and help forward the growth of their graces to an early maturity Those that are professed Christians baptized-Church-members whether they live in open practice or fall under the guilt of some gross and scandalous sinne are for that time as they be impenitent to be secluded from or not admitted unto this Communion and this is an adjudged case in Scripture 1 Cor 5. where one for terrible incest notoriously manifest detested by very Heathens remained in the Communion of the Church through neglect of their duty which the Apostle reproves and having shown what power they had of judging such as were within members of their Church enjoyns them to purge out the leaven and to cast out from themselves that wicked person and least any perverse gainsayer should restrain this power to this one sin the Apostle saith ver 11. If any that is called a brother be a fornicatour a covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or extortioner the Church hath power to judge them that are within But what is this to the Sacrament enough verily for he that is cast out of the house is certainly cast out from the houshold table and the abstention from Communion so much named in Cyprian or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or seclusion Forbâ—s 631. mentioned in the Canons and whatsoever word is used for this casting one out of church-Church-communion here if any where it operates and works in forbidding the use of the Table where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Church society and communion is as for instance Divorce though it extend further yet signifies nothing at all is no Divorce if not a thoro or mensa from bed or board so this restention is nothing it works nothing I speak not of a private avoidance of familiarity with wicked persons which lies on private persons if not to this seclusion from the Table I shall not further urge the example of the old Testament which debarres the uncircumcised and the unclean for the time from the Passeover and I deny not that under that worldly Sanctuary and those carnall Ordinances as they are called Heb. 9. 1 10. Legall uncleanness might debarre when spirituall and morall did not as now morall filthiness may when legall uncleanness is not for that uncleanness under the Law had a spirituall signification and though it was not alwaies sinne yet it signified morall pollution as the leaven which was held Hag. 2. 13. execrable and must be cast out at the Passeover is spiritually applied to another meaning by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. Purge out the old leaven ver 7. for Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us the old leaven that is the wicked and incestuous person Beza Slater alii out of your society and malice and wickedness out of your lives ver 8. and therefore the Argument which is drawn from the signification of the legall type is not so contemptible as a Learned man of M. Huâ—frey late would seem to make it since the Apostle seems to argue from the leaven cast out at the Passeover as I have hinted § 7 §. 7. The evidence of Reason The third evidence is that of reason which was this that such as have no right to eat or have lost for present right or capacity should not intrude themselves I say those that have no right and they are those that as the Apostle saith Eph. 2. 12. are meer strangers to the Covenant for in reason the Covenant must go before the Seal and not the Seal before the Covenant and therefore they were Disciples to whom Christ said Take and eat not aliens or strangers to the Gospel-Covenant whereof it was ordained a Sacrament infidels or unbeleevers which answer to the uncircumcised were debarred the Passeover Or else they are such as having had both right unto and use of this Ordinance have afterward lost their capacity for the time by some gross and enormous crime which hath brought them under sequestration or deprivation by the censure of the Church and these answer the unclean under the Law who having right to the Passeover as Church-members were yet forbidden the use during such uncleanness for against such is the key turned and the door shut untill and unless by their repentance for their sinne they be restored to their right and the sequestration be taken off for so in the ancient Churches while the Lapsi lay under pennance and were in the School of repentance they could not communicate the Crier said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysost hom 3. in Ephes and if the same Authour and the same place may be heard ye shall learn from him the very two sorts which I am speaking of There ought saith he to come to this Table neither any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them that are not initiated and entred Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any of those that are professours and members but unclean or flagitious whose sinnes are such ut judicatur excommunicandus as it 's said in Austin Epist 118. ad Januarium Now there is reason that such as lie in manifest and enormous sinne without repentance should either forbear or by the Church be forbidden access to the terrible mysteries as Chrysostom often cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them 1. That they should forbear being made acquainted what a fearfull sinne they boldly adventure upon viz. to be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord the very naming of it being able to strike terrour and what danger they rush themselves into of eating and drinking damnation to themselves as it were professedly seeking and solemnly setting their hands to their own ruine for though every sinne have death the wages of it yet for a man to provoke his own destruction and solemnly seal it upon himself is most fearfull Who would not tremble to eat such a sop as should be presently followed with Satan or to eat such forbidden fruit as is sawced with this bitter sawce Morte morieris Thou shalt die for if this bread enter into a man filthy and polluted Calvin Instit lib. 4. ca. 17. Majore illum ruina praecipitat and he that hath purpose to sinne gravatur magis saith Austin he is De Eccles Dogmat cap. 35. loaden with a greater guilt He takes poyson both by reason of his guiltiness of other sinnes and of the abuse of the Sacrament saith Bernard And therefore let Serm. de caena 2 men consider what they are like to reap that either ravish and force or secretly think themselves well if they can steal the Sacrament for he that is in mortall sinne sinnes mortally as Alensis saith and Pars 4. Qâ— 46 that because as the Schoolmen say Committit falsum Aquin. 3. pars Quaest 8. Estiâ— lib. 4. distinct 12. in Sacramento he commits a falshood in this Sacrament professing himself to come to and receive Christ to whom he is an enemy and a stranger he mocks God solemnly And therefore as
is otherwise for as it is in such sinnes as are with damage to another it is not enough to professe repentance but there must be Zacheus his repentance that is restitution and reparation of injury if one be able so in scandalous sinnes whereby the Church is injured and offended There was alwayes in the ancient Churches a certain Discipline as Chemnitius saith whereby the repentance of men Depraeparat p. 95. was explored and tried whether it were serious slighty and superficial Sayings served not the turn the Church had received a wound the mouth of the enemy was open'd to blaspheme and therefore it was her honour to be satisfied in that reparation which was made by repentance that God might regain his visible honour by the repentance which he had lost by the scandal and there is ground for it 2 Cor. â— 6 7 8. where the incestuous person lies humbled and overwhelmed with great sorrow and therefore the Apostle writes to the Church to be content to comfort to forgive him and to confirm their love towards him This is no dallying matter when the fall is scandalous the repentance must be serious Peter thrice denies Christ and Christ asks Peter three times Lovest thou me 2. A visible professour of Christian Religion that stains not his profession with a wicked course of life or some scandalous act cannot be debarred his right of Communion with the visible Church in her priviledges Many are in the external Covenant and Kingdom of Christ who are not truly regenerate nor lively members of Christ himself inward grace makes a member of the Church invisible and the profession makes a visible The Sacraments are given to the visible Church we cannot discern or judge infallibly who is regenerate who an hypocrite a visible Judge is not to go by an invisible rule You shall know them saith Christ by their fruits He doth not say You shall know them by their sap It 's one Question Who is a true member of Christs body and truly in Christ It 's another Question Whom we may communicate with It 's one Question Who comes and eats and drinks unworthily So do hypocrites It 's another Question Who may not come at all and those are visible unbelievers and scandalous persons usitatissima phrasi saith Chemnitius in the most usual phrase of Scripture they are called holy and Saints who are Saints by calling Disciples of Christ separated from infidelity and Heathenism unto the worship of God by their faith of the Gospel It must be evidence of some fact or disorderly walking which is proved that must give ground to discommon or dis-franchize a reputed Member Who ever heard of witnesses to prove a man unregenerate Oh but in judgement of charity at least he must be truly regenerate I would all the Congregation were holy That 's the best corn-field that hath fewest weeds or tares but as I conceive the Church is to proceed by an infallible Rule not a judgement of charity Charity gives a good temperament unto our judgement and holds the balance mercifully but God hath set a Rule to judge by If one that is named a brother be a fornicatour or Idolater or a railer or drunkard 1 Cor. 5. 11. It is the visible Rule of his own word who may and who may not be debarred our fellowship or â—ociety Charity may hold the scales but the scales are Gods word which tels us who are inter-Commoners and Covenantors and Sacramento tenus Communicants whether they be truly regenerate or no for I have no Rule to judge that and he may have right in forâ— externo because he answers to the visible Rule of judging for he is a brother called he is as the Apostle saith within and not outwardly scandalous The Kingdom of heaven is likened to ten Virgins whereof five were foolish The Bridegroom might shut out the foolish but the wise could not forbid them to attend or trim their Lamps Mat. â—5 3. No secret sinne that lies in the bosom of the heart is a sufficient ground of a mans being debarred or prohibited by the Church to come to this Table It may be a cause of a mans eating and drinking unworthily but of his debarment to come it cannot be It may be a cause of forbearance to come not of prohibition and the reason is De secretis non judicat Ecclesia secret sins are without the Churches cognizance Our Saviour tels us Matth. 5. 28. He that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart but that adultery is not punishable by any but him that knows the heart The Schoolmen teach That if a Priest have mens Durand l. 4. Dist 9. Quaest 5. §. 7. Ales part 4. Quaest 49. num 1. secret sinnes under seal of Confession he may not forbid the person in the face of the Congregation for then he is not Corrector but Proditor Christ knew Judas his rottennesse his theft was acted his treason intended and now in hatching yet he suffer'd him I know it 's a great Question Whether Judas received the Lords Supper But that indeed is not the Question but this Whether he was debarred or forbidden by Christ or no And there is no foot step of proof for it I say that 's the Question in this point and yet to speak a word of the other It runs currant by general vote of Antiquity ten for one That Judas Vide Selden de Synedriis lib. 1. cap. 9. Vasquez Tom. 3. Disp 217. did receive the Lords Supper Hilary is quoted against it but he also as Vasquez truly observes is against his communicating in the Passeover too Now we finde he sate down to the Passeover Matth. 26. 20. and was hinted by Christ at the very Table to be the Traitour One of you vers 21. and there is no mention of his deserting the company so early that word of connexion Luk. 22. 21. But behold the hand of him that betrayes me is with me on the Table speaks very fair for it that the connexion may be preserved with former words Those that are against it as some learned men are answer the Text by anticipations Muscul de â—ana multi and give their reasons That it 's not likely Christ would eat with such an hypocrite c. But reason is no demonstration in matter of fact as a learned man saith The great stresse lies upon one word Joh. 13. 30. Judas taking the sop went out immediately This sop say they was given at the Paschal Supper before the Lords Supper whatsoever it was it was an index of the Traitour and given to distinguish him therefore not a common giving it to all as the common custom was and wonder it is that the Apostles should interpret Christs words Do it quickly of buying things for the feast which is a sign they dream'd of no Excommunication by those words nor yet wonder'd that there should be such haste to provide and cater as
's one thing to know simply and another to know judicially and known it must be either by evidence of fact or confession or conviction if it be and yet appear not it is as if it were not De non existentibus non apparentibus eadem ratio if it come to that passe that the offendour put himself upon conviction then the processe must be Secundum allegata probata in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word must stand saith our Saviour upon this point If I were to judge the fact which I my self do know but yet it is not proved I durst not make a censure but should rather Exuere personam judicis induere personam testis And as Jerome saith Cont Ruffin lib. 2. A single witnesse is not to be believed Ne Catoni quidem No though he were Cato You would be loath to lose your horse your goods but upon sufficient conviction and I hope you think that to lose your right to the Sacrament is a greater losse I like well of that of Durand Lib. 4. Dist. â— Qu. 5. §. 7. Aug. in 1 Cor. 5. If any be a brother out of Austine We cannot prohibâ—re à Communione any man but he that either confesses his sinne or is convict of it before the secular Judgement or in the face of the Church You see what a sufficient hedge the Scripture and Reason hath made about the right of a Communicant Sixthly No private person by any private Authority can dispossess a visible member of his right of Communion As in the Common-wealth Justice is necessary but private persons doe not bear the Sword It 's unreasonable that a man laying claime to the Ordinance should at any mans private discretion be denied What inconveniences and mischiefes would this fill the Church of God with How full of scandals This would not heal scandals but make them Nor can I warrant or encourage any private or single Minister ordinarily to assume the power of jurisdiction to cast out of the Church as it once did Diotrephes 2 Epist of John vers 10. and I say ordinarily because Saint Paul deliver'd to Satan Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. For the Pastour is not Dominus but Dispensator Sacramentorum as Alensis saith not the Head of the Sacraments but the Steward And it would goe very ill with the best Communicants many times if the power lay in that hand He that preaches against them would make no bones to forbid them the Table and they that least deferved it should feel the severity most but our Saviour his Rule is Tell the Church and that Matth. 18. rebuke which was given to the incestuous Corinthian was inflicted by many 2 Cor. 2. 6. It 's true The Minister may alone performe the executive part and pronounce the words as the Crier doth the Proclamation and peradventure withdraw his hand from reaching forth the Sacrament to a scandalous person but that is no act of Jurisdiction or casting out the scandalous person as I shall it may be shew anon Seventhly The Church it selfe doth not ordinarily cast out a meritorious sinner without previous Admonition and hearty seeking of a lost Sheep for there are few that would cut off an unsound Leg or Arme before they had tried all wayes And our Saviour saith If he neglect to hear the Church Matth. 18. 17. as implying That the Church deals with him by Exhortations and entreaties such as may overcome his obstinacy rather then punish it and had rather heal him than cut him off And so in the first generall Position I fortified the Sacrament against undue Intrusion And in this second I have fortified the Right of the Communicant against unjust invasion And having shewed you the truth of this Point in two generall Positions The first was That this Ordinance is barred and lies not open to all that may intrude The second was That the right of a visible Church-member is hedged in and cannot be hand over head invaded and taken away from him Now I shall shortly shew you what Use may be made of all this CHAP. XVIII The Vses which are to be made of the two last Theses §. 1. THat the truth lies between these two I say between a forcible Entry or violent Intrusion unto this Ordinance and an unjust invasion of the Communicants right For both the Ordinance it self and right of the Communicant are hedged in As in all Corporations whosoever will may not intrude into the freedom nor yet the rights belonging to that freedom be taken away but in an orderly way That which God hath made common we may not inclose or make several vâ—z the Gospel or preaching thereof and that which God hath made several we may not make common that is this Sacrament As he cannot allow this Table to any that are not of the house so neither can we turn out of the house such as have right to come to this Table Some are displeased that they should not have the same right to the Word and to the Table No for as thou art a sinfull man thou hast a right and duty to hear the Gospel though an Heathen but not to this Sacrament till thou be a Christian and duly qualified professour of Christ Are you not pleas'd that God gives you a nearer and more inward admittance unto Communion and fellowship with Christ than to Jews and Infidels and such as are called Christians but little better than they Would you not have him make more of his children than of common servants While you would raise up a right unto wicked men to Gods inner Ordinance you do but depresse and lay low the difference and favour which he vouchsafes to his Covenant people A King may send a Proclamation of pardon to rebels while the Sword is in their hand but he seals it not to them or invites them to his Table till they submit and accept conditions §. 2. No private grudge or distance or animosity of any man in authority can warrant the dispossession of any just right of a Communicant to this Ordinance I have told you already We are not Lords of the Sacrament but Stewards the Table is the Lords Table not ours No servant can upon any private grudge against his fellow-servant forbid him the house or table provided by the Master No private Citizen can forbid the priviledge and rights of freedom to his fellow-citizen This is but the exercising of private revenge by the way of Gods publick Ordinance and to prostitute the same to our envy and malice The King said to his servants binde him hand and foot that hath not the wedding-garment and take him away Matth. 27. 13. The King said it Let all the Lords servants take heed of casting out any but upon the Lords warrant and upon his command I should tremble that my self or any else should make my Office serve my private spleen neither can any man lose his right upon my supposition or
the local contact or conjunction but the moral conjunction that defiles and we are as morally separate and sever'd from them when they are at the Lords Table as if they were in place distant It 's they that joyn with us in our profession not we with them in their sins if their profession be hypocritical that infects not us for spiritually infected we are not by contagion but consent nor do we professe our selves to be of one body with them any otherwise 1. Cor. 10. 17. than all that communicate with hypocrites do viz. upon supposition that they are as they professe members of the body which if they be not our profession is not false but theirs is and yet I confesse that those are best Churches where the presumption of godlinesse in the members is most reasonable §. 9. In summe and for conclusion we defend the communion of the visible Church in Gods Ordinances but we defend not the sinne of them that professe to know God but in works deny him It was a sad complaint of Salvian long ago Praeter paucissimes De Gudern l. 3. c. Besides some few that serve the Lord in Spirit quid est omnis caetus Christianorum Free our Communion from this exception by amendment of their lives and that the godly would as the School saith Abuti alieno peccato make good use of other mens sins and their own for even they are mixt persons as I may say having flesh and Spirit as well as our Churches are mixt of good and bad and that they would stirre up their graces to be the better for other mens sinnes and perform the duties required of them at such a time and not give way to thoughts of Separation which puls a good stake out of a rotten hedge where it did more good by standing than by removal For unto the pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure Tit. 1. 15. whereby it is plain that what is impure to them that are defiled is not made impure to them that are pure and so I conclude with this recapitulation The Separation of the Church from wicked men and infidels by Gods calling and Covenant with it is as necessary as the profession of faith and holinesse The Church her Separation or casting out of obstinately wicked men from her communion is defended for the recovery of lapsed members and the avoidance of infection of and scandal to her self The secession of those good people from the Idolatry erected by Jeroboam to worship at Jerusalem is allowed 2 Chron. 11. 16. The negative Separation or the not communicating in the worship of Baal not so much as by knees or lips of those seven thousand in Israel is liked of by the Lord 1 King 19. 18. The avoidance of private familiarity with scandalous sinners is often commanded ut supra The flying of Gods people out of Babylon where Idolatry is maintain'd by force and tyranny is called for and required The Separation of heretical and vitious members from the Church is branded with a black coal Jude v. 19. These be they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit which above all men they pretend unto But the Separation of the godly from Gods Ordinances because of the corrupt lives of some in the Church is no where by any syllable of Scripture allow'd or countenanc'd being contrary to the example and not warranted by command of Christ or his Apostles and it 's a vain pretending to a holinesse above their Rule or their example All that I would is an order in the Church I should rejoyce to behold as saith he your order and the stedfastness of your faith Col. ◠5. which too many too much slight and undervalue for as one said Order in an Army kils no body yet without it the Army is but a rout neither able to offend or defend so haply order in the Church converts no body yet without it I see not how the Church should attain her end or preserve themselves in begetting or breeding up souls to God CHAP. XXI Whether the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance §. 1. Quest 3 THe third Question is Whether the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance There is a conversion of a regenerate man from some Luk. 22. 32. fall or sinne as in that saying When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren and so a man that 's godly may be often converted that is raised up from lapses and backslidings Of this the Question is not for this is but as the blowing in of the candle when the flame is gone out by exciting or wakening the fire that yet glows in the weeck of the candle which may be done by this Sacrament But the Question is Whether God doth offer or exhibit the first grace for conversion of an unbeliever or unregenerate man for as Davenant rightly saith The first faith must be given to an unbeliever as the first light is that which comes into meer darkness This Question is but an upstart among us which hath risen on occasion of seclusion of some from this Sacrament and indeed quite overthrows it if the Sacrament be a converting Ordinance for upon this ground we may invite the most wicked to the Table as well as to the Word namely for conversion and it were a great sin to prohibit any from the appointed means of their conversion §. 2. For answer to the Question I premise That it is the Doctrine of Whitaker that as the Word is the mean and instrument of grace so is the Sacrament in general the one is applied to the ear the other to the eye This is the difference The Word begins and works grace in the heart For faith comes by hearing but the Sacrament is objected to the eye and doth not begin the work of grace but nourishes and increases it for faith is not begotten by the Sacraments but only augmented Thus he The Doctrine of physical operation is exploded by all the orthodox Sacraments do not work grace as a plaister cures a sore that 's a blinde conceit of ignorant souls but God by them or in their use imparts grace as he did healing by the brazen Serpent Now God by Baptism solemnly represents and seals to his people their planting into Christ We are planted by Baptisme into the likenesse of his death Rom. 6. 3 4 5. And by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and therefore Baptism is called the Sacrament of our implanting ingraffing incorporating into Christ and so is a Sacrament of initiation Ye are all children of God by faith in Christ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 2◠God was pleased to have his Covenant sealed by Baptism as to the first grace of that Covenant as by Circumcision also under the Law and so we are solemnly listed and admitted to be his and called
unto though it be plaine they are but of Balaam's temper who desired to die the death of the righteous but loved the wages of unrighteousnesse God helps his people much by giving them good desires both for that they make prayer warme and give great comfort in the midst of sad complaints yea they bring us to the Word and to the Sacrament where the want which occasions the desire may be supplied Keep them alive and they will keep you alive Sharpen and whet them as men doe indifferent stomacks with vinegar Sense of sinne and desire of grace are excellent preparatives to this Supper §. 6. Fifthly Love to fellow-fellow-members of the body of Christ For we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10. 17. If we eat together all of one loaf let us love them with whom we have this fellowship and Communion The Love-feasts of the Primitive Church are read of but alas they are lost I mean not the feasts but the Love and in stead thereof Inâ—oelix lolium unhappy feuds quarrels divisions rents abound as if we were not children of one Table Corinth is come into England I hear that when you come together in the Church there are divisions among you 1 Cor. 11. 18. Ours are wider divisions we doe not come together in the Church one Table is prophane to another and yet the Apostle faith If I have all Faith If I suffer death without Charity I am nothing it profits me nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2 3. It 's almost Popery to speake of Charity By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another saith Christ And this was the old marke but truely it 's almost worne out Oh let us revive it at this Sacrament where God seales the pardon of our Talents Let 's learne to forgive the pence of our brethren Of all sinnes the Apostle interprets the Leaven to be purged out of malice 1 Cor. 5. 8. Purge out malice For Love is the cement of this Fellowship and Communion of members which are supposed to have one life because nourisht with the same nourishment that is Christ §. 7. Sixthly The last grace I will speak of which is here to be exercised or call it rather a duty if you please It 's Thankfulnesse without which the memorial or remembrance of Christs death is but a dry and fruitlesse commemoration Humility makes thankfull The Samaritane Leper return'd to give thanks He was more remote from expectation of cure and therefore the more thankfull The sense of our own unworthinesse and of the great disproportion between Christ and us may raise up our thanksgiving to a higher flame The lowest hearts rise highest in gratitude pride and merit are unthankfull And so I have showne you those graces which being exercised doe fit us to receive worthily and set the heart in tune to this Ordinance The Lord satisfie you with the fatnesse of his house and make you drink of the river of his pleasures Psal 36. 8. CHAP. XXVI Motives to quicken Endeavours to a fit or worthy Participation of this Ordinance §. 1. Use THat which remains of this Point is that I excite and awaken all endeavours to a fit or worthy participation of this Ordinance The modus orandi or manner how the Sacrament works or contributes to spiritual grace is not of vulgar disquisition I signified to you last day that Questions de modo in all parts of Divinity are usually difficult to unty All confesse that Sacraments work by institution of God as the brazen Serpent healed the fiery sting but that is yet too short For doth Gods institution elevate the nature of the Sacrament to produce the effect Then is that effect plainly miraculous and the faith of miracles should be required Or doth the institution of God appoint the signification and obsignation of the Sacrament in such and such an use of it This indeed is according to rule of Schools and of our Divines Modus operandi sequitur modum significandi and then it 's plain that there must be somewhat in the Communicant both to understand their signification and to receive the obsignation and sealing by the use of them for otherwise they are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty names as an Hebrew word to an English â—ar and hence it is that I say the capacity must be excited and awakened for the fit participation of this Sacrament or else it 's nothing to us but bread and wine and the spiritual benefit is lost That you may have alwayes at hand as a fyle to sharpen your endeavours some brief Motives and Reasons to awaken you I shall briefly recite and offer to you these few Motive I. 1. That as your coming worthily may yeeld a great improvement of your spiritual state so your coming unworthily may adde much to your guilt and condemnation The same passage through the red sea was safe to the Israelites by faith the Egyptians assaying to do the like were all drowned Heb. 11. 29. Let no man say Why may not I receive good by the Sacrament as well as any other for the Egyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trying conclusions were drowned The same Sacrament like the Cloud is to one the refreshing shadow to another the consuming fire The bread as broken is the Communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. and yet he that eats unworthily eats condemnation to himself 1 Cor. 11. That which is Manna to a believer is to a Judas poison as the Ancients speak and all this is vitio sumentis through the sin of the receiver who eats Quails under wrath Psal 78. 31. and sits down to Haman's feast Esth 7. Motive II. 2. Though a Christian is not altogether to judge of his receiving worthily by the fruitfull successe and benefit which he findes but by the exercise of his grace and by his sacramental disposition yet the fruit doth not follow except there be a right use and worthy participation of the Ordinance Some are so childish and such spiritual sensualists that if they have not sensible and sweet joy or comfort or a present removal of their thorn they conclude they come unworthily It 's our fault that as Israel in the wildernesse we limit God to give that we desire or else murmur and think we have nothing So it is in this Sacrament and so in our prayers we are passionately desirous of serving even our own lusts Jam. 4. 3. The after-fruit cannot be the measure of our worthy receiving but the present gracious frame of spirit and exercise of our graces As by fair and beautifull children we cannot judge of lawfull marriage but by consent declared and ritely given at the present time and yet the fruit and benefit comes not but in and by the way of receiving worthily we judge of our selves to be fit guests by the wedding garment not the sweet taste of the Supper and yet we cannot sit down and eat except we have the wedding
cannot be constant in attendance upon God It is but by accident that the weather-cock points towards the sunne namely because the winde and sun are both in one corner If the winde turn it turnes away also 2. Cleanse and purifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words are promiscuously and indifferently used by the Septuagint to interpret the Hebrew words that signify to cleanse and purify and there is in these words an allusion to legall uncleannesses and the purifying of them for as in the law before an unclean person might draw nigh to God he must be purified from his uncleannesse so those that will draw nigh to God or would have God draw nigh to them must cleanse their hands and purify their hearts The Eo lavatum ut sacrificem num laâ—abo ut rem dâ—vinam faciaâ— Plant. in auâ—ul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—lutarch in Mario Heathens had their ceremonious washings and purifyings as preparative to their sacrifices and prayers and this heart-purifying and hand-cleanssing is that purgatory thorow which we must goe if we will draw nigh to God in worship and communion God will be served with clean creatures 3. Hands and hearts The heart is the womb vvhere lust is vvarmed and conceived the shop where the forge anvill bellowes fire are for the forming of lust and making of it ready The hands are put for the executive and instrumentall powers that bring it forth to light and act it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6. 13. the vveapons of unrighteousnes unto sinne In short the outward and inward man being filthy and unclean must be purified from corruption of heart and life For he that hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 24. 4. 5. shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnes from the God of his salvation I shall now come to the matter of the Text which I will handle 1. In the two parts of it distinctly Cleanse your hands purifie your hearts 2. As these two parts are in connexion one with the other cleanse your hands and purify your hearts 3. As they stand both together in reference to our drawing nigh to God and his drawing nigh to us Draw nigh to God and he vvill draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands c. You may easily see that here is very little speculative or notionall matter but practicall and such as will fall most properly into use and into matter of application We have now to deal vvith your hearts and hands and not your brain Here vvill be no fine thin wafers which vvill melt upon your tongue and vanish in a little sweetnes and yet such novelties and running banquets are all for the palate of these queasy times ô Religion how art thou turned into a kinde of Philosophy of opinions in danger to be a mere scepticke or terra incognita an every thing a nothing a thing for a vvanton fancy to play withall a smooth tongue to talk of made up of a brain and a mouth without heart and hands How can it be otherwise when the tree of knowledge is so much preferd before the tree of life From the first part Cleanse your hands ye sinners I observe 1 A corrupt and wicked life argues a man to be a stranger to God and God to him 2 They that will draw nigh to God must clense their hands Doct. 1 A corrupt and wicked life argues a man to be a stranger to God and God him for otherwise a man might draw nigh to God and have unclean hands too which the Text supposes that it cannot be That power which draws a man into acquaintance with God doth proportionably kill sin That power which flows from God in acquaintance with a man kils sin too whether I go out to the Sun or the Sun come in to mee the darknesse is expeld sin hath not dominion over them that are under grace Rom. 6. 14. the knowledge of God sets a man loose from his bondage to the enslaving lusts hee before served yee shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free John 8. 32. draw nigh to God and be unclean if you can That faith which is uniting to Christ is a purifying faith rebellion against the Commandements of God is inconsistent with communion with God you may fast and pray and ask that you may consume upon your lusts Vers 4. like a Cut purse in a Church who comes not thither to seek God but his prey Doct. 2 They that draw nigh to God must clense their hands I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord Psal 26. 6. Where you may observe that thanksgivings and prayses which the Psalmist calls sacrifices of shouting or loud musick Psal 27. 6. and wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lorinus in Psal 26. 6. they used as one saith choros agere circum altare are to be performed with washen hands so in your prayers the Lord requires that you should lift up pure hands 1 Tim. 2. 8. and what a sweet reflection may you make upon your deliverances which are wonderfull when you can say I was upright with God and I kept my self from mine iniquity Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousnes according to the cleannes of my hands in his eye-sight Psal 18. 23 24. If ye fall into straits and be plunged into depths of misery If your face be foule with weeping and on your eye-lids be the shadow of death what a lifting up of the head will it be unto you to be able to say Not for any injustice in my hands Job 16. 17. If the Lord shall deliver this Island from the oppression and injustice under which it hath groaned what a crown and comfort will it be to you that it is delivered by the purenes of your hands Job 22. 30. To conclude If there be a frustration of our counsels and our endevours bring forth nothing but wind You shal find the reason why God makes all void and ineffectuall Isa 59. 6. Their webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works Their works are works of iniquity and the act of violence is in their hands That nothing may be lost let us pick up the particulars that are offered unto us in this point 1 That God invites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great sinners to draw nigh to him and promiseth to draw nigh to them O yee sinners no such strangers to God but they may come into favour intimacy and communion with him Great sinners are oftentimes made great Saints God engraves his image in untoward wood that the churlishnesse of the matter may the more commend the workman hee calls them to him being yet overwhelmed with sin and in their drawing nigh to him they are clensed as Christ sent the Lepers to the Priest but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were going they were clensed Luke 17. 14. 2 He bids these sinners
cannot say a little without speaking much and therefore shall hold me to my subject in hand wee may partly perceive by this expression what damnable haeresies are for it s said that they who bring them in doe even deny the Lord that bought them If they deny Christ the Soveraigne Lord o See Jude v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by everting his person or natures If they deny his redemption and so evert his office whether his Lordship or his redemption bee denyed the haeresie is damnable and the word denying seems to me to imply that the proper naure of haeresie is to bee g Spalato ostensio errorum Suaresâ—â— cap. 1. euersive and overthrowting It consists not properly in additions to the word saving so farre as those additions are overthrowing the pillars and foundations of truth that is Christ the Lord that bought us or the like to it for if hay and stubble be built on this foundation 1 Cor. 3. 12. because they doe not overthrow it or shake and shiver it therefore though they be errours yet they are not haeresie Non omnis error est haeresis saith h Ad quod vult deum in praefat August Austin every Errour is not haeresie and therefore i Weems Treatise of the 4 de generate sons pag. 180. some distinguish of doctrines or errours thus some are praeter some are circa some are contra fundamentum that is as Austine saith some touch not some shake and some raze the foundation The weight and valour of doctrines must be reck oned by their proximity or nearenesse to the fundamentals for it is in the Confanguinity of doctrine as Tertullian calls it as it is in kindred the neerenesse of kindred is to be measured by neernesse to the stocke This denyall of the Lord that bought them may be either expresly conceptis verbis and so with a little more height of expression may amount to blasphemy but haply these in the text who used composed wordes were not so blacke mouth'd or this denyall may be interpretativè and by consequence and the consequence is either from their doctrines or a consequence of fact also from their course or conversation The consequence from their doctrines if it overthrow the faith must not be drawn out into a long chaine and farr fetcht least by that meanes every errour be made haeresy but the consequence must be neere and close so that you may be able to say this or that doctrine or opinion at the next remove or at a very neer distance denyes the onely soveraigne God and our Lord Jesus Christ Jude 4. the battery may strike off a tile or make a hole in the wall but except it be neere will not overthrow the foundation for as from every branch of a great tree one may goe or move to the root yet the cutting off of any twigge or branch is not a cutting down or rooting up the tree so though all branches of truth have continuity with the fundamentalls or principles yet the deniall of every truth is not a razing or overthrow of them I instance in the great principle Christ Jesus is the Lord that hath bought us not because there are not other which being denyed faith is overthrown but because it is the instance in my text and in Jude 4. and also because principles lie so close together and are so concenterate that an errour which routs one routes another by immediate consequence I will give one instance or two Suppose the resurrection future bee denyed this overthrowes the faith 2 Tim. 2. 18. and see how the consequence immediately shatters all principles 1 Cor. 15. 13. If there be no resurrection of the dead Then is Christ not risen Then is our preaching vaine Then is faith vaine Then beleevers are yet in their sins Then the dead in Christ are perisht vers 14 15 16 17 18. Or suppose the Law bee brought into equipage with Christ for justification marke the consequence If so saith the Apostle then Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 5. 2. Christ is become of none effect unto you verse 4. Yee are fallen from grace and I make no doubt to say that those of the Galatians who for their carnall ends Chap. 6. 12 13. did breake the continuity and communion of the Church by giving themselves up to this opinion were haereticks not while it was an opinion in debate or controversie but when it grew into a ripe Impostume in such as adhaered to it and do but observe in both the instances given by how immediate consequence the denyall of the resurrection or the contemperament of the Law with Christ doe overthrow the fundamentall of Fundamentalls Christ Jesus in respect of his redemption or office For that which I call consequence of fact from the course or conversation of Haeretickes I observe that both the Apostle in this Chapter and Jude in his Epistle who follows the same thred in his description of them do characterise them by the lusts and fleshy courses wherein they live Jude speaks of false teachers as is evident by that he exhorts Christians to contend for the faith because certain men were crept in privily or unawares vers 3. 4 He exemplifies the destruction of these by the same examples of the Angells that fell and of Sodome and Gomorrha He drawes out their picture in the like foul colours and in the fourth verse calls them ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ And though lusts of the flesh as adultery and the like cannot be called haeresie a Tarreâ—rem 〈◊〉 de Eccl. lib. 4. part 2. cap. 1. Morton in 1 Cor. 11. 18. yet if a man professing Christ shall chuse such an opinion or doctrine as doth patronize and maintain those lusts and so walkes in a course of sinne under the protection of such an opinion or tenet as is contrary both to faith and holinesse that comes up to the Scripture-description of haeresie for so these false teachers that bring in damnable haeresies are said to allure through lusts of the flesh and much wantonesse ver 18. and to promise liberty as likewise those that are entangled in their errours doe turne from the holy Commandement and turn to their former vomit and wallowing in the mire vers 20. 21 22. and so the shipwrack of faith and the putting away of good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19. goe both together and therefore the Nicolaitans whose doctrine was hatefull to Christ Rev. 2. 15. and whose lusts and filthinesse maintained by their pernicious doctrine a Iren. lib. 1. cap. 20. were monstrous can bee accounted no other then damnable Haereticks and we may judg Clem. Alex. lib. 7. Strom. the like of others of the same stamp being the very persons as is b Epiphan haeres 26. conceived by good Authors whom both Peter and Iude describe as turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and denying
the onely Beza in Revel 2. 15. Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Iude 4. Quiros in Judam So much for the opening of the three points which you may if you please bind up together into one That false teachers shall privily bring in damnable haeresies even denying the Lord that bought them Now we come to search out what Haeresie is The word haeresie is of Greeke originall and is often translated Sect not o Justnian in 2 â—et 2. a secando from cutting but a sectando from following as being a way which men chuse to follow as it s said The way which they call haeresie Acts 24. 14 A way of worship or doctrine for so he saith so doe I worship the God of my Fathers beleeving c. It appeares to be an act of the will electively pitching upon such a way For the word it selfe signifies election comming not from b Martinius lexicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to expugne or lay waste though that be proper enough but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to chuse or adhere unto and therefore the Septuagint Levit. 22. 18. 21. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free-will offering by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 election or free-willednesse The Rabbins call an Haeretick c Drusius de 3. sectis Judae lib. 1. cap. 2. Grotius in Tit. 3. 10. Nic. Fuller Miscellan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in f Gen. 1. 12. Levit. 11. 22. Scripture signifies a kinde or species and so they denote a man to be an Haereticke who leaving the common road or way of faith and Doctrine sets up and followes a particular way of his own e Elias in Tishbite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without law that will not bee bound up by the rule but runnes out into his owne way and g Nic. Fuller miscel sacra lib. 2. cap. 3. some derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nehem. 9. 17. Exod. 22. 16. signifying to refuse or deny as if you would say a renegado or denyer of the trueth This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while it kept it selfe among Philosophers Physitians and other Professors of knowledge and learning past for an honest word but when it came into the Churches quarters and was taken up by Christians it became branded stigmatized and odious It s used about sixe times in the h Acts 5. 17. 26. 5. 15. 5. 28. 22 24. 14. 24. 5. Acts of the Apostles and whether it may not in some of those places at least bee taken in good part or indifferently shall not bee my dispute at this time But when you finde it in the Epistles Apostolicall and in the Gospell Churches it hath not a jot of good savour in it but carries a marke of iniquity and infamy upon it In those Epistles it is used about i 1 Cor. 11. 18. Gal. 5. 20. Titus 3. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1. foure times expresly and because I would not make a definition which you might say is mine owne and so slight it I will lay before you the Scriptures that speake of it that you may in their light see what it is The first place is that 1 Cor. 11. 18 19. I hear that there bee Schismes among you and I partly beleeve it For there must bee also haeresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you The Greeke Interpreters take Schisme and Haeresie in this place for both one in a manner and understand not by the word Haeresie any matter k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrâ—s Oecumen in lâ—cum dogmaticall or of Doctrine but others l Beza in loc argue from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also There must also be haeresies that they are distinct and that though haeresie include schisme yet schisme doth not include haeresie and to mee it seemes that they are neare a kinne because the Apostle rises from one to the other saying there are schismes there must also be haeresies but they are not collaterally a kin for by the ascent haeresie seems to be the greater For there must bee also haeresies into which those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not m Neque enim eos probatos intelligi jubet qui in haeresin fidem demutant Tertull. de praescript easily fall but are made the more conspicuous or manifest for soundnesse and integrity That we may find the true nature of haeresie let me in few words declare what schisme is The word schisme imports a rent or division of things that were or should be in continuity and undevidednesse and as it s taken in the matter of Religion it signifies a rupture in the communion or from the communion of the Church upon unnecessary and unwarrantable causes and grounds A causelesse breaking or breaking off from the communion of the Church in matter of worship or Religion Society and communion are of great importance the evill of schisme is answerable to the good of society and communion we are to judge of schisme by the cause of it for if it bee upon a cause which the Word warrants not it is a sinne of high nature Some distribute it into two sorts or parts b Cameron de Schismat negative and positive Negative is the very rupture and breaking off positive is the coalition of the parts rent off into new bodies or associations under other Pastors and Teachers The formality of schisme consists in the secession or negative part though the coalition into new bodies which was called the setting up altare contra altare may make it more obstinate and pernicious Now I say the cause must rule us in judging of it For as it is not the party which separates that makes the Divorce but the Adulterous party which gives the cause And as Mornay saith it is not the man who commences or begins the suite which makes the trouble but he that detains the right So they are the schismaticks who give the just cause of separation from them what a hurry was made in the Church by the paschal controversie wherin a Tract of schis page 5. as one saith both parties might be schismaticks dividing themselves asunder upon so triviall a matter who were the Schismaticks when the second Councel of Nice set up Images into such honour and thereby put the Churches into combustion Doubtlesse the Councell was the Schismaticke who were the Schismaticks when the reformed Churches after all means used were either driven out or broke off from the communion of the Church of Rome questionlesse the b Mornay of the Church cap. 10. Pope and his followers not the Protestants who departed from them as the Romans had a saying that when the Gauls had taken Rome and Camillus with the rest of the Patriots were at Veij then though the walls of Rome stood where they did before yet Rome
was not in Rome but at Veij I shall not meddle with those Episcopal dissentions in the auncient Churches commonly called schismes nor those about the Popedome d Spalato lib. 4. de rep eccles cap. 11. thirty in number as they are reckoned Schisme simply and nakedly is a breaking off or breaking off from the communion of the Church upon such grounds as have no weight in the word of God to allow them as namely when c Schisma ni fallor est eadem opinantem atque eâ—dem ritu colentem quo caeteri solo congregationis delectari dissidio Aug. contra Faustum lib. 20. et contra Cresconium grammat the same faith or doctrine in substantialls is held and there is accordance and agreement in them yet through passions and private ends or fancies there is offence taken at lesser matters of fact or order and so the divorce is made for such faults in the yoke-fellow as are farre short of adultery as if the members of any of the seven Churches should have separated because of some drosse in those Golden Candlesticks The Donatist who separated upon that principle that there was no true Church where good and bad were mixt and that the chaffe in the floore made the wheate uncleane or that the communion of the godly was blasted and polluted by the mixture of ungodly ones amongst them was in open schisme both in breaking off from the Churches of Christ upon that reason and in assumeing liberty to erect new Churches onely which he called the true Churches of Christ Now for haeresy it is schisme and somwhat more as the Apostle implies and what is that majus quid as Tertullian calls it or that somewhat more the answere is given in that generally received saying of Ierome haeresis perversum dogma habet Haeresy goes with a perverse opinion or errour in doctrine which I conceive to be a very truth though d Grotius in 1 Cor. 11. Grotius affirme that ex vi vocis it be nihil aliud quam schisma because the word haeresy in all authors from the first use of it hath signified a sentence or dogmaticall tenet or assertion as the severall Sects of Philosophers who differd in their opinions are called haeresies and therefor i Jamblichus lib. 2. cap. 1. Jamblichus haveing written of the life of Pythagoras now saith he it remaines that I speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning his tenets or opinions so the sects of Saducees and Pharisees who differd in opinions are called haeresies and the f Hoeresin Syri vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrinam Drusius in Act. 24. 5. Syriake calls haeresy doctrine in which sense it must be taken Acts. 28. 22. this haeresy that is this doctrine concerning Christ is every where spoken against or contradicted and the Apostles Peter and Jude are expresse that these haeresies are brought in by false teachers and are opposite to the faith denying Christ Iesus the Lord and his redemption 2. Pet. 2. 1. Jude 3. 4. upon all which considerations and that as Tertullian elegantly saith haeresy is a degenerate thing which arises from the corruption and adulterating of the truth tanquam caprificus a papauere fici oleaster ex olivae grano c. I am cleer enough that in haeresy there must be matter of opinion or doctrine and so the meaning of the Apostle in this place of the Corinthians is to shew that as there were already schismes amongst them and dividing into parties as their partiality affection and selfe-respects led them so there must be also haeresies or errours in doctrine which should fight against the truth of the Gospell patronize vitious and filthy lusts of the flesh to which both errours and lusts there would be some that would decline but those that were approved and sound-hearted would be made manifest among them and so I conclude that haeresy is a renting or tearing the communion of the Church as it is schisme and a subverting of the doctrine of truth and holiness as it is haeresy like sedition in the common wealth for schisme as one saith is an ecclesiastical sedition when it is not only made against the faults of some persons or their miscarriage in government or some abuses in fact but ariseth from principles or errours opposite and destructive to the fundamentall lawes and justice of the Kingdom The second place is that Gal. 5. 19. 20. The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication c. Seditions heresies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated divisions Rom. 16. 17. is here translated seditions seditions or divisions and haeresies may well be set together for they goe together haeresies are workes of the flesh manifest workes of the flesh The workes of the flesh are said to be manifest either because they are the product and fruites of that inward corruption called flesh and are the tokens and markes of a carnall man or because they may be discerned and knowne by the g Mr. Perkins in Galath 5. light of reason and of a naturall conscience except the light be by strength of lusts extinct or by the judgement of God darkned or put out Divines usually from this place doe prove against the Papists that by flesh is not onely meant the sensuall appetite or inferiour faculties of the Soule but the higher also as the minde and judgement because haeresy is an errour of the minde and so no doubt it is though it may be called carnall also in respect of those fleshly lusts or ends which carry men thereinto and are exercised under the patronage thereof Austin sometime saith that in his judgement it either not at all or very hardly can be regularly defined h Aut non omnino aut difficulter c. Aug. ad quod vult deum in proefatione what makes an haeretick but he comes very neere it in another place saying hee is an haeretick in my opinion who for some or other temporall profit especially his owne glory or dignity doth either beget i De vtilitate credendi cap. 1. qui alicuiustemporalis commodi maxime glorioe principatusque sui gratia c. or follow false and new opinions The Scripture notion of the word haeresy runs very much this way and it is to be feared that mens selfe ends wealth eminency interests have too much ingrediency into their opinions in these times the Lord will discover and blast the doctrine which he hates and them also that hold up such opinions as are under his anathema and haply against the conscience also of those that follow them for their private and unworthy ends The third place is that Titus 3. 10. 11. A man that is an haeretick after the first and second admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe In the former verse there is an exhortation to avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and striveings about the Law because they are
unprofitable and vaine and then it followes A man that is a haeretick c. whence the a Examen censurae pag. 272. and 280. Arminians interpret an haeretick to be one that makes contention and division upon trifling and slighty questions who is condemned of himselfe because he litigates and makes a stirre about such things as himselfe knowes to be of small importance but I conceive the matter not to be so slighty as they would make it for it is said of such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is subverted as a Ship that turns up her keele or a house when the foundation is turned topsy turvy and therefore Deut. 32. 20. where the extreamly desperate estate of a people at last cast is exprest the Greeke renders it by the word used in this text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a people turned upside downe or subverted which also the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subvertit ut cum superior pars in imam vertitur Avenarius Hebrew word imports both in this place and else where and so haeresy is concluded to be a subversive thing and not a peevish litigation about slight questions as the Arminians would put it off but thus much may be collected from the cohaerence that a man may be denominated an haeretick for doctrinall and dogmaticall errours holden and contentiously defended and maintained and it is observed by some that wordes of this forme and termination as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie an aptitude or readinesse and so the c Cameron myâ—â—thec cui volupe est tueri falsas erroneas â—piniones word in the text signifies one that with complacency and choyce adheres to such errours but the greatest doubt is what is meant by those wordes he sinneth being condemned of himselfe which d Chrisost in Titus 3. 10. 11. Chrysostom refers to the admonitions precedent for in that such a man hath been admonisht he cannot reply in his owne defence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. no man hath shewed me my errour no man hath better instructed me and so hath his mouth stopt and is condemned of his owne conscience and it is not to be denyed that very many interpreters both ancient and moderne by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe understand a man that is convinced in his owne conscience that he erres and that he goes contrary to his owne light sciens volens but this interpretation is by e Minus Celsâ—s pag. 13. Estius in locum cum multis aliis many disallowd and argued against that moderate and sweet breath'd f De Arrianis lib. 5. Salvian speakeing of the Arrians saith Haeretici sunt non scientes apud nos non apud se quod illi nobis hoc nos illis c. They are Haereticks but not knowingly with us they are but not with themselves And indeed the word in the text doth not necessarily carry so farre as that an haeretick is condemned of his owne conscience but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a man taught of himselfe without a Master so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a man condemned of himselfe not merely misled by others to whom he hath given up himselfe blindfold but as one that hath electively taken up and with a fixed self-will is resolved to persist in his errour and way which he thinks to be truth and that he doth Godgood service in holding on in it there are two things that may be cleerly taken up 1. That it is made the character of an haeretick to sin because condemned of himselfe 2. That another man may know that he is subverted and sins being selfe condemned for ' its said after admonition reject him Knowing that he that is such is subverted c. But how shall this be known Is it because he sins against common notions or principles within the ken of natures light This restraines haeresy which is a subverting of the faith onely to that which is contrary to light of nature which light of nature may bee in some particular so defaced like a superscription on old coyne that though I may know he sins yet he is not convinced in himselfe Is it then because he takes up an opinion for his lusts sake and private ends against his light and knowledge Then indeed he sins because condemned of himselfe but how can another know it It rests therefore that an haeretick rejecting admonition may be said to be condemned of himselfe because hee chuseth his owne errours and rejects the truth and so interpretative that is vertually and by consequence is condemned of himselfe as they who thrust away the word from them did judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Acts. 13. 46. Here is as you see an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or selfe condemning without conviction of conscience or knowledge of their own sin in it The fourth place is the Text which we have in hand and this whole chapter compared with the Epistle of Iude in both which haeresy is graphically described as hath before been opend That which remaines to be done is the drawing up of that hath been said concerning the meaning of the word or the explication of the things out of the Scriptures alleaged into a result and that is this The Scripture seemes to make haeresy a complicate evill in which there is these three things whether all of them essentiall ingredients or some of them be usuall attendants or concomitants I dispute not 1. Dogmaticall or doctrinall errour even over throwing the faith or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. lim 2. 18. Funditas evertunt solo equaâ—t subverting the pillars and foundations of the doctrine of Christ which Jude calls the common salvation ver 3. 2. Seperation from or renting of the unity and communion of the Church some time b Schisma eructat in here sin ut non nemo ait schisme introduces haeresy when men are run out upon peevishnesse of spirit or some unwarrantable grounds they commonly run on into errour of opinion and doctrine being caught like a loose and wandring sheep severd from the flock by the wolves which lie in waite for such sometimes the schisme followes upon the errour of opinion drunke in and so departure from the truth is attended with departure from the society and communion of the Church Jude haveing described haereticks saith ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are they that separate themselves 3. A loose and carnall course taken up and followed either privately or openly and that under the patronage and protection of these dogmaticall errours Their lives are as full of Athisme as their opinions of blasphemy or false-hood all which being laid together it appeares that an haereticke's understanding mind is corrupted a good conscience is thrust away his will electively adheres to errour and false wayes his affections are drowned in sensuality and lusts he is subverted and sins being selfe condemned either c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oicumen
to stop their mouths that is by conviction as is plaine by the ninth verse as Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 22. 34. Stopt the Sadduces mouths by silencing their arguments They wil tell you that arguments of vre seca fire faggot are not fit arguments for Ministers that their minds ought to be enlightned not their bodies burned and the truth is the keys are given to Peter not the sword He usurps that without authority the weapons of our warfare are not carnall Malchus eare is not to be cut off by us But wil they that plead exemption from violence suffer endure the word of conviction will they afford their ears patiently beare the examination of their errours I fear they will not such is their love to their plerophory of errour Nay will they not rather cast dirt upon the Ministery and use all stratagems to undermine it decrying their calling and their lively-hood or tithes which among all their destructive errours must needs be confessed to bee a saveing doctrine whatsoever be the event you that are Gods Ministers must venture into the Lions mouth to savea sheepe and assert and vindicate the truth of God from being taken captive by errour for if either his trueth or his people be lost by your default the account will be heavy Vse 4 As I began so I shall conclude with you the Honorable house every one sees what height we are come unto Arrius in Alexand. was but as one spark a little water at first would have quench'd that fire which afterward set almost all the world in flames I see by your order for keeping of this solemne day that you take notice of the growth of errour haeresie and blasphemy I would you had taken such notice of the beginnings of them If you take notice of these as a judgment upon us then search out the sin for which this judgement comes If you take notice of them as our sin then let every man labour to owne it so farre as by participation it is made his owne that so we may be truly humbled and renew our Vowes and Covenants to owne and stand up for the truth of God against all invasions of errour and haeresie you as Magistrates we as Ministers all as men that have soules to be saved or lost It s a good rule In eo serviunt reges deo in quo non possunt illi servire nisi ut reges Kings and Princes and indeed all magistrates doe therein serve God wherein they cannot serve him but as Magistrates we are exhorted to pray for Kings and all that are in authority that wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. There is as Divines distinguish simple haeresie and complicate Simple haeresie is an opinion or assertion holden and maintained contrary to and subversive of the faith by one that professes the Christian Religion Complicate haeresie is that which is attended with schisme sedition blasphemy where one opinion lyes with another and begets a new bastard a new monster growing up into a multiformity more more until it break forth into such dangerous symptoms as the fore-named The schismaticall Haereticke upon his opinion breaks off from the communion of the Church and runs out into separation setting up his new light as he calls it in a new candlestick The blasphemous Haereticke strikes through the name of the great and glorious God or his truth with despightfull reproaches not to be named The seditious Haereticke troubles the peace of the Church and State as an army is troubled by Mutineers The seducing Haereticke panders to his bed all hee can and goes up and down to vent his poyson to the infection of others privily bringing in damnable haeresies There is a great contest about simple haeresie whether it come under your sword or no in respect of capitall punishment The o Vide 18. argumenta Lutheranorum apud Conradum Bergium de haeresi Lutherans are negative and sâ—are very many others Haereticidium ob simplicem aut nudam haeresin nemo nostrûm simpliciter asseruit None of us say they a Censura in cap. 24. have asserted haereticide or capitall punishment for simple haeresie And b Calvin in opusc de Serveto Calvin saith of Servetus vel sola modestia potuisset vitam redimere that he might have saved his life had he been but modest And to such I wish light and not fire let bloudy Papists only have this brand of cruelty upon them to confute errours by fire and faggot For the blasphemous and seditious Haeretickes both c Haereticum seditiosum blasphemum capitali supplicio dignum nemo ex nostris facile impugnabit Tota quaestio est de haeretico simplici Meisnerus Philos sobsect 2 cap. 4. Lutherans and others of the Reformed churches do agree that they may be punished capitally that is for their blasphemy or sedition but the d Schlichringius pro Socino contra MeisneruÌ„ page 457. Socinian stands out here also and denies it alleadging that the punishment of false Prophets in the old Testament was speciali jure by speciall law granted to the Israelites and therefore you must not looke saith the Socinian into the olde Testament for a rule of proceeding against false Prophets and blasphemers Nor saith e Calvin de Serveto in opusc Catharinus in 3 Titus 10. Calvin and Catharinus can you find in the new Testament any precept for the punishment of Theeves Traytors Adulterers Witches murtherers and the like and yet they may or at least some of them bee capitally punisht for the Gospell destroys not the just lawes of civill policy or Common-wealths but I will not enter upon the debate of this point neither bringing in the Scriptures or reasons for it nor answering the arguments brought against it of which arguments this I suggest by the way to your observation that some of them doe even ship in one bottome the morall duties commanded in the old Testament and the typicall ceremonies or shadowes Some of them doe make a Which Erastas denies not as to Haereticks or such as keep not the faith Thes 9. 70. against Ecclesiasticall censures as well as civill and some of them doe carry further then haply they are intended even to take off civil punishments of sinnes against the sâ—cond Table also neither doe I see any just reason that if the office of a Magistrate have any place in the matters of the first Table he can punish sedition which is against his owne name or dignity and stand still and looke on with his hands tied whiles the name and honour of the great God is openly traduced or blasphemed For the seducing Haereticke he is to be prohibited and restrained you will not suffer a man that hath a running plague-sore to go abroad to infect though his shutting up be not in way of punishment as if hee was punisht because hee hath the sore but
not too indulgent to your ears which hath sometime been the vanity of hearers of those Sermons at Pauls coming hither for Jewels to hang in their ears rather then for wholsom Bread Let not the tree of Knowledge be preferred before the tree of life lest when you come to die you cry out with Croesus Solon Solon who had before time taught him of blessedness without regard There is such multiplicity of opinions that most men count it impossible to reduce the swarm into one hive especially because men usually lay so much weight every man upon his own opinion not considering that the kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Hence it is that one unchurches another and unchrists another solos credit habendos esse deos quos ipse colit as the Poet anciently leaves the question about the bigness distance motion of the Sun to Mathematicians thou mayest have as much benefit by the Sun as they that altercate about them Above all things lay not the foundation of your communion in the agreement one of another with you in all your private opinions that 's a principle that will divide the Church in semper divisibilia that makes the foundation of the house of the twig of a tree not of the body And peradventure as there are not two of a hundred of one face so not of one opinion in all things extrinsecal nay haply saith a learned man not Peter and Paul Certa sunt in paucis saith Tertullian fundamentals are few they that make too many of them make the fewer Christians if a man hold fast the simplicity of Christ in Doctrine worship life though not admitted into your fellowship yet they will be in your Communion through Christ whether you will or no. Doct. 2 d. The Corruption of the mind is the cause of deviation or recess from the simplicity that is in Christ This Point gives occasion to entreat of the corruption of the minde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies plots devices 2 Cor. 2. 11 ordinarily the reasonings apprehension judgement the leading faculty of the soule which is the subject and seat of this corruption This is not meant of natural corruption which is a part of original fin for it is the corruption of Gospel-truth formerly received especially doctrinall corruption and therefore the Apostle having said Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever presently adds Be not carried away by divers and strange Doctrines Heb. 13. 9. The Text affords me three things for the opening of this Point 1 The corruption of minde here feared is of them that have received the virgin truth a sad thing that they that blossom so faire should be blasted or cankered it is not corruption of life he feares but of minde many are tainted in their intellectuals that make a fair shew in morals the Apostle prophesies of a time that will come That men will not indure sound doctrine they will not imbrace nay they will not indure it but will turn away their eares from the truth and be turned to fables 2 Tim. 4. 3. 2 This corruption of minde is to be feared both by Ministers for the flock and also by parents and masters yet there are few as wofull experience shews us and therefore young men and unballast are negligently suffered without bridle to rush into the infection as if it was nothing to have the leprosie in the head to make shipwrack of faith to corrupt the simplicity of Christ to beare that fearfull brand 2 Tim. 3. 8. men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith The light of the body saith our Saviour is the eye If that be single the whole body is full of light if evill the bed is full of darkness the minde is the Pilot or Steers-man and if we weigh truths at a false beame we may take and mistak◠the most desperate errour for the most precious truth 3 The first point or step of recess and of deviation from the simplicity of Christ is the corruption of minde how many stairs do men fall how many floores high untill they fall even into Atheisme from a zealous profession A reprobate mind is the punishment of a corrupt mind Ro. 1. 28 They did not like to retein God in their knowledge therefore God gave them over to a reprobate minde therefore we had need to keep principles pure for the cloud that at first showes but like a mans hand may suddenly overspread the whole heaven The causes of this corruption of minde are these and such like 1 The minde being the upper region is corrupted from the lower region passions lusts interests by-ends do bribe the minde to be advocate for errour and mis-biasse the judgement the staffe that is streight of it self seems crooked in the water by refraction of the species or duplicity of the medium and we know that our eye or brain is distempered by suffusions of choler c. from a foule stomack 2 Ungroundedness in the truth betrays the minde to deceit and errour an empty barne is soon blown down oh that our people were so ungrounded in Catechistical doctrine which is indeed the reason that they are an easie prey to all kinde of Sectaries and do cedere occupanti as I may say fall to the first occupant 3 A meer notion which is like light without heat a winter-snow a thing without sense and feeling of any powerfull operation and work of truth upon the heart is but a slender guard from this corruption of the minde a man without much adoe recedes from barren notions he that feels the warmth and power is not easily changed they did not receive the truth with love of the truth and therefore God gave them up to efficacy of errour 2 Thess 2. 10. 4 A satiety or dislike of saving doctrine when novelty is preferred because it 's new and ancient truth like an old Minister now adayes is lesse regarded the stomack is crude and queasie and so relishes trash better then wholsome food 5 The letting loose of wilde reason to dispute out faith reason is but a Dwarf too low to behold Christ except it climbe into the fig-tree and go let sober men be content with that which is so frequently said It 's written 6 Pride of knowledge is very dangerous the ancient pride is this and the Apostle thus expresses it Eccles 2. 18. being vainly pufft up in his fleshly minde 7 Unsuspitious credulity of others eminent in appearance of holiness doth at unawares enwrap many well meaning men The Novatians would not admit lapsed men to communion The Donatists would not beare with mixture in their Churches as they pretended both these sorts of men did bear a plausible shew of holinesse in their opinions but God doth not approve a holinesse of mans making for that which is indeed holinesse must have upon it Gods superscription Use For the Use of this Doctrine
called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meeting a Congregation It 's Gods Ordinance saith a learned man that the Lords Hildersâ—â— Joh. 4 p. 122. Supper be administred in publick Assemblies How can there be a Communicant without a Communion sed de hoc infra not that the wals of a Church do make it a communion but a meeting of believers 4. Their Passeover was eaten with unlevened bread and sowre or bitter herbs Exod. 12. 8. There are many circumstances and ceremonies found in the Jewish Authors about the searching out of all leven yea with candles at noon-day and an execration of all leven if any should remain unfound and the bitter herbs were in constant use the unlevened bread remembred them what haste they went out of Aegypt in Exod. 12. 34. and the bitter herbs what affliction and bondage they had suffer'd and further they saw not The Apostle interprets leven malice and wickedness unlevened bread sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. and so it teaches us how Christ is to be received by us and what manner of persons they must be that apply and receive Jesus Christ They must remember their bondage under sinne not with delight but bitterness and feel the sowr taste of their former wayes as sinners contrite and broken bitter herbs are good sauce for the paschal Lamb sinne felt sets an edge on the stomack as vinegar Christ relishes well to such a soul When thou comest to eat his Supper bring thy own sauce with thee bitter herbs and refresh on thy self the memory of thy old wayes and former lusts that 's the sauce the bread is unleavened bread you cannot eat the Lamb and leaven togegether a secure hypocrite a filthy swine not purged from sinne to think to have Christ and his sinne too to be pardon'd and not purged to be saved and not sanctified Away and never think to eat this Lamb with leaven'd bread come with bitter herbs thou maist contrition for sinne but come not with and in thy sins for that 's eating with leaven'd bread therefore search it out and let thy sinnes be searcht out as with a candle and let them be execrable to thee that God may see thy hatred of them and thy loathing of thy self for them 5. Their Passeover in Aegypt was to be eaten with loyns girded in procinctu shoes on feet and staff in hand and ye shall eat in haste Exod. 12. 11. and therefore standing as ready to be instantly on their march to leave the Land of Aegypt and go to seek their promised countrey which signifies to us that we must receive Christ and his bloud with intention and purpose to leave the dominions of Pharaoh the Kingdom service and bondage of sinne and the Devil and from that hour to set forward towards our heavenly countrey This is that hard Doctrine of the Gospel This makes men neglect refuse Jesus Christ because they cannot part with sinne they will not resolve to quit their former course as he that went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions So we would fain be saved but go away sorrowfull for we have powerfull pleasing and profitable lusts And as it may allude to our Supper Let it teach us to come to the Table of the Lord with staves in our hand and our loyns girded up as men resolving to march and begin a new and holy life Henceforth not to serve sin Rom. 6. 6. But of this I spake before 6. In their Passeover they must rost and eat a whole Lamb and nothing of it must remain till the morning If any did remain it must be burnt with fire Exod. 11. 9 10. the flesh must be eaten not a bone broken Numb 9. 12. This shews that Christ is all meat there is no offal in him there is variety of nourishment for all our uses righteousness and peace and comfort and contentment to fill our capacities relieve temptations pardon and purge away our sins but we must not divide but take him whole his merit and Spirit his salvation and Soveraignty Christ our Way our Truth our Life What an unhappy Doctrine is that of the Papists that takes the bloud from us and will not let the people drink It is as if they should not allow our Passeover to be a whole Lamb and as unhappy they that do not only rent his coat but break his bones by depraving the fundamentals of Gospel-Doctrine and tearing the Creed Article from Article and nothing left untill the morning tels us That in the morning-light of the Gospel all those shadows should be abolisht and disclaimed or as Rivet saith That Sacraments are not Sacraments but in their use and while they are used as the bread and wine after the use are no Sacraments as a mear stone is a boundary in it's place remove it and it is lapis not limes 7. No uncircumcised person might eat the Passeover nor no unclean person that was under an uncleanness Exod. 12. 44 48. Numb 9. 7. where the instance is of some unclean by the dead but it extendeth to other uncleanness leprous or menstruous c. Joseph de bello lib. 7. cap. 17. and yet there was provision made for the unclean that they might keep the Passeover in the second moneth as they did in Hezekiah his Passeover 2 Chron. 30. 13. but for the uncircumcised there was no provision and this sets forth to us two sorts of men that are uncapable of worthy coming to the Lords Supper 1. The uncircumcised that are strangers and foreiners Two sorts uncapable of the Lords Supper to the Church and not initiated by the first Sacrament of Baptism no person of what condition soever that is unbaptized can come to the Supper for he is not entred and admitted into Church-fellowship or Communion by the first Sacrament He is not one of the house or of the fraternity where the Lamb is eaten and out of the house the Passeover must not be carried they that are out of the Church have no right to the priviledges of the Church as they that are no freemen have not the priviledge of the City It was never known in the old Church that an uncircumcised person nor in the Gospel-Church that an unbaptized did partake of either of the Suppers theirs or ours for both of them are second Sacraments not firsts the way to the Table hath ever been by the Font or Laver of washing Of this more hereafter 2. The domesticks that are of the house that are Almost one and twenty hundred thousand all pure Joseph cap. 17. lib. 7. de bello Judaic circumcised Israelites yet if they be at the time of the Passeover unclean they may not eat it was a case came into question thus some were unclean put the case to Moses he respited the decision till he had asked of the Lord and the Lord adjudged it that he should be put off to the Passeover of the second moneth and this tels us by way of allusion that
a member of the Church baptized yea a true believer may be unfit at some particular time to come to the Lords Table and may eat and drink unworthily Were not the Corinthians such men and in such a case 1 Cor. 11 Were they not punisht for their unworthy coming and yet doubtless some of them godly and all professed Christians But of this more also § 10. 8. There were in the first Passeover in Aegypt used and commanded by express word certain rituals or occasionals which as Jewish Writers and practice shews were omitted and not used in after-times As 1. The eating in dispersed houses afterward in Jerusalem only 2. The taking up the Lamb four dayes before which we reade not of afterward 3. The striking of the door-posts with the bloud 4. The not going out of the house that night which in after-times Christ and his Disciples did 5. The eating it in travelling posture in procinctu with staves c. which we finde our Saviour and reade that the Jews did in another posture of discumbency a lying on beds c. These or some of these were occasional at the first and the occasion ceasing custom had ruled it otherwise without offence for in our Supper the Lord celebrated and instituted it at night in or at the end of the paschal and common supper 2. In unlevened bread 3. Late at night 4. In a gesture of discumbency a leaning or lying posture Joh. 3. 13. 5. In a chamber of a private house 6. Without presence of any woman 7. Consecrating a blessing the bread and See Evang. for so used in Passeover the Cup severally and apart 8. Singing the hymne at the close of all as was usual c. And these or many of these were occasional circumstances by reason of the custom Rite of the paschal Supper or the particular exigency at that time And what then Do they oblige to a hairs breadth all after-ages Do they that impose any one of these themselves hold to all of them Shall we be supercilious and superstitious in observing all occasional or local customs Why do we not appear in sackcloth at our Fasts Where is that osculum pacis As the Apostle said about the 1 Cor. 11. 16. length of hair so I say If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God If Christ had celebrated the Supper with his loyns girt and staff in hand had we been bound to it and yet we must not raffle this thred too far and under colour of an occasionall circumstance change or mutilate the real substance as the Papist that takes away the Cup which Christ blest and breaks not the Bread as he did and of a Sacrament makes a Sacrifice the Matter and Form the intended Analogy between the Sign and the Thing signified will guide us in our distinguishing Substance from Accidents I here make an end though in this Point and in this Lamb which was served in with Legs and Purtenance I might finde out other lesser Resemblances which I shall not but having shown you what fresh Marrow lies in the old Bones of this Passeover-Sacrifice will hereafter set forth our Lords Supper before you CHAP. II. Of Errours and Corruptions in the Church How soon they sprung up When they are a ground of Separation and when not That this Ordinance must be suitable to Gods Institution And the Communicants must be suitable to this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 83. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you c. THis Epistle is directed to the Church of God in 1 Cor. 1 2. Grotius in initio hujus Epistolae Heylin Geog. pag. 388. 1 Cor. 1. 5 7. Corinth which was sometime a slately City of Greece much renown'd in ancient Authours but now is a place of small note being together with other Cities mentioned in the New Testament swallowed up by that great Leviathan of the Land the Turkiâ—h Empire In this City was a famous Christian Church of the highest degree of elevation for parts and gifts and spiritual endowments but their beauty was blemisht with as great blots schisms 1 Cor. 1. 11. Denial of the Resurrection of the dead by some of them 1 Cor. 15. 12. and in this Chapter with a grand abuse of that high and precious Ordinance the Supper of the Lord with ordinary and unwashen hands polluting it with their own intemperance and drunkenness not brought from their own homes or from the Tavern to the Table but used at the very Table it self which that you may understand you may take notice that it was an ancient custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Zonaras in Concil 6. in Trullo in the Primitive times that the rich and wealthier sort of Christians did by a common purse or contributions furnish out solemn feasts in the very meeting places or Churches and there sit down promiscuously the rich and poor which feasts were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feasts of Love or Brotherly-charity to testifie the intimate affection of Christians among themselves The Scripture speaks of them Jude vers 12. 2 Pet. 2. 13. and the ancient Fathers make often mention of them The occasion of them might be this It 's plain that the Heathens at their Sacrifice had their festival entertainments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Idols Temple that the Jews in their Eucharistical Sacrifices feasted before the Lord God as it were entertaining them to eat and drink with him and that Christ and his Apostles feasted together at the Paschal Supper before the celebration of the Lords Supper and so by imitation very obvious the Christians had taken up a custome of feasting at their religious meetings at which entertainments no Heathens were present and thereupon they suspected and scandalized the Christians for these feasts de pabulo crudae post convivium mesto Tertul. Apol. c. 7 c. 39. that they eat and drunk the flesh and bloud of a childe and that after they had filled themselves with wine and good cheer they fell to incestuous and promiscuous lusts but the ancient Fathers wipe off these aspersions c. §. 2. The abuse of these feasts the Apostle reproves from the 17. verse of this Chapter for they fomented their schismes and parties even at these feasts one party and their faction sorting themselves together in one corner another at another as their humour led them and so the common love was broken by private divisions then followed another abuse the poor that could send in nothing had nothing but were set light by and suffered to starve while they were filling themselves and which was worst of all they were intemperate at their feasts eating and drinking excessively one is hungry another is drunken vers 21. The word may signifie had drank liberally as it 's said of Joseph and his brethren Gen 43. ult and as the word is used John 2. 10. The Summe is there was §. 3.
1. Siding and sorting themselves into parties with their messes and dishes of good cheer each faction by themselves vers 18. which is contrary to the nature or name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feasts of Love One party went to it before another came v. 21. 33. 2. Here was a slighting and laying aside the poor Christians that could send in nothing contrary to the nature of a religious communion ver 28 22. 3. Here was intemperance and excess ver 21. contrary to Christian sobriety 4. These feasts were made in the Assembly or meeting-place as we say the Church as appears ver 22. Have ye not houses And §. 4. 5. With these juncats and feasts they joyn'd the celebration Beza in Act. 2. in illis convivis Grot. in Mat. 26. 25. Casaub Exâ—re 16. of the Lords-Supper Mensis suis pascebant saith Austin Epist 118. and therefore the Apostle tels them they defaced it vers â—1 This is not to eat the Lords-Supper for quod non ritè fit fieri non dicitur and he doth therefore set forth the Lords institution of the Supper vers 23. that they might see the bare and naked nature of it one thing is doubtfull Whether the Lords-Supper was celebrated at the beginning or end of these feasts And the doubt riseth Because in this Chapter as is conceived by learned Diodat Estius Cajetan in loc Gerard. in har p. 461. men the feast went before as in Christs last Supper the paschal Lamb was first eaten and the Cup was taken after Supper vers 25. and the unworthy coming to it mentioned v. â—9 and the punishment of this Church for their unworthiness vers â—0 argues That their feasting first had unfitted them for the participation of this Ordinance and yet Chrysostom and Donaras saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the participation of the Lords Supper the feast was and that Vbi supra is true for after-times for the reproof of the Apostle haply had removed the feast unto the last place for good reasons but the feasts were not quite removed out of the Churches of Greece and Africk where Tertul. Apol. c. 39. we finde them continuing Insomuch as the Synod of Laodicea which was about three hundred years after Christ and before the Nicene Councel made a Canon cap. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That it is not fit the Agapae should be in Churches or publick places of worship and so these ancient Feasts grew out by little and little and now no remainders of them in all Christendom I have been the longer upon this because I think otherwise you would not clearly understand the foregoing verses that touch upon the abuse nor the cause and reason of the Corinthians coming unworthily to the Lords-Table and so I have set up a light in the entry by which you may finde the way into the better understanding of all that follows in this Chapter wherein he sets the Lords Supper to rights which was drowned in a feast Then he orders the address of the Communicants which through the aforesaid misdemeanours had come to it unworthily and then exhorts them to make it a Communion and not a Division as they had done Tarry one for another vers 33. and to prevent the intemperance of publick Feasts he bids them if they must eat before they come to the Lords Supper Let them eat at home vers ult and so clearly abrogates not the Feasts but the order of them as fore-going the Lords Supper and here we shall stand a little and make observation §. 5. Obs The Apostle interdicts not all eating or drinking before the Lords Supper but this feasting and the abuses growing thence he doth forbid Those words A man may eat before he come to the Lords Table vers ult If any man hunger let him eat at home that they come not together unto condemnation teach us That this Feasting was before the Sacrament and that a man may eat at home if occasion be before he come to the publick Assembly To put a necessity upon Fasting is to put Superstition into it for our Saviour at first celebrated it after Supper by necessity of the Law of the Passeover but bindes us not by his example to eat first nor by any rule to fast before it therefore it is of free observation and use yet the custom of coming fasting had spread over the Aug. Epist 118 Per universum orbem mos isto servatur Chrys in 1 Cor. 11. 26. universal Church in Austins time Per universum orbem mosiste servatur Chrysostem speaks too highly of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mayest be worthy to receive for setting it aside as any piece of spiritual preparation and I know not why it may not stand Omnes jejuni celebramus saith that Light of France Chamier de Euch. lib. 6 cap 1. §. 13. All the French Churches celebrate the Supper fasting I hold to the Rule If any man hunger c. either of these is best which puts the body in best tune to serve as I may say the soul in a holy duty §. 6. Obs 2 How soon abuse crept into this Ordinance of the Supper It was not above twenty or thirty year from the nativity or birth of this Ordinance when this Epistle was written it was nothing so long from the birth or foundation of this Church to this time The Apostle had sown good corn in this field by his Doctrine I have delivered unto you the naked institution of Christ and now it stands in need of weeding The Devil was not asleep in the very Apostles Errour and corruption sprung up in the Church betime times He raised up Simon Magus and after him a fry of Gnosticks or knowing people so they would be called but falsly saith Irenaeus to corrupt the Doctrine and it was betimes that the Devil set his foot in this most excellent Ordinance and from first to last there have been scarce any times wherein some soil hath not cleaved to this Sacrament every Age adding or declaring somewhat till it became a monster unlike it self in the Romish Masse which is a Masse of Idolatry and abomination a very abomination of desolation to this Ordinance the stamp of Christs institution being so defaced that he that minted it cannot own his own coyn for being an outward Ordinance consisting of outward elements and actions the fancy of men thinks this and that dressing would do better and so by putting on more ornaments as they call them they quite spoil the feature of the childe and if men would be tampering while the Apostles lived what would they do after If I should say that the unhappiest and oldest weeds have grown in this Garden I should not speak far wide I may say of it as Solomon saith of man Eccles 7. 29. Loc this have I found that God hath made man right but they have sought out many inventions §. 7. Obs 3 The Apostle
24. Papists who have lest nothing but accidents and shadow of bread and wine that Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the figure and remembrance of himself as if one should say that the King is the picture or image of himself for as Dr Whitaker observes The De Sacram. pag. 616. body and bloud of Christ is no Sacrament but the thing it self whereof the Sacrament is taken As the contract is no ring but that whereof the ring is a pledge The Covenant is no Seal but that whereof the Seal is though in vulgar speech when we take the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament in complexion we use to say that the Sacrament consists of two parts Terrena and coelesti as Irenaeus saith an earthly Iren. l. 4. c. 34. Whitak de Sacram. 626. and a heavenly an outward and an inward a visible and an invisible Ut duae naturae in Christo. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper or the outward Ordinance consists 1. Of materials or elements bread and wine 2. Of rituals or actions about those elements and they are 1. The Rites used by Christ or some other in his name He took bread he blessed c. 2. The Actions of the Communicants They take and eat they take and drink And so ye have a Sacrament consisting of several elements and sundry outward rites and actions all concurring to the essence or integrity of this Sacrament §. 3 §. 3. Of the Elements Bread and Wine I begin with the Elements and they are 1. Two viz. Bread and Wine Our Melchisedech entertains the children of Abraham as that Melchisedech did Abraham himself Gen. 18. â—8 He brought forth to him bread and wine Christ did not take these two by accident because he found them then on the Table but by choice and election for their use in signifying The old Church of Israel had a Table-Sacrament the Passeover and Christ will have the Gospel-Church to have a Table-Sacrament too this Supper but as before Christ their Sacrifices and Sacraments were all bloudy So when Christ the substance of all Sacrifices and Sacraments hath suffer'd the Sacraments of the Gospel and Sacrifices are unbloudy Many Divines shew the conveniency of Bread and Wine to be the materials of this Sacrament Vide J nsen Harm p. 626. and some with too much fancy The representation of his Body broken and of his Blood shed The participation of his Body and Blood for soul-strength and soul-refreshment could not be better shadowed forth than by the staff of Bread and chearfull Wine which as they are the most common so the most necessary and prime materials that are used at our tables answering both our appetites of hunger and thirst weakness is strengthened by bread faintness cherisht by wine the faint and feeble soul by Christ Famine and thirst are importunate things no delights of the eye no Musick to the ear can satisfie them Violent desires towards Christ are not to be excused but praised For his Flesh is meat indeed his Blood is drink indeed Joh. 6. 55. 2. Bread and Wine severally and asunder to set forth his death wherein Corpus a sanguine separatum fuit saith Jansenius his Body and his Blood Harm 896. was sundred The Papists as to their Priests and some Kings or Princes will allow bread and wine but as to the common people bread or wine they say by concomitancy the blood is in the bread virtually and so they shut up the wounds of Christ by their dry Mass But Christ would represent himself here not as a Lamb but a Lamb sacrificed and slain and therefore the blood is severed from the body as the money is not a prisoners ransom while it lies in the chest but when it 's paid So the blood of Christ as shed is our ransom As Israel in the wilderness had a type of Christ Manna which they did eat and the rock also of which they drank so have we the memorials of his body and blood that we may eat and drink And which is the summe of all that may be said on this point since the Lord was pleased even under the Gospel to continue that old way of Fellowship and Communion with his Church by entertaining them at his own Table upon his own chear in an Ordinance of eating and drinking as he alwaies allowed the Israelites to feast with him upon the remainders of the Sacrifices in token of followship and the very Heathens did by feasting on their Sacrifices testifie their fellowship with their Idols as is plain 1 Cor. 10. 18 19 20. I see not how more fit materials could be used then Bread and Wine which as they best stand with the simplicity of the Gospel so they are the most common and necessary attendants in all feasts and do both together set forth that full and perfect nourishment which we finde in Christ As for that I finde in Cyprian and from him in Cyp. Epist 76. Aug. Tract in Jo. cap. 6. 26. August and after both in most Divines That as one bread is made of many grains and one cup of wine of many grapes so the Church is one Body of many Members whose Communion and Fellowship is here professed testified and signified by their participation of one Bread and of one Cup The allusion is proper and not unlike that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 17. We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread And this union of members was anciently professed with all dearness of love and affection in the use of this Ordinance and they delighted to express their division and separation from all the world their combination and concorporation among themselves by all entercourses of love and dearness that could be their Feasts of Love their Kiss mentioned in Scripture and ancient Authours are hereof great witnesses But what shall those places or Countries do that have no bread of corn no fruit of the vine I confess that though God said in the Passeover a Lamb Exod. 12. 5. or Kid yet Christ expresses nothing there of other materials and therefore in case of extream necessity where the proper Elements cannot be had they must either be without the Ordinance or celebrate in that which is Analogicall and which passes for bread with them or wine with them which it's better say some to do than wholly to be deprived â—oulin Buckler pag. 531. Beza Epist 2. but this Eclipse is not likely to be seen in our Horison therefore I shall not further discuss it §. 4 §. 4. The Rites or Actions about the Sacrament So much of the Elements Bread and Wine Now I proceed to the Rites or Actions and first them of Christs using in which you are to use your eye as in the Word preached God speaks to your ear so here he speaks to your eye The Sacrament is a visible Word and therefore I hold it requisite that the Communicant be within sight of
the Elements and Actions that he may see the bread and the wine Taken Blessed Broken Poured forth and not in corners and holes whence he hath not the actions under command of his eye Not that I deny but a blinde man may receive the Sacrament but that all means of spirituall impression must be used Behold saith Moses the blood of the Covenant Exod. 24. 8. The first Action of Christ is He took bread likewife after supper the cup so Paul so Luke He took the bread he took the cup so Matthew and Mark of the two Elements the Bread is first taken both by Christ and by the Communicant This order is to be held by the consent of all the four Writers And of Christs Action let us Note 1. That Christ took the Bread into his hands he took the Cup into his hands observing the rite and custom then used and gave thanks over the Bread holding it in his hands and so over the Cup having it in his hands This is the first step towards the separating and setting apart the Elements he took them in his hand see there was a solemn rite that the pater familias did use to take into his hands and bless these principall parts of the meal or feast The taking of the Lamb was the first action towards the Paschall Exod. 12. 2 5 21. 2. That Christ took and blest the Bread and the Cup severally one after the other He took Bread and blest and pronounced This is my Body Afterwards he took the Cup and blest and pronounced This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood The Evangelists Matthew and Mark express it Luke and Paul likewise confirm it and if there were nothing else the very rule and usage amongst the Jewes to blesse them severally would prove it to us 3. But whether there was any intervall of time between his taking and blessing the Bread and the Wine is a harder knot Matthew and Mark say As they were eating or as they did eat he took Bread Luke and Paul say After they had supped he took the Cup This seems to plead for some intervall of time Videtur saith Calvin in 1 Cer. 11. 25. In Mar. 14. 22. Beza and yet if Matthew and Mark be viewed alone the Action seems to be continued What wedge must be used for this knot Beza hints that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be variously translated When they had eaten but I shall not grant Beza his Interpretation but hold to our own and appeal to the rule or custom then received amongst the Jews to decide the Controversie for if those words As they were eating be all one with those of Paul After they had supped then how doth Paul and Luke so frequently and emphatically apply them to the Cup which may by that interpretation be said of the Bread also The rise Gretius in Matth. 26. 26. was that while they were eating not the Passeover Lamb for so all that Christ did was after supper but the post coenam or after supper the second course and toward the end thereof the Master took bread and blest and brake it and distributed it with a signification of the bread of affliction in Egypt then at the very close and after all eating the Cup was taken and blest what intervall of time went between I know not Non constat saith Calvin whether Calvin in â— Co. 11. 25. the Action was continued but I beleeve the Bread was eaten before the Cup was blest or taken and Christ that instituted no new Rites but set a Hugh Brought new superscription on the old mettall imitated this custom and took and blest the Bread while they were yet eating and took and blest the Cup at the close after all and so all are agreed And here let me shew you a reason why the Churches now are not bound to consecrate and distribute the Bread before they consecrate the Wine as it was in Christs Supper because the Rite was so at that time and the thing being meerly occasionall is not obligatory but indifferent We pronounce the words of signification This is my Body This Cup is c. severally but we do not distribute the Bread before we bless the Wine that Christ did occasionally to the Rite 4. The Bread which Christ took into his hands was such as was obvious and ordinary on the Table at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Matthew signanter some Cameron in Mycoth Matth. 26. peculiar Bread designed and prepared for that use doubtless unleavened according to Law and custom and yet the Greek Church stiffly holds to leaven'd bread on opinion that Christ kept his last Passeover on the 13th day of the moneth one day before the time by Law prefixed for leaven to commence and of this opinion for the day is a late Learned Writer in his answer to six Queries who also holds that Christ and his Disciples at this time did eat no Lamb but kept only the usuall post coenum or after-supper As to the time I assent not and therefore hold the bread unleavened in which the Romanist celebrates the Supper and Calvin would not contend in so slight a matter against the same custom used in Geneva nor do we make it any matter of moment but bless such as the Table doth afford being pure and wholsom as the use requires The Cup which Christ took hath this mark it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—os Hallel was a Cup after they had supped and that was the Cup of the Hallell or of the Hymn the last Cup which used very solemnly to be blest this mark after supper differences it from that Cup Luke 22. 17. He took the cup and gave thanks and said Take this and divide it among your selves This is not the Cup which Christ took into his Supper for that comes after ver 20. There were divers Cups solemnly blest and given round at this Passeover feast three or four therefore this which Christ took in is the very last after which they eat and drunk no more that time And the last Cup was even among the Heathens counted solemn and sacred in honorem Grotius in Matth. 26. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in honour of their good Genius c. § 5 §. 5. Of Christ his Consecration or Blessing of the Elements The second Rite or Action used by Christ was giving thanks He took Bread and giving thanks he brake likewise also the Cup. He took the Bread and blessed Matth. 26. â—6 Mark 14. 22. He took Bread and gave thanks Luk. 22 19. and St Paul here Two of them say of the Bread He blessed Two of them say of the same Bread He gave thanks They all say of the Cup He gave thanks and yet in another place 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Cup of blessing which we bless what can be more plainly infer'd hence then that these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in this business of one signification and
the Eucharist or Lords Supper hath been called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The breaking of bread as the phrase Acts 2. 42 Acts 20. 7. have been interpreted So Paul 1 Cor. 10. 16. The bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the body of Christ Thus some love to speak in our dayes calling I wish it be not out of singularity this Sacrament The breaking of bread which as it is by Synecdoche of the part for the whole so it was used by the Hebrews of any common feast or meal when they did eat together and is applied to this Sacrament but at second hand They began all their solemn meals with blessing and breaking of bread and their feasting was called eating of bread Gen. 4â— 25. a form of Casaub Exerc. 16 p. p. 339. Beza in Act. 2. 42. 46. speech new and insolent to Greek and Latine ears who called their feasts by the other element 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or convivia drinkings together 2. Christ at all other meals where he was Master of the meal and blest did also break the bread for he that pray'd the blessing was by the Jews called Giodw in Antiq Jewish in the Passeover ex Drusiâ— Habbotseang the breaker at his meal-meals and at other he blest and brake but in this Paschal Postcaenium or Supper to which you must still have your eye the usual Rite was That he that blest broke the Grot. in Mat. 26. Scult de emend l. 6. p. 536 bread into parts to be distributed to the guests or sitters and the pieces were about the bigness of an Olive Morton in loc Martyr in loc Beza in Act. 2. saith Scaliger He that brake did eat one and the rest were communicated for their bread at this time was not as learned men say great and thick loaves but 42. Steph. Glossa Mat. 26. broad and thin instar placentae like your Cakes here in England If they were thick as ours then may the knife Leviter scindere non obscindere and so be broken 3. The Churches of God do many of them hold this Ceremony of breaking of the bread and it ought to be holden Our Churches saith Paraeus do Par. in loc rightly observe it And in all our Churches saith Chamier we use it And it hath a command Do this Chamier De Euchar. lib. 7. c. 11. Piscat in loc Paraeas iâ— 1 Cor. 11. contro 2 sed non integram saith Piscator And therefore it is not adiaphorous or indifferent And there is a Dissertation in Paraeus fully debating the point in which he doth not say The Sacrament is null without it nor doth Beza say so Epist 2. Nor yet that it is meerly indifferent and left to choice but usefull and requisite he holds it for good ends and significations as I shall shew and he affirms That it continued in the Church and was used for a thousand years afâ—er Christ But the Papists as sacrilegious they steal away the Cup from the people So they use the Bread superstitiously making their Host into pines nummularios little round wafers like our money and put them whole into the mouths of the Communicants For saith the learned Jansenius The Church viz. of Rome doth laudably Harm 895. observe that the Eucharist be toucht only by sacred hands viz. the Priests As for Christ saith he Promore fecit he followed the Custom or Rite at that time 4. This Bread was broken and Wine poured forth Calvin in loc P. Martyr in locum Beza in loc 1. For the more lively representation of the death and grievous sufferings of our Lord for though a bone of him was not broken nor his body properly yet the Apostle cals it broken in regard of those wounds and pains and torments which brought forth a violent death and all this for us As the corn is not grinded or baked nor the bread cut or broken but for us that the breaking of his body might break our hearts and his flowing bloud shed our tears for it is the highest representation of death the bread broken and wine poured forth and is usefully observed to raise up such affections as the sight of a dying Christ may work even in a heart of stone as Chrysostom said before 2. It was broken for distribution sake for in Hebrew speech to break bread to the hungry is to distribute it Lam. 4. 4 and this hath another meaning in it and sets forth the communion and fellowship of the Church all partaking of one Christ and feeding on him and his death unto eternal life 1 Cor. 10. 17. We being many are one bread We are one body and of one holy fellowship and communion For we are all partakers of that one bread for Christ is that common center in whom we meet and by union with him we have communion with one another and thus the signification is lively one bread broken and divided amongst many Communicants who are one is one Christ given wholly to every believer and all believers one in Christ This brotherhood was observed and noted for their mutual love in those times when their profession of Christ distinguisht them from all the Heathens about them and when they were inclosed round by observing and cruel men that envied and hated them to death now that heat is diffused and not so concenter'd by the antiperistasis and so is not so warm we stand in need of persecution to make us love one another §. 9 §. 9. Of the Manner of Christs giving the Bread and the Wine Fourthly The fourth Rite or Action of Christ He gave it to his Disciples which in this place you finde not but in the implication of the word Accipite Take ye but all the three Evangelists Matthew Mark Luke expresly say He gave to the Disciples He gave to them for the word Disciple I leave it a while and only speak of the Action He gave that the Disciples received the bread and wine from Christ into their hands and not put by him into their mouths I make no question as I shall touch afterward Nor do I doubt but they received them from his hand for he blessed and brake and reached them forth to them and so the people may be said to receive them from the hand of the Minister that consecrates either mediately or immediately which may be the true meaning of that speech of Tertullian Nec de aliorum manu De Corona quam praesidenâ—ium sumimus nor we take them saith he from the hands of others but of our Presidents or Ministers but the clear Question will be Whether Christ did with his own hand give to every particular person into his hand the bread and the cup And Whether there were any words spoken particularly to every one in the delivery of them as for instance Take thou Eat thou Drink thou For the first Whether Christ did with his own hand deliver the bread and cup into the hand of every
as it is here Forsan at haec sunt vetus formula c. saith Cameron Haply that this was the old Rite but in the Jewish Rituals that are now as it is recited by Cameron in the Hebrew and by Scaliger in Greek it is somewhat diverse Scaliger de Emend lib. 6. pag. 536. Thus every one that is hungry let him come and eat and whoso hath need let him come and keep the Passeover 1. Take ye It is to be understood of taking in the hand for it 's not likely that Christ rose and put the Bread and Wine in every ones mouth saith Beza Epist. 2. Beza but as the Cup passed from the nearest to Christ to them more remote so it 's probable saith the same Author that the Bread also did There is a great stirre about the Communicants taking the Elements in his hand not as though if other wise the Sacrament was a nullity as Beza proves for a Bezain Epist. 2. man may have no hands to take it with but for the decency and significancy thereof The taking in the mouth only being more like that of Bruits which take their meat with mouth or beak as Chamier saith than that of men and there is a whole Chapter spent in reciting Antiquities for this taking in the hand in Chamier who saves me the labour to recite any of De Euchar. l 7. cap. ult them to you and this is all upon occasion of the Papists who take the Bread into their mouths and touch it not with hand out of a too superstitious veneration Beza Epist 2. of the Elements as Beza notes Nor do they of them that search out the footsteps of this custom rise any higher than about five or six hundred years ago The signification of it is the appropriation of Christ to our selves whom God makes ours by his gift and we make ours by faith even as truly as if he were put into our very hand They that make Paraeus in loe Taking and Eating divers Rites of divers significations as many of our excellent Divines do do tell us that there are divers degrees of faith that by taking Christ we have propriety in him He is ours by eating his Body and drinking his Blood we have comfort and refreshment from him and that he is first ours in claim before he be ours in comfort as first take then eat In the use of the brazen Serpent our beleeving was set forth by an act of our eye Joh. 3. 14. looking up but here 't is set forth by an act of ourhand retension or receiving the promise of Adoption is made to our receiving Christ Joh. 1. 12 and our faith must be a Christ taking a Christ-receiving faith Christ would be ours else he would not have instituted this Christ-applying Ordinance He came into the hand of murderers that slew him that crucified and wounded and dying he might be taken in the hand of thy faith faith like the hand hath a faculty of working and bringing forth obedience but like the hand again it hath a taking and receiving faculty which is the most excellent the justifying act of faith taking Christ Take ye is not a bare permission but a command it 's our duty as well as our benefit to receive Christ and consequently not to receive him is both sinne and misery §. 11 §. 11. Of Sacramentall Eating and Drinking Christs Body and Blood 2. Eat ye drink ye all of it Christ speaks and repeats often Joh. 6. the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood at which some of his followers took offence conceiving him carnally and literally which he told them were to be understood spiritually ver 63. There is a spirituall eating and drinking Christ his flesh and blood by faith only which is extra-symbolicall or without the Sacrament for that Doctrine was delivered a year or two before this Sacrament was instituted and it is such as without which ye have no life in you ver 53. which may not be said of all that never received this Sacrament but that spirituall eating and drinking is here symbolized as that flesh and blood is For the understanding of which let us neither be like the carnall Israelite that did eat Manna and drink of the Rock but neither saw nor tasted Christ in them nor on the other side let us be like the Capernaites Joh. 6. that had a gross apprehension of eating very flesh and drinking mans blood but rightly conceive the meaning thus 1. The first and not the least thing is this that This is the one and only Ordinance under the Gospel where eating and drinking are Sacred and Religious acts for in all the world among all sorts of men friendship fellowship communion are maintained and shown in feasting together eating and drinking together and our God never let his Church be without such an Ordinance wherein he and his people might testifie this fellowship and communion In the Law there was not only a Lamb rosted but in all their Shelamim or Peace-offerings they that brought them had part to feast upon and make good cheer as at all their feasts they rejoyced before the Lord God bidding thâ—m to his own Table to feed upon Sacrifices for they that eat of the Sacrifices are partakers of the Altar 1 Cor. 10. 18. Rev. 3. â—0 I will come in and sup with him and he with me Thus God entertains his friends invites them to eat and drink with him upon his own Sacrifices upon Christ the great Sacrifice It 's Gods own cheer provided for such Abrahams as are the friends of God What a favour and condescension of God is this What honour and dignity is dust and â—shes graced with to sit together and feast and have fellowship with God in an Ordinance of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of this Sacrifice Jesus Christ Nay and further yet It was a custom in Covenants making that the Consederates feasted eat and drank together therefore Birith the Hebrew word Covenant may come of Barah to eat and so still and further it is implied that this is a Covenant solemnity an eating and drinking of confederates together God smels a savour of rest in the Sacrifice of Christ and we eat and drink of that flesh and blood sacrificed unto God and renew our Covenant with him and he with us by mutuall feeling he to be ours we his I am so taken up with this that if no more be said I should be satisfied but there is more 2. That Christ is full and perfect nourishment of the soul both meat and drink Joh. 6. 55. My flesh is meat indeed my blood is drink indeed farre beyond Manna which yet was called Angels food as the substance is beyond the type sights may please the eye sounds or airs the ear but they are not so necessary as nourishment unto life life cannot be maintained without nourishment growing bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hypocrates growing Christians
stand in need of much nourishment to bring them up to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stature of a full Christ decaying Christians stand in need of nourishment to repair decaies Every life be it never so little must be nourisht so necessary is Christ to every Christian and still more of Christ for his meat is Christ his drink is Christ As nothing so necessary so neither so sweet and pleasant sights are pleasing to the eye and smels to the sense but nothing is so close and delightfull as the meat and drink to the sense of tasting Christ is sweet to faith as meat and drink to hunger There is no content comparable to the receiving of Christ He is Manna the best Bread and Wine the best drink The fruition of the joys of heaven is set forth by the pleasure of eating and drinking Luk. 22. 30. That you may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdome It was experimentally said of Galeacius that all the delights of this world are not comparable to an hours enjoyment of Christ Jesus 2. No act of ours could so well have signified the close and intimate union of Christ with a Beleever We may see at a distance and hear and smell but not taste nor eat nor drink the meat and drink is concorporated into us and is made flesh and bone with us Job 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwels in me and I in him Christ must be present to the faith of a Christian for we cannot eat and drink that which is absent This union with Christ is reall though mysticall and it is lively drawn forth in this Ordinance under the resemblance of eating and drinking We hardly conceive and hardly beleeve it but when we see the graft live we are sure it 's knit and we may be as sure of our union with Christ by his spirituall sap of Grace which we finde is in us 4. This command Take and eat goes before the pronouncing of the words This is my Body Aquinas saith it is a Hysteron Proteron but I shall not take his word let 's hear him speak that was present an ear witness an eye witness Matth. 26. 26 27. Take eat This is my Body Drink ye all of it For this is my Blood what stands this For for if drink ye did not go before This observation is noted by almost all Divines from Peter Martyr and Mr Hooker makes use of it thus That Christ is not present in the Elements but in the worthy receiver The order of the words shews it first eat and drink then it follows for this is my Body and this is my Blood an ingenious observation that cuts the hamstrings of the Popish or corporall presence in or under the outward signes as if it were a knife set in the Text to cut that intricate knot that makes such a garboyle in the Text when you take and eat by faith then is the Body and Blood of Christ present to you but not latent and hidden in the Bread or Cup The union of Christ is not otherwise with the Bread then as the thing signified with the sign but it is with the Communicant the Hooker Eccles Polit. p. 359. believer really though spiritually the sacramental signs do exhibit Christ but not contain him under them they contain not the grace which God bestows with or by them §. 12 §. 12. Of Spurious Rites and Gestures So have I opened to you the outward Elements the outward Rites or Actions of this Sacrament whether those of Christ or of the Communicant and these are genuine and proper by which the Sacrament is sutable to the Institution as for other Rites which time or superstition have introduced without example or command they are adulterine and spurious especially the adoration of the Eucharist upon opinion of the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ which whether it be performed at the elevation or lifting up of the host by the Priest in the Masse or at the circumgestation or carrying it up and down in procession in the streets as is usual in Popish countreys is no better then abominable Idolatry even by their own confession For Costerus saith That the bread-worship was the greatest Idolatry that ever was in the world If the bread be not turned into the true and natural body of Christ as saith a learned man Dr J. Burgesse Lawf of kneeling p. 113. upon my soul it is not and if the perswasion of Christs real presence in the Eucharist will by no means excuse their adoration from Idolatry much lesse excusable is any Protestant who is perswaded of the contrary As for other circumstances of the action as the time viz. at night in the close of the Paschal Supper the place an upper-room or chamber Mark â—4 15. The guest twelve in number Matth. 26. 20. The gesture which was discubiture or lying on couch-bâ—ds fitted to the Table which the Jews were at the Passeover by custom fixed unto as appears by the ritual In other Scaliger lib. 6. De emend pag. 534. nights we sit or lie on couches but in this we lie along These I say are moveables and not of the freehold of this Ordinance Nor shall I say any thing of the D. Burgess ubi supra p. 112. gesture which as it was used in England hath been an apple of contention and much written pro and con The Reformed Churches vary some sit at some about the Table some receive this Sacrament passing by the Table in order as in a Marah as in the Reformed Churches in France and I condemn them not and for those Divines of the Reformed Churches that disliked our gesture used here in England they did not many of them pronounce it simply unlawfull but inconvenient because it was a gesture of adoration and did not serve to pull the bread worship out of mens mindes nor was so sutable to this Ordinance which is a Table Ordinance nor to set forth that fellowship and communion which is exprest in eating and drinking with our Lord these were their reasons and I do not know that I have any occasion to debate the point but to leave it determinable by the Churches of God as may be most sutable to the Decorum and nature of this Ordinance for if I should some of you might haply say that I made a Funeral-sermon for meeting at Sacrament Having laid open the parts of this Supper let us upon the whole matter stand still a little and make Observation CHAP. VII Some Observations upon the precedent Discourses §. 1. NOte here the simplicity of this high and excellent Ordinance the feast is drest out in plainness and simplicity answerable to the simplicity of the Gospel as the Apostle cals it 2 Cor. 11. 2. Here is no outward pomp or ostentation no stateliness to take the eye for as gaudy attire becomes not mourning so this Sacrament setting forth the
reason why the Ancients so often called this Ordinance a Sacrifice which Chrysostom recalling himself saith Chrys in Heb. Homil. 17. pag. Grecat 856. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather the commemoration of a Sacrifice because they offer'd up their prayers and thanksgiving in the name of Christ the Sacrifice here commemorated for here is no real sacrificing of Christ to God that turns the Table into a crosse but here is the commemoration of a Sacrifice and a feasting and feeding thereupon by faith as men that are in covenant and fellowship with God CHAP. XIII A Lamentation for the neglect of this Ordinance NOw to the Use of this point The Lord hath left it in charge that his Church do celebrate this Ordinance in remembrance of him And §. 1. First We may bewail that great eclipse which hath befallen this Ordinance here with us of later years the like to which hath not been seen in England since it became Protestant the remembrance and memorial of Christ hath been even forgotten and the Ordinance of Communion been render'd as the apple of contention and division a matter of quarrel rather than of use the losse that is gained by this intermission or neglect or disuse or it is very great for we lose an inestimable benefit by it the solemn remembrance of Christ with the comforts thence resulting we lose a duty by it for Christ said Do this and is it not a great losse to lose so signal a note of the Church of Christ so great a benefit and the visible mischief hath been very great for hereby separation hath been mightily advanced the people like sheep wanting fodder at their own crib have scatter'd themselves to other cribs and pastures where they might finde sustenance and several communions have been taken up on the same reason that water being carn'd or stopt from this old channel findes out or makes other water-courses and leaves the other channel dry and the generality of the people by their too easie patience under so great a famine have given too sad an argument how easily they would part with all Religion that have so carelesly suffer'd the losse of so great a part thereof as this Ordinance is I know that we shall like Josephs brethren be ready to transfer the fault on others no man will own it and yet haply we are all guilty it but in this that the Apostle said to the Corinthians in another case 1 Cor. 5. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned For had not pride and envy discontent and security prevailed over us we might have mourned and lamented after or over this losse or eclypse and thereby have manifested not only a good disposition of heart in feeling the want of Ordinances but a very good sign that God would restore it and a good part of preparation in our selves to the due and orderly receiving of it the childe is either very sullen or sick that cries not for his bread §. 2 §. 2. The Occasions of the Eclypse of this Ordinance in our dayes If we look upon the reason or occasions of that great eclypse which hath befallen this Ordinance for so long a time and in so many places of this Land we might be long upon so unpleasing a subject but I shall but touch and so away 1. As I look upon God without whose hand this could not come to passe I acknowledge that when he brings a man or a Church into an incapacity of Sacraments as Israel in the wildernesse or as in that case then that a man was unclean by reason of a dead body or in a journey far off Numb 9. 10. and such like cases now There is a relaxation of this command for the time and either necessity or duty may dispence with our forbearance And I further say That God is just in punishing us with this losse or stroke for our abuse and contempt of this holy Ordinance in former times by shutting out those that were fit to be admitted meerly upon a ceremonious inconformity and compelling in upon penalty that by this test they might finde out Recusant Papists such as were contrary to their own rules sottishly ignorant notoriously wicked and therefore I conceive this storm may be upon us and this breach in this Ordinance for the Lord tels Israel that when in good intention they sought to bring up the Ark of God and laid it on a Cart which should have been carried on the shoulders of the Levites he made a breach upon them for that they sought him not after the due order 1 Chron. 15. 13. For God is severely holy in exacting of us the due order of his Ordinances as we may see in Nadab and Abâ—hu and in that great rule Numb 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me When we take hold of mis-shapen Ordinances put out of forme by us we take a knise by the edge and not the haft we cut our fingers 2. As for them of the Separation whose advantage it was and of some of them the design to have us broken that they might thrive as the people on the Sea-coast do by the wrack They I say while some were labouring and all were waiting for to have Gods order stamped by civil Authority not to give esteem or value to that which is of God but to make it more currant with us As the stamp makes not the gold more precious but more currant in common use While I say some were endeavouring this or haply some of you will say While men slept the envious man sowed his tares and took his opportunity of that long vacation as Israel did of Moses his absence in the Mount and they planted their battery here upon this Sacrament and cried down promiscuous Communions with all their might laying a good foundation That onely visible Saints are fit Communicants which is true as to the Churches Admission That real Saints only are worthy Communicants which is true too as to the inward grace or benefit but then as alwayes in such cases it is the superstructure was hay and stubble That Saints are only such as are of their making and judging And That they that are of their opinion or party though vicious in life and empty of true grace are Saints and thence come the several Communions and divisions moulded up together into several bodies for and by interests passions and worldly ends which I speak not of all for some godly souls might be carried away to enjoy this Sacrament in a Communion more pleasing to them as Aaron was in the businesse of the golden Calf and others were mightily taken with it who hardly passing for honest men at home in their own Churches were presently canonized â—or Saints All the Congregation are Saints every one of them saith Corah Numb 16. 3. 3. When I look upon the standing Ministers who should dispense the Sacrament I must plead this for them that while it is their intention and
universall and concurrent sense and consent of the Ancient Churches of Christ to the intent it may appear to be no new doctrine and so the odium cast upon it as upon an upstart or one of the new devices of this age by such as are too tender to their lusts and sinfull liberties may be taken off and though I reverence the gray hairs and despise not the custom of the Churches of God as St Paul saith ver 16. yet I make them not Dictators but Consuls only and that testimony they give shall be but in matter of Fact their own practice which those in our daies that set open too wide a gate to this Ordinance seem to take very little notice of And I begin with Justin Martyr who seems saith Bellar. to be the first of De Script Eccl. those after the Apostles times whose writings are come to our hand He in his second Apology saith That it 's lawfull for no other person to partake of the Eucharist viz. this Sacrament but such an one as beleeves the Doctrines taught in the Gospel to be true that is baptized for remission of sins that so lives as Christ hath delivered where you finde the three requisites of partaking in this Ordinance are Faith Baptism and good Conversation This is the most ancient Testimony of the custom of the Christian Church in his time and for that age fully stops the mouth of all contradiction For the Ages after this Authour both those that passed under the Heathen and under Christian Emperours I shall not cloy the Reader with citing the Testimonies of the Ancients by retale because there Cypr. Passe Tertullian de Pâ—nit was a form of Discipline or Government which obtained in all Churches Greek African Roman which with great consent prohibited access to this Sacrament unto two sorts principally 1. Those that were yet in the School of learning the grounds of Christianity 2. Those that having been reckoned among the fideles were for some great sinne put into the School of correction and these two sorts do answer those so much spoken of now adaies the ignorant and the scandalous I say there was a form of Discipline that took place as appears by that of Origen in his third Book against Câ—lsus so much magnified and insisted on by Blondell and it is this De Jureplebis pag. 94. That among the Christians there were appointed certain men to enquire into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lives and conversations of those that came to this Table that they might prohibit them who had committed finne forbidden from access to this publique Convention A clear place against them that will have none sequestred for a time from participation of the Lords Table 1. The first sort of which were such as having a minde to relinquish Heathenism and Idolatry yielded up themselves to learn the Doctrine and rule of Christianity and these were called Catechumenoi or hearers who were instructed and trained up to learn untill they had attained cum alique profectu convenienti Aug. de Fide Operibus some convenient proficiency to become compâ—â—â—tes that is to give up their names to be baptized till which they were alwaies dismist with Ite missa est when the faithfull went on to the Lords Table and the Officers thereto pertaining 2. The second sort were such as having been Communicants styled Fideles in opposition to the Catechumeni and Stantes in opposition to the Lapsi did afterwards lapse or fall into Heathenish Idolatry by offering to Idols and these were thurificati renegates or else they gave money to be excused from that abhorred act professing themselves Christians but they would buy it out and these were called Libellatici or they were traditores such as in Dioclesian's Forbes 649 c. 646. cruell time delivered up their Bibles to the fire or they fell into some atrocious and notorious sinne Heresie Whoredom Drunkenness Murder c. and these were sequestred from the Lords Table and put to the School of repentance called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Balsamon the stairs or degrees of correction which were four through which they passed with weeping and sorrow some longer some shorter time till they were reconciled to the Church and so re-admitted to the Table Cyp. Epist 28 38 39 52. Cypr. de Orat. Dominica Yea and after the date and danger was out of being compel'd to offer to Idols in the times of Christian Emperours Chrysostom charges the Ministers under him that if they knew a man to offer himself to the Table that is a gross and open sinner they should prohibit him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. though he be a Lord Generall though a great Commander though he wear a Diadem as Ambrose forbad and interdicted Theodosius And if you say saith he I dare not do it then tell me of him Homil. 83. in Matth. and I for my part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. will part with my life before I will allow him the Lords Board 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us stave off all notorious persons absolutely Was this a copy of his particular zeal or rather a testimony of the ancient Discipline the vigour of which being drowned in the dead sea of Popery yet even therein the rubbish or skeleton thereof is seen by the Doctrine of their Schoolmen and by the Council of Trent which requires of necessity to a man in mortall sinne that he that will come to the Concil Trid. do praparat ad Euch. cap. 7. can 11. Mass must premise Auricular or Sacramentall confession and pennance for they also have their preparation to the Sacrament such as it is As for the Lutheran Churches they have an exploration of all what they understand of this Sacrament and before the Communion a certain confession of sinne which Chemnitius cals paenam institutam And as for Chem. Exa de praparat ad Euchar. the Churches of our Confession you may reade their Confessions and Books of Discipline and be satisfied I will instance only The Church of England English Liturgy Rubrick before Commun and after Confirmation by rule whereof no notorious and obstinate offendour might be admitted nor none that had not their Catechism perfect which are the two points of ignorance and scandall If this rule had been followed and this Law put in execution the practice would have been no new thing in England as even the old rule is now by some accounted I conclude with that which one argues as out of the common rule of the Church in Austin's Epistle ad Januarium Austin Epist 118. Epist 118. That if there be such a course or force of sin in any man he is to be removed from the Lords board by the authority of the chief and put into the School of penitence till he be reconciled to the Church And so much be said of the evidence of Fact as appears in the rules of the Churches both
ancient and later both corrupter and purer not that I or that I wish any else to be absolutely swayed by this Authority for there may be errour in the practice of the Church yea errour universally received as in that of giving this Sacrament to infants upon that ground Jeh 6. â—3 Except ye eat the flesh c. ye have no life in you and yet it was the practice of the Church so to do both in Cyprians and Austin's time but I prove the evidence of Fact by this Argument otherwise not to be proved at all and I do not expect that any should condemn so ancient a practice nor think they do but rather do conceive that the bottom of the business is the disrellish of that Authority by which it is to be done Bucephalus will be ridden by none but Alexander and it was the saying of Cardinall Matheo Langi concerning Luther That the Church of Rome the Mass the Court the lives of Priests and Friers stood in need to be Reformed but that a poor rascall Monk meaning Luther Heilin Geog. in Bavaria should begin all that he deemed intollerable and not to be endured §. 6 §. 6. The evidence of Scripture The second evidence is that of Scripture which is first in dignity but I put it second because it justifies the Fact for the substance thereof and here it is confest that no Turk Jew Infidell is debarred by reason of his Nation for Scythian and Barbarian bond and free are all one We are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 1 Cor. 12. 13. and have been made to drink into one Spirit and therefore the word of the Gospel lies open to all Nations and people without partition wall such as between the Jews and others of old time but the barre lies in point of Religion for if they lie in their Idolatry and Infidelity though they may come to the Word yet not to the Table of the Lord. Who are to be kept from the Sacrament 1. The Jews that serve the Tabernacle and stick to the old Service under the Legall shadows are excepted We have an Altar or rather a Sacrifice Jesus Christ our sin-offering whereof they have no right to eat Heb. 13. 10. that is no right of Communion with us or Christ The place is difficult but easily cleared by Levit. 6. 30. for as the Priests that served at the Altar had no right to eat of the flesh of the sin-offering whose blood was brought into the Sanctuary but burnt it must be without the Camp so the Jews that hold to the Legall service have no right of eating the flesh of Christ whose blood was brought into the Holy place of heaven virtually and his body suffered without the gates of earthly Jerusalem thereby signifying that they were discommended that hold to the Legall service 2. Heathens and Infidels are excluded from this Table because they are extraneous and without so they are called 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge or censure them that are without they are without the gates of the Church not obnoxious to the Government nor allowed the priviledges of it and they that are without the gate cannot be admitted to the Table untill they come in and be members of the family 3. All unbaptized persons are excepted by the order of our Sacraments whereof Baptism is first for insition and implantation into the Body of Christ and the Lords Table for further coalition and growth this order is confirmed by the use or business of the Sacraments the one being of Regeneration and so first the other of Communion and so the second See 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit are we baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one spirit first baptized and then made to drink which order the Church of Christ hath held from the beginning as it 's said by Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. After the new Convert is thus washed we bring him to our meetings where the Eucharist is 4. Those that are under a present incapacity of performing such antecedaneous acts of preparation or which are to be exercised in the act of communicating provided that this incapacity be visible as I may say or manifest unto us as in infants ideots stupid ignorants bruits in the shape of men who though baptized yet are not capable of discerning the Lords Body or of examining themselves who seem to be excepted ver 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat and drink And so I know a mad man may have lucid intervals and a poor ignorant soul may be brought to know the letters and spell the first syllables of Christianity against either of which I would not shut the door but if the ignorant cannot be gotten beyond sottishness and stupidity nor got out of his obstinacy in blindness I should be very unwilling to let him runne blinofold down the precipice or leave the door open for him to fall into condemnation not that I envy him a benefit but pity his downfall which I ought to hinder or at least not to help forward and I may say of such an one as the Apostle of the Law Rom. 7. 13. Shall that which is good be made death unto him God forbid Especially considering that the Apostle having said Let a man examine himself and so let him eat doth in the next words come on again ver 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body As for infants though the Churches of ancient time admitted them after Baptism to partake of the P Martyr in Musculus de caena Lords Supper for some hundreds of years and one or two of our Reforming Divines speak somewhat favourably of it yet the ground they went upon Joh. 6. 53. that otherwise they had not salvation is disclaimed by all both because that Chapter speaks nothing of Sacramentall or Symbolicall eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood and also was delivered by Christ a year or two before this Sacrament was born into the world and because there is so much activity and exercise required in a Communicant as viz. to remember the Lords death to shew it forth to discern the Lords body to examine ones self to judge ones self therefore is that ancient practise obsolete and as by tacite consent deserted and in room thereof we admit now not by their years for a man of threescore may be a childe in understanding and a childe in years may be a man but by their discretion and knowledge in the mystery of Christ and if the Parents or Pastors care the blossoming of grace and pregnancy in the childe were answerable to my desires I should as I am for great reasons be foreâ—â—ly admissions of them as namely that the benefit and refreshing of this Ordinance might curb the over-growth of the sins and lusts of youth
Mr Selden De Synodecis p. 254. saith If Judas that had a deliberate purpose of betraying Christ had of himself therefore gone forth because he was so unworthy certum ipsi laudi fuisset verily it had been a credit and commendation to him to have forborn and indeed there would appear some conscience in such forbearance whereas there appears nothing but blindness boldness pride custom c. in a dangerous intrusion I cannot encourage men to forbear this Ordinance nor allow the excuse of those that flatter themselves in such forbearance by their sinne as I have heard some they cannot come to the Sacrament because they are not in charity Sinne may be an impediment but it is not an excuse if you be in manifest and flagitious sinne ye may not come but that sinne excuses not for you ought to finde a third way that is to repent and lay aside your sinne that you may come Let a man examine himself and so let him eat saith the Apostle As in the Marriage feast Matth. 22. he that came without his wedding garment was cast out and they that pretending excuses came not are said not to be worthy v. 8. What then is to be done this third to have a wedding garment and come too Instance a drunken servant that forbears to wait at his Masters table because he is drunk but yet that is no excuse for he ought to be sober and wait also And this answers a captious fallacy or objection which may be made by some There is reason that the Church should forbid openly criminous persons from access to the Lords Table 1. It would be not only contra veritatem but contra charitatem to make such partakers of the holy Supper They are the words of Learned Grotius Grotius de imperio p. 229. who cannot be suspected to speak partially in this cause but to speak the sense of Antiquity Against truth for the seal saith he is not to be applied to him to whom the thing signified manifestly belongs not and therefore in the Churches of old it was wont to be proclaimed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy things to holy persons And Chrysostom shews that one with a loud and terrible Homil 17. ad Hebr. voice pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for pearls are not to be cast to swine Against charity it is to suffer a blinde soul that discerns not the Lords body to fall into the pit which we have left open No mother would suffer her childe to eat that which may be poyson to it no shepherd would call his sheep into such pastures as will certainly rot them no friend would put a sword into the hand of a furious man no Physician would reach water to an Hydropick that eagerly thirsts for it It was charity as well as duty in that Jehojada 2 Chron. 23. 19. that set porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was unclean in any thing should enter in The diseased or dropick man is angry and frets sore against those that keep water from him but they are his best friâ—nds that do it 2. The admittance of ignorant malitious unclean scandalous drunkards blasphemers and such manifest works of the flesh of which it 's said that those that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. 19 21. will render the Lords Table a common Ordinary a common lane a common shore and fill the Church of God and the society of Saints with all prodigious lusts and heresies as if it were a stie of unclean swine and what an ulcerous body would that Church be where such a common liberty doth reign when so many spots should be in your feasts of love Jude â—2 so much old leaven to leaven the lump by their example when as the Apostle in the case tels us a little leaven would do it and therefore purge it out saith he purge out 1 Cor. 5. 6. that leaven while it is little For as when the multitude a major part of a Town or City becomes infected who shall shut them up Si contagio peccandi multitudinem invaserit saith Austin then farewell all censures And therefore if any shall encourage the Church to keep as I may so say open house in this Grotius de imperio pag. 233. case doth little less considering the corruption of men that would account such a liberty a warrant than if I should counsell you to plant weeds in your Garden or bring stones into your Vineyard 3. This would give occasion and advantage to separation and put into the hands of men an argument to withdraw from such society and communion and to rend themselves off from the body so corrupted not that I justifie separation upon such ground as I intend to shew hereafter for the people were blame-worthy that abhorred the offerings of the Lord for the wickedness of Eli his sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 17. and yet their wickedness was to be abhorred which gave the occasion Wo be to him by whom the offence cometh The Matth. 18. 7. mouth that blasphemeth the truth and way of God is wicked but the sin of him that opens that mouth is also to be condemned We are told Ezra 6. 21. that all such as had separated themselves from the filthiness of the Heathen of the Land came to the Passeover and if we separate not from the filthinesse of the Heathen there are many that will separate from the filthinesse of the Church and we shall in vain call them back into a house infected with the plague when once they are broken out 4. The Church hath little or none other way as the Church to keep the holy things from being profaned to correct the sins and lapses of her children Ezek. 22. 26. to preserve it self from being gangren'd to defend and wipe off scandals but this way of privation of priviledges and calling of the peccant from her Communion shutting this door against rebellious children and what should the Church have done all the while the Civil Magistrate gave no assistance if they had not used this power of their own to maintain themselves free from scandals and heresies and to keep the credit of their corporation which otherwise would be the most contemptible corporation in the world and of no better credit than Algier or any City of miscreants for if God have deposited his Word and Ordinances with his Church and committed them to it the case is hard if they might not put to the door against unjust invaders of her priviledges as if one should commit a Vineyard to be kept and not allow a hedge to be made about it Now all men know that almost all the coercion or correction that lies in the Churches hand is the debarment of priviledges of the Church that is of the Sacraments for the Word lies open to all as the outward Court to all comers and as for civil punishments they are neither proper nor the Churches
the rod belongs to Moses And whereas it may be said The Church hath the word of God and by that they denounce judgement declare sinne wound the profane prohibit the unworthy from this Table I grant it and it is a necessary and proper means but withall I say If a City or Common-wealth have Laws proclaimed and expounded and penalties set forth and declared but no execution of any restraint or punishment no power to correct or punish I need not tell you how full we should be of thieves and felons for all that Thus much be said in confirmation and maintenance of my general Position That the Lords Supper is a barred Ordinance which I have endeavoured to make good by evidence of Fact by evidence of Scripture and by evidence of Reason for the satisfaction of your scruples if any be and the settling of animosities Much more might have been said and argued upon the point For if the very Heathens in their idolatrous Sacrifices by their light of reason did no lesse as appears by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Callimachus Callimachus and Procul ô procul este profani in Virgil Away away all you that are profane If both Heathens and the Church of God had some that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 survey the Sacrifices that they had no blemish that might disable them from being presented to God If in the Olympick games or masteries Chrysost hom 17. ad heb the Crier made Proclamation If any man come out and accuse this Coâ—batant or Antagonist that he is a thief a slâ—ve c. being a dishonour for a Gentleman a Free-man to enter lists with such a fellow If the old Druids in France had a form of Excommunicâ—tion Caesar Commentaries out of their Society and it was accounted a mighty punishment If the Essens a Sect among the Jews in Christs time had it in use to cast out of their Society such as were offensive as Josephus tels us If the Synagogues had a form of dissynagoguing offences Grot. de imp pag. 232. though they abused it as all Church-censures are when they spare the carrion-Crows and vex the Doves I say if all this and much more why then should this be accounted a new and unreasonable either Doctrine or practice I end this point with a request That every one of you would rather labour and study to prevent all occasion of using this course than to remove the old Land-marks §. 8. Who may not be denied this Ordinance The second general Position is this That though Thesis II. this Sacrament be a barred Ordinance denied to some yet it cannot be denied to any baptized visible Professour of the Gospel but upon such grounds and in such manner and order as God hath appointed or allowed And this takes off the odium and terrour of the former point This settles and quiets all mistakes of them For God is not the Authour of confusion but of order and peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. Let all things be done in order ver 40. And therefore the Apostle when he had enjoyned Timothy To rebuke them that sinne before all that others may fear 1 Tim. â— â—0 doth in the next words lay a serious charge upon him To observe these things without preferring one before another and to do nothing by partiality Would you call that a well-govern'd City a well-order'd house or rather a Cycleps den where every one may cast out another and he himself as the Rabbies in the latter end of the Jewish State ridiculously excommunicated one the other As promiscuous accesse is not to be allowed so neither promiscuous denial As one may intrude and usurp the Lords Supper rashly so he may be as rashly forbidden As there is an ignorant and scandalous rushing in so there is an ignorant and scandalous thrusting out The door may be open'd and shut both errante clave If I say that a gangren'd leg or arm may and must sometimes be cut off Doth it follow that for every sore before healing plaisters be used we must runne to the Knife or Axe Or if I say a robber or murderer may be put to death must I therefore have him to the next tree without further trial or judgement The case is plain but particularly handled thus 1. It cannot be denied to a repentant sinner one that doth renew his purpose of amendment and after his fall with Peter bewails it bitterly whatsoever his sins have been for which he hath been punisht or censured Repentance doth dissolve the bands and pull away the barre from the door repentance prevents the punishment I le cast them into great tribulation except they repent as it prevents so it restores a man as Ezek. 18. 30. Repent so iniquity shall not be your ruine This was the Novatian rigour and errour they would not allow lapsed Christians that had fallen into sinne the benefit of repentance and restoring to the holy Table but leave them to Gods mercy for to the peace and communion of the Church they must not return But the Orthodox Churches did allow repentance to be medicinal Yea the very Church-censures were not intended to be mortal but to be medicinal viz. that sinne might be destroyed but the soul saved 1 Cor. 5. 5. and here is a difference between civil sentences of death and Church-censures If a man be condemned to die for felony his repentance doth not acquit or restore him from the sentence of death but it restores a man to his Church-priviledge that had lost it it is Tabula post naufragium like a plank or board after a Shipwrack which saves from drowning him that gets to it Object Some may object That this is an obvious and easie Engine to open any door that is shut for if a man make a verbal profession of his repentance and say I repent of my sins and that is to my self you know not my heart I demand my right Answ The Discipline of the Church is not to be exposed to mockery nor is it a meer external Pageant I will know saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 20. not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power Hypocritical and superficial expressions signifie nothing but the powerfull work of grace and regeneration which changes the heart and because the Objection may be made by some ex animo intending to shew with how easie a word as Nollem factum or I repent to blow the door open to himself therefore I answer it That though I should rest in a serious profession of faith and repentance which is not pull'd down again by a wicked life or scandalous sinne As Philip rested in it when the Eunuch answer'd him I believe that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Act. 8. 37. and so was baptized yet when a man lies under the charge of our censure for some scandalous sinne the case
that he must rise from the Table while the Paschal Supper was eating which Paschal Supper and the Lords Supper was as it were all one to them not distinguisht but by the signification put upon the bread and wine just when they were delivered being indeed the Paschal Rites and no other viz. materially and therefore I see not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may signifie as it doth Matth. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seed in stony places sprung up forthwith not so soon as sowed but by reason of shallownesse of the earth and heat of the rock sooner then ordinary seed and so Judas went out forthwith not before the end of the Paschal Supper which was also the end of the Lords Supper both being at once and concluded by one hymn but before the long speech Vasquez Tom. 3. Disp. 217. cap. 2. which was continued after Supper by Christ John 13. Joh. 14. for he left Christ and the other together in the room and before that last Sermon was gone about his intended plot and this as it is the common so also as I suppose the true opinion which is hinted as the consent of the Church of England in the Exhortation before the Communion where you finde these words If any of you be a blasphemer Confessio Belgica of God an hinderer or slanderer of his Word an adulterer or be in malice or envy or any other grievous crime bewail your sinnes and come not to this holy Table lest after the taking of that holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he enter'd into Judas and fill you full of all iniquities and bring you to destruction both of body and soul But this example pleads nothing for admission of openly notorious and scandalous sinners for though Christ knew Judas yet his sins had not yet scandalously broke forth and therefore he was present as a secret sinner of whom there could be no just accusation nor evident proof and so no object as yet of any ecclesiastical censure in an ordinary and orderly Tom. pars 3. Qu. 81. way as Aquinas saith 4. No private trespasse against a private scandal given to a Christian brother is the immediate object of this debarment from publick Communion for in such cases there is an order viz. The golden Rule of Christ is to be observed Matth. 18. 15. Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he hear thee thou hast gained thy brother if not then take one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be establisht If yet he hear not or neglect Tell it to the Church The businesse here to be done is not so much to resarciate the damage or injury done to thee or to make him pay what he owes that belongs to Westminster-Hall not the Church but to gain a brother to repent that 's the work And here we may complain of a great neglect of this duty of private reproof or admonition Men would have their private offences brought upon the publick stage at first dash they expect the Church should proceed to do their work at first instance they forget that Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him The Church would have lesse to doe if this course were held the matter would be stopt the offendour gained by this private plaister which if it do the cure what need we go to the Chyrurgion Men have their own private plaisters and untill the sore rankle they call not the Chyrurgions to counsel Men are apt to runne to the Church or Minister with private whispers and what can they do by Gods Word upon private whispers just nothing go and do your own duty Let Christs order be observed He will not have a member of the Church made a Publican or Heathen at first dash there are three neglectings to hear before that be If he hear not thee If he hear not two or three If he hear not the Church but if he do hear thee then no end of bringing two or three If he hear two or three then no telling of the Church If he hear the Church then is he no Heathen or Publican unto thee How rashly and passionately do many separate from the Church because she cannot doth not cast out her members upon their private whispers let them go and seperate also from the Commonwealth because she doth not banish or put to death upon private information Do they neglect their own duty to their brother and will they make the Church a Heathen and a Publican to them for not doing that which by Christs order they cannot do 5. The proper and adequate and immediate object of this debarment from the Communion of the Church is a scandalous person that holds either a course or hath committed the act of a scandalous sinne And what call you that It may be explained thus 1. Some atrocious or grievous sinne of first magnitude If any that is called a brother be a fornicator idolater covetous c. 1 Cor. 5. There is a list with an Et catera Gal. 5. 19. where they are called Works of the flesh and they that do such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God As also 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor fornicatours idolaters adulterers abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners and such were some of you These the Papists call mortal sins they bring scandal on the Church provoke God blot out our comfort waste the conscience c. but there are quotidian sinnes of daily incursion common to all godly men infirmities which like little flies are not to be knockt down with so great a hammer whose absolute cure can hardly be expected or performed by such as are subject to the like passions themselves divorce or banishment are too great but for such offences as are directly contrariant to the respective societies of marriage or Commonwealth 2. It must be an open and manifest sinne else it is 1 Cor. 5. 1. not scandalous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is reported commonly fornication and such fornication Chrysostom saith he speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning manifest sinnes when he charges his Ministers to admit no scandalous offendour Now to render a sinne manifest or notorious I suppose first it's requisite 1. That it manifestly be a sinne and this is quaestio juris for a thing may be commonly cried down under the name of an enormous crime and yet indeed be very doubtfull I instance usury where the Question is What it is Then Whether this in question be usury Then Whether all usury be sinfull For there are great names of learning and godlinesse who upon considerable reasons do deny it 2. That it be manifest that the sinne be committed for it
it be said of me as Cicero said of Cato His opinion of and affection to the Commonwealth is excellent good but he is offensive Quia loquitur tanquam in Repub. Platonis non tanquam in faece Romuli because he speaks as if he were in Plat◠his Commonwealth not as in the dregs of Romulus So you may say that I speak as if I was in the Primitive Church and not in the dregs of corruption which profanenesse and superstition have brought in upon us but notwithstanding the Clock that goes false must be reduced by the Sunne-dial and not that by the Clock that erres We may justly complain of and bewail the evil genius of the times and men that if they can hear novelties every Lords-day from some ambulatory Preachers and they also can vapour up and down with two or three Sermons calculated to serve any Meridian do not either look for or prize a setled condition of Ministry and Sacraments in the Church but rather cry So would we have it Let every man do that which is right in his own eyes and we little think that so many breaches and distractions are amongst us because we seek not the Lord after the due order It was an old complaint that the coming in of the world into the Church was the decay of Christianity while Emperours were Heathen and persecutions of the very name Christian were frequent the Discipline was vigorous when men came in to Christianity with no other resolution than to suffer for it and made account to save nothing by it but their souls the Discipline was able to keep them in compasse but when Christian Emperours came in and set the broad gates open to the world then they throng'd into Christianity for fashion interest preferment as all do now upon custom example education and hence is the decay and corruption of Discipline Atheists Epicures Libertines every one under form and colour of Religion providing immunity and impunity for their own lusts which having said and thereby pointed with my finger to the sore which I cannot heal I shall answer to the Question §. 2. 1. The strait is great where there is not a just and orderly power to separate or sever the precious from the vile to deny their bread to children or to cast the childrens bread to dogs and there will be found a great deal of self-denial necessary in this case The affirmative command of giving the Lords bread to his children and the negative command of not casting pearls before swine are both to be observed and the only expedient that I know is that both Minister and people do the duty of their place without usurpation of further power than they have by Gods warrant and then all will be as well not as it might but as it can as it was in Hezekiah his Passeover in the second moneth 2 Chron. 30. Many in the Congregation were not sanctified vers 17. Many came out of the Tribes of Israel which had not cleansed themselves they did eat the Passeover otherwise than it was written vers 18. Here you see it was not so well as it ought but it was as well as it could at that time and therefore Hezekiah pray'd The good Lord pardon every one that prepares his heart to seek God though he be not according to the purification of the Sanctuary and the Lord healed the people vers 20. And therefore to speak more particularly to the point I cannot counsel but bewail the intermission of the Lords Supper in such Churches where there are a number of worthy Communicants at least visibly though there be no power of juridical exclusion of the unworthy The Helvetian or Switzerland Churches claim to be Churches and have the notes of Word and Sacraments though this order of Discipline be not setled among them and I am not he that shall blot out their name There is an expresse command Do this and a very great obligation There is an excellent benefit of this Ordinance which if it stirre up the thirst of Gods people to desire or rather claim it at the Ministers hand I see no ground for the refusal I know the Sacraments of ordinary use were intermitted in the wildernesse wholly or mostly and they were recompensed with extraordinary 1 Cor. 10. but that arose on another occasion than this I speak of for alas How many Churches in England or if you will good Christians in them shall everlastingly be deprived of this high Ordinance and the benefit of it shall lie under the temptation of separation shall lose this mark of a Church and shall in effect be equally debarred of this Communion with Christ as wicked men are and that also not for any default of theirs but for their unhappiness of being planted in a Vineyard that wants a wall or hedge §. 3. 2. A particular Church having administration of the Word and Sacraments is not bound alwayes to want a hedge pale or door unto the Supper of the Lord in case the Civil Power is not pleased to intermeddle or interpose in these affairs but are as I conceive bound to use all warrantable means to preserve their society from infection and scandal and the Ordinance from undue invasion by giving up themselves to such inspection as God hath entrusted it with and themselves have chosen and by associating themselves with other Churches of God that the unity may be preserved of the body of Christ for the Arch is firm by the mutual support of the stones and their joyning to the top-stone For the Church is a body or society with which God hath deposited his Ordinances and given it power to meet and assemble themselves together for performance of them and it were a wonder that they should not have a power of exercising them in a right manner I do not arrogate unto the Church any the least power of outward force or coercion for that belongs to him that bears the Sword who if he do not give effect to the censures of the Church yet they have their effect by the consent of the Church it self Ex Disciplina confederata as they say which is that by which he that consents to be of that body is subject to the Laws and Rules of it and is cut off if he prove a rotten member To give light to this point How stood the Discipline of Synagogues from which I am apt to think our Christian Churches took much of their pattern They had a power to discommon their own members and it seems to me that their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or agreement among themselves was that which gave effect to their censures Joh 9. 22. And what is the government of Colledges Corporations and petty Courts in Countrey-villages where the by-Laws and amerciaments and penalties are by agreement north warting the municipal Laws of the Commonwealth He that will enjoy the priviledges and freedoms of such a body must be subject to the Rules and Laws of that society and
so the Christian Churches under Heathen Emperours could do no more but disfranchize their own members from the priviledges of the Church of which body they had by their own consent come in to be members and so submitted themselves to them The Emperours gave not this power to the Church but God who gave them his great Charter to be a City and Corporation of his own did eo ipso give them this power without which they might be a Cyclops den or chaos but not a regular Society And upon this ground as I conceive the Apostle reproves the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. 1 Cor. 5. for not doing those things to prevent scandal which they were impowred and enabled to have done as a Church of Christians And if any man had been of such stomack or disposition in those times as not to have cared a straw for those Church-censures so long as the Civil power toucht him not in purse body liberty it was enough to proclaim him fitter for to be a Heathen than a Christian For it 's admirable to consider as it is most evident That a Church censure a Suspension from the Communion of the Church wrought more sorrow and trouble and heart-breaking than the fire and faggot of the persecution In conclusion and upon the whole matter as he said of the Romans they must redire ad casas return to their poor shepherd cottages again So I say that in case of this necessity when the Civil power contributes not assistance or furtherance to the Church she must consider the case of the primitive Churches and what intrinsecally belongs to her to do as a corporation or body of Gods making with no other power of self preservation from scandals of members but purging them out nor from injuries of forreiners but suffering §. 4. 3. Every particular member of the Church ought to withdraw or refrain from such conversation with a scandalous brother as may either give occasion of scandal to others or infection to himself The Apostle allows civil commerce or entercourse with Heathens and Infidels if we live among them and the bonds of natural and civil relations or duties must not be violated on pretence of Christianity but an arbitrary familiar and intimate society or fellowship with them that live or act scandalously doth but soil our selves harden them offend sober Christians It 's a caution much inculcate in Scripture Withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly 2 Thess 3. 6. Have no company with them that they may be ashamed vers 14. Turn away from such wicked formalists as have no power of godlinesse and under the form of it are so wicked 2 Tim. 3. 5. With a brother that 's scandalous no not to eat 1 Cor. 5. 9 12 Them that cause divisions and scandals mark and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. These and the like expressions some Learned men draw into consequence to prove that which we know rather the name of than the nature of the thing Excommunication Others understood Grot. do Imp. p. 231. by them Nullum actum privato majorem no act greater than private avoidance of company which is that I now speak of For in the primitive times when the Heathens observed of Christians how they loved each other and when the Christians had in use certain remarkable testifications of this love by their feasts of love and holy kisse c. It was a mark or note of reproof and shame to be shunned and avoided by the brethren for scandalous sinne and it was medicinal to him that was so avoided and in that regard a duty in conscience and charity to be performed and I would that all distances created amongst brethren by passion and envy were reduced to this then we should finde that though we had not power to separate an offendor from the Church yet the separating of our selves from him would work much good and be in some measure an Excommunication For it is certain that a great part of the effect thereof lies in the non Communion or withdrawment of the people from him that 's scandalous and as certain that if we flatter and encourage the sinnes of men by our samiliarity and fellowship Excommunication it self would be but a lost Ordinance and of no effect For it is my opinion That if Excommunication greater and lesser as they are called was in full proportion reduced into practice yet except the people that are members of the Church did make conscience of imparting their fellowship to such as were cut off it would be little better then a wooden dagger and rather serve to create passion and fury than humility and shame in them § 5. 4. The Ministers duty is by Doctrine to declare the sinne and danger of undue intrusion to the Table of the Lord which is a ministerial prohibition of the unworthy a comminatory seclusion though not juridical a power of the Keyes And this is openly denied by none who speak out of conscience and not unreasonable lusts The Apostle in this Chapter takes this course in terrible expressions pronouncing and denouncing judgement to the unworthy other holy and famous Worthies of the Church in their generations do rather thunder than speak Better that a milstone was hang'd about his neck and he cast into the sea than that a man with an impure conscience take and eat this morsel saith Cyprian or the Authour De Caena and so Chrysostome pours out himself in his Homilies and Sermons on this point with great sharpnesâ—e and accounts this which is done with the voice a seclusion or keeping of men back Hom. 13. ad Hebraeos and so it is and Pag. 467. Homil. 83. in Mat. Hom. 86. ad pop Antioch Tract 62. in Jo. Amb. ad Heb. 10. may justly be called for it is a ministerial prohibition of the unworthy Chrysostom compares this sinne with theirs that slew Christ Austin sinne of Judas Ambrose with the sinne of the Jews Basil makes the Question Lib. 2. de Bapt. cap. 3. Whether it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without danger to come not purged from filthinesse of flesh and spirit and answers it by the unclean persons coming to holy things making that uncleannesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typically to denote moral uncleannesse which I rather note for his sake that slights this Argument And therefore let all Ministers be stirred up to use this prohibition the more and the rather when other is wanting in discharge of his duty to God and mens souls which though it be not better liked than the practical seclusion yet men are more patient under it I hope out of conviction of conscience and not because they may notwithstanding this lie still in the croud without that particular mark which the actual seclusion sets upon them § 6. 5. The Minister that dispenses the Sacrament by giving it into the hand of the Communicant may in this case with more reason suspend his own act and withdraw his hand from one that he sees
after their separation from Aegypt but this separation is moral or foederal God cals them propounds the terms of his Covenant they professedly submit and acâ—ept Exod. 19. 5 8. and now they are separate set apart sanctified by dedication unto God and his service and are called no more Heathens Infidels but Saints Gods people believers Christians or the like §. 3. Secondly All that are thus separated by their professed submission unto and acceptance of the Covenant are not true members of Christ or of his body All the people when God did but generally propound a Covenant to them professed with open voice their yeeldance and the Lord acquiesced in it Exod. 19. 5 8 9. and the same people when they heard the particular Laws of that Covenant profest again they would do them Exod. 24. 3. and so it became as we say Done and done on both sides and yet he that should affirm all these though newly baptized to be truly regenerate were very wide of the truth for there are many reputative members that are in the visible Society and fellowship of the Church and it's Ordinances that are but Jews outwardly and they are saith the Apostle no Jews and yet they are circumcised and eat the Passeover and communicate in Ordinances and if we will not be captious in words are true members of the visible Society yet no members of Christs mystical Body nor yet can they be dispossest by us of their right unto Ordinances for we have no judgement of their spiritual and inward Estates nor any Command nor any Rule to dispossesse them nor any example of God himself who lets the corn and chaff lie together in area and separates them locally in horreo as Austin speaks and this body howsoever consisting of members heterogeneall yet being taken together in grosse or in the lump hath very sublime and honourable compellation both in the Old Testament A holy Nation a Exod. 19. 5 6 c. Kingdom of Priests Gods special treasure and in the New The Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 25. 1. for so the Gospel net that contains both good and bad is called and so the whole knot of wise and foolish Virgins and yet it 's plain that in this Kingdom there are children that are to be cast out and scandalous persons for Doctrine and them that work iniquity for Practice that are to be gathered out at last Mat. 13. 41. §. 4. Thirdly Whereupon we grant That it 's rare and hard to finde a visible Church in any Age or time that was without corruption or mixture of good and bad in it They that talk of purity of Churches may more easily finde in the world a body that hath never a frecken or spot than a Church without corruption and yet both a body and a Church be beautifull for all that The Scripture gives us a perfect delineation of the Church as it ought to be in Rules of faith and holinesse but yet shews us plainly that it being Gods pleasure that the Net should gather both good and bad and the servants inviting to the marriage did bring in both good and bad it must needs be consequent that many of those that are called are not chosen That all that are of Israel are not Israel Had not this mixture served more to Gods glory even the glory of his inwardly discriminating grace it is likely it had not been So that as they say of the Hebrew Greek Latine these Languages may be pure in books but hardly to be found purely spoken by any Nation now in the world so are the rules of faith and life pure and perfect in the Word and yet not so perfectly observed by the visible Church And if a man suppose that a number or Colony of really holy persons might be pickt out of the Churches and embody themselves into a Church Are they sure this would be answerable to their fancy Did not the Donatists dream so of themselves And what may one think of their children in time Doth not the purest seed we sow come up with straw and chaff If they hold Communion with the visible Church Is it not all one If they do not Is it not worse and more clearly without warrant §. 5. The Church may be corrupted many wayes in Doctrine Ordinances Worship and this I account the worst because it is the corruption of the best as the corruption of bloud that runnes thorow all the body the poisoning of Springs and Rivers that run thorow a Nation is worse than a sore finger in the body or a ground of thistles in the Nation and there are degrees of this corruption the Doctrine in some remote points hay and stubble upon the foundation the Worship in some rituals or rites of mens invention or custom How many Scripture Churches do ye finde thus corrupted and yet no Separation of Christ from the Jewish Church nor any commanded to the godly of Corinth in the Provinces of Galatia or those of Asia in the Revelation I must in such case avoid the corruption hold the Communion Hear them in Moses chair and yet beware of their leaven but if corruptions invade the fundamentals the foundation of Doctrine is destroyed the worship is become idolatrous the leprosie is gotten into the wals and substance of the house and which is above all If the Church impose such Laws of their Communion as there is necessity of doing or approving things unlawfull or I am ruin'd and undone then must I either break with God or men and in that case Come out of Babylon The Churches of Protestants so separated from them of Rome it was a necessary and just Separation the Lawes of their Communion were ruinous to the soul if we hold it to the body and life if we held it not § 6. In summe then and in conclusion of this part about Doctrine or Worship which is but upon the bie to the Question If a corrupt Church as Israel was have their Ordinances according to the patern in the Mount If it may be said as Peter to Christ John 6. 68. when some Disciples separated themselves Thou hast the words of eternal life If as Christ said in matter of Worship John 4. Salvation is of the Jews than as he said Whether shall we go Why do we separate And yet I would not be mistaken by the simplest man as if I accounted it separation if a Christian hear a Sermon or receive the Sacrament in another Congregation For he that takes a meal at another Table doth not thereby separate from his own house or if a Christian at liberty to dispose his dwelling shall remove and sit down under more fruitfull Ordinances I account not this secession a Separation no more than if being sickly and having not health in the City he remove his seat into the Countrey for purer air because in so doing he removes from the City but renounces not his freedom therein nor disclaims in like
proportion the Communion of the Church §. 7 §. 7. Of Separation But now to the point of Separation because there is found not kept in the Communion of the Church but not cast out of it some scandalous for life and conversation visibly unworthy of the Ordinance of the Supper For let it be granted that in Adams family there be a Cain in Noahs a Cham in Christs a Judas and if Cain go forth yet Adam doth not Noah doth not Christ doth not Let them be separated let not me separate my self Let the wicked be discommon'd not the godly for the godly are in the right and may stand in it as a man at his own table in his own house or in his own ground If others that ought not do intrude it 's they that must be excluded for they are trespassers not he that 's owner and in his right It 's very true say you but they are not cast out I answer There may be sufficient cause to cast out obstinate sinners and yet not sufficient cause for me to leave the Church I finde that God accepts of such that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in Jerusalem Ezek. 9. 4. That God commands us To have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but reprove them rather Ephes 5. 11. That he wils us To withdraw from them that walk disorderly and commends it 2 Thess 3. 6. That he bids his people Plead with their mother plead Hos 2. 2. These are duties for private Christians to performe in this case but I finde not that they must separate from Communion in Ordinances upon that cause For I pray you consider 1. Haply there is no Rule in the Word or no proof by sufficient evidence of the fact or no competent Authority by which such a sinner as thou instancest in may be cast out And shall this be done disorderly Shall one disorder be rectified by another 2. Thou for thy part hast no power to cast him out and every member must not usurp and snatch the power of Excommunication to himself for thên as he usurps the Sacrament so thou usurpest the Keys he unworthily thou unlawfully 3. It may be the sinne of the Church that such are not cast out but is that sinne a just cause of thy Separation I have a few things against thee thou hast them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam thou hast them that hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans saith Christ to the Church of Pâ—rgamus Revel 2. 14 15. Thou sufferest that woman Jezabel to seduce my servants and commit fornication saith he to the Church in Thyatyra vers 20. but upon the rest that are free I put no other burden Hold fast till I come But where is any separation commanded in this case Not any And for the Church of Laodicea whose temper was so loathsom as her self is threatned to be spued out from which saith Mr Brightman who would not think of flying very quickly meaning by his parallel the Church of England yet because Revel 3. 30. The Lord stands at the door and knocks is present with and by his Ordinances to all in this Church therefore doth that holy man mightily inveigh against their wicked and blasphemous errour so he cals it that fell away from this Church Will they be ashamed saith he to sit down there where they see Christ not to be ashamed Are they holier and purer then he Can they deny themselves to be believers in Christ before their separation from us Came it not by our preaching c Adi locum And indeed the Argument is considerable If God afford his Communion with a Church by his own Ordinances and his Grace and Spirit It would be unnaturall and peevish in a childe to forsake his Mother while his Father ownes her for his Wife Fourthly The presence of wicked men at Gods Ordinances pollutes not them that are neither accessary to their sinne nor indeed to their presence there If the Ordinances be polluted by the unclean to themselves it is polluted not to me He shall bear his own burden He eats and drinkes damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11. 29. I come to the Sacrament it is my duty and my right Shall I sinne in separating from Ordinances because he sinnes in coming to them and the Church sinnes in not excluding him The wickednesse of Eli his sonnes made men abhor the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. but they transgrest in so doing shall I go forth from the marriage-feast having a wedding-garment because one comes in thither without it Must not I offer my gift at the Altar because another comes thither that should first go and be reconciled to his brother Shall I leap out of Noah's Ark because a Cham is in it Shall I separate from Gods children in Communion of Gods Ordinances when it is not arbitrary and at my liberty to do so because I see a sinfull intruder and do my private duty by mourning that such a one may be taken away from among us 1 Cor. 5. 2. and yet perform my publique duty also And therefore to avow Separation upon this ground is §. 8. 1. To maintain a principle destructive to the communion of the Church visible which is a body moulded up of Jews outwardly and Jews inwardly as I may say and if one part destroy or pollute the communion of the other part is not all ruin'd Let a man but conceive in his minde How this principle pursued would in the time of the Jewish Church have rouled and rooted out all visible Communion in Ordinances out of the world And if one incestuous person not cast out at Corinth had polluted the communion of the whole Church and some one like sinner in another had done the like had not all been polluted and a ground of separation laid through all points of the Compasse till we had separated through the whole circle 2. An adventurous and bold assertion that carries farther than we are aware for why then did not Judas being to Christ a known wicked man pollute the Communion to our Saviour at the Passeover and Supper And why did not the wicked Jews pollute Christs Communion in the Ordinances of God in that Church And how could all the holy servants of God and Prophets in the Old or the Apostles and Christians in the New escape this pollution it being well known that there were hypocrites and such as being vitious under forme of godlinesse as 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. which remain'd in Church-communion 3. A great mistake for it grows hence that as Parmenian said Si corruptis sociaris c. If you be Lib. 3. c. 21. joyn'd or associate with corrupt men how can ye be clean And Austin answers True If we be joyn'd in society with them that is commit sin with them or consent or favour them in sin but if a man do not this Nullo modo sociatur he is no way joyned with them for it 's not