of being proved In which way of proceeding it is plain that it is supposed that Communion with Christ could not be maintained without Communion with his visible Church and in after Ages without a Communion with that Church which could derive a visible Succession from that which originally was so I say this is supposed Antecedently to the proof that the Seducers were disunited from Christ both because it was from hence proved that their Doctrines were destructive to the true Christ because the Church said they were so and because their Communion is proved not to have been with the true Christ because it was not with his Church But of this I may have more occasion to discourse more largely hereafter I only observe at present that they are not therefore said to have been disunited from Christ because they did in express terms disown him which is the principal thing which is urged to shew how different their case was from the present case of our Brethren § XXX But 3. Whatever the occasion was yet the Argumnets used by those Primitive Writers to convince those Seducers of the dangerousness of their condition do certainly come home to our Brethrens Case My meaning is they do not only prove that the Seducers could have no Communion with Christ because they did either expressly or interpretatiuely deny him but also because they had no visible Communion with the visible Church So I have already shewn that it was a visible Association which St. John meant b 1 Joh. i. 3 when he exhorted them to whom he wrote to communicate with his own Party because he and his communicated with the Father and the Son It seems then there was no communicating with Christ however Orthodox a Profession they made of him without a continuance in the Orthodox Communion So the Author to the Hebrews c Heb. x. 25 26. does not make the denying of Christ to be the true Messias to be the willful sin of which he there speaks so dreadfully but the forsaking of the publick Assemblies And the whole reasoning of St. Paul in comparing the Mystical Body of Christ with the natural Body does plainly suppose that although all Grace be derived from Christ the Mystical Head to the several Members of his Mystical Body as in the natural Body all the vital influences are derived from the Head to the several Members respectively yet there is withall the same mutual necessity of the Members to each other for receiving these influences from the Mystical Head as there is in the Natural Body for receiving influences from the Natural Head And therefore it is impossible in the Natural Body that any particular Member should receive influences from the Head if separated from its Fellow-Members by which those influences are to be propagated to it so it will also be as impossible by the same Analogy of reasoning for any Member of the Mystical Body of Christ to receive vital influences from Christ the Mystical Head of that Body if separated from its Fellow-Members of the same Mystical Body And it is observable from the Offices and Gifts there mentioned that it must be an external Organical Body that is there spoken of in which only it is that those Offices and Gifts were capable of being exercised And from the reasoning they must not only be the Gifts but the Graces of the Spirit which are most properly to be considered as vital influences that are thus derived And then Persons divided from the Church must necessarily be in the state of Death as St. John supposes them as necessary as it is in the Body natural that that Member should be dead which receives no vital influences from the Head But these are also things which I may have occasion to discourse more largely in my second Part and therefore say no more concerning them at present CHAP. XII The very Case of abstaining from the Ordinances on pretence to Perfection seems to have been taken up and condemned in the time of the Apostles THE CONTENTS 8. This very pretence of abstaining from the external Ordidinances under the pretence of Perfection seems to have been taken up even in those Primitive Ages Euseb. Dem. Eu. L.iii. c. 4. The Philosophical Notions of those Ages concerning the worship of the supreme Deity § I. How this Hypothesis was received first into the Elective Philosophy thence taken up by the Hellenistical Jews and from them derived to the first Converts to Christianity § II. The several reasonings of the Primitive Christians that might make them in interest favourable to this Hypothesis § III. Particularly their pretending to a Mystical Priesthood might make them less solicitous for their dependence on the literal external Priesthood § IV. Instances of several like mistakes of those times in reasoning from Mystical Titles § V. How the Genius of this Philosophy has inclined men to this way of reasoning where-ever it has prevailed even among our modern Enthusiasts § VI. Inference 1. That what the Apostles did resolve in this particular they did resolve with a particular design upon our Adversaries Case § VII That the Prudential establishments of the Apostles are sufficiently secure § VIII Inf. 2. Hence may appear the insecurity of this way of arguing in general from Mystical Titles to the neglect of external Observances § IX.X. Inf. 3. It plainly appears to have been against the design of the Legislator in the very Case of the Jews from whom the Christians borrowed it § XI Inf. 4. That the whole contrivance of things by the Apostles plainly supposes that they also did not allow of this Plea for excusing any from the Publick Ordinances § XII Inf. 5. The Philosophers themselves never intended this Plea for their exemption from the Mysteries and external Rites of Initiation then used to which the Sacraments are answerable among Christians § XIII XIV Inf. 6. The great design of this way of arguing was to exclude themselves from paying any external worship to the Supreme Being and so destructive to the very foundation of the Christian Religion § XV. And this very rationally on the Hypothesis then received § XVI But the reason of this Argument does not hold against those Exteriors which are observed by the Christian Institution § XVII It is very probable that our Adversaries Case is particularly spoken to in Heb. x. 22 23. § XVIII § I TO proceed therefore with my present design it is further observable 8. That this very pretence of abstaining from the external Ordinances under the pretence of Perfection seems to have been taken up even in those Primitive Ages Those Philosophers who excused their neglect of all exterior worship of the Supreme Being by pretending that the only proper and acceptable worship of him was that of a a Vid. Testimonia Porphyr Apollonii Tyanei Theophrasti apud Eus. Pr. Eu. L.iv. c. 12 13 14 15 19 c. Porph. ipsum L.11 Abstinent Hierocl in Aur. Carm. Cyr. in Julia. L.1 pure
Law from their great complaints in time of exile and their hard opinion of the state of excommunicated Persons and from that general Popular Notion then prevailing among them whereby they ascribed more to the punctual observance of these external Sanctifications than to real Holiness it self Phil. iii. 6.9 These things were accounted the very Righteousness of the Law and these were the vulgar measures of Popular Holiness But though this be abundantly sufficient to shew that this use of this Priviledg cannot be justified in the Mystical Israel on account of their being Israel which was never challenged by the carnal Israel themselves nor ever intended for them yet to give all possible satisfaction in this Case it is further observable § XII 4. That the whole contrivance of things by the Apostles plainly supposes that they also did not allow of this plea for excusing any from the publick Ordinances They plainly suppose that the most perfect as well as others stood in need of Church-Society They plainly formed the Church into a Body Politick and obliged all the most perfect as well as others to observe their respective Duties which was not done by the Philosophers who maintained our Adversaries Notions They plainly confine the Graces of God to the Sacraments that so no Persons might on any pretence of Perfection think they did not need the Sacraments unless they were withall so perfect as not to need the Graces also conferred in the Sacraments They make the influences of the Spirit derived from Christ the Head to particular Members by the mediation of other Members the same way as the vital influences are derived in the Body Natural They confine his influences to his Body and make the Sacraments to be the only ordinary means of joyning or continuing a Member in that Body They make the casting-out of the Churches Communion the same thing as a delivering over unto Satan 1 Cor. v. 5 1 Tim. i. 20 Vid. cap. xi §. 4 5 6. and describe the condition of such Persons as very sad that they are in the World in Darkness nay in a state of Death it self These are all of them other contrivances of things than they would ever have settled if they had allowed any Plea of Perfection whatsoever as sufficient to excuse the pretender to it from the External Communion of the visible Church § XIII And further 5. It is very considerable in this whole matter that even those Philosophers themselves who allowed this Notion of Perfection as sufficient to excuse Persons who were indued with it from the Sacrifices and some of those grosser ways of Worship of their Deities which were more suitable to popular capacities who thought a wise man might Sacrifice as acceptably with a little meal as others with a Hecatomb nay that his Prayers might be more acceptable than the Sacrifices of others yet never thought of extending it to the Mysteries and forms of initiation into the more familiar acquaintance with their Deities These they were so far from thinking meanly of as that indeed they were the most perfect sort of Persons for whom they thought them most proper Especially the greater Mysteries or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were purposely so contrived that meaner spirited Persons might never have the courage to undertake them Therefore the Aegyptian initiations were so extremely severe that they thought to have terrified Pythagoras himself from his curiosity to be acquainted with them and Appion Joseph cont Appion Nonn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. the Jews great Adversary died of his Circumcision which was only one of them Therefore the preparatory tryals of Mithras were so many and so rigorous that very many perished under them To this end were their frightful shapes their shewing their Images only with Torches not by day-light their tedious and solemn preparations only to advance the horrour of the Spectacle Therefore they were first expiated by all the Purgations proper in the respective Cases that so they might approach the Idol it self with the most exquisite Purity Thence the Proclamation before the Orphaicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to warn all impure Persons to beware how they ventured to approach them And therefore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they are principally recommended by the Pythagoreans for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they make the highest pitch of Philosophy and oppose to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Purgation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they conceived proper for Beginners § XIV And to these the Primitive Christians thought the Lords supper answerable and accordingly spoke of it in all that sacred style which the Philosophers had used concerning these greater Mysteries as may be seen punctually observed among very many others by the Pseudo-Areopagite And yet even the lesser Purgative Mysteries were not so neglected as that any Person how perfect soever durst presume immediately to venture on the greater without these preliminary expiations No Moral Purity whatsoever was thought so great as to make these ritual Purgatious needless to him who was desirous to initiate himself in any of their particular Religions The most Perfect Persons among them and they who were thought to approach nearest to the Purity of the gods themselves nay who were often themselves called gods in such a sense as the name required when it was communicated to inferiour Beings As they often thought it necessary to initiate themselves so when they were admitted they were not admitted on other terms than the Ordinary Lustrations Such were the a Hercules in the Eleusin Scholiast Aristoph in Plut. Schol. in Homer Il. Theta in Tzetzes Lycophr Alex. Argonauts in the Samothraclan Apollon Rhod. Argon Castor and Pollux Plutarch Thes. Heroes the b Demetrius Policrates Plutarch Demetr Adrian Spartian Antoninus Capitolin Emperours and the c Pythagoras Jamblich de vita Pyth. Ch. 16. Philosophers Of all which sorts there are several instances of Persons who were initiated and initiated in the common way but I believe no one Precedent can be given of any who were thought too Perfect either to need the initiation it self or any one external Rite with which it was ordinarily performed At least they were so extremely few as that no modest man can in initiation of such Precedents find in his heart to reckon himself in the number No wise man who throughly considers and understands his own interest can venture the loss he may suffer if he should neglect them on confidence of a thing wherein he may so easily prove mistaken Which will again assert the necessity of Baptism which in the Christian Institution was answerable to these lesser Mysteries But I shall not now enlarge further to shew that their Sacraments were rather thought to hold proportion to the Heathen Mysteries than their Sacrifices because I may possibly take an occasion to insist more largely on it on another occasion
I do not understand how the validity of Laicks and much more Womens Baptism who by the Apostles Rule are much less capable of Ecclesiastical Authority can be defended unless it may possibly be by that general Delegation which may be conceived to have been graunted to them by the Governours by those Customes and Constitutions which permit them to administer it But it would then be a further Doubt How far such Persons as these are capable of such a Delegation To which I do not intend at present to digress § XIV OR if we consider them in the later sense only as Sacred Rites instituted by God for his publick and solemn Worship to which he has been pleased to annex such Blessings as might encourage Persons to their observation yet even so they will belong to the Clergy if not immediately as Governours yet at least as Persons consecrated and set apart for the Solemnities of the Divine Worship in Publick For under this notion it will be their proper Province to officiate in the Solemnities of Divine Worship and it is plain that the Sacraments do not concern the private Devotions of Closets but that which is performed publickly in Churches That Baptism does so appears from all its ends both as it is an initiation of a Member into the Church as a Multitude at least if not as a Body Politick And as we are hereby united to all Christians by partaking of one Baptism as well as by our believing one God and one Faith And as we here partake of one Spirit with them which plainly concern us not in our private but publick capacities And that the Blessed Eucharist does so too is notorious and appears from all the Discourses of our Authors against the private Masses of the Romanists § XV AND even this later Notion is abundantly sufficient for my purpose both to secure these employments from the Invasions of the Laity and consequently to invest the ordinary Successors into these employments with a power of Government It will be sufficient to secure these employments from the Invasions of the Laity For thus God has always been extremely severe against all encroachments in the Publick Solemnities of his Service usually more severe than against those Sins which our Brethren are generally inclinable to look on as very much more flagitious The Examples of (a) 2 Sam. vi 6 7. 1 Chr. xiii 9.10 Vzzah and (b) 2 Chron. xxvi 16 17 18 19 20 21. Vzziah are very considerable to this purpose But especially that of Saul (c) 1 Sam. xiii who though he had first waited for Samuel (d) Ver. 8.11 seven days together and though the People were (e) Ver. 6.11 scattered from him and those few that followed him were under an excessive (f) Ver. 7. consternation and that the (g) Ver. 12. Philistines were ready to engage him on these disadvantages which must be more formidable to him not having first invoked the Divine assistance Yet because upon all these Considerations he (h) Ver. 12. forced himself as himself professes and offered a burnt offering he had this severe sentence from Samuel at his next meeting that his Kingdom should not be (i) Ver. 13 14. established in his Posterity Which by the way may let our dissenting Brethren understand how unwarrantable their pretence is for venturing on the celebration of Sacraments without a Call though they must otherwise be hindred from all Sacraments in a Regular way by the Ordinary Regular Church Governours For as Saul here might have had more hopes of a merciful return of his Prayers without the Solemnity of Sacrifice in these Circumstances wherein it was impossible to have it performed with its due Solemnity than by presuming to transgress his Order in performing them irregularly so by the same proportion God would more easily excuse our Brethren for the want of Sacraments if they could not have them on Terms consistent with their Consciences than accept of their Devotions accompanied with these Solemnities when they cannot have them without Vsurpation § XVI FOR as in the former Case Saul and our Brethren too had not been chargeable with the Sin of omitting these Solemnities when they could not have them without Sin I mean in our Brethrens Case without the Sin of compliance with Conditions which they think unconscionable if they were to receive them from their Ordinary Governours or of Vsurpation if they should attempt to administer them themselves And besides they might have had great hopes of having such their Prayers heard not only on account of the general Uncovenanted Goodness of God but even of the Equity of the Covenant it self it not being likely that God who is the Party here concerned would ever deprive us of Promises so necessary for us meerly on non-performance of Conditions though Morally only not Naturally impossible I mean such as were impossible to a good Conscience if it would continue good as well as such as were impossible in the nature of the thing So in the later Case where both Saul and they usurp a power of celebrating these Solemnities rather than they would be content to want them they incur the guilt of a Sin in procuring it and that as has appeared from the instances now mentioned of very great heinousness in the esteem of God seeing he has punished it with so great Severity which does not only pollute their Prayers and make them unacceptable even by the Rules of Equity as well as strict Legal Justice but also render them very justly obnoxious to a severe punishment § XVII IT is in vain to pretend that these are Legal examples and therefore not to be extended to the condition of the Gospel For this unlawfullness for any but Levitical Priests to intermeddle with Sacrifices cannot I think be proved from any express prohibition against the other Tribes grounded on any reason singular and proper to that dispensation If it were I should then confess that such Positive Commands would not oblige us now who are under another Legislator than Moses But it is not for our Brethrens interest to deny the present Obligation of several Commands of the Mosaick Dispensation so seemingly Positive as that their Moral reason had been very hardly if at all discoverable by us Antecedently to the Positive Injunction of them Not to mention the prohibition of incestuous Marriages which all believe us at present concerned in there are two very considerable instances for which our Brethren usually plead with no little Zeal that is the morality of the Sabbath and of Tiths wherein they can prove very little if the perpetual seasonableness of the reason on which the Command was grounded at first be not admitted as a sufficient reason to prove its perpetual and present Obligation § XVIII NOW this is the plain Case here The reason of that prohibition against other Tribes besides the Levitical intermeddling with Sacrifice seems wholly derived from the Notion of Consecration which is a
the Baptism by Water § XV XVI XVII Our Saviour alluded herein to the Jewish Notions concerning Baptismal Regeneration § XVIII What the Rabbinical Notions are § XIX How agreeable to the Doctrine of the New Testament § XX. The Notions of the Hellenistical Jews and of the Philosophers § XXI XXII XXIII How imitated by our Saviour § XXIV An Objection § XXV Answered § XXVI XXVII 2. Grace of Baptism Forgiveness of sins § XXVIII XXIX XXX That unbaptized Persons cannot be supposed to have received the benefits of the washing of the blood of Christ or of the Mystical Baptism proved from two things 1. That all who would be Christians are obliged to receive the Baptism by Water § XXXI 2. That every one who comes to Baptism is supposed to continue till then under the guilt of his sins § XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV 2. The same dependance of Salvation on Baptism proved from those Texts which speak of the Priviledges of Baptism § XXXVI The same thing proved 2. From those Texts which expresly ascribe our Salvation to our Baptism § XXXVII A sum of the Argument from 1 Pet. iii. 21 § XXXVIII From other Texts § XXXIX The Application § XL. § I I Have hitherto proved Exclusively that the Grace conferred in the Sacraments is not to be had otherwise than by the Sacraments particularly not by those two Popular Means by which Ordinary Persons think to obtain it that is not by Preaching of the Word and Prayer I now proceed 2. To prove directly that the Grace conferred in the Sacraments is such as does suppose the Persons to whom it is not givâ—â— in an Vnsalvable Condition Which will prove that the Grace here given is really necessary to Salvation Both which put together will fully amount to the thing which I design to prove under this Head That Salvation is not ordinarily to be expected without an external participation of the Sacraments § II THIS I shall endeavour to prove distinctly concerning both the Sacraments 1. Concerning Baptism and 2. Concerning the Lords Supper 1. Concerning Baptism And this two ways 1. By those Texts which imply the dependence of our Salvation on our Baptism and 2. By those which expresly ascribe Salvation to it The former I shall again consider in two regards in regard of the Graces and in regard of the Priviledges of Baptism He that wants either of these cannot be supposed to be in a salvable Condition 1. Not he who wants the Graces Those are two the Spirit of God and Forgiveness of sins And without either of these the Gospel assures no man of Salvation § III 1. Then the Spirit of God is said to be given in Baptism and so given as that he who is not Baptised cannot be supposed to have it Tit. iii. 5 This appears in that Baptism is called the laver of Regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost that our Saviour himself tells Nicodemus Joh. iii. 5 That except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God that it is made the Property of our Saviours Baptism that whereas St. John baptized with Water only Matt. iii. 11 Mark i. 8 Luk. iii. 16 Joh. i. 33 Act. 1 5.xi.16 Act. ii 38 and then much more reason we have to believe that that was the only effect of the Pharisees Baptism our Saviour was also to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire And therefore St. Peter exhorts his Auditors to Repent but not only so but also to be baptized for the Remission of sins that they might receive the Holy Ghost And when St. Paul would give the Holy Ghost to them Act. xix 5 6. who had before been baptized with St. John's Baptism he does it by first baptizing them in the name of Jesus and then it follows that when he had laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came upon them And that appeared by this sensible sign which then usually accompanied it that they spake with tongues and prophesied § IV NOW that the Spirit is absolutely necessary to Salvation I suppose our Adversaries themselves will not think it necessary that I bestow much time in proving without this that Grace cannot be had which is absolutely necessary both to prevent sin and perform any thing which may be acceptable to God for our Salvation Without this they cannot make those Prayers which may be grateful to him The supplication of the Spirit the Praying in the Holy Ghost is that alone which can hope for success It is he who helps our infirmities For Jude 20. as the Apostle tells us We know not what to pray for as we ought Rom. viii 26 27. but it is the Spirit who intercedes for us with groanes which cannot be uttered And he who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit who intercedes with God for the Saints And he who has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and every one has the Spirit who is not a Roprobate whence it plainly follows that whoever wants it is a Reprobate at least so long as he wants it But thus much I suppose our dissenting Brethren themselves will not deny § V I add therefore further that not only these actual influences of the Spirit which are common to wicked men as well as good are necessary to Salvation but also his constant presence in us as a living and abiding Principle This alone is that presence of the Spirit which can only sanctifie us Neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Pharaoh nor Caiaphas were the holier for the good motions they received but rather the unholier for having resisted them Nay these actual motions are communicable to Heathens themselves who are not capable of so much as a Federal Holiness Heb. xii 14 And yet without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. This only is that presence of the Spirit which makes Christ himself present in us as I have elsewhere shewn and they who have not Christ formed and born in them cannot be said to be in Christ and consequently can have no Legal Actual Title to all that Christ has done and suffered for them This is only that presence of the Spirit which communicates to us the influences of the Divine Life that is to the Mystical Body of Christ as the Animal and vital influences are to the Natural Body to derive all those influences from the Head which are necessary for enlivening the particular Members And therefore they who have not the Spirit in this sence cannot have the Son of God who is our Life cannot partake of any vital influences from him And they who do not are certainly in a state of Spiritual Death This also I suppose our Brethren will not deny when they are thus warned of it and shall impartially consider it If therefore this presence of the Spirit be first given in Baptism so that they who have it not given them here must be supposed not to have it at
hate the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. c. 4. And if this had been granted them that the Body it self was such a Principle of pollution to the Spirit how could they be solicitous for preserving it from such pollutions as were only capable of being transacted in the Body How could they think themselves concerned to preserve that pure which was it self supposed to be nothing but a pollution § XIX AND that these were particularly the sentiments of those Persons with whom the Apostles had to deal plainly appears from hence that the Principles on which they depend were generally owned by the Hereticks of that Age. They generally took the God of this world for a distinct coeternal contrary Principle to the God of Heaven They also took this World for his peculiar Province and thought themselves obnoxious to his influences as long as they were in it They thought it also the proper employment of the Angels of this World to tye their Souls to terrestrial Bodies and consequently that the best way of freeing themselves from subjection to them was to free themselves from that tye They thought that their Bodies were the creatures of this contrary wicked Principle and therefore that Marriage which was intended for the purgation of Bodies was an intention of the Devil and accordingly that Adam was damned for introducing the first precedent of the exercise of it though it was with his own wife And accordingly we find these greatest pretenders to the Spirit to be withal charged with the most abominable pollutions of the flesh 2 Pet. ii 10 Jud. 8. and that they accordingly performed the Christian Mysteries as much of them as they were pleased to retain with the same obscenity which had before been practised among the Heathens The particulars cannot be mentioned without immodesty On this account it is that we have so many exhortations to those whom the Apostles would secure from those seducers that they would purifie themselves in the flesh as well as the Spirit 2 Cor. vii 1 Rom. xii 1 and that they would offer up their Bodies as well as their Souls as a living and a reasonable Sacrifice and that their whole Man might be kept unblamable 1 Thes. v. 23 their Bodies as well as their Souls and Spirits § XX BY this it appears how very necessary it was for that great design of intire Purity and Reformation which was intended by the Christian Religion to oblige them particularly to Purity of their Bodies in contradistinction to the purity of the Spirit because whilest these Principles were believed they who were never so desirous of Spiritual Purity must have been at least negligent of this Purity of the Body if they had not utterly given themselves up to carnal Impurities on the account now mentioned And considering that it was a Principle granted among them that they were obliged to purifie that part which belonged to God and their only pretence for neglecting the like Purity of the Body was that they conceived it not to belong to him but to an adverse Being whom they were neither so obliged to please nor if they would please him was it so probable that he would be pleased with Purity what could be a properer means to convince them of their mistake in this particular and to oblige them to Corporal Purity than to perswade them to give up their Bodies as well as their Souls to Christ and to give him an interest in them by a particular and distinct Donation And accordingly this was the way which was observed and this is the Argument professedly made use of by the Apostle for this purpose 1 Cor. vi 15 Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an harlot Ver. 19 20. God forbid And What Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and are not your own For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirits which are Gods And because it was by the filthiness of the Heathen Mysteries that their Bodies had been defiled therefore it was very proper and agreeable to the honour of the Christian Religion that they should be obliged to this Purity of their Bodies more distinctly and particularly in the Christian Mysteries § XXI BUT there was also another reason which made it necessary that they should be united to Christ bodily as well as spiritually That was that by this means they might be assured of the Resurrection of their Bodies This was the Article of the Christian Religion on which above all others the comfort and encouragement of new Christians principally depended and which was indeed the principal inducement to them to undertake all the other Duties of the Christian Religion and which notwithstanding met with the most difficult reception of all others and wherein God was therefore pleased to give the greatest Assurance for the satisfaction of Persons concerned And particularly the Argument used for this purpose is this that Christ is risen 1 Cor. xv 12 Whence it is inferred as a necessary consequence that we must rise also And this is plainly so inferred as if it were impossible that one could be true unless the other were so too And it is urged both ways Negatively Ver. 14 17. if Christ be not risen all Preaching is in vain our Faith is also vain we are yet in our sins We have only hopes in this Life and Ver. 19. in regard of the little enjoyment we can pretend to here are become of all men most miserable And if he be risen he is risen as the first fruits and as the Head Ver. 20 2◠And as the whole Harvest is consecrated in the first fruits and the whole Body is concerned in what befalls the Head so it is supposed impossible that he can have risen but that we must thereby gain a Title to a Resurrection We as Members are said already to have risen and to have sate down in Heavenly places because he who is our Head has already done both And he as our Head is supposed uncapable of a compleat Resurrection unless we rise also who are his Members Now this benefit being such as only properly belongs to our Body therefore the force of this consequence must be grounded on this supposition that our Bodies are his Members as well as our Spirits And our Bodies must the same way be united to his Body by partaking of his Body as we are made one Spirit with him by deriving from that fullness of the Spirit which properly agrees to him as he is our Head And accordingly this participation of his Body in the Eucharist is urged by the Fathers as the greatest assurance of our hope that we shall also partake with him in his Resurrection To return therefore to my method § XXII THIS being thus
which the Spirit gave him by miracles § IX How our Saviours threatning was fulfilled § X. The sin against the Holy Ghost a resisting of the Gospel-Dispensation § XI 2. Murdering of the Prophets a sin against the Holy Ghost as he is particularly a Spirit of Prophesie § XII This particularly applied to our Saviour and the state of the Gospel § XIII 3. Resisting the influences of the Holy Ghost in us Applied to the Jews § XIV to the Christians § XV. According to the Hellenistical Philosophy § XVI XVII XVIII 4. Resisting the Government of the Church which was then ordered by the Spirit § XIX Separation from the Canonical Assemblies of the Church a sin against the Holy Ghost § XX. Concerning the punishment of this sin against the Holy Ghost and the way of arguing used by the Writers of the New-Testament from Old-Testament precedents § XXI XXII p. 294. CHAP. XV. 2. Directly That Salvation is not ordinarily to be expected without Sacraments § I. This proved 1. concerning Baptism 1. By those Texts which imply the dependence of our Salvation on Baptism 1. Such as speak of the Graces of Baptism § II. 1. The Spirit of God is said to be given in Baptism and so given as that he who is not baptized cannot be supposed to have it § III. The Spirit it self is absolutely necessary to Salvation as to his actual influences § IV. as to his constant presence as a living and abiding Principle § V. That the Spirit is first given in Baptism This proved from our new Birth 's being ascribed to our Baptism § VI. It is safe to argue from Metaphorical expressions in a matter of this nature St. Joh. iii. 5 considered § VII Water to be understood in this place Literally § VIII These words might relate to our Saviours Baptism § IX The Objection concerning the supposed parallel place of baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire § X. The fire here spoken of a material fire and contradistinct to the Holy Ghost § XI Our Saviours baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire as well applicable to our Saviours ordinary baptism as to that of the Apostles at Pentecost § XII The true reason why this descent of the Holy Ghost in Pentecost is called a Baptism was because it was a consummation of their former Baptism by Water § XIII The reason why this part of their Baptism was deferred so long § XIV Other instances wherein the Holy Ghost was given distinctly from the Baptism by Water § XV XVI XVII Our Saviour alluded herein to the Jewish Notions concerning Baptismal Regeneration § XVIII What the Rabbinical Notions are § XIX How agreeable to the Doctrine of the New-Testament § XX. The Notions of the Hellenistical Jews and of the Philosophers § XXI XXII XXIII How imitated by our Saviour § XXIV An Objection § XXV Answered § XXVI XXVII 2. Grace of Baptism forgiveness of sins § XXVIII XXIX XXX That unbaptized Persons cannot be supposed to have received the benefits of the washing of the blood of Christ or of the Mystical Baptism proved from two things 1. That all who would be Christians are obliged to receive even the Baptism by Water § XXXI 2. That every one who comes to Baptism is supposed to continue till then under the guilt of his sins § XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV 2. The same dependence of Salvation on Baptism proved from those Texts which speak of the Priviledges of Baptism § XXXVI The same thing proved 2. from those Texts which expresly ascribe our Salvation to our Baptism § XXXVII A sum of the Argument from 1 Pet. iii. 21 § XXXVIII from other Texts § XXXIX The Application § XL. p. 321. CHAP. XVI Things to be premised § I. 1. That this dependence on the Episcopal Communion for a valid Baptism will alone suffice so far for my purpose as to discourage the perpetuating any opposite Communion § II III IV. Inference 1. That if this were granted even the absteining of pious Persons from the lawful Communion would be very rare § V. Inf. 2. That even those few pious Persons who after all diligence used to inform themselves and all lawful condescensions could not submit to the terms of the lawful Communion would yet never perpetuate so much as their Non-Communion § VI VII 2. Premisal That it cannot be expected that this Sacrament of the Lords Supper should be as necessary as that of Baptism § VIII The necessity of the Lords Supper to Salvation proved from the Mystical style by which this whole matter is expressed in the Scripture And that by these degrees 1. The Life of particular Members of the Mystical Body of Christ is in the Scripture supposed to depend on a constant repetition of vital influences from the common vital Principle as the Life of particular Members in the Natural Body does § X. 2. The Scripture also supposes the Life of particular Members to depend as much on their conjunction with the whole Mystical Body in order to their receiving these repeated influences as the Life of particular Members in the natural Body depends on their conjunction with the whole natural Body § X. 3. The Church with which it was supposed so necessary for particular Members to be united in order to their participation of this Spiritual Life is plainly supposed to be the Church in this World and that visible Society of them which joyned in the same publick exercises of Religion in that Age when these things were written § XI XII 4. The Reasons used by the Sacred Writers for this purpose are such as concern the Church as a Church and so as suitable to the later Ages of the Church as those earlier ones wherein they were used first § XIII 5. In order to this Mystical Union with the Church it is absolutely necessary as far as an ordinary means can be so that we partake of the Lords Supper This proved from 1 Cor. x. 17 § XIV The same thing proved from the true design of the Eucharist rightly explained This done by these degrees 1. The design of our Saviour seems to have been the Mystical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much spoken of in the Philosophy then received as the peculiar Office of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In this Union the reason of our being in Christ is his being in us 3. Two things according to the Scripture to be distinguished in Christ his Flesh and Spirit and in both regards we are concerned that he be united to us § XV. 4. There are very material reasons why our Saviour should require this bodily Union in contradistinction to the Spiritual viz. the benefits which our Bodies in contradistinction to our Spirits may receive by it 1. That by this Corporal Union with Christ we may be made sensible of the interest he has in our Bodies and of our Obligation to serve him with our Bodies and to abstein from those sins which are seated in the Body The great necessity
a Governour or as a Covenanter If as a Governour then it is necessary that all his inferior Governours be impowered by his Commission to act by his Authority which Commission if they want they cannot be said to act by his Authority and no Illegal Authority can confer a valid Legal Title If as a Covenanter he cannot be thus obliged without his own will and therefore none can celebrate a Covenant in Gods name so as to oblige him to performance of it unless God signify it to be his pleasure to empower him to do so as in Law none can be obliged by anothers act who has not been empowered to act in his name by his Letters of Proxy And he that presumes of himself to make a Covenant wherein God is by him engaged as a Party without being so empowered by God as what he does cannot in any Legal exposition be reputed as Gods Act so neither can it infer any Legal Obligation on him to performance § XI NOR are these Sacraments invalid only as to the Title but also even as to the Possession of the Benefits to be conveyed by them For it is to be considered that the Case is very different betwixt the Power given by God to Ministers for the conveyance of Spiritual Blessings by the Sacraments and that which is given by Worldly Princes to inferior Officers for the conveyance of Secular Favours For because the possessions of Lands are in effect subject to the power of the Sword the inferior Officers who have the power of the Sword and withal have the Lands within the Jurisdiction wherein that power is allowed them as they may decree wrong in giving Lands to Persons who have no Legal Right to them so they may also for a time put them in possession of them But the advantages of the Sacraments are Spiritual and consequently their Possession as well as Right must depend wholly on the Divine pleasure and it cannot be presumed likely to please God to give any validity to the Acts of Vsurpers Nay that a Curse instead of a Blessing is to be feared from Ordinances so administred will appear by the same Principles of Government For there are no Crimes more punishable by these Principles than those which encroach on the Supreme Government and none reputed more Treasonable than pretending a Commission where none is given and counterfeiting the Broad Seal especially when they proceed so far as to raise actual Sedition on these pretences Now of all these Crimes these Vnauthorized Sacraments must be charged by these Principles § XII THE Administrers of them pretend a Commission from God when they have none because they plainly take upon them to intermeddle in that Government which nothing can empower them to intermeddle in without an express Commission at least they cannot expect to be trusted and submitted to by Loyal Subjects without such a pretence They presume to counterfeit the broad Seal for such our dissenting Brethren themselves conceive the Sacraments to be in respect of the New Covenant and accordingly charge the Romanists with counterfeiting the Broad seal of Heaven for adding to the Number of the Sacraments in taking upon them to oblige God as a Party of a Covenant and pretending to set his Seal to it without Power received from him to do so They raise Sedition by setting up Societies within the Jurisdiction of those Churches whereof themselves were Originally Members and yet independent on the Government of those Churches Which if it be not Sedition by the Principles of Government in general not as confined particularly to that which is Civil or Ecclesiastical for my part I must confess I do not understand what Sedition is And certainly the Principles of Government in general as prescinding from both these kinds must be admitted in these Disputes unless we will pretend Ecclesiastical Government not to agree with that which is Secular in as much as one Vnivocal Notion which is indeed to devest it of any thing of Government but a bare Name And then by the same Principles of Government not only they are Traitors who raise the Rebellion but also they who maintein and abet it when it is raised which will involve the Communicants in these Sacraments in this Capital Guilt as well as the Administrers of them § XIII AND that indeed the valid Administration of the Sacraments is thus confined to the Regularly-Ordeined Clergy will appear whether we consider the Sacraments as Confederations into a Body Politick or only as sacred Rites and Ceremonies instituted by God in Order to some great effects to be promoted by them without any design upon a Body Politick If we consider them as confederations into a Body Politick that is as Baptism does admit a Member into the Church and as the Blessed Eucharist does not only signify but perpetuate and effect that Vnion with Christ the Head of this Mystical Body and with their Brethren as Fellow-Members which may make them capable of receiving those vital influences which are here expected the same way as a Member of the Natural Body by being vitally united to the Living Head and Members is made capable of receiving that Communication of Blood and Spirits by which the Life of the whole Body is mainteined Then they will plainly appear to be the Right of Governours For in all Governments the Right of admitting Members into their Societies at first or continuing them in it in order to the instating them in the Legal Priviledges of such Societies is never conceived to belong to particular Members but only to Governours So that if a particular Vnauthorized Member should presume to admit a Member into the Body Politick whereof he is himself a Member such an Act were not only Irregular but Invalid in it self so that a Member so admitted cannot be reputed a Legal Member of such a Society nor consequently be Legally intitled to the Priviledges of it without a new admission For considering that this admission and continuance of Members in a Society does withal intitle them to all the Priviledges of it if the power of this admission and deprivation be not confined to the Governours they must consequently be deprived of the Rewards and Punishments for indeed the Priviledges Men gain by being of any Society are the only Rewards that are proper and natural to invite Men to it or continue them in it and the deprivation of those Priviledges especially if they be so necessary for their Preservation as that the loss of them must inevitably expose Persons so deprived to the greatest inconveniences are the only natural Punishments to discourage Men from doing any thing contrary to the Will of the Governours of such a Society And how possible it is for any Government to be mainteined in a Society where the Rewards and Punishments are not at the disposal of the Governours I believe our Brethren themselves will never be able to explain And therefore pursuant to these Principles for my part I must confess
are in describing our conversion to him as a conversion from b Act. xxvi 18 darkness unto Light as a c 1 Pet. ii 9 calling us out of darkness into this marvellous Light c. And what is Baptism else but the Solemnity of this conversion And why should we think it strange that they should use this word in the Mystical sense even in the Apostles times when we find them so constant to those Mystical Notions from whence it plainly came to be applyed to Baptism § V Besides as the Holy Ghost was given in Baptism so in the Apostles times it was usually given with a sensible signification and it was but necessary for the conviction of the Infidel beholders who might by this means be satisfied of the Divine Authority by which they preached when they saw their Promises of the Spirit so ratified by God in a way themselves were capable of judging of And among these sensible significations one of the most familiar and which the Jews had been most acquainted with was that of a Shechinah a visible glorious Light surrounding the faces of those Persons on whom the Holy Ghost was thus pleased to descend Thus it was with d Exod. xxxiv 30 Moses in the Mount and our Saviour at his Baptism and on his Transfiguration and it is most likely that the fiery cloven tongues which sate upon the Apostles on Pentecost were of this nature And even among the Heathens themselves the ignis lambens is taken notice of which appeared on some of their Heroes on a Virgil. Aen. 2. Ascanius and b Liv. L.i. c. 39. Servius Tullius and in the Samnite War on c Flor. and upon other d Vid. Appian Syriac p. 198. Ed. 1670. ib. not Tollii occasions this appearance of fire was counted lucky as signifying a propitious presence of the Deity And it was usual for them to picture them as we do our Saints with rays of Light And why might not this visible appearance of rays of Light on Persons newly Baptised be a very pobable occasion why Baptism it self was called Illumination Thence the Coronae radiatae on the first Emperours when they affected to be Gods If it was then it will be more likely that the name should have been taken up in the Apostles own times than afterwards when these Supernatural appearances began gradually to decay and to grow less familiar For though several other miracles continued to the second Century and downwards yet there is no reason to believe that this did at least we have no footsteps of its appearing ordinarily over Persons Baptized Heb. x. 32 Besides there is one place more wherein this same Author uses this same word of Illumination And whether it be necessary it should be understood so or not yet it cannot be denyed but that it is there also conveniently intelligible of Baptism And indeed the former days spoken thereof do most conveniently refer to their first initiation into the Christian Religion § VI I might have added further for shewing how very agreeable it was to the Notions of a Sacrament which then prevailed that Baptism should be called Illumination that Baptism was the lesser Mystery and the proper Office of such was understood to be Purgative rather than Perfective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was the Sacred Language And that the two Elements which were thought most Purgative were fire and water which were therefore generally used in these Purgative Mysteries Accordingly fire was used among the Purgative Rites of the Initiations of Mithras * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr Ep. ad Anebunt ap Euseb. Pr. Eu. L.iii. c. 4. and of the Egyptians and when Cores would purge a Child of its Mortality Nonn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Nazian Stel. 1. Apollodor Bibl. Selden de Diis Syr. she did it with fire and thus not only the modern Rabbins but even the LXXII themselves seem to have understood the Israelites making their Children pass through the fire of their initiatory Purgation when they express it by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the proper sacred term for that purpose which whether it were true in this case or not yet at least supposes that they who thus expounded these Texts did know that this was used in their initiations at least in those Eastern Countries which we have reason to expect to have most influence on our Christian Mysteries And the use of brimstone in these fiery Purgations was so very ordinary that it is conceived thence to have had the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for purging not only very frequently in the LXXII but also in prophane Authors And hence it was that the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit Eid 24. v. 9 even of Hell and of the general Conflagration were thought Purgative to the Souls who were to pass through them not only by the Philosophers but by many of the most antient Fathers As therefore the visible Element of Water was made use of for purging the Body which is the effect it is usually applyed to by the sacred Writers so it is also very probable that the Spirit when it descended upon them did descend in the likeness of fire as it did upon the Apostles at Pentecost that is that the Schechinah in which it appeared had the resemblance of Fire § VII This I therefore conjecture because as it is described by St. John Baptist as the Property of our Saviours Baptism Matt. iii. 11 Luk. iii. 16 that it gives the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost there given is peculiarly characterized under the resemblance of fire For so I understand this Baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire to be a giving of the Holy Ghost with that external signification of a Glory which is called fire I confess this is peculiarly applied to the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles at Pentecost Act. i. 5 But when I consider it as opposed to St. John's Baptism I cannot but think it was also as ordinary then for Persons baptized by the Apostles to receive the Spirit with this external Symbol of fire as it was for them to want it in other Baptisms I need not also tell how very proper it was in the Mystical Language of those times to call the Spirit it self by the name of fire * The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Chaldee Oracles the liquidus ignis in Virgil where see Servius And God is described as a Being whose Soul is Truth and his Body Fire See Boet. de cons. Phil. So Porphiry concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Abstinent L.ii. ap Eus. Pr. Eu. i. 9 and that not only by them who thought it really so but by them who were more Orthodox in the Philosophy of it only because they could think of no sensible resemblance that held a nearer proportion
Persons as these should signifie a falshood so disparaging the means by which they had been expiated if there had been any such And either of these sufficiently serves my purpose either that there are no other means of applying this washing of the blood of Christ or of this Mystical Baptism of the Soul antecedently to the Baptism by Water or that at least there are no means whereby Persons concerned may be so well assured of this application as they can by Water-baptism This later if granted will make the Sacrament even the external Symbol of it as necessary to them as I am concerned it should be So much for the Graces of Baptism § XXXVI BUT besides these the priviledges of Baptism are also such as must needs suppose the Person who wants them in an unsalvable Condition Gal. iii. 27 As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Where we plainly see that Baptism is the means of putting on Christ and of being in him Which is very different from the Notions commonly received among our Non-conforming Brethren vid. 1 Cor. vi 3 And by the expression of being baptized into Christ it seems plainly to be implyed that by Baptism we come to belong to Christ as they who were baptized into Moses were by being so made Disciples of Moses 1 Cor. x. 2 and got an interest in the Polity established by him So also by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. xii 13 It is the Body of Christ he had been discoursing of And here he tells us that it is by partaking in one Spirit that we come to be reputed one body as we count all those members to belong to one natural body which all communicate in the same vital influences and that it is by that Spirit which we receive in our Baptism that we come to communicate in one Spirit For as I said before this Mystical Baptism being only called Baptism in a secondary regard as it has relation to the Baptism of Water no other reception of the Spirit can be so properly called a Baptism as this which accompanies the Baptism of Water The same Spirit when it is signified in relation to another way of receiving it is spoken of in the same Allegory to which it alludes As we are said to drink of it when it is spoken of as received in the Lords Supper where we drink the Element by which it is communicated to us as it follows immediately in the same verse So we are said to be buried and raised Rom. vi 4 Col. ii 12 and quickened with him in Baptism according to the nature of Mysteries which are supposed really to confer those Spiritual benefits which are signified by them And therefore as we do here signifie the Death and Resurrection of Christ so we are by this way of arguing made partakers also of the merits of his Death and Resurrection And if these be priviledges of Baptism I believe our dissenting Brethren themselves will not doubt but they are absolutely necessary to Salvation and that they who want them must also want necessaries for Salvation For they will not pretend that they who are not in Christ who have not put him on who are not of his Body nor partake of the influences of his Spirit who have not the merit of his Death and Resurrection are in a secure or comfortable condition And yet this is supposed to be the condition of unbaptized Persons when they are supposed to be first changed into a contrary condition by their Baptism Even this external Right which this external participation of the Water if it were not a means of conveying the blessings signified by it as certainly it is if the Sacrament be compleat according to the design of a Sacrament yet it is at least a means without which we cannot be so well assured of our Right § XXXVII TO these other Topicks may be also added those other passages of Scripture wherein our Salvation it self is expresly ascribed to our Baptism So St. Peter The like figure whereunto Baptism also now saveth us 1 Pet. iii. 21 not the putting off the filth of the flesh but the examination of a good conscience as to God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. So I think the Text may be translated more agreeably to the sence of the Original than as we have it in our common Translation By the examination of a good Conscience I only mean the solemn stipulation of Baptism Which as other stipulations also were in those times was transacted by way of Question and Answer and the great efficacy of Baptism was conceived to depend on the sincerity of the Answer made to the Ministers Interrogatories that is in their meaning heartily as they pretended Cyrill Hieros Catech. Now the comparison between Noah's being saved by the Ark and our being saved by Baptism seems to consist in this that as they who were in the Ark escaped out of the water by which all the rest perished who were not in it that Notion will very well agree to the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the like Phrase of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in St. Paul 1 Cor. iii. 15 so in Baptism when we rise out of the Water we escape out of that Mystical destruction which we suppose to have befallen the Enemies of our Salvation when we descended under it And this Salvation of Baptism is very properly ascribed to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For as our going under the Water represents the Death and Burial of Christ and does not only represent it but apply it to us as if it were our own and as if we made one Person with him and by applying it to us produces in us a like Mystical Death to the Worldly Life as in this Mystical way of arguing from Archetypal to Ectypal Beings so frequently used in the Scripture in allusion to the Platonick Notions then received among the Hellenists the Archetypes are supposed to be not only like Copies in imitation whereof the resemblances in the Ectypa were made but as Seals to produce their own similitudes as Seals do by application to the wax in regard whereof we are said in Baptism to be dead with Christ and to be buried with him and to be planted with him Rom. vi 4 5. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the likeness of his Death So I say by the same way of arguing our rising out of the water represents the Resurrection of Christ and does not only represent but apply the merits and efficacy of his Resurrection to us so that it must produce in us a like signature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Platonical term first of a Mystical Resurrection from sin and a worldly Life and then of our corporal Resurrection from the grave And this consequence holds so firmly that if Christ himself be risen it is absolutely necessary that they rise also to whom
from the Mystical style by which this whole matter is expressed in the Scripture And that by these degrees 1. The Life of particular Members of the Mystical Body of Christ is in the Scripture supposed to depend on a constant repetition of influences from the common vital Principle as the Life of particular Members in the Body Natural does § IX 2. The Scripture also supposes the Life of particular Members to depend as much on their conjunction with the whole Mystical Body in order to their receiving these repeated Influences as the Life of particular Members in the Natural Body depends on their conjunction with the whole natural Body § X. 3. The Church with which it was supposed so necessary for particular Members to be united in order to their participation of this Spiritual Life is plainly supposed to be the Church in this World and that visible Society of them which joyned in the same publick exercises of Religion in that Age when these things were written § XI XII 4. The Reasons used by the Sacred Writers for this purpose are such as concern the Church as a Church and so as suitable to the latter Ages of the Church as those earlier ones wherein they were first used § XIII 5. In order to this Mystical Union with the Church it is absolutely necessary as far as an ordinary means can be so that we partake of the Lords Supper This proved from 1 Cor. x. 17 § XIV The same thing proved from the true design of the Eucharist rightly explained This done by these degrees 1. The design of our Saviour seems to have been the Mystical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much spoken of in the Philosophy then received as the peculiar Office of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In this Union the reason of our being in Christ is his being in us 3. Two things according to the Scripture to be distinguished in Christ his Flesh and Spirit and in both regards we are concerned that he be united to us § XV. 4. There are very material reasons why our Saviour should require this Bodily Union in contradidistinction to the Spiritual viz. The benefits which our Bodies in contradistinction to our Spirits may receive by it 1. That by this Corporal Union with Christ we may be made sensible of the Interest he has in our Bodies and of our obligation to serve him with our Bodies and to abstein from those sins which are seated in the Body The great necessity of this in that Age. § XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX. 2. That by this means they might be assured of the Resurrection of their Bodies § XXI 5. Therefore according to the Practices and Conceptions then prevailing the Eucharist was the most proper means whereby this Bodily Union with Christ could have been contrived whether it be considered 1. As a Sacrifice And that either as an ordinary Sacrifice § XXII XXIII XXIV Or as a Federal Sacrifice § XXV Or 2. As a Mystery and this of the greatest sort The likeness between the design of the Heathen Mysteries and of the Blessed Sacrament The Mysteries were Commemorative and that generally of the sufferings of their Gods § XXVI They were performed by external Symbols Particularly Bread was a Sacred Symbol of Unity Observed in the Rites of Mithras among the Pythagoraeans § XXVII XXVIII In the antient way of Marriage by Confarreation and in Truces § XXIX And among the Jews § XXX The Mysteries designed particularly for the good of the Soul and that in the state of Separation § XXXI In the Mysteries they were obliged to Confession of sins and to undertake new Rules of living well § XXXII In the Mysteries it was usual to change the names of the things used in them without any thought of a change of Nature § XXXIII 6. Vpon these Principles and according to the nature of these Mystical contrivances this Bodily Union may very well be supposed to be made by our Saviours changing the name of Bread into that of his own Body § XXXIV XXXV XXXVI I HAVE hitherto shewn that the Grace conveyed in Baptism is necessary to Salvation and that it is confined to the external Sacrament of Baptism as the only ordinary means appointed whereby we may receive it I now proceed to prove the same thing concerning the other Sacrament that of the Lords Supper But before I set upon this it will be convenient to promise two things § II 1. THAT this dependence on the Episcopal Communion for a valid Baptism will alone suffice so far for my purpose as to discourage the perpetuating any opposite Communion All those Arguments which prove the Eucharist necessary will much more prove Baptism necessary without which the Eucharist cannot be had though on the contrary Baptism might be necessary if the Eucharist were not so Besides that our Adversaries themselves are more sensible of the necessity of Baptism than they are of the necessity of the Eucharist if not for Salvation it self absolutely yet at least for our comfort and assurance of it If therefore the validity of Baptism it self depend on the Authority of him who administers it and this Authority cannot be had without Episcopal Ordination thus much at least will follow that valid Baptism can only be expected in the Episcopal Communion Whence it will follow that the true Notion of a Church must also be confined to the Episcopal Communion Though a multitude invisibly united in the belief of the Christian Doctrines may be called a Church in a sence wherein that word is ordinarily used by our Adversaries for the Church of the Elect that is of Elect also in their ordinary Notion of that word for the Elect according to God's secret undiscernable purpose yet understanding a Church for an external Body Politick united among themselves by a visible confederation and as it is a priviledged Society of whose priviledges we may assure our selves by being Members of it and of whose Membership we can best assure our selves and as it is the seat of visible Discipline none can think that a Multitude of unbaptized Persons how penitent or believing soever can make up such a Church as this is Yet this is the sence of the Church of which it can be any comfort to any that he is a Member of it And this is the sence which is principally concerned in this present dispute § III THEY say indeed that God does not confine his Graces to his Sacraments Admit it were so But can they therefore say that whole Multitudes of Persons depending on Gods extraordinary favours can make up that priviledged Society which we call a Church or can they say that such Multitudes as these may have all the ordinary means of Salvation though they want the Sacraments If so what obligation can there be to receive the Sacraments at all when men may enjoy all the ordinary means of Salvation without them and be withall assured that they do enjoy them But indeed the Sacraments are the
so far from thinking the greater Mysteries absolutely necessary for him who had already been initiated in the lesser as that they usually prescribed a certain time before he who had received the less was capable of the greater Five years is commonly supposed to have been the Period prefixed for that purpose at least to the making an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which a years space was requisite even after their receiving the greater Mysteries And it was taken for a great irregularity in the Case of Demetrius Poliorcetes that he was permitted to partake of both Mysteries at one time Plutarch Demetr And the Lord's Supper wherein Christ's suffering is so represented to our eyes and which was professedly instituted by Christ for that purpose that it might perform the office of the Heathen Images as the opposers of Images argued against the Patrons of them seems at once to exhibit all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Christian Religion could admit of as well as the greater Mysteries themselves For my purpose it is sufficient that it be necessary for continuing the Salvability of Adults who have lost their Baptismal strength and Purity if they would continue and grow strong and ripe in that new Life which they have received in their Baptism None who survives his Baptism for any considerable while can think himself unconcerned in this Case as thus stated And therefore if this may be proved that it is necessary for the Salvation of such Persons as these are this will as much oblige such Persons to receive the Lords Supper often and consequently to submit to all unsinful Impositions that may be required from them as Conditions on which they may be admitted to receive it as they were at first obliged to get themselves baptized and to submit to all such unsinful conditions required by them who had alone the power of baptizing them § IX THIS will appear if our Brethren will be pleased to consider the importance of that Mystical stile wherein this whole matter is expressed in the Scripture that is if they will be pleased to continue the Allegory of Life and the Analogy between the natural Body and the Mystical Body of Christ so far at least as the sacred Writers themselves are pleased to continue it And sure that cannot be thought presumptuous To this purpose it is observable 1. That this Analogy between the Natural Body and the Mystical Body of Christ is continued in this that no Member in the Mystical Body can continue in that Spiritual Life of which it partakes by being a Member of that Mystical Body without a constant repetition of those vital influences by which it was first enlivened any more than a Member of the Natural Body can continue its Natural Life without a continual new supply of those vital influences from the head by which this Natural Life is maintained And therefore as it is certain that that Member which wants this continuation of vital influences does certainly decay and by degrees lose that Natural Life which is maintained by those influences though it be impossible to determine the certain Period wherein it shall die so it is by the same proportion of reasoning as certain that he who has not new influences from Christ continued to him is in a dying condition notwithstanding the Principle of new Life received by him in his Baptism If therefore the Eucharist be the same way an ordinary means of continuing this new Life as Baptism was of receiving it that is of communicating those new vital supplies from Christ the Head of this Mystical Body as Baptism was of the first infusion of this vital Principle it will be as necessary for those Adults of whom we are speaking who survive their Baptism as Baptism it self was to them when they first received it § X AND 2. The Scripture does further prosecute this likeness between the Natural Body and the Mystical Body of Christ that as it is impossible for any particular Member in the Natural Body to derive any vital influences from the Head unless it continue in conjunction with the whole Body so it is as impossible for any particular Member in the Mystical Body of Christ to derive the influences of Spiritual Life from Christ who is the Head of that Mystical Body any longer than it is united with the whole Mystical Body This appears plainly from that particular of this comparison that as in the Natural Body Members have their distinct situation some of them at a distance from the Head and they who are so receive their vital influences though from the Head yet not immediately but by the vessels through which they are communicated and by the influence of the nearer parts so that these vital influences are maintained and continued in the particular Members as well by their mutual influences on each other as by the common influences which they all receive from the Head so there are also supposed the like conveyances in the Mystical Body and the like distinction of offices in the Members of it by which they become necessary to each other as the Head is necessary to them all And this argument is purposely urged by the Apostle himself to let particular Christians understand their obligation to keep united with one another in order to their receiving vital influences from the Head And by the nature of the comparison here used it is plainly supposed that the advantage which the Members may expect from the mutual intercourse of each others gifts whilest they are united to each other in external Communion is not only extrinsecal by moving and exercising the good Principle within them but necessary intrinsecally for the preservation of that Spiritual Life which they are already supposed to enjoy as the Members in the Natural Body do not only lose the advantage of a sprightful vigorous Life but of Life it self by an interruption of their communication with each other And this is implyed in the similitude of the Vine where our Saviour expressly warns his Apostles Joh. xv 4 that as a branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it continue in the Vine so neither could they except they abided in him Where it is plain that Christ is not understood Personally but Mystically when they are supposed capable of abiding in him And this Mystical way of speaking is so familiar with St. John as well as our Saviour as that it cannot be thought strange that he should thus express himself § XI 3. THEREFORE the Church with which it was supposed so necessary for particular Members to be united in order to their participation of the influences of Spiritual Life is plainly supposed to be the Church in this World and that visible Society of them which joyned in the same publick exercises of Religion in that Age when these things were written This appears plainly from all the Apostle says concerning this Church of which he there speaks They were plainly an organized Body consisting
Vnion with him is expressed in both regards not only that we are made one Spirit with him but that we must become one Body a Eph. iv 4 with him also And as his Body in opposition to the Spirit is called his flâ—sh b Col. i. 22 1 Tim iii. 16 1 Pet. iii. 18 1 Joh. iv 2 3. 2 Joh. 7. so we are also said to be one c Eph. v. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. flesh with him the same way as married Persons are on account of that institution made one flesh as Eve was from Adam flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone in allusion whereunto we are also said to be Members of his Body of his flesh and of his bones Which is a clear account of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Ignatius * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Magn. p. 10. Ed. Usser 1646. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. p. 15. the fleshly as well as the Spiritual Vnion with and similitude to Christ which hence appears to have been very agreeable to the Notions of those times So far it is from being an Argument against the genuineness of those Epistles as Blondell makes it because he did not understand those Principles I do not at present intend to discourse of our Vnion with Christ in Spirit because I may hereafter have occasion to do it when I shall explain the true notion of our Vnion and Communion with him All that I shall now observe concerning it is only this that though our Vnion to Christ in Spirit be indeed the most immediately beneficial Vnion without which our fleshly Vnion could be of little or no advantage to us yet that this fleshly Vnion is more immediately necessary to us because without it we can expect no interest in his Spiritual Vnion For as his own sufferings in the flesh intitled him to the glory of the Spirit so plainly this very instance of likeness is thus applied by the Apostle that we must first be like him in his sufferings that we may expect to be like him in the glory of his Resurrection Besides the Allegory of this Mystical language holds exactly to my purpose that as in the Natural Body no Member can expect to partake of the Spirits and other vital influences of the whole Body that is not first united to it carnally so none can expect this Vnion with Christ in the Spirit which is answerable to those vital influences in the Natural Body till he be first united to him in the body and flesh § XVI BUT besides this consequential necessity of our bodily Vnion with him in order to our participation of Spiritual influences it is further observable 4. That there are very material reasons why our Saviour should require this bodily Vnion in contradistinction to the Vnion of the Spirit I mean such reasons as concern the Body in contradistinction to the Spirit that is the benefits which the Body in contradistinction to the Spirit might expect by this corporal but Mystical Vnion with Christs Body One was that by this Corporal Vnion with Christ we may be made sensible of the interest he has in our Body as well as our Souls and therefore of our obligation to serve him also with our Bodies and to abstein from those carnal sins which had their seat in the Body This was particularly necessary for the misunderstandings of that Age wherein this Sacrament was first instituted and for whose use it was peculiarly contrived They had been inured to believe that the Body was no part of the Man but only a troublesome load and prison of the Soul Whence it naturally followed that what care was had of the Body would not be on any account of respect to the Body it self but for the Souls sake as far as that might suffer by the impurity of the Body But for that they were not very solicitous For several of those who were Philosophically disposed especially of those with whom the Apostles had to deal were so far from thinking that the Soul was like to suffer by any impurity of the Body as that they rather thought that several bodily pollutions did rather contribute accidentally to the purity of the Soul in as much as they might possess it with a greater abhorrence of the Body and a greater inclination of leaving it which might be increased it by the resistance it met with in it § XVII TO this they must therefore then have been the more inclinable when they considered the obscenity of the publick Mysteries which were then celebrated as most effectual means of purging the Soul not only by the vulgar Nay it is Juvenals observation concerning all the Mysteries of those times that they were all performed with obscenity Quo non prostat fâ—mian templo Sat. ix 24 vid. Min. Felic Octav. p. 237.237 249. Not. but even the Philosophers themselves those of Succoth Benoth and Thamuz or Adonis and Baal Peor or Priapus among the Converts of Palestine and of the Orphaick Aegyptian and Eleusinian among those of the dispersion These were the famous Mysteries that were known to these Persons and as long as these were supposed conducive to the purity of the Soul they must have been encouraged to the greatest bodily impurities as the most likely means of obteining the greatest Spiritual purity § XVIII AND they were also the rather less inclinable to be solicitous for the Purity of the Body because they took it self to be the greatest Principle of impurity All pollution and filth of the Soul was supposed derived from matter and therefore they who endeavoured to be pure endeavoured also to free themselves from all adhesions of the Body And the contrary impure Daemon the evil Principle was taken for the Lord of matter and was thought to have power over them who did partake of matter as long as they did partake of it on account of their partaking of it So that on this supposition the taking any care of their Body or shewing any respect to it was so far from the freeing themselves from impurity as that it must have been taken for the most likely means of involving them deeper in it Eunap in vit Porph. Therefore it was that Porphyry on hearing Plotinus's Lectures grew so much out of love with his being a Man that is so far as a Body was necessary to the constitution of a Man as that he thought of starving himself out of his Body Porph. vit Plotin Therefore also Plotinus was so ashamed of his Body as that he would by no means endure that any Picture should be taken of it when that favour was desired from him by his friends Thus in Trismegistus when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes to holy minds one effect among others is said to be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poem c. 1. And accordingly he makes it a requisite for Baptism where according to him this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is received to
his rights in order to the procuring that Assistance § VIII AND as on these accounts there can be no reason obliging him to wave any right on any pretence of Prescription whatsoever so in the reason of the thing we cannot conceive how any Creature can gain a right in process of time which was not good at first especially where there is no reason to ascribe any virtue to these implicite compacts for the security of the common interest which may convey a right Nor can we conceive in this case how that which was once the right of God can cease to be so without a deed of Gift So that if this be proved that this right of administring the Sacraments is originally Gods right and that they who first made the Separation invaded it without any Authority derived from God to administer them this will prove a Nullity not only in the Acts of the first Dividers but in all the Orders and Ordinances which have been since derived from them and on which all their pretensions to the name and priviledges of a Church must be founded if they have any solid foundation at all § IX AND that this is so that all Authority of administring the Sacraments must be derived from God and from him alone in opposition to all origination from Men as I have now explained it I shall endeavour to prove both from the reason of the thing and from the actual institution of God 1. From the reason of the thing To this purpose it is to be remembred that the great end of instituting the Sacraments being the conveyance of the Spiritual benefits designed by the Sacraments this is the difference between Sacraments administred with Authority and those which are not so administred that by this administration of them with Authority these benefits are conveyed which cannot be expected where they are administred without Authority And therefore he only has the power of giving this Authority who has the power of ratifying what is done in his name by Persons so Authorized by him that is who has the original Right of disposing of the benefits so conveyed But it is God alone who has the right of disposing of these Spiritual benefits conveyed in the Sacrament and no Creature can pretend to it by any of those rights with which God has invested it by his general Rules of Providence antecedently to actual Revelation And this as to both regards both as to the right and as to the possession of the benefits here conveyed If the Multitude can neither dispose of the right of these benefits nor without the right put the Person to whom they would pretend to give right in possession of them then certainly they can have no pretence of a power of ratifying what should be done by Persons Authorized by them nor consequently can they have any power of giving them any lawful Authority which is perfectly unintelligible without a lawful power of ratification And that no creature has any right to dispose of either of these things and that God alone has the power to dispose of them will easily appear in discussing the particulars which because I have had occasion to touch formerly I hope I may be allowed to dispatch at present with the greater brevity and the rather because I conceive them so clear as that I do not foresee any thing considerable that our Adversaries themselves can object against them when they shall be pleased throughly to consider what may be said against them on this Argument § X 1. THEN it is God alone not any Creature that has the right of disposing of the Spiritual benefits here conveyed It is be alone that can forgive sins or regenerate or give the Holy Spirit or apply the Mystical benefits of Christs death and passion He alone can unite us to Christ and it is his judgment of us as one Body and Spirit with Christ which intitles us to all the consequential benefits of that Vnion These are the essential designs of the Sacraments without which they would be very little significant and to these the Multitude cannot lay any plausible claim And if our Brethren would but be as well pleased to consider the Ministers as conveyers of these benefits to men as they are pleased to consider them as they are representatives of men whose Petitions are by them offered to God certainly they could not think it in their power in regard of any natural inherent right to make promises of things which are not in their power or to empower representatives to act in their name in making such promises And if they would but consider the nature of a Covenant and the Ministers as common representatives of both parties of this Covenant of God in some things as well as of the people in others though they might think themselves at liberty to name their own representatives yet they could not but think it presumptuous to assume a right of imposing representatives on God beside the Rules of his own appointment They could not in reason think God obliged to ratify such presumptuous proceedings § XI AND it is very considerable to this purpose that according to those Notions which prevailed among the Jews who had always been brought up under a Theocracy the right of Government was thought grounded on the Spirit of Government Thus the seventy Elders derived Moses Authority by their partaking of his Spirit So Joshua Saul and David were the same way inaugurated by the Spirit of God which came upon them This was the thing intended to be signified by their material Vnction the conveyance of this Spirit of Government as the Mystical Vnction Psal. xlv 7 Luk. iv 18 Accordingly whereunto the Spirit alone without material Oyl is called Oyl And the very power of Christ is derived from his being Mystically annointed with the Holy Ghost Which is by so much the more to be expected under the state of the Gospel because the power it self is purely Spiritual and in relation to the other World And accordingly when our Saviour empowered his Apostles it was by breathing on them and giving them the Holy Ghost Joh. xx 22 Act. viii 18 And as the Apostles gave the Holy Ghost by the imposition of their hands so it was by that Ceremony that they conveyed the Ecclesiastical power 2 Tim. i. 6 And though the extraordinary manifestations that then accompanied this gift have long since ceased yet the reason of the gift it self does still continue Still the administration of the Government of Christ is performed by his Spirit Still our participation of Christ is by partaking of his Spirit and if his Authority was derived from his Vnction then they who would partake of his Authority must partake of his Unction too And still the presence of the Spirit is as necessary to support the burden of Government as ever And therefore the Multitude can have no inherent right to dispose of the Government because they have none to dispose
from the provisional constitutions of the standing Government especially where they confirmed their Mission by signs as these generally did but also from most of the commands of the Law it self I do not know whether any command was excepted save that of Idolatry and the perpetual obligation of their Law and every precept of it Otherwise a Prophet might require the breach of any one precept that of Idolatry excepted so it were but for a time and this seems to have been the sense of the Jews of that Age if we may trust the modern Jews for the sense of their Ancestors Maimonid Fund Leg. c. 9. And I need not warn how much the new Converts to Christianity were then generally possessed with the Notions of the Jews whom they had deserted § XXIII ACCORDINGLY we find those strange disorders intimated in the first Epistle to the Corinthians which the Apostles were at length necessitated to reform by the exercise of Government but it was late before they attempted it not till the disorders grew intolerable and then they proceeded by slow degrees so hard it was to prevail on the contrary pretensions When St. Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians was written many of the Prophets spoke at the same time as it should seem the Apostles and their companions did on the day of Pentecost the Women also prophesied and that publickly in the Church and they who had the gift of Tongues exercised it in the publick also without Interpeters and behaved themselves so extravagantly as that the Apostle himself tells them that an unbeliever coming among them would think them all mad These notorious and great disorders in their Synaxes make me apt to think that at that time at least they had no visible Government at all among them Which conjecture seems methinks the more likely because the Apostle in the address of this Epistle takes no notice of the Bishops and Deacons as he does elsewhere where there were any and as it was the general custom of those times in writing to Bodies to make their address particularly to the heads of the Bodies where there were such and because he blames the Corinthians for not mourning that the incestuous Person might be taken from among them which they needed not to have done if themselves had power of exercising Discipline upon him and because he expresly empowers them to meet together with his Spirit both for the Excommunication and Absolution of the incestuous Corinthian and ratifies their proceedings in that matter with his own approbation that to whomsoever they forgave any thing he forgave it also § XXIV AND therefore when the celebration of the Eucharist is mentioned among them I am to suspect that it was not performed by ordinary Presbyters but by Persons extraordinarily inspired who undertook that part of the Ecclesiastical Office as they did others also by vertue of this extraordinary Call This I take to be the meaning of the Apostle in the xivth Chapter 1 Cor. xiv 16 Otherwise when thou blessest with the Spirit how shall he that supplieth the place of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks Apol. 2. Matt. xxv◠26 Mark xiv 22 Luk. xxii 19 1 Cor. xi 24 Matt. xxvi 27 Mark xiv 23 1 Cor. x. 16 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was in Justin Martyrs time a term of Art for this Sacrament and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or blessing is used Synonymously with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Matthew and St. Mark is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Luke and St. Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Matthew and St. Mark is expressed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Paul And in Justins time Amen was answered in that Office by the People just as we here find that it was answered by him that supplied the place of the unlearned And by the expectation of this answer of the People to it and by the other offices with which it was joyned it seems rather to have been a part of the Ecclesiastical office than otherwise If it had not been part of the Ecclesiastical Office how had the unlearned been obliged to say Amen to it How had he been obliged to use an Interpreter in it for the edification of the Church For that the Apostle seems plainly to mean in that whole Chapter by doing any thing in the Spirit the doing the same thing in an unknown tongue which they who were supposed to do it without the Spirit did in a tongue commonly understood Thus it is most accurately opposed to the doing a thing with understanding § XXV NOR did this reason hold only for hindring the exercise of Government where there was no other settlement but these occasional extraordinary Dictates of the Spirit to uncertain Members but even after the settlement of certain known Ecclesiastical Officers It is certain that this same Church of Corinth had such Officers when St. Clement wrote his Epistle to them And yet even then they who were guilty of the Schism which occasioned his writing that Epistle were encouraged to resist their Superiors by their pretensions to these gifts and that notwithstanding the Apostle himself had so long before warned them of the obligation of such Persons themselves to submit to order and the constitution of Officers among them had plainly enough signified his mind that he intended them for Judges of those Rules which were requisite for order At least this reason of condescension lasted so long if not as these gifts lasted yet till the Apostles Authority was generally received without control and till the Apostles had declared their judgments expresly in this matter that even these extraordinary gifts should be under the restraint of the ordinary Governours of the Church and till this their declaration had reached the cognizance of the whole Church universally and till men had withal some respite given them for wearing out gradually their preconceived opinions to the contrary as we find that Rule of Prudence generally observed by the Apostles to allow them respit in such Cases These reasons will at least concern those times of which the Scripture History gives us an account and will therefore concern all the Text by them insisted on in those times § XXVI I HAVE the rather particularized all these reasons of condescension in those times that our Brethren may understand the unreasonableness of the way they have hitherto insisted on for knowing the original extent of Ecclesiastical Authority For if the Apostles were of themselves so careful to condescend to the weaknesses of their new Converts if withal there were then so many reasonble inducements to perswade them to this condescension it must then be reasonable to expect that their actual practice must have fallen short of their just right and therefore that their way of arguing from the non-appearance of a precedent then to deny a right now is in it self extremely weak though we had all the Records
respectively related And then as it is in the power of the Governours of particular Churches to deprive them at least of the Communion of their own particular Churches and so to cut them off from their being Members of them it must also consequently be in their power to cut them off from their Communion with the Catholick Church to which they have no other title but that Membership This therefore I shall endeavour to prove from the Principles which I intend to make use of for proving this present Particular § XXII IN order hereunto I desire it may be observed 1. That the nature of the inconvenience incurred by this deprivation of Communion in their own particular Churches is such as that it is impossible that the censure can be valid in their own Churches unless it be valid in others The design of the suspending from the Sacraments is for so long to deprive the Person of the benefit of the Sacraments till he yield to the thing required from him by the Authority by which he is suspended Either therefore he has still a title to the benefit of the Sacraments from which he is suspended or he has not If he have still as good a Covenant-title to the benefits of the Sacrament as before and can as well assure himself of his title what loss can it be for him to be deprived of the Sacramental Elements How can it ever oblige him in conscience to submit to that Authority which can inflict no greater punishment than this deprivation If therefore God himself be obliged to ratifie the censures of particular Churches in order to the preservation of their Government then it must follow that the Person so deprived must lose his interest in the New-Covenant of the Gospel and all the priviledges consequent to that interest And he who has lost his interest in the Covenant cannot retrieve it by a bare change of the place and Jurisdiction He that has no interest in the Gospel-Covenant cannot possibly continue a Member of the Catholick Church whose Vnion consists in their confederation in the same Covenant And considering that the Covenant is the same by which they are united to God and to each other nay indeed that their Vnion to each other is grounded on their Vnion with Christ they are therefore Fellow-Members of each other Eph. iv 25 1 Cor. v◠17 because they are all Members of the same Mystical Body of Christ they are made one Spirit by partaking of that one Spirit which is also his therefore it is impossible that they can be separated from this Mystical Vnion with one another unless they be both or one of them at least disunited from Christ which they who are must by necessary consequence be disunited from all the Members of that Mystical Body And however that Vnion with other Members could afford little comfort to a Person concerned in it which were consistent with their separation from Christ their common Head So also they who are deprived of the title the Covenant is capable of giving them to remission of sins in one Church cannot at the same time be judged to be free from their sins in the other even on performance of the Moral Duties and he who is not so cannot be judged to be in a present capacity of being a Church-Member This proves at least that the Church which thinks the censure pronounced against any Person to have been pronounced validly and to have cut him off from the Church wherein he was censured cannot at the same time think him united to themselves in the bond of Catholick Vnity if they think the Church from whence he is divided to be Catholick And the case is the same whether the Person so divided have divided himself by separation or have been divided from them by the censures of a Lawful Authority Still so long as he is divided from any one Church that is Catholick he cannot continue his Vnity with them if they continue theirs with the Church from which he is divided § XXIII HENCE it follows 2. That if such a Person be received to the Sacraments in another Church without as good an Authority for uniting him to the Vnity of the Catholick Church as that was by which he was deprived only on supposition of the continuance of his invisible Vnity with the Catholick Church notwithstanding his visible separation from a part of it such Sacraments must as to him be perfect Nullities and cannot convey to him the proper benefits of Sacraments even on the performance of the general Moral conditions of Faith and Repentance For the Sacraments cannot convey the merits and influences of Christ to any but those who are united in his Mystical Body by the same proportion of reasoning as the Vessels by which the vital influences are conveyed in the Natural Body can convey them to none but those who are parts of the Body to which they are supposed to belong The strength of this Mystical reasoning I have elsewhere proved Seeing therefore that the Sacraments can convey no influences but unto them who are united to Christ and on the supposition I am now speaking of the Persons thus received to the Sacrament cannot be supposed thus united to him therefore such a Communicant could not expect any benefit from such Sacraments not only in regard of his want of those moral dispositions but also in regard of his incapacity though he had them This therefore will be the case where the reception to Communion is only granted as a Testimony of the Vnity which the Person so received is supposed to have invisibly even antecedently to such reception But if it be designed further not to testifie that Catholick Vnity which he is supposed to retain but to restore it to him who is supposed to have lost it by his separation from his own Church this is another case And concerning it I say § XXIV 3. THAT no particular Church whatsoever can by its Authority alone restore any to Catholick Vnity who has been separated from it by another without the consent of the Church by which he was at first separated This is plain from what has been said before because this is impossible to be done without disanulling the Authority by which he was at first separated from the Church For if this later Church can restore such a Person to Catholick Vnity then it may also restore him to Vnity with that Church by which he was at first separated And if so then he may have a right to the Communion even of his own Church even whilest he is actually separated from them And then what effect can such an Authority have whereby it may appear to be Authority if it cannot deprive him of so much as the right to that Communion from which he is so separated Seeing therefore both these exercises of Authority cannot be supposed valid at the same time and seeing therefore that God is obliged to disanul the one if he will ratifie the
of Governours as well as Governed which were all qualified for their offices by Gifts of the Spirit a 1 Cor. xii 28 29. Eph. iv 11 Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors and Teachers which were all only useful for the Church in this World and only for their benefit as united in Assemblies these Gifts being generally of that nature as that others were more concerned in them than they who had them Their Gifts were also of the same kind and many of them more principally designed for the edification of Believers than the conviction of Infidels Such were the gifts of b 1 Cor. xiii 2.xiv.2 knowing Mysteries Interpretation c 1 Cor. xii 10.xiv.26 of Tongues of d 1 Cor. xi 4 5 xiii.9.xiv.1 3 4 5.22 24 31 39. Rom. xii 6 1 Thes. v. 20 Prophesying and e 1 Cor. xiv 14 15. Praying especially of that office of the Eucharist f 1 Cor. xiv 16 where the Idiot had his set part assigned him and was to answer Amen These were the very employments of the Synaxes in that Age. And therefore certainly the Church thus united by such Gifts and Offices of the Spirit must needs have been that Body of them which joyned in the celebration of their publick Assemblies and considered under that very Notion as they were united in those Assemblies for which alone these Gifts and Offices were useful And plainly the Apostles design being as I have elsewhere observed in all these Discourses to prevent the falling away of the Persons to whom he writes either to Judaism or Gentilism or any of the Heresies which then began to appear there could be nothing more apposite to this purpose than to perswade them to keep to this external Body as united by the celebration of the same publick Assemblies whereby they were visibly and notoriously distinguished from those erroneous Societies and nothing more disagreeable than our Adversaries Notion of a multitude not a body of Elect not distinguishable from others by such notorious Characters as might be prudently useful by way of Argument § XII BESIDES the similitude of a Vine used by our Saviour was the same which had been used concerning the carnal Israel in the Old Testament Psal. lxxx 8 14 15. Isa. v. 1 7 xxvii.2 Jer. ii 21 Ezek. xix 10 Hos. x. 1 and therefore very fitly applyed to the Spiritual and Mystical Israel in the New according to that way of arguing which is so universally observed by the sacred Writers of the New Testament And then considering that the Christians made the Spiritual Israel a Society in the same sence wherein the carnal Israel had been so before nay allowed of something suitable to those very means by which they were confederated into a Society Instead of Circumcision they continued not only the Mystical Circumcision of the heart but Baptism which had been a means taken up by the Jews before the Preaching of the Christian Religion and which they thought more countenanced by the Prophets who had foretold the state of Christianity than Circumcision it self was and withal thought it more agreeable to the more Spiritual nature of the Christian Religion in comparison of the Jewish And so for Sacrifices though they rejected the bloody ones which they also thought discountenanced by those same Prophesies which had predicted the state of Mystical Judaism yet they allowed a Mystical Melchisedechian Sacrifice not only of the Morals of Religion but also under those very Elements and Symbols which they supposed predicted and Typified in those fame Writers who had spoken so disparagingly of the bloody Sacrifices Yet still these means of confederation though they were indeed more agreeable to the nature of a Spiritual Religion than those among the Jews were still external and therefore as proper for confederating an external Society as those were in the room of which they succeeded § XIII AND 4. It is further observable that though the immediate design of the Sacred Writers seems to have been to secure the Persons to whom they wrote in the external Communion of the Church in that Age wherein they wrote yet the reasons used by them for this purpose are such as concern the Church as a Church and so as suitable to the later Ages of the Church as those earlier ones wherein they were first used Indeed if the Argument used to prove their obligation to continue in the external Communion of the Church had been this that they could not otherwise partake of the miraculous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and manifestations of the Spirit than as those Gifts and manifestations were proper to that Age so the Argument would lose its force in succeeding Ages which could not pretend to those Gifts and manifestations But when I consider that those Gifts and manifestations in that Age did generally accompany the Graces of the Spirit and that therefore it is no good Argument to conclude that the Spirit was only given for extraordinary purposes because he was pleased to manifest himself by Gifts and Appearances that were indeed extraordinary when I consider that it is the Spirit as a Principle of Spiritual Life of which they are supposed to be deprived by falling away from that external Communion nay as a Principle of Spiritual Life to themselves when I consider that the Church being called Christ they are supposed to lose their interest in Christ and all his saving Graces by separating from the Communion of the Church to lose their interest in his Redemption to lose their interest in him by losing his Spirit which whosoever has not is none of his when I consider that by falling away from their Baptismal Obligations they are supposed to have forfeited all the advantages of their Baptism their illumination their tasting of the heavenly gift their participation of the Holy Ghost their tasting of the good Word of God and of the Powers of the World to come and so to have forfeited them as to need Renovation as intire as if they never had enjoyed them nay to have forfeited their whole interest in the New Covenant which sure respects the Graces of the Spirit more principally than his Gifts I say when I consider these things I cannot but think that the Graces here spoken of on these occasions are as well the Graces properly so called as the Gifts of the Spirit those of them which are to be ordinarily expected in all Ages as those which were proper to that those of them which are absolutely necessary for Salvation as well as those which were only more convenient for the more advantagious procurement of Salvation And sure we have reason to expect as that these ordinary necessary Graces of the Spirit should be continued to these later Ages wherein they are still as necessary as they were at first so that they should be continued in the same means of conveyance by which they were communicated at first And we have the rather reason to expect that they should be continued by the