blood p. 570 l. 12 member l. 22 before me p. 573 l. 22 Tome page 576 marg directly page 579 l. 6 ascribes p. 584 up to Ibid. nor p 588 l. 7 older p. 589 l. 4 lesse l. 5 more p. 590 l. 19 which page 606 line 10 a fine Travellers page 611 l. 11 takes off the force of the Law condemning p. 614 l. 4 a fine Then p. 648 l. 20 wait THE Covenant sealed OR A TREATISE of the Sacraments of both COVENANTS Polemical and Practical CHAP. I. Of the word Sacrament THe mutual relation between the Covenant of God entred with man and the Sacraments by him instituted and appointed is generally acknowledged Sacraments are in that way bottomed on the institution that both Sacrament and institution have respect to the Covenant Though some to keep back such from all interest in any Sacrament that they know not how to deny to be in Covenant have made it their businesse had it been feasable to have made a divorce between them Having therefore by Gods assistance published a Treatise of the Covenant I would willingly adde somewhat the subject being of so near affinity of the nature and use of the Sacraments of which I know much is already said by men of all parties and interests Though few have written industriously of the Covenant and several books that carry that title have very little of the thing yet they are almost above number that have treated of the Sacraments He that would have a List of names may consult Chamierde Sacramentis pointing the authours out as they have dealt in the several heads of this Controversie as also Vorstius Enchirid. Controversiarum and to compleat the Catalogue especially in the addition of English Writers Dr. Wilkins his Ecclesiastes yet notwithstanding this plenty in which abundance of more light by Gods mercy hath been brought forth I suppose I may say That much is left to be further spoken especially in the particulars in our times most in agitation where I think there is least need I shall be more brief and if in any thing I shall have hopes to adde any strength to the truth or light where it is not so clear I would be more large And before I come to speak of the thing it self it may be expected that I should premise somewhat of the name by which these Ordinances are ordinarily known The word Sacrament vindicated In which Papists saith Chamier have disputed much Catholiques little giving the reason Because the mysteries of Divinity are not contained in words Some have manifested their dislike of the word seeing it is not a name given of God nor to be found in Scripture with application to these Ordinances Bellarmine will have it to be the same with Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek saith he is to be translated Sacramentum in Latine but confesses That though the word Mystery be frequent in Scripture yet it is only once used in Scripture in reference to any of the Sacraments and that is Ephes 5.32 in reference to Matrimony But neither is Matrimony a Sacrament as hereafter may be shewen nor yet hath the word Mystery in that place reference to it in which according to Durand there is no Mystery but to the Conjunction of Christ with his Church And upon this account that Scripture useth it not in this sense as is confest by Protestants some lay aside all use of it as we find in the practice of our Dissenting brethren As they differ from us in the subject of the Sacraments so they differ from us in the name One with them is dipping the other is breaking of bread but neither of them with them is a Sacrament to both of which terms I have spoken somewhat Bellarmine lib. 1. De Sacrament Cap. 7. layes the dislike of this name to the charge of many of our Divines as Luther Melancthon Zuinglius Calvin But falsely saith Whitaker Praelect De Sacramentis pag. 4. And Chamier dealing with him about it entitles the first Chapter of his first Book de Sacramentis in genere a De Sacramenti nomine Calumnia The Calumny about the name of Sacrament in which he acquits these Authours and with Whitaker admits the use of the word as it is commonly received So also Vossius Thes 13.14 De Sacrament Efficacia and Vorstius speaking in the name of Protestants in general in the entrance of this Controversie taking notice of Bellarmine's defence of the use of the word saith b Nostri hic facile assentiuntur licet id quod de Graecae vocis aequipollentia dicitur non omnino admittant uti nec ca omnia quae de etymologia Hebraea Latina dicuntur Here our Divines willingly assent onely he saith they make some animadversions on some passages of his making Mystery and Sacrament to be equipollent as also his Etymologie of the Hebrew word Razi and the Chaldee word Raza c Fallit ergo fallitur Bellarminus cum Luthero Zuinglio litem movet quasi absoluté à vocibus illis abhorruissent Bellarmine is deceived and doth deceive say the Leyden Professors Disput 43. when he contends with Luther Zuinglius as though they had absolutely condemned those words And their unanimous practise speaks their opinion In Treatises Catechismes Sermons constantly making use of the word without the least scruple about it Religion not consisting in words but things when there is consent in the thing there is not contention to be raised about the word In case we had a word in Scripture from the Pen of the Holy Ghost fitted to the thing it self and comprizing these ordinances in that generality as the word Sacrament doth in the common use of it I should then quit this name and take to that But seeing there is no such word And Tertullian the most ancient of all the Latine Fathers whose works are extant using it as Vossius observes Thes 6. De Sacrament and since his time in the successive ages of the Church it is continued and now generally received it were too much affectation of singularity to recede from it yet I would put this caution upon the use of it That it must serve onely to denote the thing that we treat about and that no argument from the word be drawn to hold out the nature of these Mysteries The reason of the word enquired after But those that upon this and the like grounds do freely admit the use of the word cannot so easily agree of the reason of it how it comes to passe that these Ordinances came to have this term or name put upon them why Baptisme and the Lords Supper should be called by the name of Sacraments There are onely three opinions that I meet withall that are worthy to be taken notice of and these drawn from three several acceptations of the word Sacrament in prophane Authours First The depositing of money by men striving for Masteries in Consecrated places upon those terms that he
regenerate or unregenerate which is an undiscernable work and accordingly to admit or refuse SECT XIII Proposition 11. The Lords Supper with the Word as an appendant to it may be serviceable to bring a man of Covenant interest up to the terms of the Covenant THere is nothing hinders but that the Lords Supper with the Word as an appendant to it may be serviceable to bring up those of Covenant interest to the terms and propositions of the Covenant may serve to work a man of profession of faith unto faith saving and justifying a man in name the Lords to turn unfeignedly and sincerely to the Lord. This I shall endeavour by Arguments to confirm First Men of that interest that baptisme receives as the intention of the work in order to salvation these the Lords Supper serves to carry on by sanctification to salvation as the end of the work likewise But Baptisme receives men of visible profession onely and visible interest as the intention of the work into the visible Church in order to salvation Therefore the Lords Supper carries on these by sanctification as the intention of the work to salvation The Proposition cannot be denyed unlesse we will without reason bring in that vast difference between these two outward vâ—â—â—ble Ordinances both intrusted in the hands of man as that the one shall be of that latitude to receive men of visible interest and the other restrained to invisible members The one according to the mind of God shall let many into the Church for salvation the other shall be in capacity to nourish and bring on very few The Assumption cannot be denyed That Baptisme receives men of visible profession and visible interest in order to salvation and hath been abundantly proved we baptize infants upon the bare account of Covenant-holiness which is onely a visible interest men of years were baptized and by just warrant yet may in case not baptized upon a visible profession The conclusion then followes that the Lords Supper carries on those as the intention of the work that Baptisme receives to salvation Secondly If it be the mind of God in the Gospel revealed that men of visible interest having not yet attained to the grace of sanctification should have admittance to the Lords Table then it must needs follow that it serves as an instrument with the Word to raise them up by faith and sanctification to salvation But it is the mind of God in the Gospell revealed that men of visible interest having not yet reached unto sanctification should have admittance to the Lords Supper The Lords Supper then serves to raise up men of visible interest by faith and sanctification for salvation The Proposition is clear unlesse we will make mens admission most mens admission meerly vain having no power nor any capacity to advance their happinesse but being wholly in a tendency to increase their judgement Whatsoever the secret will of God to us unknown is that in the event it shall prove yet the work it self must have a tendency and power respective to those for whom it is appointed for edification not for destruction The Assumption is evident that those of visible interest having not attained sanctification according to the mind of God revealed in his Word should have admittance by the barres that are assigned for mens exclusion The alone barres that are ordinarily assigned to hold men in Covenant-interest off from the Lords Table are ignorance Error and Scandal But many that cannot be charged with ignorance error or scandall are yet short of sanctification Many short of sanctification then have no barre to their admission Either visible interest with capacity to improve it or saving interest in the Covenant must be the rule for admission But saving interest in â—he Covenant cannot then to use Mr Cobbets words Vindication pag. 54. it would either necessitate Ministers to come under guilt of sin or anomie breach of rule or for avoiding of that which they must needs do with such breach of rule never to administer any Church ordinances since they sometimes shall break that rule in administring it to hypocrites and albeit they do sometimes administer them to elect ones yet not being able to know that secret infallibly they observe not the rule in faith but doubtingly and so can have little comfort of any such of their administrations If any reply that saving interest in the Covenant is the rule but we are not tied infallibly to come up to the rule but as farre as our charity can judge men to be in grace we must admit them to this seal of grace To this I have several things to reply 1. God never puts mens charity to this work as respective to admission to ordinances to judge whether in grace or not whether regenerate or in unregeneration And indeed charity which is assigned by some to that place is most unfit to judge A Judge or Umpire in a businesse must be impartial and have nothing to byasse him on any hand But charity would be ready to cover a multitude of sins which is no blemish of the grace but a demonstration that this is none of its office If then man must judge as he is most unmeet his reason and not his love must take the chair for it and go as high as conjecture can reach 2. If charity or reason thus set up mistake then the rule is broke which though these will say is not the admitters sin seeing the thing is not so scibile or of possibility to be known and by the way we observe that he is therefore no competent Judge yet a seal is by this meanes put to a blank which is no small prophanation and the ordinance administred solely and necessarily for the receivers judgement 3. Though we infallibly know a mans unsanctified condition and were able to charge it yet whilest it is not open and breakes not into scandal we cannot upon this account as is confest exclude him from the Sacrament That Judas received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper most of the Ancient held as Maldonate on Matth. 7.6 observes we have large lists brought to our hands of names that go that way The greater part of late Writers are of the same mind Ravanellus as the last man in verb. Sacrament is peremptory in it and there concludes also the interest of all in Covenant yet Judas was known to Christ to be a thief a Devil and yet he receives him Christ had doubtlesse power vested in him for his exclusion The non-suspition of the Apostles nor the close carriage of his treachery could not then have excusâ—d his receiving in case it had not been the mind of God that a man of visible interest though unsanctified might be admitted And to say that Christ acted here as a Minister and it was not fit that he should be both Judge and witnesse though it be a truth yet it serves not to take off the Argument Had it not been the mind of God that
I confesse many times comes to nothing it is a fit and so over it hath not the strength to bear down mens lusts to a full change and through mortification and so it is with those also that hear the Word They are many times Sermon-sick and yet all soon falls and comes to nothing yet in the nature of the work it self it hath a tendency towards a change And that this sometimes works those of Covenant-interest unto a true change and through work of sanctification so far as we are able to judge there are not few experiments I have known some bred onely for jollity and outward delights that making addresse to the Sacrament have had those soul-shakings and trembling amazements that have put them upon a serious way of enquiry and the spark so kindled by Gods blessing hath been nourished up into that burning heat that their whole life hath been spent in zeal for God and their name in life and death precious Seventhly To these we add the acknowledgement of eminent Divines of an opposite judgement who will have all admitted present at the consecration of the elements to see the bread broke and divided And to what purpose is their presence if not for their profit and what profit can an unconverted man find in any thing in a spiritual way that works not towards his conversion that is no wayes useful or improvable for it What others may judge I know not these arguments to which some other might be added have taken with me to conclude the position before delivered SECT XIV Objections against the former Proposition answered I Know that objections here are multiplied I have read many which in case they had been with me of weight this that I am now upon had been stifled in the birth and more doubtles hath been said then I have seen and more yet happily will be raised To go about to meet with all were to make no end of words I shall speak first to some general charges General charges answerd after to some particular arguments First In case this holds say some then all upon that bare account are to be admitted to the Supper who will hinder the conversion of any yea even Turks Pagans and the vilest varlots may then come and joyn in this Ordinance To these I answer First Were it of power Promiscous admission follows not from it as an instrument in the hand of God for conversion of all yet all were not to be admitted when the will and mind of God is known to be against it The Gospel in the mouthes of the twelve when they had their first commission might have been of power for the conversion of Samaritanes and Gentiles yet they are forbidden to make tender of it to them Matth. 11.5 Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritanes enter not The word in Pauls mouth might have been respective to any operation in it self the conversion of souls in Asia and Bithynia as well as in Macedonia yet the Spirit forbids them to go to the former and sends them to preach to the other Act. 16.6.7 10. If the mighty works which were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would hav repented in sackcloth and ashes yet they were denyed to those of Tyre and Sidon Matth. 11.21 So that though the Sacraments had a generally converting power yet in case they be appointed of God with limit to those of Covenant-interest they may not in any greater latitude be dispensed and so Jewes Turkes and Pagans are excluded Secondly The Word it self which is confest to be the power of God to salvation and of the most large efficacy of any Ordinance for conversion is not yet tendred to all in any expectation of conversion by it Not to speak of those to whom God in his providence doth deny it who are out of the pale of the Church but those to whom the Church doth not make mention of it Infants Idiots distracted ones and deaf persons no Minister applies himself to them to make tender of it for conversion so that there must be not onely a commission to tender it and a clear evidence that men have according to the mind of God an interest but there must be a present capacity in such for improvement I am not ignorant that some seeing it seems that this doth lye against them have pleaded for a capacity in all these before mentioned to receive benefit by the Word demanding 1. Why are Infants and pari ratione distracted persons uncapable of the Word An answer me thinks is at hand because they are necessarily in the condition of the high-way-ground to hear and understand nothing They profit no more then those 1 Cor. 14. that hear words in an unknown tongue And in case they be in capacity as is affirmed to receive benefit from the Word the Minister occasionally is to make out a word of exhortation to them giving them their portion as well as others which how it would sound in the ears of those that are of growth and have their senses and understanding let any judge These further demand Where hath God said they shall be kept from it No more hath he said that the swallow or the sparrow should be kept from it by providenee they have been present when those that would have improved such an opportunity in a Spiritual way have been denyed it Yea places are produced to shew that God hath commanded infants to be present at Ordinances But where is it commanded that Idiots distracted persons c. should be present Reasons may be given of infants presence at entry of Covenants at solemn fasts denuntiations of blessings and curses when yet they are in an incapacity to receive benefit by the VVord Demand is yet further made Who knowes how God may work at the Word though not by the Word may not the Word be an occasion of conversion unto infants which is an instrument of conversion to elder persons Such queries will bring in the most ignorant and scandalous to the Lords Supper who knowes but that which is an instrument of nourishment of men converted may prove an occasion of conversion to men unconverted So that this notwithstanding the position delivered will not bear this inference that is drawn from it Though the Lords Supper as an appendant to the Word may serve to bring up those of Covenant-interest to the terms and Propositions of the Covenant may work a man of profession of faith to faith saving and justifying yet there must be somewhat more to give actual admission to it Put in these two Cautions 1. That the persons in question have their interest and first right in it 2. That they be in a capacity to improve it for their benefit with these cautions and not else I am for a general admission Secondly It is objected That this makes the Lords Supper to be a converting Ordinance as well as the Word
and how great an odium lyes upon that opinion what those be that maintain it and what interest they drive is very well known To this I answer The expression of a Converting Ordinance may be taken two wayes First As having power of it self In what sense and with what limit the Lords Supper may be called a converting Ordinance as a single instrument in the hand of God in his ordinary way to work a change in the heart or life In this sense the converting power of it is to be denyed Secondly As having some influence for that work as seconding and working with the Word so I doubt not but that it may safely be owned and easily justified I shall lay down my whole thoughts of it in some Propositions Explicatory Propositions Affirmat First In the Affirmative First This Sacrament carries the soul on towards conversion in doing the same thing as the Word does for conversion in holding forth Christ crucified in holding him out as our sin and as our Saviour made a curse for us and delivering us from the curse Secondly In further engaging the soul or the soul upon receiving the Sacrament engaging it self to that which the Word requires and calls for If Covenants in Israel entred by reforming Princes were judged to be of that force for obligation of the soul to a change in their wayes putting stronger tyes on their slippery hearts much more may we believe that the Sacraments in a due order received may have this efficacious power They serve saith Mr. Hooker as bonds of obedience to God strict obligations to the mutual exercise of Christian charity provocations to godlinesse preservations from sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ Thirdly The Sacrament doth this in an ordinary way according to the revealed will of God in his Word as the proper intention of the work and not as any thing extraordinary Fourthly The Sacrament it self doth it in that relation in which it stands to the Word in its being and operation and not the Sacramentals onely as they have been called as the Word preached and prayer which yet have a mighty influence on the Sacraments for this work Fifthly It works as a second to the Word for habitual conversion as well as actual In the way that the Word doth work for the infusion of the first grace and not barely for the exciting and stirring up of grace in the soul Their way of working I shall God willing in due place further enquire into Negat Secondly In the Negative First The Sacrament converts none by the bare work done There is no such power by receiving to change the soul as Papists believe there is by consecration to change the elements There is neither reason for it nor promise of it I cannot believe for I see no proof of it any regenerating power in the water in Infants Baptisme much lesse can I have reason to believe such a converting power of grown persons in the Lords Supper He shall be alone for me that will appear in such Paradoxes Secondly The command given to take and eat of the bread to drink of the cup hath no such power to convert None can see the reason of the change of their wayes in any such injunction Conversion were an easie work in case this could do it Thirdly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper must by no means be parallelled with the Word in the work of conversion but the Word many wayes must have the preeminence 1. The Word may work to conversion without the Lords Supper There are many in saving grace that did never partake of this Ordinance Gods engagement by word and oath holds up the faith and is the ground of strong consolation to those that never enjoyed this seal But the Sacrament cannot convert or do any thing towards it without the Word A Covenant may convey an interest without a seal when a seal can never do it without a Covenant 2. The Sacrament does nothing of its own strength but by vertue from the Word It hath its dependance on the Word for being as a seal on a Covenant and also for the operation The Word may go alone in the work of conversion yet may have assistance from the Sacrament the Sacrament can never work alone without the Word but as an assistant to it 3. The Word must qualifie the soul for the Sacrament in laying open the nature and use of it and the soul must attend what the Sacrament holds out otherwise there can be no improvement of it for any spiritual benefit And these things being premised I wonder how any that seem to appear most on the contrary part can justly be offended that I affirm and as I think with so good reason prove that the Lords Supper may be assistant towards conversion in some and may work with the Word to carry the soul professing Christ up to it especially when it shall appear that I would have the door of admission to stand at least little more wide then they themselves And perhaps not so wide as according to the practice of many of their judgment it stands already Most of these acknowledge that knowing persons free from grosse errors and scandals may be admitted others say none but they that in the judgment of charity appear to be indeed in Christ may be received in which they yet confesse that men may be easily deceived Either of these confesse that many unconverted partake with them even when rules of admission according to their own mind are most tenaciously held And in case it appear that these may receive benefit by the Sacrament and their conversion possibly holpen on especially if well followed on by the Word why should they be troubled I confesse it is to me no small trouble to see godly Ministers of the opposite way so much ensnared in their own principles and necessitated to let in such where most of order is held and discipline exercised that of necessity further their damnation and are in impossibility according to their tenents to improve it towards salvation Thirdly It is yet further objected That in this doctrine we oppose the unanimous judgment of Protestant Divines who generally teach that the Sacraments are appointed of God and delivered to the Church as sealing Ordinances not to give but to testifie what is given not to make but confirm Saints simply denying the instrumentality of Sacraments that they are appointed of God for working or giving grace where it is not And that we concur with Papists who hold that the Sacraments are instruments to confer give or work grace ex opere operato But how unjust this charge is in both the parts of it might easily be made manifest In this we Symbolize not with Papists First For that charge of joyning with the Papists let any judge who comes nearest to their doctrine of the efficacy of this Sacrament Not to mention the opus operatum which is alike detested of both
in whom by faith remission of sins may be obtained I know but that it is a signe either that we do believe or that we have remission of sin otherwise then upon our believing to which this engages but not presupposes I know not Simon Magus had not Baptisme to signifie that all his sins were forgiven but that by faith in the Name of Christ he might be forgiven Mr. Cobbet sayes well Vindication pag. 54. The initiatory seal which holds true of the other seal is not primarily and properly the seal of mans faith or repentance or obedience but of Gods Covenant rather the seal is to the Covenant even Abrahams Circumsion was not primarily a seal to Abrahams faith of righteousnesse but to the righteousnesse of faith exhibited and effected in the Covenant yea to the Crvenant it self or promise which had believed unto righteousnesse hence the Covenant of grace is called the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 10. I confesse it is a symbole of our profession of faith but this is not the faith spoken to neither is remission of sins annext unto it Secondly That which necessarily supposeth conversion and faith doth not work conversion and faith But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper supposeth conversion and faith The Minor is proved Mar. 16.16 Act. 2.38 Act. 8.36 37. ver 41. Act. 10.4.7 All which texts are spoken of Baptisme and not of the Lords Supper To that text Mar. 16.16 I have spoken fully Treatise of the Covenant pag. 243. To that Act. 8.36 37. I have spoken pag. 244. To that of Act. 2.38 I have spoken pag. 396. and ther is no need that I should repeat what I have said For Act. 2.41 They that gladly received his Word were baptized It speaks no more then ready acceptation of the tender of the Gospel and whether this necessarily implyes saving faith let Ezek. 33.31 Matth. 13.20 21. Gal. 4.15 be consulted For Act. 10.47 Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the holy Ghost as well as we it proves that men of gifts from the Spirit have title such gifts gave Judas a title not onely to baptisme but Apostleship such a faith may be had and sanctification wanting Thirdly That which gives us new food supposeth that we have the new birth and Spiritul life and that we are not still dead in trespasses and sins But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper gives us new food Ergo. Ans 1. Metaphors are ill materials to make up into syllogismes 2. A difference may be put between ordinary food and living and quickening food It may be true of the former but not of the latter 3. The Word as well as the Sacrament gives us new food 1. Pet. 2.2 and yet presupposeth not new life If any reply that the Word is more then food it is seed as well as food and it gives not new life as food but as seed I answer that the Sacrament is more then food There is a Sacramental work preceding our taking and eating which some say may be done to edification and profit by those that are not admitted to be partakers where they divide I may distinguish and there Christ is set forth to the aggravation of sin to carry on the work of contrition and compunction Fourthly That Ordinance which is instituted onely for believers and justified persons is no converting but a sealing Ordinance But this Sacrament is instituted onely for believers and justified persons The Minor is proved Circumcision was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.17 much more then Baptisme and if Baptisme much more the Lords Supper Ans Upon this account it must needs follow that as Abraham was a justified man so Ishmael was justified also who according to the mind of God and in obedience to his commands was circumcised Gen. 17.23 yea every Proselyte that joyned himself to Israel and every male in Israel according to this Interpretation must be justified 2. Howsoever Abraham was a justified person yet his Circumcision in that place is not made a proof of his justification but a distinct text of Scripture Gen. 15.16 quoted by the Apostle ver 3. And that Scripture setting out his justification to be by faith and not by works the Apostles words onely shew that the Sacrament of Circumcision sealed the Covenant not of works but of faith so that Mr. Cobbets words quoted in answer to the first argument are a full answer here Fifthly The Apostle argues that Abraham the Father of the faithful and whose justification is a pattern of ours was not justified by Circumcision Circumcision was not the cause but the sign of his justification Therefore no Sacrament is a cause of our justication Ans Though animadversions might be made on these words yet if any will put them into form I shall grant the conclusion when I say the Sacrament as an Appendix to the Word may have its influence with the word upon a professor offaith to work him to the truth of faith I am far from saying it is any cause of justification I look on faith no otherwise then as an instrument in the work and the Sacrament as an help and not the principal to the work of faith Sixthly There is an argument drawn from the necessity of examination which before hath received an answer Seventhly That Ordinance unto which none may come without a wedding garment is no converting Ordinance But the Supper of the Lord the marriage feast of the Kings Son is an Ordinance unto which a man may not come without a wedding argument Ans 1. Arguments drawn from parables must be used with all tendernesse But in this Argument here is much boldnesse to make this Ordinance that marriage-feast 2. We shall find if we look to the scope of it that this feast is the fruition of Christ in his Kingdom as appears by those words that give occasion to the Parable of the Supper Luk. 14.15 And when one of them that sate at meat with him heard these things he said unto him Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God Now those that pretend a forwardnesse towards it and are not prepared and fitted for it according to the scope of the Parable shall be cast out from it This therefore may fairly prove that none that appear in Ordinances and yet remaine in their sins shall come to heaven But it no more proves that a man cannot get saving good by this Ordinance then it proves that a man cannot get saving good by the Word The VVord may lay as fair a claime to this wedding feast as the Lords Supper Eighthly That Ordinance which is not appointed to work faith is no converting Ordinance But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is not appointed to work faith Ergo. The Assumption is proved Rom. 10.14 Faith cometh by hearing hearing by the Word of God then not by seeing if by the Word then not by the Sacrament Ans If faith comes by hearing will
it therefore follow that hearing can receive no help from but must exclude seeing Did the Bereans when they had heard the Apostles yet nothing towards faith by their search of the Scriptures Act. 17.11.12 or did they not make use of their eyes in the search that they made When Christ had Preached to the Jewes not yet in the faith and commended to them the search of the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 can we think that this search could be no step in their way of believing Why were miracles wrought if they were of no use to the work of faith f What comment shall we make on those words Joh. 2.23 Many believed in his Name when they saw the miracles that were done If the Word do work faith it will by no means follow but that it may take in assistance by miracles and Sacraments by signes extraordinary and ordinary That consequence if by the Word then not by the Sacrament will never hold till the VVord and Sacrament are proved to be opposite and not subordinate Ninthly That Ordinance which hath neither the promise of the grace of conversion annext unto it or any example in the Word of God of any converted by it is no converting Ordinance But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper hath no such promise of the grace of conversion neither is there such an example Ergo. Answ For Examples though we could give instances of men being converted by receiving of the Lords Supper yet it would still be denyed to have any possible influence towards conversion as the last Argument is an evident witnesse We bring Examples of men that have been brought to the faith by seeing and yet it is still denyed that fight can be any help towards it And though we could bring a promise of such grace annext yet we should have little hopes to be heard or heeded seeing we can bring a Promise of blessednesse to reading which is by sight as to hearing Rev. 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy 2. We have as many examples of mens conversion by the Sacrament as we have of their receiving strength and nourishment If one may be asserted without an example then then other likewise 3. We have no particular precedents by name except at first institution of any that were Communicants and therefore we cannot expect examples of conversion or receiving of strength by communicating 4. The examples of conversion by the Word perhaps well examined would prove short of such conversion as here is intended The conversion in Gospel narratives is to a Christian profession A man may evince calling thence but not elctdion and this is the work of the Word without the Sacrament seeing it must precede the receiving of the Sacrament As to that of no promise made to it 1. When the adversary shall bring a promise made to the Sacrament for Spiritual strength it will happily be found of an equal force to the giving of a new life 2. Though we have no promise explicite and expresse yet we have promises implicite and virtual Every promise made to the Word is made to the Sacrament The Sacrament being not opposite but subordinate to it an appendant that receives strength from it Tenthly That Ordinance whereof Christ would have no unworthy person to partake is not a converting Ordinance But the Lords Supper is an Ordinance whereof Christ would have no unworthy person to partake Ergo. The Minor is proved 1 Cor. 11.27 Answ This Argument well followed will take off every Ordinance from that honour of conversion as well as this of the Lords Supper seeing many Texts may be produced equally calling for qualifications for them as for this equally shewing the danger of unworthy addresses As to this for hearing the Word see 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evill speakings as new-burn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Jam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the engraffed Word which is able to save your soules Is not the Word a favour of death unto death to such 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. Shall i. not be more tolerable for Tyre and Zidon then for them Matth. 11.24 For prayer to God see James 1.6 7. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed for let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Good will never be had by such mens prayers Esay 1.15 And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Zach. 7.13 Therefore it is come to passe that he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Shall we now say that neither Word nor prayer is a converting Ordinance But perhaps it will be said Men unworthy must hear must pray to be made worthy must come in unconversion to be converted But they must bring worthinesse hither or else this can have no hand in making worthy they must bring conversion or else this cannot convert This is a begging of the question And as to prayer there is no more ground or colour to make it a converting Ordinance then the Supper we must pray in faith before we can pray with acceptance of our persons and so must the Word be mixt with faith when we hear it Heb. 4.2 Eleventhly That Ordinance which is eucharisticall and consolatory supposeth such that partake of it to have part and portion in that thing for which thanks is given and are such as are fit to be comforted But the Lords Supper is an Ordinance eucharisticall and consolatory Ergo. Answ And might not the Assumption as well have been That the Word and Prayer are Ordinances eucharistical and consolatory I hope none will deny the Gospel our good tydings to be eucharistical and consolatory nor yet thanksgiving which is a branch of prayer And then in case the Proposition be of universal truth both Word Prayer and Lords Supper are excluded from any power of conversion The Proposition then must be understood with limit and restriction That Ordinance which in whole and in part is eucharistical and consolatory can have no hand in conversion and then though perhaps exception might be taken at it it had colour in it But then the Assumption That this Ordinance is in whole and in part eucharisticall and consolatory must be denyed It is for humbling heart-breaking as it is comforting There we shew forth Christs death and see him broken for sin and it is no matter of consolation but humiliation and horrour to see our soules under that guilt that brought upon Christ a
bigger then the Earth that â—e may call an opinion That which by reason we can certainly conclude we may call knowlege but that which we believe upon the credit of him that speaks it that is faith or belief This is so of the being of faith that without it there is no faith neither humane nor divine The Nobleman of Israel 2 Kings 7.1 Zachary the father of John Baptist Luk 1.18 Martha John 11.39 40. were all of them herein faulty This Truth of God was above their reason and therefore they suspended their faith in it We believe not what man saith when we do not assent to the truth of that which he speaks and we believe not what God speaks further then we assent to the truth of his Word Thus far the devills go having sufficient experience of the Truth of God and thus far and further we must go if we be in the faith Now this assent hath these two properties first It is Firm secondly Vnlimitted absolute 1. Firm. and full First firm Not alwaies free from assaults and doubtings Satan and our own hearts will muster up objections but such that yeilds not but withstands and overcomes doubtings holds firm to truth when all means are used to wrest from it Herein Eve failed God had said The day that ye eat ye shall surely die Satan brought such objections that upon his word she believed that she should procure good to her self 2. Absolute and unlimited and not incur evil by eating and so yielded to unbelief upon Satans reasonings As our assent must be firm so also absolute and unlimitted to the whole of all that God speaks such was the faith of Paul Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and Christ blames the two Disciples that their faith was not such Luk 24.25 How little honour do we give to man when sometimes we give credit and belief to that which he saies because we see reason and probability of truth in his words and at other times call all to question that he speaks such is the honour that many give to God when they pick and choose in believing as they do in obeying Promises must be believed in the way of Gods tender of them with limit to the conditions annexed to them Threatnings must be believed upon those grounds that they are menaced commands must be believed that is Gods soveraignty in them the justice and equity of them and a necessity of our yielding to them As it must be an assent to the whole Word of God So it must be an assent to it in that sense as God propounds it The Word in that sense that it gives of it self is the Word of God and not otherwise when we put our sense upon it we make it our word not Gods Where we must not condemn all for unbelief that are any waies subject to mistakes or that through weaknesse of judgment do not apprehend every thing as it is Willing and wilfull wrestings of the Word are here spoke against when carnall reasonings out of singularity vain-glory carnall contentment hope of gain and admiration of men are set up against the Truth of God if we should go no further in our scrutiny how many would be found unsound in the faith Have we not those that are so far from any close adherence to truth tendred that every wind tosseth them to and fro and drives them up and down that hold no longer in an opinion then a mimick gallant keeps in a fashion and change their faith as these do their dresse Have we not those that believe where they list and that is where it may serve for their advantage or repute but where they list not they can deny all faith to any truth that God speaks deny it they wil where they see it tends to their danger No swearer no drunkard no adulterer no extorting oppressor c. can believe the truth of God in his Word but he must with it believe his own condemnation 2. In the will with the affections But faith is a work of the whole soul and implyes the will with the affections as well as the understanding Faith is exprest in Scripture by our coming to Christ Joh. 6.35 And that is a work of the will and not of the mind of the judgement and not of the affections It is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1.12 this is also done by the will and affections Consideration and deliberation are works of the understanding but choise and imbracing are works of the will when the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.29 saith Is not this the Messiah There was matter of consideration and deliberation there was work for the understanding to be imployed in whether he were to be acknowledged indeed the Messiah But now to leave all and follow Christ to forsake all and cleave to him This is matter of choise and work for the will and affections whose work it is to take or refuse Therefore as faith is set out in Scripture by words implying knowledge and assent so likewise by words implying affiance trust rolling casting a mans self on the Lord. Faith then takes Christ and cleaves to him in all of those relations in which a Christian stands to Christ takes Christ and lookes for no other delight or comfort takes Christ and will not indure any other Lord or commander takes Christ and lookes for no other helper takes Christ and lookes for no other Saviour takes Christ as a Saviour and trusts in him takes Christ as an husband and delights in him takes Christ as a Lord and obeyes him Thus according to the several offices that Christ does there are several actings of faith for to answer The great work of Christ was to give his soul an offering for sin to shed his blood to take away our guilt there faith answers and it is not alone said that they that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses which might imply no more then a qualification of the person to be justified but it is further said that Christ is set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 which plainly denotes the instrument whereby we have our interest When there are many acts of faith that which respects his blood alone doth justifie Christ is set up as a King and hath all things put in subjection under him Here faith yields up all to him and consents as to be saved so to be ruled by him Christ in his Kingly power protects as well as commands as he holds out a Scepter so he is a shield Faith flyes unto him for shelter and so receives and quenches all Satans darts Christ is given as an head to his body the Chuch not onely for command but for quickning and enlivening power to supply with vitall energies every part and member Here faith answers and takes in from Christ the Spirit by the promises
THE Covenant Sealed OR A TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS of both COVENANTS POLEMICALL and PRACTICALL ESPECIALLY Of the Sacraments of the Covenant of Grace IN WHICH The nature of them is laid open The adaequate subject is largely inquired into respective to right and proper interest to fitnesse for admission to actual participation Their necessity is made known Their whole Vse and Efficacy is set forth Their number in Old and New Testament-times is determined With several necessary and useful Corollaries Together with a brief Answer to Reverend Mr. Baxter's Apology in defence of the Treatise of the Covenant By Thomas Blake M. A. Pastor of Tamworth in the Counties of Stafford and Warwick Davenant de morte Christi pag. 1. Neque tam pugnam meditor aut dimicationem quam planam pacatam totius rei explicationem ad conflictum cum nullo hoste ventures nisi ita se nobis obviam dederit ut non possumus aliter quam pugnando viam ad veritatem aperire London Printed for Abel Roper at the Sun against Danstans Church in Fleet-street 1655. To the Right Worshipfull Sir FRANCIS NETHERSOLE of Nethersole in the County of Kent Knight THe great engagements in which I stand by many favours received to much Honoured friends of yours put me on to send forth a former Treatise into publick view under their names This being of so near affinity I thought it meet that it should come abroad under the Patronage of one of so near alliance I need not mention my particular engagements which you do not desire I know to hear Since the time that after your great imployments hath at home and abroad in affaires of State God hath been pleased to seat you in these parts your singular candour towards all those that labour in the Work to which through grace I am called is eminently seen You were tenderly consciencious without great caution put to adventure on the purchase of a Mannor to which an Impropriation was annext which yet for many reasons you could not without great inconvenience avoid And notwithstanding a Vicarage there endowed which others though not you would have judged a competency your great care was as soon as you were fully possessed finding an Incumbent there whom you had no reason to encourage nor power to remove to superinduce others one after other in a more happy and edifying way to carry on that work It was no sooner void but you took care to settle one of eminent gifts and graces with that liberal munificence that a free School for poor children built at your proper cost being provided for little remains yours of that part of your purchase Your sollicitous care is still no lesse whereof there are many knowing witnesses how to settle it with all possible speed upon posterity in such a way that God may be most honoured and piety advanced by it Which also as I have heard from your own mouth your much honoured and pious Lady deceased did often perswade to hasten although she well knew that out of your love to her you had by your last Will and Testament devised to her that whole Lordship of Polesworth to a fourth part whereof she was heir and all the rest of your Estate in these parts for an increase of her Joynture If the Lord Christ tells us that the cost which that Pious woman spent on him should be told for a memorial of her wheresoever in the world the Gospel should be preacht I suppose that this which you have done may be mentioned for your honour with hers that rests in the Lord wheresoever this small piece by Providence shall come to be read I may well look upon you as one of the most acute of my Readers If therefore this may gain your favour I shall have lesse cause to fear others censure Though in so great variety of things as are here toucht upon and so much controversal I cannot expect that any one should subscribe to every piece The whole may be serviceable though some part remain under dispute As it fares with me in reading the Labours of many others so I may well expect that it will be with others in reading any thing of mine Your great zeal as to the whole of the worship of God so to this part here treated of where you are known cannot be hid Your complaint hath often been of the sad neglect of the Lords Supper and it lyes as a sad burden on the spirits of many eminently Pious servants of Jesus Christ that they see not a door opened for their comfortable and orderly administration and participation of it If any thing be here said to give any further light in these sacred mysteries and to facilitate the way of administration to pious dispensers so as the honour of the Ordinance may be preserved and the edification of soules promoted I have that which I desire and have made my endeavour The Lord honour your hoare hairs with everlasting dayes and give you the comfort of all that you have done in and for his Name Sir I am From my Study in Tamworth Jun. 5. 1655. Your Servant in any Christian Office Thomas Blake Worthy Reader THe holy Scripture puts an eminent character Acts 18.24 25 c. upon Apollos then but an alphabetarian in the Gospel-doctrine That he was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures of the Old Testament And if I would cut by this pattern and that either the Reverend Author whose learned Works have already spoken him to the Church Or this Judicious Treatise which now fitly followes its elder brother under the name of the Covenant sealed stood in need of an Epistle Commendatory I should not be ashamed both to testifie my honour of the man and my valuation of his Work and yet neither I nor any other man in this case ought to be interpreted as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propugnatour of every opinion in the book by him commended to the Presse no more than the Midwife is accountable for every imperfection of the child by her brought forth to light I confesse I had the liberty and honour afforded me to peruse this Treatise before it saw the Presse but my indisposition of body prohibited me of making a full survey onely my greedy eye led me so far as that I could make observation of two things 1. The predominant scope of the Authour in this work 2. The pursuance thereof as to the main The scope is rare viz. An Essay to find a way of regular admission unto and holy administration of the Lords Supper between those extreams of promiscuous intrusion on the one hand and the total forbearance of it on the other both which do afflict the spirits of the godly that are cast into broken Congregations all the Land over without Card or Compasse to steer by to their comfort and so it is very likely to be a word spoken upon his wheeles to many Ministers who may find here a thred to direct them out
that conquered should take away his part and he that was conquered should leave his with the Priest according to Varro was called a Sacrament They collected therefore that the Sacrament signifies our depositing of our selves as I may say with God or our yielding up of our selves to him As they that strive for mastery did leave for a pledge a summe of money so we leave our selves as a pledge with God But this use of the word Sacrament I suppose is more obscure and the analogy not so clear and therefore Divines in ancient times would scarce borrow this word from thence so few understanding the allusion or the application of it Secondly The oath which anciently Souldiers took when they listed themselves to the Emperour for faith and obedience was called by the name of Sacrament Therefore others judge it very probable that these Ordinances are called Sacraments in that in them every Christian Souldier doth tye himself to his Captain Christ Jesus This is far more probable for three Reasons 1. The use of the word in this sense was more common and received and therefore more apt to give occasion to the like use of it in these Sacred Ordinances 2. The application is more clear seeing our Sacraments as God willing shall be shewn are engagements 3. Heathen Writers make such allusion d Deo oportebat nos jurare milites Caesar It behoves us saith one of them to swear to God and Souldiers to Caesar And the Fathers used the word Sacrament with this allusion as Vossius out of Tertullian quotes two passages e Vocati sumus ad militiam Dei vivi jam tunc cum in Sacramenti verba respondimus We are at that instant called to the warfare of the true God when we answer in the words of the Sacrament and elsewhere f Ut Sacramento benedictionis exauctoretur nunquam in castra Ecclesiae reversuâ—us That he may be disbanded and shut out from the blessings of the Sacraments never more to return into the tents of the Church To which may be added a third quoted by Bellarmine The Devil imitates the very things of Divine Sacraments in idol-Mysteries he washes some and signes other of his Souldiers in their foreheads And Austine in his Preface to the 181 Sermon De tempore saith g Notum est dilectissimi quod beneficia temporalia a temporalibus Dominis accepturi prius Sacramentis militaribus obligantur Dominis suis fidem se servaturos profitentur Quanto magis ergo aeterno Regi militaturi aeterna praemia percepturi debent Sacramentis coelestibus oligari fidem per quam ei placituri sunt publicè profiteri It is known Beloved that the Souldiers being to receive temporal rewards from their temporal Masters do first tye themselves with military Sacraments and professe faithful service to their Lords How much more should those that war under an Eternal King and are to receive rewards from him bind themselves with heavenly Sacraments and publickly professe that faith whereby they may please him In this Rivet rests satisfied as appears in his Cathol Orthodox Tract 3. Quaest 2. h Vox Latina Sacramentum deducta est à verbo Sacrare à Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Latinis à militia desumpta fuit in qua juramentum quo milites duci obstringebantur vocabatur Sacramentum Refert Claris Ed. Leigh Crit. Sac. pag. 270. The Latine word Sacrament saith he is borrowed from the verb Sacrare and by Ecclesiastical Latine Writers is taken from proceedings in war in which the Oath wherewith Souldiers were tyed to their Captain was called a Sacrament Thirdly There being so great affinity between Mystery among the Greeks and Sacrament among the Latines Mystery signifying that which is secret of any kind whether sacred or prophane of which there are many instances given and Sacrament signifying that which is made sacred or consecrate words seldome long holding their signification Mystery began to be taken more strictly for holy secrets and so Sacraments for Sacred secrets afterwards the word Mystery and with it Sacrament began to be used for sacred things held forth in outward signes The vision of the seven Candlesticks setting out seven Churches are called Mysteries Revel 1.20 The conjunction in marriage of man and wife setting forth the union between Christ and his Church is called a Mystery Ephes 5.32 And when Divines found no word in Scripture to set out these Ordinances of the Old and New Testament Circumcision Passeover Baptisme the Lords Supper they gave them the name of Sacraments further restraining their signification to holy secrets held forth in outward signes and sealing spiritual grace to us This Vossius takes to be most satisfactory Though I professe my self scarce satisfied with the reason that he gives Thes 16. and comparing it with what he hath said in his 6th Thesis it may seem to speak as much in favour of the second opinion which he rejects as this third which he followes The reason that he assignes as taking with him is i Latinos in variis Sacramenti notionibus secutos esse Graecos qui ipsi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc rem arcanam appellant nunc rem arcanam sacram nunc rem arcanam symbolicam nunc denique rem arcanam sacram symbolicam gratiae spiritualis significativam That the Latine Fathers in the use of the word Sacrament had much respect to the use of the Greek word Mystery And so in several places by him produced they had respect unto the military use of it in like manner Here it is not for me to interpose I suppose none is able to speak any more then conjecture In which I leave the Reader to use his own liberty assenting to Vossius that those are weak arguments that are drawn from the use of the word either in the first or second acceptation and concluding that they are as weak that are drawn from the use of it according to the third opinion There must be a better bottom for an argument then the bare denotation of the word especially when it is of humane not of Divine imposition And the use of the word being thus taken up by man the acceptation or use of it upon that account hath been very various and ambiguous insomuch that when Writers speak of Sacraments the Reader is often at a stand what they mean by them The various acceptation of the word Sometimes every thing that is secret is called by the name of Sacrament therefore the vulgar Latine which appears to be more ancient than their number of seven Sacraments doth not onely render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacramentum in Eph. 5.32 upon which they take advantage to bring in marriage into the number but frequently elsewhere when nothing towards a Sacrament by their own confession is intended Having made known to us the Sacrament of his will Eph. 1.9 By revelation he made known to me the Sacrament Eph. 3.3
To make all men see what is the fellowship of the Sacrament Eph. 3.9 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Sacrament among the Gentiles Col. 1.27 Great is the Sacrament of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 The Sacrament of the seven starres Rev. 1.20 I will tell thee the Sacrament of the woman and the beast that carries her Rev. 17.7 And Tertullian speaking of Christianity calls it k Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The Sacrament of Christian Religion and Jerom saith l Sacramenta Dei sunt praedicare benedicere confirmare communionem reddere visitare infirmos orare Refert Gerardus de Sacram. cap. 1. The Sacraments of God are to preach to blesse to strengthen and establish to hold communion to visit the sick and pray Allegorical interpretations of Scripture also are called by the Ancients by the name of Sacraments Sometimes every outward sign of any thing that is holy is called by the name of Sacrament And as they began to borrow rites from the Jews in Baptisme they called them by the name of Sacraments Their Ointments and Chrismes yea the Crosse it self which the Church of Rome makes no more then a ceremony in Sacraments are called by the name of Sacraments But these acceptations of the word are grown obsolete and are so far from holding out the nature of those Ordinances which now passe under the name of Sacraments that men cannot be brought to any mistake in reading of them The word Sacrament is ordinarily now taken in that sense as Austine doth define it An outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace that is a sign instituted of God to hold out and seal saving grace to the soul as afterward God willing may be more largely held forth Now in every Ordinance of this nature there is first an outward sign open to the senses secondly there is a spiritual grace thirdly an order established and declared between the sign and the thing signified and some of these still give the denomination Sometimes the outward sign is taken for the Sacrament and therefore the distinction is ordinary between Sacramentum and rem Sacramenti And it can be no more than a bare sign when the thing signified is apart considered and put in opposition to it Sometimes the outward sign and the thing signified considered joyntly are called by the name of a Sacrament and this Gerard sayes is the most proper and most usual acceptation Sometimes the order or analogy that is betwixt the sign and the thing signified is called by the name of Sacrament and therefore Keckerman defines a Sacrament to be m Sacramentum est ordo sanctus inter rem externam in sensus incurrentem et visus imprimis objectum tanquam â—â—gnum et inter rem spiritualem tanquam signatum à Christo Mediatore institutus ad obsignandam fidelibus redemptionis certitudinem et simul beneficia quae ex redemptione fluunt tum significanda tum confirmanda an holy order between the outward element obvious to the sense especially to the sight and the spirituall grace as the thing signified instituted of Christ the Mediatour to seal to Believers the assurance of redemption and with it all benefits that flow from redemption So that he makes neither the outward sign nor yet the thing signified apart considered to be the Sacrament in that definition nor yet the outward sign and thing signified joyntly considered but the order or analogy that is held between them Lastly the word Sacrament is taken for the outward sign with relation had to the thing signified leading to it and by way of seal confirming it and in this sense it is taken by Divines when they treat exactly about it And in that sense the Apostle takes circumcision when he defines it to be A sign and seal of the righteousnesse of Faith Rom. 4.11 The use and office of the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh as by way of sign and seal it stands in relation to the righteousnesse of faith is there held forth This therefore we may well judge to be the most proper acceptation of it Keckerman therefore as soon as he had defined a Sacrament as before presently tells us that n Sacramenti vox per se concreta est et significat rem sive subjectum cum modo rei id est cum rel tione rei additâ interim tamen potest etiam usurpari pro Ipso abstracto id est pro relatione ut nos quidem in definitione usurpavimus the word of it self is a concrete and signifies the thing or subject with the manner of it that is saith he with the relation added to it yet it may be taken for the abstract that is for the relation as saith he we have put into the definition But seeing the word of it self by our Authors confession is no abstract but a concrete and the Apostle in his definition doth so consider it we have just reason in that sense to speak to it and so in this whole Treatise I shall take it And before I proceed in any further Enquiry the Reader may justly expect such a definition as may serve as a thred through the whole Discourse But my intention being to enquire something into the nature of Sacraments in mans integrity that so the Work may answer the Title A Treatise of the Sacraments but mainly to insist on those that are appointed by God for his people in the Covenant of Grace I am necessitated to put off the enquiry after such a definition that may give satisfaction till I come to that which I intend as my principal Subject Yet that by the way he may not be wholly left unsatisfied I shall here offer such a definition that may comprehend all Sacraments as well in the Covenant of Works as in the Covenant of Grace intreating him to forbear any strict enquiry into the reasons of it untill he come into the full Body of the Discourse where by the definition which God willing shall be given of Sacraments in the Covenant of Grace and from Scripture at large confirmed he may easily judge of the definition of Sacraments in general and thus I suppose it may be held out A Sacrament is a sign instituted of God for the use of his people in Covenant to signifie and seal his Promises upon Terms and Propositions by himself prescribed and appointed CHAP. II. Sect. I. Of Sacraments in mans state of integrity I shall leave the word which is of least moment being not of divine original and come to enquire after the thing which must be distinguished before it can be defined either in the general what a Sacrament is or what this or that Sacrament viz. Baptisme or the Supper of the Lord is in particular Now Sacraments being instituted of God for the use of men in tendency towards their happinesse must be considered according to the several states of man and dispensations in which God hath
a body that darkens the place neer to it There are a third sort of signes of a middle nature that have their resemblance of the thing signified but in that indeterminate confused manner that they may rather be said to be fit to signifie that whereof they are signes then that of themselves without further declaration added they do signifie And such are the signes in Sacraments as Thomas Aquinas observes part 3. quaest 60. artic 6. and after him Bellarmine lib. 1. de Sacramentis in genere and Chamier gives his assent to both lib. 1. de Sacramentis in genere Cap. 11. Water hath a faculty to wash as also to refresh and cool when water is set apart for Baptisme though there be a fitnesse in it to signifie washing yet there must be a word to explain that it is to signifie washing and with it the thing that is cleansed 4. Ritual Fourthly They are not barely substantial signes but rituall also The outward elements do not barely signifie but the instituted actions likewise are significant In Circumcision the foreskin alone was not a sign but the cutting of it off in the way appointed of God seemes the chief in signification In the Passeover there is not onely a lamb but rosting eating c. all which are significant In Baptisme there is not onely water but the application of the person to the water in dipping or the water to the person by infusion or sprinkling The word in Scripture use comprizes any washing and therefore in Baptisme it is of it self indifferent In the Lords Supper there is not onely bread and wine but the bread is broke the bread and cup delivered receiving eating and drinking Some indeed question whether the breaking of the bread be any Sacramental rite or at all of the integrality of the Sacrament but all confesse that in case it be within an institution it is then necessary About the beginning of the reformation some that stood for the ejection of Ceremonies pleaded for sitting at the Lords Supper as an instituted Sacramental rite signifying our coheireship with Christ But others that in after times did manage the same cause saw that mistake and therefore urged not the necessity of sitting upon that account but onely did except against kneeling either as Idolatrous or carrying too great an appearance of it Fifthly They are distinguishing and differencing signes separating a people that receive them 5. Distinguâ—shing from all others that are not interessed in them so they have the nature of badges or cognizances Calvin justly rejects those that make the Sacraments no more but bare testimonies of our profession or distinguishing marks That as a Roman was known by his gown from a Grecian in his cloke and in Rome the several orders had their distinctions The Senatour was distinguished from the Knight by his Purple and the Knight from one of the Commonalty by his ring as with us a Knight of the Garter is distinguished by his blue Ribband and a Knight of the Bath by the red yet they cannot be denyed but that they have this distinguishing use By these Sacramental signes the people of God are known from others which is herein plain in that they are signes of the Covenant and by an usual metonomy called by the name of the Covenant Gen. 17.20 Act. 7.8 And therefore distinguished those that received them from all that are out of Covenant So Circumcision distinguished a Jew from all others A man in uncircumcision was an heathen Circumcision in the flesh did denominate a Jew outwardly as Circumcision of the heart which is that to which Circumcision in the letter did engage did denominate a man a Jew inwardly That which Circumcision was in this respect Baptisme is As soon as any joyned himself to Abrahams family and afterwards to the seed of Abraham in Covenant he was to be circumcised Gen. 17.13 Exod. 12.48 None were to be as one born in the land but a circumcised man As soon as any joyned himself to the body and society of Christians he was baptized so was Christs Commission Disciple all Nations baptizing them No sooner was Paul the Eunuch the Jaylour Lydia yea Simon Magus made disciples but they were forthwith baptized The Passeover as well as Circumcision the Lords Supper as well as Baptisme are distinguishing signes But these find men before-hand distinguished The preceding Sacraments whereby men are initiated and first enrolled are more properly distinguishing Sixthly They are congregating uniting and closing signes 6. Congregating this may seem contradictory to the former which makes them distinguishing and differencing To unite and difference are evidently contrary but these well enough agree the contradiction being not ad idem They are not the same that they unite and difference They distinguish men in Covenant from strangers and they unite men in Covenant as one among themselves A Souldiers Colours difference him from all other companies and unite him to those of that body into which he is received As Philosophers say of heat that it doth congregare homogenea and dissipare heterogenea gather together those things that are of a like and separate those that are of a different quality so it is with Sacraments This the Apostle takes for granted 1 Cor. 10.16 17 18 19 20 21. His business there is to take Christians off from joyning with heathens in their Idol-sacrifices because such joyning makes them one body with those Idolaters Which is clear in the 19 20 21. v. What say I then that the Idol is any thing or that which is offered in sacrifice to Idols is any thing but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devlls and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils ye cannot drink of the Cup of the Lord and of the Cup of Devils ye cannot he partakers of the Lords Table and of the table of Devils And this he had also argued against Chap. 8. Vers 10. And he proves that this makes them one Idolatrous body with Gentiles in their sacrifices to Devls by way of an analogy with Christian and Jewish worship Because joyning in the Lords Supper to partake of one bread makes men one body Christian and partaking with Jewes after the flesh eating of their sacrifices made partakers of the Altar of the Jewes and one body Jewish vers 17 18. therefore joyning with heathens in their worship makes one body heathenish A text which some weakly enough have brought against mixt communions to prove that none must joyn with a bad man in a Christian Sacrament when it onely serves to prove that Christians may not joyn with Idolaters in the Devils Sacraments They difference us from all those that want and joyne us unto all those that enjoy these badges of a Christian profession 7. Engaging Seventhly They are engaging signes to answer the profession that we make the company or family to which we relate The name that we bear and
then a flower in the window within To see Baptisme and the Lords Supper acted in the highest way of decency and reverence may possesse with wonder but not at all edifie the ignorant beholder Here as almost every where we have those of the Church of Rome our adversaries And there hath been no small contest whether this word which gives being to Sacraments be Concionatorium or Consecratorium whether it be a word for communicants instruction or the elements consecration He that pleases may read Bellar. de Sacramentis in genere lib. 1. Cap. 19 20. Suarez de Sacramentis disput 2. quaest Sexages art 8. on the one part Chamier de Sacramentis in genere Cap. 15. Whitaker praelect de Sacram. Cap. 6. on the other part All of which was occasioned as Chamier observes by a speech of Calvin lib. 4. Institut Cap. 14. Sect. 4. who speaking to that common saying that a Sacrament doth consist of a word and outward signe saith h Verbum enim intelligere debemus non quod sine sensu fide insusurratum solo strepitu velut magica incantatione consecrandi elementi vim habeat Sed quod praedicatum intelligere nos faciat quid visibile signum sibi velit Quod ergo sub Papae Tyrannide factitatum est non caruit ingenti mysteriorum profanatione Putarunt enim satis esse si Sacerdos populo sine intelligentia obstupente consecrationis formulam obmurmuraret Imo id data opera caverunt ne quid doctrinae inde ad plebem proveniret om nia enim Latine pronunciarunt aput homines illiteratos Post ea eousque erupit Superstitio ut consecrationem non nisi rauco murmure quod a paucis exaudiretur rite peragi crederent We are to understand such a word that hath not power of consecration of the element barely with a noise whispered without sense or faith as by a magicall spell But such as being preached or published gives us to understand what the visible sign meanes Therefore that which is done saith he under the Tyranny of the Pope is not without a notable prophanation of the mysteries for they have thought it enough for the Priest to mutter the forme of consecration while the people stand amazed and without understanding yea they puposely provide that no help in knowledge should come to the people pronouncing all in Latine among illiterate men yea afterward superstition so farre prevailed that they beleeved consecration to be done aright when it was done with a low muttering sound which few could hear A notable character worthy of his penne setting out to the life their art to hold the world in blindnesse In stead of giving an account what hath been on both parts handled in this Controversy I shall lay down that which I will judge to be truth in severall propositions Explicatory Propositions A word of institution neâ—essary First That an institution from God and words from his mouth that hold out such an institution of every Sacrament is of absolute necessity even to the very being of a Sacrament It were a dumbe element and a superstitious Ceremonious observation without it if we can find no institution for water-Baptisme our men that stand for a pure spirit-Baptisme will have the upper hand in that particular But here our adversaries and we are at an agreement Consecration respects not the elements but participants Secondly That consecration if we may so call it that is used in the publique solemnization of any Sacrament is not in respect of the elements or outward signes themselves whose essence remaines entire and unchanged But it is for their sakes that use these signes and unto whom in their use onely they suffer a change from common to sacred And therefore being not for the elements Nam Catholici omnes docent verbum Sacramenti esse pauca quaedum verba â Deo praescripta quae super materiam a ministro pronuntianda sunt but for believers sakes a magical incantation is not of use but verbal instruction Therefore that of Bellarmine in the name of all the Catholicks as he calls them i That the word which makes a Sacrament is only a few words prescribed of God to be pronounced by the Priest over the matter of the Sacrament is not to be suffered Those words might as well be concealed as thus muttered the elements do not heare them neither do they suffer any change by them That speech of Austin we willingly grant that the word is added to the element and it is made a Sacrament But not with a Romish Glosse upon it that by the word there should be understood barely the uttering or as they would rather have it the muttering of a few words But the word of institution holding forth a Divine designation of it to that end and use which is not to be concealed from those for whose use it is ordained as though it did work by way of a secret change but in the plainest way to be made known to them So that those bare words in Baptisme I baptize thee in the Name of the Father c. are not that which makes it up into a Sacrament But the command of Jesus Christ by the application of water to baptize in that Name Neither is the uttering of those words This is my body This Cup in the New Testament is my blood sufficient but the whole series of the institution in the words and actions of Christ Jesus Thirdly For an orderly administration of the Sacrament Repetition and explanation of the words of institution singularly useful it is of singular use that the institution be repeated and that in Scripture-language which Bellarmine confesses we do alwayes in Baptisme and many of us at least out of 1 Cor. 11. at the Lords Supper and much for edification to have them briefly explained This addes authority and honour to the administration and the understanding of many deploredly ignorant is hereby benefited If Parents must teach their children when they saw the rite of the Passeover a reason of it Exod. 12. then much more should Ministers of the Gospel teach it their people Christians should act nothing in way of worship of God but they should see and know reason for their actings Fourthly It is not essential to a Sacrament A precise forme of wo ds not essentiall in a Sacrament that a precise forme of words be observed in the administration of it so that the being of a Sacrament is lost if a word be changed But it is sufficient that the summe and substance of the institution be held out and repeated and the signs accordingly in the administration applyed to the end for which they are ordained to illustrate and seal the thing signified to those that partake of it though a licentious freedom of variation of the words is to be avoyded so the sense and meaning of the institution may be if not lost yet at least obscured there being no secret force in
the Sacrament is taken And words about the Sacrament teaching and consecrating are not as they make them of an opposite kind All words tending to consecration as I baptize thee in the Name of the Father c. This is my body This Cup c. are words as well to instruct as to consecrate are Concionatoria as well as Consecratoria so that all words of consecration are words for instruction though all for instruction are not for consecration as might many wayes be evidenced 1. They are significant words to be uttered by the voyce of a publick teacher 2. They are Scripture words and whatsoever is there writen is for our learning Rom. 15.4 why is it wrote if not for reading Why do we read if not for learning 3. The Apostles to whom Christ gave charge concerning the Sacrament were to understand themselves what they did and to instruct those to whom they did commend it likewise But they had no other way to know the Sacraments either of Baptisme or the Lords Supper but from the words of institution which they call by the name of consecration 4. The Apostle going about to reforme the abuses about the Lords Supper and to teach the Corinthians a right way of celebration repeates the whole institution and layes down exactly that which they say is of the essence of consecration and that to instruct not to consecrate The words of consecration are his words of instruction 5. To this we may add that of Austin not barely his Authority but the strength of his reason Tract 80. in Jo. Commenting upon his own words The word is added to the element and it is made a Sacrawent m Unde ista tanta virtus aquae ut corpus tangat cor abluat nisi faciente verbo non quia dicitur sed quia creditur Nam in ipso verbo aliud est sonus transiens aliud virtus manens Hoc est verbum fidei quod praedicumus ait Apostolus Whence is there that power saith he that water should touch the body and the heart should be made clean but the word working it not upon that account because it is spoken but because it is believed For in the word it self the sound that passes is one thing and the efficacy that remaines is another and this saith he is the word that is Preached There is none can deny but that the words of the Sacrament are to be believed and in case they are to be believed they are to be preached and heard for who can believe on him of whom they have not heard and how can they heare without a Teacher Rom. 10.15 This place of Austin n Locus hic mire torquere solet non nullos Bellarmine saith hath troubled many and Whitaker saith they have as much troubled him as any other He rejects Calvins Interpretation of it and then rejects several Interpretations of his own party and at last produces his own which Whitaker sayes is wholly borrowed out of Allen o Dico igitur Augustinum hoc loco non semper loqui de eodem verbo sed nunc de Sacramentali nunc de concionali that Austin sometimes speaks of the Sacramental word and sometimes of the Word as Preacht which two with him are altogether different and yet Austin must by all means be acquit from Equivocation we willingly yeeld that he doth not equivocate and therefore the Sacramental word is a branch of that word that is Preached He that pleases may read Suarez and Bellarmines arguments answered by Chamier lib. 1. de Sacra in genere cap. 17 18. CHAP. VI. SECT I. God is the Author of all Sacraments and Sacramental rites THese Sacramental signes have God for their Author as it followes in the definition and is implyed as we have heard in the text of the Apostle Abraham receiving it God appointed it Gen. 17.10 So that the Observation is God is the Author of all Sacraments and Sacramentall rites This is clear of it self and hath scarce any adversary Look through all Sacraments whether ordinary or extraordinary whether taken in the largest signification for holy signes or in the strictest sense as here defined we shall still find that they were by Divine appointment The Cloud the Passage through the Red-Sea Exod. 13. Manna Exod. 16. The Rock Exod. 17. The Rainbowe Genes 9. Gideons fleece Judg. 6. The shadow on Ahaz his dyal Isa 38. Circumcision Gen. 17. The Passeover Exod. 12. Levit. 12. Baptisme Matth. 28. The Lords Supper Matth. 26.1 Cor. 11. All of them are of Divine institution And though Popish Writers are much put to it to find any Divine institution for some of their Sacraments as may God willing be shewen yet with a joynt consent they acknowledge this that we say and give their reasons of it Thomas Aquinas puts the question part 3. quaest 64. art 2. Whether Sacraments be alone of Divine institution and determines it in the affirmative Bellarmine spends the whole 23. Cap. of his first book de Sacra in genere to assert that onely Christ is the author of the Sacraments And Suarez Quaest 64. disput 12. Sect. 1. laies down this conclusion a Christus Dominus immediate ac per se institut omnia Sacramenta novae legis Dico se cundo Sacramenta veteris legis omnia fuere ab ipso Deo immediate instâ—tuta that the Lord Christ immediately and by himself did institute all the Sacraments of the New Covenant And addes a second conclusion that all the Sacraments of the old law were immediately instituted of God himself either of them both quote Canon 1. sess 7. of the Councel of Trent that thus determines b Si quis dixerit Sacramenta novae legis non fuisse omnia a Jesu Christo Demino nostro institua Anthema sit If any shall say that the Sacraments of the New Covenant were not in stituted by Christ let him be accursed which Canon they both understand to thunder out an ana thema against Protestants seeing we hold that their extreme unction and confirmation were never instituted of Christ to which thiey may adde matrimony for though the God of nature did ordain it yet not Christ the Mediatour of the Covenant which they affirme to be Sacraments and I think they did not mistake the meaning of the Councell seeing the Canon laies a curse not onely on thole that shall deny that Christ was the author of all the Sacraments but also on those that shall say there were more or lesse then seven reckoning up their seven in order But we may retort this curse upon them as well as they fling it at us Baptismus Johannis ab ipso Johanne institutus erat Baptisme of John of Divine institution seeing they deny the Baptisme of John to be of Divine institution and make it meerly humane as Bellar. lib. 1. de Baptis Cap. 20. which yet we know to be a Sacrament and able sufficiently to cleare it
that work few prayers sent up or sought for that purpose did they think they were dedicated to God they would be at care and would not grudge pains to seek a blessing from God For the Lords Supper that seemes often to have a little honour when that of Baptisme hath none at all being administred in times of mens growth when the other was over in mens infancy carrying terrour in the face of it by reason of those explicite words of the Apostle upon the Corinthians prophanation of it He that eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and eateth and drinketh his own judgement The examination called for upon addresse unto it and those lists of judgements that are upon record upon the prophanation of it many weak and many sick and many sleeping And perhaps some reliques of superstition not yet wholly outed since that time that a corporal presence was believed and the bread worshipped As is said of some that they receive so devoutly as though God were in the bread and they live as though there were no God in heaven But if the Author and nature of this Sacrament were aright weighed another reverence a reverence beseeming the glory of it would be given it which is not my business now to prosecute being to speak here of the general nature onely of Sacraments Men would then be content that the whole of the Administration should be carried on so as becomes the honour of the Ordinance and would make it their business to promote a way that a due preparation might be made in fitting the communicants and taking cognizance of them that come that they may be able to discerne the Lords body and so honour and not prophane it They would then take care to avoid unworthinesse lest the Author of this Feast should detect them as the Master of the Feast did detect the man that came without his wedding-garment we should see more reverence in the duty more careful consciencious waiting upon the duty CHAP. VII SECT I. The adaequate subject of Sacraments THe next thing here to be considered in this definition of a Sacrament laid down by the Apostle is the subject of it grounded upon the person that here received this sign of Circumcision and considered as accepting of the Covenant of God as we have heard He entered the Covenant in his own name and in the name of all them that were confederates with him And he received Circumcision the sign of it and they in their time respectively were also circumcised and from hence these Conclusions may be drawn 1. The Covenant-people of God are the adaequate subject of the Sacraments They and they onely have their right and interest in them 2. Sacraments are not arbitrary but necessary they are not only priviledges but duties The Covenant-people of God may and they must receive them 3. Their efficacy depends upon their use They are no Sacraments to those that do not partake of them Of these in their order The Covenant people of God are the adaequate subject of Sacraments First The Covenant-people of God are the adaequate subject of the Sacraments They and they only have their right and interest in them There can be no truth more clear then this in case we look into the Scriptures and for full proofe of it I shall lay down these Positions Propositions evincing the truth of the Point First It is upon the account of the Covenant that any among the sons of men are of the people of God that they have any relation to him in order and tendency to their everlasting welfare Where the Covenant is not all relation-interest in God is wanting these are without God Ephes 2.12 Deut. 29.10 11 12 13. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains of your tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy Campe from the hewer of wood unto the drawer of thy water that thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day that he may stablish thee to day for a people to himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn unto thy Fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. They that were no people by Covenant are made a people as he that was no servant by Covenant is made a servant and she that was no wife made a wife These are nigh when others are afar off Ephes 2.17 Hereupon the Jewes to whom the Covenants pertained Rom. 9.4 have this glory Psal 148.14 A people neare unto the Lord. A wife is called by the name of her husband Esay 4.1 And the whole of the family by the name of the Master of the family so all of the people of God in Covenant are called by the Name of God He owns them as his Ephes 3.15 God mentions it as a motive taking with him to hear prayers 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people that are called by my Name do humble themselves and pray I will hear And the people of God urge it as a motive to prevail that they may be heard Jer. 14.8 9. O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night why shouldest thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us we are called by thy Name leave us not Esay 64.18 19. Our adversaries have troden down thy sanctuary we are thine thou barest not rule over them they were never called by thy Name upon termes of Covenant onely they are the Lords Secondly It is upon the same account that they have any interest in the Sacraments which are the badges and markes of a people of God in profession When the Covenant was entred with Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. Circumcision was forthwith instituted These therefore were called the Circumcision all others the Vncircumcision Ephes 2.11 The title Jew did denote the people of God Thou art called a Jew saith the Apostle and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God Rom. 2.17 and Jew and Circumcision are the same Rom. 2.25 26 27. Rom. 3.1 And hereupon as Abraham entring Covenant was circumcised and his seed so proselytes joyning to them and their seed were circumcised And the self same that had their title to Circumcision had their interest in the Passeover and onely these as to males Exod. 2.43 44 45. This is the ordinance of the Passeover there shall no stranger eat thereof But every mans servant that is bought for money when thou hast circumcised him then shall he eate thereof A Forrener and an hired servant shall not eat thereof Rivet on the words
into four heads 1. That as to the cutting off the foreskin and the smart suffered in it it was no injustice in Masters to compell them seeing they were their Money 2. That he best approves of their opinion That hold that the Law of circumcising of Proselytes was on that condition that they were willing to be circumcised 3. That Masters ought to make it their businesse to perswade them but not against heart to circumcise them 4. If that any think that a necessity lay upon Masters to circumcise all servants it is safest to be of Cajetans mind to deny it to be any note of profession of the Jewish Religion Secondly It is objected on the other hand that some in Covenant were denyed Circumcision as 1. Infants before the 8th day But that is unworthy of any answer A stated day for it is not any denyall of it 2. Females were not to be circumcised seeing the institution is onely for the males To which three things may be answered 1. For those that make use of this objection they have authors of their own namely Walafridus Strabo de rebus Ecclesiasticis as he is cited by à Lapide on Genes 17. affirming that they were circumcised 2. The reason of their exclusion from any actuall participation was their incapacity of it And thirdly they were circumcised virtually and so reputed of that number as appeares in that they were admitted to the Passeover when the law was expresse no uncircumcised person must eat of it Exod. 12.48 And Samson was charged that he took a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines Judg. 14.3 So that I say a Covenanting people of God and they onely are entitled to the right of Sacraments when they are given to a people out of Covenant a seal is put to a blank which must needs be an horrid prophanation of the seales of the Covenant of God And when they are denied to those in Covenant as not their right they are injured from whom they are thus detayned SECT II. FOr further explanation of this point several Propositions must be laid down Explicatory Propositions Proposition 1. First A Covenant properly so called is entred between God and his people God enters a Covenant exactly and properly so called with his people A Covenant in the true nature of it passeth between God and man I took this for granted in the introduction into the Treatise of the Covenant of God entered with mankind where in its proper place it might have been handled supposing that there had been none that had denyed it But since that time I have seen my mistake and among the many questions that have been moved and agitated about the Covenant it is questioned whether there be any such thing as a Covenant entered between God and any of the sons of men upon earth Commands and promises are confest but a Covenant is disputed The way to make it good is to prove from Scripture the name and the thing when these are proved all is clear The word Covenant proved The word we find in places above number Deut. 29.12 They stood that they might enter into Covenant with the Lord God God is often put in mind by his people of his Covenant Psal 74.20 and he promises Levit. 26.42 to remember his Covenant These are then such transactions between God and his people that are called by the name of a Covenant when this cannot be dâ—nyed the impropriety of the word is objected that the word of command given of God out of Soveraignty and the word of promise given out of mercy they are called by the name of a Covenant when strictly so called they are as is objected no Covenant at all But to avoyd this the thing it self may be as easily proved as the word The thâ—ng it self proved and when we have nomen and nominis rationem then we have a Covenant not aequivocally but truly so called And here I may deal liberally with any adversary and undertake to make proof not onely of all the essentials of a Covenant but the usual adjuncts not onely all that makes up the nature but all accessories usually added to the solemnity of Covenants For the essentials of a Covenant or real properties they are as Mr. Burges saith A mutual consent and stipulation on both sides In the essentialls of it Parties consent and mutual engagement is all that is required to the being of a Covenant when two parties agree and either of them both have their conditions to make good there is a Covenant or bargaine see it exemplified in several instances given Treatise of the Covenant Pag. 3. All of these we find in that one place Deut. 26.17 18 19. in the Covenant that God enters with his people Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his Statutes and his Commandements and his Judgements and to hearken to his voyce And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandements And to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou maiest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken There are the Covenanters God and his people There is consent on both parties Thou hast avouched the Lord hath avouched And there is a stipulation on both sides On Gods part to make them high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour On the peoples part to keep all his Commandements to be an holy people There are Covenant-mercies from God to his people unto which of grace he engages himself and there are Covenant-duties unto which man stands engaged Psal 103.17 18. But the mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children to such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandements Let none say that this was a legal Covenant in which man had his conditions but is freed from all in the Covenant Evangelical Not to mention what I have elsewhere said Mr. Ball Treatise of the Covenant Pag. 102 103 104. Mr. Burges Vindiciae legis Pag. 224 225. have abundantly manifested the contrary and most amply of all others that I have read Mr. Cobbet in his Vindication Pag. 60 to Pag. 70. where he delivers this conclusion that the body of the Jewish Church was under the Covenant of grace making it good with twelve arguments and answering as many objections Gods engagements in Gospel-times none deny mans restipulation is all the question And this is as clear in New Testament-times as it was in the dayes of the Law that of Christ fully holds it out Joh. 8.51 If any man keep my sayings he shall never see death Christs engagement there is to keep from death and upon these termes that man keep
Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary The answer of the Lord we have ver 20. The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people which doth either imply that they were struck of God for their sin as was Abimelech his wife and maid servants and were healed by Hezekiahs prayer as they by Abrahams or else that by their sin they were in danger of Gods hand and by Hezekiahs prayer preserved so that enough hath been said for this distinction between a first and second right a fundamental right and priviledg of actual admission There may be a true right when yet there is a barre that stands in force SECT V. Proposition 4. AS the fundamental right to Sacraments must be grounded on the written Word of God so the barre to actuall admission must be written likewise Fundamental right and bar to actual admission must be both written None may be admitted without known right their visible Covenant-title must appear in such case a seal would be put to a blank and the Ordinance prophaned It was therefore provided that no uncircumcised person must eat of the Passeover Exod. 12.48 and none in Covenant in right that stand in any visible relation to God without a known barre may be kept back There must be a reason seen of their admission and a reason seen of their suspension The sin of those of Ephraim Manasseh Issachar and Zebulon was that they ate of the Passeover otherwise then was written There was that barre upon them that according to the written Word they were not in present to eat of it He that gives warranty to his people to come must also put in the exception against those that are to be denyed No Person no Church must take in or refuse by their own power this were to Lord it over Gods heritage and an high usurpation of a power not put into their hands Stewards in great houses are to take in and hold back from the family not at their own will but according to their Masters pleasure SECT VI. Proposition 5. THis right unto or barre put to detain from Sacramental participation is not alwayes explicite and expresse Right unto or barre to detain from Sacramental participation is not alwayes and explicite it is sufficient that by a clear and full consequence from Scripture it may be deduced The fundamental title is clear and before cleared It is the Covenant that gives a title the outward Covenant is a sufficient title to all outward priviledges prove a Covenant made kept or not kept if not renounced and then a right stands The right unto or barre put to present acceptance is often more disputable which the written Word in expresse termes or by necessary consequence must also determine When those were kept back by reason of a touch of a dead body from eating the Passeover Num. 9. there was no expresse precept in the Law for such prohibition of them but seeing such were to be kept out of the Campe Num. 5.2 and they must be clean that eat of the offerings of the Lord they were evidently included and it appears that they saw it And when the Lord himself names those barres which in after times should withhold an Israelite from the Passeover the instances which he gives are no sufficient explicite enumeration It is there said that he that is in a journey could not eat of the Passeover neither could he that was in prison or imployed in war or under sicknesse One legal uncleanness is there named which did defile there were other defilements as well as that which disabled an Israelite actual participation Num. 5.2 Onely those that inferre such consequences must be able to make good their consequences and take heed of framing principles of their own and then deduce consequences from them were this heeded the door would not be set so wide open as many complaine not yet kept too narrow as perhaps there may be cause of complaint according to many mens rules though according to their practice perhaps there is no such great cause of grievance perhaps the grievance may be found on the other hand SECT VII Proposition 6. Rules for actuall admission and bars put in Old Testament times were more explicite and expresse IN Old Testament-times Scripture-rules for mens actual admission and barres put to detain them were more explicitely delivered When men according to the rule of the Sanctuary were to be received or denyed as other circumstances of like nature were then more punctually delivered and fitted to the Churches minority which was taught as a child with a feskue In Gospel-times when there is more light and the Church hath attained further growth as it doth not need so we do not find such punctual direction The nature and use of the Sacraments being known together with the end of their institution general Scripture-rules observed that all is to be done to edification and the end of the Ministerial function compared for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ It may be more easily collected to whom the Sacraments may be of use and to whom they will be unserviceable SECT VIII Proposition 7. Admission unto the Sacrament of initiation is facile THere being a double Sacrament in the Church both in the Old and New Testament one for initiation into the Church visible the other for confirmation one in which it is sufficient having a due title to be passive and the other such in which we must be active Admission unto the Sacrament of initiation seems more facile whether it be of grown persons in the first plantation of Churches upon conversion from Gentilisme Judaisme or any other way distinct from Christianity or of infants that are confederate with their parents and though some lay it down as a Maxime Adultorum eadem est ratio utriusque There is the same reason for admission of men of years to either Sacrament yet it is but gratis dictum Neither any Scripture text nor solid argument drawn from thence doth evince it Lesse is expected in a childs entry into the School or a youths matriculation into the University then in the time of growth and further proficiency Professed Disciples are taken into the Church by Baptisme to learn but they must be proficients as shall appear before they are able to make improvement of the Supper For infants there can be no barre at all for their initiation There is no barre to the initiation of infants in confederation on with their Parents They that hold that Sacraments conferre grace non ponenti obicem that is upon all such that put no barre or obstacle to it do withall conclude and undenyably if they can make good their Position that all infants in Baptisme are regenerate seeing they put no actuall barre either by sin or
black to their eye whatsoever John knew in case they had been called in and heard some could have said somewhat against these Publicanes and harlots and yet even these were admitted As to that which followes Then Sir though you know the same abominations afterwards and your members testifie it witnesses come in you must not cast him out unlesse he will professe it Though he is pleased to say that this argument will cost me more then two lines before it be answered yet a few words will shew that it is a meer non sequitur If a man make it his request upon the fame that he hath heard and the good that he hath seen in Mr. Firmins Family to be admitted to serve him in it confessing his wayes to have been bad but now professes that he is resolved upon a new way and in order to it desires to be received into such a Society where godlinesse may be learnt may not he now admit him and may he not afterwards upon breach of this engagement dismisse him I will averre my similitude to be fit yet I confesse it is not full for when Mr. Firmin hath dismissed this servant and put him out of doores he hath now no more relation to him But when a man upon profession to be for God is once in Covenant though his wickednesse deserves that the priviledges of the family should be denyed yet he is still in Covenant though under breach of Covenant and stands related to the Church of God in title otherwise upon his repentance he must have a new admission by Baptisme The Church I say may receive a man upon engagement of amendment which must be done in baptisme to be baptized and upon his return to wickednesse Excommunicate him His profession gives him right to Baptisme and his sin deserves excommunication He tells us Though we read not that Philip required repentance yet others did But did they so require it as in reality to precede baptisme Or were they satisfied with a profession of it If they so required it as in reality to precede they then must give a day over to give evidence of it and whether this was the manner in Johns baptisme in Philips or the Apostles let adversaries be Judges I cannot tell what should move Mr. F. when he had given me thanks pag. 54. for my courteous handling of him without scorn to adde in the next page Sir I thought Christianity had taken in the heart and outward conversation as well as the head a real Christian is one united to Christ sound in the doctrine concerning Christ and walking as Christ did we suppose an old Adam Let him who is a nominal Christian appear like one though he be not real And I do think that it is little below a scorn to bear the world in hand that I think otherwise what have I said for him to Sir me in this particular perhaps because I somewhere speak of a profession of faith not mentioning repentance so he may challenge Philip to be defective who when the Eunuch demanded What doth hinder me to be baptized answered If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest Act. 8.37 And Paul and Silas likewise who when the Jaylour ask'd What shall I do to be saved answered as we know Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thine houshold Nay will not the same charge fall upon the head of our Saviour himself who in his Commission to the Apostles saith He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved None of these mention repentance what can be said for them will excuse me I am so far from being against repentance in a Christian that I expect some will think that I have said too much for the necessity of it and put too high an honour upon it He proceeds farther and saith Let us view the Scripture in administration of Baptisme Mar. 4. Baptisme of Repentance that is more then Faith More explicitely but no more implicitely Faith takes Christ to give repentance as well as a Saviour to give remission of sins They confessed their sins saith he 1. Some will have it to imply no verbal confession but virtual coming for baptisme for remission of sins it was an acknowledgment that they were guilty which glosse carries strong probability with it in regard of the multitude that in so short a space were baptized 2. I require more an engagement to leave sin which their taking upon them the Name of Christ doth imply 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity He goes on Acts 2.37 38. First Jewes so had knowledge not so ignorant as ours I believe The Reader may believe the contrary till he see some proof Secondly having a legal work by the power of the Word They that had crucified Christ as a blasphemer deceiver must needs have some work upon them before they would take him professedly for a Saviour Thirdly Receiving the Word That implies no more then giving credit to what the Apostle spake that Jesus whom they had crucified was Lord and Christ Fourthly Repenting they are baptized this is more still And more then is exprest in the Text. Baptisme in his Name doth indeed imply that now they repented that they had crucified him otherwise we read not of their repentance Acts 8. saith he though there is not mention made of the Samaritans repentance who were apostatized from the Jewes but laid claim to the Patriarchs Joh. 4.20 expected Christ verse 25. worshipped God Ezra 4.2 yet that Philip should know them to be so abominable in conversation and yet baptize them that is to be proved since that others required repentance He may adde to these Elogies of the Samaritanes that they worshipped they knew not what Joh 4.22 and that they bore that good will to the people of the Jewes that when they perceived Christ with his Disciples to be for Hierusalem at the time of the Passeover they would not let them have meat for money Luk. 9.51 52. And I confesse as much of repentance in them as was required in any to the acceptation of Baptisme namely a renuntiation of their false way and a professed acceptation of the tender of the Gospel There yet followes If this be not a giving of holy things to dogs which Tertullian and Austin give warning of even in baptizing I know not what is Let a man be a notorious Ranter Sodomite Scoffer at godlinesse drunkard no matter what this is known and proved yet a Christian nomine tenus therefore you must baptize him Where I pray do I speak of baptizing any that is nomine tenus a Christian My opinion is that such that have the name Christian are baptized already I hope such contradictions seldom come from my pen. That these are no words of mine my adversary will acknowledge and that any such consequence can be gathered from any thing that I have said that I must baptize persons of this quality already
men of his interest should be received then Christ would not at any hand have knowingly gone against it and given him admission to it And what he did according to the mind of God as a Minister by a Minister may be done And to pronounce him at that time that he received it such that had no right for admission yet to admit him were such a precedent as Christ would not have given Christ would not trust himself with some upon that account that the knew what was in them Joh. 2.23 24. and he would not have trusted the Sacrament with such a one in case he had not known that it had been the mind of God that men of that standing should partake of it If it be objected that Christ knew that Judas was not in a capacity to improve the Sacrament for sanctification and salvation being a reprobate I answer respective to his gifts wherewith he was endowed he was in capacity of improvement The Sacrament is of use to those that were his inferiours and an eye is had to the tendency of the work according to Gods revealed will and not to that which is in Gods secret purpose Let us summe up the argument briefly into this form Ministers must give the Sacrament so as it may be to edification and not certainly to destruction But they must give it to some not yet throughly sanctified Therefore some not throughly sanctified may receive it to edification and not to destruction Thirdly the Law and Gospel in their joynt strength applyed in power to the understanding may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms conditions and propositions of the Covenant may work men of profession of faith to faith saving and justifying may work a man that is onely in name the Lords to be truely and savingly his This none can deny if Law and Gospel cannot do it in the way of instruments and ordinances appointed of God there is no way on earth in which it can be done But in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour of Law and Gospel applyed in power to the understanding Therefore the conclusion followes that the Lords Supper may work men of Covenant interest up to the terms of the Covenant men of profession of Faith to Faith saving and justified The Assumption is clear that in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel the epitome and summe the strength and vigour both of Law and Gospell There we have the curse of the Law in the highest degree held out Christ made a curse and bearing all that the Law denounces against sin even all that which sinne according to the Law did demerit There are sins bruises transgressions wounds There we have the summe and substance of the Gospel held out Christs death for remission of sinne laid open There we have Christ a curse which is that which the law inflicts upon transgression There we have Christ a sacrifice which is that which the Gospel doth promise all brought home and applyed to the understanding of the communicant Fourthly That which is high in the aggravating of sinne to the conscience and clear in holding out the pardon of sinne may work a man of Covenant interest up to the terms and conditions of the Covenant may work men of profession of Faith to a Faith saving and justifying This is clear which way else are men brought up to faith and sanctification but upon the sight of sinne in its aggravations and Gospel tenders for the removal of it The Assumption that sin is in this ordinance in the highest way aggravated and the removal of it held out is also clear and may easily per partes be proved 1. The highest aggravation of sin to the breaking of the heart and the melting of the soul is the looking upon him whom our sins have pierced Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born and that we thus look upon him in the Sacrament I shall choose to set it out in the words of the Ministers and Elders met in the Provinciall Assembly of London in their Vindication where speaking to those that joyn with them at the Lords Table pag. 104. You must so remember Christ as to find power coming out of Christ Sacramental to break your hearts for all the sins you have committed against him Christ is presented in the Sacrament as a broken Christ his body broken and his blood poured out And the very breaking of the bread understandingly looked upon is a forcible Argument to break your hearts Was Jesus Christ rent and torn in pieces for you and shall it not break your hearts that you should sin against him Was he crucified for you and will you crucify him by your sins And besides the breaking of the bread is not onely ordained to be a motive unto brokennesse of heart for sin but also in the right use to effect that which it doth move unto And pag. 105. You must so remember Christ Sacramentall as to find power comming out of Christ to subdue all your sins and iniquities as the diseased woman felt vertue coming out of Christ to cure her bloody issue so there is power in an applicative and fiducial remembrance of Christ at the Sacrament to heal all the sinful issues of our soules there is no sin so strong but it is conquerable by a power derived from Christ crucified And pag. 106. You must continue in remembring Christ in the Sacrament till your hearts be wrought up to a through contempt of the world and all worldly things Christ instituted the Sacrament when he was going out of the world and when he was crucifying the whole world was in darknesse and obscurity and he is propounded in the Sacrament as a persecuted broken crucified Christ despising and being despised of the World And if you do practically remember the Sacrament of his death you will find vertue coming out thereof to make you dead to the world and all worldly things And pag. 107. Cease not remembring Christ till you be made partakers of the rare grace of humility Of all the graces that were in Christ in which he would have Christians to imitate him in humility is one of the chiefest Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am humble And Christ in the Sacrament is presented as humbling himself to the death of the crosse for our sakes And what a shame is it to remember an humble Christ with a proud heart The practical remembrance of the humility of Christ Sacramental when sanctified is mighty in operation to tame the pride of our hearts And pag. 110. To endeavour that your eyes may affect your hearts when you are at the Sacrament For as Christ in the Ministery of his Word preacheth to the ear and by the ear conveyeth himself into the
necessity to suffer Though it is a matter of consolation that guilt by suffering is removed and an atonement made in which there is either present assurance or at least a possibility of future actuall interest Twelfthly That Ordiinance unto which Christ calleth none but such that have spiritual gracious qualifications is not a converting but a sealing Ordinance But the Lords Supper is an Ordinance unto which Christ calleth none but such as have spiritual and gracious qualifications Ergo. The Assumption is proved Matth. 11. 28. Joh. 7.37 Isa 55.1 Matth. 22.12 1 Cor. 11.28 Cant. 5.1 Answ Onely one of these speaks of the Lords Supper the rest have immediate relation to Christ not to this Ordinance of the Supper and positive spiritual qualifications as preceding all coming is not required in any of them upon sense of want we may come to Christ for spiritual qualifications as wen may come with them though without positive spiritual qualifications there is no assurance of interest in him 2. As to that worthinesse which is spoken to in that Text of the Corinthians there is an usual distinction of worthinesse of merit and worthinesse suitable to the work in hand It is the latter onely that as is confest is called for There is yet a double suitablenesse to the work One is compleat answering to all that the work can call for which comprises grace not onely in the habit but in the act an actual improvement of our graces for the participation of it and this is alike required in other Ordinances of hearing praying c. as in this Orainance of communicating The other is a worthinesse respecting the person that doth communicate such a worthinesse of suitablenesse and conveniency whereby according to the measure of grace vouchsafed whether common or saving he addresseth himself to it Now though the regenerate man alone receives to the acceptation of his person as he onely hears and prayes with such acceptance yet a man in unregeneration may be so far suitably worthy for this work that he may know himself called untp it and that it would be his sin to hold back from it and he may hopeuMlly expect blessing in it and such a worthinesse was in Christs and John Baptists hearers so many of them as have their commendations in the Gospel for such ready and forward hearing and such a worthinesse as I take it is mentioned Matth. 10 11. Let the Learned Consider whether either the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indigne or the context in that place will necessarily take in every unregenerate man or rather the irreverend prOphanation of that duty and whether arguments drawn from want of saving faith and sincere repentance in performance of this work do not bring unregenerate men under like danger in fasting praying thanksgiving hearing Sabbath-keeping and every other duty of worship whatsoever Thirteently That Ordinance which is instituted for the Communion of Saints is intended onely for such as are Saints and not for unconverted sinners But the Lords Supper is an Ordinance instituted for the Communion of Saints and those that are members of the same body of Christ The assumption proved 1 Cor. 1016 17. compared with 1 Cor. 1.2 Answ Saint is either such that are so by calling and separation for God or else by qualifications and regeneration from God In the former sense unconverted sinners prosessing the Gospel are Saints as of old they were of the people of God and called by his Name Saint is a New testament-Testament-word taking in all of a Christian profession and outward Covenant-interest and then the Proposition is to be denyed Saint being taken in the latter sense the assumption is false This Lords Supper is a priviledge of the Church as visible dispensed by visible officers not as invisible as those very Texts quoted do manifest Fourteenthly If Baptisme it self at least when administred to those that are of age is not a regenerating or converting Ordinance far lesse is the Lords Supper a regenerating or converting Ordinance But Baptisme it self at least when ministred to those that are of age is not a regenerating or converting Ordinance Ergo. Answ This Argument seemeth to suppose an opinion of regeneration or conversion by the very work done in Baptisme and the Lords Supper which seeing I do not own but in either of both disclaim I need to give no further answer Fifteenthly If the Baptisme even of those that are at age must necessarily precede the receiving of the Lords Supper then the Lords Supper is not a converting but a sealing Ordinance But Baptisme even of those that are of age must necessarily precede the Lords Supper Ergo. Answ I see no necessity of this consequence unlesse I should believe that all that are baptized are ipso facto regenerate and that not with an initial regeneration of which some speak that may be lost but the immortal seed of the Spirit that abides for ever But being not as I am not of that faith I suppose a baptized man may be to use Pareus his phrase Christianus non regeneratus sed regenerandus a Christian not regenerate but to be regenerate and so regeneration may as ordinarily it doth not precede but follow Baptisme Sixteenthly There is an Argument drawn from the Parable of the Prodigal There is a robe ring and shoes put upon him and a fatted calf killed for him but this when he comes to himself and sayes Father I have sinned c. But this is done in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper more especially and manifestly then in any other Ordinace Ergo. Answ All Ordinances as I take it are to bring a prodigal unto such a returning posture in the discovery of the hatefulnesse of sin against such a Father and the riches that are in his Fathers family There are some Arguments of this nature follow which may seasonably be spoke to in the close of these Propositions I shall onely here by the way hint so much to the Reader that in case these Arguments had been framed against the power of this Sacrament for conversion the sense as generally the opposers of it understand it that it works as a medicine to heal and hath an opus operatum in it I should not at all have undertaken them how inconcluding soever I had judged them But seeing a tendency in them to interest alone men already in grace in this Ordinance and denying all hope of benefit by it to the majority of those that men of all interests ordinarily admit to it to the necessary ensnaring of all that are concerned in the administration of it I could not be silent let the Reader impartially weigh and determine SECT XV. Proposition 12. THose that are in a present inaptitude All of present incapacity to receive benefits by the Lords Supper are to be denyed accesse to it and incapacity to improve this Sacrament to any spiritual advantage but are under an inevitable necessity either to receive no good or much danger and damage
whatsoever interest they may claim or on their behalf be claimed are justly debarred from it and in present denyed admission to it And on the contrary All that are in a present aptitude and capacity to improve it for spiritual advantages are regularly to be received and by no means to be denyed This is plain it must be administred to the Churches advantage and edification unto every members possible advantage They that are in an utter incapacity to receive benefit are in all reason to be denyed it and those of capacity to be received to it Some would have those debarred or at least to debar themselves that hopefully may profit and we may not plead for their admission that are in the judgment of all reason in an incapacity of profiting Those that stand in this present incapacity are of two sorts 1. Such that through inabilities cannot make any improvement of it 2. Such that resolvedly and obstinately will not Those that through inability cannot are of four sorts First Those that by reason of minority and non-age are not yet ripe for the use of reason as Infants and younglings Secondly Those that by providence are denyed it as natural idiots Thirdly Those that are berest of it as distracted persons aged persons grown children Fourthly Those that by their grosse neglect in spiritual things never made improvement of it First Infants These the Church as well Popish as reformed by an universall received custome denies to admit As the Disciples sometimes rebuked those that brought infants to Christ to receive a blessing so the Church now provides that none shall bring them to partake of this Sacrament And though the Disciples suffered a check from our Saviours mouth in the one Infants having title to and being in a capacity to receive benefit by that Church-priviledg as being Church-member yet we believe the Church is free from reproof in the other upon the ground laid down before viz. their incapacity to improve it to their spiritual benefit It is true that the practice in the Church for at least some Churches anciently was otherwise as those know that are verst in antiquity several quotations out of Dionysius Areo pagita Cyprian Austin the Councell of Tolet may be seen in Suarez disput 62. quaest 79. Art 8. sect 4. Though according to Thomas Aquinas Dionysius his words make not for it as may be seen part 3. quaest 80. Art 9. This custome Maldonate in Joh. 6.53 saith continued in the Church 600. years but he onely saith it and Suarez in the place before quoted saies it was never received of the whole Church and perhaps saith he the practice was not Common seeing there is no more mention of it among the Ancient and quotes the opinion of some that day The Fathers never observed this custome but onely tolerated it because they could not resist the multitude And one that speaks enough in favour of it findes the practice of it in Africk and Europe but can bring no testimony out of Asia for it onely he saies that he does not read that the custome was contrary in any part of Asia The Schooles have disputed infants capacity of it Thomas Aquinas in the place quoted is against it together with many others whose names Suarez mentions Suarez himself is for the affirmative that infants are in capacity of it as that which he saith is farre the more probable and hath most reason and authority for it And in the conclusion hath much ado to excuse the Church of Rome for the neglect of it as Jansenius hath for their Communion onely in one kind Harmon Evang. cap. 131. when the practice of all antiquity he confesses was otherwise and Bellarmine for their eating on fast daies before the evenning against all Scripture precedent Bellar de bon oper lib. 2. cap. 2. But the Church of Rome her self hath reformed this and hath not put our Reformers to the trouble of it though a man might wonder what moved them to it giving so much to this Sacrament as they do to conferre grace by the work done and to fortifie the foul against Satan But it is plain that the high reverence they gave to their transubstantiated elements moved them to it lest any thing unworthy of them should befal them upon the same account that they deny their cup to their laity they deny the bread to those that are in minority see Jansenius ut supra an eminent Writer of the Protestants appears much in favour of this practice not upon the reasons that moved those Fathers which was a supposed necessity of it grounded on those words of Christ Joh. 6.53 Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you understanding it of Sacramentall eating at the Lords Table but on other grounds 1. Those that are partakers of the thing signified are not to be denied the sign 2. Infants are of the Church they serve to make up that body and Christ the Saviour of the body 3. Christ himself saith Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of heaven And from each of these he drawes up formal Arguments for infants admittance And he supposeth that that text which is brought as a barre to hold them back 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup may be easily answered that it is to be understood of those onely that are in danger to eat and drink unworthily and so to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ of which saith he there is no fear of infants These Arguments undoubtedly are of strength to conclude their fundamental right and title as to baptisme so to the Lords Supper but they are two weak to give them actual admission They conclude their jus ad rem but not their jus in re They have upon these grounds a first right but they must wait a further growth till they have a second Baptisme gives right in the face of the Church to all Christian priviledges and this is a Christian priviledg so also the hearing of the Mysteries of Faith the highest of Mysteries to be taken into debate of doubts of the highest nature are Christian-priviledges yet as every baptized person hath not forthwith these high Mysteries communicated to him nor yet is admitted to such high debates as Christ was at the age of 12. years which is recorded as a miracle so neither are they therefore to be actually admitted to the Lords Table And if that text of preexamination may be avoided yet sufficient may be said for a barre to their admission They cannot do that which is outwardly to be done at this Table they cannot take and eat see Whitaker pag. 373. And in case the bread be put into their mouthes it is more like to be cast out then eaten They cannot answer the end of the Sacrament to do it in remembrance of
enjoyed for help in their knowledge the longer at School the better the Master the more inexcusable the truant The growth of years that he had upon him when he first manifested a care to know age is unteachable in comparison of youth a low measure of light sometimes drawes on more strength of affections But where sin is not seen nor Christ known and consequently the soul is so in the dark that no use can be made of this ordinance for spiritual advantage the person may justly be judged to be in a present incapacity In which for the most part it will be more safe to delay then deny to perswade the party to forbear a little time and in the mean while to commend meanes of further growth by all means to endeavour his help that he may be fairly drawn on and not driven back from this Supper In the next place those that resolvedly will not make improvement of this Supper but wilfully put a barre to their benefiting by it are to be taken into consideration And his is done 1. By error entertained in their judgments by a taint in the faith that they professe 2. By viciousnesse of life or a profligate course Now either of both these to speake a few words of them joyntly are either such that are so in private and secret or else openly and professedly Those that are indeed such though in way most secret in the present posture as they stand are in an equall incapacitie to make inprovement of this ordinance with him that most openly proclaimes it Judas was unfit when he did communicate as well as Barabbas if he had communicated But of these the dispensers of this ordinance can take no cognizance Men wicked in secret cannot be debarred from the Sacrament they cannot follow men into their chambers and closets much lesse can they make a scrutiny into their hearts Here may be a just barre when yet none may justly debarre them Here there is almost an universal agreement those that pretend to the the greatest care in their admissions not dissenting though it give no small check to that glorious homogeneity of which they speak in the Churches of Christ and utterly overthrowes the definition given by many of the Church visible He that pleases may read Suarez in tertiam partem Thomae disput 67. Sect. 4. putting this to the question whether it be lawfull to deny the Sacrament to a secret sinner desiring it publiquely and by many reasons determining it in the negative as also in the following Section resolving the question who is to be accounted a publick and who a private offender And what is spoken by him of sin may be applied to error Those that are openly such Excommunicate persons are to be judged to be in a present inaptitude for the Sacrament by sufficient detection of their error or crime are either such that are under the Churches censure and stand excommunicate or else they are such that the Church doth tolerate whether because that censure is not in use in the place or otherwise Those that are under the Churches censure upon account of that sentence must be deemed in an incapacity when the sentence whether for error or for scandal hath had its due work for reformation as upon the incestuous Corinthian it must be supposed that the Church will again restore them to their freedome in the mean space whether the Church hath proceeded right or wrong be over rigid or just in her censure it is not in any one single Minister to determine There is a famous story related by Mr. Hooker in His Ecclesiastical Policy of one Bertelius that was excommunicated by the sentence of the Eldership of Geneva and had procured from the Senate of the place by common consent under their seal a relaxation further decreeing with strange absurdity as the Author censures it that it should belong to the same Senate to give final judgement in matter of excommunication and to absolve whom it pleased them Calvin hearing the report of it said Before this decree shall take place either my blood or banishment shall sign it And two daies before the Sacrament kill me if ever this hand shall reach forth that which is holy to them whom the Church hath judged despisers Men under publique sentence must be deemed to be such as by sentence they are adjudged But for others that stand free from censure their present aptitude for this ordinance is to be considered First Error in judgment and wickednesse in life equally indispose to this ordinance As to them that are in error of judgement some otherwise sufficiently austere would have all indulgence shewen and men of all judgements admitted enlarging liberty of conscience so farre that it should exempt men respective to their judgements from any sentence secular or Ecclesiastical not considering that as we find one ordered tO be sentenced for lewdnesse 1 Cor. 5. so also others under the same sentence for errors 1 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 2.17 18. And concealing if it may be that the same words that are produced by them for cleansing the Churches of wicked persons 1. Cor. 5.6 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump is by the Apostle applyed in so many words to set out the danger of error Gal. 6.9 upon which account doubtesse it is that some that professe so much zeal against loosenesse of life and plead for so much indulgence in difference in judgement ever quote those words out of Pauls Epistle to the Corinthians concealing that text to the Galatians that it may not appear that there is a like danger in either But whilest some are over indulgent others must not be too severe but carry an equal hand in regard both of errors in judgement and in practice As for errors in judgement they may be either immediately against these Sacramental ordinances or against Christ the summe and substance of them and all Gospel promises in Christ Errors of the first kind are 1. Theirs that are above ordinances either upon pretence of the Spirits immediate work without any agent or instrument on earth so that there needs not either Word prayer or Sacraments the opinion of Swenkfeldius or else because all is grown corrupt since the Apostles times that a company cannot be found with whom they may communicate as Musculus speakes of one in his Common places that had not received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper of twelve eares because he could find no pure Church in which to observe it I fear shortly we shall have many such But we need not here trouble our selves with these seeing of their own accord they keep at a distance from us 2. Theirs that look upon the Sacraments as matters either antiquate and obsolete as belonging to the Churches infancy in which it was indulged those carnal observances too low as they think for grown Christians or else as things of meer indifferency which may be used or neglected such are unmeet to be
acceptance Secondly They that worthily shew forth his dearh and acceptably keep a memorial of it will not without horrour and trembling have a thought of drawing upon themselves the guilt of it we would hot bear the guilt of the blood of the meanest peasant in the world not of such a one that Job would not set with the dogs of his flock Job 30.1 Such may with David Deliver me from blood guiltinesse How much lesse would we bear the guilt of the Prince of life To have this in our thoughts that he must be our Judge we have been his murderers may indeed set pricks in the heart as it did in Peters hearers Act. 2.37 These men of sin that come to the Sacrament in sin wilfully furiously draw this guilt upon themselves and become accessary to it He that sleightly passeth over the death of an innocent person making a small matter of it either he makes the innocent to be indeed nocent one that hath justly deserved to be slain who being slain deserves so little regard or at least he makes himself nocent breeding ajust suspition that he was or would have been consenting to that mans death saith M. Pemble pag. 33. These in the sleighest way passe it over not with the least evidence of zeal or indignation against it Thirdly They that judge Christ fit to be numbered with malefactors and transgressors discern not his body do not judge of him according to his glory and excellency and so cannot with comfort come to the Lords Table But these judge him fit to be numbered with transgressors when in their foulest sins they dare joyn themselves to him and have communion with him This is their case that come in sin to the Lords Table Here some may object that according to the principles laid down the Ordinance may be an hopeful meanes to take such off from their wayes of sin having previous light to see what they do hear they may see high aggravation of their wickednesse An heart-breaking a soul-melting Ordinance being set before them there may be all hopes that it may be efficacious unto soul-melting and heart-breaking here they may see what their ugly sins have done and who it is that their sins have pierced and crucified whereof a Publican or Harlot may easilier be convinced then a Pharisee or justiciary And Christ being here set out both bearing sin and a sacrifice for sin the sight of their just demerit in his suffering and hopes of freedom from guile by his blood-shed there may be expectation of conviction and contrition and consequently somewhat at least done towards conversion and upon this account some would have the worst of men admitted to the view though not to participation in this Ordinance Others taking advantage of this admission of them to the view of it and knowing it to be a novel thing that any should gaze and not partake they conclude they are to be admitted unto both The further improvement of it by them seems at least some way hopeful when to the ignorant and erroneous it is impossible That I may speak my whole thoughts to this thing somewhat is necessary to be premised both by way of concession and assertion By way of concession it must be yeelded 1. That there is more weight in this objection then personally hath been acknowledged which I see upon conference with many godly learned is more and more discerned It is not so easie to evince all hopelesnesse of good in a bad mans receiving the Sacrament as in a man that is grossely ignorant no text so fully and clearly to any grounds to put a barre to men in sin as to those that are in ignorance neither doth the nature of the Sacrament so clearly evince it 2. Arguments usually brought to conclude against their admission to this Ordinance that are in wayes of sin and under no sentence of excommunication seem to me scarce concluding It were too long to name the Arguments and point out the exceptions Some of them also perilously ensnaring and upon several accounts 1. Their Arguments conclude equally against such mens hearing praying and attendance upon any other Ordinance as they do against their participation of the Lords Supper the same Medium wherewith they conclude against one concludes against all as hath been shewn 2. These Arguments intended onely against the scandalous to conclude a necessity of their exclusion equally conclude against all that are not actually in grace when yet the disputants themselves will not yeeld that either actual grace or positive signes of such grace should be any rule in such proceedings as to instance some say that Ministers in holding out the Sacrament to wicked persons whom they have excommunicated in the Word shewing that no unrighteous person shall enter into the kingdom of heaven they absolve them in the Sacrament and if this have any force in it it must conclude in this manner None may be admitted but these that may be actually absolved and while they assume that the wicked may not be actually absolved others will alike assume that no unregenerate man how knowing civil and unblameable soever may be absolved And the same guilt that these in their reasonings conclude that Church-officers bring upon themselves in admission of the scandalous they contract that admit of any ungenerate ones By way of assertion it must be delivered 1. 2. By way of assertion That the fundamental proper right unto or interest in this Ordinance is not questioned Church members lay a just claime to Church Ordinances visible members to visible Ordinances If this be once denyed we are in inextricable snares 2. Here can be no such prophanenesse in promiscuous administration of this Ordinance as the putting of Gods seal to blank paper There is no blank but a name legibly written where there is a Covenant entered and that there is a Covenant entered with such as it cannot be denyed by any that will confesse that the Scripture should be umpeir so it is yeelded by all of those that baptize the infants of such persons The first right of parents that are such is taken for granted when their children are thus received 3. It is then an orderly edifying and prudential wa in administration that is here enquired after and this admits of a greater latitude then Covenant and no Covenant regenerate or non-regenerate in which if an hairs breadth should misse there were a transgression as we discern the person to whom it is meet to give onely milk and to whom to give strong meat so we judgeof those that we admit onely to the Word and Prayer and those that we admit to the Lords Table And though I see not concluding strength in several Arguments produced but suppose they are grounded on mistakes which also apt to lead into danger otherwise I had been silent yet I cannot recede from that ancient received opinion of Fathers Schoolmen Protestants whether of the Episcapal Presbyterial or Congragational judgement that scandalous
are not so inviolably joyned but that the work is done though unduly by him that is not called to it yet though the validity of the work be asserted the disorder must be opposed Entring upon Aarons work and never called of God as Aaron was with Vzziah officiating in that work that appertains not to him leaving scruples in the thoughts of those to whom in this disorder they have administred these ordinances This the Church hath never suffered save onely tha Papists and Lutherans dispense with Baptisme in case of necessity putting so much weight upon it and placing such efficacy in it which the Church of England also suffered after the reformation till King James his dayes and then as appears in the conference at Hampton-Court it was reformed Dr. Abbot in his Lectures read while it stood in power appeared publickly against it and as I remember for the book is not in my hands affirmed that zealous Ministers then generally did distaste and decry it The Midwife was usually employed in the work as nearest at hand to cast water upon the infant ready to dye in her armes though in no capacity of that function by reason of her sex and though the sex might have born it she was never called to it But they must first make that good that all perish without Baptisme or that the act of Baptisme assures us of salvation before they can justifie this practice Protestant Writers with irrefragable arguments opposing it produce as a dispensation from God for the breach of an order by him set up otherwise we shall conclude that from the time of the said conference it hath justly been put into the hands of the lawful Minister and notwithstanding Mr. Tombes his quibble it was upon just grounds concluded by the late Assembly in their confession of faith Chapter 27. Sect. 4. SECT XVIII A further Corollary from the former doctrine All that are interested in Sacraments must come up to the termes of the Covenant IT further followes that all those that interest themselves in Sacraments expecting benefit by Baptisme and comfort at the Lords Table must come up to the tearms of the Covenant They receive them as signes and badges of a people in Covenant with God They receive them as seals of the Covenant God puts to his seal to be a God in Covenant In their acception they engage as by seal to be his people in Covenant The obligation now is mutual in case man fail on his part God is disobliged If any tye be upon him it is to inflict the just merit of breach of Govenant upon them I have spoken to the necessity that lyes upon the Ministers of Christ to bring their people up to the termes and Propositions of it Treatise of the Covenant chap. 20 21. Here I speak to it onely as the interest in the Sacraments tyes to it And this obligation hath all force and strength in it When God entred Covenant with man in his integrity upon condition of perfect and compleat obedience and gave him as we have heard Sacraments for the ratification and confirmation of it when man failing in obedience and falling short of the duty of the Covenant those Sacraments were of no avail notwithstanding the tree of life man dyed and notwithstanding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil man became brutish in his own knowledge It fares no better with those that are under a Covenant of grace and live and persist in breach of Covenant we see the heavy curse that God pronounceth against them Jer. 11.3 4. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt from the iron Furnace saying Obey my voyce and do them according to all which I Command so shall ye be my people and I will be your God And to this Jeremy adds his Amen or So be it O Lord which assent of his though it may be referred to the Prophets duty in obedience of Gods Command when he had said to him ver 2 3. Speak to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and say unto them Thus saith the Lord Cursed be every man that obeyeth not c. The Prophet in these words says What thou hast enjoyn'd me I will do it and so Junius and Tremelius understand it or to the Prpphets earnest desire to have the promise fulfilled which the Lord utters in the close of his speech ver 5. That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day To which the Prophet answers So Lord let it be that this people being careful to keep Covenant with thee may still enjoy that land which thou didst by oath bind thy self to settle them in as the last larger Annotations understand it or to Jeremies answer in the name of the people binding themselves to obedience as Diodati understands it yet doubtlesse it also comprizeth the Prophets acknowledgement of the equity that the curse should fall on those that obey not the words of the Covenant The Amen is of that latitude that it comprizeth the whole that goes before of the Prophets duty his desire the peoples obligation and the equity of the curse that lyes upon disobedience As the Sacraments in Paradise could be no protection to man in sin so the Sacraments under the present Covenant whether in the old dispensation of it in the dayes of the Fathers or new dispensation of it in Gospel-times can be no protection of those that lye in unbelief and impenitence Let not an unbeliever let not an impenitent person think to find shelter here as the Jewes did think to find in the Temple and say They are delivered to do these abominations Priviledge of Sacraments can help Christians no more then birth-priviledge could the Jewes who are checkt by John Baptist for making it a plea to this purpose and called to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life Matth. 3. I do not say that unlesse you are assured that you do believe to justification and repent in sincerity and unfeignednesse that you must not come to the Lords Table I have declared my self to the contrary but I say you must make it your businesse to believe your work to repent in truth and sincerity or else you shall never find here acceptation The Covenant of works was for mans preservation in life and Adam could have help towards immortality in the tree of life no longer then he made it his businesse to keep up to that which the Covenant required The Covenant of grace is for mans restitution to life none under this Covenant can find any help towards life in any Sacraments annext to it otherwise then in keeping up faith and repentance which are the termes and conditions of it Which way doest thou expect
is the same in both Gen. 17.14 Numb 9.13 God never appeared that we read for the death of any upon that account as he did for the death of Moses upon the neglect of Circumcision Reverend Mr. Cotton makes the like danger to be in the neglect of Infant-Baptisme as we may see in the Preface to his Book on that subject Thirdly To be utterly out of the Church must needs be of greater danger then to want some one Ordinance in the Church i Extra Ecclesiam nulla Salus Out of the Church there is no salvation is an old Rule which Acts 2.47 Ephes 2.12 Jer. 10.25 abundantly confirm that is without it and all right of relation to it and to be without right and to live in the neglect and despisal of it being convinced of the necessity of it are alike dangerous Fourthly No such brand can lye on the want of the one as the other none equal to that of uncircumcision can be fastened upon the want of any other priviledge But lest excusing à tanto I should be though to excuse à toto in comparing the danger I should be though to deny any danger in the want of this later I shall cease Thirdly As the Passeover in Israel both in the wildernesse The Lords Supper may occasionally be delayed and Rule 3 the Land of Canaan was sometimes discontinued and not in the time prescribed observed by reason of the Churches disorder and present unpreparednesse of the people so likewise it may haply sometimes fall out on like occasion to be thought needfull for a time to delay the Lords Supper For the disuse of the Passeover by the children of Israel in the Wildernesse more happily may be said then for the time when they were settled in Canaan seeing Circumcision at that time was also discontinued whether by special command from God or upon inevitable necessity by reason of their often removals for which the knife of Circumcision would have disabled or their sinful neglect I will not determine and yet more is said for ommission of it in that time then perhaps can fairly be defended A Reverend Divine saith He wonders why omission of the Passeover in the wildernesses is alledged for after the first celebration thereof all future celebrations were by expresse and plain command to be onely in the Land of Canaan quoting Exod. 13.4 5. with an c. Deut. 16. from ver 1. usque ad 8. and confirming it at large with the authority of Rivet inserting his words But with due reverence to men of their eminencey I may suggest also my wondrings how it can be said that by expresse and plain command all future celebrations of the Passe after the first were onely to be in the Land of Canaan seeing Numb 9.1 a famous Passeover was observed in the wildernesse of Sinai in the first moneth of the second year after they were come out of the Land of Egypt If it be said that this Passeouer in the Wildernesse was by especial command from God and otherwise should not have been observed till they came into the Land of Canaan as Ainsworth on Numb 9.1 in favour of this opinion doth indeed say The cause why God commanded them to keep the Passeover in the Wildernesse was saith he for that by the first institution they were bound to keep it when they came into the Land of Canaan and therefore without speciall warranty could not have kept it in the desert I answer That Circumcision when it was first taken up again in the Wildernesse was by especial command from God Josh 5.2 and in all probability the Passeover that then was observed with it ver 10. was by like command which doth not argue but that by vertue of the primitive institution they might have kept it neither is there any Text urged evincing any such limit to the Land of Canaan for the place quoted Deut. 16.2 5 6. verses onely looks that way Deut. 16.2 5 6. vindicated and the words are these Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God of the flock and the herd in the place in which the Lord shall choose to place his Name there thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his Name in there thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover at even at the going down of the Sun at the season that thou camest forth out â—f Egypt and there the place prohibited is not all places out of Canaan but their own gates though in Canaan And the place prescribed is not Canaan but the place wheresoever God should fix his Tabernacle upon the same account no sacrifice could have been with warranty offered in the Wildernesse but onely in Canaan there is the like reason and like Law for both Deut. 12.5 6 7. But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes to put his Name there even unto his habitation shall ye seek and thither thou shalt come and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings and your sacrifices and your tythes and heave-offerings of your hand and your vowes and your free-will offerings and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks and there ye shall eat before the Lord your God Yet we find sacrifice offered in the Wildernesse and there they did eat before the Lord as is plain Levit. 10.1 ver 16 to the end As for Exod. 12.25 13.45 where the command for celebration of the Passeover is given in charge to be observed when they came into the Land of Canaan They being to have Canaan by the gift of God for their habitation mention is made of that place where it was in all their generations to be observed and no notice taken of any such halt that they were to make in the way which their sin did afterwards occasion But it is no prohibition of it in the way thither or warranty for omission when the time was thus protracted for their arrival there having the Tabernacle with them they had their liberty for observation of it which is clear to me from Deut. 12.10 11. When ye go over Jordan and dwell in the Land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about so that ye dwell in safety then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his Name to dwell there thither shall ye bring all that I command you But before they passed Jordan while Moses was with them as you have heard they had their offerings which is further plain Numb 16.17 18 46.47 and so might have had their Passeover likewise As the Passeover was discontinued in the Wildernesse so it was also oftentimes in the Land of Canaan we read of no more Passeovers then one that was kept by Joshuah Josiah in the eighth year
eat of this bread or drink of this cup he must upon that account take care that they be so farre knowing as to do it If he must administer it for edification he should see so farre as he is able to discern whether they be in a capacity to be edified by it If this knowledg be wanting then by their own confession they are unmeet in case they be of knowledg it is easily signified and made known especially fundamental necessary principles being alone demanded Secondly Among other graces wilt not thou in this self-examination look for that grace of humility that of hungring after Christ Jesus evidenced in the love of his Ordinances If thou art wholly wanting in the grace of humility thou standest unfit for this Table God resists the proud The soul that is lift up is not right If once this be obtained then thou wilt as to thy guidance in heaven-way not be too high to obey those that are over thee in the Lord. Those speeches that we have heard of scorn and comparisons entred never came from an humble heart If thou wantest an hungring fervent affection after Christ Jesus thou then art not meet for this Table as being without a spiritual appetite If thou hast attained to it no such barres will be pleaded or spoken of to hold thee from it Hunger will break stone-walls iron-bars This is a hard weapon that will break through all obstacles For the manner some say The association of Elders in the work no warranty for absence If this were done by the Minister alone they could easily bear but others associated they do not like Ruling Lay-Elders they suppose are not of Gods institution To this I say First What do they say to all the Reformed Churches almost in the World that have that way of Discipline if thou wert a member of the Church there wouldest thou upon this account separate and leave Church-Communion Secondly What sayest thou of our Government in this Church when Bishops were in power who acted then in Government but Chancellors and Officials who were for the most part lay-persons If such could rule over a whole County perhaps three or four Counties three or four may then with the Minister have inspection into one Parish The 26 Canon required Ministers to keep back notorious offenders from the Sacrament and Canon 27. provided that he should give his reason upon complaint to the Ordinary and obey his direction This Ordinary was for the most part a Lay-person and he was set over both the Ministers and Communicants of many Congregations Thirdly In case any judge that according to Gospel-order no others should joyn with the Minister but that he should act alone in admission what prejudice is this to the Sacrament when he that is confessedly called to the work acts alone in the administration of it And in case a Minister see it expedient to crave assistance in so weighty a businesse especially where he is cast upon a large Congregation for his further information and advice where then is the evill When Ministers this way go alone then it is auricular confession shrift and whatsoever prophanenesse can devise then partiality is objected that out of spleen they put men from this Ordinance when to avoid these even by consent help is chosen that on the other hand it is such a grievance The mixture of such that are supposed unworthy no warrantly for absence that it is thought a sufficient reason of mens absence These that we have hitherto seen are extreams on the one hand There are those of an opposite party that have their Objections likewise and would come as they say to this Table in case they could meet with suitable guests there and those onely that become such a Feast such that are holy and no other but looking for others there whom God never called they resolve upon that account to keep absent I answer 1. Let these take heed lest they take too much upon them in passing sentence upon all that come to joyn in this duty and think better upon it whether that or somewhat else ought not to be there their businesse 2. Whether they go not higher then the Word of God will bear them out in the principles that they lay for the qualification of such a one that is admittible to this Supper and take heed that their great ambition be not to find out a Church in that purity and glory that Christ hath altogether denyed to be enjoyed on earth 3. Where it is that they can have hopes to go to joyn where all give evidences of regeneration and no other are received These betake themselves all their dayes to the Society of Seekers As those under the famine of the Word threatened by the Prophet shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East and shall run to and fro seeking the Word of the Lord So may these seeking a Church of their own fancying but shall find none But for more full satisfaction let these take these following Arguments into consideration Arguments evincing the lawfulnesse of communicating in mixt Congregations First There is never an approved example in all the Scripture of any one man that did separate or withdraw himself from an Ordinance which God hath enjoyned upon the account of the impurity or defilement either of him that did administer or of those that were to joyn in it It is true that it is said 1 Sam. 2.17 as the aggravation of the sin of Hophni and Phinehas the sons of Eli that men then and as appears for their sakes abhorred the offering of the Lord and therefore in all probability absented themselves from it but Elkanah and Hannah did not so as appears Chap. 1.3 7. and Mr. Hildersam Lect. 29 on John pag. 129. observes from Chap. 2.24 that it was their sin that made any such separation Secondly There are many approved Examples of the people of God to the contrary how much do we read in the Prophets of the peoples wickednesse and corruptions in the State Civill and Ecclesiastical yet which of them for that cause did make separation We see what company did resort to the house of God in Jeremy's time Jer. 7.9 10. and yet we see Jeremy ready when he had liberty to resort to it Jer. 36.5 Much was out of frame and little in due order in Christs time yet as he acknowledged that even then salvation was of the Jewes Joh. 4.22 they had then saving Ordinances among them so he held Communion with them as he religiously observed other Feasts so some have observed as we have heard that he kept four Passeovers after he appeared in publick for the work of mans Redemption Thirdly One mans sin must not keep another from a necessary enjoyned duty if one man will make himself by his prophane addresses guilty of Christs death another must not therefore forbear to shew forth his death This is such a duty and the sin of
distinguished Seal is sometimes taken properly and that is yet twofold 1. A seal sealing or making an impression and so the instrument used for that purpose is called a seal or signet so Gen. 38.18 Judah delivered to Tamar his signet Several acceptations of the word or seal so Dan. 6.17 2. A seal sealed or receiving an impression so the Letters that we send have their seales upon them when we yet keep our signet or sealing seal to make thousands of impressions so in the vision Revel 5.1 there is a book with seven seales Sometimes the word is used Metaphorically And that is also twofold 1. By way of allusion to the signet or instrument sealing and so those things that are of great esteem and highly prized are called by the name of seales or signets Jerem. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord Though Coniah the son of Jehojakim the King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence So Hag. 2.23 2. By way of allusion to the use and office of a signet or seal as making impression on things sealed that is as doing the office of such seales Here it is taken metaphorically not in a proper sense but in allusion to the use of seales not the signet it self Several uses of a seal Now the use of seales is various First For secrecy For Secrecy to keep things close so that while the seal is upon them none may look into them To that end we use to put seales on our Letters that they may not be read by any but those whom they concern so the chief Priests sealed the stone of Christs Sepulcher Matth. 27.66 To this use of a seal the Prophet alludes Isai 8.16 Bind up the testimony seal the Law among the disciples and John also in that vision Revel 5.1 I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne a book written within and on the back side sealed with seuen seales Secondly For warranty For Warranty and authority in the discharge of any businesse Haman had Ahasuerus his seal for the slaughter of the Jewes Esth 3.12 And Jezabel had the seal of Ahab to bring Naboth into question 1 King 21.8 and to this use of a seal the Lord Christ alludes where he vouches the authority of the Son of man to give life to the world Him hath God the Father sealed Joh. 6.27 Thirdly For distinction For Distinction or separation to mark out things that are to be known and distinguished from others Commodities allowed to passe have the publick Officers stamp and the Merchant puts his mark on the wares that he buyes as the Grazier on his beasts the Shepherd on his flock to distinguish them from those that belong to others To this the Apostle alludes 2 Tim. 2.19 Having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his Fourthly For security For Security to keep things inviolable and free from harm To that end Daniels prison-door was sealed Dan. 6.17 To this use of seales Solomon alludes Cant. 4.12 A garden enclosed is my sister my spouse a spring shut up a fountain sealed Water was precious in those parts therefore they shut up their Wells and sealed them that none might draw out water from them The like allusion we see in that vision Revel 7.2 3. And I saw another Angel ascending from the East having the seal of the living God and he cryed with a loud voice to the four Angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the Sea saying Hurt not the earth neither the Sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in the foreheads Fifthly For ratification For ratification and confirmation for further and more firm assurance In the grants and conveyances of men the seal is to make the title unquestionable Jer. 32.10 I subscribed the evidence and sealed it The Corinthians conversion to Christ did evidence the Apostles Call to work of an Apostle and therefore he sayes The seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9.2 We find a seal and earnest given Ephes 1.13 14. 2 Cor. 1.22 to be one and the same and the use of earnests we know is for confirmation to ratifie a Covenant or bargain what the Apostle saith of an oath for confirmation that among men it for end of all strife Heb. 6.16 the same we may say of a seal that puts an end to differences and contentions And what an oath is to a promise a seal is likewise and Gods oath added to his promise is of the same use as his seal that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we should have strong consolations Heb 6.18 yea Abraham the leading man in Covenant had from God both oath and seal added for confirmation of his promise The Apostle makes observation of his oath out of Scripture-history Heb. 6.13 14. When God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself saying Surely blessing I will blesse thee and multiplying I will multiply thee And here he makes like observation of his seal God having entred Covenant with Abraham and his seed addes this for ratification Genes 17.10 This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every manchild among you shall be circumcised which the Apostle here interprets to be both a sign and a seal He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse c. And in this respect Sacraments are called seales to ratifie and confirm all that the Covenant doth hold out and promise That which doth the office of a seal or earnest between man and man that is fitly called a seal between God and his people But Sacraments do the same Offices between God and his people as seales and earnests do between man and man seales and earnests ratifie mans Covenant Sacraments ratifie and confirm the Covenant of God and therefore Sacraments are fitly called seales But exceptions are here taken by those that do deny that Sacraments have any such office as to be for seales Objections against of Sacraments First This is the alone place where any Sacrament is called in Scripture by the name of seal This Sacrament is onely once and no other Sacrament any where ever so called And therefore it will not hence follow that Sacraments are seals Sol. Answ 1. This will conclude them to be no signes as well as it will conclude that they are no seales Circumcision is here called a sign and no other Sacrament is in any Scripture-Text called a sign yet all confesse that they are all signs They may therefore notwithstanding this objection be seales as well as signes 2. The calling of it a seal doth not make it one but onely declare it to be such Before ever the Apostle had given it these names it was both a sign and seal as well as after other Sacraments
seal and confirm in this that we have grace Answ Not to dispute the absolute Covenant in this place as many call it The Covenant to which Sacraments are annext as seales properly promises priviledges upon condition of graces and requires the graces though God in his elect ever graciously works what it is respective to grace that Sacraments do we have now heard that is to shew us our want of it and point us out the fountain of it engaging us to it and upon our making good our engagements through Grace they ratify these promised priviledges to us 7. Scriptures of two sorts are brought by those that would advance Sacraments above that which they work as signs and seales Seventhly The texts of Scripture brought by those that would raise the work of Sacraments above all that they do as signes and seales and to evince that they have an absolute work on the soul without respect had either to the understanding or faith of the receivers are of two sorts The first are such where no Sacrament at all is mentioned neither can it by any good argument be proved that Sacraments in those texts are directly intended Others are such wherein Baptisme indeed is mentioned but faith is evidently required to the attainment of the effect there specified when these two are proved a full answer is given to all the Scriptures which by the Adversaries in this behalf are objected Scriptures of the first rank are 1. Such wherein no Sacrament is mentioned nor can be proved that any is intended Titus 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration Ephes 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word 1. Cor. 6.12 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Though the thing signified in Baptisme is here evidently spoken to and some allusion may be conceived to be here made to Baptisme yet I suppose that it can by no good argument be proved that the Sacrament of Baptisme in any of these Scriptures is intended First Arguments evincing that Baptisme is not intended in the Sacramental work of it The Lords Supper may be as fairely evidenced out of Christ words John 6.53 54 55. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed as Baptisme may be evinced out of any of those texts alleadged when yet Protestant Writers unanimously conclude and severall learned Papists yield that no Sacramentall eating is there intended To clear this they say there is a meer Sacramentall eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ when the outward signs are received and no more a meer spirituall eating and drinking when Christ is applyed by faith without any Sacramentall sign and an eating and drinking both Sacramental and Spirituall when the Sacrament is received by sincere believers and the text in John is understood as they conclude of bare spiritual eating and drinking The same we may apply to washing and conclude that it is meerly spiritual washing that in these texts alleadged is understood Secondly There are the same phrases or those that are parallell with them in Old Testament-Scriptures when no Sacrament of this kind was instituted and therefore could not be intended Psal 51.7 Purge me with Hyssope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinckle cleane water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse And it must needs be that meer Spiritual and not Sacramentall washing for the reason alleadged must in these texts be understood Thirdly If outward Baptisme were there intended why should not the word Baptisme be there as in other places used when we see it is yet omitted when other words are in the stead of it industriously chosen when common washing is intended we know that the word Baptisme is frequently used as Mar. 7.8 Luk. 11.38 and so also when legall cleansing is spoken to as Heb. 9.20 And in case Baptisme it self were here purposely intended it is marvel that other words should by the Spirit of God be chose and this laid aside Fourthly This Interpreters of eminent note have seen Mr. Gataker disceptatio de Baptis Infant vi efficacia pag 51. saith It g Dubitari potest non immerito baptismine Sacramentum an interna ablutio hoc nomine eo loci designetur may justly be doubted whether the Sacrament of Baptisme or inward washing in that place of Titus 3.5 be understood then adds h Atque ego certe etiamsi ad baptismi ritum externum respectum aliquem haberi nullus negaverim de interna tamen ab lutione diserte dictum existimo quae externa illa lotione corporis designatur ut ex clausula mox sequente verba illa exponantur per lavacrum regenerationis non videtur apostolus significare baptismum sed ipsam regenerationem quam lavacro comparat Though I am not he that will deny that some respect is had in those words to the outward rite of Baptisme yet I believe that they are expressely spoken of the inward washing and that the words may be interpreted by the clause immediately following the renewing by the Holy Ghost quoting Piscator for his opinion Thes theol vol. 1. loc 25. Sect. 20. who saith By the laver of regeneration the Apostle seems not to intend baptisme but regeneration it self which he compares to a laver and also Dr. Slater on Rom. 2.25 affirming That it is doubtful whether in Titus 3.5 there be any speech of the Sacrament or onely of the blood of Christ and of the Spirit and in his words as the Reader that pleases to consult him may see he takes in Ephes 5.26 likewise Vorstius speaks most fully of all to these Texts mentioning the Argument drawn from Ephes 5. Titus 3. for the opus operatum in Sacraments he sayes Our Divines answer i Aliena testimonia citari viz. quae res quidem in Sacramentis significatas metaphorice declarant attamen de Sacramentis proprie dictis non agunt That impertinent testimonies are urged which hold forth the thing signified in Sacraments by way of metaphor but do not speak of Sacraments properly so called Antibel Tom. 3. Contro 1. Thes 1. 2. And whereas Calvin is produced by some as interpreting Titus 3.5 of outward baptisme his authority will but little help them k Non dubito quin saltem ad baptismum alludat imo facile patior de baptismo locum exponi I do not doubt saith he but that the Apostle doth at least allude to baptisme and further saith I can easily bear
some purpose so that a man might be married and poverty continued but Christ cannot be received and a state of unrighteousnesse remain It is said Receiving the persons into relation from whom we expect the benefit goes before the receiving the benefit by them which is usually the remote end and not the object of that first reception which is the condition Which may be true where person and benefit are separable but I cannot receive a woman in marriage and a wife after As an eternal increated righteousnesse is essential to Christ as God and the quality of righteousnesse connatural as man so a righteousnesse to constitute others righteous is essential to Christ qua Mediator without such a righteousnesse he is no high Priest for us and therefore his righteousnesse as Mediator was before very harshly called an accident It followes Our Divines therefore of the Assembly do perfectly define justifying faith to be receiving and resting on Christ alone for salvation as he is offere d in t Gospel And is he offered in the Gospel without a righteousnesse being offered in the Gospel as Mediatour and righteousnesse essentially necessary in a Mediatour resting on Christ we rest on righteousnesse 3. In my judgement saith he it is a meer fancy and delusion to speak of the receiving a righteousnesse that we may be justified constitutive thereby in such a sense at if the righteousnesse were first to be made ours in order of nature before our justification and then justification follow because we are righteous and so these were two things for to receive righteousnesse and to receive justification is one thing Gods justifying us and pardoning our sin and his constituting us righteous and his giving us righteousnesse is all one thing under several notions If it be granted that justification is verbum forense To receive a righteousnesse for justification is no fancy or delusion borrowed from proceeding in Courts of justice and holds out our acquittal or discharge from sentence and not making us formally just then it is no fancy or delusion to say that we receive a righteousnesse to be justified but dangerous as I think to deny it if righteousnesse and justification be one thing then that is a tautology Deut. 25.1 ye shall justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked Though it is impossible that God should condemn a just and justifie a wicked person as a man may yet righteousnesse and justification as wickednesse and condemnation differ both in God and mans proceedings And righteosnesse is not justification as wickednesse is not condemnation sure Davenant was high in this fancy and delusion when he thus entituled his 28. Chap. de justitia habituali Imputatam Christi obedientiam esse causam formalem justificationis nostrae probatur 4. Christs satisfaction or redemption saith he solvendo pretium and merit cannot be properly received by us for they are not in themselves given to us but as tropically they may be said to be given to us because the fruit of them is given us It was not to us but to God that Christ gave satisfaction and the price of our redemption And yet justifying faith doth as necessarily respect Christs satisfaction and merit as it doth our justification thereby procured It is therefore the acknowledging of this redemption satisfaction or merit and the receiving of Christ as one that hath redeemed us by satisfaction and merit and not the receiving that satisfaction or redemption our selves c. If Christ gave satisfaction to God How Christs satisfaction to God for us is receiued by us he yet gave it for us and God accounts it ours In him we have redemption through his blood Ephes 1.7 If we have it in him some way we come by it And how we come by it if we do not receive it I cannot imagine As the Sonne gives himself for our ransome to the Father So the Father gives the Sonne to us I marvell what comment will be put upon the words of the institution of the Lords Supper Take eat this is my body which is broken for you as it is broken for us so it is given to us and so of the Cup This is my blood in the New Testament shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Christ and satisfaction wrought by Christ Christ and redemption wrought by Christ are both received seeing Christ is made unto us redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and faith is our way of receipt 5. If faith shall be said saith he to be the instrument of justification eo nomine because it is the receiving of that righteousnesse whereby we are justified then it will follow that faith must also be called the instrument of our enjoying Christ eo nomine because it receiveth him and the instrument of our adoption eo nomine because it receiveth adoption and so the same act of faith which entitles us to justification doth not entitle us to any other blessing nor that act that entitles us to Christ doth entitle us to justification unlesse there be several justifying acts but every particular mercy hath a particular act as the instrument of receiving it which is no Scripture doctrine Mr. Baxter being given to understand by a friend that this is scarce intelligible he hath expressed himself with more cleernesse in a postscript in this syllogism If the apprehension of Christs righteousnesse and no other act should strictly be the justifying act of faith and that eo nomine because it is the object of that apprehension which is the matter of our justification then it would follow 1. That the apprehension of nothing else is the justifying act 2. And that we have right to every other particular mercy eo nomine because we apprehend that mercy and so our right to every particular benefit of Christ were received by a distinct act of faith But the consequent is false Therefore so is the antecedent The consequent is here twofold the first I yield but deny the second The apprehension of nothing else is the justifying act but that there needs distinct acts of faith to receive other mercies does not follow upon this principle which Mr. Baxter so far as I understand him in the following words hath proved when it lay on his hand to disprove Having mentioned several Sciptures 1 Joh. 5.12 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 1.12 he addes as a result from all So that one entire faith is the condition of our right Interest in Christ gives interest in all other priviledges to all particular benefits And he must remember that it is the first according to the tenour of the promise that gives right to all He that spared not his own Sonne but gave him for us how will he not with him give us all things Rom. 8.32 When the Prophet was to confirm Ahaz in the truth of a promise then to be made good he holds out to him the promise of the Messiah and onely that promise which would not have carried strength but that interest
for life and power and so the life that we live in the flesh is by faith in Christ Jesus So that faith I suppose may be fitly defined to be A firm assent of mind to the whole truth of God in the way that he doth reveal it with an acceptation of all that good which God confers by Christ in the way that he doth tender it I know this grace is diversly held out and is so comprehensive that the full nature of it is not easily laid open A common definition of it is that it is A resting upon Christ alone for salvation purposely given to correct their mistake that have made assurance or a full perswasion that what Christ hath done I shall enjoy in particular to be of the nature and essence of faith But though this may vertually comprize all that is required in this grace yet it is no full and explicite definition of it for unlesse the understanding give its assent that salvation is alone by Christ the will cannot rest upon him for it This assent in that definition is presupposed But it is convenient that it should be expert Other things besides salvation are received by faith from Christ but salvation is the most eminent and principall and all other as by consequent depend upon it This that I have delivered is more explicitely full not onely virtually but expresly holds out all that faith compriseth And as all of those are here as we have heard convinced of unbelief that know not those necessary truths that God hath made known and upon that account can give no assent together with those that believe even in necessary and fundamentall doctrines otherwise then God hath revealed that pick and choose in doctrines of faith assenting or denying assent at pleasure So also all those that give other things the preheminence above Christ or at least take them in in coordination with him When Christ is offered in the Gospel to the soul and men are urged by his Ministers to receive him for life and happinesse the things of the world are still ready to make tender of themselves The lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh the pride of life that is profits pleasures honours When these are hugged prosecuted and followed Christ is refused and slighted A covetous man will make sail of Christ for a piece of silver he will lay out more strength of affection to compasse earth in the way of a calling then to compasse Christ in Ordinances The man of pleasures will sell Christ for his cups for his sports for his wantonnesse the like we may say of the man of honours He that for the cause of Christ can forsake and abjure all is the onely man in whom Christ by faith makes his residence The necessary nourishment of faith Thus we have seen the two first wayes for the tryal of faith the third followes which is The means appointed for the nourishment and strength of it It cannot live unlesse in the use of means it be kept up Declensions are apt to appear in soul as well as in body He observes little about his spiritual estate that does not see his faith oftentimes apt to languish as well as his health And though we be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation yet it is in the use of means and not otherwise He therefore that lives in faith is careful in the use of means to keep faith alive The means appointed of God for this end are especially the Word Sacraments and Prayer The Word 1. The Word is food as well as seed as it plants so it waters as it begins so it perfects the work of grace When Paul left the Ephesians whom he had begotten to the faith through the Gospel he leaves them this Legacy Act. 20.32 We are born again of the immortal seed of the Word 1 Pet. 1.23 and as new born babes we must desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 No man ever knew a child live without the breast or other suitable means for nourishment Nor men of strength without answerable sustenance no more can a man in grace live without the Word of grace Our imaginations and carnal reasonings will be stirring and working and faith hath not a more deadly enemie The Word which is the sword of the Spirit must beat those down and hold them under 2 Cor. 10.5 The word of promise underproppes our faith and must be frequently heard diligently heeded or else it cannot be upheld Those therefore that prize the Word as a child the dug esteeming it with Job as their ordinary food Job 23.12 and to this end to keep life in their souls faith in their hearts here is a sign both of life and growth but when it is with men as with Israel in the wildernesse their soul loatheth this heavenly Manna as light bread having their appetite far better pleased with other things their ear being of the temper of Jeremies hearers The Word of the Lord is a reproach to them they have no delight in it Jer. 6.10 these never had faith in the power and life And all they that lose in their love to the Word lose also in their faith Many here might be convinced to be wanting in this righteousnesse upon their want of faith to intrest themselves in it 1. Those that take themselves to be above any necessity of hearing having learnt as they think so much that they may now well lay aside their teachers God vouchsafing of grace those gifts for the perfecting of the Saints having gained as they think perfection they matter no more intermedling with them If these could shew us any Scripture-Saint that ever reached to this height or ever set upon any such resolution or if they could give such experience to all that know them that they might know that they want nothing of the highest top of perfection then they said something But when the highest of Saints that we read of in the Word highly prized the Word and the more high they were the more high prize they put upon it and these that upon this pretence reject it proclaime to the vvorld many vvants in their souls even in that vvhich lyeth at the very bottome of faith and is of greatest necessity to the being of it their knovvledge being but in part in most of these very lovv and little or nothing vvhere most should be knovvn vve may vvell conclude that all this talke of perfection is vain Take tvvo persons the one of them talking and boasting of vvealth the other labouring hard in tillage or trade to gain vvealth and if you can tell whether of these the talker or the labourer is like to encrease in substance then you have determined the question whether these unruly talkers that boast of faith or those that diligently attend on Ordinances for gaining of it are more richly stored with it 2. Those that neglect to hear or
hear onely at their idle leisure judging a businesse that may be done but see little necessity of doing of it would pretend not to despise it yet put a very sleight esteem upon it Doth the child judge so of the dug Or do these judge so of their ordinary and necessary food A life of nature is kept up in the use of meanes as long as it can be patcht up if Physick be neglected so is not food The Word is food and physick for the life of grace and this is let alone 3. Those that carelesly negligently superciliously and disdainfully hear as though their businesse were not to feed but judge not to learn or be minded of any thing but onely to censure According as the way of their fancy works so the Word takes Some are pleased onely with Kickshawes like such dishes on a table that have shew without substance words that are quaint and strained not to help but to exceed their understandings Others with choyce notions onely how wholesome soever it is not worth heeding if not curious Others take up all according to the person that delivers it with children they are pleased with every thing from one hand with nothing from another Lastly Those that let go all truths as soon as they are heard There is no more heard of the Sermon when once it is done They that go to a feast will talk of the dishes and they that go to a Fair or Market will talk of the Commodities but when they go to the Congregation there is not a syllable heard of the Word after they return When meat goes out of the stomach as it comes in it neither strengtheneth nor nourisheth and the Word slipt as soon as it is heard can be no more effectual Sacraments 2. Sacraments are visible signs and seals That of Baptisme enters us into the Church visible and seals all the promises made to members on Gods terms and propositions And the Supper of the Lord is for confirmation of those that are visibly Church-members on the same terms likewise Baptisme is past in the act but still present in the use As a Souldier by oath taken and colours given was tied to his General so we are hereby tyed unto God and God is tyed unto us and hereby we know our duty and Gods promise As a lease binds to duty and assures a benefit so it is with the Sacrament of Baptisme The Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 compares it to the Ark of Noah he was there tost up and down in the deep considering his present state he might well have feared shiprack but the Ark being of Gods apointment and he put into it by Gods command he might well confide in him for safety If we look to the temptations and assaults wherewith our souls are on all hands battered we have just cause of fears but when we call to mind that we entered the Church as Noah the Ark by Baptisme and make it our businesse that conscience may answer unto what Baptisme requires what objection soever our heart makes Baptisme may raise our souls in confident assurance The Lords Supper is to the eye as the promises are to the eare Whilest we are in the body spiritual things under corporal signs are ordained for our help and strength Our Saviour tells us his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed John 6.55 And here under the signs of that which is our ordinary meat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ is tendered and as our food is offered unto us Where these Sacraments have their due esteem and men baptized in infancy do not passe by the thoughts of it in their growth but well consider their engagements and bonds that lye upon them to presse them to duty and the engagements of God for support of their faith they then make use of this ordinance to uphold faith and keep life in it in their souls when they frequent the Lords Table and conscienciously communicate for the ends for which it was instituted to be laid low in themselves to see sin aggravated and pardon tendred there is like hopes But when all thoughts of Baptisme is laid aside and the Lords Supper either neglected or prophaned these may well look that as a child through want of food so their faith upon the same account may languish Prayer 3. Prayer is the daughter of faith and also the nurse or foster-mother Faith breathes out it self in prayer and prayer obtains a more ample measure of faith to pray Lord I believe help my unbelief was the prayer of the father of the Lunatick Mark 9.24 and Lord encrease our faith was the prayer of the Apostles Luk. 17.5 When we have done all to stand prayer in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 must second This Communion with God keeps up faith in God They that make it their work to pray alwayes ever holding it up in the season of it joyning with the Congregation in publique in the family in a way more private and after Christs counsel in their closet sending forth holy ejaculations in their beds their walks and on all occasions These take care of their faith But in case that may be truly said of them which was falsly laid to the charge of Job that they restrain prayer before God Job 15.4 their faith may justly be suspected I may speak concerning this grace in the words of the Apostle these have not because they ask not these starve their faith and let it dye through want of nourishment and support We hear of Camelions that live in the ayr and Salamanders in the fire A Wonder was not long since noysed out of Germany of a Maid that lived onely on the smell of flowers An impostor lately went from place to place that fed on stones these that would passe for believers are some such Monsters Thus we have lookt into faith according to the three first rules the last followes which is the fruit that it beares or the effects that it produceth The fruits which faith bears and the effects which it produces These might be reduced into two heads First such as all faith if true produceth Secondly such as onely a strong and grown faith obtaineth But calling men to the tryal whether they be in the faith and not whether they be high and transcendent in believing I shall wave the latter and speak onely to the former These fruits which every faith which is such in truth produceth are either in the understanding or affections For that which it produceth in the understanding 1. In the Understanding take this rule Faith puts that high prize on Christ and priviledges through Christ that all earthly things are comparatively of the meanest value and most low esteem This we might make good in divers instances 1. In Moses If we read the beginning Chapters of Exodus we may there see the sad afflicted estate of the people of God in that time together with the honour to which Moses
onely one dark on the one part and bright on the other which seems more probable The first being fitly understood of the various appearances of one and the same Cloud The Cloud not ordinary but supernatural and not a variety of Clouds 2. For the nature of it or matter whereof it did consist which doubtlesse was Supernatural and extraordinary Had it been of the common nature of Clouds which is a thick moist exhalation drawn up by the heat of the Sun it could not have been of so many years durance neither could it have subsisted at all elsewhere then in the middle region of the air The reflex from the earth would soon have dissolved it 3. For the Motion of it It is plain that it followed not the motion of the heavens The motion of it guided by an Angel so it could not at any time have stood still neither was it carried at all uncertainty with the blasts of winds as ordinary Clouds are but the motion was ordered according to the good pleasure of God by the Ministery of an Angell The form of it was in appearance as a pillar Exod. 14.9 4. For the Forme of it it was in appearance as a pillar The smoke which in a calm season ascends out of Chimneys sets out the shape of it being called pillars of smoke Cant. 3.6 of no greater breadth then the tabernacle as appears Numb 9.15 Had it been of any greater breadth it had hindred the Israelites prospect and had it not been of eminent height it could not have been visible for the guidance of Israel in that distance in which many of them were often from it The Vse is that which is most considerable and that was two-fold The use of it 1. As Israels guide 1. As Israels guide as Numb 9. is fully held forth When the Cloud stood still they were to keep in their quarters and when that moved they were to march and to march that way that it led This was the constant use of it as the Psalmist Psal 98.14 observes and also the Levites on their day of Israels humiliation Neh. 9.19.2 As Israels guard 2. As Israels guard Exod. 14.19 20. It used to be in the van now it was placed in the reare It had formerly gone before them as a guide but now it stood behind them as a guard so that Egypt eagerly set upon the pursuit of them could not come near them Of this the Psalmist takes notice Psal 150.39 He spread a Cloud for a covering and a fire to give them light by night so that here God was a Sun and shield The second observable providence is Israels passage through the Sea which we find Exod. 14.21 22. Exod. 14.21 22. opened And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong East-wind all that night and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided And the children of Israel went into the midest of the sea upon the dry ground Several things observable in Israels passage through the Sea and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left With frequent Scripture-observations upon it Josh 4.23 Psal 78.13 Psal 114.3 Heb. 11.29 In Moses words we see First The Author of this great work and this is twofold 1. Principal the Lord. 2. Secondary Moses stretching out his hand upon the sign given Secondly The instrument a strong East wind imployed of God to force the waters against their natural current In which we see 1. The continuance a whole night 2. The effect that it wrought to divide the waters and to make the land dry God will keep up his agents untill his work be done 3. Israels passage They went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground 4. Their security The waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left Some have thought that there were several divisions of the sea into parts according to the several tribes of Israel but this is without ground all that we can collect is that the whole of Israel and of those that joyned themselves to them had a safe passage made them they all went out both old and young sons and daughters Exod. 10.9 and all these had a passage cut to their hand The third remarkable providence is Manna The narrative of it we may see Exod. 16.14 15. Exod. 16.14 15. opened And when the dew that lay was gone up behold upon the face of the wildernesse there lay a small round thing as small as the hoar-frost on the ground And when the children of Israel saw it they said one to another It is Manna for they wist not what it was And Moses said unto them This is the bread that the Lord hath given you to eat and mentioned in several other Scriptures Num. 11 7. Psal 78.24 Deut. 8.3 Nehem. 9.20 Joh. 6.31 49 58. Several remarkable occurrences might be observed about it which is not needful to stand upon From whence Manna hath its name It had the name from the Israelites question upon the sight of it not knowing it they said Manhu which is what is this It was given to Israel upon their complaint against Moses and Aaron that they had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt to kill them with hunger Exod. 16.3 4. And it continued with them till they came into the Land of Caanan The time that it did continue with Israel and had eaten of the old Corn of the Land Josh 5.12 Whether it were of the same kind with that which at this day in several Countries is found is much disputed but whether it were the same or in nature differing from it it was certainly miraculously provided to their hands It was miraculously provided otherwise it would have been found in that wildernesse both before and after those fourty years of Israels travels through it It was called by the name of Angels food Psal 78.23 Not that the Angles feed upon it but by reason of the excellency of it as the tongue of him that excells is called the tongue of Angels 1 Cor. 13.1 Though that which some talke of the rarity of it A fable concerning it rejected and would gather out of the Wisdom of Solomon Chap. 16.20 21. that it was fitted to every mans taste and as any did fancy so it was If any did desire to eat of an Egg that was turned into an Egg or to eat of an Hen or Lamb that was forthwith turned into such a dish and so was a figure of transubstantiation may well be reckoned amongst the Legend-tales Then the Israelites would never have complained that their soul loathed that light bread Num. 21.5 Nor had they had cause to have said as they did Num. 11.4 5 6. Who shall give us flesh to eat We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and
making good a lesser crime with high treason And whilest these add all this of their own they leave out the very whole of that which according to Scripture is essential to repentance which is a thorough change and amendment of our wayes And how they got it into their heads to thrust it among Sacraments a man might think of it even to amazement And they themselves are so confounded about it that they know not how to find any thing of a Sacrament in it Bellarmine sayes Papists agree not what that is in pennance that makes up a Sacrament that they affirm with great consent that Pennance is a Sacrament but confesses that there is difference among them to assign what in Pennance is the Sacrament here then sure is a glorious agreement And it were easie to multiply arguments against it 1. There is no outward visible sign appointed of God in this Pennance of theirs with any promise annext Arguments evincing pennance to be no Sacrament which even adversaries confesse is of necessity to the being of Sacraments Bellarmine who makes every thing to be visible that is any way sensible sayes That both confession and absolution is a visible sign in Pennance so that the words of the Pennance-taker and Pennance-doer concurre together to make a visible sign and this sign in that way visible as he can make it he onely affirms but never proves to have any Divine institution And his brethren Scotus Major Gabriel Dionys Cistersiensis deny that confession is any part of Pennance as Amesius observes and Soto denyes that absolution is any part of it 2. Repentance was in use in the Church and of equal efficacy as now when yet by their own confession it was no Sacrament viz. in the time of the Law in the time of John Baptist and of our Saviour Christ and therefore now it is no more a Sacrament then it was then 3. Baptisme is of the same use and serves for the same purpose as that which they imagine to find in their Pennance and engages to Gospel-Repentance for remission of sins And this is an undoubted confessed Sacrament and there needs not therefore any fiction of a second And the Reader may find this so at large disputed in Chamier Vorstius Amesius that I shall cease to add any more concerning it SECT VIII Extream unction no Sacrament THe third which they obtrude is Extream Vnction A rite which they administer upon mens departure out of this life as a viaticum to carry them hence And Bellarmine undertaking to make it good by reason saith It is meet that men should have support by divine providence in their departure out of the Church as they have in their entrance into it As they are saluted with a Sacrament so he would have one for their farewel likewise It is then wonder that the Jews had not one to answer Circumcision as they have novv found out one to ansvver Baptisme Providence it seems vvas then vvanting in that vvhich the Jesuite thinks meet should then have been provided The matter The matter of this Sacrament is oyl olive blest by the Bishop The form The form is in these words By this holy oyntment and his most tender mercy God forgive thee whatsoever thou hast offended by sight c. The effect The effects of it is first the healing of the body if it be found good for the soul though they never apply it till this be desperate Secondly the taking away of the remainders of sin but what sin they cannot determine The Minister The Minister of it is a Priest consequently a Bishop if he please For the subject capable of it six qualifications are required Qualifications of the person capable of extream unction 1. He must be a Christian 2. A weak one 3. One dangerously sick and weak 4. One of years with the use of reason 5. One not excommunicated 6. One that hath taken confession and absolution if he be found guilty of sin Ceremonies Ceremonies used in this Sacrament are two 1. The Letany and certain other prayers must be repeated 2. Seven parts of his body must be anointed viz. eyes ears nose mouth hands by reason of the five senses and the reins where is the seat of concupiscence and the feet upon account of the loco-motive faculty But whether all of this be essential they are loath to determine They have two onely Texts which they offer to produce to establish this Sacrament The first is Mark 6.13 And they cast out many devils and anointed with oyl many that were sick and healed them Mar. 6.13 vindicated This Bellarmine denyes to hold out any Sacrament and see also Jansenius upon the words likewise Ruardus Soto as Bellarmine tells us Bellarmine is induced to this opinion as he sayes because Luther Calvin and Chemnitius hold that the ointment Jam. 5. Mark 6. are both the same And he will make an hard adventure towards the losse of a Sacrament rather then he will joyn so far with such hereticks in opinion And this Text also together with that of James 5.13 is rejected by Cajetan as he is quoted by Chamier and Amesius It doth not appear saith he either from the words or from the effect that these words speak of the Sacramental anointing of extream unction but rather of that oyntment which the Lord Jesus instituted in the Gospel to be applyed by his disciples to the sick For the Text doth not say Is any sick to death but absolutely is any sick And the effect is the raising up of the sick And it speaks of forgivenesse of sins no otherwise then conditionally when extream unction is not given but even at the point of death And as the form of it speaks it tends directly to the pardon of sin Besides James commands that many Elders be sent for to one sick person and many for prayer Jam. 5.14 15. vindicated which is not done in extream Vnction So that when there are but two texts pretended for this Sacrament one Cardinal hath robb'd them of one and another of both Against the Sacramentality of this oyl we have these arguments 1. Sacraments are for all the covenant-people of God in general without respect had to this or that condition and this is for the sick onely 2. Sacraments are signs and seals of spiritual grace this is a sign onely of recovery from sicknesse being appointed for the sick to raise them up And whereas it is objected that pardon of sinne is here mentioned it is plain that it is onely mentioned in order to the cure of the bodily infirmity and to be obtained by prayer not wrought by the oyl The pardon of such sinne that may have brought upon the patient any such sicknesse as 2 Chron. 7.14 When the Land is under famine or pestilence there the Lord saies If my people that are called by my Name do humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
with you are God for you tell us presently that he was justified by them The Apostle indeed addes in the following words He that judgeth me is the Lord But those words have not reference to these now in hand as is plain in the context but to that which he had spoken to vers 3. With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans Judgment yea I judge not mine own self to which these words come in direct opposition But he that judgeth me is the Lord. And thus then the Apostle here argues He that must stand to the Judgment of the Lord may account it a very small thing to be judged of men But I must stand to the Judgment of the Lord Ergo. I think the Reader may find a better interpretation of this text from Mr. Ball quoted by me in this treatise which might be seconded by the authority of severall others and such as he sayth renders the text strong against Justification by works When you have expounded the words as you have done they serve to shut out all works in which Paul ever appear'd from Justification There followes such an inference that you would hardly bear with from another Can you hence prove say you that accepting Christ as a Lord is not the condition of Justification then you may prove the same of the accepting of him as a Saviour It seemes every word in a whole treatise must immediatly of it self formally prove the main thing that is in question It proves that works parallel to Abrahams offering Isaack or leaving of his Country are none such whereby men are justified It fully proves that which the next words seems to disprove I brought in by way of objection that text of James and endeavoured to give some answer to it James 2 24. vindicated James indeed saith that Abraham was Justified by works when he had offered Isaack his Son on the Altar Jam. 2.21 But either there we must understand a working faith with Pisator Paraeus and Penible and confess that Paul and James handle two distinct questions The one whether faith alone Justifies without works which he concludes in the affirmative The other what faith Justifies Whether a working faith only and not a faith that is dead and idle Or else I know not how to make sense of the Apostle who streight infers from Abrahams Justification by the offer of his Son And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse How otherwise do these aceord He was Justified by works and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith he was Justified by faith Here are many exceptions taken If James must use the term works twelve times in thirteen verses a thing not usuall as if he had fore-seen how men would question his meaning and yet for all that we must believe that by works James doth not mean works it would prove as hard a thing to understand the Scripture as the Papists would perswade us that it is Answ First it seemes the difficulty of interpretation is supposed when the word is used 12 times so near together otherwise I doubt not but your self wil confesse a necessity of interpretation of this kind which yet you would be loath to have branded with such absurdity Secondly If I durst take the liberty that others assume the doubt were easily solved and say that Paul speakes of a reall Justification James of an equivocall which interpretation would far better suit here then else where A dead faith is fit to work a dead Justification and such as carries as full resemblance to Justification in truth as a dead corps doth of a living man Thirdly were you to interpret that of David Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no man I think you would so interpret it as to make him a man and no worm But to leave Metaphors Metonymies frequent in Scripture and come to the Metonymies of this kind How frequently are such found in Scripture which inforce us to say that not to be in strict Propriety of speech what Scrippture saies is He hath made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 When yet we must say he was not made sin an entity cannot be made a non ens or meer privation He was made then an atonement for sin a sin-offering as we say a Metonymy of the Adjunct These died in faith having not received the promises Heb. 11.13 They had received the promises Rom. 9.4 It is a contradiction to say They died in the faith and had not received the promise It is taken there for the land promised a Metonymy of the Object When Herod the King heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Matth. 2.3 Jerusalem was not troubled It was alone the Inhabitants that were troubled by a Metonymy of the Subjâ—ct This is the Will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 4.4 and this was not voluntas Dei but res volita not the Will of God but the thing willed by a Metonymy of the Cause A Thousand more of these might be named which yet are as well understood as we understand each others common Language 2. Do but read say you over all the severses put working faith instead of works trie what sense you will make Answ Here is implyed that As works are taken in some of these verses So they must be taken in all If there be no Metonymy in all then there is no Metonymy in any As one so all are to be understood But if you please to consult Gomarus in his vindication of those words of Christ Matth. 23.27 Com. 1. Pag. 110.111 One and the same word is often repeated in the same verse or neer to it in a different sense Infirma est haec consequentia nititur enim falsa hypothesi quasi ejusdem verbi repetitio semper eundem sensum postularet cum contra pro circumstantiarum ratione saepe diverso sensu accipiatur quem admodum illustria ex empla demonstrant You will find frequent instances where the same word in the self same place or verse must be taken in a different sense in one properly and in the other figuratively Interpreting those words O Jerusalem Jerusalem of the heads and leaders of the people of Jerusalem there lies an objection against him that in Luk. 13.33 the words immediatly before are It cannot be that a Prophet should perish out of Jerusalem where the word Jerusalem is taken for the City it self and not for the heads and leaders of the people He answers This consequence is weak For it is built upon a false ground as though the repetition of the same word should also enforce the same sense when contrawise according to the circumstance of the place it may be taken in a different sence as many illustr ous examples make manifest Instancing in Joh. 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world
on the Sabbath Part. 2. Pag. 176. For further clearing of this point we must consider of the preceptive part of the Moral Law which alone in this place is our business to enquire after 1. As it is epitomized in the Decalogue those ten words as Moses cals them Exod. 34.28 or else us commented upon or more amply delivered in the whole Book of the Law Prophets and Scriptures of the New Testament 2. We must distinguish of the manner how the Law prescribes or commands any thing as duty which is either expresly or Synecdochically either directly or else interpretatively virtually and reductively I very well know that the Law is not in all particulars so explicitely and expresly delivered but that 1. The use and best improvement of Reason is required to know what pro hic nunc is called for at our hands for duty The Law lays down rules in affirmative precepts in an indefinite way which we must bring home by particular application discerning by general Scripture Rules with the help of reason which sometimes is not so easie to be done when it speaks to us in a way of concernment as to present practicall observation 2. That hints of providence are to be observed to know what in present is duty as to the affirmative part of the commandments of God If that man that fell among theeves between Jerusalem and Jericho had sate by the way on the green grass without an appearance of harm or present need of help the Samaritane that passed that way had not offended in case he had taken no more notice then the Priest Levite did But discerning him in that case as he then was the sixt commandment called for that which he then did as a present office of love to his neighbour according to the interpretation of this commandment given by our Saviour Mark 3.4 When the Pharisees watched him whether he would heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day He demands of them Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do evill To save life or to destroy It was not their mind that Christ should kill the man onely they would not have had him then to have cur'd him but not to cure when it is in our power according to Christ's interpretation is to kill If diligent observation be not then made the commandment may be soon transgress'd 3. Skill in Sciences and professions is to be improved by men of skill that the commandment may be kept The Samaritane powred Wine and Oyl into the Samaritans wounds knowing that to be of use to supple and refresh them Had he known any other thing more soveraign which might have been had at hand he was to have used it As skill in Medicines is to be used for preservation of mens lives so also skill in the Laws by those that are vers'd in them for the help of their neighbour in exigents concerning his estate and livelihood 4. We must listen to Gods mouth to learn when he shall be pleased at any time further to manifest his mind for the clearing of our way in any of his precepts There was a command concerning the place of publique and solemn worship Deut. 12.5 Vnto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there even to his habitation shall ye seek and thither shalt thou come Now they must depend on the mouth of God to observe what place in any of the Tribes he would choose for his habitation When God commands that all instituted worship shall be according to his prescript this is a perfect Rule implicite and virtual tying us to heed the Lord at any time more particularly discovering his will and clearing this duty to us Was not the Law of worship perfect to Abraham unless it explicitely told him that he must sacrifice his Son And if you take your self to be so acute as to set up a new Rule as you are pleased to stile it then you antiquate and abolish the old Rule and singularly gratifie the Antinomian party Two Rules will no more stand together then two Covenants In that you say a new Rule you make the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8.13 You adde moreover doth not the Scripture call Christ our Law-giver and say The Law shall go out of Zion c. Is 2.3 And was not I pray you the old Law as you are pleased to call it his Saint Paul I am sure quotes that which belongs to the preceptive part of the Moral Law and calls it the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 His Laws were delivered in the wilderness whom the people of Israel there tempted and provoked This is plain for they sinn'd against their Law-giver and from his hands they suffered And who they tempted in the wilderness see from the Apostles hand 1 Cor. 10.9 And as to your Scripture the words quoted are exegetically set down in those that follow them The Law shall go out of Zion and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Which is no more but that the name of the Lord which was then known in Judah shal be great from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof You further demand And is he not the anointed King of the Church and therefore hath legislative power For answer I desire to know what King the Church had when the old Law was before Christ came in the flesh the Kingdome was one the same the King one and the same then and now as I take it Many shall come from the East West shall sit down with Abrah Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven The Gentiles comming in at the Gospel-call are under the same King and in the same Kingdome And if all this were granted you for which you here plead it is no more then a change in some positive circumstantial Rites and what is this to our question That our righteousnesse which is imperfect according to the old Rule can be perfect according to the new when old and new in that which is naturally Moral is ever one and the same When the Law required heart-service and love with the whole heart upon spiritual ends and motives upon which account all fell short in their obedience and performance shall we say that Christ did dispense with any of this so the Rule being lower our obedience now may answer Others that make Moses and Christ two distinct Law-givers and agents for God in holding out distinct precepts give the pre-eminence to Christ and account his Law to be of more eminent perfection You on the contrary seem to make the Laws of Christ to stoop far beneath those of Moses 2. Exception 2. For Justification of your accusation of the Moral Law of imperfection you say I think the Moral Law taken either for the Law given to Adam or written in tables of stone is not a
but no man can by it be denominated righteous nisi aequivocè but he that perfectly obeyeth in degree Your concession I accept but wonder at your assertion Is not doing required in and by the Law and did John equivocate when he said He that doth righteousness is Righteous 1 John 3.7 And do you equivocate also when you put it in your title page of this piece against me Is that an equivocal honour that is given to Zachary and Elizabeth to Abel Lot Joseph Simeon and divers others in Scriptures The men of Sodom were denominated wicked upon their breach of Gods Law being sinners exceedingly And Lot is denominated Righteous upon his observation of it I said in my Treatise A perfection of sufficiency to attain ths end I willingly grant God condescending through rich grace to crown our weak obedience In this sense our imperfection hath its perfectness otherwise I must say that our inherent Righteousness is an imperfect Righteousness is an imperfect conformity to the Rule of Righteousness Here you are displeased with the ambiguity as you say of the word otherwise and tell me of a natural perfection or imperfection of which actions are capable without relation to the Rule which you confess is nothing to this business And then you adde Many a School Divine hath written Gibieuf at large that our actions are specified à fine and denominated good or evill and so perfect or imperfect à fine more especially à fine then à lege But this requires more sbutilty and acurateness for the discission then you or I in these loose disputes do shew our selves guilty of Answ If there be no more subtlety acurateness in these many School-men Gibieuf then that which you please to quote out of them and particularly out of him there is no despair but either you or I might soon render our selves guilty of as much subtlety and acurateness as they And indeed guilty is the most proper term I think that can be given to discourses of this nature Actions say they as you quote them are denominated good or evill and so perfect or imperfect à fine rather then à lege Though the Law that commands an action and the end at which the action aimes or ought to aime stand in a Diametrical opposition and the end is wholly without the cognizance of the Law Did not those Jewes in the time of the captivity transgress the Law of God when they fasted and mourned did not fast and mourn at all unto God Zach. 7.5 And did not the Pharisees break the Law when they did their almes to be seen of men and pray'd in Synagogues and Streets upon that account also that men should observe them The Law had it been heeded would have led them hgther as we may see in our Savious words Mat. 22.37 According to this doctrine a good meaning or intention will salve the worst action Saul had then performed the Commandment of the Lord as he said to Samuel when he spared the best of the Sheep and Oxen for sacrifice to the Lord God that had been a pious end if no command had prohibited it But to give Gibieuf his due I have examined his dispute De fine and there cannot find that he makes any such comparison or puts such opposition nor that he so much as mentions the Law when he speaks so much De fine as you mention I referred to Dr. Davenant De Justit habit 349. disputing against Justification by inherent Righteousness upon the account of the imperfection of it To this is replyyd Do not you observe that I affirm that which you call inherent Righteousness to he imperfect as well as Bp. Davenant Answ Why is it then that you laid so high a charge of ignorance on learned Divines calling it imperfect when you well know that they had not any such notion of a Metaphysical entity in their heads but maintained what they spake as indeed Reverend Davenant do's with that which you call a simple objection that as we are called holy by an imperfect holiness so we are called Righteous by an imperfect Righteousness They never refer their Righteousness to the Law as a Covenant You can find no way to charge them and acquit him As to this They are as learned as he and he as ignorant as they You adde Yea I say more that in reference to the Law of works our works are no true Righteousness at all Answ If you mean by the Law of works not a Rule but a Covenant I say with you That they are no such righteousnesse as will obtain the grace or avoid the penalty of it yet this reference to this Covenant cannot make imperfect righteousness simpliciter no righteousness though secundum quid or versus hoc it is such If I am bound in strict justice to pay the sum of a thousand pound and bring an hundred instead of it this is money though it is no full pay or totall discharge You say further He that saith they are no Righteousness saith as little for them as he that saith they are an imperfect Righteousness Answ The question is not who speaks more or less against this righteousness but who speaks most truth And Righteousness being as Rollock on Ephes 4.24 observes A vertue in man whereby he wils and do's those things which agree with the Law of God and as Gomarus on Mat. 3.15 defines it An obedience due to God and still joyn'd with holinesse it cannot be nothing and yet it can be no better then imperfect You say You suppose that I know that Bp. Davenant doth not onely say as much as you for the interest of works in justification but also speaks in the very same notions as you do referring me where I may find it in Davenant Answ 1. The interest of works in justification is not to our present question of the perfection or imperfection of righteousness therefore whether he be therein for you or against you it is not to this question much materiall Yet seeing you speak so confidently here to me and more fully else where that you have this Reverend Author in that point firm on your part insomuch that having qâ—oted a Century of witnesses that are as you say for you you adde If the reader would know which of these speak most my own thoughts I answer most of them if not all in a great part but Davenant most fully Confess pag. 457. It will be worth our pains to make some further enquiry And at the fi st sight the thing doubtless will appear to all your Readers that have read as Davenant as wonderfully strange If he speak your thoughts so fully how comes it to pass that you have so many adversaries as you complain of when he for ought I know amongst Protestant writers hath none at all If you speak both the same thing your Adversaries doubtlesse would be his And his work being so much more large then yours he would have found so
teachers or contradict others when they have got two or three words of Scripture Nor such as have not wit for an ordinary businesse and yet think thy can master the deepest controversies He that thinks to do this without a peircing wit as well as grace ordinarily thinks to see without eyes 2. That he be one that hath longer and more diligently and seriously exercised himself in these studies then I have done 3. That he be one more free from prejudice and partiality then I am 4. That he have more of the illumination of Gods Spirit which is the chief 5. That he have a more sanctified heart that he may not be led away by wrong ends or blinded by his vices It is not for me here to enter comparison There being but one piece of one of them in which I can speak any such priority I have been longer I think exercised in these studies which is all that I have to plead and I wish it had been with more serious diligence It is my way then to keep silence Though many may think that you are scarce serious in judging all of these to be necessary requisites in any that shall take upon them such boldness seeing you seem not to tye your self up to this Rule in your dealings with others You are pleased sometimes to say that you should have little modesty or humility if you should not think more highly of the understanding of many Reverend and Learned Brethren who dissent from you in severall points debated between you and me then of your own Yet who is it of all these that you do not charge with error Yea where is there the man almost in the world that hears not that charge from your pen More then once you charge error on Reverend Dr. Twisse Prolocutor while he lived of the late Assembly in speaking for justification of of Infidels as you call it and making it an immanent act in God warning younger Students to be wary in their Reading of him In whose behalf Mr. Jessop hath stood up as an advocate not pleading justification in his name but not guilty In which I shall not interpose My judgement in the thing is sufficiently known You charge the Assembly that set him up in that honour in like sort entring your dissent from their larger Catechism in four passages from their confession in six desiring onely indeed a liberty of expounding but in several of them you well know that your exposition was none of their meaning which you do not obscurely signifie in the different expression of your self in your dissent from them and from the Synod of Dort You charge the pious Ministry of this Nation in general out of whom that Assembly was gathered in the Preface of your Confession with error in their thoughts about Church Discipline and if information do not deceive me as full an Assembly of Learned and pious Ministers as Conveniently live for such a meeting together in any part of the Nation after a full debate of that which you charge as an error determined it against you Lastly you charge the whole reforming party of Divines with four great errors as we have seen in your Apology pag. 16. Now for a man to think that you judge your self above all these in this gradation mentioned in every one of those enumerated qualifications were indeed to challenge both your humility and modesty Your Readers then must conclude that either you were not serious in your List given in or else you take liberty to transgress your own Rules and set upon that work your self which you will not allow in others After quotation of severall passages of the Fathers with which all must vote you seem to prefer one of Austin above all contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra ecclesiam nemo pacificus Making that application of this as you have done of none of the other That in the point of faiths instrumentality and the nature of the justifying act taking in afterwards the interest of mans obedience in justication as it is consummate in judgement you are constrained upon all these three grounds to give in your dissent I can perswade none to abjure Christianity renounce reason and make a schisme in the Church as it seems you think you must do to come over to me and yeelding as cleerly enough you do that I have this little corner of the world wheresoever Protestants dwell for an hundred and fifty yeers past on my side sure you stand amazed that none of all these men in so long a space of time can either be brought to the sight of reason or to a right understanding of Scriptures or yet to returne to that unity from which they have in so foul a Schism departed These points on the two first grounds have been brought already as well as I can do it to the test In which you see my reason against yours and my sense of Scriptures against that which you have given The third onely doth remain to be enquired into and I cannot yet believe that the Church is my adversary And here you seem to put me fairly to it If you will bring say you one sound reason one word of Scripture or one approved writer of the Church yea or one Heretick or any man whatsoever for many hundred years after Christ I think I may say 1300. at least to prove that Christ as Lord or King is not the object of the justifying act of faith or that faith justifieth properly as instrument I am contented so far to lose the reputation of my reason understanding reading and memory You speak this you say because I tell you there was scarce a dissenting voyce among our Divines against me about the instrumentality of faith and if say you there cannot be brought one man that consenteth with them for 1200. or 1400. years after Christ I pray you tell me whom an humble and modest peaceable man should follow Answ For reason or Scripture I shall bring no more then I have done I think you may see both in that which I have already written The Churches testimony onely now remains to be looked after whether you or I can lay the fairer claime and here you distinguish of it 1. As it was for the first 1200 1300 1400 yeers after Christ for you name all of these Periods 2. As it hath been for 150. yeers now past The Church for one full hundred yeers at least it seems by you stood Newter viz. from 1400. to 1500. The Church for this little scantling of time viz. for 150. yeers is not denyed by you to vote with me if the Protestant party to which you joyn in communion may deserve that name But for all that space as before it was as you pretend unanimously yours at well the Orthodox as the Hereticall party in it Here for further discovering of truth two things should be enquired into 1. Whether he more worthily deserves the name of
of Tertullian Cyprian and Austine If so then the doctrine of merit in the highest way as it is now taught in the Châ—â—â—â— of Rome was delivered by the Fathers the oppositioâ—◠〈◊〉 is as notorious a novelty as this of the instrumen◠〈◊〉 â—f Faith or justifying act by you is pretended How high Aquinas is for merit as also his followers all that cast their eyes upon him may soon see And in case in this time a change intervened and a new way be introduced you were not so advised to jumble together so many ages of so different a complexion even Lombard himself was not the same man as Schoolmen that in some ages followed him 2. Whether there be any important change in the doctrine of Justification in the Church of Rome since that time that closeth up your account viz. ann 1400. to this day As I take it their doctrine is substantially the same now as it was in Aquinas his age and some time before him The Council of Trent laid down the same doctrine in this thing that their Doctors had of severall ages held And though they put upon it their sanction yet they made no sensible variation as they expresly declare themselves Sess 6. Cap. 8. And the present Church of Rome rigidly adheres to it It being therefore the same for 1400. years time as the most Antient Fathers taught yea as Christ and his Apostles delivered as afterwards you take the boldnesse to assert and the same now as it was then The doctrine of Rome in the doctrine of Justification is now the same as Christ and his Apostles left it Being faithfully kept by Fathers Schoolemen determined by the Council of Trent now maintained by Jesuites their adhaerents This is too clearly by you implied If it be indeed your thoughts that there is none or very little difference betwixt us and them in this poynt see how much you dissent from your learned friend Mr. Gataker where he tells you in his second letter of that great difference that is between us and the Papists in the Dâ—ctrine of Justification As I heare you bring in the name of reverend Mr. Ball to give honour to this that the doctrine of the Church of Rome and the Reformed Churches is one and the same or inconsiderably differing in this of Justification which you speak as you say being so informed and I believe you have heard as much For many years before his death I heard it from an eminent hand and acquainted Mr. Ball with it who with much â—xpression of trouble of Spirit that it should be so voyced disclamed if and afterwards in his Treatise of Faith not then published and his posthumus work of the 〈◊〉 â—nt hath given to the world sufficient testimony agains◠〈◊〉 â—his bâ—uit perhaps gave occasion to that which Mr. Cranâ—â— â—nconsidâ—rately vented and you have so praise-worthily vindicated and I judge it necessary that this of mine own knowledge as being an ear witnesse should be added 3. Whether the Fathers that you mention and others their contemporaries that you do not name were so distinct as might be desired in and about the word Justification and other words of concernment touching this controversie Though as to the thing it self they speak according to the Scriptures when thâ—y speak of Justification Reconcilliation Remission yet so farr as I have read find in the observation of others they too usually confound the word Justification and Sanctification together which you declare your self at least to dislike in others making it not verbum forense as you yeeld it is but rather relating to our inhaerent habituall Righteousnesse whereby we are not pronounced and acquitted as just upon the merit of Christ which otherwise they orthodoxly own but habituâ—lly so and therefore so denominated Being said to be Justified because of unjust we are made just which is the work of Sanctification and implies a reall and not a relative change such as is found in Justification And if some termes of theirs need amendment upon further inquiry into this doctrine then why not others 4. Whether it be the word only when you speak of the instrumentality of Faith or Faith in Christ quà Lord not to be the justifying act or the thing it self that you intend in that so large challenge of yours If it be the want of the words only instrument or quà Lord that you mention your charge is very low upon severall accounts 1. Words of art of this nature are seldome found in the Fathers There are few discourses in them about causes whether Efficient Finall Materiall Formall Instrumentall neither are there any so exact logicall distinctions under what notion they take that which they are upon in their writings Words of this kind were brought in by Schoolemen and little use made of them as I think before Lombards daies Protestant writers finding them in the Church are necessitated to make use of them as well that their adversaries may understand them as with their own weapons to deal with them And the Schoolemen having found another instrument in Justification viz. Baptism as appears â—y the determination of the Council of Trent Sess 6. Cap. 7. it is no marvel that when the Fathers use not the word at all that these do not so use it as it ought according to Scriptures 2. You would be I doubt not as much wanting in making proofe of the use of your own termes among the Fathers as your adversaries of theirs we may find the word instrument and the restrictive particle quà in your twenty six Fathers ascribed to Faith in Justification as oft as you can find your causa sine quâ non or as I think your conditio cum quâ We may likewise find that distinction of fides qua and fides quà which you make the generall cheat as often as you can find your distinctions already examined which Pag. 3. Sect. 1. you heap together When you challenge the words of others as novel it lies upon you to assert the antiquity of your own If it be the thing it self that you challenge as not found in any Authors in this Compasse of time I believe you will not be found so happy in your defence of this provocation as B. Jewell was in the defence of his that he published at Pauls Cross I do not doubt but many Authors in this time ascribe that office to Faith and the whole of it that the Protestant Churches make the instrumentall work and that they assigne the same specificall object of Faith in the work of Justification as is by the Reformed Churches now asserted 5. To acquaint us how many of the Fathers by you mentioned have purposely treated upon particulary spoken to this doctrine of Justification and in what part of their works this subject is by them thus handled that they that do not know it may turn and read it I have a considerable part of those that you mention though some
oppose it to works and not to other sects giving clear instances 2. They object That in the use of this particle sole the Fathers exclude all works going before Faith and Regeneration and denying only that the works of Infidels and unregenerate do justifie This Rule Franc. à Sanctae â— Clara doth produce out of Casalius but plainely enough signifies that it will not satisfie This Chemnitius also overthrowes by severall cleare testimonies out Origen and Ambrose 3. They object That by the particle sole the Fathers do exclude ceremoniall works and not all works which indeed is unworthy of answere the Law of Ceremonies being antiquated before their daies 4. Seeing none of these will hold Franc. à Sancta Clara produceth another Rule out of Aquinas Quando aliquod commune multis tribuitur specialiter alicui illud provenit aut quia in illo excellentissimè reperitur aut quia primò reperitur in Quaest de veritate Quaest 14. artic 5. ad 12. When any thing that is common to many is attributed specially to one that comes to passe either because it is most eminent or because it is first in it which Rule might serve with some reason as applyed to this purpose for answer both to Scripture-texts and testimonies of Fathers in case they only said that we are Justified by Faith But when the Scripture doth not barely give it to Faith but denies it to works and the Fathers do not only say that Faith Justifies but that Faith only Justifies and particularly exclude works this Rule therefore can do nothing here So that I conclude that Faith hath its office in Justification which other graces have not which is not by you denied And that this office is ascribed to Faith in words implying an instrumentality as in Scriptures so in the Fathers an no other office peculiar can be found for it according to your Confession therefore according to Scriptures and Fathers it Justifies as an instrument Before I go off this head let me mind you of that of Dr. Prideaux which you may find Lect. 5. de Justific Pag. 146. * Arminio minimè placuit ait ejus inter pres Corvinus quod fides dicitur instrumentalis Justificationis nostrae causa Bonâ igitur fide dic Armini pro tuo acumine qua ratione fides Justificat It did not saith he please Arminius as his interpreter Corvinus says that Faith should be called the instrumentall cause of our Justification Whereupon he addresses himself to him Tell us in good earnest O Arminius how it Justifies May not I put the same question to you He speaks for Arminius oâ—t of an Epistle of his to Hippolitus à Collibus the Palsgrave's Ambassadour The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere hoe est actum fidei dicit imputari in justitiam idque proprio sensu non Metonymicè quatenus objectum apprehendit in Ep. ad Hippolitum à Collibus principis Palatini legatum i. e. the act of Faith is imputed for Righteousnesse and that in a proper not a Metonymicall sense as it apprehends the object which he there refutes But it will not serve you to answer thus For with you works justifie and yet you confesse that Faith hath its peculiar way and prerogative which agrees not to works in Justification We must either then yeeld that it Justifies as an instrument or shut it quite out from the office of Justification or plainely confesse we know not what office it hath in this work notwithstanding Scripture speaks so much of it and still in those words which in mens common Language denote an instrument The second That Faith in Christ quâ Lord is not the Justifying act is with you as the former a notorious novelty and comes within the same Challenge And if the Contention be alone about the termes in case it be yeelded what would you be advantaged Seeing I doubt not but we may say that it was never in Terminis by the Ancients put to the question and so you in affirming that Faith in Christ quâ Lord is the Justifying act are in as notorious a novelty as we on the other hand in denying it you can no more find the one in the Ancients then your adversaries can find the other But if the question be about the thing it self I doubt not but many testimonies may be easily produced In order to which the state of the question as it is laid down between Protestants and their adversaries is to be looked into which is Whether the whole word of God be the object of Justifying Faith or the speciall promises of mercy in Christ Thus Bellarmine states it Lib. 1. de Justificatione cap. 4. and saith that the Heretiques restrain it to the promise of speciall mercy but Catholiques will have the object of Faith to be as large as the whole word of God Here Protestants yield somewhat to Bellarmine somewhat they deny They yield that the Faith which Justifies looks upon the whole word of God as its object that it believes the History of the Creation the narrative of the years of Mathusaleh the floud of Noah that it acknowledges the equity of all Gods Commands and a necessity of obedience but not as Justifying We willingly grant that Justifying Faith is an obedientiall affiance yet it is the affiance and noâ— the obedience nor yet the assent to truths formerly mentioned or the like that acts in Justification Your self say that obedience is only the modification of Faith in the first act of Justification and the reforming party of Protestant Divines say the same in the consummation of it Now that these promises of speciall mercy or the blood of Christ held out in the free promises is the speciall object of Faith in this act of Justification and that it justifies as it applies such promises and doth interest the Soul in this blood may I suppose be made good by diverse testimonies Let that of Ambrose be consulted Lib. 1. Cap. 6. de Jacobo vitâ beatâ Non habeo unde gloriari in operibus meis possum non habeo unde me jactem ideo gloriabor in Christro Non gloriabor quia justus sum sed gloriabor quia redemptus sum Gloriabor non quia vacuus peccati sum sed quia remissa sunt peccata Non gloriabor quia profui neque quia profuit mihi quisquam sed quia pro me advocatus apud patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusus est Facta est mihi culpa mea merces redemptionis per quam mihi Christus advenit Propter me Christus mortem gustavit fructuosior culpa quam innocentia Innocentia arrogantem me fecerat culpa subjectum reddidit And that of Gregory in Ezek. Hom. 7. Justus igitur advocatus noster justos nos defendet in judicio quia nos ispos cognoscimus accusamus injustos Non ergo infletibus non in actibus nostris
Page 111 Over much rigour in admission to Baptisme hinders the progress of the Gospell Page 112 The admission of some to Baptisme in prudence may be delayed Page 113 Papists expect not grace for but a convenient disposition to grace in the person to be Baptized Page 111 The restraint of right to Baptisme a breach in the Church of Christ Page 181 Baptisme a leading Church-privilege Page 161 In what sense Baptisme works what it figures Page 383 Babtisme engages to the first work of regeneration Page 369 The Bloud and Spirit of Christ are not alwayes applyed in it Page 381 Dangers attending the restraint of Baptisme to the regenerate Page 551 Baptized A man unbaptized is bound to believe in Jesus Christ for justification Page 144 The Author vindicated from a supposed assertion of the contrary ibid. Titles given by the Apostle to Baptized persons do not argue they were alwayes answered with inherent grace Page 149 Vpon what grounds Simon Magus was Baptized Page 160 c. Believers A title in Scripture not proper to the justifyed Believing What ordinarily meant by believing in the History of the Acts. Page 177 The distinction of believing Christ and believing in Christ groundless ibid. Bloud Faith in the bloud of Christ onely justifies Page 766 This assertion quit from danger Page 582 Bloud and Spirit may be distinguished but must not be divided Page 367 C. Call AN outward call asserted Page 169 Calvin Vindicated Page 118. 550 Catholick And universall in Authors use of them distinguished Page 155 Chemnitins His testimony for the instrumentality of the word and faith in justification Page 490 See Antiquity Christ The Covenant of works was without reference to Christ as Mediator Page 10 Whether the Covenant of works be made null or repealed by Christ Page 19 Faith in his bloud onely justifies Page 566 Faith hath respect to whole Christ to every part and piece of his Mediatorship Page 562 Interest in him interests us in all other privileges Page 458 Scripture speaks of receiving Christ and not of the Species of Christ onely Page 459 The healing of our nature and the removall of our guilt is his work Page 366 Faiths instrumentality in receiviug Christ being granted it 's instrumentality in justification cannot be denyed Page 441 Communication of titles between Christ and his Church Page 448. 449 Christians Vnregenerates are reall and not equivocall members of visible Churches Page 153 Humane authority vouched for it ibid. c. Christian a title in Scripture not proper to the justified Page 149 Church-Membership What gives right to it Page 201 102 Circumcision How Infants were saved before Circumcision Page 26 27 28 Severall propositions for clearing of the truth Page 24 Circumcision and Baptisme engaged to the first work of regeneration Page 369 The right of Circumcision implyed the propagation of corruption Page 368 Circumcision was no earnall badge Page 425 Cloud Whether two or onely one Cloud with Israel in the wilderness Page 521 No ordinary one but supernaturall Page 522 The motion of it guided by an Angell ibid. The form of it in appearance as a pillar ib. The use of it twofold As Israels guide Page 522 As Israels guard ibid. It was of the nature of a Sacrament Page 525 No standing Sacrament Page 526 Communicants The Lords Supper must be administred for their edification Page 199 Communication Of titles between Christ and his Church Page 448 Conclusions Desperate conclusions often inferred from right principles Page 579 Condition The great condition to which Baptisme engages is not a prerequisite to the essence and being of Baptisme Page 143 44 The Authors meaning cleered Page 145 In what sense faith is the condition of the promise of remission of sin Page 171 Actuall existence not necessary to the being of conditions in a Covenant Page 462 One and the same thing is not the condition of both parties in a Covenant Page 632 Confirmation Preferred by the Church of Rome before Baptisme Page 528 Perfects what Baptisme begins ibid. The matter of it Page 529 The form Page 529 The fruit Minister Ceremonies at consecration at administration Page 529 Arguments evincing it to be no Sacrament Page 530 The Apostles imposition of hands no proof of it Page 530 The ancient use of it degenerated Page 531 Consecration Respects not elements but participants Page 58 Whether the word which gives being to Sacraments be Consecratorium or Concionatorium ibid. Contradiction The Author acquit from any Page 447 Conversion The Lords Supper with the word as an Appendant to it may be serviceable towards Conversion Page 200 Arguments evincing it Page 200 201 c. Whether the Lords Supper may be stiled a Converting Ordinance Page 211 Explicatory propositions ibid. c. The Lords Supper doth not necessarily suppose a through conversion Page 217 Covenant Law and Covenant are not to be confounded Page 598 Keeping Covenant failing in Covenant and forfeiture of it to be distinguished Page 392 The Covenant falling Sacraments annexed fall with it Page 18 c. Where God denies his Covenant there the seal must not be granted Page 20 The Covenant people of God the adaequate subject of Sacraments Page 74 All relation to God in tendency to salvation is founded in the Covenant ibid. Interest in Sacraments is upon the account of the Covenant Page 75 c. God enters a Covenant with his people exactly and properly so called Page 79 The word Covenant asserted ibid. The thing it self asserted Page 80 in the essentials of it Page 80 81 in the solemnities Page 81 Arguments evincing a Covenant between God and man in its proper nature Page 82 Covenant and seal are commensurate Page 120 Covenant outward and inward This distinction examined Page 83 The Author vindicated in it Page 124 The outward Covenant is most properly a Covenant Page 83 c. To it belongs the definition of a Covenant ibid. It usually bears the name in Scripture Page 84 Men enjoy privileges of Ordinances and interest in Sacraments upon account of the outward Covenant Page 86 Scripture characters of men in Covenant Page 115 Covenant God Gods Covenant with his people not equivocall Page 80 Men of a visible profession timely and really not equivocally in Covenant with God Page 128 Covenant of works Passe between God and man in an immediate way without any reference to Christ as Mediatour Page 10 11 Whether this Covenant be made null or repealed by Christ Page 19 Covenant of Grace Righteousness of faith the great promise of it Page 414 Duty and condition in it are one and the same Page 641 643 It requires and accepts sincerity Page 637 Arguments evincing it vindicated Page 639 Mr. Cramdons Arguments against Mr. Br. herein answered Page 645 Covenant absolute Conditionall Arguments offered against an absolute Covenant Page 626 Faith and Repentance are mans conditions not Gods in the proper conditionall Covenant Page 626 Covenant Old and New Sacraments under the old and new Covenant one and the
same Page 25 Disciple D. A Title in Scripture not alwayes proper to the justified Page 149 Discipline Church-discipline asserted Page 266 c. Objections answered Page 268 Dogmaticall Faith Is a true Faith Page 176 Entitles to Baptisme Page 103 The Authors Arguments proving That a Dogmaticall Faith or a Faith short of justifying entitles to Baptisme uindicated Page 120 121 c 17. Arguments added for the proof of it Page 161 Arguments from humane authorities against a Dogmaticall Faith examined Page 147 Dogs Dogs and Swine what they mean Page 260 E. Eldership ALlegations for the power of an Eldership in admission to the Sacrament Page 252 These taken into consideration Page 253 Ruling Elders uindicated Page 270 c. Grotius his testimony concerning them Page 171 Election And the Couenant of grace not commensurate Page 124 Elect. Restriction of the Couenant to the the Elect regenerate confounds the Couenant the and conditions of it Page 134 Exceptions against it answsred Page 135 136 Restraint of Couenant to the regenerate denies any breach of Couenaut Page 138 Exception against it examined ibid c. Elements No continuall holiness in Sacramentall Elements Page 324 Their touch or abode makes not holy Page 325 Engagement Answer to Sacramentall engagements necessary to Saluation Page 387 Arguments euincing it Page 389 Sacraments without spirituall profit to those that liued in breach of Couenant Page 18 Sacraments are meer shadowes and empty signes where conscience answers not to the engagements Page 389 c. Sacraments are aggrauations of sin and hightnings of judgements when conscience answers not to Sacramentall engagements Page 390 When conscience answers not to Sacramentall engagements men subscribe to the equity of their own condemnation Page 391 When it is that conscience answers to Sacramentall engagements Page 392 Equivocall Men of a uisible profession really and not equiuocally in Couenant with God Page 128 Gods Couenant with his people no equiuocall Couenant Page 80 Scripture language not equiuocall Page 140. 150 Equivocation What it is Page 139 Errors Reformers uindicated from a charge of four supposed great errors Page 438 Protestants uindicated from four supposed great errors Page 452 Erroneous Persons in an incapacity to receive any benefit from the Lords Supper Page 236 c. Evidence Men in grace often want assuring evidence of grace Page 190 Grounds laid down Page 190 191 c Eunuch His Baptism enquired into Page 176 F. Faith THe alone grace that interests us in the righteousness of the Covenant Page 432 All forein reformers make not faith a full persuasion Page 439 c. Whether the act or habit of faith doth justifie Page 442 These phrases to be justified by faith and faith justifies are one and the same Page 444 Faiths instrumentality in justification asserted by Scriptures ibid. The unanimous consent of Protestant writers in it Page 445 c. There is somewhat of efficiency in mans faith for justification Page 447 How Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Page 450 Faith doth more then qualifie the subject to be a fit patient to be justified Page 460 More then a bare presence of faith is required to justification Page 468 In what sense the Gospell through faith is efficacious for justification Page 481 Christians must bring their faith to triall Page 492 The absolute necessity of faith ibid. Manifold benefits of it Page 494. c. The humbled soul the proper seat of faith Page 498 c. Faith hath its seat in the will as well as in the understanding Page 504 It is hold out in words in Scripture implying affiance trust c. ibid. Faith defined Page 505 Faith far under-values all earthly things respective to Christ Page 510 Faith is against all whatsoever is against Christ Page 512 It suffers no lust to divide from Christ ibid. Faith in Christ quâ Lord is not the justifying act Page 554 The distinction of fides quae and fides quâ asserted Page 565 566 Protestant writers guilty of no cheat in it ibid. Arguments evincing that faith in the bloud of Christ onely justifies Page 566. c. Faith dogmaticall See dogmaticall Faith justifying See justification Faiths instrumentality See instrument Fathers And Councils often too rigorous in their Rules respective to Church discipline Page 112 Queres put touching the authority of the Fathers in Controversies Page 653 c. Mr. Firmin His Appendix as to the latitude of Infant-Baptisme examined Page 94 c. The Authhor vindicated Page 95 96 His Appendix as to admission of men of yeers examined Page 104 c. Advertisments given to Mr. Br. touching his undertakings for him Page 180 Their disagreement Page 180 c. Food Ordinary and quickening food differenced Page 218 The word as well as the Sacrament is food ibid. Forum Dei Mr. Brs. distinction of Forum Dei and Forum Ecclesiae examined Page 141 Form A precise form of words not of the essence of Sacraments Page 59 G. Gesture NO one Gesture of necessary observation in receiving of the Sacrament Page 310 God His great goodness in condescension to mans weakness in institution of Sacraments Page 52 c. He is the Author of all Sacraments and Sacramentall rites Page 63 He is to prescribe in his own worship Page 65 He alone must distinguish his servants in relation from others Page 65 66 He onely gives efficacy to Sacraments Page 66 He onely can seale his promise Page 66 67 His great goodness and the tender care of Christ in condescension to our weakness Page 349 His compassion to us should move us to compassionate our selves Page 551 Gospell Sacraments lead us unto Christ in his Priestly Office Page 567 Grace Papists speak doubtfully of any work of inherent grace infused in Baptisme Page 377 Protestants deny any such infusion of grace in Baptisme Page 378 The Fathers acknowledge no such infusion of grace in Baptisme ibid. Common grace is reall Page 132 H. Heresie IN the Parent divests not the Child from Church-privileges Page 99 Holiness Covenant-holiness must not be confounded with inward holiness Page 148 149 The doctrine of Covenant-holiness more antient then Zuinglius Page 117 Calvin and Beza not the inventers though the promoters of it Page 118 Mr. Humphreys His Treatise of a free admission to the Lords Supper Page 247 I. NAtural Idiots uncapable of benefit by the Lords Supper Page 229 Ignorance Ignorant In Covenant Parents divests not the Child of Church-privileges Page 99 Grossely ignorant ones in an incapacity of benefit by the Lords Supper Page 230 Ignorance distinguished ibid. Image An Image less like the Pattern is an Image Page 612 Impenitence And unbelief in professed Christians are violations of the Covenant of grace Page 622 Arguments evincing it Page 624 c. Infants Of confederate Parents put no bar to their Baptisme Page 95 They are uncapable of benefit by the Lords Supper Page 226 The different practice of Antiquity ibid. Schoolemen divided about it ibid. The present practice of the Church of
the actually regenerate Page 189 192 Arguments evincing it ibid. c. It must be administred for the communicants edification Page 199 With the word as an appendant to it it may be serviceable towards conversion Page 200 Arguments evincing it Page 200 c. Objections answered Page 209 c. Generall charges Page 209. to 216 Particular arguments Page 216 Whether the Lords Supper may be stiled a converting ordinance Page 211 Explicatory propositions ibid. c. The Lords Supper supposeth not thorough conversion and faith justifying Page 217 Not instituted onely for justified persons Page 218 All of present incapacity to receive benefit by the Lords Supper are to be denied access to it Page 225 Scandalous persons of a vicious and profligate course of life are in an incapacity of profit by the Lords Supper Page 238 Arguments evincing it Page 239 Objections answered Page 240 Who are to judge of mens present aptitude for the Lords Supper Page 249 The judgement of the Church of England formerly concerning it ib. The judgement of the School-men ibid. The judgement of the antient Fathes Page 250 The judgement of a great party of the reformed Churches ibid. The Lords supper may be occasionally delayed Page 299 The argument borrowed from delay of the passeover vindicated ibid. Just occasions of delay instanced in Page 302 No prescript for the time frequency of observation of the Lords Supper Page 303 Directions for our guidance about it Page 304 When dispensed it may not without weighty reasons be omitted Page 306 Excuses for absence from it removed ib. The excuse of unfitness examined Page 307 The excuse of the want of a wonted Leiturgy examined Page 308 The excuse from the variation of a gesture or posture examined Page 310 The excuse from a call to give an account of knowledge examined Page 311 The excuse from mixture of such that are supposed unworthy examined ibid. See Sacraments T. Tree OF life in Paradise a Sacrament Page 9. 14 Tree of knowledge a Sacrament ibid. These Trees had somewhat that answered their name Page 12 Not by any naturall power ib. Reasons and experience making it good Page 13 Why the Tree of knowledge bears that name Page 15 16 Transubstantiation There is no such thing Page 51 Titles A communication of them between Christ and his Church Page 448 449 Titles given by the Apostle to Baptized ones do not alwayes argue that in their thoughts they were answered by inherent grace Page 149 Type Variously used Page 428 Leviticall types lead unto Christ in his Priestly office Page 566 U. Visible BAptisme and the Lords Supper privileges of the Church visible Page 187 Visibility Of interest the Churches rule in administring Sacraments Page 118.187 Extreme Unction The Matter Page 534 Form Page 534 Minister Page 534 Effects Page 534 Qualifications of the subject ib. Arguments evincing it so be no Sacrament Page 585 Unfitness For the Lords Supper no excuse for a continued neglect of it Page 307 Unregenerate Man may assent to the whole truth Page 178 W. Doctor Ward VIndicated Page 116 117 Water In Baptisme implies uncleaness with a possibility of cleansing not by our own but by anothers power Page 368 It holds out the Spirit for sanctification ib. With the bloud for pardon Page 369 Word One and the same word often repeated in the same verse or neer to it in a different sense Page 573 Word of God A necessary meanes of faiths nourishment Page 509 Works Paul excludes not onely works of merit but all works from justification Page 574 He excludes all works that we have done ib. He excludes all those works or righteousness which is inherent ib. He excludes all those works which the Law commands Page 575 He excludes all those works which any in the highest pitch of grace can attain unto ibid. FINIS A Table of those Scriptures which are occasionally cleared briefly illustrated or largely vindicated in this Treatise Genesis Chap. Verse Pag. 2 9 10 3 22 33 13 14 5 9 598 8 21 363 9 8 c. 516 Exodus Chap. Vers Pag. 12 25 301  43 44 45. 75. 78  48 49 75 13 4 5 399  21 22 521  45 301 14 19 20 521  21 22 523 16 14 15 ibid. 17 6 524 Numbers Chap. Vers Pag. 9 1. 300  15 521 11 7 523 14 14 521 20 9 524 21 17 18 525 Deuteronomie Chap. Vers Pag. 8 3 523 10 16 380 12 5 6 7 300  10 11 301 16 usque ad 8 299 300 30 6 376. 379 4 25 523  2 Chronicles  16 8 9 638 34 3 301  3 4 ibid. 35 19 ibid. Ezra Chap. Vers Pag. 6 19 301 Nehemiah Chap. Vers Pag. 9 19 521  20 523  25 524 Psalms Chap. Vers Pag. 32 7 8 352 37 25 26 30 51 5 363  7 373 54 3 363 78 13 523  15 524  23 ib.  24 523 98 14 521 105 41 524 112 2 3 30 114 7 8 524 Jeremiah Chap. Vers Pag. 9 25 379 10 25 299 11 3 4 281 23 6 449 31 32 33 84 85 33 16 449 Ezekiel Chap. Vers Pag. 12 10 204 Matthew Chap. Vers Pag. 5 48 645 6 30 590 7 6 230 9 22 486 11 28 460 13 11 12 54  39 40 49 269 15 26 260 20 29 166 24 32 269. 295 Mark Chap. Vers Pag. 4 33 54 5 34 486 6 13 534 10 14 227 16 16 170 Luke Chap. Vers Pag. 1 6 598  75 596 7 59 486 14 15 219 15 33 188 15 22 225 17 6 590 John Chap. Vers Pag. 1 4 645 2 23 220 3 5 290  5 8 10 12. 53 54 6 53 227  53 54 373  31 49 58 523 8 31 188 12 42 177 Acts. Chap. Vers Pag. 2 38 367  37 38 108  39 174  41 217  47 299 8 13 160  17 530  37 176 10 47 165 217 15 9 449 450 22 16 376. 380 Romanes Chap. Vers Pag. 2 28 128 3 25 432. 567  28 587  30 451 4 1. usque aed 12 352  3 177  11 33 35  17 218 5 9 587  8 9 567  19 365 9 4 151 7 22 594 1 Corinthians Chap. Vers Pag. 4 4 431. 575 5 11 261 6 12 372 7 14 150. 176 10 1 2 3 424  1 2 525  4 524  5 6 7 11 428  16 17 c. 48  17 358 11 28 227 12 12 4â—9  13 358 14 14 15 16 c. 199 15 34 100  56 604 2 Corinthians Chap. Vers Pag. 1 12 431  21 67 7 1 452 13 5 492  11 645 Galatians Chap. Vers Pag. 2 19 599 3 14 444  18 451 Ephesians Chap. Vers Pag. 2 12 299 3 17 444 448 4 24 592 5 26 372  32. 2. 541 c. 1 Thessalonians Chap. Vers Pag. 5 23 586 2 Thessalonians Chap. Vers Pag. 3 14 261 Titus chap. vers pag. 3 5 374. 380 Hebrews chap. vers pag. 4 2 471. 481 8 7 364 9 26 269 11 29 523 11 throughout 569 James chap. vers pag. 2 25 572. 577 5 14 15 535 536 1 Peter chap. vers pag. 1 4 17  22 452 3 20 21 353. 387  21 170 1 John chap. vers pag. 4 7 596 Revelation chap. vers pag. 22 2 10  11 592 2 7 10 FINIS
righteousnesse of faith as before was hinted in opposition to and to distinguish it from the righteousnesse of works required in the Covenant entered with man in his integrity and which the Jewes for a great part conceited they were bound to answer acccording to the letter of the precepts of the Law for the attainment of salvation That of works is called by the name of our righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 Phil. 3.18 being to be done by our selves in our own persons as also by the name of the righteousnesse of the Law being required at our hands by the Law so that salvation gained this way is of our selves of works Ephes 2.8 9. This other is called the righteousnesse of faith in this text as also Phil. 3.9 Heb. 11.7 Faith being the hand that receives it of Gods free gift by grace it is called also the righteousnsse of God Rom. 10.3 Phil. 3.9 Either as being the gift of God which that phrase seems to imply the righteousnesse which is of God by faith or else as being the work of Christ that is God So that salvation this way gained is of grace and the gift of God Ephes 2.8 These two are still opposed one to the other when one is followed the other is quit and left Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God so also Rom. 10.5 6. Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them but the righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise c. Phil. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the rigteousnesse which is of God by faith 2. This righteousnesse is synechdochically put for the whole Proposition 2 of the Covenant of grace that interests us in this righteousnesse and so it must be taken in those words of the Apostle forequoted The righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise that is the Covenant which interests us in the righteousnesse of faith speaketh this language so that Sacraments sealing this righteousnesse they seal the whole of this Covenant 3. All the blessings and priviledges following upon and following Proposition 3 from this Covenant unto true and full blessednesse are here by the like figure comprized as appears by the Apostles words v. 9. Commeth this blessednesse then upon the circumcision onely or upon the uncircumcision also For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousnesse This righteousnesse and blessednesse is made one and the same in those words of the Apostle Proposition 4 4. Christ the Mediatour of the Covenant that brings man into Covenant with God is the fountain from whence all this blessednesse comes in that by him this righteousnesse is wrought so that he is the whole of all that good that is comprized in the Covenant and sealed in the Sacraments This is plain in that of the Apostle Rom. 10.4 speaking of the error of the Jewes in going about to establish their own righteousnesse and their non-submission of themselves unto the righteousnesse of God he saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth that is finie consummans as Gomarus saith not consumens The end at which the Law aimed and not putting an end and period to it One Christ assumes to himself It becometh us to fulfil all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 The other he disclaimes Matth. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil The Law calls us to righteousnesse but is not able to work it in us Christ hath done it for us and in our stead He is therefore called our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 Jehovah our righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 so that wheresoever we prove that Christ is sealed to us in the Sacrament or any other benefit flowing from Christ as Mediatour there is a sufficient proof of this observation Proposition 5 5. Faith is here considered as an instrument receiving this righteousnesse and interesting us in this Covenant-promise They that will not allow that faith should be called an instrument of justification yet are not much troubled that it should be called an instrument that receives Christ that doth justifie And if either may be allowed as I do not doubt but that both will hold current this will hold that faith is considered here as an instrument and not as a work neither yet as an instrument of the soul producing any act beyond its self as the hand is the instrument to the soul in labour but as receiving and taking in a gift from God This the Phrase of the Apostle Phil. 3.9 doth clear The righteousness of God by faith otherwise it might be stiled the righteousnesse of works yea when the words are the righteousnesse of faith the meaning must still be the righteousnesse of works as a man when he receives pay for threshing or digging receives pay for working But these are made directly opposite one to the other and not confounded one with the other Rom. 10.5 6. Faith therefore is considered not as a work or habitual grace in the soul So considered it is a branch of our own righteousnesse but as an instrument applying Christ and interesting us in his righteousnesse These Positions being premised The Point proved the Observation may be easily proved that the righteousnesse of faith or the righteousnesse of God by faith is sealed in the Sacraments of the Covenant of grace and may be made good in an induction of particulars Circumcision the leading Sacrament of the old Covenant is expresly here spoken to and here we see what is the thing signified in it and sealed by it And in case we saw no more in it then the most carnal amongst the Jewes saw that it was a note of distinction between them and others that had no visible relation to God in Covenant yet we know that this distinction was grounded and founded in Christ By Scriptures The one stood in a visible relation to him and the other were strangers from him And the Apostle Col. 2.11 12. is full in the proof of it Having said that we are compleat in Christ enjoying him we want nothing it might be objected that we want the very leading Ordinance which receives a people into visible Communion with God which was Circumcision The Apostle answers that in him we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ This Circumcision did figure Deut. 30.6 Jer. 9.26 Rom. 2.28 29. And this is the work of Christ as we see in the Apostles words and therefore circumcision led to him For the following Sacrament of the Passeover if we look to the letter of the institution together with the explication given we shall find it
a memorial of a temporal mercy It is the Lords Passeover Exod. 12.11 that is a memorial that the Lord passed over them when he smote the Land of Egypt v. 13. But this is no concluding Argument that it sealed not Christ or the righteousnesse of Christ by faith as may God willing be made to appear when we shall have occasion to speak of the Cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt the Sea that they passed through and Manna and the rock whereof they ate and drank This deliverance celebrated in the Passeover was in and through Christ as is gathered from the blood that was to be struck on the two side-posts and on the upper door-post of their houses Exod. 12.7 But most clearly from the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.9 He there sayes they tempted Christ but they tempted him from whom they had defence and present deliverance And therefore the Apostle expresly calls the Paschal Lamb by the Name of Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us And John Baptist had respect to it as well as to other Sacrifices of the Law when pointing out Christ he said Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 This is so clear in the Sacraments of the New Testament Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord that proofs do not need By Reasons And the Reasons of it are clear Reason 1 First Sacraments are for power against sin and pardon of sin as appears by those frequent Texts produced for the working power of Sacraments which need not to be repeated But by Christ we have power against sin Without him we can do nothing Joh. 15.5 We can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth Phil. 4.13 In him we have the Circumcision made without hands which is the putting away the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 By Christ we have pardon of sin God hath set him forth a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Christ then is signified and sealed in the Sacraments Reason 2 Secondly Sacraments are for salvation that is their end in common with all other Church-Ordinances whatsoever Baptisme saves 1 Pet. 3.21 But salvation is through Christ He is the Authour of eternal salvation Heb. 5.9 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Reason 3 Thirdly Sacraments lead to the Covenant and confirm by way of seal all whatsoever that there in word is made over This is done in all seals which serve for ratification of grants When you see a seal you must find the use and latitude of it in the Covenant so it is in Sacramental seals God entering Covenant with Abraham to be his God and the God of his seed which was a Covenant for true blessednesse Matth. 22.31 32. Circumcision was instituted for confirmation of it and put as we see in the Text as a seal to it When Christ had promised his flesh for meat and his blood for drink being to leave the world he iustituted signs for memorial which are seals of it With this explanation or comment of his own upon them This is my body which is given for you this Cup is the New Testament in my blood And that Christ is the great Promise for blessednesse in the Covenant and that in him all Covenant-promises are made good needs not to be proved Christ therefore is sealed in the Sacraments 1. This we are so to understand The doctrine by rules explained that as all happinesse and true blessednesse is comprized under the righteousnesse of Faith even all that the Apostle looked after and made his ambition to compasse in lieu of all those priviledges which he once had Rule 1 made and false teachers his adversaries still did make matter of their glory Phil. 3.8 9. so every Sacrament that is a seal of this righteousnesse of faith seales all whatsoever is given of God in Covenant to his people If there be thousands of things made over in any grant one seal is the confirmation of all and though the seales be many as Amesius observes yet all that is passed in Covenant is made good in each Our Justification Adoption Perseverance Glorification and whatsoever else in order to these or any of these a people upright in Covenant may expect from the hand of God is under seal in every Sacrament confirm'd unto them So that whatsoever it is that the Word promiseth that the Sacraments by way of seal ratifie and confirm unto us Abraham had this righteousnesse of Faith revealed to him by promise the Gospel being preached to him Gal. 3.8 He had also the Land of Canaan given in promise as a special gift to his posteriry This was now confirm'd also to him in his Circumcision The righteousnesse of faith was as the marrow and substance of the gift and therefore the Apostle puts it into his definition yet the gift of the Land of Canaan which was onely an adjunct annexed as Chamier observes is confirmed with it Every baptized man hath the righteousnesse of Faith in Promise and ratified to him in Baptisme and whatsoever else is made over in promise by reason of any special calling or relation which is of God is confirm'd in Baptisme likewise When we are put of God into any way we have his promise Psal 91.11 to be kept in that way This promise is assured and confirmed in Baptisme Ministers are called of God and commissioned for their work in which we know they have many and large promises all of these in their Baptisme are confirmed to them Rule 2 2. Sacraments seal these blessings not onely universally and in the bulk but with particular application to every one that doth partake of them The Word holding this out indefinitely unto us that he that hath the Son hath life and that unto whom God gives his Son with him he gives all things that eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ believers have eternal life here a particular tender is made of his body and blood in these visible Elements of water and of bread and wine The water is passively received in Baptisme the bread and wine actually taken eaten and drunk in the Lords Supper In either whole Christ and the whole of all the benefits of Christ is tendred and to be received So that what miracles extraordinarily were to particular promises as we read in Scriptures for the confirmation of those that beheld them and for whose sake they were wrought that Sacraments ordinarily are and serve for as to true blisse and eternal happinesse This Bellarmine lib. 1. de Sacram. in gen cap. 24. charges on his adversaries quoting Melancton and Luther for it and we are content willingly to own it and among many others which he charges as errours he sayes this is the chief and diligently to be refuted therefore he