it and so analogically he may receive Gods seal the Sacrament and set his own by taking it that yet believes not and as in the Word preached which is the savour of life unto life and of death unto death and a sweet savour howsoever in both he that believes takes his part of the promise he that doth not receives his portion which is the threat so that to either it may be said tolle quod tuum est vade and the terrour of the threatning may conduce and dispose to the acceptance of the promise as fear introduceth love as the needle doth the thread in the expression of St. Augustine even so it fares in the visible Word the Sacrament Farther when the Sacrament which is Gods external Seal of this promise is applied to an unbeliever it hath all that is essential to Gods actual sealing of the truth thereof the promise being made and published the Sacrament by institution signifying it by similitude representing it by sanctification assuring it and God thereby engaging himself to verifie it in respect of external sealing nothing more is done to a true believer for of internal sealing and making the external to be successful or efficacious is not the question neither may we confound the external sealing with the inward which is made by the spirit onely nothing is done more in relation to sealing to him that performeth the condition than to him that fulfilleth it not As when a Writing is sealed and delivered to the use of two to become a Deed when a condition is complyed with or else to be as an escrol he indeed that observes the Condition onely hath the estate thereby conveyed but the sealing is alike to both And this Conditional proposition is an absolute truth even when made unto a Reprobate though it be false that he believes and that he shall be saved yet it is true that if he believe he shall be saved for if the connexion be true though both parts severally considered or though one or other of the parts resolved into a Categorical proposition be false yet the proposition is true Dr. Kend. ubi supra the verity whereof depends on the connexion between the Predicate in the Antecedent and the Predicate in the Consequent which put together so as the Predicate of the Antecedent become the Subject and the Predicate of the Consequent be made the Predicate in a Categorical proposition it will result onely into this indubitable truth He that believes shall be saved Indeed if this Sacrament should be exhibited to an Infidel not added to the Church who had entred into no Covenant with God nor assented by any Historical Faith to the written Word or should have the Sacraments exhibited without the Word then they might argue that the seal were set to a blank but being exhibited to those who are in Covenant with God as all are that be of the visible Church how else can their children be baptized and have received by a Dogmatical Faith the written Word of promise whereof the Sacraments are seals there can be no blank but in the argument if they shall in this case urge it they will not say that it is an untruth or false testimony when it is delivered in the Word though unto reprobates to whom that promise is offered and the offer chiefly bottomed on the sufficiency of Christs death to save all that shall believe it being true that Christ by his death merited salvation for all upon condition of believing if thereby we imply onely the connexion between Faith and Salvation so that all believers shall be saved though it be not truth if we thereby intend that he merited salvation for all persons his death indeed being sufficient for all in regard of the price and merit thereof though we cannot properly say he dyed sufficiently in respect of Christs purpose in laying down his life and of the efficacy of his death I say the offer of this promise to reprobates is grounded chiefly on the sufficiency of Christs death to save believers and partly on our insufficiency to know who shall believe And if this proposition be no false testimony when it is held forth in the Word wherefore should it cease to be true when it is given in the Sacrament why should the same thing be true when proposed thetically generally and to the ear and false when applyed hypothetically particularly and to the eye as if the essence of truth consisted in the manner and way of representation and not rather in the adaequation of things to the understanding If they shall object that the Sacraments are mutual engaging seals and as Gods seals on his part so ought the receivers to set their seals to the counterpart and when God obligeth himself to be their God conditionally they absolutely promise to be his people and therefore when wicked men partake of the Sacrament in them at least it is a false testimony while they profess to be what they are not and because all that are within the Covenant of Grace de jure should be Saints they ought to exclude all such of whom they are not satisfied and convinced that they are such de facto I answer 1. That I grant there ought to be the answer or restipulation of a good conscience in all for to be saved but not in all that partake of the seals of grace and salvation Yet whosoever receives them doth or ought to set his seal to what is thereby sealed to him which is onely that he that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved 2. Let them assign a cause why the same reason holds not in Baptisme and why upon that account they adjourn not the baptising of Infants till they can render that satisfaction seeing Baptisme is a seal of the Covenant as well as the Eucharist and the seal is set to a blank when the baptised hath no faith aswell as when the Communicant believes not 3. Not to mention that there is a kind of mutual Covenant between God and Man in hearing of the Word God obliging himself by his promises there revealed and in us there is a virtual engagement and profession of our religious reception of Gods will and subjection of our Consciences thereunto with belief of his truth hope of the good there promised and love of God which therein reveals himself all which though wicked men seem to profess yet nothing thereof they perform But to insist on prayer there is the like mutual Covenant God obligeth himself by his promise though indeed as Durand aptly Ames Cas Consc l. 4. c. 16. p. 187. promissio divina in Scripturis sanctis non sonat in aliquam obligationem sed insinuat meram dispositionem liberalitatis Divinae and thereby as Thomas Deus non nobis fit simpliciter debitor sed sibi ipsi in some sense to hear our prayers if made in Faith and in our prayers there is always an implicit and for the most part an
16. p. 31. geneat sacramenta movent intellectum ad assentiendum veritati divinae ergo Major patet quia fidei est assentire veritati divinae Minor etiam facilè probatur movent enim intellectum qua signa sunt itaque significant significationis vis tota pertinet ad intellectum movent autem ad assentiendum quia signa sunt veracia non mendacia veritas autem quam significant est divina non humana so as this may set it in the clearest Sun that those which deny the Sacraments to be converting Ordinances in this point they are also speculative separatists from the communion of Protestants And as certain Princes in some straits of indigence have coyned Leather instead of Silver so this new-minted distinction of a converting and confirming Ordinance was stamp'd in such a distress and necessity for want of better Bullion and is not Sterling onely I have not read of Princes that have fallen into such an exigence at the Inauguration into their Principalities or was false Coyn rather borrowed from the Papists who deny this Sacrament to confer the first grace Suarez 2. in 3. disp 7. q. 62. Vasquez disp 205. c. 4. who cite Hales Durand Bonaventure Biel Paludanus Major and others for this opinion but to suppose him just that receives it I recognize that some interpose to tell us that what use or effect the Sacrament can have by representing may be acquired by seeing the Administration without partaking and then it might be sufficient for some to look on but I shall regest that to what end shall they look on if they can look for no fruit or good effect thereby And wherein can the Aspect be fruitfull or effectuall to men unconverted but as it shall be subservient and adjumentall to their Conversion And if the Sacrament may be thereby capable of any such efficacy by representing to the Eye onely it will be necessarily consequent that the efficacy thereof in order to that end must be farre greater when it workes also by signifying to the other Senses and the applying signes are also added to the representing but though we should not willingly turn out of the way yet farther to remove this block out of the way of freer admission to the Sacrament wee shall answer 1. That the Blessing of our Saviour sanctifies the Bread and the Wine in order to the taking of both and eating of the one and drinking of the other not to the seeing them administred to the doing this in remembrance of Him not beholding it done and he shall unwarrantably presume to expect the fruit of the Promise that performes not the Duty of the Precept the Sacramental Elements put Christ into all our senses as I have formerly cited out of Chamier not onely into our Eyes significatio quò est expressiâ—r hoc magis operatur as Chamier to him that ears not Tom. 4. l. 9. c. 10. S. 36. p. 246. it is no Sacrament for sacramenta ut relata non habent extra usum rationem sacramenti And Chaemier also approves a passage of Valentia to this purpose Scilicet rem sacram in proposito intelligi debere quae sanctificat hominem suscipientem rectè ipsum sacramentum Tom. 4. l. 1. c. 11. quod talis rei sacrae est signum ita ut intelligere dâ—beamus esse signum rei fanctificantis practicum quoniam significat rem quae in ipsa praxi usu talis signt sanctificat Secondly Definitions are the very essence of things and the Apostle defineth this Sacrament by the Communion the Bread which we break is the Communion of the Body of Christ not the Inspection and we are partakers of one Bread not beholders For the better amplification of the benefits of Christs Incarnation in special there was to be a Mystical Incarnation of Christ in us as well as a real for us Mede in 1 Cor. 10.3 4 5. p. 582. as Nazianzen-defines the Eucharist to be a Communion of the Incarnation of God which is not effected but by receiving this Body and Blood of his changing them into ours by way of nourishment St. Augustine tells us that without the similitude of the signe to the thing signified there is no Sacrament but the Analogy of the Eucharistical signes to the Body and Blood of Christ consist in the respect of aliment and nutrition which respect faileth without eating and drinking and a Sacrament being not ens Physicum sed rationis Tom. 4. l. 7. c. 7. S. 18. p. 174. may be a Sacrament to one and not to another as Chamier disputeth it is but common meat and drink until it be consecrated but the Consecration is not perfected nor in facto esse until participation as it is no compleat motion until it have attained its term Even Bellarmine Valentia and other Papists Tom. 4. l. 9. c. 10. S. 15. p. 245. make Consumption to be of the Essence of their fictitious sacrifice Nay Chamier goeth farther and denyes Ullum fructum ex Eucharistia participi videndo ratio facilis quia non sit instituta ut significet ea ratione sed aliâ quare cùm Eucharistia pertineat ad gustum sic Augustinus ridicule sophista Bellarminus dixit aequè significare per oculos id est videndo And when I shall finde their Appetite as well satisfied and their Stomachs as much filled by looking on a good Supper as by eating it I may be facile to assent to their Hypothesis and beleeve the Supper of the Lords may be alimental and refective to the soul by seeing as well as by partaking Thirdly As the benefit is not equal in seeing and eating In Eccl. l. 3. so the danger is alike in either if they be without Faith for since not onely as saith Hierom in this Mystery but in the reading of the Scripture we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ and the Word preached as I alleaged out of Casaubon is a Spiritual Table and another kinde of spiritual eating of Christ therefore to whomsoever or howsoever salvation by the death of Christ is represented if not laid hold of by Faith it turnes to his condemnation and he hath no life in him because he eates not the flesh of the Son of Man nor drinkes his Blood so that as a man may eat Christ spiritually and not sacramentally and have the rem signi without the signum rei so he that eates not spiritually contracts damnation though he be restrained from Sacramentall eating Fourthly Therefore saith Chrysostome not onely they that sit down at the Table but they that are present at the Feast without their Wedding Garment Mep ad Ephes Hom. 3. Tom. 4 p. 356. are subject to condemnation for the Master of the Feast will not ask How durst thou sit down but how durst thou come in not having a Wedding Garment Fifthly To be a spectator of the Celebration and not a partaker of the Sacrament as it hath no precedent
and cast Pearl before Swine which is sometime superciliously enough alleaged to justifie this Oeconomy of repelling from the Communion such as they suppose unworthy is first and principally intended of the Word of Instruction and Reproof as appeares by the Text and the sense of Interpreters Though surely by the way that Text cannot be very pertinent nor well applyable to the point for which they produce it for those Pearls are prohibited to be cast before Swine Jansenius in Mat. 7.6 Idem Estius in 4. sent d. 9. S. 9. p. 123. and those holy things forbidden to be given to Dogs upon this caution lest they trample them under feet and turn to rent those that dispense them but there is no danger saith Jansenius that if the Sacrament be given to sinful men that desire it they should turn and rent those that exhibite it but rather that they will tear those that deny it neither can any be understood under the notion of Dogs or Swine that are not notoriously wicked and scandalous and such onely are here properly and especially meant as are Blasphemers and Persecuters of the truth and malicious resisters thereof but in these we plead for their reverence to the Sacrament and desire to partake thereof supersedes all fear and anticipates all caution lest they approve themselves such Dogs and Swine as to trample the Ordinance under feet or rent the Dispensers thereof But to stigmatize all those for Dogs or Swine whom they admit not to the Sacrament Dignos laude viros labe notare would be either rodere dente canino or else porcino foedare modo and canina facundia according to Lex Remia might render them obnoxious to a literal stigme and real brand being a calumny unworthy not onely a charitable Christian but a moral man But let us examine what they interpose to disprove our paralel of reasons verily much pargetting there is to shew a dispariry between the Word and Prayer and the Sacraments and to set them at difference which agree so well in the common and generical notion of Ordinances and it is remarkable to contemplate how the Sacraments are used like Casting-Counters sometimes standing for one hundred and then again but for ten according to the pleasure and interest of the Disposer to serve one turn they are sometimes advanced into a Sphere higher than the Word and we may somewhere meet with a fardle of what by a charitable construction we may call Reasons pack'd together to this purpose and Rhetorically enough displayed which yet indeed are but parcels of small Wares and which are like the Duke of Britain's Souldiers Briton's in English-mens Cassocks to accommodate another end they are at other times degraded set many Orbs lower and their virtue more disparaged and alleviated as upon this instant occasion we are told by some that Prayer and hearing the Word is a duty commanded but there is no Precept that wicked men should come to the Sacrament that in the one the matter is good and there is onely a failer in the manner but in the other both matter and manner are faulty and that by Prayer and hearing of the Word they may acquire some good temporal at least and mitigation of punishment but not so by communicating and therefore the Reasons are not alike for the admission probation of and conjunction with unconverted irregenerate and unworthy men to and in the former and latter Ordinances But I take leave to answer That it is the unanimous suffrage of the Fathers asserted by our Divines against the Papists in the question whether the Communion in both kindes be necessary that Take Eat Drink ye all of this Do this Shew forth the Lords death as some learned man will have it read are explicite commands words not onely of invitation of power of liberty Piscator but of command and precept as Justin Martyr and Chrysostome in terms expresly A Theologue of no ordinary elevation for learning and piety Perkins cas consc l. 2. c. 10. resolves in his Cases of conscience that by virtue of these commandments every man of years living in the Church and being baptized is bound in conscience to use the Lords Supper and so also doth the School resolve In 3. q. 80. ar 11. though they extend not the obligation to a receiving in both kindes as there is no formal command in terms requiring wicked men to communicate so neither is there such for them to pray the commandment is proposed indifferently and in general terms to all men and the Genus includes the several Species and the Species all the Individuals as our Divines answer the Anabaptists objecting there is no formal command for the baptizing of infants which are comprehended under the general notions of all Nations and Houses and Families neither can the want of those special qualifications or powers enabling to the discharge thereof exempt from or dispense with the obligation of general duties otherwise we might reverse and cassate the whole Moral Law which we are obliged to keep though we are not now able to perform our duty It seems to me a sad and piacular enunciation that the receiving of the Sacrament by an unworthy person is said to be materially evil or ex genere objecto though I deny not it may become so Ad hîc nunc ex fine circumstantiis I suppose the Author that dropp'd those inconsiderate words might justly with the Annular or Physick-finger touch the place behinde the right ear consecrate to Nemesis which among the Ancients was used by them that begg'd pardon of their gods for any inconsiderate and obnoxious speech what influence and effect the participation of the Sacrament may have upon unconverted and faithless persons I have elsewhere spoken and need not here to recapitulate That which is most commonly and most speciously and by the best learned objected to prove that there is not the like reason in this case in relation to the hearing of the Word and receiving of the Sacraments is this that the Sacraments are not converting Ordinances as the Word is there being no institution nor promise nor command to use them to that end but they are onely sealing Ordinances and conferre not but confirm Faith presuppose it and testifie our union with Christ not beget it that the Word is to be preached to those that believe not but the Sacraments to be administred onely to believers and those properly and really believers which not onely assent to the Word of Faith but to the work of Faith believing practically aswell as speculatively else the Seal should be set to a Blank and there should be a false testimony in witnessing that which is not and so be a practical Lye some few perchance attribute more to Baptism as to be a regenerating Ordinance but the Lords Supper they think is nothing like as if it were more to be the Laver of Regeneration than the Body and Bloud of Christ or as
her but he acted like a man that did relinquere suum jus Magistratui as Brentius In locum noluit munus legitim judicii abrogare as Musculus Sicut reliquis suis exemplis aut Evangelicae doctrinae praeceptis nullum voluit facere praejudicium eorum quae cuique ex officio pro salute reioub conveniunt ita nec hoc suo facto as Iansenius and because Hoc non erat ejus officium as Piscator non venerat ut esset externus Judex scelerum as Iansenius or suum munus cum ossicio Magistratûs consundere as Aretius whereunto are consonant Estius Barradius and Deodate And the power of inflicting capital punishments being then taken from the Jews as they confess it was not lawful for them to put any man to death though I know also some learned Men give another reason of that Speech it is thought they brought the adulterous woman in regard thereof thinking thereby to have ensnared him and to evade that snare and frustrate their designe he condemned her not It was not then for want of Accusers for they had formerly testified her offence to have been notorious by evidence of fact shee was taken in ipso facto or furto as the Greek is by a Synecdoche speciei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but being gone off Christ asked where they were and whether any had condemned her onely that in absolving her he might defeat the designed surprise of the Pharisees Ii te non condemnant neque ego te condemno quod illi faciunt ego facio objicere in me non possunt leginos repugnare in the words of Barradius you may see then how Diaphonous the example of the adulteress is to that of Judas But it seems the Apologists are like Blondus of whom it is said that he cared not quà m vera but quà m multa sâ—riberet Yet Horatius will lend Dioxippas a Sword to cut off his head as it is in the prophane Story suitable to that of Golias and David in the sacred for if Christ could not judge the woman to punishment because there were no Accusers and no man had condemned her why doe they then punish with loss of the Sacrament those that have had no accusers nor have been condemned by judicial process To their Epiphonema or rather Io-poean in the close of the Section attending their triumphs over so poor and despicable an Argument as this I shall onely say Rode caper vites tamen hîc cùm stabis ad aras In tua quod fundi cornua possit erit And I shall conclude with that which Bullinger alleageth out of Zuinglius Bullinger ad Petrum Dathenum advers Anabapt l. 6. c. 9. p. 230. whereunto are perfectly consonant what himself delivers against the Anabaptists Apertum esse satìs quales ipse Dominus primae suae coenae quae haud dubiè omnium fuit absolutissima adhibuerit convivas neque decere ut nos Dei filio qui solus corda filiorum hominum perspecta habet acutiores nobis sumamus oculos aut nobis ipsis in coena sumamus judicium quod ille nobis neque praecepto neque exemplo dedit DIATRIBE SECT III. The sufficiency of Scripture whereupon Negative Arguments are grounded The Argument deduced from 1 Cor. 11.28 It is difficult and unsafe to judge of other mens estate Of temerarious judgment of judging men to be wicked or irregenerate With what difficulty and what a pedegree of consequences their proofs are derived from Scripture General Rules for satisfaction of doubting Consciences perswade the contrary to their way Of Christs admitting onely Disciples Heb. 13.17 Matth. 18.16 Revel 2.2 1 Pet. 3.15 1 Cor. 5.11 explained and vindicated THE Canon prescribing and directing the due administration and receiving of the Sacrament is 1 Cor. 11. We cannot with Tertullian adore the fullness of the Scripture unless we yeeld it to be a perfect rule of faith and manners which it cannot be if it be deficient in any thing necessary to be done or beleeved especially in such places where it purposely handleth things of that concernment The Law of the Lord is perfect perfectum est cui nil deest and it is able to make wise unto salvation and thoroughly to furnish the man of God And therefore here and onely here an Argument ab authoritate negativè holdeth good But in that Chapter to the Corinthians I finde a precept Let a man examine himself none that he should necessarily pass the examination of another between the proper examination of himself and eating and drinking no other thing intervenes Let a man examine himself and so let him eat So without more examination having done so he must not be letted and therefore this very Commentary is made upon that Text by pathetical Chrysostome He doth not bid one man to examine another but every man himself making the judgment private and without witnesses Paraeus strikes in Unisons with that ancient Father The Apostle saith not the Priest shall examine or prove them but every man himself So doth Sarcerius He commands not that one should be approved to another but each one to himself as long before Clemens Alexandrinus accounted every mans Conscience to be his best director in this case By what authority then can he be put back from the Sacrament that hath examined himself And to suspect that any have not examined themselves who shall profess to have done so without a violent suspicion which is neer to a moral certainty of the contrary how can it be competible with Charity that hopeth all things beleeveth all things and thinketh no evil This being a stubborn hard bone much adoe there is to overcome it without drawing blood from the jaws One sets his teeth to it and saith That the precept of examining a mans self excludes not the examination of his Pastor or the Elders or the Congregation both may be consistent and both requisite But the offerture is supervacaneous for the Argument concludes not A man must examine himself therefore the Minister c. may not or need not examine him but we onely argue that because where the Apostle professedly prescribeth the preparative dispositions and duties requisite to worthy receiving he not onely gives no express precept that the Ministers or Elders or Congregation shall examine nor the people submit to examination but rather the contrary for having examined himself he permits himself so to eat therefore it is not of the necessity of duty for what the Scripture commands not obligeth not he permits a man to pass from self-examination to receiving without any other thing intervening Let him examine himself and so let him eate without any more adoe in respect of examination which if it had been requisite the Apostle would as well have said Let him also pass the examination of his Pastor c. as examine himself And this Argument from the Authority negative of Scripture though bet him eate affirms also the liberty of access without
promises though with some more particular and appropriate application upon performance of the condition Chamier Tom. 4. l. 2. c. 9. S. 18 Easdem res confirmare quae prius erant solis verbis conceptae est enim ea signorum natura ut quae Diplomata in membranis sunt fiant efficaciora sortianturque effectum suum Sacraments having some analogy with an Oath wherewith God confirms the promise willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs thereof the immutability of his counsel non suam naturam spectans sed nostram infirmitatem and therefore Paraeus calls our Sacraments In Hebr. c. 6. v. 17. p. 888. God's visible Oaths as the very words saith he manifests for Lawyers call a solemn Oath a Sacrament and therefore they are Gods Oaths in confirmation of his Promises Si verbum meum non sufficit ecce signum do addes Chrysostome but then even in confirming Faith objectivè they consequently not onely strengthen but beget Faith subjectively as a Seal in confirming the Writing begets a beleef of the validity of the assurance and so are meanes of Conversion producing a firmer assent to the truth of those Promises which before were not effectually laid hold of Dico sacramenta saith Chamier esse notiora efficaciora fidei faciendae Ubi supra S. 24. p. 42. observe he saith faciendae non tantùm confirmandae ipsa promissione codem modò quo sigilla regia sunt notiora â—fficaciora ipso diplomate nimirum quia solent apud nos esse cognitiora certioraque quae in oculos cadunt quà m quae auribus admoventur As then he that is not satisfied with a bare single promise may credit an oath and then that oath is properly the means whereby he is perswaded into a beleef and as when a naked Writing is not held a good Conveyance until it become a Deed sealed and delivered that sealing and delivery makes good the assurance and is that which invests the right and interest so when the Word preached doth not profit being not mix'd with Faith in them that hear it the Sacrament that superadds to the Dogmatical or Historical Faith a fiducial assent doth not onely confirm but cause that Faith which justifieth and brings peace with God And to say it cannot properly be said to doe this because it doth it not without precognition of the word is as if they should say that because a Deed is a writing sealed and delivered that it doth not therefore become of force from the sealing and delivery but from the writing read or that an incorporal estate did alwayes pass when the grant alone was read and was onely confirmed by the sealing and delivery Though most of their cunning lye in such generalities yet I shall not insist on it that Christ hath promised to be with us in all his Ordinances unto the end of the world And that there are general promises that their hearts shall live that seek God Psal 6.9.32 Prov. 8.17 Matth. 7.7 Lam. 3.25 Psal 75.4 that the Lord will be found of them that seek him and is good to them that wait for him and to the soul that seeketh him and they that dwell in his Courts shall be satisfied with the goodness of his house and that this is extensible and accommodable to seeking and waiting on him in all his wayes and Ordinances and as a general rule extends to and comprehendeth all particulars not specially and expresly excepted so they must shew by direct and explicit proof that the grace of conversion is denyed to this particular ordinance or else it is included in the affirmation of such grace to be annexed to ordinances in general As the generative faculty for propagation of the species is still supported and enlivened by influence of Gods benediction Be fruitful and multiply semel quidem dicta est semper autem fit saith Chrysostome so the converting power in the Sacrament for continuance and dilatation of the Church is maintained and verified by the power of Christ's blessing of the Elements to the remembrance of him which commemoration is efficacious to the engaging of the heart to him The Sacramental Elements are the Body and Blood of Christ and the Blood of the New Testament shed for many for remission of sins as well by signification as by obsignation and the obsignation is but an higher kind of signification they are the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ In locum signifying and sealing them accompanied with their effect and spiritual reality saith Deodate by virtue of the Holy Ghost And why should not the signification be really effectual in production of reall grace as the sealing to the causing of relative or the signification have no such effect in the Sacrament which is so efficacious when made in the Word Beside every promise made to the Word Homil. 3. aâ—â— Ephes c. 1. is extended to the Sacraments which are but visible words And when Chrysostome in his Exhortations to frequent communicating affirms not onely by these things set before us viz. the Sacrament but by Hymnes also doth the Holy Ghost descend he implyes that by the Sacrament the Holy Ghost more evidently came into mens hearts than by the other means and whether that of 1 Cor. 12.13 of drinking into one spirit which the Syriack Ambrose Augustine and others render drinking of one spirit and which Calvin thus expounds Participationem calicis huc spectare ut unam Christi spiritum hauriamus and Piscator Etsi verbi auditionem sacramentor legitimam c. brationem spiritus consolans sanctificans sequitur remunerationis ergo potiores â—amen esse in eo sacramentorum partes neque sane leviter praetereundum est quod Paulus dixit nos spiriâ—â— potari eui nihil unquam simile protulit cum de verbi praedicatione locutus est Thes Salmur part 3. p. 40. Calvin in loc Piscator in loc Gerhard loc com tom 6. c. 20. p. 173. Chrys in homil moral 24. Ut regenerentur ab uno spiritu viz. Sancto and Gerhard Ex uno calice bibimus ut unum spiritum accipiamus refer not to the conferring of real grace as well as relative and so whether those Testimonies of Chrysostome and other Fathers which if I should muster up for my defence I might like that Romane Vestal be oppress'd with the multitude of such Bucklers concerning the Sacrament calling it Fundamentum salus lux vita medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi the saying of Ignatius Renovationis regenerationis causa which is Nyssen's vivificatio spiritûs which is Cyril's Saint as mentis which is Cyprians c. relate onely to confirming not begetting of Faith let men more learned judge but truly I cannot beleeve Can they deny that the Sacrament by shewing forth and signifying the Lords death and putting us in remembrance of him and his Body broken and his Blood shed for the remission of sins is a part of the Gospel or good
and the failer be onely in the manner of doing it the rule holds not for to crop one Ear of a whole Harvest and instance in one of many cases how else could a Christian Prince with a safe Conscience for confirmation of a League take an Oath from an Heathen by his false Gods and not rather hinder such Idolatry but that the Sacraments are respectively necessary necessitate praecepti is denyed by none and granted by most to be so necessitate medii ordinarii Now lastly concerning those that should receive whom we know to have the greatest interest in the lucrum cessans while the Sacrament ought to be exhibited to them and is not and whom they suppose to have no less share in the Damnum emergens when the Sacrament is administred to them and ought not I shall say that as it was spoken of Adrian The multitude of Physicians had killed the Emperour so let some men consider whether or no while they fear accidentally to lose or hazard those soules they doe not more endanger them and their own soules too by with-holding from them the Sacramenr which is Gods Ordinance and therefore the likelyest means conducing to their salvation It is a cruel fault to deny corporal bread to the hungry a greater to with-hold the food of the soul and that of Gregory is here applyable He kills that doth-not feed Christ chose to converse with sinners that he might win them off from sinne unto himself and the servants of the King gathered together to the Marriage-feast good and bad the separation was made by the King at his coming not by his servants Matth. 22.10 And who can gain-say but that as Christ by breaking of bread was made known to his Disciples at Emaus whose eyes were formerly holden that they could not know him so the frequent receiving of the Sacrament may better fit and dispose them for receiving and bring them to a clearer sight and more special application of Christ unto salvation There is scarce any but takes some little reverence of the mysteries improves or renewes some notions of the redemption of mankinde by the death of Christ carryes away some small impressions of good things at least for the present some dispositions though not habits and how those weak seeds may be quickned and ripened by frequent communicating can be onely known to God but we may charitably hope for multiplyed acts beget and perfect habits and in this respect there is a similitude between habits infused and acquisite though the acquist of the former have a special assistance and inspiration of Gods gracious Spirit Use makes prompt and Physicians tell us that when Appetite is dull and digestion weak yet both may be increased by moderate refection whereas to exclude any from the Sacrament because he is not so well prepared as he ought is to deny a man a medicine because he is sick for which cause he chiefly needs it Defects in the manner and form will not discharge or supersede any from the matter of duties else they might plead excuse for the intermission of prayer or excluding others from it because they cannot pray without distractions and other indispositions and from hearing because of defects in the attention of mind or devotion in the affections he that performs the matter and communicates though with a failer in the manner so it be without malice or presumption doth some part of his duty and sheweth some though but an outward regard and conformity to Gods Ordinance and so I should think were a lesse sinner than he that altogether despiseth or neglects it Est aliquid prodire tenus the one is malum per se the other onely per accidens that which is not done with a perfect heart may yet be good in the sight of the Lord as it was said of Amazias 2 Chron. 25.2 it may be bonum though not bene and it may be impetratory of some reward though not of one eternal And though Hypocrates have an Aphorisme that Corpora impura quo magìs nutris eo magìs laedis yet that cannot justifie any to defraud another of his wholesome meat lest it turn into crudities and cacochymick humours though perchance Physitians may think fit to abate it sometime toward those that are notoriously sick and sensibly lapsed into a Dyscrasy One chief end of the Institution of the Eucharist was to shew forth the Lords death And the recordation thereof and external acknowledgment of Christ to be the Redeemer of the World by his death being made by a greater number though not all so well disposed or inwardly qualified as they ought may yet somewhat conduce to Gods glory and the end of the Institution It was matter of rejoycing unto St. Paul that Christ was preached though out of envy and strife and contention not sincerely An outward formal humiliation in Ahab was so farre accepted by God as to mittigate his punishment and the externall performance of the command by Jehu though upon sinister ends and with culpable affections procured a temporal reward He that is not against us by being scandalous is on our part Mark 9.40 and therefore should be a partaker with us and it s our part to cherish and encourage him in hope to bring him neerer rather than by a discountenance and discouragement to hazard the driving of him farther off The perfection of the best is an imperfect perfection the best part thereof consists in the sight of their imperfection saith Bernard and the greatest peece of our righteousness is an agnition in truth and a confession in humility of our unrighteousness and Gods commands are then only reputed to be done when that which is not done is forgiven saith Augustine If the denomination be taken from the major part our firmest beleeving is rather unbeleefe than faith as he that said in the Gospel I beleeve Lord yet prayed help not my faith but my unbeleef He that hath the best preparation and dispositions of Spirit for an approach to these holy mysteries must yet fly to Christ Jesus to have the blemishes thereof covered with his righteousness and the defects thereof to be supplyed by his fulness and he that owns the meanest and the weakest if in any degree sincere may by the same means obtain an elevation and acceptance thereof for it is onely Christ his stamp and not our metal that can make it pass current and the garments of our Elder Brother alone that can make us capable of the blessing As therefore the ancient Church for several Centuries though upon erroneous principles gave the Eucharist to Infants in years so the Church ever did and upon such considerations may still without errour exhibit it to Babes in Christ and such we are charitably to suppose the weakest to be that profess his Name and by the great transgression and abominable iniquity doe not evidently belye their profession We have been cautioned by the admonition of Marlorat and Spanheym that to desert or separate
Cor 11.28 Reinforced and vindicated Negative Arguments whether this be such Whether all revealed in Scripture be necessary Christs not examining his Disciples The sense of antient and modern Interpreters upon that of 1 Cor. 11.28 the testimony of Paraeus vindicated Examination but an after-reckoning to Auricular Confession and built upon the same Foundations the Consequences thereof alike to be feared 149. DIATRIBE SECT IV. No pre-examination in the antient Church save of Catechumeni Sending the Eucharist to persons absent and strangers The institution and abolishment of Confession Liberty to approach the Lords Table upon self-examination Whom the antient Church excluded from the Eucharist The Judgment of the Fathers Casuists and School-men concerning those that are to be admitted and to be debarred To partake was antiently commanded as a common Duty The omission reprehended the common right asserted 181. DEFENCE SECT XIII The honour and interest of the Ministery Confession of sins as necessary as Examination Whether their principles have any affinity with the Roman or may be subservient and manuductive to Popery The antient Discipline most like to advance Reformation What were the Catechumeni Energumeni Penitents The several degrees of the latter The Church-way of the Apologists hath no conformity with the antient Church How the Heathens proscribed profane persons from their Holies VVhether the Antients went too farre in Censures A testimony of Albaspinus falsified by them cleared Another of Chrysostomes vindicated 185. SECT XIV Sending the Eucharist to strangers and persons absent whether a corruption VVhether the Fathers were prodigal of Christs blood Of admitting to the Eucharist presently after Baptisme Of the Literae formatae and communicatoriae 182. post 185. SECT XV. Of daily communicating of receiving at Easter all the People anciently communicated No man to be repelled upon the private knowledge of the Minister or other Whether all did partake the Lords Supper that heard the Word What sinnes may exclude from the Sacrament Whether the ancient Church knew or practised any such Censure as Suspension The Negative proved the Arguments for the Affirmative profligated Penitents were first excommunicated What Communion anciently did signifie What Abstinency denoted What was the Lay-Communion What was meant by removing from the Altar What Suspension anciently signified and in what sense that notion was used What the School determines of giving the Eucharist to manifest and occult sinners Suarez imposterously alleaged by them What Suspicion may warrant an Exclusion Whether their way of Separation be conformable to the Ancient Of their care to keep men off from the Sacrament The Application of a passage in Chrysostome redeemed from their Exceptions Whether there be reason to examine dispositively to hearing the Word aswell as to receiving the Sacrament and danger to the Unworthy in the one aswell as in the other The casting of Pearl before Swine and giving holy things unto Dogs what it intends The difference between the Word and Sacraments All not anciently admitted to all the Word The Sacrament multifariously proved to be a converting Ordinance and this to be the common judgment of Protestants What effects may be hoped onely by seeing the Administration without partaking The Sophisme discussed He that partakes worthily is converted already he that eates unworthily eates damnation VVhether men are prohibited those Duties which they cannot well and duly discharge The moral works of natural men 186. DIATRIBE SECT V. By a free Communion there is no damnum emergens by pollution of the Ordinances Minister or Communicants the visible Church is aggregated of good and evil It is Schisme to renounce Communion of Sacraments with evil men not duly censured the administration not to be intermitted because all are not sufficiently prepared or those that are unworthy may partake The similitudes defeated of giving a cup of poysoned wine onely with admonition Of giving a Legacy to Schollars of such a capacity and parts which the Trustees cannot otherwise distribute Of being guilty of the sins we hinder not The weak to be encouraged and promoved by admission As much danger by mix'd Communion in the Word and Prayers as in the Sacrament The Reasons pretended to debar from the one as argumentative to exclude from the other Matth. 7 6. examined VVhether the receiving the Sacrament be a Duty injoyned to all and a good work in all VVhether it be a converting Ordinance VVhat the Sacraments seal and how VVhether they confer grace The same evil effects ensue by male administration of discipline as by a free communion and the same reasons which forbid separation in the one do also in the other case 235. DEFENCE SECT XVI The removing the scandalous by the power of the Keys no ingredient of our question nor any part of the Discipline which they practise What scandals may deprive of the Sacrament Whether formal Professors if they could be known were to be admitted How holy things may be polluted As the Sacrament so in like manner other holy things may be defiled By a free admission the Sacrament is not polluted by or to the Minister nor others that communicate worthily and it is no more dangerous for the unworthy to come than to keep off Whether mix'd Communion be a burden of sinne or pain In what cases it is lawful to have Communion of Sacraments with evil men The godly were alwayes commix'd with the wicked in Communion of Sacraments proved through the History of the Scripture Sacrifices were of like nature with Sacraments and for offering or eating thereof no signs or tryals of real Holiness were required Whether there be an equal necessity of profession of Faith at the receiving of the Eucharist and of Baptisme The Church of Corinth was corrupt yet in reforming thereof the Apostle prescribed no such tryal When and how far admonition and reproof may be sufficient Of Ambrose his proceeding against Theodosius What are the effects of the society of evil men with good The errors of Audius Novatus and Donatus Whether the Apologists symbolize with them Church-fellowship consists chiefly in Communion of Sacraments they make the Church of the Called to be no larger than that of the Elect. The state of the Church according to the Parables of the Floor Field and Net Matth. 13. Our Thesis asserted in the express words of the Antients The Pastor of Corinth not reproved for permitting mix'd Communions 1 Cor. 4.21 considered The Parable of the Marriage-Feast Of sealing men Their too free Pulpits no free Tables of Preaching without Ordination A recapitulation of much of the Discourse 255. DIATRIBE SECT VI. Whether this Discipline suit with Rom. 14.1 10. or check not with Charity relish not of the Pharisee Whether it sort with the qualifications of the High-Priest Heb. 5.2 Or the example of Hezekias Whether it smell not of Diotrephes Of examining persons set beyond suspicion Whether their way were cast in a like Mould with Popery Of their Elders their way is independent A complaint of our Schismes
fumes and exhalations thereof have eclips'd that Light of Doctrine which they confess formerly filled our Hemisphere it hath been onely forward to undo us and successful as Pompey was great miseriâ nostrâ and as Curio was eloquent malo publico and was brought forth with more unrighteousness then ever it was with-held O utinam arguerem sic ut non vincere possem Me miserum quare tam bona causa mea est Yet is it aes alienum to acknowledge that I neither can justly charge upon the Apologists nor will I leave them under the least suspition of having any personal share of or proper guilt in the Heresies and Profaness speculative and practical Antiscripturisme whose abominations in this Land make all good eyes to water and godly hearts to bleed But I look on Independency the Principles of which Discipline have imposed on the Apologists as the summum genus the common Principle and as it were the Trojaa horse of all those evils for as the jangling Sects of Philosophers pretended to be all Socratical so the differing Sects assume the Livery of Independency which is the Basis as Physitians speak of the Composition and the Bond and Common tye of the Bundle So as I impute not the mischief to Independents distributively but collectively nor think them to flow formally and inseparably from Independency in the Abstract so as to spread through al the denominations but to have spawn'd from Independents in the Concrete and that Discipline hath given the occasion of the rise and growth thereof which how strict soever it pretend to be in admitting to Church-membership or Communion of Sacraments yet is too loose in the liberty afforded to Opinions in a conceit somewhat like Tamberlains That Religion is like a Posie which is most sweet when made up of variety of flowers In an epidemical Contagion some may be yet antidoted by temperament and habitude of body yet the Pestilence is mortally infections and although there are many good Subjects of the notion of Papists yet Popery hath many treasonable and seditious Principles So though under the notion of Independents there are many Orthodox men yet Independency is causally very heterodox as he that lets down the Fence or lays open the Gap is guilty of all the mischief which the wilde Beasts do in the field They ask whether we say the Sun rose not till twelve because it shined not till then or that America was a second or new Creation because sound out of late and thereupon perswade us that their Government is elder than the former Custome of our Predecessours and not younger than the Scriptures and that it is unreasonable and unsafe to look onely on the Customes and Practices of the next Ages before us which they are sure worship'd God impurely Though Clouds may mask the face of the Sun at one place or for one instant yet it shines forth in some other and not onely by discourse of reason but by evidence of sense after the Sun is come into our Horizon we know he is risen for we then always see the light thereof though not in full brightness thereof perhaps for without that light we could not well see Though America was but lately discovered to us it was not unknown to all others the Inhabitants were not ignorant thereof and we know all this while under what Meridians and Parallels it was situate and we are satisfied that it had a real though no notional existence in respect of us but we are still to seek where this new world of their Discipline was in being until it was found out of late And suitably to the products of divine inspiration or results of rational discourse a thing of this kind could have no being till it was found out and therefore not fitly compared with America If they can assign when and where antiently their new light of discipline shined before we saw it unless perhaps some flashes thereof were among those who supposed they had more light of truth The Donatists alleaged in defence of their Separation that of Cantic 1.7 because more of the Sun-beams and thought that onely among themselves the Beloved made his Flock to rest at Noon I shall yeeld there was such a Sun though latter ages saw it not else I shall suspect it to be onely Parelius a counterfeit Sun subsisting onely in the vapours and exhalations of modern heads Antient Customs may be antiquated and again redintegrated some truths in some ages smothered by the predominating Errour and Faction and be afterward revived for Nullum tempus occurrit Regi Coelorum But it is one thing to be new Jewel apol p. 5. c. 1. Divis 1. another to be renewed Quod verum est serum non est saith Saint Ambrose As there can be no change in God himself so ought there to be no change in his Religion saith that Gemma Theologiae If therefore their Discipline were but lately found out it will be found to be without warrant If they will commence per saltum Neb. 7.63 64. and say it is as ancient as Scripture but cannot trace the descent and pedegree thereof through any one age of the antient Church they are onely like those Priests the Children of Habajah who sought their Register among those that were reckoned by Genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted put from the Priesthood Although we shall gladly dormire inter medios cleros that is saith S Augustine in utriusque Testamenti authoritate conquiescere In Psal 67. ut quando aliquid ex i's profertur probatur omnis contentio pacifica quietè finiatur Yet besides that they are likely to have as little foundation in Scripture as they implicitly confess to have support from the practice of the antient Church In the interim also they contract many prejudices not easily to be wrastled with for who will hastily beleeve that in this age which to other works of the flesh hath added swarms of Heresies mali mores excoecant intellectum saith Ockham the Light of Discipline should break out when so many gross Clouds eclipse the greater Luminary of Doctrine that this secret of the Lord should not have been with those that feared him in so many ages whom he promised to teach and to be with and to lead into all necessary truth Non verisimile est ut tot tantae in unam sidem erraverint saith Tertullian Et quod apud multos unum invenitur non est erratum sed traditum nor reflected on us by those great Stars of the Primitive Sphere between whom and some others is no more comparison than between the pillars of the Temple and their shadows as Nazianzen magnifieth Basil and when the like late discovery cannot be asserted of any other truth And lastly that this Discipline should be so necessary when the Church of God for many ages flourished in godliness knowledge and peace and yet was never acquainted with it
will and that they came no farther shall be their own fault and it is not his readiness to admit such nor the opening of the door of the visible Church that makes men hypocrites but their own wickedness Christ will not keep men out for fear of making them hypocrites but when the Net is drawn unto the shore the Fishes shall be seperated c. And in the precedent page he saith Their being baptized persons if at age or members of the Universal Church into which it is that they are baptized is a sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper till they do by heresie or scandal blot this evidence and this after much doubting dispute and study of Scripture he saith he speaks as confidently as almost any truth of equal moment The way of pell-mell blinds men in their wretchedness very like blindes them with light and poysons them with the antidote just as the means is destructive to the end Light may indeed some-while a little blind some weak eys yet it is the proper means of seeing and to keep them in the dark will perpetuate their blindness not make them see better Doth it not argue blindness of understanding to think by any argument to evince that it shall either blind men in their wretchedness or impede their conversion by sealing to them an assurance that if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved by his death which is the sum of the Covenant of Grace whereof the Sacraments are Seals To raise our Structure the higher and make it stand more firmly we should perchance dig the Foundation deeper and because this erroneous principle is the Fountain of those bitter Waters of strife our Marah and Meribath it might seem expedient to cast a little Salt into the Spring of those Waters to heal them A Covenant is a mutual compact or bargain between God and Man consisting of mercies on Gods part granted over to man and of conditions on mans part required by God it results from Gods antecedent and voluntary love that he entred into paction with man and performeth his absolute promise of giving Faith and perseverance to his Elect to which promise no condition is imaginable to be annexed which is not comprehended in the promise it self but to Gods Covenant of conferring other mercies which flows from his consequent love which is a natural property in God whose proper nature inclines to reward good and evil is a restipulation and condition of duty annexed Of this conditional Covenant onely the former being indeed rather a promise then a Covenant being onely Gods act without any mutual act of man the Sacraments are divine external seals and I suppose it is no such just cause as may legitimate a war whether it be more proper to say they are conditional seals of the Covenant to testifie and confirm unto us that we shall surely acquire what God hath promised if we seal back as it were our counterpart unto God and performing the condition render unto him what he requires as a conditional promise is made absolute by performance of the condition which otherwise obligeth not That the Sacraments are not Seals of the absolute Covenant nor set to without respect to the condition carries the stamp or seal of the Corporation of Protestants and those which have set their hands to any Writing against Bellarmine in that controversie of the efficacy of the Sacraments have attested this truth And some others of the Luminaries of our own Sphaere have reflected much light upon the point I therefore whose harvest cannot attain to their Gleanings shall not light my Candle in the Sun nor in the worse sense bring an Owl to Athens Tu sequere à longe et vestigia semper adora It may seem as much delirous to discourse of Military Glory after Hannibal as it was for Phormio to do it before him and a Smith may seem already to have run mad in undertaking as he of old did to have effected the amendment of an instrument of Archimedes Onely I shall say that whatever some rather odiously then ignorantly insinuate this is yet neither the language of Ashdod nor carries any stamp or holds any affinity with Semi-Pelagianisme or if you will call it so Arminianisme which is Synonymous for Arminius and Socinus have had the fortunes to have these bastard and illegitimate Doctrines put upon them which had other elder Fathers as Sextus 5. his Obelisk and Farnezi his Bull and other Monuments though formed and erected by the old Romane Emperours are now denominated from those that of late times have redeemed them from rubbish and restored their beauty but the Doctrine we hold forth hath no Analogy therewith For beside that we assert Faith to be absolutely and infallibly infused by God per modum creationis and nothing to concurre to conversion ex parte voluntatis causativè sed tantum subjectivè and ut credamus to be wrought passively in nobis sine nobis although actively ipsum credere be produced nobiscum simul tempore consentientibus et co-operantibus whereas the Arminians symbolizing with the Jesuits affirm Faith to be purely an elicit act of Free-will through a moral perswasion onely upon an object congruously proposed alliciens consensum non efficiens and Grace whose name they have antiquated as well as destroyed the Nature substituting the word help or motion in stead thereof to be a general and indifferent influxe terminable by mans good or evil free-will Besides this we are now disputing of Gods Covenant and Promise in time not of his Decree before all time If thou believe thou shalt be saved is not of the nature of a practical decree but of a promise and is onely doctrinal and enunciative neither do we as they do make Gods Decree conditional but onely the execution thereof and not the will of God to save but the salvation of man Gods eternal purpose in saving being absolute in respect of any cause or condition impulsive in the object not in regard of the means in the execution and order to the end Gods promises for their form correspond not with his purposes his promises being according to the manner of his executions but his purposes have a different method What he purposes he performs for the matter but not as he purposed for the manner he saves in the same manner that he decreed to save but in executing or saving doth not follow the same order which he did in decreeing this which is last in execution is first in intention Dr. Kend. Vndicat part 2. c. 7. and that which is performed on a condition was absolutely intended the intention was to perform it upon condition but upon no condition was it so intended We do not therefore say God intended upon condition of Faith to give Salvation but that he intended to give Salvation upon condition of Faith intending to give Faith absolutely and Salvation conditionally But the Sacraments therefore being onely Seals of
Sacrament both Matthew and Mark doe immediatly adde And when they had sung an Hymne they went out into the Mount of Olives Yet though the Evangelists immediatly adde their out-going it follows not they immediatly did go out those being two different things and though nothing intervene between the recital of the one and the other there might notwithstanding between the existence of them and if the giving of the Sop to Judas were the same night with the Institution of the Lords Supper as they would have it then it appears that Christ his Divine Discourses with the Apostles recorded John 14. were had before his going thence which is afterward expressed in the last verse of the Chapter and if not yet it is most likely by John 181. that his other Heavenly Sermons Chap. 15.16 and 17. were before his going forth after Supper ended either in the house or the Mount of Olives or in the Garden it matters not in which for since it was after Judas went forth it is all one to our purpose As for the Recognitions of Clemens the famous Whitaker reprobates and stigmatizeth them as suppositions upon this very score among others because they affirm Judas did not receive the Sacrament and as for Rupertus Tuitiensis the Abbot and Innocent 3d. the Pope they came into the World too late between the twelve and thirteenth Century to carry away venerable authority though Rupertus also is fetch'd off from this party by Vasquez neither could any more of that alloy counter-ballance the Scale against the common consent of the School M. 3. q. 81. art 2. disp 217.6.1 2. part q. 81. ar 2. who all follow the conduct of the great Bellweather Aquinas and are unanimously for the affirmative and as I know not any one of them that strayes or divides himself from the Herd so doe the Canonists also strike in generally and take the same way with them That the Churches of England and Ireland were of this beleef while they approved and incorporated the words of St. Augustine to this purpose the one in the 29th the other in the 96th Article is silently confessed That the Confessions of Bohemia and Belgia assert the same Harm Confes S. 14. p. 432. Edit Lon. 158. is denyed with too great affront to truth violently overborn to support the contrary opinion When that of Belgia saith Judas and Simon Magus did receive the Sacrament this Author answers that it was meant of Baptisme whereas but look into the place cited the whole context will appear to be of the Lords Supper which is the onely subject of that 35. Article of the Confession of Belgia and the head and title of the Section in the Harmony and no other Sacrament is there mentioned and use and custome which have the Empire of words and give the Law to forms of speaking hath made it more common and trite when we speak of the Sacrament without specification or restraint to understand thereby the Lords Supper And as for the Confession of Bohemia Harm p. 388. s 12. whereas it saith Judas received the Sacrament of the Lord Christ himself He answers It was that of Baptisme whereas there is no evidence that Christ baptized any Augustine indeed thinketh that he did baptize the Apostles onely but others dissent and think they had onely John's Baptisme and the Text seems plain against it Job 4.2 Jesus baptized none I am not ignorant that the negative in this question Whether Judas communicated hath some great modern names appendent to it but if the Beam should be swayed by Authority they are not enough by farre to turn the Scale but he that hath brought forth the greatest Muster-roll of them that I have met with hath a strange way to answer and enervate the Authorities marshalled against him for the affirmative by saying That the Authors hold some other opinions that check with their judgment in some other things that alleage those authorities and if wee should fight with him at the same weapon which indeed would movere tribu and abolish that Topick ab authoritate we should soon defeat him of most of his Authors that are for the Negative for to omit that Musculus cited for that Opinion differs in judgment from him in a greater matter viz. That Excommunication is of no permanent necessity but instituted and practised onely while the Church wanted a civil Magistrate even in this subject concerning Iudas the most of his Authors acknowledge that he received the Paschal Supper though it be denyed by him who I think is in that denial singular except perchance which Maldonaâ— supposeth and Gerhard denies that Hilary went before him who perchance foresaw that if Judas received the Passeover with Christ which before the Institution of the Lords Supper was in stead thereof and correspondent thereunto and significative of the same thing it was as subservient to our purpose as if he had partaken of the Lords Supper But because we are all of Augustine's minde Ego solis canonicis Scripturis dâ—beo fine ulla recusatione consensum and other Authors are to be alleaged non cum credendi necessitate sed judicandi libertate we shall therefore say in the words of Ambrose Recita de Evangelio and of Augustine Procedat in medio codex Dei As in the agitation of the Controversy concerning Transubstantiation our Divines argue from the forme and words of the Institution He took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave to his Disciples and said Take eat c. that he blessed what he took and brake what he blessed gave what he brake and bid take of what he gave and eat what they took and this was bread and at every period it was still bread so I may with some resemblance frame such an Argument in this present question He that is Jesus sat down with the Twelve Matth. 26.20 He gave to his disciples verse 26. he bid Drink ye all of this verse 27. and as they did eat Jesus blessed and gave to them Mark 14.22 and they all drank of it Now the Disciples which he gave it to were the Twelve he sat down with those all that he bid drink were the same he gave to and those all that drank were the same which he bid drink thereof and those were still the Twelve the full number of twelve I recognize that it is somewhat smartly observed that 1 Cor. 15.5 Christ is said to have been seen of the Twelve yet they were then but eleven at that apparition Judas being gone to his own place so in like manner the mention of twelve doth not here necessarily take in Judas at the Sacrament nor conclude the formal and precise number For answer I think this shall not be aptly and pertinently here interposed because it is confessed that Jesus sat down with the full number of twelve though some suppose that Judas did rise before the Institution of the last Supper Secondly Beza supposeth from whom Piscator
naturam causam and to make the salvation of all men possible though that were not the onely nor adequate effect of his death Loquitur collegio Apostolorum atque adeò non fuit necessarium ut singulì postea illum potum biberent sed satis est quòd multi Sylvius in 3. q. 81. art 2. p. 331. and as Athanasius thinketh no man had risen if Christ had not dyed and therefore he dyed for all that all might have resurrection Neither of these Sentences were spoken to the Apostles distributively but collectively not to Judas in particular or in the singular number but take ye eat ye in the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad plures eorum non ad omnes referendum est saith the Ordinary gloss the words were verified toward the major part which was enough to warrant the truth of what was said broken shed for you and drink with you as Maldonat observes Judas was one of them to whom our Lord said Matth. 19.28 You that have followed me in the regeneration c. shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel yet that promise shall not be verified in Judas though fulfilled toward the rest and Matthias shall possess the Seat of him who is gone to his own place Now for that which is the Achillean Argument and by the seeming force whereof many modern Theologues have been carried to the other part viz. the giving of the Sop to Judas which they think must needs be given before the last Supper where was nothing to dip it in and upon receiving whereof Judas went out immediatly I hope to give so full and clear an answer thereunto as may satisfie any unprejudiced and unbiassed understanding and so by finding an error in their writ of Ne admittas and recovering upon our Quare impedit we may bring our Quare-incumbravit and at this Institution give Judas that Induction which the Antients suitably to all circumstances in the Text have afforded him First Dr. Hammond Annot. in John 13.26 p. 340. conceiveth that the dipping is misapplied to the Sop and may signifie no more than Christ's putting or dipping his hand into the dish vers 17. to whom having dip'd I shall give c. but if as he supposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the lower side or crust of the bread which was wont to be given about to each of the guests in the postcoenium which was among the Jews as the Grace-cup it is necessarily consequent that Judas was present at the Institution of the Sacrament and not onely at the first part of the Supper it hath ever seemed strange to me that learned Men have concluded that the Sop must needs have been given to Judas either at the Paschall Supper where the Charoseth the sauce wherein they dip the bitter herbs of the colour of clay the Emblem of their servitude in Egypt is thought to be that wherein the Sop was dipped or rather say some since it is not like that Christ kept the Passeover with any conformity to their superstition and traditional rites the Sop was given at the common Supper for heere onely could be some liquid thing wherein to intinct it whereof there was none at the Lords Supper I know that the Learned agree not about the number or order of the Suppers but for my part I strike in with them that suppose there was among the Jews but one Supper upon the matter viz. the Paschal Supper though that might be divided or diversified by several formalities as I said before and they were several courses rather then Suppers Buxtorfius tells us Synagog Judaic cap. 12. p. 325. that the later Jews that day in the evening whereof they eat the Passeover dine betime in the forenoon and slightly and eat no more untill they keep the Passeover that they may eat that with the better appetite and it is the less likely that then they will at that supper cloy themselves with other meat and howsoever they might eat other common meat with the Paschal Lamb as there was occasion yet it appears incredible that ten persons for there might be no more sometimes and never were above twenty should eat a whole Lamb either before or after another set distinct Supper The dimissory supper was as secundae mensae Weemse p. 133. Christian Synagog and heere some think the bitter herbs were brought in and in the time that this was eating our Lord instituted his Supper which being before they rose and before the utensils and remainder of the meat were taken off as Interpreters conclude to reconcile Matthews as they were eating with Lukes and Paules after Supper what I beseech you should hinder but that the Sop might be dipt in some of the liquid reliques of the former Supper yet standing on the Table even after Christ's Institution of the Sacraments or how will they disprove or make it seem improbable Gerard. harm c. 171. p. 453. Estius annot Johan 13.26 that it was Wine not consecrated wherein our Lord dipt the Sop for which there wants not the authority of men very learned There is no necessity then to conclude that the Sop should be given before the Sacramental Institution but neither Secondly had it been so given is there any cogency of reason to hold that Judas his going forth immediately after his receiving thereof should be so instantly as to retrench all intervenience of time wherein the Lords Supper could be afterwards instituted That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediatly doth not alwayes signify a moment of time but a very short interval as Maldonat expresseth it may appear Marke 1.12 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of the same signification and indifferently used both being rendred protinus statim continuò but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated immediatly Marke 1.12 cannot be construed but with some latitude of time for after the voyce from Heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son c. it is added and immediatly the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness which could not be in a moment considering the circumstances of his baptisme and comming up out of the water and revesting himself Annot. in locum Nay the learned Grotius interprets immediatly in this place non multò pòst nam dies unus saith he aut alter intercessit John 1.29 neque inusitatum ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita usurpetur ut John 13.22 The same latitude of construction the word must have as it is used by Greek Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statim à puâ—ritia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jam inde à vetustate in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 statim cùm juvenes sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 statim ineunte aetate in Thucydides none of these can be limited to a moment but must be interpreted with some latitude and therefore the Syriac according to Tremelius translation renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this
place of St. John eâdem horâ the same houre and thus forms the Text Ipse Judas accepit panem eâdem horâ egressus est forà s Judas received the Sop the same houre and went forth Thirdly as there is no necessity to conclude that the Sop if given that night was given before the last Supper neither is there any cogency of reason to inferre that if it had been given before that Institution that therefore Judas went forth so immediately as to leave no proportionable interim between the one and the other for the Consecration and distribution of the Sacrament So lastly there is no certainty that the Sop was given to Judas that night when the Passeover and our Lords Supper were eaten And I shall crave leave to offer some Animadversions which may make it seem not improbable that it was dealt him at a former Supper in Bethany and that the Supper mentioned John 13. was neither the Passeover nor Supper of the Lord. That thirteenth Chapter of John begins with these words Now before the feast of the Passeover and then in the second verse saith Supper being ended so as the Supper there rehearsed seemes to be before the Passeover The marginal annotation on John 13.1 referres us for the consonancy of the Evangelists to Matthew 26.2 where it is said after two dayes is the feast of the Passeover so as by comparing the Texts the Supper mentioned in St. John was two dayes before the Passeover and though it be said John 12. that Jesus came to Bethany six dayes before the Passeover yet the Supper recorded vers 2. of that Chapter and in the 13. Chapter might be some dayes after his comming and but two dayes before the Passeover and some learned men suppose that he had that week several recourses to and from Bethany It seemes a very Tortious and improper answer to interprett before the feast of the Passeover to be the night of the Feast but before the eating of the Paschal Supper There is neither reason nor example nor authority for it and it sounds contrary to common sense and the two dayes mentioned Matth. 26.2 are destructive to the interpretation Besides when our Lord said to Judas what thou dost doe quickly some of them thought that Jesus had said unto him buy those things that we have need of against the Feast and therefore this could not be spoken in the night of the Feast of the Passeover it being then too tardy to make preparation for that which was elapsed or at least instant If any one shall interpose That there was also the Passeover of Bullocks and Sheep which the Jews called Hâ—agâ—ga which was celebrated on the fifteenth day of Nisan and the second day of unleavened bread according to Numbers 28.16 17. In the fourteenth day of the first moneth is the Passeover of the Lord and in the fifteenth day of this month is the Feast I shall answer that beside that it seemeth by 2 Chron. 35. that these Bullocks and Sheep were killed on the fourteenth day though the people feasted on the remainder of the offerings upon the fifteenth let it farther be considered that had this been spoken on the fourteenth day of the month at night when the Paschal Lamb was eaten how unlikely it was that the Apostles could imagine that any provision could have been made for the next immediate day so late and so unseasonable for it was night when Judas went forth I shall not lay much weight upon this observation yet it is not despicable that after that Supper where the Sop was given John 13. there is mentioned one exit or going thence of our Saviour John 14.31 and after that several of his Sermons are recited before his last going forth over the brook Cedron where was the Garden whither he went from his last Supper John 18.1 which insinuates that the Supper mentioned John 13. was not his last And since St. John seems somewhat abruptly and without any coherence with or relation to any thing antecedent in that 13. Chapter to say and Supper being ended it seems to me not irrational nor unparalell to other parts of Scripture to conjecture that he now reverts to recite what farther happened at that Supper mentioned in the former Chapter The Hebrews have a Proverb in Scripture Non esse prius posterius and such intercalations and historical Epentheses are not onely frequent in Genesis and other Books of Scripture but obvious also in the Evangelists as may be observed in the series and order of Jansenius his Harmony and it is the first of Tychonius his rules which St. Augustine calls keyes for unlocking the hidden things of Scripture and which he names Recapitulation Dicuntur quaedam quasi sequantur ordine temporis vel rerum continuatione narrentur cùm ad priora quae praetermissa fuerunt latenter narratio revocetur Farther Sathan was first entred into Judas before he had recourse to the High Priests about betraying of his Master Luk. 22.34 but he had first received the Sop before Sathan entred into him John 13.27 he might have thoughts and tentations of Treason before but he put it not into act or execution till Sathan had gotten the possession of his heart therefore he had swallowed the Sop before his resort to the Priests But now from the Supper at Bethany he went forthwith to the Priests to drive the bargain with them Matth. 26.14 and so consequently then or before he must needs receive the Sop. Neither doth this Argument depend onely upon St. Matthew's relation of Judas his entring into Conspiracy with the Priests immediatly after his recitall of the Supper at Bethany though St. Marke also observe the same Method and Luke relates his conference with the Priests as before the Passeover and the Fathers think that he grudging at the wast of the oyntment bestowed upon our Lord at that Supper took thereby the occasion of his treason and seeking to repaire his losse findes a way to sell the oyntment which was already spent by selling his Master who was anoynted with it Damnum quod effusione unguenti se fecisse credebat vult magistri pretio compensare saith St. Hierom but St. Matthew also Chap. 26.16 saying and from that time he sought opportunity to betray him doth evidently shew there was some interval of time between his Contract with the Jews and the execution of his Treason and therefore consequently some dayes before the Passeover he had agreed with them for the acting thereof conformably whereunto the Antient Church conceived that Judas entred into conspiracy with the Priests on the fourth day of the week and that his passion followed on the sixt and in memory of the one they fasted Wednesday and in remembrance of the other upon Friday in every week Besides Judas going out at night when he had received the Sop the time was too angust to make his redress to the Priests drive his bargain muster the Souldiers and returne to seise his Master
all in that one night if before hand things had not been treated resolved disposed and ready prepared in order to the execution So as Satan being entred into him before he designed the treason or went about it and that entry being made together with the reception of the Sop he could not receive it in the night of the Passeover If any shall tell me that the contrary is the common opinion both of Ancient and Modern Authors I shall franckly acknowledge it but so is it also that Judas received the Supper of our Lord and if they will assume a liberty to dissent in the one they must yeeld us the freedome to vary in the other Whereas it is objected that if our Lord had made known the Traytor so signally at the Supper at Bethany two or three dayes before the night of the Passeover how could the Disciples be so dull or forgetfull to be still ignorant of him and to question again who it should be It is easy thereunto to answer That if at the Paschal Supper when they think the Traytor was marked out by the Sop the Disciples yet noted it not nor understood it to be Judas either through perturbation of Spirit as Augustine or the softness of our Lords voyce as Jansenius and Grotius or the charitable and innocent goodnes of their natures which could neither suspect nor beleeve any such thing of another more then of themselves or because that manner of speaking thou saist it licèt sit affirmantis non est planè affirmantis rem Tu dixisti Etsi aliquando affirmantis interdum tamen est vel interrumpentis vel suspendentis sermonem quasi diceretur tu videris hoc apse dicis non ego potuit etiam hoc dici sic à Juda à Domino responderi ut omnes non adverterent illud cui panem porrexero post communionem soli Johanni dictum fuit Sylvius in 3. q. 82. art 2. p. 331. Vasquez in 3. q. 81. art 2. disput 217. c. 3. p. 485. sed ut ibi annotavit Euthymius aenigmati simile fuit eo quòd Judas confessus non fuerat aut quia illis verbis aliud intelligi potuit nempe ipsum Judam revera illud dixisse as Vasquez Sylvius and Barradius to like effect For the same reasons they might take as little notice of and as little apprehend the discovery made at the former Supper at Bethany and what ever shall be alleaged to excuse them or manifest the reason of their inadvertency at one time may also serve for the other But that none of them understood Judas to be the Traytor even to the last no not St. John himselfe as some learned Men conceive is evident John 13.18 no man at the Table knew for what intent the Lord said what thou doest doe quickly Had they been perswaded that Judas was the Traytor could they have thought that Christ would have trusted him with buying any thing for the Feast or giving ought to the poore as they conceived he meant by these words quod facis c. and had St. John at last understood it doubtless he would have revealed it to the rest that with one consent they might have risen up against the Traytor as Jansenius observes Our Saviour spake of the Traytor at Bethany to shew he foreknew the plotting and designing and in the Paschall night also to manifest he foresaw the acting and execution of the Treason And as for that objection That had Jesus told them two days before that one of them should betray him they had at that time began to be sorrowful and to ask Is it I It may be thereunto answerd That men are not always equally affected at the relation of the same things they may have divers dispositions suitable to different occurring circumstances Secondly they might then also be sorrowful and make such interrogations though S. Iohn record it not else how wil the Objecter answer the Argument should it be retorted upon him as that the discovery of the Traytor mentioned in Iohn was not the same with that recorded by the other Evangelists because at the one the Disciples were said to be sorrowful and asked Is it I At the other not If any shall farther object as my own thoughts by a prolepsis prompt me that some perhaps may do that the lotion of the Apostles feet is commonly understood to be among other causes mystically in order to their preparation to the Sacrament and an Emblem of the pureness thereunto requisite and that though it were usual not onely among the Iews but other ethnick Nations to wash before meals yet to do it after Supper was proper onely to the Iews and that onely at their Paschal Supper whereas some learned men say there was a double washing suitable to a double Supper and the second lotion was before the Dimissory Supper all which are Arguments that this giving of the Sop at the same time with the washing after Supper was at the Passover I shall answer That some of the Fathers have indeed made such allegorical applications of this lotion but there is nothing in the Text to warrant it where other Reasons thereof are implyed v. 14. and other rendred by the Fathers as Ut somnium illud de regno politico messiae eis excuteret in seipso perfectae humilitatis exemplum ostenderet Farther Semel lotos baptismate eodem lavacro non indigere sed hoc lavacrum quotidianis excessibus est institutum jugis retractatio usque ad novissima veniens omnia debet opera cogitatus singulos prescrutari affectus per vitia discurrentes vagam instabilem animam per inania evebentes corrigere lavare neque quidquam in vita pretermittere indiscussum quod gemitibus suspiriis non fuerit expiatum Besides Discipulorum pedes in praedicationem Evangelii praeparare ut verum esset Quà m speciosi pedes Evangelizantium c. Yet more Ut esset symbolum spiritualis illius aquae quae misso spiritu sancto in Apostolos erat effundenda ut copiosiùs perfunderentur cùm mundi utique sam essent Lastly and principally to shew them Vobis necessarium est lavare pedes i. e. quodcunque Ministerium mutuà praestare nam per lotionem quod infimum est obsequium etiam reliqua multóque mag is honestiora debemus exequi as Thephylact and from him Calvin Salmero Maldonat and Grotius renders this reason Tam vili Ministerio se subjecit ut amorem suum evidentissimè ostenderet Quod diximus vile Ministerium apparet 1 Sam. 25.41 But however Allegoriae illatae non innatae non sunt veri sensus Scripturae sed applicationes dilatationes veri sensus nec sensus Scripturae sed artisicium interpretis And as Origen well are like Gold out of the Temple which is not sanctified yet granting that it was done partly to set forth that preparation requisite to the partaking of the holy mysteries and previous
fallacy of the consequent for from Christs admitting Iudas known to him to be wicked it follows not that Ministers may not keep back such as they know wicked but onely that they may admit them There is a disparity between the freedome and the necessity of admission but if they understand by the Ministers knowing them to be wicked a private knowledge then I shall profess it to be my opinion that a Minister may not keep them back and Christ his admitting Iudas whom he knew to be wicked will suppeditate an Argument for proof of this opinion which will not tremble in its arraignment at the barre of reason unless ignorance or passion usurpe the Bench and this opinion is also seconded with the authority of divers Casuists elsewhere cited whereunto I adde the suffrage of a grave and learned Divine that tells us Sinners are secret not of publicke notice Mr. Balls Friendly tryal of the grounds of separation pag. 187. though one or other perhaps the Minister may know them in their course scandalous they are not to be repelled if they offer themselves because though one know them to have sinned thus and thus it is unknown to others and so the sinne is private and not generally known otherwise liberty should be given to wicked Ministers to punish with this punishment whom they please but if they meane a publick knowledge either by evidence of fact Confession or judicial sentence men so known to be wicked may be repelled from the Communion by the Minister and the contrary which is the judgement of the Erastians as it falls not into my opinion so it flows not from the example of Iudas whose crimes were not then so notorious Aeneas Sylvius when he was more Godly in truth and before he was ius in name he used to say It was a subtile artifice of the Popes to set the Lawyers to dispute whether Constantines Donation were valid de jure thereby to introduce an Hypothesis that such a Donation there was de facto The Apologists follow the contrary Method and spend most of the Section to disprove that Iudas communicated and say lesse to the consequence and refult of that example We have elsewhere anticipated and forestalled all or most of their Arguments and applyed Answers and so having cut down and crop'd their harvest we shall have lesse trouble with the Gleanings After an heedful search with others eyes they cannot finde the consonancy spoken of among the Ancients for Judas his participation of the Lords Supper But have all their researches found any Father of the first six Centuries that sings a Note which breaks the symphony Hilary excepted whom though Algerus thinks by a benigne interpretation might be reconciled to this opinion yet Vasquez confesseth the words admit it not and Suarez saith his endevours are frustrate Advers Anabapt l. 6. c. 9. pag. 230. But howsoever Bullinger expressely tells us Sententiam suam nullis firmis argumentis probat propter quaeilli credendum Unity is no number one is next to none as in Musick when many sing to one Tune one antiphonous voyce cannot spoile the Harmony What like point can they instance in wherein so many lines of the Antients are concentred and an opinion of a thing not in termes revealed but collected by discourse and abstractive knowledge which passeth with a nemine contradicente is a rare Phoenix or rather a bird of Paradise if that place admitted that way or manner of knowledge But those Fathers that vote with the paper are ballanced by multitudes of the best modern lights Perhaps there is Romana statera where according to the distance from the Center one ounce may be weighed against a pound and the Earth against a Barley-corn as Archimedes boasted But it shall be as vaine as odious to enter upon those Staticks and to make comparisons whether the Ancients were Gyants the Neotericks but Dwarfes and Dwarfes may see farther advanced on Gyants shoulders according to the trite Allegory or whether the modern lights are great like the Moon because so near us and have greater influence although they borrow their light from the Sun that yet appeares lesse I shall not therefore dispute of this but not quarrelling that hypothesis yet when that constellation which gives light to Iudas his Communicating is beside the ancient made up of as many yea more new Starres than the other that hath an opposite aspect I hope those modern lights alone with Hilary onely among them cannot ballance so many of the Ancient and Neoterick both together The Fathers might receive this from one another without due looking into the Text. The Fathers might it hath indeed no absolute impossibility but they might not also and that hath more verisimilitude it being not like that so many of them had so little of judgment and so much of Credulity to precipitate their Sentence without examination or were so negligent in consulting Scripture in this wherein they were assiduously conversant and whereunto they so pathetically excited others to have recourse but the Fathers are still much in their debt for the honour they doe them Bullinger saith in this case Iis ideo fidem habemus quòd ea quae scribunt Evangelio nitantur I shall yet grant the Fathers might be confirmed in this truth by Tradition which in things historical is a very good Topick and consequently contributes some strength to this opinion and those that were nearer the Fountain had the streams thereof more pure and clear than those at greater distance as in multiplicity of Echo's by reiterated repercussion of the sound the later is more weak and dull than the former and in plurality of Rain-bows that which is by immediate reflection of the Sun is brighter and stronger than those which rise from reflex of each other Bannes jeasts at Pighius in the case of Honorius as if he could better tell whether that Pope were an Heretick or not than all those Councels and Fathers that lived neer his time we may note the like vanity in this point and as our Divines subtilly observe that whether those Councels and Fathers erred or not concerning that individual Pope and in judging Honorius an Heretick yet from that judgement it follows that they thought the Pope might erre so if the Fathers were mistaken in determining Iudas to have participated yet it is consequent that they supposed such as Iudas was one without sound grace or satisfactory signes of conversion and yet not duly censured for scandalous crimes might without any pollution to the Ordinance or others or prostituting the Privileges of the Godly or false Testimony or partaking of sinnes participate the Sacrament They are conceived to erre in this point by taking the Sop to be the Sacrament so doth Augustine Resp In some places he doth indeed seem to suppose so L. 5. de Baptism parvulor c. 8. tr 62. in Ioh. tract 26. Super illud Patres vestri and so doth Beda to whom
consequence but let it however be conceded yet much more at the Sacrament and onely at the Sacrament are things disparate and the necessity hereof is at no other time obtruded but neither however comes this home to our issue as not proving that unlesse men will be thus ready to give an Answer they may not be admitted to the Eucharist nor the Sacrament at all be administred They must be strange Scrues and Wires that shall draw this conclusion from the Text the Flock may be faulty in neglect of their duty yet this cannot blanch with an excuse the omission of office in the Pastor and that may be requisite necessitate praecepti which is not so medii Thirdly but let it be by Supererogation yeelded that by this answer is meant an account of Faith and previously to the Synaxis ye◠why must every man be restrayned to the Pastor and Elders when Dydimus thought that the Governors of the Church were those principally concerned to be ready to give the answer not to receive it why might not the Papists have asmuch colour to prove auricular Confession from that of St. Iames cap. 5. v. 16. Confess your sinnes one to another as these men have to prove that every man must give an account of his Faith to his Pastor and Elders out of this of Peter Be ready to give an answer to every one But as our Divines reply upon the Papists that by that text in Iames the Priests are aswell bound to confess themselves to the people as they unto the Priests so why may not I aswell retort that by this Scripture in Peter the Pastors and Elders are aswell bound to submit to the examination of any of the people as any of them unto theirs I shall therefore conclude that I doubt they will never be ready to give an answer to any that asketh a reason of the hope that they have that this Text should make for their purpose Now lastly to that of 1 Cor. 5.11 which is indeed the darling and Champion-Text of the separation I shall answer that not to eat here cannot be understood of eating at the Lords Table for there is nothing in the Context to leade to that interpretation no like Phrase elsewhere in Scripture to warrant it no sufficient authority to back nor other reason to evince it save that it will serve the turn and their hypothesis to keep company to eat cannot signifie to have Fellowship and to eat together at the Sacrament The Apostle could not possibly be so mistaken as to be supposed to forbid them not to Company eat with the Fornicators of this World at the Lords Table where they never came nor need they have gone out of the World if they had not gone thither with them wherefore this is generally understood of eating common meat not Sacramental yet they that goe this way are divided into two paths some take it as a consequent of Excommunication with men so censured not to eat others understand it Symbolically as it denotes familiar consortship and intimacy which they are forbidden to have with such Offenders but neither of these wayes will it lead to their ends nor conclude any thing subservient to their purpose for the Argument will be either Ignorantia elenchi and is not pertinent to our question if the Text be to be understood of an inordinate brother judicially excommunicated or else Fallacia consequentis and it follows not from eating together at common Tables to the not eating together at the Table of the Lord if the words are meant of ordinary eating with an inordinate brother not yet juridically sentenced St. Augustine Oecumenius Aquinas and divers others with some very ancient Copies set the word Called before Fornicator not Brother and reades thus If any Brother be called a Fornicator the Greek will bear both readings but the Learned say that when nominatus idem valet quod appellatus the Greek word commonly used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signanter nominatus or diffamed with the name a man of name as it were that he is designed generally of all by that name and hath made that common name as it were proper to himself Famosi more Scripturae nominati dicuntur saith Estius 1. St. 1. Homil. 50 contra Parmenian 2. In locum 3. In locum Augustine therefore understands it such a naming as befalls a man condemned for such offence in a juridical way so doth 2. Aquinas and though 3. Estius whom one calls the most rational acute and solid Doctor of the Romane Church think not that the word nominatus includes all that Augustine requires yet the Apostle saith he doubtless would have that done in a judiciall order which he elsewhere prescribeth 2 Thes 3.14 as well as here but if the crime be so notorious that by no gainsaying it can be denyed and in the entry into this Discourse we added this to the constitution of a notorious sinner as was the offence of the incestuous person it seems not saith he That the sentence of the Judge is to be expected in order to the avoiding of the Offender In 4. Sent. p. 1. d. 18.5.7 pag. 266. yet the same man Valentia Biel and Vasquez produce this very Text to assert and prove the power of Excommunication whereby according to the old Verse Os Orare Vale Communio Mensa negatur And of such a Church-censure Calvin and Aretius understand the place also In 3. disp 7. p. 17. punct 1. pag. 1385. In l. 4. d. 18. q. 2. art 2. De excom dub 7. n. 2. p. 517. In locum whereof if this be the genuine sense it shall be very impertinently alleaged in this question which then should imply a contradiction if it were thus proposed Whether persons lawfully excommunicate or excluded from the Sacrament are to be admitted thereunto But if it be to be understood of persons criminal yet not juridically censured by the Church and that with such we must not eat at common Tables and thence it be concluded therefore much lesse at the Table of the Lord. I shall deny the consequence because the prohibition of ordinary converse which is symbolically rather than Synecdochically here set forth by eating with them Obliterari fidem commercio infideli Tertul. for the Table was a Symbol of friendship among the Ancients as Bullinger and a note of intimacy as Paraeus reminds us is grounded upon the danger of a tacite and insensible sucking in and contracting a Contagion from such vitious company Ne consuetudine velut contagione paribus inficiamur moribus say Interpreters it being one of the most admirable things in the world in the judgment of the Philosopher Aristippus To remain good in the society of evii men but there is no such fear of infection by communion with them at the Lords Table where they so seldome meet remain so little
of receiving at Easter all the People anciently communicated No man to be repelled upon the private knowledge of the Minister or other Whether all did partake the Lords Supper that heard the Word What sinnes may exclude from the Sacrament Whether the ancient Church knew or practised any such Censure as Suspension The Negative proved the Arguments for the Affirmative profligated Penitents were first excommunicate What Communion anciently did signifie What Abstinence denoted What was the Lay-Communion What was meant by removing from the Altar What Suspension anciently signified and in what sense that notion was used What the School determines of giving the Eucharist to manifest and occult sinners Suarez imposterously alleaged by them What Suspicion may warrant an Exclusion Whether the way of Separation be conformable to the Ancient Of their care to keep men off from the Sacrament The Application of a passage in Chrysostome redeemed from their Exceptions Whether there be reason to examine dispositively to hearing the Word aswell as to receiving the Sacrament and danger to the Unworthy in the one aswell as in the other The casting of Pearl before Swine and giving holy things unto Dogs what it intends The difference between the Word and Sacraments All not anciently admitted to all the Word The Sacrament multifariously proved to be a converting Ordinance and this to be the common judgment of Protestants What effects may be hoped onely by seeing the Administration without partaking The Sophisme discussed He that partakes worthily is converted already he that eates unworthily eates damnation Whether men are prohibited those Duties which they cannot well and duly discharge The moral works of natural men HEre they say is little that presseth them The Numidian Bears are so far that they feel no stripes and it is said of an Eastern King he was so fat and so gross that he was not sensible of pain when Needles were stuck into his body but it may be our Needles are not sharp enough to enter we shall therefore see what they are to the point In the Authorities also there is they say more confusion than variety Answ◠Confusion may like scandal be given or taken and it is also passive aswell as active and I might excusably suspect that those authorities have somewhat confounded them for to some they have found nothing at all to say in answer and to the rest nothing to purpose I shall not contest with them for accurateness of method neither do I think they need contend with any for variety the method is but accidental to the matter and as long as Accidens potest abesse sine subjecti interitu if the substance be defended I that seek not to interweave mine own image with Minerva's in this buckler shall be less solicitous of the credit of the method whereof nevertheless I am as little diffident onely for their censures as I am distrustfull of others capacity for the Sacrament for their censoriousness The Paper pleaded not for keeping up a quotidian Communion the reasons perhaps that gave first rise thereunto being ceased and therefore their arguing against it is but a Sciamachy Hieron ad Lucinium contra Jovin Aug. de Serm. Domini in monte 12. Neither was it the assiduity that was principally insisted upon but the generality of communicating Totum populum quotidiè Eucharistiam sumpsisse as Hierom and Augustine Nevertheless the daily receiving of the Ancients shews they made no such huge difference between preparation for the Word and for the Sacraments and it also upbraids their long procrastination of any communion of which though now at length they have reassumed the administration yet toward the far greatest part of their Congregations it is still discontinued and in divers Churches by their influence and promotion are those placed as Pastors who long time were not in a capacity to administer it though by an intolerable presumption without any calling thereunto they adventured upon administring Baptism which I should think since the Casuists say Filiucius Tract 13. c. 1. n. 14. it merits the lesser excommunication to receive the Sacrament from the hands of a Lay-man and the Administer is more guilty than the Receiver is a juster cause to have suspended them from the other Sacrament than any they can charge upon many of those whom they put under suspension Those men have been since ordained after they had waited to see how the Horoscope would be formed and setled and what Aspects the Stars were like to have and which would be ascendent or descendent and which aucti lumine aut minuti aut combusti that so they might resolve in what way to ordain them for a more fortunate and auspicious nativity Those that content themselves with receiving twice or thrice a year or make it onely an Easter-formality I neither am nor shall be retained to be their Advocate yet perchance many may so infrequently receive that are not content with it but rather patient of what they cannot remedy and as these may share of the same comforts which the Apologists hold forth to them § 13 among whom the administration hath been long intermitted so is their condition much better than is that of their people by how much the lesser evil is nearer to good and seldome is less obnoxious than never Cavendum nè si nimiùm in longum differatur perceptio corporis sanguinis Christi ad perniciem animae pertineat said the Council of Cabillon To receive at Easter onely through formality Ad popul Antioch Hom. 61. hath frequent increpations from the Fathers Chrysostom especially when Circulis rem definis and when ex consuetudine magìs quà m legitimè aut consideratione mente and temporis gratiâ magìs quà m animi studio Serm. 3. in Ephes c. 1. in 1 Cor. 11. Hom. 28. Tom. 4. p. 112. contra Liter Petiliani l. 2. c. 94. tom 7. p. 31. as hath before been declared yet notwithstanding reproving the abuse they continued the usage of general communicating at that time and not in that Emperical way as a grave Divine wittily speaks applying the remedy to the weapon but to the patient abolished not the act without trying to reform the fault in the manner of doing but notwithstanding some abuse the ancient Church still thought that an apt and opportune time for the celebration when as Augustine saith in the like case Ipsa festivitas ferventiores facit etiam qui in caetero anno pigriores sunt and in their sense who thought not the least helps despicable seeing small pullies serve to advance great weights the very season was a kinde of prompter to remember them of that which the Sacrament was instituted with infinite more efficacy to shew forth Aquin. 2.2 q. 2 art 7. Durand in 3. dist 25. q. 1. n. 9. insomuch as thereupon divers Schoolmen and Casuists make it an argument of supine ignorance that any should not have explicite knowledg of those mysteries of Christ which were so
publickly solemnized by the Church and therefore though they laid no abstract necessity in the observation nor holiness in the time yet they thought it had much of seasonableness and nothing of superstition which may be as palpable in not observing as in observing set-times for duties and it was decreed that at that time every one should communicate not to imply that it was sufficient to do it then onely but as Hospinian speaks of Zepherinus Hospinian hist Sacrament rei l. 2. p. 124. Cùm vix unquam eveniret ut simul omnes communicarent necesse verò erat ut qui permixti erant profanis idololatris externo aliquo simbolo fidem suam testarentur diem certum in anno ordinis politiae causâ statuit quo totus Christianorum populus fidei confessionem sumptione coenae Dominicae ederet onely these Antipodes to antiquity can endure no Communions at Easter of any time else of whom compared with the Ancients we may say as they do of the French and Spaniards That what the one is the other is not And perchance as Maldonat tells us That he approves an exposition though another of Augustine's be more probable onely because it most dissenteth from the interpretation of the Calvinists and Bellarmine saith That an opinion is the better welcome because the contrary thereof is embraced by the Protestants so they consultly declaim against the Sacrament at Easter because the ancient Church then used to celebrate it That the ancient Church decreed that all having passed puberty should communicate several times in a year checks their impeding the far greatest part from communicating once in many years Had the Ancients symbolized with them they might more aptly and properly have decreed that none should participate the Sacrament rather than that all should for the denomination is to be taken from the major part and among these men far more are repelled than admitted and one of an hundred is none in comparison and whereas they tell us They have also taken in some about fifteen or sixteen years old the age of puberty I must tell them that the thing which I directly and principally intended was that all were to communicate not at what age they were admitted but they contrary to Law let go the Principal and arreign the Accessary but from the admission at that age it may materially be observed that the term untill which they were excluded and from which they were admitted was their puberty not till upon triall they made demonstration of their sanctity Let them fix one eye on the ancient Church and cast the other on their Congregations and tell me if their admitting one of an hundred look with any suitableness to that of unicuique praesentium in Justin Martyr Distribuunt unicuique praesentium Justin Martyr Apol. 2. Unicuique populo permittunt partem ejus sumere Clemens Strom. l. 1. Theodor. in 1 Cor. 11. Panis ille quem universa ecclesia participat Maxent cit à Centur. Magd. cent 6. c. 4. p. 115. Cunctus populus Justin Apol. Hosp Hist rei Sacrament l. 2. p. 5. 52. Haymo in 1 Cor. 11. ut cit Cham. Casaubon Exer. cit 16. sect 31. p. 366. unicuique populo in Clement totus populus in Hierom and Augustin that omnes ex aequo in Theodoret that promiscua multitudo which out of Rhenanus tota multitudo which from Chemnicius we have formerly mentioned and that mixta frequentia multitudo hominum and si quibus collibuâ—sset which Hospinian speaks of to have participated in the greater and more solemn feasts and whether it be conformable to that precept and reason of Haymo Omnes communiter ex uno pane communicate quia illa oblatio unus panis est communis debet esse omnibus Whereupon Casaubon calls the Lord's Supper Publica fidelium omnium invitatio That all present at the Word were by decree to communicate they grant might well be except such as were under censure or obnoxious to it it was never intended to be decreed by them nor meant to be alleged by us but upon the known Hypothesis of not extending it to persons under a judicial censure but while they dilate the exception to such as are only obnoxious to censure that is in a sense suitable to their practice which else it self would be obnoxious such whom they shall judge unfit who repell so many whereof not one that I know was ever duly censured is a gloss of their own agreeable with no Text of ancient Discipline but the contrary is evident by the testimony of St. August Nos à communione quenquam prohibere non possumus nâ—si aut sponte confessum aut in aliquo judicio ecclesiastico vel seculari nominatum atque convictm De medicina poenitentiae super illud 1 Cor. 5. si quis frater c. Homil. 50. Mr. Bal. triall of the grounds of separation p. 188 189. I. 3. de celebrat missar p. 121. Augustine produced by the Paper which according to the caution given by that ancient Sophister at the encounter of an hard argument they take no notice of neither hath it any smack of justice or reason that any man should be judged obnoxious and thereupon be kept off by any other mans or ministers private knowledg but according to allegations and proofs of witnesses or evidence of fact The common good necessarily requiring that such publick actions of this nature should be regulated by a kinde of publick not private knowledg which once admitted into judicature wold soon fill the Church and State with a world of scandals injuries and inconveniences and liberty should be granted to wicked ministers to punish with this punishment whomsoever they please as a solid Divine disputeth more at large not onely according to the Doctrine of the Schoolmen and particularly out of Suarez but also of the Canonists The judgment of the former we shall presently produce for the later let him be their fore-man to speak for them who was second to none our learned Countreymnn Lynwood Imò saith he quilibet Christianus habet jus in perceptione Eucharistiae nist illud per peccatum mortale amittat undè cùm in facie Ecclesiae non constet talem amâ—sisse jus suum non debet ei in facie Ecclesiae denegari alià s daretur faculâ—as malis sacerdotibus pro suo libitu punire hac poena quos vellent And if the Minister should proceed to act upon his private knowledg or judgment he shall do what Christ himself did not and themselves say he ought not to have done in the case of Judas so as such a course is as much opposite to the practice of Christ as the judgment of the School and Canonists whose judgment is steered by his practice They next ask How agrees that Note upon the Margine of the Canons in old time all did communicate yea all that heard the word by the decree of the Council of Antioch Chamier tom 4. l. 7.
the Communion could not be Suspension because it was provided by sundry Canons that such as were deprived of the Communion should be put to doe penance before they could be reconciled and restored and that had been as much in effect as if they should be suspended in order to discharge them of Suspension But then secondly the Lay-Communion being onely Laicorum jus in corpore Christi mystico Ecclesia as it was contradistinguish'd to Ecclesiastical or Sacerdotal Communion the being put into the Lay-Communion was neither the doing of Penance nor any essential consequent thereof though perchance some that were adjudged to be degraded from being Clergy-men might also Concil Eliber can 50. as their offences were in merit be sentenced to penance Ut erat expressum in eorum elogiis judiciis saith Albaspinus and it appears that some when they had finished their penance were put into the Lay-Communion but formally and properly to be set in the Lay-Communion was onely a degrading or deposing of a Clerk and reducing him to the condition of a Lay-man being a censure onely inflicted on the Clergy and but the same which Augustine calls Degradation and the Councels Deposition and removing from Order Concil Elib can 51. Arelat 1. can 26. Chamier Tom. 4. l. 9. c. 3. and all Ecclesiastical Office as appears not onely by that of Gyprian Ut Laicus communicet non quasi locum sacerdotis usurpet but by a multitude of other Testimonies produced by Chamier Albaspinus and others To argue therefore they were admitted to the Laick Communion ergo they were not excommunicate is in effect to conclude they were made Lay-men ergo they were not excommunicated And if Penance were Suspension and the Lay-Communion were any part or appendage of penance it will carry a consequent implication that all Lay-men were suspended or else that to be suspended was to be admitted to the Eucharist as Lay-men were And let the Lay-communion be as Baronius and others would have it to partake the Sacrament without the Railes or could it be as Bellarmine supposeth to receive in one kinde yet in either way there was a communicating at the Lords Table Non diffiteor qui communicabat laicè accepisse eucharistiam more laicorum Albaspin de veter eccles rit l. 1. obser 4. p. 4. saith Albaspinus so as neither could penance formally have any affinity with the Laick Communion nor was any Penitent fully and perfectly in such Communion because during that state he could not partake of the Sacrament but when his penance was ended he intirely communicated as a Lay-man that is had the right and privileges of a Laick onely because he was not restored to Holy Orders whereof indeed he that had done penance was ever afterward â—ncapable And therefore I have laboured under much wonder to what end this Argument was produced I remember Maldonat tells us of a Text Luke 2.34 Facilior fuisset hic locus si nemo eum exposuisset and perchance we might have been more facile to beleeve that there might have been some evidence for Suspension in Antiquity if those that have so confidently assumed to prove it had not fallen so short of their undertakings and our expectation who as Scaliger said of Baronius that he did Annales facere non scribere so they have rather made than found their proofs and have rather imposed upon than informed us so that we may not know unless we shall continue ignorant But having cleared these mists let us look what purer light can be reflected upon us from the Monuments of the ancient Church that we may see to trace their foot-steps and discern what way they walked The notion of Suspension is scarce found in the ancient Fathers Augustine often speaks of Church-censures and sometime specifies the several Acts of Discipline Correption Excommunication Degradation but I have not met with the name much less the thing in all his Disputes against the Donatists where it was most likely to have occurred And had the Church in his time known any such Censure especially inflicted for want of a visible worthiness he could never have said as is pre-alleaged Si peccata tanta non sunt ut excommunicandus quisquam homo judicetur non debet se à quotidiana medicina Dominici corporis separare or had it been denizon'd in Chrysostome's age he would not have said that those which were unworthy to partake of the Eucharist were likewise unworthy to joyn in the Prayers and Hymnes But as Alexander scorned to steal a Victory in the night but would get it in clear day so we shall hide nothing that we can bring to light which may be of advantage to their cause though it seem to have been in the dark to all those which I have met with that have defended it who have said less for themselves than might be said for them and are therefore obnoxious to David's increpation who when they take themselves to be valiant men and who is like them in Israel yet have not kept their Lord so but that any one of the people may come to destroy him But nevertheless though Tellias get these new Pipes no Antinegidas need to be troubled for they will not sound to his Tune nor make any judicious man to dance after him To deal ingenuously as the Canons of the ancient Councels will lend the best Prospect of the Discipline of the Church those being the Mould wherein that was cast so we shall acknowledge that in those Canons we sometimes meet with the notion of Suspension like as we doe with those of Retentus Sequtstratus Remotus Segregatus Exclusus all of them Synonymous and all to be limited and defined by the terminus à quo that from which was the Separation But I doe with some confidence assert that suspended is there taken in the proper not the modern appropriate notion signifying a deferring of or detaining from and that not onely this one Ordinance of the Lords Supper but all Ordinances and is in effect but Excommunication carrying onely besides a connotation of a future restitution to Communion after penance done or satisfaction given The same words have not always the same sense in all Ages nor signifie the same things else we might conclude the Assemblies of the Heathen to be Churches and their Clerks of the Market to be Bishops and to argue that the term Suspension is found in ancient Records therefore there was such a thing as use hath since made the word to import carries as much reason as the Papists have to conclude that because prayer for the dead was used in the ancient Church therefore it related to Purgatory or is with as much sense as Valderama proves the order of Jesuites out of Scripture because it is there said that God hath called us to the society of his Son Jesus But that Suspension in the old Canons implies not a deferring of or detaining from the Eucharist onely and immediately but a
from the Communion because of the admission of some in their opinion wicked or unworthy doth symbolize with the Anabaptist and hath a raste of their Leaven but whether those principles that it is of necessity to make probation of their fitness and worthiness that are to be admitted to the Holy Supper and that this Sacrament being a Seal of Faith ought not ordinately to be administred to those that have not Faith may not also be extensive and aswell applicable to the Sacrament of Baptism and so do tacitely advance and drive on also the interest of the Anabaptists who will have none to be baptized untill they have given sure evidence of their sound Faith and real Conversation and unawares militate in the Tents of and run Biass toward that faction I shall not make research into much less dare to determine but transferre and resign the consideration thereof to more comprehensive judgments it shall be enough for me with the Pismire in the Apologue To awaken the Lion and make him look about But I shall now bring it to the Scales and more importunately offer it to be weighed by judicious men whether those Reasons wherewith some men make so specious a Muster and whereof they make ostent with so many plausible amplifications if they were mutato nomine fitted and applied to the hearing of the Word and Prayer they might not serve aswell and have asmuch force and efficacy First to stave off and exclude unconverted men from those duties as from the Sacrament And secondly to introduce a necessity of probation antecedently to the ordinary partaking of the Word in those who are born within the Church and bred up in the profession of the Faith and of Prayer as to the participation of the Lords Supper And thirdly render it as piacular to joyn with Congregations wherein persons unconverted and unworthy are mixt in hearing the Word and Prayer as in the Communion of the Body of our Lord though the Reasons might be indifferent and the same or the like in all yet for method and perspicuity sake we will take our instance for the first in Prayer and make our experiment of the second in hearing the Word and take an assay of the third point in both To abridge and sum up the Reasons produced for debarring unconverted men that is such as satisfie them not with demonstrative signs of Godliness from the holy Table they may be reduced to this Compendium that they neither can perform the duties requisite to nor can be capable of the mercies of the Sacrament that by partaking unworthily they doe but multiply their sinne and aggravate their damnation whereto he also is accessary that either doth exhibit it or consents to it or suffers them or by partaking with them countenanceth their receiving according to those branches of this rule Consensus palpo participans nutans non obstans now turn those against an admission and conjunction with them in prayer have unconverted men those dispositions and affections and elevations suitable with and requisite to religious prayer the clean hands 1 Tim. 2.8 Faith without wavering James 1.6 Fervency of Spirit Rom. 12.11 Can they call on the name of the Lord Jesus that depart not from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Are they susceptible of any holy communion with God or of the gracious effects of Prayer or capable of any share of the righteousness and intercession of the Lord Jesus which must be spread upon their persons and their prayers to make them acceptable Will not the multiplyed sins of distrust of Gods promises irreverence towards so glorious a majesty dulness of spirit deadness of affection and extravagances of thoughts increase their guilt and irritate their judgment shall so precious a duty be thus prophaned so high a privilege as this is to powre forth our wants into the bosome of God be prostituted and so great blessings as are held forth to faithful prayers be despised What dishonour results hence to the name of God What a grief is impress'd on the spirits of the godly What a profanation reflected on so sacred an Ordinance Were it not better for them to forbear prayer than onely to pray to the promoving of their condemnation Is there nay promise they shall be heard Are they not expresly told that God will not hear them whose prayers are abominable Psal 66.18 Isa 1.15 1 Joh. 3.22 Prov. 28.9 Are not they that admit them to a communion in prayers where they but flatter God with their mouth and lye unto him with their tongues in all that is said guilty of those sins because they hinder them not and doe onely concur to farther and accelerate their damnation and so deface the purity and defile the beauty of so divine an Exercise You may see what an Harvest he might make of this Stubble that were torrens suadaeque medulla and happy in sermonis divite vena and now consider I beseech you if the same apogogical or abductive reasons may not be as speciously and as plausibly urged and amplified to bring off unconverted men from prayer as to take them off from the Lords Table and have not as much energy and force in order to the one as to the other Secondly concerning hearing of the Word The conclusion that it is necessary to take examination of men previously to the Sacrament and to make tryal whether they are worthy or not to be admitted is deduced and extracted from that principle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body But now try and examine I beseech you since the Word is said to be the savour of death unto death and that the Word shall judge them in the last day that hear it and there is a caution Take heed how you hear and qualifications required in hearing 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Jam. 1.21 and men hating instruction are not to declare his Statutes or take his Covenant in their mouth Psal 50.16 and he that discerns not the Word of God from the Word of Man hears his damnation and lets it in at his ear as well as the other eates and drinks it and the Word and Sacraments represent but the same Christ and the same promises under divers notions and to several Senses the one to the Ear and the other to the Eye Hand and Mouth the one being an audible and the other a visible tactible gustable word and both are Divine Ordinances for the salvation of soules whether there should not be as great a necessity incumbent to examine men already incorporated into the Church of their fitness and dispositions and preparation in order to hearing of the Word as to the receiving of the Sacrament and upon the same score why should it be more perilous or hazard more pollution of our selves or the Ordinances to joyn in mixt Congregations in eating of the Sacrament than in hearing of the Word especially since that prohibition not to give that which is holy to Dogs
according to the corporeall pasturage to be admitted to one and excluded from another Ordinance not to be cut off from communion because not excommunicate and yet to be denyed to communicate in the Sacrament wherein Church communion mainly consisteth to enter upon their Churches as it were by conquest and seise all mens right to the Sacrament when they have not forfeited it by scandal and to admit none into possession that will not hold of them and at their will and without any orderly proceeding or censuring men for special scandals obstinately continued in after admonition to shut out whole Churches because they have not merited their approbation to admit none but those that shall watch one over another while some of the Society live twenty and perchance more miles asunder to forbid those to do their dutie who they suppose cannot do it so well as they should when the duty is essentially good and necessary and the abuse but accidentall and doubtfull and the hope of good is founded in the certain goodnesse of the thing and the fear of evill raised in an uncertain suspition of the indisposition of the person which is evill may be corrected by the good he is to partake of Saepe mihi ignota est humana conscientia Aug. Contra Lit. Petil. l 1. c. 7. sed certus sum de Christi misericordia to dispense also with themselves in a certain duty for an uncertain hazard and to deny others a good thing for fear it may do evill upon which account all good things in the world may be suppressed those and a multitude of other inordinatenesses in their way we have formerly shewed as things came in order in our course and it will not be decent here to repeat and to make this Section an Index of the whole Treatise SECT XXVI Jeremy 15.19 Discussed and vindicated THe second proofe is from Jeremy 15.19 If thou takest forth the pretious from the vile c. but those res secundae will not be the prosperity of their cause and if they would separate pretious Arguments from the vise they might lessen and decrease the number of their proofs as they have done of their Church We may give them what they conclude out of the premises in this Section and yet it will be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Greek proverb A giftlesse gift and be worth them nothing For after all their vapours what do they lymbeck out of this Text but this conclusion More is their duty then a doctrinall separation in applying the word And if this would keep them quiet they might have this without more crying either as a duty or as a power We never have denied them all authority to separate men from the Church by excommunication as well as from the world by preaching the word the question is not of the act of Separation but of the manner and the objects who are those vile and how the separation must be made but to inferre a separation is warranted by Gods word therefore their way of Separating is warrantable is an argument A genere ad specicm affirmativè Did they put none into the account of vile but such onely as had given scandall by notorious crimes and not those also which had not by submission to their discipline merited their appobation and become pretious alone at the price of their freedome and to cease to be vile must contract a kind of villenage servilly to hold at the will of another did they separate in a judiciall way such particular persons from the Congregations and not whole Congregations by an arbitrary sentence or rather not separate themselves from the congregation we should not interrupt nor check with them in their way though it be not drawn out by any line in this Text and we should grant it were right Discipline though not rooted naturally in this Scripture as it might be right Ivy that as Nicremberge tells us grew out of a Stagges horn and a right blade of Corn that sprung from a Womans Nose yet neither was naturalll to that place What they write therefore of Excommunication is but as the shedding of inke by the Sepia to escape discovery It argues the deformity of their way that they dare not shew it in its own face but with such paint and under this dilguise for Excommunication is that which we neither oppose nor they contend for and for their part there is an observable testimony thereof in that they produce very few of those Scripture proofs which are usually alleaged for and do pregnantly assert it but because those are not so aptly conducing to their scope and purpose they bring forth others little or nothing pertinent to that matter and from whence it cannot be otherwise deduced then as the Metaphysicks say that by long circuit any truth may be derived from another and perchance they withhold those stronger Arguments least they might disparage theirs by comparison as the Painter that had grossely pourtraied a Cock set a Boy by the Tub to stave off all living Cocks that they might not discredit his rude draught They enumerate sundry kinds or wayes of Separation but it had been as proper to their undertaking as sutable to the expectation of reason to have demonstrated how all of these were founded in this text or supported thereby for when they simply and nakedly affirm them to be so in magna sermenis latitudine uno brevissimo verbo quod dicitur proba in arctissimas coarctaris angustias as Augustine to Petilian Though some streames turn another way as Maldonat expounds the words thus If O people to whom he thinks the Lord to speak thou pick out and make choise of the true Prophets from the salse and others whom A Lapide mentions interpret If thou sever my precious Word from the vile Doctrines of the Jewes Prcciosum à vili seperat qui verum falsum bonum malum non codem loco habet Quistorpius annot in lec Chrys in Gen. c. 1. hom 3 tom 1. p. 4. in Math. c. 25. h. 27. tom 2. p. 169. Gregory l. 3. Moral Willet in Levit p. 363. Cateri in loc A verbis Judaeorum minacibus sed levibus vilibus infirmis quia ipsi invalidi sunt minas suas explere non poterant si fortiter animosè adhaeseris verbo meo contempseris Judaeorum minas as Menochius or Si verbum meum divinum tanquam pretiosum thesaurum amplexus fucris custodicris prae vili acervo rationum humanarum ad pusillanimitatem te excitantium as Tirinus from whom Sanctius much dissents not Si discrimen aliquod agnoscas statuasque inter ca quae vilia sunt quaeque ludus nugae existimari debent inter ludentium nimirum consilia ludrica inter me meaque mandata and this Piscator saith is a fit interpretation and Diodate assents to it yet the main current of Interpreters runs toward a Separation of
they list and this text will be a common Repertory to fit them with proofs for it as indeed it is such a Catholicon among them that usurp the name of Catholiques being urged by Bellarmine to prove the Pope may make lawes to bind the conscience by others for blind obedience and by some for the infallibility of Councels But the answer which Whitaker gives Bellarmine may suit well to be returned also to the Apologists Obediendum esse prapositis i Episcopis quis dubitat sed non proptere a sequetur licere illis sanctiunculas nescio quas excogitare Contro 4. q. 7. tom 2. p. 722. easdem nobis obtrudere tanquam divinas ad salutem necessarias iisdémque conscientias nostras obligare nequaquam obediendum ergo est sed cum cautione fi praeeant illi in Domino nihil suum tradant That they may know what obedience to expect we must tell them what power onely they can chalenge They are not Mandatores sed Mandatarii and must first receive before they give the commands Their power is not Imperii nam Domini non servi imperium est sed legationis and must as Ambassadors shew their Letters of Credence and not goe beyond their Commission they have no Dictator-like Praetorian or legislative power Junius ut ante Anton. de Dom. de repub Eccles l. 1. c. 2. but Ministeriall and executive onely jus dicere non dare qualis est doctoris non judicis nec imperii sed consilii and have only a declarative not an effective sentence and a directive not coactive an accessory rather than proper jurisdiction and Ministeriall not authoritative even in excluding from the Sacrament those that are scandalous and therefore may not repell any according to their judgement but according to the sentence of the Lord the righteous Judge they are therefore onely to be obeyed as publishers and interpreters of Gods word and alone in what they speak according to that rule If they shall confesse it and say they pretend to no more than this then they might have spared to alleage this text to prove they are to be obeyed for we deny not that proposition but if they assume that the obedience which they require in this particular is of that kind we cannot by granting it give up our liberties which as Alexander answered Diogenes is a talent too great to be bestowed upon beggars of principles And we shall be bold farther to remind them That though they have now raised an inundation and an unlimited over-flowing of their power yet anciently it was restrained within narrow banks and ran so sparingly that it might be easily stopped or turned and they that now renounce and cast off the Church were of old Cyprian Epist 68. p. 201. subject to be rejected and cast out of the Church à peccatore praeposito separare se debent saith Cyprian nec se ad sacrilegi sacerdotis sacrificia miscere quando ipsa maxime potestatem habeat vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi and they that solely and arbitrarily drive away the multitude from the Church of their chusing it was then thought to have more of righteousness and charity for them to go off from the Church at the command of the multitude De jure pleb 2.24 for so Blundel alleageth Clemens speaking to the Pastors of Corinth Quis inter vos generosus quis misericors quis charitatis plenus diâ—at si propter me seditio contentio schismata oriantur excedo abeo quocunque volueritis quaecunque à multitudine praecepta sunt facio Neither can we concede what they conclude That Ministers must doe all beside preaching and exhortation which may conduce to the peoples salvation unlesse they restrain limit it to that which ought to be done by Ministers and for which they are impowred for Magistrates parents c. have somewhat to do adjumentall to the salvation of others which Ministers may not usurp or intrude into and when we have granted thsi Thesis so limited and restrained yet we shall deny the Hypothesis that the course they thus plead for is conductive to salvation we shal notwithstanding yeeld what they inferre That Ministers must give account of them which cannot be well done without taking knowledg of their estates But we cannot farther concede that this they cannot do by any other way without speciall examination antecedently to the Sacrament or that because they must give an account of them that therefore they must take a particular account from them because they are to be accountable onely for their teaching not our learning of the undertaking not the successe pro cura non curatione otherwise we should not at all wonder at that of Chrysostom Miror si quis Rectorum possit salvari The civill Magistrate must be also an accountant for the people under his government yet though he may call them to reckoning for the manifest breaches of his Lawes yet he neither useth nor needeth to take an account of them how perfectly they keep them And it will not much facilitate the Ministers account nor help to perfect it to take this account of men once alone for so they pretend to do and at their admission to the Sacrament Whitaker contro 2. c. 17. Gerhard de Eceles c. 10. sect 126. and to make triall how they are disposed for one ordinance onely Their Cardinall duty is to preach the word ours to hear and receive it with faith the Sacraments being but visible words and appendices of the word heard and not efficacious without it the word being as the Sunne to all other Stars which though they have proper speciall influences yet all have their light from that or as some Philosophers think of the soule of the world which quickens and actuates all particular forms in their specificall operations Why then should they not take account how we are prepared for or do attend unto or profit by hearing and so by proportion for praying as well as for Sacramentall communicating They shall not give account for us as we are onely at one time viz. at our first admission to the holy Table but for the constant course of our lives and not for our discharge of that one act onely but for the whole series of our actions and therefore by the like consequence of this reason they should examine and take account from us continually of all our doings and reduce us under a necessity of auricular confession for which all their principles are very pregnant with conclusions SECT XXXIII Levit. 3.15 2 Chron. 23 19. Joel 3.17 Nahum 1 15 Zechar. 14.21 brought off from the rack whereon they have set them The difference between Legall and Morall uncleannesse what the former typed AS he at Atheus that hearing the various Disputes of the Philosophers about Summum bonum went to the Market and bought somewhat of all sorts he met there in an expectation to find
if it were not the same internal grace exhibited under divers external significative Elements As the Lutherans to verifie that opinion that the Sacraments conferre grace ex opere operato are constrained to assert a Total falling from grace so these men to defend and maintain with more facility this Tenent that the Sacraments are no converting Ordinances have also thought it expedient to deny also that they conferre grace and with an admirable confidence obtrude this as the Doctrine of all Reformed Churches I am not willing to start and prosecute more Controversies at once this which I have primarily taken into agitation will engage enough of time and paper I remember Torquatus his fate that though he killed an Enemy yet suffered punishment because he went out of his Rank and Order to do it I shall therefore appositely to the present subject answer That they need not tell us of differences between the Word and Sacraments no several things but have their different properties else they could not be severall things they might deliver us more disparities but what are those they mention to make a difference between the Preparation or Probation needfull to the one and the other and the Communion and Fellowship in the one and not the other Let it be as it is pretended that the one is a converting and the other a confirming Ordinance doth it therefore follow that there must be a preexamining of the fitness of men in order to the one and not the other that we may admit of the society and concurrence of formal Professors in the one and not in the other Let it be so as it is suggested but is not then the Word the more blessed gracious and venerable Ordinance as to give being is more than to supply food and to infuse life more than to increase strength and so calls for more reverence purity and preparation in order thereunto as more honour is due unto our Parents than to our Nurse and Lawyers put more weight upon those words in a Deed Give and Grant than upon that of Confirm Ipsum esse perfectissimum omnium 1. q. 4. ar 1. comparatur enim ad omnia ut actus nihil enim habet actualitatem nisi in quantum est saith Aquinas and the more noble Effects make the Causes more noble and is not the World to all Ordinances as Faith to the Just and to all righteousness the life and soul thereof Others beside Believers say they may be admitted to the hearing of the Word but yet must no care be had nor triall made whether those that hear believe or not or are disposed to believe And is it no matter whether the Word become the savour of death onely course must be taken that the Sacrament become not deadly no matter though the word be so And if none must be admitted to the Sacrament but those that have Faith then none can receive admission for who can be assured that another hath Faith which is rooted in the heart which onely God searcheth the hidden man of the heart is invisible to any forrein eys the hidden Manna cannot be tasted by any other than he that imbosomes it and the new name is not legible by any save a reflected beam of light If it be answered that they intend onely that such are to be admitted who by a discursive knowledge collected by external signes in the conversation and reasoning from one thing to another they conclude to be faithful and regenerate I answer that such knowledge is not infallible they may be deceived and doubtless are in many and therefore in admitting of some they must needs set the seal to a blank and are false Witnesses and practical Lyers in relation to such as notwithstanding this probation doe deceive them neither can their endeavors to the contrary salve the thing being notwithstanding done though it may render the persons more excusable for doing it who also must still be perplex'd and anxious whether the signes be sufficient and the judgment regular There may be also a partial and male-administration of Discipline and an approbation of the unworthy who may perhaps ascendere ad altare per gradus by stairs of favour sundry ways impetrated and in such cases wherein they yet prescribe that there ought to be no intermission of the Synaxis nor separation from the Church all the prejudices and pollutions and profanations which they so much amplifie and declaim against in mix'd Communions doe arise and occurre But what doe the Sacraments seal more than the Word assures save that the one applyes that more particularly which the other holds forth generally and doth it by a representation to the eye and hand and mouth which the other doth unto the Ear Circumcision is indeed called a seal of the righteousness of Faith And as by an analogy and proportionable accommodation may our Sacraments be so named so God openeth the ear and sealeth instruction also Job 33.16 and binds up the testimony and seals the Law among his Disciples Isa 8.16 Methinks when I reflect on this Argument of theirs I re-mind that sophisme of the Arminians who argue That which every man is bound to beleeve is true but that Christ dyed for him is that which every man is bound to beleeve ergo Which Argument seems to me to have some similitude with this That which seales Christ and remission of sins unto Faith pre-supposeth Faith in them to whom the Scal is applyed but the Sacraments seal Christ and remission of sins to Faith ergo and the like answer may serve to the one and other fallacy viz. That as no man is bound to beleeve that Christ dyed for him unless he beleeve and repent but is rather bound not to beleeve it the death of Christ becoming effectuall to him onely upon condition of his Faith and repentance and the assurance thereof viz. That he shall be saved by Christs death being a conolusion that results from a Major proposition he that beleeves and repents shall be saved by the death of Christ and a Minor I beleeve and repent so the Sacraments seal not the donation of Christ and remission of sinnes in and through him but upon the condition of faith and repentance just as the Promises hold forth Christ in the Word preached And therefore the Seal is not put to a blanck but offered to be set if Covenants be performed as a man seals a Writing to become his Deed when Conditions be performed else to be as an Escrol to the faithless the Sacrament is a Seal in actu primo not in actu secundo a Seal still in its own nature not in the effect a Seal objectively viz. of the conditional Covenant and Promises not subjectively viz. of Faith in that person as the Seal doth not ratifie the services of the Tenant but the Grant of the Lord upon condition of performing the homage and fealty Whether the Sacrament be a converting Ordinance or not I shall onely say succinctly That
they which deny it doe but prevaricate for they say that the Sacrament abstracted from the Word and without it converts not which is as much as to say that the Sacrament when it is no Sacrament doth not convert for without the annexion of the Word it is no Sacrament Accedat verbum ad elementum fiet sacramentum which our Divines with excellent reason understand not onely of the Word as consecratory but as concional and as a word of Doctrine teaching the nature end and use thereof for they have no efficacy but by mediation of Faith and that hath alwayes relation to the Word such a Word as is effectual not quia dicitur sed quia creditur saith St. Augustine But whether Conversion be wrought by the Sacrament or at the Sacrament as they would have it observe I beseech you to be all one to our purpose so as Conversion be effected but indeed Faith hath three acts Knowledge and Assent in the Understanding and Affiance in the Will and Affections so that true justifying Faith is a fiduciall Assent pre-supposing Knowledge now the question truly stated is this Where there is an acquist and antecedency of knowledge and assent onely which is but an Historical or Dogmatical Faith whether that affiance which is a casting of a mans self upon Christ and a closing up with him and together wherewith is alwayes a Conversion of the heart and a renewing of the spirit of the minde cannot be wrought in the instant of receiving or be the effect of the Sacrament as a moral cause as well by the holy Spirits infusing of that internal formal principle or gracious habit of justifying faith as also quickning the present actual exercise thereof in embracing of the Lord Jesus whom though they had formerly heard of by the ear yet they never untill then felt in the heart This I think so well explained cannot well be denyed and until our age I am confident was never questioned In this same way miracles afflictions the conversation of the Wives may actually convert much more the Sacrament which effects it not accidentally and extraordinarily as the other but ut medium ordinarium ex natura suae institutionis speciali ordinatione divina The Word begets Faith onely by way of object propounded for Faith as all spiritual graces are is infused into the soul and there produced per modum creationis not by any natural operation but by a supernatural and immediate act and influence of Gods Spirit which begets Faith by illuminating of the minde and inclining the Will to apprehend and imbrace the object and in the same way that the Word worketh are the Sacraments operative Exam. concil Triden part 2. p. 77. for illum scilicet Christum pater proponit fide apprehendendum accipiendum ad remissionem peccatorum in verbo in sacramentis saith Chemnicius and when the same object is held forth in the Sacrament what should there obstruct the same operation of that Spirit which Bellarm. Enervat tom 3. c. 5. bloweth how as well as where it listeth and therefore in the same manner doe the Word and Sacraments justifie saith learned Ames It is true whatsoever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver and so the Sacrament converts to Faith or confirmes in it according to the condition and estate of the receiver but because the confirming of Faith is the more frequent and sensible effect the denomination is taken from that which happeneth utplurimùm for the most part and because they are added to the Word for confirmation of the object of Faith to make it more credible to any subject as Seales to Writings hence the Sacraments are commonly called confirming Ordinances Gerhard loc com tom 5. p. 1. and more especially the Eucharist is called the Sacrament of confirmation in a relative opposition to Baptisme named the Sacrament of initiation But that the Sacraments doe confer grace was for ought I know never denyed by any in the Reformed Churches Zuinglius excepted for as for the Anabaptists Dr White Pref. to the Orthodox Faith c. and Socinians I cannot yeeld them the honour of that notion the altercations we have with the Papists is not de re sed modo rei not about the thing but the manner He was a very learned Divine who upbraiding the Papists how they calumniate us in our Tenents and Doctrine to reflect an odium upon our persons and profession reckons up this among the rest that they impute to us that we deny the Sacraments to conferre grace We indeed deny what the Papists affirm that the Sacraments confer grace as the neerest immediate and proper causes thereof by any force or virtue intrinsecal Neque verò naturam efficaciae sacramentorum ij satis explicant qui aiunt Deum agere ad eorum praesentiam tantùm eum enim in finem instituta sunt non ut nos admoneant Deum agere aliquid sed ut ipsa sint instrumenta efficacia quibus Deus utatur ut in nobis aliquid operetur habent ergo efficaciam insitam aliquam at objectivam quae requirit facultatem cognitivam excitatam illam ut loquuntur in actu Thes Salmur part 3. S. 43. pag. 14. Yet this is not all that other Protestants ascribe to them inherent or seated in them as Physical and real causes whereby grace is effected and brought forth ex obedientiali potentia animae or so as a medicine cures a disease in the body without any previous motion or thought of mans minde but we grant notwithstanding that they are impetratory instrumental moral causes of real grace by their signification of relative at least by exhibition and obsignation in respect of God ordaining them to that end and by a certain assistance of divine power and virtue which the School calls assistiam ex pacto as being practical and not onely theoretick signes but effecting what they signifie for God being called upon by reason of his promise is present with his grace and worketh inwardly to the similitude and proportion of that which the Elements doe outwardly as the Waters of Jordan cured the Leprosie of Naaman by the power of God working with them who had first ordained that they which should doe what he commanded shall receive that which he hath promised just as a Kings Letters Patents sealed with his Seal are said to confer an Office or Lordship upon him to whom they are granted and that saying of Hugo hath a Passport on all fides Fideles ex istis elementis salutem non quaerunt etiamsi in istis quaerunt ista enim non tribuunt quod per ista tribuitur God not resigning his grace to them but by them imparting it unto us by the mediation of our Faith and his Spirit I might be voluminous in amassing testimonies of our Divines to this purpose but viso Solone vidisti omnia doe but peruse the great master of