rather ex consequenti and though not directly yet indirectly which is sufficient to my purpose The primary intent of this Sacrament is to keep a memoriall of Christ's death and seal or confirme the Covenant of Grace and it doth but secondarily confirme our Faith and strenthen other graces and why it may not have other secondary effects in some who have but common grace and yet are bound in conscience to use this Ordinance having a legall right unto it I see not Seeing it lays an ingagement upon all receivers to renew their Covenant with God and labour for those true graces whereby they may receive the full benefit of this Ordinance Especially considering that this Sacrament teacheth the eye as the Word doth the ear and is confessed also to be an heart-breaking and heart-melting Ordinance when they shall see Christ as it were crucified before their eyes for the remission of sins Besides it 's worthy to be considered that this learned M. Vines not long before his death and since he preached these Sermons now newly published did prefix an Epistle to Reverend M. Blake his Book of the Covenant sealed with high praises both of the Author and the Book commending it to many Ministers as a thred to direct them out of those Labyrinths and perplexities about administration of this Sacrament which have vexed very many Blakes Covenant seal page 189 § 11. propos 9. Now in that Book M. Blake proves holdes that this Sacrament no more than other Ordinances is not limited to those that have received a new life in Christ by the Spirit and that others as they may be admitted without sin so they are in a capacity and possibility to receive benefit from it And again he hath another Assertion That the Lord's Supper with the Word as an appendant to it may be serviceable to bring a man of Covenant-interest up to the termes of the Covenant page 200. Sect. 13. Propos 11. Besides M. Vines himself pag. 252. hath these very words If one be a baptized person a knowing professor of the Gospel against whom there lies no bar of notorious ignorance or scandall though it appear not that he is truly regenerate yet he hath admittance he claims upon such a right as the Church cannot justly disallow no more than an Israelite circumcised and clean could be debarred the Passeover and pag 254. unto admittance to the outward Ordinance Regenerated is not necessary And yet more plainly to this purpose pag. 350. If it was known to me saith he that a man was not regenerate I durst give him the Sacrament yea I must untill he be orderly convict of sin that may debar him for the Rule of Gods Word is best reason and the Rule establishes an order If he hear not the Church let him be to thee a Heathen and a Publican untill then and not upon my private knowledg he is not to be an Heathen to me Thus he Now seeing Christ himself hath not injoined his Church to prehibit all unregenerate persons yea hath injoined her to exhibit to such and such though unregenerate as this most learned and holy man holds hence I gather that this Sacrament must needs be of som special use to som such else God would certainly have prohibited it especially if it had been so dangerous to administer it to such as some suppose it whereas on the other side it is very dangerous for any such to neglect this Sacrament as it was to them that neglected the Passeover See Numbers 9.13 The man that is clean viz. legally which was spoken of before and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover even the same soul shall be cut off from his people and mark the reason because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season That man shall bear his sin What sin then are they like to bear that care not to bring this offering of Lord in that holy Supper in any season but neglect it for a long season And I leave the Treatise to thy candid consideration and rest Thine in the Lord Stephen Geree SOME Serious Considerations Together with some Cases of Conscience RESOLVED For a more full and frequent Administration of yet not free Admission unto the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper HAving for a long time sadly and seriously considered the almost-insupportable burthen that lies upon the backs of Ministers Onus ipsis Angelis formidandum as one hath long since termed it and weighing withall the dangerous distractions and divisions in our Churches which are the mystical body of Christ and should be like his Garment seamlesse and without rent alwaies indeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace I have esteemed it a most happy and heavenly work though hard and difficult to have an hand in composing these controversies or contributing any thing whereby peace unity may be in some measure procured and true piety restored and advanced which hath been so much hindered and almost utterly exstinguish'd in many places and persons by reason of our scandalous distracting differences and that especially about Discipline For hereupon many not able or not willing to distinguish between Doctrine and Discipline the former to wit Doctrine remaining still the same sound and saving notwithstanding the variety and seeming contrariety of Discipline hereupon I say some are deterred from Religion it self and others so offended and stagger'd that being in a maze they scarce know which way to steer their course so that they becom altogether unsettled irresolute in their Religion to the great dishonor of God the disgrace of their religion their own dammage as also to the hardning of unholy ones in their wicked ways and carnal courses who hence take occasion to sooth themselvs in their supposed constancie though indeed it be no better than contumacie or meer obstinacie against the clear light of the Gospel of Christ For say they to what end should we be so scrupulous and precise in matters of Religion seeing few or none of the most zealous are well agreed amongst themselvs one holding forth one way others another way and a third differing from both of them to name no more and all with a great deal of eagernesse and confidence For these men have forgotten or rather do not regard to know that even in the Apostles daies there were the like factions and differences when one said 1 Cor. 15.12 I am of Paul another said I am of Apollo and a third said I am of Cephas and a fourth renounced all the rest as it seems and pretended to be onely for Christ as some do now amongst us decrying all Ministers and Ministry of men and seem to bee onely for Christ's immediate teaching by his Spirit who though they think they have the fairest pretence yet I am afraid they will fall upon the foulest conclusions in the end as we see by sad experience in some such already Likewise
M. See his Book in 8. v. pag. 11.12 c. Jeanes who hath both largely and learnedly handled this particular And thus much shall suffice concerning the considerations and cases of Conscience I will conclude with a few motives to stir up my self and others to a more frequent and conscionable celebration of this holy Supper Motive 1 First because the keeping of the Passeover solemnly though but outwardly of many was a meanes to free all the Families of the Israelites from having their first borne destroyed from the Egyptians So may the keeping of this Supper that succeeds the Passeover be a means to preserv us from common calamities seeing our Sacraments are not lesse but rather more effectuall than theirs and withal considering that this is an approved way of renewing our Covenant with God and God's renewing his Covenant with us when we keep this Epulum Foederale This feast of the Covenant or Covenant-feast where God seales his covenant to us to be our God and to take care of us as Confederates do one for another Motive 2 Secondly if many were sick and weak and some dyed because of the sin of unworthy receiving as we see 1 Cor. 11.30 Their sin and judgments cannot be small that altogether omit this holy duty For it is a ruled case that the willing neglect of good duties is a greater sin than the weak performance of them I do verily believe that many abstain out of meer conscience fearing that they should do more hurt than good but Conscientia erronea non obli gat Motive 3 Thirdly it is without question and granted on all sides that it is a duty necessarily incumbent upon a Minister of the Gospel to administer this Sacrament being a speciall part of GOD's publick worship but it is questioned by most and flatly denyed by many both learned and godly men that a single Minister hath power of himselfe to suspend a scandalous person from the Sacrament Therefore it must needs be safer for a Minister to do that which is his certain duty than neglect it wholly and so in a kind suspend all good and bad worthy as well as unworthy Motive 4 Lastly the often Celebration of this sacred Supper tends much to the glory of GOD and the Churches good because herein is a thankful acknowledgment of CHRST crucified for us and also a putting GOD the Father in mind of CHRIST'S Death as some suppose and of his Covenant of grace sealed with his Sons blood and also a renewing our Covenant with GOD as was formerly said that he may renew his grace and mercy upon us Which things are of singular use Wherefore let us lament and lay to heart our former great neglect and labour for time to come to be more faithfull and frequent in administration of this holy Supper as without all Popish superstition so with all reverence and godly simplicity which I take to be the main defect in those Corinthians that received so unworthily And as for those that are so apt to Censure in this case let mee commend to them the Apostles practise in that 1 Cor. 11. When they had much transgressed in unworthy receiving and for which GOD had grievously judged them he never blames the Minister for admitting them but biddeth every one Examine himselfe and so eat verse 28. and tell 's them ver 31. If they would judg themselves they should not be judged of the LORD This this is the right way to reformation To cease judging others and fall more closely to judging of our selves There was never more judging of others and lesse judging of men's selves If men would more judge themselves they would certainly judge others lesse and so sooner escape the just judgments of GOD. Matthew 7.1 See Romans 14.10 Why doest thou judge thy brother Wee must all stand before the judgment seat of CHRIST And verse 13. Let us not therefore judg one another any more but judg this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Romans 15.5.6 Now the GOD of patience and consolation grant us to be like minded one towards another according to CHRIST Jesus that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify GOD even the Father of our LORD Jesus CHRIST Amen FINIS ERRATA In the Title Page line 17. read Pastore for Patore in the Epistle to the Reader pag. 8. line 17. for Suspicious r. superstitious p. 10. l 20. for these r. the p. 11. l. 3. for not r. but in the Advertisement p. 6 l. 4. and 5. for regenerated r. regeneration p. last l. 3. r. and so I leave In the Book it selfe page 2. line 26. put our there p. 15. l. 26. for convert r. correct p. 19. l. 10. after reproved add the word them p. 33 l. 12. after now add if p. 34. l. 1. for thou r. jou p. 35. l. 16. for saith r. say p. 4. l. 28. put out at p. 46. l. last put out as BOOKS Printed for Joseph Cranford at the Kings Head in St. Paules Church Yard ΠΑÎΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ or the Sume of Practical DIVINITY Practised in the Wilderness and Delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount being Observations on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of S. Matthew to which is prefixed PROLEGOMENA or Preface by way of Dialogue wherein the perfection and Perspicuity of the Scripture is vindicated from the Calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists By Thomas White Minister of Gods Word at Anne Aldersgate London ANIMADVERSIONS or the Rabinical Talmud of RABBI John Rogers Wherein is Examined his Doctrine as of the. Matter of a Church The duty of Separation Form of a Church The subjects of Church power c. By Zach. Crofton Minister of God's Word at James Garlick Hythe London A VINDICATION of the Answer to M. Brabourn concerning the Civil Magistrates Power as to changing Church-Government Wherein the Reverend M. Perkins and some Truthes of God are vindicated from the Lyes and scurrilcus expressions cast upon them By John Collings Minister of Gods Word in Norwich The Patterne of Patience in the Example of Holy Job a Paraphrase upon the whole Book being an expedient to sweeten the miseries of these never enough to be lamented times The Husbands Authority Vnvailed wherein is moderately discussed whether it be fit or lawfull for a goodman to beat his bad Wife A Method and instructions for the Art of Divine meditation with instances of the severall kindes of solemne Meditation By Thomas White Minister of God's Word in London Enchiridion Medicum Containing the causes signs and cures of all those diseases that do chiefly affect the body of man divided into three Books With Alphabetical Tables of such matters as are therein contained Whereunto is added a Treatise De facultatibus medicamentorum compositorum dosibus By Robert Bayfield Doctor of Physick in the City of Norwich The Crown of Righteousnesse by Tho. Watson Minister of Stephen Walbrook London FINIS
THE Golden Mean BEING Some serious Considerations together with some Cases of Conscience resolved for a more full and frequent Administration of yet not free Admission unto the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper By Stephen Geree Minister of God's Word and Pastor of the Church of Abinger in the County of Surrey Toleramus quae nolumus ut perveniamus quò volumus August contra Donatistas Cap. 20. Minister Ecclesiae ubi non viget excommunicatio excusatus est modo non volens det coenam abutentibus sed instet monendo câ—piat cavere abusus Ursinus ut est apud Magist Bowles in Patore Evang lib. 3. Cap. 5. pag. 193. If thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not turn from his way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul Ezek. 33.9 LONDON Printed for Joseph Cranford and are to be sold at the Kings head in St Pauls Church yard 1656. TO THE READER WHen I consider that most pathetical Praier of our dear Saviour for all his Disciples not long before his death Joh. 17.20 21. That they all might be one as the Father was in him he in the Father that they also might be one in them and for this canse that the world might believe that the Father had sent him Intimating that the unity of Christians is an especiall means to convince the world that Jesus was the Messias and consequently to convert them unto Christ It troubles me not a little to see such strange differences and divisions among true Christians whereby the world that should be won by our singular love and unity is utterly distasted and so disaffected to the true Religion of Christ Little do som of the separation consider how dishonourable and disadvantagious it is to Christ and his Spouse the Church to be guilty of such a great sin as schisme is otherways I am perswaded they would with both hands indeavour to make up the breaches that they have made in our Churches and that especially in regard of the Lord's Supper a Sacrament of our Spiritual Union and Communion with Christ our blessed Saviour O! that they would at length sadly consider how little good that reformation is like to work which only reforms such as they suppose already reformed accepting none into visible Church-fellowship in this Ordinance but those whom they judge really gracious contrary to the practise of all other reformed Churches mean while neglecting if not despising all the rest whom they should rather pity and not thus provoke whereby they do either exasperate or discourage them although they judg them to stand in most need of their help Neither is the injury small which in this case some Ministers suffer in that they are robbed of some of their choicest children begotten by their faithfull 1 Cor. 4.15 1 Thes 2.19 20. and painful Ministery who were the crown and comfort of their Spiritual fathers while they remained with them and were as stakes in the hedges of their severall Churches and might still have been lively patterns to their other people had they not been as the Apostle saith bewitched with specious pretences of a more pure and primitive Communion And verily had it been for their own advantage and spirituall gain as is imagined it would not so much aflict us and we would have held our peace although it would not have countervailed our dammage but when we sadly see how by this means many of them get such an itch after novelties and an humour of changing that they are ready to receive any up start opinions or old rotten heresie newly revived so that they gad from Church to Church till no Church is thought good enough for them and till at last some of them utterly lose all that Religion that they seemed to have being elevated not only above Ordinances and Scripture but above God himself horresco referens holding that there is neither Heaven nor Hell neither God nor Devill and so are become two-fold more the children of Hell than those they formerly separated from This must needs be a most sad and soul-breaking spectacle And whence is the root and rise of all this chiefly from that licentious principle that men have liberty to be of what Congregation they will and so after that they have made a rent in their own Church they think when they please or are displeased they may make another and so another as long as they list Mat. 23.15 if their wandring spirit shal but move them which I wonder some of the wiser sort of them do not see and if they see it do not seek to prevent it and cease to gather Churches out of churches Surely there 's far more need to gain men really unto Christ than to gather Churches out of Churches to the great grief of godly Church-membets who are not a little troubled at such inordinate courses Object And whereas some of them questions the truth of our Churches and thereupon may presume they do us no wrong Answ I answer that some of the most sober and learned Independents do ingenuously confess See jus divini Ministerii Aug p. 47.48 that we have true Churches and therefore some that deny it do shamefully defile their own nests by this means making their Mother an whore and themselvs base-begotten being first bred and born Christians in our Congregations And if we have true Churches how can they make such rents among us and not be guilty of that great sin of Schisme which now cries lowder in God's ears than formerly because multiplied beyond measure And as for my brethren that suffer with me in this case and that for fear of offending them and others have abstained from administring the Lord's Supper which is acknowledged to be an Ordinance of excellent use and therefore not only the abuse but also the disuse is no small sin I have with all tenderness avoiding all bitterness indeavoured to incourage them to a more full and frequent celebration of this holy Supper having as I hope clearly demonstrated that there is no such danger in delivering this Sacrament to most of our Church-members that are of age and understanding as many do imagine Always provided that the Ministers instruct and catechize them in the grounds of Religion and particularly about the nature of the Sacraments as seals of the Covenant of grace teaching them how to receive worthily and telling them the danger of unworthy receiving perswading them carefully to renew their Covenant with God which they made in Baptisme by repenting truly of their sins and stirring up their faith to lay faster-hold on Jesus Christ for the remission of sins thankfully acknowledging the love of the Lord Jesus in shedding his blood for the pardon of sin he likewise consecrating the elements with holy reverence and godly simplicity abandoning all suspitious ceremonies and humane inventions And if after all this they will come in their sins and so eat and drink judgment to
same God our Common Father in the same congregation with them See M. Balls Tryall of the grounds tending 10 separation page 200. 201. Internall and essensuall communion we have with Christ and the faithfull onely externall with â—he wicked Were not all the Coogregation of Israel members of the same visible Church and called God's people by God himselfe though many among them notoriously wicked Psal 50.7 Heare O my people and I will speake O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God and yet see what some of them were v. is 16. c. who then are we that we should utterly disclaim them before they utterly disclaim him and he hath given them a bill of Divorce Hath it not been sufficiently manifested that the Kingdom of Heaven i.e. Christs visible Church is like a Field wherein tares must grow together with the Wheat untill the harvest which is the end of the World Mat. 13.24 23. c. And also that in the visible Church many are called But few chosen Mat. 20.16.22.14 Ob. But doth not the Apostle say that a little leaven leaveneth the whose lump and therefore bids purge out the old leaven that ye may be a new lump speaking of the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5.6.7 Answ True he would have such notorious scandalous persons as the incestuous Corinthian was to be purged out by excommunication that yee may be a new lump and because Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us but never bids you put out your selves from the Sacrament more than from other Ordinances if such be not put out Ob. But doth he not say expresly v. 11. With such a one Answ no not to eate This must needs be meant of familiar eating because it is spoken by way of diminution and wherein one is more likely to be infected than at the Sacramentall Supper Ob. And whereas it is urged hereupon with much confidence That if we may not eat with them at our own table much lesse at Gods Answ It is a meer inconsequence how strong soever it may seem to weak Disputants for I may and must do many things with wicked men in God's house which I need not do with them in mine own The Adversaries will grant that I may yea and must pray and hear and sing with them in God's house which I am not bound to do with them in mine own I am left at liberty in the one but not in the other Case 7. But will not this gratifie the wicked who are so much for this liberty to come to the Sacrament of the Supper Sol. It will not gratifie them at all in their wicked waies but in a commanded duty which is incumbent upon them as well as any other duty for the sinfulnesse of man doth not dis-oblige him from any duty especially being part of God's worship as this is And by receiving them to the Sacrament we more oblige and ingage them to other duties also as to mortifie sin pressing them to renew their repentance because by receiving this Sacrament a Seal of the Covenant we are to renew our Covenant with God as we desire he should renew it with us by renewing his grace and blessings upon us otherwise we tell them this Sacrament will but aggravate their sins and also their judgments 1 Cor. 11.30 And therefore as those whom John Baptist called generation of vipers Luk. 3.7 he notwitstanding badtized them unto repentance Mat. 3.11 i.e. to ingage them more thereunto for hee told them withall That then the ax was laid to the root of the trees to hew down every tree that brought not forth good fruit and cast it into the fire ver 10. so may wee administer the Lord's Supper to men unto repentance to perswade them to bring forth fruit accordingly Hence I suppose that those Ministers who neglect to administer this Sacrament deprive themselves of a very forcible argument whereby they might perswade men and women to sound repentance least going on in their sin after this Sacrament they should crucifie Christ afresh and put him to an open shame as those Heb. 6.6 In the next place I shall humbly desire my godly reverend Breathren of the Ministry who have a long time desisted from celebrating this holy Supper sadly to consider how unjustifiable their practiseis in this particular especially if they should still persist in such a course Many have hinted much in this particular already especially learned laborious M. Blake whose bookes of the Covenant and also of the Covenant seal'd are of singular use for most Ministers that are at a losse in this regard and the latter book especially being as a word spoken on the wheels to such as judicious M. Vines hath it in his Epistle before that book I wish withall they would consider how unlike they are unto the Primitive practise which celebrated this Supper every week and for some time every day in the week being so in love with the Lord Jesus whom they knew in the flesh and who had lately laid down his life for them and because they conceived that this would be not onely profitable to themselves but pleasing unto God to keep such an holy memoriall of Christ's death and passion certainly they were not so scrupulous as many are in these days about admission And if you consult learned and laborious M. Mede M. Mede vol. 1. pag 495. c. as also p. 500. c. he will assure you that the ancient Churches in their publick meetings did so commemorate the sacrifice of Christ in celebrating this Supper as that they thought it an especiall means to make all other services accepted and to that purpose alledgeth divers testimonies of Tertullian and others and among the rest Origen Hom. 3. on Levit. where treating of the shew-bread which was continually set before the LORD with incense for a memoriall that is to put GOD in mind of them he makes it in this respect to have been a lively figure of the Christians Eucharist for saith he Ista est commemoratio sola quae propitium facit Deum hominibus Thus far and much more to this purpose saith M. Mede Sit fides penes Authorem If this be true as his Authors seem to prove then judge you what we our selves and our Churches have lost for lack of this Ordinance and you may well conceive that it is no marvail if God forget to do us so much good for Christ's sake as otherwise he would do and hath formerly done when we forget or neglect to put him in mind of that propitiatory sacrifice of his dear Son by celebrating his sacred Supper Ordained for this very end to be a speciall memoriall of his meritorious death that he himselfe might be mindfull of us and mercifull unto us Consid 5. Furthermore let it be considered that the main business of the work of the Ministery should be the conversion of souls to bring them from darkness to light from the power
those formerly mentioned that are so much offended at our present Divilions which we see the very Apostles could not prevent do not consider that our main Differences are not so much about the fundamental points and substantials of Religion which are especially Repentance towards God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which the Apostle makes the summe of all Religion Act. 20.20 21 with ver 27. but onely about the superstructures circumstantials which do not conduce to the Being but only to the Well-being of the Church and therefore are not absolutely necessary though very profitable for the peace and welfare of the same Hence I hold it a work well worthy a Consistorie or College of Divines to finde out some expedient for an happie Union among our selves in these particulars that might further the practice of true Piety in these declining as well as dividing-times And first of all if we could find out the Basis or bottom of our Divisions I think it would be some good degree to the healing of our Breaches Est gradus ad sanitatem novisse morbum vel morbi causam It 's one degree to health to know our disease and especially the cause of it and so in this we may happily see the saying verified Dimidium facti qui bene coepit habet He that hath well begun hath half his businesse done Now amongst many other causes and occasions of our Divisions and Dissentions we clearly find that those very things which were ordained for an holy Union and Communion to knit Christians together in an inviolable bond of Brother-hood have proved by the subtilty of Satan and policie or perversnesse of men the greatest Apples of strise and bones of contention as * M. Calemie in his commendatory Epist before M. Hudson's learned book of the universal visible Church one very justly complains To wit the two Sacraments of Baptisme the Lord's Supper which are the very badges and cognizances of Christians whereby they are differenced and distir guished from Jews and Barbarians Turks and all other Infidels in the world Baptisme is that sacred Ceremony whereby we are admitted members into the Universal Visible Church as being all members of the same mystical bodie whereof Christ is the Head baptized therefore into the Name of the undivided Trinitie or Trinitie in Unitie And who can be ignorant what Differences and Divisions have formerly and of late arisen about this holy Sacrament which of it self is not onely a great blessing of God to us and our children but should be a firm bond of brotherly love and concord among all Christians And as for the other Sacrament of the Lords supper That hath been the occasion of greater Discord and Division how many dear and precious servants of God have suffered bands imprisonment yea and have lost not only their liberty but their lives in fiery flames and otherwayes and onely because they would not acknoledg the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Alter as the Apostles call their Lords Supper And Divisions about this Sacrament have not onely risen between Papists and Protestants and Lutherans as they are called but even amongst Protestants themselvs as well as amongst the other two and that of late especially to the great prejudice of true piety and the power of godliness and that in the most eminent places of this Land insomuch as some have been ready in this respect to unchurch and undo one another so that a great part of that time which should have been spent in God's service Jud. Epist verse 20. in mortifying sin and building up one another in our most holy Faith hath been mostly wasted on fruitlesse controversies in this kind to the great detriment and dammage of all sides the scandal of weak brethren and the strengthening and stiffening of the hearts and hands of the wicked in their evill ways who otherwise might have been reclaimed but by this means blesse themselvs in their cursed confederacy whereby they are like Simeon and Levi brethren in evill Gen. 49. Wherefore seeing the main difference amongst us hath been and still is concerning the Administration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper For which as for the divisions of Reuben there are great thoughts and swellings of heart After long and serious Deliberation and confideration with my self and others and after much waiting and wrestling with God in praier and supplication I have resolved to cast my two mites into the Common Treasury of the Church if happily they may conduce or confer any thing to a comfortable composure of this great controversie that so much concerns the Churches among us And herein I must confesse I have been much encouraged by the indeavors of some faithfull fellow-laborers as learned M. Jeanes judicious M. Blake and others who have not onely confirmed me in many things but added much to my clearer understanding of other particulars so that standing upon their and other mens shoulders I may happily discover somthing for the common good of these our distracted and distressed Churches which next to Gods glory is the onely aim of these indeavours Now concerning this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper some administer it not at all least for want of power to keep off the unworthy they should prophane this holy Ordinance and give offence to others Some on the other side administer to all that come and are of years and understanding without any Scruple or Scruteny not caring to catechise and instruct them for that holy Supper Others there be that administer These are Anabaptists but exclude all that were baptized onely in their infancy as if they were without the pale of the Church Some again allowing Infant-Baptisme admit only those that renounce Communion with our Churches and Ministery as Antichristian and these are rigid Separatists Others though they do not altogether condemn our Churches and Ministry yet refuse to administer to any save such as enter into an explicit church-Church-Covenant as they call it and that are able to give such evidences of grace as to satisfie the whole Congregation or at least the Elders These go under the name of Independents There is also another sort that do administer who will allow none to receive this Sacrament but such as will give an account of their knowledg and faith to the Elders and are not proved scandalous who though they give a greater latitude than most of the former and accept of persons upon far easier terms yet in most places few will come under their Test or Tryall so that very few are admitted in many Congregations Hence some have devised a new way whereby they cull out those few of severall Congregations or Parishes and so imbody them together to join in Communion and breaking of bread and many are as much or more offended with this way than the former and so grow to distast and disrelish their Ministers that thus combine because so very many are left out of Communion though I
themselvs their blood shal be upon their own heads the Minister hath given them sufficient warning and so hath delivered his own soul But in case any grosly ignorant or scandalous should to the offence of others presume to come to this holy Communion I have delivered my opinion to this purpose That seeing the Word of God is silent in this particular of the Sacrament and only speaks of Excommunication which is a casting out of all Communion and not from the Sacrament only we have no settled Church-government at least owned and back'd by publick authority to exercise such a severe sentence a Excommunication is Mâ—â— â— â—3 â—4 therefore if but two or three sufficient persons of the Congregation will testify the scandall or ignorance the Minister in such a case may openly examine the ignorant and if the ignorance appear grosse and childish he is as well to be refused as one under age And for the grosly scandalous they are openly to be admonished and if for the present they professe hearty sorrow and promise amendment they may be admitted and if they do this in hypocrisie it is at their own perill onely But if they prove obstinate and for want of power cannot be legally excommunicated Mat. 5.23.24 the Minister may charge them to forbear telling them what they deserve 1 Cor. 5.11.13 2 Thes 3.6.14 and warne others to with-draw from them as the Apostle doth concerning such all which must be done with much meeknesse of wisdom and charitie If any think that notwithstanding these cautions too much liberty is given to let in so many I shall answer with these words of Reverend and learned Master Baxter I never found saith he one word in Scripture where Christ and his Apostles denied admittance to any man that desired to be a member of the Church though not onely professing to repent and believe Saints rest part 4 § 3. page 104. neither did I ever there sinde that any but convicted hereticks or scandalous ones and that for the most part after due admonition were to be avoyded or debarred our fellowship And again a little after he saith Their being baptized persons if at age is sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper till they do by heresie or scandall blot that evidence Thus M. Baxter And indeed it were a sad thing vide Blake Cov. sealed page 130. for Ministers as M. Hudson hath wel observed if they were bound to admit none or administer the Lord's Supper to none but such as were truly godly or that they judged in their consciences to be so or were bound to eject all that they judged were not so Hudson of the univers visib Church page 249. And there is great reason for this that he saith first because God never puts us upon the scearching of other mens hearts but our own in this particular Secondly because 't is more than probable that this Ordinance doth much conduce to conversion or regeneration as is proved in the ensuing discourse and more at large by learned M. Blake which though it seem contrary to the opinion of many of our orthodox Divines who speak of this Ordinance as being meat to seed and not seed to beget new life yet shall we finde that generally in their practise they made no scruple to deliver this Sacrament to all knowing persons that were not scandalous neither did they turn any away meerly because they judged them unregenerate If it be further objected that our Divines require Repentance and Faith in all that come to this holy Table therefore they do not count it a converting Ordinance I answer that the same graces are required to the performance of those Ordinances which all confesse to be converting viz. Prayer and hearing Gods Word for the Scripture saith that unlesse men pray and hear with Faith repenting c. they pray and hear in vain see James 1.5 6 7. Heb. 4.2 and yet these two Ordinances are chief meanes to beget Faith and Repentance Romans 10.14 17. Psal 66.18 Luk. 24.47 Acts 2.37 38. But thne you will say why should any at all being of years be kept back from this Ordinance if it be such an help to conversion I answer with learned M. Blake Every Ordinance that is for conversion is not meet to be applied to every one in an unconverted condition he instanceth in reproof which is a means to convert because it is called the reproof of life Prov. 6 23. yet reprove not a scorner saith Solomon least he hate thee Prov. 9.8 So we may forbid this Sacrament to some obstinate sinners that declare their sins like Sodome because some other more severe cours is best for them that may make them ashamed as I shewed before seeing fair means will not work on such but onely foul they must have some corrasives to eat out the proud flesh To conclude I hope my long-known practise and principles against profanenesse will apologize for me in this particular that I have not done any thing in allowing this liberty to patronize any sin in the least seeing I judge this the most profitable cours to keep som more within compasse and also to keep up Religion which hath much decayed since this Sacrament hath been so much disused I say no more but commend that which is done to the blessing of God whose power is made perfect in mans weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 Eph. 3.20 and who is able to do exceeding abundantly even above all we can ask or think From my Study July 30. 1656. Stephen Geree AN Advertisement to the READER READER WHile this smal ensuing Discourse was at the Press there came happily to my hands that learned and elaborate Treatise of the rarely accomplisht and eminent Divine Mr Richard Vines concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper wherin amongst other Questions he handles this also Whether the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be a converting Ordinance which he determines on the negative Now least some should think that this is flat contrary to what I have wriiten and so be stumbled at the same I would have it well considered that M. Vines doth labour onely to prove that this Sacrament is no Converting Ordinance in the primary intent of it perse which I do not deny affirming onely that it doth much conduce to the conversion of a knowing baptised person that is not scandalous as it is considered with all necessary circumstances being always adjoined or added unto the Word according to that old saying of Austine Accedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum Hence I conclude that the Word barely preach'd without the Sacrament as a seal to confirme it cannot ordinarily be so effectuall to beget Faith and Repentance as when both are conjoined as a Bond sealed is of more force to make a man believe he shall have a promised debt than one that is unsealed and therefore I suppose the Sacrament doth further conversion not meeerly ex accedenti but