commended by Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience and they were constantly in the primitive times Tertullian mentions them as agreeable to the custom of the Church in which custom there is nothing evil or dishonest it proceeds from charity it makes for the edification of the Church and it tends to the profit of the child Junius and Tremelius derive it from Isa 8. 2. But what need we seek the beginning of an Ordinance so good tending to so much piety Infants are baptized into the faith and bosom of the Church which therefore requires certain persons honest and pious to undertake to see what is promised to be performed and to take care for the religious education of children which were it rightly observed how flourishing a Church should we have Obj. 1 That belongs to Parents it is their duty Answ It doth Suppose a man oweth an hundred pounds the debt is his yet the Creditor for more assurance will have other able men bound the obligation lyeth on them although the debt is his So likewise it is the Parents debt and duty to see that the child be religiously educated yet the charity of the Church is such as to require greater security Parents being too often defective The debt remains the Parents and there is a tye upon the Sureties Obj. 2 This is used but as a form or custom Answ The more is the pity if so and so is Religion with many 2 Tim. 3. 5. yet is not true Religion at all the worse Obj. 3 Tâ—ey who are God-fathers and God-mothers do no such duty Answ The charity of the Church is not to be faulted for mens failings Their negligence is to be lamented the use not to be condemned Obj. 4 They who understood themselves and are conscious will undertake no such charge impâ—ssible to be kept Answ This is a rash censure and an ignorant slander of the Church whose intention is to have none but knowing and conscientious persons who may and will perform what is promised The charge also given to them is of things necessary pious good and possible neither God nor man requiring impossibilities but pious endeavours The institution is therefore good although by some peoples carelessness it degenerates into formality the common bane of sacred things Some love to quarrel with that which others do and like nothing but their own fancies 1. I beseech you all to take heed you stand not against order Applicat and so sin in disobeying lawful authority reproaching Peter de Moulin Epist 36. quotes Beza saying many things may yea and must be born with which are not rightly enjoyned for spiritual liberty lyeth not in the outward act but in the intention and belief If a thing in it self be enjoyned to us it must neither be obeyed in the act nor assented to in the understanding and the will But if the thing be indifferent in it self and yet seem in the jâ—dgment inconvenient we may and must do it and neither wrong our liberty nor our conscience for in such cases our actions are limitted although our consciences be free and the superior power may bind us in soro exteriori and leave us free in soro interiori wherein Christian liberty lyeth and cites a place in Calvins Instit lib. 4. cap 20. Artic. 1. spiritual liberty and political bondage will stand well together And let not the consequence trouble you as long as the thing commanded is lawful in it self we are not answerable of the consequence that may follow but they who command it And we who move in the orbe of obedience must quietly follow the motions of the highâ—r sphear of authority To push against it inconsiderately under pretence of God's service is dashing the second Table against the first and breaking both and cites Beza Epist 24. saying That man abuseth Christian liberty or rather is sold under sin who will not with a free will obey in the Lord his Magistrates or Superiors and seeketh not to edifie the consciences of his Brethren the Church as if it imposed things unlawful disturbing the peace of the Church advantaging Papists our discords being their musick scandalizing the Gospel and hindring the edification of our brethren as they do who think it Religion enough to speak against lawful established order 2. My Brethren of the Clergy we preach for edification for order See we that our selves be not disorderly in our lives It was said of Origen and may of many more that his teaching and living were alike Sure it is a blessed thing when Ministers lives put not their words to the blush as when much heavenly doctrine sounds from them in peoples ears and there is little in the preachers heart when there is holiness in the Preachers Books but none in their bosoms Preachers should shew themselves patterns of the rules they prescribe it being an excellent commendation when Preachers lives are Commentaries of their doctrine when their exemplary Sermons consist of living words or words translated into works For as Jovinian the Emperor said to the Orthodox and Arrian Bishops I cannot judge of your doctrine but I can judge of your lives I can see who is most peaceable and innocent So we cannot but know that people can better judge of our doings than of our doctrine and are sooner led to evil by the one than to good by the other You know who saith What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth and hatest to be reformed Thou who teachest another teachest thou not thy self And you know who pronounceth such to be inexcusable Psa 50. 16 Rom. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 1. Sure it will be an heavy sentence to hear Out of thine own mouth I will condemn thee we therefore who preach against sin see we draw not men to sin by our bad examples be not we negligent in reading preaching catechising administring the Sacraments c. Be not we vain and vitious in our lives but careful to walk decently and in order 3. Church-Wardens you are chosen to reform disorders to see all things to be done decently and in order and to bind you hereunto you have an oath a strong and sacred tye yea such that God will be a swift witness against will Mal. 3. 3. Zech. 5. 4. send a curse to consume the house of the false swearer Take heed what you do If you know in your Parishes such who will not come to Communions to the Prayers of the Church to nothing done there at all who will not have their children baptized nor their children and servants catechised c. and you regard not such things surely you are regardless of your oaths and of order 4. And I humbly pray you by whose authority we are here assembled to make it appear that you come hither to have all things done decently and in order Some I hope slanderously say you come hither for money but I presume and perswade my self you come seriously to reform mens
worth or respect we have to any man but to search and see that they have a sound bottoming from the Word So we are not to wonder why the best of God's messengers cannot take men off from their unwarranted opinions The Jews retain their opinion that neither Elijah nor Christ are come The Papists retain their opinions and will die in their errors rather than embrace the truth It will be no strange thing then if I endeavouring to I neither do nor can remove you from your erroneous practises 1. In vilifying not coming to but absenting your selves from the publick prayers of the Church no not by Scriptures the testimony of holy Martyrs the hatred Papists bear to it the strictness of the Law under which we live the excellency and usefulness of it nor by the approbation the Reformed Churches give of it of all which I have made use but in vain 2. In not baptizing your children or baptizing them in an illegal and irregular way although I think I have shewed sufficient grounds and authorities and Mr. Baxters opinion which is That they who deny baptism to their children play the devils part yea do herein heinously exceed the Devil Some who admire the man will be his Interpreter saying his meaning is If they may have them baptized in his way and then will not but refuse Read his Book of Infant Church-membership through and through and you shall find no such limitting to this way or that he acknowledgeth ours to be true baptism valid and not to be reiterated And whereas some who think they know more than they do say It is the duty of parents to have their children baptized although it doth children no good such sensless silly speeches shew that some folks bolts are soon shot It is a duty and yet doth it no good Do Scriptures so highly Act. 23. 8. Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 4. commend Baptism as we read and doth it no good Is it no good to be a member of Christ's Church but to be in the same condition with Turks and Pagans 3. In not coming to the Communion of which I have spoken often and at large but I see you are resolved notwithstanding I will intreat you to take notice that if your practises are erroneous as they are 1. That to be obstinate in an error is dangerous for mans salvation The ugliness of obstinacy in error doth appear from the Author of it who Mat. 5. 19. Mat. 13. 25. is not God but the Devil so obstinate errors diabolical and naturally it produceth Heresie or Schism and is such that St. Paul wished to be cut of A mutinous Soldier is Gal 5. 12. hanged when an open enemy hath fair quarter Consider also that errors in the end bring terrors such making men like children hulk on the Sea without rudder for in such a condition are such who flote on groundless errors yea errors Eph. 4. 14. make men as bones out of joint which cost groans to bring them in place again Alas what is a traveller in the night out of the way how is he troubled A Rebel out of the Kings favour how is he perplexed erroneous persons are Travellers out of the way and as Rebels out of favour Object You are deceived Papists Anabaptists Quakers we and other more you think do err are not troubled we fear not we suffer for our consciences Answ Admit some live and die confident in gross errors never fearing harms to follow So some run into the fire fearlesly and rush upon dangers desperately but they are frantick or foolish not wise and well-guided persons And that we may not err take heed of pride which provokes men to errors and factions Take heed of prejudice against any thing causelesly Take heed of covetousness Act. 8. 9. Act. 19. 32 Tit. 1. 11. truths adversary for some subvert houses for lucre sake gain perswades many to maintain errors that errors may maintain them And be we careful to this end constantly to believe what is taught you by the Scripture and conscionably to obey what is commanded you by the Church provâ—ded it be not contrary to Scripture Be careful to fasten our faith upon Scripture If Scripture saith it I will believe Gal. 1. 8. it To fasten our charity upon our Mother the Church and her directions and see that we our selves be humble for whereas many object all alledge Scripture we confess it to Mat. 4. be so The Devil himself did so yet it is certain if we will read the Scriptures carefully and faithfully hear the Church charitably and esteem of our selves modestly we shall understand Scriptures sufficiently to keep us from error Once again let me intreat you brethren not to err with any Master Some think they may safely do this or that because of such whom they follow To them I say as St. Aâ—gustine of Cyprian Although there are many things that Cyprian did excellently teach yet there are some things wherein Cyprian might have learned more than he knew So say I of some men such shall be my friends I love them well for the good service they may do but I must and do love the truth better since a wise man will not alter an ancient truth for the love he bears to the Author of any novelty Gal. 1. 8. and a good man dare not For although men are wonderfully pleased with their own conceits and their opinions must be the great Monarch to rule even the Monarchs of the world although they suppress truth to advance falshoods yet they are but like a cumbersom heap of sands a congested heap of groundless opinions good for nothing not worth any thing only fit to deceive here and to destroy hereafter a fruitlesâ— heap bearing no other fruit than to abuse our neighbour dishonour God and betray mens souls to Satan a disagreeing heap not fast joyned together Errors and falshoods may for a time be patch'd together like a beggars cloak but they continue not long united and an inconsistent heap for they who embrace errors are not long constant but run from one absurdity to another Let me therefore acquaint you how some have drawn and do draw well-meaning people into error being stirred thereunto 1. Sometimes by covetousness Paulus Samosetanus expecting preferment from the Queen of Arabia fell into such Schisms which in the end wrought his own overthrow Some men finding it an easie thing to live at another mans Table although so doing is base to a generous mind speak often things to maintain and please a faction Tit. 1. 11. Sometimes by ambition which hath often caused contention and separation because Arrius could not get the Bishopwrick of Alexandâ—ia Donatus of Carthage Aerius of Ponts they became enemies to the Church 3. Sometimes by intollerable pride working contempt of Authority the contempt of which causeth separation and mens self-love is the cause of this contempt Self-love as Lib. 14. cap. 18. decivitat Dei
also not to come is a disobedience to Christ's command Do this which is divine And 1 Cor. 11. 23. St. Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And v. 26. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup Which as often implies often as the Apostles and primitive Christians understood it yea and the not comers neglect the memory of Christs death by which we are redeemed in his way They neglect also the communication of Christ's body and blood and shew themselves none of Christ's Disciples not obeying him his Sheep hearing his voice in this nor imitating him whom we are to follow who did eat the Passeover a type of his Passion as to put an end to it so to honour his Ordinance and to shew us our duty what we are to do to shew his subjection to the Law as our pattern and example But alas what are we come unto whither shall we go If in some places where are hundreds of families and not one hundred to communicate if some who are married if some of thirty if not forty years of age were never at the Communion if in populous places and Congregations the most turn their backs upon this Ordinance Is this for edification is this order Obj. 1 I dare not come saith one lest I come unworthily Answ 1. And why will you come unworthily why will you prefer your sinful lusts before Christ and salvation Repent amend 2. To come unworthily is sinful not to come may be as great if not a greater sin He who comes doth what he is enjoyned although he fail in the manner and so may shew a neglect the other who comes not shews contempt of Christ's command Do this so contempt of the memory of Christ's death by which we are redeemed and shews himself none of Christ's Disciple and surely contemners sin fearfully To neglect to come therefore is a gross sin where a man in coming as well prepared as he can he doth his duty and humbly commits himself unto God's mercy Obj. 2 I cannot come saith another because of the company many being admitted to come who are bad and with such St. Paul saith I must not eat and if I may not eat with them then not come to the 1 Cor. 5. 9 10 11 12. Lords Table with them Answ 1. I may not be his familiar his companion therefore I may not communicate with him not go to the Church with him is weak and frivolous for to eat at home is an indifferent action left to my choice and I may not chuse evil To eat at the Sacrament is part of Gods service not to be omitted without sin it being his and my duty Although I must separate from him in civil familiarity which is common and unnecessary where I have liberty not else 1 Cor. 7. 13 14. yet I may not in sacred society and the service of God which is his duty and mine if he be not cast out of the Church by excommunication As I am to avoid the least partaking of other mens sins so am I bound to the greatest partaking with them in duty and yet I may eat with him if occasionally I be cast upon the same Inn Ordinary and Table c. 2. Scriptures enjoyning separation from wicked men command to depart or separate from their ill courses their sins not from being with them in Gods Ordinances Should a sick man say I will not accompany such who are sick to a Physician and be healed is he not guilty of his own death for so doing 3. Sure it is an error to imagine that communicating with wicked men is a sin in the worthy Communicant or a being polluted by their company since the keeping company with them in such sacred meetings is only an acknowledgement that they are in the number of them whom Christ came to redeem and so saith St. Peter It is only a joyning with 2 Pet. 2. 1. them in Christian profession and a confederating with them to lead Christian lives all which are Christian acts and tokens of humility unlike the Pharisee who condemned and triumphed over the Publican whereas it would be better to look more at home to our own wayes and works and leave judging of others than to deprive our selves of so sacred an Ordinance for other mens coming since St. Paul reproves not the giver nor the worthy receiver at Corinth only the unworthy comer since upon such grounds of separation there will be no resting and since to forbear because of other mens unworthiness is a new-found groundless fancy not in our Saviours time when Judas came nor in St. Pauls time when many came unworthy 1 Cor. 11. Obj. 3 We cannot touch pitch and not be defiled we encourage them in their sins by our presence whom we must reprove Answ It hath already been shewed that it defileth not to do a good duty with a sinful man as the Pharisee did not scruple to go to the Temple with the Publican Luk. 18. Obj. 4 But we cannot communicate with that Church which hath no discipline Answ Discipline there is although perhaps not of that kind which some desire yet such as the Church hath stood and flourished under since the Apostles time until the last Century And such as hath made as good Christians in this Nation and as zealous Martyrs as any in the world And if this discipline be not executed it is the sin of those unto whom Augustin cont parmâ—n l. 3. c. 2. it is committed unless as it often happens the multitude of offendors or the difficulty of the times impede the same Obj. 5 We would come might we receive it as we would Answ You would obey might you disobey and your disobedience doing as you list go for obedience Obj. 6 Oh no We desire to receive in a Gospel way in which we may imitate Christ which we do not if we kneel Answ Very good you desire to imitate Christ then kneel for we who do kneel desire to and do imitate Christ for our Saviour at the Passeover did conform to the Passeover gesture enjoyned by and practised in the Church wherein he lived we therefore kneeling according to the practise of the Church wherein we live do imitate Christ Obj. 7 What Christ did we must do Answ Prove that Christ did not kneel and that he forbad us to kneel That Christ did sit and commanded us to sit and we He did sit what Christ did not do we must not do He did not kneel what Christ did we must do Whoso reads seriously the Evangelists will not take Christs example as a rule to guide the Church in all circumstances in administring and delivering the Eucharist for must we deliver it upon Maunday Thursday in a chamber not in a Church only to twelve at once those only men and Clergy men Must we deliver it to them lying or leaning upon one anothers bosom not in the morning but at night