lawfully refuse to baptize them at the present without any long deferring of it although they had been Heathens born I would I did but understand your answer to this supposition I conceive that all those that being of years are in a capacity for Baptisme are in a capacity also of all other Christian communion I presume the Apostles baptized upon as easie termes and so might you except you have a different commission or understand the Apostles commission in some other sense then they themselves did But I must contract my self aske you once again whether you ever found any president in the Word for what you practise in this point what Church under the administration of the Gospell will afford a president for your practise Do you separate according to Apostolicall order and rule or by vertue of some new commission or light the Scriptures never taught you I pray you again consider you had need be sure of good warrant to bear you out for you have been the cause and means of our being without discipline Sacraments union and communion with other reformed Churches indulgence to you hath been the occasion of an unlimited Toleration the misery of all those factions Schismes Heresies Blasphemies now abounding in every corner of the Land Well if your foundation be only the wisdome of the flesh and a worldly interest time will discover more of the Babel you are building when the consequences of your principles practise and design are come to full maturity It may come to that passe and it is much to be feared it will that you would retreat if you could tell how In the mean time the wilde beasts of the wildernesse come into Gods vineyard and by heresies destroy the tender grapes and many follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth is evill spoken of Men arise from among our selves speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them 2 Pet. 2.2 Act. 20.30 But mark them thut cause divisions and avoid them Rom. 16.17 But let me speak one word more in order to discipline which as you were never yet willing to come under as to the reforming of the whole so have your indevours been all along most fierce to obstruct and retard the discipline debated on in order to that end Again when the fittest way in Christian prudence according to rule was agreed upon as a means to reforme the whole and confirmed by the supreme Authority of this Nation designs were driven on to obstruct it and such things attempted as are the greatest scandals to the Protestant Religion that ever it suffered under And thirdly notwithstanding many symptomes and sad omens of a carnall design tending to the confusion and ruine of the whole and those the proper products of your own miscarriages do already appear yet you persist in your own contrivances and will not retract untill not only the Church but also the flourishing state of the Common wealth be involved in the same confusion and ruine The very sinewes of the Common-wealth are the fear of God and divine order in carrying on the same in all its parts uniformly different parties and factions too much indulged do ever beget jealousies and fears the common nursery of sedition and rebellion And that which cannot be held without gratifying of all factions and parties cannot in reason and policy hold long Why may not men truly fear God and carry on the power of godlinesse in their several functions and places under an establishment of Doctrine worship and order the only way to honour God And the best expedient to preserve the whole uniformity in the Church is a good foundation of peace and tranquillity in the Common-wealth And that is ever the best policy amongst Christians that is subordinate to true piety and our greatest freedome desired will be soonest attained in the way of religiousnesse when sin will be a snare to any people I confesse it is meerly occasionally that some things have dropped from my pen of this nature I would not offend any nor have I undertaken to meddle with the Independent way strictly taken they have been sufficiently answered by divers learned and reverend Gentlemen and the inconsistences contradictions absurdities and mistakes of their way discovered and not yâ—t vindicated by any that ever I heard of I only have hinted some things tending as I conceive to the Churches peace and unity in vindicating Church members from reproach and slander and inference to the preceding discourse And therefore I shall end with Mr. Humphreys wishes adding some of mine own 1. I wish we had a government establisht in the Church the nearest in Christian prudence that may be to the word of God 2. I wish the duty of fraternall correption a watching over and admonishing one another in love were better known and practised amongst us 3. I wish that men would look more to their own consciences and leave the judging of others spirits heart and reins alone to the judgement seat of Christ 4. I wish though there may be some judging by the fruits that wise religious men would be more cautious of countenancing the separations in the visible Church seeing upon the same ground that you go to gather a Church out of any mixt congregation another will gather a separation out of your Church and so continue as I have intimated from our sad experience an endlesse separating untill this first separation shall in a few years be able to take up the saying of that greatest Grand-mother unto those many Schismes shee shall see issuing as her naturall off-spring out of her owne bowels Rise up daughter go to thy daughter for thy daughters daughter has a daughter for this separations separation has a separation so farre Mr. Humfrey I adde 1. I wish that the distinction of beleevers and unbeleevers Church and world Christ and Belial holy and profane worthy Church members and unworthy were used in the Church of God according to Scripture meaning and with due caution and no otherwise 2. I wish that Sacraments were more clearly understood in respect of their nature and end attributing unto them their due according to the Scripture avoiding all humane boldnesse either in adding to advance them or in diminishing them so as in the least degree to debase them 3. I wish that the Lord Jesus may have the liberty and full scope of his own instituted ordinances given for the spirituall good of his Church that he may use them as instruments of his Spirit in order to that end upon the spirits of all his subjects according to their necessities and spirituall wants 4. I wish that a godly care may be taken in the education of all borne in the Church that being instructed in the plainest way of faith and obedience in the Christian religion they may be prepared to profit by every ordinance in the Church when they come to years 5. I wish that all of years may be made to understand their duties
THE BAR to Free Admission TO THE LORDS-SVPPER REMOVED OR A Vindication of Mr. Humfreys Free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Wherein the most materiall Exceptions and Objections of Doctor Drake against it in his Book called A Bar to Free Admission c. are taken off and answered Whereunto is annexed an expostulatory Speech unto them of the Congregationall way And also an Examination of the Book called A Scripture Rail to the Communion Table by some Ministers in Glocester shire By JOHN TIMSON a private Christian of Great Bowden in Leicester-shire JOH 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you London Printed by E. Cotes and are to be sold by Will. Tompson Book-seller in Harborough 1654. To the Reader COURTEOUS READER I Am necessitated not only to give thee some advertisement concerning the following discourse but also to make some Apologie for my self in this my so bold undertaking as this will be thought to be and that perhaps even by some truly godly sober Christians and reverend Ministers of the Gospel to whom it may seem unfit that such a one as I should interpose in this Controversie concerning Admission to the Lords Supper and that I should undertake to make answer to a Reverend Doctor about these things And therefore let me intreat thy patience though I seem somewhat tedious in this Epistle by reason of the length of it I trust it will not be impertinent nor unprofitable but helping to the following discourse to free my self from blame and to help thee in the right understanding of what thou shalt read and of my end and aime therein The truth is these few sheets were not at first intended for publique view but only to be sent privately to the reverend Doctor that by the answer which I hoped he would return my self and some friends of mine might receive some satisfaction but through the importunity of some others to whom I imparted my thoughts herein I am now overcome perswaded to make them publique but with great disadvantage not having time to perfect and amplifie things sutable to so different an end from what I first intended And I confesse I have not so heedfully kept to the Doctors expressions nor writen arguments with that latitude or fulnesse nor kept to his method orderly as he goes on in answering Mr. Humfrey as I should and would have done if my intent at first had been to appear in publique But yet I have been as carefull as I could in taking his sense and have not omitted any thing of moment which I had occasion to insert and answer in my own method and way which I propounded to my self at first And for Mr. Humfreys arguments I have made but little use of them more out of haste then out of any dissenting from him and chusing rather to adde to what he hath asserted and strongly evinced then to repeat his own because I have an earnest desire that this controversie may be better sifted and more throughly searched into it being of greater concernment then most even of those that are godly have or do judge it to be for the ending of the present distractions and divisions in this unsetled Church Our being dissatisfied about Sacramental communion hath been the great occasion and instrumentall cause of our confusions and disorders tending to the Churches destruction If satisfaction can but be given in the warrant of free Admissions I conceive the only instrumentall cause of the Churches unsetlednesse will be removed and nothing will much hinder the falling in of Presbyterians and Independents into one way of communion and discipline especially the orthodox party of both And as for those that deny our Baptisme Church and Ministry as Antichristian there is little hope of gaining their return I desire it may be put to some solemn and serious debate impartially For although the principles committed to consideration in the ensuing discourse be somewhat against the common stream yet I have some hope they may be a means to discover some common mistakes with such glimmering of rationall and Scripture light as better heads may make to shine more bright in the Christian world I look to be censured for this my presumption in dissenting from the common interpretations of severall Scriptures and asserting some things against the judgement of many or most Divines and godly Christians who will be ready to object against me and charge me with a fault herein against which give me leave to make some defence First by confessing that this very thing of dissenting from so many learned and godly hath been a greater barre in my way then any ground of Scripture or strength of argument I ever heard or have seen from any godly man And were the Church in a well ordered setled state I had rather chosen in some lesser things to erre with the Church then dare to do any thing that mâ—ght break the peace and order of the same But in an unsetled disorderly condition of the Church as it is now with us all things in the Church being now upon the brinck of confusion and ruine it concerns even every private member to shew himself and to contribute his mite toward the conservation of the whole In vain do we look to have the effects and consequences our divisions breakings and separations to cease while the most sober and godly nourish them in their rise and cause The same principles maintained by the godly in the Bishops times would as necessarily have run us into the same separations and divisions had not the severity of discipline put a restraint to our excesse from the same or like mistakes Secondly I deny that this free admission pleaded for is altogether novell or a new thing For did not our first reformers maintain a free Admission nay command a generall observance of the Supper of the Lord three times in the year at least under some punishment to be inflicted for unnecessary neglect grounded I conceive from the equity of the Law of the Passeover Numb 9. and the command of Jesus Christ Do this in remembrance of me And will any say that our first reformers were not godly and learned men It 's true they urged it not till Church members were of years of discretion and not under Church censure and required that all should learn the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandements c. which would be now easily yeelded to in order to the Sacrament Thirdly do not Protestant godly writers in all reformed Churches maintain infant Baptisme upon Covenant relation in that the children of Christians by birth priviledge are really members of the Church and so esteemed to be as truly as those that by nature are aliens and admitted upon their profession of faith And is not there the same reason for the injoyment of the other Sacrament of the Supper being of years and already admitted members should not these have as much priviledge as those that come in
pleading thy right during thy priviledge of positive Church membership And in the last place I shall in all humility offer a few words to the reverend Ministers of God as a means to quench the present flames that are in the Church of Christ in England First let me beseech you not to urge upon your people any practise under necessity of duties of worship either publique or private that is not evidently commanded or at least deducted from the clear and genuine sense of holy Scripture by necessary consequence Secondly labour so to agree among your selves in the main essentials of Doctrine Worship and Discipline that in every place there may be a preaching and holding forth of the same things in all Thirdly condescend to the meanest of your people with an equall respect in all your ministeriall administrations both publique and private that none may be discouraged nor any indulged in an evill way Fourthly be as watchfull of those that are inclined to an inordinate zeal in the smaller matters of Religion as of those that expresse but little zeal at all in Gods worship Fifthly allow the worst of your people the title of Christians beleevers members and allow them all other externall priviledges which of right are theirs in regard of their relative state as they are such yet deal faithfully with them as touching their reall state in order to their eternall weal or woe Sixthly decline as much as may be novelty and variety in profession catechismes and all essentials of publique worship that your people may more willingly adhere to you and give you the greater advantage to advance the Christian Religion among them Lastly What in you lies restore with the spirit of meeknesse in your private admonitions weak brethren that through infirmity fall do not exasperate any w th pulpit invections unlesse it be in case of known obstinacy But I shall leave all to your charitable construction and sober apprehension of what I do here offer to your consideration I am a poor worm and look to be despised for medling with things out of my spheare but I see it 's the common lot of the most learned in these times to be reproached and therefore I shall the better bear it though for this my vindicating of Mr. Humfrey from reproach I be the more reproached I am sorry his principles be not vindicated from the reverend Doctors exceptions and objections by a better pen then his Who is thy humble servant breathing after the simplicity of truth John Timson The Barre to free Admission to the LORDS SVPPER removed MEEting with a Book called A Barre to free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper written by Doctor Drake in answer to Mr. Humphrey and having diligently read both I finde that even good men are too apt to reprove one another in things controverted betwixt them which ought not so to be As for Mr. Humphreys vindication of free admission as he states bounds and handles it it seems to me more rationall and clear then to deserve so many harsh expressions from the reverend Doctor as he hath let slip whether in haste or more deliberately I leave to himself to consider Sure I am some words might better have been spared then so published in print to the world it being not yet determined whether Mr. Humphreys discourse be untrue or no though disputable with the Doctor it seems whether it be more full of words or untruthes which is very uncharitable and unbrotherly dealing but I forbear Both the reverend Doctor and Mr. Humprey are Gentlemen I am altogether unacquainted with whose gifts learned abilities I yet much reverence and wish this poor distracted Church may never want such officers to rule and feed her in the Lord as the meanest of them be It 's an unhappy controversie I confesse and little cause there is to take content in these debates yet as times are it hath need of scanning and sifting because much of the unity and welbeing of the nationall Church depends upon the right stating and clearing of this Question our doubts and scruples concerning the holy Supper having upon the matter unsetled all Some mistakes about admission thereto have run thousands into faction schisme and separation under a zeal of separating the Precious from the Vile of withholding the childrens bread from dogs of preserving the Ordinances pure c. The premises are good conducing much to reformation were they not misapplyed in respect of persons and in respect of the right way and means of putting them in execution as things now stand as I beleeve it will appear they are by this following discourse wherein I shall endevour to vindicate that little Tract of Mr. Humphrey from the Doctors unbrotherly dealing with him according to my measure and meannesse Not that I intend an orderly and exact reply to every particular which neither my capacity nor occasions of my laborious calling will bear but to undermine his chiefest strength passing by the rest And first of all for the Text which Mr. Humphrey delivers his discourse upon though he may be thought not so happy in his choice of it in order to what he insisteth on as having rather a sound then a true and full sense of the question and point concluded yet I doubt not but the discourse will as to the substance thereof be warranted by other Scriptures And for Judas his receiving or not receiving I look not upon it as clearly argumentative one way or other Neither do I think that first president without the supply of other Scriptures would make much for or against us in this matter they being Apostles only that then received whose office in the Church is now ceased In short I shall not go about to defend every quotation or assertion in Mr. H. Book nor to clear him from some inconsistences pointed out by the reverend Doctor it 's sufficient that he hath made good the main thing asserted namely That all Church members of years and under Church indulgence not rightly excommunicated may come freely to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper His free Admission is limited with exceptions of infants distracted the excommunicated and he might say the drunk Now the Doctor saith That by the same reason that he excepts these we may may except the grosly ignorant and scandalous in the Church Concerning which this twofold inquiry is made 1. Whether Church members of years having the exercise of reason being ignorant be as uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or distraught 2. Whether scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated To the former of these the Doctor saith That the grosly ignorant are as uncapable to examine themselves and discerne the Lords body as Infants and therefore as justly to be excepted against nay more because Infants and distraught may have the grace of the covenant really the other not To which I answer what the secret working of the
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
terrour belongs c. I shall in answer to this objection Solut. promise severall things 1. That Sacraments are of no other signification then what they are appointed to signifie by the Word 2. That what Sacraments signifie that only they do necessarily teach and nothing else 3. That the subject of Sacramentall teaching or that which they chiefly teach is Christ crucified together with all the benefits that come thereby to the visible Church included in that particular blessing of remission of sinnes 4. That the main end of the whole service is to bear in our mindes a continuall remembrance of the death of Christ the meriting and procuring cause of all grace and glory bestowed upon baptized man 5. That the Administration of the Sacrament is appointed in the Church as well to be a means of grace as a pledge to assure thereof To all this adde what hath been said before concerning the unregenerate in order to the Sacrament and then make it out he that can that the language or administration of the Sacrament to the wicked or unregenerate remaining in the Church doth strengthen the hands of the wicked more then the Word may do or promise them lies in the name of the Lord. I grant that false conclusions and applications may be drawn from the truest premises in the Word and so likewise from the use of the Sacrament through mistake of our selves but it doth not therefore follow that the Word or Sacrament promiseth lies to the hearer or receiver when through an ignorant deceitfull heart they misapply the Word or Sacrament For there are generall truths held forth indefinitely to all in both though all do not rightly apply the same And the very same that is said of the Sacrament may be truly said of the Word as to the particular in hand when rightly dispensed to men in the Church Is not this the great and most true assertion of the Gospell worthy to be received of all men That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And also to seek and to save that which is lost to call to repentance to justifie the ungodly and to die for enemies who yet in other places are called sheep his Church and friends according to Gods electing love and gracious purpose And is not this Gospell to be preached to every creature in order to the working and effecting these ends of grace and salvation in such as are sinners absolutely and lost in themselves and simply ungodly And dare any say this is to promise lies to the ungodly and sinners in the Church and so to strengthen the hands of the wicked that they may not return from their wickednesse And what is the Sacrament given and received but a visible representation of the death of Christ and satisfaction made by him for sinners to put us in remembrance of all this and which opens a door of hope to all in generall and a peculiar comfort to them that can from their experience of grace received with Paul apply this to themselves Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief I know what is usually put in against this generall assertion of the Gospell limiting the same to penitent sinners sensible of their being lost and of being enemies c. But doubtlesse out of some mistake and such as doth reflect somewhat upon the publick Ministery to which I would not be any way in the least degree injurious but because such like quotations in Mr. H. are excepted against by the reverend Doctor I shall crave leave to expresse some of my thoughts in vindication of him The Doctor saith Christ came not to call the righteous that is such as think themselves so but sinners to repentance that is saith he such sinners that are sensible of their sinfulnesse sick and lost c. But will not this then follow that all naturall men dead in trespasses and sins thinking themselves righteous whole and in the right way and that they have need of nothing with the Laodiceans not knowing that they are wretched and miserable poor and blinde and naked are out of the number Christ came to call and so by consequence he came to call none at all because all by nature are sinners under the forementioned Characters and black qualification of insensiblenesse of sin and misery and high thoughts of themselves And therefore the Doctors sense is not like to be the true sense and meaning For we know what counsell Christ gives to the Laodiceans who were such conceited senslesse sinners Rev. 3.18 And how that he gives life to quicken them that are dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 And is sent to give repentance to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and remission of sins Act. 5.31 For to say he gives repentance to the penitent and life to the living as he doth if the Doctors sense be right is not the sense of the Gospell nor indeed a truth in its proper sense without the advancing of the power of nature too high And therefore such supernaturall conditions or qualifications are not required to put persons into a capacity of receiving the benefits of the Gospell Covenant it being the supernatural benefits and blessings of the Covenant that make any to be such It 's true supernaturall grace precedes glory and the first grace precedes the growth and increase therein but it is naturall depravity sinfulnesse and miscry that necessarily precedes the first saving grace so that that cannot be a condition of the first grace that is either the first grace it self or growth therein The Covenant in this case is absolute and inconditionall but then I conceive the Covenant to be conditionall in other respects in an easie and favourable sense thus The tenour of the Gospell to people that never yet imbraced nor owned the Doctrine and ordinances of the Gospell runs thus He that beleeves shall be saved but the wrath of God abides upon those nations people and persons that either have not the Gospell in the tender of it or being tendred receive it not But those that upon the tender receive the Gospell so as to credit the truth thereof and willingly come under the lawes and worship injoyned forsaking all false religions and joyn with the professors of the true such are reckoned for beleevers and come under the promises of grace and glory upon that account And therefore the Apostle sends salutations to all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord both theirs and ours and he applies that of the Prophet in this case Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved 1 Cor. 1.2 Rom. 10.13 That is such people are under the promises of salvation in opposition to those that call not upon the Name of Christ Jesus the Lord at all as Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy Name I look upon belief
and Church priviledges and be incouraged unto Church communion in all the waies of Christ that so they may come under Church discipline the best remedy to reclaim the obstinate and wilfull offenders 6. I wish the gifted brethren were better imployed then in unchurching our Churches and gathering Churches out of them it were a work more proper and acceptable either to be content to exercise their gifts to the edifying and building up of that Church in which they received them or else to goe into the infidell world as the Apostles did and preach the Gospel and plant Churches there The Scripture Raile Examined REader since I parted with what I had written in answer to Doctor Drake in the foregoing discourse there came to my hand Mr. Humfreys Rejoyner in vindication of himself a work very well performed by him wherein the truth formerly by him asserted is better cleared and confirmed to the satisfaction of many souls fearing God and breathing forth their earnest desires after the settlement reformation and uniformity of the Church of God in England according to the Word of God Be not prejudiced against his book by other learned men who have and still do appear with much bitternesse and passion against him more to affright with words and humane dictates meerly then with matter of grounded truth according to the sense of the holy Scripture witnesse that book put forth by some Ministers of Glocester-shire intituled A Scripture Raile to the Communion Table I confesse the title is good for we do acknowledge there ought to be such a thing but not in their sense as I hope shall appear by the discovery made in this short discourse following in which I shall wave what hath been already written in answer to D. Drake by Mr. Humfrey and my self and take notice only of some things in the Scripture Raile which have not yet been spoken to that I know of And this I shall do as briefly as I can because I would not anticipate him whom it doth more nearly concern And first of all because I would not leave the weak and incautelous Reader deceived with vain and groundlesse words in reading this Scripture Raile let this be noted that I take Scripture discipline to be the only Rail for the Communion Table which I hope both the Author reproached and my self earnestly desire may be set up and all our indevours tend as conducible means to that end as being assured that the first stone in the building of the reformation as to our case is holy discipline And whether their principles or ours tend most to that I hope to make appear to sober and unprejudiced Christians And the way I shall take shall be to discover some of these Gentlemens unbrotherly dealings with Mr. Humfrey first in perverting his sense Secondly in setting up a Raile to the Lords Table by perverting Scripture and so making that Raile to be a pretended discipline meerly 1. They have damned and censured his Book to be an ungodly pamphlet in which is a masse of perverting Scriptures tending to destroy all Church reformation little better then carnall and profane reasoning sophistry a heterodox piece abomination a vile piece with divers other such hard censures language enough to affright any from ever looking into it that have any care of their souls to avoid their own destruction in complying with that soul damning practise of maintaining mixt communion as they call it I must confesse these men seem very confident in reproaching and censuring both the Book and the man but in this their indeavour to make it thus vile and odious to the world they have not the least evidence of truth or strength of reason to evince it that I can finde in their Book And it will so appear if you minde what is Mr. H. scope and end in his discourse and what are the principles upon which it is founded As 1. That the visible Church of Christ consists of men making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and so are Saints by calling what ever they are in truth while they so professe and adhere to the true worship the means and matter of which are hearing the word receiving the Sacrament and prayer and of these many are called and few are chosen 2. That all of these of years come under the obligation of Christs commands and are bound to do their duty homage to Christ their Lord as well as they can according to Mat. 28.19 20. 3. That all such ought to submit to Church discipline and not to be excluded from any observance nor denyed any Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and debarred by vertue of positive excommunication 4. That Ministers by vertue of their function and office may lawfully administer the Sacraments to Church members though they be ignorant and scandalous he doing his duty as well as he may in preparing them in the want of Church discipline These I dare boldly affirme are the main things asserted in that little despised piece which with a sober spirit the Author hath soberly discussed and cleared from the common exceptions made against it by men of different mindes for which his pains first and last I verily beleeve the Church of God in England have great cause to be thankfull to the Lord of the harvest for sending such a faithfull plain-hearted labourer amongst us the sweet temperature of his spirit so adorned with wisdome charity and such a peaceable frame bespeaks him taught of God the true sense of his will in his holy Scriptures rather then his reproachers 1. Touching the visible Church what evill hath he done in asserting it to consist of men making a profession of faith in Christ Wherein doth he dissent from the most orthodox writers in all ages in judging the Church of England a true Church It is confessed by the adversaries and also that a parochiall congregation where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred according to order being a part of the whole is a true Church likewise And this is also confessed by these Gentlemen for they grant that our parochiall Churches are true Churches in a large sense and that is enough as to this and so I hope there is no evill in this first position 2. For the next thing by him asserted namely that all of years in a parish being baptized come under the obligation of all Christs commands it is proved by the text before cited Mat. 28.19 20. And that in order to the Lords Supper Do this in remembrance of me is a known duty belonging to every particular member of the Church in common with all other parts of the worship and service of God And is it then profane reasoning to urge Church members to do their duty and homage in this particular more then in all others To this these Gentlemen have said but little that I can finde to take off what is urged by Mr. H. As for that of the Passeover Mr. H.
and live unto him according to the grace they have received from him 3. That the scandalous in the Church are to be dealt with under the notion of offending brethren whom they that are spirituall ought by private admonitions and Christian counsell and wise and seasonable reproofs to restore in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 And the person or sin of any member not to be nominated in publick while there is any reasonable hope in charity of amendment by the private means provided the offence be not already publick and infamous to all in that case I think though the offender be penitent and ashamed yet he ought to be rebuked before all that the rest may fear and the congregation be satisfied And that it is only in case of obstinacy and hating to be reformed notwithstanding all possible means used by the Church for their reformation that the authoritative act of excommunication is to be issued out against any member The Apostle did more often threaten and shake the rod then make use of it The administration of publick censures should be carried on with that solemnness and mourning over the offender that might shew a reall unwillingnesse to put the same in execution if any other means would humble and break the heart of an obstinate transgressor And though there may be in the Church a readinesse to revenge all wilfull disobedience yet a readinesse to forgive also as they shall see cause 4. That none ought to usurpe the power of the keyes of Christs visible Kingdome or take upon them the power of stewards and to be Judges of Christs subjects that have not a clear warrant in the Word for the same lest they be judged For my part I must confesse I utterly reject as impious and against all rule and order for the common members to claim an interest in the exercise of the keys either of Doctrine Sacraments or Discipline save only to be obedient in declining familiarity with those that are justly excommunicated and all communion with them in worship and to be witnesses to attest what they know against an offending brother when it is necessary to prove the fact and conviction of his obstinacy I professe I wonder that any acquainted with the holy Scriptures should plead for any other power to be allowed to any of the common members I cannot see how this should be but that some men drive on designes of their own factious framing rather to hinder the setting up of discipline then any way to advance it What dismall divisions separations and confusions what prejudices heart-burnings and bitternesse do such practises every where necessarily occasion between Pastours and their people while the better part must withdraw from the rest and set up Discipline among themselves chuse their own officers and use a language beyond the ordinary and think they are in a fine posture when alasse they are out of their station and all they do is but erecting waies of their own chusing and setting up altars to sin some of Jeroboams craft to keep the people from worshipping at Jerusalem And the truth is members that separate from the body are not like to live long What strange exorbitances very often are the consequences of such uncharitable zealous waies And how can it be avoided if the power of the keys reside in the common brotherhood but the major part of a parochiall congregation may chuse their own officers set up Discipline and judge in the Church and what reformation is then like to follow may easily be imagined Doubtlesse all Church members as such stand upon a levell in point of externall priviledges for we do not finde different priviledges of those that are members of the same Church planted together into the same visible body by baptism and so by consequence women and children ignorant and scandalous persons shall have power to judge the rest nay they may create and ordain their own officers and consequently take upon them all Gospell administrations for if the keys reside in them originally so that they may make Ministers c. then they themselves are much more such and may do the works they are to do The effect cannot be greater then the cause But they will say Object the power of the keys resides not in all but in worthy and compleat Church-members or beleevers that have the spirit of sanctification c. I know no such distinction in the Word of God Answ Look upon the Church of the Jewes they were a holy nation a kingdome of Priests a peculiar and royall people in generall without distinction of worthy and unworthy compleat and incompleat And doth not the Apostle Peter use the same words and apply them to the scattered strangers embracing Christianity 1 Pet. 2.9 And doth not the Apostle give equall titles to all those to whom he writes and to all in every place that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 1.1 2 3. If we never read of any such distinction in Moses and the Prophets nor finde any such used by Christ or his Apostles why should any plead for it in our congregations but that they would see more then all that ever were before them But the keyes were given to the twelve as beleevers Object and that which is given to them as such is given to the whole kinde of beleevers in the world Solut. That the twelve were impowered with the keyes of Christs Kingdom is beyond all dispute and that they were beleevers when they received that power is as certain but that the Lord Jesus gave the keyes to them as such is denyed And they might as well say they were given to them as men for they were men when they received them But the truth is that though there were many Disciples and beleevers beside the twelve yet of his meer good pleasure he gave the keyes of his Kingdome to the twelve only not to the rest that beleeved as well as they He hath set some in the Church Apostles Pastours and Teachers not all And we know the twelve by vertue of that authority received preached and baptized and ordered all the affairs of Christs Kingdome during their age they planted severall Churches and ordained them Elders and Deacons they were the instruments for the propagation of the Gospell in almost all places Doubtlesse after Jesus Christ had received all power in heaven and earth he put the twelve only in commission to build his Church and they ordained Elders and Deacons and gave order to some others as Timothy and Titus to ordain and directed them also to commit the same power to able and sit men in after ages to teach others c. And in the seven Churches of Asia the Angell of every Church is writ unto and blamed or commended according as they demeaned themselves in their places in opposing errour or cleaving to the truth But we never finde that the common brotherhood or membership were impowered with the keys either by
can and what they cannot let them patiently suffer and with love groan and lament it And to the same purpose he brings in the advice of Augustine touching the abounding of drunkennesse in Africa this and the like evils according to his judgement are to be taken away not roughly nor after an imperious manner but more by teaching then commanding more by admonishing then by threatning and that is the way to deal with a multitude of sinners severity must be exercised on the sin of a few c. And he concludeth thus The command of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 to cast out the wicked is in no case to be neglected when it may be done without perill of breaking the peace of the Church Institut lib. 4. cap. 12. Sect. 11.13 And we may take notice that where there is mention made of the Apostles exercising of Discipline it is only upon particular persons and not upon a multitude when he findes many guilty of evill practises he reproves admonishes and threatens to come with the rod 2 Cor. 12.20 13.21 1 Cor. 4.21 And truly as the state of things now stands I think it will be found a very difficult thing to get into possession of the true way of discipline and to make that use of it that the Churches peace and edification may be promoted and not prejudiced by it For either the supposed unregenerate in the Church shall on the one hand be cast off and separated from as in the Independent way and some others or else on the other hand the dissenting brethren will be judged schismatical for causing divisions and separations in the Church contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ And therefore our condition is the more sad in that Discipline which tends so much to the wel-being of the Church can so hardly be attained amongst us Thus I have given you my judgement and apprehensions in this point Now in the next place Because these Gentlemen have commended a way of Discipline to the godly I shall crave leave a little to examine it whether it be such a one as godly men may safely receive and use as the discipline of Jesus Christ and not rather reject it as having nothing of Christ in the rise and root of it according to holy Scripture and this I shall do very briefly because I have said so much to the point already 1. It 's well they acknowledge our parochiall congregations to be true Churches though it be but in a large sense for being such they come under the same lawes and priviledges externally which belong to true Churches in the strictest sense that is unlesse they can finde a different rule in Scripture for true Churches though not in the same degree of purity which I believe they cannot because I do not finde but Laodicea and Philadelphia as they were both true Churches so they were both under the same rule c. 2. They confesse that none but such as are already excommunicated and such as ought to be excommunicated are to be kept from the Sacrament and in this Mr. H. and they seem to be agreed pag. 27. provided say they that Mr. H. mean such as of right ought to be excommunicated by the Church For his meaning they may be sure he doth not mean that Church members should be censured without regular triall and that by a Church that is in a fit capacity to hear and judge and sentence according to divine rule But how will these gentlemen prove that the greater part in a parish are such as of right ought to be excommunicated and never put it to the triall whether their sinfulnesse be of that nature for which excommunication may and ought to be inflicted It is obstinacy and wilfull persisting in grosse sins after private and publick admonition that is to be punished with excommunication and how can they know that the greater part of a parish do so sin when they never admonish them either privately or publickly Sure there must be a clear conviction of their sins and all fair and amicable Christian means used to reclaim them before they can judge any in their parish excommunicable were they in a capacity thus authoritatively to deal with them which I think they are not 3. But they say This is a most generally received truth that every particular congregation hath power in it self to reforme it self according to what shall be practicable to them pag. 158. To which I shall oppose their own words pag. 7.10 Where first they say That the ignorant and profane must be withdrawn from because it is clear they cannot be regularly cast out by discipline neither is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated for that the major part of the Church is corrupt and the same may be well supposed of most of the mixt parochiall congregations in England and will not excommunicate nor are fit to do so nor to chuse officers to do it pag. 9 10. Now is not this a strange thing they condemn Mr. Humfrey for not setting up Discipline in his Church and strongly assert That every Congregation hath power to reform it self and yet they say it is clear that the ignorant and profane cannot be regularly cast out by Discipline nor is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated Reader Canst thou desire a better justification of Mr. Humfreys present practise in the matter of the Sacrament then these mens own words If he cannot reform in a right way must he and others undergoe reproach because they dare not exercise discipline in a wrong way as these gentlemen do There are many sober and godly Ministers that judge it better not to pretend to discipline at all then to take up that way to which some give the name when there is nothing of the nature of true discipline If we cannot exercise it aright why should any be censured for not exercising it wrong To doe evill that good may come the Apostle judges damnable so rarely it is that good ends and evill means stand together But they say Object If they cannot regularly excommunicate the ignorant and scandalous that are excommunicable then the Minister and those that are convinced of their duty to come up to a more close communion and fellowship in the Gospell must withdraw from the corrupt majority and wait for their coming in upon the same termes agreed upon by the minor part and for this they commend to us Mat. 18. 1. Answ It is very harsh to say that the ignorant in the Church are for that excommunicable they may expresse their desires to learn and use the means appointed to that end and so not be excommunicable nor to be separated from And for the scandalous they are to be tryed as was hinted before and then excommunicated if there be just cause else they shall be deprived of a speciall ordinance of the Church intended as the last remedy to convert the obstinate sinner from his evill waies And as