the very ground of the question is gone Indeed here is practice contrary to profession but not profession contrary to profession and practice contrary to profession may consist with profession for they professe to know God though in works they deny him If it be replied that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith professed and so the profession appears counterfeit I crave leave to ask once more whether faith here be taken objectivè or subjectivè if objectivè for the doctrine professed or the Will of God revealed to be beleeved then it may still be affirmed that the profession of the Scripture or an outward owning of the Will and Word of God is not inconsistent with a conversation contrary thereunto then why may not such whose practice is contrary either to their profession or to the Scripture which they yet professe be received by the Church if no other reason but this be assignable If it be said that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith in sensu formali vel subjectivo and that a wicked conversation declareth that the Professor doth not believe as he professeth and is to be rejected therefore as a counterfeit Once more I demand whether this faith professed be considered as saving or as common if as saving then Mr. Wood his cause is yeelded who is now opposing Reverend Master Baxter with this assertion that wicked men are not to be rejected formally because their wickednesse is a signe of unregeneracy but materially because it is contrary to the profession of the faith if as common or as other historical or dogmatical then though I grant that all those whose wickednesse is such as cannot consist with a real common or historical faith ought not to be admitted yet I deny the hypothesis that all wickednesse is such as is inconsistent with such a real common faith that common faith is in its kinde a true faith and that this true common faith is consistent with a wicked heart and life are two Propositions as little doubted by most Divines as much confirmed by sad experience and largely discoursed in the Treatise following Sunt in eo coetu viz. ecclesiae visibilis multi electi alii non Sancti sed tamen de verâ doctrinâ consentientes Phil. Melanct. part Sept. p. 33. Others may have leave to think that such scandalous persons ought not to be admitted into the Church because of the scandal that would come to Religion thereby and because that in this sense scandal is contrary to the profession of the faith the Church thus drawing a blot and disparagement upon her selfe as if she was ready to open her bosome to any vile unclean unreformed persons and truely I humbly conceive there is very much in this for if the Church ought to have a care that those already within cause not the wayes of God to be evil spoken of why ought she not to have the like care touching those she is about to let in or why should those be admitted into the community that now appear to be such as are presently to be cast out of communion but I presume this is not all For 3. From the premises it seemes at least probable to me that the Church is to have some kinde of respect unto the saving condition of the person she is about to admit into communion though I donbt not to assert with our brethren N. E. and Reverend Master Baxter that a sober and humble profession of faith and repentance with a desire of Baptisme is as much evidence of this saving condition as the Church is bound to expect without any farther positive proofs of conversion 4. Yet I humbly conceive that more then a bare outward profession is requisite to give real interest in the visible Church and the previledges thereof before God though no more is requisite to give visible interest before men and that there is sufficient ground for the trite distinction of right here Coram Deo ecclâ—sia for the Churches judgement of mens right must passe with her administrations upon visible or appearing signes by their outward profession but Gods upon real for the visible Church is really a Church with God as well as the invisible though the Church is bound to believe a profession that is made upon designe as the Jews at New Castle was yet God knows his wickednesse and count him a dogg eating the childrens bread out of the hand of Church deceived by his falsnesse but not erring because profession is her onely rule in the case If it be demanded what is more required besides profession to give real interest in the visible Church I Multi enim sunt non renaâ—i vel hypocritae consentientes tamen de doctrina ritibus extcrnis sen est coetus consentientium de doctrina habens multa membra mortua sen non regeneratos Maâ— 7. 21. Mat. 13. 24. par in Urs cat 343. have at large answered in the Treatise that in Adult persons about to be admitted a real actual and not fained consent but in persons borne in the Church and baptised in their Infancy and now at the adult estate a non-dissent a not dissenting from or a not rejecting of the truth and wayes of the Lord at least for all that are of the visible Church must be one of these ways either negatively or positively consentientes to true doctrine as Melancton before as wel as outward professors of it 4. Yet I must still hold my maine Proposition till I see more reason to let it go that unregenerate persons once received into the Church are notwithstanding their unregeneracy or their want of evidences of saving grace really or truely members of the visible Church till they cut themselves off by Heresie Schisme or the perfection of both Apostasie or at least are cast out by Church-censure what reasons what authorities from the Scriptures and the Church I shew for it and what absurdities I alledge against the contrary opinion must be left to your censure in the reading of the Treatise Onely that it may passe here a little the more freely I cannot but adde the remembrance of one or two late most eminent and full Testimonies Mr. Hooker of New England saith Survey of Church discipline p. 36. that externally those are within the Covenant and consequently the Church who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth engage themselves to walk in the wayes of God and the truth of his worship though they have not for the present that sound work of faith in their hearts and may be never shall have it wrought by Gods Spirit in them Master Norton also a Minister of N. E. to this very question whether truth Against Apol. p. 3. of grace be required to visible Church-membership answereth one may be admitted into the Church-communion of the external or visible Church that is not endowed with the real inward holinesse of regeneration and justifying faith in Christ or that
Scholastical Divine Reverend Master Norton of New England These things thus premised the Argument hence is this As the visible Church may be considered to be called out of the world so it may be considered to be a Church of Christ. What hath beene said hath put this out of doubt But the visible Church may be considered to be truely called out of the world without any respect to saving grace Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The minor here which is all that is left questionable is easily evident if we distinguish of the world as we are wont to distinguish of the Church viz. to be visible and invisible the visible world is the world of infidels and such as openly detest the true Messias the invisible world is the world of ungodly which being as tares amidst the what of the godly cannot be discerned by men The first is opposed to the visible Church the latter to the invisible out of the visible world the visible Church is called and out of the invisible world the invisible Church or the Church of the saved is called Againe the visible Church is as truely called out of the visible world of Pagans and Infidels and such as live without the pale of the Church as the Church of the saved is called out of the world of the vngodly doth not the eye of the whole world see this and bear witnesse to it viz. that the visible Church is by the calling of God in this sense effectually in that it is really separated Vocatio communis ab infide litate ad fidem evocat Trel ut supra from and stands in distinction and opposition unto the whole world of Infidels Pagans Turks and Jews and all other societies and parties of men in the world as the called of God his lot and portion and peculiar people all which and a great deale more Master Baxter as well as many others is pleased to acknowledge that the Scriptures attribute to the visible Church CHAP. VI. Arg. From the visible Church in its causes and first as it is of God HItherto of the quid nominis proceed we now to the quid Rei and to seek for that thing and nature and truth of being in the Church which the name we have found doth import I shall put my self and reader into the way of this search by an offer of this general Argument taken from the causes of the visible Church As we may consider the causes of any thing so we may consider the thing it self But we may consider the causes of this Church to be real causes without respect to saving grace Therefore the Church to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace I think the major will not be question'd by any seeing whatsoever any thing is in it self it is the same first in its causes Quicquid est in effectu prae existit in causis Causatum quod ex causa suum esse habet yea the very definition of the effect is that it is but the result or that which hath its very selfe of the cause and depends by its cause and therefore it is called effectum or a thing done or standing as it is by it cause and causalum that is a thing caused that is such a thing as is Causalitas sive causatio est influxus ille seu concursus quo unaquaequc causa in suo genere actu influit in effectum Suarâ—z no more a thing then what it hath from its cause or as it is caused and causality or causation which is but the formal reason of the cause is nothing else but that Influx or concurrence whereby every cause in its own kinde doth actually flow into the effect The minor onely then resteth upon proof viz. That the visible Church may be considered to have its true and real causes without respect to saving grace which I shall labour to maintaine by a particular induction and examination of the several causes of the visible Church in order the efficient the end the matter and form thereof Here now are two things to be joyntly enquired after First what these causes are Secondly whether they may be considered to be real causes of the visible Church without respect to saving grace Let us first then begin to consider the efficient cause of the visible Church thus namely what it is and what kinde of effects it worketh without respect to saving grace 1. The efficient cause of the visible Church is Principal Instrumental The principal efficient of the visible Church is secundum Efficient Constitutionem Ordinationem The principal efficient in the constitution of the Church is God Rom. 2. 29. in the administration or ordination of it is Christ thus God Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11 Col. 1. 18. is properly the authour and Christ is properly the head of the Church The instrumental cause of the Church especially in its constitution Acts 2. 41 2 Pet. 2 23 1 Tim. 2. 15 is the preaching of the word for how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher this distribution needeth no proof seeing it is generally allowed 2. Let us now come to our task and examine whether these efficient causes may not be considered to have a real influence into the visible Church which yet doth not include saving grace As for the instrument the preaching of the word we need not insist particularly thereupon partly because the instrument is but subordinate to its principal efficient in the same operation and therefore if the work of principal efficient be real so is doubtlesse the same work relating to the instrument of it and partly because the influence of this instrumental cause the preaching of the word into the constitution of the visible Church is reserved to be largely handled in answer to a great objection against cur Churches in England at the latter end of this discourse Therefore we have but two things here before us whether God may be considered to be truely the Authour or Christ to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace and of these in order I shall humbly signifie my opinion by forming the same into Arguments The Argument from God as the Authour of the visible Church If God in the constitution of the visible Church by the preaching of the Word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace then he may without doubt be considered to be the real Authour of the visible Church without respect to saving grace But now God in the constitution of the Church by the preaching of the word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace Here is nothing to be interposed but these foure things Mr. Perk. speaking of temporal beleevers saith 1. They have knowledg 2. they
give assent 3. they give assent to the Covenant of Grace 4. They are perswaded in a general maÌ„ner that God will perform his promises to the members of his Church Ep. to his declar of a man estate And ads Mark here is a true faith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith either First that the calling whereby men are brought to leave the world to renounce Idols to embrace the true religion Hystorically to believe the Gospel to see a necessity of depending on Christ repentance and obedience to salvation are no real works but this would be against common sense for we see the contrary with our eyes Or secondly that these common works are also saving works but this would be against experience which sadly tells us that men may go so farre and yet no further in the way to heaven or else against the doctrine of perseverance Or Thirdly that these common graces do not really constitute a visible Church but this would be against what we have formerly proved Or Fourthly and lastly that God is not the worker of these common effects by his Word which would indeed be against Religion I shall therefore conclude this Argument with those known and pertinent words of Amesius hence saith he even visible Hinc ecclesiae etiam visibiles particulares ratione fidei quam profiteutur rect è dicun tur esse in Deo paTre in domino Jesu Christo 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. Medul p. 168. and particular Churches by reason of the faith which they professe as also I might adde by reason of the grace which they have received from God are rightly said to be in God he doth not say ratione fidei qua but ratione fidei quam profitentur that being the faith of God which they professe through the work of the common grace of God upon them they are rectè or truely said to be in God without any further consideration of any saving grace by which they believe received from him CHAP. VII The Argument from Christ as the head of the visible Church THe second Argument from the efficient is taken from Christ as the cause efficient of the visible Church according to dispensation or as he is the head thereof Thus Christ may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely his body without respect to saving grace The reason of the connexion here is most evident but I must needs confesse that the antecedent requires as well a modest inquisition as strong demonstration seeing it is easily noted to crosse many plain expressions of eminent Divines In this antecedent there are two distinct branches First that Christ is the head of the visible Church this passeth Secondly that he may be so considered without necessary respect to saving influence this is my task which I shall humbly undertake after I have gotten a faire understanding with my reader therein For I desire it may be heeded that I do not affirm that Jesus Christ doth performe the office of a head fully without saving influence but as it is expressed truely i. e. in some measure truely 2. It may be also observed that truely here stands not in opposition to mystically but to falsly or to seemingly onely for though our Divines do usually mean by the mystical body the Church invisible yet doubtlesse Master Cotton as is well noted of him by others also doth not speak improperly when he termes a particular visible Church a mysticall body and if that be granted the visible Church though not particular may also challenge the same title and if the visible Church be granted to be the mystical body of Christ then Christ may be said to be its mystical head Besides if Christ be indeed the head of the visible Church as none do doubt and if he be not the head thereof as it is Physically or Mathematically taken which none will affirme who can deny but that he is so Mystically 3. Further may it be noted that it is not said that Christ doth performe the office of an head to the Church truely without saving influence in any other consideration but as it is the visible Church for if any will assert a Church invisible I am not bound at all to follow him and say that this Church invisible also hath true influence from its head Christ which is not saving a thing not to be imagined 4. Lastly neither do I offer to say that Christ is the head of his body visible without saving influence but that he may be so considered without respect thereunto seeing there are influences not saving which yet descend from Christ as the head upon his body the Church and upon many of the members thereof that shall never be saved and this is enough for my present purpose because in whatsoever sense Christ may be said to leave the influence of a head upon his Church the Church may in the same sense be said to be his body and if it shall truely be made to appear that Christ doth really performe the office of the head when he doth not give saving grace it will thence easily follow of it selfe that the Church may be consideâ—ed to be truely his body without respect thereunto Now that Christ may be considered to be thus truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace I think appeareth thus Arg. 1. Christ truely dispenseth gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church and to many particular members thereof Arg. 1 that shall never be saved as he is a head therefore he may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence The Antecedent which is alone to be proved hath three parts 1. That Christ doth truely dispense gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church which none that know what the gifts of prayer preaching healing c. or what the graces of illumination conviction common faith and common love are will offer to deny 2. That Christ bestoweth these both gifts and graces upon some particular members of the visible Church which shall never be saved this also will be easily granted me 1. Concerngifts in Judas and in those that are reserved to cry out another day we have prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name we have Mat. 7. 22 cast out devils and Secondly concerning graces if we but once shall think upon that sad catalogue the Apostle recordeth Heb. 6 4 5 6. 3. That Christ bestoweth these gifts and graces not saving Profession of saith before a visible Church uniteth to Christ as head of the visible Church whether the person be sincere or no cobbet of Inf. Bapt. p. 57. as a head which is also very evident 1. Because they are gifts and graces abound in the Church alone 2. Because they are conveyed to the Church by the dispensation of Ordinances which
found in particular beleevers scattered I cannot imagine how this conclusion can be intercepted particular believers have the forme of the Church and consequently are truely a Church though not in coetu or in societie do they want the mattter of the Church no for they are considered apart in his own words the called of God and the called of God are the true matter of the Church none will deny Neither 2. Will it be helped to say that faith in beleevers considered collectively is the form of the Church For 1. The form of a thing is real which hath being extra mentis operationem it receiveth no part of its nature from consideration and therefore if faith be in it self or properly the essential forme of the Church so it still will be whether we consider it distributively or collectively and wheresoever we finde it viz. in materia congrua in fit matter as the called doubtlesse are Besides 2. Then something is apparently added to faith to informe the Church viz. the collection of the persons so beleeving and then I humbly offer whether whatsoever faith be meant here it belong not exactly to the matter and most unproperly to the forme of the Church for that which doth not perfect the essence or give essential perfection to a thing is not the essential forme of that thing but faith doth not give essential perfection to the Church for where faith is there is not this essential perfection of the Church without something else viz. collection or association of the subjects of this faith together added 3. Therefore he saith 1. Fides est forma ecclesiae and then 2. Coetus est forma ecclesiae wherein I am yet to seek his meaning for either these differ and are two things and then there are two formal causes of the Church or else faith and company are all one in his sense and indeed almost in his words fides spectata collectivè est coetus vocatorum id est forma ecclesiae which I cannot comprehend 4. If coetus vocatorum be indeed a definition of the Church as Amesius saith then either vocati are the forme or coetus or both Med. p. 163. 12. if vocati distinct from coetus be then coetus is not if coetus distinct from vocati then the vocati are not and if both together be the forme then where is the matter 5. Again if this be a perfect definition and consequently the whole cannot be the forme one of the parts must and now which is likeliest coetus or fideles not fideles of the faithful because that these prae-exist before the Church is informed and something as was before observed is necessarily to be added to perfect the essence of the Church 2. One of these two must be the matter of the Church but coetus cannot because the matter is presupposed to the forme but coetus or the consosiation of beleevers doth praesuppose beleevers 3. Therefore the cleanest account with me is that beleevers are the matter the coetus and the collection or community of them is the true essential forme of the Church That wherein they have communion is the publick exercise of such duties as we ead Act 2. 47. Hook eccles pol. 89. Here then at length I pitch that the forme of the Church lieth in society or community stâ—ictly and properly that collection taken actively or unitâ—on is the immediate efficient collection taken passively or union is the effect or proper state of the Church that communion is its formal action but corporation society or community is strictly the forme thereof Which learned Ames himself doth seeme more than to intimate if we let passe the foresaid obscurities saying that faithful Med p. 163. 13. men are the Church of God prout conjunctim vel collectivè considerantur in coetu and yet more plainly in the page before p. 162. 9. Coetus dicitur quia in multitudine consociata vel communitate multorum proprie consistit non in aliquo uno vocato So that in short account the remote matter of the Church Ad homines restringitur iste coetus p. 162. 10 is men the lesse remote matter of the Church is men called and the next matter of the Church is a many or a multitude of men called and now that which is to be added to compleat the Church is the society or community as Ames exactly of these many or this multitude of men called and this is properly the forme thereof Which further appeares For 1. The Church is allowed by all to be totum aggregativum or a holy heap now where lieth the forme of an heap but in the society of the parts thereof they being put together 2. 'T is therefore called a body in Scripture corpus coagmentatum and compactum ex variis membris as Ames noteth from Ephes 4. 16. as also a House a Family a City a Kingdome a Flock and where lieth the forme of all these but in society or community 3. This notion suits so well with the principles of many that they are called Congregational men and their way called Emphatically the Congregational way doubtlesse then their Church is a Congregation yea the opinion of many of them is that their Church-Covenant is the forme of their instituted Church which Covenant is onely the bond of the company or society Lastly that which being put in any matter the thing is necessarily Quo posito in materia aliqua necessario constituitur compositum sublato tollitur id est illius forma constituted and being taken away the thing is dissolved is the forme of that thing but society or community being added to many men called which is the matter of the Church the Church is necessarily constituted and society or community being taken away the Church is dissolved therefore society or community is the forme of the Church 5. Szegedine teacheth that true doctrine and the true use of the Sacraments are the formal cause of the Church But these I conceive are rather either the means of communion which is as was said before the formal action more properly then the very forme it selfe of the Church or else the distinguishing forme whereby the Church is known rather then the constitutive form whereby the Church hath its being But to draw up this discourse of the constitutive forme of the Church 1. Whatsoever it appear to be I hope to prove that it may be truely considered without respect to saving grace if it be calling or faith or profession it hath before appeared that these may be considered to be truely when not savingly such and if it be society or community as hath partly appeared already and will more fully appear when we handle the definition of the Church I presume none will question but this also may be considered to be truely such without any respect to saving grace 2. But if Ames should mean as he truely seemeth to do that coetus vocatorum or societas fidelium
in an united and conjunct sense is the forme of the Church that is neither the called nor society but these both together as a company or society of the called or the faithful though then we know not as before was said where to finde the matter of the Church and that the whole definition will be taken up in the form and consequently we may not grant it yet I conceive we may safely give it for the visible Church may be as well considered to be a society of persons called conjunctively as persons called and a society without respect to saving grace 3. And although we should farther give him that which also we have before denyed to grant him viz. that that faith which is the essential forme of the Church is a saving faith yet he is pleased freely to recompense us again with with as much in affirming that persons that are onely externally called and such as onely professe as himself speaks are truely members of the Church of Christ according to the outward state thereof or as it is a visible Church which is freely acknowledged to be all that is necessarily sought in the present controversie 4. Indeed he also adds that such profession and outward calling is but the accidental form of the Church as before which assertion we conceive will hardly bear this his conclusion however this is nothing unto us We thankfully take his concession and leave the consequence to be further considered CHAP. XI The Argument from the distinguishing forme of the visible Church WE now descend to the other branch of the formal cause called distinguens vel discriminans contained in those notes or marks whereby the Church is known to be true and distinguished from a false Church Whence the Argument is this The notes or marks of a true Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore the Church her selfe None will venture upon the consequence for if those very things viz. the notes whereby alone we take to our selves a consideration of the Churches being and truth cannot be affirmed to have any dependance upon saving grace then certainly the Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace The Antecedent appears by an easie induction of the notes and marks of a true Church They are either essential or accidental it is generally agreed Professio verae fidei est maxime essentialis ecclesiae nota Med. p. 171. that the essential note of the Church is profession of the true faith which as Amesius saith is maximè essentialis in the highest manner essential to the Church Now the nature of an essential mark as the Schooles teach is certo demonstrare infallibly to demonstrate the essence of that thing of which it is a mark therefore profession of the true faith doth thus certainly infallibly demonstrate the essence and nature of the true Church but now profession of the true faith may be truely considered without respect to saving grace for the true faith may be professed by a Cain a Judas a Simon Magus a Demas and those that have no share at all in saving grace and that truely to as none I think will venture to question But this profession of the true faith I humbly conceive if we speak exactly as it is a mark of the true Church must be taken ecclesiastically and not personally for there may be a private personal owning and profession of the faith where there is no formal proper and exact Church and there we cannot affirme profession of the faith an essential note of the true Church personal profession I grant is a certaine mark of a member of the Church i. e. universal and ecclesiastical profession of the Church it self This ecclesiastical profession I conceive consists in attendance upon the Ordinance of divine worship and is rather a real then a vocal profession for the end of the visible Church being properly the worship of God the note thereof is properly that which renders it serviceable to its end which is attendance upon those things which are ordained for that end the Ordinances of divine worship I confesse Amesius intends a profession of faith formally and vocally taken which he distinguisheth from the solemne preaching Professio ista in coetu aliquo potest antecedere solennem verbi praedicationem Sacramentorum administrationem Med. p. 172. 30. of the Word and administration of the Sacraments By which he either meanes a profession made by all those that are admitted into an instituted Church which cannot I conceive be proved from Scripture to be a necessary duty much lesse an essential mark of the true Church and is not very consonant with reason seeing if this be maximè essentialis nota the Church may possibly through want of occasion of admitting be many years without such an essential note the nature of which if I mistake not requires that it be more usual Besides how such a profession can be looked upon as the profession of the whole which is of some necessity for its being a mark of the whole I know not it being not made by a publick Minister but a private member yea hardly a member if the end of his confession be in order to his admission but however 't is clearly the profession of the party and a note onely of his faith and worthinesse of admission and in any sober sense can hardly be look'd on as the profession much lesse the note and least of all the essential the chiefly essential note of the whole Church as indeed we never found affirmed before by any Authentick authour in the Church of Christ and which I humbly conceive is not Ames his sense here onely I took this occasion to free him from it because I fear these words of his are made a patron of such a practise But if this be not the profession of faith which Amesius affirmeth to be the note of the Church it must needs be the set and solemn declaration of the faith by the mouth of the Church to wit the Minister which was wont to be done as he requireth before the Sermon But this I humbly conceive is not to be distinguished from the Word and Sacraments as it is maxime â—ssentialis ecclesiae nota according to Scripture reason or the judgement of most if not all that have anciently written upon this subject is not the same faith professed by the Minister in preaching and the people in hearing and by both in participating in the Sacraments or seales thereof which is read in the Creed and are not these actions as visible and as essential to the Church as the reading and hearing of the Creed or dare any say that where there is a constant and diligent attendance on the preaching of the true doctrine and lawful administration of prayers and Sacraments that there we cannot discerne a true Church without a solemne declaring of the faith in a set Creed and most of our
unto him by the command of these Kings in like manner our gracious Queen Elizabeth did her duty to God in following these happy Kings in the like case in England and the people did no lesse then their duty to God and the Queene in returning to their God at the Queenes command 2. Neither can it be sufficiently proved that the preaching of the Word is of absolute necessity at the first constitution of a particular Church especially where some Knowledge of God and his wayes is presupposed as our case in England then was 1. I grant that in ordinary cases the preaching of the Gospel is required to the constitution of a Church but that there can be no extraordinary exception to this rule I deny especially when men would thence reason us out of our senses as well as our Churches we see our Churches in all the parts and essentials of true Churches shall we yet argue against what we see and not believe our own eyes because their first constitution was not as we would have had it or as indeed ordinarily Churches are constituted would it not have been judged a madnesse in Caine and Abel to have reasoned their parents out of the number of man-kinde because they were not born of a woman as men ordinarily are Let who will undertake to prove that our Churches in England were not constituted at first by the preaching of the Word and I dare engage to make good the assumption that our Churches in England are true Churches and thus we may haply discover another extraordinary way of constitution of Churches besides the preaching of the Word 2. The preaching of the Word as necessary to a true Church may be thought to be either antecedent or subsequent to the constitution thereof either of which is sufficient provided that the people are brought to a willing embracement of the Christian profession by any other means so that where the Candlestick is pitched and the Ministry of the Word is fixed among any people that freely attend upon it there none may doubt but that God hath chosen a people to be his Church for here are found the infallible marks of a true Church Now none can deny but that our Congregations in England if they were not at first reduced by the Minstry yet they have enjoyed it ever since that their reduction from the Popish yoak in the dayes of that famous Queen and that none may have cause to say that this our attendance on the Ordinances of God is generally forced by a Law as was wont to be laid to our charge we have of late a most clear evidence that it is indeed free and voluntary seeing all compulsory meanes are known to be rebated and taken away in the present liberty 3. Much lesse can it without grosse ignorance or dangerous impudence be denied that the Ministery of the word was instrumental with the Queens command to the reduction of the people in her dayes from Popery to Protestantisme yea 't is well known that divers Ministers were sent into all parts to satisfie the people touching that change in Religion which she then was about and allowed the people that their returne might be free above half a years time to consider of it and what law was made at length to compel in any regard was made by consent of the people themselves in Parliament all which are so evident in history that I shall need say no more thereof However suppose that all these things should be granted them 1. That we lost our Churches in Queen Maries dayes 2. That a true Church can be constituted onely by the preaching of the Word 3. That our Churches in Queen Elizabeths dayes were gathered or rather compelled onely by the Queens Command 4. And consequently that they then were no true Churches but societies of Heathens all which have appeared to be false yet what will this adversary conclude from thence against our present Churches especially if we adde the serious consideration of these four following particulars 1. That our people have had the preaching of the Word ever since 2. That they are now a willing people in Gods publick worship all meanes of compulsion being now taken off 3. That they became thus willing to embrace and abide in the true Religion by the preaching of the Word seeing no other meanes by their owne principles could make them so 4. And therefore consequently we stand true Churches now by their own principles being constituted such at length by the long abiding of the same among us if not so at first by the preaching of the Word CHAP. XXXVI Inferences from the former discourse concerning Baptisme and title to it WE have found the former doctrine helpful to us in the vindication of the truth of our Churches let us follow it a little further and it may haply discover something also touching their title to Sacraments And First of Baptisme Secondly of the Supper Concerning Baptisme it follows that if the former principle stand the children of foure sorts of persons may lawfully communicate Baptisme thereof the children of such as have no saving grace nor evidence of it the children of visibly wicked persons the children of the excommunicate and the children of such as ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table which will fall into so many Positions 1. Then first saving grace in the parent is not absolutely necessary to a real-right nor its evidence to a visible right in baptism for his child or the children of such as have no such grace and make no satisfactory evidence thereof to the Church may yet have a clear and good title to Baptisme and be lawfully baptized 1. The children of such as have no saving grace may have a Children of graceless persons have right in Baptisme real right in baptisme because such parents may notwithstanding their want of saving grace be really members of the visible Church and be themselves really baptized which is all that is requisite to entitle their children to visible Church-membership and consequently to baptisme the children of such parents are within the Covenant and interest in the Covenant carrieth Foederatis competit signum foederis doubtlesse a right in it to some seal of the Covenant and if to any must it not be to the first viz. Baptisme 2. The children of such as give no satisfactory evidence of saving grace may yet have a visible title to baptisme and a just claime for it from the hands of the Church because such parents may without such evidence have evidence enough of their interest in the Covenant and the visible Church sufficiently satisfying the Judges thereof by some other means for that which being real giveth real right to Ordinances in Gods account being visible or seen and known or not to be doubted of by men giveth visible right thereunto in the Court of the Church But something else besides such saving grace being real giveth real right to Ordinances therefore
the people not to suffer him to do his duty in administring to them or not to attend upon their own duty in communicating to say that a Minister is bound by Christs command to administer to all Church members and againe that he is bound in the Name of Christ to warne some not to receive is to make the will of Christ contrary to it self and to say that a Minister is bound to warne the wicked from the Sacrament and yet to say that the will of Christ is that all are absolutely bound to receive is to contradict our selves by the first we confesse that the will of Christ is that wicked men ought not to receive which is formally denied in the latter Neither is this gathered onely from the practice for it is indeed the expresse judgement of most eminent men in the Church almost 2. Churches judgement in all ages Irenaeus is expresse for it in his time who seemes to speak the unquestioned sense of the whole Church then for whom he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. this Apology with us saith he this nourishment is called the Eucharist of which it is lawful for none to partake but such as beleeve our doctrine such as are wash'd to remission of sinnes or baptized and such as live so as Christ hath commanded This place of Irenaeus gives cause of doubting to a learned man Ludov. Molinae Paraen p. 315. Whether it ought to be understood of Christians not admitted by confoederal discipline to partake of the Supper or whether they belong to that command of Paul 1 Cor. 11. whereby it is not lawful for an unworthy man or a man wanting faith to receive but tells us he could easily beleeve the latter adding that 't is granted to be spoken of such as are baptized and therefore Church-members who live not according to the doctrine of Christ and that is as much as I contend for that some baptized members of the Church ought not to partake of the Eucharist in the judgement of the Church in Irenaeus his time We have seen before what the judgement of the Church was in Chrysostomes time also and for the opinion of later fathers and Schoolmen 't is sufficiently known to be on our side as also of most of the Reformed Divines and Churches The Church of Bohemia in her confession saith that if any approach Reformed Churches of Bohemia this Table without such a man should greatly profane and reproach this Sacrament yea and the whole institution thereof appointed by Christ In like manner the Church of Scotland confesseth that the Scotland Supper of the Lord appertaines onely to such as be of the household of faith and can try and examine themselves to these accord the Churches of Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and most eminently our own Church as appeared before from the Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and England Common prayer and Directory to which our confession of faith lately framed may be seasonably added The Confession of faith saith that all ignorant and ungodly persons cannot without great sin against Christ whiles they remaine such partake of these holy mysteries Many eminent Divines joyn issue hecein Trelcatius Trelcatius teacheth page 185. that Materia seu subjectum participans sunt ij omnes qui per baptismum ecclesiae membra facti jam adulti sanam doctrinam profitentur Sanctae vitae testimonium habent to which he addes that hereby are excluded 1. Mortui 2. Aegroti moriturii 3. Pueri ac Infantes 4. Qui propter Haeresius dissolutam vitam excommunicati sunt legitime Bucanus loc com 48. qu. 8. to this question quibus est Bucanus Instituta coena Domini Answers non omnibus promiscuè Vrsine Cat. quae 8. to the same question answer tantum pii Ursin debent accedere Bishop Vsher is as plaine in answer to the like question viz. who are to be partakers of the Lord Supper saith he such Usher as are of yeares and of sound judgement to discerne the Lords body I might adde Ames Diodate Calvine Zanchy Perkins and infinite more but let me break off the trouble with these few sufficing for all SECT III. Objections hereunto Answered THis point is run upon by two sorts of Adversaries 1. By some too strict 2. By others too large 1. Some have ventured to say that Church-members or rather to use their own terme disciples as such have an immediate right in this Sacrament but none are disciples save persons so and so qualified These I do not purposely deal with here for the present they may be contented with a very short answer that both their Propositions are false or at least fallacious 1. That none are disciples but persons qualified with knowledge holinesse c. which they must needs grant to be false if they will avoid Anabaptisme seeing according to the principalls of Infant-Baptism all that are lawfully baptized are disciples Matth. 28. 19. and again that all that are lawfully baptized are not so and so qualified as in the case of Infants who are baptized and lawfully so 2. That all that are disciples are to receive the Supper this holds not 1. Till what I have urged for wicked mens Church-membership be refuted 2. Till Infants discipleship be denied 3. Or till both Infants and wicked Church-members yea and suspended yea excommunicate Church members are proved to have an immediate and present right to the Lords Supper seeing all such may be Church-members and disciples But let us rather weigh what is urged by the other larger party against this barr upon some Church-members to keep them from receiving the Supper 'T is scornfully urged more then solidly that then Church-members Obj. 1 by their wickednesse have it seems a writ of ease from their duty If wicked Church-members are forbidden the Sacrament Just as excommunicate persons have a writ of Ease from all other Answ 1 Ordinances as well as this 2. This gives a faire occasion to note the ground of that cloudy not to say contradictory way of some mens expressing themselves upon this point sometimes they say all Church-members are obliged to receive the Supper at other times when this pincheth that some Church-members viz. children c. are not obliged and ought not to be admitted Now both these are true and both are false as they may be understood All Church-members as such are under an obligation to receive and yet some Church-members are under an obligation to abstain and yet here is no contradiction in Gods Commands though there may be and I fear is in mens application of them in this case 3. And what is the ground hereof but want of care or skill to distinguish of Gods Commands and the force and obligation thereof Which if a little heeded may serve both to extricate these difficulties and solve the present objection 1. The command obliging to receive the Sacrament is to The Command to receive is mediate to some immediate
God forbids them or what they have no right in So that our ground for denying the Sacrament c. lieth fairly and directly thus such persons as do not examine themselves ought not to receive and consequently deserve not to be admitted to that which they ought not to have neither have they any wrong done them if men deny then what God forbids them or what they have no right in So that if the question be what is the cause for which we deny the Sacrament to some Church-members the answer is at hand not because they are no disciples or because they want true grace or because they do not renew their Covenant or make a vocal profession of their faith or because they submit not to particular examination or because they do not examine themselves which is the very condition of their right in this eating and drinking fixed in these words of the Apostle And if I may speak freely I must needs confesse that I am very fully perswaded that as this Text 1 Cor. 11. 28. is to be understood so it must be determined at last when all vain janglings are ended touching both persons coming and being admitted or abstaining and being suspended from the Sacrament My meaning is that if this said Text 1 Cor. 11. 28. be once proved not to forbid the Supper to such as do not examine themselves but onely to require self-examination as a meer preparation to this as to other Ordinances we must cease for ever from deterring any person great or small within the Church from the Sacrament or denying the Sacrament to any such private abstention publick suspension whether by doctrine or discipline fall to the ground for want of something to beare them up Again on the other side if this Text as but few have hitherto doubted require self-examination not onely as preparatory but as conditional to right in this Sacrament so that all those are prohibited communion therein that do not examine themselves I think we have plaine cause hence not onely to charge such as do not perform this condition that they meddle not with this communion but also to deny the Sacrament unto all such as we know do not examine themselves So that the stresse of the controversie resting here we could heartily wish that all personal alterations might be laid aside and more distant circumstantial disputes in this great concernment might be utterly silenced and some able hands on both sides might soberly and friendly undertake the Exposition of this Text. However in the mean while this giveth me some satisfaction that those that do expresse themselves with any clearnesse for the dening the Sacrament to any that are within the Church do ground it upon this Text. Beza's glosse upon this very Text is well known probatio suipsius necessario inquit in coena requiritur ac proiude Beza admitti ad illum non debent qui scipsos probare non possunt The Bohemian confession argueth after the same manner viz. if any man approach this Table without such tryall Confes Bohem. such a one should greatly prophane the Sacrament for which cause the Ministers of our Churches do not admit such c. The Confession of Scotland saith the Supper of the Lord Scotland belongs onely to such as can try and examine themselves and therefore it is that our Ministers do take Examination c. Rilenus layeth down the same rule for the discovery of such as Tilenus Bucanus Trelcatius are to be admitted so doth Bucanus Trelcatius c. Mr. Burroughs giveth this for one reason why unholy persons Mr. Burroughs ought to be kept back if they do come because they ought to examine themselves so do the Leiden Divines Mr. Cotton also giveth this for a reason and indeed for his onely Mr. Cotton reason why such as were admitted to the Passeover ought not to be admitted to the Lords Supper because this duty of self-examination is pre-requisite to the Lords Supper which was not so to the Passeover his way of the Churches of New Enggland pag. 8. Mr. Morris is pleased thus to reason against Infants-admission Mr. Morris p. 61 here is saith he an expresse command for a man to examine himselfe which Infants are not susceptible of and upon this account they are not to be admitted to the Eucharist Yea Master Gelespie hath noted that Master Prin himselfe Gelesp p. 545. Prin. p. 29. gives the same reason why children fools and distracted persons are not to be admitted viz. because they are unable to examine themselves This therefore is the summe that such Church-members are to be denied the Sacrament as do not examine themselves and that this is grounded on 1 Cor. 11. 28. Quest But now the great question is who fall within this Who are known not to examine themselves compasse in the Court of the Church who are to be taken for such as do not examine themselves and ought accordingly to be denied the Sacrament Answ True prudence the sole judge in this case as she never crosseth justice so she hurts not charity Now charity thinks no ill where she seeth no harme therefore prudence judgeth ac-according to appearance viz. that those onely do not examine themselves not that not appear but that appeare not so to do Now when do persons appear to others not to examine themselves This action as all other results from a double principle viz. Persons appear not to examine c. when they appear unable or unwilling of power and will so that persons do or do not examine themselves because they can and will or because they cannot or else will not examine themselves both these principles being necessary to this action the want of either impedes the action therefore persons appearing either unable or unwilling to examine themselves are prudently justly and without the breach of charity presumed not to examine themselves and consequently not to be admitted to the Sacrament Quest 2. But how do persons appear to be unable and unwilling to examine themselves Answ Persons appeare to be unable to examine themselves Persons appear unable onely by their ignorance onely by their ignorance for the acts of self examination themselves are not discernable to others onely this necessary instrument in the work viz. knowledge is discernable to others therefore where this knowledge is discerned to be wanting we are assured that that effect which essentially dependeth upon knowledg is also wanting Unwilling by scandal Againe persons appear to be unwilling to examine themselves by scandal or visible wickednesse continued in with obstinacy for notorious wickednesse cannot consist with the effects of self examination as before interpreted and yet who knoweth but one notoriously wicked may come to himself and to this duty of self-examination c. unlesse he continue thus notoriously wicked with obstinacy Quest Then it seemeth that both ignorant and scandalous persons may be denied the Sacrament upon the
handsome remain successeless Here we may see with tears in our eyes and pity and sorrow in our hearts the blessed childe of Reformation stick notwithstanding all our care pains and diligence for strict admissions to the Sacraments or the hot separations of others from our Churches Yet let me not be mistaken I know we ought to proceed in censure according to rule in fit season not when it is like to do no good in due measure not publikely when the fault is private in a right manner with shew of love and prudence and by a person that is likeliest to prevail if the Lord will And lastly we are not to proceed to excommunication as before was noted until obstinacy appear after admonition yet though it must be done fitly it must be done though all the circumstances must be heeded the substance may not be sleighted though there must be a right object place time measure manner and person observed as near as we can in doing the duty yet it is still in it self a duty and to be undertaken by us though it seem grievous 'T is sad to observe how froward the spirits of most are unto a right execution of this great duty which I must have leave to note in a few particulars 1. There are some that hold themselves obliged to admonish Some will admonish the Communicants only such only as are fellow-communicants with them at the Lords Table and this we have cause to bewail as a general errour though a very great one Are not the rest of the Congregation brethren and within and Church-members as well as the Communicants do their prejudices and surmizes against the proceedings about admission which hinders their present communion or their scandalous conversation destroy their Church-relation and cut off their brotherhood yea this Ordinance of brotherly admonition the very excommunicate have interest in account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother 2. Others there are that though they do sometimes in a cold Some admonish but look not after the issue Mat. 18. 15 and carelesse manner tell a brother of his fault yet they look not after the issue they go no further in the way of Christ then this one step whereas they are charged to expect repentance or else to proceed with a further application towards excommunication Here also we might sit down and weep this is the great Remora of Reformation on the peoples part and their general and deep guilt for my part I cannot see any ground to hope for any considerable suecesse of discipline until this plain and weighty duty be wisely seriously and resolvedly undertaken by our people and chearfully and faithfully gone through withal For if that famous text Mat. 18. 15 16. were but once suffered to write it selfe in its power upon our hearts we should be fully satisfied that all the work of Discipline and Church-Reformation doth not lie upon the Ministers hands 3. Above all those of the people must needs be blamed that Some expect the Minister should do all and separate for that which is their own fault are either departed already or are still threatning to separate from us because many of our members are scandalous Alas that such would look throughout the Bible and see that the scandal of the brethren is no just ground of separation Besides the true reason why our members are so scandalous is their own neglect of this duty of Admonition which ought to precede their excommunication Had such first observed their duty according to the degrees of it enjoyned by Christ and brought the businesse to the hearing of the Church or but their Minister and then such admonished-scandalous-obstinate persons had been cherished and indulged and his good and regular endeavours discountenanc't there had been some cause indeed to complain though not to depart but alas the world knows the matter is otherwise Such persons generally first neglect their own duty of admonition and then unreasonably clamour against their Minister for either not doing their duty for them or for suffering that which he cannot help and then labour to set all on fire and run away I had now ended but that me thinks I hear the people murmure and some of my brethren in the Ministry object against what hath now been urged The people I know are apt to say What must we admonish Obj. all that are scandalous why this is to bring the world about our ears Besides many are dogs and swine and we must not cast Mat. 7. 6. our pearls before swine nor give holy reproof unto dogs But such may be easily answered though hardly satisfied Let us do our duty and though the heavens fall we shall catch no harme who is he that shall harme you if ye be followers of that which is good How safe is that soul that commits it selfe in well-doing into the hands of a faithful Creator how happy is he whom when the great Master cometh he shall finde so doing in the midst of a people so carelesse of this great duty Again how do we know our brethren to be dogs and swine before we have tried and found them such by their evil entertainment of the pearle of admonition and the holy thing of reproof but suppose the worse thy labour of duty to Christ and love to thy brother is not wholly lost for thou hast prepared him for a further Ordinance appointed by Christ for his repentance recovery and salvation viz. the admonition of the Church and Excommunication That which some of my brethren are apt to say me thinks is Obj. this That the Censures so much pressed seems contrary to the general practice of the Ministers who only suspend the scandalous from the Supper of the Lord and do not excommunicate any True I choose rather to terme this censure excommunication Answ or a rejecting and casting out but for no other reason but because thus it seemeth more warrantable from Scripture 2. Because the true meaning of the word Suspension is in controversie And 3. This term of suspension in this sense seemeth offensive to some brethren And I intend it in no other sense then Amesius doth upon the head of Ecclesiastical discipline where lie purposely treats of excommunication and calleth Suspension from the Supper c. Excommunicatio minor The truth is that which I have so much pressed under the name of Excommunication is no other thing then that which other brethren call suspension And provided that this suspension be intended and regularly proceeded unto as a Church-censure distinct from the suspension of the ignorant which is no censure and which we have debated before Me thinks this might at least for the present suffice us Considering 1. That all do maintain without difference that uspension from the Supper is a necessary and main part of the greater excommunication grounded on all those Scriptures that warrant that greater censure 'T is therfore also called Excommunicatiominor as before as the first