19. 8. Though errour be old yet truth is first All corruptions of Ordinances are deviations from their institution and therefore the false copy must be corrected by the true original The institution of Christ is the certain Rule He instituted it for a Communion therefore O Corinthians your divisions and contempt of the poor is unsuitable He instituted it as a Sacrament of his body and blood for spiritual repast therefore your intemperance and common use of it at your feasts is not agreeable to the nature and use of it as the standard discovers false weights and measures and a straight rule a crooked line so the institution of our Lord corruptions The Popish-masse would not be found in the masse if it were tried by this Rule but we must distinguish between Christs institution of this Sacrament and his celebration of it though at the same time The institution shews the nature and use of it and abides as a perpetual Rule He took bread he blest he broke he gave c. His celebration of it was by reason of the Passeover attended by very many occasional circumstances after Supper in a private room in such a gesture to such a number in unlevened bread c. It 's no corruption to vary in these occasional circumstances except we must alwayes keep Passeovers too I show'd you before out of Jewish Writers That the Passeover of after-times even that of Christ varied in such particulars from the first Passeover in Egypt without corruption and so this Supper in all ages hath varied from the first celebration in such occasionals He saith Naz anzen Naz. Nat. 40. celebrated the Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an upper room we in our houses of prayer he after we before Supper he before his death we after his Resurrection and so accordingly all Divines It is universalis notio saith Chamier an universal notion Chamier de Euchar. l. 8. c. 7. that the circumstances of an individual action be distinguisht from those that pertain to the Law thereof and these may be of good use for instruction not of necessary use for imitation I say with learned Hooker Hooker Eccles Polit. l. 5. p. 366 To do throughout every like circumstance with Christ were to erre more from the purpose he aimed at then we now do by not following them with so nice strictness What is superstition but to make that necessary which is indifferent and that a part of worship which is an accident to it So Constantine the Emperour defer'd his Baptism and almost mist it because he would have been baptized in Jordan as Christ was Hold the institution but be not superstitious without a command or hoc facite in the circumstances that fall out at the time of celebration §. 11. Obs 3 That the Apostle received from the Lord what he delivered to the Church This high and honourable Ordinance This Ordinance we receive from the Lord. the Passeover of the Christian Church we can receive from no higher hand than the Lord we may receive from no lower our faith can be resolved into no lower authority than the Lord. I believe and receive this and use it and expect the fruit not because Paul delivers it to me but because he receives it from the Lord and so the Apostle leads our faith to the original the first authority and higher we need not we cannot go It was the dignity of an Apostle to be a receiver from the Lord or else he could not have had the authority of a deliverer to the Church See the difference between Christ and Paul in this matter of delivery to the Church in Matth. 5. 21 31 33. Ye have heard it hath been said of old thus and thus But I say to you He speaks like the Lord But I say when Paul comes to speak Then I have received from the Lord he speaks as an Embassadour or a servant No other authority ought to take place in the Church but of Christ only §. 12. The Apostles were of high authority in the Church of Christ first Apostles saith the Text 1 Cor. 12. 28. yet they were but receivers there was a higher authority which they advance I have received from the Lord See the scale or ladder of faith we receive our Doctrine from the Scriptures the Scriptures from the Apostles and others that were inspired they from Christ and Christ as Mediatour sayes He hath received his mission from God and here alone our faith stands and is quietly setled so in the Commonwealth you receive a warrant from the Constable a meaner man then you he from the Justice he from the Councel they from the supream power And what need or reason was there that he should avouch his receiving the doctrine of this Sacrament from the Lord Was it for that he wrote to the Corinthians a proud and stomackfull people that had his person in some contempt in comparison of their preachers who by their tinkling eloquence led them by the ears into captivity and were partners with or patrons of them in these abuses Therefore he brings the name of the Lord to bear down their naughty stomacks and the Lords institution to whip these corruptions out of the Temple Or Rather was it for a closer reason He that believes to receive a soul-benefit from an outward Ordinance of eating and drinking bread and wine had need to see good ground for his believing for they are incommensurate and improper to the soul the body may more easily be fed with air than the soul with bread and wine Therefore he appeals to the Lord for the benefit is from the authour the vertue and fruit from the institution He that by a piece of brass heal'd a moâ—tal sting can by bread as I may say feed the hungry soul He put clay in my eyes saith the blinde man He sent me to the pool of Siloam and I washt and do see Joh. 9. 15. §. 13. Obs 3 That the Apostle delivered to the Church what he had received from the Lord also delivered unto you Et omnibus Ecc esiis meo ministerio fundatis and all Mâ—rton in loc P. Martyr Churches founded by my Ministry He did receive and deliver but not institute this Ordinance He that will institute a Sacrament makes himself a God saith Peter Martyr Had he nâ—t received he had wanted authority Had he not delivered he had wanted faithfulness and honesty as a messenger that keeps the God alwayes had officers in his Church Ring sent to a friend God hath ever had in his Church such as should be receivers and deliverers an office of men taken from among men and ordained for men in things pertaining to God as it 's defined Heb. 5. 1. but all are not receivers as Paul by immediate hand from the Lord Moses receives the Law and the pattern in the Mount he was a receiver and deliverer the Priests in their generations did receive and deliver but they were
a signe of an excellent temperament and healthfull constitution of spirit he that hath his mouth in tast for such doctrine and his stomack craving such solid food hath cause to blesse God who it may be by inward shakings and temptations cals him to the setling of the main free hold and state of his soul and so takes him off from running himself out of breath after novelties and niceties which will sooner fill his head with dreames then his heart with strength or comfort 3. Because of its prevalencie with and over unstayed men one would wonder that this which the Apostle cals wind of doctrine should so prevail and spread how suddenly is a whole countrey leaven'd with it Whereas the saving knowledge and reception of Christ the power of godlinesse and self-deniall may be preacht an age and not so many fish be taken as are taken at one draught by a corrupt doctrine I will not borrow that comparison which Eusebius made choice of to expresse the quick spreading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb hist lib. 2. cap. 3. of the Gospell at the first saying that it passed through the world like a Sun-beam but I shall take that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 17. Their word eateth like a gangrene which presently over-runs the parts and takes the brain as this wind of doctrine doth and the same Apostle then whom no man did more counter-work false teachers saith Acts 20. 30. they shall speak perverse things to draw disciples after them whereby it seemes that the way to draw disciples is to speake perverse things hereunto agreeing is that of our Saviour Joh. 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not If another shall come in his own name him will ye receive Christ cannot finde entertainment but Bacchochebas is followed and the reason is because Truth when it commeth hath nothing in us but errour hath There is no tinder to catch a sparke of truth but there is oyl for the wild-fire of errour Heresies are works of the flesh Gal. 5. 19 20. therefore men are soon removed Gal. 1. 6. from truth to errour And now to draw up this point into a sum by way of Application 1. Consider the doctrine you hear and tell it over again from the hand of the teacher a man will tell money after his father Beware lest aâ—y man make prize of you Col. 2. 8. some there are to whom the reputation and worth of the teacher is the proof of his doctrine receiving all that is stamped with his ipse dixit We should not call any man our father on earth Matt. 23. 9. and some also think it enough to say This doctrine makes most against superstition and popery and yet we will not abide that in a Maldonat who shal rather pitch upon such a sense of Scripture because it makes most against the Calvinists and there are who falling upon some novell opinion do honestate it with the name of a new light and conceive themselves the greatest illuminates as having two eyes and all the world besides but one I deny it not but that every man in his Regeneration hath a new light which is a part of the new creature for the new creation begins in a fiat lux Nor do I deny but that in the Church there may be a clearer and further demonstration of and insight into many things in the Scriptures which have lien in the bottom of the pit and may be brought neerer day then aforetime for the neerer to the end the more glory and light as it s said Dan. 12. 4. Shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased But this light though new to us yet it is not new to the word to the Sun light is not new though it be to the Moon as the Apostle cals strange doctrines Heb. 13. 9. not such as are new to us but such as are forrein to the word so we call that strange light rather then new which the word of God ownes not as the off-spring thereof and therefore I exhort you to consider 1. Whether this light come from the Word or rather do not shine from a glo-worm in your own fancies Is not this vision of yours extra mittendo by beames going out of your own eyes to the object do you not first conceive and then go forth to seek a father for your child as the Sadduces that first denie the Resurrection and then think that they can make their heresie good out of a case in Moses Law Matth. 22. 24. 2. Whether it do nourish those graces in you in which the Kingdom of God consists Or whether doth not this new light starve you Doth not this sun-shine put out your fire For whether it be that the intention of the mind upon the vain theory of opinions doth divert the stream and leaves as I may say practick godlinesse dry or whether God withdraw his influences from them that lay themselves out in toyes or whatsoever the cause be experience sheweth that after this vertigo takes men in the head many of them decay in the vitals of Religion and turn either Polititians to erect a party or grow very lean in practicke godlinesse and draw loose in their geeres if indeed they become not loose in their lives and wayes 2. This point may give us just occasion to inquire into the reason why we are so tossed to and fro and carried about and crumbled into divisions for who is a stranger in Israel that he should not know these things The heavens are filled with fixed stars without number but the Planets are no more then seven if the proportion was cast up amongst us our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Jude cals them ver 13. do hold a greater proportion to our fixed starres Is not our Church called to the barre to answer not so much for her purity or chastitie in all Administrations as for her very being and life What children are these that will unmother her before God her husband have divorced and unwifed her That will throw Babylon in her face and then justifie their secession and departure by Flee out of Babylon which will not serve their turn except they can find also a Go out of Ephesus out of Pergamus out of Sardis out of Laodicea c. Our Sacraments are also called to the barre The Lords Supper under the reason of a mixt Communion by which as I conceive is not meant that unbeleevers or unregenerate persons do partake rem sacramenti the kernell of this ordinance for in that respect they have no Communion with the faith full but that the Company of Communicants in the outward seal is mixt of regenerate and unregenerate Saints and hypocrites unto which we say that though the door ought to be more narrow than to let in dogs and swine yet the presence and profession of intruders doth not evacuate
that Communion which the faithfull have with Christ and among themselves for the Master of the great Feast as He observed Matth. 22. 12. doth not say to them that hath the wedding garment how came you in hither with such a man but Friend how caâ—est thou in hither not having a wedding garment Our Baptisme is said to be a vanity a nullity as being dispensed to infants and that because we want example for it but so we do for womens receiving the Lords-Supper and if the reason and equity of the rule will carry it for woman as well as men then also we shall joyn issue in that point and make it good upon that ground for children of beleeving parents as for the parents themselves for are not such infants foederati confederates and in the Covenant See a learned Treatise called The Birth priviledge though they cannot actually restipulate yea surely as well as those which were circumcised The morall Law is questioned whether it be obligatory to and directory of a beleever in Christ for because he hath another bridle of restraint of him from sin and another spurre incentive of him unto obedience therefore he hath not the same rule which is but a confounding of the principle whereby and of the rule according to which a Christian is acted these men are much mistaken in that place whereupon they seem to ground their opinion Rom. 7. 6. That we should serve in newness of spâ—rit and not in the oldness of the letter Where they oppose these two as a rule and principle taking away the rule called say they the oldnesse of the letter by the principle which is the newnesse of the Spirit now there is nothing more cleer then that the Apostle opposes not the rule to the principle of obedience but duo principia or rather duos serviendi modos two manners of serving in the one of which they were bond-men in the other free-men Our Ministery is arraigned also as the Papists because the Ministers of many Reformed Churches have not Imposition of the hands of a Bishop deny their ordination to be legitimate so is ours denied because we had We are between two milstones what Ministers will they find in the Churches of Christ for many hundred yeares if this be good against ordination I cannot conceive but God owned some of them for his witnesses prophesying in sackcloth Rev. 11. 3. And finally to the nullity of these the Church the Sacraments the Morall Law the Ministery is added the Mortality of the soul which if reason cannot confute let a man consult conscience if that cannot Scripture will had it not been a strange mistake in our blessed Saviour to have but in a Parable supposed a rich man after his death in torment and Lazarus in Abrahams bosome if the soul bee not immortall or at least if it survive not for that cannot be applied to the resurrection when the rich man will have no brethren on earth to send unto neither can there be any sence in that portion of Scripture but upon supposal of the soul outliving the body I had rather draw a curtain before this face of things then paint it out unto you How sad a hearing is it to hear I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Cephas was not this that which as Jerome observes did at first set up Bishops our divisions are their factours but that is not all more sad it is to hear here is Christ and there is Christ for we are so impotent in our opinions that every man makes his own to be the very Shibboleth of the Church a thing unheard of before our times that men of divers Trades in this Famous City can be all of one Company but being of divers opinions they cannot be of one Church nor wil be all of one School except they be all of one form which breakes our communion into fragments Now what may be the cause of this transportation of people are they children ungrounded in knowledge That is too much to be feared or are they proud and wanton and have taken surfet of the great things of the Law Or are they ashamed to stand in the levell of sober practicall Christians but must be masters and set up the trade of some new opinion for themselves and build Babel to get a name and to be some body in the eyes of a party I know not what to say but the Lord stop the gangrene and turn all our eyes to the great things of the Law that so this tithing of mint and cummin may be left to a second place 3. Be not children and oh that this word might stop the fury of your precipitate levity as Caesar did the sedition of his Army by one word Quirites you have had the vitals of Religion a holy and pure doctrine and there is not another Gospell For Ministers that have burn'd and shined themselves out in holding forth essentials and saving truths the whole world since the Apostles time could not overmatch you and for Christians the seale of their Ministery begotten and bred up under their shadow in respect of the power of godlinesse there hath not been another England on earth since that time I do not ascribe this to the government and discipline no more then I do ascribe the multiplying of Israel to Pharaoh but under God to the paines and diligence of faithfull pastours whom I would not have any man now to undervalue and debase as brats of Antichrist they were Hereos and Worthies our regeneration and faith are their monuments let no man dig up their ashes and degrade them in esteem nor belch out poison against the learning livings callings of their godly successors in this Church for wise men will interpret that they do it upon no other reason then Herod burnt the Registries of the families and genealogies of the Iews in consciousnesse of his own obscurity And as for this Church certainly she hath had a womb to bear children and breasts to give them suck which two things do make a fair proof for her against all calumnies though alas she had also a generation of vipers eating through her bowels Finally This Kingdom owes as much to Religion as any in the world we have seen wonders of Gods love and miracles of deliverance and if God shall now bring his Ark to Jerusalem and set it up in greater state then before time let us dance before it but withall let us not despise the house of Obed-Edoâ—-which God blessed for the Ark sake wee must not put down the Temple because it s made a den of theeves but rather whip them out of it and for that we fast and pray as also that those seven Ones in the fourth and fifth verses may continue with us for ever One body and one spirit one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one baptisme one God and Father of all which should be as so many quoines to lock together all parts of
this policie of discretion in the management of our Ministery by breaking old bottles with new wine and by exposing Religion to contempt of them whom we might have either convinced or at least disarmed of occasion against the truth but no farther upon this point I must remember that I am upon the subtilty and stratagems of impostours that lie in wait to seduce some of which I shall point out unto you as I find them in the Scriptures that so you may perform that duty which is more then once enjoyned upon you in this case that is beware The common design of all false teachers is to make merchandise of people 2 Pet. 2. 3. they negotiate their own ends and have an eye to the stake when they cast the die their credit profit lusts are the center to which they draw every line they have eyes full of adultery and their heart is exercised in covetousnesse they follow the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet 2. 14 15. and the Apostle beseeches the brethren to mark such which cause divisions and offences because they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly Rom. 16. 18. but how doth the Apostle know this For mens ends lie close and how is it that he seemes to charge it upon all of them Are they all covetous Have all of them eyes full of adultery Do they all make their belly their God c. It s true that ends lie close a man may deny one and seek another Simon Magus laies by his great repute gotten by sorcery to seek himself in getting power by laying on of hands to give the holy Ghost and this he carried so cunningly as to passe with Philip undiscovered pride may be trampled upon in pride and books written against vain-glory only to get glory bye ends may be preacht against even out of bye ends as all that bowl at the same marke doe not take the same ground so men in seeking themselves may drive severall trades one is for credit another for his palat another for his purse c. but this in the general wil hold good seducers are self seekers For the service of this main designe these and such like are their arts or method The Apostle tells us that by good words and faire speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. the word he useth for simple is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that are otherwise not evil or as we vulgarly call them harmlesse innocent men easie to be led aside It should seem the Corinthian teachers with whom Paul had such bickerings had a faculty of pithanology or perswasive lenociny of words whereby they did suadendo docere not so much convince by evidence of truth as perswade with woing words It concernes very much to hold fast the form of wholesome words 2 Tim. 1. 13. which the Apostle opposeth to questions and logomachies or strife of words and perverse disputings 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. as also to prophane and vain bablings 2 Tim. 2. 16. Plerunque illa duo coharent mutatio doctrinae novi modi loquendi Chem. loc com and 1 Tim. 6. 20 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty words and novell expressions you all know that by losing the genuine and proper meaning of the word Church and Bishop c. we had almost forgot the Scripture use of them and brought the Church within the pale of the Clergy and the Bishop into a throne above the Ministers of the word The Apostle Peter speaking of false teachers hath an expression or two to this purpose They speak great swelling words of vanity 2 Pet. 2. 18. that is they speak great bubbles of words full of wind strong lines or bigge fancies to bear down people by that torrent and again in the 2 Pet. 2. 3. through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merchandise of you What are these fained words do not they mean the same as that 1 Tim. 4. 2. speaking lies in hypocrisie or should it not rather be taken for a set and composed form of words such as Merchants use in commending their wares so sale shewing the goodnesse and properties of the commodity they desire to put off and even belying it into credit for to that the words seem to allude I shall not dwell upon this but certainly it is not for nothing that seducers are found to hide their hook under words and expressions which they do artificially fit and compose for the purpose a good Title sells a sorry Book And all times will bear witnesse that it hath been the property of such men as have had any monster to bring to light to use obscurity and cloudinesse of expression that what is unshapen and without form at the first may afterwards be lickt into porportion errors are bashfull at first and comming out of the darke cannot look broad-waken upon the light and therefore they are by their parents or nurses alwayes swathed up in clouts of ambiguity as the Oracles of old lapt up their Effata or as he that wrote Edvardum regem occidere nolite timere bonum est where the comma helps him out at which door he pleases thus the sepia goes away in her own ink and the door is left half chare to make escape They baite their hook with such baites as are proper to the fish they would catch Els they were not good anglers to which the Apostle seemes to compare them in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2. 18. which is to allure as a bait doth the fish And what is that bait See ver 19. they promise them liberty there is not a more catching bait then liberty Is it likely that Jesus Christ or his Ministers that preach a yoke a daily crosse a forsaking all for him should make such great draughts of fish as they that promise liberty But what liberty haply they may call it Christian liberty or liberty of conscience so the serpent said ye shall be as gods but what is it indeed Is it not a liberty from the control or check of superiours and their authority for they despise dominion 2 Pet. 2. 10. and speak evil of dignities Iude 8. and therefore doth the Apostle Paul so much call for obedience and subjection to Magistrates Masters Ministers thereby anticipating or correcting the thoughts of Libertinisme unto which the name of Gospel liberty might be abused Surely our Lord Christ hath not brought in a saturnalia or exemption of Christians from the Scepter of Government or the rod of Discipline Nor is liberty of conscience though sacred and inviolable a freedom to be or do what we will for by that engine the sword might be easily wiped out of the Magistrates and the Keyes out of the Churches hand and then we should find our selves returned to a Chaos without form and void
parts come to a center of resolution that let God do what he will with your particular persons yet you will serve the Lord as in Ioshua 24. 19. When Joshua had told the people he is a jealous God and a holy he will not forgive your Transgressions and your sins they answered Nay but we will serve the Lord and thereupon he set up a great stone for a witness lest they should afterwards deny God Let us set up such a stone of witness this day that we may not turn away from the Lord our God but ingage our selves to be his people for ever It is not my purpose to weaken the faith of the people of God but to confirm their resolutions nor to give the enemy any occasion to say Now they stagger they mistrust their cause the wilderness hath shut them in No no for whatsoever may become of our carcasses in this wilderness though they may fall therein for our rebellions against and temptations of God yet for certain Israel shall come into the Land of rest for howsoever it be that Gods ways towards us be in the dark yet his promises to the Church are in the cleer light Our dry bones are not too dry to live again by his breath Though he cary Joseph into a prison it is but to advance him Though he thrust Jonas into the Whales belly it is but to save him When the Ship is wrackt and broken and the foundations as the Psalmist saith are destroyed yet edificabâ—o ecclesiam meam will stand good against the very gates of Hell And we may build upon it as a truth that however his works of providence may seem to us not to answer his Word of promise yet all his dispensations towards his Churches are in order to the fulfilling of his Promises and the pangs of his Church are unto life and not unto death I say the pangs or throws of his Church because I conceive that these motions that are in Christendome this renting of States and Kingdomes is in order to some revolutions in the Churches all these conspirations of stormy winds ingruent upon them are not for nothing Doth the plowman plow all the day to sow doth he open and break the clods of his ground when he hath made plain the â—ace thereof doth he not cast in the principal wheat c. Isa 28. 4 God will sow his Churches after his tearing them up by the plow and therefore whatsoever Statsemen and Politicians may aime at it is the Churches interest which the eye of God is upon though they neither know nor intend it As the Scripture taking notice of Augustus his Decree of taxing or enrolling the Empire or Provinces thereof seems to give us the reason and occasion of bringing Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem who were far off the place that Christ might be born according to the Scriptures which was a thing the Emperor never once dreamed of God hath other ends and purposes in these shakings of Kingdomes and Provinces then Politicians and Stasemen have therefore let us not discredit God by unbelief for my Covenant is to me saith he as the waters of Noah that is my purpose to my people to do them good is irreveâ—sible and absolute Isa 54. 10. But then for our particulars Though the waters of Noah return no more to cover the earth yet such a House City Country may be overflowed and swallowed up with water so may our Ark fall into Philistims hands and therefore gather your selves together search your selves Oh Nation even Ye our worthy Senators call your selves to account and examine your selves strictly impartially humbly lest the Babylonish garment and wedge of Gold which causes Israel to fly before the men of Ai be not in any of your Tents search out carnal policy luke warmness towards God Neutrality private ends It s not impossible but that there may be an Absolom a Shemei in your own bowels who if you were brought low would drive you and the Ark of God too into the Wilderness to seek a place Oh let the representative body of the Kingdome keep themselves pure that so if God should please to estimate or measure out unto the Nation according to the representative body of it there may be mercy to it for your sakes To this end have an eye I beseech you upon obstructours and designers which cannot do so much hurt in the enemies Army as in your Counsels Malignity thrust forth into the outward parts of the body is nothing so dangerous as that which lies close and neer to the heart or vitals Speed the hearing of Causes which come before you that men may be dismist to their commands and employments abroad to prevent a vacuum Pity and relieve those that are broken and shipwrackt for the Kingdomes sake have an eye upon your under-Instruments and Officers that they spend you not more honour and reputation by their miscarriages partialities private gain than they bring you in supplies he that flies a sharp Hawk rides hard after her or else the Partridge will be half eaten before he come in And fear not the losing of any party by doing Gods wil and work for God himself should neither give rain nor fair weather if he should please all sorts of men I shall less stick on these things because you were this day before put in mind of them only let me press one thing more namely That you would countenance honest and godly men with places of command and trust With command for they will be firm and valiant a mans valour lies in his conscience and not in his spirit With trust for such a man is like a door with two locks He hath an obligation upon him both to God and you Finally do all that may be to suppress open and crying sins for authority makes it self guilty of those other mens sins which it endeavours not to cut down we in the Ministry must cry them down and you must cut them down or else they become in guilt both ours and yours And let none of us say within our selves we have strength for war for Eccles 11. 9. The battel is not to the strong We have received many marks and tokens of favour from God for Iosh 24. 19. He will consume you after he hath done you good We are the Israel of God to whom pertain the Promises for Josh 7. 8. Israel flies before the Aians We have the Ark of God in the Camp with us for 1 Sam. 4 10 11. The Philistims may take it We fast before the Lord and have a good cause for Iudg. 20. 21. Israel falls in two battels under Benjamin We are not so bad as the enemy that comes against us For it s no trusting to the sins of an enemy The worst bryars or thorns may serve for a rod in the land of God to scourge his own people We are Gods witnesses for Rev. 11. 7. The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall makâ— war
against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort Dan. 3. 29. I crave leave for this prefaceing It is only to bid this day welcome because as it is the first that ever was in England upon this sad occasion so it is a new and strong ingagement and demonstration of your zeale and resolution to endeavour to draine these fens which have so over spread the face of Gods Church The Apostle in the latter end of the foregoing chapter recommends to Christians the holy Scriptures as the fixed pole and un-varying compasse by which they should steere their course It seemes he knew nothing of any such high forme of Christians in the Schoole of Christ which should as I may say be got above the Scriptures or have learn'd beyond them For he commends them who had obtained like pretious faith with himselfe and others of highest ranke 2 Pet. 1. 1. for giving heed to the word of prophecy vers 19. and as appeares by that expression ver 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing this first He would have it said downe as a principle and set as a strong fort against the battery of all false teachers That no prophecy of Scripture is of any private sence or b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the unfolding or cleering of things darke and doubtfull Mar. 4. 34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act◠19. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpretation because it came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were carried by the holy Ghost The setling of this principle and the fastning of Christians or as it were nailing them unto the Scriptures the words of the holy Prophets and Apostles is the scope at which the Apostle collimes in this Epistle as himselfe declares Chap. 3. vers 1 2. 17. And that it might appeare to them how necessary and seasonable it was to stirre them up to adhere to the sure word of God and the true and genuine sence thereof Hee foretells the comming in of False teachers and Scoffers False teachers that would overthrow the truth of doctrine which is according to godlinesse by bringing in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them chap. 2. ver 1. Scoffers that would undermine and elude the truth of Gods promises There shall come in the last dayes Scoffers walking after their owne lusts and saying where is the promise of his comming Chap. 3. vers 3 4. And because the Scriptures themselves were not likely to escape the c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesych racke the Apostle gives a double character of such as would crooken it or make it looke d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sylburg a squint and they are the unlearned and unstable and so concludes with caution to all Christians that they should beware lest they being carried away together by the seducement of wicked men or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lawlesse Libertines of opinion and practise fall from their owne stedfastnesse Chap. 3. vers 16 17. In this Chapter the Apostle foretells the comming of false teachers into the Gospell Churches and describes their doctrines their destruction their manners The doctrines which they teach are damnable heresies they deny the Lord that bought them Their destruction is exemplified and paralleld in three terrible examples the casting down of the Angells that fell the destruction of the olde world the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha It may make the eares of all haeresie-Masters and their followers to tingle when they heare that the three great and famous monuments of Gods sore wrath executed by his owne immediate hand are brought in as examples of his vengeance against that wickednesse which above all other pretends exemption and liberty from the stroke of men Their manners in the description of which the greatest part of this Chapter is taken up are drawn out in so foule colours that every man may make the observation That monstrous doctrines are accompanied with monstrious lusts In this verse you have the seedes-men and they are false teachers the seed they sow namely damnable heresies The crop they shall reap and that is swift destruction In the first part which shewes us the seeds-men there are two points to be taken up 1. That there shall be false teachers in the Gospell Churches as there were false Prophets in the Church of olde 2. That these false teachers are they that bring in damnable heresies Doct. 1 There shall be false teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst you in the Churches of the Gospell as there were false prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the people of God of olde It 's seldome seene that false prophets or false teachers will owne their owne name goe from one to one and aske are you a false teacher and there will not be found any the confident false prophet puts it upon the true Prophet that Hee is the false Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from mee to speake to thee 1 Kings 22. 24. which is the false prophet we shall see anon in the meane time thus farre we are agreed that there were such then and that there shall bee such amongst Christians under the Gospell though they that are guilty are wiser than to make such a description of a false teacher or of haeresy which may hit themselves but rather will use their sleight to turne the Scripture as one doth a right hand glove to fit the other hand False Prophets and false teachers are paralleld both in their being in the Church and in their character or description 1. In their Being in the Church for 1. As God then sent Prophets to teach his people Jer. 7. 25. Since the day that your Fathers came forth out of the land of Aegypt vnto this day I have sent you all my servants the Prophets and there were then false prophets also saith my Text. So God hath set in his Church under the Gospell Teachers 1 Cor. 12. 28. and there shall be also false teachers then they wore a rough garment to deceive and now Zech. 13. 4. Matth. 7. 15. they come in sheeps cloathing The Apostle in this Text determines not the false Prophets then to a particular place or time but saith they were among the people nor doth he determine false teachers now to any one place or time but speakes indefinitely they shall be amongst you There is no age of the Church free of them onely the last dayes are most likely to have most of these dregs and whereas its said of all true Prophets that they were sent and of Pastors and Teachers that God hath set them in and Christ hath given them to his Church there is no more said of these in the Text than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were and they shall be they may easily find a Prophesie for their being in the Church but will hardly finde a Scripture-warrant or calling 2. As the Church
of old notwithstanding those living oracles of truth the holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and the lively oracles of holy Scripture committed to it had false Prophets also who spake their owne dreames so the Gospell Churches even in the Apostles times 1 John 4. 1. and notwithstanding the fulnesse and perspicuity of Evangelicall doctrine given by inspiration of God shall have false teachers in them Who shall come up in Samuels mantle and putting the Scriptures to the racke shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one saith of Philo force things into allegories and conceited extractions and make them like Anaxagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawing every thing out of any thing For an haereticall wit is a strange Chymist The truth is the resisters of the truth and the seducers in the old Testament are but acted over againe in the Gospell Churches Here also are the resistings of Jannes and Jambres by men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Here are the contradictions of Core Jude vers 11. Here is the doctrine of Balaam Rev. 2. 14. and here are the false teachers answering to the false Prophets but yet it is argued by some that the Analogy betweene the Old and New Testament doth not hold in regard of the punishment of false Prophets and blasphemers nor ought to be drawn into consequence now I would they would rather study to avoid the same sinnes then to evade the like punishments for the greater liberty of Conscience under the Gospell cannot extenuate the sinne of blasphemy because this liberty is accompanied with greater light 2. In their Character or description The Greek which hath great felicity of composition of words calls him in one word a false prophet whom the Hebrew cals a Prophet leaves him by spurious characters or properties to be detected false or illegitimate A false prophet or a false teacher may be so denominated in a two fold respect 1. As he teaches or vents lies and false-hood which is the most usuall and common acceptation of the word Ier. 14. 14. Esay 9. 15. Ezec. 13. 2. c. 2. As he teaches without a commission or calling 1. In the first notion he is a false prophet that teacheth lies or delivers forth the visions and deceit of his own heart which he covers over with Thus saith the Lord Ezech. 13. 6. Ier. 28. 2. and so fathers his false dreames upon God and his cheifest aime and care is not to sting the people but to feed his deluded followers with pleasing things and rather to tickle than to prick them Saying to Ahab go up prosper 1 King 22. 12. or God hath broken the yoke of Babylon Jer. 28. 2. which was the advantage that Ahabs false prophets had of Micajah and Hananiah had of Ieremy this observation the Scripture makes upon them Thy prophets have not discovered thine iniquity to turn away thy captivity Lam. 2. 14. and they thinke to cause my people to forget my name Ier. 22. 27. Whence it is that they are applauded and that all men speake well of them Luk. 6 26. They are wiser then to marre their owne markets by sharpe reproofes as a cutpurse is afraid to touch the quick with his knife lest he loose his prey The character of false teachers is answerable they are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus praet in 2 Pet. 2. 1. Lying masters speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them Acts. 20. 30. and speaking lyes in hypocrisy which they palliate over with It is written or the name of the spirit and are therefore called spirits of errour 1. Tim. 4. 1. as we are forbidden to beleeve every spirit 1. Iohn 4. 1. that is every doctrine though pretended to be from the spirit for men are cunning to lay downe their bastards at an honest doore and to pin them upon the backe of scripture being like to the false prophets in this mis-fathering of their doctrines as also in that other thing which is the bayteing of their hookes with sweet pleasing baytes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they allure as with a baite through the lusts of the flesh and wantonnesse 2. Pet. 2. 18. And they promise liberty ver 19. which are takeing things that it is no wonder there are many that follow their pernicious wayes ver 2. 2. In the second notion he is a false prophet who Jer. 14. 14. Ezech. 13. 6. runs indeed but is not sent I have not sent these prophets yet they ran Ier. 23. 22. They can say I have dreamed I have dreamed ver 25. but they have no mission and such a one is to be counted a false prophet b Molin Vates cap. 4. Sive vera praedicet sive falsa whether he preach true or false The character of a false teacher is answerable hereunto hee is one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe called or fills his owne hand so that the question is not what he teaches but by what warrant as Cyprian Cyprian in Epistola ad Antonianum said once to one that was inquisitive what doctrine Novatian did teach we need not saith he be carefull or curious to know quid ille doceat cum foris deat the like may be justly said of false teachers It s no asking what they teach since they have no calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach There are found in the new Testamēt I had almost said in England False Christs false Apostles false Prophets false teachers all these rankes are counterfeited as he is called a false Christ a false Apostle who pretends to be Christ or an Apostle is not so is he a false teacher who pretends to be a teacher and is not sent Nor is it any wonder that when once men do begin to looke for a new Christ or new Apostles or new Prophets they should in the next place fall to making of them that so their seeking may not seeme frustrate but because some are of opinion that preaching of the word is not so much an act of office as of gifts and that gifts and talents doe carry with them letters patents of commission to trade with them I must crave leave to bestow a few words upon it because it hath been generally received in the Church that both matter and forme mission and vision gifts and calling must concurr to the constitution of him who exercises a publike ministry For even our Lord Iesus Christ in whom all fullnesse dwells glorified not himselfe to be made a high Priest but was called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. 5. and the rule is there given that no man takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honour or office to himselfe whatsoever be his parts or abilities the apostle saith not how should they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publikely preach the word without gifts and abilities but except they be sent Rom. 10. 15. It must not be
appointed by him that hath appointed the office that there is a separation of men thereunto or manner of their constitution ordination that is a potestative mission as some expresse it and then the modus is to be inquired into as touching which it is argued that ordination by imposition of hands as contradistinguisht from the election of the people is not essential to the māner of entrance Essentiall is a great word Baptisme the Lords supper are not essentiall to the being of a Christian or to salvation so as the privation of them should damne the soule and yet are of excellent use and cleare institution It may suffice that there is so much in the word for ordination as that the way of the word in that case is neither to be laid aside nor receded from nor maimed The engine planted for battery and overthrow of ordination is the election of the people that is the idipsum wherein the separation of a man to the ministry doth consist and yet we read of a separation unto God for the worke of the ministry by fasting prayer and imposition of hands without any election of people Act. 13. 1. 2. I am of b Lib. de repeccl 2. cap. 2. parag 12. Spalato his minde that this was not a separation to an office which Paul and Barnabas before had not but that it was a separation unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the worke of the Ministry is cleere enough and what was that worke but the preaching of the word and ordaining of elders Acts. 14. 23. 24. 25. 26. If any man can shew throughout the New-Testament that any did impose hands for separation of men to the office or worke of the ministry but onely such as were in office themselves Apostles Evangelists Eldership and these Teachers and Prophets at Antioch or that the election of the people is the id ipsum of separation let it be done or let us have lesse dictating and lesse begging for by the way let me tell you wee live in the beggarliest age that ever was I meane for begging of the question And if the meere election of the people be sufficient what neede was there that the Apostle should leave Titus in Crete for this cause that hee might ordaine Elders in every City Titus 1. 5. For if it be said that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mightest ordain be no more then that thou mightest looke on while the people did it Then why may not Pharaoh of whom it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee constituted Joseph Governour over Aegypt bee said to looke on only while the people did it And what need was there that Paul and Barnabas should be separated and sent forth to ordaine Elders in every Church Acts 14. 23. If the Churches election had beene the id ipsum of ordination And why are the characters and qualifications of Elders and Bishops given and described to Timothy and Titus 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Not so much to the people by which they should proceede in their elections as to them who were appointed to ordaine them that they might not lay on hands suddenly 1 Tim. 5. 22. In which place laying on of hands as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Hebrews is put for ordination and so is not election by the people any where found to be As for Cases and instances of a people cast up in some remote Island or the like may not they chuse a Minister and he perform the office without ordination such cases may bee formed to overthrow any common rule or law of Ministery or Magistracy either It 's said that an a Exceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis exception strengthens a rule overthrows it not for then there could be no rule of any thing because every rule hath some exception set the Heteroclites by themselves and let the rule stand If David eate the Shew-bread or the Levites performe that office which belongs to the Priests 2 Chron. 29. 34. with Levit. 1. 6. in case of necessity there is no more can be said but necessitas quod cogit defendit that which necessity commands it defends That the holy Ghost was given by the imposition of the Apostles hands I say the Apostles Act. 8. 18. is true but no argument against laying on of hands by the Eldership in ordination for there were divers reasons and occasions of laying on of hands besides in ordination and other hands were laid on in ordination than could give the holy Ghost The Levites had imposition of hands a Fagius in Chald. paraph. in locum tanquam in sacrificium Numb 8. 10 11. as upon a sacrifice dedicating them to God and his service And so in the New Testament it was used for separation of men to the worke or office of the Ministery but there is no miracle wrought nor is the holy Ghost given nor any inward grace The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace seems somewhere to be put for office as Rom. 1. 5. b See Rom. 1. 5 15. 15 16. Gal. 2. 9. Grotius Beza Dieu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Apostleship that is the grace of Apostleship in this sense as Beza saith if that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or grace be taken 1 Tim. 4. 14. Then may it be said to be given with imposition of the hands of the Presbytery As for election by the people which is by some cryed up as the All in All in this point though I have nothing to say against the lawfullnesse of it where it 's duely conditioned yet if any shall plead the necessity of it as essentiall to the calling of a Minister I should not stick to say that there is clearer evidence in Scripture for ordination of Ministers by imposition of hands then for election by the people That word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 14. 23. out of which it is expiscate after a man hath made the best of it will leave him to beg the question for there appeares in it no act of the Church at all but whatsoever it signifies it refers wholly to Paul and Barnabas who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordaine Elders for the Disciples and therefore without endangering not only the sense but the grammer of the Scripture can no more referre to the people then c Diatrib p. 6. page 10. he that affirmes that it may can prove Luke to bee an Apostle as he stiles him I deny not that Cheirotonia in the d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zonar in Can. 1. original and first rise of the word signifies a giving vote or suffrage by stretching forth the hand or an election manifested by that signe but the use of words not the Etymology must rule their interpretation and it is past all question that the Greeke Heathen Authours doe use this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generally to e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesych constitute appoint ordaine as is observed
is rendred in the same Epistle that they do fully know the life conversation of every man And therefore it is e Diatrib cap. 11. injudiciously spoken that ordination necessarily follows election for an irrational or meer arbitrary dissent when no just exception could be put in bar against a man could no more hinder a mans ordination then such a peevishnesse now a-days can hinder the marriage of one whose name is publisht in the congregation Ab ordinatoribus plebs docenda non sequenda saith Caelestinus The cloze of this point might well have beene an Apology for speaking so much of it in this place had not the Text led me to say something and the necessity of the times together with the present occasion constrained me to this prolixity For the office of the Ministery and the power thereunto belonging are very much undervalued and laid very low by many who differing among themselves in principles doe as in a common interest joyn together to cry downe and degrade them In order to a two-fold liberty The one is the liberty of prophesying or preaching as any man is able to set up the trade in opposition to which they conceive the Ministers do stand for their own livings and power sake The other is the liberty of their lusts and ways of loosenesse and these are such upon whom the feare of the Ministery is fallen whose Spirit cannot bear too free reproofe nor their courses a too close observation And hence it is that some of them having learning doe set their wits on worke to rout this office and the power thereof by bafling the evidences of the word and endeavouring to dispute the Scripture out of doores which though God hath not pleased to deliver Systematically in a way of absolute precept or demonstrative clearnesse in every particular yet ought to be regarded in the hints and consequences and implications which afford foot-hold to a good conscience and not to be out-wrangled for our ends and lusts sake as being the becke of that great God who is able to becken us all into nothing others that calculate by the Ephemerides of policy doe discover or imagine future inconveniences which may arise from the indiscretion passion weakenesse of the Ministers and if they will but goe on to play that Cannon a little further they shall find it will batter and overthrow all Magistracy or any goverment that is managed by men others whose tongues are sharper then their arguments fall foule upon the ministry and poure treble contempt upon it in lieu of double honour never was ministry more blessed and witnessed unto from heaven by the successe and fruitfullnesse of it in bringing in and bringing up a people unto God though some of their chickens are caught and carried away by kites or have forsaken them as duckes forsake the hen that hatched them never more contemned That which the f Collat. Carthag 3. Donatist objected sometime to Austin is now rife againe tu quis es Filius es Ceciliani an non who ordained you you are the brat of Cecilian are you not whom they pretended to be a traditor or to have given up the holy Scripture to the fire so they say to the Ministers whose sons are you is not your pedigree by lineall descent from Antichrist is not he the top of your kin he that hath but halfe an eye may see the reason why the Wolves would have the Sheep to quitt their dogs The ministry if encouraged and supported to doe their duty will be next under the Parliament who we hope will doe theirs the greatest bulwarke or banke against the inundation of errour haeresy and blasphemy whose increase is the occasion of this humiliation It is the lot of the Ministers of the reformed Churches to be grund betweene two Mil-stones in the first reformation the popish Champions fell pell-mell upon the calling of the a Non missi non vocati non consecrati Bristow mâ—tiu Ministers of the reformed Churches pretending it to be null ac proinde nulla ecclesia and consequently saith b Non ab episcopis ordinati ac proinde nulla ecclesia Greg de Valentia Tom. 4. disput 9. quâ—st 3. punct 2. in sine Gregory de Valentia the Churches no Churches because they were not ordained by Bishops The same conclusion is now undertaken That the present Ministers in this Church are not lawfull Ministers upon a medium quite contrary that is because they were ordained by Bishops nor are those who are ordained by Presbyters in much better account with the objectours for they are in the same line of pedigree being but once more removed from the stocke great-grandchildren to the Pope The cauills of the Papists have been long agoe laid to sleepe by the answers of c Mornay of the Church chap. 11. Sadrel de legitim â—ocat Minister reform 〈…〉 Minist Anglicaâ—â— learned men who have distinguisht betweene the corruptions in the persons ordaining or in the fieri of ordination and the substance and validity of ordination in facto esse and the very same answers which were made for the first reformers and the Ministers ordained by them are of as full force for the Ministers now in being with us and the Ministers ordained by them nor can our Ministery fall by this argument now used against us without the fall of all ministery in the Churches of Christ in all times and places where Bishops had a hand in ordination and if the Scripture doe settle the power of ordination in a Presbytery or in the Elders of the Church it can never be made good that a Bishops hand who is also a presbyter being joyned with others can anull the ordination as neither is Baptisme a nullity because administred by a Bishop and haply with some corrupt ceremony used in the administration thereof I proceed to the second point which I will touch but breifly and reserve the use of both and of that which followes untill the close of all Doctrine 2 These false teachers are they that bring in damnable Heresies Tertull de praescript Stuprant veritatem adulterio haeretico They defloure the truth by haereticall adultery not onely those that teach without commission but such as have a calling to teach doe by doctrines of errour bring in damnable haeresies as it s said Acts. 20. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them-They called Paul because he was a zealous teacher of the Gospell a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens Acts. 24. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies one that is the first man of the ranke it is a military word and I wish that our military men had not transfused errour into the severall parts of our body If it be said that many of those who are charged with teaching of errours or haeresy are holy men I answer that a holy man cannot easily be a haeretick nor are all the errous of
second comming of Christ or at least untill he shall gloriously declare himself in the destruction of the beast and false Prophet and in the calling of the Jewes These things being laid together doe cry aloud unto you to consider your danger and to hearken to the frequent inculcations of the Apostles in their Epistles in almost all their a 2 Cor. 11. 3. Epistles describing false teachers to bee like the Serpent that beguiled Eve branding them with the name of Jannes and Jambres Balaam false Apostles deceitfull workers ministers of Sathan c. stigmatizing their doctrins with the names of damnable haeresies doctrines of Devills c. Fortifying Christians with effectuall arguments and exhortations against the impressions and infections of such poysonous errours And if you looke upon those Epistles which were sent from heaven to the seven Churches you shall finde that the greatest part of those comminations in them contained are thundred forth against haeresies or doctrinall errours maintaining or cherishing as I may call them haereticall lusts there wee finde them b Revel 2. 2. that said they were Apostles but were lyers the c cap. 2. 9. 14. 15. 20. 24. blasphemy of such as said they were Jews but were the Synagogue of Satan the doctrine of Balaam the doctrine of the Nicolaitans the teaching and seducing of Jezebel the depths of Sathan c. The Churches are commended or the Angels of those Churches who found out these disguised seducers and kept the truth uninfected by them and those Angels or Churches blamed which d Revel 2. 15. had them and suffered them in their bosome These things I offer to your serious and sad consideration you have not made use of the point as soone as you have said The Minister railes It s not my meaning to poure out all this that hath beene said upon every errour either preacht or followed in our times but to shew you that false teachers and haeresies must be and shall be in the Gospel Churches and to put you in minde what the Scripture saith concerning them and how much you are concerned to looke about you for I observe that men are not so jealous over themselves or so affraid of e Vers 20. corruption of their minds as they ought to be nor so sensible of sin in intellectuall errours as in morall corruptions and yet we know diseases in the head are mortall too and that a fish begins to corrupt and stink in the head and so throughout corrupt manners usually and naturally follow upon corrupt minds they that are not sound in the faith no wonder if they be not sound in the feare and in the wayes of God whither will this new scepticisme come and into what will it be resolved but into Athiesme when men begin to fall we see by experience that many fall from story to story till they come to the very bottom And therefore I exhort and beseech you all to that which the scripture exhorts and injoynes upon Christians who are in danger of being seduced by false teachers or their doctrines and that is to try the spirits whether they are of God 1. John 4. 1. To contend for the faith once delivered Jude 3. To beware lest you be carried away with the errour of lawlesse men 2. Pet. 3. 17. To turne away from such as creep into houses and lead captive silly women 2. Tim. 3. 5. 6. To avoid foolish questions which are unprofitable and vaine Titus 3. 9. To hold faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. To continue in the things that you have learned and been assured of out of the word of God 2. Tim. 3. 14. And lastly If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither say to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Epistle of John 10. 11. For he that bids him god speed is partaker of his evill deeds where the Apostle supposes that false teachers are men of evill deeds besides their false doctrines or that indeed their false doctrine is evill deeds in the plurall number and therefore not to be slighted off as a thing of the minde or mentall mistake onely you see that to countenance or encourage such teachers is to be partaker of their evill deeds and whatsoever credit you will give to the report of f lib. 3. cap. 3. Irenaeus concerning John his leaping out of the bath from Cerinthus or Polycarp his refuseal of Marcion his acquaintance yet the observation which he makes upon those reports or histories is to be taken notice of that the Apostles and their followers would Tantum Apostoli eorum discipuli c. Iren lib. 3. cap. 3. not so much as verbo tenus communicate with any of them that had adulterated the truth how much lesse should private Christians close with such seducers who are more likely to pull them into the water then they to pull them out Naturally wee are tinder too apt to take fire by their sparkes he that fishes with an haereticall bait may haply catch more in a moneth than some godly Minister shall bring to Christ with all his travell and paines as long as he lives for he hath the advantage of the bait and therein lies the odds of successe between preaching of errour and preaching of the truth I maruell saith the Apostle that you are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospell Gal. 1. 6. there was the wonder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were removed so quickly and the Apostles wonder may be ours also wee have been a people of as powerfull godlinesse as any in the world practicall divinity was improved to a great height of clearenesse and sweetnesse but I feare that I may truely say we were best in worst times wee held our cloake in the winde and now are laying it off in the sun A miserable declination from the life and power of godlinesse is come to passe within these few yeares our practicals our inward and close wayes of walking with God in faith and love are sublimed into fancies and vapour out into fumes of new opinions and which is worst of all we take this dropsy to be growth and conceive our selves to be more spirituall and refined because more ayry and notionall The Lord humble us for our declensions and swervings from the g 1 Tim. 6. 3. end of the commandement which is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained and for our turnings aside to vaine ianglings The best way of fortification of our selves against the allurements and assaults of false teachers is 1. To be grounded in the principles of the doctrines of Christ or else we shall easily be tumbled up and downe like loose stones that lie not fast in the building upon the foundation 2. To study and adhere unto the doctrine which is h 1 Tim. 1. 5. 6. according to
a member of the Church baptized yea a true believer may be unfit at some particular time to come to the Lords Table and may eat and drink unworthily Were not the Corinthians such men and in such a case 1 Cor. 11 Were they not punisht for their unworthy coming and yet doubtless some of them godly and all professed Christians But of this more also § 10. 8. There were in the first Passeover in Aegypt used and commanded by express word certain rituals or occasionals which as Jewish Writers and practice shews were omitted and not used in after-times As 1. The eating in dispersed houses afterward in Jerusalem only 2. The taking up the Lamb four dayes before which we reade not of afterward 3. The striking of the door-posts with the bloud 4. The not going out of the house that night which in after-times Christ and his Disciples did 5. The eating it in travelling posture in procinctu with staves c. which we finde our Saviour and reade that the Jews did in another posture of discumbency a lying on beds c. These or some of these were occasional at the first and the occasion ceasing custom had ruled it otherwise without offence for in our Supper the Lord celebrated and instituted it at night in or at the end of the paschal and common supper 2. In unlevened bread 3. Late at night 4. In a gesture of discumbency a leaning or lying posture Joh. 3. 13. 5. In a chamber of a private house 6. Without presence of any woman 7. Consecrating a blessing the bread and See Evang. for so used in Passeover the Cup severally and apart 8. Singing the hymne at the close of all as was usual c. And these or many of these were occasional circumstances by reason of the custom Rite of the paschal Supper or the particular exigency at that time And what then Do they oblige to a hairs breadth all after-ages Do they that impose any one of these themselves hold to all of them Shall we be supercilious and superstitious in observing all occasional or local customs Why do we not appear in sackcloth at our Fasts Where is that osculum pacis As the Apostle said about the 1 Cor. 11. 16. length of hair so I say If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God If Christ had celebrated the Supper with his loyns girt and staff in hand had we been bound to it and yet we must not raffle this thred too far and under colour of an occasionall circumstance change or mutilate the real substance as the Papist that takes away the Cup which Christ blest and breaks not the Bread as he did and of a Sacrament makes a Sacrifice the Matter and Form the intended Analogy between the Sign and the Thing signified will guide us in our distinguishing Substance from Accidents I here make an end though in this Point and in this Lamb which was served in with Legs and Purtenance I might finde out other lesser Resemblances which I shall not but having shown you what fresh Marrow lies in the old Bones of this Passeover-Sacrifice will hereafter set forth our Lords Supper before you CHAP. II. Of Errours and Corruptions in the Church How soon they sprung up When they are a ground of Separation and when not That this Ordinance must be suitable to Gods Institution And the Communicants must be suitable to this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 83. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you c. THis Epistle is directed to the Church of God in 1 Cor. 1 2. Grotius in initio hujus Epistolae Heylin Geog. pag. 388. 1 Cor. 1. 5 7. Corinth which was sometime a slately City of Greece much renown'd in ancient Authours but now is a place of small note being together with other Cities mentioned in the New Testament swallowed up by that great Leviathan of the Land the Turkiâ—h Empire In this City was a famous Christian Church of the highest degree of elevation for parts and gifts and spiritual endowments but their beauty was blemisht with as great blots schisms 1 Cor. 1. 11. Denial of the Resurrection of the dead by some of them 1 Cor. 15. 12. and in this Chapter with a grand abuse of that high and precious Ordinance the Supper of the Lord with ordinary and unwashen hands polluting it with their own intemperance and drunkenness not brought from their own homes or from the Tavern to the Table but used at the very Table it self which that you may understand you may take notice that it was an ancient custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Zonaras in Concil 6. in Trullo in the Primitive times that the rich and wealthier sort of Christians did by a common purse or contributions furnish out solemn feasts in the very meeting places or Churches and there sit down promiscuously the rich and poor which feasts were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feasts of Love or Brotherly-charity to testifie the intimate affection of Christians among themselves The Scripture speaks of them Jude vers 12. 2 Pet. 2. 13. and the ancient Fathers make often mention of them The occasion of them might be this It 's plain that the Heathens at their Sacrifice had their festival entertainments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Idols Temple that the Jews in their Eucharistical Sacrifices feasted before the Lord God as it were entertaining them to eat and drink with him and that Christ and his Apostles feasted together at the Paschal Supper before the celebration of the Lords Supper and so by imitation very obvious the Christians had taken up a custome of feasting at their religious meetings at which entertainments no Heathens were present and thereupon they suspected and scandalized the Christians for these feasts de pabulo crudae post convivium mesto Tertul. Apol. c. 7 c. 39. that they eat and drunk the flesh and bloud of a childe and that after they had filled themselves with wine and good cheer they fell to incestuous and promiscuous lusts but the ancient Fathers wipe off these aspersions c. §. 2. The abuse of these feasts the Apostle reproves from the 17. verse of this Chapter for they fomented their schismes and parties even at these feasts one party and their faction sorting themselves together in one corner another at another as their humour led them and so the common love was broken by private divisions then followed another abuse the poor that could send in nothing had nothing but were set light by and suffered to starve while they were filling themselves and which was worst of all they were intemperate at their feasts eating and drinking excessively one is hungry another is drunken vers 21. The word may signifie had drank liberally as it 's said of Joseph and his brethren Gen 43. ult and as the word is used John 2. 10. The Summe is there was §. 3.
bound to the Law and to the Testimony So in the Christian Churches the Apostles receive the Word and Sacraments from the Law they see the pattern in the Mount then there are others in their generations that receive and deliver too but they are bound to the Law and Testimony Hear the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also So that here is Paul that received from the Lord Timothy from Paul other faithfull men from Timothy and others from those faithfull men There is no government of any Commonwealth on earth but they have their Officers to receive Lawes and Commands from the highest and to convey and deliver them to the people §. 14. The Apostle received from the Lord two things His Commission and his Errand His Commission to be an Apostle Rom. 1. 5. From Christ we have received our Apostleship and this he may show to the people as he doth to these Corinthians 1 Cor. 9. 1. Am I not an Apostle c. but he doth not deliver this to them His errand and that is the Doctrine of the Gospel and this he doth both receive and deliver I have delivered unto you so an Embassadour hath a Commission and that he may show but delivers not and he hath an errand and that he receives from his Lord and delivers to them to whom he is sent There were Prophets in Jeremiah's time that would be deliverers but they neither received Commission Jer. 14. 14. I sent them not nor errand Jer. 23. 16. Their vision was of their own heart The one of these being wanting made a false prophet I fear we have many moe deliverers then receivers from the Lord either they want one of these legs or both and yet which is the wonder they run having received neither Commission nor Errand from the Lord. §. 15. He delivers that to the Church all that only that which first he had recived from the Lord the arrow flees with strength that is shot out of such a Bow He was a faithfull Embassadour or Steward we have all that and nothing but that which comes from the Lord a good depositary that fails not of his trust the losse of a little of Gods truth is as the losse of a Diamond out of a Ring Christ speaks of the least iota's or tittles of the Law as precious things and permanent It was the admirable wit of Homer to make in his Poems Embassadours to speak in the same words as they received their errand by the same spirit and the same inspiration that he received this Doctrine from the Lord he also delivered it to the Church How pure doth this Ordinance of the Supper come to our hands What credit ought it to be of with us You know the Heathens and so Mahomet that impostor that set up or devised the heathenish Theology or Worship they feigned a conversation with some god or goddess a spirit that their votes might be received of the people with awe and credit for the conscience of man stoops to none but God from whom we are assured by the Apostle that we have this Ordinance That I received I also delivered to you §. 16. Obs 4 That what the Apostle had formerly delivered to the Corinthians by lively voice now he writes upon the occasion of abuses grown in How easily do corruptions steal Estius in loc in How soon do we forget the Law of Ordinances and institutions of Christ It could not be many years since he had delivered the manner of this Ordinance What necessity there is of having the Scripture written and now he repeats it in writing What necessity is there of having the Scripture written That it may continue and passe pure from generation to generation Men finde it very requisite that their Laws be written and upon record what inconveniences would follow if not While the Church of God consisted of few persons or families as in Noah and Abraham's time there was the word of God but not Scripture It was handed down from father to sonne by tradition and the frequent appearances of God to them supplied defects but afterward God began the example and wrote the Decalogue in Tables of stone the ancientest writing this day in all the world then Moses also wrote the Scripture and he is the ancientest writer in the world if all the Greek Law givers or Poets be compared with him they are but heri aut nudius tertius saith Cunaeus and Josephus as of yesterday hundreds of years before the Trojan war yet not so many as Theoph. ad Autolycum affirms The Jews had the Old Which was in Jephaes dayes 900. or 1000. Testament written though they were so frequently visited by extraordinary Prophets and the Jewish Masoreth had so industriously mended and numbred all the letters in every word of the Old Testament that they knew the number and could as easily misse one as you can misse a pearl off your chain and hereof we have the benefit Câ—dicem portat Judaeus unde credat Christianus The Jew saith Austin though Aug. in sa 56 himself an unbeliever is our Library-keeper and carries the book after us out of which we get our faith for how often doth our Lord and his Apostles cite those Records Nor would the Lord let the New Testament be unwritten which in the wide world over which the Gospel spreads would have been mangled and transfigured into a thousand shapes Remember sometimes in your prayers to give God thanks for the Gospel written the Jews never forget the Law in theirs And yet again I note it that many parts of the New Testament were written on accidental occasions as ill manners occasion good Laws so Paul writes this Epistle and this part that I preach upon So the Epistle to the Galatians an occasion of false teachers that mingled Moses and Christ Law and Gospel and all Writers give this occasion for that lofty and sublime piece In the beginning was the Word and the Word was c. because the hellish Gnosticks did even then begin to adulterate the simplicity of the Gospel and to bring Christ unto a lower rank and therefore he uses their very words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. in Proleg ad Johan which they had in Plato and Pythagoras his School and applies them to Christ Jesus we get this excellent piece of Scripture which intreats upon the preparation of the Communicant above any above all other and we get it by the abuses and corruptions reigning then in Corinth upon occasion of their sin the whole Church hath gained a Rule for ever I had almost said as it 's said in another respect foelix culpa happy were these corruptions §. 17. Obs 5 The safest simplest certainest Rule by which a Communicant may examine himself whether he come worthily to this Table is to do it by the nature use
vertue of his union with Christ himself and communion therefore he comes to eat the very body and drink the very bloud of Christ He comes as a confederate with God to receive the seal or as a Legator to receive a Legacy bequeath'd by Will viz. Christ and remission of sins in Christ for this Cup is the New Covenant or New Testament sealed with Christs bloud He comes as to a festival commemoration where the founder of the feast is remembred with praise and honour Do it in remembrance of me He looks through and beyond the broken bread and wine poured out to a broken body and the shed bloud of Christ He looks at another taking then taking of bread another eating and drinking than of bread and wine viz. the taking to himself and the spiritual and intimate application of Christs body and bloud For he discerns the Lords body and therefore comes as a consecrated person to consecrated elements to broken bread with a broken heart full of affections as the Ordinance is full of mysteries and here is a Communicant suitable to the Ordinance and so Paul who received of the Lord and delivered unto them the institution of Christ hath set to rights both the Ordinance and the Corinthian Communicant CHAP. III. That the Lord Jesus is the Authour of this Sacrament 1 COR. 11. 23. That the Lord Jesus c. I Shall follow the track of the Apostle who goes before me in the two points I am to entreat upon 1. The Nature and Use of this Sacrament 2. The due Preparation of the Communicant Of these in order and with what brevity I can contenting my self to speak in decimo sexto what might be spoken in folio in hope that your proficiency by Mr Anthony Burgess and Mr Love your former most worthy teachers may excuse me the labour of so large a volume The next words I come unto do plainly point out unto us 1. The Author of the institution The Lord Jesus 2. The Time of it The same night in which he was betrayed Doct. 1. The Authour of this Sacrament The Authour of this institution is the Lord Jesus The consent of all the Evangelists that write the History puts this out of all controversie Christ was personally present both celebrating and instituting this Ordinance He is res Sacramenti the thing of the Sacrament and Author Sacramenti the Authour of the Sacrament the feast-maker and the feast Out of this pierced side as Austin alludes there came forth both bloud and water the two Sacraments of the Church He took the bread he blest he brake it he gave it it may well be called the Lords Supper yea the Lord is the Supper This is my body this is my bloud §. 1. First The Lord Jesus is Authour the Mediatour of the new Covenant the Testator of the new Testament appoints the seal of that Covenant and ratifies that Testament with his bloud He is the Lord to whom is committed the Soveraignty and Government of his Church therefore he makes Officers Laws and Ordinances The Lords day and the Lords Supper are particularly in Scripture called by Rev. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 11. his name The Lords The Lords day ex illius resurrectione festivitatem suam habere coepit took its festivity Epist 119. from his Resurrection as Austin The Lords Supper is the memorial of his death so his death and resurrection a Supper and a day to memorize them As he is Lord so his Laws binde whatsoever they be though Abraham be commanded to kill his sonne for the Laws of God have not their obligation from the quality of the Law but from the authority of the Lord the Law-giver As he is Jesus a Saviour so his Laws are benefits and liberties tending to salvation as the Laws of your City are freedoms and your freedoms laws so you obey them â—s Laws enjoy them as freedoms they are our benefit and our duty His invitation is to a Supper it 's the invitation of a Lord it 's the Supper of a Saviour §. 2. Secondly There must be institution of a Sacrament The elements are cyphers till the institution make them figures Institution is as necessary to a Sacrament as superscription is to money for it is created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things that did not appear Sacraments are of that rank of things Quae nihil sunt sine institutione saith Chamier they were bread and wine Chamier de Euchar. l. 7. c. 10 indeed before but they were nothing to that relation which Christ put upon them a seal of a thousand a year is made of a peny-worth of wax What was a piece of brasse to the healing of a mortal sting Nothing till God put an use upon it that all that lookt to it being bitten should be healed §. 3. Thirdly There must be a divine institution to make a Sacrament The Legatee doth not seal the will but the Testatour the Granter seals the Deed not the Grantee the Delinquent seals not the pardon but the Keeper of the seal Sola divina institutio facit Sacramentum Montac origin part 1. pag. 73. saith a learned man Take that away and it ceaseth to be a Sacrament The Supream Power only can coyn money in other its capital All the whole Church together cannot make a Sacrament then it should be the Churches Supper not the Lords and it is theirs to eat but not to make Ejus est signa Synopsis de coena §. 7. gratiae addere cujus est gratiamtribuere He may adde the signs of grace that can give the grace There is a four-fold word requisite to a Sacrament 1. A word of institution which appoints the matter and form 2. A word of Sanctification or blessing to set them apart from common use 3. A word of Promise of some good to the Communicant and so we have here a promise of the Lords body and bloud The promises of Sacraments as is well observed by the Centuriators are vestitae Centurâ—mag ceâ—t 1. promissâ—ones cloathed promises He that believes shall be saved is a naked promise He that eats this bread c. shall have Christ as a cloathed promise 4. A word of Command as we have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buckler Prâ—t evidence in Baptism so hoc facite here as a learned man Let the Word be added to the Element and you have a Sacrament Austin §. 4. Fourthly It 's the institution that gives the nature and efficacy to a Sacrament He that mints the money sets the value and price upon it A Sacrament is an outward and visible signe but it is not a natural but a voluntary sign nor yet a bare signe as the picture of Hercules is a signe of Hercules and no more we must not make the Sacraments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty names empty figures empty representations that resemble and signifie something and no more as the Sacrament was a crucifix and the Supper painted
effect as in Mark 8. 6 7. He gave thanks and brake the bread or loaves the fishes he blest Shall we be so trivially curious as to seek criticisms in a thing so plain Not only our Divines but Romanists also consent he blest the Bread by thanksgiving and prayer over it He prayd God he blest God or he gave God thanks and thereby blest the Bread and Wine therefore it is said The Cup of blessing which we bless apply the one of these words to God he gave him thanks the other to the Bread as Paraeus and others all comes to one the Bread and the Cup were blest by Prayer and In loc Jansen Harm p. 96. Thanksgiving Thus the Jew in his form blessed his Bread and Cup by blessing God that created the fruit of the earth and of the vine and these two words in Greek expresse but that one in the Hebrew Barak as Maldonate and Paraeus note and this blessing is that we call Consecration or Sanctification by which the Elements are set apart to holy use and segregated from common or prophane For the further clearing of which First That Christ whether at miraculous meals Calvin in loc P. Martyr in locum Mark 6. 41. or at common sittings down with his Disciples Luke 24. 30. Matth. 14 19. alwayes gave thanks and blessed the bread Let his holy example be a command to us The Jew held his meat prophane untill he had blest it He had a form of Religion beyond most of us therefore the Apostle useth the word It 's sanctified It 's sanctified or made legitimate unto us by the Word that warrants it and prayer that blesseth it 1 Tim. 4. 5. For shame either learn of Christ or of the Jew mock not God with pulling a hat over your face but give thanks and blesse Secondly We finde no form of words used by Christ in this Consecration or Blessing none of the Evangelists tell us what words he used but they expresse the action in the same words of ordinary grace at meals He gave thanks he blessed in what words Estius in loc it is not reported to us He prayed saith Estius that the Bread and Wine might be turned into his very body and bloud So he imagines But who told him so No Scripture nor ancient Father The Jewish form of words is known in their Rituals Rara benedictio saith Scaliger without these solemn words Blessed be thou O Lord that hast sanctified us by thy commands and given us a charge concerning such or such a thing In reason Christ did accomode his blessing to the occasion praising God for his Redemption of man-kinde and for the coming of his Kingdom for his new Testament or Covenant and a blessing upon his Ordinances and people Ignorantia licita est saith Scotus It 's a lawfull ignorance not to know Lib. 4. dist 8. qu. 2. the words of consecration But as to those operative and conversive words as they call them This is my body wherein the Schoolmen show their learned fopperies those almighty words whereby a silly Priest makes his maker And as Lapide hyperbolically See Annot. in 1 Cor. 11. 25. saith If Christ had not been incarnate would have incarnated him They must not be angry if with Pope Innocent the third that great Creatour of Transubstantiation we deny them to be the words of Consecration for three Reasons 1. Because Christ bad his Disciples Take and Eat This is my body Reasons why they are not the words of consecration before he pronounced those words This is my Body and he did not sure bid them Take and Eat the Bread before it was blessed and consecrated 2. Because the words of consecration or blessing should in reason be spoken to God not to the Disciples of the bread as these are 3. Because these words This is my Body are assertive signifying what the bread is and as one of themselves saith should be false and untrue if they should not signifie what the bread is before the words be pronounced not what they shall be afterward God when he created light said not This is light but Let there be light * 4 Christ spake these words at the consecration Thirdly The form of Consecration or blessing used by the Churches of Christ is Thanksgiving and Prayer reciting the words of Institution as they are here in Paul or the other Evangelists We saith Lib. 6. de Euch. cap. 5. §. 12. Chamier speaking of the French Churches do religiously observe to pray to God that these Elements which Christ hath sanctified may be profitable to us unto salvation and we recite to a word the first Institution of this Ordinance out of Saint Paul viz. in this very Chapter So the Church of England in their form so is it directed since Thanksgiving Prayer and the words of Institution recited as for Exhortations ad populum then also used with which anciently in England and now we first begin together with places of Scripture memorized and in ulatum of the worthy they are rather to consecrate you and quicken up unto livelinesse your faith and graces Now we may not take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictly to exclude prayer For as Chrysostome observes it denotes the praising of Exercit. p. 382. P. Martyr in 1 Cor. 11. 24. God the giving of thanks prayer and the blessing of the Symbols and therefore we reade in Justin Martyr in this action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist 2. Lib. de Trin. 3. cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Austin cals it Panem prece mystica celebratum So Jerome Jansen Harm p. 99. ad Evagrium So others So generally Christ made choice of and sanctified these Species or these kinds Bread and Wine to be the Materials or Elements of his Supper and these we blesse by prayer and thanksgiving reciting his Institution The Cup of blessing which we blesse 1 Cor. 10. 16. and this is verbum ad Elementum or sanctifying by the Word and Prayer and from this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving thanks The Lords Supper hath been anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen cont Cels l. 8. §. 5 §. 6. That a Presbyter only can consecrate or blesse the Elements to this use Fourthly I told you before that this Action or Rule is Christs He gave thanks or he blessed and for after-times he commanded his Apostles hoc facite This was not then the action of the Communicant they eat and drink but they do not consecrate this is the action of those that Christ authorizeth by a lawfull calling to be Stewards of his Word and Sacraments The Pater-familias did blesse the Bread and Cup in and unto his own family or company because it was a house a chamber-supper but the Temple service of sacrificing was
lawfull to none but to a Priest and if Christ hath ordained a lawfull calling of Officers and Ministers called his for the service of his Church under the Gospel as it appears to us this act of all others doth properly belong to them to blesse in his Name for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publick Office we finde no Rule or Example in Scripture to the contrary and if that be a good argument in point of calling which is delivered Heb. 7. 13 14. that of the Tribe of Judah no man gave attendance at the Altar for Moses spoke nothing of that Tribe concerning Priesthood then we may reasonably argue That no private man that is not called by God can perform the Office of a publick Minister for Christ spake nothing of them concerning the Stewardship of his Mysteries Justin Martyr is clear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did Apol. 2. blesse and consecrate the Deacons did indeed carry about the bread and wine and deliver them but not blesse them and therefore Jerom speaking of the difference between a Deacon and a Presbyter or a Minister saith What doth the Deacon swell against the Ministers ad quorum preces corpus Domini conficitur by or at whose prayers the body of Christ is made Whitak de Euchar. 651. I shall not be tedious in this point Convenit inter omnes Pontificios Instit l. 4. e. 15. §. 20. It 's agreed on all hands by the Papists for the Character sake and for our Divines Calvin saith De Euchar pag. 656. It 's a part of the Ecclesiastical Ministry to dispense the Sacraments and if you will you may see Whitakers de Euchar. who acknowledgeth That the efficacy of the Sacrament depends not on the person or quality of the Minister though Jerom on 2. Ephan 3. hath a strange passage to the contrary yet that it is no Sacrament except he that celebrates it have authority from Christ Jesus whom he cals Sacrilegious and Prophane persons that dare attempt it without Commission and makes the difference thus What if any man shall set a publick Seal which he hath stolen into his hands Is it all one as if done by a publick Notary or allowed Officer No surely I know there is a little dissertation de coena that debates the Question what may be done ubi Pastores desunt And I know the Socinians those Levellers of Divinity that slight Christ into a meer man his bloud from a Sacrifice to a Martyrdom the Sacraments into void and empty figures and the Ministers into fore men of the Jury if so much but stand you in the old wayes in this point §. 7 §. 7. That the change of the Elements is onely of their use Fifthly The change of the Elements of bread and wine by vertue of Christs sanctifying or blessing them is not any change or alteration of the Elements themselves but of their use and office The change is relative not inherent Panis certa conservatione Coâ—â— Faust l. 20. c. 13. Apol. 2. fit mysticus saith Austin now the bread is not common bread saith Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The bread when it doth percipere vocationem Dei saith Irenaeus then it is not common bread but the Lib. 4. c. 34. l. 5 c. 4. Eucharist of the body and bloud of Christ If the bread should be changed in substance what argument could the ancient Fathers have found thence to prove against Marcion that Christ had not a phantastical Iren l. 5 c. 4. and aiery body And how again could they every where allude thus that the Divine Nature of Christ did not destroy the humane As the symbolical Nature of the Elements destroyes not the substantial and natural being The water of Baptism is water still The Rock that was Christ was a Rock still The Serpent on the Pole was brasse still The great Seal that conveys a great Estate is Wax still The use the office the relation of these sacramental mysteries is high and admirable and because the spiritual signification and use is so admirable therefore the Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding rhetorically and hyperbolically do speak of them to awaken and quicken and cheer up the spirits of people to look upon and use them in their symbolical use as instruments and exhibitive conveyances of Christ to our faith Bellarmine triumphs in one word of Cyprian de Coena Lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 9. Panis non effigie sed natura mutatus nullam admittit solutionem a crack of vanity That piece is later then Cyprian but if his by sinne of first parents natura humana humane nature was changed saith Austin Aug. de cin lib. 14. c. 12. and when a man is regenerated his nature is changed say we how not his flesh his body but quality c. Naturam expellas furcâ licet what 's that but Vide Forbes Epist Theol. p. 537. quality or custome not substance The holinesse of any thing sanctified to God infers a change of use and relation but not of substance consecrations of times persons places things may appropriate them to holy use and ends and there is accordingly an esteem or reverence of such things so set apart but the substance of the things is as it was for consecration is not a Philosophers-stone holy things may be spent in their use as the Sacrifices of old the Paschal Lamb the bread and wine in the Supper but the sanctifying of them to that use doth not first change them into the thing signified and so destroy the sign and signification as the relation is destroyed sublato fundamento Every Papist is bound to have the faith of miracles for the miracle of turning stones into bread is nothing so great as this of turning bread into Christs body Maldonate hath a story that in his dayes there was a book came forth De Arte nihil credendi and that there was but one true saying in it which was this He that will be an Atheist let him first be a Calvinist and if there had been in that book He that will believe any thing let him first be a Papist there had been another or rather one true saying indeed §. 8 §. 8. Of Christs Action of Breaking the Bread Thirdly The next Rite or action of Christ He brake it and so say all the three Evangelists and he said as here it follows This is my body broken for you and concerning his bloud both Matthew and Luke say thus This is my bloud which is shed for you which as some say was in the parallel the Cup represented correspondent to the breaking of the bread by the Morton in loc pouring forth of the wine out of some greater vessel into the Cup and so the bread is broken the wine is poured out as the body of Christ was crucified and his bloud shed Upon this Action we shall for memory sake speak of these particulars 1. That from hence
and the worship more outward but under the Gospel circumstances are at more liberty and spiritualnesse more call'd for and therefore in this Sacrament for instance we have nothing for how often but we have for how worthily as a learned man observes and therefore under correction it was not so right Mâ—â—cul de coeâ—â— Lib 4. distinct 13. Qu. 5. that when as Durand saith The primitive devotion of communicating every day was grown so cool that it came to be commanded on the three great festivals whereof Easter was by Innocent the first made Anno 1200. of the Quorum I might instance nearer home enjoyning all to it at that time For of this Chrysostom had complained long before that at those times the people either of custome or by Law crouded in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the custome saith he O the partiality of men The truth is I finde that in times of persecution threatning Christians either to arm themselves or in fear of being scatter'd and dispers'd took every occasion to celebrate the Supper and Justin Martyr signifies that their solemn meetings on the Lords dayes were accompanied with this feast and that the Question how often is propounded in Austine and Chrysostom and Austin perswades and exhorts every Lords-day Austin Eccles Dogm cap. 53. Chrysost hom 13. hâ—b Gerard. Harm cap. 171. if the heart be prepared and Chrysostom saith that a pure conscience may come as often as it will but for a wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once is too often and to conclude if the necessity of our infirmities the great benefit the honour of this memorial may be heard to speak we shall come to this Rule That frequency beget not a customary formality or fastidious satiety as Manna did nor seldomnesse beget forgetfulnesse or superstitiousnesse extraordinarinesse and under this caution I leave the determination of the times unto the Church CHAP. XVI Of the Continuance of this and other Gospel-Ordinances in the Church THe fourth point ariseth from the last words Untill he come and it is this This Ordinance and so all Gospel-ordinances are to continue in force in the Churches untill Christ come and this point cleaves into two parts §. 1. First The Lord Christ will come again he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 37. He that shall come he shall appear the second time Heb. 9. 28. as in the old Church of Israel there was a glorious Temple then a captivity that followed after the captivity a second Temple and then Christ came So in Gospel-Churches there was first a glorious Virgin primitive Church then followed a captivity under Antichrist and that captivity shall be followed with a second Temple a Reformed Church and then Christ shall come again but as the Church of God waited neer four thousand years from the first promise of Christ made to Adam to his first coming so shall the Church of the Gospel wait many years from that promise of Christs second coming Act. 1. 11. untill it be The first Christians did not imagine so long Revolution of time untill Christs second coming as we have seen sixteen hundred and how many yet are to runne out we know not The Apostle checks it in the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2. 2. who began to think that the day of Christ was at hand and the Christians in Justins time who were most of them of the millenary opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he did not think it should be so long ere the thousand years should commence and in Tertullians time they used in their publick prayers to pray pro mora finis for delay of the end in respect of Antichrists tyranny but the Jews are the example of the efficacy of errour that have overshot already that which is Christs first coming by above sixteen hundred years and are yet gazing we rest in this there is a fulnesse of time for Christs first and so for his second coming and then he will come our hope our comfort our salvation do all lie upon it and therefore we look for it Secondly This Ordinance of the Supper is to continue till Christ come the meaning is not That men shall not deface and dishonour it in some places but that it shall continue in force though not in use God will not alter or discharge it and the like for there is the like reason may be said of other standing Ordinances of worship The Jewish Passeover was an Ordinance for ever but that ever had an end when Christ came and the Ordinances of that Church though they might be defaced and destroyed for a time yet were in force till Christs first coming and so the Gospel-Sacraments Worship Ordinances and may it please you Ministry shall be in force and God grant in use for the time of their Ever and that is Christs second coming The legal Sacrifices and Ordinances were as the Apostle expounds Heb. 12. 27. the Prophet to be shaken down and removed by the bringing in of a better Covenant and other Ordinances by Christ Jesus but the Ordinances of the Gospel cannot be shaken are never to be removed by any other Ordinance or any new Church but onely to cease and expire with the worlds end The Scripture closes and shuts it self up with this Come Lord Jesus Rev. 22. 20. §. 3. The Use of this Point may be 1. To confirm us in the use and esteem of the Ordinances of Christ which have no other period then the world wiser we cannot be than he that thought them necessary but we may be prouder than we should by thinking our selves in a state of perfection and not infirmity which Christ hath provided for by his Ordinances of the Sacrament he saith Till I come Of the Gospel-Ministry he saith I am with you to the worlds end The devil is foolishly subtil now adayes under a pretence of immediate spirit crying down Ordinances and the Gospel-spirit must put down Gospel-Ordinances what Christ set up the Spirit must demolish and it is a Spirit indeed but a perverse one as you may see by the same argument cast in another mould The water only refreshes and quenches thirst therefore cut off all the cocks and pipes you know my meaning §. 4. 2. This point may stop the mouth of those degenerate Apostates the shame of Christianity that mock at the common principles and fundamentals of our faith saying Where is the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3. 4. They are Infidels in their faith that they may be Epicures in life We have not waited half so long for his second coming as the old believers did for his first God hath somewhat to do in the world besides the saving of us Time is not so long if it be measured by his span as by ours a thousand years are as one day and then what shall we say to the real Presentialists who will have Christ to come into every Sacrament and
and drink unworthily implies the one and plainly expresses the other part of the point The Communicant may come and eat suitably to the Ordinance or Institution and then he receives worthily and he may come and eat unsuitably to the exigence of the Ordinance and then he receives unworthily So that the point is an undoubted truth except any can demonstrate that no Communicant can eat and drink worthily and then to what purpose is the Institution but to bring damnation or judgement on all that partake of it but I wave the proof The point is clear in its own light onely let me acquaint you that my intention is to weave all I have to say into this one main point For herein I will shew the qualifications of a worthy and the defaults of an unworthy Communicant then the special guilt that aggravates the sinne of unworthy receiving He shall be guilty of the body c. then the particular cause of unworthinesse assigned and that is not discerning the Lords body Then the fearfull danger of this sinne whereby a man is said to eat and drink judgement to himself then the way of prevention of this sinne that we fall not into it Let a man examine himself Then the prevention of the judgement in case we fall into the sinne If we would judge our selves c. §. 4 §. 4. That the Lords Supper is not common for all but a bar'd Ordinance to some Quest There may arise a Question thus Worthily and unworthily are words that belong to the manner of communicating and cannot be applied to any but Communicants but is there not a third sort of persons viz. non-Communicants such as may not come to this Table or eat and drink here And were it not requisite to know whether there be any and who be such as well as to know who comes worthily who unworthily This indeed is a Question the more material because it is in our dayes of great agitation and therefore I intend to dispatch it first that I may have to deal onely with Communicants worthy or unworthy And for answer to it I first make and lay down this general Position That as it 's said of some Havens they are barred Thesis I. so is this Ordinance of the Lords Supper a barred Ordinance a severall not a common field a recept for a select company not a common Inne or Ordinary It 's a Table in this respect like yours which is not spread for every one to runne unto and sit down that will but for your children your guests your friends or if you think I have spoken too low It 's like the Table of a common Hall which is not yet common to all the world but to such a Corporation or Fraternity And it may be said without hyperbole that there is scarce a Christian Church in the world this day nor hath been in any Age since Christ who have not inclosed made several and impaled this Ordinance of the Supper And if I could but lead your eye into the Primitive Churches you would wonder at the fortifications they made about it There you should see the Catechâ—meni that were in the school of Catechism learners of the Doctrine of Christianity admitted indeed to hear the Sermon Tertullian cals them Audientes but never grumbling at the Ite missa est Go you are dismist When the Fideles or Communicants went to this service And there you should see the Lapsi or Poenitentes Christians that had fallen into open and manifest scandals standing a long time upon the four stairs or degrees of publique repentance weeping for admission and bewailing their sin and suspension from the Lords board which rigour of Discipline though full of sharpnesse and asperity yet the reverence of this Ordinance the Heathens among whom they lived that watched for their haltings and the great temptations to Idolatry and Apostasie by fear of persecutions and continual Alarms may plead some excuse of that severity In short though some have made the gate wider than others yet all have impaled the Ordinance and taken it from the common The Word indeed preached or read lies open to all the high wayes and hedges may be compell'd in to fill up the place where it sounds and Baptism may be administred at the entrance for imitation and listing of souldiers under Christs colours but the Lords Supper ever was intra Cancellos within the mound for it is the inmost Ordinance that we have for Church-members Disciples not lying open to the streets but as an inner room within a room an Ordinance for fellowship of Saints and Christians that are past the Font All have not right to it and some that have had right may for the time have forfeited and lost their capacity This is my general position which as in the sequel will be clear to you may be proved by a threefold evidence 1. By evidence of fact the universal sense and consent of all Christian Churches and thereby it will appear that it is no new Doctrine 2. By evidence of Scripture by which it will appear to be no false Doctrine for it 's past all doubt that the Passeover in the old Church was a barred Ordinance shut up from the uncircumcised and the unclean and the Supper in the New Testament is so too In the 28 verse Let a man examine himself and so the word And so is a limitation and a proviso and contains in it otherwise not When men have traversed the Point to the utmost this little word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so as it opens the door to such as are so qualified so it is a barre and shuts it against them that are not And it is Chrysostom his note upon the man that came in without his wedding garment Matth. 22. 12. that the King said not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he said not Why didst thou sit down and eat but How camest thou in hither 3. By evidence of Reason for those that have no right or no capacity may not communicate nor those that having had a right or capacity have lost it for present by some grievous sinne and the censure of the Church which I shall pursue more particularly and distinctly In the mean time I thus conclude my generall Position We have warrant and may call all men Turks and Jews unto the Word of the Gospel The Word cals them all to faith in Christ and repentance If they enter not into Covenant the seals of the Covenant are not for them If they do enter Covenant then the Sacraments or Seals follow for the Covenant doth not follow the Seal but the Seal the Covenant I hope to rationall men this appears reason to me it appears above contradiction So much for the generall Position or Thesis Now I will proceed to confirm it particularly according to the three fold evidence §. 5 §. 5. The evidence of Fact The first is the evidence of Fact the
's one thing to know simply and another to know judicially and known it must be either by evidence of fact or confession or conviction if it be and yet appear not it is as if it were not De non existentibus non apparentibus eadem ratio if it come to that passe that the offendour put himself upon conviction then the processe must be Secundum allegata probata in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word must stand saith our Saviour upon this point If I were to judge the fact which I my self do know but yet it is not proved I durst not make a censure but should rather Exuere personam judicis induere personam testis And as Jerome saith Cont Ruffin lib. 2. A single witnesse is not to be believed Ne Catoni quidem No though he were Cato You would be loath to lose your horse your goods but upon sufficient conviction and I hope you think that to lose your right to the Sacrament is a greater losse I like well of that of Durand Lib. 4. Dist. â— Qu. 5. §. 7. Aug. in 1 Cor. 5. If any be a brother out of Austine We cannot prohibâ—re à Communione any man but he that either confesses his sinne or is convict of it before the secular Judgement or in the face of the Church You see what a sufficient hedge the Scripture and Reason hath made about the right of a Communicant Sixthly No private person by any private Authority can dispossess a visible member of his right of Communion As in the Common-wealth Justice is necessary but private persons doe not bear the Sword It 's unreasonable that a man laying claime to the Ordinance should at any mans private discretion be denied What inconveniences and mischiefes would this fill the Church of God with How full of scandals This would not heal scandals but make them Nor can I warrant or encourage any private or single Minister ordinarily to assume the power of jurisdiction to cast out of the Church as it once did Diotrephes 2 Epist of John vers 10. and I say ordinarily because Saint Paul deliver'd to Satan Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. For the Pastour is not Dominus but Dispensator Sacramentorum as Alensis saith not the Head of the Sacraments but the Steward And it would goe very ill with the best Communicants many times if the power lay in that hand He that preaches against them would make no bones to forbid them the Table and they that least deferved it should feel the severity most but our Saviour his Rule is Tell the Church and that Matth. 18. rebuke which was given to the incestuous Corinthian was inflicted by many 2 Cor. 2. 6. It 's true The Minister may alone performe the executive part and pronounce the words as the Crier doth the Proclamation and peradventure withdraw his hand from reaching forth the Sacrament to a scandalous person but that is no act of Jurisdiction or casting out the scandalous person as I shall it may be shew anon Seventhly The Church it selfe doth not ordinarily cast out a meritorious sinner without previous Admonition and hearty seeking of a lost Sheep for there are few that would cut off an unsound Leg or Arme before they had tried all wayes And our Saviour saith If he neglect to hear the Church Matth. 18. 17. as implying That the Church deals with him by Exhortations and entreaties such as may overcome his obstinacy rather then punish it and had rather heal him than cut him off And so in the first generall Position I fortified the Sacrament against undue Intrusion And in this second I have fortified the Right of the Communicant against unjust invasion And having shewed you the truth of this Point in two generall Positions The first was That this Ordinance is barred and lies not open to all that may intrude The second was That the right of a visible Church-member is hedged in and cannot be hand over head invaded and taken away from him Now I shall shortly shew you what Use may be made of all this CHAP. XVIII The Vses which are to be made of the two last Theses §. 1. THat the truth lies between these two I say between a forcible Entry or violent Intrusion unto this Ordinance and an unjust invasion of the Communicants right For both the Ordinance it self and right of the Communicant are hedged in As in all Corporations whosoever will may not intrude into the freedom nor yet the rights belonging to that freedom be taken away but in an orderly way That which God hath made common we may not inclose or make several vâ—z the Gospel or preaching thereof and that which God hath made several we may not make common that is this Sacrament As he cannot allow this Table to any that are not of the house so neither can we turn out of the house such as have right to come to this Table Some are displeased that they should not have the same right to the Word and to the Table No for as thou art a sinfull man thou hast a right and duty to hear the Gospel though an Heathen but not to this Sacrament till thou be a Christian and duly qualified professour of Christ Are you not pleas'd that God gives you a nearer and more inward admittance unto Communion and fellowship with Christ than to Jews and Infidels and such as are called Christians but little better than they Would you not have him make more of his children than of common servants While you would raise up a right unto wicked men to Gods inner Ordinance you do but depresse and lay low the difference and favour which he vouchsafes to his Covenant people A King may send a Proclamation of pardon to rebels while the Sword is in their hand but he seals it not to them or invites them to his Table till they submit and accept conditions §. 2. No private grudge or distance or animosity of any man in authority can warrant the dispossession of any just right of a Communicant to this Ordinance I have told you already We are not Lords of the Sacrament but Stewards the Table is the Lords Table not ours No servant can upon any private grudge against his fellow-servant forbid him the house or table provided by the Master No private Citizen can forbid the priviledge and rights of freedom to his fellow-citizen This is but the exercising of private revenge by the way of Gods publick Ordinance and to prostitute the same to our envy and malice The King said to his servants binde him hand and foot that hath not the wedding-garment and take him away Matth. 27. 13. The King said it Let all the Lords servants take heed of casting out any but upon the Lords warrant and upon his command I should tremble that my self or any else should make my Office serve my private spleen neither can any man lose his right upon my supposition or
suspicion of scandalous sin but clear and convictive evidence And what I say of private grudge I would be understood to say of private differences in opinion speculative or practick provided they be such as godly men do ordinarily dissent in or as the Apostle saith Such things wherein the Kingdom of God consists not Rom. 14. 17. For vers 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eats not Let not him that eateth not judge him that eats and the reason is given vers 4. He is another mans servant to his own Master he stands or fals Such discord need break no musick we may as soon make all faces alike as all judgements and we should not be so proud as to think all are Blackmores besides us For God hath received him saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 3. therefore let us receive him and let him receive at the Lords board and yet I would have no man think that I dare speak in favour of or invite heresie to the Lords Table For as there is a great difference between our daily sinnes and those we call scandalous or flagrant and atrocious so there is also between many errours of judgement and pernicious heresies And if we compare such heresies with scandalous sinnes of moral life you shall finde that heresie is more infectious and pestilential though the other may be as mortal So the Plague is more to be avoided than the Dropsie Heresie overthrows the faith of other men more easily than drunkennesse doth their morals by the example By scandalous sinnes we open others mouths to blaspheme by heresie we our selves blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. And you finde that it is said of heresies as it is of Adultery Murder They that doe such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Gal. 5. 19. And if there be any thing higher it 's said They bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 2. and therefore they are as farre removed from this Table as any other §. 4. And what I have said of private grudge or private differences in judgement I say lastly of private respects or partiality which neither shuts nor opens the door well and if I were to allow or disallow Communicants I would not admit my near relations Wife Children Servants Kindred Friends but upon the same termes I would admit my enemy his relations his Wife Children and if I should disallow any of them upon the same terms I would forbid mine own else were I a Jam. 2. 4. respecter of persons and a judge of evil thoughts Nor would I stretch out my hand to a Parliament-man and withdraw it from a Scavenger on the same termes Nor should a godly man Flagranti in crimine under the scandall of drunkennesse or adultery finde any more welcome than another man under the same sinne untill repentance made some difference For still I goe upon the same Rule or principle The Table is not ours We make not the Feast We are not Lords and Masters of the Ordinance but Stewards Servitours Dispensers that must act ad voluntatem Domini §. 5. The third Use of this Point may be to satisfie our querulous and complaining dispositions when we see many who are but Jewes outwardly and they are no Jews Many that have a forme but not the power of godlinesse Many that walke disorderly as the Apostle saith 2 Thess 3. 11. Many that desire to make a fair shew and do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set a good face on it Galat. 6. 12. but are rotten at the core c. They complaine Why are they suffer'd Why are not they cast out Why do they remain spots in our feasts as Jude saith c And it cannot be denied we plead not for hypocrites we are not Advocates and Patrons of foolish Virgins they come unworthily though they come and that is bad enough but why do they come at all The Answer is That violence must not be offer'd to that Rule Order and way which God hath set down for the prohibiting of any visible member from his right It 's fit that thieves and robbers and cheaters were either reformed or purged out of the Common-wealth but yet it must be in the course of Law or else the remedy would be a mischief That in the mouth of two or three Witnesses saith Christ Matth. 18. 16. every word may be establisht It is not a thing to be done at randome as I have shewed Every sore leg is not presently to be cut off there may be as sore a one under a silk stocking The Church sinnes if she neglect her duty but I must tell you That you must do your duty first Have you in private offences gone first to your offensive brother and told him of his fault in private and then if he be not gain'd have you born witnesse against him And hath he been convinced of his sinne by due conviction Or doth he stand out against conviction and admonition And is he obstinate and doth persist in his sinne One may murder a Felon he should haply die but he dies innocently if he die by a private hand A man that deserves to be cast out may be cast out injuriously viz. a non judice I confesse the Argument is plausible That the Church the livelier and purer it is the better it is So the Corn-field is best that hath no weeds The Corn that 's clean drest from chaffe and cockle is the purest but it 's rare to finde such a field or to finde such a floor in the Garner so it is but not in the barn-floor I like holinesse which is of Gods making not that which is of mans making The Novatians or Cathari the Donatists also pretended both to a holinesse above all the Churches of God in the world but there is as Calvin observed none of them left in the world to be seen whereas the true Churches of Christ continue and I hope shall continue though they be like Israel going forth of Aegypt that had a mixt multitude among them as the Scripture speaks CHAP. XIX What must be done where Discipline cannot be executed for want of Administrators §. 1. HAving said That the Lords Supper is a barred Ordinance and yet that the just rights of the Communicant ought not to be invaded I shall now proceed before I go further Two or three Questions of moment and importance The Answer to which will both clear the former Doctrine more fully and also anticipate such Objections as may be raised up against it Quest 1. The first Question is this What is to be done in such case wherein the former Doctrine is impracticable by reason that the Church or particular society whereof thou art a member be not in capacity to exercise such Discipline for want of such due Administratours as may bring to execution the aforesaid order of Debarment from or Admittance to the Lords Table Before I answer this great Question I must tell you that I have cause to fear least
after their separation from Aegypt but this separation is moral or foederal God cals them propounds the terms of his Covenant they professedly submit and acâ—ept Exod. 19. 5 8. and now they are separate set apart sanctified by dedication unto God and his service and are called no more Heathens Infidels but Saints Gods people believers Christians or the like §. 3. Secondly All that are thus separated by their professed submission unto and acceptance of the Covenant are not true members of Christ or of his body All the people when God did but generally propound a Covenant to them professed with open voice their yeeldance and the Lord acquiesced in it Exod. 19. 5 8 9. and the same people when they heard the particular Laws of that Covenant profest again they would do them Exod. 24. 3. and so it became as we say Done and done on both sides and yet he that should affirm all these though newly baptized to be truly regenerate were very wide of the truth for there are many reputative members that are in the visible Society and fellowship of the Church and it's Ordinances that are but Jews outwardly and they are saith the Apostle no Jews and yet they are circumcised and eat the Passeover and communicate in Ordinances and if we will not be captious in words are true members of the visible Society yet no members of Christs mystical Body nor yet can they be dispossest by us of their right unto Ordinances for we have no judgement of their spiritual and inward Estates nor any Command nor any Rule to dispossesse them nor any example of God himself who lets the corn and chaff lie together in area and separates them locally in horreo as Austin speaks and this body howsoever consisting of members heterogeneall yet being taken together in grosse or in the lump hath very sublime and honourable compellation both in the Old Testament A holy Nation a Exod. 19. 5 6 c. Kingdom of Priests Gods special treasure and in the New The Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 25. 1. for so the Gospel net that contains both good and bad is called and so the whole knot of wise and foolish Virgins and yet it 's plain that in this Kingdom there are children that are to be cast out and scandalous persons for Doctrine and them that work iniquity for Practice that are to be gathered out at last Mat. 13. 41. §. 4. Thirdly Whereupon we grant That it 's rare and hard to finde a visible Church in any Age or time that was without corruption or mixture of good and bad in it They that talk of purity of Churches may more easily finde in the world a body that hath never a frecken or spot than a Church without corruption and yet both a body and a Church be beautifull for all that The Scripture gives us a perfect delineation of the Church as it ought to be in Rules of faith and holinesse but yet shews us plainly that it being Gods pleasure that the Net should gather both good and bad and the servants inviting to the marriage did bring in both good and bad it must needs be consequent that many of those that are called are not chosen That all that are of Israel are not Israel Had not this mixture served more to Gods glory even the glory of his inwardly discriminating grace it is likely it had not been So that as they say of the Hebrew Greek Latine these Languages may be pure in books but hardly to be found purely spoken by any Nation now in the world so are the rules of faith and life pure and perfect in the Word and yet not so perfectly observed by the visible Church And if a man suppose that a number or Colony of really holy persons might be pickt out of the Churches and embody themselves into a Church Are they sure this would be answerable to their fancy Did not the Donatists dream so of themselves And what may one think of their children in time Doth not the purest seed we sow come up with straw and chaff If they hold Communion with the visible Church Is it not all one If they do not Is it not worse and more clearly without warrant §. 5. The Church may be corrupted many wayes in Doctrine Ordinances Worship and this I account the worst because it is the corruption of the best as the corruption of bloud that runnes thorow all the body the poisoning of Springs and Rivers that run thorow a Nation is worse than a sore finger in the body or a ground of thistles in the Nation and there are degrees of this corruption the Doctrine in some remote points hay and stubble upon the foundation the Worship in some rituals or rites of mens invention or custom How many Scripture Churches do ye finde thus corrupted and yet no Separation of Christ from the Jewish Church nor any commanded to the godly of Corinth in the Provinces of Galatia or those of Asia in the Revelation I must in such case avoid the corruption hold the Communion Hear them in Moses chair and yet beware of their leaven but if corruptions invade the fundamentals the foundation of Doctrine is destroyed the worship is become idolatrous the leprosie is gotten into the wals and substance of the house and which is above all If the Church impose such Laws of their Communion as there is necessity of doing or approving things unlawfull or I am ruin'd and undone then must I either break with God or men and in that case Come out of Babylon The Churches of Protestants so separated from them of Rome it was a necessary and just Separation the Lawes of their Communion were ruinous to the soul if we hold it to the body and life if we held it not § 6. In summe then and in conclusion of this part about Doctrine or Worship which is but upon the bie to the Question If a corrupt Church as Israel was have their Ordinances according to the patern in the Mount If it may be said as Peter to Christ John 6. 68. when some Disciples separated themselves Thou hast the words of eternal life If as Christ said in matter of Worship John 4. Salvation is of the Jews than as he said Whether shall we go Why do we separate And yet I would not be mistaken by the simplest man as if I accounted it separation if a Christian hear a Sermon or receive the Sacrament in another Congregation For he that takes a meal at another Table doth not thereby separate from his own house or if a Christian at liberty to dispose his dwelling shall remove and sit down under more fruitfull Ordinances I account not this secession a Separation no more than if being sickly and having not health in the City he remove his seat into the Countrey for purer air because in so doing he removes from the City but renounces not his freedom therein nor disclaims in like
the local contact or conjunction but the moral conjunction that defiles and we are as morally separate and sever'd from them when they are at the Lords Table as if they were in place distant It 's they that joyn with us in our profession not we with them in their sins if their profession be hypocritical that infects not us for spiritually infected we are not by contagion but consent nor do we professe our selves to be of one body with them any otherwise 1. Cor. 10. 17. than all that communicate with hypocrites do viz. upon supposition that they are as they professe members of the body which if they be not our profession is not false but theirs is and yet I confesse that those are best Churches where the presumption of godlinesse in the members is most reasonable §. 9. In summe and for conclusion we defend the communion of the visible Church in Gods Ordinances but we defend not the sinne of them that professe to know God but in works deny him It was a sad complaint of Salvian long ago Praeter paucissimes De Gudern l. 3. c. Besides some few that serve the Lord in Spirit quid est omnis caetus Christianorum Free our Communion from this exception by amendment of their lives and that the godly would as the School saith Abuti alieno peccato make good use of other mens sins and their own for even they are mixt persons as I may say having flesh and Spirit as well as our Churches are mixt of good and bad and that they would stirre up their graces to be the better for other mens sinnes and perform the duties required of them at such a time and not give way to thoughts of Separation which puls a good stake out of a rotten hedge where it did more good by standing than by removal For unto the pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure Tit. 1. 15. whereby it is plain that what is impure to them that are defiled is not made impure to them that are pure and so I conclude with this recapitulation The Separation of the Church from wicked men and infidels by Gods calling and Covenant with it is as necessary as the profession of faith and holinesse The Church her Separation or casting out of obstinately wicked men from her communion is defended for the recovery of lapsed members and the avoidance of infection of and scandal to her self The secession of those good people from the Idolatry erected by Jeroboam to worship at Jerusalem is allowed 2 Chron. 11. 16. The negative Separation or the not communicating in the worship of Baal not so much as by knees or lips of those seven thousand in Israel is liked of by the Lord 1 King 19. 18. The avoidance of private familiarity with scandalous sinners is often commanded ut supra The flying of Gods people out of Babylon where Idolatry is maintain'd by force and tyranny is called for and required The Separation of heretical and vitious members from the Church is branded with a black coal Jude v. 19. These be they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit which above all men they pretend unto But the Separation of the godly from Gods Ordinances because of the corrupt lives of some in the Church is no where by any syllable of Scripture allow'd or countenanc'd being contrary to the example and not warranted by command of Christ or his Apostles and it 's a vain pretending to a holinesse above their Rule or their example All that I would is an order in the Church I should rejoyce to behold as saith he your order and the stedfastness of your faith Col. ◠5. which too many too much slight and undervalue for as one said Order in an Army kils no body yet without it the Army is but a rout neither able to offend or defend so haply order in the Church converts no body yet without it I see not how the Church should attain her end or preserve themselves in begetting or breeding up souls to God CHAP. XXI Whether the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance §. 1. Quest 3 THe third Question is Whether the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance There is a conversion of a regenerate man from some Luk. 22. 32. fall or sinne as in that saying When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren and so a man that 's godly may be often converted that is raised up from lapses and backslidings Of this the Question is not for this is but as the blowing in of the candle when the flame is gone out by exciting or wakening the fire that yet glows in the weeck of the candle which may be done by this Sacrament But the Question is Whether God doth offer or exhibit the first grace for conversion of an unbeliever or unregenerate man for as Davenant rightly saith The first faith must be given to an unbeliever as the first light is that which comes into meer darkness This Question is but an upstart among us which hath risen on occasion of seclusion of some from this Sacrament and indeed quite overthrows it if the Sacrament be a converting Ordinance for upon this ground we may invite the most wicked to the Table as well as to the Word namely for conversion and it were a great sin to prohibit any from the appointed means of their conversion §. 2. For answer to the Question I premise That it is the Doctrine of Whitaker that as the Word is the mean and instrument of grace so is the Sacrament in general the one is applied to the ear the other to the eye This is the difference The Word begins and works grace in the heart For faith comes by hearing but the Sacrament is objected to the eye and doth not begin the work of grace but nourishes and increases it for faith is not begotten by the Sacraments but only augmented Thus he The Doctrine of physical operation is exploded by all the orthodox Sacraments do not work grace as a plaister cures a sore that 's a blinde conceit of ignorant souls but God by them or in their use imparts grace as he did healing by the brazen Serpent Now God by Baptism solemnly represents and seals to his people their planting into Christ We are planted by Baptisme into the likenesse of his death Rom. 6. 3 4 5. And by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and therefore Baptism is called the Sacrament of our implanting ingraffing incorporating into Christ and so is a Sacrament of initiation Ye are all children of God by faith in Christ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 2◠God was pleased to have his Covenant sealed by Baptism as to the first grace of that Covenant as by Circumcision also under the Law and so we are solemnly listed and admitted to be his and called
with God as Jacob did and yet go away halting that was no sign of prevailing yet the Text tels us by his strength he had power with God he prevailed Oh but he went lame away True but he wept and made supplication to him Hos 12. ◠◠The Apostle Paul doth not finde fault with his prayer because it prevail'd not at first for removal of the thorn nor with God neither but he had his eye open'd to see the use of that thorn like a corrosive to eat away the proud flesh growing and that contented him the stay of the thorn was answer to his prayer when he saw the use of it and was supported under it 2 Cor. 12. 8. We look for Gods answer to us in our prayer or in his Ordinance as that man that lookt for the Sunne rising towards the East whereas he that looked West-ward for it on the top of the high Tower or Steeple saw it first To see and to have the use of a sinne or corruption is a better answer of an Ordinance many times than to be quit of it For as Austin saies Proud hearts have need of sinnes as proud sores of eating plaisters And therefore to answer this point nearer home and nearer the case it self The Apostles that were near Christ at this first Sacrament within few hours after it betray'd their weaknesse they fled from him they hid themselves and the strongest of them took the greatest fall Shall we say they communicated unworthily because the successe was so bad No for we must not measure altogether by that Rule but by the manner of receiving if such graces and affections be then set on work as the Ordinance doth bespeak It 's well observed that the recording of the sinnes of holy men in Scripture is as profitable and usefull to the Church as the record of their graces or heroical acts For as we look upon their graces we are ashamed of our selves and instructed to imitation as we look on their sinnes and failings we are not discouraged unto desperation and the Scripture it self directs us to some such like use Jam. 5. 17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are viz. to like afflictions and to like fruit trees It 's Gods part of the Covenant to finish our faith and support our graces to revive our spirits and subdue our corruptions It 's our part to believe and walk humbly with God not only in our conversation but the use of his ordinances Let us minde our own part and take comfort in the acting of grace at least if we have not the desired benefit and fruit of Ordinances to comfort us For were I to chuse I had rather exercise grace in my communion with God than enjoy a sensible rapture I speak it to improve a Christian in his gracious actings though I know withall that at last the fruit will fall into his bosom for he that goes out weeping and bears precious seed shall doubtlesse come again with joy and bring his sheaves Psalm 126. 6. And again Hosea 6. 2. After two dayes he will revive us in the third as Christ was raised he will raise us up then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord in the mean time before this fruit be ripe the very running of the sap is a certain signe the Tree lives And so I have given you a measure or rule of judging whether you receive worthily Secondly Think not that the Sacrament conveyes or contributes any thing to you as a medicinal potion or plaister Doth the Physick work and so the plaister by an inherent or inward vertue in it self not by any vertue in the Phyfician or Chyrurgeon So ignorant and superstitious people look on the Sacrament they think it saves them and does them good they know not how and so regard the matter more than the manner of receiving they mistake Gods manner of working by Sacraments and therefore regard not their own manner of receiving them and are so fond as if they could eat and drink away their sinnes and had by very receiving this bread and wine quit all old scores and were fresh to begin upon a new account as the Papist thinks of his auricular confession §. 2. It is a very excellent and profitable knowledge to understand how God conveys grace by the Sacrament I speak not of understanding subtilties but the plain and open use of the Ordinance Now I cannot possibly conceive how the elementals of bread and wine can or do any otherwise convey to or afford me any spiritual grace but as instruments and means by Gods meer positive appointment and ordination representing testifying sealing to me not only Gods reality of promise or Covenant in offering Christ but my interest and propriety in Christ and the benefits that flow from Union and Communion with Christ and therefore that reviving refreshing increase of grace power of mortification of lusts Come no otherwise to me by the use of this Ordinance than as it seals Christ to me and by sealing Christ or the Covenant to me doth confirm faith revive the heart elevate the affections strengthen resolutions fortifie against lusts and temptations for it is a sure Rule The nearer applications of Christ to the soul and his benefits in way of taste or assurance the more quickning grace of all sorts follows thereupon As the nearer approach of the Sunne in the Spring cheers up and revives all things that live but things stark dead are as dead then as in deep of winter Let me convey this to you by a familiar similitude A man hath an Estate the Wool the Wine the Corn that grows out of that Estate clothes him refreshes him feeds him but the Seal that confirms and assures this Estate to him doth no otherwise cloath or refresh or feed him than as it confirms that estate to him out of which all these do rise And by this you may plainly understand how grace is conveyed by this Sacrament which doth seal up to you and assure you of Christ and the Covenant of promises in Christ out of which all these graces grow and flow Do ye understand this Then it follows 1. That for any man to imagine that the very eating and drinking this bread and this Cup should cure and heal his soul is as fond as to think the very seal or wax of a Deed should either seed or clothe him for in that case it 's not a seal but a piece of wax how infinitely do our common people undervalue this Sacrament that make but a piece of holy bread of it which is an exhibition of the body of Christ as they that value a seal by the worth of the wax and not by the Estate thereby confirmed 2. That it 's absolutely necessary to bring to this Sacrament that grace which is necessary to the receiving of Christ himself Quid paras dentem What does the providing of teeth to eat saith Austin What avail is all outward
kils no body yet without it they are a Rout and not an Army FINIS THE TABLE A ABuses in Ordinances no ground for separation 30 Actions in the Lords Supper of Christ 76 Communicants 95 B BRead must be broken and why 88 Benefit of worthy receiving 314 1. Generally 1. It is of higher nature then the Elements of themselves can convey 319 2. Blessings of the Covenant are sealed and graces of the Covenant improved 320 2. Particularly 1. What God conveys 1. Christ and his benefits 322 2. The Covenant sealed 324 2. What believers receive 1 The body and bloud of Christ 326 2. Remission of sin 327 3. Communication of greater proportion of Gospel-spirit 329 C COvetousness cause of Judas Treason 47 Counsel of God fulfilled by wicked instruments 58 Consecration of Elements by what words 81 Cups divers in the Passeover 79 D DIscipline what to be done where it cannot be duly administred 223 Discerning the Lords body what it is 338 Danger of unworthy eating 345 E ELements what they signifie 73 Must be taken severally ib. Were severally blest 77 By what words consecrated 81 Ought to be consecrated only by a Presbyter 83 Changed only in their use 85 Whether given by Christ immediately to all 91 Inward signification of them 117 They work not physically 267 Examination of our selves required to right participation of the Lords Supper 352 Examination 3. 1. Of Men. 356 2. Of Christians ib. 3. Of Communicants 357 Motives to and Directions for it 358 Examination by Elders 370 F FAsting not necessary before the Lords Supper 29 Fitness for the Lords Supper wherein it consists 278 May be set too high or too low 279 G GRaces to be exercised in Communicants 289 1. Knowledge of Nature Vse End of this Ordinance 290 2. Christ-receiving faith 292 3. Repentance 293 4. Spiritual appetite after Christ 296 5. Love to fellow-members 297 6. Thankefulness 298 Grace that is true how differenced from counterfeits 367 Guilty of the body and bloud of Christ what 342 Ground of worthy receiving and of the Churches admission different 343 I JEwish writings and customs needfull to expound the New Testament 2 Institution best rule for Reformation 34 Words of it explained 111 Irreverent carriage reproved 277 Judas intended not Christs death 57 K KNowledge of the Nature Vse and End of this Ordinance required in a Communicant 290 L LOrds-Supper Elements of it taken from Passeover 2 Who capable of worthy receiving 20 Occasional circumstances not obliging 22 Christ the Author of it 48 Why instituted at night 63 After Supper ib. Little before betraid 66 An Ordinance of Fâ—llowship 98 What it exhibits 120 An inner Ordinance only for believers 140 The End of it the remembrance of Christ 141 Occasions of the neglect of it 148 How obstructions may be removed 153 How our mindes should be exercised in it 156 The great work of it to shew Christs death 167 An Ordinance to be repeated 171 Must continue till Christ come 174 A barred Ordinance 182 Who ought to be debarred 191 Not a converting Ordinance by Institution 247 Yet may occasionally convert 250 Love-feasts how abused 30 M MIxt Communion no ground for separation 234 Motives to endeavours after right participation 300 Motives to self-examination 358 N NEcessity of teaching and learning the true meaning of the Lords-Supper 161 P PApists must have faith of miracles 86 Passeover represented Christs death 3 Why so called ib. Whether a Sacrifice 5 Christ our Passeover 6 It looked Backward as a remembrancer 8 Forward as a type 8 How it resembles Christ sacrificed 9 Christ in the Sacrament 13 Preparation for the Lords Supper 274 Q QUalification for worthy receiving false and insufficient 304 Qualifications of remembrance of Christs death 143 R REmembrance of Christs death 143 To whom it is made 145 Rites and gestures spurious in Lords-Supper 101 S SAcrament and Sacrifice how differ 5 Sacrament must resemble the thing signified 104 Consists only in the use 106 Scriptures necessity 40 Separation not grounded on Abuses in Ordinances 30 Mixt Communions 234 Sign taken for thing signified 7 Sins of Judas and Disciples how differ'd 61 Sins scandalous what 212 Sins notorious what 213 Socinian errour 120 T TRansubstantiation its rise 128 Arguments against it 130 V UNworthy receiving a great and dangerous sin 332 The cause of the sin Not discerning c. 337 Aggravations of the sin 341 Danger of it 345 Dangerous to Church and State 348 A godly person may receive Unworthily 285 W WOrthy and unworthy receiving 45 180 263 Worthy receiving not to be measured by success 265 What required to it 283 Benefit of it 314 Who capable of it 20 False qualifications for it 304 FINIS ERRATA PAg. 3. lin 27 r to suffer p 4. l. 18 Gerard. p. 5. l. 2. r. paterfamilias p. 6. l. 3 prius prosunt p. 8. r. § 5 6. p 8. l. 28. r. not only hrist p. 9 l. 7. r. this life-giving death of p. 22. l. 15. r. and bâ—essing p. 33. l. 14 Hebrewish with whom the c. p. 37. l. 24. r. the Lord I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered p 44. l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 5â— l. 13. r. Author from him therefore l. 22. r. Schoolman saith l. 23. r. were contained p. 58. l. 13. r. saith Ames p. 77. l. 16. r. Post-coenium p. 85. l. 17. r. Marcion l. 18. 1. body l. 20. r. humane l. 22. r. being p. 93. l. 32. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 95. l. 12. r. Thus Every p. 143. l. 14. r. Benefits Benefactors