them To whom I have this to say 1. That I think we may fairly gather from what they have published with their Confession of Faith of the Institution and Order of Churches that they do not admit any unbaptized Christians to their Communion at the Lord's Table for in Article the seventh speaking of a particular Church gathered and compleated according to the Mind of Christ In Article the eighth they say The Members of those Churches are Saints by Calling visibly manifesting and evidencing their Obedience unto that call of Christ who being further known to each other by their Confession of the Faith wrought in them by the Power of God do willingly Consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God in professed Subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel So then if the Members of a compleat Church do willingly consent to walk together in professed Subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel none that do not subject themselves to the Ordinance of Baptism in their Sence can be orderly admitted by them as compleatly quallified to their full Communion and so if they will not hold Communion with such unbaptized Persons they do not hold it as some of them pretend with Christians meerly as such but only with such Christians which are qualified with Water-Baptism to receive the Lords Supper But 2. If they own that our baptizing Persons on Confession of Faith by way of dipping is also right Baptism according to Gospel-Rule and so for this Reason they can freely hold their Communion with us Yet this is no Corrector that their Charity is more universal then ours because then they receive us not meerly on the account of their Charity but as Christians sitly qualified with Water-Baptism But the Case is different respecting us for seeing we deny their Infant-sprinkling to be true Baptism or to be of God and so they being to us as unbaptized Persons our having sull Communion with them would be not only contrary to the Light of our own Consciences but witnessed against by their practice of sprinkling for Baptism as a qualification to full Communion And therefore we have equal Reason to say that our refusing Church-Communion with them is not for want of Charity towards them as Christians any more then it is for want of it in themselves to other Christians that are not sprinkled or any ways baptized if they refuse Communion with them as some have done in their private Conference according to what is gathered as their Mind in Print before So that I see no Reason why our Brethren should in the least be offended at us for keeping our selves from their Communion when otherwise so far as I can perceive their Practice as well as our own Consciences would condemn us for so doing 3. Our aforesaid Brethren of the Independant Churches however some of their Members have in their private Converse reflected on us have fairly granted See their 28 Article of the Institution of Churches at the end of the Congregational Confession of Faith that a Person where he cannot continue in any Church without his Sin may depart from the Communion of one Church to another For they say Persons that are joined in Church-fellowship ought not lightly or without just cause to withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church whereunto they are so joined Nevertheless where any Person cannot continue in any Church without his Sin either for want of the Administration of any Ordinances instituted by Christ or by his being deprived of his due Priviledges or compelled to any thing in Practice not warranted by the Word or in case of Persecution or upon the account of Conveniency of Habitation he consulting with the Church or the Officer or Officers thereof may peaceably depart from the Communion of the Church wherewith he hath so walked to join himself with some other Church where he may enjoy the Ordinances in the Purity of the same for his Edification and Consolation Now seeing they grant that we may leave our Communion with a Church to join our selves with some other Church where we may enjoy the Ordinances in the Purity of the same then none of them ought to blame us for not holding our full Communion with them as if they were the standard of Truth who we believe are not in the compleat Order and true Administration of all Gospel Ordinances Seeing we walk by their Rule of Communion according to our Consciences tho' we have not the same Light to walk with them 2. For any of our Baptized Brethren to plead for mixed Communion from the Obligation of universal Charity for Christians as they are such does rather betray their want of real Love Gal. 5.22 1 Joh. 4.19 for that is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing first from the Faith we have in the Love of God to us which is the cause of Love in us to him 1 Joh. 5.1 and so to our Brethren which are begotten of him and then our universal Love to Christians depending on our Love to God it must consist with sincere Obedience to his Will so far as we are inlightned For this is the Love of God Joh. 14.21 23. 1 Joh. 5.2 3. that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And by this we know that we Love the Children of God when we Love God and keep his Commandments And therefore whatsoever Love is pretended which is inconsistent with sincere Obedience to Christ 't is rather to be suspected than counted real But in Charity I must conclude it is not for want of Love to the Institutions of Christ but for want of Light that you plead for Communion at the Lords Table with unbaptized Christians However you do thereby virtually deny your own Baptism to be essentially necessary to a regular Gospel-Church and make void that Holy Ordinance of Christ which in Obedience to him you have subjected to Besides why may you not then also say that you ought in Charity to Christians meerly as such altho' they be not yet baptized to call any gifted Christian to administer the Ordinances of Preaching Prayer and breaking Bread in the Church and in Charity to those Members that walk disorderly and break the Commandments of Christ forbear the Execution of his Ordinance of withdrawing your Church-Communion from them because you believe them still to be real Christians as if we could not Love Mens Persons unless we favour their Sins and thereby perhaps through the neglect of our Duty to them harden their Hearts therein And so under the Notion of Christian Charity the true Order of a Gospel-Church may be quite destroyed VII Object But some may think I open the door of the Church too wide and give too great incouragement for Persons to wander from Church to Church or to leave their present Communion to imbody themselves into a distinct Church-state Answer 1.
Tit. 3.10 11. after the first and second Admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Now an Heritick is one that stisly maintains false opinions against the Scriptures in matters of Faith fundamental to Salvation which tho' we should be tender of judging such Christians to be Hereticks as there is Reason to hope have more the shew in weak expressions of some such like salse Principles than a being under the Power and Conduct of them seeing the Scripture saith Jude 22. we should of some have Compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the Fire hating even the garment spotted by the Flesh Yet our Charitable Thoughts of such Christians while they are under their cloudy Profession of such Errours tho' crouded amongst other Truths whereby they are the more concealed are no warrant nor allowance for us to hold Communion with them till we can plainly see them delivered from those Errours seeing they are clearly prohibited in the Scriptures Thirdly It is the Duty of Christians to withdraw their Communion from all disorderly Persons in false Worship or in corrupt Administrations of Gospel-Ordinances And 1. Our Lord saith The hour cometh John 4.23 24. and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth From hence I observe that true Worshippers must worship the Father both in Spirit and in Truth otherwise therwise they are not true Worshippers And then if we find by the Word of Truth as we are commanded to try the Spirits whither they are of God that they are such who separate themselves 1 Joh. 4.1 Jude 19. sensual having not the Spirit or that do not worship in Truth but with erroneous Matter or in a false Manner I say then we should withdraw our Communion from such as disorderly Persons in Divine Worship Mat. 15.9 And our Lord also tells us that in vain they do worship him teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. So that to keep our selves from the Guilt of vain Worship we should not by our selves Isa 29.19 nor with any others worship God after the Commandment of Men but according to Gospel-Institutions 2. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.2 I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you On this Text Mr. Will. Kissin noteth See his Book called A Sober Discourse of right to Church-Communion in his Presace That our Translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendring it Ordinances is excepted against by some Papists who would have it translated Traditions to countenance the Romish Opinion to which saith he shall be opposed that the Greek Word signifieth indeed Tradition that is in English a Delivery viz. of Doctrines Ordinances Instructions or Institutions 2 Thes 2.15 by those Evangelical Preachers to their Auditors which is nothing else but the Doctrine of the Gospel first preached and afterwards committed to writing by the Evangelists and Apostles as standing Records to future Ages so that any Traditions besides what is written are justly to be excepted against and in matters relating to Divine Worship to be esteemed Apocryphal Now as the aforesaid Author saith What was praise-worthy in those Primitive Christians to whom the Apostle Paul writes can be no blemish but really a Duty in other Christians in after times to imitate To which I add That to corrupt the worship of God with mens Traditions contrary to the Apostolical Pattern is a Sin and Disorder to be purged out by the Church of Christ as farther appears in the next Section 3. It 's said 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us 1. This general Command to the Church of the Thessalonians appears from the following Verses to be occasioned from some particular disorders that were amongst them as Ver. 11 12 14 15. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own Bread And if any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed Yet count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But yet this instance lest us on sacred Record may give us light into other Cases for seeing we are commanded to withdraw our Communion so as to have no Company with such a disorderly Brother that through Idleness when he may have work eateth not his own Bread and is a busie body who may have this to plead against such an Act of the Church that he hath not stolen nor defrauded any but getteth his Meat from House to House amongst his Christian Friends then there is ground and command for us to withdraw our selves from all those that offend in other things of the like Nature and that are guilty of frand or deceit and wrong to any Person And that this command in Ver. 6. is general including all disorders in Manners Doctrine and false Worship and so is a Confirmation of all I have said before for proof thereof appears as followeth 1. Because in Ver. 7 8. there is a plain Intimation that the command Ver. 6. To withdraw from every Brother that walketh disorderly does respect other disorders besides the particular Case of eating other Mens Bread for nought For the Apostle saith Ver. 7 8. Your selves know how ye ought to follow us for we behaved not our selves disorderly among you neither did we eat any Mans Bread for nought Observe the Word Neither imports a different disorder to what he implyed before in Opposition to his Example So that to me it 's plain that the command in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ was to withdraw from those disorders that were contrary to the Apostles examples and which were not after the Tradition which they received of them and therefore it is a general command as was said before 2. I shall give a brief Citation of what is said on the same Text in a Book intitled Asober Discourse of Right to Church Communion in Page 5. it 's said Written by Mr. Will. Kiffin quoting 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us Which last Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word Paradosis
3. he also saith We shall therefore direct this Discourse to our dissenting Brethren of the baptized way only And in page 13 14. he argueth saying If unbaptized Persons may be admitted to all Church Priviledges does not such a Practice plainly suppose that it is unnecessary The Baptists if once such a Belief prevails would be easily tempted to lay aside that reproachful Practice And challenge their Church Communion by Vertue of their Faith only and such as baptize Infants would be satisfied to discontinue the Practice when once they are perswaded that their Children may be regular Church-members without it and by consequence be in a likely condition to loose one of the Sacraments which would easily make way for the loss of the other both having an equal sanction in Scripture and the Arguments that disanul the one will destroy the other and consequently all Ordinances and Modes of Worship and lastly Religion it self And in page 118. In answer to an Objection he saith This Objection supposes things very dangerous As that holiness without Baptism invests a right to other Ghurch-Ordinances which is not to be supposed for Christ the Lamb of God was holy in the highest degree and in him was found no sin yet he was baptized before he entred upon his publick Ministry which is a most illustrious Example and the Pattern which the Saints followed for in a word the great Apostle Paul and all those primitive Saints recorded by the Spirit to be Believers and therefore holy were nevertheless Baptized which might have been forborn but that it was an indispensable Duty And Secondly It seemeth strange to me that any professing Obedience to Gospel-Ordinances should so far countenance others in the neglect of a positive Institution of Christ as to plead for Church-Communion with Christians without Baptism when our Lord hath plainly commanded his Apostles and Ministers to the end of the World saying Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Math. 28.19 20. Baptizing them teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And 〈◊〉 I am with you alway even unto the end of the World For seeing the Disciples of Christ were commanded to Baptize as well as to Preach and to teach others successively to do the same It is undeniably clear if Scripture and Reason may take Place that the Gospel Ministers ought to Baptize those that obey their Doctrine Acts a. 38 41. as Peter said Repent and be baptized every one of you then they that gladly received his Word were Baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand Souls And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer Here we find those new Converts were commanded every of one them to be Baptized and this way they were added to the Primitive Church of Christ at Jerusalem which was the Pattern for all Gospel-Churches to follow in after Ages For there were the twelve Apostles who were endowed with the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit to shew us the perfect pattern of Gods House And this was the Church that said It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost Acts 15.22 28. and to us to lay upon you no greater Burthen then these necessary things and from this Pattern given as it were in the Mount of God we find Baptism was commanded as the entring Ordinance into Church Communion or upon Confession of Faith before it for baptized Believers tho' the true visible matter of a Gospel-Church were not always immediately formed into a Gospel-Church Order for this was sometimes a work of time as we have an Instance how Paul baptized the twelve Disciples at Ephesus and went into the Synagogue Acts 19.1 to 10. and spake boldly for the space of three Months before he separated the Disciples from the Multitude Moreover we have several other Precepts and Examples that do confirm the Ordinance of Baptism immediately to follow Conversion and Faith in Christ Acts 8.35 to 39. As when Philip Preached unto the Eunuch and he believed he was immediately Baptized And when Cornelius and his Friends were Converted Act. 10.44 48. Act. 16.14 15 32 33. Ch. 18.8 Peter commanded them to be Baptized And so we find Lydia and her Houshold and the Jaylor and his Houshold were Baptized immediately after their Conversion And all these instances plainly shew that Water-Baptism was administred to Converted Believers before they were in Church-Order to receive the Ordinance of the Lords Supper and 't is called a putting on Christ viz. by a visible Profession and signifieth our dying unto Sin Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 Rom. 6.3 to 7. Joh. 3 3.5 Mark 16.15 16. and living in newness of Life unto God As also our being born of the Spirit and all these denote Baptism to be the first visible Sign of a Believer in Christ and it is appointed to accompany the Preaching of the Gospel as a Christian Badge on all that shall believe And it was called a Foundation-Principle viz. of a visible Church-state Act. 2.38 41. Ch. 8.12 Ch. 18.8 the matter whereof was and still should be baptized Believers And there being not the least instance in the New Testament of any one Person that was ever added to a Gospel-Church without Water-Baptism nor that any Gospel-Church was ever gathered but of baptized Believers to exclude it as no entring Ordinance into Church-Communion against so many clear Commands and Examples on Sacred Record which shews it is immediately to follow believing in Christ will lay a Foundation to deny all Gospel-Ordinances and the Holy Scriptures themselves to be of use to us to discover the Truth of Gospel-Worship and Obedience I. Object Is from Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the Faith receive you Answer To this Scripture Mr. Will. Kiffin in his aforesaid Sober Discourse saith The weakness spoken of in the Text hath Relation only to those Mistakes that did attend some of them touching a Liberty of eating or not eating of Meats or the keeping or not keeping of Days which were things in themselves of an indifferent Nature the doing or not doing of which was not Sin as the Apostle in that Chapter plainly shews and hath no Relation to the Order of Worship prescribed by Christ much less to the Practice or not Practice of Ordinances for then the meaning of the Apostle should be if they did Practice or not Practice it was all one there was no Sin in the Matter But to bring this Text to prove a lawfulness of receiving any that are Christians altho' never so ignorant of the Ordinances and instituted Worship of Christ and the Order prescribed by him is to wring Blood out of it and not that precious Truth that is manifested by it II. Object Is from 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink