde in their Book And it will so appear if you minde what is Mr. H. scope and end in his discourse and what are the principles upon which it is founded As 1. That the visible Church of Christ consists of men making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and so are Saints by calling what ever they are in truth while they so professe and adhere to the true worship the means and matter of which are hearing the word receiving the Sacrament and prayer and of these many are called and few are chosen 2. That all of these of years come under the obligation of Christs commands and are bound to do their duty homage to Christ their Lord as well as they can according to Mat. 28.19 20. 3. That all such ought to submit to Church discipline and not to be excluded from any observance nor denyed any Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and debarred by vertue of positive excommunication 4. That Ministers by vertue of their function and office may lawfully administer the Sacraments to Church members though they be ignorant and scandalous he doing his duty as well as he may in preparing them in the want of Church discipline These I dare boldly affirme are the main things asserted in that little despised piece which with a sober spirit the Author hath soberly discussed and cleared from the common exceptions made against it by men of different mindes for which his pains first and last I verily beleeve the Church of God in England have great cause to be thankfull to the Lord of the harvest for sending such a faithfull plain-hearted labourer amongst us the sweet temperature of his spirit so adorned with wisdome charity and such a peaceable frame bespeaks him taught of God the true sense of his will in his holy Scriptures rather then his reproachers 1. Touching the visible Church what evill hath he done in asserting it to consist of men making a profession of faith in Christ Wherein doth he dissent from the most orthodox writers in all ages in judging the Church of England a true Church It is confessed by the adversaries and also that a parochiall congregation where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred according to order being a part of the whole is a true Church likewise And this is also confessed by these Gentlemen for they grant that our parochiall Churches are true Churches in a large sense and that is enough as to this and so I hope there is no evill in this first position 2. For the next thing by him asserted namely that all of years in a parish being baptized come under the obligation of all Christs commands it is proved by the text before cited Mat. 28.19 20. And that in order to the Lords Supper Do this in remembrance of me is a known duty belonging to every particular member of the Church in common with all other parts of the worship and service of God And is it then profane reasoning to urge Church members to do their duty and homage in this particular more then in all others To this these Gentlemen have said but little that I can finde to take off what is urged by Mr. H. As for that of the Passeover Mr. H.
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
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
practise of the Greek Churches urged I say what is that to us when it is not agreeable to the practise of the first Apostolicall Church of Christ For upon the like ground on which they made four degrees of excommunication they might have brought in ten And therefore not so much their practise as the ground thereof is to be regarded in this point But then the Doctor addes That if this admitting of the excommunicated to be present at all ordinances be an error it is out of indulgence and an errour on the right hand for whereas he excludes from one ordinance he might exclude from all according to Mr. H. tenent c. 1. To this I answer right hand errours are evill as well as left and to be taken heed of and therefore not to be pleaded for but to be reformed 2. Suspension from the Sacrament only is no legall censure 1. Because it hath no ground nor footing in the Word 2. Because it is the same with excommunication according to the Doctors own principles and practise For he allowes presence at all the ordinances in the Church in both and his proceedings in order to both are the same And he and the rest of his opinion and way not coming up to the true nature of Church censures do as much as in them lies hinder the end of censures which is that the persons censured may either be ashamed and penitent and so return to Christian obedience or else renounce their profession and turn Apostates Thus I humbly conceive Mr. H. tenent is no bloudy tenent but a most mercifull way and means set up in the Church and left to be used as the last remedy for the cure of the most desperate souls And not to use this remedy according to its nature and true intent of Christ therein is to deprive the obstinate offendor of the only means left of his amendment and salvation and so is indeed far from being an errour on the right hand And yet by the way to expresse my thoughts a little further I hold that all unnecessarily friendly familiarity with scandalous disorderly brethren that sin out of wilfulnesse whether they be under Church induigence triall or censure is to be declined according to that 1 Cor. 5.10 11. which sense I humbly conceive comes neerer the meaning of the place then to understand it of or to inferre therefrom a suspension from the Sacrament The last thing that I shall speak to is the Doctors exceptions against some of Mr. H. quotations of Scripture concerning which I say let him but allow Mr. H. the same liberty he takes himself in some of his own quotations and then he will have little cause to finde fault for his impertinent allegations of Scripture I have given account of some of the Doctors already I shall here take notice of two or three more 1. He urges many texts of Scripture to prove that some in the Old Testament were debarred the priviledges of worship for morall uncleannesse but his proofs in that fal short of what they are brought to prove being in cases that will not serve his turn For such persons in the Jewish Church came under the censure of the Judicial Laws which were very severe against such offenders and there is nothing exprest in Moses or the Prophets that I know of in reference to excommunication And in that Church the porters charge concerning uncleannesse is to be understood of ceremoniall and Gentile uncleannesse Again for that Tit. 1.15 brought by the Doctor to prove that some in the Church not excommunicated were unclean I deny that those the Apostle there speaks of were of the Christian Church Let him consult with the tenth verse and he may easily see the Apostle means those vain talkers and deceivers that were especially of the circumcision they professe they know God as other unbeleeving Jewes did but in their works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate vers 16. They were either such as never were of the Christian Church or if they were once of it yet now were revolted and become Apostates by their horrid opinions and abominable impieties And then what is this to members of a Christian Church professing Christianity Again for Church examination in order to the Sacrament the Doctor alledges 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear having a good conscience c. The scope of the place is to shew what a Christians duty is when they are apprehended and under the terrour of persecuting adversaries which duty is to be so far from being affrighted from their Christian profession that in such case they should be alwaies ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them with meeknesse and fear c. And the Apostle urges them to this duty of constancy from a great incouragement If you suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye vers 14. Now how impertinent is this place for Church examination or examination by the Pastour or Elders before admittance to the Sacrament If such kinde of proofs be sufficient to warrant that practise of examination and suspension from the ordinance for neglect of it men may prove any thing they have a minde to and make every fancy of their own a necessary duty and so make void the necessary Lawes of God by their traditions I shal instance in one quotation more and then I have done and it is 2 Pet. 3.5 For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the heavens were of old c. This the Doctor quotes to prove that grosse ignorance in Church members is a scandalous sin for which the Church may proceed to censure them and to suspend them from the Sacrament but sure this is not very pertinent to his purpose as will easily appear if he consult with the Context This second Epistle was written to stir up their pure mindes by way of remembrance that they might be mindfull of the words spoken before by the holy Prophets c. and to arme them against those Scoffers that should come in the last daies 2 Pet. 3.1 2 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last daies scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying Where is the promise of his coming c. Scoffers at the Promise which notes the highest degree of defection from and renouncing of piety so Psal 1.1 of the three degrees of ungodly men the scoffers or scorners is the last as being the worst And by these are meant such as fell off and joined their selves with the persecuting Jewes complying with them and falling into all the villany in the world exprest here by walking after their own lusts that is going on habitually as in a constant course doing whatsoever seemed right in their own eyes without any restraint of law of nature of Christ c. In the
not under the promises made to Gospell administrations I wonder at it that such Ministers would be accounted the only men that patronize free grace and the only Gospell Preachers and yet forget that Christ came into the world to save sinners and to give repentance and remission of sins to seek and to save that which is lost as all were and are untill he finde them and gather them to himself by a blessing of spirit and power in the use of his own ordinances The Scriptures distinguish indeed between the Church and the World but these men will be making a world in the Church and a world out of the Church and make Infidels of the baptized and such as were born in the Church and make a profession of faith and that truly too an to the object at least and yeeld externall conformity in the materials of worship and Christian obedience But you that are so bold to unchurch Christians and to make spoile in Christs Kingdome did you ever read any such thing approved in the Scriptures I confesse these are bold times but let not men make too bold with Jesus Christs interest suffer him to have his full possessions and dominion over all his subjects that professe loyalty and homage unto him in the world Let us wish grace and peace to all that call on the name of the Lord Jesus both theirs and ours and let us have union with them and communion too in all the Lawes and ordinances of Jesus Christ He hath spirit and grace sufficient to answer all the wants to prevent all the evils of all that seek after him according to his own institutes Oh brethren hinder none in seeking after Jesus discourage none because they are sinners from coming under the most ingaging ordinances to preserve Christian obedience do not act so contrary to the Apostolicall daies The Apostles did what they could to convert the world unto Christianiâ—â— and rejoyced in bringing sinners to the obedience of faith and were all for the inlarging of Christs kingdome for which end they put themselves upon the greatest hazards And will many of you pervert Christianity into the world ' Christ into Belial unchurch and unchristian such as the Apostles did generally imbrace and receive to communion upon as slender grounds as ours are desired to be received Did you over read that they refused any one that imbraced the Doctrine of faith and was willing to be baptized Did you ever read that they required more to breaking of bread then they did to Baptisme Did you ever read that they called any in the Church Unbeleevers Heathens Belial Dogs c. Did you ever read of this distinction of Church and World in any of those Churches the Scriptures speak of I would you would prove a twofold world one in the Church another out of the Church and a twofold Kingdome in the visible Church of Christ where men and women generally submit to the Lawes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ Will you confound things that so much concern the Lord Christs interest can you put no difference between the unregenerate under Covenant lations and administrations and the infidel world that are left to wander from all these and to sacrifice to the Devill and not unto the true God at all Will you allow them no better titles and priviledges then you will allow to Heathens I wonder what rule you walk by and judge by and what spirit it is that you act so vigorously from Suppose the Indians in America should generally embrace the Christian faith and disavow their worshipping of Devils and desire to imbody themselves with those that professe the Christian religion would you not offer them Baptisme and upon their coming under it would you not admit them to all the ordinances of Christian profession and communion Whether you would or no the Apostles have done it in the like case Or suppose the infidell Jewes should be convinced of their mistake and should now confesse that Jesus whom their fathers crucified is the true Messiah and Saviour of the world and upon that account renounce their errour and desire the Baptisme of Christ professing their resolution to submit unto his administrations and come under Christian obedience would you refuse them and not baptize them untill they were so qualified as to come up to your termes of communion I think you would not And I pray then why will you separate from the most of ours that are lawfully baptized and come up to the same profession and are of no other religion but the Christian religion and expect salvation by Christ alone Is it because they have this by education and the helps of tradition which in the other case is not so I pray you do not undervalue any benefits and helps that are the consequences of the Covenant of grace Remember how sadly the Apostle laid it to heart when the Jewes by their infidelity in denying Christ to be the Son of God did unchurch themselves and apostatize Rom. 10.1 and the 11. compared It was not their being carnall and otherwise ignorant and wicked but their not beleeving that Christ was the Messias promised unto their fathers that did unchurch them and their posterity to this day for that unbelief was the thing that barr'd them from his administrations so are said to be cut off although by birth priviledge they were the only naturall branches or Church members Were they refused by the Apostles or cast off or did they eject cast out themselves from being branches of the true Olive Christs coming in the flesh not discerned by them was the occasion of their fall from being the Israel of God he was the stumbling stone and the rock of offence that made them fall from their Church state and relation They would not own any other administration but that of Moses and upon that account undid themselves and perished What think you would have been the issue had they owned Jesus Christ to be the true Messias and so had come under the Gospell administrations as ours are and would not be under any other that they should have been refused and separated from as being none of the Church of Christ I beseech you consider of it did not thousands of the Jewes come in and offer themselves to Baptisme at the preaching of one short word or sermon Act. 2. And can we imagine that they were all true Converts in your sense was any refused that desired to be one in the Christian profession Suppose that all the common people in England were unbaptized as some reproachfully and slanderously report they are and were sensible of that condition and should come and desire Baptisme upon no other account then their present capacity would admit of confessing themselves sinners and promising obedience to the word of God professing hope of mercy and happinesse through the merits of Jesus Christ which all that have learned their Creed are capable to do I would fain know whether you could
H. provided it be done by the just censures of the Church so that these Gentlemen may see what a noise they make about nothing But they go on and tell us what Gelaspy saith on 1 Cor. 10. in his Book called Aarons Rod budded concerning those Israelites that did eat of the Manna and drank of the Rock that followed them that they falling into idolatry whoredomes murmurings and the like the wrath of God came upon them hence they inferre They did not eat of the Manna and drink of the Rock after the committing of those sins and so were excluded for morall uncleannesse as good a consequence as the former For first I deny that all that were guilty of those sins were cut off from the congregation for the whole congregation murmured c. yet were they not all destroyed their carkasses fell in the wildernesse not all at once in one day but by degrees for many years and yet those that were spared did eat Manna otherwise they must needs have perished with hunger Secondly For those that were destroyed and cut off was it that they might not eat Manna any more What a strange and absurd consequence is this They were destroyed for their idolatry whoredomes and murmurings therefore they were cut off that they might not eat of that Sacramentall Manna What a strange fancy is this as if a malefactor were put to death that he might not live to come to the Sacrament any more me thinks it were more rationall to say they were cut off by death that they might not dishonour God by the committing of those sins of idolatry whoredomes and murmurings any more In the same page from the false and absurd premises as they are already discovered to be those Gentlemen urge Mr. H. with an argument but it is so long flat and false that I shall passe it by having already cut the legs it stands upon And the truth is the Author whom they reproach hath said enough concerning this Scripture to stop the mouth of very malice and envie it self if any thing would do it But let us remember what we are upon These Gentlemen have denied that all the Israelites were admitted to their Sacraments especially the Passeover and to prove this they have brought some Scriptures I have examined them you see and their interences and conclusions drawn from them and all they have said and make a shew of amounts to no more but this 1. That some were denyed the Passeover for a moneths space by reason of their legall uncleâ—nnesse 2. That some have been cut off by death for morall uncleannesse or that some have otherwise been separated from the congregation and so from all ordinances of divine worship for scandalous sins And all that can possibly be gathered hence is no more then what Mr. H. hath all along granted for he excepts the excommunicate in his Free Admission to the Lords Supper and this is by them yeelded unto if he mean right according to the word the matter is ended So that one would think they granted this and in another place that our parochiall congregations are true Churches in a large sense that the whole difference between Mr. H. and them were only in point of discipline And if so then the fault Mr. H. is chargeable with in this point is his not setting up discipline but exercising the ordinances of worship without it But M. Joanes hath said enough to take off this in urging and proving a necessity of administring the Sacrament of the Supper in congregations not Presbytered Thus we have considered the admission to the Passeover among the Jewes Now seeing there is such analogie between the Passeover and the Lords Supper the admission to the one seems to be a good rule for admission to the other and seems to be granted on both sides in that it is urged by both And therefore I shal assert some things from the law of the Passeover for further confirmation and strengthning of the duty of free admission to the Lords Supper 1. The Passeover was the same for substance with the holy Supper signifying the same things 2. It was a service commanded the whole Church that whosoever should neglect it in his season should be cut off from his people 3. The people of Israel were a mixt people and many of them as uncapable of making a spirituall use of the Passeover as ours of the Supper 4. The Church under the Gospell administration is under the same Covenant and is but added to or graffed into the Church of the Jewes and their constitution Rom. 11.18 5. The Church of Christ since the comming of Christ in the flesh is under the same principles and in some respects greater then under Moses and the Prophets And therefore why should not admission to the Lords Supper be as free as the Passeover First I say the Jewes Passeover was the same for substance with our Sacrament of the Lords Supper both signifie the same things 1. The Paschal Lamb appointed for that holy service was a lively type of the Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world to take away the sins thereof 2. The offering of this Lamb whole without dismembring or breaking a bone of him did shew that whole Christ must suffer that his suffering might be sufficient to satisfie divine justice 3. The bloud of the lamb was to be stricken on the lintels and side posts of every ones door as a token upon those houses where the Israelites were that when the Lord passed through the land of Egypt to destroy the first born both of man and beast the plague might not smite those houses which was to instruct them that this Lamb of God Christ Jesus whose bloud was shed upon the crosse was the only Saviour of his Church and people from the wrath which the Egyptian world lies under and not having any knowledge of him nor means of coming unto him must needs perish And all this concerning the Passeover was to be observed yearly at the time appointed through their generations for ever for a memoriall of their deliverance out of Egypt which though it were but bodily and temporall yet it was to lead them to the understanding of their spirituall and eternall deliverance by the bloud of Christ And hence it is that the Apostle saith Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 We in the Supper have the signs of Christs own death held out as already accomplished they in the type had him held forth as decreed and promised to be accomplished and both to be observed in that remembrance And as it is well observed that Christ having kept the last Passeover did immediately institute the Sacrament of the Supper that it might succeed in the room and stead of the Passeover A change in the thing typified Christ then to come and suffer death now already come and suffered was the cause of the change in the externals of this service Secondly That the Law of