Truth and the Life and no Man comes unto the Father but by him Would not such an one be justly esteemed among Christians as an Impious and Blasphemous Person In like manner for Jesus Christ to attribute to Himself the Names the Nature the Works and Worship of the most High God and at the same time was not so he could not be esteemed amongst the Jews then nor can with any just Reason be esteemed by any since to be otherwise than a notorious Blasphemer and from hence it would follow his Disciples were deceivers that the Jewish Sanhedrim did well in sentencing Christ to Death that the Jews do well in maintaining that Sentence and in rejecting the Preaching of his Disciples that Christian Religion is Superstition and Idolatry and the Messiah is not yet come For what is Idolatry but to give the essential Glory of God to a Creature only if Herod was guilty of Idolatry for permitting the People to say it is the Voice of God and not of a Man if though those that offered one Grain of Incense to an Idol were guilty of this Crime and they who swore by the Head of the Emperour were not Innocent though at the same Time they did not imagine the Emperour to be God what a piece of Idolatry and Superstition must that Systeme be that gives the incommunicable Glory of God to a Man only and requires Divine Adoration to be rendered to him yea if Christ is not God of the same Essence of his Father it represents him as an Actour on a Stage that takes the Name the Apparel and Acts the Part of a Prince when at the same time he is one of the meanest Subjects for it represents Christ as God God over all blessed for ever the Almighty All-seeing Eternal Immutable The True God and Eternal Life as he that laid the Foundations of the Earth c. When in Deed and in Truth he was but a meer Creature and in reality had none of these Excellencies in him there is a necessity therefore to give up the Truth of the Christian Religion and turn either Mahometans or Jews if this Principle is not true That Jesus Christ is true God of the same Essence with the Father From whence it is evident that this is a Principle of such a Nature that the Christian Religion stands or falls with it and therefore they who assert and they who deny it cannot have Christian Communion together 8. They which assert and they which deny this Principle ought not to have Communion together at the Lords Table because one or the other must be ignorant of what it represents and signifies they would have different Ideas represented by the same Elements To the one it would represent Jesus Christ giving himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling Savour the Humane Nature offered up and by Reason of its Union with the Divine making Satisfaction to Divine Justice answering the demands of the Law and obtaining Salvation for us Whilst it represents to the Secinians nothing else but a meer Man Suffering as an Example of Patience and Submission to the Will of God It sets forth to the one the Infinite and amazing Love of God in giving his Son his only begotten Son that lay in his Bosom and was his delight from Eternity to become a Sacrifice for Sinners to bear their Griefs Isa 53.4 5. and carry their Sorrows to be wounded for their Transgressions and bruised for their Iniquities to give him up to Death even that shameful painful and accursed Death of the Cross And it sets forth the amazing Love of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8.9 or as the Apostle speaks the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was Rich for their sakes he became Poor that through his Poverty they might be made Rich. Phil. 2.6 That he that was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with him made himself of no Reputation c. But it represents no such thing to the other no more Love than to make a glorious Man and set him to be an Example of Holiness Patience and Humility both in his Life and Death and ought they to have Communion together at the Lords Table that are not agreed what the Ordinance represents and signifies can they be said to discern the Lords Body that discern it not to be a Sacrifice offered up to God for our Sins Heb. 13.10 This is an Altar of which they have no right to Eat 9. They ought not to have Communion together because they must esteem each other either Vnbelievers or Hereticks and neither are communicable I have already shewn that if Christ be God c. then those that never believed it cannot be said to be Believers in Christ inasmuch as they cannot be said to Believe that Thing who deny what is Essential to it and they denying what is essential to the Person of Christ cannot be said to believe in that Person and as for those that have believed it and departed from this Faith they cannot but be looked upon to be Hereticks for there is nothing Heresie if this be not Heresie which Roots up the very Foundations and denies the Lord that bought them which overthrows the Christian Faith and turns it out of the World Objection An Heretick is one that is condemned of himself and unless they are condemned in their own Consciences Tit. 2.10 11. that what they hold is Heresie they are not Hereticks Answer 1. Then it will follow that it can never be known who is a Heretick inasmuch as we cannot know the Consciences of Men and then the Apostle might have kept that Rule to himself Ver. 10. A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject for it were absurd for him to give an Injunction as a Rule of Discipline in the Church that was impossible to followed 2. Therefore a Man is condemned of himself that renounceth the great Truths he hath owned he that once professed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah the Son and sent of God was devoted to him by Baptism and acknowledged the Doctrines revealed by him and since hath apostatized there-from is condemned of himself his own Actions shew him to be self-condemned for there is no better rule than to judge of the Tree by its Fruit and Actions speak more than Words The Foundation Principles of Christianity carry very great Evidence with them they recommend themselves to every Mans Conscience in the sight of God we have the greatest Reason therefore to judge those self-condemned condemned in their own Consciences who have departed from the Faith Ver. 11. Knowing he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself it follows hence they are not communicable because an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject 10. They who maintain a Separation because of Principles of far lesser Moment must acknowledge that they who assert and they
A Brief Enquiry Whether they who ASSERT And they who DENY THE Divinity OF OUR LORD Iesus Christ May have Communion together at the Lords Table By JOSEPH TAYLOR Therefore thus saith the Lord if thou return then will I bring thee again and thou shalt stand before me And if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my Mouth let them return unto thee but return not thou to them Jer. 15.19 London Printed in the Year 1698. To the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved Brethren HOW displeasing is it to him who walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks Rev. 2.1 to see his Churches either corrupted or divided to find his Body either defiled or torn Christ is the Head and we are the Members of his Body and as the Purity of the Head calls for the greatest Purity in the Body so the Oneness of the Body requires the strictest Vnion among the Members 1 Cor. 10.17 For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread Such cannot be Members of the Body who do not hold the Head Col. 2.19 From which all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God And such cease to be Members who make a Schism in the Body it behoveth the Churches of Christ therefore to take great heed to avoid both these Evils The desire of Vnity with all that call upon the Name of the Lord in Truth put me on the serious Consideration among other Things whether Persons who believe or disbelieve the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ ought to have Communion together as Members of the same Body and here you have the result of my Thoughts with the Reasons wherefore I believe they ought not I have no personal Prejudice against any it is only the Glory of God the Honour of Jesus Christ and the Purity of the Churches that hath engaged me in this Work and I cannot conceive how any who believeth Jesus Christ to be God of the same Essence with his Father can account the denial of his Deity a small Thing Is it a small Thing to take Christ from his Throne his Crown from his Head and his Royal Sceptre out of his Hand To deny him that Nature without which you believe he could not be a Saviour nor the Object of Faith and Trust which gave all the value to his Sufferings that made the Offering up of his Humane Nature Eph. 5.2 An Offering and a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling Savour Whereby his Justice was satisfied and his Law answered if he thought it no robbery to be equal with God what robbery will he account it in such who make him no more than a Man And is it a sign of Love to Christ to hold the most intimate Communion with such who having stript Him of His Royal Ornaments put a Crown of Thorns on his Head a gorgeous Robe on his Body a Reed in his Hand and then Salute him with Hail King of the Jews For what is it less to give him all the Titles and Characters of God and yet deny Him his Nature It is no Argument to say they do it ignorantly for so did the Jews when they crucified Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 For if they had known they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory And therefore though we are to Pity and Pray for them yet we are not to embrance and receive them into our Communion On the other Hand there is nothing more desirable in the Churches of Christ than Peace and Vnity it is a Blessing to be prayed for and laboured after Night and Day Psalm 133.1 How good and how pleasant is it for Brethren to dwell together in Unity For sweetness v. 2. It is like the precious Oyntment upon the Head that ran down upon the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the Skirts of his Garments For Profit v 3. It is as the Dew of Hermon and as the Dew that descended on the Mountains of Zion and there the Lord commands his Blessing even Life for evermore There he will be graciously present there he will dwell and there he will dispense the choisest of his Favours But this Unity that is so good and so pleasant is among Brethren among such who believe in exalt and glorifie the same God the Father the same Lord Jesus Christ and the same Holy Spirit Peace and Truth must be joyned together For that is not the Peace of God which is purchased with the loss of Truth we are obliged to take as much Care that we have Vnion only with the faithful As to preserve among them the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 I hope I can truly say I write only for Truth and shall be so far from being displeased at the disproof of my Arguments as thankfully to acknowledge my mistake and be one of the first as shall give them I now write against the right Hand of Fellowship But in the mean Time for the Reasons herein mentioned I must intreat they who believe their Saviour is God by Nature to be concerned for his Glory to be consistent with their own Principles and not have Communion with such that profess the contrary and use all due means to recover such who are seduced by the sleight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.4 5 6. Let the Exhortation of our Lord be diligently hearkned to Have Salt in your selves and Peace one with another Mark 9.50 And of the Apostle Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace for you are one Body and have one Spirit and are called in one Hope of your Calling you have one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. The great design of Satan is to divide you which he endeavours to effect by sowing Seeds of Discord about lesser Matters and stirring up such who cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine of Christ Rom. 16.17 who are to be mark't there is nothing can weaken our Hands more than Discord nor strengthen them more than Vnity hereby is the Father gloryfied the Son honoured the Gospel spread and the Churches Edified There are many Things about which the dear Children of God do differ in their Judgments and will do whilst they are on this side the Grave for we know but in part they have not the same degrees of Light and therefore are not of the same mind in all Things but their differences are only about such Things which they may believe or disbelieve and yet hold the Head they agree in the great and necessary Doctrines of Salvation in the Foundation Principles of the Christian Religion and Things of lesser moment I humbly conceive should make no difference among the Churches of Christ
c. And for what End can this be but that we might think him to be the most High God 2. In Word For to what end doth he take to himself the Names and Titles of the most High God but that we might call him by those Names and speak of him as he that made all Things c. 2. In Deed And this appears because he requires to be honoured and loved above all that we should love him above all our Relations Father Mother Wife and Children c. That we should give him not the Sacrifice of Oxen of Calves of a Year Old c. But of our Blood he requires us to loose our Lives for the Honour of his Name to Sacrifice our selves and all we have for his Sake whoever doth this must own him to be very God because these are Duties that are owing Only to the most High Objection It is further Objected That he did declare to the World that the Father is greater than he and therefore what hath been said â—s not to be understood in a proper and litteral Sence but in a figurative only Answer I Answer If he was not of the same Essence with his Father this is so far from an excuse as it would increase his Guilt that he should notwithstanding this acknowledgement assume an equality with the most High God in Names Nature Works and Worship Should a Minister of State take to himself the peculiar Titles of the King take the Name of Sovereign stamp his Image on the Coin ascribe to himself the peculiar Glories of the Prince and receive Homage as such would it excuse him to say he still acknowledged the King to be greater than he Suppose Moses when he came down from the Mount with the Glory on his Face had called himself by the Names of God Attributed to himself his Nature and required the People to give him Adoration I ask whether the People of Israel ought not to have accounted him a Seducer and rejected him as such in as much as he taught them it was a Law written with the Finger of God Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me In like manner the Jews were obliged to reject Jesus Christ if he were not of the Essence of his Father when he called himself by the Names of God attributed to himself his Nature and required the People to give him Adoration in as much as he taught them Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him Only shalt thou serve It is no excuse to say these Things are spoken Hyperbolically and Figuratively for such Hyperbolies and such Figures would be Impious and Wicked and open a wide door for Blasphemy for why might not Peter or Paul ascribe these Things to themselves and what hinders any from attributing to themselves the Names the Natures the Offices and Works of Jesus Christ if they may excuse themselves after this Manner 6. That these Things were spoken properly of Jesus Christ is beyond all scruple Confirmed in that those Scriptures of the Old Testament that are applicable to none but the most High God are ascribed to Him Here I might give you a large Catalogue but it shall suffice to give some Instances The first is Isa 6.1 2 3 4. In the Year that King Vzziah died I saw also Jehovah sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple Ver. 2. Above it stood the Seraphims c. Ver. 3. And one cried unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory Jehovah the King the Lord of Hosts and Holy Holy Holy are peculiar Characters of the most High God and none can without Blasphemy ascribe these to a meer Creature But John the Evangelist applies these to Jesus Christ John 12.39 40 41. These Things said Isaiah when he saw his Glory and spake of him And the Things that are here mentioned ver 39 40. Isaiah saith when he had that Vision ver 9 10. Instance 2 Psalm 68.17 18 19. The Chariots of God are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place Ver. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive Thou hast received Gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Ver. 19. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with his Benefits even the God of our Salvation Selah These are Characters belonging only to the most High God But this Text is expresly applied to Jesus Christ by the Apostle Paul Eph. 4.6 9. Wherefore He saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts to Men. Now He that ascended was He that descended first into the lower Parts of the Earth which was Jesus Christ Instance 3 Isa 40. v. 3. The Voice of him that crieth in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the Desert a high way for our God Ver. 4. Every Valley shall be exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain Ver. 5. And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed c. Ver. 9. Say unto the Cities of Judah behold your God Ver. 10. Behold the Lord will come with strong Hand and his Arm shall rule for him behold his Reward is with him and his Work before him Ver. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with Young Ver. 12. Who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his Hand and meeted out Heaven with a Span and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance c. These are without any difficulty the Characters of the most High God and the Evangelist plainly applies these to Christ in making John Baptist to be this Voice John 1.23 and Christ to be this Lord of whom plainly all these are spoken Luke 3.4 5 6. As it is written in the Book of the Words of Isaias the Prophet saying the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his Paths straight c. Instance 4 Isa 35.4 5 6. Say to them that are of a fearful Heart be strong fear not behold your God will come with Vengeance even God with a recompense he will come and save you Ver. 5. Then the Eyes of the Blind shall be opened and the Ears of the Deaf shall be unstopped Ver. 6. Then shall the Lame Man leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb sing For in the Wilderness shall Waters break out and Streams in the Desert Read Matth. 15.4 5. and you will see that Christ makes a visible Application of this Scripture in the Answer he gives to the Disciples of John Baptist