forth Free grace as Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 Mat. 11.28 1 Tim. 2.4 Io. 6.37 with the like tell me when the Gospel offers Christ or when Christ offers himself grace which are the things signified thus freely to poore ☞ Sinners how can we have the Conscience to turne them away from the Signes and meanes thereof in this Ordinance For my Reasons The first and chiefest I draw from the nature of the Sacraments The Sacraments are Verbum visibile a visible Gospell A declaring of Christ crucified A Memoriall of the Covenant made by his death that is ☞ The Sacraments set forth Christ to the eye as the Gospell does to the ear the same matter is presented in both only to divers senses and therefore the same latitude must be granted to them both in their administration Upon this ground me thinks I stand as upon a Rock against which all Objections like waves do but dash themselves in pieces Look into the 1 Cor. 11. we find Christ in the words of Institution ver 25. telling us The bread is his Body the Cup is the bloud of the New Testament and the whole action an ordinance in remembrance of him Now the Apostle comments on this in the 26 verse For as oft as you doe it you doe shew forth sayes he the death of the Lord whereby you see plainly what is his judgment of our Saviours Institution whatsoever you may thinke of it and that is to be a declaration shewing or holding forth his death or Covenant made by his death unto the Receivers This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this annunciation or shewing forth is taken from the Jews Exo. 1◠26 27. who were to instruct and declare the matter to their children at the Passover so Christ is here shewed forth as the matter of the Sacrament set forth I may say of God Rom. 3.25 as a reconciliation through Faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins alike in the Word and Sacrament You have a place may fully expresse this for us O ye Galathians Gal 3.2 before whom Christ hath bin set out as crucifyed among your This expression may be well applyed to the Sacraments which doe so shew forth Christs death that they describe him crucifyed unto the sight and set him out unto the eye that which the word declares him to the hearing Now if there be any to whom the matter of the Gospell may not be declared if there be any to whom we may not or cannot shew forth the death of Iesus Christ if there be any stand thus excluded from the Church that without her mitigation we may not tender to them the Covenant it is they and they alone can be debarred from the Sacrament To this end we know the Sacraments are counted Signes and Seales and Seal indeed as Signes now wherein is this but as they signify or represent the new Covenant to us ratified in the bloud of Christ Understand it thus A man covenants with a Landlord about a purchase for his children at such a price the price being paid the bargain is establisht This done he requires a writing wherein the whole agreement is expresly declared unto this writing the Lord puts to his Seale to witnesse the confirmation and so it is deliver'd for his posterity Iesus Christ does thus make a purchase for us his death is the price he layes down to God for it for conveyance of this purchase the writing that is drawne is the Gospell and the Séale put to this writing is the Sacrament both of which must goe to make the publick Instrument firm that is to testifie the vatification of it and so it is delivered for the use of the Church More fully thus A Prince by intercession of a Favourite sends forth a Proclamation of Grace to Rebels upon condition of laying downe their arms and coming in to him unto which he sets his own Seal for their assurance This Prociamation is the word of reconciliation preacht which runs conditionally to all The Seal annext is the Sacrament now can it be imagined there is any to whom the Proclamation belongs without the Seale Is not the Seal publick as the contents of it And so will it not be plain that as we offer the conditions thereof to any so likewise may we and must we the Seal upon their desire to confirm them to come in and submit unto them Thus we see the very nature of the Sacraments is as Seales to a Writing to be but necessary appendices of the Gospell To conclude this first reason then let me adde force to it briefly in these foure considerations 1. That we find that the Gospell is to be preached to every creature and a Baptizing them which on the same ground includes this Sacrament with it joyned as largely in the same Commission 2. That as the Gospell is to All so it offers Christ freely Now can any avouch that a poor Soule may take Christ freely without qualifications which is true in regard of any precedent merit so there be a present giving up himself to him sincerely as his ☞ Lord and Saviour and yet let none but such as are qualified to their mind be Admitted to receive him at the Sacraments Is Christ offered as a free gift in the Word and must we not come without our price and money to this Ordinance Why this is even as they conceive of Iudas who being about to sell our Saviour went out to make his bargaine at the Supper 3. That the Gospell-way is the best way to bring in Soules unto Christ Let a Man be fully convinced of the free grace of God in Christ his heart can stand it out no longer against his conversion Now when the word is preached the Covenant opened and the Seale too applyed this Message of reconciliation comes in its ful vertue for the working this conviction and faith unto Salvation 4. That the Gospell is a peaceable Gospell an Embassy of Peace now how shall this peace be kept if where it comes it goes to making separations at this Ordinance may a poor Soule say O Lord Iesus Christ though I cannot lay claim unto thee as a Saint Ican as a sinner I meane as a wounded sinner whom thou camest to save and shall none but Saints apparent be suffered to come unto him hither In a word is the Gospell peaceable converting free universall What is the Gospell but a declaring Christ Crucified and what is the Sacrament in the Matter and Contents of it but the very same if Paul can tell us what it is 1 Cor. 11.26 therefore there ought to be a free admission to it as to the Gospell †My second Reason I draw from the nature of the visible Church The visible Church is a number of such as make profession of Iesus Christ and so are Saints by calling whatsoever they are in truth the essentiall marks whereof whereby it subsists as visible is the Preaching of the Word
the Covenant it self is of Epidemicall concernment and so far belongs to all that it is to be tender'd freely and offer'd to them that whosoever doth receive it may have the benefit of it Rep. But what right doth this give him to the Covenant Answ As the Sacrament is a shewing forth of Christ with a tender of the Covenant in his bloud there is an open free generall right to it for all that will come in to Christ Let me beseech you mark this distinction There is a double right here observable A right of Obligation and A right of privilege For the right of Obligation in the Ministers offer of Christ freely and the peoples receiving him in his own terms I doe avouch a universall right to every Ordinance Isa 66.23 they being dutyes of worship which is of universall command and this often primitively once a week though for the right of privilege in any to enjoy the sweetnes comfort efficacy life and benefit of them I acknowledge it a prerogative belonging onely to the Saints and Elect of God Now put case a poor soule should stand in doubt of his right to this Ordinance that yet fain would come to Jesus Christ Let him say Lord my heart is humbly afraid of my unworthinesse yet seeing I come resolving to give up my Soule to thee and it is our duty to come in at this Supper This Right of Obligation shall be my warrant to bring me in and then Lord I hope thou wilt let me find the Right of Privilege too in thy due season O my God Put case again A godly heart should rise at the conceit of a wicked person receiving with him Let him think presently thus though there is a neerer Right unto my soule blessed be the mere free grace of God yet there is a right of obligation to every one I ought not to be offended with any the Lord sanctifie it to them for their conversion the knowledge of this distinction may do very much to allay the troubles of many judgments and more Consciences in this controversy Object 6. The Sacrament is not a converting Ordinance we preach to all to convert them but wâ—e may Administer onely to the regenerate to confirme them Answ Unto this Objection because it is so much urged give me leave to use some words I doe acknowledge Divines doe usually distinguish of a Sacrament of Initiation and Confirmation ingeniously attributing our new birth first to Baptisme and then our nourishment and encrease unto the Supper and so they make a converting Ordinance of the Word and Baptisme the laver and meanes of regeneration a confirming one only of this Sacrament although I take a grant of the one to be a sufficient medium to prove the other But under favour unlesse we take this only in regard of the visible Church into which 't is true Baptisme alone does incorporate us we must understand it not after a rigid form of speech and Idiome of truth but after a more solute and ingenuous conception that is it is such a notion as holds full enough to be handsomely spoken but holds not so strictly as to build arguments on it otherwise the ingenuity thereof will trip up their judgement It is a rule therefore worthy here of our knowledge that in divinity we often give an indefinite denomination to things as they are most eminently inclined as for instance in indifferent things which are indifferentia ad unum when they incline more to evill in the use than to good as many harmlesse recreations we condemne them indefinitely as evill though in some cases they are warrantable Ec. 3.4 And I may happily with right circumstances lawfully use them So whereas this Sacrament doth more emminently incline to be and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most usually confirming and more seldome converting they do aparte eminentiori denominate it indefinitely a confirming ordinance onely And indeed this is true when it is taken in respect of the same persons whom we supposing to have been converted by the Word and Baptisme already the Supper is and can be only a confirming Ordinance unto them without question But as for others who we conceive not yet converted and so humbly coming hither for conversion I doubt not as there is no Scripture to the contrary so there is no reason but as the Word and Baptisme do confirme as well as convert so may this Sacrament convert as confirme according as God gives forth his grace to the Condition of the Receivers There is therefore an error to answer directly in this Objection about the nature of the Sacrament which being as we have shewne a visible word holding forth Christ and the Covenant to the sight is converting as the Gospell doing the same to the hearing for if the Centurion believed only by seeing Christ corporally on the Crosse if the contemplation of the Creature sacrifices sight of miracles have been means to some of their religion and conversion we cannot doubt but the eyes may much more spiritually instruct us here in the melting objects of Christs passion redemption and tender mercies outwardly represented seeing we hope the working of the spirit too by virtue of an ordinance ☞ Let the World Answer Pauls argument To shew forth the death of Christ 〈◊〉 the means of Conversion The Sacrament is the shewing forth his death 1 Cor. 11.26 Therefore as it does so it is undoubtedly converting Hence I observed in the words of institution there was a Take and an Eate two words a Take for such as have not Christ a word of grace to convert those and an Eat for such as have already received him to nourish and confirme them For put case a morall man taken for a good man yet unregenerate is and cannot be refused to be admitted hither The man does his best to prepare himself and so comes do wee thinke now to such a man the Ordinance is necessarily fruitlesse and can have no worke on him then God help us Shall not his examination confession prayers meditation with all the Ministers exhortations be more solemnly conducing now to worke grace in his heart and to convert him this being the way of the spirits motions then the bare preaching of a sermon Especially seeing the word doth not only precede but accompany and is a very part too of the Sacrament Accedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum But put case further a poore soule much humbled in the sight of his sinnes that cannot yet be able to believe and close with Christ comes hither hoping to meet with this favour here well the word of reconciliation is freely opened the free mercies of Christ set forth and all this while it hath not happily this effect upon his heart yet when he comes to see the truth of all this sealed with Gods owne seale Christ freely offered and peculiarly received of him in the Sacrament his soule by all these heavenly wires is catcht taken drawn and even enforced to a
John speaks of the Passeover Supper as the other Evangelists but see the first verse of Iohn 13. with verse 29. and it is exprest Before the feast of the Passeover Supper being ended as if he should say As for the Sacrament Supper at Passeover the other Evangelists have fully spoken but there was a Supper a little before where there was remarkeable these passages they have omitted and so he relates a washing the Disciples feet and other things that were not to be done at the solemnity of the Passeover but the feet were to be shod then the like gestures quite contrary Ex. 12.11 But if as some say those passages which noted their hast out of Egypt were not obligatory when they came to the Land of Rest yet so large a circumstance as is here mention'd of Ioh. to be introduc'd of Christ at that time is not probable See Io. 12.1 There Christ came to Bethanie six days before the Passeover whereabouts he stayed that time going sometimes to the City to preach Mar. 11.17.19 and back again it being neer the Mount of Olives which he did then frequent Luke 22.39 In this space he rode to Jerusalem on an Asse and came back at night Mar. 11.11 Now this night happily or thereabouts was this Supper John mentions where Iudas having received the Sop went from thence to agree with the Priests the Devill then putting it into his heart Luke 22 1-4 When the Passeover drew neer mark it Then entred Sathan into Iudas and he went and communed how he might betray him Then when it drew neer that is about a night before or just two nights comparing this with Mat. 26. 2.14 Mark 14 1-12 So that it could not be at the time supposed that is manifest Now on the morrow or two dayes after this Christ went from this Bethany again to Ierusalem which was some 2 myles thither it being the day of the Passeover Whether Christ kept it the same night with the Iewes I need not controvert seeing he kept it certainly the first day of the Feast Mat. 26.17 Exod. 12.16 and the time when the Passeover was to be kill'd Lu. 22.7 Mar. 14.12 â—here according to the Law he eat that Supper with the Twelve and instituted his own Mat. 26.26 Now here was Iudas amongst the rest sitting together with them at the Table till all was done Luke 22.21 And when they were risen Christ with his Disciples going again to the Mount of Olives Iudas stole away happily in the dark to fetch the-Officers according to his agreement and betrayed him So that Christ forewarned his Disciples twice of Iudas Treason the night or two before by giving him a Sop with which the Devlll entred his heart at first to set him upon his bargaine and here at the time of his own Supper with a like Item again by dipping his hand with him in the dish A like I say not the same for St. Iohns giving him the Sop is not the same thing as not at the same time with Saint Matthew and Marke's dipping in the same dish That I say being before the bargain while it was to doe Io. 13.27 this at the very time of accomplishing it being already agreed and so in effect done Mat. 26.24 As for many learned mens thoughts about the Sop and the Supper whether there was one two or three this night I leave onely as conjectures wherein they may erre as they have done in this and so not to be built upon and forasmuch as Iudas was at Table by the testimony of 3 Evangelists me-thinks their witnesse should be sufficient for his receiving but when it shall be considered too that the fourth is so far from saying any thing against it that he sayes nothing of this supper at all they having sufficiently done it already I hope this objection will trouble Folkes no more As Christ offers himselfe to those that refused him You will not come unto me that you may have life I would have gathered you and you would not As Christ converses with those that could not profit you understand not 10.8.43 because you cannot hear my words And as Christ when he preaches to all freely sayes He that hath ears to bear let him hear So does he administer this Sacrament to Iudas amongst the rest and so doe I administer it to all saying He that can receive Let him receive it Object 8. Unworthy Receivers are guilty of Christs blood and eat their Damnation therefore wee must not allow a free Admission Answ Unto this I shall speak First on the Churches part and Secondly on the Receivers 1. For the Churches part I mean the Admitters if the term takes place with us and Joyners I do verily beleeve let men urge what they will this can never be made any way to concern them There is a generall command Doe this every one is to examine himself and to come worthily if they doe not they receive their own damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Cor. 11. 29 they receive not ours who doe our duty as we are bound and leave others unto God Rep. But you will say If another should be taking a cup of poyson shall not we be partakers of his bloud if we doe not hinder and and forbid him Qui non vetat c. I answer besides that we have no Quum possit it is a wonder to me any religious man should compare this Sacrament to a Cup of Poyson seeing it is in its own nature a Cup of Blessing and if it prove death to any as Sin may take occasion from the Commandement and slay us through their owne impiety it is more than we can know or ought to judge seeing God is able to make it as it is a Cup of Salvation even to the worst Let us act with charitable thoughts and leave the successe to God Even as Paul in his preaching who in 2 Cor. 2. tells us It was the savour of death unto some ver 16. yet must he preach it in every place ver 14. because it was neverthelesse a sweet savour unto Christ in those that perish'd as in those that were saved ver 15. So say I of this Sacrament we must doe our duty and administer freely knowing God will make all his ordinances a sweet savour to himself whether it be of life unto life or death unto death to any of us 2. For the Receivers part there is a double duty A principall Doe this And an accessory Let a man examine himselfe We are bound to come and to come worthily If a man failes in the one and is not sufficiently prepared I dare not say that must keep I am sure it will not excuse him from the other This is certain those dreadfull expressions of being guilty of Christs bloud and drinking damnation are to make men take heed that they prepare themselves and come worthily but I cannot think they are to affright any man from the Sacrament There are 3 Quaere's therefore I