Churches When Herod to his great renown promised the people to re-edifie the Temple and was beginning upon it they came and besought him by all means to forbear till he had provided the materials and could assure them he was able to build it a new before they pluckt down the old which when he had taken some three years time if I forget not to do then they joyfully went about it and accomplished it I humbly Imagin this would have been good policy among us that the House of our Reformation while it was building had been made ready before it was brought thither that there might not have been heard the noyse of the Hammer and the Ax in any of these clashings while it was rearing As for the Presbytery I verily believe the spirit of zeal and fear of the Lord breathes as eminently in most of them as in any of the Saints on this side Heaven I heartily wish their moderation were known unto all men as their piety though I doubt not too but some very precious of them gather with us whilst others scatter abroad some cannot but see and feel and pity our perplexities The Lord knows truly what it is that makes the hearts of many sad that should not be sad and strengthens the hands of our separations For my part otherwise I could be contented to lye in the dust for I am nothing and can let the world know while Mr. Drake calls Mr. Humfrey one of the number of Core a Kain a Deceiver a boaster so monstrously proud that he even takes the judgment seat to my condemnation I thank the Lord if I may acknowledg my present temper that Mr. Humfrey thinks Mr. Drake a very zealous servant of Jesus Christ and I do advise the Reader that the harshnesse of his passion may not prejudice his cause but that he will embrace the truth wheresoever he finds it pitying his weakness especially in these four particulars 1. Because the Sacrament is not to be Administred without the Church unto Heathen to convert them to the faith therefore it cannot tend within the Church to any unregenerate Members edisication 2. Because that Infants Distracted and Excommunicated persons are not to be admitted therefore there is the same reason for all ignorant and scandalous persons The often repetition of this is a dead fly in his Oyntment 3. His manifold unsavory catchings at my words only and expressions which is pursuing my shadow and not satisfying my Conscience as p. 15. to 21. especially p. 92 93 94. which is too unworthy a tender Christian 4. His sharpness of spirit and sore language His words are very Spears and Swords I must confess they often wound me to my heart and make me think sometimes what profit is there in my wounds If it will do him any good he may take the blood of them O my Saviour though he get no good in the making let me receive good in their healing let me have one drop of thy blood poured into those wounds and how sweetly will it heal them let me find Oylin my good Samaritan while I fall amongst them and thy balm of Gilead under the reproach of Sion There is one passage I may not omit in his Presace When I weigh his loose Principles with his being so favourable to the looser sort it makes me and other to suspect his practices c. For my Principles I hold thus It is the duty of all Church-members of age to frequent the Sacrament A man must examine himself and so Eat he must come and come worthily If he be not worthy that will not excuse him from his duty he must do both as in other Ordinances and there is no escape otherwise Mr. Drake holds If a man be not worthy he must abstain and that is his duty Let the righteous judge if this take effect which will prove the looser doctrine As for his censure of my life let me excuse him with his own words p. 2. where he waves it with this reason For who am I that I should judge my Brother Good man he is here afraid to sin against God in the judging of me he knows not but should he know me in all the secrets of my heart and whole life from my youth up Alas he does not think of me half so bad as I do I am verily in my own eys much worse than he dare judge of me to wit in his sober not rash indgement I heartily beseech him to spend as many prayers unto God to make me better in his sight as he has done words to make me vile unto the World and that while he says unto my Soul Bow down that I may go over I may lay my body as the ground and as the streets and let him go over Now as there are some of these who are precious and godly may be displeased for which I am sorry there are others with whom my Book or subject of it has found acceptance I find 4. sorts of them The first are a humble lowly sort that love to serve God and be quiet that follow their studies and devotions in a still voice and make no more noise of Religion than a sigh can do and the soft droppings of a tear These can meet no body but they are ready to blesse God for them as seeing something in them that makes them esteem them better than themselves They can think every one penitent when they come to the Sacrament as they are themselves When Zeal is ready to say I only am left alone Humility thinks there are seven thousand besides me These are Nathaniels true Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile I blesse God for a tast of some such spirits whose sweet encouragements herein have as it were brought water to the thirsty and prevented with their provision him that fled The second sort are most of the old way amongst which there may be indeed too many of the looser sort whom neverthelesse we must not exasperate but meekly admonish to repentance and be contented with Rebeccah when we open the well for Abrahams servant not to let the Man drink only but the Camels also The third are part of the most judicious of free and unprejudiced spirits who judge the main body of my Work necessary though mingled with the Authors weaknesse and are ready As the Shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two leggs and a piece of an ear to rescue some parts of it some passages as usefull and fit for better Meditations Even as amongst those Votaries that were met withall by Ishmael and about to be put to death there were found certain of them saying Slay us not for we have treasures so they forbare and slew them not among their brethren The fourth and last sort to whom I owe most are many unsatisfyed doubtfull Christians either through tendernesse of conscience or search of understanding while the former poor souls look in their hearts and find some good
A REJOYNDER TO Mr. DRAKE OR A REPLY Unto his Book Entituled A Boundary to the holy Mount Which being approach'd is found so dreadfull that the people do exceedingly quake and fear lest they be consumed By John Humfrey Master of Arts and Minister of Froome in Somerset-shire The Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God JAMES 1.20 LONDON Printed by F. L. for E. Blackmore and are to be sold at the Sign of the Angel in St. Pauls Church-yard 1654. The Author to the Reader IT is mans nature or his fortune in the turn of Opinions to run commonly toward extreams for while he struggles to get out of the clutches of an error on one hand the very force of his own striving with a little trip of Sathan letting him loose upon the sudden throws him quite down upon the other We have very sad experience hereof in our times which makes the day of Reformation between the animosities and excesses of two parties and the mouth of Separation to be as if a man did fly from a Lion and a Bear met him then going into a house and leaning against a wall a Serpent bites him The great unhappinesse of our dawning Government next to the laying the ground of our divisions in her own bowels has been the entrusting her pious designs to the managemen of over-eager spirits who finding no other hold-fast on the hearts of Godly men havr pressed too hard on a Tryal to the Sacramen as if they built alone on this foundation whereas the divine right of Church-Government stands firm on its own basis as disciplin is distinct from worship Indeed it is a pious office of those the Holy Ghost has made overseers to look into the state of their flocks according to prudence and conveniency and if they take occasion at this Sacrament to do part of that office if they have opportunity upon these grounds who can gainsay them And indeed had men held forth in this tryal only a christian prudence and pastoral duty the people would be willing to lay burthen enough on us but when a power must be estahlish'd cloathed with a divine right and that urged with the terror and danger of censure and damnation No wonder if tender Christians fearing a bondage bringing upon them rise up for their precious Liberty for Christian conscience which is the seat and tributary only of the infinite God abhors to become a servant of men and while it trembles at every word of holy Scripture as ready to be turned with a twined thread will never be brought to bow stoop or abate a jot to all the powers in the World A certain Governour of the Jews having set up Trophees covered with Armour and such Ornaments in honour to Caesar the people were all in a mutiny as at an indignity to their Religion upon this he calling the chief of them together points to the Trophees asking what they thought they were they began to exclaim Images He seeing their zeal causes their coverings to be taken off and underneath they were stocks of wood The Jews seeing that were presently turned and all their fury husht into a submission I humbly judge thus of our Reformation if she will set up her Examination under such Ornaments as pretend Divinity we shall be afraid of it as an Idol but if she would take off the Armour and dreadfulnesse of it and let it appear but an humane Ordinance for instruction there are few happily but might bear with or submit to it If thou be kind to this people and speak good words to them and but please them in this Free Admission they will be thy Servants for ever I do acknowledge the spirits of many the most holy Christians have their faces set against a mixt communion and I do humbly reverence the many pantings-and breathings of their hearts after a fellowship of the Saints on Earth as neer as may be to the Church in Heaven which will ever cause it to be no otherwise with us so long as any zeal in mens affections shall prevail over their judgements Yet do I tenderly believe that Christs example enclines not their way Indeed there is no argument sinks so deep in my heart as to see the winding of such inclinations against which I have Christs own life alone as satisfactory My Saviour Christ was holier than them all he was the godliest man and the sweetest and humblest man that ever breath'd He never sayes to any of us Depart from me I am holier than thou unlesse at Judgement He never spake such a word I warrant you in all his life The most holy and the most lowly the most separate from sinners and yet a friend of sinners Truly methinks the consideration of this gracious temper of Christ in that meeknesse of his and accessablenesse to poor sinners enters most nearly into the embraces of my soul and claspings about him when I acknowledge my self most undeserving all his benefits Nay if I may confesse my very heart for such an untoward thing it is I do more sensibly according to those poor small wretched affections I have love him more for his sweetness of disposition amidst the doubts of my condition than in my best assurances they are so fainting for his dying in particular for my salvation We never read of any he turned away but if they will come quite home to him in spirit they shall be welcom to all his entertainments If they will come but to a profession he has even some love for them also Mar. 10.21 they shall not be grudged the benefits of that profession Whosoever comes unto me I will in no wise cast out Now that doctrine that has so fair a countenance from the holy Jesus that goes the way of humility and tends to peace which if it may be Religiously embrac'd would have kept us from and might end our divisions and yet do no more harm unto the main than to forward it is not unworthy more willing contemplations There are some have thought the World was made by a concurse of Atomes I think if ever the multiform opinions of men which like those Atomes fly up and down about Church Government do concurre in one they must have their confluence and coagulation at this Ordinance It is observed of some diseases that the fear of having them does bring them we may observe it here in pious men the fear of Church-levelling has leveld us their own Tenents have served to do it the frights of our Mother brings her travel upon her There are four principles amongst us Episcopacy Presbytery Independency Erastianism Some are for Martin and some are for Luther But is Christ divided Might not one Jesus serve all parties We know the perfect temperament of natural bodies is of the four Elements and it may be in our Government if the prime qualities of either of these were well disputed and allayed they might unite and educe a form of the richest extract for our mixt
in me in the days of my youth if I remember right the love of my espousals when I was going after him in a Land not sowen but since have been straying in a wilderness of sin wherein I were lost without his mercy O Lord if in reading thy servant Drakes Book 〈◊〉 have not feared thy righteous judgement more than mans and been more troubled about the good or hurt of mens precious souls than the regard of my name let my honour lie in the dust and my soul in ashes Let my repentance be conformable to my sin for it is great O Lord even where I see it not and may be greater in being hid from mine eyes till others find it for as for those many passages wherein I am accused of pride and censoriousness Thou knowest my conscience is ready to acquit me yet will I not acquit my conscience which may take part with my sinful nature but desire thy mercy to clense me and it from all my secret as known corruptions For the making my Apology or defence against my Opposer I shall humbly crave the liberty he has taken not to trouble my self too much about it T is true some bid me give him no answer His language deserves no answer but yet he shall have as good a one as I can give him I shall only requite the freenesse of his words by being as fre◠from tying my self to any smoothness of stile or form of language but what comes easiest to my thoughts wherein I will deliver as God assists me my very heart in this controversie being ready even to fall down and beseech a tendernesse of spirit in the undertakers thereof for I am quite over whelmed with the fears that have got within me On one side lest I should hurt the Church of God On the other lest I should not endeavour the healing of the hurt others I judge have made in the daughter of my people It would be sad to me to make others sad though they should not be sad if I did not make some rejoyce that should rejoyce But it is much sadder to lie under fears we should not fear and have the bones broken that should not be broken I have seen the teares of friends I know the difficulties of some spirits and my own scruples and I do fear there is no soul deeply tender and doubtfull of his condition can ever solidly have peace at this Sacrament unlesse it be allowed a means of Grace to examining Christians that find as yet they savingly want it They came to the pits and found no water they return with the vessels empty and were ashamed Before I begin with Mr. Drake it will be requisite to consider in the way how he is pleased to judge and deal with me as if my whole book were only in opposition unto them whom it least thought of in many parts of it Those whom it orderly concerns are 1. All tender Christians in general aggrieved about this Ordinance 2 In particular the more scrupulous that wholly neglect to administer or receive only for want of discipline which I take is doing evil that good may come of it whose disallowance is just 3 Weak Consciences made so by others strictness that judge the Sacrament defiled to them if they eat with any but the Godly I have seen some experience hereof I pity 4 The more heady zealous Christians that cannot be quiet without separation 5 Then in the last place it is against any forms to be set up as necessary to our worship which is but arbitrary and prudential lest it bring a burthen on some Consciences which like the poor willing humble Camel are even stooping on their knees to take upon them Now a right distribution only of my Book in the several passages to these several persons and comportments will turn the body of it so aside to the blows of my opposer that the most part of them may pass by empty and do it no harm For thou Lord art a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of this terrible one is but as a storm against the wall Now to come towards the work In the entrance of Mr. Drake's Book I meet with a censure I am sorry to see it I will not say it is a piece of childishness or incontinency in a man of his title nor that it is a mark of modesty in the forehead of it but I do think that while he is so forward to be known among the Elders in the Gate the more humble of his brethren are so ashamed for him that they may afford him Scarlet in their blushes I could have wisht him first to have spent a few leaves in a due examen that a conviction might appear before his suspension which might have cooled him a little perhaps even as the Romans were wont to bind up their instruments of punishment into bundels which they called their Fasces that the wrath and passion of the Magistrate before whom in honour they were carried might be asswaged something in their giving judgment while the Lictors were unbinding them After the Frontispeece to omit the Preface he begins his four first pages with a quarrel at the Title of my Book An humble Vindication c. and then produces four passages for the World to judge of them whether they savour not of pride c. Answer I am content let the World judge and think upon Christ It is no wonder he cannot find in his heart to afford my Book its due Title that is a going about to crucifie it However if any pious men are offended at me I think it safest to crave their pardon professing in the presence of God that there was not one of these passages that came from me to my utmost memory with the least bitter reflexion upon any but were the meer harmless daughters of invention nevertheless if the Mother be froward the Child must do so no more And now I appeal to every godly heart to take off from me as to their assent this rash Censure seeing there is none can be judge or witness herein but God and my conscience who as to these particulars do clear me yet though I know nothing by my self herein but my own fears am I not justified for there are many others may condemn me without flying to his mercy If my heart had not warmth or zeal enough for some passages nor establishment for others nor worth enough to suffer some things in my Prefacer Forgive O Lord the iniquity of thy servant who is more ashamed of his sinne than to confess his shame which none eyes see but thine And let not these scruples of my weak soul come in derision but let me be contented yet to become more vile while all applause of men and vain-glory fall down at thy feet and give up the ghost unto thy glory Sect. 2 PAge 5. He comes to
to the Hypocrite with the true Believer cannot bring any evidence to me So that this arises onely from the testimony of my own conscience and Spirit of God If this man were lesse confident he might come to know more and be better informed To the Fourth It is true the Gospel may occasion divisions as the Bridge doth the tumults and noise of the Waters but I think it no way of the Gospel that goes about to make them Let the wise peaceable and godly mark the cause and avoid it As Factions are in State Separations are in the Church you shall never unite so long as you maintain the ground of them â—t is a little thing will raise up the spirits of men when we know not how to allay them again and you shall sooner divide them into more Schisms to ruine both the Minister and the Church than reduce them to what they were For the spirit of Division being once up will be still fetching in more and more fewel to our opinions Even as the Magician in the Fiction Camerarius Hist Med. lib. 3. c. 15. that was wont to take a stake of wood and speaking certain words to it it would become a man he bids it fetch him fire and water and when it had done his work with some other words turns it into a stake again A certain Friend over-hearing these words would needs do the same He takes a stake speaks those Words It turns to a Spirit fetches him fire and water when he had enough he bids it cease and bring no more but having not the Words to charm it back into its self that continues He fearing takes an Ax cuts it in two upon this instead of one there is two men fetching fire and water never leaving till they had almost brought both him and the house unto confusion Sect. 7 MY second Reason was drawn from the visible Church and the Notes of it The visible Church is a number of such as make profession of Iesus Christ This I take to be the very nature thereof and profession of Christ reciprocal with it The Essential notes that is I count those things wherein this profession is set forth are the Word and Sacraments I know many grave Divines do adde a third note of Discipline and some include it under them but I think this rather conduces to the well-being than the being of the visible Church I do not doubt but our Churches where we have no discipline establisht are yet true Churches but if we should not have the administration of the Word and Sacraments though the invisible Church might be amongst us yet not the visible Nos asserin us says Calvin Ecclesiae formam non externo splendore sed longè aliâ not â contineri nempe purâ verbi Dei predicatione Sacramentorum administratione Now what does competere essentially to the Church as visible must competere to every Member in status quo so that so long as a man is a Church-member he cannot be debarr'd this profession in the publick marks of these Ordinances Onely let me here desire my Reader once for all whensoever I speak of Church-membership as our ground and common right to the Sacrament whether before or after to take it alwayes with the known and yeelded limitations of our admission that is unlesse men be unintelligent as Infants and the Distracted c. or excommunicate whom for the present I account no Members and to avoid all future cavill unlesse there be also some manifest occasion on a civill account as sicknesse infection or the like that are granted impediments to it Upon this he has four particulars p. 52 53 54. 1. He addes to this description a combining to Church ends which indeed is virtually included but does suppose it to be my meaning though not exprest so well as he has done it Ans A discreet Lady being upon Marriage to a worthy man but not rich and perswaded against it by some interest friend in the words of the Apostle It is good to marry but better to be unmarried Truly says she I have always studied only to do well must leave it to you that can to do better So say I I have endeavoured to set down only what serves my turn and is to my purpose but leave it to Mr Drake to be more curious if he please in his additions 2. He asks me Whether all Professors or Saints by calling may be admitted to the Lords Supper I answer directly eo nomine with our due cautions they ought for they are herein only called Saints as separated from the World unto this very Communion in Gods Ordinances And now you may expect some weighty Argument to convince us to the contrary let us heart it If so then why doth he shut out Infants and Distracted persons It s apparent then c. Ans Would you ever imagin this same six times repeated thing and ever provided against should be all now he has to say and yet tell us it is apparent when as to us poor mortals it seems nothing at all Let me therfore here certifie you once again that when St. Paul enjoyns us to examine our selves and discern the Lords body it doth not excuse any of age but they are both to do so come both to prepare and eat We must do what we can still when we cannot do as we ought and if we receive no good by it it will be our sin but as for Infants c. we manifestly know there is no such thing it is no sin of theirs if they are not fit to come For ignorance then and scandall if it be not such as makes us forfeit our Church Membership that is become excommunicate it cannot contradict our outward profession for a visible professor and Church Member I think are tearms convertible and that very Church Membership and profession lies in the communion of these Ordinances 3. He grants my Notes but objects the keeping off Children and Servants till they can give some tolerable account c. Ans There is a difference between what is done juridically by compulsion and what is done only as prudential by advice Between forbearance and exclusion I think a man may conscionably forbear his coming sometimes upon many occasions and much more upon pious ends regarding preparation My ground is because affirmative precepts oblige us semper but not ad semper so that there may be much of Christian prudence used in the ordering our more solemn duties upon which account only I take it are Godly Parents and Masters to be commended in this thing so long as they follow them with instruction and so may those Spiritual Fathers that go no farther in the like admonitions 4. He would have the World think I go to deceive because my Syllogism should run thus The Word and the Sacraments are essential notes ergo without them there is no true visible Church but this concludes nothing against him Ans Not to
judgement But a judgement of probability as to a visible fitnesse and unfitnesse upon a charitable jealousie may be solid as to advice and counsel but not as to be a rule of admission or suspension 2. The censures of the Church upon Heresie or scandal after due admonition and conviction will stand firm as they have ever done without this judging at the Sacrament 3. Ephesus is commended for her tryal of the false Apostles as to their doctrine not for a trial as to the Sacrament She could not bear those that were evill in the Church it were a wretched interpretation to say she could not bear them only at the Lords Supper 4. The Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 12 13. speaks of the like Excommunication from the whole lump that the evil report of such a notorious action I take it might not leaven their Churches reputation by his being reckond of their company 5. The trial of the Ministers at our Ordination hath expresse warrant for it but there is no Scripture sets up a tryal of our members unto the Communion 6. The gentlenesse required of an Elder 2 Tim. 2.24 25. will hardly stand with Mr. Drakes spirit which makes him the more unfit for this trial if it were meet in others 7. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not allow us to suffer men in their sinnes for there is a reproof in the spirit of meeknesse but it does allow us to suffer and invite them unlesse excommunicate unto Gods ordinances 8. It is a censure befits only Mr. Drake to judge it out of pride in the most and ignorance in the best that they do not conform themselves in this thing unto him when it may be the lamentation of their souls to see the miserable effects already of it 9. As a man cannot note a fault with more mildnesse than in Scripture-terms and bring himself in it as I have done in these words Preferring our selves Phil. 2.3 so there cannot be expressed more bitternesse to a fellow-Minister ordained as he if he would know it by the Presbytery than to number me in the company of Corah Sanballat and Tobiah And now should I return him his own language p. 61. See you not here how the vizard of piety falls off and his breath and pen savour quickly of pride Should I say If this do not smell strong of sublime Pharisaism I beseech you what doth as he has it p. 93 Or rather should I heartily advise him to take heed there be not a guilt herein upon his own conscience that so galls him to the heart in a hatred of the remedy instead of the disease I should be justified by his words but do not know whether I shall be approved by God in making it a means to shew him his sin and humble him for it For my part while he can even wish the earth might open and swallow me up I desire the Lord to open his eyes that he may see the rents he helps to make to swallow up the Church And though he obtain not his wish as to the Earth yet has he prevailed much as to the waters which have overflowen my soul and even been ready to swallow that up with the sorrows and woundings of my heart under these his bitter accusations The Lord executeth judgement and righteousnesse for the oppressed Alas Sir Is it any advantage unto me to see our Church in her ruines can I repine at that double honour you would get in ruling well as in labouring in the Gospel Do not I rather deplore the burden on your selves and indignation of others in lieu of it Would it not be as much happinesse to me as my fellow brethren to have that Government establisht which is thought most conducing to our own good And can I take any such pleasure in the dis-orders dis-respects and contumelies of an unwieldy people as much as any for want of disciplin that I should be against it No it is the unwarrantablenesse in Scripture the unsuitablenesse with mens Spirits the improbability of the effect it is the desire of peace unity in the Church and the taking away the root of our divisions especially it is the infinite account on the Ministers Soul the many grievous wounds and perplexities of tender Consciences that have engaged my soul◠and interess'd my spirit for a freedom at this Ordinance And now if it shall please the Lord to make me a poor instrument to bring refreshment to any of his people amidst their afflictions concerning themselves or our mixt Communions I shall be contented to be reckoned by this man for a Sanballat or Tobiah if I may be accepted of my God in the words of Nehemiah Remember me heerin O Lord according to thy great mercy and wipe not out the kindnesses I have done to the house of my God and the offices thereof but wipe out all my failings and my offences with thy goodnesse and the precious blood of Iesus Christ Pag. 65. His note is good though words bad We are more apt to take notice of what men do ill than what they do well of their sitting to reject a few than of the many are admitted to their mutual comfort c. Ans I know not which is more comfort to have all visibly worthy or to have charity enough to make all so I am sure the seeing the vilest may have a good use on our hearts if it humble them and makes us look on our selves as them without the difference of Gods mercy It is indeed a comfortable thing to be with our brethren round about our Father with none but His Children receiving our portions of the blood of Christ yet need it not deject but enlarge our devotions to see an attendance of Servants also coming along with his Sons in their due profession of a like outward dependance on him While the Glory of the Lord filleth the Temple his Traine may be suffered to reach unto the Earth Pag. 66. to p. 70. He brings in my 3 passages of our Saviour The first was about the Pharisee Lu. 18. Which I have exprest with that tendernesse and caution in the shewing the fault and not grieving the faulty that I commit it farther to their consideration pitying Mr. Drakes poor excuse That his judgement was private and without tryal as if a thing for being more publick were the lesse evill and when he judges himself worthy and many unworthy he asks the question Yet how do we think our selves better than others The second was in Lu. 5. where Christ entertaining so many Publicans and sinners at Table with him gives us the reason that he came to call them to repentance that is to convert them and yet Mr. Drake says What is this against them Who will admit none unto Christs Table unlesse converted already For his interpretation of I come not to call the righteous he wrongs Christ to say 1. He would not have all admitted 2 Rejects the Righteous for this must be taken in
Onion out of pleasant he brings bitter whether the man be more flat or spiteful let others judge I am sure the Embleme of the Spider sucking venom out of those flowers the Bee does honey is lively represented in this place For the sense of his words which are a censuring of all us that hold for a free offer of Christ at this Sacrament to be opposers of the Church and the Wicked and his party only the godly I answer him humbly in the words of Christ Luk. 9.55 You know not what manner of spirit you are of It is not so easie a thing to discern between the right hand and left hand of Iesus Christ It is not your part to sever the Sheep and the Goats to write Doomsday and the book of Iudgement It was a kind question of Joseph to his brethren How does the old man is he yet alive I will ask my virulent opposer the same question Sir What think you of the antients of our Church and their former practices How have they done a long time Is your Father well the old man of which you speak Are they all of them of the wicked Is this your kindnesse to them in their age to bring down so many grey judgements with sorrow to the grave For the manner of his expression with his dagger of that text Ez. 13.22 though used by roat before to Mr. Prynne I must confesse it is very grievous to me Mine eyes cannot look upon it but they affect my heart O Lord Do thou bow down thine ear and hear open thine eyes an behold for me the reproach he has spread here with p. 92 93 94. c. before the world See Lord if thou wilt allow such language and such spleen in one of thy children and not reprove him for it Rebuke him O Lord yet not as a Son of Ashur but as a Son of Iudah Let all bitternesse and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be you kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Sect. 10 MY Fifth Reason was drawn from the uniformity of the service of God If the Lord has appointed all his ordinances in common for the visible Church why would man sever what Christ has joyned The strength of this truly rednced to its fountain issues from Gods precept and our duty which so long as they must stand the question may not need so great debate whether we must obey rather God or man There was no Nation like the Jews unto whom the Lord gave his Statutes sayes Moses it was the whole people the whole Church to whom the Statutes were given Amongst these Statutes they had the Passeover which you may see to whom it belongs Exod. 12.3 Speak unto all the Congregations Mark it is not here a general institution as of any other ordinance so that the whole Iewish Church or all the circumcised is the adequate subject if I may use those words of this duty Compare it with Numb 9.3 and God sayes he that did not keep it should be cut off Will any man now imagine unlesse Mr. Drake that none but the regenerate were to eat thereof Turn then to the Gospel and do we not likewise find the Sacrament instituted thus for the whole Church The Lords words are Doe this Drink ye all of it a standing precept to all the Twelve as representatives of the Vniversal Church as visible while Iudas is amongst them and it is exprest They all drank of it Out of Sion shall go forth a Law upon this obligation we find the whole number of Professors breaking bread every week Act. 20.7 and daily Act. 3.46 but we find not a word about any discrimination at it Is not this then a general command for the visible Church and was not here the practice common Again 1 Cor. 11. you have the whole institution repeated and enjoyned till Christ come ver 26. And then ver 33. he concludes directly thus When you come together to eat tarry for one another He speaks no doubt unto the persons he reproves which we may see how vicious they were and yet their comming he holds to be good that must still be done but directs them to carry themselves better there which likewise ought not to be left undone One would never think it should have needed to come under proof that this is a duty belonging in general to the visible Church or that any should hold that it is a precept onely for the regenerate and Elect if we did but consider that Saint Paul is so far from making distinction of these Corinths at it that he brings it in the Chapter before as an ordinary privilege without any dispute even as freely as the very Manna and the rock which rock was Christ Unto this I will adde only those words Gen. 17.10 This is my covenant you shall keep Every man-child among you shall be circumcised from whence it appears the condition and keeping of the Covenant is either inwardly in the grace or out wardly in the administration If a man be not inwardly in covenant to keep it effectually in the grace yet so long as he is externally in covenant he must keep it still in the administration that is in the Ordinances It is therefore as I am afraid very dangerous to hold with Mr D. let the pious judge between us that it is onely the regenerate for so he speaks it not every mans duty to receive for this opens a door unto neglect making mans impotency a sufficient reason to nullifie Gods precept and to justifie one sinne with another I shall therefore here produce you Mr. Perkins for we must be plain herein in his Cases of Conscience whose authority I hope will go he layes down these three rules 1 Every man of years living in the Church and being baptized is bound in conscience by Gods command Take Eat Doe ye this to use the Lords Supper You see here Church membership is the rule this Eminent man went by and yet I hope was not one of the wicked for all Mr. D's censure 2 Every man is to receive it often 1 Cor. 11.26 considering it is nothing but the shewing the Lords death He comes up to our very ground herein as a visible Gospel 3 Every man is to receive and use the Lords Supper according to the laudable custom of his own Church c. Nothing can be more full and honest Indeed it is true if a man live in any known sin he ought to repent before he come he must come and come worthy he must come worthily yet he must come whether he be regenerate or unregenerate he must obey still our necessity of sinning cannot evacuate Christs authority or mans duty When an Action hath evil in its own substance it is to be omitted but when the Action is of its self the matter of a precept and so hath evil externally cast on
it that is by way of moral action per modum objecti as grace is still both begotten and confirmed in other Ordinances It is manifest there is no danger here of advancing this Ordinance above its nature or condition but there is very much danger of being injurious to poore Christians of dis-valuing this means of Grace the sweet Jesus has appointed us of bringing in question how it can beget any degrees of grace at all if it cannot the first and especially of being very presumptuous with the Spirit of God to goe to limit him in the very same way he ordinarily works the same effect in his other Ordinances To come now to Mr. Drakes opposition p. 154. He first tels us Some Divines indeed do hold Baptism to be a means of Regeneration but they should not and he does not Answ I agree with him as for Infants But for the Intelligent Johns Baptism may convince him whom we find admitting all to it and then exhorting them to amendment as the use or end of it and therfore it is not said they repented unto baptisme but they were baptised unto repentance The end cannot precede what is in order to it and the effect in esse be before the cause in operari And as for his instances in the Acts That faith was presupposed It is answered That is an historicall faith onely accepting the doctrine of Christ and profession thereof as is beyond dispute to me in Simon Magus P. Ibid. In regeneration the Word is writ in our hearts and can any man make the seal a cause of the writing Answ He may as well aske can any writing be a cause of it selfe But here is the mans error still The seale of the inward writing in mens hearts is not the Sacraments but the Spirit and that seale I hope is the cause of the writing and that by the means of the outward writing and seale the Word and Sacraments Page 155. He produces my Argument The Sacrament is a visible Gospel the shewing forth the death of Christ is the means of conversion But the Sacrameut is a shewing forth of his death Ergo. His Answer is This proves onely that all may be present which he pleads for not actually receive Answ Methinks the heart of a godly man should at first scare serve him thus to shift and trifle with this holy Ordinanee and the Consciences of people And yet his granting this is enough for so long as he maintains that as the Sacrament holds forth Christ to the eyes there is none may be debarred from the sight no more then they may be debarred from hearing where he is held forth to the eare I argue Then as Christ is held forth Sacramentally to the taste and touch there is none can be debarred to wit if intelligent Church-members from the tasting and feeling of him herein then they can from the seeing of him or hearing Nay our force for this is rather greater because the words of institution expressely respects the touch and taste while Christ saies this is my body not barely to see and hear but to take and eate As the Centurion by looking on Christ upon the crosse beleeved he was the Son of God So did Thomas by feeling his wounds beleeve his Resurrection And I doe not doubt but that all these senses doe afford their grounds of suitable meditation about the melting objects of Christs Passion Redemption and tender mercies so represented they may become means to worke upon us through the Spirit of God which we may piously hope for by vertue of an Ordinance For if Mr. D. say Page 147. What the word applies by one sense the Sacrament doth by all senses and therefore is a more powerful means of assurance I will not doubt to say by the same reason as it applies the same thing with the word it may have the same operation and as faith comes into the heart at first in the one by hearing alone it may in the other by hearing seeing touching and tasting altogether Page 156. He brings in my next Argument In the institution there is a Take and Eat a Take for such as have not Christ a word of grace to quicken those as an Eat to nourish others My substance is Here is a free offer and command in this word Take and we are not to hold it ineffectual He excepts Taking and Eating call for acts of faith and presuppose the habit Ans When Christ and his Disciples preached Beleeve and repent The command did call for faith and repentance but I hope it did not presuppose the habit in those who were to be converted so when Christ sayes here Take that gracious word includes Beleeve or receive me by faith but faith I hope is required where it is not pre-required to wit required that it may be wrought as well as acted And herein indeed I place my strength This Take requires Beleeve but there is a vertue or power from Christ that goes along with his commands The free tenders of himselfe are the conveyances of the grace he requires to the receiving him even as the Apostles words to the Jaylor Act. 16.31 which he well notes Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ was the instrument to worke that faith and convert him And as while Thomas by feeling Christs wounds beleeved why might it not be the vertue of Christs gracious command bidding him to put his fingers in his sides and beleeve that produced that powerful application My Lord and my God Now we have Christ here likewise presenting his broken body and blood and bidding us feel his wounds touch and taste Take and eat be not faithlesse but beleeving Here we have a joynt offer and command and why then should we distrust the power of our Lord when we have the word of our Lord What if we had but that one word for us were not one word from the mouth of our deare Saviour which is a standing word to his Church enough to rest upon Truly Christians Let me plead with you Are the words of Christ Spirit and life or are they not Is there any power goes along with the tender offers and precepts of the Gospel or is there not If there be not why do poor dead souls wait on them for life If there be then why is there not the like power expected in this precept and offer of grace How dull and flow of heart are we to relye upon Christ and expect vertue from his commands Methinks I could wish that all faithful Ministers would set themselves to beleeve in Christ for this effect and while they should as it were stand round about this little word Take by their acting faith in Christ and expectations from him as the Disciples did about Paul when they supposed him stoned dead Act. 14. though they judge no otherwise of this word though they suppose it but a dead word to the unregenerate they might finde life in it for the quickning of their flocks as some
have and comfort of their labours If you will not beleeve surely you shall not bee established Page 157 158. He objects three or foure things against this I But we have neither promise nor president of blessing the command of Taking in the Sacrament as we have of blessing the word preached in order to conversion Answ 1. God hath promised in general to meet with those that wait on him in his wayes and where is there any text that denyes this blessing here If there be none it is but a sad thing to distrust God 2 Doe we not know that Jesus Christ did consecrate this Ordinance with a blessing Now is not Christs own action herein as good as any promise or all presidents and who can limit that blessing to one member above another or tye up the Spirit of God 3 I pray see over leafe and himselfe tels us well This Take is a short exhortation and virtual Sermon Now what a thing is this to demand a promise and president to prove that the Exhortation and Sermon of Christ is converting Is not the Word converting And is thâ—s word lesse converting because it is Christs Alas Sirsl the case is even clear and the grand Objection is unbeleef 2 But the word is both seed and food not the Sacrament Answ 1 Who knows not that the very being and operation of the Sacrament consists through the word and indeed the nourishment we have in it well considered is onely by the implicite vertue thereof By which same kind of working may the first grace as cleerly as any farther degrees be wrought by it 2 The Sacrament is both seed and food too for here is a Take and this is certainly seed as a word of grace from Christ and here is an Eat including food 3 Prayer is no where called the immortal seed yet is it seed I doubt not in this sense to beget grace in us 4 Ex quibus nascimur ex i is nutrimur That which nourishes us can beget us is a principle so true that out the same food that goes to the aliment of our owne bodies doth arise the matter for our childrens generations 3 But suppose a man stouts it out before and after the word Take if actuall receiving can convert him the Apostles rule is not universally true He that eats unworthily eats judgement to himselfe Answ Suppose the Jaylor had stouted it out against that word Beleeve had he like to have been converted if he had not been converted what a question were this The truth is These dis-junctive supposals are but vaine and evil And therefore I shall only fore warn tender consciences to take heed of that Dilemma that lurks here He that receives worthily is converted already He that receives not worthily eats his damnation Let us rather perswade our selves 1 That a man may be in a state of unregeneracy in that sense unworthy yet may hear pray or receive worthily in his kind in suo genere when he is so wrought on by it as to make a saving use thereof for it seems not to me so tollerable to say a man heard unworthily when he was converted by it 2 There is a general eating damnation as the unregenerate in sensu composito during that estate sinnes in hearing praying and in all he doth and so this is cleerly answered with other duties or there is a particular eating damnation or judgement in the Apostles sense and that judgement he speaks of appears to be those temporal judgements which were brought upon the Corinths not for their coming to the Sacrament in an unregenerate estate but for their not putting a difference between this sacred Table and a common that is used it not as a holy institution which is the direct meaning of both those phrases eating unworthily and not discerning the Lords body which expound one another or not for an unworthinesse of unregeneracy but an unworthinesse of prophanation 4 But suppose a man may be converted by that short exhortation and virtual Sermon Take That may be done by bare presence c. Ans If all come to this still you may see what he must have A Sacrament without receiving which yet himselfe decryes When Christ sayes Take it is to this end to eat and who dare separate Christs end from his action Let this suffice we have here both words Take and Eat for our encouragement and we need not doubt but all the Sacramental actions doe as it were in a kinde of communication of proprieties interweave their vertue in working upon each man according to his condition When God commands us to make us new hearts Ezek. 18.31 Eph. 4.23 he tels us otherwhere Ez. 11.19 I will put a new heart in you so Christ bids us Take Yet faith is the gift of God Now then Man is to wait on his duty and to expect a power in Christs precept For my part let others look on this word onely as an empty livelesse word I shall endeavour to let it sinke in my heart And though I am a poor unworthy sinner that am not sure I have faith enough to save my soul the Lord increase it yet methinks I doe so pathetically beleeve the goodnesse and sweernesse of Christ that I dare lay my life on it he would never have so indeterminately commanded Drinks you all of it if so many thousands of unregenerate members that come thither must but necessarily thereby eat their damnation I must confesse I doe ever suspect my owne weaknesse and am tenderly afraid left I should ewe and hurt others and therefore I beseech every Soul to look well to the word and his owne conscience and trust nothing on me yet doe I finde amidst the doubts and fears of my spirit a sweet melting and repose of my thoughts in this answer which I must make unto my Saviour when he calls me to account for what I have writ Lord here is expresly thy command and I durst not nullifie it to any that are capable of it Here is thy tender offer of grace Take and I durst not bring up any such hard thoughts on thy wayes to fright men from thee And now I am assured Lord thou wilt as freely forgive me if I place too much trust or would raise too much confidence on thy bare word as thou wilt forgive others if they place too little in it For though the Flesh profiteth nothing yet the Spirit quickneth and thy words are spirit and life Page 159. He brings in this instance of mine Suppose a moral Christian who cannot be denyed prepares himselfe and so comes shall the Sacrament be necessarily fruitlesse to him He answers not withstanding all his preparatory acts he comes to the feast without the wedding garment Answ This himselfe satisfies for the Feast he sayes is Christ and I hope a man must come to Christ for conversion As for my words Doing his best you must take them in his kinde as of the regenerate in his kinde And
I answer though it be so formally in the words yet materially in the thing iâ— is an affirmative for he that excepts out of a general affirms a limitation and must prove it I have before in 3. Edit exprest this thus If there be a previous operation of the Spirit on some preparatory to conversion God hath appointed his Ordinances in general as the means for obtaining grace both first and subsequent commanding them as duties and promising a blessing which affords a Peradventure to the unregenerate in the use of them why should wee bereave the Sacrament of this effect which the Scripture gives it in genere as an Ordinance whilst in specie it no where denyes it and Reason likewise by the first Rule of the Ante-predicaments For the Antecedent preparations to bring men to Conversion saith Pemble they are either outward namely the observation of the external part of God worship as frequenting the word preached prayers Sacraments keeping the Sabbath or inward c. Our Divines presse upon men ever whiles they are unconverted the necessity to wit from the strict Commandement of God and profitablenesse to wit from Gods promise and ordinary proceedings of all those forementioned preparations pag. 81 82. and it may be those two pages may establish you 3 There is but an It may be A peradventure A who knows what God may do For the conversion of any in the use of all means besides because there is no special promise of grace in the best use of meer naturals But there is An It may be granted by our opposites to the Sacrament for conversion At though not By occasionally though not intentionally as some speak Ergo. If Mr. D. grudge thus much then he must bring it to a Cannot Actual receiving cannot convert any and if he doth so he takes upon him to limit the Spirit of God in the very way he usually workes the same thing in other Ordinances If he say he can but will not How knows he the minde of the Lord who hath made him his Counsellour That what he hath done to some he may not do to others It were a miserable thing for some poore sinners if the gracious Spirit in many respects should do no more good upon them then men would let him There is here I judge a point carefully to be considered to distinguish between a general and â—pecial promise or as some expresse it between Half â—romises and full promises or as I would say it A Peradventure promise and an Assured Promise We hold that God hath made no promise of â—race that is no special whole or assured promise to natural workes before faith to wit as any condition of the first grace which is his most free gift for then Facienti quod in se est so much deâ—ryed must prove a sound principle But wee are yet to presse these kinde of general tenders half or â—eradventure promises together with Gods good nature that none may want encouragement to duty 4 If the Sacrament be converting as it is a Visible word or holds forth Christ unto the eye then must it be converting as it is a Gustable Tactible Word and holds him forth to the other senses and the rather because the touch and taste comes within the Veirge of the Institution But the former is granted Ergo. 5 The Precepts of God are lively and operative and the offers of grace are the means and conveyances of that power we have not in our selveâ— to receive it But here is this most sweet and gracious offer and command Take and Eat Ergo. 6 The reclaiming a man from some particulaâ— vice or vices is a good step forward towards Repentance and Conversion But the Sacrament is a constant experiment hereof so that those passageâ— of some men be their esteem never so great who dare say that the Sacrament can doe no good to the poor unregenerate Christian but certaine hurt are sadly to be dis-owned and expunged eveâ— with their tears This case in Edit 3. I have proposed thus Suppose you have a Sonne 〈◊〉 good natured yet unregenerate youth addicteâ— to some vice as drunkennesse he seeks to Goâ— for pardon and grace so comes and takes thâ— Sacrament upon it he will never by the Lord helpe be overtaken more Well this engagement now lyes so solemnly upon him he is ever after a sober man and this no doubt is not likely onely but very frequent to natural conscience working on most such particular and temporary conversions Now I pray Sir what thinke you of such a fruit as this Would you dislike your Somes comming to the Sacrament or blesse God for it 7 The acting or exercise of common grace and endeavouring to doe what a man can is another good step forwards towards Conversion But the Sacrament which is for the exercise of Faith Love Repentance Thankfulnesse as special graces in the Regenerate is the means to exercise the like common grace in the Unregenerate Ergo. For my part I judge it good still for a Christian to be doing and whether he be effectually converted or no yet hath he cause and ground sufficient to love Christ and be thankfull to mourne for sinne and to doe well He hath besides a knowledge affections and some ability to doe it in some manner though not as sincerely as he ought And as I said of the Promises I will say of Gods acceptance there is a kinde of halfe acceptance or rather a comparative acceptance so I will chuse to expresse it God accepts comparatively of such actings of the heart toward him and waiting in his wayes though a man be unregenerate to wit in comparison of a total omission or neglect thereof 8 The solemne engagement of the soule unto Christ upon his termes to relye upon him as a Saviour and submit to his government as the former were steps is a means of a full and effectual closing with him if Gods Spirit shall be pleased to act with it But actual receiving is a means for engagement of the soule to the conditions of the Covenant or the termes of Christ which a man may binde himselfe to before he hath performed even as Souldiers servants and all relations do list agree and oblige themselves to their services and duties and stand to them after Ergo. Here I thinke most Christians know by their owne spirits that they have very good resolutions at some times that make them fit for the present against all doubt and yet finde often they come to nothing Now what can more conduce under the word when we have some purposes of leaving sinne and assent to the termes of Christ to beget a full consent of heart and make them serious then the obligation of this Ordinance A penny in earnest bindes some men more then twenty promises 9 That which can beget more degrees of the same grace can beget the first grace unlesse these degrees are begotten some other way then that is But all grace first and
second is begotten alike as the Ordinances propose the object and then the Spirit of God by enlightning the minde and a touch upon the will brings the heart to imbrace that object which object is shewed forth in the Sacrament as in the word and it is a mistake to thinke that the second grace though it be within the promise which is sealed is exhibited by way of obsignation for there is onely a fight to it this way conveyed but it is wrought I say through the Spirit of God by the way of moral operation onely as the first and second grace both are begotten in reading and hearing c. Ergo. 10 The sad consequence of this Tenent that the Sacrament belongs onely to the effectually converted is sorely against it and that both for the giver and receiver For the Receiver this will cut off every poor doubtful Christian from the Sacrament For 1. If I am bound to receive when I am regenerate and bound to forbear if I am unregenerate then must I be perswaded in my conscience that I am regenerate or else I cannot eate in faith and he that eateth and doubteth is damned if he eat I desire this may be tenderly weighed 2 Upon this account every one that comes professes himselfe converted and if any man be but doubtfull that he is not yet converted he cannot come but he acts a lie and is a publick hypocrite which is a thing so hatefull to him that rather then he would professe of himselfe what he does not know he would confesse his unworthinesse and never come there and thus shall every humble tender Christian only keep away and the selfe-justiciary-harden to death For the giver first The case will be near the same for the Sacrament cannot be administred according to rule nor he act in faith unlesse both the receiver is regenerate and he assured of it which he cannot be if regeneration were a qualification commanded as necessary to receiving Secondly Men will be ready to think themselves converted when they are admitted and the formal Christian rest in his estate when he should come hither to repent of it Thirdly The best Minister must fal infinitely short in the discharge of his tryall were any at all required upon this ground The Lord Bacon observes of Philosophy the first and lighter tastes thereof inclines the mind towards Atheism but a more fixed and deeper contemplation brings it about again unto Religion So doe I judge here the first touches of Conscience in the pious have inclined them to a trial of others fitnes and unfitness to the Sacrament but a more serious and digested consideration of the issues of it wil bring them about to the Apostle Let a man examine himselfe and the Minister onely doe his best for their Instruction 11. The confirming of a Christians Faith in generall or his assent unto the truth of the Covenant in Jesus Christ to him in particular is a means of bringing up his heart to a speciall Faith for I am perswaded here lies often the root of unregeneracy that men doe not firmely beleeve the Gospell and where the holy Spirit works beleeving impressions he ordinarily brings in the soul to him But the Sacrament is a means of confirming Faith and that directly in this act of assent which is common in its degree to the unregenerate with the regenerate that if I will beleeve repent or accept of Christ I shall be saved Ergo. Unto this purpose Mr. Calvin hath a clear passage Primum verbo suo nos docet Deus instituit Dominus deinde Sacramentis confirmat postremo sancti sui spirit us lumine mentibus nostris illucet aditum in sorda nostra verbo Sacramentis aperit So that whereas Calvin with others ordinarily cals the Sacraments confirming Ordinances I shall take their meaning only thus that they are not appointed to convert the Heathen to the Church but to incorporate the members thereof Who being instructed by the word and confirmed by the Sacraments the Spirit of God in the use of both both Words and Sacraments so he speaks opens a passage into their hearts to wit for their effectuall conversion Calv. Inst lib. 4. cap. 14. sect 8. 12. The solemne application of the Covenant to a mans selfe according to his estate to wit of salvation through Christ if he will beleeve and repent and of judgement from Christ if he continues in his sins and does not turn effectually unto him is the very onely way whereby the Spirit usually worketh conviction and sincere conversion but actual receiving of the Sacrament is a solemn means of such an application Ergo. The Apostle Ro. 10.4 tels us Christ is the end of the Law in this Law Gal. 3.10 it is written Cursed be every one that continueth not in all things which are written therein to doe them Unto this curse Deut. 27.26 All the people were to say Amen It is nor possible all the people should be guiltlesse yet this Amen is a particular application so that the malediction it selfe as well as the precept is to be particularly applyed for a Schoolmaster to Christ who is in that respect said to be the end thereof Now then must a Christian that does not as he should unfainedly repent but harbour his sins in his heart apply the Covenant in the right part to wit that judgement which is due for them and is both denounced and sealed to make him turne sincerely from them unto the mercy that is together offered him if he does And while his heart melts and hee humbles himselfe before Christ as worthy thereof he lies under the very strokes of Gods Spirit to drive him in effectually to him When the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. bids us examine our selves least we eate unworthily and drink our damnation he sweetly addes for if we would judge our selves we should not be judged There are Scriptures I find that will support a Christian in his duty yet happily will not hold the disputes of men that go to take the comfort of them from us In this case the pious soule is not to hearken to them but to strengthen it selfe in attendance upon God There is a sweet promise therefore comes often in my mind with this Text I will not say a promise to dispute withal but to rest upon for our encouragement It is in Zach. 10.12 I will poure out the spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne Poor soules you have in the Sacrament as in the Word Jesus Christ represented to you as pierced you are to apply it and say Here Lord thou hast promised to pour out the Spirit of grace on those that look on thee for to mourn over the wounds which they have made in thee by their sins Let the sight of thy broken body break my hard heart Let the sight of thy pierced sides pierce mine eyes and of thy bleeding heart make my heart
be performed A man must come and he must come worthily the case is the same as in all Ordinances there is the substance of a duty and the manner of performance If the manner be evil it must be amended and the matter still must be done He has three Objections page 181 182 183. 1. How assuredly doth Mr. H. make that the principle duty which is the carkasse and forme onely Answ Methinks Mr. D. should not speake so lightly of Christs owne words Do this who dares not know Doe this includes matter and manner to wit in faith love thankfulnesse as wee ought and if this be not the principal duty to which self-examination is subservient let all judge Even as the Feast though it lasts but an hour is the principal the whole week of preparation accessory to it As for his words then that follow they are but a pen full of inke spartled in my face while his peevish spirit like a troubled sea is still casting up mire and dirt 2 True He that is bound to come is bound to come worthily but he that is bound to come worthily is not bound to come absolutely Answ I know not how he may straine the word absolutely but I say a Church-member is as absolutely bound to come hither as so pray and heare as the Apostle sayes Let a man so eat Christ sayes Take heed how you hear so pray and so give almes But are they therefore ever the lesse absolute duties There is no doubt but the manner as well as the matter comes under the same absolute command so that a man is bound I say still to come and come worthily and both absolutely though not Ad semper to either And therefore whereas he askes p. 178. Every man is to examine himselfe and so to eat but where is it said absolutely Let every man eat It may suffice him that Christ sayes expresly and absolutely to all present Let every one drinke Doe this Drinke you all of it But let me aske him again Where doth the Scripture say any where Let a man not eat or not drinke where doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so signifie not As for his instances then about Legal purifications they are answered in their place They may serve to be alluded to if he will for pressing preparation but ought not to be made any ground to omit duty because no legal uncleannesse could have excused a man from Gods service but that it had an expresse law for it which if Mr. D. can produce here we shall yeeld to him 3 Sinful unpreparednesse will not exouse a man from guilt but it will excuse him from receiving Answ I judge this must be taken very warily so far onely as a man may in Christian prudence dispense with affirmative precepts for his soules better advantage Provided his abstinence serves to humble him and put him upon greater eare to prepare for the next Sacrament as hee cautions well over the leaf and if it will not otherwise this may silence himselfe Page 184. He comes to my three Queries The first is Whether the very receiving be a sin incurring damnation in him that is unworthy and here I carefully distinguish between the very receiving which is a mans duty and the unworthinesse which makes the sinne onely This unworthinesse is either in the person which will condemne him nevertholesse for his staying away and therefore I judge hee should rather come and condemne it Or in the Act herein is the matter which is good and the manner which is amisse Now the sayling in the manner of a duty I must still inculcate doth not abrogate the matter If Mr. D. can keep an unregenerate man from the obliquity in the manner and yet let him doe the matter I shall like him but he may not cause him to neglect that which is his duty in the substance to avoid evill in the performance Our disobedience is total in not doing but onely partial in doing it otherwise then we ought Indeed Mr. D. sayes here these cannot bee distinguished There is no sinful act but notionally you may abstract sinfulnesse from it but really you cannot when it comes to bee acted Answ Let him remember if hee cannot distinguish Receiving and unworthy Receiving then can he not distinguish Hearing and unworthy Hearing Praying and unworthy Praying And if he cannot really and not notionally only sever these how can he make them means of grace Can sinne be a means of grace Can that which is a cause of death be a means of life If hee say it may be an accidental occasion it is true but it must be intentionally a means with him seeing he tells us A man may hear and pray unworthily page 186. there is a sinful act which cannot hee sayes be abstracted really in the duty from the sinne yet be converted by it there it is a means of grace and instituted for it I thinke this must be a plaine conviction upon Mr. D. 1 Hearing and Praying are means of conversion 2 To heare and pray unworthily is a sinne 3 Yet must a man heare and pray neverthelesse 4 Sinne cannot be a means of grace 5 A man must not doe evill for any good effect Now if you can abstract really in no sinful act the sinfumesse from it when it comes to be acted 1 Then must sinne be a means of conversion 2 Then must it be our duty to sinne 3 Then must we contradict St. Paul and say a man may doe evill that good may come of it As for what he farther addes A man is not bound to receive till he be Evangelically worthy but is prohibited in statu quo I desire him to shew me that prohibition which is indeed Mr. Drakes eleventh Commandement that makes all his strength being without the support of any Text to become but as a bowing wall and tottering fence My second Query is whether receiving unworthily is other wayes damnable then hearing and praying unworthily and if it be not why should not we receive still as pray and heare He answers It is otherwise damnable 1 Because not a universal duty where he brings in Infants the eighteenth time 2 Not converting Ans 1 This is untrue for as to every intelligent member it is an universal duty and a means of conversion 2 It is vaine and grossely inconsequent for There are some duties belong onely to men in such and such relations Is the neglect hereof ever the lesse damnable because they are not universal Again A natural man cannot convert himselfe by his moral works are his sinnes therefore ever the less sinful As the precept onely is that which makes an action to bee good so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Transgression alone not any thing else makes it damnable My third Query is Whether an unregenerate man must never come to the Sacrament Mr. D. holds he must never because in will not convert him I hold the case is still the same with the word and
and soon contemned which should indeed bee ever administred for this very respect with the greatest dreadfulnesse rarity and solemnity 2 Separation from wicked men as to their persons may be considered simplicitèr or secundum quid as it is considered simply or absolutely it is not a duty for a man may go into the company of evill persons upon his necessary businesse and as Christ himselfe did to admonish and do them good But as it is taken secundum quid or Relatively in respect of such or such an end so is it our duty Now that end either respects our selves or them That which respects our selves is to avoid their sinnes or not to partake thereof by acting with them infection connivance or the like And This respect does alwayes binde so that in such case as we must needs partake of their sins we are undoubtedly to avoid them That which respects them is to bring them to repentance by shaming them c. Hereupon it will follow that if any man goes to avoid his brother in Gods Ordinances unlesse it be to this end his separation is evill the reason being plaine because as I am bound to avoid the least partaking of anothers sinnes so am I bound to the greatest partaking with him in duty and though I must separate from him in civil familiarity I mean common and unnecessary where I have my liberty and not else 1 Cor. 7. 13 14. unlesse it be to exhort and edifie him Yet may I not in sacred society and the service of God which is both his and my duty unlesse he be excommunicate I pray note this Separation I say is either from civill society alone or from Sacred and Civill both In the first I am to withdraw from every one that walketh disorderly yet with prudence and complaine of him But the second is proper to Church-censure before which my withdrawing from him in publick duty is not like to be any means of bringing the man to repentance but rather to harden him and therefore to speak freely I fear it is but a likely sinne to withdraw from others at the Sacrament before Excommunication P. 204. He comes to my wishes which he is pleased to approve engage me to him before he parts with two passages The first is Page 205. where he tells me he hath made me an object of fraternal correption and hopes I am in a fair way to be mended by his admonition Answ Had the man been longer a Divine or a little more modest in the spirit of meeknes words of sobriety he could have managed his cause with me I think so far as I know of my own spirit that I am so conselous of my owne weakness and afraid to offend others that I should have been more ready to a submission then dissertation could it have stood with any face of truth and ingenuity but when I see how his whole book is carried with such a high conceit of himselfe and interest so much contempt of me bitterness of language passion and incontinency truly it is a great argument to me and inward support against his opinion that the Lord doth not approve it or at least intends not to succeed it If it had been the minde of Christ it is more likely he would have humbled his heart and suited him a spirit fit to have declared that minde to us But now hath his temper betrayed his cause now are his Arguments little besides prejudice now are his instructions but briars and thorns with which he goes to teach me only as Gideon taught the men of Succoth Now are these admonitions which should come from him as a brother but the bitter insultations of an adversary which must make me answer him in the words of Micha 7.8 9. Rejoyce not against me Oh mine enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse The second is Page 206. How justly may be at last be looked at as a Weed by our great Husbandman who will cherish Weeds c. Methinks it were enough for Mr. D. to have passed a suspension on me in the beginning of his Book he needed not have prosecuted it to the end and even to the last judgement It is not for him to take the Tribunal and condemn me for a Weed at the great day I desire God that this mans rashness may teach me to consider his righteous Judgement that I may sanctifie him in my heart and make him my fear and my dread so shall I reap the benefit of his censure without the guilt of it I must humbly acknowledge if the Lord should deal with mee according to my deserts he might indeed justly look at me as a Weed and condemne me for ever But enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord but take occasion by this mans judgement to forgive me and him for thou seest how some mens piety out-runs their charity and their over-eager zeale like Moses breaks the Tables And though he would have me suspended from the favour of thy people doe not thou suspend him or me from a fellowship in thy mercies and while he is ready to shut up the bosome of the Church against me as if it could no hold me and him let me be assured that Abrahamt bosome stands wide enough open to receive both me and my opposer I could have heartily wished Mr. D. had so carried his business that I might rather have reverenced his judgement and yeelded to his piety then be forced to shew him his weakness which yet may serve to abate his imperiousness and some weariness in the Reader For my part I shall prepare my selfe to expect from him nothing but the dregs of his former bitternesse and that many godly men will speak evill of my Booke though they shall receive a relaxation and support by it I shall be contented to let them speake evill of me so long as they receive good by me onely I shall desire them that they will be ready to propagate what they finde in me may doe good as I shall be ready to retract what I am convinced is amisse But let them not reject all if they dislike some Even as when the new wine is in the cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a blessing is in it There is these foure things for which I must demand some Texts of Scripture if any will answer me by which the world may judge of their satisfaction 1 Where visible worthiness upon triall is the rule of admission to the Sacrament 2 Where they finde suspension as distinct from Excommunication 3 Where the unregenerate are forbid to receive the Sacrament 4 Where this difference is advanced between the Sacrament and other Ordinances that herein it is better to omit the matter and manner both then to doe the matter if the manner bee not done as they ought which is directly contrary to all other duty And now if Master Drake shall have need to write againe as I beleeve nature will worke and his spirit cannot hold I shall desire him if he will goe to vent that superfluity of maliciousnesse which yet he ought to lay apart to take along with him that Text of Dent. 23.13 Thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon and it shall bee when thou shalt goe to ease thy selfe abroad thou shalt dig therewith and shalt turne back and cover that thing which commeth from thee for this froward language and bitter spirit hath no good savour in the holy Campe but is an uncleane thing that ought not to be seen amongst Gods people He concludes Page 207.209 with a Scruple to the Reader and tells us hee hath done with Mr. Humfrey Ans Thus Hiram hath finished the worke he had to doe the Pots and the Shovels and the Basins the Pillars and the Pommels and the Chapiters and the wreaths to cover the Pommels of the Chapiters on the top of the Pillars FINIS READER The absence of the Author must excuse the Errors of the Presse of which these are apart Page 84. line 12. read Ministers p. 115. l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 179. l. 5. r. other p. ibid. l. 7 r. are the same p. 181. l. 18. for never r. near p. 191. l. 26. r. I give place p. 217. l. 6. for out r. of
for his expressions Of their seeming to submit yet carrying Daggers and Poyson about them to murder their Prince and therefore they must be searched c. Besides the vanity of the words I must tell him 1. There is no Scripture that warrants his pretended tryal of Church Members about their coming to the Sacrament that is flat 2 Much lesse that he may take a power of search as to the truth of grace which is an entring on Gods Throne and the Spirits work 3 This is clean contrary to Christs example who set up no Sacramental tryal for Iudas at least for any thing we can find of it But alas that is nothing to Mr. Drake he has found out a way to turn this off with a wet finger p. 9. 90. Which if you confer with this passage he tels us That they who are the Servants by all means must needs try examine and keep men away for fear of some secret Treason unto Christ in coming hither but Jesus Christ the Lord himself must not have power to make tryal of or suspend Iudas that really intends to murder him because the Presbytery was not setled To p. 44. I answer Godly Parents and Maesters instruction of their Children and Servants unto the Lords Supper may be good as the Ministers Catechizing them without this ill language he heer gives me I would willingly allow a man some Salt in his discourse but his is brinish there are some ingredients to be in ones Inck besides Gall. To that question what Christ sealed to Iudas p. 46 47 48. without regard to the rest which is amisse I judge he speaks well herein The word and the seal both go together and assure particular mercy or judgment to the Receivers as they are worthy and unworthy that is according to the Covenant-tenour and their own condition This is good though his comparison of the bitter water following this and that the Sacrament can never do good to any but such as are good already seems to me such a slander of that precious Ordinance I would not be guilty of for all Mr. Drake is worth But I pray consider this really whatsoever Christ does in his Ministry must be a gracious act and be capable of gracious ends so that this action must be in its own nature a means to have done him good if he had made a good use of it and t is accidental to the thing he did it not Yet did Christ in this actual estate of his Mr. Drake says truly seal to him judgement you must conceive it as to his own part in Receiving for the Minister seals no interest but conditionally Now the truth is as the Word is a sweet savour to God and a means of salvation in his threatnings as well as its promises because it does but still declare the Covenant whereof they are parts of it so is the Sacrament while it seals judgement or while it seals life seeing it does but seal the Covenant equally in both Here then I humbly conceive still submitting my self unto mercy lies the main upon the Receivers to examine their hearts and so to come in their addresses to Christ that they rightly apply the Covenant unto themselves according to their condition Always carrying in mind these two things First That thou put far enough asunder the blessed work of sealing the Covenant though it denounces thy judgement unlesse thou repentest for it does it no otherwise and that cursed sin of thy abuse hereof if thou dost not lay it to heart in eating damnation Secondly That what the Word denounces and Sacrament seals they conveigh not Really but only Relatively for they are not Physical but Moral instruments which Mr. Drake did not think of in his bitter comparison so that while they assure thee of damnation they do thee no hurt if thou make a good use of them for thy conviction but if otherwise as all means else they serve but to encrease it You may happily say this notion is strange but is it not true and as for the ingredients what every one yield who will deny the Sacrament is a visible word Does not the word say he that believes not and repents is damned that is is in a present state of death Must not every one lay this estate of his to heart Does not the seal assure the same thing only with the Word Is not our Receiving the application of what is sealed And is not the application or setting home the right part of the Covenant on a mans soul the very businesse by the grace of God of his conviction and conversion What then remains but that man have the information and God the glory He repeats often Where the word is not applicable neither the Sacrament This is his strength and I cloze with him and urge But if every man is to apply the Word and while he is impenitent he is to lay to heart the threatnings and wrath of God as the only way to mollifie and work him to repentance then it is clear the seal may be applyed so likewise The Seal and the Word he speaks fully must go together If you offer to say it seals not this part of the Covenant but only the promise and grace then you take away all danger as it is sealing to the most unworthy and make our admission more free though if any dare say it seals not the whole Covenant you may as well believe it is no seal at all P. 51. He has Infants up again which is now five times but for his words Shall the Supper be free for Blaspemers Murderers c. which who doubts but may be excommunicated if not put to death and his undertaking to prove his rule of visibility to the Sacrament to be as orderly as Baptism it is like himself to say all day and prove at night For his answers to my 4 Considerations I reply as briefly To the first An historical faith suffices unto Baptism Acts 8.13 To the second Acceptance is either in sincerity which we cannot search or outward only and visible and that for Church-members is their receiving As for any other the Scriptures he pleads as abundant enough are none at all but if ill words will do it he has authority enough To the third where are many things I say 1. Though conviction is not enough to convert without grace what then Is it not a means therefore with it 2. His implicated errors are his own for conviction of the truth of the Covenant does come directly by sealing it and conviction of the general offer by the applying it to every single person I think some nicety between offering and applying which as to the Minister is the same troubles the man But3 Conviction that Christ is mine in particular as to a faith of particular evidence as he expresses it comes not at all by the Sacrament Because 1. The Sacrament seals nothing but the Word which speaks not particularly I believe,2 What is common
it by the Agent that doth it here the Action is not to be omitted but the Agent to be reformed For Mr. D's answers here they are trifles p. 75 76 77. 1 He brings in Infants again which is the ninth time and he is confident to extricate himself by the same gaâ— But he is a little mistaken for I have put him in two such thorns that he shall sooner prick himself to the bone than fairly get out of it 2 He says six parts of time are common yet not the seventh 3 He says on 4 He is very fine The whole Ordinances he distinguishes into parts they are not applicable universally and so the Sacrament Where if the man be serious I answer 1. Mr. D. must not part those actions Christ has joyned 2 Moses makes no doubt of applying the Covenant universally to the people and it is in my mind that that passage may do much 3 The Word it self or covenant is applicable to all in the whole parts of it uppon its own terms that is conditionally 4 If this will not serve Take but the language of the Covenant aright Mar. 16.16 Here is Christ If thou truly acceptst of him thou shalt be saved If thou do not the Word declares and the Sacrament seals to thee unlesse thou repentest thou shalt perish and then all the difficulty is over and our scruples done P. 78. If doe this be universal leaving those two other things like the rest then it were a sin to perswade any to forbear though a Zimri Actually drunk c. Ans 1. His instances are ipso jure Excommunicate 2 As Christ says Doe this Paul says Put away from you such a person We do not deny from Christs universal Pauls exception 3 Though there is no occasion that may make us commit a sinne yet are there many occasions sometimes of forbearing a duty A man may leave his gift at the altar and go and be reconciled but he must not take away his gift from the altar The businesse may be deferred that must not be wholly left undone If I know my brother evil I think I may admonish him to repentance and give him instructions of preparing himself better against next Sacrament so long as I do but bind the obligation more on him but if I advise him upon such reasons as will wholly keep him away my advise is evil Affirmative precepts do bind universally as well as Negative but not ad semper against all occasions I may in prudence I think advise my brother of such an occasion for the advantage of his soul but if I tell him it is not his duty I make my self Lord over Gods command As the Church has alwayes attributed much unto prudence in the ordering this solemnity especially as to her more seldom and frequent administring so may her Members happily take some example as to their receiving Forbearance on necessary Numb 9.10 or pious grounds Matt. 5.23 reaches but to the ad semper and may be lawfull but for to hold it is not a mans duty while unregenerate this reaches the semper and looses the bands of Gods command Let this zealous man take heed it be not laid to his charge I will adde If the man be carelesse and regards not his comming but being conscious of his evil life he thinks he shall eat his damnanation and so layes it by which is the case of thousands I think we are here to set our faces against such and to let them know that it is not mans wickednesse can void or annihilate the authority of Christ so that they are still for to come and the obligation lies on them to apply the Covenant for their repentance O my vile soul why doest thou fly This shews the guilt that is on thy conscience and wouldst thou hide thine own eys from it Come man and see what thou hast done Here is Christs blood which thou dost shed with thy transgressions and will not this melt thee See how the corps doth as it were bleed at the presence of the Murderer and will it not melt thee if it does not it shall rise up against thee Behold here is sealed to thee eternal condemnation unlesse thou repentest and sincerely comest in to Iesus Christ Lay it well to heart man and think on it there is no way besides left thee for to escape it Pag. ibid. He grants though an unregenerate man sins in all his duties yet must he do them But sayes There is not par ratio in order to receiving 1. Because it is not his duty,2 It cannot convert him Ans The former of these I have spoken to all this while and shall thus enforce it If the Sacrament be not the duty of an unregenerate man then must regeneration be a qualification required in the precept as necessary to receiving and so be essentially antecedent to the Sacraments but regeneration is not essentially antecedent to the Sacraments For 1. Then Baptism was not administred validly and according to rule to many by the Apostle Acts 8.13 Iohn 6.66 with Iohn 4.1 Acts 20.30.2 Then such as were baptized before they were regenerate supposing they came to be afterwards regenerate were to be baptized again because their former baptism had not its essentials 3 Then can no man administer either Sacrament to any but himself for he cannot act in faith seeing he is not sure others have the essentials 4 Then can no doubting Christian himself receive for he cannot act in faith so long as he is not fully perswaded of his own regeneration The truth is then though regeneration is a qualification necessary to the receiver in regard of other ends to wit for the obtaining the entire benefits of the Covenant sealed yet not absolutely necessary to receiving Even as saving faith is necessary to the hearers of the Word for the obtaining the effectual benefit of salvation yet not absolutely pre-requisite to hearing for faith may come by it If it be an evil to set up our posts with Gods posts what is it to remove Gods posts to set up our own The Lord Iesus says plainly Drink ye all of it but Mr. D. says No It is not every mans duty The second follows necessarily upon this if it be every Church members duty of age as Mr. Perkins and Divines commonly tell us then it may tend to his good as sure as all Gods Commandements are good and if it does him not good it will be his sin For my part I am very sorry to see how men for the sake of this are forc'd upon it to deny the other When Christ says Believe there goes a power with his precept as when he said Lazarus Come forth Else it were vain for us Ministers to act that are but earthen instruments And shall Christ say Take and we make nothing of it Is this it men so earnestly contend for to make the word of Christ an empty word as if it could not quicken us Alas Sirs this is nothing
but meer distrust A pious soul may even bleed to see his Saviours command laid wast because we have so little faith in it Christ is not a Minister of the letter which kils but of the Spirit which he conveys through his commands The good Lord pardon and help in us this great evil of unbelief And as for all the injuries this man out of his zeal has done unto me Accept thou now O God from a melted heart and wet eyes this poor prayer of mine for him that his own bitter words may not sink so heavy on his soul as they have on mine when he comes to see how much he has done amisse Before I passe methinks we have need here of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this truth which seems harsh that the unregenerate sins in all he does There is therefore a doing good or evil either Simply in regard of the matter of Gods precept or Relatively in regard of the Sanction of it to its end as it comes under the condition of the Covenant whereby we expect life In the first sense a man though unregenerate may do well and that which is right in Gods eyes and be rewarded for it 2 Kin. 10.30 yet sins in the second There is a faith only that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him and there is a true justifying faith in Jesus Christ The actions of Moral men that have proceeded out of the first only I dare say in the behalf of Gods goodnesse are so far accepted as vertuous that they shall be rewarded according to their trust he will not fail them either Positively with some temporal blessings or Privatively with some degree of mitigation in their eternal punishments so that It shall be well still with those that do well that none may want sufficient encouragement to do good But yet I say whatsoever actions do not proceed from that other faith too which is truly saving they are said to be sin neverthelesse in that they come not up to that perfection or sincerity Gen. 17.1 required in the Covenant as the condition its self Ja. 2.20 or rather testimony thereof unto justification of life or everlasting salvation Page 79. He throws his glove first to the Independents then to the Presbyterians c. Ans In those words of mine Let men on one side answer Let some of our other c. I must confesse they fell from me at first without the least thought of Engagement I know that every one is not fit to take up the Gantlet for truth and I am one as Mr. D. says truly that am not yet scarce out of the shell of learning or Divinity and therefore let not the host of Israel come out to seek a fleae or hunt a partridge upon the Mountains For the one side I think our difference lies only about the Church for as for their own Members they scruple not at a Free-admission no more than I and whether they turn away any before Excommunication I cannot say but guesse so So that if there be scruples among themselves they that are humble may make some use of me they that are not need not be offended seeing Mr. D. tels them they are beholding to me for my too favourable opinion of them For the other side p. 80.81 My question is to some and it may be but few of them How they can baptize the children as Members of the visible Church being born of Christian parents and yet turn away their parents from the Sacraments I will not infringe what Mr. D. has said here p. 82 83 84. at the very largest for Infant-baptism seeing as to my question it falls beside it For if any will say they do not baptize their Children as born of Christian parents but by stipulation of others or upon account of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say nothing against them I wish it may be maintained but as for those who never took notice or not approved of any other ground of their Baptism but as they are immediatly born Christians of such as visibly professe Christ according to my terms The right which the parents derive upon their children unto Baptism must be acknowledged to be in themselves unto the Sacrament They cannot give but what they have So that unlesse there be a manifest impediment to retrench that right or the present enjoyment of it by Excommunication Distraction or Infection their Church-membership is sufficient and the argument valid from the one to the other Against this p. 81. Mr. D. brings in the old businesse again which is now about ten times with a second thing like it And p. 85 86 87. for that which is between p. 82 83. 84. I wish it may passe he has 4 particulars more the substance of the whole comes unto this That the parents must have a farther right to shew than what they have common with their child unto this Ordinance And here indeed lies the very point of our difference I hold it is Church-membership where there is none of our former yielded impediments that gives an immediate outward right unto the Sacrament He holds A man must be first tryed if he be visibly worthy and it is that alone can give him admission For the one now look over Mr. Drake and you shall find still whensoever he falls upon this thing he has nothing against it but that silly reason from the untelligent so often repeated Had he any thing else would it not be alleged and has he nothing else and will you be captivated For the other look over the Scripture This is the thing lies on him to prove and see if he can produce you any precept of God for it if he has none will his own word goe While he has so little against us and no Text for himself his skirts are discovered and heels made bare Let the prudent judge If our argument from Church-membership is even the chief and most solid ground upon which we do baptize our Children as the Iews by being born Iews had a right to Circumcision although we cannot lightly find in Scripture that any were admitted without a profession of faith unto Baptism what weaknesse shall we bring on our selves if the same thing shall not be held sufficient without a known cause unto the Sacrament whereunto we find no confession any where required but as soon as they were once Church-members Acts 2. 42. this fellowship immediately gave them a privilege to it The Sacraments serve for two things for our faith towards God and profession one with another Though our Church-members doe not all come with that faith whereby they should receive the effectual benefits of the Covenant yet do I not see how they can be so easily debarr'd their profession of Christianity in opposition to all other Religions as the Iews did often freely and universally enter into Covenant with the true God P. 87 88 89. Hee brings in my argument of Christian liberty