the comfortable Priviledge of Christian Parents to bring their Children unto Christ in their Infancy and to see them owned as in the same Covenant with God together with themselves by receiving Baptism the Sign and Seal thereof so it is their unquestionable Duty to instruct them as soon as they are capable to Learn in the Knowledge of God and of the Covenant solemnized in Baptism the Nature Use and Ends of it and the Seals thereof and to acquaint them when grown up to Years of Understanding and competently instructed in the Christian Religion that it is their Duty and will be their Interest to give their own actual and hearty Consent to their Baptismal-Covenant seeing the Consent of Parents in their behalf will serve them no longer then until they are capable to Consent for themselves which if they refuse or neglect to do they forfeit the Benefits and Blessings of the Covenant And that they ought to desire and prepare for the Renewing of their Covenant with God by receiving the Lords-Supper that being the other confirming Seal thereof But alas The Generality of Parents sinfully and shamefully neglect the Souls of their Children and their own Souls too at this Day breeding them up in gross Ignorance of the very Foundation-Truths of Christianity by which means the most of our Youth either regard not Religion at all or only content themselves to be now and then present in our Publick Religious Assemblies to which they are led more by Custom and Example then by any Sense of Religion or Conscience toward God little minding what is said or done there because indeed they understand little of it and so are little the wiser or better for what they hear Continue Strangers to the Life and Power of Godliness lie open to Temptations and are easily carried away to Error or Prophaneness The Lord convince such Careless and Cruel Parents of this crying Sin give them Repentance and quicken them to their neglected Duty toward the Souls of their Children or else I fear the next Age will degenerate into down-right Heathenism and Atheism If any of them shall cast their Eyes on this Paper I intreat them to spend one hour in the serious Consideration of these few Particulars First Consider the preciousness of your Childrens Souls they are Heaven-born Immortal Spirits capable to know fear love and serve the God that made them here and to see and injoy him for ever hereafter And so are more worthy of your Love and care than their Bodies yea one Soul is of greater value than the whole World and should you not be much more concern'd for their present and future Welfare and Happiness What Will you suffer so precious a Thing as the Soul of a Child to be lost for ever through your sloth and carelesness when your Love to them will make you ready to hazzard your own Lives to save their Bodies from a Threatning Danger Secondly Consider the need they have of Instruction for they come into the World spiritually Blind and Ignorant of God and Christ yea of themselves too they know not their sinful miserable and dangerous State by Nature the need they have of a Saviour nor what they must do to be saved The future Happiness of Saints in Heaven nor the dreadful Punishment of Sinners in Hell and that which yet makes their Condition the more deplorable is that usually they desire not the Knowledge of these Things but are rather unwilling to be Instructed and Love Darkness rather than Light Now one would think you that have the Bowels of Parents should Pity the Blind Compassionate your Ignorant Children and do what you can for their Cure though you were under no other Law but that of Nature to do it Thirdly Consider God hath made it your indispensible Duty by his Positive and express Command to Teach your Children his Revealed Mind and Will with the greatest Care Constancy and Diligence Read and weigh those Scriptures Deut. 6.6 7. Prov. 22.6 Eph. 6.4 So that it is no Arbitrary Thing nor left to your Pleasure to do it or not your neglect of it is a direct Disobedience to the Law of God and how will you be able to Answer it to God in the Day of your Account Fourthly Consider God hath intrusted you with Authority over your Children to Command them to Learn the Knowledge of God and of his Will and to obey it and hath commanded your Children to Honour and Obey you herein and expects you should use your Authority over them especially to this End and Godly Parents have so done and are commended in Scripture for it Read and Consider Eph. 6.1 2 3. 1 Chron. 28.9 Gen. 18.19 You Use this Power over them for your selves in requiring them to Obey your Wills and will you not also use it for your God who gave it and for the good of your dear Childrens Souls Fifthly Consider if your Children Live and Dye in Ignorance of Soul-saving Truths they will perish for ever and if they do so through your default or neglect of Instructing them their Sin will hereby become yours and God will require their Blood at your Hands See Isa 26.11 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. Now do you not cry out of those as Monsters in Nature Wolves and Tygers in humane Shape yea worse than Beasts who Murder their own Children and imbrue their Hands in their own tender Infants Blood How much greater Monsters are those Parents who starve the Souls of their Children by with-holding spiritual Food from them and so help them forward toward Eternal Destruction And are you willing to be found in the number of such bloody Parents at the last Day and to have your Portion with them for ever If these Considerations have convinced you how sinful your neglects of instructing your Children and Families have been and impressed your Souls with such a Sense of your Duty that you resolve upon it in the Strength of Christ for the Time to come This will prepare you to accept of and hearken to a Word of Counsel which I will offer you also in a few Particulars First See that you are well acquainted with the Knowledge of God and Christ his Will and Worship your selves that you may be capable of Teaching your Children Remember God requires Parents first to get his Word into their own Hearts and then to Teach them diligently to their Children Deut. 6.6 'T is impossible for you to instruct others in that which you have not learnt your selves It 's very sad to observe that many Parents are but Children in Understanding and that when for the Time they have lived under the Means of Knowledge they might have been such good Proficients or Schollars in the School of Christ as to be able to Teach their Families they themselves need to be taught the first Principles of the Oracles of God as Heb. 5.12 I am perswaded this is the Grand though not the only Reason why Family-duties are so generally disused at
this Day 't is not so much out of a dislike of or a Malignity against the work it self in many as for want of Ability to perform it and this Impediment can be no ways removed but by the Blessing of God on a diligent use of due Means for the obtaining such an Ability Therefore if you are indeed too Ignorant of the Will of God be ashamed of your Ignorance and Sloth but not ashamed to Learn though Late yet better late then never Secondly Having got a competent Measure of Knowledge your selves begin your Work of Teaching your Children betimes be dropping and instilling some of the plainest easiest and most necessary Truths into them as soon as you find them capable to Learn and to remember Be frequent at it to Impress them the more firmly on their Memories when they can Read put Catechisms into their Hands and require them to Learn them to Read the Holy Scriptures daily Hear Sermons and take Account of them what they Remember and Discourse with them about the Truths heard to help them to a clearer Understanding of them and labour to affect their Hearts with those Truths that chiefly concern them and Charge them especially to commit such to their Memories encouraging the Diligent by your Commendations and Rewards and quickening the Negligent by Reproofs and moderate Corrections Thirdly Be much in Prayer to God both for and with your Children begging a Blessing on your Instructions Pray your selves and teach them to Pray that God would second your endeavours and succeed all the Means used for their Instructions by the Inward and Effectual Teaching of his Holy Spirit to open their Understanding strengthen and sanctifie their Memories Write his Law in their Hearts and put his Truth into their Inward Parts that they may understand spiritual Truths spiritually and be made wise to Salvation Fourthly Set before your Children a good Example of Sobriety Righteousness and Holiness in your own Lives second your Godly Instructions with a Godly Conversation let them see by your own Obedience to the Will of God that you believe the Truths which you teach them and press no other Duties on them than what you make Conscience to perform your selves Then will your Instructions be most like to prove Effectual for your Children are naturally prone to imitate you in their Practice more apt to be led by the Eye then by the Ear and more inclinable to do as you do than as you say or Command Could you be perswaded to follow these plain and necessary Counsels your Children would have the Benefit you would have the Comfort the Church would be Enlarged and God would be Glorified And what should you not be willing to do within your Power for such desirable Ends as these But if any Christian Parents remain yet unperswadable by these Arguments to set about this Duty their sinful neglect will become the more inexcusable and themselves the more unworthy of that Honourable Name by which they are called Blessed be God there are yet some Pious Parents left among us who have a Sense of their Duty and endeavour to bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord and I hope the late unanimous Labours of the Ministers of Christ in and about this City pressing their respective Congregations to the Revival of Family-worship have been signally Blessed for the Increase of the Number of such and that this is one good presage of Gods continuing his Candlestick in the midst of us For Religious Families are the Seed-Plots of Piety and the Nurseries of the Church so that if these flourish which God grant the Church will from them be supplied and enlarged There are also some Adult Persons whom though their Parents wretchedly neglected their Souls in their Minority yet God is pleased to awaken and Inlighten Convince and Convert by the Publick Ministry and so are brought into Christ and joyn themselves for full Communion with the Particular Churches of Christ Though alas the Number of Converts in our Days is small in Comparison with what hath been in former Ages as Gospel-Ministers generally observe to their Grief and this proves us to be upon the decaying Hand And though it be the certain Duty of all Adult Persons that make a serious Profession of Christianity to joyn themselves to some Particular Church in Order to a Participation of all Gospel-Ordinances and Church-Priviledges yet the far greater Number live in the shameful neglect hereof some to thirty forty yea fifty Years of Age and yet never received the Lords-Supper These may properly be call'd Christians at large or loose Professors if not for the Looseness and Immoralities of their Lives yet for sitting so loose from the stricter Rules of Religion and for their backwardness to come wholly under the Yoke of Jesus Christ though it be really a far easier Yoke than that of Sin To such as these I would in the next Place make an Address attempting to Convince them of and dissuade them from their Sin and to instruct them in and persuade them to their Duty For your Conviction I offer you these following Considerations First Consider until you are Joyned to some Particular Church of Christ you come not under the special Care Guidance and Oversight of any Pastor and so lose the Spiritual Benefit of that Relation which may be a greater Dammage to your Souls then you are aware of for in divers Cases you will need their special help by Way of Councel Instruction Support or Comfort to Answer your Doubts Encourage you against your Fears Succour you under Temptations c. The want of a skilful and faithful Soul-friend in such Cases would be greatly Prejudicial to you Secondly Consider until you are thus Joyned you neglect one of the Holy Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ his Supper the last that he Instituted left as a standing Monument of his Matchless Love to his Church in Dying for it and as a means to Perpetuate the Memory thereof in all Future Ages and as another Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace An Ordinance wherein he proposeth himself as the spiritual Food of Believers to refresh and satisfie their Souls increase their Grace and nourish them to Life Eternal so that by the neglect of this Ordinance 1. You Contract the guilt of great Sin upon your Souls for it is a direct Disobedience to the express Command of Christ who saith Take Eat c. Drink ye all of it and Do this in Remembrance of me Therefore to neglect it is practically to forget Christ and if you forget him how can you Hope he will remember you 2. You lose the Spiritual Benefit and Comfort of this Ordinance the nourishment and strengthening of your Souls in Grace which you need as well as others and hereby give God just Cause to withhold his Blessing from other Ordinances And is this a loss that you can easily bear Is it much at one with you whether you Profit by the
A PERSUASIVE TO FULL Communion WITH THE Churches of Christ IN ALL GOSPEL-ORDINANCES AND PRIVILEDGES Containing An Essay for the Conviction and Reformation of such Adult or grown Persons who live in the sinful neglect of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Together with An Account of the Manner of the Transition of Church-Members from their Infant to their Adult-state and regular Admission to full Communion Written For the help of such as need Instruction in these spiritual Concerns 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit By the Late Reverend Mr. George Day Minister of the Gospel in London-street in Ratcliff 1697. London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1698. The PREFACE THERE are some Circumstances that attend the Publication of the Ensuing Treatise which may render this short Preface not only Excusable but also in some respects Necessary That the Readers may be acquainted with two Things 1. Touching the Author and the Coming forth of this small Piece 2. Touching the Subject-matter handled in it 1. As for the Author the Late Reverend Mr. George Day He was a well accomplished and approved Minister of Jesus Christ very Exemplary in his Holy Conversation and abundant in his Ministerial Labours in which his Study Diligence and Fidelity were the more Conspieuous in regard of those painful and weakening bodily Distempers by which it pleased God to Try and Exercise him for many Years last past As to the Publication of this Discourse which is now sent abroad into the World it was Composed and fitted for the Press by himself That very Copy which he delivered to the Book-seller was sent by him to several Ministers to be perused Among others we whose Names are subscribed to this Preface had it in our Hands about a Year ago and upon a deliberate Inspection into the Matter Method and Manner of handling his Subject have thought it might be of good Vse and Benefit to many if it were made Publick and certified him of our Opinion touching it After this it lay in his hands as Dormant But about the End of November last this Good Man finding himself to decline very sensibly delivered his Copy to that Book-seller who had been so long Instrumental in divulging exceeding many Learned Pious Practical Excellent Books It was not long after committed to the Press but before one quarter of it was Printed it pleased the Lord to remove the Author out of this World and to receive him into his Celestial Rest and Glory to the great Grief undoubtedly to the great Loss of that Congregation in which the Providence of God had set him to Labour in the Word and Doctrine of the Gospel 2. Touching the little Book it self It hath several Properties which may greatly recommend it to the perusal of all into whose hands the Providence of God shall bring it For it is very short and will not much Exercise the Patience of the Reader It is very plain adapted to the Capacity of the Meanest Vnderstandings The Discourse is managed in a very sound serious and profitable Manner The Arguments made use of are clear strong and nervous and enforced with all the advantages of Zeal and Charity The Persons concerned to attend unto this Persuasive are exceeding numerous The subserviency of it toward the promoting of the Glory of God the Interest of Religion and the welfare of Souls is evident to every considerate serious Person In this little Book there is nothing that may discourage the Reader No profound Speculations to amuse him Nor doubtful Disputations to perplex him But a serious Persuasive to incline him to comply with the Command of Christ in the performance of two plain weighty and necessary Duties To which no Parties among Christians are obliged by their Principles to make any Opposition 1. He persuades the Adult who are unbaptized to fit themselves for and then to seek after Baptism It is true indeed that the Author in the Introduction tells us that the People called Quakers do wholly reject both Baptism and the Lords Supper as useless Ceremonies and dispute against them But all they who acknowledge them to be Gospel-Ordinances must according to their declared Principles concur with our Author to press all Adult unbaptized Persons to be Baptized They who go under the Denomination of Anabaptists may possibly except against the Baptizing of Infants which he asserts But they are as zealous as any other to persuade the Adult who were not Baptized in their Infancy to hasten to that Ordinance 2. He persuades Baptized grown Persons to labour to be fit for and then to communicate in the Lords Supper This is acknowledged by all to be their unquestionable Duty So that in this Point he can have no Adversaries whatever different Sentiments some may have about the due Qualifications of those who are to approach to the Lord's Table Having given this account of the Author and his little Book we have answered the Design of this Preface And shall only add our Prayers that the Lord would afford his Blessing that the Book may attain the End which the Author propounded to himself in his Writing of it William Bates George Hamond ERRATA To be Corrected Page 46. line 22. for Bercelerius read Bertelerius Books Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside THere is Publisht of Mr. George Days The Communicants Instructor or a Sacramental Catechism Mr. Days Funeral Sermon Preached by the Reverend Mr. Sam. Slater Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey There is now Published Two scarce Books The Fountain of Life Opened or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory Containing Forty Two Sermons on various Texts And also a Treatise of the Soul of Man Both in 4to By the late Reverend and Learned Mr. J. Flavel Minister of the Gospel at Dartmouth There is likewise newly Published A Sermon Preached on the Late Day of Thanksgiving Decemb. 2. 1697. By Mr. J. Howe Minister of the Gospel To which is Prefix'd Dr. Bates Congratulatory Speech to the King Novemb. 22. 1697. In the Name of the Dissenting Ministers in and about London A Body of Practical Divinity in 176 Sermons on the lesser Catechism of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster By Tho. Watson formerly Minister at St. Stephens-Wallbrook London THE INTRODUCTION IT is a Truth which no sober Christian will deny that Omissions or Neglects of commanded Duties are as truly breaches of the Law of God as Commissions of Sins forbidden and so as certainly destructive to the Souls of Men and therefore all such as would please God and escape Destruction ought as conscientiosly to perform Duties as to forbear Iniquities and to have Respect to all Gods Commandments as well as to hate every false Way Now amongst the many Sins of Omission
of which Persons under the Christian Name are guilty in this Age and for which God hath a Controversie with us at this Day The neglect of those Sacred Ordinances of Christ Baptism and the Lord's Supper is one and not the least it being notoriously evident that many of Twenty or Thirty Years Old and some more have never been Baptized and these with Thousands more of Adult or grown Persons live also in the neglect of the Lord's Supper The Cause of which neglect in some is the Ignorance and Error of their Parents who if they were Quaker's wholly reject these Ordinances as useless Ceremonies and Dispute against them or if Anabaptist's neglect to bring their Children to Baptism in their Infancy and many of them being bred up in Ignorance are careless of their own Souls concerns and so Live and Dye without the Participation of these Ordinances Now though I dare not Judge such as to their Eternal State for to their own Master they stand or fall I freely acknowledge the Grace of God is not bound to external Ordinances and God doth nothing by them but what he can do without them if he please yet I know we are bound to the Use of Ordinances when we may have them by the express Command of God because they are his Institutions by which he doth usually work Grace in us And to neglect known Duties yea or to live in Ignorance of Duties under the means of Knowledge are Soul-damning Sins which I earnestly desire all that are thus guilty seriously to consider Upon the Observation of these sinful Omissions I cannot but conclude it to be the unquestionable Duty of all the Ministers of Christ that would be found faithful to him and to the precious Souls of Men not only to observe mourn over and reprove these Sins but to do their utmost also in their proper Stations and Relations for Reformation in this Particular The Sense of this Duty hath been so deeply impressed on my Spirit as to put me upon this well-meant though mean endeavour to contribute something toward this needful and desirable Work I am too Conscious of my own weakness to dictate to my Reverend Brethren acknowledging that I rather need and therefore desire their Light and Help herein yet hope I may without giveing Just Cause of Offence to any take leave to Confess that many of us have been very defective in our Duties herein and in this Confession I cast the first Stone at my Self The Good Lord Pardon us that we have manifested no greater concern of Spirit for the Holy Institutions of our Lord-Redeemer and help us that while we Reprehend our People for their sinful Omissions we may be duly humbled for our own and make it more visible in our Practice that we teach our Selves as well as Others A PERSUASIVE TO FULL Communion OF Baptizing Adult or Grown Persons I Shall then first apply my Self to such Adult or grown Persons who though they go under the Christian Name yet were never Baptized If this Paper comes to the Hands of any such I would propose some Considerations to convince you of your Sin and if the Lord shall bless them bring you to Repentance and then give you some Councels or Directions for a right performance of your Duty In Order to your Conviction be perswaded seriously to consider these seven Things First Consider That Baptism is as much an Ordinance of Christ as Preaching the Gospel is and to continue in use in the Christian Church as long as that as appears by Christ's own Command Mat. 28.18 19. viz. to the End of the World and so it is as much the Duty of all professed Christians to receive the Ordinance of Baptism as to attend on the Ordinance of Preaching For the same Authority that enjoyns the one enjoyns the other Therefore the neglect of it must be sinful And how dare you Live in any known Sin Secondly Consider That it is both the Duty of Christian Parents to bring their Children unto Christ and the Right and Priviledge of such Children to be so brought to receive his Blessing Mark 10.13 14 15 16. And this Seal of the Covenant of Grace under which they are as well as their Parents Gen. 17.7 And so must have a Gospel-right to this Ordinance as have been sufficiently proved by many Judicious Pens to which I must refer you for more Light in this Point if you need it because of my intended Brevity And if so it must be the Sin of your Parents that they brought you not to this Ordinance in your Infancy and by Consequence your Sin and loss to neglect it ever since you came to Years of Discretion and a Capacity to Covenant with God and present your selves to Baptism Thirdly Consider That your Parents sinful neglect of their Duty is no just Plea or Excuse for your neglect of this Ordinance since you came to Years of Understanding for then it became your Duty both to acquaint your selves with the Covenant of Grace and give your own Understanding and Hearty Consent to it and to testifie the same by receiving this Ordinance For Jews or Heathens when instructed in the Christian Religion if they make a serious Profession of Faith in Christ and Obedience to him ought to be Baptized much more may the Adult Children of Christians when they make the like Profession Acts 8.36 c. 4. Consider That it looks as if you were ashamed to own Christ and Christianity that you do not so much as wear the visible Badge of his Disciples and Followers i. e. Baptism For by this Ordinance Christians are distinguished from all the rest of Mankind and whilest you want this mark of Distinction and yet profess Christianity you deserve to be called Heathen-Christians or Christian Heathens owning only the Name of Christs Followers but seeming ashamed of his Livery And if you are indeed ashamed to own Christ or his Ordinances here before Men he will be ashamed to own you before his Father and the Angels hereafter Mat. 8.35 And how sad will their Condition be whom Christ will not own in the great Day Are you not loath to be found amongst such at last Fifthly Consider That though the neglect of Baptism may seem a small fault if any to ignorant and inconsiderate Persons yet it is indeed a great and hainous Sin being down-right disobedience to the Command of Christ and a virtual slighting and practical refusing of the Covenant of Grace of which this is the visible Sign and Seal therefore it must be very provoking in the Eyes of God We find God threatned that Parent who did not Circumcise his Son to cut him off from his People that is either to exclude him from the Church of God and all the Priviledges Promises and Blessings belonging to it or to cut him off by an untimely and violent Death for so the Learned understand that Text Gen. 17.14 Compared with Exod. 31.14 So that Moses himself was like to have
been made an Example for this Omission as Exod. 4.24 Here its worthy our serious Observation least any should think the Punishment threatned to be greater than the Sin deserved God was pleased to give the Reason of it in the formentioned Gen. 17.14 He hath broken my Covenant God calls a Rejection and Contempt of the Seal of the Covenant a breach of the Covenant it self Now if Baptism come in the room of Circumcision as Protestants generally conclude from Col. 2.11 12. And if God was so angry with his Servant Moses for neglecting to Circumcise his Son that he met him and sought to kill him Judge you whether those Parents that neglect to Baptize their Children have not cause to fear that God is angry with them also though he doth not presently manifest it in his Providence nor can we suppose him to be well-pleased with the Children of such careless or erronious Parents who imitate them in Sin when grown up by Living in the neglect of this Ordinance Sixthly Consider That such as slight and neglect the outward Baptism of Water may justly fear they were never yet Partakers of the inward Baptism of the Holy-Ghost which is signified thereby and that they are still unsanctified or unholy Souls for where the Spirit of God comes with Power he convinceth of Sin John 16.8 and the neglect of any Ordinance of Christ is one Sin of which the Spirit will certainly Convince such as are guilty whenever he Works savingly on them and if you have not had the Convincing-work of the Spirit upon you surely you know nothing of its Converting Renewing and Sanctifying-work and if so should you Dye in this Condition you have no Ground that I know to hope for the Witnessing and Comforting-work of the Spirit in Death nor for Eternal Life after it for none but Holy Souls have a Promise of these Blessings It 's true God can sanctifie the Soul by his Spirit though the Body be not washed with Water therefore I do not say that none are sanctified by the Spirit that are not Baptized with Water for doubtless there are many Instances of the contrary as Elect Infants that Dye before Baptism and others But this I do affirm that seeing God hath been pleased to set up Ordinances in his Church to be the Means of Grace made it our Duty to use them and doth usually Work Grace in and by them it is a Sin to neglect these Ordinances where they may be had and such as do so have Cause enough to fear they never yet received any saving Benefit by them For that would make them to prize Ordinances highly and continue in the diligent use of them Now consider Can you be Content to Live without sanctifying Grace and Dye without Comfort and well-grounded Hope of Heaven at last Seventhly Consider That the sinful neglect of one Ordinance provokes God to withhold his Blessing from other Ordinances as a just and suitable Punishment of that Sin and I fear this is one Reason why so many unbaptized Persons profit little by Reading and Hearing the Word God sometimes Threatens a People that though they hear the Word they shall not understand and though they see they shall not perceive that their Hearts shall be made Fat their Ears heavy and their Eyes shut least they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and Convert and be Healed as Isa 6.9 10. Should God say thus concerning such as you how miserable would your Condition be You have Cause to fear it for your Sin provokes him to it Supposing now that these Considerations duly weighed may be sufficient to convince you of the sinfulness of your neglecting Baptism and they will be so if the Holy Spirit of God sets in with them for which I Pray In the next Place let me give you some plain Councels and Directions for the performance of your Duty First Be deeply humbled before the Lord for your sinful neglect of this Ordinance hitherto acknowledge it to God with Shame and Sorrow of Heart beg Pardon of it in the Name of Christ and resolve to use all good endeavour duly to prepare for the Participation of it and set presently upon the Work as remembring Time is short Life uncertain and delays in Soul-matters most dangerous Secondly Get a Competent Knowledge of the Principal or Foundation-Truths of the Christian-Religion which the Assemblies Catechisms both Shorter and Larger well Read and Considered will help you to if you have not already attained it especially acquaint your selves well with the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel-seals of it Baptism and the Lords-Supper which the Sacramental Catechism opens to you Thirdly For your better Help in this great Concern apply your selves to some able and faithful Minister of Christ especially to such under whose Ministry you do ordinarily sit and open your Souls Case to him propound your Doubts or Scruples if you have any ask his spiritual Counsel or Instruction and desire his Prayers to God in your behalf Fourthly Beg earnestly of God that you may have compleat Baptism or be baptized not only outward with Water but inwardly by the Holy Ghost as John 3.5 And have not only the washing of Regeneration but the Renewing of the Holy Ghost as Tit. 3.5 Pray that you may be meritoriously washed from the guilt of Sin by the Blood of Christ and efficaciously washed from the filth and Power of Sin by the Spirit of Christ 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Fifthly Give your Understanding and hearty Consent to the Covenant of Grace and humbly and thankfully accept and chuse JEHOVAH the only Living and True God to be your God and give up your selves to him as his Covenant Servants as Isa 44.5 and Isa 56.4 5. When this is done you may humbly Claim the Ordinance of Baptism as your Right and Priviledge being a Seal to confirm the Covenant between God and your Souls Now as for the Manner of Administration that is to be left to the Prudence of the Ministers of Christ who are to be the Dispensers of this and all other Gospel-Ordinances I pretend not to prescribe to any But hope I shall offend none by giving an account of my own Practice which I submit to the Censure of more mature Judgments When by Conference with and Instruction of the Person seeking Baptism I apprehend Him or Her to have a Gospel-right to and fitness for it At the Time of Administration I first speak something touching the Nature Use and Ends of this Ordinance and the Covenant of Grace to which it doth belong And then seek the Lord by Prayer for his Blessing on it Then I propose these following Questions to the Adult Person that is to be Baptized and receive his Answers Q. Were You never yet Baptized as far as you do understand A. No. Q. Are you willing and desirous to be Baptized A. Yes it is my earnest and hearty
Means of Grace or no If so you are doubtless yet strangers to Christ and Grace and in a wretched State 3. You Grieve and Discourage the Ministers of Christ in their Work and give them occasion to fear that all their Labours are lost upon you That you believe not their true Reports of the Will of God nor make due Application of the Word they Preach to your own Hearts and Lives and so receive this Grace of God in Vain This must needs sadden the Hearts and weaken the Hands of the Servants of Christ in their Work 4. You Scandalize other Christians and Tempt them to think that you are but Formalists and Hypocrites taking up only with an empty Name and Profession of Religion but ignorant of the Life and Power of Godliness To be sure if you have Grace the neglect of this Ordinance which is appointed as a Principal Means to strengthen and increase it is a plain Evidence that your Grace is but small and weak and rather on the decaying than growing Hand 5. You set an ill Example before Younger Persons and Tempt them to live in the neglect of this Ordinance also for they are more apt to follow Evil Examples than Good they will be ready through Ignorance to Conclude that it is no Sin because they see you their Elders and Betters do so and that Partaking of this Ordinance is no necessary Duty but a meer Arbitrary Thing that may be done or not done at Pleasure And would you be guilty of leading Young Ones into such an Error Do you not see the malignant Influence of bad Examples on the most of Mankind especially on Youth And do you not know that you Contract the guilt of all the Sins of others into which they are drawn by your Example And have you not Sins enough of your own O therefore beware of partaking with other Mens Sins keep your selves Pure 1 Tim. 5.22 And do not Live in the neglect of this Ordinance any longer for others Sakes as well as for your own Thirdly Consider until you are Joyned to some Particular Church of Christ you loose the Benefit also of divers other Church Priviledges such as Communion with the Choicest and most Experienced Christians an Interest in their special Love their Watchfulness over you and Helpfulness to you by Instructions Admonitions Exhortations Sympathy in your Afflictions Consolations Communication of Experiences Prayers c. And no wise Person would slight such Priviledges and spiritual Helps as these that knows how needful and useful they may be to him in this imperfect State Fourthly Consider until you are Joyned to some Particular Church of Christ you lye more open to Temptations from your Souls Enemies and will be more easily overcome by them for the Sense and Consideration of those solemn and sacred Bonds which you have laid upon your Souls by a Publick owning your Baptismal Covenant and actual Renewing of it in Receiving the Lord's Supper will be apt mightily to awe your Consciences keep you closer to your Duties and make you more watchful and resolute against Temptations and ready to cry out when assaulted How shall I do this great Wickedness and Sin against that God whom I have chosen and to whom I have given up my Self to Love Fear Obey and Serve him in an Holy Covenant for ever Let these and such like Things be seriously Considered until you are Convinced of the sinfulness of your Neglects and humbled for them and convinced also of your Duty and made willing to set upon it I say Willing for I think it very sinful to force Persons into Churches or frighten them into that Participation of Sacraments by Threatning Penal Laws c. Seeing I find not that Christ the Head of the Church hath entrusted any Man or Society of Men with such a Coercive Power or that he would have any prest into his Service Certainly he accepts of none but Volunteers and though none are such by Nature he makes all those such by efficacious Grace whom he receives 'T is true Christ Commanded his Servants Gospel-Ministers to Compel Men to come in to his spiritual Feast Luke 14.23 But surely he means not that they should use any outward Violence to their Persons or drive them in by Staves Whips or Swords No nor with Pecuniary Mulcts or Fines for the use of these belong only to the Civil Magistrate Christ committed no Civil Power to his Ministers Their Business was with Mens Souls which they were to deal with in a Way agreeable to their Rational Nature proposing to them weighty Arguments to invite and perswade them to accept of the Kindness offered and though these alone are not sufficient to prevail upon the depraved Wills of Men yet God Joyning the Inward Powerful Workings of his Holy Spirit to the outward Ministry of the Word makes them effectually persuasive to all his Elect and of unwilling makes them Willing in the Day of his Power as Psalm 110.3 For the Will of Man is not to be forced Indeed the Compulsion there spoken of signifies no more than a Loving Invitation or Bidding and so 't is express'd by another Evangelist Mat. 22.3 Christ sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding and they would not come Christ doth not say Then force them against their Wills to Come or Punish Fine Excommunicate or Imprison them for their Refusal he will himself call Men to an account for slighting his Invitation in his own Time and therefore I think they ought to be left to him In the mean while I must profess I cannot find any warrant in Scripture for Admission of all Persons though never so Ignorant or Prophane to the Lord's Table Surely the Ministers of the Gospel whom Christ hath intrusted with the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven should not suffer the Lords Table to be made like the Table of a Common Ordinary Free for all Comers nor cast Christ's Holy Things to known Dogs and Swine Who ever dares to do so must be accountable to Christ for it who is Jealous for his own Name and will not hold them guiltless that either pollute or prophane his sacred Institutions or permit others to do it when it is in their Power to prevent it But I shall leave such to Answer for these Crimes at his Righteous Bar who will have no respect to Persons in Judgment And should now proceed to the next Thing intended which is to Instruct such as by the forementioned Considerations are Convinced of their sinful Neglects of this Holy Ordinance and to shew them their Duty But that I meet with divers Objections which some make against their Approaching this Holy Supper which must be answer'd because they lie as Stumbling-blocks in their Way and are sometimes pleaded as Excuses for their Sin They are such as these Obj. 1. Some say we think our selves unworthy to Partake of this Holy Ordinance therefore we come not to it Ans 1. If you mean by
unworthiness that you deserve it not this should not keep you from it for all that are Partakers of it are thus unworthy We are all unworthy of our common Food for our Bodies much more unworthy of this Holy Food for our Souls and the deeper Sense you have of this unworthiness the more Worthy you are in Gods account 2. If you have a Gospel-right to this Ordinance and a Gospel-sitness or Preparedness for it you are worthy in a Gospel-sense to be Partakers of it See then that you are thus qualified and come Obj. 2. But we fear we are not fitted or prepared enough to approach this Holy Table and this keeps us off Ans 1. It may be you do not rightly understand what that Fitness or Preparedness is that you ought to have and so your Ignorance may occasion your fears If so your next Duty is to get the Knowledge thereof and then Examine your selves whether you have it or no. The Sacramental Catechism will instruct you herein 2. Your Unfitness and Unpreparedness is your Sin because you ought to be fit and have sufficient means to make you so therefore to Plead this for your forbearance of this Ordinance is to excuse one Sin by another which is a Plea that God will not allow of 3. It may be some that make this Objection are better prepared then they take themselves to be For there are many sincere Christians who being naturally of a Melancholly Temper or of a Timerous Spirit and having mean Thoughts of themselves are full of Jealousies and Fears concerning their own Sincerity and afraid of being found Hypocrites at last Whereas this is one good Sign of their Sincerity that they are Self-suspicious and such though they come Trembling to this Ordinance are more fit and worthy and so like to be more Welcome Guests at the Lords-Table than many of those who approach it with great Confidence but over-looking or not clearly discerning the Grace of God in themselves they want the Comfort and so give not God the Glory of his Grace Now such as these should not rest satisfied in their own Judgment of the State of their Souls but seek to some Judicious Minister for spiritual Counsel and help herein 4. If you are not yet fit when will you be so Hath not God given you many Years to prepare for this Ordinance And are you not still as unfit as ever Yea more unfit now then you have formerly been Whereas in a few Days well improved you might have gotten a Gospel-fitness 5. If you are not prepared for this Ordinance doubtless you are not prepared for Death and how dare you live unprepared for that one Day or Hour seeing you know you must Dye e're long and you may dye soon even this Day or Hour and should you dye in an unprepared State must you not be miserable for ever O let the serious Consideration of this Danger quicken you to prepare for Death and then you will be prepared for this Ordinance also 6. What hath hitherto hindred your Preparation Hath it not been want of a Sense of your Duty to wait on God in the Use of this as well as of other Ordinances And of your need of it for spiritual Ends Your worldly Cares and Incumbrances your Love to some Sin or other and loathness to leave it or your Sloath and Carelessness about your Souls Concerns Doubtless these have been the Obstructions that have kept you back from your Duty and these are Sins and must be repented of and turned from if ever you be saved Therefore set upon this Work presently Obj. 3. But others say some Ministers will not admit us to this Ordinance without a strict Examination of us they require we should have a great deal of Knowledge and we fear they will ask us such Questions as we shall not be able to Answer and then we shall be turned away with Shame Ans 1 The Ministers or Pastors of Churches are under Christ your spiritual Guides and Overseers and solemnly Charged to take heed both to Themselves and to their Respective Flocks as Acts 20.28 And Heb. 13.17 They are entrusted by Christ the Chief-shepherd with the Care of your Souls and must give an account to him of them in the Great Day He hath Empower'd them to teach and Rule his Church under him and by his Laws and will you not allow them to do their Duty And inquire into the State of your Souls and take heed whom they admit to meddle with these Holy Things Would it not be great unfaithfulness both to your Souls and their own too if they neglect their Duty 2. No Prudent Minister will ask you any Questions but such as you should be able to Answer If you are Adult or grown Persons and Educated under the Ministry of the Gospel and such as relate to Things necessary to be known to make you Wise unto Salvation They only inquire whether you understand in some Competent Measure the Religion you profess and Soul-saving Truth desiring to know what need you have of their Help by Way of Instruction and have you any Reason to be against this Surely did you well understand your own Interest and Wants you would beseech the Ministers of Christ to give you their Assistance in your Souls-concerns and thankfully accept it when offered to you 3 Inquire of those that have been with Ministers on this Occasion and have been Examined and Instructed by them and so admitted when duly qualified and hear what they say concerning this Matter and whether they Repent of their Applications to them and Converses with them Or whether they have found spiritual Benefit thereby If so let that encourage you to go and do likewise and suffer not Ministers to be Misrepresented and your Selves abused and prejudiced against them by flying and false Reports or your own evil Surmises 4. Suppose the worst that Ministers upon Conversing with you should not find you duly qualified for this Ordinance will it do you any hurt to be brought to a better Knowledge of the State of your own Souls and to be counselled and directed by those that are wiser than your Selves what to do that you may get due Qualifications And this is the worst Treatment you are like to find at Ministers Hands 5. Consider this seriously if any Prophane or Unworthy Persons should be admitted to this Holy Ordinance thro' the neglect of Ministers their Prophanation of it would be justly chargeable on such Ministers and therefore Love to their own Souls as well as to the Souls of others should make them careful in this Matter This made Holy Calvin that Blessed Instrument of the Reformation deny the Lords-Supper to one Bartherius and other Servetians who were most unworthy of it tho some called Protestants rose up against him for it so that he was ready if not altogether forced to leave Geneva for a Time yet bearing up his Christian Courage he said I like Chrysostome will rather suffer Death
than that this Hand of mine should give the Holy Things of the Lord that is the Lords-Supper to the adjudged Contemners of God Melch. Adam in the Life of Calvin Now should not every faithful Minister of Christ be as careful to keep this Ordinance of Christ from Prophanation and their own Souls from Participation of other Mens Sins as he Doubtless they should 6. You do not forbear to Consult a Lawyer about your Estates or a Physician about your Bodies when occasion requires it for fear they will ask you such Questions as you cannot answer But you willingly submit to their Inquiries because you know it is necessary that they should understand your Case that they may give you proper and agreeable Counsel and Advice and should you not be as willing to submit to the Inquiries of Gospel-Ministers the Counsellors and Physicians of your Souls that they may know your Spiritual State and give you such Counsel as is suitable to it Obj. 4. But we are ashamed to come before Ministers and have not Confidence enough to Discourse with them nor are we able to express our Minds to them or give an account to them of our Knowledge Ans 1. You should be ashamed of nothing but Sin To be ashamed of Duty or of what is good is a sinful Shame and you have Reason to be ashamed of such a Shame and Repent of it and Pray against it until you are Cured of it Yet 2. It must be granted there is a natural Bashfulness in some especially in those of the weaker Sex and in Youth that is not easily Conquered this Ministers do well Understand and therefore Prudence will direct them to Treat such with the greater Tenderness and Mildness 3. Ministers will not expect that such should express the Sense of their Minds with that readiness that others of a bolder Spirit may but will wisely consider their Weakness and discern Sincerity under Imperfection Obj. 5. But others say we are afraid to come to this Holy Ordinance least we should Eat and Drink unworthily for we should thereby become Guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and Eat and Drink Damnation to our selves as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 11.27 29. And we dare not run such an Hazzard as this Ans 1. It must be granted that it is very hazardous for all wicked and graceless Persons to meddle with this Holy Ordinance for they cannot but abuse and Prophane it and so bring themselves under great Guilt and become liable to great Punishment for it therefore none such should dare to Approach this Ordinance until they Repent of their Sins and are Converted this Ordinance being appointed not to work Grace where it is wanting but to Increase and Strengthen it where it is already wrought 't is Childrens Bread and not to be given unto Dogs Yet know 2. If you are yet in a graceless State you are already in danger of Damnation for your other Sins though you keep from the guilt of this and so should as much fear it as those that are guilty of this Sin Nor is this Sin unpardonable but upon true Repentance both hath been and may be forgiven 3. The Sin of Eating and Drinking unworthily lies in a Persons not discerning the Lords Body that is in not distinguishing or not putting a difference between Ordinary and Common Bread and this Sacramental and Holy Bread by which the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is signified and represented and in using this Bread with as little Preparation Care Regard and Reverence as he doth the other Now gracious Souls know there is a great difference between Common Bread and this Holy Bread and therefore will take due care to use it in an Holy and Reverent Manner and so keep from the guilt of unworthy Partaking though they are not altogether free from sinful Weaknesses and Infirmities in this as well as in other Duties which yet should not keep them off from this Ordinance because upon their Repentance they are Pardoned to them for Christs sake 4. The Threatning mentioned in the Text of Damnation or Judgment is not designed by the Apostle to affrighten Christians from this Ordinance but to Caution them against the Prophanation of it 5. Consider that the neglect of a known Duty and turning your backs upon an Ordinance of Christ is a Sin and makes liable to Damnation or Judgment as well as the ill performance of a Duty or the Partaking of an Ordinance unworthily and you ought to fear the one as well as the other It is well worth your Consideration what Christ intimates to us in that Parable of the Marriage-Feast of the Kings Son Mat. 22. That those who made Light of the Gracious Invitation and refused to come were at last as blame-worthy as those who came without a Wedding Garment and therefore as he was Punished for his Defect so were they for their Disobedience And most deservedly for of the two they were the greater Sinners it being a greater Sign of Contempt wholly to neglect an Ordinance of Christ than to Partake of it without some due Qualifications as one well Observes so that the only way to avoid the Danger on both Hands is to examine your selves carefully concerning your Right to and fitness for this Ordinance and when you have an Evidence of these so Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup with Holy Care and Reverence Obj. 6. But we fear to come to this Holy Ordinance lest we should Sin again after it and then what will become of us Ans 1. It must be acknowledged you have Cause enough to fear sinning after this Ordinance as well as before while you are liable to Temptations from without and have Corruption remaining within you inclining you to close with them The Sense of your danger should make you to watch against Temptations and Occasions of Sin and nourish in you a fear of Caution Such a fear while it keeps within its due Bounds is your Duty and of great use to prevent Sin But it is immoderate and sinful if it makes you neglect another known Duty as Receiving the Lords-Supper is and no better than being guilty of one Sin to avoid another 2. There is not a Child of God on Earth that is perfectly free from the danger of sinning while he is in this imperfect tempted State and you may not expect to be freed from it any more than others so that if none should come to this Ordinance but such as live without Sin we must all lay aside the Use of it for there are no such Persons on this side Heaven Eccl. 7.20 1 John 1.8 James 3.2 3. Know that the right Use of this Ordinance is a good mean to keep you from sinning being a solemn renewing your Covenant with God and a new Bond laid on your Souls to love and serve the Lord and walk the more Circumspectly and a means to strengthen Grace in you 4. If you do Sin after your Partaking of
this Ordinance you have no Reason to despair of Mercy as if this did render your Sin unpardonable but your Duty is to renew your Repentance for it to pray for Pardon of it and Power against it and to stand more strictly on your Guard for Time to come Then you have Scripture ground to hope for Pardon 1 John 2.1 2. Psalm 32.5 6. Jer. 3.22 Read and Consider those Scriptures well 5. Beware that it be not a secret Love to some Sin or other and lothness to part with it that keeps you from this Ordinance what ever else may be pretended Be very Jealous of your own Heart for the Heart of Man is deceitful above all Things Examine your selves therefore very strictly least this should lye at the bottom but if you find you are indeed willing to part with every Sin and to obey every Command of Christ though you cannot live a sinless Life yet you have no just Cause to fear coming to this Ordinance Obj. 7. But there are so many different Opinions and Sects among Professors of Religion some saying their Church is the True Church and others saying theirs is so that we are at a loss and know not which to Joyn our selves to Ans 1. It is greatly to be lamented that there are such Differences and Divisions in Matters of Religion among us and Woe be to the Causers and Fomenters of them They will never be able to Answer it to our Lord Jesus in the Great Day for they lay a stumbling-block before the Blind as Lev. 19.14 Making them to wander out of the Way and thereby bring themselves under a Curse as Deut. 27.18 It s to be feared that these Differences may hinder some Persons from Joyning themselves with any particular Church in full Communion though this be the Fruit of their Ignorance Weakness or Prejudice These Differences being no just Cause of nor Plea for the neglect of their Duty For though there be such Divisions among us yet it is certain that some of these Societies of Christians at least 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ue Churches of Christ tho' some may be more Reformed Pure and Sound than others and it s the Duty of every Private Christian to Joyn himself to some Particular Church and where they have Liberty of Choice to those who are justly esteemed by Persons capable to Judge viz. by wise and Judicious Christians the purest and best or such as keep nearest to the Gospel-Rule both in Doctrine Worship and Discipline 2. Consider for Persons to refuse or neglect Joyning with any Church under pretence of fearing least they should not Joyn to a True Church this is to be Guilty of a certain Sin to avoid an uncertain One and therefore no Wise and Good Man would do thus 3. In what soever Society of Christians the essential Marks of a true Gospel-Church are to be found viz. The Pure Preaching of the Word of God and the due Administration of the Sacraments by a Minister Called Qualified and set a part according to the Rule of the Gospel That Society should be accounted a true Gospel-Church and will be owned by Christ as such Though it may differ from other Particular Churches in some Circumstantial and lesser Things And Private Christians ought not to refuse Joyning themselves to any such Society seeing Christ hath received them 4. It is evident to every Understanding and Impartial Eye That those of the moderate Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregational Persuasions have the Essence of true Gospel-Churches and own the same Doctrinal Articles of the Christian Faith though they differ in Discipline and Modes of Worship Therefore Private Christians may safely Joyn themselves to either of them according as they are persuaded in their own Minds And supposing you have heard the Ministers of each of these Persuasions where you have found the most spiritual Benefit There it is most advisable for you to Joyn if it may be Obj. 8. But says another I am Poor and Low in the World and have nothing to give toward the Maintenance of a Minister and should I seek to Joyn my Self to a Church they may be ready to think I do it only in hopes of a share in their Charity and Reject me for fear I should be burdensom to them this keeps me off Ans 1. This Objection savours of Pride and Uncharitableness which become not any Christians especially the poorer sort Humility and Charity or Love would teach you to think the best and to esteem others better than your selves and to hope that Ministers and Christians do better understand the Will of Christ and their own Duties than to be guilty of refusing Admission of any Person into their Communion meerly for their Poverty and you ought to think thus of them until you find the contrary 2. Were you sure before-hand that they would refuse you yet it is your Duty to offer your self and seek Admission and then if they unjustly refuse you the Sin will lye at their Doors and you will be Free But their Omission of their Duty will be no good excuse for your neglecting your own Duty 3. No faithful Minister of Christ dares to refuse the poorest Christian because he is Poor provided it appears to him that he hath a Gospel-Right to and fitness for Admission to this Ordinance seeing he could not Answer it to our Lord Jesus Christ who refuseth none that come to Him but inviteth all whether Rich or Poor as Mat. 11.28 and John 6.37 And requires his Ministers to do the same Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 22.9 10. They know that not many Mighty not many Noble are called but that God hath chosen the Poor of this World Rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that Love him as 1 Cor. 1.26 and James 2.5 And whom God hath chosen and called they will not knowingly Refuse 4. You ought rather to be Jealous of your own Heart then Suspicious of others and see that you aim at higher and better Ends in seeking to Joyn your self to any Church of Christ than to obtain some worldly Support as knowing those that followed Christ only for the Loaves were justly blamed by Him John 6.26 If your Ends be Right and Good leave God to take care of your Esteem in the Hearts of other Christians Obj. 9. But say others we hope we may go to Heaven though we never Receive the Lords Supper God forbid that all who Dye without this Ordinance should perish Ans 1. Far be it from me to say or think that none go to Heaven but the Receivers of this Ordinance for I believe the contrary Yea I know that some of those who are Partakers of it will perish for want of a Saving Change upon their Hearts as Luke 13.26 27. I freely grant that neither the Participation of this nor any other Ordinance is absolutely necessary to Salvation seeing God doth nothing by Ordinances but what he can do without them if he please Yet 2.
Spiritual Things should be minded in the first Place as Mat. 6.33 And therefore if you put them off till last you are guilty of Inverting or Changing the Order which Christ hath commanded you to observe and that is sinful 2. No more Worldly Cares are lawful and allowable to you but what are consistent with the more weighty Care of Religion and your Souls while they are moderate and keep within due bounds they hinder not the other but the excess of them is sinful which therefore you ought to Watch and Pray against 3. You may get through the World as soon as get through your Worldly Cares and Troubles for they usually accompany us more or less all our Days as soon as one Trouble is over another succeeds one begets another as Wave begets Wave so that if you stay from this Ordinance until you are wholly freed from them you are never like to Partake of it 4. Many of your Worldly Troubles and Afflictions are procured to you by your own Sins or sent of God to correct you for them drive you from them unto God and make you more mindful of Religion and your Souls concerns so that you make a quite Contrary use of them if they drive you farther from God and make you the more to neglect the Care of better Things Obj. 13. But when you have said all that you can for this Ordinance say others this is but a Ceremony that you Plead so much for and to neglect a Ceremony we hope can be no great Offence but will be easily forgiven while we mind the more substantial Duties of Religion Ans 1. Though it be but a Ceremony it is commanded to be used by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and so of Divine Authority so that the neglect of it is Disobedience to God and that is no small Offence 2. Though it be a Ceremony yet it is a very significant and honourable Ceremony being appointed by Christ to signifie and represent his Death and Sufferings for our sakes in which his matchless Love to Sinners was displayed and therefore to slight and neglect it must be no less than a slight put upon his Love and a Practical forgetfulness of him seeing he requires us to use this Ordinance in Remembrance of Him and â—s this nothing in your Eyes 3. The smaller the Thing or the easier the Duty is that Christ Commands â—he greater is the Sin of such as Disobey â—t Had he commanded far greater Things should you not Obey how much more when he injoyns you so small 〈◊〉 Thing as this What will you deny â—o do an easie Duty at the Command of Christ who refused not both to do and suffer the greatest Things for you Is â—his your Love and Thankfulness to Christ 4. Know That the abuse or neglect of a Ceremony that is of Divine Instiâ—ution may be very displeasing unto God and Dangerous to our Selves was not the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil a Ceremony Yet by our first Paâ—ents abuse of it in Eating the Fruit â—hereof contrary to Gods Law the Wrath of God was brought on them and all their Posterity Gen. 2.17 Was not Circumcision a Ceremony yet Moses his neglect to Circumcize his Son was like to cost him his Life as Exod. 6.24 And as slight as you may make of this Ceremony of the Lords-Supper yet for the abusing of it some of the Corinthians were smitten with Sickness and Weakness and others with Death as 1 Cor. 11.30 Now if God punisheth Men for the abuse of this Ordinance can it be rationally Thought that he will suffer the Neglecters and Despisers of it to go unpunished Obj. 14. But say some the Lords-Supper was but a Temporary Ordinance or to be used in the Christian Church only for a Time that is till Christs coming as 1 Cor. 11.26 For as oft as ye Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords Death till he come Now say Quakers for this is their Objection Christ is come to us in Spirit Therefore we use not this Ordinance This indeed is the most sinful and dangerous Objection of all because it strikes at the very being of this Ordinance and seeks the Destruction and Cutting it off from the Churches of Christ and therefore must be the more warily and vigorously opposed For the Confutation of it I shall propose these following Considerations First Consider Though it must be granted Christ doth indeed speak of another Coming to his Church before his Coming to Judge the World as John 14.18 I will not leave you Comfortless I will come to you and this Coming may be called his Coming in or rather by the Spirit which he promised to send in his Name to Teach Sanctifie and Comfort his Church as John 15.26 So that in respect of this his Spiritual Coming he promised to be with it always even to the End of the World as Mat. 28. last Yet I say The Apostle is not to be understood in that Scripture to speak of Christs Coming in Spirit but of his Coming in Person For Secondly Consider Christ was come in Spirit to his Church before that Epistle to the Corinthians was written whether we understand it of that extraordinary and miraculous Coming of the Spirit on the Apostles mentioned Acts 2.1 to 5. or of the ordinary Coming of the Spirit as the Teacher Sanctifier or Leader and Comforter of the Church Blessing his Ordinances to these Ends. Every true Believer hath Christ thus come into his Soul at his Regeneration or Conversion and to be fine the Holy Apostles experimentally knew this Coming of Christ by his Spirit unto their Souls before the Institution of his Holy Supper and so did the sincere Members of those Primitive Churches at Corinth Ephesus Philippi c. who yet kept up the Use of this Ordinance among them Thirdly Consider the whole Current of Learned Expositors in all former Ages of the Christian Church to this very Day understand by that Coming of Christ mentioned 1 Cor. 11.26 to be meant his Coming to Judgment as I could easily shew but that the Quotations of them would take up too much Room here nor have I found any Christian otherwise Minded until the Qunkers Invented this New Sense of those Words to Countenance their Rejection of this Holy Ordinance Now can any wise Man Imagine that Christ would have suffered his Church to erre in this Point for so many past Ages and never have discovered the true Sense of that Text till of Late to this sort of Men who are guilty of rejecting other Ordinances of Christ as well as this as Baptism Singing of Psalms the Observation of the Lords-Day and the Gospel-Ministry Believe it he that can Fourthly Consider if this Opinion were true that when Christ is come in or by his Spirit to Men they should no longer Partake of the Lords-Supper Then none should Partake of it but such to whom Christ is not thus come that is Graceless Persons But