A Sober Discourse OF RIGHT TO Church-Communion Wherein is proved by Scripture the Example of the Primitive Times and the Practice of All that have Professed the Christian Religion That no Vnbaptized person may be Regularly admitted to the Lords Supper By W. Kiffin a lover of Truth and Peace Act. 2.41 Then they that gladly received his Word were Baptized and the same day there were added to them about three thousand Souls Deut. 5.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath Commanded you you shal not turn aside to the right hand or to the left Col. 2.5 Joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ London Printed by Geo. Larkin for Enoch Prosser at the Rose and Crown in Sweethings-Alley at the East End of the Royal Exchange 1681. TO THE Christian READER WHen it pleased God of his free Grace to cause me to make a serious inquiry after Jesus Christ and to give me some tast of his pardoning Love the sence of which did ingage my heart with desires to be obedient to his will in all things I used all indeavers both by Converse with such as were able and also by diligently searching the Scriptures with earnest desires of God that I might be directed in a right way of Worship and after some time concluded that the safest way was to follow the Footsteps of the Flock namely that Order laid down by Christ and his Apostles and Practised by the Primitive Christians in their times which I found to be that after Conversion they were Baptised added to the Church and Continued in the Apostles Doctrine Fellowship Breaking of Bread and Prayer according to which I thought my self bound to be Conformable and having continued in the Profession of the same for these forty years although through many Weaknesses and Fears Temptations and Sufferings yet not without some Witness from God of his gracious Acceptance and Strength to this very day The sence I have of my own Weakness and Inability would have been a Bar to me to appear in this Publick way did I not see a necessity lying upon me for the Truths-sake and the sakes of many by reason of some that have lately risen up to weaken if not make void that great Ordinance of Baptism by indeavouring to maintain that all persons that Believe although they never did nor do Practice the same may partake of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper and all other Gospel instituted Duties A Notion not only Contrary to the Primitive Pattern but the Constant Practice of all that ever professed the Christian Religion or that own the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practise and it would be a happiness to the Christian Religion if all that Profess the same did in other things agree as they do in this namely that none ought to be Partakers of the Lords Supper but such as have been Baptised those that differ in this matter from them would be found to be as few in Number as they are Weak in Argument and although I am well satisfied that the performance of all Duties and Ordinances will be of no value to any man further than Christ is injoyed in them the very Gospel it self Severed from Christ will prove the Administration of Death 2 Cor. 1.21 The Powerfulest Preaching and the clearest Discourse of the free Grace of God hath no Life in it unless the soul be led by the Spirit to Christ who is the Life of all Duties Knowledge of the Truth and Obedience to it in outward performances will as little save a mans soul as the Covenant of Works Yet every man that hath an interest in Christ is bound by the Word of God to be obedient to all his Commands It was the great Commendation of Zacharias and Elizabeth That they walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless the Ordinance of Baptism is none of the least the very Foundation of Religion being comprehended in the Form thereof as appeareth at large by the Worthy and Learned Dr. Owen in his Book of the Divine Nature and Personality of the Holy Spirit pag. 50. viz. All things necessary to this purpose are comprised in the solemn form of our Initiation into Covenant with God Matth. 28.19 Our Lord Jesus Christ Commands his Apostles to Disciple all Nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost this is the Foundation we lay of our Obedience and Profession which are to be regulated by this Initial ingagement pag. 51. No sence can be afixed unto these words but what doth unavoidably include his Personality we are alike Baptised into their Name equally submiting to their Authority and equally taking the Profession of their Name upon us Again By being Baptised into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost we are Sacredly Initiated and Consecrated or Dedicated unto the Service and Worship of the Father Son and Holy Ghost this we take upon us in our Baptism herein lies the Foundation of all our Faith and Profession with that ingagement of our selves unto God which Constitutes our Christianity this is the pledge of our entrance into Covenant with God and of our giving up our selves unto him in the solemn Bond of Religion And concludes in pag. 52. If the Doctrine of a Trinity of Persons subsisting in the same undivided Essence be not taught and declar in these words we may justly despair of ever having any Divine Mystery manifested unto us I leave the Reader to peruse it at large If this Ordinance of Baptism be the Pledge of our Entrance into Covenant with God and of the giving up our selves unto him in the solemn Bond of Religion and we are hereby Dedicated unto the service of the Father Son and Holy Ghost then must it of necessity be the First Ordinance before that of the Lords Supper We may as well conclude a man may go into a House before he Enters and a man may be paid for his Goods and afterwards receive Earnest as any may lawfully partake of the Lords Supper before he is Baptized And if we are sacredly Initiated and Consecrated or Dedicated unto the Worship of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as that Text Matth. 28,19 sheweth we are and take this upon us in our Baptism and thereby owning the Spirit to be God equal with the Father and the Son as that Faith which is to be exercised by us in all other Ordinances than the admitâ—ing of persons to the Lords Supper and other Instituted Duties before they are Baptised doth greatly weaken this main Argument of the Spirits being God at least in the Practice of these Gospel Duties for from what Scripture will it be made appear that he is so to be owned in them if ye partake of them before or without being Baptised if this be laid as the Foundation of all our Faith and Profession which are to be built
upon in all our Profession if it be omited the structure must needs be weak we had need rather to have our Faith strengthened in the belief of so great and essential a Truth as the Divine Essence of the Spirit is by the use of all means appointed to that end Mr. Francis Cheynel in his Learned Treatise of the Divine Trinity Printed 1650. pag. 258. quotes it as the Judgment of Iraeneus Tertullian Athanasius Basil and others of the Ancients That the Principal Fundamentals of the Christian Faith is Contained in the Form of Baptism and founded on Matt. 28.19 And in page 185. tells us If any man in Athanasius 's time asked how many persons Subsist in the Godhead they were wont to send him to Jordan and there you may hear and see the blessed Trinity Matt. 3.16 in pag. 381. God the Holy Ghost is to be obey'd we are devoted to his Service in Baptism And pag. 430. In Baptism we Christians are devoted and Consecrated to the Belief Worship and Service of God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost By which we may see what Esteem the Antients had of that Ordinance and great Reason there is for every Christian to be found in the Practice thereof seeing they are thereby Baptized into Father Son and Holy Ghost as the first Foundation of our visible Profession of Christ for as Repentance is the Visible initiating grace so Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance as the first initiating Ordinance I have for the satisfaction of All indeavoured in the following Essay to clear this truth both from Scripture and Example as also to produce the Judgment of the Learned in all Ages As for our Modern Divines you have their own words set down faithfully by me and as for those who are more Ancient I have requested a Friend to Translate the same which I doubt not but is done Impartially And although I may expect to meet with Censures from some who will be ready to charge the Truth herein with Vncharitableness and to be of a dividing Nature yet I can with comfort and sincerity of heart in the Presence of God declare I have no other design but the preserving the Ordinances of Christ in their purity and Order as they are left unto us in the holy Scriptures of Truth and to warn the Churches To keep close to the Rule least they being found not to Worship the Lord according to his prescrib'd Order he make a Breach amongst them neither are you presented with any new Opinion but that which hath been the Judgment of all that have Professed the Christian Religion in all times so that what Censure any shall make upon it respects not us only but the servants of God of all Perswasions in all Ages and for my self as I have a witness in my own Conscience so I doubt not but I have the same also with those that know me that I have made it a great part of my Duty as I have had opportunity to persuade all Christians to Love and Peace to avoid judging and reproching each other under their differing Perswasions to turn their Heats and Passions which hath greatly abounded in our days one against another into Prayer and Supplication 〈◊〉 for another that although they differ in their Light it may not make any breach in their Love He that knows most of the mind of God knows but in part for who art thou that judgest another mans servant I shall trouble you no farther but leave the perusal of this small Essay to thy serious consideration Thine in the Service of Christ W. K. ERRATA PAge 7. line 23. read Waldenses p. 13. margent for supra r. frustra p. 18. l. 8. r. practisers p. 35. l. 20. r. dispensed p. 47. l. 19. dele of l. 24. for at r. until p. 57. l. 5. r. The Rule p. 70. l. 11. r. principles p. 75. margent l. 4. r. that they p. 83. l. 14. r. Suspiciens p. 85. l. 15. r. Catechumens p 86. l. 11. r. Yet the. l. 23. r. except p. 89. r. Baptism for p. 89. r. 87. for 92. r. 90. for 93. r. 91. for 96. r. 94. for 97. r. 95. where line 9. r. But. l. 11. r. Baptizing p. 97. l. 11. r. Initiation p. 108. l. 1. r. Judgment p. 109. l. 23. r. of Christ Commonly p. 110. l. 18. r. consequence for p. 211. r. 112. where l. 24. r. to joy in beholding last l. r. none p. 118. l. 16. dele others p. 132. l. 11. for first r. later p. 136. l. 19. dele to p. 140. l. 21. r. choice of l. 22. r. inforce p. 148. l. 10 for sheet r. street p. 153. l. 12. r. by the. p. 158. margent l. 9. dele one Law p. 144. last l. for But r. By. Litteral escapes and mispointings are left to the Candor of the Reader to Correct or Pardon THE PREFACE WHat was Praise-worthy in those Primitive Christians to whom the Apostle Paul writes 1. Cor. 11.2 Can be no Blemish but really a Duty in other Christians in after times to imitate his words are I praise you Brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you our Translation of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Word rendring it Ordinances is excepted against by some Papists especially Gregory Martin reputed a great Linguist in the Rhemish Seminary who would have it Translated Traditions to countenance the Romish Opinion to which shall be opposed that the Greek Word signifies indeed Tradition that is in English a Delivery viz. of Doctrines Ordinances Instructions or Institutions 2. Thess 2.15 by those Evangelical Preachers to their Auditors which is nothing else but the Doctrine of the Gospel first Preached which is of the greatest and highest Authority and afterwards committed to writing by the Evangelists and Apostles as standing Records to future Ages so that any Traditions besides what is written are justly to be excepted against and in matters relating to Divine Worship to be esteem'd Apocryphal Because a Delivery of Transactions or Doctrines by Ancestors to Posterity by word of Mouth is liable to many mistakes and uncertainties by reason of the different constitutions and circumstances of men who frequently introduce that Authority to colour their Inventions or the product of their imaginary Fancies with respect to Divine Matters Though it is very apparent that such a Rule is not at all self-evidencing for it cannot prove it self nor is it Demonstrative for it has no certain Medium to Convince nor Universally True in all times and places because Reports vary every where neither is it Unerring being no where stampt with that Character and lastly not Plain for no doubting person can possibly examine all Traditions Now these are some of the properties of a General Rule to try Controversies by which being wanting in Oral Traditions the word cannot here be understood otherwise than by Ordinances or Institutions of the Gospel * So
regularly be admitted to the Communion of the Lords Supper is denied from these Reasons 1. Because this Opinion tends to destroy the Nature Ends and Uses of these Gospel Ordinances The nature of Baptism is Spiritual when rightly Administred Was it not submitted unto by the Primitive Christians Was it not the first Act done by them after their Conversion Act. 2.41,42 Whereby they became visible Professors of the Gospel of Truth which figured their Death Burial and Resurrection with Christ Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 Is it not an Institution stampt with as Divine a Character and as Sacred a Sanction as any in Scripture All Nations taught being to receive it and being of the same duration with Preaching submitted to by Christ himself before he entred upon his Publick Ministry which is the most Illustrious Example in the World witnessed unto by the Renowned Worthies of all Ages Now that this Ordinance being of that quality enforced by so great Authority submitted to by such Examples and serving for such gracious ends as to be the Symbol of Regeneration in which a Believer is made a Partaker of those Divine Conveyances those communications of Grace and increasings of Faith promised by the Lord Jesus to his sincere followers should be put in danger of being quite abolisht and the practise lost by an unseasonable and mistaken apprehension and that by such persons as own Baptism to be as here represented is a matter something strange and 't is to be feared will prove in the consequence of ill Effect not only to this but the succeeding Generation if they that Espouse it should go about to propagate this new Principle to prevent which if it may please the Divine Will to bless these lines was the only end of this Essay and that purely out of the Zeal I have to preserve as much as in me lies the Ordinances in their purity as they were delivered to us by Christ for we all know what a vast trouble and hazard the Reformers and indeed many that are alive at present had to Rescue this as well other Truths and Ordinances from the Ridiculous Additions of Sanguinary Persecuting Romanists under whose Captivity it groaned for some Ages To enforce what is said I shall endeavour to shew here some of the ill consequences of this Opinion and the small reason our Brethren have to propagate it though I still reserve much to the Chapter of Objections where their Reasons will be more largly reply'd to 1. This Opinion has a direct tendency to invalidate or indeed quite throw out of doors and discontinue the use of a Foundation Ordinance or Principle of the Gospel of Christ Heb. 6.2 For if Unbaptized Persons may be admitted to all Church Priviledges does not such a practice plainly suppose that it is unnecessary Supra sic per plura quod sieri potest perpâ—…ciora for to what purpose is it to be Baptized may one Reason with himself if he may enjoy all Church Priviledges without it The Baptists if once such a belief prevails would be easily tempted to lay aside that reproached Practice which Envious Men have unjustly derided and aspersed of being dipt that is Baptized and challenge their Church Communion by vertue of their Faith only and such as Baptized Infants would be satisfied to discontinue the practice when one they are perswaded that their Children may be Regular Church-Members without it for if it be superfluous discreet and thrifty People would willingly be rid of the trouble of Christning-Feasts as they call them and all the appurtenances thereto belonging so that in a short time we should have neither old nor young baptized and by consequence be in a likely condition to lose one of the Sacraments which would easily make way for the loss of the other both having an equal Sanction in Scripture and the Arguments that disanul the one will destroy the other and consequently all Ordinances and Modes of Worship and lastly Religion it self For if a thing expresly commanded and practised by Christ be lookt upon as unnecessary every man will conclude that 't is all one whether he takes or leaves it and will if he can choose rather leave it since the taking it up is somthing troublesome and of no use as is supposed which begets an Opinion That Christs Laws may be dispens'd withal by men and so lessens that Reverence and Esteem which persons ought to have for Christ and when such do once make a Breach in those Boundaries Limits which they are enjoyned not to pass they seldom stop in that extravagant Career till they run beyond all Religion into Atheism or pretended Enthusiasm So that at best this Opinion tends to encourage persons in the neglect or contempt of Religious Duty or to the loss thereof quite and clean which is no less than to be not only an Accessary but in a great measure the Cause of that sin 2. This Opinion gives up a Cause and Truth that has been by judicious Pens well Defended both from Scripture and Antiquity and which these Brethren themselves are convinced to be a Gospel Truth for if it be once admitted that it is not necessary to Church-Communion every Man of sence will infer That our contentions for it were frivolous our Separation Schismatical and our Suffering the Penalties of Humane Laws foolish and consequently we shall be exposed to the Reproaches of such as are without this advantage ready enough to Revile and Persecute us 3. This Opinion perverts or rather destroys Order flatly contradicts the Practice of the Primitive Christians It is said Act 2.41 Then they that gladly received his Word were Baptized Here is the right Gospel Order First they that gladly received the Word that is they that believed and no other were immediately Baptised that it was immediately appears by the Adverb then which was the second Work and the same day viz. after they believed and were Baptized there were added unto them that is received into Church-Fellowship by Faith and Baptism about Three thousand Souls ver 42. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship that is in the same Faith and Communion and in breaking of Bread and Prayers that is in the enjoyment and Administration of Church Ordinances Is not here a famous Instance or President of their Practice which answers those frequent and undecent Clamours of such who call for Scripture to justifie the Exclusion of our holy Brethren that have not been so Baptized * 2. Thess 3.6 Whereas in the fore-going Pages there is a Scripture cited That justifies our withdrawing from disorderly walkers and such as make this Out-cry own the practices of Infant Baptism in that particular to be such and therefore our Separation for that Reason pursuant to that Express Command lawful which they must grant or deny Infant Baptism to be disorderly or else must say that there be some disorderly walkers that we may and ought to have Communion with notwithstanding