the New Testament and why called so Christ They are Baptism and the Lords Supper And they are called Sacraments because sacred and solemn ratifications of Gods Promise to us and ours to him they are signs being significant of Invisible Grace and Blessing They are called Seals as Circumcision and the Passover were being for confirmation of the Covenant relation between God and Us. Phil. I pray speak of Baptism it hath been much controverted upon many accounts Christ I shall not detain you upon the most controverted points of it but tell you now briefly what we believe and practise about it 1. That it is an instituted ordinance by the Lord Jesus Christ to remain in the Gospel Churches to the end of the world as appears by Mat. 28.19 2. That the Element or significant sign is Water 3. That it being blessed by Prayer is to be applyed in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 4. That the thing signified is the washing in regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost wherein the Lord Jesus Christ his precious Blood is applied for Justification and Sanctification and the person Baptized dedicated unto the Lord remission of Sin is eminently signified thereby Act. 2.38 chap. 10.43 Phil. Then you think a person to be regenerated in Baptism Christ It is but a sign of that which is or should be in adult persons it 's requisite there be credible signs or grounds to think they are regenerated but many such who are Baptized are not and therefore it is evident none are regenerated meerly by partaking of that Ordinance unless we allow falling away from effectual grace and when it is administred to the Infant Seed of a Believer it is a sign of what is or may be and is both desired and prayed for Phil. I see you are for the Baptism of Infants Christ. We are for it and do practise it We doubt not of it and upon good grounds for we look upon Baptism to be the right of every Child of a Church Member 1. As the Infant is a Church Member in the Parents right the Parent having given himself and Children to be the Lords in Church Relation 2. That it is a Priviledge the Parents challenge by vertue of the Promise which the Spirit of God saith Act. 2. belongs to them and to their Children the Promise made to Abraham is transferred to all the Faithful who are said Gal. 4.28 chap. 3.29 to be the Children of the Promise as Isaac was and therefore have the Covenant and Seal of the Covenant belonging to them for themselves and Children as Isaac had And in the administration it is of use to the Parents 1. For confirmation of their Faith in that extensive Promise 2. For a Solemn dedication of the Child unto the Lord. 3. For an obligation to bring it up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Phil. May not a professed Believers Child be Baptized that is not actually a Member of any Church Christ. He that is a Believer ought to claim his right to all Church Priviledges and therefore to joyn himself to some particular Congregation where he may enjoy all Ordinances according to the rule of the Gospel And whilst he doth not he evidently lives in a Sin of great Omission if Providence hath given him opportunity so to do And I know not but a credible Believer may as well desire the Lords Supper without adding himself to a particular Congregation as to desire the Baptism of his Child without it and therefore it renders his profession very hardly credible whilst he lives in this great Sin of Omission Phil. Is there any just ground to believe that an Infant Baptized and Dying in his Infancy is certainly Saved Christ. By no means if you understand all Infants of good and bad as they are usually now promiscuously Baptized for the Salvation of Infants is a Divine Secret Phil. But what comfort hath a Believing Parent in this case any more than a professed Unbeliever or Infidel Is there no promise that he can take comfort from upon this account If not then it 's possible such an affliction may befall a Child of God for which he hath no promise from the Word of God to support him in for without a promise Faith can take no hold of God for Comfort Christ. In case a Believers Child dieth in Infancy and his trouble be about the Eternal state of his Child I know no Promise in the Word of God will reach forth Comfort to him but this I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed Seeing his Child lived not to make a personal and professed Rejection of his Covenant Relation in adult years as Ishmael and Esau did And thus a Believer by Faith in that Promise can take such Comfort to himself in that Condition which no Unbeliever can For there 's not one Word in Scripture that speaks of the Salvation of an Unbelievers Child dying in Non-age What God hath reserved in his secret Counsel is not for us to determine Phil. Is not Baptism a converting Ordinance Christ If it be true as your Church saith that he that is Baptized is certainly saved it must needs be so most times But although it 's a sign that referrs to Regeneration and Initiation thereby in the Covenant yet it is a confirming Sacrament as the other is it is always for Confirmation of Faith in the Promise both in Parents and Children neither is it improved by the baptized till he believe Phil. Now I pray speak something of that other great Seal the Lords Supper Christ It is called breaking of bread by a Synech Act. 2.42 ch 20.7 11. It is the Supper John 13.2 ch 21.20 The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 Because of peculiar Relation to the Remembrance of our Lords death as the observation of the first day of the Week hath to his Resurrection therefore called the Lords day Christ instituted this Ordinance for a solemn remembrance of his Death in the Churches till he come the second time And he did it the Night he was betrayed after he had eat the Passover with his Disciples Mat. 26.26 The Elements Bread and Wine the Sacramental Actions are Blessing the Elements distinctly 2. Breaking the Bread and pouring out the Wine 3. The delivery of each to the people with the words of Command appropriated by the appointment of Christ 4. The Order 1. The Bread blessed then broken then distributed 2. The Wine poured out blessed delivered forth after this a Psalm or Hymn is Sung as our Lord Jesus Christ did and that Ordinance is ended Tho' most Churches conclude with a short Prayer wherein Gods name is further blessed particular Cases of the Assembly spread before the Lord before which Prayer is usual a liberal Collection for the Poor and support of Ordinances Phil. What is the great Use and Improvement a Communicant may and should make of his participation of this Ordinance Christ 1. That as the Bread broken and
Doctrine the commandments of men I was much startled at that Text once by an able Preacher slipping in a strange place into a Conventicle where no body knew me who did open and apply that place notably I wished in my mind some of my acquaintance had heard him but that was not a day for such as I and them to be seen at a Conventicle Christ Sir I shall now most gladly comply with you in the command you lay upon me but I pray Sir how came you so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ you may remember how in your familiar discourses with me at your Table you would take occasion a little merrily to descant upon my name and say it was a marvelous Puritanick name sure thy Father was a great Puritan Brownist or Anabaptist Phil. Sir I remember it very well and I am convinced I did very ill in it to jest with spiritual things for I find now I had as good have joked on the name Christian for indeed he is not worthy of that name who is not a friend of Christ and such I desire to be and hope through the free grace of God I shall be for ever hereafter and oh that through the Word of God and the effectual operation of his Spirit I may be made wise unto salvation and then my name will not only be Philomathes but Polumathes Christ Amen It is my hearty desire and prayer to God for you that you may be saved and always hath been since I knew you but I pray how came you all of a sudden to be so great a friend unto Christ as I hear you now profess to my unspeakable rejoycing Phil. On a sudden no no man it is not on a sudden God hath been longer dealing with my heart than you or any one hath known of though you hear of it but now It would be too long to acquaint you with the dealings of God with me the many convictions of conscience that I have wrestled with and at last through the prevailing power of Sin and Satan palliated with some Religion or stifled with merry companions or by resolutely casting off convictions from reading the Word from hearing it from the good Education my good Parents gave me for indeed to tell you the truth they were Puritans and I the Lord forgive me an Apostate wretch from the Principles I was instructed in however all was palliated under the name and carriage of a prudential man convictions from the conversation of good men from the sins of prophane ones that I was often an eye and ear-witness of convictions from the preaching of our Parson that preached against some sins that he was too too much guilty of I was convinced it was my duty to do as he said not as he did but all this while I was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity whatever I or others thought of me for I knew not Christ and tasted no true savour of him I had something of a form of godliness but no power my Religion such as it was was a meer slavery to me the world and the lusts of my own heart kept me a slave to the Devil Christ When do you think those bonds began first to be broken and how Phil. Truly it was by the Word of God for when I considered some places of Scripture such as Rom. 10.17 faith comes by hearing c. Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth it wrought upon me to look out a little in my prudential way after good Preaching that I might find the gates of Wisdom And I would hear some of the ablest men of our Church especially when I went to London and truly I heard many notable discourses for Eloquence and Learning and they seemed for to make a great jingle in my imagination for the present but no impression on my heart that remained very lean still And the main substance of their discourses was usually to cry up our Church for the purest in the world and natural Religion and the power of the natural man's free will to the imbracing the things of God the Doctrine of Non-Resistance and Passive Obedience and in the hearing of those Doctrines I was so far from profiting that my heart told me still while I heard that I sufficiently knew by mine own experience that they preached Lies and that they caused the people to err such as are spoken of Jer. 14.14 23.25 26 32. Ezek. 13.8 9. 16.29 22.28 I pitied the poor Souls that sate constantly under such teaching and resolved to give them off and betake my self to Conventicles but my covetous heart in love still with the world was too hard for me for there was danger yet in it whereupon I talked with some Whigs that were not so strait-lac'd but that they would hear good Preaching in the Church and Common-prayer too if need were but would shake their heads and make great complaint of the Publick Ministry In brief I find they were sick of my disease though I liked them the better for it then they told me of a man or two which the Whigs that had been affrighted from Conventicles had smelt out and went to hear but they are say some reckoned but Phanaticks in a Mask the true Sons of the Church hate them with a perfect hatred quoth I it 's no matter for that I will hear them what they say if it please God Indeed I was so dissatisfied in the preaching of some of their London Dons that I had rather hear our Country Doctor which I look upon as more orthodox and was just resolving to leave the Church and venter it at the Conventicles No say my honest Latitudinarian Whigs as true Blues for the Peoples Civil Rights as any in the world but since I find them meer bogglers at the Interest of Christ and there are some N. C. Divines that give large measures to their consciences too but no more of that don 't do any thing rashly consider you have a plentiful Estate God be thanked and you have a Wife and many Children it becomes you to mind the main chance these are but Punctilio's of difference between the Church of England and the Dissenters the great danger is of Popery let 's all combine against that and not let Protestants break one another by these small Indifferences We confess we are troubled at this Devil of Persecution that is broke out in the Church but we think too they are a sort of imprudent rash People that will be cast into Prisons and ruine their Estates and Family's for non-compliance in indifferent things in which cause we believe they could not justifie themselves to die There are many things indeed should be rectified in our Church but you know our Articles are very sound and as for the Prayers and Ceremony's they are as our first Reformers and Martyrs left them These things being spoken at a noted Coffee-house for Whiggs took
much impression upon me and fix'd me with more Resolution to adhere to the Church for I knew they were old Professors and as cunning Shifters as I was or I could be in matters of Religion I thought my self now but a fool to them seeing they had studied and practised this Point so thorowly and condemned a narrow throated Conscience for one of the worst things in the World for a Wise man it was fit only for Religious fools But I told them if I did keep my Church I would hear some or other that preached Salvation by Jesus Christ and if I found such an one I would go near to move my Family and come up to London so I took my leave and went away paying my Dish Christ And did you go to hear the man or men they directed you to Phil. Yea I 'le warrant you and with a greedy appetite and there was a great crowd of Whiggs many of which I knew when they would not have gone to Church for a great deal sed tempora mutantur nos c. Christ And what was the Subject he was upon Phil. Eph. 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in Trespasses and Sins c. He insisted on the dead state of the Natural man shew'd how all the Imagination of his Heart was evil he could not of himself do any good Rom. 3.12 and backed his Doctrine with so many full and plain places of Scripture that my mouth was fully stopped and my Heart became guilty before God I said with my self Blessed be God I hope some men in the Church have got the cue of the Gospel I hope all have not abdicated the thirty nine Articles from their Pulpits I went in the Afternoon to hear a man much commended too and he was on that Text Mat. 16.26 What will it profit a man c. And he described the excellency and worth of a mans Soul so well shewing nothing could be a valuable ransom for it but Christ and decried the world at such a rate especially when it comes in competition with the Eternal welfare of the Soul that my two great bulwarks were battered down in a manner in one day and Christ even ready to take possession I saw now I was but a poor undone wretched wicked condemned creature and that I had hitherto sold my Soul to preserve my Estate Whereupon I retired my self to my Lodging and spent much time in Prayers and Tears and resolved now if God would give me strength I would slip into a Conventicle which accordingly I did next Sunday where I heard a very awakening discourse upon Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse Whereby I understood the desperate Condition I was in in Relation to the Law which he opened exceeding well Whereby the Law came Sin revived and I died Rom. 7. After this I made a shift to get into a place where I heard a worthy man preach very lively and clearly on Act. 16 31. whence he opened the Nature of Faith and shewed how it saved viz. Instrumentally by closing with and laying hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ for Justification and Sanctification and how Christ was made Sin for us and bare the Curse After this I began to savour the preaching of Jesus Christ and found my Soul more refreshed with one of these Sermons than with an hundred others I heard also from Acts 4.12 There is no other Name under Heaven given whereby we can be saved and from Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come c. from Joh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth c. It would be endless to acquaint you with the precious discourses that I have since heard in London when I came up especially from the time of Liberty and what warmth of Love was wrought in me to the Lord Jesus Christ with some measure I trust of a true and lively Faith that through the strength of Free-grace I hope I shall be a Christophilus now all my days but I must tell you one thing that the Devil is a Conventicler too as well as a Son of the Church for I see many very loose persons there for hearers and not a little false Doctrine deliver'd in many of them Christ These things always have and will be as for prophane hearers I dislike not that for there is then the more matter for a converting Ministry to work upon and as for false teachers they were many in the Apostles time as Paul and Peter tell us in their Epistles This should not discourage you But be faithful to the Death and you shall have a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 Phil. I hope by the help of God I shall but I will tell you there is one difficulty I cannot get over yet and that is this I have heard you say it 's the Duty of a Believer to follow Christ fully to deny himself and take up his Cross and to add or joyn himself to some Church which I have not done any otherwise than to partake sometimes with the Church of England and sometimes at a Meeting which I am much dissatisfied in for many weighty reasons not to be now insisted on That which keeps me at this day is my great Ignorance of and Estrangedness to the order of the Gospel I being not fully satisfied whether Christ hath instituted any Stated Gospel Church and if he hath where among all your different perswasions in matters of worship it is to be found I wish you would be pleased to give me the clearest account you are able in brief of your perswasion and practice in these matters Christ Sir I shall chearfully endeavour it but that things may be more clear and plain to your understanding I pray make your enquiries of the points you would be resolved in and your objections as they occur Chap. I. Of the Church Catholick CASE II. Phil. I Pray Sir what doth the word Church import Christ Church or Kirk is but an abreviation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the proper idioms of Languages English and Scotch it signifies the House of God and hence our places of publick assembling are called Churches in Conformity to the Jews of old who called the Temple the House of God according to which Christ speaks Mat. 21.13 there being a Levitical Holiness ascribed to it which Holiness of places hath ceased with it and the Gospel Church is made only of living stones Heb. 3.8 1 Pet. 2.4 though when we in England speak of a place for publick assembly we call it a Church not that any wise Protestants do take it so in a proper sence but Metonymically only as for others they think and speak after the Papists Phil. What do the Greek and Hebrew words import Christ They always signifie an Assembly or Congregation there was two words used for it in the old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both signifie
thus much That we hope he partakes of the free Grace of God in Christ though at present labours under these or those infirmities And though his reasons for his departure do no way satisfie us yet seeing he cannot be otherwise perswaded we have granted his dismission in order to his contentment and our peace But indeed small or no commendation does in these cases for there is seldom any such departer but the Pastor of some other Church is prepared for the receiving him right or wrong with commendation or without yea with dismission or without for all is Fish that comes to Net with some men Phil. Yea they say there are some Pastors will receive Members that run away from other Churches although they be actually certified that they be under censure Do you 〈◊〉 to send Letters of discommendation to Churches concerning offending Members Christ Yes there is as much or more reason for it than for a letter of commendation For as it concerns a Church to know who it admits to Communion or rejects so it 's requisite that a due Character be given by the Church to which the Member belongs And there is no particular Congregation will offer to receive a person into stated Communion at least without consulting the Church to which he belongs unless it be such a Church as savours too much of an Algerine Spirit in Ecclesiastick affairs Phil. Have you seen ever any Letters Discommendatory sent from one Church to another Shew me if you have Christ Yes I can shew you one And such a Letter need not be a Church act no more than a bare Letter of Commendation It may be done by an Elder only and he is bound by his Office to certifie unto other Churches what capacity a Member is in whether under censure or no. For when an offending Member is brought under the censure of a Church other Churches ought to be acquainted with it that they may not be imposed upon and that he may be ashamed being rejected by the unanimous concurrence of all Churches A Letter of Discommendation may be to this purpose To all the Churches of Christ in particular to that whereto S. T. is Pastor WHereas E. F. hath been a Member of this our Congregation and having fallen by a scandalous Sin or an offence for which he hath been duely proceeded with according to the rules of the Gospel but remaining impenitent is to our great grief and humiliation justly brought under the dreadful Sentence of Excommunication Or Whereas F. B. hath for so long time withdrawn himself from the Commumunion of the Church of Christ in E. whereof he was a Member to the long distraction and great grief thereof and doth persist in his withdrawment notwithstanding all due means which hath been used with all tenderness patience and condescention for the reclaiming of him from the said disorderly walking And that you may not be imposed upon by such an one offering himself to partake with you at the Lords Table and that the Violation of the Communion of Churches â—ay be prevented as well as the further hardenâ—â— of an offender in sin These are to signifie to 〈…〉 that the said person above-named is fallen 〈…〉 censure of this Congregation afore 〈…〉 â—fore according to the known and avowed rules of the Gospel he can be no longer allowed a just claim to Communion with other Churches by vertue of any relation to or right by and under the said Church or of any other pretences whatsoever whilst he stands thus divided from it as hath been declared But that the God of all Grace will encline his Heart to return to his Duty is the unfeigned desire and prayer of the Congregation and of him especially who is your unworthy Brother and Servant in Christ Jesus A. B. Pastor Phil. I thank you for your readiness to satisfie me in these points wherein I am now made sensible through Grace the honour of God and a Christians fixed comfort is most exceedingly concerned I shall exercise your Patience at this time no longer but wait another opportunity when we may further discourse some points of this nature Christ Sir you shall always find me God assisting most ready and chearful in any service of this nature And though these things seem most strange to most men and of an abstruse nature yet the time is coming when all the great truths of the Gospel shall bâ— cleared up before the World For when 〈◊〉 Lord shall build up Zion he will appear 〈…〉 Glory Expect we must yet that th 〈…〉 retick and Doctrinal part of these 〈…〉 Gospel order will be ridiculed by many and the practice thereof brow-beaten and scorned not only by the World but by carnal and ignorant Church Members that are biassed and led away by their own lusts and seductions of others but through Grace none of these things shall move me Vale. There is to be sold by Will. Marshal THE interest of Churches by J. C. The true nature of a Gospel Church by J. O. D. D. A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace by J. O. D. D. And any other works of the said Author FINIS