Eye In order to the Discovery of the Healing Meanes among others this Rule is worthy our observation If any Church Order or administration seem offensive to you before you wholly cast it out consider whether there be not somewhat that is necessary and excellent either in the substance or in the Occasion and Reason of it and you will find that Reformation is to be accomplished more by Restauration of Ordinances and Administrations to their Primitive Nature and Vse then by the utter Abolition of them Satan found it easier to corrupt the Ordinances of Christ and to cause them to degenerate into somewhat like them then to Introduce such of his own as were wholly new and as Christ had given no Occasion of I could give you very usefull instances in many of the Popish administrations which require a Restauration rather then an Abolition lest that which is Christ's part be cast out with that which is mans and we should throw away the Apple which should be but pared and lest we cast away our necessary food and most precious Jewels because they have fallen into Romish dirt But my present business is to instance only in Confirmation and Penitence so farre as is requisite to the decision of the Question now before us I know you will easily excuse me from the needless labour of explaining any terms in the Question which you understand already I think the best method to lay the matter naked before your understandings will be by approaches and degrees in the opening and confirming of these Propositions Prop. I. It is here supposed that the Infants of Believers should by Baptism be admitted into the Church and so be partakers of Infant Privâ—ledges THeir sinne and misery is come upon them without any actual consent of their own by the will of others and the Remedy must be applyed to them accordingly not by any actual consent of their own which is as impossible but by the will of others as the Condition and by the Gift of God as the Cause In his dealing with mankind God is not so much more prone to wrath and vengeance then to Mercy as to put Infants into the Comminatory terrible part of the Covenant with their Parents and not into the Remedying part and to condemn them for their first Fathers Covenant-breaking and give them no help from their gracious Parents Covenant-keeping and to fetch weight from Parents sinnes to weigh down the scale of Vindictive Justice and to put nothing from the gracious Parents into the other end Yet is it not to Infants as the meer Natural Issue of godly Parents that God extendeth this Grace But 1. As they are Naturally their Own the Parents have a Power of them to dispose of them for their good 2. Every man that is Sanctified hath devoted himself and in Generall all that he hath to God according to the several capacities of what he hath that every thing may be for God in its proper Capacity 3. Virtually then the Children of the Godly even in the wombe are thus Devoted unto God 4. It is the revealed Will of God that Infants should be Actually Dedicated and Devoted to him 5. He that requireth us to make this Dedication doth imply therein a promise of his Acceptance of what is Dedicated to him by his command For his precepts are not vain or delusory 6. He hath also expressly signified this in Scripture Promises extending his Covenant to the seed of the Faithfull and telling us that his Kingdom is of such 7. This Dedication is to be made by Baptism the Ordinance which God hath appointed to that End and in which he is ready to signifie his Acceptance that so there may be a mutual solemn Covenant The Servants of God before Christ's coming were enabled and required to enter their Infants into the Covenant of God sometime and ordinarily in Circumcision and sometime as in the wilderness Deut. 29 without it And they have the same Natural Interest and as large a discovery that it 's the Wâ—ll of God for the Dedicating of their Children to God and Choosing for them and entering them into the holy Covenant now as then If then a Child that had no exercise of its own will might by the Will of his Parents choose the Lord and be entered into Covenant with him it is then so still God hath no where reverst or abrogated that Command which obliged Parents to enter their Children into Covenant with God and Devote them to him Nay Christ chid those that would keep them from him because his Kingdom that is his Church is of such A place that doth purposely and plainly express the continuance of his Love to Infants and yet the Gospel entertaineth them as readily as the Law or Promise before did Oft and again doth Christ signifie to the Jews that he would have gathered them wholly to his Church and not have broken them off if they had not by unbelief been broken off and in the same Olive hath he engraffed the Gentile Church Infants are members of all Commonwealths on the face of the earth though they know not what a Common-wealth is nor yet what soveraignty or subjection mean And he that should say they are no members because they are Imperfect members would but be laughed at And Christ hath not cast them out of his family or Commonwealth nor shut the door against them And that in this Infant state they are capable of many Priviledges is apparent They have Original sinne which must be pardoned or they are lost Most of the Anabaptists that I hear of do hold that all the Infants in the world are pardoned by Christ and shall be saved if they die in Infancy and run in the downright Pelagian road But this is not only utterly unproved but contrary to Scripture which telleth us that sinne is not pardoned by the bloodshed of Christ till men be brought into Union with him and participation of him and for all his bloodshed no man shall have pardon by it till it be given him by the Act of Pardon in the Gospel Now the Gospel no where gives out Pardon to every Infant in the world Nay it frequently and plainly makes a difference The Parents Will doth Accept the offer and choose for them that cannot choose for themselves For others what ever God will do with them doubtless they have no promise of Mercy And it 's strange that they should deny Baptism to Infants that deny not Salvation to them yea that think though ungroundedly that they are all in a state of Salvation For either Infants have Original sinne or not If they have none then they need no Saviour and must be saved without a Saviour for the whole need not the Physician but the sick If they have Original sinne and that it is pardoned to them by Christ then how can men deny them the sign and seale of pardon or the solemn investing means If they are sure that they are
become not Ministers I think 2. It is only the Ministers who being separated to the Gospel and Work of God do lay by all other business and give themselves wholly to these things Gentlemen much less all the people of the Church cannot lay by their callings to attend this business of trying and judging of mens Professions as Ministers must do if they will be faithfull Should private members have so muâ—h Church governing work as some cut out for them and should they bear such a burden as some would lay upon them under the name of Power and Priviledges it would undo them soul or body or both they would find time little enough for it in some places if they all cast off their outward callings And 3. The Pastours only are capable because of Unity For should the People have this work as some would have it the multitude would hinder execution and they would turn all to wrangling 1. Such bodies move slowly 2. Multitude with that divesity of parts and minds that is among them would set them by the eares and the Church would be almost alway in a flame If every man that is to make Profession of his Faith on this or the like occasion must be tryed and judged by all some would approve and others would disapprove and reject in most or very many cases Whereas the Pastours being single or not many and more experienced and able and vacant for a full enquiry have less reason to be partiall injurious or disagreed Arg. 14. The Practice of the Apostles Evangelists and the Pastours of Christ's Church in all Ages doth put us quite out of doubt that it is not only belonging to the Ministerill Office to judge and approve of such Professions but that it is a very great part of that Office John Baptist received and judged of the Profession of his Penitents before he did baptize them The twelve Apostles Mat. 10. 13 14. Were to judge of the worthiness or unworthiness of those that they were to abide with Mark 6. 11. Who were the Judges or Approvers of the Profession of the 3000 Converts Acts. 2. 41. but the Apostles that Baptized them or judged them to be Baptized Who else approved of all the believers that were added Acts 5. 14. even multitudes both of men and women They that Continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship Acts 2. 42. and under their Government no doubt entered at first under their condâ—ct Philip was the Judge of the Eunuch's Profession Acts 8. 37 38. Ananias was scrupulous of admitting Paul but as God himselfe Approved of him to Ananias Acts 9. 13 14 15. So Aâ—anias also must ministerially approve him vers 17. Who judged of Lidia's Profession and the Jaylours Acts 16 but the Apostles or other Ministers of Christ What need we instance any more when we all know that no Convert entered at Age into the Church but under the hand of some Minister of Christ that did Baptize him or appoint him to be Baptized Object But this is not our Case for we were Baptized in Infancy and are in the Church already Answ You entred not into the number of Adult and more perfect Members in your Infancy nor did you make any personal Profession in your Infancy That 's yet to be done Your Parents Profession will serve you no longer then your Infant state These being not in the Gospel Church before were at once Baptized and entered thereby into the Number of the Adult members So would we do if we converted those that were the seed of Heathens or Infidels But though this be not your Case in respect of Baptism and an Insant church-Church-state yet this is your own Case in regard of personal Profession and Adult Church-state If the Ministers of Christ in Scripture time admitted none into an Adult Church-state and to the Priviledges of such but upon a Personal Profession approved by the said Ministers then neither must we do so now But the Antecedent is past doubt Therefore The Reasons of the Consequence is because the Scripture is our Rule and the Reasons of the Cases are the same If you say with the Anabaptists that I may as well argue from the Apostles example for the Baptizing of the Aged I Answer so I will when the Case is the same when they are converted from Infidelity or are not born and baptized into the Gospel-Church before The Apostles did not Baptize at Age any person that was born of believing Parents in the Gospel-Church after Baptism was instituted As to them that say that Mary was a Christian and yet Christ was not Baptized till full Age. I Answer 1. That Mary was not a Baptized person 2. That Baptism into the Name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost was not Instituted in Christs Infancy How should he be Baptized in Infancy when there was no such Ordinance of God in the world as Gospel-Baptism or Johns Baptism If you think Baptism and Profession or Church-membership so inseparable that we must not require such a Profession but in order to Baptism 1. You speak without proof 2. You speak even contrary to the experience of the Jewish Church where in the wilderniss Circumcision was separated from Profession and Church-membership both of Infants and Adult the later being without the former 3. If we may be Baptized in Infancy without a Personal Profession then they are separable but the Antecedent is proved in due place 4. No man denieth that I know of but that Personal Profession approved by the Ministers is necessary in several Cases after Baptism But all the examples of the Baptized Adult in the New Testament will fully prove that all men should enter into the state and number of Adult Church-members upon a Personal Profession approved by the Ministers of Christ for so did all in the Scripture terms on Reasons common to them and us and no man can put by the obligation of the example by any pretence of an imparity of Reason but what will be as strong to evacuate almost all Scripture example and much of the commands But as to the Baptizing persons at Age we will do the same when the persons are such as the Apostles baptized aud that they baptized none others was never yet proved but more said for the Affirmative And ever since the Apostles daies it hath been the constant Practice of the Church that the Profession and claim of the Adult should be tried by the Ministers of Christ 1. In Case of Infant Baptism the Minister was to receive and approve the Parents Profession 2. In Case of the Baptism of the Aged they alwaies entred under the tryal approbation or hand of the Minister 3. In Case of the Confirming of those at Age that were Baptized in Infancy it was alwaies done under the hand and judgment of the Minister 4. In Case of Absolution of those that fell after either Infant or Adult Baptism it was alwaies upon a Profession approved by the Minister To prove
prentice after this If the University give a man the Degree of Doctor of Divinity or Master of Arts that never took Degree of Batchelour of Divinity or of Arts they cannot afterwards call him back to take his Batchelours Degree If you have irregularly admitted the untryed unapproved unconfirmed to the Lord Supper you have Eminenter though not Formaliter Confirmed and Approved him though irregularly Of this more anon Prop. 19. So exceeding great and many are the mischiefs that have befallen us by the neglect of a solemn meet Transition from an Infant into the Adult Church state and which undoubtedly will continue till this be remedyed that all Magistrates Ministers and People that dissemble not in professing themselves to be Christians should with speed and diligence attempt the Cure LEt us here take a view of the case of our Nation and Congregations and then consider of the effects and consequents All the people of our Parishes except Anabaptists do bring their Children to be Baptized which if it were faithfully done were a happy means of an early engagement unto Christ and a happy enterance upon further mercy Multitudes of those know not what Baptism is nor to what use and end it is appointed nor what benefit their Children may receive by it I speak upon too sure and large experience nor do they know what Christianity is nor who Jesus Christ is nor what it is that they are to do in Baptism But there they make a promise customarily as they are bid in words not understood that they will acquaint their children at age with the Covenant there made which they never understood themselves and that they will educate them in Godliness when they hate Godliness at the heart And when they come home they performe their promise accordingly They teach them nothing of the Doctrine of Christianity and the life to come but they give them up to the flesh and the world which there in words they did renounce and they teach them by their daily examples to curse and swear and raile and to be proud and covetuous and voluptuous serving their bellies in stead of God and hateful reproaching a godly life instead of teaching it their Children These Children are customarily brought to the Assemblies where they heare the plainest teaching without understanding or regarding it and grow hardened under daily reproofs and exhortations living as their Parents taught them some in gross ignorance and worldlyness without any signes of Godlyness further then to come to Church some in Drunkenness some in Whoredom abundance in a malignant hatred of a holy life making them that use it the common scorne and taking them for the hatefullest persons in the Parish or Country where they live For custome sake and to quiet their Conscience in their sinne they will come to the Lords Table if they be admitted by the Pastour and may have it in their mode and way And if a Minister shall desire them to come to him first that he may understand their knowledg and Profession they scorn it and ask him by what Authority he would examine them and what proof he hath that men must be examined before they be admitted to the Lords Supper And some self-conceited half-witted Writers have taught them this lesson and made Ministerial tryal and Approbationâ—odious to them But because they were once Baptized and have since come to hear and joyne with us in the Assembly therefore they think that they have right to all Ordinances and are true Christians and Adult members of the Church and also exempt from the Government of the Pastours that require them to submit to the means of their own good In the Bishops daies some few of them were Confirmed in the Country where I lived about one of ten or twenty and what that was and how it was done I can tell you but what I once made tryall of When I was a Schoole-boy about 15 years of age the Bishop coming into the Country many went in to him to be Confirmed we that were boies runne out to see the Bishop among the rest not knowing any thing of the meaning of the business when we came thither we met about thirty or fourty in all of our own stature and temper that had come for to be Bishopt as then it was called The Bishop examined us not at all in one Article of the Faith but in a Church-yard in hast we were set in a rank and he past hastily over us laying his hands on our head and saying a few words which neither I nor any that I spoke with understood so hastily were they uttered and a very short prayer recited and there was an end But whethey we were Christians or Infidels or knew so much as that there was a God the Bishop little knew nor enquired And yet he was one of the best Bishops esteemed in England And though the Canons require that the Curate or Minister send a Certificate that children have learnt the Catechism yet there was no such thing done but we runne of our own accord to see the Bishop only and almost all the rest of the County had not this much This was the old careless practice of this Excellent Duty of Confirmation Some few perhaps halfe a Parish in the best places will send their children to Church to be catechized yet but even those few that learn the words for the most part understand not what they say and are as ignorant of the matters as if they never learnt the words This is the common way by which our Parishes come to be Churches and our people to be Christians supposing some to be mixt among them that are more Faithfully devoted to God in Baptism and better educated in the feare of God 2. Now let us see what are the real visible undenyable fruits of this defective sinful course Because men build upon this Fundamental falshood that infant Baptism upon the Parents Profession doth give them right to the Church-state and Priviledges of the Adult without any personal Profession and Covenanting with God when they come to the use of reason which the Church must have cognisance of and so they that entred somewhat more Regularly into an Infant Church state do become Adult-members secretly unobservedly and no body well knows how Hereupon it followeth 1. That our Churches are lamentably corrupted and diseased though they are true Churches and have Life in them while they are made so like the unbelieving and ungodly world and the Garden of Christ is made too like the common wilderness For Heathens and Impious persons and all sorts of the unclean almost are the members of them where Parishes or Parish-meetings are made convertible with Churches I would make the case neither worse nor better then it is Till within these few years I knew but very imperfectly how it is and I thought the case had been better with some and worse with others then I have found it upon tryall And had I not set
the Souls of our poor people are deluded and they are made believe that they are Christians when they are not and in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing As Mr Thorndicke saith as aforecited No man is to be admitted to the Assemblies or visible societies of Christians till there be just presumption that he is of the Heavenly Jerusalem that is above And admitting to and excluding from the Church is or ought to be a just and Lawfull presumption of admitting to or excluding from Heaven It is morally and legally the same act that entitleth to Heaven and to the Church that maketh an heir of life Everlasting and a Christian And if so then what greater mischief can we do the Soul of an ungodly man then so to delude him by our admitting him into the Church and make him believe he is in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing False faith and false hopes are the things that fill Hell and are the common undoing of the world And all that ever we can do is too little to cure it When I bend all my studies and labours but to make a wicked man know that he is wicked I cannot procure it I can make him believe that he is a sinner but not that he is an unconverted ungodly sinner and in a state of Condemnation O the power of blinding self-love that will not suffer them to see themselves miserable when they see themselves sinfull and all because they would not have it so when yet it 's most visible to others And shall we all joyne to strengthen this potent Enemy and lay this share and thrust men headlong into Hell that are running down-hill so fast already and all under pretence of Charity and Compassion 7. We shall put them by this means into a way not only of losing the fruit of Ordinances but of misapplying all to the increasing of their deceit When we preach Peace to the true believer the wicked will misapply it and say it belongs to them When we speak against the unbelievers and ungodly they 'l think that this is not their part but bless themselves because they are Christians In our praises they are tempted with the Pharisee to thank God and perhaps for mercies which they never had as Justification Adoption Sanctification c. The Sacraments by misapplication will confirm them in Presumption And thus as they enter by deceit among Adult-believers so will they turn all the Ordinances of God and the Priviledges of the Church to feed that deceit more effectuall then among the expectants it would have been 8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of is this that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians and members of the Church we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls and make them desperate and almost past all hope or remedy I must confess that what I am saying now I was not sensible of till lately that experience made me sensible While I medled not with Publike reproofs or censures I disputed of these things without that experience which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts which makes me bold to tell the Church that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in is a likelyer way to bring us all to agreement in the rest then all our Disputings will do without it And that I resolve hereafter to take that man for an incompetent Judge and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline that never exercised it or lived where it was exercised And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments and be almost as loath to follow such as to follow a swimmer that never was before in the water or a Pilote that was never before at sea or a Souldiour that never saw warres before but have only learned their skill by the Book Our case stands thus If we take all our Parishes according to the old Church-constitution to be particular Churches and all the Parishiones to be members then either we must exercise the Discipline which Christ hath commanded or not If not then we disobey our Lord and Master and own such a Church as is utterly uncapable of Church-ends and consequently of the essence seeing that it is a Relative being For it 's supposed that it is not for any unusual accident that we cannot exercise this Discipline but from the very Church constitution or incapacity of the matter And then 1. We shall be Traitours to Christ under the name of Pastours if we will wilfully cast out his Ministerial Kingly Government 2. We shall betray the Church to licentiousness And 3. We shall set up a new Church-way which is contrary to that which hath been practised in all ages from the Apostles daies till Impiety had overspread the Christian world He that dare take on him to be an Overseer and Ruler of the Church and not to oversee and rule it and dare settle on such a church-Church-state as is uncapable of Discipline is so perfidious to Christ and ventureth so boldly to make the Church another thing that I am resolved not to be his follower But if we shall exercise the Discipline of Christ upon all in our ordinary Parishes what work shall we make I will tell you what work from so much experience as that no reasonings can any more perswade me to believe the contrary then that wormwood is not bitter or snow not cold 1. We shall have such a multitude to excommunicate or reject that it will make the sentence grow almost contemptible by the commonness 2. We shall so extreamly enrage the spirits of the people that we shall go in continual danger of our lives Among so many that are publikly reproved and cast out it 's two to one but some desperate villains will be studying revenge But all this is nothing but that which sticks upon my heart is this 3. We shall be the cruellest enemies to the Souls of our poor people in the world and put them the very next step to Hell For as soon as ever we have rejected them and cast them under publique shame they hate us to the heart and either will never heare us more or heare us with so much harted and malice or bitterness of spirit that they are never like to profit by us If you say that doubtless Discipline will have better fruits if it be an Ordinance of God I Answer 1. It 's no time now in the end of the world to question whether that be an Ordinance of God which Scripture speaks for so fully and so plainly and which the Catholike Church hath so long practised and that with such severity as it hath done 2. I know the Discipline is of excellent use and is likely to have excellent effects But upon whom Upon such as are fit to come under Discipline and with
on horsback while you pretend their good you will break their necks No man is safe out of his own ranck and place If the Husbandman know that every sort of plants and graine must have their proper soile and season and the Gardner knoweth that several herbs and flowers must be variously manured or else they will not prosper why should we be less wise in the Work of God As Countrey Schooles are Seminaries to the Academies so the state of Catechumens or Expectants is the Seminary to the Church and the state of Infant Church-membership the Seminary to the state of the Adult into which they must be seasonably and solemnly transplanted when they are ripe and ready and not before Truly our mercifull hastlings do but yoake untamed bullocks that are fitter to strive and tyre themselves then to plow and do but saddle such wild unbroken colts as are liker to break their own and their riders necks then to go the journy which they are designed for In the state of Expectants these men may profit by Preparing Ordinances and the season may come when they may fitly be transplanted But if we put them inter fideles that are infideles among Actual Believers and Adult Church-members that are not such nor prepared for the station we bring them under a Discipline which will exasperate them and turn them to be malignant enemies and undoe them for ever The Disposition of the matter must go before the Reception of the forme For undisposed matter will not receive it As the Operation followeth the Being and the Disposition so we must employ every person and thing in such operations only as their Being and Qualification is capable of and suited to A due placing of all according to their Qualifications is the chiefest part of our Government Misplace but one wheel in your watch and try how it will go If any person or thing be not good in his Own place he will be much worse out of in it the place of his Superiour Fire is better in the chimny then in your bed or upon your Table A good Cleark may make but a sorry Counseller and a good Subject may make but an ill Magistrate And many a man becomes the seat of a Justice that would not become the Princes Throne If you would not undoe mens Souls by a Discipline which they cannot bear let them stay in the Seminary of Expectants till they are ripe for it Object But how do the Churches of France Holland Geneva and Scotland that have exercised Discipline upon all Answ 1. Must I be sent to another Nation to know that which I have made tryall of and attained the certain knowledg of at home I was never in France nor at Geneva and therefore I know not what number of obstinate impenitent scandalous persons are there nor how many that know who Jesus Christ is nor what a Christian or a Church is but I have been in England and I partly know what store of these are there and what usage they will bear and what not 2. Either other Churches have such materials as our Parishes or not If not their cause is none of ours If they have then either they exercise Christs Discipline on them faithfully and impartially or not If not then they are not to be imitated by us in their negligence unfaithfullness or partiality If they do and yet do not undo the people they have not such a people as ours or else they have other means to further their ends 3. The truth is as in France they are but a people gathered from among the Papists whose Church doth drink up most of the scumme so the other Churches 1. Are too lamentably careless partial or defective in executing their own Discipline And if I should come to think it lawfull to forbear the Execution of it upon nineteene I should soone think it lawfull to forbear the twentieth And then what should I think of Scripture and the Canons of the universal Church 2. By this neglect it is that Reformed Churches have contracted the greatest dishonour that is upon them while they are sound in Doctrine and have Learned Pastours able to confound the Romish adversaries but alas too many unmeet Church-members 3. They have and Scotland had till lately the Magistrates Sword to drive men on and force them to submit to Discipline which is not our case nor was the case of the Primitive Church It is not there the Churches censure that doth the work but the Magistrates Sword no more then it was with our Bishops in England 4. And yet what work a little exercise of Discipline made may appear in the case of Calvin at Geneva when for suspending the Sacrament when the people were in enmity he was banished Geneva and their dogs called by the name of Calvin and when the suspending of one Bertelerius could put them all into such a flame Object But fiat Justitia ruat coelum let us trust God with His owne Ordinances we must do our duty what ever come of it Answ This doth but beg the Question Gods Ordinances are not for destruction but edification at least as to the multitude of the ungodly they tend to their Conversion and not to their perdition Is that likely to be Gods Ordinance which certain experience telleth us will put such multituâ—es of men into a hopeless case or next to hopeless Ministers are appointed to make Disciples and gather men to Christ and further their Conversion and not plunge them into a remediless state and to hurry them all unprepared into Church-communion that they may be thrust out againe and brought tâ— hate the Church It 's anothers work to advance them to the Pinacle of the Temple that he may cast them down headlong And I yet never knew the man nor saw his face that practised what this Objection pleads for and exercised Discipline faithfully on a whole Parish Nor do I believe that any man can do it that would unless the Magistrate do it for him For he cannot do it without the peoples consent and if he sentence such to be avoided by the people they will despise his sentence and hold communion with them the more and do as our Drunkards do when one of their Companions is put in the stocks bring him Ale and good cheare and eat and drink and make merry with him if the Magistrate restraine them not Object But Excommunication must not be used till all other remedies will do no good and when all will do no good what good will it do such to be kept under other means Answ To do good for the bringing a man out of that sinne for which he is admonished is one thing and to do good for his Information and Conversion in the maine is another thing It is the use of Discipline to cure men of the particular sinnes that they are reproved for rather then to convert them from a state of wickedness in general 2. Nor
Christians but to give them Infant Priviledges upon the Parents Profession but to require of them a sober serious Profession and Covenanting by themselves in owning their Baptismal Covenant before we number them with Adult-Christians And that God hath suffered the Anabaptists to make such a stirre among us will prove a mercy to us in the End if we have the wit and grace to learn this upon this troublesome occasion and then the Reformation will do us more good then ever the Anabaptists did us harm But if we will not learne nor obey Gods call we must yet looke to be molested by them more or else to do and suffer worse Object 9. But if you will not take a non-renouncing of Christ and Infant Baptism as sufficient without a Personal Covenant and Profession you may on the same grounds call men every week to such a Profession because that the former Profession shews not what they afterwards are but what then they are Answ 1. The case is quite another In your instance it is but the continuance of the same Profession and Condition that is requisite And I am bound to take it as continued while I have no Evidence to question it and see the performance of it as far as belongeth to my cognisance But in my case the Conditions and the Professions are not the same A new Condition of Right is necessary to the Adult which they had not at all in their Infant Baptism Then they entered upon their Parents Faith or Profession but at age they must necessarily have a Faith or Profession of their own or else they actually cease to be Christians 2. And yet let me adde that frequent Professions of Faith and renewing Covenant with God have ever been used in the Church both before Christs Incarnation and since and indeed the Lords Supper doth import it And for my part I thinke it a very convenient edifying course to have the Articles of our Faith every day repeated as the Belief of that Church and the people to stand up at it to signifie their consent so be it you will not take up with this silent Profession alone and exclude a more explicite one when it is requisite But this fitly signifieth our standing to the first Object 10. But this will cast you upon the same difficulties which you Object to the Anabaptists you will not know at what Age to take men for Adult-Christians Answ 1. We shall not accept them for their Age but for their Profession And we can easily tell when they offer themselves to tryal and Profession and desire the Communion of the Church As the Ancient Churches could tell when their Catechumens were to be baptized 2. And for the time when we must judge their Infant church-Church-state to cease if they own not the Covenant personally we cannot set a certaine yeare nor is it necessary but when their Infancy ceaseth then their Infant-state ceaseth That is when they come to the full or competent use of Reason But then observe 1. That if they be called at such a time to profess their Faith and own their Covenant and refuse it then we must judge them refusers of Christianity unless the Reasons of the Refusal allows another judgment 2. Or if they will fully neglect for a considerable space to own their Baptismal Covenant and to seeke a standing among the Adult-Christians it 's a strong presumption that they are Backsliders 3. If they only suspend their personal Profession at age we must only suspend our Judgment till we have some light to discern the cause and cannot be sure that there are Deserters or Apostates 4. But we are sure that they are nor to be numbred by the Church among Adult Christians till they have produced the Evidence of their Title which is no other then A Credible Personal Profession So that it 's easy to know when any such person is to be admitted and publikely owned as an Actual Believer though it be not so easy to discern of all before that time whether they are to be reckoned as Desertours or not He that wilfully neglecteth to come among the Adult Christians long after he hath the full use of Reason which is not with all at the same age is to be much suspected at least And commonly about 16 or 17 or 18 years of age is the time when we have reason to expect that they should seek the Communion and Privilidges of the Adult For about that age they have a competent use of Reason Object 11. But if you admit them into the Church in Infancy say the Anabaptists you will be obliged to excommunicate them all that prove ungodly when they come to age and not to let them silently pass out of the Church again Answ Excommunication is either an excluding them from all Relation of members to the Catholike Church or from the actual Communion of the Church or from both The former we can do but Declaratively In the latter we also adjoyne the charge of God for the execution of the sentence But those that were never personal Professours of Faith nor admitted into the Communion of Adult-Christians are not fit to be cast out of it And this is the common use of Excommunication to remove those as unfit from the Communion of the Adult that once were in it and forfeit that Communion which cannot belong to them that never were in it And for our Declaring them Desertours or Apostates we may do it upon just occasion but we are not bound to do it publikely by all that are guilty this being not the Excommunication that is so enjoyned in the Scriptures Where do you find that the Church in Scripture-times or after was wont to Excommunicate Apostates And yet Apostates were formerly of the Church It is those that hang on and pretend still to be of the Church and intrude into the Actual Communion of it that we must cast out when they deserve it Object 12. But if they cease to be Christians you must Baptize them againe if you will receive them Answ No such matter The Anabaptists themselves will not Rebaptize an Apostate when he returneth to the Church He is to be received by Confession and Absolution and not by Baptism If a Christian turn Turk and afterward Return he is not to be Rebaptized Object 13. But by this means you will unchristen the people and then they will be exasperated and turn Heathens or hearken to any seducers that will mislead them Answ 1. No we will unchristen no man but do that honour to Christianity and that right to the Church and the Soules of men as to make a difference between Christians and Infidels and that somewhat wider then the bare Names He that is a Christian shall be more encouraged by this course and he that is not cannot be unchristened by us If men will not unchristen themselves they need not fear lest the just trying and approving of their Christianity should unchristen them 2. How little
of us into Christs militia abusing Baptism as being but an entering us into his Family and not his warfare All this is nothing to that which I am pleading for and which the protestant writers do wish for Object 18. At least you will revive the Prelatical Confirmation againe which the old non-conformists were against Answ We will revive nothing of it but what was good The corruption we shall omit They did it but on a few contrary to their own Laws but we would have it used to all They Confirmed children that understood not what they said But we shall expect an understanding Profession of Faith They did it in a hurry as an idle Ceremony we would have it done deliberately and with great reverence The Bishop only did it with them that knew not whom he did Confirm but ventured on other mens words or without But we would have the Pastour do it that knoweth the persons and hath time to try them having one Parish and not two hundred to oversee Object But at least the Papists and Prelats will be hardened or encouraged by your coming so neare them Answ I will not cast off the Work of God because that any will make it an occasion of sinne And I take it to be the more my duty and not the less because it tends to Peace with all I take it not to be any part of my Religion to study how to cross my brethren or forbeare a practice yea so necessary a duty because they like it I detest that principle and spirit I rather feare lest their own selfconceitedness interest prejudice and discontent will make them dislike it Object 19. What have we to do with the signe when the thing that occasioned the use of it is ceased Imposition of hands was at first only for the gift of Miracles Answ 1. It was much for the gift of Miracles but not only And if the giving of one sort of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost be ceased yet the other more excellent and necessary gifts continue and therefore no reason the signe should cease because it was not appropriated to the gift of Miracles But 2. If any man scruple either the signe of Imposing hands or the Name of Confirmation we desire him his liberty these are not the things that we contend for Let him but yield us that which I have shewed to be most Certaine and most usefull to the Church that is a solemn Transition out of an Infant church-Church-state into an Adult under Approbation of the Pastours and the just cognisance of tâ—e Church and let him call it what he will I shall not much contend with him about the name or signe of Imposition Object 20. Abundance of Ministers are raw imprudent young men and not fit to manage so great a trust and so it will marre all while some are so strict that they will refuse all that seem not godly to their censorious minds and some will be loose man-pleasers and let in all and turn it but to an unprofitable formality Answ 1. While men are men they will act as men If we shall have no Church-Ordinances and Administrations till you are secured from humane abuse of them you must shut up the Church doors and give up all and shut up your Bibles till Papists and Infidels can find no matter of cavelling at the Translation 2. As I said before this indeed should provoke the Magistrate to set a faithfull guard on the Church doores that seeing the Pastours have so great a Trust and the danger of abusing it is so great the worthiest should be chosen that can be had And if it be not so you reproach your selves that are choosers and Pastours and have the Rule Why choose you not better if you know where to find them 3. This Objection is as much against our Judging of those that are to be Baptized which yet the Ministers that did Baptize have ever done and were you not Baptized already we must admit you and judge who is to be admitted as the ancient Preachers of the Gospel did 4. The Episcopal Bâ—ethren had more wit then to be against Confirmation because one man may use it too strictly and another too loosely The Congregational men are not against Church-â—ovenants or Professions because one Pastour or Church may be too strict and another too loose in judging of mens Piety The Presbyterians are not against Trying men before admission to the Lords Supper nor against Discipline because one Eldership may be too strict and another too loose The Anabaptists are not against Rebaptizing men at age because one Minister may refuse the fit and another may take in all that come Why then should a possibility of Ministers miscarriage cause you to be more against this then all the rest 5. If Ministers be Associated they will be accountable for such miscariages and the Advise and Admonition of their Brethren may do much to prevent or reform such abuses And the faithfull people of their charge will somewhat observe them and bid Archippus take heed to the Ministry that he hath received in the Lord that he fulfill it Col. 4. 17. 6. As long as you are not forced into our charge but have your Liberty to choose your Pastour as now it is you have the less reason for this complaint If the Laws of Zeno or Plato be thought too strict in their Schooles as long as the Schollars may choose to come there and all volunteers they may the better beare it 7. As I said before the trust must be put in some or other to judge And where can it be fitter then in them who by study are prepared and by office appointed by Christ hereunto 8. If you will give a Presbytery or one Eminent Minister in every market-Town or visiters of your own appointment a special care to oversee the rest in doing this and such like works I shall be no gainsayer so the work be but done the more inspection and circumspection the better 9 If one Minister refuse the fit there be many more that will not 10 Your Commissioners may have power moderately to correct the Mâ—nisters abuses in their work But because I perceive that Rulers are unreasonably jealous lest the Pastours of the Church will do too much rather then left they do too little and are more solicitous to use the bridle of restraint then the spurre of instigation I intreate them to consider these things 1. That most certainly there is no part of all our Ministry that stirs up neer so much ill will passion malice yea and persecutions against us as this part about taking in and casting out and exercising the Keyes of the Kingdom in which you are so jealous of us 2. And alas Ministers are flesh and Blood as well as others and all of them too tender of their Interest of Profit Reputation and Ease which are all contradicted notably by this work Do you think Ministers will be so hot on it to have their
and proved them to be Christ's Disciples No man knew the hearts of others and therefore knew not whom to Love as Christians infallibly discerned But the Profession of Saving Faith and Holiness being then and ever the test of Adult-members they took all the members of the Visible Church as credibly of the invisible though with different degrees of Credibility And accordingly they loved them all with a Christian special Love of the same species though with different degrees of that Love Whereas this Popish new found trick of making a new common sort of Faith and Visible membership that hath no respect to saving Faith doth teach all Christians to Love the members of the Visible Church but with a common love and relieve and help them but with a common Charity And so the device is to confine our special Brotherly Love and Charity to a corner of the Visible Church to a few whom we will please to think to be godly I have oft marvelled in observing some Learned Divines that bend that way that they think compassion and Christian Charity is on their side What Charity can their Doctrine glory of They will be so mercifull to Infidels that are uncapable of a church-Church-state as to plead them into the Church and when they are there they leave them under the curse and in a state of damnation in their own judgments teaching us to judge uncharitably of the Visible Church in general for their sakes and to look on them as without respect to any saving grace and so without any special Love A cold comfort I to bring them into no more capacity of Gods Mercy nor of our Charity but into much more capacity of aggravated damnation which they might better have prevented by being kept in their proper station till they were capable of more I confess though my belief of mens Profession have different degrees as I see in them different degrees of Credibility yet I have Charitabler thoughts of the members of the Visible Church then these that make so low and miserable a description of them And though I know that there are abundance among them that are Hypocrites and unsanctified yet know I none but Saints and Hypocrites that are tolerable in the Church nor will I accuse particular persons of Hypocrisie till I have cause Neither in my secret or open censures will I pluck up the tares upon any such terms as will not stand with the safety of the wheate but rather let them grow together in my esteeme in the Church till the time of harvest And that I may think charitably of the Church and walk charitably in and towards it therefore I would not have it consist of such notorious ungodly or heretical men as are uncapable objects of Christian Brotherly Love For Heresie the foresaid learned Brother tells us that it cuts men off from the Church I say so to meritoriously at least if by Heresie be meant the exclusion of any essential Article of the Christian Faith But pag. 199 where he saith the Controversie may be easily ended by parting stakes viz. that some Heresie which absolutely denyeth some particular fundamental truth and taketh up some one or few stones thereof is consistent with Church interest and other Heresie which raiseth up the very foundation of Religion denying most or the most chief if not all of the Articles of our Christian Faith is inconsistent therewith I must humbly but very confidently say that this answer will not serve the turne If by Fundamentals be meant as commonly the Essential Articles of Christian Faith then the absolute denying of any one Article doth prove that person to be no Christian nor capable of a Church state For the form is wanting where any Essential part is wanting But if any thing else be meant by Fundamentals no man can decide the Controvesie by it till it be known what it is And it will be hard to fasten it on any thing where the absolute denyal of many points shall unchurch and the absolute denial of one or two points of the same rank and kind not do it Saith he p. 198. The Jews held that an heretical Isralite had no communion with the Church of Israel and why but because Communion supposeth union and union with Israel or the true Church is lost with Faith They also held as Selden noteth that an Israelite turning an Heretike i. e. denying any of the thirteene fundamental Articles to be as an Heathen man And a few lines before he saith that historical Faith which hath the Doctrine of Faith for its Object none do doubt to be an Essential requisite to a true Church-member Yet that with me is a Visible member that hath not this much which is said to be Essential no man doubting of it If they Profess true Faith though they are stark Atheists at the heart and have not so much as historical Faith I shall believe them till they nullifie their own Profession But if they profess not also to consent to have Christ to be their Saviour I shall not take it for a Profession of Christianity Certain I am that the ancient Doctours with one consent did look on the baptized generally as pardoned justified and adopted and therefore thought that Visible Church-membership did imply a credibility at least of a state of saving grace Saith Cyprian Epist 76. Magn. In Baptismo unicuique peccata sua remittuntur And upon this supposition run the Arguments of the councell of Carthage and Firmilian Epist ibid. Saith Augustine De Catechizandis rudibus cap. 26. His dictis interrogandus est an haec credat atque observare desideret Quod cum responderit solemniter utique signandus est ecclesiae more tractandus Obedience it self was promised and a consent to it professed before Baptism then and ever since Christian Baptism was known Idem Epistol 119. Ad Januar. cap. 2. Secundum hanc fidem spem dilectionem quâ caepimus esse sub gratia jam commortui sumus cum Christo consepulti per baptismum in morte c. Baptism then supposeth credibly Faith Hope and Love Idem Epist 23. Having shewed why Parents Faith profiteth Infants and yet their after-sins hurt them not saith Cum autem homo sapere caeperit non illud Sacramentum repetit sed intelligit ejusque veritati consonâ etiam voluntate coaptabitur Hoc quamdiu non potest N. B. valebit Sacramentum ad ejus tutelam adversus contrarias potestates tantum valebit utsi ante rationis usum ex hac vita emigraverit per ipsum Sacramentum Ecclesiae charitate ab illa condemnatione quae per unum hominem intravit in mundum Christiano adjutorio liberetur Hoc qui non credit fieri non posse arbitratur profecto infidelis est etsi habeat fidei Sacramentum longeque melior est ille parvulus qui etiamsi fidem nondum habeat in cogitatione non ei tamen obicem contrariae cogitationis opponit undè Sacramentum
Work and 1. on Ministers 1. We should Agree upon an unanimous performance 2. In those Agreements we must leave men to their Liberty in all unnecessary modes and circumstances 3. In taking mens profession we must avoid both extreams viz. Loose formality and overmuch 4. What course must be taken with all our Parishe where some have without a Personal Approved Profession already been admitted to the Lords Supper and some not particularly opened 5. We must require of all the notoriously ungodly a Penitent Confession in order to Absolution as well as a Profession of Faith and future obedience 6. Delegates to be chosen by particular Churches to meet with the Pastours for those and other Church-affaires 7. The Pastours and Churches should be all Associated and the Churches that we hold Communion with differenced from the rest that those that are Confirmed and Received by them may be capable of Communion with all 8. We must be diligent in publike and private Teaching the Catechumens and walk inoffensively condescendingly and vigilantly among them 2. The Duty of the People especially the Godly in order to this Work 3. The Magistrates Duty hereto 1. To cause those People that are unfit for Church-Communion to live quietly in the state of Expectants and to submit to publique and personal Instruction and Catechizing to prepare them 2. To compel Ministers thus to Teach and Catechize them and see that great Parishes have so many Teachers as may be able to do it Reasons for compelling us 3. To lay some penalty on all Pastors that will not guide the Church by Discipline as well as preach Not forbidding them to be Preachers but to be Pastours and administer Sacraments that will not do it as Christ hath appointed To these ends it may do well for the Magistrate to have his Agent or Church-Justice to joyne in the Church-meetings and to inform the Commissioners for Ejection who may be impowred hereunto 4. To promote and command the Associations and correspondencies of Pastours and Churches With what limitations and to what ends 5. It would much further this Work if Visitours were appointed in all parts to see it done or put on Ministers Not that any Ministers should have a Power of silencing suspending c. But to let a Civil Visitor and a Visitor of the Ministry be still joyned together and let the Minister have only a power to perswade and the other as a Magigistrate to compell or to bring the causes which are exempt from his power to the Superiour Commissioners 6. It 's the unquestionable Duty of Magistrates not to drive men to Church-Communion that are unmeet but to restraine Seducers from taking advantage of their discontents and drawing them away while they remaine Expectants Ten Reasons that deserve the serious consideration of the Magistrate that shew the great Necessity of this his Moderate assistance for keeping of deceivers especially Papists and containing the prophane and ignorant people in quietness and submission to instruction in an expectant state till they are fit for Church-Communion 7. To satisfie the Magistrate that is afraid of persecution certain Regulations of Toleration are propounded 1. Let all that pretend scruple of submitting to the personal or publique Instruction of the Teacher of the Parish where he lives be compelled to submit to some one else who may give it under his hand that he takes that care of him 2. Let Commissioners be appointed according to the Laws given them to guard the door of Toleration as now they are to guard the door of publique Allowance and Maintenance and let none be Tolerated to preach or openly perswade though for nothing that have not an Instrument of Licence sealed by these Commissioners Or else Blasphemers and Heathens may preach for all your Laws against them 3. Let those that have a sealed Toleration be as responsible to the Commissioners for their violating the Laws of their Toleration as we are for breaking the Laws that bind us and let their Toleration be forfeitable as well as our Maintenance Reasons for this To conclude if as before the daies of William the Conquerour Magistrates and Ministers might sit together the Ministers having no power but to perswade and the Magistrate the sole power of Compulsion and so 1. Approvers keep the door of Toleration 2. A Church Justice or Agent of the Magistrates keep the peace of every Church or Parish 3. And the Civil and Ministerial Visiters aforesaid shall be appointed to take Cognisance of the state of Parishes 4. And the Commissioners for Ejection of scandalous Ministers be equally enabled to eject the scandalous and blasphemous from their Toleration the Magistrate might assist us without danger of persecution CONFIRMATION AND RESTAURATION The necessary means of REFORMATION And RECONCILIATION Quest Whether those that were Baptized in Infancy should be admitted to the Priviledges proper to Adult Church-members without Confirmation or Restauration by an Approved Profession of Personal Faith and Repentance Neg. THough the distempers of the Churches of Christ in England are not so great as the Popish adversaries or some discontented Brethren do pretend nor as some inconsiderate lamenters of our condition do imagine who observe less our enjoyments then our wants and that have not the faculty of discerning our true Agreements where there is any difference but think that many things are wanting that are not because they cannot find them Yet is our discomposure such as the wisest have cause to mourn for and all of us should contribute our endeavours to redress And for the accomplishment of this blessed Work two things must be done The first is to Discover the Principles that must Reform and heal us if ever we be healed and to acquaint the world with the necessary means The second is to concur for the execution in the application and use of the Remedie when it is discovered The first is a work that is usually done best by a few at first Though the more Receive and Approve of the discovery the better it will be brought into use But it 's here saith Pemble as in discerning a thing a farre off where one clear eye will see further then many that are dimme and the greatest conjunction of unfurnished intellects affords not so much assistance for the Discovery as the greater sight of a few may do But in the executive part there must be many hands to the work If the Pastours and people do not consent it cannot be accomplished and if they barely consent and be not up and doing Discoveries will lie dead and nothing will go on And if the Christian Magistrate afford not his assistance his Guilt will be great and the work will go the more heavily on Though all the body be not an Eye and therefore be not as good at Discovering as the Eye is yet must each member perform its own office and none be idle or withdraw its helpe because it is not an Eye but all must execute by the Guidance of the
me to say but little for the Confirmation of it Arg. 1. The Church cannot judge of things unknown Non entium non apparentium eadem est ratio Not to appear and not to be is all one as to the judgment of the Church We are not searchers of the heart and therefore we must judge by the discoveries of the heart by outward signes Arg. 2. If Profession of Faith were not necessary Coram Ecclesiâ to mens Church-membership and Priviledges then Infidels and Heathens would have Right as was said in the former case and also the Church and the world would be confounded and the Church would be no Church But these are consequents that I hope no Christians will have a favourable thought of and therefore they should reject the Antecedent Arg. 3. It is a granted case among all Christians that Profession is thus necessary the Apostles and Ancient Churches admitted none without it nor no more must we Though all require not the same manner of Profession yet that Profession it self is the least that can be required of any man that layeth claim to Church Priviledges and Ordinances proper to Adult members this we are all agreed in and therefore I need not adde more proof where I find no Controversie But yet as commonly as we are agreed on this yet because it is the very point which most of the stress of our present Disputation lieth on it may not be amiss to foresee what may possibly be Objected by any new comers hereafter Object Perhaps some may say 1. That we find no mention of Professions required in Scripture 2. It is not probable that Peter received a Profession from those thousands whom he so suddenly Baptized 3 Our Churches have been true Churches without such a Profession personally and distinctly made therefore it may be so still To these briefly yet satisfactorily 1. The Scripture gives us abundant proof that a plain Profession was made in those times by such as were baptized at Age and so admitted by reason of their ripeness and capacity into the Church and to the speciall Communion and Priviledges of the Adult at once To say much of the times of the old Testament or before Christ would be but to interrupt you with less pertinent things Yet there it is apparent that all the people were solemnly engaged in Covenant with God by Moses more then once and that this was renewed by Joshua and other godly Princes and that Asa made the people not only enter into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their hearts and with all their Soul But that whosoever would not seek him should be put to death whether smal or great man or woman And they sware to the Lord with a loud voice and with shoutings and with trumpets and with cornets 2 Chron. 15. 12 13 14. So following Princes called the people to this open Covenanting But this is not all To take the Lord only to be their God with the rest of the Law was the very essence of an Isarelites Religion which they did not only openly Profess but excessively sometimes glory in As Circumcision sealed the Covenant and therefore supposed the Covenant to Infants and aged whoever were circumcised so had they many sorts of Sacrifice and other worship in which they all were openly to profess the same Religion and Covenant Many Purifications also and Sanctifyings of the people they had and many figures of the Covenant I am the Lord thy God c. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me c. was the tenour of the Covenant which every Israelite expressly and by frequent acts professed to consent to The Law is called a Covenant which all were to own and avouch the Lord to be their God and themselves his people See Deut. 26. 17 18. chap. 29. 10 11 14 c. 2 King 23. 3. 2 Chron. 23. 3 16. chap. 29. 10. Ezr. 10. 3. Neh. 9. 38. Psal 50. 5. Ezek. 20. 37. Jer. 50. 5. Isa 56. 4 5. Exod. 34. 27. Psal 103. 18. 25. 10. 18. 10 c. And yet I hope no Chhistian would wish that we should deal no more openly and clearly with God the Church and our selves in daies of Gospel Light and worship then the Jews were to do in their darker state under obscure Types and shadows We find that when John Baptist set up his Ministry he caused the people to Cenfess their sinnes Matth. 3. 6. And if we confess our sinnes God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1 Joh. 1. 19. And whereas some say that John Baptized them that he calleth a Generation of Vipers I Answer 1. We will believe that when they prove it It seems rather that he put them back 2. If he did Baptize them it was not till they Confessed their sinnes before that all did and it seems by his charge till they promised to bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3. 8. Christ would not have so instructed Nicodemus in the Nature and necessity of Regeneration before he was a Disciple if a Professed or Apparent preparation had not been necessary Nor would he ordinarily have taught men the Necessity of denying themselves and forsaking all for a treasure in Heaven with such like if they would be his Disciples if the Profession of so doing had not been Necessary to their visible Discipleship I grant that so full a Profession was not made before Christs Resurrection as after For many Articles of our Belief were afterward made Necessary And the Apostles themselves were unacquainted with what the weakest Christian did afterwards believe But still the Essentials of Faith then Necessary in existence to mens Justification were Necessary in Profession â—â— mens visible Christianity or Church-membership As to those Acts. 2. 37. c. It is plain that they made an open Profession if you Consider 1. That they were openly told the Doctrine which they must be baptized into if they did consent 2. It is said They that gladly received that word were baptized 3. It is certain therefore that they first testified their glad reception of the Word 4. We may not imagine that Peter was God or knew the hearts of all those thousands and therefore he must know it by their Profession that they gladly received the Word 5. Their own mouths cry out for advice in order to their Salvation 6. It had been absurd for the Apostles to attempt to baptize men that had not first professed their Consent 7. The Scripture gives us not the full historical Narration of all that was said and done in such Cases but of so much as was Necessary 8. The Institution and Nature of the Ordinance tells us that Baptism could not be administred without a Profession to the Adult For they were to be Baptzed into the Name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and therefore were to profess that they believed in Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Yea the very receiving of
a point as the Covenant that men make with Christ We have wares that deserve the light and need not a dark shop We have a Master that we need not be affraid or ashamed explicitly and publickly to confess It beseemes not so high and honourable a Profession as that of a Christian to be lapt up in obscurity Such a Glorious state as Sonneship to God to be an Heir of Heaven c. should be entered into with great solemnity and owned accordingly at our first rationall acceptance and acknowledgment Kings are Crowned more solemnly then poor men take possession of their cottages Christ will be ashamed of them before the Angels that are ashamed of him before men and will confess them before his Father that confess him before men Christianity is not a game to be plaid under board Why then should any be against an open Professing and Covenanting with Christ If it be needfull that we Covenant certainly the plainest and most explicite Covenanting is the best And what will be his portion that hath a male in his flock and offereth the worst yea the halt and blind to God Let us therefore deal as openly and plainly and understandingly in the Covenant of God as we can and not contrive it in the greatest darkness that is consistent with the Essence of a Church Nay let us not tempt men to unchurch us or separate from us by leaving our cause to such Arguments as this such a man sitteth among other hearers in the Congregation therefore he maketh a Profession of the Christian Faith lest they think it followeth not therefore he seemeth to understand the Christian Faith much less he Professeth it especially when it 's known that so many understand it not and that the Papists in their writings maintain it lawfull for them to be present at our Assemblies and Infidels tell us that they can hear any man and do come thither Nehemiah caused the Jewsto subscribe the Covenant and seal it c. 9 v 38. Even under the Law it was the character of visible Saints to make a Covenant with God by Sacrifice Psal 50. 5. At least now God hath caused us to pass under the Rod. Let us yield to be brought under the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. 37. And let us as weeping Israel and Judah Seek the Lord our God and ask the way to Zion with our faces thitherward saying come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Jer. 50 4 5. Let us take hold of his Covenant and choose the things that please him that he may bring us into his holy Mountain and make us joyfull in his house of Prayer and our Sacrifices may be accepted on his Altar Isa 56. 4 6 7. Are not these the daies of which it is said Isa 44. 3 4 5. I will poure water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit on thy seed and my blessing on thine offspring and they shall spring as among the grass as willows by the water courses One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel I would have as little Covenanting for doubtfull or needless or mutable things in Church or State as is possible but in the great things of our Salvation even the Essence of Christianity we cannot be bound too fast nor deal too understandingly and openly with God Prop. 6. It is not every kind of Profession that is the Condition or necessary qualification of those that are to be admitted to the Priviledges of Adult members but such a Profession as God hath made necessaery by his express Word and by the Nature of the Object and the Vses and Ends to which be doth require it THe Negative is not controverted among us If any were so quarrelsom or ignorant it 's easily proved And I shall do it briefly but satisfactorily in the opening of the Affirmative I have proved in my first Disputation of Right to Sacraments which I desire the Reader that would have further satisfaction to peruse the Necessity of these following Qualifications of this Profession 1. In General as to the Object of our Faith it must be a Profession of true Christianity and no less It must be a Profession of our entertainment both of the Truth of the Gospel and of the Good therein Revealed and offered More particularly it must be a Profession that we believe in God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost as to the Nature persons and works which they have done or undertaken for us Yet more particularly and explicitly It must be a Profession 1. That we Believe in God the Father and so the pure Deity as our Creatour Soveraign and chief Good who gave us the Law of Nature by breaking of which we have lost our selves and all our part in Everlasting Life 2. That we Believe in Jesus Christ God and Man that taking our Nature fulfilled the Law overcame the Devil dyed as a Sacrifice for our sinnes Rose again and conqured death ascened into Heaven where he is Lord of all and the King Prophet and Priest of his Church in Glory with the Father That he hath offered himself with Pardon and Eternal Life to all that will accept him on his terms and that he will come again at last to Raise us from death and judge the world and Justifie his Saints and bring them to Eternal Glory and cast the wicked into utter misery 3. That we Believe in God the Holy Ghost that Inspired the Prophets and Apostles to deliver and confirm the Word of God and who is the Sanctifier of all that shall be saved illuminating their understandings changing their hearts and lives humbling them for their sinne and misery causing them to believe in Christ the Remedie and heartily and thankfully accept him Possessing them with an hearty Love of God and a heavenly mind and a hatred of sinne and Love of Holiness and turning the principal bent of their hearts and lives to the Pleasing of God and the attaining of Eternal Life This much must be believed and the Belief of this much must be somehow Professed 2. As to the Acts of the thing Professed it must be not only the naked Assent of the Understanding but both this Assent that the Gospel is true and a Consent of the Will to take God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost to the forementioned Ends in the forementioned Relations and to give up our selves unfeignedly to him renouncing the flesh the world and the Devil 3. As to the Nature of the Profession it self 1. It must in General be Credible For no man is bound to Believe that which is Incredible The words are the signs of the mind and as such they are to be uttered and received If they be contrary to the mind they are false and
into an Infant or Adult church-Church-state do joyn themselves into a neer Relation to Christ And will Christ have men married to him and made his children and members and servants without his Approbation of them or against his particular will 2. All that thus come into the Church or are restored and claim Church-priviledges do expect and claime the Benefits of Christ and the greatest benifits in the world And shall any man have Christs great and precious Benefits against his will and without his Approbation It may be you 'l say that he hath already expressed his consent in the free Promise of the Gospel to all believers I Answer He hath so to Believers but he hath done it only to Believers and he hath not said in the Gospel that you are a Believer Object But it 's sufficient that my own Conscience beare me witnes I Answer It is so as to all matters of Conscience that are to be transacted only between God and you as about your Justification and Glorification c. And yet in this case Ministerial Absolution is a great means to help the Peace of your Consciences But where the Minister hath to do with you by Administrations and the Church hath to do with you in the way of Communion there they must know what they do and why and must have some expression of what you say your Conscience testifieth to you And the Consequence of the Major is plain that if it belongs thus to Christ to approve then it belongs to his Ministers 1. Because he appointeth not personally on earth nor useth or approveth any other way to signifie his own Approbation of you in particular for a Church-state and Priviledges 2. Because he hath expresly intrusted his Ministers with this Power as to speak to men in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5. 19. So to espouse them to Christ their husband that we may present them a chast Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. Yea and hereupon they are to give up themselves to the Lord first and to us by the Will of God 2 Cor. 8. 5. Christs Ministers are his Agents or Embassadours as to solicite men in his Name to be Reconciled to him so to Approve them in his Name and tell them that he is Reconciled to them And therefore they are to deliver Himself his Body and Blood in his Name to them in the Lords Supper and to bind and loose in his Name and whatsoever they loose on earth according to his Promise shall be loosed in Heaven So much of his work doth Christ by his Officers And even mens first Faith is a Believing the Preacher and Christ by them Acts 8. 12. They believed Philip preaching c. Arg. 12. To whomsoever the Labour belongeth to them the Power of doing it belongeth But it is to Ministers that the Labour of trying and judging of such Professions and Qualifications belongeth Therefore it is to Ministers that the power belongeth The Major is undoubted for else we must be bound by God to do that which we have no Power or Authority to do and others must have Power to do it and not be bound to it which are both senseless The Minor I prove 1. From the frequent Commands of Scripture that lay this burden on the Ministers but not Magistrates or People in the way that 's now in Question All the directions and Canons which Paul giveth to Timothy Titus to the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20. and other Pastours together with the Exhortations to performance and terrible charges given them to be faithfull do shew that it 's they that must do the work 2. From common consent all would have the honour and Power but who besides the Pastours would have the work and care and severe Obligations to perform it Will Magistrates or all the people undertake it to try and judge of the Professions of every man that enters upon Adult Church-membership or Priviledges of such as are to be restored They that will undertake this work must attend it and give themselves wholly to it and conferre with the persons and do so much work as our people would be hardly brought to do if they were able It 's unexperienced Rashness and perversness that makes them so jealous of the Ministers Power in such cases and some of them to reproach us for it Ah blind unthankful Souls Do you know what the Ministry and this Power is It is a power to be the servants of all a power to spend and be spent even for the unthankfull It 's a Power to do the most toylsome and displeasing work to flesh and blood one of them in the world such as flesh calls a very drudgery I profess unfeignedly that iâ— God had left it to my choice and I should consult with flesh and blood I had rather preach twice or thrice a week for nothing and do no more then to have this Power a duty of judging and governing this one Parish though I had for it many hundred pounds a year Nothing doth bring so much trouble upon us as that Power which unthankfull persons scorn at I had rather if I might consult with flesh and blood be advanced to the Power of holding or driving plow for you if not of sweeping your streets Though yet because of Gods interest and the ends of the work I count it the happiest life in the world And do you grudg us such a Power as this Would you grudg me the Power of threshing your corn Or will you grudg a Physician the Power of judging of your disease and the Remedy to save your life Or a School master the Power of examining and teaching your children Do the work and take the Power if you are able and can go through with it and spare not Arg. 13. It is only the Ministers of Christ that are Able and Capable to receive the Power and do the work and therefore it is they only that have Authority thereto Nothing but the Antecedent needs proofe And that I prove by three several Enablements which Ministers have and others waâ—t 1. Ministers only have ability of Mind for the work of this tryal and Approbation Here I speak of them Ordinarily and I have these grounds for it 1. God hath commanded that the most knowing able faithfull holy men shall be destinated to this work 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. c. And therefore it is supposed that usually they are such or else it 's the shame of the Magistrate that should see to it 2. It 's they only that set themselves a part to the work and study from their youth for the accomplishments that are requisite unless here and there one of other sorts And men are likeliest to be understanding in that which they have all their daies set themselves to study 3. We see by experience that they are the most able unless it be alas how few here and there a godly studious Gentleman or other person who are most of them too blame that they
where all the Body is a Head and an Eye 10. If People or Magistrates will oblige the Ministers by their Power whom they shall Baptize Confirm or Absolve and what Profession they shall accept then must the People and Magistrates undertake to Answer it before God and to bear all the blam and punishment if we miscarry in obedience to them And truly if they dare undertake this we should gladly accept of the condition with a thousand thankes if we could but be sure that God would give us leave and thus acquit us and accept of our service on these terms O then how easy a thing were it to obey rather then to Rule So much for the Power of the Ministers in this and other such like worke 2. When the Question is Whether such a Professor be fit for our own Communion or not and whether it be our duty to avoid him or not then the People have a Judgment of Discretion Not a Governing Judgment as the Pastours have but a Judgment that must be the Immediate Guide of their Actions Yet this is to be thus exercised They are to look to Gods Word as the Rule and to trust that with a Divine Faith They are also to look at the Judgment and Directions of the Pastours that are their authorized Guides and to trust them as the Officers of Christ For the Word is their Regulating Guide the Pastours are their authorized Directing Guides and their own Understandings are their Immediate Discerning Guides So that they must not be wise in their own conceits nor leane to their own Understanding without the use of Scripture and Ministery but use their Understandings for the improvement of these So that if they know not that the Postours of the Church do mislead them contrary to the Word of God they cannot deny them obedience For the command to obey them is unquestionable Or if they have not a grounded strong presumption or probability of it they may not suspend their obedience but must leave the Pastours to the work of their Office and trust them in it and avoid those whom they reject and hold communion with those whom they accept and introduce confirm or restore But in case they know that a Pastour leadeth them into sinne they are not to follow him and if they have just ground for a strong suspicion of it they must suspend and consult with other Pastours and get full information For Christian People are not to be Ruled as beasts but as the Children of God and must understand what they are required to do and why as being free Subjects though Subjects in the Kingdom of Christ and to be governed accordingly 3. When the Question is Whether Ministers are to be punished for abusing their Power Receiving or Rejecting men to the injurie of the Church and contrary to the Word of God here the Magistrate is the Judge For as forcing or punishing corporally is his work so he must be the Judge where he is the executioner or else he should be forced to go against his own Judgment and to be a meer servile executioner which were to him an insufferable injury But here 1. The Magistrate must not give the Minister a Law to Govern the Church by unless the determination of circumstantial appendants but must see that we Govern it according to the Word of God our only and sufficient Rule 2. And he must not be over busy nor unnecessarily intermeddle in the works of another Office nor be too confident of his own Understanding in the matters of the Pastours work as if he knew better then they 3. But he must correct or cast out those Ministers that will not obey the Word of God Punishing us for breaking the old Rule and not making new Rules for us is their work so be it he can procure a better supply 4. In this case if the Magistrates Judgment be right he doth his duty and Ministers must obey him If he erre he may be guilty of persecution in hindering good under pretence of punishing evil If his errour tend not to the destruction or great and certain hurt of the Church the Ministers whom he casteth out are bound to obey him and give place to others and bestow their labours in some other Country or in some other kind at home But if his errour lead him to destructive persecution we must Passively submit but not Actively or Negatively obey him but must preach as long as we are able and do our duty till by prison or death he stop us in the exercise Prop. 10. To this Ministerial Approbation of the Profession and Qualification of the expectant there is to be adjoyned a Ministerial Investiture or Delivery of the Benefit expected THis is the proper work of the Ministers of Christ He that is Himself in the Heavenly Glory hath left his Spirit within to draw men to him and his Ministers without to Deliver up the Counter-covenant on his part in his Name and to espouse them to Christ and to Accept them in his Name and stead And this Investiture is one of the principal parts of the Nature and use of Sacraments which all have not fully Considered of The Papists tell us of seven Sacraments Baptism Confirmation Pennance Orders the Eucharist Matrimony and Extream Unction Calvin sticks not to yield them three The name Sacrament being not in Scripture but of meer Ecclesiastik use and being a word that will stretch I distinguish between three sorts of Sacraments 1. For any Divine Institution which notably signifieth Spiritual Grace And so though I think Extream Unction none as being now no duty yet I doubt not but there 's more then seaven 2. For any solemn Investiture of a person by Ministerial Delivery in a state of Church-priviledges or some special Gospel-mercy And so I grant that there are five Sacraments Baptism Confirmation Absolution the Lords Supper and Odination As a man that delivereth Possession of a house doth deliver the Key to him that enters and as we are Invested in the Possession of land by the delivery of a twig and turfe and as Ministers were wont to be invested or have Induction into the Churches by giving them the Books and the Bell-ropes and as women were wont to be married with a ring and as a Prince doth Knight a man by a sword so Christ by his Ministers doth first by Baptism Invest us in our church-Church-state and Infant-priviledges and by Confirmation confirm us in our Church-state and Invest us with a Right to the Priviledges of the Adult and by Absolution reinvest us in the Priviledges that we had forfeited and by the Lords Supper Deliver to us Christ and his Benefits for our ordinary nourishment and growth in Grace and by Ordination he Investeth the pardon ordained with Ministerial Power 3. But taking the word Sacrament in that strictest sence as our Divines define a Sacrament as it is an outward signe of Christs Institution for the obsignation of the full Covenant of
any from whence they may fetch matter of reproach against the Pastours and Ordinances among us 10. Another sort there are that are deeply possest with a conceit that God having determined before we are borne whether we shall be saved or not it is in vaine to strive for if we be predestinated we shall be saved what ever we do and if we be not we shall not what ever we do and that we can do nothing of our selves nor have a good thought but by the Grace of God and if God will give it us we shall have it and the Devil cannot prevaile against him but if he will not give it us it 's in vaine to seek it for it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth Mercy and therefore they give up themselves to security and ungodliness because they cannot do nothing of themselves And thus by misunderstanding some Texts of Scripture and abusing some Truths of God they are hardened in ungodliness thinking that all is long of God and they will not so much as promise Reformation nor promise to use the means because they say they cannot tell whether God will put it into their hearts and it is all as he will 11. Besides these there is one or two honest ignorant Professours that are turned Anabaptists and joyne with the Church of them in the next Parish 12. And some Papists are among us and whether only those that stay from the Assemblies I cannot say Of these twelve sorts of People this Parish is composed which I therefore mention that the state of our Parishes may be truly known while others are compared with this For every one hath not had the opportunities which I have had to know all their people or the most And now if all these are fit to go for Christians then must we make a new kind of Christianity and a new Gospel and a new Christ And if all these are fit to be Church-members then we must make a new kind of Churches And why then may not those be Christians and Church-members that never heard of the Name of Christ as well as many of these 2. By this untried Entrance of all sorts into our Churches we bring a dishonour on the very Christian Name and so on the Lord Jesus himself and on his Gospel and holy waies Christianity is not a matter of meer Opinion Christ came not into the world only to perswade men to have high thoughts of him but to save his people from their sinnes and to destroy the works of the Devil And when the Church of Christ shall be turned into a den of thieves or a sty of swine what a great dishonour is it to the Lord As if we would perswade the world that his servants are no holier then others and differ but in an Opinion from the world Christ needeth not Disciples and therefore will not take in all that refuse to come upon his terms but hath fixed his terms and will have only those that will yield to them Though I abhorre the rigor of the contrary extreame that would make the Church narrower then it is and pinne it up in so small a number as would tempt men to doubt of Christianity it self and teacheth men to exclude their bretheren meerly because they are themselves uncharitable Judges when they are not able to disprove their Profession yet must I also detest this horrible dishonouring of the Lord as if his Body were no better than the army of the Devil 3. And by this means the Heathens Jews Mahometans and all Infidels are exceedingly hindred from believing in Christ when they can say as the Turks when men question their fidelity what dost thou think I am a Christian He that knows any thing of Religious affaires knoweth that commonly the first thing that draweth men to any party is the liking of the Persons and their Practices from whence they grow to enquire with inclination into their doctrines The Ancient Christians that lived before the daies of Constantine did bring Christianity into reputation by their Holiness and God was then more eminently seen among them But when the countenance of the Emperour and worldly advantages had drawn in all men to the Church and the Bishops did set the door too wide open Christianity lookt like another thing and that inundation of wickedness overspread the Church which Salvian and so many more complaine of Our likeliest way to win the Jews and all Infidels to the Church is by shewing them the true Nature of Christianity in the Church-members 4. Hereby also we confound the ancient Order of Catechumens or Expectants with the true members of the Church and lay the Church and the porch yea and the Church-yard if not the commons all together By which also our Preaching and Administrations are confounded so that whereas the Ancient Churches had their Common Sermons and some Prayers which were fitted to the unconverted or Expectants and had also both Doctrine Praiers Praises and other worship proper to the Church especially on the Lords Daies we must now speak to all and joyn with all and the Church and the Enemies of the Church must sing the same Praises as if they were one body And God is not the God of confusion but of order in the Churches He that put two sorts of Preaching and Doctrine into the Apostles Commission Matth. 28. 19 20. One for making Disciples and another for the edifying and guidance of Disciples did never intend that these should be confounded 5. And then by this means the Souls of millions of poore people are deprived of the great benefits of the Ordinances and Administrations suitable to their state The begetting Word goeth before the feeding strengthning Word even before the milk for babes The laying of the foundation must go before our building thereon Every one will thrive best in his Own Element and place A fish will not prosper on dry land nor a man under water The womb is the only place for the Embrio and unborn child though not for those that have seen the Sun If you will break the shell before the Chicken be hatcht that you may hasten its production or honour it with a premature association with the rest that see the Sunne your foolish charity will be the death of it And so deale abundance of mistaken Zealots with the Souls of men who cry out against the wisest and most conscionable Ministers as if they were unchristning the People and undoing the world because they would feed them with food convenient for them and will not be such hasty midwives as to cast the mother into her throws if not rip her up that shee may have the child at her breasts which should yet be many daies or moneths in the womb Moreover they thus cause our people to lose all that benefit of preparations and solemn Engagement to Christ of which more anon among the Benefits 6. By this means also
such I have seen the usefulness of it but with the rest it makes them next to mad They that before would patiently hear me in the plainest sharpest Sermons that I could preach and would quietly bear any private admonition when once they are publikly admonished and cast out are filled with the gall of malice and indignation and never more likely to profit by a Sermon Nay they set themselves with malice to reproach and oppose and stir up others and fall in to any party that will receive them that are enemies to the Ministry so that I looke upon some of them when once they are cast out almost as if they were already in Hell For they are desperately hardened against any further means of their recovery 3. Yea I am perswaded that if we exercise Christs Discipline according to the Scripture Rule upon all in the Parishes in England it would endanger a rebellion and the rage of the people would make them ready to take any opportunity to rise up against the Soveraigne Power that doth maintaine and protect us and if we were not protected we should soone have enough of it Object Perhaps you 'l say that publike admonitions and Church censures are not to be easily exercised nor upon any but notorious scandalous sinners and that in case of obstinate impenitency Answ I am as much against a rash unnecessary censure or use of the severity of Discipline as another I know that a fly must not be killed with a beetle Let it be exercised but according to the Parliaments Ordinance called The form of Church-Government to be used in the Church of England and Ireland Aug. 29. 1648. Or let it be exercised but with one half or the sixth part of the severity of the Ancient Canons of the Church and you shall certainly see the effects that I tell you of Do you think to use it but with few when Impenitent scandalous sinners are so many But perhaps you think to use it only in terrorem or now and then one and let others alone that are in the same case But 1. That 's the same disobedience to God as to use it upon none at all He that hath commanded us to reject a Heretick to have no company with the disorderly livers to turn away from scandalous ungodly men and not to enter with drunkards railers c. hath not bid us do thus by some some but by all God 2. condemneth partiality 3. Your Partiality will presently be so noted by men that it will turn to your reproach and make both you and your Discipline odious when they can say He cast out one and forbeareth others in the same case Object But were there not more offenders then the incestuous man at Corinth And yet Paul casteth out but him Answ 1. How can you tell how many Paul cast out 2. Doth he not give the Church a flat command to cast out and avoid the rest 1 Cor. 5. 11 12. When will you make us believe that Paul at that time commanded them to do that which he would not have them do 3. Corinth had many offendours whom Paul in that Epistle reprehendeth but can you prove that any of them were obstinately Impenitent after admonition I know you cannot Buâ— perhaps you 'l think that you should by the preparatory private admonition so bow them and work upon them that few of them should be so obstinate as to fall under censure I answer You speak this because you never tried and know not the world I must presume to tell you though to tell you the reasons be unmeet that there 's but few men in England must expect more advantages for Interest in their people then I have in mine and yet all 's nothing when I come to exercise Discipline and cross their selfish sensual inclinations Those that will tell me they are beholden to me for their lives yet will not heare me when I perswade them to any humbling confession Those that cannot hide their sinne will confess it and commit it over and over will you accept of their private Confession for Satisfaction that will publickly slander their Neighbours or be drunk openly every week or month or swear every day But many of them will not so much as confess before a few Ministers or Officers of the Church that they have sinned but will stand impenitently in it to the last Let me intreat them withall the submissiveness and earnestness that I can when one hath beat or slandred another or in the like cases if I would kneel to them I cannot get many of them once Hypocritically to say I am sorry or I did amiss And those that do say so in a cold Hypocritical heartless manner will joyne with it such bitter words against the accuser or reprover and shew such hatred to those that admonish them that declareth their impenitency If you have such extraordinary abilities to melt and mollifie hardened sinners more then we have you are the more unexcusably unfaithful to God and man that will not use them And all are not so haypy as to have your conquering parts For my part I can say in uprightness of heart that I do what I can do abating those neglects which are the consequents of any frailty and if I knew how to do more I would with study preaching conference labour or estate and yet with abundance I am not able to prevaile so much as to make them capable of Discipline So that I see plainly by unquestionable experience that either we must have Churches without the Discipline of Christ and be Rulers without Ruling it or else we must utterly undo our people body and Soul for ever and plunge them into a desperate state and make all our following labous in vaine to multitudes of them Or else we must take another course then to admit all our Parishes to Adult Church-membership as was formerly done without preparation and fitness for such a state And yet in their blindness Gentlemen Ministers and all that plead for common Church-membership pretend to be charitable to the Peoples Souls when they are exercising this grievous cruelty It is just as if in Mercy to the schoole-boyes you should set them that cannot read English in the highest form where they must make Orations in Latine and Greekâ— or else be whipt would they thank you for such advancement It is as if you should put an ignorant unexercised cowardly Soldier or one that is but learning to use his armes into the front of the Battaile for his honour or as if you should prefer a Pupill to be a Tutour or put a freshman in the Doctors chaire or admit a new baptized Novice to be a Pastour of the Church where the blood of the people shall be required at his hands or as if to honour him you should admit any common Marriner to the Pilots place or any Apothecary to play the Physician to other mens ruine and his owne shame If you set such Children
is Excommunication to be deferred as long as there is any Hope by other meanes but only till we have used other means in vaine for such a season as is meet that the ends of Discipline be not frustrate For else there should never man be Excommunicated For there is some Hope that preaching against his sinne may do him good at last though he come drunk to the Lords Table twenty years together you cannot say that his Conversion is Impossible And yet we must not hereupon deferre the casting out of such a member But in his Expectant state or among the Catechumens we may beare with him lawfully in his wickedness without excluding him from among our hearers and if he heare us seaven years and seaven in vaine there is yet some Hope of his Conversion while he waiteth in his own place and way And yet I yield this much to the Objectours freely that when fit persons are taken into the Church yea or unfit by negligence we must wait with all patience that is consistent with the ends of Government and cutting off must be the last remedie and that when it is necessary it must be used though we see that it 's ten to one it will plunge the person occasionally into a worse condition For the Publike Ends of Discipline the credit of Christianity the preservation of the Church and abundance more are to be preferred before the good of that mans Soul and as paena debetur Reipublicae and we cut not off malefactours for their own good so much as the Common-wealths which by their hurt must be promoted so is it as to the Church But this must be done but upon a few for example and therefore but few that will need this severity are supposed to be in our Communion And I cannot believe that way to be of God that would bring such multitudes into this miserable state Object Your very keeping them from the Communion of the Church and not Approving or Confirming them would as much exasperate them Answ It 's no such matter Much it may but not neare so much as I certainly know by experience Those not Admitted heare with Hope but to the rejected I speak as almost hopeless except such as were fit to live under Discipline on whom it may have its due effect 9. And by this admitting all men without tryal and Confirmation to come unobservedly into the state of Adult-Christians we breed and feed continual heart burnings against the Ministers of Christ while we are necessitated to do our work upon such unprepared Souls And how much the hatred and contempt of Ministers doth conduce to the destruction of the people Satan is not ignorant that is the diligent promoter of it 10. By this means also we frustrate our own studies and Ministerial Labours to abundance of our people Partly by deluding them actually in the Reception of them among Christians that really are no Christians and partly by this provocation of their hatred 11. By this means also we breed and feed abundance of Controversies in the Church For when once we displace any parts of the frame we shall find almost all in pieces and one errour draweth on so many that Controversies grow numerous and will never be reconciled by meere words and writings till we actually set the Church in joynt againe 12. By this course also we lay open the Ordinances of God to a continual prophanation while abundance that know not who Christ is nor what Christianity is are admitted as Christians to our Christian Communion and so themselves are involved in more sinne and Gods own Worship turned into Provocation so that we may feare lest God should frown upon our Assemblies and withdraw the tokens of his Presence and deny his blessing to those prophaned Ordinances Though the innocent may still have their share in the blessing yet may the Pastours and the guilty majority deeply suffer by this great abuse of holy things 13. By this means also it is that so many Scruples are cast in our way about Administrations and reception of Ordinances and the comfort of Ministers and people in them is much abated 14. And I doubt it is a hinderance to the Conversion of many sects about us and of many ungodly ones among us who if they saw the primitive holiness of Churches might be drawn in 15. And it much corrupteth the Communion of Saints and turneth it to another thing when this Holy Communion is so much of our duty and our comfort and such a Representation of Heaven it self 16. And if it be not a practical denial of some of the Articles of our Faith it 's well We say there that we Believe the Catholike Church to be Holy and that it is a Communion of Saints that is by the parts of it to be exercised And shall we deny this in our works which in words we profess 17. By this means also we dishonour the work of Reformation when we hinder the fruits of it that should be visible to the world and make men believe that it lieth but in a change of bare opinions They that see no great difference between the Reformed and the Romanists in their lives will think it is no great matter which side they are joyned to It 's noted by some Protestant Writers that when Luther opposed Popery in Germany abundance of the common licentious people that were weary of Popish Confessions and Penances did joyne with those that were truly conscientious and dishonoured the Reformation by their lives though they increased the number and did the service as Erasmus his Gospeller that used to carry a bottle of wine and Erasmus New Testament with great brass bosses and when he disputed with a Papist knockt him about the pate with the Bible and so confuted him 18. And by this means we give the Papists more roome then they should have to reproach our Churches and glory comparatively of the Holiness of theirs Though I know that their glory is exceeding unreasonable and that our Impurities are no more to theirs then a few boiles to a Leprosie yet we do ill to give them so much occasion as we do who are ready to make the worst of all 19. By this means also we leave all Sects to quarrel with us and dispute against us even whether we be true Churches of Christ or not because our Adult-profession and Covenant is no more express and discernable then it is And though we have enough to prove our selves a Church yet do we leave them under their temptations and our selves under the obloquy And indeed we perversly maintain our own dishonour while we think it a condition to be rested in if we can but prove our selves true Churches when our Learned Divines do give as much to the Romanists themselves though not as Papal yet as Christian A Leper is a true man and yet his cure is a thing to be desired 20. Lastly By this means also we tempt many well meaning people among
us to a dangerour separation from us and to fly from our Churches as if they would fall on their heads and we too much harden those that are already separated and all because we will not yield to the healing of our own diseases or will do little or nothing to procure it I know these men have no just ground for their hard conclusions and censures of us but we have little reason to give them this occasion and cast a stumbling-block in the way of so many precious Souls To what is here briefly thrust together if the Reader will adde the twelve Reasons in my Christian Concord pag. 11 12 13 14. and what 's said in my book of Right to Sacraments where these matters or those that sustaine them are handled more at large I suppose he may easily be convinced that the former Church-Governours in England have been lamentably negligent and our Churches by their means are much disordered and that the present Ministers should be more forward and diligent and unanimous for the cure and that the Magistrate if he love the Church of Christ and the Souls of men should speedily afford his help and all too little to remedy these great and many evils which we have let in by suffering such a loose unobserved transition from the state of Infant Church members or from Apostacy into the number of Adult-members without Approved Profession and Confirmation Prop. 20. So many and great are the Benefits that would follow the general practice of this duty of Trying Approving and Confirming or Absolving all those that enter into the number of Adult Christians that it should mightily provoke all Christian Magistrates Ministers and People to joyne in a speedy and vigorous execution of it 1. ONe excellent fruit of this Practice will be the great increase of Knowledge and godliness and the destruction of ignorance and notorious impiety This is an effect most apparent in the Causes When men are made to understand that by the Law of God seconded by the common consent of the Church and the most Learned Godly Pastours and if it may be by the Law of the Land no man is to be accounted or numbered with Adult-Christians but those that make a sober serious understanding Profession of Christianity renouncing the flesh the world and the Devil and not contradicting and nullifying this Profession by a wicked life this will engage Parents to teach their Children and Children themselves to learn what Christianity is when they cannot have the Name or the honour and the Priviledges of Christians without some Credible Appearance of the thing For doubtles while Christianity is in credit the same motives that now prevaile with the multitude to seeme Christians and to desire the Baptism of their Children will continue then to make them desire to be numbred with Christians when they are at age and so will provoke them to do that without which they know they connot be esteemed Christians And as it 's now a common thing to be baptized in Infancy so will it be then a common thing for our young people to learn the Principles of Christianity yea and to reform their lives I hope with the most when they understand that else they must be taken to be no Christians And if it were but the making of the understanding Profession and outside of Christianity to be commoner among us it would be a most precious fruit of our endeavours But much more when true Christianity it selfe in the life and power of it would also be more common As no doubt but it would For the Knowledg of the Letter is the way to the receiving of the Spirit among multitudes that have the outside of true Religion there will be far more that have the life and soule of it then among those that have not so much as the outside Any man in reason may foresee that if we be openly agreed and it be publikely enacted or declared that none be taken into the number of Adult Christians nor admitted to their Priviledges till they have made an Approved Profession of Christianity and so be received by Jesus Christ himself acting by his Ministers it will set all that care for the Name or hopes or Privilidges of Christians to learn and be and do that which they know will be so required of them Whereas as things go now in most places they may bring their Children to Baptism without understanding what Baptism is and those Children may slide into the state of the Adult-Christians and possess the Name and place and outward Communion and other honours and Priviledges of such without knowing whether Christ were a man or a woman or who he is or what business he came about into the world And when no outward Necessity is laid upon them by the Church to know more or to seem better no wonder if so many Heathens do sit among Christians and if the multitude looke not much after knowledg or Godliness 2. And moreover it will be a very great helpe to their Consciences in order to the convincing them of their sinne and misery and of the insufficiency of that Condition which multitudes do now rest in and so to waken them to look after a safer state and to be what they must seem to be if they will be taken to be Christians It is a great help to the deceiving of the multitude of the ungodly to be currantly esteemed Christians when they are not And self-love is such a blinding thing that a little help will go farre with it in the promoting of such deceits Naturally men are very easily brought to think well of them selves and hardly brought to confess their misery Every man almost will easily confess himself a sinner and a very great sinner so you will but allow him to be a Christian and a pardoned sinner For this is a common confession and brings no very terrible Conclusion and message to the Soul But when a man must confess himself no true Christian but unsanctified unpardoned and a slave of Satan this is as much as to confess himself in a state of damnation in which if he die he is lost for ever and men are hardly drawn to believe so terrible a Conclusion when yet it is so necessary where it is true that we can scarce imagine how a man can be saved without it He that knoweth not himselfe to be out of his way will hardly be perswaded to turne back And he that knows not himself to be unpardoned will hardly value or seek a pardon And he that thinks he is sanctified and a true Christian already will seek to be made what he takes himself already to be And how much Reputation doth to help or hinder men even in self-judging is easily perceived Now here is a threefold Reputation of very great moment to concurre either for mens Deception or Conversion 1. The Reputation of Prince and Parliament and so of Law-givers and Rulers of the Nation who by their Laws
do manifest whom they esteem good Christians and this the people very much look at 2. The Reputation of all the Pastours of the Church which is to be manifested in their Agreements Confessions or Declarations and Practices 3. The common consent of Christian people which is to be manifested by their actions according to the Laws of Christ and the Direction of their Guides If Magistrates Ministers and people do concurre to repute all the Infidels and utterly Ignorant wicked men among us to be Christians how many thousand Souls may this deceive and undo for ever Whereas If Magistrates Ministers and People that feare God would all agree accordng to the Laws of Christ to esteem none Adult-Christians but those that by a Credible Profession of Christianity do seem to be such it would abundantly help to convince them of their misery and the need of Christ and Grace and the absolute necessity of a change We see even among good men in the case of a particular sinne how much common Reputation doth help to hinder the work upon their Consciences Among the Reformed Churches beyond the Sea what Conscience is troubled for these actions or omissions on the Lords Day which in England would much trouble men of the same temper in other things Among several Sects it troubleth them not freely to revile the Servants of Christ that are against them because they finde it rather go for commendable then much condemnable by those whom they most esteem Among the Papists the believing in a Vice-Christ and the worshiping of his Image and Cross with Divine Worship and also the consecrated Host and the condemning all the Churches of Christ that do it not do goe for Virtues and Christian Practices though they are most haynous odious sinnes and what is it but common Reputation of Prince and Priests and multitudes of people that could make so many yea and such persons as some of them are to continue in such sinnes as if they were a part yea an essential part of holiness and one generation to succeed another in them Were these sinnes but commonly reputed to be as odious as indeed they are what a change would it make on millions of Souls So that it 's strange to see the power of Reputation 3. Moreover this course would be an excellent help to the Labours of the Ministers of Christ for mens Salvation They would better understand and apply our Sermons whereas now they lose the benefit by misapplying them Now we must labour all our lives and with most in vaine to make unbelievers and ungodly persons understand what they are and no means will serve to convince many people that they are not truly Christians that know not what it is to be a Christian or that hate it and fight against it When they all go together under the name of Christians what ever comforts they hear offered to Believers they take them to themselves or mistake them as offered to them and all the threatnings that are uttered against unbelievers they put by and think it is not they that they are spoken against But if once we could but get men to stand in their own places and to know themselves how easily then would our message work Me thinks the Devil should not be able to keep one man of an hundred in his power if they knew themselves to be in his power nor one of an hundred in a state of ungodliness and condemnation if they knew that they are in such a state At least I am sure men will not so numerously nor easily runne into Hell when they know they are going into it as when they are confident that they are good Christians and in the way to Heaven 4. If this foredescribed Confirmation be practised it will more powerfully oblige our people to Christ then a secret sliding into the number of Adult-Christians will do And doubtless solemn engagements and obligations have some force upon Conscience to hold men to Christ and restraine them from sinne or else Baptism it self would be much frustrate and the Jews should not have been so often called by Moses Joshua Asa and other Princes to renew their Covenant with God But with us men feel no such bonds upon them And many question whether they are bound at all by their Parents promises for them in Baptism 5. The profiting of our people will be much greater in their own place when those that are not yet fit for Adult-membership and Priviledges are kept in the place of Catechumens or Expectants Every thing doth thrive and prosper best in its own place If you teare them not out of the Churches wombe till they are ready for the birth they will prosper there that else may perish Your Corne will best prosper in the cold earth where it seems to be dead and buried till the Springing time shall come And you should not violently unhose the eares till Nature put them forth The first digestion must be wrought before the second and Nature must have time allowed it and the stomack must not too hastily let go the food if you would have good sanguification and nutrition follow Men think they do a great kindness to grosly ignorant or impious men to take them into the Church before they are capable of such a station and the work or Priviledges thereto belonging but alas they do but hurry them to perdition by thrusting them out of the state where they might have thriven in preparation to a Church-state into a state which will set them abundance of work which they are utterly unfit for and under the pretence of benefits and Priviledges will occasion abundance of aggravations of their sinnes A boy in his A B C. will learne better in his own place among his fellows then in a higher form where he hath work set him which he is uncapable of doing 6. By this means also Church-Discipline will attain its Ends It will awe and preserve the Church and terrifie and reduce offendours and help them to Repentance and preserve the order of the Church and Gospel when it is exercised upon such as are capable of it that know the nature of it and either are habitually diposed to profit by it or at least understand what it was that they were engaged to and understandingly consent to live under such a Discipline and when it is exercised upon few and we have not such multitudes to sweep out of the Church 7. By this means both Church-associations and Ordinances may attaine their Ends and people will be capable of doing the duty of Christians to one another when others are capable of receiving it Church members are bound to exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened by the deceitfullness of sinne Heb. 3. 13. and to teach and admonish one another Col. 3. 16. But before swine we must not cast such pearls nor give that which is holy to dogs Matth. 7. 6. Therefore it necessarily followeth that dogs and
because in their words I shall have opportunity to recite some more of our Own even those of the Canons Convocat London An. 1603. c. 60. I will pass by Frans de S. Clara and such Reconcilers lest you say that is not the common Judgment of the Papists And at this time it may suffice to instance in one that most petulant insolent Jesuite Hen. Fitz Simon in his Britanomach lib. 3. cap. 4. pag. 289 290 291. Where he reciteth the words of our Canon that seing it was a solemn ancient laudable custom in the Church of God observed even from the daies of the Apostles that all Bishops laying hands on those that were Baptized in Infancy and are instructed in the Catechism of the Christian Religion should Pray over them and bless them which we commonly call Confirmation we will and ordaine that every Bishop or his suffragane do in their proper person diligently observe this right and custom in their ordinary visitation To which saith the Jesuite What do I heare All this is very Orthodox very Catholike if uttered in good sadness And citing the Rubricke before-mentioned he mentioneth the Conference at Hampton Court pag. 10 11 32 33. That the Doctrine of Confirmation was part of the Apostles Catechism rashly rejected by some Churches but in Calvins Judgment to be taken up againe and is ungrateful to the Puritans only because they may not themselves administer it And pag. 64. he would perswade us that most certainly the Bishops borrowed this passage from the Rhemists Test Annot. in Heb. 6. 2. against the Puritans More he adds from Resp Oxon. ad Libel supplic Covell c. and concludes All this the Formalistes as he constantly calls that party do freely grant us then which the Catholikes themselves as to the sound of the words seem scarce able to thinke or speak any thing more honourable of Confirmation And that you may see how farre he accepts also of Calvins concession he doth with ostentation cite the words of Calvin in Act. 2. and Instit lib. 4. cap. 19. § 28. that It's incredible that the Apostles should use Imposition of hands but by Chrsts Command and that it was not an empty signe and that it is to be accounted for a Sacrament So that these two parties cannot be against us in the matter of Confirmation though I know that the Papists are against us for laying by their ceremonies and abuse of it 3. And as for the Presbyterians they cannot be against it For 1. The most eminent Divines of that Judgment have written for it of whom I could cite abundance But Calvin Hyperius and others cited by Mr. Hanmer already sufficiently declare their desires after the restoring of Confirmation And Chemnitius a Lutheran is large for it and others of that way 2. And it is so clearly usefull and necessary to the Reforming of distempers in the Church and the quiet of the Ministry and the safe and succesfull exercise of Discipline that I know they will heartily consent to it 4. And for the Congregational party 1. Some of them have declared their Judgments for it in the approving or promoting Mr Hanmer's Book 2. And I have spoke with some of the most eminent of that mind that are for it 3. And the solemn Covenant or Profession which they require of all that enter among them as Church-members doth shew that they are for it in the substance though how far they like or dislike the signe of Imposition of hands I know not It is the want of this that they are so much offended with in our Parish-Church and therefore doubtless they will consent 5. And For Anabaptists though we cannot expect their full consent because they admit not Infants into the Visible Church and therefore Baptise those whom we Confirme or Restore yet doubtless they will like this as next to that which they suppose to be the right and because we come as neare to them as is fit and lawfull for us to do it is the likeliest way to abate their censures and procure with them so much Peace as in reason may be expected with men that differ from us in the point of Infant-Baptism Three sorts of them I suppose we may meet with 1. Some that grant that Infants are Christs Disciples Christian and Vissible Church-members but yet think that Baptism is not for their admission but only for the Adult I confess I know of none so moderate nor am I sure there are any such but by hearsay or conjecture But if there be our differences with these men would be most in the External signe If they do but as much by Infants as the express words of the Gospel do commend and Christ chid his Disciples for opposing that is if they yield that they shall be offered unto Christ and that the Minister of Christ do in his Name Receive them lay his hands on them and bless them because of such is the Kingdom of God and then baptize them when at age they make a personal Profession and if we on the other side offer them to Christ and the Minister in his Name accept them by Baptism and at age confirm them upon their personal Covenanting or Profession the difference here would be most that they change the outward signe and they use Imposition of hands when we use Baptism and we use Baptism when they use Impsition And with such it were easy for moderate men to hold brotherly Love and Peace 2. Some we shall meet with that deny Infants to be Visible Church-members and yet think the Infants of Believers to have some promises more then the rest of the world or at least that they are Candidati Christianismi Expectants of a Church-state and are as soone as they understand any thing to be bred up as Catechumens in the Church seminaries and to be Baptizd as soone as they are actual Believers And as far as I understand them some of them will consent that they be offered and dedicated to God in Infancy and solemnly received by Ministerial Imposition of hands into the state of Expectants If these men be of peaceable moderate Spirits and agree with us in other matters of Religion in the substance at least they must needs acknowledg that in the foredescribed practice of Confirmation we come so neere them that they cannot deny us brotherly Love and Peace For I hope they will not think that they may lawfully deny these yea or their communion to all that be not punctually of their opinion against the Church-membership and Baptism of Infants 3 And as for all the rest of the Anabaptists that hold also the doctrine of Pelagianism or Socinianism or Libertinism or Familism or Quakers or Heathenism they are not in a capacity for us to treat with about Accomodation or Christian Peace But yet as to all the intemperate dividing unpeaceable Anabaptists that will but reproach us for our drawing so neer them at least we shall have this advantage against their
us and dreame not that we have a work and not Power to do it or discern what we do Set others to do it that you can better trust 5. Who would you have trusted with this Power Some body must have it I have proved to you fully that every man must not be the sole Judge of his own fitness for Baptism or Church Priviledges and that the people or Magistrates are not the sole or chief Judges and who should it be but they to whom it is committed by Christ in their call to the office of the Ministry 6. Ministers as I before shewed have no Tyrannical or Arbitrary Power For Christ hath tied them by a Law who to admit and whom to reject And if they disobey this Law the Magistrate may correct them So that in the exercise of this Tyrannical Power every Minister is under the lash of the Magistrates violence if he grosly offend whereas none of the people are under any violence or force from us to obey us but if all of them disobey us and rebel it is their own loss and we have no remedy This is the Tyranny 7. Lastly If you think it as it is so great a Power for us to judge of mens Profession and fitness for Church Priviledges let it awaken you the more to get the wisest ablest men you can for the Ministry that are fit for so a great trust If the best that are to be got are not in the Office beshrew our Governours and the choosers And if you do not cast us all out if you can put fitter men into the place that are meeter for the trust beshrew you for your negligence we give you no thanks for it But if you have no fitter for this work and trust will you cast it upon unfitter or on none It is a great trust for a Physician to be trusted with your lives and a School-master and Tutour with your Children But what of that Will you therefore trust the good women or common neighbours about you with them yea or the Magistrate himself Or will you have no Tutours or Physicians Or rather will you not be the more careful to keep our Empiricks and unworthy persons and get the ablest and faithfulest that you can O unthankfull men that grudge us the Power of labouring and spending our selves for their Salvation and judging where we must act 4. Object Is it not the use of the Lords Supper to Confirm us and do not men there renew their Covenant and Profession What need is there then of any more Answ 1. You would think much if at the Lords Supper we should openly call each man to a personal explicite Profession of his Faith and Covenanting with God And indeed it would be a tedious as well as unseasonable work It is but a general or joynt Profession of all together that is there renewed and notwithstanding that there may for ought we know be many a one there that is an Infidel and knoweth not what Christianity is 2. The Lords Supper is the food of the Soul confirming by way of nutrition and augmentation and therefore you must shew that you are alive before you may partake of it It is a feasting upon Christ and with him in his family and at his Table It is a work of Communion with Christ and with his Saints It is one of the highest priviledges of the Church And therefore you must produce your little before you can lay claim to it If a man must be admitted to the Lords Supper without any precedent personal Profession or Covenanting with God upon supposition that by the act of Receiving he doth all this then men that know not whether there be a Christ or what he is may be admitted For multitudes of such there are that in Infancy were baptized And I know not by seeing him receive whether he know or believe any thing of Christianity If a man converted at Age from Heathenism may not be admitted to the Lords Table without a personal profession in Baptism then neither may such as are baptized in Infancy be admitted without a personal Profession in Confirmation or such as is without any other Baptism Our Parents Profession will not serve our turn in stead of our own when we come to age And therefore this Objection is vaine unless Infidels may be admitted to Communion and all be common But I need not speak much of this because I shall have few such Objectours to deale with Even the Papists themselves are many of them against promiscuous communion though the Jesuites of late have fitted almost all their work to their man pleasing designe See Joh. Thauleri flores cap. 23 24 pag. 257 c. An old Puritane among the Papists And they make confession also prerequisite Object 5. According to our arguing Confirmation is not necessary to those that were Baptized at full Age and therefore it is not necessary to any if not to all Answ I have given some Reasons why it should be used with all that have opportunity after Baptism but I have proved it more Necessary to those that were baptized in Infancy And if it were Necessary to no other it would not follow that it is not Necessary at all because not to all 6. Object Is it not better take up with an Implicit Profession and Covenanting then make so great a trouble to our selves and disturbance among the people as this will make Answ 1. Me thinks not only the face of the Roman Church but of our own might by this time have afforded us satisfying experience what Implicit Faith and Implicit Professions are and to what they tend Peruse the forementioned Evils of this course and look upon the state of our people where you may see them in existence and then judge whether this Objection be answered 2. An Implicit Profession is the lowest and least that in any case of extremity or necessity can be thought tolerable and accepted by God and consistent with the life and being of a Church And shall we deliberately choose to offer God the worst the least the lowest that 's possible to find acceptance Nay he will have the best as he deserves the best or he will not accept it when we have it to give Shall we think that in a case of freedom the same will be accepted which Necessity only can excuse Or shall we be content that our Churches have as many diseases as will consist with life and being 3. An Implicit Profession makes or proves men but Implicitâ—ly Christians Such dumbe uncertaine signes do leave us in So great uncertainty of the thing signified that it seems but a very mocking of God that will not be mocked when we have opportunity for an open Intelligible Profession and will not use it or require it 4. It is against Nature for a man that hath a Tongue in his head to refuse to utter his mind any other wise then by dumb shews and yet expect to be understood and
will not be Penitent and Reforme And then tell them that if there be any that have slipt into a Church-state in shew and knew not what Christianity was or what they did and finde themselves as yet unfit for it if they do forbeare the Priviledges of the Church till they are better prepared and acquainted with them and can use them to their profit you shall in meane time be ready to Teach them publikly and privatly till they are prepared And those that are fit to continue and use such Priviledges advise not to forbeare them But let them know that you can neither take all the Parish as such for members of the Universal Church or of your charge and therefore must have some better Evidence especially after such a confusion that negligence hath brough into the Church And you cannot take any man to be of your charge against his will and therefore you must know their minds 3. Give them notice that all that own their Church-membership and will have Communion with that Church under your Ministry and Pastoral oversight are desired by you to signifie their desires by giving in their names to the Cleark of the Parish or some other fit person or if they refuse that by coming to you 4. When you have their names keep them some time while you get information of the persons lives And then give notice to all if it may be to avoid imputation of partiality or at least of all that you have reason to suspect of gross ignorance or impiety by streets Villages or houses to come to speak with you on some appointed daies where you may discerne the fitness of some and such as you find to be grosly ignorant or scandalous advise them to stay till they are prepared offering them your help because else you must do that in a way of Discipline that they are unfit to beare 5. All that disown their own standing and Church-membership or present Right to Priviledges and withdraw into the order of Catechumens as being ignorant in what they did before you may safely teach them as Catechumens and are not bound to enrage them by Church-Discipline which they consent not to and are not capable of 6. All those that you find tolerable that have owned their Churchmembership and not withdrawne themselves you ought to keep their names in a Church Book for memory and to call them solemnly at some day of humiliation or other fit season to own their Relation publikly their names being-read that all may know with whom they are to hold Communion And if there be need you may justly require them there openly to renew their Profession and Covenant with God 7. Your flock being then Reformed and known you need not call them againe to examination before particular Sacraments or other parts of Church-communion 8. When any members are after added they should if unconfirmed and such as never did Communicate be received solemnly by Prayer and Benediction and if they be such as have been admitted to Communion let them be only Approved upon renewing their Profession For the one sort are Confirmed in their Relation to both Catholike and particular Church but the other only enter then into the particular Church being solemnly received into the Catholick Church before and perhaps into some other particular Church or into that from which they departed Direct 5. If any come in that hath violated his Baptismal Covenant by a wicked life he is before you Receive him to give some open testimony of his Repentance if his sinne were open that so he may be Ministerially Absolved and the Church receive him not meerly as an Adult-Believer but as a Convert with Praiers and Rejoicing And the fuller Confession he makes of his ungodly life and of the way and Love of God in his recovery and the fuller warning he giveth others of the sinnes that he was guilty of and the fuller he communicateth to them the Satisfying Reasons that caused him to turne the better it is and more suitable to the state of a Penitent as also the fullyer he professeth his Resolution to stick close to Christ by the help of his Grace for the time to come Direct 6. For the exeecution of this because all the People cannot be still ready nor attend and because it 's fit they have some cognisance of these things let some of the most sober judicious persons be chosen by the Church not into Office but as their Delegates or Trustees to meet with the Pastours monthly in some convenient place where all persons may first address themselves that seek the Priviledges of the Church and where matters of Discipline may be first transacted before we bring them to the Assembly yet not forbidding any other of the Church to be there present that will And either in that meeting may members after be admitted and their names made publike at the next Communion or else some meetings publikly appointed foure times a veare or more for admitting such in publike as shall be found fiâ—est which may be at a fast before a Sâ—crament And let any of the Church at that prepâ—rative meeting have leave to put in what exceptions they have against the person for his Profession or Conversation Direct 7. Let the Pastours and Churches that live within the reach of any Communion be as many as is possible associate and meet for the maintaining of Communion of Churches by their Officers and Delegates And those that differ in such tollerable matters as may not hinder their Christian or Church-Communion and yet are not satisfied to joyne in Synods with the rest let them Agree upon such terms of Communion and Christian correspondence as their Principles will admit And let no stranger be admitted to our Church-communion that bringeth not a Certificate called of old Communicatorie Letters or some sufficient Testimony from one of these sorts either the Churches neerly Associated or those that we agree to take for Brethren And those that bring such Certificates must be admitted by us without any further Tryal or Confirmation unless there be some notable cause of suspition But for those that live in Heretical or Impious Societies or such as refuse all Church-order and Communion with neighbour Churches or are justly disowned by the Associated Churches we should not admit them to our Communion without a particular Tryal or a better Certificate then those Churches can give them And thus should all the Churches be concatenated and their Communion setled Direct 8. Above all let every Minister see that he wisely and diligently carry himself to the rest of his Parish avoiding indeed the excommunicate as Heathens but for all that are willing to learne in an expectant-Expectant-state let us deale lovingly gently and tenderly with them denying them nothing that lawfully we can yield them in matters of Buryal Marrying Praying Preaching or the like And be sure to carry on the Necessary duty of Catechizing and personal Conference and Instruction with them family by
Two sorts we know this to be true by 1 Papists that are for Equivocation and Mental Reservation in their Professions and Oathes or for the Popes to dispense with them 2. Heathens and Infidels that believe not that there is any sinne or Devil or Hell or Heaven and therefore care not what they sweare And indeed these are the two Sects that now are up and all other are like to fall into these Alas by sad experience I speake it Those that will openly and to my face make an Orthodoxe confession do secretly harden many poor Souls by making a scorne of Scripture as a fable and of the Immortality of the Soul and of Christ and the Holy Ghost and Heaven and Hell and say all these are nothing but the inventions of men and that the Kâ—ave-Priests do perswade men that there are Devils and Hell as a bugbeare to make them do what they would have them and all Religion is but deceit Such Heathens are the predominant Sect in many places and higher in England then once I thought to have seen them And if all such perfidious Infidels and Jesuites shall have leave to Bâ—aspheame God Christ and Scripture because they once made an Orthoeoxe Profession then let Hell be turned loose upon our people and the Devil that was bound up from deceiving the Nations have a Toleration from the Magistrate to do his worst Thus I have shewed that Magistrates if they will may helpe the Church without any danger of persecuting the Truth if they take not Popery damnable Heresie and Heathenism for Truth 1. If the Approvers keep the doore of Toleration as well as of Publike Maintenance and Ministry 2. If a Church Justice or Civil Agent do keep the Churches Peace 3. If the Civil Visiter do purposely take cognisance of the state of Parishes and see the Laws put in execution 4. If the Commissioners for Ejections have power of Judging all Seducers and Blaspheamers as well as the publike Ministers And if these only have the Coercive Power but some able chosen godly Ministers be joyned with them for Advice and Exhortation as Magistrates and Ministers sate together before the daies of William the Conquerour Joh. 13. 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Luke 12. 47. And the servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not nor did according to his will shall be beaten much Finitur Hebr. 13. 1648. Postscript READER AS great and needfull a duty as this is that I have here proposed and as clear as it is and commonly agreed on by all the Parties before mentioned I am yet far from expecting that all men should acknowledg it and obey it or that no person of contrary apprehensions or intentions should rise up against it as an enemy with all the strength that the measure of his wit and passions can prepare We cannot speak for God himself for Christ for Scripture for mens own Salvation but we meet with contradiction and resistance even from them that we would save And were it not for this what blessed work would the Gospel make and why might we not hope that all our people should be saved No wonder then if when ever we attempt Reformation or Reconciliation we meet with Learned Reverend Brethen that come against us armed with plausible cavils and contempts and cast away the medicine as dangerous or ungratefull and strenuously vindicate the Disease that should be healed And were it not that the Church hath many very many such what should have kept us unhealed so long And who could have continued our deformities and divisions and frustrated such means as have been used for our cure Satan is not so poore a Politician as to be without his Agents in our Ecclesiastike Armies and Councils and Pulpits to speak for his cause and do his work and resist and frustrate that which would displease him and all this under pretence of enmity to Satan and friendship to Christ and a better doing of his work As the names of the chiefest of Christ Servants were not cast out as Holy but as evil Luk. 6. 22. So their Doctrine was not cast out as Truth nor as Saving but as Deceit And his Meanes will not be openly resisted at least by those that are building with us as Reforming or Reconciling but as groundless or unproved or troublesome or unseasonable or as suspected of some ill designe or event Some will say it is meere Prelacie or a Prelatical designe and some that it is Independancie or an Independant designe and some that it is but Presbyâ—erian Examination Whereas they might know that it is proper to none of them which is common to them all If it be Prelacie how comes it to be found with Independants If it be Independancy how comes it to be approved by Prelates and Presbyterians Is it not rather like Christianity it self and the Truths and Duties which we commonly own and therefore not to be appropriated to any By all that I have heard and read of late concerning this Subject I understand that the principal Objections that are likely to be used against the Doctrine of this Treatise are these following Object We were all Baptized in our Infancy and therefore are Church-members and have Right to the Priviledges of the Adult when we are Adult without any new Title or Condition Our first Right continueth though we never make Profession of the Christian Faith nor personally renewed the Covenant with God that we made in Baptism And therefore though in some cases such an approved Profession be a duty yet is not any more Necessary to our Church-state and Right to the Communion of the Adult then that we were borne Church-members and so Baptized Nothing but Heresie Schisme or Apostacie can cut us â—ff And therefore all that were Baptized and are not thus cut off are still Church-members and have Right to all the Ordinances in the Church Answ 1. I have said enough to this already to satisfie the considerate impartial Reader proving the Necessity of a personall Faith before God and of some Profession of it Ecclesia Judice before the Church to the Being of the said Title of the Adult as its Condition and that all Scripture-Examples do make for the Confirmation of this Truth Moreover let me adde to answer the new or foreseen assaults 1. If there be no word of Promise in the Scripture that giveth the Priviledge of Adult-Communion to any upon their Infant title-condition only nor any example in the Gospel or the ancient Church that any possessed or used that Priviledg upon that Title-condition only then are we not to imagine that the Infant Title-condition alone is sufficient to the said Priviledge But the Antecedent is true as hath in part been manifested and will be more when the Dissenter shall bring forth his pretended Evidences by which his Title should be proved 2. The Title-condition of Infants is not sufficient to make any morally capable of
be but Meritoriously cut off it is the Churches duty to do it Sententially and Executively it being of indispensable obligation to give to all their due 3. It 's granted that Heresie cuts off But how doth Heresie cut off any otherwise then Meritorioâ—sly If therefore Wickedness do as much as Heresie then thus far they are equal 4. Either Wickedness signifieth some actual crime like Davids or Peters when the Church knoweth not whether it be joyned with Habitual Impenitence or else it signifieth Habitual stated wickedness with impenitency The first sort requireth but an Exclusion from Actual Church-Communion called suspension by some as it is but Actual sinne that deserveth it The second sort must have an Exclusion from their State and Church-relation as it is a State of Impenitency that deserveth it The first sort of Excommunication leaveth a man in the Church quoad Statum Relationem but out of it quoad actum usum The The second sort leaves him out of it both in State and Act. Not that the Excomunication puts him out of the Church as Invisible For that he did first himself meritoriously and so efficiently even by the efficiency of his demerits as the Law of Christ did it by its Obligatory efficiency But when he hath put himself out of the Church invisible and plainly declared this to the Church by his impâ—nitent courses the Church further declareth it by their Sentence and puts him out of the Church Visible executively when he had before put out himself meritoriously 5. As I said before the persons wickedness is either Notorious and out of question as if a man be an open persecutour of godliness or daily blaspheame God in the open streets or Congregation and many lower cases or else it is Controvertible needing proof and not notorious In the latter case a wicked man is not Actually cast out of the Communion of the Visible Church or cut off from it by his demerits till his fault be proved and sentence be passed But in the former case he is Excommmunicate ipso jure which is more then de jure We call him excommunicate de jure who ought to be excommucatenicate de facto but we call him excommuni ipso jure which is actually excommunicated by the Law without any further sentence of a Judge the Law it self sufficing to enable men to the execution so the Law of Christ commanding us to avoid and have no company with Drunkards Adulterers Hereticks c. if any be Notoriously such past doubt every man is obliged by this Lâ—w to avoid them in their several capacities after the due admonitions given them which the Law requireth whether the Pastours censure them or no but his censure layeth on them a double obligation Object If wickedness cut off a man excommunication cannot do it because it is done already Answ If wickedness being not Notorious do only cut him off meritoriously and de jure only he be excommunicate then Actual excommunication must do that which was not actually done but ought to be done But if by the Notoriety of the crime he be cut off ipso jure the Sentence yet may do the same thing by adding a Second Obligation to the first A Traitour in actual prosecution of the Soveraigne seeking his life is condemned ipso jure and any Subject may kill him without sentence and yet he may be proclaimed or sentenced a Traitour for all that Object It is proved by some Writers that such persons as have neither grace indeed nor in shew may yet have both a real and visible Interest in the Covenant and Church and the Arguments for this are yet unanswered therefore persons baptized in Infancy are in the Church and Covenant at age though they never by Profession made so much as a shew of grace Answ It was never proved by any Writer nor ever will be that any person at age and natural capacity ought to be a member of the Church of Christ under the Gospel no nor under the Law neither without a shew of grace even of Faith by his Profession of consent to the Holy Covenant It 's the Arguments against them that remaine unanswered But that all their Arguments that I remember are sufficiently answered I shall take for granted till I see a Reply And for them that tell us of the Church membership of the Adult considered without Respect to saving Grace I shall regard them when they have proved either that Faith and Repentance are no saving Graces or that Profession of Faith hath no Respect to Faith or that men may have Title to Church-membership without respect to Profession of Faith even of their Parents if they are Infants or their own if at age All these three points are yet unproved If any think the learned Mr. Fullwood to be of another mind let them judg by his own words Of the Visible Church cap. 28. pag. 180. Saith he Church-membeâ—ship c mark the Parenthesis And in his Epist Propos 3. 4. From the Prâ—mises it seems at least probable to me that the Church is to have some kind of respect unto the saving condition of the person Shee is about to admit into Communion c. 4. Yet I humbly conceive that more then a bare outward Profession is requisite to give real Interest in the Visible Church and the Priviledges thereof before God Though no more is requisite to give visible Interest before men c. And for Immediate right to the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper he saith pag. 270. Where there is want of Knowledg whether naturally or morally there we are sure the Condition of Right is wanting and consequently admission is to be denied when all is done And for the maine designe of this Book he saith Append. pag. 1 2. mentioning Mr. Hanmer's Book Some happily may be willing to surmise that our two Propositions are irreconcileable and interpret me an enemy to that most ancient usefull and desireable Ordinance Wherefore if I may possibly prevent so scandalous a censure I shall not venture to hold my Reader in so long suspence till he come to the pages where Confirmation is considered in the Book nor yet barely to acknowledg my allowance of it under my hand but after my humble thanks heartily tendered to our worthy Author for his excellent paines in so seasonable a Subject I do also presume earnestly to beseech my Reverend Bretheren that what Mr. Baxter hath so smartly pressed upon the Ministry about it may be speedily and seriously considered and undertaken by us And many pages after he addes 7. Yea though after all due paines and endeavoures used we should not be able to reconcile our principles in every point yet if we can mâ—et in the same practice about Confiâ—mation though on some smal differing grounds why may not the Church be happily edâ—fied and the peace thereof in a measure obtained by such an Vâ—ity Vniformity in practice white the persons diffâ—ring
qui apud haeresin in Trinitatis Nomine Baptizantur cum ad Sanctam Ecclesiam redeunt aut unctione Chrismatis aut Impositione manuum aut solâ professione fidei ad sinum matris Ecclesiae revocentur The Ancient Church also used it so variously as that it is plain they fixed it to no one case alone Of the divers cases in which they Imposed hands on the Catechumens and foure times on the Penitents and divers other You may see in Albaspinaeus Observationes Obs 31 32. passim Grotius Epist 154. p. 379. Manus impositas baptizatis nisi ab iis qui jus haberent conferendi caelestia illa dona primis temporibus non apparet Serius id introductum est in Episcoporum honorem quo magis in Apostolicum jus successisse crederentur Nec causa aberat quam Caeremoniae illi velut naturalem diximus praecandi scilicet Deum ut ei qui baptizatus jam fidem erat Professus ea largiri vellet quae ad praestandum in fide maximè in periculis gravibus sunt necessaria Leg. quae habet Grotius Discus Apol. Rivet p. 235. Cum antecedentâ—h ex Antiâ— de suis * Read the whole order of Baptism in Dionysius ibid. c. 4. * That is not to turn to an ungodly life but to endeavour and perform sincere obedience Albaspin in Tertul. de Paenintent cap. 7. Sexcentâ—â— locis non dicam hoc capite unam ait tantum a lavacro veniam superesse neque ullam primis illis temporibus inter privatam aut publicam graviorum criminum discrimen invenient Vide caetera Read Dr Hammond's Pract. Catech. l. 5. §. 4. pag. 298 299. Of the Communion of Saints Albaspinaeus in TeÌ„rtul de Paenitent cap. 8 9. pag. 291. Cum pro foribus Templi starent paenitentes pretereuntibus sacerdotibus caeterisque fidelibus omnibus omnino dolentis animi signis paenitentiam suam testabantur lacrymis non parcebant precibus institebant volvebantur si quae alia habet paenitentia quae miserecordiam movere possint non omittebant ut pacem recupearent Primum ante sacerdotes procumbebant martyribus deinde adgeniculabantur caeteris denique fratribus viduis ut ait Paciamis enixè supplicabant ut à Deo ab Ecclesiâ veniam pro se impetrarent ☞ Albaspin ubi sup Animadvertendum est paenitentes non solum haec similia egisse ut cum Deo in gratiâ—â— redirent verum etiam ut sacerdotes caeteros fratres aequiores haberent in quorum arbitrio judicio non-nunquam erat eos in Ecclesia revocare I citâ— this to shew what Conisance the people were to have of such affairs To recite more after all those of Blondel is but to do a needless work There 's enough to satisfie all that are moderate for Popular Interest ☞ * Of this fourth sort I hope are many that truly fear God that some on one pretence and some on an other forbear to ioyn with us in the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper but yet heare and live in love and peace with us And some do joyn with us on the grounds as godly strangers may be admitted somtime in the Lords Supper that yet expresly own not a membership in the particular Church As I would not have mentioned the faults of any of my Parishioners but on this necessity of opening the state of the Nation de facto so they have no reason to take it ill of me For 1. I accuse none by name much less the Generality 2. The Innocent do themselves know and bewail the sinnes that I mention 3. I am so far from making them worse then other Parishes that I unâ—eigneâ—iiy proses that I do not know aâ—y other in England of so much Godliness and tractableness which testimony is true and more to their honouâ— then the mentioning of the remnants of ignorance and ungodlyness is to their dishonour If it be thus here how much worse is it in most parts of the â—â—nd I have but very few of these but I know neighbour Parishes that have too many to the grief of their godly Ministers This tenth sort are some of them infected by the Infidels who are all for Hobs his Necessity but most of them have got it I know not how but so many are possessed by these conceits that I little thought that neer so many of the ungodly vulgar had so abused the Doctrine of Predestination and Grace as if they had been hired to disgrace it 12. Our Papists are but few but if the rest of them be such as ours their Church hath small reason to boast of its Holiness Beside if all these were fit to be members yet we must know their own consent which meer living in the Parish or comming to Church doth not signifie Mr Thorndicke see Dr Hammond's Practic Catech. lib. 2. §. 2. p. 103. l. 6. §. 2. pag. 311 313 314 319 320 321 322 323 c. This is no dishonour to the Discipline for we find it hath great effect on such as are capable of it I desire those that are overridgid and uncharitable in censuring others not to extend these complaints to more then I extend them nor to take it as an occasion for the unchurching of whole Parishes or any one particular person without sufficient evidence For I must profess that I meet with hundreds in my Parish that I can comfortably hold Communion with that some men of stricter principles or more censorious dispositions would reject Yea and I take abundance for truly goldy men that are not noted for any eminency of Religion perhaps their parties or callings or opportunites being such as keep them much from the Knowledg of others Melancthon Epist Impres Lugdun 1647. ad Dominicum Schleupnerum saith 1. Quia in tanta multitudine vix pauci sunt Christiani apti qui Sacramento fruantur cavendum est ne vulgus invitetur ad prophanandum Corpus Domini Lege Calvin Institut lib. 4. cap. 12. §. 1 2. Zanch. de Ecclesia vol. 3. fol. 123 124 134 135. and others cited in the Preface of my Reformed Pastor The rest of the Rubricke see after The first part of the Rubricke anon cited also proves this De hoc dissidium nullum futurm Sperem c. De tempore Confirmationis Video bonis viris utriusque partis non displicere si ejus usus ad aetatem paulio adultiorem differatur ut parentibus susceptoribus Ecclesiarum prefectis occasio detur pueros de fide quam in Baptismo professi sunt diligentius instituendi admonendi Georg. Cassander in Consult de Confirmatione Some few also there are that are Antipaedobaptists against baptizing Infants and yet not Anabaptists as not judging it a Nullity nor to be iterated And these one would think we might live at Peace with Leg. Grotii Epist 162. ad Bignon p. 397. Clem. Roman against a lower Episcopacy then ours Petav. him self saith Dissert Eccles lib 1. cap.
and he that despiseth you despiseth me 3. Because they all engage themselves to take Christ for their King who ruleth them by his Laws and Officers and his Ministers are his Ruling Officers 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 12. 7. 17. 24. 1 Thes 5. 12. 4. Because they are all engaged to take Christ for the great High Priest of the Church who hath appointed his Ministers to officiate under him in leading them in publike Worship of the Church and in offering up the Praises of God and blessing the people and praying for them and celeberating the Commemoration and Representation of Christs Sacrifice on the Cross 5. Because they that enter into a particular Church where only the constant stated use of holy Ordinances and Priviledges are to be had though occasionally elswhere do enter into a Relation to the Pastours of that particular Church as members of their flock and Church whom they must oversee and watch over all this is past controversie And then for the Consequent of the major Proposition that therefore Ministers must approve of their Profession I prove it thus Ministers are naturally free-men as well as others and therefore no man can become a member of their charge and put them upon so great duty as the Relation doth require against their wils without their consent and contrary to their Judgment and Consciences It is an exceeding great burden that lieth on us and a great deal of work that is required of us to each particular Soul in our charge we must exhort instruct admonish in season and out of season publikly and privately and watch over and govern them visit them in sickness comfort strengthen them c. O what a mountain lieth on me and how should I bear it if God did not support me And if every man that will shall make me more work and put himself under my Care without my Consent then I am so far from being a free-man as all other are that I am enslaved and undone in slavery For 1. They may oppress me when they will with Number and so many may flock in to my charge in despight of me as shall nullifie the particular Church and by the magnitude make it another thing by making it uncapable of its ends 2. And hereby they may force me to leave undone my duty both to them and others by oppressing me with work For when I have ten times more then I can teach and oversee I must needs neglect them all or most 3. And they may abuse the Church and me with the evil qualities as well as the excessive quantity of members and we shall be obliged to give that which is holy to dogs and to use those as Church members that are enemies to the Church and to administrate Sacraments to any that will have them how unfit soever and to prophane all Gods Ordinances and turn them to a lie 4. And by this means the Church will be utterly ruined and made a den of thieves and a stie of swine For besides that all the worst may at pleasure be members of it all men that are faithfull or most at least will runne away from the Ministry and sooner turn Chimny sweepers then Pastours For what man dare venture his Soul on so great a charge for which he knows he must give an account when he is certain to leave undone the work of his Office in so great a measure and when he knows he may be thus opprest in soul and body and so undone by wicked men when ever they please yea if they purposely do it to despight him Arg. 7. That which belongeth to all other Superiors in voluntary Relations is not to be denied to Ministers in theirs but a free consent and Approbation of them that they are related to belongs to all other Superior voluntary Relations Therefore to us A Schoolmaster is to Approve the capacity of his Schollars and a Physician is to judge of the fitness of a person to be his patient and his fitness for this or that medicine in particular Not only a Master would take it ill if he may not have the approbation of his own servants but have as many and as bad thrust on him as shall please but a husband would think it hard if he might not have the approbation and choice of his own wife but that any might force him to take them that they please And are the Pastour of Christs Church the only slaves on earth How improbable a thing is this Arg. 8. That Relation which must be rationally regularly and faithfully managed must be rationally regularly and freely entered for otherwise we cannot so manage it But the Relation of a Minister to each member of his charge must be thus managed Therefore Arg. 9. It is plainly exprest in the Ministers Commission that he is to approve of the Profession of Disciples therefore it belongeth to his Office Matth. 28. 19. Go Disciple all Nations baptizing them teaching them to observe all things Which plainly manifesteth that it 's they that must judge when a man is made a Disciple and when not or else how can they either Baptize them as such or teach them the Precepts of Christ as such So when he giveth to his servants the Key 's of the Kingdom Matth. 18 c. it sheweth that they are to judge who is to be admitted and who not as is aforesaid or else he would never have set them at the door and made them the Porters and Key-bearers of his Church to let men in Arg. 10. No man in the Administration of holy Ordinances is ordinarily to renounce his own Reason and Conscience and to act against them But thus it would be if we have not the approving of the Profession or Qualification of those that we must administer them to Therefore He that is to Execute here is to judge For 1. Else you will force Ministers to go against their Reason and Conscience in all administrations 2. You will deny them so much as Judicium Discretionis which you allow to every Christian much more Judicium Directionis which belongeth to their Office Every man must judge and understand what he doth and why he doth it you will not force the people to participate of Sacraments against their Consciences Why then should Ministers be forced to Give them against their Consciences Administring is their work and therefore they must know why they do it and on what grounds Else you will make them but like hangmen or worse if they must do Execution against their judgments because it is anothers judgment And whose judgment is it that we must follow when we go against our own Arg. 11. If it belong to Christ to pass an open Approbation of the Qualification of such as are to be admitted into his Church or to his special Ordinances or Church Priviledges then doth it belong to the Ministers of Christ as his instruments But it doth belong to Christ 1. For all that enter either