THE BAR to Free Admission TO THE LORDS-SVPPER REMOVED OR A Vindication of Mr. Humfreys Free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Wherein the most materiall Exceptions and Objections of Doctor Drake against it in his Book called A Bar to Free Admission c. are taken off and answered Whereunto is annexed an expostulatory Speech unto them of the Congregationall way And also an Examination of the Book called A Scripture Rail to the Communion Table by some Ministers in Glocester shire By JOHN TIMSON a private Christian of Great Bowden in Leicester-shire JOH 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you London Printed by E. Cotes and are to be sold by Will. Tompson Book-seller in Harborough 1654. To the Reader COURTEOUS READER I Am necessitated not only to give thee some advertisement concerning the following discourse but also to make some Apologie for my self in this my so bold undertaking as this will be thought to be and that perhaps even by some truly godly sober Christians and reverend Ministers of the Gospel to whom it may seem unfit that such a one as I should interpose in this Controversie concerning Admission to the Lords Supper and that I should undertake to make answer to a Reverend Doctor about these things And therefore let me intreat thy patience though I seem somewhat tedious in this Epistle by reason of the length of it I trust it will not be impertinent nor unprofitable but helping to the following discourse to free my self from blame and to help thee in the right understanding of what thou shalt read and of my end and aime therein The truth is these few sheets were not at first intended for publique view but only to be sent privately to the reverend Doctor that by the answer which I hoped he would return my self and some friends of mine might receive some satisfaction but through the importunity of some others to whom I imparted my thoughts herein I am now overcome perswaded to make them publique but with great disadvantage not having time to perfect and amplifie things sutable to so different an end from what I first intended And I confesse I have not so heedfully kept to the Doctors expressions nor writen arguments with that latitude or fulnesse nor kept to his method orderly as he goes on in answering Mr. Humfrey as I should and would have done if my intent at first had been to appear in publique But yet I have been as carefull as I could in taking his sense and have not omitted any thing of moment which I had occasion to insert and answer in my own method and way which I propounded to my self at first And for Mr. Humfreys arguments I have made but little use of them more out of haste then out of any dissenting from him and chusing rather to adde to what he hath asserted and strongly evinced then to repeat his own because I have an earnest desire that this controversie may be better sifted and more throughly searched into it being of greater concernment then most even of those that are godly have or do judge it to be for the ending of the present distractions and divisions in this unsetled Church Our being dissatisfied about Sacramental communion hath been the great occasion and instrumentall cause of our confusions and disorders tending to the Churches destruction If satisfaction can but be given in the warrant of free Admissions I conceive the only instrumentall cause of the Churches unsetlednesse will be removed and nothing will much hinder the falling in of Presbyterians and Independents into one way of communion and discipline especially the orthodox party of both And as for those that deny our Baptisme Church and Ministry as Antichristian there is little hope of gaining their return I desire it may be put to some solemn and serious debate impartially For although the principles committed to consideration in the ensuing discourse be somewhat against the common stream yet I have some hope they may be a means to discover some common mistakes with such glimmering of rationall and Scripture light as better heads may make to shine more bright in the Christian world I look to be censured for this my presumption in dissenting from the common interpretations of severall Scriptures and asserting some things against the judgement of many or most Divines and godly Christians who will be ready to object against me and charge me with a fault herein against which give me leave to make some defence First by confessing that this very thing of dissenting from so many learned and godly hath been a greater barre in my way then any ground of Scripture or strength of argument I ever heard or have seen from any godly man And were the Church in a well ordered setled state I had rather chosen in some lesser things to erre with the Church then dare to do any thing that mâ—ght break the peace and order of the same But in an unsetled disorderly condition of the Church as it is now with us all things in the Church being now upon the brinck of confusion and ruine it concerns even every private member to shew himself and to contribute his mite toward the conservation of the whole In vain do we look to have the effects and consequences our divisions breakings and separations to cease while the most sober and godly nourish them in their rise and cause The same principles maintained by the godly in the Bishops times would as necessarily have run us into the same separations and divisions had not the severity of discipline put a restraint to our excesse from the same or like mistakes Secondly I deny that this free admission pleaded for is altogether novell or a new thing For did not our first reformers maintain a free Admission nay command a generall observance of the Supper of the Lord three times in the year at least under some punishment to be inflicted for unnecessary neglect grounded I conceive from the equity of the Law of the Passeover Numb 9. and the command of Jesus Christ Do this in remembrance of me And will any say that our first reformers were not godly and learned men It 's true they urged it not till Church members were of years of discretion and not under Church censure and required that all should learn the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandements c. which would be now easily yeelded to in order to the Sacrament Thirdly do not Protestant godly writers in all reformed Churches maintain infant Baptisme upon Covenant relation in that the children of Christians by birth priviledge are really members of the Church and so esteemed to be as truly as those that by nature are aliens and admitted upon their profession of faith And is not there the same reason for the injoyment of the other Sacrament of the Supper being of years and already admitted members should not these have as much priviledge as those that come in
pleading thy right during thy priviledge of positive Church membership And in the last place I shall in all humility offer a few words to the reverend Ministers of God as a means to quench the present flames that are in the Church of Christ in England First let me beseech you not to urge upon your people any practise under necessity of duties of worship either publique or private that is not evidently commanded or at least deducted from the clear and genuine sense of holy Scripture by necessary consequence Secondly labour so to agree among your selves in the main essentials of Doctrine Worship and Discipline that in every place there may be a preaching and holding forth of the same things in all Thirdly condescend to the meanest of your people with an equall respect in all your ministeriall administrations both publique and private that none may be discouraged nor any indulged in an evill way Fourthly be as watchfull of those that are inclined to an inordinate zeal in the smaller matters of Religion as of those that expresse but little zeal at all in Gods worship Fifthly allow the worst of your people the title of Christians beleevers members and allow them all other externall priviledges which of right are theirs in regard of their relative state as they are such yet deal faithfully with them as touching their reall state in order to their eternall weal or woe Sixthly decline as much as may be novelty and variety in profession catechismes and all essentials of publique worship that your people may more willingly adhere to you and give you the greater advantage to advance the Christian Religion among them Lastly What in you lies restore with the spirit of meeknesse in your private admonitions weak brethren that through infirmity fall do not exasperate any w th pulpit invections unlesse it be in case of known obstinacy But I shall leave all to your charitable construction and sober apprehension of what I do here offer to your consideration I am a poor worm and look to be despised for medling with things out of my spheare but I see it 's the common lot of the most learned in these times to be reproached and therefore I shall the better bear it though for this my vindicating of Mr. Humfrey from reproach I be the more reproached I am sorry his principles be not vindicated from the reverend Doctors exceptions and objections by a better pen then his Who is thy humble servant breathing after the simplicity of truth John Timson The Barre to free Admission to the LORDS SVPPER removed MEEting with a Book called A Barre to free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper written by Doctor Drake in answer to Mr. Humphrey and having diligently read both I finde that even good men are too apt to reprove one another in things controverted betwixt them which ought not so to be As for Mr. Humphreys vindication of free admission as he states bounds and handles it it seems to me more rationall and clear then to deserve so many harsh expressions from the reverend Doctor as he hath let slip whether in haste or more deliberately I leave to himself to consider Sure I am some words might better have been spared then so published in print to the world it being not yet determined whether Mr. Humphreys discourse be untrue or no though disputable with the Doctor it seems whether it be more full of words or untruthes which is very uncharitable and unbrotherly dealing but I forbear Both the reverend Doctor and Mr. Humprey are Gentlemen I am altogether unacquainted with whose gifts learned abilities I yet much reverence and wish this poor distracted Church may never want such officers to rule and feed her in the Lord as the meanest of them be It 's an unhappy controversie I confesse and little cause there is to take content in these debates yet as times are it hath need of scanning and sifting because much of the unity and welbeing of the nationall Church depends upon the right stating and clearing of this Question our doubts and scruples concerning the holy Supper having upon the matter unsetled all Some mistakes about admission thereto have run thousands into faction schisme and separation under a zeal of separating the Precious from the Vile of withholding the childrens bread from dogs of preserving the Ordinances pure c. The premises are good conducing much to reformation were they not misapplyed in respect of persons and in respect of the right way and means of putting them in execution as things now stand as I beleeve it will appear they are by this following discourse wherein I shall endevour to vindicate that little Tract of Mr. Humphrey from the Doctors unbrotherly dealing with him according to my measure and meannesse Not that I intend an orderly and exact reply to every particular which neither my capacity nor occasions of my laborious calling will bear but to undermine his chiefest strength passing by the rest And first of all for the Text which Mr. Humphrey delivers his discourse upon though he may be thought not so happy in his choice of it in order to what he insisteth on as having rather a sound then a true and full sense of the question and point concluded yet I doubt not but the discourse will as to the substance thereof be warranted by other Scriptures And for Judas his receiving or not receiving I look not upon it as clearly argumentative one way or other Neither do I think that first president without the supply of other Scriptures would make much for or against us in this matter they being Apostles only that then received whose office in the Church is now ceased In short I shall not go about to defend every quotation or assertion in Mr. H. Book nor to clear him from some inconsistences pointed out by the reverend Doctor it 's sufficient that he hath made good the main thing asserted namely That all Church members of years and under Church indulgence not rightly excommunicated may come freely to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper His free Admission is limited with exceptions of infants distracted the excommunicated and he might say the drunk Now the Doctor saith That by the same reason that he excepts these we may may except the grosly ignorant and scandalous in the Church Concerning which this twofold inquiry is made 1. Whether Church members of years having the exercise of reason being ignorant be as uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or distraught 2. Whether scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated To the former of these the Doctor saith That the grosly ignorant are as uncapable to examine themselves and discerne the Lords body as Infants and therefore as justly to be excepted against nay more because Infants and distraught may have the grace of the covenant really the other not To which I answer what the secret working of the
practise of the Greek Churches urged I say what is that to us when it is not agreeable to the practise of the first Apostolicall Church of Christ For upon the like ground on which they made four degrees of excommunication they might have brought in ten And therefore not so much their practise as the ground thereof is to be regarded in this point But then the Doctor addes That if this admitting of the excommunicated to be present at all ordinances be an error it is out of indulgence and an errour on the right hand for whereas he excludes from one ordinance he might exclude from all according to Mr. H. tenent c. 1. To this I answer right hand errours are evill as well as left and to be taken heed of and therefore not to be pleaded for but to be reformed 2. Suspension from the Sacrament only is no legall censure 1. Because it hath no ground nor footing in the Word 2. Because it is the same with excommunication according to the Doctors own principles and practise For he allowes presence at all the ordinances in the Church in both and his proceedings in order to both are the same And he and the rest of his opinion and way not coming up to the true nature of Church censures do as much as in them lies hinder the end of censures which is that the persons censured may either be ashamed and penitent and so return to Christian obedience or else renounce their profession and turn Apostates Thus I humbly conceive Mr. H. tenent is no bloudy tenent but a most mercifull way and means set up in the Church and left to be used as the last remedy for the cure of the most desperate souls And not to use this remedy according to its nature and true intent of Christ therein is to deprive the obstinate offendor of the only means left of his amendment and salvation and so is indeed far from being an errour on the right hand And yet by the way to expresse my thoughts a little further I hold that all unnecessarily friendly familiarity with scandalous disorderly brethren that sin out of wilfulnesse whether they be under Church induigence triall or censure is to be declined according to that 1 Cor. 5.10 11. which sense I humbly conceive comes neerer the meaning of the place then to understand it of or to inferre therefrom a suspension from the Sacrament The last thing that I shall speak to is the Doctors exceptions against some of Mr. H. quotations of Scripture concerning which I say let him but allow Mr. H. the same liberty he takes himself in some of his own quotations and then he will have little cause to finde fault for his impertinent allegations of Scripture I have given account of some of the Doctors already I shall here take notice of two or three more 1. He urges many texts of Scripture to prove that some in the Old Testament were debarred the priviledges of worship for morall uncleannesse but his proofs in that fal short of what they are brought to prove being in cases that will not serve his turn For such persons in the Jewish Church came under the censure of the Judicial Laws which were very severe against such offenders and there is nothing exprest in Moses or the Prophets that I know of in reference to excommunication And in that Church the porters charge concerning uncleannesse is to be understood of ceremoniall and Gentile uncleannesse Again for that Tit. 1.15 brought by the Doctor to prove that some in the Church not excommunicated were unclean I deny that those the Apostle there speaks of were of the Christian Church Let him consult with the tenth verse and he may easily see the Apostle means those vain talkers and deceivers that were especially of the circumcision they professe they know God as other unbeleeving Jewes did but in their works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate vers 16. They were either such as never were of the Christian Church or if they were once of it yet now were revolted and become Apostates by their horrid opinions and abominable impieties And then what is this to members of a Christian Church professing Christianity Again for Church examination in order to the Sacrament the Doctor alledges 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear having a good conscience c. The scope of the place is to shew what a Christians duty is when they are apprehended and under the terrour of persecuting adversaries which duty is to be so far from being affrighted from their Christian profession that in such case they should be alwaies ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them with meeknesse and fear c. And the Apostle urges them to this duty of constancy from a great incouragement If you suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye vers 14. Now how impertinent is this place for Church examination or examination by the Pastour or Elders before admittance to the Sacrament If such kinde of proofs be sufficient to warrant that practise of examination and suspension from the ordinance for neglect of it men may prove any thing they have a minde to and make every fancy of their own a necessary duty and so make void the necessary Lawes of God by their traditions I shal instance in one quotation more and then I have done and it is 2 Pet. 3.5 For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the heavens were of old c. This the Doctor quotes to prove that grosse ignorance in Church members is a scandalous sin for which the Church may proceed to censure them and to suspend them from the Sacrament but sure this is not very pertinent to his purpose as will easily appear if he consult with the Context This second Epistle was written to stir up their pure mindes by way of remembrance that they might be mindfull of the words spoken before by the holy Prophets c. and to arme them against those Scoffers that should come in the last daies 2 Pet. 3.1 2 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last daies scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying Where is the promise of his coming c. Scoffers at the Promise which notes the highest degree of defection from and renouncing of piety so Psal 1.1 of the three degrees of ungodly men the scoffers or scorners is the last as being the worst And by these are meant such as fell off and joined their selves with the persecuting Jewes complying with them and falling into all the villany in the world exprest here by walking after their own lusts that is going on habitually as in a constant course doing whatsoever seemed right in their own eyes without any restraint of law of nature of Christ c. In the
and Church priviledges and be incouraged unto Church communion in all the waies of Christ that so they may come under Church discipline the best remedy to reclaim the obstinate and wilfull offenders 6. I wish the gifted brethren were better imployed then in unchurching our Churches and gathering Churches out of them it were a work more proper and acceptable either to be content to exercise their gifts to the edifying and building up of that Church in which they received them or else to goe into the infidell world as the Apostles did and preach the Gospel and plant Churches there The Scripture Raile Examined REader since I parted with what I had written in answer to Doctor Drake in the foregoing discourse there came to my hand Mr. Humfreys Rejoyner in vindication of himself a work very well performed by him wherein the truth formerly by him asserted is better cleared and confirmed to the satisfaction of many souls fearing God and breathing forth their earnest desires after the settlement reformation and uniformity of the Church of God in England according to the Word of God Be not prejudiced against his book by other learned men who have and still do appear with much bitternesse and passion against him more to affright with words and humane dictates meerly then with matter of grounded truth according to the sense of the holy Scripture witnesse that book put forth by some Ministers of Glocester-shire intituled A Scripture Raile to the Communion Table I confesse the title is good for we do acknowledge there ought to be such a thing but not in their sense as I hope shall appear by the discovery made in this short discourse following in which I shall wave what hath been already written in answer to D. Drake by Mr. Humfrey and my self and take notice only of some things in the Scripture Raile which have not yet been spoken to that I know of And this I shall do as briefly as I can because I would not anticipate him whom it doth more nearly concern And first of all because I would not leave the weak and incautelous Reader deceived with vain and groundlesse words in reading this Scripture Raile let this be noted that I take Scripture discipline to be the only Rail for the Communion Table which I hope both the Author reproached and my self earnestly desire may be set up and all our indevours tend as conducible means to that end as being assured that the first stone in the building of the reformation as to our case is holy discipline And whether their principles or ours tend most to that I hope to make appear to sober and unprejudiced Christians And the way I shall take shall be to discover some of these Gentlemens unbrotherly dealings with Mr. Humfrey first in perverting his sense Secondly in setting up a Raile to the Lords Table by perverting Scripture and so making that Raile to be a pretended discipline meerly 1. They have damned and censured his Book to be an ungodly pamphlet in which is a masse of perverting Scriptures tending to destroy all Church reformation little better then carnall and profane reasoning sophistry a heterodox piece abomination a vile piece with divers other such hard censures language enough to affright any from ever looking into it that have any care of their souls to avoid their own destruction in complying with that soul damning practise of maintaining mixt communion as they call it I must confesse these men seem very confident in reproaching and censuring both the Book and the man but in this their indeavour to make it thus vile and odious to the world they have not the least evidence of truth or strength of reason to evince it that I can finde in their Book And it will so appear if you minde what is Mr. H. scope and end in his discourse and what are the principles upon which it is founded As 1. That the visible Church of Christ consists of men making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and so are Saints by calling what ever they are in truth while they so professe and adhere to the true worship the means and matter of which are hearing the word receiving the Sacrament and prayer and of these many are called and few are chosen 2. That all of these of years come under the obligation of Christs commands and are bound to do their duty homage to Christ their Lord as well as they can according to Mat. 28.19 20. 3. That all such ought to submit to Church discipline and not to be excluded from any observance nor denyed any Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and debarred by vertue of positive excommunication 4. That Ministers by vertue of their function and office may lawfully administer the Sacraments to Church members though they be ignorant and scandalous he doing his duty as well as he may in preparing them in the want of Church discipline These I dare boldly affirme are the main things asserted in that little despised piece which with a sober spirit the Author hath soberly discussed and cleared from the common exceptions made against it by men of different mindes for which his pains first and last I verily beleeve the Church of God in England have great cause to be thankfull to the Lord of the harvest for sending such a faithfull plain-hearted labourer amongst us the sweet temperature of his spirit so adorned with wisdome charity and such a peaceable frame bespeaks him taught of God the true sense of his will in his holy Scriptures rather then his reproachers 1. Touching the visible Church what evill hath he done in asserting it to consist of men making a profession of faith in Christ Wherein doth he dissent from the most orthodox writers in all ages in judging the Church of England a true Church It is confessed by the adversaries and also that a parochiall congregation where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred according to order being a part of the whole is a true Church likewise And this is also confessed by these Gentlemen for they grant that our parochiall Churches are true Churches in a large sense and that is enough as to this and so I hope there is no evill in this first position 2. For the next thing by him asserted namely that all of years in a parish being baptized come under the obligation of all Christs commands it is proved by the text before cited Mat. 28.19 20. And that in order to the Lords Supper Do this in remembrance of me is a known duty belonging to every particular member of the Church in common with all other parts of the worship and service of God And is it then profane reasoning to urge Church members to do their duty and homage in this particular more then in all others To this these Gentlemen have said but little that I can finde to take off what is urged by Mr. H. As for that of the Passeover Mr. H.
it consisted wholly of them for they undertook to cast out of the Synagogue Joh. 9. 12. And when Saul breathed out threatnings against the Saints in zeal of reducing them to the Church from which they were departed and seduced as he thought he went to the chief Priests and all the estate of the Elders for his commission and he received anthority from them to bring both men and women unto Jerusalem to be punished Act. 22.15 And that estate of Elders in the originall is called a Presbytery which also shewes that it was made up of chief Officers of the Church called Presbyters some of which were chief Priests the other Pharisees and some subordinate Presbyters were joyned with them to make up that assembly having authority to judge of manners according to the Lawes of God however upon mistake they punished the true professors of the Christian Religion yet not under the notion of professors of the true Religion but out of zeal to reduce the beleeving Jewes to conformity to the old administration as judging it still in force as it was delivered by Moses If any make question whether this Presbytery according to the Text were the Church to whom complaint was to be made concerning stubborn offenders I answer that Councell or Presbytery was made up of the chief Officers of the whole Church and so the Church representative on whom alone all the authority of the Church was involved for the punishing of sin and preserving the peace of the whole And for the word Church they that are acquainted with the Original language know it is used for any assembly or congregation called together whether to civill or sacred ends and so these Elders and Rulers of the Jewes assembled together for the ends aforesaid are not unproperly called a Church And for the latter thing propounded before namely that the Christian Churches in after ages are to proceed by the same rule and in the same order the Church of the Jewes then did that is to say by a Presbytery seems to me very probable For first of all there were in use in the Christian Church in reference to the rule and government thereof the same names that were in the Church of the Jewes which is a sign that there was the same thing Saint Paul who was well acquainted with the nature of the Presbytery at Jerusalem from whom he received authority to trouble the beleeving Jewes cals an assembly of Elders or Church officers a Presbytery of which what better reason may be conceived then this the resemblance that was between this Eldership and the great Councel in the Church of the Jewes It is clear the Apostles themselves did order all things in the Church ordained Elders and authorized them in the Name of Christ to ordain others c. And they were as much Rulers and Officers over the Catholick Church as the chief Priests and Elders were to the Jewes And hence in the Apostolical Churches Ordination of Ministers was derived from them that were Officers to the whole Church and in a most immediate manner by Jesus Christ were constituted so to be which makes me inclinable to beleeve that those still that are ordained Officers for the good and benefit of the whole should be ordained by such a Presbytery that are intrusted with that power by the Officers of the whole as much as may be So farre am I from consenting to these men that take it for granted that the common members of a particular society may chuse and install their own officers Now what is there in all this for that pretended way of discipline which these Gentlemen commend to their reader here is not the least warrant for any to separate from the Church or withdraw for all is one nor for the people to rule and chuse their own Officers nor for imposing a Church Covenant explicitly to be professed in the congregation and those that will not come up to this and such like termes must not be admitted unto Sacramentall communion Nor is here any warrant for sentencing Church members before a regular triall nay here is no warrant for any single Minister to set up discipline over his people without the consent and conjunction of the reverent brethren of the Ministry with them The key of discipline is not at all in one alone but rather in the whole together A word more on that Scripture as it is directed to the Apostles vers 18 19 20. and so in them to the officers of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world Verily saith our Saviour there if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them These words seem to have reference unto what was spoken before concerning the authority of the Jewes Church Officers and our Saviour would have his Apostles to know that though their authority may seem to the world yea and to themselves to be weak and contemptible in respect of that great bench of Elders generally submitted unto by the Jewes yet they should have as great authority to binde and loose as the other nay two of them by the authority given them by the Lord of the Church should be equivalent to their great authority And we know it came so to passe They had power to work miracles and were inspired with an extraordinary spirit and had some speciall promises peculiar to them alone as well as gifts They had power to give the holy Ghost by imposition of hands and an extraordinary power in prayer and power to punish and kill the bodies of men for sacriledge and hypocrisie And we know the very Church it self is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Now what is this to these Ministers in Glocester-shire Dare two or three of them assume this power for I suppose all the Ministers of the County are not of their minde and way to do as the Apostles did Suppose they be Ministers of the Gospell is the Church built upon them or their Doctrine Where have they any such promise that they shall not erre and whatsoever they shall agree to aske shall be done for them of the Father of Jesus Christ They plead their serious and solemn seeking of God and commend unto us their model of Discipline as the result of their serious debates and returns of their prayers but that authority will not satisfie judicious Christians when the thing it self is so inconsistent with the generall rules of the Word as hath been shewed Besides it is well known that in many places the Ministers of the Gospell have used the like means in behalf of themselves and their people yet but few have run into their waies but either fall into some association of Churches and Presbyteries