to the paper he endeavoured to disgrace These are his words to me Your notes probably were not of such private concealment as you would make us beleeve but were shewed to divers Divines of your own party for advice and approbation Thus it is reported And there is strong probability for the truth of this report For it s not likely you would pass a businesse of that nature to a professed Antagonist without consultation first with your Associates whom the grand designe of your notes concerned as intrinsecally as your selfe The falsenesse of which his self magnifying and insolent conjecture is known to your selves and may appeare to others by the Account given Digress 21. And truly Gentlemen As this his affront to you ministred just cause of a greater indignation against his incivilities so the publishing that he intended you as well as me I account a sufficient disparagement to his calumnies which will not be fastened on your Names how ever they might more easily have stained mine if I had been singly bespattered by him Yet in making this advantage of your company under his abuses I do not in the least attempt to shelter the weaknesses and defects of my paper or its defence under the covert of your protection The interpellation of you in these lines designeth only a publique testimony of the precious esteeme I have of you whose unanimous and studious persevering in the work of the Lord notwithstanding the sad and never too much lamented losse we have lately sustained in the decease of that paire of most grave venerable and unblemisht Divines as also of a third though not so ancient yet very usefull and able Minister who were lately the strength and ornament the Horsemen and Chariots not only of our Classis but County and Province also I say notwithstanding this discouragement your continued pious endeavours together and apart are and shall be no lesse the joy of many then they seeme to be the envy of some And you my much honoured Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry of this County I cannot omit in this Dedication as having been moved by many of you to the work here undertaken which now I humbly lay at your feet obliging my selfe to be thankfull for any of your learned faithfull Animadversions you may be pleased to afford me in what I may be conceived by any of you to have erred assuring you that such oyle if not inflamed with passion shall be of most precious account with mee for the healing the wounds you may discerne in my head This Controversie which some have enlarged by the introducing of many things not conclusive herein is here reduced to this point wherein indeed the stress lyes viz. Whether the word of God gives any warrant to administer either to such as are visibly in the wayes of wickednesse inconsistent with the exercise of justifying faith Or to such as have not in their own persons understandingly and before competent witnesses professed their owning of their baptismal engagements which in their infancy were layd upon them In this the whole controversie is contained the former being asserted and proved establisheth suspension the latter non-Admission as is shewed in the third Digression about Examination All acknowledge beleevers only have right to the Lords Supper But then the Question will be whether all beleevers who are so called in any sense particularly in regard of their having been baptized and positively engaged to beleeve This cannot be granted for then no Apostate though excommunicate could be debarred of necessity therefore we must allow some qualifications necessary to make one capable of the Sacrament over and besides his baptisme and having been positively engaged to the Christian faith And this the Brethren for generall admission seeme to confesse when they in stating the Question still limit it to persons adult and intelligent and that in respect of the usuall exercise of understanding and actuall freedome from drunknnesse c. which should make them uncapable of exercising reason during their intoxication Their Antagonists have often urged them to give a Reason why these may be debarred who have not the foresaid qualifications and not the notoriously prophane It hath been answered 1. In respect of the drunk that they are fit for no ordinance and so not for the Lords Supper which is a satisfactory Answer in it selfe But not upon their principles who 1 plead for an actual right in all to receive whose duty it is to receive and 2. that Church-membership entitles or proves a title to all Ordinances in the Church For the drunken Christian is not disobliged from his duty in reference to this or other ordinance nor dismembered by his drunkennesse at present 2. In reference to Minors and the unintelligent as to the ordinary exercise of Reason it is answered that they come not under the command to receive as being innocently unable to examine themselves but the prophane are unfit only through their own fault and so they say there is as much difference between these as betwixt will not and cannot the latter excuseth not the former This I confesse is somewhat but it reacheth not the matter wherein the knot lyes For the Question is not intended only why Minors and the unintelligent are secluded from the Lords Supper to which the Reason given is an Answer But also why they are secluded from the Lords Supper when they are not secluded from other ordinances of publique prayers and preaching in the Church And this the foresaid Reason toucheth not For if innocent incapacity as such excuseth and so secludes from the Sacrament it would according to our Brethrens principles excuse and seclude from other ordinances of equall sanctity as they speake and wherein as much knowledge and other graces they say are necessary to be exercised to an acceptable performance as in celebrating the Lords Supper And therefore the Reason of excluding the innocently uncapable from the Sacrament will lye in this because they are visibly uncapable in generall as some prophane persons may be not in this in particular that they are innocently uncapable And then the exception stands still in force viz. that they produce no Reason for debarring the unintelligent from the Sacrament whiles they are admitted to other Ordinances which will not serve us for debarring the prophane from the Sacrament though they are not debarred the prayers and hearing the word in the Church But the Gentleman I have to deale with in this reply seemes more liberall in this matter For he describes his positive beleever that is one who is positively obliged to Christianity who is with him capable of the Sacrament by many other qualifications p. 50 51 57. which I have mentioned in the Treatise following Ch. 8. § 3. As 1. that he is one who is professedly of the Christian perswasion But what if he be an Arrian is he no Christian then he is no heretique so we are at a losse how far this qualification will be extended to be
professedly of the Christian perswasion 2. That he frequent our Assemblyes 3. Heare our doctrine with reverence and attention 4. Visibly submit to the outward meanes of reformation and amendment 5. Not justifying his miscarriages 6 One who gives us visible testimony of his assent to our doctrine Now if the absence of these render a person debarrable It will not sinke into my dul head that Mr. W. or any one else can gratifie us with any scriptural Reason for the same as to debar him who comes not to Church ordinarily which will not debar any prophane swearer drunkard or unclean person notoriously appearing so to be And if any would favour me with a cleere Reason from Scripture why an unintelligent person though baptized adult c. may be debarred the Sacrament as they hold he may although not debarred other ordinances I say if any would give me a proof of this without manifestly overturning thereby the maine props of that structure which the Brethren for general Admission have layd I shall pawn my promise before you to be much engaged for such a discovery which I must professe is not within the reach of my present understanding There hath bin much spoken in the discussion of this subject about polluting holy things casting pearles to swine not distinguishing betwixt the precious and the vile c. which the other party will I think yeeld are pertinent if first it be proved that the persons pleaded for are unwarrantably admitted And unlesse this be soundly evinced they who use those passages must acknowledge they have no edge against their Antagonists For certainly to dispense Ordinances to them whom the word warrants us to dispense them to cannot justly be loaded with any of those aggravations For Scripture is the Rule of purity And so on the other hand the Arguments for the general admission contended for taken from Christs command to administer to Disciples Beleevers that the Sacrament is a converting Ordinance in some sense c. will I suppose be granted by those who make use of them to have no force against us if this be once cleered to them that the Disciples and Beleevers to whom the Lords Supper belongs are not all such Disciples or Beleevers as are so called in respect of their professed entrance into Christs school and positive engagement to beleeve in him which no Apostate Arrian nor Mahometan can loose or put off from him but those only who are such visibly in regard of serving Christ and abiding in his wayes the proving hereof is the designe of a maine part of the Treatise following And though herein I may seeme too strict it may be I shall be censured on the other hand by some when they read how favourable my judgement is in the judging and discerning who are visibly in a way of disobedience inconsistent with the exercise of justifying faith For there I thinke charity hath its place not in widening the Rule but in application of the Rule to particular persons But I shall not anticipate your perusing the booke as you may have leasure by a tumultuary mentioning of the contents thereof here But I most earnestly desire your serious studying the Question which is weighty and of practical continuall importance And this I crave not only in reference to your selves and those to whom you are guides in your particular Congregations but also with some respect to my selfe who may hope to receive benefit by the imparting your digested apprehensions concerning this Argument For by a brotherly private impartial discussion of a controverted point I should think peaceable Dissenters from each other may most probably and effectually receive satisfaction which then might be made publique if they saw cause by mutual consent of both parties all impertinencies and mistakes on each hand discovered being first lopt off Whereas Disceptations in print at the first dash are usually full of mistakes and great Temptations to the Authours thereof From you therefore my much honoured Fathers and Brethren wherein any of you do or may dissent from me I shall readily receive rational correction And if I approve my selfe to you truly studious of truth without bitternesse to such as may be of different judgement from me herein I shall have little cause to be sollicitous about the Rejoynder to mee which my Gentleman Publisher hath already talked of in his printed Apology If he rationally convince me of the faultiness of the main parts of my discourse I shall endeavour to let you and others know my sense thereof if not you may conjecture by my silence Controversies must not be endlesse and I will not contend with him for a scowlds prize to have the last word Some of you and others may perhaps think this Treatise too long ere it came and now too long when it is come forth In reference to the latter I desire the weightinesse of the subject which in the main is treated upon may be considered and the necessity of taking in some extravagancies mine Antagonist had with much noyse cast in my way At least comparatively I hope I shall be excused For since Mr. W. spent 9 sheets in answering my one If I had taken a proportionable liberty I should have taken up 9 times 9 81 in a reply to his The like may be considered for some satisfaction to the former complaint If those monthes he had for his answer to my sheet be multiplyed by 9 times so many monthes due to me for returning a reply to his nine I shall be found much to have prevented the day I might have taken on that account But it s known to Divers that I was long before I could be perswaded to entertaine a resolution for such a businesse considering how unhandsomly he had proceeded And when I began to look more seriously on it I must acknowledge it was not quickly that I could read his book without disturbance which necessitated me to lay it aside till I perceived my selfe composed to peruse it calmely as if I felt not my selfe scarce at all personally concerned therein And then the heavy affliction which befell me June 1. 1657. which I doubt not many of you had a share in will easily be supposed by you a great discomposure of my studyes for such a service as this I mention not my other imployments ordinary and extraordinary The Treatise was ready before Michaelmas and sent up to London the week following Let the rest be imputed to my dulnesse and slownesse and if you will to that Mr. W. hath spyed in me my timorousnesse I deferred the dispatch of this Epistle till I saw some sheets of the book printed which I did not till the last week ¶ And now you will expect I should cease to be further troublesome to you And such of you as are already tired have the law in your own hands to help your selves by leaving off here if you please But presuming that some of you will afford me your patience a little
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
to whom the Lords Supper ought not to be administred This assumption I thus confirmed numb 27. hecause to profess to renounce Christ is to profess not to believe now he who seems seriously to professe his not believing that is his renouncing Christianity cannot be by any rightly judged and taken to be a believer that is such a believer as aforesaid I here gave an instance of one uncapable of rightfull admission to the Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted though he be baptized adult and on whom the sentence of the Church may not perhaps have passed for excommunication The Instance was of one who doth in words renounce Christianity I added seriously not in opposition to madness or distraction as Mr W. trifles p. 63. For then the Instance would not have fitted the Question Mr. W. himselfe excludes the unintelligent p. 34. but in opposition to both 1. Ironicall uttering of words which then signifie not what otherwise they would as those words are usually interpreted Gen. 3.22 Behold he is become like one of us And 2. a questioning or doubting uttering of words which though in forme assertive yet are otherwayes manifest to be intended not as assertive but probational So Josephs speech is fairely interpreted Gen. 42.9 16. By the life of Pharaoh yee are all spyes So Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine but after he cleeres his meaning was only a questioning or doubting of it v. 15. If I should say thus I should offend against the generation of the just Now such an one as thus in words significative of a renouncing of Christianity where the circumstances of uttering them declare the meaning of the speaker is not ironical nor probational only doth profess to renounce Christianity I said is not in a capacity of rightful admission to the Sacrament And by this one Affirmative I overthrew their universal negative they say none adult baptized not put off from other ordinances may be suspended or debarr'd the Sacrament I say such an one as we have mentioned may therefore their universal negative proposition is false except further limited §. 2. I thinke now there are few who understand any thing concerning disputation but would expect Mr. W. should have answered either by affirming that this word renouncer of Christianity should be admitted to the Sacrament if he tender himselfe to partake or els by distinction have put some limitation on the universal negative I assault whereby it might have appeared that such an instance as this was not comprehended in it But to admiration he can answer and doubts not to refute mee without denying or distinguishing as followes 1. He saith The whole depends upon a meere supposition It is rather a thing imagined than a cause likely to happen in the Church This exception I made my selfe and answered it which answer of mine Mr. W. endeavours to take off beneath where I shall make my reply 2. He saith But if such a case should fall out viz. That a man in the Church should professedly renounce Christianity then he renounceth the Lords Supper too And so your suspension in this case would be needlesse There is no need of suspending or excommunicating such a wilfull renouncer of Christianity I answer by distinguishing 1. Betwixt renouncing of all the essential parts and some essential part of Christianity 2. Between his renouncing the Lords Supper in particular as to his using it for the end and use Christ hath appointed it for and renouncing it altogether upon all accounts whatsoever And 2. now I say 1. To renounce an essential part of Christianity is to renounce Christianity though a man profess not to renounce all the essential parts of Christianity It is essential to Christianity that Christ be accepted embraced and submitted to as Lord and Saviour to save us from sin Math. 1.21 as well as from punishment therefore to reject Christ as Lord is to reject Christianity He that saith I beleeve Christ dyed for me to redeeme me from hell c. But I will not obey him he shall not reigne over me I neither will nor can spare my lusts at least not yet c. doth renounce an essential part of Christianity and so by Consequence Christianity it selfe For any essential parr of a thing being removed the thing it selfe is removed I may say of our accepting Christ as King and Saviour as the Epigrammatist spake of his two poysons Dividat haec si quis faciunt discreta venenum Antidotum sumet qui sociata bibet 2. He who thus renounceth Christianity renounceth also expresly or by consequence the Lords Supper as to a maine end and use Christ hath appointed it viz. for the engaging the soul neerer to Christ and resigning it up in grateful and holy obedience to him who is the author of salvation to them who obey him But yet he may not renounce it as to all other respects he would do as others do in the outward work c. And therefore there is need yea a necessity of suspending or excommunicating such a wilful renouncer of Christianity §. 3. 3. Mr. W. tells us this supposed renouncing Christianity cannot abolish his positive estate which stands on the free grace of God by Baptisme and so he is a beleever for his positive estate in point of Religion by vertue of his consecration unto the Christian faith in Baptisme and God will judge him as a Christian if he continue in his revolt till death not as a Pagan Infidel p. 63 64 65. Ans 1. Who ever said his wickedness disobliged him from his baptismall engagements 2. Mr. W. confesseth that this renouncer of Christianity is a Christian and beleever by vertue of his Baptisme at the day of Judgement when condemned And doth he thinke such a Christianity as is in hell gives right to the Sacraments here Who then can be excluded A damned Christian is a baptized person consecrated to Christian duties and not wholly disobliged from the same 3. And yet Mr. W. saith p. 63. I should judge of him rather by his continuance or non-continuance in this supposed abrenunciation What would he judge of him to be a Pagan Infidelâ—e So he is not when damned therefore cannot so be judged of by his foresaid abrenunciation here and continuance therein or will he judge him to be an unbeleever as destitute of habitual saving grace that belongs not to us to judge of but to God alone who knows the heart or must he be judged an unbeleever as lying under notorious wickedness inconsistent with the exercise of faith that indeed we may judge of But then to what purpose doth he thus judge of him in reference to his sacramental claime If to allow it and admit him then its all one as to this as if he were not so judged of If to exclude him then I have what I contend for unless there be no judging of a man till he be dead and then no man can be excommunicated for any crime
Corinthian Lais I dare not answer according to this folly No wonder if he crow over me as wanting stomack and not being stomackfull enough p. 108 118. for such doughty disputings He makes it appeare though unmannerly what a full stomack he hath by his continuall cructations of such putrid and adust choler For after all this he is rifting again in this very place and afterward as sowrely as if he had had no vent before and at last p. 114. brings up that crude calumny which he for the once belcheth forth to besmear me with it viz. the denying the Pope to be Antichrist .. I see its parlous to be neer a man in his casting fits or that owing one a spite hath the trick of the new organon salutis and can with his provang unload his stomack at his pleasure And this he ushers in with a parturiunt montes and saith you know my meaning I know indeed what followes and thence conclude M. W. is content to be a Mouse-trap that my paper may seeme ridiculous But if he remember the story Sir Walter Rawleigh hath out of Herodotus it may lessen his confidence of vanquishing the Mouse he laughs at The story is thus in History of the world p. 612. Herodotus saith Senacheribs great hoast which he had when he threaned Hezekia by Rabsheca was intended against Aegypt But a great multitude of feild mice entring the Camp of Senacherib by night did so gnaw the bowes quivers strings and straps of his mens armour that they were faine the next day to fly away in all hast finding themselves disarmed In memory whereof saith Herodotus the statue of this King is set up in the Temple of Vulcan holding a mouse in his hand with this Inscription Let him who beholds mee serve God I 'le not apply the particulars but only thus The mouse Mr. W. despiseth if it may have faire play I doubt not will disarme this warriour and cut in sunder the nerves of his arguments But the parturiunt montes I thinke may be more fitly applyed to his â—â—â—ving and groaning to be delivered of that flatulent falshood that Mola or monstrous birth of the Antichristian lye which at last he brings forth and exposeth to the view of the world And let the world at his own instance and desire behold how he travaileth with iniquity hath conceived mischiefe and brought forth falshood But this filth I shall wipe off beneath For I am afraid of displeasing the Reader by having too much of these personal fooleries together I shall therefore leave them and speak only to the thing remaining which Mr. W. hath here touched upon namely concerning the description of Excommunication which he pretends to gather out of some expressions of mine to be a declaring of a person to be as an heathen and so to be dealt with If he had perused Math. 18.17 Let him be to thee as an heathen and publican sure he durst not have scoft at that He that is to be to us an heathen is to be judged as an heathen and so to be dealt with that is in some respects viz. in those wherein he is to be to us as an heathen Neither the Scripture nor my paper here said he was to be judged an heathen simply But it saith let him be to thee as an heathen with which manner of expression my scriblings as Mr. W. fitly calls them did wholly comply And what now hath our learned Gentleman to oppose hereunto that you may seeke for some where else unlesse this may be allowed the place and honour of an objection in stead of a better which skulkes in an implicit Ambuscado namely the interpretation he puts on my expressions aforesaid that is saith our learned Expositor to be counted as an enemy and not to be admonished as a brother But if Paul be not against his Master this will do us no hurt Even an heathen any neighbour as such is to be admonished as a Brother in some sense and not counted an enemy simply Eph. 5.11 Levit. 19.17 10.36 Mark 12.33 And a Christian excommunicate ought to be admonished though in some respects he is to be to us as an Heathen The reconciliation is easie Take it in the learned Zanchius his words on 2 Thess 3. Obj. Videtur sibi contrarius Apostolus praecipit ne commercium habeatis cum eo excommunicato tamen habete eum pro fratre Resp Prohibet familiaritatem non necessariam periculosam noxiam quâ indulgeamus eorum vitijs aut saltem conniveamus non edentes ullam significationem odij improbationis peccatorum quâ denique in similia peccata induci ipsorum scabiae inquinari possimus or as Zepperus thus Although no one ought to joyne himselfe in stricter familiarity and private offices to the excommunicate yet charity shall be exercised towards him in publique and private prayers to God and frequent admonitions de polit ecclesiâ p. 164 165. But the excommunicate are not to be driven away from the publique Assemblyes of the Church to heare Gods word least they should grow hopelesse and the doores of repentance be shut to them §. 5. 6. The Rest Mr. W. hath besides personal vagaries is the old business of Examination p. 113 114. and his Question what difference we make betwixt suspension and full excommunication hath been answer'd before And now let the Reader use his own eyes and judgement whether any or all these six answers do in the least infringe my argument he pretends to evervate hereby Which was this If deed rejecting of Christ may not be a cause of Excommunication where there 's a desire signified to receive the Sacrament then none who desire to receive may be excommunicated The latter is false therefore so is the former Fit now his answers to this mark and then determine of them as Reason directs I must crave thy excuse for holding thee so long in the examination of Mr. W. pretensions on this point Wee will now the more greedily and eagerly drinke of those cordial waters of the Sanctuary PSALM 119. Part 20. V. V. 153 View thou my straites save me thy Lawes I forget not O Lord. 154 Unloose my bonds plead thou my cause Quicken mee by thy Word 155 Vile men are from salvation farre Who seek not thy command 156 Very great Lord thy mercies are Life by thy Judgements send 157 Various foes strive mee to oppresse Thine hests I 'le not forsake 158 Viewing Transgressours greiv'd I was When they thy statutes brake 159 Vouchsafe to see thy Law I love Lord kindly quicken mee 160 Very true I thy Word long prove Thy Judgements lasting bee CHAP. XXI §. 1. BE of good cheer my Reader Mr. W now saith I pray let us come to an end I hope he is somewhat neer for this time an end of his revilings and impertinencies How-ever having tyred thy patience sufficiently whiles I have insisted too long on his extravagancies in the last chapter I 'le promise thee
defence of my hypothesis require I should There are some other passages of his mixt with these I have related I cannot digest which have been answered elsewhere and I am not willing to quarrell with them here as long as the main of his discourse hereon seems such as I do comply with I will not compare with Mr. W. nor any other in rigorous pressing of doctrines this in speciall for mens conviction and reformation But I do endeavour it according to my poor measure and I think here 's nothing for substance of these things which hath not been heard from me But the knot lies not here whether they are obliged both to labour for knowledge and leave prophanesse so to come But in this whether they may not be debarred the later for their visible want of the former And he may be pleased to remember that the Fallacia divisionis is as ill Logick as the Fallacia compositionis to argue à bene conjunct is ad malè divisa is as consequent as à bene divisis ad malè conjuncta which he minds us of p. 128. and I have explained my self on this point before ch 10. § 1 2. and elsewhere I shewed that obligation to duty doth not ever give or argue a right of admission to the performance thereof simply without any more a-doe A drunken Christian is not disobliged from the publick service of God while such nor doth any excommunication disoblige from the Lords Supper they both sin in both not waiting on God in his ordinances and hindring themselves by their own default That divers things debar from the performance of duties which do not excuse nor disoblige from them is a truth so plain that he that runs may read it §. 4. 5. Mr. W. p. 131.132 answers the Query how infants are not obliged to receive 1. By Analogie to the Infants among the Jewes in reference to the Passcover but that point deserves a more accurate consideration 2. By shewing that his Assertion is consined to baptized persons adult they are bound immediately to examine themselves and to come to the Lords Table and they sin against knowledge and conscience by neglecting these duties being urged upon them and made known to them and they cannot be so urged and made known to infants by reason of their incapacity c. But this last reason is not valid For if their incapacity of knowing and having Baptisme urged on them hinders them not from being baptized why shall this alone hinder them from the Lords Supper They may be brought to one as well as the other when two or three years old and therefore are no more incapable of the one than the other upon this account 6. Mr. W. shewes the incongruity of denying children their board and not bed belike to teach us that none in the Church should be denied the Sacrament But that I have refuted ch 3. at the later end of the sixth Section These are the Returns he hath given for the confuting the sum of my foresaid argument which have as much influence into that design as Tenterton steeple hath for the causing of Goodwin sands according to the story I remember Father Latimer hath in one of his Sermons PSALM 119. Part. 21. W. 161 Without a cause Princes wrong'd me But thy word awes my mind 162 Words sacred joy my soul as he joyes who great spoyls doth find 163 Wretched lies I abhor alwayes But love thy commandments 164 Within th' day sev'n times I thee praise for all thy right Judgments 165 Who love thy Law great peace procure nothing shall them offend 166 Waiting I hop'd for thy Law sure and did thy will attend 167 With my soul I have kept thy word and truly love it most 168 Well have I mark't thy precepts Lord For all my wayes thou know'st CHAP. XXII §. 1. THere is nothing further to exercise thy patience good Reader but some descants on the passages I quoted from Salvian and Tertullian And first against those of Salvian Mr W. hath divers Exceptions as 1 that I tell him not where in Salvian to find them 2. That I quote a broken piece concealing what follows adding an c. as a veil under which to hide his sense 3. That I quoting two passages in severall books put them together which he saith is not fair dealing p. 134. 4. And lastly that the thing quoted is perverted to a sense not intended by the Author To these his Exceptions I return 1. to the first When I finished that private paper he hath publickly assaulted I had not my Salvian with me else it had been easie to have turned to the Book and page Every private paper needs not the exactnesse in these things of a publick plea. Doth Mr W. in every Sermon or Lecture when he quotes any passage from an Author name the Chapter Book and page If he do I think it is a needlesse exactnesse when as any one who doubts of or peruseth the quotation may easily have recourse to him for the place where it is to be found 2. His second exception is frivolous unless the words following those I quoted did turn the sense of the former word to another intent than that was for which I quoted them which they do not but rather confirm it as shall be shewed in answering his sourth exception 3. The third exception is removed by what I have said to his first neither is Salvians sense at all injured he speakes to the same purpose in both places as shall appeare immediately And I did not say they were joyned together in Salvian but named them as two severall passages not quoting the book wherein either of them was to be read §. 2. 4. To his 4th Exception which is most material the rest are toyes sutable for him that abounds in leisure for them I answer I quoted not Salvian nor yet Tertullian neither to prove suspension immediatly as Mr. W. pretends p. 136. Your intent saith he in alledging his words is to justisie your debarring men from the Lords Table Mr. W. hath ill hap in telling my intents and yet he will not adone with it But saith he whether Salvian intended any such thing let the Reader judge Reade him againe he is Minimus patrum and it s no great labour to read him over If Minimus patrum referre to the quality of his writings and that he is of least account how comes Mr. W. to be the Judge and Censor of the Fathers If to the quantity as the words following its no great labour to reade him over doe intimate I presume Mr. W. in that hath taken his aime amisse There are other Fathers of whose workes and writings extant the quantity is lesse then Salvians as the Clement about the yeare 93. Polycarpus Ignatius Minutius Faelix c. I know no such controversie mentioned in Salvian as that is we are now discussing to wit about suspension What he intended or foresaw the arguments and matter he treated