comes now to be proved when we have set downe Mr Baxters Pag. 129. 133. words which seeme to us to speak contrary we will note but one passage amongst many in his booke of Baptisme The Assembly I told you before that gave in their experiences about the time and manner of Gods working grace in their hearts did most give-in that it began as they thought in youth or childhood in very few by the Ministeriall teaching And for my own part I think that if ever I had true actuall faith it was by the benefit of education before ever I heard a Sermon We would speak three words to this 1 by way of Caution 2 By way of supposition 3 positively or Concludingly as we have been taught by our learned Godly Ministers 1. By way of caution we would wish no man to trust that Conversion whereof he can give no other Certificate but that he was virticiously educated 2. Suppose that a parent by his holy Discipline and pious education had converted his childe by the good hand of God with him we would aske hath he done this without the Word It could not then be called holy Discipline or pious education 3. But to speake positively and so to conclude this point that the word of the Lord may have in all things the pre-eminence Education or the bringing up of a childe in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord is but the externall moulding of a man not the internall Renovation of his heart Education fashions and frames the outside onely Conversion if true the inside Education changeth the actions onely Conversion not the actions onely but the Nature also for the effecting whereof there must be put forth an exceeding greatnesse of Power together with the Word once more and to doe our Utmost to drive it home we are borne every mothers child like a wild Asses Colt we love to be free or rather dissolute we cannot endure to be subdued to order we would know no Law but our own lusts nor rule but our own desire nor be servant to any but our own will Yet the Law of a virtuous education passing upon us we may be brought into some good order and under subjection we may be canded over and seeme more than Civill And yet there is as vast a difference betwixt what Education doth and the word preached doth as there is betwixt Nature and Grace and that is greater than between a mans Nature and a beast Education may pollish and beautifie yea and rectifie Nature put it into a pretty frame for a time But the word preached is appointed for this very thing to change Nature to put it into a right frame and to set it right for ever To change a sinner into a Saint To make a Beleever of an Infidell Therefore holy Cowper taking this very thing into Consideration That the word preached is the onely meanes of Conversion would alwayes as he went to Church send up this ejaculation or short prayer Lord bow my eare that I may heare thy word Amen He it is who hath an Almighty Arme and reacheth it forth by His Spirit with his Word and so maketh it a Converting word that He in all things may be Glorified through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT VI. IN the sixt place we have heard you say that you have done your duty when you have told your people theirs and the danger of unworthy receiving according to the tenour of those dreadfull words they find written 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 c. THIS is well but not the whole of your duty no nor the least part They will not beleive that there is any danger in receiving at least such you speake of unto them being in your account and upon the same score admitted to the Table Beleivers Disciples and Saints why should they Question that which you doe not question Let Turkes and Pagans question those matters and not Disciples and Saints we meane Baptized-ones for eo nomine c. But Sir it is good to be serious in these matters as to be sâ—rvent in a cold matter is no signe of Wisdome So to bâ— câ—ld in an hot and fervent Buisinesse be vrayes folly Wâ— makâ— bold â—o put three questions to you Th' one relating to a gâ—â—â—t Loâ—d on Earth supposing you to be a steward in his housâ—â—â—d leâ—ve you to make answer to this Lord. The other relaâ—ing to the Lâ—rd of Heaven and Earth whose servant you profâ—sse your sâ—lfe â—o be and a steward in His house The third shall be put to your owne soule and as to the other so to this make you your answer Calling God to record upon your soule The first 1. Supposing you to be a steward to a great Lord on Earth would he take it well at your hands That you counselled yea threatened a rude and rascall Company nasty wretches and not worthy to enter your Lords house much lesse to approach His Table notwithstanding in they would Come which yet they Could not without your Connivance and more and sit downe with Him at his Lordâ—hips Table Answer this matter to your Great Lord and so we leave it 2. You are a servant to your great Master in Heaven and you say He hath made you a steward in His house Make your Answer to Him Questioning you at this great point why have you been so carelesse what manner of persons you have admitted to my Table make Answer to Him we leave this upon your thoughts also 3. Put it to your owne Soule Is it enough to warne Men we cannot doubt but you have been warning proud men and covetous and hypocriticall mockers and you know whome and yet they have Come Doubtlesse Sir you should have restrained them from drinking a Cup of poison and from Rushing upon their owne damnation Answer this to your owne Soule and when you are about it Call God to record therein Then perhaps you may tremble at Elies doome I will judge thy house for ever for the iniquity thou knowest because thy Sonnes made themselves vile and thou Restrainedst them not thou didst not bend thy brow nor frowne upon them A good man scatters the wicked with his eye they shall not pertake of holy things of bread ordained for Children This shall suffice for that If a Lord on Earth will not take these doings at your hand will your Master in Heaven And if your Conscience which is as we may say the Center of the soule placed betwixt the understanding and the will taking in the Result from both If this your Conscience acquit you not God is Greater than your Conscience how will you Answer Him It commandeth your serious thoughts in debateing these matters and then to give in your Answer thereunto We would remind you of this last said thereby to Render you the more serious That as a steward is not to doe any thing but according to the minde and will of his
Baptisme being abhominable and to every good worke reprobate What though Admit him to the Lords Table notwithstanding Wee will close with this and so come to the next Till the Word hath prevailed with us nothing can till that hath done us good nothing shall While the word of Christ is trod under-foote in the hearing place so is the sacred Blood represented at His Table We cannot reject Him at one place and receive Him at another our soules are as full here as there and therefore cannot but loath trample-upon Christ that honey-combe Prov. 27. 7. there as here as at th' one place of hearing so at th' other of Receiving Therefore 3. Be not you carefull about this whether we will heare or whether we will forbeare Preach the word be instant in season 2 Tim. 4. 2. out of season reprove rebuâ—e exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine This is your Charge from the Lord And be you assured you shall never make us attend with the eare giving all Diligence till you have bored the eare And to bore the eare you have no other meanes for it but to preach the word thereby to make us obedient in word and in deed Doe not Entertaine such a thought as this but shew your selves men 1 That we can be brought into Love with the Gospell or to receive the Gospell in love by giving us admittance to receive at the Lords Table What can we receive there more than at our owne Table unlesse it be a Curse having not received Christ in the Gospell first 2 That we can be brought over to Christ by any other wayes or meanes but what are of His owne appointing for His blessing accompanies those meanes as doth His Curse those presumers who thinke to compasse their Ends by meanes they have shaped without the least shape of reason according to their owne understanding most contrary to Gods word and an abhorring to His Spirit Therefore if you have the least hope to prevaile with men prevaile with God first by prayer That you may take the way He Himselfe hath by His Word and Spirit paved forth before you for be you well assured He will not goe out of His owne rode way to meete with you or your people in your by-pathes In the last place 4. And to reply a word from the Lord to those stout words mentioned at the beginning They will drive away the Word from them and the Preachers of the Word if they will not suffer them to receive at the Lords Table Heare we what the Lord saith to these I will cast them away as Rubbish filth and dirt is cast away So He saith by His Prophet My God will cast them away because they did not hearken Hosea 9. 17. unto Him such as will not hearken to the word of God God Read Mr. Caâ—yl upon Job 8. 20. p. 124. Psal 50. 16. will cast away why They cast God away when they cast the word of God away They cast the Covenant behind their backes while they hate Instruction No wonder God casteth them behind His backe a dreadfull place for our persons but a glorious place for our sins For the wickednesse of their Doings I will drive them out of My house They that drive shall be driven with the Tempest of the Lord as the Thistle-downe dried stubble parched leaves or chaffe before the whirle-wind God will drive them out of doores when they drive His Truth out of their hearts for they would drive it out of His house And the God of Truth out of the world What they cannot possibly doe they will endeavour what possibly they can to doe A good Minister will drive these from the Lords Table too they shall not come neare that till it can be made to appeare The word of Gods Grace hath come neare to them and set them in their right mind So we have Concluded from Scripture premises and so proceed SECT X. 10 IN the last place we crave leave to tell you our Jelousie as to these matters and we entreate you to account it a godly jealousie which is this That there is somewhat more prevailes with you to give such free Admission as aforesaid than all those nine Reasons you have given us before and this is it to tell you our Jealousie when it pleased God to reveale His Son in you such is our hope that you might preach Him among the 〈…〉 Heathen truely we meane for we must be plaine in these matters we call a spade a spade your Beleivers Disciples and Saints heathen they are as you heard and worse till your preaching is come unto them in power have not you with your Brethren conferred at least with flesh and blood what way you are to take with your people in point of Admission to the Font and Lords Table You must Answer this to God sith you are Stewards in His house and should know how to behave your selves there with regard enough to that holy guile which is allowed you for certainly to Him you must make Answer We humbly in the feare of our Lord tell you our Jealousie For this we know we are flesh and blood too persecution is a very sore thing to the flesh and therefore all its care desire and endeavour is how to Escape it Now there is no way for a man that will live godly in 2 Tim 3. 12. Christ Jesus to escape it if he will avoid it he must as to that perticular Cease to be Godly and so he Conferres with flesh and blood and taking that for the man of his Counsell he must choose â—ob 26. 21 iniquity rather than affliction It is our Godly Jealousie that you and your Godly Brethren in the same way with you have Conferred too much with flesh and blood about those sacred administrations and so to avoid persecution have done as ye doe given free admission as aforesaid If you did not as you doe you should anger the best men in your Parish as they are in account among us now adayes and so you should have their purses shut and their mouthes wide open against you like Cannons mounted This is sore to flesh and blood and therefore Consulting with it it will direct you another way to save it selfe from persecution give their Children Baptisme and themselves the Lords Supper and all shall â—e well their purses shall be opened and their mouths shutt unlesse open to blesse and pray for you dealing so kindly with them but take heed of their blessing you and your blessing your selfe in such a way with them and you may remember this with it That some mens Cursing are as good as their blessings and you shall prosper better under them To put a close to this This is our perswasion from what we see and heare should the Gospell come to us like an Angell with a sword in his hand and with fire in its mouth to kill our lusts and consume them utterly yet we should never
with him both together and at one instant which may make us more observant of the words that follow which we borrow of our Learned Reinolds Was a beast slaine for touching the Mount and shall not a man of vile and beastly affections be punished for touching the Table where our Lord is present No we would say The vile and beastly Minister deserveth rather of the two to be punished who admitts alloweth yea invites men of Beastly and vile affections to come to That Table where the Lord is present The allowance of a thing done which was said before and cannot be too often said is as good as the Commission for the doing of it said our excellent Jewell We would adde to this the prayer of a good man Lord deliver me from mine other mens sinnes which I may have made mine if not by Command Councell or Consent yet by Connivance give me Repentance for them good Lord and forgive them It is a knowne saying and bids you beware for qui in conspectu populi male vivit quantum in se est omnes se videntes interficit He that sinneth in the open view of the people doth as much as in him lyes to murther all that looke upon him and behold him sinning The application is easie and summed up in this the Presumers and the Consenters shall be punished together and which shall receive the sorest punishment is not hard to determine The actions of the Rulers being the Rules for the Ruled We beseech you all by the mercies of Christ we would peswade you by the terrour of the Lord whose Stewards you are and by the blessing yee expect from in and upon the Ministery of the Gospell that yee would Consider these things and greater things than these as the Spirit called upon in the reading His word may suggest unto you and fully resolve you at this point That your great Lord and Master to Whome yee are shortly to give an account of your Stewardship will not endure to have holy things prophaned as if Common and uncleane Therefore this is our perswasion grounded upon the word of God and practise of His people Ye must appoint time and place where and when your people may give you the meeting there to know the state of your flocke which yee can never Phil. 2. 19. Col. 4. 8. know at such a distance in the publique place You cannot there in that publique place doe as Paul did and as you ought to doe You know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his Children every one of you he had them alone and apart sure there is a necessitie of it a Must for this yea though it were according to that offer or desire rather of your Learned Brother and Neighbour which is That all persons in a Christian Common-wealth should give an account of their Faith before they marry and become parents and why not before they are admitted to the Lords Table Wee professe heartily this were a notable expedient and would helpe much for the removeing of that Barr which hath letted and will lett till it be removed the admission of their Infants to Baptisme by Godly Ministers But wee may desire rather than hope that this Course will be taken That all before they marry and become Parents shall give an account of their Faith Though we conceive this Course ought to be taken with those who for nine Moneths have lived in uncleannesse That these should not be married the tenth moneth before they had made their Repentance as publique as their offence was For Certainly this ought not to be That a Couple be married to day and be made Parents tomorrow Surely They did not give an account of their faith This was done in the world the Nationall Church there in a Parochiall Church very few miles off from you for the part hath the same name with the whole and a part in this huge we had almost said monstrous Church is too great for such small things as these to be looked after Indeed Sirs ye must Contract and Epitomize your Church for if this Course were taken your Godly Brother prescribes here Notwithstanding you must have your private meetings with your people Surely after a serious debate betwixt your selves about these matters you will finde it we humbly conceive your onely way to Abridge and Contract your huge large volume of Beleivers who can shew no more for their faith but their Infant Baptisme into a little little volume they must and they will goe close together they will never be looked over else though every one of you had an hundred eyes taking one of an hundred and ten of a thousand and this may Comfort you in this troublesome and vexatious worke so flesh and blood will finde it yours and theirs That one believer indeed who can give a reason of the hope that is in him is more excellent than are an hundred of those who can alledge no more for the Cleansing of their hands and purifying their hearts but that when time was their faces were sprinkled with water Now when ye shall set upon this worke ye must we conceive appoint a set time and place to meete at Now because there is a spewing Cast upon these meetings in use onely as we conceive amongst the Brethren of the Congregationall way we meane all those that seperate from the world at the Lords Table for the word Independant is very unbecomeing Churches or Creatures it was Cast-in by the enemy and adversary of all righteousnesse we were saying because this way and these meetings lie open to much Obloquie from that wicked one the Father of lyes and all His Children as that these meetings are the Nurse or vis plastica the very fomenting Cause of errors and heresies besides it Chargeth the Holy Brethren with separation or making a schisme or Rent from their Brethren and so in a manner excommunicates them from their Company Wee intend with Gods helpe to speake something to this but because this part of our worke hath exceeded its proportion the gravity and weight of the matters here under debate and maintenance so requiring wee thinke it fitt to deferre it to the Last and to close with it and our Spirits if the Lord be pleased alltogether and all in one for wee intend to turne-in unto you after our manner at the end of our worke Now in the Close of this Chapter we would speake to the Christian Reader whose eternall good is full in our eye which makes us to bend after it night and day in our Reinolds words Though we may have our Minister's leave and free admission to the Lords Table yet let us not venter to receive such sacred things with unwashed hands as matters of meere Custome fashion or formalitie But let us looke unto that High Authority That ordeined them on that holy Mouth That Blessed them on That Arme of Mercy That exhibits them being ever assured That as Christ hath one hand of Bounty and Redemption which reacheth forth life to the worthy Receivers So hath He another of Justice and power ready to avenge the injuries and Contempt that shall be done to His owne holy Institution A little after he speakes to Ministers and people to Ministers Let not your hands againe play the Judas by delivering Him againe unto Jewish and sinnefull soules which will Crucifie againe unto themselves the Lord of glory To us the people Let not us take His pretious blood into our hands rather to shed it than to drinke it and by Receiving the body of Christ unworthily make it as the sop was to Judas even an Harbenger to provide roome for Satan Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the Just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein That ye may be such we Commend you all to God and the word of His Grace which is able to build-you up and to give you an inheritance among all that are sanctified The Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirits Grace be with you AMEN ⸪ FINIS
Counsell if it had been taken well But it was very ill taken for when Hezekiah sent the posts from Citie to Citie through the Countrey of Ephraim and Manasseh with this Message That he would have a reformation according to the first institution or patterne and would not have them doe as their immediate forefathers had done It is said verse 10th That they laughed the Messengers to scorne and mocked them What! may we not doe as our Fathers have done must we now be wiser than they Yes saith he you must be wiser than they and you must doe better than they else you will shew your selves arrand fooles and utterly undoe your selves for your fathers were stiff-necked and did not yeild themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to doe as He bad them But they would doe as pleased them and was good in their owne eyes and so brought all this evill upon themselves You must not doe as they did for then you must suffer as they did whom God gave up to desolation as you see Now read how these words wrought with some of them not a few the Lord by His Spirit setting them home vers 11. There was a Reformation in those matters and things must be done according to their first institution We hope it will teach you very much in point of admission to the Lords Table And yet to set home your lesson and to helpe you in your choice of fit Guests for the Lords Table Take in the last place an example from Ezra Who would have none to joyne with him in the Passeover But such onely as had seperated themselves from the filthinesse of the Heathen and joyned themselves to Gods people to seeke the Lord God of Israell Ezra 6. 21. So much to your fourth objection You have yet more to say to justifie your Doings SECT V. THat you see not why you should exclude any from the Lords Table because how know you whether they may God is the onely â—â—wgâ—ver and we must receive the Law from His mouth He that will please God must shut all his own Imaginations out of dooâ—es and have nothing to doe with thâ—m We never dishonour God more than when we take upâ—n uâ—â—o serve Him oâ—r own way and leaving His rule make a rule for our selves Mr. C on Job 23. p. 405. Ab extra ordinario ad ordinarium non valet argumentum not be converted there It is you know Mr H s conceite and we know you have said no lesse To this we say That you give us but your word for this but give us one word from your God and we will give you one of our eyes Then search againe for another word to prove that this sealing ordinance is converting and give it us and we will give you the other eye so for two Scriptures you shall have two eyes deare though they are to us yet not so deare as the truth the least jóta whereof is of more account with our God and so with His good people than are the visible heavens and the earth Therefore Sir Mr H s we would rather mention his name than yours so much we favour you shall not put out our eyes with his conceits now that he hath put out his owne by his sensuality He shall not abuse us as he doth the Scripture shamefully after his manner touching the Centurions Conversion by seeing Christ onely upon the Crosse It was as miâ—aculous and extraordinary as was the Renting of the vaile and rockes and opening of the Graves And he is as well able to prove That when he last administred this ordinance he raised dead bodies out of the Graves as that he raised dead soules by his administring to them the Bread and the Wine which yet is the thing he is to prove That Conversion which is the raising of the soule from its grave is wrought in this way we meane by giving out this ordinance It is true The people will speake Highly of it That they never found the Word of Gods grace so prevailing with them as was that they heard delivered to them at the graves mouth and at the Lords Table But he that cannot see that this is a meere delusion and devise of Satan and our owne heart which is blind and cannot see a farre-off and will make us beleive a lye That God will step out of His way and worke extraordinarily for us while we neglect and turne our backs upon the ordinary meanes He hath appointed for the turning the heart unto Him We shall speake more to this in another place for the present we say onely thus That this tenet That Sacraments doe convert senteth strongly of Poperie and is most unsavoury and loathsome to every good mans heart being assured That That the â—ord preached is the great Appointment of God to bring Christ and the soule together never to be parted againe Preaching is the Chariot that Carrieth Christ up and downe the world here is Christ for you who sanctifieth Himselfe for your sakes That He might doe for you and in you all that was to be done and to suffer all that was to be suffered for the satisfying of His Fathers justice and the Compleating of an everlasting Righteousnesse That ye might be Compleate in Him and wholy sanctified through the Truth and throughly furnished to every good worke Then preaching Christ Crucified is the Appointment of God for the salvation of soules so many Scriptures give-in their evidence that we know not how many The dead shall heare John 5. â—5 the voyce of the Son of God in the preaching of the Gospel and they that heare that is beleive and obey shall live Other sheepe I have He meanes us Gentiles them also I must bring belonging Jâ—hn 10. 16. Eph. 5. 14. John 17. â—0 2 Tim 1. 10. 1 Coâ— 18. 21. 23. 2. 14. to the Election of Grace but how wilt thou bring them Lord Thou art in Heaven and they on Earth they shall heare my voice The preaching which Christ bids His Ministers preach is no other but Christs voice which bids the sleeper awake and arise from the dead It is that whereby the Spirit workes faith in the soule it is that whereby life and immortalitie is brought to light through the Gospell All the Angells in Heaven cannot convert one sinner it is not their office or appointment from God But the word preached which the wisdome of the world counts foolishnesse converteth all that are converted being that great Appointment of God for that end It is just so with us now dry bones when Conversion is wrought as once it was And as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking Ezek. 37. 7. 10 breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feete an exceeding great Army As then so now and to the end of the world life and immortalitie is brought to light into our soules by the Gospell It is the Chariot of Christ of
of Land houses and the like we know how bootlesse it were for us to have nothing to shew for our rights and just title to them but a Seale without a writing or a Covenant without a Seale And whereas it is said we open the Covenant to the people and so we discharge our duty and leave them to examine themselves at that point for so they are Commanded But let a man i. e. every man examine himselfe and so let him eate 1 Câ—â— 11. 28. This presupposeth that which is most false saith Learned Beza That all are able diligent and willing to examine themselves and so upon that supposition to be admitted to the Lords Table We will deferre this to another place where we shall find this very Scripture assured us That ignorant persons are no 〈◊〉 Bez. more to be admitted to the Lords Table than are Children or madmen So we leave this taking it fully proved that they who are wholy ignorant what the Covenant is or what it meaneth are not to have admission to receive the signes and seales thereof or as our little Catechisme hath it They that have no inward Grace cannot tell what to make of the outward signe SECT III. THey are not to be admitted to the Lords Table who cannot possibly receive any thing there but bare Elements bread and wine they cannot receive profit by it not having faith to mingle with it faith is a necessary ingredient in every Service we doe performe to God or to our owne Soules The word spoken to us profits not unlesse we mingle it with faith The word Heb 4. 2. spoken out from us The word of prayer prevailes not without faith It is like a Gun discharged without a Bullet which makes a noise and doth no execution So in receiving at the Lords Table if we doe not put out the hand of faith we receive no more there than at our owne Table faith is to the soule what the eye eare mouth hands feete are to the body No Spirituall good comes into our soules till Faith by the Word and Spirit comes in and fetcheth it in And no good can come forth till faith putts it forth be it word or deed If faith be not wrought in us the Spirit and Word hath had no work upon us for that is the first grace in the order of time and to our apprehension faith comes in first and drawes all other graces after it it enliveneth and quickneth the soule it is the Spring of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is If we have faith if we can beleive nothing is impossible to us to doe or to suffer when God calls us thereunto It was a Sad time with the Thessalonians and Paul was sadded at it and faine would he know how the case stood with them specially how it fared with their faith when I could no longer forbeare I sent to know your faith 1 Thes 3. and when good tideings were brought us of your faith we were exceedingly comforted for I know full well so long as you stand fast in the faith ye shall stand like Mount Zion in the world an everlasting foundation mauger all the powers and policies of Hell-Gates wide open against you To open this a little and to proceed in it Because indeed it is the very hinge upon which all shall turne When the holy Spirit comes in to the soule conveyed in thither by the word the Spirit the Hand of God and Christ His Vicar or Agent here on Earth does nothing in an ordinary way without the word The word can doe nothing without the Spirit it bringeth all at once along with Him All Spirituall things needfull to Salvation And that the soule may take fast hold on them and appropriate them to Himselfe saying all these are mine The Spirit with the Word for He will not worke alone as the Word cannot workes faith there and faith workes up the soule to Christ for it is the Spirits working It s chiefe and maine object And now drawes or suckes from that Breast of Consolation all that is desireable suitable satisfactory and most pleasant to her But this is the thing Faith lookes first to Christ the person of Christ the fountaine the Spring-head the Treasurie the mine of Gold Faith lookes to the person of Christ first it knitts the soule to Him then it lookes to all the good things we have by Him a world of good things in Him a world of good things from Him All that tends to Grace and Glory Yet it is the person of Christ that the soule of a Christian principally lookes to The whole word of God all the divine truths therein revealed are the object of faith to direct order and sway our lives But yet these are not the object of faith when we looke for peace for Consolation for forgivenesse of sinnes and reconciliation with God Then faith lookes to Christ fixedly wholely solely These things being premised we returne to our Argument First They that have not received faith the Guift of God Faith is the Mother Grace where that is in Truth there is true knowledge unfaigned live and Gospell Repentance The graces required in every true Communicant John 20. sent unto us by the hand of the Spirit with the word can performe nothing pleasing to God nor can they receive any thing from God but a Cup of wrath if they continue faithlesse and unbeleiving They have not received Faith no not by all those meanes appointed by God as Conduit-pipes to convey faith and every Grace unto them they have not received faith true saving faith they cannot receive Christ a true and saving Christ a King and Prophet to Rule governe and teach them and a Priest to save and Redeeme them a false Christ and he is many they may Receive by a false faith they must have a true faith before they can receive a true Christ with all the benefits of His blood-shed for them a true faith leades them unto this storehouse or Treasury brings them up to this fountaine opnod for sin and uncleannesse layes the soule in that Jordan cleanseth and washeth it there bids it wash and be cleane bids it drinke and be drunken Cant. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 18. with wine whereof is no excesse i. e. be aboundantly satisfyed But without faith none of this can be It being the very bucket the mouth of the soule So that a man comeing without faith to the Lords Table is like a vessell cast into an Ocean of waters that hath no mouth to let any-in So then without faith without Christ and then Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israell and Strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope well set and setling and without God in the world Now are these to be admitted to the Lords Table persons without faith and then without any saving grace for faith is first in
many hundred to the Sacrament yet I administer it to none that I know to be unbeleivers nay nor that I judge not probably or hopefully beleivers In another booke thus he saith for my Aph. App. 108. selfe I doe administer the Sacrament to none that doe not solemnly professe their assent to every fundamentall Article of faith expressely mentioned to them and their Consent that Christ shall their Lord and Saviour and that they will faithfully and syncerely obey His Scripture Lawes Can a man speak more fully to the point against free admission Truely he might be numbred among the men of the Congregationall way but that it would not be for his honour And yet he may thanke himselfe for that for he indeed hath numbred those holy ones amongst the uncircumcised ones those sons and daughters of Belial And dealt little lesse unmercifully with them than did the persecutors in old time deale with the faithfull witnesses of Christ they put them into beasts skins that so the dogges might hurry them to death But let that passe which we hope he will not passe without Repentance not making a difference he speakes well for the way we wish he walkes with a right foote in it though it is as much above us to reconcile him to himselfe as a Mountainâ— is above a Mole-hill and possible so others may finde it also Heaâ—e â—im what he saith in a third booke You remember when you called R 4. 52. me to be your Teacher You promised me under your hands that you would faithfully and conscientiously endeavour the receiving every truth obeying every command which I should from the word of God manifest unto you I now Charge your promise upon you he goes on bending to his highest end everlasting rest We borrow his words doing him or them no wrong we hope bending to our scope There is not a more apparent Truth than that the Table of the Lord should not be polluted nor a more apparent duty that the Stewards in Gods house should look to it that doggs swine be not admitted to Come thither The sacred Scripture speaks clearely out to this And we thinke if a Child should shew us Scriptures and speake to us the word of God we should not dare to disobey it We might goe on in his words But we passe them taking this onely from them to justifie the Ministers in the Congregationall way for proposing a Covenant to their people So it seemes Mr B. did doe We mention it not as if the Ministers of Christ have no better â—arrant than his example they take their warrant as we hope he doth from the Scriptures of God and example of all the Godly who can make out their interest in the Covenant of Gods grace with them by Jesus Christ and now enter into Covenant one with another to walke together as fellow-helpers of the truth in the fellowship of the Gospell according to the rule thereof with full consent of minde and heart to promote the prosperity of the same and the Interest of Christ in their soules and through the Nation And they that sticke at this and are strangers to it and will be so doe as is to be feared sticke as much at the Covenant of God to give up themselves in full obedience to it and to Him who is the Mediator of it We have seene Mr Bs. manner with his people and surely it is Commendable and he hath a sure word for it That Minister and people They that owne him for their Minister should walke together in a Gospell-way by a Gospell rule full-up in desire and endeavour to That Covenant Jehojada made between him and all the people that they should be 2 Chron. 28. the Lords people O it is good to be the same we professe to be the Lords and to make cleare proofe that we are His by our circumspect walking watching over each other in our way rendring an account of our way when required so to doe â—eareing each others burthen supplying each others wants pertaking of each others graces doing all things as becometh a Communion of Saints alwayes doing or receiving good O it is good to stand bound with these Cords bonds and engagements of God upon our Spirits we are the Lords people He hath taken us into Covenant with Himselfe In desire and endeavour we will walke as becometh a people in Covenant with their God and one with another Certainly nothing is done decently and in order where this Covenant is not or where it is and is not stood unto there is a Confusion and every evill worke The way of the world right of a Nationall Church there whose way is as broad as the Nation is and puts them that walke in it to no Cost none at all therein they may walke with all their uncleannesses upon them onely they must put themselves into a Comely dresse against the next Communion day as is becoming Beleivers Disciples and Saints who say they are such and their word must be taken having no other testimony of their goodnesse but from themselves and others like themselves or from the mistaken Charity of the Godly if it be possible for Charity it selfe to be mistaken in those who have no other plea for their Christianitie but that they were baptized But now the way of Christ with His people in Covenant with Him and in fellowship one with another is a straight and narrow way it pincheth the flesh still yea it is still storming of it And the orders therein prescribed His followers are so selfe-denying so holy and so heavenly as few that hold for a Nationall Church will arise to the obedience of them which made some prophane Men professe they were of a Nationall Church sure enough when the reformation began in Luther's time That they would rather live under the government of the Turk than where all things should be ordered according to the word of God We thought fitt to adde this thereby to justifie the Brethren of the Congregationall way in Gospell fellowship one with another and in desire and endeavour keeping close to the Covenant of their God taking the hint of it from Mr Bs manner with his people To the close of this Chapter we crave leave to adde a very good man's jealousie Godly we beleive it to be as he himselfe is We thinke our brethren goe beyond their warrant while they take Saints of the first magnitude onely into fellowship God hath a people of all sizes there is the same holinesse but not the same degree of true holinesse in all Beleivers We make bold to tell our perswasion as to this godly jealousie in this matter which may passe as farre as his heare-say whereupon he grounds we thinke what he saith which we in favour of his pietie and goodnesse doe call His jealousie and allow it to be godly That the Brethren of the Congregationall way who walke with a right foote therein are as deare Children ought to
the Spirit of Christ The saving knowledge faith in Christ and this by the preaching of the Gospell Thereby the Spirit flowes into the Heart and all with Him Faith the mother Grace with all her daughters all at once and all together While Peter yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the Word Acts 10. 44. 11. 15. The Case is Cleare The word preached is the Appointment of Christ to quicken the dead The Sacrament of His body and blood is His Appointment together with His Word to maintaine and quicken that life when to sence and feeling it is in a swound and fainting away This being a point of high concernment to be cleare in we crave leave to proceed farther in it in way of Answer to that may be gathered from the holy Scriptures against what hath been last said That the word of God where it is preached is the onely meanes in the Spirits hand of Conversion And indeed to mention it onely in passage here some Godly Ministers as is meet for us to judge doe ascribe conversion not to the act of receiving as the man of your perswasion doth and truely we thinke not one godly Minister in the world is of the same mind with you but to the exhortations and prayers in use at that time before and after the Sacrament is administred To this we shall speake hereafter in its proper place where we shall tell our perswasion as to that matter So we come to that we intend here 1. It is said Rahab the Harlot had faith and it saved her from perishing yet living out of the Church she could not heare the Heb. 11. 31. Word To this it is answered by our Perkins of sweet and pretious memory That where ordinary meanes faileth God can work extraordinarily by reports and rumours Josuah 2. 9 10 11. 2. It is said Pauls conversion was without the Word True it was very extraordinary immediate by the Lords owne Hand yet He would put an honour upon the word of His grace which He hath appointed for conversion He sent Ananias unto him vers 11. though the great work was don for behold he prayes And in the next Chapter Cornelius now converted must send for Peter 3. It is said 1 Pet. 3. 1. That the husband without the Word may be won True Without the word he may be gained to come to the word to heare it by the entreaties and perswasions of the wife frequenting the meeting place and by her good example and Christian carriage adorning the word which she had heard she might by the blessing of God win upon him to goe along with her to the place of hearing his body was drawn within the Church-doores without the word but his heart could not be drawn up to God without the word the Spirit of God and of Glory accompanying the same which is learned Bezaes interpretation there the summe of it And we conceive that we reade 1 Cor. 7. 16. fals under the same construction 4. Before we can put a close to this we would put a Question here and then put it to the holy Scriptures for resolution thereunto The Question is Whether an holy Discipline in private houses we meane a godly education there be not sufficient to turne the hearts of the Children to God and to worke in them a true actuall faith Before we enquire farther for resolution hereunto we would say this first That this ruling well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity workes marveilously upon them making such impressions upon the outâ—ard man as that they looke not as if they had been born dead in trespasses and sins Children under wrath as well as others Wee will proceed a little here to witnesse the honour we give to this Despised Discipline in families surely a family well Trained disciplined or Catechised is a very beautifull sight as is an Army well ordered all and every one keeping their ranks and doing their Duty A rulers walke before the ruled if according to the rule together with his exhorting comforting and charging every one of them as a Father doth his children is very winning and gaining upon the whole family to doe as the Ruler in cheife doth he being truely and indeed religious his very example is a command a Gâ—n 18 19. yea a compulsion b Gal 2. 14. to the ruled so as his whole family become religious too they give good hopes that way at least they seeme Jâ—h 24. 15. 〈…〉 so at the worst they oppose not for then they know they must be no longer there for a Ruler sits as in a Throne within his own house and scattereth away all evill with his eyes For the proofe hereof we entreat the Reader to consult with the Scriptures in the Margent We will note but one example of a Ruler whose carriage was so gratious in his family that he made not onely his family but his whole Court to be a Nurcery of Religion which may minde us what Philo Jud speaks of Joseph he made the Prison where he was a little Temple for the Spirit of God to dwell in And indeed it must be so He that knowes how to rule his own house well is in a good posture of spirit for publike rule The same wisdome and justice and holinesse for kinde onely more enlarged and extensive acts in eyther spheare and will regularly move in the little and the greater house The summe is A good Ruler who is norma publica is marvelously commanding for good as an evill example is marvelously compelling to evill Whence the complaints of our Godly Ministers in all ages which commands our mark and our mourning We will set downe here our excellent Burroughs his words upon Hosea 4. 25. Woe to such parents whose children if ever they come to themselves shall wish rather they had been of the generation of Dragons and off-spring of Vipers than begotten of such parents Adde hereunto worthy Mr Burges his words It is a woefull curse to be borne of wicked parents from whom the Children learne onely to curse sweare lie and rob prophane opposers of God and Godlinesse We will read M Baxters words also I know none on earth that play the Rest 3. 305. part of the Devill himselfe more truely than these men doe And if any thing that walks in flesh may be called a Devill I think it is a parent that hindereth his childe from salvation being carelesse of his education He goes on speaking terrible words to carelesse and negligent parents as the most are but our ears are sealed and our consciences sâ—ared we will not heare And so much to assure us that a pious education and holy discipline doth much where ever it is and the want of it doth much mischiefe but holy Doctrine doth all thereby the New Nature is wrought in young and old by God whereas by holy discipline our old nature is but painted and varnished over which
drinke of this And to make a round number and full and so to fill the Table that as there is no want of roome for a nationall Church is wide enough and rich for supply so there may be no want of Guests Come ye all ye stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe allway resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee What though ye see what provisions are made for you notwithstanding All ye drinke all of this for the bread ye have taken already Sir we have proceeded hitherto with some regret yea with some indignation to our soules yet for the Close hereof we beseech you Consider That by the gracious allowance of their Lord and Master they His Disciples all dranke of it The Lord Himselfe putting the Cup into their hand but these all afore-mentioned have drunke and dayly doe drinke of it by Man's Allowance Drinke ye all of this said Christ Jesus the Lord and what He bad them doe they did it and they all dranke of it Drinke ye all of this saith This-man without any the least warrant from God and how readily is he obeyed what he bad them doe they did and they all dranke of it Though he that bad them and they that did as they were bad have done and still doe as Crosse and Contrary to the mind of Christ as He Himselfe is to Beliall or to Anti-christ which is to be argued in the fift place so soone as we have put downe this for a conclusion That God hath not onely given us His Word for a secondary rule of Righteousnesse to walke-by but Himselfe and His Son the Highest patterne the primative or Originall prototype the clearest Copy without blot the fairest example of Holinesse Whence we conclude That Christ Jesus our Lord is both the principle and patterne of Holinesse The principle within His people the patterne of Holinesse without or before them Therefore will all His servants who in desire and endeavour approve themselves Faithfull doe as He did following-on in his steps He that saith He abideth in Him ought himselfe also to walke even as He walked 1 John 2. 6. SECT V. AS this free and Common admission is contrary to the practise of Christ so it is as it must needs be contrary to the mind of Christ we are forced as we conceive to argue distinctly from these the practise and mind of Christ though His practise Cleareth His mind as His mind His practise But yet we shall argue differently from it and we shall be breife in it It is cleane Crosse and Contrary to the mind of Christ why Because it is so pleasing and well agreeing and full-up to the minde of the world free admission to the Lords Table is The mind of Christ and the mind of the world commonly called the Church there doe stand as Crosse and Contrary each to other as doe heaven and hell the greatest opposites or remotest extreames What is the mind of Christ cannot be the mind of the world and what is the mind of the world cannot be the mind of Christ but most Contrary thereunto And to make full proofe of it let a Minister that hath the mind of Christ as every Godly person hath and then liveth-up to it as it is revealed to Him in His Word and acteth thereafter in giving out or with-holding those sacred signes and seales of His body Crucified and His blood powred forth he shall finde that he tormenteth the dwellers on the Earth the Common people commonly called the Church there who have no other plea for their Church-ship but that they were once washed The mind of Christ no other than the Spirit of Christ in His word is unto sensuall men not having the Spirit as the morning is to the evill doer even as the shadow of death But let a man doe Contrary to the minde of Christ and give out to these ignorant Brutish ones and will be such the fore-mentioned water to their Babes bread and wine to themselves and he gratifies them in the highest way of Gratification he gives them their hearts desire and now from that day forward they will put on high account upon themselves they will not thinke of themselves below the thoughts their Minister rates them at they will account themselves sith he hath accounted them such first Beleivers Disciples and Saints You remember who he was that when he would doe a man a mischeife he would Give him a sute of apparrell as rich as silver and gold could make it and now the man a proud creature and the worse he is the better he thinkes of Himselfe values himselfe his inside we meane according to the Rate of his outside and so as the Beasts you read of ingentes rollunt animis he was proud by nature more proud by accident now that he is put into such a dresse The application is plaine Take heed Sir of dressing up the people at the Lords Table though they delight as much to be dressed as ever a childe in yeares did in new and fine Clothes in a Saints dresse because he was borne and Baptized in England whereas they cannot make it out they ever heard a word from Christ yet that onely is prevailing to make Saints being obeyed and beleived You understand the purpose of this and therefrom how contrary your doings are to the mind of Christ for can that have any agreement with the minde of Christ which hath so full an agreement with the minde of His enemies and adversaries all over the Nation We proceed SECT VI. ALL are not to be admitted to the Lords Table because all are not visible Saints But none but visible Saints were to be admitted to Communion at the Lords Table as you so well know that know so well the Church Stories And those primitive practises And truely we are loth to minde you in those things Ne accedant nisi examinati Calv. Ep. 278. Eâ—it in examine ratio arceaâ—tur donec profectum ostenderint you are or should be able to instruct us however your practise be Contrary But this is the thing we cannot reach-to that you understand these things so well and your practise be not so well because commonly intellectus currit cum praxi praxis cum intellectu Therefore we doubt there is some failing in your understanding because you have not given it-up to God If so you should know they were trained up and Catechised first and yet they staid a while before admittance till they could make proofe that they were taught and so they had gained some Competent knowledge of those things they were there to receive together with their repentance toward God and their faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ And you can tell us moreover for we are in Comparison with you but Children and as yesterday in these things That huge personages Emperours and the like have thrust as presumptuously unto that Table as did Vzziah the King to burne 2 Chron.
will and as often as you will at the Lords Table and the reason of this is because thereby their lusts are fattened and cherished 2. Therefore Sir presse upon your people the necessitie of heareing and observe them well at their coming to That place and as narrowly their sitting and attending there And having done this doe not thinke you have done all your duty or more than the least part of it They may give you the eare while they give the flesh the world and the Devill their heart You know and you must teach them to know it It is easier to heare an hundred Sermons than to practise one Therefore let them know you will deale with them apart and alone you will single them out of the throng of the world or National Church and out of the crowd of the Common hearers before you admitt them to eate and drinke at the Lords Table They shall give you a perticular account of what they have gained by all their heareing This was the practise of the Lord Christ when He was upon the Earth He spake alone and apart with His Disciples And indeed the Lords people love to be so dealt withall alone and apart from the throng and tumult of the world or a Nationall Church there The Spouse of Christ is modest and will not come to Thee in the throng of worldly Company and employment saith Bernard Come my Beloved saith the Spouse let us goe forth Cant. 7. 11. into the fields and lodge in the Villages Let us get from the Tumult of the world The Bridegroome of His Church loves to finde His Spouse alone retired into a Chamber And so must His Paranymphs too give the Church a meeting in some retired place 3. Now because this lyeth under so much obloquy we crave leave to speake a little to it in passage onely in this place we are not ignorant how this Assembling together of Gods people is reproached if not blasphemed thus At your private meetings errours and haeresies what not have been fomented brooded upon and hatched Truely this cannot be denied it is so cleare and evident The Father of lyes with his Children must have their meeting places too wherein to lay their heads together plotting and contriving we are not ignorant of his devises how they may mischiefe if not ruine for they levell to shoot so high the Church of Christ and build up their owne Babel But here is your Comfort they are Masters neither of the meanes nor of the end their endeavours are above their performances as their malice is above their witt which for that is it's doome drinkes-up the greatest part of its owne poison or like Gun-powder consumes it selfe in the flame it hath caused But should not this teach us to assemble our selves together as often as we can there to lay our heads together and contrive the most Compendious way of building-up the Church of Christ and our selves therein the most contemptible parcells thereof O it is good to be plotting for the Church and for the Truth for this is to be plotting for eternity O that all would meete together here and there and every where there to plott how to avoyd Satans plotts Let it be our awakening that Satan is plotting And that our time is short opportunity the flower of time shorter our talents are many our accounts strict our Judge Impartiall O let us not forsake the Assembling our selves together as the manner of some is Having taken off as we could we intend more hereafter that reproach wherewith the enemies of the Lord have reproached the foote-steps of His annointed-ones we proceed to put it upon your thoughts whether it be not your duty to give a meeting to your people in a private place there and then to learne from them what they have gained by all their heareings what a worke is wrought in them or upon them by the word of His grace with power It is not what shew they make in words what doe they that you may beleive them or how humbly doe they speake so as you may conceive hope there is sincerity at the bottome a sparke of fire for there is smoake a little strength though but as much as a reed hath it is in the gaineing hand O how would he and desireous is he in the use of meanes to gaine more Indeed it will be worth your labour to take time and place for the searching out of this You must find-out their desire after the syncere milke of the Word by their growth thereby 1 Pet. 2. It is a Common saying amongst us shew me not the meate but the man So saith the great Shepheard to His sheepe and sheweth what His under-Shepheards should say to them too Not shew me the hay that I have given you but the wooll and the milke that is shew me the fruits and effects of all your heareing What supernaturall worke can you tell us off Is the life of Grace put into the heart by the Spirits working together with the meanes thereof the word of His grace Is there a thorow change not of the actions onely but of the Nature wrought in them The Spirit with the Word changeth the inward man with the outward it changeth the whole frame of the soule it is no halfe-change for that is to be halfe a Christian or allmost which is to be an Infidell indeed It is no light alteration but as the old stamp these are excellent Preston's words one of the usefullest Preachers in His time that was in the world must be obliterate before the new can be imprinted and as the old building must be pulled downe before you can set up a new So this old nature of ours must be broken to peices and new cast and moulded for we are bell-mettle before a man can be made a living man which is done by the infusion of Supernaturall qualities of Grace and holinesse supernaturall he saith for even as the earth may bring forth grasse and common flowers of it selfe but it must be plowed and sowne before any choice herbs and plants can grow there even so those common natures which we all have may bring out things that are morally good but before they can bring forth fruits of true righteousnesse we must be plowed and sowen plowed that is man must be broken in heart for all his animosities and indignities put forth when time was against Christ and the Gospell of His Glory for all those slightings of Spirit he found in himselfe of those glories tendred to him in the Covenant of Gods grace when he was full of himsele and wanting nothing and knew not his owne beggery and nothingnesse and want of all things broken in heart for all this Upon those heads Sir your examination must passe if you doe according to the manner of Gods people and a set time and place must be appointed for it If you cannot goe from house to house as Pauls manner was and Calvins also as