Adultorum scilicet Infantium At cuique istorum generum competit una tantummodo ratio introeundi in communionem foederis illius omnium rerum quae ex foedere pendent Adultis scilicet fides per quam Christi promissiones amplectuntur Infantibus conditio nascendi ex parentibus fidelibus Thes. 11. pag. 51. Ad vitam spiritualem quod attinet adulti quidem non intrumittuntur in foederis Evangelici communionem sui nescii Intromittuntur enim per fidem Fides autem est actus quidam intellectûs tanto cum acriore sui sensu conjunctus quantò intellectus ipse facultas est praestantissima cum acerrimo sensu praeditus Thes. 12. Baptismus autem propriè in eum finem destinatus est ut vitam nobis esse indultam testificaretur Thes. 13. Vno verbo Baptismo in nobis obsignatur Adoptio nostra Thes. 15. Primarius ejus magìs proprius usus in eo consistit ut ipsius peccati destructionem abolitionem à Christo factam actu nobis communicari testetur Pag. 372. Thes. 45. Ideóque neque Sacramentum neque quodquam ejusmodi seu signum seu tessera seu pignus aut arrhabo ulli traditur nisi qui sese Verbo Promissioni fidem habere profiteretur which is their common description of saving Faith Pag. 78. Thes 37. Nec vero minùs ex eo constat cur Infidelium liberi non baptizentur Nam Evangelicum foedus quidem quatenus conditionatum est ad omnes omnino homines spectat est enim Christus omnium Redemptor modò credant At quatenus absolutum est pertinet ad solos actu fideles est enim eorum Christus Redemptor tantùm quia soli credidere Quod enim foedus conditionatum appellatur propterea quod ex praestatione Conditionis ejus executio pendet id praestitâ conditione evadit absolutum Jam verò quamdius foedus conditionatum est promissiones quae foedere continentur non pertinent actu ad eos qui Conditionem non praestiterunt Ideo eos aliter non alloquintur quam dicendo Si credideris salvus eris si non credideris manet ira Dei super te Quoniam igitur Baptismus institutus est tantùm atque comparatus obsignandis Dei promissionibus in iis ad quos pertinent nemo ex infidelibus baptizatur qui non profiteatur sese actu credere infidelitatem deposuisse Et pag. 79. Thes. 40. Quemadmodum enim qui credit actu jure baptizatur postquam baptizatus est jus habet indubitatum ad salutem Marc. 16.16 sic etiam qui nascitur ex parentibus fidelibus itidem jure baptismo tingitur postquam c. Thes. 38. Si deficiant illi ab Ecclesiâ aut vero ex eà ob vitam turpiter actam aut puritatem Religionis ejuratam atque adeo in eo malo pertinaciam invictam ejiciantur tum quia non censentur ampliùs esse fideles non potest quin eorum liberi eâ praerogativâ excidant Pet. Molinaeus of Tradition translat Engl. pag. 62. saith It is essential to the Sacrament to be taken for the Remission of sins as it was first instituted by the Lord Mr. Crook in his Guide to Godliness § 14 15. Page 54. and in his Direct to Happiness Sect. 14 15. pag. 13 14. shews himself of the same mind Mr. Liford of Admission to Sacr. saith pag. 30. that All carnal persons that are conscious to themselves of living in any known sin ought to keep themselves back from the partaking of the Sacrament and all that have not broken their league with their lusts nor yet fully resolved to part with their darling sins such persons are in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity they have no part nor lot in this matter because their heart is not right in the sight of God they only cover iniquity with an outside holy profession And p. 33. All that profess Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ should be admitted All that having been baptized and are able to examine themselves and discern the Lords Body cannot be charged to live scandalously in any sin contrary to their profession without giving further proof of real sanctification p. 43. The profession that he requires is That men must repent lead new lives and that themselves do so and intend to do so So others commonly Three of the most learned Godly Divines of Scotland I have in the following Disputations cited The 58. Mr. Galespie whose twenty Arguments Mr. Blake attempts a Confutation of and I have before vindicated them The 59. Mr. Rutherford whose words I have after cited at large The 60. Mr. James Wood Professor at Aberdene who declareth himself agreed with me in the Qualification necessary to Baptism as I have afterwards cited his words Any one that would have more may peruse our English Divines that purposely write of Preparation to the Lords Supper such as Bradshaw Hildersham Pemble Dike Bolton and abundance more and they shall soon see that it is true Repentance and Faith that they require as necessary to a lawful Receiving and the Profession of these to our Lawful Administring But I will weary the Reader no longer with Citations but only shall add a few words of Mr. Blakâ— himself and leave you to find out the sense Mr. Blake of Sacraments pag. 124. So that I conceit no Promise of these Ordinances made to such a Faith but an actual investiture of every such believer in them And if no Promise then no Right to them by Prâ—mise or any Moral Grant And if only actual investiture they can make no just claim to that investiture before hand for the actual investiture being not yet existent can give no right to it self nor doth that investiture justifie the seeking or demanding or possessing of it for all possession is not lawful Pag. 147. Seeing Mr. Baxter calls upon me to declare my self further in this thing I do believe and profess to hold that he that upon hearing the Gospel preacht and the truth of it published and opened shall professedly abjure all other opposite wayes whatsoever and choose the Christian way for salvation promising to follow the Rules of it is to be baptized and his seed Pag. 157. How comes I pray you that future in In obligationibus ubi nullus certus statuitur dies quovis die debetur There is no day overtaken but the Engagement is for present And he that professeth to consent to be a true believer at present or the next minute doth in sense profess himself a true believer at present Pag. 147. His two first Arguments drawn from Authority the first of the Assembly of Divines and others of a number of Fathers are brought to prove that the Profession of a justifying Faith is required to Baptism And what is that to me who never denyed it but in plain words have often affirmed it It is sufficiently implyed where I
Eph. 4.12 what Saints they were that were to be perfected and 5 3. what Saints they were that must not so much as name Coveteousness filthiness c. And 3.8 Paul professeth himself less then the least of all Saints But Paul never did nor would profess himself less then the least of Mr. Blakes Saints who are not as much as by profession in a state of salvation nor from under the curse and wrath of God He that pronounceth them accursed with Anathema Maranatha that loved not the Lord Jesus bids grace be with them that love him in sincerity 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 would not have pronounced himself less than the least of these excommunicate accursed ones And were I worthy to be heard I would advise my Reverend Brother to better consideration before he make such accursed Saints or Churches or Believers at least that are visibly so and that he would be cautelous of Canonizing those on whom Paul pronounceth Anathema Maranatha To proceed the Church of Philippi are called Saints True but what Saints such on whom Paul was confident that he which had begun a good work in them would perform it till the day of Jesus Christ to whom it was given on behalf of Christ not only to believe but to suffer for his sake who alwaies obeyed in presence absence for God wrought in them to will and to do they only communicated to Paul in giving receiving and they were such as bad cause alway to rejoyce Phil. 1.6 29. and 2.12 13. and 4.15 4. The Church of the Colossians are called Saints But what Saints such as had faith in Christ Jesus and love to all Saints and had hope laid up for them in heaven who were made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son that is the Church in whom they had redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins being reconciled by the body of his flesh through death to be presented holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight if they continued in the faith grounded and setled and were not moved away from the hope of the Gospel whose ardor and stedfastness of faith in Christ Paul beheld in the Spirit with joy who were buried with Christ in baptism and risen with him through faith and being before dead were quickened with him and had the forgiveness of all trespasses having put off the body of the sins of the flesh who were dead and their life was hid with Christ in God and who shall appear with Christ in Glory when he appeareth Col. 1. and 2. and 3. If it shall be replyed that Paul spake all this of them in the Judgement of Charity or denominated the whole from the better part and the Profession of the rest I say even so also it is that he calleth them all Saints the denomination is on the same ground as the description is I cannot imagine what reasonable evasion can be made from this evidence The Thessalonians are consequentially called Saints in being called a Church of Christ. And what a Church and what Saints such as had the work of Faith Labour of Love and patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ whose Election Paul knew who turned to God from Idols to serve the true and living God and to wait for his Son from heaven who delivered them from the wrath to come they received the word as the word of God which effectually worked in them that believed who followed the Churches in suffering who were Pauls joy and glory in the presence of Christ at his coming whose faith and Charity was so reported to Paul that he tells them be liveth if they stand fast for God had not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ. 1 Thess. 1 2. 3. 5. They were such Saints whom Christ would come at last to be glorified in and such Believers in whom he will then be admired even because the Gospel was believed among them therefore say not To believe the Gospel is a common thing short of saving Faith 2 Thess. 1. We see then what the Church and Saints at Thessalonica was The Hebrews to whom the Apostle wrote are called Saints Heb. 13.24 And he doth not groundlesly call them Saints for they were such as were made a gazing-stock by reproaches afflictions and became companions of them that were so used took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better and more enduring substance vid. ult Heb. 10.33 34 35. They were such indeed as he saw cause to exhort to perseverance and warn of the danger of Apostacie and the best have need of that But yet though he so spake he was perswaded better things of them and such as accompany salvation and he gives his reason of it Heb. 6.9 10 11. And having said so much of the several Churches under the name of Saints I shall proceed and shew you what they are as Churches though this will after fall in in another Argument because it will be fittesâ— for all to lie together and then I shall refer you hither when this afterward falls in You may see by what is said what Churches all these were that are already mentioned and consequently what a Church is in Scripture-sense not a society of men professing a faith short of justifying but a society of men professing true saving faith yea so far professing it as to induce the Apostles to denominate them such as supposing them such indeed For as they knew some were such so did they not know the contrary by any particulars except those whom they commanded them to cast out as none of them The Apostle Peter writes to the scattered Jews that professed Christianity And what kind of Christians or Believers did he take them for Why for such as were Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And Mr. Blake cannot say that this was a common Election or common Sanctification and Obedience and Sprinkling of Christs blood For it is added that God of his abundant mercy had begotten them again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times wherein they greatly reâ—oyced suffering the trial of their precious faith and having not seen Christ loved him and believeing in him rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of their faith the salvation of their souls If all these people had not or professed and seemed not to have a saving faith I know not what words can express a saving faith nor
Scripture so connexed to salvation I know no Regenerate ones but the justified or those that profess to have a justifying faith Nor hath he proved any more Argum. 11. All that are meet subjects for Baptism are after their Baptism without any further inward qualification at least without another species of faith meet subjects for the Lords Supper having natural capacity by age But no one that professeth only a faith short of justifying is meet to receive the Lords Supper therefore no such a one is a meet subject for Baptism Or thus Those at age whom we may baptize we may also admit to the Lords Supper without any other species of faith But the Professors of a meer common faith short of justifying we may not admit to the Lords Supper Ergo c. The duty of a particular examination before the Lords Supper is nothing to our purpose because 1. that makes a man fitter than he was but the want of it is not in the cognizance of the Minister alwaies nor will not justifie our refusal of a godly man excepting some apparent gross evils 2. And it is the necessity of another faith and state that we are enquiring after which will not be proved by the necessity of an actual examination or excitation of our present grace The Major Mr. Blake will easily grant me and if any other deny it I prove it thus 1. It is the same Covenant that both Sacraments Seal one for initiation the other for confirmation and growth in grace therefore the same faith that qualifieth for the one doth sufficiently qualifie for the other For the same covenant hath the some condition 2. They are the same heresies that are conferred in baptism and the Lords Supper to the worthy Receiver Therefore the same qualification for kind is necessary for the reception The Antecedent is commonly granted Baptism uniteth to Christ and giveth us himself first and with himself the pardon of all past sins c. The Lords Supper by confirmation giveth us the same things It is the giving of Christ himself who faith by his Minister take eat drâ—nk offering himself to us under the signs and commanding us to take himself by faith as we take the signs by the outward parts He giveth us the pardon of sin sealed as procured by his body broken and blood shed 3. A member of Christs Church against whom no Accusation must be brought from some contradiction of his first profession must be admitted to the Lords Supper but the new baptized may be ordinarily such at age therefore if he can but say I am a baptized person he hath a sufficient principal title to Baptism coram ecclesia I mean such as we must admit though some actual preparation be necessary unless he be proved to have disabled his claim on that account either by nulling and reversing that profession or by giving just cause of questioning it 4. The Church hath ever from the Apostles daies till now without question admitted the new baptized at age to the Lords Supper without requiring any new species of faith to entitle them to it I take the Major therefore as past denial All the controversie between Mr. Blake and me is like to be about the Minor whether the profession of his common faith short of justifying make people fit for or capable of the Lords supper 1. No man should be admitted to the signal profession of Receiving Christ as he is offered who will not orally profess to receive him as he is offered But all that are admitted to the Lords supper are admitted to the signal profession of receiving Christ as he is offered Therefore no man that will not orally so profess to receive Christ should be admitted to the Lords Supper The Major is plain because 1. Else we cannot know who is fit if he will not make profession of it 2. His refusal shews that he either understandeth not what he doth in the Sacrament or is wilfully uncapable by infidelity or impenitency 3. The Minor is evident in the nature of the Sacrament The offer of the bread and wine with the command Tade eat drink is signally the oâ—fer of the Lord Jesus himself with a command to take him He that puâ—s forth his hand to take the bread professeth thereby to Accept of Christ as offered If it be said that Mr. Blakes professor of a lower sort of faith doth profess to take Christ as offered I say No This proposition I here suppose as evident in it self that no man but the sound Believer doth take Christ as offered no not as Christ. He is offered as a Saviour from the Guilt and Reign of sin and so Mr. Blakes professor doth not so much as profess to accept him For I hope we are agreed that so to accept him heartily is saving faith 2. No man should be admitted to receive a sealed pardon of sin or have it delivered to him that doth not profess that faith which is of necessity to make him capable of a sealed pardon but he that only professeth a faith short of justifying professeth not that faith which is of necessity to make him capable of a sealed pardon Therefore he is not to be admitted to the Lords supper It is a present sealed pardon that they profess there to receive by the very actual receiving God presently offereth and they presently profess to accept it signally and therefore must do so verbally 3. No man is to be admitted to the Lords supper that professeth not true Repentance for sin But Mr. Blake's Professor doth not so for that is inseparable from saving faith Therefore Mr. Blake must deny the Major or say nothing that I can imagine but what is to no purpose And if he do deny it 1. I would desire him once to give us a just Description of that Repentance short of saving which he will be satisfied with the Profession of in his Communicants 2. I must confess as much as I am against separation I never intend to have communion with Mr. Blakes Congregation if they profess not saving Repentance and faith And if he exact not such a Profession I say still he makes soul work in the Church And when such soul work shall be voluntarily maintained and the Word of God abused for the defilement of the Church and Ordinances of God it is a greater scandal to the weak and to the Schismaticks and a greater reproach to the Church and sadder case to considerate men than the too common pollutions of others which are meerly through negligence but not justified and defended And if Mr. Blake be angry at my speaking these things I cannot help it I am bound to tell him of it as a faithful Brother that I doubt not but God is angry at his Doctrine and the great wrong that he doth the Church of God while he is so angry at his Brother for resisting it For my part I would not have done his work no nor justified it as some of his