order of nature Answer this to God see if He will accept of your replie which we may heare anon Wee proceed Secondly They that have no faith are not to be admitted to the Lords Table not onely because they receive nothing there but because they fearefully prophane the Holy things there They have no knowledge of those things none at all and none they looke after their soule is not good it is starke naught as darke Prov. 19. 2. as a Dungeon for what should enlighten it as noysome and loathsome as an open Sepulchre or a vessell wherein is no pleasure Prov. 13. 5. for what should discover this their filthinesse to them that they may appeare such in their owne eyes that doe not beleive Rom 15. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are disobedient rebellious imperswadable ones unreasonable and wicked men that is the Apostles Character of them and he makes cleare proofe of it in these words they have no faith Are 2 Thes 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they at the Lords Table they are out of place sure as a swine is when he is in the Parlour absurd men so Erasmus Englisheth it though Beza liketh it not Quod mihi quidem absurdum videtur But our Learned Reinolds liketh it well The Apostle saith he calleth men without Faith Absurd men because it is an unreasonable and sottish thing for a workman to be without his cheifest Instrument and that is universally requisite to every one of his workes a husband-man without a plow or a builder without a rule preacher without a Bible or a Christian without faith are things equally absurd and unreasonable What reason have we to plead for those unreasonable men to be admitted to the Lords Table more than we have for the admitting of swine into our Parlour uncleane ones will make all things like themselves as uncleane too to themselves we meane Thirdly Persons that have no faith are not to be admitted to the Lords Table because they cannot shew the Lords death there 1 Cor. 11. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Scripture Mr. Hâ— hath corrupted afâ—er his maÌ„ner with his glosse It is a grave and a weighty word that we English shew and we would rather leave it to you to unfold to your people whâ—ch may require one houâ—es worke But in a word a worthy receiver that brings faith with him he doth with all thankesgiving and praise shew forth the excellencies of Christ and the Glorious benefits of His bloodshed upon the Crosse the Bounties of His Goodnesse and Beauties of His Holinesse making an ostentation of them unto the world preaching to every one as he can This this is it wherein every true Christian is to glory and he orders his life accordingly The import of that word as we suppose Now they that Come to the Lords Table and have no faith are no more able to shew the Lords death there than a man of Clouts stuffed with Straw is able to gaine the victory in the day of warre Fourthly And to run over these Grave matters he that comes thither and brings no faith with him must needs receive unworthily that is other â—ise than is meete such mysteries should Neh. 27. be received And therefore shall be held as guilty before God as Judas was who betrayed the body of our Saviour or as the Jewes were who so villanously abused Him Binding His hands spitting in His sacred face and crowning Him with thornes and as the Souldiers were who peirced His sides and spilt His blood He shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Fifthly Free admission is not to be given those who cannot examine themselves about their faith that is search digg goe downe into the fouldings of their soules to enquire what their estate is what it is to be out of Christ or what it is to be in Him Infantes furiosos in verbo Dei minime instâ—uctos Bez. they cannot examine themselves about these matters no more than Children can for they are Children in understanding no more than mad men can for these are mad upon their Idol roprobates disallowed of God in a state of reprobation We will commend you to Beza's Annotations or rather those to you which we thought to have been large upon being so full to our purpose Sixthly Why should faithlesse men worse than Infidells because borne and bred in England a land of visions be suffered to come to the Lords Table They cannot discerne the Lords Body they can put no difference between that bread which represents the body of Christ Crucified and Common bread at their owne Tables nor between the wine there Sealeing to a worthy receiver a full discharge from all his sins in the blood of Jesus Christ No difference can he make betwixt this wine and common wine And now being suffered to come to the Lords Table he there drinks downe a Cup of damnation in stead of salvation a cup of cursing in stead of a cup of blessing and seales the Stone upon his graves mouth where he lies rotting in sinne as dead bodyes in their graves He eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not Verse 29. discerning the Lords body 1. As you have received mercy and now would shew mercy unto everlasting soules admit not these faithlesse these unreasoble and wicked ones that cannot shew forth the Lords death cannot examine themselves have no discernining of the Lords body admit them not to the Lords Table They have no faith then they must be full of themselves as a vessell being full and running over they cannot Eate and drinke there any other thing but damnation to themselves This Scripture also Mr H s the patron of fornicators and prophane persons as was Esau fearefully abuseth plucking out as he can the sting of it so as the most bruitelike person may come to the Lords Table and not be stung by it oh prophane man and past shame he and his booke stinketh in the nostrills of the Lord and of his people as the worst excrements of the Dragon doth 2. And now Sir we will spare you the labour if please you in making a reply to this and ours in making Answer thereunto This we heare is ordinarily said They were borne and Baptized in a Church and therefore beleivers we like not to make an Answer to such a foppery why but they say they beleive the same with the former they say it with their tongues what say they with their hands such are their words what are their workes They may say so and Blaspheme in so saying as was hinted more than once Rev. 2. 9. I pray you observe it and let this mocke-faith goe unlesse you will whip it like a vagrant and send it backe to the Devill whence it came We have been speaking of that faith which gives reall union and communion with Jesus Christ and of necessity brings forth good workes as a good tree good fruit he beares upon a
THE LORDS TABLE Whether it is to be spread like A Table in an Inne for all comers That it ought not so be done is here maintained Give not that which is holy unto the dogges Matth 7. 6. And he set the Porters at the Gates of the house of the Lord that none which was uncleane in any thing should enter-in 2 Chron. 23. 19. Suppose him to be the greatest person in the world and would receive the blessed Cup from my hand signing to all and sealing to every beleiver the Blood of That God-Man I would rather give him my heart blood than I would give that Cup unto him whilest he declares himselfe to be no Disciple Chrysost in Math 26. Hom 83. w. They that give The bread and wine to unworthy ones are as guiltie of Sacriledge every whit as he would be who could give the Sacred Body of Christ to be torne in peices and eaten by dogges or trampled-on by Swine Calv 4. book of Institutions Chap 12. 5. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11. 29. LONDON Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley 1656. THE SECOND TREATISE Relating to The Lords Supper And second Query thereupon Whether all are to be admitted to the Lords Table upon account onely of their Infant Baptism though aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope well set and setling and without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. The Negative here also is under our maintenance Here are foure things premised first Then is set downe what the contrary minded have to say for the holding forth the Affirmative In the next place we Argue the Negative CHAP. I. SECT I. THis being a matter of such high concernment to be cleare-in we will premise a few things here also to cleare our way into it and first 1. That we little thought any Godly Minister would have put this to Question Whether all persons pell mell tag rag as we commonly say how ignorant how prophane how notorious soever for their Deboiserie are to have admittance to the Lord's Table by priviledge of Infant Baptisme Surely this Question de Juro would have been exploded when our times were at worst Archbishops and Bishops at their Zenith or hight what ever their Vicars Curats and Parsons did de facto some of them as very varlets as were those they did admit But de jure this should not have been so as may be collected by him that is ordinarily versed in the old Service-Booke Specialle that place which relates to the order should be observed in thâ— administration of the Lords Supper together with other Constitutions and Canon's as to that sacred administration printed sixtie yeares agoe and reprinted a few yeares by-past Wee will quote two places onely one out of the Canons of our Church the other out of the Booke of Common Prayer The 26 Canon straitly chargeth every Minister That he shall not in any wise admit to the Communion any of his flock which be openly knowne to live in sin notorious without repentance And the Common prayer book in the Rubrick before the Communion commandeth That if any be an open and notorious evill-liver or have don any wrong to his Neighbour in word or deed so that the Congregation by him is offended the Minister shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lords-Table till he hath openly declared himselfe to have truely repented c. Therefore we doe not doubt but the Ministers of the Presbyterall way whose Plat-formes for Church-Discipline one of us have read will rise up in their might against Mr Hs and the men of his way and judgement who not onely admit but plead for admittance of any body how scandalous soever it is a wonder if those they admit are worse then themselves for their two pence leave so much behind them and take damnation with them did Judas doe worse that betrayed his Lord and Master This may minde some body of what he may have read was spoken of an Arian Heretick I shall account him a Mihi non alius quà m diabolus quam diu Arianus Devill as long as he is an Arian and perhaps he may apply it to this Gentleman the leader of that drove or herd of Ministers who are of the same perswasion with him For it may be doubted That he with his followers have to their power don more mischiefe to the Church of Christ than the most pernicious Heretick now a dayes hath don What! A Minister of Christ speak Qui non vivit ut ipse docuit certum id documentum est non esse Christianum and act so so contrary to all men who walk by the Rule prescribed them in Gods Word You know his practise and you shall heare by a little how much he speaks anon against our Lord and Master that you may know how well you have spoken in justification of him He may preach Christ but doing things most contrary to the minde of Christ he makes full proofe he is no Christian Christianity being nothing else but as faire and full a Christianismus est similitudo Dei quantum possibâ—ie est hamanae naturae Just Maâ—t orat ad Anti. Ratio naturalis potest altecari ubi deficis lex drought of God upon the Soule as the Soule is capable off in this body of death But see how justly Sin is called darknesse it hath darkned we feare the very light of nature in him or naturall reason which say the Lawyers may speake where the Law is silent so naturall reason where the word of God is silent but where the word of God speaketh reason must be dumb Sin hath darkned that common light in the man as may be feared And now read him in his writings how Crosse he standeth and acteth to the word of Christ His Blessed practise among His Disciples and Commission given them to the worlds end Therefore SECT II. 2. WE are Sir heartily sory this should grate so hard upon you but we cannot possibly help-it while you hold so fast to your fore-man his tenent as to free admission of all notorious for their obstinate and affected ignorance as some must be where all have free admission unto the Lords Table It will fare the worse for you because he is so bad yee agree so well here that we want skill to make difference betwixt you him therefore ye will pardon us if discerning no difference betwixt you we make none though full loth we are to Couple you together But sith you will have it so so it must be and possible with some men it may be for your honour but however we cannot helpe you at all nor we suppose can you helpe your selfe by that proviso you speake of which the man of your perswasion gives you excommunication If a person man or woman so notoriously
be troubled about it no nor regard it in the least If our Minister would give us the Lords Supper before this killing worke were done what he did in the Pulpit he would undoe all at the Table If he would preach hell to us from th' one place we would take heaven to us at th' other he shall never make us beleive That we are heathen and worse not that we are all Children of wrath and are every day and houre of the day damneing our soules while we are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath he shall never make us beleive this while he puts a Cup of Blessing into our hands And yet if he doth not thus he shall be the white and marke for wrath envy to shoote all their arrowes against you which flesh and blood cannot endure yet doe not Conferre with it it is our Jealousie â—e doe ye shall never please God then nor your people for their good to Edification It is the greatest enemie we have in the world the Devill and Satan himselfe not excepted ye are no debtours to the flesh and owe it nothing but mortification as ye tell your people we hope Well thus we judge of the Holy way and blessed are they that walke in it flesh and blood must never be Consulted with about it it is an adversary yea a torment to it as the holy way is an adversary to the flesh and a Torment to the same Thus we have heard you argueing the affirmative for free admission to the Lords Table you will allow us the same patience while we argue the Negative That this free admission to the Lords Table so ordinary amongst us is not according to the mind of God and prescript of His word holding forth our Rule before us and thus we Argue it CHAP. III. SECT I. THey are not to be admitted to feast at the Lords Table who turne their backes upon the feast of the Gospell we meane thus They must not be suffered to Come to Tâ—â—t feast to which sinners are invited is oneâ—â— the declaration of the Word and mind of God in the Gospell The word of grace iâ— the greatest feast which God makes his people Mr Caâ—yl upon Job 23. p. 411. the Lords Table there to receive Christ Jesus the Lord in the bread and wine who reject Him and make light of Him in the tenders and offers of the Gospell We ground this upon those knowne Scriptures whereon we shall dwell a little Math 22. 2. Luk 14. 16. where we have the Lord of Heaven and Earth the King of Glory intending to His Church and people the highest preferment that is imaginable He will give His Son the Heire of the Kingdome to be His Bridegroome Now because there is a marveilous disproportion as her present Case is betwixt this Bridegroome and the Bride as vast a disproportion as is betwixt Heaven and Earth yea we may say Heaven and hell and at as huge a distance they stand too This Bridegroome and this intended Bride as heaven and hell doe and such a gulfe betwixt them Beside all this This intended Bride is a very ill-favoured and froward peice and as proud as she is uncomely and as willfull also as will it selfe and as sure as death she will refuse life she will have none of the match He shall not be her Bridegroome who then Any but Hee and the truth is but nullum tempus occurrit Regi The Lord of time may take His own time and when He pleaseth shee hath made her own choice and is married already and wonderously shee is satisfyed in her match But now here 's much to doe first to breake this match and make it null then to make it an abhorring to her soule that shee was so hasty carried-on so headlong in the buisinesse of so high Concernment and then to make her fitt and prepared for her Bridegroome then to give her free and full and hearty consent to Come together never to be parted more Now to effect all this God the Father maketh a sumptuous and glorious feast like Himselfe the Lord of glory wherein He holds forth to the world the abundant riches of grace and of glory by His Sonne Jesus Christ And this we doubt not to call the feast of the Gospell whereby this Bridegroome maketh love to His Bride That shall be and because He is too high and stately yea and too glorious too to woe in His owne person besides that His terrour would make her afraid Prov. 9. 3. He hath His Para-nymphs and spokes-men for Him who are His Maidens Ministers and Preachers of His Gospell And this we take to be the scope of this Parable which you know Nihil probat ratione circumferentiae sed tantum ratione Centri we must observe whereat it drives and wherein it Centers And we take in two rules here first for the sensing of parables and similitudes and then one thing which is spoken against the arguing therefrom 1. We observe their true scope and intendment and not to In ilâ—is quae metaphoriâ—è dicuntur non oportet accipere similitudine â—â— secundum omnia wrench and tenter it beyond that which were against the Rule we not angariari parabolam in Compelling it to goe farther then it would 2. What things are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men are to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becomeing God now in the third place 3. We would take off an objection here before we proceed to our Argument drawne from this Parable That there is no argueing Theologia Symbolica non est argumentativa Dr. Owen p. 440. from Parables Similitudes are not argumentative True saith that excellent man Similitudes argue not beyond th'extent of that particular wherein their nature as such doth consist The intendment of Christ in every parable is warily to be observed Therefore though a Learned man Aquinas himselfe as we have heard hath said as aforesaid and better Divines than he yet by his leave and their favour we thinke the speech is neither Logicall nor Theologicall that is as we are told neither good Logicke nor good Divinitie Not good Logicke for Comparata etiam ficta arguunt and if they doe argue then they are argumentative and prove something as sure as operating is working Nor Good Divinity for if all Scripture be profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doctrine and reproofe then Symbolica also arguing by parables If not why would Christ and some Prophets 2 Tim. 3. 16. before Him and John th' Apostle after Him delight so much in Symboles and parables if they were not doctrinall and argumentative These things we thought necessary to premise before we could argue from the Scriptures first to cleare the sense of them and what their scope is and that we have good warrant to argue from them and secondly to make it cleare
26. Incense before the Lord or as men and women of the world or Church there Children of Disobedâ—ence doe now adayes but have been withstood as he was and as these should be we thinke by the Ministers of the Lord and thrust away with the breath of tthose words spoken to Vzziah It belongeth not to you Sir how great soever you are at your owne Table to thrust into this before you have given satisfaction to the Church of Christ for your abhominable doeings against Him So they thrust him and them away and so they were reproved as you should thrust away your nominall Beleivers Disciples and Saints members of the world the Church there whose Christian Name doth adorne them as a Jewell doth a swine in his snout But thus it was once visible Duâ—â— promiscuè quâ—slibet admittunt porcis canibus c. Calv. Ep 278. Saints were to be admitted and surely if there be a Communion of Saints on Earth there they should be seene at the Lords Table and why now visible Devills SECT VII IN the 7th place we would mind you of what the Lord God of hosts saith to them that will contend with Him Remember the Battle doe no more If you will contend for this free admission you contend with God to whome you must answer this with other matters He saith and so say His faithfull Servants with Him Ye shall not prostitute these sacred things to swine and dogges But what shall we more say time would faile us to tell what Chrysostome had rather suffer even the spilling of his own heart blood rather than give out the Seale of the same to non-Disciples prophaners of it how high and great soever We purposely passe over what Cyprian Martyr Musculus Marlorate Ambrose See Marlor on Revel 11. 1 2. and those fore-mentioned about free admission to Baptisme what these said and did as to these matters very much to our purpose We will onely heare what Zanchi speakes to this and Calvin after him because it is urged very much That you doe your Potitur a me cura in Curatio duty when you bid your people beware No saith Zanchi yee doe not your duty you neglect the best part of it and so you pertake of their sinnes suffering unworthy ones to pertake at the Lords Table yee draw upon your selves Eli's vengeance by giving such an allowance When you doe not frowne upon these scattering them with your eye you violate Charity and are guiltie of iniquitie your owne and their's when you suffer men to damne themselves with a Sacrament when you might restraine yea yee are guilty of their damnation as we are of that man's death whome we suffer with his sword to stabb himselfe out of whose hands we could have kept that Instrument of death so farre Zanchi And give us leave to adde a word more thereunto because we know it is the Ministers common plea we warne all our people mention unto them the fiery indignation of the Lord against unworthy receivers This will not doe you admit them under the notion of Saints why should they thinke themselves Devills You may threaten hell to them but they will take heaven Read Mr. Coll. p. 14. and thinke they have good right so to doe while you bid them take and eate take and drinke you know what followes They never swallowed wine so sweetly at the Taverne as they doe now damnation at the Lords Table But they thinke not so because you have brought them into such a fooles Paradise by making them beleive they are what they are not no more than an Ape is a man Beleivers Disciples in name onely are Saints indeed O Sir what ever others doe be you aware here what you suffer the people to doe give them scope here we mean full liberty or free admission like a rope long enough to a wicked man and you may tell your selfe what he would doe by what you have seene him doe so often You know no creatures almost but man loves that which will be its owne bane indeed we have heard say that sheepe catch at that grasse most greedily which soonest rotts them we are sure it may be said of us men what the Greeke Father said of some in his time Give us that which is sweete though it choake us wine at the Lords Table Why because of the sweet words which follow but how mistaken onely wretched man seekes a blessing in a direct way to a Curse happinesse in the way to misery life in the way to death heaven in the way to hell If you consider all this you will doe more than give your people warning against the next Communion day You will tell them and assure them you have Scripture warrant for so doing That they must shew more for their Admission to the Lords Table than this That they were borne and Baptized in a Church or else they shall be dealt with as doggs and swine And droven from the Lords Table as we drive swine from ours And you cannot doe them a greater reall favour than so to deale with them And to presse you and your brethren of the same perswasion with you unto this we will remember you of Calvin's Calâ— lib. 4. cap. 12. sect 5. words That a Minister who admitteth unworthy persons to Communicate at the Lords Table is altogether as guiltie of Sacriledge as if he should prostitute to dogges the Blessed Body of the Lord Sacramentally in the Bread And to prevent this horrid usage and Contempt done to that blessed thing he thus prescribes and expects it to be done Epiâ—l 302. Gaspaâ—i oleviano Let no person be admitted to the Lords Table till he hath professed his faith and put it not off to the day before the Supper be administred But goe to the man's house if he hath one and looke over his family let him give you an account what order he observeth in his owne house and at his owne Table before he be admitted to the Table of the Lord and how peaceable and helpfull he is among his neighbours and note well how well he ruleth his Children and Servants whether he hath these in subjection with all gravity observe also this with it or else you observe nothing to purpose whether there are not some sloathfull and wicked persons in his house who would runne to the Lords Table but are very slacke and more than slugges when they should goe to the place of hearing We see now how truely it was spoken of him he would choose an hundred deathes rather than suffer the prophanation of the Lords Supper This is so full to our purpose that we thinke fitt to make a full point here and Come in the next place CHAP. IV. TO tell you Mr Baxter's judgement as to this point of free admission Surely he is point blanke against it as farre from Mâ— Hs judgement as Mr H is from the Bap 96. Truth Thus saith M Baxter Though I admit
Lords Table for there you know the veriest varlet in the Towne if there be any such which perhaps you question may have admittance with his Children to Baptisme and if he please may come at the day appointed to the Lords Table as freely as you may come to an Inne and set up your beast in the stable And if you were questioned about your owne Towne where you give freedome enough to these fore-mentioned places the Font and the Table for you are of Mâ— Hs perswasion Wee beleive you could speake little of the good you have wrought among them by indulging that liberty to bring their Infants to Baptisme and anon after themselves to the Lords Table ignorant though they are some of them whome ye so freely admit as is ignorance it selfe Nay Sir to tell you our faith in these matters we verily beleive That Ministers generally all over the Nation having mightily obstructed their Gospell-worke in the Conversion of Sinners by suffering them to Come to the Table of the Lord there to receive Christ in the bread and wine before they could give any evidence they had received Him by the word of hearing we meane by the preaching of the Gospell You suffer them to step-over the Converting ordinance and admit them to the sealeing ordinance and now you may preach till your lungs are spent and doe no good among them Indeed this is our faith and which relating to such things that are the highest concernments of Gods Glory and good of His people we may not keepe in to our selves The great worke and buisinesse of preaching is you know to bring Christ and the soule together To call them in who are without then to confirme and strengthen them being brought in Now you should it is our faith waite Gods time till this be done till He hath by His Word and Spirit gathered a Church out of a Church we know this sounds harshly in your eares but why should it so till He hath gathered His Church out of your Church since you make it as wide as the little world in England till He hath taken them out of the world and added them to His Church set them in a safe * Act â— 4◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sure and immoveable state faâ—t upon their Rocke Christ as Mount Zion fast for evermore Doe you goe on now to doe your worke preach the Gospell and leave the Rest to God patiently waiting His time But in the meane time you shall never make us beleive had you the tongue of an Angell That wicked and unreasonable men for they have no faith which is the reason of the soule are the worse because they are denied the Seales of the Covenant But much worse which may be because they are admitted to pertake of those before their time for as once it was so it is now together with the bread and wine John 13. 2. 29. 30. the Devill enters them too and now see them in their walke and you see Devills incarnate no difference in their walke for as they see him doe so doe they onely they have flesh and bones so hath not he SECT IX IN the 9th place and so to tell you all that hath been to our best remembrance told us thereby to justifie your doings in Gods house as to the handing forth those sacred things there If the people may not be suffered to come to the Lord's Table to receive there as they expresse it They will not come to the place of hearing to receive the word there drive them from th' one place and they le drive you from th' other or if that they cannot doe they will not come at you or if they doe come they will cast your pearles whereof you are dispensers the word of God or Counsells thereof behind their backes they will not hearken to you Mat. 7. 6. To this we would reply these foure things and first by way of Question 1. How would this have sounded in the Apostles eares Commissioned by their Lord to preach unto the Heathen should these Heathen have sayd to the Apostles If ye will not Baptize us first we will heare none of your preaching We say how would this have been taken by the Apostles supposed those Heathen had spoken unto them these words Verily for so it seemes to uâ— the Heathen people now adayes speaking after the rate of those words before suggested speake the very same thing And how uâ—reasonable and wicked they shew themselves to be in so speaking is left upon your thoughts with this earrest request that your thoughts may be serious 2 We thinke it will be granted That the Gospell is the greatest Treasure or Talent of price that can be entrusted with the Children of men It is that which listeth up a people whether ye speake of a Nation or a man onely we allude to that in Job as High as heaven It is the rod of His pâ—wer the â—câ—ptâ—r of His â—ob 34. â—â— Kingdome the grand Instrument we will borrow that excellently Learned man's words whereby He accomplisheth all His 〈…〉 designes in the world whether they be for life or for death 2 Cor. 2. 16. He hath given that a right to take possession in His Name and authority of all that He will owne in any Nation under heaven Now if this be rejected by us we will have none of it unlesse upon our owne termes and order of our own appointment give us the Body and Blood of Christ first As if we would say give us the seales of the Covenant but for the Covenant it selfe opned unto us in the Gospell we will have none of that We were saying If the Gospell of the Grace of God be put away Acts 20. 24. Acts 1â— 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maâ—h 21. 41. and driven with all our might from us as that which is most loathed by us or hatefull to us we shall be miserably destroyed anon as those Despizers for we are pointed at there But vestra res agitur You know your Lords order how tender He is of it and the judgement that is written shall be their portion who will remove the bounds that you may not doe like them Yee can take it into your Consideration and put it upon ours That if This Rich Talent we called the Gospell so laded with pearles be not used and improved first no other Talent can nor can we expect any other Talent given to us in mercy no more than we can another Gospell For the Lord doth not say as we foolishly may dreame and doe according as we have dreamed The man hath not improved his Talent nay he hath abused it What though give him another Talent No Take therefore the Talent from him and give Math 25. 28. it unto him which hath ten Talents The onely wise God will not doe as His unwise Stewards doe if He will owne them for His as to Gospell Administrations The man hath denied renounced his
Baptisme being abhominable and to every good worke reprobate What though Admit him to the Lords Table notwithstanding Wee will close with this and so come to the next Till the Word hath prevailed with us nothing can till that hath done us good nothing shall While the word of Christ is trod under-foote in the hearing place so is the sacred Blood represented at His Table We cannot reject Him at one place and receive Him at another our soules are as full here as there and therefore cannot but loath trample-upon Christ that honey-combe Prov. 27. 7. there as here as at th' one place of hearing so at th' other of Receiving Therefore 3. Be not you carefull about this whether we will heare or whether we will forbeare Preach the word be instant in season 2 Tim. 4. 2. out of season reprove rebuâ—e exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine This is your Charge from the Lord And be you assured you shall never make us attend with the eare giving all Diligence till you have bored the eare And to bore the eare you have no other meanes for it but to preach the word thereby to make us obedient in word and in deed Doe not Entertaine such a thought as this but shew your selves men 1 That we can be brought into Love with the Gospell or to receive the Gospell in love by giving us admittance to receive at the Lords Table What can we receive there more than at our owne Table unlesse it be a Curse having not received Christ in the Gospell first 2 That we can be brought over to Christ by any other wayes or meanes but what are of His owne appointing for His blessing accompanies those meanes as doth His Curse those presumers who thinke to compasse their Ends by meanes they have shaped without the least shape of reason according to their owne understanding most contrary to Gods word and an abhorring to His Spirit Therefore if you have the least hope to prevaile with men prevaile with God first by prayer That you may take the way He Himselfe hath by His Word and Spirit paved forth before you for be you well assured He will not goe out of His owne rode way to meete with you or your people in your by-pathes In the last place 4. And to reply a word from the Lord to those stout words mentioned at the beginning They will drive away the Word from them and the Preachers of the Word if they will not suffer them to receive at the Lords Table Heare we what the Lord saith to these I will cast them away as Rubbish filth and dirt is cast away So He saith by His Prophet My God will cast them away because they did not hearken Hosea 9. 17. unto Him such as will not hearken to the word of God God Read Mr. Caâ—yl upon Job 8. 20. p. 124. Psal 50. 16. will cast away why They cast God away when they cast the word of God away They cast the Covenant behind their backes while they hate Instruction No wonder God casteth them behind His backe a dreadfull place for our persons but a glorious place for our sins For the wickednesse of their Doings I will drive them out of My house They that drive shall be driven with the Tempest of the Lord as the Thistle-downe dried stubble parched leaves or chaffe before the whirle-wind God will drive them out of doores when they drive His Truth out of their hearts for they would drive it out of His house And the God of Truth out of the world What they cannot possibly doe they will endeavour what possibly they can to doe A good Minister will drive these from the Lords Table too they shall not come neare that till it can be made to appeare The word of Gods Grace hath come neare to them and set them in their right mind So we have Concluded from Scripture premises and so proceed SECT X. 10 IN the last place we crave leave to tell you our Jelousie as to these matters and we entreate you to account it a godly jealousie which is this That there is somewhat more prevailes with you to give such free Admission as aforesaid than all those nine Reasons you have given us before and this is it to tell you our Jealousie when it pleased God to reveale His Son in you such is our hope that you might preach Him among the 〈…〉 Heathen truely we meane for we must be plaine in these matters we call a spade a spade your Beleivers Disciples and Saints heathen they are as you heard and worse till your preaching is come unto them in power have not you with your Brethren conferred at least with flesh and blood what way you are to take with your people in point of Admission to the Font and Lords Table You must Answer this to God sith you are Stewards in His house and should know how to behave your selves there with regard enough to that holy guile which is allowed you for certainly to Him you must make Answer We humbly in the feare of our Lord tell you our Jealousie For this we know we are flesh and blood too persecution is a very sore thing to the flesh and therefore all its care desire and endeavour is how to Escape it Now there is no way for a man that will live godly in 2 Tim 3. 12. Christ Jesus to escape it if he will avoid it he must as to that perticular Cease to be Godly and so he Conferres with flesh and blood and taking that for the man of his Counsell he must choose â—ob 26. 21 iniquity rather than affliction It is our Godly Jealousie that you and your Godly Brethren in the same way with you have Conferred too much with flesh and blood about those sacred administrations and so to avoid persecution have done as ye doe given free admission as aforesaid If you did not as you doe you should anger the best men in your Parish as they are in account among us now adayes and so you should have their purses shut and their mouthes wide open against you like Cannons mounted This is sore to flesh and blood and therefore Consulting with it it will direct you another way to save it selfe from persecution give their Children Baptisme and themselves the Lords Supper and all shall â—e well their purses shall be opened and their mouths shutt unlesse open to blesse and pray for you dealing so kindly with them but take heed of their blessing you and your blessing your selfe in such a way with them and you may remember this with it That some mens Cursing are as good as their blessings and you shall prosper better under them To put a close to this This is our perswasion from what we see and heare should the Gospell come to us like an Angell with a sword in his hand and with fire in its mouth to kill our lusts and consume them utterly yet we should never
of Land houses and the like we know how bootlesse it were for us to have nothing to shew for our rights and just title to them but a Seale without a writing or a Covenant without a Seale And whereas it is said we open the Covenant to the people and so we discharge our duty and leave them to examine themselves at that point for so they are Commanded But let a man i. e. every man examine himselfe and so let him eate 1 Câ—â— 11. 28. This presupposeth that which is most false saith Learned Beza That all are able diligent and willing to examine themselves and so upon that supposition to be admitted to the Lords Table We will deferre this to another place where we shall find this very Scripture assured us That ignorant persons are no 〈◊〉 Bez. more to be admitted to the Lords Table than are Children or madmen So we leave this taking it fully proved that they who are wholy ignorant what the Covenant is or what it meaneth are not to have admission to receive the signes and seales thereof or as our little Catechisme hath it They that have no inward Grace cannot tell what to make of the outward signe SECT III. THey are not to be admitted to the Lords Table who cannot possibly receive any thing there but bare Elements bread and wine they cannot receive profit by it not having faith to mingle with it faith is a necessary ingredient in every Service we doe performe to God or to our owne Soules The word spoken to us profits not unlesse we mingle it with faith The word Heb 4. 2. spoken out from us The word of prayer prevailes not without faith It is like a Gun discharged without a Bullet which makes a noise and doth no execution So in receiving at the Lords Table if we doe not put out the hand of faith we receive no more there than at our owne Table faith is to the soule what the eye eare mouth hands feete are to the body No Spirituall good comes into our soules till Faith by the Word and Spirit comes in and fetcheth it in And no good can come forth till faith putts it forth be it word or deed If faith be not wrought in us the Spirit and Word hath had no work upon us for that is the first grace in the order of time and to our apprehension faith comes in first and drawes all other graces after it it enliveneth and quickneth the soule it is the Spring of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is If we have faith if we can beleive nothing is impossible to us to doe or to suffer when God calls us thereunto It was a Sad time with the Thessalonians and Paul was sadded at it and faine would he know how the case stood with them specially how it fared with their faith when I could no longer forbeare I sent to know your faith 1 Thes 3. and when good tideings were brought us of your faith we were exceedingly comforted for I know full well so long as you stand fast in the faith ye shall stand like Mount Zion in the world an everlasting foundation mauger all the powers and policies of Hell-Gates wide open against you To open this a little and to proceed in it Because indeed it is the very hinge upon which all shall turne When the holy Spirit comes in to the soule conveyed in thither by the word the Spirit the Hand of God and Christ His Vicar or Agent here on Earth does nothing in an ordinary way without the word The word can doe nothing without the Spirit it bringeth all at once along with Him All Spirituall things needfull to Salvation And that the soule may take fast hold on them and appropriate them to Himselfe saying all these are mine The Spirit with the Word for He will not worke alone as the Word cannot workes faith there and faith workes up the soule to Christ for it is the Spirits working It s chiefe and maine object And now drawes or suckes from that Breast of Consolation all that is desireable suitable satisfactory and most pleasant to her But this is the thing Faith lookes first to Christ the person of Christ the fountaine the Spring-head the Treasurie the mine of Gold Faith lookes to the person of Christ first it knitts the soule to Him then it lookes to all the good things we have by Him a world of good things in Him a world of good things from Him All that tends to Grace and Glory Yet it is the person of Christ that the soule of a Christian principally lookes to The whole word of God all the divine truths therein revealed are the object of faith to direct order and sway our lives But yet these are not the object of faith when we looke for peace for Consolation for forgivenesse of sinnes and reconciliation with God Then faith lookes to Christ fixedly wholely solely These things being premised we returne to our Argument First They that have not received faith the Guift of God Faith is the Mother Grace where that is in Truth there is true knowledge unfaigned live and Gospell Repentance The graces required in every true Communicant John 20. sent unto us by the hand of the Spirit with the word can performe nothing pleasing to God nor can they receive any thing from God but a Cup of wrath if they continue faithlesse and unbeleiving They have not received Faith no not by all those meanes appointed by God as Conduit-pipes to convey faith and every Grace unto them they have not received faith true saving faith they cannot receive Christ a true and saving Christ a King and Prophet to Rule governe and teach them and a Priest to save and Redeeme them a false Christ and he is many they may Receive by a false faith they must have a true faith before they can receive a true Christ with all the benefits of His blood-shed for them a true faith leades them unto this storehouse or Treasury brings them up to this fountaine opnod for sin and uncleannesse layes the soule in that Jordan cleanseth and washeth it there bids it wash and be cleane bids it drinke and be drunken Cant. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 18. with wine whereof is no excesse i. e. be aboundantly satisfyed But without faith none of this can be It being the very bucket the mouth of the soule So that a man comeing without faith to the Lords Table is like a vessell cast into an Ocean of waters that hath no mouth to let any-in So then without faith without Christ and then Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israell and Strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope well set and setling and without God in the world Now are these to be admitted to the Lords Table persons without faith and then without any saving grace for faith is first in