vile and debauched that he is more like a Devill than a Disciple then admit him not but excommunicate him Cast him out We cannot thank the man for his remedie It is not worth so much if he had been serious therein which we think he was not being against his own principles for whether shall we cast him unles into the same place Mâ— Hs. deserves to be himselfe cast and it is his lightest punishment for indeed he hath offended the Lords little ones every Math. 18. 6. one of them we thought till we thought of you into the Sea with a mill-stone about his necke for all the dry Land is a Church as you so well know and can make full proofe In the next place SECT III. 3. WE would say in Allusion to excellent Calvin's words Si dimidio Christi convuti effemus if we could be content with half a Christ our work would quickly be at an end and we should agree So if we could be content with an halfe Reformation which will content the Godly party as the halfe of her deare Child the deare mother ye do not bid us the halfe no nor the least part or peice of Reformation for making no separation from the world at the Lords Table where or when will ye seperate All one at the Lords Table and every where one The world and you cannot be two while professedly one at the Lords Table We will take leave to set downe excellent Burroughs his words we have read or heard upon this subject Whensoever you receive the Communion with any Company Reade Master Palmer p. 100. you doe Confesse your selfe to be of the same body with that Company I must professe that I doe beleeve my selfe to be of the same Body that this drunkard is off this Idolater this covetous person is off this whore-master this swearer is off joyning with them to eate Bread at the Lords Table where these uncleane ones must needs be where all are admitted to be professing nothing against them nor taking any Course at all with them for the exclusion of them or purging of them-out Allowance of a thing done is as good as a Commission for the doeing of it Therefore it concernes us very much to looke unto it That it be an holy Communion we receive the bread and wine-in In the last place SECT IV. 4. WE would adde this That we are as unable to keepe silence Inveniar sanè superbus avarus omnium vitiorum reus modo impij silenâ—ij non arguar dum dominus â—atitur as we are to speake as the Learned doe observing the ordinance of our dearest Lord and Saviour so prophaned His owne order in His owne house whereof He is so tender so blasphemed and by those who should be most observant thereof His stewards there We professe we wish our eyes fountaines of teares and that our hearts could melt like wax and our Luth ep ad Staupitium bowells yearne upon these stewards in Gods house who admitt all to his Table come who will all are welcome Surely if they repent not of these horrid doings the Master of the house and Lord of the Table will rise-up against these stewards as once He did in Mount Perazim He will be wroth with them as in Mount Gibeon for by their meanes it is that a brutish sottish people admitted by them to eate and drinke at the Lords Table doe eate and drinke their owne damnation encreasing their guilt there and hardning themselves to their utter ruine and everlasting destruction And is this nothing Nothing saith Mr H s for which some other will deale with him assuredly and bray him in a morter that his folly may depart from him who saith in effect though not in terminis It is nothing to eate and drinke damnation to our selves as all must doe who eate and drinke unworthily upon account onely of Infant Baptism For by Comming or rashly like naturall bruite beasts rushing to the Lords Table before the word of life hath brought life to their soules they eate and drinke judgement to themselves and have put themselves into an utter incapacity or impossibility ever to be wrought upon thereby we meane as to the strength and power of ordinary meanes That worke on other men for their Conversion who have not willfully perverted the holy order of the Lord which He hath prescribed nor presumptuously passed over the ordinary meanes of Conversion They have hard hearts that doe not melt into teares beholding a poore sottish people encreasing their guilt every day and more and more hardning themselves to their eternall ruine Therefore for our deare Lords and Christs sake whose Body and Blood we cannot see with patience thus prostituted to dogges and swine for His Churches and Truths sake the onely two dearely beloved and regarded in the whole world for Soules sake purchased at so deare a rate which argues the pretiousnesse of them for your owne sakes whose foot stands fixed in Mr Hâ— way his owne a way of sin and death have we spoken hitherto and shall speake in these matters before us as we have beleived And as the Church of Christ hath practised in all times and ages though not with that freedome and blessed libertie as by the abundant riches of Gods goodnesse now they can doe for which liberty they blesse God night and day who hath so changed the times Time was and it was a sad time with all the godly Ministers and people all over the Land when there was no barre to keepe any from the Lords Table but one which superstition made And was it a just Greife to borrow Mr Sanders words then that there was no barre And is it your worke now to remove the Barres yea the Lords and his Churches antient Land-markes and lay all Common The Lord God of gods lookes upon this and will require it Therefore in our tenderest respects unto you we would Caution you in our entrance to this Treatise for with that or the like unto it we meane to end this of all murther take heed of Soules De Eccles lib. 2. murther your owne or others It is Salvians Caution It is true your people will be very wroth with you if you will not murther them let them eate and drinke damnation to themselves The most cruell bloody murther though Mr H s will not beleive it to suffer persons one or more to poison themselves with the Sacrament which workes strongly and kills presently as poison mixed with the strongest wine will doe Vineger you have read 't is filius vini and the sweetest wine degenerates into the sharpest * Gospel Coâ—dials to a fowle heart are thâ— deadliest pâ—yson Mr. Foâ—d Sp. Ad. 470. vineger As there are more liberall doles of Grace in time of the Gospell and specially given forth at the Lords Table to the worthy receivers So are there the largest violls of wrath there also given forth to eate and drinke downe by the unworthy
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
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
receivers very likely your people will not apply their heart to this no not to this But if they may not have the Lords Supper as formerly they have had once a yeare at least which now will not serve their turne or thrice or since they are used to it once a moneth they will crie-out against you all the yeare long and Curse too to whom God hath not made it manifest that they themselves are beasts These ignorant unreasonable and wicked persons will so doe if you will not suffer them to drinke downe a Curse and destroy themselves for ever if you will not take the readiest way to destroy them by admitting them so unworthy to the Lords Table They will destroy you at least they will doe what they can Why but as the Counsell is to the Parent Correcting his Child Let not thy soule spare for his crying So regard not their Crie nor their Curse neither But though they Curse Blesse them which you cannot doe but in bidding them attend diligently upon the Converting ordinance and forbeare comming to the Lords Table till the Word preached hath done its worke Then come and wellcome But we shall contribute more to this at the end of this Treatise And now before we come to argue the Negative That Children in understanding willfully such Children of Belial alwayes are not to be admitted to the Lords Table We will with your leave heare you make out the Affimative first That Children in understanding are to be admitted to the Lords Table We have heard you we shall alledge nothing from what we have read and those in your way with you make it out thus and so this is your first proofe CHAP. II. SECT I. SUâ—ely all our forefathers were not all mistaken but they gave it forth to all all along till within these very few yeares which they had not done if they had not thought it lawfull to be done It is hard to prove this nay we thinke it is impossible Though we grant that many the excellent of the earth did give forth these It is hard even for good men not to be câ—râ—ied dowâ—e the streame when at once they goe with the wind of example and tide of Nature Read Mr. Phil. â— Evang. 〈◊〉 pag. 227 228. c. seales to as many as came for them and that was just as you say to all And truely much might be said to excuse these excellent of the Earth à tanto if not à toto The tyranny of Custome as a tide or torrent impetuously running all one way and carrying all with it The Tyranny of Bishops also as fast friends to Christ many of them as were these excellent of the Earth then and now fast friends to Anti-christ Indeed Issachars we had almost said curse but to all His God turned it into a blessing was upon the good Ministers and people they lay couching under burdens and this dispirits both Ministers and people so that with him in Tacitus if we may alude to it gemens sequitur tamen they sighed and they groaned yet they followed the Commandement And surely we may adde this how did they breath after Reformation in these matters And when they saw no amendment we know whether some of them went for it is knowne in all the Earth and how did they there And the faithfull here wrestle with their God about these things And what thankes can they Render to God for what He hath done in way of Answer to their prayers Time was when another Girded these faithfull men and carried them whether they would not but now blessed be God they have a blessed liberty to Gird themselves in the All-might of their God according to His Glorious power to walke whether they would in all pleasing This we desire to leave upon your serious thoughts what use and improvement is made of this liberty or whether not abused as an occasion to the flesh by men of Mr H s perswasion And yet Sir we must make bold to tell you your proofe is naught and proves nothing Quâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nâ—n 〈◊〉 haeresis est etiam vâ—â—us consuciuâ—â—o Jeâ—â—â— Christ is â—â—y Antiquity That He did and that He â—pake said Ignaâ—ius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tâ—ll not me it was â—â—stomaâ—ily so done but tell me what ought to be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. so an old Philosopher reproved his friend A. Geâ— lib. 10. c. 19. What have we to doe with th' examples and wants of our Fathers they are no rules of our faith or for our walking It is not what was done but what ought to be done If such a proofe may be warranted what evill may not be approved good and be justified Here the Heretique Eutiches sic à progenitoribus accipiens credidi c. This faith have I received from my Ancestours in this faith I was borne and Baptised and in the same I desire to dye and yet the same faith was an errour and no faith Full-up to the same words said another as very an Heretique as the former Quemadmodum ab insantiâ edoctus sum itâ— Credidi Credo As I have been taught from my Childhood so I have beleived and so I beleive still And the Idolatrous Jewes say much the same So we have done and our Fathers before us our Kings and our Princes and so we will doe But Sir we speake to you in our Jewells words We sit not in Judgement to Condemne our Fathers God onely is their Judge and He knoweth how to deliver His owne He was able to preserve the Bush in the midst of the flame and Daniell in the Cave in the mids of the Lyons And the three Chrildren in the midst of the furnace of flaming fire and His people Israell in the midst of the red Sea even so was He able to preserve His owne in the midst of that deadly time of darknesse Ignosci potuit simpliciter erranti post inspirationem veri c. He that erreth of simplicity as our Fathers did may be pardoned The times of that ignorance God might winke at But after that once God hath inspired the heart and revealed His truth whosoever continueth in his errour offendeth without pardon of ignorance for he is over-borne with presumption and willfullnesse These we have heard are the words of Cyprian and this shall serve for Answer to what our Fathers did their doeings are no prescriptions for us The word of our God is the Rule of our practise in all things And we humbly conceive it lyeth open before us as to this particular as our Cynosure or Starre to direct us whereof anon SECT II. WE have heard it said to beare you out in your doings That learâ—ed and Godly men doe as you doe at this day in point of admission to the Lords Table We oppose not here nor gaine-say what is said of their Learning and Godlinesse But this we say That your proofe is naught still and proves nothing There were learned
they are admitted in their Parents right to Baptisme begotten as is notoriously knowne in Vid Ames de Const cap. 27. l. 7. adultery and the Parents not so much as professing repentance for the sin And so giving some satisfaction to the Congregation thereby Sir The Lord will require this at these Parents hands for so we may call them so also at his hands who so presumptuously baptizeth their Infants Nor shall it helpe him or them That though the Child was begot in Adulterie yet it was borne in wedlocke So have they plaistered over that horrible sin for which the Minister must be as responsible we meane for marrying them as he shall be for Baptizing their Infant before an acknowledgement was made openly before the Congregation for so openly had they sinned But the Lord lookes upon this and tells us with a voyce as loud as thunder that sith man doth not He Himselfe will be the avenger of these things And if the people Levit. 20. 4. of the Land c. for we would leave it upon your thoughts that if you or any brother in office with you have been or are faulty in this matter ye may heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously In the shutting up of this we humbly remind you of your owne Principles every head of a family being by our â—nf Bap. 61. principles an Abraham to his family But how if he be an Ishmaell worse than an Infidell to his family how then in point of admission of his Children to Baptisme or himselfe to the Lords Table must he having blasphemed the one Sacrament be priviledged thereby to blaspheme the other or having denied and renounced his Baptisme as the manner of some is by his workes making full proofe he hath very ill husbanded that pretious Talent must he be priviledged thereby to deale so with the other Yes say you and accordingly you deale-out unto him But did your Lord Christ deale so with His Talents Math. 25. 28. But wee referre it to the sixt Treatise 2. Now as to admission to the Passeover which you are pleased to say was free to all which pleads for the like free admission to the Lords Table That spoken before might serve here But to let that passe we verily beleive there was not such free admission to the Passeover as you would seeme to hold-out or take for granted And this our beleife wee ground on the Scriptures of God as we ought and you expect we should and indeed Commanded us which needed not for God commands us so to doe We humbly conceive there is much in this Scripture we reade When your Children shall say unto you what meane Exod. 12. 26 27. you by this service That ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover Wee Collect from hence That the persons were to be knowing and understanding persons in the matters of their God the great Concernments of their soules and so knowing and understanding as that they must be able to instruct and Catechise their Children in those High points Now if you finde the Parents such knowing and understanding persons you may finde reason and warrant enough to admit them to the Lords Table But if very ignorant yea Brutishly ignorant for such they are whom you have admitted then seeke your warrant elsewhere for your admission to the Lords Table for wee are verily perswaded you will not finde it from the Passeover The free admission they had to that Sir be well aware what you say and as well aware what you doe Take heed of admitting we advise you in worthy Hildersam's wordâ— such as are knowne to the Congregation to be ignorant malicious uncleane unjust persons drunkards Blasphemers Make not the house of God as a Common Inne that receives Guests of all sorts and entertaines all alike The Gates of Gods house are called the Gates Psal 118. 19 20. of Righteousnesse None should presume to enter into them at least you should suffer none but such as in profession and endeavour are righteous men But to your Alligation from their free admission to the Passeover To our seeming it was not so free as yours is to the Lords Table For first some were to be Cut-off as we read Numb 15. 30 31. The soule that doth ought presumptuously whether he be borne in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that soule shall be Cut-off from among his people because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken His Commandement that soule shall be Cut-off his iniquity shall be upon him Add to this how deep the Lord Chargeth His Priests Ezek. 44. 7 8. Yee have not kept the Charge of mine holy things In that ye have brought into my Sanctuary Children of a Stanger uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh Then at the 9th verse Thus saith the Lord God No Stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary which was a type or figure of the Spirituall Sanctuary the Church of the living God in Gospell times Whence it may be cleared we think That if some were to be Cut-off for their wickednesse and others to be kept off from the Sanctuary as well for legall and rather for morall uncleannesses scandalous sinnes then also were they kept off from the Passeover Yet we thinke the example of Good Rulers as to this mâ—tter cleares this further They had under the Law by Gods appointment at the time of their solemne assemblyes certaine Levites that were porters set by the Gates 2 Chro. â—3 â—5 of the house of the Lord that none that was unclean in any thing should enter-in And it Commands our marke what diligence was enjoyned them in their office The porters waited at every Gate 2 Châ— 5 15. and might not depart from their service And hath the Lord Christ lesse Care of His service under the Gospell than He had under the Law Judge you And take this also along with you if please you that you may make righteous Judgement None that had any legall uncleannesse upon them might eate the Passeover Numb 9. 6. And may they be admitted to eate at the Lords Table who have reall uncleannesse upon them Give your judgement here also but looke up to God and into His Scriptures before you judge And if it please you let the Scriptures be 2 Chron 30. 5. 7. They had not done it a long time in such sort as it was written They had not done it as their first fathers did it who had the pure truth Committed to them and so worshipped the Lord God purely But they had done it as their immediateforefathers who were corrupt in their worship and so in their practise as these had done it so did they Bee you not like your Fathers and like your Brethren which trespassed against the Lord God of their Fathers who therefore Gave them up to desolation as you see vers 7. This was good
Counsell if it had been taken well But it was very ill taken for when Hezekiah sent the posts from Citie to Citie through the Countrey of Ephraim and Manasseh with this Message That he would have a reformation according to the first institution or patterne and would not have them doe as their immediate forefathers had done It is said verse 10th That they laughed the Messengers to scorne and mocked them What! may we not doe as our Fathers have done must we now be wiser than they Yes saith he you must be wiser than they and you must doe better than they else you will shew your selves arrand fooles and utterly undoe your selves for your fathers were stiff-necked and did not yeild themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to doe as He bad them But they would doe as pleased them and was good in their owne eyes and so brought all this evill upon themselves You must not doe as they did for then you must suffer as they did whom God gave up to desolation as you see Now read how these words wrought with some of them not a few the Lord by His Spirit setting them home vers 11. There was a Reformation in those matters and things must be done according to their first institution We hope it will teach you very much in point of admission to the Lords Table And yet to set home your lesson and to helpe you in your choice of fit Guests for the Lords Table Take in the last place an example from Ezra Who would have none to joyne with him in the Passeover But such onely as had seperated themselves from the filthinesse of the Heathen and joyned themselves to Gods people to seeke the Lord God of Israell Ezra 6. 21. So much to your fourth objection You have yet more to say to justifie your Doings SECT V. THat you see not why you should exclude any from the Lords Table because how know you whether they may God is the onely â—â—wgâ—ver and we must receive the Law from His mouth He that will please God must shut all his own Imaginations out of dooâ—es and have nothing to doe with thâ—m We never dishonour God more than when we take upâ—n uâ—â—o serve Him oâ—r own way and leaving His rule make a rule for our selves Mr. C on Job 23. p. 405. Ab extra ordinario ad ordinarium non valet argumentum not be converted there It is you know Mr H s conceite and we know you have said no lesse To this we say That you give us but your word for this but give us one word from your God and we will give you one of our eyes Then search againe for another word to prove that this sealing ordinance is converting and give it us and we will give you the other eye so for two Scriptures you shall have two eyes deare though they are to us yet not so deare as the truth the least jóta whereof is of more account with our God and so with His good people than are the visible heavens and the earth Therefore Sir Mr H s we would rather mention his name than yours so much we favour you shall not put out our eyes with his conceits now that he hath put out his owne by his sensuality He shall not abuse us as he doth the Scripture shamefully after his manner touching the Centurions Conversion by seeing Christ onely upon the Crosse It was as miâ—aculous and extraordinary as was the Renting of the vaile and rockes and opening of the Graves And he is as well able to prove That when he last administred this ordinance he raised dead bodies out of the Graves as that he raised dead soules by his administring to them the Bread and the Wine which yet is the thing he is to prove That Conversion which is the raising of the soule from its grave is wrought in this way we meane by giving out this ordinance It is true The people will speake Highly of it That they never found the Word of Gods grace so prevailing with them as was that they heard delivered to them at the graves mouth and at the Lords Table But he that cannot see that this is a meere delusion and devise of Satan and our owne heart which is blind and cannot see a farre-off and will make us beleive a lye That God will step out of His way and worke extraordinarily for us while we neglect and turne our backs upon the ordinary meanes He hath appointed for the turning the heart unto Him We shall speake more to this in another place for the present we say onely thus That this tenet That Sacraments doe convert senteth strongly of Poperie and is most unsavoury and loathsome to every good mans heart being assured That That the â—ord preached is the great Appointment of God to bring Christ and the soule together never to be parted againe Preaching is the Chariot that Carrieth Christ up and downe the world here is Christ for you who sanctifieth Himselfe for your sakes That He might doe for you and in you all that was to be done and to suffer all that was to be suffered for the satisfying of His Fathers justice and the Compleating of an everlasting Righteousnesse That ye might be Compleate in Him and wholy sanctified through the Truth and throughly furnished to every good worke Then preaching Christ Crucified is the Appointment of God for the salvation of soules so many Scriptures give-in their evidence that we know not how many The dead shall heare John 5. â—5 the voyce of the Son of God in the preaching of the Gospel and they that heare that is beleive and obey shall live Other sheepe I have He meanes us Gentiles them also I must bring belonging Jâ—hn 10. 16. Eph. 5. 14. John 17. â—0 2 Tim 1. 10. 1 Coâ— 18. 21. 23. 2. 14. to the Election of Grace but how wilt thou bring them Lord Thou art in Heaven and they on Earth they shall heare my voice The preaching which Christ bids His Ministers preach is no other but Christs voice which bids the sleeper awake and arise from the dead It is that whereby the Spirit workes faith in the soule it is that whereby life and immortalitie is brought to light through the Gospell All the Angells in Heaven cannot convert one sinner it is not their office or appointment from God But the word preached which the wisdome of the world counts foolishnesse converteth all that are converted being that great Appointment of God for that end It is just so with us now dry bones when Conversion is wrought as once it was And as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking Ezek. 37. 7. 10 breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feete an exceeding great Army As then so now and to the end of the world life and immortalitie is brought to light into our soules by the Gospell It is the Chariot of Christ of
comes now to be proved when we have set downe Mr Baxters Pag. 129. 133. words which seeme to us to speak contrary we will note but one passage amongst many in his booke of Baptisme The Assembly I told you before that gave in their experiences about the time and manner of Gods working grace in their hearts did most give-in that it began as they thought in youth or childhood in very few by the Ministeriall teaching And for my own part I think that if ever I had true actuall faith it was by the benefit of education before ever I heard a Sermon We would speak three words to this 1 by way of Caution 2 By way of supposition 3 positively or Concludingly as we have been taught by our learned Godly Ministers 1. By way of caution we would wish no man to trust that Conversion whereof he can give no other Certificate but that he was virticiously educated 2. Suppose that a parent by his holy Discipline and pious education had converted his childe by the good hand of God with him we would aske hath he done this without the Word It could not then be called holy Discipline or pious education 3. But to speake positively and so to conclude this point that the word of the Lord may have in all things the pre-eminence Education or the bringing up of a childe in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord is but the externall moulding of a man not the internall Renovation of his heart Education fashions and frames the outside onely Conversion if true the inside Education changeth the actions onely Conversion not the actions onely but the Nature also for the effecting whereof there must be put forth an exceeding greatnesse of Power together with the Word once more and to doe our Utmost to drive it home we are borne every mothers child like a wild Asses Colt we love to be free or rather dissolute we cannot endure to be subdued to order we would know no Law but our own lusts nor rule but our own desire nor be servant to any but our own will Yet the Law of a virtuous education passing upon us we may be brought into some good order and under subjection we may be canded over and seeme more than Civill And yet there is as vast a difference betwixt what Education doth and the word preached doth as there is betwixt Nature and Grace and that is greater than between a mans Nature and a beast Education may pollish and beautifie yea and rectifie Nature put it into a pretty frame for a time But the word preached is appointed for this very thing to change Nature to put it into a right frame and to set it right for ever To change a sinner into a Saint To make a Beleever of an Infidell Therefore holy Cowper taking this very thing into Consideration That the word preached is the onely meanes of Conversion would alwayes as he went to Church send up this ejaculation or short prayer Lord bow my eare that I may heare thy word Amen He it is who hath an Almighty Arme and reacheth it forth by His Spirit with his Word and so maketh it a Converting word that He in all things may be Glorified through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT VI. IN the sixt place we have heard you say that you have done your duty when you have told your people theirs and the danger of unworthy receiving according to the tenour of those dreadfull words they find written 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 c. THIS is well but not the whole of your duty no nor the least part They will not beleive that there is any danger in receiving at least such you speake of unto them being in your account and upon the same score admitted to the Table Beleivers Disciples and Saints why should they Question that which you doe not question Let Turkes and Pagans question those matters and not Disciples and Saints we meane Baptized-ones for eo nomine c. But Sir it is good to be serious in these matters as to be sâ—rvent in a cold matter is no signe of Wisdome So to bâ— câ—ld in an hot and fervent Buisinesse be vrayes folly Wâ— makâ— bold â—o put three questions to you Th' one relating to a gâ—â—â—t Loâ—d on Earth supposing you to be a steward in his housâ—â—â—d leâ—ve you to make answer to this Lord. The other relaâ—ing to the Lâ—rd of Heaven and Earth whose servant you profâ—sse your sâ—lfe â—o be and a steward in His house The third shall be put to your owne soule and as to the other so to this make you your answer Calling God to record upon your soule The first 1. Supposing you to be a steward to a great Lord on Earth would he take it well at your hands That you counselled yea threatened a rude and rascall Company nasty wretches and not worthy to enter your Lords house much lesse to approach His Table notwithstanding in they would Come which yet they Could not without your Connivance and more and sit downe with Him at his Lordâ—hips Table Answer this matter to your Great Lord and so we leave it 2. You are a servant to your great Master in Heaven and you say He hath made you a steward in His house Make your Answer to Him Questioning you at this great point why have you been so carelesse what manner of persons you have admitted to my Table make Answer to Him we leave this upon your thoughts also 3. Put it to your owne Soule Is it enough to warne Men we cannot doubt but you have been warning proud men and covetous and hypocriticall mockers and you know whome and yet they have Come Doubtlesse Sir you should have restrained them from drinking a Cup of poison and from Rushing upon their owne damnation Answer this to your owne Soule and when you are about it Call God to record therein Then perhaps you may tremble at Elies doome I will judge thy house for ever for the iniquity thou knowest because thy Sonnes made themselves vile and thou Restrainedst them not thou didst not bend thy brow nor frowne upon them A good man scatters the wicked with his eye they shall not pertake of holy things of bread ordained for Children This shall suffice for that If a Lord on Earth will not take these doings at your hand will your Master in Heaven And if your Conscience which is as we may say the Center of the soule placed betwixt the understanding and the will taking in the Result from both If this your Conscience acquit you not God is Greater than your Conscience how will you Answer Him It commandeth your serious thoughts in debateing these matters and then to give in your Answer thereunto We would remind you of this last said thereby to Render you the more serious That as a steward is not to doe any thing but according to the minde and will of his
perillous times when the Rulers set themselves against the Lords Christ There were those and not a few who in the power of His might sett themselves in the Gap for Him beareing up against all the power of the Adversarie despising it and laughing it to scorne And Luther was one of these in former times not to mention any more nor the Worthies of the Lord in our late perillous times In regard of my person said he I 'le fall downe before any But in regard of the Truths of Christ which I administer I looke on the Kings of th' Earth as Nitts or Crumbles of dust so he wrote to our Henry the 8th For a Minister that is faithfull in the execution of his office as said our holy Shepheard what ever humane weaknesse there is in him what ever power there is in others yet he is therein above Churches Kings or Angells But Blessed be God at this day the powers on Farth are for you ye may be as holy as ye will as to the performing the whole service of your Ministery Your Lord hath given you power all-sufficient And He instruct you to sound discretion how to make a Blessed advantâ—ge thereof to His Glory and His Churches good Amen Yet we cannot come off from this common plea which is pleaded by all the herd that have M Hs for their Leader Wee have no power to keepe any how wicked soever from the Lords Table say they we would entreat these men to call to remembrance what the Lord saith touching the sanctifying Himselfe upon horriâ—le sinners in case the Rulers did not We apply it to this in hand Levit. 20. 4. If men to whom the Lord hath given Authority to reprove censure and excommunicate wicked men from communicating at His Table at the least eyther dare not or will not doe it I le take the matter into My own Hand I le doe it saith the Lord. And hath not He with whom is terrible Majesty hath He not don it hath He not executed terrible wrath upon these unworthy Receivers at His Table One fals from an house breaks his bones perhap his neck A second from a tree or horse A third is hurled into the Waters A fourth is suffered to run his own way and so to cut-off himselfe in the midst of his dayes A sift is his own executioner A sixt and he is many these are laâ—d in the lap of their own lusts and now being past feeling give themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse joyned to their Idols and let alone And hath the Lord dealt lesse severely with the Stewards of His house who have dealt so unbecoming stewards there Some He hath thrust-out And those that through favour hold-in for a time Is not a visible sword upon their arme their power is broken and upon their right eye their understanding is darkend The unfaithfuâ—l Steward the Idol-Shepheard shall be like an Idol having eyes but seâ—ing not He was before a blind Sâ—er sinfully and â—ow he is a blind Seâ—r judicially O the dreadfull wayes the Lord takes in the exercise of excommunication He that inwardly excommunicates His own dear children as their sins may deserve and casts them out of His presence to use the words of that excellent Divine Dr Goodwin Child of Light p. 137. will He spare these who dare out-face him at His own Table prepared for His own people followers of Him as deare Children rushing-in thether to receive that with their hands which they blaspheme with their tongues and trample under with their feete and would deale as despightfully with His blessed person now in Glory as once their forefathers did deale with Him when He â—abernacled in our flesh and was on earth amongst them will He spare these or those Ministers Stewards in His house that suffer a brutish sottish people so to doe alledging for themselves but will their allegation be accepted their Lord put a key into their hands but they found neyther hand nor heart to use it because the Ruler forsooth did not Commission them so to doe Commission them A Ruler as wee suppose exceeds the bounds of his Commission for which he will have no thankes from his God if he shall Commission the Stewards in Gods house how to manage Gods matters there Wee are taught from the Scriptures of God and from them that hold thetherto That in these cases which relate to Gods house and those sacred administrations there The Minister rather prescribeth the Magistrate than he the Minister He the Minister of Christ rather gives orders to him than receives orders from him Therefore to proceed to a close of this Will the Lord spare these Stewards in the day when they must give an account of their Stewardship who knew not the extent of their power and therefore cannot know their duty to doe it their power and their duty being of equal length We will conclude in Davids words My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements SECT VIII IN the next place we have heard that much if not most of all the evills of these times is Charged upon the non-admission to the sealing ordinance And your selfe have not been silent this way This Charge is most unworthy a Minister of Christ for the contrary thereunto is most true God is disquieting of us now He is visiting upon us the horrid Contempts offered to His word The horrible prophanations of His day The abhominations He hath found committed in His house as to those sacred administrations there And these are as we have just cause to feare but the beginning of our sorrowes The first drops of wrath comming The Lord God will be prodigall of our blood because we have been so prodigall of His Son's blood giving it to or rather casting it away upon those who cannot but like swine trample it under-foot Prov 27. 7. These you know are Calvin's words Son of man Seest thou what abhominations are Committed in My house I have sworne by the excellency of Jacob by Himselfe saith the Lord for you read it every where Indeed that Bellua multorum capitum we beast-like people we say as much with those rebellious and stubborne ones or much after their manner Jer 44. 17. It was never better with us then when we had our Service-booke our Easter Communions c. But should not you answer us even as Jeremy did Did not the Lord remember these things and Came they not into His minde So that the Lord could no longer beare because of the evill of their doings and because of the abhominations which they had Committed But with your patience Sir Give us leave to aske you Concerning the place where you were borne and whereunto you wish so well and the Good of those soules is the Travell of yours how find you the people there If they be as bad as who are worst then it is not because they are barred from the Font or the
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
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
be followers of their deare Lord in this perticular so farre from refusing the weake in faith as that they doe invite and encourage such The least Breathing after Christ the enjoying of Him how desireable a sight is it how acceptable with them how encouraged promoted countenanced by them how pleasing and welcome to them even as the bruised reed was and the smoaking flax to their Lord and Master Not the weake but the dead To use that good man's words not Children but Bastards not comers towards Christ but resisters of Him in the meanes of drawing to Him doe these Brethren purposely refuse where they see any measure of true godly feare any degree of graciousnesse they gladly admit God forbid they should refuse the meanest as to the world or in Grace no they Covet the purest and take the weakest CHAP. V. WE should now in the next place set downe the Charge of the Lord to all those that have the Charge of the Sanctuary of those holy things there that they make a separation betwixt the pretious and the vile But this is so legible every where all along the Scripture that we might save our selves and you the trouble And indeed this second part of our worke exceeding its proportion we will deferre what we should have said here to the Last Treatise And so we come to that we promised therewith to close the result of this second debate as we did the former and so to close up this part We have made bold to give you a word of exhortation once already we are bold againe to give you another word and to proceed in it we know the manner of an humble person he takes that pearle thankfully as given him from God though brought unto him as the good Prophets meate was by a Raven A reproofe to him is welcome for what he hath done amisse much more an exhortation that he may not so doe being taken from the mouth of God as you shall finde we hope this to be withall we are every one taxed to pay a Contribution towards the good of soules and well-fare of That Body whereof the Lord Christ is the head and the Saviour and this we can doe no other way but this Sir we can clearely speake this unto you we wish you Gaius his prosperity that you may prosper as your soule prospereth They you with your people they with you may walke in the Truth by Gospell rule we doe Consider with you That you being a Minister of note and we hope a Godly Man The same may be said of you as you reade was said of a Godly Noble-Man You are norma publica a publique Standard unto your people who indeed for the most part are very Apes taken by imitation by what they heare you say or see you doe Non ad rationem sed ad similitudinem vivimus was the old Complaint we take words upon trust our Minister saith it and there is an end Those brave discreete and generous Bereans did not so They heard Paul and Silas with all readinesse of minde yet they did not receive the word upon their word as spoken from them though they might have been beleived before any but they searcht the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so therefore many of them beleived This is out of use in these dayes whence it is there are so many beleivers in name and Infidells indeed You are we hope the more carefull what you say before them for we question not your doings out of Gods house and so to make way to what we farther intend First Wee humbly entreate you you would forbeare to doe what we know others doe gather-up all the filths once visible now legible in the Church of Corinth and Creete to beare-out the filthinesse of their owne To alledge their want of order and good discipline thereby to justifie their owne disorders and no discipline at all To make their defects and faileings to plaisterover their owne more than faileings their abominable doeings in God's House Remember we should they had but the dawnings of the day of the Gospell we have the noonetide thereof And that wee are to walke not by the darke side of the Cloud And let us tremble to justifie sin by sinne as we should at that judgement which the Lord God makes up of sin punishing sin with sin Bid your people follow holinesse studie to be quiet and to be pure a course cleane contrary to the world or commonly called the Church there they follow unholinesse and study impiety Secondly Tremble oh that you could to be found in the number of the Corrupt Ministers all over the Nation these alwayes did now doe and alwayes will oppose Reformation the Discipline of Christ in His Church the breathings of all His Saints in the world That all things may be done according to patterne as visibly held out now before them as was that in the Mount as to all Church-administrations Thirdly And Sir If you looke after this way looke for persecution in it and from your Brethren As sure as it is an holy Isa 66. 5. Jer. 40. 7. John 16. â— Acts 26. 9. way so sure it is a persecuted way contradicted and Blasphemed and this specially by Brethren But can this discourage you It was ever so The Lord Christ was opposed Cheifely by the Preists Scribes and Pharisees And Luther professed that he â—â—k 6. 26. found more enemies in the Clâ—ysters and Monasteries than he did out of prophane and wicked places persecution is as the hand that points you there is the way of holinesse walke in it If oâ— finde no persecution then ye are out of the way for so persecuted they the true Prophets pointing them to this way but for the false Teachers that had bid the people runne-on in their owne way of sin and death pleasing in their owne eyes all spake well of Act. 7. 52. 2 â—â—m 3. 11 12. them You will find it to be so and fore-warned fore-armed And the Nominall Beleivers titular Disciples and Saints so accustomed to their owne way a loose and evill way the way of the world of a Nationall Church there these will deale most despitefully with you A just judgement shall wee say or rather a fatherly Correction if the Father of mercies make it so to you That so they should returne your kindnesse to them in admitting them when time was to the Lords Table upon this score onely They were borne in England and Baptized there CHAP. VI. WE come now to that we mainely intended and you know we cheifly insisted upon to prove That your free admission to the Lords Table is Crosse to the holy rule we should walke by to the practise and minde of the Lord and deare Saviour and as contrary to the minde and manner of all those that are followers of Christ and cannot stint themselves with any degree of holinesse 1 John 3. 3. their Lords owne purity being their Coppy And here we
more than touched upon three things specially the Word preached how they pressed to that place and listned to it when they came thither Secondly the Covenant of Gods free grace by Jesus Christ blessed for ever Thirdly Faith upon that we were the more large all beareing upon that being the hinge of all Now Sir this is our earnest desire That you with your Brethren would looke over this againe and lay your doctrines manner and practise before your people to that Standard for we choose to speake in that number And 1. Doe ye presse upon your people the necessitie of heareing and before you admit them to the Lords Table doe ye take time and place to search them to the bottome what they have profitted by heareing You know hereby they are hewen and made polished Stones and so fitted to be laid in the Lords building we trust you doe not doe as the Master of your Lord doth Polish your people at the Lords Table Surely they are to be made readie as those Stones were before they should have your admittance to 1 Kings 6. 7. Come thither And to proceed doe you aske what is that grace they must have before they can profit In our zeale for the Lords Christ yours and your peoples precious soules we shall question you in these grave points and so returne in all thankfullnesse your godly jealousies touching us and our way by putting it upon your thoughts what your way is with your people and how with them They with you walke therein You know but have you as you can made your people know it That preaching is the Chariot that carrieth Christ all about the Nationall Church we had almost said the world And the onely Appointment of God in the Spirits Hand to plucke them out thence as Lot out of Sodome It is the Ordinance sanctified of God for the begetting of faith in the beginning or Alpha of it so in the encreasings of it to the Omega or perfecting of the same It is that â—hereby that which is begun is perfected and that maintained which is begun It is that whereby the abundant riches of Grace through Jesus Christ are Conveyed unto us by Covenant we have said all 2 Tim 1. by Covenant life and immortality is brought to light by the Gospell preached the Ministery thereof there is not onely an unfolding of the gloriously excellent things of Christ but there is grace given by the Spirit to beleive them Thereby th' understanding that everlasting dore is opned to Jesus Christ Him that is true the true God and eternall life Now th' understanding closes with 1 Joh. 5. 20. Him or rather He by His Spirit with the understanding He is Truth The will and affections are drawn-out to Him also Oh how good is He to the Soule what a lovely object altogether desires By preaching all this is done it is the Chariot of the Cant. 5. Spirit it is the meanes that worketh faith which is the marriage of the Soule to Christ uniteth the soule to Him planteth it in Him maketh it one with Him And now she begins to know the abundant riches and glorious excellencies of Her Husband and the way of Conveyance of all these unto her by Covenant but still the first doore that is opned to all this is the eare and it is opned by heareing by heareing the eare is made able to heare we meane by the word the Spirit boreth it and now faith comes-in and fetcheth all-in the soule stands in need of Christ and all and all as sure as a Covenant of God with His people in Christ can make it Hold you to this still we meane hold your people to it faith comes by heareing it hath the stamp and institution John 10. 17. of God upon it and heareing by the word of God This was the ground of the Apostles faith not all the miracles they had seene John 2. 22. They Beleived the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had said Eph. 1. 13. The ground of the Ephesians faith also In whom ye also trusted after that ye HEARD the word of truth the Gospell of our Salvation The very end of all that is written touching Christ John 20. 31. and is preached of Him that ye might beleive c. Chaâ—ge this point home so your Lord Chargeth you and examine your people about their faith in God They will say they beleâ—ve Numb 22. 18. They will say as Balaam did My God and so will they say our God Hosea 8. 2 we know Thee Tit. 1. 16. Heare them now how they can make out what they say Doe they know Him whom they call theirs here you are like to find your people as grossely ignorant as were their fore-fathers of whome ye say saith our Blessed Lord That He is your God Joh. 8. 54 55. yet ye have not knowne Him We that have accustomed our tongues to lying ever since we were borne must not be credited in what we say till you have heard us making out what we say by giving a reason of the hope that is in us for truely thus it is with us for the most part We understand neither what we say nor what we affirme in God's matters Yea we commonly say we know the Father and the Son when we oppose the meanes appointed by God to convey this knowledge to us Now you shall doe well to tell us rebus sic stantibus That we are as well qualified to have Communion with Christ at His Table as a Wadd of dried stubble is to have Communion with a Consuming fire and doe no more enjoy Him there than midnight enjoyes the Sunne And that we doe indeed and in truth no more desire Communion with Christ the King at His Table or in any other place than darknesse can desire Communion with light or Beliall with Christ We are grossely ignorant of what we doe when we approach by your allowance the Lords Table It is not possible Fruimur Cognitis Ignoâ—i multa Cupido we can enjoy that we have no knowledge off or acquaintance with nor can our desires move towards an unknowne object Good Sir speake these things out to us your people we meane We are somewhat the larger here a point of so high concernment being Confident also of this very thing That you find your people cleane crosse to their Rule as your Brethren doe every where slow to heare and swift to speake for the Lords Supper We conceive the reason thereof to be this In a heareing place they cannot heare one word if it be the true word of God which is pleasing to flesh and blood it speakes death to their lusts if ever it speakes life to their soules Therefore they hate the word a killing word deadly because they love their lusts dearely They will have none of that meate which endureth to everlasting life none of the wine of the Gospell but as much bread and wine as you