bold to present to consideration these necessary queries in reference to a discovery of the most probable sense of the place humbly praying the Reader when ever he think of me to think seriously and impartially of them 1. Enquiry is to be made whether the Apostle intends any such thing as personall worthinesse or unworthinesse in order to the Sacrament 2. Whether the unworthinesse the Apostle speaks to were not meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending in or about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order 3. What were those sins that provok'd the Lord so immediately to punish them for the present and made them liable to be further punished for the future 4. Whether they were chastised for unworthinesse of person or other sins they were guilty of before they came together to celebrate the holy Supper 5. What is the remedy the Apostle prescribes to that Church to prevent future judgement and to enjoy present benefit 6. Whether the unregenerate and most ignorant person professing and owning the true Religion among them were not in a capacity so to use the remedy as to prevent the judgement and receive benefit by the ordinance where God gave a blessing 7. Whether the duty of self-examination in order to the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the premises treated on in the context 8. Whether a carelesse neglect or incapacity of this duty of self-examination before do excuse and give a writ of ease from that precept of publique duty and service Do this in remembrance of me 9. Whether there be any thing in the institution nature end language action of the Sacrament in the context or elsewhere incongruous to the receiving of the unregenerate in the Church I doubt not but an ingenuous answer to these Queries would much moderate the unchristian rigour of these times about Sacramentall communion if not to make the controversie to cease among sober godly men And therefore pardon my boldnesse in adventuring to present to publick view my confused apprehensions in answer to these queries and that with as much brevity as I can Something must be done and if I can discover the truth or give occasion unto some more able to doe it I shall blesse God and think my labour well bestowed For the first I conceive there is not the least hint or sound of unworthinesse of persons in the Church of Corinth spoken to by the Apostle in reference to the Sacrament nor are they blamed or punished for their reall unworthinesse as to God visible to the Church though it 's probable they had such amongst them in that communion For in the beginning of this Epistle the Apostle gives them the titles of the Church of God sanctified in Christ Jusus called to be Saints c. And of those that were punished for profaning the ordinance the Apostle speaks very hopefully nay confidently that their persons were justified they were chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the world But it may be said Object The Church of Corinth were all of them at least visibly worthy in respect of their persons and therefore their free admission is no warrant for us seeing many of ours want that visible worthinesse And if those that were visibly worthy did through their miscarriage eat judgement to themselves what may we think of ours that have not so much as that visible worthinesse which they had 1. I answer Solution If there be nothing against personall unworthinesse in persons professing the true religion in the context in order to the Sacrament then unworthinesse of person in such can be no bar against them but the former is true therefore the latter is true also 2. If the Apostle upon so weighty occasion meddle not with their unworthinesse of person in reference to their receiving then neither need we to meddle with it it is sufficient that those we admit be baptized and of the true Religion under Church indulgence to entitle them to all the ordinances which they are to use as means of their spirituall good they being given to the visible Church to that very end 3. If our Baptisme were rightly administred according to the Word then ours of years that are of the same with them of the Church of Corinth have as much externall priviledge in the Church as they had till either by Apostasie they fall off or by the right exercise of Discipline they be put out And had we the same charity the Apostle had we would allow them the title of Saints beleevers brethren by profession and calling as they did all along For the second and third Quere I am sure the Text is clear for the affirmative namely that their unworthinesse was meerly their miscarriages and actuall offending about the externals of Sacramentall actions and order And they did eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords body and they profaned the holy Ordinance in that they put no difference between their own supper and the Lords Supper their own bread and the instituted signs And for persons to make the consecrated signs appointed by Jesus Christ to spirituall ends as in the institution a common or civill thing to please and satisfie the outward man must needs be a great evill and was that high and provoking sin for which they are there punished as well they might For indeed it was a sin worse then carrying the Arke of the Covenant contrary to order and yet for that the Lord made a breach upon them And Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for offering strange fire which the Lord commanded not so dangerous a thing it is not to come up to or to adde to or to profane divine institutions Doubtlesse the Corinthians were very rude unreverent and disorderly in the present observance some were hungry and some drunk some had too much and others could get none or but little as is intimated in the remedy or direction given to that particular case To tarry one for another as to order and if any hunger let him eat at home not make the holy Supper a meer businesse of eating and drinking that they come not together to condemnation for time to come as they had done before To the fourth Query I answer They were not chastened for unworthinesse of person or for any other sins they were guilty of before but for unworthy actings in the act of receiving or at that time For this cause some are weak and some are sick and some are fallen asleep that is for eating and drinking unworthily contrary to order and decency the which word unworthily respects their manner of doing not their persons It 's no were said Whoso eateth and drinketh being unworthy is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. And I think it is no where else the language of Scripture to require reall worthinesse of person before they be sit to come under precepts of duty and service Doth not Baptisme lay ingagements upon all to observe all the commands of Christ
duties are common and universall to all of the same relations and sex And what though it be not the duty of all Church members to preach and administer Sacraments yet it is the duty of all Ministers what ever so to do But Mr. H. argument is If all other service lie in common it is an intrenchment upon the common liberty to put an inclosure upon the Sacraments And if the Sacrament come under the obligation of the first Table as a part of Gods worship it is equally binding to all and so in common with the rest of worship notwithstanding any thing yet made out to the contrary It is true affirmative precepts do not binde to every moment of time but that will not justifie a carelesse and wilfull neglect at any time And whereas it is said that Church members are not bid absolutely to come but so to come it seems strange to me I had thought that all precepts of worship had been absolute to persons of years in the Church of Christ And do this in remembrance of me is absolute and the principall duty however the Doctor is pleased to call it carnall Divinity and a setting up the form above the power of worship For in every duty there is a forme which is heedfully to be observed and it 's impossible there should be the power of godlinesse without the form To obey the voyce of God in regard of the matter injoyned seems to be the main as respecting reasonable man and when there is an externall conformity to the commands of the Lord such are said to walk in the waies of the Lord failings in the manner there will still be both good and bad are under a necessity of failings and miscarriages in every thing which is to be imputed to the common frailty of man fallen But not 〈◊〉 what God commands at all is voluntary rebellion and that which the Scriptures most usually threaten severe judgements unto But I hope the Doctor doth not mean that the celebration of the Lords Supper is the form and self-examination the power which yet he seems to do by his exceptions against making receiving to be the principal the other but an accessary To which exceptions I say First that this duty of examination of our selves is a private duty and the private is subordinate to the publick Secondly This duty was prescribed occasionally as a remedy to that particular case of making a breach upon the materials of divine institution and order and therefore a means to further them in the right observance of the Supper and we may most safely say the end is most principall the means lesse Besides where the duty ceaseth in some respects it is not to be urged in those respects but it 's clear there is not the same reason for point of offending in the Church of England as there was at Corinth about the Administration of the Sacrament the work of our congregations demeaning themselves more reverently and orderly in a way sutable to the carrying on of that service in regard of the externall part according to the rule of institution And therefore that duty is not to be urged upon ours with the same necessity of danger of eating and drinking unworthily as to the Church of Corinth It is true their ignorance and not discerning of the Lords body represented by the instituted signs was the cause of all their other miscarriages But some may say Object Doth it not therefore follow that the ignorant amongst us do necessarily run upon the same danger of miscarriage I answer Solut. we know they do not for ours many of them rather erre on the other hand by putting too much holinesse in the consecrated elements then by using them as common things such hath been the education of the most every where that they conceive this Sacrament to be a most holy ordinance of God appointed for the good of their souls And therefore out of fear and reverence they do demean themselves orderly and regularly conform to the externals of the institution Had the Corinthians come up to that conformity of Sacramentall actions and order that ours generally do we should not have read of their punishment for unworthy receiving as I humbly conceive nor of their being urged so to come for that principall duty is not to be neglected though through carelesnesse the other be But then saith the Doctor It is a sen to disswade men from doing their duty Object be they never so vile To which I say Solut. the Doctor knowes there be other waies to reform such enormities He instances in perswading to forbear duties of homage and worship but not only Mr. H. but many other sober Christians Ministers and others judge that all the visible subjects of Christs Kingdome are under the obligation of his commands And do this in remembrance of me is one not to be restrained to sex sunction or any particular relations but to be observed in common by all the baptized of years under Church indulgence And if the Doctor hath any thing further to say that may give satisfaction in that point my self and others will be very thankfull 9. And so I come to the last Querie propounded namely whether there be any thing in the nature language actions or end of the Sacrament in that place of the Corinths or elsewhere incongruous to the actuall receiving of the unregenerate in the Church Before I come to answer directly to the Querie I shall lay down these six propositions 1. I conceive that Sacraments in generall and this in particular were instituted for the spirituall good of the visible Church of Christ comprehensively taken in which every particular member is included 2. That the visible Church of Christ consists of persons regenerate and unregenerate professing the true religion and their seed 3. That the unregenerate in the Church are the only proper and immediate objects of the most sundamentall promises in the Gospell Covenant of the giving the first grace 4. That the whole administration of the Covenant belongs to those in the Church that are the immediate objects of the absolute promises in the Covenant they being of years of discretion to use the same in order to the Lords putting the promises into execution and performance 5. That whom the promises of grace do respect to them the use of the Sacraments do belong Sacraments being visible representations of the death and bloud of Christ on which those promises of grace are founded and by which they are confirmed 6. That those in the Church and of years whom we cannot exclude from covenant relation we may not exclude from the Sacraments they being visible seales and pledges of Covenant love to that people that are in possession of Covenant administrations of divine Ordinances of worship as ours are These being truths as I conceive they all are I think it will follow that there is nothing in the Word against the receiving of the unregenerate in the Church being of years
elements as common things to please the outward man and not to that end for which the Lord Jesus appointed them And these men in a manner confesse as much that they being newly come out of idolatry in imitation of their idolatrous feasts had their love-feasts when they came to the Lords Supper and that there was excesse among them though not precisely at the Lords Supper These men are not willing to yeeld they were drunk at the administration precisely but immediately before or if at the time of receiving yet not with the wine consecrated for that holy and spirituall end the remembrance of the death of Christ And therefore as most Divines conjecture their excesse was at their love-feast spoken of in Jude But I conceive it is very uncertain whether they had any such feast or no that place in Jude doth not determine it much lesse the keeping of it immediately before the Lords Supper or in the place where they met together for the celebration of that holy service But whether they came drunk or eat and drank unto excesse of the elements liberally provided it was such a profanenesse that neither 〈…〉 nor Mr. H. I hope shall never 〈…〉 what ever these men charge 〈◊〉 with in this respect telling the 〈…〉 he 〈…〉 the admission of idolaters drunkards and impenitents to the Sacrament pag 32.33 34. compared But is this brotherly dealing think you to mâ—ke such a wilde in 〈…〉 a Minister shew what 〈…〉 was â—or which God so severely punished the Câ—â—intâ—â—anâ— but he must be reproached as â—ne pleading for the admittance of idolaters drunkards and impenitentâ— to the Sacrament Hath not Mr. H. said enough in his Book to free himself from this crime He said indeed there was nothing against their coming for that was their duty which these men deny unlesse they be so qualisied but he doth not only say they ought to come but to come prepared yet mens impenitency and unpreparednesse doth not make void the commandement of God neither is the principall to be neglected for an 〈…〉 subservient thereto And I pray you whom doth the Apostle set up to be judge of theâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—fications in the Church What 〈…〉 hath he appointed for this Is it not clear that every man is to examine himself and judge himself that he may not be judged of the Lord Can men devise better waies to carry on Gods Ordinances with purity thâ—n himself hath prescribed The Câ—rinthians sinning was in unworthy actions at the time of the administration and I pray you who could foresee that to prevent it better then themselves And as for their persons and reall worthinesse the Apostle meddles not with it at all Neither may we denominâ—te men such in person really as some unworthy acts done by them do import for if we do so we shall condemn the generation of the just righteous men may be overtaken with some unrighteous actions for in many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 And I grant this unworthy receiving was out of weaknesse and ignorance as these Gentlemen plead the Corinthians coming newly out of their heathenism but what is this to them that are not guilty of their unworthy receiving at all as for matter of order and reverent decorum in the observances not one among a thousand offending therein And for unworthinesse of person there is not one word in the Text in reference to coming to the Sacrament and yet that makes all the trouble and causes many to run into a world of mischief in the Church Hence they inferre that the unregenerate in the Church receiving eat and drink judgement to themselves and therefore teach them to omit the duty contrary to all rule both in the Old and New Testament and all Scripture Churches And hence they make schismes and separations in the Church And hence they make this the highest ordinance as being a communion for Saints only and upon the matter the least of all in other respects detracting from the wisdome power and goodnesse of God in denying it to be a means of regenerating grace unto Church members And hence they have invented suspension from the Lords Supper with the losse or neglect of true discipline And hence these tlemen have commended unto us as the only expedient for reformation to begin with the minor part leaving out the rest as judged to be excommunicable without any tryall Hence it is that many are afraid of being guilty in partaking with others in their sins in unworthy receiving especially in the sin of murdering Christ And many other like errors they run into by reason of this one error in taking that eating and drinking unworthily to be meant of unworthinesse of person The holy Ghost intends the manner of eating but they will have it to be intended of the worthinesse of the man that eats And upon this error is grounded all that these men have to say against M. H. book I could wish they would better consider of it For still I say the Corinthians were commended for keeping this ordinance as well as any other in the Church and reproved only for some great abuse in their manner of carrying on that service the which abuse did not lie in coming unworthily nor in their other miscarriages which were many upon other occasions but in this their abusing of the holy signs unto câ—â—nall and common ends For this 〈…〉 and sickly amongst them an 〈…〉 So that this place cannot be urged against any that are Christians and exâ—â—nally at least commâ—â— to the holy actions required in this service but against open abuses of the institution But these men will say of me Object as they do of M. H. pag. 88 That I know well enough but that I would blinde poor souls that Do this in remembrance of me was spoken to the Disciples such as were of Christs family and not to all c. I know sure enough Answ that this command was spoken to the Disciples of Christs family not to all but then I know also and so might they that all that are born in the Church of Christ and baptized and of years and under Church indulgence are Disciples of Christs family and therefore that command is spoken to them and they are bound to observe it except they can produce some dispensation for the neglect of duty in this more then in all other observances for the baptized come under the obligation of doing all that Christ commands Mat. 28.19 20. And let the reader then judge who are most guilty of blinding poor souls they that teach them to observe and do all that Christ commands or they that teach men to omit and neglect some necessary duties of homage and service which Christ commands for the good of their souls as these Gentlemen make very bold to do but how they will answer it before their Master I leave to themselves to consider And when I say all ought to come I do not mean the justly excommunicated who while they