house is not publique though many be there present because this would not in times of freedome be counted a fit place for ordinary conventions of the Church for preaching 2. Baptisme on the week day at the place of publique assembly where there is not so considerable a number present as it would be counted expedient for a publique Sermon to be made to is yet but private baptisme 3. I suppose it also requisite that the Congregation on the Lords day before have notice of the time of a baptisme intended there the week following unless there be some known lecture or exercise there at that time or at least we may probably expect a considerable number of Christians then that they may freely repair unto the Word and Sacrament then to be dispenced the usuall signes being given for warning a publique transaction 4. Yet if it be judged unfit frequently to call an assembly of the Church I suppose at such time when we cannot urge a considerable number of our Congregation to attend in publique nor blame their absence we may not appoint a publique ordinance for them to be present at For this seemes little better then a prevaricating with them 5. To conclude Hence it follows that it s not this or that number present which is necessary to the making a baptismal administration publique in the place of publique Church meetings For then we should be at a losse what should be the least number necessary But the administring it at such a time and in such a place where and when the Congregation may freely and is obliged to attend We may in some Parishes or Chappelries suspect somtimes on the Lords dayes and upon other special and important occasions for preaching on other dayes when we call an assembly that few wil be present yet do we then preach publiquely though to never so few because it s not our fault that the Church is so empty But if it were our fault that so few are present by taking inconvenient times either of the dayes of the week when their occasions call them another way or of the houres of the day which are not usuall nor commodious for an assembly or lastly if we should call them to attend preaching so frequently that we could not reasonably expect the attendance of a considerable Congregation I suppose in these cases we should offend in pretending to the exercise of publique preaching before so small a number And the same should I say concerning publique baptisme For this is my maine direction that these ordinances of publique preaching and administring Baptisme ought to go parallel one with another in regard of the publiquenesse of dispencing the same ¶ It remaines now much honoured Sirs only to crave your pardon for this overtedious interpellation of you your courteous acceptance of my unfeined respects to you and your earnest prayers at the throne of grace for me the which I hope you will be more fervent in on my behalfe by your observing of the many weaknesses clogging me in this present service And now it s my humble petition for you who are called to the weighty function of the Ministry that the Father of mercies may ever direct and prosper your precious labours in his vineyard for the honour of his name the edification of his Church and the joyfull refreshment of your own spirits And for you Sir who are honoured to be an Instrument for preserving of natural life in many my hearty request at the throne of grace is that your soul may live the life of grace here in the exercise of godliness in the power of it which you have seene in a precious instance most neerly related to you is the sure and unshaken foundation of unspeakable comforts and peace passing all understanding in life and at death that so you may live the life of glory hereafter In testimony of which my cordiall and uncessant prayers for you all I subscribe my selfe with all readinesse Decemb. 15. 1657. Your assured and affectionate servant in our deare Lord and Saviour SAMUEL LANGLEY To the Reader I Have here in the following discourse endeavoured rightly to state and cleere the doctrine and practice of suspending notoriously prophane and scandalous persons from the Lords Supper and to vindicate the same from Misrepresentations and exceptions made against it And although I could rather have desired to have performed this in my own method yet I was advised in reference to these parts where a book entituled Suspension discussed is spread and taken notice of to accommodate my discourse in way of refutation of that book which pretended to answer a private sheet I had occasionally written Concerning which an Account is given at the latter end of this my defence Yet have I not so confined my selfe thereunto as not to take in other things I apprehended of most importance in this subject especially such as I had seene least spoken to by others who have owned the same Conclusion with me And although I have not particularly and expressly answered all the objections I have found in some Authors against me fearing least the book should swell too big under my hand and perceiving the most of them sufficiciently answered already by others yet I have as I humbly conceive given in those grounds which are fitly applicable for the easie expedite and cleere solution of them as the peaceably judicious I hope will discerne I like Augustines counsell contra lit petil Don. l. 1. at the conclusion Diligite homines interficite errores sine superbiâ de veritate praesumite sine saevitia pro veritate certate orate pro eis quos redarguitis atque convincitis c. And before my Reader judge mee to have transgressed this Rule in the following sheets I must desire him to observe 1. Whether there was any one tart expression in the paper which the Authour of Suspension discussed answereth 2. Whether he doth not uncivilly trample upon me in his answer and not me only but the Reformed Churches with the Reverend Assembly yea and the Parliament which commended the Presbyterial Government to us 3. Whether there is not a meane betwixt a sheepish insensiblenesse whereby further abuses should be invited and a passionate returne of such calumnies and reproachfull revilings on my Antagonist as he hath bestowed on me which I have touched upon Ch. 20. § 4. and Digress 12.17 And then I trust the equal Reader will allow me without condemning my selfe to say to my Answerer what the formentioned Augustine said to Petilian l. 3. Si ego tibi vellem pro maledictis maledicta rependere quid aliud quam duo maledici essemus ut ij qui nos legerent alij detestatos abijcerent sanâ gravitate alij suaviter haurirent malevolâ voluntate And because the Gentleman I stand on my defence against hath told me that he favoured me sufficiently in concealing my name in his booke setting L for it I shall not be wanting in retaliation of the like
words of the Covenant which are written in this book And v. 32 33. he causet◠all present in Jerusalem and Judah all the people v. 30. to stand to it And the Inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the Covenant of God the God of their Fathers And Josiah took away all the abominations out of the Countryes that pertained to the children of Israel and made all that were present in Israel to serve even to serve the Lord their God And all his dayes they departed not from following the Lord the God of their Fathers And now having thus prepared the people in this same 18th yeare of his reigne 2 King 23.23 2 Chron. 35.19 he commanded the people to keepe the Passeover there recorded What footsteps are there here of any visible prophane persons partaking of the Passeover There is only one more example in the old Testament story'd Ezra 6. It pleased God after a long captivity for the humbling Judah to stir up Cyrus to proclaime liberty of their returne to build the Temple he encouraging and assisting them therein Those of them whose spirit God raysed to goe Ezra 1.5 Closed with the designe attempted it and pursued it with a visible frame of great humility feare of the Lord zeale for his service and to the utmost layd out themselves in the same Chap. 1.5 Chap. 2.68 69. the whole third Chap. Chap. 5 5-11 1 Esdras 5.44 45 53 61 63 65. Ezra 6.14 15 16 17 c. And then is related their keeping the Passeover v. 19. viz. as is shewed v. 21. The children of Israel which were come againe out of captivity and all such as had separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen of the Land to sock the Lord God of Israel did eat and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven dayes with joy c. The Syriack version hath it thus And the Israelites eat it who came up from the Babylonian Captivity viz. all those who were separated from the filthiness of the Land And so it is also in 1 Esdras 7.13 making that separation to be the preparative qualification of all who did partake of the Passeover But if we take it as referring to the Proselytes it supposeth the children of Israel to whom the Proselytes were so joyned were in like manner separated from the filthiness of the nations Upon a strict view of all these examples It appeares not that any did partake under a visible prophanenesse inconsistent with visible actual faith and obedience but the contrary §. 6. 5 Let me adde That when the people generally did keep the Passeover although some might be notoriously wicked at home it is not easie to conceive how those who admitted their paschal Lambs and offered part thereof for them and who had the charge of the holy things could know their particular scandalous sins so as thereupon to debar them How could they know who was ceremonially uncleane by touch of a dead body or who had not circumcised his males and so was morally uncapable in that state Yea though many thus obnoxious might be knowne so to be at home yet it being not manifest to those Governours they could take no notice thereof And yet hence it follows not that they who thus thrust in themselves had a proper right to actual present participation of the Passeover as elswhere is shewed by us But the case is otherwise now as to the Lords Supper when Christian people are gathered into particular Churches under the Inspection of Guides and Officers in a special manner appropriated and designed to watch over them in the Lord. However this seemes evident that on the same Reason whereby they did gather the exclusion of those otherwise ceremonially uncleane from the particular expresse prohibition of the uncleane by a dead body they might also inferre the rightfull exclusion or abstension of all notoriously prophane and breakers of Gods Covenant from the particular expresse prohibition of him who circumcised not his males Exod. 12.48 49. §. 7. 6 To conclude at last this pont The general command for celebration of the Passeover is no larger then for circumcision now as this supposed the Covenant to be visibly entred into with understanding as Ainsworth shews on Gen. 17. So that must suppose their continuance in that Covenant as necessary to enright them in a sacramental partaking of the Passeover But it s high time for me to crave the Readers pardon for so long detaining him upon and hindering his Transitus from this argument of the Passeover But if he thinke as I doe that its the strongest objection and that answering it will enervate divers others as that fetcht from 1 Cor. 10. concerning the Manna and rock though indeed it s much more easie to answer those and they have been cleerly answered by others and therefore I pass them If my Reader I say consider the importance of this argument I trust he shal not complaine I have provoked his patience or abused his leasure herein If any will needs be passionate I have Davids remedy for an ill spirit PSALM 119. part 10. K. 73 Kned was I by thy hands and made Learne me thy statutes just 74 Knowing mee shall thy people glad For in thy Word I trust 75 Known are thy Judgements right to mee In truth thou smit'st mee Lord 76 Kindely me comfort I pray thee According to thy Word 77 Keep me alive by grace from thee In thy Lawes joy I finde 78 Knowing no cause the Proud wrong'd mee Shame them thy Word I minde 79 Knit may they be to mee in love Who thee feare thy Lawes know 80 Keep my heart sound 'i th truth to prove Least shame mee overthrow CHAP. XI §. 1. THe great quarrell he hath about Examination is cast in my way p. 54. and often elswhere But though it justles uncivilly and as a bold intruder absurdly presseth in when we are busie about other matters I am resolved it shall stay for its answer till its turne come among the Digressions and then I shall deal candidly with it At p. 58. Mr. W. brings in this syllogisme as if it contained my sense and were some part of my argument viz. Such as by Scripture characters are to be judged and taken to be unbeleevers are unbeleevers But all men baptized adult and of the Christian perswasion if irregular in their conversations are by Scripture characters to be judged and taken to be unbeleevers Ergo all men baptized and adult and of the Christian perswasion if irregular in their conversations are unbeleevers He quarreld ere while with my inserting parenthesis in a syllogisme but if I had put in such a parenthesis as he here hath in his minor and conclusion which being taken out the sense is destroyed in both propositions I might have well deserved his censure which yet I list not to returne upon himselfe here But to the matter I answer Did ever any one say that any irregularities in conversation were Scripture characters whereby we might
now it might have been even in that respect as bad as it is now with us as in other respects it was far worse §. 4. 4. He ends with a continuall strain of provoking language which I pass over and neglect and he concludes all goes on his side saith Well this first exception stands good against your assertion and why Because he saith Nothing I alledged hath proved that any will or doth by word renounce Christ who tenders himself to the Sacrament But I told him It was not necessary to destroy the exception to prove any will or doth but that it 's possible yea probable there might be such an one as would perpetrate such wickedness which cannot be denyed I would be content to lose my argument that it could Who can prove that any one wil commit fornication and continue obstinately under the guilt thereof visibly in some particular Church And yet it followes not thence that such wickedness if committed and be notorious is not a sufficient cause of Ecclesiasticall censure And our present case as to the probability of its occurring is the like PSALM 119. Part 13. N. 97 Nothing I love as thy law high which I mind all the day 98 None of my Foes are wise as I. ' Cause thy Hests with me stay 99 Norknow my Guides that which I do For all thy lawes I mind 100 Nay more than th' Ancients I do know when me thy statutes bind 101 Naughty wayes I have shun'd all That I may keep thy word 102 Nor from the judgements turn I shall For thou hast taught me Lord 103 Nothing sweet as thy word I tast no not the hony pure 104 Noon-light beams they on me cast All false wayes I abjure CHAP. XIV §. 1. A Second Exception I laid in against my Argument was this at numb 32. That such persons as aforesaid tendring themselves to receive cannot openly at that time profess their rejecting Christ because in the tender of themselves to this Ordinance they offer to profess the contrary viz. their owning of Christ To the which I answered 1. That the case under our present consideration supposeth him at the same time when he tenders himself to be admitted to the communion to profess being asked against his owning of Christ q. d. I desire to do as others do in receiving but I am resolved at present I will not submit to the commands of Christ nor part with my lusts which he bids me flye from Mr. W. now to take off this answer besides uncivil chidings here both in the Preface and Epilogue hath onely one thing which I hope was but a mistake in him to alledge Is it your practice saith he to provoke men in the open face of the congregation by asking them questions when they come humbly and reverently to celebrate the Lords Supper with their brethren It is our practice to know those who communicate before the time of celebration come and then when they signifie their intention to receive especially such as have not joyned with us before is a speciall season we lay hold on if any notorious wickedness in one who tenders himself give occasion to admonish him concerning the same And then is the time for suspension if there be just cause not in the moment of celebration there would be the execution of suspension if one suspended should thrust in thither by refusing to administer to him We have no such questioning there the case had no reference to it But it was thus as for example If a person notoriously known to live in whoredome and keeping a strumpet in his house shall tender himself some convenient time before the day of celebration of the Sacrament and then be asked Whether he will leave his wanton and he answer No he cannot leave that vice he hopes God will be mercifull to him notwithstanding and yet he desires to receive as others do will Mr. W. say it was unlawfull or unseasonable then to ask him that question and doth not the said vicious person by professed refusing to repent of and leave his lust renounce an essentiall of Christianity and therefore renounceth Christ notwithstanding his tendring himself to be admitted to the communion drawing on And was not this according to the order formerly appointed in the Church of England See the Rubrick before the communion where it is thus ordered So many as intend to be partakers of the holy communion shall signifie their Names to the Curate over night or else in the morning before the beginning of morning Prayer or immediatly after And if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver or have done any wrong to his neighbour in word or deed the Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lords Table untill c. This mistake being discovered I shall not need to insist on the answering divers other passages Mr W. hath after in his Book which are grounded on this unreasonable catch §. 2. 2. My second answer to this second Exception was It 's not impossible for such a man to profess contradictions so that you cannot conclude he professeth not against Christ because he professeth for Christ at the same time or in one breath Mr. W. replie Yea we can and ought in the judgment of charity so to conclude and he would put me off with this slurre should we say it 's not impossible for you to professe contradictions you would rather laugh at our folly then conceive your selfe guilty Give us leave then to judge you none of the wisest for this ridiculous elusion Some prove themselves men by their visibility rather than rationality they will laugh you out an argument of their manhood sooner then give you a reasonable demonstration of it What ridiâ—ulous matter our brother hath here got to make himself merry with I see not if he keep close to the case we are considering of If I say I do accept Christ as tendred in the Gospel and yet in the same breath say Christ shall not reign over me I think I should professe contradictions and my profession of the former is no evidence that I do not profess the later He may turn his tune change his ha into ah and in stead of laughter see just cause of lamentation that such contradictory professions are too frequent An Arian saith I believe the Scriptures to be true yet I believe Christ is but a meer Creature The Socinian saith I take him for my Saviour and Redeemer yet in a proper sense he never redeemed me paid no price never was accursed sor me c. Those mentioned by Christ in the Gospel Matth. 21.38 said This is the heir come let us kill him They acknowledged him heir and so their Lord and Master and yet professe they would kill him was not here a contradiction in one breath professed agreeable to our present case §. 3. A third answer to this second Exception I suggested thus at numb
the Canon it selfe speakes 2. But as to the substance of his exception I answer briefly thus for the overthrowing of it Either the Common prayer booke was not abolished by a lawfull authority sufficient for the nulling and abrogating of that sanction whereby it was formerly established or els it was If it were not then Ministers by vertue of the Common prayer booke may as opportunity is offered suspend according to the Directions therein given them which remaine still in force if not nulled by a sufficient authority But if the Common prayer booke was abolished by a lawfull authority sufficient for the abrogating that sanction whereby it was formerly established then certainly they who had such power to abrogate that government and order had power also to establish our suspension It belonging to the same power or authority to null as to make a law And then the same suspension in substance is delegated to Church Officers still in the Ordinance of 48 for Presbyterial Government where this is appointed by the Lords and Commons by whom only the Service booke was abrogated I have the rather hinted this for the satisfaction of some godly persons who have not been well satisfied with the State proceedings in reference to Church Government who yet have an high esteem of the former constitutions of the Church of England And me thinkes where the same thing for substance is appointed and practiced they should not reject it And now let the Reader if he please judge whether M. W. or we behave our selves most like Ministers of the Church of England in reference to the degrees of excommunication and specially in reference to suspension the neglect whereof he out of Mr. P. chargeth us with Mr. W. proceeds to carp at may be in my syllogisme when as yet may be was in the position I opposed And the question was whether such cases may occurre not whether they did occurre wherein the persons spoken of might be suspended as appeares in my M S. at numb 6.17 But our Doctor resolutissimus absolutissimus descends not so low as to observe the state of the Question he had rather it seemes be shewing his Logick to his weaker consciences for whose satisfaction his title page designes his booke and telling them p. 43 44. which are the subjects and the predicats in the Propositions and the medius terminus in the syllogisme they will it may be applaud their Doctor with an Egregiam veró laudem But if any of his weaker consciences meet with these lines I am of opinion they will not so farre admire those logical termes as to refuse the plaine and wholesome provision I now offer them to share with me in the PSAIM 119. Part 4. D. 25 Down on the dust my sad soul stayes Let thy truth life afford 26 Declar'd to thee I have my wayes Thou heardst Teach me thy Word 27 Disclose thy Precopts-way to me Thy wondrous workes I 'le tell 28 Deep griefe my soul melts strengthen me After thy Word right well 29 Drive lying wayes from me thy Law Grant to me graciously 30 Duely I chose thy Truth and saw Thy Judgements with mine eye 31 Dearly thy witness'd Truth I hold From shame Lord me discharge 32 Daily in thy wayes run I would If thou my heart enlarge CHAP. V. §. 1. THe confirmation of the Major Proposition in my second syllogisme at numb 25. in my M S. Mr. W. repeats in his p. 44. where he hath such jejune and lanquid exceptions against some explications being inserted in Parentheses and so separated from the syllogisme it selfe that I judge it needless to make any defence against them There being none I thinke who manage a dispute in writing who do not use the like Although its true in disputations face to face there is less need of them any mistake which might occurre about the meaning of the termes being soone rectified by explication thereof The like frivolous complaint he makes of some various equipollent phrases used viz. visibly unbeleevers and such as ought to be judged and taken to be unbeleevers when as I had expresly signified the equipollency of them numb 25. The proposition I was to prove was Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Lord would not according to the revelation of his will in his Word have the Lords Supper administred Now my conclusion in the syllogisme I brought to prove this was Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred An ordinary Reader I think would see no difference betwixt them to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred and them to whom the Lord would not according to the revelation of his will in his word have the Lords Supper administred But Mr. W. that he may seeme to see further into a milstone than another can doe hath spyed the disagreement He was belike at a great want for exceptions who takes up these and considering his necessity he may be better excused It s better to pick strawes than to doe just nothing But at last he hath unbutton'd his eyes and can perceive some strength in my proofe when it hath been he thinkes beholding to him for a better dresse p. 46. where he thus formes it Those who are visibly unbeleevers are visibly such to whom the Lords Supper ought not to be administred But those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly unbeleevers Ergo Those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought not to be administred § 2. Well now he hath the honour as he speakes to be opponent himselfe I hope he will be more civil in his answer and not be captious against his own creature Wherein now saith he p. 47. doth this argument advance your pretensions or disparage ours and then explaining that Question or shewing that he is not at a want of other artificiall words to say the same thing againe as pompously he addes What evidence doth it artificially and intrinsecally give for you or against us My conclusion was those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom according to the word of God the Lords Supper ought not to be administred The conclusion he hath made for me is those who by word openly renounce the Lord Jesus Christ are visibly such to whom the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought not to be administred Let the Reader judge what material difference there is betwixt them Yet he grants the latter when he quarreld the former But then as bethinking himselfe that the argument is mine though the dress be his he will now have another thrust at it and denies the Minor yet not absolutely but with distinction now he attempts to play the part of a
whatsoever For I am of opinion there is no need of excommunicating or suspending a man after he is dead nor of judging of him in order thereunto §. 4. 4. Mr. W. tells us Papists are Christians But we need not suspend them from the Lords Supper their phansie of transubstantiation and other heretical Mormoes save us the labour I know not why Papists may not without destroying their principles tender themselves to receive with us unless the necessity of their obedience to the Popes prohibition hinder them and yet that is not a principle to the French Papists But if a Papist remaining such and owning transubstantiation Popish Indulgencies merit in the Jesuits sense prayers to Saints religious adoration or worshipping of Images c. tender himselfe to receive will Mr. W. admit him why them doth he not plainly say he would as indeed his doctrine leads him to admit him if the Papist be not excommunicated in such sense as I thinke none in England are But those words of his save us the labour I suppose intimate that if they did not withdraw themselves from our Communion but should tender themselves to receive we should be at the labour of suspending them And yet Papists are not forbidden to come to Church nor separated from all other Ordinances in the Church And then the universal negative Mr. W. pretends to defend that no baptized person adult intelligent not excommunicated may be debarred the Lords Supper if he tender himselfe is againe battered by another Instance which his own pen hath afforded May not a Papist be baptized adult intelligent and not excommunicated the publique Congregations if he exclude not himselfe as some others doe And yet I thinke Mr. W. grants he may be kept back from the Lords Supper whiles he professedly remaines a Papist and it s to my admiration that this Gentleman can so confidently defend the said universal negative before mentioned and yet overthrow it by divers such concessions as this in his booke §. 5. 5. Mr. W. tells me I delude men with the contracted notion of saving faith and I may tell him 1. that he doth as much delude men with the contracted notion of doctrinal or dogmatical faith 2. And that it s not the notion of saving faith but the resting in a common verbal profession of Christianity crying Lord Lord which will be found to be the great deluder of men when the day of trying all things shall come And then he informes us that Sacraments are not seales of a personal and inward faith only They are visible scales of the righteousnes of faith i. e. of the doctrine of faith in Christ unto justification in the sight of God without the workes of the Law From whence he inferres And why should not all baptized persons adult and not excommunicated personally testifie their assent to this doctrine by taking the consecrated bread and wine into their hands as the visible similitudes of the body of Christ sacrificed for us c. To which I reply Who hath said that they are seales of a personal faith only But doth not Mr. W. here grant as well he may that they are seales of a personal inward faith though not only Sacraments are considered 1. in respect of the Institutor and Author 2. of the Receiver both wayes they are seales In respect of the Author they seale his tender of the Covenant of grace wherein salvation is freely promised to all that beleeve In respect of the Receivers they are instituted and appointed by God for their solemn sealing or testifying their beleeving and obediential embracing of the Covenant of grace in the blood of Christ And as the Administrator is to attend both so in subserviency to his Master both these are to be designed by him in the celebration of the holy mysteries The seales as is often said are commensurate with the Covenant sealed If a single covenant or meere promise tendered to all who will beleeve that they shall be saved might be sealed with the Sacraments there were nothing in the nature of the Sacraments which should hinder the administring of them to heathens remaining such to whom this Gospel is to be preached Mark 16.15 John 3.16 But it s manifest these seales can be administred only where there is visibly a mutual covenant viz. God promising justification on the condition of faith to the Communicant and the Communicant visibly closing with that condition of beleeving to justification This is manifest in that famous text Mr. W. relates to which is Rom. 4.11 concerning Abraham his receiving Circumcision as a seale of the righteousness of faith §. 6. This text requires our most serious perusall And here I shall observe That though Gods sealing or confirming his promise or single covenant of grace is not excluded yet this text doth very eminently refer to the sealing or confirming of Abrahams personal faith and that not only a dogmatical but justifying and saving faith professed by him in receiving Circumcision The Question Paul disputes in the context is whether a man may be justified without the works of the Mosaical Law as such and he proves our affirmative in the example of Abraham Abraham was a righteous person and justified by faith his faith was imputed to him for righteousness that is God dealt with him and accepted of him through Christ as if he had been perfectly righteous in himselfe having pardoned his sins as the phrase is explicated v. 6 7 8. That this is the cleere and easie importance of the phrase of imputing a thing to another I thinke I first learned from our learned Wotton on John 1.12 a notion much better than fine gold which is demonstrated by two places of this Epistle where the same manner of speech is used Rom. 2.26 If the uncircumcision keep the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he shall fare no worse than if circumcised so Rom. 9 8. Now that Abraham was thus justified without those Mosaicall works the Apostle proves 1. In that he was justified before the workes of the Law as such were in force For he was justified before he received Circumcision one use whereof afterwards was to engage the receivers thereof to all the Mosaical Law Gal. 5.3 2. In that Circumcision in its designe and intendment and to Abraham effectually was to be a seale of the righteousness of faith before received and hence as well as from other texts Divines so unanimously conclude that the Sacraments are not instituted for the unconverted but converted I say instituted For its vaine to speake of the possibility of conversion in the event by or at the Sacrament as thence to inferre the manifestly prophane and unconverted may be admitted For no one can say of an heathen or excommunicated person if he be sinfully present and partake that he shall not may not be converted at or by that sinfull partaking The spirit bloweth where it listeth The concurrent judgement
of Divines English and Forreine Episcopal and Presbyterian herein that man of vast and digested reading the learned Baxter hath demonstrated at large in sixty Testimonies produced in the second of his five disputations concerning Right to the Sacraments Sundry of which Testimonies have many in them being the judgement of many Churches and many learned men therein And many more might be easily brought forth I shall take leave to mention only two or three in reference to this text in special not cited by him Oecumenius in locum Maximo Florentino Interp. saith Nullam aliam ob rem circumcisus suit Abraham quam ut pro signo ac demonstratione ipsam circumserret circumcisionem justitiae illius quae in praeputio substitit ipsi Abrahae Si verò signorum ac sigilli loeo accepit circumcisionem nihil ipsi ad justitiam prosuit sed hâc solumodo ratione justificatum esse significavit hoc est quod cum in praeputio esset adhuc justitiâ dignus habitus fuit Arctins in loc saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem circumcisio proprie fuit respectu electorum nam in his geminum usum retinuit scilicet obsignare justitiam eis collatam Pareus quotes Lyra expounding it thus Accepit signaculum justitiae fidei hoc est ut esset signaculum justitiae fidei latentis in mente When the Rhemists on this place had said the heretiques that is the Protestants in their language would hereby shew that the Sacraments of the Church give no grace or justice of faith but that they be notes markes and badges only of our remission of sins had by faith before because Abraham was just before and took this Sacrament for a seale thereof only c. These Rhemists are thus answered herein by our learned Cartwright St Paul saith he doth not only call Circumcision a signe but a seale whereby it is evident that God so wrought by this signe that thereby he came to a further assurance of his righteousnesse which he had before the setting to of the seale And whereas they the Papists would have this righteousnesse which was before the seale thereof to be peculiar unto Abraham and that in others the righteousnesse is not before the seale but with it It is directly contrary to the whole discourse of the Apostle 2 Then It is absurd that thus the seale is supposed to be put before the justice whereof it is the seale And thus the Lord which for mens better understanding borroweth his Sacraments from the common usage of their compacts and Covenants as neere as may be is brought first to seale and then to write that which he sealeth cleane contrary to that usage of men from whence he draweth the resemblance of his Sacraments c. Behold here the old Protestant Doctrine aslerted in opposition to the Papists viz. that a personal faith or justice is according to this text sealed or confirmed and supposed to be existent in one before he comes to partake of the Sacrament Which designes the sealing of his righteousnesse upon his beleeving supposed And that the contrary opinion is absurd Now alas what impudent times are we fallen into when men have the confidence to tell us against our owne eyes that It is a novelisme and heterodox upstart doctrine now among us that Sacraments are instituted and designed only for the converted and for the confirming not working of faith when as I thinke it will be hard for them to produce so much as a Protestant Catechisme which asserts not the same This booke of Cartwrights I have quoted so largely was written as the Title and Preface shew by order of the chiefe Instruments of Queene Elizabeth and the State at the special Request of many most famous and eminent Divines Goad Whitaker Fulk and sundry others Furthermore that this text doth point to Abrahams faith as that which was sealed by the Sacrament and not only Gods promise may be shewed from severall hints thereof in the text and context As 1. It was the seale of the righteousnesse he had before Circumcision which at least according to our translation denotes an inherent qualification in him which he received a seale of by submitting to that ordinance of God appointed for the testifying of his faith and obedience 2. That faith was sealed in respect whereof he is the Father of them who beleeve now that was a faith inherent in him and not only the doctrine of faith revealed to him and others also in common And they are Abrahams children in the sense of the text who walk in the steps of our Father Abraham v. 12. And Christ tells many of the Jewes flatly who yet had the same doctrine of faith revealed to them as Abraham had If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham John 8.39 Although he acknowledgeth them Abrahams seed too after the flesh v. 37. Let me lastly Insert D Hammonds Paraphrafe on the text Rom. 4.11 And Abraham being justified after this Evangelical manner upon his saith without and before Circumcision he received the Sacrament of Circumcision for a seale on his part of his performing those commands of God given him his walking before him sincerely Gen. 17.1 upon which the Covenant is made to him and thus sealed v. 2 4 10. and on Gods part c. I conclude therefore according to this text the Sacraments are seales of the mutual covenant which only indeed is a covenant properly and strictly viz. not only of Gods tender of grace to us through Christ upon the condition of faith but also seales whereby according to Gods institution we are to ratifie our accepting of those Gospel termes for justification in Christs blood and in so doing receive a further confirmation of Gods love towards us in such degree as we are capable of the sense of it And though God requires all them to whom the Gospel is revealed to seale their acceptance thereof yet God requires no man to seale he doth what he doth not nor hath he any proper visible right to the Sacraments who visibly rejects these Gospel termes §. 7. 6. Mr. W. tells us God makes men beleevers by Baptisme p. 66. If he meane they are solemnly to signifie the same herein I grant it But if that they are not Christians before I deny it upon evident Reason 1. For they are baptized because Christians not forfeiting the priviledges of such therefore they are Christians before I shall here only refer to Peter Martyr the Author Mr. W. so often mentions with honour in his booke as well he may loc com cl 4 cap. 8. § 3. et 7. c. Where he gives an account of the baptizing Infants of Christian parents upon the Churches hope of their election as being the seed of the holy Neque parvulos baptizaremus nisi jam eos ad ecclesiam et ad Christum arbitraremur pertinere And he saith Those are not to be heeded who move a scruple in this matter and say What if
c. notoriously such may profess his earnest desire to receive and yet that makes him not no whoremonger and no drunkard 2. Then also the Church may look for no further satisfaction in order to restoring of an excommunicate then his verbal profession of earnest desire to receive the Sacrament For that which should prevent their excommunicating of him must be avaylable to restore him But the Church in many ages hath required particular confession of notorious sins and expresse profession of repentance for them and not only profession of earnest desire to receive as antecedently necessary to the absolution of an excommunicate in analogy to that Levit. 5.4 5 6. where he who was to bring his trespass offering for a false oath though through ignorance was to confesse that he had sinned in that thing and then he is allowed to bâ—ing his trespass-offering to the Lord and the Priest shall make an attonement for him concerning his sin So more generally Numb 5.7 on which saith Ainsworth out of Maimonides The Hebrewes set down this duty thus This confession is with words and it s commanded to be done How do they confesse He saith Oh God! for I have sinned I have done perversly I have trespassed before thee and have done thus and thus and loe I repent and am ashamed of my doings and I will never do this thing againe And this is the foundation of confession And who so maketh a large confession and is long in the thing he is to be commended And so the owners of sin-and trespass-offerings when they bring their oblations for their ignorant or presumptuous sins attonement is not made for them by their oblation untill they have made Repentance and confession by word of mouth Likewise all condemned to death by the Magistrates or condemned to stripes no attonement is made for them by their death or by their stripes until they have epented and confessed And so he that hurteth his neighbour â— doth him damage though he pay him whatsoever he owe him illonement is not made for him til he confess and turn away from doing so againe for ever Now it may be Mr. W. could have taught them a more expeite and easie way of satiffactory confession viz. if the offendeiprofess verbally his earnest desire to partake of the Passeove that shall quit all scores §. 3. Mr. W. further addes As for your fully and not fully excommunicate wee look not on them as considerable in this present controversie they are your own miserable shifts c. What 's the conclusion Ergo my fore mentioned Reason is not sound Wonderfull hap he hath if he can draw this inference from such premises This distinction of excommunication hath been proved before at Chap. 3. and I wonder not if he would so faine shift it out of his way if he could it so fully enervates the Reasons of his Champion Mr. Timson and shewes his miscarriage in the very stating of the Question If that third Chap. aforesaid stand good particularly the sixth § that excommunicates are Church-members and are not by excommunication cut off from all ordinances although accidentally that may sometime coincidere and often did fall in in the primitive times The title of his booke is blasted which over each leafe is this to receive the Lords Supper is the actual right of all Church members but in the first page is thus To receive the Lords Supper the actual Right and duty of all Church members of yeares not excommunicate Which is sorrily propounded For 1. here and in his book he confounds Right and duty as if these were of the same latitude as if because its an heathens duty to be baptized or a Christians duty when drunk on the Lords day to sanctifie the Sabbath in publique Ordinances yea or an Excommunicats duty to receive all which are manifestly their duty which they are obliged to that therefore it were the heathens right to be baptized without any more adoe or the drunken Christians to be admitted into the Assembly while drunke or the excommunicate had actual right to the Lord Supper while excommunicate 2. And that all excommuncation turnes our of Church-membership Mr. Humphreys holeth Rejoynd p. 155. where he saith Suspension is null withot dismembership To what purpose then should Mr. Timson hae added not excommunicate but to instruct us in this lessoâ— That to receive the Lords Supper is the actuall right and duty of all Church members at yeares who are not no Church member This is the Warriour whose Herald Mr. W. is pleased to mâ—â—e himselfe and he once and againe provokes me to graple with him But if I have made good this one argument against Mr. W. there 's none I thinke can reasonably thinke there 's any need of answering Mr. Timson in print Mr. W. hath much of his sense and language too where he could bring it in But his distinction of fully and not fully excommunicate I suspect the more angers him because it makes the weapons of his ious brave man unserviceable in this contest with me in this gument But I have shewed there is an excommunication by the Officers of the Church or Minister alone by the people alone though the Officers refuse to joyne and there is an excommunication wherein the Officers and people of the Congregation and neighbourhood too perhaps though that 's not essential do concurre which is a fuller excommunication then either of the former §. 4. 5. In the 5th place Mr. W. answers and confutes as he pretends my Reason by saying As for your Excommunication you give us a very quaint account thereof and in a taunt he saith Schollers may do well to furnish their note bookes with it And in stead of better Answers furor arma ministrat he fits downe in the chaire of the scorners and thus acts his part It should seeme saith he that your full excommunication is a very shrewd thing when you can be at leisure to meet in a full Classis and so have your severe Rabbies of discipline sit in state with the rest of your grave Benchers then the case of a poore sinner is put upon the debale and after that your Elders have well stroaked their beards and nodded in their votes the decree is that the sinner arraigned is to be excommunicated fully and that with full excommunication compleatly The summe whereof is that such a man found and judged guilty of such misdemeanours is declared to be as an heathen Infidel and do such an one to be lookt upon and dealt with by all our Church members i. e. to he counted as an enemie and not to be admonished as a brother Here are learned arguments apodictical demonstrations but be like all in Bocardo Here are formulae oratoriae for the cupping crew who may probably applaud the Author and quaffe his health round for them I 'le confesse they are not to be answered by me Ego poenitere tanti non emam as Demosthenes said to the
no true believers I will believe when he or any else can shew me one Scripture-evidence for it Mr. W. now dismisseth me p. 151 in his proper language thus Put up your bagpipes whistle at home And let him cry aloud Montibus sylvis that if there be any idle eccho there he may procure from it an answer to such another book as his Suspension discussed is But by his leave I 'le take Davids Harp and on it thus conclude PSALM 119. Part 22. Y. Z. 169 Yeild to my cry thy presence neere From thy word light I crave 170 Yeild to my suit thy ready eare After thy word me save 171 Yee lips of mine shall praise the Lord who taught me his Truth sure 172 Yea my tongue shall boast of thy word For thy Lawes are right pure 173 Yoak't in thy Lawes I choose to be Let thine hand help afford 174 Young fresh delights thine Hests give me I long'd for thine aid Lord. 175 Zealously to praise thee I list whiles life lasts just help send 176 Zion path I stray sheep have mist Seek me thy Lawes I 'le tend A particular Answer to twenty-two Digressive passages in Mr W s Booke entituled Suspension Discussed 1 IN his Epistle to the Reader he saith speaking of us Although some things of the ancient Fathers they have sometimes in their mouthes yet they will allow the authority of the ancient Fathers no further then will serve their owne turnes c. The like complaint the Papists sillily make against the Protestants so Canisius barkes in the Preface of his Opus Catcchisticum against Luther Calvin and Melancthon Is any one so stupid as to allow the authority of the Fathers in those things he thinkes they erred Mr. W. as we have seene above honourably quotes Tertullian for him p. 141. and lamentably falls out with him as a Ring-leader of Heretiques p. 147 148. and saith p. 149. We shal honour Tertullian in yeilding to his Assertions wherein he is orthodoxall but we shal believe neither him nor you wherein you are amisse And doth not Mr. W. use his own judgement to discerne wherein he is orthodoxal and where not and so reject his authority in the latter as he owns it in the former Was not this then an irrationall and selfe-condemning Exception 2 Your Parish Pope or his vestry Cardinals cryes Mr. W p. 98. The Pope is not formidable but with his Bull. And here Mr. W. would scare us with his Bull against us For Parish Pope is a flat contradiction according to the sense wherein Pope is now taken But with such a Bull he shall ride none but calves 3 Examination of persons in order to their admission to the Lords Supper is a maine ground of Mr. W. his many complaints and invectives in his booke p. 3 4 9. Though you saith he delude the Country with a loud cry as if your quarrell lay only against the ignorant and scandalous yet your designe is to bring all men under your Examination as divinely and scripturally necessary unto acceptable celebration of the Lords Supper let their parts be never so eminent and their lives never so regular The same Coleworts are served in againe and againe over and over p. 21 27 28 38 54 56 60 88 95 96 113. This dish coming in so often as the learned Cartwright on 1 John 4.3 said to the Rhemists on a like occasion argues either an hungry guest or a needy Hoste Concerning this which is called Examination that is a taking cognizance of adult persons their understanding owning and profession of the Christian faith which in infancy they were baptized into in order to their admission to the Communion I shal deliver my apprehensions in the ensuing Considerations 1 I consider that the Scripture mentions not any Instances of such who having been baptized infants were afterwards when adult admitted to the Supper as expressly distinguished from them who were baptized adult or at yeares nor doth it in expresse Rules or patternes describe how or in what manner such baptized in infancy were admitted or are to be admitted to the Lords Supper 2 Yet from what the Scripture informes us in concerning the prerequisits in the adult to Baptisme and the nature of the Lords Supper in it selfe Some Directions may be gathered concerning this matter particularly That there may be required from persons when they first tender themselves to receive that they make a serious profession of their assent and consent to the Christian faith they have been baptized into Whether this be by a continued speech or catechistically is not at all stood upon For 1. There is the same Reason for requiring this here as there is for that which none deny the requiring it from persons adult in order to their Baptisme although they be never so learned and regular in their conversations before As Augustine Ambrose and others have been and such as Mr. W. acknowledgeth p. 139. were in a salvable condition before their baptisme and therefore did visibly appeare so to be The visible understanding owning of the Covenant whereof the Sacraments are seales is as requisite in the first admission of the former to the Lords Supper as in the latter to Baptisme all things being equall on both parties save only that one is baptized not the other but this alters not the thing in debate because his being baptized in infancy is no testimony of his personal or visible owning the Covenant which is required in the adult for the participating of the Lords Supper 2. There is no Rule I know of to direct us at what yeares any one baptized in infancy may be admitted to the Communion but according to his sooner or latter understanding profession of his baptismal engagements Why may not a child of six or seven yeares old be admitted who may be taught to repeat a Catechisme and to say he desires to communicate but because he is not then judged in a capacity understandingly to consent to the Covenant termes And how can another though of twenty yeares be judged understandingly to own the Covenant who doth not so profess the same before sufficient witnesses For de non existentibus non apparentibus idem est judicium Therefore this verbal profession may be required to be made by a person adult baptized in infancy in the presence of competent witnesses before he is admitted to the Lords Supper 3. Mr. W. himselfe tells us p. 56. that knowledge of who are beleevers and of who are not beleevers must be the loadstar of our administring or not administring the Lords Supper And p. 59. he saith In our administration of the Lords Supper to others we are to be guided by the Scripture Characters of a doctrinal faith And of this we may have infallible certainty when we know the parties are baptized and heare them say the Creed and testifie their beleese of every Article therein contained And hence we connclude infallibly that they are he should have said visibly
their excluding the de facto as well as the ipso jure excommunicate It cannot therefore be inferred from this text that all did partake of the Passeover except those in a journey or polluted by a dead body §. 3. 3 It may further be considered that there were those severe lawes against sin as required the cutting off such as were notorious and scandalous offenders I confesse its a mighty difficult thing cleerly to determine the importance of that phrase It s applyed so variously sometimes as a punishment for small offences the neglecting some ceremony or the like Exod. 30.38 Levit. 7.18 20 21 26 27. Numb 19.13 20. And sometimes for notorious wickednesse Exod. 31.14 15. Levit. 20.6 17. as for incest Divers texts particularly the last mentioned seeme to evince that it was putting one to death which cutting off imported And yet some of these sins to be thus punished might be private and not juridically or otherwise notoriously known and therefore could not be punished by man with the cutting off by death Ainsworth saith on Gen. 17.14 It is sometimes spoken of Gods cutting off men by death for their sins Levit. 17.10 20.3 5 6. And so the Hebrewes understand it here and in all other like places that for willing transgression in secret God would cut them off by untimely death Which may be thus expounded that the offender might expect Gods immediate vengeance in such cases though the Lord had not by his threatnings tyed up himselfe from exercising patience and long-suffering towards them And if there be witnesses of it the Magistrate is to punish or kill them But for ignorant transgressions they were to bring the appointed sacrifices so he Now the notorious obstinate offenders were adjudged by Gods Law in that Theocracy of the Jewes to be cut off as appeares by many texts see such as these Exod chapt 21. vers 15 16 17. 22.18 19 20. 31.14 15. 32.26 27 28. 35.2 Levit. 24.15 16 23. 20.9 10. Deut. 13.5 17.5 6. 22.21 More general texts adjudging this cutting off to all manner of notorious wickednesse are Deut. 17.12 2 Chron. 15.12 13. Now if this were so It s supposed that the Magistrate doing his duty or if it referred to ecclesiastical cutting off those entrusted in that doing their duty there should be none to partake of the Passeover who were notoriously scandalous And it s the lesse strange if exceptions against such are not particularly and expresly mentioned although they might have no right to the Passeover § 4. 4. Againe If we peruse all the examples of their celebrating the Passeover in the old Testament therein we finde not any I thinke admitted under such notorious wickednesse as should then be judged visibly inconsistent with true actual faith We may soone view the places they are not many After the first celebration upon the Institution Exod. 12. when they were under those miraculous dispensations which were apt to dispose the very wicked in heart and much more others to an outward good conformity The next and only Instance while they were in the Wildernesse was that of Numb 9. which hath been already perused by us And then soone after their entrance into Canaan the Passeover was celebrated Josh 5.10 immediatly after the circumcision of the adult not circumcised in the Wildernesse before which its no way probable they were compelled to receive without being acquainted with and having respect to the Covenant they entred with God and God with them whereof circumcision was a seale And that the people indefinitely were then in a visible beleeeving frame and obediential posture is gatherable from Chap. 1.16 17 18. which the miraculous bringing them through Jordan also immediately before this their celebration of the Passeover was apt to confirme and establish them in Chap. 3. and Chap. 4. During the time of the Judges we read of no Passeover kept I do not say there was none And in the time of the Kings there are but two Passeovers recorded in holy Scripture viz. one during the reigne of Hezekiah and the other of Josiah those two good Kings Hezekiahs we have 2 Chron. 30. where is mentioned according to our translation the long interruption of it v. 6. That they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written In stead whereof both the Syriack and Arabick versions have Because their riches were much encreased And there are here not only no intimations of the visible prophanenesse of any who did partake but great testimony is given to the contrary They were indefinitly called by the King and Princes to turne againe to the Lord and that they should not be stiffaecked v. 6 7. and they answered that call v. 11. Of some its said that they humbled themselves they were confounded saith the LXX acquiescentes consilio saith the vulgar Latine they were contrite in heart saith the Syriack or they trembled in heart as the Arabick and they came to Hierusalem And of others its said v. 12. God gave them one heart to do the commandment of the King and Princes by the word of the Lord which was to turne to the Lord as before And that this was manifested in deeds and notable instances of real reformation is shewed v. 13. And then Hezekiah begged pardon or acceptance for them only who had prepared their hearts to seek God v. 19. Which implyes that he took them all indefinitly for sincere beleevers The Syriack version hath it thus The good God expiate for the whole people of Israel seeing that we have prepared our hearts to pray to God c. And the Arabick saith The God of goodnesse spare the Isralitish nation seeing that he hath prepared our hearts to pray to God c. And then v. 21. they kept the feast of unleavened bread with gladnesse and the whole assembly took counsel kept other seven dayes with gladnesse v. 23 26. §. 5. The other Passeover was in the time of Josiah recorded 2 King 23.22 23. 2 Chron. 35.1 2. c. where is to be observed that things being much out of order by the ill government of his Grand-father Manasseh and his Father Amon Josiah doth endeavour a reformation before its story'd that he called the people to a Passeover In the twelfth yeare of his reigne he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places groves and Images 2 Chron. 34.3 4 5 6 7. And then it followes v. 8. Now in the 18th yeare of his reigne when he had purged the Land and the house he took order to repaire the house of God and having found the book of the Law he caused it to be read to all the people great and small v. 30. he himselfe being greatly humbled by the contents thereof He v. 31. made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and testimonies and statutes with all his heart and soul to performe the