Faith Rep. But doe We not hereby make our selves one with the wicked with whom we joyne and can we have Communion with Christ and Beliall Answ We doe and must be one with all that joyn in the same profession that is we are one or one body as Members of the same visible Church in its outward capacity freely administring the Ordinances whereof we are to partake but we are not one with them in their evill courses wee disclame them wholly in the impiety of their conversation So that wee have communion herein onely with Christ and have noting to doe with Beliall For I would not have any so grosly think that a joyning with a wicked mans person is having communion with Beliall but accompanying him in his evill wayes Communio malorum non maculat Quēquam participatione Sacramentorum sayes Austine sed consentione factorum If the Corinthians were alive and you joyned with them in going to their Idols this were indeed a communion with Beliall but if you only joyn'd with them in comming to the Lords Table you should partake of Christ alone as the Godly of them then did and as we ought to doe I will go with the wickedst man alive to the Church but I must leave him at the Ale-house We may joyn with any to doe good as to worship God in his Ordinance but we cannot that is we may not joyne with any in the least evill we cannot serve God and the Devill But you will say further Doe wee not professe the wicked with whom we joyne not onely to be one of us but one of Christ and partakers of his death and how can we doe so I answer very well The visible Church is the Body of Christ As Christ said Every branch in me that beareth not fruit Io. 15.2 As Peter sayes There are some that deny the Lord that bought them 2. Pet. 2.1 As Paul sayes There are some that are sanctified with the bloud of the Covenant which they trample upon Heb. 10.29 with Heb. 2.9 2 Cor. 5.14 So say I of all ungodly professors They are such branches in Christ redeemed and sanctified in the same sense as the Scriptures mean in these places that is in regard of a visible esteem whereby they externally partake of the Ordinances of Christ and so are reckoned as Members of him Let such places be laid it little more to heart and when you have made the Orthodox interpretation the Question will be even done and we shall be no longer afraid of a free Admission when we must affirme that there is an historicall visible faith that gives an outward Church-right unto the Elements as a true saving Faith that gives interest to the effectual grace of the Sacraments Even as the branches have some union with the root that bring forth only Leaves though they partake not of that vitall Sap that sends forth fruit also Object 4. The seale is set to a Blanck if All be admitted Answ Unto this which hath troubled many I answer not presently by the distinction of an Outward and Inward an Absolute and Conditional sealing But I desire a right understanding of this Notion how the Sacrament is a Seale I have alwayes thought here lyes generally peoples mistake they take it to be a Seale unto their Faith and if there be no true faith it is set they think unto a blank and this breedes a miserable fear to whom it is deliver'd Let us know therefore that the Sacraments are not properly Seales unto our Faith how do we conceive Faith such a thing as must have Gods Seale put to it God doth not attest our Faith but the truth of his own promises But they are Seals properly of the Covenant A Covenant is a thing must be sealed and the maker is to attest it thereby Indeed they may be said to be Seales of our Faith as Divines speak consecutivè by a consequence of speech because as Seals confirme a thing so Faith is confirmed and strengthened by receiving but they are not Formaliter formally in a true proper sense Seales unto any thing but the Covenant or representations of the effectuall Seal the blood of Christ by which it being ratified with God the Lord declares it by the Gospell unto the administration whereof the Sacaments are set to signifie the undoubted truth of it as Seales we say and Signes shewing us As the bread and wine is broken powred out and offer'd with the other actions so surely hath Christs body bin broken his bloud shed that all that believe in him according to this Covenant should have grace and salvation by him The expression is borrowed from Row 4.11 where Circumcision is said a Seale not simply of Abrahams Faith but of the righteousnesse of his Faith or of righteousnesse I take it through Faith Phil 3.9 that he should be the Father of them that believe which thing sealed to is the very tenor of the Covenant Now let Circumcision be received on Isaac the Child of promise or on Ishmael that must be cast out it is the same Seal of Abrahams Covenant Let the Sacrament be offer'd to the Godly or to the Hypocrite it is the same Seale of God declaring the truth of his Covenant which stands most sure and all the unbelief in the World cannot make it of no effect Even as a Proclamation of pardon as we instanced before unto Rebels comes with the Broad Seale to those that refuse it and yet it is no lesse a true Seale and set to a true writing than if they did all come in and embrace it so that if it want its due effect on the Receiver it may be said if you will to be set upon a Blank where Seales are set but not to a Blank seeing the Lord hath set it to the truth of his Word or grace of his Gospell Rep. But were it not absurd for a man to set his seal when there hath been no agreement and transactions before So do unregenerate men who come to the Sacrament without that solemne giving up the Soule to God as be ought who enters Covenant with him Answ I grant with sorrow there are too many of us come absurdly and but wickedly when wee forget to doe that we ought The Lord forgive us but though in the reciprocall action as it is to be a seal as is said of mans part the receiver fails in his solemne mutuall engagements according to the Covenant whereof he is to repent yet as for the Minister or Church who offer it as a seal on Gods part there is a true seale to a true Copy and nothing out of Order The Sacraments therefore may be considered in their nature and in their use In their nature I take them to be Gods seals only as primarily signifying his grace and shewing forth Christ though in the use and effect they are to be mans too as secondarily he is reciprocally to believe and engage himself unto God Sacramenta nostra accipimus ex
forth Free grace as Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 Mat. 11.28 1 Tim. 2.4 Io. 6.37 with the like tell me when the Gospel offers Christ or when Christ offers himself grace which are the things signified thus freely to poore ☞ Sinners how can we have the Conscience to turne them away from the Signes and meanes thereof in this Ordinance For my Reasons The first and chiefest I draw from the nature of the Sacraments The Sacraments are Verbum visibile a visible Gospell A declaring of Christ crucified A Memoriall of the Covenant made by his death that is ☞ The Sacraments set forth Christ to the eye as the Gospell does to the ear the same matter is presented in both only to divers senses and therefore the same latitude must be granted to them both in their administration Upon this ground me thinks I stand as upon a Rock against which all Objections like waves do but dash themselves in pieces Look into the 1 Cor. 11. we find Christ in the words of Institution ver 25. telling us The bread is his Body the Cup is the bloud of the New Testament and the whole action an ordinance in remembrance of him Now the Apostle comments on this in the 26 verse For as oft as you doe it you doe shew forth sayes he the death of the Lord whereby you see plainly what is his judgment of our Saviours Institution whatsoever you may thinke of it and that is to be a declaration shewing or holding forth his death or Covenant made by his death unto the Receivers This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this annunciation or shewing forth is taken from the Jews Exo. 1◠26 27. who were to instruct and declare the matter to their children at the Passover so Christ is here shewed forth as the matter of the Sacrament set forth I may say of God Rom. 3.25 as a reconciliation through Faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins alike in the Word and Sacrament You have a place may fully expresse this for us O ye Galathians Gal 3.2 before whom Christ hath bin set out as crucifyed among your This expression may be well applyed to the Sacraments which doe so shew forth Christs death that they describe him crucifyed unto the sight and set him out unto the eye that which the word declares him to the hearing Now if there be any to whom the matter of the Gospell may not be declared if there be any to whom we may not or cannot shew forth the death of Iesus Christ if there be any stand thus excluded from the Church that without her mitigation we may not tender to them the Covenant it is they and they alone can be debarred from the Sacrament To this end we know the Sacraments are counted Signes and Seales and Seal indeed as Signes now wherein is this but as they signify or represent the new Covenant to us ratified in the bloud of Christ Understand it thus A man covenants with a Landlord about a purchase for his children at such a price the price being paid the bargain is establisht This done he requires a writing wherein the whole agreement is expresly declared unto this writing the Lord puts to his Seale to witnesse the confirmation and so it is deliver'd for his posterity Iesus Christ does thus make a purchase for us his death is the price he layes down to God for it for conveyance of this purchase the writing that is drawne is the Gospell and the Séale put to this writing is the Sacrament both of which must goe to make the publick Instrument firm that is to testifie the vatification of it and so it is delivered for the use of the Church More fully thus A Prince by intercession of a Favourite sends forth a Proclamation of Grace to Rebels upon condition of laying downe their arms and coming in to him unto which he sets his own Seal for their assurance This Prociamation is the word of reconciliation preacht which runs conditionally to all The Seal annext is the Sacrament now can it be imagined there is any to whom the Proclamation belongs without the Seale Is not the Seal publick as the contents of it And so will it not be plain that as we offer the conditions thereof to any so likewise may we and must we the Seal upon their desire to confirm them to come in and submit unto them Thus we see the very nature of the Sacraments is as Seales to a Writing to be but necessary appendices of the Gospell To conclude this first reason then let me adde force to it briefly in these foure considerations 1. That we find that the Gospell is to be preached to every creature and a Baptizing them which on the same ground includes this Sacrament with it joyned as largely in the same Commission 2. That as the Gospell is to All so it offers Christ freely Now can any avouch that a poor Soule may take Christ freely without qualifications which is true in regard of any precedent merit so there be a present giving up himself to him sincerely as his ☞ Lord and Saviour and yet let none but such as are qualified to their mind be Admitted to receive him at the Sacraments Is Christ offered as a free gift in the Word and must we not come without our price and money to this Ordinance Why this is even as they conceive of Iudas who being about to sell our Saviour went out to make his bargaine at the Supper 3. That the Gospell-way is the best way to bring in Soules unto Christ Let a Man be fully convinced of the free grace of God in Christ his heart can stand it out no longer against his conversion Now when the word is preached the Covenant opened and the Seale too applyed this Message of reconciliation comes in its ful vertue for the working this conviction and faith unto Salvation 4. That the Gospell is a peaceable Gospell an Embassy of Peace now how shall this peace be kept if where it comes it goes to making separations at this Ordinance may a poor Soule say O Lord Iesus Christ though I cannot lay claim unto thee as a Saint Ican as a sinner I meane as a wounded sinner whom thou camest to save and shall none but Saints apparent be suffered to come unto him hither In a word is the Gospell peaceable converting free universall What is the Gospell but a declaring Christ Crucified and what is the Sacrament in the Matter and Contents of it but the very same if Paul can tell us what it is 1 Cor. 11.26 therefore there ought to be a free admission to it as to the Gospell †My second Reason I draw from the nature of the visible Church The visible Church is a number of such as make profession of Iesus Christ and so are Saints by calling whatsoever they are in truth the essentiall marks whereof whereby it subsists as visible is the Preaching of the Word
will submit here to further consideration ☞ The first Whether the very eating and drinking of an unworthy Receiver be damnation that is to free some weake mindes from fearfull thoughts whether it be such a sinne as makes a man guilty without repentance and Gods mercy of Condemnation And I conceive we must distingnish between the very receiving which is good and the unworthinesse which makes the sin onely This unworthinesse is in the Person or in the Act In the Person it consists in his evill conscience which will condemn him whether he comes or abstaines from comming Put case one receives not and is unworthy the guilt of his unworthinesse lyes neverthelesse upon him for that it may be more for in this very refusing his own Conscience condemns him and God is greater than his Conscience whereas if he comes it happily may excuse him something in not neglecting the outward performance not aggravate his condition for though he failes in the inward and that failing is sin yet that Act he does makes him not more sinfull for the doing but he would have sinned more to have failed in that too and not have done it Unworthinesse in the act consists in obliquity deficiency or failing in the right manner of receiving though the outward work it self be not amisse There is the matter of a duty and manner As for the matter every one can doe in a Christian deportment at the Table but in the manner to receive in Faith Love and other graces as we ought this a naturall man cannot doe and so he sinnes in his duty His very Act is not sin so far as he does doe in the matter it is good not only sub genere entis but good in tanto sub genere morum but this failing and swerving in the manner is the evill which as it cleaves unto we may conceive defiles the Act and makes it lyable unto judgment Now then my second Quaere is whether receiving the Sacrament unworthily is otherwise damnable then praying and hearing unworthily whereof Christ says as much Go and preach he that beleeveth not is damned Mar. 16. I ohn 3.18 ipso facto as much as heere And if it be not why upon the same account as men go to prayer to the word and other dutyes though they cannot pray and hear worthily they may not as well goe to the Sacrament my thoughts are thus It is a sad Dilemma unregenerate men are in If they pray hear receive they sinne not in what they doe I conceive but in what they not doe by failing in the manner their persons being not acceptable If they doe not pray hear and receive they sin worse and are impious Now what must be done here If there be a necessity of sinning of two evills the least must be chosen it is a lesse evill to doe what we can though the outward matter only 〈◊〉 be done than to fail in matter and manner too wholly casting off the care of God But if that axiome be true Nomo angustiatur ad peccandum there is no case wherein a man is necessitated to sin and so that saying Of two Evills must be taken alwayes de malo poenae not culpoe Rom. 3.8 then it is more clear Every man must come and do the best he can which if he doth happily he shall not sin at least so far he does not and God may blesse his endeavours Habenti dabitur whereas if he neglects he sinneth without question this being masum per se the other per accidens onely I will be hold therefore to distinguish There may be a profane presumptuous comming to an Ordinance or a Christian comming in conformity to Gods Worship though it is better not to come than to come in a prophane way this being rebellion and sin in the fact yet I say clearly it is better to come in a Christian way though but in an outward conformity to Gods service then altogether to neglect it which being granted and practised of all in other duties I think it but a begging the question to deny it in this Sacrament My third Quaere is Whether an unregenerate man conceiving himselfe not worthy must never come to the Sacrament for fear of eating his damnation And herein my thoughts are apt to run comparatively on the word The word sets forth Christ on the termes of Faith and new obedience that is the Gospell rightly administred whatsoever effect it hath on the hearers Now it is their part indeed to receive and apply it by Faith if they doe not it pronounceth them damned Thus the Sacrament likewise shews forth Christ unto the sight and for the Churches part she is to declare and offer him to all however he is received Now the Receivers 't is true in the like manner again are to receive in Faith as they ought to doe If they receive unworthily as the word denounceth this seal 〈◊〉 their damnation Now a man will say if the word pronounceth my damnation so long as I am an unworthy hearer I will not goe thither I shall but heare my damnation but I say you must goe thither you lye in a damned state already and it is necessary this damnation should be pronounced upon you to awake you out of your security in it that by the terrours of Conscience you may be driven to repent and be converted so the word is good in it self and the savour of life even while it damns a man if he usefully receive it So say I of the Sacrament it is good in its nature it is appointed for our good and so we are to come unto it as a means of grace but if it accidentally seals to any man his damnation it is through his own unworthiness and he is then to make the same use of it as of the damning word that laying to heart the horror of his sinne in being guilty of the bloud of Christ he may be provoked thereby to flie to Iesus Christ for a merit of his bloud to wash away his guilt of it and having received so many seals of his damnation he may be forced to the Lamb who alone is able to open all those seals by pardoning his sins and so to turne the savour of death unto life and to make even damnation it self such is the power of his grace subservient to his conversion and salvation I summe up this If comming unworthily makes a man guilty of Christs blood by powring it out in vaine what shall an open refusing deserve that even tramples upon it in the despising this ordinance Object 9 The Ordinance is polluted if all be admitted Answ Unto the unworthy receivers it may be said defiled in that sence as all things else are to the unbeleevers whose conscience is defiled that is I conceive in sinning in all that he does Tit. 1.15 But unto the admitters unless they be convicted and joyners who as the Schools say well concurre in their Actu physico not morali to their act of