ignorance lukewarmness loosness and formality in stead of such as fear the Lord walking in fellowship with the Father and one with another in the Spirit Now that any that truly fear the Lord should stick at this viz. to profess to own the Covenant of Gods free grace to give up themselves unto it and to Jesus Christ the Mediatour of it in all his Offices to walk under his Discipline and in fellowship with his people we cannot but justly wonder and why any godly men of parts should frame and raise up bug-bears against it The Lord give them to beleeve yea to taste the goodness and sweetness of it and they will be humbled before the Lord that they ever withstood it 4. The Novelty of this practice and from keeping any from the Sacrament is objected to us and others We could answer at large here That it is as old as the Gospel for beleevers to walk together in fellowship in the duties express'd and for unworthy persons to be kept from holy things We might moreover produce the testimony of the most eminent Divines that have been the Lords witnesses since as the Church of God hath been blest with as Cyprian Justin Martyr Chrysostom Ambrose c. The abundant testimonies of all Reformed Divines Calvin Beza Bullinger Hyperius Bucer Zanchy c. with the sad complaints they make in their writings of the abuse of the Lords Supper c. Saith Calvin in one of his Epistles speaking of the profane Sine crass â Dei injuriâ admitti nequeunt Lib. Epist pag. 438. quà m turpis pudenda ista profanatio Saerorum The profane cannot be admitted without gross injury unto the Lord How vile and shamefull is the profanation of these holy things Yea saith Bishop Bilson Not onely the want of the Sacraments but the abuse of either hazards the weal of the whole Church yea casting holy things to dogs procures a dreadfull doom as well to consenters as presumers it being a way to turn the house of God into a den of thieves if profane ones be allowed the Mysteries and Assemblies of the faithfull 5. It is objected It is tyrannical We answer we wish that people would first look to their own duty To obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves to them Heb. 13.17 before they so peremptorily assert That the Minister doing his duty in reference to the Lord and the good of their souls is tyrannical What tyranny for a Minister to make an universal invitation to the people he preacheth to to own the Lord and one another in holiness and love and so to walk with them This Objection proceeds from a love of liberty and elbow-room in a carnal course c. 6. Separation is objected What separation for a Minister coming to a people setled upon the lees of ignorance and profaneness and having much abused Sacraments to call upon all that fear the Lord to profess Christ with their mouths and to give up themselves to him and so to walk in mutual love and comfort together Separation from wickedness is not schism but from the godly We profess to hold Communion with Ministers and Churches where Reformation is in any measure practis'd Lastly A vulgar Objection that is in the mouths of most that we take upon us in this practice to judge the hearts of most We answer though we cannot nor do we undertake directly to judge mens hearts yet we can argue out what is in mens heart as the Wiseman speaks Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water but a man of understanding draweth it cut And that first by their words for Christ teacheth us so to know them Mat. 12.34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And vers 35. An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things as by lying swearing hard speeches bitter scoffes and revilings at such as profess godliness under the names of Pharisees and hypocrites with such like corrupt communications any of which in their constant practice discover the heart How else did Simon Magus manifest himself in the gall of bitterness 2. By their works Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications murders thefts false witness blasphemies c. By such fruits we shall know them 3. An humble Christian will be willing to have his heart tried and to have his Minister apply rules and evidences to discover whether it be sound and right with the Lord or not 4. Where none of these fruits doe appear we do not pretend to make a judgement of mens hearts so there be a willing subjection to the Lord and his wayes to walk in fellowship with him and his people Thus have we taken liberty we trust without offence to any of the Lords people with open-heartedness and plainness to propose what we humbly conceive we have learned of the Lord and being deeply desirous to be ashamed of our former abominations Ezek. 43.10 11. we hope we have or shall see the Patern of the Lords house so far as in abundance of mercy he shall please to use us which the Lord who will build up and come into his Temple will in his time reveal to all that love him In the mean time the Lord give unto us and all our Brethren whose hearts are truly after Reformation to pray more and dispute less and laying aside all animosities to do the work of our blessed God committed to us peaceably according to the light we have received in our generations Now we shall deliver some brief and plain observations upon this unhappy piece of Mr Humfreys aiming at the satisfaction of the people meerly conceiving that judicious godly Ministers are not at all startled in their principles by what he hath vented And so we have laboured to frame such answers as are most obvious to the people and not puzzle them First We take notice of this Parenthesis in the Title viz. That his Treatise was published for the ease support and satisfaction of tender consciences otherwise remedilesse in or mixt Congregations Answ 1. By ease it is plain he means by his Sophistry to delude their understandings so far as that they may without scruple partake of the Lords Table with the ignorant and profane This is to make the conscience quiet and not good as water cooling a feaver for the present but makes it return with greater violence 2. We are confident this hath not eased but more grieved and perplexed the most tender cohsciences in the Natton as most of the godly bear witness and hath made the hearts of the righteous sad The burden of such mixt communicating which hath been and is in the mixt Congregations of England hath been and is the grief and sad complaint of the servants of God both Ministers and people and will be proved a snare 3. Whereas he saith Tender consciences are otherwise remediless in our mixt Congregations 1. We offer it to
and none shall let it Isa 43.13 The good Lord pardon us if we are not cleansed according to the purifying of the Sanctuary We shall yet for further satisfaction briefly give an answer to the most common objections to and misunderstandings of our practice It is enquired in what relation do we conceive our selves to stand unto the rest and how doe we esteem of them 1. As to the weak but not obstinate that have not strength enough to come up to this practice we conceive it the Ministers duty to labour their convincement in publick and private and the united Brethren to do their duty by praying for them and to labour to draw them on to them by all good wayes and means and not to neglect them 2. To such as peremptorily deny to subject to Christs Discipline upon indeed a profane account they doe virtually excommunicate themselves at least from that particular Church for being called upon to walk with them in the subjection and fellowship of the Gospel they utterly refuse so to do but will continue in that loose estate and though they were baptized yet by their refusing to subject to Christ they are as Vrsin speaks Deficientes à suo Baptismo Cap. de discip excom such as for the present make void the fruit of their Baptism though if they are after called we do not assert a necessity of renewing it and to admit such to the Lords Supper were as that acute Author justly saith and is evident from the Word to confound and make one the Church of Christ and the Kingdom of the devil as we shall God willing demonstrate in this Discourse and though they pretend to professe and know God yet factis negant foedus Dei they deny him and his Covenant in their works and lives Tit. 1.16 and so ought not to be admitted to the Seals of it So that such persons refusing to own the Covenant of God into which they were tendered in Baptism Jesus Christ in his Offices and Discipline and the fellowship of that particular Church whereof he pretends to be a Member being called thereunto or by their ignorance and profanenesse not fit to be received what need any formal act of Excommunication passe upon them Specially first Since there was never any such former orderly receiving them into the compleat Communion of the Church upon their professed faith and obedience before the Church nor did ever give their consents to submit to Discipline Secondly Neither is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated for that the major part of the Church is corrupt which we may well suppose in most of the mixt Parothial Congregations in England and so will not excommunicate nor are fit to do so nor fit to choose Officers to do it Besides as we have formerly hinted we never heard that either the Presbyterian or Congregational Brethren do excommunicate such as submit not and therefore we rather wonder the more why this should be kept up as a note of difference between them when practice confutes it 3. It is objected that we propose a Covenant we answer for the satisfaction of any that we propose the Covenant establisht in Christ Jesus The professing to enter into which we insist upon in order to a persons partaking the seal of it and those who require profession of repentance and faith in Christ before the Presbytery do in substance the same thing for Knowledge Faith and Obedience are the graces of the Covenant 1. It is most evident that Faith and Repentance in Christs and the Apostles time were expected and required to be professed from the person to be baptized 2. 'T is manifest that backsliders from this profession were not to be admitted to further Communion as Simon Magus And that those who brake bread Act. 2.42 continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship It is also evident that in the purest times the Sacrament of Baptism was administred to the party entring into Covenant Credis Credo Abrenuncias Abrenuncio Dost thou beleeve I beleeve Dost thou renounce I renounce Plainly it will then follow that it is the duty of those who are baptized in Infancy after they have gladly heard and received the Word to own profess and enter into the Covenant of God into which they were tendred in Baptism and to joyn themselves by a free expressed consent to the Communion of the Church that so they may continue in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread c. This was appointed to be the practice of the Church of England and other Reformed Churches to require this and so none to be esteemed in the compleat Communion of the Church without it and therefore not to be admitted to the Lords Supper till such a covenanting submitting and joyning We finde holy Bucer much lamenting the want of this practice in an Epistle to Calvin Vtinam ficut istud foedus civile hìc aliquando redintegrassemus sanxissemus foedus vitae aeternae quomodo vos conati soli praestitistis Calvin epist fol. p. 509. Further Martyrum Ecclesiae severa Disciplinae religione erant conjunctae c. Speaking further of the Churches there Nisi Christo Domino sunt penitus insiti ejus quoque Disciplinam inter se restituant de ipsis miserè metuo Non desunt in omnibus ordinibus qui restitutioni solidae communionis Disciplinae Christi adversantur Which we english for the weakest that they may observe the concurring judgements of holy men as to our own practice Oh that we had renew'd and establisht the Covenant of eternal life as we have done a civil Covenant The Churches of the Martyrs were joyned together by the severe Religion of Discipline I miserably fear what may become of our Churches unless they are more closely graffed into Christ and that they restore Discipline among themselves There are some of all orders who are against the restoring of solid fellowship and Discipline Now as that which is styl'd a Church-Covenant so much debated among the godly we take it to be no more then such a mutual agreement and joyning together mention'd that solid fellowship and Discipline may be set up else how can there be an unity and fellow-membership in a particular Church Say such even who dispute against this practice This is imply'd in the very principles of Christianity We then apprehend it is not unlawfully but indeed necessary expresly to profess what flows from the principles of it specially in this case where 't is a mans own free act that constitutes him a member of a particular Church Such a Profession and express consent to walk in fellowship and to submit to Discipline we call for and we believe without it it will hardly be set up unless a catechistical answer or two of a person examin'd though never so dead-hearted and a close enemy to the power of godliness shall be thought enough which will be to settle again where we were in old
consideration Whether he doth not imply that our Congregations ought not to be continued so mixt with all manner of profaneness and ignorance as the most are And whether he doth not propose this as satisfaction to tender consciences onely in this exigency of time when he conceiveth no other remedy is to be had for want of a Discipline establisht and Elder'd Congregations as he intimates in the close and as he alloweth of Excommunication all along his book and so his arguments to satisfie tender consciences in such an exigency imply that other remedies are desirable and to be lookt after 2. But we conceive and know that tender consciences are not otherwise remediless if they do not submit to such a mixt Communion we apprehend the remedy laid down in the Preamble to be proper and good and what others are practis'd by godly men in the Nation Surely this evil is not so remediless if godly Ministers and people will do their duty We desire with all submission to remark that many do hotly dispute against Erastianism viz. Of Church-power being in the Magistrate and yet they say Discipline cannot be practised without a Law from them though they will protect men peaceably doing their duty which we look upon as a very snare upon the spirits of good men Therefore blessed be God there are comfortable remedies if applied without wallowing back again into that sea of dead bloud that corrupt carnal dead-hearted formal prophane ignorant practice of worship we have been in We cannot but likewise take notice of an expression in the Epistle to the Reader as it seems penn'd by another wherein he cals this practice of free-admission precious light We are sure it hath by the holy people of this and other Nations been ever accounted gross darkness born witness against by most of the Confessions and Martyrs in all ages of the Church yea hist at as a profane principle and hath sent many of as eminent Saints as ever this Nation was blest with to prisons and banishments Oh horrid that the liberty of all ungodly persons promiscuously to profane the holy things of God should now be stiled precious light Now to take notice and examine how precious it is yet with all due respect to the Author His Text Matth. 26.27 They all drank of it All the twelve without exception from whence saith he I gather free Admission Answ 1. But we are bold to say most inconsequently as ever was Argument drawn by a man of parts Just the contrary will be thus argued There were but only twelve Apostles though Christ had many other followers and hearers admitted by Christ to his Supper therefore all of all sorts were not admitted to come this is sure more colourably argued 2. Because onely twelve Apostles none being under scandal or ignorance brake bread with Christ therefore ignorant swearers liars drunkards unclean persons covetous revilers and haters of godly Preachers and people such as most Congregations to speak out do abound with may now come to that holy Communion of Saints 3. Here is the force of his Argument Christ took twelve with him and all those twelve drank of the Cup therefore all might have come that would Twelve Aldermen are invited by a Major to a feast and because all the twelve eat therefore all the beggars of the Town might have come If the stress of his Argument lie in Judas his partaking of it he might have been pleas'd so to have urg'd it and not put such a fallacy upon weak people And if it do we answer briefly here and more fully where he plainly urgeth it that it was irrational Judas should have been kept off before he had committed the scandal specially Christ acting in that as an ordinary Minister and Past our to his Church In his stating the Question he asserts All in the visible Church are capable of all Ordinances but Infants distracted persons and excommunicated persons 1. Let the Reader observe that Mr Humfreys allows Excommunication of whom of such as are detected for scandal or unduly admitted into the Church formerly being grosly ignorant How will free Admission and Excommunication stand together If it be every mans duty to come why should any hinder him But saith he unless excommunicated But what if they are excommunicable Doth not that Pastour and Church sinne before the Lord if they do not excommunicate them If the greater part be such ought not the Pastour and such as fear God with him due means having been used for the conviction of the ignorant superstitious and scandalous to withdraw from them in the exercise of this Ordinance if Discipline cannot otherwise be taken up as in a corrupt majority how can it Pag. 3. saith he Though he questions the capacity of many people because a solemn preparation is required yet he saith he humbly perswades himself that for the Ministers and Churches part as to offering Christ freely there is such an universal capacity that if any come in professing themselves ready to enter into Covenant with Christ and serve him in this Ordinance we may encourage him from Rev. 22.17 Answ Here is the fallacy couched that runnes thorow the whole Book But is not this a sad confounding of things 1. It is most true that sinners are freely to be invited to Christ But must it be presently to this Ordinance of the Supper If they do indeed profess themselves ready to enter into Covenant with Christ and their lives do not contradict this covenanting the Church is to receive them but ought not this to be an explicit profession to the Church or Officers of it Must a profane person rushing upon the ordinance as formerly be supposed to do so meerly because he comes Upon this score who ever they be Turks Pagans Jews if they hear a Sermon and come and eat and drink at the Supper it is to be supposed they do implicitely enter into Covenant with Christ how absurd would this be and makes the bloud of the Covenant an unclean thing But secondly his humble perswasion is not argument enough to prove that the Minister and Church is to be so remiss and slight in this matter without a former profession before the Lord and the Church of every persons willingness to covenant with Christ and submit to Discipline especially in this lapsed state we now are in and the Church in a judgement of charity satisfied in them if he means such a precedent explicite open profession of every person we agree with him but unless his Congregation be the Phoenix of all in England I beleeve he would have but a few Communicants upon such an account as trial hath been made by many godly Ministers in this particular But as we have said if he mean his meer coming is such a profession we take it to be very delusory indeed a very mocking of the Lord. Besides Mr Humfreys well knows how unduly all sorts have been admitted to the Communion of the Church formerly and therefore now
ordinary food though they had also Evangelical significations so that if scandalous sinners had been debarred of these they had been debarred of their ordinary food which makes a vast difference between their case in the wildernesse and ours at the Lords Table 3. The Apostle speaks of such sins as were committed after the eating of the manna and drinking the water of the rock for as soon as they fell to Idolatries and whoredoms the wrath of God came upon them Numb 26.64 65. therefore they did not eat of the manna and drink of the rock after the committing these sins Also these scandalous sinners were to be cast off by death by the Law except such of them as did repent and so not to be admitted Hence we have this Argument from this place against Mr Humfreys as given forth by learned Mr Gillespy in his Aarons Rod viz. If God himself did execute such Discipline upon those who were tainted with Idolatry fornication and other gross sins c. that he would not permit them to enjoy their former liberty of eating of the manna and drinking of that rock as typifying Christ untill they mourned repented confessed and atonement was made for them it is much less the will of God that such scandalous sinners as are impenitent and manifestly irreconciled to God should be admitted and received to the Lords Supper But the former is true Therefore the latter If he urge here They ought to be put back by Excommunication why doth he so positively and peremptorily urge this Text to prove free Admission when indeed the scope of the Apostle is to prove the contrary and to warn them of it lest the same judgments come upon them also It is sad to bring that for an example of allowance let him have what obstructions he please which is left as an example of the fearfull judgement of God to be trembled at in all succeeding ages by all abusers of Church-priviledges His next Scripture is The Parable in Marth 22. compared with Luke 14.16 23. that all were invited to the feast and the servants brought in all both good and bad whence he infers free Admission 1. We do not finde any solid Divines understanding this feast of the Sacrament nor is there the least colour so to do But this Parable is to set forth 1. The tender of the Gospel to the Jews who refusing it it is sent to the Gentiles expressed by the high-wayes and hedges the remote corners of the world So that the calling of all in Luke is the call of the Gospel for all to come in and accept of the terms of it And all that come and profess subjection to it are received by the Church and so to partake of all the Gospel-Ordinances till by their conversations they shall discover themselves hypocrites But saith he In Matthew The servants of the Master of the feast brought in good and bad In answer hereunto First All both good and bad are invited freely by the Gospel Secondly Good and bad are gathered in but by the bad is certainly meant close hypocrites for when they come in they pretend subjection to the Gospel and so are put under Gospel-administrations But Christ shews the danger of that hypocrisie and that if such as come unto the feast of the Gospel in hypocrisie not having the wedding garment the regeneration of the Spirit upon them shall be cast into utter darkness That this is the plain scope of the Parable is the assent of most godly Interpreters Now that hypocrites shall be in the Church till the later day who questions But that when their hypocrisie is visible they shall be cast out of the Church and so not admitted to the Communion of the Church in the Supper is clear from the Discipline Christ hath elswhere instituted in Matth. 18. and by Mr Humfreys own concession in allowing the Ordinance of Excommunication and though the person without the wedding garment representing all the close hypocrites was first admitted by the servants yet he was not admitted as not having a wedding garment but supposed in a judgement of charity to have it because he professeth to put on Christ in subjecting to him but that he is therefore to be continued and admitted to all Ordinances upon his scandal appearing as we have said cannot in the least measure be gathered from this Parable But we need say no more but that Mr Humfreys hath perniciously perverted the scope of the Parable Jews and Gentiles must be called to faith in Christ by the Ministry Therefore ignorant and prophane must be admitted to the Lords Supper it followeth not But saith he This person was compelled to come in still understanding it of the Sacrament which is we conceive confuted which saith he was his duty and he had no minde to come in if he could have helpt it An. If he would not have come in if he could have helpt it so was compelled what is this but a forcible compelling of men to the Sacrament Sure here 's liberty and free Admission destroyed again but by a worse principle viz. that people may be compell'd to the Sacrament though they have no minde to come for what else can be gather'd from that expression If he then do so understand it of a forcible compelling to the Sacrament against mens wils we referre him for an answer to all solid Protestant Divines against the Papists urging this Scripture for forcible compelling to subject to the Church and so to make Churches by the sword And likewise to what hath been answer'd to the practice of the Prelates in punishing persons if they came not once a year to the Sacrament which is now hist at by all the godly in the Nation as a practice most abominable But saith he to come was not his sinne still unduly meaning the Sacrament but without his wedding garment It hath been answered that to come is not his duty unless he hath his wedding garment 't is his greater sinne to come so then to refrain because 't is an abominable mocking of the Lord who hath laid upon men no absolute command to come but a conditional therefore not to come according to the conditional command is the sin By this compelling therefore is meant the free invitations and compellations of the Gospel Evangelii inculcatione hortationum instantiâ as Bucer on Mat. 22. upon which the Gentiles shall come into it and not of compelling men against their wils to the Sacrament a practice the soul of the Lord abhors His fourth Observation Pag. 10. That our Saviour explains his own Parable Many are called few are chosen That is saith he the work of the Ministry we are freely to offer Christ in his Ordinances but few are chosen that is the work of God c. Answ Very true many are outwardly called by the Gospel but few chosen 't is only known to the Lord who are his chosen ones and therefore the Church looks to outward profession and calling but
Here lies a fallacy Such as would gather companies as he cals it or unite people into a closer communion that the Churches may be purer have a middle way between his mixt profession and true believing that is an explicite profession of repentance and faith and confessing of Christ and not denying this in the tenour of their conversations And of these indeed we do not pretend to be able to know them who are true believers and who are not What Reverend Mr Baxter saith in this case is most true in his learned Treatise of Baptism The judgement may be false but the rule of judging infallible which is by explicite profession and conversation In that Pag. 23. he seems to impose upon godly Ministers as if they went about to have Churches without hypocrites No sure they would have outward visible purity as much as may be they would have their Churches like the Communion of Saints and not a den of thieves They know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. how much more danger of the Lords displeasure when even the whole lump is near leaven'd with ignorance profaneness enmity to Godliness They would not keep up such frames of Churches viz. lukewarm formality which the Lord professeth to abhorre and spue out of his mouth from being Churches Rev. 3.16 He there further speaks of a formall purity We contend as much as may be for a reall purity and power of godliness but such as live in open and known profaneness have not so much as a formal purity And as for separation upon separation as in the peeling of his Onyon which may cause men to weep We would not meddle with his jests in holy things But we hope and pray that the Lord will give Mr Humfreys a heart to weep in private and that bitterly for the grieving most of the godly of the Nation and laying a stumbling block in the wayes of the Lords people and making the hearts of the wicked to rejoyce as we are sure this piece of his hath abundantly done His fourth reason Is gathered from the uniformity of the service of God That all other worship lies in common then it is an entrenchment upon the common liberty to put an enclosure upon the Sacrament Answ That uniformity of Gods worship in this matter cost the holy Preachers of this Nation dear under the Bishops Oh! that it should be again pleaded for But saith he all worship ought to lie in common Yet Christ cals his Church Cant. 4.12 A garden enclosed And a vineyard of red wine Isa 27.2 and many the like expressions to say no more as any fell from his pen The Discipline of the Church hath heen usually stiled the hedg and fence of the Church to preserve it from ruine and pollution and now must all be in common 'T is an entrenchment saith he upon the Common Liberty 'T is indeed a restraining of a cursed liberty that ever we beleeve was pleaded for by a man pretending to fear the Lord All in common to Atheists Drunkards Swearers Revilers ignorant persons now all in common and yet he would make us beleeve he is a friend to Discipline But now we have a fetch Are not saith he all the Commandments of God universall why not Do this also Answ Sir We beseech you to whom was Do this in the administration of the Supper spoken to Was it to all that ever heard Christ preach or only to his 12 Apostles Further He urgeth If an unregenerate man can do nothing but sin in all worship why must he be kept from this more then other why a more fear of his sin here This the substance Answ Because the other Ordinances of the Word and prayer are for his conversion this supposeth men converted in a judgement of charity and so rightly received and continued in the Church according to Christs order A wicked man is absolutely forbidden to receive the Lords Supper and none commanded to come but he who hath proved himself fit by examination but there lieth an absolute command upon all men to hear and pray As to his Grammar Allegory to the Independents of Heteroclites and Syntaxis That they allow a Syntaxis in the whole worship of God but make Hetoroclites at the Sacrament 'T is likely it is because they would keep a true Syntaxis and godly order in their Churches and not admit of Heteroclites viz. prophane wretches and despisers of holinesse into it what is Discipline but to keep off such Heteroclites from the fellowship of the Church and specially in this Ordinance As to the practice of such Presbyterians as baptize the Children of all but not admitting all to the Supper we shall not say much of it Learned men conceive from 1 Cor. 12.23 We are all baptized into one Body whether Jews or Gentiles that Baptism is into the universall Church It doth not therefore follow that such a one hath priviledge in a particular Church of all Ordinances unlesse his profession made in baptism be personally received and so he joyn himself to a particular Church but have the people of England in Parish Churches ever done so specially such as are obstinately ignorant and prophane But for such persons who cannot be judged either of these as to the baptizing of their Infants we leave godly men to their own practice as they shall see it most conducing to reall Reformation His sixth Reason is drawn from his own innocency in thus doing in admitting all to the Supper Ans We beleeve it will not be found his innocency without deep repentance in the day of the Lord. Saith he I do but my duty That 's but the Question beg'd We deny it to be so upon the terms he goeth 2. He hath no power to turn away any We will not dispute this with him because if he had power by his own principles he ought not so to do for he argues all are to come good and bad Or if he would exercise Discipline 't is his own fault he draws not on those who will submit to it with him and so practise it 3. He saith He hopes the best of all But Sir Is the meer coming of a person ground enough for hope without any discovery or triall of him and when he lives in known sins and never professeth acceptance to the Church How can he call this ground enough for his hope He will sure preach the contrary to his people that 't is not ground enough to themselves and why should they then be flattered in such a hope by the Sacrament which is indeed the great mischief we apprehend comes by free admission Oh that there were ground enough of present hope upon the body of the people of this Nation If Mr Humphreys Congregation be not peerlesse sure he may question his ground of hope upon too many c. He saith God can turn the most at his Ordinances Ans But shew us where he hath promised he will or any example of
Saints by calling which is when upon the preaching of the Gospel to them and the Call of it they willingly profess to answer the Call of the Gospel and to give obedience to it 2. Such as are stiled 1 Cor. 1.2 Called to be Saints or Saints by calling are also said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus Paul in a judgement of charity esteemed the Church of Corinth to be such for he writes to the Church of God at Corinth Now will Mr Humfreys dare in his most extensive charity to call such who have taken up the Name of Christian and profession upon a slender account the Lord knoweth such as are men affectedly ignorant common swearers unclean revilers prophaners of the Sabbath to be sanctified in Christ Jesus Besides Sir Is not knowledge and conversation required to make up visible Saints as well as bare profession and the Name of Christian 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Rom. 1.18 Is not this to hold the truth in unrighteousness Tit. 1.16 To profess to know God but in works deny him Oh how doth this kinde of arguing nuzzle poor creatures in their wofull condition and heighten the wicked in their wickedness say they they are Saints by calling they make profession and have the Name of Christians and in hell they curse Ministers eternally for thus deluding them Nay do not the most of people hate yea many profess to hate the very name of Profession and the very name of Saints and most will say They are not to be Saints on earth but in heaven Is this sufficient outward holiness But saith he A visible Ordinance to a visible Church That 's true If this visible Church be rightly constituted and ordered but if it be miserably corrupted and abound with all iniquity as the most do If the Lords servants shall labour to keep up such corruptions as this opinion doth we may tremble whether the Lord will not even root out this visible Church and profession as he threatens us often severely in his Word He further brings in an objection viz. Do we not hereby make our selves one with the wicked with whom we joyn and can we have communion with Christ and Belial He answereth by way of concession We do and must be one with all that joyn in the same profession as members of the same visible Church we are not one with them in their evil courses we disclaim them wholly in the impiety of their conversations c. Answ What kinde of joyning together in profession our Parochiall Churches have had we will not now further debate All come to Church and as he saith we may go to Church with all wherein he bath gratified the ignorant with a corrupt notion and few have any further notion of a Church then the place they went in nor what duties are required of Church-members one to another and the Lord knoweth and t is too apparent there is no practise of them 2. But Sir for the sanctified ones of Christ Jesus to joyn as one body in Church-fellowship with haters of godliness the power of it Is it not to make themselves one body with the wicked and unclean 1 Cor. 10.17 18. though they make profession yet being wicked Is not this to joyn as one body with the wicked Bare profession doth not take away their wickedness now is not this a great abomination to make up such a body to Jesus Christ Lord these members are good enough for thee though corrupt and abominable Besides are not such members to be cut off even chiefly for this reason that Christs body should not appear with the members of Satan 3. Is not there a duty in Matth. 18. charged upon every Church-member to reprove his brother so upon all the Churches by Paul and is not every Church-member guilty of his brothers sin who doth not his duty in this thing 1 Thes 5.14 c. 2 Thes 3.15 specially when they are to come together in this great Ordinance But that indeed he pleads for is for every one to look to himself though a hint to the contrary in the close as he speaks before for regard to othere he much sleights it no matter for Christs honour in his worship or thy Brothers soul every body save one if he can A true note of formality 4. But Sir farther are we not partakers of the impieties of the wicked in this thing in communicating with them Is it not an impiety for men in ungodliness to communicate If then we communicate with them we communicate in their impieties specially since a command of Christ lieth upon every Communicant to labour the preventing his impiety which doing not they come to the Ordinance with sinne upon their souls But saith he I will go with the wickedest man alive to Church but not to the Alehouse Answ His going to Church we have spoken to But Sir if you allow the wickededst man alive to be in your Church truly so called whereof you are a Pastor and joyn with him and give him this Ordinance without particular admonition of him not joyning with the better to keep him off we tremble to conceive that the Lords hand will be upon you and such that make so slight of it As to what he urgeth out of Austin his remisness though otherwise a pretious witness of the Lord in point of Church-Censures is not approved by the Godly Learned we will therefore take notice of his Scriptures The first Scripture is Joh. 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he should adde what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he takes it away Grant it be meant of Christs power at the last day yet when such a branch shall bring forth cursed fruit or appear to bring forth no good fruit at all and so appear not to be of Christs planting he is to be cut off by the Church as he allows by his Excommunication or else what will he make of that Ordinance 2. Mr Goodwins Interpretation of this Scripture in his Treatise of Growth will salve it if there were any difficulty in it who reades it thus Every branch that brings forth not fruit in men and this saith he the Syriack Translation makes for also though they do some good yet it is not fruit because not in Jesus Christ which may well allude to such Professors who bring some kinde of fruit in profession and moral conversation but yet have no root in Christ and for such the Church proceeds not against if they are duly taken into the Church till their unsoundness appears by outward practise and though Christ doth not expresly give forth command to the Church to cut off visibly unsound branches here t is enough he doth in other places His second Scripture is 2 Pet. 2.1 There are some that deny the Lord that bought them Answ Yea such in the words immediatly going before as bring in damnable heresies Now though such did thus
her and partake not of her sins least you tast of her plagues He saith not Expect a Synod of Bishops If at the first Christ and his Apostles had stayd for a Councell when had their sound gone up unto all Lands c. Pag. 860. For we know that the Spirit of God is tied neither to places nor to numbers of men Tell it to the Church saith Christ ☞ not to the whole Church spread over the whole world but to a particular which may easily meet in one place Wheresoever saith he two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them When Paul would reform the Churches of the Corinthians and of the Galatians he did not command them to expect a General Councel but only wrote unto them that what errour soever or vice was among them themselves should presently cut it off Now we humbly conceive what this Reverend Authour saith of a General Councel is in this case applicable to Magistrates As the Churches of Corinth and Galatia were not to stay for a Councel as to the Reforming their Churches so neither for an Edict from the Magistrate The Lord will require the blood of such as perish for want of Reformation at our hands In matters divine saith he Gods Word must be obeyed though All men say nay Now say some If the Magistrate would give us authority we would set about this practice Sure this will not serve the turn before the bar of the Lord however it may quiet conscience for a time We verily beleeve did we look more to Christ and lesse to men the Gospel would have its course more freely But to return to Mr Humfreys saith he Men may be Dogs and Swine either in the course of their life or in the publique esteem of the Church we look to them as they are in the Churches esteem Ans Briefly This is but a rotten salve As if 't were to be satisfaction enough to a godly Minister what a company of ignorant and carnall people shall think one of another say they We were all us'd to come at Easter why be we not all fit now 2 If by the Church he mean the Officers it doth not come to his case But were it so that a known scandalous person should be otherwise esteem'd by them yet the Minister having used all other waies of remedy be is not to sin from other mens judgements 5. Saith he To speak particularly concerning the ignorant I dare not judge so rigorously the 5. of Heb. 2. comes near my heart c. Answ We wish other Scriptures did also that concern his duty in this case 'T is true Jesus Christ can have compassion on the ignorant and such as are out of the way as that Heb. 5. speaketh But then he teacheth them gives his Spirit to them and brings them into the way as Prov. 1.22 23. We allow his distinction of ignorance and that to the weakly ignorant instruction is to be given but how much affected obstinate ignorance is to be found with such as rush upon Sacraments And to admit such was farre from Christs minde in that Scripture being to encourage poor ignorant souls to come to be taught by him and after to tender themselves to Sacraments and to be encouraged to do so Further he saith For the scandalous we know there must be admonition first twice or thrice Mat. 18.15 16. and then if they continue obstinate to be excommunicated c. Answ Why is not this course taken If it ought to be why is not the best expedient used for such an order And if this ought to be how will Free Admission of all without exception seeing this Ordinance as he saith is converting stand with his Excommunication Should any be kept from converting Ordinances But saith he I cannot finde that this Excommunication is in reference meerly to this Sacrament Answ Granted There are other ends but your meerly implies this is one viz. to keep scandalous persons from the Sacrament If from Christian communion in general as you speak then from the choicest part of it which consists in the Communion of Saints in this Ordinance The last Objection he undertakes to answer is raised from the Texts that are alleadged for a separation from wicked persons c. To these he answers first in the general That there ought to be a separation from the sins and evil courses of wicked men and from their common familiarity but not from the Sacrament unlesse in case of Excommunication c. Ans To this we Answer 1. As to a particular person suppose I am of such a Congregation and that too only by habitation never by any expresse joyning in such a communion where such corruptions do abound that it is even impossible for men to admonish all or if I tell it to the Minister or Church I shall be reproached for it as we need not travell farre to finde such cases and I have with great patience waited for Reformation and a Church-Establishment according to God what obligation is upon me from God or man but that I may separate from the Congregation for the ease and comfort of my own Conscience 2. What if a Congregation be so leavend with customary ignorance and profaneness and scoffing at holinesse as 't is too too easie to finde such nay where may one finde better in the state they are now in and a godly Preacher comes to this people and a few godly own him Must this Preacher and few godly be enforced to communicate with such after due means used for the instruction of the rest or may they not withdraw from the rest who are scoffers at godliness sure we beleeve God and Angels and Saints will justifie such a separation in this Ordinance and to draw into a closer communion to practise discipline among themselves specially when such a Congregation was never orderly united and joynted together by a free submission to the Gospel having in most places never enjoy'd it in the power of it which consideration indeed wipes off many objections Now to his Scriptures he first saith that Ephes 5.11 1 Cor. 10.20 21. are meant only of separation from sinfull courses and common familiarity Answ To that of the Ephesians Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse but rather reprove them Now therefore if we must not be partakers with wicked men in a wicked action as v. 7. and must have no fellowship with them then not Church-fellowship if I can help it specially in this Ordinance of the Supper in which a wicked man is conversant as to himself in an unfruitfull work and if I by my partaking with him encourage him as I do I have fellowship with a wicked man in an unfruitfull work of his specially if I do not reprove him Can Mr Humfreys conceive that Paul forbidding any fellowship with wicked men gave them an allowance to let them profane the Sacrament with them It founds harsh and
incongruous To that of the 1 Corinth 10.21 22. I would not ye should have fellowship with devils ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils Ans Grant it Paul reproves their eating at Idol feasts as hath been shewed yet if wicked men come to the Lords Supper in a profane manner demonstrating themselves to be but of Satans kingdom and presently after receiving they return to Satans worship in sports and playes and abetted profanness sure it is justifiable for such as fear God to separate from them specially when they long resist and scoff at the power of the word and if the godly continue to communicate with such 't is little better then fellowship with devils c. The same may be said of 2 Cor. 7. Though the wife is to abide with her husband it doth not follow but that she may separate from him as to Church-Communion He conceives three more Scriptures may haply as he speaks he understood only of separating from mens evil courses he saith but haply first as to Jer. 15.19 If thou return then will I bring thee again and thou shalt stand before me and if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee c. We assert this is meant of Church-Reformation and not only of separating from sinfull courses in their lives Jeremiah was sent to convince preach down and reform publique abuses in Gods worship The wicked scorned and persecuted him therefore Jeremiah as every zealous Preacher ought was commanded to be as Gods mouth unto them and those he did convert he was to separate them as the precious from the vile which very fully points at and warrants such a separation we plead for For any to say that the precious is meant of words or things and not of persons is very weak for the Lord saith Let them return which must be meant of persons The next of 2 Thes 3.6 Withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly c. is also meant of withdrawing as to church-Church-Communion as is clear by the following words At v. 12. Paul commands and exhorts the disorderly At the 14th he exhorteth the Church that if such disorderly persons will not obey then the Church is to have no company with them that they may be ashamed which Learned men generally understand as to Church-society Excommunicating or withdrawing being both for that end as one that the disorderly person may be ashamed and humbled c. So of Rev. 2.6 The hating of the deeds of the Nicolaitans no question implies separation from them in Communion Sure Mr Humfreys will not allow Christianity and their heresies to consist There are other Scriptures which he saith do only respect common familiarity and not a separation as to church-Church-Communion The first is 1 Cor. 5.9 Have no company with fornicators c. which Mr Humfreys will have to be only of common familiarity not as to church-Church-Communion No Must not known fornicatours for of such it must be meant be cast out of the Church if they continue obstinate Who then must be cast out The same rule he gives of Covetous Idolaters Railers Drunkards Extortioners where the force of the argument as Learned Mr Dickson on the place well observes is this Paul saith he had wrot to them before not to keep company nor to eat with such which strongly implies their non-communion therefore much more ought they to cast out from among themselves that incestuous person which is the case he argues Now how many covetous drunkards revilers and extortioners are to be found in most Congregations open revilers of the Preacher if godly and zealous and of the godly to which may be added many other sinnes of as high a nature Now suppose the greater party shall be such as it may easily be supposed in most Congregations who shall Excommunicate them being several hundreds in some places 'T were a vain thing to undertake it therefore the lesser party must withdraw and labour to draw others after them or else the Apostles command must utterly be waved That of 2 Thess 3.14 hath been opened As to Rom. 16.17 of avoiding such as make divisions 'T is clear as most Interpreters for exercising Discipline on them To avoid a man is to look upon him as cast out The same may be said as Mr Cotton strongly argues from that Scripture 2 Tim. 3.5 From such turn away which no question points at non-non-communion for Mr Humfreys himself will sure allow that the sins enumerated in the former verses deserve it So of John 2.10 11. Sure he will not have such as deny the doctrine of Christ to be continued in the Church and come to Sacraments for of such John there speaks As for Prov. 22.24 25. viz. Make no friendship with an angry man c. We finde not usually pressed in this case and yet a furious man as the wise man there cals him is not fit to be accounted in Christs family if it appear reigningly upon him and cause him to break out into other sins as usually it doth His last is Titus 3.10 Reject an heretique Ans Is this only of common familiarity too Then heretiques must also it seems be continued Now he concludes All these Scriptures forbid us wicked familiarity in their sins not a bare accompanying in Gods Ordinances Ans We acknowledge it in the converting Ordinances of prayer and preaching but not in Sacraments and in full church-Church-Communion The truth is t is a ridiculous thing to conceive that the Apostle should command not to keep company with to avoid to turn away from to reject such as are rightfully as Mr Humfrays would prove continued in the fellowship of the Church for indeed the Apostle would fully contradict himself in other Scriptures if he should where he bids all the members have the same care one of another 1. Cor. 12.25 To love as Brethren To be as one brotherhood 1 Pet. 2.17 To exhort To comfort one another which implies all sweet and open familiarity together Now how can this be if they must reject turn from keep no company one with another Next he anticipates the usuall answer to his Argument viz. If I must decline a wicked man so as not to eat with them which I interpret by our ordinary conversation how much more must I decline him at this Sacrament He answers 'T is a fallacy and is sorry to see many gravel'd at it I must not be such a mans common companion therefore I must not go to Church with him Ans This serves but to gratifie the ignorance and superstition of too many who think it enough if they come to Church We must all say they go to Church and have the Communion at Easter He 's worse then a Jew that will not And too many know little further what true Church-Communion is But saith he Arguments from the lesse to the greater must be in things of the same kinde and nature which