the New Testament and why called so Christ They are Baptism and the Lords Supper And they are called Sacraments because sacred and solemn ratifications of Gods Promise to us and ours to him they are signs being significant of Invisible Grace and Blessing They are called Seals as Circumcision and the Passover were being for confirmation of the Covenant relation between God and Us. Phil. I pray speak of Baptism it hath been much controverted upon many accounts Christ I shall not detain you upon the most controverted points of it but tell you now briefly what we believe and practise about it 1. That it is an instituted ordinance by the Lord Jesus Christ to remain in the Gospel Churches to the end of the world as appears by Mat. 28.19 2. That the Element or significant sign is Water 3. That it being blessed by Prayer is to be applyed in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 4. That the thing signified is the washing in regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost wherein the Lord Jesus Christ his precious Blood is applied for Justification and Sanctification and the person Baptized dedicated unto the Lord remission of Sin is eminently signified thereby Act. 2.38 chap. 10.43 Phil. Then you think a person to be regenerated in Baptism Christ It is but a sign of that which is or should be in adult persons it 's requisite there be credible signs or grounds to think they are regenerated but many such who are Baptized are not and therefore it is evident none are regenerated meerly by partaking of that Ordinance unless we allow falling away from effectual grace and when it is administred to the Infant Seed of a Believer it is a sign of what is or may be and is both desired and prayed for Phil. I see you are for the Baptism of Infants Christ. We are for it and do practise it We doubt not of it and upon good grounds for we look upon Baptism to be the right of every Child of a Church Member 1. As the Infant is a Church Member in the Parents right the Parent having given himself and Children to be the Lords in Church Relation 2. That it is a Priviledge the Parents challenge by vertue of the Promise which the Spirit of God saith Act. 2. belongs to them and to their Children the Promise made to Abraham is transferred to all the Faithful who are said Gal. 4.28 chap. 3.29 to be the Children of the Promise as Isaac was and therefore have the Covenant and Seal of the Covenant belonging to them for themselves and Children as Isaac had And in the administration it is of use to the Parents 1. For confirmation of their Faith in that extensive Promise 2. For a Solemn dedication of the Child unto the Lord. 3. For an obligation to bring it up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Phil. May not a professed Believers Child be Baptized that is not actually a Member of any Church Christ. He that is a Believer ought to claim his right to all Church Priviledges and therefore to joyn himself to some particular Congregation where he may enjoy all Ordinances according to the rule of the Gospel And whilst he doth not he evidently lives in a Sin of great Omission if Providence hath given him opportunity so to do And I know not but a credible Believer may as well desire the Lords Supper without adding himself to a particular Congregation as to desire the Baptism of his Child without it and therefore it renders his profession very hardly credible whilst he lives in this great Sin of Omission Phil. Is there any just ground to believe that an Infant Baptized and Dying in his Infancy is certainly Saved Christ. By no means if you understand all Infants of good and bad as they are usually now promiscuously Baptized for the Salvation of Infants is a Divine Secret Phil. But what comfort hath a Believing Parent in this case any more than a professed Unbeliever or Infidel Is there no promise that he can take comfort from upon this account If not then it 's possible such an affliction may befall a Child of God for which he hath no promise from the Word of God to support him in for without a promise Faith can take no hold of God for Comfort Christ. In case a Believers Child dieth in Infancy and his trouble be about the Eternal state of his Child I know no Promise in the Word of God will reach forth Comfort to him but this I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed Seeing his Child lived not to make a personal and professed Rejection of his Covenant Relation in adult years as Ishmael and Esau did And thus a Believer by Faith in that Promise can take such Comfort to himself in that Condition which no Unbeliever can For there 's not one Word in Scripture that speaks of the Salvation of an Unbelievers Child dying in Non-age What God hath reserved in his secret Counsel is not for us to determine Phil. Is not Baptism a converting Ordinance Christ If it be true as your Church saith that he that is Baptized is certainly saved it must needs be so most times But although it 's a sign that referrs to Regeneration and Initiation thereby in the Covenant yet it is a confirming Sacrament as the other is it is always for Confirmation of Faith in the Promise both in Parents and Children neither is it improved by the baptized till he believe Phil. Now I pray speak something of that other great Seal the Lords Supper Christ It is called breaking of bread by a Synech Act. 2.42 ch 20.7 11. It is the Supper John 13.2 ch 21.20 The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 Because of peculiar Relation to the Remembrance of our Lords death as the observation of the first day of the Week hath to his Resurrection therefore called the Lords day Christ instituted this Ordinance for a solemn remembrance of his Death in the Churches till he come the second time And he did it the Night he was betrayed after he had eat the Passover with his Disciples Mat. 26.26 The Elements Bread and Wine the Sacramental Actions are Blessing the Elements distinctly 2. Breaking the Bread and pouring out the Wine 3. The delivery of each to the people with the words of Command appropriated by the appointment of Christ 4. The Order 1. The Bread blessed then broken then distributed 2. The Wine poured out blessed delivered forth after this a Psalm or Hymn is Sung as our Lord Jesus Christ did and that Ordinance is ended Tho' most Churches conclude with a short Prayer wherein Gods name is further blessed particular Cases of the Assembly spread before the Lord before which Prayer is usual a liberal Collection for the Poor and support of Ordinances Phil. What is the great Use and Improvement a Communicant may and should make of his participation of this Ordinance Christ 1. That as the Bread broken and
to repair to him for the more cherishing all good desires and affections in him till he arrive at a competency of knowledg but all this while doth not make him known to the Church so that his infirmities are not blazoned abroad in the World in the least by this way of proceeding Phil. My Friend I pray inform me what you intend by a separate Society and can you justifie separation you know how it 's cryed out against by most learned Divines Ch. Therefore I put in that word because I am sure Separation is a necessary adjunct that doth belong to every true Constituted Church of Christ nay is there any that doth pretend to be a Church of Christ that doth not separate more or less doth not the pretended Church of Rome separate from Turks and mere Pagans doth not our Church of England separate from Rome and why Either because some say it 's no true Church others because it 's corrupted in Doctrine and Worship though a true Church and thereby justifie their separation from it And may not other Churches upon the same ground separate from the Church of England either because as some will say it 's not a true constituted Gospel Church but Antichristian or because as others will say they allow it to be a Church of Christ but polluted in Doctrine Worship Manners both as to the Ministry and People and therefore to be separated from for the enjoyment of a purer Church State and Communion Again the Church of England in her Catechism teacheth separation and solemnly vows it Infants in Baptism Promise by the Sureties or Vangers to forsake the World the Flesh and the Devil What is this but separation And if this were practised as it is promised the members of the Church of England would be a separate people Lastly there is nothing clearer than that a visible Church of Christ ought to be separate 1 Pet. 2.9 What is a choice peculiar people a holy Nation to shew forth the praises of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light but a separate people a Holy Nation in a world lying in wickedness a people called out of a dark world into marvellous light as the Church of old in Goshen had marvellous light while Egypt was in darkness and the praises of Christ thus separating themselves they shew forth in the Churches And what can be opposed with any evidence against that plain and full place to this purpose 2 Cor. 6.14 be not unequally-yoaked together with unbelievers ver 15. what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever i. e. a visible unbeliever it ought not to be rendered an Infidel as if one sort of unbeliever only was meant for it 's the same Word every where else and v. 14. rendred unbeliever but our English Divines render the word Infidel insinuating that none but Turks and Pagans were to be understood by this Text that we are required to separate from But the Text is most express that it is from all visible Unbelievers The Temple of God is the Gospel Church the fellowship is Church fellowship therefore he bids us come out from among Unbelievers and from all false worship and be separate v. 17. and then God Promiseth to be their God to dwell with them c. I shall add no more at present on this point though much more might be said Phil. You have fully confirmed me in this point I pray tell me whether there be any that are not actual believers that are Church-members Christ All Church members come in upon the right of a Visible Profession but it follows not thence that all Church-members are actual believers for many Hypocrites come in upon the right of Profession but are not actual believers Again Infants and Children of believing Parents come into Churches and are justly made and called members upon the right of Profession but it is of their Parents not of their own Personal Profession neither are they actual Believers their Profession is in the Parents their Covenant Obligation is in the Parents the Priviledges they are capable of is belonging to them by virtue of a Promise wherein they are concerned with their Parents and primarily for the Confirmation of the Parents Faith and secondarily in order to the Salvation of their Children But a little more of this when I come to Baptism Phil. I pray Sir proceed then to speak to the Visible bond whereby this Church Society is bound together Christ I hinted before that Churches are denominated from their bond of Union as from their Communion from Mystical Union and Communion the Church is called Invisible from Visible Union and Communion it is that Churches are called Visible It 's thus in any civil Corporation and Society every man doth not come and partake of the Priviledges of it at his pleasure and leave it when he please no not every one of such a Profession qualified according to the Laws of the Society none but such as being qualified comes and lays claim to his admission on his qualifications wherein to be approved he puts himself upon the Test being approved he immediately enters into a mutual bond or obligation he promiseth by Oath or otherwise to submit to the Laws of the Society they admit him a member to partake of all the Priviledges So it is in Visible Churches which are so many particular Societies that have given up themselves to Christ and bound themselves to walk together in a visible submissionto constant waiting upon Jesus Christ in all his Gospel Institutions and Appointments and it 's requisite this obligation be explicite because first The Church Society is visible and explicite such therefore must the bond be 2. The Profession of his Faith is explicite such therefore should his obligation be to future walking 3. As no man can be a member of any Society constituted by voluntary consent without he voluntarily offer himself so none is governable there by the Laws of it without such an obligation and otherwise the Government of it would be wholly precarious for a man cannot be a subject duely unless a man be a slave and under compulsion to any society but by natural as a Child to a Family or voluntary submission and obligation as here 1. All societies of this nature do justly expect and demand that a Man be true to them and submit to their Laws if he will have protection and partake of their Priviledges Phil. But they say you have no Scripture grounds for this Bond or Church Covenant as some call it Christ It might be enough to say that a society must be encreased the same way as it is made at first and that after Members must be joyned upon the same terms on which the first embodied and associated together but there is no incorporate society but joyn together at first by mutual agreements under some Charter for enjoyment of some priviledges and submit to the prescribed Laws thereof and on these terms
Churches exercise of it's power 1. In Election of Officers 2. Admission of Members 3. Translating Members to other Churches Admonition and Censures 5. Contribution for the support of Ordinances Ministry and necessity of the Saints 6. I may add unto this Holy Conference for mutual Edification These are given either as peculiar Priviledges to the Churches such as the Seals and Keys of Discipline or primarily though for the Conversion and in order to the Salvation of others but for the sake of the Churches for their Multiplication growth and Confirmation in Grace Phil. Speak to these Gospel Ordinances particularly as to the distinct Nature End and Use of them Christ 1. The Preaching of the Word comprehends 1. The reading of it frequently in the Church 2. The opening and expounding of it 3. The applying it unto the Consciences of Saints and unbelieving Sinners according to the true intent thereof by Instruction Reprehension Exhortation Direction Consolation in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit 4. By the instilling and promoting the knowledge of God in the Mysteries of the Gospel by Catechizing Children Youth in such a way and manner as may conduce most to the enlightning their understandings in and bringing over their affections to the things of God in their tender years Phil. Sir I doubt in the last thing mentioned many if not most of your Churches have been too defective Christ I grant it and fear the next Generation will have great cause to complain of us for the Children of Church Members do manifestly grow up in Ignorance carnality and looseness little care is taken of most religious Parents and less by the Churches to educate them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord all or the chief of Parents care is how to provide well for them in the World Besides every way of Catechizing will not answer the end to learn a Catechism meerly by rote and a preaching upon it will make no more impression on their Ages than other preaching there must be care to instill in to their understandings by little and little in a plain and familiar way of discourse with them as they are able to receive if a great deal of Water be flusht on upon a narrow-mouth'd Bottle very little or none will go in but you may by a small stream and gradually fill it Ignorance in Religion is destruction of Religion it hath been the mother of all false Worship and Error in Doctrine and it 's evident it is the cause for the most part of the disorders in and among Churches Phil. To what Officers doth the ministration of the word in Churches belong Christ To the Pastor and Teacher if there be any they being the Preaching Elders that labour in the Word and Doctrine The Pastors work in Preaching seems to lye most in dealing with the Consciences and Affections of the hearers whether for Conversion or Edification The Teacher insists most on the enlightning the understanding by doctrinal Truths Catechising Argumentation and Conviction of gainsayers Rom. 12.7 8. If one Officer according to the present circumstances can perform his Office to the full edification of the Church in all these things it 's well if not then both are requisite as hath been spoken And the word is to be so preached as hath been said 2 Tim. 4.2 3. Eph. 4.12 Act. 2.42 the Apostles doctrine is the word that is to be Preached and to be attended on by us Phil. I look upon prayer and praises ab be great Church Ordinances as well as duties of a Universal nature to all and individual persons in private and secret Christ It is a solemn Church Ordinance expressed either way in publick prayers or in praises not only in the Prayers of a single person the mouth of the Congregation but in Psalms and Hymns That prayer is a Church ordinance and a duty to be performed frequently in the Church service see Act. 1.14 These continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication so Act. 2.42 no other Ordinance can be duly administred without it Phil. I think there is no Christians but hold that Prayer is a Church Ordinance but I have heard some except against singing of Psalm in Metre as we do Christ That singing Psalms is an Ordinance of the Church I think is plain 1. That singing Praises to God with an audible voice was practised in the Apostles times by the Apostles Act. 16.25 2. That they are to be sung in the Church at the most solemn Ordinance of the Lords Supper is without dispute Mat. 26.30 Mark 14.26 3. That singing with words of Psalms and Hymns at the same time making melody in the Heart is recommended to us Eph. 5.19 so Col. 3.16 teaching and admonishing your selves so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred and not one another for thus Interpreters have rendred the same word your selves Eph. 5.19 in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Odes in Grace singing in your Heart to the Lord. From both which places singing Spiritual Psalms and Hymns for instructing and quickning a gracious Heart sweetly and affectionately carried forth in them is highly recommended to us by the Spirit of God And that it 's a duty to sing in conjunction with others appears by what was practised by our Saviour and his Disciples at the institution of the Lords Supper that they Sang an Hymn And by Paul and Silas in Prison but what the Holy Ghost sayeth expresly he expects of us Rom. 15.6 that you may with one Mind and one Mouth i.e. with sameness of Words and Heart glorifie God Phil. Some may say this is to use forms Christ A. 1. Tho' it be to use a form in Singing it 's not an imposed form but freely taken and chosen no more than the Ministers Text is imposed 2. A form allowed or enjoyned by the Spirit of God may and ought to be used as the words of institution in administration of the Seal of Baptism or of the Elements in the Lords Supper 3. The nature of the thing requireth that it be premeditated that the Singing be melodious i. e. orderly not with confusion and not in absurd dissonies Phil. But some are against singing in mixt Congregations Chr. They may as well be against publick Praying in mixt Congregations Doth not he that Prayeth endeavour to use such expressions as most may joyn with him in So he that propounds a Psalm or Hymn endeavours to suit it to the Congregation where and the time and occasion when it is to be sung It 's due to God from all his creatures to praise him it 's his Saints only bless him but it 's not in our power to judge the heart of him that joyns in a publick duty and if it be to be performed publickly as Praying and Preaching we are not to hinder any that will joyn with us if they are not upright in one or profited by the other the sin lyes on themselves to answer for it Phil. Which be the Seals of